Reviews and Views

Book of Revelation – Chapter 21

After the Great White Throne Judgement of chapter 20, the heavens and the world move toward another judgment; chapter 21 is the eternal state with new heavens and a new earth. This chapter and the next present a fantastic future that awaits every believer of all dispensations and ages. Without warning, the heavens disappear with an earsplitting noise. All heavenly bodies or planets burn up and be destroyed. The world we know as earth with everything in it will vanish. The noise of this destruction will be deafening. Refer to 2 Peter 3:7-13.

In verse 1, we read of a new heaven and new earth with no sea. New is not merely new as to time but also as to kind. Therefore the sky will look similar, as will the world, but also different. For example, the new earth has no sea. The first earth and the first heavens are purged with fire and regenerated. This purging is necessary because Satan defiled both spheres, and God makes them anew and fresh. All of this occurs at the end of the Great White Throne Judgment. 

1. Old Jerusalem exists today. It is historic, the City of David.
2. In the exact location as the first, a second Jerusalem becomes the center for Christ’s millennial kingdom on earth and the earthly nations’ capital city. Also, during this thousand-year reign, a satellite city (the new Jerusalem) hovers above this planet. This celestial city is home to all believers during this period and eternity.
3. Finally, the new Jerusalem descends to the new earth at the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ. It serves as heaven’s capital city on the new earth eternally.

Verse 2 speaks of a new Jerusalem coming down from heaven, a new capital city. People in the new Jerusalem will live in peace and harmony. 

Then we come to verse 3, where God dwells with His people. Before the Fall in Eden, God came and walked with Adam in the cool of the day, so God shall live with men forever and delight in His abiding presence. Presently, the location of God’s Tabernacle is in heaven. He descends to earth with His heavenly entourage, settling in the new Jerusalem to begin global operations from this satellite city. The redeemed in their glorified bodies live in the new Jerusalem.  

In verse 4: God will wipe away all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain; for the former things pass away, such is this land of eternal life. No more cancers, diseases, heart attacks, automobile accidents, or wars. What is declared is the absence of anything to be sorry about. There is no sadness, no disappointments, no pain, no tears of regret, no loss of loved ones, no more funerals, no more graves, no more hospitals, no more broken homes, and no more broken hearts. And sin has ceased because Satan forever remains incarcerated in Gehenna, the lake of fire.

In verses 5 and 6, God adds that he is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. All creation began without sin, and now it has ended without sin. Our spiritual thirst will be satisfied forever. 

From verse 7, we learn the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 5:4) is an overcomer; he shall inherit all things, and God will be his God, and he shall be His son.

Verse 8 speaks about those sinners who miss this eternal paradise upon the earth. Where are they now? They are in the lake of fire (the second death) with no second chance, no reprieve, no commuted sentence. This list should be read as a description of eternal character. Who did not make it?

1. The fearful; are those who rejected Christ to escape the ridicule of men.
2. The unbelieving; are those who rejected the doctrine of Christ’s deity and shed blood as the only means of obtaining eternal life.
3. The abominable; are those who engage in corrupt practices, speaking the language of Christendom but never living it. They profess that they know God, but in their works, they deny him. They are described as being an abominable (hateful & obnoxious), disobedient (unruly & disorderly), and unprincipled (immoral, unethical, & corrupt) rogue (or SOB) Titus 1:16.
4. The murderers; are those who carry hatred within their hearts and minds for others (1 John 3:15).
5. The whoremongers; are those who engaged in fornication (premarital sex), adultery (extra-marital flings), or perverted sex.
6. The sorcerers; are those who practiced drug usage for “kicks” and “highs.”
7. The idolaters: are people who worship or revere anyone or anything other than God, living and trustworthy, or using idols in worship. (1 John 5:21).
8. All liars; are those who deceived others, distorted the truth, and destroyed humanity by lies.

Verse 9: Now John is shown the Bride, the Lamb’s wife. She is the one who made herself ready in fine linen, clean and white (chapter 19:7-8), and who returns with Him (Christ) for the 1,000-year honeymoon (chapter 19:11-16).

In verse 10: The great city, the holy (heavenly) Jerusalem, descends out of heaven from God. John is impressed by the city’s brilliance, the size of the municipality, and the city’s beauty. The new Jerusalem reflects its people, the redeemed or the Bride. 

From verses 11 thru 14, we get a description of the new Jerusalem in more detail. The city was clear as crystal, with a great wall, 12 large gates, and 12 foundations. 

• A great high wall surrounded the city. It is an eternal memorial of our hidden life with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3) until we appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4). It reminds the believers that God loves His people and protects them while on earth.
• Twelve angels staff the 12 gates. These gates remain open, and the angels welcome those possessing the right and privilege to enter the city. Each gate has the name of the twelve tribes of Israel. 
• The city sets on 12 foundations, each named after each of the twelve apostles of Christ. 

In verses 15 thru 17, the size of the new Jerusalem gets revealed.

• The city forms a perfect cube of tetragonal shape. Its width, length, and height are equal (at 12,000 furlongs or 1,5000 miles). This distance would cover a geographic area in the USA, extending from Maine’s northernmost point to the southernmost point of Florida and from the eastern seaboard to Colorado. A city of this size could house every person ever born, plus billions of additional people. Remember, from verse 3, this city comes down from heaven and orbits earth during the millennium reign before coming to rest upon the new earth as eternity begins.
• The walls surrounding the city extend 216 feet high by the measure of a man. The wall is relatively low compared to the city’s walls, reflecting no need to ward off an attack.

In verses 18 thru 21, we see a further description of the wall, foundations, and gates. 

• The wall of jasper represents Christ, in His radiant glory, surrounding His saints.
• The city was pure gold, like transparent glass, which typifies the righteousness of God’s holy nature. The transparency allows God’s glory to shine through to every aspect of the city and beyond.
• The various foundation stones – brilliant – picture the Lord’s attributes and various aspects of His redemptive work.
• A single pearl composes each gate that never shuts. Each immense pearl symbolizes the tremendous sufferings of Christ.
• Streets made of pure gold appear as transparent glass.

Verse 22 tells us that there was no temple in the city (new Jerusalem) for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple because God has chosen to dwell with His people.

In verse 23, there is no need for the sun or moon since God and the Lamb lighten everything. No wonder there shall be no night there, for the night is an impossibility since Christ’s splendor, and glory shines brilliantly.

Verses 24 thru 26: These verses picture the multitudes who came through the Millennium as born-again, regenerated believers. These did not follow Satan in the final rebellion upon release from the bottomless pit. Therefore, they entered the eternal state in bodies of flesh. Their rulers, kings, and presidents are also born-again and still living in earthly bodies. They bring their glory and honor into the New Jerusalem as well. They come to praise Him, who is all in all. Security is needless in the land of an eternal day with no night.

In verse 27: The warning flag is again lifted as John writes, “But nothing impure will enter the city, nor anyone who does shameful things or tells lies. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of the living will enter the city.” GNT

April 21, 2024 Posted by Bill Wyler | Bible, Last Days, Revelation | Bible, Future, GOD, Truth | Leave a comment

Book of Revelation – Chapter 19

The return of the King is the topic of this chapter. We have waited for a very long time, and now it is upon us. The rejoicing in heaven sets the stage for what is about to happen:

• Christ will remove sinners from the world.
• God will be appropriately honored.
• King Jesus receives His earthly throne.
• Earth restored to its lost glory.

Reasons for heaven’s joy:

• Verse 1: The joy expressed by an angelic choir occurs after Babylon’s destruction and before Christ returns to earth to set up the millennium kingdom. Complete salvation has come for God’s people. We see that:
• Evil has run its course,
• The Tribulation hour is concluding,
• Christ is preparing to return with His saints to earth,
• The world armies are about to be demolished, and their weapons remade into useful implements of peace per Isaiah 2:4.
• Christ soon establishes His millennial kingdom upon the earth with its capital in Jerusalem.
• Verse 2: God’s judgment is both proper and righteous, as evidenced by the destruction of Babylon. He has avenged the blood of His servants on her (Babylon). No amount of legislation could root out the evil so entrenched in society; the rot had gone too deep. Has entrenched corruption become a problem in our day? Is it too late for us to do something about it?
• Verse 3: Rebellion has ended. The destruction of Babylon marked the end of human rule on earth. There is no more false religion or injustice.
• Verses 4 thru 6: God is clearly in control. The 24 elders and the four living creatures (cherubim) now join the angels in the praise and rejoicing, then the redeemed in heaven join in to praise God for all He has done. With everyone in heaven singing, John heard it as the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters, like mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns!”
• Verses 7 thru 10: The Marriage of the Lamb is Completed. Now is the hour of Christ’s return to earth with His Bride (the Church). His honeymoon launches the 1,000-year reign on earth. A few notes:
• The marriage takes place in heaven, not on earth.
• The Bride prepares herself at the Judgment Seat of Christ in heaven before the wedding. Our lives on earth receive an in-depth review in the light of the Judgment Seat. Both events are time-consuming, taking 7-years during the Tribulation on earth.
• At the moment of one’s conversion, they are adopted into the family of God and espoused to the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit comes to live in the new believer as an engagement ring or earnest on Christ’s promise to return. For centuries, we have experienced a postponed wedding while the Bridegroom is preparing a place for us in heaven. We have the assurance that He will come again to rescue us during the Rapture from the Tribulation period.
• Then the Bride returns to earth from heaven with her lover (the Lord Jesus Christ). The Savior is the Bridegroom because He is the Lamb of God.

What is meant about the Bride preparing herself?

FIRST, the Bride is the Church which comprises those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and have received eternal life. Christ is the Bridegroom who sacrificially and lovingly chose the Church to be His Bride (Ephesians 5:25-27). During this church age, the Bride remains separated from Christ, longing to be with Him in heaven. But for now, the Church is to remain faithful to Him until ushered into heaven. At the Rapture, the Church unites with the Bridegroom.

SECOND, the Bride “made herself ready.” During the Tribulation period, the Church has been preparing for the wedding in heaven. This preparation has been by God’s gracious work. She is a flawless, blameless virgin. God desires to give gifts to those that are His. The Bride has made herself ready in the power of God, by the grace of God, through the work of the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:12-13 and Colossians 1:29). Purged from all sin & impurity, she is flawless and blameless—John MacArthur, Because the Time is Near, page 285.

THIRD, the Church must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, before the wedding, where one’s deeds or works get investigated. A person’s faith is not in question. Everyone receives the things done in their body, whether good or bad; refer to 2 Corinthians 5:10. Then in the fires of testing, all the works of Christians get evaluated. If the deeds remain through the fire, then a reward results. If any work burns, that person suffers a loss of rewards. Eternal salvation is never in question, for there is no condemnation for the believer. It is not a determination who will enter heaven. The sins of believers will not be an issue. Those who have trusted Christ now possess eternal life. Therefore, the judgment seat of Christ determines rewards for faithful service performed while on earth. 

The marriage of the Lamb will include a reception with many guests who join them to celebrate. The Bride and the Bridegroom are not the guests. Who, then, are the those in attendance at the Marriage Supper?

• The guests include all believers before Pentecost and those following the Rapture (Tribulation saints).
• The Bride (the Church) is composed of believers from the Day of Pentecost until the Rapture.
• Jack Van Impe points out that the marriage occurs in heaven. But, the supper happens on earth, as portrayed by the ten virgins’ parable.

Once again, John is so overwhelmed by the prophecy that he bows his knee to the angel (or created creature) giving him the revelation. The angel quickly says, “Don’t do it. Angels are but ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). So we need to beware of any religion that honors or reveres angels – including the angel Moroni of Mormonism. We are only to worship GOD.

Verses 11 thru 16: Portrays the coming of Christ to earth, not the Rapture, but Christ coming with the saints. When the Lord reveals himself to the planet’s inhabitants, many will be confused by what they see and hear. 

• Heaven opens, and John sees a white horse. The Lord Jesus Christ is seated on the white horse and has the title of “Faithful and True.” He is coming to earth to judge and make war on evil. He comes as a Conqueror and not as a servant. The white horse symbolizes the Rider’s spotless, unblemished, and absolute holy character. This opening of a door in heaven is the second opening that John records.
• His eyes were “as a” flame of fire to pierce the darkness and purge the evil from the earth. Nothing escapes His notice. He sees through the sham and hypocrisy of men. He wears many crowns of royalty. He has a name written that no man knows but Himself. Only at the hour of His return will the unknown name be known. Until then, He alone knows this name and its meaning.
• Christ, clothed with a vesture (or clothing) dipped in blood (a picture of the judgment He is bringing to earth), with the name “The Word of God.” The blood on His vesture is from previous battles. The Lord is a man of war! The war of Armageddon is His last one. He speaks, and His enemies are smitten where they stand.
• The armies of heaven followed Him to earth. There are four divisions: the Bride (the Church), Tribulation saints, Old Testament saints, and the holy angels. These armies also ride on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. They carry no weapons. This army numbers in the millions upon millions. They are privileged to stand with Christ as He comes to execute judgment upon all the ungodly. Armageddon is their destination as they follow Christ. The time of reaping has arrived.
• Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword. This sword is the Word of God. Christ and His Word alone smash the nations at Armageddon. Any rebellion is dealt with swiftly during His reign, representing ruling with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. The armies of heaven only observe as He immediately takes total control. Governing of the whole world is promised to believers as they represent Christ’s rule in the kingdom.
• On Christ’s vesture and His thigh, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” is written. The thigh, which displays this title, symbolizes power. It is obvious who He is. But is the name on His thigh part of the garment He wears or a tattoo? We will know when we get there.

In verses 17 and 18: we hear of the results of Armageddon. An angel calls all the birds to come and feast upon the dead. There, on the plains of Megiddo, lay kings, captains, mighty men, horses, and those that sat upon them. Even after the birds have their fill, it takes months to bury the remaining bodies. So before the Marriage Supper of the Lamb becomes a reality, the supper of the great GOD occurs (i.e., the birds). 

In verses 19 and 20: All these people gathered together to make war against Christ and His heavenly armies. They failed swiftly in this attempt. We see Satan chained and placed into the bottomless pit for 1,000-years. The beast (the Antichrist) and the false prophet are cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 

In verse 21, all those gathered at Armageddon get slain by the King; none spared. The battle has ended.

April 21, 2024 Posted by Bill Wyler | Bible, Last Days, Revelation | Bible, Future, GOD, Truth | Leave a comment

Book of Revelation – Chapter 18

In the previous chapter, we glimpsed at the coming Babylonian religious system and how it is used by and eaten up by the Antichrist after he has risen to power. Now we will look at Babylon, the city, its control, prosperity, and fall. As a reminder, “Mystery Babylon” was a religious Babylon with the harlot. “Babylon the great” is the commercial Babylon of the Antichrist in this chapter.

A rebuilt Babylon becomes a world commerce and trade city and a political center, destined to become the world’s capital again. Babylon will again become the home of idolatry, occultism, demonism, and false religion. All this leads to its destruction by horrible judgments from God. The apostle John gives us three reasons for Babylon’s utter destruction. Let’s look at God’s Word.

First, due to the magnitude of her sins, Babylon is destroyed. The city becomes wholly given over to demonism (a belief in the power of demons) and depravity (corruption) by this time.

• In verse 1, we are told “after these things,” which refers to the destruction of religious Babylon (or the worldwide apostate church). Next is a description of a mighty angel with a shining glory to lighten the earth. The judgment coming will be powerful and glorious to see.
• In verse 2, this angel shouts out that Babylon is fallen and has become a home for devils, evil spirits, satanism, occultism, witchcraft, and astrology (unclean and hateful birds).
• In verse 3, hailed as a center of enlightenment and liberal thinking, the city gives free rein to all forms of immorality. Because it seeks prestige and power, this Babylon promotes and joins ungodly international alliances. The world loves it. The rulers of the earth become captivated by the prospect of getting rich through her trade. There will be both legal and illicit trade (i.e.drug, sex and human trafficking trade). There is a lot of “wheeling and dealing” with Babylon by world merchants who become exceedingly wealthy. Gaining more riches remains the focus of the world merchants. Nothing deters them, not even God’s judgments destroying cities and the death of people from hunger and neglect.

Second, because of the measure of her sins, Babylon faces destruction. Many places attract or tempt men to engage in corruption, but Babylon is at a different level never seen before. People become enticed with the sins Babylon offers.

• In verses 4 and 5, another voice from heaven warns believers to come out of Babylon because her sins have reached heaven, and God has remembered her wickedness. Even though only a few believers are on earth, the warning is to have nothing to do with the city. God’s people must resist all the enticements offered to them. They are to be careful of materialism and to refrain from illegal gain through the love of the delicacies of this world.
• “There comes a time when the sins of a nation or a city reach to heaven & cry aloud for God to act. The sword of vengeance slumbers long, and heaven seems silent and indifferent to earth’s corruptions, calumnies (slanders), and crimes. God Himself seems deaf and blind, but then suddenly He acts, and the tale is told.” John Phillips commentary, page 223.
• In verse 6, with Babylon’s sins decreed, the angel cries out to God to reward her with a double punishment. As Job 4:8 states, “they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.” God cannot tolerate sin forever, and the reaping of political Babylon’s corruption must finally take place.

Third, on account of the madness of her sins, Babylon never rises again. Of the many sins committed by commercial Babylon, pride and presumption (arrogance or audacity) become her crowning sins.

• In verse 7, we see Babylon glorifying herself. Her wealthy citizens become even richer while her poor become poorer. “I sit as a queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow.” Babylon becomes the Laodicea of the world’s cities, as she becomes “rich and increased in goods” and feels her need for nothing.

Verse 8 tells us that all the vengeance of God will be released suddenly upon this city of Babylon. Plagues come in one day along with death, and then the mourning starts. Ultimately the city is burned with fire and turned to ashes, which coincides with the pouring out of the seventh bowl judgment in Revelation 16:19. Three groups mourn the loss of this city; the kings (rulers) of the earth, the merchants, and the mariners.

• Verses 9 and 10 are about earth’s monarchs and presidents mourning over the city’s loss. They helped to sponsor Babylon’s founding and construction. Most of their power was centered in Babylon. Now, these rulers stand afar off, watching its destruction. They wring their hands and recognized that the city just had a holy judgment visitation. The smoke rises to heaven.
• In verse 11, earth’s merchants also stand afar off, crying and mourning their losses because there is no one to buy their products. Their biggest buyer is gone. Verses 12 thru 16 cover everything Babylon will no longer purchase from them, which is quite a list. The merchants grew rich over the sales of the latest fashionable clothing, expensive jewelry of gold and precious gems, high-end furniture of exotic woods and ivory, beautiful oils and perfumes, the latest hi-tech transportation, and enslaved people. These merchants trafficked in every luxury the heart could desire.
• From verses 17 thru 19, all shipping to her shores stopped as they watched the destruction of Babylon. The skies filled with the smoke of her burning buildings. “What city in the world is like this great city?” They cried. Losses increased for those that had traded with Babylon the great. World trade was in ruins! Many mariners saw the smoke and flames from their ships and knew going further was no use. So the world mourned and cast dust on their heads and cried.

But in verse 20, there is cheering and rejoicing over Babylon’s demise! The news of Babylon’s fall prompts praise in heaven. You can hear the phrase, “Praise the Lord!” throughout heaven. 

We see a mighty angel lift a stone (verse 21) similar to a great millstone that could be six feet in diameter and weigh as much as 3,300 pounds! This angel throws it into the sea to symbolize the violence of Babylon’s destruction. There may be some similarity between the millstone cast into the waters and the rock crushing the ten toes of the giant statue in Daniel 2:34, 44, and 45. As the stone sinks quickly beneath the seas, Babylon’s overthrow is likewise quick. Babylon disappears forever.

Still speaking of Babylon’s destruction in verse 22, entertainment ceases inside the city and surrounding area. All the craftsmen and artisans – including tool and die makers, auto mechanics, and machinists are out of business as all production halts in Babylon. No one hears music or laughter again.

Finally, in verse 23, all is dark, no lights shine, marriages cease, and heartbreak inundates (or overwhelms) the land. There is nothing left but dust and ruin.

Verse 24 wraps up Babylon’s destruction by mentioning that the blood of prophets, saints, and all earth’s slain reside there. Babylon was deliberately built to organize, control, and extend the Beast’s policies of godlessness, iniquity, oppression, and persecution. Babylon boasted wildly and arrogantly that she would see no harm. There was an unrealistic presumption about everything in her outlook and language. She was arrogant and stubborn and would not repent of her evil. All this lead to her becoming the final depository of the world’s sins. Thus, “her fall was just.” John Phillips commentary, page 227.

Next, singing breaks out in heaven again. But now, preparations are being made for King Jesus to return to earth with the Church. Is the world ready for this 2nd advent? Are we?

March 14, 2024 Posted by Bill Wyler | Bible, Last Days, Revelation | Bible, Future, GOD, Truth | Leave a comment