Revelation 1:1-3 PART FIRST OF THE CHURCH Revelation 1:1 to Revelation 3:22 SECTION ONE GENERAL Revelation 1:1-20 1. PURPOSE STATED AND Rev_1:1-3 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ,--This expression evidently is a title for the entire book, being comprehensive enough to include all its contents. The Greek word Apocalypse --here rendered "Revelation"--properly means the uncovering of anything; an unveiling, so that what is hid may be known. Spiritually it denotes the making known of divine truth that had not before been understood, as the following passages indicate: Romans 16:25; Galatians 1:12 Ephesians 3:3. If it had not been intended that the contents of this book should in some measure be understood, it would not have been called a Revelation. It does not mean a revealing of things concerning Christ, but a revelation which Christ himself made of things involving his church. The book is often referred to by its Greek name--Apocalypse. As its contents clearly show, the revealing is done through words, signs, and symbols, and includes things both present and future at the time John wrote. which God gave him to show unto his servants,--These words clearly indicate that God is the original source or fountain of truth. Notwithstanding the unexplained unity between God and Christ (John 17:20-21), as mediator between God and man, Jesus recognizes his dependence upon the Pathen He said: "My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me." (John 7:16.) Again he said: "For I spake not from myself; but the Father that sent me, he bath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak." (John 12:49.) In John 5:20 he said the Father "showeth" all things to the Son. Paul shows that a dependence upon the Father still exists by saying that when all things were put under Christ it is evident that God was excepted. (1 Corinthians 15:27.) Hence, though at God's right hand, he is represented as receiving from the Father the revelation he was to communicate to man. All Christians are "servants" of God in some sense (1 Peter 2:16), and the revealing here promised was intended, doubtless, for all God's children. All wouldneed the encouragement which such a disclosing of events would produce. It would also serve as a protection against being overcome by the disasters that were certain to come upon the church. even the things which must shortly come to pass:--The words "must shortly come to pass" indicate that the things to be revealed to John in vision would most certainly take place. It does not mean that all the things would "shortly" come to pass, but that they would begin to transpire soon after the time John wrote. This must be the correct view since the seals, trumpets, and vials necessarily imply a series of events. To imagine all the things depicted as occurring at exactly the same time is out of the question. The thousand-year period (chapter 20) would prevent any such theory. Since there was to be a succession of events, they began to transpire when the first one commenced. The period covered by the word "shortly" varies according to the nature of the subject in question. A short time could be a few hours, a few days, a few years, or even many years if compared with several centuries. and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John;--He (Christ) signified the things shortly to come to pass, sending them to John by his angel. The term "signify" comes from the word "sign" and indicates that the things to be revealed to John would be presented through signs and symbols. This word is used in the same sense by John in the following passages: John 12:33; John 21:18-19. It is an appropriate word to express a revelation which was to be made largely through symbols. The symbolic nature of much of the book is evident from even a casual reading of it. The word "angel" means messenger, and this shows that the visions were conveyed to John through the medium of some heavenly messenger. How this was done is a matter that must be left to the secret things known only to divine wisdom. (Deuteronomy 29:29.) It is a matter of first importance in the study of God's word to stop where Revelation ends. In no part of the sacred record is this more important than in the study of the Apocalypse. 2 who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw.--This language shows that John regarded himself simply as a witness of God's revelation. In general God's word means any declaration or truth coming from him. But here he means that John was giving a true record of the things recorded in this book. This is evident from the explanatory clause "even of all things that he saw." Of course, John was a witness of the things he had seen in the personal ministry of Christ. (John 19:35; John 21:24.) The "testimony of Jesus Christ," as indicated in verse 1, was the witness that he bore to the word of God; or, that this revelation came through Christ and was delivered by John. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear--In that early time copies of the sacred writings were scarce and doubtless much truth was imparted through public readings. Many think the language here refers to that custom, because he that readeth and they that hear imply that one read while many listened. This did not exclude individual and private reading ; but, since the other was probably more common, the blessing was pronounced on both reader and hearers. No special blessing is mentioned, but there are always benefits to come to those who are obedient. Nothing is more conducive to hearty obedience than a faithful hearing of God's word. the words of the prophecy,--The word "prophecy" here is synonymous with "Revelation" in verse 1 and the "things saw" in verse 2. It is 'used in its narrow sense of disclosing future events, for the main part of the book is devoted to such matters. John did not say that all who read the book would understand it, for that is not true of any part of the Bible written in literal language. But there would be no point in saying a blessing would come to those who heard it unless some degree of understanding were possible; at least enough to make the study profitable. and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.--To keep things written meant that they should not forget what related to the future as a matter of encouragement and warning, and they should obey any duty that the book required. Present-day Christians should maintain the same attitude toward the teachings of this divine volume. It came from God through Christ and was delivered through an inspired apostle. No book of the Bible has stronger claims for its authority. Disobedience is inexcusable when God speaks. Since the visions presented to John unquestionably cover a long period of time, the expression "at hand" cannot mean that the completion of all the events was near. The thought must be then that the things that were to come to pass would begin to transpire in a relatively short time. "At hand" should be understood in the same sense as "shortly," verse 1.Commentary on Revelation 1:1-3 by Foy E.WallaceI. THE (Revelation 1:1-3) (1) The source of the visions. 1. “ The revelation of Jesus Christ” -- Revelation 1:1. It was made known by Jesus Christ, that is, it was not concerning Christ himself. The language does not refer to the person of Christ, as the subject of the vision, but to the One by whom it was communicated to John--by Jesus Christ “ the faithful witness,” through the agency of his angel. 2. “ Which God gave unto him"-- Revelation 1:1. God, the Father, was himself the source of the vision. This reverence for God was always manifested by Jesus, as he affirmed in all of the gospel records while he was on the earth, that he did not speak of, or from, himself, but from his Father who sent him. (John 12:49) This vision was first a revelation that God sent to his Son, Jesus Christ, who, in the second place, sent it by an angel, in the third place, to John, in the fourth place of the numerical declension. The angel signified the vision to John, that is, communicated it to him in the signs directed by Jesus Christ. (2) The object of the visions.1. “ To show unto his servants"-- Revelation 1:1. It was on the principle that to be forewarned was to be forearmed. So the things signified, or symbolized--set forth in signs--were explained to the members of the churches for their needful information concerning the immediate events which pertained to the persons and churches addressed, and which would be fulfilled in the period of their own lives and experiences; else the language addressed to them served no purpose to the people for whom “ God gave it,” and to whom it was sent. 2. “ Things which must shortly come to pass"-- Revelation 1:1. Reference to things indicated a definite form of events then shaping, and the word must is not a speculative or conjectural term; it was factual, and the word shortly denoted immediacy. These events applied to them, not to centuries after their time, and even yet to come. The object of the entire revelation was to inform and forewarn, to comfort and encourage the church in the time of this vision --the apostolic age, the period of the churches addressed. (3) The method of the delivery and communication.1. “ And he sent and signified it by an angel” -- Revelation 1:1. The revelation was sent by an angel--that is, it was delivered by a special messenger. And it was signified, indicating how it was communicated; that it was not merely made known, but was transmitted in code by signs and symbols. It was a special message, delivered by special messengers, in the special medium of code language. It was thus dispatched unto his servant John. 2. “ Unto his servant John"-- Revelation 1:1. There is a difference in the meanings of the words show and signify. Jesus Christ signified the vision unto John to show unto his servants. That is, it was revealed to John in code for explanation to the churches, which could, of course, have been accomplished by the spiritually gifted teachers of that period in each church. The meaning is that as a message, it was special and not general; it was for the churches, and not for the public. As an example, the Comforter (John 14:16; John 13:13) was a special promise to the apostles alone, and not to all of the disciples, nor for the world in general--only the apostles. So it was with the apocalypse; it was a message for the early churches, not for the Jewish world nor the Roman public--and that is why it was written in code instead of the use of literal language, as in all of the other epistles. (4) The witness of the visions. 1. “ Who bare record of the word of God"-- Revelation 1:2 The word of God, to which John was to be the witness, was the message of the revelation itself, the word which God gave unto Jesus Christ (verse 1) at this time and in this apocalypse, not the word of God which had already been preached by the other apostles or that which was in the general epistles. This was the word of God in the special sense, belonging to the special message, for the special time. These were the special things which Jesus Christ signified to John, which did not belong to the revelation of the gospel contained in the other epistles. It was an apocalyptic revelation to the churches that were on the threshold of their peril--in that period called the hour of trial. 2. “ And of the testimony of Jesus Christ"-- Revelation 1:2. As previously intimated, this is a specific reference to the testimony of Christ to John, not John’ s testimony of or concerning Christ. It was the testimony of this apocalypse, as stated in the first line of the first verse, the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3. “ Even of all things that he saw"-- Revelation 1:2. Thus it is that both the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ refer to the things that John saw, of which John bare record, not the past witness of the word which all the other apostles had made, nor the testimony of Christ in the sense of the gospel which they had preached. It was the word of God and the testimony of this apocalypse only of the things to which John was bearing witness and of which he was making a record. (5) The admonitions of the visions. 1. “ Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear- Revelation 1:3. This is, first, a reference to the person whose task it was to explain the visions, designated as he that readeth; and second, to the auditors assembled to receive it, as they that hear. As previously mentioned, there were specially endowed teachers, spiritually gifted men, in all of the churches (1 Corinthians 12:1-31), who could read and decode the revelation that was signified. The language of verse 3 indicates the need of the explanatory reading. 2. “ The words of this prophecy"-- Revelation 1:3. These words were prophetic in the sense of being visional. In this use of the word prophecy, it was apocalyptic only of things already beginning to occur. It was not the foretelling of far future events not connected with the experiences of his servants to whom and for whom the apocalypse was delivered. 3. “ And keep those things which are written therein” -- Revelation 1:3. The manifest meaning of this phrase is that his servants should remember the signified portents, and the monitory exhortations of the visions, for they would come within the experiences of their own time. 4. “ For the time is at hand"—Revelation 1:3. There can be no reason to assign any other meaning to this phrase at hand than that which it had in the announcement of John the Baptist that the kingdom of heaven was at hand (Matthew 3:2), or of Jesus that the kingdom of God was at hand (Mark 1:14-15). The language and the context of it can mean only one thing--that these events were imminent. The sole reason for the admonition to read and hear and keep the things signified is stated in the clause of this verse: for the time is at hand. If the things written therein pertained to the remote future rather than to the immediate future, there was no application for such a warning. Commentary on Revelation 1:1-3 by Walter ScottPREFACE (Revelation 1:1-3). The introduction contains a preface (Revelation 1:1-3), a salutation (Revelation 1:4-6), a prophetic testimony (Revelation 1:7), and a divine announcement (Revelation 1:8). 1. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ." Here Jesus Christ is viewed as Man, not in essential Deity as in John 1:1-2. The divine and human natures of our Lord, both absolutely perfect, are distinguished in office and action, but must not be separated. There is but one Saviour and one Mediator, Who is very God and very Man, and on this fundamental truth reposes the whole system of Christianity. Faith believes and grasps it firmly, while not pretending to solve the mystery of the Godhead. Our own complex being is a mystery, much more so the Being of our adorable Lord. The Revelation is embodied in the visions beheld by the Seer of Patmos. The word "Revelation " gives unity to the many and diversified communications, whether in word or vision, contained in the book. Revelations there were, but these form one compact whole, and this belongs to Jesus Christ. Not only, however, is the Revelation Jesus Christ's as given Him by God, but He is the central object in these as in all prophecy. The rays of the prophetic lamp are directed onward to the millennial glory of Christ, no matter whether the lamp be held in the hands of Isaiah the Grand or John the Beloved. 1. "Which God gave unto Him." The kingdom is Christ's by right in virtue of what He is, yet as Man He receives it from God (Luke 19:15), and shall deliver it up to God (1 Corinthians 15:24). So the Revelation, which mainly concerns the kingdom, is here given by God to Christ as Man. 1. "To show unto His servants (bondmen) things which must shortly come to pass." The term "bondmen" is applied in a narrow and restricted sense in both Testaments. The prophets of old were so designated (Amos 3:7; Daniel 9:6; 2 Kings 17:13), as also the apostles and others of reputation in the Church (Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:7, see Greek). On the other hand, the word is employed in the New Testament to embrace all believers (Romans 6:19-22). It is, we judge, this wide and general application of the term which is to be understood here (compare with Revelation 2:20; Revelation 7:3; Revelation 22:3). The object, then, of the Revelation is to show Christ's servants or bondmen the near future. Servant is a more distant character of relation than that of son (position), or child (relationship), or friend (intimacy), and best suits the general character of the book which addresses itself to every individual Christian, and not by any means exclusively to an official class. To ignore this book, therefore, to regard it as a profitless study, to consider its visions as day-dreams, and its symbols as inexplicable is to incur serious loss, dishonour God by Whom the book is inspired, and rob the soul of special promised blessing (v. 3). This warning applies to every servant of Jesus Christ, i.e., every Christian. 1. "Shortly" arrests our attention. The imminence of the fulfilment of the events herein foretold, as also the near Return of the Lord, the culminating point in the prophecies, are stated in precise terms both in the beginning and end of the book (Revelation 1:1; Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:12; Revelation 22:20), thus forming an insuperable difficulty to its interpretation on the historical basis. A general application of the prophecies to certain past and present events is frankly admitted, for history is ever repeating itself. The facts may be new, but the underlying principles, as pride, love of money, love of power, are the same in all ages, and have ever produced a harvest which has gone to make up history. Thus while fully admitting a partial fulfilment of the strictly prophetic part of the book, i.e., Revelation 6:1-17; Revelation 22:5, yet we are forced to the conclusion that a yet future and brief crisis must be looked for under the Seals, the Trumpets, and the Vials, after the Translation of Old and New Testament saints to Heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:17). We look for a successive series of judgments during the time that the saints of past and present ages are at home in the heavens. Before these begin (Revelation 4:1-11), during their continuance (Revelation 12:1-17), and after they have run their course (Revelation 19:1-21), God's heavenly people are seen in their home above. The futurist application therefore is the basis of our interpretation. If prophetic Scripture as a whole and in detail is to be interpreted soberly and fully, then we must discard the prevalent and pernicious error that history is its interpreter. We hold that the teacher of all Scripture is the Holy Ghost: "He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). The full and precise fulfilment of the prophetic portion of the Apocalypse is yet future; and cannot possibly be shown as fulfilled. Take one central fact, the Beast or empire of Rome. Prophecy shows the Latin power in the last phase of its history, previous to its destruction, and in a condition in which it has never yet appeared. It is represented as a great blaspheming, persecuting power, distributed into ten kingdoms under ten vassal kings, subservient to one energetic chief or head, all reigning in willing subordination to their supreme lord (Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 17:1-18), and in league with apostate Judah in Palestine. Neither under the imperial sway, nor since, has Rome appeared in this new form one essential to the prophetic future; moreover, Rome destroyed the Jewish commonwealth instead of seeking to preserve it. Nor was Judah apostate when Rome was in the ascendant. 1. It will be observed that the medium of communication between Christ and John is an unnamed angel, no doubt a spiritual being of prominence in the hierarchy of Heaven "His angel." How unlike in character and mode the unfolding of the Lord's mind during His sojourn on earth. Then John was taught the Lord's will as he reposed in the Master's bosom (John 13:23, R.V.). Now all is distant and in a way mysterious, but in exact keeping with the character of these communications. God is not here regarded as "our Father," but five times Christ's relation to His Father is affirmed (Revelation 1:6; Revelation 2:27; Revelation 3:5; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 14:1). We have only one recorded instance of our Lord, when on earth, directly addressing His Father as "My God" (Matthew 27:46), but in this book we hear Him say both "My Father" and "My God," the former as Son, the latter as Man. The unfolding of certain governmental glories and titles in no wise enfeebles the blessed truth of Christ's more intimate relations as Son and Man. The order of the Revelation, therefore, is from God to Christ, then by Christ's angel, whoever that may be, to John, and then on to us, i.e., all Christ's servants or bondmen. 1. "Unto His servant John." The beloved apostle always writes in the third person in the four inspired records bearing his name. Here he writes in the first person, naming himself three times in the introductory part (Revelation 1:1; Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:9) and twice in the closing portion of the book (Revelation 21:2; Revelation 22:8). Revelation 1:2. "The Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ" formed the sum of the visions beheld by the Seer. Omit the second "and" in the verse, and thus, "all things that he saw" constitute in brief the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. The third member of the text is really a summary of the preceding two. "The Word of God" is limited to the communications contained in this book, while "the testimony of Jesus Christ" is here of a prophetic character (see Revelation 19:10). "The Word of God" in the Gospels is one of grace, whilst "the testimony of Jesus Christ " has as its burden the revelation of the name and character of the Father. But as the Apocalypse treats mainly of the public government of God, both the "word" and "testimony" refer especially to the display of divine authority and rule over the earth. We regard the Word of God as that which He directly or mediately expresses, and the testimony of Jesus Christ that which He Himself, or by His angel, announces. Revelation 1:3. In this verse, which completes the preface, the divine benediction, "Blessed," is pronounced on the reader, the hearers, and on those who keep these verbally inspired communications. The fact that the blessing is repeated at the close (Revelation 22:7), and judgment threatened on all who tamper with the whole or part of this book of prophecy (Revelation 1:18-19), imparts an unusually solemn character to this hitherto much neglected portion of Scripture. None can read it or hear it read without blessing, and none dare despise it with impunity. God is ever faithful to His Word, whether in the bestowal of blessing or in the execution of judgment. The divine beatitude, "Blessed," occurs seven times (Revelation 1:3; Revelation 14:13; Revelation 16:15; Revelation 19:9; Revelation 20:6; Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:14). 3. "He that readeth" probably refers to the public reading of the Scriptures in the assemblies, and no doubt Paul's admonition to Timothy, "Give attendance to reading" (1 Timothy 4:13), speaks of the same good old practice, and one which, we fear, is sadly neglected. Every reader of the Revelation, whether in public or private, may rest assured of the Lord's blessing. The synagogues, authorised by Jewish law wherever ten persons could be brought together to form a congregation, had as an integral part of their service the public reading of the Word of God and exhortation (Luke 4:16-20; Acts 13:14; Acts 13:27; Acts 15:21). "They that hear" would signify the company present on these and other occasions when the prophecy was read. For the force of "keep those things," see John 14:21-24. 3. "The time is at hand." Prophecy annihilates time, and all intervening and even opposing circumstances, and sets one down on the threshold of accomplishment. The activity of the divine will needs not, nor knows rest. But to our naturally impatient minds, weary and fretful of evil, it might seem at times as if God had let slip the reins of government and ceased to intervene in human affairs. But it is not so. Time, ways, men and their actions are in His hands and under His sole control. He is sovereign Lord and Master. "The time is at hand," and "the effect of every vision." God's lengthened delay of nigh 2000 years has proved a rich season of grace to the world. In the meantime faith rests assured that the hand of God, although unseen, is working out a scheme of good (Romans 8:28), which will result to His eternal glory, the true end of all. Commentary on Revelation 1:1-3 by E.M. ZerrRevelation 11 ---General remarks. In approaching this book for the purpose of writing comments thereon, I am resolved not to resort to speculation or guesswork. True that should be one's purpose regarding every part of the Bible. But the various extremes to which so many would-be interpreters have gone make it especially important to observe this safety principle with this book. One extreme has the position that the book is a deep mystery that the Lord never intended to be understood. The fact that it is a part of the Sacred Volume and that He pronounces a blessing on those who read and hear and keep the things written therein (chapter 1:3) Shows the error of this position. An opposite extreme is that it is "just as simple and easy as any other part of the Bible." At first thought one might not realize the evil of the statement, but it will be manifest by the manner of reasoning that is resorted to, in order to carry out what is thought to be required by the law of consistency. In pursuing such a course it is claimed that the prophecies of the book are literal and attempts are made to find such facts in the history of the world. This theory ignores the statement in chapter 1:1 which says the book was revealed by being "signified" or by signs and symbols, which rules out literalism in explaining the book as a whole. We should avoid both extremes mentioned above and seek an explanation that will be consistent with the facts and other truths that are available to us. A sign or symbol must stand for something that is literally true or else its use can accomplish nothing. We should understand, therefore, that the ones in this book point forward to facts that were destined to occur literally in the then future years of the world. Since God knows the future as well as the present or past (Isaiah 46:9-10) it was possible for Him to look forward from the time of John and see the events that would occur in the world, including those of the religious and political domains of human activities. It would be unreasonable to suppose that He would direct a man to write a book with symbols which were not in harmony with the facts of history. The business of the student, therefore, is to read the symbols and then seek the explanation in the statements of authentic history. That is the task I have set for myself in writing a commentary on this book. I shall here write a brief outline of the facts of history, to show the general program that has been and is now and will be carried out, in fulfillment of the predictions that John was told to write in the language of symbols. Many of the specific and detailed incidents of history will be reserved to be cited as the particular passages are reached in our studies. Among the sources of my information are the following: Ancient Monarchies, by George Rawlinson; Mommsen's History of Rome; Josephus' History of the Jews; Myers' Ancient History; Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, by Edward Gibbon; Mosheim's Ecclesiastes History; Jones' Church History; Eusebius' Church History; and many others. Due to the wide field of historical material, it will not be expected that I can cite the actual text of the sources except in particular cases. The Roman Empire was at the height of its power in the time of Christ and the apostles, and continued so through several centuries. Religion was a state affair, being protected and regulated by the government under the direction of the emperor. That of Rome was the pagan or heathen and its worship was in devotion to idolatry. Other religions were tolerated as long as they did not become too conspicuous and did not show signs of interference with the state religion. Among the religions tolerated was Christianity, started by Christ. and propagated by the apostles. At first it was regarded as an insignificant movement and little attention was paid to it by the leaders in Rome. But as it grew in numbers and influence the Empire began to fear for its effect on the state and tried to counteract it by persecution. After a few centuries the church or leaders therein began to grow corrupt, and they sought to concentrate their power with a view to reaching a condition where one man would dominate the entire brotherhood. This ambition for power was held back by the power of Rome whose religion was the pagan or heathen. But a change took place in this Empire that removed the hindrance. In the beginning of the fourth century the emperor was Constantine the Great. He finally professed to be converted to the Christian religion and accordingly gave it the endorsement of the Empire. That resulted in the union of church and state so that the emperor over the government and the bishop over the church, both of whom resided in the city of Rome, were joined in a mutual interest and hence took away the rights or privileges of both the local leaders in the congregations, and those of kings and governors over smaller sections of the Empire. There is a lengthy note under "General remarks" at 2 Thessalonians 2 which the reader should see again. After the union of church and state was formed there followed a period of twelve centuries known as the apostasy or Dark Ages. During that time the Bible was virtually taken from the common people and everyone both in religious and civil matters had to bow to the dictates issued at Rome by the joint power of the emperor and bishop (who finally took the title of pope). This condition continued until the time of Martin Luther and the other Reformers, who gave the Bible back to their respective countries in the language of their people, resulting in the dissolving of the union of church and state. The preceding paragraphs give a general picture of what actually occurred according to history, and of course the symbols of the book of Revelation should be interpreted in a way that agrees with the facts of history. Various details and specific instances will be related as occasion arises in our study of the book. Before taking up the chapters and verses on the plan that has been followed throughout the Commentary, it should be noted that the symbolical part of the book of Revelation is included in chapters 4 through 20. The three in the beginning and the two at the close of the book will be considered very much like the rest of the New Testament. Revelation 1:1. The word revelation occurs 12 times in the King James Version. It is from and Thayer defines it as follows: "An uncovering; 1. properly a laying bare, making naked." The revelation is said to be of or from Jesus Christ and God gave it unto him. It was to show things that were to come to pass or that were in the future. Shortly is a comparative term, for while some things predicted did take place in a short time literally, some of them were hundreds of years in the future. Signified is from SE-MAINO, which Thayer defines, "To give a sign, to signify, indicate." (See the comments on "symbols" in General remarks at the beginning of the chapter.) The revelation was sent to John and the bearer of it was an angel of the Lord. The writer is one of the twelve apostles but he uses the term servant which indicates his attitude of modesty. In a later verse he refers to himself as a brother to his readers in the king. dons of the Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:2. Who is a pronoun that stands for John in the preceding verse and he is the writer of this book. Bare record means he is making a record of what tie saw, which was according to the testimony of Jesus Christ. It is also the word of God because he gave Christ the authority to make the revelation known to John by an angel. Revelation 1:3. Blessed means happy and it is said of those who read the words of this prophecy or book. But the blessing is not on those who read it only, but they also must hear it which means to give heed to it. The writer does not stop there but adds the condition that they shall keep ( "observe"--Thayer) them. These three significant terms certainly do not agree with the notion that the book of Revelation is one to be ignored by Bible students. Time is at hand. That is, the general program that was to extend down through the centuries was soon to begin.Commentary on Revelation 1:1-3 by Burton CoffmanRev_1:1 The predominating thought in this chapter is that of the exalted and glorified Christ amidst the congregations of his church, his constant attendance with them and concern for them being represented in this chapter as a fact connected not merely with the salvation of people, but especially with the execution of judgment, not merely upon the church alone, but upon all people. The judgment is the theme of Revelation, and that subject is stated in the master-sentence of the whole book in Revelation 1:7. In the first paragraph (Revelation 1:1-3), the writer introduces himself, states the nature of what he is about to write, and pronounces a double beatitude upon those who read, and upon those who hear and keep the words of the prophecy. The second paragraph (Revelation 1:4-8) contains the salutation to the original recipients of Revelation and a noble doxology in which appears the grand thesis of the whole book. The third paragraph (Revelation 1:9-20) has the introductory vision of the Christ glorified, the details of which strongly emphasize his character and office as the Judge of all people. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto his servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. (Revelation 1:1) The Revelation of Jesus Christ ... Although the primary meaning of this phrase regards the source of the prophecy as having come from God through Jesus Christ, it is also true in the extended sense of being a revelation of the Son of God in his capacity as the judge appointed by the Almighty God himself and divinely commissioned to "execute judgment" (John 5:27). The word "Revelation," capitalized in the text, was so rendered in order to indicate the word as the title of the prophecy. It is translated from a Greek word [@apokalupsis], from which also comes the similar English word given to the book and also applied to a whole field of similar writings. It means "an unveiling." The things which must shortly come to pass ... Scholars generally assume that this means: (1) either that all of Revelation was fulfilled within a very short time after John wrote, or (2) that such events as "the thousand years" and the final judgment were mistakenly believed by the apostle to lie in the near future. We simply cannot believe that either proposition is true. Caird declared that all of the events John prophesied were "expected to be accomplished quickly in their entirety."[1] Even the respected Foy E. Wallace, Jr., wrote that, "The word "shortly" denotes immediacy; the events applied to them, not to centuries after their time, and even yet to come.[2] The objection to the view in (1) is twofold: first, many of the events foretold in Revelation, notably the final judgment, did not take place "shortly"; and secondly, it is incorrect to suppose that the holy apostles of Christ erroneously "taught" that the end of all things would occur soon. It may be freely admitted that they may indeed have been mistaken in thinking such a thing; but, in fairness, it must be admitted that none of them either implied or declared the Second Advent to be an event in the immediate future. The statement before us teaches no such thing. The meaning of it is the same as when Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is at hand," meaning that the "beginning of it" was near at hand. Furthermore, the declaration of John in 4:1 that some of the things he prophesied were to "come to pass hereafter" categorically refutes such views. Regarding the view in (2), we heartily agree with McGuiggan who said: The claim is made that the early church believed that the second coming was near in time; but this is just not true. They may have lived aware of the possibility of his coming soon, but that they believed he was coming soon is not at all established by the New Testament.[3]Furthermore, such a figure as reigning with Christ "a thousand years" could not possibly have been written by one who believed the end of the world would occur in a few weeks. No matter what view of the prophecy is taken, the extensive treatment of the Second Advent and accompanying judgment of all mankind absolutely forbids the notion that all of this great prophecy has already been fulfilled. There are some who delight in attributing ignorance and misunderstanding to the New Testament writers, using their false interpretation of this verse to bolster their opinions. For a more thorough refutation of the false view that the apostles all expected the speedy return of Jesus, see in my Commentary on 1Thessalonians, pp. 18-20. Signified it by his angel ... The use of angel (singular) here is strange, especially in view of the fact that a number of angels are seen in the course of the Revelation. Lenski's explanation of this has the ring of truth: Such singulars are at times generic. "His angel" does not necessarily mean only one and the same angel. Any angel, now one, now another, would be Christ's (and God's) angel ... that conferred the commission on John.[4]Unto his servant John ... The only person who ever lived in the first century, speaking with the great authority evident in Revelation, who could possibly have identified himself in these words, was the holy apostle John, the son of Zebedee, and author of the fourth Gospel and the three Johannine epistles. As Hendriksen expressed it: We are thoroughly convinced that there was only one John who did not need to add "the apostle", for the very reason that he was the apostle! Besides, he does not call himself "the apostle" because he (in this book) wrote in his capacity as a seer (or prophet).[5]Further comment on the authorship of this book is in the introduction. [1] G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 12. [2] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., The Book of Revelation (Nashville: Foy E. Wallace, Jr., Publications, 1966), p. 63. [3] Jim McGuiggan, The Book of Revelation (West Monroe, Louisiana: William C. Johnson, 1976), p. 32. [4] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 31. [5] William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956). Revelation 1:2 Who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all the things that he saw.Some interpreters of this verse have found a reference to the gospel and John's testimony there; but the final clause appears to define the testimony as that contained in this prophecy. Of the word of God ... This is the great affirmation here. It declares the Book of Revelation to be indeed and in truth the word of God, given by the Father to Christ, and by Christ to John, who in turn delivered it to the churches. This is the very loftiest claim that possibly could be made upon behalf of this sacred writing. Of all things that he saw ... The one verb saw embraces also the things which John heard in the course of his seeing the visions. Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.It was noted above that "shortly come to pass" cannot be applied to all that is revealed in the prophecy; but the last clause here surely indicates that some of the events foretold would soon occur, the very imminence of them leading to this double beatitude which was to be heeded by the persons who originally received the epistle. Regarding the events which were indeed imminent, the great persecution about to break forth against the Christians was most certainly one of the things in view. "There is general agreement that John expected persecution of the church by the Roman Empire."[6] Frank L. Cox noted that, "This is the first of seven beatitudes in the book, the other six being found in Revelation 14:13; Revelation 16:15; Revelation 19:9; Revelation 20:6; Revelation 22:7, and Revelation 22:14."[7] Regarding this one, Beasley-Murray wrote: The blessing invoked is on the one reading aloud to the congregation and on those hearing and observing that which is enjoined. There are two classes here, not three, the last two participles being governed by one subject.[8]The words of this prophecy ... Although the book is called "Revelation" in Revelation 1:1, it is here also called "this prophecy," a title for it which appears five other times in Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:10; Revelation 22:18; and Revelation 22:19. [6] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 12. [7] Frank L. Cox, Revelation in 26 Lessons (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1956), p. 2. [8] G. R. Beasley-Murray, New Bible Commentary, Revised (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), p. 1280. Commentary on Revelation 1:1-3 by Manly Luscombe1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants-things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.---This is a single “ Revelation” , not multiple revelations. Most books of prophecy describe multiple scenes, visions, or dreams. This book is one revelation. It contains one motion picture in living color. John does not claim this work to be original with him. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus does the unveiling. John gives the “ chain of authority” -- God - Jesus Christ - his angel - John - written form. Purpose is given clearly. To show things that will happen shortly. There is much division on the word “ shortly” . It could mean in the next months or years. It could mean shortly as God counts time. The word “ must” is an important word. These things are not a guess. They are sure. These are things that must happen. The Greek word here is an impersonal verb that indicates that a moral necessity is involved. God has issued the decree. God does not lie. These things will happen. 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. John is well known in Asia Minor. Before he was banished to Patmos, he lived and taught in Ephesus and the surrounding area. He, since the day of Pentecost, more than 60 years ago, has been one who testified as a witness to the resurrection of Christ. This book is the record of what he saw. This is a revelation, a parting of the curtain, where John is allowed to see things yet in the future. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. A triple blessing is pronounced here: (1) He that reads - A blessing is upon those who give an oral or public reading of this book in the church assembly. Many church assemblies of the first century included a public reading of a section of scripture. (2) They that hear - those who listen to the words being read are also blessed. Listening implies more than just receiving an audible sound. Listening includes understanding, heeding, and obeying the message they heard. (3) Keep those things - The real blessing comes when we follow the commands, heed the warnings and believe the promises. John repeats what was said in verse one. These things will happen shortly. They are seen as “ at hand” or within reach. They are close enough that one could reach out and touch them. There would be no encouragement to say, “ Here are some things that will happen in a couple of thousand years.” Sermon on Revelation 1:1-3 Brent Kercheville Introduction The book of Revelation is the book in the Bible that is considered to be shrouded in mystery. Many people think that the book of Revelation cannot be understood. Many think that the book is intended to be hard. Before we begin our study, I am going to encourage you with the same words that I always offer. Please enter this study with an open mind. Try to erase any preconceived notions you may have. Study the book of Revelation for yourself. I believe this is one of the primary reasons that people have difficulty with the book. Many do not read and study the book of Revelation for themselves. Instead, they just listen to what everyone else has to say about the book. This leads to great confusion because everyone says something different about the book. You must read the book for yourself. If you have a question or disagree with what is said concerning the book, you will have an opportunity in the Wednesday night study to voice your question or disagreement and we can work together in our studies for solution. I presented a study of Revelation back in 2002-2003. I have changed my position on some of the aspects of the book since then. I am not arrogant to think that I will not learn more and change my thoughts again down the road. Therefore you need to rely on God’ s word and your own study of the book, rather than just on my teachings. As noted in the introduction material to the class, one of the frustrating aspects of studying Revelation is determining the date of the book. The debate on when the book was written continues to rage. There are many persuasive arguments on both sides of the discussion. I encourage you to read both sides of the discussion. One of the frustrating parts of dating the book is that scholars disagree over when it was written. In the last 100 the predominant view has been a late date for the book (95-96 AD). However, during the previous 100 years the predominant view was an early date for the book (65-69 AD). My encouragement for you in your study (and the basis of our study) is to not begin Revelation with a date in mind. Beginning your study with a date in mind will color how you read the book. Instead, let the book tell you when it was written. Let the images and symbols speak and interpret them in the most natural way, regardless of the date. Once we are done and have read the images, only then let us determine when it was likely for Revelation to have been written. We will have much more to say about the date of the book as we study Revelation. Let’ s get started with our study. The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1) “‘ Revelation’ (apokalypsis) means to expose in full view what was formerly hidden, veiled, or secret” (Expositor’ s Bible Commentary). This is a significant beginning to our study. The book of Revelation is revealing something that previously was concealed. Revelation is not code. Revelation is not hidden language. To suggest such violates the very name of the book. This is the book of unveiling. This is the book of revealing, not concealing. This information also set up our filter for our interpretation method. This book is explaining things that were previously hidden. While we do not know for certain yet, our most likely source would be Old Testament prophecies that were shrouded in mystery that the book is going to make plain. It is noted by all scholars that Revelation borrows heavily from the images of the Old Testament. Therefore, our interpretative model should be that the book of Revelation is an explanation of those Old Testament images. When we read language in Revelation that is found in the Old Testament, we need to go back to the origin of the image and understand it in its proper context. Then we can see how the book of Revelation is shedding light or revealing information about that prophecy. It is not “ Revelations,” but “ Revelation.” One unveiling of the things hidden in the past. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Many will remark that this book is about Jesus. There are two ways to understand “ the revelation of Jesus Christ.” One way is that the revelation is about Jesus. The other way is that the revelation is from Jesus. When we read the sentence it becomes clear that this is the revelation from Jesus, not about him. Verse 1 is awkward if it means, “ The revelation about Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants….” God gave Jesus the revelation about Jesus? It makes far more sense to understand verse 1 to say, “ The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants….” God gave this revelation to Jesus who gave it to his servants. The end of the book of Revelation makes the point again that this revelation is from Jesus. “ I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches” (Revelation 22:16). The TNIV and NLT translate verse 1 as “ The revelation from Jesus Christ” because this is the way the verse makes the most sense. The point is that this unveiling is coming from God the Father. We will see this image made clearer in Revelation 4. Time Markers (Revelation 1:1; Revelation 1:3) There are two time markers in this preface. The first is found in verse 1, “ To show his servants the things that must soon take place.” The second time marker is in verse 3, “ For the time is near.” Carefully read those time markers. Verse 1 says that the revelation concerns things that must soon take place. The time is near for the events that are contained in the revelation and that is why those who read, hear, and keep the words are blessed. The point cannot be ignored. The things in the book are happening soon. Define “ soon” to you? If someone told you that these things are going to happen soon, how long do you think it will be? Would you think that it would be 2000 years later? Do you think it would be 300 years later? 100 years later? No, these things do not fit. Scholars are beginning to rightly reject the popular futurist view that the book of Revelation has not occurred yet because of these time markers. “ Therefore, John’ s book is a prophetic work which concerns the imminent and inaugurated fulfillment of OT prophecies about the kingdom in Jesus Christ” (Beale, New International Greek Testament Commentary (NIGTC), 183). Those who want the book of Revelation to be about things that have not been fulfilled yet even today in the year 2010 try a number of ways to get around these clear time markers. Tim LaHaye, who is one of the most well known futurist advocates for the book of Revelation (popular as co-author of the Left Behind novels), makes no comment in his commentary, Revelation Unveiled, about these time markers. One method to keep a futurist view is to ignore these verses and just keep moving on. Robert L. Thomas, defends a futurist view by arguing, “ God is not limited by considerations of time in the same way man is” (Wycliffe Exegetical Commentary (WEC), 56). This point is absolutely correct. God is not bound by time in the same way that people are. However, this does not solve the problem. Remember, Revelation is supposed to be the unveiling, not the concealing. Revelation is not supposed to add to the confusion, but explain the concealed. Further, God is bound by time when he speaks to humans and reveals to them that something “ must soon take place” and “ the time is near.” God is not bound by time, but he is bound by his word when he speaks to humanity. If he tells humans that something must happen soon and the time is near, then it must be soon to us and near to us, otherwise God is false and is unable to communicate with his creation. Beale states the point even stronger. Beale states, loch“ Things must soon take place,” “…connotes neither the speedy manner in which the Daniel prophecy is to be fulfilled nor the mere possibility that it could be fulfilled at any time, but the definite, imminent time of fulfillment, which likely has already begun in the present” (Beale, NIGTC, 181-2). The argument of those who take the book of Revelation as still in the future is that, “ Things must soon take place” can also mean “ things must suddenly take place.” That is, the preface is not saying that the things contained in Revelation will happen soon, but whenever these things do happen, they will happen suddenly. There are many problems with this position. This does not deal with verse 3, “ The time is near.” Even if verse 1 does mean, “ Things must suddenly take place,” there is no way to get around that God said the time is near. Robert L. Thomas, a futurist, states well the problem with taking verse 1 to mean “ suddenly.” “ A major thrust of Revelation is its emphasis upon the shortness of time before the fulfillment. In the midst of persecution God’ s people do not have long to wait for relief to come. To say that the relief will come ‘ suddenly’ offers no encouragement, but to say that it will come ‘ soon’ does” (WEC, 55). One of the themes of Revelation is relief from suffering will come soon. If not, the book of Revelation becomes an untrue and hopeless book since the martyrs will told a little while longer till they were vindicated. Hundreds or thousands of years will not work. Not only will the futurist position not work in light of these words, but I submit to you that seeing only the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD will also not work. If the book of Revelation is only about the demise of the Roman Empire, that would not happen for nearly 400 years or more. Four hundred years is not soon and is not near. If I were to tell you that Christ would come in judgment and relieve you of your suffering more than 400 years from now, would you have relief? No, not at all. The time marker is not only a problem for the futurist position but it is also a problem for those who see only the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD as the message of the book of Revelation. Therefore, the book of Revelation is not about the rise of the Roman Catholic church. The book of Revelation is not about Iraq and Saddam Hussein. The book of Revelation is not about the European Union. The book of Revelation is not a book about current events. We must not read the newspapers and try to plug what is happening today as the fulfillment of the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation was relevant to the first century Christians who heard its message. Notice in Revelation 1:3 that those Christians in the first century who read, heard, and kept what is written in it would be blessed. If chapters 4-22 are yet to come still, then there is no blessing for those Christians who received this letter. This does not mean that there is nothing for us to learn. We learn from every book in the Bible even though there was an original audience to whom the book was written. We do not read Romans and discard its value because it was written to the Christians in the city of Rome in the first century. There is still great value, lessons, and applications for us. The book of Revelation is the same. Though written to the seven churches of Asia, there is still great value, lessons, and applications for us. Signified (Revelation 1:1) John signals to his audience how the book of Revelation is to be read. Notice that God gave Jesus this revelation “ to show,” not to tell, his servants the things that must soon take place. The ESV Study Bible states, “ The terms, ‘ revelation,’ ‘ show,’ ‘ made it known,’ and ‘ he saw’ prepare the reader and hearers for symbolic visions….” Many translations read in verse 1, “ He made it known.” The HCSB and NKJV read, “ He…signified it by his angel.” Our English word “ signified” gets at the idea appropriately. He “ sign-i-fied” the revelation, that is, he put it into signs and symbols. Grant Osborne says the Greek word, “ Yields the idea of making known by means of symbols” (Baker Exegetical Commentary, 55). Robert Thomas also states, “…in nonbiblical literature, it [this Greek word] already had a usage related to symbolic divine communications with men” (WEC, 56). This tells us we must adapt how we study this book. When we communicate with one another, we assume that we are speaking literally, unless something in our language demands us to take it symbolically. We study the scriptures the same way. We take the words of God literally and straightforward unless something in the text demands an idiomatic or figurative interpretation. When Jesus started talking about planks and logs in our eyes, we know that Jesus is speaking figuratively, using imagery to teach a principle. With the book of Revelation, the preface has told us to reverse our method. The book has been put into symbols and signs. Therefore we should read the book as symbols unless something in the text demands otherwise. Now, let me make an important point. Just because Revelation is full of symbols does not mean that there is not a literal or historical fulfillment. The images represent a literal or historical event. The book of Revelation is not fanciful myths and stories. The symbol represents something actual and real. The red, octagonal stop sign represents the literal act of stopping one’ s car. The point is that we should read Revelation seeking the meaning behind the images. We cannot take the numbers, locusts, scorpions, dragons, beasts and other images found in the book at face value. They represent something and our goal as readers is to determine the meaning of those symbols. We take the book as symbols representing something unless something clearly shows us that the image is not symbolic. This Prophecy (Revelation 1:3) We need to observe one other point. While the book of Revelation is a letter to the seven churches of Asia, we must also recognize that it is prophetic in nature. Revelation 1:3 describes this book as, “ The words of this prophecy.” This bookcommunicates the inspired messages of God and it is showing its first century audience the things that are about to come soon. This is important for us as we try to interpret Revelation’ s symbols into a historical context. The things that the book reveals do not have to be happening at the moment the book is written. The book is speaking of things about to happen soon. This alleviates some of the issues concerning dating when the book of Revelation was written. The images are not necessarily describing current events (that is, when the book was written) but are describing images about to happen soon (after the book was written). Therefore, being exact as to the date of the book is not as important because the Revelation is about things to come soon after the writing of the book. Conclusion How exciting to read the book of Revelation which will unfold and unveil the prophecies concealed in the past! We stand at a fortunate time to look back and see the completion of God’ s plan and are also blessed when he read, hear, and keep the things written in this prophetic book. The book of Revelation is a message of encouragement and hope during difficult times. Our faith will be bolstered by studying the messages contained in this book. Let us hear the words of this book, read the words of this book, and keep what is written in this book and be blessed in doing so. Revelation 1:4-8 2. ADDRESS TO THE SEVEN Rev_1:4-84 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:--As the writer does not call himself an apostle, or use any other descriptive term, it is safe to presume that he was well known to the churches addressed. The fact that he was chosen as the one to write these letters is presumptive proof. To those churches the name John was sufficient identification. The territory here called "Asia" was the Roman province embracing the western part of Asia Minor, of which Ephesus was the capital city. The seven churches addressed were in this territory. There were other churches besides those mentioned, for Colossae and Troas are referred to (Colossians 1:2; Acts 20:5-7), but there was evidently some divine reason why letters were sent to the seven named. As seven is supposed to be a sacred number indicating perfection, it has been suggested that seven were addressed to signify the perfection of the instruction given; or, that the seven would represent the whole church and the combined instruction be complete and applicable to all congregations for all time. It is unquestionably true that the instruction given the Asiatic churches was for any and all churches in like conditions. Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is to come;--Asking for God's favor and peace to rest upon them is the same form of salutation used by Paul in all his epistles. God is here referred to as one who was, who is, and who is to come. That means an everlasting duration, including time past, present, and future. In speaking to Moses God called himself "I AM." (Exodus 3:14.) The existence of God is, of course, incomprehensible by man, but these expressions include not only his existence, but his unchangeableness. We may therefore depend implicitly upon his power and promises. and from the seven Spirits that are before his throne;--The most satisfactory explanation of the expression "seven Spirits" is that it means the Holy Spirit. The decisive reason for that is that it is used in the salutation in direct association with God and Christ, and that a blessing is invoked from the three. Though Paul usually leaves the Spirit out of his salutations, he includes it in 2 Corinthians 13:14. It would appear out of place to invoke a blessing from any but a divine being. To ask such benedictions from angels or other creatures would necessarily imply the worshiping of angels, yet we know that angels are required to worship Christ. (Hebrews 1:6.) Worshiping creatures instead of God is clearly wrong. (Rom. 1 25.) It is true that the Holy Spirit as a person is one (Ephesians 4:4), but symbolically may be referred to as "seven Spirits" to indicate the fullness of his work; the one personality but diverse manifestations of power. (1 Corinthians 12:4.) The word "seven" is used too often in Revelation not to recognize this significance of the term. The Spirit "before his throne" probably represents readiness to carry out God's will just as Christ is presented as a Lamb "in the midst of the throne" ready to open the seals. (5:5, 6.) 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,--Since this revelation of fiiture events was to be made through Jesus, John here declares that he is "the faithful witness." That means that what he said would be the exact truth and in strict accord with the will of his Father. Of course his testimony on any phase of the plan of salvation was faithfully told, but here John evidently refers to the fact that his witness regarding the future history of the church would be a true portrayal of the facts. Jesus is mentioned after the Spirit here because what follows in this paragraph has direct reference to him, not because the Spirit is in any sense superior to him. the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.--Paul uses a similar expression in Colossians 1:18, and in 1 Corinthians 15:20 he refers to Jesus after his resurrection as "the firstfruits of them that are asleep." There had been resurrections before Christ (Lazarus and the widow's son), but Jesus was the first to rise to die no more, to become the "firstfruits" and guarantee the resurrection of all at the last day. (John 5:28-29; John 11:23-24.) Paul further states that Jesus was "declared to bethe Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." (Romans 1:4.) He assures us that the promise God made to the fathers and the prediction that he was the begotten Son of God were fulfilled in Christ's resurrection. (Acts 13:33.) At the time John wrote Jesus had not only been raised from the dead, but he was the "ruler of the kings of the earth." The word "ruler" means that he was above all kings; occupied a position far more exalted than any earthly ruler. Paul tells us that because of his humility in submitting to death God "exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name." (Philippians 2:9.) Paul also states plainly when he was given this exalted name and position. It was after his resurrection and ascension to heaven that God made him to sit at his own right hand "far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named." (Ephesians 1:19-21.) This. position and power, which had been in existence since Pentecost, could not be less than a reigning King. Whatever interpretations may be placed upon the visions of future events, as we proceed in this book, nothing must set aside this basic truth in John's introductory statements. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood;--The revised text reads "loveth," present tense, instead of "loved," past tense, in the King James. This is doubtless correct as the love of Jesus did not end with his death. His love not only led him to die for us, but also to provide all else for our salvation here and hereafter. This text has "loosed" from our sins while the King James has "washed." The two Greek words are so nearly alike that only a slight change would turn either one into the other. This could easily have happened in making copies by hand. It is immaterial which is the true reading since both words state true facts. That Christ "washes"--cleanses--us through the merits of his shed blood is unquestionably true.. In fact, that is what occurs, for it is so stated in substance in Revelation 7:14, a text about which there is no question regarding the translation. But by Christ's blood we are "loosed" from our sins also. The Greek word for "loosed" is in the aorist tense, and expresses a completed past action. Christ had already died, the price had been paid, and the means for securing individual pardon had been provided. That was all past when John wrote this text. The fountain "for sin and for uncleanness" had already been opened "to the house of David" by his descendant, Jesus Christ, making the everlasting atonement in heaven. (Zechariah 13:1; Hebrews 10:12.) 6 and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father;--The words "to be" are in italics to indicate there is nothing in the original for them. They are unnecessary to the thought here. Christ made his disciples "a kingdom, priests unto his God." The word kingdom describes them collectively; the word priests individually. In 1 Peter 2:5 Peter makes the same distinction, calling them individually and a collectively. In verse 9 he combines both kings and priests in the name "royal priesthood." Similar language was used in reference to ancient Israel. God said to them: "And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation." (Exodus 19:6.) In the expression "he made us" John again uses the past tense, showing that they had been made a kingdom and therefore were one at that time. This is doubly certain when we consider the fact that they had also been made priests. That the priesthood of Christ, which justifies calling Christians priests, began on Pentecost does not admit of denial; in fact, it is universally admitted. No one can logically deny the existence of Christ's kingdom without rejecting John's words; their meaning does not admit of doubt. to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.--"To him" refers to Christ, as reading verses 5 and 6 will show. In this expression John ascribes both glory and dominion to Christ forever. That means that Christ had both then and will continue to have both until he delivers the kingdom back to the Father after the judgment. (1 Corinthians 15:24-28. 7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him;--John had just said that Christ's glory and dominion would be "for ever and ever"; that is, throughout the age. This probably suggested the thought of his return to judgment after which the dominion would be returned to God. He wished to assure the readers that there would be no doubt about Christ's return. This led to his mentioning the fact that he would come "on the clouds," a fact referred to in Matthew 26:64; Acts 1:9; Acts 1:11. That the coming here means his appearance to judge is seen in the words "every eye shall see him." That will only be when all the nations are gathered before him as indicated by Matthew 25:31-46. They that pierced him refer to all those who, directly or indirectly, had anything to do with his crucifixion, and means that even his enemies must face him at the judgment. and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.--All the tribes--peoples--will mourn when lie comes because of their sins and the knowledge that their condemnation is a certainty. The redeemed will rejoice, of course, but the lost will bewail their undone condition. In thewords "Even so, Amen" the thought probably is that John wished the things to transpire just as they would he revealed, and thus his words would he verified. 8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and whc was and who is to come, the Almighty.--Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet ; hence, mean the first and last, the beginning and the end. (22:13.) The Revised makes this language refer to God rather than Christ, though elsewhere the same language refers to Christ. (Verses 17, 18.) God is called the Almighty to indicate his power to fulfill his promises and grant the blessing mentioned in verse 3. Being eternal in existence guarantees his promises, however long the fulfillment may be in coming.Commentary on Revelation 1:4-8 by Foy E. WallaceII THE (Revelation 1:4-8) (1) The salutation of John to the churches. As John was known to them all, familiar by name and person, it was not necessary to distinguish himself from others by any descriptive titles or designations, such as an apostle of Christ. The use of the word apostle as introductory to the epistles of Paul had a specific reason, to affirm his apostolic credentials which Judaizers had attempted to discredit. No such circumstances existed with John, and he simply said John to the churches. If the author of Revelation had been another John than the apostle, some descriptive appellation would have been required for identification. (2) To the seven churches.The claim that seven dispensations are indicated by seven letters to seven churches, covering all Christian centuries, is reversed by the factual character of the names and the events corresponding in date to the period of the apocalypse. Though addressed to the seven churches in the Asian provinces of Mysia, Lydia, Caria and Phrygia, its contents would apply to all the early churches, as did the teaching in the apostolic epistles. The Asia of these churches is generally considered to be where John went after the martyrdom of his brother James (Acts 12:2-3), which was said to be “ pleasing to the Jews,” and which connects with the Jewish persecutions belonging to the apocalypses of Revelation, and with John’ s association with the seven churches of this Asian region. The geographical designation of the text, in Asia, does not include the continent of Asia, nor the whole of Asia Minor, but rather a small Roman province in the west coastal part of Asia Minor, of which Ephesus was the capital, and which included the lesser provinces named. A look at the map will settle this point in the minds of the reader who is geographically interested. (3) From the eternal God and the living Christ. 1. “ From him which is, and which was, and which is to come"-- Revelation 1:4. This sublime statement refers to God, and the description which is, and which was affirms his eternal Being; and which is to come has reference to his predicted judgments and events. 2. “ And from the seven spirits which are before his throne” -- Revelation 1:4. The seven spirits are a designation of the spirit of each of the seven churches, having already been described as seven golden candlesticks, and later referred to (chapter 4:50 as seven lamps before his throne. Thus the seven spirits before his throne are identical with the seven lamps before his throne. It is the continuation of the apocalyptic aspect of the seven-branched lamps (or candlesticks) which represented the seven churches, and being before his throne signified a unison with God and Christ in these salutations. 3. “ And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness” -- Revelation 1:5. It was Jesus Christ who had borne witness to the truth of his Sonship before Pontius Pilate, as mentioned in 1 Timothy 6:13. And he was associated with God in the salutatations to his servants who were on the brink of that hour of trial, which would bring death to them, for the same confession before men that Jesus had made before Pilate. 4. “ The first begotten of the dead"-- Revelation 1:5. The language here does not affirm that Jesus was the first person to be raised from the dead, for several names can be mentioned who were miraculously raised up out of their graves, by the prophets of the Old Testament, and by Jesus and Peter in the New Testament, all of which were for the purposes of divine demonstration. They were not resurrected to die no more, but returned to corruption -therefore they were not begotten of the dead. To him alone, who conquered death by a resurrection to die no more, belongs the title, the first begotten of the dead. 5. “ The prince of the kings of the earth"-- Revelation 1:5. The four appellations together accentuate first, who he was, and second, what he was, from whom this message came. 6. “ Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood"-- Revelation 1:5. The release from sins as the result of the shedding of his own blood, represented here as the element in which the sins of man are washed away, is the heart of the remedial plan. 7. “ And hath made us kings and priests"-- Revelation 1:6. The God unto whom all members of the church are priests is here affirmed to be his Father, thus ascribing deity to Jesus Christ. The offices of royalty and priesthood are united in the members of the churches, as typified in Exodus 19:6, and finds its spiritual fulfillment in 1 Peter 2:9. The allusions to the “ kingdom of priests,” in the Exodus passage, was to emphasize that Christ has made us new kings and priests in contrast with what once was but is no more. The church is the kingdom of Christ, and all the members are priests unto God--hence, the church is a kingdom of priests. The Syriac New Testament reads: “ And hath made us a priestly kingdom.” 8. “ Unto God and his Father"-- Revelation 1:6. The eternal dominion of God is here pronounced. Although it is Christ who is King, and has made us into a new kingdom and a new priesthood, it was so done unto God and his Father. This was true of the old Israel whose kingdom, though ruled by appointed heads, was unto God; and this universal dominion of God has existed from the beginning as an eternal truth. 9. “ To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."-- Revelation 1:6. The glory and the dominion of God is never ending. He had unlimited dominion in all things of the past; he holds dominion over all things of the present; and he will exercise dominion over all events of the future. The dispensations changed from one age to another, from the old to the new, but the dominion of God remains the same. The things of men and of angels, and of the Son himself, are and ever shall be subservient to God, the Supreme Being and Absolute Ruler of the universe. (4) The ominous announcement. 1. “ Behold he cometh with the clouds"-- Revelation 1:7. The reference here is not to the second advent, or return of Christ, but to the coming events about to be delineated, as in the Lord’ s reply to Caiaphas, the high priest in Matthew 26:64 : “ Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” This high priest would live to see the event here foretold, the fulfillment of which occurred in the figurative coming of Christ in the destruction of Jerusalem, as previously foretold in Matthew 24:1-51, and centuries before by the prophet Zechariah in chapter 14. The prophet referred to the destruction of Jerusalem as “ the day of the Lord,” and in Matthew 24:1-51 Jesus designated it as his coming. And Jesus told Caiaphas that he would live to witness it. The words behold he cometh are an announcement of warning, a call to expectancy, an alert to the impending developments. The added expression “with the clouds” is not to be literally taken for a material display of his bodily presence. In the description of God’ s judgment on Egypt, in Isaiah 19:6, the prophet said: “ Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt.” Also, in Ezekiel 38:16, the prophet said that the latter days God would come up against Israel “ as a cloud to cover the land.” And in Matthew 24:30, Jesus describes the events in the destruction of Jerusalem as “ the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” This is precisely what Jesus told Pilate that he should see, and it is the meaning of Rev 1:7, pointing to the destruction of Jerusalem. 2. “ And every eye shall see him"-- Revelation 1:7. Both the impact and the import of the occurring events would be of universal knowledge. The siege and fall of Jerusalem would be known to the entire population of the Roman empire both Jewish and pagan. 3. “ And they that pierced him"-- Revelation 1:7. The act and the fact here declared refer not merely to the Romans who wielded and thrust the sword into the Lord’ s body on the cross, but also to the Jews who, through the officials of their nation, had performed the deed. The truth of this statement is affirmed by the officials of the Jews themselves in Matthew 27:25, and it is confirmed by the apostle Peter in Acts 2:23. 4. “ And all the kindreds (tribes) of the earth shall wail because of him"-- Revelation 1:7. The families of the Jews all over the Roman world are here mentioned. The Gentiles were never referred to as tribes; the tribes belonged to the Jews, who were dispersed into every part of the earth. Yet the events foretold of what would happen to their city and their nation, in Jerusalem and Judea, would become known wherever they were scattered, and all the Jews in every part of the earth would wail over this calamity. They would all mourn over the ruin of their city Jerusalem, and for the destruction of their system of Judaism, and for the overthrow of their theocracy in the demolition of their temple, and for the termination of their Jewish state-their national distinction and existence. And they would wail (or mourn) because of him, for it was in fulfillment of the fearful woes that he had pronounced against Jerusalem and which were figuratively ascribed to his coming. This piercing and mourning were the subjects of the prophecy of Zec 12:9-11; Zechariah 14:1, described as “ the day of the Lord.” The quotation of the first reference is made in John 19:37. These scriptural applications show that the fulfillment of the coming with the clouds in Revelation 1:7 was accomplished in the events of the fall of Jerusalem. These fulfilling events, at and after the destruction of Jerusalem, have unmistakable bearing on the contents of Revelation, and the period to which it belongs. 5. “ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending”—Revelation 1:8. These are the first and the last letters in the Greek alphabet, and they correspond to the Yea and Amen of the Hebrew equivalent. The one in verse 7, and the other in verse 8, appear to be an affirmation and ratification of the things about to be signified as being the irrevocable testimony of Jesus Christ. Commentary on Revelation 1:4-8 by Walter ScottA DIVINE (Revelation 1:4-6). We have had a brief but weighty prologue. Now we have a divine greeting. The former instructs, the latter cheers. 4. "John to the seven churches which are in Asia." What is here denominated Asia is not the old and dreamy continent as a whole, nor even Asia Minor, but that part of the latter on the western side or sea-coast of which Ephesus was the renowned capital, proconsular Asia. In this limited geographical area the professing Church was to be tested, and the salient features of her history depicted in the blaze of day, as represented by those seven Asiatic churches specially chosen for the purpose. Other and important churches in the same district are omitted, whilst those seven, and those only, are named, and that, too, in the order in which a traveller would naturally visit them. The seven selected assemblies form a symbol of the Church in its universality in successive periods of its history, as also at any given moment till its final rejection as an unfaithful witness to Christ (Revelation 3:1-22; Revelation 16:1-21). Why seven churches? That numeral is of more frequent occurrence than any other. There are seven feasts of Jehovah (Leviticus 23:1-44); seven kingdom parables (Matthew 13:1-58); seven churches, seven Seals, seven Trumpets, seven Vials noted in the Apocalypse. In each of the foregoing there is a marked division into three and four. What is divine is expressed in the former, the human element enters into the latter. Combined they express what is . Thus the professing Church, as God's light-bearer on earth, is here regarded in its completeness at any given moment from its declension (Revelation 2:4) to its final and public repudiation by Christ (Revelation 3:16). In its public and responsible position it is solemnly warned. The threatened judgment, i.e., absolute rejection, applies to the corporate body only. Believers are repeatedly assured of safety and blessing. An overcoming company of true saints is recognised in each of the first six churches. The mystic "seven" of the Apocalypse is pregnant with meaning. John here announces himself simply by name. There is no assertion of his apostleship. No flourish of trumpets in calling attention to these sublime prophecies. There is a quiet dignity befitting the introduction and disclosure of subjects which have bowed in heartfelt adoration tens of thousands. Then the Godhead, each in His own Person, unites in a message of grace and peace, and that, moreover, before the mutterings of the coming storm are heard. Not a Seal can be broken, not a Trumpet blown, nor a Vial poured out till the saints are divinely assured that the strength and blessing of God are for them. God for us in blessing, and in the maintenance of His own glory at all times and under all circumstances, is our mighty stronghold. The hurricane of divine judgment could not roll over the plains of Sodom till Lot was delivered (Genesis 19:1-38): nor could the utter destruction of Jericho by fire take place till Rahab was saved (Joshua 6:1-27). But in this divine greeting, and in the place it occupies, we have far more than a guarantee of preservation from divine judgment. The salutation does not come in between threatened judgment and its execution, but before ever it is announced, and the true character of things in the Church, the world, and Israel disclosed, God's saints are assured of the deep interest He takes in them. 4. The common and needed blessing of the redeemed is one of "grace and peace." Neither things nor persons can rob them of it, because given and maintained by God Himself. Grace is the source of all blessing, and peace the rightful and happy state before God. In the apostolic salutations grace always precedes peace; whilst in the individual epistles as those to Timothy, Titus, etc., "mercy" is generally added, as this latter takes account of personal need and circumstances. The salutation, while eminently fitted to beget and strengthen confidence in God in view of impending judgment, is yet governmental in character. It is not the Father and the children, nor God and sons, but Jehovah and saints; hence, in the naming of the Persons of the Godhead, the order differs from that contained in Matthew 28:19, there it is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; here it is Jehovah; the Spirit, and Jesus Christ. Paul only once at the close of an epistolary communication (2 Corinthians 13:14) greets the saints in the Name of the three divine Persons; here John does so at the commencement of the book. 4. The dread and sacred Name Jehovah signifies underived existence, the Self-Existing One. To Israel the Name was explained as "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14); to Gentiles as "Him which is, and which was, and which is to come" (Revelation 1:4; Revelation 4:8). *The heathen borrowed from the Jews. The truths of the Old Testament really lie at the root of anything good in the ancient faiths and mythology of the heathen. Thus, "Jupiter was, Jupiter is, Jupiter will be," is evidently taken from the Biblical explanation of the national Names of the God of Israel, Jehovah. It is a Name of ineffable grandeur, and one which Israel was made fully acquainted with from the commencement of her history (Exodus 6:3). It is God's memorial Name, even to generations yet unborn. "Which is" implies independent, unchangeable existence. "Which was" intimates Jehovah's relation to the past. "Which is to come" shows His connection with the future. God's relation to the universe in its vastness and greatness, as also in its minuteness, is a grand and invigorating truth. In Revelation 4:8 the order of the sentences is reversed; "which was" precedes "which is." Chapter 4 contemplates the government of the whole earth, and not that of Israel only, hence the living creatures first say "which was." It is a question of time; whereas in Revelation 1:1-20 the eternity of Jehovah's Being is first presented in the words "which is." Thus, too, it is intimated in the change of the sentence "which was " that Jehovah's past deeds of power are an earnest and pledge that eternal existence and omnipotent might are not quiescent attributes in the divine Being, but are exercised through all ages and under all circumstances. 4. Next, the Holy Spirit is named, but not here regarded in the unity of His Being as "one Spirit" . The plenitude of His power and diversified activity are expressed in the term "seven Spirits," the fulness of spiritual activity (compare with Isaiah 11:2; Revelation 3:1; Revelation 4:5; Revelation 5:6). "Before His throne," because the primal thought in the Apocalypse is the public government of the earth. In the history of Christianity for the first thirty years, the apostolic era, the Spirit is witnessed acting in energy and grace with individuals, as the book of Acts fully relates; whilst in the epistles, the Spirit's presence and action in the Church is the main truth disclosed. But here, as has been already remarked, the Spirit acts governmentally from Heaven on earth. The governmental character of the book accounts for the mention of the Spirit before Christ. Had it been simply a question of grace, pure and simple, then necessarily the mention of Christ would have preceded that of the Spirit, after the Father as sent by Him (1 John 4:14), and before the Spirit because sent by the Son (John 15:26). Revelation 1:5. "Jesus Christ" is next mentioned, uniting with Jehovah and the Spirit in saluting the saints. In the combination of Name and title is intimated the union of manhood and glory (Acts 2:36). "Jesus" is composed of two syllables, signifying Jehovah-saving (Matthew 1:21). It was a Name given Him before His birth, and one which exactly describes His Person and work. The greatest of all Names, the Name par excellence, is that of Jesus (Philippians 2:9-11). It occurs upwards of 600 times in the New Testament, and is never prefixed by an adjective; *We strongly deprecate the irreverent use (unwittingly, we are assured) of the most precious Name to a believer's ear and heart. "Dear Jesus," and such-like terms, are an offence against Him Who is our Lord and Master. His title of dignity, "Lord," should be employed in a thousand and one instances instead of "Jesus." This latter, when used in combination with other divine names and titles, is, of course another thing (see John 13:13-14). nor was the Lord ever, save by demons, directly addressed as Jesus. The Name "Jesus" occurs in the Apocalypse nine times, and in combination with Christ three times. Christ (Greek) and Messiah (Hebrew) both mean the anointed as in Psalms 2:1-12, etc. Thus we have God in the greatness of His Being, the Spirit in the plenitude of His power, and Jesus Christ in holy humanity now glorified, united in blessing the saints who are about to have unfolded to them the prophetic counsels of God respecting the earth. Then certain distinct attributes inseparable from the Name Jesus are introduced; glories which as Man He has earned, and to which He has right. There are three titles used of Him: the first referring to a certain relation to God; the second pointing to a special connection with all the dead, saved and lost; whilst the third directs attention to His supremacy over earth's governing authorities. (1) "The Faithful Witness." The whole life of our Lord from the manger to the Cross is embraced in this comprehensive title. The epithet "the faithful" is in marked contrast to all preceding witnesses for God. The path of human testimony is strewn with wreck and ruin. Christ alone passed through earth in His solitary and rugged path of unswerving devotedness to God, without break or flaw and in all holy separateness to God. "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness *"The word witness, in its noun or verb form, is found not less than seventy-two times in the writings ascribed to John. It is pre-eminently his characteristic word." unto the truth" (John 18:37). (2) "The First-born of the Dead." Christ is both "first-fruit" and "first-born" of the dead. The former title intimates that He is first in time of the coming harvest of those who sleep (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). The latter title signifies that He is first in rank of all who will rise from the dead. "First-born" is the expression of supremacy, of pre-eminent dignity, and not one of time or of chronological sequence (Psalms 89:27). No matter when, where, or how Christ entered the world, He would necessarily take the first place in virtue of what He is. We may here remark that the change which the bodies of living believers will undergo at the Coming of Christ is equivalent to the raising of the sleeping dead. Both are to be like Christ morally (1 John 3:2) and corporeally (Philippians 3:21). (3) "The Prince of the Kings of the Earth." The proud monarch of the west, the haughty despot of the east, have each their Master. Christ is "higher than the kings of the earth." The kingdoms of the world are His by right and title, and before Him all must bow. He is "Lord of lords and King of kings." Lord of all who exercise authority, and King of all who reign. He has not yet put forth His power. His sovereign rights are yet in abeyance. But they will be asserted when the Father's time has come, and public universal government will pass into His hands. He shivers every imperial sceptre, and breaks the crown of all opposing authority. Then the pride of man is brought low, and his pomp withers in the dust. In these titles, therefore, we have a tower of strength to the Christian and Church. We can see One, now in the heavens, Who has trod the path of faith and obedience without halting (Hebrews 12:1-2); One Who has grappled with death, and him that had the power of it; Who overcame and is now great in His victory; One, too, Who is Lord and Master of all earth's governing authorities. But now the salutation abruptly passes on to a doxology. Revelation 1:6. The preceding benediction, coupled with the Spirit's relation of what Christ is as man, at once rouses the heart of the redeemed. The affections are stirred, and the recital of Christ's dignities is answered by the exulting song: "Unto Him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by His blood" (R.V.). He has won our hearts by His changeless love, and cleared our consciences by His precious blood. In this book, which reveals the crumbling to atoms of the consolidated power of evil established in high places, how positively refreshing to know, ere the coming judgments are announced, or the precursors of divine vengeance are seen and heard (Revelation 4:5; Revelation 8:5), that the whole redeemed company on earth can triumphantly sing of Christ's present and changeless love, and of His precious blood which has for ever freed them from their sins. But the themes of the song are not exhausted. Our high dignity is next celebrated, and ascribed to Him Whose love and blood are our confidence and rest. "He made us a kingdom, priests unto His God and Father." It might be inferred from the expression, "made us a kingdom," that we are to be governed as subjects, but such is not the thought. Sovereignty is conferred upon the heavenly saints, and in a lesser degree upon Jewish millennial saints on earth. The character in which we shall rule is next intimated as "priests." What is meant is the union of kingly dignity and priestly grace. Zechariah 6:13 states the position exactly: "He shall be a Priest upon His throne." But we shall reign with Christ; hence the character of His reign in part determines the nature of ours. There will be secured for the world in the coming age a thousand years' righteous and gracious government. Let us never forget, nor in practice sink below, our exalted rank. The constant remembrance of it will impart dignity of character and preserve from the money-loving spirit of the age (1 Corinthians 6:2-3). 6. "To Him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen." The form of the ascription is nearly the same as in 1 Peter 5:11, save that the Jewish apostle asserts that the glory and the dominion are Christ's; whereas John intimates the desire of the redeemed that the visible glory and far-reaching dominion foretold by prophet, seen by seer, and sung of by bards should be His Who alone is worthy; and not only during the millennial era, but through the ages or definite measures of time on to eternity. Neither is the "Amen" in the two passages used as prayer that it may be so, but is added as a solemn asseveration of the truth stated. In the course of the successive disclosures contained in the book, and as their character deepens, the doxology increases in fulness. Here it is twofold; threefold in Revelation 4:11; fourfold in Revelation 5:13; and sevenfold in Revelation 7:12. Revelation 1:7OUR (Revelation 1:7). 7. "Behold He cometh with the clouds." The Second Advent of our Lord is a vital part of Christian testimony, and never more needed to be insisted upon than now, especially in light of the solemn reflection that both the Church and the world are about to enter on their final phases of accumulated guilt before being dealt with in sharp judgment. But it is essential to distinguish the two distinctive parts into which the Coming divides. There is a class of passages, confined to the New Testament, which directly refer to the Coming of the Lord for His saints, as John 14:3; Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; and 1 Corinthians 15:23. But there is another set of texts, common to both Testaments, which as distinctly teach the Coming with the saints, as Jude 1:14; Zechariah 14:5; Colossians 3:4; and Revelation 19:11-14. Now, while both these aspects of the one Coming of our Lord should be increasingly pressed on the earnest attention of Christians as a part, and by no means the least important of the faith of God's elect, yet the second part or stage of the Coming is the one referred to here. The former, i.e., the Translation of all saints at the epoch of the Lord's descent into the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17) necessarily precedes the latter, i.e., His Coming with His saints (Jude 1:14) and angels (Matthew 25:31). The apocalyptic testimony, "Behold He cometh with the clouds," coalesces with that of the Hebrew prophet, "I saw in the night visions, and behold one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of Heaven" (Daniel 7:13); and also with the prophetic utterance of our Lord on Olivet, "They shall see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30). All refer to the same time and event. The epiphany of the Son of Man in such majesty as has never been seen by mortal eye will strike terror to the hearts of all on earth save those of His own people. The prophets of old, each in his own way, and according to his personal characteristics, but all under the direct guidance of the Spirit, descant on the two great prophetic themes: and GLORY. Immediately before the dawn of blessing the Gentiles, no less than the Jews, will be enveloped in gross moral darkness (Isaiah 60:2); whilst, instead of according a loyal welcome to the Coming One, the nations will be found gathered in open and armed rebellion, either in the west against the Lamb (Revelation 19:19), or in the east against Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2). Hence the earth must be cleared of evil and evil men ere the consecrating footsteps of its Lord and ours cause it to throb with a joy beyond that experienced in the brief and sinless moment of Gen 2:1-25. It is the judgment aspect of the Coming to which the Seer of Patmos refers in Revelation 1:7. Christ is nowhere said to come with the clouds to gather His own. On the contrary, they go up in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:17). These are the royal carriages provided to convey us from earth to meet the Lord. The cloud of old was the well-known symbol of Jehovah's presence with His people (Exodus 13:21; Exodus 40:34-38; Luke 9:35). But observe, Christ is not only said to come in the clouds (Mark 13:26), but with them (Revelation 1:7), and on them (Matthew 24:30). The clouds which attend His Coming are symbols of His majesty (Psalms 18:9-12). He sits on them as on His throne (Matthew 24:30). We are caught up in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:17). He ascended in a cloud (Acts 1:9), and shall come in a cloud (Luke 21:27). Such minute distinctions are interesting. Here, then, we are directed to the culminating point of all prophecy, the pivot of blessing for Israel, the Church, and the world. The first and last testimonies in the book are to the Coming of the Lord (Revelation 1:7; Revelation 22:20), and we may further remark that the word "quickly" applied to the Coming is alone found in this sublime prophecy. The Coming of the Lord to break the manifested power of evil on earth, to scatter the combined forces marshalled under the leadership of Satan, to grind to atoms every hostile power, will be an event of so public and overwhelming a character that it is added, "Every eye shall see Him." What a sight in the heavens! The descending Lord with many diadems on His head, clad in the insignia of royalty, saints and angels swelling His triumph, clouds around and beneath, will then appear in a manner befitting His majesty. 7. But while the statement, "Every eye shall see Him," must be accepted in its literality, need one add, not at the same moment yet one class is singled out from the mass of mankind then in open revolt against God and His Anointed (Psalms 2:1-12), namely, "they which pierced Him." The Gentile spear which pierced the Saviour's side is a fact alone recorded by "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 19:33-37). The weak and vacillating representative of Rome in her imperial greatness, sullied her vaunted reputation for inflexible justice by basely ordering his august Prisoner whom he thrice declared innocent to be scourged and crucified. But the Jews behaved even worse by clamouring aloud for His death, the death of their Messiah, and provoking the unhappy governor to pronounce the fatal sentence. Their children, who have inherited their guilt, and who refuse the shed blood of Christ as God's answer to their sin, shall see Him Whom they pierced, while Zechariah 12:10 shows how grace will use it. The special class referred to as those "who pierced Him" are the Jews. 7. "All the tribes of the earth shall wail because of Him," more especially in the land and amongst the people where His grace has been so conspicuously displayed. The wailing, however, is not confined to the two tribes then in the land, Judah and Benjamin; nor to the ten tribes on the confines of Palestine ere entering it (Ezekiel 20:1-49), but embrace the Gentiles also. "All the tribes of the earth." The substitution of "land" for "earth" is simply a question of interpretation, and not of translation. "Kindreds" or "tribes" in Revelation 7:9 undoubtedly designates Gentiles. Compare with Matthew 24:30, which fixes the moment of the general wail of anguish, viz., the Coming of the Son of Man. 7. The double affirmation, "Even so, Amen," is the Spirit's seal to this striking prophetic testimony. The "Even so" is Greek, the "Amen" is Hebrew. To both Gentiles and Jews His Word is unchangeable. Revelation 1:8A DIVINE (Revelation 1:8). 8. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." The announcement of these divine titles forms a fitting conclusion to the introduction. The dignity of the speaker and the character of His utterances demand profound attention. We listen here not to the voice of Christ as man, but God Himself is the speaker. He announces His own titles and glories. "I am the Alpha and the Omega" the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, would intimate His relationship to creation. God is the source, the beginning of all truth revealed, of all promise given, and of all testimony committed to men. In this respect He is "the Alpha." But He is also the end. His glory is the goal. Everything finds its answer in Him. Our course, our testing lie between these points, God the Alpha and God the Omega. To Him as the end all gravitate. On our hands the threads are broken; in His hands they have never been rent. In the midst of failed and failing circumstances, and the Church ecclesiastically a ruin amidst the wrecked testimony of the ages, God's voice is heard above the din and strife. The beginning of all testimony is in God, and the end, too, centres in Him. In Him as the Omega is finished what as the Alpha He began. Next we are introduced to the divine greatness of the speaker, who is none other than the Lord God of the Old Testament (Genesis 2:1-25, etc.). Who is the Lord God? Jehovah Elohim, the God of men and of Israel, Who has been pleased to put Himself into moral relationship with both, speaks once again from Heaven. What a calm to the soul amidst the rush of life! Here the voice of the Eternal, and at once the murmur within and the din without are stilled. In the explanatory words which follow, "Which is, and which was, and which is to come," the essential and ever-abiding nature of His Being as Jehovah is stated. The three clauses form the interpretation of the Name Jehovah. The third member of the text, "which is to come," would at first sight seem to indicate an actual coming, but it is not so. The force of the whole is to present an eternal Is, yet not simply eternal existence, but a positive relation to the past and future. How fitting that this truly weighty introduction should close with the title of God as the "Almighty," a title which has been a rock of strength to His afflicted people in all ages. "The Almighty" is not simply the witness of omnipotent power, but signifies Almighty in "sustaining resources," and it will be found in the course of this book that the circumstances of God's people make many a demand on this strong Name; hence its frequency in the Apocalypse, found only once elsewhere in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 6:18), and then as a quotation from Isaiah. "Almighty" used singly, or in conjunction with other names, occurs about sixty times, half of these instances in the ancient book of Job. Almighty God is a title full of strength and consolation. He is Almighty in sustaining His people, yet equally Almighty in judgment on His enemies. It is to be noted that the Authorised Version of verse eight both interpolates and omits. The words, "the beginning and the ending," are right in the text of Rev 21:6 and Revelation 22:13, but wrong here. "God" after "Lord" is also an important omission. These and other blemishes are corrected in the Revised Version of 1881. It must be remembered that the excellent and, in general, godly men, who translated the Scriptures in 1611 had not the advantages of their successors in 1881. Neither the Vatican, Sinaitic (both most ancient of Biblical MSS.), nor the Alexandrian Codex were available to the translators of our noble Authorised Version. Commentary on Revelation 1:4-8 by E.M. ZerrRev_1:4. Let the reader note the statements at the close of General Remarks, which show that the three chapters will be given before the symbolical part of the book begins. They will consist of letters or epistles sent to a group of churches not far from where John was in exile. The seven churches does not mean there were no others in that territory for there were several. It means as if it said "write to the seven that will be named." The number seven was regarded as of special significance in old times, so that it came to be used as a symbol of completeness in many instances. Smith's Bible Dictionary says it was so regarded even among the Persians, Greeks, Indians and Romans. Doubtless the seven churches selected were representative of the general condition in the brotherhood at large, and hence the letters written to them may serve as important instruction for the congregations everywhere and at all times. Asia is a small province in what was known as Asia Minor until late years. It was one of the districts to which Peter addressed his first epistle (1 Peter 1:1). The familiar salutation of grace and peace is given and it is from the same source. However, it is stated in different words, namely, from the One who is, was and is to come. This means that God always was and always will be. Seven Spirits. Paul says there is "one Spirit" (Ephesians 4:4), so the term is figurative and used in the sense of completeness as symbolized by the number seven. This unit of seven Spirits is before the throne because the Spirit has always been an agency of God and Christ in carrying out the divine plans, and it would be appropriate for it to be always near at hand to receive orders. Revelation 1:5. The faithful witness does not imply there are no other witnesses who tell the truth sincewe know there are many. We therefore must take this to mean that Jesus was the bearer of testimony for God in a preeminent degree. First begotten of the dead to die no more (Romans 6:9). Prince of the kings of the earth. All power in heaven and in earth was given to Christ (Matthew 28:18) thus making Him a Prince above all. Jesus showed his love for men by giving his blood for their cleansing. Revelation 1:6. Made us kings and priests. The word kings is from and I shall quote the definitions of a number of lexicons as follows: Greenfield, "A king, monarch, one possessing regal authority." Robinson, "A king." Thayer, "Leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king." Groves, "A king, monarch, sovereign, prince, chieftain." Donnegan, "A king." Hickie, "A king." I have quoted thus extensively because there is a tendency upon the part of some to deny that Christians should be called kings since Christ only is king. Yet it is freely admitted that Christians are priests although Christ is our priest also. There should be no difficulty on this point, for Jesus is High Priest, while Christians are inferior priests under Him. Likewise they are inferior kings under Christ who is "King of kings and Lord of lords." Peter says Christians are a royal (kingly) priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), and Paul told the Corinthians they had "reigned as kings" and furthermore he would that they "did reign" (1 Corinthians 4:8). Since Christ accomplishes all His spiritual work through the church (Ephesians 3:10 Ephesians 3:12; 1 Timothy 3:15), it is logical that if He is to be a king his servants are to cooperate in the work. That would make them secondary kings acting under their Chief. Glory means grandeur and dominion denotes scope or domain; John ascribes them to Christ to be everlasting. Revelation 1:7. Behold is a call to attention because something of great importance is about to be said. He cometh with clouds. The two men in white apparel (Acts 1:9-11) announced the same thing, and .lesus also made the announcement before leaving the earth (Matthew 24:30 Matthew 26:64). Every eye shall see him. The fact that the writer next specifies the executioners of Christ as among those who shall sec him proves that it will not be restricted to His faithful followers. That explodes the arrogant heresy taught by a group of materialists that Jesus came but that only they have seen Him, and that is because they are Jehovah's Witnesses. All kindreds shall wail because they will realize that Christ has come to judge the world. But John and all other faithful servants will not wail because they will "love His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8). That is why lie exclaims even so, A men; both terms mean virtually the same in effect. Revelation 1:8. The pronoun I refers to Christ because he is the one who is to come in the clouds. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet (the language in which the New Testament was written). It is a figure to indicate completeness, similar to saying a man knows his business "from A to Z." Beginning and ending denotes the same idea as the other figure, the particular words being selected because Christ was present at all of the works of God from the beginning (John 1:1-3; Ephesians 3:9). Is, was and is to come has the same meaning as in verse 4. The Almighty. This phrase belongs primarily to God the Father, but since God is a name for the Deity or Godhead, and Christ is a member of that family, it is proper to ascribe the title to Him also. He is called "The everlasting Father" in Isaiah 9:6, and it can be understood only because of His relation to the Deity.Commentary on Revelation 1:4-8 by Burton CoffmanRev_1:4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits that are before his throne.To the seven churches ... It is evidently John's preference for the number seven that lies behind this book's being directed to only seven congregations, because the New Testament names others in the same province, namely, Troas, Colossae and Hierapolis. Among the Hebrews, this was a sacred number often used to symbolize the whole or the completeness of something. Thus, the interpretation of these seven standing for all of the congregations of Christ throughout the world would appear to be correct. "It is certain that while the book is addressed to a limited circle of Asian churches, the author's purpose was to reach beyond these to all the churches throughout the world."[9] The evidence of this universal destination of the book is found in the repeated injunction, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches." Of Asia ... In the New Testament, Asia always means the Roman province located in the western part of what is now known as Asia Minor, with a possibly wider meaning in Acts 2:9. Grace to you and peace ... Greetings similar to these are found in nearly all the New Testament epistles, especially those of Paul. From him who is and who was and who is to come ... The Greek words from which this is translated are literally, "The BEING and the WAS and the COMING."[11] There are many examples of such awkward grammar in this prophecy; but "(They) are not due to ignorance of Greek construction, as shown by the predominantly correct uses in the book."[12] This title of God is essentially that of Exo 3:14, "I AM who I AM." Christ also used this title of himself in Mark 6:50; Mark 13:6; Mark 14:62, and in John 6:35; John 8:12; John 10:7; John 11:25 and John 14:6. And from the seven Spirits that are before his throne ...; Isaiah 11:2 has this: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. There are seven titles of the Holy Spirit in this passage from Isaiah, and from very early times this reference in Revelation has been associated with it. "It denotes the Holy Spirit in the plenitude of his grace and power."[13] The decisive reason for this interpretation was given by Hinds: "It is used in the salutation in direct association with God and Christ, and a blessing is invoked from the three."[14][9] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 423. [11] James Moffatt, Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 337. [12] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 424. [13] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 634. [14] John T. Hinds, A Commentary on Revelation (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), p. 20. Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood.Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness ... There is a powerful New Testament emphasis upon the faith of Jesus Christ, as in Paul's writings, especially in Galatians 2:16; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 3:22; Romans 3:22; Romans 3:26; Ephesians 3:12; Philippians 3:9; etc. There is a false impression that since Christ was deity incarnate he did not need to have faith; but in our Lord's humiliation as a man, faith in the Father was his predominate characteristic. All hope of salvation rests ultimately in the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was the faithful witness in the sense of delivering accurately to mankind the word and the commandment which the Father gave him on behalf of humanity. The firstborn from the dead ... The New Testament records the resurrection of Dorcas, the daughter of Jairus, Eutychus, the widow's son at Nain, and that of Lazarus in addition to the resurrection of Christ. In addition, there were "many of the saints" who came out of their graves following the resurrection of Christ (seven resurrections). In what sense, then, is Christ the firstborn from the dead? He alone came back from death never to die again; and besides this, there is the inherent significance of his being the first of many to triumph over death. As Beckwith put it: "The language implies the future resurrection of the saints."[15]The ruler of the kings of the earth ... Christ is here spoken of as the possessor of all power and authority, fully in keeping with the Saviour's words, "All authority in heaven and upon earth has been given unto me" (Matthew 28:18). It should be noted that this authority belongs to Christ in the present time and perpetually. He is not planning to start ruling at some future time; he rules now! A great deal of the misunderstanding of this prophecy, as well as of the whole New Testament, derives from a failure to take account of this tremendous truth. Many have difficulty believing that Christ rules now; because, as they say, the world is in such a dreadful mess. However, the world was in a dreadful condition in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, who had to eat grass with the beasts of the field for seven years to learn that "The Most High rules in the kingdom of men" (Daniel 4:25). As for the reason why God's rule permits such atrocious wickedness on earth, it is clear enough that God permits it because it is in keeping with his purpose. The reign of Christ now in this present time will be more extensively treated under the "thousand years" interpretation (Revelation 20:2). There is no way in which this student of the Lord's word can accept such a declaration as that of Hal Lindsey, who wrote: "Even though Christ has the right to rule the earth, he isn't exercising this authority over kings and kingdoms at this time."[16] If Christ is not exercising his authority, how can the church receive his promise that Christ will be with us "even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:18-20)? Yes, despite the inability of some to see and recognize it, Christ is ruling now and will continue to rule until the last enemy is destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:25). Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood ... Of significance are the present tense (loveth) and past tense (loosed), showing that Christ's love is continuous, and that the redemption mentioned is a past accomplishment. Since it is an undeniable truth that Christ keeps on saving the saved until at last they are saved eternally in heaven, it is evident that the initial salvation in conversion is the redemption that John had in view here; therefore, the KJV rendition of this as "washed us" is likewise correct. On what the scholars consider sufficient textual evidence, this was changed to "loosed us" in subsequent versions. The Greek words for these two expressions are almost identical in appearance; and, furthermore, it is immaterial exactly which is the original reading. As Hinds said: Both words state true facts. That Christ washes us, cleanses us, through the merits of his blood is unquestionably true, as stated in Revelation 7:14. But by Christ's blood we are loosed from our sins also.[17]The passage in Revelation 7:14, as well as the overtones of the whole context, incline us to accept the opinion of Carpenter: "The general tone of thought would lead us to prefer "washed" as the true reading."[18] The slavish following of certain preferred manuscripts is not necessarily an infallible method of determining accuracy. [15] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 428. [16] Hal Lindsey, There's a New World Coming (California: Vision House, Publishers, 1973), p. 26. [17] John T. Hinds, op. cit., p. 22. [18] W. Boyd Carpenter, Ellicott's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1939), p. 535. Revelation 1:6 And he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.And he made us ... a kingdom ... priests unto his God and Father ... The first step in understanding this passage is to get rid of the two verbs in the future tense that have been added to the passage by the translators. (Note the italicized words in the ASV text.) There is a world of difference in the statements, "God made us a kingdom" and "God made us to be a kingdom." John was not writing of what Christians were to be, but of what they already were. Beckwith, like many others, applied these words to the future, saying that, "The reference is not to the saints as forming the kingdom which Christ now rules."[19] The teaching of the entire New Testament, however, makes it absolutely certain that Christians are now in Christ's kingdom (Colossians 1:13), the precise terminology of this verse being found in Paul's words there. This passage reflects Exodus 19:6, where it is revealed that God's purpose for Israel was that, "Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests." 1 Peter 2:9 is also parallel to this. Therefore, our text means that, "Christ has made us a kingdom, each member of which is a priest unto god."[20] This is not some far-off thing that will happen in some so-called millennium; it is the status of things now in Christ's church. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 1:9-11 3. JOHN'S TO WRITERev_1:9-11 9 I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus,--This is the third time that John has named himself in this book. The words "your brother" mean that he belonged to the same divine family as those to whom he was to write---God's house or family in the church. (1 Timothy 3:15.) By "partaker" he meant that he was sharing in common with them both the joys and sorrows incident to being a member of God's family. Jesus had taught that persecutions and tribulations would come. (Matthew 13:21.) John's banishment on Patmos was evidence that he was then enduring tribulation. The persecution that sent him there was no doubt felt by the churches in Asia, and the main reason for writing them was to encourage them to faithfulness in spite of their persecutions. And, incidentally, also to encourage the saints of all time to overcome trials. As he was then in tribulation, he was also in the kingdom. The words "tribulation" and "kingdom" are in the same grammatical relation. If in one, then in both. No doubt about his being in the tribulation; then none about being in the kingdom. This again fixes the existence of the kingdom then as beyond question. It was the joy of being in the kingdom that made them endure the tribulation with patience. All these were "in Jesus"--were successful through the means he had provided to meet tribulation. The word kingdom in some passages means the final state or heaven. (Acts 14:22; Ephesians 5:5; 2 Timothy 4:18; 2 Peter 1:11.) But here John means the present kingdom, for in verse 6 he declared that Christ "made us to be a kingdom." was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.--Patmos is a rocky island in the Aegean Sea not far from the west coast of Asia Minor. It is about ten miles long by five or six wide. The only explanation of his being on that island is that it was "for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." The commonly accepted view is that he was there in exile because of his fidelity in preaching Christ. It is also supposed that he was banished to this lonely place by Domitian who reigned A.D. 81-96. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet--"Was in the Spirit" means he came to be in the Spirit; was in a kind of spiritual ecstasy and exalted under the Spirit's influence till he could understand the visions presented and accurately repeat them. The word translated "Lord's" occurs only one other time in the New Testament-1 Corinthians 11:20 --where it describes the supper of the Lord. Evidently it refers to something about Jesus. As he arose on the first day of the week, and the Lord's Supper is observed on that day (Acts 20:7), it is most natural to say John meant the first day of the week by the expression "Lord's day." Several writers in the centuries following the apostolic day say it was the first day of the week. Evidently it was so well understood then that no explanation was needed. The voice he heard is called "a great voice, as of a trumpet." This means that it rang loud and clear like the sounding of a trumpet. Such a voice would command instant attention and impress the necessity of obedience to what it said. 11 saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send it unto the seven churches:--In these words John received his commission to record what he saw. The verb "seest" is present tense, which often means a continuous action. The meaning then would be what you see now and what will con-tinue to be revealed to you. This view is required by the nine-teenth verse; the things to be recorded are extended to the future. In the remainder of verse 11 the churches are named. Any necessary description will he given in the comments on the letters sent to them.Commentary on Revelation 19-11 by Foy E. WallaceIII THE VISION (Revelation 1:9-18) (1) The place of the vision. The location of the vision was “ in the isle that is called Patmos.” This island has been described as a small rocky and rugged region off the barren coast of Asia Minor, approximately twenty-five miles from the mainland in the Aegean sea--a gulf of the Great Sea (the Mediterranean), which formed the coastal provinces of Mysia, Lydia, Phrygia and Caria, and in which were situated all the seven churches of Asia, mentioned in the vision. Tradition claims that John was banished by the Roman government and exiled on Patmos. There is no conclusive scriptural evidence nor verified factual history to sustain this traditional claim, and it stands somewhat on the same basis as the Petrine tradition that the apostle Peter once resided in Rome. It is not said in the text, nor necessarily implied in the contents of Revelation, that John was a prisoner on Patmos. If John was a prisoner on Patmos, as Paul was a prisoner in Rome, it is singularly strange, if not unaccountable, that no mention was made of it, and no reference was made to it, by himself or in any other New Testament epistle. (2) The purpose of the vision. “ For the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ"—Revelation 1:9. The English preposition for in this passage is dia, which Professor Terry states that, by its established usage with the accusative, means for the sake of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. It gives the ground or the reason for John’ s presence on Patmos: that the reason for being there was no other than to receive the revelation, that is, for the vision itself--for “ the testimony of Jesus Christ” and “ of all things that he saw,” and not because of banishment and exile. The coupling of the testimony with the vision in verse 2, supports the view that he was there to receive the things that he saw, and that these things were themselves the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, for which he was there. A further evidence of this concept in John’ s own statement, in chapter 10:11, of his intention to leave Patmos for an active itinerary among the people of many nations, to carry to them in personal evangelism the testimony of this apocalypse. If John had been prisoner in exile, no such liberty existed on which to base such an announcement, for he was imprisoned on Patmos, and his status would have been no different from Paul’ s imprisonment in Rome. Further comparisons in the context will support the purpose, not the consequence, of the determinative expression for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. It is worthy of notation here that the similar expressions “ for the word of God” and “ for the witness of Jesus,” in Revelation 6:9; Revelation 20:4, are in another context and carry another connotation, therefore do not warrant the same construction as in Revelation 1:2; Revelation 1:9. In one the testimony was being received; in the other it was being upheld. (3) The companionship of suffering and citizenship. 1. “ I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation” -- Revelation 1:9. The common ground of fellowship between John and the members of the Asian churches was not his apostleship. It was the brotherhood relation and the mutual participation in the sufferings existing and anticipated. He was speaking not of the incident of his presence on Patmos, or of imprisonment there, but rather to the threat of the gathering and darkening clouds of persecution, such as mentioned in the letters to Smyrna, Thyatira and Philadelphia; particularly as related to its then present and incipient stage; and as in Hebrews 10:31-39, the portent of the things to come. 2. “ And in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” -- Revelation 1:9. The preposition in with the conjunction and--that is, the phrase in tribulation and the kingdom and the patience of Jesus Christ--joins the three together as existing and present. It follows that if John was not in the kingdom then, and if we are not in the kingdom now--then Johnwas not in Jesus Christ then, and we are not in Jesus Christ now. But the apostle, in Colossians 1:13-14, declares that all the Colossians who were delivered from darkness had thereby been translated into the kingdom when they received redemption in Christ. 3. “ I was in the spirit on the Lord’ s day"-- Revelation 1:10. The claim that John was in the spirit means that he was in visional rapture, not in the Holy Spirit, but in the state described of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:1-21, and of Peter in Acts 10:1-48. As though out of the body, John was in a state in which the external objects and material surroundings were as though they did not exist--he had for the time passed out of the physical world into the spiritual state. This was not the effect of any natural cause, but rather the result of the interposition of supernatural power. The words visions and dreams are not synonymous, and their meanings are not identical, though sometimes they are used indiscriminately in the Scriptures, as in Genesis 46:2; Numbers 12:6; Job 20:8; and Daniel 2:28. In the vision, the subject may be awake, as in 2 Kings 6:17; Acts 23:11; Acts 27:23 --in a state of supernatural ecstasy. But in the dreams through which God revealed his purposes and his will, and in the divine purpose, to him was also imparted the powers of interpretation. The examples of such dreams were numerous, as in Genesis 20:3-6; Genesis 28:12-14; 1 Samuel 28:6; Daniel 2:1-45; and Joe 2:28. This power to interpret was, of course, supernatural and, therefore, the dreams and visions belonged only to the supernatural prophetical and apostolic ages and ceased with them. Since the complete revelation of God’ s will for the redemption of man and the edification of his church has been delivered, and its inspired documents committed to the apostolic records of the New Testament, there can be no need or reason for their existence, and no confidence can be held in the claims and pretensions of individuals and cults presuming to employ them, and such presumption can only be labelled as false and impious. The verse under consideration states that John was in the spirit on the Lord’ s day. The preposition on is the same in the Greek as in, and the context must determine the distinction. The use of it here means in the midst of the Lord’ s day. It is not a reference to the first day of the week, but to the day in which the Lord accomplished these events, as used in Isaiah 13:9 in which Isaiah described the destruction of ancient Babylon as the day of the Lord; and in Zechariah 14:1 where Zechariah referred to the destruction of Jerusalem as the day of the Lord. The phrase meant the day of events connected with the judgments of the Lord. 2 Timothy 1:18 referred to the day of God’ s mercy, meaning the time in which his mercy is extended to men. In this sense the phrase in the Lord’ s day is used in Revelation 1:10; it means in day of the rapture into which the Lord had placed John--that he had been transported into the midst of the scenes of the vision as though he was, himself, in the day of their happening. (4) The voice of the Son of man. 1. “ And heard behind me a great voice"-- Revelation 1:10. This part of the scene was not occult, but auditory. John heard this voice, and it came from behind him, from a point where he was not looking. The great voice was “ as a trumpet” --a signal, as if to announce the approach of a solemn epiphany, a divine presence. 2. “ What thou seest, write in a book"-- Revelation 1:11. The voice appointed John to be only the amanuensis of Jesus Christ--only the scribe of documents that were not his own; the mere chronicler of events of a supernatural apocalypse. 3. “ And send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia"-- Revelation 1:11. This oracular command of the Addresser in this scene specified the seven churches as the addressees, and named them. Again, here is the indication of the period and date of the visions. If the seven churches were figurative, as some authors claim, why this factual designation of the actual names and locations of figurative churches. The argument for the early date of Revelation, as previously shown, is in the historical fact that there were only the seven churches in these western Asian provinces before the destruction of Jerusalem, but after that event the churches became numerous by the diffusion of Christianity over the empire, the opportunity for which was greatly enhanced by the removal of Judaism, its greatest foe, from the path of the church. It has been more than once mentioned that such eminent scholars as Schaff, Terry and MacDonald (and others) verify the historical fact that after the Great Earthquake (before the destruction of Jerusalem) the churches at Colosse and Hierapolis did not again maintain a separate existence, but consolidated with the nearby Laodicean church. Concluding his remarks on this point in The Life And Writings Of John, page 154, MacDonald says: “ There appear to have been but seven churches in Asia . . . when the book was written. It is dedicated to these seven alone by the careful mention of them one by one by name, as if there were no others. . . . The expression ‘ the seven churches’ seems to imply that this constituted the whole number, and hence affords one of the most striking incidental proofs in favor of an early date. . . . Those who contend for the later date, when there must have been a greater number of churches than seven in the region designated by the apostle fail to give any sufficient reason for his mentioning no more. That they mystically or symbolically represented others is surely not such a reason.” Again, Doctor Tilloch, in his work entitled Dissertations, says “ There were but seven churches in Asia when the Revelation was written.” The historical evidences from these, and many others, cannot be spurned or waived aside with a theoretical assertion. It is weighty evidence that the visions of Revelation were composed before the destruction of Jerusalem. The history of these cities and churches supports John’ s specific statement. It is a vital point in the divergence of view on the chronology of Revelation. It involves the claim that the church at Colossae is an example of another Asian church than the seven mentioned, but as previously proven by historical data, Colossae was destroyed by the earthquake in the reign of Nero, and was not thereafter identified by that name, but merged with the Laodiceans, as was true of other cities and churches in the region. In his own one volume work titled A Dictionary Of The Bible, Philip Schaff, commenting on Laodicea, makes the following statement: “ When, in the middle of the first century of our era, an earthquake destroyed Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodicea, the latter was rebuilt by its own inhabitants without any aid from the Roman senate.” The casual reader cannot fail to observe the significance of the statement that “ the latter (Laodicea) was rebuilt,” which, mentioned in direct connection with Colossae and Hierapolis, can only mean that these two were not rebuilt. Laodicea was rebuilt, but Colosse and Hierapolis were not. This accounts for the disbanding of the two churches as separate congregations, and refutes the claim that there were more than the seven churches in the period when the Apocalypse was composed. If the facts of history mean anything at all, there is firm proof here for the pre-Destruction of Jerusalem date for John’ s Patmos apocalypse. Commentary on Revelation 1:9-11 by Walter ScottTHE VISION OF CHRIST (Revelation 1:9-20). 9. "I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation, and kingdom, and patience in Jesus." Daniel, more than any other of the Hebrew prophets, deals with subjects which come within the range of the visions beheld by John. There are numerous points of similarity between the two. Thus both the Prophet and the Seer unfold the character of the last holder of the civil imperial power of Rome; both disclose the last phase of the revived empire, as also its awful end (compare Daniel 7:1-28 with Revelation 17:1-18). "I John" reminds us of "I Daniel" (Daniel 7:15, etc.). The former is not a borrowed style of announcement from the latter, but is an independent statement of quiet yet conscious dignity, befitting the character of the visions about to be disclosed. John next intimates a common fellowship in life and suffering with God's sorely afflicted people. The Neronian and Domitian periods of martyrdom were, perhaps, the most bitter of any of the pagan persecutions, which, with an occasional lull, lasted about 250 years. According to some, John was a sufferer under Nero; others would rank him in the noble army of martyrs under Domitian. It is unimportant which tradition is true. *The date generally assigned to "The Revelation" is as in our English Bible, A.D. 96, during the reign of Domitian. Some, however, assign a much earlier date. It has been put in the time of Claudius, A.D. 41-54, and by others in the reign of Nero, A.D. 54-68. The earlier date is extremely improbable. It should be noted that neither as an apostle nor as an elder does John here speak, but as a "brother and partaker" (or companion) with the saints in "the tribulation, and kingdom, and patience in Jesus.""The tribulation" points to a definite character of trial, and not merely to the ordinary difficulties of Christian life. There are three great periods of determinate suffering: (1) Under pagan Rome; (2) under papal Rome during the Dark or Middle Ages; (3) under the joint persecution of the future civil and ecclesiastical powers (Revelation 6:13). The "kingdom" is next introduced as that in which John had a common participation with those to whom he writes. There are four distinct phases in which the kingdom is presented in the Scriptures: (1) In responsibility as presented to the Jews, the king being rejected (Matthew 1:1-25; Matthew 2:1-23; Matthew 3:1-17; Matthew 4:1-25; Matthew 5:1-48; Matthew 6:1-34; Matthew 7:1-29; Matthew 8:1-34; Matthew 9:1-38; Matthew 10:1-42; Matthew 11:1-30; Matthew 12:1-50); (2) In mystery among the Gentiles as developed in Matthew 13:1-58; (3) in tribulation as detailed in the central part of the Apocalypse; and (4) in power at the Coming of the Lord in glory (Matthew 25:31), the great and grand subject of the prophets of old. "Patience," or endurance, follows, for evil yet reigns unchecked in the world and in the Church. The petition, "Thy kingdom come," daily arising from the hearts and lips of thousands, is yet unanswered. Tribulation is the appointed path to the kingdom. The life of some is one of almost uninterrupted suffering, of others one of active service, while for the greater number it is one of weary routine of daily duty. Thus the need of patience by all in the hourly doing of God's will. The dreariness and solitude of Patmos called for "much patience," an essential characteristic of every true minister of God (2 Corinthians 6:4). Press on, wearied saint, till morning breaks, when God shall openly and publicly appear on the behalf of all who, in the meantime, in weakness cling by faith to His blessed Name. But not only have we fellowship with the aged and honoured apostle in those three things, namely, "the tribulation," the "kingdom," and "patience," *"The three words, tribulation,' and kingdom,' and patience,' are intimately connected, being brought together under one head by one article in the Greek." J. N. D. but the Lord has His part in them, and a distinguished one too. These things are "in Jesus." The introduction of the Name of sweetest import to the ear and heart of believers is brimful of comfort and solace to suffering saints. THE ISLE CALLED PATMOS. 9. "Was in the island that is called Patmos, for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus. " The place of John's banishment was almost unknown even by name; hence we are informed that it was an "island," and called "Patmos." This exceedingly dreary and inhospitable isle in the Aegean sea, lying off the south coast of Asia Minor, is about fifteen miles in circumference. In the Middle Ages it was known as Palmoso, now known as Patino. Its present population is about 4000, all Greek Christians. The ignorant and lazy monks possess a valuable library which they are unable to use. Says Tischendorf, that indefatigable Bible scholar: "Silent lay the little island before me in the morning twilight. Here and there an olive breaks the monotony of the rocky waste. The sea was still as the grave. Patmos reposed in it like a dead saint. John — that is the thought of the island. The island belongs to him; it is his sanctuary. The stones speak of him, and in every heart he lives." How fitting the geographical position! John in Patmos was, as it were, in the very centre of the prophetic situation. Jerusalem lay south, Rome lay behind the Seer to the west, Babylon to the east, and the land of Magog (Russia) to the north, while on the coast in front of him lay the seven Asiatic assemblies, whose history he was about to relate. Moral superiority in his circumstances is expressed in the simple statement: "I was in the isle called Patmos." Not a word of reproach nor of complaint. The arrest, trial, and proceedings before the savage emperor Domitian are passed over in absolute silence as deemed unworthy of notice. Tradition, not a safe instructor, has supplied us with interesting accounts of a legendary character, more numerous and truth-like than those related of the distinguished apostles, Peter and Paul. *"Gloag, in his Introduction to the Johannine Writings' (Nisbet &Co.) discusses these legendary accounts in a calm and reverent spirit. There may be a basis of truth in some of them, but certainty there is not." God made the wrath of the haughty emperor to praise Him. The circumstances were just what was needed to introduce John into the visions of God, one of which pictured the downfall of Rome's imperial greatness, its future revival, and final doom (Revelation 17:8; Revelation 19:20), while she was still in the zenith of her glory the unchallenged mistress of the world. The same power which gave its legal sanction to the crucifixion of our Lord branded "the disciple whom Jesus loved" as a criminal. Here, however, the real cause of offence is stated in precise terms to be "the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus." These will ever incur the world's hostility. John, although destitute of human learning (Acts 4:13), and speaking in the rude vernacular of Galilee, fearlessly and faithfully preached and taught in public and private the Word of God. The apostles had not learned the art a highly finished one in these days, of trimming the truth to suit the varied tastes of people. In proportion as the Word of God is made known in its fulness and integrity, and the claims of God are pressed upon the conscience, the enmity of the world is roused into action, 9. "The testimony of Jesus" is here especially regarded in its prophetic aspect. The birth of the King of the Jews awakened the cruel jealousy of Herod, and stirred Jerusalem to its centre (Matthew 2:1-23). The testimony to the royal rights of Jesus was a crime which neither the laws of Rome nor imperial greatness could brook, so Rome crucified Peter, beheaded Paul, and banished John. Revelation 1:10 Revelation 1:10. "I became in (the) Spirit on the Lord's day." All Christians are "in Christ," in contrast with their former state "in Adam," and are "in the Spirit" in contrast with their previous condition "in the flesh." No Christian can ever be found again in either "Adam" or "flesh," both describing a past condition. In the former is signified that you are of that race of which "Adam" is head; in the latter is intimated the morally fallen condition in which the race is found. But being in the Spirit (Romans 8:1-39), as every Christian undoubtedly is, does not convey the force of "I became in (the) Spirit." The meaning is, that John was held, controlled, and characterized by an absolute subservience to the Spirit. Taken out from the consciousness of everyday life and circumstances, he found himself in another state of being. From the absence of the article before "Spirit," it must not be inferred that the Holy Spirit is not meant. It is not the Holy Spirit as a Person, nor our own spirit that is referred to, but the omission of the article marks the phrase as indicating a characteristic state, a state characterized by the Holy Ghost, and one in which the human spirit and the whole inner being were for the time absorbed (compare Ezekiel 11:24 with 2 Corinthians 12:2-3). Paul in his ecstatic state was not allowed then, nor afterwards, to record what he saw and heard. John, on the contrary, was commanded to do both. The same form of words is found in the introduction to the subsequent visions recorded in Revelation 4:1-11; Revelation 5:1-14, etc. The scene of the spiritual state of ecstasy of Rev 1:1-20 is on earth, whereas that of chapter 4 is in Heaven. The whole contents of the book of Revelation were communicated in vision on the most interesting day of the week, "the Lord's day." The eight visions detailed in Zechariah were seen in one night (Zechariah 1:8). The visions of Daniel were also beheld in the night (Daniel 7:1-28). THE LORD'S DAY. 10. "The Lord's day" occurs but once in the Holy Scriptures, afterwards it became the common appellation of the Christian's special day of rest and worship. That the first day of the week is meant seems evident from the following considerations: First, the difference of the expression used in the original from that employed to set forth the prophetic "day of the Lord," for which see 1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2. Second, the character of the first vision (vv. 12-20), which is of present application. Christ glorified in the midst of the churches could have neither place nor meaning in the period of coming judgment, spoken of in both Testaments as the "day of the Lord," and which is dependent upon the setting aside of the Church as a public witness for God on earth. These, and other considerations, forbid the application of the disputed term to the "day of the Lord," yet future. Two great facts stamp their character on the first day of the week, the resurrection of the Lord from the dead (John 20:1-31) and the founding of the Church at Pentecost (Leviticus 23:16, with Acts 2:1-47). Thus, "the Lord's day" is no ordinary day, nor is "the Lord's supper" an ordinary meal. Both the "day" and the "supper" are distinctively His. The sacred character of the "day" and of the "supper" should be maintained in their fullest integrity. The rude hand of the spoiler would rob us of these precious heirlooms which significantly speak to the Church of His resurrection and of His death. 10. "I heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet." The position of the Seer is significant. His back is to the Church and his face toward the kingdom. Ecclesiastical ruin foretold by Paul (Acts 20:28-32; Romans 11:1-36; 2 Timothy 3:1-17) had already set in. The polemical element in the writings of John was chiefly directed against Cerinthus (contemporary with the apostle) and others, who had commenced a vigorous and satanic crusade against Christianity. Certain Gnostic heresies, the principles of which were denounced by Paul in his Corinthian and Colossian epistles, were more fully developed in John's day, and in the second century had their distinctive schools, all in open and flagrant opposition to the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Added to these Church dangers was the persecuting power of the world. Little wonder, therefore, that the gaze of the aged and honoured prisoner was directed onward to the glory and strength of the kingdom, when right would be vindicated and wrong punished. But the Lord was not done with the Church, if John in spirit had turned his back upon it. He was to hear and see, and so must turn round and get occupied with that which was present to the Lord. The "great voice as of a trumpet" would intimate that a matter of public importance had to be communicated, one in which the whole Church was interested. Moreover, the vision which John was called to witness behind him is introductory to the whole series subsequently revealed, thus fixing the commencement of these revelations. How fitting that the first vision presented to the rapt gaze of the Seer should be Christ in manhood, yet in power and majesty in the midst of the churches. Revelation 1:11THE SEVEN . Revelation 1:11. The divine titles, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last," should be rejected as forming no part of what John wrote. The first title was probably inserted from verse 8, and the second from verse 17;*Archdeacon Lee remarks: "The English version of the Apocalypse represents a Greek text which does not rest upon the same authority as that of the other books of the New Testament" ("Speaker's Commentary"). All competent Bible critics concur in this testimony. It is based on the Greek text (fifth edition) published by Erasmus, the most distinguished scholar of the 16th century. But Erasmus had only one Greek MS., found by Delitzsch in a German library in 1861 before him, and that so defective and mutilated that he actually supplied the last six verses wanting in his copy from the Vulgate. Besides which, it was too hurriedly done. There are fewer uncial MSS., that is, the oldest Greek copies, than of any other of the books of the New Testament. But the text has in recent years been recovered to almost the state of purity in which it was originally written, so that God's mind in the Apocalypse is a matter of absolute certainty. besides which, the speaker is not revealed, nor His titles declared till John turns round. "I turned to see the voice that spake with me." 11. "What thou seest write in a book, and send to the seven assemblies to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." There were other assemblies of importance in proconsular Asia besides the seven specified. But the Spirit of God had a moral end in view in the choice of those particular churches, hence the definite article, "the seven assemblies." The order, too, in which they are named is worthy of notice. Hengstenberg in his commentary remarks, "Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos must stand together, and be separated from the rest. For these three cities, and these alone, contended for the primacy in Asia." In the separate addresses to the churches (Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22) there is a marked division into three and four. Thus the call, "He that hath an ear," seven times repeated, occurs in the addresses to the first three churches before the word to the overcomer (Revelation 2:7; Revelation 2:11; Revelation 2:17); whereas in the last four the call to "hear" comes after the promise to the overcomer (Revelation 2:29; Revelation 3:6; Revelation 3:13; Revelation 3:22). The assemblies are separately named. The independence of each is thus fully assured, and the responsibility of each to Christ is as distinctly taught. The vital unity of the Church as "one body," and the mutual dependence of its members, are truths exclusively taught by Paul. In the first three chapters of the Apocalypse the Church is, on the other hand, viewed in her public position on earth as God's light-bearer and witness. "The seven assemblies," without doubt, exhibited certain distinctly marked characteristics which separately stamp their character on the Church universal in successive stages of her history, while these same features collectively distinguish the Church throughout the earth at any given time, then and now. Two of them, Smyrna and Philadelphia, are commended without a word of reproof. Suffering characterised the former, weakness the latter. Mingled praise and blame are meted out to Ephesus, Pergamos, Thyatira, and Sardis. Laodicea is the worst of "the seven." Her state is hopeless, all is blame without one word of commendation. In Thyatira a remnant is for the first time recognised. (1) Ephesus, the renowned capital of the Asia of the Apocalypse, the "Light of Asia," was the main seat and centre of heathen idolatry. It was the stronghold of Satan's power, and from it idolatry spread all over the known world (Acts 19:1-41). The small silver shrines representing the goddess Diana were eagerly bought by strangers, and set up as household deities in their distant homes; while the huge temple of the goddess, adorned and beautified by the wealth of Asia, was counted one of the seven wonders of the world. Ephesus became the scene of a fierce conflict between the powers of light and darkness. The devoted Aquila and Priscilla laboured for some time in this idolatrous city; previously twelve of John's disciples had helped in a small degree to break in upon the darkness, but their efforts must have been feeble owing to their own imperfect state (Acts 19:1-41); then the eloquent Apollos gave a further impetus to the work. Paul it was, however, who seems to have broken the power of darkness and roused to fury the devotees of idolatry and superstition, as they saw the whole system, like Dagon of old, trembling before the soul-emancipating truths of Christianity; lastly, the beloved John, after leaving his Jerusalem home, took up his residence in Ephesus, and for fully thirty years made it the centre of his work for Christ. The glory of Ephesus has departed, and the once proud heathen city is now but a miserable village known as Ayasalook. (2) Smyrna lay about 40 miles north of Ephesus, and is now one of the most important cities of the Turkish empire; its estimated population is about 200,000. It was anciently, in some respects, the rival of Ephesus. Its natural and commercial situation, its wealth and commerce, and the splendour of its buildings caused it to be termed "the beautiful." It was not much, if at all, behind Ephesus in idolatry. Smyrna is not named in the Acts, nor in the Pauline epistles, and we have no means of ascertaining conclusively how or when the Gospel was introduced there. The stringent imperial laws against Christianity were rigorously enforced in Smyrna, chiefly through the Jews and heathen combined, who pressed the unwilling hands of the local authorities to carry into execution the persecuting edicts. Polycarp, the friend of John, was, it is said, slain here in his ninetieth year, A.D. 168, the last disciple who had personally conversed with the apostle. The fierce persecution which raged in Asia Minor had its centre in Smyrna, and is no doubt referred to in the extended address to that assembly (Revelation 2:8-11). (3) Pergamos lay still further north. This city had little or no commerce, but was remarkable for its learning, refinement, and science, especially medicine. A long succession of kings made Pergamos, or Pergamum, as the Greeks termed it, their royal residence. Its celebrated library, only second to that in Alexandria, with which it was ultimately incorporated, consisted of 200,000 books. It was here that the art of preparing skins of animals for writing upon was perfected, and from which our word parchment is derived. Thus the name of this scripturally ill-omened city (Revelation 2:12-17) has been handed down through the Christian ages, and no doubt many a literary pergamena MS. of value had been prepared in Pergamos. The worship of Artemis characterises Ephesus. Dionysos was the distinguishing deity of Smyrna. These two cities were evil, but Pergamos was pre-eminently so in its idolatry. The epithets, "Satan's throne" and "where Satan dwelleth" (Revelation 2:13), must have had, in the first instance, a local application to Pergamos. The most conspicuous object in the celebrated temple of sculapius was the wreathed serpent, behind which was "Satan, that old serpent." The noble science of medicine was thus early identified with the worship of Satan, who usurped the place, functions, and titles of Christ. The names of "Preserver" and "Saviour" were applied to sculapius, and the cures wrought were ascribed to this chosen deity. It was, in short, substituting Satan for Christ. (4) Thyatira lay south-east from Pergamos. "The road from Thyatira to Pergamos is one of the most beautiful in the world." The three cities previously named were much more noted than Thyatira, which, however, has an interest of its own. Indirectly, it connects itself with Paul's missionary labours in Europe. His first convert was a woman of Thyatira, engaged in selling the celebrated purple for which her city was famous (Acts 16:14). Inscriptions, yet extant, show that the guild of dyers formed the most important trade of the city, and to this day the brilliant scarlet cloth dyed here is largely used throughout Asia and Europe, a weekly supply being sent to Smyrna. Thyatira is at present a flourishing town with a population of nearly 20,000. (5) Sardis lay about 27 miles due south from Thyatira. Sardis was anciently a proud and wealthy city, and the capital of the kingdom of Lydia. This once royal city, spite of the valour of its inhabitants, fell before the conquering hero, Cyrus. With the fall of the city the Lydian monarchy came to an end. The present name of the former capital is Sart. What a commentary on human greatness is furnished in the now degraded city of the wealthy, wise, and able Croesus. "Two or three shepherds inhabited a hut, and a Turk with two servants, at the time of Mr. Arundel's visit in 1826. In 1850 no human being was found dwelling in the once mighty and populous Sardis."*"Imperial Bible Dictionary," article, "Sardis." (6) Philadelphia is derived from its founder, Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamos, and it is situated about 25 miles south of Sardis. Its modern name, Allah Shehr, "city of God," is significant, although the Turks do not regard the city with any degree of veneration. The present town is large, and contains about 15,000 inhabitants, of whom a fair proportion are Greek Christians. The remains of early Christian times are more numerous here than in any of the other Asiatic cities named by John; the ruins of no less than twenty-five churches are pointed out, while several marble pillars, almost entire, remind us of the apocalyptic reference (Revelation 3:12), probably to these very pillars. Its freedom from blame in the message to its angel (Revelation 3:7-13) is worthy of note in connection with the fact that it had the longest duration of any of the seven cities named. Says the sceptic Gibbon: "Among the Greek colonies and churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect; a column in a scene of ruins, a pleasing example that the paths of honour and safety may sometimes be the same." (7) Laodicea was situated about 40 miles east of Ephesus, and derived its name from Laodice, wife of Antiochus II., the Syrian monarch. It was an exceedingly wealthy city, so much so, that although overthrown by an earthquake in the reign of Nero, A.D. 62, it quickly recovered from the blow, and from its own resources soon assumed its pristine glory, and at the date of the Apocalypse was a magnificent city. The assembly was infected with the "gold fever," being "rich and increased with goods" (Revelation 3:17). Pride, luxuriousness, and self-satisfaction characterised the general life of the population, and evidently stamped their character on the Church as well. The pride of Laodicea has been humbled, its wealth scattered amongst strangers, and its splendour laid in the dust. The site of the once opulent city is a scene of utter ruin and desolation.*Paul's references to the Church in Laodicea (Colossians 2:1; Colossians 4:13-16) afford a fine example of Christian love and interest to saints personally unknown. "Likewise read the epistle from Laodicea" (Revelation 1:16) probably refers to the epistle to the Ephesians, then going the round of the assemblies. From the fact that there are no salutations to individuals, and from the character of the epistle generally, we consider it extremely probable that the epistle to the Ephesians was a circular letter, then at Laodicea. It is certain that the epistle to the Colossians was intended by the apostle to be read to the Laodicean assembly. What more fitting than the truths contained in these epistles to rescue the saints in Laodicea from the grave perils which beset them! The cross in the Roman and Galatian epistles was the emancipating truth of the sixteenth century. The heavenly glory of Christ in the Ephesian and Colossian epistles is the grand and delivering truth of the twentieth century. THE . A special, but by no means exclusive, application of the first three chapters to the Asiatic assemblies named must be admitted. Thus, John greets "the seven assemblies which are in Asia" (Revelation 1:4); he has them equally in view in Revelation 1:11; while to each of "the seven" a special epistle is addressed (Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22). But while a primary application to the seven Asiatic assemblies is undoubted, it is equally clear that they were representatives of the whole Church, not only at any given moment, but also in the successive moral stages of her history. After the third chapter we meet with no allusion to these Asiatic assemblies. "He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," seven times repeated, intimates a direct application of these addresses to the individual hearer, also to every company of professed believers on the earth at any given time. The present day application is of immense value and profit. Questions have been raised as to John's ability, as a prisoner, to write and communicate with the assemblies. We hold that the Apocalypse as a whole was written in Patmos, and, further, that the seven assemblies had each their respective epistles sent to them from thence. We see no reason for the supposition put forth by some that the visions were seen in Patmos, and afterwards written in Ephesus on the Seer's release from banishment under Nerva. The supernatural characterises a large portion of the book, and hence difficulties disappear like melting flakes of snow. Commentary on Revelation 1:9-11 by E.M. ZerrRev_1:9. John says he is in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. It is impossible to be in something that does not exist, hence the kingdom of Christ was in existence in John's day; that disproves the heresy of pre-millennialists. Patmos. A number of reference works give a description of this place which agrees in substance. I shall quote from the Rand-McNally Bible Atlas as follows: "Patmos, to which the apostle John was banished. This lies 20 miles south of the island of Samos, 24 miles west of Asia Minor, and about 70 miles southwest of Ephesus. It is about 20 miles in circumference, and is rocky and barren. Its loneliness and seclusion made it a suitable place for the banishment of criminals; and to it the apostle John was banished by the emperor Domitian, near the close of the first Christian century." John says he was in this isle for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. The word for is from DIA, which the Englishman's Greek New Testament translates "because of." In other words, John was banished to this lonely spot as a punishment by the Roman emperor, because of his preaching the word of God. Revelation 1:10. In the Spirit means he was in a spiritual rapture in which he could hear and see things that could not ordinarily be heard and seen. Lord's (lay. The New testament religion has no holy days as did that of the Old. However, the Lord arose from the dead on the first (lay of the week (Mark 16:9), the church was started on the first (lay of the week (Leviticus 23:16; Acts 2), the disciples met on the first day of the week to break bread (Acts 20:7), and the congregational collection of money was made on the first day of the week (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). These facts would give the first day of the week some distinction that is said of no other day. The conclusion is clear that the same day is what is meant by the Lord's day in our verse. As of a trumpet. The comparison is made because that kind of instrument had a vibratory sound that was intense in quality and far-reaching in volume. John does not mean he thought he heard a trumpet, for verse 12 says lie turned to "see the voice." But the voice was so impressive that John likened it to a. trumpet. Heard behind me is significant. By coming up behind John he could hear the voice before seeing the tremendous display of spiritual imagery accompanying it. Revelation 1:11. Before turning round the voice delivered the names of the churches to which he said in verse 4 he was writing. The remarks were repeated that are at the beginning of verse 8. What thou seest, write. This did not mean only what his eyes would behold, but also what he would hear, for later he is told what to put in the letters to the seven churches.Commentary on Revelation 1:9-11 by Burton CoffmanRev_1:9THE GREAT VISIONI John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.I John ... See introduction for comment on the authorship of Revelation. Although an apostle, and possibly the last surviving apostle, he here identified himself with his readers as their brother and a fellow-member of Christ's kingdom. All of the sacred writers hesitated to flaunt their authority; and even Paul, who, in a sense, was compelled to do so by circumstances, proclaimed himself the chief of sinners and the least of saints. Partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience ... "These are a present experience and possession"[24] of John and his readers. As Lenski put it: "We (Christians) are the kingdom, in it, partakers of it, lifted to royalty in it!"[25] All theories that deny the present existence of the kingdom of Christ are contrary to the New Testament. Which are in Jesus ... It is surprising that Moffatt would perceive this as primarily "A Pauline concept."[26] While true enough that Paul did stress this conception, it surely antedates him. All of the New Testament authors wrote of it, and it goes right back to Christ himself who gave the analogy of the true vine in John 15. This corporate conception of Christ's kingdom as being composed of those who have been baptized into Christ dominates the New Testament. The kingdom itself, as stated in this verse is "in Jesus." Those who are "in Jesus" are the kingdom. The New Testament knows nothing of some far-off time when the kingdom will come. It is a present reality. The thousand years' reign with Christ is going on right now, and has been going on, since the first Pentecost following the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ is reigning and will continue to reign until all enemies are vanquished. His holy apostles are reigning with him (Matthew 19:28). This reign is identified in Matthew as occurring during the times of "the regeneration," that is, the times of the new birth, meaning that it is going on right now. As for the saints reigning with Christ, John includes his readers in this very passage as being fellow-partakers with himself in the kingdom of Christ. The trouble with many is that they have lost a sense of exaltation through being 'tin Christ" and have started longing for something different from the glorious salvation already available "in Christ," that is, in Christ's precious kingdom. Was in the isle that is called Patmos ... This is a small island, only about half the size of Manhattan Island, ten miles long, with a maximum width of six miles, and with an area of only 13 square miles. "It is an island of the Dodecanese group, Greece, in the Aegean sea about 28 miles south-southwest of Samos (37 degrees 20 minutes north latitude and 26 degrees 35 minutes east longitude). It is volcanic, bare and rocky, rising to an altitude of 800 feet with a deeply indented coast."[27] The 1951 population of Patmos is given as 2,613; but in John's day it is said to have been principally a rock quarry and used as a place of banishment for certain types of offenders. Regarding the tradition that the apostle John was banished to Patmos, living in exile there when he received the Revelation, both the event of his banishment and the date of it are uncertain. The usual tradition that he was banished to Patmos by Domitian (circa 95 A.D.) and released 18 months later by Nerva[28] is incapable of any dogmatic proof. Even if accepted, the question of the date would still be in doubt. The complicating factor is that Domitian was the de facto emperor for a year or so in 69-70, following his father Vespasian's elevation as Emperor, July 69 A.D. He was hailed by the army in Rome as Caesar and continued to administer the affairs of Italy until his father's return.[29] Vespasian was not pleased by the high-handed behavior of his son. Josephus stated that he was ruler until his father returned.[30] He moved into the royal residence, signed all edicts and proclamations in his own name, being in every sense, during that period, Emperor. Vespasian returned to Rome, however, in the latter part of 70, and promptly appointed Nerva as one of his chief administrators, who moved at once to quash some of the measures taken by Domitian. Thus we have the strange fact that Nerva, in a sense, succeeded Domitian in authority both in 70 A.D. and in 96 A.D. For this reason, the tradition that John was banished by Domitian and released by Nerva does not even touch the problem of WHEN such events occurred. The events might have taken place either in 70-71 or in 95-96! Robinson preferred the early date, writing: "So, he was banished by Domitian and restored by Nerva, as the tradition says, but in 70-71 A.D.!"[31]Regarding the theory of John's having been banished to Patmos, the New Testament gives no hint of any such thing, but the mention of tribulation in the same verse certainly seems not opposed to the tradition. If indeed John was an exile, it would be in keeping with the experience of some of God's other great prophets. When Jacob saw God at Bethel, when Moses saw God in the burning bush, when Elijah heard the still small voice, when Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord by the river Chebar, and when Daniel saw the ancient of days in Babylon, all of them were exiles. Wallace, however, was of the opinion that John was not an exile, but that, "His reason for being in Patmos was no other than to receive the Revelation."[32] Certainty in the matter is impossible. For the word of God and the testimony of Jesus ... The language here could mean either (1) that John was in Patmos to preach the gospel or for the express purpose of receiving the Revelation or (2) that he had been banished to Patmos as punishment for his loyalty in proclaiming the word of the Lord. There is no way to tell exactly which understanding of the words is correct. [24] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 1282. [25] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 55. [26] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 341. [27] Encyclopedia Britannica (Chicago: William Benton, Publisher, 1961), Vol. 17, p. 383. [28] Ibid. [29] Ibid., Vol 7, p. 521. [30] Flavius Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book IV, Chapter 11,4. [31] John A. T. Robinson, Redating the New Testament (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 250. [32] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., op. cit., p. 74. Revelation 1:10I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.In the Spirit ... Not much is known of this state of being "in the Spirit"; but, evidently, all of the Scripture writers were in such a state when they received their divine revelation. Jesus said of David, "How then doth David in the Spirit call him Lord?" (Matthew 22:43). Many speculations about this have yielded little or no valuable information. On the Lord's day ... This expression is found only here in the New Testament, "and beyond all reasonable doubt it means on Sunday."[33] "There is every reason to believe the church used the word in protest against Caesar-worship."[34] Some have thought this means the day of judgment, indicating that John was transported by the vision to the time of the final judgment; but the judgment is invariably "the day of the Lord" in the New Testament. Here, "Lord's day" is a similar construction to "Lord's supper" (1 Corinthians 11:20). "It means `belonging to the Lord', or `consecrated to the Lord'."[35] The Greek construction rules out the interpretation that would make this mean the judgment.[36] According to Deissmann, from A.D. 30 and continuing until 98-117, one day of every month was called "Augustus Day" ([@hemera] [@Sebaste]); and it certainly could have been that the Christians started referring to the first day of the week as "the Lord's day" in opposition to the current idolatry directed toward Roman emperors. It is preposterous to suppose that "the Lord's day" is a reference to the Jewish sabbath. Saturday was a day of the week upon which Jesus spent the entire twenty-four hours of it in the tomb! On the other hand, Sunday was the day Jesus rose from the dead, the very same day the apostles met him in the upper room, and a week later on another Sunday the Lord appeared to his assembled apostles again. Sunday was the day the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost; it was the day the disciples came together to break bread (Acts 20:7); it was the day the collection was taken up (1 Corinthians 16:2); and, added to all of this, the invariable Christian tradition of more than nineteen centuries makes Sunday the day of Christian assemblies, a custom still observed all over the world. "The Lord's day" is thus an exceedingly appropriate title for the day. A great voice, as of a trumpet ... "This voice was presumably that of the Son of man."[37] Dake counted over sixty usages of the word "great" in the Book of Revelation.[38] Bruce, however, did not believe the great trumpet-like voice mentioned here was that of the Lord, basing his opinion on the fact that the Lord's voice is said to be like the sound of many waters (Revelation 1:15).[39] He viewed it as a herald-like prelude to the appearance of the Great Conqueror. This would appear to be the better interpretation. [33] T. Randell, op. cit., p. 5. [34] Finis Jennings Dake, Revelation Expounded (Lawrenceville, Georgia: Dake, 1950), p. 32. [35] Ralph Earle, op. cit., p. 479. [36] Ibid. [37] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 1282. [38] Finis Jennings Dake, op. cit., p. 33. [39] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 535. Revelation 1:11 Saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven churches: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.We shall give particular attention to each of these churches in connection with the letter addressed to each. "It is difficult not to feel that SEVEN are chosen because of the sacred nature of that number."[40] Full agreement with this view is felt, as noted under Revelation 1:4, above. There is, furthermore, a sense in which the seven here selected represent a diversity of conditions prevailing in congregations throughout history. We do not believe that these seven churches stand for seven successive periods of the history of the church throughout the current dispensation; but that, in any given age, there may be congregations exhibiting the same characteristics as those found in any one, or all of the seven churches mentioned here. This very day, there are "Philadelphia churches," and "Laodicean churches," and even "Sardis churches." All seven churches lay relatively close to each other in western Asia Minor; and they have the same sequence in Revelation that would normally be followed by a person visiting all seven. ENDNOTE: [40] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 1282.Commentary on Revelation 1:9-11 by Manly Luscombe9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Brother - As a member of the church, we are in the family of God. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are family. We share a common faith, love and hope. Companion in tribulation - John understands their hardship and persecution. He, too, is suffering persecution. He has been sent to a prison island called Patmos. In the kingdom - The church is the kingdom of God. (Matthew 16:18-19) This verse is one of three in the New Testament that speaks of the kingdom in the present tense. The kingdom was already in existence in the first century. (Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 12:28). Patience - Here is the heart of the message of this book. God is aware of the suffering of His people. He will deal with this evil, in His time. We must be patient to wait for God. Patmos - This small island in the Aegean Sea was used to exile prisoners. There were no other islands near by. The only escape was to be taken by boat. Most of the prisoners lived here in caves, grew small gardens and struggled to survive. For the word of God - The reason John is here is not because he committed a felony or was guilty of some terrible crime against humanity. He is here because he preached the word of God. For the testimony of Jesus Christ - The Roman government saw the rapid spread of Christianity as a real threat. It had to be stopped. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’ s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet. In the Spirit - John was in tune with the Spirit of God. The message was being delivered but John had to be aware of its message, importance and willing to record the vision. Some believe John was in a trance like Peter was in Acts 10:10-11. Others think John was in a spiritual frame of mind on this Lord’ s Day. Lord’ s Day - Sunday, the first day of the week, was called the Lord’ s Day by many in the first and second centuries. Many of the church fathers used this term to tell when the church would worship together and partake of communion. Remember - It was on Sunday (Lord’ s Day) that Jesus was raised from the dead. He appeared to the men on the road to Emmaus. He met with 10 apostles on a Sunday. He met with 11 apostles, including Thomas, the following Sunday. The day of Pentecost, when the church began, was on a Sunday. The early church assembled to partake of communion on Sunday. The church was to give as part of their assembly each Sunday. Great voice, trumpet - Here, the drama starts. John does not just hear a voice. He hears a great voice. Then he describes that voice. It was like a trumpet in his ear. 11 saying, “ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “ What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” Write what you see - John is instructed to record the events as they are revealed to him. Send it to the seven churches - This was not to be a private journal for John to keep. It was to be copied, read, studied, distributed, and obeyed. List of the seven churches - We will introduce each church as we come to them in chapters 2 and 3. The order of the churches listed here follows the location of the churches in a circular motion. Sermon on Revelation 1:9-11 Brent Kercheville As we approach Revelation 1:9, John is beginning his explanation as to why he is writing this book. John is going to let his readers know that he did not sit down anddecide to write a letter to the seven churches in Asia Minor. Rather, John was instructed to write these words. John begins his explanation for writing in verse 9 of the first chapter. John, Your Partner (Revelation 1:9) John does not begin this letter by announcing his credentials. John could say, “ I, John, the apostle of the Lord.” John identifies himself as their brother and their partner. John is joining himself with the Christian readers in three areas. John is a sharer in the suffering, in the kingdom, and in the patient endurance. John’ s sharing in the tribulation seems to be explained in the rest of the verse. John was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. This is all that is told to us. It is believed that the island of Patmos was used by the Roman Empire as a place of exile, but there is little evidence of anyone being banished there. So we must be careful not to make too much of John’ s condition while on the island of Patmos. John appears to be telling his readers that he is on Patmos because he is suffering on account of the word of God and testimony of Jesus. John’ s preaching of the word of God concerning Jesus has landed him in trouble. This persecution could have been brought about by the Jews or by the Romans. We read through the book of Acts that the Jews were trying to use the Roman authorities against Christians (see Jews take Jesus to Pilate for trial, Jews take Christians for judgment with the city authorities in Thessalonica, Jews take Paul to the Roman tribunal in Corinth). We also read Paul and Silas getting into difficulties with Roman authorities in Philippi because, “ They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice” (Acts 16:21). John could be on Patmos because of the Romans directly dealing with him or because of the instigation of the Jews. Either way, John is telling the Christians that I am with you in the suffering. We are together in this. Not only does John share in the suffering, but he shares in the kingdom with them. You are suffering but you are in Christ’ s kingdom. It is hard to feel that truth of being in the kingdom of Christ when we are suffering. John says that he is suffering with us and we are partners and partakers in the eternal kingdom. John also shares with his audience their steadfastness. John has not given up but continues to serve the Lord in the face of suffering. In The Spirit (Revelation 1:10) What happens to John was extraordinary and special. It is the Lord’ s day. By the second century, “ the Lord’ s day” was the customary way of referring to Sunday. Sunday was the day when Christians gather for worship and for partaking the Lord’ s Supper (Acts 20:7). It was Sunday when our Lord Jesus rose from the dead (Luke 24:1). It was on Sunday when Jesus made his appearance to his disciples (John 20:19). Sunday is the Lord’ s day. John is in the Spirit. This is the way the scriptures speak of someone having a divine vision. One example is in Ezekiel. “ The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.” (Ezekiel 37:1 ESV) Ezekiel did not physically transport to a valley because he was in exile in Babylon. The scriptures are telling us that Ezekiel is in a visionary state. So also with John. John is in the Spirit which tells us that the divine vision has begun. Command To Write (Revelation 1:10-11) Finally, John is commanded to write what he sees in this vision in a book and send it to the seven churches. Notice the power with which the command comes. John hears a loud voice like a trumpet. We read this event happening at Mount Sinai in the giving of the ten commandments (Exodus 19). This is the voice of the Lord, speaking with authority and power. We are partners and sharers in the kingdom. Suffering and persecution may come upon us at any time. Christians participate now in Christ’ s rule over the earth, as well as in the future. We are called to be steadfast during his reign. Revelation 1:12-18 4. THE INITIAL VISIONRev_1:12-18 12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me.-- Turning to see who was speaking was the natural thing to do. The text says to "see the voice." By a common figure of speech the voice is put for the one speaking. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks; --Here the vision proper begins. In the tabernacle and temple there were golden candlesticks. Each had seven prongs with a lamp on each prong. But in this vision there appeared seven distinct lampstands. This is evident from the following verse where Christ is represented as being "in the midst of" them. Neither is there anything said about these candlesticks having more than one lamp. Being made of gold probably represents their great value as well as their enduring qualities. In this book there are a number of things described as golden or made of pure gold. Each will he noted in its proper place 13 and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man,--There is no question but that the one John saw in this vision represented the Lord. The King James Version translates "the" Son of man. Christ often applied this title to himself. (Matthew 8:20; Matthew 9:6.) A like expression is found in Daniel 7:13, also referring to Christ. Commentators have disagreed as to whether John saw Jesus himself or the appearance of a human to represent him. Such controversy is useless. Both would lead to the same truth. This part of the vision clearly was intended to represent Christ's relationship to churches. Whether he really appeared or a form of man to represent him affects not the case. The fact that John was looking at a picture favors the Revised Version and the latter view. clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle.--The robe reaching to the feet and the girdle around the breasts are supposed to represent the dignity that belonged to both priesthood and kingship. Girdles were then worn around the body to fasten down the flowing robes, but one richly ornamented with gold, placed about the breasts, indicates royal dignity. This is what should naturally be expected, as the vision was intended to show Jesus as one having both the power and authority to open the seals--reveal the things that the church should know. As the great Prophet, he would know exactly what was to transpire that should be told; as Priest and King, he would have full authority to make such revelations as were needed to give any commands necessary to the doing of his will. 14 And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; --It is perfectly evident that the language here used is not intended as a natural description of the Lord as he lived on the earth ; for being in his thirty-fourth year when he ascended he was a young man, and probably in physical appearance not greatly different from others. Neither is it necessary to conclude that the description here correctly represents his glorious appearance in heaven. It seems more probable that the appearance of the one John saw was assumed to impress the apostle with a sense of Christ's majesty and glory. White as a color indicates purity and victory; the expression white as wool and snow means that it was perfectly white. The intention here is not to indicate age, but to show that Jesus was perfectly sinless and fully able to do what was proposed. The eyes appearing as a flame of fire indicates their penetrating power, probably meaning that the Lord was able to look into the future as well as into men's hearts and reveal both the true and false. 15 and his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters. --The feet of the one speaking to John looked like burnished brass that had been fully refined. Perhaps there is no special significance in this more than that it harmonizes with the majestic splendor of Christ as able to do the work proposed. The voice John heard was like the sound of many waters, the roar of the ocean or a great cataract. God himself is referred to in a similar way. "And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shined with his glory." (Ezekiel 43:2.) See also Ezekiel 1:24; Daniel 10:6. Representing the sound of the voice as the roar of many waters is another sublime way of expressing divine majesty and power. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword:--In verse 20 these seven stars are said to be the angels of the seven churches. Here we have in this book the first direct explanation of the symbol used, being definitely told what the stars represent. When the book itself explains a symbol, there is an end of controversy on that point whether we understand it or not. Being held in the right hand probably indicates that the angels were to be sustained and protected by the Lord--would receive their support and instruction from him. The appearance of a sword proceeding from his mouth must in some way refer to his words. This is perfectly natural when we note that the word of God is said to be "living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword." (Hebrews 4:12.) Isaiah said that Jehovah had made his "mouth like a sharp sword." (Isa. 49 2.) The words proceeding from the Lord's mouth would not only comfort and instruct the saints, but would also terrify and destroy the ungodly. Through a prophet Jehovah said "I have slain them by the words of my mouth." (Hosea 6:5.) Paul said that Jesus at his coming would slay the lawless one "with the breath of his mouth." (2 Thessalonians 2:8.) The word "sharp" indicates the penetrating power of Christ's words, while the two-edged nature represents the thoroughness of its work. and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.--The hair, eyes, mouth, and voice have already been described. This expression is evidently intended as a general description of his appearance; it was as the sun in its full strength and not obscured by any clouds. It was probably like his appearance on the mount of transfiguration. (Mat_172.) The entire description most appropriately presents the majesty, power, and authority of Jesus to make the revelation intended, and most solemnly to impress John with the necessity of giving heed to what was revealed to him. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; --John was overwhelmed by the divine majesty and the suddenness with which the vision came. Losing consciousness, he fell as one would who was really dead. The overpowering influence of supernatural events was not an uncommon thing. (Daniel 8:18; Daniel 8:27; Daniel 10:9; Ezekiel 1:28; Acts 26:13-14.) John, remembering Jesus as he saw him here on earth, probably did not recognize the being in the vision as representing the Lord. The explanation that follows immediately is further proof that he did not at first know who was represented by the vision. Laying his right hand upon John was doubtless for the purpose of raising him up. Compare Daniel 8:18. The command to "Fear not" was intended to give John assurance to hear what would be revealed to him. Once Jesus gave a similar command to his apostles, saying, "It is I; be not afraid." (Matthew 14:27.) In the midst of manifestations of divine power man needs assurance from God to calm his fears:. Jesus gave it when he was here in person (Luke 9 34, 35); his words supply the same assurance now (Hebrews 6:18-20). I am the first and the last, 18 and the Living one and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore,--Alpha and Omega, which mean the first and the last, probably refer to God in verse 8; here the words first and last clearly refer to Christ. They declare his existence from eternity which is also asserted by both John and Paul. (John 1:1-2; Col. 1 16, 17.) If of eternal existence, John could well afford to depend implicitly upon his word and power; hence no reason why he should fear. Referring to Christ as the "Living one" means he was in his very nature the source and fountain of life. Jesus said: "For as the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son also to have life in himself." (John 5:26.) Saying that he had been dead, but was now alive effectively identified the one represented in the vision as the Lord. This was evidence that John's faith in the Lord's resurrection had been no delusion. Jesus had died once, hut never could die again. This should remove all fear and give perfect assurance that he is able to fulfill all his promises. and I have the keys of death and of Hades.--Hades is a Greek word and means the "unseen." It refers to the state between death and the resurrection, the place of abode of disembodied spirits of both bad and good. This is evident from the Savior's use of the word in Luke 16:23. The expression "keys of death and of Hades" is closely related to the preceding statements in reference to Christ once being dead, but now being alive. That Christ's spirit went to Hades while his body was in the tomb is certain from Peter's words in Acts 2:27. Keys mean authority or power. Since Christ's body was raised and his spirit returned from Hades, he has power to abolish death and bring the waiting spirits from the Hadean world. This he will do when he comes again and the judgment takes place. (Revelation 20:11-14.)Commentary on Revelation 1:12-18 by Foy E. Wallace(5) The Son of man in the midst. 1. “ In the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man"—Revelation 1:12-13. When John turned to see the voice, he saw one who had the appearance of Jesus. From his own memory John knew Jesus. He could recognize the countenance of the Lord and his personal appearance by his constant association with him in the days of his flesh. And he had seen him in majesty, glory and power in his ascension. Now he beheld in the vision One who was like him--he had known his incarnate person; he saw him in ascended glory; he knew his coronated majesty; he knew his kingly power--and he recognized the Son of man! 2. “ He was clothed with a garment."-- Revelation 1:13. The royal garment was in keeping with appropriate royalty, a royal garment which was indicative of monarchial dignity. 3. “ And girt with a golden girdle” -- Rev_113. It represented the source and sway of the truth, as the girdle of truth suggests in Ephesians 6:14. 4. “ His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow"-- Revelation 1:14. These figures symbolized his sinless purity and his sublime majesty, as employed in Isaiah 1:18 : “ Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” 5. “ And his eyes were as a flame of fire"-- Revelation 1:14. The same symbols are used in the prophetic apocalypses to designate divine omniscience, that He is the penetrator and the discerner of all things. 6. “ And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned it in a furnace"-- Revelation 1:15. The reference here is to the method of refining metals and minerals in a crucible, and it is the emblem of untarnished and unmingled truth of which Jesus Christ is the source and the administrator. 7. “ And his voice as the sound of many waters” -- Revelation 1:15. In this metaphor John saw Jesus as the combination of unison and rhythm in its perfect flow, signifying the accord and harmony of divine utterance, set to the melody of divine love and grace and blessing. 8. “ And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword"-- Revelation 1:16. The same theophany is presented in the flaming sword of Eden. It stood for divine justice, and here it means that Jesus Christ was, and is now, the executor of righteous judgment and justice. 9. “ And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength” -- Revelation 1:16. The sun of the solar system is the light of the world. As the monarch of the universe it rules the solar system as the earth and all planets revolve around it. So was the Son of man in this high point in the vision. In all his grandeur, as in the last prophetic glimpse of Malachi, he was the sun of righteousness, with all the spiritual benefits to mankind that the sun can bestow in its rays upon the earth. 10. "I am alive for evermore . . . and have the keys of hell (hades) and death"-- Revelation 1:17-18. This is the awe-inspiring declaration that by his own death of the cross, he became Lord of Death, and of the hadean world, because its gates could not prevail against him. He is therefore the Lord of “ both the dead and the living” (Romans 14:9)--by his death and resurrection, of which his appearance to John was the visible proof. Commentary on Revelation 1:12-18 by Walter ScottSEVEN GOLDEN LAMPS Revelation 1:12. "I turned back to see the voice which spake with me; and having turned, I saw seven golden lamps." The Seer on turning round to see the voice of the speaker necessarily turned round to the east, the scene of immediate interest. The first object he beheld was "seven golden lamps." What these signified we are informed in Revelation 1:20 : "The seven lamps are seven assemblies." The numerical value of the number seven points to what is morally complete. Gold, the most precious of metals, signifies divine righteousness. The founding and constitution of the Church, whether viewed in relation to Christ as His body, or to God as His house, is the display of divine righteousness of the character of God. It could not be otherwise. In the symbol of "seven golden lamps" we have the Church in its completeness and perfection on earth, as in the thoughts of God, in its public position as His witness. It is not what the Church has become, but viewed in its origin and character as set up by Him. While the whole Church is in view it is here regarded as separate assemblies. The seven golden lamps evidently allude to the seven-branched golden lamp-stand which stood at the south side of the outer compartment of the sanctuary of old. Here the lamps stand in the east. There, the seven lamps had one stem and one stand, while each lamp threw its clear light on the beautifully ornamented shaft or stem, discovering its beauties during the dark hours of night (Exodus 25:31-40; Numbers 8:2-4), so only in the divine presence are fully expressed the moral glories of Jesus, God's beloved Son. Here each lamp rests on its own base. They represent separate and independent assemblies, each one in its place responsible to cast its beams of light athwart the gloom. It is the serious and urgent responsibility of every professed company of saints to be in its own locality a witness for God, and what, of course, is true of local assemblies is equally so of the Church universal. The seven Asiatic lamps have long since been removed according to the divine threat (Revelation 2:5), and a similar judgment, although expressed under a different symbol, is about to overtake the professing Church as a whole (Romans 11:22). Where are the golden lamps to-day? This is a solemn and searching question for us all. Revelation 1:13-16THE VISION OF CHRIST (Revelation 1:13-16). The thing which first arrests the attention of the Seer is the seven golden lamps, not simply lamp-stands.*The "candle" is distinguished from the "candle-stick," or, as in the Revised Version, the "lamp" from its "stand." It is the "lamp" which gives the light (Luke 8:16; Luke 11:35-36 : Matthew 5:15). There is prominence given to the "stand" in the ancient sanctuary, as in its chaste ornamentation, under the sevenfold light of the Spirit, were set forth the beauties of Jesus to the worshippers within. But what is the Church apart from Christ? The distinguishing glory of this introductory vision is not the churches in their divine standing on earth, but the grandeur and majesty of the One Who has deigned to be in their midst. Who is He? "One like unto (the) Son of Man." The omission of the definite article in the original, as also in Daniel 7:13, is to be noted. Both the Prophet and the Seer beheld the Son of Man without doubt, but what morally characterised Him as bearing that Name or title is the thought presented in the omission of the article, not so much the person known as the Son of Man; but one is seen in Heaven by the Hebrew Prophet, and on earth by the Christian Seer, in the moral characteristics belonging to Him who bore that title. It is characteristic, not personal. 13 "The Son of Man" is a title used of Ezekiel about one hundred times, and once of Daniel (Daniel 8:17), the only Hebrew Prophet so spoken of. The Lord alone in the Gospels uses the title of Himself, about seventy times. John 12:34 is only an apparent exception. The title is one which expresses a wider range of dominion and glory than that of king of Israel (compare Psalms 2:1-12; Psalms 8:1-9). As Son of God He quickens the dead, spiritually (John 5:25) and physically (v. 28). As Son of Man He judges (v. 22), and also executes His judgment (v. 27). It is a title of peculiar delight to the Lord. 13. "Clothed with a garment down to the foot," i.e., to the feet of the glorious One, but not so low as to cover them (v. 15). Neither the material nor colour of the robe is specified. There is an evident allusion to the ephod, the pre-eminent garment of the high priest.*Exodus 28:31 in the LXX. has the same word for "ephod" as in Revelation 1:13 for "garment." Hence we infer the sacerdotal application of the word here. But the long flowing garment is neither girded about the loins (Luke 12:35) nor laid aside (John 13:4) as the activity of service would require, "rather dignified priestly judgment" is expressed thereby. 13. "Girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle." The materials in the girdle of the high priest were "gold" and "linen," in which latter the colours "blue, purple, and scarlet" were displayed (Exodus 28:8), thus intimating the union of divine and human righteousness in Jesus our great High Priest, while the colours set forth His heavenly character (blue), sufferings (purple), and glory (scarlet). But the girdle here is one wholly of gold, divine righteousness. Girt about at the breasts instead of the loins (Daniel 10:5) would intimate calm repose. The girdle in itself sets forth righteousness and faithfulness, attributes which ever characterised the Lord in all His ways (Isaiah 11:5). The angels of judgment (Revelation 15:6), like our Lord, are girded with golden girdles at their breasts. The usual order, girt about the loins, is departed from in their case, as the place of the girdle at the breasts denotes that judgment to be executed is according to what God is in His nature. Revelation 1:14. "His head and His hair were white as white wool, as snow." "The Ancient of Days" (Daniel 7:9) is similarly described. There are certain characteristics common to both Son of Man and Ancient of Days. They are distinct persons, yet so identified in action and character that it is not always possible to distinguish them. The identification of Jesus with Jehovah; of the wearied Man (John 4:6) with the unwearied Creator (Isaiah 40:28) is a subject of profound interest. Divine wisdom in absolute purity seems, in the main, the thought intended by the dazzling whiteness of the head and hair. In the passage in Daniel the whiteness of the head is not mentioned. Here the head is uncovered. Personal attributes are in question, and not official or relative glories, which latter are found in verse 16. 14. "His eyes as a flame of fire," keen, penetrating judgment, which searches out, and exposes in all its nakedness, evil, however covered up. Who or what can escape the scrutiny of those eyes as of fire? Revelation 1:15. "His feet like fine brass, as burning in a furnace." An emblem of the most awful unyielding strength in judicial judgment (compare with Revelation 10:1). 15. "His voice as the voice of many waters" (compare with Ezekiel 43:2). The grandeur, the majesty of His voice is beyond the ceaseless roar of many cataracts. "The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea" (Psalms 93:4). The sign of His supreme sovereignty and majesty over all the waves of human passion, over the circumstances of a wrecked world and a ruined Church, is declared to be "His voice as the voice of many waters." It was His voice "God said" ten times repeated, which brought order out of chaos, light out of darkness, and life out of death (Genesis 1:1-31). It was His voice which stilled the angry Galilean sea, and hushed its boisterous winds and waves into the calm of a sleeping child (Matthew 8:23-27). Revelation 1:16. "Having in His right hand seven stars." The stars are declared to be the angels or representatives of the churches (v. 20). The "stars" as a symbol are the expression, first, of countless multitudes (Genesis 15:5); second, eminent persons in authority, civil and ecclesiastical (Daniel 8:10; Revelation 6:13; Revelation 12:4); third, lesser or subordinate powers in general (Genesis 37:9; Revelation 12:1). All Church authority, all ministry, and all spiritual rule in every assembly are vested in Christ. His competency to give or withhold, to preserve and sustain every true minister of God is the fundamental idea in the stars being held in His right hand. When the eternal security of believers is in question they are said to be in His hand, and in the Father's hand, from whence no power can pluck them (John 10:28-29). But they are not said to be in His "right hand," as here. Spiritual rulers we do not say official ones, for all such have not been set in the Church of God are held and maintained in the right hand of the Son of Man. "The right hand" betokens supreme authority and honour (Psalms 110:1-7 : l; Ephesians 1:20; Revelation 5:1; Revelation 5:7). What a responsible, yet withal honourable position every ruler in the Church occupies! Daniel 12:3 points to a future class of Jewish ministers or rulers. Jude 1:13 refers to a class of Christian apostates. The responsibility of a star is to shine. During the night of the Lord's absence the assemblies are God's light bearers through the darkness, and are collectively the light of the world. But each Christian ruler or guide is also to shine in his appointed sphere. The darker the night the greater need to shine, and to reflect the light of Heaven upon the increasing darkness around. 16. "Out of His mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword." The execution of divine judgment by the simple force of His Word judgment, too, which cannot be warded off for the sword as two-edged is the force of the figure. We never read of our Lord personally putting His hand on His enemies. He speaks, and it is done. His personal word is the point here, as the written Word in Hebrews 4:12. The ungodly in the Church are the first to be threatened with judgment, which it is hopeless to escape unless they repent (Revelation 2:16). At the commencement of the millennial reign we witness one of the saddest sights on earth, the congregated nations of the west, etc., under their leaders in open defiance of the Lamb of God (Revelation 19:19-21). The sword of the Almighty Victor, the resistless energy of His Word, finds out His enemies, and the universal slaughter of the multitudinous hosts of Gentiles glorifies His righteousness "in taking vengeance" on those who refuse to own His sceptre. 16. "His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." Once the vile spittle of men rested on His patient face (Matthew 26:67), now divine glory, more brilliant far, more resplendent than the midday tropical sun, is here seen in the face of the Lord. "The sun in his strength," on which no mortal eye can gaze, images forth the supreme glory of Jesus, Son of Man. We may remark that Christ is spoken of as the Light of the World (John 8:12), as the Sun of Righteousness to Israel (Malachi 4:2), and as the Bright and Morning Star to the Church (Revelation 22:16). Hengstenberg draws a contrast between the glory of the sun and that of the stars (1 Corinthians 15:41), applying the lesson to the transcendent glory of Christ (the sun), to that of His ministers (the stars). The stars are mere reflectors. They have no independent light of their own. In the matchless yet simple story of creation (Genesis 1:1-31) the distinguishing orbs for day and night are appointed their place in relation to this earth, and then it is added as a matter of small import, "the stars also" (v. 16). Would that every servant would lay it to heart. Is there not in this a lesson to every minister? We are but of trifling importance save as held in the right hand of Christ. It is the servant's connection with the Lord which alone imparts dignity. What a glorious vision of Christ we have had, so totally unlike the Christ of the Gospels. There, His attributes are those of tenderness, holiness, and love; here, He is seen clothed in majesty and power. There, the Man of Sorrows; here, in combined deity as the Ancient of Days, and humanity as Son of Man. He was, of course, ever Divine, always God, but on earth He veiled His eternal glory, or as Paul expresses it, "emptied Himself" (Philippians 2:7, R.V.). Here His glory shines in the midst of the churches, a strength and consolation to every true heart, a terror to all morally opposed to it. Revelation 1:17-18HUMAN AND DIVINE (Revelation 1:17-18). 17. "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead; and He laid His right hand upon me, saying, Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I became dead; and behold, I am living to the ages of ages, and have the keys of death and of hades." The effect of the glorious vision of Christ was over-powering. The same John who had pillowed his head on his Master's bosom (John 13:23), outran Peter in the race to the sepulchre (John 20:4), worshipped Him risen from the dead (Matthew 28:17), witnessed with rapt gaze His ascending Lord (Acts 1:9-10), now fell at His feet as dead. Christ transfigured on the holy mount was an object of fear to the favoured three of the apostolic band (Matthew 17:6-7). Isaiah, who above all the Hebrew prophets revelled in the glorious future, was broken down in the presence of the glory of Christ; while seraphim covered face and feet, the glory too bright to look upon, and the place too holy to tread upon (Isaiah 6:1-13 with John 12:41). Ezekiel fell on his face before that same glory (Ezekiel 1:28), and Daniel more than once did the same (Daniel 8:17-18; Daniel 10:7-10). But Christ is here beheld, not in the native region of glory, His palace-home in the heavens, but in the midst of the churches in the full display of attributes betokening power and majesty. Here we behold the incarnate Son of Man glorified. Hence, as answering to this representation of Christ, the effect is more marked than that hitherto produced. John fell at His feet as dead. Probably the most loving and loved of the disciples was John, but what avails even the strength of human affection in light of the overwhelming glory of Jesus, Son of Man! But human weakness is answered by divine consolation. The glorified Saviour and High Priest is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities." His grace and tenderness are equal to His majesty and greatness. 17. "He laid His right hand upon me," relates the Seer. The hand of power. On the mount the touch of the hand and the voice of Jesus instantly dispelled the fear of the disciples (Matthew 17:6-7). Here, too, the hand and voice of the glorious One restores the disciple from his death-like swoon. It was more than a touch, "He laid His right hand upon me." How the pressure of that hand in its life-giving energy and strength would thrill "the disciple whom Jesus loved," the very same Jesus in time and eternity, in earth and in Heaven. 17. "Fear not" was the glorified Saviour's reassuring word as an accompaniment to His right hand. Both were needed. The "fear not," so often repeated on earth amidst its dreads and circumstances, again breaks on the ear of the apostle, for Jesus is unchanged. His circumstances are totally altered, but the heart that beat in Galilee is the same that now throbs in tenderest love toward His own. 17. "I am the first and the last." This is essentially a divine title. Jehovah claims it three times exclusively for Himself in the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 48:12), and Christ correspondingly three times in this book (Revelation 1:17; Revelation 2:8; Revelation 22:13). The application of this Jehovah title to the Son of Man is an absolute proof of His Deity. Eternal Self-Existence, with its necessary correlative, Absolute Supremacy, is thus intimated. As the "FIRST," He is before all, and above all, and from whom all proceed. As the "LAST," He is after all, and in Him all things centre. He is the source and sum of universal creation. What cause for fear then? In the calm contemplation of this magnificent title, claimed and borne by Jesus of Nazareth glorified in the heavens, fear disappears like mist before the rising sun. Here is a rock of strength for wearied feet and for life's heaviest burdens. Revelation 1:18. "The Living One" is the next divine title. He was, is, and ever shall be the source of life. He is the Living One independently of the creature. The incarnation of the Lord did not originate life, but manifested what previously existed (1 John 1:2). "The Living One in particular was the designation used by the Hebrews to distinguish the true God from all false ones." The eternal life of believers, the eternal existence of unbelievers, and the immortality of angels have each their source in Christ, "the Living One." What is predicated of God in the Old and New Testament Scriptures (Jeremiah 10:10; 1 Timothy 3:15) is equally true of Christ. 18. "I became dead." Even as man, death, the wages of sin, had no claim upon Him. But in grace to us He voluntarily "became dead," not merely died, but became truly and really dead. He laid down His life. Matthew writes, He "yielded up His spirit" (Matthew 27:50, R.V.); Mark, "He gave up the ghost" (Mark 15:37); Luke, He committed His spirit to His Father and "gave up the ghost" (Luke 23:46); John, He bowed His head and "gave up His spirit" (John 19:30, R.V.). The moral grandeur of the statement, "I became dead," is enhanced as we reflect on the divine glory of the speaker. He, "the First and the Last," stooped from the glory of eternal existence to become a man, whose brief life here was measured by little over thirty years; and "the Living One," the life and originator of all intelligence, stoops down into death, that thereby He might annul him that had the might of death, the devil, and deliver his captives (Hebrews 2:14-15). This victory over death is complete. Death's bands are broken. "He tore the bars away." The angels, though not seen at the cross, were witnesses, both outside and inside the tomb, of Christ's victory over death (Matthew 28:2-7; John 20:11-13). Our translation to the heavens will be announced by the shout of triumph, "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55, R.V.). 18. "Behold, I am living to the ages of ages." The Victor over death calls attention to the fact that He ever lives, He will die no more. He has emerged from the domain of death, and announces to His saints and Church for their everlasting strength and consolation that He lives, no more to die. The "Amen" in the Authorised Version is unanimously rejected by the critics. 18. Then follows the fitting conclusion to this grand declaration of combined divine and human glory: "And have the keys of death and of hades." In our English Bibles the order is reversed, hades preceding death. But clearly this is a mistake, and contrary to the general order in which the words are found in other parts of the book (Revelation 6:8; Revelation 20:13-14). Death demands the body; hades claims the soul. The Lord became subject to the one, and entered the other. Our English word "hell" should be discarded, and "hades," signifying the unseen, substituted. Efforts have been made to fix the locality of hades. It is impossible to do so. It is rather a state than a place, and refers to that condition in which all, good and bad, are found after death and previous to the resurrection. For believers, hades is to be with Christ; for unbelievers, hades is to be in torment. Thus both the Lord and the rich man went to hades (Acts 2:27; Luke 16:23). Christ has come out of it; the rich man will do so when raised for eternal judgment. Hades as a state exists between death and resurrection. The word does not in itself signify either blessing or misery. The state is one of conscious blessedness for believers, and one of conscious misery for unbelievers.*The reader desirous of studying this and kindred subjects would do well to procure "Facts and Theories as to a Future State," by F. W. Grant. The work contains a masterly expose of current and wide-spread errors on questions affecting the eternal destiny of the race. The "keys" denote Christ's complete mastery over the bodies and souls of all. The right to "open" and "shut" intimates His absolute authority over death and hades, the respective jailers of the dead, and is exercised at His sovereign pleasure. Satan has not now the power of death (Hebrews 2:14). For the force of "key" as a symbol of undisputed authority, see Isaiah 22:22; Matthew 16:19. Commentary on Revelation 1:12-18 by E.M. ZerrRev_1:12. Turned to see the voice. That is he turned to see the source from which the voice was coming, and when he did he saw something more than the speaker. Candlesticks (or lampstands) for the purpose of light were used in the tabernacle services (Exodus 25:31-37), but in that case there was only one unit that had seven parts to it. In the present the candlesticks are separate pieces, the reason for which will be seen in the next chapter. Revelation 1:13. Like unto the Son of man. Much of the language addressed to John is worded as if Christ did the talking personally. That is not the case, for He has been on his throne in heaven since his ascension and will remain there until He comes to judge the world (Hebrews 10:12-13). All that is said as coming from and concerning Christ is done through the instrumentality of an angel. (See Revelation 22:8.) The long garments were worn by the priests, and the girdle of gold around the breast betokened a king. All this was very appropriate because Christ is both High Priest and King (Zechariah 6:13), and this angel was representing Him. Revelation 1:14. When white is used as a symbol, it indicates purity and glory. Flame of fire. The first word indicates that the eyes are active and penetrating. Fire will consume dross and rid a situation of that which is objectionable. Revelation 1:15. The original for brass is defined by Thayer as follows: "Some metal, like gold if not more precious." As if they burned in a furnace is said to indicate the brightness of the appearance. When used figuratively many waters means great numbers of people. The significance of this and the preceding verse is to show the dignity and authority of Christ as represented by this person. Revelation 1:16. Had in his right hand denotes the ability to grasp and support the things named. It is similar to a familiar saying that "God holds all things in the hollow of His hand." We will learn in verse 20 what the seven stars represent. Sharp two-edged swordis the word of God (Hebrews 4:12). The original for countenance means the appearance in general, but in this passage Thayer defines it, "Face, countenance." In comparing this person's face to the shining sun (a condition when the sun is not obscured by clouds), the purpose is to indicate the penetrating brilliance of the Lord's face. Revelation 1:17. The sight and sound of this wonderful being so overcame John that he was prostrated with fear. Not that he was rendered unconscious for then he could not have been benefited by encouraging words which were spoken to him. Fear not indicates that John was affected with a feeling that perhaps something was about to happen for which he was not prepared. Hence he was given this assurance that the one who was before him was He that was the first and the last. Verse 8 tells us that the phrase refers to the Lord who is being represented by this angel. Revelation 1:18. This verse gives further items of the dignity and power of the person speaking to John. Liveth, and was dead identifies him as Christ since the Father was never dead. Alive for evermore is further proof that it is Christ because that is declared of him (Romans 6:9). The person who holds a group of keys has the power or authority to open and shut. The places where Christ can use these keys will next he named. Hell is from HADES, which is the abode of departed spirits. Death is from , which is the state of the body after the spirit leaves it. The passage as a whole means the Lord has the power or control over the bodies and souls of men. That is why Jesus said what he did in Matthew 10:28.Commentary on Revelation 1:12-18 by Burton CoffmanRev_1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle.I turned to see the voice ... "As in Genesis 3:8, the voice is put for the speaker."[41] One of the big things in Revelation is the voice so frequently mentioned. The voice from heaven is one of the principal focal points in the whole book. Seven golden candlesticks ... Caird has a remarkably perceptive interpretation of this, thus: Once again John is asserting that the church is the new Israel, the true people of God, but with this difference: whereas Israel was represented by a single candelabra with seven lamps, the churches are represented by seven separate standing lamps; for, according to the teaching of the New Testament, each local congregation of Christians is the church universal in all its fullness.[42]For a discussion of the Jewish candlestick, its connection with Zechariah 4, and its symbolism, see in my Commentary on Hebrews, pp. 181-183. One in the midst of the candlesticks ... This, of course, is the Lord Jesus Christ, here represented as walking amidst his congregations, only the seven here mentioned? Of course not, but amidst all the congregations of his people throughout history. This is one of the truly great messages of the whole prophecy. Christ is with his congregations! He is fulfilling the promise of Mat 18:20; Matthew 20:28. One like unto a son of man ... This rendition could be greatly improved by reading it "the Son of man," for, as Beckwith pointed out, "the article before "son" is omitted";[43] and this could be rendered "the Son of man." "That Christ is meant and not an angel is shown by Revelation 1:17 f."[44]Garment down to the foot ... golden girdle ... Most commentators see these things as symbols of the high priesthood of Jesus Christ; but, as Beckwith said, "That office of his is not mentioned in our book."[45] We believe that Christ is here presented as the Judge of all people. The sword in his mouth a moment later in the text is no part of the trappings of a priest. The garment down to the foot and the golden girdle are marks of rank and dignity. "Neither shows Christ to be represented here in his priestly character, as many commentators interpret."[46][41] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Volume 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 6. [42] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 24. [43] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 437. [44] Ibid. [45] Ibid. [46] Ibid. Revelation 1:14 And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire.This description of the white hair is a "deliberate reminiscence of Dan 7:9, where it belongs to the Ancient of Days."[47] This application to Jesus Christ of the attributes of deity is a recurring phenomenon in Revelation. There are also a number of other reflections of the Book of Daniel, not only in this passage, but throughout the book. His eyes were a flame of fire ... This indicates the omniscience of Christ, the ability to penetrate all disguises and to judge things as they are, not as they might pretend to be. ENDNOTE: [47] G.R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 1282. Revelation 1:15 And his feet like unto burnished brass, as it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters."The sense is that the feet of Jesus resembled gold-bronze, not as this is when it is cold, but as it appears when it is glowing in the intense heat of a furnace. Where such feet tread, they utterly blast and instantly turn to ashes everything they touch, or even approach.[48]Here again, we have a figure that is utterly incompatible with the priestly function of our blessed Lord. It is in his character as Judge that he appears in this introductory vision and throughout the book of Revelation. ENDNOTE: [48] R. C.H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 66. Revelation 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.Two-edged sword ... A most unlikely symbol of any priestly function. As Wallace said: This sword stands for divine justice, and means that Jesus Christ was, and is now, the executor of righteous judgment and justice.[49]Sun shining in his strength ... Here is a reflection of the imagery of Malachi regarding the "sun of righteousness" that shall rise with healing in his wings. Christ as the light of the world; Christ as the center around which everything else revolves; Christ the omnipresent one (who could hide from the sun?); and Christ the omnipotent one - all of these are appropriately symbolized by this glorious countenance. Despite the fact of so much of Revelation using terminology and imagery found in the Old Testament, the essential teaching of Revelation is not derived. "It conveys a conception of the Messiah which is unique, for Christ is endowed with a splendor and authority which hitherto had been ascribed only to God."[50]Before leaving this verse, it should also be pointed out that the mouth is a very abnormal place from which a sword might appear; the symbolism, therefore, includes the meaning that the gospel which came from the mouth of Jesus is the two-edged sword. And why two-edged? As Bruce expressed it: "It proclaims grace to those who repent and put their faith in God, with the corollary of judgment upon the impenitent and disobedient."[51]Seven stars ... For comment on this, see under Revelation 1:20 where the key to understanding them is revealed. [49] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., op. cit., p. 80. [50] Martin Kiddle, The Revelation of St. John, "The Moffatt New Testament Commentary" (New York: Harper and Brothers, n.d.), p. 16. [51] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 636. Revelation 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last, and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.I fell at his feet ... Paul fell at the feet of Jesus revealed to him as a supernatural person (Acts 26:14); and the phenomenon occurs frequently throughout the Bible, especially in connection with receiving visions. See Ezekiel 1:28; Daniel 8:17; Daniel 10:9; and Matthew 17:6. Fear not ... How fully in the character of the beloved Jesus are these blessed words to the terrified apostle. With similar words he comforted the apostles that night when they were struggling to navigate Galilee, and on the night of his betrayal, "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." This is the message that heaven has often shouted to earth, but the need to hear it is perpetual. The night the shepherds beheld the angelic band speaking of "Good tidings which shall be to all people," their message began with, "Fear' not." I am the first and the last, and the Living one, etc. ... Again, we are reminded of that holy Being who IS and WAS and SHALL BE for ever. See more on this under Revelation 1:8. This writer has made a practice for many years of reading these two verses as the final committal at the graveside, with only one deviation from the text here, using J. B. Phillips' translation "death and the grave" instead of "death and of Hades," as here. The Living one ... This is particularly interesting, because it is a title of God himself. This is really the most important title in the verse, because it is as the Living one that Christ holds the keys of death and of the grave. Christ, like the Father, possesses life in his essential nature. "As the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son to have life in himself' (John 5:26).Commentary on Revelation 1:12-18 by Manly Luscombe12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands. I turned - John wanted to see who was speaking. He turned toward the trumpeting voice. Seven golden candlesticks - John does not see the source of the voice. Instead, he sees the ultimate recipients of his writings. 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. In the middle - Walking around among these candlesticks (churches) John sees the Son of man. Son of man - One of the terms used to describe Jesus was the Son of man. Jesus often used this term. While “ Son of God” described his relation to the Father, “ Son of man” referenced his relationship to the human race. Long garment, golden girdle - John is describing the Son of man. The golden girdle was a part of the garments worn by a Jewish High Priest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; Hair - white like wool - Generally, white is a symbol of purity. Here it may just be part of the drama he is about to tell you. White hair was also a symbol of wisdom and maturity of mind. Eyes - flame of fire - Most do not take this in a literal sense. Flaming eyes would bring to mind a sense of his power, authority and fear. 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; Feet - fine brass - His feet had been burned in a furnace. They had been through all types of torture. They were not the soft feet of a king who sat on a throne. These were the calloused feet of one who walked dusty roads all the way to Calvary. Voice - sound of many waters - Earlier, his voice was described as a trumpet. Here the tone is softer, gentler, and kinder. It is the sound of a babbling brook. It is the sound of water cascading down a mountainside. His voice is authoritative. 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. Seven stars in right hand - The stars are the angels (messengers) to the seven churches. Each of these stars was given a copy of this revelation. Each star was to deliver the book to the various churches. Mouth - sharp sword - Jesus speaks with a two edged sword. The Word of God cuts both ways - coming and going, like it or not, in season or out of season. The Roman soldiers carried double-edged swords. (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12) Countenance - sunshine - His strength was glistening in the brightness of the sun. The whole appearance was a glow, brilliance, and brightness. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “ Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. Fell as dead - How would you react? It was clear that John was in the presence of deity. He was filled with fear and awe. All he knew to do was to fall down at the feet of Jesus. Right hand - Jesus extends his hand to offer assurance and comfort. Fear not - Jesus used these words when the apostles thought they were going to die in the storm on Galilee. The word “ fear” in this passage refers to being afraid. Jesus was offering comfort. There is no reason to have any fear of harm. First and last - This is a parallel phrase to those in Revelation 1:11. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. He that lives - Jesus begins to describe himself. He is the one that lives. He has always lived. He is now alive. He will be alive forever. Was dead - As the Son of man, Jesus lived on earth, suffered and died a physical death. Alive forever - Jesus is still the eternal one. Keys of Hades - “ Hades,” the grave, the world of the unseen. It may be that Jesus is saying, “ I can open the graves.” It may be that Jesus meant, “ I am in control of all the departed spirits.” Either way, Jesus is assuring John that those who died are in his care and control. He is aware and is with them. He has the power to resurrect. Of death - Jesus was the first to be raised to immortality. He has the key to overcome death. He can raise us from the dead. Revelation 1:19-20 5. SYMBOLS Rev_1:19-20 19 Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter;--In verse 11 is the general command to write what he saw; in this verse the command is repeated with more definite instruction about what was to be written. He was to record what he had seen--the initial vision described in verses 12-18. This would show by what power and authority he wrote. The things "which are" would include the state of the seven churches then, which necessitated the instructions and rebukes found in the second and third chapters. Of this fact the contents of these chapters is sufficient proof. The things which were to come to pass "hereafter" must mean the future events from the time that John wrote. They are presented in the symbols found in chapters 4 to 22. The contents of these chapters furnish proof of this fact. That the things recorded in this third division extended into the future is evident because the last two chapters of the book unquestionably describe the final judgment and the heavenly state. Of course the symbols used to portray the future events were given to John in visions that came after he received the command to record them. 20 the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks.--The word mystery does not mean something that cannot be understood, but something that is secret, hidden, or will not be understood, till its meaning is revealed. To find the hidden thing or make known the secret means that the symbols were to be explained. When the explanation was given the symbols were understood and the mystery known. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches.--John was told that the seven candlesticks "are seven churches." This language means that they represent or denote seven churches. Without this explanation the candlesticks would have been an unrevealed mystery, for it is evident that the word is used symbolically. A candlestick is intended to give light. Nothing is more certain than that God's people, individually and as congregations, are to be light bearers. Jesus told his disciples that they were "the light of the world (Matthew 5:14); Paul told the Philippians that they were "seen as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15). Since Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12), and is represented in this vision as being in the midst of these seven churches, the light shed abroad by the churches came from him. He alone supplies the true light; faithful congregations reflect it to those about them. The seven stars are called the "angels of the seven churches." There is much difference of opinion regarding the proper application of the word "angels" in this instance. As a word it means "messenger" and would appropriately apply to any kind of messenger, heavenly or human. In the Old Testament it referred to either priest or prophet. (Malachi 2:7; Haggai 1:13.) It also referred to John the Baptist who announced the coming Messiah. (Malachi 3:1; Matthew 11:7-10.) In the cases being considered it must refer to beings to whom these short letters were addressed and by whom they would be delivered to the churches, not to heavenly angels. Addressing "the angel" (singular number) of each individual congregation is the reason for such divergence of views among commentators. The angel could not refer to the modern denominational "Bishop," exercising authority over a diocese, for "the angel" of each congregation is addressed. Elders, bishops, and pastors are words referring to the same class and each congregation had a plurality. (Acts 14:23.) There is no scriptural authority for any elder or bishop havingpreeminence over his fellow elders. Without reference to the various views in detail, the following seems most probable as well as in harmony with known Bible teaching. Seven candlesticks represent the seven congregations; each candlestick (singular) must therefore represent one congregation. But the congregation is made up of a plurality of individuals. In like manlier, as the eldership is made up of a plurality of persons, the star--angel--of each congregation may mean the whole eldership, the word being used collectively to describe the medium through which the messages would be delivered to the congregation. The position of the elders collectively as teachers and shepherds of the congregation lends much plausibility to this view. It can do no violence to any true scriptural teaching. The value of the seven letters, however, will not be affected by any failure on our part to determine with certainty the proper application of the word "angel" here. No plain facts regarding the apostolic churches must be set aside by any fanciful interpretations.Commentary on Revelation 1:19-20 by Foy E. WallaceTHE OF THE MYSTERY (Revelation 1:19-20.) (1) The import of the mystery.1. “ Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter” –Revelation 1:19. Underlining the word things, used three times in this verse, it gives emphasis, first, to the past--the things thou hast seen; and second, to the present--the things which are; and third, to the future--the things which shall be hereafter. But in each case it has reference to the revealed things of Revelation itself, not to the known events of the past, or present. The things seen were not optical or perceptive, but revealed, they were seen by Revelation. The things which are, were not the knowledge of present things, but a reference to that part of the vision, or the revelation, which involved the present. The things which should be thereafter were declared to be immediate-shortly to occur. It would not require an apocalypse to reveal the past events, but it was imperative that the churches should know the present, and those things which were immediately at hand. 2. “ The mystery of the seven stars . . . and the seven golden candlesticks"-- Revelation 1:20. The use of the word mystery in Revelation comports with the meaning of the word as used elsewhere in the New Testament--that is, the spiritual truths not discoverable by human reason; understandable, but hidden from human knowledge until revealed. The word has the connotation of “ secret doctrine,” hence, prior to revelation it was a hidden thing; but when revealed, it was brought within human intelligence and understanding. The gospel mystery imbedded in the old dispensation, as in Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:3-9; and Colossians 1:26, was hidden beneath the types and sacrifices of the law and the prophecies and promises, which were radiant with hope and joy to a guilty world, but were rather concealed than revealed, because of the metaphorical costume and figurative style they could not be discerned, and had to await revelation. The word mystery did not mean mysterious. It meant that which could not be known until it was made known, or revealed, and in the references cited, it meant the gospel plan of salvation. The doctrine of the New Testament is in this sense called a mystery--“ the mystery of the gospel,” as in Romans 11:25; Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Timothy 3:9; Ephesians 3:9. The truths thus requiring revelation and elucidation are classed as mysteries, as numerous other passages could be used to exemplify. But let it be emphasized, that in all of these examples the basic meaning inherent in the word mysteryis that which cannot be known by the human mind, until by superhuman source it is made known to it. (2) The explanation of the mystery. The seven golden candlesticks denoted, that as organized bodies, a congregation receives light and reflects it. It is a significant illustration of the functions and the ministries of the local churches. The emblem of gold underscored the evaluation Jesus Christ makes of his church, and the estimate he has placed upon it. The seven stars were representative of position, such as Christ at the right hand of God, indicating that there is something in the symbol that has this representative place in the right hand of Christ. The figure calls for pause and reflection, by all who hold position in the church, lest we should become falling stars! The angels of the churches are not to be taken as single representatives of the respective congregations, but rather the individual spirit of each church. It is the same in meaning as the description elsewhere of “ the seven spirits before his throne.” It is a symbolic angel, and it refers to the spirit of the church itself. When Paul commanded the Corinthian church to exclude the incestuous person from their congregation, he gave the reason: “ that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” It seems the apostle’ s reference to the spirit applied to the Corinthian church--that it might be saved from corruption, and thus to receive approval in standing before him. It is well to consider the spirit that is manifested in a congregation, and that motivates and controls all of its worship and service. The connotation of the word angel may signify various ministries of physical and spiritual beings, both earthly and heavenly. It is used in Matthew 24:31 in reference to the emissaries of the gospel; and in Hebrews 1:14 it refers to immaterial and spiritual but intellectual beings whom God employs to execute the orders of divine providence, as also employed in Revelation 1:1; Revelation 22:8. The apostle Paul applied the word, in 1 Corinthians 11:8-10, to the venerable men in the Corinthian church; and the angels (spirits) of little children are said by Jesus, in Matthew 18:10, to behold the face of the Father in heaven. In Jude 1:6 it is used as an appellation for the early representatives of the race of man in an unnamed period, who forfeited their high estates by apostasy, and were condemned to darkness and judgment, and in Matthew 25:41, and 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, it is used to describe the devil and his demons. But in Revelation 20:1 the word applies to Jesus Christ himself. This is rather a wide classification of the word angel, but it is used in all of these senses. In the vision of the first chapter of Revelation it seems evident that the word refers to the spirit of each church. The stars in the vision are its members, every member --all members in the body of Christ, of the true spirit, are stars in His hand. There is no teaching that exalts one class in the church to any position above all the others, as all the members of Christ stand in equal relation to Him. For one to be exalted above another would “ not be so among you,” Jesus said to his disciples, in Matthew 20:26. As each of the seven churches was individual in character and conduct, they were so in spirit also, and the letters of Jesus to these seven churches were addressed to the angel or spirit of each congregation respectively. The word angel, therefore, does not designate a representative person, but symbolically the representative spirit of each church-- the spirit of the church. (3) The central figure.Jesus Christ was Himself the abiding presence in the churches, directing their work, walking and dwelling in their midst, as the centrifugal and the centripetal spiritual force in each congregation. He was holding the stars in his hand; he was walking among the candlesticks; he was the guiding presence, the moving energy, the inspiring influence, the infinite indweller in every faithful churchand that is true of every true and faithful church of Christ today. The threefold description of the church was as gold in purity and worth--a golden candlestick; and as stars of glory in his possession, shining in his hand; and He Himself in the midst, as the sun around which the spiritual planets revolve. Commentary on Revelation 1:19-20 by Walter ScottA OF THE BOOK. COMMAND TO WRITE . Revelation 1:19. "Write therefore what thou hast seen, and the things that are, and the things that are about to be after these things." It will be observed that between the first command to write (Revelation 1:11) and the second (Revelation 1:19), we have the glorious appearance of Christ beheld by the Seer in vision (Revelation 1:12-16), and this he is to record. The word "therefore" (omitted in the Authorised Version) is important here, as connecting the command to write with the dignity of the speaker. Divine greatness, combined with human tenderness in the Lord, have done their mighty moral work in the soul of John; hence the introduction of the word "therefore" as linking the command with the divine consolation, conveyed in two of the most precious verses (Revelation 1:17-18) in the Apocalypse. THE THREE GREAT . The great divisions of the book are here written for the instruction of the Church of God. "What thou hast seen" refers to the vision of Christ just beheld Revelation 1:12-16). "The things that are" refer to the several successive, broadly-defined features of the professing Church, and of Christ's relation thereto, till its final rejection, not yet accomplished (Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22). "The things that are about to be after these things." In this third division the world and the Jews, and, we may add, the corrupt and apostate Church, i.e., that which is to be "spued out," are embraced in this strictly prophetic part of the Apocalypse (Revelation 4:1-11; Revelation 22:5). Nothing has more contributed to throw discredit on prophetic studies than the erroneous principle on which it has been sought to understand this book. Here is the key for its interpretation hanging at the door. Take it down, use it, and enter in. There is simplicity and consistency in apportioning the main contents of the book to a past, a present, and a future. You cannot consistently lift events out of the future, or third division, and place them in the second. Each division has its own group of events, and to transpose them is to wrest Scripture. The breaking of the Seals, the blowing of the Trumpets, and the pouring out of the Vials are, with numerous other prophetic events, embraced in the third division, i.e., are comprised within the time contemplated in Revelation 4:1-11; Revelation 22:5, and that supposes the close of the Church's sojourn on earth. The divisions do not overlap. The first is a complete vision by itself. The second is as distinct as either the first or third. The successive phases of Church history, traced from the close of the first century, are a full and comprehensive account by themselves. The third division is so plainly a prophetic outline that neither its details nor principles can be made to fit into the present. "The things that are" are running their course. The Church is yet publicly recognized and owned of God, and it is its history which is chronicled by the Spirit of inspiration in chapters 2 and 3, and not that of Jews and Gentiles to which the Seals, Trumpets, and Vials apply. Introduce these now and you make the Church the present subject of judicial judgment, which, in point of fact, it is not. It is the loathsome rejection of the professing Church (Revelation 3:1-22; Revelation 16:1-21) which terminates its history as God's public witness on earth, and introduces us into the prophetic scenes of the last days. The Church fills up the gap between the break with Israel and the resumption of divine dealing with the ancient people. Ecclesiastical history forms, in brief, "the things that are," whereas a prophetic crisis of but a few years is the period covered by the "things that are about to be after these things." History characterises the second division. Prophecy is the distinguishing feature of the third division. Ecclesiastical history for nearly nineteen centuries is graphically and energetically sketched in chapters 2 and 3. The great political consummation is unfolded: in Revelation 6:1-17; Revelation 7:1-17; Revelation 8:1-13; Revelation 9:1-21; Revelation 10:1-11; Revelation 11:1-19; Revelation 12:1-17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-20; Revelation 15:1-8; Revelation 16:1-21; Revelation 17:1-18; Revelation 18:1-24; Revelation 19:1-21. The apostate civil power, guilty and rebellious Judah, and the whore, the corruptness of the earth, are the special subjects of God's providential dealings in judgment. It has been sought to distinguish between "fulfilled" and "unfulfilled" prophecy. All prophecy is concentrated in the close of the seventieth week of Daniel (Daniel 9:25-27), although it may have commenced centuries before. The desolation of Jerusalem by the Gentiles, foretold by the Lord thirty-seven years before its capture by Titus (Luke 21:1-38), culminates at that great gathering point of all prophecy, the Coming of the Son of Man (v. 27). Hence no prophecy has had an exhaustive fulfilment. The broken threads of prophecy are resumed with Israel at the close of the Church period. The principles of the coming apostasy are actively at work; the circumstances are forming, and it may be some of the main actors of the prophetic crisis are presently alive and ready for action when the devil begins to play his terrible role. But so long as the Church is recognised of God the full development of evil is hindered. The Holy Ghost in the Church is the main check to the awful outburst of evil, i.e., the denial of all divine authority (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8). The "things that are" must necessarily terminate before any of the prophetic events embraced within the "things which shall be after these" can have their place. The character of the present forbids any application of the future save in present moral power. Revelation 1:20MYSTERY OF THE STARS AND LAMPS. Revelation 1:20. "The mystery of the seven stars which thou hast seen on My right hand, and the seven golden lamps. The seven stars are angels of the seven assemblies; and the seven lamps are the seven assemblies." The word "mystery" alone used in the New Testament signifies what is secret and hidden till revealed, then, of course, it ceases to be a mystery. But certain truths after their revelation are yet spoken of as mysteries, as none but those taught of God can understand them or know them. Thus the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:1-58) are wrapped up in parables clear as sunlight to disciples, but dark as midnight to unbelievers (vv. 11, 13). Take another instance. The mass of Christendom dream of an improved and improving world, and actually pervert the word "leaven," which ever denotes evil (1 Corinthians 5:8; Galatians 5:9; Matthew 16:6), to signify its exact opposite to good. The numerous scientific, educational, and religious agencies are spoken of as "leaven," which will in time effect the moral regeneration of the world. Yet on this the Scriptures speak with no uncertain sound: "The mystery of iniquity doth already work," not "the mystery of good," but "of iniquity." The secret working of evil till it fully ripens and the "man of sin" appear, its public development and living expression are to believers well-known and established truths, while the mass, who only bear the Christian name, ridicule them. "Mystery" then signifies what has been kept secret or hidden, and which those only who have the mind of Christ understand. The seven stars are said to be in His right hand in verse 16, and on His right hand in Revelation 1:20. The thought seems to be that in the former is denoted their security and blessing, while in the latter their public relation to Christ is expressed; He upholds them. But why are the stars termed angels? In commenting on verse 16 we saw that the stars set forth spiritual rulers in the churches, eminent persons responsible to witness for God in the present dark night of the Church's history. But additional thoughts are suggested by the stars being termed angels. The word "angel" in itself does not denote nature, but office; it signifies a messenger. The context and the special use of the word can alone determine its application to persons or to spiritual beings. In Luke 7:24; Luke 9:52; 2 Corinthians 12:7; James 2:25 the term "angel," or its plural, is used of those sent on messages of various kinds. Service is the great characteristic of the race of spiritual beings spoken of as "angels" (Psalms 103:20-21; Hebrews 1:13-14). But there is another sense in which the word angel is employed, namely, as a representative. Thus in Matthew 18:10, "See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in Heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in Heaven" (R.V.). The word "angels" in this case cannot mean "messengers," but signifies those who in Heaven represent the little ones who belong to God. Representation is the thought. "It is his angel" (Acts 12:15). 20. "The stars are the angels." That is, not only do they witness for God in the Church as the stars do in the terrestrial heavens, but they are also angels, or messengers from God to the churches and from the churches to God, and, further, they morally represent the separate churches in their state, trials, failures, and general condition before God. The angel of the Church is "the symbolical representative of the assembly seen in those responsible in it, which indeed all really are." Thus in the full position occupied by the stars we have combined a threefold thought: spiritual rule, channel of divine and human communication, and moral representation before God. The seven golden lamps signify that the Church is spiritually complete before God, that its original constitution and standing is according to God's very nature, and that its mission is to shine for Him. 20. "The seven lamps are seven assemblies." There can be no doubt in the mind of the careful reader of the first three chapters of the Apocalypse that while the seven churches of Asia as a whole are representative of the Church universal, at the same time the separate assemblies are viewed as each resting on its own base, and all sufficiently apart for the Lord to walk in the midst. He is amongst them for reproof, for correction, for encouragement. Every ecclesiastical act of a high-handed character is witnessed by Him Who never slumbers nor sleeps. The arrogancy of many of the "clergy" on the one hand, and the democracy of the "laity" on the other, are rapidly destroying the Church in its outward character, so that scarce a trait of the true Church is presented to the world. Thank God that that which Christ builds is impregnable (Matthew 16:18) and loved (Ephesians 5:25). Commentary on Revelation 1:19-20 by E.M. ZerrRev_1:19. The subject matter of what John is to write is divided into three parts, namely, what he hast seen, are, and shall be; past, present and future. However the past goes back only to the things he had seen since coming as an exile to Patmos.Revelation 1:20. A mystery is anything not revealed or understood, and it is here applied to some of the things which John hast seen and which until now had not been explained to him. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven candlesticks represent the churches. Since the angel is telling John what are represented by the stars and candlesticks it is foolish for men to offer speculations on the subject. Angels of the seven churches. The word for angel in the New Testament is ANGELOS, which means primarily "a messenger." But it has several shades of application and each case must be considered separately. We should adhere to what the text says and then we will be on safe ground. The angels of these churches are spoken of in the singular number for each church. The churches were established ones and hence had elders who are always spoken of in the plural. Therefore all we know and all we need to know is that these angels were not elders but were persons who were responsible for getting the letters before the respective congregations. For that reason John was instructed to write the letters to these angels, and they in turn would see that the documents would be delivered to the churches in the proper way to make them responsible for the admonition and/or encouragement contained therein.Commentary on Revelation 1:19-20 by Burton CoffmanRev_1:19 Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter.This is John's commission to write the vision for the benefit of the seven churches, and for all generations. Of course, the three things mentioned which John was to write have often been understood as an outline of the book, the things which he saw referring to Revelation 1, the things which are pertaining to Revelation 2 and Revelation 3, and the things that shall be "hereafter" referring to the balance of the prophecy. However, we agree with Smith who said, "This classification does not help much in interpretation."[52] Furthermore, he pointed out that the word "hereafter" is used eight other times in Revelation 4:1; Revelation 7:1; Revelation 7:9; Revelation 9:12; Revelation 15:5; Revelation 18:1; Revelation 19:1; Revelation 20:3! It is very difficult to reconcile this repeated use of "hereafter" with the theory that everything in the book was fulfilled "shortly" after it was written. Erdman also objected strongly to the "popular view" that this verse gives us a three-fold outline of Revelation.[53] Caird also thought that, "It is better to take the words "things which thou sawest" to mean the whole of John's vision."[54] It is the view of this interpreter that in each of the cycles covered by the prophecy there are things past, present, and future in all of them. For example, the judgment, mentioned over and over again, is a future event; and it is mentioned no less than seven times, each mention of it coming in a different section of the book. [52] Wilbur M. Smith, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 1059. [53] Charles R. Erdman, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1936), p. 42. [54] G. R. Caird, op. cit., p. 26. Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches.Seven stars are the angels of the seven churches ... All kinds of efforts have been made to identify these "angels" of the seven churches as the ruling bishop, the pastor, the chief elder, or other human representative of the church; but such a view cannot be otherwise than incorrect. As Plummer said: Whatever may be the exact conception, "the angel" is identified with and made responsible for the church to a degree wholly unsuited to any human officer ... he is punished with it; he is rewarded with it.[55]Erdman, Earle, Plummer, and many many others have understood the angel to be a personification of the church itself; but the best explanation this student has uncovered is that of R. H. Banowsky, thus: The angels are the symbolical representatives of the churches ... in toto. The angels then are all those members of the church who are actively engaged in carrying out God's commands ... in any or all congregations throughout the world. Christ holds them in the hollow of his hand and gives them the strength and protection that only He can give.[56]In keeping with this interpretation is the fact that in spite of the seven letters being directed in each case to "the angel" of the church, it is not an angel, but the church itself which is addressed. "Hear what the Spirit saith to the churches" is the injunction repeated no less than seven times, applying in each case to the message that was written to "the angel" of the various churches. It is clearly the members of the church who are addressed; hence, the conclusion must be that in some kind of metaphorical language, the members are individually represented under the figure of an angel, that is a star, in Christ's right hand. The consideration should also be noted that, if any such thing as a metropolitan "bishop" had been intended by this, there can be no doubt whatever that the primitive church would have preserved this title for "bishop." The seven candlesticks are seven churches ... It was noted under Revelation 1:13 that in the vision, these churches are not joined in one corporate unity, as was the case with the Jewish candlestick, familiar to all as depicted on the Arch of Titus. No. They were separate and independent, indicating the autonomy and completeness of each local unit of the church of Christ. Also, there is another lesson to be received from this, when the illustration is compared with the words of Jesus who warned that a person's religious life, his spiritual life, should not be hidden under a bushel, under a bed, or under a vessel; but that it should be put "on a stand!" (Luke 8:16 and its parallels). The application is that a truly spiritual life is always identified with the local congregation of the Lord's people. In plain words, this simply means that every Christian should "put his membership in the church." If he does not do so, he is not likely to have any spiritual life whatever within a very short time. It is characteristic of Revelation that, even after it has been "explained," the mystery and uncertainty often remain. It must be admitted that the interpretation we have received concerning the "angels" of the churches still leaves many questions about it. Significantly, this is true even after the heavenly voice has itself told us what the stars in Jesus' hand represent. For those interested in a further pursuit of this, Beckwith has given a somewhat extensive review of the various solutions proposed by scholars. He concluded the review with the solution that both the lampstand and the angels represent the churches. "The lampstand represents the outward organic life of the church; the star symbolizes the angel which is the invisible spiritual life of the congregation."[57][55] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 8. [56] R. H. Banowsky, The Revelation of the Holy City (Fort Worth, Texas: The J. E. Snelson Printing Company, 1967), p. 12. [57] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 446. Commentary on Revelation 1:19-20 by Manly Luscombe19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. Write - John will record what he sees and hears. He will write under the inspiration and direction of Jesus. The things which are - Jesus is going to show John the current situation. Remember, John is isolated in exile. He will learn what is happening back in Ephesus and the other cities. Things which shall be - Jesus will show John what is going to happen shortly. This is a clear statement that this work is prophecy. It has a predictive element. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. Mystery - This book is full of symbols. Some of them are explained. Some of them we can figure out by the context. Some of them we may not know. Some of the imagery was not intended to be symbolic, just for dramatic effect. Stars - The stars represent the messengers who will deliver the book to the various churches in Asia Minor. Candlesticks - The candlesticks, stands of shining light in a dark world, are the churches to whom this book is addressed. Sermon on Revelation 1:12-20 Seeing JesusBrent KerchevilleJohn tells his audience that he is on Patmos, suffering for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. It is the first day of the week, Sunday, which John calls the Lord’ s day and John is seeing a vision. John hears a loud voice behind him and the voice sounds like trumpets. Imagine the sound of the trumpet in your mind. Hear that powerful sound in your mind. The voice instructs John to write the things he sees in a book and send it to the seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. As we read what John sees, I ask you to visualize and imagine the descriptions given. The book of Revelation is a picture book. The images are intended to teach and to spark an emotion upon seeing the things John sees. What John Saw (Revelation 1:12-16) John turns to see who is speaking. When he turns, John sees seven golden lampstands. Recall that we learned in verse 1 that these images represent something. This is a book that is written in symbols and we must understand what the symbols mean. In Revelation 1:20 we are told what this symbol means. The seven lampstands represent the seven churches who were to receive this letter. In the middle of the seven lampstands is one like the son of man. We mentioned in our last lesson that the voice of trumpets reminds us of Exodus 19 when there was a loud sound like trumpets as God came to Mount Sinai to give the ten commandments. We know the divine is speaking. With the additional statement that John sees one like the son of man, we know what John sees the Messiah, Jesus. Recall in Daniel 7:13-14 we read about the Messiah, called “ one like the son of man,” who comes in the clouds to the Father, called “ the Ancient of Days.” The one like the son of man, Jesus, is standing in the middle of the seven lampstands, wearing a long robe with a golden sash around his chest. This is clothing that is similar to the description of the clothing for the son of man in Daniel 7. However, it is also the same description of the clothing of angels when they appear in a vision (Daniel 10:5-6; Ezekiel 9:2). This clothing is also similar to the priestly attire of the old covenant. This makes for an interesting combination since these clothes were worn by the high priest, but also worn by dignitaries, rulers, and heavenly beings. This is an image of authority in all cases. Jesus is pictured with authority in the midst of these seven churches. Christ is not absent, but stands in the middle of the churches. He knows what they are going through (as will be specifically stated in chapters 2-3) and he is with them in their tribulation. The description of Christ continues. Continue to visualize the imagery of Jesus. The one like the son of man is seen with white hair on his head, eyes like a flame of fire, his feet like burnished bronze, and his voice like the roar of many waters. These descriptions continue to copy the imagery found in Daniel 7:13-14 and Daniel 10:5-6. His eternal nature is revealed with the white hair, just as it is symbolized in Daniel 7. The eyes like a flame of fire and feet like burnished bronze emphasize the coming of judgment (see Revelation 2:18). Fire pictures his righteous wrath and his feet as having been fired in a furnace are ready to trample the enemies. His voice as the roar of many waters reflects the power Christ possesses. Christ is seen with power, rule, authority, and ready for judgment has he stands in the middle of the seven churches. The powerful image continues in Revelation 1:16. In Christ’ s right hand are seven stars. Coming from Christ’ s mouth is a sharp, two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at full strength. We will examine these descriptions in reverse order. You know what it is like to look into the sun at full strength. The sun is immediately blinding and causes us to look away. We cannot stand the heat nor the brightness of the sun at its full strength. This is why we are so fascinated with an eclipse. It is the only way to get a glimpse of the sun because some much of it is covered. Yet even though covered by the moon, we can still be blinded during the eclipse because the sun is so strong. John sees Jesus and his face is shining in the full strength of his divinity and it is blinding. Out of Christ’ s mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword. The sword symbolizes the power and the force of his message. His words of judgment are as sharp as any sword. The word of God searches the hearts and it is the word of God that carries judgment (Hebrews 4:12). Isaiah prophesied this characteristic of the Messiah. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shallstrike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. (Isaiah 11:3-4 ESV)Christ is also pictured as holding seven stars in his right hand. In Revelation 1:20 we are told, “ The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches….” The right hand is a common symbol that depicts might and power. The right hand is the strong hand. Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. (Exodus 15:6 ESV) The seven stars are in his right hand and we are told that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. Who are these angels? There are two main ways to take this reading. The word translated “ angels” is the Greek word aggelos which has two meanings, according to the BDAG lexicon. The first meaning is, “ A human messenger serving as an envoy, an envoy, one who is sent.” The second meaning is, “ A transcendent power who carries out various missions or tasks, messenger, angel.” Are the seven stars representing human messengers for these seven churches or do these stars represent spiritual beings (angels) who act for these seven churches? There are a number of difficulties with understanding the seven stars to be seven angels. First, why is Christ holding these seven angels in his right hand? It is hard to determine the meaning of this symbol if seven angels are in view. Second, why would these seven angels be instructed to write a letter to each church? This is not an action that we see in the scriptures. Third, there is no evidence in the scriptures that every local church has an angel watching over it. It is easier to understand these seven stars as seven human messengers operating on behalf of each local church and represent each church. Epaphroditus worked as a messenger and represented the church at Philippi (Philippians 2:25; Philippians 4:18) and Epaphras was a teacher and represented the church at Colossae (Colossians 4:12). One could certainly see messengers from these seven churches coming to John on Patmos and receiving this revelation from John and the particular message about each local congregation. Therefore, these seven human messengers are depicted as being held in the right hand of Christ. It is a picture of protection and love as Christ holds them even during the suffering that is coming upon them. Christ is protecting the people of God in his right hand while he judges the enemies with the sword of his mouth. What John Did (Revelation 1:17-20) When John saw this image of Christ, John falls down at his feet as though dead. John is completely overwhelmed at the sight before him. This is not uncommon in the scriptures. When Ezekiel sees in vision the likeness of the glory of God, he falls down on his face (Ezekiel 1:28). When Daniel sees a powerful spiritual being he fell on his face in a deep sleep with his face on the ground (Daniel 10:9). When Gabriel comes to Daniel, Daniel was frightened and fell on his face (Daniel 8:17). It is this passage that has a strong parallel to Revelation. Gabriel touched Daniel and made him stand up and then reveals a prophecy about the things to come. John experiences the same thing as Christ lays his hand on him and begins to give John his instructions. Christ then explains to John was he is seeing. It is the Christ. He is the first and the last and the living one. He died and is alive forever. Notice that the eternal nature of Christ is emphasized. He is the first and the last (eternal). He is the living God. He died but now is living forever and ever. Christ is the eternal Lord. Christ also has the keys to death and Hades. Hades is the realm of the dead, the place of departed souls. Christians do not have to fear death or the grave because Christ has power and authority over both. Christ has defeated the powers of evil and has gained control over these twin powers. Do not fear death. Be assured that your perseverance in Jesus will be rewarded with victory over the grave because Christ has died and rose from the dead. In Revelation 1:19 John is instructed by our Lord Jesus to write. Revelation 1:19 is a very important verse because it tells us how the rest of the book is laid out for us. John is to write all the things that he has seen. This is a broad description that parallels the commission given to John in Revelation 1:11, “ Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches….” In Revelation 1:19 we are told more about the contents of what John saw and what John will write. John will write about things that are and things that are to take place after this. There is a two part picture to the things that are to be revealed to us in this book. John is told to write the things that he has seen. There are two things that he is seeing. He is seeing the things that are currently going on and he is seeing things that will take place after that. Many take this statement to mean that the things that are refer to Jesus’ message to the seven churches and the things that will happen after that refer to chapters 4-22. However, I would advise us to consider that the letters to the seven churches are not things that John has seen. The letters to the seven churches are instructions given to the messengers of each church. There are not visions in the letters to the seven churches. The letters to the seven churches follow the form of describing how each church is doing, what they are lacking, and what is about to take place. The commission in Revelation 1:19 is looking past chapters 2-3. Christ is telling John to write down all the things he is going to see in these visions in the book. There are things that the book is describing that are happening now and will have an immediate impact. This fits why the preface to the book told us that the book of Revelation is about things that must soon take place and that the time is near (Revelation 1:1; Revelation 1:3). However, John is also going to see things to write about that will happen after the things that are currently happening. We must be prepared to observe in the book of Revelation the things that were currently happening in the first century when the book was written and observe the things that would happen afterthose first century events. The book is giving a linear description of the things immediate and the things after that. We have already explained Revelation 1:20 earlier in this lesson but I will summarize its meaning as we close. The seven stars in Christ’ s right hand are the human messengers that have come to John to receive this revelation. These human messengers represent the local church they are from and are pictured in the Lord’ s powerful right hand, protected and safe. They are instructed to write the words of Christ about their churches. The instructions to these churches are found in chapters 2-3. The seven lampstands represent the seven churches. Christ is in their midst. He knows what they are doing. Christ is not inactive but is with them through the tribulation. Conclusion: We need to see Jesus as he is described in this chapter. He is in the midst of his churches, holding the people of God in his hand, and bringing judgment of those who harm his people. It is a visual reminder that if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) We also need to see Jesus for his power, glory, and might. At the sight of Jesus in this vision, John falls down as dead. We must not lose that awe and respect for who Jesus is. While this picture of Jesus is a comfort, it is also a reminder how great he is and how little we are. When we see Jesus as the one who has the keys of death and Hades, we will have nothing to fear in this life. We will not fear tribulation or persecution because Jesus is in control. Jesus died and rose from the dead. If we die for the cause of Christ, we also will be raised from the dead. Do not fear your enemies for Christ is with you and will raise you up if anything happens to you. LESSON 1.Read Revelation 1:1-81. What does the word "Revelation" mean? Ans. When applied to the Scriptures it means a making known or manifest, an uncovering of divine truth.2. Give instances where Paul used the word in this same sense. Ans. Romans 16:25-26; Galatians 1:12; Ephesians 3:3.3. By whom was The Revelation written? Ans. Revelation 1:1; Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:9; Revelation 22:8.4. By what other name may the words of the book of Revelation be called? Ans. Revelation 1:3.5. What did Peter say about the interpretation of prophecy? Ans. 2 Peter 1:20.6. Why is prophecy not of "private interpretation?" Ans. 2 Peter 1:21.7. What other books of the Bible did John write? Ans. Search the New Testament. 8. Unto what office had Jesus appointed John? Ans. Matthew 10:2-4.9. Where was John when these things were revealed to him? Ans. Revelation 1:9.10. To whom is the book of Revelation addressed? Ans. Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:11; Revelation 22:16.11. From whom did John receive the Revelation? Ans. Revelation 1:1; Revelation 1:17-19.12. Of what three things does John bear witness? Ans. Revelation 1:2.I3. What does Christ "show unto his servants" in this book? Ans. Revelation 1:1.14. Were these things signified, shown by signs and symbols unto John, or were they revealed without symbolic language? Ans. Revelation 1:1.15. Give two other instances where John uses the term "signify" in the same sense. Ans. John 12:33; John 21:18-19.16. Name three things man must do to receive the blessedness of this book. Ans. Revelation 1:3.17. What assurance do we have of the truth and trustworthiness of this book? Ans. Revelation 19:9; Revelation 21:5; Revelation 22:6.18. Name thre e titles which were applied to Christ. Ans. Revelation 1:5.19. What has he done for us? Ans. Revelation 1:5.20. What did he make us to be? Ans. Revelation 1:6.21. How will Jesus come? Ans. Revelation 1:7; Acts 1:9-11; Luke 21:27.22. Who shall see him at his coming? Ans. Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30.23. What will all the tribes of the earth do? Ans. Revelation 1:7.24. Who are "they that pierced him?" Ans. Psalms 22:16; Jno. 19: 33-37.25. Can you show that "they who pierced him" will be alive and able to see him at his coming? Ans. Revelation 1:7; John 5:28-29.26. What is the meaning of Alpha and Omega? Ans. Revelation 1:8; Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:13.FOR CLASS 1. Has it ever been possible for man to discover the fulfillment of a prophecy without the aid of inspiration? That is, did Peter, or John, or the two on the road to Emmaus , or the eunuch ( Acts 8:26-35), or any one else know that Jesus had fulfilled prophecy before the fulfillment was divinely revealed unto them?2. Discuss the difference between a prophecy and a mere warning of an impending calamity as a consequence of man's disobedience. LESSON 2.THE FIRST VISIONRead Revelation 1:9-201. In what three things did John say he was a partaker with other brethren? Ans. Revelation 1:9.2. What kingdom were John and others in at that time? Ans. Colossians 1:13; Matthew 16:18-19.3. How do we know that John in Revelation 1:9 refers to the present kingdom or church? Ans. Revelation 1:6 (American Standard Version).4. Give passages where the word "kingdom" means the final state or heaven. Ans.Acts 14:22; 2 Peter 1:11.5. Why was John in the isle of Patmos? Ans. Revelation 1:9.6. On what day of the week was John "in the Spirit?" Ans. Revelation 1:10.7. Give the only other passage in which the Greek word translated "Lord's" in Revelation 1:10 occurs in the New Testament. Ans. 1 Corinthians 11:20.8. On what day of the week did Jesus arise from the dead? Ans. Matthew 28:1-6; Luke 24:1-3.9. Why did the early Christians meet on the first day of the week? Ans. Acts 20:7. 10. What did "a great voice" tell John to do? Ans. Revelation 1:10-11.11. Name the seven churches of Asia. Ans. Revelation 1:11.12. How many golden candlesticks did John see? Ans. Revelation 1:12.13. What do the candlesticks represent? Ans. Revelation 1:20.14. What was in the midst of the candlesticks? Ans. Revelation 1:13.15. Describe the person John saw in the midst of the candlesticks. Ans. Revelation 1:13-15.16. What did he have in his right hand? Ans. Revelation 1:16.17. What do the seven stars represent? Ans. Revelation 1:20.18. Who are the "angels of the seven churches"? Ans. No one knows; it has not been revealed.19. What proceeded out of the mouth of the majestic person of this vision? Ans. Revelation 1:16.20. What is the "sword of the spirit"? Ans. Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12.21. What effect did this vision have on John? Ans. Revelation 1:17.22. How was John given assurance to hear the things which would be revealed? Ans. Revelation 1:17-18.23. What three classes of things was John told to write? Ans. Revelation 1:19.FOR CLASS 1. Discuss the expression, "Keys of death and Hades." (See Luke 16:23; Acts 2:27; Revelation 20:13; Matthew 16:18-19.)E.M. Zerr Questions on RevelationRevelation Chapter One 1. What did God give to Jesus Christ? 2. It was to show what? 3. To whom were they to be shown? 4. By whom was it signified? 5. Unto whom was it signified? 6. What did he hear? 7. Tell what should he read and heard. 8. If so what is the promise? 9. What should be done with things written? 10. Where were the seven churches? 11. Tell who was to write to them. 12. What benedictions were they to receive? 13. From what person were they to be received? 14. From where did the spirits proceed? 15. What other person was united in giving these? 16. Tell what is said of his testimony. 17. In what sense was he the first? 18. Among whom is he the prince? 19. What has he done for us? 20. He has made us to be what? 21. What is to be ascribed to him forever? 22. With what will he come? 23. How many eyes shall see him? 24. What about the ones who pierced him? 25. Tell what all kindreds of the earth will do. 26. State John's attitude toward this matter. 27. Who is meant by Alpha and Omega? 28. What is associated with Alpha and Omega? 29. How many tenses describe his existence? 30. Who is the "I" of verse 9? 31. State his relation to the churches. 32. In what was he a companion? 33. In what kingdom was he their companion? 34. Tell in what isle the apostle was. 35. Why was he there? 36. In what condition was he placed? 37. On what day of the week was it? 38. What did he hear behind him? 39. Tell what he was saying. 40. What was John told to write? 41. To whom was he to send it? 42. Name the different churches. 43. Why did John turn himself? 44. Tell what he saw. 45. Who was in the midst thereof? 46. How was he clothed? 47. By what was he girded? 48. Describe his head and hair. 49. And also his eyes. 50. Describe his feet. 51. What was his voice like? 52. Ten what was in his right hand. 53. What came out of his mouth? 54. Describe his countenance. 55. Seeing him what did John do? 56. Tell what he did for John then. 57. What assurance did he give him? 58. State the brief history he gave of himself. 59. What did he say he had? 60. State the three things John was to write. 61. Of what mysteries was he to write? 62. Tell what the seven stars represent. 63. AnNow John was given a measuring rod, To measure the altar and the temple of God. The outer court was left to be pitted for the Gentiles would tread the Holy City. Revelation Chapter OneRalph Starling John the “ servant of God” wrote the book of Revelation. To the 7 churches of Asia about their spiritual obligations. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were sorely concerned That these churches might lose all they had earned. So with figures and symbols for purpose of clarity… John graphically describes God’ s warnings and charity. With repeated warnings and pleadings please respond By “ reading, hearing and keeping.” For things are to come in this old world, If we’ re not prepared they will take us for a whirl. Revelation 2:1-7 SECTION TWO LETTERS TO THE SEVEN Rev_2:1 to Revelation 3:22 Preliminary Note: The record does not tell why messages were sent to just seven churches, nor why sent to the seven named. Considering the many times the number seven is used in the Bible, the view that it indicates completeness or perfection appears certainly correct. If so, these churches were doubtless selected because they furnished the occasion for just the amount of instruction, exhortation, and warning necessary in completing the divine record. These seven brief messages deal with actual facts that existed at the time John wrote. While primarily intended for the churches named. yet they were, of course, also intended for congregations in all ages for like conditions would need like treatment. This is also true of all the New Testament letters to churches. It is unnecessary to conclude that these very short letters were sent separately to the respective churches named. It is far more probable that each congregation received all of them along with all the rest of the book, since any one of them might at some future time need the very instruction given to another. Then the symbolical descriptions of things to come, presented in the remainder of the book, would also be needed by all of them. Evidently the entire book was intended for all the seven; if so, then for all congregations for all time. 1. LETTER TO THE CHURCH AT EPHESUSRev_2:1-7 1 To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:--See notes on 1:20 for the application of the word "angel." At the time John wrote Ephesus was the chief city of Asia Minor. It was noted for magical arts and the temple of the heathen goddess Diana. (Acts 19:19; Acts 19:35.) It is generally supposed from tradition that John resided in Asia Minor from about A.D. 70 till his death. If so, Ephesus was doubtless his headquarters. Paul was mainly responsible for the establishment of the congregation there, having labored for them two years and three months at one time which resulted in the gospel being preached in all Asia. (Acts 19:8-10.) Later Paul wrote them the Ephesian letter. All this shows that the congregation was one of considerable prominence, and probably accounts for the first letter in this chapter being addressed to them. These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, he that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks:--Here Jesus repeats two of the descriptive features of the person John saw in the vision. (1:13, 16.) These would impress them with the necessity of being obedient to his commands. Holding the stars in his hands would mean that the teachers of the church must depend upon him for the source of their knowledge; walking in the midst of the candlesticks--moving among the churches--indicates that he would not only bless their labors, but punish them for their evil deeds. It also implies that his favor would be necessary to their continued existence. "Walking" among them may imply that he was able to care for all, and would be constantly watching over them. Surely this was an impressive way to introduce the letter. 2 I know thy works, and thy toil and patience,--"I know" is the common form of introducing all these letters. It would impress them with the fact that he was able to know the motives of their hearts, and could render just decisions in each case. He would not overlook their faults nor forget their good deeds. This is a peculiar characteristic of Christ, (John 2:25.) "Works" here mean general conduct rather than simple deeds. The items mentioned to the end of verse 3 are an explanation of what is included in their works. Toil and patience present the positive and negative sides of their commendable works. Toil means excessive labor even up to the point of suffering and sadness, shown in their earnest opposition to false teachers. Patience means their steadfast endurance to the right in spite of the influence of such false teaching. Fighting error to the point of suffering and remaining faithful to gospel truth is the compliment here paid this congregation. and that thou canst not bear evil men, and didst try them that call themselves apostles, and they are not, and didst find them false; --The compliment here is further extended by the statement that they could not endure or tolerate evil men. They had tested certain ones that claimed to be apostles and found them false. John had already given the standard by which such test could be made. Only those who accepted what the apostles said were of God. (1 John 4:1; 1 John 4:6.) Probably those calling themselves apostles claimed to be directly called as were the true apostles, or that they were successors to them. Either claim was, of course, false. It is no surprise to find such false teachers in the early church. for Paul said he knew that after his departure some among them would speak perverse things "to draw away the disciples after them." (Acts 20:29-30.) John had also instructed that those who did not abide in the doctrine should not be received into their houses or given greetings. (2 John 1:9-10.) Paul refers to "false apostles" at Corinth as "deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ," yet being ministers of Satan. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15.) The Ephesian church had insisted on pure teaching, and rejected hose who taught falsehood. This deserves unstinted praise. 3 and thou hast patience and didst bear for my name's sake, and hast not grown weary.---With steadfastness they had borne up under the burdens of meeting false teachers and against the influence of false doctrines; they had patiently maintained their defense of the truth for the name of Christ. It was their desire to defend his cause that met all opposition to the true gospel without being exhausted or worn out. This language presents a fine balance of Christian conduct. We should not tolerate error in any kind of teaching and should, regardless of any false doctrines, maintain our faith in God's word with unfailing steadfastness. Such seems to be the full import of this commendation of the church at Ephesus. 4 But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love.--The warm praise now changes to reproof and warning. Commendations for virtues could not atone for faults or sins. With a casual reading such a strong rebuke immediately following an equally strong commendation seems almost contradictory, yet we know it cannot be. Rather more careful thought will show that the situation was not an unusual one. We have many similar cases in the churches today. The evidence of love to Jesus is obedience to his commands. (1 John 2:4-5.) That consists in doing what he says. Hence, the expression "first love" is explained by the expression "first works" in verse 5. While they would not tolerate false teachers and false doctrines, yet their first early enthusiasm for the worship and progress of the church had waned. They were not as untiring in their devotion to the church as they were against false teaching. Multitudes of individual Christians are in that condition all the time. The danger of such a state is that one is likely soon to lose practically all interest in the church. Happy is the Christian who does not allow his early zeal for worship and the spread of truth to burn low. The church at Ephesus had been established many years and their having lost their early spiritual ardor is not surprising when we remember the difficulty of holding a high level in anything. 5 Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works;--Remember here means to consider: that is, to compare the former burning zeal in the Lord's work with their present apathy and note how much they had lost both in work and satisfaction. Such serious reflections should lead them to repentance, which would be necessary to prevent other losses. Repentance means a change of mind that results in a change of conduct. Honest meditation on their neglect would produce sorrow; that would lead to a decision to change their conduct--become again zealous in good works. Their "first works" do not mean their obedience to the commands by which they became Christians, but to their works in teaching the truth and righteous living. or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.--The present tense of "come" here clearly has the force of the future, meaning "I will come." This does not mean a personal coming, but in some kind of judgment that would fall upon the church. Just how or what that would be is not stated. To remove a candlestick would mean to take away the light. But the candlestick, we are told, was the church itself. (1:20.) Moving the candlestick out of its place, therefore, means that the congregation was to cease to exist. This, however, was conditional; to be prevented only by the fact that the congregation would repent and return to its first love. 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.--Just who and what were these people is conceded by all commentators to be uncertain. They were well known then, of course, else John would have given some description of them. There is uncertainty both as to the meaning and origin of the name and the peculiar works they did. The following probably is as likely to be correct as anything suggested: The word was derived from a leader whose name was Nicholas, and their practices which the Lord hates were gross social sins and idolatry. But whatever their doctrines and deeds were they were severely condemned. The Ephesian church was commended because they hated these abominable practices which God hated. It is useless to speculate on what we have no means of learning, but all good people will hate that which is grossly wicked, whether the practices of the Nicolaitans or other sinners. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.--Those having ears to hear are willing to listen to the message. To such the invitation and exhortation was to give heed to what was said. This shows that God's revelations are spoken to man, not put into his heart through some mysterious spiritual power. Those who are not willing to hear God's word will never learn his message of life. It also implies man's ability to hear and understand what God says. In chapter 1 Jesus is represented as making the revelation and John is commanded to write it, but here the Spirit is said to be speaking to the churches. Jesus had told the apostles before his death that the Spirit would guide them into all truth (John 14:26; John 16:13-15) and declare things to come. We know that the Spirit directed John what to write, and was through him speaking to the churches. This shows the method used by the Holy Spirit in delivering his messages to man. He speaks them; man must hear and obey. Those not willing to hear and obey cannot be benefited by the Spirit's work. To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.--To overcome translates a Greek word that means to conquer in some battle or trial. There is no definite statement regarding the things in which Christians are to gain a victory, the expression being used independently. But the whole passage shows that it means a victory over all kinds of evil that would harm the church or prevent the salvation of the contender. In a general sense it would mean a continued victory over sinful thingsuntil one's life is ended. This statement, with an appropriate promise attached, is the way all these short letters are closed. To "eat of the tree of life" is a very expressive figure indicating the spiritual joys to he received in heaven. It is a reference to the "tree of life" in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 2:9; Genesis 3:22.) The fruit of that tree was designed to make one live forever; hence, Adam after his sin was forbidden to eat of it. In like manner the things in heaven that sustain eternal life are represented as a "tree of life." In the glorious picture of heaven presented in Revelation 22:1-5 we again find the same imagery. Paradise is said to be a Persian word that means a park or pleasure ground; hence, can appropriately be applied to any place especially prepared for enjoyment. For this reason Eden is referred to as "Paradise." The place of the righteous dead in the intermediate state is also a "Paradise." (Luke 23:43.) Our text calls the final state "Paradise" also. This word, because it means a place of pleasure and may be applied figuratively to any place of pleasure, must be considered in the light of the context each time to learn its proper application. Here the redeemed are viewed as existing upon life-giving fruit in a garden of delights. An entrancing vision, surely.Commentary on Revelation 2:1-7 by Foy E. WallaceThe letter to the church at Ephesus—Revelation 2:1-7. 1. “ He that holdeth the seven stars . . . who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks” -- Revelation 2:1. The text says, these things saith he, not John, not the Holy Spirit, not God, but Christ Himself, the Head of the church, to whom was given all authority, and who, as Paul wrote to the same Ephesian church, was made “ the head over all things to the church.” 2. “ I know thy works” -- Revelation 2:2. The works here mentioned were not described as either good or bad, but simply works, and it rather refers to the divine omniscience of Christ than to the character of the works mentioned; that nothing escapes his eye or his attention-- he knows the works of every church of his own, of which he is the head. 3. “ Thy labor and thy patience” -- Revelation 2:2. These words set forth the active and the passive sides to the relationship between the church and its divine head. The use of the word works would indicate that which is outward; but labor is a deeper word, it is underlying, a working at the price of toil. And patience denotes the inward grace of faithful continuance and endurance. Hence, the active and the passive elements in the life a church. 4. “ Thou canst not bear them that are evil: and thou has tried them” -- Revelation 2:2. This is a retrospective reference to a crisis in the Ephesian church, to an experience of the congregation somewhere in the past. The evil men were detected, convicted and expelled. 5. “ Which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars"-- Revelation 2:2. The teaching of these pretenders was found to be false when tried, as John had exhorted the members of the church to do in respect to the claims of strolling teachers. It is good advice to follow even today. The imposters were tried by what Paul and John, the inspired apostles, had taught the Ephesian church in their own labors among them. It connects with Paul’ s own charge to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:29, warning them against the “ wolves that would enter in” among them. What Paul said there that would occur, Jesus said here that it had occurred. It is also retrospective of the reason why Paul left Timothy in Ephesus, as mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:3 : “ As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine.” Here is the evidence of the necessary inference that the other apostles were living at the time John composed Revelation, as has been previously mentioned, for on no other supposition could such a claim by these imposters have even appeared plausible. Doubtless the men who made this claim, like most promoters of religious cults, appeared as wise and venerable persons in outward mien and manner; and they carried weight and influence enough to set up such a claim, and to make it so effective as to precipitate a crisis of such proportions that required the action of a trial for their convictionand expulsion. It was not a mere passing incident, but of sufficient importance that it rated the mention in this message of Christ to this church. This reference has a signal place in the cumulative contents of book bearing out the claim of its early date. 6. “ Hast borne, hast patience, hast labored . . . hast not fainted” -- Revelation 2:3. Here is the sphere of tolerance, what to bear and what not to bear. Infirmities and weaknesses can be shared with tolerance, but never to the point of condoning false doctrine, or of upholding false teachers. Of that class Paul said, in Galatians 2:5 : “ To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.” In verse 6, they were commended for hating something; some graces had decayed, as in verses 5 and 6, but the hatred of evil had remained, and was extolled. 7. “ Remember . . . and repent, and do the first works” - - Revelation 2:5. This divine injunction goaded the memory in reference to the things of the past; it commanded the will with respect to the present determination; and it exhorted obedience in the restitution of the first works--not in quantity, but in quality. It meant to do the first works in the spirit of first love. 8. “ But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate” -- Revelation 2:6. The claim that this designation of a sect or a party derived its name from Nicolas, of Acts 6:5, rests on assertion. There is no historical or factual evidence of it. It is more consistent with the code language of Revelation to regard the term Nicolaitanes as a symbolic expression, along with the use of the word Balaam. The two words actually are similar in meaning, one meant a “ victor of the people” and the other a “ devourer of the people.” These meanings of the two words significantly unite the two symbols as signs of the religious seductions of the Libertine party in the Ephesian church. 9. “ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches”—Revelation 2:7. Let him hear: As the eye is the organ of light to lighten the body (Matthew 5:1-48), the ear is the organ of spiritual discernment. What the Spirit saith: The Spirit is here identified with Christ, since the phrase these things saith he represents Christ as the speaker. To the churches: What Jesus Christ said to each of the seven churches, he said in substance to all of the churches, and to every church of his own thereafter and now. 10. “ To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life"—Revelation 2:7. To him that overcometh: This condition attached to the promise that followed was a specific reference to the impending persecutions, thus adding evidence that the book belongs to the period of their own experiences; they were expected to be the overcomers of these persecutions and the conquerers of the persecutors. To eat of the tree of life: The expression give to eat, had reference to distribution and reward, and it meant that the promise was as sure as the One who gave it was true. The phrase to eat meant to participate in the life that is the fruit of the tree of life. The tree of life is an allusion to the tree that disappeared in Eden, but did not perish; it is now in the paradise of God, instead of the paradise of man where it once was enjoyed by the first man and his mate; it consists, in this symbolic presentation, in the reward given to the overcomers of the persecutions, which comes only from above--from God. The warnings to the Ephesian church surround the two elements--the false apostles and the Nicolaitanes. The first formed a parallel with the warning of Christ in Matthew 24:1-51 concerning the false prophets that should arise to disturb the disciples after the establishment of the church and before and during the siege of Jerusalem; and the latter was parallel to the warnings of Paul against the parties of Judaism that would develop within the churches. Commentary on Revelation 2:1-7 by Walter ScottRevelation 2, 3History of the Church from its Decline till its Rejection REMARKS ON THE TO THE . All the visions contained in the Apocalypse refer to the future, save the first or introductory one, which is of present application. In this Christ is witnessed in the characteristic glory of Son of Man in the midst of the seven assemblies (Revelation 1:12-16). But did these assemblies as to their actual condition answer to the Spirit's designation of them as "golden lamps," and in keeping with the holy character of the glorious One in their midst? Alas, no! The features which distinguished the Church in the morning of her birth in holiness, truth, devotedness, unworldliness, power, and unity, are now in the evening of her days conspicuously absent. For a brief season the golden lamps shone brightly, now scarcely a glimpse is seen. Open infidelity, which once hid itself in the lecture room, the hall of science, and in the professor's chair is now securely and openly lodged in the Church, in the pulpit, and in the hall of divinity. *See the terrible indictment proved to the hilt, and the charges concisely put, in "The Anti-Christian Crusade, or Official Attacks on Christianity," by Robert P. C. Corfe (Simpkin, Marshall &Co.). In these addresses, called for by the state of the assemblies, there is disclosed the point of decline, heart departure from Christ (Revelation 2:4). As a consequence of cooled affections, longing for His personal Return from Heaven wanes (Matthew 24:48), and thus the door is open for the enemy to enter. The external history of the Church as here depicted has been amply verified by contemporary records. Once the Church door was barred and bolted against the entrance of evil and Satan; now Satan's throne and dwelling is in the Church itself (Revelation 2:13; Revelation 2:20; Revelation 2:24). Moral darkness is rapidly settling down on these christianised lands, and we are not far from its last development, the public disavowal of Christianity. It is when Christ gives up the Church as His vessel of light and testimony that it becomes a special subject of divine judgment. In the brief epitome of ecclesiastical history as presented in these chapters not many details are specified, but rather the development of general forms of evil. One leading idea is kept steadily in view, namely, Christ's relation to the state of things, presenting Himself to each assembly in a character suited to its condition. Christ is the one resource for spiritual decline and weakness. The historian of "the times of the Gentiles" is Daniel. The historian of the Church is John. The former was for the special instruction of Daniel's people, the Jews. The latter is for the profit of the Church of God. The application of these addresses extends to the whole Church, and to every one who has ears to hear. The moral profit to be derived from an earnest and devout study of these addresses to the assemblies named is immense, and has ever proved helpful to prayerful readers. In these addresses a principle is introduced by which the actual condition of the Church at any time may be determined. The history and testing of the Church come in between the revelation of its original standing in the full blessing of God, and its ultimate destiny in association with Christ in glory. Now its past and future condition is the principle by which it is presently judged. What a contrast exists between what the Church was and is! How unlike the resplendent glory awaiting it! In the addresses to the first three assemblies they are called to repent in view of "from whence thou art fallen," whereas in the addresses to the last four assemblies a return to pristine state is deemed impossible, the goal of hope being the Coming of the Lord, which is not directly referred to in the previous Church addresses. Ecclesiastical pretension and departure from first love characterized the close of the apostolic period — Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-29. l-7). Next succeeded the martyr period, which brings us down to the close of the tenth and last persecution, under Diocletian , Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11). Decreasing spirituality and increasing worldliness went hand in hand from the accession of Constantine and his public patronage of Christianity on to the seventh century, Pergamos (Revelation 2:12-17), The Papal Church, which is Satan's masterpiece on earth, is witnessed in the assumption of universal authority and cruel persecution of the saints of God. Its evil reign covers "the Middle Ages," the moral characteristics of which have been well termed "dark." Popery blights everything it touches--Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29). The Reformation was God's intervention in grace and power to cripple papal authority, and introduce into Europe the light which for 300 years has been burning with more or less brilliancy. Protestantism, with its divisions and deadness, shows clearly enough how far short it comes of God's ideal of the Church and Christianity--Sardis (Revelation 3:1-22. Revelation 4:1-6). Another Reformation, equally the work of God, characterized the beginning of last century--Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13). The present general state of the professing Church which is one of luke-warmness is the most hateful and nauseous of any yet described. We may well term this last phase of Church history on the eve of judgment the Christless period-- Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22). Note, that the history of the first three churches is consecutive, whereas the history of the remaining four overlaps, and then practically runs on concurrently to the end, the Coming of the Lord. One other consideration of interest, and we bring these remarks to a close. The divine element, signified by the numeral three, is the predominant thought in the first group of churches, whereas the human enters more largely into the second group signified by the number four. Revelation 2:1THE SPIRIT'S ADDRESS TO EPHESUS (Revelation 2:1-7). 1. "To the angel of the Church in Ephesus write." The same form of words is repeated in the introduction to each of the seven churches. The Authorised Version, in Revelation 2:1, reads "of Ephesus," and in Revelation 3:14 "of the Laodiceans," but in the Revised Version the respective readings are correctly given as "in Ephesus" and "in Laodicea." The churches in these cities were composed of professing Christians, not of the pagan inhabitants, as the Authorized Version would imply. Each of the epistles is addressed to the "angel" of the Church. We have in these addresses the voice of the Spirit to the churches (v. 7, etc.), and of the Lord Himself, but they are not directly spoken to. Paul wrote to the saints in Ephesus (Ephesians 1:1). John to the angel of the Church. Why this? Intimacy characterizes the former. Distance distinguishes the latter. The reason for the more distant style of address employed by John is found in the fact that the Church had sunk so low morally that the Lord could only address it through its representatives or angels, not spiritual beings, but men. Some writers, as Dean Alford, argue for the guardianship of literal angels over the churches, and consider that these guardian angels are here addressed. But such a theory seems to us far-fetched and untenable. The Spirit on earth and the Lord on high make the Church their special subject of care. The spiritual powers in heavenly places learn through it God's manifold wisdom (Ephesians 3:10); lessons, too, of godly order are taught these heavenly beings (1 Corinthians 11:10). But the care of the Church is committed to higher and better hands than that of angels. Besides, it would be absurd to think of angels failing in their duty. They "do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word" (Psalms 103:20); whereas the angels of the churches are justly blameable, being held responsible for the moral state disclosed. Thus the words to the angel, "I have against thee," "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent," etc., seem quite inapplicable to God's angels who are spoken of as "elect" and "holy," and hence preserved from falling. It has, however, been more commonly understood that the "angel" represents a bishop, or presiding presbyter. But Scripture affords not the slightest countenance for the modem bishop of a diocese, or the more ancient bishop of a Church. Elders or bishops refer to the same persons (Acts 20:17; Acts 20:28). The term "elder" directs attention to the age and experience of the man, whilst that of "bishop" or "overseer" to spiritual oversight. The man and his work are thus respectively signified in the terms "elder" and "bishop." Elders were made bishops, and there were several such in various assemblies, as in Ephesus (Acts 20:17) and in Philippi (Philippians 1:1). Timothy, Onesimus, and John have had the questionable honour thrust upon them by speculative divines of being after Paul's time the respective angels of the Church in Ephesus. To insist upon a necessary application of the term "angel" to bishop or presbyter seems forced; besides, the other symbol used of the same persons, namely, "stars" (Revelation 1:20), would forbid such exclusive application. The "stars" are appointed to shine, to reflect the light of Heaven in the dark night of the Church's history. A person occupying the highest official position in the Church might not be a "star." We regard the angel of the Church as symbolically representative of the assembly in its actual moral state. Representation is the thought. Hence in this book, the waters (Revelation 16:5), the winds (Revelation 7:1), the abyss (Revelation 9:11), and fire (Revelation 14:18) have each their representative angel. According to this view the angel of the Church may signify more persons than one. We would emphasise the remark that not official but moral representation is the idea conveyed in the word "angel" as used in connection with the seven churches. While, therefore, the Spirit has in view each local Church, and the assembly as a whole, yet each Church is addressed in its representative, and it will generally be found that in most companies of saints there are those who morally lead, apart altogether from official status. THE SEVEN STARS AND SEVEN GOLDEN LAMPS. 1. "These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, that walketh in the midst of the seven golden lamps." The descriptive titles of Christ towards each of the churches are almost wholly taken from the detailed account of His Person as presented at the close of chapter one. In Revelation 1:20 the stars are seen on His right hand; in Revelation 3:1 He has the stars; but here a more intense action is intimated, He holds them. The stars are the Church's light bearers. They derive their light from Him, they are subject to His power, and sustained by Him. He guides, controls, and holds them fast. What a strength to the tried servant! How fitting, too, that the absolute authority of Christ over all responsible to shine for Him during the dark night of His absence should be shown at the commencement of this epitome of Church history in these two chapters. The ecclesiastical place of our Lord (Revelation 1:13) is in the "midst" of the seven golden lamps; but here He walks in their midst, taking note of every corporate and individual difficulty. He observes if the lamps shine. He is present to sustain the vessels of testimony. His help is instantly available in every circumstance of need. The Church will never find itself in a position in which it is deprived of the active service of Christ, Who walks in and out amongst the churches, observing their ways, and according praise and blame. He trims each lamp, or, when it is proved utterly unfaithful, may remove it from its place of responsibility on earth. But this character of truth in no wise enfeebles the everlasting security of the Church, against which the gates of hades shall not prevail (Matthew 16:18), nor against any individual member thereof (Romans 8:38-39). Revelation 2:2-3 Revelation 2:2-3. "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thine endurance, and that thou canst not bear evil (men); and hast tried them who themselves say (are) apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: and endurest and hast borne for My Name's sake, and hast not wearied." The Lord commends before He reproves. He loves to count up what grace, ”His own grace” has wrought in the souls and ways of His people. In these epistles the Church is witnessed in its downward course, going from bad to worse. But the Lord is unchanged. He loves to commend His saints when and where He can, and if things are drifting to their final consummation that does not hinder the fullest acknowledgment of the Spirit's work everywhere and in every saint. The fruit of the Spirit should more readily catch the eye than the works of the flesh. Be ever ready to heartily own and unqualifiedly express appreciation of all that is good and excellent, especially where evil may exist. "I know," seven times repeated, intimates the Lord's absolute knowledge of the condition and circumstances of His people. Then He says, "I know thy works." These, no doubt, were many and varied. But all work is not accompanied by, nor is it the fruit of, toil or "endurance," as that spoken of here. The first Christian lesson is patience (endurance) (Romans 5:3), and "much" of it the first trait of a true minister of God (2 Corinthians 6:4). Endurance is followed by intolerance of evil persons. Patience towards the weak, exercised in the midst of trial and opposition, did not make the Church indifferent to evil; the moral nature was roused. Moreover, they had tested the claim of some to be co-ordinate with the apostles, and this they did so thoroughly that all false pretension was exposed in light of those signs which characterised the Lord's apostles (1 Corinthians 9:1-27; 2 Corinthians 11:1-33; 2 Corinthians 12:1-21). The word "tried" signifies tested, or put to the proof (2 Corinthians 13:5; 1 John 4:1). "Hast found them liars." The baseless assumption of these pretenders to apostolic office and authority was completely overthrown, and the men themselves branded as "liars," or, as Paul puts it, "false apostles" (2 Corinthians 11:13). How unstinted is the praise! Yet, rich and copious as the foregoing declarations are, there is still more to follow. Not only had there been endurance, but it continued, "and endurest," and was in exercise even when the apostle, "the secretary of the Lord," wrote. Further, "and hast borne for My Name's sake." They had suffered much, had been sorely tried, but all had been cheerfully borne for the sake of the Name of Jesus Christ. On account of that same Name their sins had been forgiven (1 John 2:12). Lastly, they had not "wearied." There was no thought of giving up or giving over the conflict with evil; they had not wearied of the contest, nor had they wearied in it. What a beautiful picture of devotedness to the interests of Christ! But what about the springs of these holy activities? They are not mentioned; not because they were wholly wanting, else there could have been no commendation. What are these moral springs of Christian life and activity? They are stated in the first of the Pauline epistles: "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and enduring constancy of hope" (1 Thessalonians 1:3). There was work, and labour, and endurance witnessed in the Ephesian assembly, but the "work" would appear to have been to some extent separated from "faith," its moral source; "labour," too, appears not to have fully drawn its strength from "love," which is the activity of the divine nature, the very atmosphere in which the Church and Christians should live and act; and "endurance," for which Ephesus is twice commended (Revelation 2:2-3), is not mentioned in connection with "hope," its spring and living energy. Revelation 2:4BLAMED. Revelation 2:4. "But I have against thee that thou hast left thy first love." Here is disclosed the root of Church and individual failure: heart departure from Christ. The fine gold had become dim. The flower was fading. The first-named fruit of the Spirit is love (Galatians 5:22), and that was but faintly seen, yet in Paul's day the Church in Ephesus was noted for its "love unto all the saints," a love begotten by love. When love, the very kernel of Christianity (1 Corinthians 13:1-13), its crown too, and distinguishing glory is wanting, the moral power of Church and individual life is gone. Things may appear outwardly fair and promising, and none but an Omniscient eye may see the lack inwardly, coldness of heart to Christ. "Thou hast left thy first love" was the first step in the Church's downward career (compare with Matthew 24:48). The loss of virgin love is a serious matter, and not to be regarded as a mere "somewhat," as in the Authorised Version. "But I have against thee"--first love given up. "But I have a few things against thee" (Revelation 1:14) – there were persons allowed in the midst holding the doctrine of Balaam, and others holding the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes. "But I have against thee" (Revelation 1:20) that there is a Jezebel permitted to corrupt with her loathsome doctrines. Observe that in each instance the "But I have against thee" is in marked contrast with approval ungrudgingly bestowed. Revelation 2:5 WITH . Revelation 2:5. "Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; but if not I am coming to thee, and I will remove thy lamp out of its place, except thou shalt repent." The Lord has a positive, definite cause of complaint against the angel. "I have against thee that thou hast left thy first love." It is the only thing for which Ephesus is censured, but, oh, how serious! The coming shipwreck of the professing Church, its public and nauseous rejection by Christ is here traced to its root, first love given up. The Lord never forgets His joy in the first love of His people. "Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after Me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown" (Jeremiah 2:2). Judah's first love is never forgotten by Jehovah; the Church's first love, too, is equally remembered by the Lord, and desired by Him, which, in fact, "Ephesus" really means. Now if the threatened judgment is to be averted there must be a recovery to "first love" and "first works," hence the two admonitions needful to this end are "Remember" and "Repent." Remember the moral elevation you once occupied, remember the heights of love, "the mountain of myrrh" and "the hill of frankincense" once trod in fellowship with the everlasting Lover of your soul! To what depths you have fallen! Repent. Judge the state of heart which has led to the first step in the downward course. Thus memory and repentance are presented as the two factors in recovery from a backsliding state. "Quickly" should be deleted. Ample time is given for restoration. The removal of the lamp as a light bearer in no wise weakens the question of eternal security of all who build on Christ, the Rock of Ages. Speaking in general terms, we may say, the lamps which once shone so brightly, and especially in the renowned capital of Ephesus, have been taken out of their place, and the gross darkness of Mohammedanism now wraps its deadly folds around these seven cities of proconsular Asia. A like removal awaits the western profession of Christianity. Unfaithfulness, whether corporate or individual, must be judged, and the present miserable condition of Ephesus, now known as Agiosalouk, is an object lesson to all. Has Christendom continued in the goodness of God? It has not, and "gross darkness" shall yet cover these lands, once brilliant with the light of the Gospel (Isaiah 60:2). According to the interpretation adopted in this Exposition we regard Ephesus as representing the Church in a special phase of its condition, a condition characteristically present at the close of the first century. We are pleased to know that love and faith were in a measure rekindled, and the lamp trimmed in the Ephesian assembly, so that in the third Ecumenical Council (A.D. 431) it gave forth no uncertain sound on the great underlying truth of Christianity, the incarnation of our Lord. But the hour of doom nevertheless came. In like manner various partial recoveries have been granted to the Church at large, but its doom, too, is fixed. Revelation 2:6THE . Revelation 2:6. "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate." The doctrinal faithfulness of the Ephesian assembly and its unswerving condemnation of evil have been already matters of warmest commendation (Revelation 2:2-3), followed by censure couched in terms of severe simplicity (v. 4), and judgment has been finally threatened, a judgment which repentance alone could avert (Revelation 2:5). Now one special character of evil is specified, hated alike by the Lord and by the angel. The absence of love has been deplored, but hatred, love's antithesis, was rightly present. The Nicolaitanes were not hated, for they shared in the general love of God (John 3:16), but their works were, and for this the angel is commended. They must have been works of a decidedly evil character which called forth such a stern word of reprobation. Who, then, were the Nicolaitanes, and what their tenets and deeds? A satisfactory answer to these questions is well-nigh impossible. The Nicolaitanes as an immoral and exceedingly impure sect undoubtedly existed, but whether Nicolas of Antioch, the last of the "seven" (Acts 6:5), was the originator of the sect bearing his name cannot be determined with any degree of certainty. Irenaeus is the first Church father or writer who affirms it. Others, however, consider that Nicolas is wronged when charged with the impure teachings and deeds of that sect; all the more evil that it existed under the cover of Christianity. If, indeed, the deacon was the founder of the sect, then he must have seriously lapsed from the faith. But on this we cannot pronounce with certainty. It has been conjectured that the Nicolaitanes are identical with the followers of Balaam.*"Nicolas (‘ Conqueror of the people') is identified with Balaam, according to one etymology of the latter word, as the ‘lord' according to another, as the ‘devourer' of the people. Both derivations are, however, uncertain, and the best Hebraists (Gesenius and Furst, the latter admitting the possibility of ‘ devourer') explain the name as meaning ‘ not of the people,' i.e., an alien and foreigner." ” E. H. Plumptre D.D. But this is difficult to understand in the light of Rev 2:14-15, where the evils are separately named. "So thou also hast those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes in like manner." The latter, it would seem, was the grosser evil of the two. All early writers, however, are agreed on the main features of this sect as being of an impure and licentious character.*Ecumenius says they were "most impious in doctrine, and in their lives most impure." W. Kelly tersely sums up, saying: "The essence of Nicolaitanism seems to have been the abuse of grace to the disregard of plain morality." "Lectures on the Book of Revelation," page 48. Nicolaitanism therefore would appear to have combined the profession of Christianity with the impurities of Paganism. Fleshly indulgence is a practical denial of the holy nature of Christianity, and cannot be tolerated by the Lord, nor by any who are faithful to the Name of Him Who is "the holy, the true" (Revelation 3:7). As to this evil, Ephesus and Pergamos, the first and third churches present a marked and striking contrast. The first turned in holy loathing from these impurities; the third sheltered the propagators of these filthy teachings. What was hated by Ephesus was accepted by Pergamos; the one "deeds," the other "doctrine;" but doctrine, good or bad, ever bears its own fruit. The point is, Ephesus would have none of it. Pergamos permitted it to corrupt and poison the sources of purity and morality. Revelation 2:7THE CALL TO HEAR. Revelation 2:7. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches." This exhortation occurs seven times. In the addresses to the first three churches it immediately precedes the promise to the overcomer; whereas in the last four the exhortation forms the closing words of the address in each case. The Church as a whole is in view in the first group, and is called to repent.*The word repent occurs twelve times in the Apocalypse, but not in any other of St. John's writings. But in the second group the hopeless condition of the Church is but too apparent, and hence a remnant company is marked off from the mass, whose one and only hope is centred on the personal Return of the Lord from Heaven. Now from the fact of the call to hear being placed after the words of cheer to the overcomers in the last four churches, we gather that none save overcomers or conquerors hear the voice of the Spirit. Individual and direct responsibility to God is a cardinal truth in Christianity. In popery individual conscience is ignored. "Hear the Church" is the very essence of the papal system. But in truth the voice of the Church is never heard in Roman Catholicism. The higher orders of the clergy usurp the place of the Church; it is their voice which is declared to be the voice of the Church, a voice which the inferior orders of clergy and the mass must hear and obey under threat of Anathema, while the people are deceived with a semblance of truth. The favourite and oft-repeated formula from Matthew 18:17, "Hear the Church," is employed to cover and defend the most cruel, superstitious, and soul-enslaving system which ever disgraced the earth; it is, indeed, Satan's masterpiece. How can the Church, itself threatened with judgment (Revelation 2:5; Revelation 3:16), become a source and ground of authority to any? Hence in these addresses to the churches the individual hearer is called upon to listen to the voice of the Spirit. It is He Who speaks, His voice alone to be heard. Thus we have linked together in this exhortation corporate and individual responsibility. Both exist. If the Church has become so utterly corrupt that the voice of God in Holy Scripture awakens no response there is the greater need for each one to open the ear of the soul to "Thus saith the Lord." The Lord when on earth repeatedly called attention to His teaching in the familiar words, "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear" (Matthew 13:9; Matthew 13:43; Matthew 11:15, etc.). Here the same Lord utters His voice, bespeaking earnest and devout attention to the new testimony and in almost the same verbal formula.*"Ears" in the Gospel; "ear" in the Apocalypse. THE . 7. "To him that overcomes I will give to him to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God." We have already referred to certain distinguishing features of the two broadly marked divisions of these seven churches, the first three and the last four. Each of these groups forms a separate unity of its own; while, of course, there are characteristics common to both. The divine element predominates in the first set of three churches, as that numeral signifies; while the human element enters largely into the composition of the second group of four churches, its numerical value. But another distinction of interest meets us in the consideration of these promises and rewards to the overcomer. Those in the first group are not so full, nor of such a public character, as those in the second group. These latter are exceedingly grand in combining personal intimacies with Christ and scenes of public glory. We account for the difference in the fulness and character of these rewards, as respectively shown in the first and second group of epistles, by the fact that in the latter, overcoming is a matter of greater difficulty. The storm rages more fiercely, the adverse elements are more numerous, so the promises are proportionate to the severer character of the conflict. From Thyatira to Laodicea the Church is regarded as hopelessly corrupt. To swim against the tide, therefore, requires an energy of faith not called for to the same extent as when the Church was publicly owned, Ephesus to Pergamos. Not only are all these rewards and promises given to cheer the pilgrim band, and nerve each for the ever-deepening and narrowing conflict, but Christ Himself personally pledges His Word for their certain accomplishment, "I will give." His own hand crowns the victor. His own voice acclaims the overcomer, as he exultantly steps over the threshold of the heavenly portals. In all cases the witnessing is individual, and of course the overcomer is one who in the energy of faith surmounts those special difficulties in which he finds himself. The overcomer in Laodicea has a more serious task before him than the overcomer in Ephesus. The position, circumstances, and character of the conflict are different in each Church. This, the first promise to the overcomer, contains an evident allusion to the garden of Eden, with the tree of life in its midst (Genesis 2:1-25). Adam had not to overcome in the garden, he had simply to obey and keep his innocence, and the test of an innocent creature's obedience was the prohibition against eating of the symbolical tree of knowledge of good and evil. We have no ground to suppose that Adam ate of the tree of life although not forbidden to do so. But the scene presented to the gaze of the Christian overcomer is one of a far more glorious character than that of Gen 2:1-25. Here we have the Paradise of God with its tree of life, of which one may freely eat, and no tree of good and evil, the symbol of creature responsibility. The life of innocence (Genesis 2:1-25) was dependent on obedience. But here the tree of life, eternal life in its full character of blessedness, is enjoyed without alloy, without fear of failure. Eternal life becomes the everlasting feast of the conqueror in the Paradise of God. The word Paradise occurs three times in the New Testament (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:4 : and Revelation 2:7). It is of Oriental derivation, meaning a pleasure garden. It is three times used in this sense in the Old Testament.*The word Paradise is not used of the garden of Eden. There are six occurrences of the word in the Holy Scriptures: Nehemiah 2:8, translated forest; Ecclesiastes 2:5; Son 4:13, orchard; Luke 23:43; Revelation 2:7; 2 Corinthians 12:4 Paradise is an actual place existing now and in the risen state. Moses never employs the word. Solomon is the first to do so. To an Oriental mind "Paradise" is the expression and sum of blessedness. The Paradise of God is the expression of Heaven's blessedness. It is an actual place, of which the earthly garden (Genesis 2:1-25) was but a shadow. Here the blessedness is fixed and eternal. Paradise is the sum of all enjoyment, the aggregate of all pleasure, promised to the converted dying robber, and "into" it Paul was caught. It is the special and unique promise held out to the overcomer in the Ephesian state of the Church. Commentary on Revelation 2:1-7 by E.M. ZerrRev_2:1. See the comments on last verse of the preceding chapter for explanation of the angel. This letter is written to the same church at Ephesus to which Paul wrote his epistle bearing that name. The beginning of this hurch is recorded in Acts 18:19. Before John wrote his letter to it the congregation had been placed under elders (Acts 20:17). The Authority for this letter identifies himself by repeating chapter 1:13, but adding the significant fact that he walketh in the midst of the seven golden, candlesticks. This signifies that Christ is present (in spirit) and knows what is going on in the churches of the brotherhood. Revelation 2:2. This and the following verse will name a number of things in the conduct of the church that are favorable. By doing that the Lord sets a good example of giving due credit which would be well for disciples to follow in their treatment of others. I know thy works. The Greek for the first word has many shades of meaning but they are classified under virtually two groups only, namely, to know in the sense of being aware of, and to know in the sense of acknowledging or approving: the connection must determine which is used. In our verse the Lord means he approves of the works which are mentioned. Labor and patience means they were persistent in their labors. They were very good negatively in that they could not bear them which are evil. They were faithful in detecting and exposing false teachers. (See 1 John 4:1.) Revelation 2:3. Borne and patience are virtually the same as labor and patience in the preceding verse. The main idea is that they had followed such a course for a long time. They had likewise done these things for the Lord's name's sake, which denotes a proper motive technically for their labors. Have not fainted means they had been unfaltering in their religious activities. Revelation 2:4. Nevertheless. This single word conveys a very important truth, namely, while the Lord does not fail to see all the good a disciple does, yet that will not cause Him to accept the service unless it is correct as a whole. Left thy first love. This phrase may he illustrated by the warmth of feeling that exists in the first part of the relation of husband and wife. The word love is from AGAPE and its chief meaning is to have that regard for another that will cause one to be interested in his welfare and happiness. Such a love will prompt one even to "go out of his way" to do things to please the other. Likewise a Christian should have such a feeling for his brother and for Christ who is the bridegroom of the church. This going "out of his way" does not mean to go beyond the lawful regulations, for that would not be pleasing to a bridegroom regardless of its motive. But there are countless instances where a Christian can make a special exertion to show his love for the Lord. The church at Ephesus had fallen into the frame of mind where it performed its services from the legal standpoint only, and it had ceased to be a "labor of love" as Paul mentions in 1 Thessalonians 1:3. Revelation 2:5. From whence thou art fallen. They had fallen from a condition of fervent love for Christ and his cause to one of legal or technical formality. Repent. They have not been charged with doing anything wrong; everything they did was right as far as the acts themselves were concerned. It was what they were not doing that made up the Lord's objection to them; they were right affirmatively but wrong negatively. Yet they were told to repent, which shows a disciple may be condemned for what he is not doing. (See Hebrews 2:3.) Do the first works means those extra acts of love they did in the beginning of their service to Christ, not that they must repeat the first principles of the Gospel. I will come quickly. He was already walking round midst all the churches, but this means He will come specifically to this particular church to judge it. Will remove thy candlestick. Now we can see the reason for the remarks at chapter 1:12 about the seven candlesticks being separate items. That makes it possible to remove one without disturbing the others. Another important thought is signified in this circumstance, namely, the churches of Christ are independent units as to their government and have no official connection with each other. It should be noted further that notwithstanding the complaints the Lord had against the church, He did not threaten to remove its candlestick (which would be His way of rejecting this church) unless it failed to repent. In connection with this case it is well to consider Matthew 11:20 where Jesus upbraids some wicked cities "because they repented not." In Luke 13:3 Luke 13:5 He declares certain ones will perish "except they repent." In 2 Peter 3:9 the wicked need not perish if they will "come to repentance." This group of kindred passages gives us an insight into the principle on which God deals with mankind. A church (or individual) does not forfeit its standing with God at the mere point of doing wrong (else we all would be falling daily), but it is when it does wrong and refuses to repent of it. Revelation 2:6. Nicolaitanes. There is little definiteness in the treatment of this subject by the histories and lexicons and other works of reference. Thayer merely comments that they were "the followers of Nicolaus," a heretic in the time of the apostles. Robinson makes similar remarks about the subject. We note that both the deeds and the doctrine of this sect are condemned. It had something to do with a life of fleshly indulgencies. The church at Ephesus rejected this sect which was one other point in its favor stated in the letter written by John. Revelation 2:7. He that hath an ear does not imply that some people are without ears literally, but this is a solemn call upon all to give profound attention to what is being said to the churches. What the Spirit saith is the same as what the Lord says for He uses the Spirit to direct John in writing the letters. To the churches. There is no indication that the seven letters were to be circulated generally among the seven churches. Instead in each separate instance the instruction is to write a certain letter to a particular church. Therefore the phrase to the churches signifies that what the Spirit says to any certain church that may be named among the seven, the Lord intends to be for the instruction of the churches of Christ everywhere. This "call to attention" is made in connection with each of the seven letters and will not he commented upon after this one. But the promises that are made are different each time, hence that part of the letters will be commented upon as we come to them. Tree of life ...paradise of God. The phrasing about the tree is based on the one that was in the' garden of Eden. Man lost that tree by sinning, but it may be regained in a spiritual form by proper conduct, namely, by overcoming his sins while in this life. Paradise comes from a word that may mean any place of bliss or happiness. That is why it is used in reference to the abode of the righteous after death (Luke 23:43), and to the place where God dwells and will be the abode of the righteous after the judgment. Paul calls it both by "paradise" and "third heaven" in 2 Corinthians 12:2 2 Corinthians 12:4. John had a vision of the tree of life as he describes it in Revelation 22:2. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 2:8-11 2. LETTER TO THE CHURCH AT SMYRNARev_2:8-11 8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things saith the first and the last, who was dead, and lived again:--Smyrna was a populous city about forty miles north of Ephesus. Having a fine harbor, it became a great commercial city--was noted both for its educational facilities and the worship of idols. It was the home of Polycarp, who personally knew the apostle John for many years and was martyred after he 'had served the Lord eighty-six years. It doubtless had a strong Jewish element in its population. This and the idol worshipers and difficulties of living under Roman rule made the stay of Christians there a hard and dangerous existence. They were encouraged by being reminded of Christ "who was dead, and lived again," an attribute of Jesus mentioned to John himself in 1:18. As their faithfulness to Jesus was likely to result in their martyrdom, it was particularly appropriate to remind them of the fact that the Master himself had once died, but was made alive. It was an assurance that, if they were martyred, they too would be raised from the dead. 9 I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich),--This letter also begins with "I know," meaning that the Lord had a complete knowledge of their condition and needs. This would assure them they could depend implicitly upon his instruction. Tribulation carries the general idea of affliction or distress. In their case, doubtless, all they suffered from the persecutions of their oppressors was included in the term. The mention of their poverty indicates that they were especially poverty-stricken since that is not said of the other churches addressed. Their poverty may have resulted from oppression and robbery on the part of their enemies. But in spite of it the Smyrna church continued to exist long after all the others were gone. Poverty is usually far less dangerous than great riches. Though poor in material goods, they were "rich in faith" and, as a consequence, were "heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him." (James 2:5.) This was because they were "rich in good works." (1 Timothy 6:18.) and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.--The Lord also knew the blasphemy of their enemies--the reproaches and bitter revilings which were hurled against them. This was assurance that the Lord would know exactly what reward their enemies deserved, and. would see to it that justice would be done in due time. The Christians' religion was probably the occasion for the blasphemies. This particular class of their persecutors were native Jews who were manifesting the same spirit that prompted the betrayers of Christ. They laid much stress upon their claim to be Jews--God's people. The text says they were not Jews. There are two senses in which that would be true. First, as natural Jews they were not fol-lowing the teachings of Moses, and were not worthy of the name; second, they were not Jews in the spiritual sense. The word in that sense meant Christians (Romans 2:28-29), and they were fighting Christians. They were not then worthy of the name in either sense. The extreme cruelty and wickedness of the Jews in Smyrna is described by Jesus when he calls them a "synagogue of Satan." The synagogue is probably used here in the sense of an assembly or congre-gation. They claimed to be the congregation of the Lord-- God's people--when, in fact, they were in the service of Satan. Their persecution of the saints was under the influence of Satan. 10 Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer:--This language clearly indicated that there were sufferings about to come to them from which there would be no escape, but they were urged not to be afraid. Confidence in Christ's promises would drive out fear and prepare them for the ordeal.behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days.--Casting the Christians into prison was not an uncommon thing, especially in the case of the apostles. (Acts 12:3-4; Acts 16:23.) John himself had been banished to Patmos and pos-sibly many others might be put in prison. This prediction of imprisonment was in fact the probable thing to expect at that time. The text says that the devil would cast them into prison. Of course, it was actually done by their enemies and these words show that evil workers are in the service of the devil and operate under his evil influence. This imprisonment would be a test of their fortitude and fidelity to God. The severity of the test would show whether or not they could be driven into apostasy. The tribulation--including the imprisonment of some--was to last "ten days." This expression has been variously construed by scholars. Sonic take it to mean ten literal days; some that it refers to prophetic days, meaning a day for a year, or ten years; others that ten days meant frequent, full or complete tribulation, a sense in which the word "ten" seems to be used in Numbers 14:22; Nehemiah 4:12 Daniel 1:20; and others still think that the expression indicates that the tribulation would be brief. Genesis 24:55; Daniel 1:12; Daniel 1:14 are supposed to give examples of this use. Ten natural days would be too insignifi-cant for such a grave thing. It might have been ten years. If so, there is no way to fix the exact date. Either one of the other views might be true. It seems probable that the state-ment was made to encourage the brethren not to falter in their fidelity to God. If so, then by "ten days" Jesus meant to say that the tribulation would be comparatively short. This would stimulate them to faithfulness. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.--The singular "thou" is used because it is addressed directly to the "angel" of the church. But, as the letter was to be delivered to the church, everyone was included. They were to continue faithful--meet every rising situation faith-fully. "Unto" death does not mean throughout their exist-ence till death (although that was also necessary, Matt. 24 13), but up to the endurance of death, if necessary; that is, even death should not move them from their steadfastness. The garland of victory, here called "the crown of life," is elsewhere called "the crown of righteousness" (2 Timothy 4:8), "the crown of glory" (1 Peter 5:4), an "incorruptible" crown (1 Corinthians 9:24-25). Crown is used figuratively for the reward to be received, meaning life as a crown which is given for righteousness. 11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.--See notes on verse 7. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.--This letter closes just like the one to Ephesus except that a promise of a different blessing is offered. There the promise was to eat of the tree of life; here not to be hurt of the second death. A failure in either case would result in one's being lost. Promising these blessings to one who overcomes implies that those who do not overcome will be lost. Since a Christian may fail to overcome, a Christian may he lost. 'This is the unmistakable import of the words, and absolute proof that Christians may so apostatize as to he lost finally.Commentary on Revelation 2:8-11 by Foy E. WallaceThe letter to the church at Smyrna—Revelation 2:8-11. 1. “ These things saith the first and the last, which was dead and is alive” --Revelation 2:8. This sublime language repeats the eternity of the One who addresses this church, whom death could not vanquish, and it was intended for the encouragement of the Smyrna members to follow him even unto death, or martyrdom, with no fear of the consequences. 2. “ The blasphemy of the Jews” -- Revelation 2:9. This phraseology is not addressed to the true Jews, but to the pseudo-Jews, and had regard to the Jewish persecutions, which the calumnious and bitter opposition of the fanatical Jews waged against their own kinsmen who had accepted Christ. Again, it finds parallel in the Jewish persecutions foretold by the Lord in Matthew 24:1-51. 3. “ Ye shall have tribulation ten days” -- Revelation 2:10. This cannot mean a literal ten days, but rather to the ten persecutors, the number of which is historically factual. As there were five fallen imperial rulers before Nero--from Nero to Diocletian there were ten persecuting emperors. This era of persecution reached its crescendo in Diocletian’ s reign of terror, in which he vowed to obliterate the name Christian from the Roman empire. The indications are too plain for doubt that this ten days tribulation had immediate reference to the era or epoch of the ten persecuting emperors. Their succession is symbolized in Revelation 17:8-11, which describe the ebbing and the flowing of the tide of persecution, in the expressions was, is not and yet is. In the verses 10 and 11 the succession of these emperors is so plainly indicated that the mention of them by name could not have been plainer to the members of the churches to whom this code language was addressed. The history of these apocalyptic facts is verified in Gibbon’ s History Of The Fall And Decline Of The Roman Empire. 4. “ Be thou faithful unto death” -- Revelation 2:10. The death of this admonition predicted the martyrdom of some of their number. It does not refer to ordinary death as related to the usual span of life, not merely until one dies; it was a warning to them with specific reference to martyrdom. It was an exhortation to be faithful even unto martyrdom, a consequence of loyalty to Christ in the persecutions, and apocalyptic forecast fulfilled in the experiences of these churches in their own time, the trials of the immediate conflict, not prophecies of remote centuries. 5. “ He that overcometh shall not be hurt with the second death” -- Revelation 2:11. This passage finds its apocalyptic fulfillment within the vision itself, in chapter 20:6, in the description of the culmination of all of the imagery of these scenes with the victory of the saints in the conflicts that come to end. The first law of the higher mathematics is that “ things equal to the same thing are equal to each other.” This law applied to the comparison between these two passages, chapter 2:11 and chapter 20:6, yields the following conclusion: 1. Overcoming the persecutions equaled exemption from the second death; 2. Part in the first resurrection equaled exemption from the second death; 3. These two things being equal to the same thing were equal to each other. Therefore, the result of overcoming the persecutions was pictured as the first resurrection of the apocalypse, and was prerequisite to the iving and the reigning with Christ in the triumphant state of victory that is described. Commentary on Revelation 2:8-11 by Walter ScottTHE SPIRIT'S ADDRESS TO SMYRNA (Revelation 2:8-11). SMYRNA AND . The briefest of these Church addresses is that to Smyrna, the longest that to Thyatira. Smyrna is wholly commended, and not one word of reproach or censure is addressed to it; Laodicea is in every respect blamed, and not one word of commendation or praise is bestowed. Again, the poverty and tribulation of Smyrna stand out in marked contrast with the rich and self-satisfied condition of Laodicea. There is but one other Church not censured, namely, Philadelphia. It must not, however, be supposed that there was nothing wrong in these unblamed assemblies, only the characteristic Church states represented by them were suffering (Smyrna) and weakness (Philadelphia). A child in affliction or in bodily weakness is spared words of censure, and surely our God is not less gracious than an earthly parent. IN . 8. "And to the angel of the Church in Smyrna write: These things says the First and the Last, Who became dead and lived." Declension from first love had set in. The angel of the Church in Ephesus had fallen (Revelation 2:5), not, however, from Christ's right hand, but from love, whilst preserving doctrinal faithfulness and walking blameless in outward consistency. But the moral springs of action were relaxed, and Ephesian Church life thereby robbed of its fragrance. This consideration brings us to the second distinguishing Church period, one of Tribulation. The angel, the Church's representative, is addressed in words of rich and gracious consolation. The full blast of imperial pagan persecution was being endured. For about 250 years, with occasional lulls when the ruthless hand of the persecutor was stayed, the Church was passing through a "baptism of blood," and this in order to rekindle the smouldering flame of love well-nigh extinguished. What the suffering Church was to the Lord is imaged in the meaning of Smyrna, “ myrrh,” a well-known fragrant perfume, a sacred one moreover (Exodus 30:23), also one of the love perfumes of the spouse in the Canticles. The consolation that suited the Seer (Revelation 1:17-18) became the consolation of the Church. We have here the same combination of divine and human predicates which characterised Christ in the glorious vision of His Person as beheld by John. "The First and the Last" is one of the grandest of divine titles, a Rock against which the utmost power of the enemy is futile. As "the First" He is before all in time, and above all as supreme. As "the Last" He is after all, closing all up, for to Him all tend. He is eternal in His Being. But He stooped to die. Death had no claim on Him. He, "the first and the last"-- Jehovah's special title (Isaiah 41:1-29),€” became dead.” He breasted the waves of death. He rose out of it, and "lives" to die no more. This, then, was their "strong consolation." The One Who died and lives is none other than Jehovah in the truth of His Being, the self-existing One. We have had the glory of the Speaker, what He was as God, and what He became as Man, now we are to listen to His consoling and animating message. Revelation 2:9A MESSAGE. Revelation 2:9. "I know thy tribulation and thy poverty; but thou art rich; and the railing of those who say that they themselves are Jews, and are not, but a synagogue of Satan." In the Authorised Version we read, "I know thy works." The word "works" should be deleted according to the critics, besides, it is to suffering and not to works that prominence is given in the message. "I know." What a tower of strength to an afflicted saint and Church! The One in Whose Person are combined at once the greatness of the Godhead and the sympathy of One Who has been in the utmost depths of suffering and death says, "I know thy tribulation and thy poverty." The measure, character, and duration of every phase of trial are known to Him. There is not a tear too many, not a blow too severe. The hardness, the unbrokenness of spirit, the self-confidence have to be broken down. We flourish best in suffering. Jacob was a better man morally after the night of wrestling than before it (Genesis 32:24-32). Paul was kept humble and lowly by that continual reminder, whatever it was, "a thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7). But He also knows our "poverty." Not many grandees are numbered amongst the Lord's people. The Hebrew believers took joyfully the spoiling of their goods (Hebrews 10:34). Confiscation of goods and property, either to the imperial treasury or to those base enough to inform against the Christians, generally followed apprehension. But, says the Lord, "Thou art rich." Our treasure is in Heaven. Our inheritance is there. An inventory of Christian wealth is furnished in 1 Corinthians 3:21-23. Our origin is of God (1 Corinthians 1:30); our position, sons of God (Romans 8:14); our dignity, kingly authority (Revelation 1:6); our destiny, conformity to God's Son (Romans 8:29); our wealth, limited only by Christ's millennial and eternal portion (Ephesians 1:10-11). Truly the Church is rich, whatever its poverty on earth may be. Endowed with the love and riches of Christ, which are enduring and placed beyond the possibility of loss or corruption, we may well triumph in Him Who knows not only our tribulation and poverty, but knowing all pronounces us "rich." Not only was the Church suffering from the pagan world without, but also from an enemy of a religious character within. There was a company, it would seem (not really Jews), which took up the place and pretension of the Jews to be alone God's people on earth. We saw a company of higher clergy in Ephesus (v. 2), whose proud and lofty pretensions were exposed, and the pretenders styled liars. That movement for the time was crushed. But now a movement of a similar character, although on a lower scale, is again in evidence. Arrogant claims to be the Church, to be alone God's people, have been repeated again and again since the Smyrnean era, sometimes on a large scale, at other times on a smaller one. This body of religious pretenders railed against the suffering Church. False accusations, contempt, and contumely were the cruel work of these religious people. What were they in His sight? "A synagogue of Satan."(*We again meet with this strong expression in the address to Philadelphia (Revelation 3:9). Here it opposed itself to the Church in suffering; there in antagonism to the Church in weakness. The Synagogue (Jewish assembly) and the Church (Christian assembly) are distinguished by the apostle James; for the former see Revelation 2:2, R.V. ; for the latter see Revelation 5:14.) The two names, "Satan" and "Devil," are employed in the Revelation as everywhere else in Scripture with propriety and precision. The former means adversary, the latter slanderer. To the Church he is both. Satan "the adversary" set up a heretical party in direct antagonism to the lowly and suffering position of the Church. The devil, "the calumniator," forged lies and all manner of false accusations against God's saints, and succeeded, too, in getting the heathen powers to believe them, and thus he became the real author and source of the "ten persecutions", ten legal outbursts of rage and fury against the Church which were only stopped on the accession of Constantine to the throne of the Caesars. Abounding suffering, however, was answered by abounding consolation, and both, no doubt, were the portion in full of the suffering Church. Christian and heathen contemporary records abundantly verify the truth of this. Revelation 2:10TRIALS AND . Revelation 2:10. "Fear nothing (of) what thou art about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give to thee the crown of life." "Fear not," or "nothing," is a word of preparation for yet further trials, and is evidently taken from Revelation 1:17. There it fell on the ear of the fainting Seer, carrying absolute and unqualified assurance to his soul; here it is to reassure the Church in view of the gathering storm about to burst upon it. Tribulation and poverty were bad enough, and hard to be borne. But worse still was in store. The closing imperial persecutions exceeded in savage cruelty the former ones. The dark clouds were gathering; the wild, hoarse roar of the coming storm was heard. Here the Church is forewarned and encouraged. These coming trials are traced from false accusers, and from the instruments and agents of cruelty to the devil. Persecution was his work. But faith rests on this mighty and grand sustaining truth that "Power belongeth unto God" (Psalms 62:11). The power of the devil is limited and controlled, and he cannot put forth his hand and touch even the feeblest lamb of the flock without express permission (Job 1:1-22; Job 2:1-13). "There is no power but of God" (Romans 13:1), whether satanic or human. The use and employment of the power is another question, involving responsibility of the gravest character. God's purpose was that His Church might be tried, and that to the utmost, and to this end the devil was His servant. Thus God's saints were purified. Love, faith, courage, and faithfulness were strengthened. The Church had a definite and appointed period of tribulation, "ten days." There may be here an allusion to the well-known "ten persecutions," and also to the tenth under Diocletian, which lasted just ten years. The expression "ten days" signifies a limited period, a brief time inconsistent with the lengthened period of pagan persecution covering 250 years. The following references to "ten days" will confirm the meaning of the term as implying a brief and limited time: Genesis 24:55; Nehemiah 5:18; Daniel 1:12; Acts 25:6; Jeremiah 42:7, etc. Some, not many, of the early witnesses for the truth, appalled by the dread of torture and death, denied their Lord. Here faithfulness every step of the way, even unto death, is urged. If the martyr's crown is to be won, then constancy and steadfastness to the end must be maintained. There are various crowns spoken of in the Word. There is the crown of gold on the head of every redeemed one in Heaven (Revelation 4:4). The crown of righteousness, the reward of a holy and righteous walk on earth (2 Timothy 4:8). Next, there is the crown of glory bestowed on all who shepherd the beloved flock of God (1 Peter 5:4). Lastly, we have the martyr's crown, the crown of life (Revelation 2:10). This crown, like other rewards and encouragements, is given personally by Christ, "I will give."Then follows the usual call to hear. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Individual responsibility is ever and firmly maintained. In these addresses is contained the mind of the Spirit and of the Lord which is one, and is meant for all Christian assemblies at all times throughout the earth. Revelation 2:11PROMISE TO THE . Revelation 2:11. "He that overcomes shall in no wise be injured of the second death." To be an overcomer in the Smyrnean condition of things requires endurance suited to the death struggle. The synagogue of Satan is raging on the one hand, and heathendom on the other, alike determined to crush Christianity, whilst between the two stand the lowly confessors of the Nazarene, patience and meekness their only defence. What was the human prospect? Loss of character, of goods, and of life itself. To overcome under such appalling circumstances required strong faith and clear spiritual vision as seeing Him Who is invisible, yet Who is never more near than when apparently His saints are forsaken, and never more true and tender in sympathy than when seemingly He has forgotten them. The overcomer may die under tortures prolonged and gloated over by the almost fiendish malice of men who delight in blood, but he is assured that he shall not be hurt of the "second death," He shall in "no wise," on no account, an exceedingly strong negative, be hurt of the "second death"(*"The second death" stands in purposed contrast to the first. Death among men is the cessation of human life and activity on earth. It brings about a temporary separation of soul and body, but resurrection unites them and introduces the wicked to the "second death" the lake of fire. Extinction of being is not effected when one dies, nor does consciousness cease at death. After death and before resurrection we have a man in hades, the state between these two, namely, death and resurrection, with memory, consciousness, speech, reason, etc. This terrible picture, no doubt, is an everyday awful reality, and is not termed a parable (Luke 16:19-31). "The second death" is the lake of fire. "The raised body will be made capable of enduring the fierce wrath of Almighty God, whether by literal fire or not. The death of the body is a type of the "second death," but inasmuch as antitype exceeds its type, so does the "second death" in all respects exceed the first. which is the lake of fire, i.e., the everlasting abode and place of punishment for the devil and the wicked (Revelation 20:14; Revelation 21:8). Commentary on Revelation 2:8-11 by E.M. ZerrRev_2:8. See the comments on last verse of the preceding chapter for an explanation of the angel. Smyrna is one of the places that received a letter John was told to write. The description of the One who was dictating the letter is the same as in chapter 1:18; the same who was walking in the midst of the churches. This is one of the two that received no rebuke from the Lord in the letters to the seven churches.Revelation 2:9. I know thy works. See comments at verse 2 for the general definition of this phrase which is used at the beginning of each of the seven letters; in this place it means the Lord approves of their conduct. Tribulation refers to the oppression being put upon this church by the enemy. A part of this resulted in the loss of their possessions which brought upon them a condition of poverty. But thou art rich. They were poor as far as this world's goods was concerned but were "rich in faith" (James 2:5). Say they are Jews, and are not. They belonged to the Jewish race but were not true to their religious profession; such people frequently joined with the heathen in persecuting the Christians. Synagogue of Satan means they really were serving the interests of Satan and hence were to be classed with his agents. Such insincere Jews would assemble in their synagogues for their pretended services to God, but due to their hypocrisy the Lord considered it a synagogue of Satan.Revelation 2:10. Imprisonment as a persecution was to be one feature of their tribulation which will be credited to the devil. Ten days is a figurative reference to a series of persecutions that were heaped upon the church under the opposition from the Roman government. This was to become a trial of their faith, and the Lord consoles them with the assurance that they need fear none of those things. Faithful unto death. Even death cannot defraud a true disciple of his reward. Crown of life. A crown is a decoration for being victor over a foe and such a token is worthy those who remain true to the Lord in the presence of death. Their body may die in His service but it will not deprive them of eternal life. (See Luke 12:4.)Revelation 2:11. .He that overcometh means the one who is "faithful unto death." The second death means the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14) which cannot hurt the faithful.[78] W. E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1940), Vol. 4p. 51. [79] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 66. [80] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 204. [81] R. C. H. Lenski. op. cit.. p. 309. [82] James Moffatt. op. cit.. p. 411. [83] John T. Hinds. op. cit.. p. 138. Commentary on Revelation 2:8-11 by Burton CoffmanRev_2:8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things saith the first and the last, who was dead, and lived again:SMYRNAAn ancient cradle of Ionian civilization, Smyrna existed for a millennium before Christ, being utterly devastated and destroyed by Alyattes of Lydia in 600 B.C.,[38] lying in ruins until it was rebuilt by Lysimachus, one of the generals who inherited the empire of Alexander the Great, in 301-281 B.C. By the times of the apostles, it was again a flourishing Greek city, competing with Ephesus for first place in the province. "It was a handsome city, called the most beautiful of all cities under the sun, the great buildings on the nearby summit being called the crown of Smyrna."[39] Smyrna lay next to Ephesus in the sequence that a traveler visiting all seven of these churches would naturally follow. Smyrna still exists under the modern title of Izmir, Turkey, second in importance only to Ankara, and having a population of 286,000 in 1955.[40] Strangely enough, Ephesus, threatened with the loss of its "candlestick" has virtually disappeared; but Smyrna, against which the Lord uttered no condemnation, is a great city even now. To the angel of the church ... See under preceding verse, and also under Revelation 1:20. The first and the last, who was dead and lived again ... Some have seen this identification of our Lord as peculiarly appropriate for a city which, itself, had lain dead for all the middle centuries of the first millennium B.C., but was then once more a favored city. In Smyrna ... This city was one of the oldest and most faithful of the allies of Rome, having erected a temple as early as 195 B.C. to the goddess Roma.[41] There were also temples to Cybele and Zeus, and in one of them an inscription honoring Nero as "the Saviour of the whole human race."[42] In 26 A.D., they also erected a temple to the roman emperor Tiberius, and were clearly a center of that cult of emperor-worship which resulted in so much sorrow for the church.[43] In fact, "the earliest shrine of the provincial cult of Rome was established there in 29 B.C.[44] Regarding the establishment of the church in Smyrna, we do not have any direct information; but, "It was probably established by the apostle Paul on his third missionary journey."[45] Regarding Paul's work in Ephesus, which was not far from Smyrna, Luke recorded this: "And this continued for the space of two years; so that all that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks" (Acts 19:10). This most certainly must have included the citizens of Smyrna. The emperor cult was so strong in Smyrna that even many of the Jews were carried away with it. When Polycarp was martyred there in 155 A.D., the Jews cried out: This is the teacher of Asia, the father of the Christians, the overthrower of our gods who has been teaching many not to sacrifice, or to worship the gods ... The multitude gathered wood and sticks, the Jews especially eagerly assisting in it.[46]It was indeed a hostile environment in which the church of Smyrna lived. How tragically the once chosen people of Israel appeared in such a situation as that. They once had said, "We have no king but Caesar"; and at Smyrna they proclaimed themselves worshippers of the emperor. In the light of this chapter, there cannot be any doubt that the state itself made emperor worship a test of loyalty, condemning Christians to death who would not submit to it. [38] E. M. Blaiklock, op. cit., p. 99. [39] Ibid., p. 101. [40] Encyclopedia Britannica (Chicago: William Benton, Publisher, 1961), Vol. 12, p. 848. [41] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 34. [42] W. Boyd Carpenter, op. cit., p. 542. [43] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 34. [44] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 638. [45] Frank L. Cox, Revelation in 26 Lessons (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1956), p. 15. [46] Ignatius, Concerning the Martyrdom of Polycarp in the Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, n.d.), pp. 41,42. Revelation 2:9I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich), and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.This verse is a commentary on the situation at Smyrna at the time John wrote. Despite the claims of many commentators to the effect that no provincial persecution against the church by the state of Rome existed until the times of Domitian, hence supporting a late date for Revelation, there has recently come to light a great corpus of facts which point squarely to the times of Nero for just such an outbreak. The impact of the Neronean terror was mentioned both by Clement and by Tacitus, the fact of "thousands being put to death" in all probability being no exaggeration but possibly an understatement. Nero's being honored at Smyrna as "the Saviour of the whole human race" is evidence enough that any contradiction of this by Christians would have been proscribed and have resulted speedily in their death. As for the allegedly great persecution in the times of Domitian, "Recent studies have been strongly in the direction of showing that the evidence for a widespread persecution under Domitian is late and probably exaggerated"[47] Sir William Ramsay's extravagant elaboration of the Domitian persecution is followed by many writers; but, as Robinson said, "However, (it is) largely drawn from his own imagination, playing on evidence in Revelation already interpreted as Domitianic material."[48]And are a synagogue of Satan ... This, along with "them that say they are Jews, and they are not" shows that John has preempted the glorious titles of the once chosen people for the Christians. Christians are the real Jews, the true sons of Israel, as in Romans 2:28. The Jews' meeting place is here designated "a synagogue of Satan." Although James used "synagogue" as designating a place of Christian worship, this was probably quite early, or possibly a name used only in Jerusalem. From the first, Christians preferred the word "church," which in time came to stand for the place of assembly also. [47] John A. T. Robinson, Redating the New Testament (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 233. [48] Ibid. Revelation 2:10 Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days,The devil is about to cast some of you into prison ... As Hinds pointed out, "These words show that evil-workers are in the service of the devil,"[49] since it was actually men, human beings, who cast the saints into prison. Furthermore, this must not be understood as any form of mild punishment. Those seized by the government and awaiting trial and execution were held in prison, which in that ancient culture was only an anteroom to death. "The struggle anticipated here is desperate; martyrdom is no remote contingency."[50]And ye shall have tribulation ten days ... This passage sheds light upon some of the problems of interpretation; but, of course, there is no agreement upon exactly what is meant. The most reasonable supposition that this writer has encountered is that of Foy E. Wallace and Gaebelein: This cannot mean a literal ten days, but rather the ten persecutions, the number of which is historically factual.[51]The number ten is of special interest, for history informs us that there were just ten persecutions of Christians by the Roman emperors.[52][49] John T. Hines, op. cit., p. 42. [50] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 354. [51] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., The Book of Revelation (Nashville: Foy E. Wallace, Jr., Publications, 1966), p. 90. [52] Arno C. Gaebelein, The Revelation (Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1961), p. 36. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.Faithful unto death ... This does not mean merely "until you die," but faithfulness, "even if fidelity involves death."[53]The crown of life ... This and all similar promises given to these seven churches simply mean eternal life with God in heaven. Eating of the tree of life, receiving the white stone, or the morning star, etc., all mean the same thing. Why were different expressions used? Perhaps the view is correct that sees "The imagery here has direct reference and application to geographical, historical, and social features familiar to the seven congregations to which these cryptic letters were sent."[54] Was it not appropriate that the citizens of Smyrna who were so proud of their crown (the tall buildings mentioned above), should have been reminded of the greater crown of life? Despite this, Beckwith, however, says that, "It is necessary to look for a local origin of the metaphor."[55] The crown of life was an expression, which, with variations, occurs repeatedly in the New Testament: "the incorruptible crown" (1 Corinthians 9:25), "the crown of life" (James 1:12), "a crown of glory" (1 Peter 5:4), and "a crown of righteousness" (2 Timothy 4:8). All of these expressions refer to the same reward. [53] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 57. [54] E. M. Blaiklock, op. cit., p. 98. [55] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 455. Revelation 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.On the first sentence in this verse, see comment on the identical words in Revelation 2:7, also concerning "overcometh." Shall not be hurt of the second death ... The second death is a reference to the lake of fire in which Satan and his followers are destined at last to be overwhelmed. As Roberson pointed out, many expressions in these earlier chapters of Revelation find their full explanation in the later chapters. Among those he cited were:[56]Tree of life -- Revelation 2:7; Revelation 22:2; Revelation 22:14 The new name -- Revelation 2:17; Revelation 14:1. Authority over the nations -- Revelation 2:26; Revelation 20:4 f. The morning star -- Revelation 2:28; Revelation 22:16. The white garments -- Revelation 3:5; Revelation 7:9; Revelation 7:14. Sitting on Christ's throne -- Revelation 3:21; Revelation 20:4. Second death -- Revelation 2:11; Revelation 20:14. Christ did not mention here "the first death"; but it is the death of the body to which all must submit. The second death is that of the soul, the absolute exclusion from God who is the source of life. Christ did not utter any words of criticism or condemnation of this suffering church, offering only his love and encouragement. Those scholars who feel that they must go to the times of Domitian in order to find a time of martyrdoms in the church should remember that Stephen, James (John's own brother), and James the brother of the Lord had all suffered martyrdom already, and even much earlier than the earliest date affixed to this book. To this very day there are churches in which people are paying for their fidelity with their lives, notably in China and in other iron-curtain countries. What a mistake it is to confine this to a description of the church in the apostolic period. Furthermore, as Lenski said, "In 64 A.D., there were many martyrs when Nero accused the Christians of burning Rome."[57] Moreover, it is only a favorite bias of some scholars who affirm that the persecutions then were limited to Rome and did not occur simultaneously in the provinces. It was noted in the introduction to 1Peter, that Christianity was already a proscribed, illegal religion even in the Roman provinces when 1Peter was written. Nero invited the governors of the various provinces to join with him in the martyrdom of Christians. [56] Charles R. Roberson, Studies in Revelation (Tyler, Texas: P. D. Wilmeth, 1957), p. 19. [57] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 102. Commentary on Revelation 2:8-11 by Manly LuscombeSmyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) The City--Thirty five miles north of Ephesus was another harbor city of 200,000 people. It was known as a most beautiful city. Smyrna was a wealthy, prosperous and proud city. The city was founded by Alexander the Great. The original Olympic games were held here. It is the only city still in existence today. Now it is called Izmir, Turkey. The Church--The origin of the church here is not recorded in the New Testament. History tells of the persecution suffered here. Polycarp is a well-known martyr from Smyrna. Things Commended--This was a WEALTHY church. Rich in spite of real poverty. They had no money but had treasures in heaven. Rich in spite of slander. The Jews were blaspheming them. When Polycarp burned, Jews brought the firewood. Rich in spite of persecution. Polycarp would be burned at the stake some 60 years later. Some were beaten. They were not allowed to buy or sell in the open market. They suffered tribulation for 10 days. Rich because of a sympathetic savior. Jesus was on their side and aware of their problems. Rich because of the precious promises. They were promised a crown of life. There are two different words translated “ crown” in the New Testament. There was the royal crown of power and authority, the royal diadem. But the crown mentioned here is the crown of victory (Gold medal from the Olympics). They will not be hurt in the second death (eternal punishment in hell) because they will have eternal life. Things Condemned--There is not a single word of condemnation in this letter. Jesus found nothing to rebuke. Sermon on Revelation 2:8-11 Faith Under FireBrent Kercheville Are you rich? One of the ways that we lose our fire for the Lord is in our failure to see how rich we are. This is the focus that the Christians in the city of Smyrna are to have concerning the suffering they are about to experience. The city of Smyrna had imperial cult temples to Emperor Tiberius and later to Emperor Hadrian. The cities in the province of Asia competed for the privilege to have this temple to Tiberius established and Smyrna won the competition (similar to how cities compete for the right to host the Olympic Games). Smyrna claimed to be the first in the province in Asia in beauty and emperor loyalty. The city was also the first in Asia to build a temple to the goddess Roma (195 BC). Smyrna is a city that is very loyal to Rome and the emperors. Each year the citizens had to offer sacrifices to Caesar. This would be a problem for Christians who would not be willing to offer sacrifices in honor of the emperor, as many emperors demanded worship. Emperor Domitian is one such emperor who demanded that he be worshiped and Smyrna would certainly have been a city to enforce such worship. We also read in the book of Acts that the Jews were creating a persecution against Christians. Paul himself, before he became a Christian, was one of the lead persecutors of Christians. The book of Acts reveals the Jews using the Roman authorities to bring about imprisonment, suffering, and sometimes even the death of those who believed Jesus to be the Messiah. It is a world we do not understand but a world that many Christians experience outside of the United States. These are the factors that we need to have in mind as we approach Jesus’ letter to the church in the city of Smyrna. Jesus’ Self-Description (Revelation 2:8) How Jesus describes himself indicates the kind of message he is going to give to the church in Smyrna. These are the words of the one who has died and has come back to life. Keep that description in mind as we read about what is going to happen to these Christians. I Know (Revelation 2:9) Jesus says that he knows the tribulation and persecution the Christians are suffering. He knows that they are currently enduring suffering where they live. It is likely that the strong Roman loyalty and spirit in this city caused conflicts and suffering for the Christians who live there. Further, Jesus knows their poverty. The Greek word for poverty indicates they are not simply poor, but they have real deprivation. It is not that they are living poor because they are not being paid well or do not have a job. It is a word that means they had nothing. However, Smyrna was a wealthy city. Therefore, the reason these Christians are in poverty is implied. They have lost their wealth and possessions for Christ. They are suffering economically because they will not show their loyalty to the emperor or to Rome. Economic pressure was an easy way to begin harming Christians in the first century. I wonder if we would have the same patient endurance that these Christians displayed if we suffered economic loss because we were Christians. I wonder this because many lose their faith in Jesus when they suffer economic loss and the loss is not for the cause of Christ. The loss is simply a matter of the economy, a lost job, or poor decision making. Would we be Christians if wearing the name of Jesus meant you would lose your house, your car, and your possessions? Would we be loyal to Jesus even in the face of economic loss? Are our hearts so in love with God that someone could take everything else away and we would still love and serve God? Or are our hearts so in love with this world that if someone were to take away everything, we would be crushed, despondent, and forfeit our faith? I asked you earlier in the lesson if you thought you were rich. The Christians in Smyrna were in poverty. They had their goods and possessions taken away. Jesus even declares that they truly are in poverty. But Jesus tells that they they actually are rich. How could they be rich? They are rich because they have what really matters. One of the ways that we can ignite our passion and love for God is by recognizing that we are rich. We may or may not be rich with wealth and physical possessions. But whatever economic condition we are in is irrelevant. Too often we use our lack as some sort of excuse as to why we cannot serve God. These Christians in Smyrna had true poverty. Their wealth and possessions have been taken from them. But Jesus still knew their works. In fact, this is one of only two churches that Jesus does not issue a condemnation. Lacking possessions is not an excuse for why we choose not to worship, serve, or obey God. By recognizing that we are rich with God allows us to be satisfied with where we are. We are able to be content when we stop looking at all thephysical things we do not have and see all the spiritual things we do have. We are to place our treasure in heaven, making investments in our eternal outcome. Loving the things of this world quenches our love for Jesus. I don’ t know that we grasp this truth. We think that we can love both. Look at the words of Jesus concerning this. “ No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6:24 ESV) Listen to what Jesus said. You will love one and hate the other. You cannot love both of them. You will be devoted to one and despise the other. This is why Jesus’ teaching ends, “ You cannot serve God and money.” You only can love one, not both. See all that you have with God and love God. Stop looking at all you do not have in wealth and stop loving wealth. Staying On Fire Through Suffering (Revelation 2:8-10) The rest of Rev 2:8 describes the current suffering of these Christians. These Christians are being slander by the Jews. Most likely, the Jews are going to the Roman authorities and slandering their activities to bring greater suffering and persecution against the Christians. Jesus says he sees what these Jews are doing. Jesus says that they say they are Jews but they really are not. In Romans 2:28-29 Paul described that those who were true Jews. “ For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit and not the letter. His praise is not from man but from God” (Romans 2:28-29; ESV). These people in Smyrna claim to be the people of God, but they are not, as revealed by their actions. I am going to say something that apparently needs to be said because of the correspondence I receive by email. There are many who claim to be God’ s people but are not. People are going to claim to be followers of Jesus but are not. Recognize that our suffering can come from the hands who we would think to be on our side. Jesus’ words are very harsh for these pretenders. Not only are they not Jews, they actually are a synagogue of Satan. They claim to be followers of God, but they are an assembly of Satan. See them for who they really are because Jesus sees them for who they really are. In Revelation 2:10 Jesus tells his people to get ready. They are already suffering, but there is more suffering coming. How would you like to hear these words? You are suffering for Christ and it is only going to get worse. The devil is about to throw some of them into prison. Not only this, they are going to experience tribulation for 10 days. We must remember that the numbers and images we read in the book of Revelation are symbols unless the text demands otherwise. Nothing in this text demands otherwise. Therefore, Jesus is not saying that their suffering is only for 10 actual days. Rather, their suffering will be for a short, limited duration of time. Do not fear what you are about to suffer but things are going to get more difficult for the Christians. Please notice who is behind this suffering. Notice that the cause of the suffering is the devil, not God. I have pointed out many times that God receives too much blame and the devil does not get enough blame for our suffering. The devil is causing the suffering right now. This is a picture that will crystalize for us in chapter 12. The devil is the source of our suffering. Remain faithful to God. What sense does it make to give up on God and turn to the devil when he is the one who is bringing you the pain? The suffering that is coming is going to be severe. Jesus says to be faithful unto death. This tribulation will not only result in some being imprisoned, but also the death of some. This is why Jesus began this letter with the description of himself as the one “ who died and came back to life.” These Christians must remain faithful, even to the point of death. Jesus died and came back to life. You may die but God will raise you from the dead if you remain faithful. If we remain faithful, we will be given the victorious crown of life. Will we only serve God when it is easy? Will we serve God on all occasions and circumstances? This is a critical concept for the life of the Christian. Christ is calling on his followers to serve even though suffering. If your definition of God’ s mercy and divine power is that he will not let you suffer, then you do not know the God of the Bible. God does not devote his energy and power to keep you from suffering, contrary to popular religious teaching today. God devotes his energy, divine power, and grace to save you from the second death. We must see that this is the point to the Christians. God will not save you from physical suffering or death. That is not God’ s purpose. God will deliver you from the second death if we are faithful to him. Not being hurt by the second death is the most important thing. Ignite your love for God by realizing that your suffering is only temporary. While we live on this earth the devil will send us wave after wave of pain and suffering. God has never promised to keep life easy. God devotes himself to saving your from the second death, the eternal separation from God where there is eternal pain and misery. That is God’ s focus and this must be our focus. Revelation 2:12-17 3. LETTER TO THE CHURCH AT Rev_2:12-17 12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword -- This church is told that the letter came from the one who had the sharp two-edged sword. In the vision (1:16) John saw this sword proceed out of Christ's mouth. As the word of God is said to be the "sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17), and "sharper than any two-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12), it is evident that the two-edged sword proceeding from Christ's mouth means his words. See note on 1:16. 13 I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan's throne is; ---It was, doubtless, encouraging to them to be assured that Jesus knew theunfavorable situation in which they dwelled, the temptations to which they were exposed, and the allurements that tended to draw them away from the truth. The place was so peculiarly filled with wickedness that it was represented as being the very location of Satan's throne. Just what particular form of wickedness led to this designation is not known. It had the ordinary evils that go with a commercial city filled with idolatrous worship. It is said to have been the seat of emperor worship. Evidently Satan incited the people to such atrocious crimes that the place seemed to be his own personal abode. The last expression of the verse, "where Satan dwelleth," has the same meaning as "Satan's throne." and thou boldest fast my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth.--They had confessed Christ and had not allowed any of their tribulations to make them deny that confession. The name "Christian" which had already been given at Antioch (1 Peter 4:16) was held to in spite of all the dangers confronting them. They realized that suffering as Christians they would glorify God in that name. So the apostle Peter had taught in the passage mentioned. That Antipas was a martyr there on account of his faithfulness to Christ is certain from the text, but who he vas or the circumstances under which he was killed is not known. His case was probably a local outbreak of some kind like that when Stephen was killed (Acts 7:51-60), not a general slaughter of Christians. 14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam,--Like the church at Ephesus the Lord had a general commendation of them, but a few things to condemn. As the Savior condemned evil when he was on earth, so he now condemns the sins that existed in the church at Pergamum. Tolerating only a few serious errors would soon kill the church's influence to do good. The teaching of Balaam is explained in the next clauses. who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.--Figuratively a "stumblingblock" is something over which one would fall or be led into sin. Balaam taught Balak how to lead the Israelites into sin. Balaam had not been allowed to curse Israel as Balak requested, but later, because of his love for the "hire of wrong-doing" (2 Peter 2:15), he taught Balak to lead Israel into sin through fornication and the eating of meats offered to idols. (Numbers 3 l:16.) The meaning is that there were some in the church at Pergamum that, like Balaam, led people into idolatry and licentiousness through their teaching; that is, taught that such things were not sinful. This was a serious condition. 15 So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.--See note on verse 6. Just what distinction, if any there was between the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolaitans is not known. They were probably very similar, and some think possibly the same, or at least the same in the two particulars mentioned--fornication and idolatry. 16 Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.--Repentance--determination of mind--must result in a change of conduct. Two parties were involved in this threat--those guilty of the sins named and the rest of the church that tolerated them. The guilty parties would have to reform, or the rest would have to cease fellowshiping them. If the latter occurred, the guilty would still be subject to the punishment indicated. The "sword of my mouth" means that Christ would give the order for the punishment, or he would authorize it to be given. Just how this would be done is not stated, but presumably some natural means at hand would be used or allowed to do the work. It is referred to as making war because the word "sword" had been used. 17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.--See note on verse 7. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.--On overcoming and the possibility of being lost finally see note on verse 11. The one who ends this life victoriously will be saved and enjoy the "hidden manna" in heaven. The reference, of course, is to the manna that fell in the wilderness (Exodus 16:32-34), a memorial portion being put in the ark (Hebrews 9:4). Those refraining from idolatrous meats and remaining pure would be permitted to eat the manna laid up in heaven which is typically represented by the manna in the ark. Leaving off the figurative language, it means that joys in heaven will satisfy our eternal wants as bread satisfies hunger. There has been much speculation regarding the "white stone" and the "new name"; nothing entirely satisfactory has been suggested. As in voting a white stone indicated justification, it may here be used to indicate that one who overcomes is justified and will be received into the heavenly home. The new name is equally uncertain since no one knows it. It may be in some way the means by which God will receive those who gain the victory. Since it cannotbe known by others, it is useless to ask what it is. It is our business to overcome, the white stone and the new name we can leave, to God to make plain in his own time.Commentary on Revelation 2:12-17 by Foy E. WallaceThe letter to the church at Pergamos.—Revelation 2:12-17. 1. “ He which hath the sharp sword with two edges"—Revelation 2:12. The sword is an instrument of war, hence Christ threatened to wage war against the church in Pergamos, because of the evils within it, with the weapon designated “ the sword of my mouth.” A sword of the mouth would necessarily be the spoken word, and it meant the employment of the two-edged sword of his word (Hebrews 4:12), as a dual condemnation of the outside espionage of Satan’ s seat in Pergamos, and the inside sabotage of Balaam’ s doctrine within the church itself--the combined infiltration of pagan secular practices on one hand, and the Nicolaitane spiritual contaminations of erroneous doctrines on the other hand. 2. “ Where Satan’ s seat is” -- Revelation 2:13.The stronghold of Satan consisted in the pagan and Jewish oppositions, which were combined in Pergamos into deadly threats against the church. The Pergamos church had been weakened by the heathen surroundings of Mysia, known for its famous temples, dedicated to Zeus, Minerva, Apollo, Venus, Bacchus, and Aesculapius. The figure, Satan’ s seat, denotes the wickedness of these idolatrous temples and the nuptials to these gods. The name Pergamos meant the “ place of nuptials.” It was a fitting figure of Satan’ s seat. 3. “ In those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr” -- Revelation 2:13. There is a traditional claim that Antipas was once a bishop of the Pergamos church, but history does not identify him. In this book of symbols and code, the same reason for not mentioning other persons by name, such as Nero, the emperor, would also argue against the reality of these names. It is more consistent with the character of the book for Antipas to be a symbolic designation and representative for martyrdom. The word Antipas is derived from antipater: “ anti,” against; and "pater," father, or paternal--and its meaning was, against the gods: hence, symbolic of faithfulness to Christ to the extent of “ against all” gods of paganism. It therefore stood for all who would become victims of martyrdom in the persecutions to follow.4. “ Thou hast them that hold the doctrine of Balaam . . . also the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes” -- Revelation 2:14-17. The mongrel prophet of the Old Testament contrived the evil scheme to destroy the purity of the Israelites by a twofold seduction: first, seducing Israel into the worship of Baal; and second, tempting the men of Israel into lewdness by fornication. This doctrine of Balaam in the Pergamos church referred to apostate teaching. And the association of the Nicolaitanes with Balaam, in the teaching of immorality with the outward profession of Christianity, is a strong indication that the Nicolaitanes were identical with those who held the doctrine of Balaam, and it was a dual symbol of one party in the Pergamos church. Actually, then Balaam and the Nicolaitanes stood for the same things. It is significant to mention here that the term Nicolaitane is the Greek equivalent of the name Balaam in the Hebrew, and they both meant “ the destroyer of the people.” There is no factual authority for the view that the Nicolaitanes were the degenerate followers of a depraved and anonymous Nicolas, who is supposed to have demoralized and corrupted the Pergamos church. It is rather the symbolic association between Balaamism and Nicolaitanism. It seems too significant not to be true.Commentary on Revelation 2:12-17 by Walter ScottTHE SPIRIT'S ADDRESS TO (Revelation 2:12-17). OR . 12. "To the angel of the Church in Pergamos write." The most northern of the churches is next addressed. The ancient capital of Mysia still exists under the name of Bergamo, but shorn of its greatness and glory. Pergamos, or Pergamum more generally read, has been described as a "sort of union of a pagan cathedral city, a university town, and a royal residence." Attalus III. bequeathed his city to the great republic; then, and subsequently under the empire, it was considered one of the finest cities in Asia. Distinguished as it was for its idolatry, its learning, and medical science, nevertheless it was, from a Christian standpoint, one of the worst of the seven cities named. Christianity reverses the judgment of the world, inasmuch as it reveals things, principles, and persons in their true relation to God. THE SHARP SWORD OF . 12. "These things says He that has the sharp two-edged sword." The glorious description of Christ, which constitutes the first vision beheld by the Seer (Revelation 1:12-16), is applied in its various parts in the addresses to the churches, or more correctly to their respective angels. The character of Christ to Pergamos is taken from verse 16 of the great introductory vision. There, however, the sword proceeds out of His mouth as denoting the character of judgment, the authority of His Word. Here, it is not said to be out of His mouth, but He has it. In neither passage is the sword seen sheathed, but drawn and ready for instant and thorough work, "sharp and two-edged." The sword is used as a symbol of judgment. It is employed to denote the Lord's vengeance on the guilty world (Revelation 19:15), as also of thorough and unsparing judgment of evil, not on His people, but of evil in them (Hebrews 4:12). Christ ever holds the sword, and uses it on friends and foes alike. He fights against evil, and by the simple authority of His Word it is exposed and judged. To those, whether in the Church or in the world, who refuse to bow before Him and own His absolute authority, the sword must do its mighty and sure work in the execution of judgment; for, be it solemnly remembered, judgment and the execution of it also, are committed to the Son of Man (John 5:22; John 5:27). The sword is not to wound or kill the angel of the Church, but to be used against those for whose presence in the assembly the angel was responsible (Revelation 2:16). Revelation 2:13SATAN'S THRONE AND . Revelation 2:13. "I know where thou dwellest, where Satan's throne is." In the Authorised Version the words "thy works and" coming after "I know" are an unwarranted interpolation, believed to be the work of a careless copyist. "Satan's throne" (not "seat"), as in the Authorised Version and other modern versions, alone suits the demands of the context and of the general truth of the passage. The decay of first love was the first characteristic feature of the Church in its downward career. The second, or Smyrnean condition, was one of open persecution from the heathen imperial power. Probably the most severe but the most useful and sanctifying periods of persecution were those under Decius, A.D. 249, and Diocletian, A.D. 284.(*White, in his excellent and condensed history, "The Eighteen Christian Centuries," gives the ten pagan persecutions as follows: The first under Nero, A.D. 54; the second under Domitian, A.D. 81; the third under Trajan, A.D. 98; the fourth under Adrian, A.D. 117; the fifth under Septimius Severus, A.D. 193; the sixth under Maximin, A.D. 235; the seventh under Decius, A.D. 249; the eighth under Valerian, A.D. 254; the ninth under Aurelian, A.D. 270; the tenth under Diocletian, A.D. 284. It is impossible in all cases to determine the exact year when persecution commenced. The legal enactments against Christianity were suspended or enforced according to the will of the then reigning emperor. The persecuting laws of Domitian were repealed by the gentle Nerva, and those of Diocletian by the first Christian (?) emperor, Constantine.) The effect of both was to separate the false from the true, and to purify the faith of the suffering Church. The cruelty of Satan from without was let loose against it, the heathen authorities being his instruments; but utterly baffled in his efforts to destroy Christianity his next move was to destroy the Church in its true character and testimony, and effect its ruin from within, using religious men and teachers to accomplish his deadly work. It has been said that "Paul feared the clergy, while Ignatius feared the people." Paul's prophetic forecast (Acts 20:29-30) was amply verified, as the Pergamos and Thyatiran states of the Church fully demonstrate. Pergamos at the time of the Apocalypse was the capital of the Roman government in Asia. Heathenism reigned supreme. From it as a centre idolatry and persecution spread all over western Asia, the Asia of the Apocalypse; hence the local force of the expressions "Satan's throne" and where "Satan dwelleth." Satan had his throne and dwelling in Pergamos, and from thence he sought to strangle Christianity in that part of the earth.(*Divine honours were paid to the Roman emperors, and in this impiety Pergamos took the lead in Asia. Says a Roman historian: "The city of Pergamos made a merit of having already built a temple in honour of Augustus," and petitioned Tiberius for the honour of erecting another. It is significant that the last phase of public idolatrous evil is to be the worship of the Beast, or revived power of Rome, in an intense and malignant form.) Surely, however, a larger and more comprehensive use of these expressions must be sought for! We must keep steadily in view that each of these three first churches describes a special condition of the whole professing Church at successive periods of its history. Thus the Pergamos period brings us up to the era of Constantine, the beginning of the fourth century. The repeated assaults of Satan as a "roaring lion" (1 Peter 5:8) in open persecution for 250 years left the Church spiritually richer if poorer in the eyes of the world. Where Diocletian, the last of the persecuting emperors, failed, Constantine the first Christian emperor succeeded. The seductions of Satan effected the moral ruin of the Church. After the death of Licinius, the colleague of Constantine the Great, the latter became sole emperor. On his accession to the throne the persecuting edicts of his predecessor were repealed, and liberty granted to the Christians to worship according to their conscience, A.D. 313. But the Christian religion was then simply regarded as one of the many religions of the empire. All were equally tolerated. But as time wore on Constantine got better acquainted with Christianity, and was sagacious enough to discern in it principles of an enduring character, and such as would tend to consolidate his power; his Christian subjects, too, could be relied upon to uphold the imperial dignity, whereas his pagan ones were continually raising insurrections in various parts of the empire. Accordingly Constantine, A.D. 324, and frequently afterwards, issued edicts against paganism, and sought with might and main to force Christianity on the empire as its one and only religion. Pagans were banished from the court, and Christians advanced to posts of honour. Constantine offered his gold and patronage to the Church, and it eagerly swallowed the bait, sacrificed its conscience and allegiance to its Lord, and the Church and the world, which had hitherto walked apart (John 17:1-26; 2 Corinthians 6:14-16), were soon locked in each other's arms. Fatal union! From this period we date the unhappy alliance of Church and State, and the rise of Church establishments endowed by the State. Christianity was in many instances forced upon unwilling subjects at the point of the sword. It was either the sword or baptism, although the august ruler himself put off observance of the Christian rite till a few days before his death at Nicomedia. The gorgeous heathen temples and vestments of the priests were consecrated for Christian service. Instead therefore of the plain and unpretending meeting rooms and halls, in which the early Church assembled, grand buildings and ostentatious display became the order of the day. Christianity walked in golden slippers. In order to reconcile the priests and people of the ancient superstitions to the new order of things many of the pagan rites and ceremonies were adopted by the Church. Thus it falsified its character as a witness for holiness and truth. The effects of that unholy alliance remain to this day, and although God has governmentally used it in checking the tide of infidelity, yet it has wrought incalculable mischief to the Church viewed as the body of Christ, and has done much harm in lowering the holy and unworldly character which the Church ought to show in this Christ-rejecting age. The true union of Church and State awaits the revelation of another day (Revelation 21:9; Revelation 22:5). The Church thus at her ease in the presence of the "throne" and "dwelling" of Satan, who is the god of this world, enables us to see the force of the unusually strong expressions in verse 13. Satan has both a "throne" and "dwelling" on earth, and for the Church to sit down thereon or therein is truly awful. There are enumerated twenty-eight items in chapter 18 of the Apocalypse as characteristic of the false Church: the first is "gold," and the last "souls." This epoch of Church history is one of such importance that we have devoted to its consideration these lengthy remarks. ON THE EARTH. 13. The Lord was not indifferent. I know "where thou dwellest" has a deeply moral and ominous significatian (compare with Philippians 3:19 and Revelation 3:10; Revelation 6:10; Revelation 11:10; Revelation 13:14; Revelation 14:6; Revelation 17:8). These passages point to a class of persons who are not simply on the earth, but whose sole interests are in it and bounded by it. They refer to a class of persons morally characterised as "dwellers on the earth."(*"The dwellers upon earth are a moral class, the worst in it, seemingly, apostates who have had the offer of the heavenly calling, but have deliberately chosen earth as their portion instead.” C. E. S.) . 13. "Thou holdest fast My Name, and hast not denied My faith." All that is vital in Christianity had been firmly maintained the Name and faith of Christ. They had been tested and proved under the most appalling circumstances, confiscation of goods, torture, and death. "Swear by the genius of Caesar" they would not. They held fast the Name of Him Who is holy and true. Deny the faith of Christ as Son of God in divine relationship, as Son of Man in Holy humanity towards men, and as Son of David in Judaic rights and glory they would not. They endured as "seeing Him Who is invisible." They shrank not from the fiery trial, and the Lord delights to recount it and commend them for it, even when He has to strongly censure them for dwelling in the high places of the earth where Satan had established his throne and dwelling. It was Satan really who had his throne first at Rome, afterwards at Constantinople, and who employed the Caesars as his instruments and agents; from thence he governed. He dwelt there while also having access to Heaven. His overthrow is determined and the moment fixed (Revelation 12:7-13). ANTIPAS, THE . The orthodoxy of the angel as to vital truth was unquestionable. Pergamos, in the main, had not surrendered one article of fundamental truth, and this especially, "even in the days in which Antipas, My faithful witness (was), who was slain among you." The name of this noble witness for Christ who sealed his testimony with his blood has been handed down to all ages.(*"Andreas speaks of the account of the martyrdom of Antipas existing in his time and his bold expostulations against his accusers. It is said that in the reign of Domitian he was cast into the brazen bull." "The Apocalypse, with Notes and Reflections," p. 30.) But although nothing certain is known of Antipas save the name, there is much wrapped up in that sentence, "My faithful witness, My faithful one" (R.V.). What Christ was to God (Revelation 1:5), that Antipas was to Christ. Revelation 2:14-15 AND . Revelation 2:14-15. "But I have a few things against thee: that thou hast there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a snare before the sons of Israel, to eat (of) idol sacrifices and commit fornication. So thou also hast those who hold the doctrines of Nicolaitanes in like manner." "But I have against thee," words of definite complaint to the angel of Ephesus (Revelation 2:4), and to that of Thyatira (Revelation 2:20); in the former, departure from first love; in the latter, corruption of doctrine. Here, however, the plural "things" point to more than one just cause of complaint. Those who held the teaching of Balaam were one class, and those who held the teaching of the Nicolaitanes were another. Both were tolerated in the Pergamos assembly. But what was hated in Ephesus was accepted in Pergamos (Revelation 2:6; Revelation 2:15), Nicolaitanism being sternly rejected by the former, while permitted by the latter.(*There are certain parallel resemblances between the seven parables of Mat 13:1-58 and the seven churches of Rev 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22, notably between the first and third parable with the first and third Church. The "kingdom" is the subject in Matthew 13:1-58; the "Church" the subject in the Apocalypse 2 and 3.) Balaam's heart was not in the magnificent prophecies he was compelled by the Spirit of God to utter (Numbers 23:1-30; Numbers 24:1-25). The honours and gifts of the king of Moab filled his soul's vision. For money he would curse the people of God. "He loved the wages of unrighteousness" (2 Peter 2:15). Baffled in his attempts to curse those whom God had blessed, the wicked Mesopotamian prophet taught the wicked Moabite king to cast a stumbling-block in the path of Israel. We have no record of this transaction in the Old Testament. The prophet and the king went their respective ways (Numbers 24:25). But the stratagem succeeded. Under the direction of their guilty monarch the women of Moab caused Israel to sin (Numbers 25:1-18; Numbers 26:1-65; Numbers 27:1-23; Numbers 28:1-31; Numbers 29:1-40; Numbers 30:1-16; Numbers 31:1-54). Thus Balaam, even more guilty than the king, was the real instigator under Satan of the fall of Israel, which led to the signal judgment inflicted upon 24,000 of the people (Numbers 25:9).(*In 1 Corinthians 10:8 the number who perished is given at 23,000, but the words "fell in one day" sufficiently account for the apparent discrepancy in the numbers who perished. The full number destroyed would not necessarily be accomplished in one day. Moses states the larger number without reference to the time covered by the execution of the judgment.) Peter, Jude, and John are the only writers of the New Testament who specifically refer to Balaam. The two sins into which Israel was thus led were idolatry and fornication. These very evils were energetically denounced by Paul in a later day (1 Corinthians 10:19-28; and 1 Corinthians 6:15-18). Here the teachers and adherents of these impure practices were sheltered in the very bosom of the Church itself. These sins were the result of Balaam-teaching. For the Christian any object short of God Himself is idolatry (1 John 5:21), and illicit intercourse with the world is fornication (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).*(Israel is charged with adultery in having fellowship with the Gentiles (Jeremiah 3:8), because viewed as married to Jehovah. The Church is charged with fornication in its illicit intercourse with the world (Revelation 2:21), because not yet married to the Lamb.) Revelation 2:15. "The doctrines of the Nicolaitanes" were not quite the same as those of Balaam, although the result was the same in both cases, namely, the moral ruin of all contaminated by these unholy teachings and practices. Balaam, the false prophet, has his modern representatives in the Church to-day. Men occupy responsible positions in it, who, Balaam-like, cling tenaciously to their emoluments and preferments, while they labour with a zeal worthy of a better cause to overthrow the faith they are paid to defend and uphold. The honesty of these men is on a par with their soul-destroying work. The teachings of Balaam act upon the souls of men; whereas the doctrines of Nicolaitanism are sown in the souls of the people. Between the two the corporate body is well-nigh ruined. From the fourth century till today rapid strides have been made in the wrong direction, so that now there is scarcely a feature of early apostolic Church character left. The angel is not charged with holding these doctrines, but they had not been resisted. Indifference to evil is an insult to God. The moral relaxation of the angel of Pergamos stands out in marked contrast to that of Ephesus. The sin of the Church is toleration of evil and evil men. Revelation 2:16 OR . Revelation 2:16. "Repent therefore: but if not, I come to thee quickly, and I will make war with them with the sword of My mouth." In the warning to Ephesus "remember" precedes the call to repent. Not one of the assemblies had been so richly blessed, had enjoyed so much of the goodness and grace of God, as the assembly in the capital of western Asia. Paul had laboured in Ephesus for three years. His service and tears had borne abundant fruit, and in his epistle to the saints of that city he had unfolded truths of the most exalted character without one accompanying word of rebuke or censure. Faith in Christ and love to all saints were characteristics of their Church life. How fitting therefore the words of divine admonition, "Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent." But the assembly in Pergamos never had been in the enjoyment of such exalted grace and privilege; hence the omission of the word "remember." "Repent therefore," omitted in the Authorized Version, is in view of the faithful exposure of grave evils in their midst. Personally the angel of the Church had neither imbibed the teachings nor practiced the deeds reprobated, but, on the other hand, he had not denounced them, nor had he opposed their entrance into the Church which the angel of the Church in Ephesus had energetically done. If no self-judgment followed the call to repent, the Lord threatens speedy judgment: "I come to thee quickly." The imminence of the judgment is expressed in the use of the present tense, as also in the introduction of the word "quickly," wrongly inserted in verse 5, rightly here in verse 16 (see R.V. for both texts). The coming here referred to does not signify the personal return of the Lord, or what is spoken of as the second Advent, but points to an immediate dealing with the assembly by the Lord Who would visit it in judgment. To the angel He says, "I come to thee," but to the still more guilty, "I will make war with them." Thus the Lord distinguishes. There are degrees of sin and, proportionately, of punishment. We, too, should distinguish between leaders and led. In the various forms and phases of discipline enjoined in the New Testament in order to preserve the holiness of God's House this distinction should be carefully acted upon. "Of some," says the apostle, "have compassion, making a difference; but others save with fear, snatching (them) out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh" (Jude 1:22-23). "The sword of My mouth" refers to the judging power of His Word; it pierces. Revelation 2:17A CALL TO HEAR. Revelation 2:17. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." In these addresses we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. In them He speaks to the churches of Christendom. Had Christendom listened to the voice of the divine Speaker the public ruin of the Church would have been averted. But whilst the Spirit speaks to the churches, it is individuals who are called to hear. The Church throughout is regarded as a body insensible either to the pleadings or warnings of the Spirit; hence the churches are not called upon to hear, but individuals are: "He that has an ear to hear, let him hear." Corporate recovery is hopeless, hence individual responsibility, always of prime importance, is the more earnestly and continuously pressed. This is a cardinal truth in Christianity, on the denial of which the papacy flourishes. The very kernel of the papal system is the stern disallowance of individual thought and of one's direct relation to God. SPECIAL AND REWARDS. 17. "To him that overcomes, to him will I give of the hidden manna; and I will give to him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which not one knows but he that receives (it)." The overcoming here, as elsewhere, is an individual matter. If a company of overcomers is to be formed it can only be in the exercise of faith and spiritual energy by each one. The overcoming company, or "cloud of witnesses" of Hebrews 11:1-40, is separately presented. Each witness for God had to fight the foe alone, yet not alone, for the living God was for him and with him. In our English Bibles the words "to eat" are not found in the Sinaitic and Alexandrine MSS., and are also deleted in the Revised Version, and rejected by Tregelles, Kelly, Darby, and others. There is peculiar sweetness in these promises, as also in the way of their bestowal. "I give of the hidden manna." The twice repeated "I give" enhances the value of the promised blessings. The manna is termed "angels' food" (Psalms 78:25) and "the bread of God" (John 6:33). Manna, meaning "What is this?" is the standing expression of Israel's bewilderment at the manner and abundance of Jehovah's provision for them in the desert (Exodus 16:15), but certainly it was not "hidden," since it lay on the face of the ground round their camp. For 12,500 mornings Jehovah rained down bread from Heaven for His people on earth. Israel's God is our God, and He is even more to us than He was to them, owing to our present and living association with Christ in glory. As a memorial of God's grace to His people a pot full of manna was laid up before the Lord (Exodus 16:33), a "golden pot" we are informed by Paul (Hebrews 9:4). For about 500 years this "hidden manna" told its tale of Christ in humiliation, but to God alone. Hid in the ark, the most sacred of vessels, it was screened from the gaze of the people; probably during the long period of five centuries no human eye beheld it. Now, says Christ, "I give," not mediately, but personally, "of the hidden manna." It is, of course, a reward in the future when the struggle is over. What a blessing! To learn then from Christ Himself in glory the secrets of His life here, the depths of His humiliation, the moral beauties and perfections of His life hid from the eyes of men. It will then be seen that the path of the overcomer is but a reflex of the life of Jesus here. What communings in the glory between the Victor and His victorious people. Life's story understood and rehearsed above, but whose life's history? ours or His? The unwritten records of His life, if penned, would require a larger world than this to contain them (John 21:25). The manna of old was rained from Heaven for the blessing and satisfaction of the people on earth. The hidden manna is to be given to the overcomers in Heaven. The public place of the Church in closest fellowship with the world, in which Satan established his throne and dwelling, had been refused by the overcomers in Pergamos; hence they had to abide in the shade, and suffer as they trod a solitary path in fellowship with Jesus, Who Himself had trod that separate path to Him more rugged and lonely surely than to any before or since. But not only will He give the hidden manna, but also "I will give to him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows but he that receives (it)." What is to be understood by the white stone and secret name written thereon? A "white stone" was largely employed in the social life and judicial customs of the ancients. Days of festivity were noted by a white stone; days of calamity by a black stone. A host's appreciation of a special guest was indicated by a white stone with a name or message written on it. A white stone meant acquittal; a black stone condemnation in the courts of justice. Here the overcomer is promised a white stone and a new name written thereon, which none knows save the happy recipient. It is the expression of the Lord's personal delight in each one of the conquering band. It is by no means a public reward. There are common and special blessings now; there will be public and individual joys then. The Lord's approbation of, and special delight in, each one of the triumphant company will be answer enough to the rejection and scorn heaped upon the faithful witness now. The new name on the stone, alone known to the overcomer, signifies Christ, then known in a special and peculiar way to each one, and that surely is reward beyond all price and beyond all telling. It is a secret communication of love and intelligence between Christ and the overcomer, a joy which none can share, a reserved token of appreciative love. In the glory the hidden manna is the expression of our appreciation of Christ in His humiliation; while the white stone equally sets forth His appreciation in us as overcomers. His and our individual path here are the points respectively set forth in the glory by the symbols of the "manna" and the "stone."Commentary on Revelation 2:12-17 by E.M. ZerrRev_2:12. The author identifies himself in this place by His possession of the sharp sword with two edges. This refers to the word of God which is described in Hebrews 4:12. The Lord says he hath this sword or that He originated it and has a perfect knowledge of the proper use of it. And to the angel is explained at Revelation 1:20. Revelation 2:13. I know thy works. (See comments at verse 2.) Know is used in the sense of approval with regard to the works in this verse. Where Satan's seat is. Pergamos was in one of the worst centers of idolatry, making the temptation all the greater. This church as a whole withstood the influence of heathendom, holding fast to the name of Christ as the true person to worship. Not denied my faith denotes that they maintained the basis of that faith or system of religion which was the Gospel. Not much is said elsewhere about this Antipas further than what is said here. He is referred to as a "martyr" even as it is in our passage. However, the reason for so classifying him is an error, namely, because it is said that he was slain for his faith. He was a martyr before being slain because death is not what makes a man a martyr; it only proves that he was a martyr. That term is from the same Greek word as "witness" and it means the same. It is the word for "witness" in Hebrews 12:1 where we know Paul is speaking about the faithful servants of God enumerated in the preceding chapter. We also know that some of those "witnesses" (martyrs) did not die, for they "wandered in deserts and in mountains." Hence a martyr is one who is true to the testimony of the Lord come what may, whether it be death or loss of goods or banishment like the case of John. Accordingly in the case of Antipas; he went to his death because he had been a true and faithful martyr for Christ. Revelation 2:14. Thou hast there means the church was holding within its fellowship these characters. hold the doctrine denotes that they believe and retain and endorse it. The doctrine of Balaam is briefly stated in direct connection with this passage. It nertains to the advice that Balaam gave Balac after the four speeches that he (Balaam) made under the control of the Lord. The historical account of it is quoted from Josephus in connection with Numbers 25:1-5 in Volume 1 of Bible Commentary. The persons in the church at Pergamos were endorsing the same practices which were a mixture of idolatry and immorality. Revelation 2:15. See the comments at Revelation 2:6 on the Nicolaitanes. Revelation 2:16. Repent. (See comments at Revelation 2:5 on this subject.) Fight against them means a spiritual war since the weapon is the sword of my mouth. It means these guilty members will be exposed and condemned by this sword which is the word of God. Revelation 2:17. He that hath an ear is commented upon at Revelation 2:7. Him that overcometh signifies one who is faithful to the Lord until death. Eat of the hidden manna. This is a figure of speech formed from the circumstance recorded in Exodus 16:32-34; it is referred to by Paul in Hebrews 4. This manna was in the ark in the Most Holy Place where none were permitted to enter and partake. It is used here to represent the exclusive spiritual blessings that the Lord will bestow only on His faithful servants. A white stone alludes to some practices of old in which a favored contestant was given this kind of stone as a badge of distinction, on much the same principle as a soldier's decorations. This new name also signifies the special relation between a faithful servant and his Lord. No man knoweth in the sense that no man can realize or appreciate what it means to be thus blessed of the Lord.Commentary on Revelation 2:12-18 by Burton CoffmanRev_2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword:Angel of the church ... See references above on this. The name Pergamum means citadel,[58] but the word parchment, meaning paper of Pergamum, also derives from it.[59] When political jealousy interrupted the supply of papyrus from Egypt, Pergamum invented the method of making paper from the skins of animals; and a great library was built there, which was later moved to Alexandria and consolidated with the library there. The founding of the city lay beyond the mists of long pre-Christian history, but coins were minted there as late as 452 B.C., and possibly much earlier. The principal importance of the place dates from the times of Lysimachus (355 to 281 B.C.), after whom Pergamum continued as a kingdom until Attalus III, upon whose death (133 B.C.) the kingdom was bequeathed to Rome. By Christian times, Pergamum had become the chief center of the Roman emperor-worship, no less than three temples being erected there to Roman emperors,[60] but with many other temples also, to Zeus, Athena, Dionysus, and Asklepios (the serpent-god of healing). Of these, the temple of Zeus (Soter Theos), the "saviour god," had a huge altar 40 feet high carved like a great throne into the face of the mountain dominating the city, perhaps suggesting the words, "where Satan's throne is" (Revelation 2:13). A school of medicine was there, connected with the worship of Asklepios; and the city was also the principal seat of Roman authority in the area. All of these gave the city something of the character of a great imperial cathedral metropolis. It was the Roman sword which constituted the ultimate authority in the times and place of Pergamum, and thus it was most appropriate for John to speak of Christ to them as, "He that hath the sharp two-edged sword," an authority infinitely greater than that of Rome. The sword, of course, is the word of the Son of God. The climate of Pergamum, religiously, was especially threatening to Christians. "Pergamum had mingled and synthesized the deities of three races, and of three successive periods of their history."[61] With these, they had also combined the worship of the Caesars, temples to both Augustus and Tiberius having already been constructed there when Revelation was written. In this atmosphere, there were some Christians, no doubt, who favored the incorporation of Christianity into the religious life of the community without a collision with the pagan world. As Billy Graham stated it, "The message to the church at Pergamum speaks of the danger of theological compromise ... Their sin was tolerating theological error in their midst."[62][58] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 638. [59] Funk and Wagnall's Standard Dictionary (New York: Funk and Wagnalls Company, 1958), in loco. [60] E. J. Banks, op. cit., p. 2322. [61] E. M. Blaiklock, op. cit., p. 106. [62] Billy Graham, The Seven Churches of Asia in Christianity Today (Dover, New Jersey: Christianity Today, 1978), Vol. XXIII, No. 4, November 17,1978, p. 20. Revelation 2:13I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan's throne is; and thou holdest fast my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth.I know where thou dwellest ... Repeatedly, this affirmation of the omniscience of the Master emphasizes the truth that all things are open and naked to the eyes of the Lord. Where Satan's throne is ... See under preceding verse. Holdest fast my name ... See under Revelation 2:3. And didst not deny my faith ... The usage of "faith" in this verse is significant, standing, as it so frequently does in the New Testament, for the Christian religion. Even in the days of Antipas ... who was killed ... Nothing is known of this Christian martyr except what is written here. The inference is that he died for his faith and that the event was known widely in the church. Where Satan dwelleth ... In all probability, like the expression above, "where Satan's throne is," this is a reference to the pagan emperor-cult which was centered in Pergamum. "It was a power which was then testing the church and had effected the death of Antipas."[63]Caird gives an extensive analysis of the arguments that might have been advanced by the compromise party in Pergamum, to the effect that "All that the emperors really wanted was a gesture of political loyalty,"[64] that actually the pagan "gods" were really "nothing," and that gestures of honor given them were without meaning, etc.; but Blaiklock explains the adamant refusal of Christians to participate in such things thus: Allow the pinch of incense before the emperor and the landslide would begin. The guild-feasts would follow, a problem for Christians in Thyatira. Then would come the immoralities of Corinth's worship of Aphrodite, and the breakdown of Christian morality, the sanctities of Christian marriage, the whole challenging distinctiveness of the Christian faith, the whole purpose of its being.[65][63] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 458. [64] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 34. [65] E. M. Blaiklock, op. cit., p. 106. Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teachings of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.The teaching of Balaam ... "Evidently this error of Balaam was the chief principle of the sect of the Nicolaitans."[66] "The teaching of Balaam is merely John's opprobrious name for the teaching of the Nicolaitans"[67] The nature of their teaching is clear enough. They advocated participation in pagan worship, eating things sacrificed to idols, and committing fornication, essential ingredients of all pagan worship. Significantly it is the "works," the behavior of the Nicolaitans, that is condemned in the Ephesian church; but at Pergamum, the practice of immorality has become an established teaching by some who openly advocated it, perhaps on the basis that some kind of compromise with paganism was inevitable. Balaam, repeatedly mentioned by New Testament writers, is usually held up as an example of evil. His error is set forth in Numbers 25 :lff; 31:16. Regarding the Nicolaitans, some have supposedly found a connection between his name and that of Balaam; but Beckwith noted that: The purely symbolical interpretation of the name based upon a supposed identity of the Greek word [@Nikolaos] with the Hebrew word [Balaam] is not supported by certain etymology and is too artificial.[68]See further comment on Nicolaitans under Revelation 2:6. [66] Merrill C. Tenney, op. cit., p. 60. [67] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 39. [68] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 400. Revelation 2:16 Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.The admonition here is that, "The church as a whole must repent of its too tolerant attitude to the errorists."[69] As Graham noted, "They had taken no corrective action and had applied no discipline."[70] Such a "broadminded" indifferent attitude toward gross sins would have to be repented of. I will come unto thee quickly ... "The one thing clear is that, when John speaks of an imminent coming of Christ, he is not necessarily thinking of the Parousia (the Second Advent)."[71] What is meant is that a divine judgment against them will be speedily enforced. This may be understood in either of two ways, or both: (1) Their effectiveness as a true church would soon disappear unless they repented. (2) A supernatural, divine visitation against them would be executed, as upon Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10). Moffatt understood it to be the latter, "some physical malady or mortal sickness."[72] If Moffatt is correct in this, as would seem to be indicated by the more specific reference to Jezebel (Revelation 2:20-23, below), then the very fact of such judgments, associated with the earliest years of the church, being threatened here would indicate an early date for Revelation. Make war against them with the sword of my mouth ... This is a symbolical reference to the word of God as the principal weapon employed in the destruction of error. [69] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 357. [70] Billy Graham, op. cit., p. 21. [71] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 41. [72] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 357. Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.On the first sentence, see under Revelation 2:7, and also regarding "him that overcometh." I will give of the hidden manna ... The great feasts in the idol-temples were nothing to be compared to the feast of one who eats of "the bread of life" (John 6:35). John remembered the words of Jesus who in that passage identified himself as the true manna that came down from God out of heaven. It is here called "hidden" because it was a secret unknown to the pagan world of the community to which Revelation was written. Finding some reference to the Hebrew myth about a literal pot of manna in this is ridiculous. As Bruce said, "This is another expression meaning eternal life."[73] Many of the other expressions similarly used, such as the white stone, also have exactly that same meaning. White stone ... It is not necessary to find the meaning of this in ancient superstitions. Small pebbles (not necessarily white) were used as tickets to public functions, especially feasts; and what is meant is simply that the ones who overcome shall receive, "a ticket of admission to the heavenly banquet, a very permanent ticket to an eternal feast."[74] The reference to the new name known only to the recipient ... "The idea is conveyed that outside the Christian experience no one can really know what God is, or what he gives. The redeemed and victorious alone understand what it means to belong to God."[75] Regarding the stone's being white, Cox said that it was, "not the black stone of their condemnation, but a white stone to their exoneration, admitting them to the secret places of the Most High."[76][73] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 639. [74] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 42. [75] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 359. [76] Frank L. Cox, According to John (Austin, Texas: Firm Foundation Publishing House, 1948), p. 176. Commentary on Revelation 2:12-17 by Manly LuscombePergamos (Revelation 2:12-17) The City--Pergamos was a city high in the mountains. It was located at 1,000 feet elevation. It was another city with a large population, around 200,000 and the world’ s second largest library. It had a famous school of medicine. Pergamos was known for ointments, medicines, parchments and pottery. A large temple to Aphrodite, goddess of fertility, was located here. Pergamos was the beginning of emperor worship. The Church--We have no information about the planting of the church here. Things Commended--They are living in the seat of Satan’ s throne, the origin of emperor worship. Being faithful here was more than just attending church services. They had already suffered the death of Antipas. His death was a great testimony to his faith in Christ. They had not denied the faith, even in the face of such persecution. What would you do? Justify? Cave in to the pressure? Would you stand firm in your faith? Things Condemned--Heresy had entered the church. The teachings of Baalam were here. (See Numbers 23:1-30; Numbers 24:1-25) Baalam sought to make material gain at the cost of the spiritual and moral life of the people. He led the people to idol worship and fornication. Some were willing to make spiritual compromise in order to obtain personal safety. They would teach evil in order to save their own neck. Sermon on Revelation 2:12-17 Stand For Truth Brent KerchevilleHave you seen this new symbol on t-shirts called COEXIST? Each letter in COEXIST is a symbol representing a religion or belief. The C is for Islam with its crescent moon. The O is for peace with the peace symbol that we have seen for decades. The E represents male/female, indicating no difference between males and females with an eye toward acceptance of homosexuality. The X is the star of David which represent Judaism. The I is a lowercase I and the dot of the letter I has a star inside a circle, representing Wican and pagan religions. The S is the yin and yang symbol representing eastern religions like taoism and confucianism. Finally, the T is a cross, representing Christianity. Now, this would be great if all this symbol meant was that we need to quit killing each other and coexist on this planet. However, this is not what this symbol means. The symbol represents tolerance. This tolerance is summed up on a quote on the homepage of the coexist foundation website. “ God has given us many faiths but only one world in which to co-exist.” Shockingly, the person who said this is the chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations. A rabbi said that God has given us many faiths. We live in a world that is conditioning our minds to be tolerant. There is no right or wrong. There is no truth or error. Just coexist and believe what you want and it is good enough. The church at Pergamum was dealing with a similar problem. They were tempted to tolerate teachings that were not true. The city of Pergamum was an important center for pagan and imperial religions in the Roman province of Asia. Pergamum was the center of four pagan cults. The city was a center of learning and education as it had a 200,000 volume library, quite an accomplishment for that time. Pergamum was the first city in the province of Asia to build a temple to a Roman emperor, and it was to Augustus Caesar. The city was considered the capital of the whole area for Caesar worship. They were tempted to coexist with error. Let’ s look at what Jesus says to the church in the city of Pergamum in Revelation 2:12-17. Jesus Knows (Revelation 2:12-13)Jesus’ self-description is interesting and gives us a clue about what Jesus is going to speak about. Jesus is the one “ who has the sharp two-edged sword.” In Revelation 1 we see this sharp two-edged sword coming out of the mouth of Jesus. The image symbolizes the power of the word of God. Christ’ s message is like a sword, not a pat on the back. We may not like sermons that cut to our core, but Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that the word of God is a sword that has the purpose of cutting us so that we can be what God calls us to be. Jesus knows where these Christians live. They live where Satan’ s throne is. This is a very severe statement about the wicked condition of this city. You are living where Satan’ s throne is established. You live in a place that is the center of worship to pagan gods. You live where people do not care about God and will worship anything and anyone else but God. Even worse, one of God’ s people has been killed for their faith. Jesus says that he knows about Antipas who was killed. Can you imagine one of the faithful people of this congregation being killed for his or her stand for Jesus? Without a doubt this would impact these Christians for a long time. This church has much to be commended. Even living in a place that Jesus could call, loch“ Satan’ s throne,” these Christians remained faithful to the Lord. They did not deny the faith even when a Christian was killed for not denying the faith. The Problem of Tolerance (Revelation 2:14-15)However, Jesus says that he has some things against them. The problem is that they are tolerating all of these different teachings within their assembly. There are people who hold to the teachings of Balaam. There are people who hold to the teachings of the Nicolaitans. Jesus tells them that these teachings cannot coexist. There is no room for some to believe what they want to believe and others believe what they want to believe. What is the teaching of Balaam? It does not seem that the teaching of Balaam was the name of the false teaching. Rather, Jesus is giving this description to this false teaching to show the church that what they are tolerating is false. Balaam is a reference to a prophet of God in the Old Testament. The Israelites were conquering their enemies as they made their way to Canaan. Balak, the king of Moab, hears that the Israelites are coming and wants to stop them. So he pays Balaam money to pronounce curses on the Israelites so that they will not be victorious when they come through Moab. Balaam attempts to prophetically declare these curses three times. But each time blessings come out of Balaam’ s mouth rather than curses. Of course this makes the king of Moab irate. Balaam then comes up with another plan to curse the Israelites. Balaam devises a plan to have Moabite women seduce Israelite men into intermarriage. Therefore, the Israelites engaged in sexual adultery and spiritual adultery, as their hearts were taken away from God. IGNITE: Before we leave this illustration, we must recognize that this is one way we lose our fire for the Lord. We get involved with people who are not passionate for God. We marry people who do not love the Lord. We spend time with friends and companions who are not zealous for Jesus. Being around these people rubs off on us. Just as much as our zeal is kindled when we are around others who are zealous for God, we also lose our zeal when we are with those who do not have a fire. This is the grave danger of our assemblies. If all of us are coming to worship and we are not excited about singing, excited to pray, excited to remember Jesus’ death, excited to hear the word of God, and excited to be together, our lack of enthusiasm will rub off on each other. If you are not engaging your heart and your mind in worship, not only are you dead toward God, but you are spiritually killing everyone in this room and everyone in your family. You are teaching them to be dead toward the Lord. Balaam’ s plan worked as they united themselves with foreign women and lost their love for God. Look at Revelation 2:14 and you can see that what is going on in the Pergamum church is similar to what Balaam had done. There are people who are teaching that it is acceptable to eat meat sacrificed to idols. When we read 1 Corinthians 8-10 we learn that eating food offered to idols was directly condemned. Also, some are teaching that sexual immorality is acceptable. We are reading about a liberal Christianity. These people did not deny Jesus or reject him. The problem was that they did not reject any other teachings either. They tolerated the teachings that others had, even if the teachings were directly in conflict with the word of God. This is a very large problem in the religious world today and a problem that we must be warned against. We cannot accept all teachings. We cannot accept all beliefs. The word of God is not subjective. Following Jesus is not a matter of personal preference. There are so many churches that are happy to have you sit in their building and will let you believe what you want to believe and let you do what you want to do. You can be a member and full participant in the church all the while teaching and believing things that are directly contrary to the scriptures. The world tells us to be tolerant and coexist. We are told to find the church of your choice that will let you do what you want to do and let you teach and believe what you want. We could have a very large church and need a new building if we simply said what you can teach what you want to teach and believe what you want to believe. The church at Pergamum was compromising the truth of God’ s word. There will always be teachers advocating sinful behaviors. There will always be teachers saying that sex before marriage is fine, living together unmarried is fine, affairs are acceptable, open marriages are great, divorce is fine, remarriage is good, a promiscuous lifestyle is fine, and homosexuality is acceptable. We cannot compromise Christ’ s teachings. We cannot belong somewhere because we like the music, like the people, like the worship, or any other selfish reason. We must serve and worship where the truth of God’ s word is revered and honored and where God’ s word is never compromised. This does not mean that we act ugly or nasty toward people. Rather, in love we stand unwavering for God’ s word. IGNITE: We lose our fire for evangelism when we think that every teaching and every belief is acceptable. If what the rabbi said is true, that God has given us many faiths, then there is no need to evangelize or teach because everyone is included. When we recognize that this teaching is nonsense and contrary to God’ s word, then we will be emboldened to tell our friends that they must come to the Lord because what they believe now is leading them to eternal punishment. Jesus’ Solution (Revelation 2:16)Jesus commands for the people to repent. If they will not repent, Jesus says he will come to them soon and war against them with the sword of his mouth. Notice the “ you” and the “ them” in this declaration. Jesus will come to you and war against them. I believe Jesus is warning these Christians to get these who are teaching false things to repent. If you don’ t do something I am going to come to you and fight against them. Notice also that Jesus says he will fight with the sword of his mouth. We already pointed out that the two-edged sword that comes out of his mouth is a symbol of the powerful word of God. The image seems to be saying that Christ will use his word against us if we will not use it. His word tells us of a coming judgment if we will not listen to his words. We can either use his words and obey his words or Jesus will use his words against us in judgment. Christ’ s truth and message is a sword, not a feather. Christ’ s words graciously cuts to purify our lives. To Those Who Conquer (Revelation 2:17)Jesus says that those who listen and overcome will receive some precious things. First, they will receive the hidden manna. The hidden manna reminds us of the manna that was hidden in the ark of the covenant. The manna was a reminder of God’ s grace and faithfulness as he provided for his people through difficult times. The point is that those who listen and conquer will receive God’ s grace and faithfulness as he provides for his people. The second image is more difficult. To those who listen and overcome they will also receive a white stone with a new name written on the stone that no one knows. The white stone was used often as a picture of an acquittal in a court of law. But having a new name on that white stone causes some difficulty. There are a number of options given by scholars. The one that makes the most sense to me is something similar to a trophy with our name engraved on it. The stone with one’ s name on it allowed the victor admission into the victor’ s feast. To those who overcome, they will receive the victory trophy with a new name on that trophy that no one knows. The image is that of victory in the face of living where Satan’ s throne is established. ConclusionWe must not be tricked into this tolerant coexistence that says there is no absolute truth. “ Teach what you want to teach and believe what you want to believe,” they say. Jesus says that he will come against us if we allow all teachings to have equal footing. The word of God is the truth and is not subject to our opinions. God has clearly revealed his will in this book and we must follow it. Revelation 2:18-29 4. LETTER TO THE CHURCH AT Rev_2:18-29 18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass:--The three cities already mentioned were near the seacoast; Thyatira was some distance inland and about midway between Pergamum and Sardis. Commercially it was noted as the place where dyes were manufactured; in the Bible it is specially known as the home of Lydia whom Paul converted at Philippi. (Acts 16:13-15.) This church is told plainly that the letter came from the Son of God. The expression about eyes like fire and feet like burnished brass refers to the vision John saw as described in 1:14, 15. See the notes on those verses. 19 I know thy works, and thy love and faith and ministry and patience, and that thy last works are more than the first. --Being the Son of God, Jesus had the authority to give commands (Matthew 28:18-20), and the right to demand obedience. Knowing their works, both good and bad, assured them that his commands would be strictly just. The general term "works" probably includes the four items following it--love, faith, ministry, and patience; the first two internal, the last external. Love to both God and man is always manifested by obedience and service; faith means not only that they had maintained their confidence in Jesus, but that they had been faithful in his service. In ministry would include religious as well as moral duties. Patience means that they had borne every trial of their faith with fidelity to Christ and the church. The church at Ephesus had fallen from its first love; the brethren at Thyatira had increased in good deeds--the last works being more than the first. A fine compliment indeed! 20 But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess;--To "suffer" the woman Jezebel means that they permitted her teaching without proper condemnation and allowed her to continue in the fellowship of the church. The name "Jezebel" undoubtedly refers to the highly gifted but desperately wicked idolatrous wife of Ahab, king of Israel. Under her influence Ahab was led to allow the introduction of idolatry and to endorse its shameful practices. He also worshiped Baal himself and did more to provoke Jehovah to anger than all the kings before him. (1 Kings 16:29-33.) Interpreters differ regarding the "Jezebel" in our text. Some think she was a real woman whose wicked influence was so similar to the Jezebel of old that she was called by that name rather than her own. Others think the name refers to a faction or party in the church that taught and practiced as did the real Jezebel. Since the church at Pergamum was rebuked because they had a faction that held the doctrines of Balaam (2:14), it seems probable that the church at Thyatira had a faction that was described by the name Jezebel. Besides, in this book a woman represents a church; hence, could appropriately represent a party or faction. Claiming to be a prophetess would mean that the faction claimed to teach according to divine authority. and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.--Whether Jezebel means a real person or represents a faction, the lesson would be the same. In imitation of the ancient Jezebel idolatry and licentiousness were taught. Since this was the teaching of Balaam, and probably the Nicolaitans as well, it may be that the person or persons condemned at Thyatira were some of the same false teachers differently described. 21 And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent of her fornication.--This may mean that warning had been given in some way that time to continue in such teaching would end unless repentance came or that God had allowed her sufficient time to repent if she would. But since she did not will to repent, then the punishment had to fall upon her. 22 Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of her works.--This verse indicates that Jezebel was herself guilty of fornication whether it was natural or spiritual. If the name represents an element or faction in the church, it must be understood spiritually as referring to idolatry as was true of Israel anciently. (Jeremiah 3:9.) The word "behold" means that all the churches were to know of her punishment just as they knew of her sins. Verse 23 shows that such punishment would clearly prove that God is able to know human hearts and justly reward for all deeds. Casting "into a bed" means affliction or punishment; no other meaning will do for the expression here. Those led into such sinful practices will have to suffer tribulation and punishment along with their false teachers. These disastrous results can be avoided only by timely repentance. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works.--"Children" here mean those influenced to practice her false doctrines--her adherents. (Compare John 8:44; Isaiah 57:3.) By accepting and practicing her teaching they became participants with her as expressed in verse 22. To kill "with death" means thoroughly destroy, as with some kind of pestilence. Such drastic measures serve to make others fear. The design in this case was to demonstrate the infinite knowledge of God as a means ofrestraining evil. Reins and heart both refer to the inmost part of man's mind, and indicate that nothing, good or bad, can be hidden from God. Rewarding each according to his works is the common teaching of the whole Bible, and entirely just. (Matthew 16:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:13.) This is another reason why sinners should repent. 24 But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, who know not the deep things of Satan, as they are wont to say; I cast upon you none other burden.--Those here addressed as the "rest that are in Thyatira" mean those who had not accepted the doctrines and practices of the heretical party. They are described as those who "have not this teaching." This is very strong evidence that Jezebel was not some wicked woman, but rather some corrupt faction. Those commended here did not know or understand the deep or hidden schemes in Satan's wicked designs because they had not been led to participate in them. The expression, "as they are wont to say," may mean that those who opposed the false teaching were in the habit of referring to it as the "deep things of Satan." The false teachers themselves would hardly say that of their own teaching. In Smyrna there was a "synagogue of Satan" (verse 9); in Pergamum Satan's dwelling place (verse 13); here the depths of Satan. All this means that the wickedness in all places may be in some sense attributed to Satan. Jesus promised to put upon them no other burden than such as would naturally result from their allowing such wicked teachers to remain in fellowship, or would come from their efforts in trying to rid the congregations of the pernicious influences of erroneous teachings. 25 Nevertheless that which ye have, hold fast till I come.--They had received the gospel and manifested love, faith, service, and patience. All this they should diligently hold; their refusing to participate in the wicked schemes of Satan should continue. "Till" he came did not mean that they were to live till Jesus comes personally, for centuries have passed and he has not yet come. They were to remain faithful until death (Matthew 24:13), which, so far as they were concerned, would be the same as if he had come in their lifetime. 26 And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations :--Here, as in the preceding letters, the reward is promised on condition that they overcome. The one overcoming is explained by the expression, "he that keepeth my works unto the end"; or, the one faithful until his death. For this faithfulness they were to have "authority over the nations." How this is to he exercised is explained in the following expressions. 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also have received of my Father:--Jesus rules in the absolute sense, being the author of the law; his apostles rule as ambassadors through whom the law has been delivered (2 Corinthians 5:18-20); and all faithful Christians rule in a secondary sense by being an example of the application of his law. (Romans 5:17.) By such faithfulness Christians condemn the world as did Noah in building the ark (Hebrews 11:7); or like Abel, who though dead, "yet speaketh" (Hebrews 11:4). Only in this sense may faithful Christians be said to rule over the nations. This verse with slight variation is a quotation from Psalms 2:9. Notice that Verses 6-8 show clearly that the Psalmist refers to Christ and his rule (after his resurrection) at God's right hand. (Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5.) Since Christians rule in a secondary sense under Christ, they rule during the same period he does--throughout the Christian dispensation. The expression "as I also have received of my Father" means that they received their authority to rule from Christ just as lie received his from the Father. Luke 22:29 proves the former; Psalms 2:6 proves the latter. With a "rod of iron" indicates a firm, sure, and unbending rule. The Greek word for rule means to "shepherd." Through his words and the examples of those who overcome Jesus will lead the righteous; his law against the wicked will be as inflexible as a rod of iron. It will have its effect with the same certainty that a rod of iron will break a potter's vessel. 28 and I will give him the morning star.--Christ is himself called the "morning star" in 22:16. He probably means that he will give himself to those who overcome; that is, to be in fellowship with him in his ruling. The expression is a further development of the thought in the two preceding verses. 29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.--See notes on verse 7.Commentary on Revelation 2:18-29 by Foy E. WallaceThe letter to the church at Thyatira.—Revelation 2:18-29. 1. “ These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire"—Revelation 2:18. The reader is requested to turn back to the notes on chapter one for the incisiveness of this description. 2. “ Thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess”—Revelation 2:20. The name Jezebel is the symbol of the powerful heathen influences and applied to the same defections designated by the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes. The expression that woman Jezebel was a gradation of the same evil Jewish parties in the Pergamos and the Thyatira churches. She was representative of a pseudo-prophetess in the person of a female Judaizer, a sort of the Lady Macbeth, of the Shakespearean play; a representation of an added source of opposition and seduction to the already existing Balaams and Nicolaitanes. 3. “ I will cast her into a bed . . . and I will kill her children” –Revelation 2:21-23. The Lord had given this leader of degenerates in the Thyatira church “ a place to repent,” that is, a respite, or period of probation, as he had done for the antediluvians in the days of Noah--but instead of accepting this suspension of sentence and repenting, they proceeded in their degeneracy from bad to worse, and the Lord said: “ I will cast her into a bed,” that is, of pain, instead of the sensuality which represented spiritual fornication in the corruptions of doctrine and practice. This symbolic Jezebel would be cast into a bed of retribution for her sins, referring to the judgment that would be brought upon the followers of these apostate teachers in the churches. And the Lord added: “ I will kill her children” --that is, by exterminating the seeds of wickedness and false doctrine, thus preventing its offspring. 4. “ The rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine”—Revelation 2:24. This word of approval was directed to those in Pergamos who had not accepted the philosophy and practices of the libertine degenerates, who had not corrupted their minds with the depths of their degenerates and depraved philosophy--he would not lay upon them further duties than they were faithfully performing, nor burden them with the condemnations of the evil things in which they had not participated. It seems evident that the depths of the degenerate philosophies of paganism which endangered these churches, and apparently taking root in them, were symbolized in the condemnations of the Balaams, the Nicolaitanes and the Jezebels within their midst. 5. “ But that which ye have already hold fast till I come” –Revelation 2:25. The mention of the “ rest” in Pergamos referred to those of their number who were holding to the truth against the Jezebel pagan philosophies and Nicolaitane doctrines, and they were exhorted to hold fast to these truths until the rendering of the judgment against the evil elements in the church, and the execution of the judgments pronounced, in the events that were to follow. The statement “ till I come” has no reference to the second advent of Christ. Jesus did not deceive the church at Thyatira into believing that his Second Advent and the Judgment Day would occur during their life time. The admonition referred to his coming in the events of judgment against the Jezebel paramours there. Again, it is solid proof that the things mentioned had fulfillment in the period of their own lives, the time to which the apocalypse belonged.6. “ To him that overcometh . . . will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron”—Revelation 2:26-27. This is not a future millennium text. It is plainly the imagery of the irresistible force of the gospel. It compares with Jeremiah 1:10; Isaiah 11:9; Psalms 2:9; Psalms 110:2, and 1 Corinthians 6:2. The figure of the rod is used to denote the chastening of the truth, and for the power and authority of Jesus Christ transferred in a figure to his followers who proclaim it. It is used to denote the power of the gospel published in the new dispensation, as previewed in the prophetic psalms-- Psalms 2:9; Psalms 110:2. It is used for censure and discipline in 1 Corinthians 4:21. In Revelation 2:26 it refers to the impact of the gospel on the pagan world through the victory of the church emerging from persecution. 7. “ And I will give him the morning star.”—Revelation 2:28. Revelation 22:16 identifies Christ as the Morning Star. The redeemed also get Christ. The morning star is the object in the sky that is seen just before the dawn. Christ leads the lighting of the spiritual world with his truth. (2 Peter 1:19) 8. “ He that hath an ear, let him hear”—Revelation 2:29. John closes the statement to the church in Thyatira the same way he closes all the other letters. It means pay attention to what has been written because it comes from God through Christ and the Holy Spirit.Commentary on Revelation 2:18-29 by Walter ScottRev_2:18THE SPIRIT'S ADDRESS TO (Revelation 2:18-29). . Revelation 2:18. "To the angel of the Church in Thyatira write: These things says the Son of God, He that hath His eyes as a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass." This is the only Church of the seven in which a woman's name is mentioned. Jezebel, the wicked consort of the apostate king of Israel, who was but a tool in her hands, the upholder and patroness of the worst forms of idolatry, a murderess, yet withal a clever and determined woman, is the prominent person named in the address to the angel. We cannot regard it as a mere coincidence that the earlier mention of Thyatira is in connection with a woman (Acts 16:1-40), but a very different character to the one named here. There are striking points both of contrast and resemblance between Lydia, the active, generous, decided Christian, and her relation to Paul (Acts 16:1-40), and Jezebel, the zealous and equally large-hearted pagan, and her relation to Elijah (1 Kings 18:1-46; 1 Kings 19:1-21). This fourth epistle is the longest of the seven, and marks the commencement of the second group in which the history of each Church runs on till the second Coming of the Lord. The first direct reference in these epistles to the second Advent is found here (vv. 25-28). The hopeless, helpless, corrupt condition of the Church, a condition out of which it cannot emerge, and one incapable of improvement, is another noted feature, distinguishing it thus from the three previous churches. Here, then, is an active propagation of evil and corrupting teaching from within. Pergamos tolerated certain grave evils; but Thyatira suffers them to be taught, and herself becomes the mother of similar evil systems, "her children." What a truly remarkable feature of this Church! Another noticeable characteristic is that a remnant is now formally recognized and separately addressed (Revelation 2:24), thus clearly distinguishing the Church or mass from the remnant or faithful company. Further, the call to hear which in Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos precedes the promises to the overcomer, in Thyatira and succeeding churches is found after the promises, closing up in each case the respective address. In the first three epistles the Church stands related to the call to hear, whereas in the last four the overcomers are in relation to the words, "He that hath an ear, let him hear."Another striking feature in the address to this Church is that for the first and only time, in the course of these epistles, the name of the divine Speaker is introduced — the Son of God; this title of personal and divine relationship is not used in any other part of the Apocalypse. THE DIVINE SPEAKER. 18. "These things says the Son of God." The humanity of the Lord and His relation to the race are conveyed in the title "Son of Man." The Deity of the Lord and His relation to God are intimated in the title "Son of God." His glory and relation to the churches as beheld by John was as "Son of Man" (Revelation 1:13). Why, then, is this divine title "Son of God" introduced, and only here? The answer is at hand. Thyatira historically covers the Dark or Middle Ages, and pictures in brief terms and symbols the popish system, the worst bearing the Christian name that has ever disgraced the earth. In popery every true thought of the Church is lost. True, she boasts loudly of unity, but it is a unity enforced when and where she can by the potent arguments of the faggot, the fire, and the dungeon, as unlike divine unity effected by the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 12:13) as light is to darkness. Popery shuts out Christ completely as Head of His Body, the Church, and as Administrator of the House of God. Hence the introduction of this title in the opening words of the address. Not Peter, but Christ, the Son of the living God, is the Church's foundation (Matthew 16:16-18). Peter, too, is made the administrator of the Church instead of Christ. But the Lord never gives up His rights, and just when and where it were most needful to insist on His divine prerogative as Son of God it is done. If the Church has been drifting from bad to worse, so much the more need to insist on the divine glory and relationship of our Lord. If that goes, then truly all is lost. The title "Son of God" is in no wise a dispensational one; a title, moreover, which was given to Him on His entrance into this world as Man (Psalms 2:1-12; Acts 13:33, omit the word "again"). HIS EYES AND FEET. 18. "He that hath His eyes as a flame of fire and His feet like fine brass." This is part of the detailed description of the glorified Son of Man previously beheld (Revelation 1:14-15). Here, however, these two attributes of stern sovereignty are exercised by the Son of God. It is well to remember that He to Whom all judgment is committed, and Who will infallibly execute His own judgment, is not only Man (John 5:22; John 5:27), but He is God as well. He who wields the sceptre is divine as well as human. His eyes as "a flame of fire" refer to His moral intolerance of evil. He will search out sin and discover it however hidden. Who or what can escape those eyes as a flame of fire? "His feet as fine brass." What His eyes discover, that His feet shall tread upon. Unbending judicial action, inflexible justice, is symbolized by the "feet like fine brass." Every systematized form of evil bearing the Christian name (Revelation 2:23) must be destroyed. The mountains of Edom in the last days afford an awful example of divine vengeance and of the application of the striking symbol here employed (Isaiah 63:1-6). When the Lord comes in Person to make good His sovereign right over the whole scene under Heaven His feet are likened to "pillars of fire" (Revelation 10:1-2), a slight change in the wording of the imagery, implying the immovable, steadfast purpose and act of the Lord in the stern assertion of His universal rights. "Fire" is the expressive symbol of judgment, whether upon Christ, the sacrifice (Lev. l), or upon the wicked (Mark 9:43; Luke 16:24; 2 Thessalonians 1:8). Revelation 2:19A WARM . Revelation 2:19. "I know thy works, and love, and faith, and service, and thine endurance, and thy last works (to be) more than the first." Words of strong and stern rebuke are preceded by the warmest commendation accorded to any of the assemblies. "I know thy works" occurs in each address in our English Bibles. But in the Revised and critical editions of the Holy Scriptures the words are omitted in the epistles to Smyrna and Pergamos. The state of these assemblies precluded the idea of "works," the former being characterized by suffering, the latter by fidelity. The generic term "works" occurs twice in course of this commendation. The angel at Ephesus had declined in love, whereas the angel at Thyatira had increased in works. The darker the night the more devoted and zealous were the godly company; their "last works more than the first," more numerous, more pure, and more elevated in character as the fruit of faith. But this Church is also commended for its love,(*Our translators here, and notably in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, have followed Wycliffe, A.D. 1380, in rendering the Greek word agapa by "charity," instead of love, its only equivalent. In this he followed the Vulgate or Latin version of the Scriptures. The illustrious English Reformer, "The Morning Star of the Reformation," was not acquainted with the original tongues in which the Scriptures were written, but was an accomplished Latin scholar. Tyndale, who had carefully studied the Greek Testament of the learned Erasmus, published in A.D. 1516, gave to the English-speaking people the first printed New Testament in their own tongue. This was in A.D. 1526, nearly 150 years after Wycliffe's edition of the Scriptures. Tyndale rejected "charity" and rightly translated love. Cranmer followed suit. In Wycliffe's time and for long afterwards, the words charity and alms exactly represented our modern English words love and charity. The word alms is falling into disuse, charity being regarded as its equivalent.) faith, service, and endurance, four practical features of Christian life. Love, the first (Galatians 5:22) and greatest of the Christian graces (1 Corinthians 13:13), heads the list. Thyatira, too, alone amongst the seven is commended for its "love" and "service." This latter would, we judge, embrace ministry in its widest sense both of a spiritual and temporal character. Revelation 2:20A GRAVE . Revelation 2:20. "But I have against thee that thou permittest the woman Jezebel, she who calls herself prophetess, and she teaches and leads astray My servants to commit fornication and eat of idol sacrifices." The Authorised Version reads, "I have a few things against thee," but in the Revised Version and others we read, "I have against thee." The Lord had a grave indictment against the angel. The Church in its representatives was permitting an evil in its midst of a more serious character than any that had yet appeared. In other words the papacy is in the forefront of this address. The supremacy of the Roman See is simply the development in full of the dispute amongst the disciples "who was the greatest" (Mark 9:33-34, R.V.).(*The historical development of the papacy from the fourth century, when the claim of supremacy was first advanced, to the eighth, when universal sovereignty, spiritual and temporal, was demanded, is ably traced in "The Rise of the Papal Power." by Hussey.) That the general state of the Church in the Middle Ages is represented by Thyatira seems self-evident. ORDER OF THE . In the successional order of the churches attention is drawn to certain broadly marked features and distinctive epochs which lie open to every student of ecclesiastical history. The historian may furnish details, sometimes interesting, more often dreary, but the principles and broad characteristics of Church history, of which details are but the outcome and development, are plainly written down in chapters two and three of the Apocalypse. Decay of first love closed up the first century, of which Ephesus was the representative. Then persecution raged with greater or less intensity at intermittent periods for more than two centuries, of which Smyrna was the sorrowful witness. Next, and in historical order, we are brought to the era of Constantine, when the emperor ruined the Church with his gold and honours. This sad event is of fourth century notoriety, and was exhibited in Pergamos. Succeeding history shows the development of the papal system from the first claim of authority and supremacy in the council of Sardica, A.D. 347, till the seventh century, when its arrogant, pretentious claims clashed with the titles, honours, and worship due exclusively to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Then from the eighth century till the dawn of the Reformation the universal claim of the papacy over the kingdoms of the earth, and the souls and bodies of men, yea, as possessing even the keys of Paradise itself, was carried out as far as possible by force and fraud. The claim of universal sovereignty has never been withdrawn, and awaits another day for its enforcement. This, then, is the awful picture presented in Thyatira. The Reformation of the sixteenth century broke the yoke of the papacy and secured a measure of freedom for Europe. Luther with an open Bible was more than a match for the Pope, aided and abetted by the most potent monarch of his time. The blow then dealt at the papacy was not a deadly one, it is slowly but surely recovering from it. The Reformation and Protestantism are before us as prominent features in the epistle to Sardis. But another Reformation was needed, one of vital and practical Christianity. This was effected in the energy of the Spirit of God at the commencement of last century. Finally, the state neither hot nor cold; Christless, yet boasting of its wealth and supremacy; self-satisfied, too, is the main characteristic of the Church to-day. The cross outside and inside her buildings, with Christ outside at the door knocking for individuals to open is Laodicea. The Church refuses to hear His voice or own His authority. JEZEBEL, OR THE PAPACY. Jezebel was a woman, a queen, an idolater, a persecutor, and the virtual ruler and director of the government of Israel. Ahab was but a puppet in her hands (1 Kings 18:1-46; 1 Kings 19:1-21; 1 Kings 20:1-43; 1 Kings 21:1-29). All this and more is the Jezebel of the Apocalypse. Combining in herself these and other features of the popish system (Revelation 17:1-18; Revelation 18:1-24), she arrogantly assumes the title "prophetess." She professes to teach with authority. Combined with teaching she can employ all the arts and seductions of minds specially trained to effect her fell purpose.(*The Jesuit is the real power behind the Pope. The ruling principle of the Jesuit lies in this, that the end justifies the means. Morality, honour, principle are sacrificed in order to effect this end. "The Jesuits spend the night in hatching plots, and the day in running about to execute them." — Wyllie.) "Hear Mother Church" is the cry of every Romanist. "The Church cannot err in faith and morals," and it must be understood that by "the Church" is meant the papacy pure and simple. Her teachings and seductions, however contrary to Scripture and repellent to human understanding, must be accepted as authoritative and infallible. This is a dogma with Rome. She cannot err, therefore she cannot progress. It is thus that Rome and ignorance, Rome and superstition, Rome and no mind must necessarily, as history abundantly testifies, go together. Rome dreads the light and fears the Bible. "The Church teaches," says the Romanist. "The Church's mission is to evangelise," says the Protestant. Both are wrong. Teaching and preaching are not gifts conferred upon the Church, nor is it responsible to do either. The Church is taught, but does not teach. Both teaching and preaching are the exercise of gift by individual servants of the Lord (Ephesians 4:8-12). She leads "astray My servants." This the Jezebel of modern days has done. She has turned the great mass of professing Christians (here designated "My servants," as bearing that name and character) from Christ to Mary; from Christ the one Mediator and Intercessor (1 Timothy 2:5; Romans 8:34) to the dead; from Christ to the Pope; from the one offering of eternal value to the sacrifice of the mass; from the Word of God and its certainty to the traditions of men which all are uncertain; and, in general, from Christianity to christianised paganism. Is not the indictment a grave and true one? Where does this wide departure from truth lead to? What is the natural result to those led astray? The end of popish error, of intrigue, of blasphemous teachings, of wicked practices, and undying hatred to all outside her communion is to get her adherents and dupes "to commit fornication and eat of idol sacrifices"-- and . These were the two great Pergamos errors, only here seen in a more settled and intensified form. It will also be noticed that in Pergamos the evils are stated in inverse order, idolatry and fornication (Revelation 2:14). These two satanic evils were taught and practised in the Church itself. There may have been in the Thyatiran assembly an actual counterpart to the impious Jezebel of old, who led in these very evils unchecked by the angel. But these heinous sins must be understood in a broad and comprehensive sense, and in keeping with the thought repeatedly pressed in this Exposition, viz., descriptive of the general condition of the Church as a whole at a given time. Those terrible evils were the characteristics of the medieval Church. Fornication, employed as a symbol here and elsewhere, signifies for those professing the Name of the Lord, illicit intercourse with the world. What was commenced by Constantine was consummated in the papacy.(The term "Popery" and "Papacy" are not equivalent terms. The former is the embodiment of doctrine and religious rite and ceremony; the latter signifies the whole system, sacred and secular, from its root to its utmost branch.) The assumption of combined temporal and spiritual power, both universal in their range, was the masterpiece of the papacy. Kingdoms were bestowed, crowns given, and principalities conferred according to the will of one styling himself "The vicar of Jesus Christ, the successor of Peter, the anointed of the Lord, the God of Pharaoh, short of God, beyond man, less than God, greater than man, who judges all men, and is judged by no man."(Innocent III., who ascended the pontifical chair in the early part of the twelfth century. A cruel and relentless persecutor). The unholy union of the Church with the world was as a system perfected in the papacy. It is spiritual fornication.Participation in idol worship next follows, and is necessarily coupled with the former evil. Idolatry in the Church seems paradoxical, nevertheless it is true. We deliberately assert that the Romish Church and the Greek Church are systems of baptised paganism, and to some extent the Anglican Church is involved in the charge. Most of their doctrines, holy days, rites, ceremonies, vestments, titles, are heathen in their origin. The pagans refused to adopt Christian worship and doctrine, and so the Church, more evil, adopted pagan customs, giving them Christian names.(*All this is fully inquired into and proved beyond doubt in that remarkable book, "The Two Babylons," by Hyslop. See also "The Mystic Cities of Scripture," "Zion and Babylon," and "Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History," Vols. 1 and 2, English edition of 1845.) If the simple Church polity of the New Testament is compared with the unspiritual, mechanical worship and order in the Roman, Eastern, and Anglican churches, the reader may be surprised to learn that there is scarcely one point of agreement. But are the orthodox churches free from the taint of idolatry? Have they not more or less borrowed from Rome? Protestantism is not necessarily Christianity. The severance from the papacy by the churches of the Reformation was not as complete as it ought to have been. Numerous Romish practices and doctrines of pagan origin are yet retained in the Reformed churches. All mere forms of worship and doctrinal creeds not of direct Scripture authority draw the heart and eye from Christ; other objects are substituted, and that is idolatry. Revelation 2:21TIME FOR . Revelation 2:21. "And I gave her time that she should repent, and she will not repent of her fornication." Rome yet exists. In principle she is unchanged. She is slowly but surely recovering her strength and somewhat of her ancient prestige. Jezebel, i.e., the papacy, reigned as queen for more than a thousand years, but repented not. Yet another period of grace from the Reformation till now ( 300 years) and the papacy is unchanged and wicked as ever, persecuting as ever, filthy as ever, idolatrous as ever. The Lord "gave her time to repent," but there has been no repentance. The Jezebel of the last 1300 years and more is the Apocalyptic Babylon of prophecy. Read her character and doings in Revelation 17:1-18; Revelation 18:1-24, and you will see that instead of repentance her character is blacker and her deeds are darker than in the past. How good the Lord is to grant such abundant mercy, such lengthened delay to induce repentance, though they be unavailing! The divine verdict is recorded, "She will not repent of her fornication." It is not she cannot repent, but she will not. Popery is utterly corrupt. Her character is fixed, so too is her doom. Revelation 2:22JEZEBEL, HER AND . Revelation 2:22. "Behold, I cast her into a bed, and those that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and her children will I kill with death." Here are three parties threatened with judgment: (1) Jezebel; (2) those having intercourse with her; (3) her children. We have been already told that Jezebel will not repent, so her judgment is certain; those, too, who traffic with her are threatened unless they repent of "her works." Her children, persons and systems, who are born of Rome, who have imbibed her principles and teachings, are unconditionally threatened with death. "Behold, I cast her into a bed." The word "bed" is evidently used in sharp contrast to the bed of the harlot with its illicit pleasure. It will be a bed of affliction. "Those that commit adultery with her." This is the first and only instance of the word "adultery" in the Apocalypse. Those who have tampered with the evil, who have defiled themselves by association with Jezebel, are the class here referred to an increasing company in our times, a company born of the false spirit of toleration and of indifference to evil. Her children killed "with death" is a singular expression, and seems to denote the intensity of the Lord's judgment. This finds its answer in Revelation 17:1-18; Revelation 18:1-24 of the Apocalypse. Such is the character and doom of the papacy, and of all directly and remotely connected with it. There are varying degrees of guilt, but the main point to seize upon is that God judges evil according to the measure of each one's responsible connection with it. Revelation 2:23A LESSON AND A PROMISE. Revelation 2:23. "And all the churches shall know that I am He that searches (the) reins and (the) hearts: and I will give to you each according to your works." The practical effect of the Lord's exposure of evil in Christendom and of its judgment is that the churches shall know that Christ searches the reins and hearts. Hidden evil is brought to light, and Christ is owned as the divine Searcher of the secret thoughts and hidden deeds of men. This was the sole prerogative of Jehovah in Old Testament times (Jeremiah 17:10), and the churches are to learn the lesson, or rather know that Christ, with whom they have to do, exercises this solemn function. Omniscience belongs to Him. But while systems, professedly good or bad, shall be judged, there is also an individual judgment of each one's works. Neither the believer's person nor his sins shall come into judgment (John 5:24; Hebrews 10:17), but the works of each one shall be examined in light of that day, and blame or praise awarded by the Lord accordingly. The Lord shall pass righteous judgment on the works of each one bearing His Name. How needful to know this in view of the general toleration of evil and laxity of morals now so prevalent. Revelation 2:24-25THE REST OR . Revelation 2:24-25. "But to you I say, the rest (who) are in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I do not cast upon you any other burden: but what ye have hold fast till I come." The medieval Church was not wholly corrupt. The Albigenses and Waldenses in the thirteenth century stood aloof from the "mother of harlots." They with others constituted a noble band of witnesses against the corruptions of Rome. They were sound in the faith. Theirs, too, was no mere negative testimony. They boldly denounced the errors and heresies of the papal system. They were, as a rule, simple, unlettered peasants and hardy mountaineers, ignorant of the depths of evil, here termed in common parlance "the depths of Satan." The Lord would not add to their burdens; no fresh development of truth is taught them. What they had they were not to surrender, but "hold fast." There was no expectation held out of a reform, nor even an amelioration of the existing state of things. There could be no restoration of the Church; hence the eyes and hearts of the "rest," or remnant, are directed not backward but onward, "till I come." The Coming of the Lord is the goal of hope. A return to the pristine condition of the Church is deemed impossible. What then is the resource of the faithful? How long is their suffering, witnessing character to be maintained? "Till I come." That is the promised moment of deliverance. Revelation 2:26-27 . Revelation 2:26-27. "And he that overcomes, and he that keeps unto the end My works, to him will I give authority over the nations, and he shall shepherd them with an iron rod; as vessels of pottery are they broken in pieces, as I also have received from My Father." It is not enough to deny Jezebel, her doctrines and works, but "he that keeps unto the end My works" is crowned. The chaplet of victory is placed on the brow of the one who perseveres in the path of faithfulness to the end. Death or the Coming of the Lord is that end. "My works" are evidently in contrast to the works of Jezebel (Revelation 2:23). "Her works" were unholy. "His works" are holy. The large, grand, and public character of the promise exceeds anything we have yet had, namely, "authority over the nations." This very thing has ever been the goal of papal ambition. Metaphorically and literally the Pope has placed his foot on the neck of kings, and in the coming brief day of satanic rule (Revelation 12:1-17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-20; Revelation 15:1-8; Revelation 16:1-21; Revelation 17:1-18; Revelation 18:1-24; Revelation 19:1-21) the woman will ride the beast and command for a season the forces and authority of the revived western power with a completeness and breadth of authority never before witnessed. But the authority is usurped, the reign brief, and the instruments of her tyranny become the agents of her destruction (Revelation 17:16-17). The authority of the saints over the nations is coextensive with that exercised by Christ, and for the lengthened period of 1000 years. The overcomer shall rule, or shepherd, the angry and rebellious nations with an iron rod. Their will shall be broken, their pride humbled, their glory laid in the dust like the crumbling to pieces of brittle vessels. Revelation 2:27. "As I also have received from My Father," It is deeply interesting to notice that the grant of authority over the nations is made over to Christ alone (Psalms 2:1-12), but the same unlimited authority and dominion is assured to the conqueror who presses on till the end. The public place and portion of the Son are to be shared with the overcomers. The very words in which the Father gives the nations, the heathen, and the earth to its utmost limits to His Son are used by the Lord to endow His overcoming people with their public portion (compare v. 27 with Psalms 2:9). Revelation 2:28 Revelation 2:28. "And I will give to him the morning star." We have had association with Christ in His kingdom and glory, but now another and even richer promise is addressed to the overcomer: "I will give to him the morning star," a personal interest in Christ Himself. In His character as "Sun of Righteousness" to Israel He heals His people and brings in blessing, but in His character as the "Bright and Morning Star" He appears before the sun rises to His own alone. The former in connection with the Church (Revelation 22:16); the latter in connection with Israel (Malachi 4:2). The Lord then is coming to bring in a day of gladness for Israel and the world. The Sun will scatter the clouds and earth will rejoice, but the first faint streak of light which shall pierce through the gloom and darkness which have wrapped themselves round this dreary scene will be seen and rejoiced in by each overcomer, and then in company with Him we make our triumphal entry into the wide domain of His and our inheritance (compare Revelation 2:28; Revelation 22:16, with Malachi 4:2). Revelation 2:29THE CALL TO HEAR. Revelation 2:29. "He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." In this epistle the Spirit has been speaking in solemn tones. The character and doom of the papacy have been sketched by a divine pen. The Spirit has been speaking to the churches. The call to hear in the preceding epistle is placed before the address to the overcomer. Here, and subsequently, the call to hear is placed after the address to the conqueror. Why so? In the first three churches the public body was ostensibly owned of God as His, and might "hear." In the last four churches the professing body is treated as incapable of repentance, and hence those alone who hear and respond to the Spirit's call constitute the overcoming company. Commentary on Revelation 2:18-29 by E.M. ZerrRev_2:18. See comments at Revelation 1:20 for the explanation of the angel. In this letter the author states his personal name before giving a description of himself and it is the Son of God. Comparing His eyes and feet to fire and brass is explained at Revelation 1:14-15. Revelation 2:19. I know thy works is commented upon at Revelation 2:2. After naming the works He immediately uses the word notwithstanding, which shows that the works to which He refers are the things named in our present verse. Since they are all good we understand the word know is used in the sense of approval. Charity means an interest in the welfare of others, and service means the doing of something to assist in that welfare. Faith is produced by the word of God (Romans 10:17) and with the assurance that the divine word is leading them aright, it would cultivate patience or endurance in their activities. In the beginning of the verse the word works is used as a general reference to their manner of life. It now is used to bring out the fact that they performed good deeds for the welfare of others. Last to be more than the first. This is as it should be, for Christians are expected not only to produce the fruits of righteousness but to increase therein (2 Corinthians 9:10).Revelation 2:20. Having given the church credit for the good things it was doing the Lord next makes his complaints. Thou sufferest. When a church retains a bad character in its fellowship, it becomes a partaker of the evil deeds of that person and will be condemned by the Lord. (See verses 14, 15.) The church at Thyatira was doing so concerning a false prophetess named Jezebel. Thayer defines this word, "A second Jezebel," then gives us the following historical statement. "The symbolic name of a woman who pretended to be a phophetess, and who, addicted to antinomianism [the doctrine of faith alone], claimed for Christians the liberty of eating things sacrificed to idols." This statement of Thayer's agrees with the language of the verse.Revelation 2:21. Gave her space (of time) to repent indicates the longsuffering of God toward evildoers. Repent of her fornication. Doubtless those whose religion was so materialistic as to worship dumb idols also indulged themselves in fleshly fornication. However, it is evident from many passages that idolatry was classed as spiritual fornication in Bible times; one such passage is Jeremiah 3:9. Revelation 2:22. This verse indicates that spiritual adultery (idolatry) is what is meant through most of these verses. The Lord here threatens to punish this wicked woman by casting her and her customers into a bed together. That would not be any punishment for a woman who was a literal adulteress. But the form of language is used that indicates something unpleasant was to be inflicted, for it refers to the bed as a place of tribulation. Of course in a case of literal adultery the Lord would regard an impure woman and her patrons as being guilty together. Likewise if a woman entices the professed servants of God to commit idolatry, the whole group would be held as partners in the guilt. (See Matthew 15:14.) Revelation 2:23. Kill her children with death. This may sound strange to us if we try to be technical, for if a person is killed at all it would mean death. It is what is known as a Hebraism which means an expression peculiar to the speech of the Hebrews and used by others for the purpose of emphasis. The idea is to make the hearer realize the certainty that death is to be inflicted. It is similar to "thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17), or not to "die the common death of all men" (Numbers 16:29). All the churches shall know. Whatever was going to be done was to be of such a public character as to make it an example. Searcheth the reins and hearts. The Lord is able to penetrate the innermost thoughts and expose the evil to the shame of the guilty. Will give unto every one of you according to your works. Those who are personally responsible for the conditions will be called to account.Revelation 2:24. Unto you I say . . . as many as have not this doctrine. In every condition of evil there are some who have not endorsed the evils of others, and they are not held responsible for that which they could not prevent. Not known the depths of Satan. Not been mixed up in these evil things of Satan who is prompting Jezebel and her partners. As they speak refers to the false teaching of this wicked woman and those being influenced by her. Put upon you none other burden. The Lord will not condemn them for what they cannot prevent, but He will "burden" them with the duty of abstaining from the evil practices that he has been condemning.Revelation 2:25. Hold fast, or maintain their disconnection with these evil things. Till I come is equivalent to saying "until death."Revelation 2:26. Figurative language must be based on some literal fact or possible fact. Christians are not to exercise any temporal rule over the world on the basis of their religious profession, but they are to be joint rulers with Christ as to spiritual conduct that will please the Lord. (See the comments at Revelation 1:6.) This partnership with Christ is on condition that the disciple is faithful unto the end, which means until death if such should be imposed upon him. Revelation 2:27. An iron rule does not always mean one of harshness, but that metal should also be thought of as being unyielding and strong and enduring under a strain. All the phrases of this verse should be understood in this figurative sense.Revelation 2:28. Morning star. Jesus calls himself the "morning star" in Revelation 22:16. The significance of this phrase is due to its brightness as it precedes the sun in rising, thus announcing that a new day is dawning. (See 2 Peter 1:19.) The present verse means that the faithful disciple will be given the spiritual brightness of Christ.Revelation 2:29. He that hath an ear. (See Revelation 2:7.)Commentary on Revelation 2:18-29 by Burton CoffmanRev_2:18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass:Some twenty miles east of Pergamum on the road to Sardis was Thyatira, a name which means "castle of Thya,"[77] and which is probably retained in the modern Ak-Hissar (white castle), a Turkish town on a fertile plain, being the center of the cotton industry, and a relatively important town of 30,156 (1955).[78] In New Testament times, the dye industry was important, Lydia having been from Thyatira (Acts 16:14). It was also the home of many influential trade guilds, having their own deities, temples, and guild halls, where feasts, tending to obscenity, and all kinds of immoralities were practices. Politically, Thyatira was a kind of buffer state between Pergamum on the west and Seleucus (Syria) on the east, evidently changing hands a number of times between the two states in pre-Christian history.[79] "Apollo the sun god, was the principal deity,"[80] probably leading to the reference to the Son of God and the morning star in this message, as a contrast. [77] E. J. Banks, op. cit., p. 2977. [78] Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 1, p. 482. [79] E. M. Blaiklock, op. cit., p. 108. [80] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 64. Revelation 2:19I know thy works, and thy love and faith and ministry and patience, and that thy last works are more than the first.Such a glowing tribute as this leads one to wonder what could be wrong with a church like that. But despite their faith, love and works, increased and expanded, a cancer was gnawing away at the vitals of the congregation, and that problem would lead to the burden of the message. Revelation 2:20 But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.The woman Jezebel ... This verse is one of the most interesting in the New Testament, because here there well could have been an example of female leadership having been accepted in a church of Christ. The very fact of this character's having been allowed to teach, with the sufferance of the whole church, and of her also claiming the gift of prophecy strongly suggest it. Moreover, the prominence which Lydia doubtless had in bringing the gospel to the place could have created a favorable atmosphere for the development of just such an aberration. However that may be, there is a clear case here of a dissolute woman having usurped the principal authority of a church. The word Jezebel "is not a figurative term for a party or a movement; it designates an actual person (Revelation 2:2 f), her followers being distinguished from her."[81] Whatever her actual name might have been, the Lord called her "Jezebel," after the "wicked queen of that name who tried to establish an idolatrous cult in the place of the worship of Yahweh and was herself accused of whoredom and witchcraft (2 Kings 9:22)."[82] Some have sought to identify her with the Chaldean Sibyl, a pagan religious establishment that stood outside the walls of Thyatira; but, as Lenski said, "The woman of this letter cannot be such a sibyl; she is a pretending prophetess who operates right in the Christian Church as one of its members."[83]To commit fornication ... eat things sacrificed to idols ... This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 3:1-6 5. LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN SARDISRev_3:1-6 1 And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars:--Sardis was the capital of Lydia, a province of Asia Minor, and once the home of Croesus who was celebrated for his fabulous wealth. It was situated inland a considerable distance northeast of Ephesus. Though lacking much of its ancient importance as a commercial city, it must have been an important place when the church was planted there. This letter opens with the usual address to the "angel of the church," and a repetition of two characteristics of Christ which John had already learned about. (Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:16.) In Revelation 1:4 he was told that the revelation was to come from the seven Spirits; here Jesus is represented as having the seven Spirits. This is a particularly proper way to present Christ; for the word seven indicates fullness and he is said to possess the Spirit without measure. (John 3:34.) Since Christ promised to send the Spirit (John 15:26), and the Spirit was to reveal the things of Christ, there was double assurance here that the revelation to this church would be correct. Having the seven stars in his hand means that the angels of the churches were under his authority. See notes on Revelation 1:20. I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.--To have a name to live means that they were nominal Christians--professed to be living the Christian life, but were in fact spiritually dead. A similar expression is used by Paul in 1 Timothy 5:6. In other words, it may be said that their profession of righteous living was a mere name. This general condemnation must not be understood to apply to all, for a definite exception is made in Revelation 3:4 of a "few" who had not defiled their garments. 2 Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die:--A similar exhortation is given by Paul in Ephesians 5:14. It means that, like a soldier on guard, they should arouse themselves to a faithful performance of the Lord's work. The things that remain probably include some who had not completely lost their love for the Lord, and the various graces and good works that needed to he strengthened and increased. This should be done regardless of how few remain who may be worthy of the name Christian in any sense. Things ready to die mean those that are about to cease to exist. If possible, all Christians should be saved, and all good works increased to the fullest limit. for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God. --That is, their works had not been made complete, or carried out fully, in the divine estimate of things. "Before my God" indicates that both God and Christ considered their works incomplete. They were self-satisfied, but God was displeased. This is the sad condition with multitudes of churches and individual Christians, who deserve the same rebuke here given those of Sardis. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent --Naturally this exhortation implies that they should remember the things they had heard and received, but the specific thing commanded is that they should recall! "how" they had heard and received. This could include the miraculous proof which may have been present when the church was established, a remarkable evidence of the truth of the gospel, but may have reference to the sincerity and enthusiasm with which they accepted the gospel. If so, then, like the church at Ephesus, they had fallen from their first love. Hence, after urging them to keep what they had received at the first, he tells them to repent--that is, they should decide to turn back to their former zeal for the church. This church is not charged with tolerating any wicked doctrines, as in the cases of Ephesus and Thyatira, but rather with slowly dying from loss of interest in what was accepted. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.--The coming of the Lord sometimes means his personal coming at the end of the world (1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10); but here it evidently has the same meaning as in 2:5, 16, in this book, a sudden judgment sent upon them for their sins. That is clearly the import of the threats made against these churches. The conditional phrase, "If therefore thou shalt not watch," implies that they might not do it and would in that case suffer. This, in principle, shows that Christians may be found unfaithful when the Lord comes at the judgment; hence, the possibility of such being finally lost. This verse is positive proof that no one knows the exact time that the Lord will come, either in providence through punishments or in person at last. 4 But thou hast a few names n Sardis that did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.--A "few names" means that there were a few members of the church who had not followed the majority off into carelessness and sin, figuratively represented as not soiling their garments. When they obeyed the gospel they were considered as having made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14)--that is, they had been purified from sin and made righteous. They had not allowed their lives to be contaminated with evil like soiling a white garment with dirt. To walk with Jesus, the reward offered them, means that they were to be saved. This is clearly implied in the expression "in white." The reason assigned is that such persons are worthy ; they have the kind of character which God recognizes as worthy of salvation. 5 He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; --Their being "arrayed in white garments"--saved--is here plainly made to depend upon their overcoming. Unless they might fail to overcome, there would be no point in expressing the condition. Each affirmative proposition necessarily has a corresponding negative one, either expressed or implied. The negative one here is that those who do not overcome will not be arrayed in white garments. This unquestionably means that such will be lost. and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.--Here again the promise implies that unless one overcomes his name will be blotted out and his name will not be confessed before the Father. Language could not more definitely indicate the .possibility that Christians may be lost. Any other view renders the language not only misleading, but actually false. An implied argument is just as good as a direct statement. 6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.--See notes on Revelation 1:7.Commentary on Revelation 3:1-6 by Foy E. WallaceThe letter to the church at Sardis—Revelation 3:1-6. 1. “ Saith he that hath the seven spirits, and the seven stars”—Revelation 3:1. In Jesus Christ there is the uniting of these symbols of the spirits and the stars. The office of a spirit is to testify or teach; and the function of a star is to shine. It is a dual symbol which apparently refers to the uniting of the spirit of Christ in each church with the spirit of the congregation itself, that is, in the testimony of the truth, and having it shine as stars, as affirmed of God’ s servants in Daniel 12:3. 2. “ Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead"—Revelation 3:1. The history of the city of Sardis had been one of splendour, but it was generally known at this time to be in a state of decadence and decay. The Lord used this condition of the city to impress the spiritual state of the church-- they had a name like the city in which they were situated, but they were spiritually dead. The religious history of Sardis, like the civil, was in the past. 3. “ I have not found thy works perfect before God"—Revelation 3:2. There were no works in this church completed; they were works begun but not finished; their deeds were mere fragments of service, partial and imperfect, or incomplete. They were exhorted to “ strengthen the things which remained, that are ready to die” --that is, the waning works that yet existed would soon wither and perish if not invigorated and revived. This was a stern letter to Sardis, for they were their own enemies. There were no enemies of false doctrine mentioned; their danger lay in their state of spiritual decadence. 4. “ I will come upon thee as a thief"—Revelation 3:3. The Lord would come as a thief, not as a robber. The robber comes in violence, but the thief comes in the night of sleep. This warning compares to that of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28 (See 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2), and applies to the manner, not to the time, of his coming. While they reposed in their spiritual slumber, the events depicted would unexpectedly overwhelm them. The warning was a picture of their own spiritual state of unpreparedness. It was not a reference to the time of his advent,but it did refer to his coming in the events of judgment, and his coming as a thief meant that they were not alert and ready. 5. “ Thou has a few names even in Sardis . . . that are worthy”—Revelation 3:4. The statement that there were a few even in Sardis is a commentary on the condition of the city, as mentioned, and the like condition in the church. Notwithstanding the moral and civic state of the city of Sardis and the spiritual declension of the church, there was even yet a nucleus of faithful members. The garment is the symbol of character, or the vestures of righteousness with which Christians must be clothed. The word “ defiled” means contaminated. The term white denotes purity. The word pure means unalloyed, and is inherent; but defilement is contamination from without. There were a few in the Sardis church who had maintained an unalloyed state before Christ, and were undefiled by the degenerate and decadent outside surroundings. This teaches that moral qualities are essential to doctrinal recognition and spiritual acceptance by God and Christ. 6. “ I will not blot out his name out of the book of life"—Revelation 3:5. This book of life is an allusion to a registry for worthy citizens, but the names of the deceased citizens are erased. This meant exclusion. But there were a few names in Sardis that would not be blotted out of the book of life. It clearly indicates that the names of the unworthy would be blotted out; but a name cannot be blotted out of the book of life, if it had never been recorded in it; so here is positive proof for the possibility of apostasy. Commentary on Revelation 3:1-6 by Walter ScottRev_3:1THE SPIRIT'S ADDRESS TO SARDIS (Revelation 3:1-6). THE TO SARDIS AND . In this epistle to the angel we have the general state of the Church after the Reformation, as in the previous epistle we had a sketch in word and symbol of the Church before the Reformation. In Sardis Protestantism is before us; in Thyatira the papacy. The one overlaps the other, while both run on concurrently till the end, the Coming of the Lord. In the first three epistles are described consecutive states of the Church as a whole. The Reformation was a turning point in the history of western Christianity. The enforcement of the lofty and impious pretensions of the papacy in the seventh century was Satan's scourge of the west, while the rapid development of Mohammedanism at the same period equally blighted the east. The Reformation was a partial recovery in the west; for the east there has been none; it is apostate from God and the truth. Revelation 3; Revelation 1 "He that has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars." "The seven Spirits of God" is a perplexing expression to some. In the epistles of Paul the unity of the Spirit, "one Spirit," is a cardinal truth. But in the apocalyptic phrase "seven Spirits" are taught the fulness, completeness, and diversified attributes and actions of the one Holy Spirit. The Spirit in diversified governmental action as distinct, yet in conjunction with Jehovah and Jesus Christ, seems the thought intended in Revelation 1:4; while in Revelation 5:6 the perfection of power and fulness of spiritual intelligence, exercised governmentally by the Lamb, is the force of the expression there used. The fulness of the Spirit is in Christ. He exercises the power of the Spirit whether towards the Church (Revelation 3:1) or towards the world (Revelation 5:6). Whatever, then, the state of the Church may be that it is fallen, ruined, corrupt, dead, but there is in Him Who is in the midst of the golden lamps adequate spiritual power. Revelation 3:1 "He that has….the seven stars." The stars are the light bearers of the churches, responsible to shine for Christ and reflect the light of Heaven on the surrounding darkness. Christ has both the "seven Spirits" and the "seven stars," only the latter are not said to be in His right hand, as in Revelation 1:16. It is simply said He has them. The ecclesiastical order of the Church was maintained in Ephesus, whereas in Sardis the ministry in general and the organisation of the Church were by no means according to the due order of the Spirit. A scripturally constituted ministry where all was in place, and every endowment of the Spirit was exercised under the Lordship of Christ might well be spoken of as "in His right hand." But after the Reformation churches were rapidly formed according to the will, caprice, or intelligence of certain leaders. Certain truths, not THE TRUTH, became a rallying point or centre round which congenial minds gathered, forming for themselves a Church polity, and establishing a ministry, paid for and duly ordered according to ability, talent, and the power to increase and consolidate their numbers. Hence it is here simply said "He has the stars." After all, ministry of every character proceeds from Christ. "He has the stars." The entire ministry of the Church is with Christ, but be it remembered that "the Spirits" and "the stars" must not be separated; distinguished they may be, but severed they cannot be without serious loss. A cold, carnal, intellectual, humanly-ordained ministry is a ministry divorced from the Spirit. The stars shine by the light of the Spirit. The union of the two is the point here. The Church's competency for inward and spiritual power and for an outward organisation of authority and ministry are ever with Christ. Herein consists the strength and weakness of Protestant profession of Christianity. Dependence upon and guidance by the Holy Spirit is true power; ministry and order which ignore the Spirit, practically or theoretically, are effete, and moral death is the sure result. . Revelation 3:1 "I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead." The Lord's omniscience is again asserted in the words, "I know thy works." Thus He Who walks in the midst of the churches searches Sardis, and pronounces this judgment, "Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead." Such was, and is, Protestantism. The Reformation was the result of the energy of the Spirit of God. Historically we trace that mighty intervention of God to its human instruments, Luther, Melanchthon, etc., and to the various causes which contributed to the grand result, as the invention of printing, etc., but behind all these the great operating cause was the Holy Ghost. We regard the papacy as the greatest curse and the Reformation as the greatest blessing since the introduction of Christianity. We distinguish between the Reformation and Protestantism; the former was a divine work, the latter a human system. When the energy of the Reformers succeeded in breaking the chains and shackles of the worst tyranny which history records the crucial question arose: Will the energy and zeal be maintained? Will victory succeed victory? Alas, the Reformation, like every movement begun in the Spirit, soon lapsed into a cold, formal, lifeless, orthodox thing. The Reformers, and notably those who succeeded them, commenced the system of making churches instead of searching Scripture, from which they could alone learn what the Church of God is. Spiritual power was well-nigh gone; it might be found in individuals here and there, but, as a general and characteristic condition of the Church soon after the Reformation, the personal presence of the Holy Ghost in the Church (1 Corinthians 3:17) and in the individual believer (1 Corinthians 6:19) was either unknown, or, where a glimmering of the truth had penetrated, ignored. Yet things seemed fair enough, but within the power, the life, was not there. We refer to the general state. In Protestantism we have not the horrors nor gross corruption of the Middle Ages, but rather the sleep of death. There is a name to live, but only a name. The change from the papacy to Protestantism, from Thyatira to Sardis, may be described as a step out of the "chamber of horrors" into the "cell of death". There is the appearance of life, but He Whose eyes search all things and pierce through the outward covering says "art dead." Verse 2WORKS . Revelation 3:2 "Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, which are about to die, for I have not found thy works complete before My God." The general condition being one of death, the Church's spiritual representatives are to rouse up. Not only is watchfulness in view of the state then enjoined, but they were to become abidingly watchful. Watching and praying are coupled (Mark 13:33) in the light of the Lord's return. Praying and watching are connected in the maintenance of the Christian conflict (Ephesians 6:18). If moral death characterised the Protestant profession of Christianity inwardly, spite of deceptive appearances to the contrary, how needful the admonition to continue in a state of wakefulness and not slumber with the mass. But while a continuous state of watchfulness was enjoined in order to arrest further paralysis (for death, not life, was fast becoming master of the situation), the energy of love was also needed. Revelation 3:2 "Strengthen the things that remain, which are about to die." The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) yet existed, although in measure small and in expression feeble; whatever of life and grace remained was to be built up, cherished, strengthened. Whatever is of God hold fast, and the more so as practical religion is dying out of these Christian lands. The exhortation was never more needed than now. The sword and the trowel are ever in demand, but the wise and diligent use of the latter is the crying need of the Church. Revelation 3:2 "I have not found thy works complete before My God." This charge forms the ground of the admonition addressed to the angel. The works of faith and of obedience were not complete, i.e., in the sense of being filled up. The soul's practical relations with God were almost neglected in the public conflict with Rome. Individual godliness and Church life were at the lowest ebb. Protestantism as designating those who have seceded from Rome (At the famous diet of Spires, in 1529, on April 19th certain of the princes of Germany and many others protested against the usurpation of the papacy under Clement VII.; and again on Saturday, the 24th, the last day of the diet, they firmly renewed their protest. Hence from that day the Reformers all who stood out in opposition to the papacy were termed Protestants, eight years after Luther had so nobly borne himself alone at the diet of Worms.) is a poor designation of what a Christian ought to be. The exalted truths contained in the epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians were utterly unknown to the mass of the Reformers. Their efforts were mainly concentrated on the great struggle to recover for themselves, their children, and succeeding generations the Pauline truth of justification by faith, and even that is not presented in their writings in its scriptural fulness. (Luther spoke in the most contemptuous terms of the epistle of James, because he foolishly thought that the Jewish apostle clashed with Paul in the presentation of the doctrine of Justification.) Exceedingly defective were they in their thoughts as to the personality and dwelling on earth of the Holy Ghost, of the Church as the Body of Christ, and of our individual and corporate relationships to Christ in Heaven. Thus their works were not complete or filled up before "My God." This, then, was, and is, the great defect of Protestantism, and in this respect it compares unfavourably with the devotedness in works for which Thyatira was commended (Revelation 2:19). We must, however, in all this distinguish between the Reformation and the state subsequently known as Protestantism. The former was undoubtedly a divine movement, the latter is a public position taken up in opposition to the papacy in which, of course, there are many pious persons, while the system itself is one of moral death. Revelation 3:3. Revelation 3:3 "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and keep (it) and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come (upon thee) as a thief, and thou shalt not know at what hour I shall come unto thee." The "remember" to Ephesus (Revelation 2:5) was in view of the exceedingly rich endowment of truth revealed and grace bestowed, and from which the Church was declining; whereas the call to "remember" here is in the light of what God had recovered for them at the Reformation, i.e., the Gospel, the Word of God, and liberty of conscience. Judgment is ever according to the measure of responsibility, and that exists in a greater or less degree as flowing from what God has given and where He has set one. They had both "received" and "heard." Protestantism was living on the renown acquired by her successful conflict with the papacy; was living on her name. The truths recovered and the Gospel heard to the joy of thousands were fading from memory and conscience; hence the command to "keep" and "repent" -- to keep what they had, and to repent of the poor use they had made of their blessings. They had been counselled to watch (v. 2), now unless they do so they are threatened with judgment. The character in which Christ would come to them is as a "thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:1-28). He shall come as a Judge, unexpectedly, at an unknown and unlooked-for hour. Protestantism and the world are on the easiest terms possible. The mass of dissenters in pulpit, press, and Church courts are active politicians. State endowed churches must be to a considerable extent political in principle and practice. If, therefore, Protestantism identifies itself with the world, sharing its fortunes, it must also share its doom. Christ comes to the Church as the Morning Star, to Israel as the Sun of Righteousness, and to the world and religious profession in sudden surprise as a "thief in the night." The papacy (Thyatira) and Protestantism (Sardis) are running on together, but in opposition lines. Immense efforts are being made to heal the breach with popery. The differences between the two are lessening. The hour is approaching when the 1300 sects of Christendom will coalesce, headed by the personal Antichrist, but the end of every unity not formed by the Holy Ghost can only result in judgment. Revelation 3:4PROMISE TO THE . Revelation 3:4 "But thou hast a few names in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with Me in white, because they are worthy." In Thyatira the "rest," or remnant, and in Sardis the "few names" undefiled, formed a company in whom the Lord could delight. In principle and practice they were separate from the evil which they deplored; they walked apart from it. The weight of influence and numbers was with the popular side. The "few names in Sardis" had not defiled their garments. The mass had a name in the world, the "few" were unknown, and had no official standing, but each one of the company was personally known to Him Who "calleth His own sheep by name." How ample the gracious consolation: "They shall walk with Me in white." They had preserved their integrity here, they would walk with Him there in robes made white in the blood of the Lamb. We shall enjoy many a delightful walk and talk with our glorified Saviour and Lord (compare with Luke 9:30-32). In that coming day of ample reward, and of holy companionship with our ever blessed Lord, no thought of personal unworthiness as now shall ever cast a shadow across the soul, for, adds the Lord in His wonderful grace, "They are worthy." Truly it is the reckoning of grace, for each one of the distinguished and honoured number is in himself as to worth but a "brand plucked out of the fire," one rescued from imminent judgment justly deserved. Revelation 3:5-6REWARDS TO THE . Revelation 3:5 "He that overcomes, he shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, and will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." Here are three promises. (1) The overcomer who walked here in purity, in personal uprightness before God, shall be amply justified in the glorious scene outside this world. He shall be clothed in garments of white on which no speck or stain shall rest. (2) He who persevered in the path of life to the end would not have his name blotted out of the register of Christian profession. Many standing high in the Church, whose names are as "household words," may be erased in the day when life's records shall be scanned by the all-searching eye of the Lord of the churches. (3) He who shrank not from the confession of the Name of Christ is always unpopular in merely religious society, and, of course, ever so in the world, shall be singled out in the august presence of the Father and His angels and have his name confessed before that grand assembly. Revelation 3:5 "The book of life" here is not the same as that of Rev 13:8. In Revelation 3:5 it is profession which may or may not be real. The end would show. Some names would stand, others be erased. But in that of Rev 13:8 every name recorded was that of a true believer, because the names were written from the foundation of the world, (The alternative reading in the margin of the Revised Version of Rev 13:8 reads thus: "Shall worship him, every one whose names hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the slain Lamb." So also Tregelles, Darby, Kelly, etc.) and hence before the course of human responsibility commenced. God knows the end from the beginning, and so in indelible letters wrote each name. In Revelation 3:5 "the book of life" is the record of Christian profession; in Revelation 13:8 "the book of life" is the record of reality. In the former the true and false are found; in the latter the true only. Revelation 3:6 “ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Those having ears to hear are willing to listen to the message. Those that do not listen to what the Spirit says are not willing to obey His word (See Revelation 2:10). Those who will not hear (listen to the Word) and refuse to follow shall not walk with Him in robes of white.Commentary on Revelation 3:1-6 by E.M. ZerrRev_3:1. The Lord identifies himself as the one who has the seven spirits of God. Robinson says the following about this numeral: "The number seven was often put by the Jews for an indefinite round number. Likewise as a sacred number, of good omen, as also among the Egyptians, Arabians, Persians, etc." (See the comments at Revelation 1:4.) I know thy works is used in the sense of disapproval for it is directly followed by something that is had. This church was alive as far as its profession and reputation were concerned, but in reality as the Lord saw it the church was dead. Revelation 3:2. The aforesaid charge of being (lead is relative for dead people cannot do anything. Yet these people are exhorted to do something about that which is ready to die, which shows that some prospect of life was in sight. Not found thy works perfect. The church as a whole had some good qualities but it was not as good as it could and should he considering its opportunities. Revelation 3:3. Remember . . . received and heard. God holds men responsible according to the information and other advantages they have received (Luke 12:47-48). The church at Sardis had been given Gospel instruction and ought to have known better than think that a mere profession is sufficient. That is why it. is warned to hold fast which means to preserve the talents that were given to it and also to de-velop them (Matthew 25:16). Repent. This is another instance where disciples are exhorted to repent of a negative wrong. These people were guilty of not rising above a mere profession or reputation. They must bestir themselves and prove their right to such a name by more spiritual activity. Furthermore if a person does not make the progress or growth he should, he is sure to go the other way and become tainted with the evil things around him and thus defile his garments as most of these disciples had done. Come on thee as a thief. The Lord does not compare himself to a thief, only the hour of His coming is likened to one; for that reason it is important to be watchful. Revelation 3:4. Host a few names means there were a few persons in Sardis who had not become defiled. We have already seen that God does not hold anyone responsible for what he cannot prevent. (Revelation 2:24); so it was with these few names in Sardis. Walk with me in -white. White is an emblem of purity and is always so used in the Bible when taken figuratively (Psalms 51:7; Isaiah 1:18; Revelation 19:8). This promise looks beyond the day of judgment to the eternal association with Jesus in the home of the soul. However, it does not wait until then for its fulfillment in every sense. It also includes the fellowship with Christ that a faithful disciple may claim and enjoy in this life. "When we walk with the Lord in the light of His word; What a glory He sheds on our way!" (See 1 John 1:7.) They are worthy. We sometimes hear brethren criticize a familiar phrase "save us if worthy," and they will object that "none of us can ever be worthy." Jesus says we can, but he does not say that it is through the merits of our deeds. The worthiness consists in our relationship with the Lord as shown in the passage cited in 1 John above. Revelation 3:5. He that orercometh is the same as being faithful until death. Clothed in white raiment is explained at the preceding verse. Not blot out his name out of the book of life. It is a universal practice for institutions that consist of individual membership to keep a record of its names in a book. The fact is a basis for the figurative idea of a book of life in which the Lord keeps a list of his people (Malachi 3:1 G; Luke 10:20; Hebrews 12:23; Revelation 20:15). The point is that all whose names are there may be considered as those who are in good standing with the Lord. But theirnames are not put there with "indelible ink" but they may and will be blotted out if they are not faithful. Will confess his name is the same promise that Jesus made while on earth (Matthew 10:32). Revelation 3:6. He that hath an ear is commented upon at Revelation 2:7.Commentary on Revelation 3:1-6 by Burton CoffmanRev_3:1 This chapter continues the letters to the seven churches, having the last three: to Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6), to Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13), and to Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22). SARDISAnd to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.A present-day village named Sart, composed of a few paltry huts, is all that remains of the once proud capital of the Lydian monarchy,[1] and which probably existed even before the Lydian kingdom came into being in 1200 B.C.[2] Great names of ancient history were associated with the place, such as Croesus (with fabulous riches), Cyrus, and Alexander the Great. When Xerxes launched his disastrous invasion of Greece, Sardis was the staging area for his immense army. It was strategically located on top of a plateau protected on three sides by almost perpendicular cliffs overlooking the Hermus valley, giving the city strong military protection. Despite this, however, the city was twice destroyed through their overconfidence in leaving the supposedly unclimbable cliffs unprotected. Such overconfidence is understandable; for on all but the south side, "Its perpendicular rock walls rose 1,500 feet above the valley, and provided a natural citadel."[3] Both Cyrus in 546 B.C. and Antiochus the Great in 218 B.C. captured Sardis by scaling the undefended cliffs. The great importance of the city in ancient times, how ever, had sharply declined in apostolic times; and the city itself partook somewhat of the "deadness" that this letter ascribes to the church there. The principal temple of the place was that of Cybele, identified with Artemis, and like all other pagan temples a center of immorality. Ruins of it lie along the Pactolus river in the valley below the cliffs, the once gold-laden sands of which were one source of the city's wealth. The worship of the emperor was also strong there; and, out of gratitude to Tiberius who had aided financially in rebuilding the city after an earthquake in 17 A.D., they competed for the honor of building a temple to him; but they lost out to Smyrna.[4] Tiberius remitted their taxes for a period, but Sardis never regained its place of importance, except for a brief while in the reign of Diocletian. It existed continuously until 1402 when it was so completely destroyed by Tamerlane that it was never rebuilt.[5] Scott reported that "only two or three shepherds inhabited a hut there" at the time of Arundel's visit in 1826, and that in 1850 "no human being was found living in the once mighty and populous Sardis."[6]The fact that no New Testament records tell of the establishment of the church in Sardis should not be thought strange; because only a small fraction of the activity of the apostles and first generation Christians is mentioned in the New Testament. Sardis probably learned the truth about the same time that other churches in the area were planted, and possibly from the very same sources. He that hath the seven Spirits of God ... Christ represented himself to this church in terminology describing the glorified Saviour in the first chapter. As noted earlier, this clause is difficult; but it likely means, "the Holy Spirit sent in his fullness to the seven churches."[7]I know thy works ... This is stated in all seven of the letters. Thou hast a name that thou livest ... This means that the people of this church were "nominal Christians, professing to live the Christian life";[8] but it also seems to indicate that they enjoyed a good reputation in the community, a deduction from the fact that no mention of any opposition from the pagan society is made. They apparently had no Balaam, no Nicolaitans, and no Jezebel. Not even the Jews were mentioned as opposing them. Perhaps Caird was right in referring to them as, "The church everyone spoke well of, the perfect model of inoffensive Christianity, unable to distinguish between the peace of well-being and the peace of death."[9] Although not all at Sardis were "dead" (Revelation 3:4), "The majority had so fully compromised with the pagan environment that they were Christian in name only."[10] They could have been a rather large and influential body of people, for there is no reference to their having but a "little strength" as was the case at Philadelphia. However they might have looked in the eyes of men, they were nevertheless dead in the eyes of the Lord. And thou art dead ... What a dreadful sentence of condemnation is this. The Lord had not one word of approval for this church, no works to commend; and the inference in Revelation 3:5 is that he had already blotted the names of some of them out of the book of life. [1] W. Boyd Carpenter, Ellicott's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 546. [2] E. M. Blaiklock, Cities of the New Testament (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1965), p. 113. [3] G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 47. [4] Robert H. Mounce, Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), p. 109. [5] E. J. Banks, ISBE, p. 2692. [6] Walter Scott, Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, n.d.), p. 40. [7] G. R. Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation (Greenwood, South Carolina: The Attic Press, 1974), p. 94. [8] John T. Hinds, A Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), p. 53. [9] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 48. [10] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 110. Revelation 3:2 Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God.Be thou watchful ... Many commentators love to tie this in with the repeated destruction of the city of Sardis through failure to "watch"; but this is not necessary. Christ himself, in the great discourse on Olivet (Matthew 24 and parallels), enjoined watchfulness; and that discourse is frequently in the mind of the writer throughout Revelation; and this is very likely the case here. See Mark 13:35; Mark 13:37. Establish the things that remain ... This stresses a truth sometimes overlooked, namely, that even in dead, wicked, in different congregations there may be some members, probably humble and obscure, who are still trying to do the will of God and in their hearts grieve for the desolation. Barnes said, concerning such as these: An important duty in a low and languishing state of religion, is to "strengthen the things that still survive." It is to cultivate all the graces that do exist; to nourish all the love of truth that may linger in the church; and to confirm, by warm exhortation, and by reference to the gracious promises of the word of God, the few who may be endeavoring to do their duty, and who, amidst many discouragements, are aiming to be faithful to the Saviour.[11]ENDNOTE: [11] Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1961), p. 89. Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent.Earle, in this and the preceding verse, found five steps to a revival: (1) "Be watchful"; (2) "Strengthen the things which remain"; (3) "Remember"; (4) "Hold fast"; and (5) "Repent."[12]Remember ... "Memory is again the lever for repentance, as in Revelation 2:5"[13] See notes on that verse, above. And just what were those things they were supposed to remember? We are not told, but Hinds is probably correct in the view that: This could include the miraculous proof which may have been present when the church was established, a remarkable evidence of the truth of the gospel; but it may have reference to the sincerity and enthusiasm with which they accepted the gospel.[14][12] Ralph Earle, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 515. [13] James Moffatt, Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 364. [14] John T. Hinds, op. cit., p. 54. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.It is common for interpreters to make this mean that John is warning Sardis to be prepared for the Second Advent; but as Caird noted, "If we allow John to speak for himself, he is clearly saying that the coming itself is contingent on the church's refusal to repent."[15] Thus, as in the other references to "the coming" in these chapters, it is a "coming in judgment" that is meant, not the final Advent, but a providential visitation upon the sinful. The Second Advent is not contingent upon any group's repentance. When our Saviour gave the great Olivet discourse (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21), he mingled the prophecies of the destruction of Jerusalem and those of the Second Coming, some of his discourse referring to both events, the first as typical of the second; and the same method is here employed. Therefore, the warnings of providential judgments and "trials" coming upon the church, with the admonitions to "watch," etc., likewise have their application to the ultimate Coming of the Son of God in glory. ENDNOTE: [15] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 49. Revelation 3:4 But thou hast a few names in Sardis that did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.A few names ... This means, of course, a few persons, Christians, who despite the prevailing wickedness and deadness of the church were still faithful, but in danger of being overcome at last by the defection of the vast majority. As Barnes said, "This indicates that where error and sin prevail, there may be a few who are worthy of divine commendation."[16] When a church dies, or becomes evil, many innocent persons are always discouraged and lost as a result. Nothing can be more tragic than such an event. They did not defile their garments ... This plainly indicates that the prevailing immorality of the pagan culture was being indulged by Christians. "While maintaining outwardly their good works and Christian activities, they were adapting themselves to the luxury and (sinful) pleasures of their pagan environment."[17] Moffatt declared that the language here is similar to that found in votive inscriptions from Asia Minor, in which "soiled clothes disqualified the worshipper and dis honored the god."[18] However the resemblance was superficial. Whereas the pagan priests were concerned with literal clothes, the apostle's letter here has reference to "soiling one's clothes" figuratively or spiritually. Committing immorality would in deed have been soiling one's clothes spiritually. For they shall walk with me in white ... Like all the other promised rewards in this series of letters, this is a promise of eternal life stated in figurative terms. Most commentators seem to concur in this view. "This white is not the white of the undefiled robe; it is the lustrous white of glory."[19] "It would seem that walking in white is a way of describing those who are justified."[20][16] Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 90. [17] George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972), p. 57. [18] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 364. [19] W. Boyd Carpenter, op. cit., p. 547. [20] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 112. Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.Shall be arrayed with me in white ... This, of course, is to be taken in close connection with Revelation 3:4. Rather than finding some reference in this to customs of pagan worshippers, it is better to understand the figurative meaning of it as similar to that mentioned by Adam Clarke: The great council of Israel sat and judged the priests. If in a priest any vice was found, they stripped off his white garments and clothed him in black, in which he wrapped himself, went out, and departed. Him in whom no vice was found they clothed in white; and he went and took his part in the ministry with his brother priests.[21]I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life ... For fuller comment on "The Book of Life," see in my Commentary on Hebrews, pp. 381,382. It is significant that Christ's confession of the faithful is, in some manner, connected with enrollment in the book of life, not only upon the occasion of the initial inscription, but upon the final entry into heaven. A verse like this is inevitably associated with the study of predestination; and sharply divergent views of it are taken. Bruce, for example, has this: The "book of life" appears here ... to include at first all whose names are on the membership roll of a local church; but those whose membership is but nominal have their names deleted, the Lord declares he never knew them (Luke 13:25; Luke 13:27).[22]The significance of such an interpretation is that it means that some who are enrolled in the book of life were never saved at all. "The Lord never knew them." It is difficult to understand how anyone could believe that heaven itself endorses the earthly enrollment of wicked people whom the Lord "never knew" by inscribing their names in the book of life. It is impossible, therefore, for us to accept the notion that any reference whatever to the membership rolls of any local church is to be found here. Any true conception of the "Book of Life," which belongs to the Lamb of God, makes it inconceivable that any unsaved, unredeemed persons would ever be inscribed in such a list unless they were entitled to be so recognized. Whatever this passage may seem to say to others, this writer sees in it the positive and certain declaration that born-again, redeemed Christians, whose names, upon the occasion of their conversion, are indeed written in the book of life, are still subject to probation. If they should fail to continue in faithfulness to the Lord, their names will be blotted out of the book of life; and we fully agree with Roberts who wrote, "Christ had already had to blot out the names of most of the Sardis Christians from the heavenly register."[23] The predestination in which John believes is a conditional predestination. A man cannot earn the right to have his name on the citizen roll, but he can forfeit it."[24]And I will confess his name ... This is an echo of Mat 10:32-33. For the connection between this confession and inscription in the book of life, see in my Commentary on Hebrews, pp. 381,382. From this place, it seems that Christ not only confesses the redeemed upon the occasion of their conversion, but again, upon the occasion of their entry into heaven. [21] Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible, Vol. VI (London: Carlton and Porter, 1829), p. 984. [22] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 640. [23] J. W. Roberts, The Revelation of John (Austin, Texas: R. B. Sweet Company, 1974), p. 47. [24] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 49. Revelation 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.This is identical with the admonition addressed to all seven of these churches. See discussion of it under Revelation 2:7. Commentary on Revelation 3:1-6 by Manly LuscombeSardis (Revelation 3:1-6) The City--Sardis was one of the richest cities of the ancient world. It had a 2,000 year history. Sardis was built on Mount Timolus. 600 years before Christ, Sardis was the capital of Lydia. Croesus, famous for his great wealth, ruled there. This is the first known existence of gold coins. By this time, late in the first century AD, the glory had faded. There had been several earthquakes, which had heavily damaged the city. The Church--The New Testament does not tell of the planting or history of this church. Things Commended--In all the other letters, Jesus first commends then condemns. Here the order is reversed. There is so much wrong that Jesus first condemns - then commends the few that remain faithful. A few have not defiled their garments. They took no part in the pagan worship and worldliness around them. They had remained faithful and would be judged on their individual faithfulness, not on the faithfulness of the church. Things Condemned--They had a reputation in the city as being active, alive and spiritual. In fact, they were dead. There was lots of outward activity, but no inner spirituality. A visitor would be impressed with the activities mentioned in the announcements - youth trips, fellowships, adult parties, outings, and camping trips. As far as the visitor could tell, this was a church involved, busy, well organized and alive. The forms were all correct, but the faith, power and devotion to God were missing. (2 Timothy 3:5). Someone has observed, “ There are few things better organized than graveyards.” Everything is neat, well kept, and orderly, but no life. This is what Jesus saw. Appearances of being alive but they were really dead. Sardis was urged to “ establish the things that remain.” What little life was left needed to be put on life support or they would soon die. Sermon on Revelation 3:1-6 Dead or Alive? Brent Kercheville Introduction: From time to time I see in the newspaper that bands of my childhood come to town to play. Some of the bands that are still touring today that were touring in the 1980s and I am shocked to see it. I will think to myself, “ Wow, those guys are still touring?” The reason it is strange to me is because these bands are not putting out any new songs or any new music. They are simply playing the hits that were so great 20-30 years ago. They are living on the reputation that they made for themselves decades ago. But they are not creating any new, fresh music. In Christ’ s letter to the church in Sardis, he gets directly to the point and gets immediately to the heart of the problem. Christ describes himself as the one who is in charge, holding the seven stars and has the seven spirits of God. Christ knows the works of the church at Sardis and they are dead. This is a dead church. In the other letters to the seven churches so far, Christ knowing their works has been a good thing for the church. Christ sees what the Christians are doing in their love, faith, and service. Christ also knows the works of the church in Sardis and those works are not good. Even more interesting is the fact that no one knew they were a dead church. The church in Sardis had a reputation of being alive, but they were not living up to the reputation. The problem that Christ exposes is superficial Christianity. They claim to be of Christ but they do not live like they are of Christ. They are fake Christians. They claim to be Christians. They seem to be Christians. But they are dead. They are not putting what they know in the scriptures into practice. IGNITE: Are we fake Christians? Do we really have the love and devotion that Christ is looking for in his followers? Or are we simply wearing the name but our actions do not reflect the name we claim? It is time to stop being fake. It is time to strip the facade and get real with Jesus. We will never grow or catch fire when we are faking it. We will not be devoted followers until we get real about what we are doing. Stop going through the motions. Stop mentally checking out. Stop being bystanders in worship. Mentally and physically participate in a relationship with Jesus. As we go through this lesson we will explore things we can do to strip the facade and have a real relationship with Jesus. Wake Up! (Revelation 3:2-3) Christ calls for them to wake up. It is time to show themselves to be watchful and ready because right now they are simply sleeping. They are dead. Strengthen what little remains. It is not too late to turn things around but what little faith you have left is about to die. Their works are not complete before the Lord. They are coming up short. Christ is calling for them to act quickly because they are at the point of no return. Christ further calls for them to remember what they had received and heard. They were asked to remember the teachings they had heard. Keep those words that had been taught to them and repent. You have received the teachings from Christ and the apostles. Remember what you have heard and keep those teachings. IGNITE: Was your week any different because of the teachings you heard? Does anything in our lives change week to week? We come together and hear the word of the Lord read and taught. Does anything change? Is anything in our lives different? Or are we dead? In our last lesson we examined “ acceptable sins.” Did we stop doing those sins? Did anything change in our lives? Are we still doing the same thing that we were doing the week before? Friends, do not call yourself a Christian if you are not walking away from your sins. We are showing ourselves to be as dead of a church as the church in Sardis if we come here week after week, hear the word of the Lord, and change nothing in our lives. Jesus’ call to commitment is clear: he wants all or nothing. The thought of a person calling himself a “ Christian” without being fully devoted to Christ is absurd. Somehow we think that we are going to heaven without truly and faithfully loving Jesus. To every person here at worship we are glad you are here. I believe that God is glad you are here. But you being here is not enough for God. Christ is calling for a relationship with you. Christ is calling for you to love him. Christ is calling for you to engage him and participate with him. The problem can be summarized as serving leftovers to a holy God. We are offering God our leftovers. We are not offering God our hearts. We are offering God the time that we have left over that we are willing to give. God wants our best, deserves our best, and demands our best. God is not pleased with our scrapes of left over time and effort that we give him. God does not accept our unchanged lives. We cannot live on the reputation of being a Christian but not show him that we truly love him. Unfortunately, too often the wrong aspect of the Christian life is emphasized. Too often we are told that we need to do more and must do more. But this is the wrong approach because we can do more and still be giving our leftovers. God wants us to love him. If we are truly devoted to him, then we will do the things he asks of us. We must stop being who we are and start being what God wants us to be. Listen to the word of the Lord and change our lives week after week. Hope In Grace (Revelation 3:4) There is only one positive that Christ has to say to this church. There are just a few in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their garments. There are a few who have not spiritually died. They are keeping their clothes clean. This shows us that Christ is not demanding perfection from us. No one is perfect. We are going to fail in our attempt to love Christ. There is room for our failures and our sins in the pursuit of God. This is where the grace of God bridges the gap for us. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:14; John 1:16 ESV) We have all received grace upon grace. Christ is full of grace. We are going to fail in this pursuit of Christ. But that does not mean that we can give up the pursuit! Our failure does not mean that we can live at a mediocre level of spirituality. It does notmean that we can become spiritually dead. There are a few in Sardis. They are not perfect. But they are pursuing a relationship with Christ. Notice what Christ says about them. “ They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.” No one is worthy on their own merits and actions. We cannot do enough to justify ourselves. This is not the kind of worthiness that Christ is speaking about. Christ is saying that there are Christians in Sardis who are not fake. They are not pretending. They are living real lives with Jesus. They are not superficial but are truly pursuing Christ. They will be declared worthy by Christ. They are not worthy through their own actions because they are sinners also. Our own merits leave us in sin. Instead, they are showing that they love Christ and grace fills in at the point of our failures. Therefore, Christ says that we can walk with him. We are counted as worthy when we put our trust in him and with love pursue a relationship with him. To The Conquerors (Revelation 3:5-6) Christ says that those who seek this relationship with him will be clothed in white garments. These are garments that reflect purity and victory. Our filthy rags that are defiled by sin are replaced by pure robes because of the blood of Jesus. The white robes are also a picture of victory. Notice the things Christ says he will do for those who seek him. I will never blot his name out of the book of life. Your name will never be erased from the book of life when we are seeking him. This book contains the names of the people of God, chosen by God to inherit eternal life. Let this promise sink into your hearts and minds. Christ will never erase your name out of his book of life. Even in our failures, mistakes, and shortcomings, when we choose to stop being fake and start being real with Christ and pursue him in love, then Christ is who full of grace will give to us grace upon grace. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. Christ is not going to deny the relationship you have with him. On the day of judgment when you say to the Almighty Judge, “ I know Jesus,” Jesus is not going to say that he does not know who we are. He says that he will confess our name on that day if we confess his name on earth now. Jesus will say that he knows you and you are worthy to enter into eternal life. If this does not ignite our hearts, then I do not know what else can. Revelation 3:7-13 6. LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN Rev_3:7-13 7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write :--See notes on 1:20. Philadelphia was located almost directly on a line between Sardis and Laodicea. In the second century after Christ it came under Roman rule. It is said to have remained a Christian city longer than any of the seven mentioned. It still exists, but with a Turkish name. These things saith he that is holy, he that is true,--The word "holy" is a designation for both God and Christ; here, of course, it refers to the latter. He is also true; true in himself and in all his words. Such characteristics were a guarantee that all he said to them would be the exact truth, the very things upon which they could depend implicitly. As in all the other letters, this was a very appropriate address. he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth and none openeth:--That Christ had to be David's son is certain from both Old and New Testament teaching. (Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:30-33; Matt. 22 41-45.) Figuratively the word "key" means authority--the right to open and close doors; or, expressed differently, it means the authority to lay down conditions of acceptance or rejection. This authority came to Christ when he, as David's son, began his reign upon David's throne--that is, his authority as a ruling king commenced at that time. This language is borrowed from Isaiah 22:22. The prophet's words primarily referred to Eliakim who executed the king's authority. Spiritually they apply to Christ upon the throne of David because he was David's son. The authority here expressed truly belongs to Christ and has been declared to us by his apostles. (John 20:22-23.) The point in the expression being considered is that Christ was said to have the key of David when this letter was written. This settles the matter that he was then upon David's throne. If so, then he is now. The theory that he must come in the future to begin his reign upon David's throne is of necessity false. In addition to his righteousness he, as their ruling king, had authority to address them. Without this, the letter would lose its power as a part of the divine revelation, and could be ignored as a writing of authority. 8 I know thy works (behold, I have set before thee a door opened, which none can shut), that thou hast a little power, and didst keep my word, and didst not deny my name.--Here as in the case of the other churches, they are reminded that the Lord knew their works--not only their efforts, but the difficulties under which they labored. The words "thou hast a little power" may mean that the Lord noted their weakness, poverty, and few members. But in spite of such drawbacks they are complimented as resisting temptations to the extent that they had kept God's word and had not denied their faith in Christ. For that reason God had opened to them doors of opportunities for greater service. Just what opportunities those open doors brought to them is not stated. We may always expect that duties faithfully performed will lead to chances for doing greater things. 9 Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.--The first part of this verse is an incomplete sentence, but the second part begins with the same word and completes the thought. he church was encountering certain opposers who claimed to be Jews, or the true people of God, but were, in fact, a "synagogue of Satan"; hence, not being God's people, their claims were false. The word worship ordinarily means rendering homage; but here it may signify nothing more than that their bitter enemies would be led in some providential way to admit that God loved that church and gave it his blessings. Just how this would be done is not stated. In a broader sense we may understand that the lesson here taught will be applicable to all who oppose the truth. At the judgment, if not before, all enemies of the gospel will be forced to concede that the gospel is true and the church is a divine institution. 10 Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial,--The conditional nature of God's blessings is here definitely expressed. Because they kept God's word, he would protect them in the time of trial. Keeping God's word means that they obeyed his commands. "The word of my patience" has direct reference to the fact that, in accordance with God's word, they had patiently endured in spite of all kinds of opposition. His promise to keep them in the hour of trial did not mean that they would be unconditionally protected, or that they would be allowed to escape all trials. It rather means that through his favors and their fidelity they would be able to meet successfully all trials. That is all any Christian should expect or even want. that hour which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.--The "whole world" may here refer to the Roman Empire or the then inhabited earth. The expression may be used in a free sense to indicate some widespread calamity that would affect the country of which Philadelphia was a part. The particular trial is not named and we have no means of knowing what it was. In principle the same promise would fit the judgment as the great trial for the whole human race. God will keep those who obey his commands. All trials test the genuineness of those who 'profess to be followers of Christ. 11 I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.--If the trial referred to meant some calamity that was to befall Asia Minor, the time of it may have been near when John wrote or, the expression may indicate the suddenness with which the calamity would come. God's allowing punishment to befall is represented as the Lord coming indirectly; that is, he permits it to happen. Being urged to hold what they had means that they were not to lose their faith, but persist in obedience. Thus they would prevent anything from leading them to lose their crown. The word "crown" here means a token or garland of victory--a reward to those who win. The language implies the possibility of losing it. 12 He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more:--The word temple sometimes refers to the church (1 Corinthians 3:16) and sometimes to heaven (Revelation 7:15). The reference here seems to be to heaven, for the overcomer is to "go out thence no more." The word pillar carries the idea of something permanent--a fixture--a thing that remains as long as the temple lasts. Leaving off the figurative language, the thought is that one who finally overcomes will be in no danger of being rejected; the one who fails to overcome will be in such danger. and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name. --As the name of conspicuous persons might be written on pillars of temples, so the name of God is represented as being written on one who overcomes. Again, omitting figures of speech, it means that the overcomer would be recognized as one of God's redeemed. The name of the city of God would be written upon him--that is, he would be known as one belonging to the city of God. The "new name" referring to Christ was also to be written upon him. This would at least indicate that he was entitled to all that was secured by the name of Christ. In 21:2 the final state is said to be the "new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven." If the word temple should be understood as referring to the church, then coming down out of heaven would mean that it originated from heaven, and that faithful members would remain in God's favor. Losing a place in God's temple, with all that means, would result from a failure to overcome. Another proof of the possibility of Christians being lost through disobedience. 13 He that bath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.--See notes on Revelation 2:7.Commentary on Revelation 3:7-13 by Foy E. WallaceThe letter to the church at Philadelphia—Revelation 3:7-13. 1. “ He that hath the key of David”—Revelation 3:7. The word key conveys the meaning of authority, control and possession. In Isaiah’ s prophecy of the One who should possess the house of David, in Isaiah 22:22, the prophet said: “ And the key of the house of David I will lay upon his shoulders; so he shall open, and none shall shut, and he shall shut, and none shall open.” The Lord’ s statement to the church at Philadelphia was a direct reference to this prophecy, which was fulfilled in him. The key of David was “ laid upon his shoulder,” which means the burden of government, and in Isaiah 9:6-7, the prophet said: “ Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice even for ever.” This prophecy gives the reason why Jesus Christ said to the Philadelphians that he had the key of David, for he possessed the throne of David, and its government was upon his shoulder, with the authority to order it and establish it. Furthering this point reference should be made to the word of the angel to Mary in Luke 1:31-33 - “ And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” There is no difference in the terms, the house of Jacob, the house of David, and the throne of David, and they were all spiritually possessed by Jesus Christ. The words of the apostles of Christ add testimony to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ now possesses the house of David and occupies the throne of David. Quoting from second psalm, in Acts 13:33-34, Paul declared that God had fulfilled the promise in giving to them “ the sure mercies of David.” The quotation reads: “ God hath fulfilled the same unto their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.” At the gathering of the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, the apostle James, in Acts 15:13-17, quoted the prophecy of Amo 9:1-15, that the Christ would come to “ build again the tabernacle of David . . . and set it up . . . that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called.” If the remnant of the Jewish world and all the Gentiles could then seek after God, it follows that Christ had set up the spiritual tabernacle of David. Added to these prophecies, and their declared fulfillment, is the declaration of the apostle Peter on Pentecost, in Acts 2:29-33, that the prophecies of David, that God would raise up one to sit on his throne, were fulfilled in the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Peter declared that the prophecies meant that “ he (God) would raise up Christ to sit on his (David’ s) throne,” and that “ he seeing this before (foreseeing the fulfillment) spake of the resurrection of Christ.” Peter then concluded, “ This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses. Therefore being by the right of God exalted, he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear.” Summing it up, Jesus Christ has the throne of David, the tabernacle of David, the house of David, the sure mercies (or blessings) of David, and the key of David, in every spiritual sense of these terms, and there are no other prophecies or promises concerning David and Christ to be fulfilled. These passages teach that the house of David was perpetuated in the kingdom of Christ--his Church. It follows that the theory of the future return of Christ to occupy David’ s throne in an earthly millennium is the figment of theological fancy, imagination and error. 2. “ He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth”—Revelation 3:7-8. Again, this is a reference to Isaiah 22:22, and to the Philadelphians Jesus Chrfst applied the words no man shutteth to the promise that all the persecutors put together, persecutions combined, could not shut their door-a door which the Lord had opened. When the door of any institution is closed, it is out of business; but the persecutors could not close the door of the Philadelphian church. “ I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it." Like “ the great door” which had been opened to Paul, which he mentioned in three epistles-- 1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12 and Colossians 4:3 --which opposition to him could not close; so in the midst the eventful period of persecution God had set before them an open door which Nero could not shut. Persecution could not destroy that to which Christ had the key, and not having committed this key to any man, no man could open or shut this door. 3. “ I will make them to come and worship before thy feet” - -Revelation 3:9. This statement refers to the Judaizers, who were of “ the synagogue of Satan,” and who in claiming to be Jews were false pretenders in that they were not true Jews in the Lord’ s sight. “ For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not men, but of God.” (Romans 2:28-29) These outward Jews had been the chief enemies of the church, and had instigated the persecutions against Christians, who were God’ s Jews inwardly (spiritually); but these false Jews, the enemies of Christ, would go down in defeat by the persecutions which they themselves had instigated; and in the metaphor of verse 9, they would bow before the Cause upheld by the Philadelphian church. It meant that Judaism would be crushed, and would kneel before the door which no man could shut. 4. “ I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation (trial), which shall come upon all the world”—Revelation 3:10-11. This promise was made to the Philadelphians in divine reciprocation of their having“ kept the word” of Christ. They were not promised exemption from trial, but preservation through the period of trial. The world in Revelation 3:10 meant the empire. The hour of trial was the persecution period: in Matthew 24:29, the tribulation; in Romans 16:20, the bruising of Satan; in 1 Corinthians 7:26, the present distress; in Hebrews 10:25, the day approaching; in James 5:8, the coming of the Lord draweth nigh; in 1 Peter 4:7, the end of all things at hand; in 1 John 2:18, the last time--and in Revelation, the hour of trial, all pointing to the impending events attending the end of the Jewish system and state. The Lord’ s statement in Matthew 24:1-51 was the forecast of the siege of Jerusalem; because of “ the present distress,” in Corinthians Paul dispensed advice concerning certain jeopardies involved in marriage; in Hebrews 10:1-39 they were exhorted not to forsake (meaning to abandon, renounce) their first day of the week assembling because of these threats of persecution (as the context of verses 25 through 39 indicates), and to exhort each other, as the day of persecution approached, not to so renounce and abandon the new covenant; in James 5:1-20, the declaration that the coming of Christ was nigh could not have referred to the return of Christ, for it did not occur therefore it was not nigh--it referred to the Lord’ s coming in these approaching events concerning which all of the apostles were exhorting the members of all the churches in every place; and John, in his epistle mentioned “ the last time” in reference to the state of the Jews and of their nation; in the apocalypse he symbolized it as “ the hour of trial,” and assured the Philadelphians that the Lord would “ come quickly,” in the judgments and rewards that he had repeatedly promised to render. The foregoing running summary of the expressions in the epistles of the New Testament to these impending events constitutes cumulative proof that the visions of Revelation related to the persecution period of the early church. 5. “ To him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out”—Revelation 3:12. This is undoubtedly a reference to the demolition of the old temple. But the reward promised the Philadelphians for their faithfulness was a residence in the new temple, the spiritual temple, which could never be destroyed; out of which they would never be compelled to go, as in the case of the Jews in the destruction of the old temple of Jerusalem. The church is here conceived as a new building; and in this new temple of God the overcomers of the persecutions would be pillars; that is, to uphold the indestructible Cause of Him who had the key of David. The pillar supports the structure. When Samson pulled down the pillars supporting Dagon’ s temple, the whole structure collapsed. The faithful constituents in the new building of God would be the supporting pillars to uphold the Cause which would triumph over all persecutions of this approaching “ hour of trial.” The statement of the latter part of verse 12, referring to the “ new Jerusalem,” with a new name, simply means that the old Jerusalem, and all for which it stood, would be gone. As stated in chapter 21 of the apocalypse, the old things would pass away, and “ behold, I will make all things new.” This new temple would not be the restoration of the old house nor the reconstitutions of its ordinances. The emblem of the new name is used to distinguish a new institution, the church, from Judaism completely. It would not be a new dispensation of old ordinances: “ The old things are passed away, behold all things are new.” The promise to the members of the church at Philadelphia was that in the spiritual temple of the new Jerusalem, in contrast with the old temple of the apostate Jerusalem, the Lord established them as permanent elements of the redeemed society of his church, which nothing could destroy. These principles prevail in the church today, and should ever be a source of strength and encouragement to all of its members.Commentary on Revelation 3:7-13 by Walter ScottTHE SPIRIT'S ADDRESS TO (Revelation 3:7-13). : ITS MEANING AND . Philadelphia was the last Christian city which submitted to the Turk, and of the seven cities named in these addresses it had the longest duration; moreover, it is the only one of the seven whose name is preserved in these modern times, in the name of the well-known American city founded by William Penn. Philadelphia signifies "brotherly love," and evidently points to the characteristic feature of the work of God in our days. We are satisfied that the Philadelphian state has its rise, unique character, and development equally with the other Church states which have come before us. Why should Philadelphia with a character as equally pronounced as any of the others have no historical origin? We believe it has. At the close of the eighteenth century Christendom had settled down in the stupor of death. Protestantism was living on its name. That century was by no means the most wicked of the Christian centuries, but it was the worst in the sight of God as to its moral state. We judge that the Philadelphian epoch of the Church and the sounding of the midnight cry (Matthew 25:6) are associated events; if, indeed, the latter is not part and parcel of the Philadelphian movement. This was a true revival, a spiritual reformation. A work not of so public a character as the Reformation, but one of equal moment with it. The revival of long-forgotten truths, and their application to the souls and lives of God's saints, was the Philadelphian work of eighty years ago. Many New Testament doctrines and truths of vital importance to the standing and state of saints were forgotten soon after the death of the apostles. Thank God for their revival in our day. Multitudes who apparently stepped into the blessed grace won for them and us through the energy of the Spirit of God are now giving it up. What next? What follows? Laodicea, pure and simple. In Philadelphia true saints are caught up into the air to meet Christ. In Laodicea mere professors are spued out of His mouth; in the former the Church is preserved, in the latter the mass is rejected. "Brotherly love" (There is a good deal of Biblical instruction wrapped up in the meaning of personal and common names practically unknown to most readers of the Holy Scriptures through inattention to this branch of study. On the other hand, there is danger, especially to persons of a mystic character of mind, in allowing imagination to take flights of fancy and play fast and loose in the domain of revealed truth. The Reformer, Ursinius, author of the Heidelberg Catechism, ingeniously constructed a statement of the Fall and Redemption from the alleged signification of the names of the first ten antediluvian patriarchs; others have followed in the same fanciful direction. To seek to establish a truth or doctrine on the real or supposed value of a numeral, or significance of a name merely, is to introduce a dangerous principle in Biblical interpretation. The value of numerals, and the signification of names throw many a sidelight on the teachings of Scripture. The origin of many words is lost, but if the origin and early history of names of objects and persons could in all cases be given with certainty it would be found that they express characteristic features or qualities in relation to special circumstances or events. The naming of the animals by Adam would no doubt be in relation to their several characteristics or habits. Professor Max Muller in his "Science of Languages" says: "Analyse any word you like and you will find that it expresses a general idea peculiar to the individual to which it belongs. What is the meaning of moon? The measurer. What is the meaning of sun? The begetter. What is the meaning of earth? The ploughed.") intimates an exclusive company. Divine love in all its aspects is a holy love, one intolerant of evil, for God is love. "Brotherly love," therefore, must partake of the character of its source, which is God Himself. In this respect Philadelphia stands out in marked contrast to Sardis; this latter represents the mass of professing Christians, whilst distinguishing a remnant; the former brings into prominence a true-hearted company, the members of which may be scattered world-wide, but one characterised by love, a love holy and true in its character and one not narrower than the divine circle, "the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19). and . Revelation 3:7. "To the angel of the Church in Philadelphia write: These things saith the holy, the true: He that has the key of David, He who opens and no one shall shut, and shuts and no one shall open." It is a circumstance to be carefully noted that the character in which Christ presents Himself here forms no part of His glory as beheld in chapter one. He assumes a moral attitude towards the Church in Philadelphia, one which exactly fits its state of manifest weakness. Here, then, we have Christ in personal character, what He is essentially. He is the holy, He is the true. Others, however, might be that in a qualified degree, so that scarcely gives the force of the words, "the holy, the true." He is both in His own Person. He ever is the embodiment of holiness and truth. Both personally and intrinsically He is "the holy" and "the true." Viewed essentially these are divine attributes (Hosea 11:9; Jeremiah 10:10; Revelation 4:8; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; Isaiah 6:3; 1 John 5:20). Persons and things are spoken of as holy and true, but no created being has the essential moral glory of being The Holy One and The True One. As employed in our text they are really divine titles. Revelation 3:7 "He that has the key of David." In these words and in those that follow the reference is to Isaiah 22:22. Shebna is deposed and degraded. The treasurer of the royal house of David used his high office to immortalise himself (v. 16). Then the prophet announced the investiture of Eliakim to the administration of the royal authority. The terms of the prophecy in depth and fulness are characteristically Messianic, going far beyond the historical circumstances in the days of Hezekiah. The prophetic announcement of Isaiah (Isaiah 22:22) and the words of the Seer (v. 7 in our chapter), almost verbally the same, imply administrative authority; the former in connection with royalty in Judah, the latter in connection with grace to the Church. The "key" as a symbol denotes undisputed right to enter and exercise all needful authority. Some, strangely enough, connect "the key of the house of David" with "the keys of death and of hades." They are not identical. The former intimates Christ's sovereignty in time, the latter His sway in the unseen world in all that concerns the bodies and souls of men. "The keys of the kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 16:19) were alone committed to Peter to signify delegated authority, which necessarily ceased when his work was done. Peter by his preaching opened the door of the kingdom for Jews in Acts 2:1-47, and for the admission of Gentiles in Acts 10:1-48. The keys having been used, and the doors opened, a successional and vested right in "St. Peter's keys" is absurd. Peter left the door open; hence they are of no further use. Revelation 3:7 "He who opens and no one shall shut, and shuts and no one shall open," does so in virtue of having "the key of David," i.e., complete sovereignty. But the reference here is not to admission and rejection connected with either Church or kingdom. It is a "door" of service and testimony that is opened or closed according to Christ's sovereign pleasure (compare with Acts 14:27; 1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12; also with the words following, "Behold I have set before thee an open door"). The treasures of grace and blessing are under the absolute control of Christ, "He has the key," and will not pass it on to another. Hence when He opens or closes a door, who can shut or open? His right to direct His servants is unquestionable, His authority irresistible. WHAT ALONE CAN MEET THE MIND OF CHRIST. The zeal of many is unbounded, the orthodoxy of others is unquestionable, a scriptural ecclesiastical standing has been assumed by numerous assemblies of saints, and yet with it all there may be no real answer to Him, the holy, the true. We hold it to be impossible to point to any company of saints on earth and say, "There is the Philadelphian company" of Revelation 3:7-13. What alone can suit the mind of the Lord (and no true-hearted saint would desire to come short of it) is a moral state, the reflex of what He is in essential moral character. God would stamp holiness and truth on His people, and in these morally associate them with His beloved Son. But the work must begin and be continued within, in the soul, and this will result in an outward display to the eyes of the Lord in which He can delight. Sardis is a sight for the world; Philadelphia for the Lord. Yet in painfully realizing the poverty of our answer to Him Who is the holy, the true, we must brace ourselves up in the strengthening thought that the full administrative authority of the kingdom is with Him. He can make good every yearning after holiness and moral conformity to Himself. We abhor with Him every shade and shadow of falsehood. He rouses the integrity of the new man within us to desire only the true. He has, and ever retains, the key of David, and unlocks the treasures of strength and blessing for His beloved people. But sure we are that pretension, boasting, and the declaration of what we are morally or ecclesiastically are in every way opposed to the moral condition suitable to Him. Christ-like people are not occupied with their state or progress. The transforming process (2 Corinthians 3:4) ceases when self, i.e., what we are and what we have done, is before the soul. Revelation 3:8 AND . Revelation 3:8. "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, which no one can shut, because thou hast a little power, and hast kept My Word, and hast not denied My Name." The Church in Sardis walked hand in hand with the world, and so must share its doom (Revelation 3:3 with 1 Thessalonians 5:2). Not so with the assembly in Philadelphia. It walked apart from the world, and so its end is bright (v. 12). The public position of the former, with its abundant religious machinery and works on a large scale and duly chronicled, is in marked contrast with the latter, which has no worldly status, no ecclesiastical organisation, and no works which the world can either admire or publicly note. The works of Philadelphia do not attract the world's admiration nor draw down the world Great. This is enough for the faithful: "I know thy works." A Philadelphian, one who answers to that character, flourishes spiritually in the shade. It is there, and not under the patronage or smile of the world that his deepest moments of communion are spent with the Lord. "I know thy works," poor and feeble as they are at the best, is enough for cheer and strength till the day of recompense arrives. But the weakness of Philadelphia need not hinder service and testimony, nor prevent them being of the truest character. To Jesus on earth, Whose only care was to do His Father's will at whatever cost, the porter opened and none could shut. So here Christ has the unchallenged right to use the key, all authority in Heaven and in earth being committed to Him (Matthew 28:18), He had set before the angel "an opened door." Service for Him and testimony to Him were to be the happy life work of the Church. They need not fear, for no created being can shut that opened door. "No man can shut it," reads the Authorized Version; "no one," or "none can shut," reads the Revised. What strength! In individuals or associations created might is powerless to hinder the service or crush the testimony of those called into personal association with Christ. Our only defense is our weakness. Do we realize it? We have a shut door in Acts 16:6-7, and an open door in 1 Corinthians 16:9. Then after this gracious and abundant encouragement the Lord proceeds in one unbroken strain of commendation. Not a word of censure. The Church in Smyrna was in suffering, and the assembly in Philadelphia in weakness, and so neither is blamed; the only two of the seven exempted from reproof. Revelation 3:8 "Thou hast a little power." Not exactly "strength," as in the Authorised Version. The Spirit wrought in resistless energy in the testimony and preaching in the commencement of Christianity, and had the Church continued its life of obedience and dependence the power of the Spirit would have remained in all its fulness. The Lord has been pleased to make the plenitude of spiritual power dependent to a large extent on our individual and corporate faithfulness, but not so the presence of the Spirit in the Church; this latter is an ever-abiding fact pledged by the Word of the Lord Himself (John 14:16). There was not much to show, nor marked spiritual energy, but there was a little power. The Church in profession is a wreck, and it would be a virtual denial of the corruption and ruin to expect a Pauline or Petrine energy of the Spirit. God cannot work in mighty power in a condition of things which is to the denial of the Name of His Son, the holy, the true. The amount of power was small, but it was actively employed, not held as a mere passive possession. Activity in service and faithfulness to the Word and Name of Christ characterized the angel. Revelation 3:8 The testimony of Christ was both of a positive and negative character. Thou "hast kept My Word" ("Word," meaning the mind of the Lord as a whole; "words" details; and "commandments," expression of His authority (see John 14:1-31. "Words," in verse 23 should read "word;" "sayings" in verse 24, "words".), positive, and "hast not denied My Name"-- negative. The former involves thorough subjection of soul and conscience to the written Word. In order to "keep" the Word obedience to it must be prompt and unqualified. A slipshod reading of Scripture as a matter of duty, or even its study for intelligence and to equip one more thoroughly for ministerial service does not constitute one a doer of the Word. To keep Christ's Word at all costs may involve the forfeiture of social and civil distinction and the abandonment of position in the professing Church and in the world. To a true Philadelphian saint Christ's Word is that which separates him from all to Christ alone at whatever personal cost. Surely, too, in a scene where almost every religious abomination is attached to the holy Name of the Lord it is a matter of no small moment to stand aloof, to reject every association, even if good and learned men uphold it, if it is to the dishonour of Christ. Elijah in his day, Paul in his, and Luther at a later era were distinguished witnesses for God. During those and other critical periods God had always a company of negative witnesses. It is morally invigorating to trace the steps, reckon up the opposing forces, and mark the brilliant career of men who bravely battled for God and truth; but let us not overlook, as did Elijah, the 7,000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). His testimony was the grander of the two without doubt, but theirs was also valued by Jehovah. A name represents a person, and necessarily supposes his absence. The value of what a person is has its force in the name. In the Name of Christ prayer is all-prevailing (John 14:13-14); to it alone God would gather His saints (Matthew 18:20); in virtue of it our sins have been forgiven (1 John 2:12); and because of it God leads His pilgrim people in paths of righteousness (Psalms 23:3). It is no light matter therefore to be preserved from the denial of Christ in days of abounding iniquity. If we cannot have a bold, distinct, uncompromising testimony of an Elijah character, let us have at least a silent one, yet one that will not deny the Name of the blessed Lord. Revelation 3:9 OF MODERN JUDAISM Revelation 3:9. "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews, and are not, but lie; behold, I will cause that they shall come and shall do homage before thy feet, and shall know that I have loved thee." We meet with the same party here as in the address to Smyrna. The character of the opposition may not be the same in both Church periods, for the tactics of Satan are varied, but in both the opposition is termed a "synagogue of Satan." The company seems more formed and consolidated at the Philadelphian epoch of the Church; thus "the synagogue of Satan." Those here referred to are necessarily of Jewish nationality, but just as the Jews claimed to be God's people on earth, and that to the exclusion of all others, so here a traditional, successional Church order and position are assumed. Its true character is exposed by the Lord of the churches. It is a gathering under Satan, and all the more wicked that it has tacked on to it the Name of the holy and true. The pretension to be the Church, to be the people of God, is a false one, a "lie." Our souls and consciences have got somewhat blunted to the solemn state of things around us in which so many true saints are mixed up. The Church-state associations of the day are simply developed Judaism, with certain Christian rites and doctrines added thereto. The saved and unsaved are together addressed as "brethren." The charge could be readily and abundantly proved. We have only to read the New Testament and contrast its teachings with Protestantism as a whole, and then ask: Have we not in our midst and around us a huge system of Judaism in its principles, traditions, practices, and character? Modern Judaism here meets the Lord's withering condemnation. Popularity, numbers, wealth, and influence are on their side. Philadelphian saints are few, feeble, and of no account. Confronted on every hand with a spurious character of Christianity, which adapts itself to every variety of taste and temperament, the special danger is lest the separate position be surrendered, that an easier path be sought at the expense of a deviation from truth and holiness. A large and increasing party in the professing Church is here termed "the synagogue of Satan." What is it if not that? There never was a moment when human charity was so in the ascendant, and surely never a moment when divine love is so needed. The former says "Union is strength," the latter says "Union in obedience is strength." But the relative positions of those composing "the synagogue of Satan" and the Philadelphian Church are soon to be reversed. The former are to be humbled; the latter exalted. What a reversal of the present order of things! But, more, these Church pretenders shall know that those whom they had despised are special objects of divine love. They "shall know that I have loved thee."Revelation 3:10-11 FROM THE COMING HOUR OF TRIAL. Revelation 3:10-11. "Because thou hast kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep thee out of the hour of trial which is about to come upon the whole habitable world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. I come quickly: hold fast what thou hast, that no one take thy crown." The patience or endurance of Christ was tested to its utmost, but the trial brought out, not impatience and fretfulness, as so often with us, but perfection of such sort as ascended to God as a sweet savour. "The Word of My patience," however, does not recall His past, as fragrant as it is with moral beauty, but refers to the present attitude of our Lord. He sits at Jehovah's right hand patiently waiting till God makes His enemies a footstool (Psalms 110:1-7 with Hebrews 10:12-13), or, in other words, He waits for the establishment of the millennial kingdom in power and glory. For that kingdom Christ patiently waits in Heaven. When God's time arrives the heirs are gathered up, changed and glorified (1 Thessalonians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55); then God brings into the world His First-Begotten, accompanied by all His heavenly saints (Jude 1:14) and holy angels (Matthew 25:31). "And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:14). What a glorious prospect is thus opened up! A prospect grand to us, but infinitely more so to Him Who waits in patience in the throne of His Father. The Philadelphian saints had revived this testimony and kept it; here termed "the Word of My patience;" kept it midst the contempt and scorn of the proud, worldly, and pretentious party in the professing Church, whose arrogant claims to tradition and succession of ministry, priesthood, and sole right to dispense sacraments wore out the saints and demanded more than ordinary endurance. "Because thou hast kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep thee out of the hour of trial." How ample the recompense for the measure of faithfulness maintained by the Philadelphian assembly! The struggle was no light one. The conflict of Smyrna had been with the pagan world. The struggle of Philadelphia with the religious power. The Church had endured as seeing Him Who is invisible, and waited in patience as did the Lord for the intervention of God. The wording of the promise is as precise as it is gracious, and effectually disposes of the theory advanced by some, and that to the fear and dread of believers, that the Church or a part thereof shall have to pass through the coming Tribulation to purge itself from its unfaithfulness. No, the guarantee is, "I also will keep thee out of the hour of trial," not brought through it, or kept in it, but entire exemption from it. No portion of the Church shall be in the Tribulation. Jews especially will be the most awful sufferers, for it is pre-eminently the day of Jacob's trouble (Jeremiah 30:7). Gentiles, too, are embraced in it (Revelation 7:9-17). Lot and Noah were preserved through the respective tribulations of their days; on the other hand, Abraham and Enoch were divinely kept from these same seasons of trial. It is these latter which figure the Church. The hour of trial is "about to come." It is nearing daily, and cannot in the nature of things be much longer deferred."The whole habitable world," or civilized portion of the earth. The word here is the same as in Luke 2:1, denoting the Roman empire. All apart from and outside the limits of the empire were regarded as without the pale of civilisation. The geographical sphere of the four Gentile universal monarchies (Daniel 2:1-49), the scene of special light and privilege, is to be subjected to a brief but awful period of trial. This crisis in the world's history has its place within the last week of Daniel's celebrated prophecy of seven years (Daniel 9:27). Christendom has yet to answer to God for its abuse of the light vouchsafed and for privilege bestowed. Christianity will judge Christendom. Conscience and the testimony of creation will judge the heathen. But there is one class singled out, and one of ominous signification, "them that dwell upon the earth." This singular expression of moral import has its root in Philippians 3:18-19. These enemies of the cross have settled down in the earth, making it their home, the things and interests of earth bounding their horizon. As a class thus morally distinguished they are frequently referred to in the Apocalypse (Revelation 6:10; Revelation 11:10; Revelation 14:6, etc.). Having deliberately chosen earth instead of Heaven they are tried in that coming hour when the rights of Christ over the earth which is, the prophetic testimony of this book, is to be made good by judgment, in Palestine particularly. "I come quickly" is the announcement of the Lord's speedy return from Heaven. It is three times repeated in the last chapter of the book (Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:12; Revelation 22:20). How can "quickly" be reconciled with a lengthened delay of nigh two thousand years? Ah! we have to adjust our modes of reckoning, and measure time as the Lord does. "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" (2 Peter 3:8). About two days thus measures the period between the two Advents, His first and second. "Hold fast what thou hast." The characteristic possessions of Philadelphia were Christ's WORD, Christ's NAME, Christ's , and Christ's COMING. These were to be maintained. Death, desertion, and compromise may thin the company and reduce it to an insignificant, feeble few. But all the more need to "hold fast," and on no account surrender one iota of the truth. The character of the times demands unflinching loyalty to the faith and unswerving devotedness to Christ and to all He has committed to our care. "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain" (1 Corinthians 9:24). It is not the start, but the end which determines the fitness to wear the crown. A true Philadelphian is one who continues to struggle on to the end. How needful, therefore, the admonitory words to one and all, to leaders and followers alike: "Hold fast what thou hast, that no one take thy crown." Let go the truth and you lose the crown. What an irreparable loss! Revelation 3:12 REWARDS. Revelation 3:12. "He that overcomes, him will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more at all out; and I will write upon him the Name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem which comes down out of Heaven from My God, and My new Name." An overcomer (Witnesses in Hebrews 11:1-40, Overcomers in Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22. The former refer to Old Testament worthies the latter to New Testament saints.) in Philadelphia is one who, though in weakness, yet holds on his way. His progress is not marked by distinguished achievements, but he struggles on. The deepening conflict strengthens faith, and leads to increasing faithfulness. He holds fast with a tight and tightening grip Christ's Word, Name, Patience, and Coming. Life itself may be surrendered, but not the things which constitute the crown of his testimony. The weakness of earth is to be exchanged for the stability of Heaven. "Him will I make a pillar in the temple of My God." There will be no material temple in Heaven (Revelation 21:22); there will be one on earth in the time of the apocalyptic judgments (Revelation 11:1-2). "The temple of My God" refers to the sanctuary above. Solomon set up two immense brazen pillars in the porch of the temple remarkable for strength and solidity (1 Kings 7:21). The names of these pillars were Jachin, establish, and Boaz, strength. The allusion in our text is to these pillars. The weak and tried Philadelphian believer, cast out it may be of the orthodox and popular assembly on earth, shall be established and made strong in the eternal blessedness of Heaven. This high position is a fixed and eternal one: "He shall go no more at all out."Revelation 3:12 "I will write upon him the Name of My God." The blessedness of knowing God, too, shall be the conqueror's happy portion. But the tale of grace is not yet finished. The city of My God, the new Jerusalem which has her proper home in Heaven (Revelation 21:9-10), pours out her wealth of blessedness to crown the overcomer. Then last, but not least, Christ's new Name will be graven forever on each one of the conquering band. His new Name indicates His special relationship with the whole scene and sum of heavenly blessedness. While in all things He exceedeth, yet surely we may read these peculiarly rich and full promises as intimating association with Christ in the future scene of glory. How Christ loves to connect us with Himself in the enumeration of these rewards! My God, My Name, etc., occurring five times. Revelation 3:13 --The address to the angel of the Church in Philadelphia closes with the usual call to hear. May the hearing ear be granted to each reader! Commentary on Revelation 3:7-13 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 3:7. The church in Philadelphia was another that did not receive any rebuke in the letters (the one at Smyrna being the other). The most of this verse is used in describing the One who is authorizing this letter. Holy and true may be said of all true servants of God but it is true of Christ in a complete sense. Key of David refers to the authority that was predicted for Christ because he was to come into the world as the most noted descendant of that great ancestor. (See comments at chapter 1:for meaning of key.) That explanation will show why the opening and shutting are mentioned as pertaining to Christ and not to any mere man. Revelation 3:8. I know thy works is said in the sense of approval since everything said about this church is good. The open door is figurative and means the door of opportunity to advance the Gospel as it is expressed at 1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:3. No man can shut it. Man can hinder and persecute the disciples but he cannot actually prevent them from carrying out the Gospel life in the world. Hast a little strength. They are commended for being faithful even though their strength is not great, a condition which they cannot help. Kept my word means they had been true to the commandments in the word of God. Not denied my name means they were not ashamed to confess the name of Christ as explained at verse 5. Revelation 3:9. Synagogue of Satan is commented upon at chapter 2:9; say they are Jews and are not is explained at the same place. Worship. This term comes from about 12 different Greek words and has a variety of meanings. A complete extract from the lexicon on the subject may be seen at Matthew 2:2 in the first volume of the New Testament Commentary. At our present passage the word refers to an act of courtesy or admiring respect, as if to congratulate another over some favor that has been granted him. That favor is expressed by the words to know that I have loved thee. Revelation 3:10. Word of my patience denotes that they had endured according to His word. As a reward for their patience the Lord will keep them or preserve them when the hour of temptation (or trial) comes. Such a promise is so far-reaching, that it could refer to the specific siege of persecution that the pagan government was about to wage against the church, or to tribulations from the world in general. Revelation 3:11. Behold is an expression to arouse attentive interest. I come quickly would apply to the personal coming of Christ to judge the world, or to the close of their life at which time all opportunity for service will cease. In either case the important thing is to hold that fast which thou hast which means to maintain their present life of faithfulness. That no man take thy crown. Not that one man can literally get possession of a crown that belongs to another. But if a disciple suffers the enemy to mislead him it will cause him to lose his crown. Revelation 3:12. Him that overcometh is equivalent to being faithful until death. Make a pillar is a figure of speech signifying a fixed or permanent place in the favor of God, and go no more out emphasizes the same thought. Write upon him . . name of the city. Another figure meaning the faithful servant will be recognized as a citizen of the celestial city. (See Philippians 3:20.) My new name means a name that will signify a victorious life for Christ. (See comments at Revelation 2:17.) Revelation 3:13. He that hath an ear is explained at Revelation 2:7.Commentary on Revelation 3:7-13 by Burton CoffmanRev_3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write.The very name Philadelphia arouses our interest, as one of the great modern cities of the United States bears the same title. "Here is the seventh and last occurrence of this word in the New Testament, the other passages where it is found being: Romans 12:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; Hebrews 13:1; 1 Peter 1:22; and 2 Peter 1:7 (twice).[25]Philadelphia is supposed to have been founded between 189 B.C. and 138 B.C., either by Eumenes, king of Pergamum, or his younger brother Attalus; but, "one thing is certain: its name commemorates the loyalty of Attalus to his brother."[26] The word means "lover of his brother," a fact evident in these events: (1) a false rumor of Eumenes' assassination led to Attalus' acceptance of the crown, which he relinquished when his brother returned to Greece, and (2) Attalus resisted Roman encouragement to overthrow Eumenes and become king.[27]The great earthquake which devastated twelve cities in the very district where these seven churches lay (17 A.D.) was particularly destructive in Philadelphia, due to its being nearest the fault line. For an extended period afterwards, there continued to be many more earthquakes, especially at Philadelphia, which was called the "city of many earthquakes." Some of the citizens refused any longer to live within the city proper. Philadelphia was also the city that tried to change its name. After Tiberius' help in rebuilding after the earthquake, they tried to name their city "Neocaesarea," meaning "New Caesar," but the name never became established. They tried again in the reign of Vespasian to name the place "Flavia" after the name of his dynasty; but this too failed to catch on; thus the city twice tried to name themselves after their "god," but failed! It is difficult indeed not to see a consciousness of this in Revelation 3:12.[28] "Still another name of the city was Decapolis, because it was considered one of the ten cities of the plain. And in addition to all these names, it sometimes bore the title of Little Athens."[29] There were many temples and centers of learning in the city. The grape industry in the area resulted in the practice of rites connected with the pagan god Bacchus (Dionysus). The present name of the place is Ala Sheher, "the Red City," so named, not from the bloodshed there, but for the volcanic earth of its location.[30]Up until the current century, Philadelphia was nominally Christian, with about one fourth of its population professing Christianity, leading to the comment of Gibbon that, "Among the churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect, a column in a scene of ruins, a pleasing example that the paths of honour and safety may sometimes be the same."[31] Still, Philadelphia suffered the terrible subjection under the Turks who followed Tamerlane, who had subjected the city in 1403, and is said to have "built about it a wall of the corpses of his victims."[32] "Of whatever remnant of Christianity may be left in Philadelphia today, there are no statistics."[33] Following the edict of the League of Nations in 1922, practically all the Christians were deported. [25] William R. Newell, The Book of Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1935), p. 67. [26] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 115. [27] Ibid. [28] Ibid. [29] E. J. Banks, op. cit., p. 2366. [30] E. M. Blaiklock, op. cit., p. 122. [31] (Gibbon, as quoted by Blaiklock), Ibid., p. 123. [32] E. J. Banks, op. cit., p. 2366. [33] E. M. Blaiklock, op. cit., p. 122. These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth and none openeth:Holy ... true ... These attributes of Christ are clearly appropriate for a church maintaining their love and faith in Christ in the midst of pagan culture. Key of David ... openeth and none shutteth ... shutteth and none openeth ... This verse is clearly related to the principal problem which confronted the Philadelphian church. That problem was Jewish opposition. Secular Israel, still in power over the Jews in a religious sense (this was prior to 70 A.D.), still pretended to have final right of determining who should or should not enter heaven, sternly resisting the claims of the Christians that they, the Christians, were the true Israel of God. To enforce their claims, the Jews cast out of their synagogues all Jews who accepted Christ, and the existence of that situation in Philadelphia when Revelation was written points squarely to the sixties and not to the eighties or nineties, be cause there were evidently Christians who desired to continue in fellowship with the Jewish synagogues, if it had been allowed. Paul, it will be remembered, attempted to maintain such a fellowship throughout his missionary efforts, always going first to the synagogues. This passage emphasizes the truth that, "It is Christ alone, and no longer Israel, who can give men entrance into the messianic kingdom."[34] "Christ speaks as he by whom alone comes entrance to the Church, the spiritual house of God."[35] The imagery of "key of David" and other expressions here is from Isaiah 22:25-25, where the king of Israel deposed Shebna and appointed Eliakim as the chief-steward. The analogy is that Judaism has been replaced by Christianity as the true religion. The key of David ... therefore means, "undisputed authority to admit or exclude from the New Jerusalem (heaven)."[36] We also agree with Mounce's opinion that, "This is an intended contrast with the practice of the local synagogue in excluding Christian Jews."[37] However, there are further implications of this passage that are exceedingly important in understanding the New Testament, especially with reference to the kingdom of Christ (the church). The "key of David" means that, "Christ possessed the throne of David, and that the government was upon his shoulder (Isaiah 9:6)."[38] The annunciation angel promised Mary the mother of Jesus that God would give her Son "the throne of his father David" (Luke 1:31-33); and this verse is an indication that God had kept his promise. Acts 13:33-34 indicates that the prophecy of the "sure mercies of David" was fulfilled in the resurrection of Christ; and the prophecy of the rebuilding again of the tabernacle of David (Amos 9:11-15) was determined by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem to have been fulfilled by the establishment of the church to which all of them at that time belonged. Added to all of these prophecies, declared by inspiration to have been fulfilled, is the pronouncement of Peter on Pentecost to the effect that God's raising up one after David to sit upon the throne of David was a prophecy of the resurrection of the Son of God (Acts 2:29-33). Wallace's summary of this is: Jesus has the throne of David, the tabernacle of David, the sure mercies (blessings) of David, and the key of David in every spiritual sense of these terms ... These passages teach that the house of David was perpetuated in the kingdom of Christ, his Church.[39][34] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 59. [35] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1076. [36] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 116. [37] Ibid. [38] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., The Book of Revelation (Nashville: Foy E. Wallace Publications, 1966), p. 100. [39] Ibid., p. 101. Revelation 3:8I know thy works (behold, I have set before thee a door opened, which none can shut), that thou hast a little power, and didst keep my word, and didst not deny my name.A door opened ... Many see here a promise of opportunity; but, in the light of the preceding verse, it appears that the door of admission into the church, the messianic kingdom identified with the church, - this is the door meant. "It assures the church of how futile were such excommunications as the Jews were leveling against them."[40] Beckwith and Mounce concur in this interpretation. However, both of these with many current scholars, hold there is a difference between the church and the kingdom; but throughout this series of commentaries, the position has been maintained that the church and the kingdom are one institution, not two, and that the "everlasting kingdom" mentioned by Peter (2 Peter 1:11) is not a different kingdom, but the eternal phase of the present kingdom. There are many New Testament references regarding the "open door" of opportunity (1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:3; Acts 14:27, etc.); but, with reference to all such doors, it is not necessarily true of them that "no man can shut." That promise pertains to the door of God's holy church. Hast a little power ... The general weakness of the church at Philadelphia is stated here. Despite this, the congregations here and at Smyrna are the only two against which the Lord uttered no condemnation. A church does not have to be large to be true and to be approved by the Lord. Didst keep my word ... didst not deny my name ... This means simply that the church there had been faithful to their trust; but by contrast with other congregations mentioned in these letters, it could indicate that the principal sins of those not approved were those of not keeping the Lord's word, and of denying his name. For further comments on "the name of the Lord," see under Revelation 2:3. ENDNOTE: [40] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 366. Revelation 3:9 Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.This verse is not to be understood in the literal sense at all. Christians would not be honored by having anyone worship before their feet, nor could God be pleased by such a thing. What is done here is to take the ancient Scriptures regarding the Gentiles "bending before" Israel (Isaiah 60:14) and to state that the reverse is true now. The Jews were once God's chosen people, an honor forfeited by them in their rejection of the Son of God. "These words echo the words of the prophets telling of the coming of the Gentiles to do homage to the people of Israel, and of bowing themselves down before the soles of their feet."[41] The fulfillment of this came when the Gentiles bowed them selves before the feet of Christ, the true Israel; and the fulfillment of Jesus' words as given by John here will occur when Jews are converted and bow themselves before Christ, with whom Christians are identified as being his spiritual body on earth. It is wrong to read this as if it declared any wholesale conversion of Jews at some future time. Throughout the ages, many faithful Jews have received Christ, and they are still doing so; and in this the prophecy is continually being fulfilled. Thus, in what Moffatt calls "the grim irony of providence,"[42] "what the Jews fondly expected of the Gentiles, they them selves will give to the Gentiles. They will play the role of the heathen and acknowledge that the church is the true Israel of God."[43] After the Babylonian captivity, many Jews were settled in the district where these seven cities lay, and in time many of them became wealthy and powerful. "They were proud of their national privileges (which, by inference, they still enjoyed), and powerful in numbers and wealth, no doubt despising the Jewish Christians as traitors."[44][41] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 481. [42] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 367. [43] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 118. [44] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 1976. Revelation 3:10 Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell on the earth.The word of my patience ... Of several interpretations advocated regarding this, that of Trench as quoted by Earle seems the best: "It is much better to take the whole Gospel as the word of Christ's patience, everywhere teaching, as it does, the need of a patient waiting for Christ."[45]I will also keep thee from the hour of trial ... This figures prominently in the theories of millennialists, who take the passage as emphasizing that Christians shall be delivered from not through the great trial, "implying the rapture of the church before the time referred to as "the great tribulation."[46] "The thrust of the verse is against this interpretation. It was precisely because the church was faithful in time of trial that Christ in turn will be faithful to them.'"[47] This view of the passage harmonizes with the great high-priestly prayer of Jesus who did not pray that the Father would take his disciples "out of the world" (John 17:15), but that they would be faithful in the world. Furthermore, the promise of Luk 21:17 is explanatory of what is meant here. What Christ promised is safety through trials, not exemption from trials. "There is no promise in Revelation that God's people shall escape suffering and death, but there is the promise that no harm can come to their souls."[48]The hour of trial ... This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 3:14-22 7. LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN Rev_3:14-22 14 And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write:--See notes on 2:1. Laodicea was located east of Ephesus, near Colosse. These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:--These words refer to Christ. See notes on 1:5. Since the church at Laodicea was "lukewarm," it was appropriate for Christ to refer to himself as "the faithful and true witness." This thought is also expressed in the one word "Amen." In Colossians 1:16 Christ is referred to as being in the creation with the Father. Hence, it would not be out of place to say that he was the beginner or author of creation. Saying that he was the "beginning of the creation of God" doubtless was intended to impress the Laodiceans with the thought that he had all divine authority to command; hence, obedience was imperatively necessary.15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: would thou wort cold or hot.--As was said to the other churches, the Laodiceans were told that Christ knew their works. For the church at Philadelphia the Lord had only praise; for the Laodiceans, only censure. In describing their spiritual condition he uses three terms--cold, hot, and luke-warm. He declares that they were neither cold nor hot, and expressed the wish that they were one or the other. The comparison here is based upon water at different degrees of temperature. Either hot or cold, it is palatable; being neither --lukewarm--it is nauseating. So the condition of the Laodiceans spiritually was deeply offensive to God. To be hot means that they should have been fervent in their zeal in God's service. It is easy to understand how that would be better and more pleasing to God than their utter indifference, but just why God would prefer their being cold is not so easily seen; commentators are not agreed on this point, nor exactly on what class is referred to as being in the cold state. Since "cold" and "lukewarm" have about the same significance when used to describe members of the church without zeal for God, it is concluded by some that "cold" refers to those who have made no profession of serving God--the unsaved. But why should one unsaved be preferred to one whose professed Christianity lacks piety, earnestness, and zeal? In short, one who is indifferent, self-satisfied, and heartless? It could not be because it would be finally any better for the individual, for both characters will be lost. The unsaved man might be more easily aroused to realize his lost condition than the self-satisfied Christian could be aroused from his sleep, because of being deceived in thinking himself safe. A more probable reason, however seems to be that the lukewarm Christian will do the church more harm than the unsaved sinner. Inconsistent and hypocritical members of the church exercise a more deadly influence against the truth, and keep more people from obeying the gospel than outright sinners. This is often made evident by those who justify their refusal to enter the church on the ground that they are "better than some in the church." 16 So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.--This expression, when changed into literal language, means that God will reject such professed Christians. This is plain proof that they are actually no better than those who never entered the church; and, as already suggested, their position renders them more detrimental to it. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; --These words seem to assign a reason why they were lukewarm, and also why Christ urged them to reform. "Riches" may refer to material or spiritual things, or to both. Those rich in material goods usually are unduly self-confident; those who are cold and unconcerned in spiritual things consider that they have enough and do not need anything. Both are self-deceived, as the next expression clearly shows. and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked:--The saddest thing about the lukewarm Christian is that he does not realize his true condition and the fatal results that will finally come to him. If he did, he would not remain lukewarm. He thinks himself in need of nothing when, in fact, he is poor, blind, naked, wretched, and miserable. He is in a wretchedand pitiable condition, but wholly unconscious of the fact. 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see.--The Lord's counsel here is beautifully impressive. Material things of much value are used to express spiritual lessons. The worth of true Christianity could not be better expressed than by refined gold. White garments are said to be the righteous acts of the saints. (19:8.) We clothe the body for both protection and decency. Righteousness protects the soul against sin and prevents the shameful inconsistency of professing one thing and practicing something else. Eyesalve would suggest that they carefully consider God's word, applying its teaching to themselves, till they could fully see their pitiable and sinful condition. This would bring them back to a full realization of their true state and bring about a happy reformation. 19 As many as I love, I reprove and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.--Rebuke and chastening are evidences of genuine love, when they are properly given. Of course, divine perfection would prevent the Lord's giving them improperly. We are told that "whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth," and that too, "for our profit, that we may he partakers of his holiness." (Hebrews 12:6; Hebrews 12:10.) For that reason he commanded them to be zealous and repent, and the command comes down to all similar characters now. Repentance leads to a change of conduct; the lukewarm person becomes zealous. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.--This language is a touching appeal to impress the necessity of heeding the exhortation in the two preceding verses. It is in striking contrast with the severe rebuke for their coldhearted indifference to the Lord's service. The lessons taught by the imagery are too evident to be misunderstood. One knocking at a door for admittance indicates the Lord's appeal to them to give him and his service a place in their hearts. In this he takes the lead. Opening the door or refusing to do so brings out man's ability and the conditional nature of acceptance with God. Perhaps the custom then was to speak as well as knock upon the door. Yielding to the demand of the voice and opening the door shows man's willingness to have the Lord for a divine guest. Association at a meal has always indicated friendship. Lukewarm saints renew their spiritual strength when they invite the Lord to become their guest. Eliminating all figures of speech the thought is, by following the Lord's teaching, we become zealous Christians, which is the lesson of this text. 21 He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne.--As a reward for overcoming--completing the work which the Father guve him to do--Jesus was granted the honor of sitting at God's right hand as head of the church, Priest and King. (Ephesians 1:19-23; Hebrews 8:1; John 18:36; Philippians 2:7-11.) The word "throne" indicates authority, dominion, and power. He was given this position because he overcame. Sitting with God upon his throne means that the Father gave him the right to rule as king. In like manner those who overcame by doing Christ's commands were to be given authority to rule with him. This faithful Christians do by teaching and practicing his laws by which men are to be governed spiritually. Only in this way can the Lord reign over men. His law has been revealed to the world through the apostles and perpetuated by the teaching and lives of his disciples. He has made no other provision for its dissemination. All faithful Christians, therefore, share with him in ruling through his truth--here called sitting "down with me in my throne." This is the same truth, from a different view-point, as is expressed when Christ's disciples are called "the salt of the earth." (Matthew 5:13.) As Christians are agents through whom men are saved (1 Timothy 4:16), so they are agents through whom Christ reigns. Hence, they sit with him in his throne--that is, rule with him. It is called the Father's throne because he gave it to Christ; it is Christ's because he, as a descendant of David, sits upon it; it is David's (spiritually speaking) because the Savior had to be of his family--the "throne of his father David" being the only one promised him. (Luke 1:32.) In like manner the throne in the final state is that "of God and of the Lamb" (Revelation 22:1), yet the rule is then turned back to the Father (1 Cor. 15 24-28.) 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.--See notes on 2:7. 1. The language of these letters clearly indicates the individual and personal responsibility of man to God. Each congregation received its praise or rebuke, or both, just as its own case required. Even the distinct classes in each congregation were pointed out and held to account for their peculiar sins. The principles that "God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34), and that "each one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom_1412), are verified in these letters in a most unmistakable manner. 2. Each letter closes with one or more promises on the condition that the individual "overcome." This logically implies that these rewards would be lost, if one failed to overcome. This also implies individual ability either to fail or to overcome. The exhortation would be without meaning, if this were not true. The sum of all the rewards mentioned to these churches shows how much one may lose by disobedience. They include so much that no one can be saved who loses them. This will be amply clear, if all of them are written together. In these conditional promises we have the strongest possible argument that Christians may be finally lost; or, that the doctrine, "Once in grace, always in grace," is not true. 3. In order that the full force of this argument on the possibility of apostasy may appear, the rewards that may be lost by failing to overcome are listed here. They are as follows1. Privilege to "eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God." (Revelation 2:7.) (2) To receive a "crown of life" and not be "hurt of the second death." (Revelation 2:10-11.)(3) To receive the "hidden manna," "white stone," and "new name." (Revelation 2:17.)(4) To receive authority to rule the nations. (Revelation 2:26-27.)(5) To be "arrayed in white garments," not have name blotted "out of the book of life," and be confessed before God and angels. (Revelation 3:5.)(6) To be made a "pillar in the temple of my God" and have the names of God and Christ written upon him. (Revelation 3:12.)(7) To be allowed to sit with Christ in his throne. (Revelation 3:21.) As all these may be lost, how much more would one have to lose to be eternally lost? The answer is, nothing.Commentary on Revelation 3:14-22 by Foy E. WallaceThe letter to the church at Laodicea.—Revelation 3:14-22. 1. “ These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God"—Revelation 3:14. The God of Amen means the God of truth, as stated in Deuteronomy 7:9 : “ Know ye therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.” The repeated expression the faithful and true witness, refers to the things of the apocalypse -the absolute certainty of all the announcements made by his angels and agents in all of the visions. The reminder that he is the beginning of the creation of God is the same in substance as that he is Alpha and Omega, meaning that he is the beginning as well as the end, the first as well as the last. It carries the same affirmation as in John 1:3, “ all things were made byhim; and without him was not anything made that was made.” It means that in the beginning with God he was the active principle in creation, and is the Lord over all creation by primogeniture right--that is, the exclusive right of inheritance belonging to the firstborn. This right possessed by Jesus Christ is also affirmed by Paul in Hebrews 1:1-14 : “ God . . . hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds . . . being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” In priority of existence, having been the agent of all creation, he is Lord of the new creation, the whole spiritual realm. 2. “ Thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot”—Revelation 3:15-16. While outward rejection may, in some sense, appear to be preferable to cold profession, it does not seem in harmony with the grace of redemption to make this passage mean that God would rather these Laodiceans had never accepted the gospel at first. The purpose of the comparison is to rebuke lukewarmness, which produces nausea. It means that fervency is a condition of fidelity. Fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10) means intense heat; and fervent water is boiling water; and in Romans 12:10, Paul admonishes the members of the body to be “ fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” The Lord’ s aversion to the state of lukewarmness is expressed in the warning I will spew thee out of my mouth. The advocates of the absolute and unconditional security of the believer have appropriated the words of Paul in Ephesians 1:13, that the believer is “ sealed with that holy Spirit,” to their dogma of the impossibility of apostasy, by claiming that a sealed believer cannot get out. Aside from the fallacy of the argument itself, the Lord’ s statement to the Laodiceans explains how an unfaithful believer does get out--he is spewed out, by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. 3. “ Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing”—Revelation 3:17-19. Based on this statement the Lord said: I counsel thee. He informed them, with words of severity, that they were wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked-- which, without any other words to be added, simply meant that they were in utter spiritual destitution. He recommended, in their own dialect of merchandising, that they buy of him a gold of greater value than their material wealth; and the white raiment of righteousness to clothe their nakedness; so that the shame of thy nakedness does not appear: as yet, their nakedness had not been exposed; it was within their membership. This note of judgment was a warning of the divine exposure of their spiritual nakedness. To correct their state of spiritual blindness the Lord admonished them to anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see--to get rid of their self-deception. This figurative language, of course, cannot be literally applied. The eyesalve meant spiritual enlightenment, as in Psalms 19:8 : “ The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” The gold which the Lord persuaded them to buy meant the raiment of righteousness, as in 1 Peter 5:5 : “ Be clothed with humility” ; and Revelation 7:14 : “ These are they . . . which washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” These are strong analogies employed by the Lord counselling the Laodiceans to seek the true riches. There were no charges of the evils of error which existed in some of the churches. The Laodiceans professed the truths of the gospel, but with a materialistic apathy which rendered them unconscious of being out of communion with Christ. To assure them of divine love and concern for their restoration, Jesus said: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. The severity of his rebuke was not rejection but a sign of love which seeks to prevent their condition reaching that stage. The mandate, Be zealous and repent, meant the zeal of repentance itself; that it could not be performed in the apathy and passivity of their present attitude. In Matthew 12:41, Jesus said that the people of Nineveh “ repented at the preaching of Jonah,” but in referring to that event in the book of Jonah, it reads: “ When God saw their works.” That is evidently the meaning of the zeal of repentance. It cannot be performed in nonchalance 4. “ Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me"—Revelation 3:20. Here is the note of deep affection in the metaphor of the common meal, which the ancients regarded as a manifestation of fraternal confidence. The old term sup here signifies spiritual communion, which the Lord offered to restore with the Laodiceans. In common parlance today the word fellowship is in vogue. The remedial import of this high light in the Lord’ s persuasions to Laodicea, is that reconciliation begins with Jesus Christ. He reverses here the order of Mat 7:7 : “ Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Here the Lord himself knocks, asking that they open unto him. The people of old accompanied their knocking with addressing those inside, in order that they might know who was knocking, and thus whether to open. Jesus here announces himself as the One seeking admission; but he does not force entrance. Here the truth of free moral agency incidentally appears--man can receive or reject divine overtures. 5. “ To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne”—Revelation 3:21. Here is the constructive figure of a sitting court to which the faithful would be given admission to sit with Christ in his throne, to be associated with Christ in his spiritual rule. In Revelation 2:26 this rule is said to be with “ a rod of iron,” which, as previously stated, means the invincible power of the truth, or gospel of Christ. In 1 Timothy 2:11-12, the apostle taught Timothy that this rule is in process now, and that reigning with Christ is concurrent with living with him. This enthronization with Christ simply stated means that as Christians are governed by the rule of Christ, in this compliance with his teaching they become a part of his government. The immediate imagery of this passage therefore is, that the faithful victors over the persecutions, having exemplified obedience to his rule, are seated with Christ the Conqueror in his ruling throne. This picture is culminated in the throne scene of the martyrs Revelation 20:4, as shown in the commentary on the verses of that chapter.Commentary on Revelation 3:14-22 by Walter ScottTHE SPIRIT'S ADDRESS TO (Revelation 3:14-22). GENERAL . In the first four churches Christ presents Himself in some part of the character in which He is beheld by the Seer in Revelation 1:12-16, but in each of the last three He gives fresh revelations of Himself. The circumstances in these latter are wholly different from those in the earlier churches, and hence the presentation of Christ is in exact keeping with the several closing Church states herein depicted. Whatever the general condition of the Church may be at any period, Christ never deserts it. When it ceases to be a vessel of testimony for God, a light bearer in darkness, then the sentence of excision (Revelation 3:16) is finally executed, but that day, though nearing, has not yet arrived. The Church in its outward testimony for God is owned and recognised, and can be addressed in its Church standing. God has not yet rejected the professing Church, nor should we. We deplore its evils, and reject complicity with iniquity practiced under its shadow, but it is still God's witness on earth, the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15) and the olive tree of testimony (Romans 11:1-36). The unconditional threat and its execution are very different things. The former has been announced; the latter is yet future. Laodicea, representing as it does the last phase of the professing Church, has not yet been publicly disowned (v. 16). Its Church standing is a fact as positive as that of any of the previous churches. Laodicea may have departed in life and practice more than any of the others, but its position before God is unquestionable, and on that ground it is addressed. The Church in these two chapters is spoken to in its public, professing character as the House of God in which the highest privileges are enjoyed; hence it is the scene of weightiest responsibility and the first subject of divine judgment (1 Peter 4:17). The Church, when viewed as the mystical Body of Christ, being the aggregate of all true believers on earth, is necessarily exempt from judgment. Human administration enters largely into the former; whereas the latter is the fruit alone of God's Holy Spirit. The true and the false may enter the "House." The true only can enter the "Body." No real believer need fear being involved in the peremptorily expressed threat of judgment conveyed in verse 16. "Caught up" and "spued out" intimate the respective destiny of the true and the false, of believers and mere professors. This latter being so loathsome to Christ that thorough rejection by Him is the only way in which His holiness can be publicly vindicated. In the address to Philadelphia there is no reproof. Here there is no praise. TITLES OF THE DIVINE SPEAKER. Revelation 3:14 "To the angel of the Church in Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God." The marginal reading in our English Bibles, "in Laodicea," is correct, and not that in the text, "the Church of the Laodiceans." The titles are singularly appropriate to the Church of the last days; they just suit the present Laodicean condition of things. The angel as usual is addressed. The Church standing is thereby recognised. The spiritual condition of this assembly even in Paul's day, thirty years previously, caused the apostle great mental conflict (Colossians 2:1). Various causes contributed to this Church's ruin, the chief of which were pride, material wealth, and self-satisfaction. In these it gloried. How fitting therefore these titles! (1) "These things saith the Amen." This is a Hebrew word signifying what is fixed, true, unchangeable. The force of the word may be found in Isaiah 7:9; Isaiah 65:16, where the words "believe" and "truth" are literally Amen. Its equivalent in Greek is in our well-known "verily," duplicated in the Gospel of John, and only there, occurring about twenty-five times. It implies divine certainty. Here, however, it is not employed as in other parts of the sacred volume as an adverb, but its use with the definite article points to another glory, another descriptive title of our blessed Lord. The Church has utterly failed in making good the promises and truth of God. In Christ both are secured. In His Person we have the guarantee that every promise and every truth will be Amened (see also 2 Corinthians 1:20). (2) "The faithful and true Witness." The highway of the ages is strewn with wreck. Every witness for God, individual and corporate, has failed save One. The Church, so richly endowed with truth and privilege, is the worst offender of any of the witnessing company from Adam downwards. Has it been a faithful custodian of the treasures of divine grace? Is it a true witness to the character of God? Is it the living expression on earth of Jesus Christ, of what He was and is? Alas, no! The Church has shut Him out. Hear its jubilant strain, "I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing," not even of Christ, the Church's life and glory. He, thus driven out, yet lingers about the door, taking His stand outside. "Behold! " this wonder of wonders, "I stand at the door and knock," and such is His attitude to-day. The Church is the most responsible witness which has ever appeared, and it is now a huge wreck. It is being morally ruined, not by open enemies, but by professed friends. Boastful, proud, loaded with wealth, and content while Christ is outside! Such was Laodicea, such is the Church today. She has been neither a faithful nor true witness. But Christ is, and thus once again the heart is relieved as it turns from the wreck and ruin around to Him. What a rest to the spirit! Herein is a firm ground for faith amidst the ecclesiastical upheavings everywhere. Christ is God's Witness. (3) "The Beginning of the creation of God." The creation set up under the headship of Adam has, whether ecclesiastical, social, or governmental, gone from bad to worse. "The corruption of the best thing," i.e., the Church, "is the worst of all corruptions." The world seems ready to enter on its last plunge into the vortex of iniquity. Ritualism is working towards popery, and Rationalism towards infidelity. The former system will be headed up, not in the Pope, but in the Antichrist; the latter will be fully represented in a man unnamed in the divine Word, but termed "the beast," characterized by brute force, a blasphemous, persecuting, murderous personage, inspired by Satan. These two men may be alive now for aught we know, and as Jew and Gentile were united in the crucifixion of our Lord, is it not fitting that the respective forces of Ritualism and Rationalism which are ruining the Church should, when the restraining influences are removed and things are fully developed, be headed up in a Jew and a Gentile? Laodicea is compounded of two Greek words signifying people and righteous, and really intimates the struggle now fiercely raging in every land by the peoples to obtain their rights, real or supposed. The forces of anarchy and order are confronting each other, and soon Europe, if not in a more extended area, will present the grim spectacle of the subversion of all constituted authority, with anarchy and the peoples for a brief season triumphant, turning earth into a pandemonium (Revelation 6:12-17), when out of the moral, social, and political chaos a stern hand grasps the helm, with one tyranny exchanged for another, and finally creation is again set under Christ, the beginning of the creation of God (Psalms 8:1-9; Ephesians 1:10-22, etc.). "This very title, therefore, intimates the ruin of the now 6000 years old creation, of which the Church is the last witness. The extensive and magnificent system of things, celestial and terrestrial, animate and inanimate, of which Christ as Man is here termed "the Beginning," is the creation spoken of in our text. The millennial kingdom is referred to. If, therefore, in the previous titles of the divine Speaker we are turned from the Church to Christ, from its ruined testimony to Him as the Securer of Truth and Promise, and the faithful and true Witness, here our hearts adoringly rest on a scene of ineffable blessedness, on another creation of which Christ is "the Beginning." (*There are at least four headships ascribed to Christ: (1) Headship of the body (Colossians 2:19). (2) Headship of the Race (1 Corinthians 15:22; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49; i.e., those in Christ, Galatians 3:28, 2 Corinthians 5:17). (3) Headship of Creation (Colossians 1:15-17; Colossians 2:10). (4) Headship of every Man (1 Corinthians 11:3). United to Him gives the thought of the first; "in Him" is involved in the second; dignity is conveyed in the third; and lordship in the fourth. "The beginning of the creation of God" is a title involving His headship.)Revelation 3:15-16 STATE OF THE CHURCH. Revelation 3:15-16 "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot. Thus because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spue thee out of My mouth." "I know thy works" is seven times repeated in these addresses according to our English Version, but in the Revised and other critical editions of the Scriptures the formula is omitted in the address to Smyrna and in that to Pergamos. To the angel in Ephesus and Thyatira other items are added to the works of which the Lord says, "I know;" while in the case of Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, "I know thy works" refer to the general state and condition of these churches. The pregnant sentence, however, "I know" occurs seven times, being addressed to the angel of each assembly. Omniscience, a divine attribute, is thus seven times affirmed of our Lord. To Philadelphian weakness this assertion of the Lord's absolute knowledge of that which is unknown to man, yet known to Him, is a truth full of strength. To Laodicea in its luke-warmness, with its show, and boast, and wealth, the all-seeing eye of the Lord searching the recesses of the heart must be an intolerable thought. What the Lord here specially notes is the lukewarm condition of the angel. This last phase of the Church is the worst. Men would find a deeper evil in Thyatira. The Lord declares the most nauseous state to be that into which Laodicea was sunk, a state moreover in which the angel positively gloried. The terms used are "cold" and "hot," not "dead" and "alive." Had these latter been employed the truth of being saved or lost might have been in question, but "neither cold nor hot " is predicated in relation to their state to Him. Total indifference to Christ, not hatred, is implied in the term "lukewarm." (*"The Lord speaks here only of the condition of those who stand in relation to Himself." -- Hengstenberg. It is not at all the question as to whether the angel was spiritually alive or dead, converted or unconverted, but of the moral state of one standing in a certain accredited relation to the Lord)We do not hold with some that the lukewarm condition of Laodicea springs out of the Philadelphian state of the Church. Such an interpretation is beset with insuperable difficulty, but, undoubtedly, the coldness and death of Sardis, with the weakness yet warmth of Philadelphia, had left but a feeble impression on the general condition of Laodicea. We take it that the legalism of Thyatira, the moral insensibility of Sardis, and the rejection of the truth and position of Philadelphia, with, of course, other causes, contribute to produce the Laodicean condition of that Church, i.e., absolute indifference to Christ. What can the Lord do with it? Had it been cold, an active position taken up, or hot, as manifesting a measure of spiritual activity, then something might have been done. But an undecided, neutral position towards Christ and the truth is one so hateful that it must be got rid of without delay. The last phase of the Church is its worst. Philadelphia is cheered with the promise, "I come quickly." Laodicea is threatened with judgment, "I am about to spue thee out of My mouth." Both promise and threat are presented as at hand. It has been remarked more than once that the last four phases of the Church run on concurrently to the end. The mass in Thyatira and Sardis are involved in the doom pronounced on Laodicea, whilst the remnants in these churches equally share in one distinctive blessing of Philadelphia-- "caught up." The Lord's Coming is not referred to in the address to Laodicea. Its public repudiation as God's witness will be effected by the translation of the heavenly saints. In other words, the removal of Philadelphia and the rejection of Laodicea are coincident events, the latter being dependent on the former. Christendom, which commenced its history under the brightest auspices, will close under the darkest cloud which has ever rested on the course of human responsibility. Revelation 3:17THE PROUD BOAST AND THE LORD'S .Revelation 3:17 "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and am grown rich, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art the (The definite article is inserted by Darby, Kelly, Plumptre, and others.) wretched and the miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." Philadelphia has not a word to say for itself. Laodicea has. In fact, in almost every respect these two churches stand out in sharp contrast. "Thou sayest." There was not only a self-satisfied condition in the Church, but the proud boast of it is here recorded: "Thou sayest, I am rich." The city could boast of its material wealth, the Church would equally boast of its riches. It has added, moreover, to its wealth: "Am grown rich." Without doubt the Church in Laodicea had influence, numbers, gifts, showy attainments, intellectual acquirements, and other attractive qualities, and in the possession of these it prided itself. Alas! these things at the expense of spirituality, of a true and fervent love to Christ, can only be regarded as a curse, and must sooner or later, if not repented of, end in judgment. In their own estimation "they had need of nothing." They had neither heart for Christ nor desire for His presence. They could boast while immediate judgment was announced (v. 16), and Christ the Church's life and glory was standing outside (v. 20). The Laodicean condition is the special danger in these days. What is the Lord's estimate of its state? What is the sum and character of Laodicean wealth in His eyes? "Thou art the wretched (one) and the miserable (one)," besides being "poor, and blind, and naked." The definite article (omitted in the Authorised Version) adds considerably to the point and force of the Lord's judgment of Laodicea. "The wretched" and "The miserable," or "pitiable," the concentration of extreme misery, and the subject beyond all others of pity. They were poor, as destitute of true riches; blind to their state and to the Lord's glory; and naked, as destitute of divine righteousness. There is one other feature to complete the awful picture presented of this Christless Church: "AND KNOWEST NOT." Its actual condition before the Lord was absolutely unknown to it. Had there been the slightest recognition of its need there would have been hope. All was utter insensibility. Nothing, therefore, remained but loathsome rejection. Revelation 3:18'S AND THE LORD'S GRACE. Revelation 3:18 "I counsel thee to buy of Me gold purified by fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white garments, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness may not be made manifest; and eye salve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see." The three main characteristic features of Laodicea were their poverty, their nakedness, and their blindness; and these are what the Lord, ever gracious, here offers to meet. He might have commanded, but no, He counsels, "buy of Me gold purified by fire." "Buy" need present no difficulty. Christ has the treasures of grace, the wealth of Heaven at His disposal. He fixes the terms on which He sells: "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price" (Isaiah 55:1). Your title to come, to buy, is your need and poverty. "Gold" purified or refined by fire points to divine righteousness, tested and tried; without it, oh, how poor! with it, how rich! "White garments" are declared to be the righteousness of saints, i.e., their righteous deeds (Revelation 19:8), which would cover their moral nakedness and the shame of it as well. "Eye salve" is for spiritual discernment. Revelation 3:19THE LORD'S LAST APPEAL. Revelation 3:19 "I rebuke and discipline as many as I love; be zealous therefore and repent." The Lord does not, as some suppose, speak in the first member of our text of saints in Laodicea. He states a truth common to both Testaments (Proverbs 3:11-12, and Hebrews 12:5-6). The passage does not assert its application to any special class of saints. The Lord had just been speaking in tones of unusual severity. The circumstances called for it. The stern rebukes administered to the angel were to be followed by an act of irremediable judgment -- "spued out." But for Christians, then and now, they were to know that the Lord's rebukes, and His still severer chastening, were the fruit of love, not of an arbitrary dealing as perchance by an earthly parent. "Be zealous therefore and repent." The Lord would rouse them out of the torpor and insensibility in which they were sunk. He would rekindle their interest. Has this exhortation to be "zealous and repent" reached the conscience of the Laodicean Church? It is the first step towards recovery. Has it been taken? By the mass, no. Thank God, individuals have given heed, and do hear the call to repent. But the general mass is drifting on, and Laodicea is now being fully developed as the characteristic Church state of to-day. The judgment of the professing Christian body, as announced in Revelation 3:16, is inevitable and at hand. Verse 20CHRIST STANDS, KNOCKS, AND SPEAKS. Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and am knocking; if any one hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and sup with him, and he with Me." This touching and tender call has for centuries been the foundation of Christian song and sermon. The last appeal addressed to the collective body is contained in Revelation 3:19; this is spoken to individuals only. Between the threat of rejection (Revelation 3:16) and its execution the Lord takes an outside place: "Behold, I stand at the door," thus morally disowning the professing Christian body. The Lord both knocks and speaks. What a rich display of grace in the worst of circumstances! The Lord neither commands to buy (Revelation 3:18) nor forces an entrance. He counsels in the one case, and knocks in the other. "I stand, . . . and am knocking." It is a present and continuous action. The continuity of both actions is affirmed: He stands, He knocks. The Lord will not force His presence where and when it is not desired. To the disconsolate travellers to Emmaus "He made as though He would have gone further" (Luke 24:28). They constrained Him to enter, saying, "Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And He went in to tarry with them." In the presence of Jesus risen all is changed, He becomes the host and they His guests (v. 30). "If any hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and sup with him, and he with Me." It is the last season of communion ere the night of judgment dawns. It is essentially individual. If denied Church fellowship, how exceedingly sweet the promise! The voice here is not that of Christ in quickening power, nor is it the knocking of salvation at a sinner's heart. The word to sinners is, "I am the Door: by Me if any man enter in he shall be saved" (John 10:9). They have not to knock, for it is an ever open door, and they have simply to enter in. To believers the word is, "Knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Luke 11:9). But in our text He continues standing and knocking. He wants the place in the hearts of His own. He will make a feast for us even now; together with Him we joy and rejoice, but He dispenses the joy. Revelation 3:21-22PROMISE TO THE . Revelation 3:21 "He that overcomes, to him will I give to sit with Me in My throne: as I also have overcome, and have sat down with My Father in His throne." The "throne" is the sign and symbol of royal authority and dominion. How did Jesus reach His Father's throne and sit down with Him in that exalted seat? Not by inherent right only! But by His life of patience and death for His Father's glory. The conqueror's path lies open to us. His example is our cheer. His footprints our guide-marks. The reward to the overcomer is undoubtedly a glorious one, but by no means exceeding those addressed to the Philadelphian conquerors. Association with Christ as Son of Man in His kingdom is here the promised blessing. The kingdom will be universal in extent (Psalms 72:8; Zechariah 14:9; Psalms 8:1-9); righteous in administration (Psalms 72:1-7; Psalms 45:7; Isaiah 32:1); and everlasting in duration (Daniel 7:27; 2 Peter 1:11; Daniel 4:34). Jerusalem on high will be the capital seat of the heavenly department of the kingdom (Revelation 21:1-27). Jerusalem on earth forms the metropolitan city of the kingdom here (Jeremiah 3:17). The Laodicean conqueror is promised association with Christ in His kingdom and glory. Surely a rich and full reward for the brief if rough struggle in overcoming the Laodicean element environing us on every hand. But the contest must be maintained to the end. Revelation 3:22 --Then follows the usual call to hear, which fitly brings these Church addresses to a close. Commentary on Revelation 3:14-22 by E.M. ZerrRev_3:14. See the comments at Revelation 1:20 for significance of Angel. The Amen is given special meaning here by the words the faithful and true witness. This is logical since the word amen means "so be it" or is an endorsement of some stated or implied fact. A true witness would not endorse any declaration that was not correct. The beginning of the creation of God. This is equivalent to the statement in Colossians 1:15 that Christ is "the firstborn of every creature." The reader will do well to see the comments at that place also on a number of verses following it. The "beginning of the creation" coincides with John 1:1-3 where Christ is said to have been "in the beginning," then explains it with the declaration that "all things were made by Him." Revelation 3:15. I know thy works. Again this is used in the sense of disapproval for it is followed immediately with something that is bad. I would thou wert cold or hot. The figure is based upon the idea of food and its agreeableness to the taste. Some articles are supposed to be eaten hot and others cold. If either kind becomes neutral on the subject of temperature it will be objectionable. Also there are some articles of food that are suitable in either condition, but it is not desired that they be between the two states. On that basis as an illustration the Lord desires his disciples not to be neutral. Revelation 3:16. No parable or illustration should be strained in the application. This one does not teach that God would be pleased at all with one who is cold in his religious practices--that point is not being considered in the least in this illustration. The only idea is with the comparative preference for something cold over a lukewarm article. When we make the application the reason for this preference is evident. If a professed disciple is cold it will be clearly recognized by the world, and lie will not have much influence in keeping others from the service of Christ through his example. On the other hand, a lukewarm disciple may be a tolerably good man so that others may admire him. Yet lie is not urgent in advising them to be busy in the Master's service and consequently his influence will be detrimental to the cause of Christ and for that reason lie will be rejected. Retaining the same subject matter for his figure, the Lord threatens to treat this church as a man would a piece of food that he took into his mouth and found it had become lukewarm; he will spew (spit) it out of his mouth. Revelation 3:17. The outstanding thought in this verse is to show how much a church can be self-deceived as to its real condition. Doubtless it possessed all of the things named of a temporal nature. One of the evil effects of earthly riches is to mislead their owners into a feeling of independence or self-sufficiency. That is why Jesus speaks of "the deceitfulness of riches" in Matthew 13:22. The condition of this church was the opposite to that of Smyrna which was poor in this world's goods but was rich in faith. Our present case is one of complete deception, for the church had concluded that it had need of nothing. We often hear the remark that some man "is independently rich," which is just the state of mind the church at Laodicea was cherishing. The Lord admits that those people did not know (or realize) what their actual condition was from a spiritual standpoint. Wretched is definedby Thayer, "Enduring trials and troubles." They had a good many conflicts because of their lack of spiritual worth, but their confidence in their wealth gave them a false sense of triumph over them all. Miserable virtually refers to the same condition as being wretched and their deception covered their situation also. Poor in faith while rich in the perishable things of this world. Blind means their eyes of faith had become entirely afflicted with a spiritual cataract developed from their corroding wealth, and hence they could not see that they went naked. Revelation 3:18. Gold tried in the fire is a figurative name for faith (1 Peter 1:7.) White raiment consists of the righteousness of the Lord's people (chapter 19:5), and the People could have such raiment to wear if they would follow a life of righteous conduct. Annoint thine eyes. In 2 Peter 1:9 the man who lacked the qualities named in that chapter is said to be "blind," and on that basis the church at Lao-dicea needed to use the anointment of those virtues to remove the cataract from their eyes. Revelation 3:19. Love in this place is from the word that signifies the warmest sentiments of affection. It. makes a strong and unusual situation to say that such treatment of loved ones is the very proof of that love. Yet that is a principle that is true whether a human or divine Parent is being considered. (See Hebrews 12:6; Hebrews 12:9.) Be zealous therefore. Since these stern rebukes are evidence of the Lord's love for them, it should induce them to repent with zeal which means to be active about it. The fundamental meaning of repentance is a change from one condition to another for the better. These people were relying on their temporal wealth for gratification and were poor in faith. They now should take on a sincere interest in the spiritual things of Christ and begin serving him by righteous living. Revelation 3:20. The specific subject matter for the various churches seems to have been completed. This verse represents the general attitude of the Lord toward all human beings. The door is that of the heart into which Jesus will enter if given a welcome. He will not force an entrance into a man's life, for the only kind of service that will be pleasing to Him is a willing service. Hence the human heart must respond to the call of the Lord. Sup with him, and he with me. In old times it was one of the surest indications of hospitality for a man to eat with another. It also was a token of recognition and endorsement. (See Mark 2:16; 1 Corinthians 5:11.) This mutual supping between Christ and his host is a figure of speech to indicate the great intimacy that He offers to share with a human being if permitted to do so. Revelation 3:21. Him that overcometh means one who is faithful under all trails and difficulties. Sit with me in my throne is another figurative expression, meaning that such a person will be regarded as having right to that fellowship with Christ in the kingdom, that is stated in 1 Corinthians 4:8 and 1 Peter 2:9. Revelation 3:22. He that hath an ear is commented upon at Revelation 2:7.Commentary on Revelation 3:14-22 by Burton CoffmanRev_3:14 And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write:Laodicea is a word which has come to stand for lukewarmness, indifference and compromise. Some theorists make a big point out of what they affirm to be the meaning of the word: "Its name designates it as the Church of mob rule, the democratic church, in which everything was swayed and decided by popular opinion."[55] We are reluctant to accept this, be cause the town was actually named by its founder Antiochus II (261-246 B.C.) after his wife Laodice.[56] It was situated in the same general vicinity of the other six cities addressed in this series, on the great Roman road to Syrian Antioch. It was never much of a fortress, due to the vulnerability of the water supply, "which came principally by a vulnerable aqueduct from springs six miles away to the north in the direction of Hieropolis ... Laodicea could hardly stand a determined siege."[57]Laodicea was a banking center with a great deal of wealth. One of the great industries was that of wool and woolen garments, featuring a fine quality glossy black wool from Phrygian sheep; another industry was that of drugs developed in connection with the medical school there. One of the famous Laodicean remedies was a "Phrygian eye-salve" which was supposed to cure inflammation. Blaiklock speculated that this probably came from dried mud from one of the numerous hot springs in the area.[58] This information illuminates the charges which the Lord made against the church of this city, in his words, "Thou art miserable and poor, and blind, and naked" (Revelation 3:17). It is as though he had said, "You are spiritually bankrupt in spite of all the banks, looms and pharmacies in the city." Particularly noticeable was the wealth of Laodicea. Following the great earthquake which demolished the place in 60 A.D., they rebuilt at once from their own resources, declining the lavish gifts offered by the emperor. Scholars who suppose that Laodicea could not have recovered so quickly as a date in the late 60's for Revelation would indicate that they have failed to take their great wealth and self-sufficiency into account. One other significant fact of the environment is that of the hot springs, which when mixed with water from the colder springs resulted in a lukewarm, nauseous mixture totally unsuitable for drinking purposes. Laodicea suffered the same kind of general decline that came to the whole area in subsequent centuries, finally falling to the Turks in the 14th century. Today, it is called Eski-Sheher, meaning "old town," the capital of the Turkish province of the same name. The population in 1955 was 122,755.[59]The church at Laodicea was one of a group of three congregations known to us from the writings of Paul. He directed that two of his epistles should be sent there (Colossians 4:16). "These were the Colossian letter and another which has been lost, unless the epistle to the Ephesians is meant."[60] This church received, along with Sardis, the strongest of our Lord's denunciations, there being no compliment of any kind extended to them. [55] J. A. Seiss, The Apocalypse Lectures on the Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1900), p. 72. [56] E. J. Banks, ISBE, p. 1836. [57] E. M. Blaiklock, op. cit., p. 124. [58] Ibid., p. 125. [59] Encyclopedia Britannica (Chicago: William Benton, Publisher, 1961), Vol. 1, p. 710. [60] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 487. These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:The Amen ... This denotes the one in whom verity is personified."[61] There is also the sense of completeness and finality in it. Before Christ, there was no other; and after him there is no other. The faithful and true witness ... The faithfulness of Christ is affirmed in this, a truth often overlooked. As deity, Jesus Christ had no need of faith in the sense of its use today; but "as a man" he walked in faith, implicitly trusting all that the Father had promised. In the ultimate sense, all human justification derives from the perfect faith and perfect obedience of Christ. The beginning of the creation of God ... Plummer pointed out that the words here bear two possible interpretations: The two meanings are: (1) that which would make Christ the first created thing of all things God created, and (2) that which would understand Christ as the Source of all the things God created.[62]Plummer and many other able scholars declare the second meaning to be the one intended here. "The words mean, the one from whom creation took its beginning."[63] The agreement with Colossians 1:16 is probably intended, for the church in Laodicea received Colossians. [61] Ibid., p. 488. [62] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 115. [63] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 488. Revelation 3:15I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that thou wert cold or hot.Two possible meanings of this are intriguing, and either one or both could be correct. Which is the right turns upon what Jesus meant by "I would thou wert cold or hot." If the Lord's reprimand here is the rough equivalent to, "You Laodicean Christians are just like the notoriously lukewarm drinking water in your town," then he meant that the Christians should be either like good cold drinking water, or like a beneficial hot drink from one of the thermal springs. On the other hand, if the "lukewarmness" here has reference solely to the spiritual temperature of the people, then he could have meant that he could prefer them to be cold, "because a lukewarm Christian can do the church more harm than an outright enemy of the faith."[64] Others have explained the possible meaning thus, "An honest atheist is more acceptable to the Lord than a self satisfied religious man."[65] Whatever, exactly, was meant, the principal idea is devastatingly clear. This church had lost its enthusiasm, zeal, and excitement concerning their holy religion. Through the ages they have come to stand for the most disgusting thing on earth, a fat, lazy, self-righteous and complacent church, basking in their own presumed achievements, but wholly unacceptable to the Lord. [64] John T. Hinds, op. cit., p. 62. [65] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 105. Revelation 3:16 So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.Neither hot nor cold ... The contrast is between the hot medicinal waters of Hieropolis, and the cold pure waters of Colossae."[66] Thus, the church was providing neither refreshment for the spiritually weary, nor healing for the spiritually sick. I will spew thee out of my mouth ... This is a shocking figure, but one of the most expressive in the New Testament. Strangers entering Laodicea for the first time, when they tried to drink where the hot spring water and the cold came together, would usually "spew it out." ENDNOTE: [66] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 125. Revelation 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked:How strange that God's people in such a place were destitute of spiritual graces. There was plenty of money, but they were poor; there was plenty of the finest clothing on earth, but they were naked; there was healing for many in the medical school, but they were blind. This is a sad commentary upon the way things are today with many Christians who live in the affluent society, with plenty of everything except that alone which can prevent their being like the Laodiceans, miserable and poor and blind and naked. And knowest not ... The worst thing about their condition was their total ignorance of the true nature of it. They had evidently mistaken "the good life" for the righteous life. They boasted of their riches and professed to need nothing whatever; and yet they were the neediest of all. May all Christians pray that they may not be self-deceived concerning their own spiritual condition. What can be done for the hypocrite who does not know he is a hypocrite, for the spiritual beggar who is dreaming that he is rich, or for the naked sojourner who images that he is fully clothed? Revelation 3:18I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eye-salve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see.It is evident that the lack of the Laodiceans was precisely in those areas where they fancied they were the strongest. The allusion to Laodicean wealth, their garment industry, and their "Phrygian eye-salve" is evident. Buy of me gold refined by fire ... This is a metaphor of true fidelity in Christ Jesus, as suggested by 1 Peter 1:7; but the expression, "Buy of me" is particularly interesting. "the of me is emphatic,"[67] indicating that the true wealth is procurable only from the Son of God. Neither the banks of Laodicea nor the gold mines of Pangaeus can supply the blessed "riches in Christ" without which all mankind is miserable and poor and blind and naked. Furthermore, the very fact of a purchase being required in this command raises the question of what shall be tendered in order to receive the gold refined by fire? Lenski quoted Isaiah 55:1 in this context: Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price (Isaiah 55:1). Lenski's comment on this is: "Buy for nothing! This is the strange wonderful gospel buying."[68] With due deference, how ever, to the respected Lenski, the riches in Christ are not avail able "for nothing," but without money, there being a world of difference in the two propositions. The very thing wrong at Laodicea was that they were proposing to enjoy true riches of Christ for nothing. The same is true of a great deal of the current religious world around us today. Among the things that "in a sense" must be exchanged for the true riches are an obedient faith in Jesus Christ. However, it is only "in a sense" that such may be called "buying." There is no quid pro quo that may be tendered in order to receive salvation; and it was probably this that Lenski intended. And white garments that thou mayest be clothed ... Like the buying, above, this represents something which to some degree, at least, must be provided by the wearer, Christ, of course, being the only source. The apostles commanded that one should keep himself "unspotted from the world" (James 1:27). White garments of righteousness are supplied by the Lord to the baptized believer; but there is no promise of any such thing to the believer or unbeliever who will not be baptized. Thus, people are here commanded to "buy" white garments. And eye-salve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see ... This demanded purchase, like the others, may not be had for money; but that does not mean that it is available upon any other terms than the one laid down in Scripture. "The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes" (Psalms 19:8). The only eye-salve, therefore, that will do spiritual blindness any good is the word of the Lord; and it was precisely this that the Laodiceans needed. How could they "buy it"? Through study and attention given to the word of God. Is this "for nothing"? Indeed no; but it is without money. [67] Ibid., p. 127. [68] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis, Minn.: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 158. Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I reprove and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.For full discussion of the doctrine of chastening, see in my Commentary on Hebrews, pp. 317-319. There is nothing like this in the whole New Testament; it could be in tended for all the churches, but Laodicea's being the last one caused it to be incorporated here with the letter to that church. A literal translation is: "See, I have taken my stand upon your threshold, and I am continually knocking."[69] Many have commented upon this matchless verse which is honored in the music and art of the world. Morgan paraphrased the meaning thus: He waits for man. He is not waiting for a committee to pass a resolution. If any man hear my voice, I will come to him ... I will be his guest, "I will sup with him." He shall be my guest, "and he with me." I will sit at the table which his love provides, and satisfy my heart. He shall sit at the table which my love provides, and satisfy his heart.[70]"This promise has a eucharistic flavor about it. The mention of a supper with Christ pictures the last supper in the upper room, and the subsequent occasions when it was re-enacted as the continuing symbol of Christ's continuing presence."[71] "This is one of the greatest gospel texts in the New Testament and should be quoted frequently in both public evangelism and in personal work."[72]Certainly, one of the applications of this verse is that of referring it to the Lord's Supper. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 4:1-3 PART SECOND: VISIONSRev_4:1 to Revelation 5:14 SECTION ONE: GOD SEEN IN HEAVENRev_4:1-111. THE OF GOD UPON HIS THRONE Revelation 4:1-3 1 After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven,---"After these things" means after the things mentioned in the preceding chapters--the initial vision and the reception of seven letters. The words "I saw, and behold" introduce a new vision that was opening to John, which is fully described in the two chapters of this part of the book. The brief vision of 1:10-19 represents Christ as standing by John; in this the scene is transferred to heaven and John is permitted to view it through the door opened for that purpose. This is similar to the words of Ezekiel, "The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God." (Ezekiel 1:1.) Just how John was enabled to see things in heaven is not explained, but we know it was by the exercise of miraculous power in some way. and the first voice that I heard, a voice as of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter.--Some commentators understand that the "first voice that I heard" refers to the same voice mentioned in 1:10 that spake to John first. Others think it means that the first sound or speaking that he heard was a voice saying, "Come up hither." The latter seems the more natural view. The essential point, however, is what the voice said. The promise to show what "must come to pass hereafter" is unmistakable proof that the things to be shown in the visions to follow would be events that would take place after the time the voice was speaking them. No other meaning for these words is possible. Some scholars join the word "hereafter" with the next verse, the meaning, as they view it, being that after the voice said "Come up hither" he was straightway in the Spirit. This would not change the meaning of verse 1; for things which "must come to pass" refer to things in the future. 2 Straightway I was in the Spirit: and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting upon the throne;--Seeing the open door in heaven and hearing the voice, mentioned in verse 1, implies some degree of spiritual exaltation for John, but being "in the Spirit," as expressed here, probably means that he was given such measure of spiritual enduement that he could fully see and describe the visions that passed before him. This is clear from the command to come up hither and he would be shown certain things that must come to pass. He was so deeply absorbed that the things before his mind appeared as if material objects. Such miraculous experiences are inexplicable to man; they are accepted as true by faith. Heaven is represented as a great room into which John looked through the open door. He saw a throne upon which a glorious being was sitting. Though not named, the description unquestionably refers to God. 3 and he that sat was to look upon like a jasper stone and a sardius: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon.--It is worthy of note that no personal description of God is attempted here or elsewhere by divine writers. No suggestion is given that might lead to images or idolatrous practices. The stones mentioned and the rainbow that circled about the throne were doubtless meant to show the divine majesty and royalty of God as the supreme Ruler of the universe. From such a description no one could make an image, yet the glorious splendor of God in heaven could be presented most impressively. Speculating as to what is signified by the stones mentioned is probably time wasted. The entire scene presents the indescribable majesty of God; nothing more was necessary in showing his position and power.Commentary on Revelation 4:1-3 by Foy E.WallaceTHE THRONE IN HEAVEN The One on the throne—Revelation 4:1-3. 1. “ A door was opened in heaven”—Revelation 4:1. The word heaven here signifies the source of all revelation, being the place of God’ s residence. (Daniel 4:26; John 1:51; John 3:27; Romans 1:18; Galatians 1:8; Hebrews 12:25; 1 Peter 1:12; Matthew 16:17) And from the heavenly throne proceeded these visions. It is the abode of God who is “ the God of heaven.” (1 Kings 8:30; Daniel 2:28; Matthew 5:45) It is there that God has his throne. (Isaiah 66:1; Psalms 103:19; Psalms 11:4) It is the seat of sovereignty, the symbol of regal authority, from which justice and judgment are dispensed. (Psalms 89:14) Being thus the sign of royalty, throne is applied to the center of all divine authority. (Matthew 19:28) “ Come up hither and I will show thee.” The apocalypse in its complete composition proceeded from the one who sits on the throne. (Daniel 2:47; Matthew 11:27; Philippians 3:15; John 4:1) 2. “ A throne was set in heaven”—Revelation 4:2. The throne was not there for this vision only, it was set, established as the throne of heaven. (Psalms 119:89) 3. “ He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone”—Revelation 4:3. Here was the figure of intense splendor. Jasper was an opaque species of different colors, subject to high polish. The New Testament use of the term “ jasper,” here and elsewhere referred to a transparent gem, the diamond, or the translucent chalcedon. Sardine (or Sardius) was an ancient favorite of the engraver’ s art, discovered in Asia Minor, of lasting beauty of color; it was a brilliant fleshred. But no physical or material substance can be made comparable to God’ s person; at best it serves only as an emblem of the resplendent and exquisite grandeur and glory of his divine Being. 4. “ A rainbow round about the throne"—Revelation 4:3. The rainbow stands for a covenant-- Genesis 9:13-17 -- and the emblem here is of the covenanted protection from the judgment of impending events; not escape from the suffering, but exemption from judgments, which would come upon the enemies of the church. 5. “ In sight like an emerald"—Revelation 4:3. The rainbow is a seven-color reflection. Its brilliance appears between the shining sun and the rain clouds. Here emerald in the bow is specified--a very precious gem, of deep green color-which is its real value, as the deepest colors were the prized. The word emerald had a root meaning of glowing. The emerald-green in the rainbow signified that through the grace of patience deliverance was vouchsafed.Commentary on Revelation 4:1-3 by Walter ScottI TO THE THIRD OR OF THE . SEVEN CHURCH . The letters to the churches constitute the second division of the Apocalypse: "The things that are." The Church on the earth existed in John's day, and continues till now. That is the simple explanation of what the Seer beheld in symbol (Revelation 1:20). Then the moral state of the Church, but in successive and partly concurrent stages of its history, is developed in seven messages (Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22). The epitome of Church history contained in these two chapters is invaluable. To have Heaven's light thrown on the state of things during the whole of this Church period of nigh two thousand years is a mercy almost second to none. What lessons are here gathered up! How needful the warnings in a day of moral relaxation! How strengthening the promises in seasons of weakness! These Church messages were first of local application, but the narrow and restricted sphere to which they first applied would not suit their breadth of instruction. The truths and principles therein unfolded have their application to the utmost bounds of the professing Church. They are applicable both to individuals and to churches. The constitution, order, and discipline of the Church formed a special feature of Paul's ministry. Luke in "The Acts" unfolds its history for fully thirty years, from Pentecost till the imprisonment of Paul in Rome. But it was reserved for the Seer of Patmos to further unfold that history from the close of the apostolic period till its loathsome rejection by the Lord. THE AND . The prophetic part of the book commences with chapter 4 and closes with chapter 22: 5, and forms the third division: "The things that are about to be after these." Prophetic action, however, does not begin till Revelation 6:1-17, the heavenly scenes recorded in Revelation 4:1-11; Revelation 5:1-14 being clearly introductory to the first series of judgments detailed in chapter 6. There has been all along a conflict between good and evil, between light and darkness, and these respective principles have been governed by equally opposing powers, the Spirit of God and Satan. Hence we can easily understand a partial fulfilment in present and past ages. But while frankly allowing this, as also a past and present resemblance to many events in the prophetic part of the Apocalypse, yet we insist on their full, exhaustive, and complete fulfilment in the coming crisis of at least seven years. The futurist application is undoubtedly the right one. The historical application is always more or less conjectural, and one in which scarcely two of its exponents are agreed. Its principle of interpretation is untenable. History is made the interpreter of prophecy. This or that event is supposed to be indicated under Seal, Trumpet, or Vial. We have two serious objections to the presentist view of the prophecies contained in this book: first, by far the larger number of God's people are poor and illiterate, and would be practically debarred from understanding them if a knowledge of history is essential thereto; second, prophecy according to this system is robbed of its present moral value, for how can that act on the soul which cannot be understood till after its fulfilment? THE SAINTS CAUGHT UP BEFORE THE . Now between the close of Rev 3:1-22 and the opening of Rev 4:1-11, that is, between the second and third divisions of the book, the overcomers have been "caught up" and the mass "spued out," but the Seer does not record these events: he takes them for granted. Paul unfolds by revelation, and in considerable detail, the translation of the saints of Old and New Testament times (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17). We state three incontrovertible proofs that the Lord's dead and living saints are caught up before the opening of the prophetic section of the Apocalypse (Revelation 4:1-11). (1) The Church is not on the earth during the period of the apocalyptic judgments, under which you find a body of Jews and Gentiles, but not the Church, which is composed of both. The word "Church" or its plural occurs about twenty times in the first three chapters, and it is neither named nor referred to in the rest of the book till Revelation 22:17, which, of course, resumes the present state of things, and is in no sense part of the prophetic visions. What then is the unmistakable deduction from the fact that the Church is not on earth from Revelation 4:1-11 till Revelation 22:5? Why, that it is in Heaven. Where else could it be? (2) The three divisions of the Apocalypse do not overlap, nor are they concurrent. The wording of the 19th verse of the first chapter is simplicity itself. "Write therefore what thou hast seen," the vision of Christ just beheld by the Seer, "and the things that are," the seven churches then existing, "and the things that are about to be after these," when the Church is removed and the government of the world is in question. The Holy Ghost has Himself fixed the divisions of the book into a past, a present, and a future. "The things that are about to be after these" signifies that "the things that are" must have ceased. These divisions are successive. The third commences in Revelation 4:1, "I will show thee the things," prophetic visions, "which must take place after these things," i.e., the Lord's dealing with the churches on earth. One set of things succeeds another. (3) The whole situation is changed. It is not the Lord in the midst of the candlesticks or churches on earth, but the throne set in Heaven. One great fact of vital importance to the understanding of the book is that the saints of God are witnessed in Heaven in chapter 4 and right on till Revelation 19:1-21, when they accompany the Lord out of Heaven for the judgment of the world (Revelation 4:11-11). All through the apocalyptic judgments, and before they commence, the heavenly body of saints is seen in Heaven. How did they get there? It can only be satisfactorily explained on the assumption that the Rapture of 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18 had taken place. That event would necessarily close the Lord's dealings with the Church, bring to an end "the things that are," and pave the way for the new and prophetic state of which "the throne set in Heaven" is the fitting symbol. All this is simple and consistent, and seems to us graven on the surface of the book. Revelation 4:1THE THRONE OF THE ETERNAL. THE ENTIRE CHANGED. Revelation 4:1 "After these things I saw, and behold a door opened in Heaven, and the first voice which I heard as of a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show thee the things which must take place after these things." We have here an entire change in the situation. The Seer is caught up from earth to Heaven. Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22 trace the fortunes of the Church on earth. Revelation 4:1-11; Revelation 5:1-14 describe scenes and events in Heaven of incomparable majesty. The history of the Church has been written, the overcomers have been translated to meet the Lord in the air, and the guilty mass of mere Christian profession has been "spued out." Thus the removal of the Church makes room for the subjects of prophecy to occupy their allotted place. Revelation 4:1 "After these things" marks a new commencement. The various Church states on earth are over. Prophetic scenes and visions are now to occupy the attention of the Seer. The words "after these things" intimate not only the sequence of the visions, but the events also which follow in natural order. Revelation 4:1 "A door opened in Heaven" signifies that Heaven must be entered if prophecy is to be understood. It is there where the sources of everlasting good are found, where the coming scene of millennial and eternal blessedness is arranged and duly planned, and where, too, the preparatory judgments have their source. "A door opened in Heaven" enabled the Seer to pass in. "Heaven opened" is for the saints to pass out (Revelation 19:11). Revelation 4:1 "The first voice" does not refer to the first of a successive series, but is a plain reference to the voice of the Lord already heard (Revelation 1:10). There the voice was heard on earth; here it speaks from Heaven. The trumpet voice summons John from earth to Heaven. Scenes in Heaven are to be disclosed, and it is only there they can be seen. Prophecy has its source in Heaven, and hence the Seer must make Heaven his standpoint if the prophetic visions about to pass before his rapt gaze are to be divinely understood. It is in Heaven that the prophetic plan is mapped out, and it is there, far above the mists and clouds of earth, and the wrangles, jealousies, and pride of man,where alone we can discern the mind of God as to the future. The moral lesson for each servant of God is a needful one. Revelation 4:2-3MORAL OF THE SEER THE THRONE AND THE SITTER THEREON Revelation 4:2-3 "Immediately I became in (the) Spirit; and behold a throne stood in the Heaven, and upon the throne One sitting, and He (that was) sitting like in appearance to a stone (of) jasper and a sardius, and a rainbow round the throne like in appearance to an emerald." The divine summons "Come up here" brooks no delay. "Immediately I became in (the) Spirit." The vision of Christ as Son of Man in transcendent glory in the midst of the seven golden lamps was a sight too much for mortal gaze. The Seer for the time being was under the absolute control of the Spirit; he lived and moved in another mode of existence. "He became in (the) Spirit" (Revelation 1:10). But this cannot in the nature of things beprolonged. The state had lapsed. Now fresh visions, and of the future, are to be witnessed and written, so in full accord with their solemn character the Seer is again the vessel of the Spirit's power. "I became in (the) Spirit." The absence of the article before "Spirit" marks the state as a characteristic one. Visions of things in Heaven were witnessed by certain prophets on earth, but to the distinguished prophet of the New Testament alone were visions beheld in Heaven itself. To John only were these words addressed, "Come up here." The moral competency of the Seer to behold and grasp the coming prophetic situation was not in himself, but in a power outside the domain of nature. The Spirit once again laid hold of the human vessel, and entirely occupied it. John for the time lived in a new mode and sphere of existence in which human weakness and frailty had no place. The Spirit filled and controlled him. Revelation 4:2 "Behold a throne stood in the Heaven." This was the first sight beheld by the Seer in this new vision. The throne is the central subject in this heavenly scene. It is the sign and symbol of God's universal government. It "stood in the Heaven." The stability of that government is conveyed in the word "stood" or set; "the Heaven" fixes definitely and precisely the seat of royal authority. What a contrast to the tottering thrones of earth! Here, at the outset, is an intimation that Jehovah reigneth. The throne is our security and strength. It is, too, the great central fact in the universe. It is the pledge that the fiat of the Eternal shall compel obedience from every created being. It is the sign of order, of rule, of authority. The throne set in Heaven is in contrast to the mutability of all earthly governments. The Sitter upon the throne is unnamed, but is described in general yet significant symbols. Two precious stones are named, the jasper and sardius, and by these the glory and majesty of God are reflected. His essential glory cannot,of course, be communicated even to the most exalted of creatures. God dwells in light unapproachable: "Whom no man hath seen, nor can see" (1 Timothy 6:16). But whatcan be witnessed by creatures is displayed. The jasper and sardius are mentioned in the list of precious stones adorning the breastplate of the high priest of old (Exodus 28:17-20,) the sardius being first named and the jasper last; they are also named amongst those to describe the glory of the typical king of Tyre (Ezekiel 28:13), the sardius again coming first and the jasper sixth. We again meet with those precious stones in the description of the holy Jerusalem in governmental authority and glory towards the millennial world (Revelation 21:19-20), the jasper first and the sardius sixth. Is there no significance in the fact that in these three lists of precious stones, the reflectors of God in grace, in creation, and in glory, the numerical order is changed? Is this a mere coincidence or the evidence of design in inspiration? Of the latter assuredly.The brilliancy of the jasper and the deep red hue of the sardius reflect the glory and surpassing splendour of God in so far as these could be displayed. The glory of God, too, as symbolised by the jasper is the light (Revelation 21:11),the security (v. 18), and the foundation (v. 19) of the Church or bride in future governmental display. The Seer next proceeds, "And a rainbow round the throne like in appearance to an emerald."The throne in vastness and majesty is one befitting the Lord of hosts. Encircled with a rainbow it is a witness that in the exercise of absolute sovereignty, of all-ruling power, God will graciously remember in covenant mercy His creatures. It is a sign to all in Heaven that God delights in goodness. The complete, unbroken circle round the throne proclaims the truth, "His mercy endureth for ever." The bow set in the cloud of old, with its prismatic colours and varied beauties, is the token of God's covenant with the earth (Genesis 9:9-17). It is rarely seen as a complete circle,but generally as an arch, or half-circle, and is God's object lesson for the race, a public sign hung out in the heavens that all may see and learn that God is good, a lesson from God and of God to men. In the last notice of the rainbow it is seen over the head of the Lord when in power He asserts His claim to the earth. He will sweep the defiled scene with the besom of destruction, but even then the old appointed token of divine goodness reappears (Revelation 10:1). Instead of the combination ofcolours to which we are accustomed in the rainbow the heavenly one over the throne is "like in appearance to an emerald." The beautiful green, the characteristic color of the vegetable world, and the only one which never tires the eye, is the chosen color of the rainbow beheld by the Seer. The glorified saints will have constantly before their never-tiring gaze the rainbow in its entirety; the remembrance of God's grace to the earth even when He is about to deal with the race in judgment. Commentary on Revelation 4:1-3 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 4:1. With this chapter we start into the symbolic part of this book. I urge the reader to turn back to the "General remarks" at the introduction of chapter 1, and carefully read through the paragraphs, especially for the purpose of being prepared to appreciate what will be said relative to the symbolic and literal features of the book. Bear in mind that literally .John is on the isle of Patmos and will be there all through the book. When the langauge seems to take him to some other place it is only figuratively so. When he speaks about going somewhere or of seeing something that we know is not actually out there on that isle, we must understand that he had a vision of such things and is only writing a description of what he sees. Door opened in heaven signifies that. John was to be admitted into the confidences of the Lord and be told things not known by other men. A voice like a trumpet indicates that it was strong and filled with the characteristic of authority. Things which must be hereafter has direct reference to events in the future. However, we should not forget the overall scope of his vision as stated in Revelation 1:19. That passage says he was to write of things pertaining to the past, present and future. That explains why he here tells us of conditions then existing, which will be involved in many of the future events of the book. Revelation 4:2. In the spirit means the vision was opening up before him. The first thing he saw was a throne in heaven and the throne was not vacant; one sat on the throne. That indicated that heaven had an occupant who had authority to give rule over the earth as well as over other persons in heaven. Revelation 4:3. These precious stones are used to indicate the worth and also the brilliance of the one on the throne. The rainbow refers to the arched halo that is generally pictured over the head of one occupying a place of authority. Like unto an emerald. This is another precious stone that is used to signify the glory about the head of the person occupying the throne.Commentary on Revelation 4:1-3 by Burton CoffmanRev_4:1 At this point in Revelation there begin the visions, in which are shown, under figures, the forces by which the life of the church is affected. "She is shown God and the Lamb, the devil, the beast, the false prophet, and the apostate city. Then she is shown the victory of Christ, and the eternal defeat of the powers of evil."[1] However, Revelation 4 and Revelation 5 are introductory, forming a composite vision of the throne of God and of the Lamb (one throne, not two). "Actual predictions of future events do not begin until Revelation 6."[2]The student is quickly aware that some of the terminology of Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1, as well as of passages in Daniel, is used in this chapter, and throughout Revelation. But despite many of the striking symbols being employed, the vision here is distinctly different. This chapter, however, "is as much adapted to impress the mind as any of the others."[3] The terminology John used here in describing what God revealed to him, although found in the Old Testament, is used in an independent manner. "We do not find even a single Old Testament quotation, but only adaptations and nothing more."[4]The sense of impending persecution which dominates the letters to the churches might well have tended to unnerve them; what better way to comfort them, therefore, than to point out the eternal glory of the throne of God and Christ. The throne of imperial Roman authority had become their enemy, but there was a higher authority. After all, the universe itself is under the control of God. The most important thing that anyone can know about the universe is that there is a control center. It does not exist like some robot machine that has been wound up and left to run itself out. The throne of God and of Christ is the final and conclusive denial of the "chance theory," regarding either creation or the continuity of the material universe. Even more significantly, the enthroned authority is personal. The most important single fact that can be known about God lies right here. God is a person; and associated with him, indeed identified with him, is the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, also personal, and identified both with the Father and with mankind. It is lack of belief in a personal God that has devastated and destroyed religious faith to a great extent in the current era. William Buckley, many years editor of the National Review, and a personal friend of this writer, once published an article in his paper regarding the "Three `R's of Religion," identifying these as Revelation, Regeneration, and Responsibility, and relating all of these absolutely to belief in a personal God. If one does not believe that God is personal, there can be no valid conception of regeneration. One cannot be born of some cosmic law; a person cannot be born of that which is impersonal; and, if God is not a person, there is no such thing as the new birth. No wonder it has dropped out of a lot of modernistic preaching by those who no longer believe in a personal God. If one does not believe in a personal God, it is folly to speak of revelation. That is why so many do not believe the Bible to be God's word. If there is no one, no person beyond our present life, then no one has spoken to anybody! Belief in a personal God underlies the basic conception of divine revelation. If one does not believe in a personal God, there is, logically, no such thing as responsibility. If God is personal, one who knows the deeds of men, and who will require of every man ever born an account of his stewardship, then man is responsible for his actions and will inevitably suffer the penalty of disobeying divine law; but, if there is no personal God, then there is not anything in this universe any higher than a man. Once such a conception as that is received, it makes every man his own god. Whatever social pressures or governmental sanctions may be exercised in an attempt to restrain his unbridled impulses, he will have no regard for them whatever, except in the degree of intimidation they may have; but he will have no respect for them. He will proceed to do his own thing without regard either for God, whom he does not believe exists, or for man, who, as equal in every way to himself, he is not inclined to fear. If social scientists want to know what is happening to "the good life" in our times, the trouble lies right here. People no longer believe (at least in a great many cases) in a personal God. The result of this exceedingly important break-down of faith in its most vital aspect will inevitably be the total destruction of any society stupid enough to encourage it. If people will not heed the lessons of Inspiration, at least they should pay some attention to the lessons of history: The natural ethic is too weak to withstand the savagery that lurks under civilization, and emerges in our dreams, crimes, and wars ... There is no significant example in history, before our time, of a society successfully maintaining moral life without the aid of religion.[5]This observation was made by the greatest historian of this century; and while Durant himself professed not to believe in a personal and intelligent supreme Being, the admission cited in the above quotation is without meaning apart from the conception of a personal God. In fact, no real religion is possible without it. And after these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, a voice as of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying, Come up hither, and I will show unto thee things which must come to pass hereafter.After these things ... This means, "after the visions of the preceding chapters." John is not here speaking of "after the fulfillment of previous visions," but of "after his having seen them." The ancient myth of the whole world balanced on Atlas' shoulder is no more preposterous than the proposition that everything in Revelation from this point to the end will not even commence to be fulfilled until after the so-called "rapture" at the coming of Christ - all of which is allegedly derived from this little adverbial phrase! "There is no justification for assigning what follows to a time after this world."[6]I saw, and behold a door opened in heaven ... As Earle stated it, "He saw the door standing open; he did not see it opened."[7] John's use of the same figure for different purposes is apparent in this. The "open door" stands for opportunity, or the sinner's entrance into heaven (Revelation 3:8), the door of the human heart (Revelation 3:20), and the gateway of heaven of itself, here. And the first voice that I heard ... This is usually understood as a reference to the voice of Christ himself (Revelation 1:10 ff). "This does not refer to the first of a successive series, but is a plain reference to the voice of the Lord already heard."[8] There the voice was heard on earth, but here it is heard from heaven. Some of the implications in these remarkable visions are difficult to conceive. For example, "Can Christ be conceived of as inviting the prophet to ascend and see him in heaven? Why not? Revelation will suggest that such questions should not be asked."[9] We have just noted the multiple employment of "open door" as an expression of diverse realities, and there are countless other examples of the same thing throughout. Does the Lamb of God have seven horns (Revelation 5:6)? The great scarlet-colored beast has ten horns (Revelation 17:3)! As Beasley-Murray observed: One who adapts Biblical images as freely as he has in this chapter should not be expected to preserve an undeviating consistency in his pictures. They are for kindling the imagination, not for transference to the drawing board.[10]Consistency has been described as the vice of small minds, and there was certainly nothing small about the mind which lies behind Revelation. One very important key to understanding Revelation is in this. The interpretation of a figure in one passage does not necessarily bind the interpretation in another. "He makes no attempt at sustained metaphor or allegory."[11] Revelation is simply not that kind of book. Scholars have often complained about the grammar of Revelation. For example, "The word for voice in this passage is used first as feminine, and then as masculine."[12] The inspired writer rose above the ordinary rules of grammar, because there was no other way of conveying the exact sense. His proper observance of grammatical rules elsewhere shows clearly that he knew them and understood them, thus his deviation here was meaningful and purposeful. This example is cited here as one of many in the book; and what is said here applies to the others. "The change to the masculine is simply because this befits the Person, one saying. To speak of grammatical irregularity is rather pedantic."[13]The things which must come to pass hereafter ... Among the things to be "shown" in the following chapters are the Second Coming of Christ and the final judgment of the living and the dead. It is a critical mistake, therefore, to understand this prophecy as already having been fulfilled in its entirety. Moreover, there is an overwhelming impression that a certain progression of events in the direction of that final assize, and culminating it, was surely intended to be revealed by the prophet. Thus it is wrong to understand Revelation as merely an abstraction of principles operative in history. "The close connection of the judgments (seals, trumpets, and bowls) with the earth and what goes on in it compels a more concrete explanation of them than an abstract idealism will afford."[14][1] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1077. [2] Wilbur M. Smith, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 1064. [3] Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1961), p. 107. [4] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 181. [5] Will and Ariel Durant, The Lessons of History (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1968), p. 51. [6] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 143. [7] Ralph Earle, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 530. [8] Walter Scott, Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, n.d.), p. 119. [9] G. R. Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation (Greenwood, South Carolina: The Attic Press, 1974), p. 112. [10] Ibid. [11] G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 61. [12] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 143. [13] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 168. [14] Merrill C. Tenney, Interpreting Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1957), p. 72. Revelation 4:2 Straightway I was in the Spirit: and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting upon the throne;Straightway I was in the Spirit ... This seems to be out of place in the eyes of some, since John was already "in the Spirit" when he heard the voice out of heaven; but there were definite reasons for the statement here. The words "come up hither" in Revelation 4:1 have often been interpreted as a reference to "the rapture," in which all of the redeemed of earth (at the time) are caught up to heaven. Addressing himself to this misconception, Nee pointed out that all the theories of the "rapture" posit the resurrection of their bodies: The rapture of the church is a bodily rapture, yet here it is in the Spirit (Revelation 4:2). And thus this verse cannot be interpreted as referring to the rapture of the church.[15]Thus, it is not hard to see why some object to the book as the sacred author composed it. After pointing out that "many commentators place the `rapture' of the church between Revelation 3 and Revelation 4," entailing the inconsistency that John had somehow missed it and had to be called up in Revelation 4:1, Wilbur M. Smith stated that, "Inasmuch as the text itself is silent on such a subject, one questions the wisdom of even discussing it here."[16]And behold, there was a throne set in heaven ... See chapter heading for further discussion of "The Throne of God." From first to last, John's vision is dominated by this symbol of divine sovereignty (the throne)."[17] It stands here at the head of all that John would reveal concerning the future; and, at last, when all is concluded, the throne alone will be all that is standing. Heaven and earth shall have disappeared, but the throne and its holy occupant are eternal. The word "throne" is used ten times in the eleven verses of this chapter, and "over forty times"[18] in Revelation. There was set ... This means, "There was situated in heaven a throne. There is no action of setting up or placing."[19] God's throne must not be understood as some kind of moveable headquarters, now appearing in one place, then in another. "The throne was not there for this vision only; it was set, established as the throne of heaven (Psalms 103:19; Psalms 119:89)."[20] "And one sitting upon the throne ..." Again, reference is made to the discussion at the head of this chapter. The personality of the supreme and universal Authority is gloriously affirmed by this. And this is exceedingly important! Interpretations of details in this chapter can hardly be affirmed with any dogmatic certainty, but the great and overwhelming message of the throne with the Person of God himself upon it is impossible to miss. Being sure of this, one may well afford to hold judgment in abeyance concerning some of the details. As Lenski said: Do not stress our conceptions of space and time in order to draw deductions from them, for they would be picayunely, childishly false ... Symbols can only show the ineffable realities in a degree for beings that are still on earth.[21][15] Watchman Nee, "Come Lord Jesus" (New York: Christian Fellowship Publishers, 1976), p. 53. [16] Wilbur M. Smith, op. cit., p. 1064. [17] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 62. [18] J. W. Roberts, The Revelation of John (Austin, Texas: R. B. Sweet Company, 1974), p. 56. [19] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 144. [20] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., The Book of Revelation (Nashville: Foy E. Wallace, Jr., Publications, 1966), p. 127. [21] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 170. Revelation 4:3and he that sat was to look upon like a jasper stone and a sardius: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon.There is little that can be known positively about these symbols. Note that, "There is here no description of the Divine Being, so as to point out any similitude, shape, or dimensions."[22] If there had been, people would probably have made idols of it and worshipped it. Regarding the stones here mentioned, we do not know exactly what they were, nor their color with any certainty. The whole subject of the relation of precious stones named in the New Testament to those in the Old Testament, to those of classical antiquity, and of modern mineralogy is one of great obscurity.[23]The jasper ... Phillips' New Testament translates this "diamond," and many accept this. The sardius ... The New English Bible (1961) translates this carnelian, which Ladd identified as "a fiery red stone."[24] Some suppose that the rainbow encircled the throne horizontally and that it derived from the prismatic character of the rock crystal (the glassy sea on which the throne reposed)[25] But what kind of rainbow could be described as "like an emerald to look upon"? This teases the imagination beyond reality. At any rate, taking the above as a good guess, we have the diamond, the ruby and the rainbow like an emerald, which three colors are supposed to represent God's purity (the diamond), God's wrath in judgment (the ruby), and God's mercy (the rainbow like an emerald). At best, such interpretations are fanciful and rest upon inadequate foundations. It is true, of course, that the rainbow (Genesis 9:12 ff) is indeed a symbol of God's mercy and of his covenant with Noah that the earth would not again be destroyed by a flood, and that seed time and harvest, day and night, etc., would thenceforth continue as long as the earth stands. The fact of a rainbow encircling the throne of God recalls this, but the description of it injects a new element. Our comment here embraces references to such things because of the usual emphasis given to them in current, and even ancient, writings. While admitting that, "It is doubtful if any symbolical meaning is intended by the choice of these stones,"[26] Ladd went on to point out that they were in different positions on the high priest's breastplate (Exodus 28:17 ff), and that they are numbered among the foundations of the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:19 ff). [22] Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. VI (London: Carlton and Porter, 1829), p. 988. [23] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 497. [24] George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972), p. 72. [25] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 113. [26] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 73. Commentary on Revelation 4:1-3 by Manly LuscombeAs we enter into the description of the vision itself, here is a little outline that might help you. Chapter 4Have faith in the power and dominion of God. Chapter 5Keep your faith in the power and dominion of Jesus Christ. Chapters 6-18Learn the wrath of God upon those who persecute His church. Chapters 19-22See the final and complete victory of God and His church. 1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “ Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” With chapter four begins the vision, the revelation, the moving picture in living color. John sees a door open in heaven - This door was not opening, it was open. The first voice - The first sound in this movie is the voice of God speaking to John. Come up here - Often the vision is brought down to the prophet. Here the prophet is invited up to heaven to see what is about to happen. Must take place - In the mind of God there is no difference in past, present and future. The future can be recorded in the past tense. The future is as certain (must take place) as the past. 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. In the Spirit - John was in a spiritual frame of mind. He was open and ready to see and hear and record what God is willing to show him. See also Revelation 1:10. Throne is set - God is on the throne. He is the all-powerful One. Here we are reminded that God is powerful and has all dominion. God is in control of what happens on earth. Regardless of what happens, good or bad as we view it, God is still on His throne. He is guiding history toward the climax He plans. He is in command. The symbol of a throne occurs more that 40 times in the book of Revelation. 3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Some have tried to figure out what each stone represents. I believe the message here is this - When you are in the presence of God - you are dazzled by the brilliance. Bright colors, precious stones, a rainbow - This is a picture of the impressive and stunning presence of God. Jasper and Sardus - These were stones worn by the High Priest under the Law of Moses. They are also part of the foundation of the New Jerusalem in chapter 20. Rainbow - Since the time of Noah, the rainbow is a covenant sign that God will keep His promises. God is faithful. Revelation 4:4-8 2. THOSE ABOUT THE THRONE Rev_4:4-8 a 4 And round about the throne were four and twenty thrones: and upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, arrayed in white garments; and on their heads crowns of gold.--The visions of this section (chapters 4 and 5) are evidently intended to represent the authority and power of God; his authority to determine the destiny of all classes of beings and his power to execute his decrees. Hence, the general setting is that of a kingdom--the exercise of royal power and its consequential glory and praise. God sitting upon his throne is represented as being surrounded by twenty-four elders sitting upon thrones. These, though inferior to God, are clearly presented as ruling in some secondary sense, for they have crowns of gold on their heads. The essential and most important lesson here, doubtless, is that all intelligent creatures are required to worship and serve Jehovah. Commentators have disagreed much as to why they were called "elders" and why the number twenty-four. It should be remembered that heavenly things can only be described understandingly through something earthly. The term "elders" represents a leading class in both Jewish and Christian systems and, therefore, is an appropriate word to describe those who exercise a secondary rule under God's authority. The number twelve probably indicates completeness, and double that number may be used to emphasize that idea. Some think the number was suggested by the twelve patriarchs of the old covenant and the twelve apostles in the new. If they only describe a class of purely angelic beings, and have no typical significance at all, it shows that all creatures of that class worship God. If all heavenly beings worship God, then all human beings should do so. This sustains the leading purpose of the vision. Clothed in white robes indicates purity and shows their worthiness to sit in positions of secondary authority. 5 And out of the throne proceed lightnings and voices and thunders.--These awe-inspiring sounds which John heard were, doubtless, intended to indicate the majesty and power of God. Proceeding from the throne would show that whatever they represented was to come from God's power. It is almost the same description that Moses gave as literally occurring at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16) when God spake directly to the people, giving commands and prohibitions. This shows God's power to bless or punish according to his promises. As the display of power at Mount Sinai warned the people to hear and give heed to what was to he spoken, so this display of the same powers in the vision warned John, and through him all others, to give heed to the things about to begin to be revealed. It was a divine assurance that the things to be revealed to John would surely come to pass. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;--Seven lamps burning show that the scene was perfectly and continuously illuminated. John himself says that these lamps are "the seven Spiritsof God." This is final as to what they mean in this verse. On the expression "seven Spirits" see notes on 1:4, where it is argued that the Holy Spirit is meant. It indicates that the Holy Spirit would make a complete and accurate revelation to John of all the things to come to pass just as he had made a correct revelation in things contained in other scriptures. 6 and before the throne, as it were a sea of glass like unto crystal; --To John there appeared spreading out before the throne a sea smooth and clear as ice or crystal. It is useless to spend time speculating as to what this sea symbolizes; it might be only a part of the heavenly vision with no special significance. Still it will do no harm to mention two facts, true in themselves, that may be involved in the language (1) The broad expanse may suggest the worldwide extent to which God's rule can go. (2) The calmness and smoothness of a glassy sea may indicate the peace of those who are pure worshipers of God in his kingdom. This would be in contrast with the raging and turbulent sea that symbolizes the upheavals in sinful nations. and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.--Commentators are agreed that the word "beast," found in the King James Version of this verse, is an indefensible translation. It is a different Greek word from that correctly translated "beast" in 13:1, 11. "Living creatures" is broad enough in meaning to include all creatures having life, but here the expression is applied to the four described in the next verse. What these four creatures represent is a question answered in a variety of ways by scholars. The most plausible explanation is based upon information furnished by the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah. In his first chapter Ezekiel describes "visions of God" which he saw by the river Chebar in the land of the Chaldeans. These visions are so similar to what John saw that either may be used in explanation of the other. Ezekiel also saw "four living creatures," but his description of them varies some from that of John. Seeing in the visions some things that did not appear to John does not change the fact that he was viewing God surrounded by heavenly attendants. In his tenth chapter Ezekiel describes another vision and says, "This is the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar." (Verse 15.) Mentioning the faces which he saw he said, "They were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar." (Verse 22.) Referring to the creature again (verse 20) he said, "And I knew that they were cherubim." In Genesis 3:24 we learn that cherubim guarded the approach to the tree of life, and in Exodus 25:18 that two cherubim made of gold were placed upon the mercy seat in the tabernacle. Since those John saw were living creatures, not a gold image, the cherubim must refer to some kind of heavenly beings that continually wait upon and worship God. An understanding of their nature, of course, is impossible. In Isaiah 6:1-4 the prophet gives a similar vision of the "Lord sitting upon a throne" and above him seraphim. This word means "fiery ones," and probably indicates a bright and glorious appearance on those about God's throne. The sum of the matter seems to be that the creatures John saw were heavenly beings who are continually about God's throne. In the midst of the throne and round about the throne is supposed to mean that one stood on each of the four sides of the throne. "Full of eyes before and behind" probably means their ability to see in all directions or comprehend all God's glory and be ready to give proper adoration. 7 And the first creature was like a. lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.--The living creatures that Ezekiel saw (1:6, 10) appeared to have four faces each; those John saw appeared with one face each. But the faces of a lion, ox, man, and eagle are mentioned by both. These faces represent four classes of created life--man, wild animals, tame animals, and birds. This is strictly a vision of what John saw in heaven about God's throne, but doubtless was intended to show that all classes of God's creatures must render proper honor to him as creator. It may also imply that all God's creatures must share properly in whatever punishments that may be inflicted against evil. 8 And the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within:--Full of eyes is repeated here from verse 6. See note there. Wings naturally indicate the swiftness of movement, and probably show the readiness and speed with which they served God.Commentary on Revelation 4:4-8 by Foy E. WallaceThe four and twenty elders—Revelation 4:4-5. 1. “ Four and twenty seats: nd upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting”—Revelation 4:4. The four and twenty signified the patriarchs and apostles- twelve each, twenty-four in number. It was the symbol of the totality of God’ s people in the New Testament church; the whole body of the redeemed. The twelve tribes and the twelve apostles represented the completeness of the church; the Old and the New were combined in the symbol represented in the chiefs: the patriarchs of the Old, and the apostles of the New. 2. “ Lightnings . . . voices . . . thunderings"—Revelation 4:5. These were signs of a procession of terrible and awful events and is an impressive representation of Omnipotence. (Exodus 19:16) It was a symbol of the accompanying divine presence in the “ seven lamps and the seven spirits” before the throne, signifying universal presence, with eyes to search whole world, and to bring all men to judgment. The four living beasts (beings)—Revelation 4:6-11. 1. The sea of glass—Revelation 4:6. This denotes the great broad space. A throne chamber with crystal pavement as a figure of magnitude and grandeur was added to the scene. 2. The beings full of eyes—Revelation 4:6. The eyes were before, behind, and all around, symbolizing superhuman intelligence. It was imagery of the divine providential rule and protection of an all-seeing God. 3. The four beasts—Revelation 4:6-7. “ In the midst of the throne and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.” The meaning of the word beasts here is beings, or creatures resembling the animals. It is necessary to distinguish these “ beasts” or beings from the beasts that symbolized the persecutors. These beings were “ in the midst . . . round about the throne” ; hence, not beasts as in the persecutor symbol. The first beast was like a lion, symbolizing strength; the second beast was like a calf (ox), meaning endurance under yoke; the third beast was the face of a man, signifying intelligence, reason, and wisdom; the fourth beast was like an eagle, representing penetrating vision and swiftness in the execution of judgment. The four beasts (beings) had six wings each (Verse 8), and the wings were full of eyes, indicating the universal survey of an all-seeing Omniscience. And they rest not day and night--praising the One on the throne without surcease. There was no suspension of God’ s providence; no cessation in the honor ascribed; no interruption of the praise; no intermission in the various dispensations and acts of his providence and in the praise, glory, homage derived and received, and in the worship rendered to him who was declared to be eternal. 4. The doxology—Revelation 4:8-11. Compare the seraphim of Isa 6:2; and the angelic guard of attendants, suited to a grand composite scene, it pictured a glorious epiphany. Acting in concert, the creature-- beings--say, “ holy, holy, Lord God Almighty” ; and the elders on the throne-seats fell before Him who sat on the throne and worshiped in unison, without discord; in unity of worship, and in unity of honor to one God; and they cast their crowns before Him as a sign of surrender to God’ s will, for they were as he willed and were created to do his pleasureCommentary on Revelation 4:4-8 by Walter ScottTHE ROYAL OF THE . Revelation 4:4 "And round the throne twenty-four thrones,and on the thrones twenty-four elders sitting, clothed with white garments; and on their heads golden crowns." The thrones and crowns point to a royal company of redeemed and glorified saints in Heaven, clearly not before, but after, the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:23). Spirits sitting, clothed and crowned, is an incongruous thought, and one entirely foreign to Scripture.Grouped round the vast throne in Heaven are twenty-four thrones of which the authority and stability are derived from, and sustained by, the measureless throne of the Eternal. "Seats," as in the Authorised Version, is a feeble and inadequate thought. The word "throne" is connected with a royal personage; "seat" with a private person. These twenty-four elders, or chiefs, represent the general body of the redeemed then in Heaven. They play an important part in the scenes recorded and visions beheld from chapter 4 to chapter 19, where in verse four the last notice of them is recorded. ("Elders" as a term occurs twelve times. The varied actions and services in which they take part show clearly enough that they are the representatives of the redeemed and risen saints. They are enthroned; fall down and worship; one of them comforts the weeping Seer and interprets the mind of Heaven; they have harps and vials of incense; they sing (never said of angels); are the nearest company to the throne and to the Lamb; intelligently explain as to the redeemed on earth; celebrate the millennial and eternal triumph of God; and add their "amen" and "hallelujah" to the judgment of the whore, the corrupter of the earth. The passages where the word is found are as follows: Revelation 4:4; Revelation 4:10; Revelation 5:5-6; Revelation 5:8; Revelation 5:11; Revelation 5:14; Revelation 7:11; Revelation 7:13; Revelation 11:16; Revelation 14:3; Revelation 19:4.) The elders are a distinct company from the beasts or living creatures, and from the angels. In Revelation 5:1-14 the action of the elders, as distinguished from that of angels, makes it impossible to regard them as one and the same; verse 11 distinguishes by title the three companies. The elders sing (v. 9), the angels say (v. 12).The angels are never numbered (Hebrews 12:22), the elders are. Six times the representative number "twenty-four" occurs. Angels are not said to be crowned, the elders are. The choral praise of Heaven, in harp and song, seems the peculiar function of the elders. Heavenly intelligence, especially in themes and subjects connected with redemption, is ascribed to the elders and not to angels. By the elders we understand, therefore, the innumerable company of the redeemed saints, raised and changed, and caught up to meet Christ in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Their crowns and thrones betoken their royal dignity; the harp and song their joy in worship, while their robes and vials point to priestly character and action. But why "twenty-four?" The significance of the numeral must be sought for in the first book of Chronicles 24, 25. David divided the priesthood into twenty-four orders or courses, each course serving in turn (Luke 1:1-80; Luke 5:1-39; Luke 8:1-56; Luke 9:1-62). The respective elders or chiefs of these courses would represent the whole of the Levitical priesthood. There would thus be twenty-four chief priests and one high priest.(*Josephus, the Jewish historian, informs us that his family was "of the first course of the four and twenty," no mean order. Some understand the twenty-four to represent the governmental number "twelve," thus signifying the sum of Old Testament saints as one body, and the sum of New Testament saints as another body of believers, thus the two twelves. We deem it unwarrantable to break up the symbol in this manner. We are satisfied however that the reference in the "twenty-four" is to 1 Chronicles 24:1-31; 1 Chronicles 25:1-31.) Their varied service corresponded to that of the elders in Heaven, for the temple (no less than the tabernacle) in structure,vessels, and services was framed according to things in the heavens. God's people are termed "an holy priesthood" (1 Peter 2:5) and "a royal priesthood" (v. 9), and in both characters they are here seen in action. The white garments indicate the purity and priestly character of the elders. "On their heads golden crowns " bespeak their royal dignity. Every redeemed and risen saint will be crowned; this is in no wise a distinctive crown peculiar to some, but intimates royal dignity and authority common to all the heavenly saints. Revelation 4:5-6THE THRONE THE CENTRE OF ACTION AND . Revelation 4:5-6. "And out of the throne go forth lightnings,and voices, and thunders; and seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which art the seven Spirits of God; and before the throne as a glass sea like crystal. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne four living creatures full of eyes before and behind." Having had the relation of the saints to the throne as surrounding it, and their royal authority derived from and dependent upon it, we have next the action of the throne itself. "Out" of it, not "from" it, issue the precursors of coming judgment, "lightnings, and voices, and thunders." It has been said that "the book hardly ever alludes to anything not Biblical," and we may add that the author of the Apocalypse assumes that the reader is tolerably acquainted with the previous parts of the sacred volume, and, further, that every symbol with which the book abounds may be interpreted and understood from its use in some part or other of the sacred Scriptures. On no account seek the interpretation of any part of the Apocalypse outside the covers of your Bible. The meaning of every symbol must be sought for in the Word itself. The threefold intimation of immediate judgment is eminently fitted to strike terror into the hearts of the guilty on earth. The throne is about to assert itself in power. God is preparing to break out in judgment and deal with the high-handed iniquity in the coming crisis lying between the Translation of the heavenly saints and their subsequent Return from Heaven. These signs of judicial dealing are Jehovah's premonitory intimations of His power in judgment (Psalms 29:3-5). The same signs, with some additions, are mentioned in connection with the promulgation of the law (Exodus 19:1-25). The effect on the people is also stated, "All the people that were in the camp trembled" (v. 16). How much more widespread andalarming will these tokens of wrath be felt in a scene of almost unmixed evil governed by Satan! Revelation 4:5 "Seven lamps of fire burning before the throne" denote the fulness of the Spirit in governmental action. The Spirit here is not viewed as saving men through the preaching of the Gospel, nor in any of His varied services in the Church, but is here witnessed in moral keeping with the throne itself. Everything inconsistent with the absolute purity of the throne must be judged; hence the Spirit is here viewed in connection with the righteous character of the throne. "Those seven (spiritual perfection) lamps of fire will search out and expose all contrary to the holy nature of God" (compare with Revelation 1:4; and Isaiah 11:2). Revelation 4:6. "And before the throne as a glass sea like crystal." The typology of the Old Testament enters largely into the structure of the Apocalypse. Here there seems an evident allusion to the laver in the tabernacle (Exodus 30:18-21), and perhaps more directly to the moltensea in the temple (1 Kings 7:23-37), both for priestlypurification. But the sea of glass points to a fixed state of holiness, of purity inward and outward, while "before the throne" would indicate that the purity is in keeping with the holy character of the throne itself. "Like crystal." ("A sea of glass expressive of smoothness and brightness; and this heavenly sea is of crystal, declaring that the calm of Heaven is not, like earthly seas, ruffled by winds but is crystallised into an eternity of peace." --- Wordsworth.) The clearness and beauty of that scene of holiness spread out before the throne are signified by the crystal. The two symbols, glass and crystal, are nearly allied, but are not quite the same. The former is a manufactured article, the latter is a native production. Thus the "glass" of the sea points to a settled state of purity, while the "crystal" intimates that the state is one according to God in His holy nature. The divine idea is connected with the employment of this latter symbol (Ezekiel 1:22; Revelation 21:11; Revelation 22:1). The sea of glass isagain referred to in Revelation 15:1-8, but "mingled with fire," expressive of the fiery ordeal, out of which the martyrs emerge. They stand on the sea of glass; here it is unoccupied. The Seer next describes another class of beings, beasts rather, living ones, distinct, too, from the elders and angels,and more closely connected with the throne than either. Revelation 4:6 "In the midst of the throne" shows that they are an integral part of it, "and around the throne" that theyare externally connected with it. That is, the living creatures (not beasts) may be viewed either as vitally connected with the judicial authority of God, or as apart from, yet in relation to it. Intuitive intelligence, fulness of spiritual discernment, seems to be the force of the words "full of eyes before and behind."Revelation 4:7-8THE LIVING AND THEIR WORSHIP. Revelation 4:7; Revelation 4:8. "The first living creature like a lion, and the second living creature like a calf, and the third living creature having the face as of a man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having respectively six wings; round and within they are full of eyes; and they cease not, day and night, saying, Holy, holy,holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was, Who is, and Who is to come." Why "four" living ones? Because "four" represents the attributes of God in judicial dealing with man and creation. It is the signature of the world and of the race, and is employed when universality is in question. The representatives, or heads of the animal creation, are named as the lion for majesty, the ox (calf) for patient endurance, the man for intelligence, and the eagle for rapidity of action. Now these symbols express certain features in the exercise of divine government, and are fittingly introduced here in view of the immediate exerciseof these divine attributes. The whole scene under Heaven is to be visited in judgment; hence the employment of the numeral "four." ("The numerals ‘three' and ‘four' significantly express the divine and the human. There are three persons in the Godhead. Three times the seraphim announce the holiness of God, crying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:3). Three times the living creatures say “ Holy'” (Revelation 4:8). Jehovah's relationship to time and eternity is expressed in a three fold way, which was, and is, and is ‘ to come' (v. 8). There are three specified temptations of our Lord (Luke 4:1-44). Three times our Lord on earth was publicly owned by God (Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5 : John 12:28). On the third day the Lord was raised. The darkness which gathered round the cross and over the landlasted three hours.Faith, hope, and love are the three cardinal Christian virtues.Christ announces Himself in three characters, as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The divine blessing is three times expressed (Numbers 6:23-24). ‘ Three' is the signature of God. ‘ Four' is the signature of the world. Four divisions of the race, nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongues' (Revelation 7:9). Four elements. Four winds. Four seasons. Four presentations of Christ in the Gospels. Four living creatures. Four universal empires (Daniel 7:1-28). Four great offerings, as the burnt offering (Leviticus 1:1-17).the meal or flour offering (Leviticus 2:1-16), the peace or communion offering (Leviticus 3:1-17), and the sin offering (Leviticus 4:1-35). God's four sore judgments (Ezekiel 14:21). Four women in the Lord's human genealogy (Matthew 1:1-25). The brazen altar had four sides and four horns. The golden altar had four sides and four horns. “ Four” is the signature of man and generally of the material creation. "The old Rabbinical writers assert that the four standards for the tribes of Israel,round which they were ordered to pitch their tents on each side of the tabernacle, as in Numbers 2:2, were as follows: for the tribe of Judah — a lion; for the tribe of Ephraim, an ox; for the tribe of Reuben, a man; for the tribe of Dan, an eagle." "Notes on the Revelation." by F. Brodie. Hengstenberg quotes an old Jewish saying: "There are four which take the first place in this world: Man among the creatures, the eagle among birds, the ox among cattle, and the lion among wild beasts.") Thus in the four living creatures grouped together we have a complete and perfect view of God's judicial government. The symbols are taken from the most prominent animals, not from those in the sea. The first attribute of God's throne symbolised by a lion is majesty, strength, omnipotence (Genesis 49:9; Daniel 7:4; Amos 3:8). The second symbol is an ox or calf in patientlabour, assiduously working for the good of others (1 Corinthians 9:9-10; Proverbs 14:4). The third creature had the face asof a man, denoting intelligence or reason (Job 9:24;Ezra 9:6). The fourth symbol of a flying eagle intimates keen sight and rapid action (Deuteronomy 28:49; Job 9:26; Habakkuk 1:8; Job 39:27-30). Now these characteristicscombined express the character of God's throne in relation to the earth. They are attributes of a judicial nature exercised through human or angelic instruments according to the sovereign pleasure of God. The living creatures represent the judicial authority of the throne. From the first mentioned of the cherubim (Genesis 3:24) till the last (Hebrews 9:5) the same leading thought characterises all thepassages, namely, the attributes of God's government. (It has been sought to identify the cherubim and the living creatures with the Church, but this far-fetched idea cannot for a moment be entertained, for two reasons: first, the cherubim were fashioned out of the same piece of gold which formed the mercy-seat, the gold signifies Christ as divine, as the wood of the shittah tree sets forth His holy and incorruptible humanity; now we are not, and could not be, united to Him as God. The cherubim were not united to the mercy-seat, although they formed a part of it. Second, the judicial character of the cherubim would forbid the application to the Church, which is here to display the grace of God, not His judicial ways.)The differences between the living creatures of Ezekiel chapter 1, the cherubim in chapters 9 and 10 of the same prophet, and the living creatures of the Apocalypse are numerous and interesting. In the description furnished by the prophet of the captivity each of the four living ones had four faces and four wings (Ezekiel 1:6). The apocalyptic Seer depicts only the third living creature with a man's face, and each of the four with six wings (Revelation 4:7-8).There they had wheels; here they have none. There the throne was above them; here they are in the midst of it and also around it. There they were full of eyes, the "whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes round about" (Ezekiel 10:12); here they are "full of eyes before and behind" and also "within." Many of these differences may be accounted for by the fact that the judgment of Judah and Jerusalem is specially treated of in Ezekiel, and as that judgment was to come from the north (Babylon), the wheels would run on earth as presenting the course of earthly judgment, whereas the living ones here are not yet seen in action; they are the ministers of the throne. In judicial activity they act from Heaven; hence wings and not wheels. Besides, a much more extended sphere of judgment is presented by the Seer than Judah and its guilty capital, Jerusalem, for the whole earth is about to tremble under the action of the throne. The care of the cherubim is for the public, governmental glory of God (Ezekiel 10:1-22). The care of the seraphim is for the holiness of God; these latter are named but once in Scripture (Isaiah 6:1-13). The living creatures of the Apocalypse area combination of both cherubim and seraphim. Each of the four living creatures had "six wings." The seraphim of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:2) had "six wings" each, two to cover face and feet respectively, and two for rapidity of action. The living creatures beheld by the prophet of the captivity had each "four wings" (Ezekiel 1:5-6). Thenumeral "four" is largely employed in that chapter because the earthly government of God is in question. The "six wings" in each of the living creatures in the Apocalypse denote an activity beyond the powers of nature, supernatural activity. Revelation 4:8. "Full of eyes within" signify inward spiritual perception of the governmental purposes and acts of God.In the previous part of the description the eyes are also said to be "before and behind" (v. 6). The future and the past come equally within the range of the perceptive faculties of the living creatures. Having given a description of the living creatures the Seer next describes their worship. In this blessed and happy exercise there is no relaxation: "They cease not day and night." There is no imperfection in their service; neither lassitude nor weakness characterise their worship. Unceasingly they worship, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was, Who is, and Who is to come." We may here remark that in two respects the living creatures resemble the seraphim; in the number of wings and in the threefold ascription of worship (compare with Isaiah 6:1-13). The works of God praise Him, but deeper still His attributes declare His holy, holy, holy nature, i.e., what He is in Himself. The titles of the Deity here grouped and the respective truths connected with each are ceaselessly celebrated. The very powers which execute the righteous behests of the throne (Revelation 6:1-17) here glorify Him in His divine Being. The living creatures symbolically represent the several attributes named, and "give glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him that sits upon the throne." The divine titles are LORD, or Jehovah, the self-existing One; God in relation to creation; the Almighty in grace, power, and in "sustaining resources." In addition to these the divine Being is also celebrated as the God of the ages, Who was, is, and is to come. For this latter, i.e., what God is in His own proper Being and nature, see Revelation 1:4. Here "Who was" precedes the term of independent and eternal existence "Who is," this latter is first stated in the earlier reference. Thus the four living creatures worship God.Commentary on Revelation 4:4-8 by E.M. ZerrRev_4:4. God has had two organic systems of religion in the world, the Mosaic and the Christian. The former was arranged under twelve tribes (with their heads) and the latter is administered under twelve apostles (Matthew 19:28). The four and twenty elders represent the two systems of religion. Clothed in. white raiment signfies a life of righteousness, because all men who live righteously before God, whether they were in the days of the Mosaic system or in those of the Christian, will be Permitted to surround the throne in heaven as victors over the world. These elders are in the vision to represent all the saved under the two systems. Revelation 4:5. Lightnings and thunder-ings and voices symbolize authority issuing from the throne and it is coining from some being whose voice is as penetrating as ligthning and as impressive as a roll of thunder. Seven lamps denote complete illumination and the seven Spirits of God are explained at Revelation 1:4. Revelation 4:6. A sea. is deep and crystal glass is clear and pure, symbolizing the beauty of the scene around the throne. Four beasts is an unfortunate translation, for we always think of a "beast" as an animal of the lower world, and hence not a fitting symbol of something enjoying the dignity of these in this verse; the proper rendering of the original word is, "living creatures." Full of eyes before and behind symbolizes the ability to look in a universal direction. Revelation 4:7. In comparing one living creature with another it is intended only to consider one or two points of similarity, because there might be some characteristics common to all of them. A lion is bold and strong; a calf represents meekness; a man signifies more intelligence than other creatures; an eagle denotes exaltation and fleetness. The identity of these creatures and the reason why there were just four of them will be shown in the next chapter. Revelation 4:8. Had each of them six wings. Had it said that they had four wings even, it would have aroused our inquiry since a flying creature normally uses only two wings. We must conclude, therefore, that these wings were not all for the purpose of flying. A similar figure is given in Isaiah 6:2 where the creatures that stood near the throne had each six wings. We may obtain some suggestions for our verse by reading the use Isaiah said these creatures made of their six wings. Each one used two of his wings to cover his face (indicating humility in the presence of God); with two of them he cover his feet (indicating modesty before the throne); with two he did fly (denoting a readiness to go on any errand desired by the Lord). Full of eyes within denotes that they could make an intelligent application of the things they could see outwardly or around them. Rest not means they did not pause day or night in ascribing praise to the Lord. Was and is and is to come is commented upon at Revelation 1:4. Revelation 4:9. These beasts (living creatures) not only ascribed glory and honor to the Lord, but also gave thanks to Him who sat on the throne continuously. That for which they were thankful will be understood when we study the next chapter. Revelation 4:10. The four and twenty elders are explained at verse 4. Cast their crowns is not a movement as if discarding the crowns for all the circumstances are against anything that unfavorable. It was a gesture of respect, recognizing the Lord as the one to whom they owed all the honor that was being enjoyed in possessing crowns. Revelation 4:11. Thou art worthy is not an overture of flattery, for they immediately give their reasons for the expression of praise, namely, He was the Creator of all things. Commentary on Revelation 4:4-8 by Burton CoffmanRev_4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty thrones: and upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, arrayed in white garments; and on their heads crowns of gold.There are almost as many explanations of this as there are commentators. Who are these elders? They have been variously identified as symbolical of: (1) the "raptured" church which allegedly had already happened;[27] (2) the twenty-four star gods of the Babylonian pantheon;[28] (3) in the Targum the elders are interpreted as leaders of the Jewish people; (4) the twenty-four priestly orders enumerated in 1 Chronicles 24:4 ff;[29] (5) a special order of angels, an interpretation rejected by Lenski on the grounds that angels are nowhere symbolized in Revelation;[30] (6) an order of angel princes called thrones in Colossians 1:16;[31] etc. The interpretation received here is stated thus by Carpenter: They are described as twenty-four in number; they are the twelve tribes of Israel doubled, to signify the union of the Gentile with the Jewish church; they are two sets of twelve, to represent the New Testament and Old Testament; they are the twelve patriarchs conjoined with the twelve apostles - These interpretations (alleged by many) are all different forms of the same thought, that the twenty- four elders represent the complete church of God in the past and in the future, in the Jewish and Gentile worlds; and, as such, the true spiritual successors, as priests to God, of those twenty-four courses (1 Chronicles 26:1 ff).[32]The great majority of the commentators we have consulted on this question, including Barnes, Earle, Hinds, Scott, and Wallace, accept the view advanced in the quotation above. Some have objected to it on the grounds of what they call "difficulties" in such an interpretation; and others merely avoid trying to answer the question: "One really needs no theory of their presence. They are heavenly creatures and are part of the heavenly scene."[33] The views of Lenski are of particular interest. He objected to our interpretation on the grounds that "elders are not representative of the church."[34] He referred them to "the ministry of the Word," which he believed to be the reality symbolized by the twenty-four elders. It appears to us, however, that this is a distinction without a difference. Since the church is entrusted with the ministry of the word of God in this entire dispensation, his interpretation still refers it to the church. There are, however, more considerable objections to this interpretation which have given some scholars hesitancy in accepting it. Some of these are: (1) one of the elders performs an angelic function in Revelation 7:13-14, and is addressed by John as "Sir." If the twelve apostles were typified, John himself must have been included; (2) they seem to be grouped apart from the redeemed in Revelation 19:4; (3) these elders appear to be participating in the executive function of the throne of God itself; etc. It must be admitted that such things reflect against the interpretation we have chosen; but we simply set aside such alleged "inconsistencies" on the grounds that similar "inconsistencies" may be leveled against any interpretation. For example, how could human figures represent supernatural beings? There are compelling reasons that underlie the fact of the majority of scholars, especially the older ones, adopting the view presented here. They are: (1) The number twenty-four cannot be interpreted at all, apart from the view here. (2) The very word "presbyters" connects with nothing else in heaven or on earth except the Jewish and Christian dispensations. (3) The elders' having crowns suggests Matthew 19:28. (4) They say that they reign on the earth (Revelation 5:10). (5) The KJV in Revelation 5:9 identifies them with the redeemed of earth; and despite this verse's having been changed in subsequent versions, Seiss emphatically insists that the KJV is correct, since "the Sinaiticus manuscript contains it."[35][27] Ibid. [28] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 63. [29] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 114. [30] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 181. [31] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 642. [32] W. Boyd Carpenter, Ellicott's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 552. [33] J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 54. [34] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 178. [35] J. A. Seiss, The Apocalypse Lectures on the Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1900), p. 104. Revelation 4:5 And out of the throne proceed lightnings and voices and thunders. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;Thunder and lightning, etc. ... "These announce the presence of God, as at Sinai (Exodus 19:16), and the seven burning lamps refer to the Holy Spirit."[36] The combined symbols of this verse convey no meaning except that of "God's omnipotent power."[37] Subsequent versions use "torches" here instead of lamps, and perhaps that is better. Carpenter found a suggestion in this of the "torch" that moved between the parted sacrifice in the account of the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 15:17), indicating that both of God's covenants with Noah and with Abraham were symbolized in this chapter. [36] Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 107. [37] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 176. Revelation 4:6and before the throne as it were a sea of glass like unto crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.A sea of glass ... If the sea represents populations of the earth, as in late chapters, the calmness of it here would indicate the tranquillity and peacefulness of souls in the service of God, and how his eyes can penetrate to the very bottom. The purpose of the crystal sea might have been simply the creation of an emphatic distance between the beholder and the throne itself. There is also the possibility that it is an inert factor in the vision, as are certain ingredients in the parables of the Master. The four living creatures ... The many eyes "before and behind" in these creatures have a suggestion of something approaching omniscience, yet their being "creatures" limits this. The visions in Ezekiel 1 and Isaiah 6 are so similar to this that we feel justified in accepting what is revealed there as having the same application here. For some time, it appears, Ezekiel wondered what the living creatures were; but a later vision (Ezekiel 10) gave him the clue to the mystery. Then he said: This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew they were cherubim (Ezekiel 10:20). We may safely set aside, therefore, the ancient interpretations that interpret these as the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, or the symbols of the four divisions of Israel's marching formation in the wilderness,[38] "the countless living earthly agencies of God's providence,"[39] "the entire animate creation,"[40] or "the four chief signs of the Zodiac,"[41] etc. There is practically nothing that can be fully known about these living beings in God's presence. John's description of what he saw in this vision of God's throne is not a photographic depiction, but an impressionistic view. [38] Adam Clarke, op. cit., p. 989. [39] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 181. [40] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 117. [41] Ibid. Revelation 4:7 And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.Of course, everyone is familiar with the adoption of these figures in church architecture to stand for the Four Gospels, but this has no foundation in the Bible. Roberts did not hesitate to identify these with the "seraphim" in Isaiah 6:2, and the "cherubim" of Ezekiel 10:20.[42]ENDNOTE: [42] J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 56. Revelation 4:8 And the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.Six wings ... The use of these, as indicated in Isaiah 6, was: two covered the face (reverence), two covered the feet (humility), and "with twain did he fly." No such employment of the wings is mentioned here. It would appear that the big point of this was properly ascertained by Barnes: All these creatures pay ceaseless homage to God, whose throne they are represented as supporting; emblematic of the fact that all the operations of the divine government do, in fact, promote his glory, and, as it were, render him praise.[43]Holy, holy, holy ... In commentaries, now and then, one finds this referred to as the Trisagion; but the designation is not accurate. The Trysagion is the hymn which is sung, according to the rite of Constantinople, in connection with the Little Entrance .... In the Roman liturgy, it is sung on only one day of the year, Good Friday, in the special office called the Reproaches.[44]Who was and who is and who is to come ... On this reference to Exodus 3:14, see comment on similar words in Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:8. [43] Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 107. [44] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 147.Commentary on Revelation 4:4-8 by Manly Luscombe4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 24 elders - Most commentaries teach that this number represents the 12 tribes of Israel (Jewish Age) and the 12 apostles (Church Age). Thus, they represent God’ s dealing with man in all periods of history. NOTE: The names of the 12 tribes are inscribed on the 12 gates of heaven. The 12 apostles are on the 12 foundations. 24 thrones - Some believe this represents the heavenly court (similar to our President meeting with his Cabinet). White robes and gold crowns - White robes are used in Revelation to signify purity and salvation. The gold crowns show us that they are reigning with God. Of course, they are not over God. They are reigning with Him. NOTE: This is an important point to remember when you get to chapter 20. 5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Thunder and lightning - John returns to focus on God, His power and might. Seven Spirits of God - Are connected to the seven lamps. This may refer to the seven churches and their messengers. (See Revelation 1:20) Burning before the throne - God is aware of each church. He knows of our faith, works, teaching, and steadfastness. He is aware of our sins, weakness, and downfalls. 6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. Sea of glass - Have you been near a lake at sunset. All is very calm. The water is smooth, like glass. The picture here is one of calmness and tranquility in heaven. This stands as a sharp contrast to the hardship, persecution and exile John was enduring on earth. Four living creatures - There are three possible explanations here - a) Since the number four represents the earth, these creatures may represent the entire population of earth. b) These four creatures may be the archangels. We know of Michael and Gabriel by name. Some have thought there are four of them. They would be close to God because they are over all the heavenly host of angels. c) The four creatures represent all living things. (See the comments on the next verse.) 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four creatures are described - The first like a lion (wild animal); the second like a calf (tame animal); the third like a man (humans); the forth like an eagle (birds). Here you have represented four major categories of living things. God is creator of all life. He created man, but He also created wild animals, which can cause us great harm and even death. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “ Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” Six wings - The graphic picture here may show us the speed and swiftness of their ability to deal with our needs. Eyes around - They have the ability to see in all directions and know what is happening everywhere. Nothing goes on that escapes their sight. They worship God - While they might have some amazing abilities as we humans see them, they are subject to the “ Lord God Almighty.” Was, is and is to come - God is present tense. What God was in the past, He is today, and will be the same tomorrow. With God all things are present tense. God is the great I AM.Sermon on Revelation 4:1-8A View of HeavenBrent Kercheville Do you wonder what heaven looks like? Wouldn’ t it be great to have the opportunity to peer into the throne room of God and see what is going on in heaven? John gets the opportunity and he tells us what he saw. There are three key texts that give us a picture of heaven. Two of those texts are in the Old Testament. The third text is found here in Revelation 4. What do you suppose we will see? The typical picture of heaven today is people laying on clouds, wearing wings, and playing harps. We won’ t read anything like that in the scriptures. So erase your mind of what you think heaven is like and open your mind to receive the view of heaven that John sees. After speaking to the seven churches that are in the Roman province of Asia, the book of Revelation moves forward in the prophecy. There are two phrases in Revelation 4:1 to tell us that we moving forward: “ After this” and “ what must take place after this.” The point is to show us that the information concerning the seven churches has stopped. A new series of images is beginning. John sees a door standing open in heaven. The voice that spoke to John at the beginning that sounded like a trumpet tells John to come up. Christ is speaking to John and calling him into heaven. John does not actually go into heaven, as we see in verse 2. John is having a new vision and John is going to see into the throne room of heaven. As we are taken into this vision, we must visualize the picture before us. Paint the image in your mind and see what is going on in heaven. The Throne RoomOne picture that is repeated throughout this chapter is the throne of God. Twelve times we are told about the throne, and this does not count the 24 thrones which are also mentioned. Twelve times we read about the throne and one sitting on that throne. The throne of God is the focus. In Revelation 4:2 we see that the throne is established in the idst of heaven and one is seated on the throne. This is a statement of respect, not naming who is on the throne, because it is the Almighty God who sits on the throne. Vivid colors are used to describe the throne room and the one who sits on the throne. God is pictured having the appearance of jasper and carnelian. At that time jasper had characteristics and color similar to a diamond or crystal. In Revelation 21:11 the jasper stone is described as being clear as crystal. So we should visualize something like the gleam of a diamond. Further, carnelian was a fiery red stone. Around the throne is a rainbow that has the shine or glimmer of deep green, that like an emerald. The rainbow image will be seen again in chapter 10. It seems that the rainbow is a reminder of God’ s faithfulness to his covenant, just as it meant to Noah after the flood. Not only is the rainbow around the throne, but there are 24 thrones around the throne. Seated on those 24 thrones are 24 elders who are clothed in white garments and have gold crowns on their heads. We are left to wonder who the 24 elders are and what they represent. Are the 24 elders simply another group of spiritual beings, like angels, or are they the saved people of God? Many see the 24 elders representing the saved people of God of the Old and New Testaments. They say that the 24 consist of the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles, which represent all the saved under both covenants. However, there are some problems with this interpretation. First, we are not told to separate the number 24 into two groups of 12. God could tell us that this was two groups of twelve if he wanted. Second, it is apparent in the book of Revelation that the 24 elders are repeatedly distinguished from the saints. We can see this distinguishing in Revelation 7:13-17 where one of the elders tells John that the great multitude represent those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. One of the elders is telling John that this other group represents the saved. Third, we will read about the 24 elders holding the prayers of the saints in Revelation 5:8. This also shows that the 24 elders are not the same group as the saints of God. Fourth, we will read about the 24 elders acting as intermediaries and interpreters (Revelation 5:5; Revelation 7:13-17). These functions are things that we read about angels doing in the scriptures also. There is no reason to not understand these 24 elders as another group of spiritual beings. They seem to form part of the heavenly council as they are before God’ s throne and there is nothing in the scriptures to tell us that these 24 elders represent something else. I will conclude the discussion of the 24 elders by asking us to consider that the people of God are not in view at this point in Revelation. The point is not about the saved people of God and what they are doing. The point is what is God doing. The point is to look around the throne room of God and be in awe of the activity and splendor. From the throne comes flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. The throne and the one who sits on the throne is pictured as being very active. The Lord is not asleep on the throne. There is action. The reader is being prepared for the outpouring of God’ s wrath. In Revelation 8:5 we will see the lightnings, rumblings, and peals of thunder representing judgment as God sends forth his judgments from his throne. This language also reminds us of the thunder and lightning when God came to Mount Sinai. This thought matches what we see in the rest of verse 5. We see the seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God. In Revelation 1 we noted that the seven spirits of God are a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In particular, the image reveals that it is God who is at work. We will save our study of the seven spirits of God until Revelation 5:6. But it is enough to see that the throne room pictures the Spirit of God at work. Before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. Again, the splendor, beauty, and majesty of the throne room of God is emphasized. Not only are the 24 elders around the throne, but the four living creatures are around the throne as well. The description of the four living creatures is amazing with a face of a lion, ox, human, and eagle. Further, the four living creatures have six wings and are full of eyes all around and within. These are amazing spiritual beings that are difficult to visualize and grasp. Before we can move forward in the description of this throne scene, we need to see that this is not the first time these images have been recorded for us. The Throne Room in the Old Testament Ezekiel 1 also records a similar throne scene. As we read through Ezekiel 1, notice the similarities to what John saw. The first thing we can see in our comparison is that Ezekiel gives a much more lengthy description of the four living creatures. We see a similar sea of glass like crystal in Ezekiel 1:22. Ezekiel also records a colorful throne room in verse 26 and the rainbow in verse 28. Fire is all around, similar to the picture of the lightnings coming from the throne in John’ s vision (Ezekiel 1:27). Daniel 7 also mirrors the imagery found in Revelation 4. Here are some of the parallels (NIGTC, 314). · A throne set in heaven (Daniel 7:9; Revelation 4:2) · God is seated on the throne (Daniel 7:9; Revelation 4:2) · Fire before the throne (Daniel 7:9-10; Revelation 4:5) · Heavenly servants before the throne (Daniel 7:10; Revelation 4:4; Revelation 4:6) · Book/scroll before the throne (Daniel 7:10; Revelation 5:1-5) · The book/scroll is opened (Daniel 7:10; Revelation 5:2-5; Revelation 5:9) · The divine messianic figure approaches the throne to receive authority (Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 5:5-7; Revelation 5:12-13) · Authority over every tribe, language, and people (Daniel 7:14; Revelation 5:9) · Emotional distress at seeing the vision (Daniel 7:15; Revelation 5:4) · An explanation from the heavenly council (Daniel 7:16; Revelation 5:5) · Concludes with the mention of God’ s eternal reign (Daniel 7:27; Revelation 5:13-14) Revelation is in contact with the prophecy of Daniel. Even the order of events seem match in Daniel and Revelation. Revelation is showing us that we need to keep Daniel’ s prophecy in mind as we read. Conclusion So what are we to take away for ourselves today in reading these vivid images of the throne room of God? 1. God remains active. Too often God is depicted as a God who created the world and then operates with a “ hands off” approach. God is on the throne and he is not asleep on the throne. God has not taken a vacation. God is aware of what is going on and he is active. The thunder and lightning coming from his throne depicts God in action, issuing judgments throughout the earth. 2. See the Lord in his splendor. This is what the LORD says: “ Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a resting place? My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the LORD, have spoken! “ I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word. (Isaiah 66:1-2 NLT) Be struck by the glory of the Lord. Understand what he asks of his people since he is the Almighty God. He demands submissiveness from us, a yielding heart that trembles at the very words of God and desires to obey. Sermon on Revelation 4:8-11 Holy, Holy, Holy Brent Kercheville Revelation 4 has drawn our attention to the throne of God as we look into heaven. God is seated on the throne and he is active. From the throne come flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. These images symbolize God’ s action, in particular his judgments, against the earth. The brilliance of the throne room is overwhelming. We have seen the glimmer of crystals and fiery red colors on the throne. John sees a rainbow around the throne that shines like an emerald. There is a sea of glass like crystal before the throne and there are 24 elders seated on 24 thrones that are around the throne. Also around the throne are four living creatures. They have the faces of a lion, an ox, and human, and an eagle in flight. This brings us to Revelation 4:8-11 for the rest of our study. The Lord Is Holy (Revelation 4:8) As John looks he sees the four living creatures around the throne. Each of them have six wings and are full of eyes all around and within. But turn your attention away from what they look like and listen to what they say. “ Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” How often do these four living creatures say these words? John tells us that these creatures say these words day and night. They never stop saying these words. Can you visualize the scene? Can you hear the repetition? A double repetition signifies an emphasis on the word. A triple repetition designates a superlative and calls to our attention the infinite holiness of God. It must not be lost upon us this is the only characteristic of God that is repeated three times. We never read, “ Love, love, love, is the Lord God Almighty.” We never read, “ Anger, anger, anger, is the Lord God Almighty.” We never read, “ Mercy, mercy, mercy, is the Lord God Almighty.” Consider how many characteristics of the Lord that could have been used to describe him. The quality that the four living creatures ascribe to the Lord is his holiness. We must not pass this thought by too quickly. Three times the holiness of God is repeated. This is not an isolated incident. In Isaiah 6 these four living creatures are called seraphim. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “ Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:2-3 ESV) We learn that when we think about the Lord, we must have his holiness firmly placed in our minds. The attribute of his holiness that is emphasized is not his sinlessness. Rather, the emphasis is on his authority and power. Notice that when his holiness is described, God’ s power and authority is described with it. InRev_4:8 we read, “ Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty.” The one with all power, all authority, and all might is holy. In Isaiah 6 notice the same refrain, “ Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts” or “ Lord of armies.” Psalms 99 ties these two concepts of holiness and power together also. The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! 4 The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the LORD, and he answered them. 7 In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them. 8 O LORD our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy! (Psalms 99:1-9 ESV) Notice that the Lord reigns, is enthroned, and is exalted over all the people. Holy is he. The Lord establishes equity and executes justice. Exalt him and worship him for holy is he! The Lord gives laws, is forgiving, but avenges wrongdoing. Holy is he! Power and holiness are tied together. Because God is all powerful and has all authority, he is holy because he is separate from all other rulers. Therefore the world must worship him. This is what we see in Revelation 4. The four living creatures are worshiping the Lord as they exclaim the infinite holiness of God. In Revelation 4:9 we are told that this is exactly what the living creatures are doing. They are giving glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne. We glorify God by appreciating and exclaiming the infinite holiness of God. We honor him when we keep in the forefront of our minds that God is infinitely holy. He is not like us. He does not think like us. His ways are not our ways. His power is not our power. His authority is not our authority. He is the infinitely holy God. The Lord Is Worthy (Revelation 4:10-11) The second attribute we learn about God is that he is worthy. The Lord our God is worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. When the living creatures cry out, “ Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,” the 24 elders fall down before the one seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. Further, they cast their crowns before the throne. We see in this symbolism the infinite authority of God. These 24 elders are pictured as having authority. They are wearing crowns and they are sitting on thrones. But when the four living creatures cry out the infinite holiness of God, the 24 elders get off of their thrones, fall down before the Lord who is on his throne, and cast their crowns before the throne. The Lord has all authority and rule. “ In the secular realm it was common for petitioners to prostrate themselves before the king and kiss the garment. Lesser kings would lay their crowns before the emperor to show their submission to him” (Osborne, 239). How often does this happen? These acts are happening constantly. The four living creatures never cease to declare the infinite holiness of God. The 24 elders fall down and cast their crowns before the throne whenever the four living creatures declare the infinite holiness of God. Therefore, the 24 elders never stop falling down before God and casting their crowns before him. God alone is truly worthy of worship. The Lord is superior to all other rulers. He is superior to any Caesar. He is greater than anyone who thinks he has might and authority. The Romans would describe the emperors after their death as a god. Then the emperors took that title to themselves while they were alive. But none of them are worthy of any such title or description. Friends, do not worship other gods. They are not worthy of worship. Our gods are not worthy of our attention. We must not yield to other things in this world. We must not give priority to anything that is not the true and living God and his will for us. God alone is worthy of our attention, worthy of our affection, worthy of our priority, and worthy of our submission. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 4:8-113. THE WORSHIP Rev_4:8-118b and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.--Already these creatures have been described as being "full ofeyes"; here they are said to be sleepless, having no rest day or night. Their praise and worship of God goes on unceasingly. The thrice used word holy in their song of praise indicates perfect sacredness of God as a supreme and faultless Being to be worshiped by all intelligent creatures. The fact that these creatures spake their praise of God shows they were intelligent beings, not animals, though three of them appeared to have faces of animals. Compare the note on verse 7. Being called the "Almighty" shows that God has abundant power to bring to pass all the future events that were to be revealed to John. On the expression who was, is, and is to come, see the note on 1:4. Past, present, and future indicate the everlasting or unending existence of God. This shows that, however long he might be in bringing to pass the things to be revealed to John, his words would be verified, for neither his existence nor power could cease. 9 And when the living creatures shall give glory and honor and thanks to him that sitteth on the throne, to him that liveth for ever and ever,--Since verse 8 shows that the living creatures give glory to God continually, the expression "when" they shall give glory must mean they repeated their praises again and again. God is so perfect in being and acts that the heavenly intelligences were continually repeating their thanksgiving because of his glory--ascribing to him all honor. "Liveth for ever and ever" is an explanation of what is meant by "who was and who is and who is to come." 10 the four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that sitteth on the throne, and shall worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne,--Whatever caused the living creatures to give glory and honor to God also caused the twenty-four elders to fall before him and do the same. The elders wearing crowns show that in some sense they were rulers. Casting their crowns before God evidently indicates that they recognized that all their success came from God, and that their garlands of victory were as nothing in comparison with worshiping God. Jhn's seeing them cast their crowns down most impressively shows that fact. saying, 11 Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power: for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were created.--This song of praise is practically the same as that of the living creatures, adding the word "power" and declaring God to be the Creator of all things. The power indicates that he has strength to do all he has promised, and being Creator he has the right to do as his infinite wisdom and justice may direct. Even if the living creatures and elders do not represent anything on earth, two important facts are apparent: (1) The vision shows that all heavenly intelligences render strict obedience to God. This implies that all responsible human beings on earth should obey him. (2) The display in the vision of God's power, majesty, and eternal existence proves that he will bring to pass the things which he revealed to John in the following visions. These are the essential lessons in the visions of this section.Commentary on Revelation 4:8-11 by Foy E. Wallace4. The doxology—Revelation 4:8-11. Compare the seraphim of Isa 6:2; and the angelic guard of attendants, suited to a grand composite scene, it pictured a glorious epiphany. Acting in concert, the creature-- beings--say, “ holy, holy, Lord God Almighty” ; and the elders on the throne-seats fell before Him who sat on the throne and worshiped in unison, without discord; in unity of worship, and in unity of honor to one God; and they cast their crowns before Him as a sign of surrender to God’ s will, for they were as he willed and were created to do his pleasure. Commentary on Revelation 4:8-11 by Walter ScottRev_4:8. "Full of eyes within" signify inward spiritual perception of the governmental purposes and acts of God.In the previous part of the description the eyes are also said to be "before and behind" (Revelation 4:6). The future and the past come equally within the range of the perceptive faculties of the living creatures. Having given a description of the living creatures the Seer next describes their worship. In this blessed and happy exercise there is no relaxation: "They cease not day and night." There is no imperfection in their service; neither lassitude nor weakness characterise their worship. Unceasingly they worship, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was, Who is, and Who is to come." We may here remark that in two respects the living creatures resemble the seraphim; in the number of wings and in the threefold ascription of worship (compare with Isaiah 6:1-13). The works of God praise Him, but deeper still His attributes declare His holy, holy, holy nature, i.e., what He is in Himself. The titles of the Deity here grouped and the respective truths connected with each are ceaselessly celebrated. The very powers which execute the righteous behests of the throne (Revelation 6:1-17) here glorify Him in His divine Being. The living creatures symbolically represent the several attributes named, and "give glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him that sits upon the throne." The divine titles are LORD, or Jehovah, the self-existing One; God in relation to creation; the Almighty in grace, power, and in "sustaining resources." In addition to these the divine Being is also celebrated as the God of the ages, Who was, is, and is to come. For this latter, i.e., what God is in His own proper Being and nature, see Revelation 1:4. Here "Who was" precedes the term of independent and eternal existence "Who is," this latter is first stated in the earlier reference. Thus the four living creatures worship God. THE WORSHIP OF THE LIVING , AND THE FULLER WORSHIP OF THE ELDERS. Revelation 4:9-11. "And when the living creatures shall give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sits upon the throne, Who lives to the ages of ages, the twenty-four elders shall fall before Him that sits upon the throne, and shall worship Him that lives to the ages of ages; and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O our Lord and (our) God, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy will they were, and they have been created." Each of the living creatures is a characteristic symbol in itself of one or more of the divine attributes, and now the four unite, before they are witnessed in governmental action, in yielding to Him the glory, honour, and thanks due to His Name.They have announced, as we have seen, His essential purity in the threefold repetition of the word "Holy," now their doxology (Revelation 4:9), as that of the elders (Revelation 4:11), is threefold. Another feature as distinguishing the more profound worship of the elders from that of the living creatures is that the former directly address God in the second person; whereas the living creatures speak of God in the third person. It is important to observe that whoever may be the instruments, angels or men, in exercising the judicial authority of the throne, of which the living creatures are here the symbolical representatives, all must turn to Him in increased power and fulness. The doxology of the living creatures furnishes proof of this. The worship of the elders is of a different character to that of the living ones. Theirs is the worship of redeemed persons,who, as having the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16),enter intelligently into the thoughts of God, and who know Him personally in His holiness and love. It is the worship of persons whose hearts have been won by His exceeding great love, and whose consciences have been cleansed by faith in the divine testimony to the precious blood of Christ. "The saints here fall down before the throne, bow themselves before His place in glory, and worship Him in His endless being, and lay down their given glory before His supreme and proper glory, ascribing all glory to Him as alone worthy of it; but here, according to the nature of the celebration of it, the Creator for Whom all things are. In all changes these remain true. It will be remarked here that the living creatures only celebrate and declare; the elders worship with understanding. All through the Revelation the elders give their reason for worshipping. There is spiritual intelligence in them."("Synopsis of the Books of the Bible," vol. 5, p. 595, Morrish ed.)It will be observed that in the declaration of the living creatures we have glory, honour, and thanks; in that of the elders it is glory, honour, and power. Further, the elders fall down before HIM Whom they love and reverence, and cast their crowns before the THRONE in the recognition of that from which their royal dignity is derived and sustained. ("The impressive nature of the scene presented in Revelation 4:1-11 cannot but strike the mind of every intelligent reader. The holy Seer was duly prepared by such an august vision for the disclosures which follow; and the mind of the reader can hardly fail to be prepared also to look for them with deep interest. It cannot escape even the most unobserving how greatly this whole scene resembles the inaugural theophanies in Isaiah 6:1-13 and Ezekiel 1:1-28."-- "A Commentary on the Apocalypse," by Moses Stewart, p. 514.)The creatorial glory of God is here the ground of worship by the elders. "For Thy will they were," that is, all things exist according to His will or sovereign pleasure, "and they have been created." He caused them to exist, He is the origin and source of all creation. The worship here is grounded on the knowledge of God, what He is in His own Being and as Creator and Sustainer of the universe. The first and fundamental claim of God on His creatures is this necessary recognition of His power and glory, creating and upholding all, men and angels, things animate and inanimate, of all in the celestial and terrestrial realms.The first subject revealed in the Scriptures is that of creation, and the first, moreover, in which faith is demanded (Hebrews 11:3). The worship in the next chapter is founded on redemption by blood, and hence the Lamb necessarily becomes the central figure. The throne itself is the prominent subject in our chapter; the Lamb in connection with the throne that of Rev 5:1-14. The chapter we have been considering is one replete with interest. The main subject presented in vision being the throne of the Eternal, the guarantee that He governs the universe according to the truth of His nature. The throne, too, "set" or established in "the Heaven" on the fixed basis of eternal righteousness is the pledge of permanence and security. While "upon the throne ONE sitting," only one, intimates that there shall be no change of kings, no transference of the sovereign power, no succession; "sitting," not "sat," no vacation and no interregnum. There is no song in the chapter, no vision of a slain Lamb, and no mention of the blood of sacrifice; these are characteristic features of the next chapter, and hence, because of their absence here, the chapter is not so frequently read as chapter 5. But the throne, with its symbolic glories, its accessories and surroundings, invests this chapter with profound interest, which deepens the more carefully it isread and studied. Commentary on Revelation 4:8-11 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 4:8. Had each of them six wings. Had it said that they had four wings even, it would have aroused our inquiry since a flying creature normally uses only two wings. We must conclude, therefore, that these wings were not all for the purpose of flying. A similar figure is given in Isaiah 6:2 where the creatures that stood near the throne had each six wings. We may obtain some suggestions for our verse by reading the use Isaiah said these creatures made of their six wings. Each one used two of his wings to cover his face (indicating humility in the presence of God); with two of them he cover his feet (indicating modesty before the throne); with two he did fly (denoting a readiness to go on any errand desired by the Lord). Full of eyes within denotes that they could make an intelligent application of the things they could see outwardly or around them. Rest not means they did not pause day or night in ascribing praise to the Lord. Was and is and is to come is commented upon at Revelation 1:4. Revelation 4:9. These beasts (living creatures) not only ascribed glory and honor to the Lord, but also gave thanks to Him who sat on the throne continuously. That for which they were thankful will be understood when we study the next chapter. Revelation 4:10. The four and twenty elders are explained at verse 4. Cast their crowns is not a movement as if discarding the crowns for all the circumstances are against anything that unfavorable. It was a gesture of respect, recognizing the Lord as the one to whom they owed all the honor that was being enjoyed in possessing crowns. Revelation 4:11. Thou art worthy is not an overture of flattery, for theyimmediately give their reasons for the expression of praise, namely, He was the Creator of all things.Commentary on Revelation 4:8-11 by Burton CoffmanRev_4:8 And the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.Six wings ... The use of these, as indicated in Isaiah 6, was: two covered the face (reverence), two covered the feet (humility), and "with twain did he fly." No such employment of the wings is mentioned here. It would appear that the big point of this was properly ascertained by Barnes: All these creatures pay ceaseless homage to God, whose throne they are represented as supporting; emblematic of the fact that all the operations of the divine government do, in fact, promote his glory, and, as it were, render him praise.[43]Holy, holy, holy ... In commentaries, now and then, one finds this referred to as the Trisagion; but the designation is not accurate. The Trysagion is the hymn which is sung, according to the rite of Constantinople, in connection with the Little Entrance .... In the Roman liturgy, it is sung on only one day of the year, Good Friday, in the special office called the Reproaches.[44]Who was and who is and who is to come ... On this reference to Exodus 3:14, see comment on similar words in Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:8. [43] Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 107. [44] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 147. Revelation 4:9 And when the living creatures shall give glory and honor and thanks to him that sitteth on the throne, to him that liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that sitteth on the throne, and shall worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying,Now the big thing in view here would seem to be the counterpart of that cited by Barnes above on Revelation 4:8. Seeing that celestial and supernatural beings spend their time in the worship and adoration of God, there could not possibly be any better activity for mortals. This could well be the significance of the "when" standing at the head of these two verses, also translated "whenever." It is only a quibble to inquire, "If these spontaneous outbursts of praise contradict the continuous worship of Rev 4:8"![45] Such an attitude reminds this writer of the occasion when a concert artist gave a harp solo at a meeting of the Rotary Club. It took four men to bring in the harp; and Willie Weinberger, owner of a local ladies' store, said, "If we're all going to have to carry around harps in heaven, I don't want to go!" What one gets out of Revelation depends to a great deal upon the attitude which he brings into the study of it. Cast their crowns before the throne ... The twenty-four elders enjoy kingly authority, but it is due entirely to their relation to God, all of their authority being derived from him. This is beautifully symbolized by the action here. ENDNOTE: [45] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), p. 139. Revelation 4:11 Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power: for thyself didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were created.Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God ... "These are the words that greeted the emperor in triumphal procession; and `our Lord and our God' was introduced into the cult of emperor worship by Domitian,"[46] the exact words of this passage being used. With characteristic `wisdom' the scholars immediately proclaim that John borrowed this expression from Domitian! Indeed, indeed! Our book says that John heard the heavenly chorus "saying" this; are we to suppose that they copied it from Domitian? It is evident that Domitian borrowed this from the Christians,' not the other way around. Thyself didst create all things ... Repeatedly, the broadest and most fundamental doctrines of Christianity are given dramatic and powerful emphasis in this prophecy. This chapter is full of this. Note the description of God in Revelation 4:3, where the likeness of God is mentioned. "In the author's refusal to describe God in anthropomorphic terms, he declares that "God is Spirit,'"[47] exactly as the author does in John 4:24. The Christian doctrine of Creation is explicit here. Because of thy will, they were, and were created ... God only is exalted upon the throne. The universe and everything in it came into being because of his will. "This is a conception basic to Jewish-Christian monotheism."[48] Since the world, with all of its marvelous complexity, was made by God, and made according to his will, it follows that much must be right with it. As Caird expressed it: We shall be misled by the cumulative visions of destruction that follow unless we do full justice to this opening affirmation that the world is God's world and fundamentally good.[49]Of course, there are also terrible things wrong with it; but God has addressed himself to that problem also. The great redemptive plan of the Father for the salvation of his human creatures appears in the person of the Lamb in the very next chapter; and it is most appropriate that, in view of the epic destructions about to take place, that this initial emphasis upon the merciful God and his plan of human forgiveness should be made. Great and wonderful and terrible as the throne of God appears in this chapter, the really good news is in Revelation 5. Without the vision of what is revealed there, despair would wipe out every human hope. [46] Ibid., p. 140. [47] Edward A. McDowell, The Meaning and Message of the Book of Revelation (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1951), p. 75. [48] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 119. [49] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 68. Commentary on Revelation 4:4-8 by Manly Luscombe8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “ Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” Six wings - The graphic picture here may show us the speed and swiftness of their ability to deal with our needs. Eyes around - They have the ability to see in all directions and know what is happening everywhere. Nothing goes on that escapes their sight. They worship God - While they might have some amazing abilities as we humans see them, they are subject to the “ Lord God Almighty.” Was, is and is to come - God is present tense. What God was in the past, He is today, and will be the same tomorrow. With God all things are present tense. God is the great I AM. 9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, Give glory and honor and thanks - Here is a picture of worship. All we do in worship must seek to give glory, honor and thanks to God. Sits on the throne - The 24 elders and the four living creatures are around the throne. God is the one on the throne. God is eternal - God is forever alive. 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: All worship God - The 24 elders, cast their crowns at the throne. They have no power except what is granted them by God. God has all authority and dominion. There were some who were faithful and would not worship the Roman emperor, in spite of his decree. In heaven, all creatures worship Him who is on the throne. 11 “ You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” Worthy art Thou - These words were on the entrance to the Roman palace. Here they are used to worship and praise God. Many worshipped the emperor because it was commanded. We worship God because He is worthy of our praise. Why was man created? - We were created by the will of God. We were created to serve the will of God. Everything that God created was for a purpose. Each plant, animal and insect has a place in the plan and will of God. Man must seek to serve in the place and manner that God intended. LESSON 10THE THRONE IN HEAVENRead Revelation 41. After this what did John see? Ans. Revelation 4:1.2. How did the first voice sound which John heard? Ans. Revelation 4:1.3. What did the voice say John would be shown? Ans. Revelation 4:1.4. Then what did he see? Ans. Revelation 4:2.5. Describe the throne and him that sat upon it. Ans. Revelation 4:36. This throne was encircled by how many thrones? Ans. Revelation 4:4.7. Describe the twenty-four elders who sat on these seats or thrones. Ans. Revelation 4:4.8. What proceeded out of the throne? Ans. Revelation 4:5.9. When and where was there a similar manifestation of the divine presence? Ans. Exodus 19:16-18; Hebrews 12:18-21.10. What do the seven lamps of fire represent? Ans. Revelation 4:5.11. What was before the throne? In the midst and round about the throne? Ans. Revelation 4:6.12. Describe each of the four living creatures. Ans. Revelation 4:6-8.13. What were they saying continuously? Ans. Revelation 4:8.14. Name three things which the living creatures give to him who sat on the throne. Ans. Revelation 4:9.15. Then what was done by the twenty-four elders? Ans. Revelation 4:10.16. What did they say? Ans. Revelation 4:11.17. Who else had had "visions of God"? Ans. Ezekiel 1:1.18. Where was Ezekiel when he had these visions? Ans. Ezekiel 1:1; Ezekiel 10:15; Ezekiel 22:19. Describe the four living creatures that Ezekiel saw. Ans. Ezekiel 1:5-14.20. How did the living creatures that Ezekiel saw differ from the four living creatures that John saw? Ans. Ezekiel 1:5-14; Revelation 4:6-8.21. Tell of Micah's vision of the throne. Ans. 1 Kings 22:19.22. Describe the throne as Isaiah saw it. Ans. Isaiah 6:1-423. Tell of Daniel's vision of the throne. Ans. Daniel 7:9-10.24. What was Stephen permitted to see? Ans. Acts 7:55-56.25. What do the twenty-four elders, the sea of glass, and the four living creatures of John's vision represent? Ans. No one knows, because God has not revealed what these things mean. Man should not go beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6).E.M. Zerr Questions on RevelationRevelation Chapter Four 1. What did John see opened in heaven? 2. Tell what he heard. 3. What was it like? 4. Where was John told to come? 5. He was to be shown what? 6. What did he find himself in? 7. Tell how soon this happened. 8. What did he behold? 9. Where was it set? 10. Was it occupied? 11. Describe the looks of the person John saw. 12. What was roundabout the throne? 13. Describe the sight of this. 14. What were stationed round the throne? 15. With whom were they occupied? 16. How were they clothed? 17. What did they have on their heads? 18. From where did lightning proceed? 19. What else came from this? 20. Tell what seven objects John saw. 21. What were they doing? 22. In what place were they doing this? 23. What did these represent? 24. Tell what was before the throne. 25. To what was it like? 26. What were in the midst of the throne? 27. In what other position were these? 28. What did they possess in full measure? 29. How were they located? 30. To what was the first beast likened? 31. The second? 32. What did the third beast have? 33. Tell what the fourth beast was like. 34. What was common to all four? 35. Tell what they possessed inwardly? 36. When did they rest? 37. What person did they praise? 38. How did they describe his existence? 39. What else did the beasts offer now? 40. To whom did they offer these? 41. Describe the extent of his life. 42. Before whom did the 24 elders fall? 43. When did they do so? 44. What did they do toward Him? 45. Tell what they cast before the throne. 46. What did they call the one on the throne? 47. They accorded Him to be worthy of what? 48. What had he created? 49. Why were they created? 50. Was that pleasure still continuing? Revelation Chapter FourRalph StarlingThe letters to the 7 churches of Asia have now been given, And John is given a spectacular view of God’ s throne in heaven. He that sat on the throne appeared in great splendor. Dressed like jewels of jasper, sardine and emerald. Surrounding him were 24 elders in white raiment and crowns of gold. And out of the throne came thunder and lightening. Seven lamps of the seven spirits were shining brightly. Around the throne were 4 beasts, each of a different kind. A lion, a calf, an eagle and that of a man. Without rest they worshipped day and night, Saying "Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty." He created the world for His own pleasure. To be a part of that is our treasure. May we all worship and honor Him for that is good, And it is our honor to worship Him---and we should. Revelation 5:1-7 SECTION TWO VISION OF THE SEALED BOOK Revelation 5:1-14 1. THE LAMB WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOKRev_5:1-7 1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back, close sealed with seven seals.--As the vision of chapter 4 shows God's power as Creator to bring to pass the things to be revealed, so the vision of chapter 5 shows Christ's power as Redeemer to reveal what things would come to pass. What John saw was God sitting upon the throne with a book in or lying upon his right hand. This changed view was for the purpose of giving proper praise to Christ as the only one able to make the revelation. This was in harmony with the statement already made. (See 1:1.) This book was not printed as ours are today, for there were no such books then, but it was a manuscript rolled as a scroll. (Jeremiah 36:2; Hebrews 10:7.) "Written within and on the back" probably means that it was written on both sides. "Close sealed" means that the edge of the roll was fastened down with a seal. Being rolled together and sealed indicates that the contents written could not be known till the seals were broken. Since the seals were opened in succession, and a vision appeared at the opening of each seal, the natural conclusion is that the roll was made up of sheets and when a seal was broken that sheet was unrolled and its writing seen. The book contained symbolic visions of what was to come to pass hence, revealed the destiny of the church and its enemies from that time till the end of the world. There is nothing said about the writing being read by the Lord when the seals were opened; in fact, it may have been only the symbols that were written. This may account for the fact that when a seal was opened there appeared before John the vision--living picture--not the reading of words. What John did was to put in words a description of the picture which he saw. Occasionally he tells what some feature of a vision means, but aside from that the visions are left without explanation. How their meaning may be determined will be discussed later. Seven sheets rolled together and sealed with seven seals probably indicate that the book contains a full revelation of the future history of the church. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?--The angel appeared as strong to harmonize with the fact that he proclaimed with a "great voice," as indicating perhaps that his question was to be heard by all intelligent creatures. This would put in bold relief the one who alone was worthy to open the seals. This means one whose rank and authority was such that God would grant him the privilege of revealing the future. 3 And no one in the heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look thereon.--The angel's question was a challenge to all creation. No one possessed either the ability or the moral worthiness to disclose the future hidden things. This inability belonged to all realms ; none of the angelic hosts in heaven, none of the nations of men on earth and none of the righteous dead in the intermediate state was able. This means that no creature in all God's universe could perform this solemn task. 4 And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look thereon:--To open the book meant to break the seals and to look thereon meant to see and describe the symbols that were written in it. When no one came forward to open the book, John was so affected that he wept much. Apparently the promise made in 4:1 that he was to be shown. things "which must come to pass hereafter" would fail. Being in exile and deeply concerned about the future of the churches, he was moved to tears because no one was ready to make the coveted disclosures. His sorrow and distress are no surprise, when we consider his love and sacrifices for the churches. Men and women yet claim to reveal the secrets written in the book of the future by some mysterious power or by communicating with the dead, but this vision is proof that the future belongs to God. All the revelations he wants us to have are now recorded in the Bible. 5 and one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, he Root of David, hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof.--Regarding the elders, see notes on Revelation 4:4. The text gives no reason why one of the elders rather than some other heavenly being spoke this message to John. This instructing the apostle by one of the elders shows that they were a class of heavenly worshipers. Christ's overcoming Satan and death is the reason for his exaltation to God's right hand (Philippians 2:7-11), and for "angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him" (1 Peter 3:22.) The elders here mentioned being in heaven would know of his exaltation and power; hence, could appropriately speak the comforting words to John. That this language refers to Christ is unquestionable, and the descriptions used show in a vivid way his worthiness to open the book. Jesus was of the tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:14), and calling him a Lion is probably in reference to Genesis 49:9. The lion, as king of the forests, was a fitting symbol of Christ endowed with royal authority--a ruler exercising over angels in heaven, men on earth, and the spirits of the departed in Hades. The Root of David means a descendant of David--one whose lineage gave him, the right to exercise this royal authority. Being endowed with this authority because of his victory, he was the only one worthy and able to show John the future struggles and triumphs of the church. 6 And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.--Here a change is made in the scene--a Lamb appears in the midst of the group composed of God, the living creatures, the twenty-four elders, and the strong angel. The Lamb was standing, which indicated it was alive, though it bore marks of having been slain. Since John had probably heard John the Baptist declare Jesus to be the "Lamb of God" (John 1:36), and had witnessed his crucifixion, he knew, of course, that what he saw in heaven was a symbol of Christ. The lamb was a type of innocence and sacrifice; Jesus was both manifested in highest form. The further description of the Lamb shows Jesus to be the proper one to open the book. He had "seven horns, and seven eyes." It is generally understood that the number "seven" signifies perfection. John explains that the seven eyes represent the "seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth." The "seven Spirits" probably refers to the Holy Spirit. See notes on l:4. As the eyes see all natural objects that come within the range of vision, they are appropriate symbols to represent the Holy Spirit's power to see and know what facts should be revealed. The disclosures therefore to be made would be perfect. The use of the word "horn" in the Bible indicates that it is a symbol of power, as the following passages show Deuteronomy 33:17; 1 Kings 22:1 Jeremiah 48:25; Zechariah 1:18; Luke 1:69. Seven horns mean perfect power to do what was necessary. In this part of the vision John was shown that whatsoever things that would appear in the symbols to follow were sure to come. to pass; for there would be sufficient power to accomplish what was predicted. This must have been great encouragement to the then suffering congregations to be faithful to God in spite of any trial. 7 And he came, and he taketh it out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne.---The one here called "a Lamb" is represented as taking the book out of the hand of the one who sat upon the throne. This means that Christ received the authority of the Father to open the book--make the revelations it contained. But scholars have asked this puzzling question Did John see the form of a lamb? If so, how could a real lamb be represented as taking a book out of the hand of the one on the throne? Some answer by supposing that the vision may have been changed just at this point from the image of a lamb to that of a man. The text does not so indicate. Others suggest that the word "Lamb" may be used figuratively, as in John 1:29, to describe the characteristics of Christ, but the real appearance was of some heavenly being in the form of man. When we speak of the "Lamb of God" now, we never visualize a real lamb, but only transfer the lamb characteristics to Christ. Then we should remember that human beings are probably unable to understand fully heavenly representations. The essential point here made is that Christ only was able to make the revelations of future events.Commentary on Revelation 5:1-7 by Foy E. WallaceThe sealed book—Revelation 5:1-5. 1. “ In the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book”—Revelation 5:1. The book was a scroll wherein things were registered, engraved. The productions that are now called books were unknown in this early age in the present form of printing and binding. They were usually in the form of a scroll, written or engraved on material known as parchment. (2 Timothy 4:13) A sealed book was a roll of parchment, or scroll, bound by a band, with a seal affixed to the tie of the band or to the knot. Reference is made to this usage in Isaiah 29:11, and illustrations of it have been produced in most of the dictionaries of the Bible lands and times. This book which was written within and on the backside contained the events which were depicted. The unsealing of the closed book was the revelation of the predicted events within. 2. “ Who is worthy to open-and to loose-no man in heaven nor in earth"—Revelation 5:2. The strong angel is emphasizing the important proclamation. The great voice is comparable to the announcement. The declaration no man in heaven nor in earth meant that it belonged only to the One on the throne to open it; no created being, terrestrial or celestial; no man in earth belonging to authorities of the earth; and, neither under the earth, or belonging to any order of humanity whether in authority as head or under subjection to powers of the earth, whether in the realm of living men or of the hadean domain of the disembodied spirits of men--no man, no created being was worthy or able, in finite limitations to open the book. The restriction neither to look thereon meant that they were not permitted to see or know what was in the book. To open meant to understand and reveal the significance. 3. “ And I wept because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book"—Revelation 5:4. The inspired seer wept in the awesome realization that the things within the book were beyond human disclosure. 4. “ Weep not: behold the Lion of Judah, the root of David hath prevailed"—Revelation 5:5. The comforting counsel to weep not shows that the anxiety was premature and the fear was unfounded; they were only tears of interruption; hence they were to withhold the weeping and wait to see the full procession. The title, Lion of Judah was symbolic of power. The lion is the most courageous beast, the king of the forest, an emblem of strength and valor. It was used here with prevailed to designate the invincible Christ who would conquer his own and his people’ s enemies. The symbol of the tribe of Judah connects with the prophetic blessing of Gen 49:8-12. The capital of the tribe was Ariel, meaning “ lion of God” (Isaiah 29:1) . Hence, the lion of the tribe of Judah was descriptive of the lineage and character of the divine descendant of the tribe. Judah, under divine favor, was a nation in itself, typical and prophetic, in such biblical phrases as the “ house of Judah, the kindred, stock, and lineage” as in Genesis 12:17; 1 Timothy 5:8; Luke 2:4; 2 Samuel 7:18. The prophecies pointed to Christ, the spiritual head of the house of Judah -- Isaiah 22:21-22 --having the ruler-ship--the divine government, which Judah typified. And he was the minister of the new covenant which God made with the “ house of Judah,” as stated in Hebrews 8:1-13. See verses 8 to 10. The limited phrase “ with the house of Israel,” in verse 10, indicated that in the new covenant there would be no distinction--Israel was Judah, the whole. Thus the Lord sprang out of Judah. (Hebrews 7:14) The root of David: By metonymy the Christ is called the root of Jesse (Isaiah 11:10) and of David (Revelation 5:5). The plant or branch springs from and grows out of the root. Christ is the root, instead of the branch, which springs from the root of the spiritual people of David. (Romans 15:12) Isaiah uses the words, rod, stem and branch (Isaiah 11:1); and Zechariah gives him the title of “ The Branch” (Zechariah 3:8); also in 6:12, the title Branch is used to show that He was to be the plant itself, the stem (source), and rod (on which branches grow) as on the vine of Joh 15:1. The name of David in prophetical office and regal character was the most eminent type of the Christ. (1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 2:4; 2 Samuel 5:3). As ruler over the temporal kingdom of Israel, he was the forerunner to the Son of David who should be ruler of the spiritual Israel forever. (Isaiah 9:7; Matthew 1:1; Matthew 9:27; Matthew 12:23; Luke 1:32-33) In the prophecy of Eze 34:23-24 Christ is the new David of the new Israel; the one shepherd of the one flock. The distinction between Judah and Israel would be lost, and would no longer exist. Further references to the tabernacle, the throne, the mercies, the blessings, and the key of David were all applied and ascribed to Jesus Christ. The Lamb in the midst of the throne—Revelation 5:6-10.1. “ In the midst of the throne and of the four beasts (beings), and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain; having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth”—Revelation 5:6. The Lamb in the midst of the throne was Christ, here represented as a lamb instead of a lion because of his having been sacrificially slain; but the slain Lamb was now risen and is seen as the conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah to deliver his people from their foes and oppressors. 2. “ Having seven horns and seven eyes-which are the seven spirits of God sent forth"—Revelation 5:6. The seven horns and eyes are the symbols of perfection in all of his divine attributes, and the seven spirits of God, which were sent forth were symbolic of the perfection of the truth in the testimony of his witnesses. (Hebrews 1:7; Hebrews 1:14) 3. “ He came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne"—Revelation 5:7. The Lamb took the book from him on the throne. The One on the throne is God. The One who took the book is Christ--the Lamb “ in the midst of the throne” 4. “ The four creatures (beings), the four and and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints”—Revelation 5:8. Because he was the One who was “ able to open the book” and to Him complete and united homage was due; not one creature (being), nor one elder, but the four of the one group, and the twenty-four of the other, representing complete and united worship and adoration: having every one of them harps and golden bowls (vials) full of odors, which are the prayers of the saints. 5. “ Having every one of them harps"—Revelation 5:8. The harp was not an instrument of mourning, but of rejoicing. In Israel’ s captivity the harps were hung on the willows (Psalms 137:2) in representation of Israel’ s sorrow. The symbol here is not that of sorrow in the calamities to come, but of rejoicing in the triumph of their deliverance, by the Lion that “ hath prevailed,” and who would lead them through all the scenes of conflict enclosed in the book, which was now about to be disclosed by him, in scenes of the ultimate eventual victory of the unfolding experiences. 6. “ And golden vials full of odors”—Revelation 5:8. The vial, or censer, was a vessel used in altar service to contain the fire with which incense was burned, the perpetual fire from the altar of burnt offerings. It sometimes stands for the altar itself as in Hebrews 13:10 : “ We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.” Its use for common purposes was positively forbidden, and no other composition or preparation was acceptable, either of fire or of incense than that which was prescribed. (2 Chronicles 26:16-21; Leviticus 10:1-4) 7. “ The prayers of saints"— Rev Revelation 5:8. The incense was symbolic of intercession, typical of the intercession of Christ for his saints. Here it is designated to be the prayers of saints because the saints in tribulation were imploring the intercession of the Lamb. In Revelation 8:3, the incense was “ added to the prayers of the saints,” which signified the merits of the death of Christ, and which extended and amplified the symbol of intercession. The altar stood for that upon which sacrifice was offered as mentioned in 1 Kings 13:1-34; 1 Kings 18:30, and it was appropriated exclusively in the offering of sacrifices for sin on behalf of the one who had offended the law. It symbolized Christ as the Christian’ s only sacrifice, and there is no need for any other altar. It is upon his altar that spiritual offerings are now made (Hebrews 13:10) and to him all true worship ascends (Hebrews 13:15). This vision of Revelation is based on the typical significance of the sacrificial offerings of the Old Testament, which not only reminded the people of sin and the need of expiation, but prefigured the atonement of Christ doctrinally envisioned in Isaiah 53:10, and mentioned in 1 Peter 2:24, as having been accomplished. 8. “ They sang a new song, saying, thou wast slain . . . and hast redeemed us to God . . . out of every kindred, people, nation”—Revelation 5:9. The new song was the theme of redemption from sin by the blood of the Lamb, in contrast with redemption of Old Testament Israel from the physical servitude of the song by the sea. “ Redeemed to God” signified the restoration and repossession of a forfeited state, a redemption by a blood price of an inheritance that was lost. “ Out of every kindred, tongue, people, nation.” The new Israel was not tribal or national but composed of all men of all nations, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. It was the sublime vision of the new people of God. (Hosea 1:10; Romans 9:25-26; 1 Peter 2:10) 9. “ And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth”—Revelation 5:10. Kings: This refers to the reign of Christ in the kingdom now present and existing--“ made us” --it was of past performance and establishment; not a future kingdom, but present. The church is the priesthood now (1 Peter 2:5; 1Pe_29), an analogy based on Exodus 19:6. The church sustains a kingly relation to Christ, and of it the members “ reign with Christ” ; hence, they are kings in royalty with him. (Romans 8:17) It is a reference to the state of the church under the gospel--under the spiritual government of Christ. (1 Timothy 6:15) The term “ king” signified a sovereign prince or ruler in a kingdom. (Proverbs 8:15) It is applied to God, the Supreme Ruler of the universe (Psalms 44:4); and to Jesus Christ, the King and Head of the church (Psalms 2:6; Psalms 45:1; Ephesians 4:5); and to all true Christians who as heirs, reign with him in life. (Romans 8:17; Romans 5:17; 2 Timothy 2:12) Priests: The church sustains a priestly relation to Christ, and its members participate in the offering of spiritual sacrifices. (Hebrews 13:15) The word priest is contracted from elder or presbyter, and was a general name for ministers of God’ s service. (Hebrews 10:11) In all scriptures it denotes one who offers sacrifice. It is applied to Jesus Christ in the highest office, who offered himself for the sins of all men. (Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 7:17; Hebrews 8:4; Hebrews 9:11-12) It applies to every true believer (Christian), who himself offers spiritual sacrifices. (Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 1:6) Under the law the priest was a person consecrated and ordained to teach the people, pray for them and offer sacrifices. (Leviticus 4:5-6) Christians perform all of these services and functions now in the new priesthood, the church. Reign: The word is variously used literally and figuratively. Commonly the word to reign means to rule, or to govern as a sovereign prince. (2 Samuel 5:4-5; Matthew 2:6) God reigns as absolute monarch, he governs and disposes of all things in heaven and earth. (Psalms 93:1); Christ reigns in this dispensation in his kingdom, the church (Luke 1:33; Matthew 2:6; Romans 15:12; 1 Corinthians 15:24-25); Death reigned from Adam to Moses, Romans 5:15 --that is, prevailed, held sway, dominion; Sin reigns, when the motions of sin are obeyed, as one obeys the law or command of a king, when it exercises an absolute uncontrolled power over the soul (Romans 6:12); Grace reigns through righteousness, prevails through the gospel to abolish the rule and dominion of sin, as we are governed by what it teaches (Romans 5:21; Titus 2:11-12); and Christians reign in righteous living with Christ (Romans 5:17). All who receive grace in gift of righteousness (forgiveness in Christ), and partake of the spiritual life, whereby sin is conquered, reign with apostles in conforming to their teaching and example; and reign with Christ as in the sufferings with him in the death to sin and partaking of his suffering (2 Timothy 2:12) We shall reign: Literally rendered the passage reads are reigning--referring in the Revelation context to their continuing conquests in the trials that were present. What the four creatures and twenty-four elders were chanting in unison, as a complete representative company, was the prospect f a glorious triumph over their oppressors. It symbolized a reign of victory, a symbol that the oppressions to be revealed in the seals could not consume them; the wrath of monarchs could not destroy them; nor the power of kings and emperors defeat them. They would survive; they would live; they would reign on the earth, not in future glory, but reign there and then as conquerers and overcomers in an undefeated, triumphant cause. The church was symbolized as being complete and imperishable in conflict with their heathen oppressors. The angelic symphony—Revelation 5:11-12. 1. “ I heard the voice of many angels . . . and the beasts (beings), and the elders . . . ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands”—Revelation 5:11. The voice: The sound of myriad thousands of angels and beings was but one voice, a concert of praise; with one object, the Lamb; and with one theme, in symphony of the adoration to the Lamb. Thousands: The literal computation would be ten thousand times ten thousand--100,000,000--One hundred million, plus thousands of thousands, on multiplied thousands more. So figuratively it signified that all the church on earth, represented by the four and twenty elders, and the whole family of heaven (Ephesians 3:14), represented by the multiplied decimals, joined in the adoration of the Lamb in the midst of the throne. (see verse 13)Commentary on Revelation 5:1-7 by Walter ScottTHE THRONE AND THE SLAIN LAMB BETWEEN 4, 5, and 6 In the previous chapter is witnessed the vast and glorious throne of the Eternal, the symbol of the governing power of God throughout the universe. Round it all persons and things are grouped in their respective positions. The main thought of the chapter is God the sovereign Ruler of all creation governing according to His nature and on the basis of eternal righteousness. It is not a portion of the divine Word which calls forth the affections of the soul. It is a vision which absorbs rather our being as creatures. The vision remains, the scenery is not changed, nor is the glory in anywise dimmed as the additional truths contained in chapter 5 come before us. There is an intimate connection between chapters 4, 5, and 6. The first series of judgments is noted in Revelation 6:1-17. The great actor is the Lamb, while the throne as seen in chapter 4 is the source of the judgments. We have here a continuation of the vision already beheld by the Seer, with two prominent and additional features, namely, the seven-sealed book, and a Lamb as slain. We may remark that in this chapter, preparatory to the proper action of the book, namely, , the majesty of the lion and the meekness of the Lamb are combined, and centre in Him Who alone is worthy to bear these double glories. This grand chapter is divided into four parts, the first two being introduced by the words "I saw" (Revelation 5:1-2); the second two parts are each prefaced with "I beheld" (Revelation 5:6; Revelation 5:11). In brief, the subjects are: first, the book; second, the challenge; third, the song; fourth, the worship. Revelation 5:1THE SEVEN-SEALED BOOK Revelation 5:1 "And I saw on the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne a book, written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals." This book or roll is, of course, a symbol. The book of life (Revelation 3:5; Revelation 13:8) is a register of names; the books of works (Revelation 20:12) are the divine records of human actions. But the book beheld by the Seer contains in full THE OF GOD'S PURPOSE AND COUNSEL THE WORLD. It contains the history of the future, and gives us the successive steps needful for the inauguration of the world-kingdom of Christ. God is about to bring again His First-Begotten into the world amidst the acclaim of angels (Hebrews 1:6), and the seven-sealed roll unfolds how this will be brought about. The contents of the book cover the period from the breaking of the first seal (Revelation 6:1-17) till the close of the kingdom reign and commencement of the eternal state (Revelation 11:18). The book lay on the right hand of the Eternal. The position of the roll was in fitting accord with the proclamation of the angel (v. 2); in itself a challenge to the universe to produce one of sufficient worth to approach the place of distinguished honour (Psalms 110:1; Ephesians 1:20) and take the book. The book or roll was "written within and on the back,"(*Some would punctuate the clause thus: "written within, and on the backside sealed with seven seals," but where else could it be sealed save on the back? Why state that? It was customary to fill up a scroll and continue the writing on the back. The roll beheld by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 2:10) was, we are expressly informed, "written within and without" The fulness and completeness of the prophetic announcements about to be unfolded seem the thought designed in the scroll being written on both sides.) thus signifying that the whole counsel of God respecting this world was herein unfolded; no further revelation of God's purposes was to be vouchsafed. This book was fully written (compare with Ezekiel 2:10). Revelation 5:1 "Sealed with seven seals." Each seal closes a certain portion of the book; hence the contents are successively revealed as the seals are opened in order. But the whole is absolutely hidden from men and angels till opened by the Lamb. The "seven seals" express the perfection with which the hidden counsels of God are securely wrapped up in the divine mind till their open disclosure by the Lamb. The prophet Daniel (Daniel 12:4) was instructed to "shut up the words and seal the book even to the time of the end;" whereas the Seer of Patmos (Revelation 22:10) is told the exact opposite, "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand." The former was to seal; the latter was not to seal. Even Daniel, distinguished above all his contemporaries for the many and far-reaching revelations and visions granted him, says: "I heard, but I understood not" (Daniel 12:8-9). Now, however, that we have reached "the time of the end," not exactly "the end," all is open. The book of prophecy is completely and openly revealed. For us the seven-sealed book, with its full and minute disclosure of the future, is no longer a hidden mystery. Prophecy, once a secret, is so no longer. Revelation 5:2-3THE OF THE ANGEL. Revelation 5:2-3 "And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who (is) worthy to open the book, and to break its seals? And no one was able in the Heaven, or upon the earth, or underneath the earth, to open the book, or to regard it." The attention of the moral and intelligent universe is to be directed to the book resting on the open palm of the Throned One. The angels "excel in strength" (Psalms 103:20), but their might is exercised only in the path of instant obedience to the will of the Creator. Each one of the countless myriads of the angelic hosts is held in dependence upon Him Whose will is their happy service. All angels are strong, but there are measures, and ranks, and orders amongst them. There are prominent angels amongst their fellows, as Gabriel, Michael, etc. ("Michael the Archangel" (Jude 1:9). Scripture never speaks of "Archangels." Jewish writers divide the angelic hosts into orders and classes as "Thrones, Dominations, Virtues, Princedoms, Powers," to which division Ephesians 1:21 evidently alludes. In the region of the supernatural the unseen ministers of the divine will guide, control, and in every way influence human affairs. They are God's ministers.) The loud voice of one of those angels of power penetrates to the utmost bounds of the universe, searching "the Heaven," the dwelling place of God; "the earth," the dwelling place of men; and "underneath the earth," the abode of other intelligent beings. Those three terms indicate the extent of the universe. Everywhere and to every being the angel's voice reaches. Revelation 5:2 "Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?" Moral competency to answer to the angelic proclamation there was not. The universe in all its parts,"The three kingdoms of creation" (Philippians 2:10), does not possess one being competent to disclose and execute the counsels of God; "no man," reads the Authorised Version; "no one," a term of much wider import, rightly reads the Revised. To "open the book and to break its seals " are regarded as separate actions. The natural order would have been to first break the seals in order that the book might be opened. The import of the angel's proclamation, however, is to open the book so as to unfold its contents; and the breaking of the seals, their execution as in Revelation 6:1-17. The moral force of the acts is the point in question. The challenge is unanswered. The undertaking required moral worth and a proved capacity not found in any created being. Revelation 5:4-5THE OF THE LAMB. Revelation 5:4-5 "And I wept much because no one had been found worthy to open the book nor to regard it. And one of the elders says to me, Do not weep. Behold, the Lion which (is) of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome (so as) to open the book and its seven seals." The grief of the Seer is emphasised by the use of the pronoun "I," which is emphatic in the Greek. "I wept much." John is here regarded as the representative of the prophetic feeling at "the time of the end," or "the last days." His soul is stirred within him as his eye rests on the sealed scroll lying on the open hand of the Sitter on the throne, with no one in the vast creation of God competent to disclose its contents and carry them into execution. The tears of John have been termed "the weakness of the creature," but if "wept much" is sometimes the expression of weakness, it is equally the expression of a right and godly feeling. It has been remarked, "Without tears the Revelation was not written, neither without tears can it be understood." But the book was to be opened. And since worship of the highest order and an intimate knowledge of the mind of God are characteristics of the crowned and glorified elders or representatives of the redeemed, it is one of these elders who consoles the weeping Seer by directing his attention to One in every respect qualified to unfold the divine counsels and carry them to a triumphant issue. Who is He? The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David. What has He done? He has overcome every spiritual power by His death on the cross. Thus He has an unchallenged right in Himself, and because, too, of what He has done, to advance to the right hand of the Eternal, take the book, and effectuate the counsels of God. Revelation 5:5 "The Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Genesis 49:9). The dying patriarch, however keen his spiritual vision, could not have dreamed that his glorious prediction (vv. 8-10) pointed to the advent of the Messiah nearly 4000 years afterwards, Who in irresistible might, majesty, and sovereignty would secure the blessing of Israel and of the whole earth. In His lion-like character He crushes every opposing force, and establishes His universal kingdom on the ruin of all opposition. Here worth and might are combined. Revelation 5:5 But another title is here used of our Lord: "The Root of David." Why David? Why not Moses, or Abraham? David is the representative of Royalty. Moses the expression of Law. Abraham the depositary of Promise. Now these two chapters (4 and 5) have as their main subject the kingdom rights and glories of Christ. Thrones and crowns are frequently referred to, and in fact characterise this sublime portion of the Apocalypse. Hence, the introduction of the kingdom being the question, David is fittingly named. Christ is both the Root and Offspring of David (Revelation 22:16). He is the former as Divine, and the latter as Man. He is both Root and Branch (Isaiah 11:1-16). In Revelation 5:4 the words in the Authorised Version "and to read" are rightly omitted in the Revised. Revelation 5:6-7VISION OF THE SLAIN LAMB. Revelation 5:6-7 "And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing as slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God (which are) sent into all the earth: and He came and took (it) out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne." The Seer "wept much." The elders, heads of the heavenly priesthood, knew and could divinely interpret the mind of God. What was dark to John was light to them; what was cause of sorrow to him was gladness to them. One of the elders directed the attention of the weeping Seer to One who, in majesty and resistless might, had besides personal and acquired rights which would entitle Him to disclose and effectuate the counsels of God. But when John looked he beheld a "lamb" (The term lamb occurs in the Apocalypse twenty-eight times: the word employed signifies a diminutive animal Arnion, not Amnos, as in the Gospel (John 1:29, etc.). The word lion is only once applied to Christ in this book.) instead of a "lion." Seeming weakness instead of majesty. In the midst of the heavenly scene stood a Lamb as slain. The wound prints in Him as risen beheld by the disciples (John 20:20; John 20:25; John 20:27) are now seen by John in Him glorified. The memories of Calvary are treasured in Heaven (We see no difficulty in supposing that in the glorified body of our blessed Lord the indelible marks and scars of the cross will be seen (John 20:20-27).) John the Baptist first pointed out Jesus on earth as the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29-36); John the apostle now beholds Him in that same character on high. But how different the position! There, wounded and slain (Isaiah 53:1-12); here, the center of Heaven's strength and glory, yet bearing in His Person the marks and scars of the cross. The "Lamb standing" between the throne and the elders is the first step to the assumption of the inheritance. He is about to take to Himself His great power and reign. At present He sits with His Father in His throne (Revelation 3:21), and with Jehovah at His right hand (Psalms 110:1). But the session of patience is seen by the Seer to be at an end. The Lamb vacates the "throne" and "right hand," and stands ready to act. Standing intimates readiness for action: sitting refers to a state of quiescence. Revelation 5:6 "Having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent into all the earth." Here the mystic number "seven," denoting perfection, is thrice repeated. Strength and intelligence are denoted by the "horns" and "eyes," and the fulness of administration of the Holy Spirit in government in the "seven Spirits of God." All are perfect, and all connected with the government of the earth which is about to be assumed by the Lamb in His redemption character "as slain."The Lamb advanced and took the book "out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne." What a combination of glories and rights centre in God's beloved One! The majesty and might of the Lion, the meekness and sacrificial character of the Lamb, combined with all power and intelligence, are conspicuously displayed in the Person of the glorious One beheld by the Seer. Then how severely simple the words in which the majestic action is narrated. The opening of the seven-sealed roll on the hand of Jehovah intimates an undertaking of such a momentous character that the cross alone surpasses it, a work involving the glory of God and the blessing of creation, and one in which the whole universe is directly interested (Revelation 5:11-14). "He came and took (it) out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne." Neither the pencil of the artist nor the pen of the historian is needed here. The artless simplicity of the account is God-like. "Simple and majestic, without any pomp of words, or any effort to decorate the scene," writes Moses Stuart. "How calm and sublime!" says F. W. Grant. And with these testimonies we are in full accord. Commentary on Revelation 5:1-7 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 5:1. Him that sat on the throne was God, for he is said to be the creator of all things, in the last verse of the preceding chapter. What was called a book in old times is the same as we call a roll; something like a long strip of paper and rolled up from one end. Let us remember we are in a book of signs or symbols. This book or roll is a symbol of the future events, and being sealed signifies that the future is unrevealed to all unless the seals can be broken so that the writing can be read. There were seven seals which is the complete number again, signifing that the future is hidden from the world. If the seals can be broken and the writing read, each one will reveal a part of the events that are to come in the future. Revelation 5:2. Strong angel proclaiming. He was asking a question with a loud voice which signifies a general call in order to give all a chance. The call was to the task of opening the book which means to make predictions of the coming events. Revelation 5:3. Heaven (where God dwells), earth (the abode of living human beings), under the earth (the abode of departed spirits). These three regions take in all intelligent creatures in the universe. Note that no man in any place was able to respond, which signifies that the future is a sealed book as far as uninspired beings are concerned, whether they be in heaven or on earth. Revelation 5:4. Since the loud request had been made by a strong angel the importance of the subject was evident, which explains why John wept when no one (the word for man is not in the original) was able to respond. Read the book, neither to look thereon signifies that unless the seals can be broken, no uninspired person can even see the writing much less read (understand and interpret) it. Revelation 5:5. One of the elders means one of the four and twenty who represent the two great systems of religion. He was able to console John and bid him refrain from weeping, because there was one available who would be able to open the book. Lion of the tribe of Juda (Judah). In Genesis 49:9-10 this lion is predicted and Hebrews 7:14 tells us that Christ came from the tribe of Juda. Root of David means that Christ was the very important descendant of David the son of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1 Isaiah 11:10). This conversation represents the leaders of the two organized systems of religion as understanding that the great plans in which they were only agents in the service of God, were made good through the merits of this Lion. Revelation 5:6. In the midst, etc. Thayer gives us the rendering as follows: "And I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and the elders." He then offers his explanation as follows: "In the vacant space between the throne and the living creatures (on one side) and elders (on the other side), accordingly nearest the throne." As it had been slain. A lamb may be slain and then come back to life still bearing the marks of its death wounds. Thus Jesus was permitted to retain the wound marks until He had completed the great work with His apostles. (See John 20:20.) Horns in symbolic language means authority, and seven of them means complete authority. (See Matthew 28:18.) Seven eyes signifies a perfect vision which would be necessary in order to see into the future. Seven Spirits is explained at Revelation 14. Revelation 5:7. He (this Lion and Lamb) came to the throne to get the book. Him that sat upon the throne means God, and in giving the book to the Lamb signifies that God gave his Son the ability to reveal the future events. This fact is stated literally in the first verse of the book of Revelation.Commentary on Revelation 5:1-7 by Burton CoffmanRev_5:1 Without any doubt whatever, this chapter is a continuation of the throne of God scene in Revelation 4. The same throne, the same living creatures, the same angels, the same 24 elders, the same solemn worship, and the same Person upon the throne are present here that were seen in Revelation 4. The great new element that comes to light in this portion of the vision is that of the Lamb of God "in the midst of the throne" with the Father. "Chapters 4,5 are one passage."[1] Nothing in these two chapters should be interpreted as "things that shall come to pass hereafter," for quite obviously they describe present and eternal realities in the spiritual world. As Beckwith stated it: These are the supreme "things that are" (Revelation 1:19), out of which the "things that are to come to pass" must flow certainly and completely in spite of the powers of evil.[2]And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back, close sealed with seven seals.A book ... It is natural to assume that the book was of the scroll type familiar to the people of those times. Books were made of papyrus pith sliced exceedingly thin and carefully joined together in vertical strips and reinforced by an additional layer with the strips laid horizontally, then bonded with glue and water. They were pressed flat and sandpapered for smoothness, giving a sheet of "paper" similar to ones seen today. The scroll was made by piecing many of these sheets together, side to side, to form the roll of required length. In reading, the roll was transferred from the roller in one hand to another roller in the other. Barclay tells us that a book the length of Romans would have required a roll 11 1/2 feet long.[3] A characteristic of the scroll was that the strips of papyrus caused a horizontal grain on one side and a vertical grain on the other, called the recto and verso. Usually, scrolls were written only on the side with horizontal grain, because that provided easier writing. Longer writings, however, utilized both sides. From the fact of the scroll in view here having been written "on the back," a rather extensive communication is indicated. What is the meaning of this scroll? From its being "in" or "on" the right hand of God, the exceedingly great importance of it must be deduced, but what is it? Many different answers are given: "It contained the whole of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven."[4] "It is God's redemptive plan for the denouement of human history, the overthrow of evil, and the gathering of a redeemed people."[5] "It is the New Covenant, since the New Covenant tells how God will save the church, Israel, the world, and the universe."[6] "This is a book of the future of the world and of mankind."[7] "It is some kind of legal document relating to the destiny of mankind."[8] "The book is surely that which contains the world's destiny."[9] There is perhaps a measure of truth in all these answers. Certainly, there is some bearing which the book had upon the mystery of redemption, and the long-secret device by which God would achieve it in the death of his Son. Human salvation, together with God's purpose of achieving it and the mystery of how it would be done, is included in it because we cannot agree with the notion that John's weeping in Revelation 5:4 was due merely to disappointment at not seeing the future revealed. See comment on Revelation 5:4. Sealed close with seven seals ... Especially important documents were sealed with multiple seals; and the appearance of seven seals here indicates the inviolate nature of the document. The thought that as each seal was broken a portion of the scroll could be read is not correct. In fact, the scroll was not read at all in this prophecy! Only as the seals were broken, the visions conveyed part of the information to John. As Lenski pointed out: The seals sealed the entire roll; all would have had to be broken to ready any of it. The opening of each seal is not undertaken to reveal seven successive lengths of the roll, each length then to be read. Nothing whatever is read. When each seal is opened, it releases the revealing symbolism of what the book contains.[10][1] William R. Newell, The Book of Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1935), p. 94. [2] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 261. [3] William Barclay, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 208. [4] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 162. [5] George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972), p. 81. [6] Watchman Nee, "Come Lord Jesus" (New York: Christian Fellowship Publishers, 1976), p. 66. [7] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 505. [8] G. R. Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation (Greenwood, South Carolina: The Attic Press, 1974), p. 120. [9] Leon Morris, Tyndale Commentaries, Vol. 20 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 90. [10] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 193. Revelation 5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?Who is worthy ... The key for unlocking the mystery written in the scroll was not power only, but morality, righteousness, holiness, and justice - in a word, worthiness. The great problem to be solved in human redemption was simply this: how could God injustice do it? Paul stated it thus: "That he might be just and the justifier of him that is of the faith of Jesus" (Romans 3:26). Inherent in this interpretation is the fact that the vision at this point is retrospective in time, looking to the period when the salvation of Adam's race appeared to be absolutely impossible. As Caird said, "Some of the contents (of the scroll) are already past."[11]The situation in this verse appears to be almost identical with that described in Psalms 40:6-8, in which Christ, in his pre-existent state before the Incarnation, responded to the challenge of redeeming mankind in the words: Then said I, Lo, I come (In the roll of the book it is written of me) To do thy will, O God. This is the remarkable passage in which the preexistent Christ spoke of "the body" God had prepared for him. For fuller comment on that remarkable passage, see my Commentary on Hebrews, p. 213. ENDNOTE: [11] G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 72. Revelation 5:3 And no one in the heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look thereon.The apostle John, at this juncture in his experience "in the Spirit," was permitted to share in the perplexity, dreadful uncertainty, and helplessness that encompassed the heavenly host in their contemplation of the seemingly impossible solution of human redemption. Of course, this uncertainty did not pertain either to the Father or to the Son; but the helplessness, even of the supernatural creation, in matters pertaining to human salvation is clearly evident here. This was the same mystery pondered by the angels gazing intently into the mercy seat of which Peter spoke (1 Peter 1:12). Heaven ... earth ... under the earth ... Even some of the great scholars are unbelievably naive in their reference to what they call the concept of a three-story universe. No such concept ever existed, except in the minds of some of the critics. The New Testament clearly speaks of three different heavens, the second and lower heaven being that of the stars and constellations, and the third being the presence of God himself, as in this vision. Paul used this same expression (Philippians 2:9-10), evidently meaning "beings" in heaven (angelic), earth (human), or under the earth (demonic). Adam Clarke commented, "Neither angels, men, nor devils can fathom the decrees of God."[12] Hinds pointed out another important meaning in this: Men and women yet claim to reveal secrets in the book of the future by some mysterious power or by communicating with the dead, but this vision is proof that the future belongs to God. All the revelations he wants us to have are now recorded in the Bible.[13][12] A. Clarke, Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. VI (London: Carlton and Porter, 1829), p. 991. [13] John T. Hinds, A Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), p. 77. Revelation 5:4 And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look thereon:Many scholars accept the interpretation of the apostle's weeping as being due to his disappointment over not getting to see the visions he expected. Barclay's comment is typical: The voice had made the promise to him, "I will show these things which must be hereafter." It now looked as if the promise could not be kept, and as if he had been frustrated. The seer weeps because the promised vision, as he thinks, is not to be.[14]This interpretation is rejected here, because frustration is a totally inadequate grounds for such overwhelming grief as that manifested by the apostle in this verse. Excessive weeping for such a reason would hardly appear commendable in such a character as John. No! Something far more important is in view. Newell caught a glimpse of it thus: It was as if sin and Satan were to go on forever in the usurped control of affairs in this world. It was as if it still must be written: Right forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne. The apostle was broken-hearted about this. The Greek word is the same as that for Christ weeping over Jerusalem.[15] This clarifies the retrospective throw-back in the vision to a period before redemption was achieved by Christ. But John's grief was quickly assuaged. God has already progressed far beyond the hopeless condition apparent at first. Indeed, the victory had already been won, and the victorious Lamb of God was already seated on the throne. The time was then far later than the heart-breaking glimpse of the past had indicated. [14] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 212. [15] William R. Newell, op. cit., p. 98. Revelation 5:5and one of the elders saith unto me,, Weep not; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof.Weep not ... Many commentators have quoted the beautiful words of John Wesley in this connection: "The Revelation was not written without tears; neither without tears will it be understood."[16]One of the elders saith unto me ... We agree with Mounce that, "The fact of an elder's addressing John is of no particular significance."[17] It appears to be an inert factor in the vision. The Lion that is of the tribe of Judah ... This expression occurs nowhere else in the Bible."[18] Despite this, the conception is nevertheless found in the patriarchal blessing of Judah (Genesis 49:10), who earned the right to have his name stand in a title of the Messiah when he unselfishly offered himself as a ransom for his brother Benjamin (Genesis 44:18-34). John's application of this glorious title to Christ, or rather its being so done in heaven, confirms Jesus Christ as the true occupant of the throne of David. Jesus Christ is now the true and only King of the true Israel, "the seed of David" who sits upon David's throne exalted in the heavens. David was the first "lion of the tribe of Judah," although not so-called in Scripture; but Christ, David's greater Son, became the true Lion. David, as ruler of the temporal kingdom of Israel, was the type or forerunner of Christ the ruler of spiritual Israel forever. As Wallace pointed out, the adoption of this title by Christ is but a continuation of the New Testament pattern of ascribing to him all of those glorious things of David, such as "the tabernacle, the throne, the mercies, the blessings, the key of David, etc."[19] For a further discussion of these things see under Revelation 3:7 b. The Root of David ... This title goes back to Isaiah 11:1 ff, in which it was prophesied that, "A rod out of the stem of Jesse ... there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people ... his rest shall be glorious." As Barclay noted, "This means that Jesus Christ, the son of David, was the promised Messiah."[20][16] John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament (Naperville, Illinois: London: Epworth Press, n.d.), in loco. [17] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing company, 1977), p. 144. [18] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 95. [19] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., The Book of Revelation (Nashville: Foy E. Wallace, Jr., Publications, 1966), p. 133. [20] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 214. Revelation 5:6 And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.A Lamb standing ... Beyond all controversy, the Lamb is Jesus Christ the Son of God, and significantly he is in the midst of the throne, sharing eternal and omnipotent authority with the Father himself. This is the grand truth of this chapter and of the whole book. Everything depends upon this. Some young students may be aware that unbelieving critics have tried to eliminate this passage; but as Beckwith said: The Lamb once slain forms the very heart of the whole scene. The attempt of Vischer and his followers to expunge the idea destroys the entire paragraph; it is criticism run riot.[21]"Only in the Johannine writings is Jesus called `The Lamb.'"[22] This, of course, affords strong evidence of the same author for all of them, the expression being used "twenty-eight times in Revelation."[23]As though it had been slain ... Scholars point out that this actually means, "as though it had been newly slain."[24] or that the Lamb was standing in heaven "with its throat cut."[25] Thus, the vision proves that the death of Christ was a historical fact, as was also his resurrection from the dead. Having seven horns, and seven eyes ... Horns were familiar symbols of honor, power, authority, and glory in the Biblical and other Hebrew literature. Caird said of the horns, "By this symbol, John undoubtedly invests Christ with the attributes of deity."[26] But not merely this symbol does so; they all do. A Lamb standing in heaven with its throat cut undoubtedly does the same thing! In such symbols the character of the vision is evident. Things accounted to be totally impossible in reality are present everywhere in Revelation. The presentation of Jesus Christ as the Lamb, while being stressed particularly in John's writings, is nevertheless a thoroughly Biblical representation. There was the entire institution of the Passover built around the sacrifice of the lamb; there was the identification of Jesus as "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world" by John the Baptist. Paul's reference to "Christ our passover," and the great Suffering Passage of Isaiah 53, wherein Jesus was compared to the "lamb dumb before its shearers," - all of these references show the Biblical foundation of the words here. Some scholars have made quite a point of a different word for "lamb" in this passage; but Lenski discounted this as having no significance at all. "It is merely a linguistic matter in the Greek."[27]Seven eyes ... These are interpreted for us as "the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth," another symbol of the omniscience and divinity of the Son of God. There is nothing in this whole passage that does not proclaim this same essential fact. For example, who but God could be in "the midst of the throne" and "in the midst of' the elders and the living creatures also? It is childish to draw diagrams and propose to locate any of these symbols as unalterably in one place or another. By Christ's having "the seven spirits of God," the quibbles of Jeremias and Windisch, etc., to the effect that in part of the New Testament it is God who sends the Holy Spirit and that in others it is Christ who does so, are refuted. What is done in this respect is done by either or by both. [21] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 510. [22] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 145. [23] Ibid. [24] Watchman Nee, op. cit., p. 67. [25] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 125. [26] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 75. [27] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 198. Revelation 5:7 And he came, and he taketh it out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne.The scene here is still in the past tense from the standpoint of the apostle John. "The moment is that of his appearance in heaven, fresh from the suffering and triumph of the cross."[28] This was, of course, some decades prior to the writing of Revelation. The tense of the verbs here, as noted by Carpenter, bears this out: "He came, and he has taken the roll out of the hand of him that sat on the throne."[29] Mounce and many other interpreters of the same school do not apply this to a past event but "to an event yet to take place at the end of time."[30] This we consider to be incorrect. Hendriksen's correct view of this is: The Lamb has taken the scroll out of the hand of him who was seated on the Throne. This very clearly refers to the fact that Christ, as Mediator, at his ascension received authority to rule the universe.[31]Any doubt that this is the proper view of this passage is forever removed by reading Matthew 28:18-20. It is impossible properly to interpret Revelation without a thorough knowledge of what the rest of the New Testament teaches. People who expect Christ to be enthroned at some future time have forgotten that he is already enthroned. "Psalms 110 indicates the date (when this occurred); it was the moment when Christ sat down on the Throne at God's right hand."[32] See also Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 1:6; Hebrews 1:8-9; Hebrews 2:9. [28] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 643. [29] W. Boyd Carpenter, Ellicott's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 556. [30] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 146. [31] William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956), p. 110. [32] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 202. Commentary on Revelation 5:1-7 by Manly Luscombe1 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. A. God is holding a book. This book (scroll) is important. It has writings on both sides. There are two types of scrolls at this time - Parchment and Velum. Parchment is made with strips of reeds pressed together. The topside was laid horizontal for easy writing. On the backside the reeds were laid vertically. This made writing on the back said very difficult. The other type of scroll was velum (animal leather, usually deer). Again, one side of leather is smooth and easy to use. The backside of leather is rough and more difficult to write on. By writing on both sides there are two indications - a) the message is important and no space must be wasted. b) There is a scarcity of writing materials - either very costly or not available. It is sealed. The seal is not like one seals a Mason jar with fruit inside. Some have tried to make this teach the doctrine of “ once saved, always saved.” They have implied that God seals us in and we cannot escape. But the seal here is for three purposes. 1. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 5:8-14 2. THE WORSHIPRev_5:8-14 8 And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb,--In Revelation 4:8-11 the living creatures and elders are represented as worshiping God upon his throne; in this verse they are seen worshiping Christ by bowing before the being called the Lamb. Since he was able to break the seals and open the book of the future, naturally he was worthy of receiving their adoration. The manner in which their worship vras rendered is described in the following expressions. having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.--Whatever the different features of this vision may signify, we should not forget that John was seeing things in heaven, not on earth. There is no question about the language indicating that the four living creatures and twenty-four elders all fell down to worship the Lamb. The words also seem to mean that each of the twenty-eight had a harp and a bowl of incense; certainly the twenty-four elders did. The text clearly indicates the individual worship of each for each is represented as having a harp. To understand a material harp in a purely spiritual realm, played by spirit beings, is, of course, incongruous. It will be necessary to find what they, as symbols, represent if any application is made to things on earth, just as is necessary in other features of the vision. If all is to be taken as strictly literal and applied to the church, then each Christian would have to use a harp individually in worshiping. This would require as many harps as individuals in the congregation, which is quite enough to show the absurdity of any such interpretation. John declares that the incense represents the "prayers of the saints." Just as incense arose when the priests offered it in the tabernacle and temple, so the prayers of those in the church ascend to God. This symbolic sense of the word "incense" is in harmony with the following texts: Leviticus 16:12-13; Psalms 141:2; Acts 10:4. When John explains the application to be made of this word as being figurative, why conclude that "harp" is to be taken literally. The natural and reasonable application of the word here is that it represents praise. Since Paul tells us to make melody "with your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19), we know that the human heart is represented as the spiritual instrument that should vibrate (make the melody) in harmony with the sentiments of the song we sing. Each saint has one of these spiritual "harps" which can be used in perfect unison with all other singers. From any view-point the passage absolutely excludes the mechanical instrument. 9 And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou hast slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation,--This part of their song of praise states that Christ's worthiness to open the seals of the book is shown by the fact that he shed his blood as the price sufficient to purchase men of every class and nation. In Acts 20:28 he is represented as purchasing the church. In this passage the church is looked upon as a body ; in our text it is viewed as being composed of individuals. This and similar passages furnish the unquestioned proof that Gentiles are included in the purchase price paid. Incidentally it also shows that men are saved by entering the church; for none can be saved without Christ's blood, and none can be saved by it, if responsible for conduct, outside of the institution purchased by the blood. If saved out of the church, then saved without his blood. 10 and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon the earth.--In verses 9 and 10 here the heavenly host repeats in very similar words the same thoughts which John uttered in 1:5, 6. "Didst purchase" and "madest" are coordinated terms in the same grammatical construction. They express a completed past act, which must of necessity be true regarding his purchase of the church with his blood. Then the church purchased with his blood he made a kingdom. As certainly as the church existed at the time John was writing, just that certain had it been made a kingdom. The kingdom was in existence; hence, the premillennial theory that Christ must come in person to establish a kingdom is of necessity false. The saved in the church had also been made priests. Since the church is described as a tabernacle or temple, those who render service in it are called priests. That relationship was in existence then. (1 Peter 2:5.) This is not denied. Since establishing the Christian priesthood and the purchase of the church are conceded as past events, there can be no reason assigned for denying that the kingdom had been established. The King James Version says "shall reign," but the Revised says "they reign" which is present tense. The distinction is not especially important, for if they were then reigning, they would still reign. But as they were then a kingdom the present tense is evidently the correct expression, especially since the present tense often means continued or repeated action. The reign "upon the earth" is perfectly natural, for the church (kingdom) is upon the earth. Just as the priesthood must be spiritual, so the reign must be. The saints on earth, but under Christ, reign through the teaching and living of Christ's law; they exercise a leading, directing and restraining influence. 11 AndI saw, and I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; --Surrounding the company that was worshiping the Lamb, John saw a host of angels of too many thousands to be numbered. 12 saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing.--The myriads of angels join with the group about the throne in ascribing praise to Christ. Like the preceding song, they base his worthiness upon the fact that he was slain. Being worthy to receive all these things showed he was not only the one to open the seals but to reign. That he had the honors here mentioned at that time is unquestionably a fact. Their words probably mean that he was worthy to possess them as he then did, because he had been made worthy by his death to receive them. 13 And every created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things that are in them, heard I saying,--By a figure of personification even animals and inanimate nature are represented as praising God. (Psalms 148:7-10.) Hearing voices from created things in every realm showed John that all creation in its proper manner must honor God and Christ. Adding this song to the two previous ones of the heavenly beings made the praise universal. Unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the dominion, for ever and ever.--The same thought is expressed here as in the preceding verse, except that God is also praised. 14 And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and worshipped.--When the hymn of praise closed the four living creatures pronounced the Amen, and the twenty-four elders bowing in worship gave their assent. All of these ascribing to Christ authority and power was a most solemn and impressive way of showing him to be able to break the seals and reveal the future. This feature John introduces in the next chapter.Commentary on Revelation 5:8-14 by Foy E. Wallace4. “ The four creatures (beings), the four and and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints”—Revelation 5:8. Because he was the One who was “ able to open the book” and to Him complete and united homage was due; not one creature (being), nor one elder, but the four of the one group, and the twenty-four of the other, representing complete and united worship and adoration: having every one of them harps and golden bowls (vials) full of odors, which are the prayers of the saints. 5. “ Having every one of them harps"—Revelation 5:8. The harp was not an instrument of mourning, but of rejoicing. In Israel’ s captivity the harps were hung on the willows (Psalms 137:2) in representation of Israel’ s sorrow. The symbol here is not that of sorrow in the calamities to come, but of rejoicing in the triumph of their deliverance, by the Lion that “ hath prevailed,” and who would lead them through all the scenes of conflict enclosed in the book, which was now about to be disclosed by him, in scenes of the ultimate eventual victory of the unfolding experiences. 6. “ And golden vials full of odors”—Revelation 5:8. The vial, or censer, was a vessel used in altar service to contain the fire with which incense was burned, the perpetual fire from the altar of burnt offerings. It sometimes stands for the altar itself as in Hebrews 13:10 : “ We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.” Its use for common purposes was positively forbidden, and no other composition or preparation was acceptable, either of fire or of incense than that which was prescribed. (2 Chronicles 26:16-21; Leviticus 10:1-4) 7. “ The prayers of saints"— Rev Revelation 5:8. The incense was symbolic of intercession, typical of the intercession of Christ for his saints. Here it is designated to be the prayers of saints because the saints in tribulation were imploring the intercession of the Lamb. In Revelation 8:3, the incense was “ added to the prayers of the saints,” which signified the meritsof the death of Christ, and which extended and amplified the symbol of intercession. The altar stood for that upon which sacrifice was offered as mentioned in 1 Kings 13:1-34; 1 Kings 18:30, and it was appropriated exclusively in the offering of sacrifices for sin on behalf of the one who had offended the law. It symbolized Christ as the Christian’ s only sacrifice, and there is no need for any other altar. It is upon his altar that spiritual offerings are now made (Hebrews 13:10) and to him all true worship ascends (Hebrews 13:15). This vision of Revelation is based on the typical significance of the sacrificial offerings of the Old Testament, which not only reminded the people of sin and the need of expiation, but prefigured the atonement of Christ doctrinally envisioned in Isaiah 53:10, and mentioned in 1 Peter 2:24, as having been accomplished. 8. “ They sang a new song, saying, thou wast slain . . . and hast redeemed us to God . . . out of every kindred, people, nation”—Revelation 5:9. The new song was the theme of redemption from sin by the blood of the Lamb, in contrast with redemption of Old Testament Israel from the physical servitude of the song by the sea. “ Redeemed to God” signified the restoration and repossession of a forfeited state, a redemption by a blood price of an inheritance that was lost. “ Out of every kindred, tongue, people, nation.” The new Israel was not tribal or national but composed of all men of all nations, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. It was the sublime vision of the new people of God. (Hosea 1:10; Romans 9:25-26; 1 Peter 2:10) 9. “ And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth”—Revelation 5:10. Kings: This refers to the reign of Christ in the kingdom now present and existing--“ made us” --it was of past performance and establishment; not a future kingdom, but present. The church is the priesthood now (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 2:9), an analogy based on Exodus 19:6. The church sustains a kingly relation to Christ, and of it the members “ reign with Christ” ; hence, they are kings in royalty with him. (Romans 8:17) It is a reference to the state of the church under the gospel--under the spiritual government of Christ. (1 Timothy 6:15) The term “ king” signified a sovereign prince or ruler in a kingdom. (Proverbs 8:15) It is applied to God, the Supreme Ruler of the universe (Psalms 44:4); and to Jesus Christ, the King and Head of the church (Psalms 2:6; Psalms 45:1; Ephesians 4:5); and to all true Christians who as heirs, reign with him in life. (Romans 8:17; Romans 5:17; 2 Timothy 2:12) Priests: The church sustains a priestly relation to Christ, and its members participate in the offering of spiritual sacrifices. (Hebrews 13:15) The word priest is contracted from elder or presbyter, and was a general name for ministers of God’ s service. (Hebrews 10:11) In all scriptures it denotes one who offers sacrifice. It is applied to Jesus Christ in the highest office, who offered himself for the sins of all men. (Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 7:17; Hebrews 8:4; Heb_911-12) It applies to every true believer (Christian), who himself offers spiritual sacrifices. (Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 1:6) Under the law the priest was a person consecrated and ordained to teach the people, pray for them and offer sacrifices. (Leviticus 4:5-6) Christians perform all of these services and functions now in the new priesthood, the church. Reign: The word is variously used literally and figuratively. Commonly the word to reign means to rule, or to govern as a sovereign prince. (2 Samuel 5:4-5; Matthew 2:6) God reigns as absolute monarch, he governs and disposes of all things in heaven and earth. (Psalms 93:1); Christ reigns in this dispensation in his kingdom, the church (Luke 1:33; Matthew 2:6; Romans 15:12; 1 Corinthians 15:24-25); Death reigned from Adam to Moses, Romans 5:15 --that is, prevailed, held sway, dominion; Sin reigns, when the motions of sin are obeyed, as one obeys the law or command of a king, when it exercises an absolute uncontrolled power over the soul (Romans 6:12); Grace reigns through righteousness, prevails through the gospel to abolish the rule and dominion of sin, as we are governed by what it teaches (Romans 5:21; Titus 2:11-12); and Christians reign in righteous living with Christ (Romans 5:17). All who receive grace in gift of righteousness (forgiveness in Christ), and partake of the spiritual life, whereby sin is conquered, reign with apostles in conforming to their teaching and example; and reign with Christ as in the sufferings with him in the death to sin and partaking of his suffering (2 Timothy 2:12) We shall reign: Literally rendered the passage reads are reigning--referring in the Revelation context to their continuing conquests in the trials that were present. What the four creatures and twenty-four elders were chanting in unison, as a complete representative company, was the prospect of a glorious triumph over their oppressors. It symbolized a reign of victory, a symbol that the oppressions to be revealed in the seals could not consume them; the wrath of monarchs could not destroy them; nor the power of kings and emperors defeat them. They would survive; they would live; they would reign on the earth, not in future glory, but reign there and then as conquerers and overcomers in an undefeated, triumphant cause. The church was symbolized as being complete and imperishable in conflict with their heathen oppressors.Commentary on Revelation 5:8-14 by Walter Scott THE LIVING ONES AND ELDERS THE NEW SONG Revelation 5:8-10 "And when He took the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, having each a harp and golden bowls full of incenses, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sing a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open its seals, because Thou hast been slain, and hast redeemed to God by Thy blood out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and made them to our God kings and priests, and they shall reign over the earth." In the previous chapter Jehovah in the greatness and eternity of His Being, as also in His relation to all creation as its Lord, its Sustainer, and Creator, evokes the profound worship of the living ones and elders. No angels are mentioned as taking part in the worship. But here we have as the center of Heaven's worship THE SLAIN LAMB, and accordingly all creation is stirred to its depths. There are additional features of heart interest, added grounds and reasons of worship, not found when Jehovah, as such, is in view. The slain Lamb brings before us the holy Sufferer of earth given up to insult and wrong, rejected and crucified, uttering no word of reproach, nor exercising power on His own behalf save the passive might to suffer. Now all is blessedly changed. The Lamb once stood in the midst of the ribald band (Matthew 27:27-31) silent, meek, unresisting, alone in holiness, in calm dignity, enduring to the utmost the mean and cruel contempt of the ferocious men around Him, who rained their blows on His defenseless head, bowed before Him the mocking knee, covered Him with their disgusting spittle, crowned and pierced Him with the prickly thorn, thrust a reed into His bound hands, stripped Him, and with blow and taunt indulged their vile and depraved nature. Silent and patient in His agony He stood in the midst. Now the self-same Lamb bearing in His Person the marks of His passion is here seen as the object of Heaven's worship. No voice is, nor can be, silent when the slain Lamb appears. Here the living ones unite with the elders in profound prostration before the Lamb. Observe, too, the moment and occasion. How fitting! "When He took the book" they "fell before the Lamb." That supreme moment to which the ways of God all tend, for which creation groans, Israel yearns, and saints hope and pray, has come. Its first action is the transference of the reins of government to the slain Lamb. The kingdom is to be mediatorial in character. The sceptre will be wielded by Christ in association with His heavenly saints, here represented by the eiders, and with other redeemed but martyred companies subsequently translated. Revelation 5:8 "Having each a harp and golden bowls" applies to the elders, not to the living ones. These latter are of the executive government of God, and as that government is to be administered by Christ, the slain Lamb, they own His right and title to universal dominion. The living ones and elders worship Jehovah in Revelation 4:1-11, they equally worship the Lamb in Revelation 5:1-14. What does this prove but that the Son is equal with the Father, and that whatever added glories He acquired by incarnation and atonement, yet He, the Son, is God, and as such entitled to the worship of every created being. Revelation 5:8 "A harp." In earth's millennial praise various musical instruments are named (Psalms 149:1-9; Psalms 150:1-6). But the choral praise of the heavenly hosts is represented by the harp only. The harp and song correspond as in that of the martyred company of Judah (Revelation 15:2). In the direct praise and worship of Jehovah of old the harp seems more frequently employed than any other musical instrument, owing to its rare combination of solemn, grand notes with soft and tender strains under the hand of a skillful player (Isaiah 24:8; Psalms 33:2; Psalms 43:4; 1 Chronicles 25:6). Song and harp are generally named together. Revelation 5:8 "Golden bowls ("A broad open vessel or basin;" see useful footnote, p. 158, "Lectures on the Book of Revelation," by William Kelly.) full of incenses, which are the prayers of the saints." Priestly praise (the harp) and service (the bowls) are here united. In 2 Chronicles 3:1-17; 2 Chronicles 4:1-22, the temple and its holy vessels prefigure the millennial scene in some of its highest aspects. What the gold basins were in the temple (2 Chronicles 4:22), such with their own characteristic differences are the golden bowls in the hands of the heavenly saints. "Golden bowls" mark their value and attest the high and holy service for which they are used. "Full of incenses." ("I have ventured to make a plural to suit the original, which implies a variety of sweet odors." -- Hooper. See also "New Translation.") It is not one perfume, but many. The fragrance is full and diversified. The "incenses are the prayers of the saints." Prayer on earth is incense in Heaven. We sometimes deem our prayers as worthless. Ah! it is not so. God in His own inimitable way and rich grace values our cries and intercessions, and they ascend to Him as incense. But who are the praying company of saints in whom the heavenly priesthood are so deeply interested? The central part of the book clearly enough points to the existence of a witnessing company on earth during the course of the apocalyptic judgments, a company saved from amongst Jews and Gentiles (Revelation 11:3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:7-10). These holy sufferers under the apostate civil power (the Beast), and under the religious apostate power (the Antichrist), will have the rage of Satan let loose upon them working through his chiefs on earth. All suffer in the awful week of seven years (Daniel 9:27) preceding the millennial dawn. Many are martyred, and thus have a heavenly place and portion assigned them; others survive and form the nucleus of the millennial inhabitants who will joy in the public advent and righteous reign of Christ, Lamb of God, and Son of Man. The prayers of these saints are incense. (Many writers on the Apocalypse contend that the harp and bowls of incense signify the praise and prayers of the redeemed in Heaven. The former is true, but certainly not the latter. Prayer as the expression of need would be out of place in Heaven. It is idle to cite Revelation 6:9 to the contrary. "Under the altar" and a waiting the resurrection of the body is not the same as raised and glorified in Heaven and beyond need as the elders undoubtedly are.) But carefully note that the elders neither act as mediators nor intercessors. They do not present these supplications to God, nor add by mediation to their value. The elders in Heaven are the brethren of those holy sufferers on earth. Strange, therefore, that they should not be interested in the struggles and conflicts here in which they formerly had their part. But theirs, while deeply sympathetic, is a passive attitude. The angel-priest who adds incense to the prayers of the saints is no created being (Revelation 8:3-4); Christ, and He alone, is competent to do this. He alone is the Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5) and Intercessor (Romans 8:34). One Mediator, Who is "the Man Christ Jesus." Two Intercessors, Christ in Heaven, and the Holy Spirit in us now. Revelation 5:9. "They (the elders) sing a new song." There is no song recorded in the book of Genesis. The patriarchs were men of deep thought and of serious, not joyous mind. The first song on earth of which we have any account is narrated in Exodus 15:1-27. The deliverance which had been wrought for Israel (Exodus 14:1-31) formed the ground and material for both song (Exodus 15:1-19) and refrain (v. 21). The old song is God celebrated in creation glory (Job 38:7). The song in our text is termed "new" because of its theme, redemption, not typically, but actually accomplished; "new" because sung in Heaven on the eve of the full burst of millennial joy. We may observe that there is no song in Revelation 4:1-11, nor is it said in Scripture that angels sing. The song of Moses and the song of the Lamb (Revelation 15:3) unite to celebrate God's past ways with Israel and His present grace in and through the Lamb. "The song over creation must give place, in compass and melody, to the song over the triumphs of Jesus" (J. G. B.), and this is the new song which has as its burden and theme the conquering Lamb of God; a song which embraces the past and the future, the cross and the kingdom. Grand as the song of Israel was when sung on the eastern bank of the Red Sea, this in its character and occasion is incomparably greater. The redeemed sing of Him and to Him. Revelation 5:9 "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open its seals." It is remarkable how the introduction of the Lamb shuts out all else. In that character which presents Him as slain He absorbs the attention of Heaven. Where is the Lion of the tribe of Judah? The Lion gives place to the Lamb. Under the former title, which is one of might and power, He will defend the cause of His oppressed people of Israel, and in His career of victory He rests not till the triumph of that people is secured. But that title of assertive power is meantime in abeyance, and the Lamb is all the glory in Heaven and earth. Of course the power of the Lion and the grace of the Lamb center in Jesus. Here the Lamb is personally addressed in song. His worthiness to disclose and to execute the counsels of God are celebrated. Next, the ground of the Lamb's worthiness to carry out the purposes of God into full and glorious result is stated. Revelation 5:9 "Because Thou hast been slain and hast redeemed to God by Thy blood out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation." As the Lion of the tribe of Judah He acts in power, but as the Lamb He was slain. Here the accomplishment of God's counsels of grace and glory is traced to the cross as the basis. "Because Thou hast been SLAIN." Without the cross, Christ would have entered into spheres of glory alone; without it there could have been no redemption for sinners. The cross is the grandest counsel of eternity and the grandest fact of time. It is the immovable basis on which rests the blessing of Israel and creation, as also the glory of the Church and of saints in the heavens. The redemption of the race is a figment of the theological brain, and absolutely destitute of scriptural authority. Do Philippians 2:10-11; Colossians 1:20; Acts 3:21 lend the slightest support to the notion that all things, persons, and demons shall be redeemed, or restored to their pristine condition? We emphatically answer, "No!" Philippians 2:10-11 asserts the subjection of the universe to Christ, but subjection is not redemption. Colossians 1:20 limits the reconciliation of all things (not persons) in Heaven and earth, the under world being exempted. Acts 3:21 refers to the fulness of millennial blessing, the testimony of prophecy. But instead of proclaiming the redemption of all men, the prophets of old expressly refute it (Daniel 12:2; Isaiah 66:24). What, too, of the solemn testimony of the Seer of Patmos? (Revelation 19:19-20; Revelation 20:7-15). There is no redemption of the race, but of persons out of it, and this distinction is quite in accord with the ancient testimony of Moses in Psalms 90:3. "Thou turnest man (the race) to destruction, and sayest, Return, ye children of men" (individuals). Purchase is universal, and intimates a change of ownership. Redemption is special, and refers to a change of state. "Redeemed to God," then we are His. Not only so, but, writes the apostle, "We also joy in God" (Romans 5:11), the highest moral state compatible with creaturehood. At what an infinite cost has our blessing been secured! "By blood." The past redemption of Israel was effected by power (Exodus 15:13; Psalms 106:10); the redemption of sinners out of the race is by blood (1 Peter 1:18; Romans 3:24). The distribution of the human family is under its usual and well-known significant factor four, i.e., tribes, tongues, peoples, and nations. Out of these God gathers and redeems a people for Himself. Revelation 5:10 "And made them to our God kings and priests, and they shall reign over the earth." The pronouns "them" and "they," instead of as in the Authorised Version "us " and "we," mark an important distinction in the interpretation of this important passage. The elders do not sing of their own redemption, but that of a people on earth. Their priestly service was on behalf of others, so here their song is of the redeemed then on earth. They sing and celebrate the blessing of others, not their own. How unselfish! How unjealous! How intense the interest in God's work of grace in the earth during the interesting interval between the Translation (1 Thessalonians 4:17) and the Advent of the Lord in power (Revelation 19:11-14). The redeemed in Heaven delight to declare the blessing of the redeemed on earth. "Made them to our God kings and priests," royal dignity and priestly nearness. "They shall reign over the earth." Jerusalem will become the capital seat of government on earth during the blessed coming era (Jeremiah 3:17), and the Jewish people, then all saved, take the headship of the nations (Ezekiel 48:15-35; Isaiah 52:1-10; Psalms 47:1-9). But the heavenly saints shall reign "over," not on, the earth. The kingdom of the Father and the kingdom of the Son (Matthew 13:41; Matthew 13:43) intimate respective spheres of blessing. All saints who die, along with those changed at the Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52), reign over the earth in blessed association with Christ. They are not subjects of the kingdom; they are kings, and are in full number presented as about to assume royal functions in Revelation 20:4. Our reign as to its character takes its pattern from His, the union of royal authority and priestly grace (see Zechariah 6:13, "He shall be a priest upon His throne"). Revelation 5:11-14THE OF THE LAMB. THE IN PRAISE TO GOD AND TO THE LAMB. Revelation 5:11-14 "And I saw, and I heard (the) voice of many angels around the throne, and the living creatures and the elders; and their number was ten thousands of ten thousands and thousands of thousands: saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that has been slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in the Heaven, and upon the earth, and under the earth, and (those that are) upon the sea, and all things in them, heard I saying, To Him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb, blessing, and honour, and glory, and might to the ages of ages. And the four living creatures said, Amen: and the elders fell down and did homage." "I saw" and "I heard" are expressions which denote the rapt attention of the Seer.(* The former, i.e., "I saw," occurs forty-four times; the latter, i.e., "I heard." twenty-seven times. They are found in conjunction in the closing section of the book. In the fifth and last mention of John as the writer of the Apocalypse he twice assures us that he "saw these things and heard them" (Revelation 22:8). The testimony of the apostle to the fact that these visions were actually seen and the various voices and sounds actually heard is personal and decisive.) The introduction of angels into the heavenly scene and the place which they occupy is of profound interest. They announced the birth of Jesus and praised God in words of never-dying fame (Luke 2:8-14); an angel ministered to Him in the gloomy garden as the dark shadow of the cross and agony rested on His spirit (Luke 22:43); two angels witnessed to His resurrection (John 20:12-13); and two also testified of His ascension (Acts 1:10-11). When He re-entered His heavenly home, then was made good that article of the Christian faith "seen of angels" (1 Timothy 3:16). The whole system of Christianity is a matter of inquiry and interest to the heavenly hosts (1 Peter 1:12). They delight to serve the heirs of salvation now (Hebrews 1:14), even as it will be their joy to serve them in glory (Revelation 21:12). They accompany the Lord in innumerable hosts in His triumphal entry into this world (Matthew 25:31; Hebrews 1:6). It is not predicated of angels that they love or are loved. In the center stands the slain Lamb, around the throne the living ones and the redeemed, while the outer circle is formed of angels whose numbers are beyond human computation (see Daniel 7:10).(In the relation of the numbers by the Seer and Prophet the order observed is not the same. John first names the larger number. Daniel first mentions the smaller number. But substantially there is no difference.) In the response of the angelic hosts to the song of the redeemed they say, whereas the elders sing. There is more than a verbal difference in this, for while angels know the Lamb they cannot say "He was slain for us." We know Him in a deeper, fuller, more personal way than do angels. He died for us, not for them; hence the difference, we sing, they say. Angels are never said to sing. Observe, too, that the elders in their song directly address the Lamb, whereas the angels, in keeping with their place and service, adopt a more distant form of address. The former sing to Him, the latter speak of Him. The full burst of praise from the angelic hosts is grand. The symphony is unmarred by one discordant note. They ascribe to Him the fullest number (seven) of attributes, ("Power" is first named because the circumstances call for its immediate exercise. "Power" in its widest and most comprehensive character is ascribed to Him. "Riches," the wealth of the universe, physical and moral, is His due. "Wisdom," as seen in all the ways and works of God next follows in the list. "Strength" is that quality which enables one to execute what the will determines to be done. "Honor" implies that every mark of public distinction is worthy to be conferred on the Lamb. "Glory" refers to public and moral display, of which the Lamb is deemed alone worthy. "Blessing," every form and character of blessedness or happiness is here ascribed to the Lamb.) as they also do in Revelation 7:12; in the former, however, the slain Lamb is the burden of their testimony, whereas in the latter it is "our God," the God of angels and of men. The order in which the attributes are named in the two respective angelic strains differs. There are also other minor points worth noting in these ascriptions of praise. The seven terms denote the highest and most perfect expression which a creature can offer. They embody the full and perfect praise of the most exalted of God's creatures. But the full tide of praise is not yet exhausted. It rolls on, gathering force and volume, till the whole universe is embraced. "Every creature which is in the Heaven, and upon the earth, and under the earth, and (those that are) upon the sea, and all things in them," the vast universe of God in all its parts. Jehovah on His throne and the Lamb are the objects of universal adoration. The fourfold ascription of praise, "blessing, and honour, and glory, and might," marks the universality of this spontaneous burst of worship. The praise is never ceasing, "to the ages of ages."The living creatures add their "Amen," whilst the elders again "fell down and did homage." In drawing our comments to a close on this peculiarly precious page of divine revelation we would observe that the song and its accompanying responses are anticipative. Millennial and eternal themes are celebrated and spoken of as accomplished. The past tense is generally employed. The slain Lamb is the object round which all are grouped. In the person of the Lamb we have the firm guarantee for the glorious display of all God's counsels. Hence, ere the work is performed, faith exultingly cries, "It is done."Important Emendations in Revelation 4:1-11; Revelation 5:1-14. Authorized Version Vs. Corrected Text Revelation 4:1, "After this." "After these things." Revelation 4:1, "Hereafter." "After these things." Revelation 4:4, "Four and twenty seats." "Four and twenty thrones." Revelation 4:6 etc., "Four beasts," "Four living creatures." Revelation 4:9-10, "Ever and ever." "Ages of ages." Revelation 5:6; Revelation 5:8; Revelation 5:11; Revelation 5:14, "Four beasts." "Four living creatures." Revelation 5:8, "Golden vials full of odours." "Golden bowls full of incenses." Revelation 5:9, "Redeemed us to God." "Redeemed to God." Revelation 5:10, "Made us." "Made them." Revelation 5:10, "We shall reign." "They shall reign." Revelation 5:10, "On the earth." ” "Over the earth." Revelation 5:12, "Power." "The Power." Revelation 5:13-14, "Ever and ever." ” "Ages of ages." Delete in verse 14 the words "that liveth for ever and ever" (see the "Revised" and other critical helps). Commentary on Revelation 5:8-14 by Burton CoffmanRev_5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.As Morris said, "Worship is reserved only for God (Revelation 22:9); that the Lamb is worshipped is evidence of his full divinity."[33] This verse has a very important bearing upon the mediatorial office of Christ, as revealed in the New Testament. Bruce was of the opinion that "the elders perform priestly functions in heaven";[34] but such a view must be rejected. That view became popular early in post-apostolic times; and from it, in time, developed the conception of the Virgin Mary as a heavenly mediator; but nothing like this is known to the New Testament. Barclay traced this superstition back to the Testament of Dan (6:2), which reads, "Draw near unto God and to the angel that intercedeth for you, for he is a mediator between God and man."[35] However, as Barclay proceeded to point out: That is exactly the feeling that Jesus Christ came to take away, for He came to tell us that God is closer to us than breathing, nearer than hands and feet. He came to be the living way by which for every man, however humble, the door to God is open.[36]That such is indeed true is not possible of any contradiction, because, as Paul expressed it: There is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all; the testimony to be borne in its own times (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Thus, we must not look for any priestly service, nor any mediatorial function whatever, being performed by those four and twenty elders in heaven. As a matter of fact, they were not offering any prayers at all in the vision. As Barnes pointed out, "It is not said that they offered prayers, but incense representing the prayers of the saints."[37] The incense they offered in this vision stands for the prayers of actual living saints on earth at the time, which is further proof that these twenty-four elders are to be understood as representing the universal church on earth. What the elders were doing in heaven only portrays symbolically the true significance of the prayers of Christians on earth. Having each one a harp ... This also is grossly misunderstood as some kind of support for the proponents of instrumental music in the worship of Christ; but the harp here is purely symbolical, not of mechanical instruments of music, but of singing, an action in which the heavenly host immediately engaged. As Hinds expressed it, "From any viewpoint, the pas sage absolutely excludes the mechanical instrument."[38]The triumphal enthronement of the Son of God in this chapter no sooner takes place, Christ having accepted the office of King of the Universe, "than there is a great burst of triumph and exuberant joy in three doxologies."[39] See next verses. [33] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 98. [34] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 643. [35] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 220. [36] Ibid. [37] Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1961), p. 127. [38] John T. Hinds, op. cit., p. 80. [39] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 111. Revelation 5:9 And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation,The glorious outburst in heaven extolled the triumphant death of Christ on the cross, that being where the purchase of a people from all classes and kindreds was actually paid. Very clearly, it is not some far-off millennial morning which is in view here but the scenes of Calvary, the garden of Gethsemane, and the post-resurrection meeting with the apostles in the upper room. They sing a new song ... This is the new song of redemption in Jesus' blessed name, the "new song" prophesied by Isaiah 42:10. In this connection, it is proper to note that "forgiveness of sins" is the newest thing on the planet earth, being never before possible until the death of Jesus on the cross. See extensive discussion of this in my book entitled "The Mystery of Redemption." Christianity is the truly new thing. In it are the new creation, the new name, the new song, the new heaven and the new earth, the new birth, the new life in Christ, etc. Strangely enough, the widespread references in sermonic literature to the "song" which the angels sang the night Jesus was born find their only corroboration in what is written here. This passage says "they sang a new song," introducing it by "saying." It is plain that this verb is consistent with song as well as speech?[40]Purchase with thy blood ... The conception of the church as a possession, bought by the blood of Christ, is everywhere in the New Testament. "Ye are not your own; ye are bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). "The church which he purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28), etc. Of every tribe ... tongue ... people ... nation ... The universal characteristic of the church is stressed by this. It is the church of our Lord Jesus Christ that actually concerns every man ever born on earth. ENDNOTE: [40] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 100. Revelation 5:10and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon the earth.This is a disputed text, there being even some question of the translation; but despite this, the meaning comes through with absolute clarity. The saints of Jesus Christ, the Christians of all tribes and nations, are now reigning upon the earth with Jesus Christ. Some people do not wish to believe this, but the dogmatic power of this verse refutes the unbelievers. The Christians in this current dispensation reign with Christ. Their reign is exactly in the same sense as that of the apostles "reigning with Christ" (Matthew 19:28), a reign which Jesus Christ himself affirmed would occur during "the times of the regeneration"; that is, the "times of the new birth," meaning the current gospel age. Now, for some of the problems. The KJV renders this passage: "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth." There are two significant changes in the ASV. "Us" is changed to "they," and "we shall reign" is changed to "they reign." We shall take the first change first. That the "us" here means Christians of the present times is obvious, and since that is the true meaning of the passage, no matter how it is translated, the KJV should be retained. We do not suppose that modern scholarship is any better qualified to solve this than the KJV translators. Furthermore, their translation (1611) is further corroborated and confirmed by the Sinaiticus manuscript, discovered in 1859. Bruce and Seiss both confirm this;[41] and Seiss elaborated his opinion thus: Some critics and expositors have rejected this (us), for the reason that it is omitted in Codex Alexandrinus and from the Ethiopic version; though the latter is not much more than a loose paraphrase. The Codex Sinaiticus is of equal value and authority with the Alexandrinus, and it has it. So also do the Codex Basilanus (in the Vatican), the Latin, Coptic (Memphitic), and Armenian, and all other manuscripts and versions. We regard it (the "us") as indubitably genuine.[42]This writer does not pretend to be able to resolve this question, but certainly there must be some basis for the supposition that the KJV may indeed be correct in this instance. The other problem regards the tense: "We shall reign" (KJV) vs. "they reign." Here the later translations are obviously correct, because that is what the passage means. Even if "shall reign" is read here, it means, "they shall continue to reign, as at the present time." "The context seems to demand the present tense";[43] but even if the future tense is what John wrote, "it would refer to the future immediately subsequent to the appointment of each king and priest."[44] Wallace also agreed to this thus, "We shall reign, literally rendered is are reigning, referring in the Revelation context to their continuing conquests in the trials that were present."[45] As Caird summed it up: Any suggestion that the reign of the Christians belongs to an ultimate future is beside the point, since we have now been twice told that they are already kings and priests.[46]The apostle Peter spoke convincingly of this in the first epistle (1 Peter 2:9), where he called Christians a "royal priesthood," which is exactly what is affirmed here, adding that they are now offering up "spiritual sacrifices" to God, thus also "reigning" with Christ. THE EARTHLY KINGDOM VIRUSThe first and greatest mistake ancient Israel ever made was rejecting the theocratic government of God and demanding a king like the nations around them (1 Samuel 8); and this mistake was likewise their last, for it blinded them against the coming of their hoped-for Messiah. At the time of the First Advent, the Jewish nation, especially its leaders, wanted nothing either in heaven or upon earth as ardently as they wanted the restoration of their earthly monarchy, obliviously ignorant of the fact that a secular kingdom was contrary to God's will from the first. By the times of Jesus, their hopes of a Messiah had degenerated into a carnal malignant patriotism; and when they knew that Christ had no intention of organizing an army and chasing the Romans, they crucified him! People of our own times who long for some earthly, secular appearance of Christ to establish some kind of a literal kingdom on this earth are guilty of the same mistake as that of ancient Israel. Christ's kingdom is not of this world. It is a reign over the passions and appetites of the body, a reign over the lusts and vanities of the flesh, a spiritual reign of a people who, in a sense, are "called out" of the world with its secular value judgments. The very word "church" means "called out." Every line of the New Testament denies that Christ ever intended or that he ever plans to rule in any temporal sense on this earth. The church age is not to be followed by any so-called "kingdom age." The church is the kingdom; and the thousand years reign refers to the whole time between the First Advent and the Second Advent of Christ. Many people are not satisfied by the type of kingdom established by Christ, resulting in the projection of all kinds of bizarre and unscriptural notions regarding some "future" kingdom. If people can bear to hear it, the "kingdom" has already been in existence since the first Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ. The saints of the New Testament were baptized into that kingdom; and there is none other. [41] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 643. [42] J. A. Seiss, The Apocalypse Lectures on Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1900), pp. 103,104. [43] J. W. Roberts, The Revelation of John (Austin, Texas: R. B. Sweet Company, 1974), p. 62. [44] Ibid. [45] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., op. cit., p. 137. [46] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 77. Revelation 5:11 And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;These words introduce the great doxology which follows. Significantly, none are silent in the hosts of heaven, the praise and adoration of the Father and of the Son being unanimous, full, spontaneous, and overwhelmingly joyous. "Needless to say, the numbers are not to be taken literally; they are simply employed to express the countless throng of that innumerable company."[47] See Hebrews 12:22. Revelation 5:12saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing.It is hardly profitable to dwell upon each one of the seven "receivables" in this overwhelming doxology; because even they do not exhaust the worthiness of the Lamb; but rather, in there being seven of them (the number of perfection), they stand for the infinite perfection and worthiness of Jesus Christ our Lord. Practically all of the qualities mentioned in this doxology are ascribed to Jesus elsewhere in the New Testament. Saying with a great voice ... This passage being introduced with "saying" and a very similar passage being introduced as "singing" (Revelation 5:9) suggest that the angels' "saying," "Glory to God in the highest, etc.," (Luke 2:13-14) may also be understood as a song. Revelation 5:13 And every created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things that are in them, heard I saying, Unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the do minion, for ever and ever.In these great doxologies Revelation 5:9; Revelation 5:12-13, the first two are addressed to the Lamb, but in the last, the Father is also included. This linking of the Father and the Lamb continues throughout Revelation, in their aggregate, providing overwhelming evidence that in the early church Christ was honored in every way as fully God, co-reigning with the Father in heaven and upon earth. These magnificent passages show that there could not possibly be any subsequent honors or glories that Christ could be conceived of as possessing, which he does not already possess. This is one of the great facts of this marvelous prophecy. Many scholars have a tendency to tie in what is said here with the passage in Romans where Paul said, "the whole creation travaileth" (Romans 8:19-21), but that passage refers to people, not to animals. A different meaning is here; namely, that the lower creations, in their proper way, honor and praise God through their continuity as he directed them. Foy E. Wallace expressed the thought here thus: The whole creation in antiphonal response joined the symphony of praise "unto him that sitteth on the throne" - God, the Creator, and "unto the Lamb" - Christ the Saviour. As the host is enlarged to "every creature," the praise is expanded to include both the One on the throne, and the One in the midst of the throne - God and the Lamb.[48]This writer has attempted to express the idea of this verse poetically; and it is included in this series of commentaries, in Commentary on Galatians, p. 14. Revelation 5:14 And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and worshipped.Amen ... "This word confirms the preceding doxology, and is one of three ways in which the word 'Amen' is used in Revelation."[49] These are: a final "Amen" is used with no change of speaker (Revelation 1:6-7); the "Amen" as a name of God (Revelation 3:14); and the detached "Amen," as here. It is also used as both the beginning and the ending of a passage (Revelation 7:12). Moffatt's comment on this chapter is: By prefacing the struggle on earth (Revelation 6:1 f) with a vision of the brilliant authority and awe of heaven, the prophet suggests that all the movements of men on earth, as well as the physical catastrophes which overtake them, are first foreshadowed in heaven and consequently have a providential meaning.[50]The apostle Paul fully agreed with the things the apostle John indicated here; namely, that: God made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation (Acts 17:26). From the beginning to the end, all things are foreknown and foredetermined by the Father; and yet, mystery of mysteries, this does not conflict with the principle of the freedom of the human will. Before concluding the exciting and most profitable study of this magnificent chapter, it is not amiss to note that: In the antiphonal singing, in the Amen, and in the silent worship at the end, we not improbably have some reflection of the usages in the public worship of the Church at that time.[51]MERCY ON THE THRONEWe cannot leave this great chapter without stressing the fact of the Son of God's enthronement with the Father and the implications of it regarding the mercy it symbolizes. Weak and sinful mortals may contemplate the eternal righteousness and justice of the Almighty God and find but little comfort in the thought until the vast significance of what is revealed in this chapter is realized. Jesus Christ who walked on earth, hungered, grew weary, suffered, struggled with earth's problems, and at last died on the cross, that One, like ourselves, with the scarred hands and the pierced side, HE is on the Throne! He stands there, represented in this vision not in resplendent robes of glory but as a sacrifice for our sins. Mercy and forgiveness are in the control center of the universe. The God-man is reigning, but still a man, still loving those for whom he died. This incredible truth overshadows everything else in the Bible, being the unique fact that endows human life with cosmic meaning, sheds the light of hope in darkness, dispels the terror of the tomb, and supplies the only strength men have in their struggles with temptation. The Old Testament exhibited the Mercy Seat above the covenant and the Law, but the New Testament reveals Mercy on the Throne. The Old Testament worshipper remembered his sins, but the New Testament worshipper remembers Him whose blood cleanses us from all sin. The law of sin and death has been replaced by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. For the suffering and persecuted church of John's day, nothing could have provided for them anything more necessary and helpful than this precious vision of the Lamb on the Throne. [47] W. Boyd Carpenter, op. cit., p. 557. [48] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., op. cit., p. 140. [49] Ralph Earle, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 539. [50] James Moffatt, Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 388. [51] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 514.Commentary on Revelation 5:8-14 by Manly Luscombe8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. The 24 elders and four living creatures fall down and worship the lamb. They have harps and golden bowls full of incense. The incense represents the prayers of the saints. If the bowls are symbolic, the harps must be also. Bowls = prayers; harps = praise. (See Revelation 14:2) 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “ You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” They sang a “ new song” . New because this song could not be sung in the OT. It was not sung before the cross. This song praises the one who redeemed us. Every kindred, tongue, people and nation = Jesus redeemed all people of all ages. 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” We (Christians) are kings and priests on this earth. Christ is our king and we are reigning WITH Him (Revelation 20:4). We are a priesthood of believers. We do not go to a priest to communicate with God. We ARE the priests. (Revelation 1:6) 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. Angels surround the throne - around the 4 living creatures - around the 24 elders. They number 10 thousand times 10 thousand PLUS thousands of thousands. (See Hebrews 12:22) 12 saying with a loud voice: “ Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” The angels agree, “ The lamb is worthy to receive - 1. Power, 2. Riches, 3. Wisdom , 4. Strength, 5. Honor, 6. Glory, 7. Blessing. There are 7 qualities listed here - the number of perfection. 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “ Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Around the angelic host are all humanity. Every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea. All humanity - worship and praise God and the Lamb. There is a sigh of relief. There is a “ Hallelujah” from all humanity. Now we can learn what God has in store for His people.14 Then the four living creatures said, “ Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever. The 4 living creatures and the 24 elders joined in the worship. Sermon on Revelation 5:7-14 Worthy Is The Lamb Brent Kercheville The cry has gone throughout heaven and earth looking for the one who is worthy to open the scroll. John looks and sees the Lamb standing, as though it had been slain. We noted in our last lesson that this shows the way the Lion of the tribe of Judah would conquer. The Christ will not conquer by physical force or military might but through his sacrificial death on the cross. The Lamb (Revelation 5:6-8) The Lamb has many unique characteristics that we need to observe. First, the Lamb has seven horns. We will notice throughout the book of Revelation that the number seven represents completeness and perfection. A horn on one’ s head represents power and strength, like an animal that has horns on its head shows power (cf. Daniel 7:7; Daniel 7:20). Christ is the Lamb that was slain, but he is seen with perfect power and strength. This is not a defenseless lamb. This is not a weak lamb. This lamb has complete, sovereign power. Further, the Lamb has seven eyes. John tells us the meaning of the seven eyes, “ which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” This is the third time we have read about the seven spirits of God. Revelation 1:4 and Revelation 4:5 are the other places where the book also refers to the seven spirits of God. In our previous studies in mentioned that we would wait until Revelation 5:6 before we fully explored the meaning of this symbol. “ The seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth” comes from Zechariah 4:10.Zechariah 4:10 says, “ These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.” The prophetic picture in Zechariah is the promise that God would accomplish the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The word of the Lord tells Zerubbabel, who was the leader of the people of the first return from Babylonian captivity, that it would not be by physical might or power, but by God’ s Spirit that these things would be accomplished. God sees all that is happening (hence the seven eyes representing perfect knowledge and perfect sight) and will accomplish his plans and purposes. Remember that the people were prevented from rebuilding the temple when they first returned. Thus, the temple of the Lord remained desolate. God is declaring in this prophecy that he sees all that is going on in the earth. God knew that their plans of rebuilding had been frustrated. But God had decreed for the temple to be rebuilt and therefore it will be rebuilt by the power of God’ s Spirit. Bring this meaning into Revelation 5. God knows and sees all that is happening on the earth. God knows their persecution and suffering. However, God’ s plans will not be thwarted. The Lamb will rule. The Lamb will conquer. God’ s Spirit is at work and God will fulfill his promises and prophecies. The Lamb is the instrument through which all of God’ s plans will be fulfilled. In Revelation 5:7 we read the Lamb takes the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. When he took the scroll, look at what happens. The four living creatures and the 24 elders fall down before the Lamb. Remember in chapter 4 that the four living creatures and the 24 elders were worshiping the one who sits on the throne. The 24 elders were falling down before God as he sits on the throne. Now the four living creatures and the 24 elders are falling down and worshiping the Lamb. The point is simple yet powerful. The Lamb is divine. The Lamb is God. The Lamb is worthy of worship. We are shown one other interesting aspect concerning the 24 elders. Revelation 5:7 tells us that the 24 elders are holding a harp and the golden bowls of incense. John tells us the golden bowls of incense represent the prayers of the saints. We see prayer pictured as the smoke of the incense rise up to God in Psalms 141:2 and Luke 1:9-10. The saints are not special people, as sometimes thought of by those in religion. Rather, in scripture the saints is a shorthand way of speaking about God’ s people who have been set apart and made holy. A beautiful picture is placed before us. The prayers of God’ s people rise up to the throne room of God and the Lamb. Application: Have you ever wondered if there is value in prayer? Have you ever thought that praying seems like talking to one’ s self? Perhaps you have wondered if anyone hears your prayers. Revelation 5 shows us definitively that prayer reaches the very throne room of God. God hears your words. God sees and knows all that is going on throughout the earth. Even still, God hears your prayers. Worthy Is The Lamb (Revelation 5:9-10) At the beginning of Revelation 5, a cry went out from the strong angel, “ Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” The answer comes in song in verse 9. The 24 elders are singing a new song concerning the Lamb. In the Old Testament, a “ new song” is an expression of praise for God’ s victory over the enemies. In Isaiah 42:10 we read about singing to the Lord a new song. The praise concerns how the Lord had restrained himself but now will cry out, act, and judge (Isaiah 42:14-17). I believe the point in Isaiah is the same point in Revelation. God has restrained himself from acting. The new song reveals that God is now going to act and judge. What are the words of the song? “ You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals.” Why is the Lamb worthy to take the scroll and open the seals? The song goes on to explain the Lamb’ s worthiness. The Lamb is worthy because he was slain. It is not simply that he died. Rather, the meaning of his death is what is in view. Through the death of the Lamb he has ransomed people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation. The word “ ransom” means to acquire something by paying a price. By the blood of the Lamb he bought the people for God. His death bought us. The cross is the single defining act that makes us possible for us to be God’ s people. We were lost. Jesus bought us. The cross is the Lamb’ s act of victory. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Colossians 2:13-15 ESV) Notice that the victory is not only over our sins. Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities. He triumphed over them through the cross. The Lamb is worthy to open the scroll and reveal its contents because the cross shows victory. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 6:1-2 PART THIRD OPENING OF THE SEALED BOOK Revelation 6:1 to Revelation 11:18 SECTION ONE OF FIRST FOUR SEALS Revelation 6:1-8 NOTES 1. Since Revelation 1:1 declares the book to be a revelation of things which "must shortly come to pass," there can be no doubt that it was intended to disclose events that were to happen in the future from the time John saw the visions. But we have already learned that the first five chapters contain words and visions that prepare for the opening of the real revelation. This begins with the sixth chapter. This part of the book should be approached with extreme caution for two reasons: (1) Because the many and conflicting views presented by commentators indicate how easily mistakes can be made, for it is certainly all of them cannot be correct. (2) John describes the visions in sublime and symbolic language. He names neither places, nor persons, nor periods in definite and plain terms. He leaves the reader to make the application, if such be possible. That these pictures in heaven are intended to represent things that would happen on earth must be true to make the book of any value to "his servants" for whom it was written; otherwise it would impart no useful information. The difficulty is in deciding the time, place, and persons that fit in the picture that John describes. 2. No history or prophecy regarding God's people has been written without references to contemporary peoples with whom they come in contact. This is abundantly evident from the Old Testament books, and the historical books of the New Testament. It is wholly incredible that the prophecies of Revelation, though presented in the form of moving pictures, should not include their enemies at whose hands they were destined to suffer so much. No interpretation has any chance of being correct that fails to include that fact. We know that the church was established within the Roman Empire and that no political power ever influenced it more effectively. Papal Rome--the great apostasy--was the most inveterate religious enemy the church ever had. Pagan Rome lasted for nearly five hundred years after the church was established, and papal Rome's iron rule continued more than twelve hundred years. That the opening of these seals should not include some or many of the church's struggles against these two enemy powers is seemingly impossible. What other powers could have been so well included? At the present time we stand more than eighteen hundred years this side of John's visions. History lays before us the events of these past centuries. Whether we are able certainly to locate the exact ones that the seals represent or not, we feel sure that some of them must describe things now in the past. That all the momentous events in these centuries that produced such terrible effects on the church should be passed over by all the pictures in Revelation is too utterly improbable to be accepted. Since pagan and papal Rome affected the church more than any other powers that have existed, a true explanation of the symbols of revelation must include them. The persecutions, the great apostasy, and the reformation must be a part of the imagery. 3. Great care should be observed in applying symbolic or figurative texts of scripture. False interpretations easily come from two sources: First, giving a literal meaning when the word or expression is plainly figurative. Examples: calling Christ a Lion or a Lamb, or representing animals as having a change of nature. (Isaiah 11:6-9.) Second, trying to make every word in a text figurative. When Jesus is said to be the Lamb of God that "taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), the word "Lamb" clearly is figurative, but the word "sin" is literal. Since words used figuratively and literally may be in the same scripture, we may misrepresent the text by failing to make the proper distinction. The following are clear examples: In Psalms 80:8 we read "Thou broughtest a vine out of Egypt: thou didst drive out the nations, and plantedst it." Here vine is clearly figurative, but Egypt and nations are both literal. Verse 11 says: "It sent out its branches unto the sea, and its shoots unto the River." Branches and shoots are figurative, but sea and River are literal. The former refers to the Mediterranean Sea and the latter to the Euphrates River. In Jeremiah 3:6 the word "harlot" is figurative ; "high mountain" and "green tree" are literal. Words used literally in a picture or symbol, when applied to the thing they represent, may have a natural or a spiritual meaning according to the nature of the case. In Isaiah 2:2-4 we have some figurative expressions and some plain ones that are to be taken in their natural sense. "The mountain" of Jehovah is figurative; "the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem" is literal. The words "servants" and "son" (Matthew 21:34-37) have the same meaning in both the parable and the application; the same is true with the word "avenge" (Luke 18:3; Luke 18:5; Luke 18:7). 1. THE FIRST SEAL OPENEDRev_6:1-2 1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come.--We should not forget that the scene John had been looking upon was in heaven. (4:1.) The Lamb ready to open the seal represents Christ, and the opening means that some symbolic pictures were to be disclosed to John so he could give a written description of them. What John saw here was the first picture that appeared as soon as the seal was broken. One of the living creatures said "Come." Some apply this to the horse and his rider mentioned in verse 2, meaning that they were summoned to appear before John. But it seems more natural to apply the word to John. No use to speculate how he could "Come" when he was on earth and the vision in heaven. He had been seeing the previous visions from earth. Perhaps nothing more was intended than a command to give earnest consideration to what he saw. If he were in some miraculous way mentally transported to heaven, the general truth would not be affected. The verse needs no further comment. 2 And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow and there was given unto him a crown and he came forth conquering, and to conquer.--Here we enter the field where speculation runs riot, and where a multitude of contradictory views are presented with equal confidence of correctness. Any new expositor may well begin his task with a fear of not being able to stand where so many have already fallen. These notes are written in harmony with the natural assumption that the seals represent things that were to transpire after John wrote. Since he was to be shown things which must "shortly come to pass," the conclusion that seems evident is that the first seal disclosed things that were to begin about the end of the first century. It is doubtless unnecessary to insist upon exact dates. Historically considered, periods of time often come in gradually and close the same way. If the leading events fall in a given period, we are probably correct in saying that is the time meant, though many details are not certainly known. This vision represents some kind of victorious work the language allows no other application. One class of commentators think it refers to Christ and the successful spread of his gospel in the first centuries of the Christian era; another class applies it to the Roman Empire in a successful period beginning about the time of John's writing. The history of the church for many centuries is so closely interwoven with that of Rome --pagan or papal--that any large view of one must necessarily include the other; hence, this vision would involve a period of Roman prosperity and church success, however applied. The general facts of both Rome and the church might be presented from either viewpoint. Moreover, it may be true that these composite symbols are intended to represent both Rome and the church during certain periods because of their interlocking influence upon each other. If so, the main point is to find the important thing that happened to each in the period meant. However, for reasons to be given, the view entertained here is, that the vision refers primarily to Rome, though greatly affecting the church The four words--white, horse, bow, and crown--all have some special significance or they would not have been mentioned by John in describing what he saw. Words are not always used in the same sense in every passage, but when the language or context fixes their meanings that must be accepted as final, regardless of the meanings in other texts. While the horse was used for other purposes, yet the scriptures clearly show he was used in war. The most magnificent representation of this is in Job 39:19-25. The same fact is found in Proverbs 21:31; Zechariah 10:3. The expression "conquering, and to conquer" shows that this vision pertains to war and determines the use made of the horse. The white color represents either purity or victory. (6:11; 7:15.) Roman generals who were victors are said to have entered the city in chariots drawn by white horses. The entire setting of this verse implies victory; hence, the word "white" must indicate triumph--successful war. The how anciently was used as an implement of war or for hunting. (Genesis 27:3; Genesis 48:22; Isaiah 7:24.) The entire setting of this vision shows that it indicates war here. The crown is not the royal diadem which indicates authority to reign, but the garland or chaplet (Greek stephanos) of victory bestowed upon those who triumph. Other passages where this word is used in the same sense are these:1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Timothy 2:5; 2 Timothy 4:8; Revelation 2:10. It was then a crown of honor to represent the victory gained. The text does not say when the rider wore the crown, but only that it was given to him. If worn before he went forth to conquer, it was to indicate by anticipation that he would be victorious. This, however, is a minor matter. The following considerations are offered for accepting the view that this vision primarily refers to Rome instead of the church, though the church is involved because affected by acts of the empire 1. In the first four visions horses appear. If the rider on the white horse refers to Christ, and the victories to the spreading of the gospel by the church, then the three following should also refer to the church with Christ riding the horse. The descriptions of them, however, will not harmonize with that view. Besides the rider of the fourth horse is said to be "Death." 2. Those who think Christ is represented by the rider of the white horse refer to Revelation 19:11-15 as meaning the same thing. There is no doubt about this passage referring to Christ, but the following will show that the passages are different: (1) The crowns in 19:11 are diadems, crowns of ruling authority; in 6:2 it is the crown of reward for victory. (2) In 19:15 the horseman smites with "a sharp sword"; and 6:2 he carries a "bow." (3) If a horse may signify war and the color white represents triumph, it could as well picture such warfare in the Roman Empire as warfare carried on by the church. (4) The passage in 19 is connected with the final overthrow of the church's enemies; the one in 6 is the first of future events to begin soon after John wrote. (5) It is not reasonable that Christ should, in the same symbol, be represented as a Lamb breaking the seals and also as the rider on the white horse. However considered, there is no reason for saying the rider must represent Christ. As the symbol undoubtedly signifies triumphant war, any successful war period, whether carnal or spiritual, would meet the demands of the language. The proper application must, therefore, depend on historical facts. Since Revelation 6:2 may refer to the Roman Empire, it is appropriate to ask if there was a period soon after John wrote which corresponds with the vision revealed in opening this seal. The description is given in a single verse of thirty-two English words. Evidently only the general features and outstanding events of the period are presented in this symbol. At the very outset in trying to find the things signified by these visions we should be reminded that they are composite pictures which John saw in heaven, but with the purpose of indicating things that would happen to the church and contemporary peoples. Beginning in the reign of Nero (A.D. 64), the church suffered several (some say ten) persecutions before the close of the third century. Since the vision clearly indicates aggressive and successful warfare, the persecutions are presumptive proof that it applies to Rome; for during the time of such intense persecutions the church must have grown mainly through fortitude in sufferings and martyrdom rather than open fighting for the truth. A few Christians comparatively had little chance against the powerful empire, its barbarian subjects, and the unbelieving Jews, all of whom were their enemies. Certainly not a very suitable situation to be represented by a conquering soldier. There was a second great persecution under Domitian, in which the apostle John was banished to Patmos. Domitian's death (A.D. 96) is considered a division point in Roman history. The period following (96-180) is described by historians as one of prosperity and military triumph for the Roman Empire. Gibbon in his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Vol. 1, chap. 1) calls it a "happy period" when five good emperors ruled--Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian. and the two Antonines Probably the man upon the white horse may refer only to the Roman emperors throughout the period, not to any one alone. Nerva was doubtless the best one of the five good emperors, but he ruled only two years. The symbol probably began to be fulfilled in the reign of Trajan, during which time there was another persecution against the church in Bithynia. But Trajan was especially noted for his extension of the empire by conquering other kingdoms. Gibbon (Vol. 1, P. 4) says the Caesars had done little to extend the country's borders during the first century of the Christian era. But he compares the military exploits of Trajan with Alexander the Great and says his success was "rapid and specious," and that "every day the astonished senate received intelligence of new names and new nations that acknowledged his sway." (Vol. 1, p. 7.) Beginning with Trajan's successes, we surely have a period that harmonizes with John's vision, and one that seems to have more in its favor than any other that has been suggested. Regarding this period Gibbon further speaks: "In the second century of the Christian era, the empire of Rome comprehended the fairest part of the earth, and the most civilized portion of mankind." (Vol. 1, p. 1.) Again: "If a man were called to fix the period in the history of the world, during which the condition of the human race was most happy and prosperous, he would, without hesitation, name that which elapsed from the death of Domitian to the accession of Cornmodus. The vast extent of the Roman Empire was governed by absolute power, under the guidance of virtue and wisdom." (Vol. 1, p. 95.) Such is Gibbon's description of the success of Roman arms and the internal peace of the empire during the period named. Paraphrasing a suggestion in Barnes' commentary, it may be said: If the angel of the Lord had designed to give a symbol that would be a perfect picture of that period of Roman prosperity, no better one could have been chosen; likewise, if Gibbon had purposely tried to show that the period of Roman history fulfilled the demands of the symbol, he could not have made a better comment on the text. Elliott (Vol. 1, pp. 139-146) has given an argument in full detail to show that the "bow" held by the rider is proof that the symbol should be applied to that prosperous period of the Roman Empire. This argument has been adopted or referred to by others. It carries a strong degree of probability, and, if true, is a very decisive factor in solving the problem. That the "bow" was a war implement is certain from many texts in the Old Testament, but the argument is based upon the fact that the sword and javelin were Roman emblems. The bow in the symbol would then introduce some singular feature. The five good emperors--Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and the Antonines--succeeded to the throne by the law of adoption, not by blood lineage. Historical proof (given by Elliott) seems to show that Nerva's ancestry came from the island of Crete, and that the Cretans were noted as bowmen; so much so that the bow was a national emblem. If so, the rider going forth with a bow instead of a sword could well represent the military successes of the five good emperors, chief and most successful of whom was Trajan as already noted; for Nerva, the originator of that line of rulers, was of Cretan origin. It is worthy of mention again that, though the symbol primarily refers to Rome's great military achievements in that period, the events affected the church with far-reaching consequences. Revelation 6:3-4 2. THE SECOND SEAL OPENEDRev_6:3-4 3 And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come.--The language here is substantially the same as that used to describe the opening of the first seal. See notes on verse 1.4 And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth,--Concerning see the horse notes on the significance of the term verse 2. The language of this seal indicates the same general idea as the first--it represents a period of war, though in some respects it is different in its results. If we were correct in the conclusion that the first symbol referred primarily to the Roman Empire, then this one should be applied in the same way. The reasoning on this point given under the first seal will apply here equally as well. The reader is referred to that. The word red would naturally suggest carnage--excessive bloodshed and disastrous war. This is confirmed by the expression "slay one another," found in the following verse. It is further confirmed by the words that the rider of the red horse was "to take peace from the earth." While the first seal indicated warfare, it was a successful period for the empire. Trajan's victories had extended Rome's borders and brought many weaker nations in subjection to its authority. It was a time of great prosperity and internal peace. The margin says "the peace" which implies that the peace they had was to be destroyed in the time indicated by the second seal. This conclusion is further sustained by the statement that peace was to be taken "from the earth." Since the symbol had to do with matters that would affect the church, and the church was scattered throughout the Roman Empire, the term "earth" meant that part of the world subject to Rome. and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.--This symbol represents internal strife; the fighting was to be among themselves. They were to kill each other. In this particular the warfare of this seal was very different from that of the first. To the rider here was given a great sword. This is the full and final proof that this seal refers to warfare. The rider of the white horse in Revelation 19:15 also had a sword, but it proceeded "out of his mouth," and could not therefore mean a literal sword, but his words. In the symbol of the second seal the great sword was "given unto him." This furnishes another reason why the rider in these seals does not referto Christ. It is again suggested that the rider of the horse need not refer to any special emperor, but rather to the ruling power, whoever the ruler might be, for a period of time when the general facts stated may have found their counterpart in Roman history. If the preceding reasoning is correct, it would have to come after the time covered by the reigns of the "five good emperors." The two symbols are too clearly different to refer to the same period of time. Historians describe this period as one of almost continuous civil warfare. Sismondi's Fall of the. Roman Empire, Vol. 1, p. 36, says "With Commodus commenced the third and most calamitous period. It lasted ninety-two years, from 192 to 284. During that period thirty-two emperors and twenty-seven pretenders alternately hurled each other from the throne by incessant civil warfare. Ninety-two years of almost incessant civil warfare taught the world on what a frail foundation the virtue of the Antonines had placed the felicity of the empire." In the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. I, chapters IV to XII, Gibbon gives the history of this period in much detail. He shows that of these more than thirty emperors all were murdered except a very few. He also says there were nineteen pretenders in the reign of Gallienus who ruled from A.D. 260 to 268. Regarding this part of the period Gibbon says "Such were the barbarians, and such the tyrants, who, under the reigns of Valerian and Gallienus, dismembered the province, and reduced the empire to the lowest pitch of disgrace and ruin, from whence it seemed impossible that it should ever emerge." (Vol. I, p. 326.) No effort is here made to apply the symbol to the reign of any one emperor, such being unnecessary, but the general facts of that period, as history presents them, are such as fit the demands of the case. Certainly the rulers slew one another with the sword, and the peace and prosperity of the Roman Empire during the preceding century were taken away. This is all that is necessary to show that this symbol could refer to this period of Rome's civil warfare. Revelation 6:5-6 3. THE THIRD SEAL OPENEDRev_6:5-6 5 And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come.--See the notes on verse 1. And I saw, and behold, a black horse; and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand.--The significance of the horse has already been explained under the first seal. The difference is that here the horse is black. It should be noted that neither bow nor sword was given the rider, but instead he carried a pair of balances in his hand. The description of the first two visions clearly indicates that both refer to active fighting--aggressive warfare. The first pictures successful warfare for the Roman Empire; the second disastrous. The absence of any expression in the third vision to indicate fighting shows that this symbol should have a different interpretation. This will be evident as we examine the meanings of the various expressions found in it. A surface glance at the terms used suggests that it represents some terrible results that follow in the wake of continued and devastating battles--that is, distress and sufferings because of great scarcity. Death, another horrible result of war, as presented in the fourth vision is attributed to four causes, one of which is famine. The third seal, therefore, is picturing the scarcity of the necessities of life and the difficulty of getting them by reason of high prices. As an emblem the black color represents deep distress manifested in mourning. Jeremiah said: "Judah mourneth and the gates thereof languish, they sit in black upon the ground and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up." (Jeremiah 14:2.) Compare Ezekiel 32:7. The cause of mourning might be deep distress on account of famine, pestilence, death, oppression, or invasion of the country. The, particular thing that causes the mourning in any case will have to be learned from its description in the text. Balances and scales are symbols of justice and exactness. (Proverbs 11:1; Job 31:6.) Things may be weighed because of their intrinsic value or their scarcity. According to the view taken in this commentary there would result from the many devastating wars and internal strife such scarcity of food supplies as would have to becarefully preserved and dispensed with rigid exactness. The rider carrying a balance indicated that the Roman government would cause that state of things to exist. This could have meant that such laws could have been enacted by the government for the common safety of the citizens or the exactness with which the taxes were collected, or both. We should not forget that any distress that came to the empire would directly affect the church, for it was for many centuries within, and subject to, the Roman power. Hence, the picturing of this future fact was intended evidently to warn the churches then about what awaited them when great happenings would take place in countries where they lived--within the bounds of the Roman Empire. Leviticus 26:24-26 and Ezekiel 4:16 both show that bread sold by weight, which indicates scarcity. Doubtless the same was true of other commodities. 6 And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A measure of wheat for a shilling, and three measures of barley for a shilling; and the oil and the wine hurt thou not.--John heard a voice that seemed to come from the midst of the four living creatures. It is not stated who spake, but it seemed directed to the rider of the horse. This indicated that his mission in going forth was to produce such a situation that wheat and barley would sell at enormous prices. This does not indicate famine conditions where there is nothing to sell, but great scarcity when extreme and exacting methods have to be used to protect the supply. The word "measure" is equal to about one quart. The Greek term for shilling had the value of sixteen and two-thirds cents. This made a bushel of wheat worth more than five dollars. The purchasing power of money then was probably much more than ours, so the price of wheat in the value of our money would, doubtless, be two or three times that much. These prices show that great scarcity of food products, which is doubtless all that was intended by the expressions. Expositors are hopelessly disagreed about the meaning of "the oil and the wine hurt thou not." It is useless to attempt to state the various views. It is evident, however, that the proper application will harmonize with what has just been said about the wheat and barley. Since the whole symbol indicates the devastating results of warfare and the scarcity of common necessities, the instruction pertains to the extreme care in protecting them. Oil and wine then being necessary articles of food, great care was to be observed not to damage that source of support. Though this command seems directed to the rider, who represented the ruling power of the empire, it may have been general instruction to be carried out by all the people. Perhaps the fulfillment of the symbol need not be limited to the reign of any one particular emperor, since such conditions would follow after internal warfare and oppression at any time. But the rule of Caracalla (A.D. 211-217), both in nature and time, would probably come within the limits required. He is referred to in history as one of the most "blood-thirsty tyrants," giving the empire a reign of terror. Gibbon calls him the "common enemy of mankind," and says: "The most wealthy families were ruined by partial fines and confiscations, and the great body of his subjects oppressed by ingenious and aggravated taxes." (Decline and Fall, Vol. I, p. 160.) Regarding the same Gibbon says further: "In the course of this history, we shall be too often summoned to explain the land tax, the capitation, and the heavy contributions of corn, wine, oil, and meat, which were exacted from the provinces for the use of the court, the army, and the capital." (Ibid., p. 195.) In such conditions the church in all the Roman provinces would suffer with other subjects of the empire. This condition would naturally interfere with the preaching of the gospel. Revelation 6:7-8 4. THE FOURTH SEAL OPENEDRev_6:7-8 7 And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come.--See notes on verse 1. 8 And I saw, and behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; --Here, as in the other three seals, the horse appears, indicating that the idea of war is still in the symbols. But the imagery is changed. The rider is no longer in the form of a person, carrying some implements, but Death, personified, is said to be seated on the horse. Death represented as a tyrant reigning is a figure of speech found in other books of the Bible. (Romans 5:14; Romans 6:9; 1 Corinthians 15:55.) The emblem shows Death as a soldier gaining great victories over all efforts at resistance that man might make. The term "pale" applied to the horse probably was intended to represent the color of a body in death. All this would show the power of death over men, and the effect it would have on the empire, and on the church because it was at that time under the Roman dominion. and Hades followed with him.--Hades literally means the "unseen" and applies to the place of the dead. The idea seems to be that so many would die that even the place of the dead would appear to be before John in the emblem. Or that Hades would follow to take those who had been killed. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth.--Authority was given "unto them"--that is, to Death and Hades. This means that Death would have a broad sway--many would die --and they would pass to the intermediate state. Commentators interpret the "fourth part" asmeaning a considerable or great number, or in all quarters of the Roman Empire, or that it was not to be universal. The first seems the more likely, for definite numbers are often used for an indefinite amount, and it is not at all probable that exactly one-fourth part would be affected. The "earth," doubtless, meant the territory governed by the Romans. The remainder of the verse tells the means by which Death, ruling as an emperor, would reach so many. To "kill with sword" would include those who would die in murders and assassinations as well as wars. Others would die in famines. This is different from the third seal where the symbol showed only a scarcity of food. Another statement is that they would be killed "with death." Since Death, personified, is represented as riding the horse, the word "death" here probably has a different meaning. To kill with death is at least an awkward expression. The margin says pestilence. The meaning is that plagues of various kinds would destroy many. It is immaterial whether the expression "wild beasts" be understood literally or as referring to the insatiable, bloodthirsty tyrants that would murder without mercy. In sections infested with wild beasts, they would become more dangerous when the country had been despoiled by war and famines. The point is that great numbers would be killed through the various means mentioned. As suggested regarding the third seal, it is doubtless unnecessary to limit the application of this vision to the reign of any one emperor. From A.D. 192 to 284 has already been alluded to as a period of internal strife in the Roman Empire. As the third vision seems to fit the time of Caracalla, A.D. 211-217, so this vision will harmonize with the period of Gallienus, A.D. 260-268, as a time in which events most strikingly fit the requirements of the symbol. Gibbon declares that the empire at that time was attacked on every side by the "blind fury of foreign invaders, and the wild ambition of domestic usurpers." He also says: "But the whole period was one uninterrupted series of confusion and calamity." (Decline and Fall, Vol. I, p. 299.) One more quotation from Gibbon will suffice. He said: "But a long and general famine was a calamity of a more serious kind. It was the inevitable consequence of rapine and oppression which extirpated the produce of the present, and the hope of the future harvests. . . . Other causes must, however, have contributed to the furious plague, which, from the year two hundred and fifty to the year two hundred and sixty-five, raged without interruption to every province, every city, and almost every family, of the Roman Empire. During some time five thousand persons died daily in Rome; and many towns, that had escaped the hands of the barbarians, were entirely depopulated." (Ibid., p. 329.) If inspiration had intended to describe that period, no symbol, it seems, could have been better suited to the purpose than that revealed by the fourth seal. The probability is that it was at least included in what the symbol was intended to represent. If the reigns of Caracalla and Gallienus are not the periods to fulfill the third and fourth symbols, it must be that some other periods in that general age of the world did; the lessons would be the same even if the exact periods and events are not definitely located. These two are suggested as possessing a high degree of probability. As already mentioned regarding the third seal, the fourth indicates results that follow devastating warfare, and the language would fit any such period of time. But the seals' place in the record shows the probability of their closely following the second seal--the time of internal strife in the Roman Empire. If that is true, the suggestion made in this paragraph is doubtless correct.Commentary on Revelation 6:1-8 by Foy E. WallaceTHE OPENING OF THE SEVEN SEALSThe ominous announcement—Revelation 6:1. The Lamb opened: Christ the Lamb, the only one able to open, begins in order the opening of the seven seals. The noise of thunder: The voice of “ one of the creatures (beings)” announced the opening, with a noise like thunder. It signified the ominous import of the announcement, the awesome note of what was about to be revealed. Come and see: This meant that the announcer was ready to show unto John what was to occur successively in the struggle with and overthrow of persecuting powers. he mounted horses - Horse #1—Revelation 6:2. The horse is portrayed in the Old Testament as the noblest of animals. (Genesis 49:17; Job_3919-25) The beasts of burden were oxen and asses, horses were warriors, reserved for the arsenals of war, used by kings, either mounted or harnessed to chariots. (Exodus 9:23; Esther 6:8) Solomon imported them from Syria and Egypt. (1 Kings 4:26; 1 Kings 10:26; 1 Kings 10:29; 2 Chronicles 1:14-17; 2 Chronicles 9:25) They were here in the apocalypse employed under different colors to represent the character of the event as Zechariah 1:8; Zechariah 6:2-6, and to signify the fleetness and the strength to represent angels. Before Solomon’ s time no horsemen were mentioned in the armies of Israel. The kings were forbidden to keep many horses (Deuteronomy 17:16), as a military disarmament plan to prevent oppression and tyranny; and as a domestic policy to prevent unnecessary burdens on the people by the imposition of taxes; and further to discourage trust in horses and chariots by Israel’ s kings, who were exhorted to put their trust in God. (Psalms 20:7) Solomon had horses in great number, which he kept for pomp rather than war. He is said to have had forty thousand stalls for his horses and chariots. It appears that Solomon specialized in horses and wives ! Among the heathen, horses were consecrated to the sun idol (2 Kings 23:11); for the worship of the sun by the easterns prevailed for many centuries, and the horse was consecrated to that deity over all the east. The sun-god was represented as riding his chariot drawn by the swiftest and most beautiful horses, completing every day the journey from east to west, for the communication of light to all mankind. It is worthy of note that the secrets and ceremonies of some fraternal orders today, a certain one in particular, based on the ancient mysteries surrounding the god and goddess of the sun, Osiris and Isis, are not far removed from this ancient deism. At one time the Lord forbade the kings of Judah to multiply horses as an embargo measure to prevent trade between Judah and Israel, fearing that by means of commerce, as a system of communication, Israel would become infected with the Egyptian idolatries. In the Old Testament apocalypses, as in Revelation, the symbols of the horse and its rider were the most graphic, if not the most moving imagery. The striking resemblance in the vision of horses, in the first chapter of Zechariah, to that of the four horses in the sixth chapter of Revelation, parallels the historical events in the fortunes of Old Testament Israel with the corresponding experiences of the New Testament church. The white horse (the first seal)—Revelation 6:2. “ And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” The white horse and its rider were a symbol of the invincible Lord; riding a white horse was the symbol of majesty in a war of victory. He (the Christ) that sat on him had a bow: The bow was for distance signifying a long conflict; the sword symbolized the clash of combat in the surge of battle. In the ancient armor, the arms of war were the shield, the sword, the spear and the bow. The bow was the instrument for shooting the arrow. This slender combustible missile shot from the bow was the chief dependence in attack and defence. David refers to “ the sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.” (Psalms 120:4) The fire from combustible juniper wood was conveyed on the arrow tip to its target, and became a symbol of terror from God. (Psalms 38:2; Job 6:4) Along with lightning, thunder and famine, it was employed as a symbol of divine judgment. (2 Samuel 22:15) As a metaphor of the penetrating power of truth the arrow symbolized the word of God. David refers to “ sharp” arrows in hearts causing men to yield to “ the sceptre of righteousness.” (Psalms 45:4-7) In the same figure the bow stands for fidelity and strength, as in Genesis 49:24, and Psalms 44:6. In the hand of the rider of the white horse the bow was the symbol of all these characters of conflict. A crown was given unto him: This is a significant description as it is noteworthy that Vespasian who initiated, and Titus who executed, the Jewish war both received the imperial crown. He went forth conquering, and to conquer: The conquest of Christ was not spontaneous, intermittent or spasmodic; it did not consist in single victories; it was a continuous, progressive conquest of hearts which no might could defeat. The red horse (second seal)—Revelation 6:3-4.The color of each horse corresponds to the mission of its rider. In the symbol of colors red stands for bloodshed; the rider was the persecutor waging war against Christ and his church. This rider had power, and political authority, to take peace from the earth. This symbolized the dwelling place of the nations. The statement that they should kill one another, meant the war of the Jews against Jews, their own flesh and blood kindred. This phase of events was described in Matthew 24:10 in foretelling the Jewish persecutions, the hostilities of the unbelieving Jews against their Jewish kinsmen who professed faith in Christ. And there was given unto him a great sword. To the rider of the red steed of bloodshed and war, a great sword was given, in contrast with the bow, signifying a closer, bitter, relentless and bloody struggle. It was an intensified view of the events in successive symbols. The sword has connotations of both civil authority and military might. Even when it is used as a metaphor for the word of God it is a function of war against sin in the soul and the rebellion of the heart against the will of God. (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12) Moses used the sword as a metaphor of war. “ I will punish you for your sins, I will bring the sword upon you,” (Leviticus 26:24-25), which meant that God would cause war to come upon them. “ Ye shall be delivered into hands of enemies,” he said. Paul used the sword to signify the authority of government. “ For he beareth not the sword in vain, for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” (Romans 13:4) God has ordained the rightful power of government to punish evildoers and defend the good. Jesus used the sword to symbolize capital punishment. “ Put up thy sword into its place, for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” (Matthew 26:52) They that take the sword by their own authority, assuming unto themselves the prerogative of vengeful justice, deserve to be put to death by the sword of authority. It is stated in Genesis 9:6 : "Whoso sheddeth man’ s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” That was and yet is the universal law of requital. The great sword given to the rider of the red horse was not the sword of government, but the sword of persecution. It was a “ great” sword in significance, the survival of the church was involved, the gospel was at stake. It was great in extent--the whole Jewish and Roman world were drawing the sword against the church. It was a great sword in effect--resulting in the martyrdom of the followers of Christ, who would not yield to the coercion of conscience, when their testimony for the truth was sealed by the blood of witnesses; who trusted to the power of the truth, against the sword of persecution, for the success of the cause of the Lamb; and for the universal expansion of Christianity through the blood of its adherents. The black horse (third seal)—Revelation 6:5-6.The black horse was the color of distress, the portent of terror in the approaching calamity. It compares with the Old Testament figure in Joe 2:6 : “ The people shall be much pained, all faces gather blackness” ; and in Nahum 2:10 : “ The faces of them all gather blackness” ; and in Jeremiah 8:21 : “ For the hurt of my people am I hurt, I am black.” Jude 1:13 refers to the “ blackness of darkness forever.” It is the picture of the grim, dread calamity of famine in the land. The balances in the hand of the rider were scales and measures and indicated the scarcity in the land; the strict and small allowance of food to be issued by minute measure or exact weight with legislated care. It compares with Matthew 24:7, where Jesus foretold the famine that prevailed during the siege of Jerusalem. The voice in the midst of the four beasts (or beings) was in repetition of the voices heard in the visions, and impressed the hidden source of the revelations, adding to the portentous element of its apocalyptic character. The sound of this voice came from the midst of the four beings; hence, from within deep recesses of the throne, since the beings were in the midst of the throne; it was a voice of solemn authority, requiring reverence and heed. The measures of wheat and barley for a penny were according to the standard of the time. A measure of wheat was equal to approximately one quart. The penny is a translation of the Greek denarius, which the Bible Dictionaries say was equivalent to fifteen or twenty cents, and represented a regular full day’ s wages. The price for a measure of wheat, or a quart, in this vision amounted to a whole day’ s wages, and was therefore an extortionate price, the payment of a full day’ s work. (Matthew 20:2) Three measures of barley were less than a gallon for a day’ s wages, which indicates the extreme scarcity in the usually common and plentiful sources of food. The command to hurt not the oil and the wine was addressed to the rider of the black horse, holding the scales and measures, not to suppress the oil and the wine. The oil was an extract from olives and spices, having many uses in both the Old and New Testaments. It was used in the preparation of food (Exodus 29:2; Leviticus 2:4); for illumination, or lamps (Exodus 25:6; Matthew 25:3); for medicinal remedies (Isaiah 1:6; Mark 6:13); for a divine confection in the various legal and religious ceremonies and appointments. (Exodus 30:25; Ezekiel 28:14). The use of oil signified joy; the omission of it was a token of sorrow. (Psalms 92:10; 2 Samuel 14:2; Matthew 6:17) The wine has been the subject of sundry and divers views, based on variations of the Hebrew and Greek words; but it is a well known fact that the characteristic common to all wine is that of an exhilarating beverage. Its misuse is severely condemned in both testaments and in some cases and places expressly forbidden. The word is used to denote abundance of temporal good things (Genesis 27:28-37); and as a type of spiritual blessings (Isaiah 55:1); and as alleviation of trouble and sorrow (Proverbs 31:6). In the vision of the red horse, the voice commanded the rider not to hurt the oil and the wine, not to limit or ration the oil and the wine; though famine would dissipate all other commodities, oil and wine would be undiminished. It was evidently the symbol of the providential alleviation of suffering and mitigation of sorrow--with oil and wine he would bind up their wounds. It was the voice of promise in the midst of the living creatures, from within the throne, that the ransomed of the Lord should come to Zion with songs of everlasting joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing would flee away. The pale horse (fourth seal)—Revelation 6:7-8. The color of pale was the symbol of death. This seal is specifically called a death procession, but was not a martyr scene. It signifies death by the destructive forces of the sword (war); of hunger (famine); of death (pestilence or disease); and of wild beasts (devoured or ravished). By the sword--as the instrument employed by the rider of the pale horse to accomplish his work of destruction--he is represented as having power to kill. It symbolized the weapon of war waged against Jerusalem. Hunger is the blight of famine, and is descriptive of the mass starvation that prevailed during the siege of Jerusalem. Pestilence is the terror of death by ravishing disease, which also prevailed in the destruction and siege of Jerusalem. The beasts of this symbol do not refer to wild animals, as usually considered, but to cannibalism, as men turned beasts to ravish and devour each other and even to eat the flesh of their children. It occurred during the siege of Jerusalem, according to Jesus in Matthew 24:6-8 and according to the eye witness accounts of Josephus and Pliny. It is declared that death and hell followed the rider of the pale horse. The word is hades, and refers to the domain of death, the realm of the departed, the unseen world of disembodied spirits, the subterranean abode of the dead. There are important distinctions in the uses of hell in the old English text. To translate Gehenna and Hades in the same word hell has had the effect of obliterating the difference between the place of eternal torment and the temporary abode of the dead. Since the descent of Christ into Hades, as described by the psalmist David, in Psalms 16:10 and by the apostle Peter in Acts 2:29, no one prepared for the eventuality of death need fear entrance into this realm nor the passage through it. He who “ was dead and is alive,” holds “ the keys of death and hades,” and from that fear he delivers us. (Hebrews 2:14) The rider of the pale horse was death, and hades was his companion--it followed with him. They were joined together as associates in the dark and ghastly mission of grim Reapers, in the role assigned to them in these seals. To Death and Hades was given power over fourth part of earth: To the rider Death, and his colleague Hades, this power was given by the four creatures; it was the authority to kill by the means named--war, famine, pestilence and ravishment over the fourth part of the earth. The earth is the place of the nations in the vision; and this assignment is made by the fourth beast in the fourth seal, to the fourth rider, of the fourth horse, and his division of work was a fourth part in this pageant of devastation. Elsewhere in the scenes are found the expressions third part and tenth part, apparently intended as proportionate figures of the vast destruction, but without geographical or mathematical significance. The scene of the four horses and riders is a panorama of the war on Jerusalem in a fourfold set of events, an extension of twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew. They represent one set of events, not separate figures for separated periods or ages of the world, such as war in one age, famine in another century, carnage in another generation, and with a final fantastic millennium in the end of the world. It is a combined series fulfilled in one period as foretold by Jesus in Matthew 24:34. The conquest of the victorious rider of the white horse through the bow could not be accomplished without the war on Jerusalem. The red horse of war could not perform without the black horse of famine, or without the pale horse of death in immediate pursuit. To separate the seals by centuries of time is to destroy the entire imagery. The records of Mat 24:1-51, Mark 13:1-37, and Luke 21:1-38, concerning Jerusalem, are counterparts of the seals of Revelation. The works of Josephus on the Palestinian wars give historical fulfillment in the account of the bloody war of the Jews and the siege of Jerusalem. The historical parallels in the history of the Roman empire by Edward Gibbon is a virtual commentary on the book Revelation, in the portion covering the period of the Roman war against Jerusalem. Truly, these things must have shortly come to pass, and verily was the time at hand. Commentary on Revelation 6:1-8 by Walter ScottTHE FIRST SEAL. . Revelation 6:1-2. — “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as in a voice of thunder, Come. And I saw, and behold a white horse, and he that sat upon it having a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering, and that he might conquer.” The judgments under the Seals and Trumpets are not contemporaneous, but successive. The former cover a larger area than the Trumpets, but these latter, on the other hand, are more severe and searching in character. Observe, too, that the Lamb is connected with the Seals, the angels with the Trumpets, and God with the Vials or Bowls of wrath. In this preliminary announcement of coming judgment there is a fulness and precision of statement not found in the opening of the remaining six Seals, or even in the first Trumpet and first Vial. Here the cardinal one is alone used, and not the ordinal first, etc., as in all the others. “ And I saw” is uttered twice. John was an intensely observant eye-witness. He “ saw” the act of the Lamb in opening the Seal (Revelation 6:1). He also “ saw” the minister of judgment (Revelation 6:2). The various colored horses in the first four Seals represent in symbol the human agencies employed in the execution of these judgments on earth, which are providential in character. But as Christians having the mind of Christ, i.e., the discerning faculty, we look behind the mere historical course of events and trace all to the unseen source, God Himself. So the living creatures, the executive of the throne, successively call on the human instruments of vengeance to execute their divinely-appointed task. They cannot move in judgment till summoned by the throne to do so. What a strength to the heart in days of evil! The first four Seals are characterized by the living creatures and horses. In the remaining three there is no mention made of either. In the first Seal only a living creature speaks, “ as in a voice of thunder,” and at once the first prophetic event foretold in the Apocalypse comes into view. Prophecy opens. The words in Revelation 6:1; Revelation 6:3; Revelation 6:5; Revelation 6:7, “and see,” should be omitted, as in the Revised Version. With this Tregelles, Kelly, and others agree.(Some consider the deletion of the words, especially in verse 1, a doubtful matter, but the question is, we judge, satisfactorily answered by the writer of the exposition of The Revelation in Bishop Ellicott’ s “ New Testament Commentary” : “ The words ‘ and see’ are doubtful. They are found in some MSS. and omitted in others; the authority for their omission and for their retention is about equally divided. Under these circumstances we may fairly be guided by the context. To whom is the summons addressed? Who is bidden to come? If it was taken to be addressed to the Seer we can understand why some copyist should add the words ‘ and see.’ But are they addressed to the Seer? It seems difficult to see the purpose of such a command. He was near already. He had seen the Lamb opening the Seal. There was no object in his drawing near. Are the words then addressed, as Alford supposes, to Christ? It is difficult to believe that the living creature would thus cry to the Lamb who was opening the scroll. The simplest way of answering the question is to ask another: Who did come in obedience to the voice? There is but one answer: The horseman. The living beings cry, ‘ Come,’ and their cry is responded to by the appearance of the several riders.”) The retention of the words would make it a call to John to “ come and see,” but why the incongruity of speaking to him in a voice of thunder? Their deletion makes the “ Come” a summons to the human instrument employed in these earthly chastisements. THE LOUD SUMMONS AND ITS ANSWER. The response to the loud and imperative command of the living creature was instantly obeyed. “ And behold a white horse, and him that sat upon it.” A war-horse is evidently referred to. Now the horseman cannot, as the mass of expositors allege, signify Christ on a career of conquest. Psalms 45:1-17, and especially Revelation 19:11, have been confidently alleged in proof of the application of the first Seal to Christ. But both the Psalmist and the Seer direct us to Christ in that grand moment of His Coming to assume the sovereignty of the world, whereas the first Seal epoch refers to a time some years before the introduction of the kingdom in power. In chapter 19 the rider is named; here he is not named. From what part of the earth the Seal horseman emerges we are not informed. We have here a symbol of conquering power. A white horse denotes victorious power. It points to the advent on the prophetic scene of a power bent on conquest. A career of unchecked, brilliant, yet almost bloodless victory lies before this coming royal warrior of worldwide fame. A Cyrus, an Alexander, or a Napoleon in triumphs and conquests, but without bloodshed and slaughter, is the horse and rider of the first Seal. “ Having a bow.” (When active warfare with the bow and arrow is in question, then the latter is specifically mentioned (Numbers 24:8; Psalms 45:5 : Zechariah 9:14, etc.). But here nothing is said as to the bow being strung or ready for action (Lamentations 2:4), but simply the white horse rider has it. Bloodless victory is the main idea.) The returned Jews from Babylon in the rebuilding of Jerusalem were armed with “ swords, their spears, and their bows” (Nehemiah 4:13). Hand-to-hand conflict demands the use of the sword; a little distance off the spear would be required; while more distant warfare is expressed by the bow. This latter weapon would not do much execution: hence its employment as a symbol of war afar off, and that not of a very deadly character. “ A crown was given to him.” This must be more than the chaplet of victory bestowed on the conqueror at the close of a successful campaign, for here the crown is given ere victory is spoken of. Imperial or royal dignity is conferred on this distinguished personage before he enters on his wonderful career of conquest. “ He went forth conquering, and that he might conquer.” Victory after victory, conquest after conquest, without reverse or cessation, marked the royal progress of the hero of the coming day and hour. The symbols under this and the succeeding Seals are simple enough and full of meaning. (In the four horses under the first four Seals there is an evident allusion to the horses of Zec 1:1-21; Zechariah 6:1-15. In this latter vision the colored horses, red, bay, and white, represent the character and energy of the three imperial powers of Persia, Greece, and Rome. The man riding on the red horse sets forth Cyrus, the renowned Persian, the destroyer of Babylon and deliverer of the Jews, prefiguring Christ, Israel’ s Savior in a coming day, and the Judge of the mystic Babylon. In the latter vision (Zechariah 6:1-15) the character and geographical course of the four Gentile empires are set forth, empires which effected unknowingly the governmental will of God. The black horses (the Persians) go forth into the north country (Babylon) and destroy it while they in turn are destroyed by the white horses (the Grecians); the grizzled horses (the Romans) establish themselves in the south (v. 6). God grants universal dominion to Rome (v. 7), and rests in the destruction of Babylon (v. 8). The two Babylons, the literal (Jeremiah 51:1-64) and the mystical (Revelation 18:1-24), are doomed to utter destruction. Both have held captive the people of God.) Revelation 6:3-4THE SECOND SEAL OF THE SECOND SEAL. Revelation 6:3-4. — “And when He opened the second Seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come. And another, a red horse, went forth; and to him that sat upon it, to him it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another; and there was given to him a great sword.” In all the Seal judgments, save the second, the Seer informs us that he was an eye-witness: “ I saw.” Then under the other Seals the word “ behold” precedes the description of the horse, whereas it is here omitted. Instead of “ behold” the word “ another” is added, not found in the other Seals. These may be termed trivial differences, but as we are firm believers in the verbal inspiration of the Holy Scriptures we are satisfied that there is a divine meaning in these seemingly unimportant details. The occurrence of the words “ I saw” and “ behold” in the first Seal, and their omission in the second, may be accounted for by the fact that the word “ another” in the latter connects the two Seals. Thus “ I saw,” and “ behold……another, a red horse.” In answer to the summons, “ Come,” of the second living creature, a “ red horse went forth.” Why “ red,” (“ A forfeiture of life is figuratively represented by the several colours of red, scarlet, crimson.” — “ Sacred Symbology,” by Mills, p. 160.) and what is its special significance? The white horse denotes a series of peaceful victories. The red horse, on the other hand, intimates a period of slaughter and bloodshed (Isaiah 63:2; Revelation 12:3). The rider is unnamed. It is the day of the Lord’ s vengeance on the guilty scene; hence the repetition of the pronoun “ him,” emphasizing the fact that the direct agent of judgment is a man appointed by God for that purpose, “ to him it was given.” Whatever motives or political aspirations may actuate this coming man of blood, yet he is God’ s scourge for the time being. A brief time of peace immediately succeeds the translation of the saints to Heaven, and even, as we have seen under the first Seal, the rise and progress of a mighty conqueror will not be marked by much bloodshed. His career of unchecked triumph will scarcely break the general peace. But under the second Seal we track the footsteps of one who strides through the earth on a mission of blood. He has a divine mandate “ to take peace from the earth,” and “ that they should slay one another.” In his progress he everywhere stirs up the angry passions of men. Ah! little do the governments of Europe dream that in the arming and training of their respective populations those murderous weapons perfected by the applied science of the day shall be used not merely in aggressive or defensive wars, but in civil broils and party conflicts. It is not here “ nation against nation,” but that “ they should slay one another.” The wild passions of men are let loose. A time of mutual slaughter ensues. The authority of the civil power is unavailing to check the riot and bloodshed in cities, towns, and villages, if indeed it does not lend itself to the awful work of destruction. “ A great sword” given to the rider intimates that the broils and commotions which he brings about will be marked by great carnage and bloodshed. War, whether aggressive or defensive, is surely at all times deplorable enough, but a state of open, armed, civil rebellion of man against man, of fellow against fellow, glutting their vengeance and spilling blood like water is infinitely worse than any state of war conceivable, and such is the awful scene portrayed under this Seal. Revelation 6:5-6THE THIRD SEAL A FAMINE. Revelation 6:5-6. — “And when He opened the third Seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come. And I saw and behold a black horse, and he that sat upon it having a balance in his hand. And I heard as a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenixes of barley for a denarius; and do not injure the oil and the wine.” The white horse is the symbol of power in victory. The red horse denotes power in bloodshed. The black horse intimates power in bringing about a time of lamentation and mourning. Here, as in Zechariah 6:2, the black horse follows the red. “ Our skin was black,” says the weeping prophet, “ like an oven because of the terrible famine” (see Lamentations 5:10; Jeremiah 4:28; Jude 1:13, etc., for the symbolic force of this colour). Various things are predicated of each of the other three horsemen under their respective Seals, but here one thing only. The rider holds “ a balance in his hand.” The two main cereals which constitute the staff of life are to be doled out by weight and sold at famine prices. Wheat and barley are named. The latter grain was generally eaten by slaves and the poor of the people, being much cheaper than the former, and of a coarser nature. The English penny in the Authorized Version, retained in the Revised Version, is misleading. The Roman denarius was equal to about eight-pence of our money; was the daily pay of a soldier, and the daily wage of a laboring man (Matthew 20:2). Usually eight measures or choenixes of wheat could be bought for a denarius, but here only one, just barely sufficient, and no more, to sustain life.(* Bread doled out by weight is a marked sign of scarcity (Leviticus 26:26; Ezekiel 4:10-17). Under this Seal, however, both weight and measure are recognized, but of such a limited character that large numbers of the populations affected thereby must suffer the misery of an actual want of food.) But what about the numbers of aged people, women and children unable to work? If the denarius can only procure the necessary food for one, what about multitudes who through infirmity or other incapacity are unable to work! Must starvation be their bitter experience, and death anticipated as a happy release from the agonies of hunger? But the living creatures are not themselves the source of this providential chastisement. They are vitally connected with the throne (Revelation 4:6), but God is the Sitter thereon, and ever will be. The Seer hears a voice from the very center and throne of the Eternal, the announcement of a famine. God Himself is the source of these preliminary and providential judgments upon men on earth. They are inflicted by Him whoever He may employ as agents in accomplishing His purpose. THE RICH SPARED. The prohibition, “ Do not injure the oil and the wine,” is by some supposed to signify a mitigation of the famine as intimated in the preceding declarations. But that can hardly be. People could not subsist on oil and wine. Wheat and barley are essentials. Oil and wine were regarded as luxuries found alone on the tables of the rich (Proverbs 21:17; Jeremiah 31:12; Psalms 104:15). Hence the chastisement under this Seal falls especially on the working classes. The rich, the wealthy, and the governing classes are markedly exempted. But they shall not escape. For under the sixth Seal (Revelation 6:12-17) judgment is impartially meted out to all alike, from the monarch down to the slave. .Is there not righteous retribution in the fact that the masses of the people of these and other lands are first visited in judgment, and made to suffer in the very circumstances in which they now seem to triumph? An ominous sign of the times is the spread of Socialism, of the gospel of equality amongst the nations of Europe. The time-honored distinctions of master and servant, of rulers and ruled, are scorned; wealth and social position, with their respective claims, are treated with contempt; and labor and capital are regarded as opposing forces. The working classes are rapidly getting power into their hands, and are not slow in seizing their opportunities, while demanding further rights and privileges. The spirit of insubordination and contempt of authority is abroad. The seed is being sown, the harvest is sure to follow. The masses are here seen suffering from scarcity of the staff of life, while the rich in their affluence and luxuries remain untouched, although doomed to suffer at a later period. Revelation 6:7-8THE FOURTH SEAL. DEATH AND HADES.Revelation 6:7-8. — “And when He opened the fourth Seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold a pale horse, and he that sat upon it his name (was) Death, and Hades followed with him; and authority was given to him over the fourth of the earth to slay with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and by the beasts of the earth.” Another power is now summoned. These initial judgments are increasing in severity. The pale horse implying a cadaverous hue is the new harbinger of approaching judgment. In the three preceding Seals the riders are unnamed. Here the name of the horseman is Death. “ The four Seals turn upon living men; and so death, by which they are carried off, is most prominently represented; but Hell (Hades) only in so far as he receives those who have been cut off by death, acting as death’ s hearse, on which account no separate horse is assigned him.”(*Bengel as quoted by Hengstenberg.) Hades follows not after, but with death. These two are the respective custodians of the bodies and souls of men. At the close of the thousand years’ reign they give up their prisoners, and are themselves destroyed, are personified, and cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). Hades refers to that condition immediately following on death, and one which resurrection necessarily closes, the state between death and resurrection. Death and Hades are here used in relation to the ungodly only. The latter word simply means “the unseen,” and therefore the English term “ Hell” is no just equivalent for “ Hades.” In this vivid description the king of terrors himself appears. The corpse-like color of the horse is in keeping with the name and character of the rider. Death and Hades are inseparable companions. Together they act in judgment and divide the spoil. GOD’ S FOUR SORE . We are again reminded of the interesting fact that these judgments in their sequence, character, duration, and severity have their source in the throne of God. “ Authority, ” we read, “ was given to him,” not to “ them.” The reading “ him” or “ them ” is disputed, but internal evidence would decide. Death acts upon living men. Hades claims the souls of the dead. Death necessarily precedes Hades. Death deals with the living, Hades with the dead. Under the previous Seals one instrument of judgment under each is noted, but here there are four, the four by which Jehovah threatened guilty Jerusalem of old. “ For thus saith the Lord God, How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?” (Ezekiel 14:21). The only difference between them is that in the apocalyptic judgments the “ beasts” are last named; “ death,” too, the third in the list, should be understood as “ pestilence,” as in the margin of the Revised Version. The sword under the second Seal, and hunger under the third, are here reproduced under the fourth Seal coupled with two others. The unsheathed sword in the hands of the remorseless rider will not be withdrawn till its divinely-appointed task is finished. Hunger also will do its deadly work, a more protracted and painful death than by the sword. Then death or pestilence will ply its sickle with fatal effect and reap a full harvest. Lastly, “ the beasts of the earth” will complete the destruction. Under the previous Seals agricultural pursuits, without which no civilised people can exist, must have been abandoned. The masses under the second Seal were using the sword instead of the ploughshare. The ground would lie untilled, and in the absence of crops starvation would follow as a consequence, and the beasts, leaving their usual haunts, would add to the general misery by preying on men. These “ four sore judgments,” the sword, hunger, pestilence, and beasts are to be in active operation at the same time. They are contemporaneous judgments. To spiritualize them, as many do, to make them speak a language foreign to their simple and natural meaning, is to twist Scripture and not interpret. Thank God that the sphere in which these judgments operate is limited to a “ fourth of the earth.” The then Roman world is spoken of as a “ third” (Revelation 12:4). The extent of the sphere of judgment is a circumscribed one. What an awful future lies before the christless populations of these lands! Commentary on Revelation 6:1-8 by Burton CoffmanRev_6:1 To this point, Revelation has been relatively easy to interpret; but, beginning with this chapter, there are scores of interpretations, with multiple schools of interpreters, following all kinds of bizarre and fanciful "explanations" of what is here written. (See introduction for a discussion of some of the more important methods followed by various groups.) In a sense, one must be accounted rather bold to write confidently of things about which there is so much disagreement; but, on the other hand, there are some things which this writer brings to this study which are by no means universal. First, there is a general knowledge, at least, of what the New Testament teaches; secondly, there is a fundamental rejection of the notion that this sacred prophecy is some kind of hodgepodge cooked up by the apostle John and made up of materials gleaned from "Semitic folklore, Persian elements, Babylonian mythology, the writings of Virgil, Semitic and Hellenic mythology, the Apocrypha, and the Book of Enoch."[1] Scholars who pursue such an assumption can never know what Revelation means, simply because they are seeking its meaning in the wrong place. Thirdly, there is a deep sense of conviction that no "brand new doctrine," such as that usually designated as premillennialism, is to be found in the book. In other words, Revelation is considered to be in full and complete harmony with everything else in the New Testament. For example, the one judgment day of the whole New Testament is not a conception here replaced by a multiple series of judgments; but the references which appear to be such are repeated references to the very same judgment day (singular). Fourthly, many of the common pitfalls of supposing: (1) that the whole book refers to a period following the Second Advent; (2) that every line of it has already been fulfilled; (3) that John was restricted to current events in his terminology; (4) that an "Antichrist" is anywhere mentioned in Revelation; or (5) that the various seals, trumpets, bowls, etc., have reference to "successive events" - these and many other common assumptions which mar the works of many are here rejected and avoided. The general assumptions underlying this interpretation are: (1) that the succeeding series of seals, trumpets, bowls, etc., and "Onward from chapter 6 are a panorama of parallel judgments";[2] (2) that "The millennium and the present age are one and the same thing";[3] (3) that the true key to unlocking the mysteries of Revelation must be sought in the Olivet discourse of Jesus (Matthew and parallels), and in other Scriptural passages; (4) that much of the symbolism in Revelation has a double application, just as was clearly the case in the Olivet discourse; (5) that the known fulfillment of a given passage in some historical event now past does not preclude its reference to some final, future event; (6) that the successive mention, for example, of such symbols as the horses (in this chapter) does not mean the reality symbolized by one of them disappeared when the next came to view, but that the various conditions symbolized were probably manifested simultaneously; and (7) that the great landmark by which the whole prophecy can be properly oriented and understood is that of the Second Advent and the simultaneous resurrection of the dead and the final judgment. Without such a "rudder" as this, the interpreter's ship is doomed to drift in all directions. That such assumptions as these are candidly and confidently made derives from a lifetime of studying the sacred text; and it surely is our prayerful hope that in none of them have we been misled or deceived. Chapter summary: the opening of the seven seals begins here, with six of them being opened in this chapter. It should be noted that what is revealed following the opening of each seal is not said to be read from the scroll, which is never either opened or read in the whole prophecy. Rather, the contents of it, as far as it pertained to the fortunes of God's church in the world, were revealed in the visions that promptly succeeded the breaking of each of the seals. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come. And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer.Of all those who have discussed this in their books, as far as we have investigated, William Hendriksen has the most thorough and intensive study of it; and the symbol (the white horse and its rider) which dominates these two verses was identified by him with "The Christ".[4] Although disagreeing with it, Bruce admitted that this "is the long established interpretation";[5] "many think this";[6] Roberson,[7] Cox,[8] Wallace,[9] and a very great many others might be cited; but perhaps it is more profitable to point out the reasons behind this view. 1. "The white horse ..." The color here is significant, for its contrasts with the colors of the other horses; and nowhere in Revelation is white used otherwise than as a symbol of purity, holiness, glory, etc. "In the book of Revelation, white is never used of anything evil."[10] The white throne upon which God sits is an example. 2. The choice of a "horse" in this symbolism means "war." It is a righteous war, for the horse was white, indicating truth and righteousness. "This war began when Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, and his disciples began to go everywhere at his command."[11]3. The rider wore a crown which was "given to him," not a crown extorted through the atrocities of war, but a gift of God. A "crown" in the Scriptural sense upon the head of some profane conqueror is impossible to believe. Only Christ fits the picture. 4. The rider on this white horse went forth "conquering and to conquer," expressions used extensively elsewhere in the New Testament of Christ. "We feel sure that had you never heard another interpretation you would at once have said, `This is the Conquering Christ.'"[12]5. The conqueror in Revelation 19:11 is also crowned and rides upon a white horse; but he cannot be mistaken. His name is given: "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." Can this conqueror be any other? As Roberson said, "All efforts to separate the white horse of this vision from that of Revelation 19:11 are futile."[13]Objections to this interpretation are not grounded in a proper understanding of the New Testament. For example, the notion advanced by many to the effect that the other three horsemen all represent judgments, but the conquering Christ is not a judgment, fails to take into account that the preaching of Christ's gospel is indeed the principal and leading judgment of this earth. "An odor of life unto life in them that are saved, and an odor of death unto death in them that perish" (2 Corinthians 2:16). Christ came to send, not peace, "but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). There is extensive teaching along this vein of thought in the New Testament, and all of it nullifies the objection that "Christ is quite out of place"[14] in this passage. Indeed, he is exactly where he belongs, "leading the van" of the judgments of earth. Furthermore, extensive terminology in the Old Testament corroborates this. See Psalms 45:3-5, Zech. etc. For those interested in a more extensive discussion of this interpretation, see William Hendriksen's analysis.[15]The further objection that Christ would not have rushed off on a white horse at the behest of one of the living creatures fails to note that what we have is "a vision." It is also not inconsistent that Christ both opens the seals and appears in the visions extensively throughout Revelation. Despite what would appear to be conclusive evidence that the crowned rider on the white horse of the first seal could hardly be any other than the Son of God, he is "interpreted" as the Antichrist,[16] "conquering military power,"[17] "the victory of selfish, lustful conquest,"[18] "the victorious warrior,"[19] etc. Most of the interpretations of this symbol as anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ and the preaching of his holy gospel are firmly grounded in a priori conceptions of such things as the millennium, the parousia, the great tribulation, the rapture, or some other stylized interpretation of the prophecy. Some little time has been devoted to this opening of the first seal, because the way it is interpreted will color all that follows. For example, if this crowned rider on the white horse with the bow in his hand is understood to mean Jesus Christ and his worldwide program of preaching the gospel, it is clear enough that it cannot possibly refer to some relatively short period of history, but to the entire dispensation reaching from the First Advent to the Second Advent. Thus we confidently interpret it. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:14). The reluctance of some to bracket Christ on the first horse with others symbolizing bloodshed, famine, and pestilence is due to a failure to see all four (even the preaching of the gospel) as a divine series of judgments upon mankind. They are operative continuously and simultaneously throughout the earth until the end of time. If it is asked why, then, do they "follow" one after another in the vision; it must be replied, "because they do follow." The gospel is preached, and the failure to obey its holy teachings causes bloodshed, famine, and death. The great paradox of the Christ is that the Prince of Peace should bring, not peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34). The principle inherent in this interpretation is that all human suffering, in the last analysis, is traceable to the fountain source of sin and rebellion against God in human hearts. [1] James Moffatt, Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), pp. 388-390. [2] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 642. [3] Jay E. Adams, The Time is at Hand (Nutley, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1977), p. 24. [4] William Hendriksen, More than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956), p. 113. [5] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 644. [6] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1078. [7] Charles H. Roberson, Studies in Revelation (Tyler, Texas: P. D. Wilmeth, P.O. Box 3305,1957), p. 38. [8] Frank L. Cox, Revelation in 26 Lessons (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1956), p. 48. [9] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., The Book of Revelation (Nashville: The Foy E. Wallace, Jr., Publications, 1966), p. 143. [10] Jim McGuiggan, The Book of Revelation (West Monroe, Louisiana: William C. Johnson, 1976), p. 77. [11] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 48. [12] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 115. [13] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 38. [14] William Barclay, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 3. [15] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 113-118. [16] Finis Jennings Dake, Revelation Expounded (Lawrenceville, Georgia: Finis Jennings Dake, 1950), p. 81. [17] J. W. Roberts, The Revelation of John (Austin, Texas: R. B. Sweet Company, 1974), p. 65. [18] Henry B. Swete, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1951), p. 67. [19] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 517.Revelation 6:3 And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come. And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.The interpretation of this and the two following horsemen is clear enough. Practically all students see this one as bloodshed, warfare, and the desolation caused by the sword. One point of difference is grounded upon a different word for "sword" being used in this passage and in Revelation 6:8. It could be that the use of a synonym in one place or another has no significance. Swords of all descriptions have been used in warfare throughout history. If a reason is sought, it probably appears in the fact of the Roman sword being in view here, the one used in the times of the apostles. The word here means the Roman short sword, called great, not because it was disproportionate to the horse and rider, but because of the constant and terrible slaughter it symbolizes.[20]The Roman short sword was also "great" because it was the triumphant weapon which enabled Roman armies to destroy the ingenious phalanx, the military device perfected and used by Alexander the Great in his conquest of the world. Just as the French crossbow overcame and vanquished the English long bow, the Roman short sword was supreme over every other weapon for an extended period of history. They should slay one another ... Hendriksen applied this to "religious persecution,"[21] but we cannot so limit it. It means all warfare and bloodshed, as evident from the pronoun "they" which cannot indicate the church, and from the further fact that the slaughter of the Christians is given in this same series under the fifth seal, following. Also, there is the pattern of three and four, or four and three, as subdivisions of the numerous sevens in Revelation; and all of these first four judgments are upon the "whole world," the number four usually being applied to things of the earth and the number three usually being evident when the church is spoken of. Again the key of understanding is in the Olivet discourse. "Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." "This refers to no particular war, but to all war in general."[22] The history of mankind is hardly anything else other than a record of one brutal conflict after another. Lenski rejected the view that warfare in any sense follows the preaching of the gospel as a consequence; and, in a sense, he is correct. Wars of course existed before the gospel; but they did not exist before sin and rebellion entered Eden. In the sense, therefore, of a rejection of the gospel being a conscious choice of continuing in sin, it is morally true that wars follow. The historicist view of Revelation continues to be attractive to many people, despite the many objections to it. Barnes' interpretation of the four seals was:[23]1seal.....a period of great prosperity for the church until A.D. 180. 2seal.....a period of 92 years beginning with the death of Commodus. 3seal.....a period of excessive taxation prior to A.D. 248. 4th seal.....the period from A.D. 248 to 268, in which half the people on earth (Gibbon) died of famine, pestilence, etc. Note that the period of "great prosperity" was the period of many persecutions and martyrdoms. Is this great prosperity? In the fourth seal, is it proper to single out a mere 20 years out of nearly 2,000 years, as being entitled to an individual horse in this parade of symbols? Gibbon also wrote that in the great Black Death plague of the mid-fourteenth century, "the moity," (the majority) of mankind perished. Thus, an event well over a thousand years later is just as good a fulfillment of the fourth seal as the one chosen by Barnes. All of the things symbolized by the four seals existed in John's current era, and they have continued to exist ever since. When was there ever a time when the red horse of war's desolation no longer ravaged the earth? This condition, like that of the continued proclamation of the gospel, will go on until the end of time. Again, from the Olivet discourse: "Wars and rumors of wars ... but the end is not yet" (Matthew 24:6). [20] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 225. [21] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 120. [22] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 49. [23] Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1961), pp. 142-146.Revelation 6:5 And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come. And I saw and behold a black horse; and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand. And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A measure of wheat for a shilling, and three measures of barley for a shilling; and the oil and wine hurt thou not.Practically all commentators find here a symbol of great "economic difficulty and inequality.[24] The specter of bread being sold by the ounce is enough to make this nearly certain. The oil and wine hurt thou not ... There are two ways of construing these words. Some have seen in them an indication that while wheat and barley are priced almost out of the reach of the poor, the rich still have their oil and wine. As Hendriksen put it, "The rich enjoy their abundance, but the poor have hardly enough to hold body and soul together."[25] The other view, that of Beckwith, is that the words are "merely intended as a limitation on the severity of the famine."[26] It is believed that the latter interpretation is correct. (1) It corresponds with the limitation placed upon the pale horse. (2) It is hard to understand why an order from the living creatures should have promulgated an edict favoring the rich. (3) The identification of "oil and wine" as pertaining to the rich only is unsound. "Oil and wine were not luxuries, but part of the basic commodities of life."[27]The black horseman of this seal still rides in the world today, the fact being that at perhaps no other time in human history were more people threatened by the specter of starvation than at this very moment. Is the present, therefore, in any exclusive way to be identified with the rider? No. The black horseman has been riding in all generations and will continue to do so until the end. As Lenski said: Men attempt to abolish war without abolishing the sin, wickedness and injustice in their hearts; so they determine to abolish ... injustice and poverty ... without abolishing the moral cause back of them. The black horseman is ever riding in the whole world.[28][24] Michael Wilcock, I Saw Heaven Opened (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1975), p. 71. [25] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 123. [26] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 521. [27] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), p. 521. [28] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 229.Revelation 6:7 And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come. And I saw and behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth.It is wrong to read of these continuing scourges of war, famine, and disease as if they were, in any sense, unlimited. The oil and wine were not to be hurt under the black horse, and in the case of the pale horse, even the extensive arsenal of destructive weapons could not give him any authority over anything beyond "the fourth part of the earth." Thus, God's merciful providence for mankind is plainly evident in these awful calamities. Some have been perplexed that God would permit such a thing as the disasters depicted under the last three of these horsemen. Caird thought that, "We may be pardoned for asking whether the Lamb who lets such horrors loose on the world is really the same person as the Jesus of the gospel story."[29] A comment like that is grounded in blindness to the great mercy of God evident even in these four judgments; and also, there is a blindness to the truth that it was not the Lamb who let loose the horrors - that epic mistake belongs to Adam and his posterity. Man, having rebelled against his Creator and being expelled from the Paradise of God, may thank only himself for the manifold miseries which drown the world in sorrows. The progression of these visions is one that exhibits the following: (1) God permits people to continue the enjoyment of freedom of their will. God will not procure obedience through coercion. (2) The progression of disastrous human calamities is not permitted to ravage without limitation, but each of them is limited, a fact that will often recur in subsequent visions. (3) Nor are these terrible riders permitted to go alone. At the head of the van is the white horse with its crowned rider; and all of the others "following" him means that they are not permitted to destroy except under the rules of divine restraint. Moreover, that first rider carries the news of the everlasting gospel, capable of saving all who were ever born on earth. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 6:9-11 SECTION TWO OPENING OF THE FIFTH AND SIXTH SEALS Revelation 6:9-17 1. THE FIFTH Revelation 6:9-11 Preliminary Note: The central idea of the first four visions was war. The first was victorious and the second disastrous for the Roman Empire. The third and fourth picture various calamities that came as a result of internal strife and enemy invasion. But all these refer primarily to the Romans. Since the church was mainly in Roman provinces, it was affected by whatever befell the empire. While the Christians suffered in some measure, along with others, the calamities that came to provinces, yet during these two centuries the government was so much concerned with political and economic conditions that the church enjoyed religious liberty more than would otherwise have been possible. Naturally this resulted in a marvelous growth of Christianity. The persecutions they endured doubtless strengthened their faith and courage. So the first four seals bear strongly, but indirectly, upon the spread of the church. Following a Savior who had been crucified made them willing to suffer for the truth. With the fifth seal the scene changes and the horses and riders disappear. The experience of the church now is the primary thing, and the fifth vision presents the martyred saints. But, as the Roman Empire is the persecutor, no exposition can be correct that does not include it. The history of the persecuted involves that of the persecutor. 9 And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:--We should continually remember that John saw these visions in heaven, and that we are not to confuse them with the things they represent. John did not see saints in the body, but their "souls"; for they had already been slain. Their souls were in the Hadean state, but the picture John saw was in heaven. In the temple service the animal sacrifices were made at the brazen altar in the court. (Leviticus 4:7.) As they had been slain because of their faithfulness to God's word, it was appropriate that they appear under the altar as if they had been sacrificed and blood poured at its base. As they suffered martyrdom because they held to the testimony concerning Christ, it was consistent that they ask that their blood be avenged. The altar which represented that suffering was an appropriate place for their cry to be made. 10 and they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?--These words show that the soul or spirit of man does exist in a conscious state after it leaves the body. Their referring to those that "dwell on the earth" shows that they were in the spirit abode --Hades. Those souls knew that vengeance belongeth unto God (Hebrews 10:30), and that only just and righteous punishment would be administered. This is evident from the fact that they called the Master "holy and true." They were, therefore, not crying for revenge upon their persecutors, but rather that justice be done, and their lives vindicated. Their cry was not so much an asking for God's vengeance to be meted out as to know how long they must wait; for they did not doubt that it would be done.11 And there was given them to each one a white robe; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, who should be killed even as they were, should have fulfilled their course.--White robes were given them as an emblem of their innocence, purity, and victory over sin. This is the significance of white robes in other places in this book. (Revelation 3:4; Revelation 3:9; Revelation 3:13.) They had sealed their testimony with their blood and were entitled to such an emblem of victory. Giving to each a robe, which John saw in the picture in heaven, was to signify that the martyrs in the Hadean world were approved and in a state of joy. (See Luke 16:20-23.) To "judge and avenge" means that the martyrs in some way were to be approved and vindicated. How that would be done is not stated here. It might have meant the truth preached by the martyrs would so prevail that the Roman Empire would accept or endorse it. If so, this vindication occurred in the reign of Constantine about A.D. 325. With this view of the seal, the martyrs seen in it would probably refer to those who suffered before the reign of Diocletian, which began about A.D. 303, and their fellow servants and brethren who were yet to suffer would mean those who suffered in his reign. But if those John saw represented those who were to be slain during his reign, then the fellow servants would have to mean a class of martyrs that later suffered under papal Rome--the "man of sin." With this view the time of vindicating the martyrs would have to be when their murderers will be punished at the judgment. This would require that the expression "a little time" would have to be understood as God sees time, not as we do. According to the former view they were to rest--patiently wait--a little time for their vindication to take place according to the latter they were to remain in the rest of Hades till all martyrs for the truth had been slain, and at the judgment they would enter upon the full measure of their reward. All things considered, the first view seems more probable. In either case the persecution in the reign of Diocletian fits the main point in the vision. Historians and commentators generally agree that in the last few years of Diocletian's reign occurred one of the bitterest persecutions known in the history of the church. At first he was disposed to show kindness to the Christians; but, later under the influence of others, he began in A.D. 303 a series of edicts that subjected multitudes to the most inhuman kinds of torture and death. The passage from Gibbon which is usually quoted to prove this is the following "The resentment, or the fears, of Diocletian at length transported him beyond the bounds of moderation, which he had hitherto preserved, and he declared, in a series of cruel edicts, his intention of abolishing the Christian name. By the first of these edicts, the governors of the provinces were directed toapprehend all persons of the ecclesiastical order; and the prisons, destined for the vilest criminals, were soon filled with a multitude of bishops, presbyters, deacons, readers, and exorcists. By a second edict, the magistrates were commanded to employ every method of severity, which might reclaim them from their odious superstition, and oblige them to return to the established worship of the gods. This rigorous order was extended by a subsequent edict, to the whole body of Christians, who were exposed to a violent and general persecution." (Decline and Fall, Vol. II, p. 69.) What John saw in the vision, this skeptical historian shows to have actually transpired in this reign. No other occasion known fits the symbol better. The glorious promises here made to those who had been faithful "unto death" were as strong incentives as could be offered for fidelity to Christ, even though it cost martyrdom. It also shows that the death of the body does not end the soul's existence; consciousness between death and the resurrection must be a fact. Such passages are a deathblow to the "soul-sleeping" doctrine of materialism.Commentary on Revelation 6:9-11 by Foy E. WallaceSouls under the altar (fifth seal)—Revelation 6:9-11. The scene: Here is the first glimpse of the martyrdom pageant which was reopened in the twentieth chapter with the grand finale of victory. It is the tribulation of Matthew twenty-four in extended form, an enlargement of Mat 24:9 and Luke 21:16; depicting the supreme sufferings of those who were companions “ in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ,” during the apostolic age, in the wake of the war on Jerusalem and the persecutions of Christians. The altar: The material altar was a structure appropriated exclusively to the offering of sacrifices. (Genesis 8:20) Spiritually it is applied to Christ as the Christian’ s altar upon which spiritual offerings are made. (Hebrews 13:10) The souls of slain: In this martyr-scene the victims were sacrificed on the altar of the cause of Christ for which they were offered or slain. The word slain is connected with the offering of victims (Acts 7:42); and is descriptive of Christ (Hebrews 13:1-25); and of the Lamb in chapter 5, verses 6, 9, and 12 of this vision. John saw souls of the slain. In the Old Testament the blood, which was the life (Genesis 9:4), was poured at the base of, or under, the altar (Leviticus 4:7); and it stood for the offering of life which is in the blood ( Leviticus 17:11). The souls of this altar scene are represented as the sacrifices of life in the aggregate slain for the word of God as the victims of the testimony which they held. The souls under the altar: As the figurative altar of this vision signifies martyrdom, the phrase under the altar describes the scene of defeat. The cause for which they were offered was represented as being despised and defeated. But it was temporary, because the same souls were removed from beneath the altar of chapter 6, and elevated to the thrones in chapter 20, signifying the resurrection of the cause for which they had died, by the victory of the white horse and its rider over all the portents of the seven seals. They cried with great voice: It was the voice of righteous blood rising up to heaven, to be heard throughout the whole earth, as the blood of Abel cried to God “ from the ground” (Genesis 4:10) , and representative of “ all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of Abel,” to include the blood of all the slain and martyred victims of the impending persecutions, all of which was predicted in Matthew 23:35; Matthew 24:9, and here depicted in the fifth seal of Rev 6:9-11. Howlong, 0 Lord how long: The word “ lord is variously applied to kings, (Daniel 1:10; Acts 25:26); to rulers with authority (Daniel 2:10); to princes and nobles (Daniel 5:1; Mark 6:21); to tyrants (Isaiah 26:13); to a husband (Genesis 18:12); to masters (John 15:15); to Jesus Christ, as Lord of all (Psalms 110:1, Acts 10:36); and to God, who is over all (Psalms 100:3). It is used in this scene as a master, the ownership of a servant; and refers to God. This prayer of the martyrs is addressed to God for judgment against persecutors, asking here for what they received in the scene of Rev 20:4. Dost thou not judge and avenge our blood: This was not a vindictive outcry, but a judicial petition, calling on the Judge of all the earth, whose prerogative it is to exercise avenging judgment (Romans 12:19), and who surely will “ avenge his own who cry unto him.” (Luke 18:7-8) On them that dwell on the earth: The earth of these visions is the place or location of nations; it is not a reference here to the people of the earth, upon whom no vengeance was asked, but specifically those persecuting nations personified in their rulers. Compare Zechariah 12:9; Matthew 24:29-31 and Luke 21:25-28, in specific reference to the post-destruction period of Jerusalem--the redemption and the retribution of history presents a convincing parallel on the period of the Revelation visions. The white robes were an assurance of victory--chapter 9:7; 13:7. The word rest means to wait in patience and hope-- Luke 21:19; Luke 21:28. The expression little season (time) limits the period, and compares with Matthew 24:22, "except those days should be shortened” ; also Luke 21:22 on the “ days of vengeance.” The time was extended to include that part of their fellow servants and brethren that should be killed in the later successive events. There could be no premature act of divine interposition. It should be fulfilled according to seals--that is the events of the vision completed. Again, the apocalypse is parallel with Matthew 24:34 : “ This generation shail not pass till all these things be fulfilled” ; and Matthew 23:36 : “ All these things shall come upon this generation” ; and Luke 21:22 : “ For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.” The identity of the period of the seals of Rev 6:1-17 with the events of Mat 24:1-51 is unmistakable, as referring to, symbolic of, and fulfilled in, the destruction of Jerusalem. Commentary on Revelation 6:9-11 by Walter ScottTHE FIFTH SEAL. OF THE SEALS. Revelation 6:9-11. — “And when He opened the fifth Seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held; and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Sovereign Ruler, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth? And there was given to them, to each one, a white robe; and it was said to them that they should rest yet a little while until both their fellow-bondmen and their brethren, who were about to be killed as they, should be fulfilled.” The first four Seals are broadly marked off from the remaining three, as in most of the septenary divisions. Each of the four is characterized by a living creature (* No doubt there is a moral correspondence between the characteristics of the living ones (Revelation 4:7-8) and the respective Seals with which they are severally connected. The first living creature and the first Seal, the lion and the imperial conqueror, is a correspondence easily seen. So between the fourth living one and the fourth Seal the eagle (see Matthew 24:28. judgment) and the march of Death, is a striking resemblance.) and a horse, both of which disappear in the Seals to follow. The living creatures are connected with the providential government of the world; they are the unseen powers behind the human actors and instruments. But in the Seals to follow the scene darkens, and the public intervention of God in the affairs of men is more marked. A similar break in the septenary series of Trumpet and Vial judgments occurs (for the former see Revelation 8:13; for the latter see Revelation 16:10). The last three Vials give the full expression of God’ s wrath on guilty Christendom. THE FIRST OF THE BAND. Revelation 6:9. — “I saw under the altar the souls of them that had been slain.” How changed the scene! Believers now “ are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). Their presence in it preserves these lands meanwhile from apostasy, corruption, and consequent judgment. But they are also “ the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Their testimony to the grace of God, however defective in fulness and character, is yet the world’ s best and highest blessing. But when the term of God’ s patience is run out, and the “ salt” and “ light” removed, then corruption and moral darkness shall characterize the scene given up in retributive righteousness to judgment (Isaiah 60:2). The opening page of judgment is before us in the first four Seals. When the home of the Spirit on earth, the Church (1 Corinthians 3:16), is broken up (for it has to be presented by Christ to Himself in glory, Ephesians 5:27), the Spirit will work from Heaven on earth, quickening souls by His divine power. Those first converted and saved, by no known human agency,(*This first company of witnesses on earth after the translation will go through the Roman world preaching the Gospel of the kingdom. The result of their labors is stated in Matthew 25:31-46. We gather that these first preachers will be chiefly converted Jews. “ These my brethren,” are the Lord’ s Jewish brethren according to the flesh (v. 40).) will incur the active and cruel hostility of the christless populations of the earth. It is possible, as under the early pagan persecutions, that the future witnessing company of believers will be regarded as the cause of the national calamities, and hence the fierce blast of bitter and cruel persecution. Here, however, the true and real reason of their martyrdom is named, “ Slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held.” The Word of God when faithfully declared in its incisive claims on man’ s conscience ever stirs into action the hostility of the world, and its most faithful exponents in life and public testimony must seal that witness with their blood. The Lord at present, by the power of the Holy Spirit on earth, bridles the passions of men, but let the presence and power of the Spirit be withdrawn, and the world’ s enmity to Christ and to those who are His shall burst out in fierce and bitter persecution even unto death. “ The testimony which they held” is not to the grace of God as now, but to the righteous claims of God in establishing His kingdom on earth. The answer to these claims is the sword of power in the hands of the then apostate, persecuting power. Judgment is let loose on these holy sufferers. The kingdom rights of Christ (Matthew 24:14), then the subject of testimony, will be trampled under foot and the witnesses cruelly slain. The sacrificial word “ slain” is used in keeping with the special character of these, probably Jewish, witnesses. The later company under the Beast (Revelation 13:7) are said to be “ killed” (v. 11), a more general word than the former. The altar of burnt offering which stood both in the court of the tabernacle and of the temple is here referred to. This altar of brass typifying the endurance of divine judgment is also noticed in Revelation 11:1; Revelation 14:18; Revelation 16:7. The golden altar of intercession twice comes into view in these apocalyptic scenes (Revelation 8:1-13, latter part of verse 3; and Revelation 9:13). “ The altar” in Revelation 8:3; Revelation 8:5 refers to the brazen altar. Under the altar, on which they had been sacrificed by the ruthless hand of the persecutor, their souls cry aloud for vengeance on their enemies. The imagery is cast in Jewish mould, but is none the less easily read. The cry does not breathe the accents of divine grace, but of righteous judgment. The appeal of the future Jewish remnant to the God of judgment is as much in accord with the divine mind as the touching words of the Lord on the cross: “ Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34), or the prayer of the first Christian martyr: “ Lord, lay not this sin to their charge” (Acts 7:60). The change of the dispensation alters the character of God’ s dealings with the world. Law was the principle on which God dealt in Old Testament times. Grace is the platform of His present acts and ways. Judgment, in dealing with evil and evil workers, characterises the future brief crisis before glory dawns upon the earth. The cry, therefore, of the slain under the altar is quite in keeping with Psalms 94:1-23 : “ O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show Thyself. Lift up Thyself, Thou Judge of the earth; render a reward to the proud. Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?” (vv. 1-3). The judgment of sin on the cross is the foundation on which securely reposes our glory in Heaven. The judgment of sin on the wicked on earth is needful to clear it from evil and fit it as a dwelling place for God’ s earthly people. Their souls are seen in vision “underneath the altar.” On the altar would express the holocaust being offered, but “underneath” it, where the blood of the sin offering was poured out (Leviticus 4:7), signifies the completion of the sacrifice. The martyrdom of the saints was not taking place. The scene was over. There are no details furnished. The cruelty of the oppressor and the sigh of the steadfast witness for Jesus and His royal rights are alike unrecorded. The martyrs are not here seen in life, nor as risen, but in the separate state, “ the souls of them that had been slain.” With a loud voice they cry “How long?” the well-known cry of the suffering Jew in the coming hour of unparalleled sorrow. Anguish and faith are expressed in the cry (Psalms 74:9-10; Psalms 79:5; Psalms 89:46; Psalms 94:3-4). The appeal is to God as “ Sovereign Ruler.” This is a title implying supreme authority, and is found nowhere else in the Apocalypse. The epithets “ holy” and “ true” are added. The cry is to One Who has right and power to avenge the blood so wantonly shed; Who is holy in His nature and true to His Word and promise. The circumstances contemplated under this Seal are similar to those noted in Psalms 79:1-13, only the Psalmist witnesses to a later moment and to a more circumscribed area. Vengeance is invoked “ on them that dwell upon the earth.” A moral class is here indicated, for in Revelation 11:9 the inhabitants of earth are referred to under the well-known enumeration, “ people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations;” then in the next verse a moral class, the guiltiest of all, are spoken of as those “ that dwell upon the earth.” The significance of this term is found in Philippians 3:19. The cry for vengeance is heard, but the answer is deferred. In the meantime the Lord gives a token of special approval. Each one of the martyred band is singled out for honor and vindication. “There was given to them, to each one, a white robe.”(Not “ Robes,” as in the Authorised Version. See Revised.)If this verse stood alone it would itself render untenable the historical school of interpretation. Christians are in connection with the Father, not the Sovereign Ruler; they pray for those who despitefully use them; they do not invoke vengeance upon them. To a Christian such an invocation is impossible. To one who had been a martyred Jew this legal call for vengeance was absolutely consistent with the law under which he had lived, and his own Scriptures, and the Lord by giving each one a white robe stamps His approval on their utterance. How good and gracious of our Lord thus to express with His ready approval the righteous attitude assumed by His martyred saints. But the sword of the Lord was not yet to be drawn. The iniquity of man awaited a fuller development of evil ere the righteous and holy wrath of the Lord bursts forth in its fury on the ungodly. The time of vengeance was measured by a “ little while. “ Another company here termed “ fellow-bondmen” and “ brethren” were to swell the ranks of the noble army of martyrs. Two separate companies of martyred saints are evidently referred to in these verses, the earlier company slain under the fifth Seal;(See Matthew 24:9, which synchronizes with the time and events here referred to.) the later killed at a subsequent period, here called “ a little while.” There can be no full answer to the cry “ underneath the altar” till this second contingent of the martyred band is complete. It must be distinctly borne in mind that neither the Old Testament martyrs from Abel, nor the Christian martyrs from Stephen, are referred to here. The two companies are those who seal their testimony with their blood after the translation of the saints of past and present ages to Heaven. The coming brief crisis will witness in its earlier and later stage fierce outbursts of cruel persecution against those then witnessing for God. Commentary on Revelation 6:9-11 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 6:9. This verse brings to the fifth seal but nothing is said by either of the four creatures. Evidently by this time John's interest had been so centered on the drama being enacted before him that it was not necessary to call his attention. He was shown an altar because this is a book of symbols that are used to denote some literal facts. The present symbol is drawn from the temple of the Jews in which the altar was the center of their worship. At the bottom of the altar the blood of the sacrifices was poured, the bodies having been laid on the altar to be burned. (See Leviticus 4:7.) From this imagery it was fitting to represent the Christians as victims that had been sacrificed to the cruelty of their persecutors, and also to picture their souls as being poured out at the foot of the altar. It is interesting to note that the bodies only had been put on the altar which left the souls still alive and able to speak intelligently. (See Matthew 10:28.) The word for is used twice which is from the Greek word DIA. The Englishman's Greek New Testament renders this word "because of." The point is that these Christians had been killed "because of" their defense of the word of God. It is the same word that is used in chapter 1:9 where John was banished to the isle of Patmos "for" (because of) the word of God. Hence both John and these Christians who had been slain were martyrs, because the word means one who is faithful to the word of God regardless of threatened consequences. Revelation 6:10. The witnesses whose souls John saw (he was able to see a soul because he himself was "in the Spirit" --chapter 1:10) were calling for vengeance to be put on the ones who had caused their mistreatment. Revelation 6:11. Before replying to their cry with the explanation of the stitua-tion, they were given present consolation in the form of white robes. That indicated their standing of favor with God for chapter 3:4 shows white as a symbol of worthiness in His sight. It was then told them that they would be avenged after a while, namely, when some of their brethren should be killed. As they were means they would be killed "for" (because of) the word of God. This was fulfilled as reported in chapter 20:4 which will be commented upon when we come to that passage.Commentary on Revelation 6:9-11 by Burton CoffmanRev_6:9 And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:The opening of this seal intimately concerns the fortunes of God's church, showing that, "God is not unmindful of the death of the martyrs."[34] "John is still in heaven, therefore the altar represents the altar of incense in heaven";[35] but, to be sure, there is no actual altar in heaven; the thing being symbolized is that of the saints being, in some sense, in the presence of God, despite their having been slain on earth. Here is a powerful intimation of life after death. Who are these deceased martyrs? We cannot agree that only the ancient saints of Judaism[36] are meant, nor that those alone who "perished in the persecution under Nero,"[37] are intended. This is a dispensational picture, and all of the saints who ever perished for the word of God are they of whom John spoke; especially those who are Christians were meant. Stephen, the first martyr, was surely among them, and James the apostle, and all who had suffered for the testimony which they held. [34] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 1079. [35] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 644. [36] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 43. [37] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 524. Revelation 6:10and they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Master, the holy and true, does thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?Moffatt found what he called something "inferior" in this cry for "blood-revenge."[38] Scott likewise said, "To a Christian such an invocation is impossible,"[39] from this concluding that the martyrs here were Old Testament Jews. Such views miss the mark. "This is not the language of private revenge but of public justice."[40] One grows a little weary of commentators who fancy that they are in possession of such a faith that a prayer of this kind must be repudiated as non-Christian; but let those who were martyred for their testimony speak; they are entitled to be heard. Furthermore, their invocation is in full harmony with what the Son of God himself said: Will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you he will vindicate them speedily (Luke 18:7). "The vindication of the righteous is a recurring note throughout the Scriptures."[41] Did not God say to Cain, "Thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground" (Genesis 4:10). Wrongs in the final analysis must be made right. The justice of the holy and righteous God can be accepted only in the light of the solemn fact that "vengeance belongs to him," and that it will be executed upon the wicked. It cannot be that the prayers of the martyred, for God to exercise that prerogative are in any sense whatever, either inconsistent with true faith in Christ, or reprehensible in any degree. For Christians, upon their own behalf, to engage in acts of vengeance is indeed sinful, but for them to pray for God's vengeance to fall upon their enemies is right, a proposition that is proved by the verse we are studying. The fact that only martyrs are mentioned here should not obscure the fact that all of the righteous dead are with the Lord and that all receive the same blessings implied by the white robes in the next verse. [38] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 392 [39] Walter Scott, Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, n.d.), p. 156. [40] G. B. Caird. op. cit.. p. 85. [41] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 13. Revelation 6:11 And there was given them to each one a white robe; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, who should be killed even as they were, should have fulfilled their course.The prayers of martyred saints for God's vengeance to be executed upon the wicked could not be answered at once, but in God's own time. In the meanwhile, the bestowal of white robes upon the deceased saints symbolized their absolute assurance of eternal life with God. That they should rest for a little while ... This is a very interesting clause, for it gives a glimpse of John's use of time references. What is "this little while"? It is all the time between the First and Second Advents of Jesus Christ; but with God this is only a little while. Later, John would call this same expanse of time "a thousand years." Their fellow servants also ... is an extension of the meaning to include others than those actually martyred. And their brethren who should be killed ... In the times during which Revelation was written, and throughout history, there were to be many more martyrs who would take their place along with those already slain, and all would be rewarded together "on that day" (2 Timothy 4:8). Should have fulfilled their course ... The alternative reading of this clause in the ASV is, "should be fulfilled in number," a thought that harmonizes with sentiments expressed a number of times in the New Testament. The historical church has taken note of these, and as Barclay noted, "The Anglican Prayer Book has this in the burial prayer, "That it may please Thee shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect.'"[41] Back of such a conception is the view that God will keep on saving people until the total number of the redeemed, predetermined by the will of God, shall have been accomplished. An exposition of this thought has been attempted by this writer in The Mystery of Redemption. Hendriksen stated the proposition thus: "For a little time" means until every elect has been brought into the fold ... God knows the exact number. It has been fixed from eternity in his decree. Until that number has been realized on earth the day of final judgment cannot come.[42]They shall rest ... Russell cautioned that: Care should be taken not to reason from this passage, that all shall sleep unconsciously in an intermediate world. Sleep is a symbol of rest, but it belongs to life (2 Thessalonians 1:7; Hebrews 4:3; Revelation 14:13).[43]Hinds also pointed out in this connection that: This passage shows that the death of the body does not end the soul's existence; consciousness between death and the resurrection must be a fact. Such passages are a deathblow to the soul-sleeping doctrine of materialism.[44][42] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 129. [43] James William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 630. [44] John T. Hinds, A Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), p. 104. Commentary on Revelation 6:9-11 by Manly Luscombe9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. The fifth seal - Under the altar are souls. We know some things about these souls. Souls - not bodies. Before the throne - they are in the presence of God in heaven (Revelation 8:3). Killed - martyrs for the Word of God . Faithful - the held the testimony in time of persecution. Aware - knew how they died, knew that others were suffering. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “ How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” How long - is a question of pain. It is also a question of faith that God is in control. God, how long before you intervene on behalf of the faithful? There is an expression of understanding that God is the avenger of evil. “ I will repay,” says the Lord. Coffman wrote, “ For Christians, upon their own behalf, to engage in acts of vengeance is indeed sinful; but for them to pray for God’ s vengeance to fall upon their enemies is right, a proposition that is proved by the verse we are studying.” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow sethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. They are given white robes and told to wait. God does not work in our time frame. They were told to wait for a little time. Others will also face hardships. Others will also suffer persecution. Others will also die in war. NOTE: We do NOT get white robes when we get to heaven. We get white robes when we obey the gospel. (Revelation 3:4) The white robes are the symbol of the righteousness of the saints. White robes were given to these martyrs to identify them as Christians. God will avenge the blood of the saints. But He will do it in His time, not ours. God does not keep us from persecutions and hardships, but the evil will be punished at judgment. Revelation 6:12-17 2. THE SIXTH SEAL OPENEDRev_6:12-17 12 And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; --When this seal was opened John saw in the picture in heaven the appearance of a great commotion in which the material elements of the universe seemed to he rocking and falling from their natural places. He also saw the effect that such commotion had on the people of the earth. All this, it must be remembered, was in the symbolic vision, and should not be confused with what it represented. An earthquake naturally would represent some great disturbance, the nature of which must be learned by a careful study of scripture texts. and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood; 13 and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind.--The only excuse for taking this language literally is the view of some expositors that the seal refers to the coming of the Lord and the end of the world. But this position will not do, for it is followed by a period in which a multitude of the redeemed will be sealed, and the opening of the seventh seal under which the seven trumpets are to be sounded. Since in all the preceding seals the language is mainly symbolical, the presumption is that it is so in this seal. A figurative use of the words sun, moon, and stars is clearly evident in such texts as the following: Joe 2:10; lsa. 13:9, 10; Jeremiah 4:24. 14 And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.--This too is what John saw in the picture, and therefore is to be applied figuratively just as the words sun, moon, and stars. Rolled up "as a scroll" is unquestionably symbolic language and indicates the removal of the heaven. Though John saw what appeared as the literal heaven rolled up, that must represent the removal of something else. A great earthquake refers to some terrible agitation. Sun, moon, and stars refer to prominent persons. (Genesis 37:9.) The prophet referred to Jesus as the "sun of righteousness." (Malachi 4:2.) The sun becoming black, the moon like blood, and the stars falling mean that prominent persons through commotions and bloodshed would lose their places and cease to function in their usual manner. Such fall would be comparable to the untimely dropping of unripe figs when the tree is violently shaken. Mountains refer to governments. The kingdom of Christ was prophetically described as the "mountain of Jehovah's house." (Isaiah 2:2.) Mountains and islands being moved out of their places must, therefore, refer to radical changes in forms of governments. No small changes would be represented by such a breaking up of the material universe. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; --John is still describing the picture in heaven. This is another scene that passed before his eyes, which evidently was intended to show the effect that such a commotion would have on men. A literal darkening of the sun, moon turning red, the heavens disappearing and mountains moving would so agitate all classes of men that they would cry for help and seek places of shelter if possible. This would be the natural effect of such material disturbances on the mind of men. It symbolically represents the consternation and commotions that political and national upheavals would have upon the people in the affected kingdoms. Since the picture shows how the mind will be ffected by any calamitous disturbance, material or spiritual, the language itself here does not say which it is. In nature the consternation would be the same regardless of what produced it; the cry for escape from serious consequences would also be the same. The language shows that all classes--high and low --would be equally distressed. The classes mentioned are representative; it means that the disturbance would be so great that none would escape from the terror. As a radical change in government would disturb them, they would be trying to avoid persecution and death. This is further brought out in the next verse. 16 and they say to the mountains, and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?--This is the language of terror on the part of those in danger of some impending calamity. The particular thing feared must be determined by the general teaching of the text or context. Hosea 10:8 has the same thought when Israel was threatened with punishment. Substantially the same language is used by Jesus in Luke 23:30, referring to the destruction of Jerusalem. It is simply a poetical way of expressing the cry of distress. When the calamity came, they would consider it a day of wrath coming from God and Christ. Or, they would acknowledge that their being overcome was because God's permission or power was with their enemies. Their conclusion would be that, if divine favor was against them, no one would be able to stand. This is true regardless of when or what particular wrath of God may be in view here. Since the seventh seal, under which there are seven trumpets, must intervene between this seal and the end of time, the language of this text cannot refer to Christ's coming and the end of the world. It must, therefore, mean some special day (period) of wrath. If the fifth seal found its striking fulfillment in the persecution in the reign of Diocletian, the position here taken, then we would expect the sixth to be fulfilled later when some great change would take place in the Roman Empire--such changes as would affect both the empire and the church. The well-known relationship of the church to pagan Rome during those centuries is ample proof of this view. We insist that no exposition of Revelation can be correct which ignores the vital influence each had on the other, as the plain facts of history show. The fact that those who cried for the rocks to fall upon them wanted to be hid from the face of God shows them to be sinners, not God's people. The great changes indicated by the commotion in the material universe must have occurred among the church's enemies within the Roman Empire. In such a governmental change all false religions, particularly the national form of them, would suffer defeat; rulers and those in authority would lose their powers, and general weeping among them would be common. The changes that transpired in the reign of Constantine, who was emperor from A.D. 307 to 337, will harmonize with the things pictured in this seal. In 308 the empire was divided among six emperors. By A.D. 313 they were reduced to two--Constantine and Licinius. The latter, who was a champion of Paganism, was defeated in A.D. 323 and Constantine became the sole emperor of the Roman world. Since Constantine was favorable to Christianity, the struggle was really a war between Christianity and Paganism. The defeat of the latter caused great mourning and distress among the enemies of Christianity. In the Edict of Milan, A.D. 313, privilege was granted for each man to worship as he saw fit, and none were to be prevented from practicing or embracing Christianity. In A.D. 321 he decreed that Sunday, the day the Christians observed as a day of worship, should be a day of rest in towns from business and labor. This was a concession to Christianity. In A.D. 325 he convened the first general counsel of the church over which he presided. In A.D. 326 he began the building of Constantinople to which he removed the capital of the Roman Empire. (Encyc. Brit., 14th ed., pp. 297-9.) He is supposed to have entered the church himself before he died. Gibbon refers to him as the patron of the church who "seated Christianity on the throne of the Roman world." (Decline and Fall, Vol. II, p. 273.) He also says "War and commerce had spread the knowledge of the gospel beyond the confines of the Roman provinces; and the barbarians, who had disdained an humble and proscribed sect, soon learned to esteem a religion which had been so lately embraced by the greatest monarch, and the most civilized nation, of the globe." (Ibid., p. 275.) Surely all this was a political and spiritual earthquake that shook pagan nations to their foundations, and brought mourning to their rulers, but honor and glory to the church. Whatever might be said in favor of other times, certainly none could more fittingly fulfill the scenes depicted in this seal. Unless the correct application of the sixth seal is understood, the remainder of the book will be in hopeless confusion; there will be no place for the sealing of the saints mentioned in the seventh chapter and the seventh seal, under which the seven trumpets are to sound. The last trumpet brings the end of time. (11:15-18; 1 Corinthians 15:52.) The man of sin, Babylon, and the scarlet-robed woman--emblems of the apostate church--are all to be destroyed when the Lord comes. (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:19-21; Revelation 18:21-24.) The sixth seal mentions nothing about this great event. The changes in the material universe at the end of time will be literal. (2 Peter 3:10.) All the scriptural facts demand that the changes indicated by the sixth seal are to be understood as symbols and applied to the events mentioned in the preceding notes. The prophet Isaiah used the following language concerning the destruction of ancient Babylon: "For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not cause its light to shine. . . . Therefore I will make the heavens to tremble, and the earth shall be shaken out of its place, in the wrath of Jehovah of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger." (Isaiah 13:10-13.) Clearly this is symbolic language, and plain proof that the emblems of the sixth seal may be applied to the overthrow of the pagan Roman Empire rather than to changes in the material elements mentioned.Commentary on Revelation 6:12-17 by Foy E. WallaceThe shaking of the nations (sixth seal)—Revelation 6:12-17.The judgments depicted in this seal indicate a response to the plea of the souls under the altar in the fifth seal. The representations, symbols and language are so similar to the descriptions of Mat 24:29-31 as to be identical in their significance. It describes the coming of the Son of man after the tribulation mentioned in the verses before it, as the sixth seal of Rev 6:1-17 joins with the contents of the fifth seal before it. The divine visitations in the signs of terrestrial upheavals and celestial disturbances form an identical imagery. The comparison is impressive, if not conclusive evidence of their fulfillment in the same series of events. 1. There was a great earthquake—Revelation 6:12. In all of these scenes the earth is the place of the nations. The earthquake is the symbol of revolution, the shaking up of the nations in their various places. It is the figure of the agitations, upheavals, resulting in the revolutions and wars of Mat 24:29. It is the symbol of divine judgment on the nations persecuting the cause of the Lamb. The same signal of the earthquake is found in the Old Testament prophecies of Isa 29:6, in the former judgments on Judah and Jerusalem. It has the same adaptations and similar applications, in Matthew 24:6-7, describing the wars in the tributaries of Rome and all over Palestine, Galilee, Samaria, 177 A.D. 66, preceding the destruction of Jerusalem. 2. The sun black, the moon blood—Revelation 6:12. These exact metaphors were employed by the prophet Isaiah to signify the darkness that was then to settle over the Babylonian people in the destruction of their city, Babylon. (Isaiah 13:10) The same figures of speech were adapted by Jesus to describe the end of the Jewish state which resulted from the destruction of Jerusalem, and of their theocracy in the demolition of the temple. (Matthew 24:27-29) The figurative description is appropriated in the sixth seal of Revelation as a preview of the divine visitations on the persecuting powers. 3. The stars of heaven fell unto the earth—Revelation 6:13. The downfall of Jewish authorities, rulers, and officials of government is here symbolized. The same signs are used in Isaiah 13:10 in the prophetic description of the fall of the Babylonian rulers. The princes and nobles of the Babylonian kingdom were called stars in Daniel 8:10, and were said to be “ cast down” ; and in Daniel 12:3 God’ s people were said to shine “ as stars forever.” 4. As a fig tree casting untimely figs when shaken by mighty wind—Revelation 6:13. The fig tree was the most familiar fruit bearing tree of scripture illustrations. The first pair clothed their nakedness with fig leaves. (Genesis 3:7) The universal benefits of the new covenant were envisioned by Malachi as “ every man under his vine and under his fig tree.” (Micah 4:4) The desolation of Nineveh is compared by Nahum to the ripe fig falling from the tree that is shaken. (Nahum 3:12) The dissolution of the enemies of God’ s people is described by Isaiah to the leaf falling from the vine and to a falling fig from a tree. (Isaiah 34:4) The rejection of the Jews was insinuated by Jesus in the cursing of the fruitless fig tree. (Matthew 21:19) So the maledictions about to fall upon the persecutors of the Lamb’ s followers all symbolized by the casting, or forcible falling, of figs from the tree “ when she is shaken of a mighty wind"--the wind of divine wrath. Isaiah compares the withholding of divine judgments against Ephraim as the staying of “ his rough wind” (Isaiah 27:4); and Jeremiah prophesied that a “ full wind” would come upon Jerusalem, “ not to fan, not to cleanse,” but as a judgment to execute “ sentence against them.” (Jeremiah 4:11-12) So this apocalyptic seal makes the casting of the fig from the tree, “ when shaken of a mighty wind,” a portent of the destruction that was reserved for the persecutors of the Lamb’ s people. 5. The heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled—Revelation 6:14. The word heavenhere refers to the seats of government, the powers of dominion. The persecuting powers would depart, fold up, as a scroll, and roll back. Using the same figure in describing the fall of Babylon, Isaiah said “ the host of heaven shall be dissolved and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll.” (Isaiah 34:4) The disintegration of the enemies of the church was also foretold in the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah by the use of the same figures as John employed in the imagery of Revelation; and it is again comparable to the Lord’ s pronouncement concerning the events after the fall of Jerusalem, that with a great sound of a trumpet, he would send his messengers to “ gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” --(Matthew 24:31) -a description of expansion of the gospel after the destruction of Jerusalem and the downfall of Judaism. And in verse 34 the Lord said with the emphasis of Verily I say unto you that “ this generation shall not pass until all these things be fulfilled.” Here is the blanket proof that these events belonged to that time, that they pertained to the church and the nations of the persecution period and not to a distant future of far and remote centuries. 6. Every mountain and island were moved out of their places—Revelation 6:14. This is another symbolic expression to designate the divine visitations on the persecuting powers. Figuratively the mountains denoted places of authority in a kingdom (Amos 4:1) , and the powerful concentration of enemies (Isaiah 41:15). The island denotes the inhabitants of the sea, from over the sea, or any land bordering the sea; and the prophets referred to the Gentile peoples as the “ isles of the Gentiles” and “ isles of the sea.” In the imagery of this sixth seal mountains and islands --both Jewish and Gentile persecuting authorities, Palestinian and Romans--would be overthrown, moved out of their places, their power dissipated. Pronouncing judgment on Tyrus for oppressing Jerusalem, Ezekiel said the isles would “ shake” and “ tremble” at her fall and “ all the isles of the sea shall be troubled at thy departure.” (Ezekiel 26:15-18) So of these Jewish and Gentile authorities “ after the tribulation of those days.” Jesus said “ the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” (Matthew 24:29) 7. “ And the kings of the earth, and the great men . . . said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne. . . . For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"—Revelation 6:15-16.This is a quotation from Hosea describing the men of high places--kings, nobles, warriors, captains and conquerors-- all of whom were to be humbled with men of low station, calling to the mountains for cover. In pronouncing doom on Jerusalem Jesus quoted Hosea 10:8, as recorded by Luke: “ Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but weep for your children. For behold the days are coming . . . they shall begin to say to the mountains ‘ Fall on us’ ; and to the hills ‘ cover us’ ."--(Luke 23:28-30) Since the quotation in Revelation 6:16 and Luke 23:30 are from the same prophecy of Hos 10:8, it is the Lord’ s own application of its fulfillment in those events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem, and it is therefore solid evidence which cannot be controverted that the seals of Revelation are not now future. 8. For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand—Revelation 6:17. As the previous verse is a direct quotation from Hosea, this last verse of the sixth seal is an allusion, if not a quotation, of Nahum 1:5-6 : “ The mountains quake at him, the earth burned at his presence . . . who can stand before his indignation? Who can abide his fierce anger? His fury is poured out . . . the rocks are thrown down by him.” The Revelation passages are connected by quotation and the meaning is evident. The appeal of the great and mighty was for covert from the face of Him that sat on the throne and from the Lamb who was in the midst of the throne, which means that both God and Christ joined in the events of visitation in this pageant of retributive judgment on the nations. It places the passage where it belongs, not to the final judgment nor to a future procession of events, but to the period of the struggle and triumph of the early church with and over the Jewish and Roman persecutors of the apostolic and post-apostolic period. Commentary on Revelation 6:12-17 by Walter ScottTHE SIXTH SEAL. OF ALL AND CIVIL . Revelation 6:12-17. — “And I saw when He opened the sixth Seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as hair sackcloth, and the whole moon became as blood, and the stars of Heaven fell upon the earth as a fig tree, shaken by a great wind, casts its unseasonable figs. And the Heaven was removed as a book rolled up, and all mountains and islands were removed out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great, and the chiliarches, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and have us hidden from (the) face of Him that sits upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; because the great day of His wrath is come, and who is able to stand?” Under the former Seal we witnessed a fierce struggle between light and darkness. The conflict between good and evil knows no cessation. But God shall triumph in the end. The full answer to the appeal of the martyred saints must await the completion of the martyred band. A second outburst of rage against God’ s witnesses, directed by the Beast and his satellite, the Antichrist, is there intimated. Then will come the hour of awful tribulation. Then will an angry God deal in judgment with the cruel persecutors of His people. “ It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you” (2 Thessalonians 1:6). But under this Seal God begins to deal judicially with the world, thus giving an earnest of the full answer yet to be vouchsafed to the cry underneath the altar. The scene here described is an awful and sublime one. The symbols employed are the powers of nature. The whole fabric of civil and governmental power on earth breaks up. Disorder reigns supreme. It is not simply the collapse of this or that government, but the total subversion of all governing authority, both supreme and dependent. The general idea which the metaphors present is a universal overthrow of all existing authority; a revolutionary crisis of such magnitude that kings and slaves are in abject terror. The coming crash will involve in one general catastrophe everything on earth deemed secure and strong. A vast civil, social, and political chaos will be created. What an awful scene to contemplate! A world without a magistrate! Without even the semblance of rightful power! Without government! Without the authority of repression! Revelation 6:12. — “A great earthquake” denotes a violent disruption of the organised state of things, a complete subversion of all existing authority. Under the seventh Seal, and preparatory to the infliction of yet severer chastisements (Revelation 8:5), an earthquake, along with other signs, is mentioned as a public intimation of coming wrath. But here the earthquake is termed “ great,” as its effects upon men amply testify. Under the seventh Vial (Revelation 16:18) there will be another social and political revolution exceeding in its effect what we have in our text, a catastrophe of such an appalling character that history affords no parallel to it. It must be borne in mind that the Seals unfold a series of consecutive and preliminary sorrows. The “ great earthquake” does not usher in the day of the Lord. There are two groups of signs mentioned by the Lord in His great prophetic discourse (Matthew 24:1-51; Matthew 25:1-46). The first group applies to the period before the great tribulation (Matthew 24:6-14), the second group has its application after the tribulation, and announces the immediate Return of the Lord in power (v. 29). Now the events under the Seals are prior to the tribulation, and really coalesce with the earlier state of things described in Matthew 24:6-14. The “ great earthquake” of our text does not, therefore, announce the final judgment, nor is it the immediate precursor of the Lord’ s return, whatever men may say in their fear and terror (Revelation 6:17). The very fact that a yet more awful earthquake succeeds the one of our text should settle the question (Revelation 16:18). The state of things described under the sixth Seal is to be followed by more awful horrors. Revelation 6:12. — “The sun became black as hair sackcloth.”(Hair sackcloth was originally made of camel’ s hair (Matthew 3:4), and was the Prophet’ s usual garment (Zechariah 13:4). But it was pre-eminently the mourning garb (Revelation 11:3; 2 Samuel 3:31. etc.). It is in this latter sense in which it must be viewed here.) The sun symbolizes the supreme governing authority (Genesis 37:9; Revelation 12:1). “ Black as hair sackcloth” denotes the darkening power of Satan, and points to the supreme authority of earth (on which all were dependent) in a condition of utter collapse (Isaiah 50:3; Ezekiel 7:18). The darkening of the heavenly bodies is an awful calamity in the physical world, and hence the aptness of the figure here. Revelation 6:12. — “The whole moon became as blood.” All authority immediately derived from and dependent on the supreme power is here figured by the “ whole (“ Whole,” omitted in the Authorized, but inserted in the Revised, as also by Tregelles, Kelly, Darby: is found in the Sinaitic, Alexandrian, and Vatican Codices.) moon.” The moon in the material realm is a secondary planet, and symbolizes derivative authority in the moral realm. It is the chosen figure of Israel as dependent upon Christ the Sun of Righteousness (Son 6:10; Psalms 81:3). “ Became as blood.” The moral death and apostasy of every subordinate authority is intimated. “ Blood” is a universal figure of death (Revelation 11:6; Revelation 19:2; Revelation 19:13). Revelation 6:13. — “ The stars of Heaven fell upon the earth as a fig tree, shaken by a great wind, casts its unseasonable figs.” All lesser authorities, as individual rulers, civil and ecclesiastical, morally fell from their exalted station. God and their relation to Him were morally given up. The unripe or unseasonable figs are those concealed under the leaves which never ripen, and which are cast off in winter by a strong wind. When the wintry winds of God’ s wrath sweep across the scene, then those who were never truly His, however exalted their position, shall openly apostatize and abandon all external relation to Him (Isaiah 34:4). Revelation 6:14. — “The Heaven was removed as a book rolled up.” The political, civil, and ecclesiastical systems, the constitution, bonds, and frame work of society, shall as completely disappear as a book or scroll is unreadable when rolled up. The physical removal of the heaven (Revelation 21:1) and of the heavens (2 Peter 3:10), not, of course, the dwelling place of God, of saints, and of angels, is one of the most stupendous events which the Word of God records. But the entire cessation of all governmental order, the moral Heaven, is one of those coming events most awful to contemplate. We have had the ruin of all greater and lesser authorities, but here the whole system in which they were placed itself collapses. Revelation 6:14. — “All mountains and islands were removed out of their places.” A system of settled power is represented by a mountain (Daniel 2:35; Jeremiah 51:25), a long established, stable, and powerful government. Islands were regarded by the Jews as sources of wealth, as centres of trade and commerce (Isaiah 23:2; Ezekiel 27:3-15). The removal of all, regarded as enduring and great, as also the sources of wealth and commerce, are here declared. TERROR. The effect of this mighty and universal revolution in civil and political life will be a scene of awful terror. In keeping with a marked characteristic of the Apocalypse, in which the numeral seven is largely employed, there are enumerated seven classes of men, and, as usual, these again are divided into two groups of three and four. The first consists of those who govern: “ kings,” the highest and most exalted; “ great,” or princes, see Revised Version; and “ chiliarches,” or military tribunes. (In Mark 6:21 we read of Herod making a supper to his nobles and the chiliarches or military officers, and the chief men of Galilee, but these latter would not necessarily be officials; they were probably eminent persons in a private station.) The second group includes the non-official class presented in pairs: “ the rich” and “ strong,” - “ bondman and freeman.” (In Revelation 13:16; Revelation 19:18 the order is reversed as the free and bond.) Revelation 6:15. — All, high and low, rich and poor, “hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains.” What a vivid emblem of terror! The fear of the Lord and the glory of His majesty in governmental power, as witnessed in the universal disruption of society, will strike men with such awful dread that the caves and rocks of the mountains (This second and further reference to the mountains would in itself show that the physical heaven, moon, stars, mountains, etc., are not actually contemplated, but are to be understood symbolically. How could every mountain be removed (Revelation 6:14) and yet be sought for subsequently as a hiding place (Revelation 6:15)? There will be physical changes in the heavens and earth at the commencement (Zechariah 14:1-21) and close of the millennial reign (2 Peter 3:1-18), but the time under which this Seal has its place would forbid anything but a moral and symbolical signification.) shall be eagerly sought as hiding places from His wrath and to screen them from His face. It is an hour of mortal fear. In their terror they appeal not to God, but to the mountains and rocks to fall upon them and hide them from the face “ of Him that sits upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” Their guilty fears add, “ Because the great day of His wrath is come, and who is able to stand?” It is not so. Heavier judgments are looming, darker clouds are gathering ere the final hour of concentrated agony known as the “ wrath of the Lamb” transpires. Under the sixth Seal the first droppings of the coming storm of divine wrath cause universal terror and fear. When the storm actually bursts at the personal return of the Lord, then, instead of dread of His wrath, bold, high-handed contempt of the Lamb will characterize the scene (Revelation 19:17-19) which the warrior king will drench in blood. We have to be exceedingly careful not to allow the consideration of details to weaken in our souls the general effect of this thrilling description of coming events, and the consequent fears of men. Even a cursory reader must feel awed at the “ almost unparalleled magnificence and sublimity” of the scene about to be enacted, which is revealed in terms so full and plain that their bearing cannot, save by the wilfully ignorant, be misunderstood. The consideration of the seventh Seal (We had thought of presenting a condensed summary of the historical application of the Seals, but on further reflection decided not to do so. We are amazed at the conflict of opinion by the historicalists. Scarcely two are agreed in their interpretations, while their assigned dates to this and that event are in hopeless confusion. Little wonder that the mass of Christians regard the study of the Apocalypse with an amount of suspicion difficult to get rid of. The principle of interpretation is clearly erroneous. If the Revelation is to be interpreted by the light which the facts of history record, it necessarily shuts out by far the greater number of God’ s people from the study of the book, for how can they study history? Besides, if those who have done so and seek to interpret the book on this principle differ so widely that scarcely two are agreed, how hopeless the task for others. We are satisfied that the principle on which this book is sought to be interpreted by the historical school is utterly false. God’ s Spirit alone is the power by which prophecy is to be understood, and not the facts of history. The Revelation from chapter 4 refers to the future.) must be reserved till we enter upon the study of chapter 8. Commentary on Revelation 6:12-17 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 6:12. Following the opening of the fifth sealJohn saw some of the results of persecution, and it had been brought against Christians by Pagan (heathen) Rome. But there came a change in the general conditions. The emperor Constantine professed to be converted to Christianity, and it caused him to make many reverses in the activities of men in high places. The statements through the rest of this chapter are worded as if John saw the works of creation undergo radical changes. Such is to be expected in a book written with symbols. Hence the earthquake and darkening of the heavenly lights are tokens of the disturbances in the government. Revelation 6:13. Stars of heaven refer to men in high places who lost much of their power by the changes that Constantine was making. Untimely figs means fruit that is not ripe, yet it was shaken loose by the revolution going on in the government. Revelation 6:14. The heaven refers to the region that covers the earth, used here as a symbol of the great domain in which important men ruled with selfish interests. The disappearance of this reign of selfishness is likened to a scroll that is rolled up and laid away. Mountains and isles in symbolic language means seats of government, and these began to be altered by the revolutionary work of Constantine. Revelation 6:15. The various great persons named in this verse are the men in high position who had been holding uninterrupted sway over their people. As they began to see the fading of their domination it filled them with terror. Such an attitude is symbolized by an attempt to find hiding places in dens and among the rocks. Revelation 6:16. In their state of fear they would prefer being put out of the conflict, even if the mountains would tumble down upon them. Hide us . . . from the face of the Lamb. These men who had held sway for so long were made to realize that the change was brought about by the influence of the religion their emperor had espoused. Revelation 6:17 : Great day of his wrath does not refer to the last great day of judgment, for the book is not that far along in the world drama. It is the day in which these overbearing men in high places in the pagan government of Rome, came to realize the effects that the religion of Christ was bringing as a punishment upon them.Commentary on Revelation 6:12-17 by Burton CoffmanRev_6:12 And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood;This and the following five verses are a prophetic description of the Second Advent and the judgment of the great day. There is no way that the total imagery of these amazing verses can be accommodated to any other view. Smith said, "The events here must be placed at the end of this age."[45] "It is the day of the Lord's summing up of all things."[46] "The fullest application of this belongs to the final advent."[47] It is our sincere conviction that those expositors, of many illustrious names, who fancy that these verses are a prophecy of "the decay of society,"[48] or "sudden revolutions that would fill the world with alarm,"[49] are mistaken. These words simply cannot be so explained. It is true, of course, that Joel's very similar language was declared by Peter to have been fulfilled by the momentous events of Pentecost, but there are most essential differences in the prophecy here from those found in the Old Testament. The cosmic earthquake in view here should be understood in the light of Heb 12:28, under which see fuller comment on "the end of the world," in my Commentary on Hebrews, pp. 335ff. "The whole universe will be shaken to pieces, and the only things to survive will be those that are unshakable."[50] Hendriksen was sure that, "This describes the judgment day, the one great catastrophe at the end of the age."[51][45] Wilbur M. Smith, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 1068. [46] Douglas Ezell, Revelations on Revelation (Waco: Word Books, 1977), p. 43. [47] W. Boyd Carpenter, Ellicott's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 562. [48] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 45. [49] Albert Barnes, op: cit., p. 136. [50] F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 383. [51] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 129. Revelation 6:13and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places."Here we have one picture of the end; all of the language is figurative."[52] All discussion of whether these passages are to be understood figuratively or literally are beside the point. "That day will spell the end of the entire universe as we know it."[53] "The atomic age has opened our eyes to the fact that such extreme language may be fulfilled with horrible literalness."[54][52] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 239. [53] Michael Wilcock, op. cit., p. 74. [54] Ralph Earle, op. cit., p. 546. Revelation 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?It is the presence of the Lamb in this scene that separates it from all similar prophecy in the Old Testament. Furthermore, the total assembly of all citizens of earth does the same thing. Read Matthew 24:29-30 in connection with this; and it is starkly clear that the same Great Day is in both prophecies. That a visible coming of Christ is taught here is certain, because the unbelieving populations would never acknowledge the existence of the Lamb of God on the Throne on the basis of any other evidence than his appearance in glory. Like many others, Caird rejects the idea of the actual end of the world being depicted here on the basis that, "The inhabitants of the earth would hardly still be hiding and calling to the mountains to fall on them."[55] Despite this objection, Christ himself represented the great judgment (Matthew 25) as a time when there would actually be dialogue between the King and both the saved and the lost, and all of this upon the very occasion of their being assigned their eternal destiny. A similar thing is in view here. Therefore, far from being an objection to interpreting this as the final Great Day, the cries of earth's inhabitants is a proof of that very thing, because it identifies the occasion with that of Matthew 25. The thing that is actually in the way of many interpreters accepting this as the final judgment day was stated thus by Love, "One would have difficulty with later scenes in Revelation,"[56] in which the world still stands. Therefore, it is the understanding of Revelation as some kind of in-sequence story of the earth that prevents many from understanding this reference to the judgment. When all the "judgment references" are understood as successive references to the "same day," the difficulty disappears. Kings ... captains ... princes ... rich ... strong ... Six classes of mankind are mentioned, but they stand for all people. "Under the symbolism of these six classes, John sees the entire godless world seized with sudden fear."[57] Fear of what? They do not fear death, because death is what they are praying for. It is the Lamb of God whose sudden appearance in glory has signaled the close of earth's probation. Instantaneously, there's not an infidel anywhere in the universe anymore. It is this colossal scene that requires our understanding of it as the Second Advent and judgment. Just how the accompanying language of stars falling, mountains moving, sun being darkened, etc., must be interpreted, we do not pretend to know; but one thing is sure: God will bring his purpose to pass, and he will do so though it means that this world order, and indeed this whole mighty universe, pass away.[58]The essential reality underlying all the symbolism of these verses is simply, "The terror which John foresaw when God would invade the earth when time was coming to an end."[59] "The swift agony of being crushed to death is preferable to being left face to face with the indignation of an outraged God."[60]Of all the incredible postulations advanced by scholars regarding the meaning of this passage, that of Caird wins the prize. He wrote: There is no need to find a place in John's theology for any concept of the wrath of the Lamb! It is not a phrase which he (John) uses, but one on the lips of the terrified inhabitants of earth![61]Caird went on to insist that the wicked of earth are such that a lie has become their second nature. Therefore, this must be a lie which they speak on the occasion envisioned here. Our view is that the wrath of the Lamb is central to the theology of both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and of all apostles of Jesus Christ. As for the inhabitants of earth shouting another lie at the Second Advent, who could believe such a thought? It will be the supreme moment of truth for all mankind; and the terrors of the occasion for the wicked will in no sense be merely psychological, nor the result of some "paranoiac delusion to which they have surrendered themselves."[62]The great day of their wrath ... Any theology which fails to take into account the ultimate wrath of God against wickedness and injustice is a false theology. The so-called theology of our own times has reduced God to the status of an overindulgent grandfather image who is too lazy, too indifferent, or too full of love to punish anything or anybody, no matter what crimes of lust and blood may rage under his very nose. Subscribers to this brand of theology are to be identified absolutely with those who, in this great passage, suddenly behold the truth and cry for the rocks and mountains to hide them. This glimpse of the Second Advent and final judgment is brief and fragmentary, as must needs be with all such glimpses; but the picture will be filled out in subsequent chapters of Revelation where are to be found other visions of the Great Day. These successive presentations of that ultimate day of wrath and glory actually provide the most logical and convenient divisions of this complicated prophecy. The events of Revelation 7, about to be prophesied, are actually prior in the time sequence to this judgment scene. "It is isolated in form and content from its context."[63] The whole of Revelation 7 may therefore be understood as a parenthetic interruption of the terrible judgment scene for the purpose of comforting the faithful. More about this apparent dislocation of Revelation 7 will be given in the notes on it; but we are including here Moffatt's words on the design of it: It is a consoling rhapsody or rapture designed to relieve the tension by lifting the eyes of the faithful over the foam and the rocks of the rapids on which they were tossing to the calm, sunlit pool of bliss. The parenthesis consists of two visions, one on earth, one in heaven.[64][55] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 92. [56] Julian Price Love, Layman's Bible Commentary, Revelation (Richmond, Virginia: John Knox Press, 1961), p. 69. [57] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 131. [58] Leon Morris, Tyndale Commentaries, Vol. 20, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 112. [59] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 15. [60] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 394. [61] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 92. [62] Ibid. [63] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 394. [64] Ibid. Commentary on Revelation 6:12-17 by Manly Luscombe12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And 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, 16 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! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Great earthquake - The 6th seal is a picture of the end of time. The earth will be destroyed. The description is of the Second Coming. All the world and physical things will end. Similar language is used in the Old Testament (Joe 2:10; Isaiah 13:5-11). The sun becomes black. The moon becomes as blood. The stars of heaven fall to the earth. The sky is parted and rolled up like a scroll. Every mountain and island are moved (earthquake). Seven classes of men - kings, great, rich, chief captains, mighty, bondman, and freeman. They try to hide from the wrath of God and they beg for death to escape facing God. The final “ payday” has come and no evil person can survive.Sermon on Revelation 6:9-17 The Seven SealsBrent KerchevilleThe first four seals have been opened and what has been revealed is sweeping judgment. Four different colored horses have been unleashed to conquer, wage war, bring famine, and kill with sword, pestilence, famine, and wile beasts. We noted in our last lesson that these seals have parallel to the imagery Jesus reveals in Matthew 24 concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. We also noticed in our last lesson that these four tools of death (sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts) were the tools promised by God to use against Israel if they were disobedient. With these thoughts in our minds, let us continue to read as the seals continue to open. The Fifth Seal (Revelation 6:9-11)The Lamb opens the fifth seal and we have a change of imagery. The four horsemen have been unleashed to conquer, to make war, to send famine, and bring death. Our attention is turned to the souls who have been slain because of the word of God and for their witness. The souls of Christians who died under persecution for Christ are seen under the altar. The altar depicts their sacrificial suffering because of their faith and their witness. This is a sad scene. A picture of the people of God who have been killed for the word of God and for their testimony. Their physical bodies were killed but their souls are seen under the altar crying out in a loud voice. They are crying out these words, “ O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” They are crying out for justice. This is an appeal to God’ s justice. It is a cry that is similar to the words of the prophet Habakkuk. Look at the wickedness that is going on throughout the earth. How long, Lord, until you judge and bring justice? The answer given is rather interesting and somewhat depressing. The slain people of God are pictured as being given a white robe. The white robe is a picture of purity and faithfulness. The greater image is that these souls are victorious. The white robe represents they are victorious because of their purity and faithfulness. At a Roman triumph the conquering general would wear a white robe (Osborne, 288). These saints are conquerors because they have been faithful (see the end of each letter to the seven churches of Asia). The answer continues that these martyred souls were to rest for a little longer. Judgment was not going to happen immediately. They must rest a little long “ until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.” There are more who are going to be slain for Christ before these judgments unfold. The answer seems to be that God is not stopping the death of his people right now. More are going to die for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus before judgment is unleashed on the earth. Before we leave this point we must remember that the scriptures tell us that the persecutor of Christians in the first century is the Jews. The book of Acts reveals that Stephen is killed by the Jewish authorities. Paul is persecuted, stoned, and left for dead by the Jews. The Jews chase Paul and his companions from city to city stirring up the crowds against them. It is the Jews that raid Jason’ s house in Thessalonica. Too often we focus on the Roman persecution of Christians and forget that the Jews are also persecutors of the people of God. To wrap this point, go back to the seven churches of Asia and notice who are persecuting the Christians. It is those who say they are Jews but are not. They are a synagogue of Satan. This is stated to the church in Smyrna and the church of Philadelphia. The Jewish people are claiming to be God’ s people, but Christ says they are not. The Sixth Seal (Revelation 6:12-17)The sixth seal is opened and devastating things happen. There is a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood and the stars fell from the sky like a fig tree losing its fruit in a windstorm. The sky vanished like a scroll being rolled up and every mountain and island was removed from its place. The kings of the earth and all the great one, every single person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They were calling to the mountains and the rocks to fall on them and hide them from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. This sounds like the end of the world. This sounds like the final judgment and the second coming of Christ. However, we need to observe that this language isused repeatedly in the scriptures and it is not used to describe the end of the world. Consider the following passages that use similar language. Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. 10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. 11 I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless. 12 I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger. (Isaiah 13:9-13 ESV)Was Isaiah prophesying about the end of the world? No, we need to read the beginning of this prophecy which is found in Isaiah 13:1. The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. (Isaiah 13:1 ESV) Isaiah is speaking about the fall of the nation of Babylon. He using graphic imagery to describe that the fall of Babylon will not be partial or slight. It will be a complete judgment and utter destruction. We learn that when we read this language of the sun becoming black, the moon turning to blood, and the stars falling from the sky, we are reading about God saying that this nation will no longer exist. It will be judged so that it will not see the sun. Its power has fallen like stars falling from the sky. All they will see is blood. Ezekiel used the same imagery. I will drench the land even to the mountains with your flowing blood, and the ravines will be full of you. 7 When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens and make their stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. 8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over you, and put darkness on your land, declares the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 32:6-8 ESV) Once again this sounds like the end of the world. But the prophecy is not about the end of the world, but about a national judgment against Egypt (Ezekiel 32:2). This imagery is used again by the prophet Joel. 10 The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. 30 “ And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. (Joe 2:10; Joe 2:30-31 ESV)Who was God prophesying this doom against? Look at Joe 2:32 and you will see that God is speaking against Jerusalem. God is not describing the end of the world. Let’ s look at one more and this prophecy includes the image of the sky rolling up like a scroll. Draw near, O nations, to hear, and give attention, O peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that fills it; the world, and all that comes from it. 2 For the LORD is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host; he has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter. 3 Their slain shall be cast out, and the stench of their corpses shall rise; the mountains shall flow with their blood. 4 All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree. 5 For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction. (Isaiah 34:1-5 ESV)Notice a few things about this prophecy. First, we must see that God is declaring judgment against Edom, not the end of the world. Second, please notice that God describes the earth as listening to this and watching this judgment. Verse 2 describes God’ s anger against all the nations. The judgment of Edom was to be an example to the rest of the nations that they should turn back. The rest of the world was to learn the lesson from the destruction coming upon Edom. The great day of God’ s wrath had come. Therefore, when we read this same imagery used in Revelation 6:12-17 we must not immediately assume that this prophecy refers to the end of the world. We will need to continue to read the book to determine what nation or people is the object of God’ s wrath. Who is God judging? Whoever is being judged, Revelation 6:15 contains a similar point as Isaiah 34. Everyone is supposed to learn by witnessing God’ s wrath. The kings of the earth, the great ones, the rich, the generals, the powerful, everyone, even slave and free, were to see and cower in fear at the wrath of God. God judging one nation was to be an object lesson to the rest of the nations of the earth. Revelation 6:15-17 The imagery of hiding in the mountains and calling for rocks to fall on them are images used for Jerusalem’ s judgment. As Isaiah prophesied the coming destruction of Jerusalem because of their sins, notice the language Isaiah used. And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. 20 In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, 21 to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. (Isaiah 2:19-21 ESV)Please notice that even though Jerusalem is the object of God’ s wrath, the earth is terrified by the event. All people are to observe and learn from the wrath of God falling upon Jerusalem. Hosea prophesied that the judgment against the northern nation of Israel would be great and used the same language. Samaria’ s king shall perish like a twig on the face of the waters. 8 The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. Thorn and thistle shall grow up on their altars, and they shall say to the mountains, “ Cover us,” and to the hills, “ Fall on us.” (Hosea 10:7-8 ESV) Jesus also used this same language about the nation of Israel and the coming fall of Jerusalem. And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “ Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘ Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘ Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘ Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” (Luke 23:26-31 ESV)As Revelation 6:17 concludes the sixth seal, the point is appropriate. The great day of God’ s wrath has come and who can stand? This is the main point of the six seals. God’ s wrath has come. No one is going to withstand what God is doing. Judgment upon a nation has arrived. ConclusionThere is nothing special about this judgment. What I mean by this is that this is the judgment that every person and every nation deserves. The great day of God’ s wrath will come against all people and we of all people deserve that wrath as much as another. No one can stand before the wrath of God. We should be running to the mountains and hiding in the rocks and calling for these things to fall on us. We need to hide from the face of the one who sits on the throne. It does not matter who you are. Rich and powerful or not, no one can stand before the Almighty God. Revelation 6:11 shows grace in action. Those who died for the word of God are pictured as receiving white robes. Those who will give their lives to Jesus are shown victorious. This image will be drawn more fully for us in chapter 7. It is enough for this moment to see God’ s people in heaven given white robes of victory. LESSON 12.OPENING THE SEALED BOOKRead Revelation 6 1. Whose voice did John hear at the opening of the first seal? Ans. Revelation 6:1.2. What did John see? Ans. Revelation 6:2.3. Describe the rider on the white horse. Ans. Revelation 6:2.4. Who spoke to John when the second seal was opened? Ans. Revelation 6:3.5. What emerged when this seal was opened? Ans. Revelation 6:4.6. What was given to the rider of the red horse? Ans. Revelation 6:4.7. Describe the horse and rider that appeared at the opening of the third seal. Ans. Revelation 6:5-6.8. What was said by the voice in the midst of the four living creatures? Ans. Revelation 6:6.9. Who spoke when the fourth seal was opened? Ans. Revelation 6:7.10. What was the color of this fourth horse? Ans. Revelation 6:8.11. What was the name of the rider and what followed with him? Ans. Revelation 6:8. 12. What power was given unto them? Ans. Revelation 6:8.13. Describe the four "living creatures" that spoke to John at the opening of these first four seals. Ans. Revelation 4:6-8.14. What did John see when the fifth seal was opened? Ans. Revelation 6:9.15. What question did they ask? Ans. Revelation 6:10.16. What was given to each? Ans. Revelation 6:1117. What were they told to do, and for how long? Ans. Revelation 6:11.18. What happened to the sun, the moon and stars at the opening of the sixth seal? Ans. Revelation 6:12-13.19. How were the heaven and the earth affected? Ans. Revelation 6:14.20. Who hid themselves in caves and rocks? Ans. Revelation 6:15.21. Why did they want the mountains and the rocks to fall on them? Ans. Revelation 6:16-17. FOR CLASS . Discuss the danger of applying a symbol which God has not interpreted. Has God revealed the meaning of the four horses, and the significance of their four colors?E.M. Zerr Questions on RevelationRevelation Chapter Six1. What did the Lamb then do? 2. Then what kind of noise did John hear? 3. Tell what he heard one beast say. 4. What did he then see? 5. Tell what the rider had. 6. What was given to him? 7. What was it he went forth doing? 8. At opening of second seal who spoke? 9. Repeat what he said. 10. What creature then went out? 11. Was it with a rider? 12. Tell what he was empowered to take away. 13. What would people do to each other? 14. Tell what was given to this rider. 15. What was heard at opening of third seal? 16. Tell what John beheld then. 17. What was the rider carrying? 18. From where was a voice heard speaking? 19. What values were announced? 20. Tell the precaution that was given. 21. What seal was opened next? 22. At this what did John hear? 23. What did he then behold? 24. Tell the name of its rider. 25. With what was he followed? 26. What was given to him? 27. Tell what he could do with this. 28. How much of the earth could be atiect? 29. What did John see under the altar? 30. Why not their bodies? 31. For what had they been slain? 32. At what seal did this appear? 33. What were they crying with? 34. For what were they crying? 35. On whom did they wish vengeance? 36. What were given to them? 37. They were told to do what? 38. For how long must they do so? 39. Which seal was opened next? 40. What happened then? 41. How were the sun and moon atiected? 42. What happened to the stars? 43. To what was this compared? 44. What happened to the heaven? 45. And to the mountains and islands? 46. Who hid themselves? 47. Where did they hide? 4B. For what did they call? 49. Why did they wish this? 50. What day were they fearing? Revelation Chapter SixRalph StarlingThe 1st seal was opened with noise like thunder, And John was filled with great wonder. One of the 4 beasts said to me "Come and see." One by one the seals were opened revealing pages and pages of history that could hardly be spoken. The 1st seal revealed a white horse, a rider and a bow. A conqueror to conquer John could quickly behold. The 2nd seal was opened and John was told to come and see. I saw a red horse, a rider, a sword he could harly believe. The 3rd seal, another horse and it was black. The rider had balances suggesting food would be slack. The 4th seal, behold a pale horse, Yes, death and hell, things would get worse. The 5th seal revealed the face of martyrs Slain for following God's orders. They were given white robes of honor and their words of encouragement. "Yet a little season" and help would be sent. The 6th seal announced a terrific event. Kings, rich, bondsment would cry and lament. For the great day of the Lamb is at hand, And who shall be able to stand. Revelation 7:1-3 SECTION THREE A GOSPEL SUCCESS Revelation 7:1-17 1. THE VISION Rev_7:1-3 1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,--"After this" means that after viewing the scenes revealed by the sixth seal he saw the two visions described in this chapter. They form an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals and show what results came to the church during the period of prosperity following the sixth seal. Angels mean messengers of some kind sent to carry out a purpose. Four standing at the four corners of the earth indicates that their work was to affect the whole earth, which in this case was limited to the inhabited part. holding the four winds of the earth, that no wind should blow on the earth, or on the sea, or upon any tree.--The language here clearly means a destructive wind, such as causes unripe fruit to fall (6:13), or breaks and scatters things (1 Kings 19:11; Jeremiah 49:36). Such winds lash the sea into billows and break limbs and uproot trees. This is the picture John saw, but it represents something else. It indicates that . four destructive powers would be restrained for some time for a certain work to be accomplished, after which they would be released and come like a fierce wind. 2 And I saw another angel ascend from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God:--While John was viewing the four angels who held the winds back he saw another angel who was a messenger sent to tell the four angels what not to do. This angel ascended from the sunrising (the east) which was the direction to Palestine from Patmos where John was. As Palestine was the homeland of the Savior, the language perhaps means that it was a divine providence which held the destructive powers in check. Seals are placed upon things for the purpose of identification or showing genuineness. Figuratively the name of God would be stamped upon them; plainly expressed they would be approved of God because of their obedience to him. Here we have an instance of words used both literally and figuratively in the one expression. "Seal" is clearly in a figurative sense; "living God" is just as clearly in a literal sense. and he cried with a great voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,--As the four angels represent some divine agency that could control the damaging powers, it was given to them to hurt the earth and sea by permitting these powers to come. The angels, therefore, were said to be able to hurt the earth because they could restrain these powers or turn them loose. 3 saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we shall have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.--The destructive powers represented by the four winds are to be restrained till the servants of God would be sealed--that is, till they would become servants of God by believing and obeying his word. Having the seal placed upon their foreheads indicated that the gospel truth would be received into the mind. If servants of God mean all in the future from the sixth seal, then the sealing will not be finished till the Lord comes; but, if the destructive powers to be turned loose afterthe sealing refer to the events under the seventh seal, then the sealing occurred during the time between these seals. The latter seems the probable view for two reasons (1) It harmonizes better with the number said to be sealed.(2) Placing the number sealed in the record between the two seals would indicate that when the destructive powers mentioned under the seventh seal had been turned loose, the sealing meant would be over. This is implied in the saved after the events of the seventh seal began, but only that the period between these seals would be one of peace for the church when great numbers would become Christians without serious opposition.Commentary on Revelation 7:1-3 by Foy E. WallaceAnd I saw four angels—Revelation 7:1. The four angels were the imperial agents, not the heavenly messengers, as shown by the contrast with “ another” angel of verse 2, which countermanded the orders of the four angels to hold back the winds. These four angels were the agents of Rome intercepting the word of God-- holding the winds--hindering the messengers of the gospel --that they should not blow--that is, preventing the spread of the gospel, or Christianity. The old word “ hold” meant “ hinder,” as in Romans 1:18, “ who hold (hinder) the truth.” The four corners of the earth is a common expression to denote the four points of the compass, meaning the whole earth. It signified the universal sway of the Roman government, hence, the significance of “ the four angels,” the Roman agents “ standing on the four corners of the earth,” exercising dominion over the whole world. The four winds were the messengers of Christ to execute his will, signified by the wind blowing, contrasting “ blow” and “ not blow,” the affirmative and negative opposites. The phrase, on earth, sea nor tree, were the three things that sum up physical objects against which the wind blows, and signify that the acts of the four angels in holding back the wind proscribed the preaching of the word, and in so doing the result was universal, having effect on all peoples of the earth. The designation on the earth referred particularly to Palestine where the Jews resided and where the gospel originated. The designation on the sea extends the restraining order to other parts of the world separated by the sea from the land of the Jews. The statement nor any tree emphasizes that the word of God was being restrained everywhere men were found. And I saw another angel—Revelation 7:2. Here is the symbol of the heavenly messenger who suspended the restraining order of the four angels--Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God in the foreheads. This angel was seen ascending from the east, from the eastern horizon, from the direction of the rising sun, a symbol consistent with his mission of suspending, or preventing, the mandate of the four angels to put out the light of God’ s word over all the world. By the authority of God the angel of the east said to the four angels hurt not the earth. It had been “ given” to the four angels to “ hurt” the earth, by the war on Jerusalem, and to enforce the mandate that “ the wind should not blow,” that is, to restrain the word of God. Hurt not the earth—Revelation 7:3. “ Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God intheir foreheads.” This was the counter command of the angel of the rising sun to the four angels. The purpose of this sealing, as later seen, is to preserve the holy seed, the true Israel of God, from the judgments about to come upon the earth. It was not exemption from suffering, but from the judgments about to be announced in the opening of the seventh seal. It was a suspension period before the break of fury, signifying the divine protection of the faithful seed, the assurance that no force could bring them ultimate harm. The sealing in their foreheads was a symbol of an insignia or a mark to save them from slaughter, but not from tribulation, for Revelation 2:10 said “ thou shalt suffer tribulation ten days.” But they would survive it; they would be preserved in the midst of it, by a mark to distinguish the true Israel, the holy seed, from old Israel, the fleshly Jew. The old Israel was soon to perish, the new Israel to be preserved; the old Jerusalem was soon destroyed by impending judgments, the new Israel to be sealed for preservation, to survive and flourish as Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the church of the firstborn, sealed on earth and enrolled in heaven. A similar imagery is employed by Jeremiah in foretelling the captivity of Israel in Babylon. (Ezekiel 9:4) Its history repeats itself in these visions of tribulation in the final destruction of Jerusalem, and of Israel’ s nation. It is noteworthy that in this imagery there was the mark that sealed the servants of God in their foreheads, who worshipped not the beast, in contrast with what was later called the mark of the beast, also received upon their foreheads and in their hands, by those who submitted to the beast--to the decree of the emperor against the worship of the Lamb, and for the worship of the emperor, as set forth in the second series of symbols surrounding the church the Bride of the Lamb. In a similar figure Paul carried the mark of his Lord. (Galatians 6:17) Commentary on Revelation 7:1-3 by Walter ScottJUDGMENT . Revelation 7:1. — “And after this I saw four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, holding fast the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow upon the earth, nor upon any tree.” The phrase after this, repeated in Revelation 7:9, marks a new commencement. It introduces the Israelitish section of our chapter, as also the vision of the Gentile palm-bearing multitude. The intentional employment of the phrase and its repetition should have preserved certain interpreters from confusing the two companies. They are separate and distinct both in nationality and in blessing. The one is from among Israel, the other from among the Gentiles. The millennial earth is the scene where both are displayed. But it is essential to the understanding of the chapter to bear in mind that the time of the vision and the time when the companies come into their appointed public blessing are very different. Revelation 7:1 — “Four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, holding fast the four winds of the earth.” The banished Seer here views the earth as a vast extended plain, bounded by the four main points of the compass, north, south, east, and west. At these respective corners an angel stands so as to have full control over the destructive forces of evil. The threefold repetition of the numeral “ four” marks the completeness and the universality of the action. We see no reason for limiting the term “ earth” here to the Roman world. The winds are not to blow till an ideal number of Israel is sealed (vv. 3, 4). Now the two houses of Israel, Ephraim and Judah, are embraced in this work. Jehovah “ shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:11-12). Thus both the Prophet and the Seer refer to the full extent of the inhabited earth, and not to the territorial limits of the Roman world, whether past or future. Clearly, too, Revelation 7:9 refers to the result of a divine testimony amongst the Gentiles far exceeding the extent of the empire in any period of its history. The earth here must be understood in its largest sense. The four restraining angels,(*Wordsworth, in his “ Lectures on the Apocalypse,” p. 120, attempts to show that the “ four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth” are the same as those “ bound at the great river Euphrates” (Revelation 9:14). But the world-wide position of the former compared with the circumscribed sphere of the latter would forbid such interpretation. Besides, the actions and time essentially differ. Wordsworth is one of the most fanciful and uncertain of interpreters.) the unseen, yet real, spiritual powers, are here seen controlling the forces and instruments of evil. “ the four winds of the earth.”( Political and other troubles are expressed in the term “ winds of the earth” (Daniel 7:2; Job 1:19; Jeremiah 49:36). “ Winds of the Heaven” and “ winds of the earth” are to be distinguished. The former expression points to the providential agencies employed by God to execute His purposes; whereas the latter denote attention to the guilty sphere of these judgments and calamities, i.e., the earth. We may also observe that the first mention of the “ earth” in the text is unrestricted in its application. The second mention of the word limits it to the civilized portion of the globe in contrast to the “ sea” the uncivilized part (see also Revelation 10:2).)Revelation 7:1. — “Holding fast” with a firm grip, implying that the winds were struggling to get loose. How irresistible the grasp of Omnipotence on the powers and forces of evil. They are effectually bridled till the plans of God are ripe and ready for action. The situation is one of intense interest. We are about to enter into yet deeper sorrows. The climax of judgment so far was under the sixth Seal when all government, political, social, supreme, and subordinate, utterly collapsed, and a scene of universal terror ensued. But deeper woes are looming. All were not slain in the martyrdom under the fifth Seal (Revelation 6:9-11), nor will coming and severer judgments hinder a universal testimony for God, as the consolatory visions of this chapter conclusively prove. Hence the universal calamities and troubles, indicated by the expression “ winds of the earth,” are for a season held in check till God takes measures for the preservation of a complete number of His people Israel and of an innumerable company of Gentiles. Revelation 7:1 — “That no wind might blow upon the earth,” the scene of settled government (Revelation 10:2; Psalms 46:2): “ nor upon the sea,” nations and peoples in anarchy and confusion (Daniel 7:2-3; Isaiah 57:20); “ nor upon any tree,” the might and pride of earth (Daniel 4:10; Daniel 4:22; Ezekiel 31:3-9; Ezekiel 31:14-18). The reason of the cessation of judgment is stated in precise terms: “ until we shall have sealed the bondmen of our God upon their foreheads” (Revelation 7:3). THE SEALING ANGEL AND HIS CRY. Revelation 7:2-3. — “ And I saw another angel ascending from (the) sun-rising, having (the) seal of (the*) living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it had been given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we shall have sealed the bondmen of our God upon their foreheads.” (The absence of the article (bracketed by J.N.D. in his “ New Testament,” and inserted in italics by W.K. in his valuable “ Lectures on the Book of Revelation” ) marks the respective actions before which it is omitted as characteristic.)Judgment attributed to the winds in verse one is here ascribed to the angels. By the former are symbolised the agencies of political and other evils; by the latter are to be understood the spiritual powers which direct and govern these agencies of evil, the instruments of judgment in verse one; the powers which wield them in verse two. “ Another angel,” not one of the four, and certainly not Christ, (The angel-priest of Rev 8:3-5, and the strong angel of Rev 10:1-6; Revelation 10:8-10, seem undoubtedly to refer to Christ. The terms used and actions described in both Scriptures could not truthfully be applied to any created being, however exalted.) as some have strangely supposed. The sentence “ until we shall have sealed” would be derogatory to the pre-eminent dignity of Christ; so also the concluding words of the angel’ s cry, “ the bondmen of our God.” The language and spirit of Joh 20:17, “ I ascend unto MY Father and your Father; and to MY God and your God,” is maintained throughout the New Testament. We never meet with the terms “our God” and “our Father” as signifying Christ and believers. The angel referred to in our text is evidently a distinguished spiritual being having an exalted mission on hand. He ascends from the east or sun-rising, “ having (the) Seal of (the) living God.”(Sealing in the present dispensation is no outward mark as here. It is the Holy Ghost given by God to indwell the believer (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13). God (not Christ) seals; the Holy Ghost Himself, a Person is the Seal.) The sealing angel ascending from the sun-rising for the preservation and blessing of Israel seems a herald of the Messiah, Who as the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2), and shine upon the land and people with undimmed splendour. The firstfruits of national blessing is predicated of the angel; the harvest awaits the revelation of Christ from Heaven. “ The seal of the living God” implies immunity from death, and the seal upon the forehead intimates public, open acknowledgment that those who are sealed belong to God. What the seal is we are not informed. “ The bondmen of our God.” Such is the title applied to the sealed of Israel. They had maintained the testimony of God through trial and difficulty; their course had been marked by conflict and service; hence the appropriateness of the title “ bondmen.” The sealing is not alone the work of the angel; others are associated in the happy service of preserving from judgment a complete number of Israel, “ until we shall have sealed.” There is a dignity of action here neither found in the sealing recorded by the prophet of the captivity (Ezekiel 9:4) nor in that of Judah on Mount Zion (Revelation 14:1). The angel ascending from the sun-rising is in keeping with the exalted mission on hand. His is no ordinary service, and hence the surrounding circumstances bespeak the greatness of the work. “ He cried with a loud voice” to the angels of judgment, “ Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees.” The imperative summons is obeyed, and saved Israel is sealed for millennial blessing. Commentary on Revelation 7:1-3 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 7:1. After the altar scene in Revelation 6:9-11, the vision opens the sixth seal to give a view of the consternation that came upon the men in high places, because of their mistreatment of Christians and because they were faced with the reverses that the emperor had forced upon them. The present chapter extends the consideration that God had for the "martyrs," at the same time He was bringing the siege of consternation upon the persecutors of His people. The four angels are so numbered because of the four corners or four points of the earth's compass. Holding the four winds symbolizes the blowing of the wrath of God over the realm of the persecutors, and these angels were holding this wind ready to be released whenever they were so ordered. Revelation 7:2. As the four angels were "standing at attention" ready to turn the winds loose upon the earth (referring to the domains of the Roman Empire), another angel was seen coming with a special message to the four. Front the east is figurative and means it was from the throne of God, because he is the source of all spiritual light, even as the sun which brings material light to the world, first appears in the east. Hurt the earth is referring back to the conditions of consternation and destruction described in the closing verses of chapter 6. Revelation 7:3. They were told to hold back the winds until the faithful ones had been accounted for. A seal is a stamp of ownership and is placed on the proper persons to indicate the approval of the authority behind it. (See the comments at 1 Corinthians 9:2.) This seal was to be placed in the forehead which indicates they would he visible to the public. Whatever was the exact fulfilling of this symbol, there was something that would tell the world of God's approval of them. Hence when the wicked men of power were undergoing their terrors, they could realize how much they had failed in their wicked designs. Right while they were trembling in the terrors of their crumbling dominions, they could see the victims of their cruelty with the marks of approval from their God.Commentary on Revelation 7:1-3 by Burton CoffmanRev_7:1 The visions of this chapter actually relate to conditions with God's church during the entire period of the seals and leading up to the final judgment depicted at the end of Revelation 6. They are introduced here retrospectively for the encouragement of the saints. The first vision (Revelation 7:1-8) shows their protection and safety during the calamities and misfortunes of their earthly pilgrimage, and during the divine visitations of God's wrathful judgments upon the wicked. The second (Revelation 7:9-17) shows their state of bliss in the presence of God himself. Of course, no Christian has yet entered such a state of bliss; but the vision of how it will be at last is a great comfort indeed to Christians suffering the outrages of a vicious persecution. In the sense of this bliss depicted here as a state of the saints in eternity, this part of the chapter is proleptic (anticipating the future); but with reference to the occurrence of this vision in John's sequence it is retrospective, actually pertaining to the hope available to the Christians suffering under the six seals. The biggest problems for the commentators wrestling with the meaning of this chapter are: (1) the identity of the two groups, the 144,000, and the innumerable multitude; (2) the meaning of their being "sealed"; and (3) what is meant by the great tribulation. Fortunately for those who really know their New Testament, none of these problems presents any great difficulty. We shall determine the answer to these questions before beginning the exegesis of the chapter. (1) The 144,000 are identified as "servants of God" (Revelation 7:3), and the innumerable multitude are called "followers of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14); therefore, these could not be two different classes of persons but the same group. God does not have any servants who are not also followers of the Lamb. The notion that the 144,000 are literally fleshly Jews can exist only in those who are unaware that the church of Jesus Christ is the true and only Israel of God, beside which there is no other. The New Testament witness to this truth is extensive and overwhelming. All of Romans chapters Romans 9-11; 1 Peter 1:1; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Romans 2:28-29; Galatians 3:29; Galatians 6:16; Philippians 3:3; James 1:1, etc., leave no doubt at all on this question. There is also the mountain fact that Christ himself referred to his church as "the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matthew 19:18), a truth also evident in the inspired declaration that "there is no distinction between Jew and Greek" (Romans 10:12). Once it is clearly fixed in the mind that God does not recognize any distinction (or difference) between a racial, literal Jew and any other person on earth, the importing of a racial status into this chapter becomes impossible. The church itself is often perplexed quite needlessly by racial considerations, but these were destroyed in Christ. All talk of what God is going to do with the Jews is futile, misleading, and contrary to everything in the New Testament. God does not any more have a special plan for racial Jews than he does for the Italians, the Dutch, the English, or the Japanese. "The servants of God" in this dispensation are those "in Christ"; all are invited; none are excluded; and neither races, nations, states, nor languages has any bearing whatever regarding either the favor or disfavor of Almighty God. John's mention of the twelve tribes, even naming each one, has led some to see in the 144,000 the saved of the Mosaic dispensation, and in the innumerable multitude the saved of the Christian dispensation; but this would leave out the saved of the patriarchal period. To make any such distinction also raises problems relative to the higher status of the innumerable multitude (in heaven), and also leads to the inference that the 144,000 are exempted from the great tribulation. Neither of these views fits into the picture at all. Therefore, we confidently conclude that the 144,000 and the innumerable company are one and the same, the redeemed of the earth. But why are the two groups presented under such radically different figures? The mention of the twelve tribes recalls the marching formation of the ancient Israel in the wilderness, therefore suggesting the embattled, struggling church during their earthly trials. This led Pieters to the deduction that we have in these two figures "The Church Militant and The Church Triumphant."[1] Scholarly support for this understanding is extensive, as indicated by this summary from Ray Summers:[2]The 144,000 are the church universal, the saints of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. "There is no distinction between Jew and Gentile."[3]These were the true Israel of God (Galatians 6:16).[4]The Israel of the first vision is coextensive with the whole church. The two visions depict the same body under widely different conditions.[5]That they (both visions) are the whole body of the church, Jew and Gentile, in spite of some difficulty, is most conformable to the conceptions of the New Testament in general.[6]The 144,000 are not believers descended from literal Israel, but from the spiritual Israel, that are referred to.[7]These men (quoted here) represent the very best in the study of Revelation for the last hundred years.[8]However, it is not the concurrence of scholarly opinion that is determinative; it is the overwhelming teaching of the rest of the New Testament. (2) Regarding the meaning of being "sealed." We may dispense with the notion that something literal, bodily, or external is meant. God does not brand people in the manner of cattlemen branding their herds. Nothing but fancy could envision such a thing as that pretended by a false Christ in Syria who declared, "that he had God's name sculptured between his eyebrows; the wrinkles resembled the Arabic hieroglyph for Allah."[9]Paul settled this question with the word that, "Ye are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13). It is nothing short of amazing that most scholars miss this, vainly seeking to find the answer in Ezekiel 9:4, some other Old Testament passage, or in the myths and folklore of paganism. It is simply inconceivable that the sealing here mentioned by John is anything different from the sealing mentioned by Paul. Since the "seal" is given only to baptized believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, this also makes positive our identification of the 144,000 as Christians (See Acts 2:38 ff). McGuiggan thought that, "Since the people sealed here were already Christians, something else must be meant by the sealing";[10] but it is obvious that "sealing" here is a figure for their conversion to Christianity. It is an error to suppose that this "sealing" implies any special protection against some isolated event, like "the great tribulation," or that this was some special preparation or protection for some special class, such as the martyrs. See under (3), below for discussion of "the great tribulation." Caird and many others mistakenly applied this sealing "to the martyrs."[11]Gettys properly observed that: We need not suppose that this sealing was one act at one particular moment in time, but that it is one fact for all ages, as all believers are redeemed in Christ once for all.[12] (And we might add, "one at a time.") Other commentators who discerned this exceedingly important truth that the sealing here is that of the Holy Spirit are: The Spirit has sealed him (the Christian, Ephesians 1:13), for he certifies that we are sons of God (Romans 8:16).[13]We are sealed with the Holy Spirit by the means of grace, Word, and sacrament.[14]All Christians were sealed with the Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.[15] This identity of the seal also makes it clear that no special group within the church, such as the martyrs, is meant, and that the sealing does not anticipate any isolated or unique event, but that it is for all tribulations, hardships, and struggles of the Christian life. (3) The meaning of "the great tribulation." This is merely another name for the whole Christian life, any Christian life, in any and all ages of the church. The notion that Great Tribulation should be capitalized and understood as a reference to one particular period of suffering and persecutions for Christians is false, unscriptural and illogical. Jesus indeed mentioned "a great tribulation" (Matthew 24:21) as being greater than any that preceded it or that would come after it, having reference to the overthrow of Jerusalem; but he did not call even that "The Great Tribulation." Mark's gospel refers to that event as "that tribulation" (Mark 13:24). What then is the great tribulation? It is that which includes and contains all tribulations of God's people upon the earth. "Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). "Because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. They will persecute you" (John 16:19-20). In this context, we also note the superstition to the effect that martyrs are in some special sense greater than ordinary Christians, or that martyrdom has any special effect upon destiny. There is not a word in the whole New Testament that supports any such notion. In fact, there have been periods in church history during which faith in Christ was even more difficult than in the days of the martyrdoms. Fidelity to Christ is difficult under all conditions; and there is no more glory in heaven for martyred saints than for those who patiently endured unto death, despite the scorn and hatred of an unbelieving world. A martyr's crown may be won by a single resolute and heroic act (and glorious indeed it is); but it is equally noble, and just as difficult, to win the crown through patient endurance of all the hatred vented against a true Christian throughout a long life that ends at last from natural causes. We reject much of the writings on the prophecy because they exalt the martyrs above other Christians and make of them a special quality of Christian. It is not likely that John himself was a martyr; and we certainly may not suppose that Paul and Peter who were martyrs outrank him in any way, or received any special favors in their Christian life. Before proceeding with the study of the text, the position of this chapter in the whole sequence of visions should be noted. Most commentators refer to it as "a parenthesis,"[16] "an interlude,"[17] or as "an interruption of John's portrayal of the flow of events."[18] Despite the truth in such opinions, the chapter is very important. Instead of being secondary, this vision is essential. The things in view are not a matter of chronology, but of importance. Revelation 7 is so important that unless it is understood, the rest of the visions will not be properly apprehended.[19]The events of this chapter are not those which chronologically follow the events of Revelation 6, but they are a view of how it is with God's servants during those events of both the succeeding and preceding chapters. [1] Albertus Pieters, Studies in the Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1954), p. 125. [2] Ray Summers, Worthy is the Lamb (Nashville: The Broadman Press, 1961), pp. 147-149. [3] Donald W. Richardson, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (New York: Pillar Books, 1964), p. 88. [4] David Smith, The Disciples Commentary on the New Testament, Vol. V (New York: Rav Long and Richard R. Smith, Inc., 1932), p. 632. [5] H. B. Swete, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1951), p. 99. [6] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), pp. 535,539. [7] R. H. Charles, Revelation of St. John, Vol. II, International Critical Commentary (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1920), pp. 206,209. [8] Ray Summers, op. cit., p. 147. [9] James Moffatt, Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 397. [10] Jim McGuiggan, The Book of Revelation (West Monroe, Louisiana: William C. Johnson, 1976), p. 112. [11] G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 97. [12] Joseph M. Gettys, How to Study the Revelation (Philadelphia: The John Knox Press, 1955), p. 55. [13] William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956), p. 133. [14] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 250. [15] George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972), p. 112. [16] J. W. Roberts, The Revelation of John (Austin, Texas: R.B. Sweet Company, 1974), p. 69. [17] John T. Hinds, A Commentary on Revelation (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), p. 110. [18] Charles M. Laymon, The Book of Revelation (New York and Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1960), p. 94. [19] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 245. After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that no wind should blow on the earth, or on the sea, or upon any tree. (Revelation 7:1) After this I saw ... "It is dangerous to assume that the order in which John writes is the order in which the things he describes will happen."[20] The exact chronology of Revelation is the great unresolved problem with the whole prophecy. In Revelation 6:8, the ravaging horsemen had authority to destroy the fourth part of the earth; but in this chapter (Revelation 7:1; Revelation 7:3), the destructive forces are restrained from hurting the earth. "After this," therefore means merely that John saw this vision at a later time than when he saw the ones already described. Four angels standing at the four corners of the earth ... These are God's angels, not demons, or the devil's angels. "The unmodified term angels is never used to indicate devils."[21]The four corners of the earth ... There is no need to dwell upon the alleged ignorance of the sacred writers concerning the shape of the earth. Nothing that John either knew or did not know had anything to do with what he saw. We who know all about the globe still speak of the four corners of the earth and the ends of the earth; and "North, south, east and west make exactly four and will continue to do so."[22] We have no patience with those writers who can find nothing in this except, "the cosmology of the Babylonians, the influence of the Syriac Apocalypse of Peter, or of Pseudo-John, or of the Questions of Bartholomew."[23] The blessed apostle himself gave us his source; namely, God himself through Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1). Holding the four winds of the earth ... The function of these angels was that of restraining the destructive forces represented by the winds. The thought is parallel with that of the limitations imposed upon the horsemen of the seals, who could hurt only one fourth of the earth. No wind shall blow ... The prohibition here is not total, but the restraint of destructive forces. The thought is parallel with the Saviour's promise that a sparrow may not fall without God's knowledge and concern (Matthew 10:29). The total restraint of all atmospheric motion would not be a blessing, but a disaster. The restriction of destructive forces in these verses primarily teaches that the present order of creation shall be providentially preserved until the complete fulfillment of God's redemptive purpose on earth. The thought is parallel with the following from the Old Testament: While the earth remaineth, cold and heat, and seedtime and harvest, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease (Genesis 8:22). Plummer understood this whole chapter as the logical answer to the closing words of Revelation 6, "Who shall be able to stand?" thus connecting Revelation 7 with the final judgment scene there related.[24] This is correct and has the effect of applying Revelation 7, not to some specific event of history, but to the whole earthly probation of the saints. "The sealing extends throughout the whole New Testament era."[25] Here is the prophetic equivalent of Jesus' promise to be with his church "even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20), and of Paul's, "all things work together for good to them that are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:25). The immense comfort of persecuted saints in such glorious promises is exactly the comfort graphically pictured in these two magnificent visions of Revelation 7. Roberts identified the four angels here with the four horsemen of Revelation 6,[26] but we refrain from doing this for two reasons: (1) they were already holding, or restraining the winds, before the great angel appeared and (2) the "we" used by the other angel seems also to include the four. [20] Michael Wilcock, I Saw Heaven Opened (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1975), p. 78. [21] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 245. [22] Ibid., p. 246. [23] Martin Rist, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XII (New York and Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1957), p. 417. [24] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), pp. 205,206. [25] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 249. [26] J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 70. Revelation 7:2 And I saw another angel ascend from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a great voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea.Another angel ... from the sunrising ... The east is often mentioned in Revelation, and "from the sunrising" seems to mean "from that direction," the source of earth's light. Certainly, for one of God's messengers, it is more appropriate that he should come from the sunrising, than from the sunset. Who this mighty angel was we have no certain way of knowing. Beeson thought, "This refers to Christ's coming in the Holy Spirit to his apostles on Pentecost";[27] and despite Beeson's being correct in seeing the connection between the sealing and the giving of the Holy Spirit, it is not necessary to impose any specific identity upon this mighty angel. He stands in the vision as an executor of the will of God, the big thought of the passage relating not to his identity but to his great authority to control nature itself in order to prevent any frustration of God's plans to seal his servants. Having the seal of the living God ... "Here we have an instance of words used both figuratively and literally in one passage."[28] Seal is figurative, and living God is literal. For what the seal is, see under (2) in the chapter heading, above. Of course, the angel did not carry the Holy Spirit, but the imagery is aided by the picture of his carrying God's seal. Cried with a loud voice to the four angels ... This mighty angel clearly had more authority than the four; nevertheless, the four were angels and were already restraining the destructive forces when the mighty angel delivered his order. There is no New Testament criteria for identifying this mighty angel, unless he is understood as Michael the archangel; but there is no certainty of this. See in my Commentary on Jude, p. 534, for more on the archangel. [27] Ulrich R. Beeson, The Revelation (Little Rock, Arkansas: Ulrich R. Beeson, 1956), p. 69. [28] John T. Hinds, op. cit., p. 111. Revelation 7:3saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we shall have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.Hurt not the earth ... sea ... trees ... The four angels who had such power are not depicted as having done any hurt at all, nor as ever having had either any intention or any desire to hurt anything. There was an extensive angelology among the Jews; but the mention in this prophecy of angels of the winds (as here), the angel of fire (Revelation 14:18), and the angel of the waters (Revelation 16:5), is not sufficient grounds for receiving the speculative Hebrew angelology as dependable. The New Testament purposely left us in the dark concerning any definitive teaching regarding the work of angels. Some of their functions may be inferred from various Old Testament and New Testament texts; and, for a glance at these, see in my Commentary on Hebrews, p. 31, and under Revelation 10:7. Till we shall have sealed the servants of our God ... The future perfect tense, as well as the "till," suggests that the restraining of the destructive forces shall be continued throughout the Christian dispensation until the Second Advent, until all of God's servants are sealed. We ... our ... These are not merely editorial expressions, but have the meaning that the work of all the angels in view here is one work; all are concerned with both the restraining and the sealing. Therefore, this would seem to be a reference to the work of angels who do service for them that are the heirs of salvation, as in Hebrews 1:14. God's servants ... To the generation which first read Revelation, this expression could have had only one meaning, Christians. That is what it meant then, and what it still means. God has no bondservants who are not Christians. Furthermore, it is not merely some fraction of these, or some limited group, or class, such as martyrs, who are to be sealed. All are sealed; and not even any destructive natural force shall be allowed to impede or interfere with this sealing until it is totally accomplished. In their foreheads ... Such a designated place for the sealing suggests that the countenances of the sealed will bear eloquent witness of their having been sealed, a truth exemplified by the radiant countenances of Christians all over the world. When the rich young ruler went away from Jesus, it is recorded that "his countenance fell" (Mark 10:22); and God's sealing of his servants gives the opposite of a fallen countenance. As Lenski put it, "The countenance identifies the person ... what the heart is, the face and eyes reveal."[29]ENDNOTE: [29] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 250. Commentary on Revelation 7:1-3 by Manly Luscombe1 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. After the sealing of all God’ s people appear four angels (the 4 living creatures around the throne) holding the four winds. The number 4 is dominant in this verse. The physical things of this earth are being discussed. This is a picture of God delaying the destruction of this earth. Certain things must take place first. NOTE: God works on God’ s schedule, not on our calendar. God had other things in His plan that must be done first. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea…Now another angel comes from the east with the seal of God. His duty is to seal the true servants of God. He is to seal their foreheads. Study Ephesians 1:13 - “ We are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” At the time of our faithful obedience to the gospel (confession and baptism) we are forgiven (robes are washed white in the blood of the Lamb) and we are sealed (identified as belonging to God) with the “ gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). 3 saying, “ Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” The angel instructs that the earth not be hurt - destroyed - until the sealing is completed. God will not destroy the earth, or allow it to be destroyed until He is ready. God is in control. As long as there are people who render obedience to the gospel, God can be patient. Man will never totally destroy the earth. God will do the final, total and complete destruction. Sealed on their foreheads - similar to Revelation 22:4 - Name of God on their foreheads. Revelation 7:4-8 2. NUMBER SEALED FROMTHE TRIBES OF ISRAELRev_7:4-8 4 And I heard the number of them that were sealed, a hundred and forty and four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:--John heard the number sealed, but it is not stated who did the speaking. The word "every" is used in the sense of "all"--the 144,000 being the sum total sealed from the twelve tribes. Israel and Jew are both used spiritually to mean Christians. (Romans 2:28-29; Galatians 6:16.) But here the term evidently refers to those who were to be sealed (saved) from fleshly Israel. Mention is made of the tribes and the number given and named. Besides, they are put in contrast with a great unnumbered multitude from "every nation," who must be the Gentiles. Evidently the 144,000 is a definite for an indefinite number, for it is not a reasonable supposition that there would be exactly 12,000 from each tribe, or that amount would be all that would be saved. It means that a large number of Abraham's descendants would be saved in the period of prosperity for the church that followed the sixth seal, but not all that would be saved from the Jews throughout the Christian dispensation. 5-8 Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand;--See the text above for the other tribes. Judah was not the first-born son of Jacob, but may be mentioned here first because of his being the ancestor of Christ. The tribes are not always mentioned in the same order in the Old Testament. Joseph's descendants were divided into two tribes--Ephraim and Manasseh; hence, with Levi, the priestly tribe, there were thirteen in all. Dan is omitted from this list, supposedly because the tribe became idolatrous. Joseph is given in place of Ephraim. But since there is no regularity in the order in which the tribes are mentioned, it was only necessary to mention twelve, the original number of Jacob's sons, to indicate the whole nation of Israel.Commentary on Revelation 7:4-8 by Foy E. WallaceThe number of the sealed was computed with the tabulation of twelve times twelve, on the basis of the twelve tribes instead of the twelve apostles, as in chapter 4; but here it is expanded to the basic number of thousand for each tribe, as a full and complete company rather than persons equal in number to the patriarchs and apostles, as in case of the twenty-four elders. In the first the symbol was added; in the second it was multiplied. It signified the whole faithful church, the total number of the redeemed, “ the holy seed,” preserved from the pronouncements of judgment. This multiplied number was mentioned again in chapter 14, discussion of which is reserved for that exposition. In the names that head the twelve tribes, Judah stands first, significant of relation sustained to “ the Lion of the tribe of Judah” from which the Lord sprang. (Hebrews 7:14) The spiritual, figurative, use of the twelve tribes elsewhere in the New Testament designated the whole church, the spiritual Israel, as in the Old Testament they represented the whole of fleshly Israel. (Matthew 18:28; Acts 26:7; James 1:1) This 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel was an apocalypse of the holy seed of Isa 6:13; and the remnant of Jacob of Isa 10:21-23; and the remnant according to election of Rom 9:27-28; Romans 11:5; and the innumerable company (the church) of Hebrews 12:22. They stood for the new Israel. The proclamation of “ the angel of the east” to the four angels standing on the four corners of the “ earth” to “ hurt not the earth till we have sealed the servants of our God,” signified that God would not permit them to destroy Old Jerusalem until he had sealed a representative number for the New Jerusalem, the church, which was figuratively said to be “ the twelve tribes” of the dispersion. (James 1:1) The “ loud voice” of this angel commanded that the “ wind blow,” that the gospel should be preached to the four corners by the sealed servants. It was parallel to the Lord’ s declaration that after the destruction of Jerusalem his angels (emissaries) would carry the gospel to the four winds. (Matthew 24:31) Following thevisions of the sealed number there was the heavenly scene of the great multitude robed in white, coming out of tribulation, composed of the angels, the elders, and the beings, who were before the throne; who were washed in blood; who served in his temple; who hungered and thirsted no more; who should suffer no heat of the sun; whom the Lamb should feed and lead; and whose tears God would wipe away. The full or unlimited understanding of all the signs with a precise explanation of all the symbols of these visions is not required in order to know the general import, and application to the period of these persecutions. Furthermore, it should be remembered that the objects of these visions were immediate and present with them while they are separated and remote from us. It should further be observed that there were spiritually gifted teachers in each church to impart the meanings to the members, whereas we have the teaching of the text itself, with the current history of the context, to follow. The course of history did not run contrary to the context nor does the language of the text contradict the events of history. The misinterpretations of false teachers and the misapplications of others arise from the anachronisms of assigning these events to the wrong periods of time, by referring them to future centuries, rather than applying the signs to the impending events of the time. The correlation in the symbolic arrangement of the contents, without the historical gaps and the fragmentary dislocations of the future theories identify them with the current history then transpiring. The entire genius of the book justifies the conviction that it was designed for the comfort and encouragement of the early apostolic churches. Commentary on Revelation 7:4-8 by Walter ScottTHE NUMBER OF THE SEALED. The Gentile company (Revelation 7:9) is not numbered. The Israelitish company, on the contrary, is carefully reckoned, and the result stated, not in round numbers, but in precise terms as a hundred and forty and four thousand. Twelve thousand out of each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The numbers, whether singly (12) or multiplied (144) denote a complete and definite number. Twelve is the signature of Israel, and is largely employed in Jewish connection. Earthly administration, rule, government, seem to be the moral value of this numeral. (The twelve hours of the day, twelve hours of the night, direct us to the sun and moon as the ruling and governing powers of day and night. There were twelve tribes of Israel and twelve apostles in relation to the future government of Israel (Matthew 19:28). Twelve gates in the holy Jerusalem (Revelation 21:12). Israel was represented in the twelve precious stones on the breastplate of the high priest and in the twelve loaves of show bread on the holy table (Exodus 28:1-43; Leviticus 24:1-23). Rule on the earth is the predominant factor in the use and value of this numeral.) The number of the sealed is of course symbolic, and simply denotes that God has appropriated a certain, complete, yet limited number of Israel for Himself. In the enumeration of the tribes throughout Scripture, of which there are about eighteen, the full representative number twelve is always given; but as Jacob had thirteen sons, (Counting the two sons of Joseph instead of the father as Jacob’ s.) one or other is always omitted. Levi is more generally omitted than any other. In the apocalyptic enumeration Dan and Ephraim are omitted. Both these tribes were remarkable as being connected with idolatry in Israel, the probable reason for the blotting out of their names here (Deuteronomy 29:18-21). But in the end grace triumphs, and Dan is named first in the future distribution of the land amongst the tribes (Ezekiel 48:2), but, while first named, it is the farthest removed from the temple, being situated in the extreme north. In our English version there are three tribes named in each verse, but in reality the arrangement of the tribes, as of the apostles, (Matthew 10:2-4) is in pairs. First, Judah and Reuben, the fourth and first sons of Leah, the former the royal tribe, the latter the representative of the nation (Genesis 49:3). Second, Gad and Asher, the two sons of Zilpah, associated in the prophetic blessings of the last days (Genesis 49:19-20). Third, Naphtali and Manasseh, linked in the enumeration of Eze 48:4. Fourth, Simeon and Levi, the second and third sons of Leah, associated in the prophetic enumeration (Genesis 49:5-7), also in the Lord’ s revelation of Himself to saved Israel (Zechariah 12:13). Fifth, Issachar and Zebulun, the fifth and sixth sons of Leah, both are associated in the prophetic (Genesis 49:1-33) and in the territorial (Ezekiel 48:1-35) enumerations of the tribes. Sixth, (We have Joseph, not Ephraim; the father instead of the son. But Ephraim in blessing takes precedence of his elder brother Manasseh, and again grace shines (Genesis 48:8-20).) Joseph and Benjamin, the two sons of Rachel, the beloved wife of the patriarch. It is to be noted that in the Revised Version and other critical helps the word “ sealed” is omitted in naming each of the tribes save the first and last. Thus, “ out of (the) tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed” (v. 8), and “ out of (the) tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand sealed” (v. 8). The tribes of Judah and Benjamin respectively open and close the enumeration. The characteristics of these tribes (Genesis 49:8-12; Genesis 49:27) both center in Christ. THREE OF SAINTS. The two companies of Israel and the Gentiles were beheld by the Seer in separate visions. The elect company from the twelve tribes (Revelation 7:4-8) is not only distinct from their Gentile associates (Revelation 7:9-17), but is equally distinct from the 144,000 from amongst Judah who emerge out of the horrors of the coming hour of trial standing on Mount Zion (Revelation 14:1-20). There are two Jewish companies of equal number — the hundred and forty-four thousand of all Israel (Revelation 7:1-17), and the hundred and forty-four thousand of Judah only (Revelation 14:1-20). The palm-bearing Gentile multitude must not be confounded either with the Church or with Israel. The innumerable multitude here beheld in vision is the fruit of an extensive work of grace begun immediately or soon after the translation of the heavenly saints (1 Thessalonians 4:1-18). and continued during the future prophetic week of seven years (Matthew 24:14). This world-wide testimony actively carried on between the Translation and the Appearing will be signally owned of God. Thus ample time under the good and controlling hand of God is afforded for the mighty work of grace, which in extensive results remind us of the palmy days of Pentecost. We may also note another interesting distinction between the two companies of millennial saints in our chapter. The elect of Israel are beheld before they enter into “ the time of Jacob’ s trouble,” whereas the Gentile saved multitude are here witnessed after having come out of “ the great tribulation.” SAVED GENTILE AND THEIR CRY. We have already remarked that the white-robed, palm-bearing multitude come out of the great tribulation, and while their blessing is strictly millennial in character and time, they must not be confounded with another class of Gentiles who will be saved at the commencement of the millennial era after the close of the tribulation; hence the special position and characteristic blessings of the “ innumerable multitude” here referred to. Both the position and blessing are in beautiful keeping with the previous trial, out of which they have emerged, and in which many of their brethren, Jewish and Gentile, were slain. “ Out of every nation, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues.” We have already met with this fourfold distribution of the race (Revelation 5:9). It is a technical formula expressing universality (see also Revelation 11:9). This vast multitude beyond all counting, and in this respect in marked contrast to the more limited and exactly defined number of Israel, is witnessed by the Seer “ standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palm branches in their hands.” These saints are on earth. “ Standing before the throne and before the Lamb” is, of course, a position of exalted dignity, but the thrones of the heavenly saints are “ around” the throne of God (Revelation 4:4) and of the Lamb (Revelation 5:6). Moreover, they are seated on them (see also Revelation 20:4). It is not said that these earthly saints have thrones and crowns; the heavenly ones have both. In these and other respects the heavenly company of the redeemed occupy a higher and more exalted position of dignity than the “ innumerable multitude” who on earth stand before the throne — a designation of moral force. Commentary on Revelation 7:4-8 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 7:4. The number of those who were sealed is given in exact and equal figures, which makes us know that it is all another expression of figurative speech and that the meaning is that great numbers of true Christians had won the stamp of approval from the Lord. Tribes of the Children of Israel. it is known that after the conversion of Cornelius in the first four years of the Gospel, the Gentiles furnished many converts to Christ. Hence there were many of those who were persecuted as well as of the Jews. The reference to the twelve tribes is therefore accommodative, similar to the instance in James 1:1. Revelation 7:5-8. Having explained the significance of the tribal classification. and since the same thing is said of each tribe. I am combining these verses into one paragraph to conserve time and space.Commentary on Revelation 7:4-8 by Burton CoffmanRev_7:4 And I heard the number of them that were sealed, a hundred and forty and four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. Who are these 144,000? They are the saved of earth, servants of God just mentioned by the angel, particularly the Christians of all ages until the end of time. This meaning alone could have had any comfort at all for the suffering saints who first received this prophecy. The idea that John here comforted the Christians who were in the throes of a great tribulation brought upon them by the fleshly Jews who had murdered the Messiah and hindered the truth all over the world, with a vision of such a vast company of saved and redeemed Jews (literally) is absolutely preposterous. See chapter introduction, above, under (1). Theories which would read these 144,000 as, "the total number of the martyrs that must be completed before the prayers of those in heaven (Revelation 6:11) could be answered,"[30] are equally preposterous and are founded upon an inadequate conception of God who simply cannot be properly viewed as approving any specified number of martyrs. It is not martyrs that God desires, but Christians. Furthermore, the sealed here are not called martyrs. The theory that these 144,000 are literal Jews from racial Israel is attractive to some, and was ably advocated by Seiss: When God says "children of Israel," I do not understand him to mean any but people of Jewish blood, be they Christians or not. And when he speaks of the twelve sons of Jacob, and gives the names of the tribes, it is impossible for me to believe that he means Gentiles in any sense or degree, whether they be believers or not.[31]The blindness of this view is identical with that of the Pharisees who claimed to be sons of Abraham (and, literally, they were); but Jesus said, "If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham" (John 8:39). John's .calling the church the twelve tribes of Israel came directly from the lips of Jesus (Matthew 19:28); and therefore "fleshly Israel," called by Jesus himself "the children of the devil" (John 8:44), simply cannot fit into this passage in any way. That our interpretation entails come difficulty is freely admitted. Smith called this, "a passage of unusual difficulty";[32] but the difficulty of trying to make the tribes of literal Israel fit the meaning here is far more difficult. The 144,000 ... This is a number made up of 12 10:12 10:1,000. Earlier in Revelation we had a number made up of 12 + 12, that of the "four and twenty elders" (Revelation 4:4); but here the "twelve" is multiplied by itself, and then again by a thousand, indicating completeness and perfection in the ultimate degree. What is meant? "That not one of those who are worthy shall be overlooked or forgotten."[33] It also carries the thought that the natural universe, the powers of evil, and the ravages of time shall not interfere with God's plans until all are accomplished. Therefore, the 144,000 are a symbol of the total number of the redeemed, a definite number, unknown to us, but surely known by God. It is the same as "the innumerable company" of Revelation 7:9. Twelve tribes ... Why are they listed? First, the number "twelve" is a sacred number. There were twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles, twelve foundations of the eternal city, twelve gates, twelve angels at the gates, twelve manner of fruits on the tree of life, twelve seasons in the year when the fruits were yielded, and twelve stars in the crown of the glorious woman arrayed with the sun! Are these literally the twelve sons of Jacob? How could they be? The ten northern tribes had already been lost for centuries when John wrote. Dan is not mentioned here, nor is Ephraim; but Joseph which includes both Ephraim and Manasseh is listed. As Beckwith said, "Nineteen different arrangements of these names are found in the Old Testament, with none of which does this list agree."[34] If these are understood as literal tribes, it would mean that exactly the same number would be saved from each one; and what kind of a straitjacket is that? It would also have to mean that none will be saved from the tribe of Dan. Thus we are driven to the conclusion reached by Roberts: "The 144,000 must represent the whole church of the New Testament as spiritual Israel."[35] No satisfactory explanation of this irregular list has ever been offered, unless it is this, "John intends to say that the twelve tribes of Israel are not literal Israel, but the true spiritual Israel, which is the church."[36] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., also agreed that, "They signify the whole faithful church, the total number of the redeemed."[37] Regarding the question of why, then, should John have broken the 144,000 into twelve tribes, Bruce thought he did so in order, "to emphasize that the church is the true Israel of God, and that the number represents the sum total of the faithful."[38] "The reference to the twelve tribes is therefore accommodative, as in James 1:1."[39] Besides all this, to bring racial considerations into the interpretation of this prophecy "seriously complicates the book of Revelation by bringing in racial considerations that no longer exist."[40]Bruce, Caird, and others apply the sealing of the 144,000 to martyrs only, but there is no way we could agree with this. (See discussion in the chapter introduction.) The placement of Judah at the head of the list of twelve tribes was thought by McDowell to be due to the fact that Christ was of the tribe of Judah;[41] but since all Christians, being "in Christ" would thus belong to that tribe, it would have to imply that only twelve thousand could be saved from the tribe of Judah, including all the Christians who ever lived! These, and many other considerations, demand a spiritual interpretation of these twelve tribes. Still another question regards the purpose of the sealing, whether it was to exempt the sealed from tribulation, or to preserve the saved safely through tribulation. Since there is not a line in the New Testament, nor in the experience of any Christian through out history, of any exemption of the Lord's people from tribulation, the conclusion is mandatory that the safety of the soul through tribulation is meant. See more on this in the chapter introduction under (3). As McGuiggan said: Does this sealing assure saints of physical preservation? No! In the Old Testament vision of Ezekiel 9, we read of others who were sealed, but many of them died. Both Lindsay and Walvoord say that this means the 144,000 are physically preserved; but it did not mean that in Ezekiel; then why should it mean that here? Where is the proof?[42][30] Martin Rist, op. cit., p. 419. [31] J. A. Seiss, The Apocalypse Lectures on the Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1900), pp. 405,406. [32] Wilbur M. Smith, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 1070. [33] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 207. [34] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 542. [35] J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 71. [36] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 114. [37] Foy E. Wallace, Jr. The Book of Revelation (Nashville: Foy E. Wallace, Jr., Publications, 1966), p. 100. [38] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 645. [39] E. M. Zerr, Bible Commentary, Vol. 6 (Marion, Indiana: Cogdill Foundation, 1954), p. 311. [40] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), p. 168. [41] Edward A. McDowell, The Meaning and Message of the Book of Revelation (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1951), p. 97. [42] Jim McGuiggan, op. cit., p. 112. Commentary on Revelation 7:4-8 by Manly Luscombe4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: The number of people who are sealed Isaiah 144,000. They are out of all the tribes of Israel. 12 tribes times 12,000 = 144,000. Also see this number used in 14:1. 12 tribes = all the people faithful to God. Multiply times 12,000 from each tribe. Ths number represents the complete, sum total of all the obedient to God. NOTE: The 144,000 are given the holy city, which has a wall of 144 cubits. (Revelation 21:17). This wall represents the law of God which man must obey. The wall measures 144 cubits, and all the people who are inside this wall, the 144,000, are the saved of all ages. Those who obey must pass through the 144-cubit wall and become part of the 144,000. Some believe this number accounts for the saved in Israel ONLY, not including any Gentiles. Some teach that only Israel will be in heaven. The saved among the Gentiles will be in a Paradise on Earth (a newly refurbished earth).I reject this idea because the list is NOT the list of the 12 tribes that became the nation of Israel. The tribes of Dan and Ephraim are omitted and the tribes of Joseph and Levi are added. This is done to show, we are not dealing with the literal 12 tribes. They represent all of God’ s chosen people. Also, Judah is listed first. In most Old Testament listings, Ruben is first, because he is the firstborn. All of these things point to the spiritual rather than a literal Israel. The 144,000 represents the sum total of all people of all ages, who have obeyed God in faith and are part of the redeemed. Revelation 7:5-8 -- 5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; 6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; 7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; 8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed. This listing of the 12 tribes is different from any list in the Old Testament. See the notes on Revelation 7:4. Sermon on Revelation 7:1-8 Sealing the 144,000 Brent Kercheville Chapter 6 has revealed that judgments are about to be unleashed. The four horsemen revealed war, famine, and death. The souls of the slain believers are crying out how long until God brings justice and righteousness. They are told to rest a little while longer and that more are going to die before judgment is unleashed. Revelation 6:12-17 showed us that a nation is about to fall. We have not been told specifically what nation is the object of God’ s wrath at this point. There have been many clues, but nothing definitive yet. The point thus far is that it will be “ lights out” for this nation and the rest of the earth is to see God’ s wrath and learn from it. Before these judgments begin there is something that must happen first. This brings our study into Revelation 7. Restraining The Winds (Revelation 7:1-3) Verse 1 reveals four angels restraining the four winds so that no wind might blow on the earth. The imagery is that these judgments we have read about in chapter 6 are being restrained temporarily. The earth, the sea, or any tree is not allowed to be affected yet. The angels are restraining sweeping judgment. The reason the winds are restrained is explained in Revelation 7:2-3. The servants of God must be sealed before these judgments are unleashed. An angel is pictured with the seal of the living God declaring that the earth must not be harmed until the servants of God are sealed on their foreheads. Before we can continue we must examine what it means for the servants of God to be sealed. Ezekiel 9 reveals similar imagery. Ezekiel 9:1 records that judgment is coming against the city of Jerusalem. “ Bring near the executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand” (Ezekiel 9:1). Before this judgment is brought against the city, the people of God are to be sealed first. And the LORD said to him, “ Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.” 5 And to the others he said in my hearing, “ Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. 6 Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house. (Ezekiel 9:4-6 ESV) The sealing has many meanings. God sealing his people pictures protection, security, ownership, and preservation. As we return to Revelation 7 we must consider which aspect of God’ s sealing is being emphasized. Could the sealing mean that the people of God would not suffer physical harm or death during these judgments? The reason is because of what we learned in Revelation 6:11. The lain saints were told that there were more servants of God that were going to be killed as they had been killed. Also, the letters to the seven churches of Asia in Revelation 2-3 also predicted suffering and death for those Christians (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 2:13; Revelation 3:10). The sealing is not physical protection. However, Revelation 9:4 shows that the sealing is for protection. Those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads are going to be harmed along with earth. Therefore, the nature of God’ s protection must be spiritual. This spiritual protection will be further illustrated in Revelation 7:9-17 and will be explored further in that upcoming study. There is one other aspect of the sealing of God’ s people that cannot be overlooked. The other important function of the sealing in Revelation is to identify those who are God’ s. The sealing represents authentication and ownership. The sealed are those who are truly the people of God. This will be contrasted later in Revelation 13 where we will read about those who have the mark of the beast (13:16-17). That marking shows that those people belong to the beast. Those who have the seal of the living God are belong to God. The 144,000 (Revelation 7:4-8) Revelation 7:4 declares the number of those who are sealed as 144,000. The 144,000 are sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel. The great question is: who are the 144,000? We have noted throughout our study that we are to take everything as a symbol unless the text demands otherwise. All the numbers throughout Revelation are symbols. The 144,000 is no different. The number 12,000 symbolizes completeness in Revelation 21:16. The new Jerusalem is pictured with a length, width, and height of 12,000 stadia. The city is seen as full and complete. The meaning is the same concerning the 144,000. Notice that 12,000 are taken from each tribe. The complete number from each tribe are sealed. Now we are told who are being sealed. Let’ s not forget what we were told in the first three verses of chapter 7 (Revelation 7:1-3). The servants of God are being sealed. Therefore, the complete sealing of God’ s people is being pictured in Revelation 7:4-8. Please notice that the whole tribe is not sealed. Notice that it Isaiah 12,000 from each tribe that is sealed. The complete number of God’ s servants are sealed. Some have suggested that this is picturing the Jewish Christians being sealed since the twelve tribes are named. There are a number of reasons to reject this interpretation. First, no where in the book of Revelation is there a distinction made between the Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. How often the scriptures preach that there is no distinction between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians! Paul’ s apostolic work included the important mission of teaching that there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles in Christ. The book of Revelation never makes this distinction and it would be completely out of place to distinguish between them now. Second, if the Jewish Christians are being sealed, then Gentile Christians are not sealed. Since the sealing is to identify the servants of God and pictures their spiritual protection, the message of Revelation 7 would be that the Jewish Christians are the true servants of God but the Gentile Christians are not. This is an unacceptable result of such an interpretation. When we get to Revelation 14:1 we will see the 144,000 pictured in victory. Why would Jewish Christians have the victory but not the Gentile Christians? This would be to make a distinction where God said there was no distinction. There are a number of reasons to understand the twelve tribes as a figure and not as the literal tribes. One point that jumps off the page is the naming of the tribes. Notice that the tribe of Dan is missing. Also notice that there was not such a thing as a tribe of Joseph. Ladd says of this unusual naming of the tribes, “ John intends to say [by the irregular list] that the twelve tribes of Israel are not really literal Israel, but the true, spiritual Israel – the church.” I think he is exactly right. Another reason that this listing cannot refer to the literal tribes of Israel is because ten of the tribes’ identities were lost when Assyria scattered them in 722 BC. To the further the point, once Rome destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, the Jews lost all of their tribal identities. None of the Jews can know which tribe they are from. This cannot be a literal listing of the tribes. It would be best to see Revelation 7:4-8 as a picture of Paul’ s teaching the book of Romans. But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “ Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. (Romans 9:6-8 ESV) I hope we see that picture. Not all Israel is true Israel. The 12,000 are taken from each tribe. To use another word found in the scriptures, this is the picture of the remnant. “ So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace” (Romans 11:5). “ And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: ‘ Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay'” (Romans 9:27-28). The book of Revelation is showing the fulfillment of these teachings and prophecies. We are seeing the total number of God’ s servants being sealed. None of God’ s servants are left out. The picture is the fullness of the church composed of Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. All of them are marked for ownership and spiritual protection as the judgments of God are about to be unleashed on the earth. These are the new Israel of God. Conclusion: We are in this privileged position by grace (Romans 11:5). We are not deserving of being sealed by God. We have not merited this fantastic status of being his children. By being in Christ we are spiritually protected and no one can harm or destroy our salvation. You can also be part of the remnant. “ But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.His praise is not from man but from God” (Romans 2:29). Being part of the remnant is about changing the heart to follow Jesus, seeking the praise of God and not the world. Revelation 7:9-10 3. A GREAT SEALEDRev_7:9-10 9 After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues,--All these scenes appeared before John as he looked into heaven. They are "moving pictures" that represent something else. "After these things" means that after hearing the number sealed from the Israelites he saw this great multitude. Since they were out of every nation and all peoples, they must have been those sealed from the Gentile nations. standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands; --The scenes are still in heaven. The visions were opened in chapters 4 and 5 with God seated upon the throne and Christ as Lamb standing beside him. The setting for the visions have remained in heaven. John saw the multitude of the saved standing there. That indicates that their obedience was acceptable to God. The white robes represent their righteousness. (19:8.) The palms were an emblem of victory. This symbolic picture shows that those saved during the period here in view will be accepted at the judgment. Of course, the same will be true of those saved in all other ages or periods. 10 and they cry with a great voice, saying, Salvation unto our God who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb.--John heard those he saw before God and Christ ascribing praise by attributing their salvation to God. That is what the redeemed will do when heaven is reached.Commentary on Revelation 7:9-10 by Foy E. Wallace The innumerable multitude—Revelation 7:9-10. In this coordination of the apocalypse, the angel’ s proclamation concerning the hundred and forty-four thousand was immediately followed by the heavenly scene in verses nine to seventeen. The vision here expands the hundred forty-four thousand of all the tribes of Israel, as the nucleus of the New Israel, the holy seed, the remnant according to grace--into the innumerable multitude. The revelation does not end with “ the number of them that were sealed” in verse 4. Revelation 7:9 continues the vision with the words “ after this I beheld and, lo, a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues.” It is the same company as “ the number of them that were sealed,” the hundred forty-four thousand which were “ of all the tribes of Israel.” But the multitude in Revelation 7:9 were of all nations and kindreds and peoples and tongues,” which signified that the new Israel was not the fleshly seed of the twelve tribes of Israel; but the spiritual seed--the holy seed--of all nations “ which no man could number.” This was the symbol of innumerable multitude. It was identical with that “ innumerable company” mentioned in Hebrews 12:22-23, designated “ the general assembly and church of the firstborn.” It identified the hundred forty-four thousand of Rev 7:4, and Revelation 14:1, with this great multitude and innumerable company ofRev_7:9 and Hebrews 12:22-23. So parallel are these passages that strong evidence is adduced from it that the Hebrew passage is an allusion to this Revelation scene of chapter 7, virtually equivalent to a direct quotation. This is assuredly possible in the premises of the prior date of Revelation, in which chronology it antedates the Hebrew epistle. The same evidential relation of other epistles to the apocalypse is indicated in other references and examples, all of which are internal evidences that Revelation is by no means the last book of the New Testament canon, but quite to the contrary-it bears an earlier date than several others, including Hebrews, Galatians, Second Peter (if not first), and even of the other epistles of John. The multitude of Rev 7:9-10 were clothed in the white robes of victory, displaying palms of praise. There were the emblems of a triumphant march. (John 12:13) With a loud voice the vocal unison of the great company ascribed salvation to our God, from whom the salvation proceeded and unto the Lamb, by whom it was procured. This salvation was not in the gospel sense of salvation from sin or in pardon or remission of sins, but was the state of deliverance and blessing. The Greek texts give the article which the English translations dropped, and in them it reads: “ the salvation of our God,” a specific reference to coming out of the trials of persecution into the scenes of the throne. Commentary on Revelation 7:9-12 by Walter ScottRev_7:9. — “Clothed with white robes.” They had maintained the rights and claims of God against a rebellious and apostate world amidst circumstances, too, of unparalleled sorrow and affliction (Mark 13:19). Now God remembers and rewards their faithfulness, they are “ clothed with white robes,” robes of righteousness (see Revelation 19:8). “ Palm branches” express the joy of complete deliverance (Leviticus 23:40; John 12:13). God had brought them safely through their awful period of appointed affliction termed “ the great tribulation” (Revelation 7:14, R.V.), and now they triumph in the triumph of their God. The palm is the only tree named in the construction of the millennial temple (Ezekiel 40; Ezekiel 41); is also named chiefly in connection with the Feast of Tabernacles, the last and closing joyous feast of Israel (Leviticus 23:40). The white-robed multitude is the only company in the Revelation said to have palms; the word occurs but once in the Apocalypse. Revelation 7:10. — “They cry with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God Who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb.” Their struggles and trials are over. The throne before which they stand is now and forever their strength and security. The countless multitudes of these redeemed ones break out in one loud and united cry. What is the burden of this intense and thrilling cry? Salvation in its most comprehensive sense is ascribed to God and to the Lamb. Not a member of that redeemed host is silent. “They cry with a loud voice.” Sovereign grace has done its mighty work. It has gathered out of all lands and tongues a Gentile host beyond all human computation — each and all once “ dead in sins” — and placed them saved and blest before God’ s throne. How fitting then that the triumph of divine grace should be grandly celebrated and traced to the source — God in divine sovereignty, and to the Lamb, the expression of His love and grace. THE ANSWER OF THE ANGELIC HOST. Revelation 7:11-12. — “And all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell before the throne upon their faces and worshipped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and strength to our God, to the ages of ages. Amen.” We have two distinct heavenly scenes in which the throne is the central figure here, and in chapter 5: 11, 12. In both scenes the angels form the outer circle around the throne. In these beatific visions we have the doxology of the angelic host in a sevenfold ascription of worship. In the former scene (Revelation 5:11-12) the Lamb is the object of praise; in the latter vision (Revelation 7:11-12) God is the object of adoration. The position of the angels in both scenes is around the throne, while the elders and living creatures form inner circles. The order in which these last, i.e., the elders and living ones, are presented differs in the two scenes. In the earlier one the elders form the innermost circle; in the later the living creatures are nearest the throne. The difference is easily accounted for. In the former the Lamb is in immediate view and the redeemed in Heaven (the elders) naturally gather around Him; whereas in the latter vision, God sitting on His throne, the symbol of universal sovereignty, would account for the near place of the living creatures who represent the executive authority of the throne. The Gentile crowd on earth had ascribed salvation to “ our God,” but He is also the God of angels; hence they, too, in their place in the heavens say “ our God.” To the cry of the exultant redeemed the angels, which are as countless as the redeemed host on earth, in whom they are so deeply interested, fall down and worship, saying, Amen. How profound their worship may be gathered somewhat from their position, they fell down upon “ their faces.” The cry of the multitude is answered by the angels’ “ Amen.” The terms in the angelic doxology differ in their order from that contained in chapter 5. There the last two terms, “ glory and blessing,” are the first named in our chapter. There “ riches,” here instead is “ thanksgiving.” (W. Kelly, F. B. Hooper, Bishop Ellicott, and others in their respective works on the Apocalypse read verse 12 with the definite article before each noun, thus: “The blessing, and the glory, and the wisdom, and the thanksgiving, and the honour, and the power, and the strength.” Says an able writer: “ The force of the article is to express each quality in its highest degree and excellence.” )The two redeemed companies on earth in our chapter are the elect of Israel and the white-robed multitude of Gentiles. The companies in Heaven are the angels, the elders, and the living creatures. Neither of the last two take part in the celebration of praise. This is confined to the Gentile crowd on earth, and to the angels in Heaven. The special object of the whole passage (Revelation 7:9-17) is the relation of the palm-bearing multitude to God and to the Lamb. This really is the burden of their cry, which the angels fully own by adding their “ Amen.” (The first “ Amen” is the answer to the cry of the saved multitude. The second “ Amen” is a confirmation of the truth of their own praise.) The relation of the elders and living ones to God is disclosed in chapters 4 and 5, and hence in those portions their worship is appropriately introduced, not here. Commentary on Revelation 7:9-10 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 7:9. This verse verifies the comments at Revelation 7:4, for here we have the same kind of persons referred to in other numerical terms. They also are said to be from all nations. etc.. which would prevent us from restricting the "twelve tribes" to the Jews. White robes signified a life of righteousness and palms are medals betokening their victory over "great tribulation" (Revelation 7:14). Revelation 7:10. Salvation to our God means to ascribe salvation to Him, and unto the Lamb is combined in the praise because God perfects all plans through the Son.Commentary on Revelation 7:9-10 by Burton CoffmanRev_7:9 After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands;After these things ... See under Revelation 7:1. The logic of the first vision of this chapter (Revelation 7:1-8) coming first is inherent in the fact that two different states of Christians are in view: (1) their state on earth suffering persecutions and martyrdom, and (2) their state in heaven where they are eternally safe. The saints on earth are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a pledge of their ultimately receiving their inheritance; but the saints in heaven are not said to be sealed, for they have already received the great inheritance. The first vision (Revelation 7:1-8) symbolized by the old Israel's embattled condition during the wilderness wanderings suggests the similar condition of God's church throughout the ages; and the second vision (Revelation 7:9-17) shows them finally triumphant and redeemed. The imagery borrowed from the old Israel applies here to the new. A great number which no man could number ... This is the same group as that of the 144,000 (Revelation 7:1-8). This is not contradicted by the number 144,000 being given there and the "innumerable" group here. The 144,000 is also an "innumerable" throng. "If they had been different groups, both would have been sealed,"[43] for both are servants of God. Those in heaven had already been sealed while upon earth. "This innumerable company are the whole church of God."[44] However, this vision of them is not a view of them at a time when they are suffering persecutions, but a view of them as they appear eternally after the Second Advent of Christ. "The interpretation of most of Revelation pivots upon the proper identification of these two groups as one and the same."[45] "This vision shows how the saints (the 144,000) are preserved, not delivered from death, but delivered by death."[46]The premillennial proposition that the sealing in this chapter can not be "fulfilled before the rapture of the church,"[47] has no support from the New Testament. We take the view of Strauss to be correct: "This picture is the church triumphant in heaven; they have prevailed over persecution and death because of the blood of the Lamb."[48] The time of their sealing, not mentioned here, was that during their sojourn on earth after they obeyed the gospel. Out of every nation ... tribes ... peoples ... tongues ... The worldwide, universal nature of the church is seen in this. Standing before the throne and before the Lamb ... This is in heaven and justifies the view that here we have a glimpse of the Church Triumphant. What better comfort could be provided for those who were confronted with suffering and martyrdom? Arrayed in white robes ... "Trench stated that no symbol of heathen origin is used in the Apocalypse."[49] Therefore, we do not need to look to Babylon, Greece, or Rome for the origin of the "palms" carried by these white-robed saints. The citizens of Jerusalem spread the branches of palms before the Saviour upon his triumphal entry (John 12:13), a fact recorded by the author of this Apocalypse. [43] Leon Morris, Tyndale Commentaries, Vol. 20, the Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969). p. 114. [44] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 542. [45] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 257. [46] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1079. [47] Finis Jennings Dake, Revelation Expounded (Lawrenceville, Georgia: Finis Jennings Dake, 1950), p. 56. [48] James D. Strauss, The Seer, the Saviour, and the Saved (Joplin, Missouri: College Press, 1972), p. 125. [49] Trench as quoted by Plummer, op. cit., p. 209. Revelation 7:10and they cry with a great voice, saying, Salvation unto our God who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb.They cry with a great voice ... The present tense indicates the constant and unceasing nature of this adoration. Salvation unto our God ... and unto the Lamb ... The identification of the Lamb with God upon the throne is invariable throughout Revelation. The presence of Christ at the very center of universal power and authority is an essential Christian conception. The meaning of this first clause is that God has given salvation and is therefore praised for it. "It is characteristic of John to announce the final victory before it has occurred,"[50] his purpose, of course, being that of maintaining a high level of hope and encouragement among those who were suffering and facing a prospect of martyrdom. Such anticipations are called "proleptic visions."[51][50] Charles M. Laymon, op. cit., p. 105. [51] Ibid.Commentary on Revelation 7:9-10 by Manly Luscombe9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands…As in a movie, you move from one scene to another. Here is the fade to a new scene. The sealing has been completed. Now all nations stand before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, palms in their hands. Palm branches were laid on the path Jesus took in his entry into Jerusalem. (Mark 11:8; John 12:13) While the white robes represent our salvation in Christ, the palms are symbolic of our willingness to serve Him. 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “ Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” We are saved. Isn’ t that reason to rejoice? Do you still have the joy of your salvation? (Psalms 51:12) They recognize the source of their salvation is not their own merit. Salvation belongs to God and to the Lamb. Salvation cannot come by any other. (Acts 4:12; John 14:6) Revelation 7:11-12 4. ANGELS JOIN IN PRAISERev_7:11-12 11 And all the angels were standing round about the throne, and about the elders and the four living creatures; --In: verse 11 we learn that there were many angels round about the throne. As the place of the visions has not been changed, doubtless they are the angels referred to in this paragraph. The elders and living creatures are also mentioned in both texts. and they fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 saying,--Jesus said, "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." (Luke 15:10.) In the words of this paragraph we have, in a symbolic picture, a demonstration of their rejoicing with the saved, which indicates the final joy when all the redeemed shall get home. Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.--The "Amen" affirms that the things to be said are most certainly true. Being repeated at the end of the sentence adds emphasis to the assertion. God has glory, wisdom, power, and might and deserves to be thanked for his wonderful blessings; in short, all things good can be ascribed to God as their source, both by angels and men.Commentary on Revelation 7:11-12 by Foy E. Wallace The angelic proclamation—Revelation 7:11-12. In the acknowledgment of this salvation all of the angels were standing about the throne and about the twenty-four elders and the four creature-beings. Together encircling the throne they prostrated their angelic forms before it, and said Amen, to the voice of the multitude which had ascribed salvation unto God and unto the Lamb. Reference to “ all the angels” does not mean all angels in heaven, but all the angels in this vision, beginning in the fourth chapter. After saying Amen to the acknowledgments of salvation by the multitude, they repeated the doxology of Rev 5:12, with the exception of the omission of “ riches,” inserting thanksgiving and substituting might for “ strength.” For comments on the seven-fold attributes thus ascribed to God and to the Lamb refer to Revelation 5:11-13. Commentary on Revelation 7:11-12 by Walter ScottTHE ANSWER OF THE ANGELIC HOST. Revelation 7:11-12. — “And all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell before the throne upon their faces and worshipped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and strength to our God, to the ages of ages. Amen.” We have two distinct heavenly scenes in which the throne is the central figure here, and in chapter 5: 11, 12. In both scenes the angels form the outer circle around the throne. In these beatific visions we have the doxology of the angelic host in a sevenfold ascription of worship. In the former scene (Revelation 5:11-12) the Lamb is the object of praise; in the latter vision (Revelation 7:11-12) God is the object of adoration. The position of the angels in both scenes is around the throne, while the elders and living creatures form inner circles. The order in which these last, i.e., the elders and living ones, are presented differs in the two scenes. In the earlier one the elders form the innermost circle; in the later the living creatures are nearest the throne. The difference is easily accounted for. In the former the Lamb is in immediate view and the redeemed in Heaven (the elders) naturally gather around Him; whereas in the latter vision, God sitting on His throne, the symbol of universal sovereignty, would account for the near place of the living creatures who represent the executive authority of the throne. The Gentile crowd on earth had ascribed salvation to “ our God,” but He is also the God of angels; hence they, too, in their place in the heavens say “ our God.” To the cry of the exultant redeemed the angels, which are as countless as the redeemed host on earth, in whom they are so deeply interested, fall down and worship, saying, Amen. How profound their worship may be gathered somewhat from their position, they fell down upon “ their faces.” The cry of the multitude is answered by the angels’ “ Amen.” The terms in the angelic doxology differ in their order from that contained in chapter 5. There the last two terms, “ glory and blessing,” are the first named in our chapter. There “ riches,” here instead is “ thanksgiving.” (W. Kelly, F. B. Hooper, Bishop Ellicott, and others in their respective works on the Apocalypse read verse 12 with the definite article before each noun, thus: “The blessing, and the glory, and the wisdom, and the thanksgiving, and the honour, and the power, and the strength.” Says an able writer: “ The force of the article is to express each quality in its highest degree and excellence.” )The two redeemed companies on earth in our chapter are the elect of Israel and the white-robed multitude of Gentiles. The companies in Heaven are the angels, the elders, and the living creatures. Neither of the last two take part in the celebration of praise. This is confined to the Gentile crowd on earth, and to the angels in Heaven. The special object of the whole passage (Revelation 7:9-17) is the relation of the palm-bearing multitude to God and to the Lamb. This really is the burden of their cry, which the angels fully own by adding their “ Amen.” (The first “ Amen” is the answer to the cry of the saved multitude. The second “ Amen” is a confirmation of the truth of their own praise.) The relation of the elders and living ones to God is disclosed in chapters 4 and 5, and hence in those portions their worship is appropriately introduced, not here. Commentary on Revelation 7:11-12 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 7:11. The angels stood round about the throne and in the presence of the elders and the four living creatures as a mark of respect. But when they performed their homage of worship it was before the throne unto God. Revelation 7:12. Saying, Amen. Thayer says that at the beginning of a discourse the word means, "Surely, of a truth, truly." Thus the angels were announcing that they were about to utter something that would surely be the truth, namely, that all the good qualities mentioned in the verse should truly be ascribed to God. The declaration was made emphatic still more by closing it with Amen.Commentary on Revelation 7:11-12 by Burton CoffmanRev_7:11 And all the angels were standing round about the throne, and about the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell down before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,All the angels ... round about the throne ... All things in heaven and upon earth shall at last join in the hymn of universal praise to God in Christ, summing up all things in Christ, "the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth" (Ephesians 1:10). Elders and the four living creatures ... What is said above regarding the angels applies equally to these beings also. Revelation 7:12saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God, for ever and ever. Amen.Amen ... Amen ... This usage of such an expression both to introduce and to close this sevenfold doxology is most impressive. See further comment on the use of "Amen" in this prophecy under Revelation 5:12 f, above. The great doxology here is similar to the one recorded there. Unto our God ... does not exclude either Christ or the Holy Spirit, but is inclusive of the entire Godhead. Commentary on Revelation 7:11-12 by Manly Luscombe11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God…All the angels are around the throne. Inside of them are the 24 elders. In a closer circle around the throne of God are the four living creatures. They worshipped God.12 saying: “ Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” They offer a 7-fold blessingè1. Blessing, 2. Glory, 3. Wisdom , 4. Thanksgiving, 5. Honor,6. Power, and 7. Might. All of this praise and adoration belong to God. Notice that this blessing begins and ends with “ Amen.” The word “ amen” means, “ I am in agreement; may it be so; so be it.” Today, the word more often means, “ I have finished; the end.” Here it was used at the beginning of the worship. Here again we have a 7 that has a natural division into a 3 plus 4. The first three - Blessing, Glory, Wisdom - are attributes of God in the Divine realm. The number 3 represents God, the trinity, and the spiritual world. The last four - Thanksgiving, Honor, Power, Might - are ways in which we recognize the majesty of God in the material world. The number 4 is the number of the physical and material world. The Christians were seeking to give thanks to God. They were also looking for ways in which they could honor His name in an evil world. They were also praying for His power and might to intervene in this time of terrible persecution. Revelation 7:13-17 5. THE MEANS OF Rev_7:13-17 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, These that are arrayed in the white robes, who are they, and whence came they?--The text says one of the elders "answered," which probably means that he was explaining an inquiry that was in John's mind, but not expressed. The elder did not ask the question to be answered by John, but to give the occasion for explaining why the white-robed multitude were in God's presence. Telling how they happened to be before God in the symbolic picture would show how they would finally be in his presence in heaven. That would settle the questions, Who will be saved? and how will they be saved? 14 And I say unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they that come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.--John recognized the fact that the elder did not ask the question to be answered, and so he said "thou knowest." Two things are expressed as the reasons why they were in God's presence--faithfulness in tribulation and having their robes washed in Christ's blood. The logical order is here reversed; being washed in the blood of the Lamb comes first and then meeting tribulation in following him. "Washing" is clearly used figuratively, for washing in the blood of Christ does not occur, if it means his literal blood and literal washing. This is only a figurative expression that means one's sins are forgiven through Christ's blood. The word "washing" is used figuratively and the word "blood" is used literally. Another proof that symbolic expressions or sentences may contain words used in both meanings. "Great tribulation" shows that only those will be saved who are faithful "unto death" (2:10) in spite of all difficulties and persecutions. Paul expressed the same thought in Acts 14:22. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them.--For the two reasons given in the preceding verse they are before the throne in the vision John was viewing. That, however, was a guarantee of God's approval, and the assurance that they would serve him day and night (continually) in his temple. Since the Jews served God in the temple, and Christians serve him in the church (called the temple of God, 1 Corinthians 3:16), it is perfectly appropriate that the saved in heaven finally should be said to serve him continuously in his temple. God's spreading his tabernacle over them implies that he would approve of their service by dwelling among them. Their appearance in the symbolic picture was proof that they would dwell in that eternal temple. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more ; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat:--This pictures the final blessings for the faithful, and is the same as expressed in Revelation 21:3-5. The troubles, pain, worry, and burdens incident to living in the flesh here will all be gone when the redeemed dwell with God. 17 for the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. --The Lamb that stood before the throne in the vision, and was able to break the seals and reveal the future, would, like a shepherd guides his sheep, bring them to fountains of joy. Omitting the figurative language, it means that through his redemptive work they would enjoy all the blessings of heaven. God's wiping away every tear means that he will enable us to forget all the sadness that wrings our hearts in this sin-troubled world. What a joyous anticipation! No one who properly appreciates the blessings of sins forgiven, to say nothing about the inexpressible happiness that awaits in heaven, will fail in trying to meet the obligations which the Christian life imposes. The terms upon which pardon is secured are too plain and easy to obey to allow any excuse for disobedience. Tribulations, naturally, are not pleasant experiences, but the reward of eternal life is too important to be lost. Great favors do not come without cost. Christians should be the last to complain or try to justify neglect. Additional Note: The purpose of the visions in this chapter must have been for the encouragement of the seven churches to whom the letters were sent. The hope of such glorious rewards would stimulate them in the struggles against persecutions, suffering, and death that had been pictured in the seals. In the same way such promises should encourage all saints to meet faithfully any trials they are called to face. So used, the lessons in Revelation are of great value to Christians in all ages.Commentary on Revelation 7:13-17 by Foy E. Wallace The white-robed throng—Revelation 7:13-14. “ And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” The interrogative of Rev 7:13 brought the answer of verse 14 and identified the multitude as the survivors of tribulation. It was an advance scene and corresponded to “ the hour of trial,” chapter 3:10; the “ tribulation” of Revelation 2:10; and to the Lord’ s language in Matthew 24:21, after which he would gather his elect “ from the four winds, and from one end of heaven to the other”—Matthew 24:31. The preservation of the true seed of Israel, the success of the cause of Christ, the victory of the church, and the universal sway, of Christianity in the expansion of the gospel, were the parallels in all of the visions; and they covered in each instance the same events, and alike defined the period of these afflictions. The apocalypse belonged to that time. The company which emerged from tribulation were described as having washed their robes in blood. This was not the washing away of sins in baptism, of Acts 22:16; nor the washing of water by the word of Eph 5:26; nor having our bodies washed with pure water of Heb 10:22. It was the washing of their robes--it was the blood bath of tribulation, symbolically in the blood of the Lamb who Himself shed his blood for the cause for which they also suffered The reward of the redeemed—Revelation 7:15-16. These who were before the throne of God and in his temple, renewed the dual kingdom-priesthood character of the church, it is said of both in Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5:10. The demolition of the old temple only gave place to the new (Acts 7:47-49); and his priests then would serve in his temple day and night, and would be always before his throne, continually with none to make them afraid; and their God would dwell there. (2 Corinthians 6:16) In this new temple-state, having emerged from tribulation, they should hunger and thirst no more; neither sun nor heat would light on them (afflict them)--figures of speech to denote the calamities during the period of persecution as symbolized in the seals. The famine, pestilence and plagues, which prevailed during the period of persecution would all cease. The absence of all of these signified a state of victory over persecution. The living fountains of water—Revelation 7:17. These figures of speech signified that their tribulations were over. They were avenged by the overthrow of their persecutors. Henceforth the Lamb would feed them; the opposite to the symbols of want in tribulation. He would lead them unto living fountains of waters--no longer amid the dangers of the persecuting powers, but where provender, peace, refreshment and satisfaction were unrestrained. It is the apocalyptic version of the twenty-third psalm. Finally, the ultimate in the symbols of victory: God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes--the persecutions had ended, the tribulations were over. Here the visions and scenes all merge into one company, the victorious church of Christ.Commentary on Revelation 7:13-17 by Walter ScottTHE ELDER’ S AND ANSWER. Revelation 7:13-17. — “And one of the elders answered, saying to me, These who are clothed with white robes, who are they, and whence came they? And I said to him, My Lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they who come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple, and He that sits upon the throne shall spread His tabernacle over them. They shall not hunger any more, neither shall they thirst any more, nor shall the sun at all fall on them, nor any burning heat; because the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall shepherd them, and shall lead them to fountains of waters of life, and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.” The Seer stood in silent wonder. He heard the exulting cry of the redeemed host and beheld their joy, but he did not personally participate in either. “ One of the elders answered,” not the spoken, but the unspoken inquiry of the heart of the Seer. The elders are characterized by the most elevated character of worship and intelligence in the mind and ways of God. They themselves were redeemed from earth, and hence it was fitting that one of them, and not a sinless celestial being, should be the interpreter to John, and through him to us, of the origin and history of this remarkable company for the first time beheld by the Seer. John was not unacquainted with the heavenly service of the elders. In a previous vision (Revelation 5:4-5) one of them had comforted and instructed him. Hence the two questions put to John exactly expressed what he wanted to know: “ These who are clothed with white robes, who are they? and whence came they?”It is not without significance that attention is called three times to their “ white robes” (Revelation 7:9; Revelation 7:13-14). Their public acceptance by God, their recognition by Him in perfect purity of character and ways, are witnessed in those robes of purest white. (An old Scotch divine remarks on this passage: “The word translated robes properly signifies a marriage robe; and as both this word and the one translated white have the article prefixed it gives a peculiar force and beauty to the expression The allusion is to a marriage garment of the richest and most splendid appearance. To take in the full idiom of the expression it would require to be rendered thus: ‘ Who are these clothed in the richest marriage robes, in robes of the purest white?’” ) THE GREAT . Revelation 7:14. — “These are they who come out of the great tribulation.” Our venerable Authorized Version is at fault here. It reads: “ These are they which came out of great tribulation.” But the Revised Version and other versions give undoubtedly the Spirit’ s meaning, “ come,” not “ came,” and “ the tribulation,” not “ tribulation” simply. It is not the record of a past act, but they “ come out.” It is regarded as a characteristically present action. “ The tribulation” points to a definite prophetic period, and not simply to tribulation in general in which all saints share. “ The great tribulation” (“ Out of the tribulation, the great one.” — Alford.) cannot be the general troubles which afflict God’ s people in all ages. The insertion of the definite article marks its speciality. The Neronian (“ The Early Days of Christianity.” p. 448. — Dean Farrar.) and other pagan and papal persecutions have been variously referred to as “ the great tribulation” by the historical school of expositors. More frequently still the expression is thought to refer to the general troubles of life. But every interpretation of the Apocalypse which has history and not God’ s Word as its basis is necessarily confusing and uncertain. The force and import of the term must be sought for in Scripture and not in the records of human history. The interpretation of the Word, as also its application to the conscience, is the sole prerogative of the Holy Ghost Who inspired it. “ The great tribulation” is yet future. It pre-supposes the Jewish nation restored to Palestine in unbelief to serve Gentile political ends, and brought there by the active intervention of a great maritime power (Isaiah 18:1-7). The duration of the coming hour of trial, which in its intensity will exceed all past and subsequent sorrows endured on earth (Mark 13:19), is limited to the second half of Daniel’ s prophetic week of seven years (Daniel 9:27 with Matthew 24:15), or, speaking more correctly, to 1260 days, i.e., 42 months of 30 days each(*“ The tribulation ends before the coming of Christ to reign (Matthew 24:29); and I believe it will virtually close by the pouring out of the vials (Revelation 16:1-21). Writhing under these inflictions, neither the beast nor his myrmidons will be in a condition to persecute any longer. So it seems to me.) (Revelation 11:3; Revelation 13:5). Satan cast out of Heaven into the earth is the instigator of this unparalleled outburst of fury and hatred against God’ s witnesses, Jewish and Gentile (Revelation 12:7-17). Satan’ s chief persecuting ministers will be “ the beast,” i.e., the revived imperial power of Rome in the person of its head, the “ little horn” (Daniel 7:7; Daniel 7:21; Revelation 13:1-18. l-8); the Anti-Christ, only so termed in John’ s epistles, the ally and confederate of the beast (Revelation 13:11-17); and the king of the north, or the Assyrian (Daniel 8:1-27; Daniel 11:1-45; Isaiah 10:24-34). The two former will be the active agents in persecuting the saints; the latter will be politically hostile to the restored Jewish commonwealth, but Jewish saints will also have to suffer as part and parcel of the nation. “ The great tribulation,” then, embraces Gentiles as well as Jews. Apostate Christendom is the wide sphere which will come under the direct judgment of Christ in the coming day, nor will the sword be sheathed till the heathen, too, feel the stroke (1 Peter 4:17). But while the tribulation will embrace Jews and Gentiles, the former will suffer most severely (Jeremiah 30:7). The Gentile company of our text comes out of the great tribulation. They have been preserved while Christendom, and Judea especially, have been bathed in the blood of God’ s saints. (The location of the saved Gentile company, when the testimony of God reached their consciences, must not be confined to the territorial limits of Christendom. The largeness of the scene in verse 9 intimates a breadth which probably covers the whole Gentile world. Rejecters of God’ s grace — grace now fully and freely preached — are in the time of the tribulation given up to judicial dealing (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12), and are punished with everlasting destruction at the Appearing of Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9). Hence these apostates are precluded from any share in the work of grace — widely and rapidly carried out (length of time uncertain) between the Translation and the Appearing.)“ The 1260 days of persecution (Revelation 11:3), or 42 months, counting 30 days to a month, will end before the three and a half years are concluded. They fall short of this last period by 17 days, or more exactly 17½ days. Till the 42 months end the beast’ s power is unchallengeable (Revelation 13:5). The seventh trumpet sounds, and the mystery of God is then finished. He will henceforth deal directly with the apostates, as the vials describe. It will be mystery as to that no longer. “ The days will be shortened,” as the duration of the beast’ s power will be curtailed by the above mentioned days that will remain of the three and a half years of the week (Daniel 9:27). Shortening or lengthening of days, not a day, refers to a period of time, and not to a natural day of twenty-four hours. “ The clue to me of a deal of all this is the difference between 1260 days and three and a half years. The former can by no possibility be made to equal the latter. At the end of the latter the Lord comes to reign. At the end of the former the trumpet sounds; and the balance of days between the 1260 days and the three and a half years leaves room for the outpouring of the vials.” — “ Truth for the Last Days,” No. 4, p. 163, C.E.S. See also article, “ The Celebrated Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks.” Their mystical robes derive their whiteness solely from the blood of Christ. Next we have the standing or position of the Gentile throng. “Therefore are they before the throne of God.” It is the shed blood of Christ which alone entitles anyone to stand before the throne. “ This grace wherein we stand “ (Romans 5:2) is ground common to all saints. The demonstrative pronoun points not to grace in general, but to that special grace of God witnessed in the death and resurrection of the Lord. Revelation 7:14. — “Have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God.” Washing robes is one of those expressions peculiar to the Apocalypse. Whatever may have been the special testimony addressed to these Gentiles,(*We do not read of any testimony borne by them.) evidently the blood of the Lamb was its grand and distinguishing feature. Their mystic robes could alone be made white in the blood. The ground on which they stood before the throne of God is one common to all saints in time and eternity. The blood of the Lamb, shed in divine purpose from the foundation of the world, is the only but adequate basis of appearing before the throne of God. “ Therefore,” or on this account, “ are they before the throne,” i.e., because of the blood. The blood constituted these sinners saints; the tribulation made them sufferers. Revelation 7:15. — “Serve Him day and night in His temple.” We have had the historical origin of this innumerable redeemed company (v. 9); victorious too, and ascribing salvation to God and to the Lamb (vv. 9, 10). Then attention is called to the fact that they emerge out of the great tribulation, while, not their sufferings, but the blood of the Lamb gives them divine fitness to appear before the throne of God. Next we have their unceasing service, they “ serve Him day and night in His temple.” Another proof is here furnished that these saints are on earth, not in Heaven, for, says the Seer in a subsequent vision, “ I saw no temple therein.” Jerusalem on earth will have its temple, one of vast proportions, in which Jews and Gentiles will worship and serve in millennial days (Ezekiel 40:1-49; Ezekiel 41:1-26; Ezekiel 42:1-20; Ezekiel 43:1-27; Ezekiel 44:1-31; Isaiah 56:5-7). They are here viewed as a vast worshipping company, priests to God.(*“ They are not only as Israel in the courts, or the nations in the world; they have a priest’ s place in the world’ s temple. The millennial multitudes are worshippers — these priests. As Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, even in the temple itself they have always access to the throne.” — “ Synopsis of the Books of the Bible,” vol. 5, p. 603, Morrish ed.) Revelation 7:15. — “He that sits upon the throne shall spread His tabernacle over them.” The Authorized Version reads, “ shall dwell among them;” a poor and utterly inadequate rendering of the divine thought here expressed. God spread His tabernacle over the tent of meeting of old, which thus became the center and rest of the thousands of Israel. It covered them in the desert. Two millions and a half of people, the typically redeemed host of Jehovah, were sheltered from scorching suns and winter’ s blasts by the huge canopy which God spread over them. It was the nation’ s glory and defense. The marginal reference in the Authorized Version, rightly so, directs us to Isaiah 4:5-6 : “ Jehovah will create over every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flame of fire by night; for over all the glory (shall be) a canopy. And there shall be a booth (or tabernacle) for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rain.” In the eternal state the tabernacle of God is with men (Revelation 21:3); in millennial times God’ s tabernacle will be over them (Revelation 7:15, R.V.). What a sense of security the white-robed multitude will enjoy as they bask under the glorious overspread canopy, each member of the countless throng equally sheltered, equally protected! God’ s tabernacle spread over them, and the throne in all its strength and majesty for them! The special millennial blessings of the redeemed Gentiles are next presented, negatively and positively, and suited exactly to the new order of things under the personal sway of Christ. In the enumeration of these earthly blessings one cannot fail to see how transcendently superior are those enjoyed by the saints in Heaven. Glory with Christ in the heavens, and blessing under Christ on the millennial earth define the difference. “ They shall not hunger any more, neither shall they thirst any more, nor shall the sun at all fall on them, nor any burning heat.” The reference to millennial days is undoubted (see Isaiah 49:10). In these emphatic negatives (‘ No more,’ or ‘ never,’ is a mode of negation so often repeated in the Apocalypse (cp. Revelation 18:22-23) that it is somewhat peculiar to this book in respect to frequency.” — “ A Commentary on the Apocalypse,” p. 561. — Moses Stuart.) the saved Gentile multitude is assured that the privations of life, hunger and thirst, and persecution and tribulation, sun and burning heat, shall never again be their sad lot. There shall be no recurrence of past evils. Revelation 7:16 No Commentary on vs. 16Revelation 7:17. — “Because the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall shepherd them, and shall lead them to fountains of waters of life; and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.” The Lamb “ in the midst of the throne,”(*See remarks on Revelation 5:6.) exercising its power and expressing in Himself its majesty, will graciously provide for every need. Not angelic and providential care as now (Hebrews 1:14), but the shepherd grace of the Lamb will then be in exercise — tending, caring, preserving, and guiding each and all of the redeemed Gentile multitude. He “ shall lead them to fountains of waters of life,” not to channels or springs merely, but to the sources of life. The fulness and joy of earthly blessing shall be theirs, the Lamb Himself being their guide to these fountains or sources of unalloyed delight (see Isaiah 12:3). The closing words are unequalled in their combined depth and tenderness: “ And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes,” not the Lamb, be it observed, but God, against Whom they and we have sinned, shall Himself remove the causes and occasions of sorrow. If He wipes away every tear they shall never weep again. “ Everlasting consolation” is the happy and assured portion of all His people, heavenly and earthly. The words in our text are verbally repeated in Revelation 21:4. There the eternal state is in view; here the millennial condition is in question. Both passages apply to saved people on earth, not to those in Heaven.Commentary on Revelation 7:13-17 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 7:13. The elder put his statement in the form of a question to gain the attention of John. The ones arrayed in white robes were those in Revelation 6:11 and those of the twelve tribes in this chapter. Revelation 7:14. John understood that such was the purpose of the question, for he replied thou knowest. The elder then gave the answer which confirms the idea that they were the persecuted servants of God already referred to. Came out of great tribulation denotes their triumph over their persecutors. Not that they escaped death, for John had seen their souls outside of their bodies. But if a servant of God is faithful even in the midst of persecution then death cannot rob him of victory. Washed their robes is a figurative reference to their being cleaned by the blood of Christ. Revelation 7:15. All of the statements in this verse are figurative, for the purified saints had lost their lives for testifying on behalf of the word of God. But they were being held in honored remembrance and were destined to be always "welcome callers" in the intimacies of the Father. Revelation 7:16. Shall not hunger nor thirst because those are wants that pertain to this life, and they have become citizens of a region where physical wants are unknown. The light and heat of the sun are things of the past for the same reasons. Revelation 7:17. Lamb shall feed them with delicacies that are unknown to men living in the flesh. Living fountains of 'waters are among the blissful objects to be enjoyed by those who overcome by faith in the Lamb. Wipe away all tears by preventing anything that could cause tears.Commentary on Revelation 7:13-17 by Burton CoffmanRev_7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, These that are arrayed in white robes, who are they, and whence came they?One of the elders ... This was one of the four and twenty elders mentioned in Revelation 4:4. These in white robes ... With such an appearance, these could hardly have been unrecognized by John as the saved of earth; but he did not offer his own opinion on the question, as evidenced in the next verse. Revelation 7:14 And I say unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they that came out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.Lord, thou knowest ... The very fact of the elder's asking John of their identity suggests that John probably understood who they were and whence they came; but, as being appropriate for one still under probation, the apostle refrained from saying so, his response, "Lord, thou knowest," being noncommittal. It is a gross misunderstanding to make John's respectful reply here the basis of denying that one of the Twelve is the author through whom this prophecy came. These are they that came out of the great tribulation ... This verse is the principal proof-text for sponsors of the Great Tribulation theory; but the words "they that came are translated from the present middle participle, meaning they continue to come."[52] Bruce translated this, "These are the comers.[53] This positively identifies the "coming" of these white-robed saints w dispensation. "The whole history of the church is a time of tribulation.[54] "The Great Ordeal (tribulation) is a prolonged process, which from John's temporal standpoint was partly past and partly future."[55] Right here is the key to Revelation 1:19. Many of the scenes in Revelation mingle visions of things past, present, and future simultaneously. Any neat little scheme of making one section of Revelation past, another present, and yet another future, collapses in a careful understanding of the text. We agree with Beckwith that, "There is nothing here which points to any one particular distress."[56]And they washed their robes ... The undeniable reference in this is to the conversion of the saints at the time of their residence upon the earth. Thompson stated that, "The understanding of this passage derives from such Scriptures as Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:27; and Titus 3:5,[57] all of which refer to primary obedience to the gospel, the unique manner by which anyone since Pentecost was ever able, in any sense, to "wash" his robes in the blood of Christ. This is a metaphor, but it surely stresses the part which sinners themselves have in their own salvation. They must obey the gospel. Note that it is said, "They washed," a reference to what one must do to be saved. Christ provides the means of our redemption, but he requires of people that they appropriate the blessings of it through obedience. All of the apostles taught this same truth. Peter, on Pentecost, commanded those who wished to be saved to "Repent and have yourselves baptized ... save yourselves from this crooked generation" (Acts 2:38; Acts 2:40). "Save yourselves ... wash your robes," etc., all such passages stress the human response in salvation. Again, note the doxology of Rev 7:12, which was being spoken by this white-robed throng. When they praised the Lord for salvation, they spoke not of what they had done (though they could not have been saved without it), but of the blood of the Lamb. "The great tribulation of this passage is the persecution of the followers of Christ which broke in such intense malignity in John's day and continues until the ultimate triumph of Christ.[58] The following verses, designed to comfort and encourage the suffering church, must be understood with reference to the dark background of persecutions. [52] James D. Strauss, op. cit., p. 126. [53] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 646. [54] James William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 631. [55] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 102. [56] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 545. [57] W. S. Thompson, Comments on Revelation (Memphis, Tennessee: Southern Church Publications, 1957), p. 85. [58] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 646. Revelation 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them.Suffering Christians who overcome the sorrows and tribulations of life will ultimately be with God, in his very presence, and shall participate in the joys of heaven forever. "Only the blood-washed throng can stand before the throne of God and enjoy his presence forever."[59]Spread his tabernacle over them ... This is a reference to the special love and care which God spreads like a mantle over his beloved children. This great love and protection is not withheld until we reach heaven, but it belongs to God's people now, and is instantly available for all who truly seek to know God and to follow him "in Christ." ENDNOTE: [59] Ralph Earle, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 550. Revelation 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat:The background of this verse is the hunger and privation suffered by the apostolic church. The savage hatred of the whole pagan world motivated ten great persecutions against the Christians. Not only were the Christians often cold, and tired, and hungry, and naked, they were also murdered for sport in the Roman Coliseum, and some of them were drenched in flammables and elevated as torches to illuminate the night time games and orgies of the emperor's gardens in Rome. Saints suffering such indignities and terrors needed such comforting words as those provided in this verse. Neither shall the sun strike on them, nor any heat ... This continues in the same line of thought. During the persecutions, the church often found that its members did not have even the basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter; and from this we should learn that, "The church should never expect to be preserved from the basic ills of mankind."[60]ENDNOTE: [60] Michael Wilcock, op. cit., p. 84. Revelation 7:17for the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. "Lamb in the midst of the throne ...Here is the great consolation. "As long as this earth endures, Christ is still at the center of things; and his people are indestructible."[61] Furthermore, as seen above (Revelation 7:1-4), the mighty angels of God preserve the earth itself until God's great purpose is fully accomplished. Shall be their shepherd ... This is strongly suggestive of John 10, where Jesus revealed himself as the "Good Shepherd." One does not ordinarily think of a lamb as a shepherd, but with this Lamb it is true. Pack pointed out that all of the language of these final two verses draws upon the language of Isa 49:10;[62] and Bruce found an echo of Isa 26:8, making the whole passage applicable to the new age, "when God will swallow up death forever."[63] Only then shall the redeemed find the fountains of living waters and have all tears wiped away. Even more obvious is the fact of these sentiments being fully in harmony with the great description of the final abode of the saints in the last two chapters of this prophecy. Rist's suggestion that, "John is here indoctrinating prospective martyrs by quoting a hymn"[64] cannot be correct, nor can Moffatt's notion that, "The Apocalypse confines Christ's shepherding to the future life."[65] As a matter of fact, it is only because Christ shepherds his people in the present life that John envisioned his also doing so eternally. Shall wipe away every tear ... The repetition of this precious promise in Revelation 21:4, where it concerns the eternal state, makes it mandatory to see these verses as a description of the same state in heaven. This final heavenly vision describing the eternal bliss of the redeemed is most appropriate as a sequel to the terrors of the wicked in the final judgment at the end of Revelation 6, strongly indicating that it is the final judgment depicted here, but with the destiny of the righteous in focus, instead of the destiny of the wicked. It will be noticed that the heavenly scene here follows the scene of the overthrow of the wicked in the final judgment at the end of Revelation 6; and this is exactly the order in which John will give the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20, followed by the heavenly scene greatly elaborated in the final two chapters of the prophecy. Ezell was correct in connecting Revelation 8:1 with this paragraph,[66] and understanding the half hour of silence which follows the opening of the seventh seal "as the full content of that seal."[67] Thus, this whole chapter is intimately related to the sixth seal; and the seventh seal merely shows that God has not revealed anything at all of what will happen after the final judgment. That half hour of silence really rings down the curtain and draws a dramatic line under all that is written through Revelation 7:17, effecting a complete separation of it from what is afterwards written in the prophecy, and compelling us to look for a new beginning in Revelation 8:2. [61] Ibid. [62] Frank Pack, Revelation (Austin, Texas: The R. B. Sweet Company, 1965), Part 1, p. 72. [63] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 646. [64] Martin Rist, op. cit., p. 424. [65] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 401. [66] Douglas Ezell, Revelations on Revelation (Waco: Word Books, Inc., 1977), p. 45. [67] Ibid. Commentary on Revelation 7:13-17 by Manly Luscombe13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “ Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “ Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “ These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. John is not willing to risk a wrong guess. “ You know.” The answer is given: “ These are the ones who have washed their robes, white in the blood of the Lamb.” These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation. NOTE: This is not some great event at the end of time. These Christians had already come out of this tribulation. See the notes at the introduction to this chapter on the great tribulation. Our tribulation is our bondage (enslavement) in sin. When we believe and obey the gospel, we come out of that tribulation. We are washed (declared righteous) and sealed (marked and identified) as belonging to God. Discussion: Great tribulation--Some believe this verse speaks of a time after the rapture that a world leader, anti-Christ, will persecute the world. They believe that this will be a 7-year period of time. When do we make our robes white in the blood of the Lamb? We are to put on the robes of righteousness (Revelation 19:8). If our robes are not white, we are living in a state of sin and following the devil. Acts 22:16 gives instruction to Paul to be baptized “ washing away his sins.” When we obey the gospel in baptism, our sins are washed away; we put on the white robe. We are in a state of righteousness. There were some at Sardis that had defiled their garments (Revelation 3:4). They had gone back to the way of the world. Anyone who leaves the world of sin behind has come out of great tribulation. The great tribulation is the difficult decision we make to leave the world, family, friends, sin and evil and begin a new loyalty to Christ. There is a parallel with Moses leading Israel out of physical tribulation by crossing the Red Sea. Christ leads us out of spiritual tribulation by baptism. Those outside of Christ are in the bondage of sin (Romans 6:13-16). They are slaves to the devil and sin. As people continue to obey the gospel, confess their faith in Jesus, and be baptized into Christ, they are coming out of great tribulation, washing their robes, and added to the church. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. We have left the kingdom of sin and Satan. We are before the throne of God. We are fully dedicated to him, day and night. God dwells among us, in His temple. You are the Temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 6:16). God dwells in his Holy temple. We are under the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25). 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; In heaven some things we endured here on earth have ended. “ The former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4). Hunger no more - We are fed by the Word, the bread of life. Thirst no more - We have full access to the living water (John 4:13-14). Sun not burn them or make them hot - God is our light. The church is a place of refuge, a protection from the physical things of life. 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” The Lamb of God will Feed the hungry and lead them to fresh water. He will wipe away all tears - not only in this world, but in the world to come NOTE: These symbols apply to heaven and to our relationship in the church. There is nothing wrong with applying these things to heaven. But we must make sure we do not miss out on the message directed to the church in persecuted world. Right now, in the middle of your distress, persecution, life-threatening situation, you can have the Bread of Life, Living Water, Tears wiped away. You do not have to wait until you get to heaven. These are not future promises. They are available as present realities. That is the GOOD NEWS of the gospel! Sermon on Revelation 7:9-17 Washed Brent Kercheville In our last lesson we saw the image of the 144,000. We are told that the 144,000 are the servants of God (Revelation 7:3). They are sealed in spiritual protection from the tribulation events. The sealing also pictures that they are owned by God because they are faithful to him. After seeing the 144,000 John turns to see a new image of a great multitude. The Unnumbered Multitude (Revelation 7:9-10) John sees a great multitude, so great that no one can number them. They come from every nation, peoples, and languages and they are standing before the throne and before the Lamb. Further, the great multitude is clothed in white and have palm branches in their hands. We have seen the imagery of the white robes many times in this book. In Revelation 6:11 we see the servants of God who have been slain for the word of God are each given a white robe. We observed in Revelation 6 that the white robes picture conquering and victory (6:2). Just as we saw with the servants of God who had been killed, the picture is victory because they have remained pure and faithful to God. In a similar way, palm branches were also a symbol of victory. In John 12:13 we read about Jesus and his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The people are crying out, “ Hosanna! Blessed in he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” Remember that the people who are crying out these words are holding palm branches. In John 12 the palm branches denote the victory of Christ as the ruling king. In Revelation it is the great multitude that is pictured victorious. They are wearing white robes and holding palm branches signifying the victory this unnumbered multitude has obtained. This victory and deliverance is not because of themselves or because of who they are. Revelation 7:10 tells us why this unnumbered multitude has victory. The multitude is crying out with a loud voice, “ Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” The multitude recognizes that their victory is really God’ s victory. Salvation belongs to our God and because of this truth we experience salvation and deliverance. Calling this large group, “ a great multitude that no one could number” is the picture of God fulfilling his promise to Abraham. Recall the promises God gave to Abraham. When Abraham questioned if he would have any offspring, notice God’ s response. And he brought him outside and said, “ Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “ So shall your offspring be.” (Genesis 15:5 ESV) Then when Jacob fears for his life because Esau is going to kill him, Jacob prays to God and counts the promise that was made to his grandfather Abraham. But you said, ‘ I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'” (Genesis 32:12 ESV) Revelation 7 is picturing this innumerable multitude. We will see this further explained in Revelation 7:14-17. Worship God (Revelation 7:11-12) Revelation 7:11 brings back the scene revealed to us in chapter 4. All the angels around the throne of God fall on their faces before the throne and worship God. They worship God declaring that God is worthy of worship. Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to God forever and ever. Revelation 7:12 is a statement about who has the power God has the power. Nations do not have the power, even though they are killing the people of God. God brings salvation and deliverance. God has power and is in control. Who Is The Unnumbered Multitude? (Revelation 7:13-17) Revelation 7:13 draws the question to the forefront that we have wondered while reading this text. Who are these that are clothed in white robes and where have they come from? One of the 24 elders asks John this question. It is not that the elder does not know because is going to give an answer in a moment. Rather, the elder is wanting John to consider this question. Who are this people? John reveals that he does not know but that the elder does. The first thing we are told is that these are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation. This is a very important statement and gives a picture about who is the object of God’ s wrath. We noted in chapter 5 that the scroll whose seals are being opened is the same scroll that is sealed in Daniel 12. We have also noted that the contents of the scroll are the same. Notice the similar language about this tribulation in Daniel 12:1. At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1 ESV) There are a couple key pictures to keep in mind. It is called a “ time of trouble.” Some other translations read, “ Time of anguish” or “ time of distress.” However, this is a unique event because it unequaled somehow. We are not told how this time of tribulation will be different. The prophecy is simply that it is such that never has been since there was a nation till that time. Jesus spoke about the same event and used the same language that we are looking at in Daniel 12:1 and Revelation 7:14. In speaking about the destruction of Jerusalem Jesus said, Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. (Matthew 24:20-21 ESV) Outside of the book of Revelation there is only one place in the New Testament where the phrase, “ The great tribulation” is used. It is right here in Matthew 24:21. Notice how Jesus speaks of it the same way that the angel spoke of it in the prophecy of Daniel. This event is one that never has been from the beginning of the world. The people of God are pictured coming through and enduring the tribulation. We know that these are the servants of God because they are described as having their robes washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. So how do we explain the image of the 144,000 in Revelation 7:1-8 and the image of the great multitude in Revelation 7:9-17? Haven’ t I just shown that the 144,000 represents the complete number of God’ s servants and now shown the great multitude to also be the complete number of God’ s servants? How can these two images be the same group of people? When we put this chapter back into its context I think we can see the point of both of these images. Chapter 7 began by declaring that these sweeping judgments cannot begin until the servants of God are sealed. The first eight verses of chapter 7 show the servants of God are sealed. They are spiritually protected from these judgments. Further, every servant of God is sealed, hence the numbering of 12,000 from each tribe. The second image of the great multitude that cannot be numbered is showing what happens to the 144,000. Revelation 7:9-17 reveals that what was promised to the sealed people of God came about. The first half of the chapter show the promise of them being sealed. The second half of the chapter shows the promise being kept. They are protected and they are before the throne of God. They are wearing white robes and holding palm branches. The promise has been kept. They have remained faithful and they are victorious in Christ. Victory In Christ (Revelation 7:15-17) Notice that this is the point of the rest of the chapter. One of the 24 elders is explaining the outcome of the people of God. They have come through the tribulation. Piecing the images together in this book the implication is that these are Christians who have died for their faithfulness to Christ. Revelation 6:11 revealed that more of the servants of God must die. Now the servants of God are pictured in heaven around the throne of God. Why are they there? They are there because they lost their lives for the cause of Christ. This is the point of saying that their robes were made white in the blood of the Lamb. How do you make robes white in the blood of the Lamb? Remember that the white stands for victory. These are victorious for their faithfulness to Christ. Why say the robes were washed in the blood of the Lamb? The reason is that Christians have died for the Lamb. Just as Christ was killed in faithfulness to the Father so also these Christians have died in faithfulness to the Lamb. Revelation 7:15-17 are showing the victory these slain servants of God have received. Look at what these have been given. (1) They are before the throne of God day and night. This is a priestly picture of serving in the temple before the Lord. These servants are before God’ s throne continually because of their faithfulness. (2) He who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. Nothing else is going to happen to these Christians. God is with them and sheltering them. They have nothing more to worry about. (3) They are no longer suffering, but are comforted. They cannot be afflicted by the world anymore. They are safe in the hands of the Father.(4) The Lamb is their shepherd who is shielding them and comforting them. This picture will be amplified in Revelation 21 when we see the Lord in the midst of New Jerusalem. (5) The Lamb will act as a shepherd and guide them to living waters. Living waters is use consistently by Jesus to refer to eternal life (John 4:14; John 7:38) Jesus said to her, “ Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14 ESV) This is the life of eternal fellowship with God and Christ. Notice that this fellowship is offered to those who maintain their faith in Christ, even though experiencing physical suffering and death. These are the ones who remain faithful to the Lord no matter the circumstances. It is important to also observe that these images refer to a prophecy in Isaiah. Isaiah spoke about the restoration of God’ s people. “ Come out,” to those who are in darkness, “ Appear.” They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture; they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. (Isaiah 49:9-10 ESV) Revelation shows us that it is the Lamb who is guiding and protecting his people. The Lord comforts his people as he wipes away the tears from their eyes. While the book of Revelation is speaking to those early century Christians who were going to suffer persecution for the cause of Christ. But their reward is no different from the reward given to all Christians. What a blessing to know what lies ahead for us if we will remain faithful and steadfast to the Lord! LESSON 13.THE VISION OF THE Read Revelation 7 1. Between the opening of what two seals does the vision of this chapter appear? Ans. Revelation 6:12; Revelation 8:1.2. How many redeemed companies did John see? Ans. Revelation 7:4; Revelation 7:9.3, Tell of the four angels that John saw. Ans. Revelation 7:1.4. From where did another angel ascend? Ans. Revelation 7:2.5. What did this angel say to the four angels? Ans. Revelation 7:2-3.6. Where were the servants of God to be sealed? Ans. Revelation 7:3.7. What was the total number that were sealed? Ans. Revelation 7:4.8. Name the tribes of Israel and tell how many were sealed from each tribe. Ans. Revelation 7:5-8.9. From whom did these tribes derive their names? Ans. Exodus 1:1-5.10. How many were in the second company that John saw? Ans. Revelation 7:9.11. From what nations and tribes had this company come? Ans. Revelation 7:9.12. Describe them. Ans. Revelation 7:9.13. What was their song? Ans. Revelation 7:1014. Then what did all the angels do? Ans. Revelation 7:11-12.15. What question did one of the elders ask John and what was John's reply? Ans. Revelation 7:13-14.16. Who did the elder say they were? Ans. Revelation 7:14.17. Describe the great white-robed multitude: State the position they occupy, Ans. Revelation 7:15-17. State the work they do, Ans. Revelation 7:15-17. Describe how and from what they were protected. Ans. Revelation 7:15-17. Tell how they were shepherded and guided. Ans. Revelation 7:15-17. FOR CLASS . Discuss the eternal rewards of the redeemed.E.M. Zerr Questions on RevelationRevelation Chapter Seven1. Whom did John see after this? 2. Where were they standing? 3. Tell what they were holding. 4. For what purpose were they holding them? 5. Whom did John see next? 6. From where was he coming? 7. Tell what he had. B. How did he cry? 9. To whom did he cry? 10. What had been give to these? 11. Tell what they were told not to do. 12. For how long should they hold back? 13. State what John heard then. 14. From whom were the numbers reckoned? 15. State the number all told. 16. How were they distributed? 17. Which tribe was named instead of Dan? lB. How large mnltitude did John see next? 19. From what peQple were they? 20. Where did they stand? 21. How were they clothed? 22. What were in their hands? 23. How did they cry? 24. What did they ascribe to God? 25. Tell where He was sitting. 26. WhQm did they associate with him? 27. Where did all the angels stand? 28. What posture of body did they take? 29. Tell what they did. 30. What conclusive word did they pronounce? 31. State what they ascribed to their God. 32. For how long should it be so? 33. Who then spoke to John? 34. State the question he asked. 35. Repeat John's answer. 36. Who answered the questioing? 37. Out of what had these persons come? 38. What had been done to their robes? 39. In what had this been done? 40. How did it leave them as to condition? 41. For this reason they are where? 42. They are doing what? 43. At what time are they here? 44. Who shall dwell among them? 45. How about thier hunger? 46. And their thirst? 47. What will not light on them? 48. By whom shall they be fed? 49. Unto what will he lead them? 50. Tell what shall be wiped away. Revelation Chapter SevenRalph StarlingAfter these things 4 angels appear With an announcement to be made. and the opening of the 7th seal, God said would be delayed. Stop all activities for God had a plan to reveal. Before the next seal his faithful were to be sealed. For the 12 tribes o Israel and multitudes of others, There would be no hunger or tears and white robes for cover. With this announcement all nations salvation to God and the Lamb cried that had died. For God was faithful and true to his orders, And the Lamb would lead them to the fountain of living waters. Revelation 8:1-2 SECTION FOUR OF FIRST FOUR Rev_8:1-12 1. THE SEVENTH SEAL OPENEDRev_8:1-2 1 And when he opened the seventh seal, there followed a silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.--When the preceding seals were opened there was an immediate disclosing of the things they contained, but in this there is a brief silence before the scenes begin to appear. Commentators offer various explanations of what is represented by the half-hour silence, but the text gives no hint why such delay occurred before the things of the seal were made known. Often there is a brief, impressive calm before the storm in material elements. So this short silence in heaven between breaking the seal and appearance of its visions may have been intended only to emphasize the storms that would break loose when the four restraining angels no longer held back the destructive winds mentioned in 7:1-3. 2 And I saw the seven angels that stand before God; and there were given unto them seven trumpets.--All the events revealed by the sounding of the seven trumpets come under the seventh seal, else there would be no disclosures at all by that seal. The acts of worship described in verses 3-5 are only preliminary to the sounding of the trumpets, as verse 6 indicates. This demands the view that events of the seventh seal did not end till the sounding of the seventh trumpet or, that the seventh seal extends to the end of the world. All we know about these angels is that they were some that stood "before God." Probably the only reason for seven is the fact that there were seven trumpets to be sounded. If more than one was needed, then naturally there would be seven. It is not stated by whom the trumpets were given to the angels, but, as they "stand before God," it would be a reasonable presumption to say that God gave them. It was by his authority, of course, that they were to sound them.Commentary on Revelation 8:1-2 by Foy E. Wallace The silence period (seventh seal)—Rev_81-6. The disclosures of the seventh seal consist in the signals of the seven trumpets, announced in the order of events by the seven angels. The trumpets sounded the beginning of the end of Jerusalem, of the Jewish temple, of Judaism and of all that constituted the Jewish state. It signaled the end of the world of Mat 24:3; Matthew 24:14 --not the inhabited world, but the Jewish world. As the seven trumpets of Jericho, borne and blown by the seven priests, signaled the fall of the Canaanite city standing in the way of Israel’ s conquest (Joshua 6:13-21), so did the seven trumpets, sounded successively by the seven angels of Revelation, signal the fall of Jerusalem. They signaled the end of the once “ faithful city, turned harlot” (Isaiah 1:21); "the great city, spiritually called Sodom and Egypt where also the Lord was crucified” (Revelation 11:8; Revelation 11:13). It was the end of the apostate Jerusalem which stood in the way of the conquest of the gospel; the Jerusalem that refused the “ testimony” which the martyrs under the altar of Rev 6:9 had “ held” ; the word of God which the same enthroned souls of Rev 20:4 had “ witnessed.” It was the Jerusalem of Gal 4:25-26, which was “ in bondage with her children.” The old Jerusalem was doomed to destruction before the advance of the “ Jerusalem above” of Galatians 4:26, and “ heavenly Jerusalem” of Hebrews 12:23, and the “ new Jerusalem” of Revelation 21:1 --the church of the new covenant, the “ holy city” and “ temple” of the Christ who was the Lamb of Revelation. When the angel opened this seventh seal, before the momentous announcements were heard, a dread and awful silence was recorded. “ There was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour."—Revelation 8:1. This scene was in Heaven: It was the place where all of these correlated visions were disclosed. The “ silence” here was accentuated by the contrast with the “ voices” in the six seals before it. It was the silence of dreadful suspense, fearful expectation, a calm before the storm. The silence period was for the space of half an hour: It was the symbol of pause, the sign of shortness of time. A similarity exists between this silence and the cessation of singers and trumpets in the cleansing of the temple by Hezekiah when the king and all the congregation “ bowed themselves and worshipped.” (2 Chronicles 29:1-36) The silence here followed in immediate succession the scene of chapter 7, where all the angels, elders and beings “ fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God.” The similarity between the cessation of the singers and the silence of the angels was impressive. The former was a cessation of reverent worship, after the “ singers sang” and the “ trumpeters sounded” at the altars of Hezekiah. The latter was a silence of waiting awe, after the voices of “ all the angels” in chapter 7 had ceased; it was a silence significant of what was about to occur in the final scene of the seventh seal. “ And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets."—Revelation 8:2. The angels were the announcers; the trumpets the signals for what had been announced to begin. It followed the vision of “ the day of wrath” in the sixth seal, and was a further vision of judgments, of things “ shortly” to come to pass, which had been set forth in the six preceding seals. The trumpets of the seventh seal were the signals to proceed to the accomplishment of that which the seals signified.Commentary on Revelation 8:1-2 by Walter ScottTHE SEVENTH SEAL Revelation 8:1. — “And when He opened the seventh Seal there was silence in the Heaven about half an hour.” The seven-sealed book, or scroll, seen in the open hand of Jehovah (Revelation 5:1-2) has its Seals successively opened by the Lamb. Six of the seals were broken in chapter 6, and now, in the first verse of our chapter, He opens the final one, with the result that the book of God’ s counsels respecting the earth lies open before us. The plans, the counsels of our God regarding the vast interests of earth, as also the means and manner by which these counsels will be effected, are no longer a secret. All are disclosed. But why is the seventh Seal separated from the preceding six? Naturally one would suppose that it would have concluded chapter 6. But instead a whole chapter (Revelation 7:1-17) comes in between the sixth and seventh Seals, a parenthetic interruption breaking the orderly sequence of events. The sixth Seal (Revelation 6:12-17) announced judgment of such an appalling character that in the universal terror which ensued the fears of men, from the king to the slave, supposed the general horror to be the great day of the wrath of the Lamb. But no, and so ere the seventh Seal is opened, which is preparatory to the infliction of yet further and severer judgments, the veil is drawn aside, and two great millennial companies from amongst Israel and the Gentiles are introduced into the scene, the result of an extensive work of grace carried on even while judgment is desolating the earth (Revelation 7:1-17). “ Silence in Heaven” (Hengstenberg and some other expositors argue for a silence on earth, and quote in proof Habakkuk 2:20, Zephaniah 1:7, Zechariah 2:13; these passages speak of a silence on earth, whereas our text, which so far as we can judge has no parallel or proof text in the Old Testament, speaks of “ silence in Heaven.” We are satisfied that the force of the expression simply denotes a brief pause during which the course of judgment is suspended. This is confirmed by a consideration of two texts, in both of which premonitory intimations of coming judgments are stated in substantially the same words. Under the first text, Revelation 4:5, we have a course of divine inflictions down to the close of chapter 6. Then comes a pause intimating a brief cessation of judgment. Then in the second text, Revelation 8:5, a further and similar intimation of divine chastisements is announced, and these latter take effect under the Trumpets. The silence is in Heaven because the judgments proceed from it.) does not mean that the songs and hallelujahs of the redeemed are silent. The silence must be interpreted in connection with the immediate subject on hand, which is judgment. But, inasmuch as the source of these judgments on earth is the throne set in Heaven, the silence is there. The course of judgment is arrested. There is a pause both as to the announcement and execution of further chastisements. The silence is of brief duration. “ Half an hour” simply denotes an exceedingly brief period during which judicial action is suspended. The breaking of the seventh Seal is followed, not by judgment, but by an ominous silence. It is a calm before a storm, like a stillness in nature preceding a tempest. How long the awful suspense lasts we are not informed, but in the meantime we are called to witness an action of an entirely different character from anything which has yet passed before us, and one which fills up the interval of the half an hour, whatever may be the precise length of time thereby indicated. THE SEVEN ANGELS. Revelation 8:2. — “And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. “ That the angels here referred to are a distinguished and select number seems evident from the insertion of the definite article, “ The seven angels,” as also from the highly honoured place assigned them, “ who stand before God.” “ The seven” are distinguished from the seven who pour out the Vials (Revelation 15:1). Only of the trumpet angels is a special position predicated. There are distinctions amongst the angelic hosts. They are distributed into various orders and ranks, but all, from the archangel down to the least, are servants. They have no relationship to God founded on redemption. They are servants, and never rise out of that position, nor do they desire it. The two great characteristics of angel life are unquestioning obedience and activity in service (Psalms 103:20; Hebrews 1:7; Hebrews 1:14). The “presence angels” is a familiar Jewish thought. They are supposed by some to be identical with the seven Spirits before the throne (Revelation 1:4), and by others the term is regarded as a borrowed expression from the apocryphal book of Tobit. Both are wrong. Why depart from obvious simplicity and force an interpretation for which there is really no adequate reason? What the angel Gabriel said of himself, “ I am Gabriel, who stand before God” (Luke 1:19), is here said of these seven presence angels. As to the number, seven, they represent the full power of God in judicial judgment. Revelation 8:2 — “ And seven trumpets were given to them.” The place of subjection is ever the place of even the most exalted of God’ s creatures; the trumpets were given. Sovereign action is the prerogative alone of the Creator. But why trumpets? No wind instrument was more generally used in the national life of Israel than the trumpet. It convened them in public assembly. Its loud blast summoned them for war, and directed them when to advance and when to retreat. On the promulgation of the law “ the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder.” In their solemn feasts the trumpet was largely employed. Its loud warning notes announced the near approach of danger or an enemy. By sound of trumpet the journeys in the wilderness were directed. The year of jubilee, and, in fact, on all important national occasions the trumpet was employed (see Leviticus 25:9; Exodus 19:19; Numbers 10:2-10; Leviticus 23:24, etc.). The circumstances calling for the public interference of God in judgment, as detailed in our portion of the Apocalypse, are somewhat similar to the coming days of Joe 2:1-2, “ A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness.” Both Joel and John refer to the blast of the trumpet, intimating that God is about to deal openly and before all in judicial chastisement with the iniquity before Him, a public and loud announcement that He is about to do so. “ The seven trumpets” signify a complete and full announcement. The mystic trumpets of the Apocalypse must not be confounded with the literal trumpets of Old Testament times. Commentary on Revelation 8:1-2 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 8:1. The seventh and last seal was opened but nothing took place for half an hour. In the march of events it frequently happens that a lull will come between different campaigns. That is described here as being a silence of half an hour. We recall that when the four angels inRev_7:1-3 were prepared to continue the action of God's judgments against the persecutors of His people, they were told to hold the winds back until the sealing of the faithful had been completed. This half hour silence represents the lull in the judgments while the sealing was being done. Revelation 8:2. The events of the seventh seal will include several verses, for there are seven angels involved in the events and all that transpires in connection with them is what was revealed when the seventh seal was broken. The angels were given each a trumpet but they will not all be used in the same series. Four of them will sound one after the other, then will come a halt after which the remaining three will sound. (See Revelation 8:13.) Doubtless the first four angels correspond with the four that were holding the four winds that were to bring consternation upon the persecutors of God's people, which is the reason why the seven angels are divided into separate groups, four and three. Commentary on Revelation 8:1-2 by Burton Coffman Revelation 8:1 Regarding Revelation 8:1. With the first verse of this chapter, one reaches a watershed in the interpretation of Revelation, a moment of decision, that affects the understanding of all that follows. This verse is the pivot upon which the whole interpretation turns, making the problem of its interpretation probably the most important in the whole book. Once the wrong view of Rev 8:1 is established in the interpreter's understanding, it is impossible for the exegesis of subsequent chapters to be correct; and most of the systems of interpreting Revelation are wrong because this verse was either ignored or misunderstood. Observe the verse itself. And when he opened the seventh seal, there followed a silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. (Revelation 8:1) In these brief words, we have all that pertains to the opening of the seventh seal. The half hour of silence does not either include or introduce the seven trumpets, or anything else. Since the sixth seal brought a vision of the Second Advent and final judgment, followed by a special vision of the safety and felicity of the saints (Revelation 7), not only while they are enduring sufferings and tribulations, but also through the final judgment into heaven itself, the most natural question of the soul is, "What will it be like in heaven?" The Scriptural answer to that question is this half hour of silence. It is not revealed. There is not a word in the whole Bible that actually portrays the events following the judgment of the last day, "the day of the Lord." Even the marvelous two chapters which conclude this prophecy reveal nothing of the events that are to take place afterwards. John himself said, "It is not yet made manifest what we shall be" (1 John 3:2), a statement which is parallel with the thought here. A moment later, we shall note some of the important corollaries that derive from this interpretation; but first, we shall give the interpretation of this verse as found in the writings of others: It is a silence of fearful apprehension.[1] The silence is transitional.[2] It introduces a new series of symbols (the trumpets).[3] It may be a breathing space in the narrative.[4] It is a dread suspense in anticipation of events to follow.[5] All heaven breathlessly awaits the final act of divine judgment.[6] It is a brilliant device for deepening the suspense.[7] It begins a new series of visions, the trumpets.[8] It represents a broken or interrupted whole.[9]The vast majority of commentators hold views similar to those cited here; and the net result of such an interpretation is that of making the trumpets a vision of events coming subsequently and in sequence to the six seals. This we believe to be incorrect. That half hour of silence is a terminus reaching all the way to eternity and summing up all that had been revealed by the opening of the six seals, which disclosed conditions of the whole period between the two Advents of Christ. This understanding of the silence forces the conclusion that whatever else may be revealed in Revelation covers identically the same time period as that covered by the opening of the six seals. A number of scholars discerned this exceedingly important truth: Revelation 6:11 is clearly a reference to the final judgment ... the half hour silence is the full content of the seventh seal ... the end, after the judgment, is pictured by the silence. This shuts out the possibility of the trumpets and bowls being pictures of historical events subsequent to the seals ... They present different aspects of the same time period as the seals.[10] Each new series of visions (trumpets and bowls) both recapitulates and develops the theme already stated in what has gone before.[11] It is noteworthy that both the seals and the trumpets bring us to the end (Revelation 6:17; Revelation 11:15); and this requires us to recognize some measure of recapitulation, when the narrative backs up and recovers the same ground.[12] He (John) has in mind at this point to double back and present more material.[13] The successive visions (the seals) are paralleled in the trumpets.[14] The arrangement of the trumpets is parallel to that of the seals.[15] Man cannot yet know all of God's plans (comment on the silence).[16]Others could be cited, but these are enough to show that the interpretation advocated here is by no means unique. This view of the half hour of silence as the totality of the seventh seal stresses the importance of the seventh seal. Roberson objected that such a view, "Does not give the same significance to the seventh seal which the reader is entitled to expect";[17] but this objection is removed by the view of it as a withholding of any prophecy at all regarding the afterlife, thus making the seventh seal one of the most important and significant things in the whole prophecy. No other solution is adequate. This confirms the view of the sixth seal as a picture of the final judgment, and clears up the wonderment of many regarding no mention of the end in the seventh seal; but the end has already happened! The silence regards the time after the end, and God is silent with reference to that. Plummer also noted this: The events narrated under the vision of the trumpets are not an exposition of the seventh seal, but a separate supplementary vision. The silence is typical of the eternal peace of heaven, the ineffable bliss of which it is impossible for mortals to comprehend, and which is, therefore, symbolized by silence.[18]The crucial importance of Rev 8:1 requires our study of it to be as thorough as possible. It is the key to our conviction that the prophecy of Revelation is a series of sections, each ending in the final judgment, and all of them therefore parallel and having reference to the same extended time period between the two Advents of Christ, and each of them recapitulating from different viewpoints the events regarding all the world of both believers and unbelievers, with specific references to both classes again and again. This understanding of Revelation dates back many years with this writer, and it was delightfully exciting to discover, far later, the able defense of this view by William Hendriksen. Before glancing at Hendriksen's argument, the reason why this interpretation came about is significant. In the Old Testament Joseph interpreted the parallel dreams of Pharaoh regarding the seven fat cattle devoured by the seven lean cattle, and the seven good ears of corn consumed by the seven blasted ears which followed them; and the answer God gave to Joseph was, "The dream of Pharaoh is one" (Genesis 41:25). There are far more resemblances in the various series of visions in this prophecy than there were in Pharaoh's two strange dreams; and this fact long ago led this student to the conclusion that, in a sense, all seven of these sections in Revelation are one. A summary of Hendriksen's very extensive presentation of this view is:[19]The book consists of seven sections, running parallel, and spanning the whole dispensation between the first and second coming of Christ. Each ends in the judgment day. Both the first trumpet and the first bowl affect the earth (Revelation 8:7; Revelation 16:2); the second trumpet and the second bowl affect the sea; the third trumpet and the third bowl affect the rivers; the fourth in both series refers to the sun. This type of correspondence in the series is extensive, including the divisions into groups of four and three, etc. The same themes appear in all sections: the bliss of the redeemed, the destruction of Christ's enemies, the judgment of the wicked, divine judgments upon men, trials and persecutions of the church, etc. Even the interludes are similarly constructed. The seven churches addressed at the beginning constitute somewhat of an overture for the whole production; and they suggest a sevenfold division of the whole prophecy. The same promises are repeated in all sections. God shall wipe away all tears appears in Revelation 7:17, and in Revelation 21:4. Many other similarities and resemblances will be pointed out in the notes on the text throughout. The acceptance of the above interpretation does not mean that no specific events in history are prophesied; for it is our conviction that many such things are included, although most of them may not be restricted to specific dates nor limited to any single fulfillment. The fulfillment of the wars and famines under the six seals, for example, has been repeated in many fulfillments throughout history, and will doubtless be fulfilled again and again in the future. [1] Ralph Earle, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 551. [2] Ray Summers, Worthy is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1961), p. 153. [3] W. S. Thompson, Comments on Revelation (Memphis, Texas: Southern Church Publications, 1957), p. 87. [4] William Barclay, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 40. [5] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 269. [6] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 646. [7] Martin Kiddle, The Revelation of St. John, The Moffatt New Testament Commentary, p. 144. [8] Leon Morris, Tyndale Commentaries, Vol. 20, The Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 119. [9] Charles H. Roberson, Studies in Revelation (Tyler, Texas: P. D. Wilmeth, P.O. Box 3305,1957), p. 53. [10] Douglas Ezell, Revelations on Revelation (Waco: Word Books, 1977), pp. 44-47. [11] G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 106. [12] George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972), p. 121. [13] Vernard Eller, The Most Revealing Book in the Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974), p. 104. [14] Ralph Earle, op. cit., p. 555. [15] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1079. [16] James William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 632. [17] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 52. [18] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 20, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 229. [19] William Hendriksen, More than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956), pp. 23,25, 26,28, and 139. Revelation 8:2 And I saw the seven angels that stand before God; and there was given unto them seven trumpets. (Revelation 8:2) The pageantry here did not take place during the silence, but after it. "Revelation 2-6 are a preface to the vision of the trumpets."[20]Seven angels that stand before God ... It is natural that many should understand these as the seven archangels, and Barclay named them (not from the Bible, of course, but from Tobit): "Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Sariel, Gabriel and Remiel.[21] Only one archangel is mentioned in the Bible, Michael; and it seems logical to conclude that there could be only one archangel, the one of highest authority. See more on this in my Commentary on Jude, p. 534. Barclay also thought that "this verse is out of place, due to some copyist's error";[22] but such views come from a failure to see this little paragraph as a fitting introduction to the trumpet judgments. There were given unto them seven trumpets ... "The reason for only seven angels being mentioned is that there were just seven trumpets to be sounded."[23] The usual view of this place, which is rejected here, is that "the seventh seal becomes the seven trumpets."[24] This series of judgments is new, but it covers the same time period as the seven seals; and there is here a significant difference. Whereas the first four judgments under the seals derived from the sins of people, the first four in the series of the trumpets are the result of what appears to be supernatural intervention. "The trumpets are structured over the same pattern as that of the seals,"[25] "but the judgments under the seals were natural, ordinary occurrences; the supernatural is added here."[26] The trumpet is often mentioned in Scripture in connection with the last things. See 1 Corinthians 15:50 ff and 1 Thessalonians 4:16. [20] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 230,231. [21] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 41. [22] Ibid., p. 38. [23] John T. Hinds, op. cit., p. 118. [24] Ralph Earle, op. cit., p. 552. [25] Vernard Eller, op. cit., p. 107. [26] Esther Ohstad, Courage for Today, Hope for Tomorrow (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1973), p. 38. Commentary on Revelation 8:1-2 by Manly Luscombe1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Here is real drama. You know that something important is about to happen. But, you wait. You keep waiting for 10, 15, 25 minutes. Still waiting. The drama is building. The silence (calm and quite) is a sharp contrast to the loud persecution and chaos on earth. If the 6th seal is the Second Coming, what is expected in the 7th seal? This seal must deal with eternity. Some believe that the silence is to emphasize that we are in the presence of God. Habakkuk 2:20, “ The Lord is in His holy temple: Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” We are now entering the presence of God. In awe, we stand in silence. Others, I among them, believe that the silence indicates that God does not do anything rashly. Even when He is ready to destroy the world, He waits calmly. This is a picture of the longsuffering, endurance and patience of our God. God will not end this world out of any anger of the moment. Count to 10 is good advice when we are angry. God waited 30 minutes, in silence, to assure everyone that this was His determined will and not His momentary wrath. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. After the half hour of silence, there appear seven angels. Each angel has a trumpet. Out of the 7th seal comes the introduction to the sounding of the seven trumpets. Trumpets were used to command and to warn. The trumpet was their “ early warning system” at a time of attack or storm. Any threat to the peace and safety of the people was announced by the sounding of trumpets. Trumpets were also used to pre-announce (call attention to) an announcement. For example, when a king was entering the city, the trumpet would sound. The trumpet would let all know that the king was coming to make an announcement. Revelation 8:3-6 2. A VISIONRev_8:3-63 And another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer;--The verses of this paragraph present a vision of worship after the manner of the Jewish tabernacle service, which is declared to be a figure of the "true tabernacle." (Hebrews 8:2; Hebrews 9:1-11.) Therefore this was an appropriate way to represent a worship scene, and would be understood by all because they were familiar with that method of worship. Christians who knew the typical nature of Jewish worship would not be sur-prised when John described this pictorial scene in heaven. There was the brazen altar of sacrifice in the outer court, and the golden altar of incense in the holy place of the tabernacle over against (in front of) the mercy seat in the most holy place. Incense was offered in the holy place at the golden altar, but the fire was obtained from the brazen altar. (Leviticus 16:12-13.) and there was given unto him much incense, that he should add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.--All along in the visions John saw God upon the throne in heaven. The golden altar which he saw in this vision was before the throne; hence, no doubt that the vision was in heaven. (See also Revelation 4:1.) In Revelation 5:6 the golden bowls of incense were said to be "the prayers of the saints," probably meaning that incense typically represented prayer. In the text above is a similar worship scene, but it is said the angel should "add it" unto the prayers of all saints. Perhaps the idea is that incense was symbolically represented as bearing their prayers up to God. The thought in both passages is substantially the same. While the priests were inside the temple burning incense, the people were outside praying. (Luke 1:9-10.) Hence, appropriately the incense was repre-sented as prayer or as bearing the prayers up to God. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand.--Here it is said that the incense went up "with" the prayers of the saints, but the margin says "for" the prayers. This will harmonize better with the words in 5:8, and show that incense is an emblem of prayer. In the seventh chapter we have the sealing of the servants of God, after which the four angels were to let loose the destructive winds which would hurt the earth. These referred to the terrible disasters that would occur when the first four trumpets would sound. This vision of the saints' prayers ascending to God evidently means that they were pleading for mercy and help to sustain them in such fearful times as were about to come upon them. At least the vision was designed to encourage the saints to perseverance in prayer as a means of preserving their faith. The evident general purpose of all these visions was not only to warn the saints of dangers that had to be met, but also to prepare them for successfully meeting any difficulties that might come to them. 5 And the angel taketh the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth:--Here the .censer, but no incense, was filled with fire from the brazen altar and the angel cast it upon the earth. "Much incense"--many prayers--had been offered to God, but in spite of all of them the destructive powers represented by the four winds had to come. This is here symbolized by casting the coals of fire upon the earth. and there followed thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake.--Casting down the coals of fire indicated fearful judgments that were to fall upon the earth, which, as viewed in these symbols, was limited to that part controlled by the Roman Empire at that time. The disturbances in the material elements here mentioned mean that these judgments in the form of commotions, destruction, and bloodshed were doing their deadly work. They are symbols which are more fully described in the visions of the first four trumpets in the following verses. They are not to be taken literally, but there is no reason why the word "prayers" here should not be thus understood. Again we have evidence that literal expressions may be used as a part of a description which, in the main, is symbolical. 6 And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets pre-pared themselves to sound.--Trumpets were used to give warningor announce some events. (Joshua 6:16 Joe 2:1; Joe 2:15 ; 1 Corinthians 15:52.) The silence of verse 1 had ended, the coals of fire had been thrown upon the earth and the angels pre-pared to sound. As each trumpet was sounded there appeared before John the vision of dreadful disasters. What do these pictures represent? Who were primarily affected by them? Here again the expositor stands on treacherous ground, and should move with special care and caution. Having already accepted the view that Revelation portrays the history of the church from the time John saw the visions, including also the nations with which it came in contact, we are forced to say that these trumpet visions referred to the church and the Ro-man Empire. Constantine placed imperial approval upon the church--Rome and Christianity were allied. During the reign of Theodosius, A.D. 381-395, Christianity triumphed and Paganism was de-stroyed. Gibbon says: "The zeal of the emperors was excited to vindicate their own honor, and that of the Deity: and the temples of the Roman world were subverted, about sixty years after the conversion of Constantine." (Decline and Fall, Vol. III, p. 131.) It was between the endorsement of Christianity by Constantine and the destruction of Paganism that the seal-ing of the servants of God was in progress, as mentioned in chapter seven. After the destruction of Paganism in the Roman Empire, the next important period in her history ended with the fall of the empire itself in A.D. 476. The view of several commentators is that the visions that appear at the sounding of the first four trumpets refer to the destructive pow-ers which accomplished that end. This not only seems the most plausible, but harmonizes best with the general principle of interpretation that both the church and Rome must be included in any view that is correct. Therefore the four outstanding pow-ers that came against the Roman Empire after the death of Theodosius, A.D. 396, must be the ones signified by the four symbolic trumpets.Commentary on Revelation 8:3-6 by Foy E. Wallace “ Another angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne"—Revelation 8:3. The altar was a place of sacrifice; the throne was a mercy seat. The angel stood at the altar before the throne to join with those who prayed. The angel offered much incense . . . with the prayers of all the saints--This more than usual incense had a significance-- the additional incense was because of the prayers of all the saints in contrast with the prayers of only those saints which were under the altar--of chapter six. It was added to the prayers of the great multitude of chapter 7, in behalf of the comparatively few souls of saints under the altar. This superadded prayer in which the angel joined was the same in character and purpose with the prayer of the martyrs in Revelation 6:9, for the Lord to “ avenge” their blood. The martyrs had been told to rest, or wait, until the time (see Revelation 6:9-10). The time was about to be signaled, the prayer was about to be answered, joined by all the saints, superadded by the angel; that for which they were to be avenged, for which they were told to wait, was about to be done--it was ready to be executed. “ The smoke of the incense which came up with prayers of the saints ascended up before God, out of the angel’ s hand”—Revelation 8:4. The smoke ascended in acknowledgment of the prayers being heard, recognized and received at the throne. The incense ascended to God out of the angel’ s hand, which was the sign that the answer to the prayers of all the saints, joined with the cry of the souls under the altar, would be forthcoming. “ The angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, thunderings, lightnings and an earthquake”—Revelation 8:5. The same fire that consumed the incense would speedily destroy the enemies of the saints, and the apostate city of Jerusalem, and the temple of Judaism. The fire-filledcenser was cast into the earth. As previously shown “ the earth” signified the place of the persecuting powers. The censer filled with the fire of the altar was “ cast into the earth” as an act to cause explosion --and the result was symbolized by voices, thunderings, lightning and an earthquake. This was the fourfold sign of the judgments ready to come, gathering as a storm approaches with thunderings, and the earthquake signified the shaking of persecuting powers. The four angels and four trumpets were four signs that these events were about to break in fury. “ And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound”—Revelation 8:6. The procession of events was ready to begin.Commentary on Revelation 8:3-6 by Walter ScottTHE ANGEL PRIEST. Revelation 8:3-5. — “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might give (efficacy) to the prayers of all saints at the golden altar which (was) before the throne. And the smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of the saints, out of the hand of the angel before God. And the angel took the censer, and filled it from the fire of the altar, and cast (it) on the earth: and there were voices, and thunders and lightnings, and an earthquake.” The scene before us is one of profound interest, and cast moreover in the mould of familiar Jewish imagery. “ Another angel.” Who is he? We are satisfied that the angel priest is Christ, our great High Priest. The service at the altars proves it, for both the brazen altar and the golden altar are referred to. No mere creature could add efficacy to the prayers of saints, for that could only be effected by One having in Himself independent right and competency. Further, the action recorded at the altars is of a mediatorial character, one between suffering and praying saints on earth and God; and as Christianity knows of but “ one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5), the proof is undeniable that the angel priest is Christ and Christ alone, not a representative person or company, as some expositors understand it. There is a pretty general consensus of thought amongst the early expositors of the Apocalypse in rightly regarding the angel here as meaning Christ to the exclusion of all others. “ Another angel” is three times used of Christ in the apocalyptic visions (Revelation 8:3; Revelation 10:1; Revelation 18:1). This title is one which supposes reserve and distance. The appellation “ Lamb” is characteristic of the Apocalypse as a whole, and of the Seals in particular, and seems to be the chosen title expressive of Christ’ s interest in His saints, as also of their intimacy and nearness to Him. Under the trumpet series of judgments Christ morally retires and invests Himself in angelic title and character. When the saints come distinctly and prominently on to the prophetic scene then the title Lamb appears (see Revelation 7:17; Revelation 14:1, etc.). Revelation 8:3 — “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer.” The reference here is to the altar of burnt-offering which stood in the court of the tabernacle of old. The fire at first miraculously kindled (Leviticus 9:24) was to be afterwards fed by the daily, yearly, and other sacrifices. This altar is mentioned six times in the Apocalypse, and simply as “ the altar” (Revelation 6:9; Revelation 8:3; Revelation 8:5; Revelation 11:1; Revelation 14:18; Revelation 16:7). It is only from Hebrews 9:4 we learn that the censer in use in the yearly day of atonement (Leviticus 16:1-34) was of gold. The censer was employed to carry the fire from off the brazen altar. Revelation 8:3 — “And much incense was given to him that he might give (efficacy) to the prayers of all saints at the golden altar which (was) before the throne.” The incense employed in the tabernacle service was composed of four ingredients, specified in Exodus 30:34-36. It was a special preparation compounded according to a divine formula. Any unhallowed make, or use of it, was punished with death (Exodus 30:37-38). No doubt the four precious ingredients, three of which are only named once, set forth the moral beauties and perfections of Christ as witnessed in the four Gospels, but it needed the fire of judgment to draw out the full fragrance of Christ, and this Calvary alone could accomplish. The golden altar, twice referred to in the Apocalypse (Revelation 8:3; Revelation 9:13), stood within the tabernacle in the holy place, right in front of the veil. Blood, the witness of death and judgment, was put upon its four horns yearly (Leviticus 16:18-19), as also on other occasions for atonement (Leviticus 4:7; Leviticus 4:18). Incense was also burned upon it each morning and evening (Exodus 30:7-10), “ a perpetual incense before the Lord.” The deep, deep meaning of the incense is more than tongue can tell or pen delineate. The sweet savour of Christ, what He was, what He did, and what He suffered is set forth by the incense. Now let us put the various parts of the scene together and seek to understand its true bearing. The whole action is called for by the fact that a large body of suffering saints are on earth during the time of the sounding of the Trumpets, and for them intercession is needed. In an early period, under the fifth Seal, a company of martyrs is beheld. Their souls are under the altar, and they cry and pray (Revelation 6:9). But no priestly intercession is made for them; they need it not. This grace is provided for the living, not for the dead. The prayers of these saints, at the solemn crisis of the world’ s history in which their lot is cast, are not recorded. No doubt their general burden will be appeals to God for deliverance from, and judgment on, their ungodly oppressors. Their prayers do not breathe the accents of grace, but rather the reverse. (“ The character of the answer determines the nature of the petition that had been offered.” )Prayer for judgment then will be right and godly in accordance with the character and spirit of the Dispensation, as it would be most unsuitable now and contrary to the spirit of this period of God’ s long-suffering mercy. Spiritual prayer at the very best is necessarily imperfect, and so Christ adds His own perfectness in life and death. Thus the smoke of the incense, i.e., the savour of Christ and the prayers of the saints went up together, not out of the golden censer, but “ out of the hand of the angel before God,” more intimate, more near surely than “ out of the censer.” How prevailing then the prayers of even the weakest saint when accompanied with the sweet savour of God’ s beloved One. The Angel (Christ) having gone from the altar of burnt-offering to the altar of incense, and presented the prayers of “ all saints” then on earth to God, adding to them the sweet savor of His life and sacrifice, returns to the altar of burnt-offering and fills His now empty censer with fire from off it. But not with incense, for that was on behalf of saints. Judgment, pure judgment, will be meted out to the apostate earth, and of this we have the stern intimation in the forcible act of the angel who “ took the censer and filled it from the fire of the altar, and cast (it) on the earth.” A striking intimation of judicial procedure. God is about to punish the earth, and as the altar was the expression of His holiness and righteousness in dealing with the sin of His people of old, so that same holiness and righteousness will search the earth and judge and punish accordingly. The angel’ s act is immediately followed by the symbolic signs of almighty power. “ There were voices, and thunders and lightnings, and an earthquake,” harbingers of the coming successive outbursts of divine wrath on the earth. “ These terms compose a FORMULA OF ; and the fourfold character here denotes the universality of the catastrophe in respect of the thing affected.” (“ The Revelation of Jesus Christ by John,” p. 341. — Hooper.) We have the same divine formula intimating immediate judgment substantially repeated four times (Revelation 4:5; Revelation 8:5; Revelation 11:19; Revelation 16:18). In the first of these references the concentration of coming wrath is limited to these three tokens: “ lightnings, and voices, and thunders.” In the second and third references an “ earthquake” is added; while in the fourth (Revelation 16:21) we meet with a still further addition! “ and great hail.” But in the four texts we have, with slight variation in the order of the terms, “ lightnings, and voices, and thunders.” TO SOUND. Revelation 8:6 “And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves that they might sound with their trumpets.” These seven angels do not themselves execute the judgments which they announce. The four judgment angels (Revelation 9:14) are distinguished from the seven trumpet angels. The seven presence angels received their trumpets before the episode of the angel priest’ s intercession (Revelation 8:2). But the greatness and solemnity of the work on hand is intimated by the signs and tokens of almighty power. Now the angels prepare themselves. There is no hurry, but premonitory signs by Christ, and careful preparation by the angels, certainly indicate the serious nature of the situation, one calling for unsparing judgment. Commentary on Revelation 8:3-6 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 8:3. Incense is a symbol of prayer, and while the judgments of God against the persecutors were preparing, the faithful servants of God were engaged in their devotions to Him. That is why the incense and prayer are combined in this verse. Revelation 8:4. The odor of incense was pleasing to God in the days when such services were required (Exodus 30; Leviticus 16:12-13). and likewise the prayers of faithful servants in the Christian Dispensation are acceptable (1 Peter 3:12). Revelation 8:5. Filled it with fire off the altar. In the Mosaic system the priest obtained the fire from the brazen altar with which to burn the incense. The angel followed the same pattern in the symbolical performance, except that after having used some fire for the burning of incense before the golden altar, he got some more fire which he put in the censer (a portable fumigator) and cast it into the earth. This aroused voices like the sound of thunderings which were the complaints of the foes of truth at the prospect of God's judgment about to come upon them. So mighty and widespread were these murmurings that John likened them to an earthquake. Revelation 8:6. The half hour silence is about to end and the four winds are about to be released; the first four angels with trumpets are about to sound.Commentary on Revelation 8:3-6 by Burton Coffman Revelation 8:3 And another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.Revelation 8:3-6 seems to connect the prayers of the saints with the trumpet judgments; and, in a sense, "it is these prayers that set the judgments in motion."[27]Over the altar ... All speculations about where, exactly, this altar is located, and whether or not it is the same as the one mentioned in Revelation 6:9, "are uncalled for."[28] This prophecy does not present any diagram of the heavenly scene which John saw. Any altar is a place where prayers and sacrifices are offered. Having a golden censer ... In Revelation 8:5, it is stated that the angel "taketh the censer," and some writers have expressed wonder as to how he could take it when he already had it; but such quibbles are due to not recognizing the nature of these visions, which "are surrealistic, rather than rational and logically consistent."[29]Much incense that he should add it to the prayers of the saints ... We are sure that Beckwith is wrong in supposing that this offering of incense added by the angel to the prayers of the saints was "to add efficacy to the prayers of all Christians."[30] No! The role of an angel does not consist in making the prayers of saints acceptable to God. The mediatorial role of angels does not find a place in New Testament theology.[31]There is only one mediator between God and man, Jesus our Lord (1 Timothy 2:5). The angel here did not produce the incense; it was given to him. "Therefore, the angel is not here represented as giving efficacy to prayers."[32] There is no support whatever here for the mediation either of angels or dead saints. Hendriksen thought the incense given to the angel might "represent our Saviour's intercession in heaven for the redeemed";[33] and it also might signify the service which angels perform for those who shall be the heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14). The important truth here is the fact that the prayers of God's people enter into the purpose of God in the forthcoming judgments. [27] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 120. [28] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 269. [29] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 124. [30] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 270. [31] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), p. 182. [32] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 231. [33] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 142. Revelation 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand.Smoke of the incense ... prayers ... went up before God ... The prayers were heard, and God's response was at once evident in the sending of judgments upon the earth, symbolized by the casting of fire upon it by the angel with the censer. "The judgments of the wicked, which follow in the trumpet visions constitute the answer to the saints' prayers."[34]ENDNOTE: [34] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 232. Revelation 8:5 And the angel taketh the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth: and there followed thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake.Filled it with fire, and cast it upon the earth ... "This is the main symbolical act."[35] It shows that God's judgments upon the earth are definitely connected with the prayers of his saints. The most powerful influence on earth is that of prayer; and there are no significant events of earth that do not sustain some relationship to Christian prayers, whether observable by people or not. "This casting of fire also symbolizes that God's judgments are about to descend upon earth."[36] "The earth here means the entire earth,"[37] and does not mean the land as distinguish from the sea; hence, all the judgments that follow are the answer to prayers. What are the real master powers behind the world, and what are the deeper secrets of our destiny? Here is the astounding answer: the prayers of the saints and the fire of God.[38][35] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 271. [36] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 232. [37] James D. Strauss, op. cit. p. 129. [38] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 121. Revelation 8:6 And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.This verse begins the trumpet judgments, and it should be noted that all of them are tempered with mercy, only "the third part" of affected things being involved. "The mercy is greater than the judgment."[39] This is another particular in which the trumpet judgments parallel that of the seals, in which only "the fourth" part was hurt or destroyed. A big difference is that the seal judgments were ordinary events; these are supernatural and represent the direct intervention of God in the progress of the natural order of creation. There is clearly here an echo of the primeval curse upon Adam and his posterity in Genesis 3:17-19, when God intervened to reduce the desirability of the natural environment "for Adam's sake"; and these judgments show that God is still doing the same thing, and, presumably, for precisely the same reason, "for Adam's sake." It was for the spiritual advantage of man that the curse came upon the ground for Adam's sake, and it must be that the continuing adjustment of human environment by the Father is also for the purpose of making it a little easier for people to set their minds upon the things eternal "The first four of these involve natural catastrophes; the last three fall directly upon men."[40] This motif of four and three appears repeatedly in this prophecy. "This fresh series of disasters does not advance matters any further than the previous seal-series."[41] All of the things in both series concern the life of people in the present dispensation. Referring the judgments to the so-called "Great Tribulation" is a mistake. "The tribulation began with the Cross and resurrection and continues until the end of time."[42]The judgments in this and the following chapter do not need to be identified with any particular time or event. Their fulfillment is multiple and continuous throughout history. As Pieters said: I know them. Have we not ourselves twice, in 1914-1918, and again in 1939-1945, seen the bottomless pit opened, and the heavens darkened by the swarms of evil things that issued from it? Has not the thunder of two hundred million hellish horsemen shaken the earth in our day?[43]The same thing, of course, may be said of countless natural disasters occurring almost every week everywhere on earth. These verses enable people to connect all such disasters with the will of God; and yet God's purpose is benign. The Lord cursed the ground for Adam's sake; and the great floods, earthquakes, droughts, volcanoes, etc., all these visitations, are for the same purpose, that evil men may learn repentance and be saved. All such things are depicted, not literally, but symbolically in the trumpet series. [39] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 1080. [40] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit.. p. 126. [41] James Moffatt, Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 403. [42] Douglas Ezell, op. cit., p. 47. [43] Albertus Pieters, Studies in the Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1934), p. 130. Commentary on Revelation 8:3-6 by Manly Luscombe3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’ s hand. Here is much symbolism borrowed from the Law of Moses. The altar, the incense, the golden censer, and the placement of the altar of incense are taken from the Old Testament. John explains some of the symbols here. The smoke of the incense represents the prayers of the saints. The smoke from the incense altar in the Jewish temple, which sat just outside the veil, sent smoke through the veil to the Ark of the Covenant, the mercy seat and the presence of God. So the prayers of these hurting saints are passing through the veil and into the presence of God. Message: God hears your cry. God is aware of your needs. God hears your prayers. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. The angel took the censer filled with fire and threw it down on the earth. The earth here represents the wickedness of evil men who are opposed to God. (See Revelation 12:12; Revelation 12:16; Revelation 13:11; Revelation 16:2) The angel is casting fire on those who have been unfaithful to God. The earthquake depicts the fear and shaking of those who are fighting against the will of God. The noises, thunder and lightening are pictured as coming from the throne of God. (Revelation 4:5). This verse ends the opening of the seven seals. We now move to the sounding (warning) of the seven trumpets. 6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The angels are ready to sound their trumpets one at a time. The trumpets were used to announce great events and warn of danger. I believe the trumpets about to be sounded are sending a signal of danger and warning. Special note: Before we begin to discuss the sounding of the seven trumpets, we must understand the term “ third part of man” that is used throughout this section of Revelation. Allow me to quote here from Woodruff. “ The key to interpreting this series of seven trumpets lies in understanding the symbolic meaning of the “ third part of man.” Therefore, we must determine the descriptive meaning of the fraction “ 1/3.” In order to do this, we must consider a few passages which have a bearing on its meaning.” (1, 137) Stay with me for few minutes. In Revelation 9:4 the locusts are instructed not to hurt “ any green thing,” but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads (non-Christians). Therefore, “ any green thing,” must mean Christians. The locusts were commanded not to hurt Christians. Any plant, which is alive and growing, must be colored green. However, if we apply this meaning to Revelation 8:7, Christians would be destroyed. Here is my conclusion: “ Any green thing” represents the spiritual part of man’ s being. Man has two parts - physical and spiritual. One part is physical - represented by the number four - of the earth and material. The other part is spiritual - represented by the number three - of the divine, deity and trinity. Therefore, the fractions are symbolic. Fractions mean a part of the whole, as opposed to the entire. The fraction “ one-fourth” means a part of the material and physical. The fraction “ one-third” means a part of the spiritual. Quoting Woodruff again, “ The “ third part of man” is used throughout the trumpet series. Therefore, the warnings, which are sounded by these trumpets, are to prepare man so he will not lose his spiritual part. This would condemn his soul to hell. In other words, they describe events taking place during the Christian dispensation which affect the spiritual part of man.” (1, 137-138) Revelation 8:7 3. OF THE FIRST TRUMPETRev_8:7 7 And the first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth:--This was what John saw and heard in the vision; finding what it symbolizes is another matter. Hail and fire are evidently used to indicate punishment or destructive forces, fire probably meaning lightning when joined with hail. Referring to the plagues in Egypt (Exodus 9:23), the Psalmist said: "He gave over their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts." (Psalms 78:48.) See also Psalms 105:32. Any devastating, withering, or destroying power that came against Rome would fulfill the signification of these words. John saw the hail and fire mingled with blood, which doubtless means that the two elements would produce bloodshed, the whole scene representing destructive warfare, bringing dreadful punishment and loss of life to the empire. This is indicated by these combined elements being cast upon the earth which meant the Roman world. (Luke 2:1.) and the third part of the earth was burnt up, and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.--On this language two important questions present themselves: (1) What is meant by "the third part"? (2) Are any of these words to be taken literally? Confessedly both are difficult questions. A failure satisfactorily to answer them, however, will not affect our duty to God, nor make it necessary to change the general plan of interpreting this book. The visions must apply to the Roman Empire in the periodindicated, even if we cannot certainly find the exact thing signified by every term used. We have already found that passages of general symbolic significance may contain both figurative and literal expressions. A splendid example, already mentioned, is Psalms 80:8-11. The words "vine," "plantedst," "root," and "boughs" are all figurative. But "Egypt," "nations," "sea" (Mediterranean), and "river" (Euphrates) are all very literal. In Jeremiah 3:6 the harlotry of backsliding Israel is figurative, but "high mountains" and "green trees" where their idol altars were placed are literal. Hence, the words "trees" and "grass" in this vision can be applied either figuratively or literally according to what the facts may require. Commentators vary greatly in their views of what is signified by the expression "third part." Only two applications of it seem worthy of consideration. One is that it signifies an indefinite but "large amount" the other, that the word "earth" means the Roman Empire, and the third part means practically one-third of the empire. In either case it is not necessary to say it means exactly one-third. The expression "third part," however, is used literally as signifying a part of the whole. It seems a natural view to say that the expression means one-third of the Roman Empire, and that as each of the four trumpets is sounded, one-third of some particular part of the empire was affected by the destructive power indicated in the vision. As already shown the four destructive powers to be let loose at the sounding of the first four trumpets must come between A.D. 396 and the end of the Roman Empire, A.D. 476. Of the expositors consulted three (Elliott, Barnes, and Johnson) hold the view that the Gothic invasion, under Alaric, in the first part of the fifth century is signified by the first trumpet vision. This application of the language seems to have all the probabilities in its favor and is therefore accepted as correct. The leading features of Alaric's invasions may be gathered from chapters 30 and 31 of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. They are as follows: In 403 Alaric was defeated by a Roman general and retired from Italy. In 408 he laid siege to Rome the first time when, according to Gibbon, "that unfortunate city gradually experienced the distress of scarcity, and at length the horrid calamities of famine" and "many thousands of the, inhabitants of Rome expired in their houses, or in the streets, for want of sustenance." The miseries of famine were aggravated by pestilential disease. This siege was raised by the payment of an enormous and humiliating ransom. In 409 Alaric again attacked the city by capturing the source of supplies, by which he forced the acceptance of his demand for a new emperor. In 410 by his third and final siege the city was taken, buildings plundered and burned, both men and women inhumanly tortured and murdered till the streets were filled with dead bodies. After six days the Gothic army evacuated the city, and a few days later Alaric, their leader, was dead. Surely such destruction of life and property would be fittingly represented by the symbols of hail, fire, and blood. The word "trees" is sometimes used symbolically to represent men. (2 Kings 19:21-23; Daniel 4:20-22.) Grass also may represent people. (Isaiah 40:7.) Probably trees, because of their height, indicate rulers, leaders, and those of prominence, while grass would mean the common people. As rulers, military leaders, and the people suffered, the vision fits the facts, if trees and grass are understood symbolically. A "third part" of the trees would signify that not all the rulers were relieved of their position; all the people, however, felt the effect of the siege. If trees and grass are to be taken literally, the symbol still finds fulfillment; for the invasion of such a devastating army produces just that kind of results. An invading force that could overrun a country which had subdued and civilized a large part of mankind, sack its capital city which had stood for more than eleven hundred years, and carry away its richest treasures was undoubtedly strong enough to leave the country as if swept by devastating fires. The Gothic blow staggered the Roman Empire, but did not end it. In 412 Adolphus, Alaric's brother-in-law and successor, concluded a treaty of peace with Rome. He says that at first he aspired "to obliterate the name of Rome" and gain immortal fame as "the founder of a new empire"; but deciding that the Goths were incapable of sustaining a well-constituted government, he determined to "restore and maintain the prosperity of the Roman Empire." (Vol. III, p. 295, Decline and Fall,)Commentary on Revelation 8:7 by Foy E. Wallace THE OF THE SEVEN (Revelation 8:7 to Revelation 9:21) When the silence of the seventh seal ended, seven angels stood ready, with seven trumpets, to signal the commencement of the series of judgments, woes and plagues. The descriptive language employed in the revelation of these trumpet signals and woes was parallel in character and substance with Luke’ s record of the startling signs and the astronomical terrors which the Lord told the disciples would be fulfilled before that generation passed away. (Luke 21:25-26) There is no way to dissociate the record of Matthew and Luke foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem from the visions of Revelation. The earth smitten--(the first trumpet)—Revelation 8:7. “ The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.” 1. Thehail, fire, blood, cast upon earth. These descriptions were symbols of devastation. The earth, as in previous signs, denoted the place of the powers (Ezra 1:2), and here applies to the Jewish powers (Romans 9:28), as the comparison with the records of Matthew and Luke have verified. It is the trumpet of devastation on the land of the Jews, and of judgments on the land beast, the Jewish persecutors. 2. The trees and green grass. These symbols signified that the plague of devastation affected the earth and all that was naturally of it, or the total destruction of that part of the nations represented by the Jewish powers. The meaning of a third part was based on the three woes, one part for each woe of devastation. Commentary on Revelation 8:7 by Walter ScottFIRST TRUMPET. Revelation 8:7. — “And the first sounded (his) trumpet: and there was hail and fire, mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth; and the third part of the earth was burnt up, and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.” “ Hail and fire mingled with blood.” These are not to be understood as literal destructive agencies. They are symbols. The seventh plague in Egypt was one of “ hail and fire,” a tempest unexampled in the history of that most ancient of kingdoms (Exodus 9:18-25). The coming judgment here announced will be of a more appalling character, more ruinous and widespread, not one, moreover, effected by the destructive forces of nature, “ hail and fire.” The introduction of a third element, not as a separate devastating agency, but the two first named, “ mingled with blood”, stamps a peculiar and superhuman character on this judgment. It is one which in its singular combination of forces is entirely outside the domain of nature. The judgment is not of a providential kind, not a literal hail and fire storm. What then do these symbols teach? How are we to read and understand them? On this Scripture is by no means silent. Hail signifies a sudden, sharp, and overwhelming judgment from above, God the executor of it (see Isaiah 28:2; Isaiah 28:17; Revelation 11:19; Revelation 16:21). Fire is the expression of God’ s wrath. As a symbol it is more largely employed than any other in the Sacred Volume. Thorough, unsparing, agonising judgment is denoted by fire. It has, of course, other significations, but we are only concerned now with its judicial application (see Deuteronomy 32:22; Isaiah 33:14; Luke 16:24; Revelation 20:10; Revelation 20:14-15). Blood signifies death, both physical and moral. In the latter it would, assume the form or character of apostasy, i.e., the utter abandonment of revealed truth, all religious profession given up;(* Jude 1:12, “ twice dead;” first as dead in sins, second dead by apostasy.) for blood as physical death, see Genesis 9:5-6; Ezekiel 14:19; for blood as moral death, see Acts 2:19-20; Revelation 6:12; Revelation 16:3-6. Now while the two former symbols may be regarded separately, “ hail and fire,” we cannot so treat the third. The “ blood” was mingled with those two elements of destruction. Combined they express a truly awful outburst of divine wrath, whoever or whatever the agencies may be to accomplish the divine purpose. The trumpet sounds, the judgment is a public one. Revelation 8:7 — “And they were cast upon the earth,” thus covering as a subject of judgment precisely the same sphere on which the angel scattered the fire from the altar (Revelation 8:5). In both cases (Revelation 8:5 and Revelation 8:7) the term “cast” implies irresistible power behind. That the judgment of the hail and fire with blood is not traceable to natural causes is evident from the fact that they were cast down, not falling from the heavens in an ordinary way, but impelled by an unseen yet powerful arm. The area affected is said to be the earth. But as earth and sea are separately referred to in the symbolism of the Apocalypse we have to inquire what they respectively signify. In Revelation 10:1-11 we have a vision of Christ characterized by the insignia of divine majesty. He descends from Heaven to claim the world as a whole. It is His. Significantly, therefore, in the assertion of His universal and sovereign right He plants His right foot on the sea and His left on the earth, thus taking possession of the whole scene under Heaven. Those two parts of the natural creation present a picture of (1) restlessness (sea), and (2) stability (earth). The same symbolic representations in other parts of the Apocalypse, as elsewhere, fix and determine a meaning as precise and full as if the words and not the symbols were used. A symbol brings before the mind a complete picture of what is intended to be conveyed, oftentimes much more forcibly than by the use of a lengthened statement; hence the universality of symbols in the expression of human thought. The earth, then, denotes that part of the world civilized and under constituted authority, fixed and settled government. The sea, on the contrary, represents that portion of the world in disorder, the scene of anarchy and of wild rebellion, without divine and civil government. (It has been asserted that the symbolism of the Hebrews was borrowed from Egypt and Assyria, where in both kingdoms the system of representation had attained to a high degree of excellence. But are we to conceive of God borrowing from the pagan nations of antiquity? The thought betrays gross ignorance, and in its conception is thoroughly infidel. The truth is that symbolism is much more ancient than the kingdoms referred to, and is coeval with the existence of the race. Thus in the earliest period revealed (Genesis 2:1-25) the symbolic trees of life and of the knowledge of good and evil arrest our attention as being the first symbols presented to men. It is part of the universal language. A symbol presented to the mind conveys in a forcible manner the moral features or characteristics of the thing on hand. Thus a lion, “ the lord of the forest,” at once suggests the idea of majesty, of royal power; hence these moral characteristics denoted by the symbol may be applied to Christ (Revelation 5:5), or to the first of the great universal empires (Daniel 7:4). It is not that the lion represents either Christ or the mighty Babylonian empire, but rather the characteristics of the lion in greatness and majesty, and of course these qualities may be applied to persons or objects as the case may be. The symbol represents a certain moral characteristic or idea. It must not be supposed that the frequent use of symbols is a mark of the poverty of language. In fact in every language and amongst all peoples, civilized and barbarian, a representative system of speech is in general use. The language of symbols quickly became incorporated in the religions of the ancient world. “ It was the language of the shrine, the oracle, and the temple.” With many invisible realities are more easily conceived of when represented by objects presented to the eye and mind. Our readers will find help in the perusal of “ Sacred Symbology,” by John Mills; but especially in an article entitled “ Symbols” in vol. 1 of “ Notes and Comments on Scripture,” by the late J. N. Darby.) The public rejection of God will be quickly followed by the repudiation of civil and magisterial authority, and when lawlessness and impiety have reached their climax then God intervenes in judgment. Of this the prophetic part of the Apocalypse affords a striking witness, as we hope to see in the course of these studies. “ The third part of the earth was burnt up,” also the third part of the trees, and all green grass. We now witness the dire results produced by this manifest judgment from Heaven. Those lands on which Christianity has shone so brightly are then given up to judgment. God in His relation to the nations as supreme has, in the time of the Trumpets, been forsaken, and Christianity abandoned. What then remains but the mighty arm of God to be bared in judgment? The destructive symbolic elements were cast upon the earth. The results are threefold. (1) “The third part of the earth was burnt up.” This is wholly omitted in the Authorised Version, but inserted in the Revised on unimpeachable authority. The western part of the prophetic earth is here designated as the third part. (The four universal empires, and there are but four, are represented as metals (Daniel 2:1-49) and beasts (Daniel 7:1-28). These are Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The three are expressly named in Scripture by the Hebrew prophet. The fourth, or Roman, is pointed out in Luke 2:1, “ There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.” Rome was founded 753 B.C., shortly before the ten tribes were taken captive by Shalmaneser. Romulus, its first king, gave name to the city, which was destined to play such an important part in the world’ s history. Carthage, the African rival of Rome, was the only power which seemed to check its growing greatness. The African was the elder of the two, and of great wealth. But Ham had to succumb to Japheth. Rome increased in power and in territorial extent till the known world lay at her feet (Luke 2:1). Says Gibbon: “ The empire of the Romans filled the world.” After the conquest of Greece the early virtues of the Roman character became impaired and degeneration set in. Integrity and justice, once so characteristic of early Rome, were now wantonly sacrificed and trampled under foot, while personal ambition, instead of care for the State and its interests, became the distinguishing features of its emperors and generals. After the empire had existed for more than five hundred years, undivided and universal, its dismemberment in the fourth and fifth centuries took place. It ceased to exist. The rise of the papacy and decline of the empire were coeval and connected events. The supremacy of the See of Rome dates from the fourth century. The present European situation, with its numerous and conflicting interests, is the result really of the complete break up of the once undivided empire of the Caesars. The pen of the historian has traced the history of Rome from its rise, 753 B.C., till its inglorious fall, A.D. 476, but there it stops. God lifts the veil and shows the future of the now defunct empire. The Hebrew prophet (Daniel 2:1-49; Daniel 7:1-28) and the Christian apostle (Revelation 17:1-18; Revelation 19:1-21) clearly show that the empire will be revived and shown to be in existence at the Coming of the Lord in power. Its utter destruction by the Lord in Person will be immediately succeeded by the millennial and universal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, which will surpass in greatness, character, and in territorial extent every power on earth since the world began (Daniel 7:26-27).) The revived empire with its personal, persecuting, and blasphemous head, the “ little horn” (Daniel 7:8), with its ancient and renowned capital, Rome (Revelation 17:18), will again dominate the earth, but the empire, at least in its most guilty part, the west, will be given up to feel the Lord’ s vengeance. Whether the term “ burnt up” refers to the desolating ravages of war or other heaven-sent agencies we know not, but that the empire will be wasted and desolated by several combined judgments seems evident. (2) “The third part of the trees was burnt up.” Here the stern hand of judgment reaches out to the great and distinguished; to men in the haughtiness of pride and position. Destruction overtakes all such, all, of course, within the sphere contemplated in the prophecy. A tree is an apt and familiar figure of human greatness; of pride and of high position amongst men (Ezekiel 31:1-18; Daniel 4:4-27; Judges 9:8-15, etc.). (3) “All green grass was burnt up.” There is no limitation here, no “ third part,” or even “ fourth part,” as under the fourth Seal (Revelation 6:8). Grass refers to the people of Israel (Isaiah 40:7); the human race is also spoken of as grass (1 Peter 1:24). “Green grass” would naturally signify a highly prosperous condition of things amongst the inhabitants of the empire generally. The association of trees and grass, as in Revelation 9:4 and here also, would intimate judgment upon all, high and low, involving the utter destruction of all their happy surroundings. The condition indicated by the “ green grass burnt up” points to a general scene of desolation. What awful days are in store for these countries now so highly blest and favored, but then in retributive justice given up to the stern judgment of God.Commentary on Revelation 8:7 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 8:7. It should be remembered through Revelation 8:12 that the plagues symbolized represent the reverses that came upon the Roman Empire which finally resulted in the downfall of the government. The items mentioned arc figurative or symbolic, but they are worded as if literal calamities were being imposed. That is because in a book where certain facts of an immaterial character are predicted in symbols, the events have to be reported as if they were happening literally. Thus we have a hail and electrical storm that causes bloodshed and scorching of much of the vegetation.Commentary on Revelation 8:7 by Burton Coffman Revelation 8:7 And the first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of the earth was burnt up, and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.These first four trumpets are given very briefly, but the last three are presented more extensively. "All of them reveal the active involvement of God in bringing judgment upon a wicked world."[44] Many scholars mention the plagues of Egypt in connection with these, but "the resemblance is only general."[45] The sounding of the first four trumpets results in disaster falling upon the earth, salt water, fresh water, and the sky. "They are God's judgment upon human sin and are intended to lead men to repentance."[46] "Everything is injured by sin, and nature itself cries out against man and thus appeals to God."[47]Hail ... fire ... blood ... cast upon the earth ... Neither hail nor blood can actually "burn up" anything. Such expressions are merely to show the violent and destructive nature of the things foretold. The language is clearly figurative. Some have supposed that these symbolize wars, bloodshed, violence, and social upheavals; but the clear distinction between these first four trumpet visions of judgments upon earth, sea, rivers ,and atmosphere and the three trumpet "woes" directly against "men" seems to say that the first four are not against people directly; although, of course, whatever affects the environment necessarily affects people also. For this reason, we interpret the first four trumpets as the perpetual equivalent of the primeval curse upon the earth "for Adam's sake." God does not intend for the sinful race of man to find any earthly situation altogether cozy and comfortable. In the progression of history, less and less of the earth remains habitable. The great dust bowl of the 1930's in Oklahoma is a tiny example of how the elements themselves are at times hostile "to the land." Look at the damage visible to the eye all over the world, which has been thus destroyed. The deserts, the badlands, the fertile valleys destroyed by soil erosion, etc., are a few examples. The interlocking and conjunctive nature of the first four trumpet judgments should be noted. They are presented almost simultaneously in a brief six verses, indicating that all four work together, and suggesting that their effect should be understood collectively, all of them working hand in hand to produce a more hostile environment for man in the physical creation that surrounds him. Forest fires, droughts, swamps, rampaging rivers, ice storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and all such natural disasters have indeed "burnt up" a third of the earth, and the damage is still being done. All of it is God's response to the wickedness of man; but wicked men also contribute to the progressive damage, as indicated in the final three trumpets. Third part of the trees, and all green grass ... The denuding of the earth of a significant part of its forests is an astonishing and spectacular feature of a third of the earth this very day. Travelers in Korea and other oriental countries cannot fail to be impressed with this feature of the landscape; and even in America today, where are the mighty forests? Let any man ask the price of 1,000 board-feet of white pine or black walnut, and he will suddenly be aware that the trumpet of God still sounds over the trees. All the green grass ... This is best understood to mean, "All the grass in the one third of the earth mentioned."[48] All these disasters coming upon the land are under the control of God and are limited. Only a minor part of the earth can be affected by such things. Some have called Revelation the Book of Doom; but it is the opposite of that. It is the book which reveals the Father's limitation and restraint of the doom which already had come when man rebelled against his Creator. [44] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 184. [45] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 232. [46] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 112. [47] James William Russell, op. cit., p. 633. [48] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 123. Commentary on Revelation 8:7 by Manly Luscombe7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. The first four trumpets warn of spiritual testing and trials. Just as the seals warned of physical harm that could come to our bodies, the trumpets are going to warn of things that could destroy the spiritual part of man. The color green is not used to distinguish living from dead. It is used to distinguish spiritual life from spiritual death. Plants need to be green, because chlorophyll is necessary for the plant to live and produce fruit. Christians, who are green, are filled with what is necessary for spiritual life and production of fruit. Trees and green grass represent those who are alive spiritually, Christians. The hail and fire show us that Christians will suffer persecution, trials, pain and death because of their faith. The expression, “ mingled with blood” shows that some of this persecution will be so harsh that lives will be lost. Remember, the third part teaches us that even Christians are able to lose their spiritual life and be lost because of persecution. The 1st trumpet warns us that we can deny the faith and lose our spiritual life. Revelation 8:8-9 4. OF THE SECOND TRUMPETRev_8:8-9 8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; --The sounding of the second trumpet was the signal for the second vision to appear, indicating a second power that would contribute to the down-fall of pagan Rome. The words "as it were" show that it was not a real mountain, but appeared as one to John. It was burning with fire--probably volcanic--and when cast into the sea gave it the appearance of blood. Here it may be observed, as under the first trumpet, the "third part" of the sea may mean a large part, not exactly one-third. Since the picture could not represent the casting of a real mountain into the sea, the word must be used symbolically. In that sense it means "kingdom." (Isaiah 22:3; Jeremiah 51:24-25 ; Daniel 2:35.) If "sea" and "water" mean the same thing, then in a figurative sense sea means "peoples." (Revelation 17:15; Jeremiah 47:1-2.) 9 and there died the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, even they that had life; and the third part of the ships was destroyed.--If a literal burning mountain were cast into the sea, the natural result would be that fish and other sea animals would be killed and ships would be destroyed. While John saw all this in a vision, it must signify something else. The things represented, however, must be suggested by the things seen in the picture. The whole scene is one of carnage, bloodshed, and destruction. The burning of ships would indicate the destruction of maritime commerce and national protection. With the destruction of ships would go the lives of those who manned them. Placing this destruction on the sea instead of land, as in the first trumpet, shows that the attack on Rome would come from the sea; that is, the struggle would be in the waters near that part of the empire. The "third part" means not all would be destroyed, but a large part would. In harmony with the line of interpretation of the expositors already mentioned, it is very probable that the vision of the second trumpet was fulfilled in the invasion of the Vandals under Genseric. If the explanation of the first trumpet is correct, this scourge of the empire came at the proper time. Something must be its fulfillment and nothing else seems more appropriate. Concerning Genseric, Gibbon says that in "the destruction of the Roman Empire" his name "has deserved an equal rank with the names of Alaric and Attila." (Decline and Fall, Vol. III, p. 370.) In A.D. 429 he began his conquest in Africa, which ended in A.D. 439 when Carthage was taken. This whole province was lost to the empire. Speaking of Genseric's ambition Gibbon says "he cast his eyes towards the sea; he resolved to create a naval power," which resolve he carried into effect, and the "fleets that issued from the ports of Carthage claimed the empire of the Mediterranean." In due time he cast anchor at the mouth of the Tiber, advanced from the port of Ostia to the gates of the city of Rome. The results, in part, are thus described by Gibbon: "But Rome and its inhabitants were delivered to the licentiousness of the Vandals and Moors, whose blind passions revenged the injuries of Carthage. The pillage lasted fourteen days and nights; and all that yet remained of public or private wealth, or sacred or profane treasure, was diligently transported to the vessels of Genseric." This occurred in A.D. 455, and three years later the Roman emperor had prepared a navy of "three hundred large galleys, with an adequate proportion of transports and smaller vessels." By a surprise attack by the Vandals the Romans were defeated, "many of their ships were sunk, or taken, or burnt; and the preparations of three years were destroyed in a single day." (Decline and Fall, Vol. III, p. 482.) The significant thing here is that the attack upon the western part of the empire was from the sea. A fact that does suitably correspond with the vision John saw.Commentary on Revelation 8:8-9 by Foy E. Wallace The sea smitten--(the second trumpet)—Revelation 8:8-9. “ And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.” 1. The burning mountain. The mountain was used to signify a powerful monarchy, as in Amos 4:1 --and the mountain burning with fire in this symbol signified that the powers which hindered the church were seething in the fury of preparation for attack and destruction. The same imagery is used of Israel’ s powerful enemies in Isaiah 40:1; Isaiah 41:5. In this vision of the tribulations which were so soon to overwhelm the church, the burning mountain symbolized the lust of war, and it was descriptive of the Roman and Jewish persecuting powers. 2. The mountain cast into the sea. The great burning mountain was seen in the vision as being cast into the sea. The Roman emperor was symbolized as the beast of the sea and was represented as coming up out of the sea: and this symbol evidently signifies that the government which would wage this war against the church would be the empire and its tributary powers. 3. The smitten sea. As earth referred to the Jewish powers in the land of the Jews, the sea signified the Roman powers. The smitten sea meant the destruction of the power of the sea beast--the Roman persecutors ceasing to make war against the church. The creatures of the sea died and the ships were destroyed; all of which were symbolic descriptions of the broken powers of persecutionCommentary on Revelation 8:8-9 by Walter ScottSECOND TRUMPET Revelation 8:8-9. — “And the second angel sounded (his) trumpet: and as a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood; and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, which had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.” “ A great mountain burning with fire.” Scripture itself gives the force of the figure. The mighty Babylonian monarchy is thus spoken of by the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 51:25), “ Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth; and I will stretch out Mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.” Jehovah here threatens the Chaldean kingdom — apparently so firmly established in its might and greatness as to defy an overthrow — with consuming judgment, a “ burnt mountain.” Again, the stone which no human hand or tool had touched falls with crushing effect upon the feet of the image, the figure of Gentile power, and then becomes “ a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:1-49). The world-wide dominion of the Son of Man is thus set forth. A mountain as a symbol represents a kingdom (Isaiah 2:2; Zechariah 4:7; Jeremiah 51:25) or a firmly established power (Psalms 46:2; Revelation 6:14; Revelation 16:20). The abstract idea, important to lay hold of in these prophetic symbols, is that of a strong, consolidated, established power, and this power itself the subject of God’ s governmental vengeance, for the Seer saw it burning with fire, becoming in the divine hand the instrument of judgment upon the heathen. The weeping prophet, Jeremiah, exactly defines the force and value of the imagery in our text (Jeremiah 51:25). Revelation 8:8. — “Was cast into the sea.” In the previous Trumpet (Revelation 8:7) the earth was the scene of judgment; here it is the sea. The earth is the Roman world in general, the third part being the western portion of the empire. The sea sets forth a state of rebellion against constituted authority; of peoples in a condition of unrest, and consequently outside the limits of the Roman world. Within this latter, in the past as in the future, authority and government are upheld. The ever-restless sea (Isaiah 57:20; Daniel 7:2-3; Revelation 13:1; Revelation 18:21) is here the chosen figure to denote the peoples of the earth in dire anarchy, owing to the want of a strong controlling power or firm hand. Civil and governmental authority are ordained of God (Romans 13:1). The state of things in the future amongst the nations outside the territorial limits of the revived Roman power may be compared to the condition of France during the reign of terror in the eighteenth century — a nation without God, without religion, and with but the semblance of government, controlled by the wild passions of the mob, the devil’ s playground in Europe. The prophetic sea, therefore, represents the general condition of the nations without civil and spiritual government. Into the seething masses of mankind, of heathenism, this burning power is cast. We now witness the dire results produced. These are threefold, as in the first trumpet. (1) “The third part of the sea became blood.” Does blood here symbolize a violent natural death, or does it refer to the spiritual death of apostasy? In our judgment these two forms of death are here combined. Those nations in political or in outward relation to the dominant power of the Roman empire are destroyed. The destruction of life amongst the Gentiles, in association with the guiltiest of the four universal empires, is what the symbol sets forth. Spiritual and physical death is the sure result of any connection with the apostate, blaspheming, and persecuting power of Rome. (2) “The third part of the creatures which were in the sea, which had life, died.” That part of the world not brought into orderly subjection to constituted authority, but in external relation to the empire, is next seen in vision, as visited in judgment. Persons, and not peoples or nations in general, as in the first judgment, are in question. The term “ creatures” would imply as much. Even in heathenism varying measures of responsibility and commensurate degrees of guilt exist. “ The third part,” i.e., the worst is before us in this series of divine chastisements. “ The third part of the creatures which were in the sea, which had life, died.” The interpretation of the Seals is a simple matter compared to that of the Trumpets. In the latter there is a purposed mysteriousness in the symbols employed which makes a minute examination somewhat difficult. Here, however, with Revelation 2:23 and Revelation 3:1 before us we are on firm ground. Moral, spiritual death is the undoubted force of the judgment here executed. Death towards God, towards principles of truth and righteousness, and, in fact, death viewed morally in its widest aspect and character. (3) “The third part of the ships were destroyed.” Now this destructive power, whether a nation or a system, violently thrown into the unformed masses of mankind not only works awful destruction, physical and moral, on peoples and persons, it wrecks also the commerce and means of communication with distant countries. “ The third part of the ships were destroyed.” But the tale of judgment is not yet told. The darkness thickens as the night wears on. Horror succeeds horror. Oh that Christendom would wake up to the stern reality that the Judge is at the door!Commentary on Revelation 8:8-9 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 8:8. The judgments of God against the Empire continue as thy second angel sounds his trumpet. Great mountain burning signifies thedownfall of some unit of the government. Cast into the sea symbolizes the people (represented by the sea) as feeling the effects of this political downfall. Sea became blood signifies that much bloodshed was suffered among the people caused by the internal disturbances. Revelation 8:9. All of this is figurative because the literal sea and its vessels of traffic were unharmed by the political confusion. But it gives a picture of what did occur, and in stating an exact percentage as dying we will understand that a great portion suffered but the government was not exterminated..Commentary on Revelation 8:8-9 by Burton Coffman Revelation 8:8-9 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; and there died the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, even they that had life; and the third part of the ships was destroyed.The second judgment falls upon the sea. It is foolish to suppose that John is here merely making imaginative use of the imagery derived from volcanoes, etc. This language goes far beyond any natural phenomenon ever heard of. A literal picture of what is described here is impossible. A third of the ocean turned to blood, and yet two thirds of earth's shipping still remaining active upon it, is an impossible conception. A third of the ships destroyed, and a third of the creatures in the sea destroyed - the preterists point to certain great naval battles of history; but in truth, no single event of all history could possibly fulfill so terrible a prophecy as this; and yet such interpreters seem to be correct in the view that great maritime disasters are here suggested. Any particular one? No. It would be an exercise in futility to fasten an identity with this trumpet judgment upon any one of them, except as an example. As an example, we cite the wreck of the great Spanish Armada in 1588, not by a naval battle, but by a great storm, which preserved England from subjection to the regressive tyranny of Spain, and led to the first Thanksgiving Day ever observed in the English-speaking world, and from which our own Thanksgiving Day customs are derived. This is only an example of many maritime disasters, nor may we suppose for an instant that John consciously foretold this. It may be objected that John's language here cannot be reconciled with such an event; but we ask, what event could be? Furthermore, any naval captain of the Spanish Armada would most likely have agreed that "a burning mountain" had been cast into the sea! The destruction depicted in this vision may not be confined to any one time or locality. The trumpets do not follow the seals in a chronological sequence, but, "Both are being fulfilled side by side in the same epoch."[49] That epoch, of course, is our own. We continue to be amazed at the exhaustive efforts of commentators to find parallels of this in the plagues of Egypt; but absolutely nothing in those judgments is worthy to be compared with these. Therefore, like Lenski, "We do not stress the resemblance of these judgments to those plagues."[50]We cannot leave this prophecy of the "burning mountain" cast into the sea without citing the only literal historical fulfillment of it that is known; and, even in this, the sea did not become blood. On August 27,1883, the 2,623-foot mountain Krakatoa in the Sunda strait of Indonesia literally exploded, burned up completely, and was cast into the sea, the waters where the mountain stood having been 1,000 feet deep ever since.[51] Following this event, atmospheric waves girdled the earth seven times; tidal waves are thought to have destroyed a million lives; some tidal waves reached England, more than 11,000 miles away; and the explosion was actually heard at Bangkok at a distance of 3,000 miles! Thus, within the memory of a few people who have just died, we still have the evidence that the trumpet of God still sounds above the waters of the sea. Of course, we do not think that John prophesied this, nor any other particular disaster; but he surely conveyed the revelation that includes all such things; nor should we for an instant suppose that great maritime disasters belong to the past alone. How inadequate and limited are the interpretations of these prophecies which confine them to obscure events in the history of a single nation some sixteen centuries, or more, in the past! Lenski, and many other respected commentators, applied these two verses (Revelation 8:8-9) to, "Destructive religious delusion, not the old paganism, but a new delusion which will not accept the gospel."[52] While this fits our own age well enough, it appears to us that it is more fittingly applied to the judgments of the trumpet woes. We cannot get away from the inference in these first four trumpets that the judgments do not fall upon people directly, but upon land, sea, river and air. Providential intervention in human environment is meant. "All of these four judgments show that the sin of man can and does adversely affect the rest of creation, which reacts disastrously upon man's own life."[53][49] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 234. [50] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 278. [51] Encyclopedia Britannica, 1961 edition, Vol. 13, p. 499. [52] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 279. [53] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 647. Commentary on Revelation 8:8-9 by Manly Luscombe8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. The symbol of water is shown to represent people in 17:1 and 15. John is not concerned about the environment and pollution of our water in this text. He is apprehensive about the masses of people who are living on this earth. The severe persecution in the first century was causing many people to deny their faith and lose their spiritual life. The 2nd trumpet warns us that people of all ages can, in time of hardship, lose their spiritual life by giving in to the persecution, regardless of how severe it might be.9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. The part of man, which is spiritual (soul or spirit), is destroyed. This is not saying that 33% of all Christians will die. This is a warning that yielding to the persecution can cost you your spiritual life with God. What is the meaning of the “ ships” mentioned here? Listen to Paul as the literal ship taking him to Rome was about to sink. “ Except these abide in the ship, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 27:30-31) The spiritual parallel is that we must remain in the ship of believers, in the church, the ship of Zion, if we expect to be saved. Jumping overboard or abandoning ship will result in our spiritual death. Revelation 8:10-11 5. OF THE THIRD TRUMPETRev_8:10-11 10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell from heaven a great star, burning as a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of the waters; --Surely there must be some significance in the change of place where the events occurred. Under the first trumpet it was on the earth, under the second on the sea, and this on the rivers and fountains of waters. This difference could not be a matter of chance. The thing John saw in the vision was a great burning star falling upon the third part of rivers and fountains. It is generally understood, and correctly, that the star refers to a ruler, prince, or person of rank. (Revelation 1:20; Numbers 24:17.) Whoever is here represented by this star, he was to bring a destructive power against the Roman Empire. One-third of the rivers and fountains in the western part of that empire were to become bitter and cause many to die. Coming like a flaming meteor would indicate the suddenness with which his work would begin or be accomplished. Since earth, sea, and rivers were three different parts or places in the empire, there is no special reason why they should not be used in their natural sense, for we have already seen that symbolic scenes may have in them both figurative and literal language. Even if these words should be applied symbolically to the people rather than the literal places, it would still be true that these places were the theaters where these events were to occur. They had to occur somewhere. 11 and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.--We should not forget that the "third part" does not have to mean that exact amount, but may stand for a considerable part of the population that might suffer from an invasion coming by way of the rivers. The term "wormwood" is defined by the text itself as meaning "bitter," and indicates an extreme kind of suffering. The meteoric leader would become as destructive in his work as the wormwood would be deadly to those who drank it. If the two preceding trumpets have been correctly interpreted, then the third trumpet should find its fulfillment in the attacks made against Rome by Attila, whose career extended from A.D. 433 to A.D. 453. The history shows that Genseric and Attila were contemporary part of the time. Genseric, however, began about five years earlier than Attila; hence, takes the lead in point of time, although Attila's invasion of Italy came about three years before the sack of the city by Genseric in A.D. 455.Gibbon says that "in the reign of Attila, the Huns again became the terror of the world," and that Attila "alternately insulted and invaded the East and the West, and urged the rapid downfall of the Roman Empire." The facts here gleaned from Gibbon are found in the Decline and Fall of the Empire, chapters 34 and 35. Attila was marvelously successful in gaining ascendancy over neighboring peoples and is said to have been able to bring into the field an army of some five to seven hundred thousand soldiers. As a military leader he was a star of the first magnitude. Gibbon further says that Attila considered himself the recipient of "celestial favor" and serted his divine and indefensible claim to the dominion of the earth." Quite an appropriate view to harmonize with a burning star falling "from heaven." The last few years his operations were upon the river--frontiers leading to Italy; conflagrations and enormous bloodshed followed in his path. In the spring of 452 he is said to have set forth to conquer Italy. Before reaching Rome the emperor and senate sent a commission to meet him to obtain a treaty of peace. The deliverance of Italy was purchased at an immense ransom, and Attila departed, recrossed the Danube, and soon died. Thus ended the career of one who was considered the "scourge of God." If his work was not what was intended by the third trumpet vision, nothing else seems more probable. It is certain, at least, that something was intended. No harm can be done to the text or the plan of salvation by pointing out the similarity between his work and the vision.Commentary on Revelation 8:10-11 by Foy E. Wallace The rivers smitten--(the third trumpet)—Revelation 8:10-11. “ And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.” 1. A great star from heaven. The falling star, as in Matthew 24:29, Mark 13:25 and Luke 21:25, represented the downfall of authorities and rulers of the persecuting governments-- falling as it were a burning lamp, or torch, as a spent meteor of the heaven, falling from their former power and dominion. The same imagery was in Isaiah’ s description of the fall of the Babylonian rulers; the constellations were used as the symbols of their positions, and the same figures of speech were used by the prophet as metaphors of the darkness that settled over the empire in the destruction of ancient Babylon. “ The stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give. their light: the sun shall be darkened . . . and the moon shall not cause her light to shine . . . and I will punish the world for their evil and the wicked for their iniquities.” (Isaiah 13:10-11) The Babylonian “ world” and its rulers were the objects of the punishment in this passage. The same familiar symbols are employed by Jesus in the records of Matthew, Mark and Luke, and by John in the visions of Revelation, foretelling the ruin of Jerusalem, the doom of Judaism and the downfall of their rulers. 2. And it fell upon rivers, fountains of waters: The smitten rivers are the representations of the drying up of the source of the existing powers. The fountain is the source of a stream; the river is the channel of its flow. When the persecuting powers were smitten the fountain of waters dried up, and the river of their power ceased to carry the evil flow. 3. The waters became wormwood and; many died because they were made bitter. Wormwood was the name of a plant, distinguished for intense bitterness, and used to denote anything offensive and nauseous. The use of it to designate either food or water was a sign of extreme suffering. In this connection the name of the falling star was called Wormwood, for the bitter effects accompanying the downfall of the powers here symbolized, which attended the siege and destruction of Jerusalem. It was so revolting that even the mental picture of the physical putrification turns to nausea, the bitterness of which only wormwood could signify. Matthew’ s record says “ for then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:21) Mark’ s record reads: “ For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.” (Mark 13:19) Luke tersely says: “ For there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.” (Luke 21:23)Commentary on Revelation 8:10-11 by Walter ScottTHIRD TRUMPET.Revelation 8:10-11. — “And the third angel sounded (his) trumpet: and there fell out of the Heaven a great star, burning as a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters. And the name of the star is called Wormwood; and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many of the men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.” At the blast of the trumpets the four restraining angels let loose the four winds of the earth, the providential agencies of judgment (Revelation 7:1). The dark cloud of vengeance upon a guilty scene is lifted for a brief space, during which God in sovereign grace works amongst Israel and the Gentiles (Revelation 7:1-17). Then under the Trumpets the orderly course of judgment is resumed. The previous blasts announced judgments of the most appalling character on the earth and on the sea: the former the scene of governmental order, and where, too, God had been more or less professedly owned; the latter the sphere where the forces of anarchy and the will of man reigned supreme, which is ever to the denial of spiritual and civil authority. This Trumpet intimates a judgment equal in terrible severity, and in some respects even more awful than the preceding ones. “ There fell out of the Heaven a great star.” The Heaven is the source of authority; it is a definitely fixed position; hence the introduction of the article “ the Heaven.” All spiritual, civil, and political authority has its source above. “ The heavens do rule ” (Daniel 4:26). Under the two preceding trumpets the instruments of judgment were “cast” upon the earth and sea respectively, but from whence we are not informed. Here this apostate dignitary “fell” out of the Heaven. (The “ great star” of Revelation 8:10 must not be confounded with the falling star of Rev 9:1. Both are spiritual rulers, viewed as morally fallen from their high position. They are, however, distinct personages.) The word “ cast” would imply the exercise of irresistible power on the part of the unseen actor, as also the violence of the judgment; whereas “ fell,” as also in Revelation 9:1, would rather point to a sudden, unexpected downfall. The “ star” as a symbol is one of frequent occurrence in the Apocalypse, and denotes a ruler, or one occupying a place of influence and position in responsibility to God (Revelation 12:1-4; Revelation 6:13, etc.). Supremacy is denoted by the sun; derived and subordinate authority is figured by the moon; while stars point to lesser authorities. This “ great star” evidently symbolizes a distinguished ruler responsible as set in the moral firmament to give light in the then dark night of the world’ s history, but he is an apostate personage, one under the immediate judgment of God, “ burning as a torch;” in this respect like the “ great mountain burning with fire.” The epithet “ great” is attached to the mountain, and also to the star; only in the former a corporate power or system is referred to, whereas in the latter an exalted individual is meant. Who this degraded and apostate person is we are not informed. Some regard the great fallen star as denoting the personal Antichrist. (The symbolic name of the star (Revelation 8:11) gives no indication of the person referred to, but rather of the baneful influence exercised.) But that does not amount to more than conjecture. The Antichrist plays an important part in the coming crisis, as we shall see in subsequent studies. Revelation 8:10 — “It fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters.” Waters in general signify peoples (Revelation 17:15; Isaiah 17:12-13); the sea points to a state of commotion, of unrest amongst those peoples (Isaiah 57:20; Daniel 7:3); floods, fulness of earthly blessings (Isaiah 44:3), as also earthly calamities (Amos 8:8); rivers, the ordinary life of a nation or people characterised by certain principles (Ezekiel 29:3; Isaiah 18:2); fountains, the sources of the principles and influences which act upon the life of a nation (Joe 3:18; Jeremiah 6:7). Revelation 8:11. — “The name of the star is called Wormwood; and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many of the men died, because they were made bitter.” The name “ Wormwood” is significant of character. Many of the older expositors regard the personage here as Satan, but, as has already been remarked, we have no means to identify the person by name. The geographical area affected is the “ third part.” The fountains, the sources of national life, are poisoned. All under the withering influences of this fallen being partake of his character, “ Wormwood.” Evidently there is a reference to that interesting incident in Israel’ s history detailed in Exodus 15:22-25. There the bitter waters were made sweet; here the sweet waters are made bitter. National life and character are corrupted. A judicial dealing of an intensely solemn character overtakes a third part of the nations; their springs of action, their motives, principles, and moral life are poisoned, with the result that “ many” die. It is not physical but moral death that is in question, truly more awful than the former. “ When you look at these bitter ingredients infused into the waters by the fall of this great star, the wonder is not that many died, but that any lived.” (“ Lectures on the Revelation.” p. 181. — Ramsay.) Commentary on Revelation 8:10-11 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 8:10. No change in the general drama takes place, but some special incident is predicted to affect the people unfavorably. A star in symbolical language denotes some leader, and he is here likened to a meteor that. falls to the earth, selecting as its landing place the rivers and fountains of water. That is attacking a vital portion of a country because of the necessity of water. Revelation 8:11. The name of this star was Wormwood. That is from the Greek word , which Thayer defines, "wormwood, absinthe." Webster's -definition of the word is as follows: "A green alcoholic liquor containing oils of wormwood and anise, and other aromatics. Its continued use causes nervous derangement." It is no wonder, then, that many men died of the waters.Commentary on Revelation 8:10-11 by Burton Coffman Revelation 8:10-11 And the third angel sounded, and there fell from heaven a great star, burning as a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of the waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood: and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.The third angel sounded ... Moffatt thought that this part of Revelation came "from Iranian or Mandaean eschatology,"[54] but scholars will continue to fail in their search for the meaning of the New Testament in the writings and folklore of paganism. There fell from heaven a great star ... Who was he? There are as many answers as there are writers. He has been identified as: the devil, Lucifer, Atilla the Hun, Pelagius, Origen (Luther's opinion), Arius, or Pope Gregory the Great! The futurists think of their antichrist.[55] The simple truth is that this angel is not identifiable with any individual, evil person. "Wormwood, symbolical of bitter sorrow (Lamentations 3:19), is the name of this star (Revelation 8:11)."[56]Upon rivers and fountains ... How can the waters of rivers and fountains turn into bitter sorrow for people? Ask any one who ever depended upon wells or fountains that dried up, or who ever survived any great flood of a mighty river. The river which once was life and joy to people became their defeat and their execution. What river? Any one of hundreds all over the world. The rivers of China are a good example of this. The Yangtze Chiang, the Yellow river, also known as the Hwang-ho, and others, cross the mainland of China, descending from the great Tibetan plateau and bearing incredible loads of sediment, the Yangtze Chiang alone depositing over a billion tons of sediment a year[57] and cause incredible flood damages at uncertain intervals. The beds of the rivers are continually being built up by the great sediment load, until finally, the great river strikes out in a new direction, changing course radically, and traversing the most populated area in the world, with the result of the loss of millions of lives and untold property damage. Such floods have been the recurring curse of the Chinese mainland for countless centuries. But this situation is worldwide. There is nothing new in such recurring calamities; never a day passes without news media reference to such things in one part of the world or another; what is revealed in these trumpet visions is that such things are not "mere accidents of nature." Moreover, they are restrained. Only a minor part of the earth will suffer such things. "The newspapers tell you all about such things,"[58] except that they are God's warnings that people should repent and turn to God. "Four thousand years of recorded history tell of man's repeated failure to avoid the destructiveness of floods."[59] Why? A star named Wormwood has fallen upon the rivers and fountains of earth. Who can deny it? Some expositors rely upon a spiritual interpretation of these judgments. For example, Hough wrote: When men turn to wickedness, they tamper with something far more profound than they know. A power comes from above to ruin the very waters upon which the wicked depend for the life they are misusing.[60]Such a view is true, of course; but we believe that something more tangible is meant. This turn of earth's waters into bitterness is the opposite of the Old Testament event of making the bitter waters of Marah sweet (Exodus 15:25). When people tire of drinking earth's waters made bitter, may they turn to Christ who is able to make the bitter waters sweet. The reaction of rebellious minds against these judgments should be noted. Some have spoken sarcastically of God's "killing off large numbers as an object lesson to survivors," and seem to be resentful; but Caird effectively answered such objections thus: The question mark which death sets over human existence is just as great whether they die soon or late, alone or in company, violently or in their beds. All men must die; and their ultimate destiny is not determined either by the moment or the manner of their death.[61][54] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 405. [55] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 281. [56] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 144. [57] Encyclopedia Britannica, 1961 edition, Vol. 23, p. 875. [58] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 144. [59] Encyclopedia Britannica, 1961 edition, Vol. 9, p. 385. [60] Lynn Harold Hough, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XII (New York-Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1957), p. 429. [61] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 113. Commentary on Revelation 8:10-11 by Manly Luscombe10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. There are two symbols which must be understood here: (1) The star, named Wormwood, and (2)The rivers, waters and fountains. God is the fountain of living waters. (Jeremiah 2:13) Jesus promised that he would provide living waters to those who believe his teachings. (John 7:38) The rivers and fountains represent the teachings of those who direct the spiritual lives of people here on earth. Wormwood is bitter. (Proverbs 5:4) These waters (teachings) are made bitter. False teachings will cause many to die, not physical, but spiritual death. If you follow these false teachers you will lose your spiritual life. The 3rd trumpet warns that if you abandon the truth for false teachings, you will suffer spiritual death. Following a false teacher is just as deadly as denying the faith in the face of persecution. Revelation 8:12 6. OF THE FOURTH TRUMPETRev_8:12 12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; --John here sees one-third of the sun, moon, and stars smitten. Naturally this would represent some dire calamities that would affect the people in a certain part of the Roman Empire. Some understand the heavenly bodies to represent rulers, princes, and others in authority as being hurled from their positions. Possibly such events are involved in the calamities indicated, but they are not necessarily the fulfillment of the vision. Darkening of these luminaries may only indicate the gloom that disasters would bring regardless of the nature of them. that the third part of them should be darkened, and the day should not shine for the third part of it, and the night in like manner.--The light was not completely blotted out ; or, if so, only for a time. This implies that either some dim light continued to shine or the light would come back. Here, as suggested before, the third part may indicate only a considerable period of time or part of the time mentioned. An exact one-third is hardly probable. If the three preceding interpretations are correct, the fourth trumpet vision found fulfillment in some devastating power that came against the Roman Empire, the same western division affected by the preceding powers. According to historians the Western Empire ended in A.D. 476. In the last half of the century the most of the Western Empire was controlled by barbarians and the emperors at Rome were only such in name. The rule was exercised by a patrician, the officer of highest military rank. In 476 the soldiers under Odoacer mutinied and ousted Augustulus, the young emperor, from the throne, and offered submission to Zeno, emperor at Constantinople. The former glory of both emperor and senate was gone, and Odoacer by authority of the Eastern emperor ruled Italy as patrician for fourteen years. (Decline and Fall, Vol. III, p. 512.) So ended the Western Empire ; the rulers lost their power, yet enough was left to show the light had not been completely extinguished; or, if so, it would be restored by another and different kind of ruler in the city of Rome. It should never be forgotten that in all the calamities that befell pagan Rome there was an indirect effect upon the church. The overthrow of pagan rulers naturally gave religious teachers more influence, with the consequent result that the Bible was gradually taken from the people, and spiritual darkness began to spread. This in time led to the inauguration of a new spiritual ruler in the imperial city who, with the title of Pope, claims to be the universal father of the church.Commentary on Revelation 8:12-13 by Foy E. Wallace The sun smitten--(the fourth trumpet)—Revelation 8:12-13. “ And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” 1. The sun, moon and stars: The blackout of the sun, the moon, and the stars, the darkness of the day and even the denseness of the night are the signs of the stark distress and pall of gloom descriptive of the fourth stroke of the trumpets, in the darkness that settled over the Jewish state and nation. The four trumpets have sounded a cycle of judgments, land, sea, rivers and luminaries, a complete sphere of symbols, envisioning descending distress and tribulation, suffering and sorrow, in signs comparable to the calamities of the seals in the symbols of earthquakes, famine, pestilence and carnage. All of these visions announced with profound proclamations of the trumpet symbols that the time of these terrors was at hand. 2. Angel flying midst heaven: Here is an angel differing from all others of the visions before this scene. This flying angel was the imagery of the eagle, and flying “ in the midst of heaven,” was symbolic of a swift messenger of warning to the existing powers of the quickly coming calamities. 3. Saying with a loud voice. The voice of this angel was loud, not in sound, but in meaning--a great voice, a portentous message of immediate importance, revealing its imperative character. The angelic voice vibrated with the intonations of woe--“ woe, woe, woe” --in awful refrain to enhance the gravity of the pronouncements. 4. Other voices . . . yet to come. It was “ by reason” of three trumpet pronouncements to follow that the flying angel called his woes. The fearful plagues of the four trumpets that had sounded were only a start in the succeeding terrors. The “ other voices” were the messages of the angels of the remaining trumpets “ yet to come,” which was the “ reason” for the flying eagle of woe. In the series of seven trumpets, four had sounded, three remained. The woes of “ the other voices” of the three angels and trumpets “ yet to sound,” in their respective turns, held forebodings “ to the inhabiters of the earth” beyond all that had been theretofore depicted. The “ inhabiters of the earth,” does not mean all the people in the world. The “ earth” has been defined as the place of the powers to which reference is made and is limited by such reference. Accordingly it sometimes denotes the place of the Jewish powers only, but in other instances both the Jewish and the Roman powers, as the context of the attending signs and pronouncements show. Until now the visions have surrounded Jerusalem, Judaism and the Jews, and the seals and trumpets have revealed and signaled the events that betoken the “ end of the world” to them-the Jewish world-the destruction of their state. This is undoubtedly the significance of the expression “ end of the world” in Matthew 24:3. On this point Mark records that four of the disciples (Peter, James, John and Andrew) asked Jesus privately, “ Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled” (Mark 13:3-4). In the threefold account of the same event, the end of the Jewish world, and the attending signs, Matthew, Mark and Luke join in saying the generation to whom he was speaking should not pass “ till all these things be fulfilled” (Matthew 24:34); and “ till all these things be done” (Mark 13:30); and “ till all be fulfilled” (Luke 21:32). It is noteworthy that the three inspired narrators emphasize all the things set forth in the signs would reach their fulfillment in that generation. Matthew lends even greater force to the already unequivocal statements by his statement in chapter 23:33, “ Verily, I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation.” By no manner of means can such forthright language be circumvented. Men may talk and write about it but they can neither write nor talk around it. It is so with the opening of the seals and the sounding of the trumpets, the relation to the destruction of Jerusalem, the demolition of the temple, the downfall of Judaism, and the end of the Jewish state is too evident to be controverted. With the “ loud voice” of the flying angel, therefore, alerting the “ inhabiters of the earth,” the Jewish world, to the crescendo of woes in the “ other voices” of the trumpets of the three angels “ yet to come” --the vision increases in the forebodings of what was characterized as “ men’ s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” (Luke 21:26) In the grim contemplation of eventualities the hearts of men would fail. And of those very indescribable occurrences, in the successive events connected with the siege and desolation of Jerusalem, there is indisputable evidence to sustain their historicity.Commentary on Revelation 8:12-13 by Walter ScottFOURTH TRUMPET. Revelation 8:12. — “And the fourth angel sounded (his) trumpet: and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so that the third part of them should be darkened, and that the day should not appear (for) the third part of it, and the night the same.” The sun, moon, and stars collectively symbolize the whole governing body, from the supreme head down to all lesser authorities — a complete system of government in all its parts. Under the sixth Seal (Revelation 6:12-13) the same symbols are presented to express an utter collapse of all governing authority on earth. The might of man is broken. Every power under Heaven is overthrown. Long established governments, and all dependent power and authority fall in the universal crash. There, however, the disruption of the whole social fabric, and the overthrow of every seat of power, is in no wise restricted. The only limitation under the Seals is a “ fourth part,” which occurs but once (Revelation 6:8). Here under the fourth Trumpet the judgment and its effects extend to the “ third part” of the prophetic scene, the western part of the revived empire. In this connection the term “ third part” occurs five times (Revelation 8:12). The effect of this judgment is that moral darkness, like a funeral pall, settles down upon the empire. Commentary on Revelation 8:13 by Walter ScottA LOUD AND OF THE THREE WOE . Revelation 8:13. — “And I saw, and I heard an eagle flying in mid-heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to them that dwell upon the earth, for the remaining voices of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound.” “ I saw and I heard,” both eye and ear were engaged, thus intimating the rapt attention and interest of the Seer in the events which passed before him in the vision. The Authorised Version reads “angel,” but we have substituted “eagle” on decisive and competent authority. There is a mission entrusted to a flying angel (Revelation 14:6), as also one, but of a different character, to a flying eagle (Revelation 8:13). Mid-heaven, or the firmament, is the sphere traversed by both, so that they could scan the earth from its center to its remotest bounds. The former is a messenger of mercy, this latter is a herald of judgment. The triple cry of “ woe” finds its fitting announcement by the eagle. In its rapid and lofty flight across the meridian sky it aloud proclaims the coming doom of the christianized portion of the earth, of those who proudly rejected the “ heavenly calling,” of whom Paul writes, “ Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, who mind earthly things” (Philippians 3:19). A special class is here singled out from earth’ s inhabitants, a moral class, spoken of as those “ that dwell upon the earth,” and twice previously referred to (Revelation 3:10; Revelation 6:10). On these apostates, the worst in these dark and evil times, direct and irremediable judgment is publicly and loudly announced. A more fitting symbol could not be employed than an eagle in its aerial flight across the heaven, scanning from afar its prey. The eagle is the harbinger of approaching judgment (see Deuteronomy 28:49; Jeremiah 48:40; Matthew 24:28). The four preceding judgments were of a general character, but in those to come the climax of horror is reached; hence this preliminary announcement. (“ Woe, specially on those who had their settled place on earth, in contrast with the heavenly calling, and who were unawakened and unmoved by the judgments on the earth, but cling to it as their home in spite of all is then announced. Threefold woe! The term ‘ dwellers on,’ or ‘ inhabiters of,’ the earth has not yet been used, save in the promise to Philadelphia and the claims of the souls under the altar, for both of these were in contrast with such. After all these dealings of God, they are a distinct and manifested class, and spoken of in what passes on the earth as such. Against this perversely unbelieving class the earthly judgments of God are now directed; the first against the Jews, the second against the inhabitants of the Roman earth, the last universal.” — “ Synopsis of the Books of the Bible,” vol. 5, p. 605, Morrish ed.) Commentary on Revelation 8:12-13 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 8:12. Third part is commented upon at verse 9. This angel gave a sound that resulted in throwing all the luminaries out of order, pitching the country into a state of semi-darkness. It was another shake-up among the leaders of the empire. Revelation 8:13. The things which happened to the country, when the four winds were turned loose or when the angels sounded, seemed bad enough if that was to be the end of the troubles. But it was not, for there came another angel flying through the midst of heaven, which denotes that he came into the region of the political heavens of the Roman Empire. He pronounced a triple woe on the people to come when the remaining three angels sound their trumpets. Let us bear in mind that we are still reading of things that were revealed when the seventh seal was broken.Commentary on Revelation 8:12-13 by Burton Coffman Revelation 8:12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; that the third part of them should be darkened, and the day should not shine for the third part of it, and the night in like manner.This is impossible of any literal understanding. If only a third part of the sun was stricken, it could not prevent the two thirds from shining all the time; so the judgment is against the things which are seen in the sky. This probably stands for heavenly intervention in the atmospheric area of man's environment. Lenski quoted someone's complaint that the apostle "either forgot or ignored the fact that he has already cleared the heavens of the stars (Revelation 6:13)!"[62] But that is only one of a thousand difficulties encountered by an interpretation that makes these various series of visions (seals, trumpets, and bowls) to be sequential, consecutive, or concerned with successive events. Each series is independent and parallel with reference to the others. Third part ... This is repeated five times in this verse, emphasizing the limitation God has placed upon atmospheric disasters, the limitation being for man's benefit. The purpose of their being permitted at all, and even sent upon the earth, is benign and merciful, having the purpose or design of leading to man's repentance. What kind of disasters are meant here? Such things as violent weather, radical changes of climate due to sunspots or shifting of the jet stream, and many other changes harmful to man are meant. But do not people know all about such things, claiming to predict the weather and nearly everything else? In a sense, maybe, this is true; but look at exactly this type of change which destroyed the Indian civilization in Frijoles Canyon, an event of quite recent historical times; and there are many other examples of environmental changes that have wrecked whole civilizations. As for man's being able to predict such things accurately, it is a vain delusion. Not even the daily weather predictions are in any sense accurate. The trumpet of God has been sounded above all such things, with the result that vast numbers of people are continually being hurt by them; "and the analogy with the other members of this fourfold series shows that that result is intended."[63]Some commentators find the fulfillment of this vision in "particular periods of the Roman empire, or in some notable eclipse of the sun";[64] but we view such explanations as totally inadequate. "All evils that are due to the abnormal function of the heavenly bodies throughout this entire age are indicated."[65]Lenski gave a spiritual interpretation of this, understanding the darkness as that "which took place in the Greek and Roman Catholic churches, and in many sects, and the folly of men generally."[66] We agree that such things are indeed darkness, but we believe all four of these first trumpets are related to natural judgments upon man's physical environment. As Roberson pointed out, "No time limit is set on these judgments."[67] They occur again and again repeatedly throughout history. Their aim is the reformation of mankind, not their destruction, a fact which is seen in the oft-repeated limitation, not upon the times of their recurrence, but upon the extent of their destructive power. [62] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 282. [63] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 558. [64] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 235. [65] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 144. [66] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 282. [67] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 56.Revelation 8:13 And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, who are yet to sound.An eagle ... Woe, woe, woe ... This is intended as an ominous sign, the eagle being chosen perhaps because it is a bird of prey. The rather fanciful notion that, "God uses nature to send his messages to men,"[68] is not likely to be the meaning. God used John the apostle to send this message. The communication with God through nature is quite limited. The use of this bird, described by Caird as "a vulture, means that there is a theological reason why the woes are to be worse"[69] than the misfortunes caused by the four first trumpets. We cannot agree with those who identify this eagle as "a symbol of Roman legions, some exceptional prophet, Gregory the Great, or even Christ himself."[70] Rist even thought that this eagle might be the living creature with the eagle's head."[71] Is it any wonder that people get mixed up and confused in their studies of this prophecy? Strauss pointed out that the prophecy here of woes that shall be worse and worse "is in harmony with Paul's teachings (1 Timothy 3:12)."[72] Smith correctly viewed all of the first four trumpet judgments as "relating to some disaster falling upon the world of nature, and also that this verse is the first appearance of the word translated woe in the Apocalypse."[73] It seems to us that Bruce correctly gave the meaning of the three woes here announced: It is not only in man's natural environment that the repercussions of his sin are felt; that same sin unleashes demonic forces, uncontrollable by man, which bring woe after woe upon him. These are symbolized by the next three trumpets.[74]Beckwith's summary of this and the next chapters is also helpful: The first four trumpets are sent directly upon part of the world of nature, and upon men indirectly. The fifth and sixth woes are sent directly upon the persons of men. They assail the whole world and are peculiarly poignant and demonic in character.[75]From these observations, it is clear that the vision of the eagle is transitional, marking the diverse natures of the four first and the three last trumpets. [68] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 46. [69] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 117. [70] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 284. [71] Martin Rist, op. cit., p. 431. [72] James D. Strauss, op. cit., p. 134. [73] Wilbur M. Smith, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 1072. [74] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 647. [75] Isbon T. Beckwith op. cit., pp. 558,559. Revelation 8:13 SECTION FIVE OF THE SIXTH Rev_8:13 to Revelation 9:21 1. THE WOE Rev_8:13 13 And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a great voice,--The King James Version has "angel" instead of "eagle." This is a question of textual criticism which it is unnecessary to give here. The true facts may be derived from either one. Angels have been the usual agents through whom announcements have been made in the visions; but an eagle in the symbol may be the appropriate emblem to proclaim the coming woes. Its cry may have been especially significant for the purpose. The word "woe" sets the last three trumpets off in a separate class from the four preceding. Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, who are yet to sound.--Doubtless the "earth" as John understood it was the Roman Empire. The woes promised then would affect those who dwelt in some part of that empire. Of course all classes, saints and sinners, would be affected more or less. The general results can be seen, though we may not always be able to find definitely what particular thing may be designated by every feature of the vision. Of course the preceding trumpets signified "woes" too, but these three indicated some that were distinctly different.Sermon on Revelation 8:1-13 The Seven Thunders Brent Kercheville The Seventh Seal (Revelation 8:1-5) Revelation 8 begins with the seventh seal opening. When the seventh seal was opened by the Lamb, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. What does this silence represent? In the prophets there is a call for silence because God is acting in judgment. Notice Zechariah 2:13 — “ Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.” In Habakkuk 2 judgment is pronounced and the images of judgment conclude with a call for silence. “ But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him” (Habakkuk 2:20). God is acting. Sit silently and watch. The scene then reveals seven angels who stand before God. We have not read about these seven angels before. Jewish apocalyptic writings declare that there were seven angels before the throne and even name these angels (1 Enoch 20:2-8). Each of the angels are given a trumpet and these trumpets will bring judgment on the earth. Verses 3-5 depict a beautiful picture. Another angel takes incense and puts it in his censer. The smoke of the incense rises up to God. The prayers of all the people of God are shown rising before God. The incense is a symbol showing that their prayers are acceptable to God. Then the angel takes the censer, fills it with fire from the altar, and throws it on the earth. God is responding to the prayers of all the saints. God in action are often depicted as thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and earthquakes (see Mount Sinai; Exodus 19:16-19). Therefore, these judgments are in response to the prayers of the holy people of God. The First Trumpet (Revelation 8:6-7) The first angel blows his trumpet and hail and fire mixed with blood are thrown upon the earth. The imagery is similar to the Egyptian plague of hail and fire (Exodus 9:22-25). Hail and fire are common symbols of God’ s judgment. “ With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him; and I will pour down torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur, upon him and his troops and the many peoples that are with him.” (Ezekiel 38:22 NRSV) Sodom and Gomorrah along with the cities of the plains were destroyed by raining fire and sulfur. Notice the destruction that occurs when this first trumpet sounds. Only one-third of the earth is burned up. Only a third of the trees and green grass are burned up. Saying that a third is destroyed is God’ s way of saying that a portion are destroyed. Notice another place in prophecy where God speaks of thirds in judgment. “ In the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘ They are my people’ ; and they will say, ‘ The LORD is my God.'” (Zechariah 13:8-9 ESV) These are images of partial judgments. In each of the first four trumpets we will read that only one-third are destroyed. These partial judgments were predicted in the first four seals of Revelation 6. Now those partial judgments are occurring. The Second Trumpet (Revelation 8:8-9) The second angel blows his trumpet and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea. Then a third of the sea became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died and a third of the ships were destroyed. This image of judgment is also patterned after the Egyptian plague when the Nile was turned to blood (Exodus 7:20-21). A great mountain is symbolic for the overthrow of a kingdom. In speaking about Babylon’ s coming judgment, Jeremiah prophesied: “ Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, declares the LORD, which destroys the whole earth; I will stretch out my hand against you, and roll you down from the crags, and make you a burnt mountain.” (Jeremiah 51:25 ESV) Remember also the first prophecy of Daniel with the large statue of different metals. The stone that strikes the image becomes a great mountain that fills the whole earth (Daniel 2:35) which represents the kingdom of God (Daniel 2:44). This image is not symbolizing a burning volcano or anything like that. A nation is being judged. This trumpet also affects a third, continuing to show that partial judgments are unfolding against this nation. The Third Trumpet (Revelation 8:10-11) When the third trumpet sounds, a great star falls from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water. The name of the great star that fell is Wormwood. Wormwood was a plant with a bitter taste found in Palestine. This bitter plant is used a few times by the prophets. In speaking about Jerusalem, Jeremiah declared these messages. Therefore, this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “ I am about to feed this people wormwood and give them poisonous water to drink.” (Jeremiah 9:15 HCSB) Therefore, this is what the LORD of Hosts says concerning the prophets: I am about to feed them wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land. (Jeremiah 23:15 HCSB) Jeremiah used the picture of wormwood to show that the punishment fit the crime. The suffering will be bitter because their bitter wickedness. Jeremiah spoke of the prophets polluting Israel with idolatry. Therefore God was polluting them with bad water, that is, with the bitterness of suffering. “ The springs of water” is an important judgment and is commonly used in the Old Testament because most of Judah’ s water came from natural springs. Therefore, bitter suffering is coming upon earth. Revelation 8:11 reveals that many people would die from these judgments. The Fourth Trumpet (Revelation 8:12) The fourth trumpet sounds and a third of sun, moon, and stars are struck so that a third of their light is darkened. We learned in Revelation 6:12-14 that the sun no longer shine, the moon becoming like blood, and the stars falling from the sky are symbols of final judgment on a nation. In Revelation 8:12 we again see only a third of these celestial bodies struck. Therefore, this is not yet the final judgment but only a partial judgment, the great tribulation, affecting part of the earth. The point of the first four trumpets shows devastation coming on part of the earth. This is the great tribulation, but not the final judgment, as a nation receiving God’ s wrath for its sins. An Eagle (Revelation 8:13) Then John hears an eagle flying overhead and crying out with a loud voice three more woes are to come. If you thought the first four trumpets were full of terrible judgments, the final three trumpets are worse. Woe to those who live on the earth because the rest of the trumpets are about to sound. The eagle is an image used by God as a harbinger of doom. The Old Testament uses the eagle as a picture of destruction. The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, swooping down like the eagle, a nation whose language you do not understand, a hard-faced nation who shall not respect the old or show mercy to the young. (Deuteronomy 28:49-50 ESV) In Ezekiel 17 we read a parable of two eagles. The message of the parable was that Babylon was the eagle destroying Jerusalem. Ezekiel’ s prophecy rests on God’ s promise made at the inauguration of the nation of Israel. God promised curses on Israel if they disobeyed. One of the images of this curse is in Deuteronomy 28:49 that a foreign nation would destroy them, swooping down like an eagle. John in Revelation 8 sees an eagle flying overhead declaring woes upon the nation as the rest of the judgments are about to be executed. LESSON 14 THE Read Revelation 8:1 to Revelation 9:21 1. What followed the opening of the seventh seal? Ans. Revelation 8:1.2. How many angels stood before God and what was given to them? Ans. Revelation 8:2.3. Where did another angel stand and what did he do? Ans. Revelation 8:3.4. What ascended before God from the angel's hand? Ans. Revelation 8:4.5. What do the bowls of incense represent? Ans. Revelation 5:8.6. What followed when the angel cast fire on the earth? Ans. Revelation 8:5.7. Then what did the seven angels prepare to do? Ans. Revelation 8:6.8. Tell how the earth was affected by the sounding of the first angel. Ans. Revelation 8:7.9. What happened to the sea, to the creatures in the sea, and to the ships when the second angel sounded? Ans. Revelation 8:8-9.10. What was affected by the sounding of the third angel? Ans. Revelation 8:10.11. What was the name of this star? Ans. Revelation 8:11.12. What was smitten when the fourth angel sounded? Ans. Revelation 8:12.13. The sounding of the other three trumpets was prefaced by what announcement? Ans. Revelation 8:13.14. What fell from heaven when the fifth angel sounded? Ans. Revelation 9:1.15. What did this fallen star do? Ans. Revelation 9:2.16. What came out of the smoke from the abyss? Ans. Revelation 9:3.17. What were the locusts forbidden to harm? Ans. Revelation 9:4.18. How were they to punish those who "have not the seal of God on their forehead?" Ans. Revelation 9:5-6.19. Describe the locusts. Ans. Revelation 9:7-10.20. Who was the king of these locusts? Ans. Revelation 9:11.21. How many woes were then past and how many were to follow? Ans. Revelation 9:12.22. Tell of the death and destruction that followed the sounding of the sixth angel. Ans. Revelation 9:13-19.23. What of those who were not killed with these plagues? Ans. Revelation 9:20-21E.M. Zerr Questions on Revelation Revelation Chapter Eight 1. What seal was opened next? 2. State what followed. 3. For how long did it continue? 4. What did John see then? 5. Tell what was given to them. 6. Where did the other angel stand? 7. What did he have? 8. Tell what was given unto him. 9. With what was he to offer it? 10. On what was he to offer it? 11. Where was this located? 12. Tell what became of the smoke. 13. With what was the censer then filled? 14. What was done with it then? 15. State what resulted in this. 16. What did seven angels have? 17. Tell what they prepared to do. 18. What followed sound of the first angel ? 19. Upon what place were they cast? 20. With what results? 21. What appeared after 2nd angel's sound? 22. Into what was it cast? 23. State the result. 24. What part of the creatures died? 25. Tell what was destroyed. 26. What fen at sound of the third angel? 27. From where did it fan? 28. What was its appearance? 29. Upon what did it fan? 30. State the name of this star. 31. Ten what it turned into its own likeness. 32. What resulted to men? 33. How were the waters made to become? 34. What bodies smitten at sound of 4th angel? 35. Ten what portion of them was smitten. 36. What part of them was darkened? 37. For how long did the day not shine? 38. And what part of the night? 39. What did John see? 40. Did he hear anything? 41. Where was the angel seen? 42. How was he traveling? 43. What kind of voice was he using? 44. Ten what he pronounced thrice. 45. Upon whom were these to come? 46. Where did these creatures inhabit? 47. Was anything yet to come? 48. By what means were they to sound? 49. Through what beings was this to be done? 50. How many angels were there to sound yet? Revelation Chapter EightRalph Starling When the 7th Seal was opened there was found, 7 angels and seven trumpets for them to sound. But the sound of their trumpets could not begin Until the prayers of the saints could ascend. Then the 1st angel with his trumpet began to sound. There was hail, fire, and destruction all around. The 2nd trumpet brought destruction upon the sea, And one third of the creatures and ships ceased to be. The 3rd angel sounded, pollutin the waters and the rivers. And many men died because the waters were bitter. The 4th angel sounded, darkening the sky. The sun, moon and stars could give no light. Still another angel appeared but not of the seven. Announcing 3 woes were yet to be given. Revelation 9:1-12 SECTION FIVE OF THE SIXTH Rev_8:13 to Revelation 9:21 1. THE WOE Rev_8:13 13 And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a great voice,--The King James Version has "angel" instead of "eagle." This is a question of textual criticism which it is unnecessary to give here. The true facts may be derived from either one. Angels have been the usual agents through whom announcements have been made in the visions; but an eagle in the symbol may be the appropriate emblem to proclaim the coming woes. Its cry may have been especially significant for the purpose. The word "woe" sets the last three trumpets off in a separate class from the four preceding. Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, who are yet to sound.--Doubtless the "earth" as John understood it was the Roman Empire. The woes promised then would affect those who dwelt in some part of that empire. Of course all classes, saints and sinners, would be affected more or less. The general results can be seen, though we may not always be able to find definitely what particular thing may be designated by every feature of the vision. Of course the preceding trumpets signified "woes" too, but these three indicated some that were distinctly different. 2. THE OF THE FIFTH TRUMPETRev_9:1-12 1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven fallen unto the earth: and there was given to him the key of the pit of the abyss.--The language of 8:13 shows an evident division between the first four trumpets and the last three. How long a period intervened between the fourth and fifth is not indicated in the text. Only historical facts can give any light on that. We have already found that a star indicates a person of rank or distinction. The star had already fallen (had been cast down) when John saw it. "From heaven" would indicate that the person represented probably claimed divine honors. The pronoun "him" shows that a person is meant. The "abyss" means the abode of Satan and evil spirits. (20:1-3.) The "key" given him indicates his power to turn loose the multitude of evil workers described in the following verses. 2 And he opened the pit of the abyss and there went up a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.--There poured out of the open pit smoke as if coming from a furnace. Such a smoke would darken the sun in the section where it spread. This emblem indicated some evil influence coming directly or indirectly from Satan. Probably referred to false teaching which would darken the minds of men. 3 And out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth ; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.--There is nothing in verses 1 and 2 to indicate either time or place for the fulfillment of the vision. The word "locusts" is the first significant term. John saw them upon the earth; hence, they must represent a host of men bent on some evil work. The description of the locusts (verses 7-11) will not allow them to be understood literally. In the eighth plague of Egypt the locusts came from the east--that is, from Arabia. (Exodus 10:12-15.) This, doubtless, indicates that the hosts they represent would come from that part of the world, and would strike its blow against the Eastern Empire, the capital of which was Constantinople. If so, the fallen star was Mahomet, and the vision was fulfilled in the rise and spread of Mahometanism. This is the view of several expositors, and is accepted here as the view that best accords with all the facts. Since the Roman Empire was divided into Western and Eastern, the fall of the Western in 476 left the Eastern standing. Against this the Mahometans came in the first part of the seventh century. The history, then, if the facts fit the vision, will justify the application to them. The sting of the scorpion is extremely painful, indicating the terrible damage and distress to be accomplished by the powers they represent. 4 And it was said unto them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only such men as have not the seal of God on their foreheads.--Real locusts would destroy grass, vegetation, and leaves. Those John saw were forbidden to damage vegetation; hence, they were symbolical of something else. Regarding the invasion of Syria (A.D. 632), Abubeker, the successor of Mahomet, said: "Destroy no palm trees, nor burn any fields of corn. Cut down no fruit trees." (Decline and Fall, Vol. 5, p. 189.) This is another significant item in helping to identify the Mahometan scourge as the fulfillment of this emblem. Hurting men on earth is a feature that must be taken literally, as there is no other apparent way to understand it. Another proof that in symbolical passages some things may be understood literally. Seal on forehead indicates a convert--one who receives a doctrine in the mind. The command not to hurt such shows that the vision refers to a religious conflict. The text does not say who gave the command to hurt only those not sealed. If from Satan, then it could mean those who would not accept Mahomet as a prophet of God, which he claimed to be. His converts would be considered as having God's seal on their foreheads. It seems improbable that the leader of such a host would have respected the true people of God. 5 And it was given them that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when it striketh a man.--This does not mean that no individuals would be killed; wars of invasion do not usually result that way. But the purpose was not to kill, but to convert men to the so-called prophet. Killing would have defeated that purpose with those destroyed. They were to be tormented with ills comparable to the stings of scorpions. This was clearly the nature of the Mahometan scourge. It is not credible that such a torment as here described would last only five literal months-----150 days. Hence, the prophetic day, according to Ezekiel 4:6, is probably meant. That means a day stands for a year, and the torment would last 150 years. Expositors are not agreed on the date when this period of time began, but this is an immaterial point since we know that about this time (seventh century) the followers of Mahomet started out to make the world submit to the Koran. 6 And in those days men shall seek death, and shall in no wise find it; and they shall desire to die, and death fleeth from them.--This language indicates that the torment was to be so terrible that men would desire death as a release, but would not find it. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared for war; and upon their heads as it were crowns like unto gold, and their faces were as men's faces.--This is how the locusts appeared to John--what he saw in the vision. Horses prepared for war would indicate warfare, and probably cavalry in the main. Such seems to have been the Mahometan method of war. The words "as it were" show that what they wore on their heads were neither crowns nor gold, but only what looked like crowns made of gold. If the Mahometans are represented by this symbol, their yellow turbans would fill the demand for this part of the picture. Faces like men must be in contrast with the faces of women. The essential difference is that men's faces grow beards. As the Arabians wore beards, this feature of the symbol would also fit them. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.--The women wore long hair. (1 Corinthians 11:15.) As a fulfillment of this some refer to the Arabian poem, "Antar," from which Elliott (Vol. I, p. 438) quotes as follows: "lie adjusted himself properly, twirled his whiskers, and folded up his hair under his turban, drawing it from off his shoulders." Teeth like those of lions indicate the fierceness with which they would prosecute their operations. That the Arabians were fierce and unmerciful in forcing submission to Mahometan teaching is perfectly evident from their history. This characteristic is manifested in their actions more than any other feature of the Mahometan soldier. It would be nothing against this interpretation if some feature in the symbol found no likeness in the thing represented; for in all figurative language only similarity is necessary to justify the comparison, not likeness in everything. This is true of parables, metaphors, or other figures. Hence, it could be true in these symbols as well. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to war.--The locusts had breastplates that looked like iron. This would indicate the strong protection they would have against their enemies. Mahomet said to his soldiers: "God hath given you coats of mail to defend you in your wars." The sound of the wings of the locusts seemed to John as the onrushing of war chariots. Doubtless this was a fair representation of the way that the Arabian cavalry made their charges. To say the least, there are too many similaritiesbetween the locusts and the Arabian soldiers to deny that they may be the ones indicated by the symbol. 10 And they have tails like unto scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men five months.--See notes on verse 3. As the sting of the scorpion's tail would be intensely painful, so the torment inflicted by the Mahometan army would be fearful torture. On the five months see notes on verse 5. It does not mean that this false religious system would last only 150 years, but that the torment would continue that long. The history of the Mahometan scourge harmonizes with that fact. 11 They have over them as king the angel of the abyss his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and n the Greek tongue he hath the name Apollyon.--The king over the locusts is said to have been the angel (messenger) of the abyss. If the application to the Mahometan scourge is correct, the king or leader was first Mahomet and then his successors, the Caliphs. But the real leader was Satan himself who inspires and influences men in all evil. These Hebrew and Greek words both mean destroyer, a term which accurately describes the work of Satan. On the word "abyss" see notes on verse 1. 12 The first Woe is past: behold, there come yet two Woes hereafter.--This verse simply announces the interval between the first and second woes, but gives no hint as to the time limit --the beginning or ending of either. Some further facts should be observed here, if the symbol is correctly applied to the Mahometan uprising. Note the following: 1. As collected from various sources these items give the general history of the movement. Mahomet was born about A.D. 570, and in due time became one of the most effective false teachers known to the world. He began his preaching privately in A.D. 609, and his public work in 612. In 632 the Saracens left Arabia to begin their work in forcing the world to accept the Koran; in 634 the city of Damascus was taken Jerusalem fell to them in 637, and Alexandria in Egypt in 640. Elliott (Vol. I, p. 449) says that in ten years, 634 to 644, the Caliph had reduced 36,000 cities or castles to obedience, destroying 4,000 churches, and built 1,400 mosques for the worship of Mahomet. Twice, 675 and 716, they besieged Constantinople, but were repulsed each time; in 762 their capital was moved from Damascus to Bagdad on the Tigris River, and was called "the city of peace." From this time, says Gibbon (Vol. V, p. 300), "War was no longer the passion of the Saracens." A.D. 609, 612, and 632 are all suggested dates to begin the 150-year period. If 612, the time that Mahomet began public preaching, be taken, the period ended with the founding of Bagdad, when war ceased as their passion. This is as probable as any, and fits this feature of the symbol. 2. If it be contended that Mahometanism fails as an unquestionable fulfillment of the symbol, the fact remains that something in that general period of the world must be its fulfillment. To say the least, the Mahometan effort to subvert the whole world to the worship of the prophet may be the thing represented. This false religion came into existence at the right time, swept the nations like a raging forest fire, and forced hundreds of thousands into submission. It would be remarkably strange if it were not included in a book of prophetic symbols touching the welfare of the church. Commentary on Revelation 9:1-12 by Foy E. Wallace The smoke of the pit--(the fifth trumpet)—Revelation 9:1-12. 1. A fallen star: I saw a star fall from heaven”—Revelation 9:1.The star, as in previous instances where the symbol is used, denoted a ruler; and heaven in this connection, as also previously shown, denoted the dominion of these powers. When Jesus said in Luke 10:18, “ I beheld Satan fall as lightning from heaven,” he meant the complete defeat of all the personified agents of Satan. By his fall from heaven, Jesus meant that Satan would be dethroned from his exalted dominion; and his downfall would come swiftly as lightning in the shaping conflict. When the prophet said of a Babylonian ruler, in Isaiah 14:12 --"How art thou fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer (brilliant star), son of the morning; how art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the nations”--it referred to the downfall of the ruler, personified as Lucifer. The name Lucifer in the Septuagint, is translated “ Star,” which was represented as falling from heaven--the wicked king’ s exalted place of dominion. The figure is no different in this Revelation vision. The star is personified in the persecuting ruler. He was designated “ a star fallen from heaven” for the wicked character that he exemplified in the descension from his exalted place of rulership to the satanic plane of a perfidious leader of impious forces. The star falling “ from heaven unto the earth” merely denoted the descent of the ruler from an exalted dominion to a degenerate place of activity among the powers of men. 2. The key to the bottomless pit: “ And to him was given the key to the bottomless pit”—Revelation 9:1.The “ bottomless” pit is the abyss, the infernal region, the diabolical domain of the devil. This fallen star being an agent of Satan personified, he was given the “ key” to the abyss of Satan, that he might unloose the woes announced by the flying angel of Rev 8:13.The smoke of the pit: “ And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened --Revelation 9:2. The pit is the infernal underworld, the dark abode of demons (Luke 8:31). Here the angel has the “ key” to open it--unloose it--hence, an evil angel, in contrast with the angel with the “ chain” in chapter 20, to bind. The smoke of the pit “ as a furnace,” similar to destruction that came upon Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:28), the smoke of a pit sending forth effects of pollution and contamination. Darkening the sun and the air: This was not the eclipse of the sun as in previous symbols, but the veiling of the sun “ by reason of the smoke of the pit.” Here also instead of the sun and the moon being darkened, as before, it is the sun and the air. As noted under the classification of symbols in the preview, the air is the symbol denoting the sphere of life and influence. As the blackout of the sun symbolized the dark distress that hovered over the land, the blackened air, “ by reason of the smoke of the pit,” signifies with the same vividity the corruption of the whole sphere of life by this figure of the complete pollution of the air by the smoke of the infernal pit.Locusts upon the earth: “ And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power"—Revelation 9:3.In Bible times the word locust was applied as widely and as loosely, it seems, as the word worm in our various uses. But in scripture apocalypses, both Old and New, the reference is to a large and vile insect of such multiplicity and voracity as to be a dreaded source of scourge. These insects borne by the wind in swift swarms hundreds of miles were known to the people of Palestine as “ burners of the land,” a phrase derived from the literal meaning of “ locust.” It was their nature to be together, flying in vast numbers, spoiling the grain, infecting the part they did not eat, and poisoning the very air through which they swarmed. A scourge of locusts ended with the decomposition of several millions of the vile things, and resulted in pestilence that afflicted the land, with heavy death toll. (Joe 2:20) One historical example is on record as occurring 125 B.C., when the swarms were driven by strong winds into the sea, and washed back by the tide in such vast numbers as to cause a stench and a plague from which several thousand people died in the countries of Libya, Cyrene and Egypt. From the time of Moses they were the instruments of divine judgment as in Exodus 10:4-15; Deuteronomy 28:38-42; 1 Kings 8:37. The prophet Joel makes this locust the figurative instrument of fearful visitation in his vivid description of the devastating march of the Assyrian armies through the land. (Joe 2:9-11.) It is this symbolic locust, swarming from the smoke of the abyss as a scourge “ upon the earth,loch” that is employed in the vision here, to signify the woe being pronounced by the angel of the fifth trumpet upon Jerusalem and the land of the Jews. By the same symbol Joel described the invading armies of Israel's Old Testament history (Joe 1:4-6)--a striking parallel. Unto them was given power as the scorpions of earth: The scorpion is described as a small venomous reptile (Deuteronomy 8:15) having a bladder full of poison. Its anatomical description gives it two eyes in its mid-head, and another two eyes toward its extremity; with two arms like claws, eight legs with six talons each; a long tail like a string of beads, with two stingers full of poison, which it squirts into the object of its sting. This creature is used in the scripture figuratively to denote the wicked who torment the good. (Ezekiel 2:6) Jesus used it as a figure in promising his disciples power over every evil thing or agent that Satan could employ to their hurt (Luke 10:19). In the present vision of chapter 9 the locusts from the abyss were “ given” the power of the scorpions of the earth--signifying the affiliation of all the evil forces of the infernal underworld to be personified in the characters of wicked rulers.Hurt not grass, green thing, tree: “ And it commanded them not to hurt the grass, or the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those men who have not the seal of God in their foreheads”—Revelation 9:4.In Revelation 8:7 the signal of the first trumpet was in the judgment against the land, symbolized by that which was in nature of it. But this first woe of chapter 9 does not have the destruction of the physical powers as its object, but the spiritual. But only those who have not the seal: The “ sealed of God” were the true disciples whom the scorpion power was commanded not to hurt; and it corresponds with Luke 21:25-28, “ Look up, lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.” Matthew describes in Msy 24:15- 30, the escape of the disciples; and so does Luke in Luke 21:18.Should not kill: “ And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when it striketh a Prayer of Manasseh—Revelation 9:5.The victims were not put to death--the descriptions of the siege of Jerusalem. But tormented five months: This referred to the literal period of time for the season of locusts, from spring to autumn (May to September), but here it figuratively denoted the full time, the whole period for the effects described, designating figuratively the period of the siege. Torment as of a scorpion when he strikes man: The baneful effects of the siege on its victims had figuratively all of the sting of the scorpion’ s tail-sorrow, suffering, famine, pestilence, carnage, stench and putrefaction, indescribable. Vivid description of these deadly carriers of the scourge of pestilence and putrefaction are narrated in dictionaries of antiquities and historical works, such as Josephus and Pliny.Seeking death--“ In those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it"—Revelation 9:6.For comparison read Luke 21:26, Matthew 24:22, and Mark 13:12; Mark 13:20 -the Lord’ s own predictions concerning these events. There could be no fitter application of these symbols than the tragic conditions attending the siege of Jerusalem, as described in the graphic language of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The horse-like locusts.“ And the shapes of the locusts were like the shapes of horses prepared for battle"—Revelation 9:7.Shapes like horses: The composite appearance of the locusts-shape of horses for battle, heads as gold crowns, faces of men--shows this symbolism to be that of the rulers with their armies of destruction. The locusts were seen as horses “ prepared for battle,” as the horses in cavalry battalions. Heads as crowns: The heads of the locusts were seen as “ crowns like gold” signifying that they were the armies of the Roman generals Vespasian and Titus, both of whom were given imperial crowns, in connection with their invasions of Judea and the siege of Jerusalem. Faces as faces of men: The faces of the locusts, as men, identifies the symbolism with the imperial armies invading “ the holy land” as swarms of locusts. It is not a new form of apocalypse at all. The prophetic vision in Joe 1:1-6; Joe 2:1-4 was the description of the invasion of the land of Judea by the armies of the north (Joe 1:6; Joe 2:20), as a baneful swarm of locusts, having both animal-like and humanlike forms-“ The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen so shall they run.” These visions of Joel, and of other pre-exile prophets, foretold the fall of Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar, having besieged the city, shut its inhabitants within the walls, inflicting upon them all the horrors of famine, pestilence and war, eventually burning the temple and its buildings, razing the walls, and reducing the city to rubbish and ruin--all the dreadful horrors of which were depicted by both Jeremiah and Joel. As the prophet Joel’ s apocalypse of the invasion of locusts concerned the Jerusalem of about B. C. 600, this vision of John’ s apocalypse concerned the Jerusalem of A. D. 70, when Vespasian and Titus executed the imperial orders of Nero to besiege and destroy the city, the miseries of which exceeded all of its calamitous history before and after. “ And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that desolation is near . . . for these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.” Luke 21:20; Luke 21:22. “ For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Matthew 24:22. “ For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation, which God created unto this time, neither shall be.” Mark 13:19. The cumulative evidence is preponderant that John’ s visions encompass the invasion of Judea and the fall of Jerusalem described by Jesus in the records of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The locust features: “ And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth as the teeth of lions"—Revelation 9:8.The hair of women: The kind of insect forming this vision was that of the hairy species referred to in Jeremiah 51:27 as “ rough caterpillars,” or the “ cankerworm” of the Revised Version, but is admittedly the variety of the devouring locust with a sort of bristling long hair. The comparison with the hair of women is because of the feature that draws attention, as the waving hair, the abundance of which is the woman’ s natural glory-- John 11:2; John 12:3; 1 Corinthians 11:14-15. It is used as a figure to impress the personality of the locust creatures of this vision. The teeth of lions: The same figure is used in Joel’ s vision of the army of locusts, which signified that “ a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.” (Joe 1:6) It is a symbol of strength, as the frequent expression to put teeth in legislation, and is designed to personify the locusts of this vision. The locusts of war: “ And they had breast plates as it were of iron”—Revelation 9:9 Breastplates of iron: The breastplate is the armor of war. Its figurative use here is sufficiently obvious, showing the symbolic locusts to be men of war, and the whole scene descriptive of the Vespasian march on Jerusalem. The locusts were seen as haberdashed with breastplates of iron, as if shielded by the Roman soldier’ s impenetrable coat of mail, encompassing the vital portions of the body. The figure of “ iron” connected with breastplate denotes the irresistible force of the armies of invasion. Sound of wings as chariots: The whirling of myriad wings of the locusts were in sound as the wheels of bustling chariots and hustling horses racing to battle. Here again John joins Joel in the imagery of war in their respective visions of the locusts. Describing the Chaldean armies as swarms of locusts in their march on Jerusalem B.C. 584, Joel said: “ The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains shall they leap . . . as a strong people set in battle array.” The locust visions of Joel and John are parallel--the former describing the Old Testament war of Nebuchadnezzar on the Jews, the latter the Neroan war of A. D. 70 on Judea and Jerusalem. Joel referred to the locusts as “ people set in battle array,” or battle formation. John referred to the locusts as “ chariots running to battle.” The parallels and the applications are unmistakable. The Power to hurt: “ And they had tails like scorpions, and their power was to hurt men five months.” –Revelation 9:10.Tails like scorpions: This is a reemphasis of Rev 9:5 with extended detail. These were unusual locusts, showing that they were figurative, not literal. The locusts had tails like scorpions--unlike the serpent that coils and strikes with the head, the scorpion strikes with its tail. The usual length of the scorpion was about two inches, but large scorpions of the deadly species exceeded six inches. Its sting produced violent convulsions, excruciating pain and death. In this vision it symbolizes the deadly striking power of the invading army. Power to hurt five months: In Revelation 9:5 the expression is “ tormented five months” ; here it is “ power to hurt men five months.” The season of the locust was from late spring to early fall of the year, May to September in our calendar. The expression five months, being the whole season of the locust, figuratively denotes the activity of the persecuting powers through the period of tribulation without surcease. The king of the pit: “ They had a king over them which is the angel of the bottomless pit”—Revelation 9:11.A king, angel of bottomless pit: The king “ over them” --over this ferocious locust army, was the angel-king of the abyss; he was Satan personified in the persecutor. As in later chapters (Revelation 12:9-12; Revelation 20:2) the dragon-beast, the old serpent, “ was called the Devil, and Satan which deceiveth the whole world,” the king of this army of the abyss was Satan himself, represented in the persecuting power. Undoubtedly, Paul has reference to the persecutor when in Romans 16:20 he said, “ The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” In early chapters reference was made to the “ synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9); “ Satan’ s seat” (Revelation 2:13); and the “ depths of Satan” (Revelation 2:24). The epithet itself means adversary, enemy, accuser. It comports fully with the symbolism of these visions that Satan, angel-king of the abyss, should be personified by the persecutors in this vision. Abaddon, Apollyon: The Hebrew word Abaddon means “ destroyer.” The Greek word Apollyon means the same. The word Satan means “ adversary,” but in this vision the adversary was given power todestroy. Verse 9 above says the power was “ given.” Jesus said to Pilate: “ Thou couldest have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above.” (John 20:11) By reason of this power of destruction personified, the angel-king Destroyer (Abaddon-Apollyon) was so designated. It was most apropos to so entitle the impious leader of such a monstrous army of horrid creatures of the abyss, to thus liken the literal emperor of the Roman world to the figurative king of the underworld. The depths of Satan is the boldest delineation, the personification of whom code language alone could allow, as in a later chapter it was again done in the name and number of the beast. And to so label this monarch of oppression a despot; the destroyer in both of the two spoken languages-- Abaddon and Apollyon, the Hebrew and Greek--was a challenge to boldness which must have excited courage and inspired fortitude in all the suffering saints. The woes: “ One woe is past, behold there come two woes more hereafter”—Revelation 9:12.In 8:13 the flying angel announced three woes to enhance solemnity. Now, it was John speaking, not the angel, not the eagle, not one of the elders, nor one of the creatures, but John. As if to mark by count the three woes announced by the angel in Revelation 8:13, in recording tones John said: “ One woe is past: and, behold there come two woes more hereafter.” A retrospective comment is in order here on the meaning of the expression “ third part” in the beginning of fifth trumpet—Revelation 9:7-8; Revelation 9:10; Revelation 9:12 --finds explanation in the three woes, each announcement of the angel representing a third part of the whole realm of the woes. Commentary on Revelation 9:1-12 by Walter Scott TWO FALLEN STARS. Revelation 9:1 — “A star out of the Heaven fallen to the earth.” The Authorized Version reads, “ I saw a star fall from Heaven,” whereas what the Seer beheld was the star when fallen, not in the act of falling.Under the third and fifth Trumpets (Revelation 8:10; Revelation 9:1) apostate personages of high position and of commanding influence figure in the prophetic scene. The “ great star” of Revelation 8:10 and the “ star” of Revelation 9:1 do not set forth systems of civil or ecclesiastical power singly or combined, nor a succession of eminent persons, but point to those once set in the moral Heaven, i.e., recognized authorities of a religious character now fallen and degraded and acting under satanic influence. In the earlier reference (Revelation 8:10) the degraded ruler fills the western part of the Roman world (the guiltiest) with misery and death. In the later scene he is about to let loose the malignant and darkening power of Satan on the apostate part of Judah. (Judah, in the coming crisis, in her closing hour of sorrow and unbelief, and previous to the public intervention of Christ on her behalf, seems to be completely under the power and influence of Satan. The last state of Israel is worse than the first. Idolatry rampant in the land (Matthew 12:45), and her chiefs and guides in league with death and hell (Isaiah 28:15-18), make an awful picture of combined satanic and human wickedness.) Apostate Gentiles are the subjects of judgment under the third Trumpet; apostate Jews are the sufferers under the fifth Trumpet. The state of things under the first Woe, or fifth Trumpet, surpasses anything we have hitherto witnessed. Direct satanic influence and power energize the agents and instruments of evil. AND .Under the successive judgments and events revealed in the Apocalypse a certain historical correspondence and sequence may be traced. But by no means a partial, much less an exhaustive, fulfilment is to be sought for in the annals of the historian.The Revelation, from chapter 4 to 22: 5, is not history, but prophecy. The shadows only of the future are thrown on the masterly pages of Gibbon and others. But inasmuch as the principles which govern men and nations are ever the same, for there is “ nothing new under the sun,” an historical resemblance to the prophecies under the Seals, Trumpets, and Vials is fully allowed. We are satisfied, however, that the historical application of the Apocalypse, especially the central part, as set forth in most of the literature on the subject today, is a serious mistake. The course of prophecy is resumed in connection with the last of Daniel’ s 70 weeks or 490 years (Daniel 9:27), and after the translation of the heavenly saints (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Paul witnesses to the translation. John in the Apocalypse views the translated in Heaven (Revelation 4:1-11). The whole of this Church period, the history of Christianity itself, is a great and intensely interesting episode, and has its place between the close of the sixty-ninth and the opening of the seventieth week of Daniel, and yet forming no part of either. The Church is not the subject of prophecy but of Revelation. It was a mystery hidden from men and angels till revealed to and by Paul to us (Ephesians 3:1-21). The Jew, and subordinately the Gentile, is the subject of prophecy. The supreme importance of the Jew is the key to unlock prophecy. The prophetic periods are all in relation to the Jews and Jerusalem (Daniel 9:24) (“ Seventy weeks (490 years) are determined upon thy people (the Jews), and upon thy holy city (Jerusalem).” ); those contained in the central part of the Apocalypse equally so. But, as we have said, history presents a resemblance (not fulfilment) to the prophetic portions of the Apocalypse; a resemblance not devoid of interest. According to the ablest of the historical school — and in this there is substantial agreement amongst his confreres — the first four Seals represent four successive periods of pagan Rome. Then on the downfall of paganism and the historical triumph of Christianity large numbers, both of Jews and Gentiles, were converted to God, and of this it is supposed Revelation 7:1-17 speaks. Then the first four Trumpets are said to pertain still to pagan Rome, but in its decline, downfall, and extinction in the west. The northern irruptions of Gothic, Lombard, and Hungarian into the fertile fields and rich and prosperous towns of Italy soon culminated in the destruction of the empire of the Caesars. The rule of the uncivilised barbarian in Rome itself, once the proud and haughty mistress of the world, was a sorrowful but instructive spectacle. Rome fell A.D. 476.Again, the fallen star of Rev 9:1-21 is generally supposed to point to the great Arabian impostor Mohammed, and certainly he may well be regarded as the prototype of the coming false prophet, the man of sin, and the Antichrist — titles referring to one and the same person. Mohammed was born in Arabia, at the famous city of Mecca, A.D. 570. The Koran is the Bible of the Mohammedan world, and was cleverly compiled by Mohammed, partly from materials supplied by a renegade Jew and an apostate Christian, and added to by the impostor himself as occasion required. Whatever is really good in it is from Judaism and Christianity. But there is much that is disgusting and filthy in the book. Mohammedanism as a system is the greatest curse on the face of the earth, and has effected the spiritual ruin today of fully 150 millions of the earth’ s teeming population, and what of the countless millions in the past who lived and died in the faith of the hellish creed of the Arabian prophet? The professing Church has broken up into fragments, and by far the largest and worst of these fragments is Roman Catholicism. But bad as it is, with its mixture of paganism and Christianity, Mohammedanism is infinitely worse. Its founder was, without doubt, devil inspired. Mohammed, the fallen star, opened the pit and let loose the darkening power of Satan, and flooded the east, and partially the west, with doctrines which can justly be termed hellish in their nature and effects. For information on this system of deadly error, see “ Studies in Mohammedanism,” by J. J. Pool.) founded the most satanic system the world has ever known. The Antichrist yet to come will head up under Satan the most awful combination of soul-destroying and blasphemous doctrines conceivable. Pursuing the historical application, the locust army would be the Saracens, whose military achievements, equalled by their spiritual conquests, are a wonder to this day. The east was conquered. The Crescent displaced the Cross. The ruin of the east may be well likened to a locust devastation. Only the glorious victory of Charles the Hammer (so termed because of his military prowess) at Tours, in France, checked the career of the Saracenic host and preserved the west as a whole from Mohammedan apostasy, with its awful consequences for time and eternity. The five months of torment (Revelation 9:10) are supposed to refer to the 150 years of unchecked conquest by the Moslem hordes on the year-day theory. Then the sixth Trumpet, or second Woe, is applied to the revival of Mohammedanism under the Turks, and the extinction of the Greek-Roman empire in the ever memorable siege and capture of Constantinople. For nearly eight hundred years repeated efforts had been made to establish Islamism in the eastern half of the empire, but beautiful Constantinople, standing on the borders of Europe and Asia — the Bosphorus dividing the two continents — defied capture. Its hour, however, had come. The decree had gone forth. Mohammed the Second entered Constantinople on the morning of the 29th May, 1453. The great Greek Church was purified and then transformed into a mosque, and the Crescent floated over the walls of the city of the Caesars.But the corrupt Turkish power is waning, and the predicted drying up of the Euphrates (Revelation 16:12), that famous river, is claimed by historicalists to point to that cruel Mohammedan power now and for many years past almost tottering to its fall. Its complete destruction is certain. Such, then, in brief, are a few of the leading points in which, in the interpretation of the prophetic parts of the Apocalypse, the historical school feel on firm ground. In our judgment the position is untenable. It is an impossibility to square these prophetic visions with the facts of history. There is at the most but a general resemblance, and fulfilment in the past of the visions and prophecies there is not. God will “ Amen” them to the full in that brief and solemn crisis for Israel and Christendom, after the translation of the heavenly saints, in the coming reign of Antichrist and his political chief and confederate, the Beast or revived empire, with its great personal head, the little horn of the west (Daniel 7:7-8).THE FALLEN STAR; OR, THE The rise of a personal Antichrist in the last dark days of Gentile and Jewish apostasy was an undoubted article of belief in apostolic and succeeding Christian times. There have been many Antichrists and antichristian systems of deadly error, but there is yet a blacker outlook. The Antichrist to come, an apostate of Jewish extraction, will be the incarnation of satanic wickedness and the greatest soul-destroyer who has ever trod the earth; moreover, he will sum up in himself every form and phase of sin, and head the most awful system of corrupt and damnable evil ever known — a combination of Jewish and Christian profession, and “ natural religion” too — in open daring rebellion against God. He assumes Christ’ s place, titles, and functions on earth. He works miracles. Supernatural signs accredit his mission, and by these he deceives guilty Christendom, and thus lures it on to hopeless destruction.It is during the last phase of the revived power of Rome when distributed into ten kingdoms that the personal Antichrist arises. (The rise of the Antichrist — after the subversion of the one undivided empire of the Caesars, and during its prophetic revival when portioned into ten kingdoms with a great central and controlling chief — was taught and “ expounded with confidence, definiteness, and unanimity by the whole body of patristic writers.” — “ The Antichrist Legend,” Englished from the German W. Bousset. There may be much in this remarkable work to condemn, but it contains a vast amount of able research and valuable information as to what the early Christians taught and held on the doctrine of a personal Antichrist.) This final character of Rome was therefore dreaded by the early Christians. In their minds the future revival of the civil power of Rome and the presence of the Antichrist were coeval and connected events. They were wont to pray for the continuance of the empire in its imperial form, and even for the rule of the cruellest of the Caesars, as the last bulwark against the coming sway of the Antichrist. The subject of the Antichrist was a common one to the fathers of the Church. Some held that he was the devil incarnate; others spoke of him as “ the devil’ s son.” The relation of Satan and the Antichrist in the traditional lore of the first four Christian centuries may be resolved into two distinct thoughts: first, that the coming Antichrist (as delineated by John), or the man of sin (as described by Paul), is a real man of earthly Jewish parentage, controlled directly by Satan; second, that he is Satan incarnate, and thus in his conception simulating the miraculous birth of our blessed Lord. The former notion is undoubtedly the scriptural one, and it is an interesting fact that Jerome in the west, and Chrysostom in the east, distinctly taught that the Antichrist is a man energised by Satan, in direct opposition to those who maintained that he was the devil in human form. “ Henceforth the assumption that the Antichrist is the devil himself practically dies out of ecclesiastical tradition.” The early Christians regarded Nero (It was during the reign of Nero, that Christianity and paganism first came into open conflict. The history of these thirteen years, in which for the first time persecution of the Christian, was legalized by imperial edict, has never yet been fully written. The unchronicled events of that reign await full disclosure at the judgment seat of Christ.) and Claudius, especially the former, as precursors of the Antichrist. The almost superhuman wickedness of Nero marks him out in the page of history as the most apt and fitting historical type of the coming man of sin and blood.The mass of Protestant expositors apply the term Antichrist to the papal system. But this we conceive is a blunder. The term Antichrist, whether employed in the singular or plural, denotes a person or persons, never a system. The Roman Catholic interpreters have written much and learnedly on this theme, and, we are compelled to add, more correctly than many of their Protestant opponents. The former look on to the end for the rise of a personal Antichrist, (To the Protestant the Pope is an Antichrist. To the Papist Luther is an Antichrist. Both are wrong, for both miss the scriptural characteristics of Antichrist, and these, as described by John and Paul, do not apply to the Pope, much less to the illustrious reformer.) and in this they are right. He is yet to come. Dr. Manning, one of the most distinguished of Roman Catholics, held that the Antichrist, or “ the man of sin,” is one individual, and neither a succession of persons nor a system. He says: “ To deny the personality of Antichrist is therefore to deny the plain testimony of Holy Scripture.” The learned Cardinal adds: “ He (the Antichrist) may indeed embody a spirit, and represent a system, but is not less therefore a person.” (Dr. Manning further shows that the rise of the papacy in the west and its hindrance in the east is accounted for in the fact that the throne of the Caesars removed from Rome paved the way for the establishment of Roman Catholicism in Italy; whereas the political imperial power in Constantinople hindered and checked the claims of the papacy in the east. This witness is true.) Bellarmine, second to none as a Roman Catholic writer, tersely sums up papal belief on the subject of the Antichrist, saying, “ All Catholics hold that Antichrist will be one individual person.” One special person, a man, a Jew, an apostate, is the Antichrist of the prophetic Scriptures.Some modern expositors regard the Antichrist as the civil head of the Roman empire, but this is not so. He is the false messiah, the minister of Satan amongst the Jews in Jerusalem, working signs and displaying wonders through direct satanic power. He sits in the temple of God then set up in Jerusalem, and claims divine worship. The Beast (Rome), the false prophet or the Antichrist, and the dragon (Satan) are deified and worshipped, counterfeiting the worship of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The apostate nation accepts the Antichrist as king. In no sense is he a great political power. True, he influences Christendom, but religiously, not politically. The government of the world, civil and political, is then in the hands of a great Gentile chief. It is he whose throne is in Rome who rules politically under Satan. The Antichrist has his seat in Jerusalem. The head of Gentile dominion in Rome. The two men are ministers of Satan, confederates in wickedness; the one a Jew, the other a Gentile. Both exist at the Coming of the Lord in judgment, and both are then consigned alive to the lake of fire — an eternal doom.The term Antichrist is used only by the writer of the Apocalypse, and by him four times (1 John 2:18; 1 John 2:22; 1 John 4:3; 2 John 1:7), and once in the plural (1 John 2:18). From these texts we gather several important points. The rise of Antichrists is a definite mark of “ the last time;” they are apostates. The Antichrist sets himself in direct opposition to what is vital in Christianity — the revelation of the Father and of the Son — and also to the distinguishing truth of Judaism — Jesus the Christ (1 John 2:22). The holy Person of the Lord is also the object of satanic attack by Antichrists (2 John 1:7). Evil of this character is found fully developed in the coming Antichrist, in whom every form of religious evil culminates.Paul, in one of his earliest and briefest epistles (2 Thess.), sketches a personage characterized by impiety, lawlessness, and assumption towering far beyond all the world has ever seen, a character clearly identical with the Antichrist of John. They are one and the same person, and on this, in all ages, there has been an almost complete concensus of opinion.It is evident that Paul had personally instructed the Thessalonian Christians on the solemn subjects of the coming apostasy or public abandonment of Christianity, and, consequent thereon, the revelation of the man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2:5). He now adds to former verbal instruction. There are three descriptive epithets here used of the Antichrist: “ The lawless one” (R.V.), “ the man of sin,” and “ the son of perdition.” The first intimates that he sets himself in direct opposition to all divine and human authority. The second, that he is the living and active embodiment of every form and character of evil — sin personified. The third, that he is the full-blown development of the power of Satan, and as such perdition is his proper doom and portion. This frightful character usurps God’ s place on earth, and sits in the temple then set up in Jerusalem, claiming divine worship and honour (Revelation 9:4). His religious influence, for he is not a political person of any account, dominates the mass of professing Christians and Jews. They are caught in Satan’ s snare. They had already given God up, had publicly renounced the Christian faith and the essential truth of Judaism, and now in retributive justice He gives them up to the awful delusion of receiving the man of sin whilst believing him to be the true messiah (Revelation 9:11). What a lie! The Antichrist received and believed on instead of the Christ of God! If verse 9 is compared with Acts 2:22 a remarkable correspondence is shown. The very same terms are found in both texts, namely, power, signs, and wonders. By these God would accredit the mission and service of Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 2:22), and by the same credentials Satan presents the Antichrist to an apostate world (2 Thessalonians 2:9). In the latter case, however, lying and deceit significantly characterise the more than human signs of that day (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).The Lord Himself refers to the Antichrist and to his acceptance by the Jews as their messiah and prophet (John 5:43). In the book of Psalms he is prophetically written of in his character as “ the man of the earth” (Psalms 10:18), as also “ the bloody and deceitful man” (Psalms 5:6), whilst these descriptive epithets are in themselves characteristic of the wicked in general in the coming crisis, yet there is one person, and but one, to whom they can in the fullest sense refer. It is the character of the Antichrist, and not his person, that is before us in these and other Psalms.Daniel in chapter 11 of his prophecy refers to three kings: The king of the north (Syria); the king of the south (Egypt); and the king in Palestine (the Antichrist). The wars, family alliances, and intrigue so minutely detailed in the first thirty-five verses of this interesting chapter have had an exact historical fulfilment in the history of the Syrian and Egyptian kingdoms formed after the break up of the mighty Grecian empire. It was this prophecy in its literal and detailed fulfilment which so roused the ire of that bitter pagan and opponent of divine truth, Porphyry, in the third century. His “ Treatise against Christians” is the armory which from the seventeenth century has supplied material for attacks upon Christianity. Think of Christian (?) teachers eagerly availing themselves of the help of a pagan philosopher in their wicked campaign against the truth!In verse 36 “the king” is abruptly introduced into the history. This king is the Antichrist whose reign in Palestine precedes that of the true Messiah, even as King Saul preceded King David, the former pointing to the anti-Christian king, and the latter to Christ, the true King of Israel. This portion of the chapter (Daniel 11:36-45) is yet future, carrying us on to the time of the end (Daniel 11:40). The king exalts himself, and magnifies himself above man and every god. The pride of the devil is embodied in this terrible Jewish character. God’ s place alone will satisfy his ambition. What a contrast to the true Messiah, to Jesus Who humbled Himself as none other ever did. He Who was God humbled Himself, even to the death of the cross (Philippians 2:5-8).That the Antichrist is of Jewish descent seems evident from Daniel 11:37, as also from the consideration that otherwise he could have no claim even with apostate Jews to the throne of Israel. The king, or the Antichrist, is attacked from the north and south, his land, Palestine, lying between the two. He is unable, even with the help of his ally, the powerful chief of the west, to ward off the repeated attacks of his northern and southern enemies. The former is the more bitter and determined of the two. Palestine is overrun by the conquering forces of the north; but its king, the Antichrist, escapes the vengeance of the great northern oppressor, of whom Antiochus Epiphanes of infamous memory is the prototype. The Antichrist is the subject of the Lord’ s judgment at His Return from Heaven (Revelation 19:20).In the Apocalypse, chapter 13, two Beasts are seen in vision. The first is the Roman power and its blasphemous head under the direct control of Satan (Revelation 13:1-10). The second Beast is the personal Antichrist (Revelation 13:11-17). The first is characterized by brute force. It is the political power of earth in those days, and the one to whom Satan “ gave his power, and his throne, and great authority” (Revelation 13:2). The second Beast is clearly subordinate to the power of the first (Revelation 13:12). It is religious, not political, ends he has in view. Religious pretension is supported by the might and strength of apostate Rome; thus the two Beasts act together under their great chief, Satan. The three are jointly worshipped.The second Beast, or Antichrist, is identical with “ the false prophet,” named three times (Revelation 16:13; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10). The respective heads of the rebellion against Christ in His royal and prophetic rights are two men directly controlled and energised by Satan — a trinity of evil. “ The dragon has given his external power to the first Beast (Revelation 13:8); to the second he gives his spirit, so that having this spirit it speaks as a dragon” (v. 11).(“ Daniel and the Revelation.” p. 309. — Auberlen.)Finally, Zechariah refers to the Antichrist as the “ idol shepherd,” utterly regardless of the flock (Israel) over whom he assumes royal, priestly, and prophetic power. But his boasted authority (his arm) and vaunted intelligence (his right eye) by which his pretensions in the land are supported are utterly blasted, while personally he is cast alive into the eternal abode of misery, the lake of fire (Zechariah 11:15-17; Revelation 19:20).In our judgment, therefore, the fallen star under the first Woe unmistakably designates the Antichrist. To whom other of the apocalyptic personages could the description apply? The spiritual aims and religious pretensions of Satan are supported and enforced by the Antichrist, whilst his temporal sovereignty on earth is established in the kingdom and person of the Roman prince. (The blessed Lord peremptorily refused to accept from Satan universal lordship and glory (Matthew 4:8-9). But the coming prince will gladly receive both at the hands of Satan; the awful compact is ratified, the Beast worships the dragon, and Satan then endows his political minister with the world’ s sovereignty.)Now the agony here depicted is that of soul and conscience; not bodily anguish. The Antichrist seems the devil’ s chosen instrument in the infliction of the former, whereas in the latter kind of torment the brute force of the Beast is let loose, indulging itself in scenes of cruelty and bloodshed, tormenting the bodies of men.After this long but needful digression we return to our chapter.THE FALLEN STAR.Revelation 9:1. — “I saw a star out of the Heaven fallen to the earth; and there was given to it the key of the pit of the abyss.” This symbolic fallen star, once set in the moral Heaven to reflect and uphold God’ s authority in government, is neither a religious nor a political system, but an actual person, a degraded ruler. The reference is not to the fall of Satan, as prophetically beheld and announced by the Lord to the Seventy (Luke 10:18), but to the king of Babylon. “ How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, (Lucifer signifies day star, and is so rendered in the Revised Version of Isa 14:12.) son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the nations!” (Isaiah 14:12-15). The haughty, great, and proud king of Babylon is here alluded to in his awful fall from a height never before attained by any earthly potentate, down to the lowest depths of infamy. “ Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell (sheol), to the uttermost parts of the pit.” Some regard the “ day star” of the prophet (Isaiah 14:12), and fallen star of the Apocalypse (Revelation 9:1-21. l), as both pointing to the fall of Satan from Heaven, but we are satisfied that the king of Babylon (The first and fourth of the universal imperial powers (Daniel 2:1-49; Daniel 7:1-28), to whom Judah was enslaved, were Babylon and Rome. The former is doomed to everlasting desolation. “ Thus shall Babylon sink and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her” (Jeremiah 51:64). It is a mistake to suppose that either Babylon as a city, or the ancient Chaldean empire will again flourish. The last holder of the imperial power on earth. “the Beast,” takes up and completes the story of Babylon. The historical Nebuchadnezzar is a type of the great coming Gentile chief who will combine, with features peculiar to himself, the main characteristics of the three preceding empires. The king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:1-32) is a type of the king in the last days of Gentile supremacy prior to the Lord’ s Return.) is signified by the former and the Antichrist by the latter. The context of both Scriptures confirms the prophetic application to the secular and religious chiefs of the last days — the Beast and the False Prophet.This fallen dignitary has committed to him “ the key of the pit of the abyss.” “ The key” symbolizes competent authority (see Matthew 16:19; Revelation 1:18; Revelation 3:7; Revelation 20:1). “The pit of the abyss” is a singular expression, only used in connection with the judgment recorded in verses one and two of our chapter. “ The bottomless pit,” or abyss, occurs seven times in the Apocalypse. The deep, or abyss, (Luke 8:31) seems the prison house of demons, in which Satan is to be confined for one thousand years (Revelation 20:3) — the duration of the kingdom reign. The lake of fire, not the abyss, is the eternal abode of the devil and of the lost. Says the Rev. W. B. Carpenter in his commentary on the Apocalypse: “ The verse before us suggests the picture of a vast depth approached by a pit or shaft, whose top, or mouth, is covered. Dante’ s Inferno, with its narrowing circles winding down to the central shaft, is somewhat similar. The abyss is the lowest spring of evil, whence the worst dangers arise” (cp. Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:1-3). Here, then, the abyss is regarded as locked up, but commission is given to unlock it. It has been contended that, as a result of this vast prison house being opened, swarms of evil spirits issue therefrom and overrun the earth. But smoke, not spirits, rose up out of the pit, and out of the smoke emerged a devastating swarm of symbolic locusts. SATANIC AND ITS EFFECT.Revelation 9:2. — “And there went up smoke out of the pit as (the) smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke of the pit.” A satanic delusion bred in the abyss, and characterised by its moral blinding and withering effect is here intimated. Probably the same delusion to which Christendom will be given over referred to by Paul (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). The effect of the smoke or darkening influence and power of Satan will be to blight the supreme government (the sun), and darken and corrupt the whole social life and principles of men (the air). The air denoting moral influence occurs twice in the Apocalypse, under the fifth Trumpet (Revelation 9:2) and in the pouring out of the seventh Vial (Revelation 16:17).THE LOCUST ARMY.Revelation 9:3-10. — Neither the smoke nor the locusts are literal. The smoke gives birth to the locusts. “Out of the smoke came forth locusts on the earth.” Satanic agencies are let loose upon the prophetic scene. The intense anguish caused by these hordes of satanic instruments and agents is likened to the torment caused by the poisonous sting of the scorpion, a creature which shuns the light, and is justly dreaded by the native races of Africa and the various Arab tribes of Asia. It is not often that the sting proves fatal, but the suffering is dreadful. “ The scorpion is constantly shaking his tail to strike, and the torment caused by his sting is very grievous.” In Luke 10:19 the Lord connects serpents, scorpions, and the power of the enemy with the fall of Satan, as here scorpions with the fallen star. But these hellish instruments of vengeance let loose upon guilty Israel are powerless, save as authority is given them to act: “And power was given to them as the scorpions of the earth have power” (Revelation 9:3).That the locust army is a symbolical representation of judgment of a superhuman kind is evident from the whole description, as also from the prohibition to injure the grass and trees (v. 4), their natural food. There is a further reason why the vegetable world was to be spared. A general condition of prosperity in the temporal circumstances and position of men is intimated by the grass, “ any green thing,” and trees. Now the locusts were commissioned to invade Palestine, the country above all others of grasses, and injure alone “ the men who have not the seal of God on their foreheads” (Revelation 9:4). The Gentile multitude is not sealed; the 144,000 of Israel are (Revelation 7:3-4). Here, then, the unsealed part of the nation is given up to drink the cup of the Lord’ s vengeance, yea, to the dregs thereof. Death would be a welcome release from the torment, the anguish of soul inflicted by these myrmidons of Satan, but that last refuge of despair is denied them, “ death flees from them” (Revelation 9:6). The gnawing anguish and horrible torment of a guilty and sin-defiled conscience is beyond all telling; it can only be weighed and balanced by those enduring it.The duration of the satanic scourge is limited to five months (Revelation 9:5), the time of natural locust life. (From May to September.) The time specified points to a brief and determinate period of woe, not necessarily one of five literal months.Next follows a detailed description of the locust army, each item in the delineation being significant and full of meaning.(1) They are seen fully prepared and eager in warlike energy to execute their commission, “ like to horses prepared for war.” (In Italy and in some other countries locusts are termed “ little horses,” because of the resemblance of the head to that of the horse (see Joe 2:4). Hostile armies, especially cavalry, are in the Sacred Writings symbolised by locust invasion (Joe 2:1-32; Jeremiah 51:27). For the desolation caused by a locust plague see Exodus 10:12-15.)(2) They lay claim to royal dignity. The crown of gold adorns the head of the Son of Man (Revelation 14:14), and also those of the triumphant elders or redeemed (Revelation 4:4). But these satanic invaders from the smoke of the pit are not really crowned, nor is real gold in question. They lay claim to a dignity not divinely conferred. “ Upon their heads as crowns like gold.” Their pretension to royal authority is spurious.(3) They profess to be guided in their movements by human intelligence, but in appearance only, “ their faces as faces of men.” Their assumed dignity and intelligence are as worthless as their claim to royal authority.(4) Their effeminacy and subjection, not to God, but to Satan their leader, are next intimated: “ They had hair as women's hair. “(5) They are savage, rapacious, cruel: “ Their teeth were as of lions” (Joe 1:6).(6) They know no pity. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 9:13-21 3. OF THE SIXTH TRUMPETRev_9:13-21 13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God,--In the temple the golden altar was the altar of incense before the of the golden altar which is before God. 14 one saying to the sixth angel that had the trumpet, Loose the four angels that are bound at the great veil. (Exodus 40:26.) See notes on Revelation 8:2-3. John sees this in heaven where God was seated upon his throne. (Revelation 4:1-2.) 14 one saying to the sixth angel that had the trumpet, Loose the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates.--Since there is no vision intervening between the fifth and sixth trumpets, it is safe to presume that the fulfillment of the sixth vision was probably in the east also, and it will he found after the events pictured in the fifth trumpet vision. It is unnecessary even to mention the conflicting views of expositors on this verse. As the word "angels" means messengers--agents through whom something is accomplished--and these four had been held in check for a time, it is evident that the command here means to release them for the accomplishment of what was designed. It seems wholly incredible that such a vision should not represent some great historical movement. If applying the fifth trumpet vision to Mahometanism then this doubtless refers to the Turkish power. A comparison of the vision with facts of history will make this apparent. Four "angels" here are called four "winds" in 7:1. See Hell 1:7. Since the power referred to was to operate on earth, it is most natural to understand "Euphrates" as applied literally and meaning the well-known river of the name east of Palestine. We have already learned that words may be used literally in passages of general symbolic character; an example already noted is Psalms 80:8, "Thou broughtest a vine out of Egypt." Vine is figurative; Egypt is literal. Gibbon says that one of the greatest Turkish princes reigned in the eastern provinces of Persia one thousand years after the birth of Christ. For about a half century these people operated east of the Euphrates, accepting the Mahometan religion, and were finally authorized by the Caliph to cross the river to wage a war in defense of that religion. This explains "bound" and "loosed" in verses 14 and 15. Commentators have had much difficulty in explaining who and what the "four angels" signify. The language implies that all four were turned loose at the same time. This does not harmonize with the view of some that the four divisions of the Turkish Empire were meant, for the reason that this division did not occur till A.D. 1092, which was some thirty years after the Turks had crossed the Euphrates on the mission designated. Probably the simplest solution is this: As the four quarters of the earth mean the whole, completeness or fullness, so the four angels would indicate the full power, which God would allow to be turned loose against the Eastern Roman Empire. This at least is in harmony with historical facts, which is much in its favor.15 And the four angels were loosed, that had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men.--The time of restraint before crossing the river was the time of preparation for the work. This preparation was complete when the Mahometan Caliph invested the Turkish leader as "temporal lieutenant of the vicar of the prophet." (Decline and Fall, Vol. V, pp. 510-512.) This occurred in A.D. 1055. Again expositors are hopelessly at variance on the meaning of the time expressed. The popular view is the day-year theory, by which the sum total of all the times mentioned is supposed to be the exact time from the crossing of the river to the fall of Constantinople in A.D. 1453. But the methods of calculation differ, though any of them may be made to give practically the time needed for the theory. Some use a thirty-day month and a 360-day year; others a solar year of 365 1/4 days. Some begin with the time the Turkish leader was invested with authority at Bagdad; others when he crossed the Euphrates. Doubtless such hairsplitting calculations are unnecessary. If the true explanation is that the sum total of all the times stated is the period meant, it is sufficient to know that with either of the calculations the result is substantially the time till the taking of Constantinople. But another and perhaps simpler view is this: The destructive power which was to be permitted to overthrow the Eastern Empire of Rome was ready to begin at the exact time--hour, day, month, and year--that God's providence had determined. This view requires no exact time limit, and obviates the necessity of all calculations. And it does not interfere in any measure with the time factor as presented in the historical facts. The command to kill indicates that the vision represents a peculiarly destructive war. The "third part of men" here refers to the Eastern Empire and only one-third of that part of the Roman Empire. Not exactly one-third, but a large element. The one-third indicates that the destructive work was limited--could not kill all. 16 And the number of the armies of the horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand: I heard the number of them.---Literally two myriads of myriads, or 200 millions. Such an immense number--definite for indefinite--was doubtless intended to indicate an enormous army. Gibbon speaks of the "myriads of Turkish horse" and the blood of 130,000 Christians as "a grateful sacrifice to the Arabian prophet." (Vol. V, p. 512.) This shows that the Turkish army had a countless number of horsemen, and accords with the view taken of this vision. If this number indicates the result of one campaign, the total results over the period must have been appalling. 17 And thus I saw the .horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates as of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone:--This is a description of how the horses and soldiers on them appeared to John as he beheld the vision. The breastplates appeared as if they were of fire, hyacinth, and brimstone; that is, red, blue, and yellow. and the heads of the horses are as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone. --The horses with heads that looked like lions' heads, doubtless, was meant to indicate the fierceness and suddenness with which the Turkish army would strike its blows. Probably the roaring of the lion would also represent the loud noise as the firearms were discharged in their battles. The firing of guns from horseback would appear to those at a distance as coming from the horses' mouths. Here several expositors think we have a most remarkable proof that this vision refers to the Turkish power, though others think that the purpose was only to indicate that the wars in view were to be surpassingly fiendish. The latter is possible, but the facts are so significant that the former seems more probable. It is supposed that the invention or discovery of gunpowder was in the first half of the fourteenth century. That the Turks used artillery in their siege and capture of Constantinople, A.D. 1453, is the plain statement of Gibbon. He mentions three large cannons and says that "fourteen batteries thundered at once on the most accessible places," and that one of them possibly "discharged one hundred and thirty bullets." (Vol. VI, pp. 388, 389.) Again the same author says "From the galleys, and the bridge, the Ottoman artillery thundered on all sides; and the camp and city, the Greeks and the Turks, were involved in a cloud of smoke which could only be dispelled by the final deliverance or destruction of the Roman Empire." (Ibid., p. 400.) The use of such cannon implies the use of smaller arms that were discharged with gunpowder. 18 By these three plagues was the third part of men killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths.--"These three plagues" may mean that by the exploding of gunpowder--fire, smoke, and brimstone--the effect was produced. Of course, in such a battle many would be killed, but probably the thought has more direct reference to the destruction of the eastern Roman Empire, as being a one-third of the whole of the Roman Empire. Constantinople, founded by Constantine more than eleven hundred years before, as the capital of Rome, had withstood every assault up to this time. The siege with cannon delivered it into the hands of the Turks 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails are like unto serpents, and have heads; and with them they hurt.--If the fire, smoke, and brimstone that, in the vision, seemed to pour out of the horses' mouths represent the use of firearms in taking a city, then it is easy to see how the power appeared in their mouths. The smoke from exploded gunpowder bursting from their guns would appear as if coming from the horses heads. How the power was also represented by their tails is not so evident. John did hot see in this vision the ordinary cavalry soldiers with swords, spears, or bows, but horses with mouths from which there appeared to go fire, smoke, and brimstone, and with tails like serpents. The text says the power of this army was in the horses' mouths and tails. Elliott (followed by B. W. Johnson) attempts further to identify this symbol with the Turkish power by the fact that horsetails were emblems of authority carried by the Pachas--Turkish rulers. This view seems to overlook the fact that the text says power was in the tails "to hurt," not just an emblem of power. If there is any specific application for the expression, most expositors have failed to suggest it. Perhaps the serpentlike tails only signify the biting torture that would be felt by those who would have to suffer from the new kind of warfare indicated. 20 And the rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk:--The remaining two-thirds that were not killed in the Greek one-third of the Roman Empire did not repent. The language shows that, though they claimed to be Christians, they had so apostatized from the true teachings of Christ that they were both idolaters and morally corrupt. Of course this was also true, in fact, of the other parts of the Roman Empire. They were so wedded to their corrupt religious practices that they failed to realize that the awful Turkish scourge that had fallen upon them was probably God's providential punishment for their own sins. They learned no salutary lesson from their terrible calamities and sufferings. They worshiped departed spirits, a thing which is contrary to apostolic teaching. (1 Corinthians 10:20.) They also worshiped the idols made with their own hands from different kinds of materials, images that can neither see, hear, nor walk. Another plain sin. (Acts 19:26.) 21 and they repented not of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.--It is unnecessary here to offer detailed proof that the professed Christians were then guilty of these crimes to an alarming extent. The fact that the charge is here made is sufficient proof unless we want to deny the record. Of course, it does not mean that every one was guilty, but that these sins were scandalously prevalent. It is not a matter of wonder that such crimes would cause a just God to permit such a disaster to befall them. In these expressions we have still another example that words may be used in their literal sense, even when in a passage that is highly symbolic.Commentary on Revelation 9:13-21 by Foy E. Wallace The loosing of four angels--(sixth trumpet)—Revelation 9:13-21. The symbolism of the sixth trumpet like that of the fifth, is a parallelism of imagery with Joel’ s vision of horsemen and chariots surging in battle. The symbolism is the same because the events envisioned are of the same character, the one pertaining to the war of the Chaldeans against the Jerusalem of Joel’ s era, the other to the war of the Romans against the Jerusalem of John’ s era. The visions carry the same import, and hence present the close similarity in the figures of horses, heads, tails, and of armor and chariots and embattled armies. The four angels: “ A voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God . . . saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, saying, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates” --Revelation 9:13-14. A voice from four horns: The voice here is that same voice of authority “ in the midst” of the throne of Rev 6:6. Not the voice of any one of the angels, creatures or beings of the scene, but the voice from within, “ in the midst” of them all. It emphasizes the source of all divine revelation, from within the throne itself. Here, in the sixth trumpet vision, the voice came from the four horns of the altar-four horns, but one voice proceeding from them. There were four angels, in Revelation 7:1, “ holding the four winds of the earth.” The same four angels were in this scene of chapter 9, and there were four horns on the altar --a horn to convey a divine message, an order, to each of the four angels; but the one voice from the four horns signified one message--the same for all. The horns were of the altar “ which was before God,” so the voice from the horns was the voice of direct authority from God. The voice was not personified, as of an angel, or any representative, but was simply designated a voice of direct command from the altar “ before God” to the angel of the sixth trumpet. Loose the four angels: As the voice from the altar of this scene is the same voice from within “ the midst” in chapter 6, so the four angels here are the same four angels “ holding the four winds of the earth” in chapter 7. The four angels there, as explained, were the imperial angels or agents holding the winds that they should not blow: that is, hindering the messengers of the gospel, preventing the spread of Christianity. A heavenly angel, referred to as another angel, countermanded the orders of the imperial angels, restraining them from the performance of their mission “ to hurt the earth” by holding back the four winds --the messengers of Christ--and the four imperial angels were commanded by this angel to “ hurt not the earth.” Now, the voice from the altar “ before God” commanded the angel of the sixth trumpet to “ loose the four angels.” The suspension period designated as time to “ seal” or to preserve “ the holy seed,” the true Israel, the symbolic number of one hundred forty-four thousand, had been accomplished, and it was time for the four angels to proceed. Again, the scene was comparable to the promise to the faithful disciples of time to escape the siege of Jerusalem, and the flight from the city was described in all three records of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Josephus records that after the siege had begun for some unknown reason Vespasian withdrew his armies to such distance and for such time for the flight of the disciples from the city to the mountains to be accomplished. It is a remarkable parallel to this scene of Rev 7:1-17, where the angels of destruction were ordered to wait “ till we have sealed the servants of our God,” and a suspension was signified in this vision as that recorded in the accounts of Mat 24:1-51, Mark 13:1-37 and Luke 21:1-38, the fulfillment of which according to Josephus is historical. The command to “ loose” these angels of destruction was in contrast with the command of chapter 7:2 which restrained, or bound them. That these four angels were bound is further evidence that they were evil angels, the angels or agents of destruction “ standing on the four corners of the earth,” poised to blast Jerusalem with destructive horror, and in consequence blight the earth by “ holding the four winds,” preventing the promulgation of the gospel to its four corners. Bound in the great river Euphrates: The Euphrates river is named in Genesis 2:13-14 as a fork of the river of Eden. Moses called it “ the great river” in Genesis 15:18 and Deuteronomy 1:7. It was designated by the Lord to Moses as the eastern boundary of the Promised Land in Deuteronomy 11:24, and restated as a part of the promise to Joshua after the death of Moses (Joshua 1:4). It was the border by which David established his dominion (1 Chronicles 18:3), when he went in conquest to recover that part of Canaan lost to the savage neighbors of enemy nations. (2 Samuel 8:3) In Psalms 137:1-3 the Psalmist said that by the river Euphrates the Israelites in captivity wept. In no less than two dozen scripture passages it is called “ the river,” indicating geographical, historical, and biblical importance. From the regions of this river the Assyrian and Chaldean armies had in the past swept over the land of Israel like an overwhelming flood. (Isaiah 7:20; Isaiah 8:7-8; Jeremiah 46:10; Habakkuk 1:6-11) The symbolical allusion to “ the great river” in this sixth trumpet scene has a two-fold significance. First, the four angels were said by the voice to be bound in, or at, the river Euphrates. To be bound means to be held at the border of the land. The Euphrates being the border, the four angels of destruction had been countermanded for the time; hence, bound “ in the great river Euphrates” at the port of entry to the land doomed to their destruction. Second, the ruler of the Euphrates region was symbolically called the “ rod” of wrath and anger, and the “ staff” of indignation sent against “ an hypocritical nation.” (Isaiah 10:5-6) The sixth angel was therefore commanded to “ loose the four angels which were bound at the great river Euphrates,” as the symbolic allusion to the indignation and destruction poised at the borders to sweep the land and overwhelm its inhabitants. To literalize it serves only to destroy the imagery, and in so doing the apocalypse itself, as is so usually done when literal constructions are placed on symbolical things. The cavalry legion: “ The four angels were loosed, whichwere prepared for an hour, a day, a month, a year, to slay third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them”—Revelation 9:15-16. The four angels loosed: The voice in Revelation 9:14 commanded the angel of the sixth trumpet to loose the four angels. In Revelation 9:15 the sixth angel obeyed the voice, “ and the four angels were loosed” to go unrestrained to execute the mission suspended Revelation 7:3. Prepared, hour, day, month, year: It is noted that “ an” hour is the article "the"--it is the hour, used with hour only, not with day, month and year. Hence, “ the hour and day and month and year” denoted the suspension time, the period of intervention, during which these four agents of evil were "prepared"--their armies massed for attack, waiting for the time of chapter 7:3 to be over, and for the directive, in military parlance, to unleash the armies, the dogs of war. To slay the third part of men: The sounding of the trumpets was accompanied by the announcement of three woes. With the fifth trumpet, John interposed that “ one woe is past, and behold there come two woes hereafter.” (Revelation 9:12) In Revelation 11:14, John interrupts the vision again to say “ the second woe is past, and behold the third woe cometh quickly.” In chapter 9 the apocalypse envisioned the armies of the Euphrates under the imagery of swarms of locusts numbering twice ten thousand times ten thousand. It was a figure of overwhelming military might that descended on Judea and Palestine. The apocalypse presented a two-fold catastrophe: 1. the tormenting locusts which brought the demonic plagues; 2. the armies of the Euphrates which brought the demonic wars. The swarms of locusts were said to hurt men; while the armies of the Euphrates were said to kill men. The two-fold vision of destruction symbolized famine and sword. The first part of the vision to hurt men was accomplished in the ravages of pestilence by famine; the second part of the vision to kill men was executed in the devastations of war by the sword. The terrible atrocities of the armies of Titus, Cestius Gallus and Vespasian, were recorded in the historical annals of eye-witnesses, who saw the armies overrun Judea and who witnessed the fall of Jerusalem, such as Josephus and Pliny; and in the works of the near-contemporary historians, Tacitus and others. Since the judgments contained in the trumpets are divided into three woes, each directive is accordingly applied to “ a third part” of the mission, which expression is repeated with each extension of the sixth scene. In the Revelation 6:8, where the judgments were symbolized in the opening of the seals, the division was called “ the fourth part of the earth” in contrast with “ the third part of men,” in Revelation 9:15. The division of the parts is made proportionate with the pronouncements of judgments or woes. The scene consisted of a series of four judgements in chapter 6 and of three woes in chapter 9; hence, “ the fourth part of the earth” and " the third part of men” proportionately. Two hundred thousand thousand: At this point the vision transforms “ the four angels standing on the four corners of the earth . . . to whom it was given to hurt the earth” into the immense army of two hundred thousand thousand, or twice ten thousand times ten thousand, which counted literally would compute the figure of two hundred million. This was not a numerical count of the conscripts composing this army, but the symbolic description of immensity so overwhelming as to make human resistance impossible. And I heard the number of them: The number of this mighty army was proclaimed to John, not in visionary form, but as being audible--"I heard the number." It was another interposed statement, as of verse 12, containing the overtones of an overpowering onslaught. The apocalyptic horses: “ And thus I saw the horses in the vision, having breastplates of fire, jacinth, brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone."--9:17. Thus I saw . . . in the vision: In the manner of thenarrative John “ thus” saw these things--that is, not in physical life, not actual or real, but “ in the vision” --therefore, it was not a description of fleshly animals, material armor or human riders, but symbolic of the woes to befall the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the land of the Jews. Breastplates of fire, jacinth, brimstone: In Revelation 9:9 the army of locusts had breastplates of iron, to signify an impervious shield. Here “ them that sat” on the horses, the horsemen, and “ breastplates of fire, jacinth and brimstone” denoted the glittering colors of the bedecked armor. Jacinth, known also as hyacinth, resembling amethyst (Exodus 28:19; Exodus 39:12), was an opaque stone consisting of crystallized quartz, a gem of dark blue-violet or purple-like color; the oriental amethyst belonging to a variety of sapphire mentioned frequently in the Old Testament; an ancient gem of brilliance and beauty, next to the diamond in lustre and hardness. Brimstone was a sulphuric mineral substance of inflammable potency and yellowish hue, the fumes of which were odious and suffocating. It is figuratively employed in Job 18:15; Isaiah 36:9; and in Revelation to symbolize the terrible condition of suffering and punishment, temporally or spiritually, pertaining to both the present and the future state. Fire, aside from its natural uses, was variously used in both Old and New Testaments as a metaphor of divine presence, as a purifier of intense emotion either of love, anger or hate, of the execution of penal judgment on men and nations and of the future eternal punishment of the wicked, all of which uses are figurative and carry the full intensity of the word in all of its connotations and applications. The “ fire, jacinth and brimstone,” of verse 17, were used to figuratively describe the irredescent glitter of the horsemen’ s armor, in the glowing red of fire, the blue-purple hue of the hyacinth, and the smokish yellow of brimstone. The blending colors signified also the mingled sufferings to be inflicted with the awful intensity of fire and brimstone, as indicated by the corresponding expression in the same verse, that “ fire, smoke and brimstone” proceeded from the mouths of the horses. The vision of two hundred million horsemen bedecked in armor of fire, jacinth and brimstone, riding horses with heads “ as the heads of lions,” with mouths issuing “ fire and smoke and brimstone,” presents a monstrous picture of the approaching speedy execution of judgment on Jerusalem. The figurative use of these terms as metaphors of misery and woe is unquestionable when compared with the context of the several other passages in which the phrase “ fire and brimstone,” and similar expressions occur. In an imprecatory psalm against his enemies David said, “ upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone . . . this shall be the portion of their cup.” (Psalms 11:6) Prophesying God’ s judgments upon Gog, Ezekiel said: “ I will rain upon him . . . and upon the many people that are with him . . . an overflowing rain . . . hailstones, fire and brimstone.” (Ezekiel 38:22) Describing similar judgments on wicked nations and their rulers, Isaiah said: “ The Lord will come with fire . . . to render his anger with fury and his rebukes with flames of fire . . . for their worm dieth not, neither shall their fire be quenched.” (Isaiah 66:24) The allusion here is to that accumulation of filth and putrefaction in the valley of Hinnom, near Jerusalem, always alive with worms, and its everburning fires day and night, to consume these sources of pestilence. From "Hinnom” was compounded the word Gehenna, which the Lord used to denote the word “ hell.” In the application of the figure to the torments of hell Jesus said: “ Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched” -- Mark 9:44; Mark 9:46; Mark 9:48. The use Jesus made of these words cannot be applied literally to the torments of souls in hell any more than the language of David, Ezekiel and Isaiah could be applied literally to the rulers of the nations against whom they were inveighing. As a metaphor of eternal banishment from the presence of God, Jesus used the expression “ outer darkness,” like “ outer space,” a darkness beyond the physical darkness of this world. In reference to the misery of such banishment he used the phrase, “ weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.” An amateur in exegesis should recognize the figurative character of these expressions. So it is in the use of the word “ fire” to indicate the intensity of suffering beyond degree: “ Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched” --remorse is the worm and anguish is the fire--where remorse of conscience will never end and anguish of soul will never cease. In an almost identical association of metaphorical phrases employed in the Psalms of David, in the visions of Isaiah and Ezekiel and in the discourses of Jesus on Jerusalem, the visions of John employ the expressions “ fire and smoke and brimstone” to describe the plagues of the four angels turned loose; and the atrocities which attended the invasions of their monstrous army were as smoke ascending from the fire of hell. The deadly plagues:“ By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth and in their tails”—Revelation 9:18-19. By these three: The three symbols of three atrocious plagues, fire, smoke and brimstone were a three-fold description of catastrophe and destruction in the terrors of the four angels loosed to hurt the land--“ by these three was the third part of men killed.” Power in mouth and tails: A symbol of spreading destruction before them, “ issued out of their mouths,” leaving only devastation behind them, “ for their tails were like serpents,” and as the horses had heads like the heads of lions, their tails were not only like serpents, but their tails had heads like serpent heads. “ And with them they do hurt”--that is, using their tails to do harm, with devastation from the rear as well as destruction that issued from their mouths. It is the description of the deadly scourge in the path of the invasion before this army and in its wake behind, sweeping everything before, leaving nothing behind ; as a scorched earth and burnt land. It is an extension of the appalling picture of the complete desolation mentioned by Jesus, in Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20, which followed the siege and destruction of Jerusalem. The same description is given by Joel of the invasion of Judea by the Chaldeans in the sixth century B.C. “ A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame burneth; the land is as the garden of Eden before them and behind them a desolate wilderness.” (Joe 2:2) Of this same invasion of Old Testament history, Jeremiah said: “ And I will send . . . the king of Babylon . . . and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants . . . and will utterly destroy them . . . and make them an hissing and perpetual desolations . . . and this whole land shall be a desolation; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” (Jeremiah 25:9-11) Numerous other examples could be cited but these are sufficient to show that when comparison is made between these historical visions concerning Jerusalem of the era of six hundred B.C. with the visions of John concerning the Jerusalem of A.D. 70, their application is not only obvious but unavoidable. The demon worshiper: “ The rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands--neither repented they of their murders, fornication, sorceries, nor their thefts”—Revelation 9:20-21. The rest of the men: This referred to the residual number specified to be survivors of this second woe, pronounced on “ the third part of men.” They are described as being guilty of the “ worship of devils,” which covered all the idolatrous objects immediately mentioned--“ which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk,” classified as “ idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood"--all of which declared to be “ the works of their hands.” To include all these categories of idolatry under the blanket indictment of “ the worship of devils” was in keeping with the law of the Jews, which proscribed all idol worship as homage “ unto devils,” and was branded as religious whoredom in the Mosaic law. “ They shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute forever unto them throughout their generations.” (Leviticus 17:7) Again, in the song of Moses it is said: “ They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared (worshiped) not.” (Deuteronomy 32:17) The apostle Paul upholds the Mosaic statute on that point, having himself lived under it as a Jew: “ But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God, and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.” (1 Corinthians 10:20) Those survivors here designated as “ the rest of the men” were evidently that residue of Jewish people who were classed as adherents of Jezebel, and as holding the doctrine of Balaam in the letters to the seven churches (chapter 2:14; 2:20)--the apostate Israelites “ of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie.” (Chapter 3:9) Reference to the comments on these verses in chapters two and three will spare further discussion of the symbolic names of Jezebel and Balaam here. Because of her determination to exterminate the prophets of Israel and to sabotage the nation of Israel by idolatrous worship, her name stood for infamy among the people of Israel, and was used in the apocalypse of Revelation to symbolize the Judaizers in the churches. The name Balaam carried a similar symbolic connotation, because of that mongrel prophet’ s seductive schemes to destroy the people of Israel by means of heathen practices. Thus the figurative phrases “ the doctrine of Balaam" and “ that woman Jezebel” originated, as representative of that element in the churches “ which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie.” In the present context the phrase “ the rest of the men” apparently referred to that residue classed as adherents of Jezebel, and further identified with“ the doctrine of Balaam” --chapter 2:14--"who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.” The language of this vision describing those Jew--Israelites as practicers of these prohibited things was largely an adaptation of the language of Isaiah in forecasting an extolling allegiance to the Holy One of Israel amid the idolatries of the nations: “ At that day shall a man look to his maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not look to the altars, the works of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves or the images. In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation. Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation.” (Isaiah 17:7-10) These “ men” who avoided the plagues of the second woe were those Jews who were affiliated with those things defined in verse 20, and the parallel passages cited, and “ repented not” of these “ works of their hands” ; but their escape from the tribulations of the woe did not secure immunity from the condemnation of disloyalty to the God who recompensed to all men their evil. Neither repented . . . murders, sorceries, fornication, thefts: The category of evil things were the flagrant crimes of Jezebel, recorded in 1 Kings 21:14-15 and 2 Kings 9:22, and again connects “ the rest of the men” of these verses with the Jezebel apostates. While the idolatries of verse 20 and the crimes of verse 21 were all in violation of both tables of the decalogue, they were not to be applied literally in this vision-their idolatries, murders, sorceries and thefts belonged to the spiritual category for which those sensual things stood. Abandoning Christianity for the praise of princes was as idolatry; deserting Christ to escape malediction was murder of his Cause; turning from the principles of the faith to the arts of magic was a broad definition of sorcery (Acts 13:6; Acts 19:13), of which there seemed to be a rather numerous party. (Colossians 2:18-23) And theft does not consist only in the violation of the eighth commandment--seducing men was spiritual theft. (John 10:8-10; Matthew 15:9; Jeremiah 23:30; 1 Timothy 1:10) That fornication has a figurative as well as physical meaning goes without saying. (Revelation 2:21; Revelation 19:2; 2 Chronicles 21:11; Revelation 17:5) Apostasy is spiritual fornication. Thus “ the rest of the men” is a phrase designating apostate Israelites, guilty of the entire category of spiritual crimes, of which they “ repented not” --verse 20; “ neither repented” --verse 21. This dual emphasis on the impenitence of these apostates was for the four things representative of apostasy both under the decalogue of Moses and the gospel of Christ. First, murder: This crime exists in fact in the malicious act of taking human life (2 Samuel 13:28; 1 Kings 21:19; Mark 15:7; Exodus 22:2-3; Deuteronomy 18:9; Numbers 35:27-31) It exists in principle in seeds of wrath, hate, retaliation, oppression, and all of its evil consequences. (James 4:2; James 5:6; Romans 1:29; 1 John 3:15) It exists in effect in vicarious sufferings, reproaches, and afflictions. (Psalms 44:22; Romans 8:36; 1 Corinthians 15:30-32; 2 Corinthians 6:9; John 8:44; Job 5:2; Job 24:14) It was a flagrant, odious and abominable crime. For intentional murder there was no legal pardon, nor ceremonial remission. (Deuteronomy 19:13; Deuteronomy 21:9; Exodus 21:14; Exodus 21:28-29; Numbers 35:30-34) Figuratively, it represented a spiritual degeneracy of the emotions of love and loyalty which leads to betrayal and destruction of righteous causes and men. It is a fitting characterization here. Second, sorceries or magic: This was a professional part of divination, described in Exodus 7:11; Deuteronomy 18:10; Acts 8:9; and Acts 13:6. It was a system of pseudo-divinity belonging to the dark demon world, as mentioned in Acts 16:16-18. It was an essential element in false religions and was held in opposition to the true religion of the Jews, as in Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:9-14; Jeremiah 14:14. It was prevalent among Jews, many of whom believed in it and resorted to it, as stated in Samuel 28:3-20. In whatever form it was regarded or practiced it was reproachful to the Mosaic religion and to Christianity, and was reprobated in both the law and the gospel. The writings of the prophets are full of invectives against Israelites who consulted diviners and of the false prophets seducing the people by means of it, examples of which are Jeremiah 14:14, and Ezekiel 13:6-7. Again, here was a fitting characterization of the Jewish apostasies. Third, fornication: This is a term of frequent occurrence in all the sacred writings to denote acts of lewdness and of incontinency. It is used for the sin of impurity in 1 Corinthians 6:13; 1 Corinthians 7:2 and Jude ‘ 7. It is used for the sin of adultery in Matthew 5:28-32 and 1 Thessalonians 4:3. It is used for the sin of incest in 1 Corinthians 5:1. It is used for spiritual and religious infidelity, apostasy from truth and right in 2 Chronicles 21:11 and Revelation 19:2. In the spiritual sense it denotes the unfaithfulness of the Israelites because the union between God and Israel was set forth as marriage. (Jeremiah 3:9; Ezekiel 23:37; Isaiah 23:17) Jesus upbraided a faithless God-denying and Christ-rejecting age as “ an adulterous generation” in Matthew 12:39. The mingling of error and evil with that which was true and pure in teaching, worship and practice was spiritual adultery. It applied to participation in heathenism or affiliation with any false system or practice. (James 4:4) It was truly an apt use in this present scene. Fourth, theft: The term here referred to the deceptions of any form of stealing. It was applied physically to the unlawful taking of anything that belongs to another, as in Exo_2015; Job 30:5 and Luke 10:30. It was applied morally, or ethically, to fraudulence, as in Matthew 21:13. It was applied doctrinally and spiritually to seduction, to seducers of doctrine, as in Jeremiah 7:9; Jeremiah 23:30, Ezekiel 13:10; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:13; 1 John 2:26 and Mark 13:22. In this sixth trumpet scene these words are employed figuratively, not literally. It was spiritual murder, in the sense of traitors to the Jewish cause, and betrayers of their brethren. It was spiritual sorcery in the magical influence exercised over the Jewish population. It was spiritual fornication in adulterous affiliation with the false systems of deism, pantheism and paganism. It was spiritual theft in the stealing of the truth from men’ s hearts and God’ s way from their lives. The correctness of the characterization of the “ rest of the men which were not killed by the plagues,” and who “ repented not” of the category of figurative crimes, as the residual number of the Jewish people, is supported by the corresponding Jewish history of the same period. The sins listed in the category of verses 20 and 21 were typical of all Jewish apostasies from the law of Moses promulgated from Mount Sinai and which was preached in all the synagogues. “ Thou camest down upon Mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments . . . by the hand of Moses thy servant.” (Nehemiah 9:13-14) “ For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.” (Acts 15:21) But the residue of this nation were those to whom John said, “ 0 generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come,” (Matthew 3:7); and whom Jesus called an “ offspring of vipers” (Matthew 23:28-33). These were condemnations of which hypocrisy and iniquity made them deserving. Among them arose a legion of false prophets and seducers to lead them astray, particularly true in the very period of the calamities portrayed in the vision of these trumpet visions and of corresponding description in the records of Matthew, Mark and Luke on the destruction of Jerusalem. “ And there shall arise false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matthew 24:24) “ And they shall show signs and wonders to seduce.” (Mark 13:22) “ And ye shall be betrayed . . . and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.” (Luke 21:16) Later, before these things came to pass that were thus foretold to mark the latter part of that period ending with the fall of Jerusalem, inspired apostles were issuing warnings against all such seducers and their doctrines, with all the resulting wickedness. “ Now the spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” (2 Timothy 4:1) “ This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come.” (2 Timothy 3:1) These apostolic admonitions correspond with the warnings of the Lord in the discourse on Jerusalem, and are descriptive of the same Jewish apostasies of the residual number in the closing scene of the sixth trumpet vision. The drawing of these parallels was in full accord with the teaching of the passages cited in reference to the times, with the history of that period, and with the purpose of the apocalypse. The voice from the four horns of the altar commanded the angel of the sixth trumpet to “ loose” the four agents which were “ bound” in or at “ the great river Euphrates” (verse 14) was the ominous announcement of encompassing desolation. It is a geographical fact that the Euphrates river formed the boundary of the Roman empire at the time of the Jewish-Roman war, and their army installations and concentrations were there where the legions of this vision were said to be “ bound.” It was therefore in harmony with all the facts, scriptural and historical that the mighty cavalry of the Euphrates portrayed in this trumpet was the immense Roman army which marched against Jerusalem and initiated the terrible siege resulting in all the desolation foretold by Daniel and depicted by the Lord in pointing up the fulfillment. Matthew’ s account reads: “ When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, (whoso readeth let him understand), then let them which be in Judea flee."-- Matthew 24:15-16. Luke’ s record reads: “ And when ye shall see Jerusalem encompassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Jerusalem flee to the mountains."-- Luke 21:20-21. Here Daniel’ s vision, in chapters 9 and 12 of his prophecy, were merged with the signs of the Lord’ s Jerusalem discourse and with the like symbols of John’ s apocalypse. To search the distant future for a fulfillment of these symbolic descriptions, not only reduces both the text and the context of Revelation to confusion, but renders meaningless all of the passages which apply with such clarity and so full of force to that period. The interpretations which remove these events of the symbolic history from the Neroan period of the apostolic century, and assign them to centuries later and yet to come are rankanachronisms. Any attempt to explain these visions by the rise and fall of the successive monarchies, through the centuries from them till now and on to the end of time, would necessarily continue the existence of the armies symbolized in this vision for periods ranging from five to twenty centuries, which not only destroys all practical applications of the symbolic descriptions to the people to whom they were addressed, rendering them impossible to understand, but it furthermore declares an open season for the maneuvering, manipulation and juggling of events of history to fit a manufactured theory. But viewed in the light of the application of the symbols of Revelation to the period of time in which the people lived to whom the visions were addressed, all such anachronisms disappear.Commentary on Revelation 9:13-21 by Walter ScottSIXTH TRUMPET, OR SECOND WOE. THE TWO ALTARS. Revelation 9:13-21. — “And the sixth angel sounded (his) trumpet: and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which (is) before God, saying to the sixth angel that had the trumpet: Loose the four angels which are bound at the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, who are prepared for the hour, and day, and month, and year, that they might slay the third part of men. And the number of the hosts of horsemen (was) twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those that sat upon them, having breastplates of fire, and jacinth, and brimstone; and the heads of the horses (were) as heads of lions, and out of their mouths goes out fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three plagues were the third part of men killed, by the fire, and the smoke, and the brimstone which goes out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails (are) like serpents, having heads, and with them they injure. And the rest of men who were not killed with these plagues repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and the golden and silver, and brazen and stone, and wooden idols, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they repented not of their murders, nor of their witchcrafts, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” In the tabernacle of old there were two altars. One stood without in the court; the other within in the holy place. The golden altar is twice referred to in these apocalyptic visions, here and in Revelation 8:3. The brazen altar is mentioned six times simply as “ the altar.” It was this latter which stood in the court. The kernel of the Levitical system was the brazen altar — the altar of sacrifice. What “ the altar” was to Judaism, namely, the moral foundation of the people’ s relations to Jehovah, that “ the cross” is to Christianity — its centre and distinguishing glory. Now the golden altar derived its force and value from the brazen altar. Every morning and evening, save on the annual day of atonement, incense (the merits of Christ) was burned on the golden altar, while on that special day in the history of Israel, as on other occasions, the blood of the sacrificial animals was put on its four golden horns (Leviticus 16:18-19; Leviticus 4:7; Leviticus 4:18). The fragrance of the incense was brought out by fire taken from the brazen altar, while the blood on the golden horns was that shed on the north side of the altar in the court (Leviticus 1:11). Thus the efficacy of the worship and communion of the people with Jehovah, maintained and carried on at the golden altar, had as its basis the shedding of blood at the altar of sacrifice. A VOICE FROM THE FOUR HORNS OF THE GOLDEN ALTAR. Revelation 9:13. — “I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar.” We have already noted the fact that the golden altar is twice mentioned in the Apocalypse. In the earlier reference the prayers of the saints on earth are heard (Revelation 8:3). The Beast out of the abyss comes upon the scene. Blasphemy and persecution characterise his closing career. During the time of which we have read in Revelation 6:11, a body of witnessing, and hence suffering, saints are recognised. Their prayers for God’ s intervention on their behalf are about to be answered (Revelation 9:13). Under the first four Trumpets the general condition of the empire is subjected to a course of judicial dealing. Its social, moral, commercial, and political state comes under the rod of God’ s anger, but the sixth Trumpet, or second Woe, is far more dreadful in its character and effects than any of the preceding chastisements. The peoples of the Roman earth are here the direct subjects of woe, not torment as in the preceding one, but a widespread and extensive slaughter of the inhabitants from hordes of external enemies, added to which satanic delusion and falsehood will play sad havoc in the souls and consciences of the people. Judicial plagues upon men’ s circumstances are one thing, but dealing with the men themselves, the open and declared enemies of God and of His saints, is a very different matter. Hence God’ s answer to the cries and prayers of His suffering saints is answered from the altar of intercession. To it their prayers ascended (Revelation 8:3). From it the answer goes forth (Revelation 9:13). The “ voice” which the Seer heard is either the voice of God or of one commissioned by Him to act. The voice is heard “ from the four horns of the golden altar.” Why not from the altar itself, as in Revelation 16:7? And why are the horns and their number so specifically mentioned? “ Four” expresses universality. (Four metals (Daniel 2) and four beasts (Daniel 7) representing the four universal empires. Four divisions of the human family (Revelation 7:9).) “ Horn” denotes power.(*See Psalms 118:27; Psalms 89:17; Psalms 89:24; Psalms 92:10; Psalms 132:17; Revelation 5:6, etc.) The whole strength and power of the altar of intercession is put forth in the divine answer to the mingled prayers and incense which gathered around it. Both altars had each four sides and four horns. All sinners from every part of earth may use the brazen altar. All saints wherever found are heard at the golden altar. We refer, of course, to the truths respectively set forth by the altars. Another minute distinction may here be pointed out. In Revelation 8:3 the connection is between the altar and the throne, whereas in Revelation 9:13 the connection is between the altar and God. This latter is the nearer and more intimate relation, and brings out God’ s personal interest in His saints. AN COMMAND. Revelation 9:14-15. — “Loose the four angels which are bound at the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, who are prepared for the hour, and day, and month, and year, for to slay the third part of men.” The voice from the place of intercession and power is evidently one of divine authority, and is addressed to the sixth angel. The repetition of the ordinal “sixth” (Revelation 9:13-14) and of the cardinal “four” (Revelation 9:14-15) intimates the precision with which this Woe will be executed. The exactness, too, of the appointed hour of vengeance (Revelation 9:15) and the number of the instruments employed (Revelation 9:16) all go to mark this divine infliction as one of an unusually solemn character. The four restraining angels (Revelation 7:1-3) must not be confounded with the four bound angels at the river Euphrates (Revelation 9:14-15). The former are stationed at the extremities of the earth, the latter in the circumscribed region of the Euphrates. Besides, not only are the times and circumstances different, but the action in each case is exactly opposite. The four angels of chapter 7 restrain the forces of evil, whereas those of chapter 9 let loose the human and satanic instruments of vengeance.The Euphrates is twice mentioned in the Apocalypse, here and in Revelation 16:12. The epithet “ great” is used in both instances: “ The great river Euphrates.” Its entire length is about 1780 miles, and it is by far the longest and most important river of western Asia. It is famous in Bible history and prophecy. Israel’ s great progenitor, Abram, came from its other side into the land of Canaan. The rivers Nile and Euphrates are prophetically designated as the limits of the promised land (Genesis 15:18). For a brief season David and Solomon extended the royal authority to the Euphrates (1 Chronicles 18:3; 2 Chronicles 9:26). This extensive dominion was greatly curtailed in the disruption of the kingdom under Rehoboam. The Euphrates was the natural boundary separating the nations of the east from Palestine. Its broad stream flowed between Israel and her powerful enemy Assyria. The Euphrates was also the limit of the Roman conquests in that part of the world. We understand, therefore, that the literal Euphrates is here signified, and not the Turkish power. So also in Revelation 16:12. The mandate to the sixth angel is to loose the four angels bound at the great river. These angelic ministers of judgment are under divine control; they cannot act without express command. The very hour when the Lord in retributive justice would deal with the apostate peoples of the revived Latin empire is carefully noted, for that hour the angels were prepared. (One would gather from the Authorized Version that the time during which the four angels were to act in judgment would be “ for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year,” whereas these exact denominations of time refer to the moment when the angels begin to act, not the duration of their action.) What hindered an earlier action by these angelic ministers of God’ s providence we are not informed. The hour of vengeance in the prophetic scheme had not arrived. The iniquity of the empire had not risen to the height foretold in Scripture; now it has, and judgment, sharp and overwhelming, can no longer be delayed. Revelation 9:15. — “To slay the third part of men.” There is no “ third part” in the previous Woe. There Palestine is the sphere of judicial action, and the unsealed of Israel only are the subjects of judgment. Gathered in rank unbelief to the land, the last state of Israel will exceed in idolatrous wickedness any former condition (Matthew 12:45). But a recurrence to the “ third part,” so prominent in the earlier Trumpets, brings once again the Roman empire into the sphere of divine operation. A terrible slaughter of the inhabitants takes place. We are now to consider the human instruments which are to drench the empire in blood. THE NUMBER OF THE HOST. Revelation 9:16. — We have had the number of the invisible leaders, four; now both the reader and the Seer are informed as to the number of the invading and avenging host, stated to be “twice ten thousand times ten thousand,” or two hundred millions. This immense host is a number too vast for human conception. The mind gets bewildered in the effort to comprehend such an army, which for number surpasses anything ever seen on earth. The unseen chariots of God are similarly numbered (Psalms 68:17). May the lesson be graven on our hearts that the seen and unseen powers of good and evil are all under the direct control of God. A literal army consisting of two hundred millions of cavalry need not be thought of. The main idea in the passage is a vast and overwhelming army, one beyond human computation, and exceeding by far any before witnessed. (The largest army, ever brought into the field recorded in history was that under Xerxes in the invasion of Greece. On the testimony of Herodotus it exceeded two and a half millions of men.) “ An army of prevailing, imperial, congregated power.” (“ Notes on the Book of Revelation,” p. 45.) The Revised Version reads, “ the armies of the horsemen.” It is not one army, but “ armies,” not a host, but “ hosts.” The reason why the plural is employed and not the singular is that more than one invasion into the territory of the Beast from beyond the Euphrates will be attempted and succeed. The future antagonist of the revived empire is Gog (Russia), the great north-eastern power. Persia and, generally, the kingdoms and powers situated north and east of Palestine follow in the train of the great northern despot (Ezekiel 38:1-23; Ezekiel 39:1-29; Psalms 83:1-18). The repeated attacks upon the kingdom, or empire of the Beast, will be commenced by the king of the north, then established in the present Syrian possessions of Turkey. This king, the determined political enemy of restored Israel, is subordinate to his great chief, the autocrat of the vast Russian power. Hence “ hosts” or “ armies” is the fitting word employed. OF THE AND THEIR HORSES. Revelation 9:17. — The riders have “breast plates of fire, and jacinth, and brimstone.” These lands on which the light of the Gospel has shone so brilliantly will ere long be given over to satanic darkness and delusion. The devil will take possession of the doomed scene. His influence will permeate and poison the springs and sources of national and individual thought and action. He will command the spiritual and human forces of evil. Demon worship will prevail (v. 20). Judea and Christendom will be given over to the direct worship and homage of Satan and of his two main supporters on earth — the Beast and the False Prophet (Revelation 13:1-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17). Satan, then, is divinely permitted to furnish his countless hosts with a defensive armour which makes them invulnerable. The combination of fire, jacinth, and brimstone as a breastplate has been well termed “ the defensive armour of hell.” Fire and brimstone are destructive elements not of a providential kind, but judicially inflicted (Genesis 19:24). They are also the symbols of everlasting torment. Next follows a description of the horses “ in the vision.” In the previous Woe we had a combination of locust and scorpion, denoting destruction and agony; here horses are prominent — the aggressive and military agents of rapine and slaughter. Their heads “ as heads of lions” invest the warlike host with a certain majesty, courage, and boldness, well-known characteristics of “ the king of the forest.” (We have the roar of the lion causing terror (Revelation 10:3). The teeth of the lion denoting ferocity (Revelation 9:8). The head signifying majesty (Revelation 9:17). The mouth pointing to its destructive character (Revelation 13:2).) Revelation 9:17 — “Out of their mouths goes out fire and smoke and brimstone.” These military expeditions are under the direction of Satan. He it is who out of the pit supplies his agents with a defensive armour against which all opposing weapons of war are powerless (Revelation 9:17). Here he arms the host with a trinity of offensive destructive forces. The men of the empire under which Christ was crucified, Jerusalem destroyed, and the Jews dispersed, are to suffer on earth, so far as men can, the agonies and torments of the lake of fire. To fire and brimstone, the symbols of inconceivable anguish (Revelation 14:10; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 21:8), are added “ smoke,” the moral darkness and delusion of the pit. A HARVEST OF DEATH. Revelation 9:18. — The fire, smoke, and brimstone are separate plagues, but here they are associated in the work of slaughter. The death to which the mass are doomed is one inflicted by the judicial power of Satan, and hence more dreadful than sudden death by the sword. The scene described is not one simply of human slaughter by scientific methods of modern or ancient warfare; the destructive forces of the pit are let loose upon a “ third part of men” who are killed, probably the worst in the empire, as there is a remnant spared (Revelation 9:20), who, however, repent not. Twice the three plagues are named, and twice as going out of the mouths of the horses. The repeated mention of these destructive forces would emphasize the fact that the judicial power of Satan is at work; and, further, that the agents are not mere mercenaries, but are energized by Satan, and delight to kill. “ Out of their mouths ” would show the heart’ s diabolic pleasure in the work. See Revelation 16:13 for what is evil; also Matthew 12:34 for the general principle. THE MOUTH AND TAILS OF THE HORSES. Revelation 9:19. — “ The clause stating the power to be in their mouth serves only as a connecting link with what is still to be said of their tails. The injurious and dreadfully destructive tendency had not been sufficiently represented by what proceeds out of the mouth of the horses. It still farther embodies itself in the symbol of the serpent — tails.” (Hengstenberg, vol. 1, p. 370.)It may be noted that mouth is here in the singular, whereas it has just been used twice in the plural, and that tails, the plural, is employed. Mouth and tails, singular and plural, would express that all are animated by one spirit, but that the teachings and lies of Satan are multifarious. “ The power of the horses is in their mouth and in their tails.” There is not only the open power of Satan, but in addition his secret malignant and soul-destroying influence. Both are contemplated here. In the previous Woe the power to injure was in the tail (Revelation 9:10). Here the power to destroy is in the mouth and tails (Revelation 9:19). There he is the liar. Here he is both murderer and liar. Revelation 9:19 — “Tails like serpents.” The serpent was the chosen creature in which the devil hid himself in deceiving Eve (Genesis 3:1), and is probably the only member of the animal creation doomed to perpetual degradation, even during the lengthened and universal blessing in millennial days (cp. Genesis 3:14 with Isaiah 65:25). The serpent is synonymous with craft, deceit, guile, subtlety. The “ tail” of the serpent is the expression of malignant influence, falsehood, mischief (Isaiah 9:15; Revelation 12:4). Further, the tails have “ heads,” intimating that the mischievous influence is intelligently directed. The purpose to injure is pursued with relentless and intelligent activity. NO . Revelation 9:20-21. — The two closing verses of the chapter reveal an astounding picture of human depravity. The loud blasts of the Trumpets successively sounded are God’ s public announcements to the world — heralds of woe. Increasing in severity, judgment succeeds judgment. The prophetic scene is turned into Satan’ s special sphere of action. He triumphs for a season. What a scene is depicted in these last of “ the last days!” Western Europe, so boastful of its light and knowledge, given up to the grossest idolatry and most shameful wickedness. We here witness a distinct return to the paganism of early days. What! Shall these christianised populations retrogade to such an extent that the most disgusting forms of idolatry and the sins of the flesh in their vilest character be again practised? Yes. Romans 1:21-32, (The state of the world from the introduction of idolatry (Joshua 24:2) till the introduction of Christianity is described in Roman 1:21-32. Christianity abandoned, a return to the ancient pagan state is most sure. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 10:1-11 SECTION SIX REVIVAL OF TRUE Rev_10:1 to Revelation 11:14 Preliminary Note: In the first four trumpet visions we saw the overthrow of pagan Rome--a work finished in A.D. 476 ; in the fifth and sixth the Mahometan scourge and the destruction of the Greek or Eastern Empire--completed in the taking of Constantinople in A.D. 1453; the seventh trumpet, which is the announcement of the end of the world, is recorded in Revelation 11:15-18. The things pictured in this section, 10:1 to 11:14, come between the sixth and seventh trumpets. This must be the time that includes the restoration of genuine Christianity. Departures from true teaching began early, grew rapidly after the Roman Emperor, Constantine, recognized Christianity as the true religion. The selection of a universal bishop (pope) in the sixth century made a complete apostasy. Something more than eight centuries till the fall of Constantinople did not improve the church as 9:20 and 21 show. The visions of this section were intended to encourage Christians then that truth would be restored; and to assure us, through the facts of history, that it has been. 1. THE LITTLE BOOK EPISODERev_10:1-11 1 And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, arrayed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire; --In this vision John sees an angel coming down from heaven to earth. Like the one mentioned in 5:2, this one is a "strong" angel, probably indicating the greatness of the work he was to do. The description is somewhat similar to that of Christ in 1:13-15, and some expositors think the angel represents Christ. Others think it refers simply to the power of. Christ manifested in the work of the Reformation. Another view is that the angel represents Martin Luther as the leading character in giving the Bible back to the people. Perhaps it is only necessary to say that the angel may signify some great movement that had the approval of heaven, whatever may have been the agencies by which accomplished. Clothed with a cloud indicates glory, and means that the work would be glorious. (Exodus 16:9-10; Exodus 24:16.) The rainbow upon his head was a symbol of peace and mercy pointing to the character of the work to be accomplished. The face appearing as the sun naturally suggests the idea of light, which harmonizes with the vision of an open book. The work of the Reformation really consisted in giving the people the word of God--flooding the mind with divine light. It is uncertain just what may be signified by feet "as pillars of fire," but the expression harmonizes with the dazzling appearance of the heavenly messenger. The scene was profoundly impressive, and doubtless prepared John's mind to give the closest attention to what the angel commanded. 2 and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth; --What is signified by the "little book" has puzzled expositors much ; but, if applying this vision to the Reformation movement is correct, then it is easy to understand that a book would be involved, for the Reformation largely pertained to the work of giving back to the people the word of God. The fact that the book was "open" clearly indicates that something was to be made known, or the book itself had a message of some kind. However, the text does not inform us what the book contained. The words "little" and "open" show that this book is different in some way from the "sealed" book of 5:1. Verse 11, compared with 11:1-13, makes it probable that the "little book" contained the revelation that was made to John about the restoration of the true church. The thoughts of this glorious work would be sweet, but experiences in doing it would be most bitter. Such are the facts as history shows. John saw the angel placing one foot on the sea and the other upon the earth. On the significance of this expression commentators offer various views. The simplest and most plausible is that it intimates the general effect of the work the angel announced--applicable to the entire world rather than limited work signified by the preceding trumpets. The symbol is certainly a proper one to indicate a diffusion of knowledge. 3 and he cried with a great voice, as a lion roareth: and when he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices.--What the angel cried is not mentioned, but it was with a voice that roared like a lion. This may have been to indicate the power with which the great Reformation work should be done. As already mentioned, this work mainly had to do with a book. This meant the translation of the Bible and placing it in the hands of the people. Just preceding the Reformation the art of printing was discovered, and the Bible was the first book printed. Since the church in its apostatized condition was opposed to the distribution of the Bible among the people, naturally such distribution created a great disturbance, and produced the most bitter opposition to the reformers. Martin Luther, being the recognized leader in the work of placing the Bible in the hands of the people, of course came in for all the hatred and bitterness that a corrupt church could bring against one considered a heretic. The most natural application of the "seven thunders" is that they were uttered against the voice of the angel. That means that when the angel uttered his voice and John was authorized in the symbol to "measure the temple of God," the power opposed thundered against it with vehemence. All this plainly indicated that when the Reformation began the Roman Pope hurled against it his condemnation. What was done to Luther and his writings as well as other reformers are matters of history too well known to need recounting. 'To say the least, then, this application corresponds with the facts of history. The preaching of the word and defending the liberty to obey it resulted in the papal bulls of excommunication. In his life of Wickliffe, p. 198, Le Bas says: "The thunders which shook the world when they issued from the seven hills sent forth an uncertain sound, comparatively faint and powerless, when launched from a region of less elevated sanctity." (Quoted by Elliott, Vol. II, p. 112.) The term "seven" may here mean full or complete, and indicates the full condemnation the Roman pontiff pronounced against the reformers. Or, as suggested by some expositors, it may indicate that the thunders came from the seven-hill city. This would also identify the thunders with the papal authority. D'Aubigné's History, Vol. II, pp. 114, 115, gives an account of a papal bull against Luther in which his writings that contained certain doctrines were to be burned, and Luther given sixty days to retract or be condemned as an obstinate heretic. Luther wrote Pope Leo X a letter in which he said, "Farewell, Rome." He denounced the Pope and on December 10, 1520, he publicly burned the bull the Pope had issued against him. (Ibid., p. 150.) Surely the papal thunders had uttered their voices.4 And when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying, Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.--It is perfectly clear that John at first understood that the voices of the thunders were a part of the symbolism that was to be recorded, for his commission definitely required him to write what he saw. (Revelation 1:11; Revelation 1:19.) It is also clear that the voices were speaking words, but strong like the voice of a lion. He was in the act of writing what the thunders said when a voice from heaven forbade it. This shows that God would not allow them to be recorded as a part of the revelation. To do so might have left the impression that they came from God; refusing them a place in the record shows that they came from some power which was in fact against God's will. This the apostate church of that day certainly was. The thunders claimed to be of heaven, but were not. In other passages in this book where John is commanded to write, the language shows plainly that the purpose was to give the faithful and true words of God. (Revelation 14:13; Revelation 19:9; Revelation 21:5.) The word "seal" sometimes means to approve (John 3:33); it might also signify to hide or keep secret; but here to "seal up" with the additional words "write them not" simply means not to record them, for the reason that they are not true. 5 And the angel that I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his right hand to heaven,--These words show that John observed the angel as he assumed a position in accord with the solemn announcement he was about to make. 6 and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created the heaven and the things that are therein, and the earth and the things that are therein, and the sea and the things that are therein,--The oath by him that liveth forever refers to God. It indicates that the angel was assuring John he had God's endorsement and verification of the truth of what he was about to say. The certainty of this was in the fact that God was able to confirm it, for he was the Creator of heaven, earth, and sea and everything in them. This was to give assurance to the churches then, and to others since, that the work depicted in this vision would actually be accomplished in spite of all the anathemas, excommunications, and papal thunders that could roar from the head of an apostate church. We should not forget that all these visions were intended, directly or indirectly, to protect and sustain the true people of God in facing the sufferings, persecutions, and death that might be inflicted by their enemies. that there shall be delay no longer:7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then is finished the mystery of God, according to the good tidings which he declared to his servants the prophets.--The margin, as well as the King James, says "time" shall be no longer. Certainly the literal meaning of the Greek word is "time." But we know that time did not end when the angel made his declaration, for two reasons: one is, that we are already several centuries this side of the Reformation; the other is, that the other features of this vision present things that were to occur before the seventh angel sounded. "Delay" no longer would mean that certain things would have to begin at once. If it meant that the Reformation--restoring the open Bible to the people--was to begin without delay,that was true in fact. But the seventh verse seems to connect the question of time--the period in view--with the sounding of the seventh trumpet. This was to bring the end, and has not yet transpired. (11:15.) The Greek expression may be given thus: "time shall be not yet." That still presents a difficulty, for something must be added to complete the thought. Does it mean that a certain period of time will not end yet--until a specified work is done? Or, at a designated event, time shall not be prolonged? The latter seems the more probable view of the words. With this view accepted, the passage will yield this general thought: From the time that the Reformation began, the work to be accomplished through the Bible laid open to the world would not end till the seventh angel sounded; or, in other words, when that time comes the work for God in redeeming man will be finished and time or opportunity will not be prolonged beyond that event. Another way to express it is that "then is finished the mystery of God." The angel also told John that finishing the mystery (divine purpose) of God was to be according to the good tidings declared by the prophets. That means it would be according to the promises about the overthrow of the "man of sin" and the final glorious triumph of the church. (Daniel 7:24-28; 2 Thessalonians 2:4-9.) From 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 we learn that the coming of the Lord will be at the judgment, when the wicked shall "suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord." But when he comes (according to 2 Thessalonians 2:8) he will destroy or slay the lawless one--"man of sin"; hence, the end of time, the purpose of God finished, and the judgment, will all be at the same time. Knowing Paul's promise that the "man of sin" would be destroyed by the Lord at his coming, some reformers were led to conclude that the return of the Bible to the people would soon bring that event. Elliott's Commentary (Vol. II, pp. 135-145) gives a number of examples, beginning with Luther himself. But, like many since, they probably expected the Bible to affect more people than it did. They were right in the fact that Christ will slay the "man of sin" at his appearing, but mistaken about his coming being soon, as we now know. Others since have also been mistaken in like ideas. 8 And the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard it again speaking with me, and saying, Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel that standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.--John himself now becomes a part of the scene--he is commanded to take the book out of the angel's hand. This, doubtless, indicated that he was to have some important part in the work of restoring the scriptural doctrine and practice. But as he had been dead about fourteen hundred years when the Reformation began, he did not do any of that work personally. Being one of the number through whom the true gospel was first promulgated, the restoration of that gospel gave him back his position of authority as one who ruled under Christ as King. (See Matthew 19:28.) 9 And I went unto the angel, saying unto him that he should give me the little book.--These words show that John obeyed the voice he heard from heaven. And he saith unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey.--The command to eat the book was strange instruction; its double effect was equally strange. Of course, all this was to be carried out in the symbolic scene, and must represent some remarkable events on earth. To eat a book cannot be understood literally. We often speak of devouring a book by which we mean to give deep and earnest meditation upon its contents. The thoughts would give him joy, but practicing the teaching would bring persecutions, sufferings, and possible death. A similar thought is expressed by Jeremiah: "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart." (Jeremiah 15:16.) This figure is based upon the fact that some food that is pleasant to the taste may give pain to the stomach. 10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and when I had eaten it, my belly was made bitter.--This verse states that the effect which the angel said would follow his eating the book happened just as was said. This occurred in the symbol ; the things represented are implied in the next verse. 11 And they say unto me, Thou must prophesy again over many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.--The teaching here would be the same whether the little book represents the Bible or the special things revealed in the eleventh chapter regarding the measurements of the temple and worship. The work of restoring a pure worship was based upon giving the people the open Bible; the things named in Revelation 11:1-13 are a symbolic description of how that restoration would be effected, and the time during which it would continue. Learning from this vision what was to be done and its glorious benefits would be as pleasant to the weary mind as honey is to the taste. But doing the work would bring the bitterest experiences of persecution. This the reformers soon learned, as history abundantly shows. As already mentioned, John would again prophesy when his teachings would be proclaimed. The work of bringing that to pass began with the reformers, but was completed later by a restoration to apostolic purity and simplicity. Peoples, nations, tongues, and kings show that the gospel was still to be universal for rulers and subjects. This implies one church, for the truth preached by the apostles had to be preached again. Not a new church, but a restoration of the originalCommentary on Revelation 10:1-11 by Foy E. Wallace The seven thunders—Revelation 10:1-6. This angel from heaven here designated as another mighty angel is a reversion to Revelation 5:2 where the first strong angel made the loud proclamation concerning the sealed book, asking “ who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?’ Here in the hand of this second mighty angel is the open book, no longer sealed, or closed, the seven seals of it had also been opened and proclaimed -- Revelation 5:5. [Scroll down for identification of this angel] 1. Clothed with a cloud: This angel was wearing a cloud as apparel, or a garment, and was arrayed and encompassed with the phenomenal majesty of a heavenly messenger. He was invested with the credentials of divine authority, which his vestures symbolized. (Exodus 16:10; Exodus 33:9; Numbers 11:25; Psalms 18:11; Matthew 17:5; Luke 21:27; Revelation 1:7) This display was not for the execution of judgment, but rather to be clothed and attired with the glory befitting his portfolio and comparable to his commission. Compare the similar symbols of official robes in Exodus 40:34-38 and Leviticus 16:2, and the “ woman arrayed with the sun” in Revelation 12:1 of the next scene. 2. A rainbow upon his head: The rainbow is the symbol of divine covenant. (Genesis 9:12-17) It represented assurance against judgment, promise of help, a pledge of divine presence. (Ezekiel 1:28; Revelation 4:3; Revelation 10:7) It was a sign that this angel was a messenger of mercy, not of judgment, bringing good tidings, not evil forebodings. 3. His face as the sun: The sun is the light of the universe and is the source of all physical radiance. Seeking a term of grandeur and splendor to portray the One to come, the prophet Malachi selected the flaming orb of the day, and likened the Redeemer to the “ sun of righteousness.” (Malachi 4:2) What the sun is to the solar system, Jesus Christ is to the soul. The rise of this sun of righteousness presaged a new day. With its appearance the darkness vanished and turned to day, the tomb itself yielded to his power and surrendering to his orders, released its seal. One mighty to save had come, who was the Redeemer of men, who brought to nought the power of death and of the devil to deliver all who through the fear of death were subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14-15) This angel clothed with a cloud, with a face as the sun, was the herald of the “ Sun of righteousness” who would turn the night of persecution into the day of victory. (2 Corinthians 4:6) 4. His feet as pillars of fire: The feet are symbolic of the messenger. “ How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.” (Romans 10:15) “ I turned my feet unto thy testimonies.” (Psalms 119:59) “ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:15) The feet of this strong angel were as “ pillars of fire"-- like the pillar that led Israel (Exodus 13:21-22) out of Egypt, and was always the symbol of the presence and the guidance of the angels of God. (Exodus 14:19; Exodus 23:20; Exodus 32:34) Describing the feet of this angel as “ pillars of fire” denoted that his feet were illuminated with divine guidance to give light to them that sat in darkness and in the shadow of death. (Luke 1:79) The identity of the mighty angel—Revelation 10:1; Revelation 11:3; Revelation 12:7; Revelation 14:1; Revelation 14:14; Revelation 19:11. 1. The open book of Rev 10:8-11 is the sealed book of Rev 5:1. The Lamb took that book from the One who sat on the throne—Revelation 5:7. After the opening of the seals, the book was given to John, thus identifying the angel of chapter 10 with the Lamb of chapter 5. 2. The description of the angel of chapter 10 corresponds to that of the Son of man in chapter 1. 3. He appears as Lord in Revelation 11:3, exercising a power and authority not ascribed to created beings. 4. The representation of Christ under various figures and forms interspersed in the apocalypse agrees with his presentation as an angel rather than arguing against it. He is the Son in chapter 1. He is the strong Angel, in Revelation 5:1-2. He is the Lion in verse 5. He is the Lamb in verse 6. In Revelation 6:2, He is the Rider; in Revelation 14:1, He is the Lamb on Mount Zion; in verse 14, He is the Son on the cloud; and in Revelation 19:11, He is the Rider of white horse again. In these premises, arguments that the Christ could not be symbolized by an angel appear to be without foundation. 5. It is consistent with the purpose of the interlude that he should appear not as a judge, or king enthroned, but as the sun-countenanced, rainbow-crowned angel of the covenanted people. 5. In his hand a little book opened: This book in Revelation 5:7 was “ sealed and no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth was able to open it.” (Revelation 5:2) But the “ Lion of the tribe of Judah” --the Lamb in the midst of the throne--“ hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seals thereof.” (Revelation 5:5) It was therefore no longer sealed, no longer a mystery, but now an open book. When it was sealed it seemed large. Unknown things are greater in seeming proportion than the things that are known. They become simplified and minimized in proportion to the knowledge of them. When the seals within the book were loosed, or revealed, it became an open book, and it was a little book compared with knowing and not knowing its contents. 6. Right foot upon the sea . . . left foot upon the land: The land and the sea were the territories of their persecutors. Later the Jewish persecutors of Palestine were described as “ the beast of the land” and the Roman persecutor was designated“ the beast of the sea.” The sea beast was said to exercise authority over the land beast, based on the universal sway of Rome’ s power. But the mighty angel stood with one foot on the land, the other on the sea, declaring his power over both as Lord of the land and of the sea. 7. A great voice as a lion roareth: The Lamb in the midst of the throne, once slain, who was the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who had conquered to open the book and loose its seals, now came as the “ mighty angel” to announce the near end of the things in the book; and when his “ loud voice” heralded the angel’ s proclamation, seven thunders uttered their voices, as signs of revolutionary events that would presage the end. Thunder was regarded as the voice of God. (Job 37:2; Psalms 18:13; Psalms 81:7; Isaiah 30:31-32) Thunder attended the inauguration of the law. (Exodus 19:16) When the people heard God’ s voice, they said it thundered. (John 12:29) It was a symbol of divine power in the executions of vengeance on evil-doers. (2 Samuel 2:10; 2 Samuel 22:14; Isaiah 29:6) And that was its significance here. 8. Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered and write them not: The book of seven seals was opened, and its seals were loosed; the trumpets of the seven angels were sounded; but the seven thunders were sealed up and John was commanded to write them not. The things which the seven thunders uttered and which John was ready to transcribe, related to the things of the future not disclosed in the seals nor proclaimed in the trumpets, neither contained in the vials yet to be poured. They were things outside the realm of revelation, beyond all human knowledge or finite information. The sealing up of the thunders signified that there is a category of the infinite in God’ s dealings with men and nations which can never be revealed. Much therefore, after all the seals were loosed and all the trumpets had sounded and all the woes were pronounced and all the vials poured, must remain enfolded and unrevealed. There are in the nature of things of the infinite and the hereafter not within the scope of God’ s revelation to man. It is in keeping with the principle revealed to Moses, that “ the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29) There are things connected with the counsels and purposes of God, and the reasons for his dispensations with reference to them, which are hidden in his own bosom, not to be pried into by any man or order of men. What the voices of the seven thunders uttered cannot be known, and for any man to undertake to explain what John was forbidden to write, would be presumption. The voices of the thunders evidently belonged to that region of “ visions and revelations of the Lord” to which Paul referred as “ unspeakable words not lawful for a man to utter.” (2 Corinthians 12:1-21) The command of the voice from heaven to seal up and write not, with no conditions, restrictions or limitations of time has in it a finality that prohibits the explanation that makes the voices of the thunders the mystic symbols of imperial edicts and papal bulls of the medieval centuries, and the continuous revelation of the history of Christianity to the end of the world. 9. That there should be time no longer: The words of finality spoken by the angel required that they be sealed with the binding force of an oath. In the Old Testament God is said to have sworn by himself. (Genesis 22:16; Isaiah 45:23; Psalms 110:4; Psalms 89:35; Psalms 132:11) In the New Testament Peter refers to God having “ swornwith an oath” to David. (Acts 2:30), and Paul declares in Hebrews 6:18 that God “ confirmed by an oath” his immutable counsel, in which it was “ impossible for God to lie.” So if the voice from heaven was Christ himself, or “ another mighty angel” there was nothing inconceivable or incompatible that he should sware by the eternal Creator of heaven itself, and the earth and the sea, “ and the things that therein are.” Standing on the sea and the earth, as if to survey the full sweep of all human powers, Roman and Jewish, the angel proclaimed that there should be time no longer. The time for the seventh angel to sound the seventh trumpet was near, and the culminating events would be no longer delayed. This angelic proclamation did not refer to the end of all time, but rather to the end of the events signified in the vision. The word time here means delay, the time, or delay, of these events was about to end. In chapter 6:9-10 the souls under the altar cried “ how long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” In the response to this prayer, in verse 11, “ it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season” --that is, wait for a time, until the vision “ should be fulfilled.” That “ little season” was about to end with the approaching proclamation of the seventh angel, the time should be no longer. The prayer of the martyrs for avenging judgment was about to be answered and would speedily come with no more delay. In chapter 8:3 the prayers of all the saints are seen superadded to the cry of martyrs. The visions of the seven seals and the seven trumpets, with their intermissions, have been unfolded, and the vision having reached “ the days of the seventh angel” there should be no more delay. The days of the seventh angel—Revelation 10:7. 1. Days of the voice: This was a reference to the end of the Jewish state (Matthew 24:3), which was politically the end of the old Jewish dispensation, the days when the last trumpet was about to sound the note of doom--when he shall begin to sound--hence, in the days of the last events fulfilling these visions. They were fulfilled in that generation as foretold by the words of Jesus to his disciples. (Matthew 23:36 and Matthew 24:34) 2. The mystery of God finished: This mystery of God is that divine plan of Eph 1:9-10, which was to reach its fulfillment “ in the dispensation of the fulness of times,” and here the reference is to the “ finish” of all events connected with its success. (Matthew 24:14) And it was accomplished for Jesus said, “ this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” In verse 31, of this discourse of Mat 24:1-51, the Lord said that after these events of the destruction of Jerusalem he would “ send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet” to “ gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” These statements in Matthew and Revelation are parallel in meaning and alike had reference to the universal expansion of the kingdom of Christ, after the fall of Judaism and the end of the Jewish state. The destruction of Jerusalem, the demolition of the temple, the downfall of Judaism, and the end of Jewish state, which politically and practically ended the Jewish dispensation, were all a part of the divine mystery. The Mosaic law had been “ nailed to the cross,” “ abolished” and “ taken away” ; but the Jewish state continued, and in that sense the Jewish dispensation functioned, until “ the days of the voice of the seventh angel” which sounded the final doom. This was all in and part of “ the mystery of God," the divine scheme of things, which was “ finished” in the culmination of these events. 3. As declared to the prophets: These things were all declared to the Old Testament prophets and witness borne in the prophecies to their fulfillment. (Romans 16:25-26; 1 Peter 1:10-12) These were the things that were “ manifested in last times” --the end of the Jewish world. (1 Peter 1:20) The old prophets contemplated all of the things pertaining to the kingdom of Christ, both of its inauguration and its expansion. (Genesis 49:1; Isaiah 2:2-5; Micah 4:1-4; Daniel 2:42-45; Daniel 10:14; Zechariah 14:1-21) The revelations made known to the prophets were a declaration in advance of the things to come--a witness to them--and found fulfillment in the events herein disclosed. The eating of the little book—Revelation 10:8-10. 1. The voice from heaven: The voice again is the voice of verse 4; and from heaven identifies it with the voice from midst the throne, chapter 9:13. It was the voice of direct authority from God, not through any agents, angels, creatures, elders or mediaries of the visions--but from God himself. 2. In the mouth sweet--in the belly bitter. The symbol of eating a book is found in the apocalypses of Ezekiel, with the same effects as described in this vision. (Ezekiel 2:9; Ezekiel 3:7; Ezekiel 3:14). The eating of this little book was in the mouth sweet as honey, as the precious flavor ascribed to the words of God. (Psalms 19:10; Jeremiah 15:16) The effects of eating the book were both sweet and bitter. John said: In my mouth sweet--in my belly bitter. The assurances and promises of victory and of reward were “ sweet as honey.” The contemplation of such triumphs produced the sweetness of joy and rejoicing; but the realization of the awful pronouncements fraught with fearful woes, turned the sweetness to bitterness in the belly, by reason of further contemplation on the tragic sufferings and sorrow, trials and tribulation they all would be called upon to endure in faithfulness, even in martyrdom, to receive the promised crown. The commission to evangelize—Revelation 10:11. 1. Thou must prophesy again: Here is the clear indication that John survived the Patmos revelation. He survived the castastrophe of Jerusalem, to go among the nations, peoples, tongues, kings, proclaiming the passing away of the old things of Judaism and the end of the old system, preaching again the word that concerns the people of all nations. He would himself fulfill Matthew 24:31. 2. Before peoples, nations, tongues and kings: To apply the expression prophesy again to the further things in the Revelation does not fit the language used by the angel, before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” The statement is comparable to the words of Jesus to Saul on the Damascus road in that commission to be executed by Paul, the apostle, recorded in Acts 9:15 : “ But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.” Furthermore, to make prophesy again mean to continue what he was then doing, and in the same way, would be a disregard for proper use nd meaning of words. The passage indicates that John left the scene of these visions and became an active evangelist in many countries, among many peoples and tongues.Commentary on Revelation 10:1-11 by Walter ScottGLORIOUS OF THE MIGHTY ANGEL Revelation 10:1-3. — “And I saw another strong angel coming down out of the Heaven, clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow upon his head, and his countenance as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire, and having in his hand a little opened book. And he set his right foot on the sea, and the left upon the earth, and cried with a loud voice as a lion roars. And when he cried the seven thunders uttered their own voices.” Things are drawing to a close. The half-week of sorrow (three years and a half) is nearly spent, but its last hours reveal the world in mad and open rebellion against God, and His saints on whom the Beast and the Antichrist wreak their fury. Before, however, the last dregs of the Lord’ s vengeance are drunk by the Gentile and Jewish apostates and their dupes this consolatory vision breaks through the dark clouds of judgment. It is a stern reminder to the world that, in spite of the raging of the wicked, the government of the earth is the just claim of the Creator and one about to be made good in power. But the vision is also one eminently fitted to strengthen and console believers, and especially suffering saints, for the same power which will crush the enemy exalts the sufferers to honor. The vision is easily read. It is one of the most profound in the book, yet withal exceedingly simple in its main features. The mysteriousness of the Trumpet visions here disappears. Revelation 10:1 — “Another strong angel” carries us back in thought to Revelation 5:2, but the only thing common to both references is the epithet “ strong.” In the earlier text a created being endowed with might is referred to, whereas in the passage before us an uncreated Being of divine majesty and power is witnessed. It is the Lord Himself. We have had already a vision of the Lord in angelic, priestly intercession (Revelation 8:3); here He asserts in angelic power His undisputed claim to the dominion of the earth. Revelation 10:1 — “Coming down out of the Heaven,” not simply “ from” it as a point of departure, but “ out ” of it as being His native home (1 Corinthians 15:47, R.V.; John 3:13, last clause); “the Heaven” fixes a definite locality. The insertion of the preposition from and the omission of the definite article the in the text of the Authorized Version may seem to some veriest trifles, but for those maintaining the verbal inspiration of the Sacred Scriptures, as we trust all our readers do, an unwarranted interpolation, or the omission of an inspired letter or part of one, jot and tittle (Matthew 5:18), must be regarded as a distinct loss. God warns and threatens in unusually solemn terms against tampering with the inspired Word, either in adding to it (Revelation 22:18) or in taking from it (Revelation 22:19). In the descent of the strong angel to earth is intimated the close of providential dealing. The former scene of prophecy was viewed as having its source in Heaven; here the scene of operation is openly shown to be on earth. The whole prophetic scene under Heaven is openly and publicly occupied. The Lord in thus coming out of His place to establish His worldwide kingdom on earth changes the point of view, which in the vision is earth, not Heaven. Revelation 10:1 — “Clothed with a cloud.” In the ancient oracles the cloud figures largely as representing the presence and majesty of Jehovah. There is great fulness and boldness in the symbols employed to set forth the glorious majesty of the Lord, symbols, too, which in their interpretation leave little room for discussion. “ Clothed with a cloud” is a public sign of His majesty. Revelation 10:1. — “The rainbow upon his head.” The same rainbow (*In chapter 4 the appearance of the rainbow is “ like in appearance to an emerald,” the never-tiring green, so restful to the eye.) as previously witnessed by the Seer (Revelation 4:3). In the earlier reference a rainbow encircles the throne and its august Occupant, here the rainbow with its many and variegated colours and glories rests on the head of the angel. The use of the definite article the in our text (R.V.) connects the scene of chapter 10 in some of its essential features with that of chapter 4. It is the same rainbow, “ this crest of divinity” which surrounds the throne (Revelation 4:1-11) and the head (Revelation 10:1-11). Amidst the apocalyptic scenes of judgment God’ s remembrance of mercy is constant and unfailing. The bow in the cloud, (“ The rainbow could not, consistently with the mythology of the heathen, constitute a part of the regalia of any particular deity. They had such exalted notions of it, they thought it was not properly a bow, but a goddess. The Greeks supposed Iris to be the daughter of Thoumas and Electra. The Romans considered her as a particular favourite of Juno. Among the Peruvians the highest acts of worship were paid to the rainbow; in the celebrated temple of the sun at Cusco, an apartment was dedicated entirely to the worship of the rainbow, and an order of priests set apart to perform the customary services.” — “ Lectures on Prophecies of John,” by Robert Culbertson, vol. 1, p. 387. The bow of an archer round the head of some of the heathen deities is different from the rainbow. The heathen could neither open the clouds nor bind them up, and hence adds the above writer: “ They were not therefore entitled to wear this badge of distinction.” The rainbow is pre-eminently a symbol exclusively used of the divine Being or of His throne (see also Ezekiel 1:28).) that ancient token of divine goodness (Genesis 9:1-29), here reappears, and just at the time and season when most needed. Revelation 10:1 — “ His countenance as the sun, and his feet as pillar of fire.” Substantially the description here is that of the glory of the Son of Man in Revelation 1:15-16. There, however, the feet of the glorious One are mentioned before His countenance. Both descriptions apply to the same blessed Person in different connections. In the former (Revelation 1:1-20) the expression of His character and glory as man are set forth. In the latter (Revelation 10:1-11) the majesty of angelic strength and glory are witnessed. Supreme majesty and government are reflected in His face, while “ His feet as pillars of fire” indicate stability and firmness, the unbending holiness of His judicial action. Revelation 10:2. — “He set his right foot on the sea, and the left upon the earth.” Three times in the course of this vision the angel is seen standing on the sea and the earth, and in each instance the mention of the sea precedes that of the earth (vv. 2, 5, 8), whereas in other parts of the Apocalypse the order is reversed (Revelation 7:1-3; Revelation 14:7; Revelation 5:13; Revelation 12:12, etc.). This latter is certainly the natural order, i.e., the earth and the sea. We have already remarked upon the force of these symbols; the earth denoting the civilized portion of the globe, the sea referring to the masses of mankind in an unformed, uncivilized condition. But in our passage the sea, the turbulent heathen, is first named. Is it random or divine precision that the right foot is set down on the rebellious nations and peoples, and the left on the professed scene of light and government? How firm the tread of the angel! How complete the action! How thorough the subjugation of all to Him! He set those pillars, or columns, of fire on all beneath the sun. Right and might, both in exercise, are characteristic of the significant act of the angel as He takes possession of the whole scene under Heaven. Revelation 10:3. — He “cried with a loud voice as a lion roars.” Accompanying the act of the angel we have His voice of majesty and power causing intense terror throughout the whole earth (Hosea 11:10; Joe 3:16). It is the voice of Christ. “ He doth send out His voice, and that a mighty voice” (Psalms 68:33). We have here the roar of the lion of the tribe of Judah. He was named as such in conjunction with the Lamb in that heavenly and magnificent scene unfolded in chapter 5. But there we witness the action of the lamb; here that of the lion. Revelation 10:3 — “When he cried, the seven thunders uttered their own voices.” (*The seven thunders seem to answer to the seven times in which the voice of Jehovah is heard (Psalms 29:3-9). The seven thunders point to “ the perfection of God’ s intervention in judgment.”) The cry of the angel was a cry to Jehovah which is immediately answered. The answer is one of power and judgment. Thunder is God’ s voice in judgment, the expression of His authority therein (1 Samuel 7:10; Psalms 18:13; Job 26:14). “ The seven thunders” intimate a full and perfect response to the angel’ s cry. “The seven” gives precision and definiteness to the answering voices of the thunders. It was not a crash like the thunder of nature, but these thunders intelligently expressed the mind of the God of judgment, they “ uttered their own voices.”THE SEER TO WRITE. Revelation 10:4. — “And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write, (“ The intimation here plainly is that John was employed in writing during the intervals of his vision.” — “ Stuart on the Apocalypse.” page 585. We question this statement.) and I heard a voice out of the Heaven saying, Seal what the seven thunders have spoken, and write them not.” The prophet was about to record the words of the thunders. He heard and understood. This vision is full of voices. That of the angel of the thunders, and another “ out of Heaven.” This was a voice of authority, “ Seal what the seven thunders have spoken, and write them not.” Those to us unrevealed communications were to be sealed. It was not the time to make them known. The exact import of these revelations has not been disclosed; probably they are embodied in the after communications directly concerning the end. There are two commands addressed to the Seer: first, to seal up the sayings of the thunder; second, to write them not (compare with Daniel 8:26; Daniel 12:9). It may be, as in the case of the Hebrew prophet, that this part of the apocalyptic vision, containing the unwritten words of the angel and of the seven thunders, is “ closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” Sealing these prophetic revelations supposes that the end is a long way off. If the end is near, then the prophecies are not to be sealed. In one case the words are sealed, for the end is far off (Daniel 12:9); in another the sayings are not sealed, for the end is nigh (Revelation 22:10). SOLEMN OATH OF THE ANGEL. Revelation 10:5-7. — “And the angel whom I saw stand on the sea and on the earth lifted up his right hand to the Heaven. And sware by Him that lives to the ages of ages, Who created the Heaven and the things that are in it, and the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be no longer delay. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound the Trumpet, the mystery of God also shall be completed, as He has made known the glad tidings to His own bondmen the prophets.” One of the most sublime of apocalyptic actions is here recorded. How strengthening and how consolatory! We turn from the din and angry strife amongst the nations to the eternal purpose of God respecting this earth. It belongs by native right and purchase to Christ. What a sight! Sea and earth under His feet, the book of closing prophecy in His left hand, while He lifts up His right to Heaven, (In Daniel 12:7 the man in linen swears holding up both hands.) and swears by the ever-living God and Creator that there should be no longer delay. It is not “ no longer time” as in the Authorised Version and retained in the Revised Version. The translators have corrected their blunder by substituting for “ time” delay in the margin. Either the text or margin is right, for both cannot be. After the accomplishment of the oath of the angel at least a thousand years run their course ere time ceases and eternity opens; hence it cannot mean that there shall be no longer “ time.” Tregelles, Stuart, Darby, Kelly, and a host of others competent to judge, read “ no longer delay.” The meaning is that “ man’ s day,” which commenced with the Ascension of the Lord and is closed up by His Advent in power, is drawing to an end. The age of secret, providential dealing with evil is about to close. For 2000 years God has not openly interfered in the government of the world. The Church is a ruin, and the world a wreck. It is the time when the will of man is everywhere rampant. It is, too, the time of God’ s patience with evil, the era of His long-suffering with men. There will be no longer delay in setting up the kingdom and taking the government of all creation into His own hands. Man’ s day is to be closed up in sharp and severe judgment, and the Lord’ s reign and kingdom set up. The oath of the angel not only assures us of this, but guarantees the immediate execution of it. There is to be no longer delay in bringing the present age with all its evil to an end. Revelation 10:7. — “ In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound the Trumpet, the mystery of God also shall be completed.” What is signified by the mystery of God? (The mystery of His will (Ephesians 1:9). The mystery of iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2:7). The mystery of godliness (1 Timothy 3:16). The mystery of Christ and the Church . The mystery of God (Colossians 2:2). The mystery of the seven stars (Revelation 1:20). The mystery of the woman and the beast (Revelation 17:7). The mystery of Israel (Romans 11:25). These and other mysteries are distinct from the mystery of God in the passage before us. Mystery signifies something previously unknown but now revealed: when made known it ceases to be a mystery of course; it is then “ an open secret.” All the mysteries are unfolded in the New Testament. The word “ mystery” does not occur in the earlier oracles.) Does it not seem strange that Satan has been allowed for 6000 years to wrap and twist his coils around the world, to work evil and spoil and mar the work of God? What havoc he has wrought! He is the god of this world and the prince of the power of the air. God’ s saints have ever been the objects of his fiercest malignity. Is it not a mystery why God, the God of righteousness and holiness, allows evil to go unpunished and His own people to be crushed and broken on every hand? Truly this is the mystery of God. Is it that He is indifferent to the wrong, indifferent to the sorrows of His people? Nay, that were impossible. God bears with evil till the hour of judgment arrives, when He will avenge the cry of His elect, and come out of His place to punish the wicked. The checks and restraints upon evil now are unseen as to their source, and are only of partial application. Everything in the world and in the Church is out of order save what God by His Spirit produces. Now, however, this mystery of God is about to be finished, and God by His Son, the Heir of all things, will wrest the government of the world from the iron grasp of Satan, confine him as a prisoner in the abyss for 1000 years, finally casting him into the lake of fire for eternity, and then rule and reign in manifested power and glory. Evil now tolerated and allowed, spite of numerous checks to hinder its coming to a height, will then be openly punished. The mystery is at end. Christ is about to reign. This is indeed glad tidings proclaimed to His prophets of old, not declared by them (although they did that as their books testify), but to them, “ Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secrets unto His servants, His prophets” (Amos 3:7). The public intervention of God on behalf of His afflicted saints to crush the power of evil, to expel the usurper Satan from the earth which he has been, so far, permitted to destroy morally and physically, and to set up the world in more than primitive beauty and order: such is God’ s decree. This was the glad tidings which roused the energies, stimulated the faith, brightened the hope, and gladdened the hearts of the prophets of God in all ages. The same blessed hope with added glories is our strength to-day. Not exactly when the seventh angel sounds, but in the days of the voice of the angel, the mystery of God shall be completed. THE LITTLE BOOK OF DIVINE COUNSEL AND THE OF JOHN’ S . Revelation 10:8-11. — “And the voice which I heard from the Heaven (was) again speaking with me, and saying, Go, take the little book which is opened in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the earth. And I went to the angel, saying to him to give me the little book. And he says to me, Take and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the hand of the angel, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth as honey, sweet; and when I had eaten it my belly was made bitter. And (he) says to me, Thou must prophesy again as to peoples, and nations, and tongues, and many kings.” The prisoner of Patmos again hears the voice from “ the Heaven,” the dwelling of God. The limbs of John may have been fettered, and the wild waves of the sea dash against his rocky prison, but the island was no lonely place for the man whose soul was wrapped up in the visions of God, whose ears heard the songs of the redeemed, and the spoken worship of angels, and who was personally addressed out of Heaven again and again. He is commanded to go to the angel and take out of his hand the little opened book. Instantly he complied. The Speaker was none other than God Himself, and hence obedience was prompt and unqualified. The majesty of the angel had no terrors for John. Undismayed by the divine dignity and grandeur of the all-glorious One Who held the book in His hand the Seer goes in the authority of the Creator and asks for the book. The soul who is obedient, who yields unquestioning submission to the expressed will of God, is for the time omnipotent. He walks and acts in the strength of the Creator, the Maker of Heaven and earth. Fear! He knows it not. The invisible God, seen by faith, makes him invincible in the path of obedience, “ immortal till his work is done.” A further command is given by the angel. The first command was from Heaven to take the book, the second was from earth to eat it. Why bitter in the belly, and sweet in the mouth? Prophecy is both bitter and sweet. We are here dealing with symbols. There should be no more difficulty in understanding the prophet eating the book than in Jeremiah eating the words of Jehovah (Jeremiah 15:16). To eat is to make the thing one’ s own, to incorporate it into one’ s being (John 6:49-58). The Christian prophet eating the roll, and finding it both sweet and bitter, reminds us of a similar symbolic action by the Jewish prophet (Ezekiel 2:8; Ezekiel 3:1-3). The first effect of prophetic communication, the roll in the mouth, was sweetness, the sweetness of honey; but as the revelations are weighed, the judgments they announce considered, the next effect is to cause bitterness and sorrow. Prophecy both gladdens and saddens, as it contains announcements both of joy and grief. Finally, the Seer was to recommence his prophetic ministry, not to “ peoples, and nations, and tongues, and many kings,” but concerning them. He was to prophesy of them. This we find him doing in the following chapter; hence the last verse of chapter 10 naturally leads us into new scenes and circumstances, of which this later prophetic ministry treats. Its character we shall now, through grace, examine. Commentary on Revelation 10:1-11 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 10:1. The drama of the book of Revelation is proceeding down through the centuries, until we are about to arrive at the revolution known in history as the Reformation. But the full development of that mighty movement will be preceded by some items preparatory to it. Now is another time when the reader should again read carefully the "General remarks" at the beginning of this book. But the oppression from the power that was created through the union of church and state has exhausted the patience of the Almighty and he will soon inaugurate the work that is destined to dissolve the unrighteous monster and return to the people their right to act upon their own responsibility. The preliminary events necessary for the main performance are due to begin soon, which will be indicated by some of the symbols of this chapter . The angel in this verse came down from heaven and the description shows he was coming on behalf of the Lord to impart some predictions about to be carried out. Clothed with a cloud agrees with the fact that he was from the courts of heaven, because the clouds are frequently used in connection with heavenly events (Revelation 1:7; Revelation 14:14; Matthew 24:30; Acts 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:17). Rainbow upon his head signifies the dignity and grandeur of his mission. His face like the sun denotes great light which was especially appropriate since his mission was to announce the shedding of Gospel light on those who had been deprived of it because of the Dark Ages. Pillars of fire. Thayer explains this to mean. "Flames rising like columns." It denotes a penetrating brilliance that belongs only to heavenly beings. Revelation 10:2. The angel had a little book which indicated that the events about to be predicted would not take long and hence would not require a large book to record them. The book was open which signified that the things about to happen were to be made known; that their account was not a sealed book as the one in chapter 2. It denoted further that the Bible which had been closed to the people by Rome would soon be opend again so that all might read. The sea and earth comprise the entire surface of the globe and the symbol means that all the world would be affected by what was soon to occur and which would be announced presently. Revelation 10:3. The angel's voice was like that of a lion in that it was strong and itself heard far and near. We know from the context that the angel's cry was the announcement that the Bible was again to be given to the people. Of course that would be unwelcome news to the heads of the apostate church and it was natural for them to protest. That called for seven thunders from the "seven-hilled" city of Rome. Revelation 10:4. Not realizing the deception there was in the protests, John was about to write down what the thunderous voices said. (We remember he was told in Revelation 1:19 to write the things that should be thereafter .) But the Lord understood the motive of the seven voices coming from the headquarters of the "man of sin," and He caused a voice to instruct John not to record them but to seal them up. Revelation 10:5. In lifting up his hand the angel mentioned before (in verse 2) was preparing to make an oath. (There is no inconsistency in this, for he was an angel of God and man only is forbidden to make oaths.) Revelation 10:6. Should be time no longer. Much misuse has been of this passage. It is not uncommon to hear a preacher making an earnest plea to his audience to obey the Gospel while the time is here. That soon the angel of God would place one foot on land and the other on the sea and declare that "time shall be no longer ." They thus make the phrase mean that the last day of the earth has come and hence it will be "the end of time." In the first place the events concerning which the angel uttered the phrase were several centuries prior to the second coming of Christ. In the second place the Bible does not teach there will ever be an end of time, for the word means the same as the word "eternity," and both words simply mean "duration" which is something that had no beginning and will never have an end. The word in our passage does not mean "time" as being the opposite of "eternity," but it has the same meaning the word would have if a moderator announced to the speaker that his time was up. The Englishman's Greek New Testament renders the word "delay." The passage means that the events being predicted--the events getting ready for the Reformation--were about due to start and that there would be no longer delay in the matter. Revelation 10:7. The mystery of God refers to the work of the Reformation that was to restore the Bible to the people. The seventh angel has not yet sounded, but he soon will because the preceding verse says there was not to be any further delay. By the time this seventh angel gets his message sounded the complete work of the Reformation will be done, that is, the prediction will be completed. Of course an inspired prophet speaks of things in the present tense even though he is speaking of events long in the future. John was seeing this vision in the first century and the Reformation came in the sixteenth, but an inspired angel can speak of such an event as having taken place. Such is the meaning of this verse when it says that when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished. (See Revelation 11:15.) Revelation 10:8. This little book is the one mentioned in verse 2 which contains predictions of things about to begin. John was the human agency of God for delivering the message to the world, and hence it was appropriate for him to receive the book at the bidding of the angel. We note two angels are involved in this episode, the one that held the book and the other one that sounded the instructions to John. Revelation 10:9. In obedience to the instructions of the angel John went and requested the other angel to give him the little book. As the angel delivered it to him he told him to eat it up. This was a symbol and indicated that John was to be inspired to report to the people. A similar instance of such a symbolic inspiration of a prophet is in Ezekiel 3:1-3. The book produced two opposite effects upon the prophet although he had only one body to absorb it. There was nothing inconsistent in John's personal attitude toward the word of God, but the world would not take the same stand in view of the unpleasant things it contains in its teachings. Therefore John was required to have a bodily experience that represented both his and the people's reaction to the word. See the note about "prophets acting" at 1 Kings 20:35 in Volume 2 of Bible Commentary. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 11:1-2 2. THE THE TEMPLE,ALTAR, AND WORSHIP Rev_11:1-2 1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and one said, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.--In the preceding chapter the symbolic scenes were transferred from heaven to earth. This vision is also upon the earth. As John himself became a part of the vision of the little book, so he is a part of this vision. There appear before him the temple, altar, and worshipers with instruction to measure the three. While the old temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed for more than a quarter of a century, yet there was no more forceful way for John to understand the lessons than through that picture. Jewish minds had been accustomed for centuries to the temple system of worshiping God. Besides, before its destruction it had been used as a type of the church. (1 Corinthians 3:16.) Even the tabernacle. which preceded the temple was definitely made, in its two parts, to represent the church and heaven. (Hebrews 9:1-9; Hebrews 9:24.) John's being told to measure the temple, altar, and worshipers in the symbol meant that when the time arrived that this vision applied the church, the worship, and worshipers were to be measured. Once more we have in this text an example of a symbolic passage which contains both figurative and literal expressions. The words temple and altar are figurative; the word worshipers is literal. Measurements to be correct and valuable must be made by standard and accurate implements. In this case John was given a reed like a rod, something both accurate and convenient. Note that it was given him, not something he made; it must have been given by the angel, not by men. Since the purpose of measuring, according to verse 2, was to determine what was approved or acceptable to God, then the measuring instrument had to be of divine make. This was nothing else than the New Testament teaching that already had been given by the apostles. As it was perfect (2 Timothy 3:16-17), nothing else was allowed as a standard (Galatians 1:8-9). 2 And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations --Since the word Gentiles means "nations," there is no difference between the King James and the Revised in meaning. The Gentiles could enter the outer court of the Jewish temple, but not the temple itself. In fact, only consecrated priests could enter that building. The altar referred to is the golden altar of incense inside the holy place of the temple. The Jewish priests were typical of Christians. (1 Peter 2:5.) As John in the symbol was told to measure the worshipers (priests) so in the thing represented only those professing to worship God were to be measured. The reason for this is that at the time the measuring was to be done the religious world was in a hopeless state of apostasy. The purpose of applying God's word to such false religions was twofold first, to show that they were false; second, to show honest souls how to worship God in spirit and in truth. It was unnecessary to measure the irreligious; if they wanted to be saved, the law was in God's word already. But false teaching needed to be measured to show it a perversion of divine truth. and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.--The material temple was in Jerusalem, the Jewish capital, and was considered a holy city. Like the temple, it is also a type of the church. (Galatians 4:26; Hebrews 12:22.) The final state which we call heaven is referred to as the "holy city, new Jerusalem." (21:2.) The words could not mean literal Jerusalem, for that has been "trodden down" by Gentiles practically all the time since it was taken by the Romans in A.D. 70 till the present, which is more than 1,260 years. To be trodden under foot would be fulfilled when Gentiles would corrupt and devastate the church. This had already been done when the measuring of the temple began with the Reformation. How long the church had thus been corrupted by worldly influences is stated here to have been "forty and two months." If taken literally, it would be three and one-half years or 1,260 days. This would be entirely too short a time to correspond with the period when the church was corrupted by worldly and human devices. With the yearday theory the time was 1,260 years. This is substantially the length of time that Roman Catholicism ruled with absolute authority, and therefore the time that religious corruptioncompletely permeated church life. It would not affect the argument if the exact date when the period began and ended could not be ascertained; the facts would still be true. The period evidently refers to the time during which the church was completely under the domination of the papacy; or, from the time the bishop of Rome became head of the church (pope) till his power was broken by the Reformation.Commentary on Revelation 11:1-2 by Foy E. Wallace The measuring of the temple—Revelation 11:1-2. The contents of the eleventh chapter are a continuation of the scenes of the interlude, or intermediate visions, between the sixth and seventh trumpet announcements. The things narrated belong to the days of the voice of the seventh angel--the end of the Jewish state or political dispensation. The siege and fall of Jerusalem was at hand. The pronouncement of chapter 10 that there should be time no longer had been made. The eleventh chapter presents intervening scenes of measuring the temple, for the preservation of the “ holy seed,” the “ true Israel,” the “ one hundred forty-four thousand,” the “ innumerable host,” the “ remnant according to the election of grace,” and the “ sealed number” --representative of all spiritual Israel, the whole faithful church, and the true spiritual temple in contrast with the old temple which though still standing, was measured for destruction. The old Jerusalem, the apostate city, was marked for its downfall. 1. A reed like a rod: The indication is that this reed was given to John in the same manner and, hence, by the same One by whom the book was given to him in chapter 10:9. And the angel that commanded him to measure the temple is the same angel that commanded him to eat the book. The use of the article the angel, rather than an angel, or another angel, designates the angel as Christ himself, as shown in the notes on the preceding chapter. The reed was like a rod. The measuring reed was six cubits, about three yards in length. This measuring reed was like a rod, signifying the authority of its giver, the angel. In the psalm-prophecy of Christ, David said: “ I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion . . . I will declare the decree . . . thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee . . . I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron.” (Psalms 2:6-9) Again the psalmist said: “ Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion.” (Psalms 110:1-2) Both of these psalms are applied in the New Testament to the rule and authority of Christ. In that same sense it is used in chapter 2:27, “ He shall rule them with a rod of iron"-- the rule of irresistible authority. The rod was also the symbol of affliction, as signified in the phrase “ passing under the rod” of Ezekiel 20:37, and “ take his rod away from me,” of Job 9:34. This measuring reed given to John symbolized the authority of this “ mighty angel” (Revelation 10:1), and his power to protect and preserve the true believers. 2. Measure, temple, altar, worship: At the start of the interval between the sixth and seventh seals, the angel announced the purpose of the interlude (Revelation 7:3) as time to seal the servants of God; and in verse 4 he described and defined the number of them which were sealed as being symbolically of all the tribes of the children of Israel. In the same imagery here, in the interval between the sixth and seventh trumpets, the command of the angel to measure the temple, the altar and them that worship is symbolic of the true Israel of God. They were measured for preservation, the holy seed of Israel, spiritual Israel, that should not perish. The measured number here in chapter 11 is the same company of believers as the sealed number of chapter 7. They are the symbolic one hundred forty-four thousand of all the tribes of Israel--of Revelation 7:4 --computed on the basis of twelve times twelve for the twelve tribes, and in the numeral thousand for a symbol of the aggregated whole, complete, total body of true believers, of the spiritual tribes of Israel. (Acts 26:7) The symbolism of the measuring of the temple is exactly the same, the sealed servants of chapter 7 and the measured worshipers of chapter 11 are the same company, symbolic of the same thing, sealed and measured for the same purpose. Commentary on Revelation 11:1-2 by Walter ScottTHE TEMPLE AND . Revelation 11:1-2. — “And there was given unto me a reed like a staff, saying, Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship in it.And the court which (is) without the temple cast out, and measure it not; because it has been given (up) to the nations, and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty-two months.” “ A reed like a staff.” The reed was a measuring instrument, (In Ezekiel 40:3 the measuring rod is applied to the temple; then the city itself is measured (Zechariah 1:16). These both, i.e., temple and city, are for God’ s appropriation in millennial times. There seems two distinct thoughts connected with measuring. First, set apart for God, as in the foregoing passages; second, devoted to destruction by God, as Moab (2 Samuel 8:2), Jerusalem (Lamentations 2:8), Israe1 .) and is frequently mentioned by the prophets of old. The temple,altar, and worshippers measured by the Seer intimate their appropriation, preservation, and acceptance by God. An angel with a golden reed measures the glorified Church (Revelation 21:15). The Seer with a wooden reed does a like office for the temple. “ Like a staff,” or firm rod, signifies the strength, stability, and firmness of the emblematic action referred to. “ Rise and measure.” The Seer had been a passive yet deeply interested spectator of the scenes witnessed under the previous Trumpets, but now that Israel, his own nation, is in question he is commanded to “ rise.” He is roused into activity by the divine mandate. It is more than a mere question of posture. The temple, the altar, the worshippers, all are measured. Christian worship comes in between the suspension of Jewish worship in the past and its resumption in the future. Christians have no place of worship on earth; they enter no earthly temple. The holiest in the sanctuary above is their one and only place of worship (John 4:21; John 4:23; John 4:24; Hebrews 10:19-22); their sacrifices are praise to God and practical benevolence to men (Hebrews 13:15-16). But this is very different from Jewish worship both in the past and in the future. A temple and altar are essential to Jewish worship. While for the force of the figure it is not essential to suppose the existence of a material temple then in Jerusalem, yet prophecy demands the erection of a stone temple, and the reconstruction of the Jewish polity, both secular and religious, during that deeply solemn period between the Translation (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) and the Appearing (Jude 1:14-15). The Jews as a nation are restored in unbelief both on their part and on that of the friendly nation who espouse their cause (Isaiah 18:1-7). They then proceed to build their temple, (The following are the material temples referred to in the Word of God: Solomon’ s (1 Kings 7:1-51), destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, 588 B. C. Zerubbabel’ s (Ezra 3:1-13; Ezra 6:1-22)pillaged and dedicated to the heathen god Jupiter by Antiochus Epiphanes, 168 and 170 B.C. Herod’ s (John 2:20), reconstructed and almost rebuilt in a style of surpassing magnificence, commenced in the year 17 B.C. Antichrist’ s (2 Thessalonians 2:4).to be built by restored Judah. Christ’ s millennial temple (Ezekiel 40:1-49), entirely new, grand and capacious. In all, five temples. The Church (1 Corinthians 3:16) and the bodies of believers (1 Corinthians 6:19) are each spoken of as the temple of God. Jerusalem is the only city on earth where a temple of stone is divinely sanctioned. The force of the word “ temple” in Revelation 7:15 is that a vast crowd of worshipping Gentiles are recognized; probably these may pray and worship in the literal millennial temple then “ a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:7).) and restore, so far as they can, the Mosaic ritual. God is not in this Gentile movement for Jewish restoration, which is undertaken for political ends and purposes. But amidst the rank unbelief of these times there shall be, as ever, a true, godly remnant, and it is this remnant which is here divinely recognized. Gentile oppression and Jewish national apostasy but bring into bold relief the faithful and consequently suffering witnesses of that day, the closing hours of the unbelieving nation’ s history. “ The temple of God” is so termed, because He owns and accepts the true worshippers found therein. The altar refers to the brazen altar which stood in the court of old. It signifies the acceptance of those who in faith draw nigh to it, of course, as ever, on the righteous and holy ground of sacrifice. As to the moral value of the terms the “ temple” would express the worship, and the “ altar” the acceptance of the godly remnant of Israel. The unmeasured and rejected court given over to the Gentiles signifies the apostate part of the people, the mass in outward religious profession abandoned by God to the nations, who will wreak their vengeance on the guilty people, spite of the promised assistance of the Beast (Isaiah 28:17-22). The “ Court” signifies Judaism in alliance with the Gentiles, and that in its most corrupt and apostate character. TRODDEN DOWN. Revelation 11:2. — “The holy city shall they tread under foot forty-two months.” Jerusalem is here as elsewhere spoken of in its sacred character as “ the holy city” (see Nehemiah 11:1; Nehemiah 11:18; Isaiah 52:1; Daniel 9:24, etc.). She is to be trodden under foot for an exactly defined period, forty-two months. This denomination of time is elsewhere spoken of as 1260 days (Revelation 11:3; Revelation 12:6), a time, times, and half a time (Revelation 12:14), It is also referred to in Daniel 9:27 in the expression, “ The midst of the week.” Now these periods refer to the last half-week of seven years of Daniel’ s prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27). The forty-two months during which Jerusalem is trodden down, trampled upon by the Gentiles, are months of thirty days each, thus corresponding to the 1260 days of sackcloth testimony borne by the two witnesses or prophets. Jerusalem’ s coming hour of agony is limited to forty-two months. She will have to drink the cup of the Lord’ s fury, and drink it for 1260 days. The Gentiles will tread down the people as mire in the streets (Isaiah 10:6, etc.). Even those nations which at first politically befriended the Jew will turn round and glut their vengeance on the restored nation. “ They,” Judah restored by Gentile intervention, “ shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them” (Isaiah 18:6). Thus the Gentile enemies of Israelare let loose upon the people of Jehovah’ s choice, then in open idolatry and apostate from God and truth (Matthew 12:43-45). “ The last state of that man (Judah) is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation” (v. 45). Commentary on Revelation 11:1-2 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 11:1. The reed given unto John was a measuring rule and is a symbol of the word of God. This is clear from the fact that the angel gave it to John who was one of the apostles. We know the word of God is the divine standard for it is required in 1 Peter 4:11 that, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." At the time predicted by this chapter the apostasy ("falling away") was an established fact. The Bible was virtually taken from the people and the religious lives of men and women were judged by the decrees of Rome instead of by the word of God. This verse is a symbol of the true standard of the measurement as the apostles were given the authority to execute (Matthew 19:28). The temple of God means the church (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). The altar was the center of worship in the Mosaic system, and it is referred to here as a symbol of the worship under that of Christ. The in that worship therein means Christians, whose personal lives must be measured (regulated) by the word of God and not by the decrees of Rome.Revelation 11:2. The court in the old temple was the part that was open to the people generally. It is referred to in our passage as a symbol of the treatment that was imposed upon the institution of God by its enemies. Under the Mosaic system the temple was under the jurisdiction of the Jews, and that is why those on the outside were called Centiles. But in the fulfillment of the symbol the word refers to the enemies of the true church, namely, the leaders in the church of Rome. It must be borne in mind that all through this part of the book of Revelation, when reference is made either to Rome, or Babylon, or church and state, the same institution is always meant (if no exception is stated). That is because it was by the union of church and state that such a complete control was obtained over all the lives of the people. That is what is meant by the prediction that they were to tread under foot these arrangements of God. It is important to note that they did not tread under foot the temple nor the altar. That is because all through the Dark Ages there was a true church in existence in spite of the corruptions of Rome, although it was obscured more or less from the full public view. Forty and two months. This is the first time this unit of time has appeared in this book, but it will reappear many times under various figures. It refers to the period of the apostasy or Dark Ages as it is familiarly termed by the teachers in the brotherhood. In literal terms it means 1260 years and the various forms in which it is stated will all sum up to that figure by observing the rule in prophetic language that the month has 30 days. The exact number of years that requires the 60 is reached by the dates on which the full rule of Rome began and ended. Some of the details of that subject are not available to me at present, but we may be sure that the figure is correct from the fact that each of the various forms in which it is stated brings out the same 1260. And as to the correctness of the calculation we have historical verification of the round number in the words of Edward Gibbon, author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. He was an infidel and would have no motive for verifying the word of God, but lie was an authentic historian whose ability and accuracy were unquestioned and I shall quote from him as follows: "In the long period of twelve hundred years, which elapsed between the reign of Constantine and the reformation of Luther, the worship of saints and relics corrupted the pure and perfect simplicity of the Christian model; and some symptoms of degeneracy may be observed even in the first generation which adopted and cherished this pernicious innovation."--Volume 2, Chapter 28, Page 615. The forty and two months of our verse gives us the 1260 by multiplying forty-two by thirty.Commentary on Revelation 11:1-2 by Burton CoffmanRev_11:1 The first section of this chapter (Revelation 11:1-13) concludes the sixth trumpet with its vision of the fortunes of the church right up to the end and through the final judgment itself. The seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:14-19) describes the eternal state but gives no details concerning events in it. Several references to the actual judgment itself are retrospective, referring to an event which is past already. This seventh trumpet resembles the seventh seal in its silence regarding actual events after the judgment. This chapter is a vision, and practically nothing in it is to be taken literally; the great realities discussed are presented under a number of symbols, some of which may not be crucial to the meaning, but are inert, like some of the details in the parables of Jesus. Morris called this chapter "extraordinarily difficult to interpret,"[1] and none could disagree with that. As Alford cautioned, "Much of this mysterious book is as yet unfathomed."[2] Despite this, however, we offer the following interpretation as a sincere understanding of what the text says. Here are some of the symbols and the meanings which we believe to be conveyed by them: The reed like unto a rod = The Word of God The measuring = The sealing of the saints The temple, altar, etc. = The church of God The forty and two months = This whole dispensation The two witnesses = The Word of God and the Word-indwelt Church The beast out of the abyss = Satan The slaying of the witnesses = The world's rejection of their testimony Resurrection of witnesses = Resurgence of truth The unburied bodies = "Operations" of dead churches The calling of the witnesses = The resurrection and final to heaven judgment. Other symbols will be interpreted as they appear in the chapter. The comments of others will also be presented in connection with the meanings which we have ascribed to these symbols. Regarding the various systems of interpretation, as applied to this chapter, a glance at some of these will show how diverse are the views of it that appear in current writings. The literalists take if for just what it says; and, of course, all of us should try to do that. The trouble is that figurative language cannot be understood literally; and no one familiar with the Bible can deny that a great deal of it is written in figurative language, every known figure of speech being freely employed. Dusterdieck and others think this chapter refers literally to the Jewish temple and the earthly Jerusalem; but, if so, the Apocalypse stands self-condemned as a prediction falsified (by the contradiction of events) within a year or so of its having been written.[3]The futurists get rid of all such difficulties by referring the whole prophecy to the remote future, supposing that by then Jerusalem and the temple shall have been completely rebuild as of old, and then, at that far-off future time, the events of this chapter will literally occur. They identify the beast as Antichrist. The historicists, among whom is the noted Albert Barnes, identify the witnesses as "persecuted sects of the Middle Ages, and the beast as the Papacy."[4] There is an element of truth in this, because the apostasy foretold in Revelation, and the persecutions that were to accompany it, did have a fulfillment in such events, but not the fulfillment. The preterists think that practically everything in Revelation had its fulfillment in the first generation or so after it was written, and that nothing in it reaches any further than "the first two or three centuries after it was written."[5] Some of this group of interpreters find in the "two witnesses" who were slain the martyrdoms of Peter and Paul, supposing that they will yet rise from the dead and preach, as in the vision! The preterists are correct in seeing a genuine relevance in this prophecy for the first generation that received it; but they are totally wrong in restricting its relevance to the apostolic and sub-apostolic ages. The futurists in their interpretation lose all relevance whatever in this prophecy to any age except that of a brief period before the final coming of Christ. Thus, these lose all relevance of Revelation for any age except the very last; and the preterists lose all relevance to any age except the very first. Both views are wrong, because God's word is relevant to all times, periods and conditions. The many prophecies in Revelation are being fulfilled continually. For example, the evil enemies of the New Testament have been "killing it" all of this writer's lifetime; and they are still "killing it! .... But the word of the Lord endureth for ever." The apostasy was not one final act of the Medieval Church; it is also Jim Jones' bizarre sect in Guyana in 1978, and a thousand other things. None of this is intended to deny that some fulfillments are so much more extensive and prolonged that they indeed stand typically for all fulfillments. There has never been a time when this prophecy was not relevant; nor will there ever be. No other understanding of it, it appears to us, could be harmonized with the significant beatitude of Rev 1:3, "Blessed are they that read ... hear ... and keep the things that are written therein." And there was given me a reed like unto a rod; and one said, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. (Revelation 11:1) A reed like unto a rod ... Is this a literal cane some ten or fifteen feet long? How could the worshippers of God be measured by any such stick as this? What does it symbolize? Lenski can hardly be wrong in his comment that: The reed must then symbolize the word or Gospel in its function of determining who is in the church and who is outside of its bounds.[6]When one speaks of the Canon of the New Testament, he is speaking of this "reed like unto a rod." The very word "Canon means rule, or standard,"[7] in the sense of our ordinary word ruler as the name of a small measuring device. Once the meaning of this "rod" is seen, other meanings in the passage fall into place. Measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship ... "Temple of God" in this passage is impossible to accept as a reference to the literal Jewish temple in Jerusalem, called by the Son of God himself a "den of thieves and robbers." That an angel of God should have been concerned with having John measure that desolation (Matthew 23:38) is inconceivable. "It scarcely seems possible to doubt that temple here is used figuratively for the faithful portion of the Church of Christ."[8] In fact, the word here rendered temple is actually sanctuary (ASV margin), "The Greek word [@nous] means the." holy house, where God dwells ... The use of [@nous] here for the thing to be measured makes a literal interpretation of temple impossible."[9] "For John, the temple is the Christian Church, the people of God."[10] "This sanctuary symbolizes the true church."[11]If any distinction is to be made between the temple and the altar, which is doubtful, it would appear to be that the altar refers to the worship itself, the doctrine and practice of the faithful portion of the church; and the temple refers to the whole body of the church. The measuring of the "worshippers" would naturally mean the evaluation of their lifestyle, character, and behaviour by the principles taught in the word of God. Thus the corporate body of the church, its doctrine, worship, and teaching, as well as the individual character and conduct of its members would all be included in the measuring. Significantly, there have been pronounced departures from the word of God in all of these categories by the historical church. What is the purpose of the measuring? In the Old Testament, things were "measured" either for destruction or for preservation; but the identity of what is measured here suggests that "the measuring is a symbolical way of declaring its preservation, not from physical sufferings, but from spiritual danger."[12] Hendriksen likewise concurred in the judgment that the measuring here means "the setting apart from that which is profane."[13]This measuring by the word of God has the same purpose and effect as the sealing of the 144,000 in Revelation 7. The sealing there is done by the Holy Spirit; and the measuring here is by the word, those who are indwelt by the word (Colossians 3:16). The indwelling, whether by the Spirit, or by the word, being exactly the same either way. There is no difference. See my Commentary on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, pp. 97-99. It is good to note that many scholars have seen this correspondence with the sealing. "This corresponds to the sealing in Revelation 7:1-8."[14] An important deduction from this is that: The vision therefore declares that whatever corruptions invade the church, the kernel of the church will never be destroyed; but out of it there will arise those who will be true to the Master's commission.[15]This promise of protection for God's church, indicated in this vision by the "measuring," was made by the Lord himself in Matthew 28:18-20. [1] Leon Morris, Tyndale Commentaries, Vol. 20, The Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 144. [2] Henry Alford as quoted by Albertus Pieters, Studies in the Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1954), p. 137. [3] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 288. [4] Ralph Earle, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 565. [5] Albertus Pieters, op. cit., p. 38. [6] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis. Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 327. [7] Vergilius Ferm, An Encyclopedia of Religion (New York: Philosophical Library, 1943), p. 116. [8] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 288. [9] Charles H. Roberson, Studies in Revelation (Tyler, Texas: P. D. Wilmeth, P.O. Box 3305,1957), p. 69. [10] William Barclay, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 68. [11] William Hendriksen, More than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956), p. 153. [12] Robert H. Mounce, Commentary on the New Testament Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), p. 219. [13] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 152. [14] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 219. [15] W. Boyd Carpenter, Ellicott's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 584. Revelation 11:2 And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.Measure not ... the court which is without ... Although associated with the temple, this court was not part of the sanctuary; and, symbolically, the leaving out of this means that there are people who are nominally "Christian," associated in every way with Christianity, but who actually are no part of it. "This represents the unfaithful portion of the church."[16]Leave without ... "This means that John was commanded to, "Throw it out; reject it as profane, and to draw no boundary to mark any part of it as sacred."[17]For it hath been given unto the nations ... Lenski thought that this should be rendered "unto the heathen";[18] but we believe John's use of the same language here that Jesus used in the prophecy of Luk 21:24 is the true key to understanding what is meant by the forty and two months. Jesus said: And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles (nations), until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled (Luke 21:24). It could hardly be an accident that so much of the terminology of Jesus' prophecy appears in John's words in this verse. We are therefore justified in viewing the "times of the Gentiles" there with the "forty and two months" here, both expressions having the meaning of this entire dispensation. And the holy city they shall tread under foot ... Just as the Gentile world would tread the literal Jerusalem under foot until "the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled," in like manner would a great host of (so-called) Gentile Christians desecrate the true church by their perversion of Christianity. This would be accomplished by their wholesale invasion of it, "in the form of a false Christianity."[19] The use of "holy city" here should not mislead us. "In A.D. 30, the once holy city of Jerusalem had already joined Sodom and Egypt as a typical example of all great wicked cities."[20] Despite this, there is, however, still a holy city, which is the holy church of Jesus Christ. For forty and two months ... This passage makes the meaning of this expression transparent. It is the same as "the times of the Gentiles" mentioned by Jesus; that is, "the entire period of the Christian dispensation."[21] The mention of this specific time period reveals that, "There is a limit of the extent to which the Gentiles can do their treading under foot."[22] The historicists (Barnes) find this to mean that, "On the year-day principle, there is a reference to 1,260 years of Papal supremacy, ending in 1517 A.D."[23] We do not doubt that the apostasy of the Medieval Church, continuing until the present time, is indeed a significant part of what is here prophesied; but the "modernist" churches of Protestantism are equally also a part of it. Many of them have also rejected the word of the Lord and despised the true head of the church. There may be another thing symbolized by the time period here, which is the same as 3 1/2 years, the half of the perfect seven. Roberson interpreted this as, "the true expression of the church's state as half of the required perfection."[24]We shall meet with this forty and two months, or its equivalent, in Revelation again and again; but in every case, the same is meant, "The Gospel Age."[25][16] Frank L. Cox, Revelation in 26 Lessons (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1956), p. 73. [17] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 330. [18] Ibid. [19] Ibid., p. 331. [20] G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 132. [21] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 73. [22] Leon Morris. op. cit., p. 147. [23] Ralph Earle, op. cit., p. 563. [24] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 70. [25] William Hendriksen, op. cit.. p. 154. Commentary on Revelation 11:1-2 by Manly Luscombe1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “ Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. A reed (bamboo rod) is given to John. He is becoming more active and involved in the vision. He is told to measure the temple. Some have argued for the early date (65 AD) because the temple was destroyed in 70 AD. It is argued that this must have taken place before the destruction of the temple. I answer - 1) John was in exile and Patmos. It does not matter if the temple is still standing in Jerusalem or not. It is not possible for him to literally measure it anyway. 2) It is, I believe, not the temple of the Old Testament structure. The temple here represents the hearts of God’ s people. This is not a literal measurement. We, Christians, are the temple of God. God does not dwell in a temple made with hands. He dwells in the hearts of the faithful believers. What does it mean to measure the temple? The measuring rod represents the gospel. It is the way to measure those who are Christians and those who are not. The gospel does the measuring. In judgment we will be held up to the standard of the teachings of the New Testament. (John 12:48) 2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. John is not to measure the outer court. Many pretenders could come here and not be true believers and worshippers of God. The TRUE church is included. The pretenders are excluded. Some teach that the court represents the area of unfaithful church members. They were close to the church, once a part of it, but now abandoned their faithfulness to Christ. The point is that the court will tread the holy city (church, God’ s faithful people) under foot. The temple is the dwelling place of God. The holy city is the location of the temple. Therefore, throughout Revelation, these symbols are used to represent the same concept, the church of Jesus Christ. The idea of “ treading under foot” shows contempt and lack of regard. If something is of no value it is thrown out and walked on. This is an open display of contempt and disdain. Throughout history, the church has been trampled on. Men have sought to stop, silence, kill, destroy and weaken the gospel message. It happened in the first century and it is happening today. Sermon on Revelation 11:1-2 Measure The Temple Brent Kercheville Revelation 10 revealed that when the seventh trumpet sounded the things spoken by the prophets would be fulfilled. The book of Revelation has shown us partial judgments occurring against a nation for its sins. Chapter 9 revealed the Roman Empire being unleashed by Satan to be the instrument of this destruction. Chapter 10 showed us the angel who took an oath about this disaster saying there would be no more delay. In Daniel 12:7 the angel said that there would be “ a time, times, and half a time” before the shattering of the power of the holy people would be complete. Revelation 10 told us that this shattering would be fulfilled when the seventh trumpet sounded. Measure The Temple (Revelation 11:1) John is instructed to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. John is given a measuring rod to do this measuring. The image of measuring is used in a number of places in the scriptures. Sometimes the imagery is used of a plumb line as the people are measured against the standard of God’ s laws And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria, and the plumb line of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. (2 Kings 21:13 ESV) Sometimes the imagery is used to measure those who are righteous. And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! 2 Then I said, “ Where are you going?” And he said to me, “ To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” 3 And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him 4 and said to him, “ Run, say to that young man, ‘ Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. 5 And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst.'” (Zechariah 2:1-5 ESV) At the end of the book of Revelation we will see the city called New Jerusalem, representing the people of God, being measured. And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’ s measurement. (Revelation 21:15-17 ESV)In Ezekiel 40:3 the prophet Ezekiel sees a vision of a person with a measuring reed in his hand. He is measuring the new temple of God and Ezekiel is to prophesy about the coming glory of the new temple. The temple in the New Testament represents the true, holy people of God. In Revelation 3:12 we read that those who conquer will be made “ a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it.” Paul also repeatedly taught that the people of God are God’ s temple. Do you not know that you are God’ s temple and that God’ s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV) What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “ I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (2 Corinthians 6:16 ESV) This is one of the great interpretative failures of those who take a futurist method of interpretations to the book of Revelation. They see the images of the temple in Ezekiel 40-48 and Revelation 11 and declare that a physical temple will have to be rebuilt one day to fulfill these prophecies. They fail to see that what Ezekiel prophesied had found its fulfillment through Christ and being joined to him. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:19-21 ESV) Christ is the cornerstone of this temple. The apostles and prophets are the foundation of the temple. We are being built into the holy temple of the Lord. We should not think that only a small group of Christians see this temple as a spiritual temple to the Lord. Even the Qumran community, those who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls, also spiritualized Ezekiel’ s temple. They declare the temple in Jerusalem as an apostate, false temple and considered themselves the true spiritual temple (1QS 5:5-6; 8:4-10; 9:3-6; 11:7ff; CD 3:19-4:6; 4QFlor 1:2-9). They even used measurement imagery to describe the security of this temple (1QH 6:26). Therefore, we read about the temple of God in Revelation 11:1 we are reading about the true people of God. They are measured for protection from spiritual harm. As we have already seen in the book and will see again later in this chapter, the measuring cannot mean that they will not be killed. The seals have revealed that the servants of God would be killed but their salvation is secure even if they die. The measuring of the worshipers is a guarantee that they are members in the heavenly spiritual temple no matter what happens to them on the earth. Trample The Holy City (Revelation 11:2) Notice that John is instructed not to measure the court outside the temple. The reason is that the court outside the temple has been given over to the nations and the nations will trample the holy city for 42 months. If the temple of God is a reference to the servants of God, God’ s holy people, then the holy city cannot be spiritualized to also mean the holy people of God. The holy city must be a reference to the physical city of Jerusalem. To be more accurate, the holy city represents the physical nation of Israel. The nation of Israel is coming under God’ s judgment but the true people of God (the temple) is spiritually preserved. This interpretation fits what we have seen in Revelation 9-10. In chapter 9 we saw the locusts, which the scriptures use to represent a world power/nation destroying another nation, being unleashed against a nation. The world power at the time of the writing of the book of Revelation is the Roman Empire. Chapter 10 showed that the angel promised that the power of the holy people would be shattered, referring to the Jewish nation (Daniel 12:1; plainDan_12:7). Revelation 10:6-7 shows the angel saying that there would no longer be any delay for this national judgment. Chapter 11 clearly reveals that the city of Jerusalem, symbolizing the nation of Israel is destined for national judgment. Revelation 6:12-17 predicted lights out for the nation. Now we know the nation is the Jewish nation. The Jewish nation will be given over to the Roman Empire for judgment. The writers of the scriptures also made this distinction between the true people of God and the physical nation of Israel. Paul made this distinction in Galatians 4:21-31. Hagar represents Mount Sinai and physical Jerusalem (Galatians 4:24-25). Sarah represents the Jerusalem from above who are the children of promise (Galatians 4:26; Galatians 4:28). Paul distinguishes the physical nation from the spiritual people of God. The writer of Hebrews makes the same distinction. In Hebrews 12:18-29 the writer contrasts Mount Sinai with Mount Zion. Zion represents the new covenant and heavenly Jerusalem. Mount Sinai represents the old covenant and the physical nation. Notice the writer’ s point: This phrase, “ Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken— that is, things that have been made— in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. (Hebrews 12:27 ESV) The physical nation, Mount Sinai and the old covenant, are the things shaken. These things were going to be removed so that the things that cannot be shaken, Mount Zion and the new covenant, the heavenly Jerusalem, can remain. The trampling of the holy city by the nations occurs in one other place in all the scriptures. Jesus said these words to his disciples. “ But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. 23 Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:20-24 ESV) Notice that Jesus spoke of the same event, the destruction of Jerusalem and the judgment of the physical nation of Israel, in the same terms that is revealed to the apostle John in Revelation 11:2. We must be reading about the same event in Revelation 11:2. 42 Months (Revelation 11:2) One final thing to consider in our lesson is the time marker. The trampling of the holy city is going to take place for 42 months. It is certainly fascinating that the time of the invasion of the Roman Empire against Judea was approximately three and a half years. But we cannot begin to take some numbers literally and some figuratively simply because we want one number to be literal and another to be figurative. We must keep with our interpretation model given to us in the first three verses in chapter 1. The book was put into symbols and we must take the numbers as symbolic unless something in the text demands otherwise. For example, there are seven actual churches in Asia because each city is named. All other numbers has been symbolic. The same is true concerning the 42 months. This is especially the case because the same time marker is used repeatedly in scriptures to describe different events. We read in Daniel 12 about “ a time, times, and half a time” where a time equals one year. Therefore, “ a time, times, and half a time” represents three and a half years. We read in Revelation 11:2 about a 42 month time frame. Revelation 11:3 speaks of 1260 days which is also 42 months. Three and a half is half of seven, and seven represents perfection. Notice that when three and half years, 42 months, or 1260 days is declared, it is referring to a time of distress, tribulation, persecution, or destruction. Notice in Daniel 12:7 that the time, times, and half a time refers to the time of the shattering of the power of the holy people. In Revelation 11:2 the trampling of the holy city Isaiah 42 months. In Revelation 13:5 we read about the beast exercising authority for 42 months. Forty-two months, 1260 days, and a time, times, and half a time all represent a limited period of time that will be full of tribulation, distress, and persecution. ConclusionWe are the temple of the living God. What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “ I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16 ESV) Being the temple of the living God means that we must live pure, holy lives. We cannot be in fellowship with sinful things of this world. Being the temple of God means that we are in a relationship with the holy God who is dwelling among us. We are to be his people and we must live up to the calling of being his holy people. Revelation 11:3-14 SECTION OF THE SEVENTH TRUMPETRev_11:15-18 1. THE FACTS STATEDRev_11:15-16 15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said,--We should not overlook the fact that these words describe what John saw and heard in heaven; they belong to the vision, but they announce some momentous event. Since there were only seven trumpets to sound, and this one was the last, it must indicate the ending of something. In Revelation 10:7 we are told that when the seventh angel "is about to sound, then is finished the mystery of God." This can have no other meaning than that the seventh trumpet sounds the end of time. It is the last trump to sound when the dead shall be raised. (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16.) The preceding verse says the third "Woe cometh quickly." That means that when the events that were to come under the second woe had past, it would be only a short time till the end would come. The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ:--The King James Version says "kingdoms"; but the Revised uses the singular "kingdom." Commentators agree that the Revised is correct. Unless this verse is properly understood there will be little prospect of rightly understanding much that is to follow in this book. Three questions deserve careful consideration: (1) What is meant by the kingdom becoming God's? (2) When will it become his? (3) Why is it referred to as the kingdom of both God and Christ? A kingdom in its fullness includes a king, territory, subjects, rule, and law. Sometimes, like other words, by a figure of speech (whole for part) it is used when only one feature is indicated. Thayer's Greek Lexicon, first definition, gives royal power, kingship, dominion, rule as its meaning. Acts 1:6 is given as an example. The Jews had the law of Moses, they were in the territory, they were the subjects; they wanted Jesus to restore the reign or rule, yet they said restore the kingdom. Evidently that is the meaning of the word in the verse we are considering. The sovereign dominion, royal power, will finally come back to the Father. Luke 16:23 and John 19:42 are plain examples of using the whole for a part. "Lazarus" stands for the spirit of Lazarus and "Jesus" means the body of Jesus. Regarding the second question we should note: God was king over Israel before they demanded a man for a king (1 Samuel 8:4-9.) This kingdom (rule) was taken from the Jews because they killed Christ. (Matthew 21:38-43.) Christ established a kingdom which began after his return to the Father, and Christians were citizens of it. (John 18:36; Colossians 1:13 Revelation 1:5-9.) The kingdom--royal dominion or rule--was to be taken away from the Jews and given to another nation --Christians. This reign since Pentecost has resided in Christ. After the judgment it will be returned to the Father. (1 Corinthians 15:24-26.) At the present time Christ has the legal right over all (1 Peter 3:22), but in the final state he himself will be subject to God. (1 Corinthians 15:27-28.) During the present age Satan has usurped a wicked rule over the world, but this is not legally his and, therefore, has no bearing on the argument that Christ is now a reigning king. Finally, it may be asked how it can be also called the kingdom "of his Christ," if the dominion will then be turned back to God? We may as well ask how the kingdom now can he called the "kingdom of God," if the dominion belongs to Christ? That it is called both now is evident from many passages. (Matthew 6:33; Matthew 21:43; John 3:3; Matthew 20:21; John 18 36.) In like manner the final kingdom (heaven) is called the "kingdom of Christ and God." (Ephesians 5:5) Revelation 22:1 speaks of "the throne of God and of the Lamb." It is perfectly clear that in the broad general sense whatever is God's is also Christ's, but that does not conflict with the fact that Christ is now reigning and will turn that reign back to God at the judgment. That seems the evident meaning of the text in hand. But if by ally chance the passage should be applied to Christ's rule before the final judgment, still there is nothing in the words to show that absolute righteousness will prevail. The reason for knowing that such a state will prevail in heaven is the fact that we are told that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 15:20.) The things that lead to sin will not be there, and all dying in sin will not be there. (Revelation 21:8.) Such is not the case while we are on earth. Hence, the only application possible, if the text refers to Christ's reign on earth, is that it would mean a time when all could or would have a chance to serve him if they desired. This happens to be true now; but, for reasons already given, is not the application of the text. The distinction between all serving Christ and all having the privilege to do so will be fully developed when we discuss the millennium mentioned in chapter 20. Earthly kingdoms will not all be converted and become God's kingdom a thousand years before the final judgment; for the all-sufficient reason that after the thousand years are finished there will still be "nations" engaged in the great final battle just preceding the final judgment. (Revelation 20:7-11.) This is another reason why "kingdom" in Revelation 11:15 refers to heaven instead of to a period of absolute and universal righteousness on earth preceding the judgment. and he shall reign for ever and ever.--The expression "our Lord" refers to God, for the additional expression "his Christ" will admit of no other application. The pronoun "he"--singular number--must refer to God or Christ, not to both. For the reasons already given, and the fact that the reign is to be turned back to God at the judgment, it is evident that it refers to God. saying,--Regarding the twenty-four elders see notes on Revelation 4:4. These words picture what John saw in heaven; they are in the vision and only indicate that when the redemption of man has been accomplished the angelic creatures will ascribe all praise to God. Commentary on Revelation 11:15-16 by Foy E. Wallace The seventh trumpet—Revelation 11:15 1. The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven. The interlude was over. The seventh trumpet sounded the finish--the end of the tribulation period. It was the completion of the “ mystery of God” which was “ according to the good tidings” of the prophets, fulfilled in the fall of Judaism, the triumph of Christianity, the success of gospel, the victory of the church, and the expansion of the kingdom of Christ. The “ great voices in heaven” were the combined voices of the vision united as one to proclaim the announcement of the seventh trumpet. Before this it had been an angel or a voice but now it was all of the voices together in one great voice to announce the end of all events of the vision. The work, which had begun with the prophets (1 Peter 1:10-12) and completed by the apostles, had triumphed over the powers of men, and the kingdoms of this world had become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. The dominion of earthly rule in the kingdoms of men could no longer overpower Christianity-- through their citizens they had become the kingdoms of our Lord (God), and of his Christ. This declaration depicted the conversion of the empire’ s citizens--the worldwide expansion of Christianity. It was the fulfillment of the words of Christ in Matthew 24:31 to send his angels with a great sound of trumpet, after the destruction of Jerusalem to gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other. With the fall of Jerusalem came the shaking down of all Jewish opposition to gospel. Christianity was liberated from the fetters of Judaism and entered upon a worldwide career of leavening the civilizations of world by bringing them under the influence of Christ. Thus the kingdoms or dominions of men became the kingdoms of our Lord (God) and of his Christ. In Ephesians 5:5 the apostle designated it the kingdom of God and Christ, and declared in Colossians 1:13-14 that it was then present. But in the apocalypse, the trumpets, thunders and earthquakes were envisioned as shaking down opposition of all human dominion to give way to the “ kingdom which cannot be shaken.” (Hebrews 12:18-28) From the apostle’ s vantage point could be viewed the sites of Babylonia, Persia, Grecia and Rome, all of which were shaken, upon the ruins of which was to be firmly planted and forever established the kingdom that remains. 2. “ And he shall reign forever and ever.”The seventh trumpet sounded the full sway of kingdom of Christ over all opposing forces--Jewish and Roman. From henceforth his elect were to be gathered “ from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31) and the earth made full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14) It was the joining of prophecy and apocalypse in the delineation of the sway of the kingdom of Christ, fulfilled in the universal sweep of the gospel. And he shall reign forever and ever. In the “ kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” God shall reign forever--his dominion over all earthly kingdoms was established in the events resulting in triumph of the cause of his Christ. This reign refers to the everlasting dominion of God, which no human authority, governments or powers can ever dethrone. The song of triumph—Revelation 11:16-19. Revelation 11:16 reverts to the worship of the twenty-four elders of chapter 4, in the beginning of vision. They were the enthroned representatives of the Old Testament and the New Testament--of Israel and the church. The visions began and end with them, in the symbols of the complete church of God, which was here seen rejoicing in victory. Commentary on Revelation 11:15-16 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 11:15. Kingdoms of the world are not asked to becomepart of the kingdom of Christ. That would be virtually another union of church and state. What happened was a change in the attitude of the earthly kingdoms. Before the Reformation the kings on those thrones could not reign as Christ would have wished them to and as they personally would have been inclined. They had to take their instructions from Rome and rule their subjects as that head dictated. After the delusion was lifted by the insight into the scriptures that was afforded them through the work of the reformers, they learned that they could permit their subjects to regulate their own religious life as they believed Christ wished them to. It is in that sense that the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord. Such a revolution was a woe to the "man of sin" in Rome for it meant the end of his arrogant rule. It is the third woe already predicted and now announced by the sounding of the seventh angel. He shall reign for ever and ever. Christ never ceased to be a king from the time He ascended to his Father's right hand (1 Peter 3:22), and will continue to be king until the time of His second coming (1 Corinthians 15:24-25). But He was not recognized as king by these earthly rulers while they were under the control of Rome. Revelation 11:16. These are the four and twenty elders of Rev 4:4. They rejoiced to see the triumph of Him who was and is the saving virtue of both of the organized systems of religion given into the world by the Lord. Commentary on Revelation 11:15-16 by Burton Coffman Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever.This does not signal the approaching end of the world; that event has already occurred. Only then, or after then, shall it be true that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ. As we were told in Revelation 10:7, "In the days of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then is finished (not shall be finished) the mystery of God. When the seventh angel sounds, it is already finished. On the cross, Jesus bowed his head and said, "It is finished," and this seventh trumpet is the echo of the glorious achievement there. What is finished? It is finished with evil, with Satan, with wicked men, with sin, and with death. "This announcement tells us that the battle of the ages is ended."[84] "Evil has finally and forever been put down; and good is finally and forever triumphant."[85] Caird was wrong in seeing here, "a jubilant fanfare proclaiming the enthronement of the King of Kings."[86] That event occurred at the ascension of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).And there followed great voices in heaven ... These are the voices of the redeemed of all ages, and including all of the heavenly host. Lenski's beautiful summary of this is:Whose great voices are here referred to? They certainly are the voices of all the saints and all the angels in heaven after the day of judgment has brought the world and time to an end. This entire vision is wonderful in majesty and in beauty and is beyond all human and earthly conceptions. Our stammering comment must not dim any of the glory. The great chorus declares the fact in two beautiful poetical lines: The kingship of the world became our Lord's and his Christ's; And he shall reign for the eons of the eons.[87]The kingdom of the world is become ... Lenski translated the verb here "became" because it refers to an event already past in the vision. It happened in Revelation 11:1-13.Those are undoubtedly right who perceive that these three series (seals, trumpets and bowls) are not consecutive, are not twenty-one successive chapters of world history, or of church history, but that each group of seven takes us over the same ground and shows us three groups of parallel scenes.[88]The kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ ... The use of the singular "kingdom" should be noted. It is not the "kingdoms" but the "kingdom" of the world that now belongs to the Lord. The time here is evidently that foretold in 1 Corinthians 15:24, when Christ shall have delivered up the kingdom to the Father; but this took nothing from Christ, who is still on the throne with the Father. Thus, the great heavenly chorus is not here celebrating the beginning of the reign of Christ, but in a sense, the end of it! The glorious and eternal extension of it in the everlasting state fuses it into God's eternal kingdom.And he shall reign for ever and ever ... The "He" here is the Father and the Son; they are one, and that unity appears here.Such observations as these, however, must not obscure the truth that this eternal reign of Christ is now going on in that glorious kingdom of Christ which began on Pentecost. "The reign of God began with the Incarnation (and related events) ... It is the reign of God through his anointed, the Messiah."[89] McDowell also viewed the subsequent vision of the birth of Christ (Revelation 12) as a proof of this.[84] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 76.[85] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 77.[86] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 141.[87] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 353.[88] Ibid.[89] Edward A. McDowell, The Meaning and Message of the Book of Revelation (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1951), p. 122.Revelation 11:16 And the four and twenty elders who sit before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshipped God,These represent the church. They were those made "a kingdom" (Revelation 1:6). They therefore fitly take up the burden of praise to him who has now established his universal and everlasting kingdom.[90]Who sit before God on their thrones ... These thrones suggest the truth that the redeemed have already been reigning with Christ throughout the whole dispensation.ENDNOTE:[90] A. Plummer. op. cit., p. 294. Commentary on Revelation 11:15-16 by Manly Luscombe 15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “ The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” With the sounding of the seventh trumpet, we move into the time of judgment. Time has ended (Revelation 10:6). The world has reached the end of things, as we know them. God is taking over. All worldly kingdoms will end. There is now the one kingdom, the kingdom of God. Only the church (the kingdom of God) will remain forever and ever. It is clear in Hebrews 1:3 that Christ is on the throne, reigning over the kingdom of God. When the end comes, the kingdom will be delivered to the Father.16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,…The 24 elders have seen and endured so much. Now, it is time to rejoice. They worshipped God. Revelation 11:15-16 SECTION OF THE SEVENTH TRUMPETRev_11:15-18 1. THE FACTS STATEDRev_11:15-16 15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said,--We should not overlook the fact that these words describe what John saw and heard in heaven; they belong to the vision, but they announce some momentous event. Since there were only seven trumpets to sound, and this one was the last, it must indicate the ending of something. In Revelation 10:7 we are told that when the seventh angel "is about to sound, then is finished the mystery of God." This can have no other meaning than that the seventh trumpet sounds the end of time. It is the last trump to sound when the dead shall be raised. (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16.) The preceding verse says the third "Woe cometh quickly." That means that when the events that were to come under the second woe had past, it would be only a short time till the end would come. The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ:--The King James Version says "kingdoms"; but the Revised uses the singular "kingdom." Commentators agree that the Revised is correct. Unless this verse is properly understood there will be little prospect of rightly understanding much that is to follow in this book. Three questions deserve careful consideration: (1) What is meant by the kingdom becoming God's? (2) When will it become his? (3) Why is it referred to as the kingdom of both God and Christ? A kingdom in its fullness includes a king, territory, subjects, rule, and law. Sometimes, like other words, by a figure of speech (whole for part) it is used when only one feature is indicated. Thayer's Greek Lexicon, first definition, gives royal power, kingship, dominion, rule as its meaning. Acts 1:6 is given as an example. The Jews had the law of Moses, they were in the territory, they were the subjects; they wanted Jesus to restore the reign or rule, yet they said restore the kingdom. Evidently that is the meaning of the word in the verse we are considering. The sovereign dominion, royal power, will finally come back to the Father. Luke 16:23 and John 19:42 are plain examples of using the whole for a part. "Lazarus" stands for the spirit of Lazarus and "Jesus" means the body of Jesus. Regarding the second question we should note: God was king over Israel before they demanded a man for a king (1 Samuel 8:4-9.) This kingdom (rule) was taken from the Jews because they killed Christ. (Matthew 21:38-43.) Christ established a kingdom which began after his return to the Father, and Christians were citizens of it. (John 18:36; Colossians 1:13 Revelation 1:5-9.) The kingdom--royal dominion or rule--was to be taken away from the Jews and given to another nation --Christians. This reign since Pentecost has resided in Christ. After the judgment it will be returned to the Father. (1 Corinthians 15:24-26.) At the present time Christ has the legal right over all (1 Peter 3:22), but in the final state he himself will be subject to God. (1 Corinthians 15:27-28.) During the present age Satan has usurped a wicked rule over the world, but this is not legally his and, therefore, has no bearing on the argument that Christ is now a reigning king. Finally, it may be asked how it can be also called the kingdom "of his Christ," if the dominion will then be turned back to God? We may as well ask how the kingdom now can he called the "kingdom of God," if the dominion belongs to Christ? That it is called both now is evident from many passages. (Matthew 6:33; Matthew 21:43; John 3:3; Matthew 20:21; John 18 36.) In like manner the final kingdom (heaven) is called the "kingdom of Christ and God." (Ephesians 5:5) Revelation 22:1 speaks of "the throne of God and of the Lamb." It is perfectly clear that in the broad general sense whatever is God's is also Christ's, but that does not conflict with the fact that Christ is now reigning and will turn that reign back to God at the judgment. That seems the evident meaning of the text in hand. But if by ally chance the passage should be applied to Christ's rule before the final judgment, still there is nothing in the words to show that absolute righteousness will prevail. The reason for knowing that such a state will prevail in heaven is the fact that we are told that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 15:20.) The things that lead to sin will not be there, and all dying in sin will not be there. (Revelation 21:8.) Such is not the case while we are on earth. Hence, the only application possible, if the text refers to Christ's reign on earth, is that it would mean a time when all could or would have a chance to serve him if they desired. This happens to be true now; but, for reasons already given, is not the application of the text. The distinction between all serving Christ and all having the privilege to do so will be fully developed when we discuss the millennium mentioned in chapter 20. Earthly kingdoms will not all be converted and become God's kingdom a thousand years before the final judgment; for the all-sufficient reason that after the thousand years are finished there will still be "nations" engaged in the great final battle just preceding the final judgment. (Revelation 20:7-11.) This is another reason why "kingdom" in Revelation 11:15 refers to heaven instead of to a period of absolute and universal righteousness on earth preceding the judgment. and he shall reign for ever and ever.--The expression "our Lord" refers to God, for the additional expression "his Christ" will admit of no other application. The pronoun "he"--singular number--must refer to God or Christ, not to both. For the reasons already given, and the fact that the reign is to be turned back to God at the judgment, it is evident that it refers to God. saying,--Regarding the twenty-four elders see notes on Revelation 4:4. These words picture what John saw in heaven; they are in the vision and only indicate that when the redemption of man has been accomplished the angelic creatures will ascribe all praise to God.Commentary on Revelation 11:15-16 by Foy E. Wallace The seventh trumpet—Revelation 11:151. The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven. The interlude was over. The seventh trumpet sounded the finish--the end of the tribulation period. It was the completion of the “ mystery of God” which was “ according to the good tidings” of the prophets, fulfilled in the fall of Judaism, the triumph of Christianity, the success of gospel, the victory of the church, and the expansion of the kingdom of Christ. The “ great voices in heaven” were the combined voices of the vision united as one to proclaim the announcement of the seventh trumpet. Before this it had been an angel or a voice but now it was all of the voices together in one great voice to announce the end of all events of the vision. The work, which had begun with the prophets (1 Peter 1:10-12) and completed by the apostles, had triumphed over the powers of men, and the kingdoms of this world had become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. The dominion of earthly rule in the kingdoms of men could no longer overpower Christianity-- through their citizens they had become the kingdoms of our Lord (God), and of his Christ. This declaration depicted the conversion of the empire’ s citizens--the worldwide expansion of Christianity. It was the fulfillment of the words of Christ in Matthew 24:31 to send his angels with a great sound of trumpet, after the destruction of Jerusalem to gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other. With the fall of Jerusalem came the shaking down of all Jewish opposition to gospel. Christianity was liberated from the fetters of Judaism and entered upon a worldwide career of leavening the civilizations of world by bringing them under the influence of Christ. Thus the kingdoms or dominions of men became the kingdoms of our Lord (God) and of his Christ. In Ephesians 5:5 the apostle designated it the kingdom of God and Christ, and declared in Colossians 1:13-14 that it was then present. But in the apocalypse, the trumpets, thunders and earthquakes were envisioned as shaking down opposition of all human dominion to give way to the “ kingdom which cannot be shaken.” (Hebrews 12:18-28) From the apostle’ s vantage point could be viewed the sites of Babylonia, Persia, Grecia and Rome, all of which were shaken, upon the ruins of which was to be firmly planted and forever established the kingdom that remains. 2. “ And he shall reign forever and ever.” The seventh trumpet sounded the full sway of kingdom of Christ over all opposing forces--Jewish and Roman. From henceforth his elect were to be gathered “ from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31) and the earth made full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14) It was the joining of prophecy and apocalypse in the delineation of the sway of the kingdom of Christ, fulfilled in the universal sweep of the gospel. And he shall reign forever and ever. In the “ kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” God shall reign forever--his dominion over all earthly kingdoms was established in the events resulting in triumph of the cause of his Christ. This reign refers to the everlasting dominion of God, which no human authority, governments or powers can ever dethrone. The song of triumph—Revelation 11:16-19. Revelation 11:16 reverts to the worship of the twenty-four elders of chapter 4, in the beginning of vision. They were the enthroned representatives of the Old Testament and the New Testament--of Israel and the church. The visions began and end with them, in the symbols of the complete church of God, which was here seen rejoicing in victory. Commentary on Revelation 11:15-16 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 11:15. Kingdoms of the world are not asked to becomepart of the kingdom of Christ. That would be virtually another union of church and state. What happened was a change in the attitude of the earthly kingdoms. Before the Reformation the kings on those thrones could not reign as Christ would have wished them to and as they personally would have been inclined. They had to take their instructions from Rome and rule their subjects as that head dictated. After the delusion was lifted by the insight into the scriptures that was afforded them through the work of the reformers, they learned that they could permit their subjects to regulate their own religious life as they believed Christ wished them to. It is in that sense that the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord. Such a revolution was a woe to the "man of sin" in Rome for it meant the end of his arrogant rule. It is the third woe already predicted and now announced by the sounding of the seventh angel. He shall reign for ever and ever. Christ never ceased to be a king from the time He ascended to his Father's right hand (1 Peter 3:22), and will continue to be king until the time of His second coming (1 Corinthians 15:24-25). But He was not recognized as king by these earthly rulers while they were under the control of Rome. Revelation 11:16. These are the four and twenty elders of Rev 4:4. They rejoiced to see the triumph of Him who was and is the saving virtue of both of the organized systems of religion given into the world by the Lord.Commentary on Revelation 11:15-16 by Burton CoffmanRev_11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever.This does not signal the approaching end of the world; that event has already occurred. Only then, or after then, shall it be true that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ. As we were told in Revelation 10:7, "In the days of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then is finished (not shall be finished) the mystery of God. When the seventh angel sounds, it is already finished. On the cross, Jesus bowed his head and said, "It is finished," and this seventh trumpet is the echo of the glorious achievement there. What is finished? It is finished with evil, with Satan, with wicked men, with sin, and with death. "This announcement tells us that the battle of the ages is ended."[84] "Evil has finally and forever been put down; and good is finally and forever triumphant."[85] Caird was wrong in seeing here, "a jubilant fanfare proclaiming the enthronement of the King of Kings."[86] That event occurred at the ascension of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20). And there followed great voices in heaven ... These are the voices of the redeemed of all ages, and including all of the heavenly host. Lenski's beautiful summary of this is: Whose great voices are here referred to? They certainly are the voices of all the saints and all the angels in heaven after the day of judgment has brought the world and time to an end. This entire vision is wonderful in majesty and in beauty and is beyond all human and earthly conceptions. Our stammering comment must not dim any of the glory. The great chorus declares the fact in two beautiful poetical lines: The kingship of the world became our Lord's and his Christ's; And he shall reign for the eons of the eons.[87]The kingdom of the world is become ... Lenski translated the verb here "became" because it refers to an event already past in the vision. It happened in Revelation 11:1-13. Those are undoubtedly right who perceive that these three series (seals, trumpets and bowls) are not consecutive, are not twenty-one successive chapters of world history, or of church history, but that each group of seven takes us over the same ground and shows us three groups of parallel scenes.[88]The kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ ... The use of the singular "kingdom" should be noted. It is not the "kingdoms" but the "kingdom" of the world that now belongs to the Lord. The time here is evidently that foretold in 1 Corinthians 15:24, when Christ shall have delivered up the kingdom to the Father; but this took nothing from Christ, who is still on the throne with the Father. Thus, the great heavenly chorus is not here celebrating the beginning of the reign of Christ, but in a sense, the end of it! The glorious and eternal extension of it in the everlasting state fuses it into God's eternal kingdom. And he shall reign for ever and ever ... The "He" here is the Father and the Son; they are one, and that unity appears here. Such observations as these, however, must not obscure the truth that this eternal reign of Christ is now going on in that glorious kingdom of Christ which began on Pentecost. "The reign of God began with the Incarnation (and related events) ... It is the reign of God through his anointed, the Messiah."[89] McDowell also viewed the subsequent vision of the birth of Christ (Revelation 12) as a proof of this. [84] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 76. [85] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 77. [86] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 141. [87] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 353. [88] Ibid. [89] Edward A. McDowell, The Meaning and Message of the Book of Revelation (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1951), p. 122. Revelation 11:16 And the four and twenty elders who sit before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshipped God,These represent the church. They were those made "a kingdom" (Revelation 1:6). They therefore fitly take up the burden of praise to him who has now established his universal and everlasting kingdom.[90]Who sit before God on their thrones ... These thrones suggest the truth that the redeemed have already been reigning with Christ throughout the whole dispensation. ENDNOTE: [90] A. Plummer. op. cit., p. 294.Commentary on Revelation 11:15-16 by Manly Luscombe15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “ The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” With the sounding of the seventh trumpet, we move into the time of judgment. Time has ended (Revelation 10:6). The world has reached the end of things, as we know them. God is taking over. All worldly kingdoms will end. There is now the one kingdom, the kingdom of God. Only the church (the kingdom of God) will remain forever and ever. It is clear in Hebrews 1:3 that Christ is on the throne, reigning over the kingdom of God. When the end comes, the kingdom will be delivered to the Father. 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,…The 24 elders have seen and endured so much. Now, it is time to rejoice. They worshipped God. Revelation 11:17-18 2. THE SONG OF Rev_11:17-18 We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who avast; because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign.--These words of praise to God are further proof that the pronoun "he" in verse 15 refers to God. The vision pictures a time when God's rewards had come to the righteous and his rejection of the wicked had taken place. The words "didst reign"--aorist tense in the Greek--indicate a completed past action; God had entered upon his final, eternal rule, and the heavenly creatures were ascribing thanksgiving to him because his reign had begun.18 And the nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and the time of the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the earth.--In their song of praise the elders look back to the final struggle when the wickedness of the nations caused the last great battle between right and wrong, vividly described in Revelation 19:11-21, followed by the final judgment as pictured in Revelation 20:11-15, and the proper rewards were given to both classes. The description of the righteous as prophets, saints, small and great, does not mean different rewards to different classes; it is only a rhetorical way of saying that the righteous of all classes will spend eternity with God and his Christ. Destroying the wicked who cursed the earth with their sins is the final proof that this section refers to the judgment and that glad day when all the redeemed enter upon the joys of their eternal home. The very thought should fill righteous souls with inexpressible ecstasy! The logical division of the book at Revelation 11:19 forces the following symbols to cover substantially the same time as the preceding series, for the end of the world closes both series. This is evident because Revelation 11:18 says it is "the time of the dead to be judged," and Revelation 20:12 says that John saw "the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books." If the first series ends with the judgment, the second series would have no place in time unless they were presenting the same period from different viewpoints. More than once we will be called to note the fact that a new vision or set of symbols is carrying us back over ground already surveyed. Such reviews will either present the same event with a different scene or give a detailed description of what has had only brief mention. Here the first set of symbols comes to an end. Evidently they were designed to encourage the saints to be faithful "unto death," by pointing out many of the struggles that would fall to the lot of Christ's followers. They were to impress Paul's declaration that "through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22.) May our hearts rejoice in the glorious anticipation of the blessed eternal kingdom, while in another set of symbols we restudy the things that had to happen to God's children.Commentary on Revelation 11:17-18 by Foy E. Wallace Revelation 11:17 proclaims the success of the kingdom in a singing throng, opposite to the mourning tribes of Rev 1:7 andMat_24:30. It was the answer to the souls under the altar of chapter 6:9-11. God had taken to thee thy great power, exercised in the events of the visions--and hast reigned. He had ruled and overruled, as absolute monarch of the world, governing and disposing of all things in heaven and in earth, as affirmed by prophets of, old. (2 Samuel 5:4-5; Psalms 93:1) Revelation 11:18 declares that the nations were angry in fulfillment of Psa 2:2; Psalms 2:5 and Acts 4:24-30. It represented the attitude of the heathen world toward the gospel of Christ. The day of God’ s wrath had come on the persecuting powers, as depicted in Revelation 6:17. The time of the dead that they should be judged had come--they were dead as persecutors and as lord’ s of dominion over the servants of Christ, as in Isaiah 26:13; Isaiah 26:19 in reference to Israel. The time of avenging judgment had come, for the witnesses of Rev 11:7-8; and for the martyrs of Rev 6:9-11; and for “ all righteous blood shed upon the earth” of Matthew 23:35. The time had come to give victory’ s reward unto his servants the prophets; and to the saints; and them that fear thy name. The imagery delineates the ruin of the enemies and the reward of the servants and saints of God and Christ--summed up in the phrase small and great, the full aggregation of them that fear thy name. These all, in the aggregate, were included in song of glorified elders. The Jewish rulers, aided by Roman rulers, who together contrived to destroy the earth in their opposition to the kingdom of God, by the persecutions waged were themselves destroyed. In Matthew 21:33-46, Jesus specifically pictured this end of the Jewish rulers and their state.Commentary on Revelation 11:15-19 by Walter ScottTHE WORLD KINGDOM OF OUR LORD. Revelation 11:15-18. — “And the seventh angel sounded (his)Trumpet: and there were great voices in the Heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world of our Lord and of His Christ is come, and He shall reign to the ages of ages. And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give Thee thanks, Lord God Almighty, (He) Who is, and Who was, that Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast reigned. And the nations have been full of wrath, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead to be judged, and to give the recompense to Thy servants the prophets,and to the saints, and to those who fear Thy Name small and great; and to destroy those that destroy the earth.” The seventh Seal and the seventh Trumpet are alike in this respect, that no immediate judgment is announced, no events directly fall under them (see Revelation 8:1; Revelation 11:15-18). The consummation so grandly celebrated in the verses before us do not record events properly falling under the sounding of the seventh Trumpet. Nothing is recorded as immediately resulting from the Trumpet being blown. This will be evident from even a slight examination of the passage we are now considering. The kingdom and the power taken, the doxology of the elders, the anger of the nations, the wrath of God, the judgment of the dead, and the reward to servants and saints constitute the great and distinguishing truths of the millennium kingdom during its whole course and even on till eternity. Compare “ the time of the dead to be judged” with Revelation 20:12. The last Trumpet sounds. Then the present mysterious ways of God with men are completed. God is about to act openly, and inflict a series of short, sharp, and decisive judgments on the vast consolidated and apostate power then dominating the earth, i.e., the Beast (Revelation 16:1-21). This concluding series of divine chastisements is seen to issue from God Himself. There is no mystery in them. But before these are inflicted, the world kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ is announced as come. Great voices in Heaven proclaim it. Not that the kingdom has actually come, but it is anticipated. The ruin of all opposing power and authority must necessarily precede the establishment of the kingdom, and to this Revelation 16:1-21 and Revelation 19:17; Revelation 20:3 conclusively witness. The anticipation of the kingdom, and not the actual setting up of it, is the cause of the rejoicing in Heaven. When the kingdom is established in power earth as well as Heaven will unite in thanksgiving and song. We repeat, that it is in Heaven only where the kingdom is celebrated as come. Whilst rejoicing characterizes the inhabitants of Heaven — the angels and the redeemed — the earth is preparing to enter into its last throes of agony ere the light of the millennial morning dawn and dispel the gloom. It is only in Heaven that our Lord and His Christ take the kingdom; only there is it celebrated. The seventh Trumpet does not bring in the kingdom, but intimates its nearness. The strong angel in Revelation 10:6-7 had solemnly sworn that at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet the mystery of God should be completed, and that without delay. He here makes his oath and word good. The Trumpet sounds, and open, public judgment seen by all to be from Heaven is the witness that now, God has risen up to publicly intervene in the affairs of men. But before we are called to see these last judicial chastisements on the apostate scene, Heaven in its calmness looks forward and exults in the near establishment of the kingdom. The Authorised Version reads, Revelation 11:15, “The kingdoms of this world,” the Revised Version rightly substitutes “ The kingdom of the world.” It may seem a trivial difference, but it is not really so. “ The kingdoms of this world” at once suggest many kings, numerous conflicting interests, international jealousies, and the like, whereas “ The kingdom of the world (or world kingdom) of our Lord and of His Christ is come” intimates one universal kingdom covering the globe; all parts of the earth brought into subjection to the One reigning monarch. The government of the earth will be exercised by One who will control all evil and establish righteousness. His beneficent sway will be in every respect in happy contrast to past and present kingly rule and government. One undivided and universal kingdom covering the whole earth and righteously and graciously governed is the thought intended. Next, the duration of the reign is stated to be “to the ages of ages,” that is, throughout all time to come, so long as sun, moon, and earth endure (Psalms 72:5; Psalms 72:7; Psalms 72:17).The reign extends to eternity. It shall never cease. The many voices of the heavenly host are answered by an act of profoundest worship on the part of the elders or representatives of the redeemed. Their normal place is as enthroned and crowned before God. Twice in chapter 5 the elders fall down and worship (Revelation 11:8; Revelation 11:14). Here only is it said “ They fell upon their faces, and worshipped God.” In no other instance do the elders so prostrate themselves. The occasion demands it. Then follows a doxology from the elders in which they not only rejoice, but give intelligent reasons for so doing (“ Voices in Heaven announce the fact of the reign of Jehovah and of His Christ according to Psalms 2:1-12, and that He (for, as ever, John unites both in one thought)should reign for ever and ever, and so it will be. But both the earthly and eternal kingdom are celebrated. Only in the eternal kingdom the distinction of the worldly kingdom and of Christ’ s subordination is omitted. In the thanksgiving of the elders Jehovah Elohim Shaddai is also celebrated as the great king who takes to Him His power and reigns, for it is God’ s kingdom.” — “ Synopsis of the Books of the Bible,” vol. 5, page 534, Morrish ed.) (see Revelation 5:5; Revelation 5:8-10; Revelation 7:13-17, etc.). There are seven doxologies mentioned in the course of these apocalyptic visions, of which this is one. These are introduced only on occasions of deep interest (Revelation 5:12; Revelation 7:12; Revelation 11:15; Revelation 12:10; Revelation 14:2; Revelation 15:2; Revelation 19:1). Thanks are given to Jehovah (Lord) God Almighty, a strong combination of divine titles. Jehovah the self existing One; God (Elohim), Who as such is the Creator; Almighty too in power, in resources. Then the eternity of His Being is declared, “ Who is” (eternal existence), and “ Who was” in relation to the past. “ And art to come” is in the text of the Authorized Version, but should be omitted, as in the Revised Version and other translations. “ To come” would be out of place in the doxology before us, as the kingdom in its time and eternal features is regarded as present. The deleted sentence is correct in Revelation 4:8. Revelation 11:17. — “Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast reigned.” It is interesting to observe that while the kingdom is that of our Lord and of His Christ, or Anointed (Psalms 2:1-12), yet He takes it, not they. While Jehovah and Christ are here severally distinguished, yet they are united in taking the kingdom and in the subsequent reign, hence the use of the singular pronoun, where one might expect rather the employment of the plural.Well may it be termed “ Thy great power.” The fulness of divine power, the might of the Eternal God, is put forth, and the kingdom in its widest sweep as embracing the heavens and earth, and as stretching on through time into eternity, has been wrested from the grasp of the enemy, and “ hast reigned” is the term employed, so sure that it is spoken of as past. Next, the elders in a passing sentence historically summarize the feeling of the nations toward God and His people — heavenly and earthly — “ And the nations have been full of wrath,” spoken of in the past tense. “ And Thy wrath is come.” Note the difference in the tenses. The wrath of the nations has been. The wrath of God is come. Revelation 11:18. — “The time of the dead to be judged” carries us on in thought to the close of the kingdom (Revelation 20:12).The judgment of the nations (Matthew 25:32) is at the commencement of the kingdom reign; that of the world, or inhabited earth (Acts 17:31), during its whole term or course; while the dead are judged after the earthly kingdom has passed away (Revelation 20:11-12). Revelation 11:18 — “And to give the recompense.” Both the judgment and recompense are characteristic actions of the kingdom. The distribution of reward is both common and special. The recompense of rest and glory is bestowed upon all God’ s saints alike. But there are special crowns and rewards. In the very conception of a kingdom varying degrees and stations of honor are necessarily thought of. “ The recompense” is not only therefore God’ s answer to the state of His afflicted people here, but embraces also the several and distinctive positions which they will occupy in the kingdom. The reward in this latter is proportioned to the faithfulness, suffering, and service of each individual saint. Revelation 11:18 — “Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints,and to those who fear Thy Name, small and great,” are the persons specified to whom “ the recompense” is given. There are three classes referred to: (1) “Thy servants the prophets” evidently point to those who have in all ages witnessed for God. The witnesses of our chapter are termed “ prophets” (Revelation 11:3; Revelation 11:10), hence the term “ servants” must be understood in a narrower sense than that employed in Revelation 1:1; Revelation 2:20; Revelation 22:3. It is used inRev_7:3 to designate the sealed of Israel. “ Servants” is here qualified by the additional noun “ prophets.” “ Thy servants the prophets.” To witness for God in a dark and evil day is a service which God never forgets. All such are peculiarly His servants. (2) “The saints.” This term is the common one in the New Testament to designate the general body of believers, and is nowhere used in the New Testament Scriptures to express a select company. It is the common appellation of the redeemed in both Testaments. (3) “Those who fear Thy Name, small and great.” This latter company embrace all so characterized who own the Name of the Lord. There are, no doubt, many hidden ones in all ages whose moral separation from the world is of such a feeble character that there may be grave difficulty in terming them saints. (The term saint, as used in the New Testament, does not at all signify a practical and advanced state of holiness — its theological signification. A saint is a separated one, as the derivation of the word implies, but this separation from the world is effected by the call of God. Called saints, or saints by calling (see Romans 1:7 : 1 Corinthians 1:2). “ Called to be saints” is misleading. Delete the italicized words and the meaning is simple. When God’ s call reached their souls and consciences that made or constituted them saints.) But there are those who fear the Name of the Lord in all ranks and classes of society. The technical expression, “ the small and great,” designates the respective status of each in the world and before God (see Revelation 13:16;Revelation 19:5; Revelation 19:18; Revelation 20:12). Thus those who fear His Name, wherever found, be they amongst the low or exalted, come in here for their special reward. Revelation 11:18 — “And to destroy those that destroy the earth.” That is, the time has also come when the destroyers of the earth, i.e., the Beast, the Antichrist, and their followers, are themselves destroyed. This latter class is a contrasted company to the dead who are judged. The active workers of evil corrupting the earth are surprised in their terrible work, and are subjected at once to divine judgment. The earth is the Lord’ s, part of that inheritance purchased by Christ and about to be redeemed by power (Ephesians 1:14), hence it must be cleared of all who are destroying it, whether physically by the Beast or morally by his coadjutor the Antichrist. THE . The chapter opens with a temple and closes with one (Revelation 11:1 and Revelation 11:19), only the latter introduces a new series of events, and resumes the general history. Revelation 11:19 forms no part of the preceding vision. The subject-matter of the chapter closes with Revelation 11:18. We pass from the interesting episode of the mighty angel and its attendant circumstances (Revelation 10:1-11) on to Jewish ground (Revelation 11:1-19). Our stand is Jerusalem, here termed “ the great city.” (The expression “ great city” occurs nine times in the Apocalypse, but not once in a good or holy sense. Revelation 21:10 is a seeming exception, but the epithet great should be deleted (see R.V.).) God’ s acceptance of the true worshippers is signified in the measuring of the temple and altar, whilst His rejection of apostate Judaism is expressed in the court being cast out (Revelation 11:1-2). The mass of the people ally themselves with the Gentiles, then in open revolt from God and truth. It must be remembered that we have not the heathen before us, but Christendom, which is infinitely worse. But God does not leave Himself without a witness in the midst of the seething mass of corruption in Jerusalem, then the sport and plaything of Satan. A special testimony is raised up in the city, distinct from that elsewhere. The witnesses, or prophets (for they are termed both), are endowed with miraculous power. They work miracles, and protect themselves by signs of a divine character for 1260 days. Slavery to the Gentiles and apostasy from God characterize the general condition of Judah, especially those in the city of Jerusalem. Hence the miracles wrought resemble those in the days of Moses and of Elijah. Both the miracles and the character of the times are alike (Revelation 11:3-6). The Beast who has found his way from Rome — the capital seat of Gentile power, civil and ecclesiastical — to Jerusalem, ravages and murders at his pleasure, but both his power and the period of its exercise are under divine control. We have not here his historical rise “ out of the sea” (Revelation 13:1-18. l), but his satanic revival “ out of the bottomless pit,” or abyss (Revelation 11:7). Jerusalem is morally described as filthy like Sodom, and idolatrous like Egypt, and the stigma is added, “ where also their (not our) Lord was crucified.” In the city thus characterized, the bodies of the slain are cast out on the places of public resort and cruelly denied burial. All classes and representatives of the apostate world gather in the city, feasting their eyes on the murdered dead, the worst being those morally spoken of as “ they that dwell on the earth” (Revelation 11:8-10). But in the midst of the universal scene of rejoicing God intervenes and vindicates His witnesses by granting them, in full view of their enemies, a public resurrection and translation to Heaven (Revelation 11:11-12). Judgment on the city and its guilty inhabitants follow. No saving effect is produced in the remnant spared, only that in their great fear they “ give glory to the God of the Heaven” (Revelation 11:13). The second Woe, or sixth Trumpet, is announced as past, “ the third Woe comes quickly” (Revelation 11:14). The seventh angel sounds, and at once “ great voices” break out in Heaven, saying, “ The kingdom of the world,” of Jehovah and of His Christ, is come. Separate nationalities and political organizations may exist under the reign of Christ, but they all own His sway, all are under His authority, and exercise their kingly rule in subjection to Him Who is “ King of kings and Lord of lords.” The contest between God and Satan, as detailed in the Apocalypse, is not for any or all of the separate kingdoms of the world, but for the world as a whole; it becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of His Anointed. The sovereignty of the whole world is the question in dispute. His perpetual reign, i.e., to the ages of ages, is celebrated, not as yet on earth, but in Heaven. The establishment of the world kingdom is anticipated, not actually come; when it does, then the earth as well as Heaven will join in celebrating its virtues and glories. “ O clap your hands, all ye peoples, “ i.e., Gentiles. If there is joy in Heaven as the kingdom is anticipated (Revelation 11:15), there is sorrow on earth. The elders next take up the strain, and profoundly worship God in the greatness and eternity of His Being, thanking Him for taking His great power and reigning. The power of the kingdom is regarded as an accomplished fact, although not then actually come. Next, the elders proceed in a statement which, for boldness and fulness, leaves nothing to be desired. The great outstanding facts of the kingdom are mentioned. The nations angry, God’ s wrath come, (Satan’ s woe had been specially on Jews; man’ s woe, specially on the men of the Latin empire; this is God’ s woe when the nations are angry, and God’ s wrath is come, and full reckoning and final deliverance come.” — J.N.D.) the judgment of the dead, the recompense to His people, and, finally, the destruction of those then corrupting the earth (Revelation 11:16-18). These eighteen verses are replete with interest, and will well repay careful study. Much spiritual insight as to the condition of Jerusalem, and of the feelings and exercises of God-fearing Jews, both inside and outside the city, at the time of which this chapter treats may be gleaned from a careful study of the prophetic character of the Book of Psalms, a study which has been much neglected. GOD’ S OF ISRAEL. Revelation 11:19. — ”And the temple of God in the Heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail.” The Apocalypse, as we have noticed, is divided into three divisions — a past, a present, and a future (Revelation 1:19).But besides this threefold division we have the contents of the book arranged under two great parts. The eighteenth verse of our chapter records the last historical action — the judgment of the dead. There is no history beyond it. This last and most solemn assize has its place after the millennial heavens have passed away and the earth burned up, and before the new eternal Heaven and new earth come into view. The judgment of the dead (Revelation 20:12)is, if we may so say, the link between time and eternity. In the first part of the Apocalypse (Revelation 1 — 11: 18) we have unfolded the general history of the Church, of Israel, and of the world from about the close of the first Christian century down to the close of the kingdom. The second part commences with chapter 11: 19, and occupies the rest of the book. In this part many interesting details are found, Satan is more openly in the foreground, the closing issues both in relation to the Church and the world are more fully unfolded than in the first part of the book. Verse 19 therefore is in relation to events about to be disclosed, and is not to be regarded as part and parcel of what has just been unfolded. Chapter 12 really commences with verse 19 of the previous chapter. In that which follows we have an entirely new prophecy, beginning with verse 19 and closing with chapter 14. It is one mainly relating to Israel, as the opening visions show. In chapter 12 are witnessed in Heaven the sources of good and evil. In chapter 13 Satan’ s two chief ministers on earth are seen in active hostility against God and His saints. In chapter 14 a series of seven events is disclosed in which the activity of God in grace and judgment is shown. Revelation 11:19 — “The temple of God in the Heaven was opened,and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple.” Neither of these, i.e., the temple and the ark of the covenant,so rich and sacred in Jewish history, is actually located in Heaven. “ I saw no temple therein,” says the Seer in a subsequent vision (Revelation 21:22). What then do they signify? What are their moral value and lessons to “ upon whom the ends of the ages are come?” The temple is the sign that God is taking up the cause and the interests of Israel, and when seen in Heaven, that it is there He is occupied with His people then on the earth. The ark of His covenant is the token of Jehovah’ s presence with, and His unchanging faithfulness to, His earthly people. The rainbow round the throne (Revelation 4:3) and encircling the head of the angel of might (Revelation 10:1) is the sign to all who behold it of God’ s covenant with creation, one of goodness and mercy. Here the ark, enclosing the tables of the law, and surmounted with its pure gold lid or mercy-seat, tells a rich tale of grace to Israel. What the rainbow was to creation, that and more the ark (Whether the ark shared the fate of the temple, which was burned a month after the sack of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans (Jeremiah 52:12-13), or whether it was hidden by Jeremiah according to Jewish tradition (for the prophet was in the city during the whole of the siege), or included amongst the vessels carried by the conqueror to Babylon, we know not. Certain it is that the ark in the future is not to be brought to light, spite of speculation and guess-work to the contrary. On this Jeremiah speaks with no uncertain voice (Jeremiah 3:16). The ark, the sign of Jehovah’ s presence and faithfulness, will no longer be needed in the palmy days of the kingdom, for that which it signified will then be an accomplished fact. Jehovah will have made good His unchanging grace to His people, and His throne and presence in their midst will gloriously supersede the ark in the tabernacle and temple of old. To Israel the ark was the sign and token of grace (Joshua 3:14-17), to the uncircumcised heathen it only brought judgment (1 Samuel 5:1-12). In the former case the people were redeemed, hence Jehovah’ s presence with them was a blessing; in the latter the people were not redeemed, and hence His presence was intolerable.) was, and is, to Israel. Revelation 11:19 — “There were lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail.” These terms point separately and in conjunction to a storm of divine wrath, having its source in Heaven. We have already drawn attention to the signification of these terms in former parts of our Exposition. Hail from Heaven, here specially singled out by the epithet “ great,” intimates the sharpness and suddenness of judgment on earth, as also its source as manifestly from God (Exodus 9:18-25; Revelation 8:7; Revelation 16:21). The combination of destructive elements is not employed when the throne is set up. No need of it, as judgment will then proceed from the throne on earth, and not, as here, from Heaven. Commentary on Revelation 11:17-18 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 11:17. Taken to thee thy great power refers to the triumph of righteousness over evil when the word God was given back to the people of the various kingdoms. Revelation 11:18. Nations were angry. That is that part of them that still wished to profit by the deception of the people. Thy wrath is come means that God's vengeance had come upon the apostate church for abusing His word. The time of the dead also hath come, meaning the dead whose souls John saw under the altar (Revelation 6:9). They cried for vengeance or judgment and were told that "their time" would come. Now that time has come and God has judged the apostate church by separating her from the advantages of temporal power. At the same time He gave reward to his faithful servants by having His word placed again in their hands. Destory them which destroy the earth refers to the same evil men described before who planned to destroy (corrupt in the margin) the earth.Commentary on Revelation 11:17-18 by Burton CoffmanRev_11:17saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast; because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign.Who are and who wast ... Many have commented on the omission here of "and who is to come," as in Revelation 1:8. Why? "He has come!"[91]And didst reign ... Note the past tense. The reign began long ago and continued throughout all the time between the two Advents of the Son of God. Indeed, the reign of God has never, for an instant, ceased since the beginning of time. Satan and evil men were used of God in the working out of his wise designs; but the sovereignty of the Father in heaven has never been even temporarily compromised by anything that ever occurred in the whole universe. ENDNOTE: [91] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 160. Revelation 11:18 And the nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and the time of the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the earth.These terse references are to what has already taken place, as clearly indicated by the consistent use of the past tense, the great fact of the execution of those events being here the theme of perpetual thanksgiving and praise in the presence of God. Angry nations, sin, Satan, and death no longer exist. And the nations were wroth ... The universal anger of the unrepentant and rebellious world as their vaunted civilization, rotten to its foundations with the corruption of sin, disintegrates and falls to pieces, is here extolled in the song of the redeemed. The answer to man's wrath was the coming of God's wrath upon the world. And thy wrath came ... Is this a fitting subject for the rejoicing of the saved in glory? Indeed it is. The great error of unregenerated people is that they cannot be angry with evil. Why? Because the natural, unregenerated man, is himself evil. We may therefore set aside the opinions of those who reject this song as not being in any sense a Christian conception. Let there be no false pity for the unrepentant. The fond hope that God might give them one more chance after death is contrary both to Scripture and to reason .... How much do we really care that right should triumph and evil be defeated? Much of the sanctimonious reaction of our age to just retribution is only blindness, a lack of hatred for Satan and his works, and a lack of concern for the glory of God.[92]"There is an appropriateness in God's tailoring the punishment to fit the crime."[93] Judgment and recompense are not contradictory to love, but a necessary aspect of it."[94] The current misunderstanding and misrepresentation of God's love make it to be an attitude that is not even worthy of a good citizen, much less, of the God of all creation. And the time of the dead to be judged ... This is a reference to the judgment which concluded the sixth trumpet; and this statement particularly makes it mandatory to view the end of the sixth trumpet as the final Advent of Christ and the eternal judgment of the last day. And the time to give their reward ... All of these clauses are in the past tense, due to "thy wrath came" at the head of the verse. Some have tried to establish this as the prophetic tense, in order to construe these events as future; but there is no evidence at all that such is the case. The necessity of seeing this as a reference to the final judgment is derived from passages like 2 Timothy 4:8 ff. To thy servants the prophets ... the saints ... them that fear thy name ... small ... great ... Notice that all of God's people are included in this. The supposition of Vitringa and others "who understand this as a reference to the dead martyrs who at this time are vindicated,"[95] is refuted by this comprehensive enumeration of all classes of people, the small, the great, etc., who all receive their reward simultaneously at the "last day." And to destroy them that destroy the earth ... The wicked also shall receive their reward simultaneously with the reward of the righteous, but apparently, somewhat afterwards. Their reward, however, is destruction. "On the same day, all those who fear the Lord receive their reward, while the destroyers are destroyed."[96] This corresponds exactly with our Saviour's own descriptive revelation of the final judgment in Matthew 25:31 ff. [92] Michael Wilcock, I Saw Heaven Opened (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1975), pp. 107,108. [93] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 231. [94] Vernard Eller, op. cit.. p. 122. [95] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 294. [96] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 160. Commentary on Revelation 11:17-18 by Manly Luscombe17 saying: “ We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. God is praised because: 1. God is Almighty. 2. God is Always. (Was and is) 3. God is in control of all things. 4. God is reigning. The phrase, “ and is to come” is omitted from the text here. The reason - Christ has already come. The second coming is over. God is and has always been. 18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.” All the wicked people of earth are angry. Upon them has come the wrath of God. They are now facing an eternity of dread. They will be judged and given the reward that is due them. Those who were faithful to God will participate in the judgment of the wicked. Revelation 11:19 PART FOURTH VISIONS OF THE HER ENEMIESRev_11:19 to Revelation 20:15 SECTION ONE THE DRAGON AND THE BEASTSRev_11:19 to Revelation 13:18 1. A VISION Revelation 11:19 19 And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven; and there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant; --Before beginning to open the seven seals (Revelation 6:1) there appeared to John, as recorded in chapters 4 and 5, some preliminary visions. These visions, too, were seen in heaven, and were evidently intended to assure John that what was about to be revealed concerning the future would certainly be accomplished. The temple was typical of the church. (Hebrews 9:1-9 ; 1 Corinthians 3:16.) Displaying the open temple with the ark inside, doubtless, was designed to show that the things to be presented in the following visions had special reference to the church and its worship. In the preceding series of symbols the church's struggles against paganism received the stronger emphasis, the references to the papacy being sketched briefly. In the following series the church's spiritual enemies are given major consideration. and there followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail.---These things appeared to John as he beheld the vision. Since the whole scene was probably intended to impress John with the necessity of a pure church and pure worship, it was appropriate that he should see and hear such things as would indicate the necessity of reverencing God and his word. It is very similar to those manifestations of divine majesty that accompanied God's speaking the commandments on Mount Sinai, and the plagues in Egypt. There were thunders, hail, lightnings, and earthquakes. (Exodus 19:16-18; Psalms 18:13.) At the opening of the new covenant law on Pentecost there were manifestations of his great power. (Acts 2:1-4.) So before beginning these symbols, showing the struggles to maintain the apostolic church, a display of divine power was an appropriate thing. They might indicate commotion in the things fulfilling them.Commentary on Revelation 11:19 by Foy E. WallaceRev_11:19 presents the closing scene--the temple of God opened in heaven. It was the new temple, the vision of that which was measured for preservation in chapter 11:1. It was the “ true tabernacle” of Hebrews 8:2; Hebrews 9:13; Hebrews 10:9. It was only re-introduced here, without further description, to become a part of second series of visions. In this new temple was disclosed the ark of his testament. In the Jewish temple of John’ s time, yet standing, there was no ark of covenant “ within the veil.” It had long been lost. But in the vision of the restored temple--the true spiritual temple (Hebrews 8:2), which supersedes the temple made with hands, there reappears the holiest and most sacred of all the treasures of the old tabernacle--the ark of the covenant. It symbolized that what was lost in the old is restored in the new--and the apostate Jewish state yielded its place to the complete restoration and perfection in the New Testament church of Christ. The curtains fall in the last words of this first vision: And there were lightnings, voices, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. These things followed all that had gone before in the vision. When the seventh trumpet sounded, the vision ended with lightnings, voices, thunders, an earthquake, and hail, which all at once came, as the sign to John that the revelation had not ended with the first vision. The great crisis just passed was to be followed by more of the same symbolism-- and the heaven of this vision was therefore still open with the close of chapter 11. But the beast that was, and was not, of Revelation 13:8, yet is--he would again be active. Thus chapter 11 ends the first sequence of events. The second begins with chapter 12, and repeats the imagery in another but similar set of symbols, extending the same events and experiences. Commentary on Revelation 11:19 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 11:19. This verse is a symbol that is very significant. The Bible had been denied the people for 1260 years but is now restored to them. That is like letting the servants of God "in" on a great intimacy with the Lord. The original law was laid up by the ark in the Most Holy Place (Exodus 25:16; Deuteronomy 10:2). The people were never permitted to see into that place where the book of God was deposited. Likewise the people under Rome were shut off from seeing the Book through the years of the apostasy. But the work of the Reformation broke through that and forced open the privacy and gave them another view of the law. As an illustration of such a privilege John was given a view into the place where the ark was which he calls the ark of his testament or holy law. The lightnings and other things named refer to the commotions that were caused by the Reformation.Commentary on Revelation 11:19 by Burton CoffmanRev_11:19 And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven; and there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant; and there followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail.And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven ... "Temple" here is a figure of speech; there is going to be no actual temple in heaven. It is used here as a symbol of the presence of God. See Revelation 21:22. "Only a glimpse of heaven is afforded here; the chief description is reserved for the final two chapters."[97]And there was seen in his temple the ark of the covenant ... The symbolism teaches that what was once concealed will be opened in heaven. The ark of the covenant in the ancient tabernacle was located in the Holy of Holies; and only the high priest could ever see it, and even he could view it only one day in the year; but all will be made plain and open in heaven. Roberson thought that, "It is a fitting close (of this trumpet series) that the innermost sanctuary of God should be opened."[98]Thunders ... earthquake ... and great hail ... These fittingly mark the close of the seventh trumpet vision, serving also to set off what follows as a separate vision. Certainly they do not denote any kind of judgment upon people. The time for that expired with Revelation 11:13. In these verses (Revelation 11:15-19), we have the entire seventh trumpet. Here is revealed the glory and the blessedness that shall prevail after time has ceased, and after the final judgment.[99]We are now (in Revelation 12) carried back to the beginning of the story of salvation. A new series of visions, or tableaux, portrays significant figures and episodes from the course of events outlined in Revelation 5-11.[100]We shall conclude this study of Revelation 11 with Hendriksen's summary of its final Revelation 11:19 : Nothing remains hidden or concealed. The ark of the covenant so long hidden from view is now seen. That ark is the symbol of the superlatively real, intimate, and perfect fellowship with God and his people, a fellowship based on the atonement through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.[101][97] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 294. [98] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 79. [99] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 360. [100] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 650. [101] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 161. Commentary on Revelation 11:19 by Manly Luscombe19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. The temple is opened in heaven. This is the dwelling place of God and His people. The Ark of the Covenant is there. There is lightning, booming voices, thunder, an earthquake and large hail. All things come to a crashing, banging, booming conclusion. This is the grand crescendo of all creation. Sermon on Revelation 11:3-19 The Two Witnesses Brent Kercheville In the first two verses of Revelation 11 we were shown that the temple of the Lord, representing the holy people of God, would be spiritually spared and remain safe with God through the coming national judgment. However, it was not going to go well for those who were not the people of God. Revelation 11:2 tells us that the holy city, Jerusalem, would be trampled by the Gentiles for 42 months. This statement parallels Jesus’ words in Luke 21:20-24 where Jesus described the destruction of Jerusalem that the Romans would inflict in 70 AD. Revelation 11 has shown us that the physical Jewish nation was about to be judged for its sinfulness. The rest of the imagery continues in Revelation 11:3. The Two Witnesses (Revelation 11:3-6) God grants authority to his two witnesses to prophesy for 1260 days clothed in sackcloth. As we noted in our last lesson, 1260 days is the same as 42 months and a time, times, and half a time. This time marker reveals that it would going a limited time of tribulation, distress, and persecution. Further, the two witnesses are clothed in sackcloth. Sackcloth was used for times of mourning and distress (Job 16:15; Esther 4:1-3; Genesis 37:34; 2 Samuel 3:31). The witnesses are mourning over the judgment message they are preaching. They are mourning for the sins of the nation and the judgment that will result (Joe 1:8; Amos 8:10). We want to know who the two witnesses are. The next few verses describe who the two witnesses. We are told that the two witnesses are, “ The two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.” This is a reference to Zechariah 4:2-14. Unfortunately, Zechariah 4 is a difficult text to understand which does not help us much in understand who the two witnesses are in Revelation 11. However, the force of the teaching is that the Spirit of God was going to accomplish his word. The obstacles would be removed and the temple would be rebuilt by the power of God accomplishing the prophecy of God. It is likely that the two anointed ones is referring to the Joshua and Zerubbabel who would be the tools God would use to rebuild the temple. This is the message in Revelation 11:4. The word of God is going to be accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit, represented by the two witnesses. Verses 5-6 will give us more clarity about who the two witnesses are. Revelation 11:5 tells us that recompense will fall upon those who harm the two witnesses. The language is reminiscent of the divine protection God offered to the prophets (2 Kings 1:10; Jeremiah 5:14). When Ahaziah sent his army to take Elijah back to him, Elijah called for fire to come down and the fire consumed the army. The fire pictures judgment against those who resist these two witnesses. Revelation 11:6 reveals who these two witnesses are. The witnesses have the power to shut the sky that no rain may fall while they prophesy and they have the power to turn the waters to blood and strike the earth with plague. The one who was able to shut the sky was Elijah (1 Kings 17:1) and the one who brought the plagues was Moses (Exodus 7:17-21). To match what we were told in verses 4-5 we must see Elijah and Moses representing the Law and the prophets. Remember that we saw that the two olive trees and two lampstands represent the word of the Lord being accomplished through the power of the Spirit of God. The Law and the prophets foretold these events concerning the destruction of the Jewish nation. Moses prophesied these things would happen in Deuteronomy 28:15-68. Notice Deuteronomy 28:52-57 particularly. “ They shall besiege you in all your towns, until your high and fortified walls, in which you trusted, come down throughout all your land. And they shall besiege you in all your towns throughout all your land, which the LORD your God has given you. 53 And you shall eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of your sons and daughters, whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies shall distress you. 54 The man who is the most tender and refined among you will begrudge food to his brother, to the wife he embraces, and to the last of the children whom he has left, 55 so that he will not give to any of them any of the flesh of his children whom he is eating, because he has nothing else left, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in all your towns. 56 The most tender and refined woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because she is so delicate and tender, will begrudge to the husband she embraces, to her son and to her daughter, 57 her afterbirth that comes out from between her feet and her children whom she bears, because lacking everything she will eat them secretly, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in your towns. (Deuteronomy 28:52-57 ESV) This description details exactly what happened during the Jerusalem siege by the Romans from 66-70 AD. Daniel prophesied the destruction of the Jewish nation in the vision of the 70 weeks (Daniel 9:24-27). The prophecy concerns the Jews and Jerusalem according to Daniel 9:24, “ Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city.” Notice verse 26 in particular. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. (Daniel 9:26 ESV) Therefore, the two witnesses represent all of God’ s servants who are proclaiming the word of the Lord. Notably, the witnesses would includes the prophets and apostles who were prophesying and preaching that the holy city would be trampled. The word of the Lord will be accomplished and the servants of God (the two witnesses) are proclaiming that God’ s promises and prophecies will happen. The descriptions that we read about the two witnesses indicate that we are talking about a larger body of God’ s servants, not just two people. (1) The beast makes war on the two witnesses (vs. 7). This does not make much sense if the two witnesses are only two individuals. Far better to see the two witnesses as the prophets, apostles, and those who are proclaiming the message of judgment. (2) The world is watching them die, which makes more sense as those who are proclaiming the message of judgment rather than just two individuals. To summarize the point of verses 3-6: the symbol is the message of the Law and the prophets prophesying judgment for the sins of the Jewish nation. The prophets, apostles, and people of God were the ones preaching this message to the Jewish nation. The Resurrection of the Witnesses (Revelation 11:7-14) The beast that rises from the abyss will make war with the two witnesses, conquers them, and kills them. In Revelation 9 we read the locusts being released from the abyss and identified the locusts as the Roman Empire. Now this Roman Empire is described as a beast. Revelation 13 will reveal why the beast imagery is used and we will look at those details when we get to that chapter. For now we simply need to see the Roman Empire as the beast that is the one desolating the Jewish nation. In the desolation of the Jewish nation, the prophets, apostles, and proclaimers of God’ s word are going to be killed as well. When the Romans invaded Judea, they desolated over 980 towns, including the great city of Jerusalem. Their bodies are going to lie in the street of the great city that is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. A couple translations read that the great city is “ symbolically called Sodom and Egypt” (ESV, NET). Some translations read “ figuratively called Sodom and Egypt” (TNIV, NIV, NLT). A couple translations read “ prophetically” (HCSB, NRSV). The NASB reads, “ Mystically.” The Greek word pneumatikos, which BAG (p. 685) says means “ spiritually, in a spiritual manner, full of the divine Spirit.” Elsewhere in the NT, the word characterizes that which pertains to the Spirit in contrast to the flesh. You can see pneuma in the Greek word which means spirit. The ESV footnote even says that the Greek is “ spiritually.” Why the ESV did not simply render the meaning is unknown to me. The NKJV is right to render this literally as, “ The great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt.” The spiritual condition of the city is in view. It is not a mystical statement or a prophetic statement. The city in view has the spiritual lack as the city of Sodom and thenation of Egypt. Which city is in view? Which city is deserving of judgment because of their sins? It is the city where their Lord was crucified. The city where the Lord was crucified was Jerusalem. Jesus our Lord was killed in the city of Jerusalem. Most say that the great city refers to Rome because later in Revelation we read that the great city is identified with Babylon. If Revelation 11:8 had simply said, “ The great city,” then I would agree that Rome is in view. However, the text clarifies for us what the great city is. The great city is the same city where their Lord was crucified. This fits what we read in Revelation 11:2 that the holy city, Jerusalem, is in view and the object of God’ s wrath. The beast is destroying Jerusalem and in the process the two witnesses are also killed. This is not the first time in scriptures that the physical nation of Israel has been spiritually equated with Sodom and Egypt. Israel is identified spiritually with Sodom in Isaiah 1:9-10, Jeremiah 23:14, and Ezekiel 16:46-49. But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.” (Jeremiah 23:14 ESV) Israel was also spiritually identified with Egypt in Ezekiel 23 and Jeremiah 9:26. Notice a couple verses in Ezekiel 23 to see this spiritual identification. In Ezekiel 23:4 we are told that the prophecy is against Samaria and Jerusalem, representing both the northern and southern nations of the divided kingdom of Israel. Thus, Ezekiel prophesied God’ s word: When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister. Yet she increased her whoring, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt and lusted after her paramours there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. (Ezekiel 23:18-20 ESV) The prophets spoke of how Israel was returning to its idolatrous ways as they had practiced when they were in Egypt. The beast is killing the witnesses, that is, the Romans are killing the apostles and those proclaiming God’ s word. People from all the nations will gloat over the death of these Christians, refusing to even allow a proper burial for them. For a dead body to lie in view was considered the worst humiliation a person could suffer from his enemies (Psalms 79:3-4). Let us not forget that Christians are not only dying in the great tribulation as the Romans attacked Judea, but Christians are dying throughout the Roman Empire under the rule of Nero. During the years of 66-70 AD is when the apostle Peter and the apostle Paul were killed by Nero. It is during this time that Nero is dipping Christians in wax and lighting them on fire so he could see his gardens. It is during this time that Christians are being dressed in animal clothing to be chased and torn apart by animals for sport. The world has no love for Christians during these years. Revelation 11 is describing all the events that are going on as the physical Jewish nation is receiving its judgment. Killing Christians was no big deal to the world. The ungodly rejoice at seeing the death of God’ s people and God’ s apostles because they preached to the world a risen Savior who would return in judgment against those who do not repent. Revelation 11:11-12 reinforce the message of hope for those who overcome. In Revelation 7 we saw the people of God sealed. Though they are killed they are shown standing before the throne, with the Lamb, receiving white robes of victory. The victory is pictured again. The beast is killing the apostles and those who are proclaiming the message of the Law and the prophets. But these slain people of God are pictured as resurrected. They ascend to heaven in a cloud just as Jesus ascended when he went back to the Father in heaven. The word of the Lord is not dead. The word of the Lord is not extinguished or silenced. God’ s word continues to be proclaimed. Christianity was not extinguished and those who were killed are victorious as they go up to heaven. The earthquake is a further sign of God’ s vindication of his servants who proclaim the word of the Lord. Just as the great earthquake that occurred at the death of Jesus was God’ s vindicating act of Jesus and a message of judgment to the earth, so also this earthquake for the two witnesses. A tenth of the city falls and seven thousand people are killed. For a tenth of the city to fall leading to the dead of seven thousand shows that this is a smaller city being judged. The population of the city of Rome in the first century is estimated to be about 5 million people. The population of Jerusalem in the first century is estimated to be about 70,000 to 100,000. The imagery fits the capture of the city of Jerusalem. Part of the city falls as Rome surrounds Jerusalem. Part of the city was conquered, the part called the newer city that was outside the second wall but inside the third wall. Now the hysteria within Jerusalem begins as the siege wall is built and Jerusalem is about to fall. The people begin to cry out to God in their terror. However, it is too late. The second woe has passed. There is one more woe that is soon to come. The Seventh Trumpet (Revelation 11:15-19) The seventh angel blows his trumpet. Remember what this meant. Go back to Revelation 10:7 and note that when the seventh angel blew his trumpet then all that the prophets had spoken concerning this event would be fulfilled. Remember that this angel was seen in Daniel 12:7 saying that the shattering of the power of the holy people was going to come. The angel in Revelation 11:6-7 says there is no more delay. The shattering of the power of the holy people would take place when the seventh angel sounds the trumpet. The seventh trumpet now sounds. This pictures of the fall of the city of Jerusalem, the judgment against the physical Jewish nation. The final judgment of the Jewish nation shows the continuing establishment of Christ’ s kingdom as Christ conquers all of his enemies. The enemies of Christ’ s kingdom have been defeated. Every enemy is being subjected under the feet of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:25). Notice verse 18: The nations rage, but your wrath has come. Time for judgment and time for reward for those who are God’ s servants. This imagery recalls Psalms 2:2 where the nations rage against God’ s anointed. However, Christ rules over the earth and subjects the nations. Revelation 11:19 concludes the woe and it is an important image. God has judged. There are flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. These are images that God has brought final judgment on the nation. God’ s temple is seen in heaven, not on the earth. This relates to what we studied in our previous lesson in Hebrews 12:26-28. The things shaken had to be removed so that the things cannot be shaken may remain. Though the physical temple was destroyed, the true temple of God remains in heaven. The true people of God remain. Further, the ark of the covenant is seen in heaven, not on earth. The ark of the covenant represented God’ s presence and favor in the Old Testament. Josephus records that the ark of the covenant was not in the second temple (Wars V. 219). The ark had been lost when the Babylonians invaded back in 586 BC. God’ s presence was never again pictured with the physical nation or the physical temple in Jerusalem, though it had been rebuilt in 516 BC and was beautified and expanded by Herod at beginning of the first century. The ark of the covenant is pictured within the heavenly temple. God’ s presence and favor is with his people, not the physical Jewish nation. God has destroyed another nation that stood in opposition to the people of God. Lessons: 1. The preservation of the proclaimers. Revelation 11 emphasizes the work of the two witnesses. We are supposed to be the instruments that proclaim God’ s message to the world. God will accomplish his word. We must know his word, explain his word, and teach his word to the world. 2. Judgment must come against Christ’ s enemies. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “ God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-27 ESV) Christ reigns until all enemies are under his feet. Please notice that everything will be put under his feet. He will destroy every rule, every authority, and every power. All things will be subjected and all enemies will be destroyed. Do not be an enemy of Christ. Find favor with him now by receiving the grace he is offering through faith. LESSON 15.THE ANGEL WITH THE LITTLE BOOKRead Revelation 10:1 to Revelation 11:14 1. Between the sounding of what two trumpets does this vision appear? Ans. Revelation 9:13; Revelation 11:15.2. Describe the angel that John saw coming down out of heaven. Ans. Revelation 10:1.3. What did he have in his hand? Ans. Revelation 10:2.4. To what is his voice compared? Ans. Revelation 10:3.5. What was John forbidden to write? Ans. Revelation 10:4.6. What announcement did the angel confirm with an oath? Ans. Revelation 10:5-7.7. What was John told to do with the little book, and what effect did it have on him? Ans. Revelation 10:8-10.8. What then was John told he must do? Ans. Revelation 10:11.9. He was told to measure what? Ans. Revelation 11:1.10. What was he told not to measure? Ans. Revelation 11:2.11. What city was to be trodden under foot, and for how long? Ans. Revelation 11:2; Matthew 27:53.12. What were the "two" witnesses to do and for how long? Ans. Revelation 11:3.13. Who are the "two witnesses"? Ans. Revelation 11:4.14. What of those who desire to hurt these witnesses? Ans. Revelation 11:5.15. The "two witnesses" have power to do what? Ans. Revelation 11:6.16. When and how were they to be killed? Ans. Revelation 11:7.17. What would be done with their dead bodies? Ans. Revelation 11:8-10.18. After three days and a half what would happen to these dead bodies? Ans. Revelation 11:11.19. Tell of their ascension. Ans. Revelation 11:12-13.20. How many of the three "woes" were now past? Ans. Revelation 11:14. LESSON 16. THE LAST TRUMPETRead Revelation 11:15-19 1. This lesson deals with the sounding of which of the seven angels? Ans. Revelation 11:15.2. Give the message proclaimed at this time by the "great voices in heaven." Ans. Revelation 11:15.3. What was done by the twenty-four elders? Ans. Revelation 11:16.4. Why did they give thanks to God? Ans. Revelation 11:17.5. What was to be finished at the sounding of the seventh angel's trumpet? Ans. Revelation 10:7.6. What was the "mystery" which Paul connected with the sounding of the last trumpet? Ans. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.7. Name another event which Paul connected with the sounding of the last trumpet. Ans. 1 Thessalonians 4:16.8. Give two events which Paul connects with the coming of Christ.Ans. a. Punishment of the wicked (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).b. Christ glorified in his saints (2 Thessalonians 1:10).9. What two classes of people are to be raised in the same hour? Ans. John 5:28-29.10. Name three great events which John connects with the sounding of the seventh trumpet.Ans. a. The dead judged (Revelation 11:18).b. The righteous rewarded (Revelation 11:18).c. The wicked punished ( Revelation 11:18).11. Whose will the "kingdoms of the world" become after the sounding of the seventh angel? Ans. Revelation 11:15.12. Who has a kingdom on this earth from Pentecost to the sounding of the last trumpet? Ans. John 18:36; Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:5-9.13. Unto whom will the kingdom of Christ be given after the judgment? Ans. 1 Corinthians 15:24-26.14. After the kingdom has been delivered up to the Father unto whom will Christ be subject? Ans. 1 Corinthians 15:28.15. How can the kingdom be called both God's and Christ's after Christ has returned it to God the Father? Ans. John 17:10.16. Give passages which refer to Christ's kingdom as belonging to both the Father and the Son. Ans. (Matthew 6:33; John 18:36) (Matthew 20:21; Matthew 21:43).17. Give passages which refer to the final reign in heaven as belonging to both God and Christ. Ans. Ephesians 5:5; Revelation 22:1.18. What was opened in heaven and what was seen? Ans. Revelation 11:19.E.M. Zerr Questions on RevelationRevelation Chapter Eleven 1. What was given to John? 2. Tell what it was like. 3. Who stood before him? 4. What was he to measure first? 5. What other items to be measured? 6. Tell what he was not to measure. 7. To what was it given? 8. What was to be trodden under foot. 9. For how long was it to be? 10. To whom will God give power? 11. For how long will they prophesy? 12. How will they be clothed through this time? 13. What other names are given to these beings? 14. Where do they stand? 15. Against whom will they issue fire? 16. With what effect? 17. Who else must be killed in same manner? 18. Tell what power these witnesses have. 19. Haw can they affect waters? 20. Upon what can they bring plagues? 21. What will they finish? 22. Then what shall ascend from the pit? 23. Against what will he make war? 24. With what result? 25. Where will their dead bodies lie? 26. Were these names literal? 27. What else had happened there? 28. Who shall see their dead bodies? 29. For how long will they see this? . 30. What will they prevent from being done? 31. Tell what the dwellers on earth will do. 32. Why will they do all this? 33. What finally entered these bodies? 34. After how long a time? 35. What were they able to do then? 36. How did this affect those who saw it? 37. What was heard then? 38. Tell what the voice was saying. 39. What happened then? 40. By whom was this beheld? 41. What happened the same hour? 42. What portion of the city fell? 43. How many were slain? 44. How were the others affected? 45. What did it cause them to do? 46. Tell what is now about due. 47. What was now sounded? 48. From where were voices then heard? 49. What transformations did they announce? 50. Tell what Christ is to do. 51. What did the 24 elders then do? 52. To whom did they give thanks? 53. Tell what existence they ascribed to God. 54. What work did they also ascribe to him? 55. How were the nations affected? 56. What time had come? 57. Tell the two rewards about to be rendered. 58. What was opened in heaven? 59. Tell what was seen. 60. What were heard? Revelation Chapter ElevenRalph StarlingNow John was given a measuring rod, To measure the altar and the temple of God. The outer court was left to be pitted for the Gentiles would tread the Holy City. Powe was given to the Angel's two witnesses. The 2 olive trees, 2 candle sticks who tended to God's business. They sould have power that it rain not, And smite the earth with plagues that would blot Revelation 12:1-6 2. THE WOMAN AND DRAGON Rev_12:1-6 1 And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars; --A "sign" is something to represent or signify something else. This very word shows that the vision John saw in heaven was a symbol of something. Sign is often used to indicate future events as Matthew 16:3 clearly shows. The very language of this paragraph proves that its meaning here applies to the future. The commentators generally agree that the woman in the vision represents the church. The relationship of a wife to her husband symbolically refers to the relationship of the saved to God or Christ. Of national Israel Isaiah said: "For thy Maker is thy husband; Jehovah of hosts is his name." (Isaiah 54:5.) Concerning Christ's relationship to the church Paul said: "For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church." (Ephesians 5:23.) In verse 32 he declares plainly that in using the illustration of husband and wife he spoke of Christ and the church. Changing the figure slightly, Paul refers to Sarah and Hagar as being the two covenants--one from Mount Sinai, the other from Jerusalem--and says that Christians are children of the free woman. (Galatians 4:23-24; Galatians 4:31.) There is no room for doubt here that the woman represents the church. Paul told the Corinthians that he had espoused them unto one husband. (2 Corinthians 11:2.) The description of the woman shows that she represents the true apostolic church, as it was originally established, not the corrupt church that was developed later. Sun, moon, and stars constitute the sum of material light; so through the word of God is given to the church all the spiritual light there is. Hence, indirectly Christ's disciples are the "light of the world." (Matthew 5:14.) Since Christ is the "sun of righteousness" (Malachi 4:2), and the source of all our spiritual light, "arrayed with the sun" probably means the church clothed with Christ. As those in Christ have put him on, arrayed with Christ is a most natural meaning for the expression. The suggestion made by some commentators that the moon represents the Jewish covenant or law seems the most probable explanation for this expression. The moon is an inferior light-shining body--reflects its light; such were the Jewish scriptures. Seeing the moon under her feet would imply their inferiority. Crowned with twelve stars most likely represents the apostles, who next to Christ occupied the most honorable position in the church as leaders. Twelve indicates perfection, and the apostles were the perfect mediums through which the church received her light. The word "crown" here--Greek stephanos--means a crown of victory, not a ruling crown. The apostles victoriously revealed the truth. 2 and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered.--The peculiar condition of the woman indicates a time when the church was to increase its membership, and implies that this vision takes us back to an early day in her history, if not to the very beginning. The success of the church in the first century is found in the New Testament. From that time on, of course, we are dependent on secular history. 3 And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems.--There is no need to worry about the seeming incongruity of a dragon being "in heaven," or just what is meant by heaven, as some interpreters do; for what John saw is only a picture to indicate certain facts or events. This should be kept constantly in mind as the symbols are studied. The word "sign," as in verse 1, shows that something in the future is indicated. The word "dragon" is used thirteen times in the New Testament and all are in this book. In verse 9 he is called "the old serpent" and "the Devil and Satan." Literally, it seems to denote some fabulous, serpent-form creature. Since the dragon is represented here as the deadly enemy of the woman and her offspring, the language appears as an allusion to Eve and the serpent in the Eden tragedy. (Genesis 3:1-6.) But the description here indicates that Satan figures in the events only as an instigator of fight on the church, the dragon being some earthly agency or medium through which the actual opposition was to be made. Plainly stated, the spirit of the dragon is the devil he inspires the dragon's acts. The dragon is described as being great and red in color. This implies that his fight against the true church would be terrific and characterized with bloodshed. It is not unusual for fabulous creatures in mythology to be given some unnatural appearance, but there must have been significant reasons for picturing an enemy of the church in such hideous form. Seven symbolically represents completeness and heads indicate power or authority, but there is probably some additional reason why that number is used in this emblem. The full significance of this symbol will be seen only when compared with similar ones in Revelation 13:1 and Revelation 17:3. The word "horn" is an emblem of power and the number "ten" indicates its general or universal exercise. Some expositors explain "heads" to be symbolic of wisdom and the "horns" to indicate power. That, of course, is true in fact as applied to the dragon, and the numbers show the complete and extensive use of such powers. The diadems upon the seven heads show that the dragon was some kind of ruling institution. It is a matter of common knowledge that the church was established within the Roman Empire, and was therefore politically subject to Roman law. That the church passed through many persecutions and suffered much from the Roman rulers is also a known fact. The natural conclusion, then, is that the first great power against the church was pagan Rome. Elliott's commentary (Vol. III, p. 15) gives documentary evidence that the dragon became a Roman ensign near the close of the second century. If so, it is another indication pointing to the Roman Empire as the church's first enemy--in the texts using the word dragon. Another proof that pagan Rome was that first enemy is that John later saw a beast to which the dragon gave his authority (Revelation 13:1; Revelation 13:4), and this beast had seven heads. Diadems upon the heads would indicate at least that ruling authority was claimed. In Revelation 17:12 the ten horns of the beast are said to be "ten kings." Horns, therefore, signify the power to rule. "Ten" may only mean the universal rule of the Roman Empire or different divisions of the empire that supplied this power. The leading facts are sufficient to identify the dragon as pagan Rome. John saw a monster in the picture, and there is no more necessity for every detail to represent some specific thing than for every item in a parable to indicate something definite in the application. 4 And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth:--In the vision John apparently sees the dragon passing through the heaven sweeping down one-third of the stars with his tail. Perhaps all that was intended by this part of the symbol was to indicate what a terrific and powerful enemy the church would have to meet in the Roman Empire. This feature of the symbol harmonizes with the idea that the dragon is represented as a serpent. Since this work of the dragon seems to have occurred before the exaltation of the "man child" (verse 5), it may indicate different rulers that had been subjected to Rome when nations had been conquered by Roman arms, or it could refer to religious leaders who were killed or who apostatized. If this be the proper application, then the stars falling to earth indicated that rulers would lose their places of authority or deny the faith. The third part means not all, but a great number. and the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child.--As the woman represents the church, the birth of a child indicates increase in the church by the addition of members. Of course, there had been a growth of the church since its establishment at Pentecost. The emblem here then must mean some time when there was about to be a great increase of the church, or when the increase became so influential that Rome felt the necessity of its destruction. The persecution under Diocletian, the emperor, began in A.D. 303. The evident purpose was the destruction of Christianity. Gibbon says it was perhaps represented to Diocletian that "the glorious work of the deliverance of the empire was left imperfect, as long as an independent people was permitted to subsist and multiply in the heart of the provinces." (Decline and Fall, Vol. II, p. 62.) The twenty-third of February was the day appointed "to set bounds to the progress of Christianity," doors of church houses were broken open and volumes of the holy scriptures committed to the flames. (Ibid., p. 63.) Gibbon further says that Diocletian was at length transported beyond bounds of moderation and declared "his intention of abolishing the name Christian." (Ibid., p. 69.) In A.D. 311 Maximin, the Eastern Roman emperor, spoke of the "obstinate impiety of Christians" and readily consented to their banishment. (Ibid., p. 78.) The dragon really stood ready to prevent the increase of the church. 5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron:--In the symbol John now sees not only the woman, but also the son that was born. For reasons already presented the woman represents the church. Who or what is meant by the man-child has occasioned much disagreement among noted expositors. Some apply the words to Christ largely because the man-child was said to be caught up to God and to rule the nations with a rod of iron. The following reasons satisfactorily show that the words do not refer to Christ: (1) After Christ's ascension to heaven there was no occasion for his being rescued from the dragon. (2) The theory would make the church produce Christ, whereas the Bible makes him the founder of the church. (3) In verse 17 of this chapter the dragon is said to "make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God." This language can only refer to members of the church. Then the man-child symbolically represents the increase of the church--those who through the church's activities became Christians. If there is an apparent lack of harmony in the man-child representing members of the church and the woman the church, it is not a serious objection. Mother and child are of the same nature, and increase in the church leaves it the same institution. However, to use Paul's allegory (Galatians 4:24-31), the woman may be said to represent the covenant and members the children of the covenant. The expression "rule them with a rod of iron" in Revelation 19:15 clearly refers to Christ, but the same expression in Revelation 2:27 just as clearly refers to saints that keep Christ's commandments. This text, Revelation 12:5, is unquestionably synonymous with Revelation 2:27 and not with Revelation 19:15. The word "rule" in all these texts (Greek poimaino) means to "shepherd," not the word (Greek basileuo) which means "reign." The thought is that those who keep Christ's commands will be able to shepherd or lead with God's word. A "rod. of iron" would indicate that their dominion would be strong and dependable. Such is the nature of God's word. and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. --Since this cannot refer to Christ's ascension, it must mean some kind of glorious exaltation for Christians who had safely come through the persecutions. That this exaltation came soon after the decrees of Diocletian and Maximin that Christianity should be abolished is carat the facts indicate as necessary to fulfill the symbol. In the vision the child appeared to John as ascending to the very throne of God to escape the wrath of the dragon. This means that the church with its increase in membership was to be exalted to a position where it would be protected instead of persecuted. Gibbon says that "the defeat and death of Maximin soon delivered the church from the last and most implacable of her enemies." (Decline and Fall, Vol. II, p. 78.) He means the last of the enemy rulers in that age, for the beast to which the dragon was to give its authority was yet to arise. (Revelation 13:1; Revelation 13:4.) The sorrows as of a woman in travail had ceased. In A.D. 310 Galerius, the Eastern Emperor, issued hisEdict of Toleration by which Christians were granted the right to worship God and conduct their own religious services. In A.D. 308 the Roman Empire was divided among six contending emperors. In A.D. 313 two of them, Constantine and Licinius, issued the celebrated Edict of Milan in which Christians were given complete liberty. By a victory over Licinius in A.D. 323 Constantine became the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. By laws and edicts which he issued that were favorable to Christianity, and the calling of the church council at Nice in A.D. 325, he accepted Christianity as the true religion. It is even claimed he became a member of the church. Gibbon says the church considered Constantine as a "generous patron, who seated Christianity on the throne of the Roman world." (Vol. II, p. 273.) Surely the exaltation of the man-child symbol finds its appropriate fulfillment in this acknowledgment of Christianity. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days.--John here, by anticipation, briefly refers to what he describes in verses 14-17. See those verses for comments.Commentary on Revelation 12:1-6 by Foy E. WallaceBOOK OF SECTION FOUR THE OF THE CHURCH ( TWELVE TO TWENTY-TWO-- VERSE FIVE) (THE SECOND SERIES OF SYMBOLS) NOTE The first series of symbols ended with the last verse of chapter eleven. The first verse of chapter twelve is the beginning of the second series of symbols. The visions of this section were a recapitulation of the events of the first series, beginning from the first again, but with a new set of symbols. They cover the same period, a repetition of the same imagery in the delineation of the same occurrences. The reason for the two series is stated in the headings by which the purposes of the two series are indicated. In the first series, the symbols surrounded the Lamb, the Rider of the white horse--the conquering Christ--with the descriptive emphasis placed on activities of “ the beast of the land,” representing the Palestinian persecutors. The second series of symbols surrounded the victory of the church--the conqueror’ s Bride---over all the forces of persecution, in a set of symbols which placed the emphasis more fully on the activities of the Roman Emperor, who was represented as the beast of the sea, ‘ from whom the beast of the land derived authority to act. It was, therefore, said that the beast of the land worshiped, or “ obeyed,” the beast of the sea--meaning that the Palestinian authorities could do nothing without the consent of the Roman Emperor. The pattern of the Old Testament apocalypses are again recognized in the similarity existing between them and the visions of Revelation. A striking example is found in the dream visions of Joseph, and of Pharaoh in Genesis (Genesis 37:5-11; Genesis 41:18-32), and of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel (chapters 2 and 7). In the visional dreams of Joseph concerning himself and his brothers the symbols of the sun, moon and stars of the second dream represented the same things as the vision of the sheaves in the first dream. The same thing is true of the visions of the cattle and the ears of corn in Pharaoh’ s dreams--the successive dreams were visional reenactments of the same events. In the same manner the four beasts of Daniel in chapter seven were symbolic repetitions of the four kingdoms of the colossal image dream of chapter two. By the same process the first series of visions in Revelation, embracing chapters four to eleven, portrayed Jesus Christ, the prevailing Lamb of God, in multiple symbols of conquering all enemies of his church and avenging the martyred saints, defeating all the minions of Satan. All of the events in this set of symbols were envisioned from the throne in heaven, as introduced in chapter four, setting forth the sending of armies by the King of heaven to destroy the murderers of his prophets and apostles and saints, burning their city and bringing an end to their persecuting power. These visions surrounded, as previously set forth, the siege of Jerusalem, the demolition of the temple, the destruction of the city, the downfall of Judaism and the end of the Jewish theocratic state. The unbelieving Jews were the instigators of the persecutions. Rome was only a collateral power to the unfolding scenes. Apostate Jerusalem, Judaism and the Jewish state were the objects of the apocalyptic portrayal. With the downfall of Judaism the greatest enemy of Christianity was removed from the path of the church, opening the door for the universal expansion of the gospel. The second series of visions, now ready for consideration, are retrospective--as they reveal the church in conflict with the diabolical powers of Rome, surviving all forces of persecution, and appearing at the close of the vision as the triumphant Bride of Christ, the church, after Babylon the Harlot had fallen in defeat. The victory of the church over these Jewish and Roman persecuting powers was set forth in the imagery of the new Jerusalem in contrast with the apostate Jerusalem. Pronouncing the same judgment on old Jerusalem, the prophet Isaiah exclaimed: “ How is the faithful city become harlot! It was full of judgment: righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.” (Isaiah 1:21) And again, “ Babylon the great” (11:8), “ a holy city, turned unrighteous and filthy.” In contrast the new Jerusalem, the church, as the Bride of Christ, was robed in habilaments of victory “ as the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven” --after which divine judgment was pronounced upon the persecuting nations; and the tabernacle of God would be with men, signifying his dwelling place among his people in the new spiritual city rather than the evil persecutors of the old apostate city. All tears of persecution were to be wiped away. The sorrows attending the period of their persecutions would cease, and the church again would set out on its divine mission of making known the Spirit’ s message to all men--the gospel invitation. The twelfth chapter retrospectively begins with the portrayal of the church in conflict with the existing powers under the symbol of the woman and the dragon. THE WOMAN WITH CHILD (Revelation 12:1-2) It is generally agreed that the woman was a symbol of the church. In the Old Testament Israel was repeatedly haracterized as a woman, as in Jeremiah 2:32. In the New Testament the church of Christ is presented in the figure of a pure woman, as in 1 Corinthians 11:1-34; 1 Corinthians 10:1-33; 1 Corinthians 9:1-27; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; 1 Corinthians 7:1-40; 1 Corinthians 6:1-20; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 1 Corinthians 4:1-21; 1 Corinthians 3:1-23, Galatians 4:26 and II John 1. There can be no more fitting description of the church in holy relation to Christ, the Head, than that of the pure woman. True to this figure the vision describes in glowing symbols the character and attributes of the woman, as symbols of the apostolic church. In Revelation the word heaven was employed to denote governments and authorities. The Lord Himself so used the word in his own description of the destruction of Jerusalem in referring to “ great signs in the heavens,” and “ stars falling from heaven” - a symbolic reference to the casting down of the Jewish and Roman rulers and authorities. In Luke 10:18, Jesus said: “ I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” In this language the Lord was forecasting Satan’ s complete downfall from his place and power of dominion, which would come as swiftly as lightning, as the result of Christ’ s victory over the hadean world by his death and resurrection. The sign in heaven meant the heaven of exalted dominion and rule--the heaven of the political dominion of the whole world. The “ great sign” seen in the realm of authorities and dominions referred to the symbolic attributes of splendor and grandeur which followed, in which the woman was adorned before the whole political world. The sign in heaven—Revelation 12:1 1. And there appeared a great wonder in heaven. The word wonder here meant a sign--a sign was seen in heaven. There are numerous uses of the word heaven in the scriptures. Among the Hebrews it was used chiefly in three senses. First, the aerial heavens where the winds blow and the rains form and the birds fly; second, the firmament where the stars as pendant jewels adorn the sky, and where all the constellations and planets are in orbit; third, the highest heaven, the third heaven, the residence of God and Christ, the dwelling of angels and mansions of the blessed. There are scriptures that use the word heaven in all of these senses. 2. A woman clothed with the sun. The sun is the great luminary that God created and placed in the heavens to preside over the day. The sun being obscured and ceasing to shine were symbols of calamity and darkness settling over nations. In the same way the shining of the sun was used as a similitude of the glory of God. When the Spirit in John, the seer, needed a figure to adequately set forth the glory of the church represented by the woman, he selected the flaming orb of the day--the woman, the church, was arrayed with the sun, the very glory of God. 3. And the moon under her feet. Standing with the moon under her feet was symbol of the exaltation of the church--an extended description of the glorious and exalted position of the church among and in the midst of all the creations, institutions, and governments of man. The symbol picture was most espeoially significant in the Roman world where this glory and exaltation would in succeeding events become visibly manifest to all the authorities of Caesar’ s empire. Isaiah the prophet pictured the church (chapter 2:2) “ on top of the mountains, exalted above the hills.” The vision of the woman standing with the moon under her feet was the same imagery of exaltation. 4. And upon her head a crown of twelve stars. The stars are the glory of all the luminaries which adorn the heavens. No part of the visible creation exhibits the supreme glory of God so illustriously as the starry firmament. The crown of stars was the diadem of highest glory on the head of the woman-the glorious church. In royalty it was the ornament of queens. Ahasuerus “ loved Esther above all the women . . . so he set the royal crown upon her head.” (Esther 2:17) The stars were used in scripture to designate all luminaries of heaven, except the sun and moon. The twelve stars on the head of the woman is representative of totality, of completeness, of perfection. There were twelve tribes of Israel, representing the whole Old Testament church. There were twelve apostles for the New Testament church. The twelve stars in the diadem on the woman’ s head were a complete symbol of the whole church as typified in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament. The woman’ s pain—Revelation 12:2 1. And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered—Revelation 12:2. A similar figure was used by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 66:7-8) of Israel in exile. Israel in the Old Testament was said to bring forth children. The church, in Romans 7:4, was said to be in spiritual conjugal relation with Christ resulting in bearing fruit unto God. John mentions “ her children” (2 John 1:1) in symbolizing the church as the “ elect lady.” The woman here symbolized was the church in trial and persecution. 2. Travailing in birth. In this period of tribulation, the church would produce children in sorrow for martyrdom. 3. And pained to be delivered. During the period of greatest tribulation the church did not cease to bear her fruit; she continued to bring forth children, but in pain and persecution and martyrdom. The following verses will develop further the application of these verses to the part of the woman’ s seed that was martyred--the “ child that was caught up unto God” --and the part of her seed, called “ the remnant,” or rest of her seed, that remained on the earth to suffer, but not to die. (3) The summary of the symbols. The context of chapter twelve yields three major points which must be classified and discriminated in order: First, the woman was a symbol of the Jerusalem church --represented as “ the new Jerusalem,” in Revelation 21:2 at the close of the Revelation, and stands for the whole church. Second, the man child referred to the martyred souls as “ the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb.” (Revelation 6:10-11; Revelation 14:4; Revelation 20:4) The woman’ s seed “ caught up unto God and to his throne,” who thereby entered into a state of victory over the dragon and his wrath in a distinctive sense. (Revelation 12:5) Third, the remnant or rest of the woman’ s seed were distinguished from the man child, as being that part of the woman’ s seed who suffered the trials of the great tribulation but were not slain or beheaded as were the martyrs. (Revelation 6:9-11 and Revelation 20:4) The woman of this chapter, therefore, must be considered as the organic body of the church--the totality of its members; distinguished from her seed, or children--the constituent members of it, in the two classes mentioned. The text and context will sustain this analysis, and these viewpoints can be maintained. THE GREAT RED DRAGON (Revelation 12:3-6) Trustworthy authorities cite the fact that the original word here rendered dragon appears in the New Testament only in Revelation. In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) the same word is rendered serpent, in Exodus 7:9; and leviathan in Job 41:1; and dragon in Jeremiah 51:34. In Isaiah 27:1 the prophet referred to leviathan as “ that crooked serpent,” which apparently connects with the serpent of Gen 3:1 in Eden. In the Septuagint text serpent in Isaiah 27:1, is rendered dragon, and in both Hebrew and Greek texts it is made the symbol of Babylon, the power hostile to the people of God. In Ezekiel 29:3 dragon in the Septuagint was made the emblem of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the bitter enemy of God’ s people Israel. In this chapter of Revelation the names Satan, Devil, Serpent and Dragon were used interchangeably, and evidently personified the persecuting powers hostile to the church; that is, Nero and his successors, in whom the persecutions and the persecutors were personified. (1) The dragon with multiple heads and horns—Revelation 12:3-4. 1. And there appeared another wonder in heaven. This wonder was referred to as another sign. The other wonder, of verse 1, was the sign of the glory of the church in the symbolic ornaments of splendor with which the woman was adorned before the imperial world. In this reference, of Revelation 12:3, the sign was in the same heaven mentioned by Christ in Luke 10:18 : “ I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” It meant his dominion of diabolical influence. The church is called the “ kingdom of heaven” because it is the reign of heaven in the hearts of men, and which designates its divine realm. Jesus said to Pilate, “ Now is my kingdom not from hence.” The word “ hence” means here--his kingdom is here but not from here; it is from heaven. The word “ heaven” referred to its heavenly origin and character. The word “ now” referred to its immediate establishment in the world. But the heaven of Satan, from which he fell (Luke 10:18), meant the realm of his diabolical influence, and referred to the political authorities, governments and powers of the whole Roman world. It was the sign of an appalling persecution of unprecedented fury, beginning with the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, which was soon to burst upon the church; and the sign of this chapter was comparable to the signs of the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, thirteenth chapter of Mark, and twenty-first chapter of Luke, all of which contain the Lord’ s description of the events of the same period. 2. A great red dragon—Revelation 12:3. The dragon referred to Satan, the antagonist of the church, personified in the active persecutor--Nero and his successors--as representative of all that was opposed to Christ and the church. The flame-coloured description of the red dragon was the type of the destruction of war and the bloodshed of martyrdom. As in chapter six the colors of the horses corresponded with the mission of the riders. The horses were symbols of war and the red horse signified bloodshed. So it was here--the red dragon signified the murderous character of these minions of Satan--the Roman and heathen persecuting powers. 3. Having seven heads and ten horns—Revelation 12:3. As in Revelation 5:6, the seven eyes of the Lamb represented the perfection of wisdom, so the seven heads of this verse indicated the perfection or completeness of the universal rule and government of Rome, the seven-hilled city of the Caesars, to which the number seven in this reference may have been an allusion. But it was an evident symbol of the complete power of the ruling Roman emperor. The ten horns represented the unified universal power of the Roman emperor through the ten tributaries of the Roman government--all of which were in complete subjugation to the Caesars of Rome’ s seven hills on the throne of which at this time sat Nero Caesar, the ruling emperor. The ten horns, therefore, denoted the ten kingdoms over which the emperor ruled. 4. And seven crowns upon his heads—Revelation 12:3. The seven diadems upon his heads show the regal glory of this dragon. It should be noted that the diadems were not the crown of stars which was upon the woman’ s head, indicating the divine glory of the church; but here they were crowns of diabolical power and assumed glory. It is not an exaggeration that the great antagonist of Christ and the church in that era of greatest crisis should appear in symbols of pomp and power. 5. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven –Revelation 12:4. The tail of the dragon was in the imagery of the sweeping power of the antagonist of the church and the destruction behind him in the wake of persecution, described in the symbol of pulling the stars from their orbits with the angry lash of his enormous tail. It was the vision of the presumptive power of the persecutors of the church. 6. And did cast them to the earth—Revelation 12:4. The reference to casting down to the earth a third of the stars of heaven appears to have had application to the part of the political world that was subject to these destructions--Jerusalem, Judaism and the Jewish state. The application to geographical or political divisions could have had no meaning. The same expression in chapter eight referred to the three woes of destruction, one part each, as noted in the comments on that section. Here the imagery was that of a symbolic portion of the luminaries of heaven being dragged down by the dragon’ s tail. It signified his potent weapon in the power to harm in the pending events of the destruction of the Jewish world, represented by the destruction of Jerusalem, the downfall of Judaism and the end of the Jewish state. (2) The object of the dragon’ s rage—Revelation 12:4-5. 1. And the dragon stood before the woman . . . for to devour her child—Revelation 12:4. This statement indicated that the object of the dragon’ s deadly rage was the woman, which symbolized the church; and her child, which meant the martyred saints to which the woman would give birth in the pain of persecution and martyrdom. The woman’ s child was here employed not in a singular sense but in the collective use of the word. 2. To devour her child. The dragon was represented as standing before the woman in childbirth ready to destroy her child as soon as it was born--like Pharaoh in Egypt (Exodus 1:16-22), watching to destroy every male Israelite; and Herod (Matthew 2:13), ordering the slaying of every Jewish male. This dragon-persecutor was waiting for the opportunity to send the Christians to their martyrdom. 3. And she brought forth a man child—Revelation 12:5. The use of the word man child here is in neuter gender. And it is not singular number any more than the use of the word “ mother” when used in a collective sense; and that is the sense in which man child was used here--collectively, denoting that portion of the church, or the woman’ s seed, which was to be caught up to God in the martyrdom which followed. That the man child did not refer to Christ becomes evident in the following verses. The expression caught up to God from the face of the dragon would hardly be a fitting description of the ascension of Christ, but it was an appropriate symbol of the triumph of the martyrs who “ overcame . . . by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” It further harmonizes with the scene of victory for the souls of the beheaded in Revelation 20:4. The man child was not a single person but a collective body. It was that part of the woman’ s seed which was put in contrast with the remnant, or the rest of her seed, in verse 17. The woman’ s seed compares with the firstborn ones of Heb 12:23 “ which are written in heaven” ; and “ the firstfruits unto God” (Revelation 14:4); and the “ kind of firstfruits of his creatures” (James 1:18). The man child that was caught up unto God plainwas that part of the woman’ s seed, or children, who were martyrs-- “ the souls of them that were slain for the word of God,” under the altar, in the suffering of death in Revelation 6:9-11; and on thrones in the state of victory in Revelation 20:4. The remnant, or rest of the woman’ s seed, or children, remained on the earth to suffer persecution but not martyrdom. It compares also with the account of the two witnesses who ascended up to heaven in Revelation 11:12, and the effect on the enemies who beheld them. (See comments on Revelation 11:12) It is not unusual in the symbolic imagery of scripture description to characterize members of the church as its children. Examples of this use are found in Romans 7:1-4; Galatians 4:26; Hebrews 12:23; Hebrews 12:28; 2 John 1:1; 2 John 1:4; 2 John 1:13. 4. Who was to rule all nations—Revelation 12:5. The reason apparently for the interpretation that the man child refers to Christ is the statement of Rev 12:5, that he “ was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.” But this same phrase was used in the language of Christ to the members of the Thyatira church in Revelation 2:26-27 : “ He that overcometh . . . to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron.” The rod of iron was the symbol of the impact of the gospel on the pagan world through the victory of the church, resulting from their persecutions. It signified the inexorable character of the law of the gospel in retribution and reward. It was by teaching and practice that those who should overcome all oppression would rule with Christ, and thereby execute his unfailing law as with a rod of iron. (See comments on Revelation 2:26-27 and in GOD’ S WORD, p. 192.) (3) The woman’ s flight into the wilderness—Revelation 12:6. 1. And the woman fled into the wilderness. The context of these visions surrounded the events prior to and including the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, and the scattering of the church in Judea by onslaught of persecution. Jesus foretold such a flight in his description of the destruction of Jerusalem in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew. This cannot be considered an application too light or limited or unimportant for this vision. The portent was tremendous. It was of extremely ominous and terrible proportions. In the Lord’ s warnings and in his own forebodings he exhorted them to pray that the flight might not come at a time when hindrances to the flight could not be overcome, and the difficulties of escape would be insurmountable i.e. to the woman with child, who could be greatly handicapped in flight; in the winter when the cold weather would add to suffering and misery; on the sabbath day, when due to the Jewish observance of the sabbath the exits of the city would be closed, its gates locked, barring an expeditious flight, and they would find themselves entrapped. (See GOD’ S WORD, p. 336-337) The period of escape from Jerusalem after the city was alerted would be so short that the Lord warned the one on the housetop not to come down to enter his house for even clothing or food; and the laborer in the field not to return to his house for such purpose, for the same reason. Describing the horrors of the siege Jesus called it “ the tribulation of those days; and quoted the prophecy of Dan 12:11 on “ the abomination of desolation” (Matthew 24:15) as being fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem. During the siege one million one hundred thousand people perished. All the houses and underground chambers were filled with perishing bodies; famishing people ate the putrified flesh of human corpses; mothers ate the flesh of their own babies. Outside the besieged city the expatriated race of Jews throughout the empire were slaughtered. In his chronicles on the destruction of Jerusalem Josephus, the eye-witness historian, verifies the declaration of our Lord in Matthew 24:21 : “ For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Since the Lord Himself declares that no event of the future could exceed the tribulation, there can be no reason to search for events in later history, or to engage in speculation on events of future history to fulfill the identical symbolic descriptions of Revelation. The signs and symbols of Revelation were but the extensions of the twenty- fourth chapter of Matthew, spoken by the Lord Himself in Matthew’ s record and extended by his servant John in the visions of Revelation. In this chapter 12, verse 6 of Revelation, John stated that “ the woman (the church) fled into the wilderness” This was precisely what Jesus commanded his disciples to do. When the signs which he had set forth should appear Christians in Jerusalem and Judea were to make hasty their flight. In Matthew 24:33 Jesus said to them: “ When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” In the parallel record of Luk 21:20, He said, “ When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh” --and they did know it. In Matthew 24:16 the Lord said, “ Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.” In Luke 21:21, the parallel adds, “ And let them which are in the midst of it (Jerusalem) depart out"--and they did, they departed and fled. As generally known, Josephus was an eyewitness to the siege of Jerusalem and the events preceding it. In Wars, Book III, Section 3, page 3, he relates that after the armies of Cestius Gallius, Roman general, had besieged Jerusalem, they withdrew--and in this interval the disciples fled, according to the Lord’ s admonition. The historian Josephus was an unbeliever and admitted his inability to account for the cessation, but declared it was nevertheless a fact. All who believe the statements of the Lord in Matthew twentyfour, Mark thirteen and Luke twenty-one, know and understand the why-it was the Lord’ s doing. Another later historian, Eusebius, whose history bears date of 324 A. D., states in Book III, Section 3, page 3, that the church in Jerusalem, by divine revelation, fled to the mountain country of Pella, beyond the Jordan, which according to Josephus was largely a desert, mountain region. The Lord of the descriptions and signs of Matthew’ s record of the destruction of Jerusalem is the Lord of the portrayals and symbols of Revelation. There is no difference in the command for all the Christians in Jerusalem and Judea to flee to the desert region of Pella, in the record of Matthew and Luke, and the statement in Revelation, chapter 12:6, that she fled into the wilderness. 2. To a place prepared of God. The disciples’ flight was to a place where Jesus had directed them: “ Let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.” But Revelation states that the woman fled to “ a place prepared of God.” The place where Jesus commanded is the place that God prepared. The descriptions are parallel. Furthermore, Jesus said in Matthew 24:34 : “ This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” All of the signs of Mat 24:1-51 are above verse 34. Jesus said they were all fulfilled in the generation of people who heard his words. (For further discussion on the destruction of Jerusalem, see GOD’ S WORD, pp. 246-260.) It is so with the symbols of Revelation. Jesus said to the disciples in Luke 21:31-32 : when "ye see” and “ know ye” ; and “ I say unto you." His emphasis was on the fulfillment of the signs in events of their own lives. The parallel in Revelation is verse 3 of chapter 1: “ Blessed is he that readeth (the one who read it to the churches); and they that hear (heed) the words; and they that keep (remember and observe); for the time is at hand.” If the time of these things was so remote as to be yet future, there was no point in this exhortation for them, and no application to them. As the signs of Mat 24:1-51 were fulfilled in that generation of living people, so the symbols of Revelation were fulfilled in the experiences of the existing churches. 3. That they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. Here is an instance of a literal period of time, a specific date, introduced into a figurative and symbolic context. There is another identical example of a specific date connected with the context of prophetic language. In the seventh chapter of Isaiah it was prophesied that the ten tribes would cease. Ephraim was forming an alliance against Judah. The prophet said it would not stand, that Ephraim would be broken, cease to be a separate people, and become extinct as a nation. In fulfillment of it they went into captivity and never came out one people again. Now, read the prophecy of specific time period and historical dates from Isaiah 7:1-25. Notice verses 5 to 8: “ Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal: Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.” The prophet stated that “ in threescore and five years (sixty-five years) shall Ephraim be broken that it be not a people.” The date of this prophecy Isaiah 733 B. C., according to such authorities as Wordsworth, Adam Clarke and Pulpit Commentary. The event prophesied was fulfilled in 669 B. C.--exactly sixty-five years later. The date of Ephraim’ s decease was linked with the prophecy that the invasion of Judah by Samaria would fail. That invasion did fail. The prophet said Ephraim would cease to be a people. Ephraim did cease to be a people. It all occurred within the "threescore and five years,” between 733 B.C. and 669 B.C.--the specific time period and date. (For further discussion of Isa 7:5-8 see GOD’ S WORD, p. 409.) The context yields the same exact computation of a thousand two hundred and threescore days of the woman’ s flight into the wilderness. It was the same period of “ the forty and two months” of the preceding chapter eleven-- the same mathematical time period in which Jerusalem, “ the holy city” was trodden “ under foot forty and two months.” In the record of Luk 21:24, this period of the treading under foot of Jerusalem was limited by the phrase “ until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” It was the same period as the “ forty and two months” of Revelation 11:3, and the thousand two hundred and threescore days of chapter 12:6. The specific mathematical period designated, historically verified, follows this order: Emperor Nero delivered the mandate for the siege of Jerusalem to Vespasian, his imperial officer, in the month of February A. D. 67 when the war against Judea was declared. This was the beginning of the period which ended in August A. D. 70, when the city of Jerusalem was razed, ravished and destroyed; the temple was desecrated and demolished, bringing an end to Judaism and the Jewish state. This exact computation is attested, as mentioned previously, in the authoritative works of Jewish Testimonies, Volume VIII, by Lardner, and Wars of Jews, Volume VII, by Josephus. No further evidence is necessary. As in Isaiah’ s prophecy, the end of the twelve tribes was a specific mathematical period of sixty five years-so the time period covering the flight of the woman into the wilderness was chronological--the forty-two months or twelve hundred and sixty days in which Jerusalem was besieged. There is no need to look farther away for the fulfillment of these apocalypses. Every effort to bring them down through medieval history and “ the dark ages” has been anachronistic and impossible. But assigning Revelation to the same period as all the other epistles of the New Testament, all of which were written before the impending trial and tribulation and distress, lends coherency and harmony to its apocalyptic delineations.Commentary on Revelation 12:1-6 by Walter ScottEVENTS AS GOD VIEWS THEM. THE WOMAN AND THE MAN CHILD. Revelation 12:1-2. — “And a great sign was seen in the Heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars; and being with child she cried (being) in travail, and in pain to bring forth.” We have already remarked that chapters 12, 13, and 14 form one connected prophecy. We regard this section as one of preeminent interest to prophetic students. An intelligent understanding of it will enable anyone of devout mind to grasp in the main the prophetic situation. What a sweep! From the birth of Christ (Romans 12:5) till He treads the winepress of God’ s wrath (Revelation 14:20) — a sweep of two thousand years more or less! From the weakness of the infant to the manifestation of His almighty power in judgment. And this marvellous history is comprised in symbol and word within the compass of fifty-five verses. Revelation 12:1 — “ A great sign was seen in the Heaven,” not “wonder,“ as in the Authorised Version. A “ wonder” is a surprise. A “ sign” has a meaning, and points to a definite subject or object (Revelation 15:1). The adjective great is used six times in the chapter, which is one of great subjects. The first of these in order, but not in greatness, is a woman. The Man-Child is the pre-eminent subject of the chapter. The woman is not in Heaven actually, but on earth. The sign only is there. Why in “ the Heaven,” for her greatness and sorrow are on earth? It is that God’ s thoughts and purposes about her in His dwelling-place, “ the Heaven,” might be known. It is history read and known in Heaven, in the light of God’ s presence. Revelation 12:1 — “A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” There are four representative women in the Apocalypse, each of whom is the expression of a corporate body of persons or a system. (1) Jezebel (Revelation 2:20), or the papal system. (2) The woman invested with the fulness of governmental authority (Revelation 12:1), or Israel. (3) The great harlot (Revelation 17:1), or the future, corrupt and apostate professing Church. (4) The Bride, the Lamb’ s wife (Revelation 19:7), the Church glorified in Heaven. The celestial luminaries sun, moon, and stars are seen in their assembled glory. A complete system of government is thus presented. All authority supreme as the sun, derived and subordinate as the moon, and lesser lights and rulers as the stars, center in the woman. She has, too, royal dignity, as the crown on her head signifies. But why twelve stars? The undoubted reference is to Joseph’ s dream (Genesis 37:9), in which the future glory of Israel, of the twelve tribes, is symbolized. (It is not a safe principle to apply the symbology of the ancients to the interpretation of prophetic imagery. Owing to their numerous and dissimilar religious systems, in all of which hieroglyphic and symbol were largely employed, frequently in the expression of exactly opposite ideas, there can be no certainty in applying their symbology in the interpretation of that in the Bible. Scripture interprets itself. Every symbol in the Apocalypse may be intelligently understood by reference to other portions of the divine Word. The Bible does not need the borrowed light of the pagan world. It gives, but never borrows. On the numerals of Scripture the late Mr. W. F. Grant, of America, has ably written; Dr. Bullinger of this country, and the late Mr. E. C. Pressland, and others have contributed a good deal that is truly valuable in this department of Biblical knowledge. But the subject is by no means a new one, nor one confined in its elucidation to modern times. In all ages the science of numbers has engaged earnest minds in its study. Apocalyptic numerals have largely employed the thought and pen of theologians in all ages. The sacred number seven is without question the ruling number of the Apocalypse, occurring about fifty-three times. Its signification points to what is perfect or complete. This number is frequently broken up into three and four, the former directing attention to what is divine, the latter with what is connected with man at large, or generally that of universality. The numeral twelve, as employed in our text, and frequently elsewhere, denotes administrative rule in the hands of men, thus a civil or ecclesiastical polity, or the two combined, as in the true union of Church and State exhibited in Revelation 21:1-27. Twelve is of very frequent occurrence in the Apocalypse. Amongst heathen nations this number was largely employed in administrative action. The history of China, Egypt, Persia, Greece, Rome, etc., supplies abundant evidence in confirmation of our statement.) The woman is invested with the splendour and fulness of governmental authority on earth, for although the sign is in Heaven the reality is to be witnessed here. Revelation 12:2. — “Being with child she cried (being) in travail, and in pain to bring forth.” The woman has been before us as a queen, now we witness her as a mother. Her glory and majesty in the former relation, her suffering and pain under the latter designation (Jeremiah 4:31). Who is the woman? and who is the child? The woman is ISRAEL. The child is CHRIST. The larger number of expositors apply the vision of the woman to the Church. Now both Israel and the Church stand closely related to Christ — Israel as the mother, the Church as the wife. If it is only seen that Revelation 12:5 applies to Christ, and in fact must and only refer to Him personally, all controversy is at an end. Israel, and not the Church, was the mother of the Messiah (Isaiah 9:8; Micah 5:2; Romans 9:5; Matthew 1:1-25, etc.). It may be difficult to reconcile the maternal anguish as applicable to Israel with the facts of the case when Christ was born. But however put together these things are in the wisdom of God, and seemingly contradictory (for when was the crying, the travail, and pain when the Messiah came into the world?), yet there is no real difficulty. The solution of the matter is contained in Isaiah 66:1-24 : “ Before she travailed she brought forth; before her pain came she was delivered of a man-child” (v. 7). The travailing and pain refer to Israel’ s coming hour of trial, the Great Tribulation. But before that great event the Messiah, the Man-Child, is born. The prophet Micah confirms this in a clear and unmistakable passage. After referring to the birth of the Messiah (Micah 5:2), he adds, “ Therefore will He give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth; then the remnant shall return unto the children of Israel” (Micah 5:3). The travail of the woman is at least two thousand years subsequent to the birth of the Messiah, and refers to her sorrow in the coming Tribulation. “ Before she travailed she brought forth; before her pain came she was delivered of a Man-Child.” It only remains to inquire: Why then is the travail of the woman put in juxtaposition to the birth of the Messiah? First, notice that the present lengthened period of Israel’ s rejection, coming in as it does between the birth and the travail, is passed over in silence in the chapter before us; it is a parenthesis, the history of which is not given in prophecy, but found elsewhere of course. Second, it shows the deep interest which the Messiah takes in His people. He thought of the Tribulation, and made certain conditional provisions so as to lighten it many centuries ago (Matthew 24:15-28). Third, at the time in which our chapter has its place the nation is about to pass into its awful sorrow, and the object of going back in the history to the birth of Christ is to connect Him with them in it. THE DRAGON AND THE WOMAN. Revelation 12:3-5. — “And another sign was seen in the Heaven: and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems; and his tail draws the third part of the stars of the Heaven, and he cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, in order that when she brought forth he might devour her child. And she brought forth a male son, who shall shepherd all the nations with an iron rod; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.” The next remarkable sign is that of “ a great red dragon.” Satan is here before us in his worst character confronting the woman. See Revelation 12:9, also Revelation 20:2, in which the identity of the dragon with Satan is established without a doubt. Why is the dragon used as a symbol of Satan? Pharaoh, king of Egypt, in his cruelty to God’ s people, and in proud and haughty independence of God, is termed “ the great dragon” (Ezekiel 29:3-4). Nebuchadnezzar is similarly spoken of in respect to his violence and cruelty (Jeremiah 51:34). Gathering up the numerous Scripture references in the Book of Psalms, and in the first three of the greater prophets, to the crocodile, the sovereign of the seas, who is identified with the dragon, insatiable cruelty seems the main feature. The Egyptians regarded the crocodile, or dragon, according to their hieroglyphics, as the source and author of all evil, worshipped under the name of Typho. The colour of the dragon, red, denotes his murderous, bloodthirsty character. This is the first time in Scripture that Satan is directly spoken of as a dragon. The heathen monarchs, Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar, enslaved and oppressed the people of God, and, thus far acting in satanic power, merited the appellation of dragon. But at the time treated of in our chapter Satan is the prince of the world, its virtual ruler. The Roman power is the instrument through which he acts. Hence the title “ great red dragon” can now for the first time be used of him. Revelation 12:3 — “Having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems,” not “ crowns,” as in the Authorized Version. What is said of the dragon here is also predicated of the Beast (Revelation 13:1-18. l), only here the heads are encircled with the golden fillet, or diadem, the emblem in the East of arbitrary, despotic power; whereas the ten horns of the Beast are crowned. The heads in the one case; the horns in the other. The seven heads on the dragon must not be interpreted as the seven-hilled city of Rome. The dragon and the Beast are distinct, however closely related. The former is a spiritual power, the latter the historical world power. The seven crowned heads of the dragon refer to the concentration of earthly power and wisdom in cruel and despotic exercise. His ten uncrowned horns point to the future limits of the empire as distributed into ten kingdoms, the government of which he administers. If his heads are crowned there is no need for the horns to be. When we come to the actual history the ten horns or kings are crowned (Revelation 13:1). The simple thought is that the heads of the dragon are crowned, while his ten horns signify that his power is exercised administratively through the empire in its ten-kingdom form. The dragon represents the unseen force behind the empire; hence the diadems are on his heads, not on his horns. His heads are encircled with the golden fillet, or badge of royalty, as expressing his complete power and wisdom on earth, centered, however, in the Beast, the royal power then dominant on earth. He is the virtual ruler of the worldwide Gentile monarchy. He administers its government through its personal head “ the little horn” (Daniel 7:1-28), who is but an instrument in his hands. The despotism and cruelty of the empire are due to the fact that Satan is behind it, governing it in the fulness of his power, and imparting his own character to it, one of undying hatred to God and to those who are His. Revelation 12:4. — “His tail draws the third part of the stars of the Heaven, and he casts them to the earth.” We have had the deliberative power and wisdom of the dragon, “ seven heads;” here we have in his tail the emblem of his soul-destroying influence; in other words, his lies (Isaiah 9:15). Satan is said to be a murderer and a liar. He murders the bodies, and ruins the souls of men. His power is in his head; his malignant influence in false and damnable teachings in his tail. The western part of the Roman earth, the scene above all others of Gospel light and privilege, seems intended in the expression, “ the third Part,” so commonly met with in the Trumpets. “ Stars of the Heaven” mean individual rulers set in outward relationship with God in positions and places of authority. These Christian rulers and teachers are caught in Satan’ s snare, and believe the devil’ s lies. “ He cast them to the earth.” (The somewhat similar expression in Daniel 8:10 refers to eminent Jewish persons, and is the work of the king of the north in Palestine. What is before us here is the malignant work of Satan in Europe amongst eminent Christian persons.) Their moral ruin is complete. Note the use of the present tense, “ his tail draws,” not “ drew,” as in the Authorised Version. His work is viewed as present. Then we have the impressive spectacle of the dragon confronting the woman to “ devour her child.” What a lurid light this throws on the history and circumstances connected with the birth of the Lord as detailed in Matthew 2:1-23. It was not the woman nor Israel that was the special object of Satan’ s hatred. It was not her, but her Seed which he wanted to destroy. In the early days of Gen 3:15 the undying hostility of Satan to the woman’ s Seed was first prophetically announced. In Matthew 2:1-23 that hatred is shown. But there only the human agents are seen. Now in the light of Rev 12:4 we learn that the real instigator of the attempt to destroy the woman’ s Seed was Satan, the seven-headed, ten-horned dragon. Herod, the vicegerent of the Caesar in Palestine, the representative of the Roman empire, was really Satan’ s minister in his subtle attempt to compass the death of the Lord. Here the curtain is rolled aside, and Satan, not Herod, stands fully disclosed as the real murderous enemy of Christ. Herod was a true child of his father the devil (John 8:41; John 8:44). When his plans were frustrated he turned his cruel rage against the innocent male children in the fond hope that the infant Jesus might be sacrificed amongst the number. Revelation 12:5 — “She brought forth a male son.” This somewhat singular expression does not mean mere distinction of sex. A worthier purpose is intended. The moment that Christ is born, unlike every other male child, universal dominion is conferred upon Him, He steps, so to speak, at once into the rights and glories of Messiah and the yet wider range of sovereignty as Son of Man (see Psalms 2:1-12 for the former; Psalms 8:1-9 for the latter). Revelation 12:5 — “Who shall shepherd (The kings of Israel are termed shepherds (Ezekiel 34:1-31). David, Christ, and the Antichrist are so spoken of.) all the nations with an iron rod.” There is more than an allusion in these words to Psalms 2:9. The ancient prediction is here reasserted, and that, moreover, on the very threshold of its accomplishment. The “ iron rod” in the hand of the Shepherd of the nations is first laid on the guilty kings and peoples of the west (Revelation 19:1-21), then on those of the north and east (Isaiah 10:1-34; Zechariah 12:1-14; Zechariah 14:1-21). He breaks up the consolidated powers of earth, whether gathered against Himself or His people. He breaks the iron will of the nations. His hands grasp the reins of universal government, crushing to atoms every opposing power, shivering sceptres, and crashing crowns and kingdoms till kings and peoples bow before Him and own His sovereign sway. In that day of irresistible might and power, the overcomers, forming a body distinct by themselves, as it seems to us, shall be with Him (Revelation 2:26-27), associated with Him in His rule over the nations. What an exalted dignity! What an ennobling prospect! (see also 1 Corinthians 6:2-3). Revelation 12:5 — Next follows the rapture of the Child: “Caught up to God and to His throne.” This, of course, refers to the ascension, forty days after the resurrection. The fact is briefly stated by Mark (Mark 16:19), but is more fully and circumstantially related by Luke, the beloved physician (Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11). The nearest and highest place is His. It is sometimes said “ The Church is included in the rapture of the Man-Child.” We think not. The ascension of Christ and our translation are always treated of as distinct events. His ascension is a mark of personal glory, one in which we cannot share. In truth the word “ascension” is never used of saints. We cannot find Scripture to warrant the assumption that the Church is embraced in the rapture of the Man-Child. There are three statements in Revelation 12:5 : (1) The birth of the Man-Child; (2) His destiny; (3) His rapture. Now there is nothing said here about His life and death. His birth and rapture are put together as if no period of thirty-three years separated the two events. Why is this? The reason is that in this chapter we have not history. The historical course of events must be sought for outside this portion of Scripture, which deals with things from God’ s standpoint. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 12:7-12 3. THE WAR IN HEAVENRev_12:7-12 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; --After mentioning the flight of the woman, we have in this paragraph a statement of the sources of power, both wicked and good, with which this war was to be carried on. The words describe what John saw in the picture; they symbolically represent the efforts to destroy the true church. According to Daniel 10:13; Daniel 12:1, Michael is an angel of heaven that assists the righteous. Symbolically this indicates that in the struggles the church would be under the providence of God and led by those holding the testimony or words of Jesus. This evidently was designed to encourage the Christians to endure faithfully in spite of all persecutions. Verse 9 plainly says the dragon is the devil or Satan. Just as Jesus operates through his followers, so Satan operates through human agents. In this case pagan Rome is the instrumental dragon, the devil the influencing dragon. Hence, the visible war refers to the conflict between pagan Rome and the church.8 and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.--This means that pagan Rome was to fail in her war on the church. In spite of bloody persecutions and a multitude of martyrs, the church still survived and won imperial recognition early in the fourth century. The decrees by Roman emperors to banish the Christian name from the earth had failed, as we have already seen. The devil through paganism continued to war against the church. Some forty years after Constantine recognized Christianity as the true religion, the Roman Emperor Julian withdrew privileges conferred by Constantine and was considered by the church as a tyrant. Gibbon says that "the genius of Paganism, which had been fondly raised and cherished by the arts of Julian, sunk irrevocably in the dust" under his successor Jovian; that under Jovian's reign "Christianity obtained an easy and lasting victory." (Vol. II, p. 521.) 9 And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.--Here we have the direct statement that the devil is the indirect but real power that operated through paganism. John in the vision sees him and his angels cast down from heaven to earth. That represents the fact that paganism, which formerly ruled in the Roman Empire, had lost its seat of authority; Christianity had so prevailed as to overcome that influence. When the Christian religion became so influential as to affect the ruling house, all the agencies that were angels or helpers of paganism also lost place and power. 10 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ:--John heard a great voice coming from the place where he saw the dragon cast down. Verses 10-12 are a song of thanksgiving for the victory the saints gained over the pagan enemies. The word "brethren" in the next clause probably indicates that the rejoicing was done by the martyrs who had, under the fifth seal, inquired how long they must wait. See notes on 6 :9-11. Those exalted sing a song in celebration of victory. For other examples, see Exodus 15 and Judges 5. The victory over paganism was enough to cause rejoicing by the spirits of the martyrs as well as living saints. The expression now is come "the kingdom" does not mean that the kingdom had not existed before that time. It can only be that it had come in the sense of prevailing over its enemies--come to its rightful position of authority to exist by permission of the empire. The saints had been saved a tong time, yet the text speaks of salvation coining. Their Christianity had been preserved through persecutions. The authority; of Christ had existed since Pentecost (Matthew 28:18 Acts 1:6-8), yet the passage says it now is come. These blessings had all come in the sense they were permitted to enjoy them in spite of all sacrifices they had made. for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night.--Satan is here called an accuser of the brethren. This shows that through his agents he makes false charges against the true people of God. Seeing the dragon cast down indicates that paganism as the devil's agency lost its authority to persecute the church because Rome became, at least, nominally Christian. Day and night shows that Satan's work against righteousness is constant 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.--Clearly this refers to a time of martyrs. "Our brethren" who were accused by Satan are the ones indicated. The blood of Christ was not only the ground of their justification, but that which stimulated them to a victorious struggle. The victory of Jesus even in giving his life was, by their faithfulness, made their victory. The word of their testimony means that in spite of their persecutions their testimony to Christ's words had not failed. They had not loved their lives so much that they would refuse to die for the truth. The supreme sacrifice was made for the church. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time.--The great voice in heaven which John heard was exhorting those who dwell in the heavens to rejoice. It is true that "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God" even over one that repents (Luke 15:10), but another application seems more probable for the verse iii hand. The preceding facts represented by the woman-dragon symbols indicate things that happened to the church and pagan Rome. This is presumptive evidence that this part of the symbol should be so applied. In verse 5 the man-child (seed of the woman, verse 17) was caught up to God. This occurred when the church gained recognition from the Roman Empire. This was the "heavens" to which the church was exalted and furnished to them the occasion for the rejoicing here mentioned. Elliott (Vol. III, p. 33) quotes from Eusebius as follows: "Formerly we used to sing, 'We have heard what thou didst in our fathers' day.' But now we have to sing a second song of victory; our own eyes have seen his salvation." This is almost the language of verse 10. Woe for earth and sea is what the voice announced would take place, not that it was asking for a woe to fall upon them. In these visions the world probably means the Roman world ; earth and sea would mean the woe would come upon the whole Roman Empire. It would happen because the devil had come down--that is, paganism was operating under his influence. Satan was wroth--instigating the Roman Empire to engage in the most cruel measures--because he knew that his time was limited. There are three ways in which he knew his time for action was limited: He would soon cease to operate, primarily through pagan Rome; under the reign of the beast his power was to he restrained for a thousand years ; and at the judgment his influence over the righteous is to end. His career, then, is strictly a limited one.Commentary on Revelation 12:7-12 by Foy E. WallaceTHE WAR IN HEAVEN (Revelation 12:7-17) There are several words in the general vocabulary of Revelation, the connotations of which must be understood. These are the words: air, earth, sea, quake, heaven, stars and war. The symbols are employed in the following meaning : air, the sphere of life and influence; earth, the place of the nations; sea, society described as either troubled and tossed or placid and peaceful; quake, the political shaking of the nations; heaven, the governments, authorities and dominions; stars, the rulers and officials of governments; war, the upheavals in the governments and among inhabitants of the earth (various provinces of the empire); and the conflicts between the heathen authorities and the church in the waging of the persecutions of the saints. With this nomenclature defined, the various facets of the phraseology employed in the next few verses can be explained. (1) The War with Michael and His Angels—Revelation 12:7-8. 1. There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels. The war in heaven meant the hostilities which developed with the tributary governments of Rome. Two classes were here placed in opposition--Michael and his angels are put in opposition to the dragon and his angels. The dragon and his angels represented all of the powers of paganism and darkness. Conversely, Michael and his angels were representative of the truth and the light of Christianity. Michael was represented in Daniel 12:1-13 as defender and guardian of Israel. So Michael and his angels were the representatives and protectors of the woman-the persecuted church. They fought against the dragon and his evil angels by the means of the war between the satellites of Rome, because these conflicts within the Roman empire diverted the emperor’ s attention from the persecutions of the woman and gave respite to the church. History verifies this outbreak of wars within the Roman empire during this period of persecution; and in Matthew 24:1-51 Jesus foretold that such wars would exist to “ shorten these days.” 2. “And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven”- - Revelation 12:8. The almost universal belief that Satan originated in heaven with God and Christ, apostatized from his created angelic state, caused war among the sinless world of God’ s own heaven, and because he could not be tolerated there, he was expelled to this mundane sphere to trouble and torment all humanity for all time-that is an inherited belief or notion completely out of harmony with the character of heaven. It is a great incongruity. Heaven, where God dwells, is the divine domain of light, where is no darkness, no evil, no apostasy. Hell is the diabolical realm of darkness, where there is no purity, no good, and where light cannot penetrate. The generally accepted view that Satan became a wicked angel in heaven where God dwells, and that he corrupted and recruited other angels for his revolution, puts apostasy in heaven and is incompatible with the nature of the angels of God in heaven. If apostasy can befall the inhabitants of heaven, in consequence it would render insecure all who obtain that world, in that being subject to apostasy they, too, might be expelled. No sin, nothing evil, can enter or prevail in the abode of the pure and holy in the eternal mansions of God’ s habitation. The passage in Isaiah 14:12 was descriptive of the degeneration of the king: “ How art thou fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations.” In his degeneracy this wicked king of ancient history, whose depravity weakened the nations, was cut down; he fell from his high place of dominion. The meaning of the heaven from which the Satanic dragon was cast is the same as the heaven from which fell Lucifer, the wicked Babylonian king. When Jesus said to the disciples (Luke 10:18) that he “ beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven,” he did not mean that with physical sight he had seen the devil as a physical object fall-it was rather the Lord’ s forecast that he had foreseen Satan’ s complete defeat and downfall from his throne of evil dominion. It was Satan’ s own heaven or domain of rulership from which he would fall, and it would come soon and as swiftly as lightning--and it did. When Peter mentioned (2 Peter 2:4) the angels that sinned, and were cast down to hell, and delivered to chains of darkness, and reserved to judgment--it was undoubtedly in reference to the downfall of certain representatives of the human race in high estate, the era and details of which the apostle left unmentioned and therefore remains unrevealed. It is more reasonable to theorize that Satan and his devils originated in this manner than to hypothesize that he inhabited and corrupted heaven, the abode of God. [See notes on Revelation 12:8 for discussion of the “ fall” of Satan] 3. And the great dragon was cast out . . . which deceiveth the whole world . . . he was cast out into the earth—Revelation 12:9. The dragon and his evil agents “ prevailed not” against Michael’ s protection of the woman, which he accomplished by the diversion of the emperor’ s diplomacy to employ his armies to quell the revolutions in many parts of the imperial world. The context of this section was a diversion from the main scene due to the side effects of the involvement of the Roman rulers in the revolutions in their far-flung tributaries. So the statement neither was their place found any more in heaven was a reference to the final outcome, and is not chronological, or in the order of sequence here. The dragon prevailed not--the cause of the woman (the church) which Michael represented triumphed, in the war with heathenism which the dragon represented, and he eventually “ prevailed not” but lost his own place in heaven --that is, in the governments which had been used to persecute the church. And, he was cast down to the earth--that is, Satan was cast out of his sphere of influence through the government authorities against the church. He was cast down to the earth--the place of the inhabitants of the nations as distinguished from the children of the woman, the church. The woman had appeared in the same sphere with the dragon in the war in heaven, as antagonists and was represented by Michael against the dragon. In the final outcome of this struggle the dragon lost his place of power and influence--hence, cast down from his high position in which he had been able to deceive the world. Dethroned from his dominion he went in search of other prey, as mentioned in 1 Peter 5:8 --"the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” The dragon in the end was seen as having lost “ the war in heaven” against the woman. Jesus anticipated this defeat of Satan in John 12:31 : “ Now is the judgment of the world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” This judgment was pronounced upon the dragon in the war against the woman. He lost his place of dominion, but continued to deceive the world, as declared by Paul in Ephesians 2:2 : “ According to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” The phrase “ prince of the power of the air” denotes a sphere of influence only. Satan has no longer a dominion of power. He is only an influent being who exerts a deceptive influence, an infiltration insensibily affecting the mind and conscience --an inflow of evil. In Revelation the term earth, as previously stated, designated the place of nations, distinguished from the realm of the church. And air refers to the sphere of life and influence. Thus having lost his power of dominion, he is now prince of the power of the air--that is, having only an exercise of influence which only operates through“ the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” Jesus Christ through the gospel destroyed Satan’ s power --he holds no power of dominion over any one. He can operate only through the sphere of influence. The one who serves Satan is a willing servant “ through the spirit of disobedience.” God has the power to destroy both soul and body of one who refuses to serve him (Matthew 10:28), but Satan has no power over any one (Hebrews 2:14); if one does not choose to follow Satan, he can do nothing; he has no power to conscript, and no power to punish. And the great dragon was cast out into the earth. Satan “ prevailed not” against the woman, the church, and was “ cast out into the earth,” the place of the nations, where he would again in a broader effort seek to deceive the whole world, as distinguished from the church. And his angels were cast out with him. These Satanic angels included all of the combined forces of heathenism which he had employed against the church, and as “ prince of the power of the air,” he continued to operate in the sphere of life and influence through the spirit of disobedience. (2) The victory of the woman—Revelation 12:10-17. It should be remembered that with the twelfth chapter there is the beginning of the recapitulation of all the events depicted in the first series of visions from chapter four to eleven. The first series of symbols surrounded Christ the conqueror; the second series encompassed the same events in a new set of symbols and surrounded the woman, the church in the midst of that period of trial. The verses now under consideration set forth the woman’ s victory over the dragon and parallels the triumph of the Rider of the white horse of the sixth chapter who was the conquering Christ of the closing verses of chapter eleven. 1. And I heard a loud voice saying, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ—Revelation 12:10. This “ loud voice” of victory reverted to the chorus of “ great voices” in Revelation 11:15; and the exclamation “ now is come salvation . . . and the kingdom of our God” was repetitive of the refrain of Rev 11:15, “ the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ.” The meaning is that the kingdoms of the world became the kingdoms of the Lord by the conversion of its citizens. It was the anticipation of the world-wide expansion of Christianity through the gospel, after the destruction of Jerusalem, as forecast by the Lord in Matthew 24:31 --and that is the meaning of the statement, “ now is come salvation . . . and the kingdom of our God.” The salvation here meant deliverance of the woman (the church) from the dragon; and strength referred to the source of endurance; and the power of his Christ referred to that authority higher than Rome’ s emperor, that divine rod of iron by which the power of Satan, personified in the persecutor, had been broken and by which his diabolical character had been exposed. 2. For the accuser of our brethren is cast down—Revelation 12:10. In Revelation 12:9 it states that the dragon was cast out into the earth--the place of the nations, or the political society. This was not the positions of government authority included within the sphere of the phrase in heaven. In verse 10 the dragon (the persecutor) was called the accuser of our brethren. This referred to that part of the offspring of the woman who were not martyrs, but were like the seer of the apocalypse on Patmos: “ I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.” The emphasis put on the accuser of our brethren by the additional statement, which accused them before our God day and night, indicated the habitual character of the dragon-accuser, that the oppositions of the persecutor would be persistent and continuous. 3. But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives untodeath—Revelation 12:11. The victors here are not the same company as Michael and his hosts of Rev 12:7. The dragon had lost that war and had been cast out of that sphere of conflict but continued his opposition to the brethren of those of whom Michael was defender and protector-- he extended his persecutions to the woman’ s offspring, or the church beyond the region of Jerusalem and Judea. But as Michael and his hosts had prevailed against him in Judea so did the brethren elsewhere who became the objects of the dragon’ s extended persecutions. And this verse commemorates by anticipations the victory which the saints had won on the ground or cause and by the means of the blood of the Lamb, the shed blood of Christ. The further reason for their victory was the word of their testimony-- because of the faithful testimony which they had borne in oral declarations. The high tribute in the praise that they loved not their lives unto death meant that these persecuted saints had disregarded their lives for the sake of their cause; in the willingness to join the martyrs they displayed the fidelity that brought them victory over their accuser and persecutor. 4. Therefore, rejoice ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them—Revelation 12:12. The power of the persecutors broken, and the accuser of the brethren exposed, was here the cause for this rejoicing of the heavens--because it had been delivered from the evil spirit of the accuser. The heavens here meant that spiritual realm referred to in Ephesians 1:3 as the heavenly places. The phrase and ye that dwell in them meant that these heavens are the spiritual abode of every faithful soul. (Ephesians 2:6) It is that spiritual sphere of the church in which He dwells to lead and instruct his followers, and in which his power had kept them through their faith in Him and their fidelity to His cause. (Ephesians 3:17) This benedictory is comparable to the prophet’ s song of rejoicing for Israel in Isaiah 49:13 : “ Sing 0 heavens; and be joyful 0 earth . . . ` for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.” The Isaiah passage referred to Israel of the Old Testament in exile, and this Revelation text refers to the church of the New Testament in their period of persecution. 5. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time—Revelation 12:12. The persecutions which had been focused on one sphere of the dragon’ s activity in the realm of governments against Jerusalem were not expanded to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea. The word earth here was used to denote the land of Palestine--as the reference to the beast of the land designated the Palestinian persecutor. The word sea indicated the regions of the empire beyond the land of Israel. The dragon’ s defeat in the first sphere of his war against the woman intensified the activities of his persecutions, and having great wrath he transferred his oppositions and expanded them to the earth and the sea--to all regions where the children of the woman, the objects of his wrath, could be found. The statement because he knoweth that he hath but a short time was based on the fundamental principle pervading the apocalypse--“ which things must shortly come to pass” (Revelation 1:1); and “ the time is at hand” (Revelation 1:3).The binding of Satan, the dragon, and casting him into “ the bottomless pit” were included in the things which in the first chapter of the Revelation the seer announced as at hand, and must shortly come to pass; which things in the last chapter he declared must shortly be done (Revelation 22:6); and quickly to occur (Revelation 22:7); and, once more, at hand (Revelation 22:10). From the first chapter to the last the Revelation repeatedly emphasized the immediacy of the events, removing them from remote fulfillment. It forms a solid argument for the fulfillment of the symbols of Revelation in the experiences of the churches addressed. The extension of the apocalypse to the medieval centuries, to the dark ages, to the present day, and to the end of time is the greatest anachronism in all history. Commentary on Revelation 12:7-12 by Walter ScottWAR IN HEAVEN. Revelation 12:7-9. — “And there was war in the Heaven: Michael and his angels went to war with the dragon. And the dragon fought, and his angels; and he prevailed not, nor was their place found any more in the Heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, the ancient serpent, he who is called Devil and Satan, he who deceives the whole habitable world, he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” The scene described in these verses is not spoken of as a sign. The presence of Satan in Heaven is a reality. A war there between the hosts of good and evil under their respective leaders, Michael and the Dragon, is most sure. The statement that Satan has a place in “ the Heaven,” not in the immediate presence of God, is received with surprise by many and with incredulity by others; and it is deemed stranger still to speak of actual conflict in the place beyond all others of peace and rest, in the place of “No midnight shade, no clouded sun, But sacred, high, eternal noon.”But when the vastness of the heavens is considered we cease to wonder. No child in the Father’ s house, no saint there, need ever fear the conflict of contending hosts. But sin was conceived in the heart of Satan. Not content to occupy a creature’ s place, although probably the highest of spiritual intelligences (Ezekiel 28:12-17), he aspired to the throne itself. He sinned. He morally fell from his exalted position. But he was not then cast down from the heavens. Other spirits are associated with him in his moral degradation. The blessings of saints are in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3), there also they sit, but in Christ (Ephesians 2:6). Others besides saints are in the heavenlies (Ephesians 3:10); and there our Christian conflict is carried on now (not after death or the Coming — no warfare then) against wicked spirits (Ephesians 6:12). Now, however, the moment has come for his final expulsion from “ the Heaven,” and the hosts of evil with him. He has to be cast down to the earth, then into the abyss, and finally into the lake of fire, not to reign, but to suffer eternally, the most abject and degraded of beings. The first step in the execution of judgment upon Satan is his forced dislodgment from above. It is the time and occasion referred to by the prophet Isaiah. “ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth” (Isaiah 24:21). Jehovah will mete out punishment to the sinning angels in their place “ on high,” and to the mighty on earth as well. None, however exalted in rank and position, can escape. MICHAEL. But who is Michael (who is like unto God)? This distinguished angel is named five times in the Scriptures (Daniel 10:13; Daniel 10:21; Daniel 12:1; Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7). He seems to be the leader of the angelic hierarchy, as he is termed by Jude “the archangel,” (Scripture does not speak of archangels, only of one, and that in two passages in the New Testament (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 1:9). The Pauline reference is to Christ, the true, real head of angelic power; the other by Jude speaks of that angelic created being who presides over the destinies of Israel. The only two angels who are specifically named are Michael and Gabriel.) and in Daniel 10:13, where Michael is first named, he is spoken of as “ first of the chief princes” (see margin). In each of the five passages where his name occurs, and in their several contexts, the Jewish people are in question. Evidently he is the angel to whose guardian care the interests of Israel are committed. “ And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of Thy people,” i.e., the Jewish people (Daniel 12:1). The period referred to by the prophet is the same time beheld in vision by the Seer of Patmos. The Great Tribulation is to be entered upon. But Michael makes it his business to see that Israel does not perish. “ He (Jacob) shall be saved out of it “ (Jeremiah 30:7). Michael is a militant angel. The contests between Persia and Babylon were to all appearance decided by the generalship and force of arms of the renowned Persian, Cyrus, the prophetically designated over thrower of the Babylonian monarchy and the deliverer of the Jewish people from their lengthened exile of seventy years (Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1-4), but it was not really so. The movements of nations, their wars, politics, and social policy are shaped and directed by higher and spiritual powers. There are angels, good and bad, who are constantly influencing men and governments, and of this chapter 10 of Daniel is a conspicuous example. Wars and strife on earth are but the reflex of opposing spiritual powers in the lower heavens. The invisible struggles between the powers of light and the forces of darkness are real and earnest (1 Samuel 16:13-15; 1 Kings 22:19-23), and by the influence of these spiritual beings the world is providentially governed. Angelic agency toward the saints of God on earth (Hebrews 1:14; Acts 12:1-25) is a generally admitted truth, but their action in determining the issue of battles and shaping national policy, and human interests generally, is not recognised as it ought to be. Of course all is under the wise, strong, and controlling hand of God. He is the supreme Arbiter in human life and history. In the chapter referred to (Daniel 10:1-21) Michael goes to the help of an unnamed angel who had wrought at the court of Persia for twenty-one days (v. 13). With the assistance of the archangel the destinies of Persia were directed, resulting in the two associated facts: Babylon the oppressor overthrown, and Judah the oppressed delivered. Michael, too, figures in the contest about the body of Moses. Satan sought possession of the body no doubt to ensnare Israel to worship it, as they did the brazen serpent (2 Kings 18:4). But no human hand dug the grave of Moses. Jehovah “ buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day” (Deuteronomy 34:6). Jude in a few energetic sentences informs us of the cause of dispute between Satan and Michael. Now the contest in our chapter in the Apocalypse is not one between two chiefs simply, as mentioned by Jude, but here the respective forces gather under their distinguished leaders. “Michael and his angels went to war with the dragon. And the dragon fought, and his angels.”THE HEAVENS CLEARED. The issue of the war between the contending spiritual hosts is in no wise a doubtful one. Satan and his angels are overthrown. Revelation 12:8. — “He prevailed not, nor was their place found any more in the Heaven.” The dragon personally suffered an ignominious defeat, while the whole company of sinful angelic intelligences is for ever banished from “ the Heaven.” On the return of the seventy disciples from their mission they tell their Lord, and that with joy, how “ even the devils (demons) are subject to us through Thy Name.” That, however, was but the germ of full and final victory over the enemy and his power, and this the Lord prophetically announced when He immediately added, “ I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven” (Luke 10:17-18). Whatever the resistance offered to his expulsion from Heaven, his downfall will be effected completely and instantaneously like a flash of lightning. From the day that pride and lofty ambition entered his heart, for then he sinned, he has not only a place in Heaven, where he unceasingly accuses God’ s saints, but He traverses the earth as well on his mission of mischief. He is the leader of the demon host, and of every form and kind of sinful, spiritual agency. The devil is a real person, not an influence, but a living spiritual being. The vision before us has its actual fulfilment in the midst of the prophetic week — about the close of the first half. The treaty made between the Roman prince and the restored nation, or “ the many,” i.e., the mass of the people, is respected, and its terms observed for the half of the stipulated period of seven years (Daniel 9:27). But instigated by Satan, the Roman prince breaks the covenant in “ the midst of the week.” The scene before us is preparatory to it, and, in fact, accounts for the last uprising of evil, civil and religious, on the earth. Cast down from Heaven, Satan takes possession of the doomed scene, and exerts his untiring energy in the ruin and destruction of all then standing for God. The war in Heaven results in the victory of Michael and his associated angels. The dragon and his angels are cast down, never to regain a heavenly position. Then Satan turns his baffled rage against the woman, or what represents her before God in testimony, i.e., the Jewish remnant on the earth. The Tribulation (which in its range covers the whole prophetic area, but in its worst and severest forms of suffering especially affects Palestine) lasts the exactly defined period of 1260 days. We consider it clear, therefore, that the expulsion of Satan from Heaven and his downfall to the earth is on the eve of the Tribulation, and is really the procuring cause of it. ON SATAN. There are three distinct stages in the judgment on Satan. First, he is cast down from Heaven to earth with his associated angels (v. 9); second, he is confined as a prisoner in the abyss for one thousand years (Revelation 20:3); third, he is consigned to eternal torment in the lake of fire (v. 10). The first two acts of judgment are executed by the instrumentality of angels; the third and final one is an exhibition of divine power irrespective of the agency employed to execute it, which is not named, The lake of fire! There the wail of anguish is never hushed, and the tear is never dry. No ray of light nor gleam of hope ever enters those caverns of eternal despair. Mind cannot conceive nor pen trace the horror of such a doom. Satan’ s reign in the lake of fire is but the dream of the poet, and is without a shred of Scripture to support it. There he suffers — not reigns — the most degraded and abject of God’ s creatures. How patient is our God, but how sure His threatened judgments! Satan after seven thousand years of active hatred against God, and of hostility to those who are His, is at length crushed, shorn of power and ability to work further mischief, and shut up with his angels to his and their “ prepared” doom, “ everlasting fire” (Matthew 25:41). NAMES AND WORK OF SATAN. The dragon is here viewed in relation to earth and the human race; hence these four names, as also in Revelation 20:2, in the same order. (1) “The great dragon,” so termed because of his remorseless cruelty. Legend and hieroglyphic paint the dragon as a monster in form and appearance outside the pale of the animal kingdom, a combination of superhuman craft and cruelty. (2) “The ancient serpent ” reminds us of his first and successful attempt to effect the ruin of the happy and innocent pair in Eden (Genesis 3:1-24). Subtlety, craft, deep cunning are characteristic features of Satan from the beginning of his history in connection with the race. He has ever been a murderer and a liar (John 8:44; 1 John 3:8). “ The ancient” serpent refers to his first historical connection with the race, and the title “ serpent” (We are satisfied that Genesis 3:1-24 is a true and historical account of what actually took place. That Satan spoke through a real serpent seems unquestionable. There is no need of supposing, with Josephus and his learned translator, Whiston, that serpents along with other reptiles of a similar species had the faculty of speech before the Fall, but lost it consequent on its wicked misuse under the dominion of Satan. There are three remarkable instances in the Old Testament of the miraculous use of the lower animals: (1) Speech given to the serpent (Genesis 3:1-24); (2) a certain intelligence and speech granted to the ass ridden by Balaam (Numbers 22:21-30); (3) The great fish which swallowed up Jonah, answering to the voice of Jehovah in throwing up the repentant prophet on dry land (Jonah 2:10). We firmly believe in the exact historical accuracy of these narratives, which, moreover, are vouched for in the New Testament (see 2 Corinthians 11:3; 2 Peter 2:15-16; Matthew 12:40). The stater or piece of money in the mouth of the first fish caught by the hook (Matthew 17:27) is another instance of divine power and foreknowledge in support of the claim of the Creator over the works of His hands. The creation of the serpent species is stated in Genesis 1:24-25; Genesis 3:1. The governmental curse pronounced on the reptile is noted in Genesis 3:14. Its degradation even in millennial days is stated in Isaiah 65:25.) to his subtlety (2 Corinthians 11:3). Satan, needless to say, is a spirit and a real person. “ He who is called,” referring now to personal names, (1) “Devil,” and (2) “Satan.” The two former titles are descriptive of character — cruelty and subtlety; the two latter names, Devil and Satan, refer to the dragon as a person. The devil is an actual historical being, and in the Greek of the New Testament is used only in the singular. “ Devils” should be “ demons” (R.V.). As the devil, he is the accuser, the traducer, and tempter. As Satan, he is the open and declared adversary of Christ, the public enemy of God and of His people (see Job 1:1-22; Job 2:1-13; Zechariah 3:1-10; Matthew 4:1-25; Ephesians 6:11; 1 Peter 5:8). The special work of Satan is next stated, and one to which his untiring energy is directed. He “ deceives the whole habitable world.” The human instruments in effecting his purpose (Revelation 13:1-18), and God’ s judicial judgment upon Christendom, i.e., the habitable earth, are not here named. The prime mover in all is alone before us. By God’ s permission Satan deceives all embraced within the prophetic scene (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12), whoever may be the persons employed, or whatever the means used, Satan himself is the leader in luring on the world to its moral ruin. Christianity having been abandoned, God gives up in retributive justice the guilty and apostate Church, and the mass of Judah as well, to believe the lie of Satan, in presenting the Antichrist as Israel’ s promised Messiah and king, backed up by signs of a miraculous character. The bait is eagerly swallowed. “ The whole habitable world” is deceived thereby. Then, however, Satan keeps in the background; here in the light of Heaven he stands fully exposed. He was the unseen but spiritual and personal power behind Herod (compare v. 4 with Matthew 2:16). He is equally so in the judicial blinding of Christendom by his great satellite, the Antichrist, or second Beast of Rev 13:1-18. Revelation 12:9. — “He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” The threefold repetition of the verb cast out is meant to emphasise the fact of the ignominious expulsion of Satan and his angels from Heaven. Who these angels are is a question shrouded in mystery. All we know is that they constitute Satan’ s militant host, and are cast out of Heaven with their distinguished chief. Satan can then no more enter God’ s presence and accuse the saints to Him, nor can his poisonous breath ever again infect the holy atmosphere of the heavenly places. The heavens have to be cleared of evil as well as the earth, and the ground on which both spheres are to be purified and reconciled (Colossians 1:20) is the sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 9:23). How complete, therefore, and far-reaching in its results is the blood of Christ! TRIUMPH — WOE. Revelation 12:10-12. — “And I heard a great voice in the Heaven saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren has been cast out, who accused them before our God day and night; and they have overcome him by reason of the blood of the Lamb, and by reason of the word of their testimony, and have not loved their life even unto death. Therefore be full of delight, ye heavens, and ye that dwell (or tabernacle) in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great rage, knowing he has a short time.” “ A great voice in the Heaven” heard by the Seer is that of the already risen (1 Corinthians 15:1-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18) and glorified saints. In a subsequent vision an angel addressing John says “thy brethren” (Revelation 19:10); whereas it is here “ our brethren,” language unsuitable in the lips of an angelic being. In the doxology which follows “the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom” are announced as come. But that is as yet in anticipation. As a necessary and preliminary step to the accomplishment of the kingdom set up in displayed power Satan has been cast out of the heavenlies. “ The prince of the power of the air ” (Ephesians 2:2) is a title henceforth lost to him for ever. The power of the kingdom having been so gloriously vindicated in Heaven all is announced there as “ come,” although not actually so on earth. The insertion of the definite article before each of the subjects named gives definiteness and force. “The salvation” is not that of the soul now, nor even of the body at the Coming, but is a wide and comprehensive thought embracing the overthrow of the enemy and the deliverance of creation from its present thralldom and agony (Romans 8:21). “The power” refers to the irresistible might which shall crush and grind to atoms all opposing authority whether satanic in the Heavens or human on the earth. Now it is the kingdom in patience, then it will be the kingdom in power. “The kingdom” must be understood here in its largest extent, as embracing the heavens and the earth. The kingdom of the Father, and the kingdom of the Son (Matthew 13:41-43), respectively set forth the two main departments, heavenly and earthly, of the vast and universal kingdom of our God and of His Christ (see Psalms 2:1-12). The casting out of Satan is an event almost second to none in those coming days of stirring interest. The ceaseless activity of “ the accuser of our brethren” in denouncing the saints to God, whose ways afford him abundant cause of complaint and ground of accusation, is a solemn feature of what goes on above unseen by mortal eye. Thank God, we have in Christ, the Righteous One, an Advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1-2), whose all-powerful intercession, founded on His sacrifice, maintains us ever before God, and renders the charges of the enemy nugatory and powerless. “ The accuser of our brethren has been cast out.” Satan is completely vanquished and overthrown in the scene and seat of his power. Never again shall his accusations, just or unjust, be listened to in the court of Heaven. We take it, therefore, that, as a result of the war in Heaven, the celestial regions are for ever freed from the presence of Satan and wicked spirits against whom our conflict, as Christians, is carried on (Ephesians 6:12, R.V.). (“ It may not be in every one’ s mind that the aerial regions, the air, the cloud-heavens, the spaces above the earth, are now the chief lurking places of evil spirits. But so the Bible teaches. Paul says we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers, with wicked spirits in high places, literally, ‘in the heavens,’ ‘ in the aerial regions’ (Ephesians 6:12). Hence also Satan is called ‘ the prince of the power of the air,’ more literally, the prince of ‘the aerial host,’ meaning wicked spiritual powers dwelling in the aerial heavens (Ephesians 2:2). Thus the satanic confederation has its seat in the upper air, in the atmospheric heaven, in the spaces above and around our world. There they are permitted to have place up to the time of this war.” — “ Lectures on the Apocalypse.” Dr. Seiss, vol. 2, page 362.) “ The prince of the power of the air” must not be confounded with the title “ The prince of this world.” As the former he heads the spiritual powers above, as the latter he heads the temporal powers on earth. The Lord having judged “ the host of the high ones that are on high” it only remains to fulfil the second part of the prophetic utterance, “ and the kings of the earth upon the earth” (Isaiah 24:21). Revelation 12:10 — “Our brethren.” Who are they? If the voice in Heaven is that of the heavenly saints, then the brethren referred to would be saints on earth whom Satan accuses, fellow-saints with those in Heaven. These saints were overcomers in their severe conflict with evil. The machinations of Antichrist, and the wiles and even open hostility of the devil were powerless against men whose consciences had been purged by the blood of the Lamb, the holy and righteous ground, moreover, of their standing before God, and in virtue of which the accusations of Satan could not be entertained nor even listened to. There are two grounds stated for their victory over Satan. First, the blood of the Lamb which gave them boldness before God; second, their testimony to men. In this case it would be, of course, of a prophetic character. A third and supplementary statement is added, which shows that the martyr spirit was mighty in them, “ and have not loved their life even unto death.” As “ partakers of the heavenly calling” resurrection is assured them, for all saints who have died, or shall die, share in the blessedness of the first resurrection. The company here referred to are not yet seen raised, but wait for it. These martyrs are distinct from those who subsequently suffer under the Beast, i.e., revived Rome. Revelation 12:12. — “Therefore be full of delight, ye heavens,” that is for this cause, that Satan and his angels have been for ever ejected from Heaven. Rejoice, let gladness reign throughout the whole of the heavenly spheres. This is the only instance in the Apocalypse of the word “ heavens,” otherwise it is invariably employed in the singular. But not the heavens alone are to share in the joy consequent on the victory of Michael, for it is added, “ and ye that dwell (or tabernacle) in them.” The whole company of the redeemed and angels as well (for the heavens are their native region) are embraced in the call to rejoice. The word dwell or tabernacle is the same as in Revelation 7:15; Revelation 13:6; Revelation 21:3. Revelation 12:12 — “Woe to the earth and to the sea.” The Authorized Version wrongly inserts “ the inhabiters of the earth.” The interpolation is uncalled for. This is not a denunciation of wrath, but a prophetic announcement of coming judgment on the earth, i.e., on all settled and stable governments and peoples; also on the sea, i.e., the restless and revolutionary part of the world. We have already referred more than once to the symbolic representation of earth and sea.(*See remarks on Revelation 7:1; and on Revelation 8:7.) The former denoting what is fixed, the latter what is unstable. These terms may be used of either things, persons, or governments. The cause of the prophetic woe on the world at large is next stated, “ the devil has come down to you.” His expulsion from the heavens is a matter of jubilant praise above, his deportation to the earth will fill the whole scene under Heaven with sorrow, wickedness, and woe. Revelation 12:12 — The “great rage,” or wrath, of Satan exceeds that of the nations (Revelation 11:18), inasmuch as the former is the prime mover and invisible leader. His rage in being for ever exiled from his heavenly place is intensified by the knowledge that he has before him but a short career on earth. Whether the devil knows the exact period allotted him before he is banished to the abyss we know not. This, however, Christians know, or at least should know, that Satan, when cast down, is permitted to rage against and persecute God’ s saints on earth for 1260 literal days; after this a breathing space is granted, a lull in the storm which lasts for seventeen days and a half, the time during which the Beast, the apostate civil and imperial power, is itself the subject of special judgment under the Vials (Revelation 16:1-21), and therefore cannot persecute. These two denominations of time added make up exactly three years and a half, at the close of which the Lord appears, and Satan is confined in the abyss for a thousand years. This is the second stage in the judgment of the devil. The first was his casting down from the heavens. It only remains to execute the third, which is accomplished at the close of the kingdom reign, cast into the lake of fire, his eternal doom. Since the sphere of his operation is restricted to the earth, and Satan knows that his brief career must soon end in utter disaster to himself and his followers, spiritual and human, he gives himself in untiring determination to wreak his vengeance on the woman (Judah), the mother of the Man-Child, and this he is permitted to do during the last half of Daniel’ s future prophetic week, less seventeen and a half days. This shortening of the days is what the Lord prophetically referred to in His Mount Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:22). Commentary on Revelation 12:7-12 by E.M. ZerrRev_12:7. War in heaven. We must keep in mind that everything being described is symbolic and shown to John right there on that isle of Pat-mos. But also we should not forget that inspired symbols stand for actual facts and truths. This war was not the first conflict that the forces of heaven had had with Satan for Jesus said he saw him fall from heaven (Luke 10:18). And Paul tells us what was the cause of the first conflict, namely, his pride (1 Timothy 3:6). Ever since that event he has been the bitter enemy of heaven and all that pertains thereto, never losing an opportunity of getting in his evil work. Now when he sees this expectant mother in heaven (verse 1) he is determined to start a war over it. Just why or how the devil could be present in the vicinity of the angels is not told us in detail, but we know from Job 1:6 Job 2:1 that he has been suffered in the past to be present at gatherings of the angels before God. But the time Jesus saw him fall as cited in Luke was not on the occasion of this war, for the angels who won in the war ascribed the victory to the blood of the Lamb, and when Jesus said he saw Satan fall from heaven was before He had shed his blood. Hence this war was just another attempt of Satan to get in his wicked work and head off the plan of the Lord to give to the world a religion free from the entanglements of worldly despotism, and the selfish ambition of wicked men. It was fitting that Michael should be the angel to lead the forces of heaven against Satan, for he is called "one of the chief princes" in Daniel 10:13, and chapter 12:1 of that same book says that he is the prince that "standeth for the children of thy people." Revelation 12:8. Satan was defeated and neither was their place found any more in heaven. This means that the enemy not only was vanquished but driven from the field. Revelation 12:9. Satan was cast out and his angels were cast out with him. This agrees with 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6, and also explains why Jesus speaks of the devil's angels in Matthew 25:41. Satan is called that old serpent because he used that beast as his agent in Genesis 3:1-4. Deceiveth the whole world does not mean that every person in the world is deceived for there are exceptions. The thought is that all deception that is in the world is to be attributed to him. Revelation 12:10. It was perfectly logical that the righteous persons should rejoice over the defeat of Satan. Nov is come is their way of saying that the kingdom of our God was given another victory through the power of his Christ. Accuser of our brethren. The specific accusation is not stated, but since it was a daily performance we may conclude that it refers to the general opposition that Satan has always waged against the Lord and his faithful servants. Revelation 12:11. The pronoun they stands for "our brethren" in the preceding verse, who are said to have overcome Satan in the war that was fought in heaven. Verse 7 says that Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. There is no conflict in the statements which show that the forces of heaven are always ready to join in any battle with the forces of evil. This recalls the statement of Paul in Hebrews 1:14 that the angels are "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." Overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. The blood had brought them the hope of salvation and that hope gave them the courage to fight Satan. By the word of their testimony. They persisted in their defence of the testimony of Jesus and that helped to put Satan to flight. James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." Loved not their lives unto death. Their faith in the righteousness of their Master's cause was so strong that even the threat or presence of death could not dampen their zeal. (See Matthew 10:28.) An army of such soldiers canrout the fiercest attacks of Satan. Revelation 12:12. These happy victors are bidding all the domain of intelligent creatures to rejoice over the situation. However, while the devil has lost this battle, he has not been put out of existence but will use every opportunity that appears for opposing the friends of truth. For this reason the inhabitants of earth and sea are given warning of what to expect. There are literally no creatures in the sea in which Satan is interested. The phrase is a figure of speech that means all creatures everywhere will be the victims of Satan's hatred. Hath but a short time. Whatever Satan accomplishes against the spiritual interests of mankind must be done while the world stands. After that he and his angels will be cast into the lake of eternal fire from which they will never escape even temporarily.Commentary on Revelation 12:7-12 by Burton CoffmanRev_12:7-9 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.It is important to note why this episode was included: The war and its issue are introduced as an explanation of Satan's fury in these last times and a prediction of his final overthrow.[46]This war does not merely explain Satan's fury during "these last times" as apparently limited by Beckwith, but also the fury of Satan from the garden of Eden until the end of time, thus providing the true key to the problem of just "when" this conflict occurred. The events of this encounter lie totally outside the perimeter of the Judeo-Christian religion. The Bible reveals very little with reference to it, except a few references here and there. It is an amazing folly indulged by some Christian scholars who fancy they can find out all about this war from pagan mythology, such mythology itself, in all probability, having been concocted from perverted and corrupted "versions" of a truth evidently known by the early patriarchs. That these verses concern a past event, prior to all history, and perhaps even prior to the human creation itself, is absolutely certain. No other possible understanding of it is either intellectually or theologically tenable. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 12:13-17 4. THE WOMAN IN THE Rev_12:13-17 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man child.--In the symbol John saw the dragon persecute the woman because he was cast down to earth. When Satan saw that his war on the church through the pagan empire was not effective because Christianity had been accepted by the emperor, he persecuted the church through other means. This fact will appear evident from the following verses. 14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.--Whatever uncertainty there may be about the historical fulfillment of the symbols in this book, no position can be safe that conflicts with events known to have transpired already. The end of pagan Rome's persecution of the church, the establishment of the church in the empire, the rise of the papacy and the Protestant Reformation are plain facts that must be considered in interpreting prophetic symbols. In the symbolic vision John sees the woman given two wings of an eagle by which she might fly into the wilderness. Similar words--"on eagles' wings"--are used regarding God's bringing Israel out of Egypt. (Exodus 19:3-4.) A wilderness would mean a place of safety, as was used by David and Elijah. (1 Samuel 23:14-15; 1 Kings 19:4.) The woman here refers to the true church in its apostolic purity. The simple idea seems to be that the church, in spite of the opposition, would be preserved as an institution. Hidden in the wilderness indicates that she would not appear as a visible body in congregational organizations, but the truth would still remain. Christ, as the head, could not be destroyed, and the New Testament, as its law, God would providentially preserve. Hence, though hidden from public view, the institution would remain. This is indicated in the expression that during the time in the wilderness the church would be "nourished"--that is, sustained. All that is necessarily meant here is that during the long period of obscurity the apostolic church would not become extinct. This is in accord with Daniel's statement that God would set up a "kingdom which shall never be destroyed." (Daniel 2:44.) That means that no other kingdom would succeed it, or be built upon its ruins, as was the case of the four universal empires described by Daniel. A careful comparison of Rev 11:2-3; Revelation 12:14; Revelation 13:5 will show that twelve hundred sixty days, forty-two months, and time, times, and a half time all refer to the same period; hence, must all mean the same. But verse 6, when compared with verse 14, will show definitely that they do mean the same. That the expression is to be understood symbolically--a day for a year--and means 1,260 years seem certain. For reasons already given the probable time for the beginning of the 1,260 years was A.D. 533. See notes on Revelation 11:3-4. From Christianity's exaltation by Constantine till the bishop of Rome was declared universal bishop was a period of 208 years. During that time Satan, called the dragon or serpent, continued to make war on the church--largely through the introduction of false doctrines and the exercise of human authority in religion. Gradually the church was corrupted until at the beginning of the 1,260 years the organization became the fully developed "man of sin" and the true church began its wilderness experience--lost to view as a visible organization. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.--The woman "nourished" during 1,260 years means that the church was providentially kept alive in spite of Satan's persecutions, which in the symbol here are represented as a flood of waters being cast out of the serpent's mouth. David in referring to God's help in troubles said "He drew me out of many waters." (Psalms 18:16.) Jeremiah spoke of warring enemies as "an overflowing stream."(Jeremiah 47:2.) This is a bold figure to represent the relentless hatred of Satan against the true church, and the fact that at no time will he cease his efforts to destroy it. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.--The vision John saw was an onrushing flood about to overwhelm the woman when the earth with an open chasm swallowed up the water. The dragon is represented as the source of these floods of persecution. As already learned, the dragon is only the agent through which Satan operates. The lesson presented in this part of the symbol appears to be this: The true church, for the 1,260-year period, would be in obscurity--unseen as an organized body--during which time Satan would continue his efforts for its annihilation; but from unseen sources, like the earth swallowing up a flood, its complete destruction would be prevented. Jesus would still remain its head in spite of all pretenders; the gospel would be its law regardless of all false teaching; hence, as an institution, it would continue ready to appear in visible congregations, when the long period designated had come to an end. This verse guarantees that the church, as an institution, would not become extinct, though its true character and teaching would remain obscured for centuries. It is useless to try to point out certain events that prevented the annihilation of the church, for we now know from history that it was not annihilated. 17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus:--The first general effort to destroy the church was made through the dragon beast--paganism. Failing to accomplish this result, the wrath and indignation of idol worshipers against the church would reach extreme limits. Satan being repulsed in his efforts to blot out the church as an institution changed his plans of attack. Evidently his method from that time on was to persecute the individual members of the church, here referred to as the "seed" of the woman. The statement of the woman being in the wilderness and the dragon "went away to make war" would indicate this change of method. This war was to be waged against "the rest" of her seed--that is, against individual followers of Christ who were trying to keep faithfully the commandments of God ; those who in persecutions would not deny Christ's words those martyred because they would not renounce their faith. Multitudes of these, during this long night of spiritual darkness, are solemn witnesses that what this symbol declares actually came to pass. The things here symbolically predicted are presented in detail in the following chapter. This paragraph presents unmistakable evidence that the Catholic church cannot be the one here represented by the woman, for the woman being in the wilderness indicates that the true church was, as an institution, in obscurity during this 1,260-year period. The Catholic church claims a continued visible existence during that period; hence, cannot be the true church symbolized by the woman.Commentary on Revelation 12:13-17 by Foy E. Wallace 6. He persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child—Revelation 12:13. Here the scenes narrated in verses four to nine were resumed. These descriptions repeated in different symbols the events of the first series which chapters four to eleven had envisioned. In verses four to nine of this chapter the woman’ s flight into the wilderness was related. Here in Revelation 12:13-14 the reason and manner of her flight were described. The reason was that under the guardianship of Michael and his hosts the dragon and his forces prevailed not in the “ war in heaven” --in the high places of authority in governments-- against the woman’ s seed. Being defeated it was said that neither was their place found any more in heaven--that is, in the sphere of previous activity against the church, in the realm of political authority and government. But Michael’ s triumph and the dragon’ s failure to destroy the woman’ s seed did not prevent the further persecutions. Enraged at being thwarted in his plans to annihilate the church by the destruction of the man child in Jerusalem, where it was born, and which was caught up to God and to his throne, the dragon turns upon the woman and launched a general persecution against the whole church. It was at this point and for this reason that the woman fled into the wilderness (verse 6), the manner of the flight being described here in verse 13. The “ two wings of a great eagle” that were given to her was the same symbol of divine strength employed in the exodus of Israel from Egypt. In Exodus 19:4 God said to Israel, “ Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagle’ s wings, and brought you unto myself.” The instinct of the eagle, when its young are ready to attempt flight, is to hover over the nest and flutter its wings to lead the young ones into the venture. In Deuteronomy 32:11-12, in the Song of Moses, it is recorded that “ as an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreacleth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him (Israel), and there was no strange God with him.” In this same imagery, and doubtless in allusion to it, the seer of Revelation represents God’ s hovering protection and imparted strength in the flight of the woman from besieged Jerusalem into the wilderness, as God did for Israel in the exodus from Egypt, to “ a place prepared of God” (verse 6), or “ into her place” (Revelation 12:14) --the same place. As previously noted, the Lord foretold this flight in similar description of the tribulation of the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, “ such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” According to this statement of the Lord there cannot ever be events of the future to fulfill these descriptions. It is evident that the context of Revelation is only an extension of the Lord’ s predictions in Matthew twenty-four, and that the Revelation was received and recorded several years before the destruction of Jerusalem, the impending “ present distress” of 1 Corinthians 7:26, which was so soon coming upon the church of the God. In the same Corinthian context the apostle said, “ the time is short.” The darkest threatening cloud and the most frightening, horrifying portents hanging over the whole church, were the siege and destruction of Jerusalem and their attending tribulations. 7. Where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent—Revelation 12:14. In this wilderness, or place prepared of God, where Jesus instructed the disciples who later formed the Jerusalem church to flee, the verse states concerning the woman that she was nourished for a time, times and a half time. This nourishment of the woman in “ her place” compares with the manna by which Israel was fed in the wilderness, upon which event this description is based. In the Old Testament experience it was the result of the flight from Egypt of the church of Moses in the wilderness of Sinai; in the experience of Revelation it was the church of Christ in the flight from Jerusalem to her place in the wilderness of Pella --that place prepared of God, where she was nourished by providential protection. The numerical designation for a time, and times and half a time was equivalent to the forty and two months (of Revelation 11:2), and the thousand two hundred and threescore days of Rev 11:3 and Revelation 12:6, and they were equal to the same thing. They all refer, as explained in the comments on their mention in the preceding verses, to the mathematically calculated period of twelve hundred and sixty days between Nero’ s order to Vespasian in the declaration of war and the completion of the siege and destruction of Jerusalem which brought an end to the Jewish state and the system of Judaism. The mystically phrased expression of time and times and half a time was related to the ebbing and flowing of the tide of the persecutions and was comparable to the reference in Revelation 17:8 “ the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.” The beast was when the persecutor was active; the beast was not when there was an interval of time between the persecutions; and the beast was seen as being reactivated in the last expression yet is. In a similar way the time and the times, of chapter twelve, referred to the period of the persecution in stages, and the expression half a time was the symbolic reference to the shortening of the period of tribulation as indicated in Revelation 11:9 in the expression three days and a half, and as foretold by the Lord in Mat_2422. It is consistent that the time and times and half a time shall be considered to mean the same shortened period as indicated in the expression three days and an half, in both of which the exact period from the commencement of the siege to the termination of it was certainly designated. (See comments on Revelation 11:9) It is said in Revelation 12:14 that the woman was nourished for this time from the face of the serpent (Revelation 12:14), in a place far from, and safe from, the scene of the siege and its accompanying trials, humiliations and horrors. 8. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood—Revelation 12:15. The water as a flood from the mouth of the serpent was the symbol of an overwhelming tide of persecution, combining all of the Satanic forces of destruction at the command of the serpent. The psalmist David used the same imagery in Psalms 18:4; Psalms 18:16 : “ The floods of ungodly men made me afraid . . . he drew me out of many waters.” In a poem of salvation Isaiah, the prophet, exclaimed: “ When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19) The prophet Jeremiah foretold the destruction of Philistia with the same symbolic description as David and Isaiah: “ Behold waters rise out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land and all that is therein: then the men shall cry and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.” (Jeremiah 47:2) The most significant Old Testament use of the flood symbol is Daniel’ s parallel prophecy on the destruction of Jerusalem, generally referred to as “ the seventy weeks of Daniel.” (Daniel 9:27) The mathematical computations bring the fulfillment of this prophecy from “ the going forth” of the commandment to rebuild and restore the temple to the final destruction of Jerusalem--the whole period from the proclamation of Cyrus to the end of the Jewish commonwealth-- in the words of Daniel “ the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” (Daniel 9:26) The dual phrases “ the end thereof shall be with a flood” and “ unto the end of the war desolations are determined“ referred to the flood of persecution and the end of the war terminating in the fall of Jerusalem and end of the Jewish state. Thus the prophecy of Daniel is identified and merged with the apocalypse of John on the siege with its overwhelming flood of persecution. Such is the evident application of chapter 12, verse 15, of Revelation--“ And the serpent cast out of his mouth as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.” The woman escaped this flood of the horrible onslaught of this war of the Romans against Jerusalem, declared by Nero, ordered by Vespasian and executed by Cestius Gallius and his general, Titus. These related events blend naturally and historically with the apocalypse, and they are not anachronistic. 9. “And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth"—Revelation 12:16. The symbol of the earth in Revelation has been defined as the place of nations. That was its meaning here. The rebellions and uprisings and local wars which were occurring and increasing at this time, causing many conflicts among the subordinate kingdoms and nations of the empire, diverted the attention and action of Rome, and thus detracted Roman authorities from the persecutions. It had the effect of a diversionary strategy. Here again the predictions of Jesus in Matthew twenty-four parallel the apocalypses of Revelation. Jesus said: “ For nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” This is exactly what occurred--and that is how the earth helped the woman and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. The leading thought is that divine providence overruled the transpiring events to protect and sustain and deliver the woman--his church--in the day of her persecution. 10. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ—Revelation 12:17. Because his strategy to destroy the church within Jerusalem, by the woman’ s flight and the help she received from the earth, the dragon’ s wrath mentioned in Revelation 12:12, was intensified in the persecution of the remnant of her seed--or as otherwise translated, the rest of her seed. By the phrases remnant, or rest of her seed was meant that part of the church which did not dwell in Jerusalem and Judea and was not of the martyred number. The woman’ s seed was composed of two classes--first, the man child, represented collectively as first-fruits, who were caught up unto God, symbolizing the martyrs; second, the remnant or rest of her children who were not martyrs, but remained on the earth to pass through the tribulation. The word man child is an aggregate term which could not have referred to a single person, any more than the collective phrase rest of her seed could have had singular meaning. The text will not yield to the view that the woman’ s man child was Christ. There is no principle of exegesis which can represent the church as the mother of Christ. But there are numerous examples that represent both the nation of Israel in the Old Testament and the church in the New Testament collectively as composed of the same ones who are separately called the children, as a part of the whole. Hosea 4:6 referred to Israel as a whole, and then mentioned them as “ thy children.” Isaiah 66:7-8 prophesied of the nation that brings forth children. Jeremiah 31:15 had “ Rachel (the nation of Israel) weeping for her children.” (Also Matthew 2:18) Daniel 12:1 made reference to Israel as a people, but as “ thy children.” Matthew 13:38 refers to the “ children of the kingdom.” The kingdom is composed collectively of them all, as a whole, yet they were children of it. Galatians 4:26 calls the spiritual Jerusalem “ the mother of us all” --it is composed of us all collectively, but the mother of us all separately. Hebrews 12:23 refers to the general assembly and church of the first born. The word firstborn is in the plural number in the Greek text and means the firstborn ones. The general assembly and church are collective, but the firstborn are the children of it. So it is in Revelation with the woman--the church; and her seed, children composed of the two classes--the man child (martyrs) caught up unto God; and the rest of her seed, throughout the empire, against which the dragon “ went to make war,” and who, with the plaudit of the seer, kept “ the commandments of God” and had “ the testimony of Jesus Christ.” The commandments mentioned here pertained to their fidelity in the tribulation; and the expression the testimony of Jesus Christ referred to the witness or testimony that He had borne to them concerning the outcome of the period of trial through which they were passing, as in Revelation 3:20 : “ Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation (trial) which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell in it.” The world referred to the Roman world, and them that dwell on the earthreferred to Christians in every kingdom, nation or tributary, in every place or part of the empire. (3) The summary of the symbols. The context of chapter twelve yields three major points which must be classified and discriminated in order: First, the woman was a symbol of the Jerusalem church --represented as “ the new Jerusalem,” in chapter 21:2 at the close of the Revelation, and stands for the whole church. Second, the man child referred to the martyred souls as “ the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb.” (Chapters 6:10- 11; 14:4; 20:4) The woman’ s seed “ caught up unto God and to his throne,” who thereby entered into a state of victory over the dragon and his wrath in a distinctive sense. (Chapter 12:5) Third, the remnant or rest of the woman’ s seed were distinguished from the man child, as being that part of the woman’ s seed who suffered the trials of the great tribulation but were not slain or beheaded as were the martyrs. (Revelation 6:9-11 and Revelation 20:4) The woman of this chapter, therefore, must be considered as the organic body of the church--the totality of its members; distinguished from her seed, or children--the constituent members of it, in the two classes mentioned. The text and context will sustain this analysis, and these viewpoints can be maintained. Commentary on Revelation 12:13-17 by Walter ScottTHE DRAGON AND THE WOMAN. Revelation 12:13-17. — “And when the dragon saw that he had been cast out into the earth, he persecuted the woman which bore the male (child). And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished there a time, and times, and half a time, from (the) face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth behind the woman water as a river, that he might make her be (as) one carried away by a river. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus.” The deeply interesting episode of the war in Heaven (Revelation 12:7-12) had to be introduced in order to account for the woman’ s flight into the wilderness. Satan, baffled in his attempt to destroy the Man-Child, turns his rage against the mother (Israel). So long as he had a place in Heaven his fitting title was “ the accuser” of the brethren, and chief, too, of the mighty spiritual host against which we war (Ephesians 6:12). But the war in Heaven is decisive so far as Satan and wicked spirits in the heavenlies are concerned. They are cast down; the heavens are for ever cleared of their presence. But on the completion and victory of the heavenly war the earthly contest begins. The issue of the former is an everlasting expulsion from the heavens; the issue of the latter will be the confinement of Satan in the abyss for a millennium. The broken thread of history is then resumed (Revelation 12:13); the parenthesis (Revelation 12:7-12) accounting alone for the flight of the woman. The dragon is on earth. He seeks to wreak his vengeance on Judah then restored to the land, and representing the whole nation before God, for as yet Ephraim, or the long lost ten tribes, has not come into view. In Revelation 12:6 the flight of the woman is mentioned, being repeated in Revelation 12:14. Persecution caused her to fly (Revelation 12:13). Revelation 12:14. — “There were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle.” The insertion of the definite article, omitted in the Authorised Version, marks the definiteness of the action. Wings convey a double thought, namely, rapid motion and guaranteed protection. Both these are granted to the woman. Evidently the allusion to the wings of the eagle refers to Jehovah’ s past care of His people and deliverance from then impending danger (Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11-12). In the earlier reference the wings are attributed to Jehovah; here they are given to the woman. All in this part of our chapter is providential. The symbolic force of the term wilderness into which the woman fled has been already considered.(*See remarks on Revelation 12:6.) She has a place prepared of God, and can also count upon the exercise of divine care. In Revelation 12:6 the period of her isolation in the wilderness is counted by days, 1260, but here it is spoken of in more ambiguous terms as “ a time (one year), and times (two years), and half a time” (“ Seven times” (Daniel 4:16; Daniel 4:23; Daniel 4:25; Daniel 4:32); times are years. Seven years Nebuchadnezzar lived as a beast, i.e., without heart or conscience to God, just what his and the succeeding empires became, beastly in character and action (Daniel 7:1-28). See also separate article, “ The Celebrated Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks.” ) (six months), in all three years and a half. This mode of reckoning is taken from Daniel 7:25. We have months (Revelation 11:2; Revelation 13:5). days (Revelation 11:3; Revelation 12:6), and times (v. 14). All these variously expressed periods refer to the same time, the last half week of sorrow spoken of by the Hebrew prophet as the “ midst of the week” (Daniel 9:27). When the period is spoken of as days the suffering saints are specially in view. Revelation 12:14 — “The face of the serpent.” Nations and peoples in the time of Satan’ s activity on earth fall under his malignant influence; are directed and controlled morally and politically. The former is that special form of evil referred to here, from which the woman is preserved. The dragon persecutes, the serpent ensnares. Revelation 12:15. — “The serpent cast out of his mouth behind the woman water as a river” (For the force of the symbol see remarks on Revelation 8:10-11.) that she might be carried away by it. The devil here uses a certain power, or powers, which are under his influence to accomplish the destruction of the Jewish nation. God providentially frustrates the effort of the serpent. “ And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.” The settled governments of that day befriend the Jew, and providentially (how we know not) frustrate the efforts of the serpent. The means employed by Satan are rendered abortive, not by war, but in neutralizing and circumventing Satan’ s plans to destroy the people. This, we gather, is signified by the earth swallowing the river. The failure rouses the ire of the dragon, and in his baffled rage he goes “ to make war with the remnant of her seed,” i.e., individual Jews who had not escaped when the Tribulation burst forth (Matthew 24:15-20). These individual and faithful witnesses are doubly characterised: “ they keep the commandments of God” — the great and distinguishing mark of a godly life, and one common to all believers at all times — “ and have the testimony of Jesus.” This, of course, is special, and refers to His coming in His kingdom. “ The testimony of Jesus” in this book is prophetic in character.(*See remarks on Revelation 1:2.) In the Gospels it is of a different nature — one of grace and moral display. REVIEW OF THE CHAPTER. The last verse of the previous chapter intimates that Israel comes on the prophetic scene, but not as viewed on earth, although actually there. The sign is in Heaven, the first instance of the word in the Apocalypse (Revelation 12:1). The woman is not the Church, but Israel. The Church is the bride of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7). Israel is the mother of the Lord according to the flesh (Romans 9:5). The Male Son — a singular expression — is Christ, so called as He alone is the sum of human excellence, and by birth steps into the rights and dignities of Psa 2:1-12. Who but He could shepherd the nations with a rod of iron? Others through grace are associated with Him in the exercise of universal dominion (Revelation 2:26-27). But the Male Son (“ The Man-Child is the Lord Jesus Christ, and none other.” — Alford.) can only refer to One, the embodiment of all masculine virtue. The woman is represented as the possessor of all supreme earthly authority — the sun. The pale and silvery moon, the queen of the night, is under her feet. She is royal in rank, too, for on her head reposes a crown in which is gathered up in grand display the fulness in earthly administration of all lesser powers — twelve stars. This is Israel as God sees her; not what she is now, nor even what she has been, but it is “ a great sign” of what awaits her in millennial times. Another sign is then seen in “ the Heaven.” A dragon, great, for he is the unseen yet mighty leader of the hosts of evil in the heavens and on earth; red because of his murderous character, delighting in bloodshed; with seven heads crowned with diadems signifying that the fulness of imperial, autocratic power is his; ten horns, the latter condition of the empire in its ten-kingdom form, but not yet in existence, so the horns are not crowned; then his tail in which his venom and deceit lie sweeps across the political horizon, and casts down to the ground, morally, of course, the sum of eminent persons in the western part of the empire. The dragon is Satan — the former denoting his character, the latter the personal opponent of Christ and adversary of the saints — who is witnessed confronting with murderous purpose the woman in order to destroy her seed. He is baffled, for the Son is caught up to God. The life and even death of the Lord, rich as these are in fundamental truth and teaching, are passed over in silence. The ascension follows the birth, all between being regarded as a parenthesis. Then the woman flees into the wilderness, and we meet with another and yet more lengthened parenthesis. Between the ascension of the Man-Child and the woman’ s flight, yet future, the history of Christianity comes in. The great point to lay hold of is the connection between Christ and Israel, not Christ and the Church, hence the two omitted parenthetic periods: (1) between the birth and ascension; (2) between the ascension and the flight. Then follows the interesting account of the war in Heaven, introduced here to show why the woman had to flee. Satan and his angels are for ever cast down from Heaven, which fact, along with the knowledge that his career on earth is of brief duration, rouses his anger against the mother; previously his rage was directed against the Child. The means he employs to accomplish her ruin are in the providential ordering of God rendered ineffectual. Both the Son and the woman escape his vengeance. But individual God-fearing Jews become the objects of his murderous hate. (“ To make war” (Revelation 12:17) implies every form of attack upon the bodies of the saints whether by persecution or war. Physical hurt and evil of every kind is referred to under the technical expression (see Revelation 11:7; Revelation 16:14; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:19).) So closes this wonderful chapter, in which are grouped perhaps the greatest events related in this marvellous book. It is a chapter second to none in its range of subjects, and goes further back in its historical grasp than any other portion of the book. Who but God could have furnished such a connected grouping of events? Commentary on Revelation 12:13-17 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 12:13. Was cast unto the earth. The attempts of Satan against the forces of heaven were completely overthrown. That left only the territory of the earth for future operations, and as a persistent general he began at once to carry out his wicked strategy. His objective was to persecute the woman (the church) who had given birth to the man child, namely, the principle of "self-determination." Revelation 12:14. This is a repetition of verse 6 with the additional information about the two wings that were given her. They are symbols and refers to the Old and New Testament, for it is the word of God that sustains the church in all the trying scenes of this world. It is by this word the woman (the church) was to be nourished (given spiritual food) while she is in the wilderness. The length of her exile in the wilderness is the same actual period that has been stated elsewhere, only it is indicated with different figurative terms. The word "time" in figurative language means "year;" this is indicated in Daniel 4:16 Daniel 7:25 Daniel 12:7. Our verse calls for time (one), times (two) and half a time. It sums up three and a half times or years. Multiply 360 by three and a half and you have 1260, the period of the Dark Ages. Revelation 12:15. Sometimes when specific temptations do not make the desired "dent" in the character of a Christian, he may be finally overcome by an avalanche of afflictions. The devil (in the form of a serpent) tried this last method on the church. It was symbolized by having the devil cast a flood of water out of his mouth, hoping to engulf the woman in it there being no way to escape due to its volume. The Roman Empire used both methods in opposing the Lord's people. Sometimes an outstanding instance would be used such as burning a man at the stake or nailing some disciple to a cross. Then again the government would let loose a wholesale sweep of persecutions. Revelation 12:16. In the case of a flood there would appear to be no possible way of escape. But an unexpected opening in the earth let the water down and the woman was thereby saved. Likewise it happens that when matters seem to be at a crisis, and when "no earthly help is nigh," something will occur to defeat the enemy and rescue the would-be victim. Revelation 12:17. If the devil fails to make a wholesale destruction of the church, he will work on as many of the individual members as he can contact. This is the only explanation I can see that will harmonize the parts of this verse which might seem to be in difficulty. The woman (the church) is made up of individual disciples, and to attack one is to attack the other. Yet there is a distinction between the church as a whole and the individual members thereof. Paul said "ye are the body of Christ, and member in particular" (1 Corinthians 12:27).Commentary on Revelation 12:13-17 by Burton CoffmanRev_12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man child.He persecuted the woman that brought forth the man child ... It is a gross error to read this as if it said, "He persecuted the woman after the man child was caught up to God." To be sure, he did that also, but such an understanding of the passage imports a time element that does not belong there. When did he persecute the woman? As soon as he was cast down to earth. That persecution existed in Eden (Genesis 3:15) and has been going on ever since. The woman is to be identified with God's people throughout all dispensations. That brought forth the man child ... is therefore to be viewed merely as an identification of the woman (which certainly included Eve and her descendants) and has the meaning of "the woman who was in time to bring forth the man child"; but when John wrote, the man child had already appeared, hence the past tense in this identifying clause. He persecuted the woman ... The duration of this persecution is that of the human race itself. There has never been a time, nor will there ever be, when Satan does not persecute the righteous. He persecuted the old Israel, then her son Christ, then the holy church throughout the time of her pilgrimage. Why? The two reasons visible here are: (1) Satan was thrown out of heaven to earth where mankind was available to him as an object of his hatred and wrath; and (2) Satan knew that he had but a little time. "It is short with reference to eternity."[74] How is the persecution carried on? In every way. "It includes persecution of the hand, of the tongue, and of the pen."[75][74] Ibid. [75] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 81. Revelation 12:14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.The two wings of the great eagle ... The great drama of persecution has here moved into its third phase: (1) It first raged against the woman before Christ was born. (2) It reached it bitterest and most intense malignity during the ministry of the Son of God. (3) It next fell upon the young church, the old Israel itself being a satanic instrument in this. The first outrages against the church were promulgated by the Jews. The church would sorely need the wings of the great eagle in order to flee from her foes. This figure of eagle's wings is an old one, God himself having used it in speaking of his deliverance of Israel from Egypt (Exodus 9:4), of which God said, "I have borne you on eagles' wings." Here the wings are given to the woman, and thus there is both a difference and a resemblance. "The strength of the earlier dispensation was a strength often used for, rather than in, the people of God; the strength of the latter is a strength in them."[76] There is a plain indication in this passage that the experiences of the church are the antitype of the escape of Israel from Pharaoh, "and her preservation in the wilderness."[77] The church also has her wilderness wanderings. "The typology seems to remind the people of the new covenant that, like the people of the old covenant, they are pilgrims having no settled home in the world."[78]Where she is nourished ... The manna and other marks of divine favor given to Israel in the wilderness are a pledge that God will also provide for his church. "The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). For a time, and times, and half a time ... This is the same period as the forty-two months (Revelation 11:2-3); and, "This is the whole period of the church's experience upon the earth."[79] "These forty-two months may contain an allusion to the forty-two stations of the wilderness wanderings (Numbers 33:5 f)."[80] The historicist interpreters limit this period to 1,260 years after the rise of the papacy, and extending to the days of Martin Luther.[81] As stated repeatedly, we do not despise this method of interpretation, because there very definitely are very startling suggestions of the things held to be prophesied here; but our preference for another view is inherent in the evident purpose of Revelation to encourage Christians; and it could have been no encouragement at all for the suffering saints of the first century to be told that the Lord would start nourishing the church in her wilderness some four or five centuries after they lived. [76] W. Boyd Carpenter, Ellicott's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 595. [77] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 314. [78] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 205. [79] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 88. [80] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 164 [81] John T. Hinds, A Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), p. 185. Revelation 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the steam.Water as a river ... This flood is thought to represent "overwhelming misfortune, every form of destructive and bitter persecutions,"[82] "all manner of delusions,"[83] etc. Caird thought the river is "the river of lies which the serpent spewed out of his mouth."[84] The fact of the serpent's mouth being mentioned here as the source of the river, and also the fact of his original deception of Eve with a base lie suggest that the river is indeed a great and never-ending stream of vicious and delusive lies. In ancient times, it was the lies of the Gnostics and various delusive heresies that rose from within the historical church herself; but the old serpent's falsehood business is a prolific and prosperous as ever. It is not difficult to cite examples. Lenski cited evolution; Pieters named: Ebionism, Gnosticism, Manichaeism, Montanism, Arianism, and Pelagianism from early centuries, and Romanism, Socinianism, Unitarianism, Modernism, Russellism, Christian Science, Spiritualism, etc., from later and present times.[85]For ourselves, we shall add Solifidianism, Materialism, Communism, and Humanism. [82] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 314. [83] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 384. [84] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 159. [85] Albertus Pieters, op. cit., p. 165. Revelation 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.Earth helped the woman ... swallowed up the river ... There are two different interpretations of this: (1) Beasley-Murray illustrated this with Judges 5:20, where it is said that, "The stars in their courses fought against Sisera," also citing the case of the waters of the Red Sea withdrawing and enabling Israel to escape from Pharaoh.[86] Barclay also took a very similar view thus: Nature itself is on the side of the man who is faithful to Jesus Christ. As Froude the historian pointed out, in the world there is a moral order; and, in the long run, it is well with the good and with the wicked.[87]It cannot be denied that in nature itself there are many providences that "help the woman." (2) A second view was expressed by Cox. When Christ's disciples are of the world, the world loves its own (John 15:19). When the church's tone and life are lowered by yielding to the influences of the world, the earth itself is ready to hasten to her side.[88]While this is true enough, it is not clear how such a thing would be called a "help" to the woman, except indirectly through providing a less hostile atmosphere for the true Christians resisting worldly influences. Perhaps we should leave the "how" of this with the Lord. "What is certain is that the church is preserved in a wonderful and even miraculous way from the efforts of Satan."[89][86] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 206. [87] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 86. [88] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 82. [89] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 314. Revelation 12:17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus:And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman ... What is meant here is not an intensification of Satan's wrath, but an extension of it. Progressively, Satan had persecuted Israel (the woman) before Christ was born, and then the Christ himself, upon whom the fullest anger and hatred of the devil reached its most intense and bitter climax on the cross; and, at this point, his wrath was directed to the destruction of the infant church, a project inherent in the activity both of Saul of Tarsus and of Herod Agrippa II; but when the church fled into the wilderness (the scattering that arose upon the martyrdom of Stephen), Satan extended and continued his persecution of God's people, called here "the rest of her seed," and meaning the Christians of all ages. The rest of her seed ... This suggests Galatians 3:16; Galatians 3:29, where Paul spoke of all Christians as "the seed of Abraham." Thus the woman is both the old Israel and the new Israel, but in both cases, only the true Israel. "The rest means the whole body of Christians, not merely those who are contrasted with the church in Jerusalem."[90] "The church is every believer's mother. She precedes us and brings us forth as her seed."[91] The signal to Christians in this is that satanic hatred, persecution and violence are to be expected throughout the whole life of the church on earth. That keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus ... This makes a distinction between the false and the true Christian. The world indeed may love "and help" the church in the person of its weak and compromising members (as in view 2, above); but those who really honor the word of God and the testimony of Jesus shall suffer persecution. "These are the true members of the body, not merely worldly professors."[92]Revelation 13:1 a, and "I stood upon the sand of the sea." (KJV) Rist was of the opinion that the RSV should be followed here (also our own version the ASV); but we have followed the KJV for the sake of the following comments. The reading "He" stood upon the sand of the sea gives the meaning that, "the dragon is summoning help from the sea, and is going to give up his authority to the beast that comes up out of its depths."[93] In this chapter, Satan, the great enemy of mankind, depicted here as the dragon, has been introduced; but he will appear repeatedly in several different guises in the subsequent chapters of this prophecy. This picture of the dragon halting on the seashore to call his terrible ally is one of the highest interest, and forms a real feature of Revelation. The student must not think of the sea as calm and peaceful, but as restless and troubled (It is a symbol of earth's populations).[94][90] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 630. [91] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 386. [92] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 90. [93] Martin Rist, op. cit., p. 459. [94] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 90. Commentary on Revelation 12:13-17 by Manly Luscombe13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. The dragon sees that he has lost his spiritual battle. Since he tried over and over to prevent Christ from coming, and failed. He tried to prevent the preaching of the gospel by killing Christ, and failed to keep him in the grave. Satan’ s only recourse is to persecute the church. There is a human parallel here. When the dog bites you, you kick the cat. Sometimes we will be angry at something our boss does at work, and we take out our frustration on our spouse or children. Satan is angry with Christ and is kicking the church. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. The church in under the care and protection of God. Similar to Elijah by the brook, or the children of Israel in the wilderness, God will take care of His own. This verse is similar to verse 6. The church is given two wings (two showing strength; wings of eagles demonstrate the ease of escape) and is able to fly into the wilderness. God cares for the church during this “ time and times and half a time” (3 ½ times). It should be clear that these terms are used interchangeably. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. Satan is at work seeking to persecute and destroy the church. One of his methods of destroying the church is the use of the flood from his mouth. The Word of God is the water of life. The water from the mouth of Satan, the deceiver and liar, must be false teachings, lies and deceptions. Satan can harm the church by getting Christians to argue over false teachings that would lead some astray. When we argue, fuss, and disagree with each other, we are NOT taking Christ to the world. Satan wins. When we are feuding with each other over issues like: 1. One cup vs. individual communion cups. 2. Eating in the church building, having social occasions like a wedding or funeral in the building, having a kitchen or fellowship area. 3. How to care for orphans - church support of an organization. 4. Churches cooperating in works like evangelism on TV. Jesus said it very clearly in John 13:35. If we love one another, if we are united, Satan is helpless. If we are fussing, feuding, arguing with each other, Satan is delighted. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. In some way the earth (dwelling place of Satan) is helping the church. How does this happen? I believe that this means that there are people, though not Christians, who are doing things to make the existence and survival of the church easier. For example, some denominational people, have not obeyed the gospel fully, but believe and teach some parts of the gospel message. Many denominational preachers have preached many moral truths. They have preached the message of the love of God, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. There are many teaching the inspiration of the Bible. All of these people make our preaching the truth easier. They are helping us, even though they are of the earth (not Christians). 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Satan is angry. He feels he is losing control. He is venting his anger at the church. “ The rest of her offspring (seed)” is defined as Christians. Jesus was the seed of Abraham. (Galatians 3:16) Christians are the seed of Abraham. (Galatians 3:29) As Christians, we are the rest of the offspring. Paul taught Timothy, who taught others, who passed it on to others, who are able to teach others. (2 Timothy 2:2) This was God’ s plan as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19-20. Teach the converts all things that Jesus commanded. If you keep the commandments, you are the object of Satan’ s wrath. If you are faithful in the testimony of Jesus Christ, you are the object of Satan’ s wrath. In 2 Timothy 3:12 is a warning that the godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Sermon on Revelation 12:1-17 The Dragon Brent Kercheville We were told in Revelation 10:11 that John still had to prophesy about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. Now that the fall of the Jewish nation has been detailed in Revelation 11, our attention is turned to the next object of God’ s judgment. Curiously, many of our brethren see chapters 12-19 as a recapitulation of the events we have read about in chapters 6-11. That is, if the author sees Rome destroyed in chapter 11, then chapters 12-19 are about the fall of Rome from a different perspective. Similarly, if the author sees Jerusalem destroyed in chapter 11, then chapters 12-19 are about the fall of Jerusalem from a different perspective. I believe the book of Revelation is moving forward in prophecy rather than restating that which was already predicted in the earlier chapters of the book. The prophecy about many people and nations is beginning in chapter 12. The Woman (Revelation 12:1-2) A new sign is given for John to see. A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She is pregnant and experiencing labor pains. The imagery pictures her as a glorious woman. She has been given authority and honor as seen with the crown of twelve stars and the moon under her feet. The important image to identify this woman is found in the description of her labor pains. This is a prophetic image found in a few places in the Old Testament. Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain seized you like a woman in labor? 10 Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. (Micah 4:9-10 ESV) Micah prophesies that Israel will go into Babylonian captivity in severe pain like a woman in labor. But there they will be rescued and redeemed. The picture is of suffering bringing about a remnant, God’ s spiritual nation, that God will rescue and redeem. Micah continued this imagery a few verses later in his prophecy. But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. (Micah 5:2-4 ESV) Micah says that the suffering of the nation will continue until the remnant brings about the birth of the Messiah. This was a prophecy of hope. The Messiah will come and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord. You will recognize the birthplace of the Messiah predicted, the small town of Bethlehem. The labor pains were a prediction of the suffering of the physical nation of Israel which would result in the purifying of the people so that God would have his remnant. The remnant would be people through whom the Christ would come. The Dragon (Revelation 12:3-4) The next sign given in Revelation 12 is a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns. On the seven heads were seven diadems. The horns are a symbol of power and the crowns are a representation of authority. The seven heads and ten horns picture a terrifying image of great power, authority, knowledge, and strength. It is worth noting that the word “ diadems” (a transliteration of the Greek word diadema) can only be found in Revelation and in no other book in the New Testament. It is a different word than the crown (stephanos) we read the woman having in Revelation 12:1. The distinction between the word “ crown” and “diadem” is that the crown represents a permanent victory, while the diadem represents a ruling authority and power. This great power is shown in verse 4 where the dragon is able to sweep down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. The sweeping of the stars is a display of the dragon’ s great authority. Stars frequently represent nations and kings. The dragon has some power over the nations and kings of the earth. Verse 9 makes clear who the dragon represents. The dragon is that ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan. He is the deceiver of the whole world. Verse 4 reveals that Satan is awaiting for the birth of the Christ so as to destroy him. The Child (Revelation 12:5-6) Revelation 12:5 confirms our interpretation of these symbols using language reserved for the Messiah. The child is the “ one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.” This is a reference to the messianic prophecy in Psalms 2:9. I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “ You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’ s vessel.” (Psalms 2:7-9 ESV) We will see Christ later in the book of Revelation ruling with a rod of iron. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. (Revelation 19:15 ESV) The dragon (Satan) is attempting to devour the child (Christ). However, the Christ is born and caught up to God and to his throne. Satan attempts to kill the Christ, but Christ is raised from the dead and ascends to the Father. The woman (the remnant) flees for protection in a place prepared by God. The spiritual nation, the true people of God, are preserved for 1260 days. We learned in Revelation 11 that 1260 days is the same as 42 months, which is the same as a time, times, and half a time. This is referring to a limited period of distress, persecution, and tribulation. The people of God are under attack by Satan, but they are spiritually secure. Satan Cast Down (Revelation 12:7-12) A battle is described occurring in heaven. Michael and his angels are fighting the dragon and his angels. The dragon was defeated and thrown down to the earth along with his angels. A battle occurred and Satan lost. What event is this referring to? For help, let us turn to the words of Jesus while he was on the earth. “ Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘ Father, save me from this hour’ ? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “ I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “ An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “ This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. (John 12:27-33 ESV) Jesus said that Satan would be cast out when he died and rose from the dead. Jesus is picturing the victory he is about to achieve. He will draw all people to himself as he is glorified on the cross. The heavenly counterpart to Christ’ s victory on the cross and at his resurrection are described in Revelation 12:7-9. I do not think we should start reading this as a literal activity of Satan living in heaven but now lives on the earth. Rather, the symbolism continues. Christ has dealt a blow to Satan with his death and resurrection. Satan has been defeated. Satan’ s plans have been thwarted. All that Satan has left to do is battle the people of God on the earth. The battle against Christ, the heavenly battle, was lost. The effect of Christ’ s victory on the cross over Satan and sin is declared in verse 10. Salvation has come. Power has come. The kingdom has come. The authority of Christ has come. The accuser has been thrown down. Christ has shown his power. Christ has exercised his authority in his victory on the cross. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection salvation has come and Christ is exercising his rule in his kingdom. No longer can Satan accuse us because of Christ’ s redemptive work on the cross. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1 ESV) Who shall bring any charge against God’ s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died— more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:33-34 ESV) The effect of this expulsion from heaven will be illustrated in Revelation 20:1-3. The ultimate meaning of Christ’ s victory over Satan will be graphically revealed to us in Revelation 20. The people of God through Christ are victorious (Revelation 12:11). Notice the wording in Revelation 12:11. Who conquered Satan? “ They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” Here is a picture of those who conquer Satan. We conquer because of the blood of the Lamb. We needed his redemptive work on the cross so that we can defeat Satan. Further, we conquer by the word of our testimony. We are those who overcome when we proclaim this good news to the world. Through all things, the people of God must be faithful, testifying and confessing Jesus, even to the point of death. The conquerers do not love their lives. They love Jesus and will give their lives for him. Revelation 12:12 tells us that there is cause for rejoicing because of our status in Christ. But woe to the earth because Satan is enraged and he knows his time his short. Satan is not done. But his time is short. Satan’ s Attack (Revelation 12:13-17) Because Satan’ s plan has been thwarted to destroy the Christ, Satan turns his attention to the woman. We were told back in verse 6 that the woman would flee to the wilderness for protection during these tribulation times. Revelation 12:13 picks back up on that thought after noting the effect of Christ’ s victory over Satan. Satan looks to attack the faithful remnant that brought about the Christ. However, the woman was given two wings of the great eagle to fly to wilderness for protection for a time, times, and half a time. Being carried on eagles’ wings into the wilderness is a reference to how God delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery into the wilderness to Mount Sinai. You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. (Exodus 19:4 ESV) It is also a picture of comfortand security to the remnant, the spiritual Israel. But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 ESV) Flood waters are used to describe persecution. David used language like this when Saul was trying to kill him. The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me. (Psalms 18:4) David uses a torrent of water to describe the persecution. Then he uses waters to describe his deliverance. He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. (Psalms 18:16) Therefore, Satan does not give up even though the remnant are protected. Satan will try to destroy the true people of God. But verse 16 shows that he will fail in that effort. Revelation 12:17 shows that this failure enrages Satan all the more. Satan turns his attention to the rest of her offspring to make war with them. We are told who the rest of the offspring are. “ Those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” This gives us a time frame for what is going on in this chapter. The woman represented the remnant of Israel who were spiritually true to the Lord and brought about the child, the Christ. The woman is attacked by Satan but is preserved. The woman is still the first century remnant who are enduring tribulation but are spiritually secure. All that is left is for Satan to take his attack to the future. He is going to make war with the rest of her offspring. Satan is going to turn his attention to the church. This is what we are going to read about in chapter 13. Chapter 13 is going to show us how Satan is going to take his attack to the church in the future. Satan was unsuccessful in defeating Christ and unsuccessful in extinguishing the remnant. Satan now attacks the church, those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. More persecutions are to come. Lessons 1. The victory we have in Christ (Revelation 12:10-11) 2. The call for faithfulness (Revelation 12:11). Do not love your lives even to death. LESSON 17.THE WOMAN AND THE DRAGONRead Revelation 12 1. Describe the woman arrayed with the sun. Ans. Revelation 12:1-2.2. Describe the great red dragon. Ans. Revelation 12:3.3. How did the dragon cast down a third part of the stars? Ans. Revelation 12:4.4. Why did he stand before the woman? Ans. Revelation 12:4.5. Who was born of the woman? Ans. Revelation 12:5.6. How was the child saved from the dragon? Ans. Revelation 12:5.7. Where did the woman flee? Ans. Revelation 12:6.8. How long was she nourished there? Ans. Revelation 12:6.9. Between whom was there war in heaven? Ans. Revelation 12:7.10. Who was victorious in this conflict? Ans. Revelation 12:8-9.11. To what place were the dragon and his angels cast down? Ans. Revelation 12:9.12. Give four other names applied to the dragon. Ans. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 13:1-10 5. THE BEAST FROM THE SEA Rev_13:1-10 1 and he stood upon the sand of the sea.--This means that the dragon (Satan) stood upon the seashore ready to call the beast up from the sea. The King James Version says, "I stood," which would mean that John's position was or appeared to be by the sea when he saw the beast arise. Either view might be the correct one; hence, an immaterial matter. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy.--Chapter 12 presents the warfare which the dragon waged against the woman--that is, Satan's efforts to destroy the church; for verse 9 definitely declares the dragon to be the "Devil and Satan." In the two "beasts" of chapter 13 we have an explanation of how Satan waged his war against the church, they being the agencies through which the work was done. That the word "beast" means a wild or ferocious animal is clear both from the description and the things it was to do. This, it must be remembered, is only what John saw in the vision; it represents some institution whose destructive and deadly power would be used against the church. This beast rose up out of the sea. Daniel saw four winds break upon the sea. (Daniel 7:3-4.) This means that the sea was lashed by stormwinds at the time. Revelation 17:15 says "The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." The sea, as John saw it, denotes troublous times when people were greatly disturbed. This is always the case when a nation rises on the ruins of others. So this beast is a symbol of a kingdom that would arise when peoples would be disturbed like the waves of the sea. In the symbol (Revelation 12:3) Satan himself is represented as a dragon with seven heads and ten horns; here the agency through which Satan operates appears as a terrible beast with seven heads and ten horns; the same beast is mentioned in Revelation 17:3 with a like description. In Revelation 17:9 we are told that "the seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth." If the word "mountains" here is taken literally, it would be plausible to say it refers to the seven hills upon which Rome was built. But the statement (verse 3) that one of the heads "had been smitten unto death" and the "death-stroke was healed" can hardly apply to literal mountains. Verse 9 also says, "Here is the mind that bath wisdom." It required no special wisdom to know that Rome was built upon seven hills. Isaiah 2:2 speaks of "the mountain of Jehovah's house" and of nations flowing into it. Daniel 2:35 says the "stone" that smote the image became "a great mountain." In these texts the word, "mountain" means God's kingdom ; in Revelation 17:9 it means forms of government in the Roman world. Verse 10 says, "and they are seven kings." Since kings and kingdoms are used synonymously by Daniel (8 :17, 23), this might mean that the heads represented seven kinds of rulers, or seven forms of government. This would he another reason why the seven heads could not he seven literal mountains The beast John saw had ten horns; so did the fourth beast of Daniel's vision. (Daniel 7:20.) If the fourth beast of Daniel's vision means Rome (the common view), then we have in the ten horns of both beasts another proof that the one John saw also symbolizes Rome. In describing the beast in Revelation 17:12 the ten horns are said to be "ten kings." This probably refers to subdivisions in the Roman Empire after its pagan form had been overthrown. As a symbolic number "tell," doubtless, indicates completeness, and may be used here to denote that Rome's rule was general rather than limited to exactly ten minor kingdoms. A fuller discussion of the seven heads and ten horns is reserved till we reach the seventeenth chapter where the same beast again comes into the record. Then also we will examine the diadem (crowns) upon the horns and the names of blasphemy upon the heads. 2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and great authority.--Since the first three beasts that Daniel saw (Daniel 7:4-7) were like a lion, a bear, and a leopard, and the fourth was an undescribed but "terrible" beast, then the first one that John saw must have been the same as Daniel's fourth. Being a composite emblem, it had parts to represent all three animals named by Daniel. As already mentioned, the beasts in Daniel's vision arose in succession. The fourth, therefore, resulted directly from those preceding and contained in its peculiar form the vital elements of all of them. Containing all the power represented by the three wild beasts made the Roman Empire the most "terrible" kingdom that had ever existed. As the church was established within its bounds, and was affected more by its power than any other world nation, it unquestionably must have been included in any symbolic history of the church. The symbols of Revelation must be interpreted in harmony with well-known historical facts. The fact that the first beast represents the Roman Empire will be further evident when we study the second beast described in verses 11-18. It should be noted that the text says that the dragon gave him his power, throne, and authority. The dragon is plainly declared to be the devil (12:9); hence, he is the real source of opposition to the church. Therefore, whatever the Roman Empire did against the kingdom of Christ, it did as an agent, medium, or instrumentality of the devil. Any opposition to Christ or his church must come in some way from Satan; those persecuting the church are his servants. 3 And I saw one of his heads as though it had been smitten unto death; and his deathstroke was healed: and the whole earth wondered after the beast; --In Revelation 17:10 it is said "and they are seven kings; the five are fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come." Whatever we may learn about this statement when we reach it, it is sufficient here to note that Rome was ruled by emperors in John's time. It was then a pagan empire. If this be what is meant by one of the heads (at least a plausible explanation), then that head receiving a death stroke means that that particular form of pagan Rome was killed. The most probable view here is that this part of the symbol was fulfilled when barbarian hordes from the north swept down upon the country and city and the empire came to an end in A.D. 476. This was begun by Alaric, king of the Goths, in A.D. 409 and finished by Odoacer at the date given. Thus ended the western part of pagan imperial Rome. The imperial form of government had received its deadly blow. When the church later became a fullfledged apostasy, there was a practical union of church and state, with the church exercising the supreme power. At this time political Rome revived as a persecuting power of the true church; but its power was exercised in a different way--it became the agent through which papal Rome (the apostate church) continued the persecutions. Rome as a secular power, doubtless, would have been consumed; permanently blotted out, like Babylon and Nineveh, had not the papacy healed her wounds by using her as the medium through which the true church was to be continually persecuted. It is an amazing thing that a persecuting power could receive such a blow and still survive in another form with its persecuting power unabated. It is no surprise that the whole world wondered after the beast. 4 and they worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast; --This is the language of John, and he means that when the people were astonished by what the beast did and worshiped him, they were worshiping the dragon--that is, they worshiped the devil whether they knew it or not. This was necessarily the case, for Satan gave the beast its power through pagan Rome as his agent; or, pagan Rome gave papal Rome its power. and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? and who is able to war with him?--The power of Rome under the papacy was such that the people ascribed to it supreme authority. This they did by asking questions which meant that there was none like the beast or able to make war against him. This was nothing less than ascribing divine power to him. This is the way secular rulers of that time considered themselves, and such adulation was pleasing to them. Doubtless they made every effort to cultivate such sentiments in the hearts of the people. The power of political rulers under the domination of papal authority made their influence irresistible. Under such a system there could he neither political nor religious freedom. A power so unlimited had just the effect here indicated; ignorant people were ready to ascribe it to a supreme being. 5 and there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; --Nothing is said about who gave the beast such a mouth, but the natural presumption is that it was the dragon, the symbol of the devil, for in verse 2 we are told that he gave the beast his power and authority. Such secular rulers as the symbols here describe would naturally be proud, boastful, and ready to claim divine powers. This, of course, was blasphemous. This is also characteristic of the second beast which, it is here assumed for the time, represents papal Rome. But that both beasts should have this same characteristic is not surprising. Their close relationship and interlocking interests would naturally lead them to manifest the same traits. Each operated through the other so that what was true of one was also true of the other in some measure and there was given to him authority to continue forty and two months.--Forty and two months are three and one-half years or 1,260 days. Reasons why this period should be considered symbolically and indicate 1,260 years have already been given. See notes on 11:3, 4 and 12:14. This time was the same that the two witnesses (God's word) would testify "in sackcloth" and the woman (true church) would remain in obscurity in the wilderness. This coincides exactly with the time that the papal power (Roman Catholicism) was to exercise supreme sway. Since this text is describing the relationship of secular and papal Rome, each operating through the other, it is natural that the former should be represented as being given authority to continue forty-two months. In the combination of church and state each would continue the same length of time. 6 And he opened his mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, even them that dwell in the heaven.--This repeats substantially what was said in verse 5, adding that the beast was actually doing what he was given a mouth to do. By the arrogant claims of authority the name of God was blasphemed, for only God has such power as the beast presumed to exercise. By "tabernacle," which was the ancient place of God's worship, the symbol indicates that such arrogance as the beast manifested blasphemed the worship of God. "Them that dwell in the heaven" probably refers to those in the church or the true worshipers of God. The beast then blasphemed Cod's name, the church, and the worship. Nothing of a divine nature was free from corruption and perversion by a church-state combination. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them:--It was given to the beast to overcome the saints by the same one that taught him to blaspheme. That was the dragon or Satan. See notes on verse 2. This is the same thing Daniel saw in his vision. (Daniel 7:19-21.) However, Daniel represents this victorious power as being the little horn that came up among the ten horns in the fourth or Roman kingdom. Clearly this refers to the papacy, described as the second beast in Revelation 13. But we have already noted that secular Rome was largely the medium through which the apostate church operated; hence, what is ascribed to one may generally be ascribed to the other. Moreover, it may be true that, though two beasts appeared in John's visions, the main purpose was to reveal the war that the corrupt church would wage against the truth. This would justify applying to the means used anything the papacy did itself. That the saints were overcome to the extent that for the 1,260 years the church was unseen as an operative institution is a well-known historical fact. Specific instances of persecution against saints it is unnecessary to mention. and there was given to him authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.--This language was substantially fulfilled if the beast here means political Rome; for the empire exercised a general, if not a universal, sway over men. But if the reference is also indirectly to papal Rome, it is also fulfilled for the Catholic Church not only believed that it had the right to rule the world, but still believes it. Not only so, but during the 1.260-year period it practically exercised that authority. This text has to do with the beast's conduct during this period. 8 And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, every one whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain.--We are here told that all on the earth whose names are not in the book of life would worship the beast. This would be true indirectly, if the worship was rendered directly to the apostate church which is represented by the second beast. Of course, true saints did not worship the beast then and do not now. If only those whose names are not in the book of life worshiped him then those whose names are in that book did not worship him. The expression "written" in the book of life is figurative and means those who are saved and remembered as such by our divine Father. The words "from the foundation of the world," in the King James Version, modify the verb "slain"; in the Revised they modify "written." It is immaterial which, is the correct reading. If the latter, the terms upon which men are saved was predetermined; if the former, then Christ's death was predetermined. In either case God's purpose was so certain to take place that it was spoken of as if already done, on the principle that God calls "things that are not, as though they were." (Romans 4:17.) The Greek word for world--kosmos--means an "harmonious arrangement" of things, but in its use has a great variety of applications. The expression "from the foundation of the world" may be understood simply as "from the beginning." All the demands will be met by saying that after man sinned God purposed to save him through the death of his Son. Trying to make the words go further back involves the text in a difficulty for which man can offer no solution. The most natural explanations are probably the true ones. 9 If any man bath an ear, let him hear.--This means that those who are willing to be instructed should give heed to what had been said about the beast and the exhortation in the next verse. It was intended to encourage the saints in view of the dire misfortunes which the symbols had indicated would come upon them. 10 If any man is for captivity, into captivity he goeth: if any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed.--This is in perfect agreement with the words of Jesus: "For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." (Matthew 26:52.) This is a general statement that the history of the world has verified abundantly. It harmonizes with another general statement that "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Galatians 6:7.) Nations recognize the law that "whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." (Genesis 9:6.) Here John evidently intended to encourage the saints by assurance that the nation that would inflict all these calamities would in turn be led into captivity--rewarded as her acts deserved. That political Rome led nations into captivity and papal Rome persecuted Christians are facts fully sustained. In both the spirit of this verse has been completely fulfilled. That both must pay for their crimes is as certain as that God's word is true Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.--In the things here pictured is the world's greatest test of Christian faith. No one has ever been called to suffer more than fell to the lot of the saints under the persecutions that came to the true church during the period when papal Rome exercised supreme power in connection with the Roman Empire. Nothing but the strongest faith can meet such tests. Commentary on Revelation 13:1-10 by Foy E. Wallace THE Two BEASTS (Chapter 13) The vision of chapter twelve dramatized the enmity of the dragon for the woman--the church of Christ--and his determination in wrath to expand his war on the rest of the woman’ s seed to the whole of the Roman empire. It was for this reason that chapter thirteen begins with John’ s vision of the dragon placing himself on sands of the sea for the purpose of extending his war against the woman, whose seed was destined to destroy him, and in fury he had turned upon “ the rest of her seed” in persecuting them to extinction. (1) The composite beast of the sea—Revelation 13:1-2. 1. And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea—Revelation 13:1. Until this stage of vision the dragon’ s activities had been confined to Palestine, but now a beast rises out of the sea as the instrument by which to implement and to execute his diabolical plans. He summoned aid from Rome. The beast had seven heads and ten horns, and was the symbol of the great power of Rome. The ten horns represented the ten divisions of the Roman empire, the emperor of which was seated on a throne situated on the seven hills of Rome, the universal symbol of the imperial city. 2. Like a leopard . . . a bear . . . a lion—Revelation 13:2. In moral and political character the emperor was featured as a composite monster after the likenesses of the ferocious beasts of prey, the leopard, the bear and the lion. The ten crowns, or diadems, on the ten horns symbolized the royalty and rank that belonged to the ten kings of the tributary kingdoms, and the great universal power of the ten-kingdom empire. In addition to the ten-crowned horns, upon the heads of the beast the name of blasphemy was inscribed. This is a fitting description of Nero Caesar, in whom “ the Neronic anti-Christ was incarnated,” who assumed divine names and prerogatives, and commanded the worship of the emperor. 3. The dragon gave him great power, and his seat and his authority—Revelation 13:2. The world power of the Roman empire could not have been more accurately described. The visions are not symbolic of the city of Rome. There is no allusion to “ the eternal city.” The visions of Revelation were not a history of Rome, but within their symbols were included the graphic representations of the emperor and the empire. The Roman See--in Latin, a seat of power and authority-- was derived from the dragon, who gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. The dragon, therefore, was personified in the emperor of the Roman empire. Later, in verse 11, the second beast appeared on the land, as a satellite of the first beast, to execute his orders. The dragon gave the seat and the power and the authority to the first beast. The second beast of the land was said, in verse 4, to have worshipped the beast of the sea, The land beast represented the Palestinian persecutors, which were subordinate to the Roman emperor, having no authority, except as derived from him. The distinction between land and sea, in these designations of the two beasts, is simply that the land in the vision stood for Palestine, and the sea for Rome, separated from Palestine by the sea, and symbolized as universal in sway. (2) The wounded head of the beast—Revelation 13:3-4. 1. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast—Revelation 13:3. The wound inflicted was not in one of the horns of the beast, which represented the satellite kingdoms, but in one of the heads--in the seat of the empire itself. This wound, which was nearly a death stroke to the empire, appears to be the result of the help the earth gave to the woman in the civil wars which had threatened the power of the empire, and which resulted in temporary victory for the woman, the church. But it was not for long. The wound was healed by the power of the emperor conquering the rebellions and bringing to an end the civil wars, and the power of the empire was augmented to such an extent that all the world wondered after the beast--the whole Roman world marvelled at the universal power of the empire. 2. They worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?—Revelation 13:4. From this a dual pagan worship resulted. They worshipped both dragon and beast--that is, they worshipped one in the other. Thus, it becomes even more evident that the near death stroke to the empire was caused by the uprisings, rebellions and civil wars. But the empire survived the stroke, because the wound was healed when the insurrections and rebellions were conquered. This victory of the empire produced the pagan idolatry for the dragon and the beast, personified in the Roman emperor--hence, the worship of the emperor. (3) The blasphemies of the beast—Revelation 13:5-10. 1. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies—Revelation 13:5. With malignant satisfaction and gloating over the success of the conquests, the beast proclaimed an impious profanation against God-- to blaspheme his name. The emperor not only opposed God, or spake derogatorily of God, but he blasphemed--desecrated the name, Jehovah, which was held in the ultimate degree of reverence by the Hebrews: “ I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them” -- Exodus 6:3. This was God’ s name--my name, the text says, and was indicative of the attributes of eternal and immutable self-existence: I AM THAT I AM-- Exodus 3:14. It was this eternal and almighty name which was with arrogant imperial defiance blasphemed, assuming for himself the attributes and prerogatives of God and commanding the worship of the emperor by all the world.The Jehovah passage of Exo 6:3 is one of sublimity. It is God’ s own declaration of omnipotent majesty. Moses stood before Jehovah in awe, and all men should stand in His august presence now, and should so honor Him in prayer, “ Who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting.” Such sublime attributes forbid the lately modern forms of praying in degraded terms of familiarity with God--addressing God as if He were man, as one would address a human father. It is being said that to employ Thee and Thou in prayer is archaic and obsolete, and the sophisticated approach to God is to fling you into the face of his Divine Presence. But thee and thou are not obsolete in sacred literature, in poetry and in music. Shall the worshipper be more reverent in song than in prayer? These very proper words of address are current in sacred use in our literature, and are entirely literary in reverent character, and to replace Thee and Thou with you in songs of praise to God would be degrading to the “ psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” that we sing in “ making melody with the heart unto God” --and it is just that degrading to prayer. Try it on such songs as loch“ My Faith Looks Up To Thee, Thou Lamb Of Calvary” and “ How Great Thou Art, How Great Thou Art” --and feel the difference! And in the experiment, try reading the Lord’ s prayer of Joh 17:1-26 substituting the you for Thee and Thou--read it and wince! God is Jehovah, the great I AM, and to address Him in the common pronoun you is a degrading familiarity with God that is inexcusable. In prayer the reverent prostrated petitioner before His Throne should never talk down to God--prayer talks up to God. The Lord’ s command to call no man Father upon this earth prohibits addressing men as God, and it conversely forbids speaking to God as if He were man. The name Jehovah forbids familiarity. This humble writer could never bring himself to the point of addressing God in prayer in the common term you. “ And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” The descriptions by Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, of the sacrilegious assumption of divine exaltation by the emperor for himself, parallels the visional representations of the same thing by John in Revelation. The Thessalonian passage refers to “ that man of sin . . . the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” This passage as a reference to emperor Nero could not be made more obvious without actually calling his name; but for either Paul or John to mention the name of the living emperor in such connections would have accentuated the persecutions all over the empire--hence, the code language of these descriptions of verses 5 to 10. 2. And power was given unto him to continue forty and two months—Revelation 13:5. Here is the third repetition of the thousand two hundred and threescore days of chapters eleven and twelve; and, as previously commented, it embraces the exact mathematical period from the date of Nero’ s order to Vespasion for the invasion of Judea to the fall of Jerusalem. This was the period of time assigned to the emperorbeast for the accomplishment of the destruction of Jerusalem and the obliteration of the Jewish state. 3. To blaspheme his name, his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven—Revelation 13:6. The emperor’ s blasphemies of the name of God were extended to “ his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.” The tabernacle was the original name for the temple, and indicated the aim of the emperor to destroy it. The phrase “ them that dwell in heaven” referred to the Jewish authorities, and signified the emperor’ s purpose to bring to end the Jewish state. 4. It was given unto him to make war against the saints—Revelation 13:7. That power was given the devil to execute the mission; indicating again the identity of the dragon and the beast in the persecution of the church-the dragon being personified in the emperor. He was thus represented as giving power to the beast-emperor as his instrument for the persecution of the church, to overcome them by the siege and destruction of Jerusalem the sacred city and holy temple. The sweep of this diabolical power to exterminate extended beyond Jerusalem and Judea to all kindred, and tongues, and nations, and, after the destruction of Jerusalem the persecution spread over the whole empire. 5. And all that dwell upon the face of the earth shall worship him—Revelation 13:8. In all the places of the nations (the symbolic meaning of the earth) within the empire the worship of the emperor prevailed under imperial edict--except, the faithful saints. It is declared that all “ whose names are not written in the book of life” worshipped the emperor. But the saints who were “ faithful unto death” (Revelation 2:10) did have their “ names written in the book of life of the Lamb” ; and they resisted the imperial decree, but suffered tribulation rather than worship the beast. The reference made to the names not written in the book of the Lamb “ slain from the foundation of the world,” has been misused to support the doctrine of election and reprobation-- the elect and non-elect. But the contextual meaning is twofold: first, that God’ s plan from the beginning included the slain Lamb, as all of the altars and types of the old dispensation symbolized; second, that from the beginning God has cataloged in heaven a registry of the faithful names from the first patriarchal servant of the old dispensations to the last suffering saint in the church of the Lamb. 6. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saints.—Revelation 13:10. After the declaration concerning the eternal plan of the ages, verse nine added: “ If any man have an ear, let him hear.” This was a note calling solemn attention to the divine pronouncement of verse ten. This significant statement was both a note of warning and a word of consolation: first, a warning that retribution would be administered to the persecutors who incarcerated in prison and killed with the sword the saints-they would suffer the vengeance of God, and experience the same evils which they inflicted on his church; it was the admonition to all of the churches that all who exercised the patience and faith, though they faced captivity and sword during the period of the dragon’ s rage, would ultimately have the reward-that promise which permeates the Revelation from John’ s signatory on Patmos, “ your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ,” to the last note of comfort in the apocalypse, “ He that testifieth these things saith, surely I come quickly.” Herein was “ the patience and comfort of the saints,” pausing for decision at the very threshold of prison and sword. In these words of the vision John called all the saints in the empire to courage and resignation in the face of imperial violence. Commentary on Revelation 13:1-10 by Walter Scott THE FIRST BEAST(Revelation 13:1-10) REVIVAL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRERev_13:1 — “And I stood upon the sand of the sea.” Some read: “he stood.” If the former reading be adopted, then the reference is to the Seer, but if the latter, then the dragon is meant. Hengstenberg remarks, “ One cannot decide on external grounds between the two readings.” Authorities are divided. But a careful study of the context shows conclusively that it is the Seer and not the dragon that “ stood upon the sand of the sea.” (The Revised Version reads, the dragon “ went away to make war.” How inconsistent with the next notice of him, “ he stood upon the sand of the sea!” Just as the Hebrew prophet by the river Ulai beheld the rise of the Persian and Grecian empires their conflicts and history (Daniel 8:1-27), so the christian seer on the sand of the sea beheld the reappearance of the fourth Beast — Rome in imperial splendour emerging out of the wild and tumultuous forces of a revolutionary crisis.) The apocalyptic prophet always takes his place or stand as a point of observation in keeping with the subject on hand. Thus Heaven (Revelation 4:1-11. l), the sand of the sea (Revelation 13:1), the wilderness (Revelation 17:3), and a high mountain (Revelation 21:10) are respective points of view from which he can contemplate the various panoramic visions as they pass before his gaze.Revelation 13:1 — “The sand of the sea” on which the Seer stood denotes vast multitudes of people (Revelation 20:8). The symbol is common enough as thus employed in all literature. The sand directs attention to the countless masses of mankind, while the sea as a symbol speaks of the wild and revolutionary forces and principles at work amongst them. In other words, the mass of the human race is here indicated as in a state of unrest and turmoil. In this state of things the Seer takes his stand, and “ saw a beast rising out of the sea.”This Beast is without doubt the ancient Roman empire reappearing upon the prophetic scene. It arose in a similar way to the three preceding empires. “ Four great beasts came up from the sea” (Daniel 7:3); that is, out of the unsettled, restless masses of mankind. The four universal empires, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome are represented both as metals (Daniel 2:1-49) and beasts (Daniel 7:1-28), and not only in the rise and initial stages of their history but at the end they are there when the Lord comes. (The prophet takes no account of the break up and non-existent Roman power for many centuries. John shows its revival.) The first three powers, (The first will not exist territorially, but will be found merged in her characteristics in the fourth. Babylon is doomed never to rise as a temporal power (Jeremiah 51:63-64).) shorn of their strength, are at the end merely existing, but the fourth (the Roman) will be, as in the past, the dominant power on earth. Rome originally rose out of the throes of revolution and anarchy. The city was built shortly before the ten tribes were taken captive to Assyria. The many omens and legends connected with the birth of Rome all pointed to its future greatness. But while Daniel 7:3; Daniel 7:7 refers to the historical rise of the empire, 753 B.C., the Seer in Revelation 13:1 points to its future reappearance. For more than fourteen hundred years the western Roman empire has ceased to exist, (Rome fell A.D. 476. The last who bore the imperial crown was named Romulus Augustus, a young and feeble ruler. The former name recalled to memory the founder of the empire, whilst the latter that of the first of the imperial line) but its future revival is unquestionable, and it is to this that the first verse of our chapter refers. Whether the empire is in existence or only being formed during the time of the Seal-judgments we have no means of ascertaining. It may be that out of the general collapse of all governing authority under the sixth Seal (Revelation 6:12-17) the Beast emerges. The earlier martyrs (Revelation 6:9-11) are not slain under the persecution of the Beast, but are to wait until they were joined by those subsequently slain, showing that the Beast is not on the scene, at least not active, during the time covered by the Seals.THE BEAST OUT OF THE SEA, AND OUT OF THE ABYSS.The Beast then is here first viewed in its historical revival “ out of the sea.” But it is said also “ to come up out of the abyss” (Revelation 17:8, R.V.). Both are future. The empire is to exist for seven years, but when it comes up at first it will do so out of a political and social chaos, while in its last and final stage its diabolic origin and character are intimated. The sea refers to its future historical rise, the abyss to its state under satanic power. This latter aspect of the empire dates from the casting down of Satan in “ the midst of the week.” Satanic character and action characterize it during the last period of its existence, three years and a half.THE HORNS AND HEADS OF THE BEAST.Revelation 13:1 — Then the Beast is described as having “ten horns and seven heads, and upon his horns ten diadems.” The mention of the horns precedes that of the heads (see R.V.). In the Authorized Version they are named in inverse order. But in Revelation 12:3; Revelation 17:3 we find the heads first, then the horns. Probably the reason why the horns in our text are named before the heads is that the Beast’ s historical appearance when revived is in a ten-kingdom form. Attention is thus called to this new and hitherto unknown feature of the empire. The diadems are on the heads of the dragon (Revelation 12:3); here they are seen on the horns of the Beast. In the former seven diadems; in the latter ten. We should read diadems, not crowns. The former denotes despotic power, the latter constitutional monarchy. Now these ten crowned horns are ten kings (Revelation 17:12). There will be witnessed soon ten distinct kingdoms in western Europe. It would be the merest guess-work to enumerate them or allocate exactly their territorial limits, but their identification will be simple enough when God in His providential arrangements brings them into view. In the history of the empire it never had this character. When it ceased to exist, then numerous kingdoms and petty states were formed, fragments of the one vast colossal empire with its one despotic head. But when revived ten kingdoms will be formed within its territorial limits. These ten kings, tired, we suppose, of continued international jealousies and quarrels, “ have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the Beast” (Revelation 17:13). There shall then be but one ruler over the empire, the “ little horn” of Daniel 7:1-28, the Roman prince who makes a covenant with the apostate nation for seven years (Daniel 9:27), breaks it in the midst of the period, and finally perishes at the Coming of the Lord in judgment (Revelation 19:20).NAMES OF .Revelation 13:1 — Another and more awful feature is added, “upon his heads names of blasphemy.” To a careless observer the empire in its vast strength and territorial extent would be most striking, but to a reflecting mind its blasphemous character as displayed in its heads, its governing authority, is an awful sight to contemplate. The seven heads on the Beast represent, not successive forms of rule, as in Revelation 17:10, but the fulness and completeness of government with which the Beast is invested in its latter-day history. It is not simply the concentration of power signified by “ seven horns” (Revelation 5:6), but “ seven heads,” the fulness of intelligent government (Revelation 12:3).“ Upon his heads names of blasphemy.” (On the historical application the “ names of blasphemy” would be those impiously borne by the emperors, several of whom insisted that divine honours and worship should be paid them. Nero was saluted as “ the eternal one.” Caligula commanded that his image should be placed in the temple to be worshipped side by side with Jehovah. In fact the deification of the emperors was a standing law in Roman life. This awful feature was introduced on the accession of the Caesars to imperial dominion.) The profession of Christianity having been abandoned (2 Thessalonians 2:3), public, open blasphemy of God is the sad result. The Beast will openly defy God, and set himself in determined opposition to all who are His (v. 6). This is an entirely new feature of the empire, and one characterizing the last stage of its existence. Ancient Rome was heathen in character. We might reasonably have looked for those names (not name as in the A.V.) on the heads of the dragon, but no, they are on the Beast, for he it is who is to be the public witness of direct and flagrant opposition to God and His Anointed, and to all Heaven as well. Every form and character in which God could be dishonoured in the eyes of men are referred to in “names of blasphemy.” OF THE EMPIRE.Revelation 13:2. — But the Beast is further represented as “like to a leopard, and his feet as of a bear, and his mouth as a lion’ s mouth.” That is, the Beast, or imperial Rome, besides being marked by features peculiar to itself, combines and concentrates the main characteristics of the three preceding empires, “ absorbs them” as another has said. (“ All the ferocious and powerful beasts which Daniel (Daniel 7:3, seq.) has successively brought upon the scene of action as the representatives of different empires John has here combined in one monster. There is much of significancy in this. The Roman empire combined in itself all the elements of the terrible and the oppressive which had existed in the aggregate in the other great empires that preceded it; its extension too was equal to them all united. Hence the propriety of the composite symbol which unites the symbols of other empires in that of Rome, and thus makes the complex unity of the latter a most significant index of power and cruelty and extent of imperial dominion.” — Stuart on “ The Apocalypse,” page 638.) We turn to the Hebrew prophet for needful explanation as to these empires. The chapter is one connected prophecy given in vision to Daniel (Daniel 7:1-28), stretching from the advent of the conqueror of Judah to the seat of universal sovereignty, and on through the ages till the star of Judah is again in the ascendant; in other words, from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar to that of Christ as Son of Man. Now the first three empires are briefly described (Daniel 7:1-28); the Babylonian in verse four, the Medo-Persian in verse five, and the Grecian in verse six. The rest of the chapter is devoted in the main to the consideration of the fourth Beast, characterized but not named (v. 7). It will be observed that the Seer mentions the wild animals in the inverse order to that of the prophet. In Daniel the historical succession of the empires necessitates the mention first of the lion, the chosen symbol of Babylonian greatness. In Revelation 13:2 is first mentioned the leopard or third empire. Celerity of movement and sudden spring, so characteristic of the mighty Grecian, Alexander, are denoted by the leopard; the grasping, crushing tyranny of the Persians on their conquered provinces (on Judah perhaps excepted) is likened to the feet of a bear; while the terror inspired by the lion’ s roar, as also its ferocity in tearing to pieces its prey, are next spoken of. These characteristics of a bestial nature are here seen combined and embodied in the fourth Beast of Dan 7:1-28, the revived Roman dominion.THE DRAGON AND THE BEAST.Revelation 13:2. — “And the dragon gave to him his power, and his throne and great authority.” The Beast, in whom are combined the distinguishing features and characteristics of its predecessors, as well as their sovereignty, is thus a fitting instrument through which the dragon can work. Thus not only is the Beast the inheritor of the worldwide dominion directly bestowed upon Nebuchadnezzar, but he also represents the dragon in cruelty and brute force in the world. The subtlety of the serpent is expressed in the second Beast (v. 11). Satanic power from the abyss, Satan’ s own throne (“Seat” read throne; also In Revelation 4:1-11 read thrones, not “seats.” Royal position is in view in both passages. Seats suppose a private station in life, thrones a royal one.) in the midst of a God-defying scene, and unlimited authority on the earth make up the awful picture here presented. Christ refused the sovereignty of the world from Satan (Luke 4:5; Luke 4:8); here is one who accepts it. It only remains to add that the period referred to when the dragon gives his throne and authority to the Beast is the time and occasion when the Beast ascends out of the abyss (Revelation 17:8), consequent upon Satan’ s expulsion from Heaven.The satanic character and history of the empire covers the most interesting and solemn crisis in the world’ s future — the three years and a half preceding the Lord’ s Advent in glory. At the close of this period, the seventieth week of Daniel, the Beast and his coadjutor in evil go “ into perdition,” i.e., the lake of fire. The two Beasts of our chapter are in the end seen to be two devil-inspired men. These chiefs of the apostasies in the closing days are consigned alive to their eternal doom (Revelation 19:20).THE DEATH AND OF THE BEAST A WONDER.Revelation 13:3. — “ And one of his heads (was) as slain to death, and his wound of death had been healed; and the whole earth wondered after the beast.” Here we have the political death and resurrection of the Beast. The wounded head and the Beast are evidently identified. It was the Beast in its imperial head that was slain. The empire ceased to exist A.D. 476. The world-wide dominion of the Caesars has lain in the iron grip of political death from that date till now. But God in His providence will call the empire again into being, out of a scene of revolutionary passion and conflict, like that out of which the empire of the first Napoleon arose — out of the sea (Revelation 13:1). “ His wound of death had been healed.” The Seer views it as an accomplished fact, referring, we take it, to the statement in verse 1. But his resurrection, as also his presentation to the world, is connected with his satanic revival in the midst of the week (Daniel 9:27). The historical rise and continuance of the Beast precedes, or at least is coincident with, the seven years’ treaty with Judah. The satanic revival (Revelation 13:2; Revelation 17:8) is in the last half of that prophetic week of seven years. “ The whole earth wondered after the beast.” The Beast will present a picture hitherto unknown and unseen, one unexampled in the history of the race. A human power endowed with satanic energy, openly defying God, and invested with the royal power and world-wide authority of Satan will engage the rapt gaze of the whole earth. It will marvel at the sight. We see no reason to limit the phrase “ the whole earth.” The revival of the empire must be a matter of interest to all embraced within its range and influence. The authority of the dragon and his far-reaching influence go beyond the geographical limits of the ten kingdoms. The Beast to whom Satan delegates his authority exercises a commanding influence all over the earth, reaching even to the limits of heathendom.WORSHIP OF THE DRAGON AND THE BEAST.Revelation 13:4. — “And they worshipped the dragon, because he gave the authority to the Beast; and they worshipped the Beast, saying, Who (is) like the Beast? and who can war with him? ” Here God is set aside, and the dragon usurps His place. Not the Creator, but Satan becomes the object of universal worship. Mere profession is worthless in that awful day. Reality alone can avail in a scene wholly given up to Satan. Only those whose names have been written in the Lamb’ s book, or, in other words, the elect (v. 8), can confront Satan in the hour of his apparent triumph. In the eyes of men the dragon has just done what it was supposed God alone could do, given supreme authority to the Beast; on that account divine honours are paid to him. But the Beast also is worshipped. The wonder which, with super-human features added, his reappearance in the scene of history arouses is succeeded by worship. Both the astonishment and the worship are universal, the latter in character and extent exceeding anything ever before witnessed in Rome. Spiritualism, which has been making gigantic strides of late years, is working for one definite object, the worship of the devil. In Europe and America devil-worship is largely practiced. In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 we learn that the man of sin, who is identical with the second Beast of our chapter, is also worshipped. What horrible blasphemy! What a mockery and parody of Christianity! Not the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but triune devil-worship: the dragon, the Beast, and the man of sin. And is this what christian (?) England is coming to? The higher critics are doing their best under the influence of Satan to hand over Christendom to the devil, and they are making rapid progress in that direction. “ Who is like the Beast? and who can make war with him?” (In this proud and defiant challenge the claim of omnipotence is advanced. Beyond all power which has ever appeared on earth the Beast stands forth as acting directly in the super-human power of the dragon — a power which spares not and knows no pity.) intimate that his power and war-like prowess are the dazzling qualities which win the admiration of the world, and hence the homage due to his exalted position, but not worship is the special point here. We think, however, more is implied, and that divine honors shall be paid to the personal head of the restored empire; to effect which is the work of the second Beast (Revelation 13:12-15).THE , , -WIDE OF THE BEAST. Revelation 13:5-7. — “And there was given him a mouth, speaking great things and blasphemies; and there was given him authority to pursue his career forty-two months. And he opened his mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His Name and His tabernacle, and those who have their tabernacle in the Heaven. And there was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and there was given to him authority over every tribe, and people, and tongue, and nation.” Interwoven in the very texture of the dark account here furnished of satanic wickedness and human arrogance is a ray of consolation to God’ s beloved saints (now and then) in the frequency of the expression “ given him.” Behind the Beast there lies the hidden yet omnipotent power of Jehovah. Satan has no power in himself. All power is of God. Its individual and governmental exercise is another matter, and for that all are responsible, even the devil himself. The power which lashed the Sea of Galilee into fury and tempest in order to sink the vessel which contained the richest freight that ever sailed, Christ and His disciples, had its source in the divine Sleeper reposing in the hinder part of the ship. Satan for the moment was granted authority over the elements of nature to demonstrate to us that his power, as also its continuance, is controlled and checked by God at His will and pleasure (Matthew 8:23-27). In the pride of his heart the Beast boasts and blasphemes. Who he is and what he has done constitute, no doubt, the sum of the “ great things” spoken, and added to this are the significant words “ and blasphemes.” God, and all His in earth and Heaven, are openly railed upon, and spoken against in words not recorded, but bitter enough surely, as the expression of an apostate heart inspired by the devil.Once again we meet with the duration of incarnate satanic power on the earth. “ There was given him authority to pursue his career forty-two months.” Observe that it is not the existence of the Beast or empire simply as such that is affirmed in our text, but that great crisis in its history when Satan takes possession of it forty-two months, or three years and a half previous to its final destruction. It is during this time that the Beast pursues his career of blasphemy and violence under the direct influence of the dragon. The continuance of the empire from its rise (Revelation 13:1) till its final destruction by the Lord in Person at His Advent in glory (Revelation 19:19-21) covers at least the whole of the last week of prophecy (Daniel 9:1-27). Its revival out of the abyss is in the midst of the week, and from thence we date its satanic career of forty-two months.Then God and His tabernacle and the dwellers in Heaven are the subjects of satanic blasphemy. Words, bold and bad, are uttered. What is said we know not, but we may be sure that the utmost of undying hatred to God which the malice of the dragon can suggest is publicly and loudly expressed. Probably, too, the blasphemy may take the additional character of contempt and mockery in image and representation of divine subjects. Then the saints on earth standing for the rights of God against the dragon and his satellites are given over to the power of the Beast. The saints in these times are not of the character of the seven thousand negative witnesses in the time of the prophet. They are all Elijahs, bold and uncompromising in their testimony. The Beast is allowed to wreak his vengeance on the saints “ to overcome them.” See also Revelation 11:7-8, which, however, is confined to Jerusalem. Whatever may be the territorial extent of the empire in the future, the authority of the Beast seems unlimited in its range and extent, as it embraces “ every tribe, and people, and tongue, and nation” — the four divisions of the human race. Thus we find a gathering to Jerusalem of people from all parts of the earth in association with the Beast in the murder of Jewish saints (Revelation 11:9). Countries and peoples outside the Roman empire will yet be found under its powerful influence and authority. The Beast and the woman (Babylon) are in closest connection, but, besides, there are other nations in external relation to the Beast over whom he exercises authority (Revelation 17:1-18). OF THE BEAST.Revelation 13:8. — “And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him (every one) whose name had not been written from (the) foundation of (the) world in the book of life of the slain Lamb.” We have more than once remarked upon the moral significance of the expression “ dwell on the earth” (See remarks on Revelation 2:13; and on Revelation 11:8-10.) as signifying a class of persons who had deliberately rejected the heavenly calling, who, in fact, were apostates from Christianity. They are distinct from nations, peoples, tongues, and tribes (Revelation 11:10). Here, however! “ the dwellers on the earth” can have no special moral significance, as all save the elect are referred to. All then dwelling on the prophetic earth are contrasted with those whose names are in the Lamb’ s book of life, hence the spiritual meaning of the phrase earth-dwellers cannot apply in this case. In the passage before us all worship the Beast save the elect. The slain Lamb who had redeemed them by His Blood takes special account of these sufferers. The book of life in which their names are recorded belongs to Him. In its pages their names were written from the foundation of the world, hence there can be no erasure, as undoubtedly there shall be from the book or register of profession (Revelation 3:5). Names, true and false, are found in this latter book, as God takes account of all Christian profession. But the Lamb’ s book of life can only contain the names of the redeemed, as these were written from the foundation of the world, i.e., from time’ s commencement. It is the same book and the same class that are referred to in Revelation 17:8, only there the Name of the Lamb is omitted. The Beast conquers and kills, but eternal life is the portion of those martyrs. The Lamb by His death redeemed them, and thus made good in time, and revealed at the fitting moment the strengthening and consoling fact of their names having been written in His book of life. Our blessing as Christians dates further back than that of the elect here and those of Mat 25:34. We are foreknown, chosen, and predestinated from before the foundation of the world, before time began, hence in eternity (Ephesians 1:4-5; Romans 8:29). We may remark that the elect of Mat 24:22 constitute a company of God-fearing Jews, whereas those of our chapter and the sheep of Mat 25:34 are chosen out of the world at large.A CALL AND WARNING.Revelation 13:9-10. — “If any one has an ear, let him hear. If any one (leads) into captivity, he goes into captivity. If any one shall kill with (the) sword, he must with (the) sword be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.” The formula, “ If any one has an ear, let him hear,” is one frequently employed in the ministry of our Lord (Matthew 11:15; Matthew 13:9; Matthew 13:43; Luke 8:8, etc.). It is substantially the same, too, but shortened from that found in each of the addresses to the seven churches (Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22). The added clause, “ what the Spirit saith unto the churches,” could have no application here, as churches are no longer in existence during the course of the apocalyptic judgments. The call to hear supposes the exercise of spiritual understanding, as distinct from the natural hearing common to men.Then a principle is stated applicable to the Beast as to God’ s saints in all ages — to enemies and friends alike. However much grace and the power of the Spirit may work in saints, and modify the application of the principle, it yet abides. But what is the truth here so strongly inculcated? It is the certainty of retributive justice, or in the words of Scripture, “ with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” (Matthew 7:2). Whoever leads into captivity must himself go into it. Whoever kills must himself be killed. What a word of warning, and how seasonable to saints then crushed under the iron rule of the Beast! They must not resist. Their weapons are not carnal, but spiritual. “ Here is the patience (endurance) and the faith of the saints.” In this way only can they triumph. Their victories are moral and spiritual, not physical. Helpless and hopeless, their resource is in God Himself. The Beast they would not worship, but on the other hand they must not resist, hence captivity and death would be their sad lot. Well, be it so; they had a life beyond the utmost power of the enemy. Their names were written in the Lamb’ s book of life, and no power in hell or earth could erase the writing or rob them of their eternal portion founded on the death of the Lamb of God.We may remark that both in Revelation 13:1-18 and Daniel 7:1-28 the revived empire is the prominent subject. But in the former the general character of the world power is the prominent feature, whereas in the latter it is more especially the personal head of the empire that is in view. The blasphemy and persecution of the Beast (Revelation 13:5-7) are in terms nearly identical with those employed in connection with the little horn (Daniel 7:8; Daniel 7:25). Both the Hebrew prophet and the christian Seer vitally connect the empire with its personal head, the last emperor. The character of the empire is embodied in its last great chief. There are other features of the fourth Beast and its relation to the whore which are taken up in Revelation 17:1-18, the consideration of which must be reserved till we reach that chapter. “ The beast,” i.e., the empire, is characteristically apocalyptic as being the great civil power in the last days. Commentary on Revelation 13:1-10 by E.M. ZerrRev_13:1. It is very important that the reader take the time to read carefully the "general remarks" at the beginning of this book. He should note especially the information concerning the changes that took place in the Roman Empire due to its different state religions. A brief mention of them is all the space that can be used here, namely, Pagan Rome means the empire while its religion was the pagan or heathen. Papal Rome means when the state religion was the Papal or that under the pope. There is another item that should be stated in order to avoid confusion. The events that are described in the book of Revelation are not all given in the strict order of their occurrence. For instance, the present chapter opens with a vision of Pagan Rome which we know was before the days of Constantine. That means also that it was before the beginning of the Dark Ages of 1260 years. Yet we have already had a vision of that period even down to and including the Reformation of Luther, which is shown in chapter 11. This style of composition will be noticed in various places in this book, The vision will perhaps take the reader down the years through some important happenings, then go back many centuries and start all over again but with different symbols. The sea is a symbol of humanity because all governments are products of human formation. The beast that John saw in this verse is Pagan Rome. The seven heads are explained at Revelation 12:3, referring to the literal or geographical fact that the city of Rome is situated upon seven hills. There is little or no importance attached to that except as a means of identification as to what city may be meant in the writings of some prophet or historian. If any political significance has been attached to the seven hills it would not affect the general plan of the book of Revelation. I believe that the Lord was concerned only with the outstanding subject of His church in its relation to both Pagan and Papal Rome, hence I have restricted my general considerations to that line. Ten horns. The Roman Empire was the fourth and last of the "four world empires" as they are familiarly termed. Its head was in the city of Rome and the emperor was the ultimate ruler of the entire government. However, the various nations were subdivided into smaller kingdoms with their own local administration under a king, whose authority was only one in name for he was subject to the head in the city of Rome. The ten horns symbolize the outstanding ones in the domain of the Empire. The names that I have are England, Germany, Italy, France, Holland, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal and Spain. Name of blasphemy. All of these kings were under the control and influence of Pagan Rome which was in opposition to the authority of the Lord, hence their language would be that of blasphemy (evil speaking) against Him.Revelation 13:2. There are some distinctive characteristics between a leopard, bear and lion, but they all have in common that of fierce destructiveness. Such a symbolism would be appropriate to represent the attitude of Pagan Rome against Christianity. The dragon (Satan, Revelation 12:9) gave him his power means the devil used his influence in favor of the beast of Rome. Satan has always been interested in supporting any institution that is an enemy of God.Revelation 13:3. There is much uncertainly among the commentators that I have consulted concerning the interpretation of this verse. The question is raised whether it means one of the ten horns, or that some part of the city was weakened, or that some one of the prominent emperors is meant. With such a state of variation among the able historians and commentators, I will offer only what I am sure will at least not conflict with the facts of history. In some way the government of Rome received a stroke that threatened to be fatal, until something was done that closed the breach and the threatened disaster was avoided. It must have been rather unusual for all the world wondered at the recovery from the wound.Revelation 13:4. They means the people of the world who worshipped the dragon (Satan) who gave his power to the beast (Pagan Rome). Worship is from a Greek word that means to do homage, not that any formal services were rendered. They worshipped the beast (Pagan Rome) which explains why they worshipped the dragon. They were admirers of the beast and naturally would feel kindly toward any being that would give him some support. With all this background in favor of the beast, they asked in the spirit of challenge who was able to make war with him.Revelation 13:5. There was given unto him. When something is given there must be a giver either directly or indirectly. The preceding verse tells of the people of the world worshipping the beast, and hence it is reasonable to conclude that this power or permission to speak blasphemies was his by common consent. These are the same kind of blasphemous words that are mentioned in verse 1. Continue forty and two months. We recognize this to be the same period that is elsewhere mentioned and that it is the Dark Ages. An apparent difficulty may present itself here. It is well known that the Dark Ages of 1260 years was the result of the union of church and state, at which time the apostate church was come to power. But our present erse is still under the time of Pagan Rome, and hence the period of the forty two months should not be started yet. It is one of the cases where God charges the fruits of a thing to that thing itself. Pagan Rome started the work of persecuting the Christians, and when the apostate church came into power it formed another beast (the Papal) which "retired from active service" the other beast. But the new beast just followed after the pattern set by the first one--"exerciseth all the power of the first beast" (verse 12). This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 13:11-18 6. THE SECOND BEAST Rev_13:11-1811 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; --As John looked he beheld another beast that seemed to come out of the earth. We have already learned that, as a symbol a beast represents a kingdom or institution of some kind. Sometimes the ruler, standing for the kingdom, is indicated by the beast. (See Daniel 7:17; Daniel 7:23.) The first beast (verse 1) came up out of the turbulent sea, meaning that the secular Roman Empire came out of the agitated and disturbed state of men and nations. The second arose out of the earth, which probably here represents the Roman Empire; that is, the papal or apostate church came into existence within the boundaries of that empire. It came quietly from a well-established state of things, like the solid earth, and was dominating the whole empire before the people realized that any change was taking place. This false church became so well established and powerful that 1,260 years were necessary to break its hold. and he had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.--That is, he had two horns like the horns of a lamb. The use of the word lamb indicates that the institution represented would have a show of humility; externally, at least, it would manifest the lamblike character, but would speak like a dragon. The pious exterior would be no evidence of godliness within. The beast's words--commands--would be harsh, arrogant, and imperious. Jesus had said that false prophets would come in sheep's clothing. (Matthew 7:15.) Since the dragon has already been declared to be a symbol of Satan, it follows that the false teaching of the apostate church has Satan for its real source. A real lamb has two horns, but there may be no special significance in the number other than to show that the beast, in that particular, had the appearance of a lamb. As a symbol the word horn represents power. Two might indicate that this beast exercised both secular and spiritual power; the spiritual direct and the secular indirect--through the Roman Empire. These are true facts, even if not signified by the two horns, as the next verse definitely shows. 12 And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast in his sight.--Exercising this authority in the sight of the first beast indicates that the first beast approved it, and that the second used the first as a medium through which to operate. Language could no more plainly indicate the close and harmonious relationship that existed between secular and papal Rome. These two beasts, though distinguished, are so similar in nature and work that they may be considered as two parts of one great power that was to persecute the true church. Or, the papal hierarchy may be considered as a continuation of the fourth universal empire--operating through Rome in its so-called Christian state. And he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deathstroke was healed.--As the corrupt church spake like a dragon and exercised all the authority of imperial Rome, it is no surprise that it caused all (except those whose names were in the book of life, verse 8) to worship the rulers as representatives of the empire. When the pagan empire, through the invasion of the northern nations, came to an end in A.D. 476, it doubtless would have ceased forever, if it had not been perpetuated and revitalized by the apostate church in her borders. The imperial pagan head or form of government had received a death stroke, but was healed through a papal kingdom arising within its borders. Such a union of church and state was necessary to preserve the empire and protect the religious apostasy. 13 And he doeth great signs, that he should even make fire to come down out of heaven upon the earth in the sight of men. --The very nature of the beast, as revealed in this description, indicates that the "great signs" were only pretended miracles which he claimed to do. They would be such, however, that the ignorant and credulous people would be easily influenced to accept them as true. This beast and Paul's "man of sin" (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12) evidently refer to the same thing--the papal hierarchy or Roman church. Paul declares that he operates "according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish." Jesus had predicted that there "shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." (Matthew 24:24.) Either these were "lying wonders"--false or pretended miracles--which Satan inspired the false church to perform, or they were real wonders which God permitted because people did not want the truth. In either case the element of falsehood entered into the program. Claiming to change the bread and wine into the actual body and blood of the Lord, the worshiping of relics, and other pretended miracles are ample proof that the Catholic church pretended to be a miracle-working power, and fulfills the demands of this text. Some plausibility in claiming to make fire come down out of heaven could be made because Elijah in a real miracle at mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:37-38) did so, and the disciples James and John asked whether fire should be called down upon a certain Samaritan village (Luke 9:54); but whatever effort the false church made was a deceptive trick of some kind. For in the next verse it is stated that the purpose of these pretended miracles was to deceive the people. Religious deceivers can resort to no more plausible scheme than some imitation of a real miracle. 14 And be deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the beast; --The following will serve as evidence of false miracles which papal Rome has offered in proof of the claim that she is the true church. Gibbon in referring to Gregory the Great, who was Bishop of Rome, A.D. 590 to 604, says: "The credulity or the prudence of Gregory was always disposed to confirm the truths of religion by the evidence of ghosts, miracles, and resurrections." (Vol. IV, p. 422.) In a Catholic volume--Pictorial Catholic Library--is a section devoted to the "Apparition of Lourdes," in which the claim is made that the Virgin Mary appeared to a young girl several times in 1858. Finally she commanded the girl to drink from a spring that had suddenly burst from the earth. The water from the spring, it is claimed, has produced many cures. Such preposterous delusions are plain proof of the beast power trying to deceive the nations by false miracles. To this may be added the perpetual claim that the bread and wine of the communion are changed into the real body and blood of the Lord. This would require the continuous repetition of miraculous power. This false teaching alone is sufficient proof that the words of our text have been and are being fulfilled. Doing these pretended miracles "in the sight of the beast," doubtless, indicates that secular Rome approved of what the apostate church did because of benefits received therefrom. During the 1,260-year period the church and state had such common interests that it is practically impossible to separate them completely. Even the capital of the empire always remained the official residence of the Pope. "Some ancient authorities read that even the image of the beast should speak; and he shall cause &c saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who bath the stroke of the sword and lived.--Those deceived by the pretended miracles would be ready to obey the command to make an image to the first beast. The meaning of this part of the symbol is that the papal church required its subjects to give religious honor to the secular empire. Verse 12 says they were required to worship the first beast. Here, as in much of the book, expositors vary greatly. The presence of the masculine pronoun "who," some contend, indicates that the worship is of a man. If this is correct, worshiping Roman emperors may be the thing meant. Rulers represent governments and the worship of one implies the other. As the two beasts must be taken symbolically, it is probable that "image" should be so applied. If so, the word doubtless has a broader application. Since the first beast (pagan Rome) was to receive a temporary death stroke and later revive, a possible, if not probable, meaning is that through papal Rome (Catholic Church) the empire received its dominion back, but in a so-called Christianized form. If so, this would be an image of its pagan form, because it exercised a similar power. This, at least, would meet all the demands of this symbol. Elliott (Vol. III, pp. 227-239) holds that papal church councils, in which ecclesiastical laws were made, fulfill this symbolic prophecy. This view also carries much plausibility, for the church laws enacted in these councils were just as binding as the laws of ancient Rome; in fact, they were made and operated much like the political laws of the empire. Possibly all the preceding views may be involved in the word "image." But, regardless of its exact and proper application here, the general idea must be the close and cordial union between church and state. 15 And it was given unto him to give breath to it, even to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed.--According to the view that the "image" was the revived Roman Empire in its so-called Christianized form, this language would mean that the apostate church gave the empire this life, and authority to make laws and demand obedience on the penalty of death. As a matter of fact this is true, for the false church claimed authority over temporal rulers. But if the "image" refers to church councils, they too spake with the authority manifested in ancient Rome, and enforced their laws with the same irresistible power. Possibly being killed here, if councils be meant, does not mean physical death, but excommunication from the church; spiritual death, as the church viewed it. Whatever explanation be accepted the main thought is the domination which the church exercised over both its members and the government which it controlled. From the time that the Emperor Constantine in the fourth century recognized Christianity as the true religion, the church's power was gradually extended till the full development of the "man of sin" had taken place, more than two centuries later; so, after the end of pagan Rome in A.D. 476, the reviving of the empire was also a gradual process. Near the end of the eighth century the church recognized it when Pope Leo crowned an emperor. Of this event Gibbon says "On the festival of Christmas, the last year of the eighth century, Charlemagne appeared in the church of St. Peter ; and, to gratify the vanity of Rome, he had exchanged the simple dress of his country for the habit of a patrician. After the celebration of the holy mysteries, Leo suddenly placed a precious crown on his head, and the dome resounded with the acclamations of the people, 'Long life and victory to Charles, the most Augustus, crowned by God the great and pacific emperor of the Romans." (Decline and Fall, Vol. V, p. 43.) Thus it is clear that the beast ("man of sin" or apostate church) which arose in the Roman Empire did make an image of the first beast by creating from the old ruins a so-called Christian empire. 16 And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead;--The expressions, small and great, rich and poor, bond and free, are explanatory of the word "all," and mean that the authority here mentioned applied to all classes. The subject of the verb is beast introduced in verse 11. The word "mark," when taken literally, means some figure or token placed upon the object to indicate ownership or authority. The very nature of the case here demands that it be understood symbolically. It is, doubtless, used purposely to show the contrast between the true and pretended servants of God--the true and false church. To Israel God said his words would be "for a sign upon thy hand" and "for frontlets between thine eyes." (Deuteronomy 6:8.) It is no surprise, then, for members of an apostate church to carry a sign indicating their characteristics. The only way God's words could then or now be a mark or sign was their manifestation in the lives of his saints. When received into the mind ("frontlets between the eyes") and practiced ("sign upon the hand"), they would show those who had these signs to be true servants of God. Those who believed and practiced doctrines of the false church had the "mark" of the beast upon their hands and foreheads. Any outward tokens used by the false church were only symbols of the false doctrines believed. 17 and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name.--The word "even" supplied by the translators means that the "name" of the beast is the mark; but, omitting this word because there is nothing in the Greek for it, the text may mean that the mark, name, and number of the name are three distinct characteristics by which the beast may be identified. But if the mark means the doctrine and practice received from the false church, then the name and number would be additional features by which the identification might be confirmed. The name is to be determined through the proper application of the number. Whatever these marks of identification may be, no one was allowed to buy or sell who did not nave them.Whether the buying and selling are to be understood literally or symbolically is a question about which expositors are not agreed. That the Catholic Church did on occasions prohibit such commerce with heretics is evident from history. Elliott (Vol. III, p. 260) refers to the Synod of Tours, just when the Waldenses and Albigenses had begun to excite attention, under Pope Alexander III, as having "passed a law that no man should presume to receive or assist the heretics, not so much as to exercise commerce with them in selling and buying." Naturally a church that believes it has the divine right to rule the nations of earth would claim the right to control the commerce of the world. But the view that these words should be taken symbolically seems more probable. The plain import, then, would be that only those with the mark of the beast would be allowed to preach or practice religious doctrines. This is evident from the fact that the Catholic Church refuses permission for her own members to hear others preach, but believes that she is the authorized custodian of divine things, and that all teachers should come to her for authority. In this the demands of the symbol are fully met. 18 Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast;--While it required divine wisdom to give this plan for identifying the thing represented by the beast, it also was necessary to have wisdom to learn what was meant. This is evident from the fact that those with understanding were urged to count the number. The number of the beast means the "number of his name," as appears from comparing verse 17. Elliott (Vol. III, p. 242) shows that it was not uncommon for the Greeks to express names by numerals; that is, the numerical value of the letters of a name were added together and the total number stood for the name. The language of this verse indicates that to be the process meant in the command to count the number of the beast. Other names besides the correct one might have the proper numerical value it would be strange indeed that, in the multitudes of names, others could not be found. But the name, when found, must fit an apostate church existing at about a certain period in the world. Moreover, an institution that had made an image of another one, and combined the secular and religious rule. Not just any name that had the right numerical value would do, but only one that would fit the other descriptive features of the beast. The name then must correspond with the well-known facts of history. for it is the number of a man: and his number is Six hundred and sixty and six.--Commentators have offered a variety of applications for the expression, "the number of a man." But the simplest and most natural one is, that the name of a man, the numerical value of which Isaiah 666, is so connected with the institution represented by the beast that it is a positive means of identification. After all is said, this seems the most plausible view of the text. Elliott, who is followed by several other expositors, explains in detail facts that seem conclusive evidence that Latinos, father of the Latin race, was the man meant. (Vol. III, pp. 245-255.) He quotes Irenaeus, a church father of the second century, who made the same application of the text. An objection is offered against the interpretation of Irenaeus because he spells the name Lateinos instead of Latinos. The objection, however, is without force, for he was using the Greek form of the word. Since Revelation was written in Greek that was the proper form to use. The numerical value of the letters in this name will appear from the following arrangement L A T E I N 30 1 300 5 10 50 70 200=666 This solution has two important advantages: one is that the number is the name of a man--a thing the text seems to demand; the other is that it corresponds with what we now know to be facts--that is, that the Catholic Church arose in the Latin kingdom and is known as the Latin church, even its services being conducted in the Latin. As the number must represent a religious empire that was to exercise a power practically universal for 1,260 years, there is none known to history that will fit the requirements of the symbol except the Latin Church--the Roman Catholic. This conclusion is completely vindicated by the fact that the Roman Church still believes that universal dominion rightly belongs to itself. It cannot then be successfully denied that it was the church which did exercise that power during the period indicated. If so, our interpretation of the text is unquestionably the correct one. As already suggested in the introduction (page xi), the use of symbols in describing their political and religious enemies was greatly to the church's benefit during the long period that the witnesses testified in sackcloth. Plainly naming the institution meant would doubtless have greatly increased persecution. Telling those who had understanding to count the number of the name implies that some Christians would be able to do it. Such saints then would understand what was meant, and it was better that their enemies did not know. With their experience as history before us, we should be able to understand also. Even if the expression, "six hundred and sixty and six," remains an unsolved puzzle, we know that in some way it describes a false religious power that was an enemy of the true church for the symbolic period of 1,260 days. This phase of the matter is definitely fixed by the language of the text.The margin says that "some ancient authorities read Six hundred and sixteen." If this were the true reading, a different name might have to be found, but the general application of the passage would remain the same. However, the reading of sixteen instead of sixty-six does not appear to have any chance to be correct, according to the general views of criticsCommentary on Revelation 13:11-18 by Foy E. Wallace (4) The subordinate beast of the land—Revelation 13:11-18. 1. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon”—Revelation 13:11. The environment of these visions is not in accord and cannot be forced into harmony with the labored effort to identify the second beast with religious Rome, the papacy or the Latin church. The beast symbol in the apocalypses of the Old Testament, as well as in Revelation, has stood for organized political world-power. The development of the Roman papacy was too distant--too far away--to fit into a context of such immediate character. There was constant emphasis on nearness, immediacy and shortness of time. The attempt to make the announcement of Jesus in Mark 1:14-15 that “ the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” refer to a yet future time could be no more inconsistent than to make “ the time is at hand” in Revelation 1:3 encompass the “ dark ages” and the end of time. When Peter said to the dispersed members of the church “ the end of all things is at hand” (1 Peter 4:7) , he referred to the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the Jewish state as being near--it was impending. When Paul said to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:6) “ the time of my departure is at hand” he meant that his decease was near. It does not aid the argument to assert that the statement of John in Revelation means the beginning of these events for John did not say these things must begin--he said, must shortly come to pass--and the time for them to come to pass was at hand. Premillennialists in the church attempt the same evasion by admitting that the kingdom announced by John and Jesus was “ at hand” and that it began on Pentecost, but claiming that its ultimate growth would be in the millennial reign of Christ on the earth. For some who are opposed to the millennial contention to fall into the same method of argumentation is but to help the cause of millennial heresy. In neither case can the expression at hand be stretched beyond immediate points of the two declarations--the immediate events. John was no more entranced to write the history of the Latin church and the Dark Ages than he was inspired to prophesy the discovery of the North American continent, the organization of the United States, the formation of Southern Confederacy or the existence of the United Nations! The historical events of far distant future whether the papacy, the pope, Martin Luther or Alexander Campbell are all outside the scope of Revelation. And we need not go outside the provincial governments of Judea and the Palestinian representatives of the Roman emperor to identify the second beast--the beast of the land--and find the fulfillment of the visions concerning him. Verse eleven states that this second beast came up out of earth, or the land--from whence he received the designation the beast of the land. Because the events surrounded Jerusalem and the Jewish state; and the land in this vision meant the land of Palestine--especially Judea--and beast is the symbol of the Jewish persecutors in Palestine. That this second beast of the land was a satellite of the first beast of the sea is seen in the statements that he caused the earth--the people of Palestine--to worship the sea beast, and this second beast derived the only exercise of his authority from the first beast, and worshipped him. The first beast, of the sea, was the Roman empire, personified in the emperor; the second beast, of the land, was personified in the ruling persecutors of Palestine, who were the instruments of the Roman emperor to execute his authority and power. This is further symbolized in the fact that this second beast had horns like a lamb but spake as a dragon--deceiving them that that dwell on the earth to worship the image of the emperor. There is nothing in these descriptions to fit the much later emergence of the papacy and its popes. The beasts represent the world-power of Rome. The beast from the sea was the emperor; and the beast of the land was the subordinate rulers of Palestine, exercising delegated power, as the emperor’ s representatives. Verse 11: He was from the earth, or land, not from the sea--denoting the local persecutors of Palestine. He was a false prophet visualized as a lamb in appearance, but speaking as the dragon. The two horns of the lamb represented two notorious rulers which Josephus mentioned (in Antiquities, Book XX 11, 1; and Wars, Book II, Chapters 14-15) as being sent by Nero, the emperor, into Palestine as his representatives. This beast appeared as guileless as a lamb, but as a false prophet he possessed the infernal spirit of the sea-beast, and deceived the land--the people of Palestine--into the worship of the sea beast, the emperor 2. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed—Revelation 13:12. The salient points in the description of the land beast in verses eleven through eighteen, verse by verse, may be outlined in brief as follows: Revelation 13:11 --He was from the earth, or land, not from the sea--denoting the local persecutors of Palestine. He was a false prophet visualized as a lamb in appearance, but speaking as the dragon. The two horns of the lamb represented two notorious rulers which Josephus mentioned (in Antiquities, Book XX 11, 1; and Wars, Book II, Chapters 14-15) as being sent by Nero, the emperor, into Palestine as his representatives. This beast appeared as guileless as a lamb, but as a false prophet he possessed the infernal spirit of the sea-beast, and deceived the land--the people of Palestine--into the worship of the sea beast, the emperor. Revelation 13:12 --He was a mere satellite of the sea beast, whose wound of rebellion and civil war within the tenkingdom empire was healed by the sheer power of force. This power brought all kingdoms and provinces under submission to the Roman head. The second beast as a servile and menial instrument of the first beast, enforced his will, exercising an authority not his own, but was derived solely from the superior beast number one, the Roman emperor. In this subservience the land beast in obedience to sea beast, “ causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast”--the emperor. The earth referred to the provincial governments; and them that dwell therein had reference to the people who were under their political rule. The grievous blow inflicted on the empire by civil wars was referred to as a deadly wound on the sea-beast which had been healed by his conquering power; and this brought the kings, governors, and people into submission to worship the emperor. [Continue to comments on next verses for the rest of the descriptions] Revelation 13:13 --He performed visional pseudo-signs, which were not actual, in order to deceive, such as Jesus foretold (Matthew 24:24) would precede the destruction of Jerusalem; and such as Paul described (2 Thessalonians 2:3-9) as characteristic of the pretensions of “ the man of sin and son of perdition.” The wonders were merely the magical machinations of the Roman emperor-beast to deceive. Josephus relates that two representatives of Nero, by the names of Albinus and Gessius Florus, in this very period, were sent into the land, and being notorious for wickedness they made pompous ostentations before the people. (Antiquities, Book XX, II, I) These are facts recorded by the eye-witness historian on the scene of things; and there could be no more fitting fulfillment of the two horns of this beast. Revelation 13:14 --He was identified with the false prophet by his utterance of pseudo-prophecy, of which deceptions Jesus also warned (Matthew 24:11) as a portent of the destruction of Jerusalem; and which Paul (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12) declared would characterize that wicked (one) . . . “ whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness . . . that they should believe a lie.” The events prior and posterior to the fall of Jerusalem are so consonant with the anticipations of Jesus (Matthew 24:1-51) and of Paul (2 Thessalonians 2:1-17) that it is utterly unimaginative to gaze into the future centuries for successively occurring events in both secular and ecclesiastical history to fulfill them. The only apparent explanation for it is that the theories of historical theology require it, and they have been taken for granted so long as to have become so fixed in the thinking that they have been accepted as factual. No events of the future can be created or can occur to harmonize more compatibly with these scriptural apocalypses and apostolic descriptions of the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, the demolition of the temple, the downfall of Judaism and the end of the Jewish state. Added to the biblical facts, the histories of Josephus, Pliny, Eusebius and other annals of the times and the near times, verify them. Revelation 13:15 --The second beast created a life image of the superior beast, and exercised the power given to him to command its worship. In verse 14, it is stated that this was made possible by the prestige of the sea-beast from “ the wound by a sword” but “ did live” --that is, the display of the power of the empire in subduing in war the rebellious provinces, brought to the emperor an idolatrous worship, which the land-beast (the emperor’ s representative in Palestine) promoted, and in which he participated; and he commanded the Christians who would not worship the emperor to be banished or slain--which introduced the martyrdom of the saints. Revelation 13:16 --He compelled the people of all stations small and great, rich and poor, free and bond to submit to the edict of emperor-worship--which symbolized the mark of the beast. This visional mark was an evil emblem of submission to emperor-worship. It was the stigmatic badge of the beast stamped in their right hand, or in their forehead, signifying abinding oath of loyalty. All who conformed to the imperial orders received the mark of the beast, personified in the Roman emperor--the Neronic anti- Christ. Revelation 13:17 -- He compelled all the subjects of the provinces to bear the mark of the beast by an economic warfare, that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or name of the beast, or the number of his name --the enforcement of a maniacally rigorous interdict, an imperial boycott that would make life impossible for all who refused to wear the stigmatic name of the demonic emperor. By such means the provincial procurators forced all of their subjects into abject submission to the imperial edict of emperor-worship, which was the mark or badge of the Satanic beast-the emperor. Thus the mark of the beast simply meant to yield and bow to the edicts of the Roman emperor to worship his image. (5) The mystic number of the beast—Revelation 13:18. “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man, and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” The fact that the mystic number was assigned to the first beast, or sea-beast, shows that the second beast, or land-beast, had no independent power or authority, but was the minion of the emperor. This land-beast, as previously indicated, represented the Jewish persecutors in Jerusalem and Judea, but performed no official acts without the consent, permission and authority of the sea-beast, the Roman emperor. The introduction to verse 18, Here is wisdom, points to the cryptic character of the following statement, let him that understandeth count the number of the beast--that being the code number of six hundred sixty six. It is a basic truth that the book of Revelation was written in code, on the same principle that the army communicates messages in code intended only for the military personnel, but to be withheld from the public. For the same purpose the contents of Revelation were composed in code for the vital information and concealed instruction to the churches facing the impending persecutions; but to be withheld from the pagan Roman world. There were in all of the churches the spiritually endowed teachers, who possessed the “ spiritual gifts” of the inspiration era, as recorded in chapters twelve and thirteen of First Corinthians. In the catalog of such gifts were listed the special endowments of “ wisdom,” “ discernment,” and “ understanding.” This agrees with the words of the text, here is wisdom, and let him that hath understanding count the number. These supernaturally endowed teachers in the churches could certainly decipher the cryptogram. It has been established that the beast was the Roman empire, personified in the living emperor. It is so evident as to be patent that to mention the name of the living emperor in these connections would have been disastrous to the church--it would have precipitated a premature onslaught against Christians which could have resulted in their complete obliteration in every part of the Roman empire. A cryptogram is a writing in ciphers, or secret letters, with symbolic figures and representations having a hidden significance. Cryptography is the art of writing in secret characters. A cryptographer is one who has mastered the skill of deciphering or decoding the mystic letters. The prophets and teachers in the New Testament churches were not professional cryptographers, but being the recipients of “ spiritual gifts” by apostolic impartation, they possessed inspired powers to discern that which the ordinary mind could not discover. It is not without reason that 1 Corinthians 12:8 and 1 Corinthians 13:2 would include the necessary power to decipher the code of Rev 13:18 to the members of the churches involved in these calamitous developments and trying experiences, which were so immediately present with them, but so remotely past to us. There have been almost a legion of names in many different languages that have been deciphered in the efforts to find solution for Code 666, ranging from the merest conjecture to a frantic religious fanaticism that borders on lunacy. The names of ancient political war lords, medieval papal pontiffs, together with nineteenth and twentieth century dictators, have been juggled to yield the sum 666. But a far-fetched and fantastic solution is neither satisfying nor sufficient. It must be relevant to the text and the context. There is such a solution in the official appellation of Nero Caesar. The designation of this emperor as yielding the 666 code is actually found in the rabbinical writings. Inasmuch as John was writing for the information and instruction of Hebrew Christians, it is appropriate and expediential that the code name for the Roman beast should be hidden in Hebrew ciphers, thus less likely to be discovered by the pagan authorities into whose hands the Revelation might come; and whereas the Roman empire was the beast of verses 1-8, the numerical name must of contextual necessity designate the one in whom the empire was personified. No name could be more conclusive and decisive than that of Nero Caesar--the ruling emperor. The Hebrew tongue was employed in chapter 16:16 in the symbol of Armageddon, and for less reason than justifies Hebrew ciphers in this case. In chapter 17:11 the beast was visualized as the sixth ruling emperor in succession from Julius Caesar. Though Julius was the head of the Republic, before the empire was actually formed, nevertheless the Republic merged into the empire; and it was from Julius Caesar, the first of the imperial rulers of Rome, that the title Caesar passed to his successors. Josephus mentions Julius as the first in the line of Caesars. The eminent Philip Schaff, in his Bible Dictionary, records that the imperial title descended from Julius Caesar. The original Speaker’ s Bible Commentary, published by the order of the English Parliament, states that Professor Bryce, of Oxford, had justly placed Julius Caesar, from whom the name Caesar passed on to his successors, as first of the imperial rulers of Rome. These and many other ancient and modern historians and scholars count the imperial rulers from Julius Caesar. This fact has a decisive bearing on the pre-destruction-of-Jerusalem chronology of Revelation. It is a rather strange process that would omit the original Caesar in order to qualify another than Nero for the ruling emperor when Revelation was composed. The line of the first six Caesars was as follows: Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. The sixth emperor, according to chapter seventeen, was ruling--and he was Nero, as will be later propounded. It is so signified as to be conclusive that the Hebrew consonants in the official name Nero Caesar form the exact numerical figure of six hundred sixty six. It is also factual that Irenaeus in the early second century mentioned this solution to the numerical appellation. He further mentioned that some of the old manuscripts computed the number to be six hundred sixteen, and a current abbreviated form of writing the name of Nero among the Hebrews formed exactly that figure--six hundred sixteen. These facts are but further proof that it was the common understanding among the Hebrews that Nero was the intended character. The proof of the numerical meaning of the Hebrew letters is available in the Hebrew alphabet, and they are not difficult to decipher. In the order of the official title of Nero Caesar it would be as follows numerically: 50-200-6-50- 100-60-200 = 666. The International Critical Commentary on Revelation states, along with other scholars quoted, that the solution is to be found in Hebrew, not in Greek, and that Nero Caesar is the man of the number. There could have been no way more effective or plausible for John to withhold the meaning of this code from the public, but also to bring it within the perception of the oppressed churches, than to conceal it in their native Hebrew, to be deciphered by the spiritual discerners in the churches, who were evidently signified in verse 18: Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast and here is wisdom--that is, the answer to the mystic number is in the imparted wisdom of the spiritually gifted prophets and teachers in the churches. So in the search for a figurative beast to fit the symbolic numerical name--why skip that old Roman beast! He was there in the midst of it all, and he is relevant to the text and context. To ignore that period and assign these events to the future, is the same mistake committed by the modern pseudo-prophets, who gather an armful of Old Testament prophecies, skip the New Testament fulfillment completely, and assign the prophecies by sheer assertion to a future fulfillment. Essentially the same process is employed, inadvertently and unintentionally when the symbols of Revelation are assigned to future centuries. There could be no more natural application of this symbolic number than the name of the Roman emperor, and the most exacting analyst could not demand a more fitting solution. But the historical “ dark ages” interpretation is not only unconvincing, it is lacking in relevancy and coherency, and is anachronistic.Commentary on Revelation 13:11-18 by Walter ScottTHE SECOND BEAST (Revelation 13:11-18). THE TWO BEASTS . The two beasts of our chapter present a series of strikingly marked contrasts. The first came out of an unsettled state of things — the sea; the second arises out of a settled and established condition of civil and political government the earth. The former is a secular power; the latter a religious one. The first Beast had ten horns; the second has two. In subtle soul-destroying influence the second is the more dangerous of the two executive ministers of Satan, but the first is paramount in civil and military authority. The second Beast is clearly subordinate to the first, and, in fact, uses the military and other forces of the empire to accomplish his purpose — the deification of the first Beast. The second is the lieutenant of the first. The first is a Gentile; the second a Jew. Chronologically, too, the second Beast succeeds the rise of the first. There is considerable confusion in the minds of many as to the respective spheres of action of these two beasts. The first is a vast political and military system, and as such perishes at the Coming of the Lord. While the territorial extent of the empire is more limited than it was in its past imperial character, its authority and influence extend throughout the civilised and christianised parts of the earth, embracing numerous nations and peoples. To it Satan gives his throne and authority, that which Christ refused from Satan (Luke 4:6-7). He receives it from His Father (Psalms 2:8). No power can withstand the Beast. It is the dominant power on earth. The second Beast rules in Palestine, but his political power soon wanes, as the first Beast, in the person of its prince, meddles in Jewish political and religious matters, and is for the time the virtual master of Palestine. The Antichrist is viewed as a Beast at the beginning of his history, but at the end perishes as the false prophet, having lost his temporal sovereignty. Princely and kingly authority on earth are merged in the first Beast, who remains sovereign all along and perishes as such. The second becomes the minister of the first. But it is the second Beast who deceives the world, who labours to put Judaism and Christendom into the arms of Satan. The most abject slavery of all to the first Beast is another awful feature of these times. Liberty and freedom there shall be none. Both beasts share the same doom at the same time, in or near Jerusalem, at the Coming in power (Revelation 19:20). A VILE OF CHRIST. Revelation 13:11 — “And I saw another Beast rising out of the earth; and he had two horns like to a lamb; and spake as a dragon.” Who is the Beast here referred to as “ another?” His lamb-like appearance points him out at once as the false Messiah. He has “ two horns.” The Lamb has “ seven horns.” The horn is an emblem of power, physical, moral, or kingly. We gather that the two horns on the Beast are a travesty of the seven horns on the Lamb (Revelation 5:6). Fulness of power is with the Lamb; limited power is with this Beast. The two horns of power signify the dual office of king and prophet assumed by the Antichrist. As king he reigns in Jerusalem, but in subordination to his great chief, “the Beast” (Daniel 11:36). Under this apocalyptic title, “ the false prophet” (Revelation 16:13; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10), he exercises great spiritual authority amongst the Jews and the peoples of Christendom generally. He “ spake as a dragon.” In spite of a certain outward resemblance to the Lamb in the assumption of official power to which he has no right he is at once exposed when he speaks. His draconic voice and speech betray him, and mark him off as Satan’ s minister. He is the instrument by which Satan works in ruining Judaism and Christendom, spiritually and morally, as his great coadjutor, the first Beast, is instrumental in the prophetic spheres of political and civil government. Ruin, physical and moral, is the great aim of the dragon, and in seeking to accomplish his purpose he is ably supported by His two chief lieutenants, the beasts of our chapter. We may remark that Rome and Jerusalem are the respective centres of influence from which Satan acts in Europe and Judea and all over the earth. THE SECOND BEAST THE OF THE FIRST. Revelation 13:12-15. — “And he exerciseth all the authority of the first Beast before him, and causeth the earth and those that dwell therein to worship the first Beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great signs, that he should cause even fire to come down from Heaven to the earth before men. And he deceiveth those that dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to do before the Beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the Beast, who hath the wound of the sword, and lived. And it was given him to give breath to the image of the Beast, that the image of the Beast should also speak, and should cause that as many as would not worship the image of the Beast should be killed.” These beasts are political organizations, whoever their respective chiefs may be. The second is a subordinate power, and its royal head the active minister of the first Beast. One might at first sight almost gather that the first Beast is a mere passive machine, and that the energy and force of character are alone found concentrated in the second Beast, as “ he exerciseth all the authority of the first Beast before him,” i.e., in his presence. But that is not so. The first Beast is a powerful federation of ten kingdoms, harmoniously welded into one vast colossal power (Revelation 17:13) under an imperial leader, active, bold, persecuting, and blaspheming. Now the religious Beast has no royal authority outside Palestine, hence he employs the authority of the first Beast, its force and prestige, to accomplish his truly diabolical design to get Christendom to bow down in worship before the revived Roman empire. The second Beast has no great force or military power of its own; that has been given by the dragon to the first Beast. The second influences men religiously and spiritually, and is the worst of the two. Bad as the first undoubtedly is, the second Beast surpasses him. He arrogates to himself divine worship; sits in the literal temple built by the restored nation in unbelief; sets himself above all authority, divine and human; and, in fact, takes God’ s place so far as he can, but all this in the land of Palestine. (He is publicly worshipped, yet, strange to say, he himself worships a god of his own creation, one hitherto unknown in the history of Israel. This idol-god he loads with honors (Daniel 11:38). “ The king,” whose abrupt introduction into the history of the contests between the Syrian and Egyptian monarchs (Daniel 11:1-45), and who is of Jewish descent (v. 37), is without doubt the false Messiah: the same, too, as the man of sin and lawless one (2 Thessalonians 2:1-17), the Antichrist of John, the false prophet of the Apocalypse, and the second Beast of our chapter. He claims exclusive worship in Palestine, and associates worship with his great confederate, and with the dragon in the world outside.) There he reigns, having set up his throne in Jerusalem, and there, too, he fully occupies the temple as God. This Beast is a combination of religious and secular power, the former predominating. Unlike Christ, Who came in His Father’ s Name (John 5:43), this awful personage pushes his own claims as the Messiah to Israel, too, as king and prophet amongst the people then restored in unbelief. The nation (save the godly remnant), judicially blinded, own the pretension and claim of the Antichrist who will head up in himself Jewish and christian apostasy (1 John 2:22). Within the limits of the Holy Land he is impiously deified. Outside the bounds of Palestine, in the wider scene of Christendom, he forces upon the nations and peoples the worship of the first Beast, “ whose deadly wound was healed,” then satanically revived. Revelation 13:13. — “He doeth great signs” which are not specified, but one pre-eminent sign is expressly named, he causes “ even fire to come down from Heaven,” and that publicly “ before men.” It is the character of miracle by which Elijah accredited the claims of Jehovah over those of Baal (1 Kings 18:38-39). In this manner, then, the second Beast supports the claim of the first to be universally worshipped; similarly the second Beast is accredited by Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:9). It is the time when God in retributive judgment gives up the guilty scene of Christendom, which had already given Him up. Their punishment begins here. Judicially God hands Christendom over to “ a working of error, that they should believe a lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:11, R.V.). The consequence is that Satan takes his seat in the professing house of God, and so absolutely sets God aside that devil-worship in a triune form is the terrible result. This, then, is the end of our boasted civilisation and material and moral progress. It must either be God and Christianity, or the devil and Christendom. Reality is alone connected with the former; mere profession, which is worthless, is preparing the way for the latter. The public intimation to “ make an image to the Beast who hath the wound of the sword, and lived,” is an advance upon what we have hitherto had. It is remarkable that at the beginning of Gentile supremacy men were compelled under pain of death to worship an image representing the greatness and majesty of the first empire (Daniel 3:1-30). Now at the close of Gentile dominion it is repeated. How incorrigible is human nature! Likeness and image are distinguished in Scripture. Man has lost the likeness (moral) to God (Genesis 1:26), but fallen as he is he is yet God’ s image or representative in power (Genesis 9:6). An image is something that represents another, not necessarily like one. We are satisfied that the “ image to the Beast” will be an actual, literal, vast representation set up in the centre of Christendom by means of which the Beast will be worshipped. It was an actual image that was set up in the plains of Dura, and by which Nebuchadnezzar, was worshipped. The death wound of the Beast is three times stated (Revelation 13:3; Revelation 13:12; Revelation 13:14). In the third notice of it the wound is said to have been given by the sword, implying not a natural break-up of the empire, but a violent one. The hordes of barbarian savages from the north swept down upon the decaying empire and quickly brought it to a political end. IMAGE OF THE BEAST UNDER PAIN OF DEATH. Revelation 13:15. — “It was given to him to give breath (not life) to the image of the Beast.” The Antichrist has no power in himself. He could not of himself energise the image or give it a real or even spurious vitality. The power behind is Satan. It is he who acts through the beasts. It is breath that is given, not life, for this latter God ever keeps in His own hand. It is an image “to the Beast,” that is, to his glorification; but it is also an image “of the Beast,” that is, it represents him, calls the attention of the world to him, and keeps the thought of the Beast before the eyes and minds of men. Hengstenberg remarks, “ It is not images that are spoken of, but an image. But in regard to the sense a multitude of images is meant.” Whether the image here spoken of is to be multiplied and scattered throughout the length and breadth of Christendom is a point on which we cannot pronounce with certainty. The object, however, whether the image is one or many, is to bring the world down to the feet of the Beast in worship. The image is made to speak. What it says shall only be known to those who hear it. Death is the appointed portion of those who refuse divine honours to the Beast, or to its distinguished chief, “ the prince (Roman) that shall come” (Daniel 9:26). Thus by signs and wonders of a miraculous kind, wrought by the second Beast, he deceives the guilty and apostate Christian mass, so that not only is all true conception of Christianity lost, but idolatry of the rankest character is openly and unblushingly practised. What a future lies before these lands! TO THE BEAST — AND TRADE . Revelation 13:16-17. — “And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bondmen, that they should give them a mark (“ Literally, ‘ that they should give them,’ i.e., that a mark should be given them. Compare Revelation 10:11, ‘ they say to me,’ i.e., it is said. (See Luke 6:38; Luke 12:20; Luke 16:9, for a similar usage, the first and especially the last of which are often misunderstood).” — “ Lectures on the Book of Revelation,” by William Kelly, page 413, footnote.) upon their right hand or upon their forehead; and that no one should be able to buy or sell save he that had the mark, the name of the Beast, or the number of his name.” In those awful days individual thought and action are crushed out. The most abject submission to the vilest tyranny ever witnessed is demanded, and none dare refuse. The various classes named are a comprehensive designation of all within the range of the influence of the Beast, and are mentioned in pairs. None, however insignificant in station, none, however exalted, can escape. Neither riches nor poverty can buy nor find exemption from the iron rule of the Beast. The free and the bond are alike on one dead level — absolute submission to the Beast. All, from the least to the highest, are equally his slaves. To resist his will is to be deprived of the right to live (for he effectually controls all commerce), and to court certain death. A certain mystic mark is put either upon the right hand or upon the forehead (The Brahmins of India bear a mark upon their foreheads in honor of the god they worship, by which every one can readily distinguish them.) of all, save the martyrs who lay down their lives in stern and faithful protest against satanic assumption. The mark upon the “ hand” would denote that the person so branded was an active slave of the Beast; stamped upon the “ forehead” would serve as a public acknowledgment of slavery. In either case all must own the absolute supremacy of the Beast and worship him. It was usual to brand slaves with the name or special mark of their owner. Paul (Galatians 6:17), Israel in her tribes (Revelation 7:3), the preserved of Judah (Revelation 14:1), the glorified and heavenly saints (Revelation 22:4) are marked by God as belonging to Him, and that publicly (see also Ezekiel 9:4). Let it be carefully noted that Satan gives unity and strength to this vast political and social organization termed “ the Beast,” hence all must belong to it under the pains and penalties of a relentless ostracism. The necessaries of life, obtained by legitimate trading, will be denied those who, in faithfulness to God and fidelity to the truth, refuse allegiance to the Beast and to his powerful and wily supporter and satellite, the Antichrist. Social ostracism and death are the appointed portion of all faithful to God in this most awful crisis in human history. Combination is the order of the day. Religion demands it, the political world demands it, wealth and capital demand it, labour, skilled and unskilled, demands it. All are working for the one great end, Satan’ s fusion of all religious parties under the Antichrist, and of all political and social parties under the Beast. Out of the seething masses of democracy, out of the wild forces of revolution and of anarchy which know no law, out of the struggles and conflicts between capital and labour, out of the crashing of crowns and overturning of kingdoms, a strong and imperial power will emerge by direct satanic influence, and will crush all standing in its way or bars its progress, and to this power all without exception must submit or pay the penalty — death. Revelation 13:17. — “The mark, the name of the Beast, or the number of his name.” (“ The Number of the Beast. — The various attempts made in recent years to solve this famous apocalyptic riddle seem to show that students are so far as ever from agreement. Weyland finds the number in the phrase, ‘ Caesar of the Romans,’ written in Hebrew characters: Schmidt and Vischer recognise it in the name ‘ Nero,’ so written; Pfleiderer in the phrase ‘ Nero Caesar;’ and Voelter in ‘ Trajan Adrianus.’ Erbes, Spitta, and Zahn, who follow Irenaeus in reading 616 instead of 666, identity the Beast with Caligula, that is, ‘ Gaius Caesar;’ but this result is obtained by the use of Greek, not Hebrew, letters. After eighteen centuries it is still uncertain whether any one has yet arisen with sufficient understanding to count the number of the Beast.” — “ The Thinker,” vol. 5 page 98.) We have not three specific items. The “ mark,” the “ name,” and the “ number” are not independent things. The mark is general, and consists of either the name or number of the Beast. The two latter are embraced in the first, and are explanatory of the mark. The name of the Beast is withheld from us, as also that of the personal ruler of Russia in the last days destined to play such an important part in connection with Israel (Ezekiel 38:1-23; Ezekiel 39:1-29). We do not hold that it is impossible to know who and what are meant by the name and number of the Beast; but no doubt God will give full light and intelligence on these points to saints then in the scene, to whom such knowledge will be most useful and even necessary in order that the true character of the Beast may be known. We leave it where God leaves it, till He makes it plain, as undoubtedly He will; if not to us, at least to those who will be in a position to profit by it. Those who receive the mark of the Beast in either its name or number are doomed to eternal misery. The words in which their awful fate is recorded are unequalled for horror. We know of nothing in the Word to exceed in dread solemnity the utter, irrevocable, and everlasting ruin of the adherents of the Beast. God alone could describe it, and He has done so in words and terms which express unspeakable anguish (Revelation 14:9-11). The door of hope is closed to the Beast, his fellow-associate in evil, and his numerous worshippers. The rejection of Christ by Christendom is most surely followed by the acceptance of the false Messiah, and that crowning act of guilt and human folly, when fully consummated, can have but one end, the lake of fire. THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST. Revelation 13:18. — “Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding let him count the number of the Beast; for it is a man’ s number; and its number (is) six hundred (and) sixty-six.” Expositors have brought skill, learning, and in some instances great research to the elucidation of the question: What is meant by the number 666? There is divine wisdom wrapped up in this symbolic numeral — the only instance of its occurrence — and it requires spiritual understanding to unlock the mystery therein. No doubt its full, precise, and final solution will be apparent to the wise or godly in the near crisis when the Beast power under the craft of Satan will exhibit the highest human development in pride, impiety, and in combined religious and political opposition to God and to His Anointed, for such, in general, is the moral significance of 666. The meaning being obvious to the saints to whom it immediately concerns will call for prompt repudiation of the Beast and his claims, who will be the political minister of Satan in blasphemous opposition to God. Six hundred and sixty-six (666) is man’ s number; the unit six being impressed upon him at his creation and on his subsequent history. Man was created on the sixth day. His appointed days of labour and toil are six. The Hebrew slave was to serve six years. For six years the land was to be sown. Under the sixth Seal an appalling and universal catastrophe upon mankind ensues. As the numeral seven denotes what is perfect or complete, six being short of that signifies human imperfection and toil. But in the growing development of man’ s history he goes from bad to worse, hence six combined with six increases in moral significance, till man is witnessed in open and direct opposition to God. Goliath and his brother giant were men of abnormal strength and height, and open enemies of God and of Israel. The numeral six is stamped upon both (1 Samuel 17:4-7; 1 Chronicles 20:6). In the yet further development of man in his progressive evil history the culmination is reached in the ominous signification of 666, the number of the Beast. There is an obvious connection between the first and the last of the world powers. In character they are identical, save that the last is the worst. The image of gold set up by Nebuchadnezzar for his own glorification was sixty cubits high and six cubits broad (Daniel 3:1-30). No doubt the image on the plain of Dura was meant to consolidate and unify the numerous and diversified religions of the mighty Babylonian empire, Under threats of an awful death the image of gold must be worshipped. Surely Daniel 3:1-30 points forward to the yet even deeper and truly satanic evil of Rev 13:1-18. The one foreshadows the other. In both Scriptures the pride, self-will, and haughty independence of God by men placed above human law is the sad picture. It only remains to ask: What is the signification of this trinity of six? It is the fullest, highest development of man under direct satanic control. It is the combination of civil, religious, and political power satanically inspired. It is, so far as man can do it, the complete setting aside of God as the Supreme Ruler and a man taking His place, not in heathendom, but in Palestine itself, and in the wider range of Christendom. Beyond what is signified in this trinity of evil — 666 — man cannot go. We here reach the height of human folly, of human pride, of human arrogance, of human unbridled will. Such, we believe, is the meaning of this mystic numeral — 666. It is not a conundrum to be solved by ingenious minds, but it contains a wisdom which the spiritual in that day, as now, may understand and profit by the knowledge thereof. THE . In Revelation 11:1-19 the Jews and Jerusalem, but in captivity to the Gentiles, are in the forefront of the vision, at least down to verse 13. The rest of the chapter is general, and joyously anticipates the end. In Revelation 12:1-17 we have the light of Heaven thrown upon the unseen sources of good and evil, which are respectively the Man-Child and the dragon; then Israel’ s relation to both, especially during the last half week of coming sorrow. Satan having been cast down from the heavens, and his angels with him, seeks to wreak his vengeance on Judah, persecutes God’ s saints — Jewish and Gentile — and blasphemes God, Heaven, and all therein. His activity is incessant, his energies are boundless, as he knows that his career is but a brief one. It is marvelous how events are crowded into so short a time as three years and a half. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 14:1-5 SECTION TWO THE SAINTS' SUCCESS Rev_14:1-20 1. THE Rev_14:1-5 Note: The leading purpose of chapter 12 was to present Satan, symbolically described as a dragon, as the real enemy of the true church. As the author of evil he would naturally be the source of all opposition to the truth. Those through whom the opposition is manifested are but the agents through whom he works. In chapter 13 we have pictured, under the symbols of two beasts, the political and religious earthly agents that were to be the outstanding mediums for Satan's efforts. These were found to be the Roman Empire--pagan and "Christianized"--and the apostate church--the Catholic hierarchy. With such deadly struggles forecast, the saints would have been overcome with fear, if the symbolic story had ended at this point. Evidently the purpose of the present chapter was to encourage the Christians to faithfulness under all conditions by assurance that the truth would ultimately prevail, and the persevering be saved. While this was de-signed to benefit especially those who met the persecutions during the 1,260-year period, it will have the same effect in helping all Christians to endure to the end of life. 1 And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion,--We should be continually remindful that what John saw in the vision was the symbol; what it represents is a different matter. The two should not be confused. "I saw" means that another vision appeared. "The Lamb" refers to Christ (Revelation 5:6; Revelation 12:11); it is here contrasted with the beast (Revelation 13:11) that had horns like a lamb, but spake as a dragon. The expression "mount Zion" is used only here and Hebrews 12:22. Jerusalem, because partly builded upon the literal mount Zion, is also referred to as mount Zion. It was the seat of government and place of worship for the old covenant, and typical of the church. (Galatians 4:26.) Verses 2 and 3 strongly indicate that this scene was in heaven. If so, Mount Zion is used typically to represent the saint's final abode. Compare 4:2, 3. and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads.--The names of the Lamb and of the Father writ-ten upon their foreheads show that they were acceptable to both Christ and God. This and the place where they were standing clearly indicate that they were redeemed and had gained the ultimate victory--were safe from any further attacks from either beast. See notes on Revelation 13:16 regarding mark of beast on forehead. In Revelation 7:4-9 is also mentioned the same number as having been "sealed" from the twelve tribe, after which is mentioned a numberless multitude from all peoples--and Gentiles. In our present text only the 144,000 are mentioned. Whether they are the same that are mentioned in the seventh chapter or not is immaterial, for in both places the purpose is to encourage faithfulness by foretelling the final success true saints will have. The number is doubtless symbolical and means an incalculably large multitude.2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder:--Whether or not the whole vision was seen in heaven, "Zion" being used typically, the voice John heard came from heaven. From verse 3 the natural conclusion is that the voice was singing the new song before the throne. The language shows that it was a song of sublime powers. It filled the air as the roaring of mighty waters or the waves of the ocean. The sound was not the roaring of waters, but "as" or similar to such sound. Its majesty was also indicated by saying it was "as" the voice of a great thunder. Reverberating through the heavens like the peals of loud thunder. and the voice which I heard was as the voice of harpers harping with their harps:--The King James Version represents John as saying he heard the harpers harping, but the Revised says the voice he heard was "as" harpers harping. This must be correct, for all three clauses are in the same gram-matical construction, the word "as" being in all of them John then said nothing about hearing harps, but only that the voice he heard was like the harping--possibly meaning that it was both grand and melodious. This passage gives no support for the use of mechanical music in worship for the following rea-sons: (1) What John heard was in heaven, not on earth. There is no proof that we are privileged to have everything in the church that will be in heaven. (2) There is nothing said about the 144,000 redeemed harping on harps. The word "as" settles that. (3) The plural number of the word "harps" shows that many harps were .used, which would mean each had a harp, if it referred to the redeemed playing harps in heaven. In a con-gregation one instrument is used for all. There simply is not anything here to give the least support to mechanical music in church worship. 3 and they sing as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders:--For comments on the four living creatures and the elders see notes on Revelation 4:4-7. "Before the throne" indicates that they were in the presence of God and the Lamb, which means that they were a part of the saved. This final glory of the redeemed is here pictured to encourage struggling saints; it is an assurance that their labors will not be in vain and that the righteous will ultimately win the victory. With the 1,260 years of terrible struggle between the church and her enemies, such encouragement was of the greatest importance. It is of great value to faithful Christians in all times; without such promises to strengthen us few would endure to the end. and no man could learn the song save the hundred and forty and four thousand, even they that had been purchased out of the earth.--This means that none except the redeemed can fully appreciate the joys of salvation, and certainly we will not understand what heaven means until we reach it. We rejoice in pardon of sins and are made exceedingly happy in the anticipation of eternal life, but will have to wait for its realization till we meet our Redeemer over there. Only those who have passed through a great sorrow can fully know what relief means; so only those who have been saved from a terrible misfortune can appreciate the blessing. Of course, nothing can approximate the sublime and transporting joy to be experienced by those who will be permitted to stand on the eternal Zion and dwell in the celestial city. A song of praise for such a blessing can only be sung by those who have been purchased from sin by Christ's blood. For this reason what John heard seemed to be a song, but a new one which even saints on earth could not understand. 4 These are they that were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.--That the saved in heaven will be those who have lived clean and chaste lives is certain from the general teaching of the Scriptures. But in view of the fact that the lessons in Revelation are mainly expressed in symbols, it is more reasonable to conclude that the impurity mentioned here is to be understood figuratively. In the Old Testament the abominable sin of literal adultery is made the figurative term by which idolatry is described. This use of the word is found in Jeremiah 3:1-10. The Greek word for "virgins," though feminine in form, evidently has a masculine sense in this text; hence, it should be taken spiritually to indicate moral and spiritual purity. As the word "man" is often used to mean mankind, so the word "purity" with a masculine sense includes both men and women. It is doubtless the purpose of this verse to contrast true saints with those who follow the "Mother of HarRev_17:5." (17:5; compare 2 Corinthians 11:2.) These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, to be the firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb.--Jesus is represented as a good shepherd, and his disciples as sheep to follow him. (John 10:11-15; compare Psalms 23.) Those finally saved will be the ones who have followed him, which can only mean those who have obeyed his commands. This truth is sustained by many texts of scripture. "Whithersoever he goeth" means doing any and all things he commands. They were purchased or redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, as all the saved must be, but the 144,000 are represented as "firstfruits" unto God. They were not said to be redeemed because of their rank or station in life, but by the merits of Christ's blood. The Jews offered the first fruits of the harvests to the Lord. As the first fruits were also a guarantee of the full harvest later, so the great number that John saw were those who, as martyrs and other faithful ones, had been true to the Lord during the period when the saints were struggling against the two beasts mentioned in chapter 13, and their condition was a guarantee that all faithful followers of Christ will be saved finally. 5 And in their mouth was found no lie: they are without blemish.--Liars in heaven, of course, would be an intolerable thought. In Revelation 21:8 we are informed that "all liars," along with other abominable characters, will have their part in the "lake that burneth with fire and brimstone." The Jews were not allowed to offer blemished animals in sacrifice to the Lord neither can guilty sinners spend eternity in worshiping God in heaven. The redeemed in heaven will be without blemish. This, however, does not mean that they have never been wicked, for the very fact that they were redeemed implies that they had been sinners. In Revelation 7:14 it is said, "They washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Because of this and the fact that they came "out of the great tribulation" successfully, they are before the throne where they serve God day and night. (Revelation 7:15.) This is a symbolic scene indicating the way the saved will pass the time in eternity. It does not mean that the eternal age is yet begun, though the righteous dead are now in a state of happiness. This is the clear teaching of Jesus. (Luke 16:19-31.)Commentary on Revelation 14:1-5 by Foy E. Wallace (1) The hundred forty-four thousand—Revelation 14:1-5. 1. And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him a hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’ s name written in their foreheads--Revelation 14:1. The Lamb standing on mount Zion was Christ: and mount Zion was the symbol of the new Jerusalem, where the new covenant was inaugurated, and where the church was established; and which Paul declared, in Galatians 4:26, to be the mother of us all. This heavenly Jerusalem was held in contrast with the old outward and earthly Jerusalem which here was representative of Judaism with all of its apostasies. This new mount Zion was the seat of the new spiritual temple, as the dwelling of the New Testament church, described in Revelation 11:19 as “ measured off for them that worship there” --the firstfruits, further mentioned by Paul as the firstborn, in Hebrews 12:22-23 : “ But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.” The hundred forty-four thousand was the numerical symbol for that great number of saints which were redeemed from the earth. These were the martyred number of the woman’ s seed, designated in chapter twelve as the man child which was caught up unto God in contrast with the remnant or rest of the woman’ s seed which remained on the earth to suffer tribulation, but not martyrdom. It is stated that this grand group of the hundred forty-four were redeemed from the earth--they represented the select company of martyrs, purchased by the blood of martyrdom, and having been redeemed from the earth they therefore belonged to heaven where they had been caught up unto God. These redeemed thousands with the Lamb had his Father’ s name written in their foreheads in contrast with not having the mark of the beast in their hands and on their foreheads. It was their badge of identification and mark of distinction. The number hundred forty-four thousand was based on the mathematical calculation of twelve times twelve, as a symbolic reference to the twelve patriarchs of the old dispensation and the twelve apostles of the new covenant, and the number signified the full number of martyred saints. Here again the proleptic character of this chapter was applied, in that the full number of martyrs were visualized in the midst of rather than at the end of the scenes of death by martyrdom, which followed in the succeeding chapters. This chapter therefore abandoned the orderly succession of the events for the between scenes view of the final victory of the saints and judgment of the beasts. 2. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps—Revelation 14:2-3. The voice from heaven was in unison, and symbolized the same triumphant chorus of victory over the forces of the dragon, as in chapters eleven and twelve. The voice which John heard was as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder, and as the voice of harpers with their harps. It has been asserted that the reference to harps and harpers here justifies the employment ofmechanical musical instrumentation in the worship of the church. But a symbol never symbolizes itself, and a type cannot typify itself. Moreover, the scene is that of the spirits of the redeemed from the earth--and heaven is the home of the soul. What use could a redeemed spirit make of a material instrument? It is worse than folly--it is crass stupidity--to make a such literal application of figurative language. The description is a comparison, indicated by the conjunctive adverb as. The voice of unison in the vision was heard singing this new song of triumph before the throne of the Lamb. In the perfection of rhythm it was us the flowing of many waters; in the mighty volume it was as the peal of great thunders; in the sweetness of melody, it was as if it were attuned to the strings of an hundred and forty-four thousand harps. The Greek text has the same adverb as with the harpers as with the waters and thunders --as harpers harping with their harps. It was the song of the myriad thousand, which no man could learn--which only the redeemed chorus could sing; it was not a song of worship on earth, but a refrain of triumph known only to the select company of martyrs and which belonged only to the throng before the throne. It was beyond all human imagination or contemplation. 3. These are they which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins .. . which follow the Lamb withersoever he goeth, these were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God . . . in their mouth no guile . . . without fault before the throne of God—Revelation 14:4-5. These verses were a further description of this group of redeemed martyrs, of their spiritual purity while they dwelt among men, before they were caught up unto God. Their virtues were extolled for the impression on the members of the churches in midst of pagan influences and surroundings. Though these martyred saints were in the visional sphere of glory in the triumph of the persecuted cause-- their character on the earth before they ascended unto God was an exemplification of the spiritual purity which should be maintained by all who remained under the evil influences of pagan surroundings in the world. There is no distinction in character between the saints in heaven and the saints on earth. Commentary on Revelation 14:1-5 by Walter ScottI. — THE SPARED JEWISH REMNANT (Revelation 14:1-5). MOUNT ZION, THE LAMB, AND THE JEWISH REMNANT. Revelation 14:1 — “And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing upon Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred (and)forty-four thousand, having His Name and the Name of His Father written upon their foreheads.” The Revised Testament reads “ a Lamb,” and omits “ having his Name.” Both blunders are corrected in the Revised Version. Zion is only named once in the Apocalypse. “ Out of about 110 times that Zion is mentioned, ninety are in terms of the Lord’ s great love and affection for her, so that the place has great, very great significance, and Heaven knows it too.” (“ Revelation of Jesus Christ,” by W. R. Hartridge, page 54.) The first mention of Zion when capturedfrom the Jebusites by David (2 Samuel 5:7) is pregnant with interest, for, adds the sacred historian, “ the same is the city of David.” Saul, the predecessor of David on the throne, was the man of the people’ s choice, and typified “ the king” who reigns in Jerusalem before the Lord comes. David, the true king of Israel, was Jehovah’ s chosen, and Zion the seat of his government. He is thus the prototype of our Lord, Who will reign in Zion, “ and before His ancients gloriously” (Isaiah 24:23). Zion is rich in sacredmemories to the Jew. It is his goal of hope. It is, too, God’ s chosen city. “ For the Lord hath chosen Zion: He hath desired it for His habitation. This is my rest for ever; here will I dwell; for I have desired it” (Psalms 132:13-14). “ Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King” (Psalms 48:2). It is the seat of universal government for earth, and the centre of interest to the millennial world (Isaiah 2:1-22). It is where Jehovah has in purpose set His King (Psalms 2:6). There are three distinct thoughts connected with mount Zion: (1) It is the seat of royal power; (2) of God’ s intervention in grace; (3) of Jehovah’ s sovereignty, but all in respect to Israel. The vision is a bright and gladdening one, a calm after a storm. Christ does not yet reign on Zion, but the time is near, and in the meantime He stands as the Lamb with His chosen ones. The vision is an anticipative one. Both the crowd of saved Gentiles (Revelation 7:9) and the millennial kingdom (Revelation 11:15; Revelation 12:10) are anticipative visions which have their actual fulfilment at the Advent in power.Here the Lamb stands on mount, Zion, but the Vials have yet to be poured out. The 144,000 here witnessed are of Judah; a similarly numbered company of all Israel (Revelation 7:4) forms a separate vision. This company has theName of the Lamb and His (not their) Father’ s Name written upon their foreheads. The mark of the Beast is on each one of his worshippers. The Name of the Lamb and His Father’ s Name as well on the forehead of each confessor of Christ. These witnesses are viewed as having come out of the fiery trial under the Beast. They are Jews who steadfastly maintained the rights of God and of the Lamb; now they are publicly owned of Him. Many of their brethren suffered even unto death, sealing their testimony with their blood. Those here were spared through the horrors of the Tribulation. We gather that the innumerable company of Gentiles (Revelation 7:9) are identical with the sheep who go into everlasting life (Matthew 25:34; Matthew 25:46); further, the “ third part,” refined as silver andtried as gold (Zechariah 13:8-9), the same as are here spoken of as 144,000 Jewish saints who occupy the leading place inthe earthly millennial kingdom. They stand with the Lamb on the seat of royalty. What an exchange! From the tyranny of the Beast to fellowship with the Lamb! From the place of suffering to the seat of glorious power! HARPERS AND SINGERS. Revelation 14:2-3. — “And I heard a voice out of the Heaven, as a voice of many waters, and as a voice of great thunder.And the voice which I heard (was) as of harp-singers harping with their harps; and they sing a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn that song save the hundred (and) forty-four thousand who were bought from the earth.” Heaven is stirred and breaks out into song. We have had the Babel sounds of earth, the mingled cry of the victor, and the wail of the vanquished. We have witnessed the Beast treading down the earth and breaking it in pieces (Daniel 7:23) — an exhibition of insensate brute force — and his fellow in crime, the Antichrist, morally darkening and deceiving the world. But now other sights delight the eye, and other sounds and songs greet the ear. We meet with a new company in Heaven, distinct from either the living creatures or elders, for they harp and sing “ before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders.” Harps are mentioned three times in the Apocalypse, in each instance associated with song (Revelation 5:8; Revelation 14:2; Revelation 15:2).Thus is set forth the choral praise of the redeemed and heavenly host. The elders, representatives of the redeemed of past and present ages, each celebrates with song and harp God’ s intervention in mighty saving grace (Revelation 5:8-10).Then, again, the martyred company of Judah tell out their gladness and triumph similarly to those of the elders (Revelation 14:2-3; Revelation 15:2-3). We understand the harpists of our chapter and those on the sea of glass (Revelation 15:2)as being one and the same class. The song and harp are so blended that they are spoken of as “ a voice” majestic as “ many waters” and powerful as “ great thunder.” Then this company of harpists sing a “ new song” in contrast with the old song. The former has as its theme redemption; the latter has as its subject creation (Job 38:7).The Lamb and the new song are conjoined (Revelation 5:8;Revelation 14:2). God and the old song are united. “ The song of Moses” and “ the song of the Lamb” (Revelation 15:3) link upin one God’ s past ways of power toward Israel with His present grace to them and to us. The crowd of saved Gentiles who form the nucleus of earth’ s millennial inhabitants is said to stand “ before the throne” (Revelation 7:9). So here the company sing “ before the throne.” But as the former are on earth, while the latter are in Heaven, the position differs accordingly. The saved Gentiles have a standing morally before the throne, whereas the martyred Jewish company have an actual place in relation to the throne. Revelation 14:3. — “No one could learn that song save the hundred (and) forty-four thousand.” The choristers in Heaven and those with the Lamb on Zion are evidently in closest sympathy. The two together formed one company on earth. Nationally they were Jews, spiritually fellow-saints. They had been companions in labor, in testimony, and in suffering under the oppression of the Beast and the Antichrist. Many sealed their testimony with their blood, others passed through the Tribulation, keeping themselves free from the corruptions of the wicked scene. The former class are the harp-singing company in Heaven; the latter are the preserved of Judah on mount Zion; thus the intimate connection between the two companies. How fitting, therefore, that the saved and delivered Jews on Zion should be those who alone on earth enter into and learn the song of their brethren “ before the throne” in Heaven. On earth they learn; in Heaven they know (1 Corinthians 13:12). As showing the ground of blessing even though victors over the Beast and occupying the place of royalty on Zion,the words are added, “ who were bought from the earth,” not “ redeemed” as in the Authorized Version, but “bought,” or purchased, as here and in verse four. All saints in Heaven and in earth are both purchased and redeemed. The former term applies to all men and all things on earth, the latter to believers only, and to thingson earth at the Coming. (For a fuller elucidation of the truths of purchase and redemption, see section on Revelation 5:9.The reader is also referred to our “ Doctrinal Summaries; or, Expositions of Important Scriptural Truths.” Fifth edition.)THE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FOUR ON MOUNT ZION. Revelation 14:4-5. — “These are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins: these are they who follow the Lamb wheresoever He goes. Thesehave been bought from men, firstfruits to God and to the Lamb: and in their mouths was no lie found; they are blameless.” In this first vision we have three companies of redeemed people: (1) The elders, the saints of past and present ages; (2) the praising company of martyred Judah in Heaven; (3) the victorious part of Judah who had emerged out of “ the great Tribulation.” This latter company are associated with the Lamb in His triumph, standing on mount Zion, the seat of royalty and of sovereign grace. Amidst the grossest corruptions, open idolatry, proud boasting, daring blasphemy, and open wickedness, these saints had not defiled themselves. They had walked through a scene abandoned to Satan without defilement. They lived and walked in virgin purity ( “ These are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins.” To refer this to literal impurity, as some do, manifests a lamentable want of spiritual discernment; moreover, the absurdity of such an interpretation would necessarily confine the company on mount Zion to men only.) (2 Corinthians 11:2). They had “ kept themselves unspotted from the world.” But not only is there virgin purity of life, but there is also virgin love, undivided heart affection for the Lamb. We have had their purity attested, now we witness their obedience, which is full and unqualified; they “ follow the Lamb wheresoever He goes,” their discipleship is unquestionable. Revelation 14:4 — “Bought from men” and “ bought from the earth” (Revelation 14:3) respectively signify the race and the place out of which God in His grace had taken them. Their purchase is regarded as a special act of sovereign grace. “Firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.” These are an earnest of earth’ s coming blessing. God and the Lamb are to reap a rich and bountiful harvest, and these are a sample. Priority in time and blessing of a like character are indicated in the term “ firstfruits” (see Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23; James 1:18, etc.). Revelation 14:5. — “In their mouths was no lie found.” Truthfulness in word characterised them. Their confession of Christ as the real Messiah was a true one (1 John 2:21-27),in contrast to the mass given over to believe a lie in the reception and acknowledgment of the false Messiah, the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:11; 1 John 2:22). Revelation 14:5 — “They are blameless.” Thus ends the beautifully descriptive character of the 144,000 on mount Zion. The Authorised Version substitutes guile for “ lie,” and adds “ without fault before the throne of God.” This is a serious interpolation. The meaning and force of the simple statement, “ they are blameless,” is that they were so in practical ways and conduct generally. They refused to conform to the persecuting and blaspheming edicts of the Beast, they neither wondered after the Beast nor worshipped him. The seductions, too, of Antichrist, by which the mass were deceived, were avoided with holy loathing. In these respects “ they were blameless.” Were the absolute holiness of God, the claims of His throne and nature in question, none on earth could stand and say, “ I am blameless in myself.” This the passage does not assert, but is simply God’ s estimate of their practical conduct when under the Beast. REVIEW. The opening vision is that of the Lamb standing on mount Zion immediately preparatory to His assumption of royal power as King of Israel. With Him is associated a defined number of Jews who have emerged out of the great Tribulation. They publicly bear the Name of the Lamb and His Father’ s Name, and are thus, in light of the full blaze of millennial glory, openly owned of God. Then a voice is heard “ out of,” or proceeding from, Heaven, grandly majestic and loud and powerful. It is one voice in which the harp and song of many are expressed. These singers and harpers are in Heaven. Who are they? They are as a company distinct from the elders, the raised dead and changed living of 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. The harpist choir are the brethren of those on mount Zion. They had laid down their lives rather than succumb to the Beast and his minister who dominated the conscience of the mass. They are here seen as raised in vision only; actually the whole scene is an anticipative millennial one. Their brethren on earth, once their companions in confession and sorrow, alone can learn the song of Heaven. How near is Heaven to earth in those days! How interested and how real the fellowship of saints in Heaven with those on earth! It is the day of Hos 2:21-22, and the day of Joh 1:51. Then we get the ground (twice stated) on which these saved ones stood in holy and royal fellowship with the Lamb. They had been purchased at what a cost, even the blood of the Lamb. Then we have their practical conduct (not the inward state), which is equally true in principle of every child of God. (1) Separation, thorough and unqualified,from the wickedness and idolatry of their surroundings. They maintained virgin purity from evil and virgin affection for Christ. (2) Obedience and Discipleship are marked features. They followed the Lamb wheresoever He went at a time and in a crisis when all save the elect wandered after the Beast. Following the Lamb is a characteristic truth. They followed Him in His rejection; they equally follow Him in His glory. The word translated “ follow” is in the present tense. (3) Truthfulness, in word and confession, is another feature of the practical character of these saints. When Christendom as a whole had been given over to believe the devil’ s lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11) these godly Jewish saints clung to the truth of Holy Scripture in its teachings as to the true Messiah and Prophet. (4) Blamelessness in outward conduct and ways before men, not “ before the throne of God” (an interpolation), is a fitting and condensed epitome of their practical character and life. They were the first-fruits of the harvest gathered out of Israel, a joy to God and to the Lamb. Commentary on Revelation 14:1-5 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 14:1. The preceding chapter took us back to the first century of the Christian Era and dealt with the years of Pagan Rome, then came on to the time of Papal Rome and predicted the Dark Ages of 1260 years. The present chapter will continue down through that period and through the days of the Reformation, finally reaching the last great day of judgment and the separation of the saved from the unsaved. The Lamb is Christ and Zion is the true church which has been persecuted all through the Dark Ages. In the course of that period there were multitudes of faithful Christians who would not receive the mark of the beast, but instead they had the name of the Father written in their foreheads. Revelation 14:2. Voice of many waters symbolizes that great numbers had resisted the temptations of Rome, and thunder is a symbol denoting that the sound of triumph is strong and of great volume. Voice of harpers means the organs of song in the bodies of the redeemed, for the next verse says they were singing with the harps. Revelation 14:3. The saints of God always have the same story to tell and the same song to sing, and that is about redemption through the blood of the Lamb. But that story has a new significance whenever the faithful have another victory over the forces of evil through faith in Christ Jesus, and in that sense it becomes a new song. At the present time they had gained a victory over the apostate institution and hence they had great reason to rejoice and sing. The four beasts (living creatures) and the four and twenty elders are among the grateful listeners to the song. The hundred and forty and four thousand are the same ones we read about in chapter 7. No man could learn that song. Men of the world can sing any kind of song that is written as far as the literal execution of it is concerned, but they cannot realize what it means to express themselves in song as can those who have been redeemed from sin in the blood of the Lamb, and then again experienced the joy of winning out in a battle against the hosts of wickedness as these had. The corrupt institution of Rome had tried to overcome them by its abominable allurements but had failed. Revelation 14:4. In figurative language heathenism, paganism or idolatry, likewise any other form of unlawful worship is used to symbolize adultery and other forms of immorality. The persons of this verse were disciples who had remained true to the service of Christ though often tempted to commit spiritual adultery with paganism and other practices of Rome. Follow the Lamb whithersoever lie goeth covers much more than is often realized. It means to follow Him through sorrow as well as joy; through evil report as well as good, and through the valley of death if the enemy drives that affliction upon the servant of the Lord. Incidentally this verse gives us some information on the subject of virgins. The common idea is that only women can be virgins but these are called such because they had not been defiled with women, and men only could be defiled in that way. True the writer is considering spiritual adultery, but the language would not have been used were it not understood that either sex may be a virgin. First fruit s is figurative in the sense of quality, and the word is based on the requirements of the Mosiac law. The Jews were commanded to give the first of all their flocks and herds and the products of the field unto the Lord. The word finally came to mean the best service that one could render to Him. The disciples of this verse had performed such excellent devotions that the word first fruits is used denoting something especially dear to the Lord. Revelation 14:5. Guile means deceit and these faithful disciples had no desire nor occasion to try deceiving anyone. That evil trait was one of the prominent ones of the "man of sin." Fault means blemish or spot in one's conduct or manner of life. Hence this verse represents persons who are correct in both word and deed. That would indicate that their hearts were right also because "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh"(Matthew 12:34), and from the heart come "murders, adulteries," etc. (Matthew 15:19). These saints were free from all these products of an evil heart so we may conclude they were pure in heart. That explains why they were allowed to be before the throne of God, for Matthew 5:8 says the pure in heart shall see God. These brave soldiers of the cross had been strengthened in their fight of faith by the very trials that were intended to destroy them.Commentary on Revelation 14:1-5 by Burton CoffmanRev_14:1 There is relatively very little difficulty in the interpretation of this chapter. First (Revelation 14:1-5), there is a consolatory vision of the redeemed rejoicing in heaven (anticipatory, of course), followed by a solemn angelic announcement of the final judgment (Revelation 14:6-7), "The hour of his judgment is come!" However, even preceding that announcement (Revelation 14:7), there was foretold the fulfillment of that great event which must come before the final judgment; namely, the preaching of the truth to all nations, as Jesus prophesied, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:14). The announcement of the angel in Revelation 14:7 that the hour is come very logically follows the revelation of Rev 14:6 that preaching of the "eternal good tidings" had been effectively concluded. The rest of this chapter (Revelation 14:8-20) contains a more detailed and graphic vision of the judgment. This follows a pattern John frequently used. "As often, with this author, we have first a general fact, or statement, then a detail or part."[1]By way of recalling what was revealed in the preceding chapter, two great enemies of God's people were presented: (1) the sea-beast and (2) the land-beast. The first of these we identified as the satanically perverted state, Satan's perennial device as seen in the great historical empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, the latter being the specific manifestation of it when John wrote. The second was understood as the false church which made an image of the beast (in the sense of becoming that image), the degenerate religion, being particularly manifested when John wrote as the pagan priesthood, but developing later into the full apostasy of the Middle Ages, and becoming an image of the first beast, itself the second, but particularly a religious beast originating in Christianity and developing out of it. Such revelations must have been shocking indeed to the first readers of this prophecy; and their most natural reaction would have been the question, "Is evil then destined to triumph?" This great judgment scene in Revelation 14 is squarely addressed to that question. Wickedness shall not prevail; evil cannot win. The first beast shall fall (Babylon, Revelation 14:8), her doom being pronounced in the prophetic past tense as something already accomplished, and as certain as if it had already occurred. The second beast, those worshipping the first beast and his image (Revelation 14:9), shall be tormented with fire and brimstone (Revelation 14:10), forever and ever (Revelation 14:11). Thus, the great purpose of the final judgment, as stated in this chapter, is the overthrow and destruction of these two great enemies of God and his people. In connection with that great final judgment, three angelic announcements signal the onset and execution of it (Revelation 14:6-12). Revelation 14:13, coming at the end of that triple preliminary, is, in a sense, the summary of all three, and one of the noblest passages in the whole Bible. The actual execution of the final judgment is presented in Revelation 14:14-20, which might be entitled "The Sickle of God," for these are not two visions, but one. Some commentators get mixed up here by paying too much attention to the various angels, who with regard to the judgment (all of them) are but the instruments of Christ (Matthew 13:41; Matthew 13:49) and are merely part of the scenery of the vision. As Lenski noted, "Those who count the angels and think that each appears in a separate vision have seen visions![2] However many angels are seen in these verses, there is only one sickle, only one judgment. An outline of this chapter is: I. A consolatory vision of the whole church in heaven (Revelation 14:1-5). II. The announcement of the final judgment and the Second Coming of Christ, "the day of the Lord" (Revelation 14:6-7). A. The gospel is preached to all nations, as Jesus said, that the end might come (Revelation 14:6). B. The judgment is announced (Revelation 14:7). C. The first beast is destroyed (Revelation 14:8). D. The second beast is destroyed (Revelation 14:9-12). E. Another word of great consolation is given (Revelation 14:13). III. The execution of the judgment itself (Revelation 14:14-20). A. The "wheat" is gathered into the garner (Revelation 14:14-16). B. The wicked earth (its inhabitants) perishes (Revelation 14:17-20). [1] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 663. [2] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis, Minn.: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 418. And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. (Revelation 14:1) The 144,000 ... These are without doubt the same as those of Rev 7:4; Revelation 7:9; namely, the entire register of the redeemed of earth without the loss of one. See further comment on this interpretation under those verses, above. Some are able to find only "the martyrs" here, "but it is unlikely to stand for a spiritual elite of any sort, such as the martyrs."[3] "The whole church is in view."[4] They are not the martyrs, nor the celibates, nor any special kind of Christians whatever. "'These words demand no such interpretation."[5]Standing on the mount of Zion ... Of course, Zion is the poetic name for the old Jerusalem, but no literal city of any kind could be meant here. This is that Zion which cannot be moved but abides for ever (Psalms 125:1); it is heaven (Hebrews 12:22). Hence, we read, "And I heard a voice from heaven" (Revelation 14:2; Revelation 14:13).[6]Having his name written on their foreheads ... Since this is not literally true of Christians, it must be understood as a mark of their identification with Christ and with God. It is a spiritual likeness, which also corroborates the interpretation given above regarding the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16-18). Having the names of God and Christ written upon the forehead symbolizes thoughts and dispositions conformable to the will of God. Barclay believed that "'it might indicate ownership, loyalty, security, dependence and safety of the Christian."[7] Moffatt understood this whole vision as being "introduced as a foil of what preceded,"[8] and as anticipatory of heaven. Any notion that it is "a preview of the near future"[9] is erroneous. All such interpretations suppose that John (mistakenly, of course) believed that Christ would return very shortly to gather a literal army (the 144,000) on the hills of the literal Jerusalem. [3] Leon Morris, Tyndale Commentaries, Vol. 20, The Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 175. [4] G. R. Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation (Greenwood, South Carolina: The Attic Press, 1974), p. 223. [5] George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972), p. 190. [6] William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956), p. 183. [7] William Barclay, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 102. [8] James Moffatt, The Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 435. [9] Martin Rist, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XII (New York-Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1957), p. 467. Revelation 14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and the voice which I heard was as the voice of harpers harping with their harps.And I heard a voice from heaven ... Although the person or persons speaking in this great voice is not indicated, the fact of its being "from heaven" proclaims the true power and authority of it. God either spoke the message or authorized it. As the voice of many waters ... It was not the noise of many waters which John heard, but something so powerful as to suggest that. As the voice of harpers harping with their harps ... Just as in the case of the waters, John did not hear "waters"; he did not hear, in this case, either the harps or the voice of the harpers, but something suggesting that. What John heard was not singers singing and playing harps, but a sound as precious and sweet as that, meaning that, "It was articulate and sweet."[10] Morris described the voice as loud and melodious, supposing that, "It was the voice of the 144,000."[11]As might have been expected, not all scholars could resist the temptation to fabricate an argument from this to favor worshipping God with mechanical instruments of music. "We see that there are zithers of God ... The zithers accompany the singing!"[12] But, of course, there are no literal harps in heaven; nor is it stated in the text that John heard any harps. As Hinds said, "The passage gives no support for the use of mechanical instruments in worship.[13] Furthermore, there is the valid principle that the appearance of anything whatever in these visions could not possibly provide any authority for the incorporation of such things into the worship of God through Christ on earth. This verse was falsely rendered by the New English Bible (1961) thus, "It was the sound of harpers playing on their harps." As Plummer pointed out, "The ASV rendition as in this text is supported by all the leading uncials, the Sinaiticus, the Alexandrinus, the Vatican and the Codex Ephraemi."[14] Therefore, the New English Bible (1961), like so many of the so-called "modern" translations, is, in certain texts, not a translation at all, but a perversion of the word of God. [10] W. H. Simcox, The Revelation, Revised, Cambridge Greek New Testament (Cambridge: University Press, 1893), p. 139. [11] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 176. [12] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 421. [13] John T. Hinds, A Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), p. 208. [14] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 347. Revelation 14:3and they sing as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders: and no man could learn the song save the hundred and forty and four thousand, even they that had been purchased out of the earth.A new song ... The universal rejoicing of the saints in heaven is meant by this, indicating their joy unspeakable and their bliss eternal. No man could learn ... save the 144,000 ... Could this possibly mean that some special group in heaven alone could learn this song? No indeed. All the redeemed are meant. The meaning is simply that, "none except the redeemed could join in the singing."[15]Even they that had been purchased out of the earth ... This explains exactly the identity of the 144,000; it is the whole church of Christ that has been purchased with his own precious blood (Acts 20:38 ff). ENDNOTE: [15] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 222. Revelation 14:4 These are they that were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, to be the firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb. And in their mouth there was found no lie: they are without blemish.These are they that were not defiled with women ... More nonsense has been written about this than about anything else in Revelation, with the possible exception of Rev 22:2! We shall start with Barclay: "If we are to treat it honestly, we cannot avoid the conclusion that it praises celibacy and virginity and belittles marriage."[16] We should have expected this from a scholar who thought that when Jesus said, "The maiden is not dead, but sleepeth," he thought they were about to bury the daughter of Jairus alive. For all his "honesty" in taking this place literally he spiritualized virgins to include celibacy! How so? If the passage is taken literally, it is impossible to explain it, for virgins is not literally those who "have not defiled themselves with women," unless it is construed as meaning virgins who are not Lesbians! Are we then to conclude that no one will be in heaven except non-Lesbian females? Literalism here could hardly mean anything else: therefore, the true spiritual meaning of the passage must be sought. For a discussion of "Fundamentalism among Modernists," see my Commentary on James , 1,2 Peter 1, 2, and 3John, and Jude, pp. 289,290. Before observing what other learned men have written about this, let it be observed that John here categorically stated exactly who the "virgins" of this passage are: They are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, to be the firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb. It would be impossible for the Scriptures to declare any more plainly than in these words that the "virgins" are the redeemed of earth, the true Christians who at last shall enter heaven. How strange it is that people should seek any other definition than that which is so clearly stated here by the inspired apostle himself. The 144,000 virgins are undefiled in the sense that they have refused to defile themselves by participating in the fornication of worshipping the beast.[17]That the word "virgins" is used in a spiritual sense in the New Testament is proved by the letter Ignatius wrote to the Smyrneans, "To the brethren, their wives and children, and the virgins that are called widows."[18] In such usage, "virgins" has no reference whatever to sexual experience. "Being a chaste virgin" means being a faithful Christian; and all of the ancient Christians understood this perfectly. Scholars overwhelmingly accept this: This means that the Christians have resisted the seductions of the great harlot Rome with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication (Revelation 17:2)[19] These anticipatory passages al ways relate to the people of God as a whole.[20] The whole church is in view. Therefore the passage must be interpreted symbolically.[21] A literal interpretation would contradict the gospel.[22] These were virgin souls who had not bowed to the beast or his image. They were not guilty of spiritual fornication."[23] Virgins was a natural symbol for moral purity from the seductions of the great whore of Babylon and from that fornication which is idolatry.[24] It is not possible that these words should be understood literally.[25]Firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb ... This expression is made to mean that the salvation of the church is only "first" chronologically in God's purpose of saving the entire human race, good and bad alike, as for example: The church's experience is also the sign of what the experience of mankind is to be. Put these words into the collection of John's universalistic references."[26]Such views are due to a misunderstanding of the true meaning of "firstfruits" as used here. "Firstfruits" can be used of a total group regarding their total consecration to God. All Christians are "firstfruits" (James 1:18). Jeremiah also referred to all of Israel as "the firstfruits of his harvest" (Jeremiah 2:3).[27]There is absolutely nothing here that indicates the salvation of any who are not "in Christ." "The view that makes the 144,000 the firstfruits of all believers instead of all men is unacceptable."[28] The contrast is not between the 144,000 and others yet to be saved, but between them and the rest who are lost. Chronology is not in this. "Firstfruits is a description of the perfect character of the 144,000."[29]And in their mouth there was found no lie ... Beyond the truth and integrity of speech which are the dominant qualities of every Christian life, "the lie" probably in the back of John's mind here is the lie that "Caesar is god," that man is his own Saviour, that people may forgive each other's sins, or that God's religion may be tailored by people to suit their own purposes. "Not the least lie of this kind was found in the 144,000."[30][16] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 107. [17] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 191. [18] Ignatius, Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 92. [19] Robert H. Mounce, Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), p. 270. [20] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 650. [21] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 203. [22] Vernard Eller, The Most Revealing Book of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974), p. 136. [23] Frank L. Cox, Revelation in 26 Lessons (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1956), p. 90. [24] G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 179. [25] Charles H. Roberson, Studies in Revelation (Tyler, Texas: P. D. Wilmeth, P.O. Box 3305,1957), p. 106. [26] Vernard Eller, op. cit., p. 136. [27] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 192. [28] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 425. [29] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 653. [30] Ibid. Commentary on Revelation 14:1-5 by Manly LuscombeIntroduction Chapter 14 is a continuation of the previous one. Here is a brief outline of this chapter: I. Description of those who refuse to worship the beast. (Revelation 14:1-5) II. Babylon is introduced. (Revelation 14:6-11) III. Another view of judgment. (Revelation 14:14-20)1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’ s name written on their foreheads. The 144,000 were discussed in Revelation 7:3-4. They are the servants of God who have the seal of God in them. They have the Father’ s name on their foreheads. They are faithful, loyal, and obedient followers of Christ. The seal of God shows genuineness and authenticity. Each of us must decide whom we will serve - Christ or Satan - and wear the mark that identifies our loyalty. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. There are several issues that are often discussed here. 1. Does this passage authorize instrumental music in worship? The argument is often made that there are harps in heaven. The claim is made, since it is acceptable in heaven, it must be acceptable in worship. This passage does not authorize the use of instrumental music in worship. First, the harps mentioned here are symbolic. John does not hear harps. He hears voices like harpers playing their harps. There are references in Revelation to horses, frogs, lions, beasts, dragons, thunder, death, suffering, persecution and many other things which John sees in heaven. They are symbolic, not literal. Second, what John heard were voices. Voices can offer praise to God. This is what God commanded the church to do. (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16) This is what the angels and 24 elders use to praise God in Revelation 5. 2. What did John hear? Did John hear harps? Did he hear thunder? Did John hear a babbling brook? NO! John heard voices. In the next verse this voice sings a new Song of Solomon 3. What is the picture being painted in verse 2? John hears a voice. Now he begins to describe this voice. He uses three symbols to describe the voice he hears. Many waters - describes the flow and blending of this voice. It sounded like a babbling brook flowing over a rocky creek bed. Great thunder - As John seeks to describe the power of this voice; he says it sounded like a great boom of thunder. Harpers harping - When you think about the melody and beauty of the voice, John describes them as if many harpists were playing their instruments. It is clear that the acceptable worship and praise that God seeks is the voice that offers genuine praise from the heart. This voice sings in verse 3. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. The voices are here identified as coming from the 144,000. They sing a new song. It is a song that could not be sung before Christ came. Before the death of Christ, there was no redemption, no forgiveness, no salvation before the blood of Christ was shed on the cross. In the previous verse this voice is singular (denoting its unity and unison) and now it is in the plural as 144,000 sing together. Again, there is a parallel to the children of Israel. When they came out of great tribulation in Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, the first thing they did was sing a song of deliverance. So the church of the redeemed sings a new song of deliverance when they come out of the great tribulation of sin. For those who have not obeyed the gospel, the song is not familiar. If one has not committed their life to Christ, the words are just a strange sound. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. Who are these 144,000? They have not engaged in immoral or adulterous behavior. They have remained pure to the will of God. I do not believe that the word “ virgin” is to taken literally. They are spiritually pure. They have remained faithful to their Lord. In 1 Corinthians 7:25-27 refers to men as virgins. Here the term is used to simply mean unmarried and not a reference to their purity and fidelity. They follow the Lamb. Jesus said that the seep know the shepherd and follow him. (John 10:4) If we want to serve Christ, we must follow him. (John 12:26). They are the redeemed from the world. Under the Law of Moses, the Israelites were required to give the first fruits to God. (Proverbs 3:9) We are said to be the first fruits of God. (James 1:18) We have, in effect, given ourselves to the Lord. 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God. The description continues - There was no deceit in them. They were blameless. The American Standard translates this “ without blemish.” In the church at Sardis there were some who had not defiled their garments. (Revelation 3:4). The 144,000 are Christians, faithful, and loyal. They have kept their garments pure. Revelation 14:6-11 2. THREE ANGELSRev_14:6-11 6 And I saw another angel flying in mid heaven, having eternal good tidings to proclaim unto them that dwell on the earth, and unto every nation and tribe and tongue and people--As already noted this chapter gives a brief general description of the success made by the saints during the time the church was to wage war with the two beasts, and of its final triumph at the end of the world. The events mentioned are few in number, general in character, and far apart in point of time. The first paragraph certainly includes the redeemed of the 1,260-year period, and may be all the redeemed up to the close of that dreadful time. "Another angel" means one in addition to all the others he had seen in previous visions ; or, expressed differently, the meaning is that an angel gave him another vision. This text does not mean that the eternal good tidings--everlasting gospel--first began to be preached at the time referred to here; for the gospel of Christ began to be preached first on Pentecost according to the command of Jesus. (Luke 24:46; Acts 1:8.) The gospel of Christ is the "eternal good tidings" which was to be preached till the end of the world. (Matthew 28:20.) This preaching which the angel flying in the heaven announced to John seems to mean that done after the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, when the Catholic Church lost her dictatorial power and preachers were allowed, under the flag of Protestant liberty, to preach the Bible to all nations. The great apostasy came gradually, and the Reformation spread gradually, but it gave the liberty and furnished the motive for world-wide evangelism. The angel flying through heaven probably indicates the rapidity with which the preaching of the Reformation would spread. After the long night of spiritual slavery--the 1,260 years of religious darkness--the reformatory work spread by leaps and bounds. Soon all nations were allowed the privilege of reading and obeying without hindrance--a blessed privilege that people still have. 7 and he saith with a great voice, Fear God, and give him glory for the hour of his judgment is come:--This is substantially what Peter said to Cornelius; namely, those that fear God and work righteousness are acceptable to him. (Acts 10:35.) Solomon taught the same lesson in these words: "Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. (Ecclesiastes 12:13.) The angel was not announcing a new truth, but only what had been true all the way along. The application of this truth was to be carried out by obeying the same gospel that had been preached since Pentecost. Judgment here does not mean the final judgment when all nations will appear before the Lord, but the special judgment upon the beast at the end of the 1,260-year period; the time when the Catholic domination was to be broken and men be allowed to obey the gospel; hence, the command for them to "fear God, and give him glory." and worship him that made the heaven and the earth and sea and fountains of waters.--Paul declared that the "man of sin" would sit in the temple of God "setting himself forth as God." (2 Thessalonians 2:4.) That means, of course, that he would demand that reverence and devotion for himself which belong only to God. The Pope claiming to be the authoritative representative of Christ on earth is the only one that qualifies as deserving this description. This blind worship of a man is the thing which gave him complete sway over men for the long period of religious ignorance. But that anti-Christian power was broken by the Protestant Reformation, and men were taught that they were to worship the Creator of the universe, not man. In the symbol John heard the angel say that the everlasting gospel would be preached again; past history shows that it has been preached. This fact will be fully demonstrated by symbols yet to be studied. 8 And another, a second angel, followed, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great,--This does not mean another event that occurred after the things mentioned in verses 6 and 7. Rather this verse tells what transpired that made the proclamation of the everlasting gospel possible at that time. Though expressed in the past tense, all this was future when John saw the vision. This form of expression is called the "prophetic past," which means that a thing is so certain to transpire that it is spoken of as if it had already come to pass. Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 9:6 contains examples of the same usage. This is the first occurrence of the word "Babylon" in this book. Literal Babylon had long since disappeared; hence, the word here must be understood figuratively. See Revelation 17:5 and Revelation 18:2. "Fallen" did not mean that spiritual Babylon would cease to exist when the everlasting gospel began to be repreached, for its destruction will be at the coming of the Lord. (2 Thessalonians 2:8.) It was to fall in the sense that it would no longer be able to make the world bow to the papacy Just as Jerusalem, the capital of God's ancient people and the place where the gospel was first preached, was typical of the church (Galatians 4:24-31), so Babylon that once captured Jerusalem was made a type of the apostate church. Literal Babylon took the city, destroyed the temple, removed the holy vessels, and put the people of God in bondage for seventy years. The antitypical Babylon, the papal hierarchy, through a perversion of the church, took away the true worship of God, and put the people in spiritual bondage to papal authority for 1,260 years. The Reformation ended that bondage, but did not destroy the papal system any more than freeing Israel from Egyptian bondage destroyed Egypt. that hath made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.--This is also highly figurative lan guage. Fornication, as we have already learned, is typical of false and idolatrous doctrine and practice. It is here also represented as wine. Drinking wine intoxicates and leads to folly and madness; practicing false doctrines leads to confusion and rebellion against God. Jeremiah spake of the city of Babylon thus: "Babylon hath been a golden cup in Jehovah's hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunk of her wine; therefore the nations are mad." (Jeremiah 51:7.) Her antitype, papal Babylon, made the nations drunk with her false doctrines. In due time God allowed Babylon to he punished and finally destroyed; he has already broken spiritual Babylon's strangle hold on the world and will destroy her at the Lord's coming. The "wrath" here mentioned refers to the punishment that would fall upon her and those she deceives or intoxicates with her false teachings. 9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, If any man worshippeth the beast and his image, and receiveth a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand,--This angel refers to the corrupt anti-Christian power as the "beast" which is mentioned in Revelation 13:11. This was to encourage the struggling saints with the promise that their great enemy with his entire influence would finally be destroyed. He here specifically mentions all individuals who would accept and practice the false teaching of the apostate institution. For :comments on receiving the mark of the beast see notes on Revelation 13:16-17. 10 he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger;--The figure here is that of drinking from a cup of poison that would make one stagger, reel, and fall. As drinking the wine of Babylon's false doctrines led to religious drunkenness and departure from truth, so drinking the "wine of the wrath of God" means to suffer eternal banishment from his presence. Wine unmixed here means that the punishment would be up to full measure. God's righteous indignation at sin would require that he allow wickedness to be properly rewarded. Paul so taught in 2 Thessalonians 2:12. This is a strong incentive to righteous living. and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb --The word "tormented" carries the idea of conscious pain, which in itself shows consciousness in the final state. Fire and brimstone are evidently used in a figurative sense to indicate the terrible punishment that the lost will have to endure. Anything requiring the use of such figures must be too dreadful not to escape. The language may be used with reference to the destruction of Sodom. (Genesis 19:24.) Whatever this punishment may be, it will be unending. Mark refers to it as "where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark 9:47-48.) Matthew refers to "eternal punishment" in direct contrast with "eternal life." Eternal in both expressions is from the same Greek word. The punishment, therefore, is of the same duration as the life. The angels and Christ being present need not be pressed to signify anything more than that they will he present when the wicked are sent away into their punishment. However, it may add to their torment for them to know that their punishment is according to the righteous judgment of Christ, and a justification of the rewards to the righteous. Blessings for the righteous demand punishments for the wicked, else righteousness would not be worth seeking. 11 and the smoke of their torment goeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, they that worship the beast and his image, and whoso receiveth the mark of his name.--Smoke ceases to arise when the fire goes out. This is a symbol to indicate that their punishment would not end; the two expressions "for ever and ever" and "day and night" both show that to be the meaning. When the final sentence is passed, the destiny of the wicked is fixed forever. The remainder of the verse is a repetition of the description of those who will be finally rejected. The number John is here talking about are those who identify themselves with the apostate church in doctrine and practice. For comment on the mark and name of the beast see notes on Revelation 13:16-17.Commentary on Revelation 14:6-11 by Foy E. Wallace (2) The three angels of judgment--14:6-12. 1. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people—Revelation 14:6. This angel of proclamation symbolized the evangelism of the world with the gospel, and was paralleled with the angels of Mat 24:31, who were to be sent “ to gather his elect from the four winds of the earth,” after the destruction of Jerusalem. The message of the everlasting gospel of this Revelation angel was the same gospel of the kingdom of Mat 24:14; Matthew 24:31 -which was preached by the angels who gathered the elect from one end of heaven to the other, after the destruction of Jerusalem. These angels of Revelation, as of Matthew twenty-four, symbolized gospel emissaries, and both passages (Matthew 24:31 and Revelation 14:6) referred to the universal expansion of Christianity which followed the downfall of Judaism. The end mentioned in Matthew 24:14 --"and then shall the end come” --undoubtedly had reference to the end of the Jewish state and the termination of the period of the persecution by the rulers of Rome and Judea. The visions of Revelation are again seen to be an extension of the Lord’ s abbreviated account of the same events in Matthew the twenty-fourth chapter, both of which were the delineations of the war against the Jews, the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, and of the terrible tribulation which the churches sustained and survived. The evangelistic angel of verse 6 had the everlasting gospel to preach . . . to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, while the angels of Mat 24:31 were sent to gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. The events were the same, the angels were the same, their evangelistic mission and gospel message were the same, the symbolism was the same and the period the visions covered was the same--the time of trial and tribulation of the churches during the war against Jerusalem, with all of the events connected with its downfall and the subsequent persecution of the church. The apocalyptist here envisions the immediate post-persecution unrestrained proclamation of the gospel. The angelic evangel was seen flying “ in the midst of heaven” --that is, in the domain of the civil governments and political authorities that had waged the persecution against the church. But the persecutors were seen as having been defeated and the period of persecution as having ended, and the angel emissary was seen heralding the everlasting gospel to the people of the whole Roman world. It was the gospel which imperial power could not destroy, which had survived bloodshed and martyrdom--the everlasting and universal gospel then to be preached “ unto them that dwell on the earth” (Judea and Palestine), where the saints had been killed, and “ to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (the whole region of the persecuting powers). It iss the same universal, indestructible, everlasting gospel today. 2. Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come—Revelation 14:7. The loud proclamation of this angel was a strong expression of the truth that the gospel has a message of fear and condemnation as well as of joy and salvation. The message of the evangelistic angel is concluded with the exhortation to worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. These words declare that God is over every realm of the activities of the two beasts--the emperor and his satellite rulers--and that all should acknowledge and worship him. 3. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication—Revelation 14:8. The second angel of this vision was the angel of doom-signifying the message of doom on Babylon-which here referred to apostate Jerusalem--and the eminent fall of the once holy city. In Revelation 11:8 apostate Jerusalem was designated spiritually as Egypt and Sodom to symbolize her state of apostasy. The reference to Jerusalem was made indisputable by the identifying phrase “ where also our Lord was crucified.” The prophet Isaiah referred to apostate Jerusalem as “ the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.” (Isaiah 1:21) The Lord’ s lament over the spiritual desolation of Jerusalem is recorded in Matthew 23:34-37, climaxed with the impassioned appeal: “ 0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.” The name Babylon had come to symbolize the ultimate in corruption, and the fallen Babylon of Rev 14:8 is figurative of the spiritual degradation of Jerusalem--“ the faithful city turned harlot,” and “ which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” Rome was never a faithful city” to “ turn harlot,” but these phrases are a fitting description of Jerusalem before and during the time of Christ. The fornication of Rev 14:8 compares with the use of the same term in reference to Israel’ s unfaithfulness to God in their Old Testament history. The wine of the wrath of her fornication denoted the drunkenness of spiritual idolatry resulting from the wine of wrath, the evil deeds of which called down the condemnation of God which brought the end in the destruction of the city and its temple. 4. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his Mark—Revelation 14:9. The third angel of this apocalypse was the angel of judgment--the symbol of solemn warning against the worship of the beast, and receiving his mark. As has been previously shown the beast of the land (in Palestine) obeyed the beast of the sea (the Roman emperor) and caused all the people to worship the Roman emperor whose image was the object of idolatry. This image worship was the mark of the beast. Having this mark inscribed in the forehead or in the hand was symbolic of its binding power, as an inviolable oath of allegiance. This particular announcement of the angel is not a pronouncement of judgment on the beasts, but rather a warning against the beast-worship and the condemnation that would come to all men everywhere who thereby received his mark. 5. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone—Revelation 14:10. The strong fermentation of wine used for liquors was often made more savory and agreeable to the taste by additives of certain spices or ingredients. But the wine of the wrath of God upon the idolaters of the imperial image worship would be poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation--the wrath of God unmingled with clemency and without mitigation would be their condemnation. The worshipers of the imperial beast would share the same judgment pronounced upon him. The elements of the torment meted out to the idolatrous worshipers of the beast was figuratively described as fire and brimstone. The inflammable mineral known in that day as brimstone was sulphuric in content, and when burning emitted a suffocating smell. It was used to describe the torment of the wicked--symbolic of the ultimate degree of remorse and anguish. It was no less fearful when put in the words of Paul in Romans 2:8-9 : “ Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil.” It means that the punishment of the wicked will consist of vexation of spirit, distress of mind, remorse of conscience, and anguish of soul. 6. The smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name—Revelation 14:11. The duration of the condemnation on the idolatrous worship of the Roman beast was expressed in these terms of equal fear in the fateful words of this text. The phrase forever and ever always meant endless. The single term forever may refer to a period of time--and though it must include all of the period to which it refers, it is limited to the duration of that period. On the other side of time, in eternity, there will be no time limitations; therefore, the words forever and everlasting and eternal (all from the same Greek term aionious) when used in reference to reward or punishment beyond this life must denote that which is without end. But when ever and ever are joined together in forever and ever, there is never a modification --it always means endless. So doctrinally, respecting the duration of the future punishment of the wicked, these verses carry no intimation of any limitation. Not only so-- there is no cessation: and they have no rest day nor night --that is, no recess from torment, no release from punishment. The torment of the beast was to be interminable and without intermission. Commentary on Revelation 14:6-11 by Walter ScottP OF THE GOSPEL. Revelation 14:6-7. — “And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven,having the everlasting Gospel to announce to those settled on the earth, and to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people, saying, with a loud voice, Fear God, and give Him glory, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him that made the Heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and fountains of waters.” The chapter from verse six to the end unfolds the order of events. The first vision anticipates the happy scene when, after the dark clouds of judgment have rolled aside, the bright dawn of the coming day fills the earth with gladness. The first and most joyous company in the scene delivered from the thralldom of Satan is the 144,000, the godly remnant of Judah standing in safety and in holy fellowship with the Lamb on mount Zion.The time and place of the vision itself (vv. 1-5), therefore, must be distinguished from its fulfilment. The sequence of events as the end is drawing to a close commences with verse six, the announcement to the world at large of the Everlasting Gospel. Revelation 14:6 — “I saw another angel flying in the mid-heaven.” The word another angel does not connect itself with the seventh angel (Revelation 11:15), nor with the militant host under Michael in Revelation 12:1-17, but with the eagle messenger flying in mid-heaven announcing woe (Revelation 8:13). It may be said that the connection does not hold good, inasmuch as one is an eagle and the other an angel, but the objection is more apparent than real. The term “ angel” in itself does not denote nature, but office, and is used both of spiritual beings and of men. The context, and not the word merely, must determine its application to men or spirits. Angel literally signifies messenger. Both the eagle and the angel are messengers. Both are witnessed flying across the firmament so as to scan the earth, even to its remotest bounds, and aloud proclaim their message.The flying eagle is a herald of judgment, the flying angel is a messenger of mercy. Revelation 14:6. — Will there be a literal announcement of the “Everlasting Gospel” by an angel? Will a spiritual being actually proclaim the glad tidings from mid-heaven in his rapid course? Angels will be largely employed in the providential and governmental economy both prior to and during the millennial kingdom. But the preaching of the Gospel, whether it be that of the kingdom, of the grace,or of the glory of God, is a task committed to men and not to angels, while the latter will, without a doubt, providentially expedite the work of declaring the good news in the closing days of the last prophetic week. But we apprehend that the preachers of the Everlasting Gospel will be converted Jews chiefly, and that the result of their mission will be an ingathering of a vast and countless throng of saved Gentiles for millennial blessing (Matthew 25:34; Revelation 7:9). Isaiah 66:19-21 is by some applied tothe same mission as we have here, but that is a mistake. The Isaiah mission has its place when the Lord comes in Person to plead with all flesh, as the previous part of the chapter conclusively demonstrates; whereas the Everlasting Gospel is announced to the nations before the Lord comes. The angel flying on his mission indicates that a widespread and rapid testimony to grace and a warning note of judgment are proclaimed on the eve of “ the day of vengeance of our God” (Isaiah 61:2). It is only in visionthat the angel announces the Everlasting Gospel. The Gospel preached now is that of God’ s rich and sovereign grace to guilty sinners (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 1:16); and of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4). The Gospel of the kingdom was preached prior to the death and resurrection of Christ (Matthew 10:7), and will be preached again after the removal of the Church (Matthew 24:14). We gather that the Everlasting Gospel is in substance that of the kingdom, here termed everlasting,because it is an ever-abiding truth that the Creator and not the creature is the only object of worship. This, too, is the only instance of the word “ everlasting“ applied to the Gospel. The earliest mention of the good news is contained in Genesis 3:15, and on through the dark and ever-changing ages of man’ s history this Gospel remains unchanged in character, for God is everlastingly merciful, and from the entrance of sin into the world till its judgment at the Coming God alone is the hope of His creatures. Those to whom the Gospel is announced are stated under five terms: (1) “ To those settled on the earth.” We have had the same moral (See commentary on Revelation 2:13, Revelation 6:11, and Revelation 11:11. We may add that we greatly question whether any of this class bow to the proclamation and receive the glad tidings; when the results of this mighty and extensive work of grace are before us, as in Revelation 7:9, there is no mention of those “ that dwell on the earth.” Here we have five classes to whom the Gospel is preached, there only four when the results are stated (see also 2 Thessalonians 2:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:12).) class of persons brought before us on several occasions (Revelation 3:10; Revelation 6:10; Revelation 11:10, etc.). They are Christian apostates who had rejected God’ s call to Heaven (Hebrews 3:1), and deliberately chose the earth and its interests instead. They have been described as those that “ dwell on the earth,” but here a somewhat stronger expression is used, “ settled on the earth.” (2) “ To every nation.” (3) “ And tribe,” or a part, a division of a nation or people. (4) “ And tongue,” signifying the numerous languages and dialects spoken. (5) “ And people,” whether organized or not; the masses of mankind. These last four terms really embrace the race, and express as a formula universality (Revelation 7:9; Revelation 11:9).Those then are the persons to whom this Gospel is preached. As to its reception by some and its rejection by others we are not here informed: that must be learned elsewhere. Revelation 14:7. — What is so publicly and widely announced is next declared. “Fear God, and give Him glory, for the hour of His judgment has come.” The first duty of the creature is to “ fear God,” which is indeed the “ beginning of wisdom” — twice repeated (Psalms 111:10; Proverbs 9:10).It is, too, a call to turn from the Beast to God: from the creature to the Creator. The mass were glorifying a man whom Satan had deified. Him they worshipped. God alone was, is, and ever shall be glorified both in His character and in His works and ways. The world is here recalled to this grand and fundamental truth, almost entirely forgotten, “ Give Him glory.” The solemn ground on which this call is based is next stated, “ For the hour of His judgment has come.” What an awful moment in human history! God is about to intervene in judgment, and no power can arrest the stroke. It is about to fall on the ungodly world and apostate peoples, christian and Jewish. “ And worship Him that made the Heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and fountains of waters.” The primary truth that God is the Creator of all, the visible and the invisible (Colossians 1:16), has been lost sight of. Man has usurped the place of God, and the claim of the Creator to the homage of the creature is well-nigh effaced from the minds of men. The truth of creation is the first and fundamental subject of divine revelation (Genesis 1:1-31). Here it is recalled and enforced in light of immediate judgment.The worship of the Creator is a necessary law for men and angels. As we have had the race under a fourfold designation — nation, tribe, tongue, and people — so here creation is stated in four terms equally universal with the other: Heaven, earth, sea, and fountains. How good, how gracious in God, ere His righteous vengeance search out the guilty of earth, to send to the race at large this final message couched in terms forcible and solemn! The moment is opportune, for every true thought of the Creator has been almost banished from the earth. All worship the Beast save the elect, then in a weak and feeble minority. THE FALL OF BABYLON. Revelation 14:8. — “And another, a second angel, followed, saying, Great Babylon has fallen, has fallen, which of the wine of the fury of her fornication has made all nations drink.” It will be observed that there are three specific angelic announcements (Revelation 14:6; Revelation 14:8-9). The first and the third are proclaimed with a “ loud voice.” Not so the second. Babylon, civil and religious, figures largely in Bible history. Whether viewed as a city (Jeremiah 51:1-64), or as a religious system (Revelation 14:8; Revelation 17:1-18; Revelation 18:1-24), it is a vast consolidated system and the enslaver of God’ s people. Babylon of old was the first and only Gentile power on which God directly conferred governmental authority (Daniel 2:37). Its doom, and the deliverance of Judah from the seventy years’ captivity were associated events. It will be so at the end. The Beast of the Apocalypse, which inherits the civil and political power of ancient Babylon, perishes at the Coming (Revelation 19:1-21), and God’ s people are delivered. But what is before us now is the mystic Babylon, that huge system of spiritual adultery and corruption which holds sway over the whole prophetic scene. It is scarcely possible to conceive of a huge system of wickedness eagerly embraced by the nations once called christian. It will nevertheless be so. Babylon here is the full development of the state of things under the Thyatiran condition of the Church (Revelation 2:18-23). Protestantism as a system is destroyed at the Coming (Revelation 3:3). Babylon falls before the Coming (Revelation 17:1-18). Babylon, the city of old, was the oppressor of the nations, and the centre and stronghold of the world’ s pride and idolatry. Satan stamped his own character upon it. But Israel and her renowned capital, Jerusalem, should have been the people and city from whence the knowledge of Jehovah and power over the nations emanated. But Israel, having falsified her position as set on earth to administer righteous government in headship over the nations, and also having proved unfaithful to her mission in making known the character of the true and only God, is set aside. Babylon is the contrast to what Israel should have been, and, in fact, to what she will be when under the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:1-40). The Church should have been a witness to God’ s character as light and love, instead of which she has shown herself an unfaithful steward of the truth, and has failed as a witness to God and to Christ. Then, consequent on the moral ruin of the Church, the ground is prepared for Satan to introduce the mystic Babylon, the corrupter of the earth, and the spiritual enslaver of the nations who are madly intoxicated with her adulteries and corruptions. Her meretricious charms are gilded chains; her cup is full. The nations have yielded to her seductions, and have eagerly drunk out of her golden cup. Here her downfall is intimated, and that with intensity of utterance. The repetition of the word “ fallen” must not be regarded as a mere Hebraism. The fall of the literal, as of the mystic, Babylon is similarly announced (Isaiah 21:9; Revelation 18:2). In the passage before us we have merely the fact announced that Babylon has fallen. It is regarded as an accomplished judgment. Particulars are reserved. The character, doom, and human instruments of her destruction are specified in chapters 17 and 18, while her utter and everlasting ruin is grandly celebrated in Heaven in the first three verses of Rev 19:1-21, and that as preliminary to the marriage of the Lamb. The whore is destroyed, and then the bride is displayed. Revelation 14:8. — “The wine of the fury (or wrath) of her fornication” drunk by all nations is a singular expression, and exceeds what is said of the Euphratean city (Jeremiah 51:7). The Babylon of the Apocalypse has by herseductions, unholy allurements, and incitements to evil enthralled the nations. Their passions have been fearfully roused, and they are not only mad (morally, of course), but her illicit intercourse with them has wrought them up to frenzy. In the height of the ungodliness and folly of the unholy union between the corrupt Church and the equally corrupt nations, the welcome message falls upon our ears, “ Babylon has fallen, has fallen.” In every respect the Babylon of the Apocalypse may be termed “ great ” in contrast to the city of old. Delete the word “ city,” erroneously inserted in the text of the Authorised Version (Revelation 14:8). It is almost unanimously rejected by the authorities. THE AWFUL DOOM OF THE OF THE BEAST, AND OF THE SAINTS. Revelation 14:9-12. — “And another, a third angel, followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any one worshippeth the Beast and his image, and receive a mark upon his forehead or upon his hand, He also shall drink of the wine of the fury of God prepared unmixed in the cup of His wrath, and he shall be tormented infire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up to the ages of ages, and they have no rest day and night that worship the Beast and his image, and if any one receive the mark of his name. Here is the endurance of the saints, who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” We have had the fall of Babylon proclaimed in the previous announcement. The empire, in its full and consolidated strength of will and power, is the human destroyer of Babylon (Revelation 17:16-17). Read “ The ten horns which thou sawest and the Beast.” These, the horns and Beast, work together in united purpose to destroy the woman, or Babylon. This leaves the Beast unchecked in his career of wickedness and blasphemy. He had previously carried the woman, i.e., supported her. But now, utter hatred and disgust take the place of a former admiration for her spiritual pretensions. He must reign without a rival, be the sole possessor of power. A system of brute force is established, and its decrees unrelentingly enforced. After the destruction of Babylon the Beast assumes its worst character. The full development of evil, in the absence of the harlot, is rapidly consummated, and a stern and inflexible policy is pursued with the determination that all — rich and poor, great and small — must bow down and worship the Beast. Absolute subjection to the Beast is the law in the coming crisis. It is under these appalling circumstances that the loud note of warning is sounded to the Beast worshippers. The awful doom here announced, unequalled in its severity, is proportioned to the guilt and horrible iniquity then openly practiced. The Beast and his image must both be worshipped, and his mark received either in the hand or forehead, and that under the dread penalty of death. There is no escape. The alternative to the worship of the Beast is death, probably in its severest forms, and all commerce, trade, and barter are sternly prohibited to those who refuse to recognise his claims (Revelation 13:17). The devotees of the Beast are here warned and threatened with punishments of so terrible a character that the very mention of them is enough to make one’ s flesh creep. But what of those who will have to endure them? The “ third angel” says “ with a loud voice” — so that all may hear, and thus be without excuse — “ he,” who has worshipped the Beast and received his mark, “ also shall drink of the wine of the fury of God.” The nations had drunk out of the harlot’ s cup (Revelation 14:8); now in retributive justice they shall drink out of God’ s cup (Revelation 14:10). In this cup there are no palliative ingredients (Psalms 75:8). It is pure, unmixed wrath. “ He shall be tormented in fire and brimstone.” The awful torment is individual. Each one shall suffer eternal misery in his own person. “ Fire and brimstone” (Isaiah 30:33; Revelation 20:10) are symbols of unutterable anguish. Another awful feature of the agony inflicted upon each adherent of the Beast is that the torment has to be endured “ before (or in the presence of) the holy angels and before the Lamb.” The holy angels had been witnesses from their place on high of the horrible wickedness of the Beast and his abettors; now they will witness God’ s vengeance, and each tormented one will know that the angels are looking down upon the scene of indescribable anguish, (At the period referred to, especially at its commencement, angels will be largely employed in the execution of decreed judgment (Matthew 13:49-50; Revelation 20:1-3). Then we read of that terrible expression, “ The wrath of the Lamb.” Both the Lamb and the angels take part in executing the vengeance of Almighty God on the Beast and his followers.) and also “ before the Lamb,” (“ The specific torment here alluded to for those who receive the mark of the Beast is that of fire and brimstone, ‘ in the presence of the Lamb,’ and this latter clause seems to contain the pungency of the curse, in the same way as is expressed in Revelation 6:16, which expresses the horror felt by the wicked at seeing ‘ the face of Him that sitteth on the throne.’” — “ Notes on the Revelation,” by Brodie, page 133.) Whom they had openly defied, and Whose blood had been wantonly trampled upon. This will, of course, add greatly to the horror of the situation. Revelation 14:11. — “The smoke of their torment goes up to the ages of ages.” In the previous clauses of this deeply solemn passage we have had the individual before us, as indicated in the use of the personal pronouns. Now, however, that the company is made up, the aggregate is spoken of — “ the smoke of their torment.” What a lurid picture of complete and overwhelming judgment! (Genesis 19:28; Isaiah 34:10). The harlot is similarly judged and punished (compare with Revelation 19:3). The expression “ for ever and ever” is translated “ the ages of ages” in all its eleven occurrences in the Apocalypse in the margin of the Revised Version. It is used to express: The eternal (In eternity nothing is either past or to come but subsists. — Philo.) existence of God (Revelation 4:9-10; Revelation 5:14; Revelation 10:6; Revelation 15:7). · The eternal glory of the Lamb (Revelation 5:13). · The eternal reign of believers (Revelation 22:5). · The eternal doom of the devil (Revelation 20:10). · The eternal torment of the lost (Revelation 14:11). The torment of the lost and of the devil is eternal. “ No rest day and night” is the solemn pronouncement in Revelation 14:11, and “ tormented day and night” is the equally emphatic declaration of Rev 20:10 — no cessation, no alleviation; the agony is ceaseless. The endless horror of the Beast worshippers is beyond human conception. The eternal punishment of the lost is graven on the imperishable records of revelation. Sin and its punishment are measured by the greatness, the glory, and the eternity of God. He alone can reveal who and what He is. Sin against an infinite Being must necessarily entail infinite and eternal consequences. Commentary on Revelation 14:6-11 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 14:6. Everlasting gospel is what had been kept from the people during the Dark Ages. As long as Rome could hold her subjects in ignorance of the Bible she was able to continue the dictatorial rule over them. Even the kings and other rulers over the various nations and countries were held back because they were not permitted to make their own application of the scriptures either for the lives of their subjects or for themselves. They were told that the scriptures were "not of any private interpretation" (making a perverted use of 2 Peter 1:20), and that they must leave that to the church. Not only were they forbidden to interpret what they might have been able to read. but the Bible was kept in the Latin language so that they could not even read it. But Martin Luther and his associates gave the Book to the people in their native tongue so they could read for themselves. Concerning this great work I shall make a quotation from Edward Gibbon the English historian: "By their hands the lofty fabric of superstition, from the abuse of indulgencies to the intercession of the Virgin, has been levelled with the ground. Myriads of both sexes of the monastic profession [that. of the secluded monks] were restored to the liberty and labors of social life. A hierarchy of saints and angels, of im- perfect and subordinate deities, were stripped of their temporal powers, and reduced to the enjoyment of celestial happiness; their images and relics were banished from the church; and the credulity [blind readiness to believe] of the people was no longer nourished with the daily repetition of miracles and visions." Volume 4, Page 608. Revelation 14:7. The angel is announcing the glorious work of giving the word of God back to the people, and bidding them rejoice over it and give Him glory for it. Hour of his judgment means the time is come when the great apostate institution is to be judged by having her power broken through the work of the reformers. Worship him that made heaven and earth, instead of the superstitious objects held before them by Rome. Revelation 14:8. A result of the everlasting gospel which the preceding angel announced is then stated by another angel, namely, Babylon is fallen. The reader is reminded that the term Babylon in this part of the great drama means the institution that was formed by the union of church and state. It is here called that great city because its head was the city of Rome where both the emperor and pope resided. Wine of the wrath of her fornication is a figurative phrase combining the false teaching and idolatrous practices of Rome. As long as the people were kept in ignorance of the Bible, they could be made to drink of this wine. The announcement that Babylon is fallen means that the union of church and state was dissolved as a result of the information brought to the people through the Bible, translated in their native language so they could read it for themselves, and form conclusions independent of Rome. Revelation 14:9. A third angel appeared to give a warning for all who might still persist in following after the evil pattern set by Rome. He mentions the three phases of the subject that were treated at Revelation 13:14-17. Concerning the image I shall make another quotation from Edward Gibbon which follows that which is quoted at verse 6. 'The imitation of Paganism was supplied [replaced] by a pure and spiritual worship of prayer and thanksgiving, the most_ worthy of man, the least unworthy of the Deity."Revelation 14:10. The false worshippers are told that if they persist in drinking of this wine -of the wrath of Rome, they will be punished by having to drink of another supply of wine; that will be the wine of the wrath of God. Wine has been used figuratively for centuries to symbolize wrath and anger and other intense conditions of the intellect. (See Psalms 60:3; Proverbs 4:17; Jeremiah 25:15 Jeremiah 51:7.) Without mixture means it will not be diluted nor weakened, but they shall get the full effect of the wrath of God upon those who have been devoted to Rome. Shall be tormented with fire and brimstone refers to the lake of fire into which the wicked will be cast at the day of judgment. In the presence . . . of the Lamb. This denotes that the sentence of this punishment will be pronounced in the presence of Christ and his angels. (See Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9.) The sentence will be pronounced then but it will be served according to the next verse. Revelation 14:11. Smoke of their torment refers to that which will arise from the fire in the lake into which the wicked will have been cast. Ascendeth up for ever and ever. If the smoke is to ascend for ever it follows that the torment will continue for ever. It will come from the lake of fire which has been created for the purpose of tormenting the unsaved. The particular unsaved persons named in this place are those who have guilty relations with the beast, the image or the mark (Revelation 13:14-15). But all the unsaved will be in this place for Matthew 25:41 says they will be told: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." No rest day nor night is another way of saying that the punishment of the unsaved will be endless. Terrible thought!!Commentary on Revelation 14:6-11 by Burton CoffmanRev_14:6 And I saw another angel flying in mid heaven having eternal good tidings to proclaim unto them that dwell on the earth, and unto every nation and tribe and tongue and people;I saw another angel flying in mid heaven ... It is of passing interest that some try to bolster a late first century date of Revelation through the notion that, "Angels begin to fly in the Jewish heaven about the beginning of the first century."[31] A parallel between Revelation 14:13 and Clement of Rome (xlvii) is also cited for the same purpose;[32] but it never seems to occur to such scholars that the Jews probably got their ideas from Revelation; and, as for Clement, the best of modern scholarship now accepts the premise that he finished his work before 70 A.D.[33]The eternal good tidings to proclaim ... Another good translation of this renders it "the everlasting gospel" instead of "eternal good tidings," that is, the one and only "gospel" this world ever had. This angel is about to announce the eternal judgment of the last day; and it was most appropriate, therefore, that he should have spoken of the prior condition of that event having been fulfilled, as Jesus prophesied (Matthew 24:14). Some try to distinguish three different gospels in the New Testament: (1) the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 24:14); (2) the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1); and (3) the everlasting gospel to be preached at the end of the age. This is a false trichotomy. There is only one gospel, the good news of Salvation through Jesus Christ.[34]Mounce, and some others, do not believe that this is the Christian gospel here, because of the emphasis on judgment;[35] but, as Hendriksen observed, "For God's people, the announcement of the approaching judgment is eternal good tidings, for it means their deliverance."[36] "The announcement of the end is itself a piece of good news."[37]Caird speaks of some "who assure us that the gospel mentioned cannot be the gospel, because there is no gospel (good news) in the grim sequel."[38] But aside from the fact of the end itself being "good news" for persecuted saints who have waited and prayed for it, there is also the overriding fact that John did not here give a summary of the blessed gospel. What is mentioned is the judgment, an essential and eternal part of that gospel, standing here as a synecdoche for all of it. John certainly did not need to explain what he meant by the gospel. His own gospel of John was already known all over the world of that period. What seems to plague some of the commentators is that they do not seem to believe that there is going to be any such thing as a final judgment. This angel's proclamation does not mean that only at that time would the everlasting gospel begin to be preached. "The gospel of Christ began to be preached on Pentecost ... and is to be preached until the end of the world."[39] The very next verse will indicate that this mission now, in the point of time in the vision, has been accomplished. Others insist on finding here some great historical preacher such as Martin Luther, John Knox, Alexander Campbell, or others who in some special sense aroused the attention of mankind to the truth of the gospel. However, If we ask when this great gospel angel appeared, our answer must be that the whole cycle of the gospel preaching is included in the vision; although, doubtless there have been ages when the light of the good tidings of God has gone forth with revived luster.[40]We agree with Lenski that the vision beginning with Revelation 14:6 extends to Revelation 14:14; "All that the three angels proclaim belongs together."[41] See outline of the chapter, above. [31] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 437. [32] Ibid. [33] John A. T. Robinson, Redating the New Testament (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 352. [34] Ralph Earle, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 380. [35] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 273. [36] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 186. [37] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 193. [38] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 182. [39] John T. Hinds, op. cit., p. 211. [40] Boyd W. Carpenter, Ellicott's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 602. [41] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 426. Revelation 14:7and he saith with a great voice, Fear God, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made the heavens and the earth and sea and fountains of waters.And the hour of his judgment is come ... This is the one and only judgment day of the New Testament. "Again, we have the fourfold nation, tribe, tongue and people, indicating universality"[42] of this judgment. ENDNOTE: [42] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 348. Revelation 14:8 And another, a second angel, followed, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, that hath made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great ... The prophetic tense speaks not of what has already taken place, but of what is certain to occur in connection with the final judgment. As Roberts said, "This anticipates the fuller description"[43] later in the prophecy. Babylon the great is primarily the pagan city of Rome, the proud sea-beast, in the manifestation of its sixth head, the Roman empire, that was doomed by this heavenly pronouncement. Remember that this was written in the first century, and possibly as early as 69 A.D., at a time when the pagan empire was supreme on the earth and would continue to be supreme for at least four centuries afterwards. It seems nearly incredible that so few writers dwell upon the dramatic fulfillment of this prophecy in 476 A.D. Rome did fall, as here prophesied; and in this clearly fulfilled prophecy, there is seen the absolute necessity of beholding, in at least some of its declarations, a definite revelation of historical events lying centuries in the future when Revelation was written. That Babylon here is a reference to the pagan empire, especially the city of Rome, hardly needs to be argued. See the discussion of this in the Introduction to 1Peter, in my Commentary to 1Peter, pp. 157,158. The ancient Babylon on the Euphrates had not existed for centuries, and there were many current references to Rome as "Babylon" in the secular literature of New Testament times. As a great enemy of the Old Testament Israel, which had taken God's people captive and mercilessly exploited them, Babylon was the idea1 type of oppressive, pagan, anti-Christian government. The generation of John's day would not live to see Babylon fall, but this assurance to them from an apostle of Christ was comforting. They knew that, "The wrath of God was falling upon the pagan city and that her judgment was determined."[44]That hath made all nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication ...This combines two ideas: the wine used to intoxicate and to seduce to fornication, and the wine of God's wrath. Babylon had deceived and seduced all nations by the enticement of her wealth and luxuries; but this cup will turn out to be the cup of God's wrath.[45]Only this cryptic mention of Babylon's fall is here, the first mention of her in Revelation; but John will return to this. The announcement of the doom of great pagan Rome, mentioned here in close connection with the final judgment, must also be understood as a prophecy of the fall of all great wicked cities, or at least a very significant portion of them before the final judgment day itself. The "Babylon" in view here is not merely the one on the Tiber. We observed in connection with Revelation 11:13 that the collapse of urban civilization as opposed to God, will occur before the end; so "Babylon" here is understood as a type. "She has also reared palaces on the Seine, the Thames, and the Bosphorus."[46] And we might add, the Hudson, the Mississippi, the Rhine, and the Bayou that is called Buffalo. Wherever there is entrenched greed, indifference to God, hatred of Christ, and the worship of man, there also is Babylon the great. [43] J. W. Roberts, The Revelation of John (Austin, Texas: R. B. Sweet Company, 1974), p. 120. [44] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 274. [45] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 194. [46] W. Boyd Carpenter, op. cit., p. 602. Revelation 14:9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, If any man worshippeth the beast and his image, and receiveth a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand,The previous verse had the announcement of the fall of the first beast, pagan Rome; this series of verses (Revelation 14:9-12), records the prophetic doom of the second beast, the land-beast, apostate religion in league with the false state. See the chapter outline. If any man worshippeth the beast and his image ... It is the mention of the "image" here that identifies this as the second beast, but it is by no means exclusive. All over the world till the end of time, wherever a secular state is bolstered and supported by an apostate, or totally false, religion, there will be found people worshipping the beast and his image. Bruce entitled this little section, "The Doom of Apostates."[47] This verse says, "You cannot sin and get away with it."[48]And receiveth a mark upon his forehead or upon his hand ... Again, the nature of this mark is that of a "spiritual likeness" of the beast. If one receives intellectually the claims of the beast, or in hand does the will of the beast, he is marked. Paramount in this is individual responsibility. The man, individual man, is responsible. There is no need for his receiving the mark, the hallmark of cowardly connivance at wrong-doing, or for setting his judgments by the fashion of the world.[49][47] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 654. [48] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 186. [49] W. Boyd Carpenter, op. cit., p. 602. Revelation 14:10he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:This verse is a counter-proclamation to that of the beast in Revelation 13, to the effect that those who would not worship the beast should be killed (Revelation 13:15), and that they would not be permitted to "buy or sell" (Revelation 13:17). Here an angel of God proclaims that those who do worship the beast, etc., "They are to drink of the wrath of God and endure eternal torment in fire and brimstone."[50]In the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb ... Bruce thought that this element of their punishment being in the presence of angels, etc., could be a mitigation "from the more severe punishment without the heavenly presence,"[51] a mitigation due to their having been Christians before their apostasy; but this would appear to be incorrect. What seems to be indicated is the divine approval and concurrence in their doom. It is not theologically possible to envision the Lamb, in any sense, perpetually beholding the torment of the wicked. This is a doctrine vigorously hated by many; they refuse to accept it, will not believe it, and belittle those who receive it; but, despite this, it is clear enough that, "In the largest sense of God's redemptive purpose for men, his wrath is a necessary correlative of his love and mercy."[52] There is no way to purge evil out of the world, except through the destruction of the men who have set themselves in irreversible hostility against God. Once the primary principles of the freedom of the human will and the total hatred, on God's part, of evil - once these are accepted, all of the New Testament teaching regarding judgment and eternal punishment appear not unreasonable at all, but absolutely necessary. A just universe cannot be postulated without such conceptions. Fire and brimstone ... There is no more need here, than in other passages of the prophecy, to understand these symbols literally; however, that does not mitigate the awful reality symbolized. The modern vogue of dispensing with hell has no counterpart in Revelation. John is quite sure that the consequences of sin follow sinners into the life to come. Here they may rejoice over their misdeeds, but there they will suffer for them.[53][50] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 274. [51] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 654. [52] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 195. [53] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 181. Revelation 14:11and the smoke of their torment goeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, they that worship the beast and his image, and whoso receiveth the mark of his name.The doctrine of the New Testament is so strong and emphatic with regard to the eternal punishment of the wicked, that we are simply not allowed to set it aside as, "sub-Christian, or to interpret it in such a way as to remove the abrasive truth of eternal punishment."[54] Jesus spoke of this at greater length than did any of his apostles. After we have made every allowance for the figurative nature of the apocalyptic language, there still remains, "the terrifying reality of divine wrath,"[55] to be poured out upon those who persist in following the devil. It is no light matter to abandon the holy teachings of the sacred New Testament, and to substitute the easy rules of man-made, man-controlled, and man-centered religion. [54] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 277. [55] Ibid. Commentary on Revelation 14:6-11 by Manly Luscombe6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth-to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people- An angel is seen flying in heaven. This angel carries the gospel. The angel is not seen preaching the gospel. Rather, God, in His providence can be sure that the gospel message is preached in all places. It is obedience to this gospel that will allow us to become part of the 144,000. 7 saying with a loud voice, “ Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” The angel instructs us to do three things: 1. Fear God. Reverence and a sense of awe will be apparent when we realize we are in the presence of God. 2. Give Him glory. To God belongs all the praise and glory. 3. Worship Him. God is the creator of all things. He made the sea, the earth, and the heavens. God created land and water under the land. His power must be realized. When one realizes the majesty, glory and power of God, worship is a natural result. We must fear God. We must give glory to God. The result is worship. Worship springs from our reverence and glory of God. 8 And another angel followed, saying, “ Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” In contrast to the 144,000, who are pure and blameless, we now meet Babylon. An angel says, “ Babylon is fallen.” We are told that she lead nations to commit fornication. We will learn more about Babylon later in our study. For now suffice it to say that Babylon represents immorality and corruption. She led kings of the earth into abominations. She is called the mother of harlots. (Revelation 17:1-5) 9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “ If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. The third angel announces that all who worship the beast and receive his mark will also suffer the wrath of God. God’ s cup of indignation is full. Those who worship the beast will suffer the torment of hell. God will punish the beast that is worshipped. God will punish Babylon who leads men into immorality. God will also punish those who are led astray. It is easy to point fingers and blame others for our sins. God realizes that both the temper and the temped have a responsibility. Many people only see the God of patience, love and compassion. God is all of these things. However, there is another side to God. (Romans 11:22) God is good. God is also a severe God. Verse 10 tells us there will be a time when the cup of God’ s wrath and indignation overflows. This punishment will occur, not in secret, but in front of all the angels and in the presence of the Lamb. The wrath of God will be poured out. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” God will punish the immoral. He will punish Satan, the beasts, and all who oppose God or do harm to God’ s sealed people. This verse describes Hell as a place where smoke rises eternally. Where there is smoke, there is fire. The place of torment does not take a holiday. There is no rest, no time off, and no relief. All who worship the beast will occupy Hell. All who receive the mark of the beast and follow the beast will be there. The very knowledge of Hell ought to urge us to remain faithful to our Lord. We must only worship the true and living God. Hell will be our eternal destiny, if we abandon our faith and worship the beast. Revelation 14:12-13 3. STATE OF THE DEADRev_14:12-13 12 Here is the patience of the saints, they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.--The sufferings and persecutions which saints would have to endure in their struggles against the powers of the beast would require the strongest patience. The fact that they kept the commandments of God would be sufficient proof that they did have the required patience. Keeping the faith of Jesus means that they held to the faith Jesus required and did not deny him. The promise of the ultimate overthrow of their enemies would also be an incentive to sustain their faith and keep them patient. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth:--Angels flying in midheaven, as they appeared to John in the vision, had pronounced the doom of those who worshiped the beast. Next he hears a voice that seems to come from heaven commanding him to write a certain promise regarding the dead. It is not stated whose voice was speaking. John recorded not only what he saw in the visions, but also what he heard. The thing he was told to write was spoken by the heavenly voice; it was not a comment by John. The blessing here pronounced was upon a certain class of the dead--those "who die in the Lord." This implies two things as necessary to secure this blessing: first, to come into the Lord, for no one can be in the Lord who does not come into him; second, to live faithfully in him till death, for no one can die in the Lord (be worthy of Christ's mercy and favor) unless he is faithful unto death. (Matthew 24:13.) The word "henceforth" in this verse has cost commentators no little time and trouble. The difficulty is in the fact that faithful Christians dying in the Lord in any age of the world will be ultimately blessed. Why then, say "henceforth"? Henceforth from what time, and why from that time? If henceforth be joined to the word "dead," it might mean that the righteous will be blessed in some signal way from the moment of death. This is most certainly true in fact, but true of all the righteous dead. The connection here seems to indicate that this promise was intended to encourage those who would be victorious in their struggles against the beast. If this be the primary application, then it would be a wonderful help in enduring the persecutions to be assured of an ultimate blessing. From the time that such torments began, those dying in faithfulness would show such genuine Christian fortitude that there could be no question about their eternal happiness. Of course, the principle here taught will continue to be true of all righteous dead. yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them.--The Holy Spirit is meant here and the thought is that what the voice said was by the Spirit's direction. The faithful dead rest from their wearisome toil in preaching the gospel and living the Christian life while struggling against the power and influence of the papal beast. Looking forward to reward and rest are the two chief motives that make the burden of tiresome labor bearable. It is a fact that the good deeds one does continue to have their influence on others after his departure, but that does not seem to be the point made here. The statement is that "their works follow with them." This implies that the good of righteous deeds does not remain alone on earth to affect others, but follows with the dead to the judgment. Paul declares that at the judgment each will receive "according to what he hath done." (2 Corinthians 5:10). which means that man's faithfulness till death will be the ground upon which he will be saved; hence, the value of his labors will be with him at that day. Again we remark that this is true of Christians in all ages.Commentary on Revelation 14:12-13 by Foy E.Wallace (3) The beatitudes of the martyrs—Revelation 14:12-13. 1. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus—Revelation 14:12. The apocalyptist deviates here from warnings and judgements to speak words of encouragement to the beleaguered saints in need of heartening encouragement. The statement here is the patience of the saints means that the existing conditions presented the opportunity to exhibit patience even unto death. In contrast with the mark of the beast received by the disloyal, they would have the distinguished mark of the saints in sustained and persistent faithfulness during the continuing persecution. The refusal to worship the beast (the emperor), or his image (wheresoever it appeared or on whatsoever it should be inscribed) exemplified the faithfulness couched in the words they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.2. And I heard a voice from heaven- saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them—Revelation 14:13. This passage has been truly named the beatitude of Revelation. It appears to have an identification with chapter 20:6: “ Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power.” Both passages referred to the martyrs--and here again the proleptic element of chapter fourteen is seen in verse thirteen, as the scene depicted was ahead of the orderly developments of the apocalypse; in that this benediction on the death of the martyrs chronologically belonged at the end; and was therefore a prolepsis with the other events of chapter fourteen. There is a remarkable variation in the form of address in verse thirteen. Instead of the usual form of seeing the vision of events, John was represented in this verse as hearing a command. The commanding voice said, Write. It was a special voice giving an order, not by vision, but by direct command to write it down. As stated, this verse along with Revelation 20:6 was a martyr scene: “ Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth” --meaning from then on in martyrdom. They belonged to the martyred group--the aggregation of the man child “ caught up unto God” ; the hundred fortyfour thousand “ redeemed from the earth.” They were the dead who had died in the Lord--in the cause for which they were martyrs. The beatitude of the Spirit was: That they may rest from their labors--that is, from the travail of persecution --and their works do follow them. There was a descriptive distinction here in their labors and their works. The labors referred to the parturition of birth--the travail, the pain, of bringing forth the man child; hence, labors had reference to the rigors of the persecution unto death, or martyrdom. The works referred to their righteous acts in the midst of the period of torture and trial. These works, saith the Spirit " . . . do follow them.” Their deeds of faith and fidelity in the unfaltering performance of their prime duty followed on after their martyrdom to abide with, comfort and encourage the rest of the seed--the remnant that remained on the earth--as though the martyrs by these righteous acts were yet among them. In that way one’ s righteous lives and deeds yet follow on among men after they are transported from this earth on which we dwell. These blessed dead had been swept from the earth in martyrdom, dying in the cause of the Lord, and though they had been “ caught up unto God” and “ lived and reigned with Christ” in a state of victory, they nevertheless remained in the spirit of their works with those who were left on the earth to face the next stages of the violent drama of persecution Since the subjects of the Spirit’ s beatitude were represented as having died in the Lord, manifestly the object of the beatitude was to strengthen, encourage and uphold the living in their darkest hour. In that way it may be appropriately applied to the church today. Loyalty to Christ in any generation requires the full measure of the martyr spirit of courage and endurance, and martyrdom in its worst does not always result in immediate death. We may all possess the soul of a martyr, and in that spirit we live in the Lord, as the blessed dead had died in Him.Commentary on Revelation 14:12-13 by Walter ScottRev_14:12 -- “ Here is the endurance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” In this state of things, unequalled in the history of the race, the saints can only hold fast and hold on. They are forbidden to resist with the sword, even if they could (Revelation 13:10). But faith and patience at length, however sorely tried, win the day. Death is before them, but better to be killed by the Beast than to be tormented with the Beast. The afflicted saints cling to the clear commands of God and the faith of Jesus. In the apocalyptic record the martyrs are the martyrs of Jesus (Revelation 17:6). The name of sweetest sound is but rarely introduced in the book, but the connections in which it appears are full of interest (Revelation 14:12; Revelation 17:6; Revelation 22:16). THE BLESSED DEAD WHO DIE IN THE LORD. Revelation 14:13. — “And I heard a voice out of the Heaven saying,Write, (“ This command to write is repeated twelve times in the Revelation to indicate that all the things it refers to are matters of importance.” ) Blessed are the dead who die in (the) Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; for their works follow with them.” The voice, but not the name, of the speaker falls upon the ear of the christian Seer. The Authorized Version interpolates unto me. The message was not addressed to John, although he heard it, but it is one for all saints, while it has its own special application to saints in that critical hour preceding the Coming of the Lord in judgment. It is ever true that those who die in the Lord are blessed, but why is the statement reserved for this awful juncture in human history? and why is it added, “ from henceforth?” Why from that particular moment? The answer to these questions is a simple and satisfactory one. The word “ henceforth” intimates the near end, and that the blessing is just about to be entered upon. In Revelation 20:4 we have the complement of the heavenly saints who reign with Christ a thousand years. There are three classes of such: (1) A recognized and well-known company sitting upon thrones. These are the raised dead and changed living at the Coming into the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54). When caught up they are spoken of as “ elders” throughout the prophetic part of the Apocalypse. (2) “ The souls of those beheaded on account of the testimony of Jesus, and on account of the Word of God.” This company forms a class of martyrs by themselves, who were slain before the Beast was in existence as a persecuting power. They are witnesses under the fifth Seal (Revelation 6:9-11). (3) “ Those who had not worshipped the Beast, neither his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and hand.” There is an interval of some time, probably years, between the martyrdom of the two latter companies. If, therefore, the whole company of reigning saints is embraced in the three classes referred to (Revelation 20:4), in which of them are we to place those who “ die in the Lord from henceforth?” Undoubtedly amongst those martyred under the Beast. Another and helpful consideration follows. If the two martyred companies named comprehend all who die after the Rapture, then it is evident that no saint during the “ crisis week” of seven years dies a natural death. Those who “ die in the Lord” are slain; hence the inapplicability of our text engraved on stone and monument in memory of our precious dead. Those who “ die in the Lord from henceforth” do so as martyrs. They are about to share in the blessedness of “ the first resurrection” (Revelation 20:6). Their blessing in character and fullness greatly exceeds those who survive the Tribulation. The former take a distinguished place in heavenly glory, the latter are accorded the highest place on earth; the former reign with Christ, the latter are reigned over; the former are kings, the latter are subjects. The Spirit responds to the voice from Heaven, “ Yea,” and adds a word of rich consolation, “ that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them.” Probably none amongst “ the cloud of witnesses” had so walked in the vigor of faith as these; none so served and suffered under the most appalling circumstances. But now these witnesses of whom “ the world was not worthy” are about to enter on their everlasting rest — toil and suffering forever past. God is not unrighteous to forget their work and labor of love. When these saints are raised and taken up, their works accompany them, not come after them, but “ with them.” Their works will be appraised at their true value by the righteous Judge, Who will reward every man according to his work. Rest and reward are the immediate portion of those then dying in the Lord. Commentary on Revelation 14:12-13 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 14:12. This has the same meaning as Revelation 13:10. Revelation 14:13. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. That can be said of every person who is faithful until death, but it is said here especially with reference to those who have died under persecution. It is peculiarly appropriate to make the statement in view of the thousands who had been slain by Pagan and Papal Rome through the past centuries. Also after the Reformation had stirred up the anger of the "die-hards" of Babylon many others were put to death in their struggles. From henceforth. Some commentators say this means from the judgment day and thereafter. It is true that all righteous people will be blessed (happy) after that day, but I do not believe the Spirit was applying the blessing to that date in this verse. There will be saints living when Christ comes who will never die, yet they will be happy for ever. But our verse is about those who die in the Lord, and they are especially mentioned for the reason described in the first part of this paragraph. And since these who died in the Lord had the experience some time before the end of the world, the passage gives us the grand information that when a righteous person dies he is happy from that moment onward. This all agrees with Paul's remarks in Philippians 1:21-23. Their works do follow them. The Greek for follow means both to accompany a person and to come along afterwards. Both senses of the word apply to a faithful servant of God. The good deeds he performs will still linger behind to be an influence for others. ("By it he being dead yet speaketh," Hebrews 11:4.) Also the record of faithfulness will be with him in principle to recommend him before God.Commentary on Revelation 14:12-13 by Burton CoffmanRev_14:12 Here is the patience of the saints, they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.Here is the patience of the saints ... Charles failed to see the point of this verse, but Beasley-Murray wrote, "It is thoroughly in place here. It is the punch line for Revelation 14:9-11. If such be the fate of the followers of the beast, Christ's people must, at all costs, continue to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."[56]Keep the commandments of God ... The current fantasy that "believers" are in some way saved without obedience should be reviewed in light of many such passages as this. Any "system" of salvation that promises people eternal life upon any other premise than that of fidelity to God's commandments is false and should be identified with the second beast. Yes indeed; they must believe in Christ with all their hearts, but that is not all that is required. They must also: Keep ... the faith of Jesus ... As Ladd said, "This faith is objective?[57] It means keep the religion of Christ; accept and obey the tenets of true Christianity. [56] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 226. [57] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 197. Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them.This is one of the great doctrinal pronouncements of the whole New Testament. It declares "blessed are those who meet death in spiritual union with Jesus Christ."[58] "Manifestly, all this applies to all who die in the Lord."[59] There is not another verse in the whole New Testament that any more concisely concentrates into so brief a statement the entire theology of redemption than is effected here. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord ... The key words here are "in the Lord," a little phrase which, with its equivalents "in him," "in whom," etc., occurs no less than 169 times in Paul's writings alone,[60] besides dozens of other references. This truth alone emphatically stresses the overriding importance of it. To be "in Christ," of course, is to be in spiritual union with Christ; but the word of the New Testament repeatedly states unequivocally that this union is effected, completed, accomplished, and achieved through the believer's being "baptized into Christ" (Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:26-27), there being not the slightest hint in the whole New Testament of anyone's ever having been "in Christ" who was not baptized "into him." People are not actually "in Christ" in any other sense than that of being "in" his spiritual body which is the church; and the same manner of being "in the body" is likewise that of being "in Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:13). See fuller discussion of this in my Commentary on Romans, pp. 123-127. Thus the same obedience of faith which unites one with Christ in baptism also unites him with the true spiritual body of Christ. Who die in the Lord ... None ever died "in the Lord" who was not "in him" before he died; so what is indicated here is fidelity until death, or even fidelity when physical death is a consequence of it. The crown is never won for Christians until their probation is ended; as Paul expressed it, until they are "found in him" (Philippians 3:9). The consequences of the Christian's being "in Christ" are almost unbelievably profound. The one "in Christ" is eternally saved and justified, not for anything that he either believed or did, but through being a partaker of the perfect faith and perfect obedience of Christ himself, which in the state of his being in union with Christ are actually his. This is the way one is "perfect in Christ" (Ephesians 1:4; Colossians 1:28-29). This is the way one "in Christ" is dead to sin, etc. See in my Commentary on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, pp. 130-133. The development of this great theological principle has been stressed extensively in this set of commentaries. From henceforth ... Beckwith and others unnecessarily see a time-factor in this,[61] as if those dying "in the Lord" after John wrote were particularly the recipients of this beatitude; but, despite this, Beckwith admitted that "this cannot obscure the universal truth of the passage.[62] Beasley-Murray would appear to have the better understanding of what is here meant by "henceforth." It is likely that the word translated henceforth should so be punctuated as to produce, the word assuredly, as in the New English Bible (1961) margin.[63]The oldest manuscripts were not divided into words. If this is two words, it means henceforth, but if one, it means assuredly. The original Greek may be read either way with equal authority. If any time-factor is meant, it would have to refer to the entire Christian dispensation as contrasted with what went previously. We simply cannot believe that the "henceforth" in this passage limits the meaning in any manner to "the martyrs alone." That they may rest from their labors ... When Christians die, they "rest" from the trials, sorrows, temptations, and tribulations of life. Little beyond this is revealed concerning the state of the righteous dead. It would appear to be quite a different case with the wicked, as may be deduced from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). It will be recalled that Lazarus entered not into any conversation and that he appeared totally inactive throughout the narrative. The wicked man, however, was tormented. For their works follow with them ... This stresses the importance of good works in the scheme of redemption, a truth downgraded and resented by this generation, but nevertheless true. No! Works do not alone justify; but then, neither does faith alone justify. Rist complained of the plain teaching here: The doctrine of works is also given a very prominent place. This is a basic inconsistency which does not seem to have disturbed John, if he was aware of it at all.[64]The reason John was not disturbed is that "works" are in no manner inconsistent with what John and all the apostles taught; but it is not only inconsistent with the "faith only" theory of salvation but absolutely contradictory of it. Such a comment seems to indicate a lack of faith in the holy apostle's inspiration, as well as lack of information about what is, or is not, consistent with the teaching of the whole New Testament. Barclay said, "Works here mean character!"[65] That, of course, is a marvelous way to get rid of a troublesome word. Declare that it means something else. [58] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 277. [59] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 227. [60] John Mackay, God's Order (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1953), p. 59. [61] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 659. [62] Ibid. [63] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 227. [64] Martin Rist, op. cit., p. 474. [65] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 114. Commentary on Revelation 14:12-13 by Manly Luscombe12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. God is patient with us. He is longsuffering, waiting for us to repent. Now, God is telling the saints under persecution to be patient. This generation is one of instant gratification. We have instant foods, microwave ovens, and fast modes of travel. We are a Burger King society. We want it our way, right away! We may not be able to see the end of our suffering. All we can do is remain faithful. Keep the commandments. Remain faithful to Jesus. When all else seems to fail - Keep the faith. Stay faithful to Christ. 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “ Write: ‘ Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “ Yes,” says the Spirit, “ that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” This voice seems to be the voice of God. Three times previously in this chapter an angel speaks and an angel is identified as the source of the message. John is instructed to write. Of course, he has been writing the entire vision. However, here is a specific statement. God wants to be sure this is recorded. This is not in any cryptic or symbolic language. Blessed are the dead. Yes, some have died. Others will die. God has not forgotten nor is He unaware of the persecution. “ Blessed” is a word used 7 times in the book of Revelation. Jesus used this word to begin his “ Sermon on the Mount.” The word describes an attitude of joy, happiness. NOTE: These deceased saints are not happy because they suffered and died. They are happy that they were seen as faithful. Their faith is now confirmed. Heaven, more fully described in chapters 21 and 22, is a place of rest. Here, on earth, we labor, toil, work, suffer, and die. The “ rest” comes after the labor is over. The message here: Don’ t quit too soon. Remain faithful. The situation is similar to a person quitting an employment a week before they are eligible for retirement benefits. For the Christian, the retirement benefits are in heaven. Their works, the good they have done, the example they set, will continue to influence others long after they have died. The Hebrew writer teaches us that even Able, the son of Adam and Eve, continues to speak even though he is dead. (Hebrews 11:4) If we are faithful and set a good example by our life and in our death, many Christians will be encouraged. Non-Christians will be challenged to consider the faith. Revelation 14:14-20 4. THE HARVEST AND VINTAGERev_14:14-20 14 And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud I saw one sitting like unto a son of man,--In this paragraph the saints are further encouraged by a symbolic description of the final judgment on both good and bad. Harvest is a common figure used to indicate the final separation of the two classes. "He will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire" are the words of John the Baptist. (Matthew 3:12.) "The harvest is the end of the world." (Matthew 13:39.) The expression "like unto a son of man" is found in Daniel 7:13 and Revelation 1:13. Since verses 17 and 18 of the latter chapter clearly show Christ to be the one meant, it is safe to presume it means Christ in all three passages. Jesus frequently referred to himself as the "Son of man." (Matthew 8:20; Matthew 9:6; Matthew 10:23; Matthew 11:19.) The person John saw in the vision was either Jesus or one that represented him by resemblance. That this vision pictured the coming of Christ at the judgment is evident from what is said about the harvest and the vintage. That the symbol should represent him as coming on a cloud harmonizes with the plain language that describes his return. When he ascended "a cloud received him out of their sight," and two men (probably angels) told the apostles he would "so come in like manner" as they beheld him going into heaven. (Acts 1:9-11.) Appearing upon a white cloud at the judgment is just what we would expect from what the Scriptures say of his return. having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.--The crown upon his head indicates that Christ had become a victor--conquered his enemies and his truth was now ready to be finally vindicated. Since the whole vision includes the judgment, Christ's royal or kingly power is also implied. In Matthew 25:31-46, where the judgment is described in plain words, Christ is represented as sitting upon the "throne of his glory" when the nations appear to hear their destinies declared. The word "throne" here does not signify Christ's reigning, but his judging--passing sentence upon the wicked and announcing the reward of the good. Sickle is the implement with which grain is cut, or vines are pruned. It is, therefore, an appropriate emblem to indicate the harvesting of the righteous or the cutting off of the wicked. 15 And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a great voice to him that sat on the cloud,--This makes the fourth angel that is mentioned in this chapter. (Verses 6, 8, 9.) He appeared to John as coming out of the temple. (See Revelation 11:19.) The most holy place of the temple represented heaven, the very dwelling place of God. This angel in the vision bringing the command from God to him who sat upon the cloud means that the time had come for God to announce the judgment. As only the Father, according to Christ's own words, knows the time for Christ's return (Acts 1:7; Matthew 24:36), the command for it would naturally come from the Father. The angel was only the messenger by whom the command was given. Using a great (loud) voice may indicate that it was designed for all to hear, for the judgment pertained to all. Send forth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.--Send forth the sickle means do the reaping. The hour has come shows that the time God had in his own mind for the judgment and end of the work had arrived. It was fitting that the command to reap should be given to Christ, for he was the sower who scattered God's word as seed. He was the proper one to harvest it. All that will be saved will be through that word. The harvest being ripe means that everything is ready for gathering the saved into heaven's garner. 16 And he that sat on the cloud cast his sickle upon the earth; and the earth was reaped.--This verse tells us that the thing commanded was done--the earth was reaped. This part of the vision depicts the end of time and what will occur so far as the righteous are concerned. 17 And another angel came out from the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.--Again John sees another angel come out from the temple, which is plainly stated as being in heaven. A peculiarity of this angel is that he also is said to have a sharp sickle. Regarding the harvest and the end of the world, Jesus said that "the reapers are angels." (Matthew 13:39.) Perhaps the whole truth may be stated by saying that Jesus was to reap through the angels as his agents. The figure of the harvest, by its very nature, would include both good and bad--wheat and chaff; but that of the vintage refers only to the wicked. The point in the emblem is not the preservation of the clusters, but the pressing out of the juice which represents the condemnation of the wicked. This figure is thus applied by Joel. "Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great." (Joe 3:13.) 18 And another angel came out from the altar, he that hath power over fire; and he called with a great voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying,--This is the sixth angel mentioned in this chapter. The brazen altar stood in the outer court before the temple. It was the place where burnt offerings were presented to God. The work to be done was destructive in its nature, and the altar of burnt offerings was the appropriate place from which the angel should come. Send forth thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.--This means that the clusters were to be cut off and cast into the wine press. Being fully ripe means that wickedness had continued till it was the proper time to remove the sinners from the earth. Sin had reached the full limit to which God's mercy would allow it to come. 19 And the angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and cast it into the winepress, the great winepress, of the wrath of God.--In this symbol John saw the angel obeying the command and casting the clusters into the wine press. Crushing the grapes and the red juice flowing like streams of blood was a most striking emblem of destruction. It forcefully represented the overthrow and final rejection of the wicked. The vintage of the earth would be the wicked part of the earth. The wine press of God's wrath means that the wicked will be forced to feel the power of God's righteous indignation, when they find themselves rejected. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and there came out blood from the winepress, even unto the. bridles of the horses, as far as a thousand and six hundred furlongs.--In the vision John saw the juice pressed out with men's feet, which was the method used at that time. Wine presses were usually placed in vineyards, not in cities; hence, the statement that it was without the city. Apparently there is no figurative' significance in that fact unless it be the final separation of the wicked from the righteous. The city of Jerusalem represented the final city of God, the home of the saved, and of course the lost are without that city. The text says blood came out. In this expression the symbol--juice of the grape--is dropped and what it represents is stated Blood, however, is but a symbol of the overflowing of the wicked--their final rejection. The wine press was called great because of the immense number of the lost. The flowing of the juice, like blood in a great battle, looked to John like a great lake, sixteen hundred furlongs and up to the bridles of horses in depth. If this measurement means a square, the surface covered was two hundred miles square. It indicates the immense, even countless multitudes, that will be lost when God's wrath is finally poured out upon the wicked. This is the last, sad event in the experience of the condemned before entering their final state. It was designed to encourage the saints in their trials by the assurance that in God's own time they would be finally relieved of their persecutions--their persecutors would depart from them forever. The ultimate happiness of the faithful in Christ is the especial lesson pictured in the symbols of this chapter.Commentary on Revelation 14:14-20 by Foy E. Wallace (4) The harvest of grain and vintage—Revelation 14:14-20. From the beatitude of the blessed dead in Revelation 14:13, the apocalypse turns to symbols of reward and retribution respectively for the living in the earth. As before repeated, the earth in Revelation imagery referred to the land of which Jerusalem was the center--Judea and all of Palestine, the scene of these visions of the persecuted church. The harvest of the grain symbolized the rich reward for the faithful still living in the church; the vintage of grapes signified retribution of the wrath of God for the enemies of the church. Indulging here in repetition, it is necessary to keep in perspective the fact that this fourteenth chapter is a prolepsis--an interposition between the parts of the apocalypse, relating events out of sequence, on the order of reading the last chapter of a novel first to see how the story ends. So this latter part of chapter fourteen envisioned scenes at the end of the apocalypse of the compensations of reward for the faithfulness of the saints in symbols of reaping the harvest of grain; then the retribution of wrath for the oppressors of the church represented by casting the vintage of grapes into the winepress. With these essential considerations in mind, the latter part of this chapter may be epitomized as follows: 1. The Son of man on the white cloud was Jesus Christ. He alone is called by that title in Revelation--and in one other place only, in the vision of the golden candlesticks of Rev 1:13. The white cloud of this chapter was the same symbol as was mentioned by the Lord himself in Matthew 24:30 : “ And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” It identifies the Revelation symbol with the Lord’ s description of the destruction of Jerusalem. The passage in Matthew 24:1-51 states that “ all the tribes of the earth shall mourn,” which is parallel with Revelation 1:7 :: “ Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him: and all the tribes of the earth shall wail (mourn) because of him.” As mentioned in the comments on this verse in chapter 1, the passages had reference to the destruction of Jerusalem and the mourning of all Jewish tribes and families all over the world, because of that calamity which had befallen their city and their state in the destruction and desolation of Jerusalem. There is a further parallel between the vision of Rev 6:2 and Revelation 14:14. Christ was the Rider of the white horse vision of chapter 6, and He was the Reaper of the white cloud vision of chapter 14--both visions being the scenes of triumphant procedure, picturing the conquering of the imperial persecutor and his minions. The Son of man had in his hand a golden crown--the symbol of the highest royalty, identifying him as the King of heaven, above all potentates of the earth, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. He had in his hand a sharp sickle --the symbol of reaping. The sickle was a harvesting implement comparable to the scythe of our time, which was unknown in scripture language. They are both instruments swung by hand in the mowing of ripened grain. The one sitting on the white cloud had come to reap the harvest of the earth--meaning Jerusalem and Judea. 2. The Son of man employs the ministry of angels to execute his will. One angel came out of the temple and signaled to the One on the cloud to thrust in thy sickle and reap. This was not an order from a superior voice, but the signal for the reaping to begin. It was significant that this angel cameout of the temple--symbolizing the sanctuary that had been the object of destruction and desecration in the war against the Jews, which resulted in the fall of Jerusalem. The voice of the angel proclaimed: the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. (Revelation 14:15) This angelic pronouncement signified that the events had approached the end--not the end of time but the end of Jerusalem, of the Jewish state, and of Judaism--and this doom was signified in the declaration: And the earth was reaped—Revelation 14:16.Another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sickle in his hand—Revelation 14:17. There was a distinction between the two angels and the two temples; the first angel came out of the temple which symbolized the sanctuary of the Jews, and was a proclaimer, having no sickle in his hand; the second angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, the abode of God, with a sickle in his hand, symbolizing a minister with power to execute judgment. A third angel came out from the altar saying to the angel that had the sickle: Thrust in thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe—Revelation 14:18. This angel from the altar undoubtedly signified the answer to the cry of the martyrs under the altar of Chapter 6:9-10: “ How long, 0 Lord, how long, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” The Lord replied that “ they should rest (wait) yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” Now, the vision of these angels in chapter 14, sees the role of the martyrs in the visions completed and finished. The angel from the altar was seen answering the souls under the altar (Revelation 6:9-10), and he made an announcement to the angel with the sickle that time had come to avenge the martyrs. With these signals the Son of man reaped the earth of its harvest of grain, and his ministering angel gathered the vintage of grapes. Here was a double vision: the harvesting of grain and the gathering of vintage. With the double vision there was the double instrument of reaping and pruning. It signified reward and retribution. The harvest of grain represented the gathering of the faithful saints, and the vintage of grapes the crushing of their wicked oppressors. The symbols are comparable to the Lord’ s illustration of the wheat and the chaff, to the extent of the imagery of reward and retribution. 3. The angel of judgment gathered the clusters of the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God—Revelation 14:19. This was the vision of the terrible wrath of God that would be administered to the persecutors of His people. The winepress of ancient time was an excavation in rock, formed in the ground, and lined with masonry, in which to crush the grapes. Another cavity was made in the proper place and shape to receive the juice. Such excavations are even yet to be found in Palestine and Syria. The treading of the winepress was performed with the feet, the red juice of the grapes flowing like blood. The reference to it was the symbolic description of the war against Jerusalem: And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came from the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six furlongs—Revelation 14:20. This was a description of the Roman armies gathered outside the city as God’ s agents of retribution against Judah and Jerusalem for their apostasies. The context presents a dual vision. First, the two beasts of the sea and of the land were symbolic of the combined effort of Roman and minion persecutors to destroy the church. These two persecutors were the objects of divine indignation in this vision of the great winepress of the wrath of God. Second, the fallen Babylon of Rev 14:8 was Jerusalem--the faithful city turned harlot. The symbolic description of these scenes envisioned the terrible war against Jerusalem, when the Roman armies gathered outside the city to tread Jerusalem as the winepress The blood that came out of the winepress even unto the horse bridles signified the horrible slaughter, as though the battle horses waded in blood to their bridles. This was the vivid apocalyptic hyperbole of wrath so great and terrible that was administered to Judah and Jerusalem by the Romans in the Jewish war. 4. In the closing scene of this chapter the great winepress of the wrath of God would envelop the entire land of the Jews--the whole of Palestine. The last phrase of Rev 14:20 declares that the winepress was trodden without the city . . . by the space of a thousand and six furlongs. Mathematically computed that distance was the approximate length of the land of Palestine, and it was symbolic of the deluge of blood over the whole land during the siege of Jerusalem, and the war against the Jews, which ended with destruction of the city, the demolition of the temple, the downfall of Judaism and the final end of the Jewish state. It was the fearful vision of the inevitable and inexorable judgment of God against an incorrigible nation.Commentary on Revelation 14:14-20 by Walter ScottTHE HARVEST OF THE EARTH REAPED. Revelation 14:14-15. — “And I saw, and behold, a white cloud,and on the cloud one sitting like (the) Son of Man, having upon His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Send Thy sickle and reap; for the hour of reaping is come, for the harvest of the earth is dried. And He that sat on the cloud put His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.” Judicial judgment is about to sweep the guilty earth with the besom of destruction and clear it of evil. The harvest and the vintage are the familiar figures employed to express God’ s closing dealings. The former is discriminating judgment, the latter unsparing wrath. In the harvest the wheat is separated from the tares. In the vintage these latter, i.e., the tares, are alone in the prophetic scene, and form the subjects of the Lord’ s righteous vengeance.Revelation 14:14. — “I saw, and behold.” This expression is only employed in the introduction of subjects of unusual interest. There are two matters of weighty import selected out of the seven series of events contained in our chapter, to which special attention is called by this word “ behold” (see Revelation 14:1; Revelation 14:14). Revelation 14:14 — “A white cloud” is peculiar to this action, so also is the white throne in the judgment of the dead (Revelation 20:11). The cloud symbolizes the divine presence(Revelation 10:1; Matthew 17:5; Ezekiel 10:4), “ white” the purity and absolute righteousness characterising and governing the action. Revelation 14:14 — “On the cloud one sitting like (the) Son of Man.” Christ is said to come in a cloud (Luke 21:27),but He is also said to come on the clouds (Matthew 24:30,R.V.). In the former His Person is veiled; in the latter He is publicly displayed. He sits on the cloud. It is a calm, deliberative judgment; no hurry, no haste. “ Like (the) Son of Man.” It is under this title that Christ deals with the state of things on the earth, and judges the ungodly (Matthew 25:31; John 5:27). As Son of God He quickens now the spiritually dead (John 5:25), as in the future the physically dead (John 5:28). We have before called attention to the absence of the definite article in this title as used in the Apocalypse and in Daniel 7:13. (See remarks on Revelation 1:13.) As Son of Man He comes and claims universal dominion. His connection with the race and with the world in general is intimated in the title Son of Man, but in that very character He bears the attributes and moral glories of the Ancient of Days (compare Daniel 7:13 with verse 14 of our chapter, also with Revelation 1:13-14). Without doubt the Seer beheld in vision the Son of Man, but in the absence of the article it is what morally characterizes Him that is prominent. The article would make it definite and personal. The attributes of the Son of Man are called into exercise, and to these we are directed — to what is characteristic of such a One, rather than to the Person Himself. Revelation 14:14 — “Upon His head a golden crown,” the sign of royal dignity (Revelation 4:4; Revelation 6:2). The crowns upon the heads of the locusts were “ like gold” (Revelation 9:7). Their assumption of royal authority was spurious. Here it is real, divinely conferred. But the crown of gold is also the expression of divine righteousness in victorious action.Revelation 14:14 — “In His hand a sharp sickle.” It is not the execution of judgment either moral (Hebrews 4:12) or physical(Revelation 19:15), else a sword would have been named. But the sickle is needed to reap the harvest. It is “ sharp” in order to do its work thoroughly, and in the “ hand” of the Reaper, Who is about to begin the separating process — the wheat garnered and the tares gathered in bundles. Revelation 14:15. — “Another angel came out of the temple.” Another, as distinct from those previously numbered in the chapter (Revelation 14:6; Revelation 14:8-9). The throne and the temple, both in “ the Heaven,” are the respective sources of judgment on earth. The throne judgments are characteristic of the first great portion of the book, closing with Revelation 11:18. The temple chastisements are in question from Revelation 11:19, and on to the pouring out of the Vials (Revelation 16:1-21). In the seventh Vial, which brings the wrath of God to a conclusion, the temple and throne are united in action (v. 17).For the throne see Revelation 4:5; for the temple see Revelation 11:19. The throne sets forth the exercise of divine government; the temple refers to the immediate presence of God. In the second main part of the Apocalypse, from Revelation 11:19, the judgments are of a severer character than the preceding ones, as the evil to be dealt with is of a more acute kind, more open, daring, blasphemous, and of a religious-secular character. Hence judgment comes out from the very presence of God, i.e., the temple — the nature of God as light is roused to action.Revelation 14:15. — The angel from the temple cries “with a loud voice.” It is a call for immediate action on the part of the divine Reaper. “ Send Thy sickle and reap; for the hour of reaping is come, for the harvest of the earth is dried up,” or “ overripe” (R.V.). There are two reasons assigned why the Son of Man should at once proceed to gather in the harvest. First, the appointed hour of final dealing has come; second, the harvest was fully ripe, yea, “ dried up” (see Revelation 16:12). The hour of judgment (Revelation 14:7) and the hour of harvest (Revelation 14:15, R.V.) are both said to have come, and both refer substantially to the same character of action. Revelation 14:15 — “Send Thy sickle and reap.” The Son of Man does not Himself personally reap. He superintends. Instrumentally He reaps. The actual reapers are the angels (Matthew 13:39).Revelation 14:15. — “The harvest of the earth” is both political (Joe 3:9-14) and religious in character (Matthew 13:24-30).The former is directly connected with Israel, and has its sphere of operation in the valley of Jehoshaphat (Joe 3:12); the latter is of much wider extent, embracing within its range the whole scene of Christendom (Matthew 13:38). Revelation 14:16. — “He that sat on the cloud put His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.” The result is instantaneous, but that is in vision only. We must not regard these actions as signifying a momentary exercise of divine power. Events are regarded in the various visions — which may extend over a considerable time and employ many agencies — as completed in a single act. In the visions the completed results are briefly and tersely summed up. But in other portions of Scripture the details, equally important to know, are unfolded. But how gracious in God to afford us the certainty that His purposes shall be fulfilled; that these apocalyptic visions affirm.We have already observed that the harvest discriminates and separates the wheat from the tares. “ Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into My barn” (Matthew 13:30).This, then, is harvest work. It is the same character of separating work in which the good fish are gathered into vessels and the bad cast away (v. 48). This severing process is at the end of the age. There is no actual execution of judgment in the harvest. That is accomplished in the vintage; nor is the harvest here the completion of the first-fruits of the company of virgins of Rev 14:4. That harvest is one of blessing, and is reaped when the millennial kingdom is set up. The harvest here is one of discriminating judgment prior to the kingdom being established. Reaping is in view of judgment. THE VINE OF THE EARTH AND ITS Rev_14:17-20. — “And another angel came out of the temple which (is) in the Heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the altar, having power over fire, and called with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Send thy sharp sickle, and gather the bunches of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripened. And the angel put his sickle to the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast (the bunches) into the great winepress of the fury of God; and the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood went out of the winepress to the bits of the horses for a thousand six hundred stadia.” Revelation 14:17 — “Another angel.” In these visions there is mention made of six angels (Revelation 14:6; Revelation 14:8-9; Revelation 14:15; Revelation 14:17-18). The ordinal numbers, second and third (Revelation 14:8-9, R.V.), are evidently meant to form a group of three angels as distinct from those which follow and are not numbered. The numbered angels announce specific events which are closely related. The fourth and the fifth come out of the temple (Revelation 14:15; Revelation 14:17), from whence all the Vials are poured out (Revelation 16:1). The sixth angel comes out of the altar (Revelation 14:18). Revelation 14:17 — “Having a sharp sickle.” There is a certain minuteness in the previous description not observable in this one. There “ in His hand a sharp sickle” (Revelation 14:14); here it is simply “ having a sharp sickle.” In the one “ a loud voice” (Revelation 14:15); in the other a “ loud cry” (Revelation 14:18). These and other minute distinctions are to be noticed if full profit is to be gained. There are, of course, certain things in common, as “ harvest” and “ vintage” would necessarily suggest. Then “ another angel” is seen coming “ out of the altar, having power over fire.” This is the brazen altar, the altar of judgment. The loud and urgent cry of the souls of the martyrs under the altar for righteous vengeance (Revelation 6:9-11) was but partially answered. Now the full measure of judgment is to be inflicted on their enemies. The brazen altar speaks of acceptance (Leviticus 1), and, with the blood upon its horns, of forgiveness (Leviticus 4:34). But it is a holy altar, and hence it demands the judgment of sin; it is also the ground of divine forgiveness. Here the thought is one of pure, unmingled judgment — divine judgment on the vine of the earth (compare with Ezekiel 9:2).The altar angel “ called with a loud cry.” It was a loud, peremptory, urgent call, and one which could brook no delay. Revelation 14:18. — “ Gather the bunches of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripened.” Israel of old was the vine brought out of Egypt (Psalms 80:8) — Jehovah’ s fruit-bearing system on earth. After centuries of cultivation and care the vine only produced “ wild grapes” (Isaiah 5:2-4). The noble vine planted by the Lord God of hostshad in the days of the weeping prophet “ turned into a degenerate plant of a strange vine” (Jeremiah 2:21). Israeltherefore was set aside, to be morally replaced by Christ the true Vine, Who alone could and did bear fruit (John 15:1-27). The mark of a true disciple is not simply to be a branch in the vine (Judas was that), but to be a fruit-bearing branch. The expression “ the vine of the earth” contemplates the whole religious system in the coming crisis, not Judaism only. The grapes are ripe for judgment. They are gathered in bunches and cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God. The great religious apostasy of earth is now to be unsparingly dealt with in judgment. “ The winepress was trodden without the city.” The tares are now cast into the fire (Matthew 13:40-42) — “ a furnace of fire.” It is, too, the consuming of the fruitless branches (John 15:6). There is no mercy, no separating judgment, but absolute vengeance. The winepress signifies this. It is the day of vengeance of our God. It is the time of Isa 63:1-19 : “ Wherefore art Thou red in Thine apparel, and Thy garments like Him that treadeth in the wine fat?” asks the prophet. The Messiah answers, “ I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was none with Me; for I will tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury: and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment. For the day of vengeance is in Mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come” (vv. 2-4). The vine of the earth is a far-reaching expression, embracing apostate Jews and apostate Gentiles (Psalms 85:5;Isaiah 34:1-17; Jeremiah 25:15-16; Joe 3:1-21). Revelation 14:20. — “The winepress was trodden without the city.” Jerusalem is the city here referred to. The valley of Jehoshaphat was outside Jerusalem, and it is there that the fullest vengeance of God shall be poured out, “ the press is full” (Joe 3:13). In fact, both the harvest and the vintage are directly grounded on the prophecy of Joel (chap. 3), with, of course, a wider application. Outside the city, or “ without,” signifies Palestine as a whole. Revelation 14:20 — “Blood went out of the winepress to the bits of the horses for a thousand six hundred stadia.” Blood, not wine or the juice of the grape, but that which it signified, poured out of the winepress to the depth of the horses’ bits; the length of the stream of blood nearly two hundred miles. There may be certain measurements of the Holy Land (As from Dan to Beersheba.) to which these would apply, but nothing certain can be affirmed. What is signified is a vast destruction of human life over a circumscribed area. Certainly what is stated of the vast slaughter is beyond anything ever known. We gather that the scene of the vintage in its worst form is that referred to by Joel (Joe 3:9-14), as also where the battle of Armageddon is to be fought (Revelation 16:14-16): the scene, too, of Revelation 19:19. All these have their center in Palestine. It is there that the wickedness of earth will be concentrated. The Beast and the Antichrist both fall there, and their followers as well. Gog, too, and his subordinate, the king of the north — the political oppressors of Israel — meet their doom in Palestine (Ezekiel 38:1-23; Ezekiel 39:1-29, for Gog and his allies;Isaiah 14:25; Daniel 11:45, for the Assyrian or king of the north). The final dealings of God at the end of the age as expressed in the harvest and vintage are centered in Palestine, but are not confined in their effects to Israel, then the most guilty of all peoples, but extend to the utmost bounds of Christendom. We do not, of course, hold that the actual valley of Jehoshaphat and Armageddon are literally meant, as both are utterly inadequate to serve as a gathering place or center for the nations who will assemble in close proximity to Jerusalem, and thus Judea becomes the battlefield of the nations. May God graciously preserve His beloved people from the unholy principles and spirit so characteristic of the day in which our lot is cast! Commentary on Revelation 14:14-20 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 14:14. The rest of the chapter is a vision of the day of judgment. Clouds are often used as symbols of glory and power especially white clouds. The person sitting on the cloud is like the Son of man because he is but a symbol. Yet we must think of Christ, who is being symbolized by the vision. Golden crown signifies a king and we are told in 1 Corinthians 15:25 that He is to reign until the end. Sharp sickle is an instrument for gathering the fruits of a harvest. Jesus is king in his own right, but he is generally represented as accomplishing the work of His kingdom in cooperation with the angels. Especially is this true of the work to be performed at his second coming. (See Matthew 25:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:7.) Revelation 14:15. Another angel is said because angels have been named previously in this chapter, and because those heavenly beings are so often em-ployed to act as attendants upon the Lord or sometimes upon other angels as will be done yet in this chapter. There are to be two kinds of crops gathered on the day of judgment as generally happens after any growing season. One kind is the good and the other is the bad, and they are always separated one from the other and different dispositions made of them. In the present case the good is represented in the ordinary phraseology of a good harvest which implies sheaves of grain. The bad is represented by grapes which we have just seen above symbolize the wrath of God upon the wicked. The attending angel signalled to Him who was on the cloud to use his sickle to gather the ripe harvest. Revelation 14:16. The One on the white cloud did as requested and gathered the grain. The reader will understand this represents the good among mankind. Revelation 14:17. The other sickle was in the hands of an angel instead of Him who was on the cloud. This also agrees with the language of Christ in Matthew 13:39 where he says "the angels are the reapers." Notice these angels are said to come out of the temple. That is because it is in heaven from where the authority of God is issued. Revelation 14:18. The next attending angel came out from the altar. That article was also at the temple and it was the piece that was used for burning certain victims- The symbol is very appropriate since this sickle is to be used for gathering the grapes; grapes for the wrath of God. This angel gave the signal to the one holding the second sickle to use it for gathering in the clusters. The reason assigned by him for the order was her grapes are fully ripe. God is never premature in his operations. He explained to Abraham in Genesis 15:16 that the reason for waiting until the fourth generation for attacking the land of promise was that "the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." In 2 Peter 3:15 it says that the longsuffering of God in delaying the destruction of the earth "is salvation." Whenever God in his infinite wisdom sees that the time is fully ripe for the harvest He will send forth the reapers and bring an end to the earth and its contents. Revelation 14:19. As a literal fact a winepress is a large vat in which grapes are placed for extraction of the juice. In Bible times mechanical means had not been invented for pressure, and the result was accomplished by man power. A lattice-like platform was laid on top of the grapes and a number of men walked round and round over it until the juice was forced out, being received below through a trough running from the vat to a receiving vessel. The symbolic feature is in the fact that the desired result was accomplished by a treading under foot. The operation is used to symbolize the act of the Lord in trampling under his feet the wicked people of the earth. The flowing of the wine signifies the flowing of the wrath of God against men's unrighteousness. Revelation 14:20. The symbol continues with the same significance but with some added specifications. Being done without the city denotes that the punishment of the wicked will be outside the holy city in the eternal world. In computing the amount of blood (of the grape) that came out we must not forget that the whole performance is symbolic, and the volume is given in order tofurnish us some idea of the terrible fate of those whose unrighteous lives have brought upon them the wrath of God. To be conservative I suppose unto the horse bridles would be about four feet. The amount was enough to flood the ground for a distance of a thousand and six hundred furlongs or two hundred miles. Nothing is said about any kind of retainer on the sides, hence to be wide enough to flow freely that far and that deep (if only in the center) would require a considerable width. It all should give us a profound impression of the fate of those who die out of Christ.Commentary on Revelation 14:14-20 by Burton CoffmanRev_14:14 And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud I saw one sitting like unto a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.This through Revelation 14:20 is a vision of the eternal judgment already announced in Revelation 14:7. See the chapter outline, above. White cloud ... one like to a son of man ... Despite the opinion of respected scholars such as Morris, who thought this being on the white cloud was an angel,[66] we do not hesitate to understand it as a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He has the "sickle" (a symbol of judgment) in his hand; and it was to Jesus that the Father gave the prerogative of judgment (John 5:27), the reason there assigned for God's so doing being "because he is the son of man." The mention of the same words here would appear to make it certain that Jesus is the one meant. "The crown sets him forth as King and Messiah, but the sharp sickle indicates his coming for judgment."[67] Besides that, "Son of man in the New Testament is never applied to angels; we must conclude that this is a vision of the returning Christ."[68] "Son of man is applied to Jesus some eighty-one times in the Gospels, and it seems justifiable to assume that he is the one meant here."[69]Strauss pointed out that, "Jehovah's Witnesses completely distort this phrase (Son of man) into the claim that Jesus is nothing but an angel, a claim repudiated by the entire scope of the Biblical doctrine of Christ."[70]This great vision of the final judgment first shows the ingathering of the righteous (Revelation 14:14-15), and following that, the destruction of the wicked (Revelation 14:17-20), following exactly the pattern laid down by Jesus himself in Matthew 25:31-40. Caird interpreted both sections of this as the gathering of the righteous, with the result that he had to interpret the great blood river of Rev 14:20, as "the great martyrdom."[71] This is clearly wrong. Kiddle tried to make both sections apply to the judgment of the wicked; but Caird flatly declared that, "Kiddle's theory that both represent the judgment of God on the heathen has been shown to be inadequate."[72] Ladd's, and many similar views, must be right: The first (section) pictures the eschatological judgment of God with reference to the gathering of the righteous into salvation. The second pictures the judgment of the wicked into condemnation.[73]"The judgment of the righteous is in Revelation 14:14-15; and the judgment of the wicked is in Revelation 14:17-20."[74][66] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 184. [67] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 229. [68] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 199. [69] Ralph Earle, op. cit., p. 583. [70] James D. Strauss, The Seer, the Saviour and the Saved (Joplin, Missouri: College Press, 1972), p. 189. [71] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 192,195. [72] Ibid., p. 191. [73] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 198. [74] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 188. Revelation 14:15 And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a great voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send forth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.Send forth thy sickle and reap ... The astonishing thing about this is that the command to reap appears to come from an angel of far lesser rank than the Christ on the white cloud. Rist, however, gave a very excellent explanation of this: It seems strange that the angel would give orders to the heavenly Christ to begin his work ... of harvest, until we realize that he (the angel) is merely a messenger bringing the command from God himself who is in his temple. This is quite in harmony with Matthew 24:36, that no one, not even the angels, nor the Son, knows the day or the hour of the end, save the Father himself.[75]Send forth thy sickle and reap ... This sickle is Christ's. The judgment is in his hands. The figure of the harvest for the end of the world is a frequent New Testament metaphor, as in Matthew 13:30. The fact of the harvest here being particularly of the redeemed is in harmony with the imagery of Mat 13:11-12. Yes, the wicked are mentioned there also, but not under the figure of "the wheat." The wicked are "the chaff," or "the tares." ENDNOTE: [75] Martin Rist, op. cit., p. 475. Revelation 14:16 And he that sat upon the cloud cast his sickle upon the earth; and the earth was reaped.Cast his sickle ... the earth was reaped ... There was no laborious effort on the part of Christ; he merely threw the whole judgment into gear, and it was executed. The widespread association of the angels with Christ in the final judgment (Matthew 13:41; Matthew 13:49; 2 Thessalonians 1:7, etc.) naturally suggests that innumerable angels will be operative under Christ's authority in the execution of the final judgment. The presence of a number of angels in the judgment scene here is in full harmony with this. They gather the golden grain of the harvest into the garner of eternal security. "All the faithful, without the loss of even one, shall be saved."[76]The harvest of the earth is ripe ... "Contrary to human appearances, history is moving under the sovereignty of God."[77] If it is God's purpose to redeem "a certain number" from the earth, which many have supposed, the "ripeness" here could refer to the full achievement of God's purpose. [76] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 92. [77] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 200. Revelation 14:17-18 And another angel came out from the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, he that hath power over fire; and he called with a great voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Send forth thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.Here begins the second view of the one judgment presented in this vision, this one having to do with the destruction of the wicked. Some have taken the view that because angels are featured in both sections that this section too refers to the gathering of the righteous; but, as we have already noted, the pattern of this is exactly that of Matthew 25, the righteous first being mentioned, then the wicked. Caird was impressed that both sections "are inaugurated with the same angelic command";[78] but there is a most important difference. The angel from the sanctuary is now aided by one from the altar, the same altar "in connection with which the prayers of the saints ascend to the throne; and the judgment of God is God's final answer of those prayers.[79] See comment under Revelation 8:3-5. Gather the clusters of the vine of the earth ... The imagery of the description of this phase of the judgment is that of the winepress, probably because of the bloodiness of it. "The ministry of mercy is the Lord's chosen office; the ministry of wrath his stern necessity."[80] so Ladd and others have commented upon the repeated appearance in the Old Testament of the grape harvest meaning judgment, as in Isaiah 63:2-3 and Joe 3:13.[81][78] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 191. [79] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 188. [80] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 92. [81] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 201. Revelation 14:19 And the angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and cast it into the winepress, the great winepress, of the wrath of God.And the angel cast his sickle ... It is still Christ's sickle, but as an agent and helper of the Lord the angel appears here. The harvest of the earth is ripe ... See comment on this above, under Revelation 14:15. Wickedness will at last attain its ultimate goal of becoming absolutely intolerable to Almighty God. The heavenly Father has a score to settle with evil; and one day it will be settled, as depicted here. The roaring tornado of sin and wickedness visible everywhere upon earth today is rushing to the judgment. Even many of the theologians have decided that God will never punish anyone. "We are now witnessing a resurgence of universalism in the so-called Christian world";[82] but Scriptures like these, and many others in the New Testament, should more than suffice to repudiate such error. ENDNOTE: [82] James D. Strauss, op. cit., p. 190. Revelation 14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and there came out blood from the winepress, even unto the bridles of the horses, as far as a thousand six hundred furlongs."That the symbolism of Rev 14:17-20 describes the final judgment at the last day we consider beyond successful denial."[83]Without the city ... We must not think of this as any earthly place such as Jerusalem, Rome, or Babylon. "It is the heavenly city of Heb 11:10; Hebrews 12:2; Revelation 21:10, etc."[84] Plummet also agreed that this means "without the Church of God."[85] The wicked will be punished far from the presence of the saints, and no unclean thing may enter into the place where the saints are. Blood ... unto the bridles of the horses ... a thousand and six hundred furlongs ... What does this mean? "This stands for the complete judgment of the whole earth and the destruction of all the wicked."[86] "The thought is clear. It is a radical judgment that crushes every vestige of evil and hostility to the reign of God."[87] Evaluations such as these appear to be correct. Roberson commented that, "This constitutes the most terrible picture of the fate of the ungodly to be found in Scripture."[88]Regarding the dimensions of this pool (or river) of blood, just which is uncertain, the 1,600 furlongs equals 200 miles! We are not told whether the said distance is the circumference, the diameter or the radius of the bloody sea; and the reason for this is that it makes not a particle of difference.[89]The imagery here is not to be taken literally at all. We are merely expected to recoil in horror at the very thought of such a thing. It would be interesting if some of the fundamentalist modernists would step forward and give us an "honest" explanation of this like they did in the case of the "virgins" earlier in the chapter! The number 1,600 is of interest, despite the opinions of some that, "There is no obvious prototype of this in the Old Testament."[90] Beasley-Murray seems to have come up with a plausible reason for the use of this number: The figure is the square of forty, the traditional number of punishment. Israel was punished by forty years of wanderings in the wilderness (Numbers 24:23); and certain offenders were given forty lashes (Deuteronomy 25:3)[91]Thus this chapter, along with Revelation 12 and Revelation 13, has now completed another comprehensive view of the entire history of God's redemptive program, from the first to the final judgment at the Second Advent of Christ. All of the blood in these last verses must be understood in connection with that angel who came out from the altar, having power over fire. One may say, How strange! No fire appears here; but the fire is here under another figure, that of blood. The great outpouring of blood is another symbol used to describe the final overthrow of the wicked. Of course, the fire and brimstone are also figures; and one may only wonder how terrible must be that reality which requires such symbolism to represent it. [83] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 452. [84] Ibid. [85] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 351. [86] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 186. [87] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 202. [88] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 108. [89] Albertus Pieters, Studies in the Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1954), p. 240. [90] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 195. [91] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 230.Commentary on Revelation 14:14-20 by Manly Luscombe14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. We now move to another graphic scene of the final judgment. John sees a white cloud. On the cloud is Jesus. Some deny this is Jesus because it says, “ one like” Jesus. However, similar language was used in Revelation 1:13. The gold crown represents power and authority. The sickle is the symbol of one who is about to execute judgment on the wicked and unfaithful. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “ Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Now the fourth angel in this chapter begins to speak. This angel announces that the time of judgment is here. Thrust in the sickle. Harvest time is here. In our vernacular, “ The fat lady is singing.” The time of patience has ended. The time of grace and mercy are over. Now is the time of harvest. There are two parts to the harvest. The gathering of the good fruit and the uprooting and burning of the rest of the field. Study the parable of the Tares in Matthew 13:24-30. In Matthew 3:12, John the Baptizer makes a similar statement. Save the wheat and burn the chaff. 16 So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. Jesus, the righteous judge, thrusts the sickle on the earth. The earth is reaped. The message is clear. The righteous will be separated from the wicked. The wheat will be separated from the tares. 17 Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. We are now introduced to the fifth angel in this section of Revelation. This angel has a sharp sickle. The sharpness of the sickle in the hands of Jesus was not described until now. The word “ also” indicates that both Jesus and this angel have sickles sharp enough to separate the wheat from the tares. Their sickles can cut between the wheat and the chaff. This angle came out of the temple. It is clear that this angel is coming from the presence of God. He is not acting on his own. He is functioning under the direction of God. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “ Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” In rapid succession, here comes the sixth angel. He comes from the altar. He has power over fire. The angel says, “ The grapes are fully ripe.” Interpretation: We cannot wait any longer. There is a time for patience. There is a time when it is proper for God to delay judgment. Now, that time is past. Any more postponement would be wrong. Our God is a Holy God. It is His holiness that will not allow Him to be seen as sanctioning or condoning evil. God declares that wicked men cannot come near Him because “ I am holier than you.” (Isaiah 65:5) God also is described with these words, “ For you are not a God that has pleasure in wickedness: neither will evil dwell with you.” (Psalms 5:4) Christians are given instructions to avoid fellowship with false teachers or bidding them Godspeed. To approve or consort with a false teacher causes you to be equally guilty before God. (2 John 1:9-11) If we cannot sanction sin, certainly God cannot. The world is reaching a point of great evil and wickedness. God cannot appear that He is allowing or sympathetic to sin. Something must be done, and quickly. 19 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. The angel with the sharp sickle begins the actual harvest. The vine of the earth, the fruit of all immorality, the product of all false teaching, the outgrowth of wickedness and corruption are being harvested. All of this evil fruit is being thrown into the winepress. The punishment will be great torment. The reason: They have harmed the people of God. If you harm or kill the sealed of God, you will have to face the judgment of God. The wrath of God is a justified anger. This is not quick, violent temper. The wrath of God is often ignored or overlooked. Many focus on the grace and love of God. They forget that God is a Holy and Just God. While this world stands the primary focus of God is on His Mercy, Patience, Love, Kindness, Forgiveness, and Gentleness. When this world ends, at the Second Coming of Christ, the God who will judge us will be a God of Justice, Holiness, Wrath, and Severity. (Romans 11:22) 20 And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs. The torment of the wicked is outside the city. This term will appear again in Revelation 22:14-15. The obedient are inside the city of God. Outside the city are dogs. The dogs here are defined as sorcerers, harlots, murderers, idolaters and liars. Jesus was crucified outside the city of Jerusalem. (Hebrews 13:12) The wicked will suffer the wrath of God. Part of the wrath and retribution from God will be separation from Him. (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). The disobedient will suffer. All the wicked will suffer punishment. The blood of those in the winepress of God’ s wrath will form a river of blood. It is described as a river as deep as the bridle of a horse’ s bridle. This river runs for 1600 furlongs. NOTE: A furlong Isaiah 606 feet and 9 inches (606.75 feet). This was the length of a race in the ancient Olympics (just over 200 yards). So, the river is as deep as a horse’ s bridle and over 180 miles in length. I do not believe that these numbers have any particular significance. I believe John is adding this information to the drama. The description is given for dramatic effect. Just as the streets of Rome were lighted with the burning bodies of Christians, so there is now a river of blood flowing from the wrath of God. The imagery is unmistakable. The wrath of God will be complete. No one will escape punishment. Sermon on Revelation 14:1-20 The Three AngelsBrent Kercheville Chapter 13 revealed Satan raising two beasts to make war with the Christians. The first beast is the beast of the greatest concern. The first beast, as identified from Daniel 7, is the Roman Empire which ruled from approximately 27 BC to 476 AD. The emperors of the Roman Empire blasphemed the name of God, calling themselves divine, and demanding worship from the inhabitants of the empire. The second beast describes the local and provincial enforcement of the emperor worship and the ensuring persecution for those who did not participate in emperor worship. Those worshiped the first beast were marked so that they can buy and sell. Those who did not participate in emperor worship were unable to buy and sell in the marketplaces. The Lamb and the 144,000 (Revelation 14:1-5) The contrast is set in chapter 14. John looks and sees the Lamb standing on Mount Zion and the 144,000 are with him. Remember that the 144,000 represents the servants of God who were killed for the name of Christ. We know that they are physically dead because they were pictured in heaven. Revelation 6 told us that the servants of God would be killed. Chapter 7 called them the 144,000 signifying that the complete number of God’ s people are sealed and spiritually secure though they are persecuted and killed. The inhabitants of the earth are worshiping the beast. They have the mark of the beast which means they have sided with the Roman Empire and its emperors. These people belong to the beast. However, we see the 144,000. They do not have the mark of the beast. Rather than having the name of the beast or the number of his name on their foreheads or hand (Revelation 13:16-17), the 144,000 have the name of the Lamb and the name of God on their foreheads. This shows their loyalty to the Lamb and pictures them as the Lamb’ s possession. The loyalty and faithfulness of the 144,000 is further pictured in these verses. These pictures cannot be literal. In Revelation 7 we were the told that the 144,000 came from the twelve tribes of Israel. Now we are given more details about the 144,000. They “ have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins” (Revelation 14:4). They are also blameless (Revelation 14:5). Now there are religious groups that want to take the 144,000 as a literal number of those who are in heaven. The problem with this interpretation is that the only ones is heaven are going to be perfect Jewish virgins who are men. Instead, we need to see this imagery as picturing the spiritual condition of the 144,000. As we noted in Revelation 7, 144,000 number symbolizes the complete group of God’ s people (please see the notes from the Revelation 7 study). God often speaks of the purity of his people in terms of sexual immorality. The apostle Paul used such language about the people of God in 2 Corinthians. For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2 ESV) Similarly, the book of Revelation will culminate with the image of the marriage of the people of God to the Lamb. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure — for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. (Revelation 19:7-8 ESV) The 144,000 are those who have not been compromised by the world but remain loyal as a virgin bride to the future groom. They are not defiled by the world but remain pure toward Christ. To put this image another way, these are the holy people of God. As Revelation 14:3 and Revelation 14:4 declares, the 144,000 are the redeemed. The 144,000 is all the redeemed of the earth. These are all of God’ s people who have withstood the attack of Satan and the persecution of the Roman Empire. The people of God are pictured on Mount Zion, the place of Christ’ s enthronement and rule. Mount Zion is the place of God’ s dwelling and the people are God are protected spiritually as they abide with him. They are pictured singing a new song (Revelation 14:3). We noticed the new song in Revelation 5:9. This is a song praising God for his victory over the enemy and thanksgiving for God’ s work. The 144,000 are victorious and they are singing a song of victory. The Three Angels (Revelation 14:6-13) We are presented with three angels who have three announcements to make. They are carrying three important declarations from God. The First AngelThe first angel is proclaiming the eternal gospel to the whole earth. Everyone has been given the opportunity to hear the gospel and to respond to its message. In the proclamation of the gospel the angel says with a loud voice, “ Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come.” The gospel is good news to those who receive it and obey it. However, the gospel is bad news to those who reject it. Fear God because God is ready to judge. Worship God, not the beast. The Second Angel The second angel proclaims, “ Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.” As we noted in our study of Revelation 13, Babylon is the first of four great beasts depicted in Daniel 7. Babylon was the world power in the days of the prophet Daniel. The name Babylon came to represent the wicked world power of the day. Peter used the name Babylon this way as he closed his first letter. She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. (1 Peter 5:13 ESV) Peter is giving his greetings from Rome since there was not a literal Babylon for Christians to be living in. Rome was the new Babylon because it was the world power of the day. This fits the context of Revelation. Chapter 13 has been all about this terrifying beast that is persecuting God’ s people. This predicted the Roman Empire’ s persecution of the Christians. Chapter 14 is not describing the fall of some other nation. It would not fit the context. Babylon is Rome and the Roman Empire is declared to be fallen. However, when the angel makes this proclamation and when the book of Revelation is written, the Roman Empire had not yet fallen. So what is happening in this proclamation? This is something that is called “ prophetic certainty.” An event is prophesied as having already occurred, not because it had happened yet, but because God had decreed it. Therefore the event must happen. Isaiah did the same things in his prophecy. And behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs!” And he answered, “ Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground.” (Isaiah 21:9 ESV) When Isaiah said these words Babylon had not fallen yet. God had decreed that the world power would fall and so Isaiah could confidently describe its end, even though its fall was still in the future. The second angel is doing the same thing. The fall of the Roman Empire is pictured as a certainty even though it had not occurred yet. The Third Angel The third angel makes his proclamation. Anyway who worships the beast will drink the wine of God’ s wrath. This is a vivid picture that God used at many times through his prophets (Psalms 60:3; Psalms 75:8; Isaiah 51:17; Isaiah 63:6; Jeremiah 25:15-16; Jeremiah 51:7). As many know, the people typically drank their wine mixed with water. Drinking water was a problem then because the water was not clean and would cause illnesses. So the people would drink wine and the wine would be diluted with water, typically two or three parts water to one part wine. Notice that this angel says that they are going to drink the wine “ full strength.” The wine is pictured as the wrath of God. They will drink of God’ s wrath undiluted. God’ s judgment is not going to be watered down. They will receive the full brunt of God’ s anger for their sins. The judgment will be so grave that it is paralleled to the judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah. They are tormented with fire and sulfur, the same tools God used to wipe out the wicked cities of the plains for their sins. However, the picture is not a picture of a physical destruction. Notice that the angel pictures eternal punishment for those who worship the beast. Those who are giving their allegiance to the emperors and worshiping them as divine will be tormented forever and ever and have no rest day or night. This is the same kind of language that Jesus used to describe the eternal punishment on those who reject him. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 15:1-4 SECTION THREE POURING OUT OF THE SEVEN PLAGUES Revelation 15:1 to Revelation 16:21 PreliminaryNotes:1. There are three sets of symbolic sevens, each one bringing the story to the end of time or the coming of the Lord. Since the prophetic history of the church from John's time was pictorially revealed in the book of seven seals, naturally the seventh seal would not be exhausted till the end. The seven trumpets came under the last seal and the sound-ing of the seventh one brings the end. (Revelation 11:15-19.) In like manner the plagues, under another set of symbols, complete the cycle, for Revelation 15:1 says in them is "finished the wrath of God." 2. The fourteenth chapter was designed to encourage saints in their struggles by predicting the fall of Babylon (verse 8) and the final victory of the righteous (verse 13). Section three points out the means by which these glorious results are to be accomplished. 3. In view of the fact that these plagues were to be poured out upon the beast and his worshipers (Revelation 16:2; Revelation 16:10), it is evident that they represent a series of events that will ultimately end the papal hierarchy--accomplish the destruction of the "man of sin." This event will occur at the coming of the Lord. (2 Thessalonians 2:8.) All this is proof that the plagues did not begin to be poured out till after the 1,260-year period, or the time when Rome's complete sway began to be destroyed. 1. AN VISIONRev_15:1-4 1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having seven plagues, which are the last, for in them is finished the wrath of God.--This sign which John saw in heaven was one of marvelous beauty fitted to excite wonder and prepare the mind to appreciate the promise of victory over the beast. Appearing in heaven would indicate that this victory would come through the judgments that God would providentially bring upon the beast. Saying that these plagues are the last is explained to mean that when they are completed the wrath of God against the papal beast power will be finished. However long a time may be covered by the plagues, their finish means the end of the world. 2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that come off victorious from the beast, and from his image, and from the number of his name,--A similarvision is recorded in 4:6 except that here the sea of glass is "min-gled with fire." There it was "before the throne"; here it is in heaven, hence must have reference in some way to the saved. This is further evident by the fact that it is those who are victorious that are standing by it, or upon it, according to the margin. Compare the notes on Revelation 4:6. On the expressions image of the beast and the number of his name see the notes on Revelation 13:15-18. The victory mentioned here evidently refers to the fact that those standing by the sea of glass had successfully resisted all the schemes and devices of the papacy to force them to accept its doctrines and practices; this they did in spite of threats and persecutions. The fire may represent the persecu-tions in which they attained their glorious victory. (Acts 14:22.) standing by the sea of glass, having harps of God.--As the scene was laid in heaven and the persons were those who had gained a victory over the beast, it must refer to saints in glory, not to those in the church on earth. The word "harps," as a symbol, doubtless, means the praise that the redeemed will render to God. It certainly could not mean mechanical harps, for pure spirit beings would not need material harps. In Ephesians 5:19 Paul uses the Greek word psallo in a figurative sense, saying that it is done with the heart. Whatever spiritual faculties we have for praising God will be the heavenly harps. Whatever the meaning of this expression, it can have no reference to the church on earth. See notes on Revelation 14:2. 3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are thy ways, thou King of the ages.--It does not seem reason-able that those who gained a victory over the beast should sing the same song that was sung when Moses led Israel out of Egypt. (Exodus 15:1.) That they should celebrate their victory in an appropriate song like the Israelites did at the Red Sea is altogether reasonable hence, the language probably means that they sang a song to the Lamb as the Israelites did to Moses. Both victories were accomplished through God's help and in a similar way. Since reference is made to the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, it is natural for the song to speak of God as having almighty power and his works being great and marvelous. The Red Sea and Mount Sinai furnish examples. That God should be just or righteous, true in all his ways, is required by his very nature. Pharaoh with all his wickedness was as justly treated as the Israelites in their affliction. So the reverses that fell upon the beast power were but evidences of the just providences of God. God is here referred to as the "King of the ages"; the margin says King of nations, and the King James Version King of saints.It is immaterial which is the true reading, for if God is King at all, he is King of all three. There is a broad general sense in which God has and will rule in all ages, though the specific reign in this age is given to Christ. Since this authority was given to him by the Father, and he operates through the Father's power, the direct reign will he given back to the Father in the final state. (1 Corinthians 15:24.) 4 Who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all the nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy righteous acts have been made manifest. --This means that all should fear his name because of his holiness. Then it is affirmed that all nations--that is, people from all nations--will come and worship before him. His righteous acts have been made known and those influenced by them to be faithful regardless of persecution will he per-mitted to worship before him in heaven and join in the song of praise.Commentary on Revelation 15:1-4 by Foy E. Wallace (1) The sign of the seven angels—Revelation 15:1-2. 1. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues: for in them is filled up the wrath of God—Revelation 15:1. The “ sign in heaven” carried the same import as observed in previous comments on other visions and in the Lord’ s own preview of the destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew 24:31. What was here envisioned in heaven (the sphere of authorities) was carried out on earth (among the inhabitants of Palestine) with special reference to Judah and Jerusalem. The seven angels with the seven vials and plagues formed a visional recapitulation of the seven seals and trumpets of the first series of visions--the difference existed in the central figures of the visions. The first series surrounded Christ, the Lamb; the second series surrounded the church, his Bride. The second series, though repetitive, was also a progressive development of the events in an enlargement of judicial punishments inflicted on the empire-beast. The seven plagues in the hands of the seven angels were contained in seven vials, as mentioned in Revelation 15:7, and this chapter had the effect of an introduction to the pouring out of the plagues contained in the vials of the following chapter. In reference to the seven vials, verse 1 stated that in them is filled up the wrath of God, which indicated the fulfillment of time. The function of the seven angels therefore was to execute the seven plagues in the series of cosmic woes to be poured out on the earth--the land of the Jews. The visions of these final plagues, or woes, anticipated the overthrow of apostate Jerusalem, referred to previously as the fall of the harlot Babylon. Later, the same seven angels were seen showing to John the new Jerusalem emerging as the spiritual Jerusalem in contrast with the old apostate Jerusalem. 2. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God—Revelation 15:2. Here was the vision of a crystal sea, with the transparency of glass, signifying that the impending events were soon to be manifest. The mingling of fire in the crystal denoted the consuming judgment of God soon to descend upon the beast and his minions. Standing on the crystal sea were the host of martyrs “ that had gotten victory over the beast, and over his image, and over the number of his name . . . having the harps of God,” and they sang “ the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.” The reference to the song of Moses indicated that the elements of this vision were formed from the deliverance of Israel and were a comparison with the Red Sea, which swallowed up Pharaoh and his hosts. The saints had “ gotten victory” over the emperor-beast as Israel was victorious over Pharaoh; and as Israel sang the triumphant “ song of Moses” standing by the sea; so these saints also, standing on the sea, sang “ the song of Moses and the Lamb.” It was Pharaoh there, and the emperor here; the victorious Israelites there, the triumphant saints here; it was oppressed Israel delivered from Egypt there, the persecuted saints “ redeemed from the earth.” The reference to the Egyptian Pharaoh in comparison with the Roman emperor was made clear by the mention of “ the song of Moses, the servant of God” and “ them that had gotten victory over the beast, over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name” --the language identifies Pharaoh Rameses and Nero Caesar. The mention of the victorious host having the harps of God, as in chapter fourteen, could not be literal any more than the angels and martyred saints could be physical. The harps here, as in preceding visions, were the symbol of the perfect melodious harmony of the grand symphony of redeemed voices singing. “ the song of Moses and the Lamb” in exultant victory, standing on the crystal sea; as Israel in the exodus sang “ the song of Moses,” standing by the sea. The analogy drawn enforced the relation between the oppression and deliverance of Israel in the Old Testament, and the persecution and victory of the church in the New Testament. The symbols and apocalypses were parallel, and must be so applied. Otherwise the New Testament history of the early oppressions of the church loses force, and, the visions lose meaning, the symbols become enigmatic, the entire book becomes a dilemma, and its apocalyptic events anachronistic. (2) The song of Moses and the Lamb—Revelation 15:3-4. 1. Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints –Revelation 15:3. The song of Moses had long been incorporated in the temple services, which the temple worshippers sang in choruses. This visional victory song of the saints, as previously stated, was patterned after the Old Testament exodus song of Moses, led by Miriam; but here the phrase and the Lamb was added--the song of Moses and the Lamb. The rhetoric of the song enhances the supreme excellence and glory of the object of its praise--the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb of God. The comparison of the irreverent familiarity of present times in addressing God, as if He were on equality with man is an inadvertent profanation. The eulogies of the song are sublime, as should be all prayer to God. The supreme title Lord God Almighty expressed omnipotence; the tribute great and marvellous was exclamatory of matchless majesty; the attributes just and true, were the acknowledgment of submission to His righteous judgment; the coronation name, thou King of saints, included the saints of all ages, hence has been variously translated thou King of the ages; and it ascribed to Him eternal existence and the Sovereign of all saints, through whose power they were freed from the dominion of the imperial beast. 2. Who shall not fear thee, 0 Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgments are made manifest –Revelation 15:4. The interrogation, “ Who shall not fear thee?” was expressive of complete and unalloyed adoration, short of the late irreverent familiarity. The refrain thou only art holy was the superlative holiness inherent only in God. The declaration all nations shall come and worship before thee was promissory of liberation from Roman image idolatry and the freedom of all men to worship God. The judicial declaration for thy judgments are manifest had reference to the meeting out of retributive justice to the oppressors of the saints. The song is a combination of many triumphant expressions of Old Testament psalmody of praise and adoration pertaining to Israel’ s deliverance from enemy nations and lord of dominion, and again represents a parallel of apocalypses of Old Testament Israel and the New Testament church.Commentary on Revelation 15:1-4 by Walter ScottANOTHER SIGN. Revelation 15:1-8. Revelation 15:1. — “And I saw another sign in the Heaven, great and wonderful: seven angels having seven plagues, the last; for in them the fury of God is completed.”We have had the “ great sign” of the woman, Israel (Revelation 12:1), then “ another sign,” that of the dragon (Revelation 15:3), now we have “ another sign” spoken of as “ great and wonderful.” Those three signs are each seen in the Heaven — the dwelling place of God and angels. What makes the third one of such solemn import, even more so than the two preceding, is, that corresponding to the third Woe, the fullness of God’ s wrath is poured out upon the Beast, the diabolic persecutor of the woman. The first sign directs attention to Israel, the second to the real instigator of the evil, the dragon, and the third to the apostate civil power, who under Satan blasphemes God and persecutes Israel. “ Seven angels.” There are three numbered groups of angels: of four (Revelation 7:1), of seven (Revelation 8:2; Revelation 16:1), and of twelve (Revelation 21:12). In the ministry of judgment under the Trumpets and under the Vials there are two distinct groups of seven angels. Those connected with the Trumpets are evidently a highly honoured company, as they are spoken of as those “ who stand before God,” (See remarks on Revelation 8:2.) and are likewise introduced by the definite article “ the seven angels” (Revelation 8:2). Not so the Vial angels. “ Having seven plagues, the last.” The Seal judgments were succeeded by the Trumpet series, and now the seven Vial plagues are about to be poured out, in which the pent-up and concentrated wrath of God is fully expressed. These providential judgments are the last. Emphasis is laid upon this expression of finality; not that the Vials close up the story of divine wrath, but they bring to an end the providential judgments of God. Further strokes of the divine vengeance are most surely inflicted, but these are by the Lamb in Person at His Coming (Revelation 19:1-21; Matthew 25:31-46). “ For in them the fury (or wrath) of God is completed.” The reason is here given why these seven plagues are the last. “ For” therein the wrath of God is exhausted, that is, His providential dealings in judgment with a wicked and apostate scene.(*“ The wrath of God,” as an expression occurs six times in the Apocalypse: Revelation 14:10; Revelation 14:19; Revelation 15:1; Revelation 15:7; Revelation 16:1; Revelation 19:15. In Revelation 19:15-16 God’ s wrath and the Lamb’ s wrath are united in action.) On the conclusion of the Vials, the wrath of the Lamb, even more terrible than the wrath of God, is openly expressed on the subjects of vengeance. “ Commission to act is given to Christ as soon as the ministration of the Vials ends.” The secret providential dealings of God are brought to an end with the Vials, or Bowls of wrath, after which the Lamb in Person publicly assumes the government of the world. But as the nations at His Coming are in armed rebellion — apostate and wicked beyond all human conception — the wrath of the Lamb burns in its fierceness. The wrath of God is finished in the Vials, to be succeeded by the wrath of the Lamb. THE COMPANY OF JUDAH. Revelation 15:2-4. — “And I saw as a glass sea, mingled with fire; and those that had gained the victory over the Beast, and over his image, and over the number of his name, standing upon the glass sea, having harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses, bondman of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and wonderful (are) Thy works, Lord God Almighty; righteous and true (are) Thy ways, O King of nations. Who shall not fear (Thee), O Lord, and glorify Thy Name? for (Thou) only (art) holy; for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy righteousnesses have been made manifest.” In the earlier vision (v. 1) we had a solemn intimation of what is coming on the organised political (Revelation 16:10) and religious (v. 19) systems then dominating the earth, as also on those connected with them. On these the wrath of God in resistless force spends itself, while the civil and ecclesiastical leaders are reserved for special punishment under the wrath of the Lamb inflicted at His Coming in power. The vision of judgment in verse 1 is resumed in verse 5. In the parenthesis between the visions of wrath we are introduced into an exceedingly grand scene of victory and song (vv. 2-4). The awfulness of the Vials (v. 1) is an occasion for God to bring into bold and striking relief His thoughts about His suffering people, and that before a blow is struck at the enemy. They are here witnessed in a parenthetic vision after the announcement of wrath, and before its execution. Historically the Beast triumphed (Revelation 13:7) over the saints in the great Tribulation. They were not preserved from his brutal power. Now, however, we see the position reversed. The saints who had been martyred are here the victors on high, and the Beast on earth a subject of the fullest vengeance of God. A SEA OF GLASS. Revelation 15:2 — “As a glass sea, mingled with fire,” like it in appearance. In the first of these heavenly visions (Revelation 4:1-11) the Seer beheld a sea of glass like crystal spread out before the throne of the Eternal, intimating a fixed state of purity in keeping with the holy character of the throne. The glassy sea like crystal (For the force of the imagery see remarks on Revelation 4:6.) signifies the solid calm of that scene of unsullied light. But in the vision before us the crystal is omitted. In beautiful accord with the divine character of the scene detailed in chapter 4 it would be morally out of place in our chapter. Here the sea is “ mingled with fire,” evidently referring to the fiery persecution under the Beast, a trial exceeding far in its combination of suffering anything hitherto experienced (Mark 13:19). The pagan persecutions of early times, and the still more exquisite and refined torments under papal Rome, come short of the horrors of the great Tribulation. The victory of the conquering band standing on the sea of glass is assured. The Beast concentrated his power and energies to overthrow the faith of the martyrs. Paradoxical as the statement may seem, yet it is true that in death they triumphed. In the victory of the Beast we behold the triumph of the saints. They “ gained the victory over the Beast, and over his image, and over the number of his name.” The victory was thorough and complete. Revelation 15:2 — “Standing upon the glass sea.” They stand in keeping with their new position as conquerors and worshippers; the elders sit, save when engaged in praise or other service. The glass sea in the early vision is unoccupied; here we witness the happy, victorious, and praising company standing upon it. HARPS. Revelation 15:2 — “Having harps (See remarks on Revelation 5:8.) of God.” The Authorized Version wrongly inserts the article before harps. There are two heavenly companies spoken of as having harps, the only musical instrument mentioned in the Apocalypse. First, the glorified saints who had been translated at the Coming into the air (Revelation 5:8); second, the martyrs under the Beast, a victorious company on the sea of glass (Revelation 14:2; Revelation 15:2). We gather that the harp singers of chapters 14 and 15 are the same company. It will be noted likewise that harp and song are conjoined in each of the three references. The words “of God” signify that they are provided by Him for His direct praise and worship — God’ s harps; inasmuch as the instruments, the musicians, and the themes are His. Each one of the rejoicing band is a skillful minstrel and each a joyous singer. Harp and song correspond; no jar, no discord to mar the harmony of the strains of the heavenly and triumphant host. Neither voice not heart can be out of tune when the leader of their song is Jesus, the Savior and Lord (Hebrews 2:12). There is a somewhat striking parallel between this triumphant company and Israel of old in the day of her deliverance and gladness. Egypt, the oppressor, smitten with plagues; Israel across the Red Sea, saved and emancipated, and singing on the eastern bank of the sea, the first song recorded in Scripture (Exodus 15:1-27); all this has its spiritual counterpart in the Beast, the enslaver of God’ s saints smitten in a series of plagues; the godly remnant beyond the malice of the Beast, saved and triumphant, and singing the song of Moses on the sea of glass, the last song recorded in Scripture (Revelation 15:1-8). THE SONG. Revelation 15:3. — “They sing the song of Moses, bondman of God, and the song of the Lamb.” The songs are united. The song of Moses celebrates Jehovah’ s mighty deliverance of His people, His acts of power, and His ways of grace with and for Israel from the beginning of their history till their final triumph. Grace and glory are celebrated in the magnificent song sung on the eastern bank of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-27) — pre-eminently the song of Moses. (The prophetic song of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:30; Deuteronomy 32:1-52), when a hundred and twenty years old, cannot be entitled to the appellation, “ The Song of Moses.” That the song of Exodus, and not the Deuteronomy one, is meant seems evident from the following considerations: The apocalyptic reference to the victors on the sea on which they stand; their conscious triumph over their enemy; the term “ plague” common to the Mosaic and apocalyptic judgments on Egypt and on the Beast, as also the character of the plagues alike in both. These and other considerations which might be adduced prove conclusively that “ The Song of Moses” is that of Exo 15:1-27, and not the subsequent one on the eve of his death.) But it was an earthly redemption, and won with power over the might of the enemy. The song of the Lamb intimates two main subjects: first, redemption from guilt and sin’ s consequences by the blood of God’ s Lamb; and, second, the exaltation of the Lamb to which this book bears ample testimony. The song of the martyred victors, the harp singers of Rev 14:2-3, the brethren of the spared Jewish remnant on mount Zion (Revelation 14:1), is not so elevated nor characterised by such depth as that sung by the elders (Revelation 5:1-14). The worship of the latter is more profound, yet both companies are partakers of the heavenly calling. (“ Their song is very peculiar. The song of Moses is triumph over the power of evil by God’ s judgments. The song of the Lamb is the exaltation of the rejected Messiah, of the suffering One, and like Whom they had suffered; for it is the slain remnant amidst unfaithful and apostate Israel whom we find here. The song celebrates God and the Lamb, but by victorious sufferers who belong to Heaven.” — “ Synopsis of the Books of the Bible,” in loco.)THE OF THE SONG. Revelation 15:3 — “Great and wonderful (are) Thy works, Lord God Almighty; righteous and true (are) Thy ways, O King of nations.” The opening words of the song, “ Great and wonderful,” occur also in Revelation 15:1. The connection, of course, is different, but one cannot overlook the recurrence of the phrase in a scene admittedly closing up the manifested wrath of God upon public evil. The sign of closing judgment is “ great and wonderful” (Revelation 15:1), so also are the works of God (Revelation 15:3). The time of the pouring out of the Bowls of wrath will be brief, but acts of stupendous and wonderful power will characterize it. It will be observed that the works are ascribed to JEHOVAH, the Self-Existing, Sovereign, Independent One; ELOHIM, the Creator, the God of gods; and SHADDAI, Almighty in power, Almighty in resources, Almighty to sustain. As Jehovah He was known to Israel (Exodus 6:2-3). As God He stands related to creation (Genesis 1:1-31). As the Almighty He revealed Himself to the patriarchs (Genesis 17:1). The order in which the divine names and titles are here employed differs from that of their revelation. God, Jehovah, (“ By My Name JEHOVAH was I not known to them,” i.e., Israel (Exodus 6:3), means that it was not known as a title of ordinary relationship. To Israel, of course, the name was familiar, but not known formally in special relation to them as a people.) and the Almighty is the historical order. But the true, real Israel is before God in the victorious company on the sea of glass, and thus the representatives of the nation use the appropriate divine title first. How true God is to His own Word and Name! Jehovah from the early days of Exo 6:1-30 still stands related to Israel. Jehovah and Israel! Ah, then the people can never perish; never cease to be remembered. What a tower of strength in the combination of these divine titles! How consoling in their application to believers in all ages! How awful to contemplate their exercise to the enemies of God and of His saints! But the ways of God also form part of the song. His tenderness, His grace, His love, His wisdom, and every gracious, moral feature manifested in His dealings with His saints pass before the victors in review. The holiness and pity of God to His saints form a tale that never can be fully told. The conspicuous acts of Jehovah were displayed before the eyes of Israel. These acts of power did not call for an intimate knowledge of Jehovah’ s character; they were self-evident to all. But the ways of God — those dealings flowing from what He is — could alone be discerned by the spiritual, hence we read, “ He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel” (Psalms 103:7). His ways here, however, are ways of judgment, and that judgment, however variously expressed, is “ righteous and true.” The ways of God in His dealings with His people are ever just and true, but equally so in the chastisement of His enemies; this latter is specially in view in the passage before us. Revelation 15:3 — “O King of nations.” In the text of the Authorized Version we have saints instead of nations; the latter, however, is inserted in the margin. Without doubt, the correct reading, on competent authority, should be nations, not saints. Christ is King of kings, King of the earth, King of Israel, King of the nations, but is never spoken of as “ Our King,” and never as the King of saints. Believers in the present dispensation have kingly rule and authority conferred upon them (1 Corinthians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 6:2-3; Revelation 1:6); its exercise is yet future. We shall reign with Christ (2 Timothy 2:12). The nations comprising the Roman earth are about to come under judgment, hence the appropriateness of the title “ King of nations” (see Jeremiah 10:7). We gather that in this song of praise both God and Christ are worshipped, the former in the greatness of His Being, but in relation to Israel, and the latter in His ways of judgment with the Gentiles or nations. Revelation 15:4. — Then the victors in their song throw out a universal interrogation. “Who shall not fear (Thee), O Lord, and glorify Thy Name?” The threefold repetition of the conjunction for supplies three reasons, each grounded upon the character of God, why all should comply with the interrogative claim to fear the Lord and glorify His Name. (1) “ For (Thou) only (art) holy.” The word here rendered “ holy” is not the word usually applied to God in speaking of His holy character. It is used here and in Revelation 16:5 of Him, otherwise it is applied to men as denoting the sum of moral qualities of a divine character. But in the two apocalyptic references it signifies that the sum of qualities in God alone entitles Him to the exclusive worship of the creature. The word “ holy” as employed here denotes therefore all in God entitling Him alone to worship. In the Septuagint we have the same word in “ the sure mercies of David” (Isaiah 55:3). How fitting the application of this word to the Lord at a time when the world wonders after and worships the Beast, a worship and homage to which God alone is entitled, as signified by this word “ holy.” (2) “ For all nations shall come and worship before Thee.” The prophecies of the book are generally cast in the present tense, but the one before us is an exception. The future is employed. As a result of these ways of judgment by the “ King of nations” the iron will of the peoples is broken, and they turn from human props and confidences to God, and worship in His presence. It will be the time and fulfilment of such Scriptures as Psalms 100:1-5; Psalms 148:1-14; Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah 56:6-7; Zechariah 14:16-17, etc. (3) “For Thy righteousnesses (The same word in Revelation 19:8. Only in our text it is applied to judgments on the wicked, whereas in the other Scripture it is employed to set forth the righteousness or righteous acts of the saints. In a footnote to Revelation 19:8 in “ The New Translation (Morrish, London) the learned translator says: “ In Hebrew the plural of acts expressing a quality is used for the abstract quality itself. This may be the case by analogy here (also in Revelation 15:4). So Psalms 11:7, where in Hebrew it is ‘ righteousness,’ but it is actual, not imputed.” ) have been made manifest.” The manifestation of God’ s righteous acts of judgment is indicated in the plural “ righteousnesses.” God declaring Himself in judgment is surely a powerful reason why His Name should be glorified. Commentary on Revelation 15:1-4 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 15:1. The preceding chapter describes the vision before John that came down to the day of judgment and to the final assignment of all mankind to their eternal destinations. The present chapter goes back some distance (as the book has done before), and will again take up the judgments of God that were poured out upon the apostate church for her worship of idols and her persecution of the faithful servants of God. Seven angels are seen as a symbol of the completeness of God's system for executing his wrath upon the wicked of the earth. Revelation 15:2. Clear glass and fire are symbols of opposite facts and yet are appropriately used. The verse tells of several persons who had won a victory of a spiritual nature over the forces of Rome. The fire symbolizes their conflicts in which they were victorious, and the clear glass signifies their calmness of mind after the victory. The beast, the image and the mark were all involved in the conflict. The faithful servants resisted the direct attacks of Rome, also avoided imitating her in their lives, and as a consequence had escaped receiving the mark of guilt. Over the number of his name. The man whose number is stated in the text is Nero Caesar. Getting the victory over the number of his name is an indirect way of saying their victory was over Nero. That is significant since he was the emperor who was chief among the heads of Rome that tried to force the Christians to sin. Revelation 15:3. The song of Moses and of the Lamb was especially appropriate. It is to be associated with the four and twenty elders who have been mentioned a number of times. Twelve of them represent the Mosaic system and twelve stand for that under Christ. The song John heard these happy persons singing was about the lawgivers of those great institutions. But while the subject matter of the song was concerning them as the lawgivers, they ascribed the credit to works of God because they are marvelous, and to Christ as a King who is true and just in his ways- Revelation 15:4. The occasion for this great rejoicing is the prospect of judgments that are soon to be inflicted upon the powers of Rome whose hold upon the people has just been broken by the effects of the Reformation. That is why they exclaim about the worthiness of the Lord to be glorified. All nations shall come and worship before thee. Their worship will consist in doing homage to God as the true object of praise, for the light of truth that the Bible shed, on them since it was given back to them. Through that channel of information they have been informed that God's judgments are just.Commentary on Revelation 15:1-4 by Burton CoffmanRev_15:1 This, the shortest chapter in Revelation, together with Revelation 16, for which it is merely the introduction, again takes us through the whole cycle of time to the eternal judgment (Revelation 16:17-21). Several times already the final judgment has been prophesied (Revelation 6:12-17; Revelation 11:15-19; Revelation 14:14-20). Many have pointed out the remarkable resemblances between the seals, trumpets, and bowls. All are judgments of God; the areas affected by them are similar, especially in the trumpets and bowls sequences. Thus, in the trumpet series: (1) the earth; (2) the sea; (3) the rivers; (4) the sun; (5) the abyss, or throne of the beast; (6) the Euphrates; and (7) the final judgment are exactly the same as the things mentioned in the bowl sequence, and in the same order. Hendriksen thoroughly developed these parallels.[1]There is also a progression. Whereas the trumpet judgments were restricted to "one third," the bowl judgments are not so limited. However, the woman, the dragon, and the two beasts of Revelation 12-14 are operative throughout exactly the same time period; namely, all the way to the end of time. Some scholars, such as Ladd, view those chapters (Revelation 12-14) as "an interlude between the trumpets and bowls";[2] but as Roberson observed: The seven bowls are usually classed with the seals and trumpets; and there obviously is a close affinity, particularly with the latter; but the connection with the woman and her enemies (Revelation 12-14) is even closer. They belong to the long struggle of the church in the world.[3]The conclusion required by all of this was stated by William Milligan: Nothing can more clearly prove that the Revelation of St. John was not written upon chronological principles than the scenes to which we are introduced in the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of the book.[4]"These chapters describe the entire period between the first and second coming of Christ."[5] In all of these extensive views, "John is telling us something of what will happen in the end-time and something of what goes on in human history."[6] "The statement that these are the last plagues shows that the set of visions now commencing carries us clown to the end of the age."[7] The thought is not that of focusing all of the revelation upon the very end-time, but a bird's-eye view of all time subsequent to the prophecy, including the very end. But the vision does not move immediately to the terrible judgments. "Once more there is a pause, as if the safety of God's people in the midst of all this sin and judgment could not be insisted on sufficiently."[8] The anticipatory, consolatory vision of the song of the redeemed is again heard (Revelation 15:2-4). Lenski pointed out another relation between the seals, trumpets, and bowls: "The seals reveal, the trumpets announce, and the bowls execute the long-restrained anger of the living God."[9] Earle's excellent outline of this short chapter is: I. The waiting angels (Revelation 15:1). II. The victorious saints (Revelation 15:2-4). III. The emerging angels (Revelation 15:5-8).[10][1] William Hendriksen, More than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956), p. 26. [2] George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972), p. 203. [3] Charles H. Roberson, Studies in Revelation (Tyler, Texas: P. D. Wilmeth, P.O. Box 3305,1957), p. 114. [4] As quoted by Albertus Pieters, Studies in the Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1954), p. 241. [5] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 191. [6] Leon Morris, Tyndale Commentaries, Vol. 20, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 187. [7] W. Boyd Carpenter, Ellicott's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 604. [8] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1085. [9] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis, Minn.: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 461. [10] Ralph Earle, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 584. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having seven plagues, which are the last, for in them is finished the wrath of God. (Revelation 15:1) And I saw another sign in heaven ... Beasley-Murray connected this mention of the seven angels with "the seven angels that stand before God (Revelation 8:2),"[11] concluding that this structural parallelism between the trumpets and bowls corresponds to a parallelism in content. Lenski, however, did not agree, translating this expression without the article (the), "I saw ... seven angels,"[12] as in our version (ASV). The point would not appear to be important. The perfect number "seven" could also symbolize an innumerable company of angels waiting and ready to do the will of God. Hardly anything here is to be understood literally. Plummer observed that: The last time this statement was made was in Revelation 12:1, where the history of the war between Satan and the church began ... Again, John returns to the beginning to trace the development of the punishments inflicted upon men for their worship of the devil.[13]Seven plagues, which are the last ... This does not mean that they refer exclusively to the end. "Whenever in history the wicked fail to repent in answer to partial manifestations of God's anger in judgments, the final effusion of wrath follows."[14][11] G. R. Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation (Greenwood, South Carolina: The Attic Press, 1974), p. 234. [12] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 453. [13] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 381. [14] William Hendriksen as quoted by Morris, op. cit., p. 187. Revelation 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that come off victorious from the beast, and from his image, and from the number of his name, standing by the sea of glass, having harps of God.As it were a sea of glass mingled with fire ... Rist and a number of others believe that there is an indirect reference here to the Red Sea,[15] through which God delivered the first Israel from the wrath of Pharaoh; and the typology certainly fits, but Beckwith declared such an interpretation as "purely fanciful."[16] Perhaps it is best to view it as "symbolizing the majesty and holiness of God,"[17] as in Revelation 4:6. The group here assembled is clearly the host of the redeemed from earth, as in a number of similar visions throughout the prophecy. As for the glass sea, Lenski was sure that, "It is the same as that in Revelation 4:6."[18]Having harps of God ... "These are symbolical of heavenly melodies."[19] "The harps are a symbol of their victory ... of praise and worship to God."[20] We prefer the view that sees the harps as symbols of the songs of the saints, especially of that song which this company was about to sing (Revelation 15:3). It is nothing short of phenomenal that a whole group of commentators go hog wild on this verse and find nothing at all in it except literal harps. Even Lenski identified them as "zithers of God on which to play the music of the glory song!"[21] Beasley-Murray saw "harps for the worship of God."[22] "They are holding the harps that God had given them."[23] Earle was certain that "these harpists sing as well as play."[24] Such literalisms are absolutely preposterous. As Pieters said: Literalism is here hopeless. How could one put the wrath of God in a bowl and pour it on the sun?[25]Actual harps in heaven? Who could believe such a thing? Is there also a department of cats to supply the cat gut strings? Ridiculous! Note that God "gave" these harps to the singers. What else could this be except the voices which were created by God? In the entire history of the world up to this time, that is the only musical instrument which God ever made; and we refuse to believe that he will enter into the manufacture of mechanical instruments of music in heaven. In Revelation 8:4, the "incense" is the prayers of the saints; here the "harps" are the songs of the redeemed, as the very next verse says. To literalize "harps" here, and then to declare that this constitutes divine approval of mechanical instruments in Christian worship, is just as unreasonable as it would be to declare the "incense" of Revelation 8:4 to be literal and as divine approval of the burning of sacred incense in Christian worship. We dare to affirm that not a single one of the exegetes who did this to the harps would dare to follow their own reasoning and apply it to the incense. How strange it is that the same scholars who have no trouble at all seeing the symbolical nature of these visions in the instance of the incense, lose all rationality when they come to the "harps." [15] Martin Rist, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XII (New York-Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1957), p. 478. [16] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 674. [17] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 235. [18] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 455. [19] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 383. [20] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 204. [21] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 456. [22] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 235. [23] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 197. [24] Ralph Earle, op. cit., p. 585. [25] Albertus Pieters, op. cit., p. 243. Revelation 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are thy ways, thou King of the ages.And they sing the song of Moses ... and ... the Lamb ... Morris said of this, "They sing (presumably to their own harp accompaniment)."[26] At least, Morris named such a conclusion what it is; namely, a presumption, a presumption which we do not allow for a moment as in any sense valid. The notion of literal harps is simply not in this passage. The text says "they sing." Of Moses and of the Lamb ... Perhaps no more is meant by this than the unity of the saints of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Moses was the grand Old Testament type of Christ. See extensive development of this in my Commentary on Hebrews, pp. 67-69. The song is that of redemption. Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty ... Significantly, this song, made up of a blended collection of Old Testament texts, deals not with the overcoming of the saints, but with the mighty works of God. "There is not a single word about their own achievement."[27] Self is at last forgotten; selfishness is finally destroyed. In heaven, the song of Moses and the Lamb is exclusively an anthem of loving praise to the Almighty. The Almighty ... "This title, which is ascribed to God nine times in Revelation, is found but once elsewhere in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 6:18)."[28]Thou King of the ages ... The KJV has "King of the saints," and the ASV margin has "King of the nations." The passage is true, however it may be rendered. [26] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 188. [27] William Barclay, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 120. [28] Robert H. Mounce, Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), p. 288. Revelation 15:4 Who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all the nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy righteous acts have been made manifest.Who shall not fear the Lord ...? This is a rhetorical question meaning that all people shall indeed fear and honor God. All nations shall come and worship thee ... Rist criticized this passage as being, "out of harmony with the belief expressed throughout Revelation that the nations shall stubbornly refuse to repent."[29] Such a criticism does not properly construe the meaning. It is everywhere taught in the prophecy that "an innumerable company" will be saved (Revelation 7:9) from "every tribe and tongue and nation and people." It is that company who are meant here. They are the true nations who shall come and worship before the Lord. When God is through with this world, all that remains of it will glorify God. "The Apocalyptist thus declares the absolutely universal recognition of God in the End."[30] "The teaching of the Scriptures is that in the end the whole universe will acknowledge the righteousness of all God's acts and verdicts."[31][29] Martin Rist, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XII (New York-Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1957), p. 479. [30] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 675. [31] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 459.Commentary on Revelation 15:1-4 by Manly Luscombe1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. John sees seven angels. These angels have the seven “ last plagues.” We are told three important things hereè 1. These are the “ last” plagues. 2. They are from the wrath of God. 3. They represent the “ complete” wrath of God. Again we have seven angels and seven plagues. Since “ seven” is the number of divine completeness, the image is presented here to show this is the total, complete, and final wrath of God. 2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. In the middle of all this “ wrath” and “ plagues” is the calmness of God. There is no mass confusion or hysteria. God is not flying off in a “ fit of rage.” The wrath of God comes from a calm determination to meet out punishment to the wicked on earth. On this sea, calm as glass, is fire. The fire of God’ s wrath. The fire of retribution. The fire of eternal punishment. Around this calm sea are all who remained faithful. They did not receive the mark of the beast. They did not succumb to the temptation to worship the beast. They have suffered great tribulation and persecution. They overcame death. They overcame temptation. They are now in the calmness of God’ s presence. They offer to God worship and praise. 3 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “ Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Christians are singing people. The apostles sang a hymn after the institution of the Lord’ s Supper. (Matthew 26:30) James asks if we are happy. If we are happy, we sing. These faithful saints who have overcome are rejoicing. They sing the song of the Lamb. The words to this song are words of praise. God is great, marvelous, powerful, and Almighty. God is true to His word. God promised a reward for the faithful. They are now rejoicing that their faith in these words is not misplaced. Have you sung this song lately? Have you taken time to just praise and magnify the Lord God for his majesty and power? 4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.” The song continues here. The second verse points out that the enemies of God will also fear Him. Who will fear God? Answer: All will, at some point, honor, recognize and fear God. For the world of unbelievers, this fear of God will be too little and too late. But, they will confess that Jesus is Lord. (Philippians 2:9-11). God is a Holy God. Only God is only holy. We have not done enough study on the holiness of our God. We must learn to appreciate His holy nature. All people will confess and worship God. It will be too late, but they will acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. This song also praises God for his judgments. Some Christians have questioned if a loving God would send anyone to punishment in an eternal hell. The answer is at least three-fold. God will not cause them to be lost. They are lost because of the choices they made. Just as in our judicial system, a judge is not the one who sends someone to prison. They are sent to prison because of their decision to violate the law. God will announce the sentence. The “ cause” is their decision to sin. God will pour out wrath on the disobedient. 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 is clear that God will punish those who do not believe in God and those who do not obey the gospel. They will suffer eternal punishment. (Matthew 25:46). All faithful Christians will agree with God’ s judgment. Some seem to question the judgment of God. I believe this verse, and some others in Revelation, show that when judgment comes, we will agree that God had to judge the wicked or He would not be a Holy and Just God. The holiness of God requires that sin be separated from Him. He cannot allow wicked, evil and sinful men to be in His presence. God cannot be Just and allow the evil beast to be rewarded just like those the beast killed and persecuted. Even we humans have a sense of justice. Revelation 15:5-8 2. THE SEVEN ANGELS Rev_15:5 to Revelation 16:1 5 And afterthese things I saw, and the temple of the taber-nacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:--"After these things" means after the things mentioned in the vision de-scribed in verses 1-4. The tabernacle was erected in the wil-derness and the temple was a permanent building on the same plan builded in Jerusalem. Both buildings were divided into two apartments--holy and most holy--the latter being typical of heaven. (Hebrews 9:1-7; Hebrews 9:24.) The two names referred either to the whole building or to either apartment of it. The word tabernacle here probably means the entire building and the word temple means the most holy part. This represented the actual dwelling place of God. It was the place where God's law was kept and was filled with God's presence; hence, it was a testimony to God's presence. John saw within this place the vision. 6 and there came out from the temple the seven angels that had the seven plagues, arrayed with precious stone, pure and bright, and girt about their breasts with golden girdles.--Seeing these angels come out of the open temple indicated that they came from God's presence and shows that their mission to bring punishment upon the beast and his dupes was with divine approval. Seven is acknowledged as the number of per-fection. Seven angels with authority to pour out seven plagues means that the punishment would be thorough and complete --God's wrath on the beast being finished with the last one. Whether the text should read "stone pure and, bright" or "pure and white linen" (as in the King James) is a matter for textual critics. Evidently both expressions are found in some manuscripts. One would mean that their garments were adorned with precious stones; the other that they were clothed with pure white linen indicative of the purity of their mis-sion. Precious stones would show the value of their work. There is no material difference which one is the true reading --both express a truth. Their golden girdle was like that worn by Christ in the vision of 1:13. They were appropriately arrayed. 7 And one of the four living creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.--The four living creatures were introduced in vision in 4:6, 7. See the notes on those verses for an explanation. It is evident that they are some kind of heavenly beings in attendance upon God, and therefore suitable beings to deliver the plagues to the angels. Which one of the four acted in this event is not stated. The bowls were full of the wrath of God. Doubtless that expression was used in refer-ence to the custom of drinking poison out of a bowl, and was intended here to indicate the punishments that would be poured out upon the papal beast. The figure of "pouring out" God's wrath is common to the Old Testament. See Psalms 79:6; Jeremiah 10:25 Zephaniah 3:8. The thought here seems to be: each angel received out of the sum of God's indignation against the beast power a measure of wrath into the bowl given him and poured it out at the proper time and at the proper place. In words without a figure, it means that punishments would fall upon the papal power. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; --This language indicates that the smoke came from the glorious power of God, and is, therefore, an appropriate symbol of divine power. Mount Sinai, when Jehovah descended upon it, was covered with smoke. (Exodus 19:18.) When the tabernacle was put up the cloud filled it (Exodus 40:34); the same was true when the temple was built later (1 Kings 8:10). When Isaiah received his com-mission, he saw in a vision God sitting upon his throne and the house filled with smoke. (Isaiah 6:4.) Smoke here then represents the glorious power of God which was a guarantee that the plagues would be certain to fall as indicated in the symbol. and none was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels should be finished.--The general application of these verses is to the plagues promised to the beast. Interpretations of special expressions must harmonize with the general idea. In the literal temple the most holy apartment represented God's dwelling place; hence, it was there that the high priest made the atonement in behalf of the people. No one being allowed to enter the symbolic temple till all the plagues had been finished indicates that nothing could prevent the falling of the plagues just as promised. The beast power had reached the point in wickedness when noth-ing but punishments would meet the demands of divine justice. The door would be closed against those who would petition in behalf of such a corrupt institution; its ultimate end must be destruction. The Lord's ears are open to the supplication of the righteous, but against those that do evil. (1 Peter 3:12.) This symbol presents the "man of sin" as doomed to destruction with no power to prevent, for there would be no means that would produce repentance and refor-mation. Since God is always ready to hear the righteous, we know the foregoing application of this text must be the right one.Revelation 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go ye, and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth.--These words are a statement of the commission to the angels. They were spoken in the temple, indicating that the authority to execute their commis-sion is from God. The word "earth" here is to be taken liter-ally, for the angels who were to pour out the plagues were in heaven, and those upon whom they were to fall were dwelling on the earth. The part of the earth in each case corresponds with those affected. This verse is but a general statement of authority being conferred upon the angels; the remainder of this chapter is a detailed description of how that authority was carried out. Commentary on Revelation 15:5-8 by Foy E. Wallace(3) The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony—Revelation 15:5-8. 1. And after that I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony was open—Revelation 15:5. The phrase “ after these things” referred to the things that occurred after the vision of the exultant song of triumph. The first part of this chapter served to announce the scene which was continued and completed in chapter sixteen. It was after. these preliminary visions of the seven angels that the procession forming the final events began. The reference to the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was in comparison with the measuring of the temple in chapter eleven. The picture here portrayed was that of the temple transferred from Jerusalem to heaven and transformed from temporal to spiritual. The vision is based on all that the temple on mount Zion meant to the nation of Israel. “ Who are the Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever” (Romans 9:4-5). Thus the tabernacle stood for the most precious things in old covenant history. It was appropriate for the seven angels with the vials of plagues to be poured out on the harlot Jerusalem, ready for destruction, to come from the transformed temple in heaven. 2. And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles—Revelation 15:6. The attire of the seven angels for the execution of the plagues of judgment was described, as “ clothed in pure and white linen” and as having “ golden girdles.” This linen was not ordinary cloth, but was represented in another figure as “ arrayed with precious stone, pure and bright” --they were garments with the composition of solid precious jewels. The golden girdle was like that of the son of man in chapter one. It is the symbolism of the glory and power of the Lord himself, and it signified the unlimited exercise of power to execute the will of the Lamb and the judgments of God.3. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever—Revelation 15:7. The use of the article the before the four beasts indicated their identity with the creatures mentioned in chapter five. They should not be confused with the sea and land beasts, as applied to the persecutors. The word here has been properly translated creatures, or beings, as in chapter five, which called the signals for the horses and the riders in the visions of persecution. (See comments in chapter 5) The vision of this chapter was the last scene in which the four beings appeared and it was an appropriate representation that these heavenly beings should act as the intermediaries between God and the seven angels of the vials in the role of this scene of plagues. They were special ministers of the Lamb to order the procession of events in imagery of the vials and the plagues. 4. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled—Revelation 15:8. The vision of the cloud-filled temple filled with the smoke from the glory of God, and from his power was the symbol of the invisible presence of God. As recorded in Exodus 40:34-35 none could enter the tabernacle during the manifestations of God’ s presence. So in this vision no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled--that is, until the order of events resulting in the destruction of the old Jerusalem and the old temple had been accomplished, after which the new Jerusalem, and the new temple would be open to all true worshipers; when the tabernacle of God with men would be accessible to all nations of men. But until this succession of events occurred the entrance of the temple was barred, and none could appear in intercession before God to avert the doom of destruction pronounced on Jerusalem, that once “ faithful city turned harlot,” and the fallen Babylon of apostasy.Commentary on Revelation 15:5-8 by Walter ScottTHE OF GOD’ S WRATH FOR . Revelation 15:5-8. — “And after these things I saw, and the temple of the tabernacle of witness in the Heaven was opened. And the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in pure bright linen, and girded about the breasts with golden girdles. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls, full of the fury of God, Who lives to the ages of ages. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one could enter into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.” The opening words of this vision constitute a technical expression signifying a complete break, introductory of an entirely new subject (see Revelation 4:1, R.V.). Thus the Vial plagues are altogether unique, and form a body of special judgments by themselves. There are two important respects in which they differ from the Seal and Trumpet chastisements: the throne in “ the Heaven” is the source and authority of these latter, while the temple is the scene from whence the Vials of wrath are poured out. The fact that the temple takes the place of the throne changes the situation entirely, and introduces a severer course of dealing, one flowing from what God is in His righteous and holy character. Hence the second marked difference of the Vials from preceding judgments is that in them the wrath of God against the organized systems of evil is finished up or completed. “ After these things” is a technical formula several times found in the Apocalypse. Revelation 15:5 — “The temple of the tabernacle of witness in the Heaven was opened.” We have already remarked upon the interesting fact that in all this part of the Apocalypse, from Revelation 11:19 to chapter 19, the temple, not the throne, as in the earlier part of the book, is the source from whence action on earth proceeds. Both here and in Revelation 11:19 (In the early part of the chapter (11) the temple in Jerusalem is referred to (Revelation 11:1). “ The temple of God in the Heaven” must not be understood as a literal one. The point is what it symbolically represents.) the temple is opened in “ the Heaven,” the residence of God and of angels. But in the earlier reference the ark of the covenant is seen, the token of God’ s presence with and interest in His people, as also the pledge and witness of His purpose and grace. Here it is the tabernacle of witness, or testimony. This was a testimony really to the rights of God then openly denied. The former, i.e., “ the covenant,” was the sign of security to Israel. The latter, i.e., “ the witness,” of judgment according to the nature of God on the enemies of God and of His people. The “temple (or house) of the tabernacle of witness” is a singular expression, and alone occurs here. We understand by the term naos, meaning the structure or building itself, to the exclusion of court, etc., God’ s dwelling place, where He is approached and worshipped. Now inside the golden furniture and tables of stone constituted the witness, or testimony, but as they were found within the temple, or house, this could be spoken of in a higher and fuller way than “ the tent of the testimony” merely (Acts 7:44). It was “ the temple of the tabernacle of witness.”What a strange sight meets the gaze of the Seer! Not the priests ministering in the holy place, or the high priest in the holiest of all, but “ the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple,” not priests the ministers of grace, but angels the ministers of judgment. They are commissioned and equipped for their service by God Himself, and come out from His immediate presence fully empowered to maintain the rights and vindicate the character of the God of Israel in judgment. The temple of old was a witness of grace, here it is opened for judgment. The wickedness of man deserved it, and the holiness of God demands it. The righteous character of their mission is signified by the pure and bright linen in which they are clothed (compare Revelation 19:8), while the golden girdles round their breasts set forth that divine righteousness and faithfulness characterize their action (see Isaiah 11:5; Revelation 1:13). Why girded at the breasts, and not, as usual, at the loins? Because the wrath about to be poured out is measured by the Holy nature of God. Revelation 15:7. — “And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden (Gold, brass, and linen, viewed as symbols, each sets forth the truth of righteousness. Gold is intrinsic, divine righteousness (Revelation 1:12-13; Revelation 3:18; Revelation 21:18-21). Brass is righteous judgment, or, as another has expressed it, “ Righteousness in dealing with man in his responsibility” (Revelation 1:15; Revelation 2:18). Linen, righteous acts or deeds; human righteousness (Revelation 15:6; Revelation 19:8).) bowls ("The word means bowls or cups, and is taken from the vessels used for pouring out drink-offerings, etc., before the Lord." — "Lectures on the Book of Revelation," by William Kelly.) full of the fury of God, Who lives to the ages of ages.” The living creatures are the executors of the judicial government of God. There are three distinct steps in this work of judgment. First, the angels are commissioned and equipped in the sanctuary (Revelation 15:6). Second, they then receive golden Bowls full of God’ s fury from one of the living creatures (Revelation 15:7). Third, not a step in the act of judgment can be taken till God authoritatively gives the command (Revelation 16:1). How calm and measured are the ways of God in judgment! The Ever-Living, Eternal God is the God of judgment. Who is He Who is about to plague the earth and visit it with His utmost fury? He “Who lives to the ages of ages.”The temple was darkened with smoke from the glory of God — not incense but smoke filled the temple. Nothing could be seen and none could enter. God’ s glory was moved to intense action. Intercession was of no avail. Neither incense nor blood could arrest the coming storm of divine judgment. The temple was given over, not to worship or intercession, but to the fiercely burning wrath of God. The smoke here is not that of incense, but of fire, the symbol of divine consuming judgment (Isaiah 6:4; Exodus 19:18). The house filled with smoke (In the dedication of the tabernacle Moses could not enter into the tent of testimony (Exodus 40:34-35), and when the temple and its services were inaugurated (1 Kings 8:10-11) the priests could not enter. In both the glory of the Lord filled the house. Here, however, it is not the glory but the smoke of it, that is, the glory of God in judgment.) intimated that none then need seek Him in grace. He could not be seen or found by any in the temple. Judicial action was then in question, and till the seven angels had completed their allotted work of judgment God was for the time being hidden in the thick darkness of His own glory and power in righteous vengeance on the corrupt mass on earth. Commentary on Revelation 15:5-8 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 15:5. This verse has the same significance as Revelation 11:19. Revelation 15:6. Much of what is said and is to happen in many of the chapters to come has been considered before. It will pertain to God's judgments against the corruptions of Rome and for her mistreatment of the faithful servants of Christ. Seven angels were clothed in white linen which means purity and the golden girdles signify the splendor of the place. Revelation 15:7. It is important to keep constantly in mind that we are studying in a book of symbols or signs. Many of the things John saw in the vision have reference to the severe denunciations that were made in the days of the Reformation. Those statements were sounded into the ears of kings and other leaders of the apostate church. A vial is used in the symbolic picture because it is a vessel out of which something can be poured, and the judgments of God are said to be poured out. That would indicate a large and continuous stream of His judgments. One of the beasts (living creatures) gave the vials to the angels; that was appropriate. The beasts were the saved in the Lord who had been the victimsof the rage of the beast of Rome. They had won a victory through faith, and it was fitting that they should have the honor of handing the vials to the angels. Revelation 15:8. Temple was filled with smoke. This was not the smoke of incense as is sometimes mentioned, for that occurs only when righteous servants are performing worship, and that is not what is going on now. It is the smoke of God's wrath against the corruptions of the beast. Those guilty of the corruptions are under judgment and God is about to execute wrath upon them. It is too late for them to expect mercy from God, hence no one will be permitted to enter the temple to plead for it.Sermon on Revelation 15-16 Pouring Out of God's Wrath Brent Kercheville In chapter 14 we read about the coming doom for the Roman Empire. Three angels have predicted its judgment: “ The hour of judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7), “ Fallen, fallen in Babylon” (Revelation 14:8), and “ Drink the wine of God’ s wrath poured full strength” (Revelation 14:10). The sickles were swung over the earth, reaping the righteous and wicked. The wicked are described as being thrown “ into the great winepress of the wrath of God” (Revelation 14:19). The other image to keep in mind from chapter 14 as we approach the fifteenth chapter is the warning of death for the Christians. The people of God are told to endure, calling for them to continue to keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus (Revelation 14:12). But the gloomy doom is predicted: “ Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” Chapter 15 of Revelation describes the preparations being made for the fulfillment of these prophecies of the coming doom against the Roman Empire. Back Into Heaven (Revelation 15:1-2) The first two verses of chapter 15 turn attention to the throne room of heaven. In the new sign that appears, John sees a sign that is great and amazing. He sees seven angels with seven plagues. There are two important things we are told about these seven angels and the seven plagues they carry. First, these are the last of the judgments. Once these judgments are completed then the earth will be at rest. We are not going to have any more “ sevens” in judgment. The seven bowls of wrath will be the last of the judgments. The second important thing to observe is why these are the last of the judgments. God’ s wrath is finished with these seven bowls. Standing beside the sea of glass mixed with fire are those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. Conquering does not come by warring militarily with the beast but by remaining faithful and pure to the Lamb. These are the 144,000 of chapter 14 singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. Just like the new song, the song of Moses was a song of victory. Such are the words of their song. The Song of Moses and the Lamb (Revelation 15:3-8) The song the conquerors sing praises God for his great and amazing deeds. His ways are just and all must fear him and glorify him. Chapter 14 has revealed God’ s righteous acts as God is about to judge the beast for its sinfulness and killing of the people of God. Just as Israel praised God by the sea after he delivered them from Pharaoh, so the conquerors praise God for defeating the beast. This is another use of prophetic certainty. The beast is defeated even though it had not happened yet. The door to the temple is opened again. I think the TNIV has a good rendering of this image. “ After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple— that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law— and it was opened.” (Revelation 15:5 TNIV; NIV 2010) We then see the seven angels each receiving a golden bowl full of the wrath of God. Bowls of wrath is an image used by Isaiah to describe God’ s wrath coming to punish sinners. Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering. (Isaiah 51:17 ESV) Thus says your Lord, the LORD, your God who pleads the cause of his people: “ Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering; the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more; (Isaiah 51:22 ESV) Revelation 15:8 reminds us that these judgments are coming from God. The sanctuary is filled with smoke because God is about to act (Exodus 40:34-35; 2Ch_513). The Bowls Poured Out (Revelation 16:1-16) A loud voice commands the seven angels to pour out their bowls of wrath on the earth. As we read the bowls of wrath consider the similarities to the plagues poured out on Egypt in the days of Moses. The first bowl brings harmful and painful sores on those who have the mark of the beast and worship its image. The lack of description about this plague tells us that we are not to find literal details or meanings in these symbols. This chapter is simply revealing the pain and suffering that God is unleashing on those who are worshiping the beast rather than the Lamb. The sores parallel the painful boils of the Egyptian plagues. The second bowl turns the sea to blood killing everything living thing in the sea. This judgment reminds us of the Nile turning the blood in the Egyptian plagues. The third bowl turns the rivers and springs of water into blood. The second and third bowls probably picture the economic devastation that God’ s wrath will incur. One of the reasons for these judgments is given in Revelation 16:5-7. They are killing God’ s servants and this wrath is deserved. The fourth bowl pours out pain on the worshipers of the beast. Rather than repenting, the people curse God. They did not repent or give God glory. Thus, the judgments continue. The fifth bowl pours out judgment on the throne of the beast. It is “ lights out” for the Roman Empire. The kingdom is plunged into darkness. Its day in the sun is over. Rather than repenting, the people curse God all the more and did not repent. The sixth bowl is the first bowl that gives us any details. The brevity of the first five bowls is astonishing. The sixth bowl gives us more information about the judgments to come. The sixth bowl dries up the Euphrates River. This is an imagery of a coming war and being overthrown by a rival nation. The drying up of the Euphrates River is how Cyrus conquered Babylon (Isaiah 11:15; Isaiah 44:27-28; Isaiah 50:2; Isaiah 51:10). The kings coming from the east also has a couple prophetic references in Isaiah (Isaiah 41:2; Isaiah 46:11). The sixth bowl envisions a nation coming from the east to battle. Revelation 16:13 shows the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet will do everything for survival. The unclean spirits remind us of the deceptive nature of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. The unclean spirits also remind us of their immorality through their paganism, idol worship, and Caesar worship. These three are full of uncleanness. The imagery of demons (unclean spirits) is used in the New Testament to speak of idolatrous worship. No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. (1 Corinthians 10:20-21 ESV) Finally, we see in the sixth bowl the assembling of the kings of the earth at the place called Armageddon. This is the only place in scriptures where the word of Armageddon occurs. Many false teachings have been made about the event of Armageddon. However, all that is revealed is that this is the place they will gather. The text does not say that there will be a battle there. So what does Armageddon mean? It literally means “ mount of Megiddo.” Now there is not a mount of Megiddo but we do read in the scriptures about a valley of Megiddo and cities of Megiddo. When we go through the Old Testament we see that several decisive battles occurred at Megiddo. Most interesting to me is the reference to the kings who went into battle and died. In 2 Kings 9:27 we see that Ahaziah, king of Judah was slain. In 2 Kings 23:29 and 2 Chronicles 35:22 King Josiah is slain in battle. Judges 5:19 speaks of kings fighting by the waters of Megiddo but failing to take the spoil. When we put all of these images together, we see that the work of Satan through the Roman empire and its religions will dry up and fail. They may assemble for battle but it is a decisive loss for Satan and the Roman empire. Gathering in Armageddon is a symbol of their destruction and judgment. We must remember that these bowls are images of God’ s judgment, not information about the victory of Satan or the beast. Revelation 16:15 therefore gives a call to preparation for the people of God. God’ s judgment will come like a thief. Be prepared. Stay awake. Do not be caught by surprise. The Seventh Bowl (Revelation 16:17-21) The seven angel pours his bowl and makes the important declaration: “ It is done!” The end has come for this world power. God’ s cataclysmic wrath has come. A great earthquake describes is desolation since that is the way many cities were destroyed in ancient times, sometimes never to be rebuilt or inhabited again. The great city falls and the cities of the nations also fall. God fulfills his promise, making the nation drink the cup of God’ s wrath full strength. The empire has fallen. The devastation was great and the people curse God from the plagues. Chapters 17-18 are going to explain the details of this judgment that were summarized in chapter 16. The next two chapters are not new images of judgment but a fuller explanation of how this judgment will come and what its impact willbe when the devastation comes. Life Lessons 1. God’ s judgments come like a thief. Notice Revelation 16:15 again. “ Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” No nation thought they would ever fall. No world power thought that they would be taken over by another. Yet history shows that nation after nation has risen and fallen. We must always be prepared to remain true to Jesus even if it becomes the time for our nation to receive judgment for its sins. Sometimes we think that we know if God would judge the United States of America. But God’ s judgments come unexpectedly. 2. God’ s final judgment will come like a thief. We must be prepared to remain faithful in the face of any national calamity. We must also be ready and prepared for the return of our Lord. Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “ There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 ESV) Commentary on Revelation 15:5-8 by Burton CoffmanRev_15:5 And after these things I saw, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony ... "John is here seeing this picture, not in terms of the Jewish temple, but in terms of the ancient tabernacle."[32] In this, he joins so much of the rest of the New Testament in absolutely ignoring and bypassing the Jewish temple. "This phrase, tabernacle of the testimony is found in only one other place in the New Testament (Acts 7:44),"[33] where it occurs in the address of Stephen. One of the most significant things in the New Testament is this absolute bypassing of the Jewish temple by New Testament writers. The author of Hebrews is another conspicuous example. We have commented upon this extensively in this series: Commentary on Acts, pp. 142ff, Commentary on Mark, pp. 272ff, Commentary on 1Corinthians, pp. 50ff, and Commentary on 1Peter, pp. 192ff. It was the ancient tabernacle, not the Jewish temple, that was made like the pattern God showed to Moses. [32] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 121. [33] Martin Rist, op. cit., p. 479. Revelation 15:6and there came out from the temple the seven angels that had the seven plagues, arrayed with precious stone, pure and bright, and girt about their breasts with golden girdles.And there came out ... the seven angels ... All was in readiness for the judgment to be executed. The appearance of these angels seems to be significant, as indicated by the golden girdles resembling the apparel of Christ himself (Revelation 1:13), apparently conveying that they were wearing the livery of their Master and therefore engaged in his business, just as a jockey wears the colors of the owner in a horse race. The judgment belongs to Christ. Arrayed with precious stone ... This is an additional description of the apparel of the angels. It is translated, "clothed in pure and white linen" in the KJV, which is undoubtedly correct. The way this change came about is interesting: The word for linen is found in the Vatican and Sinaiticus manuscripts, and a very similar word meaning precious stone occurs in the Alexandrinus and the Codex Ephraemi manuscripts.[34] But the scholars of the ASV preferred precious stone, on the basis of the critical "law" that "the more difficult reading is likely to be the original."[35] But after ASV was published, the Chester Beatty Papyrus was found to support the KJV rendition.[36] On account of this, the RSV went back to the KJV translation. It would be difficult indeed to find a better example of just how arbitrary and undependable the so-called "Lectio Difficilior" actually is. It has been invoked to justify a whole family of unjustifiable renditions. See "Excursus on New Testament Criticism" in my Commentary on James , 1,2 Peter 1, 2, 3John and Jude, pp. 282-290. [34] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 383. [35] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1969), p. 656. [36] Martin Rist, op. cit., p. 480. Revelation 15:7 And one of the four living creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.Are these literal bowls? Not any more than the harps were literal harps, which means they were not in any sense literal. See under Revelation 15:2 for Pieters' comment on the absurdity of taking any of this literally. Bowls ... This is a very interesting word. "It meant (1) a shallow vessel used for drinking purposes,"[37] as in the case of Old King Cole who called for his pipe and his bowl; (2) a broad shallow vessel used for libations as in Revelation 5:8; and (3) it signified a funerary urn for the ashes of the dead."[38] "This word is found only in Revelation 5:8; Revelation 15:7; Revelation 16:1-17; Revelation 17:1; Revelation 21:9."[39]Full of the wrath of God ... The bowls were not literal receptacles of any kind, as nothing literal could be a suitable container of the wrath of God. They rank with the incense, the harps, the horses, the trumpets, etc., as part of the imagery of the vision. The fact of their being "golden" speaks of the extreme value in God's purpose of judgment. "The wrath of God is simply the operation of God's righteous law against sin ... That law is adverse to evil, and will eventually root evil out."[40] The dramatic scenes of Revelation 16 are designed to symbolize just that. The execution of God's wrath in the outpouring from the hands of these angels is directed against all evil. Many scholars make what appears to be a very limited application of these divine judgments. Beeson limited them to the wrath of God in the destruction of Jerusalem;[41] McDowell applied them to the great conflict between the Christ and the Caesars;"[42] Wilcock said they were directed against Babylon as a composite of both the sea-beast and the land-beast;[43] Roberts wrote, "These are the last plagues upon the pagan city of Rome";[44] Hinds saw them as "a series of events that will ultimately end the papal hierarchy and accomplish the destruction of the man of sin."[45] There was a measure of God's wrath fulfilled in all such things; but we refrain from identifying these judgments exclusively with any particular time-frame, as did Beasley-Murray, for example, who understood them as "messianic judgments of the last time."[46]The overriding meaning of these bowls is that when people of any time, place, or circumstance have repeatedly flouted initial and repeated heavenly warnings (by judgments), there comes the time of total overthrow and destruction. This is nothing new. It has always been God's way, Pharaoh of the Old Testament being a classical example; and the Christian dispensation will provide other examples of the same phenomenon; indeed it has already done so. [37] Ibid. [38] Ibid. [39] Ralph Earle, op. cit., p. 586. [40] Boyd W. Carpenter, op. cit., p. 606. [41] Ulrich R. Beeson, The Revelation (Little Rock: Ulrich R. Beeson, 1956), pp. 120,121. [42] Edward A. McDowell, The Meaning and Message of the Book of Revelation (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1951), p. 152. [43] Michael Wilcock, I Saw Heaven Opened (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1975), p. 141. [44] J. W. Roberts, The Revelation of John (Austin, Texas: The R. B. Sweet Company, 1974), p. 123. [45] John T. Hinds, A Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), p. 223. [46] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 231. Revelation 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and none was able to enter into the temple, until the seven plagues of the seven angels should be finished.And the temple was filled with smoke ... "The main point of this is the inevitability of the plagues. When God's good time has come, nothing can stop final judgment."[47] This symbolizes the judicial hardening of the incorrigibly wicked. It will be recalled from Isaiah 6:4 ff that the "smoke" from God's presence meant the prophecy of the hardening of Israel. So here, the smoke means that, in this situation, God's work of grace is finished. "None was able to enter into the temple." "The sanctuary is inaccessible ... the time for intercession is past."[48]Rather than limit this to the end time, when this very condition of the human race will probably have occurred, why should it not also include the irrevocably wicked of any and all generations? It is a dreadful thing to contemplate, no matter how it may be interpreted. How dreadful must be that day, when for any man, or any nation, there comes the time when God's face is turned away, when his holy presence is obscured by smoke, and when prayer may receive no answer except the petitioner's agony. The bowls of the wrath of God were indeed once poured out upon rebellious Jerusalem, not because she rebelled against Rome, but because she had previously rebelled against God in the rejection of Christ. They were again poured out upon pagan Rome. When the vast wicked empire had finished with tormenting and persecuting the saints, and when the time came for God to humiliate her under the heel of the invader, the city fell in 476 A.D. From this it may be concluded that there is no world situation of entrenched wickedness anywhere on earth that has ever been safe, or ever will be safe, from the type of judgments signified by these bowls. [47] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 191. [48] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 656. Commentary on Revelation 15:5-8 by Manly Luscombe5 After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. Now the temple is opened. This temple is in heaven. This is not the temple of the Jewish system. Of course the tabernacle, and later the temple, represents the very presence of God. The Mercy Seat above the Ark of the Covenant was in the Most Holy Place. (Exodus 25:8; 2 Chronicles 7:12) 6 And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands. Out of the temple, from the very seat of God, come seven angles with seven plagues. They are in pure bright (white) linen. White linen is the righteousness of the saints. (19:8) They have golden bands around their bodies. There is some symbolism with the “ Christian armor” and the “ girdle of truth.” (Ephesians 6:14) 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. According to Revelation 11:6, the two witnesses (Christians) have the power to harm the earth with plagues. Christians have two sources of power to inflict plaguesè 1. Word of God. The Word of God is powerful. (Hebrews 4:12) It is described as a two-edged sword. (Ephesians 6:17) We can smite the earth by the power and authority of the Word of God. 2. Prayer. Christians have at their disposal the power of prayer. (Ephesians 6:18) Prayer can bring rain and stop rain. Prayer can change people, situations and circumstances. Christians have the ability to appeal to the throne of God directly. God can, in harmony with His eternal will and purpose, answer the plea and petition of Christians. The golden vials contain the wrath of our Eternal God. The four living creatures are the same ones introduced in chapter 4. They are around the throne, close to God and serving God. 8 The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed. Here is a dramatic climax to this chapter and the drum roll to begin the final plagues from the wrath of God. There is smoke. This is not the smoke of tormenting fire. This smoke is said to be from the glory of God and from His power. The temple is open. It is not ready to allow us to enter, yet. It is open to allow out the angels with the wrath of God. When the wrath is complete, we will be allowed inside. LESSON 20.THE SEVEN BOWLS OF WRATHRead Revelation 15, 16 1. What great and marvelous sign was seen in heaven? Ans. Revelation 15:1.2. Who was seen standing by the sea of glass? Ans. Revelation 15:2.3. What song did they sing? Ans. Revelation 15:3-4.4. What was opened in heaven? Ans. Revelation 15:5.5. Who came out from the temple? Ans. Revelation 15:6.6. What did one of the four living creatures give to the seven angels? Ans. Revelation 15:7.7. With what was the temple filled? Ans. Revelation 15:8.8. What were the seven angels told to do? Ans. Revelation 16:1.9. Tell what happened when the first bowl was poured out. Ans. Revelation 16:2.10. How was the sea affected by the pouring out of the second vial? Ans. Revelation 16:3.11. Into what was the third bowl poured? Ans. Revelation 16:4.12. What did the "angel of the waters" say? Ans. Revelation 16:5-6.13. What statement came from the altar? Ans. Revelation 16:7.14. Tell of the pouring out of the fourth bowl. Ans. Revelation 16:8-9.15. On what was the fifth bowl poured, and what effect did it have? Ans. Revelation 16:10-11.16. On what was the sixth bowl poured? Ans. Revelation 16:12.17. What came out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet? Ans. Revelation 16:13.18. Who were these "spirits"? Ans. Revelation 16:14.19. For what great battle were they preparing? Ans. Revelation 16:16.20. What timely admonition is given here? Ans. Revelation 16:15.21. Tell all that occurred at the pouring out of the seventh bowl of wrath. Ans. Revelation 16:17-21.E.M. Zerr Questions on RevelationRevelation Chapter Fifteen 1. What did John see now? 2. Where was it? 3. Was it small? 4. Was its appearance ordinary? 5. What beings did he see? 6. Tell what they had. 7. Were other plagues to follow? 8. Tell what was in them. 9. How much of God's wrath was there? 10. Tell what object John saw. 11. Of what was it composed"? 12. With what was it mingled? 13. What had the people gotten? 14. Over what creature had they obtained this? 15. Was the beast alone in this defeat? 16. Over what number had they been victorious? 17. Where were they standing? 18. What harps did they have? 19. How did they use them? 20. What two persons were the subject? 21. In what position had the first been to God? 22. What praise did they ascribe to God? 23. How did they describe his ways? 24. Of whom was he King? 25. Who did they announce should be feared? 26. And do what for his name? 27. He only has what quality? 28. What shall all nations do? 29. Where will they do so? 30. What were made manifest? 31. After this what did John do? 32. What building did he behold? 33. Of what tabernacle was this? 34. Where was this opened? 35. Who came into sight? 36. From where did they come? 37. Tell what they had. 38. In what were they clothed? 39. How were they girded? 40. On what part of their person were these? 41. What creature next appeared? 42. What kind of vials did he have? 43. Of what were they full? 44. What is said of God's living? 45. To whom did he give these vials? 46. With what was the temple filled? 47. From whom was this glory? 48. And from what power? 49. What was no man able to do? 50. For how long were they kept out? Revelation Chapter FifteenRalph StarlingJohn saw another great marvelous sign from heaven. 7 angels with 7 plagues from God to be given. But first a sea of glass mingled with fire, And on the glass the victors of the Beast's warfare. And they sang the song of triumph and praise. The song of Moses and the lamb they did raise, And the temple of testimony was opened, And God's plan was now to be spoken. The temple was filled with God's glory and power. No man coul enter 'till the plagues could devour. Then behold the 7 angels came out of the temple To deliver the 7 plagues sure and simple. Revelation 16:1 Revelation 16:1 See Revelation 15:5-8 Revelation 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go ye, and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth.--These words are a statement of the commission to the angels. They were spoken in the temple, indicating that the authority to execute their commis-sion is from God. The word "earth" here is to be taken liter-ally, for the angels who were to pour out the plagues were in heaven, and those upon whom they were to fall were dwelling on the earth. The part of the earth in each case corresponds with those affected. This verse is but a general statement of authority being conferred upon the angels; the remainder of this chapter is a detailed description of how that authority was carried out.Commentary on Revelation 16:1 by Foy E. Wallace(1) A prologue to the plagues—Revelation 16:1-14. 1. The voice of Rev 16:1 is not that of an angel but of God himself. The seven angels were commanded to Go your ways-each had a special and separate work to perform, to pour out the vials of wrath. The vials corresponded with the cup of his indignation in Revelation 14:10, the contents of which were the components of the penal woes which were to descend on the subjects of God’ s wrath. It was during this period of divine wrath that no man was able to enter into the temple to appear in the presence of God for the prayer of intercession to avert the destruction of old Jerusalem and the devastation of the old temple.Commentary on Revelation 16:1 by Walter ScottTHE COMMAND FROM THE TEMPLE. Revelation 16:1. — “And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the seven bowls of the fury of God upon the earth.” The terms, “ voice,” “ voices,” a “ strong voice,” a “ loud voice,” and a “ great voice,” have each their own special significance. The word voice is variously used of Christ, of God, of angels, of the living creatures, of the altar, of the throne, etc. Wherever the word occurs, or to whom or to what it refers in the Apocalypse, there is implied an intelligent apprehension of the subject in question. Its metaphorical application as in Revelation 9:13 is no exception. The plural, voices, occurs eight times, and with one exception (Revelation 11:15) is directly associated with judgment. It is one of the premonitory signs of coming wrath (Revelation 4:5; Revelation 8:5; Revelation 8:13; Revelation 10:3-4; Revelation 11:19; Revelation 16:18), and implies that the judicial dealing is not simply the exercise of arbitrary power, but is intelligently governed and directed. Then we read of a “strong voice” (Revelation 18:2), of a “loud voice” (Revelation 5:2), and of a “great voice,” as in our text (see also Revelation 21:3). The adjectives respectively set forth the character of the voice, which, again, is in exact keeping with the nature of the announcement. Revelation 16:1 — The Seer hears “a great voice out of the temple.” The sanctuary itself, the holiest spot in the universe, is roused to action. The demand for judgment on the apostate scene proceeds not from the throne, but from the holy of holies. God’ s wrath burns fiercely, and its strength is derived from what His holy nature demands and necessitates (Isaiah 6:1-13). The voice heard in the temple may well be termed “ great,” when the holiness of the place and the majesty of the Speaker are considered. The completeness of the service in which these judgment angels are employed is signified by the number seven, the predominant and ruling numeral in the Apocalypse. These ministers of God’ s wrath, although divinely equipped and commissioned, cannot act till God commands. “ Go and pour out the seven bowls of the fury of God.” These broad-rimmed vessels had been filled in the sanctuary, not with incense, but with wrath — God’ s righteous wrath. The voice which orders the execution of these seven plagues (Revelation 16:1) announces their completion when all are poured out (Revelation 16:17). Revelation 16:1 — “Pour out,” not sprinkle; the expression refers to the fulness of divine wrath, each vessel overflows, and is to be poured out without stint or measure in succession till all are emptied. A similar phrase is not uncommon in the Old Testament (Zephaniah 3:8; Psalms 69:24; Jeremiah 10:25). These seven apocalyptic plagues seem like an answer to the prayer of the suffering Jewish remnant in the coming crisis. “ Render unto our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached Thee, O Lord” (Psalms 79:12). The scene of these plagues is “ the earth,” not geographically but prophetically viewed, hence the course of judgment takes a wider sweep than that under the Trumpets (Revelation 8:1-13). Not the apostate Roman earth only, but the whole or the guilty scene within the range of prophetic vision is here given up to feel the vengeance of an angry God. We are now about to witness these truly awful visitations of divine wrath successively inflicted out of the sanctuary, and from the Bowls, hallowed by temple use and service, now devoted to purposes of judgment. Commentary on Revelation 16:1 by E.M.Zerr Revelation 16:1. The great voice was out of the temple. That means it was from God, for we have learned in the preceding chapter that no man was able to be in the temple at this time. The seven angels have been given the vials of divine wrath, now the voice bids them empty their contents in the places deserving such treatment.Commentary on Revelation 16:1 by Burton CoffmanRev_16:1 This is the famed chapter of the bowls; and what we have here is a "free adaptation, with modifications and amplifications,"[1] of the series of trumpet judgments depicted in Revelation 8 and Revelation 9, which "the prophet wishes to emphasize by recapitulation."[2] "These bowls are final but not complete."[3] God's saints are not harmed by them. What they represent is the total corruption of earth's environment, not the physical environment which is here used as a symbol, but the moral, intellectual, religious, and spiritual environment. This perversion of the moral and cultural world of mankind will be the final culmination of evil upon the earth, presenting the true saints of God with their final and most effective challenge. It is the literalism of scholars, quite unconsciously in many, it seems, that totally dismantles the efforts of some to understand this marvelous chapter. "These plagues cannot be interpreted in a literal sense."[4] "It is difficult indeed to believe that any such happenings as these would take place in history."[5] Some who see this, however, fail utterly to come up with an answer as to just what is symbolized. For example, Pieters, who enthusiastically accepted the principle that "literalism here is hopeless,"[6] " did not even hazard a guess as to what the various bowl symbols mean, declaring that, "The true interpretation has not been found, and probably cannot be found."[7] Roberson, another highly respected scholar, speaking of interpreting these bowls, wrote, "It may be that no attempt to do so will ever be successful."[8] Such views are a little embarrassing to this writer who confidently believes that a valid understanding of what is symbolized by the bowls can be presented, an interpretation that is both logical and fully in harmony with what the rest of the New Testament teaches. This will be spelled out below. These seven bowls are poured out, if not simultaneously, then nearly so; because, as Beckwith noted, "The pains and sores of Rev 16:11 (in the fifth bowl) refer to the first plague,"[9] thus showing that the plagues were operating co-extensively. We might refer to all seven bowls as ""Satan's Propaganda Apparatus." But does not God send this? Of course. It is the divine judicial hardening of mankind due to sin and rebellion against God which is undoubtedly in view here, as several very discerning scholars have observed. "This means that the great and final interdiction of God has come."[10] Exactly the same hardening is here which Paul discussed in Romans 1:24; Romans 1:26; Romans 1:28. "God gave them up." This means that God darkened their minds, hardened their hearts and delivered them over to the devices of Satan whom they preferred to serve. It is impossible to understand this chapter without due attention to God's hardening of the entire pre-Christian world, because this chapter is a prophecy of exactly the same thing happening again before the Second Coming of Christ. That is the reason that the ominous shadow of the plagues of Egypt falls over these bowls, as so many have pointed out. See discussion of, "When God Gives Men Up," my Commentary on Romans, pp. 38-51, and "The Hardening of Israel," and also at pp. 392-395. The principle that God does what he allows and requires fully hardened people to do is clear. A good New Testament example is the command of Jesus to Judas, ""Get on at once with the betrayal" (John 13:27, a paraphrase). Thus, these bowls are actually the culmination of human wickedness; but they are also, in a very real sense, the judgments of God upon the incorrigibly evil. Wicked men, hardened finally by God himself, due to their obduracy and rebellion, at last "receive in themselves that recompense of their error which was due" (Romans 1:27). When God at last allows sinful man to walk fully and unrestrained in the evil ways he has chosen, the total pollution of the moral, intellectual, spiritual, and religious environment will happen again, just like it did in the case of the pre-Christian Gentiles; and that ultimate hardening of all mankind is the dreadful eventuality symbolized by these seven bowls. The repeated mention in Revelation 16:9; Revelation 16:11; Revelation 16:21 of the absolute refusal of people to repent proves this view to be correct. The chapter deals with the final and ultimate hardening of the human race. [1] James Moffatt. Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 446. [2] Ibid. [3] William Hendriksen, More than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956), p. 190. [4] R. C. H. Lenski. The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House. 1943), p. 463. [5] Michael Wilcock, I Saw Heaven Opened (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press. 1975), p. 154. [6] Albertus Pieters, Studies in the Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1954), p. 243. [7] Ibid., p. 244. [8] Charles H. Roberson, Studies in Revelation (Tyler, Texas: P. D. Wilmeth, P.O. Box 3305,1957), p. 118. [9] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 681. [10] W. A. Criswell, Expository Sermons on Revelation in IV Vols. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1962), III, p. 174. And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go ye, and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth. (Revelation 16:1) Go ye, and pour out ... In the chapter introduction, it was noted that these seven bowls are poured out quickly and almost simultaneously. Criswell commented on this: The Greek indicates that these come one after the other in rapid succession. Just like that! When the judgment (or hardening) finally comes, it comes in a hurry.[11]Some interpreters apply these to the destruction of Rome, as Summers, for example, who saw them as, "The swiftly executed wrath of God ... on the Roman Empire";[12] but whatever fulfillment occurred in that does not mitigate against the application of them in a much more extensive frame of reference to the final judicial hardening of the entire race of man. The fact of the totality of these judgments (all instead of merely one third, as in the trumpets) forbids our limitation of it to pagan Rome alone. What happened in the fall of Rome is a preview of what is yet to happen, or may indeed be in the process of happening now. Furthermore, there have been many fulfillments of this historically, Pharaoh being the great Old Testament example of it; and all such occurrences are types of these seven bowls of wrath which are the final, ultimate, and "last" manifestation of the same phenomenon. Many have associated these bowls of wrath, and for very good reasons, with the French Revolution. [11] Ibid. [12] Ray Summers, Worthy is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1961), p. 186. Commentary on Revelation 16:1 by Manly LuscombeIntroduction: The previous chapter was a short introduction to what is coming here in chapter 16. As stated in the introduction to chapter 15, this chapter contains the most difficult section of the book. There is greater variety in the explanations and interpretations of this passage. In this chapter the bowls of wrath are actually poured out. We had seals opened to reveal God’ s will. Then we heard the trumpets, which warned us of the plan of God. Now we are about to see the wrath of God as it is poured out. There does appear to be some similarity between the trumpets and the bowls of wrath. 1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “ Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.” God (the loud voice from the temple) issues the final command. “ Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.” In very rapid succession these bowls are poured out. God is clear and direct. This is what he revealed would happen in the seals. This is what the trumpets warned would happen. Now it is about to happen. No one can say they were not warned. Revelation 16:2-11 3. THE FIRST FIVE PLAGUES Rev_16:2-11 2 And the first went, and poured out his bowl into the earth; and it became a noisome and grievous sore upon the men that had the mark of the beast, and that worshipped his image.--This is what John saw, in the vision, but what this represents as a symbol is another thing. There is perhaps no part of Revelation for which expositors have offered more different explanations than the seven bowls of God's wrath. That they represent punishments and calamities that were to befall the papal hierarchy is generally admitted, but the difficulty comes in trying to fix upon some historical events as the fulfillment of the symbols. If we are not able definitely to locate any event that is a sure fulfillment, we will still know that the symbols have been or will be fulfilled by some such events. The general facts about which there can be no reasonable doubt are these: (1) That a general series of calamities would befall the beast and his devotees that would culminate in his destruction. To misunderstand these or misapply the items will not change this fact. (2) These plagues were to affect directly the man of sin--the apostate church. (3) As they were to accomplish his destruction, they would naturally begin when his power was ready to wane. This would indicate that these plagues would not begin to be poured out till after the 1,260-year period had ended. The record says (Revelation 13:4-5) that authority was given unto the beast to "continue forty and two months." These facts are certainly true, and would be sufficient for practical purposes, if no effort were made to find any historical fulfillment. A noisome and grievous sore would be a physical malady that is particularly painful and tormenting. These words, doubtless, are to be understood symbolically--that is, some calamities would fall upon men that would be as disagreeable as the physical plagues mentioned. Surely there would be more calamities befall them than just one physical disorder. But whatever punishments were visited upon them, they would be as tormenting as a burning boil. Those to be thus tormented were men who had the "mark" and "image" of the beast. As already learned, this refers to those who have received the doctrines of the apostate church and practice them. See notes on Revelation 13:15-17. Naturally this means that whatever the plagues might indicate, the events would occur in countries predominantly under the influence of Catholicism, either religiously or politically, or both. It should be remembered that this beast power was united so closely in both religious and political forms that each sustained the other and a plague upon one affected the other. As a matter of historical fact the Roman apostate church began the loss of her universal sway over the nations about the time of the French Revolution, A.D. 1789 to 1794. Of all the conflicting views presented by expositors this appears to be the most probable, and is the view of several. Elliott (Vol. III, pp. 351-375) gives this application of the plague in detail. France, being a strong Catholic nation, was a suitable place for the events to happen. The Standard History of the World (Vol. VII, p. 3384) thus describes the unhappy state of France in this period "During the Reign of Terror, in 1793-94, unhappy France--torn by factions, rent by civil war, invaded by civil enemies, threatened by famine, suffering from bankruptcy, cursed by atheism--presented a picture beyond our powers of description." On page 3386 it is stated that "infidelity and atheism reigned supreme," and that the leaders of the Paris Commune declared they intended "to dethrone the King of heaven as well as the monarchs of the earth." The national convention decreed "the abolition of the Christian religion in France and the substitution of the worship of reason instead." The same authority, same page, thus states the treatment received by the Catholic Church: "Gobel, the constitutional Bishop of Paris, and several other ecclesiastics were compelled publicly to apostatize from Roman Catholic Christianity and to accept the new worship of reason. While the cathedral at Notre Dame was thus profaned by being converted into a temple of atheism, the other Catholic churches were plundered and subjected to every kind of sacrilege, and the mass vestments and church ornaments and implements were carried through the streets in blasphemous processions." The same writer says that the Reign of Terror cost the lives of more than a million Frenchmen. If such a moral and religious ulcer in the leading Catholic nation does not fulfill the demands of John's symbolic plague, it would be difficult to find anything in history that does. It would be remarkably strange that a situation without a parallel in history for moral and religious corruption should not be made a part of the symbolic imagery depicting the rise and fall of an apostate religion. That the papacy began at that time the downgrade which will ultimately end in its destruction is most certainly true; hence, it is the most probable application for the fulfillment of the first plague 3 And the second poured out his bowl into the sea; and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living soul died, even the things that were in the sea.--John saw the second angel pour the contents of his bowl into the sea and it turned to the color of blood, and all living creatures in the sea died. It was not the warm flowing blood of a living being, but the dark coagulated blood of the dead. Very naturally this would destroy everything in the sea or upon the sea. This was only what John saw in the vision; what the symbol represents is the difficult problem the Bible student must try to solve. We have already learned (see preliminary notes on Revelation 6:1-8) that modifying facts sometimes require certain words in a symbol to be taken literally and others figuratively. "Many waters" (Revelation 17:1) where the harlot sitteth is said in verse 15 to be "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues"; but the book nowhere gives a symbolic meaning for sea. To say it must be given the same meaning as "waters" in Revelation 17:15 is an assumption without proof. The words "earth" and "men" in the first plague (verse 2) are to be taken liter-ally; for, whatever the plague meant, it was to affect people here on earth. That is where they dwell. Some commentators have suggested different figurative meanings for the word sea; but, in harmony with the application offered for the first plague, it seems more probable that it is to be understood literally here. The meaning then will be: some great calamities would take place upon the sea which would affect the papal nations adversely, and become one of the things that would help to bring about the destruction of the apostate church. This view harmonizes with plain facts of history, even if the word sea should be given some metaphorical meaning. Elliott's commentary (Vol. III, pp. 378-380) describes the great naval war between France and England which began in the time of the French Revolution, 1793, and lasted more than twenty years. After naming about a dozen great engagements in which France and her allies lost heavily, Elliott says "Altogether in this naval war, from its beginning in 1793 to its end in 1815, it appears from James' Naval History that there were destroyed near 200 ships of the line, between 300 and 400 frigates, and an almost incalculable number of smaller vessels of war and ships of commerce. It is most truly stated by Dr. Keith that the whole history of the world does not present such a period of naval war, destruction, and bloodshed." Such facts surely would justify the language of the symbol: the sea "became blood as of a dead man." Sweeping the navy of papal nations from the sea in such decisive victories is fittingly described by the words, "every living soul died," of the creatures in the sea. As Mr. Barnes so often says in his commentary, if the Spirit had desired to describe these historical facts in symbols, more appropriate language could hardly have been chosen. Regardless of how the plague is to be understood, these were heavy blows against those who had the "mark of the beast." 4 And the third poured out his bowl into the rivers and the fountains of the waters; and it became blood.--It should be remembered that whatever application may be given these symbols, the plagues represent events that were to fall upon the beast power as punishments. They would have to be where obedience to papal authority was rendered, and upon the worshipers in that system. As in the first two visions, the words "earth" and "sea" probably indicate the places where those plagues would be most heavily felt, so here rivers and fountains of waters, doubtless, refer to another place where the third plague would fall. If so, then the events indicated would happen in a section where rivers abounded. The statement that the water became blood as a result shows that the plague is to be understood as referring to destructive wars. Because John saw these visions in regular order does not mean that the events signified by one had to be past before those of another could begin. Events depicted by several may have occurred at the same time in different places. Again we refer to Elliott (Vol. III, pp. 382 to 388), who describes another series of wars from 1792-1805 which were fought in the territory of the three rivers, Rhine, Danube, Po, and their tributaries. It must be admitted that these wars were at an appropriate time, and of the right character, to be the fulfillment of the symbol. If these wars do not fulfill the requirements of the vision, then something of a similar nature would have to be located at some other time. Nothing seems more probable, and certainly this view does no violence to the symbol. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Righteous art thou, who art and who wast, thou Holy One, because thou didst thus judge:--The expression "angel of the waters" is not easy of interpretation. That angels were sometimes given power to use or control certain elements is clear from Revelation 7:1; Revelation 14:18. In the text it seems more probable that the angel referred to is the one who poured out the plague upon the waters, the thought being that the angel declared the righteousness of God in the punishments indicated by this plague. They indicated that God is a righteous Judge. 6 for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and blood hast thou given them to drink: they are worthy.--It is unnecessary to give any detailed account of the persecutions which the papal beast brought upon the true people of God. That this apostate church with her political power did shed the blood of saints we would know from what the angel here says, even if history recorded not a single instance. Since simple Christians and prophets (teachers of the word) had been killed, God allowed those persecutors to be given blood to drink --to suffer terrible bloodshed in the wars indicated. The angel declared that they were worthy--that is, they deserved the punishments they were getting because of their shedding the blood of saints. 7 And I heard thealtar saying, Yea, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.--Under the fifth seal (Revelation 6:9-11) the martyrs were seen under the altar and they were crying with a great voice, asking how long till God would avenge their blood on those upon the earth. Here John hears another voice that appears to come from the altar endorsing the angel's statement that God's judgments are true and righteous. All this means that all the punishments indicated by these plagues that fell upon the apostate Roman church were a just and righteous retribution for sins against the church Christ established. It also placed the stamp of divine approval upon those who were martyrs for the word of God. 8 And the fourth poured out his bowl upon the sun; and it was given unto it to scorch men with fire.--The thing John saw was an angel pouring the contents of a bowl upon the sun which so intensified the heat that men were scorched. In the symbol the word "sun" is used literally; but in applying the symbol it must be used figuratively, for the reason that men do not live on the sun, as they do upon the earth or sea. Christ is referred to prophetically as "the sun of righteousness." (Malachi 4:2.) In a dream Joseph saw the sun, moon, and stars bowing to him. This was explained to mean his father, mother, and brethren. (Genesis 37:9-10.) As a symbol the sun represents a leader or prominent man. The simple and natural meaning of the fourth plague is that a great leader with irresistible power would bring great distress and suffering to men that might be likened to the burning rays of a scorching sun. The facts naturally indicate that he would be a military leader, and the sufferings would come through war. According to the view taken of the preceding plagues, this one is probably another result of the French Revolution, and would naturally be expected to follow close after them. The military career of Napoleon Bonaparte came at the exact time to fulfill the requirements of this symbol. He was the most brilliant, successful, and scorching military sun the world had seen. His military talents were first recognized in 1793. After many successful invasions of other nations, he took the government of France into his own hands in 1799, becoming first consul for life. With unlimited power he became a constant menace to other nations. "Never before," says Elliott (Vol. III, p. 391), "had there been such a subversion of old dynasties, and changes in new ones, in the history of modern Europe." The nations that felt the scorching effect of his power were dominated by the papal system of religion. Surely no known historical event fits the symbol any better. It would certainly be remarkable if a career that so clearly affected the fortunes of the church would not be a subject to be depicted in a series of prophetic symbols. No other explanation seems as probable. 9 And men were 'scorched with great heat: and they blasphemed the name of God who hath the power over these plagues; and they repented not to give him glory.--Doubtless it would be impossible to learn how much suffering and bloodshed occurred in these wars. The natural effect that these calamities would have upon wicked men would be to cause them to blaspheme God for allowing such misfortunes to fall upon them. They would charge that he alone had power to bring them. If they admitted that God had power to bring the plagues, and they were suffering from them, that should have produced repentance, but it did not. This shows that those with the mark of the beast were too fully steeped in false teaching to yield; so they repented not. 10 And the fifth poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast and his kingdom was darkened; --The preceding plagues were naturally preparatory to this one, which was a direct thrust at the very foundation of the system. The word "throne" means authority and this bowl was, therefore, intended to weaken the highest authority in the beast power. As the theory here accepted is that the beast represents the apostate or papal church, we conclude that the beast's throne means the authority of the Pope. This plague was greatly to weaken that power, but not to destroy it. That would not occur till the seventh plague had been poured out. The "man of sin" is not to be destroyed till the Lord comes. (2 Thessalonians 2:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:8.) This blow against papal authority would leave the Pope's subjects in distress and confusion, fittingly represented as spiritual darkness. and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11 and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they repented not of their works.--The words "pains" and "sores" seem to refer to the effects of the preceding plagues, indicating that this one only intensified their distress and misery already felt from plagues suffered. Gnawing their tongues signifies great suffering and deep anguish. The plague had the same effect in these particulars as the fourth had. If no fact in history could be found to correspond with this symbol, we would know that something had occurred, and the symbol was true. That events transpired during the French Revolution and soon after it that weakened the power of Rome and strengthened Protestantism is too well known to need reciting. The language naturally implies that the fifth plague was poured out not long after the preceding ones. Elliott (Vol. III, pp. 395-408) offers the most plausible explanation. Briefly stated, he refers it to the time when the "Pope's temporal authority over the Roman state was abolished." After victories in northern Italy in 1796 and 1797, the French army under Napoleon was rushed toward Rome. The Pope (Pius VI) saved himself with a payment of some thirty million francs, and surrendered a hundred of the finest paintings and statues in the Vatican. But he lost his temporal power, was taken away as a prisoner, and soon thereafter died. In 1804 Pope Pius VII was summoned to Paris to crown Napoleon as emperor, or rather to give official sanction to his assuming the position. In 1801 Napoleon made an agreement with Pius VII by which the Roman Catholic Church was restored as the state religion of France, but Protestant worship was to be allowed. In 1809 Napoleon issued a decree, declaring the Pope's temporal authority at an end, but allowed him the Vatican and the position of spiritual head of the church. This intensely exasperated the Pope, who excommunicated Napoleon. The Pope was then taken a prisoner to France, and the states of the church annexed to that empire. These facts surely fulfill the demands of the symbol well enough to justify their acceptance as the things meant. The authority of the Roman Pontiff had been both changed and limited. Notwithstanding these sufferings, they repented not, but still worshiped the beast. Peace was restored and the Pope returned to his place in Rome in 1815. The preceding year he issued a proclamation, declaring himself "God's Vicar on Earth." Soon after his return to Rome he refused tolerance to Protestant worship in France, and issued briefs against Bible societies, declaring the Scriptures themselves, unless accompanied with papal explanations, to be the gospel of men or the devil rather than of God. (See Elliott, Vol. III, pp. 418. 419.)Commentary on Revelation 16:2-11 by Foy E. Wallace (1) A prologue to the plagues—Revelation 16:1-14. 1. The voice of verse one is not that of an angel but of God himself. The seven angels were commanded to Go your ways-each had a special and separate work to perform, to pour out the vials of wrath. The vials corresponded with the cup of his indignation in Revelation 14:10, the contents of which were the components of the penal woes which were to descend on the subjects of God’ s wrath. It was during this period of divine wrath that no man was able to enter into the temple to appear in the presence of God for the prayer of intercession to avert the destruction of old Jerusalem and the devastation of the old temple. 2. The subjects of the plagues were the adherents of the Roman empire in Palestine; and the judgments which commenced with verse two were commensurate with the Roman beasts and the worshipers of his image who were the recipients of his mark. The significance of the seven plagues may now be summarized as follows: (1) The noisome sore upon the adherents of the imperial beast: “ And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image"—Revelation 16:2. The object of this plague was the people in Judea and other provinces of Palestine who had submitted to the imperial decree of the emperor of idolatry in the form of his image-worship, which was the mark of the beast. The effect of this plague was signified by a noxious malodorous sore, a stench in the nostrils, the symbol of the civic posion of idolatry; and it was grievous as a spiritual contagion, being inimical to the ultimate degree to Christianity. In this role the emperor was the veritable embodiment of the antichrist of 1 John 2:18 and 1 John 4:3 and 2 John 1:7. The mention of “ the last time” by John in this connection was comparable to Paul’ s “ present distress” 1 Corinthians 7:1-40, and similar allusions in other epistles in the same sort of reference to the grievous times connected with the end of Jerusalem and of the Jewish state. 3. The plagues followed the pattern of the experiences of the Israelites in Egypt, as indicated in Revelation 16:3-4; and Pharaoh Rameses, the oppressor of Israel, parallels Nero Caesar, the imperial persecutor of the church. It again presented the comparison of the old testament and new testament people of God--Israel and the Church. (2) The sea of dead blood which putrified the society of imperial idolatry: “ And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea."—Revelation 16:3. In accordance with the definitions of the symbols in the first section, the sea represented society in various descriptions- tossed and troubled, or placid and peaceful. Here the sea became as the blood of a dead man--signifying the complete dissolution of the emperor-beast and his subject. (3) The conversion of the rivers and fountains of waters into blood: “ And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood” –Revelation 16:4. The pollution of the fountains and streams of water resulted in epidemics of deadly disease. The sickening figure of the total contamination of the streams of water by the effluence of blood was symbolic of retribution for the blood of the martyrs. In chapter 6:10 the souls under the altar of martyrdom cried: How long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? This plague symbol was the answer to the martyr-cry. It was the squaring of the account in this symbolic retribution of blood, the avenging of the martyrs. And Revelation 16:6 so declares: For they have shed the blood of the saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. The statement “ for they are worthy” means that they deserved the recompense of blood for the blood they had shed. A similar pronouncement of judgment upon apostate Jerusalem was made by Jesus in Matthew 23:37 : “ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” The plague meant that they were figuratively made to drink the blood which they had made to flow from the mass murder of the saints. 4. Each apocalypse had a separate attending angel in the superintendence of the scene enacted, and each angel personified the vision he represented, as Revelation 16:5-6 exemplifies, in the angels of waters of the sea, and of the altar of the martyrs; in each symbol the one represents the other. 5. The angel of the altar in verse seven reverted to the altar of martyrs in Revelation 6:9-10 and was in the role of sending the judgment which the martyrs petitioned, and of satisfying their avenging cry. (4) The smitten sun that scorched blasphemous men with fire: “ And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire"—Revelation 16:8. This plague was the symbol of the punishment inflicted on the persecutors who had blasphemed God in the assumption of the powers and prerogatives of God by compelling the worship of the emperor’ s image; and had thus branded the mark in the hands and on the foreheads of all who bowed in submission. This symbol portended the end of the activities of the emperor and his colleagues. 6. The power of the persecution was represented as broken in Revelation 16:10, when the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast--the seat of authority for action in Palestine, which came from the emperor. The kingdom of the beast was full of darkness in Palestine. The same metaphor was used by Isaiah (Isaiah 13:10) to describe the fall of ancient Babylon; and Jesus adopted the same figure of speech (Matthew 24:29) in foretelling the darkness that settled over the Jewish state in the fall of Jerusalem. The same use of the symbol was made here in Revelation 16:10. (5) The vial of wrath poured upon the seat of the beast that darkened his kingdom: “ And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain” –Revelation 16:10. The king of the kingdom mentioned in this verse must be identified with the great red dragon of Rev 12:9, personified as the devil and Satan. The seat of the beast here was on the same principle of Satan’ s seat, or throne, in Pergamos; mentioned in Revelation 2:13. It referred to his base of operations through his imperial agents. His kingdom was darkened by the exposure of the deceptions of his lying wonders, which resulted in his ignominious end. The subjects of this Satanic beast, who repented not of theirdeeds of idolatrous worship of the emperor-image, by which they blasphemed the God of heaven, suffered the same consequences.7. The realm of the persecutor’ s operations, by the wrath poured out of the vials, was subjected to the calamities narrated; and the minions of the emperor gnawed their tongues for pain--the symbol of retribution for the lies of deception and seduction their tongues had spoken; which was the method employed to brand the subjects of their deceit with the mark of emperor-worship. And in evidence of entire allegiance to the beast-power Revelation 16:11 declared that these representatives of Rome blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. Commentary on Revelation 16:2-11 by Walter ScottFIRST BOWL OF WRATH. Revelation 16:2. — “And the first went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and there came an evil and grievous sore upon the men that had the mark of the beast, and those who worshipped his image.” In the enumeration of the respective Trumpets each of the seven angels is referred to as “ second angel,” “ third angel,” “ fourth angel,” and so on (Revelation 8:1-13), but not so here. The introduction is more brief, the ordinals as first, second, etc., being simply employed, and the word angel omitted.(Bengel, remarking on the omission of the word angel in the Vials, tersely adds, “ The Vials make short work.” ) The plague here referred to as “ an evil and grievous sore” reminds us of the sixth Egyptian plague (Exodus 9:10-11). This was the first of the plagues which attacked the persons of the Egyptians, and one under which the magicians, or wise men, specially smarted. It was a disgusting and loathsome disease (see Deuteronomy 28:27; Deuteronomy 28:35). There are two other New Testament references to this painful character of boil. Under the fifth Bowl it is mentioned in conjunction with other judgments (Revelation 16:11), and in Luke 16:20-21 we learn that Lazarus, dying amongst the dogs on the street, was covered with these painful and generally incurable boils or sores, but the soul of the pauper was waited upon by the angels of God, and carried up and into the bosom of Abraham — the reserved place of Jewish blessing. The literality of the apocalyptic plagues (Revelation 16:1-21) is a moot question with some. It has been argued that because the Egyptian plagues were literal, so must these be, because of their general resemblance. Now, while strongly protesting against any limitation of divine power, or intruding on the region of sovereignty which God alone can and must necessarily occupy, yet we judge that the plagues of our chapter must be understood symbolically in keeping with the general character and design of the book. What is signified is a moral sore which will cause intense mental suffering. Physical suffering, no doubt, will also add to the anguish endured by men, but the chief and predominating feature will be judicial dealing with the soul and conscience — a suffering far exceeding any bodily infliction. It is called an “ evil and grievous sore.” The word literally means a bad ulcer, that which produces and draws to it unhealthy humours, discharging these in a highly offensive form. Persons bearing the mark of the Beast and his worshippers — the active supporters of the apostate civil power then under the direct authority of Satan — are the sufferers under the first Bowl. It is God’ s wrath on the adherents and devotees of the Beast throughout the prophetic earth. This truly awful judgment precedes the fall of Babylon (Revelation 16:19), whereas the everlasting torment of the Beast worshippers succeeds that great event (Revelation 14:9-10). We gather therefore that the pouring out of the first Vial is a precursor of the doom announced as the fourth subject in that interesting chapter 14 of grave and notable events. THE AND VIALS . Besides a general resemblance to the plagues of Egypt, the Vials and Trumpets strikingly correspond. In the first four of each series the sphere of operation is the same, namely, the earth, the sea, the rivers, the fountains, and the sun. But in the Trumpets the area affected is restricted to a third part, i.e., the Roman world. The effects produced under the Vials are different, and of a severer character, than those under the Trumpet judgments. Then the fifth, sixth. and even seventh Trumpets correspond in some general respects to the last three Vials. But in the Vials the range of the various plagues is in no wise limited to a fourth (Revelation 6:8) or third part (Revelation 8:1-13) of the prophetic earth. Wherever the evil is it is searched out and none escape. SECOND BOWL OF WRATH. Revelation 16:3 — “And the second poured out his bowl on the sea; and it became blood, as of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea.” All the Vials are poured on the earth, not geographically but prophetically considered (Revelation 16:1). But the terms “ earth” (Revelation 16:2) and “ sea” (Revelation 16:3) both form part of the prophetic scene referred to in verse 1; that is, the term earth in Revelation 16:1 is of larger and wider import than the earth of Rev 16:2. The latter is contrasted with the sea, and as a symbol denotes that special part of the prophetic earth then in ordered external relation to God, while the sea signifies that portion of the sphere of prophetic dealing, not organized, but revolutionary in character — the masses in general. It is important to lay hold of the force of these symbols and of their application in detail. The grand desideratum, however, is to hold in the soul and understanding the moral principles and teaching of the book. A detailed exposition, however interesting, and to some minds fascinating, should be subordinated to the moral element — to that which deals with the conscience and with God. The great moral principles of truth which run through all Scripture are meant to govern the heart and control the life. The sea “ became blood” is not a physical fact, as in the first Egyptian plague (Exodus 7:17-25), when the Nile, the justly celebrated river of Egypt, with its canals, streams, and tributaries, was turned into blood literally and actually. But in the Vial plague the sea becoming blood points symbolically to a scene of moral death. Christianity, or at least what then represents it, is abandoned. So complete and thorough is the apostasy that the blood (life, moral or physical, as the case may be) is “ as of a dead man.” Here we have death in a double sense. First, spiritual death, as in Ephesians 2:5, even in the case of those naturally alive; second, by apostasy, the giving up of all religious profession — the open, public renunciation of all external relationship to God, as in Jude 1:12 — “ twice dead,” even when physically alive. “ Every living soul died in the sea.” The masses of people within the bounds of the prophetic earth are signified by the restless sea, while those in special outward relation to God within that same sphere are signified by the solid earth. “ Every living soul died.” Each mere professor makes shipwreck of faith, of conscience, of truth, and gives up every vestige of religious profession. The apostasy and alienation from God are complete, not one left, save those who are real and whose names are in the Lamb’ s book of life. It has been contended that a violent physical death is here signified by the term blood, but this, we judge, is a mistake. A sword symbolically sets forth death by war or violence, and that is absent here (Revelation 6:8; Revelation 19:15). The scene before us represents a general state of corruption and apostasy amongst the peoples and masses of mankind not in ordered relation to God, as also the open apostasy of “ every” one. A pagan world we have read and heard of with all its disgusting and filthy practices. A papal Europe shrouded in moral darkness there has been, and that at no very distant date. But an apostate world, with its blasphemy, cruelty, and frightful misery, abandoned by God and given over to Satan, is the appalling picture in the Apocalypse, one most sure, and, moreover, not far off. The character of the times unmistakably points in that direction. THIRD BOWL OF WRATH. Revelation 16:4-7. — “And the third poured out his bowl on the rivers, and (on) the fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Thou art righteous, Who art, and wast, the Holy One, that Thou hast judged so. For they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink; they are worthy. And I heard the altar saying, Yea, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous (are) Thy judgments.” In the third Trumpet, to which the third Vial corresponds, the rivers and fountains come under judgment. In the former, however, they become wormwood (Revelation 8:11); here they are turned into blood. In the former all national life, character, and source of thought and action are morally poisoned; in the latter the national corruption is of a deeper kind — moral death and complete alienation from God are the results. The “ rivers,” the ordinary life of a nation characterized by known and accepted principles of government, social and political, its life-breath so to speak, as also “ fountains of waters,” the sources of prosperity and well-being, are all turned into blood, symbolically of course. (See remarks on Revelation 8:10.) We would again remark that, allowing a certain parallelism between the Trumpets and Vials, the latter are, at the same time, of wider extent and more severe and searching than the former. Revelation 16:5 — “The angel of the waters” seems at first sight an ambiguous expression. But when it is borne in mind the large part which angels occupy in the economy of the redemption of the inheritance the expression assumes a definiteness quite in keeping with other portions of the book. Almost every subject in the Apocalypse has its angel. An angel is the intermediary between Christ and John (Revelation 1:1); the seven churches have each their angel or moral representative, not a celestial being (Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22); an angel challenges the universe to produce one competent to fulfil the counsels of God respecting the earth (Revelation 5:2); the numberless throng of angels worship the Lamb (Revelation 16:11-12); angels control the elements (Revelation 7:1); an angel seals the servants of God (vv. 2, 3); each Trumpet and each Vial has its respective angel (Revelation 8:1-13; Revelation 16:1-21); angels are the combatants in the heavenly war (Revelation 12:1-17); an angel announces the Everlasting Gospel (Revelation 14:6); an angel proclaims the fall of Babylon (Revelation 16:8); an angel declares the awful doom of the worshippers of the Beast (Revelation 16:9); an angel comes out of the temple (Revelation 16:15); and another out of the altar (Revelation 16:18). If the winds, the fire, and the abyss have each an angel, the waters too have their appropriate and guardian angel. The peoples symbolized by the waters (Revelation 17:15) are controlled by an angel, all, however, under the governing hand of God. The angel of the waters acquiesces in the divine judgment. It might be naturally supposed that he would deprecate judicial and retributive dealing in the sphere over which he presides. On the contrary, he justifies God, saying, “ Thou art righteous.” The plague does not overstep by a hairbreadth the just measure of strict righteousness. Then the eternity of God’ s Being, “ Who art,” and His past relation to men and angels, “ and wast,” are next affirmed. (See remarks in our Exposition on Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:8; Revelation 4:8; Revelation 11:17.) “ The holy One.” This peculiar word occurs but twice in the New Testament in relation to Christ: the other instance is in Revelation 15:4. In the Authorized Version of Rev 16:5 the words “ O Lord” and “ shalt be” are unnecessary interpolations, and are rejected by most critics, while the title the “holy One” is omitted (see R.V.). Revelation 16:6. — “They have poured out the blood of saints and prophets.” This sentence conclusively proves the symbolic character of the plague. Apostate peoples and nations are referred to as “ waters.” They had freely and wantonly poured out the blood of saints and prophets. In Revelation 11:18 the order is prophets and saints; here it is saints and prophets. In the former it is a question of public acknowledgment of service and faithfulness, hence the most responsible and distinguished company is first named; whereas in our text it is the martyrdom of all who stand for God, of all who witness for Him, negatively and positively, according to the principle in Luke 11:50-51. “ Saints” (See remarks on Revelation 11:18.) is a common enough term in both Testaments, signifying true believers on God. “ Prophets” designate those who truly witness for God in a dark and evil day. Revelation 16:6 — “Thou hast given them blood to drink: they are worthy.” Water is the ordinary source of life and refreshment. Wine is the symbol of earth’ s joy. Blood is the witness of death. In retributive justice, in holy righteousness, God judicially gives over the persecutors of His people to drink blood, to realise in their own souls and consciences death. The penalty is an awful one. The drinking of blood does not mean physical death, it is infinitely worse. The punishment is as horrible as it is righteous. It is really an instalment and foretaste of the horrors of the lake of fire. “ They are worthy.” Not only is it a righteous judgment, but these apostates have fully earned their awful doom. “ They are worthy” to have this terrible and judicial character of death inflicted upon them, to drink it, and thus fully know its bitterness. Then the altar speaks, not as in the Authorized Version, the angel of the altar, but the altar itself. The brazen altar is here referred to (Revelation 6:9), the altar of consuming judgment. The lives of God’ s saints and witnesses had been sacrificed on the altar (so He regarded it), and their souls after death are heard underneath it crying to God for vengeance on their bloodthirsty persecutors. God hears the cry. For about six thousand years it might have seemed as if God slept or was indifferent to the cruel and heartless treatment of His people in all ages. But no! The long, lingering patience of our God has now come to an end, and the slumbering vengeance of Jehovah bursts forth. The cry of the altar is a vindication of the God of wrath. It exults in the holy and righteous character of these retributive judgments. In the first book of Scripture (Genesis 4:10) we hear the cry of the blood of the first of the martyred band; now in the last book (Revelation 16:7) we listen to the cry of the altar which had borne its testimony to the slaughter of God’ s saints from Abel onwards. It is the appeal of the altar itself in the near approach of the final consummation of judgment under the seventh Vial. It is both an appeal to and a vindication of God in His true and righteous judgments (see Revelation 15:3; Revelation 19:2). FOURTH BOWL OF WRATH. Revelation 16:8-9. — “And the fourth poured out his bowl on the sun; and it was given to it to burn men with fire. And the men were burnt with great heat, and blasphemed the Name of God, Who had authority over these plagues, and did not repent to give Him glory.” There is a marked and striking parallelism between the first four Trumpets and the first four Vials. In both the order is the same. The great departments of nature, symbolic, of course, come under judgment, namely, the earth, the sea, the rivers, and the sun. In the Vials the whole prophetic scene is involved, whereas in the Trumpets the Roman earth is specially in view.The previous visitation of the sun in judgment (Revelation 8:12), that is, the supreme governing authority, resulted in a scene of intense moral darkness, confined, however, to the revived Roman world. But the fourth Trumpet, both in severity and range, must pale before the greater horrors of the fourth Vial. There darkness, here intolerable agony; there an area of circumscribed judgment, here the judgment extends to the utmost bounds of Christendom; there the circumstances of men are in question, here men themselves in their own persons are the agonized sufferers. Revelation 16:9. — “Burnt with great heat.” The power of the sun is increased to such an intense degree that men are scorched or burnt with its fire. It is not, of course, a physical judgment produced by the great celestial luminary; we must therefore seek to ascertain what is the moral significance and symbolic meaning of the sign. The sun as a figure denotes supreme government (see on Revelation 6:12; Revelation 8:12; Revelation 9:2; Revelation 12:1). We understand, therefore, that the great governing authority on earth becomes the cause of intense and frightful anguish to men. “ Burnt,” or scorched, would naturally convey as much (Deuteronomy 32:24; Malachi 4:1). Revelation 16:9 — We are next called to witness the effect of these dire plagues upon the consciences of men. Are they humbled and made repentant thereby? Are they crushed in spirit under the repeated and increasing severity of these judicial chastisements? No! They “blasphemed the Name of God.” What an answer on man’ s part to the expressed wrath of the Almighty! How incorrigibly bad and thoroughly corrupt is the will of man! Had there been godly repentance the storm of divine wrath might have been arrested, for God “ had authority over these plagues.” All were in His hand, and He possessed supreme control. God is the source of these apocalyptic judgments. We are not living in a world of chance, but in a world which belongs to God and which He controls, even down to the minutest circumstance of life. There was produced, not repentance, but increased hardness of heart; not glory to God, but blasphemy of His blessed Name. In this plague God and the creature stand out strongly contrasted. FIFTH BOWL OF WRATH. Revelation 16:10-11. — “And the fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the Beast; and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues with distress; and blasphemed the God of the Heaven for their distresses and their sores, and did not repent of their works.” The seven churches (Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22), the seven Seals (Revelation 6:1-17; Revelation 8:1), the seven Trumpets (Revelation 8:1-13), and the seven Vials (Revelation 16:1-21) are each divided into two distinct groups. In the case of the churches the division is into three and four, whilst in the others the grouping is reversed, four and three. Number seven in itself signifies completeness, spiritual perfection. When separately numbered as one, two, etc., the various parts of the whole are distinguished, and when grouped into the two unequal divisions of three and four it intimates a special and characteristic feature peculiar to each group. We have had in the preceding Vials the four great departments of nature symbolically represented, as the earth, the sea, the rivers, and the sun. But now we pass from the realm of nature to witness a characteristic and specific subject of judgment, i.e., the kingdom of the Beast, which is smitten in the center and seat of its power. The Beast himself, or the personal head of the empire, is, with his fellow in crime, the Antichrist, reserved for an awful doom (Revelation 19:20). But till then the civil and political power of earth established by Satan (Revelation 13:4; Revelation 17:8) is in its strength and center made to feel the stroke of divine judgment. The executive of the kingdom, not the subjects of it, is referred to here. The “ throne,” the strength and glory of the kingdom, is overwhelmed with judgment. The impious and insolent challenge, “ Who is like unto the Beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:4) is unmistakably answered here, and subsequently too (Revelation 19:19-21). Revelation 16:10. — “His kingdom became darkened.” No doubt there is here an allusion to Exodus 10:21-23. There, however, the darkness was physical, here it is moral. It is difficult to realize in any conceivable degree the horror of such a doom. One main characteristic of the misery endured in the eternal abode of suffering, the lake of fire, is darkness and blackness (Matthew 25:30). That darkness is here foreshadowed with its accompanying consequences. “ They gnawed their tongues with distress.” “ This is the only expression of the kind that we have in all the Word of God, and it indicates the most intense and excruciating agony.” (Rev. Wm. Ramsay, “ Lectures on Revelation,” p. 364.) Revelation 16:11. — Under the distress caused by the former Vial men blasphemed “ the Name of God;” here there is advance in an evil sense, they blaspheme “the God of the Heaven,” not His name merely, but God Himself. There is remorse and suffering in the morally darkened kingdom. The very knowledge that God is in Heaven and is the author and source of their misery, judicially inflicted, does not bow the heart in repentance. The will is yet unbroken. And “ did not repent of their works,” the very deeds which God was answering in judgment were gloried in. They loved darkness and its evil deeds. Heavier strokes must yet descend. Commentary on Revelation 16:2-11 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 16:2. Noisome and grievous indicates something extremely objectionable and damaging. It should be remarked that the judgments against the wicked leaders in the corrupt institution were suffered immediately. They felt it through the humiliation of seeing their places of evil rulership brought down through the effects of the Reformation. But this was destined to be only a foretaste of the final judgment that will be pronounced upon them at the last day. The mark and image of the beast have been explained at Revelation 13:14. Revelation 16:3. Blood of a dead man. When a man dies his blood dies with him and becomes poisonous. That which would come in contact with it would be killed. The blood of Christ was dead when it was poured out, hence it will kill the sins of the world if brought into contact with them. (See 1 John 1:7.) Revelation 16:4. The mention of the earth and other parts of the creation are to represent them as symbols, denoting the completeness of God's judgments against evil men. That is why rivers and water fountains are named in this verse. Revelation 16:5. Angel of the waters is the one in the preceding verse. These angels form a unit (seven) and hence any principle held by one goes for all of them. The angel commended the action of the Lord for the righteous judgments inflicted upon the servants of the beast. Art, and vast and shalt be is the same as saying that God had no beginning and will have no end. Such a Being cannot do wrong hence his judgments against His enemies are bound to be just. Revelation 16:6. The first part of this verse is literal, for the agencies of both Pagan and Papal Rome caused many righteous servants of God to shed their blood. Given them blood to drink is figurative and refers to the legal executions imposed on the wicked. Revelation 16:7. This angel repeated the same commendation of God's judgments that was expressed by the one in Revelation 16:5-6. Revelation 16:8. The sun is a part of the creation which was commented upon at Revelation 16:4. It is specified in the present group of symbols because of the particular item it contributes to the welfare of humanity when it is used normally. It is the source of light and heat without which man could not live. But it is now used as a symbol of torment of fire by increasing the volume of the rays upon men. In Malachi 2:2 the Lord was making threats against some of His ancient people for their wickedness in which he says "I will curse your blessing." The thought is similar to the one of our verse. The sun is normally a blessing to the people of the earth, but it is used as a symbol of cursing. Revelation 16:9. The intense heat caused men to blaspheme the name of God because of their suffering; that was because they recognized Him as being the cause of the affliction. But the very motive that caused them to blaspheme Him, should have had the effect of making them repent, for they must have known that a Being who can bring such tremendous revolutions in the universe is worthy to be feared and served. Revelation 16:10. The seat of the beast means his throne or headquarters. The darkness is figurative and refers to some confusion or disarrangement of the affairs of the government. To gnaw the tongues for pain would be a naturalor literal performance, but it is another one of the many symbols used in this book, and represents the intense disappointment and humiliation of the leaders in Rome when they see their structure of oppressive power tumbling about them.Commentary on Revelation 16:2-11 by Burton CoffmanRev_16:2 And the first went, and poured out his bowl into the earth; and it became a noisome and grievous sore upon the men that had the mark of the beast, and that worshipped his image.And the first went and poured out ... The word for "sore" is "the same as that used to describe the boils and sores in the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 9:8-11)."[13] Moffatt translated it as a "noisome and painful ulcer."[14] "Noisome," of course, means "stinking." Before taking up the meaning of this, note that this plague fell only upon those identified with the beast. Upon the men that had the mark of the beast ... "These evils (the bow]s) do not affect other men (the Christians)."[15] A mandatory deduction here is that no literal destruction of the land is meant. But what is meant? The earth itself, its populations out of which the land-beast arose, will become one vast propaganda factory advancing the teachings of the devil, with the result that all kinds of "stinking ulcers" shall spring up all over the world. Within a few blocks of where this is written, there are a dozen of them, as proclaimed by their gaudy neon signs: "Totally Nude Girls," "Adult Theater XXX Movies," "Bottoms Up Club," "Sylvia Sin's Lounge," etc. If anyone does not believe such places are "stinking ulcers," let him ask the police of any great city. Tragically, there is no way to stop the pornographic, liquor, prostitution, and perversion palaces which today fill half the world. An angel of the wrath of God has poured out his bowl upon the earth, not upon a third of it, but upon all of it. Scholars who think they can get rid of this prophecy by limiting it to ancient pagan Rome, or by dismissing it as, "merely a retelling of the sixth Egyptian plague of boils,"[16] need to read it again. The things mentioned above are merely the tip of the iceberg. The printing and publication industries of the world are glutted with vicious, anti-God, atheistic, subversive, immoral, and destructive propaganda of every evil kind. Every grocery store has its magazine section devoted to the secularization and corruption of humanity. The movies and entertainment business have so far been corrupted that there is hardly any market for decent and helpful material. Likewise, the art, and even the music of the world, have been lowered to a level of jungle rhythm, guttural screaming, and the mouthing of obscenities. The art forms of our day betray a ruptured, fractured, and broken culture. All over the world, evil religious cults are springing up. What are these but more "stinking ulcers"? Recently, in Houston, "The Church of Atheism" was unveiled. Satan has so perverted the laws and opinions of mankind that such monstrosities are endowed with all of the rights and privileges that should belong to righteousness and truth. The bitter delusions of Marxism are being peddled all over the earth by means of every device of propaganda and subversion ever invented by Satan. But why go on? It would take a library to describe what is meant by the bowl of the wrath of God being poured out upon the earth. How about all those learned men who see nothing here except some ancient historical event? We do not offer this interpretation as meaning that "the end of time is upon us" or that the final judicial hardening of the race of mankind has already occurred. Nor, are the things we have pointed out intended as an affirmation, for it is not true, that all art, music, literature, publications, entertainment, etc., are evil. Thanks to the God of heaven through Christ, there are still many wonderful, beautiful, and uplifting things available in every one of these fields; and it could be that the complete fulfillment of this prophecy lies yet a great distance into the future, or that the things we have understood as pertaining to the whole world could be merely the astounding perversions that mark the decline of our own isolated culture in America. Therefore, we make no claim whatever that this bowl of wrath, or any of the others, is totally fulfilled by the aberrations noted. However, our interpretation is that the bowls of wrath mean exactly the type of moral and spiritual pollution of the total human environment that we have attempted to point out. It is not merely that lust, vulgarity, pornography, violence, perversion, and obscenity are present in our culture. They have always been present in greater or lesser extent in every culture. What is alarming today is the toleration, acceptance, and justification of such things, even to the extent of their being advocated and encouraged by and political institutions; and that is what signals a frightening new aspect of such wickedness today. It could be later than we think. The festering, malignant, noisome ulcers which are breaking out over the earth are represented as hurting the worshippers of the beast, the followers of Satan. How is this true? The parasitic and destructive nature of all satanic "sores" causes them to hurt all kinds of legitimate and constructive endeavors. The "stinking ulcer" of the late Jim Jones' Communist Camp in Guyana literally destroyed everyone connected with it. Look what communism has done all over the world. In the interpretation of this first bowl, we have also, in part, the interpretation of all seven, for they are concurrent, intermingled, mutually supported; and each one is but a part of the total corruption of mankind's moral and spiritual environment. [13] William Barclay, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 126. [14] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 446. [15] Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Vol. 20, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 193. [16] Martin Rist, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XII (New York-Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1957), p. 481. Revelation 16:3 And the second poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living soul died, even the things that were in the sea.And the second poured out his bowl into the sea ... This sea was the origin of the sea-beast described earlier, which was nothing other than the teeming populations of the earth. The earth of the first bowl and the sea of this bowl are therefore identical, their mention separately being due to the nature of the figure. The figure is the total physical environment (which necessarily includes the sea) symbolical in this vision of the moral, intellectual, and spiritual environment of mankind. And it became blood as the blood of a dead man ... It is clearly the whole of earth's people who are meant in all this. "Souls" do not literally live "in the sea." The figure here is an ocean completely turned into rotting, stinking blood; but, "When the entire sea is stinking blood, what about the land which it surrounds?"[17] It is clearly the physical environment that is ruined in the figure; therefore, we look to the spiritual environment for the fulfillment. When man himself as a factor in his environment becomes popularly and generally devoted to selfishness, greed, lust, violence, and every form of evil, when the "in thing" for the vast majority is indulgence in sex, homosexuality, blasphemy, drunkenness, corruption, hatred, and irreligion, the human race itself becomes a "dead sea." Thus, this bowl is merely another and extended phase of the first. We shall note some of the types of corruptions indicated. The universities and schools have taken up the task of preaching Satan's lies, such as evolution, which leads undeniably to the conclusion that man is merely an animal with no more cosmic value than a worm or a rat. What has this done for the human moral and spiritual environment? Besides this, there are a thousand other evil postulations which are being swallowed, advocated and taught almost universally in our culture today, such as humanism, the self-sufficiency of man, the lie that his favorite sins of adultery, drunkenness, homosexuality, criminality, etc., are in no sense sins at all, but merely diseases which society is obligated to pay for and treat! Another lie is that man is not morally responsible for what he does, that society owes every man a good living with all of the conveniences and luxuries thrown in, that man is essentially good, that he is thoroughly capable of solving all of his problems, etc., etc. The great theological seminaries devoted unreservedly to the destruction of the Bible; the churches that ordain homosexuals, adulterers, and even atheists to their pulpits, and contradict the Scriptures in practically all that they either do or teach; the "love cult" that robs God of any other prerogative except that of loving us wicked sinners (what else is God for?) ... these are just a few of the evidences of man's intellectual environment having been polluted. An angel of God has poured out the bowl of his wrath upon the sea! ENDNOTE: [17] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 467. Revelation 16:4 And the third poured out his bowl into the rivers and the fountains of waters; and it became blood.And the third poured out his bowl ... The figurative nature of this is evident in the truth that with both the sea and the land already ruined, there would have been no need to bother with the rivers and fountains. What can be meant? A vast number of earth's great cities are located upon the rivers; and just as the rivers move downward to the sea, so the influences of earth's great cities flow downward from them into all mankind. We interpret the blight upon the rivers and fountains as the ultimate blight upon the urban civilizations of the world which will change the influences descending from those great cities into blood. People cannot worship self and sensuality without degrading, at last, their joys, recreations, and all creative activity and reducing them to lower and lower levels. "When the public taste grows corrupt, the literature, for example, will become so."[18]Are not all of earth's great cities today in trouble as never before? This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 16:12-16 4. THE SIXTH PLAGUE Rev_16:12-16 12 And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river, the river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up,--Expositors are divided, in the main, between two views concerning the application of this plague, both appearing probable. As both harmonize with known facts, and either might have been the thing intended, we should not be dogmatic in our assertions. One view is that it refers to the same world power that was symbolized by the sixth trumpet (Revelation 9:13-19)--the Turkish Empire from which arose Mahometanism. The probability here is in the facts that the Euphrates River is mentioned in both passages and that the "false prophet," mentioned in verse 13, presumably is Mahomet, the founder of this false system of religion. Elliott and Barnes both defend Mahomthis- view and give historical events to indicate that etanism about A.D. 1820 began a gradual loss of power, signified by the waters of the river Euphrates drying up. Probably the most plausible reason for this view is that such a great religious power as Mahometanism would hardly be left out of a system of symbols designed to portray the destinies of the church over a period when Mahometanism ruled so much of the world. The other theory is that this plague was to affect spiritual Babylon, and this is based upon the supposed fact that the destruction of ancient Babylon furnished the imagery here. The intimation in Jeremiah 51:36 was carried out when Cyrus drained the river Euphrates and entered the city of Babylon through its bed. As Babylon in this book (Revelation 17:3-5) clearly represents the false or harlot church, the drying of the Euphrates may prefigure its gradual decline and final overthrow. In the first few words of this paragraph we have portrayed the coming of the final great struggle between sin and righteousness, error and truth, in which the right will prevail. The time covered is from the early part of the nineteenth century till the coming of Jesus. that the way might be made ready for the kings that come from the sunrising.--Again commentators are much at variance about who the kings are and the purpose of their coming. The word "king" sometimes stands for kingdom. (see Daniel) Possibly it here means the nations east of the Euphrates. If so, the application to the Mahometan races may be correct, in which case the drying of the river may mean the gradual loss of Mahometan power and the consequent coming to the gospel by people in such countries. If applied to papal Rome, the same thing would be true. In either case any weakening of enemies of the truth will lend it strength and lead to final victory. This is a general fact regardless of any special views of the details here mentioned. That we are now in the general trend of events leading to the "war of the great day of God" is evident from this paragraph, but how long will it be till that day arrives must be left to the infinite wisdom and power of God. 13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs:--In this vision John saw the sources from which would come the enemies of the truth that will be united against it in the final struggle. They are enemies of the truth now, but will at last unite their forces in some way in a final desperate effort to destroy Christianity. Unclean spirits are in the next verse called "spirits of demons"--that is, evil spirits. They appeared to John as frogs, for which it is not easy to give a satisfactory reason ; hence, no effort will be made here. Naturally unclean spirits would come from an evil source and operate through evil means. The dragon is called the devil (Revelation 12:9) and described as the deceiver of the whole world. Whatever means or agencies are used to propagate evil, the devil is the original source; he operates through them. As the devil's first great persecutions against the church came through pagan Rome, the dragon here, doubtless, is a symbol for paganism, which may also be called idolatry. This would include any and all nations under the influence of idolatrous teaching. The application of the word "beast" in this verse depends upon whether or not the "false prophet" is to be identified as the second beast (Revelation 13:11-13), which we have already decided is papal Rome--the apostate church. If this identity be conceded, then "beast" in this verse must be something different from the Roman Church. Apparently nothing is left but to apply it to the political Roman Empire through which papal Rome exercised its power. If so, it would probably be the emblem for any and all corrupt political governments through which Satan can exercise his destructive power against the church. If the "false prophet" may refer to Mahomet and the system of Mahometanism, then the "beast" in this text would apply to the apostate church. Whatever may be the correct application of the three destructive forces, we are safe in saying that idolatry, corrupt political powers, and false religions in the name of Christ will be the combined forces Satan will use in his last effort to destroy Christianity. Coming from the mouths of the three indicates that these evil forces will be exercised through the teaching of false doctrines. 14 for they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. --Thatthese false religious powers would claim to perform miracles in support of their teachings is what would naturally be expected. It is plainly prophesied of the apostate church. (Revelation 13:11-13; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12.) By means of their false doctrines the nations of the world are to be so corrupted that they will be led to fight against the truth in the last war. When this time conies, which is here called the "great day of God," his wrath against evil on this earth will be finished. (15:1.) When this time will be is known only to the Father himself. (Matthew 24:36-39.) 15 (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.)--Suddenly or unexpectedly will the time arrive for this final blow--it will be at the coming of the Lord. Paul said "the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." (1 Thessalonians 5:2.) See also Revelation 3:3; Revelation 3:13. To watch for an event means to be constantly prepared for it. Those who are faithful till death (Matthew 24:13; Revelation 2:11) will be happy, for they will not be taken unprepared. To keep his garments is a figurative expression. It probably means that as one who puts off his garments takes the risk of having them lost, leaving him naked, so one who lays aside his righteousness will find himself exposed to shame when the Lord comes. This verse is a parenthetical expression in which saints are warned and exhorted to faithfulness. 16 And they gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew Har-Magedon.--This verse does not describe the war of the great day of God, but simply mentions the gathering together for it. It is entirely unnecessary to suppose that this language means that all forces of good and evil will meet at any one place to engage in a physical warfare. This is symbolic language and only indicates that in the final struggle the forces of good will prevail. At his coming Jesus will slay "with the breath of his mouth" the man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2:8), but how many or what means he will use is not revealed. He will only have to speak the word and events will transpire. This verse mentions Har-Magedon as the place where this battle will be fought, but this is clearly a symbolic use of the term just as the final abode of the lost is called Gehenna, which literally means a valley east of Jerusalem where refuse was continually burned. Symbolically, it stands for torment and lamentation. It cannot mean that all the lost will dwell in that little place, but they will endure a continual punishment that is fitly represented by the perpetual burning in the literal Gehenna. In like manner Har-Magedon, referring to a famous battlefield where decisive victories were lost and won, figuratively describes the last decisive victory over the power of evil. The name means the mountain of Megiddo, but the battles were doubtless fought in the valley near that mountain. (2 Chronicles 35:22.) There Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera and his army (Judges 5:19), and Josiah was slain (2 Kings 23:29-30.) It was also referred to as a place of great mourning. (Zechariah 12:11.) Being such a noted place of Jewish wars, it becomes, like Marathon or Waterloo, emblematic of any decisive battlefield; hence, appropriately represents Satan's final defeat in whatever way that battle may be fought.Commentary on Revelation 16:12-16 by Foy E. Wallace 8. In the history of Israel the armies invading their lands had come from the river Euphrates, and that historical fact was used in Revelation 16:12 as the symbol of Judea being over-run from that quarter. The drying of the river Euphrates that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared represented the removal of all barriers which hindered the progress of the powers to strike the final blow of the war against Judah and Jerusalem. It was related in symbolism to the feat of Cyrus in the military operation to divert the same river Euphrates for the capture of the old literal Babylon. This historical basis may be reasonably regarded as supplying the outline of this imagery. (6) The smiting of the Euphrates which evaporated its waters: “ And the. sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared” –Revelation 16:12. It has been noted that the symbol of this verse was based on the history of Israel’ s enemies invading Judea from beyond the Euphrates in their western aggressions. The drying of the river by the pouring of the sixth vial symbolizes obliterating all deterrents to the hordes overrunning Judea and besieging Jerusalem. An allusion to the Israelites crossing over the emptied bed of the Jordan was not outside the imagery, in which application judgment was executed on the nation there victorious but here apostate. The verses that follow Revelation 16:13-16 describe the gathering armies for the final battle in the overthrowof Jerusalem, with the spiritual overtones of the conflict between the forces of Judaism and heathenism on one side, and Christianity (the church) on the other. Previous comments in verse 16 of this chapter on Armageddon make further discussion here unnecessary. It is sufficient to add that the sixth plague was descriptive of the battle which destroyed this symbolic Babylon-- the apostate harlot Jerusalem, causing great mourning for Jerusalem among the Jewish tribes everywhere. 9. The incidents of Rev 16:13-14 is an apocalypse of the prevailing conditions before and during the siege of Jerusalem--the symbolic description of the pervading influence of seducers, deceivers, false prophets, and pseudo-signs, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect, as narrated in Matthew 24:11-24, and verified in the histories of Josephus and Pliny. These demoniac spirits of seduction which were like frogs came out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. The frog has ever been a symbol of magical signs and that amphibious creature was here employed to signify the combined effort of the imperial minions to deceive and seduce the dwellers of Judea and Palestine. It was this same demoniac spirit of Rev 16:14 that inspired the kings of the earth (the provincial kings of Palestine) and of the whole world (the imperial rulers) to gather their armies for the battle of that great day of God Almighty. All the evidence necessary to sustain the claim that this day of God referred to the destruction of Jerusalem is the comparison with the prophecy of Zechariah (chapter 14) on the destruction of Jerusalem. The chapter begins with reference to the day of the Lord, and the entire chapter was a description of the siege and devastation of the city and the employment of high metaphors of peace and blessing that followed. In further support of the parallel between Zechariah 14:1 and Revelation 16:14, the analysis of the Zechariah chapter from the author’ s book, GOD’ S WORD, is here inserted : We shall not here read the chapter, but rather refer to its contents verse by verse. Zechariah 14:1-21 is almost universally used as “ a second coming of Christ chapter” but it is a “ destruction of Jerusalem chapter” instead. Verse 1: “ Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.” The symbolic “ day of the Lord” here is the same expression precisely that is used in Isaiah 13:9 in reference to the destruction of Babylon. If the destruction of Babylon could be called “ the day of the Lord,” why not the destruction of Jerusalem? That expression does not mean the second coming of Christ in either of these passages. Compare Isaiah 13:1-22 as a prophecy against Babylon, Isaiah 17:1-14 as a prophecy against Damascus, Isaiah 18:1-7 as a prophecy against Ethiopia, Isaiah 19:1-25 as a prophecy against Egypt, with Zechariah 14:1-21 as a prophecy against Jerusalem, and it can be seen that the assertions of the millennialists that Zechariah is prophesying the second coming of Christ and the millennium are wrong. Verse 2: “ For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” The historical accounts of the siege of Jerusalem by Josephus, Pliny, Horne and Clarke fulfill Zechariah’ s descriptions. Reference to “ nations gathered for battle” is a description of besieged Jerusalem, the houses rifled and the women ravished. The same description is found in Isaiah 13:1-22 (see verses 15 and 16), concerning the fall and destruction of Babylon. The comparison is forceful. Verse 3: “ Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations as when he fought in the day of battle.” Factually, all the nations were represented in the Roman army, and God afterward fought against them by means of the Northern nations. Read Zechariah 9:14-15 : “ And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning; and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south. The Lord of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones.” The visitations are figurative, of course, but nevertheless significant of the fact that all the nations referred to “ against” whom the Lord “ fought” were destroyed. Verse 4: “ And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.” The prophetic declaration that “ his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem,” does not refer to the second coming of Christ but rather to the siege of Jerusalem. Jesus Christ stood with his feet on the mount of Olives when he uttered the doom of the city. The Roman general stood on the mount of Olives when Jerusalem was besieged. The formations of the battle lines, entrenchments and redoubts, the circumvallations of the Romans, all enter into the graphic description and portrayal of the prophet that the mount should “ cleave in the midst” and “ toward the north” and “ toward the south.” Verses 5-7: “ And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.” Obviously, these verses are a metaphorical description of the mixture of divine mercy with justice. After the visitation there would be light--the diffusion of divine knowledge. This did follow the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Jewish state. Verses 8-9: “ And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.” The only consistent application of this language is a spiritual fulfillment in the gospel of Christ and the church. Who is ready to deny that the clause “ in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one,” refers to the present dispensation? There is one Lord, his name is one, and the Lord is “ king over all the earth.” It finds its fulfillment in the church of Christ where there is neither Jew nor Gentile, but all one in Christ, and one Lord over all. Verses 16-17: “ And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem, shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.” If these verses are not figurative, if they are to be taken literally, then all nations and families must literally go up to Jerusalem and literally offer animal sacrifices and keep the Passover, restore Judaism with all of its literal ceremonies, in order in fulfill the prophecy. That would be a complete re-establishment of old Judaism and everything that characterized it, all of which was taken away. But if these verses are not literal, then the application made of the whole chapter by the millennialists loses its force. These last verses refer to the expansion of the blessings of the gospel dispensation after the destruction of Jerusalem. Upon all who received the gospel, its blessings descended as rain; but to the unbelievers who rejected the gospel “ upon them shall be no rain” --all such are barred from its promises and privileges. The simple truth of the matter is that as Isaiah 13:1-22 is a prophecy on the destruction of Babylon, Zechariah 14:1-21 is a prophecy on the destruction of Jerusalem. It does not teach millennialism in “ a sentence or a syllable.“ --GOD’ S WORD, pp. 246-9. Thus the downfall of Babylon in Isaiah 13:1-22, and of Jerusalem in Zechariah 14:1-21, Matthew 24:1-51, and in Revelation were described with identical symbolism. The evidence is preponderant that the gathering for the battle of that great day of God portended the over-running of Judea and the onslaught against Jerusalem by the Roman armies, set forth in numerous visional developments; which included the uprisings, insurrections and rebellions that diverted the powers of evil from the afflictions of the church. (2) A parenthesis of beatitudes—Revelation 16:15. Among the portents of persecution and catastrophe of the apocalypse, there are to be found declarations of consummate bliss and blessedness in a series of beatitudes. This cluster of precious and promising assurances to besieged, encompassed and beleaguered Christians shine through the text of Revelation with the brightest luster, like diamonds that flash and send forth a thousand rays as the sun falls upon them. These apocalyptic beatitudes, seven in number, are collated with comments in Revelation 22:14. One of these scintillating assurances mingled with ominous overtones is in this verse: “ Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” The warning words of Rev_1615 are the interposition of another parenthetical beatitude comparable to Revelation 1:3 and Revelation 14:13. A blessing is pronounced on all that watch, for God would come in these events as a thief. The phrase as a thief does not indicate the element of surprise, but rather of preparedness. Jesus gave the signs of these events in Matthew 24:25 : “ Behold, I have told you before”; and in Verse 33, “ so likewise ye, when he shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” This same event must have been the object of Paul’ s exhortation to the Thessalonians, in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4, in reference to “ the day of the Lord,” saying that they were “ not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief"-- that is, having knowledge of it, they would abide in preparation for the ominous events. (3) The gathering forces of Armageddon—Revelation 16:16. The outpouring of the seventh vial into the air, verses sixteen and seventeen symbolized the sphere of life and influence in contradistinction with the earth as the place of nations, and with the heaven, which denoted the ruling authorities. In this context the great battle of Armageddon was envisioned: And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. The name Armageddon was derived from mount Megiddo, which was located in a valley now known as the plain of Esdraelon. It was the battlefield of nations in Jewish history. It was in this valley of Megiddo that Deborah and Barak overthrew Sisera and annihilated the hosts of Midianite oppressors. (Judges 5:19) It was in “ this valley of Jehoshaphat” where he triumphed over the ambushments of the combined armies of Ammon and Moab and “ the fear of the Lord was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.” (2 Chronicles 20:22-30) In this valley (designated in later history as the plain of Esdraelon) the Jews and the Saracens and the Egyptians, the Druses and the Turks and the warriors of many hostile nations, pitched their battles; and thus the battlefield of mount Megiddo became a universal proverb. Under the word Armageddon, the original Bible Dictionary of Philip Schaff states that it was “ a name used figuratively in Revelation 16:16, and suggested by the great battlefield noted in the Old Testament and now known as the Plain of Esdraelon.” This figure in the text of the apocalypse was employed not for the physical location but for the battle imagery. The deepest affliction of Jerusalem could be symbolized in no stronger terms of mourning, as prophesied by Zechariah in Zechariah 12:11 : “ In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.” The personage designated Gog in connection with this battle imagery, was the king of a country that sustained relations of hostility to Israel. The names Gog and Magog were used identically and are associated in Revelation 20:7-9 as a type of the enemies of Christ. It becomes evident that the symbolic adaptation of Armageddon rises above the physical slaughter that overwhelmed Jerusalem and Judah to the hostile forces of evil surrounding the church, personified as Gog and Magog. It was therefore symbolic of the battle against Christianity--the forces of Judaism on the one side and of heathenism on the other. But the Rider of the white horse was the Conqueror; the Son of man appearing on the white cloud was the Victor; the saints robed in white garments were the Overcomers; in all of the symbols and imagery of the visions and in surviving the persecutions, the church emerged in victory to make the kingdoms of this world (Revelation 11:15) become the kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ by the universal sway of the gospel. This is consistent with the repeated emphasis of the early chapters of the apocalypse in the letters addressed to the seven churches, that the period through which they were passing was the tribulation era of the church. Commentary on Revelation 16:12-16 by Walter ScottSIXTH BOWL OF WRATH. Revelation 16:12-16. — “And the sixth poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates; and its water was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared. And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. Three unclean spirits, as frogs; for they are (the) spirits of demons, doing signs; which go out to the kings of the whole habitable world to gather them together to the war of (that) great day of God the Almighty. (Behold I come as a thief. Blessed (is) he that watches and keeps his garments, that he may not walk naked, and that they (may not) see his shame.) And He gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew Armageddon.” THE . “ The great river Euphrates.” (See remarks on Revelation 9:14-15.) This justly celebrated river is the largest in western Asia, and figures largely in history and prophecy. It is first named in Genesis 2:1-25, and last mentioned in Revelation 16:12. The two apocalyptic references to it are expressed in exactly the same terms (Revelation 9:14; Revelation 16:12). The Euphrates formed the limit in the east of Roman conquest, and forms the eastern boundary of enlarged Palestine (“ In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18). Thus the Nile on the west and the Euphrates on the east are the prophetic limits of the land. David and Solomon pushed their conquests on the eastern side of the kingdom up to the borders of the great Asian river, but they were unable to hold them for any length of time. Genesis 15:18 is of future and permanent application.) in the future. It has ever stood as a geographical barrier, a natural separating bulwark between the west and the east. The golden Bowl of the sixth angel is poured on the great river, so that its water was dried up. (An account of this remarkable and interesting river may here be given, geographically and commercially too, the largest and most important of the rivers of western Asia, and frequently referred to in Scripture. Its entire length, from its rise in the Armenian mountains to the Persian Gulf, is about 1780 miles. Its depth and width vary according to locality and season. From the month of March to May, owing to the melting of the snow on the mountains and the heavy rains, the river rises considerably, and hence both depth and width are greatly increased. There are two sources to this river, both found in the highlands of Armenia considerably apart. These form into streams which combine at a place called Kebben Maden. Here the river is about 120 yards wide. About 750 miles from its mouth it flows over a large alluvial plain, where it widens to about 900 yards. After flowing through mountains for about 45 miles, it emerges at Sumeisat, 1195 miles from the sea, and is navigable for light vessels the whole distance, while for the last 150 miles vessels of 500 tons can safely navigate the river. Up to the time of Elizabeth it was the commercial highway to India. At Bei the Euphrates is distant from the nearest shore of the Mediterranean about 100 miles, and is there said to be about 630 feet above the level of that great sea. At Kurnah, 90 miles above the Persian Gulf, it is joined by the Tigris, and is then spoken of as Shatt-el-Arab. Then the river, under this new name, flows steadily on till it empties itself by several arms into the Persian Gulf, the link between the Euphrates and the Indian Ocean. From Kurnah, the meeting place of the rivers, is an area of about 108,000 square miles, and its average breadth 600 feet. There is abundance of fish in the waters. Anciently the rivers Tigris and Euphrates were connected by navigable canals, which made Nineveh and Babylon the great centers of commerce for the eastern and western worlds. There were also numerous dykes, canals, aqueducts, and other artificial means for the irrigation of the poor and unproductive soil of the country, so cleverly planned as to equal in scientific skill anything produced by our modern engineers. Alexander the Great, in fixing his seat of empire in the east, so fully appreciated the natural and artificial advantages of the river that he personally superintended the repair and enlargement of those mighty works which had so greatly helped the Babylonian empire in its commercial greatness.) The barrier is removed by this act of judgment, so that the eastern nations can the more readily pour their armies into Canaan. We gather from the object in view that the Euphrates, or part, will be literally dried up, miraculously no doubt. A somewhat similar judgment will be witnessed in the west (Isaiah 11:15). Both the Nile and the Euphrates are dealt with — the western and the eastern boundaries of the land of Palestine. There need be no difficulty in accepting the statement in our text in its full and literal sense. The future is brimful of wonders and startling events, and if the river divides the east from the west, that of necessity must be removed sufficiently to allow the eastern armies under their respective kings to cross the country and assemble in Palestine. The reason of divine judgment on the river is “that the way of the kings FROM (not “of” as in the Authorized Version) the rising of the sun (A beautiful Oriental and poetical expression, signifying the east, where the sun rises.) might be prepared.” These kings cannot be the Jews, a strange supposition. The mass of the Jewish people will enter the land from the west, while Ephraim or the ten tribes are restored chiefly from the north and south. Besides, it is not the kings of the east, but from the east, peoples on the eastern side of the Euphrates, that are in question. We see no reason why the Turkish empire should be referred to in the naming of the Euphrates in either of the two texts where the river is named in the New Testament. Turkey is not referred to in the Scriptures at all. It needs no prophetic statement nor remarkable foresight to predict the falling to pieces of that most corrupt and the worst governed power on earth. Its dismemberment has commenced, and its complete and final overthrow is only a matter of time, and not a long one either. Palestine and adjacent countries, now part of the Ottoman empire, are rapidly coming to the front. This assemblage of opposing forces in the Holy Land is prefigured in that millennial chapter, Genesis 14:1-24. In and about Judea God will gather the nations and kingdoms to pour upon them His indignation and fierce anger (Zephaniah 3:8). Persia, Ethiopia, etc., are under the power of Russia and follow in the train of Gog, the last ruler of the Russian peoples (Ezekiel 38:2-6). Greece seems to act an independent part in the near crisis (Zechariah 9:13), but all these powers are politically hostile to restored Judah (Psalms 83:1-18; Zechariah 12:1-14; Zechariah 14:1-21). Egypt will be subordinate to and an ally of the Beast, and thus an object of attack by the king of the north — Israel’ s determined political foe (Daniel 11:25; Daniel 11:29; Daniel 11:42-44). The Beast and Gog are opposing powers. Their policy and aims are widely different. The former is the would-be protector of the Jewish people; the latter their destroyer.A SATANIC TRINITY. Not only are natural hindrances and barriers removed, so that the great Asiatic powers might have the way prepared to take their allotted part in the conflict and confederacy of the last days, but Satan himself provides a “ universal ministry” to effect the most gigantic combination of opposing forces ever witnessed. The sixth Bowl of wrath is not exhausted in the judgment on the Euphrates. There are “ three unclean spirits,” termed the “ spirits of demons,” likened to frogs — loathsome, filthy, disgusting, bred out of the mire and pestilential vapors and moral wickedness of the corrupt scene — these are sent out on their terrible mission. They are to influence by word, and sign, and miracle the peoples of the earth; to lure them on to the “ war of (that) great day of God Almighty.” God is about to set His King on mount Zion (Psalms 2:1-12), so the might of the whole habitable earth is gathered to thwart and defeat the divine purpose. It is a universal gathering of the powers. A trinity of evil — the concentrated malignant influence of Satan — is employed to effect the gathering together of the kings of the earth. These spirits issue out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beast, and out of the mouth of the False Prophet. The mouth is regarded as the source and means of destructive agency (Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:16; Revelation 9:17; Revelation 19:15; see also Isaiah 11:4). The dragon not only works actively to effectuate his plans, but his two prime ministers share in the work — the Beast and the False Prophet. The former is the vast apostate civil and political power of Rome; the latter is the second Beast of Rev 13:1-18, here termed for the first time the False Prophet, as by his lies and influence he can the more readily act upon the peoples. We have here a combination of direct satanic power, apostate brute force, and malignant influence, all employed in this hellish work (compare with 1 Kings 22:1-53). . Revelation 16:16. — “And He gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew Armageddon.” The pronoun he no doubt refers to God. He is behind the scenes and the actors in this judicial judgment and course of dealing. It is God Almighty, therefore, Who effects, in righteous retribution, this vast gathering of the nations, employing the dragon, His declared enemy, and the great apostate chiefs of earth to carry out His purpose. Why is the gathering place Armageddon? There the Canaanitish kings gave battle to Israel, but Jehovah fought with and for His people, and the signal victory granted to Israel is celebrated in glowing and triumphant strains by Deborah, the prophetess (Judges 5:19-20). Now one great object which the assembled nations have before them is to crush and overthrow Israel (Psalms 83:3-5), but God intervenes, and effectually destroys them and delivers His own, as He did in the early days of the Judges. The early victory is here alluded to as a pledge and earnest of the latter. It is not that the actual hill of Megiddo or its valley is to be the gathering center of the nations; its circumscribed area must forbid any such notion. But the simple meaning is that God will have gathered by satanic agency many of the nations of the earth to Palestine, their object being to overthrow and crush Israel, and fling themselves in their combined might against Jehovah. But, alas for them, they do so only to their own destruction. God pours upon the assembled nations His fury (see the prophets Joel and Zephaniah). It has been remarked that the valley of Jehoshaphat is the place of slaughter, and Armageddon the place of gathering by the nations. Both places, however, are intended to present in principle certain closing scenes in the last days. Both the mountain and valley point to a future assembling of kings and peoples in the land of Palestine, and probably in the vicinity of Jerusalem. There the great governmental question of the sovereignty of the earth is to be decided in the complete overthrow of the nations, and in the establishment of the world kingdom of our God and of His Christ; in the settlement, too, of Israel in perpetual possession of her land, and in headship and supremacy of the nations in the millennial earth. VIEW. But now we must retrace our steps somewhat. It will be observed that Revelation 16:16 naturally follows, and indeed completes the subject of Rev 16:14, hence the passage between (Revelation 16:15) forms a parenthesis of great moral value. “ Behold I come as a thief.” The kings and peoples gathered by satanic agency shall in the moment of apparent success and victory be suddenly surprised by the Advent of the Lord in glory (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3). The whole world will be asleep in midnight moral darkness, and congratulating itself on “ peace and safety,” when suddenly the Lord Himself bursts in upon the scene, unexpectedly, as a thief in the night. That aspect of the Coming neither forms our hope not causes fear (v. 4). We are not of the night, nor of darkness, and hence can never be so overtaken. To us, ere the day breaks, He appears as the bright and morning star. Then the parenthesis closes with a serious word of much-needed instruction at all times, but especially at the moment and occasion of this latter-day prophecy. The believer who in that day “ watches and keeps his garments” is pronounced “ blessed.” It is not here a question of life or salvation, but of walk. How needful then, as at all times, to look carefully to one’ s ways, lest there be exposure in sight of the enemy, and they see our shame and moral nakedness. VIAL AND TRUMPET . In bringing our remarks on the sixth Vial to a close we would briefly note the correspondence between it and the sixth Trumpet. In both the Euphrates is named. In both, too, the Asiatic powers take their part in conflict; various other points of resemblance may be noted by careful readers. We may further remark that the sixth Vial in itself does not present a scene of conflict by the various powers, nor does it unfold a universal slaughter; it rather points to the general gathering of the peoples from all parts of the earth, so that they are there when the Lord comes in power (Revelation 19:1-21). Other Scriptures, however, enable us to fill in details. One or two statements to emphasize points of prophetic truth are important to grasp. Judea, especially in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, is the final gathering place of the nations and peoples of the earth. Most of the nations, particularly those in the north and east, seek to destroy the Jewish commonwealth, then politically restored and in measure upheld by the western powers. All the nations are more or less combined in undying hatred to God and to His Christ, and all are judged and punished at the Lord’ s Advent in power (Revelation 19:1-21; Isaiah 66:1-24; Zechariah 14:1-21). Commentary on Revelation 16:12-16 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 16:12. The great river Euphrates has played an important part in God's dealing with his people in their relation with the nations. The city of Babylon was situated upon its banks. When the time came for the overthrow of the first of the "four world empires" (the Babylonian), it was accomplished by diverting the stream from its regular channel. When that was done the water was lowered (was dried up) so that the soldiers of Cyrus (kings of the east) could march into the city and slay the man on the throne. All of this describes a literal event in history, but it is used to form the phraseology for the overthrow of another Babylon ("Mystery Babylon the Great"), which had been brought into existence by the union of church and state. Revelation 16:13. Frogs are slimy, loathsome creatures and are used to represent three very loathsome powers and individuals. They are the dragon (Satan, Revelation 12:9), the beast (Rome) and the false prophet. The last phrase is singular in grammatical form but does not refer to any particular one of the false prophets. It means the group of evil workers who used their deceptive tactics to mislead the people all over the domain or the dominions of Rome. Revelation 16:14. Devils means the demons by which the apostate church imposed upon the victims of their treachery. Working miracles is explained at Revelation 13:14, and it is the same that Paul predicts in 2 Thessalonians 2:9 as follows: "Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders." Revelation 16:1. The great voice was out of the temple. That means it was from God, for we have learned in the preceding chapter that no man was able to be in the temple at this time. The seven angels have been given the vials of divine wrath, now the voice bids them empty their contents in the places deserving such treatment. Revelation 16:15. This verse is in the nature of a parenthesis because it speaks of the coming of Christ, at which time all things on the earth will end. But the preceding verse mentions a battle that is to continue until that event, and the verse following our present one will go back to the beginning of that battle as to its coverage of time. Revelation 16:16. Armageddon is the Greek word of the original text spelled with English letters. The literal meaning of the word as defined in Thayer's lexicon is "destruction." It is the action referred to by "battle" in Revelation 16:14 which means war in general, not merely a single fight. This will be commented upon at length at chapter 20.Commentary on Revelation 16:12-16 by Burton CoffmanRev_16:12 And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river, the river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way might be made ready for the kings that come from the sunrising.And the sixth poured out his bowl ... upon the Euphrates ... Pieters thought that, "The interpretation of this has not been found, and probably cannot be found."[32] Despite this, he mentioned an understanding of it that might well have the key to what is meant: Dr. Grijdamus looks upon the Euphrates as the symbolical prophetic boundary between Christendom and heathendom.[33]This must be at least a part of the correct answer. One of the most hurtful and damaging corruptions of the spiritual environment is the breaching of barriers between the church and the world. Of course, that is not exactly what Grijdamus meant, but his comment suggested it. The extent of this breach is seen when a so-called Christian church ordains a homosexual preacher, throws a drinking party in the physical plant of the church itself, or teaches adultery and fornication under the guise of their being a "new morality." Plummer approached this view when he wrote, "It means that a barrier that wards off hostile hosts is lost."[34] The making of sin to be popular and acceptable in churches themselves would indeed be exactly that type of removing barriers. Carpenter's perceptive comment was: There may come a time, after false principles have been taught, corrupt manners tolerated, and the light of better things darkened, when the public sentiment loses all sense of shame, and when the decorums of life, which have acted as a breakwater against the tide of outrageous evil, are swept away; then is the Euphrates dried up, and then may the hostile powers of evil, unrestrained by any considerations, unchecked by the popular conscience, cross boldly over and invade the whole sacred soil of human life.[35]Valvoord noted that, "as many as fifty different interpretations have been advanced regarding the dried up Euphrates,"[36] but we are confident that the meaning lies somewhere within the sector indicated above. That the way may be ready for the kings that come from the sunrising ... When the boundary between right and wrong, between the church and the world, is dried up, "the kings of the east" will come to exploit their advantage. These are not to be understood as allies of righteousness, but as enemies of it. But they come from the east, "the sunrising." In our interpretation, this merely means that they come from "beyond" the violated boundary. Forces of evil will enter and dominate what was once true religion. Their being called kings should not mislead us; their names are given in the very next verse. [32] Albertus Pieters, op. cit., p. 244. [33] Ibid. [34] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 395. [35] W. Boyd Carpenter, op. cit., p. 608. [36] Valvoord as quoted by Robert H. Mounce, Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), p. 298. Revelation 16:13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs:Out of the mouth of the dragon ... the beast ... the false prophet ... Ah! Here are the "kings of the east" mentioned above. Their purpose in crossing the boundary will quickly appear. Three unclean spirits, as it were frogs ... "Their evil influence is shown under the figure of frogs, because it was by producing frogs that the magicians deceived Pharaoh (Exodus 8:7).[37] The next verse tells us more about these frogs. "To say that they come out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet is to say that their words are like plagues, unclean, empty futilities and allies of the powers of darkness."[38] The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet were accurately identified by Summers as "the devil, godless government and false religion."[39] Lange called these frogs "the modern nightingales who announce the new springtime of mankind."[40] From the dirtiness and slimey nature of the frogs, we may conclude that they are the devil's propaganda agents, making a lot of noise like frogs, but being in themselves small, weak, dirty, and despicable. [37] J. R. Dummelow. Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1086. [38] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 130. [39] Ray Summers, op. cit., p. 189. [40] Lange as quoted by Lenski, op. cit., p. 477. Revelation 16:14for they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.With the barrier breached and Satan's propagandists able to operate in the church itself, the ultimate crisis will soon arrive. They are spirits of demons ... Their teaching is satanic, motivated by the hatred of God and of his truth. Working signs ... Not merely the priests of the ancient emperor cult, but the Medieval apostate religion with its bleeding and speaking images, and its miracles, such as driving the snakes out of Ireland, are examples of the "signs" done by the frogs. The lying miracles of the man of sin are meant (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). To gather them together unto the war ... This refers to the kings of the earth who are thus gathered. Plummer identified these as, "those who sin and delight in the possession of the pleasures of this world."[41] Thus, the frogs had the spirit of the devil, and the people had the spirit of the world. The result was a foregone certainty. They joined forces for the great spiritual battle. This brings us to the threshold of Armageddon. ENDNOTE: [41] A. Plummer. op. cit., p. 396. Revelation 16:15(Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.)There is no need to write this in parentheses as in our version. This warning of the Second Advent of Christ has the utility of emphasizing the spiritual nature of the conflict and the individual responsibility of Christians not to be taken unaware. This forbids our looking for any great deployment of world armies in this "war." Absolutely nothing in this whole passage justifies the notion of massive world armies deployed in some gargantuan military conflict. The war in view here is taking place in the hearts of people. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments ... This verse is the order of the day for the soldiers of Christ. It is not preparation for a literal battle of some kind, but a matter of prayer and watchfulness, and of "keeping" one's garments of purity, morality, and fidelity to Christ. That a soldier metaphor is employed here seems certain. Bruce relates how: According to the Mishna, the captains of the temple in Jerusalem went their rounds of the precincts at night, and if a member of the temple police was caught asleep at his post, his clothes were taken off and burned, and he was sent away naked in disgrace.[42]There could be another hint of the same thing in Revelation 3:17-18. "The kind of spiritual preparedness that Christ requires is the discernment which cuts through the deceptive propaganda of Satan and his henchmen."[43] Of course, the great thrust of these verses is that, "the battle of the war" (Revelation 16:14) is a daily one in which "Christians are themselves engaged."[44] It is a war going on in people's hearts. What then is signaled or symbolized by Armageddon? See below. [42] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 657. [43] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 301. [44] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 396. Revelation 16:16 And they gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew [Har-Magedon].Note that there is no "battle" of any kind mentioned here. "Not a word is said about the Lord God's army."[45] Why should Almighty God need an army? "There is no such place as Har-Magedon. The name is symbolic. It signifies a conflict, not carnal, but a spiritual conflict."[46] Beckwith's comment on this, described by Strauss as "the best anywhere,"[47] states that "the name is unquestionably purely mystical, an imaginary name."[48] "John means the place of the final struggle between the powers of evil and the kingdom of God."[49] And where is any such place if it is not in the hearts of people? The entire unscriptural concept of the so-called "Battle of Armageddon" as some kind of a super-colossal showdown on some earthly battlefield is totally illogical, and contrary to the whole teaching of Christ. Even writers who generally maintain their spiritual understanding of this prophecy have a tendency to "go literal" here. Why? Could it ever be supposed that the Almighty God will fight a literal battle on earth? Remember who God is. He needs no army. Respect for the general opinions on this by many sincere people suggests that we list some of the places which have been suggested as the site of this battle: The battle is to take place in Rome.[50] All the armies and leaders are gathered in Palestine.[51] It is every battle when need is greatest, and the Lord suddenly reveals his power, as when Sennacherib was slain.[52] It will be on the greatest natural battlefield in the world, in the valley of Jehoshaphat to the north of Palestine among the hills of Megiddo.[53] Etc., etc. It is difficult to understand how such a literal earthly battle could decide either the victory or the defeat of righteousness. Even if such a battle were to take place, how could the place of a literal battle make any difference? Eller, with his usual humor, suggested that, "Some might like to know just where it is to take place in order to be able to sell tickets!"[54] No actual place of this name is known, and the term is surely symbolical."[55] "If one expects this to be a literal, material battle, he must expect Satan's army to be headed by a committee of three frogs! Both figures are symbolical; neither is literal."[56] This battle is between the truth in Christ and the evil propaganda of Satan, and the truth of Christ will win. There is no waving of banners, no prancing of horses' hoofs; the warfare is spiritual, so there is in sight no camp, no foe. It is a conflict that arises out of various opinions and diverse principles. It is a war of principles and of morals.[57]Har-Magedon ... is the way this word appears in our ASV; and it seems to be associated with the plain of Esdraelon in Israel."[58] "There Israel achieved some of her greatest victories and suffered some serious defeats."[59] It may not, therefore, be associated with either victory or defeat. Perhaps it suggests "the place of decision." That place, of course, is in the hearts of men, of every man, of all people. [45] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 479. [46] Frank L. Cox, Revelation in 26 Lessons (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1956), p. 97. [47] James D. Strauss, op cit., p. 266. [48] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 685. [49] George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972), p. 216. [50] J. W. Roberts, The Revelation of John (Austin, Texas: The R. B. Sweet Company, 1974), p. 131. [51] W. A. Criswell, op. cit., p. 176. [52] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 196. [53] M. R. DeHaan, M.D., Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1946), p. 211. [54] Vernard Eller, op. cit., p. 151. [55] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 199. [56] Ray Summers, op. cit., p. 189. [57] W. Boyd Carpenter, op. cit., p. 609. [58] W. B. West, Article, Armageddon, in Gospel Advocate (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1978), February 23, p. 113. [59] Ibid. Commentary on Revelation 16:12-16 by Manly LuscombeBattle of Armageddon--We are now ready to study the sixth bowl of wrath. In the verses that follow, we will need to understand the term “ Armageddon.” There is much confusion and dissension about this matter. The most common view of this battle is a literal one. It is commonly held that the forces of Satan and the returned forces of Christ will meet in a great literal battle fought in the valley of Megiddo. It is believed that Christ will win the battle, bind Satan, and establish an earthly kingdom in Jerusalem for a period of 1000 years. In order to understand the term and its symbolic meaning we must trace some history of Israel. · Armageddon is from the Hebrew term “ Mountain of Megiddo” (In Hebrew, Har Megiddo) and refers to a very important mountain and the narrow valley below. · The narrow valley below Mt. Megiddo is the only passageway into Israel from the north. Syria and any nation north of Israel must march through this pass. As long as Israel could control this narrow valley, they could stop any invasion from the north.· At this location Gideon and his 300 defeated the Midianites. It was here that the Philistines defeated King Saul. Barak and Deborah defeat the Canaanite king, Jabin. Ahaziah was killed by Jehu here. As this location Pharaoh-Necho defeated Josiah. Do you get the picture? This was the location of many decisive battles. Israel won some and lost some. This is not a place that represents defeat or victory. It does represent a place of great and decisive battles.· Ray Summers observes, “ Thus Megiddo fitly symbolized the worldwide distress of righteousness and evil engaged in deadly combat. This is not an actual material sword and spear battle. Such a thing would be at cross purposes with all the teachings of the New Testament, the ideals which Jesus held, his death on the cross, and all God’ s purposes of grace.” (2, 189) 12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. The sixth angel pours out a bowl of wrath on the river Euphrates. The river is dried up. This opens the way for the kings of the east to prepare for battle. IF we understand that this is symbolic, then it will be easy to see that the Euphrates was the boundary line. When there is a battle for territory someone draws a “ line in the sand” and declares here is the line. We will not move. This is the boundary. The Euphrates is symbolic of the boundary between the righteous and unrighteous. This is God’ s “ line in the sand.” The water that separates the saved from the lost is the water of the gospel in baptism. In this passage the water is dried up. The gospel is not being heard. People are not obeying the gospel. The hearts of the masses are so hardened that they will not respond to the gospel. This is consistent with the previous plagues where the people were so hardened that they refused to repent. Here, if they would repent, they would be baptized. (Acts 2:38). There is a similar description of sinful men in Romans 1:1-32. In this passage God “ gave them up” to their immoral desires. God, in effect, turned them loose and let them suffer the natural consequences of their evil deeds. 13 And 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. John next sees three unclean spirits. They are like frogs. NOTE: If the battle described here is literal, then the generals of the army are frogs. Here is another parallel with the plagues of Egypt - frogs. These frogs come directly from the mouth of the dragon, who is Satan. They come from the mouth of the beast (civil governmental power) and from the mouth of the false prophet (second beast of chapter 13). Here are the three “ generals” in Satan’ s army. Satan = evil personified; Beast = persecuting governments; False prophet = false religions. When you combine these three together you have the ways in which Satan seeks to harm, kill, persecute, destroy, and eliminate Christians. 14 For they are 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 that great day of God Almighty. These frogs / spirits / generals in Satan’ s army, appear to have the ability to perform miracles. Of course, the miracles are done by fraud and deceit. Combine the power of Satan with persecuting governments and the power of false religions, and you have a force to be reckoned with. They gather their followers together for a battle. They know they will be battling against God. In their pride and arrogance, they think they can win. The great Day of Judgment is coming. As the song expresses it, “ There’ s a Great Day Coming.” Christians in every period in history have had to fight the battle of Armageddon. There will always be a struggle between good and evil. The battle goes on internally - between our flesh and our spirit. (Galatians 5:16-18) The battle goes on when we are faced with a temptation. Like Peter, “ The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” But when the final battle is engaged - the Day of Judgment - God will be totally and completely victorious. We are told in Revelation 17:14 that there will be war against the Lamb and that “ the Lamb will overcome them.” 15 “ Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” The forces of Satan may think they are ready for battle. They have not seen battle until the meet the Almighty God. Amos warned of the serious mistake of thinking we are ready or able to take on God. “ Prepare to meet your God, O Israel,” (Amos 4:12) is not an invitation to get ready for a social fellowship with God. These words are a warning. Do you think you can meet God in battle and win? Jesus is coming. His coming is not going to be announced in advance. He will come in the same manner that a thief comes. When we least expect it. At the moment that we think He will not come. That is when he will come. In Matthew 24:36-51; Matthew 25:1-46, Jesus warns us to be always on guard, always prepared. We must constantly watch. Keep your garments clean. Don’ t get caught with your pure white robe stained, blotched, or torn. Keep it always clean, always fresh. The Christians at Sardis were warned to “ keep your garments.” (Revelation 3:4) 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. All these evil forces gather together. They think they are ready, but they are not. The Hebrew transliteration is “ Har Mageddon.” Any time one mentions “ Armageddon” , most will recognize the term and have some (usually mistaken) notion of what it means. Even movies have been made with this title. In Zechariah 12:11 this location is referred to as a valley of great mourning. This place is the “ Mountain of Sorrows.” Thus, the symbolic meaning of this term is a place of great sorrow. The enemies of God will be gathered together in the place of great sorrows. The amount of sorrow they experience will be like a mountain. They will suffer immense grief. They will endure immeasurable amounts of pain. I share with you some statements from Paul Rogers work: “ What does Armageddon mean to us? It still represents the conflict between good and evil and we need not expect a literal battle to usher in the coming of Christ. There is a sense in which every man has his personal Armageddon, which is fought daily, on the plains of conscience. It will be fought ever day and every hour until time is no more. However, we can take courage, as did the early disciples in the fact that God will ultimately triumph. Like them, we are surrounded by error and evil, with false religions very much in the predominance. And yet we know “ our labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). When the struggle is over, God will place his flag upon the highest hill, and the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever (Revelation 11:15).” (3, 68-69) Revelation 16:17-21 5. THE SEVENTH PLAGUE--THE END OF TIMERev_16:17-21 17 And the seventh poured out his bowl upon the air; --Other bowls were poured out upon the earth, sea, rivers, and sun. This one upon the air may be designed to show that by affecting all major parts of the material universe the complete and final overthrow of wickedness is indicated by the plagues. In Ephesians 2:2 Satan is represented as the "prince of the powers of the air." From this some expositors conclude that Satan's defeat is the thing specifically meant. That idea, of course, is included in the other view. At any rate, this plague briefly describes the final struggle, and therefore brings the end of time. This is clearly indicated by the expression, "It is done," and the announcement in Revelation 15:1 that the seven plagues will finish the wrath of God. The language of the paragraph harmonizes with this thought. and there came forth a great voice out of the temple, from the throne, saying, It is done:--his voice which John heard coming out of the temple and from the throne shows that it was God announcing the time of the end. It was so certain to occur that it was announced as if already done. This is an example of the past being used prophetically for the future. See Romans 4:17. 18 and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men upon the earth, so great an earthquake, so mighty.--After the great voice announced "it is done," John heard voices, thunders, and the rumblings of the earthquake which, he said, would be greater than any that had ever been before. The scene was lighted up with the flashes of lightnings. Such a commotion of natural elements would fittingly indicate the end of the material world, and symbolize the destruction of that part of the religious world under the control of Satan. The end of the world could hardly be described in more forceful words. The scene will be one to strike terror to all wicked hearts. 19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.--Babylon being mentioned in the latter part of the verse indicates that the "great city" refers to Babylon. John saw, in the vision, the city divided into three parts. Since the symbol refers to the end of the world, and consequently the destruction of spiritual Babylon also, then the three-part division of the city could hardly signify anything more than the complete destruction of the papal church, the number three indicating fullness. With this view the cities of the nations would mean all lesser religious bodies that help to make up the sum total of false doctrines. They, too, will come to an end. Ancient Babylon persecuted God's people and in turn was destroyed; so spiritual Babylon has persecuted God's church since the apostasy arose and must be destroyed. God's fierce wrath must in due time be poured out upon her. 20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.--This is but a part of the picture which John saw, and graphically portrays another feature of the final change at the end of time. 21 And great hail, every stone about the weight of a talent, cometh down out of heaven upon men:--This may be said in allusion to one of the plagues in Egypt. (Exodus 9:22-26.) This indicates that the distress and torment of that day will be terrible. Hail of such size would produce great sufferings, and be terrifying in the extreme. Such undoubtedly will be the case when the awful scenes of the day of God's wrath appear. and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof is exceeding great.--The wailing and blaspheming of the wicked at the judgment will do no good ; it will be too late to reform and serve God. This chapter gives this summary statement of a succession of judgments upon wickedness in general, and the apostate papal church in particular. The false religions have been weakened by the earlier plagues, but the final overthrow, briefly depicted in the paragraph, will occur at the coming of the Lord. That which has been but barely hinted at here will be more fully described in the following chapters.Commentary on Revelation 16:17-21 by Foy E. Wallace (4) The voice from the throne—Revelation 16:17. The great voice from the temple-throne that ordered the plagues, understood to be that of God Himself, now declared the end in verse seventeen--it is done--that is, the plagues had been accomplished, the mission of the seven angels had been fulfilled. The pouring out of the vial into the air symbolized that the sphere of the influence of the wicked nations was destroyed by the wrath of God in the seventh vial--it was the destroying of them that destroy; and is the same of apocalyptic characters as Isaiah 26:13-14, prophesying the decease of the wicked lords who had oppressed Israel: "O Lord our God, other lords have had dominion over us . . . they are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise; therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.” No clearer explanation could be made of the visions in Revelation in the pouring out of the vials of wrath upon the nations that persecuted the Bride of Christ, the Lamb--his church. (7) The last vial poured into the air, causing voices, thunders, lightenings and a great earthquake: “ And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake; such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great”—Revelation 16:17-18. As defined before, the symbol of the air represented the sphere of life and influence of the wicked nations. In Ephesians 2:1 Satan was named the prince of the power of the air-- not the actual exercise of power, but of influence--the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. In this symbol the great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne was not the voice of an angel, but of the Great God Himself. The great voice said: It is done. The time for the end of the judgments had come; the time for fall of the Harlot City; and the time for the punishments to follow on both Jewish and imperial persecutors of the church; all of which was signified by the distant rumbling of voices, thunders and lightnings. The earthquake everywhere used in the apocalypse symbolized the shaking of nations; and the effects of the fall of Jerusalem were not limited to Judea and the Jews--the mighty influence of the terrible events had a solemn impact of worldwide significance. With the removal of Judaism from the path of the church the way was opened for the universal expansion of Christianity, and the Lord’ s words in Matthew 24:31 were fulfilled: “ And he shall send his angels (emissaries) with a great sound of a trumpet (the proclamation of the gospel), and they shall gather together his elect (those converted by the gospel) from the four winds (every direction), from one end of heaven to the other (the remotest bounds of the habitation of men). And it was done. (5) The fall of Jerusalem and citadels of oppression—Revelation 16:18-21. The upheavals of Rev 16:18 in the visions of voices, and thunders, and lightnings . . . and a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the face of the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great, were the symbols of the fall of Jerusalem and the attending effects of the devastation of Judea, all of which resulted in the shaking of the nations of the empire itself; and though Jerusalem had fallen, the thunders and lightnings and earthquakes were not over until the persecuting nations received full measure of divine wrath from the cup of his indignation. History verifies the revolutionary reactions in governments symbolized by thunders and lightnings, culminating in wars between the nations of the empire in the coup d’ e tat of the conflict for power between the rulers, as in the wars of Nero Caesar. There is no need of leaving the ten epoch period of the persecutors signified in chapter 2:10 for the fulfillment of these symbols. As was true of the signs in Matthew 24:34, it was true of these symbols also: This generation shall not pass till all these be fulfilled. As the prophecy of Zec 14:4 foretold the city of Jerusalem as cleft in the midst before its fall, so verse nineteen sees that the great city was divided into three parts. It envisioned the partitioning of the city by the circumvallations of the Roman armies, as in Zechariah 14:1-21; and as suggested in the comments by Adam Clarke on the Zechariah prophecy and verified by the history of Josephus. The further statement that the cities of the nations fell signified the collapse of the citadels of oppression and the strongholds of evil influence in the operations of the beast and false prophet in their lying wonders and pseudo-signs of deception and seduction. The great Babylon that came in remembrance before God was the apostate Jerusalem, that faithful city turned harlot of Isa 1:21 designated in Revelation 11:8 as the spiritual Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified. In the remembrance of her apostasies God gave unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath in divine retribution for her harlotry. In the process of this unrelenting succession of inexorablejudgments, Revelation 16:20 declared that every island fled away, and the mountains were not found--that is, all the seats of authority and power of the Jewish theocracy faded away and disappeared. The fall of Jerusalem and the demolition of the temple effected the complete abrogation of Judaism and the abolition of the Jewish state. In the ultimate dispensation of judgment on the city and the land of the Jews and their state, Revelation 16:21 stated that there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven . . . and men blasphemed God because of the plaque of hail. This downpour of hail was preternatural--for the plague thereof was exceeding great--it was beyond normal evulsions from the elements; it was strange and inexplicable in its proportions. It signified the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation --described in the prolepsis of Rev 14:10. But the adherents of the satanic beast were not moved to repentance by any of these manifestations of divine judgment; rather, in complete allegiance to the evil powers they blasphemed God in steeped and stubborn resistance to His will. The statement of Rev 16:19 that Jerusalem was divided into three parts, had a further significance than the partitioning of the city by the Romans as described by Zechariah 14:1-21. The apparent application of the symbol was to the three sources of Jerusalem’ s afflictions: pestilence, sword and exile. The prophecy of Ezekiel on the siege and destruction of Jerusalem described these three parts in the following words: “ Thou shalt burn with fire (pestilence) a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part and smite about it with a knife (sword): and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind (exile); and I will draw out a sword after them.” There could be no closer relation between the fulfillment of a prophecy and an apocalypse than Ezekiel 5:2 and Revelation 16:19. Again the Old Testament and the New Testament furnish accumulative evidence that the symbols of Revelation were fulfilled in the lives and experiences of the people to whom the apocalypse was addressed.Commentary on Revelation 16:17-21 by Walter ScottSEVENTH BOWL OF WRATH. Revelation 16:17-21. — “And the seventh poured out his bowl on the air; and there came out a great voice from the temple of the Heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, such an earthquake, so great. And the great city was (divided) into three parts; and the cities of the nations fell; and great Babylon was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath. And every island fled, and mountains were not found. And a great hail, as of a talent weight, comes down out of Heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, for the plague of it is exceeding great.” The events described under the previous Vial were preparatory to the final outpouring of God’ s wrath on the apostate civil power, and on the yet more guilty Babylon of ecclesiastical fame and history, the religious corruptress of the earth. We have just witnessed the providential judgment of God on the “ great river Euphrates,” and the universal gathering of the nations under the marvelous energy of Satan infused into the three frog-like (Impudence and uncleanness are characteristic of the frogs. These filthy creatures, born out of the waters and stagnant pools of Egypt, were peculiarly obnoxious to the cleanly Egyptians. The palace of the monarch and the hovel of the peasant were equally infested with the loathsome reptiles, whose croaking sounds added to the general misery (Exodus 8:3-14). Frogs and serpents were by the ancients classed together in the expression of what was loathsome and morally disgusting. Frogs were regarded by the Greek writers and poets as the proper inhabitants of the Stygian lake, or river of hell.) spirits of demons. The world has been warned, “ Behold I come as a thief,” and saints solemnly counselled to walk with undefiled garments, hence all was fully prepared under the sixth Vial. There is, therefore, no further delay. The seventh golden Bowl is now poured out, exceeding in magnitude and severity anything hitherto witnessed since man began his sorrowful history outside Eden. Revelation 16:17 — “The seventh poured out his bowl on the air.” This judgment falls upon the moral life-breath of the world. The air, essential to natural life, is symbolically visited in judgment. The realm of Satan is really the sphere of this awful plague (Ephesians 2:2); only we gather that the “ air,” as used in this prophecy of the consummation of judgment on the organized systems of evil, denotes the ruin of all right moral influences and principles which act upon men — the destruction of the moral life of all individual, social, religious, and political society. It is a far-reaching and permeating judgment. Revelation 16:17 — The temple and throne unite, and He Who dwells in the one and sits on the other announces with a great voice, “It is done.” The end has come. Details of Babylon’ s overthrow are unfolded in the two subsequent chapters. Here the mere fact is stated, particulars are reserved. The close of providential dealing has come, and there remains but the last and most awful stroke of judgment inflicted by the Lord in Person at His Coming. The wrath of God is closed up in the pouring out of the seventh Vial, to be followed by the more awful exhibition — open and public — the wrath of the Lamb. Revelation 16:18. — “There were lightnings, and voices, and thunders.” (On these signs of judicial dealings, see remarks on Revelation 4:5-6, and on Revelation 11:19.) These symbols (in a threefold form) of almighty power in judgment occur four times. The term “ voices” intimates that the execution of judgment is intelligently directed. The order in which the symbols occur differs somewhat from that in the Authorized Version. The transposition of the words in this formula of divine visitation has, no doubt, its special significance in each case; they are calculated to strike terror to the hearts of men. In addition to those signs and tokens of Jehovah’ s wrath upon the guilty scene “ there was a great earthquake,” which in magnitude and dire results exceed anything recorded in history — “ such an earthquake, so great.” There will be physical earthquakes in divers places (Mark 13:8). But the vast and unparalleled upheaval under the seventh Vial is not that of the elements of nature, but symbolizes a violent disruption of all government, the total collapse of authority from the highest down to the lowest. Under it thrones totter and fall, crowns are broken, scepters are shivered; the whole framework of society is overthrown. It will be a revolution unexampled in the history of the race. The fact that this mighty convulsion is stated separately from the usual formula, “ lightnings, voices, and thunders,” marks its specialty and its magnitude. Revelation 16:19. — The disastrous effects of the mighty earthquake are next briefly and tersely stated. “The great city (Rome (Revelation 17:18) is thus dethroned from its sovereignty over the kings of the earth. Rome, the empire which then is the vast civil and political organisation of earth, is “ the great city.” Rome represents the civil, and Babylon the religious organisation of that day; both established by Satan.) was (divided) into three parts.” That is, the vast and consolidated power of Rome, from its center in the seven-hilled city on the Tiber on to its utmost extremities, is broken up into a tripartite division, while its utter ruin follows in due course. The break-up and dismemberment of the empire in its political and social organization is what is signified. Satan’ s gigantic confederation is smashed. Revelation 16:19 — “The cities of the nations fell.” The seats and centres of Gentile commerce — the political world apart from and outside the Roman earth — are involved in the general ruin, which overtakes all human combinations. From the building of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) till the day and hour of the seventh Vial human progress in civilisation, in religion, in social and political government, in the arts, in science, in literature, has been the aim. Here we witness judgment on all that men have built up in these and other spheres of life, from the days of Cain (Genesis 3:1-24), when the world system without God was inaugurated, and from Babel (Genesis 11:1-32), when human combination, secular and religious, took its rise. What a blow to the pride and ambition of man! OF BABYLON. Revelation 16:19. — But the chief subject of judgment is now singled out — one more hateful to God than all others. “Great Babylon (The literal Jerusalem is grandly described in Isaiah 60:1-22; the mystical Jerusalem is the subject of Rev 21:9 — 22: 5. The literal Babylon is fully described in Jeremiah 51:1-64; the mystical Babylon occupies chapters 17 and 18 of the Apocalypse. In all respects Babylon is the contrast to the former, both in its historical and spiritual character.) was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.” Babylon is a name and word of ominous signification. It is the full-blown development of all antichristian elements, of all that is opposed to God. It is the concentration of all mere human religion. The city and tower which men built on the plains of Shinar — the former the civil center, and the latter the religious center of gathering apart from God have in the days of the Apocalypse attained the zenith of greatness. Popery is not Babylon, pure and simple, but is part of it. In guilt Babylon towers over all, and hence its judgment is commensurate with its sin. Undoubtedly it is the mystical Babylon that is referred to, and not the great Euphratean city which was doomed to eternal destruction (Jeremiah 51:62-64). It is the false church, the corruptress of the earth, the mother or source of all that is religiously vile. The very name of Christ which she bears, and the assumption of being His body and bride, intensifies her guilt. Her title, “ great Babylon,” points to her vast assumption of religious power. The anger of God burns fiercely on this awful counterfeit and travesty of what should have stood for Him in grace, in holiness, and in testimony to the truth.The details of Babylon’ s judgment, her relation to the apostate civil power, and many particulars are unfolded in the two chapters which follow; while her utter doom, celebrated in Heaven in triumphant strains of gladness, is the subject of Rev 19:1-4. Revelation 16:20. — “And every island fled, and mountains were not found.” (Under the sixth Seal “ mountain and Island were moved out of their places” (Revelation 6:14), here the greater severity of the judgment is intimated in their complete disappearance, “ not found.”) Detached or isolated interests and governments, as islands separated from the mainland, are overwhelmed in the universal catastrophe; while seats of authority and stability, as mountains, are dissolved. Ruin is everywhere, and on everything, however seemingly firm and stable. Everything that God has not established must go in the general wreck. Such, then, are the effects of the mighty earthquake. Revelation 16:21. — But, in addition to this, the general horror is intensified by a hurricane of divine judgment, which descends upon men with irresistible and crushing force, a storm of divine wrath, which even the guilty world will have to acknowledge as heaven-sent: “A great hail as of a talent weight.” (“ The Jewish talent was 125 lbs. The Egyptian and Greek talents were about 86 lbs. The former is the weight of the hail in our text, and intimates the crushing, overwhelming character of the visitation.) We have already, more than once, been told of a hailstorm, singly, and in conjunction with other destructive agencies (Revelation 11:19; Revelation 8:7).(*See remarks on Revelation 8:7; and on Revelation 11:19.) But this exceeds in weight and intensity the previous hailstorms. As hail descends from Heaven, and is sharp, sudden, and disastrous in its effects, so the judgment here. The nature of it is not explained, but its severity and its source from Heaven are truths unquestionably graven on the face of the prophecy. (Few persons can form a conception of the terrible character of a great hailstorm. Here is an account of one which occurred at Constantinople in the month of October, 1831, written by one who witnessed it: “ After an uncommonly sultry night, threatening clouds arose about six in the morning, and a noise between thunder and tempest, and yet not to be compared to either, increased every moment, and the inhabitants of the capital, roused from their sleep, awaited with anxious expectation the issue of this threatening phenomenon. Their uncertainty was not of long duration; lumps of ice as large as a man’ s foot, falling singly, and then like a thick shower of stones, which destroyed everything with which they came in contact. The oldest persons do not remember ever to have seen such hailstones. Some were picked up half an hour afterwards which weighed above a pound. This dreadful storm passed over Constantinople and along the Bosphorus, over Therapia, Bojukden, and Belgrade; and the fairest, nay, the only hope of this beautiful and fertile tract, the vintage, just commenced, was destroyed in a day! Animals of all kinds, and even some persons, were killed, an innumerable number are wounded, and the damage done to the houses is incalculable. The force of the falling masses of ice was so great that they broke to atoms all the tiles on the roofs, and, like musket balls, shattered planks.” ) (“ What would it have been if the ice masses had been fifty or one hundred times larger?” — From “ Seiss on the Apocalypse,” page 101. )Has this crowning act of divine judgment wrought repentance? Is the will broken and the heart crushed under the mighty hand of God? No! Man is unchanged, unless the Spirit of God, in mighty sovereign grace, converts and saves. The moral effect of this awful judgment is stated in the plainest terms, “ men blaspheme God” — not glorify Him, as we might naturally expect — “ because of the plague of hail, for the plague of it is exceeding great.” How patient is God! How perverse the creature! Commentary on Revelation 16:17-21 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 16:17. The seventh angel was the last of the group that was to pour the vials out upon the earth. The voice came out of the temple which signifies that it was a voice of authority. The voice made the brief announcement that it is done, meaning that the revolution signified by the "seven last plagues" was accomplished. The great revolution thus symbolized was the Reformation of Luther and his fellow workers that resulted in breaking up the union of church and state. Revelation 16:18. Thunder, lightnings and earthquake in symbolic language refers to great commotions in the public affairs. Such a mighty movement as the dissolving of church and state was enough to bring forth these demonstrations about the temple, for it meant so much to the interests of the cause of God who occupies the temple. Revelation 16:19. The great city means the institution composed of the union of church and state, as it is used here and some other places, not merely church or state singly. It is in that sense that the name Babylon is used in this verse, because the literal city of Babylon had been destroyed centuries before (Isaiah 13:19-22), and the apostate church of Rome as a religious institution is not to be destroyed until Jesus comes again (2 Thessalonians 2:8). But Babylon as the union of church and state was dissolved by the Reformation never to be restored. Divided into three parts. This partial destruction has been indicated a number of times and has been explained to mean that God does not completely extinguish every institution He condemns. Came in remembrance before God means he remembered the evils that city had done to His people. Give unto her the cup, etc., is the same figurative sense of wine that has been commented upon in Revelation 14:19-20. Revelation 16:20. Island insymbolic language means inhabited spots and mountains denotes units of government. John saw these flee away in the vision which was symbolical, and the meaning is on the same subject that has been under consideration through many of the passages, namely, the downfall of the political power of Rome. Revelation 16:21. Weight of talents varied according to the different standards and they were at least fifty pounds on an average. To drop a hail stone of that weight as a symbol of God's wrath would give some impression of the greatness of that wrath. Blasphemed God means they spoke very evil words against Him, because of their disappointment and humiliation over the loss of their political power.Commentary on Revelation 16:17-21 by Burton CoffmanRev_16:17 And the seventh poured out his bowl upon the air; and there came forth a great voice out of the temple, from the throne, saying, It is done:And the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air ... Let it again be noted that the physical environment of the whole earth is indicated in every one of these bowls, in their aggregate, taking in everything that is significant in that environment; but, since the great promise of God (Genesis 8:22) has assured the stability of that environment as long as the earth stands, we are forbidden to literalize these symbols, and must therefore interpret them as indicating the wrath of God poured out upon the moral, intellectual, cultural, spiritual, and religious environment of the earth. The vicious propaganda of the frogs, as do all the other judgments, fits neatly into this interpretation. We may not suppose, of course, that John had in mind any thought whatever of radio, television, etc.; but in his day people would merely have said that the very air people breathe was contaminated with evil, and it was true. Evil in the Roman empire at the time of the emergence of Christianity was one sprawling, intricate, well-organized system of wickedness. Marriage was corrupted; slavery was the rule everywhere, there being 60,000,000 slaves in the pagan empire; the black arts of magic and witchcraft enjoyed ambassadorial status at every great seat of authority on earth, as did Elymas at Paphos (Acts 13:8). The temples of Bacchus and Aphrodite Pandemas glorified and exploited sex, drunkenness, and other evils, as did also the other pagan temples all over the empire, supported and maintained by the clergy of the pagan priesthood. Thus, the fulfillment of this bowl upon the ancient empire must be admitted as true; and yet there is something here in addition to that and far-removed from ancient Rome. So it is not strange that these words perfectly describe the pollution of the air-waves today by the excesses of radio and television. The very air, which is an essential of human environment, is in a sense contaminated. The angel of God's wrath seems to have poured out his bowl upon the air. If so, the total pollution of the air our children breathe may yet occur. We may only pray that the gathering storm may be dissipated and that decency and morality may replace the steady diet of violence, sex, drunkenness, frivolity, and general wickedness of the "air" programs, which many right-thinking people are rightly opposing. However it may be for this generation, the hardening of people and the pouring of the bowl of God's wrath upon the air surely indicate the coming of a time (when, we do not know) of the near total destruction of man's moral environment. We have now seen all the bowls poured out. What do they mean? A very perceptive person suggested that they mean that "a time will come when all the evil in the universe shall unite to oppose truth and righteousness, making it seem for a time that all is lost." This would certainly seem to be true; but evil shall not win; right shall prevail. God's answer to the first general hardening of mankind (Romans 1) was the First Advent of Christ; and his answer to the second and final general hardening of the human race will be the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, an event that follows very closely the pouring out of these seven bowls of wrath. A great voice from the throne ... It is done ... This does not refer merely to the seventh bowl. "The singular refers to the whole series of plagues now completed."[60] This signals the onset of the final judgment described at once. ENDNOTE: [60] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 124. Revelation 16:18and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men upon the earth, so great an earthquake, so mighty.Lightnings ... voices ... thunders ... earthquake ... Later, John will relate a more vivid and detailed account of the final judgment. "The account here simply presents the climax of what is substantially the same event."[61] "This section ends like the preceding ones with a very vivid description of the terror of the final judgment."[62] "A brief summary (Revelation 16:18-19) is given of what actually falls as the last extremity of God's wrath"[63] namely, the final judgment. Tenney pointed out that the phenomena cited in this verse, lightnings, voices, thunders, earthquake, etc., are "also present in Revelation 4:5; Revelation 8:5; Revelation 11:19."[64][61] Ibid. [62] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 198. [63] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 397. [64] Merrill C. Tenney, Interpreting Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1957), p. 34. Revelation 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.And the great city was divided into three parts ... This is the first of three very important observations revealed in this verse, and they should not be confused. 1. The great city divided into three parts is clearly connected with the "Jerusalem-Sodom-Egypt" of Revelation 11:13, where was prophesied the collapse of the urban world. Many have missed this. Moffatt's view that the great earthquake "shatters Jerusalem into three parts and utterly destroys pagan cities"[65] is undoubtedly wrong. Moffatt failed to understand that the Jerusalem Sodom-Egypt of Revelation 11 is a figure of urban civilization, and the reference here can have no application at all to the literal Jerusalem. There is no prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem anywhere in Revelation. John of course knew Jesus' prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem; but when Revelation was written, the concern of the Christians regarded Rome, not Jerusalem. Incidentally, this is almost certain proof of the writing of Revelation before Jerusalem was destroyed. 2. "And the cities of the nations fell ..." This explains what was meant by the dividing of the city into three parts; it also illuminates the same figure of "a tenth of the city fell" in Revelation 11:13, where it was God's tithe of all wicked cities; here it is "a third," a very significant part, but not the majority that fell. Both figures regard urban civilization, and '"the breaking into three parts means its complete breakup."[66] "The cities of civilization, the achievement of man's demon-driven pride, will ... collapse?[67]3. "And Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God ..." "This is the society and the philosophy represented by the two beasts, which in due course will be called Babylon."[68] We consider this comment by Wilcock one of the most discerning encountered anywhere. The Babylon described here is not pagan Rome only, but "Babylon the Great," embracing also that image of pagan Rome that became in time apostate Christianity. Therefore, both the land-beast and the sea-beast (pagan Rome and apostate Christian Rome) are here meant. They are here spoken of as one, since one was an image of the other, and both operated from the same seven hills. The expression "Babylon the Great" is no doubt "the symbol of the whole satanic structure."[69] Again from Wilcock, "Bowl seven sweeps away time and history, and replaces them with eternity."[70] "Both the preceding and the succeeding verses here must be referred to the judgment day."[71]To give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath ... This refers to the complete destruction of the city.[72] Such awful judgments should not blind us to the fact that, "If God were not to punish unrighteousness, the concept of a moral universe would have to be discarded."[73] Although some interpreters have held that, "The utmost limit of this prophetic passage was the end of the Roman world,"[74] many of the ablest expositors have been able to see the deeper meaning that, "The fall of pagan Rome is but one illustration of the overthrow of Babylon."[75] "Each age has its Babylon."[76] We reproduce here a summary of Lenski's wonderful comment on this as it applies to our own times: How proudly the anti-Christian propaganda builds the Babylon of today! Godless science imagines that the structure cannot fall. Its walls are granite. The Scriptures are only childish stories, myths. How can Papal Rome ever fall? It is built on Peter and overshadows the world. The outmoded "thought patterns" of Scripture have long crumbled into dust, and the scientific religion of reason alone endures. Fall? The very idea is preposterous. But the word of the Lord says, "like the chaff which the wind driveth away" (Psalms 1:4); "the multitude of the strangers shall be as small dust; yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly (Isaiah 29:5); but the WORD OF THE LORD endureth forever."[77]We will not debate the proposition that John himself knew the full scope and depth of his prophecy, for he probably did not know. To limit the book of Revelation to the human knowledge of the apostle John is to lose sight of it altogether as "the word of the Lord"; and this is where so many fail. The prophets of the Old Testament did not understand all that they were inspired to write, as was mentioned by the apostle Peter (1 Peter 1:10-12); and it is very likely that the same was true of the New Testament writers. We believe this prophecy to be of God through John, thus being significant and relevant to every moment of the entire Christian dispensation, first to last. See in my Commentary in 1Peter (pp. 172-175) for a discussion of the phenomena of the sacred writers not understanding what they wrote. [65] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 449. [66] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 201. [67] Michael Wilcock, op. cit., p. 150. [68] Ibid., p. 141. [69] Ibid., p. 150. [70] Ibid. [71] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 397. [72] J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 132. [73] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 304. [74] G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 209. [75] W. Boyd Carpenter, op. cit., p. 610. [76] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 125. [77] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 484. Revelation 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.Every island ... mountains were not found ... For ages, such convulsions of nature have been understood as symbolical references to the fall of nations and governments; but in the holy Scriptures, "such things are invariably associated with the final judgment";[78] and that is the way we understand them here. The removal of the earth itself is to be accompanied by a mighty earthquake (Hebrews 12:27-28). Therefore Ladd may have been exactly correct in viewing the last three verses of this chapter as "a renovation of the entire created order and the ushering in of a new heavens and a new earth."[79] Whatever is the exact implication of the language here, it would seem to be certain that the final judgment day itself is the occasion in view. Barnes and other historicists see in this chapter such various things as: successive historical blows by which the Papacy will fall, the French Revolution, the Napoleonic wars, the successive revolutions that came after Napoleon, and various other events, even the battle of Armageddon! To us, however, that entire system of interpretation is erroneous. Some of the things "seen" by such. interpreters in Revelation are surely there; but no blueprint of the future is to be found. Revelation has been fulfilled, is being fulfilled, and is yet to be fulfilled. Is not this exactly the meaning of what John said in Revelation 1:19? The great hail ... This is to be viewed as another element in the great convulsions of nature coming at the end of time. Men blasphemed God ... In the judgment? Yes. The hardened will not change, whatever may be their experience. This vision stops short of revealing what God will do with such per sons, but later episodes in the prophecy will make it starkly clear. [78] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 397. [79] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 218. Revelation 16:21 And great hail, every stone about the weight of a talent, cometh down out of heaven upon men: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof is exceeding great.About the weight of a talent ... No such hail was ever seen, nor could be it the result of ordinary natural processes; therefore, it must be related to the extraordinary phenomena attending the onset of the final judgment. At the time when mankind shall have completed his destruction of the moral and spiritual environment of the earth, God will destroy his physical environment also and summon all people to accountability before the judgment seat of Christ. Men blasphemed God ... How strange is the thought that hardened sinners will not stop their blasphemy even in the judgment. How could it be supposed that the Father will accommodate to that type of persistent wickedness in any other manner than that of the final and complete destruction of it? Commentary on Revelation 16:17-21 by Manly Luscombe17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “ It is done!” The seventh and final angel pours out his plague in the air. It seems to me that the “ air” would cover everything. The entire world is under the plague. A loud voice from the temple, from God, says, “ It is done.” This is a similar phrase to the words of Jesus on the cross. “ It is finished.” The total, complete, and final wrath of God has been poured out. All the wicked, all the false teachers, all the persecutors, and all the immoral have been defeated. 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. This verse describes the final drum roll. Thunder, lightning, an earthquake; these are the signals that it is all over. The world will end. All the saints are safe with God. The wicked have suffered the wrath of God. Other passages dealing with the end of time indicate fire, thunder, and stars falling. An earthquake like this has never been seen on earth. This might explain the great chaos. If the planet is literally coming apart, the molten lava coming to the surface would create the great fire of 2 Peter 3:10-12. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. The “great city” is the same as several terms used in the book of Revelationè Great city – Revelation 16:19, Great whore – Revelation 17:1, and Babylon the Great – Revelation 17:5; Revelation 18:2. In connection with these terms are usually terms of immoral behavior. Drunk with wine, harlot, and fornication are the trademarks. It seems clear to me that this great city represents immorality in the world. In addition to persecuting governments and false religions, we also have immorality seeking to lead Christians away from faithfulness to God. Divided into three parts is similar to the “ third part” of the trumpets. Remember, the number 3 is the number of God, things divine, deity. God completely destroys the city by cutting, severing, and dividing it into three parts. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. Most commentators believe that “ island” represents the individual leaders of these nations. The previous verse mentions the cities of the nations. Mountains are used to represent kingdoms or nations. Combine these two and you have God’ s judgment on the kingdoms and on the kings. On the nations and on their civil rulers. For the early church the judgment of God’ s wrath is poured out on Rome AND on the Emperor. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great. A great hailstorm, with each hailstone weighing about 100 pounds, is falling from the sky. V. E. Howard suggests that the weight of a talent is about 100 pounds. (4, 110) Again, there is no repentance. There is no plea for mercy. All God hears is more blasphemy. This reaffirms the view that God’ s judgment is just. Men were so hardened that they would not repent even when tasting the wrath of God. Instead of seeking mercy and forgiveness, they curse and blaspheme God. Sermon on Revelation 15-16 Pouring Out of God's Wrath Brent Kercheville In chapter 14 we read about the coming doom for the Roman Empire. Three angels have predicted its judgment: “ The hour of judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7), “ Fallen, fallen in Babylon” (Revelation 14:8), and “ Drink the wine of God’ s wrath poured full strength” (Revelation 14:10). The sickles were swung over the earth, reaping the righteous and wicked. The wicked are described as being thrown “ into the great winepress of the wrath of God” (Revelation 14:19). The other image to keep in mind from chapter 14 as we approach the fifteenth chapter is the warning of death for the Christians. The people of God are told to endure, calling for them to continue to keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus (Revelation 14:12). But the gloomy doom is predicted: “ Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” Chapter 15 of Revelation describes the preparations being made for the fulfillment of these prophecies of the coming doom against the Roman Empire. Back Into Heaven (Revelation 15:1-2) The first two verses of chapter 15 turn attention to the throne room of heaven. In the new sign that appears, John sees a sign that is great and amazing. He sees seven angels with seven plagues. There are two important things we are told about these seven angels and the seven plagues they carry. First, these are the last of the judgments. Once these judgments are completed then the earth will be at rest. We are not going to have any more “ sevens” in judgment. The seven bowls of wrath will be the last of the judgments. The second important thing to observe is why these are the last of the judgments. God’ s wrath is finished with these seven bowls. Standing beside the sea of glass mixed with fire are those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. Conquering does not come by warring militarily with the beast but by remaining faithful and pure to the Lamb. These are the 144,000 of chapter 14 singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. Just like the new song, the song of Moses was a song of victory. Such are the words of their song. The Song of Moses and the Lamb (Revelation 15:3-8) The song the conquerors sing praises God for his great and amazing deeds. His ways are just and all must fear him and glorify him. Chapter 14 has revealed God’ s righteous acts as God is about to judge the beast for its sinfulness and killing of the people of God. Just as Israel praised God by the sea after he delivered them from Pharaoh, so the conquerors praise God for defeating the beast. This is another use of prophetic certainty. The beast is defeated even though it had not happened yet. The door to the temple is opened again. I think the TNIV has a good rendering of this image. “ After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple— that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law— and it was opened.” (Revelation 15:5 TNIV; NIV 2010) We then see the seven angels each receiving a golden bowl full of the wrath of God. Bowls of wrath is an image used by Isaiah to describe God’ s wrath coming to punish sinners. Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering. (Isaiah 51:17 ESV) Thus says your Lord, the LORD, your God who pleads the cause of his people: “ Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering; the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more; (Isaiah 51:22 ESV) Revelation 15:8 reminds us that these judgments are coming from God. The sanctuary is filled with smoke because God is about to act (Exodus 40:34-35;2 Chronicles 5:13). The Bowls Poured Out (Revelation 16:1-16) A loud voice commands the seven angels to pour out their bowls of wrath on the earth. As we read the bowls of wrath consider the similarities to the plagues poured out on Egypt in the days of Moses. The first bowl brings harmful and painful sores on those who have the mark of the beast and worship its image. The lack of description about this plague tells us that we are not to find literal details or meanings in these symbols. This chapter is simply revealing the pain and suffering that God is unleashing on those who are worshiping the beast rather than the Lamb. The sores parallel the painful boils of the Egyptian plagues. The second bowl turns the sea to blood killing everything living thing in the sea. This judgment reminds us of the Nile turning the blood in the Egyptian plagues. The third bowl turns the rivers and springs of water into blood. The second and third bowls probably picture the economic devastation that God’ s wrath will incur. One of the reasons for these judgments is given in Revelation 16:5-7. They are killing God’ s servants and this wrath is deserved. The fourth bowl pours out pain on the worshipers of the beast. Rather than repenting, the people curse God. They did not repent or give God glory. Thus, the judgments continue. The fifth bowl pours out judgment on the throne of the beast. It is “ lights out” for the Roman Empire. The kingdom is plunged into darkness. Its day in the sun is over. Rather than repenting, the people curse God all the more and did not repent. The sixth bowl is the first bowl that gives us any details. The brevity of the first five bowls is astonishing. The sixth bowl gives us more information about the judgments to come. The sixth bowl dries up the Euphrates River. This is an imagery of a coming war and being overthrown by a rival nation. The drying up of the Euphrates River is how Cyrus conquered Babylon (Isaiah 11:15; Isaiah 44:27-28; Isaiah 50:2; Isaiah 51:10). The kings coming from the east also has a couple prophetic references in Isaiah (Isaiah 41:2; Isaiah 46:11). The sixth bowl envisions a nation coming from the east to battle. Revelation 16:13 shows the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet will do everything for survival. The unclean spirits remind us of the deceptive nature of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. The unclean spirits also remind us of their immorality through their paganism, idol worship, and Caesar worship. These three are full of uncleanness. The imagery of demons (unclean spirits) is used in the New Testament to speak of idolatrous worship. No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. (1 Corinthians 10:20-21 ESV) Finally, we see in the sixth bowl the assembling of the kings of the earth at the place called Armageddon. This is the only place in scriptures where the word of Armageddon occurs. Many false teachings have been made about the event of Armageddon. However, all that is revealed is that this is the place they will gather. The text does not say that there will be a battle there. So what does Armageddon mean? It literally means “ mount of Megiddo.” Now there is not a mount of Megiddo but we do read in the scriptures about a valley of Megiddo and cities of Megiddo. When we go through the Old Testament we see that several decisive battles occurred at Megiddo. Most interesting to me is the reference to the kings who went into battle and died. In 2 Kings 9:27 we see that Ahaziah, king of Judah was slain. In 2 Kings 23:29 and 2 Chronicles 35:22 King Josiah is slain in battle. Judges 5:19 speaks of kings fighting by the waters of Megiddo but failing to take the spoil. When we put all of these images together, we see that the work of Satan through the Roman empire and its religions will dry up and fail. They may assemble for battle but it is a decisive loss for Satan and the Roman empire. Gathering in Armageddon is a symbol of their destruction and judgment. We must remember that these bowls are images of God’ s judgment, not information about the victory of Satan or the beast. Revelation 16:15 therefore gives a call to preparation for the people of God. God’ s judgment will come like a thief. Be prepared. Stay awake. Do not be caught by surprise. The Seventh Bowl (Revelation 16:17-21) The seven angel pours his bowl and makes the important declaration: “ It is done!” The end has come for this world power. God’ s cataclysmic wrath has come. A great earthquake describes is desolation since that is the way many cities were destroyed in ancient times, sometimes never to be rebuilt or inhabited again. The great city falls and the cities of the nations also fall. God fulfills his promise, making the nation drink the cup of God’ s wrath full strength. The empire has fallen. The devastation was great and the people curse God from the plagues. Chapters 17-18 are going to explain the details of this judgment that were summarized in chapter 16. The next two chaptersare not new images of judgment but a fuller explanation of how this judgment will come and what its impact will be when the devastation comes. Life Lessons 1. God’ s judgments come like a thief. Notice Revelation 16:15 again. “ Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” No nation thought they would ever fall. No world power thought that they would be taken over by another. Yet history shows that nation after nation has risen and fallen. We must always be prepared to remain true to Jesus even if it becomes the time for our nation to receive judgment for its sins. Sometimes we think that we know if God would judge the United States of America. But God’ s judgments come unexpectedly. 2. God’ s final judgment will come like a thief. We must be prepared to remain faithful in the face of any national calamity. We must also be ready and prepared for the return of our Lord. Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “ There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 ESV) LESSON 20.THE SEVEN BOWLS OF WRATHRead Revelation 15, 16 1. What great and marvelous sign was seen in heaven? Ans. Revelation 15:1.2. Who was seen standing by the sea of glass? Ans. Revelation 15:2.3. What song did they sing? Ans. Revelation 15:3-4.4. What was opened in heaven? Ans. Revelation 15:5.5. Who came out from the temple? Ans. Revelation 15:6.6. What did one of the four living creatures give to the seven angels? Ans. Revelation 15:7.7. With what was the temple filled? Ans. Revelation 15:8.8. What were the seven angels told to do? Ans. Revelation 16:1.9. Tell what happened when the first bowl was poured out. Ans. Revelation 16:2.10. How was the sea affected by the pouring out of the second vial? Ans. Revelation 16:3.11. Into what was the third bowl poured? Ans. Revelation 16:4.12. What did the "angel of the waters" say? Ans. Revelation 16:5-6.13. What statement came from the altar? Ans. Revelation 16:7.14. Tell of the pouring out of the fourth bowl. Ans. Revelation 16:8-9.15. On what was the fifth bowl poured, and what effect did it have? Ans. Revelation 16:10-11.16. On what was the sixth bowl poured? Ans. Revelation 16:12.17. What came out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet? Ans. Revelation 16:13.18. Who were these "spirits"? Ans. Revelation 16:14.19. For what great battle were they preparing? Ans. Revelation 16:16.20. What timely admonition is given here? Ans. Revelation 16:15.21. Tell all that occurred at the pouring out of the seventh bowl of wrath. Ans. Revelation 16:17-21.E.M. Zerr Questions on RevelationRevelation Chapter Sixteen 1. From where did John hear a voice? 2. What did they say to the seven angels? 3. Tell what followed the first one. 4. Upon whom did it fall? 5. On what did the second angel pour his vial? 6. How did it then become? 7. State the effect this had. 8. On what did the 3rd angel pour his vial? 9. With what effect? 10. Whom did John hear speaking? 11. Tell what he said. 12. Why did he praise the Lord? 13. Whose blood had been shed? 14. By whom bad it been done? 15. What had they been given to drink? 16. From where did Jobn bear another voice? 17. To whom did he speak? 18. What praise did he ascribe? 19. On what did the 4th angel pour his vial? 20. This gave him what power? 21. What did this cause the men to do? 22. Over wbat did He bave power? 23. What did these men refuse to do? 24. Upon what did the 5th angel pour his vial? 25. What became dark? 26. Tell what their pain caused them to do. 27. What did they do toward God? 28. Because of wh&t did they do so? 29. Did this bring repentance? 30. Where did the 6th angel pour his vial? 31. What did it do to the waters? 32. For what people was this an advantage ? 33. How many spirits did John see? 34. What kind of spirits were they? 35. From where did these spirits come? 36. Of what beings are they the spirits? 37. What was their work? 38. To whom do they go forth? 39. To what event were these to be gathered? 40. In what manner will Christ come? 41. What is promised to the one who watches? 42. And what must he keep? 43. Lest what? 44. To what place did the spirits gather the people? 45. Where did the 7th angel pour his vial? 46. What came out of the temple? 47. From what part of the temple? 48. What did the voice say? 49. Tell what else could be heard. 50. What also happened at this time? 51. Compare it with former ones. 52. What happened to the city? 53. Tell what happened to other cities. 54. To what place was Babylon brought? 55. For what purpose was this? 56. What happened to the islands and mountains? 57. Tell what fell upon men. 58. What did it cause them to do?Revelation Chapter SixteenRalph StarlingThe 1st plague was poured on the earth with vengeance. A grievous sore upon the beast and his image. The 2nd plague was upon the sea, Bringing death for it was bloody as could be. The 3rd plague was bloody rivers and waters, Because the saints &prophets had become martyrs. The 4th plague gave the sun power to scorch men with great fire. The 5th plague was darkness and pain for the beast. For to blaspheme God he continued to insist. The 6th plague dried up the Euphrates To make way for the kings of the east and the beast To fight the lamb of heaven In the war called Armageddon. The 7th plague was upon the air. "It is done" the angel declared. 7 plagues---God's power and authority was shown, Still many replied, hatefully, they'd "go on their own!" Revelation 17:1-6 SECTION FOUR BABYLON AND HER FULLY Revelation 17:1 to Revelation 19:21 1. THE CHURCH THE"MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS"Revelation 17:1-6 1 And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven bowls, and spake with me,--The angel here being one of the seven whose work is described in the preceding chapter identifies this further revelation as directly connected with that in some way.. As the three chapters of this section describe the fall and desolation of Babylon in detail, the only conclusion that seems appropriate is that they explain what was said to have occurred when the seventh angel poured out the seventh plague. (Revelation 16:17-21.) It may, therefore, be considered an extended symbolic view of what will take place when the last plague falls upon men. The language is in the past tense, but the incidents were then future--will not happen till Jesus comes again. Another example of the "prophetic past." saying, Come hither, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters; --The words "Come hither" represent one Greek word--an adverb; the meaning is that John was to give attention while he was shown the judgment that was to be inflicted upon the apostate church, here represented as a great harlot. In verse 15 the "many waters" are explained to be "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Since the apostate church is also called "Babylon the great," the image may have been drawn from the fact that the ancient city was situated upon the Euphrates and encompassed with many canals. (Jeremiah 51:13.) These waters sustained the city; the city controlled the waters. In like manner the nations supported the apostate church, and the papacy ruled the nations. 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and they that dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication.--A pure woman is a symbol of the true church--God's faithful people--as the following texts will show: Galatians 4:22-26; Ephesians 5:22-24;Ephesians 5:31-33. An obedient wife to a loving husband is Paul's figurative description of the church as being true to Christ her head. An unfaithful wife typically represents an apostate church--those once God's people, but who have corrupted themselves with idolatry and human doctrines. The kingdoms of Israel and Judah were both called a backsliding people, and charged with having "committed adultery with stones and with stocks." (Jeremiah 36-10; Ezekiel 23:37.) Because of their idolatry God allowed both kingdoms to be carried into bondage. The reason for the final rejection of the corrupt church is its idolatry and perversion of the truth. It is appropriately described, like the same sin among ancient Israel, as harlotry. This horrid sin is the disgusting symbol by which unfaithfulness to God is presented. Expositors generally agree that the word in the Bible refers to doctrinal corruption in most of its occurrences. Kings here, doubtless, are to be taken literally, meaning that the rulers, representing the nations, were influenced and made the mediums through whom the perpetuation of these false doctrines could be made effective. To "commit fornication" means to practice the false teachings, and such people were affected by these practices as a drunk man is by wine. Intoxication by false doctrines is more deadly than that by wine. It not only dulls the senses, but closes one's eyes to the truth. 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness --In a vision the great city's fall (16:19) is now to be explained, and a change of scene is necessary. By the Spirit John's mind was transported to other symbols which give a detailed description of that fall. The event, of course, was future when John wrote, and is still future. Why these visions appeared in a wilderness is not stated. That the word wilderness, if any symbolic significance is intended, indicates the desolation that was to come upon the city seems the most probable view. and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. --Unquestionably this woman is to be contrasted with the woman of 12:1. The true and false churches are described by a variety of symbols. The former is called a temple, a city (Jerusalem), a household, a kingdom, and a true and pure wife. (1 Corinthians 3:16; Hebrews 12:22; Galatians 6:10; Matthew 16:18 ; Ephesians 5:22-32.) The latter John pictures as a beast, a city (Babylon), and an impure and faithless wife. (Revelation 13:11; Revelation 18:2; Revelation 17:5). A drunken harlot with all the abominable wickedness that goes with such crimes is the disgusting view here given of the apostate church. John sees the woman sitting "upon many waters" (verse 1), and "upon a scarlet-colored beast" (verse 3). These are two views of the same woman. See next paragraph for an explanation of the beast. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls,--Scarlet color is a significant characteristic of royal apparel; rich jewels of gold, pearls, and precious stones are the natural adornment of earthly rulers. When enemies wished to ridicule the claim of Jesus that he was a king, they placed a scarlet robe upon him. (Matthew 27:28.) Some think the red color in this symbol finds fulfillment in the Catholic Church's use of it in such things as the cardinal's red hats. Perhaps the harlot being so gorgeously decked and robed was only intended to indicate her claim of royal authority--the divine right to rule the world. No picture could more appropriately portray her false claim, for the dignitaries of no other church have been so gorgeously arrayed and richly decked. having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication,--John sees the symbolic woman with a golden cup in her hand, which means she was appealing to all to drink of its contents. This is a figurative expression that means the apostate church was using every device possible to get all men to practice her false doctrines. The cup contained corrupt and false teaching, fittingly represented by harlotry, and was therefore an abomination to God. The text calls them "unclean things," comparable to the unfaithfulness of a wife to her husband. There could be no stronger condemnation of a corrupt and perverted worship than such pretended honor to God. 5 and upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE OF THE EARTH.--The name written upon the forehead could be distinctly seen, and it enabled John to understand the character of the woman instantly. Doubtless the reason for its appearing in the symbol was to prevent anyone's misunderstanding the corrupt institution represented. Expositors are not agreed about the import of the word "Mystery." Some consider it a part of the name; others think it an introductory word by John himself, meaning that a mysterious name was written. This would imply that the name was to be taken figuratively --literal Babylon being taken symbolically to represent spiritual Babylon, the apostate Roman Church. In either view the true meaning would have to be found by learning the import of the symbol. Concerning ancient Babylon Jeremiah said: "Babylon bath been a golden cup in Jehovah's hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunk of her wine; therefore the nations are mad." (Jeremiah 51:7.) God permitted Babylon t o punish Israel because of their sins, but promised that Babylon would be destroyed for her own sins. See verses 8, 9. This shows she was typical of the false church as our next verse indicates.6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered with a great wonder.--John next sees the symbolic woman plainly drunk, not with wine, but with the blood of the saints. The word "saints" here must he taken literally. The general statement "blood of the saints" is more particularly described as "blood of the martyrs"--that is, those who were slain because of their witnessing for the truth. The word "martyr" literally means a witness. The picture is that of victorious warriors inflaming their minds by drinking the blood of their victims. The meaning is, that the church that had become apostate through perverting Christianity with the commandments of men was so gloating over her persecutions of faithful saints that she was positively drunk mentally. John sees this abominable institution as the "Mother of the Harlots"--that is, the source from which would arise all churches that mingle the divine truth with human speculations. Commentators have suggested many reasons why John wondered, but the simplest, and one that accords best with the angel's explanation in the next paragraph, seems to be this: he wondered what was signified by a drunken woman sitting upon a vicious wild beast.Commentary on Revelation 17:1-6 by Foy E. Wallace (1) The harlot sitting upon the waters—Revelation 17:1-2. “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.” The term harlot has been used always in a figurative sense to denote wicked cities, as of Nineveh in Nahum 3:4; and of Jerusalem in Isaiah 1:21; and of Israel, when the nation became a harlot by the practice of idolatry in Revelation. So here apostate Jerusalem, in broken relation with God, was given the mystic name Babylon, the mother of harlots. From generations past the execration of Israel had increased from the time of prophet’ s reprobations in Isaiah 1:21 to the Lord’ s lamentations in Matthew 23:29-39. By the elders of Israel the official responsibility for crucifying the Christ was placed upon Jerusalem in Matthew 27:25. The martyr Stephen laid upon Jerusalem with the criminal charges of “ betrayers and murders” in Acts 7:52. The descriptions in Revelation, Revelation 14:8; Revelation 17:1-6; Revelation 18:1-2 were but extensions of the same exposures in the continuing apostasies of Jerusalem. The vision of the harlot that sitteth upon many waters was based upon the fact and the history that Jerusalem depended on her affiliations with the Roman Empire and its tributaries for commerce, revenue and support. This statement has been considered an indication that the Harlot was Rome, sitting on the waters. But the same figure of speech was applied to Babylon in Jeremiah 51:13 : “ 0 thou that dwellest upon many waters.” It was not a reference to a literal geographical location, but to commercial sources of revenue and support; and it was a very impressive imagery of Jerusalem’ s dependence on affiliations with the heathen tributaries of Rome. The reference in Revelation 17:2 to the harlot’ s fornication with the kings, and the wine of her fornication making drunk the inhabitants of the land were symbols of the extensions of Jerusalem’ s affiliations with foreign people, and the passion to be like the nations around them, as Israel demanded in 1 Samuel 8:5. These affiliations so enamored the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem as to be characterized in the symbolism of being drunk with. the wine of her fornication. The apocalypse was consistently that of apostate Jerusalem. It described the iniquities of Israel from their national sin of demanding a king to be as other nations under Samuel, the course that carried them into exile; and that in the visions of Revelation brought their city and their national existence to destruction. (2) The woman on the scarlet coloured beast—Revelation 17:3-8. “So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman situpon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” The color of the beast was derived from the Red Dragon of the preceding chapters that instigated the persecutions. The crimson color was also the symbol of sin: “ Though your sins be as scarlet . . . though they be red like crimson” Isaiah 1:18. The adaptation of the color red was significant in this symbol of a beast full of the sins of blasphemy. The word blasphemy originally denoted every kind of railing, reviling, irreverence, and insulting reproaches against God, or any other detraction; hence, this beast was full of names of blasphemy--any or all blasphemy against the church that could be named in connection with or reference to every known form of heathen idolatry. The comments on the seven heads and ten horns which characterized the beast have been made in preceding chapters, this being the same beast, the Roman Empire and its tributaries, extended remarks here are unnecessary. The description in Revelation 17:4, of the woman arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and bedecked with all adornments of gold, jewels and pearls, were highly extended symbols of the harlots sources of seduction; and the golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication were all descriptive of the lewd character of the harlot woman, and symbolic of the unfaithfulness of Jerusalem, “ the faithful city become an harlot.” It was a lurid picture of the spiritual condition of Jerusalem and all Judea. The name written on the woman’ s head, in verse five, was the inscription: Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth. The spiritual evils of the land of Judea with all the national apostasies of Judaism were her offspring. The prophet Hosea employed the same figure of whoredom, or harlotry, in his descriptions of Israel in Hosea 1:2 and Hosea 2:1-5 of his book of prophecy. Stronger terms defining spiritual adulteries, fornications and harlotry, could not have been employed to set forth the spiritual luridness of Israel which brought on her exile--and the same extreme analogies apply to the spiritual decadence of Jerusalem which culminated in destruction, devastation downfall and termination. The woman was envisioned as drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, in Revelation 17:6. This not only referred to the fact that Jerusalem had slain the prophets as in Matthew 23:29-39; and been “ betrayers and murderers,” as charged by Stephen in Acts 7:52; and was the city “ where also our Lord was crucified, as in Revelation 11:8; but it was her apostasies that had caused the persecutions which had overwhelmed the land, and Jerusalem was therefore responsible for the blood of the saints and the martyrs symbolized throughout the apocalypse. When John saw this adorned harlot sitting on the beast, he wondered with great admiration. The word wonder here means that the meaning had not yet been revealed, as it was done in the visions that followed. The word admiration has the meaning of astonishment--that is, John wondered with great amazement as he viewed the decked and jeweled Harlot seated on the beast whose power would bring her to destruction. Commentary on Revelation 17:1-6 by Walter ScottTHE GREAT HARLOT (Revelation 17:1-6). THE WOMAN AND THE BEAST. Revelation 17:1. — The Seer first beholds the great harlot sitting “upon the (The insertion of the article is a questioned reading. Its place, however, in the text is supported by many competent authorities. The definite article in introducing subjects of interest is a characteristic feature of the Apocalypse. It marks the definiteness and importance of the subject so spoken of. See “ the Heaven,” “ the rainbow,” “ the seven thunders” (Revelation 10:1-11), “ the beast” (Revelation 11:7), “ the two wings of the great eagle” (Revelation 12:14), etc. The use of the article brings into prominence subjects which might otherwise be regarded as of trivial moment.) many waters” (see Jeremiah 51:13). In the explanation of the vision (Revelation 17:7-18) we are informed who these waters signify: “The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” The introduction of “ multitudes” into the usual formula expressing universality marks the heterogeneous character of those subject to her sway. “ The great harlot sits upon the many waters.” She rules and dominates the nations religiously, as the Beast does politically. Her following is an almost universal one. She herself is a vast religious system. The woman and the Beast represent distinct ideas. The former is the religious system; the latter the civil power. Corruption of the truth is characteristic of Babylon. Daring self-will and open opposition to God are marked features of the Beast. Corruption and self-will have been at work from earliest ages, and in fact were the two great evils let loose amongst the race in the period preceding the flood (Genesis 6:11). Here we witness the full-blown development of the same crimes. Corruption is Godward; violence man-ward. The former is embodied and concentrated in the woman, who is a licentious one, for she is termed a harlot and the mother of harlots; the Beast is openly bad and exercises brute force, trampling down ruthlessly all that opposes, and at the end daringly comes out in military force and array against Christ and His heavenly army (Revelation 19:19). The Beast first destroys the woman, then flushed with victory and intoxicated with power madly and impiously leads on his armies against the Lamb and His militant host. The principles of Babylon have been at work from earliest times, but its highest development is yet future. It is not the papal system alone, (“ It cannot be doubted that our most eminent divines have commonly held and taught that the apocalyptic prophecies concerning Babylon were designed by the Holy Spirit to describe the Church of Rome. Not only they who flourished at the period of the Reformation, such as Archbishop Cranmer, Bishops Ridley and Jewel, and the Authors of the Homilies, but they also who followed them in the next, the most learned age of our theology — I mean the end of the sixteenth and beginning of the seventeenth century — proclaimed openly the same doctrine. And it was maintained by those in that learned age who were most eminent for sober moderation and christian charity as well as profound erudition. It may suffice to mention the illustrious names of the two brightest luminaries of the English Church: Richard Hooker and Bishop Andrewes.” — Wordsworth on the Apocalypse. Does pagan Rome or papal Rome inherit the character and features of the apocalyptic Babylon? The latter surely. In so far as popery has corrupted the truth, persecuted the saints of God, advanced arrogant and blasphemous claims, assumed universal dominion, and otherwise drunk into the spirit and adopted the principles and practices of the “ Great Harlot” — she is in character the Babylon of the Apocalypse, but as we have already remarked, the Babylon of prophecy is worse — infinitely more than ever the papal system has been. We look for a fuller development of evil. Babylon is future.) but the fusion of parties bearing the Christian name into one vast system of evil. The characteristics of the papacy in the Middle Ages are evidently witnessed in the whore of the Apocalypse. “ The great whore” is not only Satan’ s counterfeit of the true Church, but is the concentrated expression of every antichristian movement and sect then in existence, consolidated and controlled by Satan. The pretensions of the whore, or harlot, are supported by the military forces and prestige of the apostate empire, whilst her influence extends throughout the known world. This gigantic system of spiritual whoredom is, without doubt, Satan’ s masterpiece, and the vilest thing beneath the sun. THE GREAT HARLOT. Revelation 17:2. — This, then, is Babylon the great: “With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and they that dwell on the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” This is future, although a past resemblance may be sought for in the character and doings of the papacy in the dark times of the Middle Ages. The harlot first forms a guilty alliance with the kings of the earth, i.e., the great political leaders of Christendom, and then makes drunk with the wine of her fornication “ they that dwell on the earth,” that is, the mass of Christian apostates(*See remarks on Revelation 2:13; on Revelation 3:10; on Revelation 8:13; and on Revelation 11:8-10.). The wickedness of these once Christian professors is then filled up. Christ, the heavenly calling, and Christianity abandoned, they give themselves up to the short-lived joys of the harlot’ s cup of wine. It is truly awful to contemplate the career, the character, and the doom of those dwellers on the earth, thus morally distinguished and singled out as the worst on the face of the globe. . Adultery, or idolatry — “ with their idols have they committed adultery” (Ezekiel 23:37) — is the special sin charged upon Israel of old as being the married wife of Jehovah (The royal consort of the King is Jerusalem (Psalms 45:9). The bride and wife of the Lamb is the Church (Revelation 19:7; Revelation 21:9). The wife of Jehovah is Israel (Jeremiah 3:14). The mother of the Man-Child is Israel, strictly speaking, Judah (Revelation 12:1; Romans 9:5).) (Jeremiah 3:14; Isaiah 54:1). For this she was divorced. (A wife divorced can never again be a virgin; hence not Israel, but the Church is the bride of the Lamb (see 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:32).) But in the purpose and grace of Jehovah Israel will be reinstated in her former blessed relation, one never again to be forfeited so long as sun and moon endure. Fornication, or illicit intercourse and connection with the guilty and apostate world, is the solemn indictment against Babylon — the corrupt and licentious woman who ensnares and captivates with her short-lived pleasures all within her influence — kings and people, high and low. The seductive glitter and meretricious display of this abandoned woman affect all classes, and morally ruin those over whom she casts her golden chains and who drink of her cup. Every right and true thought of Christ perishes where the woman’ s blandishments are received and her smile courted. THE BEAST ON WHICH THE WOMAN SITS. Revelation 17:3. — “I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” The Beast, if not the most prominent figure in the vision, is yet an integral part of the prophecy. The subserviency of the Beast to the harlot is expressed by the Seer, “ I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast.” The action intimates the thorough and complete subjection of the civil power. The rule and supremacy of the woman over the vast imperial and apostate power is a singular sight. The woman not only sits upon, or beside, the nations and peoples comprised within the prophetic area (v. 1), but also rules the Beast, the then dominating civil and political power on earth (v. 3). The scene in vision where this strange sight is beheld is a desert, a place of loneliness and utter desolation. What a striking contrast to the display both of the woman and the Beast! The surpassing splendor of both captivates the heart and intoxicates the senses of all, save a suffering remnant to whom this pageant is as a wilderness, for God is not there. It is but a grand flash, a magnificent spectacle before the final crash and overthrow. But who is the scarlet Beast on whom the woman sits, from whom she derives her material strength, and through whom she enforces her commands? The political government of the world, its glory and greatness are indicated by the scarlet color. (The three colors in the gate of the Court of the Tabernacle, in the door of the Tabernacle, and in the veil dividing the holy from the most holy were blue, purple, and scarlet. The first points to Christ in His heavenly character; the second to His sufferings on earth; and the third to His assumption of the government and glory of the earth in a coming day.) Without doubt it is the world power of Rome that is here referred to, revived in grandeur and greatness, and controlled by Satan. The Beast is first named in the Apocalypse in Revelation 11:1-19, and is abruptly introduced into the history as a subject well known and understood. Revelation 17:3. — “Full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” In Revelation 13:1 the seven heads, or complete governing authority of the empire, have upon them “ names of blasphemy” (see margin of the Authorized Version). Here the Beast itself is said to be “ full of names of blasphemy” (Revelation 17:3). It is not simply that the executive of the empire is given over to many and varied expressions of a blasphemous character, but the empire itself, in all its parts, is wholly corrupt; while open, blatant blasphemy characterizes it throughout. “ Names of blasphemy” intimate many and varied forms of rebellion and self-will against God. Revelation 17:3 — “Having seven heads and ten horns.” In the earlier notice of the “ seven heads” upon the Beast there is indicated the completeness of administrative power (Revelation 13:1), but here, as is shown in the explanation (Revelation 17:10), the heads represent successive forms of government. The horns represent royal personages (Revelation 17:12). In Revelation 12:3 the dragon has seven heads and ten horns; the former being crowned, (In these passages the word should read diadems, not “ crowns.” The former refers to the exercise of despotic, arbitrary power; the latter to limited monarchies — constitutional kingdoms.) not the latter. In Revelation 13:1 the Beast has ten horns and seven heads, the horns in this case being crowned. In our chapter, however, neither heads nor horns are crowned. The royal personages seen in the vision were not in full possession of their royal dignity; thus, in the angel’ s explanation of the ten-horned Beast, we read, “ And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have not yet received a kingdom, but receive authority as kings one hour with the Beast” (Revelation 17:12); that is, they reign in royal authority in conjunction with the Beast, the little horn of Dan 7:8; Daniel 7:20 being their master. As the actual reign of these ten kings is regarded as subsequent to the vision the horns are not crowned. THE WOMAN IN HER GLORY. Revelation 17:4. — “And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and had ornaments of gold and precious stones and pearls.” Having had the state in the Beast, we again turn to witness the Church in the woman, and her ascendancy for a time over the civil power. She rides the Beast, and controls it for her own selfish ends and purposes. But she is by far the more dangerous of the two. The Beast openly blasphemes and persecutes the saints then standing for the rights of God. The woman is seductive and attractive, and having gathered to herself the weight and splendour of courts, palaces, and, in short, the tinsel glory of the world, she sits as a queen, and wins by her arts and seductive flatteries the heart of Christendom. God is displaced in the thoughts of men. Her vesture, purple and scarlet, is that which particularly distinguishes pope and cardinal. Her ornaments of gold, precious stones, and pearls are amongst the chief symbols of papal pride and glory. Silver is not here named. In the services of the papal Church silver is being discarded for gold. But whatever resemblance there may be between Babylon and the Roman Catholic Church, the great point is that the woman is arrayed and decked out in the world’ s tinsel and finery. She surrounds herself with what the world regards as its highest and most valued possessions and material wealth; that, too, which it lives and labours to amass and accumulate. Revelation 17:4. — “Having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations, and the unclean things of her fornication.” Babylon as a system is covered with an external grandeur and glory that attracts the natural heart and imagination of man, dazzling and bewildering him. But, worse still, she holds in her hand a golden cup. How tempting! The cup is of gold, but its contents reveal the depths of iniquity to which she has sunk. The scarlet Beast, the color of the dragon (Revelation 12:3), was full of names, or expressions, of blasphemy, so here the woman’ s cup was “ full of abominations, and the unclean things of her fornication.” These two evils, idolatry and corruption, characterise the last phase of the professing Church on earth. “ Abominations” refer to idolatry (2 Kings 23:13; Isaiah 44:19; Ezekiel 16:36), and “ fornication” to gross corruption (Revelation 2:21 : Revelation 9:21). Idolatry and the worst forms of wickedness characterize the woman. Her cup is full of horrible evils. The climax has been reached. These things might have been looked for in the midst of the heathen, but for Christendom, now the scene of light, of grace, and truth, to become the very hotbed and cesspool of all that is religiously filthy and vile is indeed a marvel. Yet this chapter sketches in plain word and symbol the future of these lands. Now the Holy Ghost dwells in the professing Church, then Satan will fill it, both with his presence and awful deeds. We thank God for the sure testimony of Jesus that the Church which He builds is invulnerable (Matthew 16:18), and its ultimate triumph secured (Ephesians 5:27). BABYLON A MOTHER. Revelation 17:5. — “Upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots, and of the abominations of the earth.” The shameless character of Babylon is next shown. Her name is publicly borne, indelibly stamped upon her forehead, so that all may read and understand the true character of this awful system — a travesty of the true Church. Her name is a compound one. First, “ Mystery.” (See remarks on Revelation 1:20; and on Revelation 10:7.) The general usage of the word in the New Testament signifies what is now revealed, but had hitherto been a secret (Matthew 13:1-58; Ephesians 5:32, etc.). The Church is subject to Christ; the woman is subject to none. She usurps Christ’ s place of supremacy over the nations. She is indeed a mystery. She should have stood for God and truth, but now she is witnessed as the embodiment of error, and of all that is morally vile and wicked. Second, “ Babylon the Great.” It is a huge system of spiritual evil. Great and bad as Babylon was, the enslaver of God’ s people of old, so bad that its doom is irrevocable (Jeremiah 51:64), yet it is exceeded by far in its spiritual counterpart, the great Babylon of the Apocalypse. The former was guilty, but the latter much more so. In Babylon the Great we witness the gathering up in one vast system all the evils which in past times have gone to wreck the Church. This is the culmination. The evils which have ever afflicted Christendom are here focused. The last days of the Church on earth are her worst. Christianity is the combined production of the Godhead, but Christendom is here viewed as the vilest thing on earth. Truly, the woman is entitled to the appellation “ Babylon the Great.” That which should be her shame and sin she publicly glories in. Third, “ The mother of the harlots, and of the abominations of the earth.” Her offspring are numerous. She is the parent, the source of each and every religious system which courts the world. Religious idolatry of every shape and form, every ensnaring thing and object; in short, systems, things, doctrines, and objects used by Satan to turn men from God are here traced to their source — Great Babylon. The moral features of Babylon are ever the same — unchanged through all the ages. Here she is seen in her worst, because in her last and closing hours, the parent of all that is morally loathsome. This, then, is the character publicly borne by the woman, just as in ancient times it was the practice in certain places for harlots to bear their name and evil reputation on their foreheads. If the admirers of the woman fail to see her true character because intoxicated with her finery and grandeur the spiritual do not. THE WOMAN DRUNK WITH BLOOD, AND THE WONDER OF THE SEER. Revelation 17:6. — “And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And I wondered seeing her, with great wonder.” One could readily understand the hatred of the pagan powers to the followers and witnesses of Jesus, but that the woman, the Church of these days and times, should herself shed the blood of God’ s saints is indeed a cause of wonder to the Seer. She it was who devised the hellish cruelties of the Middle Ages. The secular power is an instrument in the hands of the woman. The real instigator, the power behind the civil authority, is the whore. In her skirts is found the blood so wantonly shed in all ages. Babylon inherits the guilt of every previous persecuting religious power (Matthew 23:35). She has never judged the past. Her history is black enough, and stained in every page with blood, the blood of those dear to God and Christ. The Seer marvels at the awful sight. The Church is here witnessed as the most wicked thing on earth. This, then, is what the professing Church is coming to. Nothing can exceed her in grandeur, in greatness, in idolatry, in filthiness, and in cruelty. “ I wondered seeing her, with great wonder.” The earth dwellers are drunk with her wine (Revelation 17:2), and the woman herself is drunk with blood. These two, i.e., the apostates and the woman, are the worst then on the face of the earth, and on both the full fury of God’ s indignation bursts forth in flames of inextinguishable wrath. Commentary on Revelation 17:1-6 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 17:1. This chapter (like some others) goes back to the time just before the Reformation, and will make symbolic predictions of that revolution. It should be stated that while the institution of church and state (which has not yet been dissolved as to the start of this chapter), is regarded as Babylon the Great and an enemy of God, the church part of the combination will seem to receive the more attention from the Lord in his condemnations. That is because it deals with the affairs of the soul which are more important than those of the secular government. Yet because the apostate church was supported by the political power of Rome and her Empire, much of the language in the symbols will be based upon the geographical and political features of that city. Show unto thee the judgment or give John a prediction of God's judgments in a vision. The great whore is said of the apostate church because false religions of all kinds are likened to immorality in figurative language. Sitteth upon many waters. Waters in symbolic language means people upon whom the corrupt institution pressed down with her desolating weight of intolerance and persecution. Revelation 17:2. The kings of the earth means the rulers over the various divisions of the political empire, such as the ones named at Revelation 13:1. In their devotion to the spiritual harlot they were guilty of fornication. The inhabitants of the earth refers to the subjects under these kings who submitted to their adulterous ruling. Wine of her fornication. In literal practice we find "wine and women" often associated, hence they are so considered in the symbolic vision that Johnsaw. Revelation 17:3. Carried me away in the spirit is significant, and reminds us again of the truth that John never did leave the isle of Patmos literally while in the vision of this book. It was a part of the symbolical vision to be taken away into the wilderness and see the things that shall be described. The woman is the apostate church of Rome symbolized by the city of Rome because the church rested on the government of that city for support. The literal reason for using a beast in the symbol that was scarlet, was the fact that scarlet was one of the royal colors of the Empire. Seven heads and ten horns is explained at chapter 13:1, and it will appear in this chapter with a slight variation in the application. Revelation 17:4. Since the state color of the beast (Rome) was scarlet and purple, it was appropriate that the rider of the beast should be robed to match. It is literally true that the clergy of the church of Rome wear these colors in their church ceremonies. It is also appropriate that such colors be used in the symbols of that church, in view of the faithful people of God who had their blood taken from them in the persecution at the hands of that wicked institution. Being decked with precious stones and pearls also was appropriate because the church of Rome possesses and uses great wealth in her ceremonies. The symbolic cup represents the corrupt practices that the church of Rome forced upon her subjects. It is symbolized in the form of a person filling a cup with vile and abominable materials then forcing some helpless person to drink it. Revelation 17:5. The name that John saw written on the forehead of this woman was put there by the Lord to designate to the apostate her true character, not that she had taken to herself such an inscription. In truth the leaders of the church of Rome of today deny that this applies to their "holy mother church." Mystery is a part of her characteristics; Thayer's definition of the word at this place is, "The mystic or hidden sense." The apostate church has always thrived most when she could keep her people in ignorance of what was going on. Babylon the great. There are many ways in which anything can be great both good and bad. Babylon was great in a bad sense and that is because she was the most extensive and powerful influence for evil that Satan ever devised. Mother of harlots. A bad woman can be the mother of pure daughters and they would not need to participate in the wickedness of their mother; but this woman's daughters also are harlots. Of course as we have previously learned, harlotry in figurative Ianguage means any false religion or unscriptural organization. The conclusion is that the religious denominations in the world are the harlot daughters of Rome, because they obtained the principal tenets that make up their creeds from the doctrines put out by that apostate church. Abominations of the earth is a general summing up of the evil doctrines and practices of the church of Rome throughout the world. Revelation 17:6. Saints and martyrs refer to the same people although the words have a different (but not conflicting) meaning. Saint means a holy or righteous person which applies to all Christians. Martyr means witness and all Christians are martyrs because they are faithful to the testimony of the Gospel regardless of what may be the result. The fact that both saints and martyrs had shed their blood in defence of the testimony of Jesus, shows the latter word is not applied to some on the simple ground that they died for Christ. Saw the woman drunken. To be drunk literally requires that a person be under the influence of alcohol. The term has come to be used figuratively, as when it is said that a man is "drunk with a craze for money; or for pleasure." Rome had shed so much blood of righteous people she is said to be drunk with the desire to slay the Christians. Wondered with great admiration. The last word usually has the sense of approval, but it is not restricted to that meaning. The phrase means the vision John saw was so unusual and vast that he could only gaze at it.Commentary on Revelation 17:1-6 by Burton CoffmanRev_17:1 This mighty chapter, more than any other in the word of God, kindled the courage and fired the zeal of the great martyrs and reformers who led the rebellion against the tyranny of the Medieval church, re-opened the New Testament for all the peoples of the earth from whom it had been stolen for centuries, and dealt the great whore of this chapter a wound from which she has never fully recovered. This writer has no desire whatever to accommodate with that vast school of modern exegetes who, like Southey's owl: Sailing with obscene wings athwart the noon; He drops his blue-fringed lids and holds them close, And hooting at the sun in heaven, Asks, Where is it? Where is it? Christian commentators who withhold from view the obvious, historically accepted interpretation of this chapter must give an account to God for their reticence. If one is blind (spiritually), he may be pardoned for not revealing what he cannot discern; but, for those who reveal their true knowledge of what this chapter really means by the crooked arguments designed to contradict it, are nothing but an enigma. Do they not know that they themselves are under the eternal curse of this tyranny, proscribed and consigned to hell, and under the perpetual interdiction of that religious hierarchy which arrogates to itself alone the right to forgive the sins of people? Why, then, this amazing tenderness which so generally tempers their evasive comments? The mainline interpretation of this chapter was thus stated by Albertus Pieters: The Great Harlot symbolizes the apostate Christian Church, manifested historically in many forms, conspicuously and chiefly in the Roman Catholic Church, but also in other forms of nominal Christianity, especially when in combination with political power. We shall call this the Apostate Church interpretation.[1]Although Pieters "reluctantly" voted against this view, for reasons which he cited, and which in no sense justify his decision, he nevertheless admitted that, "This view is held by many of the very best expositors, among whom we may mention William Milligan, Auberlen and Alford."[2] Criswell, Plummer, Carpenter and many others could be added. Before considering some objections to it, we shall list some of the reasons for accepting this main-line interpretation of it: 1. The figure of adultery, harlotry, or fornication is the standard Old Testament description of apostasy. A very few instances in which the figure was applied to heathen cities, not apostate, cannot nullify the general usage. It is in the sense of the apostasy of God's people that the figure is used "in the great majority of the Scriptures where it is used."[3] There would therefore need to be some compelling reason for setting aside the normal and general meaning of the figure here; and no such reason exists. Pieters also admitted that, "It is correct that the figure of the harlot is a standard symbol of the Old Testament, and it usually means apostasy from Jehovah on the part of his people."[4] "This argument has great force."[5] It practically proves that the Great Harlot is some form of Apostate Christianity. 2. This Great Harlot was viewed by John "in the wilderness," invariably associated with the church's sojourn on earth, answering to the type of the first Israel's forty years of wilderness wanderings, a symbolism that forces the conclusion that the Great Harlot is the true church gone astray, an apostate church. If such an apostasy had never occurred, this analogy might be ignored; "But this is exactly what happened to the Catholic Church, and not only to her but to many Protestant churches."[6] This is a very strong argument. 3. The astonishment of the apostle (Revelation 17:6) would be impossible to understand if it merely meant that a pagan city was in league with the devil. On the other hand, it would indeed be grounds for astonishment if Apostate Christianity itself was so revealed. 4. The glorified Bride of Christ, the church, is called "a city" in Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:9-10; and it should therefore be expected that an Apostate Church should also be referred to as a city, in this case, Babylon; and this cannot nullify the positive spiritual overtones in this prophetic description of the Great Harlot. 5. The Great Harlot, represented here as committing fornication with the kings of the earth, is not an appropriate metaphor of Rome's relation to the vassal kings of her great dominion when John wrote; but it is a valid metaphor of the Papal hierarchy's traffic with human governments going on throughout history up to and including the present time. The literal Rome indeed raped many kingdoms; but this is not the metaphor of Revelation 17. 6. The compound vision of the Great Harlot riding the scarlet colored beast (Revelation 17:3) requires that the harlot be identified with the second beast, the land-beast, of Revelation 13:11. Wilcock was correct in his affirmation that this chapter "has established her (the great whore's) identity with the second beast, false religion; while the scarlet beast in Revelation 13:1 corresponds to the scarlet beast in Revelation 17:3."[7] Plummer also agreed that, "The second beast there (Revelation 13:11) is identical with the Harlot and represents the apostate portion of the church."[8] A study of our notes on Revelation 13 will reveal just how conclusive this argument is. "There can be no doubt that the Harlot describes the degenerate portion of the Church."[9]7. "The Mother of Harlots ..." (Revelation 17:5). This makes no sense at all unless understood as a reference to the apostate sects of Protestantism, historically the children of the Harlot, and many of them walking in her devious ways. In no sense whatever can this be understood of the literal city of Rome, nor of the emperor cult, nor of anything else ever suggested. 8. This Harlot reigns over the kings of the earth (Revelation 17:18), her dominion including authority over "every tribe, tongue, people, and nation" (Revelation 13:7); and she exercised "All the authority of the first beast" (Revelation 13:12). Furthermore, this authority of the second beast (the Harlot) continues throughout the dispensation until the second Advent of Christ. There is not anything else in the history of the world that fulfills this except the worldwide Papal hierarchy and its spiritual children, the daughters of the Harlot. It is pure fantasy to interpret this as the promoters of "the emperor cult." There can be no marvel, then, that Luther, Tyndale, Huss, Knox, Wesley, Alexander Campbell, and other great ones of the Reformation accepted the interpretation presented here. For additional discussion of this see our "Excursus on the Man of Sin," my Commentary on 2Thessalonians, pp. 106-117. 1. Revelation would have had no relevance for John's day if this interpretation is allowed. This is wrong. The great apostasy was specifically prophesied by Paul who stated that it was '"working already" (2 Thessalonians 2:7). The church already had the disease that was to develop in time into the apostasy. Furthermore, the idolatry, blasphemous arrogance, perversions of the true worship, and other characteristics of the later apostasy were the "stock in trade" of the pagan religions prevalent everywhere when Revelation was written; but the thing that astounded John himself was the visions of these same things in the church at a time which we recognize as being far later. See article below on "'Resurgence of Paganism in the Apostasy." 2. John's vision deals with the emperor cult. There is an element of truth in this; for the pure paganism of that condition was just as sinful in its original setting as it was later in the apostasy. The error is in making that original paganism the only thing in this prophecy. Such a view is just as myopic and unreasonable as limiting it to the Papacy alone; neither extreme is correct. See statement of the main-line interpretation at the head of this discussion. 3. As Pieters said, "It is difficult to see how original readers of Revelation could interpret this any other way than as a reference to the Imperial City."[10] We agree that that is exactly what they would have done, but this is not a valid objection, because the prophecy is vast enough to include a relevance for all generations. The acceptance of the New Testament as a guide, not for one age only, but for all ages, it seems to us is the only tenable view of it as the word of God, an inspired book. This is precisely the point where so many go astray. 4. Viewing the Harlot as the city of Rome harmonizes better with Revelation 18 and the facts of history. This must be denominated as a monstrous misstatement of fact. See our interpretation of Revelation 18. Also, the city of Rome (in its pagan character) has not continued throughout history to rule over all nations, a dominant prediction in the prophecy, except in the very sense of our interpretation. See more on this in the notes below. 5. "It is not without precedent to apply the figure of the Harlot to a heathen city, without any religious reference."[11] This of course is true; but where is the compelling reason for so doing? when the vast majority of instances employing this figure in the Old Testament refer absolutely to the apostasy of God's people from the true worship of Jehovah. Besides that, in the New Testament, there is no example whatever of its being used of a heathen city. This objection has no weight at all. Over and beyond all arguments and objections is the startling, dramatic contrast between the Bride of Christ and the Harlot which dominates this and the succeeding chapter, and which, on its face, positively has to mean the True Church and the False Church. OF IN THE The relevance of Revelation to John's day is seen in the condemnation of paganism which was rampant in apostolic times. The same relevance, of course, pertains to that resurgence of paganism which undeniably marked the character of the Apostate Church. If Revelation was relevant to either period, it was relevant to both. Here is a list of a few elements of paganism found in the apostate Christianity: 1. The consecration of sacred images for use in Christian worship was borrowed, in its totality, from paganism. Indeed, the "image" of St. Peter in Rome, the bronze foot of which has been kissed away by adoring multitudes, is reliably reputed to be the pagan statue of the god Pluto, transferred from the Pantheon! 2. Mariolatry has elevated a vulgar female statue above the high altar, where it stands higher than the image of Christ, the whole system being nothing but an adaptation from the old Babylonian myth of the queen of heaven, the Assyrian Ishtar and her Tammuz. "She was worshipped by the offering of a wafer (a little cake), along with forty days of Lent, of weeping over the destruction of Tammuz ... and after forty days, the people celebrated Ishtar, exchanging Ishtar Eggs!"[12] Of course, the holy communion itself was adjusted so that the bread was formed after the pattern of those pagan wafers. 3. The use of holy water in the church came over in its entirety from paganism. "The holy water was used by the heathens to sprinkle themselves at the entrance to their temples; and this is admitted by Montfancion and the Jesuit La Cerda."[13]4. The burial of dead bodies in church houses came from Athens, as related by Plutarch in his Life of Theseus; and, as they did of old with their pagan heroes, the church began to deposit relics of so-called saints, supplemented by processions and sacrifices."[14]5. Celibacy is another relic of paganism. "It was most esteemed among the heathen philosophers."[15]6. Praying for the dead began in 380 A.D., and was at first vigorously opposed and condemned. It is another relic of paganism and the forerunner of the doctrine of purgatory.[16]7. The Papal keys are exactly the same as those of the pagan gods Janus and Cybele, worshipped by pagan Rome long before Christianity. 8. The lighting of blessed candles was practiced in paganism in Siberia where they were placed before the statues of pagan gods.[17]9. The tonsure, the shaving of the heads of priests, was practiced by the pagan priests of Osisis, the Egyptian Bacchus, as was also true in India and China.[18]10. The forgiving of sins, "absolutions," one of the most monstrous of un-Christian doctrines, appears to have been an outright invention. These are only a few of a hundred similar things that might be cited, such as: the assumption of blasphemous titles, the consecration of sacred priestly vestments, the baptizing of bells, "The Feast of All Souls," first celebrated by pagans in the lifetime of Romulus, monasticism, the elevation of the host, and many other devices and practices of paganism at the time Revelation was written. It is clear enough for anyone looking into the matter that Apostate Christianity was indeed the old paganism with a Christian veneer. Therefore, the interpretation received here by no means violates the relevance of the sacred prophecy for the first generation that received it. Paganism, whether in its original setting, or as revived and continued by the Apostate Church itself, is the essence of what the apostolic writers condemned. We shall now examine the text of this marvelous chapter. [1] Albertus Pieters, Studies in the Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1954), p. 250. [2] Ibid. [3] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 413. [4] Albertus Pieters, op. cit., p. 251. [5] Ibid. [6] Ibid., p. 252. [7] Michael Wilcock, I Saw Heaven Opened (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1975), p. 165. [8] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 413. [9] Ibid. [10] Albertus Pieters, op. cit., p. 256. [11] Ibid. [12] W. A. Criswell, Expository Sermons on Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1962), III, p. 185. [13] John F. Rowe, History of Reformatory Movements (Cincinnati, Ohio: John F. Rowe, 1894), p. 259. [14] Ibid. [15] Ibid. [16] Ibid. [17] Ibid. [18] Ibid. And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven bowls, and spake with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters; (Revelation 17:1) There came one of the seven angels ... This angelic interpretation of the vision is here identified with the series of the seven bowls just concluded, leading to the conclusion that what is about to be revealed in Revelation 17 and Revelation 18, is actually a "playback" of the great judgment scene just seen, but with an elaboration and specific attention to what was included in the fall of "Babylon the great" (Revelation 16:19). I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters ... But was she not seated upon a beast? Yes, but both she and the beast rise from the teeming populations of the earth. Harlot ... "In Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 2:20; Jeremiah 2:31, etc., these terms are used to describe God's apostate people, those once joined to him in covenant relationship, but who had broken their marriage vow of faithfulness."[19] "In the Old Testament, this imagery is commonly used to denote religious apostasy."[20] "Is this harlot, then, Papal Rome? The answer is: Insofar as Papal Rome has wielded tyrannical power, turned persecutor, stood between the spirits of people and Christ, depraved the consciences of people, withheld the truth, sought aggrandizement and demonstrated the power of a political engine rather than that of a witness of Christ, she has inherited the features of Babylon."[21]Note that there are three Babylons: (1) the original city of that name situated upon the Euphrates river, and the historical persecutor of the first Israel; (2) the pagan city of Rome, symbolized by the sea-beast (Revelation 13:1), and also its counterpart ridden by the harlot; and (3) the "Mystery Babylon" symbolized both by the land-beast and by the harlot herself. In this and the following chapters it is the third meaning which predominates. [19] Ibid. [20] Robert H. Mounce, Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), p. 307. [21] W. Boyd Carpenter, Ellicott's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 611. Revelation 17:2with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and they that dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication.With whom the kings of the earth committed fornication ... This speaks of an illegitimate and sinful melding of Church and State as one of the principal sins of the harlot. This woman, and the radiant woman "arrayed with the sun" (Revelation 12:1) are starkly "contrasted in every particular that is mentioned about them."[22]One is pure, the other corrupt. One belongs to the Lamb, the other to the devil. One is clothed with the sun, the other in scarlet and gold. One is a chaste virgin, the other a brazen harlot. One is persecuted, the other is a persecutor. One sojourns in the wilderness, the other reigns there. One enters into the marriage supper of the Lamb; the other is hated and consumed. One enters heaven, the other departs into darkness. ENDNOTE: [22] Frank L. Cox, Revelation in 26 Lessons (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1956), p. 101. Revelation 17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness ... "A wilderness" is here significant. Plummer, Alford, and others have pointed out that our version (ASV) is incorrect in changing this from "the wilderness" as in KJV.[23] It is not merely "a wilderness," but "the wilderness" of the church's probation that is meant. This strongly supports the view of the harlot as the apostate church. This wilderness scene is that of a violated probation. A woman upon a scarlet-colored beast ... "We should identify this beast with that in Revelation 13:1. The woman's position indicates a close connection and identifies her as one of the forces of evil supported by the beast."[24] "It would be foolish to underestimate her. Even John finds himself marveling (Revelation 17:7)."[25][23] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 414. [24] Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Vol. 20, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 205. [25] Michael A. Wilcock, op. cit., p. 160. Revelation 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication,And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet ... The color strongly stresses her identity with the beast and her accommodation to his principles. And decked with gold and precious stone and pearls ... These indicate vulgar wealth lavished upon herself. Extreme riches is an outstanding mark of the apostate church this very day, which is richer by far than any human government, even including that of the U.S.A. One little Boy's Ranch in Nebraska has recently been exposed in the public press as having a cash endowment in stocks, bonds and securities of over $300,000,000, and that at a time when their full-fledged fund-raising activities are going full blast. All of this vast horde of wealth was solicited and raised from the public for the ostensible purpose of taking care of a few run-away boys at "Boy's Town." And a golden cup full of abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication ... This "'golden cup" may be seen at every communion service in the apostate church, not in the hands of the Bride to whom it belongs, but in the hands of the hierarchical priesthood who withhold it from the Bride and drink it all themselves! And what is that, if it is not the unclean things of her fornication? That which belongs to the Bride has been taken away from her. Is not this spiritual fornication? Revelation 17:5and upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY; BABYLON THE GREAT; THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE OF THE EARTH.And upon her head a name written ... In the culture of those times, harlots customarily "wore on their brows labels inscribed with their names; this whore is thus in character."[26]; MYSTERY; BABYLON THE GREAT ... See under Revelation 17:1 for identification of the three Babylons. The comma after MYSTERY should be omitted, as her name is not BABYLON, but MYSTERY BABYLON. Just as the pagan empire was Babylon, answering to the Old Testament type, this woman is also Babylon in a different and extended sense. She is MYSTERY BABYLON, the essential quality of the mystery is that "the worldly portion of the church, though nominally Christian, is in reality identical with the world and is openly antagonistic to God."[27] "Mystery is part of the name; it is not literal; something lies behind which will be made manifest in due time."[28]THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE OF THE EARTH ... This harlot sets a religious style that will be copied throughout the ages. Many have interpreted this as a reference to apostate Protestant churches; and, while true enough, this by no means exhausts the interpretation. [26] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 206. [27] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 415. [28] W. Boyd Carpenter, op. cit., p. 611. Revelation 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered with a great wonder.And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints ... with the blood of the martyrs ...Who invented the Inquisition? Who invented the torture chamber and the rack? Who burned at the stake the uncounted thousands and millions of God's servants? Who? This scarlet whore, dressed in purple, decked in gold, riding in control of the governments of the world. It has been estimated that she has slain fifty millions of the servants of Jesus Christ.[29]I wondered with a great wonder ... In some versions, this is wondered "with a great admiration." "This does not mean admiration in our modern sense."[30] Despite Carpenter's opinion, however, we are inclined to think that it does mean "admiration" in our modern sense; it was a startled, astonished kind of admiration, mingled with wonder. Now there is no way that John could have wondered if the woman had symbolized pagan Rome. Prophetic descriptions from the Old Testament were plentiful and well known to John which portrayed ancient Babylon, a pagan city, in exactly this same graphic terminology, even complete with the "golden cup" (Jeremiah 51:7). This verse therefore proves that literal Babylon, or literal Rome, cannot be meant. John could never have "wondered" at a description already thoroughly familiar to him. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 17:7-14 2. THE MYSTERY OF THE BEAST Rev_17:7-14 7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou wonder? I will tell thee of the mystery of the woman, and of thebeast that carrieth her,--The angel's question shows he knew what was in John's mind, and his promise to explain is assurance that we are to receive a correct application of the symbol, as it applies to both the woman and the beast. which hath the seven heads and the ten horns.--See notes on verses 10-12. 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition.--The language here means that the wicked power represented by the .beast John saw had existed, did not exist, but would come into existence again. This thought is repeated at the close of this verse and is referred to in verse 11. See notes on verse 10 for full explanation. The word "abyss" refers to the abode of Satan (see Revelation 9:1-2), and here the thought is that, when the beast returned in a new form, its power and presence should be attributed to Satan--that is, he would be the cause of its existence and the source of its power. The encouraging fact is here stated that this beast power would be destroyed, but when is not mentioned. On that point 2 Thessalonians 2:8 shows it will be at the Lord's coming. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, they whose name hath not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was, and is not, and shall come.--The events described would be so remarkable as to create surprise, challenge admiration. and lead to belief in the beast's power, except by those written in the book of life. Those who were faithful servants of Christ and worthy of everlasting life would not be deceived. See notes on Revelation 13:8. The text indicates that the thing which would cause men to wonder was the fact that a power once formidable had become practically extinct, and yet was revived with terrific strength 9 Here is the mind that hath wisdom.--This may mean either of the following: here is a symbol that will require wisdom to explain, or the explanation here given is a matter of divine wisdom. "Here is a meaning which compriseth wisdom," is the way Moses Stuart renders the expression. This implies that the explanation given by the angel might be understood some time. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth:--This language continues the description of the beast mentioned in verse 3. The similarity of the description here with that of the first beast in chapter thirteen (verses 1-10) seems to render it certain that the same power is meant in both passages. The difference in the visions of the two chapters is this: the second beast (Revelation 13:11-18) represents papal Rome or the apostate church; in chapter 17 this church is represented by the drunken woman. In the former case two beasts appear in the vision; in the latter, one beast and a woman. The beast shows the rapacious nature of the church ; the woman indicates the wiles with which the ignorant would be deceived. The visions vary; the facts are the same. The appearance of a drunken harlot sitting on the beast was to show the close relationship of the religious and political powers, and indicates that the apostate church was controlling the state, and operating through the means it supplied. This fact is evident from 13:12 where it is stated that the second beast "exerciseth all the authority of the first beast," and required men to worship an image of the first beast. That the papacy claims the right to exercise or direct both religious and secular power, and did so during the time indicated by this symbol, is a matter of common knowledge that will hardly be denied. Elliott's commentary (Vol. III, p. 131) quotes the following from Flavio Blondus, a papal writer of the fifteenth century "The princes of the world now adore and worship as perpetual dictator the successor, no: of Caesar, but of the fisherman, Peter ; that is, the supreme Pontiff, the substitute of the afore-mentioned Emperor." The Encyclopedia Britannica says the fourth Lateral council (A.D. 1215), presided over by Pope Innocent III, passed the following law against heretics "It was there decreed that all rulers should promise to tolerate no heretics within their dominions, and that any prince who should refuse to comply with an injunction of the church to purge his dominions of heresy was to be punished with excommunication, and in case of contumacy to be deposed, if necessary by force by arms." (Vol. 13, p. 84, ninth edition.) In November, 1302, Boniface VIII enunciated the doctrine of "papal supremacy," affirming "that the temporal sword wielded by the monarch was borne only at the will and by the permission of the Pontiff." (Ibid., Vol. 19, p. 501.) This is enough to show that the apostate church claims the divine right to control and direct state rulers. Hence, it fits this phase of the symbol. Since the beast here refers to imperial or political Rome, it is not improbable that the seven hills upon which the city was built may have suggested the idea of representing the seven heads as seven mountains. The mountains could hardly Ise taken literally for the reason that the next verse says five have fallen and one was yet to come. This could not be true of literal mountains. Isaiah (Isaiah 2:2) described the kingdom Christ would establish as the "mountain of Jehovah's house" ; Jeremiah (Jeremiah 51:25) represented Babylon as a "destroying mountain." Kingdoms or governments, then, are called mountains, but the Lord's mountain (kingdom) is superior to all earthly governments. The language, therefore, means seven different forms of government. On the surface the words seem to say that the woman was sitting upon all seven heads at one time, but verse 10 precludes this idea by saying that five had fallen when John saw the vision. The only sense in which she could have sat on all the heads at once was that following consecutively the last one included elements of all the preceding. In this sense, of course, it was a fact.10 and they are seven kings; --This means that the seven heads also represent seven kings--that is, they are symbolical of kings as well as mountains. But Daniel 7:17; Daniel 7:23 shows that prophetically king and kingdom mean the same. The king as supreme ruler represents the kingdom. This would be another way of saying the heads are emblems of seven kinds of royal governments. the five are fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come;--Expositors present the widest variation of views on this verse; we have not space even to state them all. We mention three that appear to have received the most endorsements. (1) The beast is considered as the Satanic spirit of opposition as manifested in wicked kingdoms, beginning with Egypt, which was the first nation to persecute God's people. With some variation of opinion the others are thought to be Assyria, Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and Rome reconstituted after its fall. (2) Others take it literally and apply to the emperors individually. The same persons are not put in the list by all expositors who accept this theory. (3) Others think the heads mean different forms of the Roman government. Regardless of which theory may be accepted, those represented by the seven heads persecuted God's people and were instigated to do so by Satan. If the "woman" represents the papal apostate church, the position here taken, then it seems that the imagery applies to Rome in its various forms. This will eliminate the second theory, for this theory applies the seven heads tothe imperial form exclusively. On the whole the third position seems most likely to be the correct view. There are two reasons that may be assigned for this: one is, that the imagery presents the struggle of the church against opposing powers, and Rome was in existence when the church was established; the other is that the picture of a beast with seven heads naturally signifies the same nation under different forms rather than different nations. The different forms of the Roman government from its beginning till the establishment of the church are these: Kings, Consuls, Dictators, Decemvirs, Military Tribunes, and Emperors. The first five had passed away when John wrote; the imperial form, the sixth, was then in existence. This harmonizes perfectly with the language of the text; and, being the facts concerning the Roman nation, would easily be so understood by John's contemporaries. The seventh head to rise in the future from John's day is not so easily located. If the woman (papacy) is to be distinguished from the beast upon which she sat (and the imagery seems to require it), then the seventh and eighth heads should both be forms of political Rome. and when he cometh, he must continue a little while.--The sixth head being the imperial form of Rome, the seventh could not arise till that fell. This occurred when pagan Rome ended in A.D. 476. The eighth head would necessarily have to be so-called Christianized Rome dominated by the apostate church. We have already seen that the papacy became a fully established institution in the sixth century. See notes on 11:4. Whatever form of government controlled the Roman nations between A.D. 476 and the time the papal church began to dominate the political rulers was the time of the seventh head. Barnes' commentary (p. 430) applies the seventh head to the Dukedom under the Exarchate of Ravenna, and quotes Gibbon as saying that during this period "eighteen successive exarchs were invested in the decline of the empire with the full remains of civil, of military, and even of ecclesiastical power." Whether this be true or not, whatever form of government existed at that time would fit the demands of the symbol. Such a form continued only a little while as compared with the preceding forms or that represented by the eighth head. Here is agreement again. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is of the seven; and he goeth into perdition.--The thought here seems to be that the eighth head represents another form of government which prolonged the Roman world. Being "of the seven" means a head of the same beast of which the seven had been heads. Under the first six heads the beast had been different forms of paganism. In that form the beast ended in A.D. 476. After the "little while" of the seventh form of government, the Roman Empire was restored, being dominated by the papacy--hence, a politico-ecclesiastical power. On this point Elliott (Vol. III, p. 131) quotes Augustin Steucus, a Catholic writer, as follows "The empire having been overthrown, unless God has raised up the Pontificate, Rome, resuscitated and restored by none, would have become uninhabitable, and been a most foul habitation thenceforward of cattle. But in the Pontificate it revived as with a second birth, its empire being in magnitude indeed not equal to the old one, but in kind not very dissimilar; because all nations, from the east to west, venerate the Pope not otherwise than they before obeyed the emperor." Surely a true picture of the woman directing the beast. The "mystery of lawlessness" that led to the "man of sin" in the sixth century began in Paul's day; the religious power that was finally so perverted as to create that apostasy began its open influence on the Roman Empire in the time of Constantine in the fourth century. The promise that the eighth head form would go to perdition may mean either that it would be finally destroyed or that it would lose much of its power when nations supporting it turned from it. The latter has already occurred through the Reformation work; the former will happen when the Lord comes. 12 And the ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet; --As the text defines "horns" to mean kings, this explanation must be accepted. The word king, as shown in Daniel 7:17; Daniel 7:23, sometimes is used in the sense of kingdom--the ruler standing for the whole institution. Doubtless that is the sense of the word here, and means that minor kingdoms would come under subjection to the Roman power. These kingdoms had not come into that subjection when John wrote, for the reason that the papacy and the eighth head form of Rome had neither come into existence. As usual expositors disagree on what kingdoms are meant here. Several accept the list made out by Sir Isaac Newton as follows: The Vandals, the Visigoths, the Suevi, the Allans, the Burgundians, the Franks, the Britons, the Huns, the Lombards, and the kingdom of Ravenna. Others accept the idea that "ten" is here a symbolic number--definite for an indefinite--meaning completeness and signifies the extensive and full sway which Rome would exercise over subordinate nations. This is probably the meaning. If so, it is unnecessary to find just ten kingdoms. Those mentioned, however, might be in the list; others also might be; or there might be more but they receive authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour.--This means that in their operation as kingdoms they were subject to the papal Roman Empire, received their authority from it. "One hour," of course, cannot be taken literally in such connection. As a symbol it indicates a short time and is similar to the "little while" in verse 10. This is a common use of the Greek word for hour. See 2 Corinthians 7:8; Galatians 2:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:17. It is a short time in comparison with the whole existence of the Roman kingdom, and indicates further that the beast power over these nations must end. 13 These have one mind, and they give their power and authority unto the beast.--Having one mind shows that whatever differences may have existed among these ten-horn nations, however they may have warred against each other, they were all Roman Catholics, and recognized her spiritual authority as the supreme power of government. The papacy received their endorsement and support. 14 These shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them,--This shows that when these nations combined their power with Rome they would be fighting against the Lamb--that is, Christ. This, of course, was done in opposing Christ's true teaching, and persecuting his followers. The "Lamb shall overcome them" means that he will ultimately win a victory over them. This, in a measure was accomplished when these nations turned away from Rome through the Protestant Reformation; it will be fully completed when the Lord comes, at which time the "man of sin" will be destroyed. (2 Thessalonians 2:8.) for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; --That Christ is now, in his present position of head of the church, both Lamb and Lord is admitted without question; the Scriptures are too plain to be denied. That he is supreme above all earthly lords is also conceded by all. His present kingship is just as plainly stated and should be admitted. The church figuratively described is the kingdom. If Christ is the head of the body (church), then it must be true to facts to say that he is now a reigning king. and they also shall overcome that are with him, called and chosen and faithful.--Naturally those who overcome will be those with Christ--those willing to suffer and endure as he did. Their success in overcoming will be proof that they have been called by him. Their faithfulness in meeting bitter sorrows and intense persecutions is unquestioned evidence that they were chosen. Jesus said: "If a man love me, he will keep my word." (John 14:23.)Commentary on Revelation 17:7-14 by Foy E. Wallace An angel cryptologist in verse seven appeared to decode the symbols which concealed in a mystery the vision of the beast upon which the woman sat. The enigmatic significance of the mystic symbolism which surrounded both the woman and the beast involved their respective destinies --the destruction of the woman (Jerusalem), and the perdition of the beast (the persecutor). The angel interpreter, proposing an explanation of the cryptic vision, repeated the wonder of the woman sitting on the seven heads and ten horns of the beast. It was a continued repetition in description of the Roman Empire, as previously shown, and of Jerusalem the apostate metropolis of Judaism. An element of the mystery in the code description of the beast, in Revelation 17:8, was in the unusual saying: the beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition. Prevailing in those days was “ the Neronic myth” that Nero was dead, but was incarnated in Belial the idolatrous prince and head of the heathen world; and hence, the belief that he lived. The myth could have been the basis of the symbol, which undoubtedly means the persecutor had apparently granted surcease of the persecutions, but it was only a lull--the beast that was, and is not, should again appear without warnings, ascending as it were from the unfathomable depths of diabolical abode. This was the same beast described in previous chapters as appearing in heaven-defined as the realm of political authorities and government, hence in visible personification. After his disappearance, or lull in persecution, he was returning from his invisible demonic habitat, as from nowhere, to revive the persecutions-- hence, the beast was, and is not, and yet is. This verse is comparable to the code six hundred and sixty-six of Rev 13:18 and referred to the same composite beast --the Roman Empire, personified in the persecuting emperor. The reappearance of the beast in the display of power again caused wonderment amongthe dwellers of the earth whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world--that is, all of the people of the heathen and Roman world who were not the people of God, and had never been so reckoned, held the worldly pomp and power of the Roman emperor in great admiration. But this inhibition of the presence and power of the persecuting beast was not for long. His reappearance as a persecutor was also characterized as a final disappearance when his defeat and destiny should be accomplished--he would eventually go into perdition. It should be remembered that the destiny of the beast did not refer to the destruction of the empire itself but to the destruction of the persecuting power which the beast represented. The symbols have the same force and application as Isaiah’ s description of the decease of the wicked lords of Babylon--referring not to the literal demise of the Babylonian empire, but to the wicked dominion over the people of God. There is a continuous reinforcement of the parallels between the apocalypses of the fortunes of Old Testament Israel through exile to their return and the destruction of Babylonian lordship, represented by Isaiah, in Isaiah 66:22, as their “ new heavens and the new earth” ; and the apocalypses of Revelation dealing with the persecutions of the New Testament church, the destruction of the old Jerusalem, and the symbolic “ new heaven and new earth” of Revelation 21:1 --a delineation of the grandeurs and glories of the New Jerusalem. (3) The great wonder comprehended—Revelation 17:9-11. “And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: fire are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.” The mind which hath wisdom referred to the deep mystical import of these symbols which were here merely projected but not fully explained or interpreted--the full meaning is reserved for the following chapter. Everything in the visions revolves around the Jerusalem of the Jews, Rome being only collateral to the accomplishment of the visions. The reference to the seven mountains was not subject to a literal application any more than the literalizing of the woman. Mountains were ordinarily the symbols of the seats and positions of political and governmental authority, where power was concentrated. And while that was true of Rome, surrounded literally by seven hills; it was true also that Jerusalem was the city where apostasy in the realm of religious power was concentrated; and Jerusalem was also surrounded by seven literal mountains: Zion, Acra, Moriah, Bezetha, Millo, Ophel and Antonio; all of which are mentioned in the history of Josephus in connection with the war against Jerusalem (Book 5, Section 5, 8). The application of these symbols to Jerusalem finds consistency in the context. The seven kings of Rev 17:10 were the imperial Caesars, of which Nero was sixth in succession from Julius. The seven mountains cannot be representative of the seven kings, since the text does not read they are seven kings, but “ there are seven kings.” The text further states that five are fallen, and one is and the other is not yet come. Though Julius Caesar was the head of the Roman Republic, it merged into the empire; and the Roman emperors derived the official title Caesar from Julius. There can be no reason in fact or history to justify omitting Julius from the count of the Caesars of Rome, and only the demands of a theory to provide a later date for Revelation has caused it to be done. The seven kings, five of which had fallen, followed the count from Julius Caesar, the first-then, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, the five which had fallen-- and Nero, the sixth. He was referred to in the phrase and one is--that is, the reigning emperor. It is further stated that the other, or the seventh, is not yet. The five Caesars had passed before John wrote this apocalypse; and Nero, the sixth Caesar, was reigning at the time Revelation was written. The apocalypse belonged to the Neronic period. Omitting quite properly the subordinates, or mock rulers, Domitian was the seventh Caesar; and the text specifically stated that he had not come. It is difficult to account for a theory that fixes the chronology of Revelation in the latter part of the Domitian reign when he, the seventh, had not come. The rectification of the traditional chronological error attached to the Book of Revelation will automatically correct the “ future prophecy” theories so fullof mis-concepts. The text stated that the seventh king, or emperor, must continue a short space--that is, the persecutions would not end with Nero, but would continue to be prosecuted in reigns of short duration of the successive emperors. It is stated in Revelation 17:11 that the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seventh, and goeth into perdition. There is a repetition here of Rev 17:8, to which the reader may refer, concerning was, is not, and yet is. But Revelation 17:11 affirms the affinity and continuity of the imperial beasts. From the sixth to the seventh the vision was extended, in Revelation 17:10; and Revelation 17:11 presents the eighth as having the same genus, the spirit of the persecuting beast appearing in one emperor after another until their course was run. To the church at Smyrna the Lord said: And ye shall have tribulation ten days. This undoubtedly referred to the period of the ten persecuting emperors from Nero to Diocletian, who vowed to obliterate the name Christian from the Roman Empire; and it fixes the time period of these apocalyptic disclosures from Nero to Diocletian, the tenth emperor from Nero--thus assigning the date of Revelation to the early part of Nero’ s reign, before the siege and destruction of Jerusalem; and its symbols to the Nero-Diocletian period of persecution. (4) The coordination of the ten kings—Revelation 17:12-18 : The ten kings of the beast in Revelation 17:12 had received no kingdom as yet; but receive power one hour with the beast. These mock rulers of the Roman tributaries had no independent rule; they were the contemporary subordinate rulers with the beast for one hour--that is, a temporary exercise of a delegated power in conjunction with Rome, but of short duration as persecutors; their power would continue no longer than the accomplishment of God’ s will in the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of Judaism. It is stated in Revelation 17:13 that these ten kings had one mind. The overshadowing personage of Nero was pictured as standing behind; but the single aim and common purpose was the destruction of Jerusalem, the devastation of Judea to rid the empire of Judaism, and the subsequent war against Christianity in the full power and strength of the coalition of the kings with the emperor against the church. Jerusalem was destroyed, Judaism perished, but the church survived. The vision in the preceding chapters of the great red dragon’ s war against the Christ is continued in Revelation 17:14; but the Lamb would overcome all assailants and assaults against his church, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings--over all kings and emperors of the earth --and because his followers are called, and chosen and faithful. Such fidelity cannot be extinguished by the trials of persecution. Commentary on Revelation 17:7-14 by Walter ScottTHE MYSTERY OF THE WOMAN AND THE BEAST (Revelation 17:7-18). Revelation 17:7. — “And the angel said to me, Why hast thou wondered? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the Beast which carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.” We have had the mystery of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:1-33), now the angel is going to explain to the Seer, and through him to us, the mystery of the woman and the Beast. THE BEAST: FOUR PHASES OF ITS HISTORY. Revelation 17:8. — “The Beast which thou sawest was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss, and go into destruction: and they who dwell on the earth, whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, shall wonder, seeing the Beast, that it was, and is not, and shall be present.” Here we have the history of the greatest empire the world has ever beheld compressed into four crisp sentences, as remarkable for their brevity as for their truth. Two of them are yet future. The woman and the Beast are distinct. The former is the ecclesiastical power: the latter the civil authority. Both are viewed as wicked and apostate. The woman is viewed in the vision as in the zenith of her prosperity, proud, seductive, and murderous. She is on the highest pinnacle of pride and power just previous to her downfall. The Beast is viewed as about to enter on the third phase of its history — coming out of the abyss. This most awful feature is to be added to its human rise and history — Satan brings it out of the prison-house of demons, out of the darkness and wickedness of that domain where his authority reigns supreme. The angel turns from the woman to the Beast when the vision is explained. John would cease to wonder at the appalling picture. (1) The ancient empire beheld in vision was; that is, it existed in its imperial form in John’ s day, and on till its destruction in A.D. 476. (2) “ And is not.” It has no present political existence. The kingdoms which composed it of course remain, but the empire as such no longer exists. Modern Europe, with its many conflicting interests, jealousies, and separate kingdoms, is the result of the complete break-up of the once undivided empire of the Caesars. The western part of the empire, which fell last, is by far the guiltiest, as being the scene of Christian light and grace. These two phases of the empire are simple matters of history, but the remaining features are prophetic, and are only written in the pages of the Sacred Volume. God lifts the veil, and we see, after the lapse of many centuries, the empire once more filling the gaze of men — an astonishment to an apostate Christendom. (3) “ Is about to come up out of the abyss.” Satan will revive the empire, and then stamp his own character upon it. The human rise of the Beast must be carefully distinguished from its satanic revival in the midst of the seventieth prophetic week at the epoch of Satan’ s expulsion from Heaven (Revelation 12:1-17). The Seer beholds it in vision on the eve of its revival. “ Is about to come up.” The abyss produces this monster of iniquity — the Beast. Heaven opens and gives forth the Church — the bride of the Lamb. (4) “Go into destruction.” This is the final phase of Gentile power. Rome came into existence 753 B.C. It passed through many trials, weathered many political storms, till it reached the zenith of its glory in the time of Christ. Its connection with Christ and Judah is the great crisis in the history of the empire. The Beast in its representative crucified the Lord after thrice declaring His innocence. Subsequently the blood of the people was shed in such multitudes that millions were involved in the most awful slaughter recorded in history, while the miserable remnants were either sold in such numbers that the slave markets were glutted with the human merchandise, and purchasers could not be found, or dispersed throughout the world. God remembers these deeds. The hour of vengeance has arrived. The Beast is consigned to the lake of fire. Final destruction overtakes the once mighty empire of the Caesars. SATANIC OF THE EMPIRE When the empire reappears in its last and satanic form it will be an object of universal wonder, save to the redeemed. What a state of things we have arrived at! Satan brings out of the darkness of the pit a power which he fashions and controls, outwardly like the empire, yet diabolically featured. Men then will wonder and worship both Satan and his human instruments (Revelation 13:4; Revelation 13:12). The elect had their names written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. Ah! these future times were all thought of and provided for in the foresight of God. This book is the same as that of Rev 13:8, only there we are told that the book belongs to the slain Lamb. We read of another book of life in Revelation 3:5; there, however, it is the book of Christian profession, true and false, hence some names will be erased and others stand. But in our chapter the book, or register of life, is that of reality, hence no name can be blotted out. All within the wide domain of Christendom shall be carried away in wonder at the reappearance of this marvellous phenomena — all save the elect. To such the true character of the Beast will be apparent. MYSTERY OF THE BEAST. Revelation 17:9-13. — “ Here is the mind that has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains, whereon the woman sits. And there are seven kings: five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes he must remain (only) a little while. And the Beast that was, and is not, he also is an eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into destruction. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have not yet received a kingdom, but receive authority as kings one hour with the Beast. These have one mind, and give their power and authority to the Beast.” Of all the subjects embraced within the circle of Biblical revelation we know of none which has so occupied unintelligent minds, and produced such a wild crop of the merest conjecture as that of prophecy. Surely in all that concerns the future sobriety of thought is needful. In the domain of prophecy human learning is nigh useless. Human wisdom which would deduce facts and principles from the past or present is of no avail here. The future is alone unfolded in the Holy Scriptures. The gravest mistakes in the interpretation of the prophecies have been made, not by the ignorant multitude, but by learned men. We are absolutely dependent on the teaching of the Holy Scriptures for any knowledge we possess of coming events. God alone can unfold the future (Isaiah 41:21-23). Hence the force of the prefatory words, “ Here is the mind that has wisdom.” True wisdom takes its stand at the threshold of prophetic inquiry, and reverently asks, “ What is written?” (“Of the dark parts of Revelation,” says Warburton, “ there are two sorts: one which may be cleared up by the studious application of well-employed talents; the other, which will always reside within the shadow of God’ s throne, where it would be impiety to intrude.” History is open to the natural man. Prophecy can alone be understood by the spiritually wise.) and to that, and that only, yields implicit subjection. To the further explanation of the vision the wise are now directed. The two prominent features of the Beast which carried the woman are its seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 17:3; Revelation 17:7), which occupy the chief place in the explanation. The heads are first named. There is a double application of the symbol “ seven heads.”ROME AND THE PAPACY. (1) “The seven heads are seven mountains, whereon the woman sits.” The seven-hilled city of Rome (“ The seven-hilled city” is a term common enough in the history of Rome, especially in its earliest ages. It was one familiar in the social intercourse of the people, as also in its literature. Roman historians and poets seemed proud in so designating their city. Says Wordsworth, “ The unanimous voice of Roman poetry during more than five hundred years, beginning with the age of John, proclaimed Rome as the seven-hilled city.” He also adds, “ On the imperial medals of that age, which are still preserved, we see Rome figured as a woman on seven hills, precisely as she is represented in the Apocalypse.” ) is here indicated as the seat and center of the woman’ s almost universal authority and influence. It is where the papacy has been located and has flourished, more or less, for 1500 years. The papacy is now slowly recovering from the wounds inflicted upon it; first in the sixteenth century, and then in our own times stripped of its temporal power. Its vitality is wonderful. Its energies are now concentrated in winning back to its fold the nations of Europe. The conversion of England is a dazzling project, and an event to be expected within a measurable time — so thinks and says the papacy. That the peoples of modern enlightened Europe will ultimately be gathered under the sway of the woman seems an evident truth from our chapter, if a sad and sorrowful one. The mighty work of the Reformation in its general and outward results is disappearing, while the acceptance of Romish principles and practices is steadily gaining ground. The persistent and insidious advance of popery in every department of life — political, social, and religious — is an alarming factor in the present situation. Protestantism as a whole is supremely indifferent. The old war cry, “ No popery,” cannot now rouse the nation. It is asleep. The higher critics with their infidel and destructive criticism have undermined faith in the Holy Scriptures; while the efforts of true Christians to stem the torrent of popish error are paralyzed owing, in the first place, to the multiplicity of sects, in which combined action is rendered impossible, and, further, because of the growing indifference to what is of God. HISTORY OF THE BEAST. (2) “And there are seven kings,” i.e., heads, or forms of civil and political government. The local reference to Rome in verse 9 is undoubted. But a further and additional explanation is offered. The seven heads on the Beast represent seven successive forms of government from the rise of the fourth universal empire on through its history till its end. Revelation 17:10. — “Five have fallen.” (“ Fallen,” or “ fell,” intimates the ruin or destruction of a system or kingdom (Revelation 14:8; Revelation 16:19). The death of an individual ruler would not be so spoken of. Hence the term “ kings” in our passage signifies the ruling authority for the time being. The four beasts of Dan 7:1-28 are said to be four kings (v. 17). Thus the term kings must not be confined in its application to royal personages. The context in each case must determine.) These are Kings, Consuls, Dictators, Decemvirs, and Military Tribunes. Revelation 17:10 — “One is.” This is the sixth, or imperial form of government set up by Julius Caesar, and under which John was banished to Patmos under Domitian. The previous forms of authority had ceased. The first emperor, Julius, absorbed the power covered by the old names under which Rome had been governed, and commenced the long and imperial line which became extinct in the year A.D. 476. Revelation 17:10 — “The other has not yet come.” Thus between the dissolution of the empire and its future diabolic reappearance many centuries have elapsed. “ When he comes he must remain (only) a little while.” This is the seventh head. It is the rise of the fallen empire under new conditions as presented in chapter 13: 1. When the Beast next comes upon the scene it will be characterised by the completeness of administrative authority of a blasphemous kind, and will be formed of ten kingdoms, each having its separate monarch, yet all in subordination to the great Gentile chief who will control the empire and hold all with a firm grasp. The brief continuance of this special form of government is plainly stated. “ A little while” marks the duration of the anomalous condition of things under the revived empire, yet worse is to follow. Revelation 17:11. — “And the beast that was, and is not, he also is an eighth, and is of the seven.” The gigantic confederation of Rome is here regarded in its essential features as ever the same. He is an “ eighth.” We have here an advance upon the historical revival of the Beast (Revelation 13:1). For the three years and a half preceding the Advent of the Lord in power and glory the Beast is dominated and controlled by Satan. He had revived it out of the abyss. The Beast in its last and worst state comes out of the abyss, as distinct from its rise at the first (Daniel 7:1-28. l), or its future human revival (Revelation 13:1). It thus presents a complete picture by itself, and is thereby entitled to the appellation an “ eighth.” Its diabolical character as revived by Satan accounts for the use of the ordinal. We have the human reappearance of the empire in Revelation 13:1-18, and its hellish revival in Revelation 17:1-18. Revelation 17:11 — “Is of the seven.” There will be certain features peculiar to the Beast in the last two stages of its history. Probably the form of power under the seventh head will be continued, and in some other respects the last holder of Gentile power will tread in the steps of his predecessor. Thus he will be of the seven, yet an eighth as a distinctive person. We may here remark that the Beast and its personal ruler are so vitally connected that the two are spoken of in interchangeable terms; thus the Beast perishes and is thrown, in the person of its last great chief, into the lake of fire. The last sovereign ruler stamps his own character upon the empire. They can be regarded separately as in Daniel 7:1-28, or identical as in our chapter. Revelation 17:11. — “Goes into destruction,” or perdition. This is accomplished at the commencement of the millennial reign, and is graphically described in Revelation 19:17-21. The fowls of Heaven are summoned to the “ supper of the great God.” They are called to feed and feast upon the great and mighty of the earth. The two great chiefs, heads respectively of the secular and religious powers, are consigned alive to the lake of fire; their subordinates and armies everlastingly perish. The first five heads fell in succession. Then the sixth came to a violent end; the seventh is merged in the eighth, which suffers a judgment more awful than history records. This head is identified with the Beast itself, and hence if it is destroyed the Beast must go into utter ruin (compare with Daniel 7:11). Having had the “ seven heads” explained, we are now informed as to “ the ten horns” (Revelation 17:12). These horns refer to royal persons. The term “ horn” denotes power in the abstract (v. 6; Lamentations 2:3); but as used here it refers to kings. The ten horns therefore represent as many distinct royal personages or their kingdoms. Another has tersely said: “ The ten kingdoms shall be contemporaneous in contradistinction to the seven heads which were successive.” But the ten kingdoms which existed as to actual territory are here viewed as coming into power with the Beast. See also verse 16, not the ten horns “upon the beast,” but the ten horns “ and the beast” (R.V.). They do not exist as separate kingdoms or nationalities. There are ten, but they are coexistent with the reign of the Beast. They “ received authority as kings one hour with the Beast.” When the Beast reappears on the arena of history it will do so in a ten-kingdom form. It disappeared in A.D. 476, but will next come up in a form hitherto unknown in history. The revived empire will consist of ten kingdoms with their respective chiefs. The duration of the reign of these kings is measured by the reign of the Beast. But not only are these kingdoms in existence during the time that the Beast plays his terrible role, but they are subordinate to him. Willingly they place themselves in absolute subjection to the Beast. “ These have one mind, and give their power and authority to the Beast.” The Beast and the horns are contemporary, but the latter bow implicitly to the will of the former. When the empire was broken up, separate kingdoms were constituted — historical fact — but our prophecy demands the existence of the Beast and the ten kingdoms, the latter subservient to the former. WAR WITH THE LAMB. Revelation 17:14. — “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings: and they that are with Him called, and chosen, and faithful.” Here is recorded the final public act of the Beast and his allies. The conflict itself is fully described in Revelation 19:19-21. The angel here simply notes the fact, passing over many intervening events. The war has not been actually entered upon, but it is anticipated. Its issue is in no wise doubtful. “ The Lamb shall overcome them.” Victory is assured ere the conflict is entered upon, for the mighty Conqueror is King of all who reign, and Lord of all who exercise authority. He is supreme. All power in Heaven and on earth is His (Matthew 28:18). Oh, what madness and folly for men and governments to enter the lists with God’ s Lamb Who will publicly wield the authority of Jehovah’ s throne! How touching the blessed association of the Lamb with the mighty King — tenderness and power combined (Revelation 5:5-6). Revelation 17:14 — “They that are with Him.” The militant hosts, the heavenly armies, consist of all the redeemed then in Heaven. There will be other companies of saved persons in Heaven besides the Church (Hebrews 12:23). The whole body of heavenly saints accompany their Lord through the opened Heaven, and down to crush the confederated opposition to the rights of the Lamb. For this universal gathering of heavenly saints see Jude 1:14; Zechariah 14:5; Revelation 19:14. In the morning of the Lord’ s triumphal return “ all the holy angels” shall swell His triumph (Matthew 25:31; Hebrews 1:6). But “ they that are with Him” must be confined to saints only. Angels have their part in the war in Heaven (Revelation 12:7). Saints alone form the conquering army of the Lamb. Those who take part in this conflict and who serve under such a renowned Leader are each and all spoken of as “ called, and chosen, and faithful.” Called in time (2 Timothy 1:9); chosen in eternity (Ephesians 1:4); and proved faithful in all and every relation of life, and that even unto death (Matthew 25:21-23; Revelation 2:10). These epithets, called, chosen, and faithful can only strictly apply to saints. Commentary on Revelation 17:7-14 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 17:7. Wherefore didst thou marvel? This question indicates that the amazed expression on the face of John was mixed with that of being puzzled over the whole phenomenon. The angel promises to explain to him all about the mystery involving the woman, the beast and the seven heads and ten horns that the beast had. The passage deviates from the usual manner of the book. When the symbols are described we are generally left to figure out (by the help of history) what the interpretation is. This time the angel will tell to what institutions and persons the symbols refer. Not that he will specify the personal items of application, but he will describe it so that a student of the Bible and history should have no uncertainty about it. Revelation 17:8, Was and is not refers to Pagan Rome which ceased to be such an institution (on the surface) after the time of Constantine. Ascend out of the bottomless pit. The last two words mean that part of the intermediate state where evil men and angels are kept until the judgment day. It is the place where the wicked rich man went as recorded in Luke 16:23 where the word is "hell" but comes from a different Greek term. Since the members of Pagan Rome were wicked it was necessary to show them as ascending from this pit. But we should take notice that the vision leaps across all the intervening years for the moment to predict the final destiny of those members of the beast that had been in the bottomless pit. After the intermediate state is no longer needed, these wicked persons will ascend out of that pit and go into perdition, which means they will be cast into the lake of fire. Having shown a brief picture of the fate of this beast, the vision at once resumes the events and appearances that are to take place before the final day of perdition. The vision is so unusual that the uninformed shall wonder at it. That is the same word used in verse 6 which was seen to mean that one is puzzled with amazement, and it would have that meaning especially with the uninformed. By that word I mean the ones described by John as those whose names are not written in the book of life. Chapter 13:8 shows this italicized statement means those who are not faithful servants of Christ. Their names (of the faithful) are said to have been written in the book from the foundation of the world or before the human family had become an orderly group of human beings. The beast that was and is not and yet is was that which caused the astonishment spoken of above. The beast was Pagan Rome outwardly until the time of Constantine, who caused the union of church and state to take place. That put an end to Pagan Rome as far as outward profession was concerned, and it is in that sense that John says the beast is 'not. But In reality Papal Rome retained so much of the doctrines and wicked practices of the original empire, that it could truly be said of Papal Rome that it was Pagan Rome in disguise or in another form. It is in that sense that John says the institution yet is, which caused the uninformed of the world to be amazed and puzzled. But the righteous did not have to be in such a state of mind because they had always been respectful hearers of what inspired men had said. For instance, if they had only-read and considered what Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2, they would have expected such revolutions to take place as these affairs of Rome. Revelation 17:9. The seven mountains have no special significance except as an item of geography and history by which to identify the city of Rome. On whieh the woman sitteth means that the apostate church rested upon the government of Rome for support. Revelation 17:10. In some previous verses and in Revelation 17:12 below the text plainly says the ten horns represent ten kings or kingdoms that were inferior units of the Roman Empire. Hence the seven kings of this verse must have another meaning, and I believe they refer to important men who were leaders in the affairs of state right in the capital city. It is merely a coincidence that the Lord had seven of those prominent men in mind which is also the number of the geographical hills or "mountains" that comprised the city of Rome. It is clearly shown in Roman history that leading men in the Empire often vied with each other for power and the vision shows such a conflict. Revelation 17:11. The beast that was has been already shown to be Pagan Rome. The apostle says this beast is the eighth; not merely one more beast that would count up to eight, but it was the eighth and of the seven. This denotes that it was in the same line, or bore some fact in common with the others. And the phrase goeth into perdition strengthens that conclusion, for we learned in verse 8 that it was Pagan Rome that was to go into perdition. (Not that Papal Rome will escape perdition, but that is not under consideration at present.) The vision means that Pagan Rome as a whole must take her place in the count with all those individual "kings" or chief men in the corrupt institution, and all go down as a unit into the lake of perdition. Revelation 17:12. These ten kings (or small kingdoms) are named at Revelation 13:1. It says they had received no kingdom as yet. The meaning is they were not in rightful control of their kingdoms although they were acting as kings. But the phrase also indicates that they will finally be kings in their own right after Papal Rome has been put down even as Pagan Rome was, then each nation will have its own chosen form of government. But for the time being they may only act as kings. One hour with the beast is a figure of speech meaning that the time for continued oppression of Rome was to be comparatively short. The reader should bear in mind that the vision goes from the days of Pagan Rome in verse 11 to those of Papal Rome in the present verse. On that basis the beast now is Papal Rome in conjunction with the state. Revelation 17:13. These means the ten kings of the preceding verse and until they have had their eyes opened by receiving the Bible back again, they will not know any better than to give their power and strength unto the beast (church and state). Revelation 17:14. These again means the ten kings just mentioned. While they were still under the control of Papal Rome and blinded by the false doctrines of that corrupt beast, they were opposed to the Lamb of God and made (religious) war with Him. The Lamb shall overcome them. This will be accomplished by the Reformation, for that movement will give the Bible back to the people in their native tongue. When that is done the Lamb shall overcome them which means He will subdue their opposition to the word of God and to the true church that is regulated by that word. Lord of lords puts Christ above all other rulers, and King of kings means He is greater than the ten kings who fought against Him. Christ does not conduct the conflict directly but does it by His great army. The army is composed of those who are called (by the Gospel), and they are chosen because they have qualified themselves by being faithful.Commentary on Revelation 17:7-14 by Burton CoffmanRev_17:7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and the ten horns.Wherefore didst thou wonder ... The terrible thing that astounded John was "that a portion of the church is one with the hostile world."[31] The angel seems to have wondered at John's wonderment, because "there were sufficient marks to identify the harlot,"[32] Very similar descriptions of Judah, a type of the church, in Jeremiah 2 and Jeremiah 3 should have made it plain to John. He should have been able to read in the vision the truth that just as the old Israel had apostatized and crucified the Christ, the church of Christ also, in the lapse of years, would fall from her high calling and become an ally of Satan. "The hint of this slumbered in the vision."[33]I will tell thee the mystery of the woman ... and of the beast ... In revealing this, the angel would unveil the woman's true identity with the land-beast and the sea-beast both! Particularly, however, she must be tied more conspicuously to the land-beast. She rides the sea-beast; she is the land-beast! [31] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 416. [32] Ibid. [33] ? Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, they whose name hath not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was, and is not, and shall come.The beast that thou sawest was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss ... As Beckwith said: It seems unquestionable that the idea expressed in these words (Revelation 17:8) is the same as that denoted in the symbolical vision by the head smitten unto death and healed (Revelation 13:3). They are described in closely parallel terms.[34]This is an exceedingly important point, having the meaning that this woman herself is that "healed head" once smitten to death. Pagan Rome, the sixth of the seven heads (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome) was the one smitten to death, even as the previous "heads" had run their course and fallen; but the death of this sixth head (Rome) would be different; its "death" would not be the end of the persecuting state. The woman herself was to be the healing of the sixth head, its replacement; and the Great Harlot would succeed the persecuting empire of pagan Rome in the form of the persecuting power of "Christian" Rome. Did it happen? Who can deny that it did? Who needs any answer except the history of the past two millenniums? In this, it is also clear what is meant by the land-beast making an image of the first (Revelation 13:15). When the harlot, certainly the same as the land-beast, made an image of the beast, or to the beast, what is meant? Exactly the same thing that is meant when it is said that Tommy grew up and made an engineer! He became an engineer. The woman made an image of the beast which was persecuting pagan Rome, becoming herself persecuting "Christian" Rome. She herself was the image of the beast, the healed head, the replacement and successor to pagan Rome. Historically, this places her after 476 A.D., when the pagan empire fell, long after emperor worship had perished from the earth. Note that there is absolutely no reference whatever in Revelation to making an image "to Caesar," or to "the emperor," or "to one of the kings." No! The image was "of the beast," not of one of his heads, even if "heads" is misinterpreted to mean "emperors." And go into perdition ... The ultimate destiny of all evil is never denied or thwarted by the riches and glory displayed in the present existence. These words are to keep that truth in focus. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder ... This refers to the unregenerated, non-Christian world. They whose name hath not been written in the book of life ... See comment on this under Revelation 13:8. From the foundation of the world ... Unlike the passage earlier (Revelation 13:8), this phrase is here applied to the inscription of the names of the saints in the book of life. The eternal purpose of God is known by him from the beginning, regarding all things and all people. Of course, there are unfathomable mysteries about such things which we cannot understand; but the meaning of the words is clear enough as they regard the purpose in view, encouraging the redeemed. In whatever manner the entire world may be captured and enthralled by the charms of the satanic beast, the true Christian will not be deceived. How that he was, and is not, and shall come ... Note that in the Greek (ASV margin), the last words are "shall be present," recalling Revelation 13:3. See comment quoted above from Beckwith. As Hendriksen said, "The book of Daniel proves that these seven heads do not symbolize seven individual kings or emperors, but seven anti-Christian world powers."[35] See under Revelation 17:8 for a list of these, Rome being the head "that now is." The use of the past tense "he that was" is a reference to the vision that John had seen (past tense) in Revelation 13:3; but the head John had seen as existing there, is the same as the one that will be designated "one is" in Revelation 17:10. Revelation 17:8 refers to what John saw (past tense); and Revelation 17:10 indicates the meaning (present tense) for John, explained by the angel. [34] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 696. [35] William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956), p. 204. Revelation 17:9 Here is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth:Here is the mind that hath wisdom ... These words seem to be addressed to any temptation of taking an easy, literal view of the prophecy. As Plummer warned, any literal application as to the seven hills of Rome must not be considered to be the full significance of these words, despite the fact that, "They may indeed be a partial fulfillment, but not the whole signification."[36]The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth ... In this there is a subtle extension of the harlot's stature, for she is represented as gathering up in herself all the authority and power of the first beast (Revelation 13:1), even as did the second beast (Revelation 13:12). "The seven heads" are here called seven mountains, just as they will be called seven kings in the next verse. Heads, mountains, kings ... they all mean the same thing. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 17:15-18 3. THE MYSTERY OF THE HARLOTRev_17:15-18 15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues--In verse 3 the woman was represented as sitting on the scarlet-colored beast. That was explained in the preceding paragraph. Verse 1 says she was sitting upon the sea. This paragraph explains that. The waters refer to a multitude of peoples of various nations who supported the papacy. For clearness we again mention the fact that the apostate church is represented by the beast in Revelation 13:11-18, but by the drunken harlot in Revelation 17:1-7. This distinction should be remembered. It is common in scriptural figures for the same thing to be represented by several different symbols. Christ is called both Lamb and Lion to describe different characteristics. Both are appropriate, but must not be confused. So of beast and harlot. The former is an emblem of the persecuting spirit of the apostasy; the latter, the seductive wiles by which people would be led into false religious practices, called a "golden cup full of abominations" and "unclean things of her fornication." (Verse 4.) 16 And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her utterly with fire.--This language indicates that political Rome (the beast) and the nations subject to it would hate the harlot (apostate church). This refers to a later period, for verses 3 and 14 show that their combined powers were engaged in war against the Lamb; at the time of this verse they were against the papacy, determined to make it desolate. This has been at least partly fulfilled in the fact that nations once subject to papal rule have become Protestant or rejected church rule in matters of state. Being despoiled of such glory and power is appropriately described as being made desolate and naked. Eating her flesh and burning her with fire imply complete destruction, but are not to be taken literally. They probably indicate that when nations refused to be governed by papal authority the end of such rule over them was as complete as if a body had been eaten or a city burned. 17 For God did put in their hearts to do his mind, and to come to one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished.--This verse shows that in some way God was the moving cause (permitted or allowed) of these nations unitedly supporting the beast until the divine purpose was carried out in certain particulars. Then they became enemies of the harlot in accomplishing other purposes God had in view. 18 And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.--In verse 5 the great city is described as Babylon. But this must be understood figuratively as meaning the papal church, which, like its proto-type, ancient Babylon, must finally be destroyed.Commentary on Revelation 17:15-18 by Foy E. Wallace It is repeated in Revelation 17:15 that the waters upon which the Harlot sat were the peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues, which represented, as previously explained, Jerusalem’ s affiliations with the heathen world, and the intermingling with nations and people of all parts of the empire. This became a source of corruption and apostasy. It is declared in Revelation 17:16 that the kings of the empire, represented by the ten horns, hated the Harlot. This is solid proof that the harlot city was not Rome--assuredly the Roman kings did not hate the capital city of the Roman Empire. But they did hate Jerusalem and coordinated their efforts with the emperor to reduce it to the condition here described: make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire. The Lord’ s account of the siege of Jerusalem together with the history of Josephus were a graphic fulfillment of these apocalyptic pronouncements on apostate Jerusalem, the faithful city become an harlot. The accord of these kings with the emperor was described in Revelation 17:17 as being in God’ s plan to fulfill his words, spoken by his prophets, and by the Lord Jesus Christ himself, concerning the destruction of the once faithful but then harlot city of Jerusalem, With Revelation 17:18 the chapter closes with a significant declaration: And the woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth. It is this passage that has been the basis of the interpretation and theory that Rome was the city that reigned over the kings of the earth, and was therefore the harlot city. But the conclusion does not follow. In Revelation 11:8 Jerusalem is called the great city under the symbols of Sodom and Egypt, hence the term “ great city” has been a mystic designation for Jerusalem. In the history of Josephus, Volume 7 of Wars, Section 8, 7, the historical term “ that great city” was applied to Jerusalem. This was both the historical and symbolic designation for Jerusalem. There are no such terms and titles employed to designate Rome. The appellation for Jerusalem comports further with the reference to the city as Babylon, the Great in Revelation 11:8, symbolically called Sodom and Egypt, but identified as being Jerusalem by the statement where also our Lord was crucified. The last statement of Rev 17:18 “ which reigneth over the kings of the earth” did not refer to the empire of the Caesars, nor the city of the emperors. The word reign here denoted a dominion. The earth, as defined at the beginning of the visions and later repeated, referred to the land of Judea, inclusive of Palestine. The city of Jerusalem was the royal city where the kings of Judah reigned. The phrase the kings of the earth was used in the sense of Act 4:26-27 : “ The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast annointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together.” These “ kings of the earth” were of Judah, and Jerusalem was the capital city of the land, standing in the same relation to these “ kings of the earth” as Rome sustained to the emperors. The second psalm represents Jerusalem as ruling with a rod of iron over “ the kings of the earth” who had set themselves against the Lord’ s annointed One. In the Wars, Book 3, Section 3, 5, Josephus adds that “ the royal city Jerusalem was supreme, and presided over all neighboring country as the head does over the body.” There is every contextual reason to apply the language of Rev 17:18, “ that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth,” to Jerusalem in relation to the kings of Judah, as figuratively set forth in the second psalm, and quoted in fulfillment in the gospel of Matthew. Beside these scriptural applications, it must be true in ordinary logic and common consistency that the beast being the Roman empire, the harlot city which the beast hated could not have been the city of Rome. The entire vision is centered on the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, the demolition of the Jewish temple and the end of theocratic Judaism and of the Jewish state; and the devastation of the land of Judea, the homeland of the Jews. The persecution of the church was a consequence of such catastrophe, being considered by the Romans as a sect of the Jews. But the Roman empire and Rome, the city, were only collateral to the visions of Revelation as the instrument of the power of destruction and of persecution.Commentary on Revelation 17:15-18 by Walter ScottI OF THE WATERS. Revelation 17:15. — “The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” The woman sits upon the Beast (Revelation 17:3). The harlot sits upon or beside many waters (Revelation 17:1). Having the explanation of these “ many waters” before us we can the more readily understand the immense and universal influence which the apostate Church then exercises. The peoples and nations, organized and unformed, specially outside the limits of the existing Roman world, are ensnared and captivated by the allurements of the harlot. She sits enthroned in greatness, and richly adorned with the glories of the world, but without the affections of her deluded followers. There is display, but no reality; no heart for Christ, whose bride she impiously professes to be. Her own exaltation, and that to the spiritual ruin of the deluded millions who received her favors and court her smile, is her sole aim. Her supreme regard is for gold (Revelation 18:12); her least concern is for the souls of men (Revelation 17:13). The four divisions of the human family are employed to set forth the far-reaching influence of the woman (Revelation 7:9 : Revelation 11:9). OF THE HARLOT. Revelation 17:16-17. — “And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the Beast, these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her with fire. For God has given to their hearts to do His mind, and to act with one mind, and to give their kingdom to the Beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.” “ The ten horns and the Beast” (see R.V. for this important emendation). The ten kingdoms combine with the Beast in hatred to the whore. What a change! It is evident that the Beast and confederate kings exist after the destruction of Babylon, as they, i.e., the Beast and the horns, are the human instruments in inflicting the Lord’ s vengeance on that guilty and apostate system. The secular power is reserved for destruction at the hands of the Lord in Person and at His Coming in power (Revelation 19:1-21). The ten horns act in conjunction with the Beast in hatred to the whore. All were united in supporting the claims and pretensions of the woman, and now they are equally agreed in effecting her ruin. The world’ s glory and might is but a passing dream. All not founded on God withers, fades, and perishes. Babylon, when on the highest pinnacle of pride and greatness, in the zenith of her glory, is cut down. Her ruin is complete and final. In righteous retribution her partners in crime become the active instruments in her political overthrow and displacement from power over the nations. There seems a gradation in the punishment meted out to the harlot. First, hated; this refers to the loathing and disgust with which her late confederates and supporters regard her. Second, made desolate; despoiled of her wealth, and utterly wasted (Revelation 18:19). Third, naked; stripped of her purple and scarlet robes, she appears before all in her true character as a shameless and abandoned woman (Ezekiel 23:29; Revelation 3:18), her moral nakedness and shame apparent to all. Fourth, “eat her flesh;” there is significance in the fact that flesh is in the plural; the abundance of her wealth and all she gloried in is devoured by her late admirers, now her bitterest enemies (compare with James 5:3; Psalms 27:2; Micah 3:2-3). Fifth “burn her with fire;” utter social and political ruin is here indicated. The main element in the destruction of the literal Babylon was water (Jeremiah 51:1-64). The mystical city of that name “ shall be utterly burned with fire” (Revelation 18:8). Both Babylons are doomed to everlasting desolation. The one has fallen; the other is sure to follow. There is “ no healing of the bruise.”UNION OF THE POWERS IN MIND AND ACTION. The powers who destroy Babylon glut their vengeance on the guilty system which had so long enslaved them. But here the veil is drawn aside, and we find that whatever they thought they were simply carrying out the divine will. God had decreed the destruction of the worst system on the face of the earth, and the Beast and his vassal kings are His instruments in doing so. “ God has given to their hearts to do His mind.” Note the distinction, “ their hearts” and “ His mind.” Heartily they enter on the work of destruction, but, after all, they unknowingly accomplish the set purpose of God. The heart and mind of the destroying powers are united. They love the service to which, while they know it not, they have been divinely set apart, and they execute it with fixed determination. Such seems to be the thought conveyed in our text. Revelation 17:17. — Further, the ten kings “ give their kingdom to the Beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled.” There is absolute subjection to the Beast. Unable to maintain separate and independent kingdoms the ten kings voluntarily place themselves and their kingdoms under the rule of the Beast, and from henceforth he becomes their master, allowing them but the shadow of royalty. The real power is in the hands of the Beast (Revelation 13:2-7). What is attributed to the kings in verse 13 of our chapter is traced to God as the source in verse 17. All the movements amongst the powers of Europe are in the coming crisis an accomplishment of the prophetic “ words of God.” We would further add that the complete subjection of the ten kings to the Beast, as indicated in verse 13, is a condition subsequent to the destruction of Babylon. They had previously given their power to the woman, now it is transferred to the Beast. The duration of the reign of the Beast in the last great crisis defines the length of time when the ten horns, or kings, exercise sovereignty (“ Receive power (authority) as kings one hour with the beast” signifies at one and the same time; that is, the horns and Beast exist together, whether the time is limited or prolonged.) (v. 12). But that describes a state both previous and subsequent to the downfall of Babylon, whereas the abject slavery of the powers to the Beast is consequent upon and subsequent to the utter ruin of the Romish system. God works unseen, but not the less truly, in all the political changes of the day. The astute statesman, the clever diplomatist, is simply an agent in the Lord’ s hands. He knows it not. Self-will and motives of policy may influence in action, but God is steadily working towards one end, i.e., to exhibit the heavenly and earthly glories of His Son. Thus, instead of kings and statesmen thwarting God’ s purpose they unconsciously forward it. God is not indifferent, but is behind the scenes of human action. The doings of the future ten kings in relation to Babylon and the Beast — the ecclesiastical and secular powers — are not only under the direct control of God, but all is done in fulfilment of His words. ROME, THE SEAT AND CENTRE OF THE WOMAN’ S . Revelation 17:18. — “And the woman which thou sawest is the great city, which has kingship over the kings of the earth.” The papacy and Rome cannot be dissociated. Babylon in the future is the full-blown development of the papal system, and finds her home naturally enough in Rome, where she has ever found it. There the most blasphemous doctrines have been taught, and there, too, claims more than human have been advanced. There will be a fuller development of papal error in the coming apostasy. Rome, therefore, is the city here referred to. The woman is the city, not Rome actually, but the system which has its seat in Rome, the Romish Church or system, the delegate of Satan in religious corruption (Revelation 16:19), and from thence till her destruction she exercises her baneful influence over the peoples of Christendom. The last verse of this deeply interesting chapter states a truth simple, yet important withal. An outline of the truths and subjects unfolded in the chapter may prove useful to some. THE CHAPTER . The immediate design of this and the next chapter is to supplement fully the two previous, but scant, notices of Babylon (Revelation 14:8; Revelation 16:19). Here a full and detailed description of her character and doom is given. But there is another subject of judgment besides that of Babylon. The Beast, the apostate secular power, occupies no unimportant place in this prophecy. The two main subjects then are Babylon, the religious system; and the Beast, the civil apostate power; the former occupying the chief place. The Beast, more prominent elsewhere (Revelation 13:1-18), is here regarded as secondary in interest to Babylon, the harlot. The chapter is divided into two parts: first, a vision beheld by the Seer (Revelation 17:1-6); second, the interpretation of the vision by one of the Vial angels (Revelation 17:7-18). We may here remark that the interpretation goes considerably beyond what was seen in the vision. The same principle obtains in Daniel 2:1-49 and in Matthew 13:1-58. The interpretation adds instruction to that found in dream, vision, or parable. The Seer first beheld the great whore ripe for judgment (v. 1). She is termed “ great Babylon” because of the awful and widespread confusion of which she is the embodiment. She is also “ the great whore” because of a frightful system of hypocrisy and lust over the souls and bodies of men. Her licentious character, moral of course, is indicated in the term “ whore.” She is called a woman because thereby is implied subjection (1 Corinthians 11:3). She assumes to be subject to Christ, as the Church is and delights to be (Ephesians 5:23-25). But in the case of the woman, her pretensions are hollow and unreal. She really cares nothing for Christ, nor will she bow to His headship or own His authority. She sits upon or beside “ many waters” (Revelation 17:1). These waters signify vast multitudes of the human race (Revelation 17:15) over whom the woman has cast her spell, alluring them to everlasting ruin. Then the kings and inhabitants of the earth are introduced in their respective relations to the whore (Revelation 17:2). This seems a more intimate connection than is indicated in Revelation 17:1. There the influence was universal; here is intimated direct intercourse with the whore. We gather, too, that the world at large is in view in the first verse of the chapter; in the second Christendom only. “ The kings of the earth” are not the same as the “ ten kings” of Revelation 17:12; these latter are kings of the Roman empire, the former signify the chiefs and leaders of Christendom generally. Next, the woman is seen sitting upon a “ scarlet Beast.” This is the same Beast and the same power as that presented in chapter 13. The ancient empire of Rome, defunct for many centuries, is here witnessed on the scene of prophecy covered with the glory and government of the world, as indicated by the scarlet color. The woman, too, is arrayed in scarlet, and the dragon bears the same colour (Revelation 12:3). How eagerly the pomp and glory of this world are sought after! The imperial power is subservient to the woman. The Beast, to whom the dragon commits universal authority, is the mere servant and tool of the woman. The secular power supports her arrogant pretensions. But the Beast is further described as “ full of names of blasphemy.” Bad as the woman is she is never guilty of this daring and open character of impiety. Deceit, corruption, violence, pride, and shameless evils of every kind are charged home upon ecclesiastical Babylon — the whore. Blasphemy and the public denial of God and of Christ are acts of which the Beast is guilty. The names of blasphemy on the heads of the Beast (Revelation 13:1) stamp the executive, or governing authority, with this awful character of guilt, but evidently we have here the whole body politic — chiefs and people — characterized by it. Fear of God is gone. The empire in all its parts is wholly given up to this most horrible iniquity. Then the Beast is said to have “ seven heads and ten horns,” several times repeated. The mention of the Beast in Revelation 13:1 is in similar terms to that of the dragon in Revelation 12:3. In the case of the dragon the heads, not the horns, are crowned; in the notice of the Beast the horns are crowned, while the heads bear the names or public expressions of blasphemy; in chapter 17 neither heads nor horns are crowned (Revelation 17:3). Such then is the general character and description of the Beast, the main supporter of the false and corrupt religious system dominating the empire, and extending her influence throughout Christendom. It does seem, at first sight, strange that the Beast — on which such a liberal grant of power is conferred by Satan (Revelation 13:4-7) — should be found a willing slave at the feet of the woman, but her dazzling splendor and seductive influence are like silken cords binding even the potent chief of the empire to the footstool of her throne. Having had the Beast before us, we are turned again to view the woman, clothed and adorned with all that the world esteems of highest value (Revelation 17:4). She holds a golden cup in her hand; she should have been that in the Lord’ s hand. The cup is “ full of abominations (idolatry) and the unclean things of her fornication.” (Tyre, not Babylon, of old is charged with fornication; this at once shows what the character of the evil is, viewed morally.) All who drink of her cup, and millions do, are morally ruined. Then upon her forehead is stamped her name and character. She bears on her sacerdotal brow the name “ Mystery,” of iniquity, surely! The second part of the title, “ Babylon the Great,” speaks of the havoc the woman has wrought. She has filled Christendom with innumerable evils, and brought in hopeless confusion. The third part of the name, or title, of the woman is perhaps the worst of all: “ The mother of the harlots, and of the abominations of the earth.” Every system which copies the ways and imitates the actions of the woman, imbibing her doctrines and adopting her liturgy, and generally borrowing from or conforming to the Romish Church, now or then, must be regarded as her offspring. She is the mother, or source, of every evil religious system. But she is a bloody system, as well as a morally licentious one. “ I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus” (Revelation 17:6). Papal Rome far exceeded pagan Rome in cruelty and bloodshed; and, besides, she is far more guilty as knowing better. She professed to be the spouse of Christ, and yet murdered at will those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; no doubt the Romish Church believed that in killing the saints she was doing God service (John 16:2), but it just shows the awful delusion which had judicially overtaken her. The wonder of the Seer was not caused by the Beast’ s persecution (Revelation 13:7), but by that of the woman, the professed spouse of Christ, although not she, but the Beast, actually puts the saints to death. But the woman is the power behind. Then in the second part of the chapter the “ mystery of the woman and of the Beast which carries her” is explained. It is a double mystery — the woman and the Beast; a travesty of the New Testament mystery “concerning Christ and the Church.” In the mystery of our chapter the woman is first named; in that of Ephesians Christ, and rightly so. The mystery of the Beast is first explained and shown under four conditions (Revelation 17:8). It “was.” The Beast existed as one vast consolidated empire under a long succession of imperial rulers. “Is not.” It has now no political existence; of course the countries and territories once within the empire remain, but the empire as such came to an inglorious end, A.D. 476. The ancient empire of world-wide fame and extent has for many centuries ceased to exist. “ Is about to come up out of the abyss.” Its historical and yet future rise out of the sea (Revelation 13:1) is not the point here; comes out of the abyss intimates the epoch at which we have arrived and of which the chapter treats. The Apocalypse gives the history of the last prophetic half week only. “And go into destruction,” or perdition. This is the final and everlasting doom of the Beast (Revelation 19:20) — cast into the lake of fire alive with his fellow in crime the False Prophet; their master the devil will join them in the same awful place of misery a thousand years afterwards (Revelation 20:10). The resurrection of the Beast is a cause of wonder to all save the elect (Revelation 17:8). Twice the guilty and deluded world wonders, and both times in connection with the reappearance of the Beast on the platform of history (Revelation 13:3; Revelation 17:8). “ The seven heads are seven mountains;” these refer to the hills on which Rome reposes. (Palestine, Nierinal, Aventine, Caelian, Viminal, Esquiline, Janiculan.) The woman sits on the Beast, and on the seven mountains, i.e., the seven-hilled city of Rome. Rome is so closely interwoven with the life and growth of the papacy that to separate them would be to deal the Romish system a blow from which she could not well recover. But, further, the seven heads also signify the various and successive forms of government beheld in the “ eternal city.” The heads are “ seven kings,” of which five are fallen. The five fallen heads have been applied to the successive kingdoms of Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Greece, and Persia; others consider the reference is to the first five emperors of Rome, as Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. The first hypothesis cannot be right, for it is the Beast, i.e., the Roman empire — whose condemnation of Christ and dispersion of Judah makes her pre-eminently guilty — which is before us in the prophecy. Nor can the second theory be right, for the heads are different forms of government. There might have been some ground for terming these emperors “ horns,” but “ heads” they cannot be. They each and all represent one head or form of government, viz., the imperial. After the mention of the five fallen phases of civil and political government the Seer proceeds, “ one is.” That is the imperial form of rule which existed in John’ s day — the sixth head. But another has yet “ to come” — the seventh. Its continuance is but for a brief season, as the eighth, or last, phase of the empire is the point of interest. Satan’ s man and king is an eighth, having his rise out of the abyss. He is thus a distinctive object, and fully entitled to the appellation “ an eighth,” yet he is “ of the seven” (Revelation 17:11), as the same character of rule under the seventh head will be continued. The outward forms of government will undergo but little change under the last two phases of the empire respectively arising from the sea and from the abyss. But the sure judgment of God overtakes the guilty and apostate power. It “ goes into destruction,” twice repeated (Revelation 17:8; Revelation 17:11). Next, the ten horns of the Beast are explained (v. 12). These horns are kings, who come within the scope of action only at the same time and along with the Beast; the duration of his existence and reign determines theirs. The whole mind and purpose of these ten sovereigns is to yield themselves entirely to the will and service of the Beast (v. 13). Then follows the war with the Lamb. The Beast and his confederate kings and armies on the one side, as against the Lamb in His might as Lord and King (In Revelation 19:16 the order in the titles is reversed. There it is King of kings and Lord of lords; here it is Lord of lords and King of kings.) of all, and His armies on the other side (Revelation 17:14). It is the same war, the same conflict, that is grandly described in Revelation 19:11-21. In our chapter (Revelation 17) the last act of the Beast and his vassal kings is anticipated, not actually come. Other events transpire between the account of the closing struggle (Revelation 17:1-18) and its actual place in the history (Revelation 19:1-21). The waters beheld by the Seer (Revelation 17:1) signify “ peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Revelation 17:15). An immense moral influence extending far beyond the limits of the prophetic earth. The masses of mankind, organized and unformed, are brought under the influence of the harlot. “ The many waters” (Revelation 17:1) draws the attention to the large and multitudinous following of the whore. The ten horns, or kings, are now seen roused into a state of unusual activity. They, with the Beast, turn round upon the woman, whom they had hitherto upheld, and destroy her. They reduce her to a state of desolation, and grasp at her wealth. Europe, or at least the western part of it, is carried away for a time by the dazzling and meretricious display of the woman, but ultimately snaps the fetters and makes an end of her. They act in vengeful feeling, but, after all, it is God’ s will which they carry out (Revelation 17:17). The ten kings are now free to give their united authority to the Beast, so that he alone occupies the scene and sphere of prophecy till destroyed by the Lord. This goes on till “ the words of God shall be fulfilled.” In all this the ten kings are the prominent actors. Then the Romish system, numbering more than 200,000,000 souls in her unholy communion, is identified with Rome itself, the city (Revelation 17:18). The verse is a simple statement of a well-known and generally acknowledged fact. In bringing this review to a close we would draw attention to the contrast between the harlot of Satan and the bride of the Lamb. The former occupies chapters 17 and 18; the latter is the main subject of the chapters which follow. The woman and a city in both portions, but set in sharp contrast. The worldly, or purely secular side of the woman, is specially treated of in the next chapter. The system represented by Babylon is a combination of worldly pride and religious pretension. Union with the world, which is enmity with God, is the whoredom of the woman. One in commenting on this chapter has well written: “ In the chapter he (the Seer) is awed by the contemplation of her splendor and her guilt, while in chapter 18 he describes the lamentation of the world over her fate in language of almost unparalleled sublimity and pathos.” Commentary on Revelation 17:15-18 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 17:15. The angel now begins to give John the interpretation of the vision as was mentioned at Revelation 17:7. The first verse says the corrupt woman sits upon many waters, and this verse explains it to mean peoples and nations, etc. That is because the Roman Empire was one of the "four world empires" which contained all the so-called civilized people of the earth. Revelation 17:16. The ten horns are the kings or kingdoms which are named in the comments at Rev_131. Shall hate the whore is literal, for when the kings and people of the smaller units of the Empire come to realize how deeply they have been deceived by her they can have no other feeling toward her. The rest of the verse is a symbolical vision of the resistance that will be put up by these ten kings and their people when they "get their eyes open." Revelation 17:17. God bath put in their hearts. God never directly causes any person to do wrong who wants to do right. But when a man or group of men shows a persistence toward wrong, then He gives them up to carry out their own ways until they have learned their lesson. (See the comments at 2 Thessalonians 2:11.) It had been predicted (in such passages as that just cited) that such conduct would be practiced by these kings, hence in doing so they were carrying out the divine prediction. But they will be suffered to operate in that way only until the words of God shall be fulfilled. This means until the time for them to be enlightend by the work of the Reformation. Revelation 17:18. Since the Reformation has not occurred yet, at the point of the great drama applying to this verse, the woman and great city refers to Babylon as the union of church and state.Commentary on Revelation 17:15-18 by Burton CoffmanRev_17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth ... We must not lose sight of who this beast is; she is that gorgeously dressed whore riding the scarlet beast! Peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues ... The domain of the harlot-beast is the whole earth. The commentators who reject the Apostate Church interpretation of this, on the basis that it is too local and restricted, applying merely to a few countries in Europe, have simply failed to understand the universal dominion of the harlot-beast. Today, some nineteen centuries after John wrote, her domain includes practically every village and township on the face of the earth; and the number of her adherents is a larger percentage of earth's total population than may be claimed by any other authority in the entire history of the human race! What is local and restricted about that? There is nothing little, narrow, local, restricted, or limited in any way whatever with the interpretation received here. This harlot-beast is now, and for centuries has continued to be, the biggest thing on the planet earth! If its peoples are indeed "the servants of God," the golden age has already arrived! Verse 16And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her utterly with fire.And the horns ... Ah yes, the horns! For ages, the whore would use these only for goring the saints, but another age is coming, when the horns shall be turned upon the wanton whore herself. The horns had always been on the beast, an essential element of his character; but the whore accommodated to these as long as they could be used in her selfish interests; but this verse prophesies a radical change. They shall hate the harlot ... Even Apostate Christianity has far too much truth and righteousness in it for the devil ever to love it. The beast hated the harlot even while they were using each other. The godless state can never willingly accept a rival. And shall make her desolate and naked ... Intermittently, here and there, since the Reformation, evil states have exhibited samplings of that phenomenon which is here prophesied to become general, as, for example, when all of the monasteries and religious institutions of France were plundered, confiscated, and liquidated during the French Revolution. The same thing took place during the current decade in China, and in Russia before that. However, the fulfillment of this will be on a far grander scale than these isolated occurrences. And shall utterly burn her with fire ... The ten final (understood as a symbolical indefinite number) kingdoms will at the time of fulfillment of this prophecy be finished with all religion, apostate or not, and they shall burn and eat their former paramour. And they shall eat her flesh ... The ultimate and final destruction of Apostate Christianity is prophesied here, an event that must be assigned to a time yet future. This coming destruction should not be the cause of any rejoicing on the part of the true Christian; because, in all probability, all of them will also perish (except perhaps a few) in the ensuing holocaust. One cannot help pondering the thought that if the harlot herself would repent, clean up her act, purge out the idols, give up the arrogance, and re-enthrone Christ instead of a man, and turn to the Lord, the ultimate disaster might be postponed; but it appears to be a vain thought. Our interpretation of this happens to coincide with that of W. A. Criswell: The prophecy is that the kingdoms of the world, some day, are going to get weary of the idolatrous church. They will get tired of being told by a Nuncio or a legate what they shall, or shall not, do. They will hate the whore, make her desolate, rob her of all her riches, make her naked and strip her of her scarlet robes, purple gowns, and of the pearls and precious stones; and they shall appropriate all of her riches."[52]Thus we see, as Plummer observed, that, "The fulfillment of this chapter lies in all time."[53]Moffatt actually wrote that what John prophesies here is that, "Rome perishes at the hands of Nero and his ruthless allies, a belief loudly echoed in the Talmud."[54] This, of course, was to take place after Nero rises from the dead! This ridiculous conclusion is exactly what the Nero Redivivus theory means; and what does that say? It says that John here prophesied a lie. Satan has surely blinded the mind of any Christian who could swallow such a theory. [52] W. A. Criswell, op. cit., III, p. 188. [53] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 418. [54] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 454. Verse 17For God did put it into their hearts to do his mind, and to come to one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished.For God did put it into their hearts ... The God of heaven will direct evil men to do his will, as often exemplified in the Old Testament. It should be noted in connection with this that it is the will of God for the harlot-beast to continue on the earth until all of God's words are accomplished. She does not exist a single day without God's permission. And to come to one mind ... Here the prophecy is more specific. The hatred and plundering of the worldwide Apostate Church foretold in this passage is not limited to isolated instances in France, Russia, China, or anywhere else. All the kingdoms came to "one mind," not merely in the period of their aiding and supporting the harlot-beast, but also at the time of their turning their fury and hatred against her. One may prayerfully hope that Catholic scholars themselves will believe this prophecy and accommodate to the eventualities revealed in it. She, along with many daughters, still rides the beast, but all are headed inevitably for an unbelievable disaster. Her true interests still lie within the area of the sacred truth which she has forgotten, perverted, and denied. And to give their kingdoms to the beast ... This is the eighth and final beast, the throne of the "Lawless One"; and, if there is any such thing in the New Testament as "THE Antichrist," this eighth beast is he. He is the incarnation of lawlessness, the ruthless hater of God and of everything supernatural. He is MAN worshipping himself, having no more regard for Apostate Religion than for the True, the self-glorified impresario of that final orchestration and acceleration of all the evil on earth culminating in his sudden overthrow and destruction by the personal appearance of the Son of God in his Second Advent. See our "Excursus on The Man of Sin," my Commentary on 2Thessalonians, pp. 106-117. In the light of the truth of this chapter, it would appear that he does not arise from within the apostasy, but independently of it, and as an enemy of the apostate form of Christianity, no less than of true Christianity. Verse 18And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.The great city ... This is Mystery Babylon, not literal Babylon, but still actually Rome. How so? The city of Rome is the capital of the pagan empire, and of the harlot-beast that succeeded her as the seventh head, the headquarters of her entire operation. She is still careful to preserve the name "Roman" in every particular of her worldwide operations. The view that makes this the literal city of Rome falls woefully short, requiring that the scope of the prophecy cannot extend beyond literal Rome's rule as a world empire, an epoch that ended in 476 A.D. It also requires that the radical alteration of the symbol "Babylon" through changing it to "Mystery Babylon" must be ignored. Therefore, we cannot accept the view that only the literal city of Rome is meant. Which reigneth over the kings of the earth ... This was literally true in John's day; but it is equally true historically, today, and ever since the words ceased to have any application at all to the literal city. This verse takes us right up to the judgment day; but another view of final events will be given in Revelation 18, culminating in the final judgment recorded at the end of that chapter. Commentary on Revelation 17:15-18 by Manly Luscombe15 Then he said to me, “ The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. This verse helps with some of the interpretation of this chapter. The “ waters” represents people, nations and tongues. All the multitudes of people of all nations and cultures are included. She, immorality is not of any one nation, tribe, language, or group of people. Immorality is everywhere, in all nations, among all people. 16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. The ten horns are kings. See verse 12. Chapter 18 seems to be a commentary on this verse. The basic message is that the Roman Empire will collapse of its own weight. It will become so immoral and corrupt that it will collapse because of its weakness. The alliance will fall apart. The “ friendship” between the beast and the harlot will end. They will hate each other and accuse each other. The beast will strip her of power, devour her and destroy her influence. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. Woodruff makes this comment, “ Since we cannot foresee the future, it is impossible to completely understand why God deals with the people of this world as he does in matters of civil governments.” (1, 309) God has a purpose. He has a plan. We may not understand His plan. We do not understand why things are allowed to continue. Why doesn’ t God step in and intervene? 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” The woman is described as “ that great city.” Many assume that she represents Rome. However, remember, she was also called “ Babylon the great.” (Revelation 18:2) There are several different terms used to describe this immoral world. Harlot, whore, Babylon, fornication and other terms show that she is a symbol of immorality. She rides on the back of the beast. She is the “ real” power behind the persecution. She has the persecuting governments and false religions under her control and power. Sermon on Revelation 17:1-18 The Great Prostitute Brent Kercheville Revelation 16 described the fall of Babylon the great. We noticed in chapter 13 that the beast called Babylon the great refers to the Roman Empire that ruled from approximately 27 BC to 476 AD. Chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation reveal the details of the collapse of the Roman Empire. The details concerning the pouring out of the seven bowls of wrath are now given and explained in chapters 17-18. This is the point of the first two verses of Revelation 17. One of the seven angels who had poured out one of the bowls tells John that he “ will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters.” The image of the great prostitute sitting on many waters immediately indicates for us what the great prostitute represents. The harlot/prostitute image is used of wicked cities by the Old Testament prophets. Ninevah (Nahum 3:4), Tyre (Isaiah 23:16-17), and Jerusalem (Ezekiel 16:15) are a few cities that are called harlots because of their great immoralities. This great harlot in Revelation 17:1 is described as “ sitting on many waters.” Revelation 17:15 tells us what this image means. “ The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.” The great harlot is the city that is ruling over the peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages of the earth. Therefore, the wicked city in view is Rome. This fits our context well. Remember that the angel is explaining the details of the judgment in the seven bowls of wrath. The seven bowls of wrath were judgments against the Roman Empire, the beast. It would not make sense to see the great prostitute as another worldly city. Rather, the city of Rome is the heart of the problem and the center of the immorality and idolatry. This is the image of Rev 17:2 concerning the great prostitute. She is the one whom “ the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” We have noted throughout this study that sexual immorality is a symbol for the idolatry that is being committed (Hosea 4:11-12; Ezekiel 6:9; Ezekiel 16:15-17; Revelation 2:14; Revelation 2:20). Notice that Revelation 17:2 is the same description that was given in Revelation 14:8. “ Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality” (Revelation 14:8 ESV). This is Rome that has been causing the world to worship the emperor and be involved in idolatry. Therefore, we know the great prostitute is the city of Rome and the beast is the empire that Rome ruled. The rest of this chapter is going to give us the details about these two entities and their coming judgment. Describing The Prostitute and The Beast (Revelation 17:3-6) John is carried away in the Spirit. We noted this image back in Revelation 1:10. Being in the Spirit means that John is seeing a vision, an inspired message from God (cf. Ezekiel 2:2). The scarlet beast has the same description as the first beast in Revelation 13. The beast is full of blasphemous names (Revelation 13:1) and has seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 13:1). The woman in Revelation 17:4 is dressed like a prostitute. parAnd you, O desolate one, what do you mean that you dress in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life. (Jeremiah 4:30 ESV) The same language used of Babylon of ancient times is applied to Rome. Notice the language that Jeremiah used of Babylon back in his day. Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD’ s hand, making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of her wine; therefore the nations went mad. Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; wail for her! (Jeremiah 51:7-8 ESV) The descriptions emphasize the great immorality generated from this city. It is appropriate to describe Rome with similar language because of its great immoralities and idolatries. The name of the great prostitute is, “ Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’ s abominations.” The word “ mystery” in front of this description shows that this name is a symbol for a worldly, wicked city. The great prostitute is drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. This is the same description given in Revelation 16:6 and this is the reason for the judgment against Babylon the great, that is, Rome and her empire. The Explanation (Revelation 17:7-18) The angel tells John in verse 7 that he will explain the mystery of the woman and the beast. We are not left to wonder what these things mean. It is important to keep in mind again that what we are told is not intended to conceal information but reveal information about the woman and the beast. Clarity is being given to the readers and to John. The first explanation about the beast is given in Revelation 17:8. The beast “ was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction.” This sounds like the description we first noted with the beast in Revelation 13. Remember that we saw this terrifying beast that has a fatal wound to one of its heads. But then the fatal wound heals and the earth marvels at the strength and power of the beast. I believe this fatal wound imagery is the same meaning as “ was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit.” Both events result in the people of the earth marveling over the beast (Revelation 13:4). The focus of the last few chapters has been the persecution of the people of God by the beast. Judgment is coming upon the beast because it is killing the people of God. The people of God would be prevented from buying and selling and would suffer death for remaining faithful to the Lamb. The beast seems that it will collapse. But it only rises up with greater strength and continues the persecution of God’ s people. It continues to be destined for destruction as it persecutes and its emperors call themselves divine, blaspheming the true and living God. In Revelation 17:9-11 John is receiving some details about this. The angel calls for wisdom. The last time we saw this call was in Revelation 13:18. The meaning was for the people to have spiritual perception and insight about the deceptive nature of the beast. The angel begins with the seven heads. Remember that the beast has seven heads and ten horns. The angel is giving us an explanation about these images. When we first read the description of the beast in chapter 13 we noted that the heads, horns, and crowns represented the beast’ s great authority, strength, and power. The angel tells us much more about the seven heads and the ten horns now. The seven heads represent the seven mountains on which the woman is seated. The Expositor’ s Bible Commentary states, “ Most scholars have no doubt that the seven hills refer to the seven hills of Rome and the seven kings to seven successive emperors of that nation. Mounce states, ‘ There is little doubt that a first-century reader would understand this reference in any way other than as a reference to Rome, the city built upon seven hills’ (Revelation, pp. 313-14).” History and literature refers to Rome repeatedly as the city on seven mountains. In fact, a Roman coin depicted the goddess Roma sitting on seven mountains. To know that we are right, notice that the end of Rev 17:9 tells us that the woman is seated on the seven mountains. Go back to Revelation 17:1 and recall that the woman is the great prostitute, representing the city of Rome. Rome and its empire is in view. The seven heads represent Rome. However, there is more meaning to the seven heads. The seven heads, we are told, are also seven kings. Throughout our study I have been adamant about the fact that these numbers and images are to be understood as symbols. Revelation 1:1 told us that these things were put into signs. Revelation 17:3 reminds us that John is seeing a vision as he is carried away by the Spirit. Everything we read in Revelation is a symbol for a historical reality unless the text demands otherwise. We have understood all the sevens in the book (seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls) as symbolically representing a complete judgment against a nation. However, there is one seven that we took literally. Back in chapter 1 we read about the seven churches of Asia. We understood these churches to be actual churches and not symbolic of all churches for all time because each church was named. The naming of each of the churches is the text demanding to understand the seven churches to refer to seven literal churches. In the same way, we are told about the seven heads representing seven kings. If the angel had left the image at this we would be forced to understand the seven kings as a symbol representing all the kings of the Roman Empire and what they would do. However, the angel goes on and numbers the seven kings and gives details about them. The angel says of the seven kings, “ Five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while.” Verse 11 tells us more that the eighth king belongs to the seven and goes to destruction. These details do not make any sense in a generic, symbolic way. If seven king represents all the kings of the Roman Empire, then what does it mean that five have fallen, one is, and one is yet to come that must rule for a little while? These is no way to symbolically apply these images. We are forced to understand these kings as literal emperors of the Roman Empire and something about their rule is being told to the people of God. Since something is being told to us about the actual kings that ruled over the Roman Empire, it is important that we learn about the timeframe of the emperors of Rome. Below is a list of relevant rulers for our study. Time of ReignJulius (48-44 BC) as dictator Augustus (27 BC-14 AD) as emperor Tiberius (14-37 AD) Caligula (37-41 AD) Claudius (41-54 AD) Nero (54-68 AD) Galba (68-69 AD) Otho (69 AD) Vitellius (69 AD) Vespasian (69-79 AD) Titus (79-81 AD) Domitian (81-96 AD) There are a number of reasons to exclude Julius from the count. Julius was appointed as dictator over the Roman Republic, not emperor over the empire. There was a 17 year gap of time before Augustus was established as emperor. Also, if Julius is counted, then why wouldn’ t Sulla and Marius who also seized power to themselves to rule the republic also be counted? Roman historians Tacitus and Suetonius state that Augustus was the first emperor. As we will see the counting of seven emperors only works properly if Julius is excluded. If we leave the list as is but with Julius removed, the five fallen kings would be from Augustus to Nero. The one king who is would be Galba and the one yet to come would be Otho. This would put the writing of the book of Revelation at 68-69 AD. However, there are a couple of reasons to consider removing Galba, Otho, and Vitellius. While these three emperors were approved by the senate, their reigns would have been hardly known throughout the empire. Remember that the year 69 AD is the year of four emperors. It was a time of civil war as these emperors all laid claim to being emperor, yet were murdered or committed suicide. Each of their reigns is of no consequences. Further, it is possible that the prophet Daniel was speaking about these three emperors being uprooted quickly. “ Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. (Daniel 7:19-20 ESV) Daniel says that one horn uproots the other three horns because he is greater than them. Daniel may be speaking about the rise of emperor Vespasian who established his reign during the year of the four emperors. During this civil war it is his armies that are victorious as he successfully claims the title of emperor. If this is correct, then the counting of the seven emperors works well. Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero are the five who have fallen. The one who is reigning now is Vespasian because Daniel told us not to count those three emperors Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, who were of no consequence. Then the one to come who will “ remain only a little while” is Titus who ruled only from 79-81 AD. After Titus is Domitian. He is the eighth emperor who is like the beast, belongs to the seven, and goes to destruction. Domitian will begin to carry out these prophecies that we have read about in the previous chapters. He will claim to be God and demand divine honors and sacrifices to be made toward him. The ten horns in Revelation 17:12-14 sound like the description to the second beast, also called the false prophet. These ten horns represent the localities and provinces that ruled within the Roman empire. Johnson rightly notes, “ The multiplicity of sovereignties in confederacy that enhance the power of the beast” (Johnson, 560). Rome had given power to various regents and procurators, like the Herods, to rule over the regions and provinces. Yet their power was only from the Roman empire itself and was not their own. These rulers gave their allegiance to the Roman Empire (the beast) and would make war against God and his people who did not worship the beast. Revelation 17:16-17 show that the world is going to turn against Rome. The imagery is similar to Ezekiel’ s prophecy against Jerusalem. “ Therefore, O prostitute, hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Because your lust was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your whorings with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children that you gave to them, therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved and all those you hated. I will gather them against you from every side and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness. (Ezekiel 16:35-37 ESV) The description given is one of the primary reasons for Rome’ s fall. The inner decadence and inner strife are a couple reasons why Rome fell. Daniel prophesied that this was the nature of Rome and would lead to its collapse. We read of the fourth kingdom (the Roman Empire) made of iron and clay so that is was partly strong and partly brittle. Notice verse 43, “ As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so will they mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay.” The Roman Empire would not hold together but fall apart because of the way it was built. One of the greatest strengths of Rome was that it incorporated all the languages and nations of the world under it. However, this also was its weakness, leading to perpetual internal problems until it finally fell. Provinces and nations under the power of Rome will turn and fight against Rome. Revelation 17:17 points out that this is God’ s doing. God is the one who brought about the fall of Rome and its empire. The chapter concludes definitely stating who the woman, the great prostitute, is. She is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth. It is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth (NRSV), reigns over the kings of the earth (NASB), and has an empire over the kings of the earth (HCSB). The only city that has an empire over the kings of the earth at the time of the writing of Revelation is the city of Rome. Rome is the great prostitute. Her demise will come when those nations and peoples under the empire turn against her and make her desolate. Life Lesson It is interesting to note that God declares his involvement in the affairs of the world. Too often we can think that God is not active in the rise and fall of nations or the affairs and events that occur on the earth. Revelation 17:17 reminds us that God would put it in the hearts of the leaders of the earth to turn against Rome for its destruction. Our Lord is alive and active. He is involved in the affairs of this world and we should pray that God act for his glory and purpose. Consider that there was nothing miraculous about the fall of Rome, yet it was God’ s purpose and God’ s doing. LESSON 21.THE WOMAN ON THE SCARLET-COLORED BEASTRead Revelation 17 1. What did one of the seven angels promise to show John? Ans. Revelation 17:1.2. Whom had this woman caused to sin? Ans. Revelation 17:2.3. Where did the angel take John? Ans. Revelation 17:3.4. Describe the beast on which the woman sat. Ans. Revelation 17:3.5. How was the woman dressed? Ans. Revelation 17:4.6. What name was written on her forehead? Ans. Revelation 17:5.7. On what was the woman drunken? Ans. Revelation 17:6.8. What mystery did the angel say he would reveal to John? Ans. Revelation 17:7.9. What was there peculiar about this beast's existence? Ans. Revelation 17:8.10. Who would wonder at the peculiarity of this beast? Ans. Revelation 17:8.11. What do the seven heads of the beast represent? Ans. Revelation 17:9.12. What is said of the seven kings? Ans. Revelation 17:10-11.13. What do the ten horns represent? Ans. Revelation 17:12-13.14. Against whom would they wage war? Ans. Revelation 17:14.15. What will be the result of this war? Ans. Revelation 17:14.16. What do the waters "where the woman sitteth" represent? Ans. Revelation 17:15.17. How and by whom will the woman be destroyed? Ans. Revelation 17:16.18. Who put it in their hearts to do this? Ans. Revelation 17:17.19. Who is this woman? Ans. Revelation 16:19; Revelation 17:5; Revelation 17:18; Revelation 18:2; Revelation 18:10.E.M. Zerr Questions on RevelationRevelation Chapter Seventeen 1. Who came to John? 2. What did he do? 3. What was he going to shoot him? 4. Where was she sitting? 5. Who had committed fornication with her? 6. How had inhabitants of the earth been affected? 7. To where was John carried? 8. Whom did he see? 9. On what was she sitting? 10. Of what was it full? 11. What other parts did it have? 12. How was she arrayed? 13. In what way was she decked? 14. What was in her hand? 15. What did it contain? 16. Of whom was she the mother? 17. State her name. 18. Where was that name written? 19. On what was the woman drnnk? 20. State the impression made on John. 21. Who then spoke to him? 22. Tell what he promised to do. 23. What times of existence did the beast have? 24. From where will it ascend? 25. Into what will it go? 26. What will this cause earth dwellers to do? 27. What portion of them will be thus affected? 28. Tell what they will behold. 29. What do the seven heads represent? 30. How many kings are represented? 31. What had happened to them? 32. Which one is to be short lived? 33. Tell whieh beast is the eighth. 34. What will become of it? 35. Tell what the ten horns stood for. 36. What had not yet come to them? 37. What had come to them? 38. Were they in agreement with each other? 39. What do they give to the beast? 40. With whom shall they make war? 41. Which will be victor? 42. State the titles of the Lamb? 43. What are his associates called? 44. Tell what the waters represent. 45. What will the ten horns hate? 46. How will they make her to be? 47. What will be done with her flesh? 48. Then what will be done with her? 49. In so doing whose will is accomplished? 50. How long will they have this power? 51. What does the woman represent? Revelation Chapter SeventeenRalph StarlingOne of the 7 angels now says "more is in store" With a government ruling like that of a whore. A world empire, a beast with 7 heads and 10 horns. Ruling the world &the saints with evil and scorn. This "woman" wearing the name "Babylon the Great", For the blood of the saints she could hardly wait. John was moved with great admiration But the angel replied "it will be no celebration!" The Empire was Rome on 7 mountainous terrain. The 10 horns were 10 kings that would reign. But they had no kingdom as yet to exhibit, For they were under the power of the beast to prohibit. The 10 kings of the beast came to hate the whore. They made her desolate, powerless and more. So, that great city that ruled the earth The "woman", the "whore," "BIT THE DIRT!" Revelation 18:1-3 4. THE FALL OF BABYLON Rev_18:1-24 The general idea of this chapter is that of a rich populous city being reduced to desolation. The fall of Babylon is the symbol by which is prophetically described the destruction of the apostate church. The vivid imagery, in the main, carries its meaning upon the surface. Only brief expressions from the text in 18:1 to 19:10 are given; hence, comparatively few notes will be necessary in explanation. The ideas of a wicked city and a dissolute woman are intermingled and carried to the end of the chapter. (1) THE FALL (Revelation 18:1-3) After these things.--After the vision described in the last chapter John saw an angel in a halo of light descend from heaven. This is assurance that the announcement he made will certainly be fulfilled. "Fallen, fallen is Babylon." This expression is borrowed from the Old Testament prophets who speak of ancient Baby-lon's fall. (Isaiah 21:9; Jeremiah 51:8.) The tense here is "prophetic past" to indicate the certainty that the event would take place. For another example consult Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 9:6. The ruins of cities become the habitation of unclean and wild animals. Compare the language about literal Babylon. (Isaiah 13:20-22.) All the nations are fallen.--This shows the reason for her fall----she made the nations drunk with her wine, and this will lead to their fall ultimately. By her perversion of the truth leaders have been seduced into sinful practices, here described as spiritual adultery. Merchants of the earth waxed rich.--This includes all those who traffic in papal doctrines for gain. Those made the victims of this traffic will also fall when spiritual Babylon falls.Commentary on Revelation 18:1-3 by Foy E. Wallace (1) The angel’ s announcement—Revelation 18:1-3. This is another instance of a proleptic utterance by an angel, as the following verses of the chapter outline the successive stages of the fall and the desolation of the Babylon--Jerusalem. The proclamation of doom was delivered by an angel having great power, a power commensurate with the magnitude of the proclamation and which signified the authority to pronounce a final doom. As a result of the proclamation the earth (land of Judea) was lightened with glory, as the heavens are aglow with lightenings attending the thunders. This was symbolic of the awe and terror of the appalling events impending. The dirge of fallen Babylon in verse two, was an extension of the same vision in Revelation 14:8, and was substantially the same lamentation over the fall of the ancient Babylon recorded in Isaiah 21:9 : “ Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.” The Babylon of this chapter was symbolic of Jerusalem, and the voice of verse two was crying a threnody--a dirge of lamentation--on the day of doom for the once faithful but apostate city. The latter part of the verse describes Jerusalem as the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. The severance of all commercial affiliations by the siege of Jerusalem and the devastation of Judea, had reduced the city to a haunt, symbolized by the demoniac habitation of evil spirts, devils and vultures. The visions of the overthrow of Tyre and Babylon in the Old Testament were combined in these same symbols. The repetitionin Revelation 18:3 of the harlot’ s wine cup, representing her multiplied forms of seduction. The reference to the kings of the earth was used in the sense of the rulers and authorities of Judea and Palestine; and the reference to the nations was a designation for the heathen. They were all particeps criminus, having drunk of the harlot’ s seductive wine-cup of abominations. The language was symbolic of Jerusalem’ s heathen affiliations. Thus the proud capital of the Jews, once the dwelling place of God and the depository of the Oracles and the center of Judaism, by apostasy had come to destruction and was reduced to a haunt of the demon-world of heathenism, the habitat of the diabolical agents of the satanic beast. Commentary on Revelation 18:1-3 by Walter ScottTHE FALL OF BABYLON: ON EARTH;TRIUMPH IN HEAVEN. THE ANGEL AND HIS CRY. Revelation 18:1-2. — “After these things I saw another angel descending out of the Heaven, having great authority: and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried with a strong voice, saying, Great Babylon has fallen, has fallen.” Although the subject of Babylon is resumed in this chapter, yet it forms a distinct and subsequent revelation contained in vision. The phrase “ after these things” (cp. Revelation 4:1; Revelation 7:1; Revelation 7:9) notes a new commencement, and introduces a new set of circumstances; it also serves to direct attention to the distinctive unity of the subject or subjects so prefaced. In this point of view the chapter is an interesting one. Babylon, of course, is in the forefront of both chapters 17 and 18, and we may also add in the first three verses of the following one. Here the Beast is not once named, nor the ten kings, so active in the destruction of Babylon. In this chapter the human agents disappear, and the ruin of that awful system of corruption is traced to God as the source. Babylon, neither as a woman in relation to the Beast nor as a whore in relation to Christendom, is mentioned in the vision — one as distinctive as that in the previous chapter. The fall of Babylon (Revelation 17:16) in its civil relations does not exhaust the judgment of God upon that organised system of evil (Revelation 18:4, last clause). But of this more anon. Revelation 18:1 — “Another angel,” in contrast to the Vial angels (Revelation 17:1; Revelation 21:9). “ Descending out of the Heaven” intimates the heavenly character of the action, and the deep interest there taken in the character and fate of Babylon. “ Having great authority.” There are orders and degrees amongst the angelic hosts.(*See remarks on Revelation 8:2.) Some are more distinguished than others in service and in position. All are characterized by might (2 Thessalonians 1:7; 2 Peter 2:11), but on some is conferred special power to act for God in certain circumstances; others, again, have a defined authority within a circumscribed area, but universal authority is never ascribed to an angelic being. The Lord Jesus Christ as Man and Son is the appointed Heir of all things (Matthew 28:18; Matthew 11:27; Hebrews 1:2). As Creator, His claim to universal dominion is not a conferred one, but is sovereign and independent (Colossians 1:16), founded on the rights and glory of His Person as God. The angel in our text has “ great authority,” and is probably the angel to whom the judgment of Babylon is committed. Here he announces its fall, but as a preliminary to further and more awful dealing. The angel has ample authority conferred upon him to deal thoroughly with the subject on hand, namely, the most iniquitous religious system on earth. “ The earth was lightened with his glory.” This is a testimony that God is in the scene, that it is He Who is acting in judgment. The fall of Babylon was a public event — the smoke of her burning (v. 18) as it darkened the heavens proclaimed this far and near; but the earth lightened, not by the reflection of the sun, but by the glory of the descending angel, witnessed to the fact that, whoever the actors and agents might be, yet God, as the Righteous Judge, judges Babylon. Probably the angel here referred to is none other than Christ, the same as in Revelation 8:3 and Revelation 10:1. Christ, the Angel-Priest, on behalf of His suffering remnant (Revelation 8:1-13). Christ, the Angel-Redeemer, taking possession of His inheritance (Revelation 10:1-11). Christ, the Angel-Avenger of His people, taking vengeance on Babylon (Revelation 18:1-24). Revelation 18:2. — “He cried with a strong voice.” This is a quality in which angels excel (Psalms 103:20). (See remarks on Revelation 5:2.) The cry of the angel was the welcome proclamation of Babylon’ s downfall, not anticipative, but as having actually taken place. “ Great Babylon has fallen, has fallen.” The fall of that mighty system which, while guilty of falsehood and treason against Christ, yet bore His Name is here publicly announced. This in the previous chapter was executed by the western powers. There we had the Beast, to whom the power or civil authority had been entrusted, (Nebuchadnezzar received his appointment as chief of the world in civil power directly from God (Daniel 2:37-38), the succeeding powers only came upon the scene providentially, but in their case no formal grant of power or authority was directly bestowed. In the last days of the fourth empire Satan endows it with his authority and seat and power (Revelation 13:2). What a contrast between the two empires — the first and the fourth. God established the first! Satan establishes the fourth!) becoming for a time the willing slave of the woman. She sits upon it in pride, an object of wonder and of admiration to all, save to those whose eyes are opened through grace to discern her true character. But the power which is with the Beast, not with the woman, gets restless under restraint, and chafes under her intolerant sway. Her wealth, too, is eagerly coveted by the civil and apostate powers. The ten kingdoms and the Beast, the whole material strength of the empire, combine to effect her ruin. In this commission of vengeance upon the worst system of evil and tyranny the sun has ever looked down upon the confederate ten kings are even more active than the Beast himself, i.e., the little horn of Dan 7:1-28. The woman is stripped of her possessions and wealth, which go to swell the respective treasuries of the great chiefs of the empire. The woman, or the system she represents, is brought down to the lowest depths of degradation, an object of scorn and contempt even to those who before sought her favors and courted her smile. She lies before us a wreck of her former self. The apostate civil authority has triumphed over her by brute force; then the ten kings yield themselves and their kingdoms up to the coarse and brutal will of the Beast. Bad as things are under the woman a worse condition will ensue under the unchecked will of the Beast satanically inspired. BY THE MIGHTY ANGEL. Revelation 18:2-3 — Babylon “has become the habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hated bird. Because all the nations have drunk of the wine of the fury of her fornication; and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have been enriched through the might of her luxury.” This is the condition of Babylon after and consequent upon her political downfall. She was overthrown, not destroyed. This latter is sudden. “ She shall be utterly burned with fire” (Revelation 18:8) is subsequent to the burning noted in Revelation 17:16. “Has become.” Babylon having lost her public place of supremacy, being torn to pieces by the very powers which once formed her strength, is reduced to a state of desolation described in language of unexampled force. The description is evidently borrowed from Isaiah 13:21-22, in which the grandest of the Hebrew prophets foretells the ruin of Babylon, once the proud mistress of the world, now the most debased of all cities; here we have the moral counterpart. This, then, is what the professed spouse of Christ “ has become.” There are three parts in the description which in the aggregate constitute an awful moral horror. (1) “The habitation of demons.” (We may remark that the word satyrs (Isaiah 13:21) is rendered in the LXX. demons.) Their proper home is the abyss (The reader who desires help on the demonology of the New Testament would do well to read “ Critical Studies in St. Luke’ s Gospel: Its Demonology and Ebionitism,” by Colin Campbell, B.D. (Blackwood &Sons).) (Luke 8:31, R.V.). Who demons are, whether lost angels or the souls of lost men, or a class of lost and miserable beings by themselves, to whom future torment is known and assured, we know not. (See an interesting paragraph, containing probably all that is known of demons, in “ From Advent to Advent; or, The Outline of the Gospel according to St. Luke,” by C. E. Stuart.) What an amazing thought that the abyss in the underground world, and the professed spouse of Christ on earth, should both be regarded as the habitation of demons! We could readily understand the abyss as the dwelling of these emissaries of Satan, but that the professing Church should become that almost exceeds belief. (2) “A hold of every unclean spirit.” Satan establishes his spiritual forces in the ruined Church system. He makes it a hold, or stronghold, which is the force of the word, and thither the uncleanness and foulness of the pit congregate. There the doleful cry is heard and wicked deed perpetrated, “ every (foul or) unclean spirit” gathers to ruined Babylon as to a centre. (3) “A hold of every unclean and hated bird.” We gather that demons and unclean spirits referred to in our text are personal beings. The unclean birds, birds of prey and of darkness, signify the many and varied agents of Satan (Matthew 13:4; Matthew 13:32; Jeremiah 5:27; especially Isaiah 34:11-15), those, of course, of a highly pernicious and destructive character. Thus is Babylon a very sink of corruption, an abomination in the sight of God. GRAVE AGAINST BABYLON. The grounds of God’ s judgment on Babylon are next stated. These are: (1) “Because all the nations have drunk of the wine of the fury of her fornication.” The peoples of the prophetic earth have drunk, and drunk eagerly out of her golden and intoxicating cup. She has seduced the nations from their allegiance to God and Christ, and established herself in the affections of the masses of mankind. The peoples of Christendom, if not of a wider geographical area, have been captivated by the splendor of her services, her high and ornate ritual, and general display of gorgeous vestments and millinery, all so fitted to act on the ignorant mind and unbridled imagination of the populations of our cities, towns, and villages. Add to this the easy terms on which she offers salvation to her devotees, with, on the other hand, the threat of no salvation outside the pale of her communion, and need we be surprised that the nations get morally intoxicated, or mad, over a system which offers such advantages, while blind to all true judgment as to her real condition before God! At the period contemplated in our chapter the Bible will have been dethroned from its place in public, as also from the conscience of the masses of even religious people. Hence they will fall an easy prey to the seductions of Babylon. (2) With whom “the kings of the earth have committed fornication.” The personal heads of the ten kingdoms which form the territorial area of the empire, when revived, must be distinguished from the kings of the earth. The former are the destroyers and burners of the woman (Revelation 17:16); they turn to hate her. Not so the kings, or chiefs, of Christendom, they lament her fate (Revelation 18:9); they, not the ten western kings, a specific class and number, commit fornication with Babylon. Love of display, of which the Roman Catholic Church boasts, is her argument and appeal to the senses, and before this god the nations will bow, but the kings of the earth, or leaders, are more guilty, more sober, as befits their position; they yield themselves up to the blandishments of the woman. The Church hugs the world for what of numbers and wealth she can get, and the world gladly welcomes her embrace, for has she not promised to open Heaven to all comers who pay well? The keys of St. Peter are dangled before kings and people, and so the chair of “ The Vicar of Christ ” and “ Universal Bishop” will yet be exalted to a moral height far beyond that of the palmiest days of the papacy in either of the three centuries so renowned for Romish arrogance and pride, the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth. (3) “The merchants of the earth have been enriched through the might of her luxury.” This third class has trafficked with her for gain. There has always been a numerous class of people who attach themselves to religion for what they can get, using the Church as a stepping-stone to advance their temporal interests. Babylon will offer a tempting bait to all such. The abundance of her luxuries will attract “ the merchants of the earth,” who will enrich themselves thereby. Soon, however, the scene will change, and these same traffickers weep and wail over the ruin of that from which they enriched themselves. Commentary on Revelation 18:1-3 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 18:1. The angel had great power which is from EXOUSIA, the leading meaning of which is "authority." The possession of that qualification is explained by the fact that he came down from heaven which is the seat of all authority. It is understandable also why his glory would light up the earth, for everything that pertains to that celestial region is glorious. Revelation 18:2. The preceding chapter pictures conditions just prior to the revolution of the Reformation. The present chapter will extend the vision on through that period, showing the effects it will have among the nations of the world, and will predict the permanent end of the union of church and state. We should keep clearly in mind the truth that we are studying a book of symbols, and therefore we will not try to make a literal application of the symbols. However, even political and religious advantages may sometimes bring material gains to men of selfish character, hence we should not be surprised to see indications of that in some instances. The angel cried with a strong voice, which signified that his announcement was of interest to many. Babylon here means the institution formed by the union of church and state. That body had been in control since the time of Constantine, but now it is destined to be dissolved by the work of the Reformation. Babylon is fallen, is fallen; the repetition is for emphasis. The fall refers to the disolving of church and state through the influence of the Bible that had been given to the people by Luther and his fellow workers. Is become the habitation, etc. This is symbolic and the language is formed from what literally happened to the ancient city of Babylon after it was destroyed by its conqueror. The description of that destruction from which our verse gets its symbols may be seen in Isaiah 13:19-22 and Jeremiah 50:35-40. Revelation 18:3. Wine of the wrath of her fornication. This combines several symbolical thoughts. Wine suggests drunkenness and that is used figuratively sometimes to mean being beside oneself through the influence of false doctrine, which certainly was an outstanding characteristic of Rome. It also stands for the wrath of God upon evildoers, and fornication refers to intimacy with unlawful organizations. Kings and merchants all reaped personal advantages from their subjects and customers, because they were duped into thinking they should submit to the wishes of their superiors.Commentary on Revelation 18:1-3 by Burton CoffmanRev_18:1 The relationship of this chapter to the preceding one is generally admitted, although there are several views with regard to the exact nature of that relationship. That the judgment of the great whore is still under consideration seems certain; but Criswell thought that Revelation 18 deals with the particular "judgment of God himself upon Babylon,"[1] as sharply distinguished from the judgment of Revelation 17, in which "the nations of earth, not by the intervention of heaven, but by something that mankind does, grow weary of her and destroy her."[2] As we see it, this is a distinction without a difference. "God puts into their hearts to do his mind" (Revelation 17:17); therefore, it is still God's judgment in both instances. The judgment of Jerusalem was nonetheless God's, because it was executed by Roman armies (Matthew 22:7); nor is the destruction of the harlot any less the judgment of God himself because it was effected by multiple kingdoms of the earth who finally had enough of her. In the great judgment scene of Rev 16:20, the final overthrow of "Babylon the great" was briefly mentioned; and both Revelation 17 and Revelation 18 are a double recapitulation of that same event, Revelation 17 being given over to the revelation of "Babylon's" identity, as indicated by the brief tie-in by another reference to her destruction in Revelation 17:17. Next, comes Revelation 18 with a particular close-up of conditions in Babylon on the eve of the final overthrow in the last judgment. One of the big expressions in this chapter is "one hour," that being the period of the ten kings (Revelation 17:12) who "burnt" the whore and ate her, not realizing in doing so that they also destroyed themselves. These are the mysteries cleared up in chapter 18. Thus it will be seen that the principal events here are what takes place against Apostate Christianity during the period of the ten kings and the eighth beast with whom they are surely identified and to whom they gave their mind and authority. Ladd gave this analysis of Revelation 18 : After foretelling the destruction of Babylon by the beast (the ten kings) and his vassal kings, a long section on the same theme depicts in greater detail the destruction of the once proud city.[3]Thus, both Revelation 17 and Revelation 18 are successive "close-ups" of the great judgment of Rev 16:20. At the end of these (Revelation 18:21), the final judgment is again symbolized by the hurling of the mighty boulder into the sea, making both of these chapters another recapitulation ending in exactly the same place as the previous sections have ended; namely, in the final judgment of the last day. In our interpretation, the events of chapter 18 are future from our own times, because they belong to the period of the ten kings and the eighth beast which apparently have not yet been fully manifested upon earth. Still, there have been enough "partial" fulfillments to leave an element of uncertainty. Here is an outline of the chapter: A CLOSE-UP OF BABYLON'S 1. The announcement of her fall (Revelation 18:1-8). 2. Consequences of her fall for the world (Revelation 18:9-20). 3. The finality of her doom (Revelation 18:21-24). THE OF THE HARLOTOnce more, it is incumbent upon us to explain our persistent identification of the harlot with Apostate Christianity, the great Roman Catholic Church itself being a conspicuous element of that apostasy, but by no means all of it. The extensive details in this chapter regarding business, commerce, merchandise, and trade have led some to make confident assertions limiting these references to pagan Rome, overlooking the fact, as Alford pointed out, that, "The difficulty of doing so is unsolved."[4] Whatever may be intended by these elaborate commercial symbols: One thing cannot be denied: the muddy Tiber flowing through Rome could never carry the enormous maritime traffic portrayed here. Pagan Rome was never famous as a center of selling and exchanging merchandise.[5]Despite all the insoluble problems of doing so, some scholars insist that the harlot is pagan Rome. "Babylon is a figure of the city of Rome."[6] "The great harlot symbolizes the city of Rome."[7] The destruction of the harlot is used here to picture "the destruction of the Babylon of the New Testament, Rome,"[8] etc. Nevertheless, we are certain that this view is incorrect and that the elaborate commercial symbols which in no sense can properly symbolize pagan Rome have a far more appropriate meaning. There are some who cannot see anything here except Papal Rome as the harlot; and, as Smith said, "There is much here to support their view,"[9] but, as frequently noted in this commentary, we simply cannot thus limit it. Much more is involved than the Papacy, despite the undeniable truth that the Papacy must certainly be included in the meaning. Morris rejected the inadequacy of applying this chapter merely to pagan Rome, thus: John is thinking not of the fall of one city or empire but of the collapse of civilization. Final judgment means the overthrow of all that opposes itself to God.[10]This is correct as far as it goes, but it falls short of including the religious situation as it must be related to all this. In short, it leaves out the Papacy (as so many do); and without that nothing is explained. Wilbur M. Smith believed that the fall here presented is that of the "Apostate Christianity, the world religion that has betrayed Christ, and is interlocked with pagan, godless governments."[11] This too is correct as far as it goes, but it leaves unexplained the inconceivable grief in which the very people who destroyed the Apostate Christianity greeted the actual accomplishment of it. To understand this is to understand the passage. True, the destruction of the harlot was the destruction of Apostate Christianity; but that is not all it was. Merely getting rid of all religion would have been greeted with howls of glee all over the world if that had been all that the destruction of the harlot meant. We shall attempt to show the larger picture of what actually is prophesied as happening. The limited views already noted, that "the great world-city," "cities everywhere," "urban civilization," etc., are what is meant by the harlot, is absolutely contradicted by one thing, the hatred of the ten kings (Revelation 17:17) who are the symbols of great world governments. We cannot imagine, nor can anyone else, that there can ever come a time when the great governments of the earth will "hate" urban civilization, the great world city, or cities everywhere, which have always been, are now, and shall ever continue to be the very essence and foundation of world governments. Could any government hate and willfully destroy its tax base? We cannot believe that Revelation prophesies any such thing. Is it not clear that it is the religious thing which will at last incur the wrath and hatred of the kings? This is the undeniable fact that absolutely requires that the Papacy and related phenomena be included in the understanding of who the whore is, and all that was involved in her destruction. The ten kings, who are the executioners of God's wrath upon the whore, will hate her, not the great populous cities of the world, either singly or collectively; but what they will overlook in their terminal assault upon the whore is that the whore herself is the principal element of stability in the whole civilized world, and that her fall will have fatal repercussions for themselves. Christendom, in a remarkable degree, is an edifice constructed by the harlot; and this is as good a place as any to take a look at the harlot's contribution to the world structure in which she is yet the principal glue that holds the whole thing together. OF THE HARLOTJohn himself wondered at the harlot "with great admiration" (Revelation 17:6 KJV), and there are ample reasons for our own very great admiration of her. Some of these are: 1. The stern, basic moralities advocated and taught by the Apostate Church are the principal foundation of all commerce, business, industry, and trade. Nearly half a billion Roman Catholics are basically honest, virtuous, sober, truthful, and diligent, opposed to violence, murder, theft, abortion, etc. Without such virtues, which the Apostate Church has effectively promulgated, no business, industry, or civilization can endure. To be sure, the Apostate Church has allowed, or even sold the right of violation of these principles, nevertheless her achievement in enforcing them generally cannot be denied. 2. The art, music, architecture, and culture of our whole civilization are, in large measure, the achievement of the harlot. Volumes could be written about any one of these. 3. The stability and sanctity of marriage and the home, which is the basic building block of all civilized order, are due, more than to any other single agency of their advocacy, to the accomplishments of the harlot. What will happen to any society when such things are no longer effectively advocated and promulgated? The incredibly dark scenes of this chapter which confounded the "smart" kings who decided to get rid of religion, with the sudden and unexpected result, when they had done so, of their glee being turned into howling misery - these scenes depict exactly what happened! 4. It is the Roman Catholic Church which alone is the worldwide Christianity, imperfect and apostate though it is; and there is not a church of any name on earth today that does not in some degree stand indebted to her accomplishments, which have been providentially used for the protection of the truly faithful. Nevertheless, "the true followers of Christ" on earth today are a dwindling minority with reference to the whole of mankind; and when the Apostate Christianity is destroyed, as it will be, that minority will either go underground or perish, thus reducing what little impact they have upon "all people" even further toward the vanishing point. Here then, in Revelation 18, is the mystery of the ten kings hating the whore. They are blind to the truth that when they "burn her with fire" and destroy her, they will at the same time kindle the fires of their own destruction, remove the keystone from the arch of world order, and reduce the vaunted civilization of which they are a part to utter chaos and disorder. The foolish dream of modern humanist fools who vainly believe that they can produce a good society apart from its roots in the religion of Christ is an idiot's nightmare. The fruits of a Christian world (imperfect as they are) will not be kept alive apart from their roots in the word of God. When "the kings" shall see what follows their removal of the whore, that is when the howling, the wailing, the cries, the mourning, and the casting of dust on their heads will take place. In America today, there are at the top intellectual level a horde of humanistic atheists who are paving the way for the "ten kings." "The 1955 Harvard Report on Education claimed that Western Civilization would never again utilize Christianity as the foundation of our social structure."[12] This report rejected Christianity without ever knowing what it really is. The harlot has herself long resorted to war and cruelty as instruments of policy; and this fact colored their distorted view. They just overlooked other qualities of the harlot's work. "The mystery of iniquity" is in this (2 Thessalonians 2:7), and other theological questions of the utmost significance are also present. When every church on earth has lost its tax status and the Christian religion is outlawed everywhere as it already is in Russia, the situation will be the beginning of what Revelation 18 describes. All enterprise, business, commerce, industry, trade, etc., will be slowed down, thwarted and halted, because the basic morality upon which such enterprise rests will have been destroyed. Human rights will no longer exist. The basic ethics of the harlot are Christian in many particulars; and when she falls, the disaster will be sudden, complete, and final. The sacred virtues of the holy faith in Christ will be unable to prevail afterwards, except in a beleaguered remnant. The reason for this is that the harlot taught such basic virtues as hers, existing through her authority, and enforced through her power, and not as Christ's requirements. This was the fatal error. When she falls, as far as the world as a whole is concerned, all the hoops will be removed from the barrel of the world's morality and order. For these, and a multitude of other considerations, we must, through our tears, see the harlot as Apostate Christianity, most conspicuously represented by that form of it known all over the world in every village and hamlet of it, and the sole historical figure large enough to fit the description of it; namely, the Papal system and its derivatives. And what are those derivatives? Practically all of Protestantism is included in this. What church is free of the guilt? This writer has experienced in his own ministry bulls of excommunication, anathemas, and denunciations just as bitter as any ever issued by any Pope, and which came from little popes and agents of Diotrephes from within his own communion. Where is the church that does not have its synod, conference, presbyter, president, moderator, chairman, or some other substitute for a pope? And if these are not found, some college, publication, preacher, or other functionary is allowed to serve the same end. Christendom itself is apostate; and we freely confess that we do not know any patent solution of the problem. Freely admitting this still leaves us no escape from reading the harlot as the one most conspicuously identified as the historical church and its papal apparatus. If there is any solution of the apostasy, it must be allowed as the one proposed by Reuel Lemmons, distinguished editor of the Firm Foundation: "Let us be sure that those whom we convert are truly converted to Christ."[13]When God used Rome to destroy apostate Israel (Jerusalem), as revealed in Matthew 22:7, the true Israel (the church) was also nearly annihilated at the same time; and from this we may suppose that when the new Israel turned harlot receives the wrath of God from the "ten kings," that the righteous remnant of the true faith will suffer their greatest test. We pray that in our understanding Roman Catholicism as the harlot, that this extended explanation and definition of it will also be considered. There is nothing narrow, sectional, denominational, or vindictive in this. It is a tragedy that reaches all the way to heaven, and the shadow of the apostasy, in one form or another, falls upon every Christian upon earth. For some, it is in the innovations with which they worship God; for others it is the totalitarian organization of their church; for some it is the perverted form of the baptism they receive; for many it is the secularization of their faith; for yet others it is the false idea that the church is the dispenser of salvation; for still others it is their acceptance of tradition instead of the word of God; and many have elevated a "priesthood" between themselves and the Lord, etc. [1] W. A. Criswell, Expository Sermons on Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1962), IV, p. 16. [2] Ibid. [3] George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972), p. 235. [4] Alford as quoted by Wilbur M. Smith, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 1089. [5] Ibid. [6] J. W. Roberts, The Revelation of John (Austin, Texas: R. B. Sweet Company, 1974), p. 145. [7] Albertus Pieters, Studies in the Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1954), p. 250. [8] Ray Summers, Worthy is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1961), p. 193. [9] Wilbur M. Smith, op. cit., p. 1089. [10] Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Vol. 20, Revelation Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 214. [11] Wilbur M. Smith, op. cit., p. 1089. [12] James D. Strauss, The Seer, the Saviour and the Saved (Joplin, Missouri: College Press, 1972), p. 225. [13] Reuel Lemmons, Editorial, Firm Foundation (Austin, Texas: Firm Foundation Publishing House, 1978), Dec. 12,1978. After these things, I saw another angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority; and the earth was lightened with his glory. (Revelation 18:1) Another angel coming down out of heaven ... This angel does not mean that another vision is being introduced. "The Babylon of Revelation 18 is identical with the Babylon of Revelation 17 ... the theme of great Babylon's downfall is continued."[14]Having great authority ... This together with the glorious appearance of the angels emphasizes the eternal truth of what would be revealed. ENDNOTE: [14] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969),p. 659. Verse 2And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird.It should be noted that it is not merely the fall of Babylon (a symbol of pagan Rome) that is announced, but of "Babylon the great," the symbol of something far more extensive. Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great ... "Here is portrayed not merely the doom of an ancient city, but the sure collapse of all human organization, commercial and otherwise."[15] See chapter introduction for an elaboration of this. "Mystical Babylon is the representative of religious degeneracy, not wickedness."[16] This announcement is not made so that the earth will know it; the earth will already know it when this occurs. "Babylon is in ruins and does not need to be told. The announcement is because the destruction is so vast and terrible."[17]That the actual city of Rome is in some way to be identified with Babylon cannot be denied. "There can be no doubt that the preterists are right in asserting this; but the historicists may be right in applying it to the Papacy."[18] They are both right. Just as Jesus' prophecy had reference to: (1) the fall of Jerusalem, and also to (2) the end of the world, this prophecy also is big enough to take care of both events. Rome is properly identified both as the pagan city and also as the later headquarters of the harlot. It is the vain effort to nullify and discard this second meaning that we reject. And is become a habitation of demons ... The pagan city made "demons" of its dead emperors and worshipped them; but the papal city did exactly the same thing with its dead "saints," making them objects of worship and invoking their names in the public worship. And a hold of every unclean spirit ... This also was true both of the pagan city with its sorcery, witchcraft, and savage cruelty exhibited daily in the Coliseum, and likewise later of the apostate Christianity with its inquisitions, persecutions, and vicious politics. And a hold of very unclean and hateful bird ... "This probably alludes to the parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32), indicating the demonic forces at work in the apostate system."[19] See our exegesis of that parable in my Commentary on Matthew, pp. 192-194. Hendriksen's view that "hold" here should be understood in the sense of a prison, with the meaning that, "The unclean spirits and hated birds consider it a prison,"[20] does not appear to be correct. "This meaning as a place where unclean spirits are confined seems hardly appropriate."[21] It merely means that "they have built their nests in the church," after the analogy of the parable. "It is their natural and fitting stronghold, rather than a place where they are involuntarily confined."[22][15] Ibid. [16] Charles H. Roberson, Studies in Revelation (Tyler, Texas: P. D. Wilmeth, P.O. Box 3305,1957), p. 134. [17] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis, Minn.: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 515 [18] Ralph Earle, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 598. [19] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1968), p. 105. [20] William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956), p. 207. [21] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 713. [22] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 431. Verse 3For by the wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations are fallen; and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth waxed rich by the power of her wantonness.By the wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations are fallen ... This places the blame squarely upon the harlot herself for the universal disaster about to fall. How is this so? The essence of this wine that at last intoxicates all mankind, especially the "ten kings" who are the executioners of this judgment, is that man himself is the supreme authority. In the elevation of a human being as the head of God's church and by giving his word precedence and greater authority than the word of the Son of God himself, this harlot established the prototype of the ultimate and final rebellion of mankind against all that God said. If a man is really supreme, people can logically dispense with the whole system of Christianity; and the tragedy unfolded in this chapter is what takes place when "the kings" at last catch on to this and decide to act in accordance with the very principles the harlot herself established. This was prefigured, of course, in the pagan city, by the cult of emperor worship; but it would issue ultimately in the savage, atheistic humanism of the last days, thus applying appropriately to both situations. And the kings of the earth committed fornication with her ... They presumed to rule by "divine right." They accepted the principle of the supremacy of a man; but, in the episode of the "ten kings" they decided themselves to be "the man," leading to their rejection and hatred of the whore through their acceptance of her principles. It is totally inadequate to view the seduction of "the kings" as being derived solely from "the vast luxury trade bringing widespread prosperity."[23] Something far more significant is indicated. And the merchants waxed rich ... This enters into the ultimate disaster, because the proliferation of a rich class indicates a loss of spiritual values. "The English word waxed comes from the German word, "wachsen", to grow or increase."[24] The implication is that the rich, borrowing the principles of the harlot, grew selfish and unmindful of other duties. Up through this verse, the prophecy views the fall of Babylon as in the past, having already happened, as announced in Revelation 16:19; but there were still some things to be related concerning the "hour" leading up to this; therefore, the next verses, beginning with Revelation 18:4, retrogress in order to relate it. "In Revelation 18:2-3, by means of aorists, Babylon's fall is viewed as having occurred; but the imperatives of Rev 18:4 ff present her as still standing with all her seduction."[25] Not merely by the use of different tenses, but by the introduction of another "voice from heaven" (Revelation 18:4), the transition is indicated. [23] G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 223. [24] James D. Strauss, op. cit., p. 223. [25] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 517Commentary on Revelation 18:1-3 by Manly Luscombe1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. An angel comes down from heaven. This angel has great power. The angel has power to announce. He also has power to act and judge. 2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “ Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! Babylon is one of the terms studied in the previous chapter. This announcement from the angel adds some information about Babylon. She has already been called the “ mother of harlots” and guilty of fornication. Notice the terms added to this description: She has become a dwelling place of demons. She is a jail for foul spirits. She is a cage for every unclean and hated bird. Those are strong terms. Demons, foul spirits, unclean, hated are used here. Babylon is also described with terms of confinement - Dwelling place, prison, and cage. 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.” People of all nations have fallen at the feet of immorality. All nations have participated in fornication. They have committed fornication with her. The second part of this verse makes reference to the control of world wealth. The great harlot has, in promoting immorality, made many people rich. Think about pornography for a minute. Many are made rich in the filming, production, and sale of such pictures. The same is true with gambling, prostitution, alcohol and many other immoral matters. Revelation 18:4-5 (2) GOD'S PEOPLE TOLD TO FLEE(Revelation 18:4-5) Come forth, my people.--This is not the language of John, but the command of an angel of heaven. It is the same com-mand that was given Israel regarding literal Babylon. (Isa. 48 20; Jeremiah 50:8; Jeremiah 51:6.) The angel's command means that people should abandon all false doctrines taught by the mother of harlots, or any of her daughters. This is nothing less than a command to abandon sectarian teaching and practice. If any who have obeyed the gospel have wandered into human churches, they should come out at once. "My people" here probably do not mean Christians, but that noble, honest number that really want to obey God--hence, by anticipation, called God's people. (Com-pare Acts 18:10.) That means they could become God's people in fact by coming out. Two reasons are assigned for their coming out: to prevent partaking of her sins and to escape the punish-ment sure to come. Reached even unto heaven.--Her wickedness is known to God and he will not forget properly to reward her.Commentary on Revelation 18:4-5 by Foy E. Wallace (2) The call to the faithful—Revelation 18:4-8. The voice from heaven introducing verse four was a call to the faithful saints to depart from the doomed city before the calamity struck. It is manifestly parallel with the Lord’ s exhortation in Matthew 24:15-16 for his faithful disciples to flee Jerusalem when the signs of the impending destruction appeared. The same call was spiritually applied by Paul to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 6:14-18), beseeching them to cut all the ties that would bind them to heathenism or in any way maintain affiliation with the heathen world and its temple of Belial. Its derived or applied meaning was to abandon all that both Judaism and heathenism represented. The enormity of Jerusalem’ s sins which reached unto heaven are underlined in Revelation 18:5-6 in the exercise of the prerogatives that belongs only to God--“ Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord” --He remembered her iniquities, and rendered due reward double unto double, according to her works. Again, it was Lord’ s answer to the altar cry of martyrs in Revelation 6:10, “ how long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth.” Commentary on Revelation 18:4-5 by Walter ScottA CALL FOR . Revelation 18:4-5. — “And I heard another voice out of the Heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye have not fellowship in her sins, and that ye do not receive of her plagues: for her sins have been heaped on one another up to the Heaven, and God has remembered her unrighteousnesses.” An angel descending from Heaven (Revelation 18:1), and a voice heard in Heaven (Revelation 18:4), express different actions. The latter is the expression of the mind of God, in which all in Heaven are in unison. Revelation 18:4 — The call, “Come out of her, my people,” (Compare with Jeremiah 51:6 : Isaiah 48:20.) is, of course, applicable at all times, and is never out of season wherever Babylon in principle is found. But the exhortation has its special force after the overthrow of Babylon from its commanding greatness (Revelation 17:1-18) and before its final doom (Revelation 18:1-24). The call is imperative. Babylon as a system cannot be remodeled on scriptural lines, and hence there is ever but one course open to the faithful — one of thorough separation from that which falsely bears the Name of Christ. No doubt some real believers will be found in Babylon, even in her worst and most corrupt condition, probably to avoid persecution and death. These adherents must make a complete severance from Babylon, or if they remain in it become partakers of her plagues. (These plagues are death, mourning, and famine (Revelation 18:8).) 4. — The call is based on two grounds: (1) “that ye have not fellowship in her sins.” By remaining in it they would become partakers of her guilt. (2) “That ye do not receive of her plagues.” The warning here is on account of consequences — judicial and governmental. Eternal security is in no wise imperiled by the divine threat. The guilt and punishment of all remaining in Babylon are here predicated. God is about to overwhelm the whole apostate ecclesiastical system with utter and irremediable ruin, and in view of this final downpour of wrath, here termed “ plagues,” the last call is heard, “ Come out of her, my people.” We would naturally conclude that the exodus of saints from Babylon is accomplished ere the last stroke falls, crushing her to powder. As another has said, “ The full judgment comes after God’ s people are come out of her.” Revelation 18:5. — But why such stern judgment? Why such awful dealing both from man and God? “For her sins have been heaped on one another up to the Heaven.” Of the first Babel confederacy without God we read, “ And they said, Go to, let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may reach unto Heaven” (Genesis 11:4). They would build an enduring monument of their folly, one of stone. But here the sins heaped up reach “ the Heaven,” the monument of her shame if she only knew it. What a striking picture is here presented, a Babel tower, not of stones but of sins; not simply sin on earth calling for judgment, but sins so aggravated, so numerous, and so bold and impious that Heaven itself is outraged. (See Ezra 9:6; also Jeremiah 51:9; there the LITERAL Babylon; here the , the one being the counterpart of the other.) “ God has remembered her unrighteousness.” Judgment, stern and unsparing, must take its course. Commentary on Revelation 18:4-5 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 18:4. Come out of her my people. Even after the work of the reformers was well under way, and the institution of Babylon as a body had fallen, there were still some individuals connected with the church part of the former institution who were honest and at heart were desirous of serving God. They are the ones who are called my people because the Lord considered them true to the testimony of Christ as far as they had been permitted to learn it- Now if they will heed the call to come out and line up with the workers of the Reformation they will be received by Him. If they refuse to heed this call they will have to receive of her plagues. Revelation 18:5. Sins have reached unto heaven means the corruptions of Rome were an offense to heaven, and also had become notoriously public so that God remembered (took unfavorable notice of) her iniquities.Commentary on Revelation 18:4-5 by Burton CoffmanRev_18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues:Another voice from heaven ... See under the preceding verse for the reason behind this. Come forth, my people, out of her ... Amazing! Does God have people in the harlot church? Yes, nor should this surprise us. There were also saints in Sardis (Revelation 3:14), and much people who belonged to God even in pagan Nineveh (Jonah 4:11). Even of wicked Corinth, God said to Paul in the night by a vision, "I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to harm thee: for I have much people in this city" (Acts 18:10). We shall leave it to others to edit these words out of the New Testament. The very fact of God's having people in the apostate church itself points to his having people, in one sense or another, in all the harlot daughters as well; and there is no way to harmonize this with any classification of people by denominations or groups as either saved or lost, on the basis of blanket judgments of the evil accepted by any group. Salvation is an individual matter; and Christ has specifically warned his people against "'judging." That was the great sin of the great harlot herself who arrogated to herself alone the right of deciding who is saved or lost, and then enforcing that decision even through the gates of the cemetery. "The Lord knoweth them that are his" (2 Timothy 2:19); and we consider it unchristian to meddle with this question in any manner. We have the commission to teach what the New Testament says, but not the right to bind our deductions from it upon others. That God's people in the apostate church are in mortal danger is clear enough, for they are ordered to "Come out!" That ye have no fellowship with her sins ... "Through history, God is always calling his people to cut their connection with sin and to stand with him and for him."[26] "Persecuted and harried as they were, God's people must have been tempted to come to terms with the city; for she could make their lives rich and comfortable."[27] This call to "Come out" was the call of God to Abraham (Genesis 12:1), and to Lot (Genesis 19:12-14), to Moses (Numbers 16:23-26), to Israel (Isaiah 48:20), and to Christians (in this verse, and in 1 Corinthians 6:15-16). "This precept is obeyed by standing aloof from evil in the very heart of the world's traffic."[28]That ye receive not of her plagues ... This is a warning that God's people, by their very association with apostasy, may also incur its penalties. [26] William Barclay, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 151. [27] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 215. [28] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 138. Revelation 18:5for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.For her sins have reached even unto heaven ... There is something resembling the quality of "glue" in the metaphor here. As Beckwith said, "The thought is not that the sins cleave to the skies, but that they cleave to each other, forming a mass reaching to heaven."[29] Moffatt saw it as a "gluing together of the leaves comprising a roll";[30] Rome's sins would make a roll reaching all the way to heaven! No catalogue of these could be complete. And God hath remembered her iniquities ... God remembers all sins, unless they are forgiven, in which case they are forgotten. This indicates that the harlot church was not only powerless to forgive the sins of her followers, but that she was also utterly unable to procure forgiveness even for her own sins. As Spurgeon once admonished his church: Therefore, if some shaveling priest shall lift his hand to absolve thee, even upon thy deathbed, lift thy bony hand and absolve him; thou hast the same right! [29] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 714. [30] James Moffatt, Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 457.Commentary on Revelation 18:4-5 by Manly Luscombe4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “ Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. God expects his people to be separate from sin. Baptism puts us on the other side of the river. The water of baptism separates us from our former life of sin. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 is a clear passage in which Christians are commanded to “ come out from among them.” We are commanded not to participate (touch) things that are unclean. If you don’ t participate in the unclean activity, you will not suffer the plagues. If you refuse to engage in homosexual activity or share drug needles, you will not get AIDS. If you do not involve yourself in fornication, then STD is not a threat. 5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. God knows who has shared a role in immoral activity. God will remember their sins. Men will be judged by the deeds done while here on earth, good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10) Revelation 18:6-8 (3) (Revelation 18:6-8) According to her works.--Render to her double is language addressed to whatever powers God will use for administering punishment to the apostate church. It will be what her works deserve. Mingle unto her double.--As her dupes drank from the cup of her false doctrines, so she must drink the cup of punishment. Her glorying in wantonness will be matched with torment and mourning. n one day.--The harlot's boast "I sit a queen" finds its fulfillment in the papal claim of infallible authority, but her arrogant claims will end in one day--that is, suddenly. Paul represents the coming of Jesus as a "thief in the night." The plagues mentioned in verse 8 are such as naturally would come upon a city being destroyed; typically, they represent the com-plete overthrow and end of the apostate church.Commentary on Revelation 18:6-8 by Foy E. Wallace The enormity of Jerusalem’ s sins which reached unto heaven are underlined in Revelation 18:5-6 in the exercise of the prerogatives that belongs only to God--“ Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord” --He remembered her iniquities, and rendered due reward double unto double, according to her works. Again, it was Lord’ s answer to the altar cry of martyrs in Revelation 6:10, “ how long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth.” The description of the proud, and presumptuous city of David, which for centuries had enjoyed the admiration expressed in verse seven, to sit as queen, employed symbols of glory. The old city declared that she was no widow and would see no sorrow (of widowhood), for she was the Jerusalem of the Israel which was wedded to the God of the Jews. But Revelation 18:8 bluntly decreed that destruction would come upon her in one day, as suddenly as the Lord’ s statement in Matthew 24:16-18 : “ Then let them which be in Judea flee . . . let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house: neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.” Hence, the expression one day symbolized the suddenness of the impending judgment against Jerusalem and the shortness of time for the faithful to respond to the call to come out of her. The extended application, as in 2 Corinthians 6:17, meant to come out of the evils and the errors of Jerusalem’ s apostasies and of heathendom’ s idolatries. The last line of Rev 18:8, for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her, meant that God’ s word was inexorable, and without change of purpose he would destroy the apostate city.Commentary on Revelation 18:6-8 by Walter ScottR . Revelation 18:6. — “Recompense her even as she has recompensed; and double (to her) double, according to her works. In the cup which she has mixed, mix to her double.” On textual considerations the “ you” in the Authorized Version is omitted in the Revised Version, while as a matter of interpretation its introduction unduly narrows the sense of the passage. The previous verse directly addresses itself to the people of God, but in that before us it is for saints. Then, as now, the principle is asserted that God acts in retributive justice. It is a statement of the principle on which God acts towards nations, as Matthew 7:2 shows its application to individuals. Jewish law demanded “ an eye for an eye,” but the vengeance here demanded goes far beyond that — the measure is doubled. PRIDE BEFORE . Revelation 18:7-8. — “So much as she has glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so much torment and grief give to her. Because she says in her heart, I sit a queen, and I am not a widow; and I shall in no wise see grief: for this reason on one day shall her plagues come, death, and grief, and famine, and she shall be burned with fire; for strong (is the) Lord God Who has judged her.” The principle of retributive judgment is next shown in the first part of Rev 18:7, not in relation to what Babylon has done (Revelation 18:6), but because of what she is in herself. Having been degraded from her public place by the kings of the Roman world she yet maintains her pride. Her spirit is unbroken. Her haughtiness is asserted in spite of the fact that she sits in the dust of her former grandeur, and that her final end is at hand. The kings of the earth may lament over her, but help her they cannot. Her boasting is within; she says in her heart, “ I sit a queen.” Her public downfall had already taken place, hence the assertion of her queenly state would be out of keeping if openly expressed. “ I am not a widow.” Does she expect that her fortunes are to be retrieved? That she will once again mount the throne? “ I shall in no wise see grief,” and this while the clouds lower and the tokens on every hand presage her immediate and final judgment at the hand of God. Utter destruction is signified in the words, “ she shall be burned with fire.” This goes beyond the more historical scene in Revelation 17:16. The fire here makes an utter end of Babylon. The mighty God is Babylon’ s Judge. (We quote from another, “ Rome means strong, but her strength is nothing. Strong is the Lord Who judges her.” )Commentary on Revelation 18:6-8 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 18:6. The pronoun you refers to "my people" in the preceding verse. Human beings cannot bring judgment upon a universal body of corruption by mere human strength. But if they will come out and then use their influence to expose the harlot (which many people did as shown in various histories of the Reformation), they will bring about a chastisement of her that is figuratively described as making her drink a double measure of her own wine. Revelation 18:7. The leaders in Rome or Babylon had been living a selfish life at the expense of their helpless dupes. Now that they have been undeceived by the workers in the Reformation, they are urged to make their condemnation all the more severe upon her. A queen would be in good circumstances in that she would have one on whom to depend for support and would have no sorrow or anxiety. Revelation 18:8. One day cannot be restricted to a period of 24 hours, but the things predicted of her will come on the same day or by the same cause. That will be the effects of opening the eyes of the nationsthat have been oppressed by her. The mourning will be literal and it will be over the loss of her former power- Utterly burned with fire denotes that the fire of God's jealousy will bring utter (complete) destruction to the combination of church and state--not to each separately, but the combination will be dissolved for ever.Commentary on Revelation 18:6-8 by Manly Luscombe6 Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. The great harlot will be rewarded as she rewarded those who worshiped her. Those who thought of immorality as their god, were rewarded with AIDS, STD, poverty, sickness, disease, broken homes, shattered lives and ruined reputations. God has always promised that all will be judged and rewarded according to their works. Galatians 6:7-9 teaches the principle of sowing and reaping. We will reap what we sow. If our sowing was in fleshly (immoral) things, we will reap corruption. If we sow to the spirit, we will reap eternal life. God promises a double portion of punishment. The reason is this: When man chooses to sin, he will suffer. When man leads, persuades, and encourages others to sin, there is greater responsibility for leading others into sin. James 3:1 shows that the teacher who leads others astray will suffer “ greater punishment.” 7 In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘ I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ In this life immorality seems to “ live it up” in luxury. Many immoral sins are seen by the world as good, exciting, fun and normal. There is a concerted effort, for example, on the part of homosexual groups to make their sinful lifestyle acceptable and normal. Many lived in luxury on the profits from such sins. Think about Hugh Hefner and the “ Playboy Mansion.” God pronounces that in the same measure that they enjoyed the luxuries, they will suffer the greater torment. Immorality thinks that it is invincible. People who act upon these immoral impulses never think they will get caught. 8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day-death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. There is a payday. There is a day of reckoning. She will suffer the plagues that she has caused on others. Babylon will suffer death, mourning and famine. Just as she lived in luxury, now she will suffer torment. The final end will be a burning with fire, because God is the one who judges. Revelation 18:9-19 (4) EXTENT OF BABYLON'S RUIN(Revelation 18:9-19) Shall weep and wail.--Those who have been deceived by false doctrines shall weep and wail when in fear they look upon her destruction. They will be amazed at the sudden punishment of a city so great and proud. Those who have made gain trafficking in human practices in religion will mourn because their source of income has been cut off. There will no longer be anyone to be deceived. The articles of merchandise mentioned symbolize every kind of religious device used to deceive those ignorant of God's word. The things desired by the religious merchants are gone forever. Naturally such characters will cry, "Woe, woe," when spiritual Babylon falls. The smoke and blaze seen in a burning city are a weak but fitting emblem to indicate what will happen when apostate religion is forced to end its wicked work.Commentary on Revelation 18:9-19 by Foy E. Wallace (3) The three-fold threnody over the ruined city—Revelation 18:9-19. These verses form the threnody of kings, merchants and seamen--their song of lamentation, as a dirge over Jerusalem, the fallen city. They were represented in Revelation 18:9-10 as having thrived on her harlotries, but cut off from the lucrative revenues of her commerce they were envisioned as standing afar off, offering no help but bewailing the plight of besieged Jerusalem: Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.The statement of Rev 18:11, that the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her was parallel with Revelation 1:7 : “ Behold, he cometh with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.” This coming referred to the destruction of Jerusalem, as in Zechariah 14:1-21; and the declaration that every eye shall see him referred to the universal knowledge of what was happening to Jerusalem; and all the kindreds (tribes) of the earth shall wail denoted the mourning of all Jewish families in all parts of the world over the destruction that had befallen their beloved city. The rulers, merchants and mariners of Palestine bewailed the calamity for no man buyeth their merchandise any more. The valuables of the merchandise in which this trade consisted were listed in Revelation 18:12-14. The description of gold, purple and spice were symbols of the flow of commerce which characterized Jerusalem’ s prosperity. But with the severance of all trade, deprived of all commerce, the authorities of Judea, the merchants and the shippers, once associated with Jerusalem in all of her luxury and wantonness, then stood aloof as witnesses of the destruction, deploring the devastation; but only to bewail her plight. The extensive traffic in thirty articles specified by John represented the affiliations of the Jewish capital with allthe heathen world. Included in this commercial revenue was the traffic in slaves, and souls of men--meaning the lives of men. There was no source of revenue from the heathen world not included in the coalition between Jerusalem and the merchants of the earth, as described in Revelation 18:15-16. In continuation of this resplendent description Revelation 18:17-19 recorded the lamentations of the merchant--men because the luxuries and revenues in which they had shared had come to nought and were no more at all. In unison they cried: What city is like unto this great city . . . alas, alas, that great city . . . she is made desolate. Thus the traffickers of the heathen world lamented the ignominious end of the once glorious city of Jerusalem.Commentary on Revelation 18:9-19 by Walter ScottTHE DIRGE OVER BABYLON. Revelation 18:9-10. — The lamentation over Babylon is taken up by all classes, for all are affected by it. The general bearing of the whole passage is so simple that detailed exposition is needless. The articles of merchandise specified in which Babylon trafficked are twenty-eight in number. The first in the list is gold, the last is souls. The ruin of Babylon will seriously affect the whole commercial and social life of the world, and it is on this account that her judgment is so deplored by those who shared in her wealth and profited by intercourse with her. Revelation 18:9-10. — “The kings of the earth” lead in the general mourning. They were the most intimate with her, and hence more than others feel her loss. These kings, or chiefs, must not be confounded with the ten kings who hate the woman. The former mourn over her, and are unable to prevent her ruin, whereas the latter are the prime movers in her political downfall (Revelation 17:16). The kings of the earth, or, in other words, the distinguished leaders in Christendom, as apart from the ten kings of the Roman empire, are in fear. Standing afar off they witness the awful conflagration of that mighty system of evil with which they had been so closely identified, and in which they had lived and rioted in luxury. They tremble and fear at the awfulness and suddenness of the judgment, “ for in one hour is thy judgment come.” Revelation 18:11-13. — “The merchants of the earth” sorrow over Babylon, not because of any love they bear the system, but simply because their trade and wealth are ruined. Babylon, besides her religious character, is here viewed as the center of vast commercial interests. The varied character of the merchandise — the product of all countries — shows the wide influence of Babylon, and how she attracts to herself as to a center the world’ s riches. Think of this gigantic combination of the secular and religious trading, amongst other commodities, with the bodies and souls of men (v. 13) — named last, as of least account. In the enumeration of Babylon’ s merchandise she is simply the world’ s storehouse, or universal emporium, embracing all that is most esteemed down to that which is regarded as of least value. There are seven departments under which the various articles are classified. (1) Valuables and ornaments, as gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls. (2) Costly array, as fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet. (3) Sumptuous furniture, as vessels manufactured from the most precious woods, ivory, and metals. (4) Rich odors, as cinnamon, frankincense, and ointments. (5) Abundant living, as wine, oil, flour, wheat, beasts, and sheep. (6) Triumphal pageants, as horses and chariots. (7) Infamous traffic in the bodies and souls of men. The lamentation of the merchants is interrupted by an episode narrated in Revelation 18:14, and the mournful strain is resumed in Revelation 18:15. The complete ruin of the merchandise of Babylon, that which selfishly bound to her king and peasant, leaves her a wreck. All her resources are gone; she is utterly despoiled of her former means of self-indulgence; her sources of enjoyment are dried up; and, in fact, all that ministered to her pride, and everything essential to her existence, perishes in the unexpected and sudden blow from the divine hand. She is directly addressed by a voice from Heaven (v. 14). Revelation 18:15-17. — Then the strain is resumed, but on a wider basis. Merchants in general, which is explained to mean those “who had been enriched through her,” take up the lamentation expressed in words similar to that of the kings (Revelation 18:10). There is one difference, however, which may be noted. The kings in their lament say “ In one hour is thy judgment come,” whereas the merchants say “ In one hour so great riches have been made desolate.” Uniting the two statements we gather that the judgment of Babylon involves the destruction of her temporal prosperity, and, further, that the stroke of vengeance from the hand of the Almighty is sudden and unlooked for. Revelation 18:17-19. — Shipmasters, sailors, and all seafaring interests suffer equally with those already named. The past greatness and riches of Babylon are remembered and mourned over in the pathetic dirge from the sea (see Ezekiel 27:1-36). The judgment of Babylon takes effect in full sight of kings, merchants, and sea traders, the various classes enriched through connection with her. Her torment is their fear. (We have the fall of Babylon distinguished, I think, from the destruction of Babylon. Her fall includes moral degradation, and being the dwelling place of unclean spirits. This is judgment on her; and she falls because of her making the nations drink of the wine of her fornication (Revelation 14:8). This we find in the ecclesiastical course, so to speak, of closing facts. Her final judgment we find in the close of the filling up the wrath of God (Revelation 16:19). The connection of the former seems to be with Revelation 18:2; of the latter with Revelation 18:21.” — “ Notes on the Book of Revelation,” in loco. This little work, by the late J. N. Darby, of 172 pages, is an invaluable aid, not in details, but in masterly unfolding of the great principles and truths contained in the Apocalypse.) Commentary on Revelation 18:9-19 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 18:9. Kings of the earth had been protected in their defrauding of the uninformed people. Committed fornication. Rome has been called a harlot hence those who have been intimate with her are guilty of fornication. It is natural for them to lament seeing her burning (under the fiery judgments of God.) Revelation 18:10. The symbols are changed from a woman to a city. But it means the same thing for the mother of harlots had her seat where she carried on her adulterous practices in the city of Babylon. Of course to see her "red light district" going up in smoke means the end of her trade. One hour is used here to mean the same period as one day in Revelation 18:8. Revelation 18:11. The merchants were the prominent leaders in Rome who had been reaping much gain (both political and material) by imposing their false doctrines on them. There will now be no demand for such "wares" for the customers will have learned that they had been defrauded. Revelation 18:12-13. All of the articles named in this paragraph are literal products, and doubtless the leaders in the corrupt institution dealt in such property for their own selfish enjoyment, but the literal articles are used as symbols of the selfish enjoyments they had by being able to extract the services of the dupes under them. Revelation 18:14. This virtually continues the same prediction that is made in the preceding verses, but I will call attention to the words about these gains that thou shalt find them no more at all. That means the advantages once enjoyed by Babylon (church and state) were never again to be enjoyed by her as before because she will never exist again to enjoy them. Revelation 18:15. This is virtually the same lament that is described in Revelation 18:9-10, because of their loss of unlawful privileges at the expense of the people. For the fear of her torment denotes that the sight of such a burning will give them a feeling of horror. Lest the reader gets lost in all this array of figurative judgments, I shall again state that it is a symbolical picture of the political and religious revolution that came upon the old wicked institution of Rome, after the work of the Reformation broke up the great conspiracy. Revelation 18:16. The items mentioned are used symbolically, but there is some special appropriateness in the materials named. The formalities of the old Pagan Roman ceremonies were copied by the clergy of Papal Rome. Linen was used for the official robes in the services, and purple and scarlet were the royal colors. The garments were decked literally with gold and precious stones. The city is said to have all these decorations because the scarlet woman was located in the city for her corrupt practices. Revelation 18:17. One hour calls for the same comments that are offered at verse 10. The chapter as a whole is a vision in symbolic form, yet the institution of Babylon or Rome was so widespread, that it was logical to include many of the activities of the members of it. Hence the people interested in the traffic of the sea are brought into the picture, among those whose selfish practices were to be cut off by the downfall of the city. Revelation 18:18. What city is like means a general statement of her greatness as of the past, for now she is very low and worthless ince she is being destroyed by fire. Revelation 18:19. There is not much change in the significance of the symbols of this verse. Casting dust on their heads was an ancient custom to give expression to feelings of mourning and dismay (Joshua 7:6; Job 2:12; Lamentations 2:10). One hour is the same figurative phrase that is in Revelation 18:10. Made desolate means that Babylon the Great as the union of church and state was to be deserted and cease to be.Commentary on Revelation 18:9-19 by Burton Coffman Revelation 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning,Here is the great paradox, without the understanding of which there can be no explanation of these passages. And the kings ... shall weep and wail ... Commentators have really struggled with this, for these are exactly the ones who did the burning and the eating of the harlot's flesh. How can this be? The best explanation, short of the true one, is by Lenski: They cooled their vengeance upon the whore and then grieved that they had done so. Let the paradox remain. There is no reason ... The lover of a whore strangles her, and then weeps like a fool.[42]Interesting as that comment is, there is nevertheless a reason, and a very good one. The humanistic kings simply failed to realize that it was the true Christianity, imperfectly taught by the harlot, that actually formed the foundation of their world. The evil, atheistic, humanist kings proudly imagined that they could get along without any religion whatever, having finally rejected even the apostate forms of it; but their stupid action in burning up the whore destroyed everything, for not even the harlot ever went as far away from God and the truth as did those kings, or governments, of the final age. Their philosophy was dogmatically stated by a member of one of the great theological seminaries fifty years ago, by Dr. George Albert Coe, who wrote: The sovereign for this universe, that is, the sovereign for us, is just ourselves when we cooperatively assist in providing ourselves with what we want.[43]Coe's hometown, New York city, is today virtually bankrupt; and the rising tide of violence, corruption, and irresponsibility may yet cause its utter ruin, unless there is a repudiation of the type of humanistic philosophy which has caused the decline. Clearly, it is exactly this type of thinking that will lead to the "ten kings'" destruction of the whore. Shall weep and wail ... when they look upon the smoke of her burning ... It is of prime significance that there is prophesied here the "burning" of the harlot. In Moses' Law (Leviticus 21:9), burning appears to have been the form of punishment for fornication only in the case of a priest's daughter, another indication that Babylon is a wicked religious person.[44]They look upon the smoke ... Smoke is the result of fire; and that is what put the disaster upon them. There were the most diabolical repercussions which ensued when the last visible support of religion crumbled into ashes in the flames of their hatred, repercussions of such a vast and terrible nature that they bankrupted and destroyed civilization. That is the absolute climax of the present dispensation, as prophesied here! Of course, those wailing and weeping kings were not at all concerned about the whore; they made no move to assist her; they were screaming only about their business and their profits (Revelation 18:11), and the precious fruits that perished (Revelation 18:14), the desolation of so great riches (Revelation 18:17), and the loss of jobs (Revelation 18:17). Disasters such as these were indeed the sorrow of kings. No wonder they wailed. When Babylon perishes, the economic chaos is complete. The world of the unbeliever upon which he pinned his hopes and built his trust collapses.[45]Do we have to point out that such a complete ruin of the whole world could not be conceived of as the result of the total ruin of any single city? Berlin collapsed, but nothing like this occurred, nor did this happen even when pagan Rome fell. Those who attempt to interpret this as the fall of pagan Rome are refuted by every word in this chapter. [42] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 522. [43] George Albert Coe, Educating for Citizenship (New York, 1932), p. 143. (Coe was Professor of Education at Columbia University until 1928, and Professor of Religion in Union Theological Seminary for many years thereafter. [44] Frank L. Cox, Revelation in 26 Lessons (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1956), p. 107. [45] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 210. Revelation 18:10standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.Standing afar off ... They make no move to help Babylon; they do not wish to be involved; it has not yet dawned upon them that all things rest upon divine authority (even as inadequately taught and delivered by the harlot), and they still do not see that in burning her they have burned down their own kingdoms. They still seem to think that they shall escape the holocaust. Woe, woe, the great city, the strong city ... "The imagery here is from Ezekiel 26-27."[46] Barclay quoted a number of Old Testament passages called the dirge songs of Tyre, Nineveh, Edom and Babylon;[47] but John's words here do not come from any of them. The terrible judgments of the Old Testament do, however, have one utility; they show that, "God looks upon worldly wickedness at any time according to the same principles with which he regarded Babylon and Tyre of old."[48] Regarding the terrible judgments here predicted, Eller commented that, "In spite of the propriety of evil's collapse, the event itself nevertheless carries overtones of tragedy."[49]For in one hour is thy judgment come ... "Three times we are told that the desolation is to be accomplished in one hour, and we are reminded of the ten kings' reign with the monster."[50] This makes it certain that these events are prior to the actual judgment day; they are the last act, we might say, leading up to it. Of course, the judgment is already done (Revelation 18:1-3), and thus this is a playback showing some of the antecedent particulars connected with it. Beasley-Murray thought the kings of this passage were different from the "ten kings" (Revelation 17:16-17); but we view them as positively identical. [46] James D. Strauss, op. cit., p. 222. [47] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 150. [48] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1087. [49] Vernard Eller, The Most Revealing Book of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974), p. 171. [50] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 225. Revelation 18:11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more;And the merchants weep and mourn ... Why? "For no man buyeth their merchandise any more." The economic ruin is total. If they have any goods left, they will be looted or stolen, not bought. Revelation 18:12merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet; and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble;There is no point in commenting upon this inventory, which is but a partial catalogue of all the precious goods of the world. The extensive nature of this list prompted the great scholar Alford to say that, "Certainly the details of this far more nearly suit London than Rome of any assignable period of her history."[51]ENDNOTE: [51] Alford as quoted by Wilbur M. Smith, op. cit., p. 1089. Revelation 18:13and cinnamon, and spice, and incense, and ointment, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep; and merchandise of horses and chariots and slaves; and souls of men.This is more of the same inventory, but there are a couple of items of special interest: And slaves ... The mention of these in connection with "the souls of men" is intriguing. "Slaves" is clear enough, as "There were 60,000,000 slaves in the Roman empire when this was written."[52] So much for pagan Rome; now what is the spiritual counterpart of this in the apostasy? And the souls of men ... How were these sold? By means of the doctrine of purgatory, in which the souls of the departed are "sold" to their living relatives for money to get them prayed out of purgatory. We are looking for a better explanation of this, but where is it? ENDNOTE: [52] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 162. Revelation 18:14 And the fruits which thy soul lusted after are gone from thee, and all things that were dainty and sumptuous are perished from thee, and men shall find them no more at all.The fruits ... all things dainty ... men shall find them no more at all ... The recurrence of this ominous refrain, "no more at all," some five times in the final paragraph has prompted some scholars to suppose that this verse belongs there instead of here; but Beasley-Murray skillfully refuted this: "This verse does not suit the final paragraph, but it is related to the paragraph of the merchants,"[53] where it is found. See further word on this in the final paragraph, ENDNOTE: [53] G. R. Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation (Greenwood, South Carolina: The Attic Press, 1974), p. 268. Revelation 18:15 The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning; saying, Woe, woe, the great city, she that was arrayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and previous stone and pearl!The wail of the merchants is like that of the kings, for they too stood "afar off." The ancient prejudice of businessmen that they are not concerned with religion will at last be confounded when there is none, or so little that it hardly counts on any effective scale. Woe, woe ... They shall cry not for lost faith, but for lost profits. Caird confused the present tense of these supplementary and recapitulatory views of an end that has already occurred, saying, "After it has happened, men are still able to stand afar off and watch the smoke of their burning."[54] The events here are not after the end; they are before it. See under Revelation 18:3. "There is something almost pathetic about these laments. In every case, the lament is not for Rome, but for themselves."[55][54] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 227. [55] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 164. Revelation 18:17for in one hour so great riches is made desolate. And every shipmaster, and every one that saileth any whither, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood afar off,For in one hour ... The triple mention of this (Revelation 18:9; Revelation 18:17; Revelation 18:19) makes it imperative to relate these events to the brief ascendancy of the final "ten kings" (Revelation 17:12-17). See comment there. "It is the loss of the wealth, not any concern for people, that the merchants express."[56]ENDNOTE: [56] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 220. Revelation 18:18and cried out as they looked upon the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like the great city?And cried as they looked upon the smoke of her burning ... The repetition of "smoke of her burning" is of interest. It does not seem that the kings, merchants, etc., were much concerned about the "burning" of the harlot, but the smoke of it, indicating that it was the subsequent consequences of her destruction which confounded them. No! They did not care at all about the harlot being burned, but they certainly got the message from the smoke! Revelation 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, wherein all that had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.Note that it is not for the harlot that all of the weeping and wailing and mourning and crying and casting dust on the heads comes about, but for "the great city." This is the great world-city, the complex of urban civilization, so identified in earlier chapters. Even at this late hour, the mourners cannot see the connection that the harlot had with all this. Cast dust on their heads and cried, etc. ... "The awful woes that are sure to come upon mankind when they turn completely away from God and burn even the apostate version of holy religion, which is all that they know, will issue in the wholesale destruction of all that is worthwhile on earth. In a pale little epitome of what is yet to happen upon a far more vast scale, Hitler and his peers burned the Bibles at Nuremburg; and what followed? The most awful slaughter in nineteen centuries! When the liberal theologians, atheistic humanists and insane Marxists have finally dismantled the last vestiges of religion, even in its apostate forms, the true and final holocaust will suddenly appear. God be merciful and delay that day. As Morris pointed out, it is the working class, the sailors, who carry their mourning the furthest by casting dust on their heads.[58] And, as in the case of the other mourners, it is not weeping for lost faith, but for lost jobs. There is here the evident truth that laboring humanity will suffer first and longest. The godless labor unions that have led the world in their defiance of true religion as well as every other form of it shall suddenly discover that the society which they helped to kill was their own. It will be too late for dust on the head to do any good. What all this means is that a working coalition between a watered-down, apostate Christianity and the unbridled forces of the devil will one day be terminated, and the final prejudgment wreck of the whole social order will reach its roaring climax. THE FINAL Again, the Book of Revelation shows us the judgment, particularly as it comes to human civilization: there will be a summary end of it. Before depicting it, as usually throughout the prophecy, the vision will first show us a scene of rejoicing in heaven, for the purpose of showing that the wreck of all things shall not in any manner hurt God's people. ENDNOTE: [58] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 221. Commentary on Revelation 18:9-19 by Manly Luscombe9 “ The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning,…The kings (civil governments) lived in luxury. They, the kings, made an alliance with Babylon. They passed laws that allowed immorality to become legal and acceptable. They will see the results. They see the smoke of her torment. They will weep because, if immorality goes out of popularity, they will suffer loss. 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘ Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ These kings now seek to distance themselves from her. They were responsible for her success. Now that she is being punished, they try to say, “ It is not my fault.” Babylon was a mighty city, but now it has been judged.” 11 “ And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: All the merchants of immorality are in mourning. The source of their income is going up in smoke. The filth shops, the drug dealers, and the porno sales on the Internet are exposed for the filth and corruption they have been selling. But, it is too late. 12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. All the fine gold chains of the pimp, all the fancy cars of the drug dealer, have become the souls and bodies of men. The fine mansion of Hugh Hefner has become the lost souls of all the lives he has corrupted. What was glitter, gold, jewels and material things, now is disease, filth, corruption and death. 14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. There is an old proverb, “ The chickens have come home to roost.” We need to be reminded that sometimes we think the wicked are getting away with their sins. Not true. God will punish them. They will suffer. The entire splendor is gone. All the gold and silver is tarnished. All the material things do not exist. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 and saying, ‘ Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! Just as the kings sought to distance themselves, so do the merchants. The people, who got rich because of the immorality of the world, are now seeking to remove themselves from her. They see the torment. They hear the weeping and wailing. They know that punishment has come upon the mother of harlots. 17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘ What is like this great city?’ The term “ merchants” includes all who trafficked in this immorality. This would include the movie theaters that showed the films. It includes the truck drivers that distribute the alcohol and the airplane pilots that fly the drugs into the country. 19 “ They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘ Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’ All the profiteers are in mourning. The source of their gain is gone. “ In one hour” all the gain is gone. She is made desolate. All who supported her, promoted her immorality, and all who profited by the evil products she produced are going down with her. Revelation 18:20 (5) AN OF PRAISE(Revelation 18:20) Rejoice over her.--This language is in direct contrast with the preceding description of the effect on those who made gain out of similar practices. The number of the righteous who will rejoice at the end of spiritual Babylon will include apostles and prophets and all other Christians. The meaning is that God's judgment in the case will be what the suffering of saints will demand as a just reward.Commentary on Revelation 18:20 by Foy E. WallaceSee Comments on Revelation 18:20-24 by Foy E. Wallace as presented in the next group of Verse notes. Commentary on Revelation 18:20 by Walter ScottHEAVEN . Revelation 18:20. — We have had the voice from Heaven heard first in Revelation 18:4, and last in Revelation 18:20. In this latter reference Heaven is called upon to rejoice. If there is lamentation on earth there is rejoicing in Heaven. The place and inhabitants unite in the song of triumph. There are three classes: saints, apostles, and prophets (R.V. of Revelation 18:20). The first term is a general one, and includes believers both of Old and New Testament times; the second refers to those of Christian times (Ephesians 4:11), and “ the twelve” as well; the third is, of course, the prophets of old. All the three classes mentioned are in Heaven, and there rejoice. “God has judged your judgment upon her,” that is, the righteous judgment passed upon Babylon by saints, apostles, and prophets — for all had suffered at her hands — is now executed by God Himself. Commentary on Revelation 18:20 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 18:20. The speaker is still the voice from heaven (Revelation 18:4) which is bidding the apostles and prophets to rejoice over the downfall of Babylon (union of church and state). It was especially appropriate to congratulate these great servants of God, because they had been foremost in defending the lawful church of the Lord against the encroachments of the apostate church. Now that the conspiracy formed by the union of church and state was thrust down, they had great and just reason to rejoice.Commentary on Revelation 18:20 by Burton Coffman Revelation 18:20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles, and ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment on her.Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints ... Of course, the saints and apostles are not yet in heaven, but they will be; and the vision is to encourage all who may yet die in the fires of persecution. The reason for the rejoicing is that, after all, God's word has been proved true; the righteous shall be saved and the wicked punished, and the universe itself will finally be demonstrated as just. No greater cause of rejoicing could be imagined. "This is not a song of gleeful rejoicing, but an announcement of the vindication of God's justice and righteousness."[59] "How can there be anything but rejoicing when wrong is righted and truth justified?"[60] There comes a time to rejoice over the defeat of evil. When the heartless, bloody Robespierre was finally overthrown in Paris, and he lay wounded, bleeding, and dirty with his jaw shattered by a bullet and hanging down upon his chest, someone approached and after gazing a long time said, "Yes, Robespierre, there is a God."[61]"The analogy of this passage shows that this verse is not directed to saints in heaven - nothing is implied as to where these are, or whether they are living or dead."[62]And ye apostles and ye prophets ... The thought of the martyrdoms of Paul and Peter which had probably already occurred when this was written seems to be in the background here. All of the apostles recognized what their fate at the hands of Rome would be. For God hath judged your judgment upon her ... Rome had burned the saints for the false reason that they had burned Rome; but now God would execute the judgment upon her which she had falsely imposed upon them. The Greek reads literally, "God has judged (upon Rome) your judgment from her."[63] Of course, this is the primary and immediate application; but it also applies equally well to the end of the age situation when the wicked humanist kings shall burn all religion in their vain destruction of the harlot, only to find their own kingdoms burned as a consequence. Commentary on Revelation 18:20 by Manly Luscombe20 “ Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!” God promises that vengeance belongs to Him. Our God will repay the evil that we suffer. Heaven (angels and martyrs) rejoice. They are not rejoicing because someone is suffering. They are rejoicing because their faithfulness has been vindicated. These Christians remained faithful. They suffered ridicule and scorn for speaking out and objecting to the immorality in the world. Now, their faith in God has been proven to be valid. The Christians have been justified in their faith. Revelation 18:21-24 (6) SUDDEN AND END (Revelation 18:21-24) Cast it into the sea.--John next sees an angel cast a large stone into the sea. A similar act was performed to indicate the fall of ancient Babylon. (Jeremiah 51:63-64.) The sinking of the stone represents the sudden and complete fall of the apostate church; not by a slow decline, but because of a violent force against it. Shall be heard no more.--Music which is the natural sign of joy will cease; no one in the city will have anything to produce gladness. All kinds of crafts will have no chance to operate, and machinery will cease to be heard. Lights will go out and social events will no longer occur All the nations deceived.--The reason for such desolation and ruin will be that false religion has deceived the nation with sorceries--all kinds of tricks, impositions, and false claims to divine power. Another reason is that in bloody persecutions this spiritual Babylon has slain saints and prophets of God. The word "all" here is used in an accommodated sense, meaning that a multitude had been slain in perpetuating the papal system. Commentary on Revelation 18:20-24 by Foy E. Wallace(4) The anthem of rejoicing over the fall of Apostate Jerusalem—Revelation 18:20-24. It seems unnecessary to follow the order of line by line comments on these verses, which would involve so much repetition. This last section of the chapter, Revelation 18:20-24, represented John’ s own rhapsody of rejoicing over the avenging judgment of God on Jerusalem, the once faithful city which had turned harlot. In contrast with the wailing of the associates in the harlotries of the city, John was joined in vision to the witnesses and apostles and saints who had been victims of Jerusalem’ s murderous wantonness--a united chorus in celebration of the end of the abominations of Jerusalem and the obstructions of Judaism. The Lord foretold this fulfillment in Matthew 23:29-38 : “ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” This anticipated fulfillment of the Lord’ s predictions received and written by John in the Neronic period and represented the Lord’ s words, “ fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.” In the symbols of this chapter Revelation 18:21, the angel casts a great millstone into the sea as a sign of irretrievable doom for Jerusalem. The same symbolism was adopted in Jeremiah 51:63-64 to signify the end of old Babylon: “ And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates: And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.” Commentary on Revelation 18:21-24 by Walter ScottTHE UTTER RUIN AND OF BABYLON. Revelation 18:21-24. — “And a strong angel took up a stone, as a great millstone, and cast (it) into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall Babylon the great city be cast down, and shall be found no more at all.” The action is significant and prophetic, and sublime withal. A similar dramatic proceeding pointing to the overthrow of Babylon of old is described in Jeremiah 51:60-64; there, however, Seraiah was the actor; here an angel of might. Both the literal and mystical cities were to be utterly and suddenly destroyed by violence. The two chapters, Jeremiah 51:1-64 and Revelation 18:1-24, should be carefully studied and compared. Then follows in verses 22 and 23 a beautifully descriptive and touching account, poetically expressed, (Compare with Jeremiah 25:10.) of her utter desolation. How complete the ruin! Joyless, dark, and silent, Babylon stands out as a monument of the utmost vengeance of God. Wickedness had sat enthroned in the midst of that professedly bearing the Name of Christ; but at last, when she had filled to the full her cup of iniquity, God rises in His fierce anger, His indignation burns, and Babylon falls to rise no more. Her destruction is irremediable. The chapter closes with a reiteration of the bloody character of the system (“ Alas! she has erected the prisons, and prepared the rack, and lighted the fires of what she calls the holy office of the Inquisition in Italy, Spain, America, and India. She lauds one of her canonized Popes, Pius the Fifth, in her Breviary as an inflexible Inquisitor. She has engraven the massacre of St. Bartholomew’ s Day on her papal coins, and there represents it as a work done by an angel from Heaven. And the Roman Pontiff of that day went publicly to Church to return thanks to God for that savage and treacherous deed.” — Wordsworth The term “ blood” is literally bloods, a Hebraism, of course, but does it not point to the fact that all the blood so wantonly shed on earth in its numerous and varied ways is at the last found in Babylon? — a system sometimes governmentally curbed and checked, but never improved, and never repentant.) (see Revelation 17:6; Revelation 18:24). Commentary on Revelation 18:21-24 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 18:21. Mighty angel is said to indicate the size or weight of the stone that was to be handled. The stone was like great millstones which were heavy, and their weight was such that if they were thrown into the water they would most assuredly sink; nor would such an object float back up to the surface. That is doubtless why Jesus used it in his comparison of the irreparable fate of certain sinners (Matthew 18:6). After this mighty angel had cast the stone into the sea he made his explanation of the symbol; it represented the casting down of Babylon. We know it does not mean literal Babylon for that city had not been in existence for centuries (Isaiah 13:19-22). We know also it does not apply to the religious part of the corrupt institution (though it also was known as Babylon), for that apostate church is not to be destroyed until Jesus comes (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Hence this can apply only to the Babylon that was composed of church and state. When the stone that represented it was cast into the sea, the angel said that it shall be found no more at all. From the foregoing evidences we are given the divine assurance that there will never be another world-wide union of church and state. Revelation 18:22-23. The enterprises and activities of human interest that are mentioned in these verses have all been considered in this chapter and understood to have a symbolical meaning. In this paragraph they may be used in both symbolical and literal senses. In either sense the announcement is made that they will never be done again. However, this is not true until we apply it in the light of a proviso that is stated as follows. The phrase in thee is used five times in these two verses, and that is the key to the subject. There is not an interest mentioned that will not continue to be practiced as long as the world stands. But they will not be done "in thee" (Babylonas the union of church and state), for that institution will have gone down never to rise again. Revelation 18:24. This short verse is merely a summing up of the crimes that have been committed by Babylon, on account of which she was doomed to complete overthrow.Commentary on Revelation 18:21-24 by Burton CoffmanRev_18:21 And a strong angel took up a great stone as it were a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with a mighty fall shall Babylon, the great city, be cast down, and shall be found no more at all.A strong angel ... stone ... cast into the sea ... This is the final judgment of Babylon, the great city, the latter words showing that more than just pagan Rome is meant; this is the final day, the ultimate judgment of the great day of God at the Second Advent of Christ. The Biblical background of the figure is in Jeremiah 51:59-64 : Jeremiah instructed Seriah who was traveling to Babylon to take a scroll of Jeremiah's prophecy of the destruction of Babylon, and upon his arrival in Babylon to read it to the city, and then to throw this scroll, weighted with a stone, into the Euphrates river. As it sinks, he is to prophesy that thus shall Babylon sink to rise no more (paraphrase). The significant thing is that the prophecy was literally and summarily fulfilled; the old Babylon sank into oblivion, and even the ancient site of it is today not certainly known. A similar finality of the overthrow of mystical Babylon is indicated by the employment of the same imagery here. The choice of the figure demands this conclusion; therefore, this is not merely a temporary judgment. The final end at the last judgment is indicated. The placement of the verbs in the Greek indicates "the final act of judgment."[64] This verse is a reiteration of Rev 16:19-20. And shall be found no more at all ... The ominous phrase "no more at all" occurs six times in this chapter, five times in these last verses, indicating the absolute finality of the judgment. It is impossible to limit the application of this merely to pagan Rome. "This judgment is sudden, complete and final."[65] Let those who deny that such a thing as this will take place show us the site of the old Babylon. Where is it? Earth knows not even the place. Exactly the same word of God that doomed the old one, doomed also the one in view here. [64] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 530. [65] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 109. Revelation 18:22 And the voice of harpers and minstrels and flute-players and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft, shall be found any more at all in thee; and the voice of a mill shall be heard no more at all in thee;This verse merely catalogues the phases of city life that shall perish forever when judgment falls. No more at all ... This is the refrain. "Civilization is as though it had never been."[66] Was the fabled city of Atlantis a historical type of this? ENDNOTE: [66] Michael Wilcock, I Saw Heaven Opened (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1975), p. 66. Revelation 18:23and the light of a lamp shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the princes of the earth; for with thy sorcery were all the nations deceived.The light of a lamp ... the voice of the bridegroom ... of the bride ... shall be heard no more at all in thee ... The marriage business has always been a big thing with churches; and thus there would seem to be in this litany of the doomed and destroyed city a religious coloring, even in the catalogue of her eternal silence. Thy merchants were the princes of the earth ... "Princes of the Church" they are sometimes called, an incongruous title for followers of a crucified Saviour who had nowhere to lay his head. That something like this is meant appears in the fact that this is stated as a "reason why" of the fall. With thy sorcery were all the nations deceived ... This is another "reason why" of the fall. Truth was forsaken and deception practiced. Revelation 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth.And in her was found the blood ... prophets ... saints ... and of all that have been slain upon the earth ... Is this mere hyperbole? No! If the religious wars promulgated to advance the harlot's designs are remembered, the figure appears appropriate enough. Furthermore, the murder of one is, in principle, the murder of all. There is no single literal city of earth that answers to this, not even Rome. It is the spirit of lawlessness and apostasy from the truth, spectacularly represented in the harlot; it is that whole religious apparatus moving throughout history and responsible for wholesale deaths all over the world. Also, there is something else in it. Jesus told Jerusalem that in their murder of the Messiah all of the blood shed from Abel until that very day would come upon her. (See pertinent comment on this in my Commentary on Matthew, pp. 373,374.) In exactly that same way, the system that murdered the Christians, the true spiritual body of Christ, was chargeable with all the blood ever shed on earth. The two cases are exactly parallel. This concludes the awful picture of the final judgment in this sequence. Commentary on Revelation 18:21-24 by Manly Luscombe21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “ Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. A powerful angel stands up with a great stone. This huge stone is thrown into the sea. The symbol of throwing a large stone into the sea shows - the speed with which this doom comes. It will not happen slowly or quietly. It will happen like a huge splash. The great city is thrown down. God has judged immorality and all connected with it. 22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. All the “ pleasure” associated with evil and immorality has been stopped. No more music or celebrations. No one is getting rich. Small businesses fail. All the skilled craftsmen (all who used their skills to produce these immoral products) have no place to use their skills. 23 The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. All the glitter is gone. The candle has been blown out. All who are “ married” to the immoral activity are gone. All who made a profit from the immoral activity have disappeared. All who were deceived are also punished. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.” Immorality is NOT a victimless crime. When a person commits fornication - a spouse, children, extended families, friends, the church, are also harmed. One person’ s immoral activity can, in fact, cause death to the saints. God does punish the immoral. Sermon on Revelation 18:1-24 The Fall of Babylon Brent Kercheville Revelation 17 showed us the fall of Rome. Revelation 17:16 showed the great prostitute made desolate and naked. She is stripped of her power and authority and is burned up with fire. God is the one who purposed this fall to occur. Revelation 18 describes the impact and meaning of the fall of Rome. Fallen Is Babylon (Revelation 18:1-3) Another angel comes down from heaven, carrying great authority and full of glory. He calls out the message of judgment. Babylon is fallen because of its great immoralities. Once again the angel speaks with prophetic certainty. Though Rome has not fallen yet at the time of the writing of Revelation, the angel declares its fall in the past tense to show how surely Rome and her empire will fall. Rome has become a dwelling place of wickedness and evil. Not only has Rome been the heart of wickedness, but the nations “ have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.” The nations are not innocent. They also have been participants in the immorality of Rome. The merchants of the earth has prospered through the immorality of Rome. History reveals the luxurious living that took place in Rome over the centuries because of its extensive trade routes. Trade extended well past the border of Rome’ s empire, which was millions of square miles. Trade routes also existed to India and China. Archaeology has found many pottery sherds from the far east. The merchants were made rich by buying, selling, and trading goods with Rome. Call To God’ s People (Revelation 18:4-8) Another voice calls out from heaven for God’ s people to come out from her. This is a prophetic reference from Jeremiah and Isaiah’ s ministries. Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it, send it out to the end of the earth; say, “ The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!” (Isaiah 48:20 ESV) Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the LORD. (Isaiah 52:11 ESV) “ Flee from the midst of Babylon; let every one save his life! Be not cut off in her punishment, for this is the time of the LORD’ s vengeance, the repayment he is rendering her. Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD’ s hand, making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of her wine; therefore the nations went mad. (Jeremiah 51:6-7 ESV) The call of the voice from heaven is for the people of God to remove themselves from the ways and immoralities of Rome. Do not participate in the sinfulness of that world. Otherwise, you will share in the plagues that are coming upon Rome and her empire. The judgment of the seven bowls showed seven plagues being poured out on the beast and its throne. God gives an important warning. If you act like the world, you will be judged with the world. Come out from the world and separate yourselves from the Roman ways and sins. They have heaped up their sins as high as the heavens and God has remembered those sins. God is going to pay her back. God is going to pay her double for her deeds. This is just because its sins were so severe that it not only affect them, but also carried the whole world into sinfulness with its idolatry and paganism. God calls for a double portion to be mixed for her in the cup. Recall that we saw this cup as the cup of God’ s anger poured full strength (Revelation 14:10). The voice from heaven says that we need to make it a double. Double up the portion in the cup of God’ s anger. Revelation 18:7-8 continue to explain why God’ s wrath is so violent against Rome and her empire. Rome glorified itself and lived in luxury. No one gave glory to God for their prosperity. They elevated themselves and glorified themselves. Further, they think they will never fall. They think that these times will never change. They think this prosperity will never end because they think they did it all. They rule and think that rule will never end. God says in Revelation 18:8 that this is the reason that they will be struck down suddenly. Rather than life and prosperity, the empire will crumble into death, mourning, and famine. Revelation is not predicting that Rome fell in one day, just as the scriptures are not predicting other nations falling in one day (cf. Isaiah 47:9). It is a symbol of the suddenness of the loss of power and authority. It would seem that the empire would never end and suddenly the empire will be in trouble. It will lose its power and be destroyed. This is the imagery of the fire. Revelation is not predicting Rome literally burning (cf. Isaiah 47:14). The fire is a symbol of judgment. Its time of glory and rule is over. The empire has fallen. Rome has lost her power. Before we leave Revelation 18:4-8 we must see this paragraph contains very important messages for our country. The parallels are very strong. We are full of prosperity and wealth just like Rome. Most live in wasteful, luxurious living just like Rome. Our country shows the same arrogance in thinking that it is the world power that will never fall. Certainly the sins of our nation are heaped as high as heaven. The more this nation turns people away from the true God to worship false gods and religions, the closer we come to meeting the same judgment that Rome met for its sins. The Lament of the World (Rev_189-19) We saw in Revelation 17:16 that the world turned against Rome. Rome deteriorated from the inside as the empire turned against the rule of Rome. However, they do not realize the massive impact of Rome’ s fall. They do not understand that Rome’ s fall will be the end of the prosperity of the world. The world will end up wailing at the fall of Rome. The merchants of the earth will mourn because all of those trade routes will be lost. No one will be buying and selling across the earth any longer. The goods listed in Revelation 18:12-13 are a sampling of the many goods that traded through the might of the Roman Empire. Their economy is crushed. All the luxuries and splendors that the people enjoyed are gone. Not only are the merchants and traders devastated by the fall of Rome, but the shipmasters and seafaring men who worked on the sea will also lose their wealth and business. While Rome does not sit on the coast, it had built an amazing trade city called Portus just west of Rome that did sit on the sea. The Tiber River runs between Portus and Rome and archaeologists have found the massive amount of trade that went through Portus on its way to Rome. There was also a Roman road from Portus to Rome. I encourage you to go online and read about the findings about Portus particularly under Trajan who made this port massive for all the trade that Rome was engaged in. All the captains no longer have a business. All the sailors no longer have work. Their cry is an accurate description of the greatness of Rome. “ Where is there another city as great as this?” (NLT) The great city where all the ships of the sea grew rich is now gone. The same three groups wail at the fall of Babylon in Ezekiel 27:29-36. It is the end of the empire. The Faithful Rejoice (Revelation 18:20-24) The holy people of God, the apostles, and the prophets are called to rejoice over the judgment of Rome. They are called to rejoice because they have been killed by Rome. Chapter 13 showed us that the beast would kill those who did not worship it. Judgment has come and it is time for the people of God who suffered and died to rejoice. God has given judgment for you against her. God has brought his holy judgment for the sake of his people. A great symbolic act is revealed. A mighty angel takes a stone like a great millstone and casts it into the sea. While doing this the angel says that Babylon has been thrown down with violence and will never be found again. The Roman Empire will never rise again and will never be a world power. Those who know the timeline of world history know that the collapse of the Roman Empire led into a time period that would be called the Dark Ages. The world was completely changed with the fall of the Roman Empire. This language is the same as what Jeremiah did concerning the judgment against Babylon. When you finish reading this book, tie a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates, and say, ‘ Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disaster that I am bringing upon her, and they shall become exhausted.'” Thus far are the words of Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 51:63-64 ESV) The end of the Roman Empire has been set by God who has purposed its collapse because of its sins. Application The call for the people is to come out from the nation and be separate. Do not engage in the sins of the nation. Do not be like the world. That call was not exclusive for those Christians to come out from Rome, but it is a truth for Christians for all time. Note Paul’ s words to the Corinthian Christians. For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “ I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:16-18 ESV) Do not dress like the world. Do not act like the world. Do not think like the world. Do not live like the world. Do not love the world. God is in fellowship with you. You cannot be in fellowship with the world and be in fellowship with God. Act like the world and you will be judged with the world in eternal punishment. Come out from the world and be separate. Then God will be your father and you will be his child. God is not our father and we are not his children we look, act, think, and live like the world around us. Come out and be separate! Commentary on Revelation 18:21-24 by Burton CoffmanRev_18:21 And a strong angel took up a great stone as it were a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with a mighty fall shall Babylon, the great city, be cast down, and shall be found no more at all.A strong angel ... stone ... cast into the sea ... This is the final judgment of Babylon, the great city, the latter words showing that more than just pagan Rome is meant; this is the final day, the ultimate judgment of the great day of God at the Second Advent of Christ. The Biblical background of the figure is in Jeremiah 51:59-64 : Jeremiah instructed Seriah who was traveling to Babylon to take a scroll of Jeremiah's prophecy of the destruction of Babylon, and upon his arrival in Babylon to read it to the city, and then to throw this scroll, weighted with a stone, into the Euphrates river. As it sinks, he is to prophesy that thus shall Babylon sink to rise no more (paraphrase). The significant thing is that the prophecy was literally and summarily fulfilled; the old Babylon sank into oblivion, and even the ancient site of it is today not certainly known. A similar finality of the overthrow of mystical Babylon is indicated by the employment of the same imagery here. The choice of the figure demands this conclusion; therefore, this is not merely a temporary judgment. The final end at the last judgment is indicated. The placement of the verbs in the Greek indicates "the final act of judgment."[64] This verse is a reiteration of Rev 16:19-20. And shall be found no more at all ... The ominous phrase "no more at all" occurs six times in this chapter, five times in these last verses, indicating the absolute finality of the judgment. It is impossible to limit the application of this merely to pagan Rome. "This judgment is sudden, complete and final."[65] Let those who deny that such a thing as this will take place show us the site of the old Babylon. Where is it? Earth knows not even the place. Exactly the same word of God that doomed the old one, doomed also the one in view here. [64] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 530. [65] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 109. Revelation 18:22 And the voice of harpers and minstrels and flute-players and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft, shall be found any more at all in thee; and the voice of a mill shall be heard no more at all in thee;This verse merely catalogues the phases of city life that shall perish forever when judgment falls. No more at all ... This is the refrain. "Civilization is as though it had never been."[66] Was the fabled city of Atlantis a historical type of this? ENDNOTE: [66] Michael Wilcock, I Saw Heaven Opened (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1975), p. 66. Revelation 18:23and the light of a lamp shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the princes of the earth; for with thy sorcery were all the nations deceived.The light of a lamp ... the voice of the bridegroom ... of the bride ... shall be heard no more at all in thee ... The marriage business has always been a big thing with churches; and thus there would seem to be in this litany of the doomed and destroyed city a religious coloring, even in the catalogue of her eternal silence. Thy merchants were the princes of the earth ... "Princes of the Church" they are sometimes called, an incongruous title for followers of a crucified Saviour who had nowhere to lay his head. That something like this is meant appears in the fact that this is stated as a "reason why" of the fall. With thy sorcery were all the nations deceived ... This is another "reason why" of the fall. Truth was forsaken and deception practiced. Revelation 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth.And in her was found the blood ... prophets ... saints ... and of all that have been slain upon the earth ... Is this mere hyperbole? No! If the religious wars promulgated to advance the harlot's designs are remembered, the figure appears appropriate enough. Furthermore, the murder of one is, in principle, the murder of all. There is no single literal city of earth that answers to this, not even Rome. It is the spirit of lawlessness and apostasy from the truth, spectacularly represented in the harlot; it is that whole religious apparatus moving throughout history and responsible for wholesale deaths all over the world. Also, there is something else in it. Jesus told Jerusalem that in their murder of the Messiah all of the blood shed from Abel until that very day would come upon her. (See pertinent comment on this in my Commentary on Matthew, pp. 373,374.) In exactly that same way, the system that murdered the Christians, the true spiritual body of Christ, was chargeable with all the blood ever shed on earth. The two cases are exactly parallel. This concludes the awful picture of the final judgment in this sequence. LESSON 22. THE FALL OF BABYLON Read Revelation 181. Tell of the angel that was seen after the vision of chapter 17. Ans. Revelation 18:1. 2. He announced the fall of what? Ans. Revelation 18:2. 3. Babylon would become the habitation of what? Ans. Revelation 18:2. 4. For whose sins was this Babylon responsible? Ans. Revelation 18:3. 5. What did another voice from heaven urge God's people to do? Ans. Revelation 18:4. 6. Give two reasons why they should come out of Babylon. Ans. Revelation 18:4. 7. Who knew all her iniquities? Ans. Revelation 18:5. 8. By what was Babylon's punishment to be measured? Ans. Revelation 18:6-7. 9. Of what had she boasted? Ans. Revelation 18:7. 10. What can you say of the suddenness of her destruction? Ans. Revelation 18:8. 11. What would her destruction cause kings to do and say? Ans. Rev_189-10. 12. Why would merchants weep and mourn over her? Ans. Revelation 18:12-16. 13. How would the men of the sea express their grief at her destruction? Ans. Revelation 18:17-19. 14. But the destruction of Babylon would be a cause for rejoicing for whom? Ans. Revelation 18:20. 15. How did a strong angel illustrate the fall of Babylon? Ans. Revelation 18:21 (See Jeremiah 51:63-64 regarding ancient Babylon). 16. Name five things which would never appear in the great city again, and tell why these things would be there no more. Ans. Revelation 18:22-23. 17. Whose blood was found in her? Ans. Revelation 18:24. E.M. Zerr Questions on RevelationRevelation Chapter Eighteen 1. After this what did John see? 2. How was the earth affected by him? 3. State the announcement he made. 4. Tell what all nations had done. 5. What had the great city become? 6. What had the kings of earth done? 7. How had the merchants fared through her? 8. From where did John hear another voice? 9. What call did it make? 10. That they might not receive what? 11. What had reached unto heaven? 12. Tell what God remembered. 13. How must she be rewarded? 14. In what proportion must it be done? 15. Of what cup must she drink? 16. On whom had she bestowed glory? 17. Tell how she had lived. 18. What boasts had she made? 19. What were to come to her? 20. Over what space of time would they come? 21. How will she be destroyed? 22. By whom will she be judged? 23. Who shall bewail her burning? 24. Tell what they had enjoyed with her. 25. State the comment of these kings. 26. Why will the merchants of the earth mourn? 27. Of what had the merchandise consisted? 28. Did it include any living beings? 29. What fruits had departed from her? 30. When were they to be returned? 31. Where will these patrons stand looking on? 32. Why stand thus? 33. What had happened in one hour? 34. Who else stood afar off? 35. For what comparison did they inquire? 36. What did they place upon their heads? 37. What were they doing at the same time? 38. Who is bid to rejoice over her? 39. Because of what could they rejoice? 40. What personage then appeared? 41. Tell what he took up. 42. What did he do with it? 43. This was to represent what city? 44. For how long will she be down? 45. What will not be heard any more? 46. Tell what trades will be discontinued. 47. What provisions will be cut short? 48. Tell what will no longer shine. 49. How will the bride and groom be affected? 50. Who were her merchants? 51. By what were many deceived? 52. What blood was found in her?Revelation Chapter EighteenRalph StarlingNow this announcement: "Babylon is fallen, is fallen!" And has become the habitaton of all that is spoiling. For her sins have reached unto God's Haven, And God has rewarded her for her misbehaving. The cry went up: "Reward her double, reward her double" For she has cause so much sorrow and so much trouble. So her plagues came in "one day" Death, famine, fire without any delay. The Kings of the earth rejoiced at her burning, For this for many years they had been yearning. But the merchants who became rich by her With weeping and wailing could not conquer. In heaven there was great rejoicing Harpers and pipers were sounding their blessing, For Satan and his army had been defeated. Again God, the Saints, and the Lamb had succeeded. Revelation 19:1-6 5. BECAUSE OF BABYLON'S FALLRev_19:1-10 In the preceding chapter three angels picture in vivid colors the fall of spiritual Babylon, and tell what the effects will be upon those deceived by her false religion; in this paragraph we have recorded the thanksgiving that will be expressed by the heavenly hosts.(1) THE SONG OF TRIUMPH(Revelation 19:1-6) After these things.--After the symbolic act and words of the third angel (Revelation 18:21-24), John heard another loud voice, as of a great multitude, coming from heaven. The invitation was extended to saints, apostles, and prophets (Revelation 18:20) to rejoice over the harlot's desolation. These verses contain the response to that invitation. Hallelujah.--This word means "praise ye Jehovah," and the song ascribes salvation, glory, and power to God. This is right because only by his permission can any blessing be received.True and righteous.--The final punishment of the great harlot will come because she corrupted the earth with her false doctrines and because she caused the blood of saints to be shed. Her punishment will avenge that blood. A righteous God will allow only righteous punishment. A second time John heard the redeemed saints say, "Hallelujah." For ever and ever.--Smoke continuing to go up without end means that this refers to the final punishment after the judgment. Fell down and worshipped God.--On the twenty-four elders and four living creatures see notes on Revelation 4:4-8. In addition to apostles, prophets, and saints, the spirit beings around the throne of. God rejoice over the final victory of the church. They give credit to God for the overthrow of Babylon. Another voice that appeared to come from the throne invited all servants of God to give him praise. God, the Almighty, reigneth.--John next heard a voice as if coming from a multitude that sounded like many waters and mighty thunders; a grand chorus of all the spiritual hosts of heaven saying that God reigneth. This harmonizes perfectly with Paul's statement that at Christ's coming and judgment the kingdom will be delivered back to the Father. (1 Corinthians 15:23-24.) Then Christ will also become subject to the Father, and God will become all in all (verse 28), and his endless reign will beginCommentary on Revelation 19:1-6 by Foy E. Wallace XII. THE VISION OF VICTORY (Revelation 19) There is a striking analogy between these scenes of the church emerging in victory from the period of persecution, described by John in this nineteenth chapter, and the deliverance of Israel from Babylonian exile, described by Ezekiel in the closing section of his prophecy from the thirty-sixth to the thirty-ninth chapters. The nation of Israel was comforted, and their release was described in terms of a figurative resurrection; and the return to their homeland was pictured as a “ new heaven and a new earth.” (Isaiah 66:22) The closing chapters of Revelation from chapter nineteen to twenty-two follow the course of Ezekiel’ s apocalypse of Israel returning from the seventy years of exile, but here the church was seen emerging from the period of persecution. The symbols are similar, and the parallel is evident. (1) The heavenly acapella chorus—Revelation 19:1-6. The great castrophe of Revelation, the fall of symbolic Babylon, Jerusalem, also called Sodom and Egypt, bringing an end to Judaism, was envisioned as having occurred. The harps and harpers ceased, giving place to a great voice of much people rejoicing over the vindication of divine justice, in answer to the cry of the souls of the slain under the altar, who as a martyred host responded in the alleluia (hallelujah) of the heavenly chorus. The word alleluia, in Revelation 19; Revelation 1, meant praise ye the Lord. In this equivalent it is used first in Psalms 104:35; thereafter it is used repeatedly to introduce and end the chapters in the Psalms. The word alleluia itself is used only in Revelation 19:1; Revelation 19:3-4; Revelation 19:6, which lends special significance to the chorus of the heavenly multitude praising God for Salvation from enemies, and righteous judgments on Jerusalem; and for avenging the blood of the martyrs. This was the reason for the ascription of special praise, as indicated in verse two. It was not the general or usual form of worship and praise, but a special hallelujah for true and righteous retribution on the harlot woman--apostate Jerusalem--and her affiliates. The words of Rev 19:3 decreed that this judgment was a pronouncement of final doom on Jerusalem. And her smoke rose up forever and ever. This was the declaration that the old Jerusalem would never be restored. It is the parallel of the Lord’ s declaration in Luke 21:24 : “ And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled"--which meant that Jerusalem was permanently trodden down; for the times of the Gentiles. and the fulness of the Gentiles were commensurate with the entire gospel dispensation. A comparison of the prepositionuntil with such passages as Luke 16:16; Galatians 3:19; Galatians 4:2; Hebrews 9:10 will exemplify that until signified termination. For further treatment of the times and fulness of the Gentiles in relation to Jerusalem, reference to GOD’ S WORD (pp. 152-155), is suggested. Among the heavenly worshippers were listed the four and twenty elders of Rev 19:4, a symbol based on the twelve patriarchs and the twelve apostles, representative of the whole and true Israel of God--the church; as discussed in Rev chapters 5, 8, 14, and Revelation 11:18. The song of praise was an anthem of victory for the whole church. The voice from the throne, in Revelation 19:5-6, proclaimed in mighty volume that the Lord God omnipotent (Almighty) reigneth; which was manifested in the destructions of the Harlot woman, and the defeat of the persecuting agencies of the Roman beast. The universal aspect of this joyful victory was expressed in the refrain: Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great--all classes of men who were servants of God were bidden to rejoice. The greatness of the heavenly multitude joined in chorus as one voice, Revelation 19:6, was not only a scene of awe and veneration, but was impressive of the magnitude of the significance attached to the end of Jerusalem and the Jewish state, and the removal of Judaism as the greatest obstacle to the expansion of Christianity from the path of the church. With the Harlot City, and the system of Judaism which she represented destroyed; there remained only the execution of judgment against political minions who had shared in her spiritual fornication s and abominations. Commentary on Revelation 19:1-6 by Walter ScottTHE OF THE LAMB AND THE OF THE NATIONS. HEAVEN OVER THE OF BABYLON. Revelation 19:1-4. — “After these things I heard as it were a loud voice of a great multitude in the Heaven, saying, Hallelujah: the salvation, and the glory, and the power of our God. For true and righteous (are) His judgments; for He has judged the great harlot which corrupted the earth with her fornication, and has avenged the blood of His bondmen at her hand. And a second time they said, Hallelujah. And her smoke goes up to the ages of ages. And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God Who sits upon the throne, saying, Amen, Hallelujah.” “ After these things.” We have had two separate visions of Babylon in which her character, guilt, and relations to the empire and Christendom, and her awful and overwhelming judgment are unfolded. Chapters 17 and 18 record a distinct vision each, which is really the filling up of the details of the historical place which Babylon occupies in Revelation 14:8; Revelation 16:19. In a vision everything is present to the mind of the Seer. The scenes shift and change, and pass successively before the mental gaze. There is no past nor future, but all is present. Other Scriptures, however, enable us to apportion the various visions and their separate parts as well to their chronological place in the history or prophecy, as the case may be. Now it is plain that so long as Babylon remained unjudged the true bride could not be brought out and displayed in her beauty and coronation robes. She is hid in Heaven till the usurper on earth is destroyed and removed out of sight. The whore and the bride cannot co-exist. “ After these things,” an apocalyptic formula (Revelation 4:1; Revelation 18:1), refers to the fall (Revelation 17:1-18) and total destruction of Babylon (Revelation 18:1-24). The same event is viewed very differently in Heaven and on earth. On earth the dirge of sorrow is heard. In Heaven the paean of praise. That which leads to general lamentation and mourning on earth calls forth the full rejoicing of Heaven. The cry of triumph immediately follows the destruction of Babylon. Her presence on earth had ever proved the chief hindrance to the manifestation of the glory of God, and an offence to Heaven besides. Now, however, by the total extinction of Babylon room is prepared, and the way open for the Lord God to be publicly owned on His throne, and for the Lamb to take His bride — the two great subjects of praise. Revelation 19:1. — The call to rejoice (Revelation 18:20) is here taken up by the heavenly hosts. “I heard as it were a loud voice.” The words “as it were” inserted in the Revised Version (see also v. 6) are omitted in the Authorized Version. There is a certain purposed vagueness in the passage which is lost in the Authorized Version by the omission of the words. Who are the “ great multitude” who loudly and joyously proclaim the triumph of God over the judgment of Babylon? We read of another, a Gentile company, termed a “ great multitude” in Revelation 7:9, but, as we have seen, those are on earth, whereas the company before us is in Heaven. Nor can the “ great multitude” of our text be identified with angels, but rather with the twenty-four elders, the mystic representatives of the redeemed translated at the Coming into the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). (See remarks on the term elders on Revelation 4:4.) The various martyred companies, that is, those of the coming crisis, are viewed as distinct from the elders. Hence, we gather that the “ great multitude” is that of all saints then in Heaven. Revelation 19:1 — “Hallelujah,” (Alleluia in our version is from the Greek spelling of the Hebrew word Hallelujah. Why drop the H?) they say. This beautiful Hebrew word occurs four times in these celebrations of praise (Revelation 19:1; Revelation 19:3-4; Revelation 19:6), but in no other part of the New Testament. It is a word of frequent occurrence in the book of Psalms. It is the opening and closing word of each of the last five psalms — psalms which as a whole and in their united character express the millennial praise of Israel. Hallelujah means, “ Praise ye Jehovah,” or “ Jah,” an abbreviated form of Jehovah. Revelation 19:1 — “The salvation and the glory and the power of our God.” (The Rev. W. F. Wilkinson, in his useful work, “ Personal Names in the Bible,” considers that Jehovah in its etymological signification is derived from the Hebrew verb to be, and that its meaning to English readers is found in God’ s own declaration of His Name and Being to Moses, I AM THAT I AM (Exodus 3:14), and further, that I AM answers to Jah, while the larger and fuller title is the expression of Jehovah. Without doubt the dread and sacred name, Jehovah, which is never used of, nor applied to, any created being, signifies, “ The necessary, continuous, eternal, personal existence of God.” On this hallowed and ineffable Name of names, see pages 24, 31 (Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:8) of our “ Exposition.” See footnote on pages 142 and 170 (Revelation 5:11-14; Revelation 7:11-12).) The article before each of the three nouns makes the subject of specific application. The first of the three terms signifies deliverance, the second God’ s moral glory in judgment, and the third His might displayed in the execution of the judgment upon the harlot. This ascription of praise is to “ our God.” Angels in their place and station say “ our God” (Revelation 7:12). Here however, it is the language of a redeemed and heavenly company, not that of angels. Revelation 19:2. — The ground of their triumph is next stated. “For true and righteous (are) His judgments. “ In Revelation 15:3 the harpers on the sea of glass sing “ Righteous and true are Thy ways;” while in Revelation 16:7 the altar says “ True and righteous are Thy judgments.” In the former the ways of God are in view; in the latter, as also in our text, the judgment of God on His enemies is in question. It is a fundamental truth of the Scriptures, and one to be firmly maintained, that all God’ s dealings with His creatures, whether in grace or judgment, are characterized by truth and righteousness. Now these essential attributes of the divine Being have been conspicuously displayed in the judgment of the “ great harlot,” whose two great sins are once again, and for the last time, named: “ which has corrupted the earth with her fornication,” morally blighted and ruined the whole scene, where once the truth was known and God worshipped, “ And has avenged the blood of His bondmen at her hand.” The cry of the martyred band, from Abel downward, calling for judgment is heard, and God in righteous judgment pours out the indignation of His nature upon that system of harlotry and blood which had so long been a curse on the earth. A second time, as marking the greatness of the triumph, they say “Hallelujah,” or Praise ye Jehovah. “ And her smoke goes up to the ages of ages” is a striking and impressive figure of the finality and perpetuity of the divinely-executed judgment. The doom of the mystical Babylon is an everlasting witness to the righteous judgment of God (compare with Isaiah 34:10). But the volume of praise rolls on through the vault of Heaven. The elders, the representatives of the redeemed and enthroned saints, and the living creatures, the symbols of God’ s government in creation, (See my notes on Revelation 4:1-11.) “ fell down and worshipped God.” How profound the worship! How fitting the action! It is God, not Christ, Who is the object of their homage. It is God Who has judged Babylon, and hence to Him the worship is rendered. Besides, Christ has not at this juncture taken up the government of the earth. God is the Judge of Babylon. Christ is the Judge of the Beast; this judgment is an event subsequent to the former, and the first public act of the Coming Christ (Revelation 19:11-21). The elders and living ones say “ Amen, Hallelujah.” They put their seal to the truth of what has been announced, and themselves join and joy in the triumph of all in Heaven over the everlasting doom of the harlot. In Revelation 5:8 the living ones take precedence of the elders; here the elders are first named as being more directly concerned in the judgment of the harlot. THE THRONE SPEAKS. Revelation 19:5. — “And a voice came out of the throne saying, Praise our God, all ye His bondmen, (and) ye that fear Him, small and great.” In a former vision we had the cry of the altar (Revelation 16:7, R.V.); here the throne itself speaks. In some of the past scenes, where a body of witnessing and suffering saints were in view, the altar came into prominence, but here it is direct judgment upon evil on the earth, for God is upon His throne, as Christ is about to sit on His. The very throne is moved to speech (symbolic, of course); thus from the center and source of government — the terror of the wicked, the joy of the saints — goes forth a call to “ praise.” All who serve and all who fear Him, small and great, are invited to join in the glad song, which is a relief after the dark picture unfolded on earth. Here the terms are sufficiently wide to embrace every soul in Heaven — angels, servants, and every redeemed one. Nor is it a call addressed to an unwilling congregation. All are ready, but a new cause of joy is to be furnished, a new ground of praise. THE OF THE LAMB is about to be announced. THE OF THE LAMB. Revelation 19:6-10. — “And I heard as it were a voice of a great multitude, and as it were a voice of many waters, and as it were a voice of strong thunders, saying, Hallelujah, for (the) Lord our God the Almighty has taken to Himself kingly power. Let us rejoice and exult, and give Him glory; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready. And it was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright (and) pure; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints. And he says to me, Write, Blessed (are) they who are called to the supper of the marriage of the Lamb. And he says to me, These are the true words of God. And I fell before his feet to worship him. And he says to me, See (thou do it) not. I am thy fellow-bondman and (the fellow-bondman) of thy brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. For the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus.” We have transcribed in full this passage of surpassing interest. There are two main subjects: God manifestly assuming His kingly power, and the Lamb taking to Himself His bride — the Church of the New Testament. The moment has not yet arrived for the Lord Jesus Christ, Who suffered as none ever did, to mount His throne. But all is getting ready for that grand event. O blessed moment for which creation groans and waits, for which the Church hopes and prays, and for which the wearied tribes of Israel long with eager expectation! The Nazarene is God’ s appointed King. But two events must necessarily take place before the throne of the world is occupied by Christ: Babylon must be judged on earth, and the marriage of the Lamb be celebrated in Heaven. We have had the one; we are now about to witness the other. THE GRAND . The call of the throne (Revelation 19:5) meets with a magnificent and immediate response. The praise is loud, deep, and full, and characterized by strength and grandeur. The “ great multitude” (Revelation 19:6) here probably embraces all the redeemed in Heaven, save the bride. If this is so, as a careful study of the whole passage would seem to indicate, then the “ great multitude” must be a larger and more comprehensive company than that mentioned in verse 1. In the former passage (Revelation 19:1) the “ great multitude” is not distinguished from the elders, the representatives of the redeemed of past and present ages; while in the latter (Revelation 19:6) the “ great multitude” is evidently a company apart from the bride (Revelation 19:7). The voice heard by the Seer is likened to the sound of “ many waters” and “ strong thunders,” that is, majesty and power combined. (In various parts of the Apocalypse the symbols of waters and thunders are separately noted, but here, as also in Revelation 14:2, they are united. Waters have a double signification. First, when in motion is conveyed the idea of MAJESTY and ; when still the symbolic reference is to NATIONS and PEOPLES; for rivers, sea, etc., see page 190.) Having had the summons from the throne, the mighty choir takes up the strain in a voice of majesty and power — not voices, for the mind of Heaven is one. We now hear what fell upon the enraptured soul of the Seer; the last “ Hallelujah” is sounded. It is not now Christ the object of praise, but God on the throne in holy and righteous action. The titles under which He is worshipped gather up all the various manifestations of God to His people of old. Separately they set forth distinctive relations and glories; when combined they form a tower of strength; when seen as united in Him the grandeur of the whole is beyond all telling. We have already remarked on the meaning and force of these various titles in a former part of our exposition. (See Revelation 11:15. “ He now reigned as the Lord God Omnipotent — that character, or those characters in which He dealt with the earth, whether as God, Creator, Promiser, and Shield of His people while strangers, or the everlasting Accomplisher of all He had promised, Jehovah, Elohim, Shaddai. All these He took now in power and reigned.” — Darby.)We gather that this is the moment anticipated in Revelation 11:15. The kingdom has now come, and kingly power is assumed. This is the first great subject of praise by the heavenly host. What a relief to creation, burdened with six thousand years of sin and sorrow! But ere the second theme is announced, calling for the adoration of the redeemed, we read, “ Let us rejoice and exult, and give Him glory.”In the revelation of God on His throne as Jehovah and the Almighty the whole being is bowed before Him. The soul is awed, not in fear, but in profoundest depth, and surely that is right and proper as we contemplate Him in the greatness of His Being. But in the subject now to be introduced the affections are deeply stirred and the heart moved to its very centre. Hence the prefatory call to rejoice and give God glory, for the “ marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready.”Commentary on Revelation 19:1-6 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 19:1. For several verses the vision will show the heavenly hosts rejoicing together over the victory that has been won over Babylon by the work of the Reformation. Alleluia means "praise ye the Lord," and the exclamation is made in view of His great works. Salvation is to be ascribed to the Lord because no other has the power to save, and for that reason we should give all honor to Him and acknowledge that all power belongs to Him. Revelation 19:2. The great voice is still speaking and acknowledging the righteousnes of God's judgments. Those acknowledgements are general and now they will become specific. Judged the great whore refers to the overthrow of Babylon which was accomplished by the Reformation. Hath avenged the blood of his servants. This fulfilled the promise made to the souls under the altar (Revelation 6:11). Revelation 19:3. Her smoke arose up for ever and ever. "Where there is smoke there is fire." If the smoke ascends for ever the fire will be of the same continuance- Of course this is first applied figuratively to Babylon, meaning her downfall is to be permanent. It is next applied to the individuals who were leaders and supporters of the corrupt beast, who are destined to go into perdition where the fire is endless. Revelation 19:4. The four beasts (living creatures) felt happy over the victory of Christ because it was through His blood that they had been redeemed from sin. And the four and twenty elders had the same motive for praising God, because they represented the two organized systems of salvation that had produced the four living creatures. Revelation 19:5. The voice thus far in these verses seems to have come from the people in general who respect the Lord. Now the voice comes out of the throne as if to acknowledge the congratulations just offered to God, and endorsing the idea that all servants of whatever degree or rank should praise Him. Revelation 19:6. So many people of the civilized world had suffered under the oppression of Rome through the Dark Ages, that it explains why the voice of a great multitude was heard praising God. Voice of many waters is the same except it is in symbolic form, waters in figurative language being used to represent human voices in action. Omnipotent means almighty; God can do anything that is right. The difficulty of conquering the giant influence of the beast in Rome was regarded so great, that it brought to their attention the might of God and called forth these words of praise, andcaused the declaration that He reigneth.Commentary on Revelation 19:1-6 by Burton CoffmanRev_19:1 In this chapter, the judgment of the beast ridden by the harlot is presented, the presentation reaching its climax in the final destruction of both in Revelation 19:19-21, where the harlot is also mentioned again under the figure of the false prophet. This is the central one of three chapters, each of which is concluded with a description of the judgment day. Revelation 18 ends with the desolated whore at the judgment. Revelation 19 ends with the beast destroyed at the judgment. Revelation 20 ends with the dragon (Satan) destroyed at the judgment. This is the exact reverse order of their appearance in Revelation, beginning at Revelation 12:1. This book of Revelation is very neatly and skillfully organized, and the structure of it is a marvel of logical design and synchronization. The chronology of these three chapters is identical, each of them dealing with the entire Christian dispensation between the two Advents of Christ. The "forty-two months," the "one thousand two hundred and three score days," and the "one thousand years" are three different symbolical terms used in the successive chapters as the designation of the same chronological period, the entire dispensation, each of them reaching its terminus at the judgment. This chapter, therefore, is not "the beginning of the millennial age."[1] The only connection that it has with the millennium is that it prophesies of events throughout the whole current dispensation, which is the 1,000 years, the 42 months, or the 1,260 days, each of these expressions meaning the same thing. Thus, each of the three chapters (Revelation 18; Revelation 19; and Revelation 20) covers the same period of time ending at the judgment, as do also other sections of the prophecy. Prior to the narration of the destruction of the kings (the beast in his final phase, the period of the ten horns), presented in Revelation 19:11-21, there are two proleptic scenes of praise, the first (Revelation 19:1-5) looking backward to the destruction of the harlot, and the second (Revelation 19:6-10) looking forward to the destruction of the beast. Many commentators, notably Beckwith and Bruce, treat the first five verses as actually a part of the preceding chapter; but it makes little difference, for both outbursts of praise in heaven are very similar to other parenthetical and anticipatory scenes scattered throughout the prophecy. This chapter dealing with the sea-beast in the later phase of his existence, the period represented by the ten horns, is of very great significance, for it places the complete fulfillment of Revelation at least half a millennium later than this first phase which ended with the collapse of the pagan empire in 476 A.D. The narrow preterist view that all of Revelation was fulfilled in the time of the first generation receiving it is totally denied by this, as also by the fact that a period of time represented by a full thousand years is also represented as intervening prior to the final judgment in Revelation 20. The final judgment day is the key to understanding Revelation, for it appears no less than seven times within these 22 chapters. The greatest misunderstanding of Revelation apparent in the works of so many writers is their efforts to get rid of the various depictions of the final judgment. Every conceivable device of doing this has been utilized; but none of them, nor all of them, can remove the stark dramatic language which simply cannot logically apply to anything else except the judgment day. ENDNOTE: [1] James William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 650. After these things I heard as it were a great voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, Hallelujah; Salvation, and glory, and power, belong to our God: (Revelation 19:1) Plummer thought that, "A new phase of the vision begins here";[2] and perhaps this is correct, since the recapitulation of the whole time between the two Advents is again presented, this time with the focus upon the destruction of the sea-beast in his final manifestation of the ten horns. Hallelujah; Salvation, and glory and power ... "The only times that Hallelujah actually appears in Scripture are on the four occasions in this chapter."[3] Like "Abba," "Hosanna," and a few others, it is a transliterated word from the Hebrew. It is also found in some translations of the Old Testament, where "Praise the Lord" is also used instead of it. [2] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 447. [3] William Barclay, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 169. Revelation 19:2for true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the great harlot; her that corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.True and righteous are his judgments ... It is appropriate for Christians to be reminded that the terrible judgments upon nations, cities, and individuals who spurn his mercies are "righteous." The holy and righteous God cannot, nor will he, accommodate to human wickedness. "The moral law can no more be broken than the law of gravity; it can only be illustrated."[4] "There is nothing flabby or colorless about these anthems; the ring with stern joy at the judgment executed upon Babylon."[5] It is plain that the first part of this praise passage still has in view the destruction of the harlot related in the previous chapter. See next verse. For he hath judged the great harlot ... The ultimate overthrow of all evil will take place at the final judgment, an event here viewed as in the past, the rejoicing throng being depicted in the vision as looking back upon it. This harmonizes with the understanding of the last paragraph of chapter 18 as a prophecy of the final judgment. [4] T. S. Kepler as quoted by Barclay, Ibid. [5] Albertus Pieters, Studies in the Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1954), p. 262. Revelation 19:3 And a second time they say, Hallelujah. And her smoke goeth up for ever and ever.The smoke for ever and ever ... The final nature of the judgment depicted at the end of chapter 18 is indicated by this. "This refers to the final punishment of the wicked following the judgment."[6] "This Scripture also cries out against all forms of universalism which are so prevalent today."[7][6] John T. Hines, A Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), p. 265. [7] James D. Strauss, The Seer, the Saviour, and the Saved (Joplin, Missouri: College Press, 1972), p. 233. Revelation 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God that sitteth on the throne, saying, Amen; Hallelujah.The four and twenty elders and the four living creatures ... These come from the early chapters (Revelation 4 and Revelation 5) of the prophecy. Hendriksen understood the 24 elders as symbolizing "the entire church, and the living creatures as representing the cherubim";[8] however, there is little use of pursuing their identity, because the rejoicing is clearly for the benefit of the saints on earth and is intended to show how they will rejoice upon their entry into heaven. "The violent hatred of Rome" shown in these passages is alleged by some to be "not Christian"; but Beckwith exploded such charges by pointing out that God's hatred "is not of people, but of a corrupt anti-Christianity."[9] It is not Christian vengeance which is seen here, but divine retribution. The thing to keep in focus here is a vision of "God that sitteth on the throne." [8] William Hendriksen, More than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956), p. 214. [9] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919, p. 723. Revelation 19:5 And a voice came forth from the throne, saying, Give praise to our God, all ye his servants, ye that fear him, the small and the great.Give praise to our God, all ye his servants ... This is the message intended by the praise in heaven. The persecuted saints should praise God who still sits on the throne; and no enemy, either of good or of the redeemed, shall escape his judgment. Small and great ... is an idiom for "all" of God's true servants. The repeated Hallelujah's are the keynote of all Revelation: Though the enemies of good rage against his people like savage beasts, and Baby]on exults in her insolence, "God remains supreme, keeping watch above his own," and ready to call his foes to account when their rebellion has passed the point of no return.[10]Just as these first five verses look back to the judgment of the harlot, the next four look forward to the true Bride, the Lamb's wife, to be glorified in subsequent chapters. It is impossible not to see that in these obvious and dramatic contrasts between the harlot and the true wife of Christ, the true nature of the harlot as "apostate religion" is revealed. ENDNOTE: [10] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 660. Revelation 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunders, saying, Hallelujah: for the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigneth.This, together with Revelation 19:7, constitutes a proleptic or anticipatory announcement of the "Marriage of the Lamb," an event that does not take place until the Second Advent.[11]The Lord our God, the Almighty reigneth ... This is grossly misunderstood when it is thought to mean that God "reigneth" only after the harlot, the beast, and the dragon are destroyed. The word "reigneth" is the eternal present. Let any one in doubt go back to Revelation 4 and Revelation 5 and read them again. God has never left his throne. The Almighty ... This is a characteristic designation for God in this prophecy. It occurs ten times in the New Testament; once it is in an Old Testament quotation (2 Corinthians 6:18); and the other nine times are in Revelation (Revelation 1:8; Revelation 4:8; Revelation 11:17; Revelation 15:3; Revelation 16:7; Revelation 16:14; Revelation 19:6; Revelation 19:15; Revelation 21:22).[12]The Almighty God is eternal, and there has never been the fraction of an instant when he was not in complete and universal control of the entire universe, nor has there ever been the slightest interruption of his eternal reign. Oh to be sure, rebels have flaunted his laws; but they never broke any of them! They merely illustrated them! "The Scriptures cannot be broken" (John 10:35). See full comment on this in my Commentary on John, pp. 265-267. The first clause in this verse is "John's usual way of showing a new division."[13] "The first hymn (Revelation 19:1-5) looks backward; this one (Revelation 19:6-10) looks forward."[14][11] George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972), p. 245. [12] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 173. [13] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 725. [14] Ibid. Commentary on Revelation 19:1-6 by Manly Luscombe1 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! There is great rejoicing in heaven. The entire host, a great multitude, are honoring and praising God for his victory over Babylon. All power, honor and glory belong to 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.” God is righteous. His judgment is true and upright. When God avenges the blood of the saints, all will agree that God did what was right and proper. Keep the faith. God will avenge the blood of those harmed by this general of Satan’ s horde. Many have followed in her footsteps. They will all be punished. 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!” Babylon is suffering in the smoke of hell. She and her cohorts will suffer. The 24 elders and the four living creatures are around the throne. They join in the rejoicing and worshiping of God. 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!” We are servants who seek to remain faithful. There is immorality all around us. There is filth and corruption everywhere. How do we keep or garments white in the midst of all this? That is the challenge before us. 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! The angelic host, the 24 elders, and the four living creatures are now joined by the great multitude of all the saints. God is omnipotent. We serve an Almighty God. He reigns. He is on the throne and in control. NOTE: The sound of many waters and mighty thunderings are descriptions of the volume of the host of humanity joining together to praise God. Revelation 19:7-10 (2) THE OF THE LAMB(Revelation 19:7-10) Let us rejoice.--The reason given here for rejoicing is that the "marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife bath made herself ready." The meaning is that the coming of the Lord coming to- receive the prepared church is similar to a bridegroom coming for his bride. Marriage, as a symbol or illustration, is used four times in the New Testament, but each time to teach a different lesson--that is, some phase of marriage is used to illustrate a special feature of the relationship of saved people to Christ. (1) Romans 7:4 and Ephesians 5:22-32 show that the relationship of individuals, and the church as a whole, to Christ now is comparable to the natural relationship of marriage ; therefore the saved are correctly represented as being spiritually"married" to Christ. (2) In Matthew 22:1-14 the idea of a marriage feast is presented, and saved people are represented as guests. Nothing in the parable represents the wife, for the reason that the parable is constructed to teach the necessity of proper character. This is better done by the idea of guests suitably dressed. (3) In Matthew 25:1-13 the lesson is sufficient preparation for the Lord's coming in order to be ready. This is best presented by representing the saved as wise and foolish virgins. But in the parable these virgins are not the bride ; in the application they represent the two elements of the church. Again, the bride is left out of the parable, yet the church is the bride or wife. (4) In our text the lesson is the joy of being prepared for that eternal home Jesus has prepared for his own. This is like the joy of a bride going to the home prepared for her. These are the lessons based upon marriage as a symbol, and must not be confused, for all of them are true. When this passage is used as proof that the church is not "married" to Christ now, the figures are jumbled and Romans 7:4 and Ephesians 5:22-32 are ignored. In 2 Corinthians 11:2 Paul says, "For I espoused you to one husband." This is no contradiction of what has been said ; for, if obedience to the gospel is represented here as an espousal, it would only be another comparison with the natural marriage which would, in some way, be similar to the spiritual. It would not set aside any of the four mentioned, but just add a fifth, or another text to those given. The Revised text of Rom 7:4 gives "joined to another" instead of "married to another." But the illustration is marriage, and verses 2 and 3 are talking about being freed from, and joined to, a husband. Joined to Christ then means as a spiritual husband. It must be allowed that these verses so present the case or Paul has used language that does not mean what it says. Fine linen, bright and pure.--As a bride adorns herself with fine linen, so Christians adorn themselves with "righteous acts." Blessed are they.--That is, blessed are those bidden to the "marriage supper of the Lamb." Those bidden are those who have washed their robes in Christ's blood (7:14), and are faithful unto death (2:10). Here again the saved are presented as guests at a feast; the idea of bride or wife is not in this verse, though mentioned in verse 7. "Marriage supper" clearly indicates the joys of heaven. Wedding feasts soon end ; the joys of heaven are eternal. The angel next asserts that what he said were the true words of God; a solemn confirmation of fact. Fell down before his feet.--This was the customary way in showing great respect for a superior. John was overcome by the majesty of the scene and the deep significance of the words he heard, and gave way to this Eastern custom. The speaker, who doubtless was an angel, promptly forbade it on the ground that he was a fellow servant with John. As the papal church, symbolized by the harlot, worships saints, this incident may have occurred in the vision to teach that it is sinful to worship any creature. At least that is the lesson taught by it. The spirit of prophecy.--The angel not only declared himself the fellow servant with John, but also "with thy brethren." In Revelation 22:9, a parallel assage, he says "with thy brethren the prophets." The meaning is that this angel held a similar position with John and other prophets in making known the will of God; that no one should worship a fellow servant. The angel then adds "worship God." The testimony to Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. That testimony is given by those endowed by the spirit, whether angels from heaven, prophets of old, or the apostles. They are servants; God is the object of worship.Commentary on Revelation 19:7-10 by Foy E. Wallace (2) The marriage supper of the Lamb—Revelation 19:7-10. The symbolism expressed in the marriage of the Lamb of Rev 19:7, signified the blessed union of the church with Christ, the Head. But the use of the symbol here did not signify that the church had not been thus related to Christ before this apocalypse. The apostle, in Romans 7:4, represented the marital union of Christ and the church as bringing forth the fruit of wedlock in spiritual offspring. If the marriage did not exist the fruit would be illegitimate. The marriage union of Christ and the church is not a single act or thing. Every union of a believer with Christ in baptism is marriage to Christ, and is representative of the whole relation. This marriage occurs every time one is baptized into Christ, and it is therefore always in process and is continuous. The accentuation on the marriage to’ Christ in this context was due to the interference of the persecutions with gospel evangelization. Now, that the persecutors were overcome, conversions to Christ would again prevail; hence, the renewed symbol of marriage. As the marriage itself is continuous, so must be the marriage supper, and it symbolized the continuous fellowship of all who are united to Christ; and it is as continuous as the baptism of believers and of the church itself. This part of the song of victory was based on the renewal of the interrupted fellowship of Christians by the afflictions and the tribulations of persecution. The figurative clause his wife hath made herself ready was the symbol of victory over the evil forces of opposition --the verse declares that she was already his wife, and envisions the spiritual relation as a complete process, not as a single thing. That the Lamb’ s wife should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white was explained to be the righteousness of the saints, the purity of the New Jerusalem church in contrast with the iniquities of the harlot Jerusalem, which had gone up in the smoke of destruction forever. This attire of clean and white vestures was a beautiful symbol of the character of all who are truly joined in union with Christ. They were the ones called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb, the equal in number of all who were in the married relation with Christ. This metaphor comparable to the illustration of the wedding garment in the parable of Mat 22:11-13, which was necessary to entrance into the feast; without which the intruder would have been cast out. The guests of the marriage feast were themselves the Bride in the parable, and parallel with they which are called unto the marriage supper in Revelation 19:9. They were equal in number with the church itself. The angelic admonition in Revelation 19:9 for John to write was addressed personally to him, by the voice from the throne, not by an angel, and indicated the distinguished honor of being’ the recipient of the revelation of these things of such tremendous significance. Having unfolded the visions in two parts, the closing scene of the second part put the emphasis on the state of blessed union with Christ of all who had overcome the trials and tribulations attending the fall of the harlot Babylon. Angels could have no higher or holier relation. The epilogue, these are the true sayings of God, meant that they were not mere words of John in visional narration, or of the angels; but they were the very words of God to the Seer; the directly inspired words of God. In this connection it was twice repeated that, He saith unto me. The equivalent of these words occurs several hundred times in the Old Testament, and is repeatedly affirmed in the New Testament. The positive affirmation of this verbal inspiration is affirmed throughout all the scriptures; but has been marred and mutilated by the sacrilegious pseudo-translations of the perverted new versions. They have been advertised as new translations, but they are in fact no translations. They ruin Revelation as they do all other portions of the verbally inspired word of God. The words of the angel hadimpressed John as a message direct from God; and verse ten stated that he fell at his feet to worship him. In bodily prostration John was about to worship the angel. But the angel refused the homage, saying, See thou do it not: I am a fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God. This testimony of Jesus had reference to the message of Revelation; and being a fellow servant with thy brethren was an expression of humility as expressed by John himself in Revelation 1:9. The closing statement of this section, in Revelation 19:10, is: For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The word spirit here does not signify the Holy Spirit, but rather the inner spirit, the vital element, the life and soul-the essence of the apocalypse was the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ to his servant John by his servants, the angels.Commentary on Revelation 19:7-10 by Walter ScottTHE . Revelation 19:7. — This great and grand event is the consummation of joy to Christ as man. It is not said the marriage of the bride, but the marriage of the Lamb. It is His joy that is specially in view; not ours. The marriage, of which no details are given, takes place in Heaven, and on the eve of the Lord’ s Return in power, or the Appearing, several years at least subsequent to the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:1-18; John 14:3). The marriage is the disclosed secret of Eph 5:32. Not Israel, nor a remnant thereof, but the Church of the New Testament is the bride. Israel in her land was the wife of Jehovah (Jeremiah 3:14-20; Isaiah 54:1), but the wife was divorced because of her iniquity. Israel, however, is to be reinstated in Jehovah’ s favour. But a divorced wife can never again be a virgin, and it is not a divorced wife but a virgin whom the Lord marries (Leviticus 21:14 : compare v. 13 with 2 Corinthians 11:2). Israel, moreover, has her place and blessing on the earth; the marriage of the Lamb is in Heaven, the Church’ s proper home. The exclusively heavenly character of the scene forbids the application of it to Israel. (See remarks on Revelation 12:1-2; on Revelation 17:2 and footnotes in latter page.)Of whom is the bride composed? We answer unhesitatingly, all saints embraced between these two epochs, i.e., Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47) and the Translation (1 Thessalonians 4:17). These events respectively mark the commencement and the termination of the Church’ s sojourn on earth. The twenty-four elders, the mystic representatives of the redeemed seen in Heaven immediately after the Translation (Revelation 4:1-11), are named for the last time in verse four of our chapter. We gather, therefore, that the moment has now arrived when the distinct body, the Church, the bride, first comes into view. The elders divide, so to speak, and the bride and guests take their respective places in the economy of Heaven. All up till now had one place. There are special blessings to the saints of this Dispensation (Matthew 11:11; Hebrews 11:40), and there are others common to all believers. Now in the course of the apocalyptic visions (Revelation 4:1-11 — 19: 4) no differences or distinctions of any kind appear amongst the elders. The term elders disappears as the various companies of saints take their allotted place in relation to the Lamb. The Church is the bride. The Church is imperishable because founded on the glory and dignity of Christ as Son of God (Matthew 16:18). His body, too, is the nearest of all to Him (Ephesians 1:23), as the bride is the dearest object to His heart and eye. He has loved the Church with a deathless and unchangeable love, a love ever active, and knowing no cessation till He presents her in glory to Himself (Ephesians 5:25-27). The Church has weathered many a storm, has longed for her heavenly Bridegroom through cloud and sunshine, has in conjunction with the Spirit on earth oft times cried to Him, the Bright and Morning Star, “ Come” (Revelation 22:16-17). We who have had our place in the Father’ s house, according to John 14:3, are about to be displayed in the kingdom as the bride and wife of the Lamb. What a moment of joy! His glory and joy exceedeth. (The presentation of the Church in glory to Himself (Ephesians 5:27) is a private matter, and precedes the public event, the marriage of the Lamb. The one is the corollary of the other.) More of the oil of gladness is poured upon His head than upon ours (Hebrews 1:9). Our place, our blessing, our gladness are wrapped up in His. “ The marriage of the Lamb is come.” Then shall He Who died see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied. THE LAMB’ S WIFE MAKES HERSELF READY. Revelation 19:7 — “His wife has made herself ready.” In this connection the term bride would not be an appropriate one. Now there are two sorts of fitness, and the Church is the subject of both. First, God in the exercise of His sovereign grace makes one fit for heavenly glory, as we read, “ Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:12). Second, believers have to make themselves ready ere they enter on their eternal glory. That is, the story of earth has to be gone over again in the presence of Him Who is light. Our lives have to be reviewed at the bema of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). The light of the throne will be cast over and upon every moment of our lives, discovering the hidden, and bringing out the true character of act, word, and service. The enigmas of life will be explained, unsolved problems cleared up, and all mistakes and misunderstandings rectified. This, and more, is the application of the judgment seat of Christ to the heavenly saints, and precedes the marriage. “ His wife has made herself ready.” The light of the throne has done its blessed work, bringing out into bold relief the whole story of her history on earth. What would it be if in glory we remembered one incident of a painful kind which had not been set right? The thought would be intolerable. But all will come out at the judgment seat as a matter between each saint and God. It will not be a public exposure before others. Nor must this be understood as signifying judicial judgment. All that has been settled on the Cross. We appear before the bema of Christ crowned and glorified, “ raised in glory” (1 Corinthians 15:43), to have the light of the throne cast upon the past. What a mercy that it is so. We shall then pass from the bema with its searching light into the loved presence of the Lamb as His bride and wife for ever. BRIDAL ROBES. Revelation 19:8. — “It was given to her to be clothed in fine linen, bright (and) pure; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints.” The harlot was gorgeously arrayed, but her pomp, splendor, and ornaments were claimed as a matter of right. With the bride it is different; she is arrayed as a matter of grace. “ It was given to her.” Undoubtedly there are rewards for service done, as Matthew 25:14-23 clearly show. “ God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love” (Hebrews 6:10). But it might be well for us to forget. He never will. There is, however, another side to this question which should ever be borne in mind, namely, the sovereignty of God. His right it is to give or withhold. Many an eminent servant of God has made shipwreck of true life and service by neglect of the great balancing truth — God is sovereign. The parable of the talents in Matthew 25:1-46 shows the grace of God in rewards; whilst the parable of the householder in Matthew 20:1-34 is a demonstration of the sovereignty of God in giving to all alike, irrespective of toil or length of service. The garment of pure linen in which the Vial angels are arrayed (Revelation 15:6) expresses the righteous character of their mission, which is one of judgment. (Both in the case of the angels and of the bride the clothing is linen; but of the latter it is added “fine linen.” See remarks on Revelation 7:14, and on Revelation 15:5, with footnotes on both pages.) The fine linen, pure and lustrous, of the bride is her righteousness, or “ righteous acts” (R.V.), done on earth. But she claims no merit, for these righteous acts were wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost in her. Later on we have the bride covered with the glory of God (Revelation 21:11); here her own righteousness, not God’ s, is in question. The gaudy colors in which the harlot is arrayed present a sharp contrast to the pure, white, and bright linen of the bride. Her garments bespeak her practical character. She can now enter on the enjoyment of eternal companionship and union of the closest nature (that of wife) with her husband, the Lamb. Her deeds on earth have been appraised at their true value in Heaven. She is arrayed in them, or in the expressive words of our text, “ has made herself ready.” She passes from the bema to the marriage, and from thence to the kingdom. GUESTS AT THE SUPPER. Revelation 19:9. — “Write, Blessed are they who are called to the supper of the marriage of the Lamb.” The bride and guests are clearly distinguished. The former is, of course, in more immediate relation to the Lamb. The bride is wed; the guests sup. The angel, addressing the Seer, says, “ Write.” This command, frequently repeated during the progress of the visions, marks the importance and speciality of the communication. “ Blessed” are those called to the supper. This is not said of the bride. Her blessing, which is that of the highest order and character, is expressed in the simple words, bride and wife. What unspeakable joy is conveyed in these terms! But the guests are pronounced blessed. Who are they? We answer, the friends of the Bridegroom. But as the friends of the Bridegroom they enjoy a higher and dearer character of blessedness than they would if merely the friends of the bride. John the Baptist expressly tells us that he is a friend of the Bridegroom (John 3:29). The Baptist was martyred before the Church was formed, hence he comes in as perhaps the most honored of the guests at the marriage supper. Old Testament saints constitute the large company of called guests, each one being a friend of the Bridegroom, and rejoicing in His presence and voice. The apocalyptic martyrs are not raised till after the marriage, hence cannot be numbered amongst the guests. Angels may be spectators of the scene, but guests they cannot be. Angels are never spoken of in the way that these are. It is called a supper, perhaps in contrast to the subsequent supper of judgment (Revelation 19:17). The former is in connection with the Lamb and His joy; the latter is in relation to God and the judgment He executes on the ungodly — administratively by the Lamb and His heavenly saints. . Revelation 19:9. — These divine communications, whether spoken by an angel or seen in vision by John, have attached to them all the weight and authority of God Himself. “These are the true words of God.” (“ Are the very truth of God, and shall veritably come to pass.” — Alford.) The basis of our faith is not conjecture, but the certainty that God has spoken. The truths thus divinely authenticated are those stated within the first nine verses of the chapter. Absolute certainty is of prime importance in these days when the dogmatism of belief in a divine revelation is considered to savour of a narrow and illiberal spirit. In old times God spake in the prophets; in New Testament times God has spoken in His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2, R.V.). How blessed, therefore, to have the confirmation of these grand and heart-gladdening truths from God Himself! ANGELS AND SAINTS FELLOW-BONDMEN. Revelation 19:10. — Evidently the Seer was overwhelmed by the exalted character of the communications vouchsafed to him; probably, too, the angel who appeared to him in vision was a too glorious object for mortal gaze. “He fell before his feet to worship him,” not “at his feet” as in the Authorized Version. But angels are jealous for the glory and rights of God. Homage may be rendered to a creature in superior position, but worship is the due of the Creator alone. The movement on the part of John was instantly checked, “ See (thou do it) not.” To worship even the most exalted of God’ s creatures is idolatry. Both angels and saints worship God and Christ, as this book abundantly testifies. On a second and subsequent occasion (Revelation 22:8-9) John was about to do so, and again prohibited by the angel. Revelation 19:10 — “I am thy fellow-bondman.” (Servants and slaves (bondmen) are distinguished. See Revelation 2:20; Matthew 22:13; for the latter see Romans 6:20; Revelation 1:1.) The angel and the apostle were fellow-servants, rather bondmen. As a slave is bound for life to the service of his master, so angels and saints are bound to the everlasting service of the blessed God — His glad and willing slaves. All intelligent creatures really stand on this ground. In the case of angels the right is founded on their creation and place; in that of saints on the ground of purchase and redemption (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Had the passage stopped with the angel’ s declaration that he was a fellow-servant, or slave, with the apostle it might have been supposed that the highest in the Church (“First apostles” (1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11 : Revelation 21:14; Matthew 19:28).) could alone be so regarded. But angels who delight to serve are also fellow-bondmen with the brethren of John, who have, or keep, “the testimony of Jesus.” The testimony of Jesus in the Apocalypse is of a prophetic character, referring to His public assumption of governmental power to be displayed in the kingdom (see Revelation 1:2). If this passage, which has needlessly perplexed students, were read in connection with Revelation 12:17, where the same words occur, the difficulty would disappear. The godly remnant of Judah in the coming crisis “ have the testimony of Jesus,” and surely we cannot fail, with the Psalter in our hands, to understand the character of that testimony, which in their circumstances is prophetic; they long, and sigh, and pray for the open and direct intervention of God on their behalf. The presence of the Messiah, His Advent for their deliverance, is the goal of hope. The direct address of the angel to John ends with the authoritative declaration, “ Worship God,” a truth ever in season for Heaven and earth, for angels and men. Commentary on Revelation 19:7-10 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 19:7. Marriage of the Lamb is come. The subject of marriage is spoken of in the Bible from two different angles, and unless this is understood we may think there are some contradictions. For instance, Christians are said to be married to Christ at the present time (Romans 7:4), and now our verse says the marriage is about to take place. In old times an engagement was regarded in the light of marriage as far as the moral obligation is concerned. That is why Genesis 19:14 speaks of the men who had "married his [Lot's] daughters" when they were engaged to them. And in Matthew 1:18 it says that Mary was espoused to Joseph, while the next verse calls him her husband. So Christians are actually only espoused (engaged) to Christ now. That is why Paul says "I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:2). But the actual marriage is what is meant in our verse. His wife bath made herself ready. This remark is based on the common practice that causes a woman to prepare her garments for the important occasion. Revelation 19:8. This verse names the kind of raiment that is to be worn by the bride, namely, clean and white linen. Since that is figurative the apostle explains that it means righteousness, so the making of herself ready mentioned in the preceding verse, means she has followed a righteous life in preparation for her marriage. Revelation 19:9. This will be one marriage and accompanying "refreshments" at which there will be no human guests but the bride. Hence the blessing pronounced on those who are called to the supper, means in reality the people should become a part of the espoused bride by becoming Christians. Before going further in the comments it will be well to make some explanatory remarks as to the "hour of the ceremony." Revelation 19:7 says the marriage is come, when we know we will find that the work of the Reformation is to be gone over again by the vision. There will be no difficulty if the reader recalls that the book has more than once departed from the chronological order of events to take up some other period of the Christian Dispensation. Hence these preceding verses brought us down to the last day and announced the final marriage of Christ to his bride (the church). The vision will now take up some principles of a general character, then bring us again to the work just preceding the Reformation. Revelation 19:10. The pronouns his and him refer to the angel who was sent to show the vision to John (Revelation 1:1). It was natural for John to have this inclination toward worship of the angel, for the great vision shown made the apostle have a feeling of inferiority. There are some conditions when even a man may receive some form of wor ship from others (Luke 14:10), but under the present circumstances it would have been improper. The reader may see a complete explanation of the word worship at Matthew 2:2 in the first volume of the New Testament Commentary. I am thy fellowservant reminds us of Heb 1:14. Of thy us of Heb 1:14. Of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus. This is equivalent to describing the ones for whom the angels are sent forth to minister. To have the testimony does not merely mean to have access to it (everyone has that), but it is those who hold themselves faithfully to it. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. This means that the subject of Jesus as the Saviour of mankind is the main thought running through all the prophetic writings.Commentary on Revelation 19:7-10 by Burton CoffmanRev_19:7 Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. THE The marriage of the Lamb is come ... "The marriage feast is the day of the Lord's Second Advent."[15] The figure of marriage to represent the relationship between the Lord and his people is often used in the New Testament, but in various analogies. In Matthew 22:1-4, the Christians are guests at the wedding. In Matthew 15:1 ff, they are certain of the bridesmaids. In 2 Corinthians 11:1-3, they are chaste virgins betrothed unto the Lord. In Ephesians 5:22-32 and in Romans 7:4, the analogy is that Christians are now married to the Lord. "When passages like this (Revelation 19:7) are pressed as proof that the church is not now married to the Lord, these figures are ignored."[16] Also, in this connection, it is exceedingly important to remember that the Jewish customs of marriage are those prominent in all of these usages. The betrothal, which often took place as much as a year before the actual marriage, was fully equivalent legally to the marriage itself; during this period of waiting, the bridegroom was absent preparing a place for the bride (as in John 14:1-13), and any infidelity upon her part was considered as adultery; then came the great day of the marriage supper when the bridegroom and the bride began to live together. These and other peculiarly Jewish customs are all prominent in the New Testament employment of this metaphor. "The marriage supper," here, comes after the long period of waiting is over, and the bride and the bridegroom are taking up life together. For further elaboration of this, see under the above references in this series of commentaries, also in my Commentary on Matthew, pp. 6-8. And his wife hath made herself ready ... This verse shocks the "faith only" people, who at once "correct this" by the comment that she made herself ready "not by doing anything of her own," and pointing out that "it was given to her, given by the pure grace of God, that she be clothed."[17] We might add that, of course, God gave her the clothes, but she had to put them on! That is what is meant by making herself ready. The whole analogy is beautifully exhibited in Matthew 22:12, where the wedding guests (Christians) had all received proper wedding garments, but one of them neglected to dress himself, with disastrous results for him; and so it will be for all who neglect to do the good works of the Christian life, which are a moment later identified as the wedding garments. By putting these on, the bride "worked out her own salvation" (Philippians 2:12); in this way she made herself ready. All of the ingenuity of people who do not believe it will never be able to eliminate this plain teaching of the word of God. We also add that no one could possibly believe in the free grace of God any more than does this writer! [15] James Moffatt, Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 464. [16] John T. Hinds, op. cit., p. 266. [17] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 542. Revelation 19:8 And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.For the linen is the righteous acts of the saints ... This clearly means that the righteous acts done by Christians are indeed the fine linen in which the bride must be arrayed. But are not these "given to her"? Yes, but not in any sense of her not having to do them. God gives his saints all kinds of righteous deeds through his holy commandments telling them what to do, and through the motivation to do them provided in the selfless example of our Blessed Lord. "The double nature of the process is here set forth, tit was given to her;' the power came from God; and yet she arrays herself; the action is still voluntary."[18] "Righteous acts flow from a righteous character, which is entirely of the grace of God";[19] but the righteous deeds do not do themselves! They are not done by the believer's faith, nor by the Holy Spirit, but they are done by the believer. Morris voiced a common view thus, "The white robes are not provided by any righteous acts on the part of the wearers,"[20] but this is true only in a certain limited sense. The metaphor of putting on the garments is also prominent here. The bride arrayed herself. "From one point of view, she made the dress herself; she worked out her own salvation."[21] The impact of this verse is so strong against the popular heresy of Solifidianism, that some of the commentators have reached for the explanation of last resort and called it "a gloss"! "It has the sound of some commentator's explanation."[22] Of course, there is no evidence whatever of this verse being a gloss; and those who resort to such an allegation confess in so doing that it contradicts what they are teaching. [18] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 448. [19] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1968), p. 111. [20] Leon Morris, Tyndale Commentaries, New Testament, Vol. 20, The Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 227. [21] Michael Wilcock, I Saw Heaven Opened (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1975), p. 172. [22] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 727. Revelation 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they that are bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true words of God.Blessed are they that are bidden ... All people are bidden in the sense of being invited by the gospel of Christ to accept the salvation of God; but, in the New Testament, the "called" means those who "have accepted and obeyed the call." "Bidden" means those who accepted God's invitation through their believing and obeying the gospel. These are the true words of God ... This may be understood as a solemn assurance that "all of the Scriptures" are the true words of God. There is no need to limit this to the invitation to the marriage supper; but that in itself encompasses the entire scope of God's message to people in the Holy Scriptures. Revelation 19:10 And 50fell down before his feet to worship him. And he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren that hold the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.This incident recorded here is of vast importance and significance. The background of its appearance in the vision, or perhaps the reason for God's giving this, may have been the tendency to worship angels which is said to have prevailed in some quarters in the primitive church. Moffatt, for example, quoted Clement of Alexandria as saying that, "angel worship had for some time fascinated the Asiatic churches here and there."[23] The impact of what is taught by this, however, far exceeds the bearing it has in forbidding angel worship. And I fell down before his feet to worship him ... In this instance, John actually was so carried away by the marvelous visions that he had seen that he impetuously fell down to worship the glorious angel who had aided in the revelations. This, at once, was revealed as sinful. And he saith unto me, See thou do it not ... This clearly indicated the sinfulness of what John did in falling down before him. "I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren that hold the testimony of Jesus ..." This is exceedingly interesting, for it gives angelic testimony to the high rank of the apostle John. "They that hold the testimony of Jesus," as used here, is a reference to the Twelve Apostles. They alone, in the ultimate sense, held the testimony of Jesus; and that it is in that higher sense that the words were used here by the angel appears in the addition of the clause: "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." This forbids, therefore, understanding the brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus as merely the Christians of all ages who also, in a sense, are bearers of the glad tidings. The angel spoke of those Spirit-endowed people who were the chosen witnesses to bear the testimony through their writings in the New Testament to all generations. They were prophets; Christians are not prophets. Even a glorious angel is merely one of God's servants, and therefore not to be worshipped by people. Worship is reserved for God alone. The acceptance of the worship by people on the part of Christ does not mean that other people may accept the worship of their fellows, but it identifies Christ as God come in the flesh. I am thy fellow-servant ... Regarding the "service" which angels give to the redeemed, see in my Commentary on Hebrews, p. 31. Worship God ... This means that only God is to be worshipped, either by an act of obeisance, prostration, or bowing down before the presence, or by any subjective adoration, the latter being not "worship" in the New Testament sense, but the emotional accompaniment of it. See thorough discussion of what worship actually is in my Commentary on Acts 208-211. If even one of the glorious angels of heaven may not be honored by a Christian's bowing before his presence, how much less may any religious prelate allow people to kiss his ring, or the hem of his garment, or prostrate themselves on their bellies as when the entire college of Cardinals so prostrate themselves before the Pope? Such reverence given to a mere human being is a sin. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy ... We regret that the vast majority have failed utterly to understand this. "There is no way absolutely to determine whether John is speaking of the witness given by Christ himself, or whether the witness is about Christ."[24] Ladd thought that, "It is the witness borne by the church to Jesus."[25] Beasley-Murray interpreted it to mean the "testimony which Jesus gives."[26] All such explanations fall short. Bruce was nearer the truth when he wrote: "Here New Testament prophecy is meant, as in the similar statement regarding Old Testament prophecy in 1 Peter 1:10 f.[27] This harmonizes completely with our view of it given in the fourth paragraph under Revelation 19:10. We see this clause as a qualifier of those whom the angel meant were his fellow-servants. He spoke of the Twelve Apostles, and this verse indicates that meaning, for the apostles alone were truly "prophets" of the New Testament. Barclay's interesting comment on this is included here, not because it touches this vital meaning of the passage, but be cause it gives attention to the "double meaning" phenomenon often found in the New Testament. This is the kind of double meaning of which the Greek language is capable; and it may well be that John intended the double meaning. The true prophet is the man who receives from Christ the message he brings to men, and whose words and works are at one and the same time an act of witness to Christ.[28]We cannot accept the view that a true Christian, however effective his "witness," is in any sense a possessor of the "spirit of prophecy." The clause is a designator of the Twelve. We whole-heartedly agree with another of Barclay's comments on this verse, thus, "God alone must be worshipped. Any other intermediary than Jesus Christ between God and men must be utterly opposed."[29] Angels are above all people, who are made a "little lower" than the angels; and, if it is sinful to worship an angel, how far greater is the sin of worshipping people, or of invoking their names in prayer, or of bowing down in the presence of images consecrated to them? Zerr, who is usually quite dependable, cannot be correct in his notion that, "There are some conditions when even a man may receive some form of worship."[30] One commentator even suggested that John got mixed up and forgot about relating this incident when he included it a second time in Revelation 22:8-9; and even J. W. Roberts wrote: "This scene is duplicated in Revelation 22:6 ff."[31] No! This is not duplicated there, where a most important and significant difference will be pointed out and discussed. [23] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 465. [24] James D. Strauss, op. cit., p. 237. [25] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 251. [26] G. R. Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation (Greenwood, South Carolina: The Attic Press, 1974), p. 276. [27] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 660. [28] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 177. [29] Ibid., p. 176. [30] E. M. Zerr, Bible Commentary, Vol. 6 (Marion, Indiana: Cogdill Foundation, 1954), p. 339. [31] J. W. Roberts, The Revelation of John (Austin, Texas: R. B. Sweet Company, 1974), p. 161. Commentary on Revelation 19:7-10 by Manly Luscombe7 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.” It is time to celebrate. This is not just a time to be happy. It is more than just a party. It is time to celebrate the marriage of the Lamb. The time for the marriage has come and the bride (church) has made herself ready for the wedding. Weddings Some comments about the customs of the typical Jewish wedding of this era will be helpful. The comments here about the marriage feast and the marriage of the Lamb and his bride (the church) are based upon the custom of this time. There are at least four areas of importance. 1. Engagement. Coffman writes, “ The betrothal, which often took place as much as a year before the actual marriage, was fully equivalent legally to the marriage itself; during this period of waiting, the bridegroom was absent preparing a place for the bride (as in John 14:1-13), and any infidelity upon her part was considered as adultery.” (5, 442) The church is the bride of Christ. We are engaged, and waiting for the wedding. (2 Corinthians 11:2) 2. Invitation. As the time of the wedding is approaching, the bride and groom invite many guests to come for the wedding. In Matthew 22:4; Matthew 22:9 the king is bidding many to come to the marriage. This is a parallel with Christians inviting people to come to the gospel. 3. Garments. As people come to the wedding, a garment is given. To make sure there not any uninvited guests, the king comes in and looks around to make sure all the guests are in their proper attire for the wedding. Those without the correct garment are removed. (Matthew 22:11) The parallel with the church is this: When we are baptized, we put off the garments of the flesh and put on the white garments. Our task to keep our white garment white and ready for the marriage. 4. Feast. We have been invited to the feast. This will take place in heaven. This will occur when the church, now waiting for the bridegroom to come, is taken to the home the groom is preparing. (John 14:3) 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. The church, the true and faithful church, is dressed in fine linen. Their garment is clean, bright and white. There are many references to show that white is the color of purity and cleanliness. (Isaiah 1:18; Psalms 51:7; Daniel 12:10; Revelation 3:4-5; Revelation 3:18; Revelation 7:14). Jesus will not come to claim a bride that is dirty, unkempt and not ready. Christ is looking for spotless, wrinkle-free, pure white garments. (Ephesians 5:27). Each Christian received a white garment when they were baptized. How is your garment now? Is it wrinkled, soiled, or spotted? Is it still clean, unblemished and smooth? Do you look like you need to do some washing and ironing or do you look like you are ready to attend the marriage of the Lamb of God? 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.” Here is another of the seven beatitudes in the book of Revelation. There is a blessing pronounced on those who are called, accepted, and ready to attend the marriage supper. This supper is not the Lord’ s Supper or communion, which Christians observe to remember the death of Christ. This is the celebration of the wedding. It takes place when Jesus comes for his ready and waiting bride. 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.” John began to worship the angel bringing this announcement. The angel instructs John to get up. Angels are not to be worshipped. They worship God. So should we. Cornelius began to worship Peter. He was told to stand up. Peter is also a man. (Acts 10:26) Our Lord is God and we are to worship Him only. The angel here is also a fellow servant, along with the brethren. (See 1:9) Revelation 19:11-16 6. A VISION OF THE ARMYRev_19:11-16 11 And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; --In 18:1 to 19:10 we have a most vivid picture of the final overthrow of evil under the symbol of Babylon. In this paragraph John is allowed to see a vision describing the Lord's victorious army in this last struggle. This is not a new and later event, but a pictorial representation of the Lord's part in the one just described. In this book we are frequently brought back to events already related for the purpose of giving additional information. The white horse, as we have already seen, is a symbol of successful or victorious warfare. See notes on Revelation 6:2. Faithful and true are characteristics of Christ (1:5; 3:14), and, in connection with other expressions in this paragraph, make it certain that the rider on the horse represents him. But for reasons given in the notes on Revelation 6:2 the rider there is not Christ. These texts then are not parallel. and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.--The prophets declared that "righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins." (Isaiah 11:5.) His decisions will all be just and his warfare in defense of the truth always right. 12 And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems; --His eyes were sharp, piercing, and bright, indicating his power to penetrate and see every object. He had on his head, not the "crown"--victor's wreath--but the "diadem" --symbol of his regal authority. "Many" diadems indicate the universal nature of his rule, and the complete victory he was to gain over all in the last conflict. This idea is expressed more fully in verse 16. and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he himself.--John saw the name, for it was written, but where it was written is not stated. No one knew it means that no one could understand what it signifies. It probably is the same as the "new name" (Revelation 2:17), which will be given those who overcome, and therefore will not be known till the final state is reached. This implies that it expresses some heavenly relationship which men in the flesh cannot understand. 13 And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood:--The King James Version has the word "dipped" in place of "sprinkle." This is a matter of textual criticism, and the Revisers have decided in favor of "sprinkle" as the correct reading. Some expositors explain this as referring to the blood shed in the last war, some of which would be sprinkled on the garment of the victorious rider of the white horse. This would indicate that the last conflict would be a destructive victory over the Lord's enemies. Others think the reference is to the shed blood of Christ through which he will gain the final overthrow of wickedness. If this is the reference, the word "sprinkle" is still appropriate. Peter speaks of the "sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:2.) As the first covenant was dedicated by the sprinkling of blood (Hebrews 9:18-20), so the new covenant by the blood of Christ, figuratively called the "blood of sprinkling" (Hebrews 12:24) because that was the literal way the blood of animals was applied. and his name is called The Word of God-Some commentators think this cannot be the same as the name mentioned in verse 12 or the new name of Rev 2:17, for the reason that this one had already been given and could not therefore be "new." To this others reply that it is not known by man in the sense that no one can fully comprehend its meaning--that is, no one can understand the full import of God's Son being called the "Word." Of course this is true in fact, and may be the correct view of the expression, though hardly probable. See verse 12. 14 And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure.--We should remember that the text describes what John saw in the vision; what it represents is another matter. There are two important questions regarding this heavenly army: (1) Who are included in it? (2) What part will they take in the conflict? Without doubt the passage refers to the coming of Christ and the last struggle between sin and righteousness. Some think this army will be composed of angels only and base their conclusion on Matthew 16:27; Matthew 25:31; 2 Thessalonians 1:7. Others think it includes the martyrs and means the same as those mentioned in Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 14:1-5; Revelation 20:4. Still others think this army will include the redeemed saints as well as those martyred. It should be observedthat this army clothed in white linen has no implements of war, which indicates that they are present as witnesses, not as actual fighters. There will be no fighting in the ordinary sense of that word, for all the wicked people in the world are no match for divine power. Under the withering touch of divine power 185,000 in the Assyrian army perished in one night without the touch of human hands. (2 Kings 19:35.) So the almighty power of Jesus, when he comes, will destroy Satan's army--a victory sudden and complete. The angelic hosts of heaven will be present to rejoice. 15 And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations:--Jesus said his kingdom was not to be defended with a carnal sword. (John 18:36.) Paul declares that Christians fight with the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:17.) The thing that proceeds from the mouth means words. God's words are even sharper than a literal sword. (Hebrews 4:12.) From all this it is evident that smiting with the sword in this emblem represents the victory Christ will gain by his word. As the worlds were created by the word of God, so by the word of Christ wickedness will be banished. This agrees perfectly with Paul's statement that when Jesus comes he will slay the lawless one ("man of sin") with "the breath of his mouth." (2 Thessalonians 2:8.) Not carnal bloodshed; but Christ will speak the word and divine power will do the rest. This text shows that wicked nations will be here when Jesus comes else there would be none for the Lord to smite. and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty.--Ruling with a rod of iron means in strict justice, whether in imparting favors or in inflicting punishment. This thought is expressed a number of times. (Psalms 2:7-9; Revelation 2:27; Revelation 12:5.) The setting of the expression in this text shows that it means a just reward to the wicked. The preceding expression speaks of "smiting the nations," and the following one says that he will tread the wine press of God's wrath. Verses 17-21 show that the "winepress" of God's wrath refers to the final punishment of the wicked, a scene pictured in Jude 1:14-15. The meaning is that as the treader presses out the wine from the grapes, so Jesus will inflict the fierceness of God's wrath against the wicked, but with absolute justice. 16 And he hath on his garment and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.--Seeing this title written upon the garment further identifies the rider of the white horse as Christ. Just as the kingdom (mountain of the Lord's house) is above or greater than all other kingdoms (Isaiah 2:2), so Christ's position as King is superior to all other kings. Legally and rightly that has been his position since he took his seat (throne) at God's right hand. (Ephesians 1:19-23; Acts 2:36.) This symbol represents him as still having that authority when he comes to execute God's wrath upon the wicked.Commentary on Revelation 19:11-16 by Foy E. Wallace (3) The vision of Christ the conqueror—Revelation 19:11-16. After the symbolic Babylon, the Sodom-Egypt, apostate harlot-Jerusalem had been utterly overthrown; the temple demolished and Judaism removed; and the Jewish state terminated; all that Jerusalem represented no longer existent--then the visions of Revelation turned to the ‘ victory of the church over heathenism. The visions of this conflict were presented in the language of high symbols, and there is danger of literalism in their application. In Revelation 19:11-14, a name was given to the Rider of the white horse; he was called Faithful and True. He was the Christ himself, leading the procession of triumph, with a heavenly army consisting of the legion of martyrs and overcomers of persecution, to wage war against Caesar-worship and heathenism. With him in this glorious war of Christ against idolatry were the chosen faithful who shared the triumph of the procession of victory. He was identified as the same Rider of the white horse in Revelation 6:2; then going forth to conquer, but now in procession of victory over the emperial persecutors; to judge andmake war against all heathenism. This war was to be waged by the sharp sword which proceeded out of his mouth--that is, a war on the heathen minions by the word of God, the two-edged sword of Heb 4:12, and the sword of the Spirit of Eph 6:17. His descriptions were put in symbols of a royal and ruling conqueror, which compared with the array of the Son of man in the midst of the seven churches in Revelation 1:13-16. The vestures of the Rider were dipped in blood, an imagery of the battle with the persecuting beasts who had slain the martyrs and had shed the blood of the saints. With the heavenly army Christ, the Rider, subsequent to the extermination of Judaism, was seen marching against the strongholds of heathenism. In Revelation 19:12 it is stated that the Conqueror had a second name--a name written which no man knew, but he himself--which indicated the things of God and Christ unrevealed to me. It compares with the statement of Jesus in Matthew 11:27 : “ All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.” Jesus Christ alone has “ a name above every name,” which signifies a power over heaven and earth that no one can know but Himself --the sole owner of the name and the one possessor of the inherent power of the undefined and unrevealed name. In Revelation 19:13, the Rider was called by a third name --The Word of God. The Word was not a name without significance. The same John of the apocalypse referred to the Son of God as the Word in the gospel of John l:1-14. The word is the vehicle of conveying thoughts--and Jesus Christ was the full and complete expression of God’ s will to man; the beginning and the end of all revelation; hence, his title The Word. The name The Word Of God, signifies the armament of the warfare in which he was in this vision to engage--it was the conflict of Christianity with heathenism, and the truth was the weapon against all error. In Revelation 19:14 the armies that followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were the overcomers of the tribulation--redeemed from the period of persecution. In Revelation 19:15 it was declared that the Rider would smite the nations and rule them with a rod of iron. The process of this smiting was indicated in God’ s commission to Jeremiah, Jeremiah 1:10 : “ See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” In the Revelation text the phrases, smite the nations and rule them with a rod of iron, were symbolic of the impact of the gospel on the heathen world. This inherent power and force of Christianity was prophesied in Psalms 2:1-3 : “ Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine 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 bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”The psalm prophecy is quoted by the apostle Peter in Act_425-26 with this application of the effect of preaching Christ to the heathen world. The ruling with a rod of iron referred to the inexorable character of the law of Christ--the invincible word of God. The treading of the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of God was the symbol of the execution of the inflexible judgment of retribution. And in Revelation it was Almighty God, the supreme Judge of all men, who should formulate the sentence and render the judgment against the heathen nations. In Revelation 19:16 a fourth name was inscribed on the Rider--King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This was the highest title to be conferred. It symbolized the position and power over all kings and rulers of all rank in the heathen world, all of whom must yield to the invincible Word of God. This stage of the vision was in repetition of Rev 11:15 : The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ. It was the sublime apocalypse of the conquering Lord, and his victorious church. The conquest of “ the kingdoms of this world” was spiritual, not literal; and it was to be accomplished by the spread of the gospel and expansion of Christianity over the heathen world, as stated in Matthew 24:31 and as prophesied in the second Psalm. The names and insignia attached to the Rider comport with the Psalm prophecy and with all the divine offices of the Christ Rider. His insignia were: the white horse, the diadems, the blood-dipped garments, the flaming eyes, and the inscribed name, unknown to men. His divine works were: to judge, to wage war, to smite with a verbal sword, to tread the winepress of God’ s wrath, and to rule with the inflexible iron rod of the inexorble law of the Christ. Commentary on Revelation 19:11-16 by Walter ScottHEAVEN OPENED (Revelation 19:11-21). . Revelation 19:11-16. — “And I saw the Heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and One sitting on it (called) Faithful and True, and He judges, and makes war in righteousness. And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head many diadems, having a Name written, which no one knows but Himself. And (He is) clothed with a garment dipped in blood; and His Name is called the Word of God. And the armies which (are) in the Heaven followed Him upon white horses, clad in white, pure, fine linen. And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He might smite the nations; and He shall rule them with an iron rod; and He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. And He has upon His garment and upon His thigh a Name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords.” The remaining portion of the chapter to which we have given the general title, Heaven Opened, naturally divides into three parts: (1) the mighty Monarch and His victorious armies (Revelation 19:11-16); (2) the call to the ravenous birds of prey to feed upon the slain, to partake of “ the great supper of God” (Revelation 19:17-18); (3) the complete overthrow and destruction of the opposing army, the leaders consigned alive to the lake of fire, and their followers slain (Revelation 19:19-21). The special scene before us (Revelation 19:11-16) is one of surpassing interest. We have had many and varied displays of Christ, for the whole book is more or less about Him, while all for us “ upon whom the ends of the ages are come” (1 Corinthians 10:11, R.V.). But the present vision in its character and far-reaching results is second to none. It is unique. We have not here the Lamb enthroned as in Revelation 5:1-14, but the Warrior-King great in victorious, all-conquering power. Before Christ, as here described, the hosts of earth shall quail, and the stout hearts of the mighty stand appalled; but that sight of sights is a gladdening one to saints, for they know Him. The King and Judge is their everlasting Friend. THE HEAVEN OPENED, AND A DOOR OPENED IN HEAVEN. Revelation 19:11. — “I saw the Heaven opened.” This book is full of heavenly action. The scenes in Heaven as witnessed by the Seer are numerous and diversified. Voices heard, songs sung, angels and glorified saints seen, elders and the living creatures bowed in worship, thrones, crowns, robes, harps, books, and more, tell of the happiness and ceaseless activity of Heaven’ s inhabitants. Glimpses into Heaven we have had, but Heaven itself opened is a grand and overpowering sight. In the opening of the heavenly section of the book (Revelation 4:1-11) we read, “ I saw, and behold, a door opened in Heaven.” How much greater the astonishment of the Seer as he beholds, of course, in vision Heaven itself opened, not simply an opened door for admission. This action is in keeping with the magnificent pageant — the triumphal procession out of Heaven. A door opened in Heaven was for the Seer to pass in. Heaven opened was for the heavenly armies to pass out. Four times do we read in the New Testament of the heavens being opened (Matthew 3:16; John 1:51; Acts 7:56; Revelation 19:11), and on each occasion in connection with Christ. Two of these instances are past, two are future. His moral glory in humiliation called for it. His manifested glory above demands it. The holy Jerusalem is seen in a subsequent vision descending out of Heaven (Revelation 21:9), but it is not said Heaven is then opened for egress; it is opened once, and that is enough. OF THE AND HIS ARMY. Revelation 19:11 — The first part of the description beheld by the Seer was “a white horse,” the symbol of victorious power. (See notes on Revelation 6:2, page 148, and footnote.) The horseman who guides and controls bears the mystic name of “ Faithful and True.” Others may in measure be characterised by these qualities, but Christ alone can be so designated without qualification. He is in His Person and ways the perfect embodiment of these attributes.(*See notes on Revelation 15:3, and on Revelation 21:5.) Faithful in the performance of every promise and every threat, while every word and act bears the stamp of absolute truth. Revelation 19:11 — “He judges and makes war in righteousness.” He comes to settle the destinies of the world for a thousand years. He is not only the mighty Warrior, but He judges the world as well as conquers it. God “ hath appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man Whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men in that He hath raised Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). The appointed day is about to dawn, and the ordained Man is before us as the Commander of the hosts of Heaven. This is no iniquitous war; it is not one undertaken for love of conquest, nor for enlargement of territory. The judging is named before the warring, because all is done intelligently. The war and its issues are wisely directed. Righteousness is characteristic of Him as Judge and as Warrior. Revelation 19:12 — “His eyes are a flame of fire.” In Revelation 1:14 and Revelation 2:18, of Christ it is said His eyes are “as a flame of fire,” but here the “as” of comparison is omitted (R.V. and other authorities). “ His eyes are a flame of fire;” that is the divine omniscience which observes all and searches out every hidden evil, and the piercing judgments which He executes are characteristic attributes of Him in the earlier notices, whereas in our text they are in exercise. The action is here more intense. Revelation 19:12 — “Upon His head many diadems.” Crowns and diadems are distinguished. (See remarks on Revelation 12:3, and on Revelation 13:1.) The saints in Heaven have crowns (Revelation 4:4; Revelation 4:10), the expression of their royal dignity, but on the head of Christ rest diadems, denoting His absolute and supreme authority. The dragon has on his seven heads diadems (Revelation 12:3), and the Beast has diadems on his ten horns (Revelation 13:1). Thus both the dragon and the Beast affect supreme authority. There is but One Who can be entrusted with the exercise of absolute authority and dominion, and He is the Son of Man (Psalms 8:1-9). Seven diadems on the dragon, and ten on the Beast; but “many” upon the head of the conqueror Christ denote that every form and kind of government is vested in Him. The Authorizsed Version fails to distinguish between the symbols “ crown” and “ diadem;” the Revised Version, however, supplies the omission. Revelation 19:12 — “Having a Name written which no one knows but Himself.” There are certain divine names as God, Jehovah, Jesus, Christ, Lord, etc., which severally express the divine Being in a certain relation to His creatures. But here is a name not revealed. There is that in Christ — ever was and ever will be — which no name can express. The Son in the fulness of His divine nature can alone be known by the Father (Matthew 11:27). Christ ever carries in Himself the knowledge of who and what He was and is. Revelation 19:13. — “Clothed with a garment dipped in blood.” (It seems absurd to apply the “ garment dipped in blood” to the blood of the Cross, as many do. The Lord is here viewed on a mission of judgment, not one of grace. The blood is not His own, but that of His enemies. The context clearly determines the sense.) This striking and impressive figure proclaims His vengeance in judicial dealing with the opposing hosts of apostate Europe who have come out to do battle with the Lamb. In Isaiah 63:1-4 we witness the triumphant return from the land of Edom, and from its capital city Bozrah, of the Lord with vengeance in His heart and His garments and vesture stained with the blood of His enemies, but here His garment dipped in blood is witnessed ere He enters on the conflict, a sure token that righteous vengeance shall be meted out to the full upon the gathered hosts under their two great chiefs, the Beast and the False Prophet, Revelation 19:13. — “His Name is called the Word of God.” Of the eight sacred writers of the New Testament, John is the only one who applies this title to Christ. As the Word He represents and expresses God in His Being, character, and works. He is ” The Word of Life” (1 John 1:1), as being in His Person and ways its living embodiment. He is termed “ The Word of God,” as perfectly expressing Him in judgment. As the WORD He has personal, independent, eternal existence (John 1:1-2); and as the WORD He is the maker of all things (John 1:3). He is the Revealer of God, the ONE Who makes Him known. Our words ought to be the exact expression of what we are; the words of Christ were the absolute expression of what He ever is (John 8:25). As the WORD He reveals God in His essential nature as light and love, and as the “only begotten Son” He declares the Father. The first without the second would have left a huge blank, for the heart craves for a known and enjoyed relationship. God is our Father.The title here used of Christ has peculiar significance in this connection. It is God Who is here seen roused to action. His very nature demands the judgment of those who on earth madly attempt to thwart His purpose to set His Son as King on Mount Zion and put into His hands earth’ s government. Christ, “ The Word of God,” is the absolute expression of God in the scene of judgment about to take place. THE ARMIES. Revelation 19:14. — “The armies” in Heaven follow their renowned Leader on “ white horses,” for His victory is their victory, and His triumph their triumph. These armies represent the heavenly saints, those of Old Testament times and those comprising the bride. Each one is arrayed in robes which bespeak personal righteousness, which tell of personal struggle here in doing right, in maintaining the rights of God in the midst of a scene of contrariety and opposition to God and Christ. The clothing of the bride (Revelation 19:8) is the clothing of each of the militant hosts (Revelation 19:14). The armies in Heaven which triumphantly follow Christ and swell His train are not angels, but saints. What a military spectacle is here presented! These armies of saints in Heaven follow their Captain. He goes first, and heads the triumphing hosts. We have here the fulfilment of Enoch’ s prophecy uttered more than five thousand years ago, but alone recorded in Jude’ s epistle, “ Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints” (Jude 1:14). Zechariah (Zechariah 14:5) writes of the same Coming, but to deal with the powers opposed to the Jews, whereas the apocalyptic scripture reveals as the first object of judgment the nations opposed to the Lamb. Angels, too, follow in the train and swell the triumph of the Lord (Matthew 16:27; Matthew 25:31; Hebrews 1:6). Triumphant power (white horses) is put forth on the day when the wrath of the Lamb is so awfully expressed. The statement of the armies in Heaven following Christ in His career of righteous war is an interruption to the general description of Christ which is now resumed. The war itself is merely mentioned (Revelation 19:19), but the personal description of the great Captain of our salvation is lengthily dwelt upon. We delight to hear Him well and much spoken of. (“ The description of the battle is as remarkable for its brevity as that of Christ is for its length; quite naturally, as there can properly be no sustained conflict against Him who slays with the breath of His mouth.” — Hengstenberg.)CHRIST IN ACTION. Revelation 19:15. — Next we hear of the only offensive weapon amongst the militant, heavenly hosts, “a sharp sword.” The armies have no weapons, they need them not, for the battle is the Lord’ s. “ Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He might smite the nations.” (In Revelation 1:16 and Revelation 2:12, the sword is said to be not only sharp, but “ two-edged.” Many authorities insert the word in the text of Rev 19:15, but it is a doubtful reading.) The reference is to Isaiah 11:4. He speaks as He did in the garden when His enemies fell to the ground (John 18:5-6). His Word at once smites and slays. The power is irresistible. No carnal weapon is in question, but a destructive power more terrible in its effects than any weapon forged by human skill — the spoken Word of the Lord. Revelation 19:15. — “He shall rule them with an iron rod.” The second Psalm is evidently before the writer in this glorious description of almighty power. The stern and inflexible rule exercised over the rebellious nations is intimated in the firm unyielding rod of iron. “ He shall rule,” that is, govern (Revelation 12:5). Our association with Him in His government of the world (Psalms 149:6-9), and judgment of His foes, in no wise clashes with the truth in our text, “ He shall rule them with an iron rod.” It is His work, and He is invested with plenitude of power to do it. The determined will of the nations must be broken and their power shivered to atoms. Revelation 19:15 — “He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.” This is not the figure of the harvest in which the good is separated from the bad, but the vintage which is unsparing vengeance on evil, on religious evil developed into apostasy (Revelation 14:17-20). (See remarks on the “ winepress,” Revelation 14:20.) There are three symbols of judgment in Revelation 19:15. (1) A sharp sword for immediate, judicial punishment, probably death. (2) A rod of iron for righteous, inflexible government. (3) The winepress of wrath for the guiltiest of all. This latter is the expression of “ extremest wrath.” The Almighty God is roused. “ Vengeance is Mine,” saith the Lord. Again, the personal pronoun marks off the judgment as the work of the Lord alone. “I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was none with Me” (Isaiah 63:3). (The armies in Heaven are not said to be associated with Christ when He bathes His sword in Idumea, but they are in His victory over the Beast. In the act of taking vengeance the Lord is alone, whether in Idumea or amongst the gathered European apostate nations, but in sessional judgment His heavenly saints take part, as the promise to the overcomer in Thyatira shows (Revelation 2:26-27). On certain powers the Jews take part in the execution of judgment (Zechariah 9:13; Zechariah 12:6; Zechariah 14:14; Isaiah 11:14).)Revelation 19:16. — This lengthened description closes with a grand assertion of His glory, “He has upon His garment and upon His thigh a Name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords.” (“ He is publicly, officially, and intrinsically King of kings and Lord of Lords.” — “ Synopsis of the Books of the Bible,” vol. 5, p. 635, Morrish ed.) His garment, His outward character and ways as beheld by others, bears the title expressive of universal dominion. Instead of the sword on the thigh (Psalms 45:3), the Name here mentioned is written on it. The sword is in His mouth; the Name on the thigh. There one would naturally look for the sword, instead of which they read the pre-eminent dignity of Christ as Monarch of all who reign; and Lord of all lesser ruling authorities. In Revelation 17:14 the same titles are applied to the Lord; there, however, stated in inverse order, “ Lord of lords” preceding “ King of kings.” No pen can do justice in the attempt to set forth the glorious Personage of these verses. In the interpretation of symbol and literal statement care is needed, but there is no real difficulty. Seize upon the circumstance, the occasion, and the reason of war; that actual peoples on earth are found in open, daring, armed rebellion against the authority of God, whether exercised morally or governmentally; further, that the nations on earth and the saints issuing from Heaven are literal armies, and in purpose, aims, and projects opposed. The foregoing considerations may help one out of the vague and uncertain into what is real and about to happen, and in which we all shall have our part. Commentary on Revelation 19:11-16 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 19:11. White horse symbolizes a war animal that is to engage in a war for purity. The rider was Christ who is described as Faithful and True. That is because the war in which He is about to engage (the Reformation) is a righteous one. Revelation 19:12. Eyes of fire would signify that which is bright and penetrating. Many crowns. Actually no king wears more than one crown as far as the article as a unit is concerned, but in some way the ornamentations on it showed that Christ had won over all others. Name no man knew does not indicate some dark or mysterious secret, for Revelation 19:16 gives a great description of His name as written on his clothing. But no mere man can appreciate the name of Christ until he becomes His disciple. Revelation 19:13. Vesture dipped in blood is because Christ shed his blood for the sake of mankind. The Word of God is the name which all men can read and hence is not a secret, but they cannot realize what it means unless they appropriate that name to themselves by wholehearted obedience to its commandments. (See the name at John 1:1.) Revelation 19:14. This is a symbolic picture of the war that is about to be fought against the beast that has been defying Heaven's authority for 1260 years. Revelation 19:15. The sharp sword is the sword of the Spirit(Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). Smite the nations with this Word by the work of the Reformation. Rule with a rod of iron. Iron is both firm and severe, and it will be used in the latter sense against the wicked nations who have been supporting Babylon. Treadeth the winepress is explained at Revelation 14:10. Revelation 19:16. King of kings and Lord of lords. King indicates supreme authority and lord means one who governs the conduct of others. Jesus was given these two titles because He had overcome all who opposed him. Having the title attached to his vesture (clothing) was on the principle of decorations given men who have distinguished themselves in the service of their country.Commentary on Revelation 19:11-16 by Burton CoffmanRev_19:11 And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.A white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True ... This seems to be one of the few places in Revelation where all the opinions meld into one. This is a description of the Lord Jesus Christ. We also identify him with the rider of the white horse in the first seal (Revelation 6:2). It is objected that those seals are judgments; but what is the scene here if it is not a judgment, not merely a judgment, but the final and last judgment? The judgment in the seals (Revelation 6:2) was due to the preaching of the truth, an odor of life to some, death to others; and this judgment is the final and total execution of the judgment determined by the preaching of the gospel, which always results in the salvation of some and the rejection of others, and culminates in the wicked being overthrown as in this judgment. The dark scenes of the balance of this chapter are objected to by many who find what they call their "Christian sensibilities" offended. They say this contradicts the conception of a gracious and merciful Christ; but such views are simply incorrect. "Everywhere in the New Testament, the element of victory through judgment is an inescapable aspect of Christ's total work."[32]The warfare now to be described must be understood as that which is taking place between the hosts of Christ and Satan throughout the period of the world's existence.[33]We reject the type of slander of this part of Revelation which declares that, "There is little or nothing that is specifically Christian in the whole section."[34] People with such views have merely overlooked the New Testament doctrine of judgment. Even Roberts overlooked the judgment here, thinking that John "expected a thousand year reign of the saints before the end of the world and the judgment."[35] He and so many others overlooked the recapitulatory nature of these chapters (Revelation 18; Revelation 19, and Revelation 20). It is true, of course, that the 1,000 years' reign comes before the judgment, as the recapitulation in the next chapter shows. But the judgment here in this chapter is exactly the same as the judgment there. "This chapter does not give us a picture of the millennial age"[36] in Any sense of its being any different from the rest of the Christian dispensation. The chapter is a view of the whole "millennial age," the "forty two months," the "one thousand two hundred and sixty days," etc., all of which are synonyms, symbolical representations of the total time between the two Advents of Christ, covering exactly the same time-period as that already covered in this prophecy, again, and again, and again. Keep in mind that Revelation 18 gave the overthrow of the harlot; this chapter gives the overthrow of the beast (in his phase of the ten kings, the final phase, that of the eighth head); and the next chapter (Revelation 20) gives the overthrow of Satan (the dragon). These three: the dragon (Satan), the sea-beast (world persecuting governments), and the harlot (the land-beast, also the false prophet), are the three great enemies of Christianity depicted in Revelation. Their destruction in these three chapters occurs in exactly the reverse order of their appearance in the prophecy (beginning at Revelation 12:1); and despite their overthrow being related in separate chapters and separate recapitulations, "All three go down together:"[37] They are all three destroyed simultaneously in the final judgment, and shall continue "alive" and active until the very last day of time. The circumstance that each is revealed in a separate vision should not lead us to think that there is an interval of centuries, either between their appearances (or their overthrow). In reality, all perish together by the Parousia of the Lamb.[38][32] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 151. [33] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 449. [34] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 466. [35] J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 158. [36] James William Russell, op. cit., p. 650. [37] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 547. [38] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 547,548. Revelation 19:12 And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems; and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he himself.And his eyes are a flame of fire ... The glorious appearance of Christ here recalls the first vision of him with which the prophecy opened (Revelation 1). The flaming eyes suggest purity, truth, and omniscience. Many diadems ... The vast and eternal authority of Christ as set forth in Matthew 28:18-20 is symbolized by these. Name ... which no man knoweth but he himself ... There are two excellent interpretations of this, either one of which, or both of which, may be correct. "The unknown name of Christ comports with the fact that his nature, his relationship to the Father, and even his relationship to humanity, transcend all human understanding."[39] Barclay thought it might be, "The sacred tetragrammaton, the sacred YHWH, the unpronounceable, unknown name of God."[40] The status of Christ as God in the New Testament makes this altogether reasonable and logical. The sacred Hebrew word for God is still not known to any man; and it would be appropriate enough applied to Christ. [39] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 280. [40] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 180. Revelation 19:13 And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and his name is called the Word of God.Garment sprinkled with blood ... The imagery of this is thought to reflect the figure of the winepress in Isaiah 63, but there the blood was the blood of the Lord's enemies. As Caird pointed out, "The Rider's garment is already soaked in blood before the battle begins."[41] Some point out that Christ has already won many victories before the one pointed out here; but we seem to be compelled to seek the meaning symbolized by the bloodstains in that eternal victory of the Cross, where the enabling victory of all that came afterwards was achieved. "His garment is dipped in blood because Christ shed his blood for mankind."[42]And his name is called the Word of God ... "This is a title of Christ used only by the apostle John (John 1:1; John 1:14,1 John 1:1; 1 John 5:7)."[43] The apostle is thus linked with all three writings. [41] G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 242. [42] E. M. Zerr, op. cit., p. 340. [43] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, op. cit., p. 112. Revelation 19:14 And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure.And the armies which are in heaven followed him ... Any literalism here, as in most of the prophecy, is impossible. We agree with Pieters that this does not symbolize Christians. "It is an idea alien to the Scriptures to speak of Christians going forth again to wage war on evil, after attaining a heavenly rest."[44] The Lord never depicted his sheep as organized in a campaign of destruction directed against the wolves! "The armies which are in heaven must be angelic armies."[45] This also corresponds to the oft-repeated mention of a host of holy angels participating in the final judgment (Matthew 13:41; Matthew 13:49,2 Thessalonians 1:7). The undeniable identification of the last part of this chapter with the final judgment is inherent in the makeup of this vast army. Caird thought these were Christians,[46] and Rist identified them as "the martyrs";[47] but such views impose great difficulty in fitting them logically into the entire vision. [44] Albertus Pieters, op. cit., p. 204. [45] Ibid. [46] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 265. [47] Martin Rist, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XII (New York-Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1950), p. 514. Revelation 19:15 And out of his mouth proceeded 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 of the wrath of God, the Almighty.And out of his mouth proceeded a sharp sword ... Again, all voices agree as one in seeing this as a symbol of the word of God (Hebrews 4:12-13; Ephesians 6:17 f). With it he should smite the nations ... rule them with a rod of iron ... These are not references to the merciful and benign reign of Christ through his saints on earth in the present dispensation, but to the final wrath and judgment of God upon the ungodly. He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God ... This tells what Christ is depicted as doing in this scene. It is a picture of final judgment. "All three of the figures in this verse are representations of the word of Christ, by which he executes with indisputable authority the judgment of God."[48] No "battle" of any kind takes place here. The so-called Battle of Armageddon, as usually conceived, is nothing but man's imagination. Christ needs no armies, whether of angels, or anyone else. His word which hurled the suns in space will execute his will when the time comes. To be sure, the language here suggests Armageddon, the great spiritual conflict going on throughout history, the results of which will be announced and executed on the last day. Note that there is no fighting or conflict of any kind in view here. At the moment of this vision, the conflict is already over; only the judgment remains to be executed; the issues which were long ago determined are here to be revealed and executed in the final judgment of all people. ENDNOTE: [48] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 281. Revelation 19:16 And he hath on his garment and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS; AND LORD OF LORDS.KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS ... This makes it mandatory to view the similar passage in 1 Timothy 6:15 as also being a plain reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. See comment on that reference in this series. This superlative title does not refer to what Christ will become after this so-called "battle." "He will conquer the monster and the kings because he is already King of kings and Lord of lords."[49] This section teaches: That Christ is reigning; he is reigning through the power of his word; he is reigning in every heart that will yield to the gospel. When he comes in the clouds of his glory (with his angels, as here), the final stroke will be delivered.[50]See the dissertation on "The King of Kings and Lord of Lords" in my Commentary on 1Timothy, pp. 229-234. [49] Ibid. [50] Frank L. Cox, Revelation in 26 Lessons (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1956), p. 113. Commentary on Revelation 19:11-16 by Manly Luscombe11 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. Heaven opened up. A white horse appears with Christ as the rider. The focus is on the rider. The rider is named Faithful and True. He is the judge. His judgments are righteous. He is also the captain of our salvation, the leader of the army of God. He is ready to make war. Some have great difficulty here. It is argued - How can the prince of peace come to make war? We must understand this is not a literal war of men, weapons and bloodshed. This is a spiritual warfare. All Christians are in this war. We are fighting evil (immorality) and corruption in high places. We are not fighting flesh and blood. Our war is against principalities and powers in heavenly places. 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. These verses give a graphic description of Jesus. All of these terms are descriptions of Jesus. 1. He is on a white horse. His name is Faithful and True. He is the judge. He is the leader of the army (Revelation 19:11) 2. His eyes are alive with the flame of fire. He wears all the crowns. He has a name that only He can wear. (Revelation 19:12) 3. He wears a robe dipped in blood (His death on the cross). He is called the Word of God. John uses this term in his gospel and in the first epistle. (John 1:1-4; 1 John 1:1-3) (Revelation 19:13) 4. He has an army of soldiers clothed in white clean linen. The whole army is on white horses. (Revelation 19:14) 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. He speaks and we are judged. (John 12:48). His judgment will fall upon all the nations. Jesus rules. He is the king. He is also the judge. He will tread the winepress of God’ s Almighty wrath. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Jesus is the “ King of kings, and Lord of lords.” To better understand these phrases, replace the word “ of” with the word “ over” and you will see that Jesus is King over all kings. He is Lord over all lords. Revelation 19:17-21 7. RESULTS OF THE Rev_19:17-21 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid heaven,--The sun is the brightest shining orb in the world, and an angel so brilliant as to be distinguished when standing in the sun is beyond human description. This angel announced the result of the final conflict in a most impressive symbol. The fowls here mean birds of prey--those that eat flesh, and the image is that of such birds hovering over a battlefield ready to consume the bodies of the slain. Come and be gathered together unto the great supper of God; --In verse 9 the saved are invited to the "marriage supper of the Lamb," which evidently means the rewards to be given finally to the faithful; here the "supper of God" means that the punishment of the wicked will be like giving to birds of prey bodies slain in battle. The picture of bodies thus consumed is the horrible emblem of the final destiny of the lost. 18 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 thereon, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, and small and great.--John sees in the symbol the birds assembled to the battlefield to consume leaders, common men, and even animals. This means that the wicked of all classes will suffer the final banishment from God's presence. There will be no chance for rulers to escape any more than the common man; young and old will meet the same fate. 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army.--In Revelation 16:13-16 John sees three unclean spirits coming from the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet to gather the kings of the whole world together for the last struggle--"the war of the great day of God." Here lie sees that battle and its results. The hosts on both sides are assembled. This emblematic language means that evil on earth will be ended by the Lord at his coming, not that a real flesh and blood battle will be fought. This will include all kinds of evil represented by the beast and kings of the earth. 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image:--On the identity of the beast and false prophet, see notes on Revelation 16:13. The fact that this language shows the false prophet wrought pretended miracles in the sight of the beast and deceived them who had received the "mark of the beast" indicates that the false prophet is the same as papal Rome. If so, then the "beast" would be political Rome in its so-called Christianized form while dominated by the papacy. This shows that in the last conflict corrupt political powers and false religions will both be used by Satan in his final effort to destroy Christianity. In the symbol John sees them both taken--defeated. The false prophet is a general expression broad enough to include all false teachers, and by implication all false systems of religion. they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone:--This means the end of these two kinds of wicked powers and the final punishment of those who supported them. The lake of fire refers to the last and complete torment of those banished from God forever. (Mark 9:47-48 ; Revelation 14:10-11; Revelation 20:14-15.) The last reference says the lake of fire is the second death which will take place when death and Hades are cast into that lake. This is final in showing that this paragraph refers to the separation of the good and bad at the judgment. 21 and the rest were killed with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, even the sword which came forth out of his mouth: and all the birds were filled with their flesh.--This is what John saw in the vision. Seeing the armies that followed the beast and false prophet killed with a sword and the birds feeding upon their flesh means that those who practice sin in corrupt politics or religion will be condemned to everlasting punishment. Thus again in this symbol we have seen the final conflict between sin and righteousness end in the vindication of Christ and his teaching. A decision from which there is no new hearing. Commentary on Revelation 19:17-21 by Foy E. Wallace (4) The great sacrificial Supper—Revelation 19:17-18. These verses represented a feast on the flesh of kings consumed by the birds of prey and was one of the most highly metaphorical sections of the entire series of visions. In Matthew 24:28, Jesus said: “ For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” This forecast was the Lord’ s illustration of the siege of Jerusalem, which was the carcass; and the Romans were the eagles, whose armies swooped on Jerusalem to destroy and devour it. But in this vision the metaphor was reversed. The rulers of the persecuting powers, with all the forces opposing Christ and his church, were the victims of this supper of the Great God. The sacrifice of animals was the common method of celebrating victories; such as king Saul, without warrant, had presumptuously planned in celebration of victory over Amalek, as recorded in 1 Samuel 15:15; 1 Samuel 15:21. Here in this vision the eating of the flesh of kings, as the victims of the sacrificial supper, was symbolic of the victory of the saints over all the persecuting powers of the heathen governments, including all Roman tributaries which were the minions of the composite Roman beast. This symbolic representation was a repetition of the previous figurative descriptions of the fearful visitations of divine wrath on the wicked persecutors, which no kings or rulers of nations could withstand. The same metaphorical representation of the celebration of the return of Israel from exile, subsequent to the fall of Babylon, was employed by Ezekiel in Ezekiel 39:17-20 : “ And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord God.”It is apparent that this sacrificial supper in Revelation was the vision of celebration for the triumph of the church over all the forces of heathenism. The inclusion in the metaphor of the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, 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 meant that no class or condition of men in the heathen society which formed a part of the forces of persecution and of opposition to the church, were exempt from retribution; but were all alike victims of this symbolic celebration of the victory over heathenism in the sacrificial supper of the great God. The vision of the angel standing in the sun, of Revelation 19:17, indicated not only the glory of this messenger of Christ, but the central station from which to summon the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven. The word heaven in the previous visions has designated the ruling authorities of the earth, or place of the nations. The reference to the fowls in the mid-heaven indicated that the birds of prey, symbolizing this awesome picture of visitation of divine wrath, were flying in the very midst of these evil authorities ready to descend on the carrion of the pagan persecuting powers, the defeatedforces of heathenism. The foregoing descriptions were designed to symbolize that no class or condition, high or low, in the heathen world could stand against the spiritual forces of Christ, the Conqueror and Rider of the white horse--and from this imagery of spiritual victory over all the forces of heathenism, the vision turns to the scene of judgment and final banishment of the Roman beast and his subordinate beast, the false prophet, who had beguiled the people into the emperor-image worship, and who was the original source of the spiritual war delineated in the apocalypse. (5) The complete destruction of the persecuting power of the Roman beast and his subordinate false prophet—Revelation 19:19-21. The fact that these visions anticipated events before, during and after the destruction of Jerusalem, should be observed and retained in the mind, as the considerations advance from one stage and scene to another. The scene of Rev 19:19-21 reverted to the spiritual battle between the heavenly armies of the Rider, and the armies of the Roman beast--the heathen persecutor. It was after the destruction of Jerusalem; and after the evil forces of heathenism were diverted from the scene of Jerusalem and Judaism to converge on the church. But the vision saw the triumph of Christianity. It was declared in Revelation 19:21 that the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet . . . with which he deceived them that received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. This beast was the original first sea-beast of Revelation chapter 13--personified in the emperor, the source of authority for all the persecutions. The false prophet was identical with the second land-beast, of Judea and Palestine, described in Revelation chapter 13, as the subordinate of the imperia1 beast who seduced the inhabitants of Judea to worship the emperor. As previously postulated, the mark of the beast was submission to the decree for emperor worship and acceptance of the image of the emperor as deity and the worship of the Roman image in acts of idolatry for the emperor. After accomplishing the destruction of Jerusalem and the obliteration of the Jewish state, the vision represents the beast as having lost the battle against the church. The invincible spiritual forces of Christianity prevailed against all powers of heathenism, and both the beast and his satellite false prophet were taken; that is, captured and consigned to the bottomless pit of banishment, symbolized by the lake of fire burning with brimstone. The object of this vision was to symbolize the war of righteousness led by Christ Himself, the Head of the church, against the wickedness of heathenism. It described the progress of the persecution of the church, after the fall of Jerusalem, through the period of tribulation of Rev 2:10; and of the hour of trial in Revelation 3:10; in the deadly conflict with the heathenism of the Roman world. The entire second psalm is a magnificent prophecy of the defeat of all the cohorts of heathenism by the King whom God had set “ upon the holy hill of Zion,” and is worthy of insertion here in its entirety: “ Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine 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 bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’ s vessel. Be wise now therefore, 0 ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” This psalm was quoted more than once in the New Testament as having fulfillment in the universal expansion of the kingdom of Christ. The messianic psalm finds its climax in these visions of Revelation where the “ heathen raged” and “ the kings of the earth set themselves . . . against his Anointed.” The rulers did “ take counsel together,” and determined to “ break their bands asunder,” and thus to scatter the forces of the Anointed; but “ the Lord shall have them in derision” and “ shall break them with a rod of iron” which was done in the descriptions and fulfillment of these visions. In this imagery the Psalmist foresaw the establishment of the kingdom of Christ, and the defeat of all heathen opposition by the gospel’ s rod of iron--the invincible Word of Truth. The apocalypse of these last verses of chapter nineteen follows the same pattern in visions of the defeat of the hosts opposing Christ. The second Psalm decreed that thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’ s vessel, and the apocalypse declared that they were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. One of these passages cannot be considered more or less literal than the other--both were figurative expressions which signified the utter end of the persecuting authorities of heathenism against Christianity. The phrase cast alive into a lake of fire was equivalent to burned alive, and it symbolized complete destruction. The signal triumph of the cause of truth represented by the burning alive of the beast and the false prophet did not symbolize the destruction of the Roman Empire, but of the persecutions waged by the emperors, which the beasts represented. The lake of fire was not literal any more than the beast was literal. Neither was subject to literal application--both were figurative. The beast symbolized the persecuting power of the Roman emperor; and casting him into a lake of fire signified the complete defeat of the heathen powers he represented in the war against the church; and it was accomplished by the sword that proceeded out of the mouth of Jesus Christ, the Rider of the white horse. The sword was not a literal steel blade; it was the Word of God, the weapon by which the church won the victories over heathenism and idolatry; and which is even yet the only righteous weapon in the warfare of the truth against error. The last passage of Rev 19:21, was the brief vision of the defeat of the remnant which had been slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse. This remnant symbolized the enemies of Christ other than the persecuting beasts. It represented all forms of error and evil and doctrines of antichrist that stood in the way of the church. They were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse; and the text identified the sword by the modifying phrase: which sword proceeded out of his mouth --the Word of God. By his word all forms of heathenism were exposed and the enemies of his cause, in the battle imagery, were slain, or defeated. They were figuratively slain, by a figurative sword: which sword proceeded out of his mouth--that is, by the teaching of the truth and the spread of the gospel. To complete the visional and metaphorical picture, ends with Revelation 19:21 in the final statement: And all the fowls were filled with their flesh. As the birds devour the carrion, the truth consumes every form of error inimical to the cause of Jesus Christ. The Lord foretold that this result would follow the destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew 24:31 : “ And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” The equivalent declaration of the apocalypse is in Revelation 11:15 : “ And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Another parallel to this Revelation passage is the reference of Paul in Ephesians 5:5 to the inheritance in “ the kingdom of Christ and of God.” The kingdom is everlasting; the inheritance is eternal; and therefore the reign is forever and ever. These parallels between the Lord’ s account of these events in advance of their occurrences, and the visions of John in anticipation of the same series of events, have formulated accumulative evidence throughout the book, that the apocalypses of Revelation were but the extension of the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew--the Lord’ s own forecast of the events preceding and subsequent to the destruction of Jerusalem. Commentary on Revelation 19:17-21 by Walter ScottTHE GREAT SUPPER OF GOD. Revelation 19:17-18. — We have had the joyous marriage supper of the Lamb; here we have the great supper of God. The epithet great is attached to the supper (R.V.), not to God (A.V.). Revelation 19:17 — “I saw an angel standing in the sun.” He stands in the very center, so to speak, of governmental authority. He stands where he can be seen by all, and from whence he can survey the whole scene of conflict. The supper to which he invites the ravenous birds of prey comes after the battle. But the birds are summoned in vision before the fight. The great supper is of the dead. Kings, captains, mighty men, horses and their riders, free and bond, small and great, lie in the silence of death, their bodies a prey to the fowls of Heaven. They have been slain by the one sharp sword in the heavenly army. Christ speaks, and at once judgment overtakes the gathered opposing hosts. We would again repeat this is a true and most awful literal scene. The issue of the war is anticipated, and its result disclosed. These slain rise again to meet once more their Lord, not on the horse of victorious conquering power, but on the throne where condemnation immediately follows judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). Their resurrection takes place one thousand years after their punishment on earth. Revelation 19:18. — Five times do we read of “ flesh” as the food of the fowls of Heaven. Ah, what a humiliating end to the pride, pomp, strength, and chivalry of Europe! The vulture, eagle, and other birds of prey feeding upon the great and mighty whose very names may be enshrined in the pages of the history of this time (compare with Ezekiel 39:4; Ezekiel 39:17-20). “ All the birds were filled with their flesh” (v. 21), gorged to repletion. How awful the slaughter! How immense the number of the slain! TOTAL OF THE BEAST AND KINGS AND ARMIES. Revelation 19:19-21. — “And I saw the Beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against Him that sat upon the horse, and against His army. And the Beast was taken, and the False Prophet that (was) with him, who wrought the signs before him by which he deceived them that received the mark of the Beast, and those that worshipped his image. Alive were both cast into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which goes out of His mouth: and all the birds were filled with their flesh.” We are now about to witness the most gigantic confederation of kings and peoples ever beheld. The Beast is first named as being the center and soul of the movement. All the material strength and resources of the mighty revived empire are embraced in the term the Beast. Then we have mentioned “the kings of the earth,” the very kings who wailed over the destruction of Babylon. The political and social authorities of Christendom combine with the Beast in this insensate war. (The ten kings had already given themselves over to the Beast (Revelation 17:17). They are of course active in this war, for we read, “ These shall make war with the Lamb” (Revelation 17:14), but they are not specifically mentioned in this, the fuller account of the war, their identity being lost, so to speak, in that of the Beast.) Next, “ their armies,” that is, the armies of the Beast and of the kings. All are “gathered together.” It may be supposed that this almost universal assemblage of powers is effected by human agency. But no Caesar or Napoleon could bring about such a vast combination, and for such a purpose as we have here. Satan is behind the movement. In Revelation 16:13-14; Revelation 16:16 we have the veil lifted and the true character of it exposed. Three unclean spirits, satanic in source and character, endowed with miraculous power, “ go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world to gather them to the battle (war) of that great day of God Almighty.” The gathering place is also named, Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). (See remarks on Revelation 16:16.) After a statement of the forces in opposition by whom they were gathered, and where they were gathered to, we are next directed to the plainly-stated but startling fact that the hosts of earth are assembled “ to make war against Him that sat upon the horse, and against His army.” Can history furnish a parallel to this? The nations of Europe, and even of a wider area, enlightened and christianized, so deluded by Satan that they dare to enter the lists with “ The King of kings and Lord of lords!” What madness! What folly! The sovereignty of the earth is really the question of that day, and is decided once and for ever by the impending battle. Their hatred is expressed against the Rider upon the white horse, the Lamb and King, the former title sacrificial, the latter regal; for whether as the Lamb slain or the King to reign, Christendom hates Him. Then comes the opposition to those who are His. They make war also “ against His army.” We have here the contrast between “ their armies” and “ His army,” consisting of called, chosen, and faithful followers. One army as having but one mind and purpose with their renowned Leader. No details are furnished, for actual conflict there could not be. The result alone is disclosed; the awful slaughter had been already anticipated (Revelation 19:17-18). Revelation 19:20. — “And the Beast was taken.” The personal chief of the empire gave to it his character. The empire and its ruling head were really to all intents and purposes one. They can, of course, be distinguished as in Daniel 7:1-28, but here, and elsewhere in the Apocalypse, the Beast and its last great imperial chief are so vitally connected that the former perishes in the everlasting ruin of its head. The Beast is cast alive into the lake of fire — a man, of course, yet spoken of as “the Beast” — the usual designation of the empire. Revelation 19:20 — “And the False Prophet that was with him.” This is the Antichrist, the embodiment of religious apostasy. His fellow, the Beast, is the distinguished Gentile chief on whom Satan conferred almost boundless political authority. Three times is the title “ the False Prophet” used of the Antichrist as descriptive of his seductive teachings in Judea and in Christendom generally.” (See remarks on Revelation 16:13, on Revelation 19:20, and on Revelation 20:10.) “ Was with him,” i.e., the Beast, intimates that they were acting together. The Beast supplied the strength, the False Prophet the counsel. The latter is by far the more energetic of the two. Revelation 19:20 — “Who wrought the signs before him” (i.e., the Beast) by which he deceived them that received the mark of the Beast, and those that worship his image. He deceived them by the miraculous signs he wrought, his grand effort being to get world-wide worship for the Beast, his superior in temporal power, although his inferior in craft and malignant satanic influence. The diabolic work of the “ False Prophet,” that which had been his special work as the coadjutor of the Beast, is the main subject of Rev 13:11-17, there entitled “ another Beast,” here “ the False Prophet,” but one and the same person. AN ETERNAL DOOM. Revelation 19:20 — “Alive were both cast into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.” Who can paint in words the horror of such a doom? Literally, actually this is the predetermined punishment of two individuals, one a Jew and the other a Gentile, and perhaps both on the earth at this moment! These two men are not killed, as their deluded followers are. Physical death in their own persons they will never know, but grasped by the hand of Omnipotence, seized red-handed in their crimes, they are at once cast into the lake of fire — a collection of agonies unutterable. They do not proceed, nor are driven onward to their fearful doom, but are cast alive into it, as you would throw aside that which is worthless. A thousand years afterwards Satan joins them in the same awful place, as the next chapter unfolds. The lake of fire is never at rest. Fire and brimstone denote unspeakable torment (Isaiah 30:33). The lake, not of water, but of fire, is the eternal place of punishment for the devil and for lost men and fallen angels. It is a place, and not a condition. And is it not significant that the phrase, which has rightly become crystallized in our minds from earliest years as the expression of all that is dark and agonising, should be mentioned here for the first time? Perhaps the first inhabitants of the lake may be those two men. Revelation 19:21. — “The rest were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which goes out of His mouth.” The pride and armies of Europe lie in the silence of death, killed, but not by a literal sword. The angry voice of the King of kings shall strike through the serried ranks, suddenly depriving them of their two great chiefs; then death on the spot, the awful portion of the apostate and rebellious host. It is a terrible story briefly told. Enoch and Elijah were taken up to Heaven without seeing death; the Beast and False Prophet (their names withheld) are cast into the lake of fire without dying. So awful is the slaughter that the fowls of Heaven are filled with the flesh of the dead. The ultimate destiny of the worshippers and adherents of the Beast is unfolded in Revelation 14:9-11; Revelation 20:11-15. Commentary on Revelation 19:17-21 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 19:17. When a man makes a great "killing" he often invites his friends to come and share the feast with him. The effects of the Reformation are symbolized in this and the following verse. It is especially appropriate to base the imagery on the fowls of the heaven, for they are generally thought to prefer feeding on the flesh of animals that have been slain and left on the field. (See Matthew 24:28.) The present case is one where the beasts were notkilled and dressed as would be done ordinarily. They were to be killed to get them out of the way, and the birds might as well get the benefit of it since that is the kind of food they prefer. Standing in the sun was the appropriate place for the angel to stand where he could make his invitation to the creatures that live above the earth. Revelation 19:18. Of course this is symbolical of the defeat and destruction that is about to be imposed upon Babylon (church and state). Yet it is appropriate to use the symbols named because the conflict is actually to be with kings and their captains and mighty men, and these made use of horses in their warfare. Revelation 19:19. Beast is Babylon and the kings are the inferior rulers under her. All mustered their forces to resist the attack of Christ through the Reformation. Revelation 19:20. The lake of fire for the present is the destruction of Babylon, but in the day of judgment it will be the lake of fire that is unquenchable. The false prophet and miracles are explained at various passages preceding this. Revelation 19:21. The remnant means the straggling individuals who were left as "die-hards" after the beast of Babylon as a unit had been given a death blow by the Reformation.Commentary on Revelation 19:17-21 by Burton CoffmanRev_19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid heaven, Come and be gathered together unto the great supper of God;An angel standing in the sun ... The function of angels as aids in the final judgment is an oft-recurring New Testament phenomenon. See under Revelation 19:14. Come and be gathered together for the great supper of God ... This is the counterpart of the Lord's Supper, or the marriage supper of the Lamb, as it applies to the wicked. Very well, if people who are bidden to the marriage supper will not come, there is another supper prepared for them; and they shall surely be present for it! But why no battle? What happened to Armageddon? The answer provided by Eller for this is: Jesus in his death and resurrection did all that needed to be done, won the only victory that needs to be won, in order to take care of Evil once and for all.[51]Of course, "There is no cavalry kept in heaven, no literal supper of human flesh eaten by the birds."[52] These things must be understood symbolically. Eller pointed out one thing that may be intended. In the extensive attack upon God and the supernatural by the massive hordes of evil men on earth, "It is not the supernatural powers that get eaten, but people."[53][51] Vernard Eller, The Most Revealing Book of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974), p. 178. [52] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 278. [53] Vernard Eller, op. cit., p. 178. Revelation 19:18that 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 thereon, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, and small and great.Inherent in this is the fact that if people choose to live like animals, denying any image of God in themselves, or even that God exists, the final result will bring them to exactly the same end as that of a dead horse. It is the injection of that phrase "and the flesh of horses" which strongly emphasizes this point here. If man was born of evolution, being only material, then he has no more cosmic value than a worm or a dog. We shall not dwell on the revulsion that such an awful scene as this brings to mind. The utter horror of such a holocaust staggers the imagination. One thing should be pointed out: this is exactly the same scene, from a different viewpoint, that was described in Revelation 6:16-17; the same characters are here: kings, captains, mighty men, the bond and the free, the great and the small. It is another presentation (in vision) of the final judgment, described by the apostle John over and over, each picture closing a different prophecy, and each vision covering the same ground between the two Advents. "History attains its end in a complete division of the human race into two groups.."[54] These are the Church which is loyal to her true head, and the world which casts its lot in with evil. "Here we are dealing with the last judgment, nothing else."[55][54] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 282. [55] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 557. Revelation 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army.I saw the beast ... kings ... armies ... These are the same. This is the scarlet sea-beast of the seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 13:1). Note the mention of "the kings"; these are the "ten kings" (Revelation 17:11-17) who hate and burn the harlot (the seventh head of the beast), becoming themselves the eighth head; but this phase of the scarlet beast is relatively short, "one hour" symbolizing an indefinite but short time. There is no way to know whether such a symbol means years, decades, or centuries. All time with reference to eternity is only a day. The total and final end of the scarlet sea-beast is depicted here. How strange, how tragic is this situation in which the kings of earth unite in one terrible effort to destroy the anointed of God. How contrary this revelation is to the dreams of men and the foolish statements of their false prophets, that human society is ever progressing.[56]It appears certain that the prophecy here is of the near endtime, in which period it is prophesied here that wickedness will become very aggressive against righteousness. We find it impossible to disagree with the comment that: Never before has there been such a widespread revolt against all standards of decency and honesty. Never before have religious leaders advocated not only a "new theology" but a "new morality" which flouts God's laws. The stage is being rapidly set for the end of the age.[57]It is this final, terminal opposition of evil to God's will which is here styled a "battle." It will not be a "battle" in any ordinary understanding of the word; but the final conflict will be so severe that it fully deserves the title. This is not the struggle that takes place after Christ comes, but the one that is going on now. "The warfare takes place while Christians are upon earth."[58][56] Wilbur M. Smith. Wycliffe Bible Commentary, New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971). p. 1092. [57] Ralph Earle. Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 608. [58] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 450. Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone:And the beast was taken ... and the false prophet ... The false prophet (the harlot, the land-beast; all three terms refer to the same thing) was destroyed in the judgment scene of chapter 18, and the mention of the same thing being done here, under a different figure, is merely to show that this judgment is exactly the same as that. They two were cast alive into the lake of fire ... There is no way to understand a statement like this as being anything else except a reference to the final judgment of the wicked as foretold by Christ (Matthew 25:41). Note that the destruction of the harlot, here called the false prophet, shall be simultaneous with the destruction of the scarlet sea-beast of Rev 13:1. This means that apostate Christianity will not perish before the final judgment. Both the harlot and the sea-beast (in the form of his eighth head) will be alive and doing a flourishing business when the end comes. Earle likewise stressed the truth that the two beasts of chapter 13 are the same as the beast and the false prophet here.[59] We have also identified the harlot with the second beast (land-beast). Note that John says nothing here of any "battle." "He may mean that there was no battle."[60] Of course, he could hardly mean anything else. And the wrath of the Gentile unsmote by the sword Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord! [59] Ralph Earle, op. cit., p. 608. [60] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 232. Revelation 19:21and the rest were killed by the sword of him that sat upon the horse, even the sword which came forth out of his mouth: and all the birds were filled with their flesh.And the rest were killed with the sword of him ... Of course, that was no literal sword, but a symbol of the word of the Lord. The word alone is all-sufficient for achieving the total purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ. But should not these armies that followed the beast, the kings and the false prophet have also been cast into the lake of fire? "You are right; they were; Revelation 20:15 says so."[61]This particular recapitulation of the warfare between Satan and Christ (Revelation 19:11-21) "has given special attention to the overthrow of the powers of evil."[62] "This covers the same ground as the vision of the seals,"[63] and other parallel visions of this prophecy. The whole pattern will again be repeated in Revelation 20 with another recapitulation of the warfare going on in this dispensation, with the focus upon the overthrow of Satan himself, and ending in exactly the same place all of the recapitulations have ended; namely, at the final judgment of the last day. The chronology of all these parallel visions lies principally between the two Advents of Jesus Christ. [61] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 563. [62] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 450. [63] Ibid. Commentary on Revelation 19:17-21 by Manly Luscombe17 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,…The end is near. For the church, the waiting for the bridegroom is about over. It is almost time for the great supper. The invitations have been sent out. You are invited to get ready. Are your garments white, wrinkle-free, spotless? Are you ready for the wedding? If you have to “ get ready” then you need to get started, NOW! 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.” The time is coming that the army of faithful soldiers of Christ will mete out judgment on the wicked. All kinds of men will be lost - 1) kings, 2) captains, 3) mighty men, 4) free people, 5) slave people, 6) small people, and 7) great people. All those who harmed Christians will be ruined. 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. We are about to see the beast of persecuting governments and the beast of false religions. The civil governments, ruled by the kings of the earth, and their armies try to oppose the King of kings. They will not succeed. 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 who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. Here is what God says will happen to the beast and the false prophet. They are cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. The beast (persecuting civil governments) and false prophets (false religious teachers) are cast in the eternal pit called Hell. Along with them are all who followed them, received the mark of the beast and worshipped his image. 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. Finally all the rest of Satan’ s army are destroyed. This is the end. The three generals have now been defeated. Next is Satan, himself. Sermon on Revelation 19:1-21 The Victorious Christ Brent Kercheville Chapter 18 describes the wailing of the world when the Roman Empire fell. The economic impact of its fall was amazing. The warning was given to God’ s people to come out from the wickedness and worldliness and be separate. God’ s people must maintain holy lives even when the world is full of immorality. Revelation 19 continues to describe the impact of Rome’ s fall. Rejoicing In Heaven (Revelation 19:1-5) John hears what sounds like a great multitude in heaven crying out, “ Hallelujah!” The English word is a transliteration of the Greek word, which in turn is a transliteration of the Hebrew word. It is a compound word. “ Hallel” means praise and “ Jah” is Yahweh. Hallelujah means “ Praise the Lord.” Or as our songbook has it, “ Hallelujah, praise Jehovah.” Praise the Lord because salvation, glory, and power belong to our God. They are praising God because God’ s judgments have been executed. He has judged the great prostitute who has corrupted the earth with her immoralities. He has judged the great prostitute, avenging the blood of his servants. Wickedness will receive its due judgment. We grasp the difficulty of looking at the world who rejects God yet seems to prosper despite its evil acts. Sometimes we cannot understand why the righteous suffer while the wicked succeed. In the context of Revelation we are reading that the servants of God are going to suffer and be slain. Meanwhile those who worship the beast and its image have no consequences whatsoever. They will not die while the Christians will die. For many chapters we have read that those who are in Christ will be victorious and those who worship the beast will be judged. Justice has finally come. Judgment has finally come. Vindication has finally come. God will be just and God will judged. Praise the Lord because the smoke rises forever and ever. The nation has collapsed and the people are judged. Isaiah used the same language of Babylon. Night and day it shall not be quenched; its smoke shall go up forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it forever and ever. (Isaiah 34:10 ESV) The 24 elders and the four living creatures that we read about in Revelation 4 are praising the Lord along with the voice of the great multitude. From the throne we hear the words, “ Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.” These words come from the Hallel section of the Psalms (Psalms 113:1; Psalms 115:13). No words can be better than “ Praise the Lord.” Marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-10) Then the voice of a great multitude has another reason to praise the Lord. The sound is described like the roar of many waters and like the sounds of mighty peals of thunder. Friends, this is quite a loud sound, a nearly terrifying sound. The call is to praise the Lord. Rejoice, exalt, and give God glory because the marriage of the Lamb has come. A wedding is taking place. The Lamb is pictured as the groom. The bride is pictured as the people of God. The bride has made herself ready through their righteous deeds. The people of God have remained pure through this tribulation period, remaining faithful to the Lamb and refusing to worship the beast. This is a picture used in other places in the New Testament to show the relationshipof God’ s people with the Lamb. “ Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27 ESV). Jesus also describes the kingdom of God in terms of a wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-14). This matches the words of the angel in Revelation 19:9, “ Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” These are the true words of God. Being joined to the Lamb is the most important thing and it is the great promise of God to be in relationship with him. Then we reach an interesting part of the narrative. John falls down at the feet of the angel to worship him. However, the angel instructs John not to do that. The angel is also a servant. Worship God. Obviously John knows that we only worship God. I believe he is overcome with the glory and greatness of the message that he falls down in worship. The message the angel has brought is simply amazing! This is likely recorded in Revelation because the second half of this book has been about encouraging Christians to worship the Lamb alone. Do not worship the beast. Do not worship the image of the beast. Do not even worship angels sent from God. Worship God. The testimony given by Jesus is the substance of what the Spirit inspires Christian prophets to speak. The angel is not the source of this awesome prophetic revelation. Jesus is the source. Therefore, worship him. The Victorious Christ (Revelation 19:11-21) Heaven opens and John sees a white horse. Riding on the white horse is one who is called Faithful and True. He judges and makes war in righteousness. As we noted in Revelation 6:2 that the white does not represent purity but victory. In regards to the great multitude in Revelation 7:9, they wear white robes symbolizing victory because of their faithfulness. His eyes are like a flame of fire and on his head are many diadems. He has a name that no one knows but himself. Further, he is clothed in a robe dipped in blood and the name he is called by is The Word of God. The language makes it evident that this is Jesus the Christ. Jesus calls himself the faithful and true witness to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14. The description of eyes being flames of fire is applied to Christ in Revelation 1:14 and Revelation 2:18. Earlier in the book of Revelation we saw Jesus wearing seven crowns. Now he is pictured as wearing diadems. I believe the change of imagery suggests that he is wearing the diadems of the beast because he has conquered the beast. The beast has been vanquished and he is wearing those diadems on his head showing he has conquered it. This fits the rest of the imagery. Revelation 19:11 shows he is the one who makes war in righteousness. Further, his robe is dipped in blood or sprinkled in blood. This imagery comes from Isaiah 63:1-6 showing God trampling the enemies. Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? “ It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.” Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress? “ I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come. I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold; so my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me. I trampled down the peoples in my anger; I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.” (Isaiah 63:1-6 ESV) Following him are the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen that were white and pure. Here comes the armies of the Lord and Christ is the leader on the white horse with his clothing sprayed in blood. Revelation 19:15 reveals messianic imagery. The sharp sword coming out of his mouth was seen in Revelation 1:16. He is going to strike down the nations and rule with a rod of iron. This is a reference to the messianic prophecy in Psalms 2:9 and Isaiah 11:4. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God. We saw this predicted in Revelation 14:17-20. This image of Christ acting in the anger of the Lord against the disobedient nations and peoples. The name written on his robe and thigh is “ King of kings” and “ Lord of lords.” It is interesting that these names are located on his thigh. The thigh was the location of the sword and it was also the place where oaths were made (cf. Genesis 24:2; Genesis 24:9; Genesis 47:29). Revelation 19:17-18 are a graphic, grotesque description of the destruction of the beast. Christ will be victorious. His armies are with him and he will conquer. This graphic is used by the prophet Ezekiel in a prophecy against the nations of the earth called Gog and Magog (which we will read about in Revelation 20). 4 You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes and the peoples who are with you. I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. 17 “ As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: Speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field, ‘ Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feastthat I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth— of rams, of lambs, and of he-goats, of bulls, all of them fat beasts of Bashan. 19 And you shall eat fat till you are filled, and drink blood till you are drunk, at the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you. 20 And you shall be filled at my table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all kinds of warriors,’ declares the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 39:4; Ezekiel 39:17-20 ESV) Before the battle has begun and before anyone joins in the fight the result is certain. At the same time as the evil forces are gathering for battle, the carrion birds are gathering in the air for the inevitable slaughter. The circling of vultures overhead indicates the coming doom. Thus, John looks and sees the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against Christ and his army. This is a reminder from Revelation 16:14 where the kings of the earth were gathering at Armageddon. We noted that gathering at Armageddon symbolized a decisive, catastrophic loss. The loss is decisive and catastrophic. The beast was captured along with the false prophet and are thrown in the lake of fire. The rest are slain by the sword that comes out of the mouth of Christ and all the birds ate their flesh. Notice that there is no battle. Christ’ s victory is immediate. When the sword comes out from Christ’ s mouth, the battle belongs to the Lord and the enemies are crushed. Being thrown alive into the lake of fire seems to indicate the experiencing of the eternal punishment and torment. Revelation 20:10 tells us that the lake of fire is the place of eternal torment. The book of Revelation wants us to clearly understand that Christ is one who has destroyed the beast. Christ is the one who is victorious. Christ is the one who is the Lord of heaven’ s armies. This chapter has a twofold message of encouragement to the Christians, and for us by extension. The marriage to the Lamb has come and we make ourselves ready for this marriage to the Lamb with our righteous acts. Not that we are make ourselves deserving of this great relationship. Rather, we are making the necessary preparations in purity and holiness to be transformed into what God wants us to be. The second message of encouragement is seeing the victorious Christ. Christ has won. Christ rules with all power and might over the nations and peoples of the earth. Do not leave Christ and worship something else. Worship God. Be on the winning team. Those who rebel against Christ are eternally punished in torment. LESSON 23. GOD IS PRAISED AND THE KING OF KINGS APPEARSRead Revelation 19 1. After the fall of Babylon unto whom did the voice of a heavenly multitude ascribe salvation, glory and power? Ans. Revelation 19:1. 2. With what kind of judgment did God judge the great harlot? Ans. Revelation 19:2. 3. Whose blood did he avenge? Ans. Revelation 19:2. 4. What did the heavenly multitude say a second time? Ans. Revelation 19:3. 5. Tell what the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures said and did. Ans. Revelation 19:4. 6. What was said by the voice from the throne? Ans. Revelation 19:5. 7. Describe the voice that uttered the third Hallelujah. Ans. Revelation 19:6. 8. Give two reasons why the heavenly host should rejoice and glorify God at this time. Ans. Revelation 19:7. 9. In what was the wife arrayed? Ans. Revelation 19:8. 10. What is the "fine linen" with which she is clothed? Ans. Revelation 19:8. 11. What was John told to write? Ans. Revelation 19:9. 12. Whose words were these? Ans. Revelation 19:9. 13. Then what did John endeavor to do, and how was he prevented? Ans. Revelation 19:10. 14. Who alone should be worshiped? Ans. Jno. 4: 24; Matthew 4:10. 15. What appeared when the heaven was opened? Ans. Revelation 19:11. 16. Describe the person on the white horse. Ans. Revelation 19:12-13. 17. Who followed him? Ans. Revelation 19:14. 18. What was the weapon of his warfare, and what was the instrument of his rule? Ans. Revelation 19:15. 19. What was his name and where was it written? Ans. Revelation 19:16. 20. What were all the birds commanded to do by the angel standing in the sun? Ans. Revelation 19:17-18. 21. For what purpose did the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gather together? Ans. Revelation 19:19. 22. How were the beast and the false prophet disposed of? Ans. Revelation 19:20. 23. How were the rest destroyed? Ans. Revelation 19:21. FOR CLASS I. Discuss the church as the bride of Christ, paying special notice to the duties and responsibilities implied by the marriage illustration. E.M. Zerr Questions on RevelationRevelation Chapter Nineteen 1. In what place did John hear a great voice? 2. What did they ascribe to God? 3. State their estimate of His judgments. 4. To what judgment did this now refer? 5. What had she corrupted? 6. Tell what vengeance God had effected. 7. What did they again acclaim? 8. What rose up continuany? 9. Who then fell down to worship God? 10. Tell what they proclaimed. 11. From where did a voice come? 12. Ten what it said. 13. What did John next hear? 14. Whose reign did they acknowledge? 15. What did they bid all do? 16. Ten what event was about to happen. 17. What preparation had been made? 18. Tell what grant was made to her. 19. What does the linen represent? 20. Who were to be blessed? 21. Repeat their comment on the sayings of God. 22. At this where did John fall? 23. For what purpose did he do so? 24. Tell what the angel said to him. 25. What is the spirit of prophecy? 26. What did John see in the open heaven? 27. Name its rider. 28. What was his work? 29. On what principle was he acting? 30. Describe his eyes. 31. What were on his head? 32. What secret possession did he have? 33. How was he clothed? 34. State his complete name. 35. Who followed him? 36. How were they clothed? 37. What proceeded from his mouth? 38. Tell what use was to be made of it.· 39. Describe his rule over the nations. 40. Tell what he shall tread. 41. Repeat the name written on his vesture. 42. Where was the angel standing? 43. To what creatures did he cry? 44. State the invitation he made. 45. On what will the guest eat? 46. Whom did John see in a gathering? 47. Tell what they were to do. 48. What was done with the beast? 49. Who was taken with him? 50. What had this person done? 51. Tell what was done with both these. 52. What was done with the remnant? 53. State what was done with their flesh. Revelation Chapter NineteenRalph StarlingMuch people in heaven continued rejoicing, Singing and shouting Alleluia with their voices, For God's judgments are true and righteous. The treatment of the whore was true and right. The 4 and 20 Elders and the 4 beasts said "Amen." Praise God ye servants and ye that fear Him. And there was heard voices as of many waters Thundering Alleluias from many quarters. Now is time for a special event The marriage of the Lamb with God's consent. The Bride was dressed in linen and white, For all who were called to witness the sight. The Lamb was the Christ, God's son. The Bride, His church, the two to be one. The Lamb was received with many a nod, For his name was written, "THE WORD OF GOD." He would go forth with the Word as his swords, For he was to be "King of Kings and Lord of Lords." The Beast and the kings made war against him, But with their prophets &miracles they couldn't win. The Beast and all that were with him were disowned, And were cast into that Lake of fire &brimstone, And those that remained were slain by the Lamb's sword, For the Word is HIS sharp sword not to be ignored. Revelation 20:1-3 SECTION FIVE THE "" AND THE Rev_20:1-15 Revelation 20:1-10 has been made the battle ground for more conflicting theories, perhaps, than any other passage of scripture. This fact suggests caution and modesty in approaching it as commentator. Where so many have fallen must be dangerous ground. A few introductory considerations may aid in reaching satisfactory conclusions. 1. The word "millennium" is not in the. Bible, but by common use has been given a permanent place in religious literature. It is a Latin word, meaning "a thousand years," and is generally substituted for that expression which is used six times in this passage. This is the only place in the Bible where this period is mentioned. If a distinct age in which Christ will reign personally on earth, it is remarkable that neither he nor any of the apostles in their plain teaching said anything about it. Why should so important a matter be mentioned only in a book of symbols and in a highly figurative passage? 2. The popular notion that the millennium is a period of absolute and universal peace, righteousness, and felicity is pure assertion; the word has no such meaning. The assumption is based upon the statement that Satan is to be "bound" during that period, which is supposed to mean literal binding and a complete destruction of his influence. Neither of these conclusions is true. If any wicked people are left on earth in the millennial age, Satan's personal binding would be of no special benefit; for his servants here could still torment and deceive the righteous. The wicked are his "ministers" now (2 Corinthians 11:15), and will be while here. At Christ's coming all the wicked are to be destroyed (Revelation 19:19-21) and the righteous living and dead are to receive immortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.) If he comes to establish the millennium, then there can be no literal kingdom, for there will be none in the flesh either to rule or be ruled. Hence, the literal throne of David idea is false; the passage must be explained figuratively. 3. Many, including some pioneer preachers of the church of Christ, seemed to think the millennium would be introduced and perpetuated by the gospel prevailing over evil; that it would continue to win its way to men's hearts till all evil would be rooted out by the inherent power of the truth. The rapidity with which the restoration work succeeded probably led to this idea but it evidently was a delusion. The notion overlooked the setting of this millennial passage, as well as man's ability to reject any and all kinds of moral influences. The history of mankind for nearly sixty centuries is unmistakably against such a view. 4. Whatever the millennium may be, it precedes the final judgment. This is conceded by all. If the judgment occurs at Christ's coming (a fact taught by the Scriptures), the doctrine that he comes to inaugurate the millennium is of necessity false. Peter makes the "coming of the day of God" the time when the heavens will be dissolved by fire and the elements melt with fervent heat. (2 Peter 3:12.) Paul says Christ will be revealed from heaven "in flaming fire" to render vengeance upon the disobedient and be "glorified in his saints." (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9.) The rewarding of both bad and good will be at the judgment. (2 Corinthians 5:10.) Jesus plainly teaches that both classes will be raised at the same time. (John 5:28-29.) These passages show clearly that the coming of Christ, the resurrection of both righteous and wicked, and the judgment will all occur after the millennium, which renders a thousand years reign of Christ on earth an impossibility. Jesus divides "all that are in their tombs" into two classes those raised to life--eternal salvation--and those raised to judgment--condemnation. The following conclusions are evident: If Jesus comes before the millennium, none can be raised bodily after it; for all are to be raised to be rewarded when he comes. Hence, the theory that only the wicked dead will then be raised is not true. If he comes after the millennium, none can be raised bodily before it, and the view that only the righteous dead will then be raised is also untrue. In either case the premillennial view of this passage is false. This fact will be more fully developed as we examine the language of the text. 6. To know the true setting of this passage is necessary to its correct understanding. The symbols in Revelation 20:1-9 do not reveal events that are to follow chronologically after those of Rev 19:19-21. These verses describe the casting of the beast and false prophet into the "lake of fire"; Revelation 20:10 tells of Satan being cast into the same place--that is, it completes the story partly told in Revelation 19:19-21 and must refer to the same time. The millennial passage is a recapitulation of things described in preceding chapters with different symbols. Reviewing the same periods with changed scenes is common to this book. The seven seals that closed with the end of the world stop with Revelation 11:18. The vision of the pure woman (true church) in her struggles against the dragon, beast, and false prophet, under the emblems of pouring out bowls of wrath, covers practically the same time, and the same final end is shown in Revelation 16:17-21. Next the destruction of the false church, represented as a drunken harlot and a great city, is symbolically pictured in chapters 17 and 18, followed with a song of triumph by the redeemed. (Revelation 19:1-10.) In Revelation 19:11-18 is told the means by which this overthrow of evil is to be accomplished. Finally Revelation 19:19-21 and Revelation 20:10 describe this overthrow and bring us for the third time to the end of the world, for the "lake of fire" in Revelation 20:14 is defined as the "second death." The evident purpose of Rev 20:1-10 is to give a brief review of Satan's overthrow from the time his power was restrained until banished in the lake of fire forever. This recapitulation is appropriate here because it was Satan who did and will furnish the beast and false prophets with the power by which they operate against the truth. Christ's personal coming ends the career of these three enemies; this event is after, not before, the "millennium." 1. THE BINDING OF SATANRev_20:1-3 1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven,--Perhaps it is well to observe again that we are here dealing with a symbolic vision that appeared to John. As noted several times before, the vision and the thing it represents must be kept distinct. As in other visions an angel is the medium of revealing the scenes, which guarantees that true facts are represented. having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.--"Key" represents the angel's authority to open and close doors, but here must mean his right to force Satan to remain in his own place and be restrained from the unlimited use of his power which he had been exercising during the long period of papal usurpation. Being bound with a "great chain" signifies this restraint. No reasonable person will contend that the words "key," "abyss," and "chain" are to be understood literally. All that is necessarily implied is that the followers of Christ would have such protection against Satan's power that they would be free to obey Christ, if they desired. Anything more than this would ignore man's responsibility for his conduct, and make God a respecter of persons. No doctrine that conflicts with these two principles can be true as long as man dwells in the flesh. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, --In the vision John saw the binding actually take place, but the thing it represents was far in the future when he wrote. See notes on Revelation 4:1-2. He figuratively describes the dragon as the "old serpent" which is doubtless an allusion to the serpent in Eden. Then he drops the figure and plainly states that the dragon represents Satan. Beginning with deceiving Eve in the garden, it has been his business to deceive mankind ever since. His effort then was and ever afterward has been to discredit or pervert God's word--make people believe that God does not mean what he says, or means what he does not say. Satan being a spirit, the only "chain" that can effectively bind him--restrain or defeat him--is God's word. In what was the world's greatest battle between right and wrong, Jesus defeated the devil at every turn with "it is written." (Matthew 4.) When God's word has free course in directing human life, theindividual can safely protect himself against any device of Satan. When mankind has the right to use that protection at will, Satan is "bound" in the only way that is consistent with man's nature. Satan's binding does not mean the destruction of all evil; though under restraint, Satan still operates through his angels who pose as ministers of righteousness. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15.) The duration of this binding is stated as a thousand years. Is this a symbolic or literal number? As usual expositors are disagreed. To apply the day-year theory would give the enormous amount of 365,000 years. This appears wholly out of proportion with other numbers in this book that seem to fit the theory. If to be taken literally, the exact beginning and ending of the period could not be fixed definitely. With these difficulties to meet, it seems better to consider it a symbolic number. Other numbers such as 3, 7, 10, and 12 appear to carry a spiritual significance. In Ezekiel 39 we have a description of the overthrow of Gog, and verse 9 says the Israelites should make fires of their weapons for "seven years." Certainly this means the complete destruction of their implements of war, not that it would take seven literal years to burn them. Through Moses God threatened Israel with seven times more, or seven times, punishment if they persistently rebelled against him. (Leviticus 26:18; Leviticus 26:21; Leviticus 26:24; Leviticus 26:28.) Evidently this does not mean exactly seven times, for their sins required punishment far more times than seven. It means that they would be fully punished as their sins deserved. So the definite number-1,000 years--is probably used for a long but indefinite period. "Showing lovingkindness unto thousands" (Exodus 20:6) means showing it to all of the class mentioned ; "thousands of thousands" (5:11) means a countless number. So in this text the word "thousand" most likely means an indefinite length of time, but long enough for the symbols to find complete fulfillment. 3 and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him,--In vision John saw the woman driven into the wilderness for 1,260 day-years (Revelation 12:1-6), yet that did not occur till several centuries later, when the apostate church was fully developed. Shutting and sealing the abyss indicates the certainty of the influence of Satan's power being restrained. The true church apparently disappeared as one does who goes into a wilderness; but, though unseen as an organized body, it still existed in the hearts and lives of individual faithful saints. So Satan during the thousand years has his power restrained, yet he still has through his unseen agents and workers means for deceiving those who are willing. During the 1,260-year period he exercised a practically unlimited power through the papacy and the kingdom it controlled. The millennium--the period of his being bound--must of necessity begin after that power was broken; and, for the same reason, it must have begun when that power was broken. that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished:--As the purpose of the binding was to prevent Satan's deceiving the nations, then the binding would consist in changing the situation which made the deception easily effective. During the papal supremacy the Bible, man's only real protection against the devil's power, was practically taken away from the people. With the Bible removed, it was no trouble for him to deceive the nations by superstition, false miracles, and pretended infallibility. When the Protestant Reformation broke the Roman religious yoke of bondage by giving the Bible back to the people with liberty to read and obey it without human dictation, Satan Was bound in the fair meaning of the text. Through this right has come the privilege of restoring and maintaining apostolic congregations, which is a most fortunate and happy time for those who really desire to be pleasing to God. For emphasis the main thought is repeated. The millennial period is not a time of absolute and universal righteousness upon earth but a time of such restraint of Satan's power that all may have the privilege to serve God as the Scriptures teach, if they so desire. It is a period in direct comparison with the previous one of supreme papal authority. With this view we must conclude that we are now in the millennium. When it will end we do not know. This position, at least, has the plausible advantage of harmonizing with plain facts of religious history and leaves man free and responsible for his own conduct--a thing that must be true while men are in the flesh. That this view may be clearly understood a brief review of the main changes in church history is here repeated. It required about 300 years for the church to pass through the pagan Roman persecutions and receive recognition from the Emperor Constantine. Something over 200 years more were necessary to develop the papacy--Paul's "man of sin." (2 Thessalonians 2:3.) This came through the slow process of corrupting divine truth with the "precepts of men"; or, viewing it from another standpoint, exalting men to unscriptural positions until the bishop of Rome was declared the Universal Bishop of the church. This was followed by the 1,260 years of papal rule, after which began the millennium. Any true interpretation must harmonize with these well-known historical facts. after this he must be loosed for a little time.--That is, after the millennium ends, Satan must be loosed, not permanently, but for a "little time." There is no way to determine how long the "little time" may be, but it is the period that divides the millennium from the final judgment. It may be short in comparison with the 1,000 years, or with the whole history of the church up to that time.Commentary on Revelation 20:1-3 by Foy E.Wallace 1. The angel coming down out of heaven. “ 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”—Revelation 20:1-2. The angel was Christ as a messenger of the gospel. The key to the abyss held by the evil angel in chapter 9:1 had been taken by Christ, signifying his power over death and hades, as stated in Revelation 1:18. The chain represented the very purpose of the gospel to prevent the devil from deceiving men. Bound--not permitted to deceive--signified the triumph of the truth over error. A thousand years--as in all other places where the phrase was mentioned--denoted completeness. Here it had reference to the complete success of the cause over persecutions, and had no reference to a cycle of time. The triumph of Christ over Satan had been fully set forth in Matthew 12:29 and Luke 11:21 in the parable of the strong man’ s house; “ When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth the spoils.” So Jesus did in overcoming Satan and spoiling his goods and bringing to nought his power. So says Paul both in Colossians 2:15 and Hebrews 2:14, as previously shown in this series.2. Satan cast into the abyss. “ 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."—Revelation 20:3. In the vision Satan returned from his prowling to his diabolical abode in ignominious and complete defeat. His abysmal abode was shut by the angel with the key to the bottomless pit that he held; which angel also set a seal upon him, as an authoritative act; such as the seal of state stamped on the documents signed by officials of government. The purpose of this satanic imprisonment was that he should deceive the nations no more--that is, in the idolatry of Caesar-worship, a repetition of the previous symbols of the mark and image of the beast in the heathen emperor worship. The next clause till the thousand years be fulfilled referred to the complete victory over the imperial persecutors, after which Satan was represented as being unleashed to exert influence, not in the form of persecution, but in the spiritual conflict between heathenism and Christianity--a symbolic representation of the upsurge of heathenism. Commentary on Revelation 20:1-3 by Walter ScottSATAN IN THE ABYSS. Revelation 20:1-3. — “And I saw an angel descending from the Heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon,the ancient serpent who is (the) devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the abyss, and shut (it) and sealed (it) over him, that he should not any more deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be loosed for a little time.” The vision before us discloses an event, the natural sequence to that related at the close of the previous chapter, and yet sufficiently distinct to form a separate vision. There are three persons consigned to the lake of fire without trial — the Beast, the False Prophet, and the Assyrian (Isaiah 30:1-33) at the commencement of the millennial reign; also the devil at the close of the reign. Having seen the two chief ministers of Satan,the leaders of the hosts on earth opposed to the Lamb and His saints, (The powers referred to in Zechariah 14:2 and Psalms 83:1-18 are gathered against Jerusalem and the Jews, those in Revelation 19:1-21 are gathered against the Lamb and His heavenly saints. The former have their seat in the east; the latter in the west. Thus there will be two vast hostile camps, in policy and aim opposed to each other. The north-eastern powers will be under Gog and his subordinate the king of the north. The western powers and the chiefs of Europe generally will be under the Beast and his subordinate in political authority the False Prophet or Antichrist.) ignominiously cast alive into the lake of fire, followed by the destruction of their armies, we ask, What about the unseen spiritual being who goaded and lured on to destruction his agents and their followers? Does he escape? No! Summary judgment overtakes him as it did them. They are dealt with on earth by Christ; the devil is the subject of God’ s judgment from on high. The dragon, the real instigator of the rebellion so effectually crushed, is seized upon by an angel from Heaven and chained up in the abyss or bottomless pit. (Abyss signifies deep (Luke 8:31) or bottomless. The word occurs nine times in the New Testament, seven of these in the Apocalypse, one in Luke as we have seen, and the other in Romans 10:7. Out of it the Beast ascends, and into it Satan is cast (Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:3). The abyss is a place, but the locality is undetermined.) He will be sent to join his followers in the lake of fire a thousand years after. He has yet other work to do on earth, but till then he is shut up and prevented from doing further mischief. It must be borne in mind that Satan, from the time of his expulsion from the heavens (Revelation 12:9), is on the earth unseen by mortal eye, but actually on the earth, blighting, destroying, and ruining everything which has the semblance of standing for God. Thus the angel, the minister of his punishment, is witnessed by the Seer “ descending from the Heaven.” Satan is seized on earth. It is a reality, although no human eye may witness it. The angel has the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. One need scarcely insist upon the symbolic character of the scene, for that seems evident on the surface. The figures, however, of the key and chain surely denote that God is supreme even over the satanic region of the abyss. Thus instrumentally, by angelic agency, He locks (the key) up Satan and binds him (the chain) secure in the abyss for a thousand years. (The key of the bottomless pit in Revelation 9:2 is to open it; in Revelation 20:1 to close it.) His liberty is curtailed and his sphere of operation narrowed. He is effectually curbed and restrained from doing further mischief on the earth until his prison door is unlocked (v. 7). Until the fall (Genesis 3:1-24) Satan’ s place was on high; consequent on the introduction of sin into the world the Heavens and earth were the enlarged sphere of his operations; then on his expulsion from the heavenly places the earth and the abyss are in a manner given over to him; now, as we have just seen, he is shut up in the abyss, confined there during the millennial reign; then for a brief season he is once more permitted to work his will on the earth, and seduce the nations from their nominal allegiance to Christ glorified and reigning; finally he is cast into the lake of fire for ever and ever. The names of the dragon are mentioned in the order in which they occur in Revelation 12:9. There, however, he is termed “ the great dragon.” As the dragon he is the embodiment of cruelty. As the serpent he is the personification of guile. As the devil he is the arch tempter of men. As Satan he is the declared opponent of Christ and His people. (For a fuller elucidation of these names see remarks on Revelation 12:8.) The term “ dragon” represents a real historical entity, an actual living person with whom every responsible creature on earth has to do. His power and presence are, of course, controlled and limited, as he is but a creature, but his agents are so numerous and diversified, and increasingly active in their master’ s service, that some have gone the length of claiming for Satan the attributes of omnipotence and omniscience. These, however, are divine attributes, and necessarily belong to the Creator alone. The dragon is seized and cast into the pit, which is then locked up and sealed “ over him” (see R.V.). The seal affixed to the stone “ upon the mouth of the den of lions” (Daniel 6:17), as also upon the stone rolled to the door ofthe sepulchre (Matthew 27:60; Matthew 27:64; Matthew 27:66), intimates that the judicial and governing authority pledged itself to retain in secure custody its prisoner. The door of the abyssis securely fastened. Revelation 20:3. — No “more deceive the nations (Probably there is special reference to the deception used in gathering the nations as such to Armageddon (Revelation 16:13-14; Revelation 20:8).) until the thousand years were completed.” The career of Satan from his first connection with the human race (Genesis 3:1-24) till his imprisonment in the abyss has been one of cruel, heartless deception. He has falsified the character of God; he has blinded the minds of men to the nature of sin and to its eternal consequences, and has so misrepresented the Gospel that millions are morally ruined by the ready acceptance of that which is “ another gospel.” “ The whole world lieth in the evil one” is indeed a sweeping declaration (1 John 5:19, R.V.). This solemn statement is in no wise exaggerated. The race in its then living entirety, save the elect, is at the last gathered under the banner of Satan, only to find out when too late that all have been miserably deceived (Revelation 20:7-9). A YEARS. The term a “thousand years” occurs in our chapter six times (vv. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). Three out of the number are connected with Satan; two of them assert the reign of the saints with Christ; the sixth intimates the period between the resurrection of the saints and that of the wicked. All these six occurrences of the period a thousand years refer to the same time, but, of course, viewed in different connections, and, in our judgment, should be regarded not in any symbolic sense, but as describing an exact and literal denomination of time. The term THE as a designation referring to the period of the Lord’ s reign — public and personal with His saints — over the earth is gathered from this chapter. According to Jewish reasoning the six millenniums drawing to a close answer to the six days in which the heavens and earth were made, the seventh sabbatic day of rest looking forward to that long and blessed Sabbath of a thousand years. “ There remaineth therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9, R.V.). Revelation 20:3. — “After these things he must be loosed for a little time.” A group of connected events precede the loosing of Satan. “ After these things” refers to more than the imprisonment in the abyss. After the destruction of Babylon, after the marriage of the Lamb, after the war on earth, after the utter rout and destruction of the Beast,the False Prophet, and their armies, and after the binding of the dragon and sealing of the abyss and Satan’ s long captivity of a thousand years he is “ loosed for a little time.” There are two brief periods in the coming crisis connected with the career of Satan, in both of which he displays unusual activity. First, from his expulsion from Heaven till chained in the abyss; second, from his release out of the abyss till cast into the lake of fire. Commentary on Revelation 20:1-3 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 20:1. Bottomless pit is from ABUSSOS which means the place in Hades where angels are cast when they sin and where wicked men go when they die. Revelation 20:2. In this verse the four words serpent, dragon, Devil and Satan are applied to the same being, so that we need have no doubt as to the one who is meant. Thousand years is a figurative expression that is not bound by the calendar- In symbolic language the Bible does not restrict itself to exact mathematical values of the numbers mentioned. Sometimes the period will be longer and at others it will be shorter. I shall cite one or two examples by way of illustration on the matter of this use of figurative time. In Daniel 9:24 a prediction is made of seventy weeks and we know it actually means 490 years. In chapter 6:11 of our book the phrase little season really was to be until the Reformation which was several centuries in the future. The angel bound Satan with the chain mentioned in the preceding verse, and the chain was the Bible that was to be given back to the people in their own language. That chain bound him from the nations, which means the heads of the nations were able to see their rights by the information of the Book and realized that the devil had been deceiving them. When that occurred they resisted him and that chained him from them. Revelation 20:3. Cast him into the bottomless pit is symbolical of the restrictions that were placed upon Satan as to his influence over nations, for he has been there personally all the time. The restrictions were caused by the chain of the Bible that had been placed IL, he possession of the national leaders. (See again the note at beginning of this chapter.) These restrictions were to continue as long as the leaders of nations and other heads of the channels of thought continued their active defense of the Book. Knowing that human weakness would assert itself causing a letting down of the activities for the truth, the Lord saw the advantage it would give Satan and that he would again come out in his fight against the Bible. Hence it is stated that after the thousand years were expired--after the restrictions of the Bible had weakened due to the loss of activities of the professed friends of truth--Satan would be loosed a little season. This little season is the same as the "battle" of verse 8 which will be discussed at that place. Commentary on Revelation 20:1-3 by Burton CoffmanRev_20:1 The interpretation of this chapter is largely determined by the view already taken of the preceding chapters. After the introductory letters to the seven churches, the vision of the final judgment has already appeared six times in the preceding chapters: In the relation of the seals (Revelation 6:12-17). In the relation of the trumpets, the judgment of the world city (Revelation 11:14-19). In the harvest of the earth (Revelation 14:14-20). At the pouring out of the vials of wrath (Revelation 16:12-20). In the judgment of the harlot (Revelation 18:21-24). In the judgment of the scarlet beast (Revelation 19:19-21). From this, it should naturally be expected that the seventh and final presentation of the judgment should describe the overthrow of the devil himself; and that is exactly what is depicted in this chapter (Revelation 20:7-15). There is only one judgment day visible in the entire Bible; and these seven views of it are all descriptive of one and the same event. Each of the seven sections of this prophecy (classified according to the judgment scenes) is a recapitulation in the chronological sense, all of the prophecies principally relating to the time between the two Advents of Christ. Beginning back in Revelation 12:1, the three great enemies of Christ were introduced in successive visions: (1) the dragon, identified as Satan himself; (2) the sea-beast with seven heads and ten horns, identified as persecuting government; and (3) the land-beast, later identified as the harlot, and still later as the false prophet, identifiable throughout as false religion, first as paganism, then as apostate Christianity and the derivatives of it. Significantly, in this prophecy, all three of these great enemies are vanquished in reverse order: the harlot (Revelation 18), the sea-beast (in his final form of the "ten kings," the eighth head) (Revelation 19), and the devil (Revelation 20). All of these enemies perish in the lake of fire simultaneously. And this is a good place to pay some particular attention to the "lake of fire." "THE LAKE OF FIRE" Like practically everything else in Revelation, this is not literal, because the same terror is envisioned as a pool, or river of blood two hundred miles long (Revelation 14:20), the total silence and inactivity of being found "no more at all" (Revelation 18:21-24), and the innumerable dead bodies of the kings, captains, mighty men, small and great, etc., with the birds gorging themselves upon their flesh, as well as upon the flesh of animals (horses)! None of these figures is literal; yet, strangely enough, the "lake of fire" seems generally to be construed as a literal reality. Of course, it could be! But, as we have pointed out before in this series, the figures which are used to describe this reality, whatever it is, do not fit neatly into any patent description of it. Christ called it an "outer darkness" (Matthew 8:12; Matthew 22:13; Matthew 15:30), "eternal fire" (Matthew 25:41), "hell, the unquenchable fire" (Mark 9:44), "hell, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:48). In this latter reference, Jesus seems to have referred to the valley of Hinnom, the New Testament Gehenna, which was the garbage dump of Jerusalem. It is clear enough that no imaginable visualization can include all these figures. Therefore, we do not think it is profitable to offer any description of this terrible place of eternal punishment. The thought that overwhelms us is, "How utterly unspeakable and absolutely terrible must be a punishment which requires such metaphors to represent it!" Recognizing that this language does indeed seem to be metaphorical affords no relief. The reality is always greater than the symbol of it! This chapter describes the overthrow of Satan in hell; but the harlot is not first destroyed, then the beast, then the devil; they all continue alive and operative until the last and all go down together. Nevertheless, this chapter relates particularly to Satan's overthrow and to the nature and extent of his opposition to God throughout the whole Christian period. It is not a description of the church's fortunes on earth, except as they are related to the overthrow of the devil. The "thousand years" mentioned six times in Revelation 20:1-7 relate to the limitations which God imposed upon Satan throughout the Christian age and have no reference at all to the so-called "millennium" of popular fancy. Due to the widespread false theories regarding this, we have included here a special study of it. THE . The history of the doctrine. The first millennarians were the heretics who troubled the church of Thessalonica with their theory that "the day of the Lord is just at hand" (2 Thessalonians 2:2); and the canonical 2Thessalonians was dispatched by the apostle Paul for the express purpose of refuting them. During the first three centuries of the Christian era, the theory recurred in various forms a number of times. Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and other notables were premillennarians of varying degrees. Some of their speculations would put modern millennialists to shame: The elders that saw John, the disciple of the Lord, state that they heard him say how the Lord used to teach in regard to those times (the millennium) and say: The days will come when vines shall grow, each having ten thousand branches, and each branch ten thousand twigs, and each twig ten thousand shoots, and each shoot ten thousand clusters, and in every cluster ten thousand grapes; and every grape would yield twenty-five meters of wine![1]As is so often true, one extreme begets another, and the wild millennial theories of the Ante-Nicene period were destroyed in the "spiritualized" speculations of Augustine and Origen. Origen invented the doctrine of purgatory, and Augustine came up with original sin and total hereditary depravity. Origen was of the third century and Augustine of the fourth; and, after the fourth century, premillennarianism became a dormant heresy, dormant, but not dead. It sprang to life again in the 19th century, due to: (1) a revival of interest in studying the Scriptures; (2) the marvelous scientific advancements; and (3) the special activity of Satan which always appears with renewed preaching of the truth. This was the period that saw the epochal work of Stone, Kelly, Smith, Campbell, Scott, and many others. By the year 1843, the premillennarian prophet William Miller had over one million followers at a time when the total population of North America was only 16,000,000. He announced the end of the world in 1831, which was followed by an unusual meteorite shower on November 13,1833. That display of "the falling stars" confirmed the faith of many in Miller, as did also a comet in 1844. After several recalculations, he finally set the date of the End for October 23,1844. Incredible numbers of people disposed of all earthly possessions and streamed out of Boston, Philadelphia, and other cities to the countryside to see the great event. Some wore white ascension robes; and one prominent Philadelphian in a white robe calmly stepped out of a third-story window to fly to heaven. Some tried to make it from high bridges. In Worcester, Massachusetts, a respectable citizen wearing turkey wings tried to make it from the top of an elm tree. Thousands crawled around on their knees with others on their backs in imitation of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on an ass! When the sun rose with the world still intact, Miller's followers, with their robes damp and dirty, made their sorrowful return to homes and businesses, if fortunate enough to have either left. Old, weary, and tired, Miller checked and rechecked his calculations for several years and then died still wondering. It does seem that such a disaster would have given other "prophets" pause; but Uriah Smith, Charles T. Russell, and "Judge" Rutherford took up where Miller left off. The world would come to an end every few years. Sensational leaflets announcing that "millions now living will never die" were placed in every home in the United States announcing the end of the world in 1914, later "revised" to 1919. Finally, Rutherford decided that "it did end"! in 1914. His followers, Jehovah's Witnesses, still preach that it did![2]II. Complexity of the doctrine. Two separate systems of millennarianism are pre-millennarianism and post-millennarianism, as related to the coming of Christ. The "pre's" believe Christ will come before the millennium, and the "post's" believe the millennium will occur first. The "pre" type is more common. Here is an incomplete summary of what is taught: 1. At the start of the millennium, Christ will literally return to earth and personally take charge of all things for literally one thousand years. 2. He will reign from Jerusalem on the literal throne of David. 3. The righteous dead shall be raised with immortal bodies to help the Lord reign over people with normal bodies. 4. The Lord will personally convert the whole world, who, though they reject the gospel, will receive him. 5. After 1,000 years, the Lord will suddenly turn the devil loose, and the Great Tribulation will follow. 6. The righteous will be caught up (the Rapture) to escape all this. 7. There will be a series of judgments ranging from two to seven, depending on the form of the theory believed. 8. During the Great Tribulation, Enoch and Elijah, who never died, will return to earth, preach Christ, suffer martyrdom, and then be raised from the dead and go on preaching! 9. The Jews will all be converted and rally around Christ in Jerusalem. Rejecting the gospel, they will nevertheless accept Christ! 10. The church becomes a step-child, or a concubine, in all millennially related speculations. It will be totally swallowed up in the glories of the millennium. 11. Resurrections are as plentiful as judgments, depending on the shade of the heresy advocated. 12. Some even assert that the wicked dead will rise and be given a second chance to accept Christ. These are only a few of the "stock in trade" speculations of millennarians, and are merely typical. In all probability, this summary does not accurately represent the views of any particular brand of it. III. Present status of the heresy. Some form of this speculation is today the accepted doctrine of countless thousands. It is not confined to denominational groups, but cuts across all party lines and labels. Whole congregations of many Protestant churches have been swallowed by it. The widespread de-emphasis of the importance of Christ's church stems, in part, from this heresy. Many books and study systems, and even some Bibles (notably, Scofield) and countless preachers are busy spreading this false doctrine. Some churches have lost all denominational identity, except that of the millennial label. The error is widespread, active, aggressive, and endemic. IV. Doctrinal refutation. As Milligan wrote, "Millennialism is liable to sundry very grave objections, some of which seem to me to be wholly unanswerable."[3] "This whole scheme is in my judgment, and not in mine only, but in that of the vast majority of believing Bible students of all the ages, entirely untenable.[4] "All of the creeds of the Christian church, ancient or modern, Catholic or Protestant, are amillennarian (non-millennarian). Chiliasm has not found recognition in any one of them."[5] What are the objections? Objections: 1. It is based upon a literalism of Rev 20:1-7, a passage which should be interpreted symbolically. It is ridiculous to suppose that the devil could be caught and tied with a literal chain and imprisoned in a pit with no bottom in it! 2. The literal return of Christ to earth could not add anything to him who already has "all authority" in heaven and upon earth (Matthew 28:18-20). Christ is already seated on the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1); bringing him back to earth and placing him in a literal throne in Jerusalem would be more than the equivalent of demoting a five-star general to the grade of private. 3. The physical and liberal return of Christ to earth would cancel and nullify all the benefits of his ascension. He said, "It is expedient for you that I go away; for, if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you" (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit could not operate if Christ were literally on earth. His return would mean the end of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 4. His physical, literal return would cancel and deny his office as the holy high priest of our sacred religion. "Now, if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all" (Hebrews 8:4). 5. When Christ comes again, he will give the kingdom back to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:22-24). The Second Advent will be the occasion when Christ ends his reign, not when he begins it. 6. Christ is now reigning on David's throne (Acts 2:30-31). The only possible objection to this is that it places David's throne in heaven; but that is exactly where the Old Testament says it would be (Psalms 89:35-37 KJV). 7. The whole system belittles the church, a view flatly contradicted by Ephesians 3:21; Acts 20:28, etc. 8. It denies the power of the gospel. The gospel cannot save people, especially the Jews, but Christ can! When Christ comes, it will not be to convert anybody, but to judge the ungodly sinners who rejected his gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:8). 9. Such speculations deny the truth that "no man knoweth the day, nor the hour, of our Lord's return" (Matthew 24:36). One may only marvel at the gullibility of people who trust some "prophet" who pretends that he knows. 10. The whole complex of multiple resurrections and judgments prevalent in all phases of this heresy is contrary to the plain words of the whole Bible. There is only one literal resurrection of the dead and only one judgment, repeatedly referred to by Christ as "the judgment." Scofield Bible fabricates multiple judgments; but this is a perversion of the sacred Scriptures. 11. The millennial heresies, whether "pre" or "post," deny the many New Testament passages (1 Corinthians 10:11; Acts 2:16-17, etc.) which designate the current era as "the last days." 12. The millennialists read into Revelation 20 an immense amount of material that does not belong there.[6]13. There is not a word in the entire Bible about any "Millennium," except as it is imported into the first seven verses of this chapter. 14. The many theories constructed on these verses are mutually contradictory and destructive of each other. There is no generally accepted or agreed upon theory of a millennium. Thoughtless and reckless indeed is the man who can devote his time, money, study, talent, and teaching to that which at best is an uncertain and illusive theory, and one that practically the entire company of Christian scholarship of all ages and shades of belief have found it utterly impossible to accept. In a word, the theory is absolutely preposterous and ridiculous. We not only reject all millennial theories, but also the supportive interpretations which have been concocted in order to bolster them. Such things as the Great Tribulation, the Rapture, the Resurrection of the Martyrs in a separate resurrection, which have no proof at all in the New Testament, are among the concepts rejected. [1] J. C. Ayer, Jr., Source Book of Ancient Church History (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons). [2] See Reader's Digest, January 1943, for many of these details. [3] Robert Milligan, The Scheme of Redemption (St. Louis: Bethany Press, 1960), p. 571. [4] Albertus Pieters, Studies in the Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1954), p. 295. [5] Ibid., p. 311. [6] Albertus Pieters, op. cit., p. 296. And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. (Revelation 20:1) An angel coming down out of heaven ... This angel is not Christ; one nameless angel is all that Christ needed to dispatch Satan finally and irrevocably. Having the key of the abyss ... "In all the places where abyss is used (Revelation 9:1; Revelation 2:11; Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8, including Luke 8:31), the word signifies the present abode of Satan and his angels, not the place of their final punishment."[7] In only one New Testament passage, does it mean anything different (Romans 10:7). The "key" here indicates that, "Power is given to this angel over Satan during the time of the world's existence."[8]And a great chain, in his hand ... The Greek text here is literally "upon his hand" (ASV margin), and this corresponds to the word of God being "upon the hand" of the angel in Revelation 10:2. Thus the chain is seen to be the word of God. Who can conceive of any other "chain" that would restrain and control the activity of Satan? One little word of Christ is enough to bind Satan for a thousand years. Hendriksen also identified this passage with 12:7-9, where another scene of Satan's restraint is given.[9] There also the period of binding is the entire Christian age; and this is the key to understanding the meaning of the 1,000 years in this passage. In that passage, the woman was protected from Satan a thousand, two hundred and three score days, the same period as the binding about to be related here, meaning in both cases the whole Christian age. [7] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 470. [8] Ibid. [9] William Hendriksen, More than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956), p. 221. Revelation 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,Dragon ... serpent ... devil ... and Satan ... Note the fourfold name of the evil one. This ties in with the 12th chapter where this quadruple designation first occurs (Revelation 12:9), and where are also mentioned the 1,260 days. Neither the 1,000 years here nor the 1,260 days there should be literalized. Both refer to the same period of time, all the time between the two Advents of Christ. And bound him for a thousand years ... "This means during the entire gospel age."[10] The effective binding of Satan took place in the events of the Incarnation. Satan had already been thrown out of heaven (Revelation 12:7-9); therefore, it is some more restricted phase of Satan's binding that is revealed here. The "binding" here is exactly that referred to in Matthew 12:29, where Jesus said, concerning his salvation of people, "How can one enter into the house of the strong man (Satan) and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man?" Every saved person since Christ carne is proof of Satan's being bound throughout the whole period of anybody's being saved "in Christ." Not one soul could ever have been saved unless Satan had first been bound. But people will say, "Well, if Satan is bound now, I would sure hate to see him loosed!" Maybe Christ knows Satan a lot better than people who talk like that. The world itself will probably not stand a month when Satan is finally loosed "a little while." Just how is Satan bound? He is bound in that he cannot destroy the Bible; he cannot tempt a child of God more than he is able to bear; God makes a way of escape with every temptation, etc. See more on this in my Commentary on Matthew, p. 172. Pieters mentioned this interpretation as being favored by Morris, Lenski, Warfield, Masselink, Milligan, etc., adding that, "There is truth in it."[11] We find any other view untenable. The period of Satan's binding is coextensive in every particular with the times when people are being saved by obeying the gospel. Again, to paraphrase Christ's question, "How could Christ save anyone at any time when Satan was not bound?" (Matthew 12:29). [10] Ibid. [11] Albertus Pieters, op. cit., p. 299. Revelation 20:3and cast him into the abyss and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time.Cast him into the abyss ... shut it ... sealed it ... This merely stresses the effectiveness of the binding and restraint of the devil by divine power. The shutting and sealing are only the inert trappings of the metaphor. Until the thousand years should be finished ... The gospel age will finally close; and when the last person to accept the Son of God shall have done so, that age will end. That he should deceive the nations no more ... The contrast between the gospel age and the pre-Christian hardening of the Gentiles, as expounded by Paul in Romans 1, is in view here. Satan has never again achieved the complete mastery over the nations which characterized his domination of the pre-Christian Gentile world. This cannot mean that no individual will ever again be deceived by Satan; it merely means that the blessed knowledge of the truth shall always be available for those who truly desire and will receive it. This cannot deny that many shall be deceived because they reject the truth, not through being deceived, but with their eyes wide open, just like Adam sinned. Having rejected it through a moral decision against it, they will then receive the "strong delusion" of 2 Thessalonians 2:11. After this, he must be loosed for a little time ... Some respected scholars identify the "little time" here with the whole dispensation, the "loosing" being applied to Satan's operations against the vast majority who reject the truth, and the "binding" being applied to the effectual restraint of Satan as far as the righteous are concerned. The time-periods, a little time, and a thousand years, are therefore qualitative and not relative. However, we believe that the "little time" mentioned here means literally a brief period, beginning at the point after which God shall have finally achieved the full salvation of the total number of the redeemed, and lasting only a relatively very short while. Satan will be "loosed" without any restraint whatever during that brief period. Due to all that is revealed of Satan's nature in the Bible, it cannot be supposed that the race of man, or the whole world, would continue very long after such an eventuality. See more on this in CMY, pp. 129-134. We must point out that in such an interpretation we might indeed have fallen into the constant danger that assails all commentators on Revelation, that of literalism. That some things in the prophecy are literal is certain; but just which are, and which are not, cannot always be accurately judged. Our interpretation of this requires the construction of "little while" in a literal sense, contrary to the generally figurative nature of the whole prophecy. However, there are a number of other examples of the same necessity throughout Revelation. Summarizing our interpretation of Rev 20:1-3, we have given the following meanings to the symbols: The abyss is the present abode of Satan on the earth. The key is the angel's authority from God. The chain is the word of God. The dragon and serpent is Satan. The 1,000 years is the gospel age. Deceiving the nations no more means that the availability of the truth shall not fail from the earth. The binding of Satan refers to the limitations imposed upon the devil regarding his hurting the righteous (Matthew 12:29). The binding of Satan took place in the events of the Incarnation of Christ (Matthew 12:29). The loosing of Satan "a little while" refers to the ravages of Satan when all men at least finally reject the truth. Before going on, we shall notice some of the pertinent observations by various scholars on this famous passage: The millennial theories are merely the revamping of the old Jewish dream that the Jews would dominate the whole world.[12] The origin of millennialism is not Christian, but is to be found in certain Jewish beliefs about the Messianic age which were common after 100 B.C.[13] This chapter describes not a millennium of the saints but the overthrow of Satan.[14] The binding of Satan and the casting of him into the abyss mean that during the gospel age Satan is unable to prevent the extension of the church.[15] This passage is parallel to 2 Thessalonians 1:8, indicating that the binding of Satan extends to the Second Advent.[16] How long will this "little while" be? Merely long enough for Satan to gather his host and for the fire out of heaven to destroy them.[17] John never thinks of Satan as having a free hand. Again and again, "is given" was used when he speaks of any authority to do evil.[18] From these verses we must conclude that we are now in the millennium.[19]Perhaps the greatest single obstacle to seeing the 1,000 years as a figure of our own age is the consecutive or sequential view of the several sections of this prophecy. To be sure, if Revelation is interpreted as giving a consecutive, chronological series of events throughout history, the fact of our just having had a view of the final judgment at the end of Revelation 19, would then have to mean that this binding of Satan, etc., comes after the judgment. In our interpretation, Satan was cast into hell (the lake of fire) in Revelation 19:20; and that forces the understanding that the events of this chapter took place before that event. If not, will someone kindly explain to us how Satan got out of hell? This same problem exists in all the other sections of this prophecy concluded by visions of the final judgment; and, to us, this absolutely requires us to see not consecutive events in the prophecy, but repeated recapitulations in the seven sections. Another great impediment to the acceptance of our interpretation of the millennium here was thus stated by Wilbur M. Smith: If this war-ridden age of anarchy and atheistic communism is the Millennium, then the hopes created by the word of God must be abandoned.[20]No doubt, many others feel the same way; and we have the utmost sympathy for those who are "hung up" on dreams of a Utopia on earth, where all shall be peace and light for an incredibly beautiful Golden Age; but, if the people who are thus deluded, can bear to hear, there are no promises of any such thing in the New Testament. We must through "many tribulations" enter into the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22); we must "suffer with him" (Romans 8:17); all of the godly "shall suffer persecutions" (2 Timothy 3:12); all who follow Christ must "take up their cross daily" (Luke 9:23), etc. We could cite a hundred other such passages in the New Testament. Where did all this nonsense come from, anyway, that envisions that "Glorious Millennium" with the lemonade pools and the big rock candy mountain? People overwhelmed with such "hopes" did not get them out of the word of God, but out of the vain speculations of men. The very idea that for an entire, literal thousand years Christians shall be exempt from the sorrows, temptations, and tribulations of life is utterly foreign to the sacred Scriptures. The popular view of the millennium leaves out the essential quality of suffering in the Christian life. Back of the popular view of the millennium is a false, carnal view of salvation. The heresy eliminates tribulation by putting it in what they call the Great Tribulation and then rescuing the church from it by means of a so-called Rapture. The whole scheme is ingenious but absolutely wrong. There is no Great Tribulation in this prophecy, or anywhere else in the whole New Testament. There will be great tribulations, of course, many of them; and, in a real sense, the entire gospel age might be called "the great tribulation"; but no isolated event or series of events in history may be so designated. People unconsciously tend to materialize the blessings in Christ. Some scholars even make the elevation of Constantine the Great to the throne of Rome the beginning of the millennium. Instead, it was the beginning of the inundation of the church by the world and one of the major steps toward the great apostasy and the onset of the Dark Ages. Yes, the elevation of Constantine was a great victory for Christians, but it did not mean that they were through with Satan; it heralded merely a change in Satan's strategy. [12] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 570. [13] William Barclay, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 187. [14] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 471. [15] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 226. [16] Michael Wilcock, I Saw Heaven Opened (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1975), p. 190. [17] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit. p. 577. [18] Leon Morris, Tyndale Commentaries, Vol. 20, The Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 236. [19] John T. Hinds, A Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), p. 272. [20] Wilbur M. Smith, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 1095. Commentary on Revelation 20:1-3 by Manly Luscombe1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;…After the judgment of the immoral mother of harlots, the persecuting governments and the false religious teachers, Satan has no defense left. He is left alone. This chapter describes his fate. An angel appears with a great key chain. A key on the chain is the key to the door of the bottomless pit. This angel grabs Satan, and binds him for a thousand years. If the thousand years is symbolic of the Christian Age, then, some will ask, in what way is Satan bound? Is Satan bound today? Absolutely! 1. The word “ bound” means to restrict. One might put a dog on a leash and tie it to a tree. The dog can move. He can run around. But, his area of activity is limited. This is the intent of the text here. 2. Satan is limited is several ways. He is not able to control God’ s people. We have the power to resist Satan and he will flee from us. (James 4:7) Satan is not able to threaten us with death. Christ overcame death, and Satan. (Hebrews 2:14) Before the cross of Christ there was no forgiveness of sins. Death (spiritual death) reigned supreme. Satan ruled the world until the death of Christ. The death of Christ pulled down his hold over man. 3. It has been observed that, during the lifetime of Jesus and the apostles, Satan was allowed to possess people. However, after the age of miracles ended, Satan has been restricted in his power and control 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. He is “ tied to the tree” by being cast into this pit. He is limited. He is on a short leash. He can only harm those that come close to him and allow him to harm them. We are reminded that we have the power to resist Satan. (1 Peter 5:8-9) Satan wants us to come near to him. We have the power to walk away. Revelation 20:4-6 2. THE Rev_20:4-6 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them:--In the vision John saw thrones and persons sitting upon them, and describes in the next statement who they were. The word "judgment" is evidently used in the sense of rule which is the idea implied in the word "thrones." It means that those whom John saw were reigning in some sense. The particular sense will be discovered in the remainder of the paragraph. It is clear from the language that verses 7-10 logically followed verse 3 to complete the story begun with Revelation 19:19. The narrative is interrupted at verse 3 and this paragraph is interposed to describe things that would transpire during the thousand years which had just been mentioned. It is an explanation of how Satan's binding, the first big event in his overthrow, would affect the church during the millennial period. Both judge and rule carry the idea of authority to command, approve, or condone. One can reign in a secondary sense when he is authorized to state or enforce the laws of the actual ruler. In this sense the apostles rule under Christ as our king. He conferred upon them the right to express the conditions of pardon which he gave them--thus to remit and retain sin. (John 20:21-23.) In harmony with this is the reply of Jesus to Peter's question in Matthew 19:27-28. He said: "Ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." "The regeneration" means the Christian dispensation--that is, the time when men can be regenerated or born again. The apostles had followed Jesus; hence, they were given the right to rule by his authority. There can be no mistake about this, for in Luke 22:28-30, a parallel text, Jesus said he appointed them a kingdom "that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom." This refers to the Lord's Supper and shows that the apostles were in the kingdom while they lived on earth. If so, then they sat upon the thrones and judged while on earth. But Jesus said they would do this while he was sitting upon the throne of his glory. This incidentally shows that Jesus began his reign on Pentecost, as taught in Hebrews 10:12, 1 Corinthians 15:25, and disproves his supposed millennial reign on earth. There is also a figurative sense in which Christians may rule: either by influencing others to correct living, or to condemn by implication the disobedient through faithfulness to God. Such is the teaching of Mat 5:16 Hebrews 11:7. Nothing is more certain than that the lives of men, both good and bad, continue to rule in the hearts and lives of others long after death. See Revelation 2:26-27; Revelation 14:13; Hebrews 11:7. It is a solemn thought to know that the final salvation or damnation of men can depend upon how their lives, as examples, have ruled over others and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand;--This tells who were sitting upon the thrones. The definite statement is that John saw "souls"; no mention whatever of "bodies." Selecting the term "souls" could not have been accidental, and certainly indicates that the resurrection in this passage is not that of bodies. This alone is fatal to the idea that Jesus will come personally at the beginning of the 1,000 years. By a figure of speech soul sometimes stands for the whole man, but in such passage a soul in the body --a living man--is clearly indicated. See Acts 2:41; Acts 27:37. The Greek word for soul (psyche) often means life, as the following texts will show: Matthew 6:25; Matthew 10:25; Matthew 16:26-27. The "souls" John saw symbolically represented the lives of the classes which he immediately mentions. They reign with Christ because their lives are imitated by saints on earth who, like themselves, would die before becoming traitors to the faith, or by accepting false doctrines. Those on the thrones are further described as "souls" of those who had been "beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God," which means they had been killed because of their belief in Christ and refusal to deny him or God's word. Beheading, which was a common form of dispatching the condemned, probably stands for all kinds of martyrdom. It may be questioned whether the whole description here applies to martyrs only, or includes a second class of such as would not worship the beast and his image and refused to receive his "mark." The grammatical construction will allow either view; hence, neither one can be declared as absolutely certain. It is immaterial, however, which is accepted; for in either case they were saints who distinguished themselves by enduring persecution or death for the church. Only the lives of servants of God who have distinguished themselves would fit the symbol of reigning spiritually for a thousand years. Another distinguishing feature of these who are here said to reign is the fact that the thing which gave them their position is that they resisted the power and influence of the beast. They must have lived then before Satan was bound--that is, when the apostate church exercised supreme power. Their millennial reign is put in direct contrast with the period in. which they suffered. This is no mean proof that the millennium--time when Satan is bound--began when the papacy lost its supreme power. This is also proof of two important facts --namely, that we are now in the millennium and that Christ did not come at its beginning. On the "mark" of the beast see notes on 13:16, 17. and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.--"They lived" does not mean that souls were brought to life, for souls do not die in the literal meaning of death. Those who obey Christ can never die (John 5:25), but bodies of saints and sinners will die. Spiritually they continued to live in the sense that their work was vindicated and their names honored through those who perpetuated the same truth for which they suffered or died. Figuratively, that would be as though they had been raised and were reigning in person. This, as a fact, was true of the apostles and other martyrs long before the papal beast came into existence. This passage, however, speaks of a special class of martyrs that fought the corruptions of the apostate church. We know that the apostles, though dead in body, do reign with Christ on earth now. Why not allow that those who were a later set of martyrs do the same? It is also a fact that living Christians whose lives are sufficiently noted reign, which, of course, is with Christ. So teaches Paul in Romans 5:17; 1 Corinthians 4:8. Such lives cannot be without influence after death. This is the direct promise of Heb 11:4. 5 The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years should be finished.---"Lived not until the thousand years should be finished" implies that they would live after that time. "Lived not" evidently is in contrast with "they lived" (verse 4), which, in the latter part of verse 5, is called "the first resurrection." An important question here is this: Will the living again of the "rest" (an implied second resurrection) come immediately after the thousand years end or some time later? It must be remembered that a comparatively short period, called a "little time" (verse 3), will intervene between the thousand years and the judgment. In this period Satan will be "loosed," which means that wickedness will again prevail and all his evil forces will be marshaled for the last struggle against the church. The vital point that must be considered is, will the second resurrection occur at the beginning of the "little time" or at its close? This cannot be ignored in any fair interpretation of this millennial passage.There is probably no text in Revelation about which commentators are more hopelessly disagreed than this verse. Only four views seem to have enough plausibility to merit consideration. They are: (1) That it refers to the bodily resurrection of all the wicked dead at the end of the thousand years, or, maybe, at the end of the "little time." The advocates of this theory do not seem very definite on the exact time. (2) That the word "rest" means the remainder of the same class--that it includes all the righteous dead except the martyrs and others distinguished for service to God. (3) That it refers to the noted persecutors of saints--such as Nero--who will figuratively be raised in the lives of their imitators during the "little time." (4) That it refers to all the dead --both good and bad--who will be raised bodily at the judgment. The first theory is a premillennial view. The decisive fact that proves it wrong is that Jesus himself places the bodily resurrection of both saint and sinner at the same time. (John 5:28-29.) Until this passage is proved false, that point is settled. If the second theory means that the inconspicuous righteous dead will be raised 'at the end of the millennium, it is pertinent to ask for a reason. If the passage has noted saints reigning during the millennium when Satan is bound, it would hardly be consistent to represent inconspicuous saints as reigning during the "little time" while Satan is loose. If such saints are to be raised at the judgment, then the theory is true so far as the resurrection of the righteous dead are concerned. But it does not express all the truth on the question, for all the dead--righteous and wicked--will be raised then. Regarding the third theory, it may be remarked that it would be no violation of either facts or consistency to represent noted church persecutors as being figuratively raised in the lives of those who imitate them in wickedness in the "little time." However, this would forbid the resurrection to be understood as that of the body. It would be the "souls" of the wicked, similar to the "souls" of the martyrs in verse 4, and, therefore, obviate any charge of logical inconsistency. An apparent objection to the fourth theory is that it violates the law of consistency by making the "first" resurrection figurative and the "second" (which is implied) literal. It is enough to reply that if verse 6, which mentions first resurrection, refers to the body, it also mentions second death which refers to the soul. But there is no unvarying law that prevents words being used in a figurative and literal sense in the same passage. Usually they should be given the same sense, but plain facts may require a different sense. Jesus uses "born" in John 3:6 in both a literal and figurative sense. In John 5:24-25 "life" and "live" unquestionably imply a spiritual resurrection, while the language in John 5:28-29 just as clearly means a literal one. There is, then, really no inconsistency in saying that the "first" resurrection is a moral, spiritual, or figurative one and the "second" (implied) is a literal one. Verses 11-15 of this chapter are a vivid description of a literal resurrection of all classes at the judgment. This is at least strong presumptive proof that the fourth view is correct. It is consistent with words of Jesus and probably the true meaning. To make the first resurrection a literal one involves the following insuperable difficulties, based upon Jesus' words in John 5 that all will be raised at the same time: If Jesus comes before the millennium, all the righteous and wicked will be raised then; hence, there can be no wicked left to be raised at the end of the millennium. If he comes after the millenium, then there will be no righteous dead raised at its beginning. If he comes after the "little time"--that is, at the judgment, then there will be none of either class raised either at the beginning or end of the millennium. In either case the premillennial theory is bound to be false. That Christ's personal coming will be at the judgment is the plain teaching of 2 Thessalonians 1:7. If the first and second resurrections come at the beginning and end of the millennium, and are to be literal resurrections of the body, then there will be three literal resurrections unless there should be none at the judgment. To deny a literal resurrection of the body at the judgment conflicts with verse 13 of this chapter, for there can be no question about what it teaches. This is the first resurrection.--That is, of those mentioned in verse 4, not the "rest" of verse 5. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: over these the second death hath no power; --Those who faithfully contended against the beast, false prophet, and all wicked doctrines till death certainly were entitled to the salvation Jesus promised. (Matthew 24:13.) They not only reign during the millennium, but are made sure against being hurt by the second death. The members of the church at Smyrna were urged not to fear what the devil would do to them, and promised that if they were faithful unto death they would "not be hurt of the second death." (Revelation 2:10-11.) The reason for that is that they are in a state where Satan's power can never reach them. If raised bodily and reigning personally, as the literal kingdom theory demands, he could reach them unless their ability to sin has been removed. If so, then the devil could not deceive them when loosed for a season, as verse 8 says he will do. but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.--Those here who are guaranteed freedom from the second death not only resisted false teachings "unto death," but were faithful worshipers of God. Hence, figuratively they are represented as reigning and also officiating in the services of God--they are kings and priests. Peter declares that saints are "an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation." (1 Peter 2:9.) A royal--kingly--priest-hood agrees exactly with John's description in this book. (Revelation 1:6.) The idea is a kingdom of priests. Since Peter and John both teach that Jesus had already made that kingdom, then we know that the reign of "souls" in the millennium is through those on earth who imitate their fidelity. Any interpretation that conflicts with John's own words about he kingdom must be wrong. John the Baptist is called Elijah. (Matthew 11:12-14.) He came "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17)--another way of saying that Elijah was raised from the dead in the person of John. Ezekiel represented the restoration of the Jews from Babylon to their own land as a coming "out of your graves." (Ezekiel 37:12-14.) Those who are old may be "born again," and those naturally alive may die, be buried, and raised without changing their physical state. (Colossians 2:12.) Who can deny the metaphysical use of terms, especially in a book filled with symbols?Commentary on Revelation 20:4-6 by Foy E. Wallace3. The souls on the thrones. “ 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 words of God, and which had not worshipped 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”—Revelation 20:4. These souls were not bodies and were not embodied. They were souls. And a resurrection was not necessary for souls to live. These souls lived--they did not begin to live. They lived. These souls were under the altar in chapter six; they were on thrones in chapter twenty. In the first scene a cause had suffered in defeat; in the second, a cause has been crowned with victory. They lived and reigned-- taking the souls out from under the altar and elevating them to thrones is referred to as a resurrection; the resurrection of a cause. They lived in the cause for which they died. They reigned in the persons of their successors, and like characters of like spirit. As John came in the spirit and power of Elijah; as the spirit of Huss lived after his martyrdom; a cause survives the death of its advocates and they live in the spirit of its torchbearers. Judgment was given unto them--that is, the avenging for which the souls under the altar had pleaded was now received. In Revelation 6:10 John heard the martyrs crying for judgment: “ How long, 0 Lord, holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” Meaning their persecutors. In Revelation 20:4 John saw them receiving the judgment for which they had called. Lived and reigned--if “ reigned” is limited by a literal thousand years, “ lived” is also thus limited. So if the reigning ends with the thousand years, the living ends with a thousand years, which ending would upset all the glory of a millennium. Thrones--not literal and earthly, but the exalted state of those who had overcome their persecutions. Beheaded--John saw the “ souls” of the beheaded; they did not live in an earthly state. If literal, only those who are literally beheaded could enter the millennium. If figurative, there is no millennium, which is the fact of the matter. With Christ--the text says nothing of the reign of Christ, but specifies a reign of the martyred saints withChrist. Reigning with Christ is a state. In 1 Corinthians 4:8, Paul rebuked the Corinthians because they “ reigned as kings” in wealth and worldliness; and he wished that they reigned in righteousness with the apostles. In Romans 5:17, Paul referred to the time under the law when death reigned, but under grace the righteous reign in life by Jesus Christ. So these martyred saints reigned with Christ in a state of complete victory over death and in felicity of the beatitude blessed of verse six. Thousand years--the vision of victory, complete victory. It stood for infinity; it was not a cycle of time nor a period of time, and had no reference to time. God remembers his covenant to a thousand generations, and one day with the Lord is as a thousand years--that is, God’ s memory of his covenant is infinite; and in God’ s infinite world days and years are not reckoned. The term denoted completeness, perfection, infinity. Their victory was complete, their triumph full, and their reign infinite. The fundamental principle of exegesis forbids that the thousand years be interpreted literally here, and the word year symbolically in all the book elsewhere. So, if it is literal, the reign of Christ was for one thousand years only, not one day more or less. And, if literal, since both verbs “ lived” and “ reigned” are modified by the thousand years, when they shall cease to reign, they shall cease to live also. Furthermore, if literal, only the beheaded lived and reigned. And, finally, the third personal pronoun, they cannot be changed to the first personal we; and the verbs of past tense lived and reigned cannot be changed to verbs of future tense shall live and reign. The conclusion is that there are too many difficulties in the way of the literal application. [NOTE: the following is taken from the writer’ s comments overviewing the chapter, and can also be found in the “ chapter” section of this module] It is a common expression, we hear it on every hand; that the Bible plainly says that Christ will reign on the earth a thousand years. That is something that the Bible nowhere says, plainly or vaguely. Like the battle of Armageddon notion, the millennium imagination is not in the Bible. Armageddon is mentioned in the Bible but the “ battle of Armageddon” theory is nowhere found in the scriptures. The Bible has something to say about “ a thousand years” but nothing about a thousand years reign on the earth. Christ reigns, but the reign of Rev 20:1-15 was not the reign of Christ. It was rather a peculiar and special reign of certain souls with Christ. It does not mention or refer to the reign of Christ. The ones mentioned were reigning; it was a special use of the word, applied to a special incident of the Revelation vision. The text says they lived and reigned. Where did they live and reign? They lived and reigned with Christ. John saw souls out of the body, not in the body. It was a vision of the souls of the martyrs living and reigning with Christ in a particular and peculiar sense. In a conversation with any group of denominational preachers one will invariably be heard to say that the Bible plainly says that we shall reign with Christ on earth a thousand years. When the asserter is asked for the passage that so plainly says it, he will just as invariably and confidently refer his listeners to Revelation 20:1-15, (See verse 4). It is in order, in time and in place now to dissect this misunderstood and misapplied passage of scripture. This is the way its reads: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them andjudgment 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 worshipped 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. The passage is almost universally believed to actually say that we shall reign with Christ on earth a thousand years. The text says, they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The pronoun we is a personal pronoun of first person, but they is a personal pronoun of the third person; the verbs lived and reigned are verbs of past tense; but shall live and reign are verbs of future tense. No man can claim the right to change the sentence of this text from the third personal pronoun they to the first personal pronoun we, nor to change the verbs lived and reigned of the past tense to shall live and reign of future tense. That is too much change for any man to make who has an ounce of respect for the word of God. John said, “ they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” The passage says nothing about “ the thousand years reign of Christ.” There is a great difference in the two expressions. Revelation 20:1-15 says, “ they lived and reigned with Christ.” They who? Lived--lived where? Reigned --how, with whom and where? “ Lived and reigned” --with whom, in what place? It is not the reign of Christ, but the reign of souls “ with Christ,” that is mentioned in Revelation 20:1-15. There is a vast difference between living and reigning “ with Christ” and a millennial reign “ of Christ.” So let us be true to the facts in the case. It does not mention the reign of Christ, but the reign of souls “ with” him. They not only “ reigned” with him, they “ lived” with him. They “ lived and reigned” with Christ a thousand years. The two verbs “ lived” and “ reigned” are both limited by the thousand years. If the expression denotes time, then when the reign is over, and they ceased to reign; the living would be over and they would cease to live. Revelation 20:1-6 does not mention the second coming of Christ. That is not the subject of it. It does not mention a bodily resurrection, and that is not the subject of it. It does not mention a reign on the earth, nor does it mention the “ reign of Christ” --and neither is the subject. Is it not possible for souls to live and reign “ with Christ” without Christ being on earth? Furthermore, it does not mention the throne of David or any other throne on earth. And it does not mention either Jerusalem or Palestine, nor does it mention Christ on earth. Jesus said that Jerusalem is not the place where men should worship (John 4:21), but they want to put it there. He said that his kingdom is not of the world (John 18:36), but they want to put it here, and make it of the world. Can millennialists consistently say that though it mentions none of these things, it teaches all of them? It is altogether possible and consistent for all the things mentioned to exist without being on the earth. (2) The thousand years reign with Christ. There are twenty figures of speech in the nineteenth and twentieth chapters alone. In a series of symbols such as these, it is not reasonable to make a literal application of the thousand years and a figurative application of all the rest of the symbols, without a contexual or historical reason for doing so. The thousand years, like the other parts of the vision, is a figure of speech--a symbol of something else. It is said in Deuteronomy 7:9 that God keeps his covenant and his mercy unto a thousand generations. God does not count a literal thousand generations, then quits remembering his covenant. It means God’ s memory of and faithfulness to his covenant are perfect and complete. The term thousand was a figure of completeness. It does not denote a cycle of time. Then what about the millennium? Nothing was said of a millennium. The thousand years did not mean a millennium. There is no millennium. There never was a millennium. There never will be a millennium. The twentieth of Revelation did not refer to a millennium. The thousand years was not literal, therefore was not a millennium and has no reference to a millennium. There is no connotation for the notion. The magic word millennium is not in the text. In this vision John “ saw thrones” and the ones that “ sat on them.” And those whom he saw were the souls of the beheaded. They had not “ worshipped” the beast. They had not “ received” his mark, and they “ lived” and “ reigned” with Christ. First: They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. It does not mention the second coming of Christ, a bodily resurrection, a reign on the earth, or a literal throne in Jerusalem or elsewhere. It does not mention us, and it does not mention Christ on earth. Revelation 20:1-15 mentions none of those things, and a curse was pronounced on the one who adds to the words of the book. Second: They lived and reigned with Christ. It says “ they”--the souls of the martyrs, those who were beheaded. The beheaded souls lived and reigned with Christ. Only those who were beheaded entered into that thousand years. If that thousand years is literal, then the beheading is literal, and only those literally beheaded get into the millennium. If the beheading is figurative, the thousand years is figurative, and that cuts us out; for there could be no literal millennium. If it is a literal thousand years, it is a literal beheading. If it is a figurative beheading, it is a figurative thousand years, and either way there is no millennium for us. Third: They lived and reigned. If the term “ reigned” is limited by a thousand years, the verb “ lived” is also limited by a thousand years. If the reigning ends with the thousand years, the living ends with athousand years, and the millennium will end with everybody in it ceasing to live. That would be quite a hopeless millennium. 4. The rest of the dead. “ But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection”—Revelation 20:5. The rest of the dead lived not--since the only ones who are said to have lived were the souls of the slain martyrs, and the rest of the dead lived not, but judgment was given to them--whom did they judge, and how? And if “ lived” means that they were given literal bodies, then when the rest of the dead “ lived not” until the thousand years was finished, it meant that the rest of the dead would be given literal bodies at the end of the thousand years. That consequence forces the resurrection of the wicked too early; before the little season; and before the time for the resurrection and the judgment in the millennial order of things. So their theory bogs down again. The rest of the dead here simply referred to the persecutors whose oppressions had been overcome, just as Isaiah 26:13-14 referred to the wicked lords who had dominion over Israel as being dead and should not live, deceased and should not rise. The statement until the thousand years were finished did not denote that the figuratively deceased persecutors would be revived afterward. The preposition until denotes end or termination, for which there are numerous exemplifications. In Hebrews 9:10 the “ carnal ordinances” of the Mosaic order were “ imposed on them until the time of reformation” - but this does not mean that after the present gospel dispensation the ordinances of Judaism will be imposed again. In 1 Samuel 15:35, after Saul’ s disobedience in the expedition against the Amalekites, it is said that “ Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death.” This could not mean that Samuel continued to visit Saul after his death. The use of until expressed end or termination. In Luke 16:16, Jesus said, “ the law and the prophets were until John”- -that is, until John’ s order ended, but the Lord did not imply that “ the law and the prophets” would be re-inaugurated afterward.In Galatians 3:19, the apostle said the law of Moses "was added because of transgression till (until) the seed should come,” but the statement assuredly has no implication that the Mosaic law will be reconstituted after the dispensation of Christ. In Luke 21:24, in foretelling the fall of Jerusalem, the Lord said, “ And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” On the premises of these passages the Lord’ s statement in Luke 21:24, means that the old Jerusalem was trodden down permanently--the end of the apostate harlot Jerusalem. In the light of these examples it is patent that the statement of Rev 20:5, “ the rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years were finished,” did not imply that the figuratively dead persecutors would come to life afterward. The symbolic statement declared the end of the imperial persecutors of the church, just as Isaiah 26:13-14 meant the end of the dominion of the wicked lords over Israel after deliverance from the Babylonian exile. The imagery was parallel, and the language was figurative in both passages. This is the first resurrection--just as Israel’ s deliverance from the bondage of Babylon was referred to in Ezekiel 37:1-28 as a resurrection out of their graves; and the broken dominion of the lords was a resurrection from oppression, of Isaiah 26:1-21; so overcoming these persecutions, triumphing over death and martyrdom, in a victorious cause of Christ, was called a resurrection in Revelation 20:1-15. The visional procedure of taking the souls of the martyrs out from under the altar in chapter 6, and elevating them to thrones in chapter 20, was symbolized as a resurrection; as in Ezekiel 37:11-14 the return of Israel from Babylonian captivity was a symbolic resurrection. In the symbolic picture of Rev 20:5, the martyrs of the altar in chapter six were raised to the thrones of chapter twenty, and were pictured as living and reigning with Christ. It was the resurrection of the cause for which they died. The fact that they had to be told that it was a resurrection is proof that it was used in an unusual sense of the word; it was a figurative, metaphorical use, not a physical employment of the word. The “ first resurrection” was therefore spiritual--the resurrection of the cause for they had passed through tribulation and for which the martyrs died. The passage in Revelation 20:1-15 described no period of blessing to be enjoyed at the close of this dispensation. It will not bear the literal construction and the theorists themselves will not accept the conclusions and consequences of it. But as a practical lesson to us, the derived application is this: It is the portion of every true believer in any age who shares the life of the risen Lord through obedience to his commands. 5. Part in 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”—Revelation 20:6. There is an axiom which decrees that things equal to the same thing are equal to each other. In Revelation 2:11 it is said that overcoming the persecutions exempted them from the second death. But in Revelation 20:6 it is said that part in the first resurrection exempted them from the second death. Things equal to the same things being equal to each other-- part in the first resurrection referred to overcoming the persecutions and entering into the triumph of that victory. Again, it is the same kind of a resurrection prophesied in Isaiah 26:1-21 and Ezekiel 37:1-28. On such the second death hath no power--the implication of the context is that the first death was the martyrdom of the saints as represented by the souls of them that were slain under the altar in Revelation 6:9. Receiving the guerdon of martyrdom for their overcoming faith, promised by their Lord in Revelation 2:10-11, these martyred saints had exemption from the judgment of them that had received the mark of the beast in submission to the imperial edict commanding the worship of the Caesar-image. They were in a state of special dispensation, not amenable to judgment. This incontrast with those who had "worshipped the beast” and “ his image” and who had received “ his mark,” and in consequence shared the same retribution--the oblivion of eternal banishment. Priests of God and of Christ--the expressions of “ priests of God and Christ” and “ reign with” in this imagery were used synonymously, as in Revelation 1:6 and Revelation 5:10; and compares with the phrase “ kingdom of Christ and God” in Ephesians 5:5, in which all Christians reign with Christ. It symbolized the perpetual performance of heavenly functions in the presence of God and Christ in “ the kingdom of Christ and God.” In this heavenly state they shall reign with him a thousand years--that is, in complete victory and infinite reward, removed from transitory time and terrestrial place. The use of thousand years here is further proof that it had no reference or application to a literal cycle of years. They shall be priests of God and Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. This, of course, referred to the souls who lived and reigned; and here shall reign with him referred to the continuity of that reign which had begun in the expression “ lived and reigned” of Revelation 20:4. It had reference to the same souls and the same reign and simply denoted its continuation,Commentary on Revelation 20:4-6 by Walter ScottTHE REIGN WITH CHRIST CHRIST’ S REIGN. This interesting passage, round which controversy has raged for many centuries, is one which powerfully appeals to every thoughtful reader. It concerns every saint on earth. Who are they who reign with Christ in heavenly glory over this earth? Are they saints or angels? Christ’ s sovereignty as Man (Psalms 8:1-9) and King (Psalms 2:1-12) is the unquestionable truth of the Scriptures, a royal sovereignty to be displayed for a thousand years. Seers of old beheld it in vision. The bards of Judah sang of it. The rays of the prophetic lamp, as held in the hands of the prophets from Isaiah to Malachi, were directed on to the glories and blessings of the coming millennial kingdom. The earth, so long under the tyranny of Satan and the misrule of man, waits for its promised deliverance. The moment has arrived for the actual realisation of the scene celebrated in Heaven, “ The kingdom of the world (or world kingdom) of our Lord, and of His Christ, is come, and He shall reign to the ages of ages” (Revelation 11:15,R.V.). There it was announced in anticipation; here it isactually come. The verses in Revelation 20:4-6 are unique inthis respect, that in them alone is unfolded a summary of those who share with Christ in the blessed reign of righteousness and glory. There are three classes specified. THRONES. Revelation 20:4. — “I saw thrones.” The two exiled prophets,Daniel (I beheld “ till the thrones were cast down” (Daniel 7:9). But the text in the original says exactly the opposite. It reads “ till the thrones were placed” (R.V.), that is, set or established. We may also add that the Hebrew prophet does not conduct his readers into the millennium, but simply to its introduction. He breaks off at that point where one like the Son of Man receives from the Ancient of Days the universal and everlasting kingdom (Daniel 7:13-14). The prophet Ezekiel takes us much further. The millennium in some of its most important features is described,such as the settlement of the tribes in parallel bands across the face of enlarged Palestine, the temple and its services, the Jewish prince, Christ’ s vicegerent, on the throne, the healing of the Dead Sea, etc. (Ezekiel 40:1-49; Ezekiel 41:1-26; Ezekiel 42:1-20; Ezekiel 43:1-27; Ezekiel 44:1-31; Ezekiel 45:1-25; Ezekiel 46:1-24; Ezekiel 47:1-23; Ezekiel 48:1-35).) and John, beheld in vision the same thrones. The former saw them unoccupied. The heavenly sitters thereon constitute a revelation peculiar to the New Testament, and hence John supplements the vision of Daniel by adding, “ they sat upon them.” Both scenes refer to the commencement of the millennial reign. Nor must the thrones in our text be confounded with the twenty-four thrones of Rev 4:4. Those seen in vision by Daniel (Daniel 7:9) and by John (Revelation 20:4)relate to the millennial government of the earth. Those beheld in the earlier vision (Revelation 4:1-11) grouped around the throne of the Eternal are set in Heaven. The twelve thrones on which the apostles are to sit in sessional judgment upon Israel (Matthew 19:28) are no doubt included in the larger and more comprehensive governing idea conveyed by the Seer (Revelation 20:4). THE FIRST CLASS WHO REIGN WITH CHRIST. Revelation 20:4. — “They sat upon them, and judgment was given to them.” To whom do the pronouns they and them refer? for the company mentioned is not otherwise described. Some have suggested “ nations” as being the immediate antecedent (Revelation 20:3), others angels. Again, “ they sat upon them” has been supposed to signify the twelve thrones of the apostles (Matthew 19:28), and by others to mean thetwenty-four heavenly thrones (Revelation 4:4). Another class of expositors limit the application to martyrs only, supposing the pronouns to be a summary of the two classes of martyrs referred to in the text. But “they” are evidently a separate and independent company from the martyrs first seen in the separate state; whereas our company are witnessed enthroned — “ judgment was given to them.” It is never predicated of spirits that they are crowned and reign. To refer the sitters on the thrones to nations seems a far-fetched idea. Nor can the idea of enthroned angels be entertained, even if supported by the weight of such names as Ewald, P. W. Grant, and others. The reign of angels is nowhere taught in the Scriptures, but rather the contrary, “ For unto the angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak” (Hebrews 2:5). The government of the earth is to be administered by Christ and His heavenly saints (see 1 Corinthians 6:2-3). We must, too, look for a larger and broader view of the kingly reign in our text, and not narrow it down to apostles or any limited company. The “they” evidently refers to a well-known class. We have already seen, more than once, the redeemed in Heaven represented by the twenty-four elders taking part in the scenes unfolded from chapters 4 to 19. They are the sum of Old Testament and New Testament believers raised or changed at the Coming into the air (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17). This is a much larger body of saints than themartyrs, and hence you have nowhere to locate them in the reign, save as included in the two plural pronouns they and them. It would be strange indeed to have the reign of martyrs to the exclusion of those very saints in Heaven “ made kings and priests unto God.” The Old and New Testament saints in Heaven during the time of the apocalyptic judgments are the sitters on the throne beheld by the Seer. Revelation 20:4. — “ Judgment was given to them.” That is, royal authority to rule is conferred on these saints. It is the fulfilment of that grand and unqualified statement, “ Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?” (1 Corinthians 6:2). THE SECOND CLASS WHO REIGN WITH CHRIST. Revelation 20:4 — “And (I saw) the souls (We are quite aware that the term soul often stands for or represents a person, as in Acts 27:37; Genesis 12:5, etc., but is it so in the case before us? Twice the Seer beheld the souls of those slain or beheaded, i.e., the souls of persons. They are first beheld under the altar (Revelation 6:9). then on the eve of reunion with their bodies. But in both he sees them out of the body in the separate state. In our chapter John first beholds the souls of the martyrs, then he sees them as raised in life and reigning, no longer in the separate state. The soul never dies, it cannot be killed. It has a life which neither sword nor axe can reach (Matthew 10:28).) of them that had been beheaded on account of the testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God” (R.V.). What John sees in vision is not persons but souls, the souls of martyrs in the separate state. These form an earlier class of martyrs than those who suffer under the Beast, and are evidently identical with those slain under the fifth Seal (Revelation 6:9-11). This persecution takes effect soon after the removal of the saints to the Father’ s house (John 14:1-3). The grounds of this outburst of rage and cruelty are twofold: first, on account of the testimony of Jesus, which is of a prophetic character. The testimony of Jesus in the Gospels is very different from that in the Apocalypse; there it is the unfolding of grace, here it is the disclosure of judgment; there the Father in love, here God setting up the kingdom. This latter is a testimony which the apostate peoples of the earth cannot endure, hence those who receive it must suffer even to death. The second ground of this persecution is on account of the Word of God. Faithful adherence to it characterizes the remnant in these times. Men will then take sides for or against the rights of God. No trimming of sails or temporizing policy will be allowed. A rigid cleaving to the Word will show up the scene in its true light and character — a path so narrow and a sphere so circumscribed that death alone is the end. We gather that no saint in the coming crisis dies a natural death. He either lives through the period or is martyred. THE THIRD CLASS WHO REIGN WITH CHRIST. Revelation 20:4. — “And (I saw) those who had not worshipped the Beast, nor his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and hand.” If the descriptive words “ the testimony of Jesus” and “ the Word of God” connect the previous company with those noted in Revelation 6:9-11, so here the reference to the Beast, his image, and mark on forehead or hand, unmistakably directs us to Revelation 13:15-17. How good and wise is our God to furnish us with those helps by the way. There are difficulties in every part of the divine volume, but the key to unlock the door is always at hand. The Apocalypse is no exception to the rule. “ Was there a key sent with the book, and has this been lost? Was it thrown into the Sea of Patmos or into the Meander?” asks a distinguished theologian. Death in one of its many forms is the only alternative to active and public support of the Beast. The Beast tramples down all rights and ruthlessly destroys all who stand in his way. The inalienable right and responsibility of the creature as such to worship God the Creator is impiously denied. It is the attempt of man on earth to take the place of God. The Antichrist, or Man of Sin, does so in the temple and amongst the Jews (2 Thessalonians 2:4). The effort under the first of the Gentile monarchies (Daniel 3:1-30), as also under the last (Revelation 13:1-18), to banish God from the heart and conscience of man can have but one issue: death and ultimate triumph on the one hand, judgment and everlasting ruin on the other. For Nebuchadnezzar, however, there was repentance granted and mercy shown. To the Beast and his followers there will be neither. The mystic mark on the forehead, whatever that may be, publicly proclaims the person as an adherent of the Beast; on the hand intimates active support, a willing worker in the interests of the Beast. THE LIFE AND REIGN OF THE MARTYRS. Revelation 20:4 — “And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” The martyred saints are raised after the marriage and supper (Revelation 19:7-9), and just on the eve of the assumption of the kingdom, hence they are neither part of the bride nor amongst the guests at the bridal supper. The two martyred companies are specifically referred to. John has just seen their souls in the separate state, now he sees them raised — “ they lived,” which, of course, implies their resurrection. Death had overtaken their bodies. Hence to men they were dead, but to God they were alive, for John saw their souls. Physical death is never applied to the soul, nor is the term resurrection. The terms death and resurrection are used of the body only. We do not here refer to any figurative use of them, but to the words as literally understood. (Compare with Matthew 10:28,which shows that the soul has life of itself which man cannot reach; also Matthew 22:32; Luke 20:38, even after physical death, “ all live unto Him.”) The duration of the reign of these martyrs, for they have not lost butgained by laying down their lives, is now stated for the first time to be “ a thousand years.” These two associated facts are clearly emphasized: the confinement of Satan and the reign of Christ for the lengthened period of one thousand years. Hallelujah! what an hour of triumph, what an answer to the life laid down under the axe of the executioner, in the dungeons of the inquisition, or under the fiend-like cruelty of a Nero! THE REST OF THE DEAD. Revelation 20:5. — “The rest of the dead did not live till the thousand years had been completed.” That a literal resurrection and a literal reigning are meant seems unquestionable. Why depart from the simple and obvious meaning of the words, and suppose a resurrection and a reign of principles? It is persons and not principles which are before us in the text. It is surprising that such a far-fetched and unnatural theory should find support in certain quarters generally considered sober and orthodox. The doctrine of a general resurrection, of good and bad alike, of just and unjust, is disproved in our text. It must be frankly conceded that the Lord’ s words in John 5:28-29 seem to teach a general resurrection: “ Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming in 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” or judgment. The “ hour” referred to embraces a thousand years, at the commencement of which the righteous are raised, and at its close the wicked. We are not giving an arbitrary force to the term hour, as in the very chapter quoted from, the hour of spiritual quickening, that is, of the soul, has already lasted nigh two thousand years (v. 25). Between the resurrection of those “ that have done good” and those “ that have done evil” a thousand years transpire. “ The rest of the dead” are the wicked raised to judgment (Revelation 20:13). Not one saint of God will be found in this last closing scene of resurrection and consequent judgment, which is final and eternal. There is a resurrection of the just, effected at different times, commencing with Christ the first-fruit (1 Corinthians 15:23), “ afterward they that are Christ’ s at His coming” into the air (At the death of Christ “ the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the Holy City, and appeared unto many” (Matthew 27:52-53). We have no reason to suppose that those saints died again and were buried. It is appointed unto men to die once (Hebrews 9:27). We question if the Jerusalem martyrs (Revelation 11:11-12) are raised simultaneously with the general body of martyrs. In our judgment the time, occasion, and circumstances are different. The Jewish witnesses perhaps take precedence.) when the living are changed and the dead in Christ of all ages raised (1 Thessalonians 4:16).Then on the eve of the introduction of the millennial kingdom we have the resurrection of the apocalyptic martyrs (Revelation 20:4-6). Thus from the resurrection of Christ till those of Old and New Testament times we have a period of nigh two thousand years; again, between the raising of those latter and that of the martyrs several years, at least seven, transpire. But with the wicked dead it is far different. From Cain onwards all remain in their graves till after the millennial reign, when they are raised — the last act in time — and then judged in eternity (Revelation 20:12-13). All such are raised at one and the same time, and find themselves after judgment in the lake of fire with the devil, the Beast, and his Jewish associate in crime, the False Prophet. Then the curtain closes only to be drawn aside once more (Revelation 21:8) for a passing glance. OF THE VISION. Revelation 20:6. — “This is the first resurrection.” (It may be noted here that, according to the true reading, the living and reigning is certainly resurrection. “ The rest of the dead lived not until,” etc.; so that it is clearly used here for resurrection, as the following words confirm: “ This is the first resurrection.” — “ Synopsis of the Books of the Bible,” vol. 5, p. 636 footnote, Morrish ed.) Blessed and holy he who has part in the first resurrection: over these the second death has no power; but they shall be priests of God, and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” The vision itself occupies Revelation 20:4 (the longest verse in the apocalypse) and the first part of Rev 20:5. Then the interpretation follows, commencing with the words, “ This is the first resurrection,” and continues down to the close of Rev 20:6. The interpretation we have transcribed in full. The change which will pass over the living saints at the Coming is equivalent to the raising of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:51-54). Then every trace of mortality and corruption shall disappear, and all be glorified. The dead are raised in glory (v. 43). The bodies of saints, whether alive or in the grave at the Coming, are changed into the likeness of His body of glory (Philippians 3:21). “ The first resurrection” is here regarded as completed. It is a term of special blessedness and import. To have part in it was the eager desire of the apostle (Philippians 3:11). The resurrection of the dead is equally taught in both Testaments, but resurrection from the dead is New Testament revelation alone, and is first taught in Mark 9:9; then in Luke 20:35 its application to believers is assured. The term “ second resurrection” is never used of the wicked. Every one who has part in the first resurrection is pronounced “ blessed and holy.” It is a matter of individual blessedness. The first term is descriptive of his happy condition: the second of his character. Happiness and holiness are inseparably associated, and must never be separated. “ Over these the second death has no power.” The expressions, “ first resurrection” and “ second death” are contrasted terms, because all who have no part in the one shall certainly share in the other. The second death is the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). Into it the raised wicked dead are cast. But this awful death, dying yet never dead physically, has no title, no authority over those embraced in the first resurrection, for these “ die no more.” Their bodies are immortal. They can no more die than can angels (Luke 20:36). The “ second death” has no claim over the “ sons of the resurrection.” The positive blessedness of the risen and glorified saints is next declared, not simply their immunity from the eternal consequences of sin — the “ second death” — “ but they shall be priests of God and of Christ.” Both the holy (1 Peter 2:5) and royal character of priesthood (v. 9) shall then be in fullest exercise, unceasingly and unhinderedly. We shall have continual access into God’ s presence as His priests, and in association with Christ exhibit in its blessed fullness the royal virtues of Him Whom our souls delight to honor. THE REIGN OF A YEARS.Revelation 20:6 — “And shall reign with Him a thousand years.” (We have the authority of the late Dean Alford for the statement that for the first three hundred years the whole Church understood the thousand years’ reign in its plain and literal sense. He also maintained, as we do in our exposition, that Revelation 20:4 reveals three classes of saints.) The greatness of the statement and the grandeur of the subject leave the soul amazed. Once poor wretched sinners, then raised to such a height, only subordinate to Him Who redeemed us by His blood, and exalted us by His grace to such glory! This reign in regal power and splendor, this assumption of kingly dignity as Christ’ s fellow-heirs, continues for a thousand years, but the eternal state which succeeds shall disclose fresh glories and added dignities, although the mediatorial kingdom as such outlasts the longest span of life yet recorded. Methuselah lived 969 years, “and he died” (Genesis 5:27). Saints in the heavens and saints on earth shall live a thousand years, and shall not die. The reign of Christ and the confinement of Satan are associated facts. The tempter of men must be removed. The glory must not be dimmed nor the blessing marred by the further machinations of Satan. The reign of a thousand years is the grandest event in the history of the race. There are no details given, but simply a statement of the fact. The earthly blessings secured to Israel and the world under the sway of Christ are, in the main, the subjects of the prophets, whilst the heavenly character of the reign is unfolded from Revelation 21:9 to Revelation 22:5.The millennial reign is better described by the scriptural term THE KINGDOM. It consists, however, of two departments, respectively spoken of as the kingdom of the Son and the kingdom of the Father (Matthew 13:41-43).The former relates to the earth, the latter to the heavens. Daniel 7:27 unites the two. “ Most High” is in the plural, and signifies “ the heavenly places,” as in Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 1:20. “ The people (Israel) of the saints.” The people and saints are distinguished. Israel on earth is the former, the changed and risen saints in the heavenlies are the latter. The people are said to belong to the saints; for, after all, the kingdom in its widest extent forms the joint dominion of Christ and His heavenly people, although Israel shall exercise sovereign rule and authority amongst the nations — their head, and not as now the tail.Commentary on Revelation 20:4-6 by E.M. ZerrRev_20:4. And I saw thrones . . . given unto them. This is the same vision that is described at chapter 17:12 and the reader should see the comments at that passage. The pronoun they means the kings who had occupied their thrones in form only, but who really had not been free to use their own judgment in their ruling. Sat upon them denotes that they were occupying their thrones in fact and not merely in name. Judgment was given unto them signifies they were allowed to render their own judgment in matters pertaining to their kingdoms. Saw the souls . . . a thousand years. Before reading further at this place, let the reader reexamine very carefully the first paragraph of the note referred to previously. That is especially necessary to get the significance of the thousand years of reign with Christ. The souls John saw were of those who were beheaded by Papal Rome because they refused to submit to her false demands. Their death recalls a like experience recorded in Revelation 6:9 of those who had been slain by Pagan Rome. These whom John saw in our present verse resisted the beast (Babylon), his image (those who imitated the beast) and the mark (those who brought upon themselves the guilt of doing the things originally incited by Nero.) Revelation 20:5. Rest of the dead is symbolical or figurative and refers to people who did not "have enough life" or interest to be active in defense of the truth. Until the thousand years were finished. When that bright period of the Reformation (here called the thousand years) was over and the former defenders of truth began to lag, then the enemies of the Bible "came to life" and became active in opposition to the word of God, acting under the influence of Satan who was now loosed in that the Bible was not binding him as it did. Such a movement stimulated the former "dead" ones to action and then was begun the conflict between the friends of truth and its enemies, a conflict that has continued to our day. This is the first resurrection. The pronoun does not refer directly to what has been said but to what is yet to be said, and it refers to the subject as a whole. John 11:25-26 should be considered in connection with the first resurrection, also read the note to which reference was made. Revelation 20:6. The first resurrection is that mentioned in the preceding verse of which John said he was going to speak. He is doing so now and telling us of the blessing hat will be for those who have part in this first resurrection. In John 11:25 Jesus says "I am the resurrection and the life." Jesus was the first one to be resurrected never to die again (Acts 13:34). To have part in the first resurrection means to have part in Christ. And to get the spiritual benefits of the resurrection of Christ as the bodily benefits, it is necessary to be faithful after coming into Him. That is what is meant in John 11:26 by "liveth and believeth in me." That person "shall never die" according to Christ's statement to Martha, which means the same as on suck the second death hath no power in our present verse. This second death is the punishment in the lake of fire and brimstone according to Revelation 21:8 of our present book. Shall reign with him a thousand years. This period is the same that is explained at verse 2. Of course the word reign is not literal because Christ is the sole King on the throne. Thayer's explanation of the word as it is used here is as follows: "Paul transfers the word to denote the supreme moral dignity, liberty, blessedness, which will be enjoyed by Christ's redeemed ones." The principle expressed will apply to the faithful in Christ of all ages. However, the present application is made to those who had been faithful to Christ under the persecutions of Babylon. This spirit of devotion in the presence of death was a reenactment of the spirit of the first martyrs (Revelation 6:9-11), and they lived (were in evidence) all through this bright period of the Reformation. It is in that sense only that they were to be resurrected and reign with Christ through the thousand years. There was no prediction of any literal resurrection of some while others were to remain in their graves. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 20:7-10 3. SATAN AND Rev_20:7-10 7 And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,--The view here advocated is that the binding of Satan means the return to the people the right to read and obey the Bible without human dictation; his loosing, then, would be his regaining in some way the power to prevent or hinder such voluntary obedience. 8 and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.--Though we do not know how or exactly what means he will use, yet it is not improbable that increasing infidelity, superstition, and idolatry will be main contributing factors. Whatever is involved in his loosing, it is safe to say that wickedness will prevail as never before. In this "little time" will occur the events recorded in Revelation 19:17-21 and Revelation 20:7-10; it will be Satan's last struggle against the church in which not only he but his chief aides--beast and false prophet--will be overcome and banished to the lake of fire. (Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10.) This victory will not be gained by a carnal sword, but by the word that proceeds from the Lord's mouth. (Revelation 19:15.) These enemies will be slain and the war against the church ended by the brightness of the Lord's coming and the breath of his mouth (2 Thessalonians 2:8) as suddenly as the 185,000 in the Assyrian army were slain by an angel of the Lord. (2 Kings 19:35.) In the time preceding the thousand years Satan deceived the nations largely through false religious doctrines and practice, virtually suppressing the Bible by demanding the acceptance of papal interpretations. That similar means will be used to deceive after the thousand years is certainly probable. The existence of nations to be deceived after the millennium is proof that the nature of mankind then will be the same as now, and harmonizes with the question, "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8.) "In the four corners" means that the nations will be scattered over the whole earth as now. This is further indicated by the fact that the number shall be "as the sand of the sea." According to the doctrines of the premillennial coming of Christ, nations to be deceived by Satan after being loosed presents insolvable problems. The theory calls for the banishment of the beast and false prophet and the death of all the wicked (Revelation 19:19-21) at Christ's coming; the wicked dead to remain unraised (Revelation 20:5); the righteous dead to be raised and with the righteous living all to receive spiritual, incorruptible, and immortal bodies. (1 Corinthians 15:44; 1 Corinthians 15:54.) The theory requires all these resurrections to be of the body. The following difficulties are apparent for which no solution can be offered other thanpure guesses: Will children be born during the thousand years? If so, will they inherit incorruptible and immortal bodies from their parents? If so, how can beings with such bodies be deceived by Satan? If they can be deceived with such bodies, how can they be safe during the millennium when many of his devices are recorded in the Bible? Can they receive corruptible and mortal bodies from parents with incorruptible bodies, without a fundamental law--seed bearing after its kind--being violated? Will their birth of parents put them in the kingdom? If not, how will they get in? If by obedience to the gospel, that is no improvement on the church. It is hard to see how Satan when loosed can deceive people with incorruptible and immortal bodies. The wicked dead for whom the theory provides no resurrection till Satan is loosed at the end of the thousand years are already deceived, having lived and died in his service. So they cannot be the nations he will deceive. It is a significant fact that the advocates of a literal reign of Christ on earth have no solution but guesses for these problems. Nothing is satisfactory but to make the millennial reign figurative, and the coming of Christ and the bodily resurrection of the dead at the judgment. On Gog and Magog see notes on Revelation 16:14-16. The reference here in verse 8 and in Revelation 19:17-18 are both made in allusion to Ezekiel 39:11-18 and show that this paragraph is parallel with Revelation 19:17-18; hence, it follows that Revelation 19:17-21 and Revelation 20:7-10 contain a complete story of the defeat of the enemies of the church that will occur after the millennium. Read the passages in connection, omitting 20:1-6, and this fact will appear evident. 9 And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:--The figure here is that of contending armies. Satan's forces are represented as coming from all directions to besiege the beloved city. The imagery is borrowed from Israel's encampments, systematically planned for defense and convenience. Divested of all figures, the thought is that wicked powers will make a general attack on the church, under the influence of Satan. To make the final struggle a carnal battle against literal Jerusalem is to miss the symbolic teaching of the passage. Spiritual Jerusalem--the true church--will be scattered over the earth just as are forces of evil, and the conflict will rage everywhere. and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them.--Fire has been a common instrument when God visited capital punishment on incorrigible sinners. Note the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 19:24); Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-3); Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Numbers 16:35). Christ will come "in flaming fire" and the earth shall be burned tip in the day of the Lord's wrath. No emblem could more appropriately indicate the sudden and complete overthrow of Satan and his servants than to say fire came down from heaven and devoured them. The defeat of the same enemies referred to in Revelation 19:21 is said to be accomplished by the sword "which came forth out of his mouth." The wicked at the judgment are to depart "into eternal fire." Symbols must be construed in harmony with plain truths literally stated. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; --Jesus said the fire was prepared for "the devil and his angels." (Matthew 25:41.) In vision John had seen the beast and false prophet cast in this lake; now he sees the devil cast in with them. This is another proof that this paragraph is a completion of the story in Revelation 19:19-21. and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.--This means endless duration, and agrees with the plain statements of Jesus in Matthew 25:46 and Mark 9:48-49. Whether the "fire" is to be construed literally or figuratively is immaterial; the lesson taught is intense and endless punishment. No more expressive emblem could have been used.Commentary on Revelation 20:7-10 by Foy E. Wallace6. The loosing of Satan. “ And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison"—Revelation 20:7. After the catastrophic fall of Judaism, and the victory of the saints over the imperial persecutors, there was a renewed struggle of the church with heathenism, a spiritual conflict symbolized by Satan being loosed out of his prison. With Judaism removed from the path of the church, and the cessation of persecution by the imperial rulers, the way was open for the expansion of Christianity, as foretold by Jesus in Matthew 24:31, and envisioned by John in Revelation 11:15. But it was not without opposition--the remaining enemy was heathenism. Satan’ s theatre of activity in this struggle was not persecution, but spiritual and doctrinal: And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth—Revelation 20:8. That declaration was in opposition to the angel--messengers of the gospel--of Matthew 24:31, gathering his elect “ from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” This part of the vision was descriptive of the battle with heathenism, hence the reference to Gog and Magog (a combination of one name), the mythical ruler of heathendom, and which title was so used in similar symbolic reference, by the prophet in Ezekiel 38:1-23, prophesying the threat of heathenism to Israel from Gog and Magog. As the beast was symbolic of the Roman empire, personified in the persecuting emperors, so was the Gog and Magog personification symbolic of the spiritual forces of heathenism launched against the church in the “ battle” of Revelation 20:8, in which the heathen forces of Gog and Magog were represented to be in number as the sand of the sea, which symbolized the proportions of the conflict and its challenge to the church; and Revelation 20:9 stated that they compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city. The reference to the “ beloved city” here could not mean Jerusalem--the apostate harlot Jerusalem was no longer “ beloved,” and was no more. This beloved city was the church, the New Jerusalem, which was compassed about with heathenism, in the midst of its idolatries, surrounded by all of its antagonism to the church.As the beast was symbolic of the Roman empire, personified in the persecuting emperors, so was the Gog and Magog personification symbolic of the spiritual forces of heathenism launched against the church in the “ battle” of Revelation 20:8, in which the heathen forces of Gog and Magog were represented to be in number as the sand of the sea, which symbolized the proportions ofthe conflict and its challenge to the church; and Revelation 20:9 stated that they compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city. The reference to the “ beloved city” here could not mean Jerusalem--the apostate harlot Jerusalem was no longer “ beloved,” and was no more. This beloved city was the church, the New Jerusalem, which was compassed about with heathenism, in the midst of its idolatries, surrounded by all of its antagonism to the church. The first chapter of Romans, and the Corinthian, Ephesian, and Colossian epistles confirm this great danger to the church. It was concerning this threat of heathen influence that Paul specifically exhorted the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. The description of verse nine that the legions of the heathen ruler went upon the breath of the earth in the forays of his satanic forces against the church emphasizes the extent of the opposition to Christianity, and of its threat to the church. But as in the finale of the imperial persecutions, the church prevailed against heathenism, and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. This was the symbol of the consuming power of the word of God in exposing the error and evil of heathen idolatry. The apostle declared in 2 Corinthians 4:2-4 that the light of the gospel of Christ dispelled the darkness of “ the god of this world.” Neither the imperial beast nor the heathen Magog could withstand the power of God. It was in reference to these same things that Paul said in Romans 16:20 : “ And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.”The defeat of the emperor-worship was described in verse ten with metaphors of torment and endless punishment. The three great enemies of the church had been vanquished. The devil who had employed the forces of heathenism to deceive the people and destroy the church, together with the beast and false prophet of chapter 19:20, was cast into the region of oblivion and eternal torment. The meaning of the vision, simply stated, is that the combined effort of the imperial persecutors and of the heathen powers to stop the advance of the church resulted in colossal failure. There is no rule of exegesis or of interpretation that could warrant a literal application of the wide sweep of this symbolic language. It was the figurative description of the end and doom of the rulers who oppressed the church of Christ; and it signified that they should nevermore exist to humiliate the Lord’ s church, the Lamb’ s Bride. Commentary on Revelation 20:7-10 by Walter ScottSATAN’ S LAST ACTION AND FINAL DOOM. Revelation 20:7-10. — Our chapter is apportioned into four distinct yet closely related sections. In the first we have the dragon bound for a thousand years and cast into the abyss, which is then sealed over him (Revelation 20:1-3). In the second we have the three classes specifically brought before us who reign with Christ during the millennial era, and their blessedness (Revelation 20:4-6). In the third we witness the last and universal gathering of the wicked on earth under the banner of Satan,and the final and everlasting doom of the devil in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10). In the fourth no denomination of time is used as in the previous sections. Here we have got to the end of time, to the close of human history, and the ushering in of the eternal state by the judgment of the dead at the great white throne (Revelation 20:11-15). The third section is really a continuation of the first, which had been interrupted by the calm and tranquillizing sight of the various classes of heavenly saints who reign with Christ. Revelation 20:7. — Now the history of Satan is resumed, (A similar interpretation in connection with the dragon is noted in Revelation 12:1-17.We have the war in Heaven (Revelation 12:7-9). Its successful issue results in the expulsion of Satan and his angels, who are cast down to the earth. This is followed by joy and rejoicing in Heaven (Revelation 12:10-12). Then the history of Satan is resumed which had been interrupted by the heavenly rejoicing (Revelation 12:13-17); verse 13 connecting itselfwith verse 9.) connecting itself with verse 3. Revelation 20:8. — On the completion of the thousand years’ imprisonment Satan, not now spoken of as the dragon, “is loosed from his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which (are) on the four corners of the earth,Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war, whose number is as the sand of the sea.” During the reign all Israel is saved (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 11:26), and their seed and seed’ s seed forever (Isaiah 59:20-21). But not so the Gentiles. The populations of the earth will be greatly thinned by judgments, large numbers be saved, but many will only render feigned obedience to the authority of the reigning Monarch of the earth. Not the obedience of faith, but a compelled submission under the iron rod (Psalms 2:9), an obedience extorted by fear (see Psalms 18:44;Psalms 66:3; Psalms 81:15; in the margin of each of those texts we reach feigned obedience). Another consideration, which in itself fully accounts for the countless multitudes gathered by Satan from all parts of the earth, is that death even amongst the unsaved will not be the rule, rather the exception (for the principle see Isaiah 65:20); besides, the peoplingof the earth shall go on as ever, but Scripture does not, so far as we know, intimate that those born during the thousand years are converted, except those amongst Israel (Isaiah 59:21). The restraint upon Satan being removed, the nations, not merely individuals, but communities and peoples who had basked under the light and blessing of Messiah’ s personal reign, yield themselves up to Satan. Alas! what is man? He has been tried and tested under every possible condition, in every possible way, under goodness, government, law, grace, and now under glory. The former gathering of the powers was under human leaders (Revelation 19:19). This one is on a vaster scale, and under the direct control and guidance of Satan himself.Both end in utter rout and ruin. THE LAST HUMAN . . — The gathering of the nations is universal in character from the four corners of the globe, and so numerous are they that the only comparison is to the sand of the seashore. This vast assemblage is metaphorically spoken of as Gog and Magog. (Gog, or Russia (Ezekiel 38:1-23; Ezekiel 39:1-29). Who is Gog? The reference is to the vast and growing power of Russia, the outcome of the warlike Sclavonic tribes of ancient origin, descended from Japheth, eldest son of Noah (Genesis 10:2). The capital cities of European and Asiatic Russia are named in the first verses of the two chapters. “ Meshech” (Moscow), formerly the seat of government of European-Russia, now second city of the empire, and “ Tubal” (Tobolsk) chief city of Siberia, are not only thus early designated, but Russia itself is distinctly named, and that, too, fourteen and a half centuries before she was known in history as Russia. The words in the beginning of our chapters, “ The chief prince of Meshech and Tubal,” should read, “ Prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal” (R. V.). Thus Russia — and were it still doubted, the naming of her chief cities surely establishes the fact — is clearly pointed out in the Scriptures of truth, a certain proof of the futurity of this remarkable prophecy. Russia was only known by name in history in the ninth christian century. It is derived from Ruric, a Norman pirate who really founded the empire. Her geographical position is also indicated in the prophecy: “ And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts.” Gog is a symbolic term for the head of all the Russias. Magog, also symbolic, is his land. The Prophet of visions tells us of Persia, Ethiopia, and many other nations coming down under the leadership of Gog “ like a cloud to cover the land.” The apparently defenseless state of Judea, its numerous and thriving villages, having neither walls, bars, nor gates, seem to offer an easy prey to the nations, while the world’ s wealth, centralized in the Jew, will awaken the cupidity of the powers (Ezekiel 38:10-13). To plunder and destroy are the objects of this mighty confederation (see Isaiah 33:1-24, which also refers to Gog’ s attack). Alas! little do they dream that Jehovah hath girded Zion with strength, and that the Keeper of Israel neither slumbers not sleeps. The Lord Jesus Christ is there, Israel’ s glory and defense, and His and their enemies only reach the Judean mountains to find a grave, and their wealth to swell the treasures already gathered in Immanuel’ s land (Ezekiel 39:1-29). The chosen leader of this expedition against restored Israel is Gog, the last Czar of Russia, whose name is withheld.) These terms really refer to the last Czar of Russia and his land (Ezekiel 38:1-23; Ezekiel 39:1-29). Now the last attack upon Judea is after the destruction of the western powers (Revelation 19:1-21) and the eastern enemies of Israel (Zechariah 14:1-21; Psalms 83:1-18). Gog (Russia) comes down upon the land to plunder and destroy, not knowing that the Lord has come and made salvation the sure bulwarks of His ancient earthly people (Isaiah 26:1-2). Hence the last attempt to destroy Israel at the commencement of the millennium is repeated on even a more gigantic scale at the close. The object is the same in both attacks, only the former comes from the north, the geographical location of Gog; whereas the latter is from all parts of the earth. One can thus readily understand why the terms Gog and Magog are used, so as to connect the two attempts to overthrow and destroy Israel, the one pre-millennial the other post-millennial. It will be observed that no kings or great men are named, as in the gathering under the Beast (Revelation 19:1-21), but nations simply as such. Revelation 20:9. — “And they went up on the breadth of the earth,and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city.” They crowd and cover the earth in its entirety. They come from north, south, east, and west. They gather under one leader, swayed by one deadly impulse of hatred, and to one center. The nations have experienced for one thousand years the beneficent rule of Christ. Satan has been for one thousand years restrained, his liberty curtailed, and yet the mad attempt is entered upon to crush the camp of the saints, and to destroy the beloved city, Jerusalem. The nations converge upon Jerusalem. Christ does not intervene. It is a matter for God to take up. The camp of the saints on earth, and the “ beloved city,” a beautiful designation of Jerusalem in the future (Isaiah 60:1-22), are surrounded by the multitudinous hosts of earth. No mention is made of how Christ and His people, heavenly or earthly, regard this last mad attempt of Satan and his deceived followers. All is silent in the camp and city. The apostate nations march into the jaws of death. Their judgment is sudden, swift, overwhelming, and final. God deals with the hosts of evil, “Fire came down out of Heaven and devoured them,” the Authorised Version adding “ from God.” The words should be deleted on the authority of the critics, yet the sense is the same, for the judgment is from God. SATAN CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. Revelation 20:10. — What of the proud boast of the perfectibility of human nature in light of the closing scene in the drama of history! For the first time in the history of the race (from Genesis 3:1-24 to Revelation 20:1-15) we have an earth without a sinner upon its surface. Satan has now to be dealt with. He is allowed to see the end of all his heartless machinations. He is foiled and defeated. His doom was fixed seven thousand years before its execution (Genesis 3:15). His head is bruised by the woman’ s seed. There yet remains the one final act of everlasting judgment. “And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where (are) both the Beast and the False Prophet, and they shall be tormented day and night for the ages of ages.” The dragon was first cast out of Heaven, then shut up in the abyss, now cast into the lake of fire. As the dragon he is shut up, as Satan he is loosed, and as the devil he is cast into the lake of fire. (For the signification of these titles see remarks on Revelation 12:8.) In this last war the dragon is not named. Satan, signifying adversary, is the open and declared enemy and adversary of God, of Christ, of the saints, of Israel, and in that character he stands out apart from human agents as the leader of the hosts who gather against the camp and city. But as the devil, the deceiver and tempter of men, he is cast into everlasting torment. It is observable, too, that in the narrative the Seer changes his standpoint. In Revelation 20:7 he looks on to the end of the thousand years, whereas in Revelation 20:9 he adopts the historical tense. In the former he is the prophet; in the latter he is the historian. Need we add that the whole vision is yet future. We refer to the different points of view as John beheld them and narrates them. Revelation 20:10 — “Cast into the lake of fire and brimstone.” A lake supposes solid land on either side. “ Fire and brimstone” are figures of inexpressible torment (see Revelation 14:10; Isaiah 30:33). Revelation 20:10 — “The Beast and the False Prophet” are already there. They were consigned to their most awful doom at the commencement of the millennial reign, and they are found in it at its close. What a pertinent and striking illustration of the Lord’ s words in Mark 9:49, “ Every one shall be salted with fire.” Salt is preservative. Here are two men who have been salted with fire, not consumed, but preserved in torment by torment, and that for a thousand years. We do not contend for actual literal flames, for the devil is a spirit (see also Luke 16:23-24). Fire consumes natural objects. But we do most strongly insist upon that which the figures are meant to teach, “ outer darkness,” “ wailing and gnashing of teeth,” “ a never dying worm and quenchless fire,” “ fire and brimstone,” etc. The truth is that in the lake of fire mental agony and corporeal suffering are united and endured in degree proportioned to the guilt of those who have sinned. The punishment is in exact measure to the sin, but all is everlasting or eternal. Revelation 20:10 — “They shall be tormented day and night for the ages of ages.” The plural pronoun they refers to the devil, the Beast, and the False Prophet. “ Day and night” shows that the torment is without intermission, unceasing. “ For the ages of ages” signifies here and in Revelation 14:11 eternity in its full and proper meaning — never-ending existence. Commentary on Revelation 20:7-10 by E.M. ZerrRev_20:7. This is a repetition of Rev 20:3. See Revelation 20:3. Revelation 20:8. The nations here are the same as in Revelation 20:3 as to the meaning of the word. But the identical groups of men who had been deceived by Satan before the Reformation would not be available to him in the same manner, for they still have the Bible in their own languages, and will always know better than to surrender their rights as nations with their kings again. But having found by experience the great advantage of working through the various headquarters, so as to effect a broad-scale opposition to the truth, he determined to direct his efforts along that line. Of course his objective is the destruction of the Bible or the faith of the people in it. That is why this great and long conflict is called Armageddon in chapter 16:16, for one of the terms in Thayer's definition of the word is "destruction." Satan's strategy in this war was to use any means he could command that would destory men's faith in the Book. Gog and Magog were ancient peoples and countries that were numerous, savage and at enmity with civilization. The words are used symbolically here to indicate the kind of forces and means that Satan would use in his war against the Bible. In the note referred to at the beginning of this chapter, it is shown that a phase of Satan's public attacks upon the Bible is in the form of evolution, seeing that it is taught in the public schools, also be chartered and endorsed by states and educational headquarters. The same objective is now being attempted in the form of communism. In proportion as a man believes in this doctrine he will not believe in the Bible and Satan knows it. That is why he is pressing its tenets upon the people through every channel possible. It accounts for the number of communists among the school teachers of our free school system. Also for the presence of communists and their sympathizers in the three branches of our government; the legislative, executive and judicial. I am sometimes asked if I believe the present conflict with Russia and her satellites was predicted. My answer is yes as the whole picture is considered. Communism is just the present objective in the war, the conflict being either for or against it. In that sense it was predicted for it is a continuation of the battle (war) of Armageddon, which was begun after Satan was loosed and is destined to continue until Christ comes. As in most other wars, there are spies and sympathizers who pretend to be on the right side, but whose heart is in favor of theenemy. Such traitors either deny being communists or even refuse to say whether they are or not. We know that when a man refuses to answer questions on 'this subject when propounded by a proper person, that person is a communist at heart and should be regarded as one of Satan's soldiers in the war of Armageddon. Revelation 20:9. The pronoun they stands for the hostile forces of Satan symbolically mustered from the regions of Gog and Magog. This is the army of Satan that is described in the preceding paragraph. They will fight under his directions with the object of destroying men's faith in the Bible. The apostate church of Rome taught that the religious conduct of men should be regulated according to the pope and his college of cardinals. The teaching of Christ is that men's lives should be regulated by the Bible (1 Peter 4:11; 1 John 1:7), that the sole institution for making that Book known is the church (Ephesians 3:10 Ephesians 3:21; 1 Timothy 3:15). Hence the army of Satan was to compass the camp of the saints. This means the church when considered as a group of individuals, and the beloved city means the church if spiritual Jerusalem is used as a symbol. So here is where the issue is joined in this great battle of Armageddon. The church of Christ is on one side, and everything else is on the other in all controversies that involve moral and religious interests, and where belief in or opposition to the Bible is at stake. The first two thirds of this brief verse covers the entire period of the war of Armageddon, beginning when Satan was loosed and extending to the coming of Christ. The last sentence of the verse marks the end of the war. Not that it tells of the date (no passage does), but it names the event that will bring the conflict to a close, namely, the consuming fire out of heaven. We are told in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 that the pope will be destroyed at the coming of Christ. It is very fitting that the war of Armageddon should be destroyed at the same time, since the pope and Satan have been allies arrayed against the forces of Christ for centuries. And with this verse the prophetic symbols of the book of Revelation bring us to the judgment day for the final showing. At various places in our study we have been brought to that event, then taken back to some earlier period and started all over again. But the rest of the chapter will describe the events on the day of judgment and not go back. Revelation 20:10. Devil that deceived them refers to the vast hordes who comprised the army of Satan. This verse says nothing about the fate of the deceived ones; that will be shown later. This is the lake of fire and brimstone that is mentioned in Revelation 21:8. Tormented day and night is figurative as to the parts of the time for there will be no recurrence of day and night literally. The expression is used to give emphasis to the literal part of the sentence, namely, for ever and ever. In other words there will be no "breathing spell" or even brief intermission for the sake of relief; it will be continuous and endless.Commentary on Revelation 20:7-10 by Burton CoffmanRev_20:7 And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,Shall be loosed ... We agree with those commentators who believe that the divine goal of redemption will be fully achieved, but that very near the end, faith shall practically vanish from the earth. "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8). Just as the old Israel fell away from God and officially and finally rejected even the Messiah himself, their apostasy will be fulfilled in the great antitype of the church, the new Israel, which will apparently do exactly the same thing. "When the final judgment is at hand, the powers of evil will again assemble and gather force."[42] The loosing of Satan will occur at the time when more and more people have chosen wickedness and the true faith shall virtually have disappeared. With the relative number of the righteous greatly diminished, Satan's powers over people will be vastly multiplied; and it appears from this that very near the end of time Satan will find himself with almost a free hand to work his will. If this should be the case, the situation would almost certainly issue in the destruction of humanity. It could be that, in this final outburst of evil, God will permit the human race to find out through terminal experience just what serving the devil really means. See the somewhat lengthy discussion of this in "The Mystery of Redemption," pp. 121-143, "When the final judgment is nigh, the power of evil will gather force again."[43][42] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 116. [43] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 1089. Revelation 20:8and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.And shall come forth to deceive the nations ... At the time indicated here, Satan will do exactly what he did in the pre-Christian world, that is, organize all mankind into one vast, sprawling, interlocking network of evil. This shows that Satan's power to deceive was not altered by his imprisonment and limitation. Wherever and whenever people are willing to work the works of wickedness, Satan will promote and organize their activities. It was the word of God which broke his powerful stranglehold upon the ancient world; and when people turn away from the word of God, their old nemesis will again seize the whole world. Something resembling that terrible eventuality seems to be indicated here. Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war ... These names and symbols of all the enemies of God's people, as their usage in Ezekiel surely indicates, do not represent any particular earthly states, but all the forces of wickedness. See Ezekiel 35-40. "Gog and Magog, in Jewish thought, carne to stand for everything that is against God."[44]Together to the war ... This final "war" against God is exactly the parallel of the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16), another example of the parallelism in this prophecy, both being descriptions of the end, rather, times immediately prior to the final judgment. Earle pointed out that certain millennialists distinguish between these accounts, apply one before, the other after, the millennium; but they are parallel accounts of but one event. As Wilcock noted, "The invitation to the birds (Revelation 19:17) is also thought to be before the millennium; but in Ezekiel 39:17 ff, from whence the imagery is taken, their invitation was to "pick the bones' of Gog."[45] Again, this indicates parallelism in these recapitulations. Satan will remain "completely bound," as far as the righteous are concerned, even to the very end;' but, with the near disappearance of righteousness from the earth as the end approaches, there will nevertheless be, as far as the whole world is concerned, an effective "loosing of Satan." This is indicated in the next verse. The number of whom is as the sand of the sea ... At the time here indicated, the righteous of earth are an insignificant number; but the hosts of evil will be innumerable. But when Satan is loosed, the same thing will happen that always happens when Satan has a free hand. When the demons were permitted to enter the swine, remember what happened? A similar thing shall happen with humanity when Satan has a free hand. "Then shall come the end" (Matthew 24:14). After the gospel work among the nations has been done, after the last soul that it can save has been saved, then the final moment has arrived for the settlement with all the monstrous anti-Christian opposition to God.[46][44] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 194. [45] Michael Wilcock, op. cit., p. 191. [46] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 592. Revelation 20:9 And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them.And they went up over the breadth of the earth ... All of the world will be swallowed up by the empire of evil; and their vicious hatred of the truth and of Christ will not rest as long as any souls, no matter how few, are true believers in Christ and his holy religion. Therefore, they will move to destroy utterly even the remnant of believers left. That is the picture when the judgment falls. And encompassed the camp of the saints about ... This has no reference whatever to some locale where Christians will be encamped, as in an army, and barricaded against evil. No! It just means that the devil will finally take it in hand to destroy, utterly and finally, the last vestiges of truth and righteousness upon the earth. Fire from heaven will be God's answer to that decision on the part of Satan. Ladd, and many others, envision the literal Jerusalem as the earthly scene of this event;[47] but there is no basis in the bible for such a notion. And the beloved city ... This symbolizes the true church of God, certainly not literal Jerusalem which crucified Christ and both earned and received the outpouring of the wrath of God upon her as a consequence. This racial thing about literal Jews that gets into millennial calculations is as unchristian and unreasonable as any nonsense ever advocated. Long ago, God thundered the edict from heaven that there is "NO " between Jew and Gentile (Romans 3:22; Romans 10:12), and the Christian is gullible indeed who allows himself to accept any theory of "distinction" regarding Jews, Gentiles, or any other races of mankind. It is just as Scriptural to suppose that God has separate plans for the Albanians, the Laps, the North American Indians, or the Japanese, as it is to imagine that racial Jews shall enter in any special manner into God's plans for the future. And fire came down from heaven and devoured them ... Not much of a "war" was it? God spake, and it was done. God settled the full account with evil in a single fiery blast. ENDNOTE: [47] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 270. Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.And the devil ... was cast into the lake of fire ... This is the hell of which Jesus so often spoke, and concerning which he revealed it is prepared, not for man, but for Satan and his angels (Matthew 25:41). Alas, men also shall suffer therein, but God never intended that it should be so. Christ spread wide his bleeding hands upon the Cross in order to prevent any man from ever suffering the punishment of the damned; but people who choose to ignore this must assume the full responsibility for the consequence of their failure. Revelation has already clearly recounted how the beast and the false prophet were destroyed in the same lake of fire, but we are not at liberty to suppose these are three separate events. "The fact that John saw the beast destroyed before he saw Satan bound has nothing to do with the order in which these things actually happen."[48] It is clear enough that the final judgment is the occasion when all of these things will occur. Read Matthew 25:31-46, which is the best possible commentary on what the apostle wrote here. Shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever ... Here is the doctrine of endless punishment, a teaching visible throughout the New Testament. "Whether the fire is construed literally or figuratively is immaterial: the lesson taught is intense and endless punishment; and no more impressive emblem could have been used."[49] This clause positively identifies this scene as the final judgment, an event already depicted six times previously in this prophecy. See chapter introduction for a list of these. Beginning back at Revelation 12:1, we witnessed in the vision the appearance of the dragon (Satan), the sea-beast (perverted government), and the land-beast (perverted religion); and then there came successive judgments in which these three were destroyed in reverse order, thus bringing to an end the period of the Christian age. All evil will ultimately fall before the will of God. All that remains now is, "to show forth the surpassing glory of the saints in their eternal home, and thus to bring the book to a conclusion. This, therefore, is the theme of the remaining two chapters."[50][48] Michael Wilcock, op. cit., p. 190. [49] John T. Hinds, op. cit., p. 293. [50] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 474. Commentary on Revelation 20:7-10 by Manly Luscombe7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison…Admittedly, this is a difficult verse to understand. It will help if we understand that the limitation of Satan is the preaching of the gospel. Satan is limited because the gospel is having an influence on the lives of men. Satan will be released (not bound or restricted) at some point. It would appear that there will come a time when the gospel is no longer reaching man. Perhaps man is hardened. Again, I quote Woodruff. “ The only logical meaning to this is that all people who will ever become obedient to the gospel will have done so.” (1, 371). Here is the scary truth: There will come a time when men will not hear the gospel and be inclined to obey it. The gospel will not spread. As fewer and fewer people are willing to study and obey the gospel, more and more will be living lives of rebellion and sin. Think about the words of Jesus, “ As it was in the days of Noah …” (Matthew 24:37) 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. Where the gospel does NOT go, Satan will be given greater room to roam. He will go to the four corners of the earth. The four directions (North, South, East, West) are used to describe the complete and total spread of Satan’ s influence. This verse describes a time when Satan will have far reaching power and influence because the gospel has been stopped. The world will become more wicked and rebellious. This will be a world that totally rejects God and His church. Many theories have come out of the woodwork to find two modern nations that represent Gog and Magog. These terms represent those who oppose God. (Ezekiel 38:1-23; Ezekiel 39:1-29). The numbers of people who have rebelled against God and rejected the gospel are like the sand of the sea. They are beyond number.9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. Sin will literally take over the world. The entire world will be plunged into wickedness. The faithful Christians will be surrounded as if under siege. When you think that you are all alone, that no one else is faithful to God - Do not give up. This is no time to surrender. Victory is just around the corner. God will win the battle. Fire from heaven will devour the wicked world. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. This is the final defeat. Satan has lost his great harlot, Babylon. He has lost his persecuting governments. He has lost his false religions. He saw the world become so wicked that he was thinking he was winning. Out of the jaws of victory, God gives Satan his final and ultimate defeat. Satan is thrown into the same lake of fire and brimstone as his generals. They are now in torment. The torment is continual, without rest, day and night, forever and ever. Revelation 20:11-15 4. THE Revelation 20:11-15 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it,----In this paragraph John describes the great judgment scene, closing with the final disposition to be made of the wicked. The word "throne" means authority to exercise power of some kind. It may indicate either reign or judgment; here the latter is certainly indicated. This is the same throne mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 25:31 in describing the final judgment; it is there called the "throne of his glory." From the language there we know it will be Jesus himself who will sit upon the judgment throne. it is called the judgment seat of God in Romans 14:10, and the judgment seat of Christ in 2 Corinthians 5:10. This is not a contradiction, for God and Christ are one in the purpose of saving men. Then the Father bath committed judgment to the Son (John 5:22), and Christ's judgment is, therefore, the judgment of the Father also. from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.--The disappearing of the heaven and the earth is what John saw in the picture; and their disappearance was final. Whether this is to be understood symbolically to indicate a complete change of religious systems or the final change in the material world, as described in 2 Peter 3:7; 2 Peter 3:10-12, is an immaterial matter; for the judgment will bring a radical change in both. The old system in both will disappear forever--their purposes will have been accomplished. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; --Jesus said there would be gathered before him all nations. In the emblem John sees the scenes enacted as predicted. "The great and the small" is a general expression that includes all, both evil and good. This is in perfect agreement with plain statements in nonfigurative language. Jesus said "all nations" would appear before his throne; Paul says we shall "all" stand before the judgment seat; and that "each one" may receive the things done in the body. This makes it universal and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life:--Both Old and New Testaments use the figure of man's name and deeds being recorded in a book. The following passages give clear proof of that fact: Exodus 32:32; Malachi 3:16; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 18:8; Revelation 21:27. The thought is that God's infinite memory will enable him to reward properly both bad and good just as if a written record had been kept. His knowledge of men's acts is just as accurate as a perfect writing. Some commentators interpret the "books" to mean the record God keeps of men's conduct, and the "books of life" to be the roll or record of the names of the righteous. But since we are to be judged by the words of Jesus (John 12:48), it seems more probable that one of the books, at least, should represent the Bible which contains the law by which mankind shall be judged. The other two could be the record of man's deeds and a register of the names of the saved. Whatever distinction we make in the application of the books, it is certain that men are to be judged in harmony with God's law and according to their deeds. A failure to have our names on God's record, or to have them rubbed out because of our sins, will be fatal to us. That is the important thing to remember. and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.--This is a plain statement of what is already implied in the text. The "dead" is an unlimited term that means all the dead, unless the context or language limits it to some special class of the dead. The language here has no such limitation, but on the other hand the implied contrast between the saved and lost runs through the entire paragraph. Why say "according to their works" if only the wicked dead were in view? In that case it would have been necessary only to say that the dead were raised to be punished. 13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them:--The Bible definitely shows that it is the body that dies, in the common use of the word die; death can be affirmed of the soul or spirit only in a moral or figurative sense. That leaves the soul alive in the natural sense of the term "live." James says "the body apart from the spirit is dead" (James 2:26), but no inspired writer anywhere says the spirit apart from the body is dead. Luke 16:22-25 and Acts 2:27 are final proofs that the souls in the Hadean world are not dead in the sense that the body is dead. Since the judgment is the door through which the final state is entered, of course a resurrection must precede. Hence, Hades must give up all souls, and the tombs be opened for the resurrection of bodies. But as the sea has claimed a large share of dead bodies, it must give up those in it. The resurrection must be complete and final. The language here forces the word "sea" to have its literal meaning; the word "earth" is implied in the resurrection of those buried in tombs. and they were judged every man according to their works, --Once more the universal nature of the resurrection is indicated by the expression "every man." Doubtless repeated for emphasis. 14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire.--The language means that both death and Hades will cease to exist at the judgment. The abolishment of death will render it impossible to have dead bodies for tombs in either earth or sea. If there will be no bodies for the tombs, there will be no disembodied spirits for Hades. No longer needed, naturally they will cease to exist. Personified, as if human beings, their final end is represented as in the lake of fire, called the second death. This is a forceful way of saying they are eternally banished, and the saved will no longer have reason to fear what does not exist.15 And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.--Returning to the destiny of men, John says anyone not written in God's book will be cast into the lake of fire. While this is the last act in the career of the wicked, the implication is evident that those whose names are in the book of life will escape the second death. This event, of course, is still future, yet John said "was" cast into the lake of fire. As John was permitted to see the judgment in a pictorial representation, the whole matter appeared done; hence, symbolically it was finished, but in reality was then, and yet is, future. This judgment scene pictures what Jesus revealed would take place when he comes again. (Matthew 25:31-46.) At this point the curtain drops upon the earthly drama in which mankind has played its several parts. The acts will not be repeated; the stage and all furnishings will give place to that which will be suitable to the eternal nature of man in his final abode. The curtain will never rise again upon the lost; their doom is left to our imagination from the pictures already drawn. Not so with the redeemed; for with the most entrancing visions and the sweetest and most alluring promises John lays before his readers Revelation's last words concerning the mansions Jesus has gone to prepare for his own Commentary on Revelation 20:11-15 by Foy E. Wallace(5) The tribunal of the great white throne. The progress of the apocalypse from the opening vision of chapter four surrounded Christ, the Rider and Conqueror; and the church, his Bride; in conflict with multiple opposing powers. But in the scene of Rev 20:11-15 the visions turned to the judgment throne of God, as “ the dead both small and great stand before God,” The picture in these verses was but the continuation of the contrast between the causes of righteousness and wickedness, truth and error, Christianity and heathenism; and their standing respectively before the great throne of divine judgment. The issues had been joined in the fierce conflict between the church on one hand, and all the forces of Judaism, Romanism and paganism on the other. Now the participants stood before the bar of divine decision, where the issues were settled. The cause of righteousness was acquitted, and the cause of wickedness was convicted, and forever condemned. A continuation of the textual analysis will add “ precept upon precept” that the apocalypse was limited to the period of the struggle and triumph of the church with opposing powers in the first century of its existence. 1. The great white throne. “ 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”—Revelation 20:11. This visional tribunal was the bar of divine justice to be meted to the criminals of war against Christ and the church. The description of the great white throne adds awe to the vision, as it also symbolized the character of pure and unmingled justice from the magnificent seat of judgment dispensed by the righteous Judge of the small and great. The Psalmist put it to verse in Psalms 89:14 : “ Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.” From before the face of God the earth and the heaven fled away: and there was found no place for them. This was not flight from one locality to another--the phrase fled away indicated complete disappearance. The earth, as in other visions, referred to the inhabitants of the land of Palestine; and the heaven signified the authorities and governments. After complete defeat there was no place for their activities of persecution and opposition, and they disappeared from their visional positions before the face of the great God of judgment. 2. The dead small and great. “ 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"—Revelation 20:12. These dead were the class of Rev 20:5, and of Rev 19:18. They were the “ rest of the dead,” the persecutors of the church, small and great--from the lowest to the highest officials of the imperial beast--all of them together stood before the tribunal of retribution. Comparison again with Isaiah’ s vision of the demise of the wicked lords who had exercised evil dominion over Israel in Isaiah 26:13-14 will lend force to this application of the judgment throne vision. These dead were held in contrast with the blessed of verse six, and there was no blessing for any of these dead, small and great--they stood before the throne of the great God, as culprits called to account for their crimes. When the books were opened that contained the record of their works they were judged accordingly. In the same symbolism, the beasts of Daniel’ s vision, Daniel 7:10, were judged by the books which were opened. These books symbolized the record of evil deeds, a book of remembrance. But the reference to another book . . . which is the book of life symbolized the registry of the approved, which are written in heaven. The names of these dead included in the rest of the dead were not in it. The distinction was made between the books, and the book of life. The names of the dead, small and great, referred to the judgment of the evil persecutors and opposers of the church; they were judged out of those things which were written in the books--not the book. These things were the record of their own evil works. The whole vision, of course, was figurative, and must be applied in the sense of the visions which represented the deadly struggle of the church with the persecuting powers.3. The sea gave up the dead which were in it. “ 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"—Revelation 20:13. The symbolism continued, the reference was not to the literal sea nor to physical death. Although the principles may be applied generally, the language belongs visionally to this apocalypse, and has direct reference to the judgment of the persecuting rulers and their subjects. The use of the word sea applied to the heathen society, consistent with the employment of the symbol elsewhere in the apocalypse; as mentioned in the classification of symbols in the first chapter. There was no reference to the bodily resurrection of the dead at the general judgment. This surrender by the sea of its dead was as figurative as the first resurrection of Rev 20:6. The realm of death and hell (hades) in like figure were also said to deliver up the dead which were in them. The words death and hades were used as a synecdoche--a figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole; the genus for the species, the name of the substance for thething. So death and hades were used here for the subjects of the diabolical and infernal powers. In the same symbolism that the first resurrection of Rev 20:6 was described as a resurrection to a state of victory--the resurrection of a cause; the “ rest of the dead” were envisioned in a resurrection of retribution--of judgment on the evil rulers and their wicked subjects who had persecuted the cause of the Lamb of God. 4. Death and hades cast into the lake of fire. “ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death:” --Revelation 20:14. These were the figurative representatives of the realms of opposition to the cause of the saints, and they were consigned to the same figurative oblivion with the beast. The symbolism meant that the period of martyrdom had ended, and there was surcease from persecution. This judgment on the evil instigators of the persecutions and martyrdom of the saints of God and Christ was specifically named the second death, which again was as visional and metaphorical as “ the first resurrection.” It denoted in symbolic language the destruction of the evil forces which had moved against the church to destroy it.5. The names not written in the book of life. “ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire”—Revelation 20:15. The book of life was the registry of the approved of God. The names not found in it were not a part of God’ s called and chosen people--they belonged to the society opposed to the church. The same reference in Revelation 13:8 mentioned the names not written in the book of life “ from the foundation of the earth,” which affirms the great truth that in all nations and ages the only people who belong to God in the true sense of the people of God were and are the people who have lived and now live in obedience to His divine will. Let it be impressed on the minds of the readers of Revelation, that these visions of resurrection; of second death and judgment; were all extraordinary and of special character. They were not intended for future and general application. They belonged to the apocalypse, and the apocalypse belonged to that period. The depiction of the first resurrection and the second death were not meant for expositions of the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead and the future eternal punishment of the wicked, abundantly taught elsewhere in numerous scriptures. Though the imagery has basis in these fundamental doctrinal truths, the visions of Revelation were limited in application to the pageantry of apocalyptic description of the fortunes of the early church and the divine judgments on its enemies.Commentary of Rev 20:11-15 by Walter ScottTHE OF THE DEAD THE THRONE AND THE JUDGE. Revelation 20:11. — “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the Heaven fled, and place was not found for them.” This verse constitutes a distinct vision of itself. The words “ I saw” occur again in Revelation 20:12. There are two separate visions: first, the throne and the Judge; second, the dead and their judgment. The millennium opens and closes each with an act of sessional judgment, and in both the Lord in Person is the Judge. The living are the subjects in the former case; the dead are on their trial in the latter. The throne of glory set up in Matthew 25:31 is totally distinct from the great white throne of our chapter. The times of the respective judgments: the one before, and the other after the millennial reign; the parties judged, the living in the one case, the dead in the other; nations, too, in the former; individuals in the latter; these and other essential differences between the two thrones mark them off as fundamentally distinct. It is impossible to regard them as one and the same. There are three great thrones: (1) in Heaven (Revelation 4:2),from whence the universe is governed; (2) on earth (Matthew 25:31), for the judgment of the nations in respect to their treatment of the preachers of the Gospel of the kingdom (vv. 40-45); (3) the great white throne, for the judgment of the dead (Revelation 20:11). Revelation 20:11. — “ A great white throne.” (Not the throne of the Sovereign, but that of the Judge, not regal but judicial. Neither is it permanently set up, but temporally, and for a special purpose.) There is but one such. We are about to view the greatest as size ever held. The august dignity of the Judge, the greatness of the occasion, the vastness of the scene, and the eternal consequences involved fitly demand the epithet great. The judgment is not governmental, but is one according to the nature of God Himself, Who is light, and that gives its own true and proper character to the throne. Greatness and purity characterize it. Revelation 20:11. — “Him that sat on it.” Here the pronoun alone is used; the name of the Judge is withheld. But we learn from the Lord Himself who it is that judges. “ The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:22); and, further, that the Son executes His own judgment (v. 27). It is the Lord Jesus Christ, the despised Nazarene and crucified Lord, “ who shall judge the quick and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1). The quick, or living, Hehas already judged (Matthew 25:31). Now He is about to judge the dead. The Son of Man it is Who sits on the throne. We gather that the name is withheld because the judgment and attendant circumstances are in moral keeping with the divine nature, not so prominently with His manhood as the title Son of Man would suggest. Revelation 20:11 — “From whose face the earth and the Heaven fled.” One could readily imagine that the present scene, so marred and wrecked, would at once disappear before the glory and majesty of such a One, but that is not what is seen here. It is the earth and the Heaven constituted by the Lord Himself as spheres to display His glory and righteousness that cannot abide the glory of His face. The millennial scene, both in its higher and lower departments, is at the best an imperfect condition. “ The earth and Heaven fled” — not passed out of existence, not annihilated. The next clause carefully guards against any such unscriptural deduction — “ place was not found for them.” It does not intimate the complete disappearance of the millennial earth and Heaven. Consequent upon the removal of these, new heavens and a new earth fitted, furnished, and constituted for eternity take their place — are made, not created (Making supposes pre-existing material. Matter has been created once. Creation is the production of material, or matter, which never before existed. Isaiah 65:17-18 is millennial, and intimates a complete moral change.) (Isaiah 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13). Between the passing away of the millennial scene and the introduction of the eternal worlds, material in both cases, the great white throne is set up. (The removal of the present material heavens and earth, as beheld by the Seer and foretold by Peter (2 Peter 3:10), is in order that the “ new Heaven and new earth” may take their place (Revelation 21:1). But the question has been raised: What about the millennial saints on earth? How will they be preserved during the burning and dissolving of which Peter speaks? On this Scripture is silent. Without doubt God will care for and preserve His own during the great change. The bodies of the saints on earth will be constituted for the new conditions of life, for an earth destined never to pass away. Yet the everlasting distinction will be observed between the heavenly and earthly peoples, however close the connection may be.) This consideration imparts profound solemnity to the scene before us. For the throne is not set on the earth, nor in relation to its dispensations and times. It is a scene outside human history entirely. We have passed out of time into eternity. The judgment therefore of the throne is final, and in its very nature eternal. We are in God’ s eternity. There can be no measures of time nor limitations bounded by the globe, for that by which all is measured and limited has passed away. The judgment is of persons in their individual relation to God, and is consequently final and eternal. THE DEAD BEFORE THE THRONE. Revelation 20:12. — “And I saw the dead, the great and the small,standing before the throne” (R.V.). A new vision. The term dead here has a twofold signification. First, it refers to those who had actually died, and only such are viewed in the passage. Second, all in this judgment are spiritually dead. John sees them as raised not in a separate state. Verse 13 states facts prior to verse 12, and accounts for the dead standing before the throne. There is a resurrection of the just and of the unjust (Acts 24:15). But the resurrection of the former is special, both as to time and character. There is really no ground for the prevalent notion of a general resurrection and a general judgment. The former is negated by the statement in Revelation 20:5, “ The rest of the dead did not live till the thousand years had been completed.” A general judgment is as destitute of divine authority as that of a common resurrection, for here the dead alone are judged, whilst in Matthew 25:1-46 and Revelation 19:1-21 the living only are in view a thousand years before. Revelation 20:12 — “The great and the small.” This Biblical phrase, of frequent occurrence in the Old Testament, is found five times in the Apocalypse (Revelation 11:18; Revelation 13:16;Revelation 19:5; Revelation 19:18; Revelation 20:12). In the first four of these references the order of the words is reversed from that in our text: “ small and great.” The exception is due to the greatness and majesty of the occasion. The article before the adjectives would intimate that special classes of the great and the small are there, from all ranks of men in the Church and inthe world. The highest and most responsible, down to the least, are congregated and gathered round the throne. Revelation 20:12 — “Standing before the throne.” How real and present the vision was to the Seer! On what do they stand? Not on earth, for that has disappeared. The dead are maintained before the throne of omnipotent power. The throne beheld by the grandest of the prophets (Isaiah 6:1-13) had an altar of sacrifice beside it; hence the righteous claim of the throne was met and answered by the altar. The throne in the innermost room of the tabernacle of old had blood — the witness of death — sprinkled upon it. But the throne before us is great and white, and there is neither altar nor blood. Oh, the horror, the despair, the agony of standing in one’ s sins, searched by the blaze of divine light! Caves, rocks, caverns, there are none in which the guilty soul may hide, for these have fled, and each sinner is now face to face with God, from Whom there is no escape and no shelter. DIVINE RECORDS OF HUMAN HISTORY. Revelation 20:12 — “And books were opened, and another book was opened, which is (that) of life. And the dead were judged out of the things written in the books, according to their works.” “ Books were opened.” Every responsible soul on earth has his life and history written above. Nothing is forgotten, nothing is too trivial, all are unerringly set down in the records of God. Infants and idiots are alone excepted. The ground of judgment is that of works, of deeds. Men are responsible for what they have done, not for what they are as born into the world. The existence of an evil nature in each one of the human race (Psalms 51:5) is not the ground of judgment, and hence infants and irresponsible persons are not contemplated, and do not come in for judgment at all. We cannot help, nor are we responsible for, the existence of the evil nature in us, but we are responsible for its activity. The root in you you cannot help, but the fruit you can, and for this provision has been made in the sacrifice of Christ. Judgment is according to “ because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6). Literal books, or rolls, are, of course, out of question. Their awful signification is enough to appall the stoutest heart, and make the most hardened conscience quail. The ungodly dead shall be confronted withal they have thought, done, and said, from the moment of responsibility till its close. If judgment proceeds on the ground of works there can be but one result, one issue of the fair and impartial trial: condemnation, final and eternal. Twice it is said that the judgment is “ according to their works.” Memory, too, will be stirred in that awful moment, and add its solemn Amen, as the record of each one’ s life is read over amidst the profoundest silence and awe inspired by such a scene. But the book of life is next opened and carefully scanned, with the result that not one name of the ungodly is found in its pages. Their names might have been written in that book, but mercy was despised, grace rejected, and now judgment and its execution must take their course. It is the book of life referred to in Revelation 13:8 and Revelation 17:8, but not that of Rev 3:5. This latter is the book of Christian profession, true and false; the former is the record of all true believers. COMING UP OF THE DEAD Revelation 20:13. — “And the sea gave up the dead which (were)in it, and death and hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, each according to their works.” Literally, the sea, “ the sepulchre of buried nations,” shall have to yield up its dead. Thevoice of the Son of God, for all the dead shall hear it (John 5:28; John 5:29), will fathom the lowest depths of the deepest sea, and the angry billows and waves shall answer to the voice of their Creator, and yield up their dead, every one. Death, too, which claimed the body, and hades the soul — the Lord has the keys of both — shall give up their dead, every one. The emperor and peasant, the high and low, the rich and poor, have been humbled to one dead level. Now all come forth at that voice of irresistible power and majesty, and each one is judged “ according to their works.” OF DEATH AND HADES Revelation 20:14. — “And death and hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death (even), the lake of fire.” All do not enter into death and hades. It is appointed unto “ men once to die” (Hebrews 9:27), not unto all men, as the text is generally, but erroneously, read. Enoch and Elijah were caught up, and those alive at the Coming shall be changed, they will not die. When the first resurrection is completed, then death and hades are done with for saints, their work in holding respectively the body and soul is at an end. But they still continue to hold the ungodly dead in their terrible grip. Strong they are, but Christ is their Master (Revelation 1:18). Now that their work is over they are cast into the lake of fire; they were brought into existence, so to speak, by sin, and as the lake of fire is the eternal depository of all contrary to God as light and love they are cast into it. “ This is the second death,” that is, the lake of fire. The bodies of the wicked will be constituted to last through eternal ages; they will never die, but eternally exist in the second death. It is not extinction of existence, not annihilation, but it is torment during the lifetime of the Almighty and Eternal God. Nor will there be apportioned to each the same amount, measure, and degree of punishment. The place is common to all, but “ many stripes” and “few stripes” (Luke 12:47-48) indicate the infliction of various degreesof punishment. CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. Revelation 20:15. — “And if any one was not found written in the book of life he was cast into the lake of fire.” Such then is the eternal doom of the wicked. The dragon, the Beast, the False Prophet, and now all the unbelieving from the days of Cain find themselves in one horror of horrors, in one place where memory will give point and sting to the agony of eternal separation from God, from light and happiness. May God solemnize our spirits as we ponder these realities soon to be the awful lot and portion of many. Commentary on Revelation 20:11-15 by E.M. ZerrRev_20:11. Great white throne signifiespurity and justice. From whose face . . . fled away . . . no place for them. This agrees with the next chapter that will tell us of the new heaven and earth. Revelation 20:12. Small and great. In God's eyes there are no "big I and little you," so the phrase is used only to denote that all human beings will be brought before the judgment. This conclusion also agrees with the literal statements of scripture in other passages (2 Corinthians 5:10). Books occurs twice in this verse and it is stated that the judgment will be rendered according to the works that are written in the books. Hence the books means God's books of remembrance. (See Psalms 56:8; Malachi 3:16.) God does not literally need the mechanical use of books, but the words are used symbolically to impress us with the truth that none of the things we do will escape His knowledge. The other book is described as the book of life. It is referred to in the last verse as containing the names of the faithful servants of the Lord. This same thought is expressed in chapter 21:27; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3. Upon the basis of this information we may conclude that the books were the records of men's actions, and the book of life contained a list of those whose conduct had caused their names to be written in this book, and whose continued good deeds had prevented their names from being blotted out (Revelation 3:5). Revelation 20:13. The preceding verse makes a general statement of the persons to be summoned before the judgment. "Small and great" would virtually include all human beings that ever lived. The present verse gives particulars, doubtless to impress us with the completeness of the resurrection of all persons regardless of where their bodies and spirits had been, even including the sea with its millions of ravenous creatures to feed upon the bodies of the dead. Death refers to the dead bodies and hell (from HADES), is the place where the spirits had been. Both will be reunited and brought before the judgment. Revelation 20:14. Death (of the body) and hell (HADES), will not be needed any longer, hence they will be consigned to the lake of fire. Not all men, of course, but the ones who will be designated in the next verse. Revelation 20:15. This explains who is meant in the preceding verse to be cast into the lake of fire. In order to avoid such a doom it behooves us all to get our names written in the book of life, then live so that they will not be blotted out. Sermon on Revelation 20:1-15 The Milennial Kingdom Brent Kercheville Revelation 19 concluded with the judgment of the great prostitute (Revelation 19:2), the beast (Revelation 19:20), and the false prophet (Revelation 19:20). Rome and her empire, along with all the rulers and provinces associated with the empire, have been brought under judgment. Revelation 20 reveals what happens next. The Dragon and The Abyss (Revelation 20:1-3) John sees an angel coming down from heaven. In his hand is the key to the abyss (bottomless pit) and a great chain. We read about the abyss in Revelation 9:1 where we saw Abaddon/Apollyon (Satan) open the abyss and release locusts. Those locusts represented Satan unleashing the Roman Empire as the destroyer of the Jewish nation. The angel seizes the dragon and binds him for 1000 years. We are reminded that the dragon is Satan. Satan is thrown into the abyss, shut it, and sealed it for the 1000 years. It is important to read the meaning of this binding. The binding means that Satan “ might not deceive the nations any longer.” It is important to consider that the angel does not say that Satan is no longer deceiving people. Satan is the great deceiver and will continue to tempt people to sin until Christ returns (1 Peter 5:8). The angel is pointing to something different when we are told that Satan can no longer deceive the nations. What has Satan been doing in the book of Revelation that he will no longer be able to do for the 1000 years? It seems evident from our study that the dragon has lifted up a world power to make war on those who follow Jesus (Revelation 12:17) and deceive the world to worship it rather than God (Revelation 13:13-15). This is what the dragon has been causing in the second half of the book of Revelation. As Daniel prophesied in Daniel 2:44 the kingdoms of the earth have been brought to an end by the kingdom of God that shall never be destroyed. The deception of the nations by the dragon will be expanded on toward the end of this chapter. We also need to examine the 1000 year period. As we have noted throughout our study, we are taking these numbers as symbols unless something in the text demands otherwise. There is nothing here to suggest that the 1000 years are a literal 1000 years. Further, the 1000 years seems to be in contrast to what will happen after the 1000 years. Satan will be released “ for a little while.” Satan is going to be sealed in the abyss for a significant duration of time while his release will be for a very short amount of time. We will be given more details about the 1000 years in the next few verses. New Testament scholar, G.K. Beale argues for the 1000 years to be understood figuratively. “ The events in Revelation 20:1-3 and Revelation 20:4-6 occur during the same period, which is referred to as ‘ 1000 years.’ That this is not a literal chronological number is apparent from: (1) the consistently figurative use of numbers elsewhere in the book, (2) the figurative nature of much of the immediate context , (3) the predominantly figurative tone of the entire book (so Revelation 1:1), (4) the figurative use of ‘ 1000’ in the O.T. and (5) the use in Jewish and early Christian writings of ‘ 1000’ years as a figure for the eternal blessing of the redeemed. The overall analysis of Rev 20:1-6 supports a figurative meaning. 1000 is the third power of ten, and if figurative here, might represent a long era and, at least, would signify an ideal epoch” (Beale, New International Greek New Testament, 995). Reigning With Christ (Revelation 20:4-6) John sees thrones and those seated on the thrones who were given authority to judge. We will speak more about this image in a moment. John sees the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and the word of God. These are the ones who had not received the mark of the beast and did not worship the image of the beast. These are also the souls that we saw under the altar in Revelation 6:9. Remember that the souls under the altar were told that more servants of God would be killed before their blood was avenged (Revelation 6:11). We have seen that truth occur as those who did not worship the beast are also killed. Their victory is again depicted as “ they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Judicial vindication occurs on behalf of the slain servants of God. They are reigning with Christ. It does not seem to fit that this is speaking about a bodily resurrection. Rather, a contrast is being drawn. The saints were previously seen as under the altar. They are killed for the cause of Christ either by their testimony of Jesus or for not worshiping the beast. They are now pictured as seated on thrones and reigning with Christ. I think this makes the most sense of who is seated on these thrones. Osborne points out that Revelation 20:4 could be seen as epexegetical, “ And I saw thrones and those sitting on them…namely, the souls” (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, 704). The description in the rest of Rev 20:4 is John’ s explanation as to who are those seated on thrones. Further, there are places in scriptures where resurrection is not speaking about a bodily resurrection. In Ezekiel 37:12-14 we see resurrection describing the restoration of the nation. In Isaiah 26:19 the prophet says, “ Your dead shall live, their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!” Isaiah was not prophesying that those killed in the Babylonian invasion would experience a bodily resurrection. Rather, this is an image of victorious resurrection. Life will be given to the true people of God. It is an Old Testament picture of triumph over the world nations. They are the victorious saints who have overcome. Yes, they died, but they are alive and are not lost. They share in the victory and are not permanently dead. Because of this, they will not experience the second death, which is referred to in Revelation 20:14-15, a spiritual death. This is the picture in Revelation 20:4-6. Notice that this is the fulfillment of what Jesus promised to the seven churches of Asia. “ Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:10-11). The faithful will not be hurt by the second death. Revelation 20:6 makes that very point. These faithful martyrs are sharing in the victory of life and reigning with Christ for 1000 years. This is a simple image of triumph for the people who have gone through this ordeal. Those who have died for the cause of Christ are not left out or left behind, but are reigning with Christ. Also notice that there are places in the New Testament where within the same context the writer shifts between speaking about spiritual life, death, and resurrection and physical life, death, and resurrection. Paul switched between such language in Romans 6:4-13 and Jesus did similarly in John 5:24-29. Therefore, we should not bothered by Revelation 20:4-6 teaching that those who suffered physical death for the cause of Christ will avoid spiritual death. Those who did not suffer physical death for Christ will suffer spiritual death. The first resurrection refers to those killed for Christ being given victorious life in Christ, reigning with him. The second resurrection will deal with the rest and their outcome will be determined at the white throne scene in Revelation 20:11-15. The thousand years are the time of the reign of Christ (Revelation 20:4; Revelation 20:6). The scriptures teach that the reign of Christ began when he rose from the dead. “…according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:19-23 ESV) Paul taught the same point in 1 Corinthians 15:25 concerning Christ reigning after his resurrection. “ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:25-26 ESV) The 1000 year reign of Christ began when he rose from the dead. He must continue to reign until all the enemies are put under his feet and death is the last enemy. Therefore, the 1000 year period is not 1000 earthly years, but a symbol for the complete time of Christ’ s rule. Another way to describe the 1000 year period is the church age (Beale, NIGTC, 992). Beale states, “ Satan’ s binding was climactically put in motion immediately after Christ’ s resurrection, and it lasts throughout most of the age between Christ’ s first and second comings” (Beale, NIGTC, 985). After The 1000 Years (Revelation 20:7-10) Now we come to some disturbing words in this prophecy. When the thousand years are ended, Satan is going to be released from his prison in the abyss and will come out to deceive the nations again. We noted at the beginning of this lesson that Satan being prevented from deceiving the nations meant that a world empire would not be able to persecute the Christians nor deceive the world into worshiping it rather than God. Revelation 20:8 indicates that Satan will unleash one more effort as he did during the days of the Roman Empire. Satan is going to use a world power to persecute Christians and sway the world away from worshiping the true God. Futurists have given much attention to Gog and Magog. Many have tried to identify Gog and Magog as the Soviet Union, communist China, and other evil regimes. However, Revelation 20:8 identifies Gog and Magog as “ the nations that are at the four corners of the earth.” Gog and Magog appear in Ezekiel 38-39. In speaking about Gog, God said, “ Thus says the Lord GOD: Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them?” (Ezekiel 38:17 ESV) God said Gog had been prophesied of in former days by God’ s servants the prophets. Yet we only read of Gog and Magog right here. So what is Gog and Magog? Gog and Magog represent the heathen enemies against God’ s people. These are the nations of the world that fight against God’ s people. The devil is going to exert his power over the nations of the world again to gather for battle. The devil will have the power to deceive the nations again just as he deceived those during the days of the Roman Empire, igniting persecution and false worship. Revelation 20:9 is reminiscent of when the kings of the earth and the beast gathered for battle against Christ (Revelation 19:19; Revelation 16:14-16). Satan is going to try to destroy the people of God yet again. This is the meaning of the symbolism of nations of the earth marching against the camp of the saints and the beloved city. The TNIV and HCSB are right to translate the Greek as explaining the camp of the saints as the beloved city of God. “ They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’ s people, the city he loves.” (Revelation 20:9 TNIV) Just as the nations gathered to try to destroy God’ s people before but were destroyed by Christ, so it will happen again. Christ will destroy the enemies of God’ s people, described as fire coming down from heaven and consuming the enemies. Satan is finally cast into the lake of fire at the end of the 1000 year reign of Christ, the place where the beast and false prophet were already cast in Revelation chapter 19. There they all are tormented day and night forever and ever. God brings his judgment against Satan and he will endure eternal punishment. Jesus made the same point about the fate of Satan. “ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘ Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'” (Matthew 25:41 ESV) Eternal torment in hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. Satan is now cast into the punishment he deserves. The Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15) The final scene of this chapter is of a great white throne. This is the scene of final judgment. Earth and sky are no longer needed. The time for this world is over. This imagery fits New Testament teaching. Heb_110-12 says, And, “ You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” (Hebrews 1:10-12 ESV) Also 2 Peter 3:10 says, “ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” (2 Peter 3:10 ESV) All the dead are standing before the throne. As the apostle Paul said, “ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV) The books of our deeds are opened in preparation for judgment. “ The dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.” The sea giving up its dead and Death and Hades giving up its dead further emphasizes the point that this is the final judgment that no one will escape. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This shows that there is no more death at this point and there is no more Hades. Hades is the resting place of the souls who died. There is no more need for Hades because their is no more death and no more earth (Revelation 20:11). Revelation 20:15 contains the critical message concerning our future. “ And if anyone’ s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15 ESV) The book of life represents the roll of citizens who are in God’ s kingdom by faithfulness to the Lamb. “ The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” (Revelation 3:5 ESV) Those not written in the book of life will experience the lake of fire, which is the second death. This reminds us that separation from God is the ultimate eternal punishment. We do not understand how awful it is to live in a world where the hand of God is not involved. We have no grasp of how terrible it would be and that is why the scriptures use images like being tormented day and night forever and ever to communicate this reality to us. There will be great suffering in eternal punishment for those who are not written in the book of life. It is worth noting that there is nothing that suggests our punishment, nor the punishment of Satan, is annihilation. “ Torment day and night forever and ever” points us not to annihilation but eternal suffering because our souls will be in full separation from God. We must live our lives striving to remain faithful to the Lord so that our names will be found in the Lamb’ s book of life on the day of judgment. Commentary on Revelation 20:11-15 by Burton CoffmanRev_20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.And I saw a great white throne ... Is this God, or Christ? We should probably read it as Christ, to correspond with Matthew 25:31-46, and also with the truth that God has committed judgment unto the Son of man (John 5:22). From whose face the earth and the heaven fled away ... Note that very similar things were written in Revelation 6:14; Revelation 16:20; Revelation 18:21; Revelation 19:20, making it emphatic that this is the same occasion as the one in view in those passages also. It is merely an idle quibble to dispute whether God, or Christ, is on the throne. Paul said, "God will judge" (Acts 17:31), and also that, "Christ will judge" (2 Timothy 4:1). "The unity of the Father and the Son is such that there is no difficulty in ascribing the action of one to the other."[51]The removal of earth and heaven at the final judgment are indicated here, and this harmonizes with the New Testament throughout. See 2 Peter 3:6-13; Matthew 5:17; Hebrews 12:27, etc. The destruction of the earth is an event scheduled for the occasion of the Second Advent of Christ. ENDNOTE: [51] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 195. Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne ... The general resurrection of all people is assumed to have already occurred at this point in the vision. The dead are there before the throne, standing and waiting for their sentence. The hour has struck which Jesus promised in John 5:28-29. There are no absentees; all are present. "This is the only bodily resurrection that the Scriptures know."[52] The entirety of all people will be there, even the living, who will be "changed" for the occasion (1 Corinthians 15:51). "And the books were opened"? What are these? We may not presume to give any complete answer, but the Scriptures do give some clues. AND THE BOOKS WERE OPENEDOne of Alexander Campbell's great sermons was based upon this text, the books he mentioned being: I. The Book of Nature. A. "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalms 19). B. "His everlasting power and divinity are perceived through the things that are made" (Romans 1:20). C. "He left not himself without witness ... he did good, gave rains and fruitful seasons, etc." (Acts 14:17). D. But there is no such thing as forgiveness in nature. The book of nature does not reveal Christ. II. The Book of Remembrance. A. "A book of remembrance was written before him" (Malachi 3:16). B. "Note it in a book that it may be for the time to come" (Isaiah 30:8-9). C. "The Lord will bring to light the hidden things" (1 Corinthians 4:5). D. "Nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest" (Luke 8:17; Romans 2:16). Note: There are some things that God will not remember (Jeremiah 31:31-35). What the record books contain is determined by what God decides to remember and what he decides to forget.[53]III. The Old Testament. The great, continuing witness of all ages is the Bible. The Old Testament continues to be the most impressive witness of the deity and Godhead of Christ in that it establishes his credentials historically for ages prior to the Incarnation. A. "Search the Scriptures ... for these are they that testify of me" (John 5:34). B. "All things must needs be fulfilled" (Luke 24:44). C. "And the Scriptures cannot be broken" (John 10:35). D. "O, ye fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken" (Luke 24:25; Matthew 22:29). IV. The New Testament A. "These sayings of mine" (Matthew 7:24; Matthew 7:26). B. "Whatsoever I commanded you" (Matthew 28:18-20). C. "My word shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48). D. "The word of the Lord (the gospel) endureth forever" (1 Peter 1:25; Matthew 24:35; Hebrews 2:3; 2 Peter 3:2; John 6:68). V. The Record of Every Man's Works. All of the sacred writers make it clear that people shall be judged according to their works. Modern theology is very uncomfortable in the light of this truth; but the record of every person's deeds will surely enter into the judgment which he shall receive. A. Jesus taught this (John 5:29; Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 6:46-49; Matthew 12:27, etc.). B. Paul taught this (Romans 2:6 ff; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 6:1, etc.). C. Peter taught this (Acts 10:35; 1 Peter 2:12; 1 Peter 3:8-11; 2 Peter 1:10). D. James taught this (Revelation 2:14; Revelation 2:20; Revelation 2:24; Revelation 2:26, etc.). E. The apostle John taught this (1 John 2:4-5; 1 John 3:7-8; 1 John 3:22-24, etc.). F. This prophecy teaches this (Revelation 2:5; Revelation 3:15; Revelation 20:13; Revelation 14:13, etc.). VI. The Book of Life. A. Philippians 4:3. B. Revelation 3:15; Revelation 13:8. C. Revelation 20:12; Revelation 20:15. D. Revelation 21:27. [52] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 604. [53] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 259. Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works.The sea gave up the dead ... Perhaps this is included "to show the universality of the resurrection."[54] Some explain it otherwise, but this appears to be the best view of it. This general resurrection of all mankind is the only literal resurrection mentioned in the word of God; and the thought that both the wicked and the just shall rise simultaneously is too often expressed in Scripture for any student of the Bible to be deceived into believing that there are to be two resurrections separated by a thousand years, or seven resurrections, as in Scofield Bible, or any other "multiple" resurrections. And death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them ... "Hades" here means "the grave"; and "death and Hades" are therefore synonymous, being personified in this passage, as indicated by Revelation 20:14. ENDNOTE: [54] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 474. Revelation 20:14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire.And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire ... "Death and Hades, though abstractions, are here personified."[55] This still casts no light upon exactly what the lake of fire is; because no literal fire could burn up the grave, personified. The first resurrection is the rising to spiritual life in conversion to Christ, and the second resurrection is the final, physical resurrection of all who ever lived on earth. Ryrie thought that, "Only the wicked are raised here";[56] but such a thought is nullified by the next verse: "Death is the last enemy that shall be destroyed, as in Paul's theology" (1 Corinthians 15:26; 1 Corinthians 15:54),[57] leaving no further obstacle to the eternal joy of the saints of God. Cast into the lake of fire ... "This is not annihilation, but separation forever from God and all good."[58] Repugnant as this doctrine is for many, a believer may not deny it. There is nothing illogical about it. Let two prior facts be accepted, that the soul is imperishable, and that God cannot finally accommodate to evil, and the logical necessity of such a place as this is evident. The revelation of it should always be understood in the light of the truth that it was never meant for people (Matthew 25:41), and that Jesus our Lord suffered the agonies of the Cross for the one purpose of saving every man from it. Then, it is clear that the existence of it in no way denies the love and goodness of God. [55] @@ [56] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1968), p. 117. [57] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 260. [58] Ralph Earle, op. cit., p. 614. Revelation 20:15 And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.And if any was not found written in the book of life ... The mention of the righteous in this shows that both the good and the evil participate in the resurrection of the final day, those whose names were written there, and those whose names were not written there. Otherwise, there could have been no reason for using "if" in this verse. Here it is evident that the New Testament contains no promise of any second chance after death. In this series of commentaries, the book of life has often been mentioned; and here the absolute necessity of every man's being inscribed in it in order to be saved is dogmatically stated. Therefore, out of regard to all men, we shall declare how one may so be written. In Matthew 10:32, Jesus promised that all who confess him will themselves be confessed by Jesus in heaven "before God and the angels." In Matthew 16:16, is the record of the first man ever to confess Christ; and significantly, Jesus then and there upon that occasion, confessed that man, Peter, using exactly the same formula Peter had used in his confession of Christ. From this we have concluded that the writing of one's name in the book of life occurs upon the occasion of his confessing Christ and being baptized into him. Certainly, Christians have their names written there during their sojourn as Christians upon the earth (Philippians 4:3); and it is most logical to believe that it is written at the very beginning of that Christian life. Once inscribed in the book of life, one's name will remain there eternally, except in the case of his apostasy, in which event it will be "blotted out" (Revelation 3:5). "This verse is a solemn reiteration of what has been asserted twice before in Revelation 20:12-13."[59]John, having carried his readers through seven successive periods, each culminating in the final judgment, his purpose must have been clear to all. He was giving in each vision a view of the church's life between the two Advents, each scene being a recapitulation of one and the same chronological event. 1. In scene I, the church struggled against wars, famine and disease. 2. In scene II, the struggle was against natural disasters and false doctrine. 3. In scene III, there was the struggle against the dragon, the sea-beast and the land-beast. 4. In scene IV, the struggle with the harlot is given. 5. In scene V, the struggle with the harlot is given in greater detail. 6. In scene VI, the struggle with the scarlet beast in the phase of his ten horns, or the eighth head, is seen. 7. And in scene VII, the final victory over the devil himself is depicted This type of pageantry cannot indicate that consecutive historical events are depicted in order. All of the church's enemies are in all of the visions. Although the focus changes, being first upon one, then upon another, etc., yet the dragon, the godless city, the sea-beast, the land-beast, the great harlot, the ten kings, the false prophet, etc., all continue to the end of time. No one of them is ever completely out of the total picture. Their operations are coextensive and simultaneous with the entire Christian dispensation; and all are thrown into the "lake of fire" at the same time "alive." But despite all this, the victory is glorious and complete. John never allows us to forget it even for a moment. Almost every terrible scene is either begun, concluded or interrupted with a marvelous vision of the rejoicing saints in glory, these recurring scenes being injected proleptically to keep up the faith and the patience of the saved. In some ways, this is the most glorious book in the Bible. All of the struggles having been recounted, John will devote the final two chapters to a discussion of heaven, the eternal home of the redeemed. There is absolutely nothing like these final two chapters in the entire record of human thought. The scholars, some of them, have vainly tried to find Revelation in pagan myth or folklore; but it is not there. Only the word of God could have given us this prophecy. ENDNOTE: [59] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 475. Commentary Revelation 20:11-15 by Manly Luscombe11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. All that remains is the final judgment. John sees a great white throne. The power and majesty of Christ is so strong that all look away. Because of the brilliance, Christians cannot look. Because of their sins, the world does not want to look. They are looking for a place to hide. The world has been destroyed. There are no rocks to hide under. There is no place to run. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. All the dead appear before God. All the dead will appear before the judgment seat of Christ - small and great, good and bad, rich and poor. Paul adds that the living and the dead will stand before God. (2 Timothy 4:1) Jesus said, “ All nations shall appear before him.” (Matthew 25:31). The books were opened. We will be judged according to what is written in these books. There can be little doubt that the books referred to here are the books of the law of God. For the nation of Israel before the cross, the Law of Moses, and for the world after the cross, the New Testament. In a broader sense, the entire Bible represents the books by which we will be judged. Another book (singular) is called the Book of Life. God keeps a record of those who are His. When one becomes a Christian, God writes their name in the Book of Life. (Philippians 4:3) Jesus promises that if we will remain faithful our name will not be blotted out of the book of life. (3:5) 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Some have devised theories of as many as seven different resurrections. God only discusses one bodily, physical resurrection. We have already discussed the spiritual resurrection by baptism. Jesus taught one general resurrection of saved and lost. (John 5:28-29). All who died, no matter where or how their body decayed, will be raised. Some have died at sea. Others died and were buried in protected vaults and caskets. Still others have been mummified. And still others have died in fire, explosion, war and other situations were there was not body to be found. None of these things matter to God. God created us from dust the first time. He can resurrect us from the dust of the earth. Judgment will be personal and individual. We will not be judged as a nation, state, city or local congregation. We will be judged “ each one” by our own deeds. Some have questioned the reason for judgment. It is argued that if, when we die, we go to torments or paradise, then we know our destiny. Since there is a great gulf between the two, no one can cross from one side to the other. The problem is this: We often think of “ judgment” as the time we are adjudged guilty or innocent. Guilt or innocence is determined at death. The judgment of God is not for the purpose of holding hearings on our guilt or innocence. The purpose in judgment is to pronounce sentence. In our legal system, when a person is pronounced guilty of a crime, the judge will say, “ On this date, sentence will be pronounced.” Here is a man who knows he is guilty. He is in jail. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 21:1-4 PART FIFTH THE FINAL ABODE OF THE Revelation 21:1 to Revelation 22:21 SECTION ONE THE NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH Revelation 21:1 to Revelation 22:5 1. A VISION OF THE HOLY CITYRev_21:1-4 (In this part brief quotations are made the basis for comments. For the complete text see the top of the pages.)1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more.--In this part of the book John presented to the seven churches, and through them to us, the strongest possible incentives to induce faithfulness to God regardless of any kind of opposition. The happiness of the saved is described in imagery beyond the power of human comprehension. In the vision of the judgment he saw the heaven and the earth flee away, because not suitable for the home of the redeemed; here he sees a new heaven and a new earth fitted for our bodies when "conformed to the body of his glory." (Philippians 3:21.) That new heaven and earth will be a state, place, or condition "wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2 Peter 3:13.) This we must take by faith till we see the realities represented by these glorious emblems. 2 The holy city, new Jerusalem.--The scene changes and John's vision is limited to a city. That it should be called "holy" and named the "new Jerusalem" is most natural. That city had been the Jewish capital, spiritually the church had been described as the "city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem" (Hebrews 12:22), and most naturally the final state would be called "the city which bath the foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10). City carries the idea of place, but the symbols are so mingled that it is not always easy to distinguish between state and place. The false church is referred to as Babylon and a drunken harlot (Revelation 17:5-6); the true church, as a holy city--Jerusalem--and a pure woman. The glorified church, under the same figure, is called the new Jerusalem and the "wife of the Lamb." The descending of the city in such glorious form (a part of the vision appearing to John) is likened to a beautiful bride adorned to meet her husband. Clearly this indicates that the church at last will meet the Lord because attired in fine linen bright and pure which is "the righteous acts of the saints." (Revelation 19:8.) The text does not say that the church will become the wife of Christ at that time, but only that her preparation for the Lord's coming will be made with the same care that a bride prepares for her husband-to-be. Spiritually the church is now married to Christ. (Romans 7:4; Ephesians 5:22-32.) A holy city and a beautifully adorned bride figuratively represent the beauty and holiness of the redeemed church. That is the only use here made of the comparisons ; trying to get more out of the text is to misrepresent the record. For other metaphysical uses of the word "marriage" see notes on Revelation 19:7. 3 Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men.--As usual this announcement of the new state is made from heaven. God's dwelling with men is not a new idea, but doing so in his personal presence is. God's glory filled the tabernacle at Mount Sinai (Exodus 40:34-38); Jesus in the flesh was Immanuel --God with us (Matthew 1:23) in the eternal city the divine presence will be a glorious reality. The statement "they shall be his peoples" does not mean that they will become such at that time, for their entrance into the city depends upon their already being his. (Revelation 22:14; Revelation 7:11.) It means that the relationship will become permanent with no chance for the saved to be lost. "Peoples" plural--probably signifies nothing more than that the glorified church will be composed of those from all nations. 4 Wipe away every tear.--In this verse are mentioned the most satisfying characteristics which make the heavenly state so appealing to people in the flesh. The most distressing and harrowing experiences known to human life are to disappear completely. The glorious body cannot be racked with pain; no incurable disease or death can make the heart cry out in anguish; all the innumerable and sad results attributable to sin will be banished forever, for the "first things are passed away." No appeal could be more tender or comforting than freedom from the ills and troubles of human existence.Commentary on Revelation 21:1-4 by Foy E. Wallace 1. 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—Revelation 21:1. The new conditions of the earth and of the sea did not signify abolition of the old order of governments, nor the formation of new secular and political powers. The earth throughout the apocalypse referred to the place of the nations, with particular reference to Palestine; and the placid or tossed sea referred to the state of society; and the word heaven denoted the existing authorities of government. The new heaven and earth, and the trouble sea, having passed away and represented as being no more, indicated the changed conditions within the existing governments and society to make them favorable for the prosperity of the cause of Christ and his church throughout the empire. The old system of Judaism had been removed and the opposition of heathenism had been overcome ; and the vision represented new conditions to surround the church in the changed world. The word new has various connotations. It may refer to that which has never been used; or to a thing of late date and recent origin; or to something novel and strange; or simply to something else, another possession, relation or state. In this context the evident meaning of the new earth was that the surroundings were prepared and made favorable for the expansion of the kingdom of Christ, made possible by the removal of Judaism, the Jewish theocracy and the Jewish state. The literal Jerusalem was no more. The armies of Nero and Vespasian had laid waste the old Jerusalem and Judea; and on the rocks of the Aegean sea John envisioned the forward march of the church, the expansion of the kingdom of Christ, and the spread of the gospel to “ the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” This phrase, new heaven and new earth, was not new in scripture terminology. The Old Testament prophets referred to Israel’ s return from Babylon and their restoration to their own land of Judea as to them a “ new heaven and new earth.” (Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22; Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 36:26-36). To the Corinthians the apostle Paul described the new state in Christ as the old things having passed away--referring to the new spiritual relation to Christ in the new covenant versus the old fleshly Israelism of the old covenant. (2 Corinthians 5:17) To the scattered Jerusalem church the apostle Peter adapted that phrase in his exhortation to look for the heavenly reward in the eternal world. (2 Peter 3:13) In the apocalypse the apostle John applied the same phrase to the emergence of the church from the tribulation period. The figurative use of the sea has a natural connection. The creator has secured and fortified the natural world by the divisions of the earth, with the interposition of vast expanses of water as barriers to conquest. This barrier in society was figuratively removed for the conquest of Christ through the expansion of the gospel--there would no longer exist separating barriers between the people of the earth. Christianity without the restraint of heathen government would become universal, as the prophet declared: “ for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as waters cover the sea.” It is significant that this prophecy of Isaiah was uttered in the context of the eleventh chapter dealing with the prevalence of the gospel under the rule and reign of Christ; and it was quoted by Paul in his epistle to the Romans (Romans 15:12) as being fulfilled in that time. The heavenly city, new Jerusalem, symbolic of the victorious church was visualized as having been withdrawn from the scene of the removal and destruction of the old Jerusalem; but now that the old order had passed away with the disappearance of its city and sanctuary; the church having survived annihilation, the new Jerusalem was seen as descending from heaven. The new earth represented the renovation of old conditions; and the vision that thereafter there should be no more sea meant no more such sea as that from which the beast had emerged. The vision meant that a new state had been wrought by the truth, by the word of the Conqueror whose name was The Word, by which sword all foes had been vanquished; and there was no more the tossed and troubled sea of tribulation. 2. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband---Revelation 21:2. The old Jerusalem, the harlot and the Babylon of Revelation had fallen--the Jerusalem of Judaism. Here the Jerusalem of Gal 4:26 and Hebrews 12:22 were envision by the Seer as the bride of Christ. It was a vision of the fall of the old and the triumph of the new. The fact that this new Jerusalem was seen coming down from God out of heaven is the proof that it was not in reference to or descriptive of the eternal home; but rather that God was envisioned as presenting to the new earth what he had preserved from the tribulation of the old, “ for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.” In the period of persecution the vision was of the militant church passing through tribulation; but that scene was completed and here the vision was of the triumphant church coming out of tribulation into the victory of the cause of her Christ, the Conqueror of her enemies. The new Jerusalem was described as the beautified Woman, who had once fled into the wilderness as a persecuted church, but was now seen coming from God her Preserver wondrously clothed, resplendently attired, richly adorned, gloriously displayed--triumphantly descending out of heaven. The persecuted Woman had fled to “ the place prepared of God” for her refuge, protection and preservation, but was here envisioned as having returned and in the ultimate descriptive phrases of victory and triumph she was presented to “ the new heaven and the new earth” as the glorious Bride of the Lamb--the picture of the Conquering Christ and his Victorious Church. The new dwelling place for the new Jerusalem had been renovated and purged from all heathen domination. The old Jerusalem with its old system of worship had been typical of the city of God; but its sanctuary was cleansed and it was to be no longer earthly, but heavenly; no longer temporal but spiritual. (Hebrews 7:5; Hebrews 9:23; Hebrews 12:22) The new Jerusalem on a spiritually or figuratively renovated earth was seen as the heavenly community of the righteous for all nations of men. It was the vision of the pure church Bride descending from the high realm of holiness in contrast with the fallen harlot city. 3. 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—Revelation 21:3. This great voice was the voice of God and Christ in unison, united with the throng of chapter 19:1, and coming from one throne. Here the fundamental truth that the Father and the Son are one found its expression. The kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of God are one kingdom (Ephesians 5:5); the throne of God and the throne of Christ are one throne (Hebrews 1:8); the church of God and the church of Christ are one church (Acts 20:28); and the great voice from the throne was the voice of God and the voice of Christ in one united sound.par The great voice announced that the tabernacle of God is with men. The use of the word tabernacle here was not ecclesiastical as of old. The word meant presence. This tabernacle of God was in contrast with the Jewish tent in the wilderness which was “ a shadow of heavenly things.” (Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 13:1-4) It was here used to signify God’ s presence with men and that he would dwell in them through his church in the world. To take the church out of the world would be to take God out of it. The tent of the wilderness signified the presence of God with Israel and through it he dwelt in them. (Exodus 40:34-38) The church is the new tabernacle for his habitation (Ephesians 2:22), and through it God dwells in men and they shall be his people--in contrast with the heathen gods--through their conversion by the truth from the darkness of heathenism to the light of Christianity. (Acts 26:16-18) The words of the voice, he will dwell with them, used the third personal pronoun he in the reference to God, which indicates that another was the speaker, and it represented the entire heavenly throng as in (Revelation 19:1) joining in the proclamation--the voice “ of much people in heaven,” envisioned as descending to their new inheritance of the new heaven and the new earth. The old order of Judaism had disappeared; the way for the new Jerusalem had been cleared of the greatest obstacle in its path--Judaism; and the vision presented the new throng of citizens floating down from above with united voices bearing the testimony that the new heaven and the earth would be the dwelling place of God with men in the new Jerusalem, the church. 4. 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—Revelation 21:4. This passage was the fulfillment of the promise in Revelation 7:14-17 which was vouchsafed by Christ himself that the faithful through tribulation would become recipients of the blessings signified in the symbolic phrases of these two texts. The same figures of speech are employed by Isaiah in the descriptions of the blessings that should come upon Israel when freed from exile and returned to their land. It could not reasonably be argued that the metaphors of no more weeping and crying in Isaiah 65:19 referred to heaven. Israel had been weeping with their harps hanging on the willows in Babylon; but upon return to their land the weeping and tears of exile would be wiped away. It was the same metaphorical representation in Revelation 7:17; Revelation 22:4 --no more death referred to the martyrdom of the saints as in Revelation 2:10; neither sorrow nor crying referred to the sorrows of persecution; and neither any more pain was just another phrase for no more tribulation. The rider of the red horse of death had been conquered by the Rider of the white horse of deliverance from the scenes of tribulation, and these descriptions were in the continuity of the vision. The mourning of Israel in exile was pictured as having been ended in the return to their own land in several references in the prophecies of Isaiah, examples of which are in Isaiah 35:10; Isaiah 51:11 and Isaiah 65:19. Here it was declared by the prophet that after the return from exile their sorrow and mourning should then flee away. The same application must be made of the death (martyrdom) and the sorrow, crying andpain (of the tribulation) in the continuing vision of Revelation which referred to the exclusion from their new heaven and new earth the experiences of the tribulation period. The threefold army and horsemen of the woes had been banished, defeated by the conquering Rider of the white horse; and in the same metaphors employed by the prophets to represent Israel’ s deliverance from exile, the Seer of Revelation adapted that imagery to signify the deliverance of the spiritual Israel, the church, from the period of tribulation. It falls into the complete harmony with the Lord’ s discourse in Matthew 24:1-51 and with all of the visions of Revelation as a whole.Commentary on Revelation 21:1-4 by Walter ScottA NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH. Revelation 21:1. — The Seer relates a new vision: “I saw a new Heaven and a new earth.” Both are made new, and adapted to the vast moral and physical changes which the eternal state necessitates. The “ new Heaven” is for the raised and changed saints; the “ new earth” is to form the habitation of those who during the millennial reign were alive on the earth — those companies described in Revelation 7:1-17; Revelation 14:1, etc. Thus, even in eternity, the everlasting distinction is preserved between the heavenly and earthly peoples of God. However close the connection they will never be united or merged in one (see Ephesians 3:15, R.V.). The “ new Heaven” in our text must not be confounded with the Heaven of Heavens, the dwelling of God. This latter subsists in moral and physical perfection, and undergoes no change. All is new. All is according to God in His nature. All is fixed. No economic changes now. We are introduced into God’ s everlasting rest, into God‘ s unchanging state, one of absolute perfection. We have not here the Lamb and the fulfilment of counsel and prophecy, nor the mediatorial kingdom and the reign of righteousness, but the kingdom given up, and God all in all (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). Time distinctions, geographical boundaries, and limitations as at present entirely disappear in the grand eternal state, which, whether in Heaven or earth, displays the energy of God Himself. The “ new Heaven” and “ new earth,” the respective spheres of all the saved, shall be brought into blessed harmony with what God is. This is the state referred to by Isaiah 66:22, and 2 Peter 3:13, a state in which righteousness shall dwell, not reign as in millennial times. Neither enemy nor evil shall invade either of the spheres where the redeemed will for ever dwell. Ever one and everything will re-echo the glad refrain, God is light and God is love. Revelation 21:1 — “ For the first Heaven and the first earth had passed away.” The undoubted reference is to the statement in the previous chapter. “ From whose face the earth and the Heaven fled away” (v. 11). This dissolution, not annihilation, is effected by fire (2 Peter 3:10). Scripture is silent as to any future act of creating material in a literal sense, and is equally silent on what some foolishly contend for, namely, annihilation or total extinction of being. Scripture knows nothing of such a baseless theory. Not an atom of matter, not a blade of grass, and surely not a sentient being in the wide universe is doomed to extinction. Our planet will be put in the crucible, altered, changed, and made new, to abide forever. There being no sin, there can be no corruption. The new earth is eternal. The terms “first Heaven” and “first earth” are in contrast to the “new Heaven” and “new earth.” NO MORE SEA. Revelation 20:1 — “And the sea is no more.” The continuity of the earth, the same in substance after the deluge and after its destruction by fire, seems evident. It exists, but as remade. (The earth exists after the passing away of Heaven and earth (Revelation 20:11-13). It cannot therefore signify cessation of existence, but means that in its then present condition it passes away, not that the thing itself becomes extinct, but certain time conditions cease, to give place to others of a permanent kind. A distinguished geologist has written, “ I confess myself unable to find any evidence for it (extinction of our planet) in Nature, Reason, or Scripture.” ) “ The sea is no more.” This great, restless, destructive, and separating element of nature shall cease to exist. The sea, now essential to animal and vegetable life on earth, is not needed in God’ s eternity. He is not only the source of life as He ever was and is, but is then the direct sustainer of it. The sea exists in the millennial age. There we read of nations, and seas, and rivers, (Nations as such can have no place in the eternal state, for these were the fruit of governmental judgment (Genesis 11:1-9). The first nine verses of chapter 11 of Genesis historically precede chapter 10, and really account for the existence of the many nations mentioned in that important historical chapter. Then in the great change which Scripture refers to as “ The Regeneration” (Matthew 19:28), commonly spoken of as the millennium, we read of the dead sea, or east sea (Ezekiel 47:1-23). The great sea, or the Mediterranean, is also referred to in that same interesting millennial chapter. (See Zechariah 14:8; Psalms 72:8; Joe 3:18, etc.).) but in the eternal state these no longer exist. It is God and men, and an earth without sea, all brought into ordered subjection. The conditions of life are so different in the everlasting state that time conditions of life and happiness are no longer needed. No sea in the new and eternal earth gives, of course, an immensely extended land surface, far exceeding that which presently exists. The countless hosts of saved Jews and Gentiles on earth during the millennial reign shall then people the new earth, but not, we apprehend, in any distinctive or national sense, but simply as men in direct relation to God. NEW . Revelation 21:2. — “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of the Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” The “ new Heaven” and “ new earth” beheld by the Seer are not described. Of their configuration, size, and appearance we can say nothing. Their adaptation for eternal use, without change, decay, or death can surely be predicated, but not more. Without doubt they will be regions of everlasting bloom and beauty. But now a new sight greets the eye of the Seer. He not only beholds the physical platforms on which the glories of eternity are to be displayed, but “ I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem.” The term “ holy city” occurs three times in the Apocalypse (see Revelation 11:2; Revelation 21:2; Revelation 22:19). The first of these references is to the literal Jerusalem in the coming crisis; the other two point to the holy character of the glorified Church. The “beloved city” (Revelation 20:9) is a descriptive epithet of millennial Jerusalem, the actual city of that name. The Church, the bride and wife of the Lamb, is holy in character and ways, whether during the reign (v. 10) or in the eternal state (v. 2). But the Church is also termed “ new Jerusalem” (see also Revelation 3:12). There are three Jerusalems — the heavenly (Hebrews 12:22), the earthly (Revelation 11:2), and the mystical (Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:10). The epithet “ new Jerusalem” is in contrast to the old and literal city which has played such an important part in the world’ s history. The term new is used three times — new Heaven, new earth, new Jerusalem. If the Jewish people, as such, are in the eternal state merged in the simple appellation men, then the earthly city, Jerusalem, as a distinctive seat and center of government will have passed away. Cities and nations are connected with time, not with eternity, and as such have no place in God’ s everlasting ages of unbroken rest and blessedness, in which the redeemed alone have part. The two descriptive terms “ holy city” and “ new Jerusalem” are both used to set forth the Church as she enters on her eternal state of blessedness, a state more deep and unchanging than even the millennial condition in which she shared in glory the rights and dignities of the Lamb. That which succeeds the public reign of the thousand years has a character peculiar to itself; in it God is all and in all. COMING DOWN. Revelation 21:2 — “Coming down out of the Heaven from God.” This is verbally repeated in verse 10. Heaven is the proper home of the Church, and God the source of her being and happiness. It is not said the new Jerusalem “ comes down from Heaven,” but out of it. She has been dwelling in it. She has not had a casual acquaintance with Heaven, but knows it well and intimately, and is perfectly at home in the very dwelling place of God. The Church comes “ out” of it in the love and glory of the place where God dwells. It is a marvelous statement. The “ coming down” in Revelation 21:2 is a thousand years after the “ coming down” of Revelation 21:10. The former is in eternity; the latter is at the commencement of the millennial age. In the former the Church comes down to the eternal earth; in the latter she rests over the millennial earth. THE BRIDE AND ADORNED. Revelation 21:2 — “Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” The bride is prepared in Heaven ere her public manifestation in the kingdom (v. 9), or in her descent to the earth (v. 3). The marriage was celebrated in Heaven a thousand years before the sight given us of her here. The fact is stated in Revelation 19:7-8, to which our text clearly refers. There she had been adorned in robes of spotless white; here she is witnessed still in her bridal attire. A thousand years of love, blessedness, and companionship with her Husband and Lover are but brief. She is eternally united to Him Who died for her, and is now about to enter on a yet deeper character of blessedness in the unchanging rest and joys of eternity. She is regarded as yet wearing her bridal robes. No soil or spot, nothing to mar their lustre, and no change in her bridal affections. The term husband tells of established relationship, of satisfied affection. “ He that hath the bride is the bridegroom” (John 3:29). (“ Where is the chronological place of the new Jerusalem? Before, or after, or contemporary with, and to continue after the thousand years? We may confidently answer that it is the last of these;. . . there can hardly be a doubt that the wife mentioned (Revelation 19:7) is the same as the bride, the wife mentioned in Revelation 21:9. The latter is distinctly identified with the holy city, new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2).” — “ The Critical English Testament,” vol. 3, p. 852.)(The marriage takes place in Heaven before the warrior king and his conquering armies issue forth (Revelation 19:7); then we have the binding and confinement of Satan, and the reign of Christ for a thousand years — contemporary events — at the close of the millennial era the last satanic outburst is witnessed, followed by the resurrection and judgment of the wicked; then the eternal state is entered upon after the thousand years, in which the bride is still seen in her bridal robes and beauty (Revelation 21:2). Then in verse 9 the description is retrogressive, and shows the bride, the glorified Church during the thousand years’ reign. Before the reign (Revelation 19:7), after the reign (Revelation 21:2), during the reign (Revelation 21:9).) THE NEW AND THE . Revelation 21:2. — We beg the reader’ s careful attention to the distinction between the new Jerusalem of the Apocalypse, which is the glorified Church, and the heavenly Jerusalem spoken of by Paul (Hebrews 12:22). This latter, unlike the former, does not refer to people, but is the city of the living God, an actual city, the location of all the heavenly saints. It is the same that is referred to in the previous chapter, for which saints and patriarchs looked (Hebrews 11:10-16), a material city, built and prepared by God Himself, grand and vast beyond all telling. The city of Paul is a material one; the city of John is a mystical one. THE OF GOD WITH MEN. Revelation 21:3. — “And I heard a loud voice out of the Heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God (is) with men, and He shall tabernacle with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, their God.” The Revised Version reads “ the throne,” so, too, W. Kelly, but other critical editors reject it, as Tregelles, Darby, Hengstenberg, and others. The latter says: “ The external testimonies for the two readings are pretty nearly equal.” Were the “ loud voice” heard out of the throne it would be the voice of God, as He, of course, sits thereon. But being heard out of the Heaven, as in previous announcements (Revelation 11:15; Revelation 12:10; Revelation 14:2; Revelation 19:1; Revelation 19:6), it maybe that of saints. The loud voice heard is an exulting one, and proclaims a fact in which is wrapped up the supreme blessing of eternity — God with men — Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23), not now with the Jewish people, but in a far more extended and comprehensive sense. “ Behold,” attention is called to the amazing fact, “ the tabernacle of God (is) with men.” (See remarks on Revelation 7:15.) God walked in Eden and talked to Adam, He appeared to the patriarchs of Israel, He dwelt in darkness in the unseen and innermost part of the tabernacle of old, God was in Christ in the days of His flesh, He dwells in the Church by His Spirit, but the actual dwelling of God with His creatures redeemed and on earth awaits the fixed and holy eternal state. This unspeakable blessing surpasses far that of the millennial reign. In Revelation 7:15 we read: “ He that sitteth on the throne shall spread His tabernacle over them” (R.V.). But how different the preposition here, “ He shall tabernacle with them” (R.V.). The tabernacle is the whole body of heavenly saints. The tabernacle comes down from “ the Heaven,” the natural home of the saints, but God Himself descends with them, taking His place in their midst, and tabernacles with them. Why is the word tabernacle and not temple used in this connection? We would naturally have considered that the latter term would have been the fitting one, as the tabernacle of old was set up in the wilderness, and was associated with the journeys, trials, and testings of the people. The tabernacle was the expression of a temporary state of things, whereas the more solid structure of stone, the temple, was a permanent building set up in the land. The tabernacle was a movable structure; the temple was a fixed one. We gather, therefore, that the tabernacle of God with men intimates that the saints will not settle permanently on the new earth, but move to and fro, visiting other parts of God’ s creation — His inheritance and ours (Ephesians 1:10-11). GOD WITH MEN. Revelation 21:3. — “He shall tabernacle with them.” This emphatic statement is an advance on the previous one. There, we read, “ The tabernacle of God is with men;” now, “ He shall tabernacle with them.” In the one case it is the tabernacle; in the other it is Himself. What an amazing truth that God, the very God, the Maker and Sustainer of Heaven and earth, shall actually and really dwell with men on earth. This is no figure of speech, but a coming grand reality, the profound depth of which baffles human understanding. Revelation 21:3 — “They shall be His people,” that is, God shall appropriate the eternal dwellers on the new earth for Himself. Israel of old was Jehovah’ s people. Now the appellation “ His people” assumes a breadth and depth of blessing utterly unknown in Old Testament times. Revelation 21:3 — “And God Himself shall be with them, their God.” In this marvellous declaration God, so to speak, comes out of His tabernacle and personally is with His people — God Himself. Here there is no mention of anything, tabernacle or aught else, intervening between God and His people. He is “ with them,” apart from any covering or external medium of communication. Then is fulfilled the Word of the Lord, “ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). May we not, too, give an enlarged scope to the words of the apostle quoted from the Old Testament, “ God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people?” (2 Corinthians 6:16). Revelation 21:3 — The topmost stone of blessing is reached in the closing words of this marvellous paragraph. “Their God.” Could anything be higher? Could any character of blessing be conceived morally superior to what is here stated! God in the greatness, glory, and moral excellence of His Being! God in His own infinitude is for His people then on earth! All is wrapped up in the grand creatorial Name beyond the keenest research of a finite mind to grasp or fathom. The source, absolute and independent, of everything craved for by heart and mind is treasured up in God. What He is and has is the assured and everlasting portion of men, of all men then on the earth. The Lamb is not once named, nor any economic or other change intimated. It is God, His tabernacle, and men. God all in all, and for ever more. His lifetime measures the duration of the “ new Heaven” and “ new earth;” the life of God Himself the measure of the life and joy of the inhabitants of these eternal regions. We sum up: (1) God’ s tabernacle with men; (2) He tabernacles with them; (3) they are His people; (4) God Himself with them; (5) God, their God. In the eternal state all is fixed on a permanent basis, but measures and distinct characters of blessing there are, for even then all vessels are not of the same capacity, while all shall be filled. In these five statements we have gradation of blessing, rising up to God Himself. EARTH’ S SORROWS GONE. Revelation 21:4. — “And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall not exist any more, nor grief, nor cry, nor distress shall exist any more, for the former things have passed away,” It is only in the eternal state that the effects of sin, physical and moral, are completely removed. The millennial era is not, as we have seen, a perfect condition, and hence even under the beneficent sway of the Lord tears will be shed on earth. The words, “ He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes,” is verbally repeated in Revelation 7:17. There, however, it is a millennial scene; here it is in the everlasting state. The wiping away of tears is not an action ascribed to the Lamb either here or in the earlier scene. God does this. If He wipes away every tear, then He removes every cause and occasion of sorrow. The tear-drop will never again glisten in the eye. The eye is said to be “ the fountain of sorrow,” but God shall wipe it dry. Death shall cease. The physical dead of the madly rebellious gathered under Satan covered the old earth, at least in the vicinity of Jerusalem, and the eternal inhabitants of the new earth had witnessed the awful sight (Revelation 20:7-9). But it exists no more. “ Nor grief,” the same word as in Revelation 18:15, “ wailing,” or mourning, the outward expression of the heart’ s deep sorrow. “ Nor cry,” the voice of hopeless misery (Isaiah 65:19). “ Nor distress,” or pain within, no internal trouble or weariness, no pain from without or from within. These things which together make up the volume of human misery exist no more, neither does that which caused them — sin. All have passed away. “ The former things,” of which those mentioned are part, “ have passed away.” Commentary on Revelation 21:1-4 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 21:1. New heaven and a new earth. The heavens means the atmospheric region surrounding the earth and is a part of the same unit in creation. The home of the redeemed is ca Revelation 21:1 the phrase "heaven and earth" because that is the present kind of home man lives in. If we were birds instead of men the vision would have showed John a "new nest." This new heaven and earth is what Jesus means in Matthew 5:5 where He says, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." It is the one Peter is looking for when he says, "We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteouness" (2 Peter 3:13). No more sea. This is an instance of a kind referred to in the general remarks, where the application must be made upon the basis of the context. In some respects we can think of the sea in a favorable light, with its wondrous treasures and submarine plants, and the innumerable varieties of food to gratify our appetites. But we know the vision is to show something desirable on the basis of contrast, and that makes us think of the ceaseless unrest and destructive billows that engulf men and ships. Revelation 21:2. Holy city new Jerusalem means the church that is to be united at the last day in the final marriage of Christ as the bridegroom. (See the comments at Revelation 19:7.) Paul speaks of the church as the "heavenly Jerusalem" in Hebrews 12:22, and he alsoHeb_7:5 oHeb_9:23 thHeb_12:22 at is above and is free and "the mother of us all" (Galatians 4:26). Prepared refers to the condition a bride brings to herself in view of her approaching marriage. Revelation 21:3. Tabernacle is used figuratively to represent the place where a person resides. It is used Acts 26:16-18 mbol of the close association that will exist between God and his people in the eternal age. He will not merely honor the saved of men by making a call upon them but will come and dwell with them. That does not Revelation 19:1 at God will descend from his lofty condition so that man would think of having a guest that is his equal in rank. He will still be God and the redeemed of men will still compose a people, but notwithstanding this great difference He will be a gracious Friend to give the honor of divine "company" to the creatures made in His image. Revelation 21:4. God shall wipe away all tears front their eyes. Upon hearing this read once a little girl was caused to exclaim, "God must have a large handkerchief." I report this because she was making the same erroneous interpretation of the passages that many older people make. That is because they forget that they are reading in a book that was written on the basis of symbols. The significance of the statement is that the tears will be wiped away bIsa_35:10 gIsa_51:11 nting Isaiah 65:19 that could cause tears; the next words of the verse agree with this explanation. There shall be no more death. The Saviour of men went down into the depths of death and came out again, bringing with Him the eternal victory over it, thus removing the possibility for the "grim monster" ever again to overcome those who are accounted worthy of the "better resurrection" with either physical or spiritual death. This will prevent sorrow, crying and pain, which explains how God will wipe away all tears. Former things are passed away will be true at that period beyond the resurrection of the righteous.Commentary on Revelation 21:1-4 by Burton Coffman Revelation 21:1 The scene here moves to eternity, after the end of time, when all the enemies of God have been vanquished, following the final judgment of all men, and when the long drama of human struggles and temptations shall have been concluded. Christ promised that his faithful servants should "enter into the joy" of their Lord at his coming (Matthew 25:23); Paul encouraged the Philippians with precious words of their "citizenship ... in heaven" (Philippians 3:20); Peter wrote that, "We look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13); James said that Christians "shall be heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him" (James 2:5); Jude extolled the glory of "Him who is able to present you before the throne of his glory ... in exceeding joy" (Jude 1:24); and the author of this prophecy promised that, "We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). Thus, all of the sacred writers and all of their prophecies of an eternal state of joy find their culmination and fulfillment (prophetically) in these final two chapters of Revelation. The Bible would not be complete without them. We must not be perplexed or confused by the remarkable language of these chapters. Language itself, as a vehicle for the conveyance of thought, is incapable of any adequate portrayal of the realities symbolized. It is impossible to describe heaven. No metaphor, regardless of how powerful, can really carry the full weight of what the holy apostle sought to reveal in this sparkling portrayal of the final home of the soul. Therefore, we shall not spoil the picture by belaboring the symbols, nor by literalizing the materials, dimensions, and conceptions which abound in it. The beauty, riches, joy, and glory of heaven are exceedingly beyond all that people may think or imagine; and the very best description of them can be nothing but a feeble suggestion of their fullness. Nevertheless, we humbly thank God for what is written, and we shall strive to catch a little glance of what it will be to be there when the Lord comes to claim his own. Before taking up a verse by verse study of this chapter, it is appropriate to make a survey of the doctrine of heaven as it appears in the word of God. Such a background study is essential to a full appreciation of this and the final chapters. HEAVENThe keystone of the sacred arch of Christian theology is the doctrine of HEAVEN. In the English New Testament, the word occurs 261 times in some 20 New Testament books. Matthew quoted the word "heaven" 70 times from the words of Jesus, and the writings of the apostle John record it 83 times. The conception dominates the New Testament. Besides the 261 direct references using the term "heaven," there are many other passages, including whole sections of the holy Scriptures, in which it appears under a somewhat different terminology. Jesus, for example, said: And make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles (Luke 16:9). Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34). Peter likewise spoke of the same blessed estate when he said of the Christian graces: For thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:11). Paul's magnificent 1 Corinthians 15, with its references to putting on "incorruption" and "immortality," is actually a discussion of heaven; and the same subject was his topic again, when he said: For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For verily in this we groan, longing to be clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven (2 Corinthians 5:1-2). Jesus also referred to heaven under the figure of a house from God, saying: In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also (John 14:2-3). Likewise the Old Testament reveals the same basic conception of heaven as a place of reward for the righteous who shall live eternally with God: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalms 25). Daniel spoke of the book of life and of the time of the end, declaring that: Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2). There is no understanding whatever of Jesus Christ except in the light of his unique relationship to HEAVEN: In heaven he was from the beginning. From heaven he came. Of heaven he spoke. To heaven he pointed the way. From heaven angels announced his birth. From heaven angels ministered to him in Gethsemane and in the Wilderness. From heaven angels came to announce his resurrection. From heaven the voice of God declared him to be the Son of God. From heaven angels came to escort him to Glory. To heaven he ascended. From heaven the angels announced his Second Coming. In heaven he sits at the right hand of the Majesty on High. In heaven he reigns until all enemies shall be put underfoot. In heaven he intercedes for Christians. From heaven he will come again to raise the dead and summon all who ever lived to the judgment of the Great White Throne. Take heaven out of the Bible and you have nothing left! I. Heaven will Fulfill Man's Most Urgent Need A. Our current dwelling place in the tabernacle of the flesh is ephemeral, uncertain, and inadequate. The sacred writers made the most delicate reference to this, but the very tenderness of their words underscores the pitiful and overwhelming nature of that need. As Paul put it, "If the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved!" What kind of an "if" is this? Can any man doubt that the dissolution of this frail tent of a body is otherwise than certain and impending? How pitiful are the efforts of people to deceive themselves in such a matter as this! Mrs. Winchester, widow of the man who introduced the Winchester rifle, left behind a monstrosity of a mansion in Santa Clara, California; because she supposed that as long as she kept adding on to her house she would not die. Hundreds of stained glass windows, inverted pillars, blind doors, and almost countless rooms augmented the estate until it covered several acres of floor space. She slept in a different room each night, so that if death entered the house it could not find her. But at last death came into the blue room where she slept, and all of her striving went for naught. Mrs. Mary Baker Patterson Glover Eddy pretended that death would not come. When she could no longer ride in the buggy through the streets, she had her nurse go in her place to keep up the pretense of good health; but even in the likeness of all others, her soul deserted the body which had nowhere to go but to the grave. Our Lord put this need in focus when he said, "WHEN YE FAIL ... (KJV)." Not "if," but "when." It is in the light of this basic fact that the walls of jasper and the streets of gold rescue the soul from the blackness of despair. Heaven is the glory that plants the lilies of the resurrection upon the grave itself and arches the tomb with the rainbow of promise. Apart from this blessed hope, how tragic is all human life. B. And what of them who reject this hope? To reject it is to commit spiritual suicide. To refuse to believe the promise of the Saviour in this sector is to accept for one's self exactly the status of a worm or a dog. To renounce this promise of heaven is consciously to accept an evaluation of one's own life that leaves it without any cosmic value whatever, and to claim the rottenness of the grave as one's eternal destiny. No wonder that Jesus marveled at unbelief! II. Where Is Heaven? A. The only one who ever went to heaven and came back was the apostle Paul who was "caught up into the third heaven"; and he was specifically forbidden to speak of it: He was caught up into the third heaven ... he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is unlawful for a man to utter (2 Corinthians 13:2-4). This prohibition enforced upon the apostle Paul could account for the fact that Paul did not speak of heaven as often as Matthew or John; and yet the few things that he said are abundantly rich in significance. 1. "The third heaven ..." Here is the explanation of why "heavens" in the plural is so frequently used in the Old Testament, where one reads repeatedly of "the heaven of heavens," the same plural reference also appearing in the New Testament, as in "Christ is made higher than the heavens" (Hebrews 7:26). The Jews had developed a fantastic theory of seven heavens, but the word of the Lord knows nothing of any such thing. Joe Barnett, minister of Broadway Church of Christ in Lubbock, to whom I am indebted for assistance in this sermon, identified the three heavens in Paul's experience as: (1) the earth's atmosphere as evident in such Scriptures as "The fowls of the heaven and the beasts of the field" (Jeremiah 15:3); (2) the starry firmament above as in Isaiah's words: "the stars of heaven and the constellations" (Isaiah 13:10); and (3) the third heaven is the heaven where the throne of God is; "God's throne is in heaven" (Psalms 11:4). Two of these heavens are visible to us, although the visibility of the second heaven of the stars and constellation is only partial and limited. There is a third heaven beyond both of those which we, in a sense, can see; but the perverse and arrogant ignorance of man is reluctant to receive such a truth. The ancient Christian cathedrals of the Kasan and St. Isaac's in Leningrad have been plundered and raped by the godless atheistic Communists who have torn down the high altars and installed in the place of them the enlarged photographs of the vulgar Russian cosmonauts, Titov and Gegarin, with huge placards in four languages (Russian, German, French, and English) declaiming that, "We have searched the heavens, and there is no God!" Indeed, indeed! What an impudent arrogance is this! A worm has climbed to his perch on a cabbage leaf and affirms in the authority of his blindness that there are no stars or constellations. It is a measure of man's rebellion against his Creator that, at a time when he has not explored one billionth part of the second heaven, he has the audacity to proclaim that there is no third! That God is not! This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 21:5-8 2. THE Rev_21:5-8 5 Write: for these words are faithful and true.---The one sitting on the throne gave John the command to write. Whether Christ or God is not absolutely certain. Verse 6 favors Christ, but verse 7 the other view. The question is really unimportant since Christ and the Father are one; whatever Christ does the Father does through him. The words "Alpha and the Omega" refer to Christ in Revelation 1:18, which is presumptive evidence that they have the same reference here; but these words just as appropriately describe characteristics of God. "All things new" probably include not only the new heaven and earth, but the new method and manner of serving God. In that state the reign will be turned back to the Father. (1 Corinthians 15:24.) The command may be construed two ways: "Write these things, for they are faithful and true." That is, the speaker was assuring John that what he was to write was the exact truth. Or, write this sentence: "These words are faithful and true." That would be John's guarantee to the readers that he was delivering a true revelation of facts. 6 They are come to pass.--This does not mean that all had happened when John wrote, but all will have come to pass at the time indicated by the symbol. In this vision John was standing before the new Jerusalem, and was speaking from that point of view. All previous symbols had to appear as fulfilled at that time. To those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness" (Matthew 5:6) there will be the privilege of drinking the "water of life freely." 7 He that overcometh shall inherit these things; --This is substantially the same promise made to the seven churches, with the same condition imposed--they must overcome. See chapters 2 and 3. "I will be his God" means I will continue to be. 8 In the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone.--Here we have another brief reference to the abominable characters whose part shall be in the lake of fire. This statement contains another feature of encouragement to him that overcometh namely, he will never again be tormented by their ungodly conduct or brought under the spell of their temptations. He will never tremble in their presence nor be intimidated by their power. From the second death there is no relief.Commentary on Revelation 21:5-8 by Foy E. Wallace 5. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are faithful and true.—Revelation 21:5. He who sat on the throne gave this command which the angel communicated to John, and in a parenthetical phrase John referred to the original command given to him by Christ in Revelation 1:19. The Seer was ready to do what he had been commanded to do at the beginning; and they were here attested to be faithful and true words; it was in the character of swearing to the truthfulness of what John was about to write, a form of an oath in affirmation of veracity. It was before the visions were received that the voice of chapter 1 had prompted John to record the things which would be heard and seen. It was the same voice which had first commanded him to write which now was heard to say: Behold, I make all things new. This same expression has been used to distinguish spiritual Israel from fleshly Israel (2 Corinthians 5:17); and that phrase was employed here in distinction of the new heaven and new earth from the old system of Judaism. With the fall of the old Jerusalem, the destruction of its theocracy, the termination of the Jewish state, and the removal of the last vestige of Judaism, a new order would prevail under new surroundings. 6. 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—Revelation 21:6. With the proclamation it is done the vision proper concerning the church in tribulation had ended, and the Revelation had ended, and the Revelation was ready to assume the new aspect of the church in the glory of victory rather than in the defeat of persecution. God and Christ are the Alpha and Omega because they are the beginning and the end in creation and in salvation, and here in the promises made to the churches, in faithfulness to finish what had begun. It meant that the vision was completed and the things envisioned would be fulfilled. When God said in the beginning, Let there be light--there was light; and of everything that God said in creation, it was done. The accomplishment of the things envisioned in the apocalypse rested upon the eternal being of God and Christ whose “ word is true from the beginning and whose righteous judgments endureth forever” (Psalms 119:160); and the voice which John heard represented it all as having been done--God’ s word was sure. The inducement offered to all to drink from the fountain of the water of life freely was the gospel invitation, to all the thirsty people under the blight of heathenism in the land, to come to the fountain of the living waters Christianity-- there was unrestrained liberty to preach salvation and unhindered access to its blessings to all men. It was a restatement and a reproclamation of the Saviour’ s precious invitation: “ Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me . . . for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) The word yoke signified government, and the Lord’ s words were chosen for the comparison of his righteous rule in the hearts of men with the tyrannical rule of the Caesars; and of his power to save men from sin with the dark and despairing hopelessness of heathenism. This vision of the new Jerusalem in the new world of liberation from the evil powers was the offer of gospel blessings to the whole world. 7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my Song of Solomon—Revelation 21:7. The expression “ he that overcometh” was employed here the first time since the repeated use of the phrase in the letters to the seven churches, which is a plain indication that the reference was to that period and to the events that belonged to it. The term inherit imports the thought of the privileges of citizenship in the heavenly Jerusalem; and to inherit all things was inclusive of that which had been described in preceding verses and the implied in the following words: And I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Here was an allusion to the promises of Samuel to David (2 Samuel 7:14), concerning the Davidic throne, which were quoted by Paul (Hebrews 1:5) as having been fulfilled in Christ. The old Davidic order of Judaism had ended, and this promise had a new significance; the old tabernacle of David that had fallen down (Acts 15:13-17) was rebuilt in the church which it had typified, and all of the spiritual blessings included in “ the sure mercies of David” (Acts 13:33-34) were available in the new tabernacle. Therefore, all who had “ overcome” the tribulations were entering anew into all of the promises of the New Jerusalem, theretofore hindered by the rival opposition of Judaism; but that hindrance having been removed, the full and free blessings flowing from “ the fountain of the water of life” (verse 6) would be the unmingled spiritual inheritance of the overcomers. (2) The characters cast into the brimstone lake—Revelation 21:8. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and the 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—Revelation 21:8. Here was the pronouncement of doom on all classes of the persecutors and all parties and accomplices to the persecutions, implying also a warning to any among the overcomers against falling into any of this catalog of things condemned. 1. The fearful were those who shrank from the conflict who were put here in contrast with the overcomers. 2. The unbelievers were not those who were apostates from Christ, but the dwellers of the earth (Palestine) in the heathen world hostile to Christ; and who in their perverse refusal to accept Christianity remained under condemnation. 3. The abominable were the characters who practiced the defilements of the heathen world and the harlot woman (17:4). 4. The murderers were the ones who had killed the prophets and had slain the saints (Matthew 23:31-36; Acts 7:52); and who were guilty of the blood of the martyrs who were in this vision avenged. 5. The fornicators (whoremongers) were figurative of all who were affiliated with the practices of the harlot woman which had been described. 6. The sorcerers and idolaters were terms figurative of heathen practices and worship. 7. The phrase all liars included all of the deceivers and means of deception which influenced the people of the earth (Palestine) to worship the Caesar-image, or to yield to any form of heathen philosophy that would prevent the acceptance of Christ. It is said that all of these classes of promoters of evil practices would be cast into the brimstone lake. This lake which burneth with fire and brimstone signified the complete destruction of the heathen powers that had persecuted Christ and his church. (See comments on Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10) This would be the part, or the portion, of all the unbelievers. The explanations here and in Revelation 19:20 and Revelation 20:10 do not deny, destroy or modify the resurrection and judgment of the wicked at the second coming of Christ, nor of the eternal punishment of the wicked, which doctrines are clearly taught in numerous portions of the scriptures of both the old and the new testaments. The purpose of the comments here is merely to place these apocalyptic passages in proper contextual perspective and relation to the symbolism of the Book Of Revelation and its message. In this context the second death was a figurative description of the punishment of the persecutors in contrast with the deaths of the martyrs of the first resurrection. All these would have part in this second death in suffering the same destruction. The ones who had part in it came to the same end as the persecuting beast--a figurative description of complete destruction and annihilation of all persecuting powers opposed to the church whose opposition was crushed.Commentary on Revelation 21:5-8 by Walter ScottGOD ON HIS THRONE SPEAKS. Revelation 21:5-7. — “And He that sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He says (to me), Write, for these words are true and faithful. And He said to me, It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him that thirsts of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be to him God, and he shall be to Me son.” It is remarkable how often God by name or pronoun is referred to as the source of all blessing and action in the everlasting state. The Lamb is there as the husband and eternal companion of the Church, but as such He does not appear in the verses before us, save in one passing reference (Revelation 21:2). The kingdom has been delivered up to God, not that Christ ever ceases to reign, nor that He ever ceases to be man, but the reign of righteousness in putting down all opposing authority and rule having been accomplished we witness new triumphs of another character. God in the energy of His nature produces a scene according to what He is. It is not a question of subduing foes, but of God delighting Himself in forming a people and things according to Himself. God Himself is the actor in this scene of intense and thrilling interest. Revelation 21:5 — The Sitter on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” God on the throne of omnipotence, of absolute sovereignty, declares His will — all things new. The old order of things is not improved, nor in anywise imported into the eternal state, for that condition demands a state of things in keeping with it; and God is the measure and source of the whole eternal state, whether of persons or things. Nothing short of what becomes God can appear in the unchanging state; hence, “I make all things new.”Then the Seer is called to write as in Revelation 19:9. Only the earlier command is given by an angel; here by God Himself. Special communications of deep import were directed to be written (Luke 10:20; John 20:31; Habakkuk 2:2; Revelation 3:12; Revelation 14:13, etc.). What are the words which the Seer was commanded to write? Those just uttered by God on His throne “ Behold, I make all things new.” In this sentence is fixed the character of the eternal state. Grand words surely, and worth recording! God, too, authenticates His own magnificent declaration by adding, “ for these words are true and faithful.” He demands our attention, and claims our hearty and unqualified assent. “ Behold, I make all things new.” “ Write, for these words are true and faithful.” This is not promise, but the divine assertion of that which is fact when the moment comes for its realization. Revelation 21:6. — “ And He said to me, It is done.” Note the change of tense. In Revelation 21:5 and Revelation 21:6 the word said occurs three times, but in the second instance it reads saith or says (R.V.). The two emphatic declarations — all things new, and it is done — are just what one would expect. The first is God’ s decree; the second its accomplishment. “ It is done” is verbally repeated in Revelation 16:17. The connection, however, is different. In the earlier reference the wrath of God is completed; in our text it is the permanent settlement of the eternal state that is in question; in the former, too, an angel is the speaker; here it is the voice of God that is heard. OF THE SPEAKER. Revelation 21:6. — “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” (In Revelation 1:8 Jehovah, the Almighty, is “ The Alpha and the Omega,” in Revelation 21:6 it is God simply as such, no dispensational reference as in the earlier quotation, while in Revelation 22:13 it is Christ Who is “ The Alpha and the Omega.” In each case the divine Being uses the title of Himself. In Revelation 1:11 the words should be deleted.) The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, followed by the explanatory phrase, “ the beginning and the end,” intimates that all testimony on earth had its origin in God, as its end is His glory. Creation, providence, promise, history, prediction, prophecy, testimony, love, and grace have each their source in God and in Him their end. Nothing really on the divine side ends in failure. God is seen to triumph at the end. The administration of these things on earth shows, as was the divine intention, the weakness and imperfection of the creature; but that in no wise hinders or thwarts the ultimate purpose of God. The manifestation of Himself in moral glory is the end.I GIVE. Revelation 21:6 — We greatly love the sentence which follows: “I will give to him that thirsts of the fountain of the water of life freely.” This is present; not future. Neither hunger nor thirst shall be felt in the “ new Heaven” and “ new earth.” The “ splendid array of negatives” (Revelation 21:4) forbids the thought of thirsty ones in the eternal state, save in the lake of fire. The heart of God overflows in pity and tenderness towards the needy and unsatisfied sons and daughters of men. The “ fountain,” the source of life itself, is promised to the thirsty. It is God’ s gift, and freely given, as are all His gifts (Isaiah 55:1). Revelation 21:7. — Then we have a word of wondrous cheer and strength to the tired and weary disciple, “ faint yet pursuing.” The promises to the overcomer in the early part of the book (Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22) respect special circumstances, and are in view of special rewards. But here the encouragement to persevere to the end in the general battle of life is more ample, as the rewards are more full than those mentioned in the early portion. “He that overcomes shall inherit these things,” those just named. But there is even yet a deeper and richer blessing in store for the overcomer, one of a personal kind, “I will be to him God.” He gives Himself to the conqueror over life’ s sorrows. In our judgment this truly remarkable statement even outstrips the triumphant words of Paul, “ The Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Every statement of Scripture is perfect in its place, but there are some of profounder depth than others, and that in our text is such. But the tale of grace is not exhausted, for we read, “He shall be to Me son.” Sonship, therefore, is an eternal relationship. The overcomer has God, and God has the overcomer as son. Press on, wearied disciple, the end is near! The promises are full enough to tide you over every trial and every difficulty. EIGHT CLASSES OF SINNERS Revelation 21:8. — “But the fearful (or cowardly), and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, 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.” God here, as in the previous utterances, is the Speaker. As another has said, “ We ought to notice how much of these eight verses is made up of direct utterances of our God.” In the previous declarations God as love speaks, but in the final statement of eternity He speaks as light. God never foregoes His character as Judge of evil. The lake of fire is an actual and eternal place of punishment. In what part of the universe it is situated we know not. The current denial of eternal punishment finds no support, but absolute condemnation in the solemn passage before us. The eighth verse is as distinctly eternal as the first or second. We can introduce no measurements nor limitations within these eight verses. In them is embraced God’ s eternity and man’ s eternity, whether in Heaven, earth, or the lake of fire. There are eight classes specified: (1) The fearful, or cowardly, refers to those who were afraid to confess Christ or identify themselves with the Gospel. (2) Unbelievers, the most numerous class of any, and found amongst all classes and ranks of men. (3) The abominable should be understood here in its widest sense as denoting all that is morally, religiously, and physically filthy (Revelation 17:4-5; Revelation 21:27; Titus 1:16). (4) Murderers as a class are greatly on the increase. It is a solemn thing to meddle with that which peculiarly belongs to God — human life. (5) Fornicators point to a sin which is awfully prevalent. The ruin of female virtue is regarded lightly, and fornicators are received into society in the knowledge of the fact, while the poor victims are outcasts from respectability. But God here reverses the judgment of man, and fornicators shall be consigned by the God of righteousness to the lake of fire. (6) Sorcerers are those who profess involvement with spirits. Death was the appointed penalty under the law for those who practiced spiritualism in those days (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). The lake of fire is God’ s appointed doom for all who practice witchcraft, spiritualism, devil worship, and other forms of sorcery. (7) Idolaters. All worshippers of other gods. The countless millions of heathen in the past, in the present, and notably in the future are, where God has been given up and idols turned to, given over to eternal judgment. (8) All liars of every degree, kind, and character have their avenging answer in that eternal abode of misery to which everything and every one contrary to the character of God is consigned. The “ lake” burneth. Its fire is never exhausted. “ Fire and brimstone” symbolize torment and agony of a fearful character (Isaiah 30:33). The expression “ the lake of fire” occurs five times in the Apocalypse. It is remarkable that when the devil and the awful sinners mentioned in our text are in question “ fire and brimstone” are added. “ Which is the second death.” The first death is the separation of soul and body, but not cessation of existence, nor unconsciousness, as many dream. Luke 16:19-31, which is not said to be a parable, and Revelation 6:9-11 shows consciousness and activity of spirit in the separate state. The lake of fire in its never-ending agony is the second death. There are three lists of sinners which it would be profitable to compare: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Revelation 21:8; Revelation 22:15. In the third list the last five named answer to the last five in the passage we have been considering. The last notice of eternity is the never-ceasing wail of anguish in the lake of fire. Commentary on Revelation 21:5-8 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 21:5. He that sat upon the throne is the same as was shown in Revelation 20:11. He is the one who created all things that exist, but all the items that were made in the first creation pertaining to the material universe will be replaced with a new order of things that will be eternal, and adapted to the needs and enjoyment of the glorified part of humanity. The pronoun he means the angel who has been John's companion and exhibitor all through the vision of this book. Having taken a view of these wonderful objects the angel tells John to write the description in his book, and assures him that all that he has seen and heard is true and faithful, which means the vision and the words are a faithful report of the truth. Revelation 21:6. It is done Is the same thing that was said as reported at Revelation 16:17. The expression signifies that everything planned by the Lord and predicted for the period up to the point at hand has been accomplished. Alpha Psalms 119:160 re the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and the phrase is used symbolically, signifying that Jesus has been connected with all things done by his Father throughout. The same truth is meant by the following phrase, the beginning and the end. I will give, etc. Having completed everthing necessary for the redemption and glorification of man, He is prepared to offer the benefit of the plan to humanity. It will be freely means not only that it is not something that can be purchased with silver and gold, but also that it will be supplied in abundance. Another condition that should be noticed is the offer is made to those who are athirst. The Lord's favors have always been of a condition (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus said (Matthew 5:6), "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." He also specified in the great invitation to "come unto me" that He meant those who were "heavy laden." There is nothing selfish or arbitrary about this, for only those who sincerely desire the water of life would relish its taste if they even attempted to drink it. Revelation 21:7. He that overcometh is another of the principles that distinguish the favor of God from what is generally offered by man. It is not to the youngest and successful ones (See Revelation 21:8), for then there would be many worthy people who would lose out, for few if any can be successful when that word is used in its ordinary sense. But the reward is to those who overcome, and 1 John 5:4 states that faith is the means by which we may overcome. That brings the blessings of God within reach of all men since all can have faith whether they are those of one or five talents. Inherit all things logically has to mean the things to which reference has just been made concerning the new creation. Be his God . . . be my son is the same close association that is mentioned and commented upon at Revelation 21:3. Revelation 21:8. Fearful is from DEMOS, which Thayer defines, "timid, fearful," and he then explains it to denote "Christians who through cowardice give way under persecutions and apostatize [deny their Lord]. This definition or explanation is justified by the next word in the text, namely, believing (See Hebrews 9:27). Abominable is from , and Thayer's definition is "to render foul, to cause to be abhorred." It is a word that would have a general meaning, hence the apostle follows up with a number of specifications. Whoremongers areRev_21:8 do not merely commit adultery on some specific occasion ( which of itself would be wrong), but who are regular patrons of women whose business is to receive men either for lust or money. Sorcerers is from , and Thayer's lexicon defines it, "one who prepares or uses magical remedies; a sorcerer." It could well be classed with the "dope" trade of our day. Idolaters is defined, "A worshipper of false gods." That is its literal meaning and makes it apply to any conduct where a man shows a perference for something over the true God. Hence Paul declares in Ephesians 5:5 that a covetous man is an idolater. All liars is rendered "liars of all kinds" by Moffatt. That rendering is evidently correct for it would be unnecessary to state that every liar is meant in the sense of not allowing some of them to escape; that would be taken for granted. But it means to include not only those who in the direct sense make Revelation 17:4 statements that are false, but also everyone who says or does anything for the purpose Matthew 23:31-36 faAct_7:52 ession. When Ananias and his wife deposited some money before Peter there is no evidence that they actually said anything about it until Peter forced them to speak. But yet he accused them of lying because they intended to make a false impression upon the apostle. Therefore we should understand that all deliberate attempts to deceive another will be regarded as lies. It can be done even by stating a part of the truth in such a way as to make a false impression. Paul doubtless was thinking of this when he declared he was not "handling the word of God deceitfully" (2 Corinthians 4:2). Have their part. They will not receive any part of the good things that have just been promised to the faithful. Their fate will be to be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the place designated by the Greek word GEHENNA. Which is the second death (See Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10) because all mankind are bound to die physically (Hebrews 9:27) on account of the sin of Adam and the wicked will die (be separated) from God for ever and have to remain in this lake of fire away from God. This is the second death.Commentary on Revelation 21:5-8 by Burton CoffmanRev_21:5 And he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he saith: Write: for these words are faithful and true.He that sitteth on the throne said ... God himself is the speaker here, somewhat of a rarity in Revelation. Behold, I make all things new ... Only God can create anew. "This is a hard blow to proud, humanistic, naturalistic man who believes that he is capable of building a better tomorrow through research, applied technology, etc."[14] Leagues of Nations, United Nations, conferences on human rights, five-year plans, or hundred-year programs are all foredoomed to defeat and frustration. Only God can make new. And he saith ... Apparently, God also said this. Write, for the words are faithful and true ... The making of all things new is such a super-colossal conception that John seems to have been completely astounded by it, and needed to be prompted to keep on writing. "The words are faithful and true" seems to carry the thought that no matter how stupendous and impossible such things may appear to people, God will nevertheless certainly create all things new! ENDNOTE: [14] James D. Strauss, The Seer, the Saviour, and the Saved (Jopkin, Missouri: College Press, 1972), p. 276. Revelation 21:6 And he said unto me, They are come to pass I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.And he said unto me ... God continues to speak. Dummelow understood this as a reference to Revelation 21:5.[15] The creation of all things new is here referred to as a past event, by the prophetic tense, showing that it is as certain to happen as if it had already occurred. I am the Alpha and the Omega, ... "As the book opens, so it closes, with the solemn assurance of the certainty and unchangeableness of God's eternal promises (Revelation 1:8)."[16]I will give ... of the water of life ... Roberson compiled a list of the promises in Revelation to those who overcome:[17]To eat of the tree of life (Revelation 2:7). Not to be hurt of the second death (Revelation 2:11). To eat of the hidden manna (Revelation 2:17). To receive a white stone with a new name (Revelation 2:17). To have authority over the nations (Revelation 2:26). To receive the morning star (Revelation 2:26). To be arrayed in white garments (Revelation 3:5). Not to have his name blotted out of the book of life (Revelation 3:5). To have his name confessed before God and the angels (Revelation 3:5). To be made a pillar in the temple of God (Revelation 3:12). To have a new name written upon him (Revelation 3:12). To sit down with God in his throne (Revelation 3:21). To drink the water of life freely (Revelation 21:7). To be God's son and to have God for his God (Revelation 21:7). [15] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1090. [16] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 510. [17] Charles H. Roberson. Studies in Revelation (Tyler, Texas: P. D. Wilmeth, P.O. Box 3305,1957), p. 200. Revelation 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.He that overcometh shall inherit these things ... See under verse 6, above, for a list of the fourteen promises in Revelation to those who overcome, of which this is the last one. Collectively, they show how rich indeed are the wonderful promises of God for his children. "This amazing paragraph, through Revelation 21:8, is distinctive in that here alone in Revelation, God is represented as the speaker."[18] This is most appropriate, as it deals with a "new creation," something that only God can do. ENDNOTE: [18] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 312. Revelation 21:8 But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.The fearful ... Who are the fearful, if not all men? "But it is not of natural fear and timidity that John speaks; it is that cowardice which in the last resort chooses self and safety before Christ."[19] "It is not fear which is condemned. The highest courage is to be desperately afraid and in spite of that to do the right thing and to hold fast to loyalty."[20]And unbelieving ... Unbelief is a gross, unpardonable sin, unless repented of. Unbelief is never a consequence of knowledge, education, intelligence, or "honesty." It is always a child of wickedness. See John 3:19, also article on "The Marvel of Unbelief," my Commentary on John, pp. 176-177, also in my Commentary on Matthew, pp. 207-209. And abominable ... This is probably a reference, primarily, to participants in the rites of paganism and the unmentionable perversions and debaucheries that attended them. By extension, it also includes all sensualists of all ages. Murderers ... fornicators ... sorcerers ... These sins have often been commented upon in this series; the principal significance of their appearance here lies in the fact that "God is the speaker!" These are not merely the preacher-prejudices of current religion, but the eternal laws of God against such things. Idolaters ... and liars ... Idolatry, whether the worship of pagan gods, as in the days of John, or the worship and adoration of self above the God of heaven, can never be pleasing to God. No lie, however small, is a light thing in the eyes of God; and those whose lives are founded upon deceit and falsehood are indeed proscribed. Fire and brimstone ... the second death ... This refers to the place of consignment for all those things for which God cannot allow any place in heaven. [19] Leon Morris, Tyndale Bible Commentaries. New Testament, Vol. 20, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 246. [20] William Barclay, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 206.Commentary on Revelation 21:5-8 by Manly Luscombe5Then He who sat on the throne said, “ Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “ Write, for these words are true and faithful.” 6And He said to me, “ It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. Some believe this is the Father. I believe the speaker here is the Jesus. Jesus is described in similar language in chapter 1. He is true and faithful. He is the alpha and omega. He is the giver of the water of life. He is God. We will be joint-heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17) Christians will “ overcome.” We have overcome the world, sin, temptation and persecution. The things that are made new will replace the former things. Instead of pain, sorrow, and crying, there will be joy. Instead of death, there will be eternal life. Instead of tears of grief there will be tears of great joy. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Those who have not overcome are listed here. Like other lists of sins (Galatians 5:1-26 and Romans 1:1-32) this list is not an exhaustive one. The list is suggestive of the sins for which eternal punishment will be meted out. This list is a “ Who’ s Who in Hell” . 1. Cowardly - Those afraid to Acts 2. Unbelieving - Atheists and others who rejected the gospel 3. Abominable - Sins which are abhorrent to God 4. Murderers - This group includes killers, haters, abortionists and all who take human life on purpose 5. Sexually immoral - All kinds of immoral sexual behavior 6. Sorcerers - Those who had their faith in potions, spells, drugs, psychic readers, taro cards, and superstitions invented by men 7. Idolaters - All who worship and serve things, people, positions, and powers more than they seek to serve Jehovah 8. All liars - All who love or make a lie (Revelation 22:15) All of these will suffer the same fate as Satan. They will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. For these unbelievers, this will be the second death. They died physically. Now they will die spiritually. Sermon on Revelation 21:1-8 New Heaven and New Earth Brent Kercheville Introducing the New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-2) The previous chapter has concluded with the image of final judgment. Satan has been thrown into the lake of fire. All the dead are standing before the throne and the books were opened. Those whose names were not written in the book of life were also thrown into the lake of fire, where they along with Satan are tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10; Revelation 20:15). Our context is the end of time when Christ returns and final judgment has occurred. There is nothing in the context to suggest that we are changing the time frame as we read chapter 21. John now sees a new heaven and new earth because the first heaven and first earth had passed away. We saw the first heaven and earth pass away in Revelation 20:11. The time of this physical earth is completed. It has been burned up (2 Peter 3:10). Now the new heaven and the new earth have been ushered in. John is going to be told what this new heaven and new earth looks like in Revelation 21:3-8. Before we look at the details of this new heaven and earth, it is important to know that this is not the first time this image is used in the scriptures. Isaiah prophesied of this same time of restoration in Isaiah 65:17 and Isaiah 66:22. His description of the new heavens and new earth mirrors what John is going to see in these upcoming verses. Peter also spoke of this coming age. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and theearth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:10-13 ESV) Notice Peter puts the same timeline together that we see in the book of Revelation. The physical heavens and earth are burned up and dissolved. All the works done on the earth are exposed which is the same as the books being opened as all stand before the throne in Revelation 20:12. Once these things are accomplished, Peter says there is a new heaven and earth where righteousness dwells. Now the paradise of God has arrived. Now the kingdom of God has been fully consummated as all the enemies have now been put in subjection. The apostle Paul taught that the last enemy to be destroyed in Christ’ s kingdom rule is death (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). Revelation 20 concluded with death and Hades being thrown into the lake of fire. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:24 that the end will come after Christ destroys every rule, every authority, and every power. Martin Pickup, in his lecture at the 2011 Florida College Lectureship, taught that imagery of the new heavens and new earth is “ a return to the Edenic union of God and His people.” Revelation 21:1 also reveals that the sea was no more. The sea has a reference to the realm of evil in the book of Revelation (see also Isaiah 57:20). We saw the dragon bring the beast up from the sea (Revelation 13:1), depicting its great evil. Included in this evil is a representation of the mass of humanity (cf. Revelation 20:13). The evil nations and the wickedness of the world have passed away along with the physical heaven and earth. Notice that Revelation 21:2-8 confirms this understanding that the new heaven and new earth are about the full restoration of God to his people and Christ’ s kingdom completing its subjugation of all authorities and powers. Revelation 21:2 shows the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. We saw this imagery of the bride back in Revelation 19:7-8 where we learned that the bride represented the holy people of God and the bright clothing representing the pure and righteous deeds of the saints (cf. Ephesians 5:25-27). More will be described about the bride of Christ in Revelation 21:9 through the rest of chapter 21. The New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21:3-8) The apostle Peter said that we are looking forward to the new heaven and new earth. The meaning of this new world shows why we are full of anticipation. Revelation 21:3 tells us that the dwelling place of God is now with humans. God is living with his people. This is what we are looking forward to obtaining. God is dwelling with his people again. Sin ripped man out of the paradise and presence of God for God cannot live with darkness, evil, and sin. Through the victory of Christ on the cross and rule of his kingdom we now can live with the Lord. The scriptures reveal that when we come to Christ we become the people of God and God blesses us. Ephesians 5:25-27 speaks of a current joining of Christ to the church, the people of God. However, we cannot reverse the timeframe of the book at this point. John is seeing what will happen at the conclusion of the final judgment. While the kingdom of Christ was established in Acts 2 and all who accept the invitation of the Lamb participate in that kingdom as John described himself as a fellow partaker in the kingdom (Revelation 1:9), Revelation 21 is picturing the ideal union between Christ and his people. Revelation 21 is picturing the church in its perfected state at the end of the reign of Christ. John is seeing the eternal reward being given to God’ s people. Revelation 21:4 validates our understanding that this is showing the people of God in their future, perfected state receiving the eternal reward at the end of time. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Do not foul up the beautiful imagery given here. Some read this and say that if God is wiping tears that means God’ s people are still crying. This is not what this imagery means. The image is that while on the earth these Christians have been suffering. They are full of tears. They are full of pain. They have been persecuted. They have been killed. God wiping tears means that he is giving perfect comfort to his people. Isaiah shows this very point when he speaks of weeping for the destruction of the nation, but then prophesies a time of comfort as God wiping the tears. Therefore I said: “ Look away from me; let me weep bitter tears; do not labor to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.” (Isaiah 22:4 ESV) He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 25:8 ESV) Revelation 21:4 continues to show that comfort from life’ s sorrows and pains is in view. Death will no longer exist. There will not be mourning or crying. Notice that there will not be crying any longer. The tears that God is wiping are those tears shed during this present heaven and earth. In the new heaven and earth God will comfort his people. There will be no more death, no more mourning, and no more crying. Grief and pain will exist no longer because all of these things have passed away. Christ has been victorious. He has conquered all powers and authorities. Now the people of God are able to rest. Revelation 21:5 is the language of prophetic certainty. To tell these first century Christians, “ Behold, I am making all things new” is a message of encouragement Christ’ s kingdom has been established and the process of restoration has begun. The fall of the Jewish nation and the Roman Empire have been necessary steps as the kingdoms of the world are placed in subjection to Christ’ s kingdom. The rest of Rev 21:5 continues this encouraging message. “ Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” God’ s word is true and can be trusted. Christ is reigning on the throne. We are looking forward to this promise, guaranteed by God, that we will receive the eternal blessings and rewards for being faithful to him through grief, crying, pain, suffering, and death. Christ then declares, “ It is done!” The destruction of the enemies and salvation of the saints has been accomplished. This work of destroying the enemies and bringing salvation to the world began at the cross, where Jesus cried out, “ It is finished!” Christ again identifies himself as the Alpha and Omega, which are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. He also describes himself as the beginning and end. Jesus began the book of Revelation calling himself the Alpha and Omega in Revelation 1:8. Jesus is the first and the last of all things. This title provides assurance that he will give the promised blessings to his redeemed people. The promise is to give to the thirsty from the spring of living water as a gift. Jesus said these words while on the earth. On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “ If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘ Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39 ESV) The imagery comes from Isaiah 55:1-2. Now salvation and grace are fully received from Christ as the books are opened and the righteous are rewarded for their trust and faithfulness. The victorious will inherit these blessings and inheritance (Revelation 21:7). The inheritance is theirs. By contrast, the second death awaits those who renounce their faith, who are unbelievers, or who engage in the sins of the world. Those who are cowards likely refers to Christians who refused to serve Jesus even to the death. They loved their lives more than they loved the Lord. They feared the persecution and did not maintain their faith. These along with the sinful of the world will all be thrown into the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. They will experience eternal separation from God. The faithful are longing for a home with the Lord. The faithful hold on to these promises and will not give them up for anything. The reward to come is worth the sacrifices and the suffering of today. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. (Revelation 2:10-11 ESV) (HCSB) Revelation 21:9-27 3. THE HOLY CITY Rev_21:9-27 9 And he spake with me.--The speaker here was one of the seven angels that poured out the seven plagues. This final appearance of a plague angel indicates that the visions in 17:1 to 22:5 form a continuous revelation that comes under the period covered by the seven plagues. This, of course, puts the millennium before Christ's personal coming, for the plagues bring us to the judgment. (Revelation 16:17-21.) In this paragraph we have a most graphic description of the final state under the emblem of a glorious city. The vision again mingles the figures--city and wife. See notes on verse 2 and Revelation 19:7. Different figures are sometimes used in close connection to present different features of the same subject. For example, shepherd and door both refer to Christ. (John 10:1-12.) The false church was called a harlot and Babylon (Revelation 17:5-6) ; the true church is then appropriate. represented as a holy city and a true wife. 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high.--In some kind of mental ecstasy John was transported to the mountain and saw the new Jerusalem appear to descend from heaven. This but repeats what is stated in verse 2. That may be a kind of brief introductory expression while verse 10 introduces a detailed description of that city. 11 Having the glory of God.----In the descending city which John saw in the vision there was God's glory; its light was like a precious stone clear as crystal, dazzling bright. Truly an appropriate appearance for the dwelling place of God. 12 Having a wall great and high; having twelve gates.--A great wall indicates that the eternal city of our God will be securely protected--no enemy can ever touch the redeemed again. Angels at the gates carries the same idea of protection or being safely guarded.Possibly there is here an allusion to the Cherubim and flaming sword that protected the tree of life in Eden.(Genesis 3:24.) "Twelve tribes" taken literally and spiritually include God's people in different ages. 13 On the east were three gates.--If there is any spiritual significance in placing three gates on each side, it probably indicates that entrance was open to those from all quarters. 14 Twelve foundations.--Expositors have offered different plans for the arrangement of the twelve foundations, but with nothing to support their views except supposition. It is not a question of enough importance to justify speculation. The simple statement is sufficient. The names of the apostles on the foundations agree with Paul's words in Ephesians 2:20 regarding the church. Occupying a position of authority in the church, it follows that those in the glorified church would be there because of their dependence upon the apostles; or heaven will be peopled with those who have obeyed the apostles, if old enough to be responsible. 15 Had for a measure a golden reed.--He that talked with John was the angel. See verse 9. On the measuring reed see notes on Revelation 11:1. A golden reed corresponds with the grandeur and value of the city. The object of measuring the temple, worship, and worshippers (Revelation 11:1-2) was to enable those in the restoration work to reproduce congregations just as they existed in the apostolic days; here the measurement will show that the eternal city is according to divine plans and spacious enough for all the saved. 16 And the city lieth foursquare.--We should constantly remember that the description we are reading is what John saw in the vision; what it signifies is a different thing. The city which the apostle saw measured was not only foursquare, but was a cube--length, width, and height equal. Again we find commentators disagreed regarding the measurement. All agree that 12,000 furlongs equal 1,500 miles, but the difficulty comes in applying the figures. If the 12,000 furlongs applied to each side of the cube, then the city was 1,500 miles in every direction. But some view the 12,000 furlongs as the distance around the city. If that be correct, then each dimension was 375 miles. In either case, if the city be understood literally, it will be entirely too large to be in Palestine, for the whole country is not that large. That this number should be taken symbolically seems to be unquestionably demanded. Such an enormous city, all beyond human imagination, if taken literally, indicates the ample provisions our God had made for the final home of his obedient children. 17 And he measured the wall thereof.--A wall was necessary to make the vision correspond with cities of that age. It also carries the idea of protection. That would be the significance here unless it is just a part of the symbolic imagery and used only to make the picture harmonious. The whole measurement is in multiples of twelve, which would indicate not only symmetry but perfection. According to the measure of a man evidently means that the reed used was the same length that man would use. Since the vision was for men, the standard measuring lengths had to be used. 18 And the building of the wall thereof.--The wall above the foundations was of jasper--at least, so it appeared to John ; the edifices of the city appeared to be of pure gold, shining with the brilliancy of pure glass. Of course, this description need not be taken literally, but it does show that earth's richest jewels and most precious metals are but symbols of the richness of God's provisions for the saved in heaven. What more compelling inducement could be offered to earth's weary and heavy-laden? 19, 20 The foundations of the wall of the city.--Even the foundations of the wall were adorned with twelve manner of precious stones. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls.--Among ancients pearls were considered of the highest value among precious stone because their beauty was entirely natural and without effort of art. Each gate appeared to be of one pearl, possibly because so adorned with them that it had the appearance of being one. The street of the city was pure gold. That literal metals could be meant is true, of course, when we remember the infinite power of God. But as the picture that John saw is clearly symbolical, there is no logical need for saying that what he saw were the real metals and stones. It is enough to meet all the demands of emblematic figures to say that they had the appearance of such objects. 22 And I saw no temple therein.--Under the Jewish system the most holy place of the temple was where God met the high priest, as representative of the people; in the Church--the true tabernacle--all are kings and priests and worship God; it is the place where he meets them spiritually. In the heavenly Jerusalem he will meet the saved personally; there will be no special place for a tabernacle, for the whole city will be the temple; or, in another view, God and the Lamb will be the temple. In 7:15 it says that in the final state we will "serve him day and night in his temple." There is no conflict here, for the presence of God throughout the city makes a temple of it. The most holy place of the Jewish temple was a cube. The holy city being in the same form may suggest the idea that it is temple. The presence of God and the Lamb is further justification for saying that the whole city will be a temple. 23 And the city hath no need of the sun.--Ordinary cities known to men must have lights both natural and artificial. Not so will it be in the new Jerusalem. The glory of God and the presence of the Christ will be all the light needed. 24 And the nations shall walk amidst the light thereof.--Evidently this means that the saved from all nations will be in that city. That is clear from the answer to the question as to who will be there. See Revelation 7:13-15. The prophet said that all nations would flow into the mountain of the Lord's house. (Isaiah 2:2.) The redeemed will come from all nations, but in heaven will be spiritual beings with all national distinctions blotted out. To carry out the same figure kings--the rulers of nations--will bring their honor into it. They will not there be acting as kings, but rather will themselves become subjects to God and give him all the glory that once they received. 25 And the gates thereof shall in no wise be shut.--Ancient cities shut their gates by night and opened them by day. In God's eternal city there will be no night, for the glory of God and Christ will give it perpetual light. The open gate is another emblem of security. The closed gate with a guard indicates protection, but the gate open continually shows that nothing harmful will enter. 26 This verse is a repetition of the thought of verse 24. 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean. --This verse is substantially the same in thought as verse 8 with the additional statement that none can enter except those written in the "Lamb's book of life." This is both inclusive and exclusive---encouraging the faithful by the fact that no wicked can enter. Those who desire to enter must be righteous ; in heaven they will be free from vexations due to the sins of men.Commentary on Revelation 21:9-27 by Foy E. Wallace(3) The description of the massive dimensions of the great city, the holy new Jerusalem—Revelation 21:9-17. The original designation for Jerusalem was the name Salem, mentioned Psalms 76:2, and it meant the possession of peace, or the inheritance of peace. It was the most important city of biblical history, and the most sacred and the most desecrated of the whole world. The Psalmist of Israel sang its praises; but Christ the Saviour wept tears of sorrow over its apostasies, unfaithfulness and approaching desolation. (Matthew 23:37-38) The Jerusalem of the time of Christ and the apostles and people of the New Testament lies buried beneath the ruins of the succeeding centuries; and the Jerusalem which was the city of David is buried far deeper below the surface of modern Jerusalem. In the fifteen centuries of its existence from its first appearance in Old Testament history until its destruction in A. D. 70 it had been besieged some fifteen or twenty times, was twice razed and burned, and twice its walls were crumbled by enemy attacks. There is not the slightest feature remaining today of its ancient glory. Under Solomon the city of David attained its highest fame and greatest grandeur, as the result of the wise king’ s accomplishments of the building of the magnificent temple and royal palace, and the extension and strengthening of its massive walls. With a vast army of skilled craftsmen the enormous workmanship that entered into its erection was completed, and the venerated temple with its splendorous sanctuary was dedicated within seven and one-half years. This was in wide contrast with the gradual work on Herod's temple, standing in the time of Christ, which required “ forty and six years” to complete. (John 2:20) It was in king Solomon’ s reign, due to these accomplishments, that Jerusalem became the one central place of all the world for the true worship of God. It was the Mecca of the Jews, the holy city, and whether near or far, at home or in foreign land, the devoted Jew prayed with his face toward Jerusalem. Captured by the Roman Pompey in B. C. 63, the land of the Jews was again subjugated and became a province of the Caesars. Approximately twenty years later, B. C. 40, the city fell to the Parthians, under Antigonus; but only one year later Herod the Great laid siege to the city, and supported by the Roman army the citadel and the temple were recaptured by storm; and Herod was afterward made king of Judea by the Romans. He at once improved and beautified the city, and initiated the enlargement and refurbishing of the temple without and within, requiring the period of forty-six years as mentioned in the gospel record of John. Under the rule of Herod the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple approximated their ancient magnificence. The Jerusalem of the New Testament times stood with all the imposing grandeur and strength to which it had been brought by Herod through nearly a half-century of workmanship, with all of its multiple walls and structures. It was after the death of Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great, that the province of Judea was again ruled by oppressive provincial Roman procurators, and Jerusalem became the ground for the scenes of discontent, violent insurrections and political rebellion. It is no wonder that her apostasies and abominations should become the object of the Patmos visions to signify the Harlot; and it is not strange that the once holy city should be the type of the New Jerusalem, the Bride and church of Christ the Lamb. With this excursion we return to the apocalyptic description of the GreatCity, the Holy New Jerusalem, which begins with verse nine of chapter twenty-one. This vision of the Holy City was in contrast with the vision of Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth of chapter seventeen. There one of the angels of judgment showed John the Harlot City (the old Jerusalem) which had become the mother of the abominations of the earth (Palestine) by her many apostasies; as lamented by Jesus Christ himself in the twenty-third and the twenty-fourth chapters of Matthew. In the vision of chapter twenty-one, now under consideration, the same angels showed John the Holy City. They were hitherto the executioners of divine wrath and judgment; but here they were the administrators of divine love and reward. In comparison, the angels in the two chapters (17 and 21) used the same identification in the language describing their functions, but for a different mission. In chapters seventeen to nineteen these angels were on the mission of pronouncing judgment upon the Harlot Woman; but in chapter twenty-one the mission of the same angels was to exhibit the Holy City, the Bride. It was appropriate that the angels pronouncing the doom on the old Jerusalem of Judaism should also announce the blessings of triumph awaiting the New Jerusalem Bride. The chapter is a continuation of the vial-angel visions, culminating in the glorious success of the church in the heathen world. 1. Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’ s wife—Revelation 21:9. This beckoning of the angel is another proof, among the many others in the contexts of these chapters, that the descriptions of the holy city were not visions of heaven the home of the soul, but of the glorious church of Christ, designated the bride and the wife of the Lamb, redeemed from tribulation, but yet to fulfill her divine mission on the earth. 2. And he carried me away in the spirit unto a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God—Revelation 21:10. The phrase in the spirit here is the same expression as that used in Revelation 1:10 and it did not refer to the Holy Spirit in either of the passages, but rather indicated the visional rapture in which John was shown these things. It was in the spirit--his own spirit--that he was carried away to the place where these things were unfolded to him in vision. The visional point to which he was carried was a great and high mountain. This apocalyptic panorama was a part of the imagery of the exaltation of the Jerusalem Bride. The same metaphorical language was used by Isaiah in a prophetic description of the pre-eminence of the church in its spiritual elevation above the level of all institutions of men. “ The mountain of the Lord’ s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” (Isaiah 2:2) In the same figurative character and language, John was carried in spirit to the mountain. It was not a mere mountain upon which the church was to be established in Isaiah’ s prophecy, but in the top of the mountains; and it is altogether fitting that John should be transported in spirit to a great and high mountain to be shown the grandeur and glory of the triumphant church. From this eminent visional peak John saw the holy Jerusalem descending. It was designated the holy Jerusalem in contrast with the harlot Jerusalem. No greater or more impressive attributive title could have been ascribed to the Bride of Christ than that of the Holy City Jerusalem. In this vision of elevation the entranced Seer saw that great city descending--it had not already descended, the events were yet in process, but the end was in sight. It was about to be the culmination of the entire apocalypse. The Holy City was descending out of heaven from God-- that is, the visional emergence of the Woman from that place prepared of God mentioned in Revelation 12:6, and compared with Matthew 24:16 in the comments in chapter twelve on these two related passages. The holy city, the church, was seen descending from God--that is, from the place prepared of God where God had protected her and preserved her in that period of tribulation. Upon the lofty mountain height, from a position where the Seer could descry the distant descent of the marvellous City, as if to discover by the eye an object at far focus and observe its approach, this vision of the New Jerusalem was unfolded to the revelator. 3. Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal—Revelation 21:11. The attribute of glory here ascribed to the holy church in descent was an allusion to the cloud of glory that covered and filled the tabernacle at its completion-- the Shekinah, that divine manifestation through which God’ s presence was made known. The light of the City was like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. In Revelation 4:3 the One on the throne had this appearance of crystal jasper; so the vision here is that the Holy City represented the resplendent glory of God Himself, as Paul affirmed of the church in Ephesians 3:21 : “ Unto him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end.” The force of this descriptive attribute of the Holy City was the ultimate in glory and grandeur. The ancient crystal jasper was pellucid in its transparency and diaphonous in its translucency. As the sun is the luminary of the heavens, the glory of God Himself illumined this descending Holy City, the New Jerusalem church, with the divine effulgence of his presence. 4. 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 Israel. . . . And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb—Revelation 21:12-14. The great wall of this vision was symbolic of security, and represented the protection from all the foes by which the church has been assailed; and which had assured them of the complete victory that was here envisioned. The massive walls with the huge gates were necessary to the ancient cities. Upon the outer wall of ancient Babylon three horse-drawn chariots could drive abreast; in the walls were twenty-five great brass gates; and upon the walls were two hundred fifty gigantic towers for the guard of watchmen. Jerusalem had twelve gates in its wall, with the gateman at each station, and the watchmen in its towers. In this mountain-top vision the wall of the Great City had twelve gates; and at these gates twelve angels at guard. It was the symbol of the continued success of the cause of Christ, the security from all past hazards of persecution, and the freedom from the assaults from the dragon-beast as the personification of Satan in the imperial persecutors. The word gates has been rendered portals, which in the singular means the door of a gate; or in the plural, the portal of a city. The numeral twelve as applied here, and in Matthew 19:28 to the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles, represented completeness, the whole church, joining the old and the new in type and antitype. The twelve gates and the twelve foundations, bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of the Lamb, were the emblems of God’ s people as a whole in the old and new testaments. It symbolized the full and complete plan of God envisioned in the perfection of the church as the product of all divine revelation through the prophets of Israel and the apostles of Christ. The vision further described the City as having three gates on each side--twelve gates. The eye-witness historian, Josephus, described the old Jerusalem as having three gates on four sides (B J 5, 4, 2). The vision taken together with the twelve foundations bearing the tribal and apostolic names represented, as previously explained, the two economies of the old and the new testaments having been completed in the church as the whole people of God, which fulfilled the purpose of God in the redemption of mankind, brought together in the figure of the one new man (Ephesians 2:14-16)--the church. The New Jerusalem with its twelve walls and twelve gates and twelve foundations was here envisioned as the embodiment of the divine unity of all revelation. The teaching of the twelve apostles uphold and support the church, which in the vision was so guarded by the twelve angels as to keep it aware of all error and that the forces of the hadean world could never prevail against it. 5. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof—Revelation 21:15. The measuring rod in the hand of the angel was a reed of gold, which was symbolic of the divinity of that which was to be measured--the city was divine. The city had perfect quadrangular dimensions--it was foursquare. The word “ foursquare” was a Greek term used to denote perfection in any form. The immensity of the Holy City was signified by the mathematical figure of twelve thousand furlongs, or approximately fifteen hundred cubic miles, expressed in the words of the text: The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. It has been calculated that the measure of the twelve thousand furlongs in English miles computed 1378.97 exact English miles-- the figure having been reckoned by a biblical commentator of England. Whether exactly or approximately it was the symbolism, first of the spiritual perfection of the church and, second, of its universality--that it was destined to fill the whole earth. The prophet declared (Isaiah 11:9) that the knowledge of God would cover the earth; and Jesus said in the beatitudes (Matthew 5:5) that his disciples would inherit the earth--that is, fill the whole earth with his teaching. That has ever been and shall ever be the mission of his church, and that purpose was symbolized in the descriptions of the New Jerusalem. The measurement of the wall of the Holy City was said, in Rev_2117, to be according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. The stadia of the angel was “ after the manner of a man” --no different from that of a man and within human understanding, though it was of the angel. The angel had used man’ s standard of measurement, but it was symbolically, not literally, applied. It meant that the stadia employed by the angel was on a scale of measurement that was not unknown to man. The literal view of these measurements as being descriptive of the exact plan and size of the New Jerusalem as a city would destroy the sublimity of the apocalyptic picture and pervert the symbolism of the vision. In the comparison of the dimensions of the city and the wall surrounding it, the vision represented that the eminences within the wall of the New Jerusalem were so lofty that its highest summits and pinnacles were as many furlongs above the base of the wall as the length of the wall itself. The vision was symbolical of great and grand magnificence. To the eye of John from the summit ranges, floating down from God, was a view of splendor the magnitude of which was indescribable. But the figurative description, “ according to the measure of a man,” was not grotesque or disproportioned. God was the architect and builder of the Holy City (Psalms 12:1-8’ 7:1); which was the manifestation of his divine wisdom, as a building exhibits the skill of its designer (Ephesians 3:10-11; Ephesians 3:21); and in it his own glory will be exhibited through time and in eternity “ world without end.” In the symbolism of the New Jerusalem’ s dimensions was signified that it is the will of God that the church should include the whole multitude of the saved--its entire aggregation. (4) The indescribable grandeur and magnificence of the new Jerusalem—Revelation 21:18-21. It would be impractical, if not entirely futile and frustrating, to attempt a descriptive application of each precious stone which decorated the Holy City. There is no singular meaning or definition that can be imparted to these jewels of adornment, but altogether the enumeration of all existing precious stones presented a vision so exquisite in the extreme as to exceed all human imagination or contemplation. The sublime apocalypse portrayed the New Jerusalem as being the church of the firstborn ones (Hebrews 12:22-23), the citizens of which have their names inscribed in the registry of heaven. Its citizenry consisted in a kind of firstfruits of all of God’ s creatures (James 1:18)--they are his choice creation. Its structure was itself constructed of pure gold; its streetway, or passage system, was the same as of the city--of solid gold, and transparent. The expression pure gold means unalloyed, without the comparative carats in weight or measure or degree of content; but in purity no mixture or alloy. The eye of man has discovered and discerned pure gold, but no man has ever seen transparent gold, a description that adds visional resplendence to the delineations. The portals of the City were composed of pure pearls, each gate consisting of one solid pearl; and its twelve foundations were garnished with twelve rare jewels of glistening beauty, which in the order from one to twelve were: jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, an emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprasus, jacinth and an amethyst. With vast clusters of edifices within the high wall the super-structure of the City was embellished by whatever materials were known to man to be the most estimable and resplendent of earth’ s treasures--and these all were adapted to enhance the glorious majesty of the New Jerusalem, the Lamb’ s Bride--the church of Christ. (5) The constituent spiritual characteristics of the glorious new Jerusalem—Revelation 21:22-27. According to Webster the word constituent is indicative of elements that form, or compose, or make up an existing thing; and characteristic is defined as distinctive, or serving to constitute the character of anything. On the high mountain outlook the vision not only exhibited to John the outward glories of the Holy City but displayed also the inward spiritual peculiarities of the City of the Lamb. In it there was no temple (Revelation 21:22), for there was no veil between God and the Redeemed, as in the temple that had been taken away (Matthew 27:51); and because the church itself is the temple of God. (Ephesians 2:21; Revelation 7:15) The old temple had been a type of the new, and there was no place in the vision for a symbol of that which had passed away. And there was no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it (Rev_2123), for God was the light and Christ was the lamp of the New Jerusalem, which had emerged from the darkness of tribulation into the light of deliverance and redemption. Here the same figure was utilized that was used by the prophet in a similar description of Israel’ s return from the Babylonian exile: “ The sun shall no more be thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. The sun shall no more go down; neither shall the moon withdraw itself; for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended” -- Isaiah 60:19-20. Even the casual reader, if not biased by a continuous-history theory, can discern the similarity between these passages and the Revelation descriptions. The prophet Isaiah foretold the deliverance of Israel from exile nearly two hundred years before its occurrence, and he adapted the same figures to describe their restoration to their land that the Seer of Revelation applied to the emergence of the church from the tribulation period. As of restored Israel in their own land again, so of the New Jerusalem--the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. These are the figures for the source of all spiritual knowledge and illumination in the City of the Lamb; there can be no alternation of light and darkness; no mixture of truth and error; for God is the source of the light of truth reflected through Christ in the church. The apostle of the Hebrew epistle (Hebrews 1:3) affirmed this vital truth in the reference to this Father and Son relation: “ Who being the brightness (effulgence) of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” It was this presence of God and of Christ in the New Jerusalem that would be its sun, its moon and its light. In the order of both prophecy and apocalypse the old temple had been destroyed, and its furnishings were no longer recognized. The new temple, the church itself, had no such temporal structure and physical adornment as that which had featured the old; for the old rites were gone with the old city and its temple which had passed away-- and Holy City, the New Jerusalem, which represented the church of the Lamb, was spiritual only and was the new “ habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22). This spiritual light of the Holy City would extend to the whole world of darkness: the nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it—Revelation 21:24. This part of the vision represented the saved as having come from all nations, that the Jew and Gentile together should walk in the light of the gospel. The language has its counterpart in the descriptions of Isaiah (Isaiah 2:2-5; and Isaiah 62:1-2) which were the prophecies of the new Jerusalem of the new covenant which would include all nations. The prophet said: “ O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.” This prophecy was made by Isaiah in connection with the establishment of the new institution on the top of the mountains, and the promulgation of the new law from Jerusalem. It is the same imagery in Revelation 21:4 of this vision: “ And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it.” In the prophecy of Isa 62:1-4, the prophet declared that “ the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory.” And in this vision the Seer said: “ And the kings of the earth do bring glory and honor into it.” It was the vision of all nations yielding to the influence of the gospel, as if the kings of the nations had brought the glory of their crowns and scepters and treasures into the kingdom of God and of Christ by the conversion of the people of the whole world. The vision here is the extension of Rev 11:15 : The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ. All of these verses and visions referred to the universal expansion of Christianity in the spread of the gospel over all the world. In verses Revelation 21:25-26 the vision represented the gates of city as being always open: for there shall be no night there. The gates of the ancient cities were closed at night, and there was no admission to strangers without the city. But the gates of New Jerusalem should not be shut at all by day, therefore entrance to the city was always accessible. The vision was based on the destruction of the beasts of persecution which had been cast into the brimstone lake, and there were no enemies remaining to threaten the citizenry of the city. In the period of persecution the church had been hindered in the propagation and the proclamation of the gospel, but the night of tribulation had ended. The figure was related to the motion of the globe in orbit; its diurnal revolution causes the daily and annual changes in the sun which produce the alternation of light and darkness. But spiritually there would be no such rotation, for the night of the tribulation had come to end; there was no longer the hindering power of the heathen persecutors in the spreading of the light of the gospel--the darkness had been dispelled and the day had dawned for the church. It can be seen again that the literal application of these figures of speech would demolish the beauty of the vision as well as its truth in the spiritual application of the symbols. In Revelation 21:26 the Seer saw the Gentile world entering into thechurch through its open gates under the world-wide commission: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations; and, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15) And the stipulated terms upon which men of all nations should enter into the spiritual refuge of the city of the Lamb are included in the commands of the commission itself: He that believeth (the gospel) and is baptized shall be saved; and, Baptizing them in (into) the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Spirit). The vision represented the inclusion of the nations among the blessed saved in the church. The glory and honor of the nations, of Revelation 21:26, as in Revelation 21:24, referred to the conversion and Christianization of the heathen world. The fact that the vision represented that these kings would still be kings is yet another indication that it was not a vision of heaven. It meant that the heathen would find their way out of the darkness of paganism into the light of Christianity under the sway of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The New Jerusalem would co-exist with the nations as “ all nations flow unto it” ; and accept Him who came to fulfill “ the desire of all nations” (Haggai 2:7) for the glory of God. The kings of the earth contributed to His glory in the conversion of the people of their nations to the Christ of this apocalypse. The pristine purity of the church of the Lamb was pictured in Revelation 21:27 : 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. These terms and phrases and words describe the whole category of the moral and spiritual corruption of heathendom. The first chapter of Romans is an inspired commentary on the depths of degradation into which the heathen world had sunken by these practices because, said Paul, “ they did not like to retain God in their knowledge.” But these impurities of heathenism could gain no admission or entrance into the realm of the Lamb’ s Bride. The defiled could not enter, because the gospel removed all moral defilement. The paganistic abominations could not enter, for the gospel separated from all heathen idolatry. The deceivers who by making a lie had seduced the inhabitants of the earth into emperor-worship could not enter, for the gospel destroyed the doctrines of antichrist. Wherefore, only they which are written in the Lamb’ s book of life-- whose names were entered into the registry of the New Jerusalem by “ doing his commandments” could “ enter in through the gates into the city.”Commentary on Revelation 21:9-27 by Walter ScottTHE BRIDE IN AND THE ETERNAL AND STATES. The history of the race and of the ways of God with men is finally closed. The first eight verses of our chapter present some of the characteristics of the unchanging state, both in positive and negative statements, the latter more especially. The eternal blessing of the saved and the eternal doom of the wicked are set in sharp contrast. In the eternal state all is fixed. God Himself has irrevocably settled the condition of every human being. The volume of history is closed. In the scene just described the Lamb is not once named nor witnessed. God is all. God in the activity of His nature brings about an eternal calm and a deep profound sense of holy repose. Righteousness dwells in the everlasting regions made new. But in the millennial kingdom Christ as Lamb of God and Son of Man arrests the gaze and captivates the heart. It is the shining forth of His glory. It is the sceptre in His hand. It is many diadems on His head. It is the overwhelming splendour of His reign. It is the munificent blessings He scatters in blest profusion throughout the earth. It is Christ thus and in a thousand other and varied ways and actions which makes the millennial state so magnificently grand. It is the Lord Jesus taking up the broken threads of history and weaving them all into a perfect whole. Neither Adam, Moses, Solomon, Israel, nor the Church has maintained the testimony committed to them. Every steward of grace, law, or government has proved unfaithful; every vessel of testimony has broken down. But it will be seen in the millennial kingdom that Christ, the vessel of God’ s glory, is the only ONE Who has ever been faithful. He receives the kingdom from God (Luke 19:12), and after its administration for a thousand years He delivers it up to God (1 Corinthians 15:24), not only in the perfection in which it was received, but in enhanced glory. The Church is the result of God’ s counsel in eternity and of His creation in time. The Church is both millennial and eternal in destiny (Ephesians 3:21), and essentially heavenly in character. The Church, next to God and to the Lamb, is the most distinguished object both in the eternal and millennial states. The Church is the bride and wife of the Lamb, and is displayed as such when Christ takes His throne and reigns. She shares His glory and throne. Her relationship as wife is an eternal one (Revelation 21:2). But in the eternal state the relation of the Church and saints to God as His tabernacle is the prominent thought in the first eight verses of the chapter. In it He dwells. The eternal state is, of course, the more profound of the two. A SIGHT OF THE BRIDE. Revelation 21:9-10 — “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, and spoke with me, saying, Come here, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’ s wife. And he carried me away in (the) Spirit, (and set me) on a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of the Heaven from God.” After a passing allusion to the millennial reign of Christ and His heavenly saints (Revelation 20:4-6) we are brought back from the consideration of the eternal state to a lengthened description of the bride, the Lamb’ s wife, in her millennial relation to Israel and to the world at large. In this, the last prophetic section of the book, we see the true union of Church and state. The turning back to fill in the details of the general statement contained in Revelation 20:4-6 is by no means an arbitrary arrangement. We have several examples of a similar character in previous parts of the book. Besides, let our readers trace the sequence of events from the fall of Babylon celebrated in Heaven (Revelation 19:1-21; see Revelation 19:1-3) on till the eternal state (Revelation 21:1-27; esp. Revelation 21:1-8), and further carefully examine those eight verses, comparing them with what is said of the millennial state of things, and we are satisfied that they will see the suitability and scriptural arrangement thus indicated. The place of the Church in her millennial association with Christ is not only in accordance with the purpose of God (Ephesians 1:22-23), but is His answer to her reproach and contemptuous treatment on earth. We have no angelic ministrations in the scene of eternity; here they are prominent. It is one of the Vial angels who shows the bride to John, as it was one of the same angels who showed him the harlot and her doom (compare Revelation 17:1-3 with Revelation 21:9-10). The bride and the harlot are also respectively spoken of as a city, the former as Jerusalem, the latter as Babylon. It must be borne in mind, however, that the term city in this connection is but a symbol. Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-27) and Babylon (Revelation 17:1-18) respectively represent a religious body of persons. The idea of city conveys the thought of an organised system of social life and activity of government, of united interests, of mutual goodwill; this and more characterize the church city of millennial and eternal days. From Revelation 21:9 we gather that there are two indispensable conditions ere one is competent to view things or objects as God presents them. John was carried away in the Spirit and set on “ a great and high mountain.” His natural powers were held in abeyance while dominated and controlled by the Spirit. Then the point of view must be in keeping with the grand sight. Similarly the Spirit, and not the natural mind, was the supernatural power and capacity by which he beheld the harlot according to the thoughts of God, and most fittingly in a wilderness, for while decked out in the world’ s tinsel and glory it was all a desert to God, and, of course, to every spiritual mind (compare with Revelation 4:1-2). What the Seer beheld was “ the holy city, Jerusalem, (“ Jerusalem” simply, the epithet new is added when the eternal state is in question (Revelation 21:2).) coming down out of the Heaven from God.” Twice she is said to come down. Her first descent (Revelation 21:9) is to tabernacle over the earth, her second to the new earth (Revelation 21:2-3), a thousand years subsequently. She comes from “ the Heaven,” her home, and “ from God,” the source of her being and happiness. THE CITY: ITS GLORY. Revelation 21:11 — “Having the glory of God.” What in Romans 5:2 is presented as a matter of hope has here become a reality. What God can communicate of moral and external glory is beheld covering the city. She is not only the vessel of God’ s glory, but is the reflector of it to the world. The city bride as a glorious canopy of light and unfading beauty and brightness over the millennial scene will be the grandest sight ever beheld, and will continue to elicit for a thousand years the admiration of the world. In a lesser degree Israel will reflect the glory of Jehovah to the surrounding nations and peoples (Isaiah 60:1-22). The Church will be a bright witness of God’ s glory and moral likeness. THE CITY: ITS LIGHT. Revelation 21:11 — “Her light (Light shining, or luminary, is only elsewhere employed in the New Testament and that to set forth the Church as a light-bearer in this world (Philippians 2:15).) (was) like a most precious stone, as a crystal-like jasper stone.” In the glory of God the city shines, that glory is her light. The harlot shone in the glory of man. The bride stands out in the glory of God. In herself she is destitute of beauty. She shines only in the glory of Another. Her shining, or light, is compared to “ a crystal-like jasper stone.”Amongst precious stones the jasper and sardius are remarkable for their brilliancy. These hard and indestructible gems are fit emblems of incorruption in the glorified state (1 Corinthians 15:50). The blue “ wavy colors of the rainbow” in the one, and the red of the other, are flashed out in wondrous beauty. Both stones are employed to set forth the glory and majesty of God on His throne (Revelation 4:3). The jasper is solid, transparent, and brilliant as crystal, which is a native production. (See remarks on Revelation 4:2, and on Revelation 21:14 for further remarks on these precious stones; also on Revelation 4:6, on the distinction between glass and crystal symbolically employed.) There are three lists of precious stones which respectively set forth the communicable glory of God: In creation (Ezekiel 28:13), in which the jasper is named sixth in the list; in grace (Exodus 28:17-20), the jasper is last mentioned; in government (Revelation 21:19-20), the jasper is first named. The jasper is also mentioned three times in the detailed description of the heavenly city; first, as her light (Revelation 21:11); second, as her security (Revelation 21:18); third, as the first foundation of the wall (Revelation 21:19). Thus the glory of God is the light, the security, and the foundation of the glorified Church. THE CITY: ITS WALL. Revelation 21:12. — “Having a great and high wall.” The wall is a solid, massive, and brilliant structure. It is made of jasper (Revelation 21:18). It cannot, therefore, be broken down, nor can it be scaled, as its height forbids — 144 cubits, or 216 feet (Revelation 21:17). The wall round about the city, enclosing it on all sides, denotes the most ample security (Isaiah 26:1; Zechariah 2:5). It guards and separates God’ s glory; guards the city and separates it from all outside. God Himself is the defense and safety of His Church. He stands between it and every hostile power, moral and physical. The glorious wall which reflects the splendor of the city inside, telling of divine protection and absolute safety, reposes on twelve foundations (Revelation 21:19-20), each foundation being one stone, solid, immense, and precious. Each foundation stone is of rarest value, of priceless worth, of incomparable beauty, and of unfading lustre; the twelve together forming a magnificent combination of varied and brilliant hue and tint. No building on earth can be for a moment compared to this for weight, size, and splendor. “ The Builder and Maker is God.” The great and high wall not only bespeaks the security of those within, but guards the city from the intrusion of those without (Revelation 21:27). THE CITY: ITS GATES. Revelation 21:12 — “Having twelve gates.” The administrative number twelve enters largely into this description. Thus there are twelve gates, twelve angels, twelve names of Israel, twelve names of the apostles, twelve foundations, twelve pearls, while the measurements of the wall and city are multiples of twelve. The millennial Jerusalem on earth has its twelve gates (Ezekiel 48:31-34). Twelve signifies the perfection of government on or towards the earth. No symbolic or other numbers are spoken of in any reference to the eternal state, because earthly government, as such, is then over. Righteousness dwells, not reigns. On the gates are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes, and at the gates stand twelve angels (Revelation 21:12). The administration of Israel proceeds from the heavenly city, and this, we judge, will be in the hands of the Lord’ s twelve apostles — the fulfilment of Mat 19:28, “ Ye shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” This they will do from their seat and place on high. The saints in general shall judge the world and angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3), but the judgment of Israel seems special and apostolic. The angels at the gates, but not inside, are servants in waiting. The perfection of angelic position is to serve. In the old economy the angels were the administrators; here it is the glorified saints (Hebrews 2:5). The angels are stationed at the gates so as to carry out the behests issued from the city. The gate was the place of public assembly. As to the location of the gates, east, north, south, and west (v. 13), the east is first named in the enumeration of the tribes surrounding the tabernacle; while in Ezekiel 48:1-35, in the millennial arrangement of the tribes, the north is first mentioned. Dan, from whom it is thought that the Antichrist will proceed, is omitted in the sealing of the tribes for millennial preservation (Revelation 7:1-17), is, however, first named of the tribes when the land is parceled out (Ezekiel 48:1-2); but while the idolatrous Dan is remembered in grace, yet he is farthest off from the millennial temple. The order in which the seed of Israel is restored is east, west, north, and south (Isaiah 43:5-6). The specification in our chapter does not agree with any of the foregoing. There are no doubt divine reasons for these variations of the geographical locations in the different passages. THE CITY: ITS PEARLS. Revelation 21:21 — “The twelve gates (were) twelve pearls, every several gate was of one pearl.” The pearl denotes unity, purity, beauty, and preciousness. Those gates of pearl remind us of the Lord’ s thoughts of love and beauty towards the Church. The cost of the one beautiful pearl of great value (Matthew 13:45-46) is beyond all telling. The Lord sold all that He had and bought it. But the pearl must have a setting worthy of its value, and so the gates of pearl are enclosed in the jasper wall, emblematic of the divine glory. They are also set in the four sides of the wall, so that in all parts of the earth the beauty of the Church will attract the gaze and win the admiration of the world. Its “ gates shall not be shut at all by day, for night shall not be there” (Revelation 21:25). The ever-opened gates speak of perfect freedom. (The gates always open and facing the four quarters of the earth would also intimate direct relations between the heavens and the earth, between the heavenly and the earthly Jerusalem. It is not said of any of the heavenly saints that they shall stand on the earth in millennial times, but that is not necessary; they may go to it without actually placing their feet upon its defiled surface.) It is usual to close the gates of a city at night lest an enemy steal a march unawares. But the gates of the heavenly city are never closed, for night’ s shadows never rest upon it. THE CITY: OF THE WALL. Revelation 21:14. — “The wall of the city had twelve foundations.” These are enumerated in verses 19 and 20. Each one of these stones is of vast size, of marvelous solidity, and of surpassing splendor. On the gates are the names of the tribes, while on the foundations are the names of the apostles. This latter fact recalls to mind the words of the apostle, “ built upon the foundation of the apostles” (Ephesians 2:20). Both the gates and foundations have the administrative number twelve. In the structure of the city the apostles are named. Israel has no part in this. But in the power and governmental actions of the city going out through the gates Israel is prominent. “ The roads leading from a city are not called after the city itself, but after the places (Thus in modern Jerusalem the west gate is the Jaffa gate, though Jaffa is forty miles away; the north gate the Damascus gate, though Damascus is one hundred miles away. No doubt these gates, through the attendant angels, did administrating with the tribes whose names they bear.) to which they lead, and often the gates are named in the same manner, so it is here. The city is in communication with Israel, as those who rule with Christ must be, but it is distinct from Israel, and built on a foundation which exclusively characterises the Church.” (“ The Lord’ s Coming, Israel, and the Church,” p. 289. — T. B. Baines.)The foundations were garnished, or adorned, with precious stones (Revelation 21:19), the same words used to describe the bride made ready for her husband (Revelation 21:2). Bengel justly remarks: “ Not only did each precious stone form an ornament in the foundation, but it constituted the foundation itself.” Each of the twelve foundation stones reflected some particular aspect of the divine glory. Combined they present God in the glory of His nature and Being, as constituting one foundation of incomparable strength and grandeur. One stands amazed at the moral truth conveyed: God Himself in the greatness and diversified glory of His Being, the foundation of the Church in the blessed day about to dawn. There is but one stone used in the building of the wall, jasper, probably the most valuable and brilliant of all. The jasper is the first foundation stone. “ The color of the sapphire, which is the second foundation, is a pure blue or deep azure; the third, chalcedony, is a grey color, with purple, blue, and yellow; the fourth, the emerald, is green. This was the appearance of the rainbow which John saw around the throne of God. It is a fit emblem of the peace and benignity of the saving grace of God. The fifth is sardonyx, it is bluish white, or it is the onyx, with red veins, called the sardonyx, as if it were a mixture of the sardius and onyx. The sixth, sardius, is blood red; the seventh, chrysolite, blood green or golden color; the eighth, the beryl, transparent, bluish green; the ninth, the topaz, a pale green or golden color; the tenth, chrysoprasus, of bluish hue, a beautiful green mingled with yellow; the eleventh, a jacinth, violet or red with a mixture of yellow; twelfth, amethyst, of purple color, or a mixture of strong blue and deep red. (“ The Cherubim and the Apocalypse,” p. 385. — Alexander Macleod.) These massive stones of divers colors sustain the wall. Thus are portrayed the varied glories of God throughout. THE CITY: ITS . Revelation 21:15. — “And he that spoke with me had a golden reed (as) a measure, that he might measure the city and its gates, and its wall.” In Revelation 11:1-2 the temple, altar, and worshippers (all on earth) are measured, signifying that they are His, they belong to God. But here the measuring of the heavenly city is above. In the former the Seer measured; in our text the angel measures. The measuring reeds, too, are different. The millennial Jerusalem on earth with its temple, courts, etc., is measured with a line of flax (Ezekiel 40:3). The city of gold is fittingly measured with a golden reed. The city, wall, and gates were to be measured, but the result as to the latter is not stated, only that of the city and wall. The gold signifies divine righteousness, as the jasper divine glory. What the gold is amongst metals, the most valuable, so is the jasper amongst stones the most precious. The city measured by the standard of divine righteousness answers to it. It is a cube showing its perfectness on all sides, four-square. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. In whichever way it is viewed it is perfect and complete. The unity, perfection, and divine symmetry of the Church in glory are assured. Every part is perfect, all is harmony. One has said, “ It is described as being a cube, and thus presenting a square in every direction. And by this is signified that it is the ne plus ultra of perfection in the symmetry of its construction.” The measurement of the city, “ twelve thousand furlongs” — 1500 miles — in length, breadth, and height, is of such vast dimensions that in size and peculiarity of structure it leaves every earthly city far, far behind. “ It is alike vast and perfect, and all measured and owned of God.” The wall is measured separately, but its size is quite disproportionate to that of the city (Revelation 21:17); that we can understand: it is “ a man’ s measure.” The wall of jasper, signifying the divine glory as the defense of the city, does not need to be of gigantic size. THE CITY: ITS GOLD. Revelation 21:18. — “The city was pure gold like unto pure glass.” The city itself is the display of divine righteousness. We have divine righteousness now in our complete justification; it is also wrought in us so that the new nature may practically express it in a scene of contrariety, but the city itself, from its center to its circumference and utmost bounds, is all “ pure gold,” transparent, too, like “ pure glass.” The Church, not angels, is the answer to the divine nature. All is according to Him in righteous character. In the eternal earth righteousness dwells, but the Church itself is that — is the living, glorified expression of divine righteousness. Oh, with what glory is the Church invested! the reflex of the nature of God. Marvellous truths are these! “ The street (not streets) of the city pure gold, as transparent glass” (Revelation 21:21). Not only will the Church itself reflect the glory of divine righteousness, but her walk and ways will agree therewith. Righteousness is now upon us (Romans 3:22), also wrought in us (Ephesians 4:24); we are in glory the display of it (Revelation 21:18), while it is that on which we walk (v. 21). The street, like the city of pure gold, signifies that in all our walk holiness and righteousness characterize it, ennoble it, beautify it. “ As transparent glass” means that the righteous walk and ways of the Church will reflect the glory of what she is, not only in God’ s sight, but actually in display and expression — the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). THE CITY: NO TEMPLE. Revelation 21:22. — “And I saw no temple therein, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” A temple necessarily confines the presence of God and introduces the thought of near and more distant worshippers. “ No temple” signifies that full and free access to God is equally granted to all. Immediate access to God without the intervention of priest or mediator is open to every one. Jehovah is the expression of moral relationship; God, El, the mighty One, the creatorial Name of power and sovereignty; the Almighty, omnipotent in all circumstances and over all opposing authority, and the Lamb added to these divine names and titles, form the temple. If God is in the city, and the Lamb Who has made good His glory, and in Whom the Godhead dwells (Colossians 1:19), and by Whom God is expressed (John 17:23), a Scripture which has its application at the time contemplated in our text: What need of a temple? God in the greatness of His Being, and as the One Who has acted and ruled of old, is now revealed in glory by the Lamb. The divine presence is equally diffused. God and the Lamb make themselves known throughout every part of the vast city of gold. THE CITY: NO CREATED LIGHT. Revelation 21:23. — “And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof (is) the Lamb.” No independent yet created light as the sun, nor borrowed light as the moon, is required in the heavenly city. God is the source of her light, and the Lamb Who died for us is the lamp of the divine glory. It is He who diffuses the light throughout every part of the city. It is concentrated in God, it is made known by the Lamb, the remembrance of whose sacrifice is eternal. THE CITY: ITS TO NATIONS AND KINGS. Revelation 21:24. — “And the nations shall walk by its light; and the kings of the earth bring their glory to it.” It is the Lamb Who scatters the rays of light and reveals the glory of God in the midst of and to the glorified Church, but the Church is the medium of light to the world outside. By its light the nations walk. Then kings and nations pay court and homage to the heavenly city; they bring their glory and honor to it (Revelation 21:24-26). The rule of the heavens is acknowledged. The seat of government is in the midst of the city, and millennial kings and nations, then basking in the bright light and sunshine of the ever-glorious city, gladly bring the tribute of their grateful hearts to it. But enter it they never shall. The Church is the light and the dispenser of blessing to the world, the capital seat of all rule and government over the earth at large. THE CITY: NO NIGHT. Revelation 21:25. — “Night shall not be there.” The city itself shall be one great body of light and glory, without and within, a light which shall never wane, and a glory which shall never fade. One perpetual high noon. No cloud shall ever cross its sky, no shadow ever rest upon it. No night with its darkness, its fears, its terrors. The long, dark night of the Church is past. She has now entered upon an eternal day which for her knows no setting sun. THE CITY: NO . Revelation 21:27. — “And nothing common, nor that maketh an abomination and a lie, shall at all enter into it; but those only who (are) written in the book of life of the Lamb.” Sin in every phase and form is excluded from the holy city. The least spot or taint of evil could not stand the glare of the divine glory. Those who enter in and share in the heavenly blessedness are those only who are written in the book of life of the Lamb. The Church is in view in all this intensely beautiful description, that is, the complement of saints from Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47) till the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:1-18). Is there not in these closing words an intimation that other heavenly saints shall enter into the city? The Church is formed and complete, and, in fact, measured by God as such, so that no addition to its numbers can be thought of. Its unity and perfection as a whole are amply secured before those named in verse 27 enter into it. We judge, therefore, that Old Testament saints and the martyrs of the coming crisis shall enter into the city, that is, while not forming part of it, shall yet enter into its blessedness and glory, and share with the Church association with Christ in His universal rule and government — all constituting God’ s tabernacle (v. 3). The Church has been viewed and described under the symbol of a city, but it is the bride, the Lamb’ s wife, which has been pictured in vision. That magnificent chapter, Isaiah 60:1-22, the finest literary production ever penned, is the correlative in many respects of the heavenly city, Jerusalem. The description of Israel’ s future in her land, in restored Jerusalem, and gathered on both sides of her millennial temple, etc., supplies much of the imagery employed in our chapter, and in the first few verses of the concluding one. Commentary on Revelation 21:9-27 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 21:9. The original angel who came to John at the beginning of the vision has not left the isle, but occasionally there will be an extra conversation permitted for some one John 2:20 of the other persons introduced from time to time. For instance, one of the elders (Revelation 5:5), the beasts or living creatures (Revelation 6:1; Revelation 6:3; Revelation 6:5; Revelation 6:7), the voice from heaven (Revelation 10:8), one of the seven angels (Revelation 17:1) and the one in our verse. John heard many other voices from time to time, but the ones to which reference is made talked to him. This angel of our verse invited John to see a vision of the bride, the Lamb's wife Revelation 21:10. He carried me away was not literal because John never actually left the isle any time through the scenes of this book. The sense in which it was done is signified by the words in the spirit. These extra visions injected into the over-all picture of this book, may be illustrated by certain special items called "insets" that are often seen within the scope of some large picture. They serve as explanations of some outstanding feature. In this special vision John saw a mountain from the top of which he could get a good view of what the angel wished him to see. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ntrc/ Revelation 22:1-5 4. THE FINAL VISIONRev_22:1-5 1 And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, --This paragraph completes the vision of the new Jerusalem as the angel presented it to John. Attention was called to a river proceeding from the throne of God and Christ. Water is necessary to physical life; hence, the appearance of a river fits into a symbol that portrays life and happiness. Being bright as crystal and coming from the throne of God show that all genuinely pure blessings come from God. In harmony with his will heavenly mansions are being prepared by Jesus. (John 14:2.) The throne in this glorious city is said to be "of God and of the Lamb." Paul tells us that in the final state even Christ shall be subject to the Father "that God may be all in all." (1 Corinthians 15:28.) This will be after Christ has turned the reigning power back to God. Notwithstanding that fact it is said that in heaven it will be the "throne of God and of the Lamb." This is said, doubtless, because God and Christ are one in providing the salvation. Question: If in the final state the throne (reign or rulership) can be called that of both God and Christ, though it strictly belongs to God, why cannot the kingdom in which Christ reigns now also be called God's? It can and is as the following passages show: (Luke 8:1; Luke 8:10; Mark 1:15; John 3:5; John 18:36; Colossians 1:13.) Paul speaks of the inheritance as being in the "kingdom of Christ and God." This use of the words "throne" and "kingdom" proves that Christ is now reigning, even though his throne is also the throne of God. 2 in the midst of the street thereof.--This completes the description of the river. Their reference to a river may be an allusion to Genesis 2:10 which speaks of a river flowing from the original Paradise of God. In the restored Paradise there will be a river of divine blessing--here called the water of life. And on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life. --Probably the most simple view here is that the word "tree" is not used to signify just one, but generically to mean that the "tree of life" is a class or kind of tree. This will allow for the streets and both sides of the river to be lined with this tree. Such a vision would indicate abundant life for all throughout the whole city. Twelve manner or twelve crops--one every month--would symbolically represent a perpetual abundance of spiritual blessings. Of course, months and years are inconceivable in a state where there is nothing but continuous light, but all unseen states must be presented through the medium of what is seen. Healing, of course, implies disease, but that happensto be one of the things that will be unknown in heaven. (Revelation 21 :4.) The meaning is that the tree of life has supplied just the things that have healed people of all nations and will then protect them against disease. No tears or crying does not mean that there will be occasions for such things in heaven, and God will then wipe the tears away, but rather that nothing will come to produce them. 3 And there shall be no curse any more.--When man sinned in Eden he was driven out from the tree of life under a curse, including pain, sickness, sorrow, and death. In the final city of God, these curses can never come. The reason assigned is that the throne (reign of God and the Lamb) is there. A perpetual service by the saved will guarantee a perpetual freedom from all curses. 4 And they shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads.--They will never be driven from his presence nor disowned, for his name will be upon them. 5 And there shall be night no more.--See notes on Revelation 21:23-25. And they shall reign for ever and ever.--There is absolutely nothing in this verse to indicate any special class as those who will reign over others. There will be no wicked in that heavenly place; the whole tenor of these two chapters is against that. The redeemed are represented as "his servants." (Verse 6.) So whatever the meaning given the word "reign," here it applies to all the saved in heaven. It cannot be understood literally as exercising authority over others for two reasons: (1) That prerogative, in whatever way it may be necessary, will belong primarily to God, and secondarily to Christ; and both will be present. (2) All the saved will be in the reigning and have no others but themselves to reign over. The language must be taken figuratively. It is not possible for one in the flesh to describe accurately a purely spiritual state. Nothing seems more reasonable than the thought that through the ceaseless age then to begin redeemed humanity will truly and completely submit to God's rule, and thus figuratively rule with him by a loving submission to his authority. This completes the emblematic description of the new Jerusalem, and the ultimate blessings that await the faithful in God's spiritual family. It also brings to a close the symbolic part of the book of Revelation. The remainder of this chapter is a brief conclusion, in which the last warnings and promises of a loving Father are laid before a sinful race.Commentary on Revelation 22:1-5 by Foy E. Wallace (1) The river of life—Revelation 22:1. The symbols of flowing rivers and streams of water run through the entire body of the scriptures. Literally, for a source of supply and security a great city was situated on the river; and figuratively it was applied to the needs of the soul and the source of all spiritual blessing. The mention of the flowing stream was in the description of the garden of Eden in Genesis 2:10. When God planted the garden for the abode of the first pair it was said that “ a river went out of Eden to water the garden” ; and its waters were parted into four streams which formed the mighty rivers which compassed the later inhabited land and upon the banks of which great cities were built. The name of the first river was Pison “ which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there was gold.” The second river was Gihon, which encompassed Ethiopia. The third river was Hiddekel, which bordered Syria; and the fourth river was the famed Euphrates which was called “ the great river” (Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 1:7); and which formed the eastern boundary of the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 11:24), and of David’ s conquests (2 Samuel 8:3 -- 1 Chronicles 18:1-3), and beside which the captive Jew wept in Babylon . It was the river associated with the prophecies of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 13:4-7; Jeremiah 46:2-10; Jeremiah 51:63) concerning the fortunes of Israel, and in the apocalypses of Revelation (chapters 9:14; 16:12) in connection with the events pertaining to the tribulation period of the church. The beauty and blessing of the church was made the object of prophetic psalmody by the singer of Israel in the figurative cadence of Psa 46:1-11 : “ There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.” This sublime psalm blends into the visions of Revelation. The Psalmist identified this “ city of God” by his reference to the holy place of the tabernacles--the old and the new tabernacles-and the holy place of the old was the type of the new. It was a thousand years before the establishment of the church that David swept the harp of psalm-prophecy and sang of this city of God. It was the new Zion, the new Jerusalem, His church of the new covenant, in which the river of divine love should perpetually flow; the streams whereof--the channels of his love--should distribute the benefits which make glad the people of God. The breadth and length and depth and height of infinite love (Ephesians 3:18) cannot be finitely comprehended, but in the symbolism of the New Jerusalem, with its ever widening and deepening stream, it flows through the church to bring blessings abundant. The pure river of the New Jerusalem had no pollution. It was clear as crystal, without mingled elements to obscure its entrancing brightness. It proceeded out of the throne of God, its source was perennial and no force of man could stop its flow. It was in the midst of the street, where without respect of persons it was accessible all to drink of its water freely. It was symbolic of the fullness of life and salvation in which the redeemed shared with unhindered and unrestrained access. (2) The tree of life—Revelation 22:2. The word tree in the text is in singular number, but it must of necessity be considered collectively for the verse reads: On either side of the river was there the tree of life. The phrase either side means each side, as in the crucifixion of Christ (John 20:18) with the thieves, “ on either side one.” It was evidently the collective use of the word tree, as it was of the street also of the great and grand city, described a streetway, or a passage system; otherwise there was a vision of traffic congestion in the New Jerusalem! The tree of life was envisioned as bordering the banks of the river of life--on either side of it--affording to all inhabitants the source of perpetual spiritual blessings. It is not uncommon for a species of tree peculiar to a certain geography to be described in the singular term, but referring to its collective growth. The balsam tree of Gilead was not one tree but rather a kind that flourished in Gilead. So the reference to the tree of life on each side of the river of life was not intended to limit the picture to one tree, but rather to make known its kind--it was the tree of life, to be found only in the New Jerusalem. Its fruit was life-giving, and its balm was soul-healing. The concept adds to the force of these figures and enlarges the range of their truths. The tree of life was further described as bearing twelve manner of fruits and its yield was every month. The numeral twelve in its use in chapter twenty-one was applied to the apostles, which must also be true here, to symbolize that apostolic teaching, or doctrine, was the allsufficient source of spiritual sustenance. The yieldingof the fruit every month, or the whole twelve months of the year, indicated that there were no seasons in this fruit-bearing, no unyielding intervals--the spiritual supply was perrennial and perpetual. The spiritual vision was extended in the description: the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. As there will be no imperfections in heaven, and consequently no need of healing there, here is another proof that this whole vision was the symbolic description of the church in the state of triumph and victory over the persecutions. The healing of the nations meant the source of salvation for all of every tongue or clime or race of man. The prophet Jeremiah used a similar figure (Jeremiah 8:22) in reference to Israel: “ Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?” The substance of the vision was that in the New Jerusalem, the church of the Redeemer and of the redeemed, there was an all-provident tree which produced the fruit of all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3), and which was the remedy for every ill or want (1 John 1:7; John 2:1-25 : l-2) That balsam tree that grew only in the choice land of Gilead, which produced the balm known as balsamodendron Gileadense, was the similar and appropriate symbol of spiritual healing in the message of the prophet Jeremiah to the nation of Israel. This balm was highly esteemed for its healing properties (Ezekiel 27:17), and was once an important article of merchandise among the eastern people. The language of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 8:22; Jeremiah 46:11; Jeremiah 51:8) cannot be exceeded in eloquence and tenderness in the expression of disappointment that “ the daughter of Zion,” the chosen people of God, should remain spiritually wounded and diseased, when there was healing balm of unfailing remedy within their reach. There could have been no finer figure of divine grace than the leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations in the delineations of the New Jerusalem. (3) The throne of God and of the Lamb—Revelation 22:3. The divine rule of God and of Christ together in the “ kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:5) removed the penal judgment for sin from the inhabitants of the redeemed city--and there shall be no more curse--that is, no more of anything that was accursed, no accursed person or thing should have a place in the Holy City. The curse of sin was removed by Jesus Christ. The apostle declared that “ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” It was this death of ignominy on the cross, as declared in the following verse (14) that brought “ the blessing of Abraham . . . on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” In the Holy City Jerusalem there should be no more curse of sin to the redeemed inhabitants. There was also a dual meaning attached to this symbol of the curse. In the period of the tribulation there had been the edict for the worship of the emperor in bowing to the Caesar-image, and all who refused submission were placed under the imperial curse. Having come out of the tribulation, the persecutors cast into the brimstone lake, the victors over oppression were symbolized as delivered from the curse of the imperial edict. From this setting which remains always in the background of Revelation, and much of the time in the foreground, the progressive application was made to the spiritual state of the New Jerusalem church. In the environment of the new state the constituency of the ransomed city should not only pay homage of worship to Him who was on the throne, but should also do service--his servants shall serve him (verse 3). At the beginning of the Revelation (Revelation 1:6) John said that Jesus Christ hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father in his church and kingdom here; and in Revelation 5:10 the Seer said that this kingly and priestly character of the saints redeemed from persecution is further indication that the descriptions were of the church, and not of heaven. It is full harmony with the general teaching of the New Testament that Christians are priests in the church now (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 2:9) and the church therefore is “ a holy priesthood.” (4) The mark of recognition and approval—Revelation 22:4. The citizenry should see his face in the sense of having the recognition and approval of the One whom they served. The face of the Lord was said to be against them that do evil (1 Peter 3:12); and the wicked rulers of the nations (Revelation 6:16) implored the mountains and the rocks to fall upon them for a cover to hide them from the face of the One on the throne. But the righteous see his face in acceptable and approved service rendered to him. “ Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies sake’ (Psalms 31:16); and, “ Cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” To see the face of God meant to bask under the smile of his approval. It therefore denoted the love and the favor of God. The receiving of his name in their foreheads--and his name shall be in their foreheads --was the mark of submission and subservience to Christ the Lamb in contrast with the mark of the beast in the hand or on the foreheads of the devotees of emperor-worship, so frequently mentioned in the previous chapters of this Revelation. The persecuting beast had “ caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:16-17); and, “ If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God” (Revelation 14:9-10); but the victors “ over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name” were among the throng standing on the sea of glass (Revelation 15:2-3) singing “ the song of Moses, the servant God, and the song of the Lamb; and it was this throng which had the name of the Father written in their foreheads” (Revelation 15:2). So the name in the foreheads of Rev 22:4 was the symbolic designation that they were the servants of God. (5) The reigning saints—Revelation 22:5. In repetition of previous statements in the context, Revelation 22:5 is a rephrasing of the words repeated: And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light. (See comments on Revelation 21:3). The use of the word night has application to the darkness of the whole heathen world, as so used in other epistles (2 Corinthians 6:14-16), in contrast with the truth of the gospel (Acts 26:18) sent to all dark nations concerning which Jesus said to Saul: “ to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in me.” The same Saul, after becoming the apostle of Christ to the world of heathen darkness, exhorted the Gentile church (Ephesians 5:11-14) to “ have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (heathenism), but rather reprove them . . . it is a shame to even speak of those things which are done in secret . . . for whatsoever doth make manifest is light . . . wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead (the state of darkness), and Christ shall give thee light.” So the words of the Seer in verse five of this chapter--for the Lord God giveth them light--had specific reference to the absolute absence of any element of heathen darkness in the new and renovated state of the Holy City, the bride of the Lamb. The apocalypse proper ended with this verse, as verse six was the beginning of the Seer’ s own concluding comments on the vision which he had received. The apocalyptic descriptions were all completed, and the terse finale of the grand and majestic pageant was clothed in the crowning declaration: AND THEY SHALL REIGN FOREVER AND EVER. The prophet Daniel foretold in the interpretation of king Nebuchadnezzar’ s dream (Daniel 2:44) that in the days of the Roman kings the God of heaven would “ set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed” ; and he added in the words of the apocalypse that “ it shall stand forever.” The prophet envisioned in this interpretation the rise and fall of Babylonia, Media and Persia, and Macedonia or Grecia, and clearly indicated the reign of the Caesar’ s of the Roman empire as the fourth monarchy in the succession of kings. It was in the days of these kings, in fulfillment of Daniel’ s prophecy, that Jesus made the announcement (Mark 1:14-15) “ the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” In the record of Mat 4:17 it is stated that “ from that time Jesus began to preach and to say: repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. It was named the kingdom of God because “ the God of heaven” set it up; but it was called the kingdom of heaven because of its spiritual character-- it was from heaven. The people of that day understood the meaning of the word kingdom; they had lived under no other form of government from the Babylonians to the Romans; but Jesus distinguished his kingdom from all others in origin and in nature when he named it the kingdom of heaven. Before Pontius Pilate (John 18:36) he declared: Now is my kingdom not from hence. The phrase from hence means from here; it is here but it is not from here--because it is the kingdom of heaven, and therefore from heaven. And the word now, the first word of the sentence--now is my kingdom not from hence-- meant that it would be established then, at that time, for Jesus had announced that the time is fulfilled. References to the kingdom which Jesus Christ came to establish all point either forward or backward to the Day of Pentecost, of Acts the second chapter, as the time of its establishment. The prophecy of Dan 7:13-14 connected its beginning with the ascension of Christ to heaven when it was given him “ dominion, and glory, and a kingdom” : and in description of the same ascension scenes by the apostle of Hebrews (Hebrews 1:8) he declared that it was done. The gospel of Mark (Mark 9:1) records the statement of Jesus that some standing in his presence should not “ taste of death” (would not die) until this kingdom had come “ with power--they would be the living witnesses to its establishment. After his ascension, in conversation with his future apostles, he made the explanation to them (Acts 1:8) that the coming of the kingdom would accompany the descent of the Spirit and the power, and it is a matter of gospel record (Acts 2:1-47) that the Spirit and the power were received on the Day of Pentecost. It follows therefore as an inescapable scriptural conclusion that the kingdom of God and Christ, otherwise designated the kingdom of heaven, came on that day of Acts the second chapter;; and that it was in fulfillment of the time prophecies of the Old Testament. After Pentecost all references to the existence and presence of the kingdom pointed back to the second chapter of Acts, to the Day of Pentecost. The preaching of the kingdom was the subject of repeated references in the book of Acts; and in the epistles to the churches the members were told that they had been translated into it (Colossians 1:13-14); and that the church to which they belonged is itself the kingdom of Christ and of God (Ephesians 5:5); and that this kingdom had been received (Hebrews 12:22-28) simultaneously with the church, and that it is the church. Finally, the Seer of Revelation made his signatory to the churches (Revelation 1:9) in the words: “ I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.” Therefore, when the apocalypse of John was composed the kingdom of Christ was a present existing thing, and John the apostle was in it with his companions in tribulation. The high note with which the apocalypse ended (Revelation 22:5)--and they shall reign forever and ever--meant therefore-- in the light of the textual and contextual teaching, and precept upon precept from other portions of the Old and the New scriptures--that the victorious saints reigned with Christ in the kingdom which would stand forever here, and forever and ever hereafter. Entrance into it here is entrance into the church. (Matthew 16:18-20); and there will be no exit from it for the faithful hereafter (2 Peter 1:11, for the eternal state is but an abundant entrance into an everlasting kingdom already received and possessed, which cannot be moved (Hebrews 12:28); and of which heaven will be the final and abundant fruition of its glorified realm. Here ended the vision of the New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb, the church of Christ. The remainder of the chapter is in the character of a conclusion to the apocalyptic disclosures. The complete symbolic picture of the fortunes of the church, standing on the threshold of the tribulation, had passed before John’ s enraptured view, to the vindication of the cause for which they were soon to suffer. The ending of the vision demonstrated that the church cannot die, as the believer himself who lives in Jesus Christ never dies. (John 11:26) The New Testament concept of the believer’ s life in Christ minimizes death and magnifies the transition to where he is: “ That where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3) and, “ for me to live is Christ (to preach), but to die is gain . . . and to be with Christ; which is far better.” (Philippians 1:21-23) In this world death has no more dominion (Romans 6:7-9) over the risen believer (Colossians 3:1-4), whose affections have been set on the things above where Christ is enthroned with God; for he views this life as a pilgrimage and as a place of sojourning (Hebrews 11:13), knowing that his abiding citizenship is in heaven. (Philippians 3:20-21) The New Jerusalem was envisioned as the home of the saints; but it was not in heaven--it descended out of heaven from God; it was descriptive of the new surroundings of the church with Judaism removed and heathenism overcome. The apocalypse completed, John proceeded to his concluding observations concerning things both retrospective and prospective which were related to this wonderful visional panorama. Commentary on Revelation 22:1-5 by Walter ScottC VISION (Revelation 22:1-5) AND (Revelation 22:6-21). THE RIVER AND TREE OF LIFE. Revelation 22:1-2. — “And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of its street, and of the river, on this side and on that side, (the) tree of life, producing twelve fruits, in each month yielding its fruit: and the leaves of the tree for healing of the nations.” The throne is the prominent object in this concluding vision. It is the public millennial government of God, of which the whole passage (Revelation 22:1-5) treats, and of which the throne is the symbol. The previous portion (Revelation 21:9-27) was introduced similarly to the one before us; there it was the bride (v. 9); here it is the river of life. Thus the whole section, from Revelation 21:9 to Revelation 22:5, consists of two distinct yet closely related visions; compare the two introductory statements, “ I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’ s wife,” and “ he showed me a river of water of life.”As showing how God puts His seal and stamp upon the older Revelation, and authenticates the two Testaments as one, it is interesting to note that the reference in the opening words of the previous chapter to the “ first Heaven” and “ first earth” is necessarily connected with the first chapter of Genesis; whilst the opening references in the last chapter of the Apocalypse to the river and tree of life link themselves with chapter 2 of the first book of the Bible. Thus Moses and John bridge sixteen centuries, and clasp hands in one united testimony to the truth of Holy Scripture. Revelation 22:1 — “A river of water of life” signifies fullness of life and blessing (Psalms 36:8). “ It is the beautiful symbol of life in its gladness, purity, activity, and fullness.” It is no muddy nor turgid stream, but bright (as everything is in the holy city) and pellucid as the beautiful crystal. The river of gladness ever flows through the heavenly city. The joy of the bride knows no cessation, no diminution; it rather augments as the river flows and deepens in its course. The reference to Genesis 2:1-25 is undoubted. “ And a river went out of Eden to water the garden” (Genesis 2:10). There is no parting of the river in the celestial city “ into four heads,” as in the Edenic river; nor into east and west, as the living waters of Zechariah (Zechariah 14:8). It is one river which flows throughout the city; one joy common to all, just as there is but one tree of life, not two trees specially named, as in the earthly garden (Genesis 2:9). Moses first mentions the tree of life. John first refers to the river of life. Revelation 22:1 — “Proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Here God and the Lamb are associated in the government of the world. The might and majesty of the One, combined with the grace and meekness of the other, secure a character of government in which the Church rejoices, and under which the nations dwell in peace. It is one throne. God is supreme, but the Lamb administers the power and authority of the throne. This, then, is the source from whence the river of grace flows. Jerusalem below is in many respects the counterpart of Jerusalem above. Both cities are seats of government. Both have living waters, and both have trees of fruit and healing. In the earthly millennial Jerusalem the living waters issue from under the temple (Ezekiel 47:1); whereas in the holy city the river flows from the throne. Revelation 22:2. — Then in the midst of the street, or broad public pathway, flows the river, on either side of which is the tree of life. (“ Thus, then, as it appears, will at last be unfolded the great ‘ mystery of God,’ and thus at last will the way be once more opened to THE TREE OF LIFE. Remarkable indeed is the mention of this TREE OF LIFE, occurring as it does in two places only of the Word of God, viz., at the beginning of the mystery of God, and again at its accomplishment.” — “ The Tree of Life; or, Redemption and its Fruits in Grace and Glory,” p. 297. — Rev. H. Shepherd.) Neither man, innocent nor sinful, eat of the tree of life in Eden, we do not say paradise.(*See remarks on Revelation 2:7.) The cherubim and flaming sword stood in the way of access to the tree of life in the garden (Genesis 3:24), and well that it was so, for if sinful man had eaten of its fruit he would have lived for ever a life of misery in this world. But in the city of gold and glory “ the way of life is free,” neither cherubim nor sword barring it. The two symbolic trees of Eden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The former is the first and last named in the Scriptures. Life in the one and responsibility in the other are the respective principles set forth by these trees. Revelation 22:2 — “Producing twelve fruits.” This is the last instance of the employment of the governmental and administrative numeral — twelve. The saints of the heavenly city eat of its fruits — so rich and abundant that the tree yields them monthly — whilst the leaves are for the healing and blessing of the nations. We eat its fruit; they use its leaves for healing. The millennial nations are dependent on the city above for light, for government, and for healing. All this has its counterpart in that remarkable chapter, Ezekiel 47:1-23, “ The fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine” (v. 12). Both the scene above (Revelation 22:1-21) and the scene below (Ezekiel 47:1-23) are millennial, and both exist at the same time, but the blessing of the former infinitely transcends that of the latter. The tree of life sustains; the river of life gladdens. Revelation 22:3-5. — “And no curse shall be any more; and 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 (is) on their foreheads. And night shall not be any more, and no need of a lamp, and light of (the) sun; for (the) Lord God shall shine upon them, and they shall reign to the ages of ages.” On the entrance of sin into the world the serpent, the source of it, was cursed (Genesis 3:14), and the ground too (Genesis 3:17). Cain, who added to the sin of his father, completing it, so to speak, was also cursed (Genesis 4:11). All under the works of the law are under the curse (Galatians 3:10). But in the heavenly Jerusalem there is no more curse with its attendant train of ills and miseries. Neither the curse nor its direful effects can ever enter the holy city of God, environed by His glory. (Again we find the counterpart to “ no more curse” in Zechariah 14:11, which refers to the removal of the curse from the earthly Jerusalem.) Once again the unity of God and the Lamb is proclaimed — a unity exercised in governmental power and action — “ the throne of God and of the Lamb,” twice repeated (Revelation 22:1; Revelation 22:3). But it is set up in the midst of the Church itself, for we read the throne “ shall be in it.” Thus the throne is the strength and upholder of the city. Revelation 22:3 — “His servants shall serve Him.” God and the Lamb are so united in thought and action that the personal pronoun is here employed. God will be revealed in the Lamb; we shall serve Him. Ours will be a service without cessation, without weariness, without flagging energy. In joy and freedom our service then will be one of pure love; without a flaw, and without one legal thought. How varied the character of service! How gladly the whole being enters upon an eternal life of service to Him! Revelation 22:4 — “ They shall see His face,” that face once so vilely covered by the spittle of man, now radiant with the glory of God. The best wine of the kingdom is being poured out. We shall see His face.Revelation 22:4 — “His Name (is) on their foreheads.” This signifies that we publicly, openly, belong to Him, but inasmuch as the name represents the person, so we bear His moral likeness, and give expression to all — who and what He is. (His NAME ON THE . — “ Perfect reflection of Himself” (1 John 3:2; compare Revelation 13:16). — From that useful little book, “ The Symbols of the Apocalypse Briefly Defined,” page 21.) Revelation 22:5. — “And night shall not be any more.” This statement is verbally repeated in Revelation 21:25, but incidentally, and as a reason why the gates of the heavenly city are open perpetually; but here the statement is not contingent upon nor explanatory of any other truth, but is an absolute declaration by itself. There shall be no night and no darkness. It is one eternal day. No artificial light as a lamp nor created light as the sun is needed. The city is not dependent upon the lights of this world. She needs them not, for the “ Lord God shall shine upon them.” The saints in glory will bask under the direct light of God Himself. Revelation 22:5 — “They shall reign to the ages of ages.” The millennium and the eternal ages are here embraced. The saints on high shall never cease to reign. So long as Christ is on the throne, so long as He wears the crown, that determines the duration of the reign of the saints, for we “ shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ ” (Romans 5:17). This character of reign is necessarily eternal, and is quite independent of economic or other change. The kingdom given up to God (1 Corinthians 15:24) is set up on the earth for a specified time, and to manifest the accomplishment of the counsels of God. The thousand years’ reign comes in between the history of the world as it now exists and the eternal state. It is the kingdom of that period which the Lord delivers up, but His reign over all creatures never ceases; so long as there are angels and men — creatures of God — so long is government necessarily required. The throne is eternal, and the thrones and crowns of the saints, too, are eternal. We understand therefore the expression, “ they shall reign to the ages of ages,” to signify the eternal reign of the heavenly saints. Both our service and reigning are for ever and ever, or eternal. What a glorious and triumphant close to this section of the book! How full and magnificent are the declarations, and how true! They will soon be resolved into fact in our happy experience. May God grant grace to walk worthy of Him, and of these prophetic truths and glories so soon to be realized. Commentary on Revelation 22:1-5 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 22:1. The pronoun he refers to the angel who has been with John all through the vision of this book. There is nothing more pleasing to the eye than a flowing body of water. It signifies something that is constant and moving with majestic procedure. But many rivers are attractive from these standpoints only, while within them may be vicious creatures that would devour helpless victims that came within reach. Also there may be much that is vile and foul, carrying with them the waste materials of the cities. But the river John saw had nothing of that kind because it had not been in contact with any place containing filth. Instead, its source is the throne of God and the Lamb where there can be nothing vile. For this reason the river is pure and also clear as crystal because there are no materials to becloud the stream. It is called water of life because it is always moving (never stagnant) and because of the quality and purity described in the foregoing comments. Revelation 22:2. In the midst of the street of it means the street of the city, and the river of life flowed down the center of the street. This description will give us no difficulty if we will think of the "divided highways" that grace our country in many places. Let us think of a river flowing from an inexhaustible fountain and proceeding on through a beautiful city. On each bank is a row of fruit trees that serve a double purpose, namely, furnish ornamentation for the crystal stream, and a source of food for those who are walking upon the section of the "divided highway" that one may be using. To clarify the description we think of it in this manner. First is a section of the street, next a row of trees, next the river, next another row of trees and then the other section of the street. Tree of life. This tree is promised to all who overcome the contests of life (Revelation 2:7). The phraseology is based on the tree of life that was in the garden of Eden. It will be well for us again to remember we are still in a book of symbols, where the Lord is giving us a picture of Heaven in as strong terms as our human mind can grasp. The tree is spoken of in the singular number because there was but one in the garden. But the varieties are not limited to one, because this tree is pictured in connection with spiritual things. Here we have another instance of the numeral that has been so prominent throughout this book. That is twelve which is a multiple of four (the four creatures), and the number each of the two organized systems of salvation that God has given the world. The special significance of the twelve here is to show the fruitbearing season is continuous and perennial, but a different kind of fruit will be produced each month, so that no occasion will exist for longing after a change; there will be one coming each month. Many kinds of fruit trees not only produce fruit, but also their leaves have medicinal value in them. Thus we are told that the leaves of this tree have healing qualities. Not that any citizens will become sick, but it is on the same principle of wiping away all tears (Revelation 21:4). The leaves of the tree will heal the people by keeping them in such a condition that sickness will be impossible. Revelation 22:3. No more curse is an allusion to the curse pronounced upon the ground because of the sin of Adam (Genesis 3:17). Instead of a curse there will be endless blessings because not only will the tree of life be in the city (as it was in the garden), but God and the Lamb will themselves be there. Also all creatures who would tempt the righteous will have been consigned to their eternal place in the lake of fire. Servants shall serve him. It is sometimes asked if the saved are to be entirely free in that city, since it is spoken of as the place of rest for God's people. The word serve does not necessarily mean labor or toil. The word is from LATREUO and at this place Thayer's definition (the words in italics) is as follows: "To render religious service or homage, to worship." It certainly will be only unspeakable pleasure to engage in such employment as worshipping God in his immediate presence, when faithful disciples have taken real happiness from their orship of Him while in the world. In the words of one of the old songs of the church, it will be a service in a time and place "Where congregations ne'er break up, and rest days have no end." Revelation 22:4. Shall see his face is mentioned to indicate the great intimacy that will exist between God and the creatures that have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Persons spending some time in a city where many others are present, may be seen with pennants attached to their clothing for the purpose of identification. In this celestial city the name will be on the person, on the most conspicuous part of it, the forehead. How different this is from the condition of the members of the apostate church; they had the mark of the beast in their forehead (Revelation 14:9). Revelation 22:5. Shall be no night there. (See the comments at Revelation 21:25.) Need no candle neither light of the sun. This is one of the most significant symbols used in this series, because it includes the two extremes on the subject. A candle is an artificial light and the weakest that man has devised. The sun is God's own direct work and is the strongest light in all the natural creation. In saying that neither will be needed in the celestial city, John is giving us the greatest possible picture of the strength of the light that will radiate from the throne of God; although he was to be the lawgiver, Moses was a natural man. And 1 Timothy 6:16 says God is "dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see." They shall reign for ever and ever, The word reign may raise a question in connection with the truth that even Jesus is said to reign only until death has been conquored (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). The explanation lies in the definitions of the original word. The Greek original is , which means "to reign," but in our passage Thayer explains it to mean "to denote the supreme moral dignity, liberty, blessedness, which will be enjoyed by Christ's redeemed ones." Hence the word does not necessarily mean to rule as a king. It is a figurative term and denotes a situation where a certain condition prevails. It is like saying that "all difficulties were removed and peace again reigned." We have the blessed assurance from the apostle that the condition of such a reign will continue for ever and ever. Commentary on Revelation 22:1-5 by Burton CoffmanRev_22:1"The vision in this last chapter of Revelation is directly continuous with what has preceded."[1] There are many things in this glorious vision which lie beyond our total comprehension; but so it was with the ancient prophecies of the Old Testament. What could have been more incomprehensible than the prophecies that a holy virgin would conceive and bear a son, that a man should die and not see corruption in the grave, or that one despised and rejected by man should be established forever upon the throne of David? "Yet the pious Jew preserved his faith amidst all these wonderful, and in appearance, contradictory intimations."[2] Just so, Christians should receive the great prophecies of the New Testament in the fullest confidence that, despite having no accurate knowledge of how these things shall all be fulfilled, they shall nevertheless come to pass exactly as God has said. The ultimate triumph of Christianity over all the corruptions of earth is the will of God; and nothing can stand in the way of that. In this chapter, for the first time, "The imagery of the paradise of Eden, linking the end of history with its beginning, appears."[3] John took the motif of the Fall in Genesis 3 and described the complete reversal of it to convey the ultimate glory of man in Christ Jesus."[4]Those scholars are wrong who connect the imagery of these glorious chapters with pagan myths, folklore, apocryphal writings, and the literature of classical paganism. The apostles of Christ knew nothing of such things. It is likely true that certain vestiges of ancient truth handed down through Adam's posterity in a garbled, distorted, and perverted condition might indeed have been preserved and referred to in pagan myths of folklore; "But our apocalyptist and the Old Testament writers from whom his imagery is taken are without doubt unconscious of such primitive connections, if they exist."[5] Even the Old Testament prophecies which seem to be reflected in much of the terminology of Revelation must not be thought of as determining John's meaning here. Those interpreters who take the obvious reference of certain Old Testament prophecies to the literal Jerusalem as proof that the visions in Revelation must also be applied to literal Jerusalem have missed the point altogether. These final chapters do not refer to a return of Jews to Jerusalem (literally). "That interpretation is far-fetched and is not borne out in the scriptures."[6] Many have simply overlooked the truth that John did not receive this vision from a study of the Old Testament, nor from pagan or secular literature. The vision came from God through Jesus Christ to the apostle John. "He (the apostle), not the Old Testament prophets, determined what the content and meaning of his words should be."[7][1] George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972), p. 286. [2] Floyd Myers, Difficult Passages in Revelation Examined (Pekin, Indiana: Floyd Myers, 1960), p. 170. [3] G. R. Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation (Greenwood, South Carolina: The Attic Press, 1974), p. 330. [4] Douglas Ezell, Revelations on Revelation (Waco: Word Books, 1977), p. 109. [5] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 764. [6] Joseph M. Gettys, How to Study Revelation (Philadelphia: John Knox Press, 1955), p. 111. [7] Ibid., p. 112. And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, (Revelation 22:1) River ... water of life ... This metaphor was used by Jesus himself in his conversation with the woman of Samaria (John 4:10), and in his reference to "living water" (John 7:37-38). This is in no sense a literal river. Ponce de Leon's search for "the fountain of youth" was a wild goose chase; he did not find it, nor will it be in heaven, literally. However, the reality symbolized by it will be there. Therefore, all of the arguments about where, precisely, this river is located in the city of God are unnecessary. The point is that eternal life will belong to those who enter it. Proceeding out of the throne ... This is the throne of God and of the Lamb, so Beasley-Murray is right in saying, "The river flows from Christ."[8] However, he is wrong in the view that "Christ took the place of the temple."[9] Just the opposite is true: secular Israel had permitted the temple to take the place of Christ who is the true temple. The throne of God and of the Lamb ... In the fact of the eternal throne of God being here identified also as the throne of the Lamb is also the inherent truth that, "The kingdom in which Christ now reigns may be called also the kingdom of God."[10] There are not two kingdoms any more than there are two thrones. [8] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 331 [9] Ibid. [10] John T. Hinds, A Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), p. 307. Revelation 22:2in the midst of the street thereof. And on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve manner of fruits, yielding its fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.In the midst of the street ... "This may be taken, not as the end of the first sentence, but as the beginning of the second."[11] As a matter of fact, the phrase may be applied: (1) to the river of life; (2) the throne of God; or (3) the tree of life. It does not make the slightest difference which view is taken. No literal description of heaven is here intended. These are symbols, not literal thrones, rivers, streets, and trees. Note too that "street" is not a reference to one street but to all streets. See comment under Revelation 21:21. The tree of life ... This is not one tree, but stands either for many trees of one variety, or even many varieties of trees.[12] "The tree of life is apparently used collectively to include a number of trees."[13] "Tree seems intended to be understood generically of that whole class of trees."[14] We still use this idiom, for example, when we remark that, "The date palm grows in southern California." Lenski correctly observed that all these terms: avenue, river, and wood (tree) are comprehensive and collective."[15]But what does it mean? The tree of life has the same inherent meaning as the "river of life." Those who have access to it will enjoy all the rights, blessings, and privileges of eternal life. The words of Eze 47:12 are used here almost verbatim. The account in Genesis shows that Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden deprived them of access to the tree of life; but in heaven redeemed mankind shall have this privilege restored. Could this be some literal tree with visible fruit? We believe it to be a beautiful symbol of a far greater reality. Bearing twelve manner of fruits ... every month ... This should take care of any notion that this is a literal tree. Leaves ... for the healing of the nations ... Here, too, literalism is impossible. "Healing, of course, implies disease;" but, "That will be one of the things that will be unknown in heaven."[16]As throughout the vision, John uses present terminology to describe future conditions. In a spiritual sense, the leaves of the tree of life, in this present age, are the healing of the nations. The realities of the word of God always bless and honor the peoples who receive and obey it. What our world needs now is to catch a new vision of the realities of the Christian gospel; and, if it should happen, "the leaves of the tree of life" would indeed be the healing of the nations. [11] William Barclay, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1976), p. 221. [12] John Wesley, Notes on the New Testament (London: Epworth Press, n.d.), in loco. [13] Martin Rist, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XI1 (New York-Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1957), p. 542. [14] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 545. [15] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 650. [16] John T. Hinds, op. cit., p. 308. Revelation 22:3 And there shall be no curse any more: and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be therein: and his servants shall serve him;And there shall be no curse any more ... "This is an allusion to the curse pronounced upon the Ground because of the sin of Adam (Genesis 3:17)."[17] In the final city of God, such curses can never come. And the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be there ... The oneness of the Father and the Son are dramatically and forcefully stated in the visions of Revelation, no less than in the dogmatic propositions of the Fourth Gospel. See John 1:1-14; John 14:1-10; John 5:17 ff. And his servants shall serve him ... Heaven is never depicted as a place of leisure or idleness, but always as a place of activity. Even the angels which Jacob saw on the ladder reaching to heaven were "ascending and descending" upon it. ENDNOTE: [17] E. M. Zerr, Bible Commentary, Vol. 6 (Marion, Indiana: The Cogdill Foundation, 1954), p. 352. Revelation 22:4and they shall see his face; and his name shall be on their foreheads.And they shall see his face ... This is a privilege that man has never had, not even the saints of the Old Testament; but the final joys of the redeemed shall surpass all the joys of the Old Covenant. And his name shall be on their foreheads ... God's "mark" will be upon his children eternally; and this must be understood in the sense of their bearing a spiritual likeness to Christ and God. "The supreme felicity (of the saints) is revealed in the immediate presence with God and the Lamb."[18] Just as, "The worshippers of the beast had his mark upon their foreheads, thus bearing the moral and spiritual image of their master (Revelation 13:17),"[19] just so, God's children entering heaven shall bear a spiritual and moral likeness of God and of the Lamb. [18] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 766. [19] J. W. Roberts, The Revelation of John (Austin, R. B. Sweet Company, 1974), p. 194. Revelation 22:5 And there shall be night no more; and they need no light of lamp, neither light of sun; for the Lord God shall give them light; and they shall reign for ever and ever.And there shall be night no more ... All of the dread and fear of the darkness which have dogged the steps of humanity through the ages shall disappear in the light and bliss of heaven. "The saved will need no sun nor lamp, because of the light of the divine glory with them."[20]And they shall reign for ever and ever ... "It is not said that they shall reign over anyone."[21] The millennial notion of the saints reigning over people is carnal, secular, and unbiblical. The reigning will be over themselves in perfect control of all their abilities and powers in the true service of God in whatever activity God may assign to them, exactly the same kind of reigning they are doing now. When taken with the statement in Revelation 22:3 that, "His servants shall serve him," it is clear enough that, "Paradise is not only the absence of evil but the privilege of serving God in his presence forever."[22] It is a false view that looks upon heaven as a place of idleness and inactivity, as some have imagined: I go where the loud Hallelujah's are ringing, But I shall not take part in the singing. Then weep not for me, friends, if death do us sever, For I'm going to do nothing forever and ever.[23]Maybe such a view has comfort in it for people who are oppressed and overworked, but it is nevertheless a false view. This verse concludes the vision of the new Jerusalem, the Paradise of the redeemed. The wonders and glories of it surpass all imagination and leave the mind numb in the contemplation of it. Let us leave it here in all its glory; for there are times when silence is better than speech, when worship and wonder should supplant the words of men. Here is the final glory.[24][20] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 767. [21] Leon Morris, Tyndale Commentaries, Vol. 20, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 257. [22] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1968), p. 123. [23] Donald W. Richardson, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (New York: Pillar Books, 1964), p. 140. [24] Charles M. Laymond, The Book of Revelation (New York-Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1960), p. 146. Commentary on Revelation 22:1-5 by Manly LuscombeIntroduction. Those who are faithful in the church will be rewarded with eternal life with God and with Jesus in Heaven. The preceding chapter describes the church, the holy city, the New Jerusalem. Now we move to view Heaven itself. 1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. The water of life is symbolic of the gospel. Jesus promised that all who drink of this water would never thirst. (John 4:14). The gospel of Jesus Christ comes form the throne of God in Heaven. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had access to the Tree of Life. (Genesis 2:9) Eating of this tree would allow them to live a physical life forever. Now, the Tree of Life offers spiritual life for eternity. What does the Tree of Life represent? I make two observations. Christ is our Tree of Life. Christ is represented by several different symbols in the book of Revelation. He is the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God, the Alpha and Omega, the morning star, and the Tree of Life. Each of these symbols, and several others, are used to emphasize a different aspect of our Lord. This tree is in the church. This Tree of Life is present now - in the church. Notice these points. 1. The number 12 represents organized religion. This tree yields 12 fruits. As people obey the gospel the tree is producing fruit. 2. The leaves were for the healing of the nations. If John is describing our eternal state in Heaven, how can it heal the nations? The nations will end when this world ends at the second coming. The healing of nations must take place while the nations still exist. The leaves of this tree represent the healing power of the gospel in individual lives and in the nations of the world. 3. The Tree of Life is Christ. He is healing the nations. He is yielding fruit for God as people obey the gospel. This tree is described in Ezekiel 47:12. Today, right now, we have access to the Tree of Life. We can drink of the water of life. We, the faithful Christians, are on this street (the narrow way that leads to life) and we have access to the water and tree. 3 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. It is clear to me that the curse was the curse of the Law of Moses. This law was one of sin and death. There was a curse on all under this law. Only by living a perfect life could one find righteousness. Christ came to earth, lived a perfect, sinless life, and removed the curse. (Galatians 3:23-26). The throne of Jesus is in the hearts of Christians. (2 Corinthians 6:16) God promised to dwell in us, walk in us, and be our God. When the Lamb of God is on the throne of our heart, we will serve Him. (Revelation 7:15) 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There are two general views on the idea of us being able to “ see His face.” Some believe that this refers to when we are in Heaven and are with Jesus in a personal, face-to-face, able to see what is now invisible. (1 Corinthians 13:12). I believe this is also to be understood in a symbolic way. When we sin we are separated from God. God hides his face from us. (Isaiah 59:2) But when we obey the gospel and are forgiven, we are restored to a face-to-face relationship with our God. He knows us and hears our prayers. (1 Peter 3:12). Those who see His face are those who wear His name. They have the seal of God. The seal of God identifies them as His. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Jesus promised that those who walk in the light would never walk in darkness because we are in the light of Christ. (1 John 1:7; John 8:12). We are also promised that we will reign forever. Certainly our presence with Christ will continue in eternity. But the reign is with Christ in His Kingdom. It is clear that at the second coming, Christ will turn over the kingdom to God. (1 Corinthians 15:24). This fits what is stated in Revelation 20:4 about our living and reigning with Christ during the Christian Age. Revelation 22:6-7 PART SIXTH , ,AND Revelation 22:6-21 1. THE ANGEL'S Rev_22:6-7 6 These words are faithful and true.--As the symbolic images are now completed the angel comes directly to John with the assurance that the words (visions and spoken words) are true that there has been no deception and all things will come to pass just as disclosed. That an angel was the speaker is evident from verse 8 compared with Revelation 21:9. John had already been commanded to write that the sayings were true. (Revelation 21:5.) He further assures John that the God who inspired the prophets of old had sent his angel to make these revelations; hence, the same proof that they were divine and properly classed as prophetic sayings. The things which must shortly come to pass.--This is the same statement with which the hook opens. See notes on Revelation 1:1. It is appropriate, after the symbols had been finished, that John should again be assured that the revealed things would shortly come to pass. Of course, the natural meaning for this expression is that the things revealed would soon begin to transpire, not that all of them would soon begin. If these symbols contain a series of events, however few, then all of them could not begin at the same time. If the series is long, then some could be in distant centuries. Since the millennium and the judgment are a part of the imagery, it is unquestionably a fact that all did not begin soon; therefore, the beginning of the series must be the meaning. 7 And behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book.--Apparently the angel is here repeating the words of Jesus, or Jesus is speaking through the angel. The expression "I come quickly" evidently is intended to encourage saints to keep "the words of the prophecy of this book." Of course, it cannot mean that he promised to come personally in a short time or soon from the time John received these revelations; for more than eighteen hundred years have passed and he has not come yet. If it means that he would come figuratively in blessings and punishments during the time covered by the symbols of the book, then he did come soon and the words are equivalent to "shortly come to pass" in the preceding verse. In a similar way he did come to those who faithfully suffered during the time signified; for eachindividual's death was a virtual coining of the Lord to him--it meant his sufferings would soon be over. If it refers to his actual coming at the judgment, then "quickly" must be understood as God views time, not as men do. In a practical sense the encouragement would apply to each individual with the assurance that his efforts would not be very long in comparison with the length of his reward. We have here the statement that the symbols of this hook are a prophecy.Commentary on Revelation 22:6-7 by Foy E. Wallace(1) The confirmation of the testimony of the angel –Revelation 22:6-11. Revelation 22:6 : These sayings are faithful and true: the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. This is the verification of the truth of the whole apocalypse by John after the vision was ended. Here the epilogue corresponded with the prologue. It was the reiteration and the reaffirmation of Rev 1:1-5. It corresponded to the introduction and reverted to the same theme. It was the claim of the authorship of the Revelation repeated in the expression I John in both Revelation 1:8 and Revelation 22:8. It was the seal of its being a revelation from God--John heard and saw these things. His epilogue was in verbal agreement with the prologue, and ends with the affirmation of direct communication with God and Jesus Christ. 1. These sayings are faithful and true. This unequivocal claim of integrity has parallel in the postulation of Heb 1:1, that the God who had spoken unto the fathers by the prophets had shown unto his servants these things by John, The same God who had inspired John and Revelation therefore possessed the same credentials of inspiration. 2. The things which must shortly be done. The verbal agreement with Revelation 1:1 here emphasized that the things revealed were of high importance and attention to them was imperative because of the shortness of time. It again supports the main thesis of this treatise that the events belonged to this period of time. Revelation 22:7 : Behold I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. Here again John reverted to the first chapter of the book in order to affirm the truth of what had there been said prior to the beginning of the vision. 1. Behold, I come quickly. At this point Jesus himself was not speaking, as when these words were first uttered by him; but John was here quoting the words of Jesus which had previously been spoken. Here the person sent was speaking for the Sender. There are three keys words in the context: signify and shortly and quickly. These words were significant of the method of conveying the revelation through signs; and the time for the fulfillment was impending; and the coming of the Lord would be in relation to the events and concurrent with them. The three words together meant that everything relevant to the catastrophe and calamities predicted and depicted were about to come to pass. Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation--Jesus in Matthew 23:36. 2. Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. But the book had not yet been written, yet its message was imperative and the reading of it to his servants was urgent. The fact that this somewhat ominous statement was made in the first chapter and repeated in the last chapter, thus before and after the vision was received, accentuates the immediacy of its contents. Why the urgency of this command if the events were so remote as the future theory represents? Commentary on Revelation 22:6-7 by Walter ScottClosing Testimonies. THE ANGEL THE .Revelation 22:6-7. — “And he said to me, These words (are) faithful and true; and (the) Lord God of the spirits of the prophets has sent His angel to show to His bondmen the things which must soon come to pass. And behold, I come quickly. Blessed (is) he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” We have several solemn affirmations as to the faithfulness and truth of God in His words and ways: by saints (Revelation 15:3; Revelation 19:2); by the altar (Revelation 16:7); by God Himself (Revelation 21:5); and here by an angel. (Not the greatness and glory of the Revelations, but their faithfulness and truth are the testimony of the angel. It has been remarked that a book is valuable in proportion to its truth.) These prophetic visions separately and as a whole demand our closest, our most profound consideration, not because of their bearing upon us, but rather because the glory of our Master and the blessing of the world are involved in the faithfulness and truth of these divine unfoldings of the future (see Daniel 8:26). The Lord God “ of the spirits of the prophets” (R.V.). The feelings, the hopes, the varied experiences of the prophets of old were directed by and under the control of the Lord God. He was with them, as He is with us. This unity of moral action links us up with the prophets of old in a walk and realization of the hopes revealed then and now. Then in the words which follow we read, “ hast sent His angel to show to His bondmen the things which must soon come to pass.” The opening (Revelation 1:1) and close of the book are thus connected. The utmost care has been taken by the divine author of the book that these revelations of things, which must soon come to pass, should reach the servants, or bondmen. He counts upon their interest. The certainty of the Lord’ s speedy Coming, and gravity and imminence of the numerous events foretold, should surely lead to increased, prayerful, and painstaking study of this book, the only one specially addressed to servants of God as such. COMING QUICKLY. Revelation 22:7. — “And behold, I come quickly.” The constant repetition of the conjunction and must not be regarded as necessarily connecting preceding statements with the immediate subject on hand. The word in the great majority of instances simply marks a new beginning without any direct reference to what has gone before. “Behold, I come quickly.” It is the voice of Christ we hear. It is not the announcement of a prophetic event, but the authoritative word of the Lord Himself. Three times and in different connections does He announce His Coming (Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:12; Revelation 22:20). In each instance the word quickly is found as intimating how near we are to the realization of that blessed hope. BLESSED. 7. — “He” (not they, as in Revelation 1:3) “who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” is pronounced “ blessed.” Thus the blessing at the beginning is repeated at the close, only it seems more individual here. The completion of the book is also contemplated in the promised blessing at the close. Compare “ the words of this prophecy” (Revelation 1:3) with “ the words of the prophecy of this book” (Book, as applied to the completed Revelation, occurs seven times in this last and closing part (Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:9-10; Revelation 22:18-19). The Revelation is complete both in its promises and threats. Nothing to be added.) (Revelation 22:7). To keep these words is to treasure them, to prize them, and act upon them. Commentary on Revelation 22:6-7 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 22:6. He said means the angel said it to John. Faithful and true. These words are virtually the same in their fundamental meaning, and either could properly be used in place of the other for general purposes. Technically they mean the words or sayings just delivered by the angel are worthy of being relied on because they are true. Of the holy prophets is referred to as an evidence that His sayings are worthy of being relied on, for the predictions that God enabled the prophets to make were fulfilled in the proper time. For that reason there should be no doubt concerning the predictions that He has authorized his servants to make in the present book. Sent his angel. This refers to the angel who has been with John from the beginning of his vision on the isle. Must shortly be done. The Englishman's Greek New Testament renders this phrase, "must come to pass soon." The word in question is a relative term, for even a number of centuries would be short when compared with the endlessness of what will come after the judgment day. However, since this period in the vision of John is at the near approach of the last day (as to the events predicted), the end is literally close at hand. Revelation 22:7. Quickly is from the same word as "shortly" in the preceding verse. Blessed means happy, denoting a condition entirely satisfactory. Keepeth is from TEREO and in the King James Version it is translated hold fast 1 time, keep 57, observe 4, preserve 2, reserve 8, watch 2. It is a word with many shades of meaning which must be determined in each place according to the connection-- If it is used in relation to things a man is required to do, then it means he must understand and do them. If used only of things stated as truths, whether they are predictions or otherwise, then the word means we are to believe them and keep them in respectful remembrance. The present verse applies the word to the prophecy of this book, hence it has the meaning just described. However, it would imply some activities on the part of man, for among the things predicted is the judgment day on which men will be judged according to their deeds. Hence if a man believes and respects that prediction, he will not forget it but will fashion his life in such a way as to be adjudged worthy of everlasting life. This explains why the angel said those were blessed or happy who keepeth the sayings. Commentary on Revelation 22:6-7 by Burton CoffmanRev_22:6 And he said unto me, These words are faithful and true: and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly come to pass.These words are faithful and true .... Apparently, an angel is the speaker here, but Christ is behind all that he said. "This whole book is represented by John as the Revelation of Jesus Christ, through the angel."[25] The divine authority of the entire Revelation is affirmed. "The primary purpose of this epilogue (Revelation 22:6-21) is to affirm the authority of John's book.[26] The meaning of this whole verse is: "The words of the Christian prophets do not speak their own minds, but God's."[27] Lenski's outline of this epilogue is: God's attestation (Revelation 22:6-15). Jesus' attestation (Revelation 22:16-19). John is dismissed (Revelation 22:20). John's farewell greeting (Revelation 22:21).[28]We acutely need this divine attestation, for the most glaring error in most of the books one reads on this prophecy is that of making the "source" of these visions to be everything or anything except what it is; namely, a revelation from God (Revelation 1:1). As far as this writer is concerned, if people do not believe that God authored this book, they could spare themselves the trouble of studying it, much more the labor of writing their comments on it. "The angel" here does not say that God commissioned "me," his angel, but that, "God commissioned his angel." "Angel is used here generically to designate whatever angel acted at any time in the vision."[29] Thus the angel here speaks for God himself. The God of the spirits of the prophets ... The "prophets" here are those of both the Old and the New Testaments; God spoke through all of them. This is the message of God's deputy angel in this passage. To show the things that must shortly come to pass ... As Wesley put it, "which will begin to be performed immediately."[30] "The adverb shortly modifies the verb come to pass, telling how it is to occur, suddenly."[31] The false idea that John expected all of the things in this prophecy to appear within a few years should be rejected. The present dispensation was described as "a thousand years" in Revelation 20; and that proves that our prophecy takes a long view of the ages; and yet many of the things in it were in the process of happening at the very time it was written. [25] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 334. [26] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 289. [27] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1092. [28] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 655. [29] Ibid., p. 657. [30] John Wesley, op. cit., in loco. [31] James D. Strauss, The Seer, the Saviour, and the Saved (Joplin, Missouri: College Press, 1972), p. 288. Revelation 22:7 And behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book.And behold, I come quickly ... "It is no longer possible to believe that John had a naive attitude toward this promise."[32] He did not believe that all things in Revelation would come to pass in his generation. If so, how could he have envisioned 1,000 years before the final judgment (Revelation 20:5)? It is not John who is mixed up on this but some of the interpreters. Quickly ... can mean "soon"; but it may also mean "suddenly" or "unexpectedly"; and, "The ambiguity is no doubt purposeful in order to provide for all generations a spiritual and moral tension of expectancy and perspective."[33] No Christian should live in any other way than in a consciousness that the Lord may come at any time. It is irreligious to ask, Who is the speaker here? Angels are the envoys and mouthpieces of God here, as in the Old Testament, and therefore entitled to speak either in their own name or that of the Lord.[34] The words, "I am coming" show that Jesus is being quoted.[35]Blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book ... "In principle, this applies to all of God's book (the Bible)."[36] The book of Revelation, however, is primarily in view. Before leaving this verse, we wish to emphasize that, "In the Christian doctrine of the last things, the imminence of the end is moral rather than chronological."[37] Each successive Christian generation, for anything that is known to the contrary, could be the last generation. "In that sense, the time is always near."[38] The achievement of this state of expectancy and uncertainty was evidently God's design in the language chosen, not only here, but throughout the whole New Testament. "I come quickly" need not mean "I come soon," though that meaning is possible. The expression may also mean, "I come suddenly."[39]Since some nineteen centuries have already passed since these words were written, we know that the second meaning cited here is the correct one. [32] G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 283. [33] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 290. [34] James Moffatt, Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967). p. 488. [35] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 659. [36] James D. Strauss, op. cit., p. 288. [37] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 665. [38] Ibid. [39] Edward A. McDowell, The Meaning and Message of Revelation (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1951), p. 218. Commentary on Revelation 22:6-7 by Manly Luscombe6 Then he said to me, “ These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. The angel assures John that what he has seen is assured. It is true. It will happen. God keeps His promises. (2 Corinthians 1:20). As we near the end of Revelation we are reminded of the promise at the beginning, these are things that MUST shortly come to pass. (Revelation 1:1). It is clear that the vision of Revelation was to begin shortly. It does not mean that all would be completed in a year or two. It does mean that they would begin to happen. 7 “ Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” Some try to argue that the angel and not Jesus spoke these words. In my view, it does not matter, because angels were messengers who spoke what was given them by Jesus. Many find a difficulty with the term “ shortly” when it has been 2,000 years since this promise was given. I believe there are two issues that must be discussed as shown here: 1. Meaning of “shortly” - In our understanding of time, measured in days, months and years, 2,000 years is a long time. We must remember that God does not work on our clock and calendar. A day is like a thousand years. There fore, to God, it has been a couple of days. No time at all. 2. Meaning of “coming” - Is this the second coming in which the world ends? Is this a promise of Jesus to come again and end the world, as we know it? OR Could this coming be the coming in answer to prayers? Could it be that Jesus will come into the hearts of the obedient to give them protection and guide them providentially? The preceding verse promised that these were “ things which must shortly take place.” I believe the “ coming” here is the coming to work out the matters promised and predicted in this book. Revelation 22:8-11 2. JOHN'S Rev_22:8-11 8 And I John am he that heard and saw these things. --This is a plain declaration from John that he heard the revelations in the words and saw the symbols; he wrote what occurred or he misrepresented facts and that would destroy his veracity. When the angel had shown these things the apostle, after the ancient custom, fell at his feet thinking he should be worshiped.9 See thou do it not.--The angel promptly forbade it and offered reasons for his refusal. He declared he was a "fellow-servant" with John and other prophets. Angels, prophets of old, and the apostles were all moved by the same Spirit, and were therefore "brethren" in prophetic labors. John should no more worship the angel than the angel worship John. Moreover, the angel was a fellow servant with those who "keep the words of this book"; he obeyed God in revealing the prophecies and they obey in keeping them. 10 Seal not up the words of the prophecy of this book.--The angel further instructed John not to seal up the words of this prophecy, the reason assigned being that "the time is at hand." That is, the time was near when the series of symbols would begin to be fulfilled, and the saints would need their instruction to aid them in successfully overcoming temptations. Regarding the seven thunders the opposite command was given, and John was told to seal them up. See notes on Revelation 9:4. The explanation there of what is meant by sealing up is that be was not to write them. "Seal not up" would then mean that John was promptly to write them so the churches then in existence would have a knowledge of what they would receive for faithfulness amid trials. 11 He that is unrighteous, let him do unrighteousness still.----The same is entioned for the filthy, and the opposite side for both characters is stated. This part of the book is not dealing with the inability of either saint or sinner to change his state after reaching the judgment, but with warnings and commands that can be heeded during the time covered by the symbols. In that period men can change, if they will; but will be lost, if they persist in sin. The only plausible application of these expressions seems to be this: with these prophecies and promises before him, if one cannot be influenced to serve God, then the truth will not reach him and he will have to continue wicked still and be lost; for, God offers to save none against his will. Do not "cast your pearls before swine" is just as appropriate now as when uttered. Those desirous of being righteous can continue to do so. The word "still" in the margin of the Revised Version is exchanged for yet more. Whatever either character determines to do, let him continue "yet more"--the only course that vindicates the justice of God and makes man responsible for his deeds.Commentary on Revelation 22:8-11 by Foy E. Wallace Revelation 22:8-9 : And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. John had been previously commanded not to worship the angel, but God only. (Revelation 19:10) It is inconceivable that he would disobey the order by doing so here. It has been explained that John was mistaken in the identity of the angel in this instance, believing him to be Jesus. But there is no such intimation in the context. John’ s memory was not so short as to have forgotten, even under the overwhelming circumstances of an angel’ s appearance, the so recent prohibition against the worship of the angel. To the contrary, a reappearance of the angel would have reminded him of the previous command. The obviously correct view therefore is that John was here restating what had previously occurred for a necessary emphasis, just as he had quoted the words of Jesus in verse 7. In the restatement of what had occurred in the record of chapter 19:10, John added that the angel had said: I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethen the prophets. This word of the angel links the apocalypse of John with those of the Old Testament, and as being of the same character, content and source; and of the same application as to their respective periods in their current history. A prophetic spiritual brotherhood had been displayed by the apocalypse, inspired by the same Spirit; even in the repeated use of the same words and phrases and the employment of the same symbols. The visions of the Old Testament prophets related to the judgments on Babylon and Egypt and to Israel’ s deliverance from exile; and the visions of John in like manner pertained to the destruction of Jerusalem and the victory of the church over Judaism and heathenism. But the statement of the angel exalted John’ s inspired credentials and authority as the author of Revelation to that of the prophets of the old dispensation. The words of the angel further included them which keep the sayings of this book. This number included all to whom John had addressed the letters and this apocalypse and who were exhorted to read, heed and keep the things written in it. The angel classed himself as being among them all, therefore was not the object of their worship. It meant that no man or angel is to be revered or worshiped: worship God. The Son of God said to Satan, the head of the diabolical realm who was commanding his worship: “ It is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”Revelation 22:10 : Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. The metaphor of sealing in respect to visions denoted secrecy, or that which was not ready to be disclosed. The prophet Daniel was instructed to “ shut up the words, and seal the book” (Daniel 9:24; Daniel 12:4; Daniel 12:9) for the events prophesied were far distant and were not at hand nor shortly to come to pass; therefore the prophet was commanded to “ seal up the vision”; and he was told that the words of it were “ closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” So it was with the vision of John in Revelation 10:4 --the things which were not intended for disclosure he was commanded to seal up and write them not. But in Revelation 22:10 the angel enjoined John to seal not the contents of this book; and the reason was stated--for the time is at hand. For comparison again, in Daniel 8:26, the prophet was directed to shut up the vision for it shall be many days; but in Revelation 22:10 John was ordered to seal not . . . for the time is at hand. The time had come for the public announcement of the things enfolded in the seals and the trumpets-therefore, let it be known. This is the obvious distinction in the significance of the two commands in the phrases seal up and seal not up. The use of the phrase the time is at hand before the visions were introduced, and in exactly the same words following so closely the order to seal not up the sayings of the vision, certainly implied with necessary inference the immediate importance of the visions; and it undeniably has the same import of immediacy as the announcement of Jesus (Mark 1:15) that the kingdom of God is at hand. The uses of this phrase in several other passages bear the same meaning and are subject to the same application. The statement of Paul (Romans 13:12) that “ the night is far spent, the day is at hand” must be considered with his further statement (Romans 16:20) that “ the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly,” both of which declarations were the anticipations of the impending events. To the Philippians (Philippians 4:5) he said: The Lord is at hand; and Peter said (1 Peter 4:7) that “ the end of all things is at hand” --that is, the end of the Jewish state and all things pertaining to it. To impart any other meaning to the phrase at hand in these passages, and apply them to the end of time, would amount to convicting the inspired apostles of contradictions and of teaching error on the second coming of the Lord, which was not at hand (2 Thessalonians 2:2)--for he did not so come, neither as yet has done so. And if at hand can be stretched to the end of time in these instances, it obliterates the meaning of the same expressions in reference to his kingdom. It adds up to one conclusion: the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, the demolition of the temple and termination of the Jewish theocracy, together with the end of the Jewish state with its attendant tribulations, were the impending ominous events before the New Testament churches and the object of many references in the epistles of the apostles. Admonishing the Jews of the Dispersion, James exhorted : “ Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” The Lord’ s second coming was not nigh--it did not occur; so it is evident that the apostle’ s monitory declaration referred to the imminent events envisioned in John’ s apocalypse. (James 4:7-8) Revelation 22:11 : He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, l e t him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. These admonitions were coupled with the warnings that the time was at hand; and the events being so near, so shortly to come to pass, no change in the characters of the wicked devotees of the imperial beast or of conditions in the heathen world could be expected; but all others were exhorted to maintain their state of righteousness and holiness, as the storm approached. The words of this category of characters were significant. The unjust were the unbelievers in general; the filthy were those who were defiled by heathen practices; the righteous were the justified, who had obeyed the gospel; and the added term holy implied the maintaining of the life of separation from sin into which they had entered by justification. They had become righteous through justification by obedience to the gospel; they would remain holy by living apart from sin and its defilements. The passage contains a judicial declaration upon the incorrigible heathen enemies and was indicative of the ultimate destiny where there can be no reformation; combined with an appeal to the righteous and the holy to pass through tribulation with washed robes and undefiled garments, for the threat of heathen influence would continue to be a reality, after the persecution itself had ceased. John had reverted to a pre-persecution exhortation based on what he had heard and seen in the vision; and he was obeying the command to seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book. The purpose of the admonition was to ready and steady them for the impending onslaught. There is an extended and continuous application of the solemn words of Rev 22:11. When all of the events of time shall have transpired, and the judgments shall have descended and shall have been executed on all of the forces of evil; the conditions of men respectively shall have been unchangeably fixed for eternity. Here may be the proper application to the everlasting state of all people in the world that has no end. The basis of the apocalyptic warning is that eternal truth.Commentary on Revelation 22:8-11 by Walter ScottWORSHIP OF ANGELS . GOD ALONE TO BE . Revelation 22:8-9. — “ And I, John (was), he who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. And he says to me, See (thou do it) not. I am thy fellow-bondman, and (the fellow-bondman) of thy brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” The name, John, occurs five times (Revelation 1:1; Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:9; Revelation 21:2; Revelation 22:8), three times at the commencement, and twice near the close of the book. Between these, however, personal pronouns referring to the Seer are of frequent occurrence. It seems foolish to raise any question as to the John of the Apocalypse. There is but one John. (“ An unknown John,” remarks Hilgenfield, “ whose name has disappeared from history, leaving hardly any trace behind it, can scarcely have given commands in the name of Christ and the Spirit to the seven Churches.” ) Instinctively the Christian heart turns to the beloved apostle, the disciple whom Jesus loved. There was but one such, and without doubt he is the one to whom these visions and communications were vouchsafed. John is the writer of the book. The wonderful words heard and the marvelous visions beheld, coupled with the glory and dignity of the speaker, invested the angel in the eyes of John with a right to be worshipped. But the most exalted of God’ s creatures themselves worship God. No angel, however exalted his standing, but would refuse divine worship. “ All the angels of God worship Him” (Hebrews 1:6). John would have fallen at the feet of the angel to worship, but the attempted action is instantly checked, for angels are very jealous in the maintenance of the rights of God and of Christ. The angel takes, even in his more exalted sphere, the place of a fellow-servant with John, with the prophets, and with “ those who keep the words of this book.” This is the second occasion on which one of the most distinguished of men and servants failed in the presence of these glorious scenes (Revelation 19:10). “ Worship God” is the emphatic declaration of the angel. Creature worship is a sin against God, an affront to the Majesty of the Lord of hosts. OF THE ANGEL’ S ADDRESS TO JOHN. Revelation 22:10-11. — “And he says to me, Seal not the words of the prophecy of this book. The time is near. Let him that does unrighteously do unrighteously still; and let the filthy make himself filthy still; and let him that is righteous practise righteousness still; and he that is holy, let him be sanctified still.” The command here given does not refer to any one prophecy, but to all contained in the book. There is a purposed contrast in the command to Daniel, “ Shut up the words, and seal the book, to the time of the end” (Revelation 12:4). Here it is “ seal not the words;” there, “ seal the book.” The reason given by Daniel why the words were to be shut up and the book sealed is that the time of the end was then far off. The reason given by John why he was not to seal the words of the prophecy is that “ the time is near.” The immediate Return of the Lord was without doubt the general expectation of Christians for the first three centuries. From the moment that the Hope was revealed the time of the end is ever regarded as at hand, as near. We are living in the time of the end, and hence all prophecy lies open. What was sealed is now open for our inspection, and for our profit and learning. Then Revelation 22:11 shows the permanent condition, the immutability of the state fixed and determined at the Coming of Christ. There are two classes of bad, as opposed to two classes of good. The unrighteous as a class are contrasted with the righteous, and the filthy with the holy. Habits fix character, and character fixes destiny. Every one acts according to the truth of his nature; in this there is universal consistency. Death, or the Coming of the Lord, fixes character and destiny. The wicked remain wicked, and continue adding to their wickedness. The righteous continue righteous, and practice righteousness. In eternity sinning and suffering are united, equally so holiness and happiness. Even in the lake of fire the lost of men and angels act according to their nature; sinning and suffering goes on without cessation. Commentary on Revelation 22:8-11 by E.M. ZerrRev_22:8. These things refer to the vision of the celestial city and what the angel said about it. In Revelation 19:10 John attempted to worship the angel but was prevented. Hence the things of our verse would have to apply to what had come before him since that time. The word worship is one of the terms in the Greek New Testament that have many shades of meaning, because it is from a dozen original words with about that many different definitions. Hence not every form or kind of worship would be condemned. The word as used in our verse and the following one, also in Revelation 19:10, means to prostrate oneself before another as a recognition of superiority in rank. Such an attitude is due only to God and his Son. Angels are not superior to men as to their personal merit nor even in authority. In the great sphere of service to God the angels are only some of His servants. That is the reason that the angel assigned for his instructions to John in this place and also in Revelation 19:10 refused to be worshipped. And it is the same reason why Peter refused the worship from Cornelius in Acts 10:25-26 saying, "Stand up; I myself also am a man." This does not condemn the acts of homage that are paid to kings or other dignitaries as was the custom in old time and is yet in some countries. Those performances pertain to matters of social or legal standing, while the word under consideration in our passages has to do with authority in religion. For a complete analysis of this word according to the lexicon and concordance, see the comments at Matthew 2:2 in the first volume of the New Testament Commentary. Revelation 22:9. Many comments that would be suggested on this verse were made on the preceding one. There were two phases of devotion to God in which John and the angel were in the same class, namely, fellowservant and prophet. The first will apply to all of the Lord's disciples while the second pertains to their work in predicting future events. But neither of these services entitles a man to receive worship from another, so the angel told John to worship God. Revelation 22:10. Seal is from , which Thayer defines at the passage, "keep in silence, keep secret." In the beginning of our study of this book, we were told that the future experiences of the church in its relations with the governments were unrevealed. That was indicated by a book (containing visions of the future) that was sealed, and it required the inspiration of Christ to reveal it. At some time before the Christian Dispensation (we know not how long) God composed the subject matter that makes up the book of Revelation, but since the events were not to be fulfilled "for many days" as Daniel was told (Daniel 12:1-4), He sealed them up in the book we are studying. When the time came to begin making them known He enabled the "Lion of the tribe of Judah" to break the seals. But at the point reached by us in the vision there is nothing depending on future developments-- the time is at hand--hence there is no reason for sealing it up. Revelation 22:11. The preceding verse must be remembered in connection with this one in order to get the full meaning of the passage--it is very vital. We are arrived at the judgment day (in the vision) when the final and eternal lot of all intelligent creatures will be announced for good. After this there will never be any change either for better or worse with anyone. The unjust and filthy will always be so, and the righteous and holy likewise will remain so. That is why there will never be any sin committed in Heaven by angel or man after the judgment. Neither will there be any chance for reformation on the part of the creatures in the lake of fire. Commentary on Revelation 22:8-11 by Burton CoffmanRev_22:8 And I John am he that heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel that showed me these things.And I John ... Who is this John who writes with such assurance and authority? It is foolish to raise such a question, because there is but one John. Instinctively the Christian heart turns to the blessed apostle, that disciple whom the Lord loved.[40] As Hilgenfield remarked: An unknown John whose name has disappeared from history, leaving hardly any trace behind it, can scarcely have given commands in the name of Christ and of the Spirit to the seven churches.[41]I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel ... Notice the startling difference between this passage and that of Rev 19:10. There, John fell down to worship the angel; here he fell down to "worship God" in the presence of the angel. One may only be astounded at the scholarly blindness to this astounding difference in the two incidents. It is not recorded here that John fell down to "worship the angel"; therefore, it must be concluded that John intended to "worship God" before the feet of the angel. Otherwise, we would have to suppose that John deliberately disobeyed the prohibition mentioned on the first occasion. John did not merely forget what he had been commanded. No! this was something different. In this event, he was directing the worship to God, but doing so "before the feet of the angel." We deplore the fact that all of the writers whose works we have examined missed this completely. Note: John repeats the curious incident of Rev 19:10.[42] This is the same incident which is here related again.[43] John failed to learn his lesson from the heavenly messenger in Revelation 19:10.[44] This is a duplication.[45] John twice mistook an angel for the Lord Jesus Christ.[46] Either John would have removed this passage as a needless repetition, if he had had opportunity fully to revise his book, or he thought it necessary to give the same warning twice.[47]All such views do not even see the corral, much less the mule! The overwhelming importance of these two different episodes is that they show the utter sinfulness of bowing down in the presence of even the highest angel in order to worship God. The derivative teaching from this is that it is likewise sinful to bow down before a man, or before an image in order to worship God. The specious reasoning by which it is pretended that people bow down before images and religious prelates "to worship God" in so doing is dramatically refuted by this. The prompt action of God's angel in forbidding John to bow down before an angel while in the act of "worshipping God" also forbids the notion that one may bow down before men or images (both of which are far less than an angel) while in the act of worshipping God. "A Christian should assume no prostrating position"[48] before any being, or any thing, in such a manner as to suggest worship. People should worship God only through Christ; but more, they must not assume any kind of position that could suggest worship of any other being, or object. The failure to discern this truth was the basis for the justification of idol worship by the ancient pagans themselves. Robert H. Charles, Archdeacon of Westminster, said: "The golden calves in Dan, Bethel, and Samaria were treated as outward symbols of deity, and not as deity itself."[49] Most significantly, this is exactly the line of reasoning followed by those who seek to justify the consecration and use of sacred images in the worship of Jesus Christ today. These marvelous passages (both of them) show that it is not merely the worship of an angel (or a man, or an image) that is proscribed and forbidden to Christians, it is the bowing down before them that is also sinful, even though the purpose might be alleged as being to worship God in such a position. What a tragedy that so much of current scholarship seems totally blind to this truth. In the light of this blindness, one may wonder if a move to consecrate sacred images in many Protestant churches today would be resisted. [40] Walter Scott, Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, n.d.), p. 444. [41] Hilgenfield as quoted by Walter Scott, op. cit., p. 444. [42] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 283. [43] John Wesley, op. cit., in loco. [44] James D. Strauss, op. cit., p. 289. [45] Martin Rist, op. cit., p. 545. [46] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 661. [47] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 224. [48] Watchman Nee, "Come, Lord Jesus" (New York: Christian Fellowship Publishers, 1976), p. 252. [49] Robert H. Charles, The Decalogue (Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1923). p. 54. Revelation 22:9 And he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren the prophets, and with them that keep the words of this book: worship God.See thou do it not ... worship God ... No matter how John intended it, his bowing down before the angel was sinful, and was in itself an action that was contrary to the heavenly edict, "Worship God." Revelation 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not up the words of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand.Seal not up the words of the prophecy of this book ... "The contents of John's prophecy have a twofold perspective.[50] "Some of the events foretold are to occur many centuries in the future";[51] but parts of Revelation deal with events that confront John's generation. The savage sea-beast is about to turn upon the helpless Christians. In a Roman courtroom, at the headsman's block, or in the brutal arena, the saints are about to be called upon to face their own Calvary; and the courage to face such a trial would be immeasurably aided by the knowledge of the final victory which in God's good time would crown the efforts of the faithful. This was what sent Paul himself to the block shouting the immortal words of 2 Timothy 4:8. For the time is at hand ... "The impending coming here is not the parousia, but the beginning of the persecutions."[52][50] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 291. [51] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 284. [52] J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 198. Revelation 22:11 He that is unrighteous, let him do unrighteousness still: and he that is filthy, let him be made filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him do righteousness still: and he that is holy, let him be made holy still.He that is unrighteous, let him do unrighteousness still ... Apparently, John recognized that this prophecy would complete the New Testament, providing the finality of God's revelation to man. That having been completed, "No greater power could be brought to bear upon them before He comes again.[53] This thought is that of Christ himself who said that one rising from the dead would not be any more convincing than the Scriptures (Luke 16:31). Therefore, for those who will not heed the holy Scriptures, let them go on in their wickedness. "This is a plain call for the reader to put his life in order while there is still opportunity for change."[54] Many writers quote Swete in this context. He said, "There will come a time when change will be impossible, when no further opportunity will be given for repentance on the one hand, or apostasy on the other."[55] However, it is probably the judicial hardening of willful and habitual sinners that best answers to what is here meant. As others have expressed it: John is saying that there will be no opportunity for last-minute repentance.[56] Do not hinder the man who has completely hardened himself in his wickedness.[57] This is a clear refutation of the doctrine of purgatory and second chance-ism.[58] A man can so long refuse the way of Christ that in the end he cannot take it. That is the sin against the Holy Spirit.[59][53] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 1091. [54] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 284. [55] H. B. Swete, The Apocalypse of St. John (London: Macmillan, 1917), p. 305. [56] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 259. [57] William Hendriksen, More than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956), p. 252. [58] James D. Strauss, op. cit., p. 291. [59] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 225. Commentary on Revelation 22:8-11 by Manly Luscombe8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 Then he said to me, “ See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” As the vision comes to an end, John assures us that he has recorded what he saw and heard. John was there. Revelation is not a figment of John’ s imagination. John began to worship the angel who delivered the message. He is immediately told to arise. Angels are not to be worshipped. They worship and serve the same God we do. Angels are fellow servants. (See also Revelation 19:10) 10 And he said to me, “ Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand…” It is clear to me that John is told not close and seal this book. It is not God’ s intention to record this vision and them keep it hidden and closed. God intended that the book be read publicly. (Revelation 1:3) Things will be starting to happen soon. God is ready to begin fulfilling these things. 11 “ He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” There are several explanations of this verse. I think the key is to keep it in the context of the previous verse. Verse 10 told John not to seal the book. In the statement that follows God explains that there will be no change in those who read this book. Woodruff states, “ Those who are unjust will still be unjust; those who are filthy will continue to be filthy; those who are righteous will remain righteous, and those who are holy will still be holy.” (1, 414). Woodruff also comments, “ Those who were unjust before this revelation was given to John would still be unjust after is was given. The same would be true for those who were filthy, righteous, or holy. This revelation did nothing to change the way one renders obedience to God’ s will.” (1, 414). This book does not introduce a new plan of salvation. All who obey the gospel as taught in Acts and the epistles will be saved. God has not given a new message, a new method of salvation. Revelation 22:12-16 3. THE OF JESUSRev_22:12-16 12 And my reward is with me.--This verse is a repetition of verse 7 with assurance that each one will be rewarded according to his works. See notes on verse 7. On being judged according to works compare 2 Corinthians 5:10. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega.--The text explains these words as first and last, beginning and end. Christ was with the Father in the creation (Colossians 1:15-17), has been in the plan of salvation, and will be at the judgment, and in the new Jerusalem. It is wonderfully encouraging to know we have one with such power to make us promises of rewards he will make no mistakes. 14 Blessed are they that wash their robes.--The promise made to such is that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. Adam because of disobedience was denied this right; through Christ man by obedience may come to it. Washing robes means to be pardoned through the merits of Jesus' blood. Other texts show that the blessings of the eternal city depend upon faithfulness unto death. (Revelation 2:11.) 15 Without are the dogs.--This verse contains substantially the same thought as Revelation 21:8. To the Jews the dog was an unclean animal and was a fit emblem of the abominable characters here named. "Without" means that such persons will not be allowed admittance to the heavenly city. 16 I Jesus have sent mine angel.--In these words Jesus directly confirms the testimony of the angel as being his own. His words were sent to churches then existing--the seven named --but are intended for all others in like conditions or subject to the same sins. I am the root and the offspring of David.--Being a descendant of David, he was what the prophecies demanded he should be; without this lineage he could not have occupied the throne of authority. This fact was mentioned in the first chapter of the New Testament and confirmed by Jesus here in the last chapter. As the offspring of David, he now rules at the right hand of God; at the judgment he will be sitting on the same throne; in eternity he will still be in association with the Father. (Verse 2.)Commentary on Revelation 22:12-16 by Foy E. Wallace (2) The corroborative testimony of Jesus to that of John and of the angel—Revelation 22:12-13. Revelation 22:12 : And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. The imminence of the things envisioned was here reemphasized in the word quickly to the degree of having become repetitious, but for that precise purpose--the alerting of the saints in every part of the Roman world. The reminder that my reward is with me was a dual pronouncement of threat and promise. There would be the execution of judgment on the characters represented by the beasts and their followers; and the bestowal of the trophies of victory and reward to the saints of the tribulation. This distribution of reward and retribution was announced in the words: to give every man according as his work shall be. Here again was the statement of an eternal principle with an everlasting application, the basis of which was in the fact as applied to the visional circumstances; but was nevertheless indicative of the truth couched in numerous epistolary references (Romans 2:6-29; Romans 3:1-31; Romans 4:1-25; Romans 5:1-21; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 7:1-25; Romans 8:1-39; Romans 9:1-33; Romans 10:1-21; Romans 11:1-36; Romans 12:1-21; Romans 13:1-14; Romans 14:1-12; 1 Corinthians 3:8; 1 Corinthians 5:10)--that judgment by works is not subject to a single judicial decision, but is a continual process in the lives of men. Revelation 22:13 : I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. The title of this verse, Alpha and Omega, belonged to Christ alone in this connection, and represented the finality of the sayings of the vision--the first and the last, the beginning and the end, were the words of his authority--the yea and the amen from which there could be no appeal and for which there could be no repeal. The vision, as previous shown, had closed and these words of Christ were being quoted by John to corroborate and verify his post-vision sayings of this last chapter, and to vindicate all of the claims of credibility. The words of verse thirteen meant--so be it, all in all as here recorded, for it came from Christ the All In All of divine jurisprudence and justice. (3) The seven apocalyptic beatitudes of the bride of the Lamb, the victorious church—Revelation 22:14-16. Revelation 22:14 : 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. This beautiful beatitude was the last of a cluster of the blessed passages of Revelation, and it rises to the highest heights of the mountain ranges of the visions of the blessed in the descriptions of their trials. After the first pronouncement of blessing in chapter one, their contexts appear as a sort of parentheses in the subject matter of the visions. There are seven of these beatitudes in Revelation, which deserve to be listed as a parenthesis here: The first beatitude was the blessing for them that read, heard and kept the words of the Seer, because the time was so near--Revelation 1:3. The second was the benedictory for the future martyrs who should die in the cause of the Lord from henceforth-- Revelation 14:13. The third was in praise of the state of grace for those who were aware of the imminence of ominous events and who lived in sustained preparation to meet the crisis-- Revelation 16:15. The fourth included the faithful saints who survived the persecutions and participated in the renewed and continuous fellowship of the victorious Bride in the marriage supper of the Lamb--Revelation 19:9. The fifth was the blessed state of victory shared by the martyrs who “ lived and reigned with Christ” in complete victory, which was symbolized by elevating the souls under the altar (chapter 6) to positions on the throne (chapter 20) and which symbolized the resurrection of the cause for which they died, and therefore figuratively designated the first resurrection in which the enthroned souls had part--Revelation 20:6. The sixth was exhortatory to all who had received the completed apocalypse, and maintained faithful adherence to all of the sayings embodied in the visions--Revelation 22:7. The seventh was the blessing of reward for all, after the scenes of persecution had been accomplished, and the trials of the tribulation were ended, who through obedience entered the opened gates into the city of the new Jerusalem, the redeemed Bride of the Lamb, the victorious church of Christ--Revelation 22:14. This high note of hope in the form of beatitudes permeated the apocalypse from the first chapter to the last, and the character of them adds to the accumulation of evidence that the visions of Revelation belonged to the tribulation period of the early churches. Returning to the text of Rev 22:14, the important words do his commandments constitute an imperative command. The condition of entering this City of God, the church, was obedience to the gospel. The revisions that have changed the phrase “ do his commandments” to “ wash their robes” have served only to weaken the text and obscure its meaning. It is a specific gospel text which should not be generalized by a tampering with its words, a thing that all of the late so-called revisions appear to be specializing in doing. The text is sublime as it reads and it means that the gospel must be obeyed. The clause that they may have right to the tree of life meant the title to it. The word right does not here merely mean a right or privilege of entering the city--but indicates the title of inheritance. The one who enters “ through the gates into the city” has right to the tree of life--to the inheritance of the life which is the fruit of the tree, as set forth in the comments on verse three of this chapter. It is an edifying concept of the source of spiritual life in the church of God and of Christ. Revelation 22:15 : For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. These all were the aggregation of the enemies of Christ and the saints and the persecutors of the church and their followers. The characters of all who were without the city were in contrast with all who were within it. The expression without are dogs had the implication that all who were without were of that classification, a term of various connotations. It was descriptive of the evil and impious characters that inhabit the outside. Among the Jews the dog was typical of that which was unclean and vile. The Mosaic law decreed that the hire of a harlot and the price of a dog were abominable to God and were not acceptable for the offerings and the vows of the law. (Deuteronomy 23:18) Paul warned the Philippians to beware of the dogs (Philippians 3:2) which meant the cautious avoidance of Gentile influence and affiliation. The Jews called the Gentiles dogs; but here the unbelieving Jews had so classified themselves and the term had boomeranged and fallen back upon them. Jesus said to his disciples; “ Give not that which is holy to the dogs,” meaning that the pure principles of his teaching should not be compromised or mixed with the inferior philosophies and practices of the heathen world surrounding them. None of these evil things could enter the city of God--all dogs were without. For comments on the terms sorcerers, whoremongers and liars turn to Revelation 21:8; Revelation 21:27. These were terms to designate heathenism and to define their practices; and these words of John constituted a pronouncement for the eternal exclusion of all classes which these evils represented, and of all who do not obey his commandments--the gospel which Jesus Christ had commissioned his ambassadors to preach to all the world. Revelation 22:16 : 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. This passage is one of the pinnacles of John’ s utterances in the book of Revelation, of which there had been many. It affirmed that He who had commissioned his angel to testify the things of the apocalypse was the rightful heir to the kingdom and throne of Judah’ s sceptre as the legal and regal descendant of David. The statement forms an epexegetical insertion of a leading point for special emphasis--that is, an additional explanatory point, put or set in the text for extra accent; and in this instance the purpose was to focus the attention on who had spoken in the visions. He who was the Son of David according to flesh, the fulfillment of all Davidic prophecies and promises, was in these visions the Bright And Morning Star to herald the dawn for the persecuted church. In numerous other passages he was said to occupy the throne of David (Acts 2:29-33); and to bring the blessings and mercies of David (Acts 13:34); and to set up the tabernacle of David (Acts 15:13-17); and to hold the key of David (Isaiah 22:22 - Revelation 3:7). All of the prophecies relating to David’ s throne have been fulfilled in the ascendancy of Jesus Christ to the throne in heaven; from which throne He had been the Speaker of the apocalypse. As the Root and Offspring of David, he had spoken with a sovereign and royal authority above kings of the nations or the emperors of the imperial dynasty; the throne of David was greater than the throne of Caesar; and kingdom of heaven was superior to the dominions of any earthly government. He was the victorious Rider of the white horse and his Cause had triumphed. Christ was the Victor; the persecutors were the vanquished; and the saints of tribulation were the rewarded in the visions that had been concluded. Commentary on Revelation 22:12-16 by Walter ScottTHE DIVINE SPEAKER. Revelation 22:12-13. — “Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every one as his work shall be. I (am) the Alpha and the Omega, (the) first and (the) last, the beginning and the end.” Once again does the divine Speaker proclaim the certainty and nearness of His Return, not simply as a cheer to His waiting and expectant saints (Revelation 22:7), but with rewards, many and varied, to be bestowed according to the quality and character of service rendered. The least service shall be fittingly rewarded by the Lord when He comes, not into the air for us (1 Thessalonians 4:17), but into the kingdom with us. Not the Father’ s house into which we are first removed (John 14:2-3), but the kingdom is the sphere and scene where rewards are bestowed according to service and faithfulness. Then follows the announcement of titles essentially divine. As the book draws to a close, even as it opened, these same grand titles are asserted by Christ. None other can claim them but He (compare with Revelation 1:8; Revelation 21:6; Revelation 1:17). THE GROUND OF RIGHT TO THE CITY’ S . Revelation 22:14-15. — “Blessed (are) they that wash their robes, that they may have right to the tree of life, and that they should go in by the gates into the city. Without (are) the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loves and makes a lie.” The Authorized Version reads, “ Blessed are they that do His commandments.” But every critical scholar of note rejects the reading in our English Bibles. Obedience to commandments is not the ground on which eternal life is bestowed. It is God’ s gift to all who believe (John 5:24). The reading, “ that wash their robes,” is in accord with Revelation 7:14, where a similar expression is employed. In both cases the mystic robes of the redeemed could alone be washed in the blood of the Lamb. In the earlier reference the application of the blood gave the saved Gentile crowd right to stand before the throne (Revelation 7:15); in the latter reference it is the title to the tree of life and entrance into the golden city (Revelation 22:14). The classes who are debarred from entering into the city are each introduced by the definite article the. It is not the ungodly in general, but specific, easily defined, classes of Men who are in question. Substantially the list here is the same as in Revelation 21:8. Here the fact of their exclusion from the holy city is stated, whereas the same characters are seen in the previous chapter as in the lake of fire — from the city of gold in Revelation 22:15; in the lake of fire in Revelation 21:8. In both lists special sin against God, and against others, is in the main that which distinguishes the sinners here enumerated. JESUS IN THE DIGNITY OF HIS PERSON; JESUS IN HIS TO ISRAEL AND TO THE CHURCH. Revelation 22:16-17. — “I, Jesus, have sent Mine angel to testify these things to you in the assemblies. I am the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright (and) Morning Star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is athirst come; he that will, let him take (the) water of life freely.” The calm, quiet, yet emphatic assertion of His dignity, “I, Jesus,” is admirable, coming as it does at the close of the numerous revelations of grace, glory, and judgment in which He prominently figures. The Revelation is over now, and it simply remains to add the finishing touches to this remarkable book. Who but Jesus, Who opened it, can close it? The medium of communication between Jesus and John is an angel (compare with Revelation 1:1). “ These things” were to be testified in the assemblies. What things? The whole contents of the book; nothing is to be omitted. “I am the Root and Offspring of David.” The “I” is emphatic. His connection with Israel in royalty is here asserted. As divine He is the Root of David’ s house. As man He is the Offspring of David. He is David’ s Lord and David’ s Son. The crown of Israel is His in virtue of Who He is, and His, too, by promise and prophecy. He was born King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2). He died as King of the Jews (Matthew 27:37). He shall reign as King of the Jews (Zechariah 9:9). But He adds that which is our special portion, which connects us with Himself in a special and endearing relation, “ the Bright (and) Morning Star.” Before the millennial day dawns, before the judgments preceding it desolate the prophetic scene, before, too, the glories of the kingdom lift up the earth nearer Heaven, Jesus appears as the Bright and Morning Star to His bride. As the Sun of Righteousness He arises to Israel in noon-day splendor (Malachi 4:2), but that is subsequent to His Coming for us. The star is in the early morning, and precedes the shining of the sun by at least seven years. This revelation, not of glory, but of Himself, the Bridegroom of the bride, at once stirs up her slumbering affections. Her heart is roused. Jesus has kindled a fire in her soul which cannot be put out. She hears Him say “ I am the Bright and Morning Star.” It is the voice of her Beloved, and at once the appeal is answered, “ The Spirit and the bride say, Come,” that is, to Him. The first two clauses of Rev 22:17 are the answer to the last clause of Rev 22:16. We have not the response of the Spirit only, but that of the bride jointly with the Spirit. It is not the Spirit in the bride, but both who unite in the cry to Him, Come. Then each individual hearer is invited to join in the glad welcome, Come. This is the day when the midnight cry has gone forth, “ Behold the Bridegroom,” (Authorities omit the word “ cometh” from Matthew 25:6.) the day of grace, of God’ s long-suffering mercy. So now the call goes out to every thirsty soul. Is anyone wearied, disappointed? Here is a word which covers all need. “ Let him that is athirst come.” Again we meet with a word which is sufficiently comprehensive to embrace every willing soul on earth, for none is forgotten, “ He that will, let him take (the) water of life freely.”Commentary on Revelation 22:12-16 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 22:12. I come quickly is explained at Revelation 22:7 <>. My reward is with me. When Jesus comes again it will not be for the purpose of setting up another reign on the earth, for all of His reign will then come to a close (1 Corinthians 15:24-26 <>). The lot of both just and unjust will have been decided at that time, and Christ will be coming to bestow the reward according to that decision. It is in that sense that the reward will be with Him--not coming merely to announce what it is going to be. He will at that time recompense either "tribulation" or "rest" upon mankind (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 <>), which is the meaning of the present passage. The basis on which the rewards will be distributed is according as his work shall be. Revelation 22:13. This is virtually the same as Revelation 1:8 <>; see those comments. Revelation 22:14. Blessed is from , and in the King James Version it has been rendered "blessed" 43 times and "happy" 6 times. The reason for their blessedness or happiness is their right to the tree of life. The word right is from the word EXOUSIA, which also means power or authority. It is a very serious passage in view of the notions of many people as to the lot of the unsaved. As an outburst of sentiment or emotion it is said, "How could God refuse to admit any person to the eternal happiness when He has it within his power to grant it." But the last part of the statement is not true, for God cannot do that which is not right. (Titus 1:2 <>; 2 Timothy 2:13 <>.) If those who do the commandments are the ones who have the right to the tree of life, then it would not be right for others to have access to it. And if they would not have a right to it, it would be wrong for them to have it. And since God cannot do wrong it follows that He cannot admit any person to the city who has not done the commandments. It is clear that having right to the tree of life requires the right for entrance into the city, for we learned at Revelation 22:2 <>that the tree is growing inside the city. Revelation 22:15. Without means on the outside of the eternal city. The preceding verse reveals who will be permitted to enter the city and this one tells some of the kind that will not enter. Dogs. It would be foolish to think this is used with reference to the dumb brute, for it would not be more true of the dog than of all others of the animal kingdom. 2 Peter 2:12 <>informs us that the beasts are destined to be destroyed; there will be no "hereafter" for them. The word is from KUON and Thayer says that some authorities define it to mean "sodomites." The word corresponding to it in the Old Testament is keleb which Strong defines, "A dog; hence (by euphemism) [substitution of a milder word as being less offensive to the ear] a male prostitute." In Deuteronomy 23:18 <>the word is used in that sense where it is associated with an immoral woman in designating "tainted money." The "hire of a whore" means money an immoral woman receives from her male patrons. While on that subject it was appropriate to name another immoral person and that is a man who practices unnatural immorality for money, and that is what is meant by "the price of a dog." It seems very fitting to call a Sodomite a dog, for that animal is the only creature of the brute creation that is inclined to gratify his lust on one of his own sex. And we have the same appropriateness of the two kinds of immoral characters that the Old Testament passage showed, namely, the dogs and very soon the whoremongers. The dogs are men who have immoral relations with other men, and whoremongers are men who patronize women who are immoral as an occupation. Thayer says a sorcerer is "one who prepares or uses magical remedies." It is similar to those who are engaged in the "dope" business today. The scriptures tell us that medicine does good (Proverbs 17:22 <>), but any kind of drugs or narcotics that produce unnatural feelings of gaiety, or the opposite one of abandonment to lasciviousness, will damage the body and that will bring the curse of God upon the guilty. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20 <>.) The first sin committed by man against man was murder (Genesis 4:8 <>). That crime is so great that God finally gave the decree of capital punishment against all who commit it (Genesis 9:6 <>). But literal murder is not the only kind that can be committed. 1 John 3:15 <>says a man who hates his brother is a murderer, and of course all such persons will be on the outside of the holy city. Idolaters are those who worship anything or any person besides the true God. It may be images made with hands or the works of creation such as the planets or animals, etc. Also Paul says that covetousness is idolatry (Colossians 3:5 <>), hence there will be no covetous persons in Heaven. Revelation 21:8 <>shows that liars of all kinds will be cast into the lake of fire. Our verse expresses the same thought as to its comprehensiveness by taking in all who love the liars. Revelation 22:16. This book starts out by telling us that it is the revelation of Jesus Christ (not of "Saint John the Divine" as the heading title erroneously states), and this verse reveals Him introducing himself directly. However, He does not overlook the services of the angel, but faithfully backs up his work by saying that He sent him. To testify means to transmit the testimony to the churches. That is, to bear testimony to the things that have been showed him throughout the vision of this book. Root and offspring of David. This means that Jesus was in the direct line of genealogy that came down from Abraham through David. That great man was not the only prominent Hebrew in the line, but ?there was a distinction in his case. David had two sons by the same woman, Bathsheba, and those sons were Solomon and Nathan (1 Chronicles 3:5 <>). At this place the blood line divides and on Solomon's side it comes down to Joseph the husband of Mary. On Nathan's side it comes down to Mary the mother of Jesus. (See Matthew 1 <>and Luke 3 <>.) There is another fact that makes David of special importance. He was the first king of the Israelites from the tribe of Judah, and it had been predicted (Genesis 49:10 <>) that the tribe of Judah was to give law to God's people in latter times. The Mosaic law was of the tribe of Levi (Exodus 2:1-10 <>). David was the first king of the tribe of Judah to sit upon the throne of God's ancient people. That kingdom was destined to be set aside and replaced by another. But God assured David that his throne would not always be vacant. There was to be one of his descendants who would reign on the throne, only by that time it would be spiritual and not one with temporal government as its purpose. Such a king was worthy of coming to John with an authoritative commission such as this vision. Bright and morning star is what He says of himself in Revelation 2:28 <>. The significance of this phrase is due to its brightness as it precedes the sun in rising, thus announcing that a new day is beginning. (See 2 Peter 1:19 <>.) And truly did the rising of Jesus come as a star to announce that a new day was about to come, the day of the Christian Dispensation.Commentary on Revelation 22:12-16 by Burton CoffmanRev_22:12 Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to each man according as his work is.Behold, I come quickly For discussion of this, see under Revelation 22:7. And my reward is with me, to render to each man ... The coming of Christ in the New Testament is invariably associated with the final judgment of the good and bad alike, the good to receive eternal life, and the wicked to receive the second death. In this verse, "The words take the first person and become the very words of Christ."[60] Although Roberts understood the "coming" here to be not the Second Coming, but his coming in the great ordeal the church was confronting, such views do not take into account the rewards and punishments clearly associated with it in the text. These indicate the Second Coming of Christ in glory to judge the living and the dead. Limiting this to the period of the persecutions coming upon the church when John wrote comes from the acceptance of a narrow preterist system of interpreting this prophecy. The people who passed through that persecution did not receive their rewards then; at least Paul didn't (2 Timothy 2:4). The usual knee-jerk response to a verse such as this may be illustrated by, "John had no expectation that this age of human history would last even a generation, to say nothing of centuries."[61] Such a dictum flows out of a comprehensive misunderstanding of this whole prophecy, to say nothing of the entire New Testament. See the "Speedy Return of Christ," in my Commentary on 1Thessalonians, pp. 18-20. According as his work is ... That the final judgment will be related to the deeds of men is so clear and so often repeated in the New Testament that the interpretative denials of it are continuously refuted and checkmated. [60] J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 196. [61] Martin Rist, op. cit., p. 546. Revelation 22:13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.I am the Alpha and the Omega ... These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet used idiomatically to express comprehensive completeness. In this prophecy it is found in Revelation 1:8; Revelation 1:10-11; Revelation 21:5-6; Revelation 22:13. We agree with Barclay that, "There is more than one idea here. There is the idea of completeness, of eternity and of authority.[62] Actually, all three statements in this verse are parallel aspects of one great truth. CHRIST; THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA"I am the Alpha and the Omega." This is one of the most intriguing things Christ ever said. Of course, the idiom of so using the first and last letters of the alphabet is perhaps as old as language itself. A similar use was made of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, as when Abraham was said to have kept the law from Aleph to Tav; and Psalms 119 is written on the pattern of the same alphabet from Aleph to Tav. Colonial literature in America had the expression one still hears now and then, "From A to Izzard," Izzard, of course, being the old name for Z. I. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega with reference to his eternal existence. He said, "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58). Christ is "before all things" (Colossians 1:17), and was "in the beginning" (John 1:1 f). He is the same "yesterday, today, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8). II. He is the Alpha and the Omega with reference to the atonement for man's sin. The sins of Abel, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of all the pre-Christian world, their sins, no less than ours, are forgiven only through the blood of Christ. He is the Alpha and the Omega concerning human redemption. III. He is the Alpha and the Omega with reference to the word of God. He was the first to declare fully God's word to people. In a very real sense, Jesus was God's first complete word to men. But if the word in Jesus is first, it is also the last. He revealed that, "The word that I speak, the same shall judge him (man) in the last day" (John 12:48). People shall never be through with the word of Christ; it shall confront them in the final judgment. IV. He is the Alpha and the Omega of the Christian faith. As the writer of Hebrews said, "He is the author and finisher of our faith (KJV)" (Hebrews 12:2). Regarding the personal redemption of every man, Jesus is the all in all, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega. V. He is the Alpha and the Omega as regards the resurrection of the dead. Paul wrote the Colossians that Christ was the "firstborn from the dead," which does not mean that his was the first resurrection of a mortal, but that Christ was the first to be raised from the dead upon whom death would have no further power. Lazarus and others who were "raised" died again, but not so with Christ. He shall be the last in this regard, because it is his word that shall summon all the dead to the final judgment. VI. He is the Alpha and the Omega in the New Testament. His name is in the first verse and in the last. His titles mark the opening words, and his blessing closes the sacred canon of the New Testament. VII. He is the Alpha and the Omega in the final judgment. The eternal judgment shall begin with the body of Christ (the church), as indicated by 1 Peter 4:17; and the final word of it shall be pronounced by the Son of God because the father hath committed judgment to the Son (John 5:27). Christ will be the Alpha and the Omega in the eternal judgment. ENDNOTE: [62] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 225. Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right ... Some scholars still prefer the KJV rendition of this as, "Blessed are they that do his commandments," which could well be correct. Recent generations of Bible translators are allergic to any mention of "doing" God's commandments. However, as regards this verse, it could not make the slightest difference. "Washing one's robes" and "doing his commandments" are synonymous terms. Either way, there's a lot of doing for the sinner who hopes to be saved. Oh no; he does not thereby earn or merit salvation; but there are nevertheless things to be "done" by the sinner before God will save him. This is one of the seven great beatitudes of Revelation. They are: I. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein (Revelation 1:3). II. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord (Revelation 14:13). III. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame (Revelation 16:15). IV. Blessed are they that are bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). V. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection (Revelation 10:6). VI. Blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book (Revelation 22:7). VII. Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, and to enter in through the gates into the city (Revelation 22:14). Barclay's comment on this seventh beatitude is excellent: This shows man's part in salvation. It is Jesus Christ who in his Cross has provided the grace by which alone man can be forgiven; but man has to appropriate that sacrifice ... We can supply soap and water, but we cannot compel a person to use them.[63]Mounce pointed out that, "The participle, they that wash is in the present tense, suggesting continuous action."[64] One is never through with washing his robes and striving to achieve through Christ that degree of holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. When all that Christ does for people is considered, man's part in redemption is not worthy to be compared with Christ's; but still, Christ has given man a role to play in his salvation; he must wash his robes. He gives the holy bride the glorious garments; but she must put them on (See under Revelation 19:7 ff). Free grace gives the white robes to the sinner, but he must take care of the laundering! [63] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 227. [64] Robert H. Mounce, Commentaries on the New Testament, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), p. 393. Revelation 22:15 Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie.Dogs ... "This can denote a thoroughly immoral person, and that may be its meaning here."[65] Male prostitutes in the old pagan temples were commonly called "dogs." The attitude toward dogs in the ancient culture was quite different from that in America today. Dogs were generally wild, vicious, dirty, cowardly, and disgusting. They were the scavengers of ancient cities. Sorcerers ... The black arts were common in John's day, and they have again become so in our own. Satan still operates in the same old ways; he has not invented a new sin in thousands of years. Fornicators ... See full comment on this in my Commentary on Hebrews, p. 325. Murderers ... The Christian view of this is more strict than that of the natural man. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus made the antecedent attitudes of contempt and hatred to be murder "in principle." Idolaters ... The ancient idolatry was enshrined in the temples of paganism; but the modern idolatry is more subtle, and is identified with self-love and the selfish disregard of others. The old temples with their idol gods are no more, except in some backward nations; but people still worship power, fame, wealth, gold, science, themselves, or humanity anything except the one true and Almighty God. Every one that loveth and maketh a lie ... Most commentators stress the broad implications of this, noting that it does not say, "anyone who ever told a lie." True as this is, we may not suppose that God takes a light view of any falsehood, however inoffensive it may appear to people. Without ... This is actually the big word in the whole verse. It does not mean that just outside of God's city such characters as these are lurking and trying to enter. "Their doom is not mere exclusion from the city but is the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8)."[66] "Outside, or without, therefore involves a reference to the lake of fire."[67][65] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 227. [66] George Eldon Ladd, op. cit., p. 293. [67] Martin Rist, op. cit., p. 547. Revelation 22:16I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things for the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, the bright, the morning star.Up to this verse, we have been studying God's authentication of this prophecy (Revelation 22:6-15). See outline under Revelation 22:6. This verse through Revelation 22:19 is the authentication of Jesus the Lord. "Revelation again takes on the aspect of a legal document. Note the legal formula, "I Jesus,' showing that Jesus is bearing witness that his angel was divinely commissioned to show the visions to John."[68] Thus God and Christ attest the authenticity of Revelation; "Two witnesses are wholly sufficient."[69] Thus, this book and all of its words are established as faithful and true (Revelation 22:6) by two witnesses and two attestations, that of God by his angel, and that of Christ himself. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify ... We may therefore place infinite trust in what is here revealed. In order that the full weight of just who is testifying here may be seen, Jesus further identified himself in the next lines. These things for the churches ... This requires that we understand the brief individual messages to the seven churches in the beginning of Revelation as an introduction; the whole book is intended for all of them. I am the root and the offspring of David ... the morning star ... This ties the end of the New Testament with the very first verse of it (Matthew 1:1); and the mention of the star recalls the light that led the wise men to the manger in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:10 f). The bright, the morning star ... "Christ is the Star of the Dawn, and what James Stewart once in a convocation at Edinburgh called "The Star of the Eschaton.'"[70] This particular pair of metaphors, the root and the star, occurs together nowhere else in the Bible. Perhaps a little closer look at them will prove helpful. CHRIST; THE ROOT AND THE STARCan anyone imagine two things more unlike than a root and a star? This proves that the Holy Spirit gave these words, for no man would ever have dared to describe the Lord in one breath as a root and a star. Yet, both terms are frequently applied to Christ in Scripture. The metaphor of the root appears in Revelation 5:8; Romans 15:12; Isaiah 11:1-2; and in this passage. That of the star is in Numbers 24:17; Matthew 2:2; 2 Peter 1:19. It is the contrast in these metaphors which we shall emphasize. I. Here is the contrast between the near and the far. A root is near, but a star's distance is measured in light years! Is it not so with Christ? Where two or three are gathered together in his name, there is he; and yet he is at the right hand of the Majesty on High. II. Here is the contrast between the visible and the invisible. The root is hidden beneath our feet, but the star blazes forth in the sky. That is the way it is with Christ. His influence is hidden and works secretly like leaven in the three measures of meal; but it also blazes forth in all creation. The influence of Christ is so universal and extensive that a fool can see it. III. Here is a contrast between the earthly and the heavenly. Jesus Christ is both perfect man and perfect God. The New Testament has many examples of the humanity of Christ. He was hungry, tired, sorrowful, etc., like all men; but his miracles proclaim him as God of every God. IV. Here is the contrast between the local and the universal. A root is fixed. It cannot move, except to creep a short distance from its humble beginning; but a star sweeps through the outer reaches of the universe in an orbit of incomprehensible distances. Its light travels 186,200 miles per second, and that for one million years at a time! A root may be localized and contained in an earthen jar; but a star rises for the whole world to see and hangs a blazing lantern in the sky where none can miss it. Is not also Christ like this? To individuals, Christ is "my Saviour," "my shepherd," etc.; but to the world he is the Christ of the Ages, the Christ of the first century and of the last; he is the Christ of Damascus Road, and the Christ of Every Road. He is the Christ of a little child's bedside and the Christ of all races and conditions of man. He is here; he is also everywhere. V. Here is the contrast with that which is small and that which is big. A root may be so small that an eye can hardly see it; but a star may be so large that a million worlds cannot be compared with it. Jesus Christ is so great that time and space cannot contain him; but he was also wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Mary clutched him to her breast" and little children sing of the "Little Lord Jesus"; but multitudes of the heavenly host fall down in his presence. VI. Here is the contrast between the high and the low. A star is high; a root is low. Christ is both: There's not a friend like the lowly Jesus; No friend like him is so high and holy; And yet no friend is so meek and lowly![71]VII. Here is the contrast between that which needs man's care and that which needs nothing. A root must be watered and cultivated; a star needs absolutely nothing from man. Just so, Christ is above and beyond all people. Nothing that men can do can either cause or prevent the everlasting glory that pertains to him; and yet Christ needs people. There are certain phases of his work that cannot get on without men. Christ works through his human children, and their labors are important to the Eternal. "For it is God who worketh in you both and to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). [68] Olivia Crouch, All Things New (Austin, Texas: Firm Foundation Publishing House, 1976), p. 230. [69] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 663. [70] Ralph Earle, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 625. [71] Johnson Oatman, Jr., There's Not a Friend, Hymn No. 267, Great Songs of the Church (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company). Commentary on Revelation 22:12-16 by Manly Luscombe12 “ And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. Keep the faith. Remain faithful even in times of persecution. Here is the reason. When Christ comes for the second time, he will bring the reward with him. You will be judged by the deeds done in your body, good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10). When Christ comes again, this world and the things done in this life will end. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” Christ uses the same description at the beginning and the end of this book. Alpha and Omega - are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet. With our alphabet we would say, “ Everything from A to Z.” Beginning and end - Christ was before the beginning of creation. He will continue when this planet melts with fervent heat and the elements are burned up. (See Revelation 1:8) 14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. Again, similar statements were made at the beginning of the book. (Revelation 1:3) The first of the “ blessed” statements was to pronounce a blessing on all who read, heed and obey the commands of this book. The obedient have the Tree of Life. The obedient are allowed to enter the city (the church). Heaven (the reward that Christ will bring) will be given to those who are in the holy city, the New Jerusalem. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. In the city are the obedient. Outside are all others. John gives another short list similar to Revelation 21:8. 16 “ I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Jesus explain that he sent his angel to reveal these things to the churches. Jesus identifies himself as the Root and Offspring of David. Jesus was involved in the creation of man. Therefore, Jesus was the root, the origin, of David. In his earthly blood line, Jesus was of the offspring of David. Christ is both the origin and the descendent of David. Jesus is also the bright and morning star. The morning star is the bright star that can still be seen as the day dawns. Even though the sky has become light, this star is still visible. Revelation 22:17-19 4. AN AND A WARNINGRev_22:17-19 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.--The invitation is to come to Christ, and is based upon his right to our devotion and service. This right rests upon his character as Creator and the legal Ruler in the "tabernacle of David." The Holy Spirit entreats us to come by the teachings of the apostles and prophets. These contain the motives of mercy and rewards, as found in this book and other parts of the sacred record. The church, which is the wife (Revelation 21:9), invites by preaching the word and proper Christian living. Those that hear (heed) are authorized to say, Come. Those who desire and are willing may take the water of life freely--that is, can have an abundant "entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:11.) With such invitations no earnest and honest soul need be lost. 18 If any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book.--This is probably the language of John himself. He warns of the disasters that will come upon those who tamper with the divine record of this book. The same principle applies to all God's laws at whatever time they are in force. (Deuteronomy 4:2; Galatians 1:6-9.) John, however, is here speaking of Revelation; the expression this book is sufficient proof. Being a prophetic book with the fulfillment of its symbols yet future when John wrote, there would be more temptations to change its words to fit supposed fulfillments. The desire to add other predictions would need to be curbed. The opposite danger--leaving out what might seem to conflict with views already taken--would also be strong. Those rejecting any part of the book would lose their inheritance in the heavenly city. This will condemn not only actual mutilation of the book, but also its perversion through teaching to support a false theory. No book should be studied with more caution or care.Commentary on Revelation 22:17-19 by Foy E. Wallace II. THE AND Revelation 22:17 : 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. As heretofore mentioned, these concluding admonitory words were the sayings of John himself, not of Jesus, in which he sounded the note of an unlimited invitation, but not an unconditional one. This seventeenth verse of the last chapter of Revelation has had a first place in gospel preaching for centuries. It has been proclaimed the high note of redemption and has been compared to ringing the bells of heaven. It was the call to all men to come to the river and the tree of life within the wonderful city of verse fourteen. The city was the New Jerusalem, which has been specifically and repeatedly designated the Lamb’ s Bride--the church of Christ. The Spirit which joined in this invitation was the One Spirit before the apocalyptic throne, from which the seven spirits of the vision had proceeded. Joined with the Spirit in this great invitation was the Bride, bidding all to come within her walls. And the Seer himself exhorted any one who heareth--who had heard the Spirit and the Bride say, Come--to ring the bell and join the refrain by saying, Come. And all who would thereafter hear this book of Revelation read in the churches (Revelation 1:3) should join the glad chorus and say, Come. All who were athirst, without the water of salvation, were entreated to come, to the river which flowed the thirst--quenching water of life, to drink of which one would never thirst again. (John 4:14) And to make this gospel call all inclusive John said: whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Salvation full and free was offered to all, but within the sphere of salvation-- the church. And it was made conditional by in saying whosoever will, and in the accompanying word take. These words expressed conditions. They required that the will of man shall yield to the will of God in the doing of the commandments of Rev 22:14. The phrase let himcome implies that the gospel is persuasive, not coercive. No one can shoot the gospel into a sinner nor machine-gun Christianity into a heathen--but he that will, whosoever or wheresoever he may be, can come without hindrance or restraint. Revelation 22:18-19 : 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. These verses were prefaced by the statement of John for I testify unto every man. The preposition for connects this verse with the preceding Revelation 22:17. It conveys the meaning: in view of which, or in consideration of which, or with reference to which--that is, the universal invitation brought forth a universal admonition, a caution and a warning: the fateful consequences of adding to or taking from the Word of God. Though the restriction in itself was limited to these things and this book, the other portions of the Word of God in the other epistles are not less important than the book of Revelation, and the injunction therefore applies with equal appeal and penalty to all of the inspired scriptures. It means that any alteration of them in any degree is criminal in the sight of God. The same injunction was included in the Mosaic law (Deuteronomy 4:2); and the principle was embodied in the apostolic epistles (1 Corinthians 4:6 ; 2 John 1:9-11). The effect in its application of all scripture would be the same (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and the consequences therefore the same. An instance of the evil results of presumptuous men changing the truth was put into the record in the cases of Hymenaeus, Alexander and Philetus (1 Timothy 1:19-20 -- 2 Timothy 2:17-18); and the direful end of such presumption is damnation. (Romans 1:22-25;-2 Thessalonians 2:8-12) The consequences of such interpolation and deduction were the anathemas of the plagues and forfeiture of all portion in the book of life, the holy city, or the promised rewards. The names of all who would thus divert and pervert divine revelation would be erased from the registry of the citizens of the city of God. Commentary on Revelation 22:17-19 by Walter ScottThis revelation, not of glory, but of Himself, the Bridegroom of the bride, at once stirs up her slumbering affections. Her heart is roused. Jesus has kindled a fire in her soul which cannot be put out. She hears Him say “ I am the Bright and Morning Star.” It is the voice of her Beloved, and at once the appeal is answered, “ The Spirit and the bride say, Come,” that is, to Him. The first two clauses of Rev 22:17 are the answer to the last clause of Rev 22:16. We have not the response of the Spirit only, but that of the bride jointly with the Spirit. It is not the Spirit in the bride, but both who unite in the cry to Him, Come. Then each individual hearer is invited to join in the glad welcome, Come. This is the day when the midnight cry has gone forth, “ Behold the Bridegroom,” (Authorities omit the word “ cometh” from Matthew 25:6.) the day of grace, of God’ s long-suffering mercy. So now the call goes out to every thirsty soul. Is anyone wearied, disappointed? Here is a word which covers all need. “ Let him that is athirst come.” Again we meet with a word which is sufficiently comprehensive to embrace every willing soul on earth, for none is forgotten, “ He that will, let him take (the) water of life freely.”A SOLEMN WARNING. Revelation 22:18-19 — “I testify to every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If any one shall add to these things, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book. And if any one take from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.” Wherever the words of this prophecy are read or heard this deeply solemn warning applies. It is stern denunciation by the Lord. He testifies of the awful sin, of the ruinous consequences to every soul who adds to or takes from this verbally inspired book. To tamper with the words of the prophecy of the book is to bring oneself under the divine lash. The plagues of the book, which are many and varied, are added in righteous retribution to those who add to its words. Those who take from the words of the prophecy shall have their part taken from the tree of life, and from the holy city. It is thus that God guards the book which above all others in the sacred canon is treated with neglect and by many with contempt. (“ Yet the writer has transcribers of his book especially in view, and wishes to prevent them from making any arbitrary alterations, as was then often done, especially in writings of the same prophetic kind; so Grotius, Vitringa, etc.” — “ Bleek’ s Lectures an the Apocalypse,” p. 355.)Commentary on Revelation 22:17-19 by E.M Zerr Revelation 22:17. The subject running through this verse is along the line of invitations. It has been stated more than once that as to the relative place of the items in the over-all vision of this book, the time of the judgment has been reached. From that standpoint there would be no reason to give anyone an invitation to come for salvation--that opportunity has passed. Yet in reality, aside from the symbolized feature of the book, the basic purpose of the book of Revelation is to give the world a final document from Heaven as an incentive for preparing to meet the day of all days, the second coming of Christ and the judgment of the world. Otherwise there would be no point in inviting men to come and drink of the water of life. Nor would there be any call for the warning sounded in the two verses following this. Hence we shall consider the important phrases of this combined invitation. The bride is the (espoused) church (2 Corinthians 11:2) and the Spirit is in the church (Ephesians 2:22). The church of Christ has a standing invitation to people of the world, wishing them to accept the salvation offered so freely. In truth, it is the only organization that has any right to make such an offer (Ephesians 3:21 and 1 Timothy 3:15). But others as individuals have the right to repeat the invitation, hence the verse says for those who hear to repeat the call. That makes it the duty of every individual to be active in the salvation of souls. Let him that is athirst come. This is in line with the statement of Jesus in Matthew 5:6 that they who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled. That is logical, for unless a man is thirsty he will not be interested in the opportunity to drink. Whosoever will signifies the same as the preceding comment, that unless a man is willing it would do him no good to go through the formality of obeying the Gospel. Let it be observed also that the blessing is to those who come. Man must come to the fountain for it will not be moved towards him for his convenience. The water of life is the same that Jesus made known to the woman of Samaria (John 4:10-14). This water is the word of God and it will be in man "a well of water springing up into everlasting life." It is offered freely which means abundantly and without the price such as silver and gold. Revelation 22:18. It is asked if the phrase this book refers to the book of Revelation or to the whole Bible. Its direct application is to this book for it is the one that John was engaged to write. But the principle applies to the entire word of God, for 1 Peter 4:11 commands "any man" who speaks to do so as the oracles of God. That would not be done were he to make any change in the Sacred Text, either by adding to it or by taking from it. To add unto these things would not be done only by literally writing some uninspired words to the document; no person is apt to do that. But when a man assumes the privilege of practicing things not authorized in the book,he thereby adds to it in principle. The plagues were symbolized and were repeated in various forms. The idea is that such a man will be plagued as severely as those described. Revelation 22:19. There is nothing put in the book of God that is not necessary, therefore it is sinful to take any of it out. That would be done by rejecting any of its requirement. (See Hebrews 2:2.) Take away his part. No man actually has possession of any part of the things in the holy city, but God has prepared a part for each person who will prepare himself for it by faithfulness to the word. Commentary on Revelation 22:17-19 by Burton CoffmanRev_22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that heareth, let him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let him come: he that will, let him take the water of life freely.The Spirit and the bride say, Come ... "The Spirit is the Holy Spirit, and the bride is the church (Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:9). It is the testimony of the church empowered by the Holy Spirit."[72] Note that there are four invitations in this verse, yet there is only one. "It is not as though the Spirit says, Come; and then also the bride says, Come; but the Spirit moves in her, and she is moved by him."[73]Come ... This is what people have to do if they wish to be saved. This verb implies that unless men shall "come," they shall continue to be lost. This means that God in Christ has already done everything that even God can do to save people, and that the next move is up to them. This also inherently teaches that it is possible for people to do this. No enabling act on God's part is necessary; it is the human will that must respond to this call. And he that heareth, let him say, Come ... Roberts tells us that, "There is evidence from early sources (Didache 10:6-7), that this was a liturgical prayer used in the ritual of the Lord's supper."[74] This is no doubt correct; and it is most important in determining the meaning of "come" in this passage and elsewhere in the New Testament. The word maranatha, transliterated from the Aramaic was commonly used in such rituals, and it may be written either marana tha, or as maran atha (The old manuscripts did not divide between words.). Note the discussion of these two ways of dividing this word in 1 Corinthians 16:2, and see the discussion in my Commentary on 1Corinthians, pp. 284,285. Remember that there is just as much authority for rendering "Come, Lord Jesus" as "The Lord has come,"[75] as there is for understanding it as a petition for him to come. In fact, there is a double meaning in it. It means, "Come Lord, and be with us in the communion, as thou hast promised"; but it also means, "Lord, come in the Second Advent." The Supper itself was observed with reference to that future event as well as a reference to the crucifixion. What better way could there have been to preserve this mystical implication than by using one word that gathered up multiple meanings in itself, maranatha? The late great Christian scholar, J. W. Roberts, left us this priceless comment: At the table (of the Lord's Supper) they saw his presence with the eye of faith and took it as a pledge of his ultimate manifestation at the parousia ... (John) knows that the church will join in saying of Christ, Come.[76]The double meaning here extends even further than this, for the saying of "Come" by the Spirit and by the church also refers to the invitation for men to accept the gospel, as already pointed out. The key word in this passage should be rendered maranatha, as a single word with two meanings. It is a tragedy that the usual scholarly bias to the effect that all of the first century Christians believed the Second Advent to be scheduled for their immediate future has caused them to edit out of the word one of its legitimate meanings by writing it marana tha. We defy anyone to deny that there is just as much authority for writing it maran atha. To divide the word at all is to impose an interpretation upon it. The true meaning is that, "The Christians prayed for the Lord to come in whatever manner of visitation he should choose."[77]And let him that heareth say, Come ... This is directed not to the Lord but to sinners to accept the gospel. "The personal responsibility of each Christian to bear testimony to the lordship of Christ is here asserted."[78] We also agree with Strauss that many Christians are not living up to this trust, because, "The contemporary church is snarled up in the clergy system."[79]It will be noted here that we construe the first two "Comes" as directed to Christ, and the latter two as directed to sinners. Beasley-Murray also concurred: "It is more likely that John intends us to view the call in the first two sentences as directed to the Lord."[80] H. B. Swete also took this view.[81][72] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 395. [73] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 670. [74] J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 201. [75] F. F. Bruce, Answers to Questions (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), p. 100. [76] J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 201. [77] Ibid., p. 202. [78] James D. Strauss, op. cit., p. 293. [79] Ibid. [80] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 344. [81] H. B. Swete, as quoted by William Barclay, op. cit., p. 229. Revelation 22:18-19I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which 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 from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.The sacred prohibition against either adding to or taking from the word of God may not be restricted to the book of Revelation. We have already noted that John was conscious of this book's being the last of the sacred canon (see under 5:11); and it should be observed here that John tailored his words to include both his prophecy and the canon. "Prophecy of this book" (Revelation 22:18), means the book of Revelation; "book of this prophecy" (Revelation 22:19) means the entire Bible. There is the additional fact that the prohibition against adding to or taking from, is here identical with the warning in the Old Testament to the same effect (Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 12:32). John was not conscious merely of writing Scripture, but of writing the final Scripture. The solemn prohibitions here are not directed solely against copyists, but against all perverters of sacred truth.[82] We view these two verses as the words of Jesus." Swete says, "The speaker is surely Jesus."[83] Why should John have appended this here when he did not do so in the case of his gospel? This action here, signaling the end of the New Testament, was not taken by John, but by Jesus. The prophecy of this book ... "The Apocalypse is a book of prophecy; four times it is called that in Revelation (Revelation 1:3; Revelation 22:10; Revelation 22:18-19 and here)."[84]If any man shall add unto them ... "Those who allow this book to form a basis of unbridled fancy, or a ground of bitter dispute and controversy cannot be excused from serious blame and fault."[85] Certainly the importing of whole systems of theological speculations must be seen as forbidden. Wesley understood the prohibitions "as applicable to the whole New Testament."[86] "God's word is neither a human discovery, nor a human invention."[87] We should recognize such truth in all our studies of the word of God. If any man shall take away from the words ...Inasmuch as this portion of the word of God is rooted in, interwoven with, and is the completion of, all the word of God, it becomes impossible to tamper with this final book without maltreating what had been given by God before.[88]"These words are a solemn protest against the spirit which handles rashly or deceitfully God's word."[89] Any violation of God's word, whether by adding to it, or taking from it, or by making one's wishes the parent of his interpretation, is strictly prohibited. The tendency of people to violate the word of God evidently underlies the efforts of some to make these verses not the words of the apostle, but of "some later scribe, anxious that none should alter the book in the days to come."[90] Alford noted that, "This is an awful warning to those who add to it by irreverent and trifling interpretations."[91]It is the humble prayer of this student of the Scriptures that none of the interpretations presented either add to or subtract from what is written. Any view, or any interpretation that violates what the text says should be rejected. [82] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 779. [83] H. B. Swete, op. cit., p. 311. [84] W. A. Criswell, Expository Sermons on Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1962). IV. p. 166. [85] Charles R. Erdman, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1966), p. 180. [86] John Wesley, op. cit., in loco. [87] George Eldon Ladd. op. cit., p. 296. [88] G. H. Lang, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (London: Portsmouth Press, 1945), p. 385. [89] W. Boyd Carpenter, Ellicott's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing Company, 1959), p. 636. [90] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 232. [91] Alford as quoted by Lenski, op. cit., p. 673Commentary on Revelation 22:17-19 by Manly Luscombe17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “ Come!” And let him who hears say, “ Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. The door to the city is always open. The invitation to come to Christ is not closed here on earth. Jesus stands at the door of our heart and knocks, waiting for us to open. (Revelation 3:20) Jesus invites all to accept the invitation for salvation. (Matthew 11:28-30). Are you thirsty? Jesus offers the water of life. Are you hungry? Jesus is the bread of life. Are you facing death? Jesus offers the Tree of Life. Are you weary? Jesus offers spiritual rest. 18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. NOTE: This warning is specific to the book of Revelation. However, similar statements are made elsewhere in the Scriptures. They are inspired of God. We, finite humans, do not have the knowledge or power to alter, revise, add to, take from, or substitute anything written here. (Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 12:32; Proverbs 30:6). With the warning comes a promise. If you add to the things written here, God will add the plagues that are recorded in this book. Revelation 22:20-21 5. A FINAL PROMISE AND Rev_22:20-21 20 He who testifieth these things saith, Yea.--Regardless of how or by whom these things were made known to John, Jesus was the real source of the revelation. He here places the stamp of approval upon them by saying "Yea"--that is, they are true. On the promise "I come quickly" see note on verse 7. As already noted, Jesus could not have meant that he would come soon after talking to John, for centuries have passed since then and he has not come yet. To God it may be "quickly," but to us the point of importance is the element of certainty that the promise carries, regardless of its actual time. To these words John replied: "Come, Lord Jesus." The meaning is this "Come, Lord, in your own time and for the purpose in view." Truly a pious wish that should fulfill every contrite heart. 21 The usual benediction closes this book, and with it ends God's written revelation to men. This study of Revelation has been pursued with both pleasure and profit to the author. It is hoped that the results of his labors may prove helpful to the readers. With a prayer for the "grace of the Lord Jesus" to rest upon these comments upon the sublime symbols of man's duty and destiny, this book is submitted to the candid consideration of "honest and good hearts." Commentary on Revelation 22:20-21 by Foy E. Wallace Revelation 22:20 : He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Since John was here writing the epilogue to the apocalypse, and the vision had been completed, the reference to these words of Jesus was the quotation of what he had said to John in the vision. And the words, surely, I come quickly, were not in reference to the second coming of the Christ; but rather the promise to the churches in tribulation. He had so promised, and that repeatedly, to come in the events ready to occur; and the promise had been repeated to each of the seven churches in various forms. These events were shortly to take place and Jesus would therefore in keeping with his promise come quickly. John had testified that Jesus had so promised--and he consistently, believingly and confidently responded, Even so, come, Lord Jesus. And it is the recorded fact that their Lord Jesus did come in the events of that generation to which John belonged, the words of Jesus himself being true (Matthew 23:36; Matthew 24:34 --and He whose very name was THE AND TRUE and THE WORD OF GOD (Revelation 19:11-13) was the surety for their fulfillment at that time. The word amen meant so may it be; and even so meant, exactly in that manner. The word evenconnected with so meant “ precisely,” and precise means minutely exact, not varying in the slightest degree from truth and accuracy; and so is an adverb of manner--therefore, the words amen, even so, come, Lord Jesus, meant “ so may it be in this manner, come Lord Jesus.” This was the apostle’ s six-word closing prayer to the Lord who had testified to him these things on the Aegean island. Revelation 22:21 : The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. They all to whom John addressed this benediction were standing on the threshold of all that had been envisioned and disclosed to John. They were the same events described in the words of Jesus (Matthew 24:21), “ such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” - -and in a pathos which even the reader of his words can feel, the Seer of Patmos invoked the grace of Christ to be with them all. And to this benediction of grace, he added Amen. Thus ends the greatest pageantry ever envisioned for disclosure to mortal man. Nineteen full centuries have faded into the pale nations of the past since John’ s Amen, and there has been nothing in all history to replace the events of that generation to which this apocalypse belonged. The effort to stage the re-enactment of these scenes of Revelation is scripturally unexegetical and historically anachronistic. The continuous-historical theory is biblically non-scientific, not in the occult meaning of the word, but in the sense of its inconsistent exegetics. The future theory is non-historical because its whole thesis consists in anachronisms, the taking of events out of the period to which they belong and assigning them to the wrong periods of time, or errors in the order of time. As an end of the world theory this continuous-history view is non-philosophical in its millennial phases in that it presents a pessimistic concept requiring the same conditions of tribulation which surrounded the church in the Roman empire to be re-enacted, bringing back into existence the empires of heathenism necessary to fulfill the symbolic delineations of the apocalypse; and a further than that millennial contention that the gospel of the Great Commission is not competent for the conversion of the world and, therefore, this dispensation in a failure to accomplish the purpose of redemption must culminate in another earthly age called the millennium. And the future history theory is non-scriptural in its disharmony with the purposes and plan of redemption revealed throughout the New Testament. Withal, the future theory is little short of the nonsensical in the assertions necessary to bring it down through the dark ages, and is comparable to the efforts of the Roman Catholics to establish the calendar of popes from the apostle Peter to the present pope Paul; and of the Baptists to maintain their claim of an unbroken chain of church succession from John the Baptist. But from one generation to another the links fall out of both these Catholic and Protestant unhistorical chains; and the continuous-history theory of Revelation has never had a chain. When the book of Revelation is placed where it belongs in the canon of all the other apostolic epistles, in proper chronology before the Destruction of Jerusalem; and as being an apocalyptic vision of the struggle and triumph of the Church with the existing power of Judaism and heathenism, its contents fall into complete harmony and all the parts fit--and when things fit it is a sort of prima facie evidence that they are in the right place. In conclusion, the book of Revelation unrolls in a series of images the sublime panorama of the victory of the church over the great powers of Judaism and Romanism and Heathenism set to the theme of the promise and providence of God in the protection of his Cause and his Church, summed up in the initial divine assurance, I come quickly, and in the concluding human prayer of response, even so, come, Lord Jesus. It is between this beginning and ending that the visional message of the angels was communicated--the epistles to the seven churches signalling the approach of tribulation; the apocalypses of the conquering Christ and of the victorious church; and the vision of the glorious New Jerusalem--all of which were interspersed with lyric anthems and choral doxologies, which all together impart to the Patmos apocalypse its unique position as the apex of all revelation, and sufficient in itself to vindicate the claim of divine inspiration for all the Scriptures. Finally, notwithstanding its apocalyptic character in reference to its historical period, and all of the obscurities which have given rise to the legion of speculations, it answers an important practical purpose--by implanting and increasing unwavering faith in the integrity of the Word of God; by engendering hope in the unfailing promises of God; by inducing patience in extreme suffering and sorrow; and by infixing implicit trust in him who is able to save to the uttermost all who believe in him, and come to him, and obey him THE END Commentary on Revelation 22:20-21 by Walter Scott THE LORD’ S FINAL MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH.Revelation 22:20. — “He that testifies these things says, Yea, I come quickly. Amen; come, Lord Jesus.” In the preceding message, which is one of a stern character, the Lord speaks in the first person; here the change to the third person is to be noted, but in both messages Christ is the testifier. “ These things” refer to all contained in the Apocalypse. Thus the whole contents of the book are vouched for by the Lord Himself.“ Yea, I come quickly.” It is the final message to the Church. It is the last word from Heaven till He come. The Old Testament was closed by the announcement of His Coming. The New Testament is closed by the intimation of the same grand event. But whilst the Coming is equally applied to the descent into the air (1 Thessalonians 4:1-18) as to His return to Mount Olivet (Zechariah 14:1-21), yet the connection is very different. Grace and judgment respectively stand related to these two comings, or rather to the two stages of the one Coming. The Old Testament closes with a threatened curse. The New Testament closes with a benediction of grace. Compare the last verse in each book.“ Yea” is the confirmation, the absolute certainty, of the truth stated, “ I come quickly.” This is His last spoken word. He has kept silence now for about two thousand years. But the event for which the Church prays and hopes is about to be fulfilled. The Lord is at hand. It has been a weary time, a waiting time, a suffering time, but His Coming, or presence, shall turn the gloom of night into gladness and everlasting joy. The shadows of time are passing away, and the first faint streaks of an eternal day, which knows neither evening nor tears, are almost discernible. Hold on, ye wearied pilgrim host! Joy cometh in the morning. We wait for Him, not for the fulfilment of prophecy. Is His Coming a reality in our souls? Does it influence the life, and shape the conduct, and impart vigor as we press on?THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH.Revelation 22:20 — John, as the representative of the Church, answers the Lord’ s declaration. Doubtless his words formed the expression of his own desire. The aged Seer had witnessed visions and sights; had been the spectator and actor in scenes overwhelmingly grand, but on the fulfilment of this great fact they all repose: the personal return of the Lord. This was announced by the coming One Himself, and the heart of the aged apostle is thrilled. But led and controlled by the ever-present Holy Ghost he not only gives expression to his own feelings, but voices those of the whole Church, “Amen; come, Lord Jesus.” The Yea and Amen, Greek and Hebrew affirmatives, are united in the introduction to the book (Revelation 1:7). Here they are separated. The Lord assures us of the certainty of His Coming, “ Yea, I come.” The Church rejoices in the immutability of His word, “Amen; come.” Can this word fail? Impossible. Will the Lord not keep His tryst with His people? Surely. “ Quickly” He comes. Ah! it seems long. But according to divine reckoning the Lord has not been away quite two full days (2 Peter 3:8). “ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise.” The persecutions and sorrows of Israel, the sins and griefs of a stricken earth, and the hopelessness and distractions of the professing Church call aloud for a Deliverer. All is the merest patchwork in political government and social legislation. A strong governing hand is needed, and this need will soon be met in Christ Jesus. But we have a personal interest in Him Who is Coming. For us He died, for us He lives, and for us He comes. “ Amen; come, Lord Jesus,” is the ardent exclamation of the Church of God.A CLOSING .Revelation 22:21. — “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (be) with ALL THE SAINTS.” This is the reading generally adopted by competent authorities. It is just like the heart of Christ. His unclouded favor rests upon “ all the saints.” The strongest and the weakest, the father and the babe, are equally objects of His grace. Irrespective, too, of the ways of His people, His grace rests upon them. Through clouds and sunshine, by night and by day, in all times and circumstances, His unfailing grace is their support and strength. It is grace from beginning to end, from otherwise hopeless ruin till complete redemption.The Amen closing the book is a doubtful reading.We bring to a close these comments on this marvelous book, which have been a source of personal profit and blessing, in the earnest desire, moreover, that when He comes He will find a people morally prepared to greet Him.“ He that testifies these things says, yea, I come quickly. Amen, come, Lord Jesus.” Commentary on Revelation 22:20-21 by E.M. Zerr Revelation 2:20. He which testifieth these things means Christ according to the statement in Revelation 1:1. I come quickly is also stated in Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:12 and explained in connection with those passages. The word surely is added at this place for the sake of emphasis. The attitude of John to that announcement is that which every faithful disciple will have. In 2 Timothy 4:8 the apostle Paul is speaking of the crown to be given him at the coming of Christ. He says it will be for him but not for him only; it will be unto all them also that love his appearing. If a man is living a rightous life he will not dread to think either of death or the judgment. Revelation 22:21. The grace of the Lord is the favor that is bestowed upon all who are living in faithful service to Him. All can be faithful regardless of human weaknesses, hence no reason exists why anyone should be rejected when He comes. John lovingly thinks of his brethren to whom he is to commit this book and wishes for the favor of Christ to be with them. When Amen is used at the close of a sentence or composition, it means "so be it, may it be fulfilled." John has no regrets about anything he has been told to write, and hence closes the great book with the sincere endorsement. Commentary on Revelation 22:20-21 by Burton Coffman Revelation 22:20 He who testifieth these things saith, Yea: I come quickly. Amen: come, Lord Jesus.In this terse statement, "Christ sums up the book."[92] This also has the utility of revealing Christ as the author of the two previous verses. They are Christ's words, not even John's, much less the words of some nameless scribe.Yea; I come quickly. Amen: come, Lord Jesus ... See under Revelation 22:17 for further discussion of the use of these expressions in the New Testament church. As Caird summed it up:No one who has ever read John's book can have any doubt about what the prayer is asking. It is a prayer that Christ will come again to win in the faith of his servants the victory which is both Calvary and Armageddon.[93]Caird also pointed out the responsive nature of this verse, indicating "its standing in the liturgical setting of the eucharist, answered by the eucharistic prayer maranatha (1 Corinthians 16:22)."[94] Beckwith also identified these last words with the maranatha of 1 Corinthians 16:22.[95] See under Revelation 22:17 for the mystical double meaning of this expression. Any argument from this that the early Christians expected the literal return of Christ in their generation is absolutely untenable. Many scholars do not understand how the church of all ages prays, "Oh, Lord come," without any sense of failure due to his not having come in his Second Advent, even yet; but the answer is right here in the double meaning of this passage.As Criswell said:It is hard for us finite creatures of the dust and of time to realize, that there is no such thing as "time" with God. He sees the beginning; he sees the end; he sees the present; and all are alike to him. Even to us the coming of the Lord "is near," as near as the length of our life away.[96][92] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 1092.[93] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 288.[94] Ibid.[95] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 780.[96] W. A. Criswell, op. cit., IV, p. 180.Revelation 22:21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints, Amen.This conclusion stands in the same category as the precious benedictions of Paul in the rest of the New Testament. "It is surely symbolical, and it is surely fitting, that the last words of the Bible should be GRACE!"[97]Revelation is written for the saints, to them alone it is spoken; they alone can keep it. Let no man think that if he has not already found Christ that he may find him here. Here indeed, faith and love are the key to knowledge.[98]Strauss made the similar observation that, "Revelation is not for the curiosity seeker or for religious fanatics, but for all those who would continue to the end."[99]As we meditate upon this, the last verse of the New Testament, we feel something of the emotions of many others who have concluded similar studies in the word of God. Carpenter concluded with this prayer:May He (who alone can) open our eyes to see the shining towers of the Heavenly Jerusalem; and may he unseal our ears, and bind us by his love to that sweet service and citizenship which are perfect freedom, and bring us to that spiritual city which is full of divine enchantment.[100]Adam Clarke composed a few lines of poetry, the first two (lines) regarding himself, and the last four for his readers:Like travelers when they see their native soil, Writers rejoice to terminate their toil. My latest labour's end at length is gained, My longest journey's welcome goal attained, By God's assistance has the work been wrought, By his direction to your dwellings brought.[101]Our own thoughts area strange mingling of joy and sorrow. We praise God that, through some twelve years of intensive New Testament study, life, vigor, and health have been graciously preserved by the Lord, and that my precious wife, Thelma, has likewise been preserved and blessed as a sharer in these labors. But no joy of completion can equal that of having been permitted to think God's thoughts after him and to pursue the sacred writings with invariable purpose for so long. The conclusion of any worthy effort of such duration is necessarily also an occasion of melancholy. An era in our lives is over; and through our tears we write, "Blessed be the name of the Lord." Houston, Texas, March 17,1979.[97] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 232.[98] Charles H. Roberson, Studies in Revelation (Tyler, Texas: P. D. Wilmeth, P.O. Box 3305,1957), p. 198.[99] James D. Strauss, op. cit., p. 295.[100] W. Boyd Carpenter, op. cit., p. 637.[101] Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible (London: Carlton and Porter, 1829), VI, p. 170. Commentary on Revelation 22:20-21 by Manly Luscombe20 He who testifies to these things says, “ Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! Again Jesus promises to come quickly. He knows that Christians are suffering. He will respond with speed and in accordance with the plan of God. Just as Jesus promises to begin fulfilling the prophesies of this book, the prayer of the first century Christians was, “ Come, Lord Jesus.” In 1 Corinthians 16:22, Paul ends this letter to the church at Corinth with the word “ Maranatha.” Maranatha is a transliteration of an idiomatic expression. This phrase means - Come now. Come quickly. I am ready, come and get me. This word was a common prayer of the persecuted church. The implication of the prayer was to say - 1. Lord, I am tired of the suffering and pain. 2. Lord, I am ready for you to come and take me away from this evil world. 3. Lord, come with vengeance on these wicked persecutors. 4. Lord, come with love for your faithful servant. 5. Lord, come with your arms open for me. 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. God will bless us as we read publicly this book. God’ s grace will shine on us as we listen, study and understand this book. Christ will be with you as you obey the commands of this book. Amen and Amen. Concluding Remarks “ The pageant is over, and the final curtain has been drawn. John has seen and has shown his audience the picture of God’ s care over them in their conflict, the certainty of their triumph over the terrible conditions of the day, and the glory which is beyond the grave which is opening before them.” (2, 217) We have reached the end of the Revelation of God. With the close of this book of prophecy, the pen of inspiration is laid down. We now have the will, the mind, and the plan of God. It has been revealed. Now the task is ours. We must read, study, listen, understand and then obey the teachings contained in this volume. We must review our notes and continually try to make the application of the principles taught. “ But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” (Revelation 10:7) The things that were a mystery, matters not clearly understood, are now unambiguous. We have been reminded that God knows about our pain and suffering. God is aware of the evil and wickedness in the world. God will not allow this human suffering to continue forever. There will come a time when the patience of God will end. There will come a point where longer delay would not help. When the world refuses to repent; when God warns about judgment; when man is made aware of the terror of an eternal Hell; AND he refuses to repent - God has no choice but to bring this world to an end. I concur with the conclusion of Woodruff. “ Revelation is written in beautiful symbolic language which is the culmination of symbolism used throughout the Scripture. I sincerely believe the book can be understood if we always remember to let the Bible be the final authority for interpretation.” (1, 436) Ray Summers ends his commentary with these words. “ Who can read this book which breathes the atmosphere of victorious faith and courageous trust in God, with the unfailing assurance in the fulfillment of his purpose and the victory of the Christ of the cross and the empty tomb, without shouting with the people of the book - Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, And has redeemed us to God by his blood, To receive power, and riches, and wisdom, And might, and honor, and glory, And blessing, and dominion, Forever and ever, Amen.” (2, 218) NOTE: The praise of the Lamb of God is from Revelation 5:12. Sermon on Revelation 22:1-21 The Tree of LifeBrent Kercheville In the first five verses of chapter 22 belong with the description of the bride, New Jerusalem coming down from heaven, recorded in Revelation 21:9-27. New Jerusalem is a picture of the people of God in their perfected state, receiving the eternal rewards and final blessings promised for their faithfulness to God (cf. Revelation 19:7-8). The River of the Water of Life (Revelation 22:1-5)The angel shows John the river of the water of life. This river of living water is pictured as being as bright as crystal. Near the campus of Florida College runs the Hillsborough River. It is not a beautiful river. It is dark, full of tree limbs and moss. There is nothing about that river that calls for a person to jump in. The river flowing through the New Jerusalem is desirable and beautiful. These are the flowing waters that bring life. These are pure waters. The river of the water of life flows from the throne of God and the Lamb. Remember that there is no temple in the city. God and the Lamb are on the throne and the river of life is flowing from the throne through the middle of the street of the city. All who belong to this city have access to the river of the water of life for it flows through the middle of the city right down its main street. Zechariah and Ezekiel use the same imagery for this glorious time. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. (Zechariah 14:8 ESV) Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side. (Ezekiel 47:1-2 ESV; cf. 47:8-9) On either side of the river of the water of life is the tree of life. The tree of life yields fruit each month and the leaves bring healing to the nations. This imagery also comes from Ezekiel’ s prophecy. As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. (Ezekiel 47:7 ESV) And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” (Ezekiel 47:12 ESV) What an inviting picture! Come to God for healing. Healing is made available for all seasons. Life is available for all seasons. God has offered healing to the world. The river of the water of life and the tree of life represent the life of eternal fellowship with God and Christ. The last time we read about the tree of life was in the garden of Eden in Genesis. The tree of life was put in the midst of the garden (Genesis 2:9). When Adam and Eve sinned, they had to be cast out of the garden. This symbolized their separation from God. They could not be in eternal fellowship with God nor be in the presence of God because of sin. Eternal separation from God is the second death, as we saw in Revelation 20:6; Revelation 20:10; Revelation 20:14-15 and Revelation 21:8. The tree of life is now in the midst of New Jerusalem, representing God’ s people having full fellowship with God and full access to God forever. This access and this healing is available to all people, not a select group. Anyone can be part of God’ s people and join in this eternal fellowship to come. Revelation 22:3-5 explain the effects of the tree of life and the river of water of life. There is nothing accursed, unlike what happened to Adam and Eve because of their sin and they experienced curses. There is no sin and therefore there is nothing accursed. The throne of God and the Lamb are in the midst of this city and his servants worship God. Verse 4 is simply staggering if we let it the words sink into our hearts. The servants of God and the Lamb will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads. The hope of God’ s people is finally realized: seeing God face to face. We even sing songs in our hymnals now longing for that time when we can see God’ s face. The godly are pictured as priests, worshiping God in his presence, seeing his face. His name on the foreheads of the servants continues to picture the intimate fellowship between God and his people. God recognizes his people. These are the faithful who have not succumb to worshiping things that are false gods and idols. This picture shows the fulfillment of God’ s promise made to the Christians at Philadelphia. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. (Revelation 3:12 ESV) Finally, we are reminded that there is no night there as we will live in the light and the glory of God. Everything is now perfect. There is no more evil, no more death, and no more pain. The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended. (Isaiah 60:19-20 ESV) The servants of God reign forever and ever with the Lord, just as Daniel prophesied and Jesus promised. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them (Daniel 7:27 ESV) The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Revelation 3:21 ESV) Final Encouragement (Revelation 22:6-21)The timeline and the images have concluded. John seems to be left with the angel as the angel gives his final directions to John and the readers of the book. The words of this prophecy given in the book of Revelation are trustworthy and true. The Lord who inspires the prophets has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. This statement reiterates what we read in the very first verse of the book of Revelation. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John…. (Revelation 1:1 ESV)Jesus then adds more to this message. “ And behold, I am coming soon.” We have learned that the coming of Christ is found in a sequence of events. The book of Revelation has revealed the fall of the Jewish nation and the destruction of Jerusalem. The book of Revelation has also revealed the fall of the Roman Empire. Further, the book has revealed the calamity of the world after the fall of the Roman Empire. Finally, Revelation revealed the final judgment against Satan. The beginning of the book of Revelation stated that these “ things must soon take place” (Revelation 1:1) and “ the time is near” (Revelation 1:3). The end of the book of Revelation states the same. These things “ must soon take place” (Revelation 22:6) and our Lord “ is coming soon” (Revelation 22:7). None of these things can be said to be happening soon if the book is all about things that will happen at the second coming of Christ. None of the things were soon if the book is referring to things that have not happened yet. Let me challenge you also that there is nothing soon about the message of the book if Revelation is only about the fall of the Roman Empire, which would occur hundreds of years after this book was written. However, the book can be said to be happening soon if we see the book as a chronologyof events that began within one year after the book was written. Christ is coming in a series of judgments the Jewish nation, the Roman Empire, and Satan. The fall of Jerusalem was described by Jesus as the coming of the Son of Man in the clouds (Matthew 24:29-31). The judgment of the Jewish nation was the first event of the coming of Christ and the city’ s fall would happen very shortly after the writing of this book. Any other interpretation of Revelation cannot deal with the time markers given at the beginning and end of this book. Revelation 22:7 concludes with another call for faithfulness and endurance. Blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book. The message has been to be faithful even to death and not to worship the false idols of the world. John is so overcome at the message that he again falls down to worship at the feet of the angel. The angel again tells John not to do this for only God must be worshiped. Do not worship any form of idolatry, not even angels. God is the only one deserving of worship. The angel then tells John not to seal up the words of the prophecy found in this book because the time is near (Revelation 22:10). This is a parallel to the end of Daniel’ s prophecy. However, at the end of Daniel’ s prophecy the angel tells Daniel to seal up the book until the time of the end because the time was not near (Daniel 12:4; Daniel 12:9). It was going to be a time, times, and half a time before all these things would be finished (Daniel 12:6-7). Revelation 22:11 also shows a direct connection to Daniel 12. Notice the parallel. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy. (Revelation 22:11 ESV) Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. (Daniel 12:10 ESV) Daniel’ s prophecy is the best explanation of what the angel is saying to John. The wicked are not going to understand that their doom is predicted and sealed. The wise, that is the righteous, will understand and remain faithful through the prophesied tribulations. The dye is cast. The end is determine. Preach this prophecy understanding that many of the wicked are going to remain wicked. I see this truth from Revelation still in the preaching of the gospel. The righteous learn from the preaching of God’ s word and are strengthened and encouraged. The wicked do not care, take God’ s word flippantly, and continue in their evil ways. This does not mean we stop preaching. It means we understand that in the face of the glory of God’ s blessings and revelation, the wicked will continue to be wicked. Revelation 22:12 reminds all the readers that as the Lord comes in these judgments he is bringing recompense with him. Christ will repay everyone according to what they have done. The wicked will be repaid and the righteous will be repaid. Christ is the sum of all things. He is the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city of God. The imagery of washing robes was introduced to us in Revelation 7:14. The picture is not merely being baptized, though that is certainly included in being faithful to God. Washing our robes in the blood of the Lamb means following him to our death for him even as he went to the death for us. Our robes are washed when we have fully given every ounce of our lives to the Lord in obedience and submission. Those who have fully given their lives to Jesus are on the outside of this glorious city. Dogs were regarded as despised creatures throughout the scriptures and is used metaphorically of unbelievers (cf. Matthew 7:6). Jesus has given his testimony assuring that these events will certainly come (Revelation 22:16). Christ is the fulfillment of the previous promises concerning the Messiah and his kingdom. Now the Messiah promises that the things you have read in the book of Revelation will certainly happen. The Holy Spirit through this prophecy, God’ s holy word, says, “ Come!” The people of God, the bride, also says come. Join with the rest of the victorious servants of the Lamb. Let those who are thirsty seek the Lord and receive the water of life freely (cf. Isaiah 55:1-2). Come to the Lord and find life. Come to the Lord and receive the eternal blessings. The book of Revelation concludes with one final warning. If anyone adds to the prophecy of this book, God will add to that person the plagues described in the book. If anyone takes away from the words of the prophecy of the book of Revelation, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city. Do not tinker and torture this message. Do not change the message of the book. I fear that many will suffer the consequence described in Revelation 22:18-19 because they have falsely taught from this book. They have distorted and perverted the message of Revelation for their own financial gain and notoriety. God will judge anyone who adds or takes from God’ s holy word. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. (2 Peter 3:16 ESV) The result is destruction to those who twist the scriptures. God’ s word is holy and must not be altered in any way. Our Lord testifies that his judgments are coming. Be ready for the fulfillment of these words found in the book of Revelation. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. LESSON 26.THE LAST , , AND Read Revelation 22:6-211. What assurance was given of no deception in the words of the; Revelation? Ans. Revelation 22:6.2. What had John already been commanded to write regarding these words? Ans. Revelation 21:5.3. By whom was the angel sent to reveal these things? Ans. Revelation 22:6; Revelation 22:16.4. When were these things to come to pass? Ans. Revelation 22:6; Revelation 1:1.5. At the time John wrote the symbols of this book were they a prophecy or history? Ans. Revelation 22:7.6. What did John attempt to do when he had heard and seen these things. Ans. Revelation 22:8.7. Why did the angel prevent him? Ans. Revelation 22:9.8. What was he told not to seal up and why? Ans. Revelation 22:10.9. What is meant by "sealing up" a book or event? Ans. Revelation 10:4.10. What is said of the unrighteous, the filthy and their opposites? Ans. Revelation 22:11.11. How will each person be rewarded at the coming of Christ? Ans. Revelation 22:12.12. What is meant by Alpha and Omega? Ans. Revelation 22:13.13. On what does the reception of the blessings of the eternal city depend? Ans. Revelation 22:14.14. What classes of persons will not be allowed admittance? Ans. Revelation 22:15.15. To what are all invited by the Spirit and the bride? Ans. Revelation 22:17.16. What warning is given to all who would add to the record of this Book? Ans. Revelation 22:18.17. What of those who would take away from the words of this Book? Ans. Revelation 22:19.18. Does this principle apply to the rest of the Bible? Ans. Deuteronomy 4:2; Galatians 1:6-9.19. How does Jesus place his stamp of approval upon the book of Revelation? Ans. Revelation 22:20.20. Repeat the benediction which ends God's written revelation to man. Ans. Revelation 22:21. E.M. Zerr Questions on RevelationRevelation Chapter Twenty-Two 1. What object was shown to John?2. Describe its appearance.3. From where did it flow?4. Where did the tree of life flow?5. How many varieties of fruit on it?6. When did it bear fruit?7. Tell what use is made of the foliage.8. What shall be no more?9. Ten what shan be in the city.10. What win God's servants do?11. What vision will be permitted to them?12. By what will their foreheads be adorned?13. Why will not any candles be needed?14. How long will the inhabitants reign?15. What was said unto John?16. Why did God send his angel?17. When will the Lord come?18. Who is here said to be blessed?19. What did John see and hear?20. At this what position did he take?21. For what purpose did he do so?22. What did the angel say not do?23. State his reason.24. What was John then told to do?25. What was he then told not to do?26. State the reason for this command.27. What conditions were to remain unchanged?28. When he comes what will he have with him?29. On what basis will it be given?30. Repeat the next declaration.31. What must be done to receive the blessing?32. To what will this give them a right?33. Into what place may they enter?34. Where will be the dogs?35. Who will be with them?36. Who sent the angel?37. For what did he send him?38. State his relation to David.39. Repeat his further description.40. What do the Spirit and bride say?41. Tell what the hearer must do after hearing.42. What about the thirsty?43. Who else joins in this invitation to service?44. To whom does Christ testify?45. On what subject does he testify?46. State the lot of those who add to the Word.47. And to those who take from.48. What does the Lord say about his coming?49. State John's response to this.50. Repeat the closing benediction.Revelation Chapter Twenty-TwoRalph StarlingJesus promised a place of retirement that would suit, And John sees the water of life &the tree bearing fruit. He is told there would be no more curse, For all their needs the Lord would serve. There would be no need for sun by day or candle by night. For God will be there to provide the light. And God is faithul and true in it all. And there will be no darkness in heaven at all. And John on Patmos and perhaps at times sickly, He may be encouraged by the Lord saying, "I come quickly." And blessed is he that His word he is keeping, For then heaven will be the place he is seeking. The angel tells John not to seal this prophecy, For all need to make preparation properly. And blessed are they that keep His commandments, For the shall inherit the promised retirement. The invitation and opportunity is open to all Who will respond and give Him a call. But others who neglect or refuse to obey When the Lord comes wil be turned away.