# commentaries

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<p>18:11&nbsp;<em>Standing far away for the fear of her torment, saying: Woe, woe, the great city! Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour does your judgment come-</em></p><p> See on <a href='B:730 18:10'>:10</a>. Their fear of sharing in her torment is a major theme.</p><p>The apostate religious system called &quot;Babylon&quot; in Revelation is evidently presented in the language of Solomon - at the time his kingdom was apparently flourishing: <p><table border="1"><tr><td>1 Kings</td><td>Revelation</td></tr><tr><td><a href='B:110 10:14'>10:14</a></td><td><a href='B:730 13:17-18'>13:17,18</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href='B:110 10:23'>10:23</a></td><td><a href='B:730 18:11-15'>18:11,12,15</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href='B:110 11:1-2'>11:1,2</a></td><td><a href='B:730 17:1-2'>17:1,2</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href='B:110 10:22'>10:22</a></td><td><a href='B:730 18:17-19'>18:17,19</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href='B:110 10:23'>10:23</a></td><td><a href='B:730 18:3'>18:3</a>,<a href='B:730 18:17'>17</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href='B:110 10:21-22'>10:21,22</a></td><td><a href='B:730 18:12'>18:12</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href='B:110 10:11'>10:11</a></td><td><a href='B:730 18:12'>18:12</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href='B:110 10:22'>10:22</a></td><td><a href='B:730 18:12'>18:12</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href='B:110 10:10'>10:10</a>,<a href='B:110 10:25'>25</a></td><td><a href='B:730 18:13'>18:13</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href='B:110 10:23'>10:23</a></td><td><a href='B:730 18:3'>18:3</a>,<a href='B:730 18:9'>9</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href='B:110 10:28'>10:28</a></td><td><a href='B:730 18:12'>18:12</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href='B:110 9:22'>9:22</a></td><td><a href='B:730 18:13'>18:13</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href='B:110 11:1'>11:1</a>,<a href='B:110 11:5'>5</a> (Solomon influenced by Zidonian idolatry)</td><td><a href='B:730 2:20'><a href='B:110 2:20'>2:20</a> cp. <a href='B:110 16:31'>1 Kings 16:31</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href='B:140 9:15'>2 Chron 9:15</a>(666)</td><td><a href='B:730 13:18'>13:18</a></td></tr></table></p><p>This serves to cement the connection between Babylon and Jerusalem, especially the Jerusalem temple. In the first century, it was Judaism which was the great satan / adversary and devil / false accuser of the Christians. The temptation was always to give in to the Judaist campaign and return to Judaism. Paul, Peter and John are full of this theme in their letters. But here that system is described in the worst possible terms.</p>


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<p>18:12&nbsp;<em>Merchandise of gold and silver and precious stone and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet and all kinds of scented wood, and every vessel of ivory and every vessel made of most precious wood and of brass and iron and marble</em>-</p><p> These are the materials associated with Solomon's kingdom and temple, and the materials of the tabernacle and temple cult. We see too a reference to how the High Priest Caiaphas was dressed, also with "purple" (<em><a href='B:490 16:19'>Luk 16:19</a></em>), likewise in vain appearance. It was the religious clothing of Israel in <em><a href='B:330 16:10'>Eze 16:10</a></em>. Throughout these descriptions we see allusions to the Jewish high priesthood. The whole verse clearly alludes to the glory of Tyre in Ezekiel 27. These various layers of allusion serve to build up the overall picture- an appearance of Judaistic religiosity which is thoroughly carnal and pagan. Judaism was indeed the first century Babylon; see on :11.</p><p>The latter day Babylon will therefore seek to quickly build a kingdom and worship system which apes that of Israel and the temple cult- hence the gross blasphemy and abomination on the temple mount which calls for desolation.</p>


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<p>18:13&nbsp;<em>And cinnamon and spice and incense and ointment and frankincense and wine and oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep and horses and chariots and slaves and the souls of men-&nbsp;</em>As noted on :12, all these things are associated with Solomon's temple and Kingdom, and the materials of the tabernacle and temple cult. It would have been a great comfort to those under pressure from the Jewish satan in the first century to see God's perspective on that evil system. The latter day application is to an Islamist paradise, more exotic than the citadels of the Gulf states, established in Jerusalem, with distinct religious overtones. And all to be destroyed even quicker than it was established.</p><p>Slaves in the first century were seen as mere bodies owned by their masters or mistresses. Hence <em><a href='B:730 18:13'>Rev 18:13</a></em> describes slaves as&nbsp;<em>somata</em>, bodies. They were seen as both the economic and sexual property of those who owned them. It seems Paul had this in mind when he spoke of how we have one master, Christ, and our bodies are indeed not our own- but they are His, to be used according to His wishes. For many slaves, this would’ve meant running the risk of death or flogging. And yet despite this radical demand, Christianity spread rapidly amongst the huge slave population of the first century world.</p>


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<p>18:14&nbsp;<em>And the fruits which your soul lusted after are gone from you, and all things that were dainty and sumptuous are lost to you, never to be found again</em>&nbsp;- The prophecy has multiple applications; to Jerusalem of the first century; to Rome; and to the restored Babylon of the last days. The reference is to Israel lusting after the fruits of Egypt, and Adam and Eve lusting for the forbidden fruit in Eden. Their sin will be enshrined and manifested in this final system of evil and lust as never before- all under the guise of the strictest possible interpretation of Islam. Just as Judaism did the same in Jerusalem in the first century, under the front of careful obedience to the Law of Moses.</p>


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<p>18:15&nbsp;<em>The merchants of these things who were made rich by her shall stand far away, for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning-&nbsp;</em>This category are not consumed in her judgments; they have come out of her in response to flee Babylon&nbsp;<em>lest</em>&nbsp;they partake in "her torment", just as Lot's wife did; and yet they are equally on her side, with her in spirit, just as materialistic, as Lot's wife was. Or, as suggested on :10, these merchants are those outside of the earth / land, the likes of Western European businessmen, who became wealthy by serving the huge demand for luxury goods which arises from the dominance of the beast. Perhaps the words of lament are as it were put in their mouths, so we realize the nature of Babylon's existence. In fact in Revelation we know little about the apocalyptic Babylon until we read the laments over her after she is destroyed. They are clearly not believers nor are they fully repentant; for their weeping over her fall contrasts with Heaven's rejoicing at it (:20).</p><p>We need to note that the same word for "made rich" is used in the opening letters for how there are some in the church of the last days who are likewise "made rich" and thereby turn away from Christ (<em><a href='B:730 3:17'>Rev 3:17</a></em>). Even true Christians will be caught up in the attraction of making quick bucks for the sake of a nominal acceptance of the beast system.</p>


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<p>18:16 - see on <em><a href='B:730 17:18'>Rev 17:18</a></em>.</p><p><em>Saying: Woe, woe, the great city She that was dressed in fine linen and purple and scarlet and decked with gold and precious stone and pearl-&nbsp;</em>"Fine linen" would be very relevant to the application of 'Babylon' to apostate Judaism in the first century, with the precious stones referring to the High Priestly breastplate. The items in which Babylon trades are therefore presented in terms of the opulence of Solomon's Israelitish Kingdom. Appearance of spirituality can be deeply obnoxious to God; Isaiah had predicted that He saw Jerusalem as Sodom, the virgin of Israel as a whore (<em><a href='B:290 1:9'>Isa 1:9</a></em>). And that language is definitely used here. An appearance of&nbsp;spirituality is no guarantee of acceptance with God; it may actually be obnoxious to Him.</p><p>The image of fine linen and wealth recalls to our minds images of wealthy sheikhs walking around Islamic citadels in the Gulf states. But the entity briefly created by Babylon in Jerusalem will outstrip them all. The white linen of jihadist religious leaders is an image mixed here with that of obscene wealth, and a pretension to the Jewish high priesthood. The precious stones, scarlet etc. are all associated with the tabernacle system. This is also a false system of worship. The picture exactly fits Islamist supremacy. We note the revival of gold and precious stones as effective currency in the areas now under the control of Islamic fundamentalists in the area around Israel.</p><p>And yet pearls refer to the true believers (<em><a href='B:730 21:21'>Rev 21:21</a></em>). The believers are dressed in white linen, symbolizing righteousness (<em><a href='B:730 19:8'>Rev 19:8</a></em>). The suggestion therefore is that Babylon is quasi-religious and appears highly moral, when actually it is morally delinquent. This is exactly what we see in Jihadist Islamism. There is clear reference to the Jewish priesthood, and the description also connects with the white clothing of Islamic religious leaders. But they are a fake kingdom of God, their leaders are fake saints, and their leader is the anti-Christ.</p>


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<p>18:17&nbsp;<em>For in an hour so many great riches are laid waste. And every shipmaster and everyone that sails anywhere, and mariners, and as many as gain their living at sea, stood far away</em>-</p><p> Despite having seen direct Divine intervention, throughout the three and a half years of "torment" upon the earth dwellers from the miracles of the two witnesses (<em><a href='B:730 11:9-10'>Rev 11:9-10</a></em>), and now Babylon's final destruction, these commercial people are so materialistic that they do not repent. All they can think about is how much they have lost, and how tragic it is that such material wealth is now "laid waste". This is the power of materialism. It has destroyed so much faith in so many people, and we are to therefore be the more aware of its insidious power.</p>


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<p>18:18&nbsp;<em>And cried out as they looked upon the smoke of her burning, saying: What city is like the great city?-&nbsp;</em>They are connected with faithful Abraham observing Sodom's burning; but although the great city is no more, they speak in the present tense as though it is still existing. This is a reflection of their grief at how much has been lost, both to them and in general terms. This is how stubbornly materialistic they are.</p>


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<p>18:19&nbsp;<em>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 expense For in one hour she is made desolate</em>-</p><p> This casting of dust on the head is sometimes (as with the Ninevites), but not always, associated with repentance. It may be significant that there is no apparent record of the destruction of these merchants. Are we to hope that they repented? Perhaps the idea is that they have the possibility to do so. As noted earlier, their observing of the smoke of Babylon's judgment connects them with faithful Abraham, watching the judgment of Sodom. The vagueness as to whether this refers to repentance or not is perhaps because this is yet unknown- for these people have freewill, and shall make their own decision regarding repentance after Babylon's judgment. But their weeping contrasts with the rejoicing of the believers (:20). Their particular weeping for their now redundant fleets of ships speaks of how their economies were tied in to servicing Babylon with luxury goods; and now that was suddenly, in an hour, no more. Their whole economic structure was useless. And despite all the evidence of Divine involvement and all the evidence of His visible involvement in this earth again, they could only see the immediate and the material, what was right before their eyes. And tragically that is how the majority of people are today.</p>


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<p>18:20- see on <em><a href='B:500 7:24'>Joh 7:24</a></em>.</p><p><em>Rejoice over her, you heaven, and you saints, and you apostles, and you prophets. For God has judged your judgment on her</em>-</p><p> All the surrounding nations did to Israel shall be done to them. This explains the links between the seals the judgments on Israel at the hands of their neighbours in the last days and the trumpets and vials, which speak of similar judgments coming upon Israel's enemies within the land / earth promised to Abraham. The saints may be Israel (<em><a href='B:340 7:25'>Dan 7:25</a></em>); the prophets would be the two witnesses of chapter 11. The "heaven" would refer to the Heavenly, Angelic representatives of those who were killed and tormented by the beast during her three and a half year domination of the earth / land; for John had seen them in his visions of the heavenly throne room, and now he sees them rejoicing. What the beast did during his brief domination is now done to him. So the saints and Christians in view are particularly those who endured that.</p>


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<p>18:21&nbsp;<em>And a strong angel took up a 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 never be found again</em>-</p><p> Jeremiah's prophecies about Babylon had been cast into the Euphrates tied to a stone (<em><a href='B:300 51:63'>Jer 51:63</a></em>). But this is the fate of Babylon. There is a parallel between the word of prophecy, and Babylon; so sure is it of fulfilment.</p><p>The same judgment is for those who make little ones stumble (<em><a href='B:470 18:6'>Mat 18:6</a></em>). Such behaviour is the same as Babylon's obvious apostasy. The Lord taught that the believer who makes his brother stumble should have a millstone hung around his neck and be cast into the sea (<em><a href='B:490 17:2'>Luk 17:2</a></em>). This is exactly Babylon's judgment (<em><a href='B:730 18:21'>Rev 18:21</a></em>). The unloving in the ecclesia will be treated like the unloving world whose spirit they share. The rejected will weep and gnash their teeth (<em><a href='B:470 25:30'>Mat 25:30</a></em>)- and be sent back into the Babylon-world, where they are also weeping and angry (<em><a href='B:730 18:15'>Rev 18:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 18:19'>Rev 18:19</a></em>). As the tree of Babylon will be cut down, so will the rejected be (<em><a href='B:340 4:14'>Dan 4:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 4:23'>Dan 4:23</a></em> = <em><a href='B:470 7:19'>Mat 7:19</a></em>). As Babylon is burnt with fire (<em><a href='B:730 18:8'>Rev 18:8</a></em>), and indeed the whole 'world' too (<em><a href='B:680 3:10'>2Pe 3:10</a></em>), so will the rejected be (<em><a href='B:470 13:40'>Mat 13:40</a></em> etc:). It seems the rejected saints will share the judgements of Satan, the beast, the antiChrist. Thus Babylon has a millstone tied around her neck and she is thrown into the sea (<em><a href='B:730 18:21'>Rev 18:21</a></em>), just as the judgement of the rejected saints is described (<em><a href='B:470 18:6'>Mat 18:6</a></em>). They will be ground to powder by the stone of Christ (<em><a href='B:470 21:44'>Mat 21:44</a></em>), just as he will fall on the nations of the Babylon confederacy and grind them to powder (<em><a href='B:340 2:34'>Dan 2:34</a></em>). The Lord will appoint his unwatchful servant a place of condemnation "with the unbelievers" (<em><a href='B:490 12:46'>Luk 12:46</a></em>). This is understandable once we appreciate the idea that there are only two Kingdoms, God's and Satan's. The unworthy were effectively in Satan's Kingdom, therefore they will suffer the judgement that is prepared for it. Therefore we&nbsp;<em>must</em>&nbsp;separate from Babylon, Satan's Kingdom, or else we will receive her judgements (<em><a href='B:730 18:4'>Rev 18:4</a></em>). Likewise the condemnation of the apostate in Israel is very often described in the language of the judgements on the surrounding kingdoms (e.g. <em><a href='B:360 1:5'>Joe 1:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:360 1:10-12'>Joe 1:10-12</a></em> = <em><a href='B:290 16:10'>Isa 16:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 16:37-39'>Eze 16:37-39</a></em> = <em><a href='B:730 17:16'>Rev 17:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 16:9'>Jer 16:9</a></em> = <em><a href='B:730 18:23'>Rev 18:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 49:4'>Jer 49:4</a></em> = <em><a href='B:300 31:22'>Jer 31:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 51:27'>Jer 51:27</a></em> = <em><a href='B:360 1:4'>Joe 1:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:360 2:1'>Joe 2:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 50:13'>Jer 50:13</a></em> =&nbsp; <em><a href='B:730 19:8'>Rev 19:8</a></em>). The cup of judgement that Israel will drink will be given to the Arab nations who have afflicted her (<em><a href='B:290 51:23'>Isa 51:23</a></em>). This is all the principle of <em><a href='B:730 18:6'>Rev 18:6</a></em>; as the latter day Babylon does to natural and spiritual Israel, so it will be done to her. Apostate Israel are often described as if they are their neighbours- they share the same judgements, because they have effectively sold their birthright. Israel "sat... as the Arabian in the wilderness" (<em><a href='B:300 3:2'>Jer 3:2</a></em>). Judah would be punished along with Egypt, Moab and Ammon, the circumcised with the uncircumcised (<em><a href='B:300 9:25-26'>Jer 9:25-26</a></em>). Thus <em><a href='B:520 9:8'>Rom 9:8</a></em> describes faithless Israel as "the children of the flesh", with allusion to Arab Ishmael; and <em><a href='B:550 4:23'>Gal 4:23</a></em> likewise. The early chapters of Romans reason that both Jew and Gentile receive the same judgment, because both have sinned. The judgements on the nations are all described in similar language, whatever time or place they were in. Thus&nbsp;Babylon’s judgement in Revelation 18 is based on the judgement of Egypt as recorded in <em><a href='B:330 32:4-10'>Eze 32:4-10</a></em>, and Egypt's judgement of <em><a href='B:330 29:4'>Eze 29:4</a></em> is that of Gog in <em><a href='B:330 38:4'>Eze 38:4</a></em>. The whole description of Egypt's judgments in Ezekiel 29 is also full of links with those in store for Israel:&nbsp;<em>They</em>&nbsp;will cry unto Yahweh in their affliction (<em><a href='B:290 19:20'>Isa 19:20</a></em>), just as Israel did when Egypt persecuted them (<em><a href='B:20 2:23'>Exo 2:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 14:10'>Exo 14:10</a></em>). There are so many examples of thIsa. Surely the point is that fundamentally, all the nations of the world, in whatever time and place, are all fundamentally the same Kingdom of Satan, and will suffer the same destruction by the Kingdom of God. Likewise the Kingdom of God to which we belong is not limited by time or geography.</p><p>When God described Nineveh as a “great city”, the very fact of its size elicited a desire to spare it. And of course we meet the same phrase in Revelation, where a condemned Babylon is described as a “great city”. This was not God gleefully preparing to destroy a huge city. He surely had Nineveh in mind when He inspired those words. This was, and will be, a God whose very heart is touched by the tragedy of sinners having to be punished, and who is open to a change of purpose if they will repent. Thus the latter day appeal to “Come out of her”, whether we understand ‘Babylon’ as false religion, the Moslem world, the world of sinners or whoever, is rooted in God’s spirit of passionate love towards Nineveh. As Jonah “cried” against Nineveh, so God ‘cries’ against Babylon (<em><a href='B:730 18:2'>Rev 18:2</a></em>). We who make that appeal in these last days should be reflecting here on earth the mind of God in Heaven; not merely pronouncing doom and gloom against ‘Babylon’, but warning them of God’s stated intentions towards them&nbsp;<em>with a heart that bleeds for them and seeks their repentance.</em></p><p>The writer of Psalms 137, sitting angry and frustrated by a Babylonian riverside, with his guitar hanging on a willow branch, being jeered (“tormented” <em><a href='B:230 137:3'>Psa 137:3</a></em> RVmg:)&nbsp; by the victorious Babylonian soldiers who had led him away captive… he felt&nbsp;<em>so</em>&nbsp;angry with them. Especially when they tried to make him sing one of the temple songs (“sing us one of the songs of Zion”). And, as a bitter man does, his mind went from one hurt to another. He remembered how when Babylon had invaded, the Edomites hadn’t helped their Hebrew brethren (<em><a href='B:380 1:11-12'>Oba 1:11-12</a></em>). They had egged on the Babylonian soldiers in ripping down the temple, shouting in a chorus? “Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation”. And so in anger and bitterness this Jew prays with tears, as he remembered Zion, “O daughter of Babylon… happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the rock” (:8,9 RV). God read those angry words as a prayer, and in some sense they will have their fulfilment:&nbsp; For these words are picked up in <em><a href='B:730 18:8'>Rev 18:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 18:21'>Rev 18:21</a></em> and applied to what will finally happen to Babylon. Her spiritual children will be dashed against the rock of Christ, the stone of <em><a href='B:340 2:44'>Dan 2:44</a></em>, at His return. He will dash in pieces the Babylon-led people that oppose Him.</p>


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<p>18:22&nbsp;<em>And the voice of harpers and minstrels and flute players and trumpeters shall never be heard again in you, and no craftsman of whatever craft shall ever be found again in you, and the voice of a mill shall never be heard again in you</em>-</p><p> An allusion to Solomon's temple, confirming the religious nature of 'Babylon'. This fits the first century application to Judaism, and to a latter day application to Jihadist Islam, which claims to be the true Judaism. Craftsmen and creative people of all sorts will have been brought to Babylon, enthroned in Jerusalem, both to build it and continue servicing it. Mills were operated by slaves; those Jews and Christians being abused by this latter day Egypt / Babylon. But that shall be no more.</p>


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<p>18:23&nbsp;<em>The light of a lamp shall never shine again in you, and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall never be heard again in you-</em></p><p>&nbsp;The Old Testament basis for this is not simply the judgments upon Babylon, but also those upon Jerusalem at the hand of Babylon (<em><a href='B:300 7:34'>Jer 7:34</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 16:9'>Jer 16:9</a></em>). For latter day Babylon shall be built in Jerusalem; see on <em><a href='B:730 16:19'>Rev 16:19</a></em>. So it is appropriate also that what Babylon did to Jerusalem shall be done to her. This all suggests that Babylon shall desolate and judge Jerusalem in the latter days and then in turn be judged for doing so. Jerusalem will fall to her enemies, as <em><a href='B:450 14:1-21'>Zec 14:1-21</a></em> and the Lord's Olivet Prophecy clearly require.</p><p>The contrast is with how the Lord Himself will be the eternal light of Jerusalem, the city of God (<em><a href='B:730 22:5'>Rev 22:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 60:19-20'>Isa 60:19-20</a></em>). A new Jerusalem shall come down from God out of Heaven to replace the burnt ruins of the Babylon system there.</p><p><em>For your merchants were the princes of the earth; and with your sorcery were all the nations deceived</em>-</p><p> All the princes of the earth / land were influenced by her wine, making them drunk with a fanaticism against Israel and true Christians. This radical jihadist propaganda was accepted by the merchants because it made them wealthy by serving the demands of Babylon. We can therefore see the West accepting her sorcery to some extent, for purely economic motives. Although the ten horns / kings of the land are to be destroyed, they are here associated with the "merchants", those not within Babylon itself, but serving her.</p>


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<p>18:24&nbsp;<em>And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth</em>-</p><p> No one religious system is guilty for the blood of every martyr over time. The more sensible reference is to the blood of the believers slain in the earth / land promised to Abraham, during the latter day tribulation. "The nations" in view are those within the earth / land of Babylon's dominion: "At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth trembles, and the cry is heard among the nations" (<em><a href='B:300 50:46'>Jer 50:46</a></em>). The nations in view are those of the earth / land. The deaths of all Jews and true Christians in the earth / land during the tribulation is the direct responsibility of the Babylon system.</p><p>The reference is also to Judaism and Jerusalem, in whom was found the blood of the faithful (<em><a href='B:300 2:34'>Jer 2:34</a></em>). In the first century context, it is Jerusalem-based Judaism which is in view. But in the last days, it is Babylon-Jerusalem, in that the whore of Babylon and her beast makes its blasphemous capital in Jerusalem.</p>


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<p>19:1&nbsp;<em>After these things I heard what seemed to be a great voice of a great crowd in heaven, saying: Hallelujah Salvation and glory and power, belong to our God</em>-</p><p> John is seeing the Angelic representatives of the believers in his vision of the heavenly throne room. This is the same "great crowd" of <em><a href='B:730 7:9'>Rev 7:9</a></em> (s:w:), those who had endured the tribulation of the beast's domination. But the lives of believers are hid with Christ in God; the Lord is in the bosom of the Father. Therefore those 'in Heaven' don't refer to the departed souls of believers, but rather to the believers who are in heavenly places in Christ. This is a common NT theme. By contrast, the earth dwellers of Revelation are those who suffer the latter day judgments. The believers are here spoken of as praising God because the literal articulation of salvation in Christ is now clearly about to be revealed. It could be that the whole metaphor of believers 'in Heaven' is used in Revelation because it is their guardian Angels who are in view, who represent them before God, individually and as collectives, of ecclesias and groups throughout history at particular points and circumstances.</p>


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<p>19:2&nbsp;<em>For true and righteous are His judgments-&nbsp;</em>The awful loss of life and gross destruction is recognized by them as not only necessary but righteous. For we have noted how often the Babylon system was given the chance to repent.</p><p><em>For He has judged the great prostitute, she that corrupted the earth with her fornication, and He has avenged the blood of His servants shed by her</em>-</p><p> It's hard to imagine any single entity corrupting literally the whole planet, right into the jungles of Amazonia and onto every island of the Pacific. The more natural interpretation is that the earth refers to the land, a more limited area of the planet's surface- the land promised to Abraham. The behaviours of the whore are either throughout all history, or at a more limited period of time. That period of time is more naturally, within the context of Revelation, the last days. The kings of the earth / land who were influenced by the whore would then refer to the kings of the land area promised to Abraham, influenced by the wine of her jihadist teaching.</p><p>"He has avenged the blood of His servants" shows that the cry of those persecuted in the last days within the land of Abraham (<em><a href='B:730 6:10'>Rev 6:10</a></em>) has now been answered.</p>


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<p>19:3&nbsp;<em>And a second time they said: Hallelujah And her smoke goes up for ever and ever</em>-</p><p> The impression is of a sacrifice being offered, although the allusion is to the rising smoke of Sodom. Even in the destruction of the wicked, God is glorified. His judgments are a way of glorifying the principles of His Name, and not the lashing out of an offended Deity. The "great crowd" are as it were watching this, and thus are to be connected with faithful Abraham watching the smoke of Sodom arising.</p>


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<p>19:4&nbsp;<em>And the twenty four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God that sits on the throne, saying: Amen. Hallelujah</em>-</p><p> See on :1. The Angels join in with the same praise which their human charges are also making. Thus believers and Angels are presented in parallel. For the Angels in Heaven represent believers on earth. It is in this sense, in a practical, mechanical sense, if you like, that truly, man is not alone, but God is with us. But now at this juncture, Angels and believers are united together in praise by the resurrection.</p>


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<p>19:5&nbsp;<em>And a voice came from the throne, saying: Give praise to our God all you His servants, you that fear Him, the small and the great</em>-</p><p> We have just read of the elders, living creatures and the "great crowd in heaven" doing just thIsa. This appears therefore to be an appeal to others, on earth, to do what the Angels of Heaven are doing. This is a theme of Revelation- that those who believe are in league with the Heavenly Angels, who are fellow servants with them. Or it could be that again, Revelation is simply not chronological, but a kaleidoscope of images. We would then have explained here in :5 how the situation in :1 praising God came about.</p>


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<p>19:6- see on <em><a href='B:730 6:9'>Rev 6:9</a></em>.</p><p><em>And I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great crowd, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunders, saying: Hallelujah For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns-&nbsp;</em>This is surely the crowd of :1, referring to the believers. But their voice is mixed with the voice of waters and thunders, the voice of God, which speaks of the intensest manifestation of God through the Angels. Again the impression is given of believers and Angels united, their sounds and voices mingling together as they see the end coming which they both so earnestly desire. God of course reigns now, so their praise that "He reigns" is therefore a re-statement of what they already believed in their mortal lives, but with so much more power and insight. And this will be so true of much of our talking and praising in the Kingdom age.</p>


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<p>19:7&nbsp;<em>Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let us give the glory to Him. For the marriage of the Lamb comes, and his wife has made herself ready</em>-</p><p> The collapse of time around the Lord's return means that it is unwise and impossible to construct chronologies of events around His coming. But the decorum of the symbol here means that the judgment of God's enemies slightly precedes the marriage of the Lamb; His wife is now described as putting on her wedding clothes (:8), and the invitation of guests (:9). But some texts read "Has come".</p><p>If this voice includes that of those who endured the beast's domination and abuse during the tribulation (see on :1), how can they refer to the Lamb's wife as if this is an entity separate from themselves? Perhaps they now behold the resurrection of all the faithful from history, and realize that the bride has now been fully assembled. Or again, we should just not let such chronological issues disturb us; for this is apocalyptic, a merger of various images, and not a timeline of events.</p><p>We note that the bride makes&nbsp;<em>herself</em>&nbsp;ready, but with the gift of fine linen clothes of imputed righteousness (:8). Her part in all this is to believe in the imputation of His righteousness and white garments to us in Christ.</p>


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<p>19:8&nbsp;<em>And it was given to her that she should dress herself in fine linen, bright and pure. For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints</em>-</p><p> In contrast with how Babylon likewise was dressed in "fine linen" (see on <em><a href='B:730 18:16'>Rev 18:16</a></em>). The suggestion therefore is that Babylon is quasi-religious and appears highly moral, when actually it is morally delinquent. This is exactly what we see in Jihadist Islamism. There is clear reference to the Jewish priesthood, and the description also connects with the white clothing of Islamic religious leaders. The fine linen is given to her- it speaks of imputed righteousness (see on :7). The “righteous acts” of the saints will be publicly arrayed before all (<em><a href='B:730 19:8'>Rev 19:8</a></em>)- by none other than the Lord. All their good ‘acts’ will be revealed to all. And yet that righteousness is what they are clothed with by Christ- perhaps suggesting that their good deeds will be presented in a heightened form, as imputed righteousness, which would explain why the righteous will be shocked that the Lord could speak so highly of them (“When saw we thee…?”). But the work of God, the action He requires, is to believe in His imputation of righteousness (<em><a href='B:500 6:29'>Joh 6:29</a></em>).</p>


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<p>19:9&nbsp;<em>And he said to me: Write, Blessed are they that are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb-&nbsp;</em>See on :7. There seems a difference in category between those destroyed by judgments, the Lamb's wife, and the invited guests. Presumably the guests are those who are not believers but are not destroyed in the judgments; and these are now invited to participate in the Lamb's wedding. And who amongst those who survive Armageddon would not attend? This may speak of the conversion of the remaining population of planet earth.</p><p><em>And he said to me: These are the true words of God</em>-</p><p> This recalls how in <em><a href='B:500 19:35'>Joh 19:35</a></em> John struggles to get over the utter truth of the words. This is all so wonderfully true.</p>


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<p>19:10&nbsp;<em>And I fell down before his feet to worship him, and he said to me: You must not do that I am a fellow-servant with you, and with your brothers that hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy</em>-</p><p> The Angels are right now serving the same Lord we do; our work for Him is done in invisible partnership with them. The preaching or testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, says <em><a href='B:730 19:10'>Rev 19:10</a></em>. I understand this to mean that our testimony to Jesus is in the spirit of the Old Testament prophets. For <em><a href='B:730 22:6'>Rev 22:6</a></em> associates the God of the holy prophets a phrase referring to the Old Testament prophets in <em><a href='B:490 1:70'>Luk 1:70</a></em> with the same God who is with us in our witnessing to Christ. And <em><a href='B:730 18:20'>Rev 18:20</a></em> speaks of those prophets rejoicing in the last day together with all preachers of the Gospel. This is why incidents from the lives and teaching of the Old Testament prophets are repeatedly alluded to in the New Testament and applied to all of us. <em><a href='B:660 5:10'>Jas 5:10</a></em> puts it bluntly- the prophets are to be taken by us as our examples. Jeremiah was warned: "Be not dismayed of&nbsp;<em>them</em>, lest I dismay&nbsp;<em>you</em>" (<em><a href='B:300 1:17'>Jer 1:17</a></em> RV). This is alluded to by the Lord when He tells us that if we are ashamed of Him and His words, then He will be ashamed of us (<em><a href='B:490 9:26'>Luk 9:26</a></em>). The connection surely indicates that the Old Testament prophets and the spirit of their commissioning is intended to apply to us today in our fulfilling of the great commission. Thus the prophets become our pattern for witness; they are our “brethren the prophets” (<em><a href='B:730 22:9'>Rev 22:9</a></em>). And so an understanding of them becomes programmatic for our witness today. Our audience, the world in which we live, is in essence that in which the prophets lived. Isaiah was up against the attitude that “Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die” (<em><a href='B:290 22:13'>Isa 22:13</a></em>)- and Paul quotes that passage as relevant for all Christians who hold the hope of resurrection amidst a world that does not (<em><a href='B:530 15:32'>1Co 15:32</a></em>).</p><p>The Angel had made prophecies, and John felt that this was something so wonderful that it separated him from the Angel. But John like us was bearing “the testimony of Jesus” (<em><a href='B:730 1:9'>Rev 1:9</a></em>). The same essential spirit which was in the prophets is in all those who in&nbsp;<em>their</em>&nbsp;spirit or attitude bear the witness of Jesus. Hence the prophesying Angel encourages John not to worship him, but rather to recognize that he is John’s “fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book”, i:e. all believers (<em><a href='B:730 22:9'>Rev 22:9</a></em>). And again, this was radical stuff for the initial audience of the Apocalypse. They were being told that they had the prophets as their brethren, and on account of their spirit / attitude of bearing the testimony of Jesus, the same spirit which was in the prophets was in them. The very act of bearing witness to Jesus in our spirit / disposition is in fact to have the same spirit in us which was in the prophets and was the basis of their prophetic witness. This makes the prophets our “brethren”, not distant white faced ‘saints’:&nbsp;See on <em><a href='B:470 8:22'>Mat 8:22</a></em>.</p>


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<p>19:11&nbsp;<em>And I saw the heaven open-&nbsp;</em>This introduces the seven final visions. One of the keys to understanding Revelation is to realize that it is structured as a series of visions based around the number seven. It must also be understood that as with many Old Testament prophecies, the book of Revelation is not strictly chronological in its fulfilment. Sometimes we read something which is actually the final picture, and then we read how this situation came about. At other times, we find a series of visions give us as it were 'snapshots' of different aspects of the same process. The seven final visions are introduced by the rubric "And I saw...". It is my suggestion that they each show different aspects of the process of setting up the Kingdom. All references are to Revelation unless otherwise stated. The thoughtful student of the final chapters of Revelation will realize that there are difficulties in 'fitting in' the usual view of the Millennium as a thousand year reign with the information presented there. The suggestion is made in these notes on chapter 20 that the "thousand years" simply means 'a very long time', and refers to eternity. This solves the problem that a rebellion at the end of the 'Millennium' would contradict <em><a href='B:290 9:7'>Isa 9:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 60:18'>Isa 60:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 3:17'>Jer 3:17</a></em> and other passages which teach that "they shall learn war no more" after the Kingdom is established. The wrath of God is finished when the seven&nbsp;<em>last</em>&nbsp;plagues are poured out (<em><a href='B:730 15:1'>Rev 15:1</a></em> RV), at the Lord's return, i:e. at the&nbsp;<em>beginning</em>&nbsp;of the 'Millennium'. At the coming of Christ, the powers represented by the dragon and beast are defeated and chained up. The dead are raised and judged. The rejected join the dragon in the 'bottomless pit', an area on the borders of the land of promise, i:e. the initial geographical extent of the Kingdom:&nbsp; Here they are restrained, but once the Kingdom is established, perhaps after a period of 7 years or so, they 'attack' the land of Israel, where the Kingdom of God has been established. They are then destroyed. The Kingdom then continues eternally. The descriptions of a judgment seat in these final chapters are all related to the same judgment seat, i:e. that when Christ returns. The OT prophecies of a 'Millennium' with mortal people in it either apply to the setting up period of the Kingdom, or they are to be read in a more figurative way.</p><p><em>And beheld a white horse, and he that sat thereon was called Faithful and True</em>-</p><p> A clear reference to the Lord Jesus, who will now bring about the true, faithful fulfilment of God's promises (<em><a href='B:730 3:14'>Rev 3:14</a></em>). He was "the faithful witness / martyr" (<em><a href='B:730 1:5'>Rev 1:5</a></em>) in that He suffered at the hands of a beast system, and can thus especially identify with those believers slain by the beast in the final tribulation. John has been allowed a peek into the heavenly throne room. But now heaven itself opens, and the Lord Jesus emerges from there to return to earth.</p><p><em>And in righteousness he judges and makes war</em>-</p><p> The same presentation of the Lord Jesus as both a warrior and a bridegroom are found in <em><a href='B:230 45:3-6'>Psa 45:3-6</a></em>. There He is pictured as going forth to make war in all His glory for the sake of "truth, humility and righteousness" (<em><a href='B:230 45:4'>Psa 45:4</a></em>). There is a powerful juxtaposition of ideas here- He goes forth in glory on behalf of humility. It is the humble believers who will have been persecuted and slain, and now the Lord of humility goes forth in all His glory for their sakes.</p>


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<p>19:12&nbsp;<em>And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems-&nbsp;</em>The seemingly invincible beast with his seven diadems now seems so puny compared to the Lord.</p><p><em>And he has a name written which no one knows but him</em>-</p><p> We likewise will have a unique name known / appreciated only by us (2:17). No-one can enter into the Lord's personal sense of resurrection and reward; there will always be an unreachable, untouchable element in Him throughout eternity. Surely this makes our relationship with Him the more appealing.</p>


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<p>19:13- see on <em><a href='B:650 12:24'>Heb 12:24</a></em>.</p><p><em>And he is dressed in a garment sprinkled with blood-&nbsp;</em>This alludes to Joseph’s blood drenched coat and <em><a href='B:290 63:2'>Isa 63:2</a></em>; the basis upon which the Lord executes judgment is that He died for us, and His garments were literally blood sprinkled at the crucifixion. He Himself said that His qualification as judge is because He is "son of man".</p><p><em>And his name is called The Word of God</em>-</p><p> John reminds us of this title for the Lord because in His actions at the time of judgment and establishment of the Kingdom on earth, He will be the full manifestation of God's word, a word which shall then come to its final climax. Note that "the word&nbsp;<em>logos</em>&nbsp;of God" is a title of the Lord Jesus. So many misunderstand <em><a href='B:500 1:1-3'>Joh 1:1-3</a></em> by failing to realize thIsa. That word is God, etc:; but it is a&nbsp;<em>title</em>&nbsp;of the Lord, His "Name", rather than he Himself personally.</p>


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<p>19:14- see on <em><a href='B:470 24:28'>Mat 24:28</a></em>.</p><p><em>And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses</em>-</p><p> Remember that the Lord returns to earth with the Angels, and not alone. However the armies in Heaven also refer to the faithful, who are presented as with God, their lives hid with Christ in Him who is in the bosom of the Father. John has seen them represented by Angels in his visions of the heavenly court room.</p><p><em>Clothed in fine linen, white and pure</em>-</p><p> In contradistinction to the white clothes of the jihadist sheikhs of <em><a href='B:730 18:16'>Rev 18:16</a></em>, whose white linen was not pure but mixed with all the trappings of materialism.</p>


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<p><em><a href='B:730 19:15'>Rev 19:15</a></em>&nbsp;<em>And out of his mouth proceeds a sharp sword, that with it he should strike down the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron</em>-</p><p> The language of the Lord Jesus at His return (<em><a href='B:230 2:9'>Psa 2:9</a></em>); and yet it has already been quoted in Revelation about how we shall do the same (<em><a href='B:730 2:27'>Rev 2:27</a></em>). See on <em><a href='B:730 12:5'>Rev 12:5</a></em>. All that is true of the Lord Jesus personally shall be true of us who are in and with Him.</p><p><em>And He treads the winepress of the fierceness of the anger of God</em>-</p><p> Anyone doing this would have red clothes, spattered with red grape juice. The connection is with His appearance at the crucifixion; see on :13. The cross was "the judgment of this world", and now that judgment is articulated. He judges because He went through the tribulation of the cross.</p>


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<p>19:16<em>&nbsp;And he has on his garment and on his thigh a name written</em>-</p><p> A reference to His sword, through which He has become Lord of all human lords and kings (<em><a href='B:230 45:3'>Psa 45:3</a></em>)? The allusion is to the way in which names were inscribed on the hilts of swords. His thigh is therefore put for the sword which is on His thigh. For He is presented here as a horseman.</p><p><em>King of kings and Lord of lords</em>-</p><p> As with many aspects of teaching and language, it is often difficult for us to appreciate how radically revolutionary they were in the first century context; and in essence they should lose none of their radicalness with us. David Bosch observes: "Christians confessed Jesus as Lord of all lords- the most revolutionary political demonstration imaginable in the Roman Empire". Philip Yancey likewise: "As the church spread throughout the Roman empire, its followers took up the slogan "Christ is Lord", a direct affront to Roman authorities who required all citizens to take the oath 'Caesar the state is Lord'". It hurt, it cost, to recognize Him as Lord. And so it should with us. Men and women died for this; and we likewise give our lives in response to that very same knowledge. There is a tendency, which the Lord Himself brought to our attention, of calling Him Lord but not doing what He says. To know Him as Lord in truth is axiomatically to be obedient to Him (<em><a href='B:490 6:46'>Luk 6:46</a></em>). The reality of the Lordship of Jesus is used in Revelation (<em><a href='B:730 19:12'>Rev 19:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 19:16'>Rev 19:16</a></em>) to encourage the brethren to continue fearless in their witness despite persecution. Jesus is Lord of the kings of the earth; He has control over the world; therefore, no human power can harm us without His express permission and purpose. The exhortation of Psalms 110 is powerful: because Jesus is now seated at the Father's right hand, His people offer themselves as freewill offerings in this, the day of His power. They are arrayed in “holy attire" because&nbsp;<em>He</em>&nbsp;has been made the Priest after the order of Melchizedek- they share in the work which His exaltation has enabled (<em><a href='B:230 110:1'>Psa 110:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 110:3-4'>Psa 110:3-4</a></em> RVmg:).</p>


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<p>19:17&nbsp;<em>And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying-&nbsp;</em>The Angel represents someone or some body of persons standing within the sun of the Lord Jesus, the sun of righteousness which has now arisen. The appeal is made on His behalf by some others- maybe us, or natural Israel, appealing to the nations who have survived Armageddon.</p><p><em>To all the birds that fly in mid heaven</em>-</p><p> I have suggested on :9 that the guests invited to the marriage are not the same as the Lamb's wife, and these guests refer to the unbelievers in the world who are not destroyed in the judgments upon the world. They are here described as in mid heaven, between earth and heaven. The "earth" dwellers are judged; those "in Heaven" are the believers, their lives hid with Christ in Him who is in the bosom of the Father. Those in between these groups would then appropriately refer to unbelievers who have not heard the Gospel and who are spared the latter day judgments upon the earth. But now they are invited to take their place at the Lord's table.</p><p><em>Come, be gathered together</em>-</p><p> I have suggested above that the birds could refer to the Gentile nations now invited to the marriage supper as guests. But birds of prey being gathered together is the language of <em><a href='B:330 39:17-20'>Eze 39:17-20</a></em>, where they are invited to assist in the destruction of the ten nations led by Gog who come up against Israel.</p><p><em>To the great supper of God</em>-</p><p> This Messianic banquet is prefigured in the breaking of bread. We should invite unbelievers there, just as unbelievers are invited to the ultimate banquet (see on :9 and :17). To exclude people from it is serious indeed. It is a means of witness and invitation to participation.</p>


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<p>19:18&nbsp;<em>Eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of those that sit thereon, and the flesh of all men, both free and bondservant and small and great</em>-</p><p> "Small and great" is the same language used about those who accepted the mark of the latter day beast in <em><a href='B:730 13:16'>Rev 13:16</a></em>. The allusion is clearly to the similar scene in Ezekiel 39, where the victims in view are the Islamic host of Israel's neighbours led by "Gog". These are the same group who are pictured in Revelation as the kings of the land promised to Abraham, who come forth to dominate God's people and land in the last days. The emphasis upon "flesh" suggests this is to be viewed as a sacrifice- the great sacrifice which Yahweh has in the Muslim territories of "Edom" (<em><a href='B:290 34:6'>Isa 34:6</a></em>). The connection with the marriage supper of the lamb (:9) is perhaps in that the believers have their supper, as the Lamb's wife, and those who are not judged to destruction are invited to theirs as wedding guests but not as the bride; or it could be that these are in fact aspects of the same supper. The Messianic banquet is therefore an open table to those not yet believers, in order for them to come to faith. The Lord's table should be used in the same way today, for it is a foretaste of the Messianic banquet of the last day.</p><p>The kings refer to the kings of the earth / land who have given their allegiance to the beast / Babylon. Those invited to eat their flesh are clearly a different category to those who have been slain, and I suggest they refer to the unbelievers left on planet earth who have not yet sided with Christ and yet are not part of the Babylon system.</p>


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<p>19:19&nbsp;<em>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</em>-</p><p> We have already had several visions of the total destruction of the beast; this may be another one, going back to explain how the blessed situation spoken of earlier in this chapter has been achieved. Or it could be that Babylon has been destroyed, but the beast apparently still exists; just as the dragon loses power in chapter 12 but re-emerges in the form of the other beasts. It could be that her capital city is destroyed but the wider system still exists. Or it could be that such a reading is still too much within space-time constructs, and it seems these dimensions will be somewhat collapsed in the events around the Lord's coming, making chronological sequences of events worthless to predict.</p><p>The horns on the beast are “the kings of the earth”, but these kings and the beast arise out of the earth and the sea the nations around the earth; and in line with Daniel 7, this is the land promised to Abraham. The connection with 2 Chronicles 20 and the other references to Israel's neighbouring enemies 'gathering together' invites us to see the beast as a primarily Arab organization:&nbsp;If there is a detailed allusion here to the 2 Chronicles 20 scenario, Jehoshaphat (against whom the opposing kings initially gathered together) would represent Jesus, and Jehoshaphat's army would tally with the resurrected saints:&nbsp;&nbsp; In this case, the final onslaught will be after the return of Jesus. We saw this in chapters 11 and 12; the dragon is cast out of political power, but with just a short time left, goes forth to make war with the woman. In passing, note the differentiation between the leaders in this conflict and their armies:&nbsp; "The kings of the earth, and their armies... him that sat on the horse (Jesus) and against his army". This would suggest a specific hatred of the Lord Jesus which is separate from, although in addition to, their antipathy towards Israel and the Christian believers:&nbsp;It may also be possible to see in the separation between "the kings of the earth, and their armies" a certain degree of coercion, or difference of motivation, between leaders and people.</p><p>Christ goes out to make war (:11), and the Beast and his armies go out to make war against Him- head on conflict. We have gone back in time, as it were, to have another vision of the final conflict, although this has been presented in various ways in earlier visions. This is war with Christ- He is already crowned, <em><a href='B:730 19:12'>Rev 19:12</a></em>. Likewise the invasion of <em><a href='B:330 38:1-23'>Eze 38:1-23</a></em>/9 is after Christ's return, when Israel dwell safely, and we have the <em><a href='B:230 2:1-12'>Psa 2:1-12</a></em> scenario of the Lord enthroned in Jerusalem being attacked by armies. Perhaps the revived beast wants to recapture Babylon-Jerusalem from Him after it has been destroyed (see on <em><a href='B:730 16:19'>Rev 16:19</a></em>). In this case, we see the limited value of visible miracles; they will have seen plenty of them, but are so blinded by materialism that they wish to still defy the Divine and attempt to recapture Jerusalem.</p><p>The beast, the kings of the earth and their armies 'gather together' to fight against Christ. This may be the gathering of <em><a href='B:730 16:13-14'>Rev 16:13-14</a></em>; they are gathered together by the power of the false miracles despite all the evidence of true miracles before their eyes. Thus v. 20 mentions how "the false prophet that wrought miracles before the beast" is captured with the beast- the scene of <em><a href='B:730 16:14'>Rev 16:14</a></em>.</p>


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<p>19:20- see on :19 and <em><a href='B:730 13:17'>Rev 13:17</a></em>.</p><p><em>And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet, who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur</em>-</p><p> There are many connections between Revelation and John's Gospel. These miracles are imitations of the miracles of Christ, for which John uses the same phrase (<em><a href='B:500 2:11'>Joh 2:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 2:18'>Joh 2:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 3:2'>Joh 3:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 4:54'>Joh 4:54</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 6:2'>Joh 6:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 6:14'>Joh 6:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 6:30'>Joh 6:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 7:31'>Joh 7:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 9:16'>Joh 9:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 10:41'>Joh 10:41</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 11:47'>Joh 11:47</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 12:18'>Joh 12:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 12:37'>Joh 12:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 20:30'>Joh 20:30</a></em>). Thus the false prophet is an anti-Christ, a fake Christ with fake power and fake validation. Despite the presence of Divine miracles at the time, as there have been for three and a half years from the two witnesses of chapter 11, people believe what they want to believe. Visible miracles are not conclusive nor bound to elicit true faith; as our Pentecostal friends need to take note.</p><p>The destruction of the beast by fire is Babylon's destruction too by the same method; it is that spoken of in <em><a href='B:340 7:11'>Dan 7:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 30:30'>Isa 30:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 30:33'>Isa 30:33</a></em>. The beast and false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. This is the lake of <em><a href='B:730 20:14-15'>Rev 20:14-15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 21:8'>Rev 21:8</a></em> - where the unworthy one time believers are thrown. Thus the punishment of the rejected and that of the world is the same; and therefore there must be a separation&nbsp;<em>now</em>, lest we be "condemned with the world" (<em><a href='B:530 11:29'>1Co 11:29</a></em>):&nbsp;"Burning with brimstone" / sulphur recalls Sodom- where the unworthy believers shared the same fate as the 'world' around them. Lot's wife was turned into salt, as was the surrounding country (<em><a href='B:490 17:29'>Luk 17:29</a></em>). "The lake of fire" will be in the presence of Christ (<em><a href='B:730 14:10'>Rev 14:10</a></em>)- not underground. "Cast alive" suggests torture; cp. <em><a href='B:730 14:10'>Rev 14:10</a></em> "tormented". Others are simply killed outright by Christ's word of command (<em><a href='B:730 20:15'>Rev 20:15</a></em>). This would suggest that even among the unresponsible there are degrees of punishment. Casting into a pit and fire as punishment compares with Babylon's persecution of Daniel and his friends. What Babylon does to others shall be done to it. Note too how the Assyrian is described in <em><a href='B:290 30:31-33'>Isa 30:31-33</a></em> as being thrown into a lake of fire- just as the future beast will be (<em><a href='B:730 19:20'>Rev 19:20</a></em>). See on <em><a href='B:600 2:8'>2Th 2:8</a></em>.</p>


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<p>Slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse- The Lord's destructive power will involve words of command rather than He literally, personally slaying the wicked. We need not therefore imagine us personally killing the members of the beast system. And we have noted several times that their destruction is largely at the hands of each other. Even the coming down of fire and sulphur may be due to their own nuclear weaponry backfiring upon them. The &quot;all men&quot; whose flesh is to be eaten by those in mid-heaven, the Gentile world, are the remaining followers of the beast and false prophet. This eating by fowls is equated with burning in the lake of fire, or Gehenna (<a href='B:730 19:20-21'>Rev. 19:20,21</a>). Several passages in Jeremiah associate the mauling of carcases by fowls with destruction in Gehenna. This creates the image of the beast being ravaged by the 'fowls' of either natural Israel (as they represented in David's speech to Goliath) or the nations once confederate with 'Babylon', as they seem to represent in Daniel.</p>


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<p>20:1&nbsp;<em>I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain in his hand-&nbsp;</em>If Scripture interprets Scripture, then this has to have connection with the Angel who descends and opens the bottomless pit in Revelation 9. This Angel unleashes locusts who bring terrible destruction upon the earth / land for five months, and the Angel morphs into a leader called Abaddon. The Angel may therefore refer to a literal Angel of Heaven who represents an individual upon earth; for all upon earth, good and bad, have Angelic representation in the court of Heaven. The same scene is before us here in chapter 20; an Angel binds and then releases the dragon for "a little time" (<em><a href='B:730 20:3'>Rev 20:3</a></em>), the "five months" of Revelation 9. In my notes on Revelation 9, I have tried to demonstrate that the situation envisaged there suggests an Islamic outpouring of fury upon the earth / land in the very last days. Revelation is not strictly chronological; it is apocalyptic, not a chronological timeline progressing from beginning to end. Our European, linear thinking minds yearn for such tidy chronological progression and we tend to seek to force prophecy into such a structure. But we are dealing with Hebrew, Semitic thought- and moreover, the apocalyptic genre. The various visions refer back to each other, explaining in more detail how the various earlier pictures are arrived at. The events of Revelation 9 refer clearly enough to the events of the last days, at the Lord's second coming; and not to events at the end of a Millennium.</p>


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<p>20:2&nbsp;<em>And he laid hold of the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan-&nbsp;</em>This description is found only in <em><a href='B:730 12:9'>Rev 12:9</a></em>, where this entity is cast out of 'Heaven', i:e. a place of power and rulership, at the time of the establishment of God's Kingdom on earth at Christ's second coming (<em><a href='B:730 12:10'>Rev 12:10</a></em>). This is precisely the picture here- that when the thousand years the Kingdom is established AV "fulfilled", then the dragon is bound and then released for a short time. At the time of the second coming of Christ, this dragon / serpent / evil / satan entity has "but a short time" (<em><a href='B:730 12:12'>Rev 12:12</a></em>). This is the "little time" which the dragon is released for in 20:3. Revelation 12 has left us with the dragon deposed from power but about to get madly furious for a little time. Now Revelation 20 is explaining the details; that final mad fury of the dragon is in fact precisely under Angelic control. And that will be a great comfort to those who live through that period of the dragon's madness; things are not at all out of control, he has been bound and now briefly released by the Angels of Heaven. If we ask&nbsp;<em>why</em>&nbsp;it has to be this way- perhaps we are to conclude that the releasing was in order&nbsp;to give the dragon an opportunity to repent. Because throughout Revelation, we encounter this amazing hallmark of Divine activity with even the most desperately evil of men and systems: He wishes to give them every chance of repentance. But in this case, the dragon abuses it, and meets his rightful end in total destruction.</p><p><em></p><p>And bound him</em>-</p><p> The chaining of the devil/ dragon/ serpent in 20:2 probably refers more to the binding of the manifestation of sin in the political devil/ dragon/ beast/ serpent of <em><a href='B:730 12:7'>Rev 12:7</a></em> than to abstract sin. Revelation is a message from the Lord Jesus. He had earlier spoken of binding and burning the sons of the Devil at His return (<em><a href='B:470 13:38-39'>Mat 13:38-39</a></em>). He uses the same words here- the Devil will be bound and burned. But that binding and burning envisaged in Matthew 13 clearly speaks of events at His return, and not at the end of a Millennium. The Lord uses the same figure of ‘binding’ to describe how the condemned&nbsp;<em>people</em>&nbsp;at the final judgment will be ‘bound hand and foot’ by the Angels and then destroyed (<em><a href='B:470 22:13'>Mat 22:13</a></em>)- at His return, not at the end of a Millennium. Notice that Satan’s deceit of the nations and all of his powers were totally in control of God (<em><a href='B:730 20:2-3'>Rev 20:2-3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 20:7'>Rev 20:7</a></em>). Satan is not a free agent to act as he wishes, without regard for God. <em><a href='B:730 20:1-3'>Rev 20:1-3</a></em> is surely based upon <em><a href='B:290 24:21-22'>Isa 24:21-22</a></em>, which prophesied that the kings of the earth / land will be gathered together, imprisoned in a pit and punished. It is these very human “kings of the earth” who are described in the more figurative language of Revelation as “Satan”. Isaiah 24 is talking about the time of the Lord's return to earth, and not any scene at the end of a Millennium.</p><p>The idea of shutting up in the abyss is taken from <em><a href='B:290 24:22-23'>Isa 24:22-23</a></em>: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days, they shall be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." The context refers to the events of the Lord's coming, and not 1,000 years after it.</p><p><em>For a thousand years</em>-</p><p> Most numbers in Revelation are symbolic, so it seems unwise to think that this number is literal. I have earlier, elsewhere argued for a literal Millennium, but closer reflection on Revelation 20 has led me to question that view. Because the allusions to other parts of Revelation and other Scripture all speak of these events happening at the Lord's return to earth, not to anything at the end of a 1,000 year period. Further, the Bible was written&nbsp;<em>for&nbsp;</em>us and not directly&nbsp;<em>to</em>&nbsp;us; it was written&nbsp;<em>to&nbsp;</em>its primary audience and in their language. The Jewish audience first receiving this message would have understood the "thousand years" as a reference to the eternal Kingdom of God on earth, and not to a limited Millennial reign of Messiah for 1,000 years. See too my comments on :5&nbsp;<em>The first resurrection</em>, which happens when the "thousand years" are "ended", or as the Greek better means, 'established'. This is a stubborn problem of interpretation for those who hold the traditional Millennial reign view. The figure of 1,000 may be connected with the size of the Most Holy Place, 10 x 10 x 10 cubits, which is alluded to in the description of the new Jerusalem: “The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal” (<em><a href='B:730 21:16'>Rev 21:16</a></em>).</p><p>I suggest that here again we have an example of Scripture alluding to contemporary incorrect ideas and deconstructing them. The Jews until about 150 B:C. believed that Messiah would return and establish His Kingdom on earth. But influenced by their humiliation under the Romans, they came to believe that the world was too evil for Messiah to return to, and that it required a 1000 year period of purification by the Jews before Messiah could return. Slavonic Enoch 22–23, which has been dated at around 50 A:D:, stated this specifically. Revelation was therefore written with this idea current in the surrounding Jewish world. I suggest that this incorrect view is being alluded to and deconstructed, by stating that Messiah will come at the&nbsp;<em>beginning</em>&nbsp;of the 1000 years and ‘purify’ the earth forcibly by figuratively ‘chaining’ Satan. Thus Messiah is to come and purify the earth Himself, rather than the Jews having to purify the earth for 1000 years before Messiah could come.</p><p>The following difficulties with the classical view of a Millennial reign are taken from Harry Whittaker:</p><p>(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The prophecies of lasting peace in the kingdom of Christ are quite explicit: “they shall learn war no more”.</p><p>(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Also, there is to be lasting godliness: “At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart” (<em><a href='B:300 3:17'>Jer 3:17</a></em>). “Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders” (<em><a href='B:290 60:18'>Isa 60:18</a></em>). “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end” (<em><a href='B:290 9:7'>Isa 9:7</a></em>).</p><p>(c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Rebellion against immortals is so palpably silly. By comparison modern nuclear armament, which every Bible reader can see to be a lunatic policy, has calm reason on its side. For, armed with the big bombs, there is always a thin chance that you will devastate the other half of the world before it does the same to you. But for nations, who have had a thousand years’ experience of divine power and immortality, to calculate that their puny strength can win against God presupposes a mental deterioration to kindergarten level during the millennium.</p><p>(d)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The practical problem insists on obtruding itself - where will these rebel nations get their weapons from? Swords will have all been turned into ploughshares.</p><p>(e)&nbsp;&nbsp; “He must reign until he hath put all enemies under his feet” (<em><a href='B:530 15:25'>1Co 15:25</a></em>). The words imply a steady progress towards complete godliness. The idea of a great boil-up of rebellion at the end is surely most difficult to reconcile with thIsa.</p><p>(f)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A massive rebellion at the end of a thousand years would stamp the reign of Christ as a failure. To think that the end of all his efforts in teaching, guidance, personal influence and benign rule (to say nothing of the immortal aid of men like Moses and Paul) is to be “We will not have this man to reign over us” - this is just incredible to any who settle down to consider it seriously. Jesus accomplished his work as Prophet, Sacrifice and High Priest perfectly. Can anyone be happy that his work as king is to end in failure? - for can a long, long reign which ends in turbulent rebellion be reckoned as a success?</p><p>(g)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A rebellion such as is described in Revelation 20 does not arise in five minutes. Even a triviality like the Suez episode in 1957 called for weeks of detailed organization, which could not be kept secret from the rest of the world. Nevertheless one is asked to believe that Christ and his immortals will know nothing at all of this mighty Gog-Magog uprising until it bursts upon the world. The only alternative seems to be that, knowing all that is being secretly concocted, they will pretend to ignore it, so that the rebels may be lured to their own destruction. Would any reader be happy about the morality of such a proceeding?</p><p>(h)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It is sometimes postulated that if the visible authority of Christ were to be withdrawn for a time, then - human nature being what it is - rebellion would be almost certain to ensue within a short while. But does Scripture speak of any such withdrawal of the Messiah’s authority? This seems to have been invented specially to cope with a big difficulty. On the other hand, Isaiah is explicit that “thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light” (<em><a href='B:290 60:20'>Isa 60:20</a></em>).</p><p>(i)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The coincidence of the names Gog and Magog in Revelation 20 with that of the leader of the great confederacy of Ezekiel 38 does not seem to have been given its proper weight. With any other Bible problem such a coincidence would shout for the two to be equated with each other. Then may it not be said that any interpretation which does line up these two prophecies as having the same fulfilment has a much stronger claim to acceptance than one which severs all connection between them and instead inserts a gap of a thousand years? or is “Interpret Scripture by Scripture” to stand as a sound principle everywhere except in Revelation 20?</p><p>(j)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:730 15:1'>Rev 15:1</a></em> R:V. The Vials are described as “the seven plagues which are the last, for in them is finished the wrath of God." The logical conclusion from these words is that the judgement of the Gog-Magog rebellion takes place before the outpouring of the Vials is concluded.</p><p>(k) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Has the difficulty ever been properly faced that this amazing rising against all that is good and beneficent is spoken of in Scripture in one place only? Are Christadelphians to copy Mormons, “Jehovah’s Witnesses” and such, in their disreputable habit of confidently basing major beliefs on one passage of Scripture? Have we, the people of the Book, not yet learned the elementary lesson of mistrust in our own powers of Bible interpretation? We believe what we believe about our “First Principles” not because of one text of Scripture but because of the massive over-all testimony of many passages. Shall we then go back on this thoroughly sound attitude here, and this, concerning verses in the Book of Revelation, of all places, the book about the interpretation of which there is less room for dogmatism than any other in the Bible?</p><p>To these I would add the fact that <em><a href='B:730 21:4'>Rev 21:4</a></em> says that death shall be no more. The passage in <em><a href='B:730 21:1-27'>Rev 21:1-27</a></em> is full of reference to descriptions of the establishment of the Kingdom at Christ's return, when the bridge meets the bridegroom (<em><a href='B:730 21:2'>Rev 21:2</a></em>). If death itself ends when the bride and groom meet at the Lord's return, then this settles the issue. There will be no more concept of death after that. It cannot be that there will be no more death if a mortal population still exists. Death is ended by death being thrown into the lake of fire here in chapter 20. This is the same as death being no more.</p><p>As to what <em><a href='B:730 20:4'>Rev 20:4</a></em> does not mean, in terms of those who wrest it to support the idea of a cosmic satan literally existing; see my comments in&nbsp;<em>The Real Devil</em>.</p>


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<p>20:3&nbsp;<em>And threw him into the abyss-&nbsp;</em>The same word as in <em><a href='B:490 8:31'>Luk 8:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 8:33'>Luk 8:33</a></em>, where the demons ask Christ not to send them into the abyss; the parallel record says that they asked not to be sent out of the land of Israel (<em><a href='B:480 5:10'>Mar 5:10</a></em>). Also <em><a href='B:520 10:7'>Rom 10:7</a></em> uses the abyss as a term for the lands beyond Israel (it is referring to <em><a href='B:50 30:13'>Deu 30:13</a></em>). The beast that comes out of the abyss comes out of the sea (<em><a href='B:730 11:7'>Rev 11:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 13:1'>Rev 13:1</a></em>). It seems that the geographical area outside Israel from where the beast comes (i:e. the Arab world?) is where it is returned to for punishment. I have suggested in commentary on chapter 9 that the abyss may refer to a distinct geographical area in or on the edge of the earth / land promised to Abraham.</p><p><em>And shut it</em>-</p><p> The same word is used of how the door is shut around the faithful believers with whom Christ rejoices at His return (<em><a href='B:470 25:10'>Mat 25:10</a></em>). There is a brief, appropriate period of intimacy between Christ and His people, during which the dragon cannot do anything.</p><p><em>And sealed it over him</em>-</p><p> The same word is used about how the final seven thunders of calamity upon the earth / land are "sealed" (<em><a href='B:730 10:4'>Rev 10:4</a></em>). This seems to refer to a brief period in between the Lord's return and when He resumes dealing with the dragon system.</p><p><em>That he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished</em>-</p><p> Loosed a little season once eternity (the "1000 years") is established. The same word translated "finished" is translated to accomplish; to establish, build up (<em><a href='B:490 22:37'>Luk 22:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:550 5:16'>Gal 5:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:660 2:8'>Jas 2:8</a></em>; LXX: <em><a href='B:80 3:18'>Rth 3:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 55:11'>Isa 55:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 4:30'>Dan 4:30</a></em>). Consider the usage of the word elsewhere:</p><p>-&nbsp; <em><a href='B:490 22:37'>Luk 22:37</a></em>: “This that is written must yet be accomplished in me."</p><p>- <em><a href='B:550 5:16'>Gal 5:16</a></em>: “Walk ye in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."</p><p>- <em><a href='B:660 2:8'>Jas 2:8</a></em>: “If ye fulfil the royal law ... Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye shall do well."</p><p>- <em><a href='B:520 2:27'>Rom 2:27</a></em>: “And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee who ... dost transgress the law?”</p><p>- <em><a href='B:80 3:18'>Rth 3:18</a></em>: “the man (Boaz) will not be in rest until he have finished (i:e. accomplished, achieved) the thing this day."</p><p>- <em><a href='B:290 55:11'>Isa 55:11</a></em>: “My word ... shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please."</p><p>- <em><a href='B:340 4:30'>Dan 4:30</a></em>: “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built”.</p><p><em>After this he must be released for a little time-&nbsp;</em>Gk. "loosed" (AV), which connects with the theme throughout Revelation of the loosing of the seals and various judgments which are required before the scroll of the book of life is fully unsealed / loosed (<em><a href='B:730 5:5'>Rev 5:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 9:14-15'>Rev 9:14-15</a></em>). This loosing is required for the scroll of life to be fully opened; it refers to the time of the Lord's return and not the end of a Millennium after His return.</p><p>The Lord spoke in parables so that Israel would be deceived and therefore would not come to salvation (<em><a href='B:480 4:12'>Mar 4:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 8:10'>Luk 8:10</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:510 28:26'>Act 28:26</a></em>). This fact is hard to get round for those who feel God isn't responsible for deception. Isaiah spoke likewise (<em><a href='B:290 6:9-10'>Isa 6:9-10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 29:10-11'>Isa 29:10-11</a></em>). The Angels will work in such a way as to allow the world to be deceived at this time (<em><a href='B:730 20:3'>Rev 20:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 20:8'>Rev 20:8</a></em>).</p><p>The "little time" is that of <em><a href='B:730 6:11'>Rev 6:11</a></em> and <em><a href='B:730 12:12'>Rev 12:12</a></em> - the time of persecution just before the Lord's return at the end of the three and a half year tribulation:&nbsp;</p>


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<p>20:4&nbsp;<em>I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed</em>-</p><p> Surely this must be connected with the promise made to the disciples in identical language- about their reigning at the beginning of God's Kingdom on earth (<em><a href='B:470 19:28'>Mat 19:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 22:30'>Luk 22:30</a></em>), at "the regeneration", when the Son of Man likewise takes His throne in glory in Jerusalem, "in my Kingdom".</p><p><em>Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands</em>-</p><p> This is replete with reference to earlier descriptions in Revelation of those persecuted and slain during the great tribulation just prior to the Lord's return.</p><p><em>They came to life</em>-</p><p> The group in view, the disciples and those who perished during the great tribulation, are resurrected separately. We have seen this implied in notes on <em><a href='B:730 11:12'>Rev 11:12</a></em> and <em><a href='B:730 12:5'>Rev 12:5</a></em>.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>20:4&nbsp;<em>Then I saw thrones-&nbsp;</em>Saints sitting on thrones is <em><a href='B:340 7:22'>Dan 7:22</a></em>; the throne of the beast is cast down, and judgment thrones given to the faithful.</p><p><em>And seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed</em>-</p><p> “And judgement was given unto them" (AV). This is <em><a href='B:340 7:22'>Dan 7:22</a></em>: “And judgement was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom”. This is clearly at the start of the Kingdom, at Christ's return, when the beast enemy of Israel is destroyed. This would also be the time of <em><a href='B:230 122:5-8'>Psa 122:5-8</a></em>: “For there (in Jerusalem) are set thrones of judgement, the thrones of the house of David ... Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces. For my brothers and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within you”.</p><p><em>Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years-&nbsp;</em>The jihadist State will be a strictly religious entity, keen to take the predictions and commands of the Koran and Hadith as literally as possible. Their crucifixions of their enemies are in strict obedience to passages like Sura 5:36: “The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified… Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom”. And the jihadists likewise are careful to obey the commands to behead enemies: “When you encounter the unbelievers on the battlefield, strike off their heads until you have crushed them completely; then bind the prisoners tightly,” (Sura 47). The UK&nbsp;<em>Daily Mail&nbsp;</em>reported of ISIS: “They lined the streets with the decapitated heads of police and soldiers”:&nbsp;Beheading is now a well-known method used by the jihadists, popularized by their videos of beheading Western hostages. We note that it is the fate of those who do not worship the beast or accept his mark in <em><a href='B:730 20:4'>Rev 20:4</a></em>. Apologists claim that the Koran doesn’t support these beheadings; but it does. &nbsp;<em>Sura</em>&nbsp;8:12 says that beheading can be used in order to psychologically terrify the non-Moslems: "I will cast dread into the hearts of the unbelievers. Strike off their heads, then, and strike off all of their fingertips<em>”. Sura</em>&nbsp;47:3 is similar: "When you encounter the unbelievers on the battlefield, strike off their heads”. Beheading is justified in some of the hadith on the basis that Muhammad ordered the beheading of 700 Jews in Medina for allegedly plotting against him. It is therefore to be used specifically against God’s people. Until recently, it seemed impossible that such a method of death would be literally used- but it is now becoming known worldwide that it is indeed being practiced and gloried in within the entity that is taking over the land promised to Abraham. It must be noted that Islam is the only major world religion today that legitimizes beheadings.</p><p><em><a href='B:730 20:4'>Rev 20:4</a></em> says that there will be a special blessing for those who were beheaded for the sake of Jesus, and this involved them in not worshipping the beast or receiving his mark. The short term fulfilment of this was in the beast as the Roman empire. But the Roman Empire only beheaded&nbsp;<em>citizens</em>&nbsp;(e.g. Paul); non-citizens were killed in other ways, e.g. by crucifixion, throwing to wild beasts. Mentioning beheading was therefore purposeful. The text could more easily have said ‘martyred’ or ‘killed’. The blessing in view, in the first century application, was therefore particularly for Roman citizens who refused to accept the faith of their own empire, for the sake of Christ. The climax of all Bible prophecy, however, is not in history; it is in the literal coming of Christ to earth. In the last days, therefore, <em><a href='B:730 20:4'>Rev 20:4</a></em> must have its final and ultimate fulfilment. But the incipient fulfilment in the days of Rome guides us towards understanding that final fulfilment. I suggest therefore that this class of latter day martyrs refers specifically to those who are citizens within the area controlled by the latter day entity known as the beast. Those who do not submit to its rulership will be beheaded. And we are already seeing that happening in the area, with roads lined with heads. And we see the jihadists forcing Christians and Yezidis to convert to Islam, or to face the sword- quite literally, in beheading. They stated themselves in July 2014: “We offer them three choices: Islam; the&nbsp;<em>dhimma</em>&nbsp;contract—involving payment of&nbsp;<em>jizya</em>; if they refuse this they will have nothing but the sword”. The blessing of <em><a href='B:730 20:4'>Rev 20:4</a></em> is for those who endure this for the sake of Christ and witnessing His word in Christ to them. "The word of God" refers to the preaching of the word; the word is designed by its very nature to be preached.</p><p>It could be that it is those who perished during the tribulation who now sit on thrones of judgment to judge those who persecuted them, some of whom died during the tribulation, but are now raised to face judgment and the second death.</p>


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<p>20:5&nbsp;<em>The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended</em>-</p><p> This could refer to the rest of the believers throughout history; or, as suggested on :4 and :13, to the members of the beast system who died during the tribulation who are now raised to be judged by those whom they slew. We must note that all of Revelation is specifically about events in the earth / land promised to Abraham, and much of it is specifically about those who live and die during the three and a half year tribulation there.</p><p>They are raised when the Kingdom, "the thousand years", is 'established' or as the word is translated misleadingly, in most versions, "ended". The Kingdom is "ended" in the sense that it is established. I have shown on :3 above that this Greek word certainly bears the translation "established" or "set up". When the Kingdom is established, the dead are raised; and there will be a period in which the Lord is with them, whilst the dragon is restrained in the abyss.</p><p><em>This is the first resurrection</em>-</p><p> The resurrection of the dead, specifically those killed during the tribulation, is when the thousand years are established "ended" is the first resurrection. This is a decided difficulty for those holding the traditional view that there are two resurrections, one at the start and one at the end of the Millennium. For here it is stated clearly that the first resurrection is when the 1,000 years are "ended". I suggest there is little option but to recognize that "ended" is an unhelpful translation, and the sense is rather "established, set up" rather than "ended". The text never speaks of a 'second resurrection':&nbsp;<em>Protos</em>, "first", admittedly&nbsp;<em>sometimes</em>&nbsp;implies the first of a series, but it can also mean 'the one big and essential thing'; as in "seek&nbsp;<em>first</em>&nbsp;the Kingdom". It could even be argued that the usage of&nbsp;<em>protos</em>&nbsp;suggests there is no other resurrection to be thought of at all The only other Bible verse which speaks of two resurrections is in <em><a href='B:500 5:29'>Joh 5:29</a></em>, where the Lord speaks of a resurrection to life- perhaps the "first resurrection" and a resurrection&nbsp;<em>at that same time</em>&nbsp;of the unworthy "to death", spoken of here in Revelation as "the second death".</p>


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<p>20:6&nbsp;<em>Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power</em>-</p><p> The "second death" could refer to those who die in this life responsible to God, having not responded to Him; are resurrected and judged at Christ's return; and then are punished with death, the second death they will have experienced. But the specific reference here is to the members of the beast system who die during the tribulation and are raised to judgment by those whom they killed, judging on the Lord's behalf. The "first resurrection" is that which happens when the 1,000 years are "ended" or, as I suggest it should be translated, "established". The promise not to be hurt by the second death is made to believers of our age (<em><a href='B:730 2:11'>Rev 2:11</a></em>)- it occurs at the judgment when Christ returns, not at the end of a Millennium. The second death is symbolized as a lake of fire, into which the dragon is also cast and thus destroyed permanently (<em><a href='B:730 20:14'>Rev 20:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 21:8'>Rev 21:8</a></em>). This second death will in fact be the destruction of death itself, as there shall be no more death after death itself is destroyed (<em><a href='B:730 20:14'>Rev 20:14</a></em>). Yet the second death is threatened to those of this age who do not respond to the Gospel after hearing it (<em><a href='B:730 2:11'>Rev 2:11</a></em>). This second death will happen at Christ's return, for that is when we shall be judged, and not at the end of a 1,000 year period. The rejected go away into figurative fire and destruction- at the Lord's return. Not at some point 1,000 years after that.</p>


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<p>20:7&nbsp;<em>And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be released from his prison</em>-</p><p>&nbsp; He was "captured" (19:20) and imprisoned, just as Babylon had been a cage or hold / prison for others (see on <em><a href='B:730 18:2'>Rev 18:2</a></em>). Again, "finished" should be translated "established". Satan is released from the abyss as outlined in <em><a href='B:730 9:1-21'>Rev 9:1-21</a></em> - which clearly refers to the events of the second coming. See on <em><a href='B:730 20:1'>Rev 20:1</a></em> and <em><a href='B:730 20:2'>Rev 20:2</a></em>.</p><p>This overall sequence of judgment on the kings of the earth, gathering them into a pit, shutting them up, then their revival and final destruction and then the unchallenged, eternal reign of Christ is the same sequence as in <em><a href='B:290 24:20-23'>Isa 24:20-23</a></em>. Very significantly, Psalms 2 has a similar picture, of Christ ruling amidst his enemies, "the kings of the earth / land" (cp. <em><a href='B:730 19:19'>Rev 19:19</a></em>), who then decide to cast away the cords with which Christ has bound them (<em><a href='B:230 2:3'>Psa 2:3</a></em>). This is exactly the scene of Revelation 20; the enchained remnants of the first invasion, along with the rejected saints, being loosed from their chains and surrounding Jerusalem. Interestingly, Psalms 2 describes them throwing off their chains, whilst Revelation 20 says that their chains of condemnation are loosed. Presumably this means that they try a rebellion against the Lord Jesus which he 'lets' succeed. The language of <em><a href='B:730 19:15-18'>Rev 19:15-18</a></em> combines allusions to both Psalms 2 and also Ezekiel 38 - as if to imply that they both prophecy of the same invasion, i:e. that after Christ has returned.</p>


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<p>20:8&nbsp;<em>And shall come to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog-</em></p><p>&nbsp;The similarities with Ezekiel 38/9 are so strong; an unsuccessful invasion of God's land when His people are in "peace and safety" (a phrase elsewhere used about the Kingdom), and destruction by fire. According to the usual view of Revelation 20, this similarity means absolutely nothing. This cannot be correct exposition. There must be a connection; surely this must refer to the same invasion? It would be the scenario of Psalms 2, where the nations of the land come against the Lord and His people in Jerusalem, after the type of the Assyrians surrounding Hezekiah in Jerusalem. Gog in Ezekiel 38 refers to an individual, not a nation. Is this man Gog to lead an attack against Jerusalem at the beginning&nbsp;<em>and&nbsp;</em>end of a 1,000 year reign?</p><p><em>"</em>Shall come to" should be as AV: "Shall go out"- implying the bottomless pit is a geographical area? Satan deceives the "nations" but <em><a href='B:730 21:1'>Rev 21:1</a></em> says that when the Kingdom is established, there will be no more sea, no more nations. Therefore this must be appropriate to the beginning of the Kingdom. During the setting up period, the nations come up to worship Christ, as often prophesied in the O:T:;&nbsp;however, they are described as entering into the city (<em><a href='B:730 21:24-27'>Rev 21:24-27</a></em>), i:e. attaining immortality through their faith and obedience. The dragon "will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth/ land" (RSV). The Gog / Magog invasion comes from those dwelling in the "isles" (<em><a href='B:330 39:6'>Eze 39:6</a></em>); but this Greek phrase often means Gentile areas on the borders of the land (<em><a href='B:290 41:5'>Isa 41:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 47:4'>Jer 47:4</a></em>; and "the isles" in Ezekiel refer to lands bordering the land of promise). Abraham was from the sides of the land of Israel (<em><a href='B:290 41:8-9'>Isa 41:8-9</a></em>), the margins of the land of promise- from where the final invasion will come. There is triple emphasis on his deception (:3,8,10). He continues the work of the false prophet, after the false prophet is put into the lake of fire. The dragon carries on his work; the false prophet is Babylon (<em><a href='B:730 19:20'>Rev 19:20</a></em>), who also deceived (<em><a href='B:730 18:23'>Rev 18:23</a></em>). The bottomless pit, where the rebellion comes from, is therefore at the borders of the land. The Kingdom of God is fundamentally based upon the land of Israel.</p><p>The dragon was a deceiver back in <em><a href='B:730 12:9'>Rev 12:9</a></em>, and still is, as Jezebel in the early church deceived (<em><a href='B:730 2:20'>Rev 2:20</a></em>). The dragon of chapter 12 is cast down at Christ's return; the description of the dragon being cast into the pit is an amplification of thIsa. When the dragon is thrown down in chapter 12, he persecutes those of the land (natural Israel?) and the sea (the nations?) for "a short time" (<em><a href='B:730 12:12'>Rev 12:12</a></em>)- the "little season" of <em><a href='B:730 20:3'>Rev 20:3</a></em>? The dragon is cast out of heaven in <em><a href='B:730 12:9'>Rev 12:9</a></em> - meaning that he is thrown out of the 'heavens' of the land of Israel (or the temple specifically), into the earth / world:&nbsp;</p><p><table border="1"><tr><td></p><p>Revelation 12</td><td>Revelation 20</td><td>Comment</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The dragon persecutes the woman for 3½ years</td><td></td><td>The tribulation before Christ's coming</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Thrown out of the temple / land of Israel (heaven) to the earth / rest of the world</td><td>Dragon cast to the abyss</td><td>Christ comes to throw the man of sin out of his place in 'heaven' (2 Thessalonians 2)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>There for a while until he realizes he has a short time</td><td>Chained</td><td>Setting up of the Kingdom</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Makes war with the saints for another 3½ years, replicating the holocaust, also involving suffering for the sea (nations) and the land-dwellers (natural Israel?)</td><td>Makes war with the saints; aims&nbsp;for Jerusalem.</td><td>Rebellion; the invasion of Ezekiel 38 and maybe Joel 3; the desire for the temple in Joel 3 would then be another similarity between the rebellion and the invasion prior to Christ's return.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Destroyed by fire</td><td>The Ezekiel 38/39 invasion is destroyed in two stages; five sixths are destroyed first, then the final sixth- by fire.</td><td></td></tr></table><p><em>To gather them together to the war. The number of them is as the sand of the sea</em>-</p><p> They are gathered to "<em>the</em>&nbsp;battle" (RV)- the final battle which the OT prophets so often mention. They are a false seed of Abraham, as the sand of the sea. Jihadists claim to be the true seed of Abraham, and Jews and Christians are the false seed.</p>


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<p>20:9&nbsp;<em>And they went over the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city, and fire came down out of heaven and devoured them</em>-</p><p> They compass Jerusalem- s:w. <em><a href='B:490 21:20'>Luk 21:20</a></em>. As they did during the invasion of the earth / land promised to Abraham prior to Christ's coming, so they will do in this re-enactment of it. The rejected saints and defeated jihadist armies will make the rebellion of <em><a href='B:730 20:9'>Rev 20:9</a></em>. This will connect with the rebellion of Korah and his company of rejects against the encampment of God and His faithful people- which was also destroyed by fire. The lake of fire / bottomless pit / second death all seem to be parallel. This final, futile attack is spoken of briefly in <em><a href='B:730 12:17'>Rev 12:17</a></em>; see note there about the parallels between Revelation 12, 20. This is the scenario of Psalms 2, where the Lord is enthroned in Zion and then attacked; and of Ezekiel 38, where Gog comes down in an unsuccessful invasion against an Israel already enjoying the Kingdom conditions of dwelling without bars and gates and at peace.</p>


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<p>20:10&nbsp;<em>And the Devil that deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur, where are also the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be tormented day and night forever and ever</em>-</p><p> The dragon is in the abyss and deceives the nations which are there. The devil will deceive during the rebellion as it did in the period of the tribulation before the Lord's return (<em><a href='B:730 12:9'>Rev 12:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 13:14'>Rev 13:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 13:18'>Rev 13:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 19:20'>Rev 19:20</a></em>). The devil is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet already&nbsp;<em>are</em>. This suggests that their punishment lasts until the Kingdom is established, and until the "little season" of the rebellion is finished; the "short time" of desperate persecution of the woman after the dragon has been cast out of heaven / power in <em><a href='B:730 12:12'>Rev 12:12</a></em>. Thus it would seem that the punishment of the wicked and rebels is to exist for some time into the Kingdom age. A number of passages tend to agree with thIsa. The righteous will go forth from the borders of the promised land and look at their carcasses (<em><a href='B:290 66:1-24'>Isa 66:1-24</a></em>). The rejected saints go to the same place (<em><a href='B:730 20:15'>Rev 20:15</a></em>), condemned with the world (1 Corinthians 11). The devil and beast will be cast to the lake of fire (<em><a href='B:730 19:20'>Rev 19:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 20:10'>Rev 20:10</a></em>), as will all the rejected (<em><a href='B:730 20:15'>Rev 20:15</a></em>); they will go to the same place. As Satan is bound (<em><a href='B:730 20:2'>Rev 20:2</a></em>), so will the rejected be (<em><a href='B:470 13:30'>Mat 13:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 22:13'>Mat 22:13</a></em>). This will be the antitype of Zedekiah being bound in condemnation (<em><a href='B:300 52:11'>Jer 52:11</a></em>).</p><p>The beast and false prophet have a specific destruction promised them- the lake of fire which is the second death (:14). If death is their destruction, then they cannot be consciously tormented for ever. "Torment" translates a Greek word which simply means "pain", and does not of itself imply eternal torment. Their destruction will be in "the lake of fire", which is a specific geographic location upon earth, probably Gehenna just outside the Jerusalem which they have tried to recapture. But all the earth shall be filled with God's glory throughout the Kingdom's eternity, so it is inconceivable that this is a literal description. The "forever and ever" translates&nbsp;<em>aion</em>which can mean a period of limited duration, an 'age' which has an end. That age would then refer to the age in existence until the Kingdom of God is fully established on earth. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked and so He will not be tormenting people for ever; note that the word "hell" doesn't occur here. "Day and night" invites comparison with the fact that there shall be no night in the Kingdom of God (<em><a href='B:730 22:5'>Rev 22:5</a></em>); perhaps this is mentioned as if to say: 'Their torment will indeed be painful and constant, every day and night of the old age /&nbsp;<em>aion</em>, until the Kingdom of God is fully established on earth and there shall be no more night'.</p>


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<p>20:11- see on <em><a href='B:650 2:3'>Heb 2:3</a></em>.</p><p><em>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</em>-</p><p> <em><a href='B:730 20:11'>Rev 20:11</a></em> is amplified / repeated in <em><a href='B:730 21:1'>Rev 21:1</a></em>. This is about the judgment at the second coming, not the end of the 'Millennium'. Earth and heaven fleeing away (cp. <em><a href='B:730 6:14'>Rev 6:14</a></em>) refers to the passing of the old human system. "There was no place found for them" alludes to <em><a href='B:340 2:35'>Dan 2:35</a></em> about the beast system being destroyed at Christ's second coming, not the end of the 'Millennium'. This is surely the new heaven and earth of <em><a href='B:730 21:1'>Rev 21:1</a></em>; that of <em><a href='B:290 65:17'>Isa 65:17</a></em> and <em><a href='B:680 3:13'>2Pe 3:13</a></em>, which will be established at Christ's return.</p><p>The fleeing away refers to how along with the beast's remnants, the rejected believers will slink away from the Lord's presence (<em><a href='B:690 2:24'>1Jn 2:24</a></em> Gk:). The whole heaven and earth of this present world will likewise flee away from the face of the enthroned Christ (<em><a href='B:730 20:11'>Rev 20:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 2:21'>Isa 2:21</a></em>). Fleeing away is a characteristic of both the unworthy and also the world which they loved. In some sense the world will come before the judgment seat of Christ to be rejected (<em><a href='B:340 7:9-14'>Dan 7:9-14</a></em>).</p><p>The great white throne judgment must refer to a judgment at the end of the 1,000 years if we follow the classical Millennial reign view. But Harry Whittaker points out some of the serious problems with this:</p>&nbsp;&nbsp;<p> 1:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The earlier visions in this set of seven certainly concern events at the beginning of the Millennium. It would be strange if this series is so broken up that a gap of a thousand years is to be read between the fulfilment of some and of the rest.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 2:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:730 20:11'>Rev 20:11</a></em>: “I saw ... him that sat on the throne, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away." The heaven and earth, which flee away, must be the old human order (compare <em><a href='B:730 6:14'>Rev 6:14</a></em>). Is there much point in such a description if this judgement takes place a thousand years after the earth and heaven fled away?</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “…and there was no place found for them” is a phrase quarried out of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (<em><a href='B:340 2:35'>Dan 2:35</a></em>). Again the words suggest the work of Messiah in destroying the kingdoms of men. There is little relevance to the end of Messiah’s kingdom.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 4:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:730 21:1'>Rev 21:1</a></em>: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth." <em><a href='B:290 65:17'>Isa 65:17</a></em> and <em><a href='B:680 3:13'>2Pe 3:13</a></em> are equally emphatic that this is the setting up of the kingdom of Christ.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 5:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The allusions in ch. <em><a href='B:730 21:2'>Rev 21:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 21:9'>Rev 21:9</a></em> to “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” are difficult to harmonize with a time when all are redeemed. It is impossible to believe that the Bride waits a thousand years for union with her Lord. This new Jerusalem is “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”. The symbolism requires reference to “the marriage supper of the Lamb” at the time of his coming. The context of <em><a href='B:730 19:7-9'>Rev 19:7-9</a></em> puts this conclusion beyond argument.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 6:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 20:12: “and the books were opened: and another book ... which is the book of life." These are unmistakable allusions to <em><a href='B:340 7:10'>Dan 7:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 12:1'>Dan 12:1</a></em>. Would anyone argue for an application of these passages to the end of the Millennium?</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 7:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 21:3: “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." This is a very slightly modified quotation of <em><a href='B:330 37:26'>Eze 37:26</a></em> b, 27, the time of reference of which is again unmistakable.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 8:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The description of the New Jerusalem includes this: “the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour unto it ... they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it” (<em><a href='B:730 21:24'>Rev 21:24</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 21:26'>Rev 21:26</a></em>). Will there be “nations” and “kings of the earth” when Christ’s reign has been concluded?</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 9:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The same passage has a long series of undeniable allusions to <em><a href='B:290 60:1-22'>Isa 60:1-22</a></em>: “The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it ... And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there” - these are two examples but the whole of ch. <em><a href='B:730 21:22-27'>Rev 21:22-27</a></em> should be studied. Again, the question has an easy answer: What epoch does Isaiah’s prophecy describe? Then what does <em><a href='B:730 21:22-27'>Rev 21:22-27</a></em> refer to?</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 10:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A similar argument can be based on Isaiah 65. Without direct quotation, no less than eight points of contact can be traced between the second half of that chapter and the first eight verses of Revelation 21. So it is reasonable to assume that the two Scriptures are about the same thing. What is Isaiah 65 about?</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 11:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ch. 22:2: “And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." So at the time spoken of there will be nations to be healed</p>


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<p>20:12&nbsp;<em>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</em>-</p><p> The opening of the books is that of <em><a href='B:340 7:10'>Dan 7:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 12:1'>Dan 12:1</a></em>, which concern the start of the Kingdom age, not the end of some 'Millennium'.</p><p><em>Another book was opened, which is the book of life-&nbsp;</em>The scroll of life is only opened once all the seals are loosed. These seals all refer to events leading up to the Lord's return. The book does not remain sealed until 1,000 years after His return. The reference is to the judgment seat at the Lord's return.</p><p><em>Judged out of the things which were written in the books</em>-</p><p> When Christ opens the books of His people (<em><a href='B:730 20:12'>Rev 20:12</a></em>; as if each saint has a book written about him recording his life), He does this through discussing with our guardian the details of our life. Perhaps the Angels with have literal books with them; we pointed out earlier that the Angels do seem to use their facility for reading and writing.</p><p>The judgment seat is described as if literal books are written each day we live, and these will be opened and considered by God at the last day, in order to decide whether to give us the reward of the Kingdom or not. When we survey the total of God’s revelation, it is evident that this is not to be taken literally. There will be a judgment, the result of which will be proportionate to the way we have lived our daily lives. But God (through the Lord Jesus) will not need to weigh up evidence. The books were written before the world began in the sense that God knew then who would be in His Kingdom. It is almost impossible to suggest that there will be literal scrolls unrolled. The idea of scrolls was no doubt used because it would have been understandable by those who were first inspired with God’s word. Yet this is how God reveals the judgment to us; in human terms which we are capable of understanding. We are not explicitly told that there will not be literal scrolls, or that God will not need to weigh up evidence to decide whether we will be in the Kingdom. Moses (<em><a href='B:20 32:32'>Exo 32:32</a></em>) and Nehemiah (<em><a href='B:160 13:14'>Neh 13:14</a></em>) perhaps saw the judgment in this literal sense, but this does not mean that there will be actual scrolls unrolled.</p><p>But there is another possibility. As suggested on :4 and :13,14, the resurrection and judgment here may refer to the beast's members who died during the tribulation. They are judged against what they did to those whose names are in the book of life; and it is those whom they killed, whose names are in that book and who are now alive, who judge them, according to what is written in the other book concerning what they did during the tribulation.</p>


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<p>20:13&nbsp;<em>And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and every man was judged according to their works</em>-</p><p> But <em><a href='B:730 21:1'>Rev 21:1</a></em> says that in the new heaven and earth, there is no more sea. If <em><a href='B:730 20:13'>Rev 20:13</a></em> refers to the end of the Millennium, then <em><a href='B:730 21:1'>Rev 21:1</a></em> must likewise. But the coming of a new heaven and earth is a figure repeatedly used about the establishment of the Kingdom at the Lord's return. And <em><a href='B:730 21:2'>Rev 21:2</a></em> says that this is the time when the bride meets her husband, the Lord Jesus. This is at the Lord's return, and not 1,000 years later.</p><p>The sea giving up the dead doesn't refer to dead bodies floating upwards; the sea refers to the nations under the beast's dominion (<em><a href='B:730 17:5'>Rev 17:5</a></em>), which gave power to the beast and upon which it sat (see on <em><a href='B:730 13:1'>Rev 13:1</a></em>). The sea in this sense won't exist after the Kingdom is established (<em><a href='B:730 21:1'>Rev 21:1</a></em>); therefore this refers to the judgment at Christ's return and not at the end of a thousand year period. Is the bottomless pit to be equated with the lake of fire? A place of punishment? The rebels are punished and then those who survive (i:e. those deserving more punishment) are sent back to this area, where they are punished for a long time, day and night for ever (<em><a href='B:730 20:10'>Rev 20:10</a></em>). But there will be no day and night as such in the Kingdom (<em><a href='B:730 21:25'>Rev 21:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 22:5'>Rev 22:5</a></em>). Therefore we must take this description of their punishment figuratively.</p><p>It could be that this giving up of the dead by "the sea" refers to how those who participated in the abuse of Israel and the believers during the tribulation will not escape final judgment; they will be resurrected and judged for what they did, and destroyed with the second death. This would explain why this is a judgment for "works", when works in that sense are irrelevant to those saved by grace. This group will be raised to answer for their evil works during the tribulation, and then be punished with the second death.</p>


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<p>20:14&nbsp;<em>And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire</em>-</p><p> The destruction of death is paralleled with the second death, which occurs at the judgment (<em><a href='B:730 21:8'>Rev 21:8</a></em>), when Christ comes. The second death can't happen twice, at the&nbsp;start&nbsp;<em>and</em>&nbsp;end of the 'Millennium'. What is in view here is events at the Lord's return and the establishment of the Kingdom, not at the end of some 1000 year period. Death, sorrow etc. (<em><a href='B:730 21:4'>Rev 21:4</a></em>) are destroyed for&nbsp;<em>us</em>, the believers; this is believer-centric language. Likewise "men" in <em><a href='B:730 21:3'>Rev 21:3</a></em> refers to the believers, not all human beings then alive (some will still be enduring punishment).</p>


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<p>20:15&nbsp;<em>And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire</em>-</p><p> The idea of being found written in a book is common in the narratives of the restoration, which looked forward to the final restoration of the Kingdom. Only those "found written" in the genealogies could be Levites in the re-established Kingdom (<em><a href='B:160 7:5'>Neh 7:5</a></em>); those corrupted by their time in Babylon were excluded. And specifically it is those Jews who spiritually survive the final tribulation, the time of trouble in Israel such as never was, who are found written in the book and delivered (<em><a href='B:340 12:1'>Dan 12:1</a></em>). It is those written in that book who will not have worshipped the beast during the final three and a half year tribulation (<em><a href='B:730 13:8'>Rev 13:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 17:8'>Rev 17:8</a></em>). Some will tragically have had their names removed from that book (<em><a href='B:730 3:5'>Rev 3:5</a></em>). Again, the purview of the teaching in this chapter is specifically about the believers and unbelievers in the earth / land promised to Abraham during the tribulation period.</p>


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<p>21:1&nbsp;<em>And I saw a new heaven and a new earth</em>:&nbsp;<em>For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away</em>-</p><p> This is the situation presented in 2 Peter 3. The present system "heaven and earth" passes away at the Lord's return, and is replaced by the new one of the Kingdom age. I emphasize this because Revelation 21 is about the situation at the time of the Lord's return- and not some point 1,000 years after it. This means that the statement that "death shall be no more" (:4) is true at this point- of the Lord's return to earth and establishment of the Kingdom. If death is truly "no more" in the new system "heaven and earth", then there can be no 'mortal population' during the next 1,000 years. In other words, the theory of a Millennial reign needs to be radically re-thought, because as it popularly stands it is simply contrary to the text of Scripture.</p><p><em>And the sea was no more</em>-</p><p> "The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest" (<em><a href='B:290 57:20'>Isa 57:20</a></em>). The sea refers to nations in <em><a href='B:730 17:15'>Rev 17:15</a></em>, and as noted on <em><a href='B:730 13:1'>Rev 13:1</a></em>, to the nations immediately surrounding the earth / land promised to Abraham who gave power to the beast and Babylon system. We read later in chapter 21 of how the nations enter into the new Jerusalem- the unbelieving, ignorant world at the time of the Lord's return are given the opportunity to come enter into the city of God, where there is only a new Israel, and no national differences. So this would be explaining how the situation where there is "no more sea" / nations came about. However it may be that the point of contrast is with the fact that in the Kingdom age, the source of water will not be the sea and its role in the water cycle, but rather the water which emerges from Zion (<em><a href='B:730 22:1'>Rev 22:1</a></em>). The book of Revelation also seeks to subtly undermine the commonly accepted views of evil, by showing that all the beasts, dragons, demons imaginable are in fact not radical, free-ranging evil as many imagined both then and now, but rather under God's very tight control; they are playing their role within His purpose, all leading towards the final end when sin and evil will be no more on earth. "The sea" was feared by the first century world, as being the source of monsters and evil. Rather than trying to argue that actually, that's nonsense- <em><a href='B:730 21:1'>Rev 21:1</a></em> instead teaches that whatever our beliefs are about "the sea", it will ultimately be no more when Christ returns.</p><p>The language of this whole section in <em><a href='B:730 21:1-8'>Rev 21:1-8</a></em> connects with <em><a href='B:290 65:1-25'>Isa 65:1-25</a></em>, concerning the establishment of the Kingdom, not after the Millennium. Heaven and earth pass away, the former (Gk:&nbsp;<em>proton</em>) things pass (:4)- the things that were once first place now pass. In <em><a href='B:730 20:13'>Rev 20:13</a></em>, the sea gives up the dead; and this is applied to the 'end of the Millennium' by those who believe in a Millennial reign. But here in <em><a href='B:730 21:1'>Rev 21:1</a></em>, "the sea" no longer exists at the start of the Lord's reign- for it is at this time that the bride meets the groom, and the Kingdom is established. Hence <em><a href='B:730 20:13'>Rev 20:13</a></em> must be interpreted as referring to some time around Christ's return; see my notes on chapter 20.</p><p>Revelation of the situation after the Millennium would surely be inappropriate, if not impossible, for us to receive in this dispensation:&nbsp;The context of Revelation 21 and Revelation 22 is set in chapter 20. The earth and heaven flee away when Christ sits on the throne, "and there was found no place for them" (<em><a href='B:730 20:11'>Rev 20:11</a></em>). This is almost quoting <em><a href='B:340 2:35'>Dan 2:35</a></em> concerning the establishment of the Kingdom, not the end of a 1000 year period. In place of this heaven and earth, a new heaven and earth appear in <em><a href='B:730 21:1'>Rev 21:1</a></em>. This is the language of <em><a href='B:290 65:17'>Isa 65:17</a></em> and <em><a href='B:680 3:13'>2Pe 3:13</a></em> concerning the second coming:&nbsp;In this context, John sees "the bride, the Lamb's wife" (<em><a href='B:730 21:2'>Rev 21:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 21:9'>Rev 21:9</a></em>):&nbsp;The church is only a bride at the time of the second coming, seeing she marries Christ at the marriage supper:&nbsp;At this time, "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death", sorrow etc. (<em><a href='B:730 21:4'>Rev 21:4</a></em>):&nbsp;&nbsp; The church will not be afflicted by these things during the Millennium; this must refer to Christ's return. Likewise the gift of the water of life (<em><a href='B:730 21:6'>Rev 21:6</a></em>) is at the judgment at the second coming:&nbsp;The idea of former things (e.g. death, tears) passing away in 21:4 is one of many connections in Revelation 21 and Revelation 22 with Isaiah's prophecies of the second coming (<em><a href='B:730 21:4'>Rev 21:4</a></em> = <em><a href='B:290 60:20'>Isa 60:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 65:19'>Isa 65:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 21:25'>Rev 21:25</a></em> = <em><a href='B:290 60:11'>Isa 60:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 60:20'>Isa 60:20</a></em>):&nbsp; <em><a href='B:730 21:7'>Rev 21:7</a></em> speaks of the time when the faithful believer will receive his inheritance:&nbsp;This surely refers to the judgment at the second coming (<em><a href='B:470 25:34'>Mat 25:34</a></em>):&nbsp;Revelation 22 has a number of connections with Revelation 21 which would indicate that we are to see Revelation 22 as also referring to the start, rather than the end, of the Millennium (e.g. <em><a href='B:730 22:14'>Rev 22:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 21:27'>Rev 21:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:7'>Rev 2:7</a></em>):&nbsp;"The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations" (<em><a href='B:730 22:2'>Rev 22:2</a></em>) is another obvious example:&nbsp; "They shall reign for ever and ever" (<em><a href='B:730 22:5'>Rev 22:5</a></em>) is the language of <em><a href='B:340 7:18'>Dan 7:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 7:27'>Dan 7:27</a></em> concerning the judgment at Christ's return:&nbsp;</p>


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<p>21:2&nbsp;<em>And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God</em>-</p><p> see on <em><a href='B:590 4:14'>1Th 4:14</a></em>. The whole prophetic metanarrative of the Bible is in many ways a tale of two cities- Babylon and Jerusalem. There are times when Babylon masquerades as Zion- a false city of God with a false Messiah leading her. Babylon / Babel was a city built to reach&nbsp;<em>unto</em>&nbsp;Heaven, in contrast to the true city of God which&nbsp;<em>comes down&nbsp;</em>from Heaven (<em><a href='B:10 11:4'>Gen 11:4</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:730 21:2'>Rev 21:2</a></em>). And there are times when Zion in her apostasy has appeared as Babylon. But in the final conflict of the last days, these two cities will be literally pitted against each other. Natural Jerusalem will be where Babylon makes her throne (see on <em><a href='B:730 16:19'>Rev 16:19</a></em>) and will be destroyed by fire and sulphur; but then the new Jerusalem comes down upon her ruins. It was in Babylon where Nimrod first built the tower of Babel, the first organized rebellion against God; and it was there that God first entered into open judgment of flesh and humanity&nbsp;<em>en masse</em>. And it is here likewise that His purpose with sin and His true people will likewise be fulfilled. Babylon was also called Su-anna, “the holy city”. Yet “the holy city” is Jerusalem, thus making Babylon a fake Zion, although she is briefly built on the site of Zion. Herodotus says the city was square, just as new Jerusalem. We have shown elsewhere that the events of the Babylonian invasion are typical of the last days. That invasion was “the time of Israel’s trouble” (<em><a href='B:300 11:12'>Jer 11:12</a></em>), clearly typical of Jacob’s latter day “time of trouble”.</p><p><em>Made ready as a bride-&nbsp;</em>"The bride" is married at the marriage supper (19:7-9)- not at the end of the Millennium. Therefore this is about the setting up of the Kingdom at Christ's return. The marriage supper of the lamb is at the Lord's return, not 1,000 years after it. The same words are used in <em><a href='B:730 19:7'>Rev 19:7</a></em> about the preparation of the bride. Therefore this vision, during which it is declared that death has ended (:4), is at the Lord's return. The destruction of death is spoken of in chapter 20 as being when the 1,000 years are established mistranslated with the sense of "expired". Yet here in chapter 21, death ends at the time of the marriage of the lamb. There is thus no place for any theories of a 'mortal population' in the Kingdom of God. In the 1st century application, John&nbsp;the Baptists attempted to prepare s:w. "made ready" the bride, but this failed in that Israel crucified her Messiah (<em><a href='B:490 1:17'>Luk 1:17</a></em> s:w:). The marriage supper, the Kingdom, has been "prepared" from the beginning of the world (<em><a href='B:470 22:4'>Mat 22:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 25:34'>Mat 25:34</a></em>;) and through the Lord's death (<em><a href='B:500 14:2-3'>Joh 14:2-3</a></em>). It is the bride who is not ready. The implication is surely that once the bride is "prepared / made ready", then the marriage supper begins. The preparation of the bride is through the baptism of the last converts, and the spiritual preparation of those who are baptized.</p><p>The adornment or making read is surely of good works and spiritual fruits, by which we adorn the teaching of the Gospel (<em><a href='B:630 2:10'>Tit 2:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 3:5'>1Pe 3:5</a></em>). In this we see the significance of works. The Lord will marry us because we are His beloved, of His sovereign choice. But in response, we adorn ourselves as best we can for Him who has so loved us. And yet the greatest adornment is the white garments of imputed righteousness which are given to us (see on 19:8).</p>


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<p>21:3- see on <em><a href='B:500 1:14'>Joh 1:14</a></em>.</p><p><em>And I heard a great voice out of the throne, saying: Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people; and God Himself shall be with them</em>-</p><p> This is stating the same wondrous truth three times. God shall indeed live with us on earth. Heaven shall come to earth. This is all an allusion to <em><a href='B:330 37:26-27'>Eze 37:26-27</a></em>, concerning the time of Christ's return. If God lives with us at Christ's return, how will He be shielded from the 'mortal' population? This problem disappears if the 1000 years is seen as a description of the Kingdom itself. Seeing God's face was what motivated Job, and John seems to allude to it as the final consolation in 1 John 4.</p><p>"The tabernacle of God", being God's people;&nbsp;He being our God; God living and walking with us, is all evidently alluding to <em><a href='B:30 26:11-12'>Lev 26:11-12</a></em> and <em><a href='B:20 29:45-46'>Exo 29:45-46</a></em> concerning the ultimate blessings of the covenant after Israel's final repentance. The shadowy fulfilment they have had in the past through God's manifestation in an Angel doesn't mean that these promises can and must only be fulfilled by some form of God manifestation:&nbsp;Surely <em><a href='B:730 21:3'>Rev 21:3</a></em> is saying that at the second coming the principle of God manifestation will change in that God will personally be with His people. Because we have so far lived under the paradigm of God manifestation, let's not think that it's not possible for God to personally be with us:&nbsp;Let's really try to be broad-minded enough to take this on board:&nbsp;</p><p>The other references to "God himself" are to Yahweh personally, rather than to Christ:&nbsp; <em><a href='B:290 45:18'>Isa 45:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 5:37'>Joh 5:37</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 16:27'>Joh 16:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:540 5:18-19'>2Co 5:18-19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:5'>Eph 1:5</a></em>:&nbsp; Indeed, those N:T. references seem to point a difference between "God himself" and Christ:&nbsp;So isn't it lack of spiritual vision- perhaps even of faith - that makes us wriggle against the idea of God Himself, in person, living with us?&nbsp;The idea of God Himself dwelling with men in the tabernacle (temple) of the new city of Jerusalem is a clear reference to <em><a href='B:330 48:35'>Eze 48:35</a></em>, which says that the name of Jerusalem in the Millennium will be "Yahweh is there". These ideas doubtless also have reference to Yahweh's promise to David to build an eternal house for Yahweh's Name:&nbsp;This verse seems to teach that God Himself, in person, will descend to earth with Christ:&nbsp;This might sound altogether too incredible:&nbsp; But think about the idea:&nbsp;The King Himself (= God) comes to see the guests at the wedding of His Son (= Jesus; <em><a href='B:470 22:11'>Mat 22:11</a></em>). "God himself" here either means God Himself or God manifest in Christ:&nbsp;"God himself shall be with them" seems to me an odd way of describing Christ's second coming. God will "be their God”. I would just about be willing to concede that this might apply to God manifest in Christ - but for one significant fact:&nbsp;this <em><a href='B:730 21:3'>Rev 21:3</a></em> is packed with O:T. allusions which explicitly refer to God the Father:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><em>And be their God-&nbsp;</em>God promised Abraham that through Christ, His seed, blessing would come on people from all nations, with the result that God would be the God of Abraham's multitudinous seed: "To be a God unto... your seed... I will be their God" (<em><a href='B:10 17:7-8'>Gen 17:7-8</a></em>):&nbsp;The seed is Christ, and the "God" is Yahweh:&nbsp;Let's not confuse them:&nbsp;Now in <em><a href='B:730 21:3'>Rev 21:3</a></em> this fundamental promise is alluded to; God Himself will be our God then; we will see Him and have a personal relationship with Him:&nbsp;This would mean that this idea of personally being with God is a fundamental part of the Gospel preached to Abraham:&nbsp;</p>


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<p>21:4- see on <em><a href='B:470 25:37-40'>Mat 25:37-40</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 20:14'>Rev 20:14</a></em>.</p><p><em>And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes-&nbsp;</em>The same word is used in <em><a href='B:510 3:19'>Act 3:19</a></em> concerning sin being blotted out at Christ's return. The tears are for our sins (sorrow likewise is connected with sin in Isaiah 53). Will we have an emotional breakdown straight after the judgment? The accepted will feel so certain of this that they will almost argue with the Lord Jesus at the day of judgment that he hasn't made the right decision concerning them (<em><a href='B:470 25:37-40'>Mat 25:37-40</a></em>). It's only a highly convicted man who would dare do that. Thus the Father will have to comfort the faithful in the aftermath of the judgment, wiping away the tears which will&nbsp;<em>then</em>&nbsp;(see context) be in our eyes, and give us special help to realize that our sinful past has now finally been overcome. We will be like the labourers in the parable who walk away from judgment clutching their penny, thinking "I really shouldn't have thIsa. I didn't work for a day, and this is a day's pay". Therefore if we honestly, genuinely feel that we won't be in the Kingdom, well, this is how in some ways the faithful will all feel.</p><p>The tears that will be wiped from our eyes are those associated with "the former things" of this life, and also the emotion associated with our acceptance. But it can't be that it means we will never have the emotion of sadness ever again. For God is made sad, grieved at His heart, even now. And we are to share&nbsp;<em>His</em>&nbsp;nature. Consider for a moment the&nbsp;<em>emotion</em>&nbsp;which we will feel after being granted Divine nature. Malachi says we will be like stalled animals, who are fed, fattened, kept in small dark pens to be killed… who then suddenly break out into the daylight, and go prancing away through the meadows. This will be our leap of joy and taste of true freedom. Yet the Father will have to comfort the faithful in the aftermath of the judgment, wiping away the tears which will&nbsp;<em>then</em>&nbsp;(see context) be in our eyes, and give us special help to realize that our sinful past has now finally been overcome.</p><p><em>And death shall be no more</em>-</p><p> The end of death is portrayed in Revelation 20 as death being thrown into the lake of fire, which is also the second death. The second death is for those rejected at the judgment at Christ's return. Their punishment with death is therefore the end of death; there will be no more death after that because the curse of death upon Adam's race will be ended. There is no possibility therefore for a 'mortal population' after these things. If there is to be no more crying or pain after the Lord's return, we are scarcely to imagine that there will be exactly these things at some supposed 'second judgment' and 'second condemnation' 1,000 years later.</p><p><em><a href='B:530 15:54-55'>1Co 15:54-55</a></em> likewise speak of the end of death: "But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to fulfilment the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?". The quotation is from <em><a href='B:290 25:8'>Isa 25:8</a></em>, which concerns events at Christ's return- not at the end of the 1,000 years. The end of death will therefore come at the resurrection- when Christ returns. And that is what is being taught here in Revelation 20, 21.</p><p><em>Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more-</em></p><p>&nbsp;The Greek for "pain" specifically refers to labour pains. This is all the language of the curse on Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. It fits into a theme of paradise being restored. But labour pains are also used with regard to the experience of the believers during the tribulation. As ever in Revelation, there is especial relevance to the believers who are persecuted and die during the final tribulation in the earth / land promised to Abraham. It is they who have experienced death, sorrow and labour pains.</p><p><em>The first things are passed away</em>-</p><p> The parallel is with the passing away of the first heaven and earth (:1). The 'heaven and earth' is therefore a figure for "the former things":&nbsp;<em>Former things</em>... &nbsp;Defined in <em><a href='B:290 48:3-5'>Isa 48:3-5</a></em> as God's prediction "from the beginning" that Israel would sin and be judged by Him with exile. When we read that the "former things" will no longer be remembered, and that both God and man will "remember not the former things" (<em><a href='B:290 43:18'>Isa 43:18</a></em>), perhaps the same reference is in view. <em><a href='B:730 21:4'>Rev 21:4</a></em> predicts that in the Kingdom age, there will be no more tears because "the former things are passed away", literally, 'they are behind'. That may appear obvious, a needless statement of a truism- that past things are past. But the suggestion is that then we will totally realize that our sins are behind us, as God has cast them behind His back. The connection between tears, sorrow and "former things" is a powerful psychological insight into the human condition- sorrow, tears, depression etc. are all connected with our awareness (however subconscious) of human sin, both our own and of others. When we finally grasp that all sin is indeed behind us, then there is the basis for a life without tears. And that is at least theoretically possible even now, if only we will see our sins and perceive them as God does- as past. But we must of course deal with the sins of others in that same way. God's emphasis in Isaiah is that He has "declared" the former things from the start. All our sins in one sense were known to God from the beginning, and He knew how to deal with them.</p><p>God (this is important) made Joseph forget all his "toil", his mental sufferings (<em><a href='B:10 41:51'>Gen 41:51</a></em>). This was a miracle; no amount of steel-willed suppression of his past could have made Joseph paper over all the pain. But God did a psychological miracle upon him. Has God done the same to Christ now in His glory, as He will to us one day soon (<em><a href='B:730 21:4'>Rev 21:4</a></em>)? Yet the Lord will be factually aware of His sacrifice and the associated pain. God presumably did not obliterate Joseph's memory cells, but He made him "forget" the pain. This is surely what God has done to Christ, and what He will do to us: take away the pain on a psychological level whilst still leaving a factual awareness. Is it too much to suggest that even now, God is ready and willing to do something like this?</p>


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<p>21:5&nbsp;<em>And he that sits on the throne said: Behold I make all things new. And he said: Write For these words are faithful and true-&nbsp;</em>All things will be made new at the Lord’s coming, and yet those in whom the new creation is worked out already have all things made new in their spiritual experience (<em><a href='B:540 5:17-18'>2Co 5:17-18</a></em>):&nbsp;</p><p>The utter literality of all this was emphasized to John, when he was told:&nbsp;"Write For these words are true and faithful". The almost fantastical description of God Himself wiping away all the tears that are in (Gk:) the eyes of men... this really is true and faithful:&nbsp;It could be that the wonder of the idea of meeting God in person... boggled John's mind to the point he wondered whether he really was intended to write this down, doubting whether all this could be really true. And he exactly represents our feelings.</p>


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<p>21:6&nbsp;<em>And he said to me: They have come to pass. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life</em>-</p><p> We, now, take the water of life (<em><a href='B:730 22:17'>Rev 22:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 4:14'>Joh 4:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 10:8'>Mat 10:8</a></em>). The picture surely is that at this time, we receive literal immortality. It speaks of the Lord's return and not the end of some point 1,000 years afterwards. It is at this time, when we receive immortality, drinking the water of life, that death itself ends. So there will be no 'mortal population' after that. And yet as John's gospel stresses, we can right now drink of that water of life; we can receive the gift of the spirit, of the Lord's mind and thinking, of His life; so that we can begin to live now the kind of life which we shall eternally live. And the Greek tenses could imply that throughout eternity we are continually given, in an ongoing sense, to drink of this water of life. It is life as He has it, and not just the one-time gift of immortality.</p><p>The "freely" giving of the water of life recalls the river Pison in the garden of Eden, which means 'freely flowing'. There are allusions galore to Eden through the final visions of Revelation- for Eden shall be restored and the curse lifted.</p>


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<p>21:7&nbsp;<em>He that overcomes shall inherit these things</em>-</p><p> The letters to the churches begin Revelation by repeatedly promising that "he that overcomes" will be recompensed at Christ's return- no suggestion is made that the recompense will be 1,000 years after His return (<em><a href='B:730 2:7'>Rev 2:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:11'>Rev 2:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:17'>Rev 2:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:26'>Rev 2:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 3:5'>Rev 3:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 3:12'>Rev 3:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 3:21'>Rev 3:21</a></em>). The Greek word translated "overcomes" occurs nowhere else. The reference here is therefore to the time of Christ's return; and it is at this time that death will be ended (:4), i:e. cast into the lake of fire. If death itself is destroyed at the Lord's return, there cannot be any mortal population during a supposed 1000 year reign which commences at His return.</p><p><em>And I will be his God and he shall be my son</em>-</p><p> An application of the promise to David about Messiah to each one of us who is in Christ. The wonder of our eternal living will be that we shall relate to the Father as the Lord Jesus did. The prospect offered to us is very much in terms of&nbsp;<em>relationship</em>&nbsp;with the Father and Son, without being disturbed by personal sin and the possibility of sinning; rather than a presentation of a literal picture of a physical, materially optimal existence.</p>


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<p>21:8&nbsp;<em>But for the fearful and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and fornicators and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their share shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur; which is the second death</em>-</p><p> The language of murder, fornication, lying, sorcery and idolatry has all been used in Revelation of the beast / Babylon system and their various associated acts such as the false prophet. It is they who shall be destroyed in the second death; implying that they shall be raised to judgment even if they died during the tribulation. I have suggested in chapter 20 that the descriptions of resurrection, judgment by those who they killed, and destruction in the second death all refer specifically to this category.</p><p>These people are those of <em><a href='B:730 20:15'>Rev 20:15</a></em>, those of <em><a href='B:730 22:15'>Rev 22:15</a></em> who are placed (geographically?) outside the encampment of the people of God in Jerusalem, perhaps to be literally burnt in Gehenna outside the city.</p><p>But just as apparently 'petty' sins by secular judgment are juxtaposed alongside apparently 'major' ones in Paul's writings, so here, the "fearful and unbelieving" are categorized alongside the abusive members of the beast system. Those who won't believe the good news of salvation in Jesus are in the same category as those society would characterize as serious sinners, the abusive members of the beast system. But before God, they all have the same final end. Note that the disciples, whose names are on the foundations of the new Jerusalem, were once both fearful and unbelieving (<em><a href='B:480 4:40'>Mar 4:40</a></em>). Indeed they are described as "unbelieving" several times (<em><a href='B:470 17:17'>Mat 17:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 20:27'>Joh 20:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:630 1:15'>Tit 1:15</a></em>). The point is that those who were once like those outside the city are in fact the foundations of the city.</p><p>And yet the language used here is also used about the behaviour of some within the church. The same words are used about believers in <em><a href='B:530 5:9'>1Co 5:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:530 5:11'>1Co 5:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:650 12:16'>Heb 12:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:650 13:4'>Heb 13:4</a></em>. It means that in essence this is how God sees some in the ecclesias. I wonder how many of them will have literally done those things. Surely it is more reasonable to suppose that this is how their other deeds and attitudes were counted in God's sight. Or does it show that far more people than we expect will be classed as responsible to judgment? And it's noteworthy that those who won't believe are in the same category as these more 'awful' sinners. For we are either saved or rejected, there is no third road nor category:&nbsp;</p>


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<p>21:9&nbsp;<em>And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were laden with the seven last plagues; and he spoke with me, saying: Come here, I will show you the bride-&nbsp;</em>We are introduced to the idea of seven last plagues, and thus an expectation is set up that we shall now see some awful catastrophes poured out on earth. Instead, we have a vision of the bride and her Kingdom glory. I suggest this is purposeful; we are being shown that the Lord's focus is upon the salvation of His people. The punishment of the wicked is incidental to that, and not something He at all revels in. Perhaps the idea is that the final attack against Jerusalem is made whilst the Lord and His bride are within it. And His focus is upon enjoying the beauty of His bride rather than the necessary destruction of the invaders through those seven last plagues. Maybe the seven last plagues, like the seven thunders, are potentially prepared but do not actually happen; see on <em><a href='B:730 10:4'>Rev 10:4</a></em>.</p>


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<p>21:10&nbsp;<em>And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high</em>-</p><p> The 'height' of the mountain likely refers more to its glory than its literal altitude. Zion and / or the mount of Olives was the great and high mountain in the Jewish thought in which Revelation is presented. And Acts 1 and Zechariah 14 envisage the Lord Jesus returning to that mountain. The exact chronology of events need not concern us; not only will the meaning / experience of time likely be changed, but the chronology must to some extent be open, because the repentance of various groups will be possible. The final outworking of events will take that into account.</p><p><em>And showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God</em>-</p><p> Literal Jerusalem as the capital of Babylon will be destroyed; a new Jerusalem will literally come down to replace it. But this is not a pile of new stones, but more essentially the glorified believers, who as explained on <em><a href='B:590 4:14'>1Th 4:14</a></em> come as it were with the Lord Jesus at this stage.</p>


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<p>21:11&nbsp;<em>Having the glory of God. Her light was like a stone most precious, as it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal</em>-</p><p> Jasper appears in various colours, representative of the varying individual beauties of the believers, refracting the Lord's light in unique and beautiful to Him ways. The Hebrew idea of 'jasper' is 'polishing', and it is that process which is underway in our lives at this moment.</p>


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<p>21:12&nbsp;<em>She had a wall great and high, having twelve gates; and at the gates were twelve angels, and the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel written thereon-&nbsp;</em>The 12 gates of the Heavenly Jerusalem are identified with 12 Angels, whereon are written the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. This suggests that the tribes of Israel are reflective of the situation in Heaven, where there are Angels representing each tribe. This identity between heavenly Angels and the believers they represent on earth is a common theme in Revelation. This connection between Angels and Israel is commonly found in the Old Testament. <em><a href='B:340 8:24'>Dan 8:24</a></em> speaks of Israel as “the people of the saints” (RVmg:), although v. 13 speaks of “the saint” (RV “holy one”) as an Angel. <em><a href='B:90 17:45'>1Sa 17:45</a></em> parallels the Angelic hosts, and the hosts of Israel’s armies; they were to follow where the host of God went, just as David’s army had to follow the sound of the cherubim “marching” over the mulberry bushes (<em><a href='B:130 14:15'>1Ch 14:15</a></em>). And whilst we follow where we are led, we are identified with our Angels to the extent that what is done to us is done to them. To defy the armies of Israel was thus to defy the armies of Heaven (<em><a href='B:90 17:45'>1Sa 17:45</a></em>). Thus the four faces of the Angel cherubim were reflected in the four standards of the camp of Israel; the people were intended to “keep in step with the Spirit”, following where they went, as they had done in the wilderness years. They were to walk “each one straight before him” (<em><a href='B:290 57:2'>Isa 57:2</a></em> RVmg:), as each of the cherubim went straight ahead (<em><a href='B:330 1:12'>Eze 1:12</a></em>). And we too are to follow where our Angel potentially enables us to go. The Angel went in to Jericho to take the city; and the Israelites went “straight” ahead, following the Angel, and thus took the city (<em><a href='B:60 5:13-14'>Jos 5:13-14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:60 6:20'>Jos 6:20</a></em>).</p>


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<p>21:13&nbsp;<em>On the east were three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates and on the west three gates</em>-</p><p> What is the significance of this order? It is not a circular view, i:e. not clockwise nor anticlockwise. Perhaps it is in conscious difference to the order of the gates of the city as given in <em><a href='B:330 48:31-34'>Eze 48:31-34</a></em>, which goes north- east- south- west, i:e. in a clockwise direction, starting from where the hands of the clock would naturally begin, i:e. at the north. The many differences highlighted with the Ezekiel temple visions seem in order to make the point that contrary to Jewish expectation, that temple would not be literally built at the Lord's return. The new Jerusalem will be altogether beyond such literalism.</p><p>The square nature of the city (:16) is perhaps to demonstrate that the Kingdom of God is open to all peoples from all quarters; and the unbelieving nations who were not destroyed along with Babylon will now equally be able to enter God's Kingdom.</p>


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<p>21:14&nbsp;<em>The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb</em>-</p><p> Those men were so weak in their lifetimes, but out of such weakness were made strong. John must have been shocked to see his own name there. We can assume that the device to replace Judas with Matthias in <em><a href='B:510 1:26'>Act 1:26</a></em> was therefore eternally accepted. The tragedy is that the name of Judas could have been there, but it was removed, just as names can be deleted from the book of life.</p>


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<p>21:15&nbsp;<em>And he that spoke with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city and the gates of it, and the wall of it</em>-</p><p> The allusion is clearly to the measurements of the new temple given in Ezekiel 40-48. But the details and dimensions are so different, and those emphasized differences see on :13 climax in the statement that there is "no temple" in the new Jerusalem (:22). It all seems designed to underscore the point that the temple of Ezekiel's prophecy is&nbsp;<em>not&nbsp;</em>going to be built at the Lord's return. It was a potential, conditional prophecy of what could have been at the restoration from Babylon, which the Jews failed to actualize.</p><p>It's worth reflecting on the significance of how the same words for "reed" and "measure" are used in <em><a href='B:730 11:1'>Rev 11:1</a></em>, where John is bidden measure the temple with a reed. But there is no record of him doing so. Now, an Angel does make the measurements, not just with a "reed" but with a "golden reed", the gold maybe speaking of faith brought to completion. Perhaps John represented the lack of faith and obedience which precluded the Lord's Kingdom coming in the first century. Likewise it was a lack of faith which precluded the building of the temple which Ezekiel had seen measured out with a reed. Hence the difference in reeds- the one in <em><a href='B:730 21:15'>Rev 21:15</a></em> is a&nbsp;<em>golden&nbsp;</em>reed, speaking of faith.</p>


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<p>21:16&nbsp;<em>And the city is laid out as a square, its length is as great as its breadth, and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand stadia</em>-</p><p> This is clearly not to be taken literally. And so one wonders why the insistence on reading 'one thousand years' as a literal measurement in this very same section of Revelation.</p><p><em>The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal</em>-</p><p> As were the dimensions of the most Holy, and of Babylon, which was rebuilt briefly on the site of Jerusalem. The perfect congruence of the design reflects how in this life, each of the component parts is being brought into perfect symmetry with the others. This would be one explanation for the inter-personal friction which so many have experienced as a result of their Christian walk. In the bigger picture, this was all necessary to make us fit together so perfectly in eternity.</p><p>The square nature of the city (twice emphasized) is perhaps to demonstrate that the Kingdom of God is open to all peoples from all quarters; and the unbelieving nations who were not destroyed along with Babylon will now equally be able to enter God's Kingdom.</p>


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<p>21:17&nbsp;<em>And he measured the wall of it, one hundred and forty four cubits</em>-</p><p> Again, numbers are not to be taken literally. The idea is clearly of 12 x 12, the foundations of Jacob's twelve sons mixed with those of the twelve apostles, maybe speaking of the perfect fusion of Jew and Gentile.</p><p><em>The measurement of a man, which is also an angel's measurement</em>-</p><p> The parallel between men and Angels would suggest that now the believers have become as Angels (<em><a href='B:490 20:35-36'>Luk 20:35-36</a></em>). This would suggest a reference to the time of the Lord's return, when there will be this change from humanity to immortality and Angelic nature. John has seen Angels representing believers in the heavenly throne room, and now they are united.</p>


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<p>21:18&nbsp;<em>And the building of the wall was of jasper</em>-</p><p> Why a wall? It can hardly be for protection. Perhaps there will eternally be a sense of separation between light and darkness, saved and unsaved, which we do well to be aware of now too.</p><p><em>And the city was pure gold, like pure glass</em>-</p><p> See on :21&nbsp;<em>pure gold</em>. Glass was not totally transparent in John's day, but he saw glass as if it were transparent, and had the impression this was in fact transparent gold (:21). Yet gold by its nature cannot be transparent. In these paradoxes we have reflected the wonder of the whole thing. The city of God, the Kingdom of God, is transparent- it is&nbsp;<em>open</em>. The gold, the wonderful reality which by its nature is closed and dense, is also amazingly open and transparent. For a theme of these visions is that the unbelieving world those not destroyed during the last judgments are invited to come in to the Kingdom, to the community of believers, the Jerusalem which is above which has now been revealed on earth. The gates are open day and night, the wall is there- but transparent; the city itself is the ultimate image of openness. The bride and the Lord Jesus are urging the nations to come into it. No longer do the 12 tribes of Israel define membership- the symbolism of 12 x 12 gives the impression of an innumerably greater openness. The spirit of that openness is to be seen in us today.</p>


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<p>21:19&nbsp;<em>The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones</em>-</p><p> The allusion is to the temple in Jerusalem, whose precious stones had made John and the other disciples so awestruck (<em><a href='B:480 13:1'>Mar 13:1</a></em>). That was all to be replaced by a spiritual temple. Instead of the names of donors and other leading lights within Judaism engraved on the precious stones, now the names of the humble disciples are to be written. As the bride was adorned (:2), so the same figure is used here. The adornment is surely of good works and spiritual fruits, by which we adorn the teaching of the Gospel (<em><a href='B:630 2:10'>Tit 2:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 3:5'>1Pe 3:5</a></em>).</p><p><em>The first foundation was jasper. The second, sapphire. The third, chalcedony. The fourth, emerald</em>-</p><p> See on :20.</p>


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<p>21:20&nbsp;<em>The fifth, sardonyx. The sixth, sardius. The seventh, chrysolite. The eighth, beryl. The ninth, topaz. The tenth, chrysoprase. The eleventh, jacinth. The twelfth, amethyst</em>-</p><p> The stones echo the spirit of the High Priest's breastplate. Within the city, therefore, is the heart of the High Priest. The thinking, spirit and heartbeat of Jesus is the all-consuming characteristic of the community within those walls, as it should be of us today.</p>


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<p>21:21- see on <em><a href='B:470 7:6'>Mat 7:6</a></em>.</p><p><em>And the twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each of the separate gates was of one pearl</em>-</p><p> The gates are open constantly (:25), and even if shut, the glory passing through the pearl would have given the effect of the pearl being transparent. This fits with the otherwise strange image of transparent gold (see on :18). The gates are open; but why are there gates, therefore, and why are they effectively transparent? It is in order to teach something to the nations who witness Christ's return. They must recognize that there is indeed a wall and gate to be passed through, but it is effectively open and transparent to them, such is the Lord's will that they should enter in.</p><p><em>And the street of the city was pure gold, as if it were transparent glass-&nbsp;</em>Gold cannot by nature be transparent. John is struggling in words to convey what he saw and the impressions which arose. As with the language of demons, we have an example here of how the Bible uses human language and at times records things from the limited perspective of observers on earth.</p>


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<p>21:22&nbsp;<em>And I saw no temple therein. For the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple of it</em>-</p><p> This seems almost purposefully intended to teach that the temple outlined in Ezekiel 40-48 will not be built at the Lord's return. See on :13. The dimensions of the city, measured by a reed as was used in Ezekiel's vision, are specifically different from those in Ezekiel's temple vision. I suggest Ezekiel 40-48 was command rather than prediction; it was what could have been if the returned exiles had built it. Revelation was given in the first century, at the time when Jerusalem and its temple were destroyed. This was no small tragedy for Jews and Judaism. Revelation's message is that Jerusalem and the temple are not necessary in the new order of things; there will be a new Jerusalem, comprised of the believers; and no need in any case for a temple.</p><p>In John's Gospel, the Lord states that He is the temple / tabernacle which was to be taken down in His death and rebuilt in His resurrection. Our abiding in Him is therefore abiding within the temple; for He has prepared for us an abiding place in that spiritual house through His death (<em><a href='B:500 14:1-2'>Joh 14:1-2</a></em>).</p>


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<p>21:23&nbsp;<em>And the city has no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine upon it</em>-</p><p> The sun and moon were created partly in order to give a sense of time and seasons, not least the Jewish feasts. Grasping God's view of time means that we will see the Kingdom as immortality, not everlasting life. The eternity of our future existence is not the big theme of the Bible; it is "God manifestation, not human salvation", in the words of John Thomas. The process of eternity, the life and Kingdom of God, is already going on now; the tree of life&nbsp;<em>is</em>&nbsp;now (not 'will be'; Greek tenses are precise) in the midst of the paradise of God, at least from God's perspective (<em><a href='B:730 2:7'>Rev 2:7</a></em>). We will have no need of the sun, for the light of God's glory will replace our concept of time (<em><a href='B:730 21:23'>Rev 21:23</a></em>). Indeed, "the time of the end" can be read as "the end of time" (<em><a href='B:340 12:4'>Dan 12:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 12:9'>Dan 12:9</a></em>). There will be "time (Gk:&nbsp;<em>chronos</em>, the idea of time) no longer" (<em><a href='B:730 10:6'>Rev 10:6</a></em>). The image of Daniel 2 is destroyed together by the Lord's return; each metal in some sense exists at his coming. Rather than meaning that each of those empires must have an end time revival, this may be teaching that the whole concept of human history and time will be ground to powder by the advent of the Kingdom. One day, when we are then with the Lord, will be like a thousand years (<em><a href='B:680 3:8'>2Pe 3:8</a></em>)- there will be no comparison between our present view of time and what will then be. The ploughman shall overtake the reaper (<em><a href='B:370 9:13'>Amo 9:13</a></em>)- which may refer to the collapsing of time, rather than just being a figure of fecundity. Before people pray, they will be heard (<em><a href='B:290 65:24'>Isa 65:24</a></em> - although this is our present prayer experience too, <em><a href='B:470 6:8'>Mat 6:8</a></em>). Our focus should therefore be more on the&nbsp;<em>quality</em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>nature</em>&nbsp;of the Kingdom life, rather than the mere eternity of it.</p><p><em>For the glory of God did light it, and the lamp of it is the Lamb</em>-</p><p> This seems to imply their physical presence. There was no 'candlestick' Gk:- no temple and temple furniture was necessary. This was radical reasoning for the first century Jewish audience, dominated as they were by the temple cult.</p>


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<p>21:24&nbsp;<em>And the nations shall walk by the light of it, and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it</em>-</p><p> Revelation 20 has described a period of time when the dragon is chained. It could be that during this period, a chance is given to the nations outside of the earth / land promised to Abraham, which is the focus of&nbsp;Revelation and Bible prophecy. And they respond by realizing that indeed their wealth and glory is nothing (:26), and come up to Jerusalem in repentance of their materialism, where they are invited to the Lord's table. See on <em><a href='B:730 19:18'>Rev 19:18</a></em>. The previous kings of the earth / land had supported Babylon / the beast and were now no more. But they will be replaced by leaders who bring their glory to the Lamb rather than to Babylon.</p><p>God dwells in light (<em><a href='B:610 6:16'>1Ti 6:16</a></em>), and this new city will have light from God, through Christ (<em><a href='B:730 21:11'>Rev 21:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 21:23'>Rev 21:23</a></em>;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:730 22:5'>Rev 22:5</a></em>)- because Yahweh Himself will be there:&nbsp;Perhaps some of the intensity of that light will spread out to the surrounding world, so that the nations call Jerusalem the place where Yahweh is (<em><a href='B:330 48:35'>Eze 48:35</a></em>).</p>


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<p>21:25&nbsp;<em>The gates of it shall in no way be shut by day (for there shall be no night there)</em>-</p><p> Representing the tribes of Israel (:12). They will be continually open to Gentiles entering in and joining with them. There would be no more Jewish exclusivity of the type which troubled the believing community at the time Revelation was given. There will finally be nothing and nobody untouched by the light of the Lord Jesus. And yet John's gospel presents the Lord as the total light of our lives now; in this sense we can live the eternal life now.</p>


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<p>21:26&nbsp;<em>And they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it</em>-</p><p> The idea of entering the city (:27) which represents the Kingdom of God is found in the Lord's teaching of the camel passing through the needle gate in order for a rich man to enter the Kingdom. There is the same message here- the wealth and glory of the world must be sacrificed in order to enter in. See on :24.</p>


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<p>21:27&nbsp;<em>There shall in no way enter into it anything unclean, or he that makes an abomination and a lie, but only they that are written in the Lamb's book of life</em>-</p><p> As noted earlier, there is an intended contrast between the descriptions of the city in Revelation 21, 22 seem to contradict those given in Ezekiel 40-48 :</p><p><table border="1"><tr><td></p><p>Revelation</td><td>Ezekiel</td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 21:27'>Rev 21:27</a></em> Only those in the book&nbsp;of life can enter</td><td><em><a href='B:330 45:6'>Eze 45:6</a></em> the city is for natural Israel (<em><a href='B:450 8:5'>Zec 8:5</a></em> - children play in the streets). <em><a href='B:330 44:11'>Eze 44:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 46:9'>Eze 46:9</a></em> ordinary mortals enter it.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 21:25'>Rev 21:25</a></em> City gates never shut</td><td><em><a href='B:330 44:1'>Eze 44:1</a></em>&nbsp;Gates shut at times</td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 22:5'>Rev 22:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 21:23'>Rev 21:23</a></em> Glory of God is the light, eclipsing sun and&nbsp;moon</td><td><em><a href='B:330 45:17'>Eze 45:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 46:1'>Eze 46:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 46:3'>Eze 46:3</a></em> Moon shines in the city</td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 22:14'>Rev 22:14</a></em> those who enter the city&nbsp;&nbsp; eat the tree of life</td><td>mortal priests inside&nbsp;the city</td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 21:22'>Rev 21:22</a></em> no temple in the city</td><td>a temple in the city</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The true temple has already&nbsp;been sprinkled by Christ's blood:&nbsp;</td><td><em><a href='B:330 45:20'>Eze 45:20</a></em> This temple needs regular cleansing ("so shall ye&nbsp;reconcile the house")&nbsp;by sprinkling of blood.</td><td></td></tr></table><p>These are just some of the many disparities, yet both cities are said to be built on a great mountain. The language bids us look back to Ezekiel's temple- and realize that it is&nbsp;<em>not</em>&nbsp;going to be built at the Lord's return. Such literalism will be far out of place once the Kingdom is established in all its glory.</p>


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<p>22:1- see on <em><a href='B:500 1:14'>Joh 1:14</a></em>.</p><p><em>And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb</em>-</p><p> The throne of God and Jesus will be in Jerusalem. The river of life proceeds from there. Whilst I fail to see a doctrine of a Millennial reign taught in Revelation, it's clear that after Babylon is destroyed and Christ and the saints are enthroned in Jerusalem, there is a period of time during which the surviving mortals have the opportunity to identify themselves with the Kingdom and be immortalized. The water of life thus flows out to them, and they are urged to drink freely of it, thereby finding immortality. Likewise the tree of eternal life offers its fruits to them in :2; all they have to do is take it. And both the Lord Jesus and us His bride urge the peoples to come into the city of God, through the gates into the city of eternal life (:17). It may be that in order to eat of the tree of life they must first "wash their robes", undergoing a kind of baptism experience (:14). There may be some literal element of fulfilment of the prophecy that a fountain will be opened in Jerusalem where sin can be cleansed (<em><a href='B:450 13:1'>Zec 13:1</a></em>).</p>


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<p>22:2- see on <em><a href='B:520 5:12'>Rom 5:12</a></em>.</p><p><em>In the midst of the street thereof. And on both sides of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations</em>-</p><p> The righteous man is right now like "a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does (in this work of preaching?) shall prosper" (<em><a href='B:230 1:3'>Psa 1:3</a></em>). These words are quoted in <em><a href='B:730 22:2'>Rev 22:2</a></em> concerning our holding out of life to the mortal population at the Lord's return. The conclusion? If we witness now we are living the Kingdom life now, and therefore we will be perpetuated in that time.</p><p>Revelation 21, 22 seem to describe a "wood of trees of life" (<em><a href='B:730 22:2'>Rev 22:2</a></em> - A:V. 'tree' must be wrong because the 'tree' is on either side of the river), watered by the river of life proceeding from the mountain of "the throne of God and of the Lamb". There was a mountain in Eden, seeing there were four "headstreams" there, and it seems fitting to suggest that God's throne was on this same mountain before the fall. So whilst the picture is of Eden restored, there are differences- there will be a whole forest of trees of life, and no liar will be within the restored paradise, i:e. there will be no serpent, no possibility of sinning. Which means paradise indeed.</p><p>"The healing of the nations" suggests a process of time after the Lord's return during which the nations are healed, perhaps physically from the effects of the judgments, and spiritually.</p>


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<p>22:3- see on <em><a href='B:730 21:27'>Rev 21:27</a></em>.</p><p><em>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-&nbsp;</em>The final chapters of Revelation so often parallel God and “the lamb" (e.g. <em><a href='B:730 22:3'>Rev 22:3</a></em>). The Father was so deeply united with the Son in His time of sacrificial offering. See on <em><a href='B:500 19:19'>Joh 19:19</a></em>. The descriptions of the new city of Jerusalem in the prophets and Revelation can be better understood once it is appreciated that Eden will literally be restored in that area. <em><a href='B:450 14:8-11'>Zec 14:8-11</a></em> lays the basis for the descriptions of the city in Revelation, and includes the main elements of Eden- "living waters" ('Hiddekel') going out from&nbsp;a "Lifted up" mountain in Jerusalem, with "no more curse" there, v:11 (the phrase "no more utter destruction" is translated like this when it is quoted in <em><a href='B:730 22:3'>Rev 22:3</a></em>).</p>


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<p>22:4&nbsp;<em>They shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads-&nbsp;</em>The reference seems to be to God Himself. Throughout Revelation 21, 22 there is a distinction made between God and "the Lamb". This further suggests that the references to "God himself" are&nbsp;<em>not</em>&nbsp;to God manifestation in the Lamb, but to Yahweh Himself:&nbsp;"They shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads" indicates that "His face" and "His name" refer to the same being:&nbsp;The Name which will be in our foreheads will be that of Yahweh, the Father, not Christ (<em><a href='B:730 3:12'>Rev 3:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 14:1'>Rev 14:1</a></em>):&nbsp;Therefore it is&nbsp;<em>His</em>&nbsp;face which we will see:&nbsp;Of course there is&nbsp;<em>some</em>&nbsp;reference here to 'seeing' in the sense of understanding, which is how we see the Father now:&nbsp;&nbsp; But then our fuller mental comprehension of the Father will be reflected in our physical vision of Him:&nbsp; <em><a href='B:290 25:6-9'>Isa 25:6-9</a></em> speaks of how God's people will enjoy a feast in Jerusalem at the Lord's return, the veil will be withdrawn from their eyes, all tears will be wiped away, and then "It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God... this is Yahweh". There is a&nbsp;parallel between physically seeing God and having the veil of our present incomprehension removed. The fuller understanding which we will then have will be reflected in our literal seeing of God.</p><p>The seeing of God's face is parallel with having His Name or personality in our heads, in the centre of our minds. This is what will make the physical seeing of His face appropriate.</p>


text:
<p>22:5&nbsp;<em>There shall be night no more, so they do not need the light of a lamp, nor the light of the sun; for the Lord God shall give them light</em>-</p><p> The candle, symbol of God's word (<em><a href='B:230 119:105'>Psa 119:105</a></em>) will no longer be needed by the faithful, because "the Lord God shall give them light". Our personal, direct contact with God will replace the ministry of the Bible and indeed all God's manifestations and communications as we now have experienced them. Personally seeing God's face means that we need no other form of illumination.</p>


text:
<p>22:6- see on <em><a href='B:300 23:18'>Jer 23:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 23:22'>Jer 23:22</a></em>.</p><p><em>And he said to me: These words are faithful and true</em>-</p><p> It seems the Angel sensed John's struggle to accept the reality of it all. See on <em><a href='B:730 21:5'>Rev 21:5</a></em>&nbsp;<em>Write</em></p><p><em>And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel to show His servants what must soon take place</em>-</p><p> Perhaps this continues the theme noted in :5; that now we shall be face to face with God, there is no need for any more manifestation of Him to us through things like His word. His Spirit was in the prophets, but now the God whose Spirit that was- is with us face to face.</p><p><em>His servants</em>-</p><p> We are given the same simple title in :3. We will eternally serve Him, and so we have begun the eternal life now, in so far as we serve Him now. The present experience of the eternal life is a major theme in John's writings.</p>


text:
<p>22:7&nbsp;<em>And behold, I come quickly</em>-</p><p> These words would be appropriate to the Lord Jesus, so we assume that He spoke them; or that the Angel so intensely represented the Lord that he could appropriately say them. The Lord's quick or soon coming could refer to the suddenness of His coming, implying the need for constant readiness for it on our part. Or the idea may indeed be that He is coming "soon", in that all believers are to live as if the second coming is imminent. And the Lord could have come "soon" after John's time, had Israel repented. The Olivet prophecy and many New Testament references certainly support that possibility. But because of the unreadiness of the bride, the lack of repentance in Israel and lack of spiritual fruit in the church, that coming has been delayed to our days.</p><p><em>Blessed is he that keeps the words of the prophecy of this book</em>-</p><p> The book is hardly a list of commandments, and this particular section of Revelation is a description of the awesome destiny awaiting God's people by grace. So the reference is not really to 'keeping' in the sense of keeping commandments; nor can 'keep' be twisted to mean 'keep the right interpretation of…'. Perhaps the idea is that blessed is he who believes these wonderful things and keeps the reality of them far further than merely seeing the vision, being visually awed, and then slipping back into the humdrum of the mediocre religious life.</p>


text:
<p>22:8&nbsp;<em>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</em>-</p><p> The "these things" don't therefore refer to the entire vision, but to what John saw prior to falling before the Angel. Presumably the reference is to the amazing vision of eternity in 22:1-5. Faced with these eternal realities, our natural response should be to fall down and worship.</p>


text:
<p>22:9&nbsp;<em>And he said to me: You must not do that I am a fellow-servant with you, and with your brothers the prophets, and with those that keep the words of this book. Worship God</p><p></em>-</p><p> This shows that the Angel was a prophet. This title does not only mean one who foretells future events, but in Biblical usage refers more to one who ministers the word of God under inspiration; the Angel was therefore responsible for inspiring the Bible like the prophets (Old and New Testament ones) were. Note too how the Lord describes the Angels as “servants” (<em><a href='B:470 22:13'>Mat 22:13</a></em>), using the common description of the prophets as Jehovah’s servants- as if He saw a close connection between Angels and prophets. See on <em><a href='B:540 3:6'>2Co 3:6</a></em>.</p>


text:
<p>22:10&nbsp;<em>Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book. For the time is at hand</em>-</p><p> The implication would be that the interpretation of Revelation would be sealed until the time for fulfilment was at hand. Daniel was told the same about his prophecies (<em><a href='B:340 12:9'>Dan 12:9</a></em>). This fits with much other Bible teaching, to the effect that prophecy will be understood at the very end of time, just before its final fulfilment in the Lord's return. The flagship verse concerning the opening of our eyes to latter day prophecy must be <em><a href='B:340 12:4'>Dan 12:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 12:10'>Dan 12:10</a></em>: "Shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro (an idiom often used concerning response to God's word: <em><a href='B:230 119:32'>Psa 119:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 119:60'>Psa 119:60</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 147:15'>Psa 147:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:370 8:11-12'>Amo 8:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:420 2:2'>Hab 2:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:600 3:1'>2Th 3:1</a></em> Gk:), and knowledge (of Daniel's prophecies) shall be increased... many shall be purified, and made white, and tried (in the tribulation); but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand". This is all in the context of the Angel rejecting Daniel's plea for insight into his own prophecies. All he was told was that they would be fulfilled in the far distant future, but he was comforted with the thought that the faithful at that time would understand. That the fulfilment of all the latter day prophecies will be understood fully in the very last days is implied in <em><a href='B:300 23:20'>Jer 23:20</a></em>: "In the latter days you shall understand it perfectly". The "it" refers to "the intents of God's heart" revealed in His prophetic word. It is no accident that the Apocalypse ends with&nbsp;words which clearly allude to the closing words of Daniel. John falls at the Angel's feet, as Daniel did. The Angel then says: "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of&nbsp;<em>this</em>&nbsp;book (unlike Daniel's, which was sealed): for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still (cp. "the wicked shall do wickedly")". The implication is that the book is sealed for those who are a long way from the time of fulfilment; hence John must not seal the prophecy&nbsp;<em>because</em>&nbsp;its fulfilment is near. Thus <em><a href='B:340 12:4'>Dan 12:4</a></em> LXX reads: "Seal the book until the time of its accomplishment"-&nbsp;<em>then</em>&nbsp;it will be unsealed and the meaning become apparent. The primary application of Revelation is to the events of AD70; the implication is that the righteous understood the pattern of events then because of this book. There is a repeated stress throughout the NT epistles on the need to understand and get true knowledge (<em><a href='B:670 3:7'>1Pe 3:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:680 1:2-6'>2Pe 1:2-6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:680 1:8'>2Pe 1:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:680 1:16'>2Pe 1:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:680 2:20'>2Pe 2:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:680 3:18'>2Pe 3:18</a></em>), perhaps with special reference to Scripture like the Olivet prophecy and Revelation; likewise <em><a href='B:610 3:1'>1Ti 3:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:610 3:16'>1Ti 3:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:610 4:1-2'>1Ti 4:1-2</a></em> encourage Bible study in the 'last days' leading up to AD70. The need for understanding and study at that time is reflected in our last days. Paul told the Thessalonians (in the context of AD70) that he didn't need to tell them about the times and seasons because they already understood the prophecies so well- but they needed rather to make sure that their lifestyle was appropriate to their understanding (<em><a href='B:590 5:1-5'>1Th 5:1-5</a></em>). The situation in AD70 is a type of the true "last days". Therefore the understanding of Revelation will not be sealed just before its second and major fulfilment in the second coming of Christ. In the same way as Daniel's prophecies will be opened to us in the&nbsp;last days, so must the book of Revelation, because the understanding of Revelation is so bound up with the meaning of Daniel. "None of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand" suggests that this true understanding of prophecy motivates the faithful remnant in holding on to a righteous lifestyle. Time and again Israel are condemned because their lack of&nbsp;<em>understanding</em>&nbsp;of the prophecies led them into sinful behaviour (<em><a href='B:50 32:29'>Deu 32:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 94:8'>Psa 94:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 44:18'>Isa 44:18</a></em>).</p><p>As to the time being "at hand", see on :7.</p>


text:
<p>22:11&nbsp;<em>He that is unrighteous, let him continue to do unrighteousness, and he that is filthy, let him remain filthy, and he that is righteous, let him continue to do righteousness, and he that is holy, let him remain holy</em>-</p><p> This verse appears to be stating the obvious and axiomatic, but probably the idea is that God will confirm people in the way they wish to go. Seeing the reference is to the time of the very end (:10), the idea may also be that once the Lord comes, we cannot change our ways. Now is the time to do that. We will as it were be frozen as we are.</p>


text:
<p>22:12- see on <em><a href='B:470 26:70'>Mat 26:70</a></em>.</p><p><em>Behold, I come suddenly</em>-</p><p> See on :7.</p><p><em>And my reward is with me</em>-</p><p> The reward has been prepared for us in Heaven (<em><a href='B:470 5:12'>Mat 5:12</a></em>). In this sense the new Jerusalem descends from Heaven- to us.</p><p><em>To repay everyone for what he has done-&nbsp;</em>Gk. 'according as his works shall be'. It will be in our last days that Israel's blindness starts to be cured, thanks to a Word-based revival, led by the Elijah ministry. Solomon's prayer stated that when Israel properly repented, God would then "render unto every man according unto all his ways" (<em><a href='B:140 6:30'>2Ch 6:30</a></em>). Our Lord here definitely applied these words to the work of His second coming. His allusion to Solomon's prayer should be proof enough that the time of His full apocalypse is related to the time of Israel's repentance. The "everyone" in view is not only the believers; the phrase 'according to works' is found in <em><a href='B:730 18:6'>Rev 18:6</a></em> about the judgments upon Babylon according as their works have been. We noted on <em><a href='B:730 20:13'>Rev 20:13</a></em> that the judgment according to works may specifically be a reference to the judgment of those who persecuted the believers during the tribulation. For the believers are not judged according to their works in that salvation is not on the basis of works, although it is also true that our works will have eternal consequence.</p>


text:
<p>22:13&nbsp;<em>I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end</em>-</p><p> The Lord Jesus is appropriating to Himself the titles of His Father, as used in <em><a href='B:290 41:4'>Isa 41:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 44:6'>Isa 44:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 48:12'>Isa 48:12</a></em>. Those statements that God is "the first and with the last" are all in the context of assuring a doubting Judah that really, God has saved them. We sense from the encouragement to John to really record all this, and the repeated reminders that these words are true and faithful, that the Lord's people will struggle to grasp the wonderful truth of all thIsa. Right through the process, from our foreknowledge at the beginning to the "last things" of our final salvation- He will have been in the process.</p>


text:
<p>22:14- see on <em><a href='B:480 10:25'>Mar 10:25</a></em>.</p><p><em>Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to eat of the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city</em>-</p><p> The reference may be to baptism, and belief in the efficacy of that washing. On this basis we will have the “right” to the tree of life (<em><a href='B:730 22:14'>Rev 22:14</a></em>); yet our salvation is by pure grace alone. We are "meet" to be partakers of the inheritance, we walk worthy of the Lord Jesus unto all pleasing of him (<em><a href='B:580 1:10-12'>Col 1:10-12</a></em>), the labourers receive the penny of salvation, that which is their right&nbsp;(<em><a href='B:470 20:14'>Mat 20:14</a></em>). We are either seen as absolutely perfect, or totally wicked, due to God's imputation of righteousness or evil to us (<em><a href='B:230 37:37'>Psa 37:37</a></em>). There is no third way.</p><p>This parallels the city and Eden by equating having "right to the tree of life" with entering "in through the gates into the city". <em><a href='B:730 22:3'>Rev 22:3</a></em> tells us that the throne of God will be in "it" - i:e. the wood of life (not the river- see context), as in Eden God's throne was in the garden, which garden was presumably a wood of trees and little else ("of every tree of the garden..." -other plants are not mentioned), in the same way as the new Eden is composed solely of trees of life. The invitation "of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat" is mirrored in "take the water&nbsp;(lit. take from the stream) of life freely" - the stream being that of Eden. <em><a href='B:730 21:27'>Rev 21:27</a></em>&nbsp;stresses&nbsp;that no serpent -"whatever works abomination or makes a lie"- will enter the new Eden as it did before. The midst of the new Garden will be the throne of Christ, who in every way will then be the tree of life and knowledge. This will be paradise restored, but without the possibility of sinning. Paradise indeed.</p>


text:
<p>22:15&nbsp;<em>Outside it</em>-</p><p> We all worry as to whether we shall be left outside the Kingdom. This description of those outside is helpful in this regard. All are urged to enter, the gates are open constantly, the Spirit and bride both urging entrance, the water of eternal life can be drunk freely, a whole forest of trees of life offer their eternal fruit to all regularly, the wall around the city is transparent. Only those who don't want to be there will not be.</p><p><em>Are the dogs</em>-</p><p> One subtext of these visions is the criticism of Judaism and legalism. "Dogs" are elsewhere used to represent those who teach circumcision and who return to the Jewish law (<em><a href='B:570 3:2'>Phi 3:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:680 2:22'>2Pe 2:22</a></em>).</p><p><em>And the sorcerers</em>-</p><p> Literally, poisoners. All these categories of the condemned have one thing in common- they entice others into sin and damage others, after the pattern of the serpent in Eden. The message is that paradise will be restored but with the major difference that there will no more be tempters and enticers to sin:&nbsp;<em>Pharmakeus</em>&nbsp;could perhaps dynamically be translated as 'drug pushers'. But the reference is to how the system of the beast and Babylon is guilty of all these things, spreading her sorceries, fornication, idolatry and lies to all the peoples in the earth / land during the tribulation.</p><p><em>Idolaters</em>-</p><p> Those who worship images, and Revelation has much to say about those who worship the image of the latter day beast.</p><p><em>Lovers and practisers of falsehood-&nbsp;&nbsp;</em>Those who love and create lies. Given all the allusions to paradise restored, this must refer to the serpent in Eden.</p>


text:
<p>22:16&nbsp;<em>I Jesus have sent my angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star</em>-</p><p> This statement of the obvious seems to be another example of how the utter reality of these things is being emphasized. This is not fantasy or wild dreaming, there is an eternal truth to this message of the Kingdom. And the message is to be shared with "the churches", initially the seven representative churches of chapters 1-3.</p><p>The Lord is both the offspring of Jesse and David, and also "the root of Jesse" (<em><a href='B:290 11:1'>Isa 11:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 11:10'>Isa 11:10</a></em>). This is another way of saying that He is the alpha and omega of all things. All this wonderful plan was planned for us from the beginning and shall come to fulfilment. Barnes helpfully comments: "Not the root in the sense that David sprang from him, as a tree does from a root, but in the sense that he was the “root-shoot” of David, or that he himself sprang from him, as a sprout starts up from a decayed and fallen tree - as of the oak, the willow, the chestnut, etc. The meaning then is, not that he was the ancestor of David, or that David sprang from him, but that he was the offspring of David, according to the promise in the Scripture, that the Messiah should be descended from him. No argument, then, can be derived from this passage in proof of the pre-existence, or the divinity of Christ".</p>


text:
<p>22:17&nbsp;<em>And the Spirit and the bride say: Come And he that hears, let him say: Come</em>-</p><p> The whole spirit of the Lord Jesus is to invite others to come and share His salvation. He that hears will say to others "Come". This refers to the redeemed community and the Lord Jesus urging the survivors of Babylon's judgments to come within the city of salvation. Those who 'hear', i:e. believe, will invite others to 'come', in the spirit of <em><a href='B:450 8:21'>Zec 8:21</a></em>. There is a wonderful theme in these last visions of urging others to accept the great salvation presented. The water of life can be freely drunk, the gates of the city are open constantly, and the Spirit "the Lord the Spirit", the Lord Jesus and us the bride urge others to enter. In the immediate context of this chapter, the reference would be to the mortal nations who survive Armageddon who are urged to enter the Kingdom which has been established in Jerusalem.</p><p><em>And he that is thirsty, let him come. Let him that desires take the water of life freely</em>-</p><p> The 'free' nature of the gift of eternal life fits into the general impression given in these visions that the community of salvation is so utterly and easily open to all, and the only qualification is that we 'desire' to be there; that we are those who 'thirst' for the water of eternal life. This goes back to the Lord's opening teaching in the Sermon on the Mount; that salvation is freely available quite simply for those who really want it. Our desire to 'be there' should therefore be the passion of our heart, our defining emotion and wish. And we shall be satisfied.</p>


text:
<p>22:18&nbsp;<em>I testify to every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, that if anyone shall add to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book</em>-</p><p> The reference is not to the whole Bible, it is specifically to the words of the prophecy of the Apocalypse. The only other time the Greek text talks about 'adding things' is in <em><a href='B:510 15:28'>Act 15:28</a></em> where we read of the tendency to add things to salvation by faith alone. I have suggested that the language of the New Jerusalem and the open temple is all to be understood in the first century context in which it was given. For the admission of non-Jews to a largely Jewish Christian community was a live issue. The picture presented here is of an eternal salvation where literal Jerusalem and its temple are surpassed by the reality of the Kingdom, and the 12 tribes of Israel are no longer to be understood literally. So I suggest with that background, the idea here is that the great salvation just presented is available to all, freely. And anyone who adds conditions to that shall be excluded from it; and likewise any who detract from the vision by not believing it. For the fearful and unbelieving are listed in Revelation alongside the whores and sorcerers who shall remain outside the new Jerusalem.</p><p>Yet the plagues written in the book have specific reference to latter judgments upon the Jews and upon the supporters of the beast in the earth / land promised to Abraham during the three and a half year final tribulation. Islam adds to the prophecies through claiming that the Koran and Hadith were given after the time of Revelation; and first century Judaism added to God's book by elevating their laws and traditions to effectively the same status as the words of God un the Bible.</p>


text:
<p>22:19&nbsp;<em>And if anyone 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 of in this book</em>-</p><p> That disobeying the law of God is effectively adding to it was clearly brought home to Israel: "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it" (<em><a href='B:50 12:32'>Deu 12:32</a></em>). The command to Joshua to "observe to do according to all the law... turn not from it to the right hand or to the left" (<em><a href='B:60 1:7'>Jos 1:7</a></em>) is probably reiterating the command not to add ("to the right") or subtract ("to the left") from the law. <em><a href='B:730 22:18-19'>Rev 22:18-19</a></em> is based on these passages.</p><p>Only those once written in the book of life can have their names taken out of it. The idea of taking away therefore refers to believers who fall away. In the last days especially, as the tribulation unfolds, it will be tempting for believers to downgrade the book of Revelation, and not to accept the plain teaching about the need for separation from the beast, even if it nets death and persecution. There will be a particular temptation then to "take away" from this book:&nbsp;</p>


text:
<p>22:20&nbsp;<em>He who testifies these things says: Yes. I come quickly. Amen</em>-</p><p> See on :7. This could mean that the return of the Lord was all set up and possible in the first century, but was delayed due to human failure to meet the required conditions. It could equally mean that He will come suddenly, unexpectedly for many; and the key characteristic of the faithful is that we should be ready for His coming.</p><p><em>Come Lord Jesus</em>-</p><p> There is little point in praying for His coming if it is set for a date set in stone that cannot be altered. The calendar date of His coming is therefore not set; because it depends upon our prayers.</p>


text:
<p>22:21&nbsp;<em>The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints. Amen</em>-</p><p> Given the awesome eternal future prepared, it is appropriate we are reminded that this is all by absolute grace. Yet "grace" often carries with it the idea of the gift of the Spirit, and this is a major theme in John's writings. He wishes all readers to accept that gift, the presence and power of the Lord Jesus with us; which is the essence of life now just as it shall be of the life eternal. &nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>


