Revelation #5

Chapters 17-22

Plan for Today

• Recap the story so far

• Go through chapters 17-22

• When will it happen?

• What are the key lessons?

Chapters 1-3 • Revelation of Jesus

• Revelation of us and the church

• Jesus speaks to the churches

• Learn lessons from the churches

Chapters 4-7• Throne room of God

• The scroll with 7 seals – the judgment

• The rapture – before judgement falls

Chapters 8-12• The breaking of the first seal indicates the

start of Daniel’s 70th week (probably). The Antichrist “confirms a covenant”

• 7 trumpets herald destruction

• John eats the little book

• The gentiles (the huge army?) capture Jerusalem and take control of the temple

Chapters 8-12 contd• For 3½ years (first half of Daniel’s 70th week)

– Jews are allowed to visit temple and continue sacrifice

– 2 witnesses prophesy and more Jews (and others) get saved

• After the 3½ years (middle of Daniel’s week)– The beast kills the 2 witnesses– Jews flee to a wilderness– 2 witnesses resurrected– 144,000 called up to heaven

• A political leader will rise to power over a group of 10 nations (the G10?)

• 3 of their leaders will oppose him but he will subdue them

• At some point he will experience a miraculous healing of a deadly head wound

• At some point he will be possessed by the spirit of antichrist (5th trumpet?)

• He will oppose the 2 witnesses and eventually kill them

Revelation 13 – summary

• He will have a deputy who does signs and wonders

• A number of key signs identify the middle of Daniel’s 70th week– The temple is occupied, the sacrifice stopped

and a statue of the antichrist is set up

– The statue gains the power to talk and to kill

– A new economic system is enforced

• People idolise the charismatic new leader who seems to bring sense and order in a time of chaos

Revelation 13 – summary

• Angel carries the gospel (14:6) – it’s not too late to get saved

• Angel warns not to accept the mark of the beast (14:9-11)

• 2 Harvests

• 7 bowls – army gathers at the hill at Meggido (ch 16)

Revelation 14 -16

Rev 17-18 - The Fall of Babylon the Great• Details of events in Rev 14:8, 16:19 – the

second half of Daniel’s 70th week• The prostitute on the beast = a city (v18)• She sits on seven hills (v9 - probably

Rome)• The old city of Babylon was desolate by

the time Revelation was written• She sits on a beast – represents support

from 4th kingdom of Daniel 7 (from which the Antichrist comes)

• 10 horns are the same 10 nations who support the Antichrist

Rome/Babylon

• Is rich (v4)

• Killed saints (v6)

• Has/had worldwide influence (v2,15,18)

• Prostitute/ causes adultery – draws people away from God

• Some people speculate about the Tower of Babel, the Roman Catholic Church or remnants of the Roman Empire (Daniel 2, Daniel 7)

Rev 17-18 - The Fall of Babylon the Great

The destruction of Rome• Partly by God (16:18-21)• Partly by the Antichrist and 10 nations

(17:16) who turn against it• May involve ruining the Roman Catholic

church as all are forced to worship the beast

• The earth is surprisingly shocked – economies collapse (18:11-19)

• Perhaps linked to destruction of other cities and the mark of the beast – luxury goods are no longer so important

Rev 17-18 - The Fall of Babylon the Great

• Hallelujah!• The church is the bride of Christ

(Eph 5:23-32)The steps of Jewish Marriage1. Betrothal - The father pays a dowry/bride

price which is delivered by the son2. Preparing a place - The son returns to

his father’s house to prepare a house / extension depending on the size of the land

3. Return to fetch bride – she expects him but doesn’t know the exact time

Rev 19 - The marriage and a battle

The steps of Jewish Marriage

4. Preparation - The bride makes herself ready

5. Wedding ceremony – the two become one

6. Marriage supper / wedding feast

The marriage of the lamb is a culmination of our relationship with God

Rev 19 - The marriage and a battle

• After the marriage Jesus and the “armies of heaven” come to earth for a great battle

• The second coming (third?)• Zechariah 14

– V2 all nations fight at Jerusalem– V4 the lord will stand on the mount of Olives

(Acts 1:11-12)– A valley opens for those loyal to God to flee

(v4-5)– In that day God becomes king over all the

Earth (v8-9)– Millennial reign begins (v16-20)

Rev 19 - The marriage and a battle

• Only soldiers are killed in the battle – most of the people survive (v19,21)

• The beast and false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire (Gehenna)

• Gehenna was prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41)

Rev 19 - The marriage and a battle

• Satan locked in the Abyss for 1000 years (the Millennium)

• Christ rules for 1000 years – who rules with him?– Those who didn’t receive the mark (v4)– All with thrones and authority to judge (v4)

= the saints (2:11, 26-27, 3:21)

• Who is in the first resurrection? (v5-6)– The dead in Christ who rose first– Those alive at the rapture– Those saved during tribulation

Rev 20 - 1000 years, final judgement

• Satan is released and deceives the nations (v7-8)

• Gog and Magog lead the nations to the last battle (v8, Ezekiel 38-39) – we don’t know who they are – it’s a 1000 years away

• Fire falls from heaven to destroy everyone• But the day of the Lord will come as a thief

in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10)

Rev 20 - 1000 years, final judgement

• White throne judgement – the second resurrection

• All the ‘dead’ judged – anyone not part of the first resurrection

• Our judgement is for reward (Rev 11:18)• This judgement is for ‘destination’ - those

not written in the book of life cast into the lake of fire (the second death)

• Difficult to know if you can get ‘saved’ during the millennium

• Death and Hades (the grave) thrown into the lake of fire

Rev 20 - 1000 years, final judgement

• The bride comes from heaven in the city of the New Jerusalem (v2-3)

• God now lives with men (v3)

• No more tears, death, mourning, pain (v4)

• No sea (v1)

• God provides the light (v23) – no need for sun and moon

• Gold, precious stones, gates of single pearls – the only way John could describe it

Rev 21-22 - New heaven and earth

• The city is 1,400 miles wide, long and high

• More description of heaven – the river

• It’s coming soon (v6, 7, 10, 12, 17, 20)

• Whoever is thirsty let him come (v17)

Rev 21-22 - New heaven and earth

Summary of Chapters 17-22• The city of Rome/Babylon falls• The marriage of the lamb takes place• The last battle at Jerusalem – beast and

false prophet thrown into lake of fire• The reign of 1000 years• Satan thrown into lake of fire• Earth cleansed by fire• The final judgement – unsaved thrown into

lake of fire• New heaven and earth• New Jerusalem

When will it happen?• We might be living in the last days

Total located Earthquakes 1973-2006

When will it happen?• We might be living in the last days

• The sign of the ‘fig tree’ (Matt 24:32+, Luke 21:25+) is not proof we are in last days

• Every sign that has to be fulfilled might have happened already

• It might not be for 1000’s of years

Key Lessons

• Be ready now

• Heaven is how it’s meant to be

• The judgement is partly to do with making the choice clear

• Jesus is amazing