DOCSLIB.ORG

The Book of Revelation

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation THE BOOK OF REVELATION An Explanation of this Book Especially for You Rock Solid #12 Ger de Koning The original Dutch version is available at Webshop: www.uitgeverijdaniel.nl Orders: [email protected] Translation: Ursula Moestapa Cover design: Jan Paul Spoor / Sjon Heijenga Layout: Piet Versteeg © 2016 by Ger de Koning. All rights preserved. No part of this publication may be – other than for personal use – reproduced in any form without written permission of the author. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. 4 Contents Foreword 9 Abbreviations of the Names of the Books of the Bible 11 Old Testament 11 New Testament 12 Explanation of general format 13 The Book of Revelation 15 Introduction 15 Revelation 1 17 Purpose of the Book | verse 1 17 Recipients, Blessing and Praise | verses 2-6 21 John On Patmos | verses 7-12 26 In the Middle of the Lampstands | verses 13-20 31 Revelation 2 36 The Seven Messages | verse 1 36 Message For Ephesus | verses 2-7 41 Message For Smyrna | verses 8-11 46 Message For Pergamum | verses 12-17 51 Message For Thyatira | verses 18-29 57 Revelation 3 63 Message For Sardis | verses 1-6 63 Message For Philadelphia | verses 7-13 68 Message For Laodicea | verses 14-22 74 Revelation 4 79 The Throne | verses 1-7 79 The Four Living Creatures | verses 8-11 85 5 Revelation 5 88 The Book | verses 1-5 88 The Lamb | verses 6-14 92 Revelation 6 98 The First Four Seals | verses 1-8 98 The Fifth and Sixth Seal | verses 9-17 104 Revelation 7 110 The Sealed of Israel | verses 1-8 110 The Great Multitude From the Nations | verses 9-17 115 Revelation 8 120 The Seventh Seal and the First Trumpet | verses 1-7 120 The Second, Third and Fourth Trumpet | verses 8-13 126 Revelation 9 130 The Fifth Trumpet | verses 1-12 130 The Sixth Trumpet | verses 13-21 136 Revelation 10 142 The Opened Little Book | verses 1-11 142 Revelation 11 148 The Two Witnesses | verses 1-8 148 The Seventh Trumpet | verses 9-19 154 Revelation 12 160 The Dragon, the Woman and the Child | verses 1-6 160 Satan Thrown Down To the Earth | verses 7-17 164 Revelation 13 170 The Beast Coming Up Out Of the Sea | verses 1-4 170 Mouth and Deeds of the Beast Out Of the Sea | verses 5-10 175 The Beast Coming Up Out Of the Earth | verses 11-18 180 6 Revelation 14 186 The Song of the One Hundred and Forty-four Thousand | verses 1-6 186 Messages from Three Angels | verses 7-13 191 The Two Harvests of the Earth | verses 14-20 196 Revelation 15 201 The Sea of Glass and the Seven Angels | verses 1-8 201 Revelation 16 208 The First, Second and Third Bowl | verses 1-4 208 Testimony, the Fourth and Fifth Bowl | verses 5-11 211 The Sixth and Seventh Bowl | verses 12-21 216 Revelation 17 221 The Great Harlot | verses 1-4 221 The Mystery Explained | verses 5-10 227 The Kings and the Beast Hate the Harlot | verses 11-18 232 Revelation 18 236 Come Out Of Her, My People | verses 1-10 236 The Wealth of Babylon Destroyed | verses 11-24 243 Revelation 19 249 The Marriage of the Lamb | verses 1-8 249 Heaven Opened | verses 9-15 255 The Beast and the Antichrist Are Judged | verses 16-21 260 Revelation 20 263 Satan Thrown Into the Abyss | verses 1-3 263 Thousand Years Peace and the Last Rebellion | verses 4-9 266 The Great White Throne – the Lake of Fire | verses 10-15 272 Revelation 21 278 A New Heaven and a New Earth | verses 1-4 278 All Things New | verses 5-10 283 The Holy City, the New Jerusalem | verses 11-18 288 God Almighty and the Lamb Are Its Temple | verses 19-27 293 7 Revelation 22 299 A River of the Water of Life | verses 1-7 299 My Reward Is With Me | verses 8-14 304 Yes, I Am Coming Quickly | verses 15-21 309 Other Publications 314 8 Foreword Dear friend, It’s my pleasure to present to you the twelfth and final volume of the ‘Rock Solid series’. This last volume, how could it be otherwise, is about the Bible book Revelation. In the previous books of the Bible the truth of God has come to you in the form of letters. In these letters it is about the church of God which according to her nature and call- ing belongs to heaven. In the book of Revelation it is about the earth and how God comes to His purpose with it. In all God’s acts you see the Lord Jesus as the Center. It is all about Him, about His future. Everything is seen and judged in the light of the relation- ship to Him. Read this book prayerfully and your love to the Lord Jesus will increase enormously. You will get more and more attached to Him and at the same time the effect will be that you will become disconnected from the world more and more. Here are a few practical tips that might help you: 1. Provide yourself with a good translation of the Bible. Some good translations are the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the New King James Version (NKJV), the New Translation by J.N. Darby (JND) and the King James Version (KJV), preferably with the New Scofield word updates. I will be using the NASB, with permission granted by The Lockman Foundation on Feb- ruary 10, 2016 when referencing and quoting Scripture unless I note otherwise. 2. I tried to write this book in a way that encourages you to use the Bible. At the beginning and end of each section, I have list- ed the Bible verses pertaining to that section. I encourage you 9 to read those verses before and after reading the section. It would be a good idea to keep your Bible open to those verses so you can easily refer to them. 3. Self-discipline is very important. You have to be willing to dis- cipline yourself to take time to understand the Bible better. I suggest that you read the Bible at a set time that’s best for you. To help you with this, I have divided this book into fifty-seven sections. I also indicated with a ‘V’ which verse is explained. Read one section daily. If you do, then in less than eight weeks, you will have gained a little more insight into this impressive book of the Bible. The whole Bible is a splendid book and it’s my prayer that you’ll get this impression in an increasing way. I wish you God’s blessing! Middelburg, Netherlands, English edition 2016 ✆ Tel. (0031) 0118 638458 @ E-mail: [email protected] 10 Abbreviations of the Names of the Books of the Bible Old Testament Gen - Genesis Exo - Exodus Lev - Leviticus Num - Numbers Deu - Deuteronomy Jos - Joshua Jdg - Judges Rth - Ruth 1Sam - First Samuel 2Sam - Second Samuel 1Kgs - First Kings 2Kgs - Second Kings 1Chr - First Chronicles 2Chr - Second Chronicles Ezra - Ezra Neh - Nehemiah Est - Esther Job - Job Psa - Psalms Pro - Proverbs Ecc - Ecclesiastes Song - Song of Songs Isa - Isaiah Jer - Jeremiah Lam - Lamentations Eze - Ezekiel Dan - Daniel Hos - Hosea Joel - Joel Amos - Amos Oba - Obadiah Jona - Jonah 11 Mic - Micah Nah - Nahum Hab - Habakkuk Zep - Zephaniah Hag - Haggai Zec - Zechariah Mal - Malachi New Testament Mt - Gospel of Matthew Mk - Gospel of Mark Lk - Gospel of Luke Jn - Gospel of John Acts - Acts of the Apostles Rom - Letter to the Romans 1Cor - First Letter to the Corinthians 2Cor - Second Letter to the Corinthians Gal - Letter to the Galatians Eph - Letter to the Ephesians Phil - Letter to the Philippians Col - Letter to the Colossians 1Thes - First Letter to the Thessalonians 2Thes - Second Letter to the Thessalonians 1Tim - First Letter to Timothy 2Tim - Second Letter to Timothy Tit - Letter to Titus Phlm - Letter to Philemon Heb - Letter to the Hebrews Jam - Letter of James 1Pet - First Letter of Peter 2Pet - Second Letter of Peter 1Jn - First Letter of John 2Jn - Second Letter of John 3Jn - Third Letter of John Jude - Letter of Jude Rev - Revelation 12 Explanation of general format PERSONAL PRONOUNS are capitalized when pertaining to Deity. BRACKETS [ ] are used inthis commentary in the Bible text to indicate words which are not found in the original Hebrew, Ara- maic, or Greek but implied by it. SHARP BRACKETS < > are used in this commentary in the Bible text to indicate words possibly not in the original writings. ASTERISKS * are used to mark verbs that are historical pres- ents in the Greek which have been translated with an English past tense in order to conform to modern us-age. The translators rec- ognized that in some contexts the present tense seems more un- expected and unjustified to the English reader than a past tense would have been. But Greek authors frequently used the present tense for the sake of heightened viv-idness, thereby transporting their readers in imagination to the actual scene at the time of oc- currence. However, the translators felt that it would be wise to change the-se historical presents to English past tenses. ALL CAPS in the New Testament are used in the text to indicate Old Testament quo-tations or obvious references to Old Testa- ment texts.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Seven Last Plagues Lesson #11 for March 16, 2019 Scriptures: Revelation 15:1,4; 7:1-3; 14:9-10; 16:1-12,16; 17:1; Daniel 5; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
    The Book of Revelation The Seven Last Plagues Lesson #11 for March 16, 2019 Scriptures: Revelation 15:1,4; 7:1-3; 14:9-10; 16:1-12,16; 17:1; Daniel 5; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12. 1. Revelation 15 and especially 16 describe what are known as the seven last plagues. However, Revelation 15:2-4 talk about a group of people standing on the sea of glass in heaven, praising and honoring God. How is that related? Did John change the subject? 2. Revelation 15:5-8 set up the heavenly context for the giving of the seven last plagues. It is important to notice that no one is in the temple in heaven when these plagues fall. Normally, the throne room in heaven is full of millions of heavenly beings. This means that the events connected to the seven last plagues will take place after the close of probation. 3. But, the most important question to ask about the seven last plagues is who is the one that causes those seven last plagues? And what is the purpose of having seven final plagues if probation is closed and if no one will change his/her mind? An important verse to look at in connection with the seven last plagues is Revelation 11:18. It talks about a time of judgment when those who destroy the earth will be destroyed. 4. The group of people described in Revelation 15:1-4 will be victorious “over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name.” (NKJV*) So, these people certainly cannot be those who are the main brunt of the seven last plagues.
    [Show full text]
  • Must Satan Be Released? Indeed He Must Be: Toward a Biblical Understanding of Revelation 20:3 Gregory H
    Volume 25, Number 1 • Spring 2014 Must Satan Be Released? Indeed He Must Be: Toward a Biblical Understanding of Revelation 20:3 Gregory H. Harris Regaining Our Focus: A Response to the Social Action Trend in Evangelical Missions Joel James and Brian Biedebach The Seed of Abraham: A Theological Analysis of Galatians 3 and Its Implications for Israel Michael Riccardi A Review of Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy Norman L. Geisler THE MASTER’S SEMINARY JOURNAL published by THE MASTER’S SEMINARY John MacArthur, President Richard L. Mayhue, Executive Vice-President and Dean Edited for the Faculty: William D. Barrick John MacArthur Irvin A. Busenitz Richard L. Mayhue Nathan A. Busenitz Alex D. Montoya Keith H. Essex James Mook F. David Farnell Bryan J. Murphy Paul W. Felix Kelly T. Osborne Michael A. Grisanti Dennis M. Swanson Gregory H. Harris Michael J. Vlach Matthew W. Waymeyer by Richard L. Mayhue, Editor Michael J. Vlach, Executive Editor Dennis M. Swanson, Book Review Editor Garry D. Knussman, Editorial Consultant The views represented herein are not necessarily endorsed by The Master’s Seminary, its administration, or its faculty. The Master’s Seminary Journal (MSJ) is is published semiannually each spring and fall. Beginning with the May 2013 issue, MSJ is distributed electronically for free. Requests to MSJ and email address changes should be addressed to [email protected]. Articles, general correspondence, and policy questions should be directed to Dr. Michael J. Vlach. Book reviews should be sent to Dr. Dennis M. Swanson. The Master’s Seminary Journal 13248 Roscoe Blvd., Sun Valley, CA 91352 The Master’s Seminary Journal is indexed in Elenchus Bibliographicus Biblicus of Biblica; Christian Periodical Index; and Guide to Social Science & Religion in Periodical Literature.
    [Show full text]
  • Revelation 18: the Fall of Babylon
    Revelation 18: The Fall of Babylon Chapter 17 provided a chain of metaphors that identified Babylon. In chapter 17, verse 18, the woman on the beast is the great city, and in verse 5, she is Babylon the great. Leading up to chapter 18, in Revelation 14:8, where the three angels announce the coming wrath of God, John saw the second angel who said: 8 And another, a second angel, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, that has made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” As the wrath of God, in the seventh bowl, poured out in Revelation 16:19, John wrote, 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. Chapter 18 goes into a great and detailed lament over the end of Babylon, the great city, where it contrasts with chapter 21 where the glories and beauties of the New Jerusalem—the bride of Christ, the heavenly city, the church—shines with the glory of God. Babylon with its citizens of the world versus the New Jerusalem with its saints, made perfect, tell the story of the redeemed and lost in these final chapters of God’s revelation. After chapter 18, the terms Babylon and great city do not appear again in The Revelation. Their retribution in this chapter is the very end of them.
    [Show full text]
  • Symbols in the Book of Revelation and Their Literal Meaning According to Other Passages of Scripture
    Symbols in the Book of Revelation and Their Literal Meaning According to Other Passages of Scripture One vital basic rule of bible study is to compare Scripture with In the Footsteps of John: Scripture. Isaiah 28:9-10 “Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall Walking through the Book of Revelation He make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept with John the Revelator upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little”. www.lrhartley.com/john 1 Corinthians 2:13 “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual”. The prophecies of the book of Revelation have only 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and one correct interpretation, and there is only one way to is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in discover it: allow the bible to interpret itself. righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works”. Angel Messenger ........................................................................ Daniel 8:16, 9:21; Luke 1:19,26; Hebrews 1:14 Ark of Testimony Ark of covenant; The mercy seat where God dwells ....... Exodus 25:10-22; Psalm 80:1 Babylon Religious apostasy; confusion ......................................... Genesis 10:8-10, 11:6-9: Revelation 18:2,3; 17:1-5 Balaam, Doctrine of Balaam Advancing our own interests, compromise, idolatry ....... Numbers 22:5-25 Beast Kingdom, government, political power ..........................
    [Show full text]
  • The Chronology of Revelation 19—20
    Session #5 The Chronology of Revelation 19—20 The Expositors Seminary Super Seminar—April 8–9, 2016 I. Introduction § Key Question: Do the events of Rev 20:1–6 follow the events of Rev 19:11–21? OR Does Rev 20 take the reader back to the beginning of the NT era so that verses 1–6 describe the present age? Comparison of Views Ø The Sequential View of Premillennialism The Millennium of Rev 20 ____________ the Second Coming of Rev 19 Ø The Recapitulation View of Amillennialism The Millennium of Rev 20 ____________ the Second Coming of Rev 19 II. The Sequential View of Premillennialism A. The Introductory “And I Saw” (Rev 20:1) § Used _______ in Book of Revelation § Almost always introduces _______________ ________________ § Argument is _______________ but places burden of proof on amillennial view B. The Content of the Visions (Rev 20:1–6) § The binding of Satan is ____________ (not present) § The first resurrection is ____________ (not spiritual) § The thousand years is ____________ (not symbolic) Ø Therefore: The chronology of Rev 19-20 must be ________________! 19 C. The Use of “Any Longer” (Rev 20:3) § Rev 12–19 repeatedly highlights the satanic deception of the nations in the second half of the Tribulation (12:9; 13:14; 16:14; 18:23; 19:19–20). § Satan is then locked in the abyss “so that he would not deceive the nations any longer” (Rev 20:3), which indicates the interruption of a deception that was already taking place. § This connection indicates a historical progression in which the binding of Rev 20 is designed to halt the deception described in Rev 12–19.
    [Show full text]
  • Revelation 14 Lesson # 9 “God’S Victory and the Beast’S Defeat”
    1 Revelation 14 Lesson # 9 “God’s Victory and the Beast’s Defeat” The Lamb and the 144,000 A. The fate of the 144,000 1. (14:1-3) The Lamb and the 144,000 on Mount Zion a. A Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand: These 144,000 were identified as a group of Jewish believers in Rev. 7 who minister (preach the gospel) during the great tribulation and are given a seal of protection throughout that period. b. Standing on Mount Zion: They gathered on Mount Zion because Zion – is the ancient name for the hills that make up Jerusalem – it is the place where the Messiah gathers His redeemed and reigns over the earth (Psalm 48, Isaiah 24:23, Joel 2:32, Obadiah 17 and 21, Micah 4:1, 4:7). Standing on Mount Zion with the Lamb shows that they emerge victorious from the great tribulation and are triumphant over the beast, worshipping, and standing firm with Jesus. i. In Revelation 7, the 144,000 are seen at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. In Revelation 14, it shows them in triumph at the end of the Great Tribulation. c. Having His Father’s name written on their foreheads: The followers of Satan and the beast may have a mark on their hand or forehead (Revelation 13:16-17). But this mark is just a copy of the idea behind the identifying mark on the foreheads of each one of the 144,000, showing that they belong to the Father.
    [Show full text]
  • REVELATION 10, No. 8 the Millennium and Beyond Preached November 27 – December 11, 2016
    Vol 50. No. 6 Printed Voice of Faith Assembly August 2018 REVELATION 10, No. 8 The Millennium and Beyond Preached November 27 – December 11, 2016 In the last there. The water will flow into that edition, Bro. cavern, which it is very shallow at Allen was first, but it is a big stream. It will be reading from very swift. Then it will go down into Ezekiel chapter the valley, it mentions a thousand 47 and speaking cubits, which will be fifteen about the living hundred feet. Then it is getting water which will deeper the further you get from the flow from temple, because it is going through beneath the a valley. There is no valley there Rev. James C. Allen temple during now. The Mount of Olives is in the the Millennium. We are picking up way, but there is going to be an where he left off. earthquake as I showed you before. As we read from Zechariah 14:5, it Living Water From the Temple say the Lord himself will stand upon the Mount of Olives. That is the I want to show you this picture of same place He left from. When he the temple again. Now the water comes back His saints will be will come out of the temple area, by standing with Him. So, the Bride of the side of the eastern door. Then it Jesus Christ is going to be there to goes out and will flow down into the see what is taking place at that time. Kidron Valley. After you leave the It is in that time when the mountain temple area, there will be a cavern in will have split in two, making the 1 Copyright 2018 Faith Assembly Church Revelation 10 No.
    [Show full text]
  • Babylon the Great Is Fallen, Is Fallen Revelation 18 Revelation 18 Introduction
    Babylon the Great Is Fallen, Is Fallen Revelation 18 Revelation 18 Introduction • Today’s chapter deals with the destruction of the great city Babylon. • It brings together numerous prophecies from the Old Testament that have only been partially fulfilled. • The encouragement for God’s people is that they should all leave the city before its inevitable destruction. • The ruins of the city of ancient Babylon still exist in Iraq and were partially rebuilt by Saddam Hussein. • • Though Babylon is no longer great, the prophecies pertaining to its destruction have never been completely fulfilled. • We may therefore look forward to a further rebuilding of the city somewhere near its ancient location. • It seems that it will become Antichrist’s political and financial capital – the capital of the world. • Let’s look at some of the Old Testament prophecies. – Isaiah 13:19-22 – Isaiah 14:22-23 – Isaiah 47 – Jeremiah 50:35-40 – Jeremiah 51:6-9, 13, 17-19, 24-26, 29, 41-45, and 59-64 • Now we’ll read Revelation 18 in sections to help digest the full weight of the message. • Pay attention to the different voices that speak. • An Angel Announces Judgment 18:1-3 – The nations and kings have become corrupted. – The merchants of the earth have become rich. • A Voice from Heaven Calls for God’s People to Separate Themselves from Her 18:4-8 – We’ll consider what this separation means for us at the end our study. • The Voices of Those Who Mourn 18:9-19 – The kings of the earth 9-10 – The merchants of the earth 11-17a • 18:13 “Bodies and souls of men” points to human trafficking as part of the economy.
    [Show full text]
  • Sermon Revelation 15-16
    Revelation 15-16 12th November, 2017 Rev. Bruce Stanley Revelation 15:1-8; Revelation 16:1-17 “The final battle” Moving home Our family have moved home 9 times. It’s never been what I would call a pleasant experience. The first few times weren’t too bad. 5 or 6 hours. But as our family grew, the moves became bigger. Longer. More painful. The longest so far was 12 hours. The day would BEGIN well. Everything is finally packed. And you’re standing there. Waiting for the truck to arrive. Ready to go, go , go! And it’s an exciting moment when the truck finally pulls into the driveway. But you also know what’s ahead. Hours of pain. Revelation is the story of the final move of humanity. It’s the story of humanity moving home into eternity. We’re waiting for the truck to arrive. And Revelation tells us what the move is going to be like. Things are going to happen. Unpleasant things. Difficult things. Harsh things. But for the followers of Jesus, we have assurance that, no matter what we face, we will be safe and our place in heaven is absolutely secure. We know where we are moving to. But what is ahead is still challenging. And there’s lots of images to reflect on. So the aim today is to look at those images and understand what they mean for us today. The sea and fire So we begin with a vision of God’s people standing on a sea of glass with fire underneath.
    [Show full text]
  • Revelation 13:11-18 - Who Is Afraid of the Number 666? Be Wise!
    Revelation 13:11-18 - Who is afraid of the number 666? Be wise! - Author: Evert Jan Hempenius © 2018 www.christianstudylibrary.org For any questions about this Scripture passage or the notes, please contact us through the Contact Us tab on the website. Foreword Who is afraid of the number 666 (Revelation 13:18)? I’m not! It is not the number of Satan, the devil, the serpent, the dragon. It is not the number of the Antichrist. It is just the number of man. It is the number of a man or human, who has godly aspirations. The number 666 is a so-called triangle number. This means that a triangle can be made by using for instance 666 pebbles, just like a triangle can be made from three, six or ten pebbles. Within the context of Revelation, triangle numbers refer to the godly realm. Revelation 13:11-18 describes the mechanisms of persecution when the political powers and ideologies ask the predominant religion od atheism for support of their agenda. This calls for wisdom not for fear. The main question is, how to deal as Christian with a man, an Emperor, a government, an ideology with godly aspirations and requesting worship and total obedience from the people of a nation. A Christian and the church must know that Christ has overcome all powers, and all ideologies (Revelation 11:15). Revelation 13:1-18 opens our eyes to the mechanisms of past and modern-day persecutions. The context, form and structure, theological notes, technical and hermeneutical notes given in this sermon outline show some overlap with other sermon outlines taken from the book of Revelation.
    [Show full text]
  • Revelation Chapter 11
    THE BOOK OF REVELATION Chapter 11 Opening Prayer Let us pray. Direct, O Lord, we beseech you, all our actions by your holy inspirations, and carry them on by your gracious assistance, that every prayer and work of ours may begin always from you, and by you be happily ended. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Source Material ■ Revelation, Peter S. Williamson ■ Revelation, Sacra Pagina, Wilfrid J. Harrington, OP ■ The Spirit of the Liturgy, Joseph Ratzinger ■ The Antichrist, Vincent P. Miceli, SJ ■ Catechism of the Catholic Church ■ New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) ■ Douay-Rheims Bible Summary of chapter 9-10 ■ We left off in chapters 9-10 with the sounding of the fifth and sixth trumpets, which unleashed a plague of locusts and an army of cavalry led by fallen angels – These symbolized a great spiritual attack, allowed by God, and aimed primarily at the “inhabitants of the earth,” those not among God’s people, in order that they might repent ■ We saw the scroll, now completely unsealed, representing God’s salvific plan for his people given to John, who was commanded to eat it. – To eat the scroll was a sign of his incorporating its message and being commissioned to proclaim it – The message was sweet to his taste because it was the word of God. – It also soured his stomach because it foretold the immense suffering and trials of the Church before the end. Preview of chapter 11 ■ Chapter 11 will focus on a pair of visions by John: the account of the “two witnesses” and the sounding of the seventh and final trumpet ■ The message is twofold: what is the role of the Church in God’s plan, and what will happen to the Church at the end.
    [Show full text]
  • The Beast, the Whore, the Bride & the Groom
    The Beast, The Whore, The Bride & The Groom Revelation 12-19 Revelation 12:1-6 The Woman & Dragon Act 2: After the Seventh Trumpet - Setting: Heaven moving to Earth. - The Woman with the Sun, Moon and Crown: Giving Birth (12:2) - The Red Dragon (Satan), with his tail he sweeps a third of the stars down from heaven. He opposes the Woman (12:3-4) - The Child: Identified as Jesus, was caught up to Heaven. The Woman Retreats into the wilderness. (12:5-6) Revelation 12:7-12 The Heavenly War Michael and His Angels declare war on the Dragon Satan is Cast Down with his minions Heaven Rejoices: “Now Salvation the of our Christ has come” Revelation 12:13-17 The Woman & The Dragon Part 2 The Dragon Pursues her and the earth aids the woman. The earth opens its mouth to swallow the water that the Dragon intends to destroy her with. The Dragon then pursues her children, attempting to make war with them. Discussion Question #1 Koester notes that the woman in labor should be understood as the people of God, and notes, “Christian readers might naturally identify her with Mary… By the end of the chapter, however, it becomes clear that the woman is the mother of all believers…” (123) Is this interpretation of the woman valid? Why or why not? Revelation 13: The Beasts ● The Beast from the Sea (13:1-10): 10 Horns and 7 Heads and 10 Diadems. It was worshipped, given authority to conquer and was utterly blasphemous. Everyone worshipped it except those who were found in the Book of Life.
    [Show full text]