10. Revelation 11:12
7. Revelation 11:9 "And those of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations see their corpses for three and a half days, and they will not allow their corpses to be placed in a tomb." "Those of the peoples and tribes and tongues" means that representatives from all peoples and tribes and tongues come to visit. These two persons become the common enemies of mankind, so when the nations hear that they have been killed, they come to see what has happened. According to Joel 3:1-2 and Zechariah 12:3 and 14:2, people from every nation come to Jerusalem at this time. The "three and a half days" fall between three and four days. These are neither like the Lord who did not see corruption for three days (John 2:19; Acts 2:30-31) nor like Lazarus who began to stink after four days (John 11:17, 39). The three days, the four days, and the three and a half days are recorded by John alone.
8. Revelation 11:10 "And those who dwell on the earth rejoice over them and make merry; and they will send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth." The message spreads everywhere, and these are the reactions. The sending of gifts indicates their extreme rejoicing. There is such rejoicing probably because (1) the people's flesh has been tormented and (2) their consciences have also been tormented. 9. Revelation 11:11 "And after the three and a half days, the breath of life out of God entered into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those beholding them." Resurrection is the work of the Spirit. That "they stood on their feet" indicates that they are now living. (In 11:8 the dead bodies are lying down.) The "fear" is probably caused by two reasons: (1) the immediate reason is that they are seen to have come alive all of a sudden; (2) the remote reason is that since they have had such authority in the past, what will these two now do since they have resurrected? "Great" here is the same word in the original text as "great" in 11:8 and 11:13. 10. Revelation 11:12
"And they heard a loud voice out of heaven saying to them, Come up here. And they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them." The "cloud" here and the "cloud" in 10:1 of this book both refer to the same thing. The Lord's ascension was beheld only by His disciples; however, the ascension of these witnesses is beheld even by their enemies. This allows the latter to know that only God is God. E. The Great Earthquake (Revelation 11:13-14) "And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and seven thousand men were killed in the earthquake, and the rest became terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is coming quickly." "The city" here is the city of Jerusalem. In the original, "seven thousand men" is seven thousand men of renown. The whole book of Revelation records only four earthquakes: (1) In 6:12, at the time of the sixth seal; (2) in 8:5; (3) in 11:13; and (4) in 11:19. (The earthquake in Revelation 16:18 is the same as the one in 11:19 because the order of events is the same: a loud noise, lightnings, voices, thunders, an earthquake, and finally, great hail.) To become "terrified" does not mean to repent. They merely acknowledge that this is God's doing because 16:11 clearly says that they would not repent (cf. Exo. 8:18-19; 1 Sam. 6:5-6; and Josh. 7:19). This is the end of the inserted visions. VIII. THE SEVENTH TRUMPET—THE THIRD WOE (REVELATION 11:15-18) "And the seventh angel trumpeted; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever. And the twenty-four elders who sit before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshipped God, saying, We thank You, Lord God the Almighty, He who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have reigned. And the nations became angry, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to give the reward to Your slaves the prophets and to the saints and to those who fear Your name, to the small and to the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth." This portion concerns the results of the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The plagues of the seven bowls are the plagues that occur at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. This is the third woe spoken of in 11:14. After 11:16 the seats of
the twenty-four elders are not mentioned again because the kingdom has arrived. Furthermore, after 19:4 the elders themselves are not mentioned again because they have resigned their position of ruling the universe. The "wrath" in 11:18 refers to the plagues of the seven bowls. In verse 18 only three kinds of people receive the reward: (1) "Your slaves the prophets" (There are prophets in the New Testament too. These are those who have spiritual gifts.); (2) "the saints"; and (3) "those who fear Your name." (In the Old Testament time, there were people who feared God, but this designation does not apply to those in the church age. The people who fear God at this time are probably those Gentiles who enter into the kingdom to be the common citizens.) "Those who destroy the earth" probably refer to: (1) those who build up the religious Babylon (the people of the Roman Catholic Church); (2) those who worship the image of the beast and follow him (those in Revelation 13:14); and (3) those in Revelation 20:7-9. IX. THE SITUATION IN HEAVEN AFTER THE SEVENTH TRUMPET (REVELATION 11:19) "And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple; and there were lightnings and voices and thunders and an earthquake and great hail." This verse and Revelation 16:17 through 21 are concurrent, for both show us the situation at the end of the third woe.
CHAPTER SIX THREE-IN-ONE SATAN (Revelation 12:1—13:18) I. THE GREAT SIGN (REVELATION 12:1-6) When a sign is revealed, it causes men to know what will come to pass. Beginning from Revelation 12:1, the apostle John prophesies again because 10:11 says, "You must prophesy again." Following Revelation 11:15-18, we see the situation after the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Hence, Revelation 12:1— 22:21 is his prophesying again; it supplements the first section (chapters six through eleven). Chapters six through eleven provide the outline, arranged in sequence, whereas chapters twelve through twenty-two give the details.
The first section ends with 11:15: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever." Because it says that the kingdom goes on forever and ever, this section covers all the things through the new heaven and new earth. Hence, this is not speaking about the millennial kingdom. Therefore, we can say that chapters six through eleven cover everything through the new heaven and new earth. Then chapters twelve through twenty-two speak again in detail about all the crucial things in the first section. This is like Genesis 1, which speaks of God's work in six days, while chapter two speaks again about what was done on the sixth day in specific detail. Chapters six through eleven of Revelation are in the principle of Genesis 1, and chapters twelve through twenty-two follow the example of Genesis 2. In Revelation 9:1 a great star falls from heaven to the earth. This is the great red dragon in 12:3. Chapters twelve through fourteen are written symbolically, chapters fifteen through sixteen are written literally, and chapters seventeen through eighteen are again written symbolically. God's wrath and judgment are never written symbolically; they are always written literally. A. Revelation 12:1 "And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon underneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." Some people say that the "woman" here refers to the church, but this is not correct because: (1) before the second coming of the Lord, the position of the church before Christ is that of a virgin (2 Cor. 11:2); (2) the church has never been typified as a mother, and it has never had any daughters (names like "mother church" cannot be found in the Bible); and (3) the church is raptured at the end, but this woman is never raptured. Some people say that this woman is Mary, but this is also incorrect. (1) How could Mary be depicted by the description in Revelation 12:1? (2) The Lord Jesus was the firstborn Son, but this woman already has other children (12:17). (3) This does not agree with the prophetic nature of this book. If the woman were Mary and the man-child were the Lord, then this description would be historical and would be contrary to the prophetic nature of this book because this book is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Who then is this woman? Let us consider a few things. First, every woman (singular in number) in this book refers to a city (17:18; 21:9-10). Second, J.K. Seiss says that the sun refers to the Lord, the moon to the devil, and the twelve
stars to the twelve tribes. While it is possible to say that the sun represents the Lord and the twelve stars, the twelve tribes, how can one infer that the moon stands for the devil? Third, Robert Govett says that the sun refers to grace (this is possible), the moon refers to the law (how does he explain this?), and that the stars refer to the twelve tribes (which is correct). A third school says that the sun, moon, and stars refer to Christians. Their basis for such an interpretation is 1 Corinthians 15:41. However, the stars in 1 Corinthians 15:41 are general, while the "twelve stars" in Revelation 12:1 are specific. Our answer is that the "woman" refers to Jerusalem in the nation of Israel. The reasons for this are: (1) By reading Genesis 37:9-10, we immediately know that the sun refers to Jacob, the moon to the mother of Israel, and the twelve stars to the twelve tribes. Explained in this way, we realize that what is described here is the city of Jerusalem, which represents the nation of Israel. (These three, the sun, the moon, and the stars, cannot be explained separately; they have to be viewed together.) (2) The one "clothed with the sun" is obviously the mother of Israel. (She is only clothed with the sun; she is not the sun itself.) "The moon [was] underneath her feet." This means that she is being forgotten. "On her head [was] a crown of twelve stars"; these are obviously the twelve tribes (Gen. 37:9-10). (3) "Travailing in birth" (12:2). In Isaiah 26:17-18; Jeremiah 6:22-25 (Zion is Jerusalem); 13:19-21; 30:6-7; Micah 4:8-10; and 5:1-3, the prophets clearly say that Jerusalem will suffer a tribulation just as a woman travails in giving birth. (4) In Revelation 12:7 the angel, Michael, helps her. Daniel 12:1 clearly says that Michael will rise up to help Israel during the great tribulation. (5) This woman typifies Jerusalem in the nation of Israel. God commands her to flee to the wilderness (Rev. 12:6, 14). In Matthew 24:16-20 the Lord expressly says that they would flee. Luke 21:20-24 also states this very clearly.
B. Revelation 12:2 "And she was with child, and she cried out, travailing in birth and being in pain to bring forth." Since everything about this woman is symbolic, her pregnancy, birth, and crying out in 12:2 must not be interpreted literally. Birth has only three meanings in the Bible: (1) literal birth, (2) spiritual birth, and (3) resurrection. Since Revelation
12:2 is symbolic, this birth cannot be literal. Furthermore, since the man-child shepherds the nations with an iron rod, which speaks of overcoming, this birth cannot be a spiritual regeneration either. Since it is neither the first interpretation nor the second, it must be the third, that is, a birth in resurrection. The external evidence of this is in Acts 13:33 and Romans 1:4, but this chapter also contains evidence. The last phrase of Revelation 12:11 says that those brought forth were martyred ones, that they were dead ones. These were begotten from the dead. Hence, it indicates resurrection. Symbolically speaking, this is Jerusalem. When the Christians are resurrected, Jerusalem has to pass through the great tribulation, which is like hard labor. The woman's crying out must be their prayer. Why do Christians come out of Jerusalem? It is because (1)the Lord is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5); (2)salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22); and (3)Jerusalem is our mother (Gal. 4:26). The dragon has two aspects: (1) the heavenly dragon and (2) the earthly devil. Jerusalem also has two aspects: (1) she has a high position before God, and (2) she is a refugee on earth. C. Revelation 12:3 "And another sign was seen in heaven; and behold, there was a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems." The "great red dragon" is the same as "the Devil and Satan" in verse 9. He is God's adversary. He is also the serpent in Genesis 3:1. Red is the color of war. The "great red dragon" signifies that he is a murderer from the beginning to the end. (See John 8:44 and 1 John 3:8, both of which are also recorded by John.) "Seven heads." Compare this with Revelation 17:9 and 12. The "ten horns" are ten kings which are subordinates of the great king. The heads are larger than the horns, while the horns execute the decisions of the heads. After the revival of the Roman Empire, the dragon will lead the ten small kings to persecute the children of God. D. Revelation 12:4 "And his tail drags away the third part of the stars of heaven, and he cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, so that when she brings forth he might devour her child." The third part of the stars of heaven that are cast down to the earth are the angels in 12:9. One third of the angels follow the devil. The casting down of the dragon happens before the rapture of the man-child. E. Revelation 12:5
"And she brought forth a son, a man-child, who is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne." Since the "woman" in 12:1 typifies Jerusalem of the nation of Israel, who then is the "man-child"? Some say it refers to the Israelites, but this cannot be true because of the following reasons: (1) The sun, the moon, and the stars already typify the nation of Israel. (2) This man-child is raptured to the throne, but the Bible never says that the nation of Israel will be raptured. This would not match the prophecy concerning Israel. (3) This man-child believes in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 12:11), but the Israelites never have. Some say that the Israelites will believe in the Lord during the tribulation, but the Bible never says so. The Bible says that when the Lord Jesus' feet stand upon the Mount of Olives, God will open up to the Israelites a fountain of salvation, and they will be saved at that time (Zech. 13:1; 14:4; 12:1014). Some say that the man-child is the Lord Jesus, but this cannot be true for the following reasons: (1) The "woman" typifies Jerusalem, but the Lord was born in Bethlehem. (2) This man-child is not an individual but a corporate entity (Rev. 12:10-11). (3) If the man-child refers to the Lord, then the dragon must refer to Herod. But 12:9 expressly says that the dragon is Satan himself. (4) After the man-child is born, he is immediately raptured, but after Jesus was born, He lived for over thirty-three and a half years and was raptured only after His death and resurrection. (5) Because it is a "great" sign, the words "brought forth" cannot be interpreted literally.
Some say that the man-child refers to the whole church, but this cannot be true either, because: (1) The whole church cannot be resurrected, for this would mean that the whole church has died. (2) The whole church is not raptured at the same time. Some go first, and some go later; but here all of the man-child is raptured at the same time. (3) The promise of shepherding all nations with an iron rod is not given to the whole church but to the overcomers (2:26-27), and not all in the church are overcomers.
(4) The matter of reigning is not for the whole church since only those who suffer together with the Lord may reign together with Him (2 Tim. 2:12). Who then is the man-child? He refers to the overcoming Christians who have died. (1) He must include some of those in the church in Smyrna, those who were faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10). This matches 12:11, which says, "even unto death." (2) He includes some of those in the church in Thyatira, those who will shepherd all nations with an iron rod (2:26-27). This matches 12:5, which says, "To shepherd all the nations with an iron rod." (3) He includes some of those in the church in Philadelphia, those who will be saved from and not subjected to the tribulation (3:10). This matches 12:5, which says that the man-child is "caught up to God." (4) He also includes some of those in the church in Laodicea, those who will sit on the throne (3:21). This matches 12:5, which says that the man-child will "shepherd all the nations." Hence, the man-child is neither the whole church nor a part of those in various local churches. They are the overcomers in the churches. They are the Christians who were martyred and resurrected, because: (1) Revelation 12:11 expressly says that they loved not their soul-life even unto death, and (2) "brought forth" here symbolizes resurrection. In covering Revelation 7:16-17 we have already mentioned eight points that match what is recorded here. The man-child is a major part of the great multitude that no man can number. (Chapter seven speaks in a general way, revealing an outline of the rapture, whereas chapter twelve speaks in detail about a portion of the raptured ones.) Matthew 25:1 through 13 is a parable concerning the ten virgins, hence; the word "slept" cannot be interpreted literally. Furthermore, we cannot say that it means unwatchfulness, because the five wise virgins also slept. Therefore, sleep indicates death. The five wise virgins are the man-child in Revelation 12:5, and the five foolish virgins are a part which includes the remnant of the woman's seed in Revelation 12:17 (there are survivors among this part). Revelation 12:5 says that this group of Christians has died, resurrected, and been raptured. F. Revelation 12:6
"And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place there prepared by God so that they might nourish her there a thousand two hundred and sixty days." The fleeing of the woman is the flight that is described in Matthew 24:6-20 and Luke 21:20-24. In Revelation 12:1 the woman is in heaven; in 12:6 she is in the wilderness. Immediately after the man-child is born, she loses her position in heaven. She is now just the earthly Jerusalem. The wilderness means a desolate and uninhabited place. God nourishes her at this time in the same way that He once nourished the children of Israel in the wilderness. In Galatians 4:21-31 there are two contrasts. The first is between the Jerusalem in heaven and the Jerusalem on earth; the one signifies the Christians, and the other, the Jews. One is represented by Isaac, and the other, by Ishmael. The main thought, however, is to prove that we Christians are free in the same way that Isaac was free. II. WAR IN HEAVEN (REVELATION 12:7-9) A. Revelation 12:7 "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels went to war with the dragon. And the dragon warred and his angels." The war determines who is to live in the heavens—the man-child or the dragon. The man-child now wants to obtain the position of the dragon; hence, he must go to war. In the whole Bible there is only one archangel—Michael. The meaning of this name is "the one who is very much like God" (some say that Michael is the Lord Jesus). During the time of Job, the dragon could come before the presence of God (Job 1:7). He could also do this during the Lord's time. But after the manchild is caught up, he can no longer do this.
B. Revelation 12:8-9 "And they did not prevail, neither was their place found any longer in heaven. And the great dragon was cast down, the ancient serpent, he who is called the Devil and Satan, he who deceives the whole inhabited earth; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him." The designation "dragon" implies cruelty; the old serpent, deceit; the Devil, temptation; and Satan, opposition. The devil is cast down from heaven, and he draws one third of the angels down with him. He also opens the abyss (9:1). At this point, how dark the world is!
III. A LOUD VOICE (REVELATION 12:10-12) A. Revelation 12:10 "And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, Now has come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ, for the accuser of our brothers has been cast down, who accuses them before our God day and night." In the past God used the blood to redeem, but now He uses His power to redeem. The power of the kingdom of God is perfect before the throne of God; however, before Satan is cast down, God's will cannot be carried out in the air. After the one thousand two hundred sixty days, the kingdom of God will come to the earth, and God's will shall be carried out on the earth also. (In Matthew 12:28, when the demons are cast out, the kingdom of God comes.) B. Revelation 12:11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they loved not their soul-life even unto death." There are three things which overcome accusations: (1) The blood of the Lord. (The accusations may not always be false; hence, we need the blood.) We rest in the precious blood of the Lamb (Rom. 8:34). (2) The word of our testimony. We should not only believe with the heart, but should also speak out with the mouth. Once we speak, Satan can do nothing. (3) Loving not the soul-life even unto death. The greatest trial is death. If we are not afraid of death, even unto death, Satan can do nothing. C. Revelation 12:12 "Therefore be glad, O heavens and those who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has come down to you and has great rage, knowing that he has only a short time." In Revelation 13:1 a beast (Antichrist) rises up out of the sea. In 13:11 another beast (the false prophet) comes up out of the earth. In 9:1 a star (the dragon) is cast down from heaven. These three will come to the earth; therefore, "Woe to the earth and the sea." The foreknowledge of Satan here, "knowing that he has only a short time," is comparable to the foreknowledge of historians; it comes through inference. During the tribulation, there is the wrath of God, and there is also the wrath of Satan.
IV. THE DRAGON PERSECUTING THE WOMAN (REVELATION 12:13-17) A. Revelation 12:13 "And when the dragon saw that he was cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who brought forth the man-child." The prophets in the Old Testament have much to say about this. During the great tribulation, Jerusalem will be besieged by the Gentiles (Zech. 14:1-2). The persecution of the woman by the dragon is the fulfillment of this. It is also the execution of Revelation 12:12. B. Revelation 12:14 "And to the woman there were given the two wings of the great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness into her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the serpent." Since the woman is a sign, the wings must be a sign also. They signify the extraordinary power given to them by God to enable them to run fast. This is similar to the way God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, as an eagle bears its young on its wings (Exo. 19:4; Deut. 32:11-12). The fleeing here matches that described in Matthew 24:16-20. At that time, the Jews will be protected by God in a special way.
C. Revelation 12:15 "And the serpent cast water as a river out of his mouth after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away by its current." Since "the serpent" is Satan, the "water" cannot refer just to water, but must refer to something else. From Jeremiah 46:7-8 we know that water represents the advance of a hostile army (see also Jer. 47:2-4; Isa. 59:19). Hence, the dragon's use of water to pursue the woman must refer to his use of the armies of the nations to pursue the children of Israel. D. Revelation 12:16 "And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth." "The earth" is the earth. In Exodus 15:10 God used water to drown the armies of Egypt, and in Numbers 16:30 He opened the earth to swallow up people. God will use His ways to protect the chosen Jews. E. Revelation 12:17
"And the dragon became angry with the woman and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus." "The rest of her seed" includes the faithful Jews and the remaining Christians. If this were to refer only to the Jews, it could only be said that they keep the commandments of God; it could not be said that they bear the testimony of Jesus. (At this point the Lord has not yet come, and the Jews have not yet believed in Him.) "The saints" in 13:7 refer to both the Jews and the remaining Christians. They are "the rest of her seed." V. THE BEAST COMING UP OUT OF THE SEA (REVELATION 12:18—13:10) A. Revelation 12:18 "And he stood on the sand of the sea." Revelation 12:18 should be connected to the first part of 13:1. "The sand of the sea." "The sea" denotes the Mediterranean, and the "beast" represents either a nation, the Roman Empire, or a person, Antichrist. If the beast indicates a nation, then the sea should be interpreted spiritually, but if it indicates a person, then the sea should be just the sea. When interpreted spiritually, the sea always refers to the Gentiles. The earth, interpreted spiritually, indicates the Jews. The types in the Bible concerning the sea and the land always correspond with this. For example, in both Revelation 17:15 and Daniel 7:3, the sea typifies the Gentile world. To come up out of the sea means to come from the Gentile world. The beast coming up out of the sea denotes the revival of the Roman Empire. "The sea" speaks of the place from which he comes, and "beast" speaks of his nature. Revelation 9:11 and 11:7 refer to his coming up out of the abyss, and 13:1 speaks of his coming up out of the sea. These two places correspond with each other. To come up means to ascend out of (1 Sam. 28:13-14). We know that the beast is resurrected from the dead because the abyss is where the spirits of the dead are kept. B. Revelation 13:1 "And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and on his heads names of blasphemy." The "ten horns" represent ten minor kings (17:12), and the "seven heads" indicate seven major kings (17:10). Heads are larger than horns; they direct the
horns. Hence, the seven heads and ten horns must refer to seven emperors and ten minor kings. The "seven heads" are successive kings, whereas the ten horns are simultaneous rulers. (The Roman Empire had a total of thirteen Caesars, but among them, five died violently. In the original text, the words "have fallen" in 17:10 mean "have died in a violent way." The sixth Caesar, Domitian, was also killed. Likewise, the seventh will be killed. God mentions seven Roman emperors, each of whom met with a violent death. The ten horns are only subordinate kings of the Roman Empire.) Antichrist is the beast and is the seventh head. Revelation 12:3 says, "And on his heads seven diadems." Revelation 13:1 says, "And on his horns ten diadems." In the future, Antichrist will come out of the Roman Empire and will control Europe. According to history, the ten kings in 12:3 have not yet received their diadems and their authority. By the time of 13:1, the ten kings will have received their diadems and their authority. At that time, however, Antichrist will not yet have received his authority. It is in 17:13, when the ten kings crown the beast, that Antichrist receives his authority. "And on his heads names of blasphemy." This means that the kings claim to be God. According to history, each of the five Caesars demanded that others worship them as a worship to God. To exalt oneself and to put down God is blasphemy (Matt. 9:3; 26:65; John 5:18; 10:33; Mark 3:28; Rev. 16:21).
C. Revelation 13:2 "And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority." "A leopard." In order to understand this portion, one must read Daniel 7:3-8 and 2:31-33: (1) The lion is the golden head in chapter two, which refers to Babylon; (2) the bear indicates Medo-Persia and is the silver breast; (3) the leopard is the bronze belly, which is Greece; and (4) the dreadful and terrible beast is the iron legs, which is the Roman Empire. Babylon's army was very fierce in battle; Medo-Persia's army was more fierce and deliberate; Greece's army was most ferocious; and Rome's army was the most cruel. This beast in 13:2 possesses each of these four evil characteristics. He is the totality of the power of the Gentiles.
The leopard with its spots indicates sin (Jer. 13:23); the Lord Jesus has no blemish or spot. Revelation speaks of the Lord as a Lamb twenty-eight times, and it speaks of the beast as a wild beast thirty-six times. God will use this beast to judge men (Jer. 5:6; Hosea 13:7; Hab. 1:8). "Leopard" refers to his sinfulness; the bear bites (see 2 Kings 2:24, the tearing up of forty-two children); and the lion devours. (God sealed the mouths of the lions in Daniel 6:22 and delivered Paul out of the lion's mouth in 2 Timothy 4:17.) "The beast" in Revelation 13:2 indicates a kingdom because it has seven heads and ten horns. We also know this from 17:9-10 and 12. In addition, according to Daniel 7, the lion, the bear, and the leopard, all indicate kingdoms. Therefore, the fourth beast must also indicate a kingdom, which is the Roman Empire. At the same time, this "beast" also indicates a man. Have fallen in 17:8-11 in the original text means to have died violently. The one who still existed at John's time was the Roman Caesar, Domitian. The beast is personified in 19:20 and 20:10; he must be a man. God cannot cast a kingdom into the lake of fire. "Slain to death" in 13:3 must refer to a man. The dragon is a counterfeit of God, the beast is a counterfeit of Christ, and the false prophet is a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit. The counterfeit father also gives authority to the counterfeit son. This "power" (v. 2) is for performing supernatural and deceiving wonders. In 2 Thessalonians 2:9, the phrase "wonders of a lie" does not mean that the wonders are themselves lies; it means that the purpose of performing these wonders is to deceive people. "His throne." This must mean that he has a kingdom; without a kingdom, there cannot be a throne. The dragon revives the Roman Empire and delivers it to the false Christ. "Power" speaks of influence, and "authority" is the legitimate power to execute laws. D. Revelation 13:3 "And one of his heads was as it were slain to death, and his death stroke was healed. And the whole earth marveled after the beast." Revelation 13:14 tells us that the wound was caused by a sword. John wrote this book in A.D. 96. From 17:7-8 we see that "was" means prior to A.D. 96, "is not" means that this one was not on the earth at the time that John wrote this book, and "about to come up out of the abyss and go into perdition" means that this one is going to appear and will go to the lake of fire. Revelation 17:10 says, "Five have fallen, one is." This latter one is John's contemporary emperor, Domitian.
"The other has not yet come," that is, he was not yet on the earth at that time. But he could now be on the earth, though not yet manifested. According to the words of 17:11, there are seven souls and seven bodies but eight lives. "He himself is also the eighth and is out of the seven," one of the previous seven. So we can see that this one must have died and been resurrected. (The seventh dies; then this one becomes one of the previous six, resurrected.) From this we can see that in the future there will be a very powerful one who will rise up to revive the Roman Empire and become the king of the ten kingdoms. Someone will kill him and, probably after three days, he will rise again, causing people all over the earth to think that he is God. Actually, he is not resurrected; instead, the spirit of one of the previous emperors will enter into his body to resurrect it. (This spirit may be that of Nero.) Many people do not believe in the resurrection of Christ, but they will believe in the resurrection of Antichrist. E. Revelation 13:4 "And they worshipped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast? And who can make war with him?" Antichrist can be such because the dragon is behind him. People will worship the beast because they will see (1) no personality greater than the beast and (2) no ability comparable to his ability. F. Revelation 13:5 "And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and authority was given to him to act for forty-two months." "Speaking great things" is to exalt oneself. "Speaking...blasphemies" is to profane God. The "authority" in this verse is something allowed by God, and there is a limit to it. "Fortytwo" equals six times seven. Seven is a complete number, and six is a number for Satan. Here Satan is doing something that is neither six nor seven (similar to doing something that is neither black nor white). In Numbers, between the exodus from Egypt and the entry into Canaan, there were forty-two stations. The bears tore up forty-two children in 2 Kings 2:24. In the holy Scriptures, forty-two is the number of wandering and judgment. Second Thessalonians 2:9 through 11 tells us the reason that God allows Satan to do whatever he wishes for forty-two months. In the original text, the word "lie" in 2 Thessalonians 2:11 has the definite article. It is the lie of Genesis 3:4, which suggested (1) that things shall not surely be as God has said and (2) that man shall be like God (in wisdom). God gives the beast the authority (John 19:11).
G. Revelation 13:6 "And he opened his mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, which tabernacle in heaven." The first thing the beast does is blaspheme against God. The name of God includes the person, nature, and authority of God. "His tabernacle" here is heaven. H. Revelation 13:7 "And permission was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority was given to him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation." "The saints" are the remnant of the Christians and the Jews who are faithful to God. By this time, the beast's sphere of influence reaches the whole world, but his kingdom is limited to Rome. I. Revelation 13:8 "And all those dwelling on the earth will worship him, every one whose name is not written in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world." This proves that there will still be some Christians on earth at this time, because there will still be people whose names are written in the book of life of the Lamb. God's selection alone is able to preserve them from temptations. J. Revelation 13:9 "If anyone has an ear, let him hear." In chapters two and three, the churches still had a place. Hence, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Here, however, although there is still the remnant of the Christians, the church no longer has a place, and God again returns to the Old Testament standing! K. Revelation 13:10 "If anyone is for captivity, into captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he is to be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints." Christians cannot war, as the Crusaders did, against their enemies; they can only endure (1:9). To lose endurance is actually to lose faith. To fight will result only in being killed or captured. VI. THE BEAST COMING UP OUT OF THE EARTH (REVELATION 13:11-18)
A. Revelation 13:11 "And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon." In the original text, this beast refers to a wild beast. He comes up out of the earth and must, therefore, be a resurrected one, since Hades is under the earth. At the same time, the "earth" indicates the Jewish kingdom because in the Bible the sea always indicates the Gentiles and the earth indicates the Jews. This beast is the false prophet and is a man because: (1) he is called the false prophet three times in the Bible (Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10); (2) the Lord says clearly in Matthew 24:24 that there will be false prophets; and (3) there are altogether three evil spirits—Satan, the beast (Antichrist), and "another beast" (the false prophet), all of whom are charged with commissions. Therefore, the beast is certainly not a system. Still, there are others who say (for instance, Mr. Gabelein) that the beast in Revelation 13:1 indicates the king of the north (mentioned in the book of Daniel) and that only in 13:11 does the beast actually refer to Antichrist. However, to say this is illogical because: (1) since Christ came out of the Jews, Antichrist should, of course, come out of the Gentiles; and (2) since chapter twelve concerns Satan, the beast in 13:1 must be Antichrist, and the beast in 13:11 must be the false prophet. This is actually a counterfeit of the Triune God. "Two horns." This beast is merely a person; he does not represent a kingdom. The horns of the Lamb indicate the Spirit (5:6). Since these horns are like the horns of the Lamb, these two horns must indicate two spirits. "To give breath to the image of the beast" in 13:15 may be translated "to give spirit to the image of the beast." This is one spirit, and 16:13 tells of another spirit. "He spoke like a dragon." This indicates that his speaking deceives people and is cruel and violent. The first beast sits upon the dragon's throne; this beast speaks the dragon's language.
B. Revelation 13:12 "And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his sight, and he causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose death stroke was healed." The second beast works by utilizing the first beast's authority. The verb "causes" is in the active voice. That the second beast causes is mentioned a total of eight times in this book. The Holy Spirit is the power of the Godhead; He is the
Executor. In a corresponding way, the false prophet is the same. The "worship" here is a system of coercion. This is different from the worshipping referred to in 13:4, which is voluntary. There is much evidence to show that the first beast is Nero, raised from the dead, and the second beast is the traitor Judas, raised from the dead. Concerning the first beast's being the resurrected Caesar Nero, more proofs will be listed later in this book. Let us first consider the second beast. Acts 1:20, Psalm 69:25, and Psalm 109:8 refer to Judas. Acts 1:20 quotes from Psalms 69 and 109. In Psalm 109:6, Satan stands at Judas's right hand; this has not yet been fulfilled. Previously, Satan only entered Judas's heart (John 13:27). It must be at the time of Revelation 13:12 that Satan begins to stand at his right hand. Acts 1:25 says, "To go to his own place." In the whole Bible, only Judas is described as going to his own place. All the others are said either to have been gathered to their people or to have gone to Hades. Judas seems to have a special place, a place reserved for his use alone. The entire New Testament only speaks of "the son of perdition" twice: once in John 17:12, which indicates Judas explicitly, and once in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, which indicates Antichrist. If the first beast, who is called the son of perdition, is Antichrist, who else can the second beast, who is also called the son of perdition, be, except Judas? In John 6:70 the Lord says that Judas is a devil. So then, who else besides Judas can be the one in this triune counterfeit? C. Revelation 13:13 "And he does great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth before men." The greatest miracle is to cause fire to come down from heaven to the earth. Probably because of the fact that the two witnesses can cause fire to come down, this one causes fire to come down and performs even more miracles. D. Revelation 13:14-15 "And he deceives those who dwell on the earth on account of the signs which he was given power to do before the beast, commanding those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast, who had the stroke of the sword and revived. And power was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast that the image of the beast might even speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed." Here is the totality of all future idols. This image seems to somewhat resemble that other man. After the Lord resurrected, His wounds remained, and He
showed them to Thomas (John 20:27). The beast's sword wound also remains, causing people to believe that he is resurrected from the dead. "Breath" here ("life" in the KJV) can also be translated "spirit." Once the spirit is given, there is, of course, life right away. This beast has three characteristics: (1) he has life; (2) he can speak; and (3) he can cause those who will not worship the image of the beast to be killed. This is different from what is written in Psalm 135:15-17 and Jeremiah 10:4-5. In ancient times the idols had mouths that could not speak, eyes that could not see, ears that could not hear, and were dead. But in the future it will not be the same. How does the image of the beast kill people? Of course, we do not know. It may be that the image of the beast passes death sentences upon people so that they will be killed, or it may be that the image of the beast itself has some kind of mechanism with which to kill people. E. Revelation 13:16 "And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the freemen and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead." The "mark" here must be obvious. Since the mark is sealed on the body and the body is physical, the mark must also be physical. When people buy things, it will be easily recognized. Therefore, it must be obvious. Satan seals people. This is to say that their spirit, soul, and body belong to him. These must be those who openly follow him, and this must be something that cannot be hidden. Perhaps women receive the mark on their right hands and men receive it on their foreheads. There will definitely not be any Christians among these people.
F. Revelation 13:17 "And that no one may be able to buy or sell except he who has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of his name." It is not hard not to sell, but it is really hard not to buy. There are several kinds of marks: one is the name of the beast; one is the number of his name; and others may be various kinds of symbols. G. Revelation 13:18 "Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred sixty-six." This beast is not the beast that comes up out of the earth but the beast that comes up out of the sea. Many people only search into the number 666, but they
forget to pay attention to the context of the whole verse. According to this verse, there are three things which must agree: (1) The number of a man (the number of a place cannot be used). (2) The number of the beast. In 13:1 the beast has seven heads, and 17:9 and 10 say that these seven heads are the seven mountains and also the seven kings. (History clearly tells us that Rome is a city of seven mountains.) Then does this beast refer to the Roman Empire or to one of the Roman emperors? Since 13:18 says that the number of the beast is the number of a man, this beast must not refer to the Roman Empire but rather to one of the Roman emperors! (3) It must be the number of a person's name, a person who is a Roman emperor. The sum of these numbers is 666. From these three facts we can find out who the beast is. The letters of the Greek and Hebrew alphabets all represent numbers. Except for Caesar Nero, there is no other man in history who has this number. Nero's number is 306, to which 360 must be added to make it correct. The title of Caesar exactly represents the number 360. When the Bible mentions the names of the Roman emperors, the title Caesar is always added, as in Luke 2:1 and 3:1, which mention Caesar Augustus and Tiberius Caesar. History tells us that Nero always called himself Caesar. According to the Hebrew alphabet, the sum of the numbers of the name Caesar Nero is exactly 666. Some people think that the former Nero committed suicide and that the future false Christ will be cast into the lake of fire. So how can we say that this is Nero? According to Revelation 17:11, we know that this false Christ is the resuscitated Nero. Hence, there is no conflict at all. The following shows the sums of these numbers:
Nero
Caesar Greek Hebrew Greek Hebrew Nεנ50 Kαιק100 ρר200 σαם60 ωו6 ρר200 νנ50
306 +
360 = 666
From this we see that the first beast, which comes up out of the sea, is Antichrist, the resuscitated Caesar Nero; while the beast that comes up out of the earth is the false prophet, the resurrected Judas, the betrayer of Jesus.
CHAPTER SEVEN THE FIRSTFRUITS, THE HARVEST, AND THE GATHERING OF THE GRAPES (Revelation 14:1-20) I. THE FIRSTFRUITS (REVELATION 14:1-5) A. Revelation 14:1 "And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads." Is Mount Zion here the heavenly one or the earthly one? It is not the earthly one for the following reasons: (1) By then, the earthly Zion will still be in the hands of the Gentiles (11:2). (2) Revelation 14:3 clearly says that these ones have been purchased from the earth. By this we can realize that they are not standing on the earthly Mount Zion. (3) We know from the last two sentences of 14:4 and from Exodus 23:19 that the firstfruits are not left in the field. As soon as they ripen, they are put into God's house. (Exodus 34:26 says the same thing.) Since the hundred and forty-four thousand are the firstfruits, they should not be left in the field, which signifies the world (Matt. 13:38), but should be put on the heavenly Mount Zion, which is the New Jerusalem. (4) Revelation 14:3 says that they stand "before the throne and before the four living creatures and the [twenty-four] elders." We know that the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders are all in heaven. (5) The ones described in 14:1-5 are the firstfruits. This is in accord with the matter of the harvest in verses 14-16. If the reaping of the harvest takes place in heaven, even more should not the firstfruits be in heaven? (6) It is unreasonable to assume that this occurs on the earth at that time, because the Lord Jesus does not come to the earth until chapter nineteen. Who are these hundred and forty-four thousand? Are they the same group of people as the hundred and forty-four thousand in 7:4? The hundred and forty-
four thousand in 7:4 and the hundred and forty-four thousand mentioned here are two different groups of people, for: (1) The group mentioned in 7:4 are selected from the Israelites; the group in 14:1 are purchased from the earth (v. 3) and purchased from among men (v. 4). (2) The seal which the group in 7:4 receives is different from the seal which this group receives. In the former case, it is "the seal of the living God" (7:2). This is a term used in the Old Testament. In this case, the seal is the name of the Lamb and the name of the Father. This name has to do with the church; hence, this group of people must be related to the church. (3) The ones in 7:4 are "the slaves of our God" (v. 3), while the ones in 14:1 are the children of God (from the word "Father" in the last part of verse 1). (4) In Revelation, every time that the Lord calls God the Father, it is in relation to the church (1:6; 2:27; 3:5, 21), never to the Israelites. (5) The ones in 14:1 are related to the Lamb. (They stand with the Lamb, have the Lamb's name, and belong to the Lamb.) But in chapter seven, the Lord is only an angel, returning to the position of a messenger in the Old Testament. (6) The song sung by the ones in 14:1 is "a new song" (v. 3), while the ones in 7:4 can sing only the old song. (7) The ones in 14:1 are virgins (v. 4), but to be such among the Israelites was a matter of curse. (Exodus 23:26; Deuteronomy 7:14; 1 Samuel 2:5; and Psalm 113:9 all show that childbearing is a blessing and that not to bear children is a curse. Judges 11:38-39 shows that to be a virgin is a thing to be mourned.) (8) The articles used for the hundred and forty-four thousand in Revelation 7:4 and the hundred and forty-four thousand in 14:1 are indefinite articles. This shows that these two groups of a hundred and forty-four thousand are different people. The hundred and forty-four thousand in 14:1 are a special group of people in the church; they are not the whole church. (1) Since the number one hundred and forty-four thousand in 7:4 should be interpreted literally, the number in 14:1 should also be interpreted literally. (2) If the number one hundred and forty-four thousand in 14:1 were not to be interpreted literally, there would be no way in which to interpret all the other numbers in this book. (3) The hundred and forty-four thousand are the firstfruits (v. 4). One cannot say that the whole church is the firstfruits. (4) There is not the fact of the whole church being virgins.
(5) These are raptured to Mount Zion before the great tribulation (before the speaking of the three angels in verses 6-11). (6) Revelation 14:5 points out that they are different in their nature. It is a fact that not every regenerated Christian has this nature. These are the overcomers, the called-out ones, in the church of God. (Both John and Peter are included in this group.) From 14:1 we see that this group of people is related to the Lamb.
B. Revelation 14:2 "And I heard a voice out of heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder; and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpsingers playing on their harps." This "voice out of heaven" is the voice of the hundred and forty-four thousand. It is as melodious as "the sound of harp-singers," as majestic as "the sound of loud thunder," and as tumultuous as "the sound of many waters." C. Revelation 14:3 "And they sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the hundred and fortyfour thousand, who have been purchased from the earth." Only these can sing the new song. All Christians are purchased, but these are the first to be purchased back to home. All Christians are redeemed, but these are the first to be redeemed back to home. D. Revelation 14:4 "These are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are they who follow the Lamb wherever He may go. These were purchased from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb." This verse says, "These are they" two times. This explains who these hundred and forty-four thousand are: (1) "These are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins." We cannot say that the women here are idols, because the Bible never says this. Nor can we say that the women here are evil doctrines. The Bible often translates "women" into "wives." For example, "wives" in Acts 21:5 (KJV) is the same word in Greek as "women" in Revelation 14:4. The Bible not only says that these are they who have not been defiled with women, but also that they are virgins. Hence, we see that this passage is not only about chastity, but even more, it is about virginity. This corresponds with Matthew 19:10-12. Consider Revelation 14:1 again. God has only given this gift to one hundred and forty-four
thousand people (cf. Luke 20:35; 1 Cor. 7:7); not every Christian has this gift. In the future when Antichrist appears, one of the dangers will be the forbidding of marriage (1 Tim. 4:1-3). Daniel said that the coming Antichrist will not marry. "And he will not regard the gods of his fathers or the desire of women" (11:37). It is impossible that only one hundred and forty-four thousand will not worship Antichrist; otherwise, who are they that overcome by not following the evil teachings? Furthermore, 14:4 is an explanation and must, therefore, be explicit, requiring no further interpretation. Moreover, the words of explanation are all in the present tense. (2) "These are they who follow the Lamb wherever He may go." This verse does not refer to things in the past. It refers to the present and to the future. These are they who are closest to the Lord; they are like the Lord's bodyguards. (3) "These were purchased from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb." These are men, but they are different from ordinary men, for they have been purchased from among men. In Leviticus there are three different matters: the firstfruits (23:17), the harvest, and the gleanings (23:22). The harvest comes when there is the maturity. After the reaping, the harvest does not remain in the field but is collected into the barn. The rapture is not determined by God but by man; when the harvest is ripe, it is reaped. The firstfruits are the Christians who mature first; they are raptured first. E. Revelation 14:5 "And in their mouth no lie was found; they are without blemish." The words of their mouths expose what is in their hearts. These two expressions were originally used to describe the Lord; now they are used to describe the hundred and forty-four thousand. This does not mean that there are no females within the hundred and forty-four thousand. The Bible only records the males. Although there were females among those who left Egypt and among those who ate manna in the wilderness, God did not consider the female as a unit. Adam is a man, a human being, while Eve is just a female. Furthermore, although Dinah was the daughter of Jacob (Gen. 30:21), Israel still had only twelve tribes. This does not mean that the people in Revelation 14:1-5 are the only ones in the first group of raptured ones. It merely means that among the first group of raptured ones, there are those who are like this.
II. THE FIRST ANGEL (REVELATION 14:6-7) A. Revelation 14:6 "And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having an eternal gospel to announce to those dwelling on the earth, even to every nation and tribe and tongue and people." The "another angel" here is different from the "another Angel" in 7:2. The latter refers to the Lord. This "eternal gospel" is different from the gospel of grace. The eternal gospel, according to the text which follows, teaches people to worship only the Creator. It does not preach God's redemption; it preaches only God's creation. It does not cause men to worship the Lamb, but to worship God. It does not preach God's grace, but God's judgment. It does not cause men to thank and praise God, but to give glory to God. "Those dwelling on the earth, even to..." In the original language, there is no "even to." In the Bible, "those dwelling on the earth" are different from "every nation and tribe and tongue and people." "Those dwelling on the earth" are that group among those in "every nation and tribe and tongue and people" that loves the world the most and is the most connected to the earth. Although the future kingdom of Antichrist will only be as big as the Roman Empire, its influence will reach every nation and tribe and tongue and people. In this book, "those dwelling on the earth" may be those who actually live in the Roman Empire. The coming great tribulation will have Rome as its center. At this time, the gospel is no longer one of salvation through believing in Jesus; it is to teach men to worship God and not to worship the image of the beast. How did the sheep in Matthew 25:34-40 know to treat the Lord's little brothers well? They knew it through the powerful proclamation of the angels. B. Revelation 14:7 "Saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give Him glory because the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who has made heaven and earth and the sea and the springs of waters." To "fear God" is covered clearly in the Old Testament. If someone treated others well in his conduct, he was a person who feared God. Hence, when the time of judgment comes, the angels will remind men to fear God and give glory to Him. In the fourth trumpet heaven suffers. In the first trumpet the earth suffers, in the second trumpet the sea suffers, and in the third trumpet the springs suffer.
III. THE SECOND ANGEL (REVELATION 14:8) "And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great, who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the fury of her fornication!" Does this Babylon refer to the physical Babylon or to Rome? The Babylon in Revelation 17 is mysterious; it typifies the Roman Church and is religious. The Babylon in chapter eighteen refers to the material Babylon. The Babylon in 14:8 corresponds with the word in 17:2; hence, it refers to the Roman Church. The second angel announces to men the fall of Babylon, that is, the failure of the Roman Church. Hence, we see that the great harvest which follows must come after the failure of the Roman Church. "The wine of the fury of her fornication!" refers to the persecutions carried out by the Roman Church. The Roman Church gives to the unfaithful ones the wine of fornication and to the faithful ones the wine of fury. Wine signifies derision. In the future, the Roman Church will revive, but ultimately, it will utterly fail. IV. THE THIRD ANGEL (REVELATION 14:9-12) A. Revelation 14:9-10 "And another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also shall drink of the wine of the fury of God, which is mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath; and he shall be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb." In verse 10 the angel informs men that all those who conduct themselves according to verse 9 will suffer God's punishments. Wine indicates something temporary. There are two kinds of punishment here: (1) the wine of God's fury, which is the fury mentioned in chapter fifteen, and is temporary; and (2) the suffering before the Lamb, which speaks of their hopelessness in regard to receiving salvation. Moreover, to suffer before the holy angels means that the angels will put them in hell.
B. Revelation 14:11
"And the smoke of their tormenting goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." This shows us that once a person goes to hell, there will no longer be any chance for repentance. Moreover, one does not perish immediately when he goes into hell. The saints will not need to sleep in the new heaven and the new earth, while those in hell will not be able to sleep forever. C. Revelation 14:12 "Here is the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." This verse corresponds with 13:10. "The commandments of God" refer particularly to the first and the second commandments: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," and "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image." This is the time for the believers to exercise their endurance. V. BLESSED ARE THE DEAD WHO DIE IN THE LORD (REVELATION 14:13) "And I heard a voice out of heaven, saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them." "From now on" refers to the time after the worship of the beast begins. This shows that one can escape the persecution of the beast by death. Those "who die in the Lord" must be the Christians. Here it does not say the seven Spirits of God, but the Spirit. The Spirit is directly related to the church, while the seven Spirits are directly related to His judgment. Our works cannot go before us to God. However, Christ's work goes before us to God and secures for us God's acceptance. Our works follow us to God and bring to us God's reward. VI. THE REAPING OF THE HARVEST (REVELATION 14:14-16) A. Revelation 14:14 "And I saw, and behold, there was a white cloud, and on the cloud One like the Son of Man sitting, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand." "A white cloud" here agrees with 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. "One like the Son of Man" is a word related to the church (Rev. 1:13). "Having a golden crown" signifies having obtained glory. The sickle has to be sharp so that the reaping
can be done quickly. In Matthew 13:37, the Lord is the Sower; at His second coming, He will be the Reaper. B. Revelation 14:15-16 "And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, Send forth Your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come because the harvest of the earth is ripe. And He who sat on the cloud thrust His sickle upon the earth, and the earth was reaped." In verse 15 we have the angel sent from God speaking to the Lord. Here the Lord takes the position of a servant. In Matthew 9:38 the Lord says that God is the Lord of the harvest. Here the Lord is a sent One. "Harvest." Mr. Darby does not recognize that Christians can pass through these judgments. Hence, he thinks that the harvest here refers to something negative. However, nowhere in the entire Bible is harvest referred to in a negative way. The wheat is not like the fig, which can remain on earth for a long time. Once it has ripened, it must be harvested. The first time that the harvest is mentioned in the Bible is in Genesis 8:22. There it clearly indicates that the harvest is a blessing from God. In John 4:35 the Lord refers to the harvest in a positive way. Matthew 3:12 says that the wheat should be gathered into the barn. In Exodus the firstfruits of the harvest should be gathered into the house of God (23:19; 34:26). To be gathered into the house of God typifies the initially-raptured Christians being taken to the throne of God, while to be gathered into the barn typifies the majority of the believers being raptured to the air. The barn is between the field and the house. The field refers to the world (Matt. 13:38), while the house refers to the heavens. Hence, the Christians who are gathered into the barn are those who are raptured to the air, which is between the heavens and the world. The harvest in Matthew 13:37-43 is a reaping of what the Lord has sown. What the Lord has sown is something good; hence, what is reaped must also be good. In Mark 4:26-29, God is reaping because the time of harvest has come. Romans 11:16 says that if the firstfruits are a certain way, the whole lump is also. Since the firstfruits in Revelation 14:1-5 are good, the harvest in verses 14 through 16 must be good also. Since verses 1 through 5 do not refer to the judgment of the sinners, verses 14 through 16 should not refer to something negative; they cannot refer to God's judgment. The word "ripe" can be translated "dried up." The immature grain will not be harvested. Likewise, the immature Christians will not be raptured. The firstfruits
are composed of those who ripen first, those who forsake the world first. It is only after the worldly Christians have been dried up of the world that they will no longer love the world. Matthew 13:39 says that the angels are sent to reap the harvest. The sickle in Revelation 14:14 is in the Son of Man's hand; it is a mysterious sickle. When the Lord comes to receive us, we will be raptured. Then, we will "stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).
VII. THE GATHERING OF THE GRAPES (REVELATION 14:17-20) "And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the altar, he who has authority over fire, and he cried with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, Send forth your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripened. And the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great winepress of the fury of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress up to the bridles of the horses for a thousand six hundred stadia." Revelation 14:14-16 speaks of the harvest of the wheat. In the entire Bible, wheat refers to the Christians, and the fig, to the Jews. Sometimes grapes refer to the evil ones among the Gentiles. This is because: (1) The Lord does not say that He is the grape. He only says that He is the true vine (John 15:1). The Lord Jesus is the vine, while the Christians are the branches. With Christ in the branches, there are the heavenly grapes. The earthly grapes here must refer to Antichrist and those who follow him. These stand in contrast to the heavenly grapes. (2) The gathering of the grapes happens after the harvest. By that time, the good ones will have already been raptured. Hence, whatever is left must be the bad ones. (3) According to Revelation 14:18, the grapes here are the evil ones who oppose Christ. (4) The Old Testament also refers to grapes in a negative sense (Deut. 32:32). (5) In verses 19 to 20 of Revelation 14, blood is pressed out. This shows that the pressing of these grapes is not a positive thing. (6) The treading of the winepress in Joel 3:13 and Isaiah 63:1-6 is a sign of the wrath of God and the judgment of God.
Revelation 14:14-16 speaks of the end result of the wheat, while verses 17 through 20 speak of the end result of the tares. After the Christians are raptured, God will send the angels to gather the tares with a sickle, and this sickle is sharp. In verse 15, when the wheat is ripened, its water will be dried up, but when the grapes are ripened, their juice will be full. The wheat and the grapes are completely opposite to one another. Wheat can only ripen when it dies to the earth, while grapes become ripe by absorbing the water of the earth. The more worldly the grapes become and the more they receive from the world, the more they are filled up with sins, and the time for God's judgment will come. Verse 16 says, "He...thrust His sickle upon the earth." This is only the reaping. But verse 19 says, "The angel thrust his sickle into the earth"; this seems to be a digging out of even the roots. There is a difference between the harvest of the wheat and the gathering of the grapes. One is good, and the other is bad. "The winepress" is a kind of stone press. To put the grapes in the winepress is to squeeze out every drop of water, causing these ones to suffer loss and bear pain. This passage of verses 17 through 20 covers the period that ends with the Lord Jesus' coming to the earth. This passage corresponds with 19:15. A proof of this is that "outside the city" in 14:20 refers to outside of Jerusalem (chapters fifteen and sixteen being a supplement to the seventh trumpet). Furthermore, "the bridles of the horses" in 14:20 corresponds with 19:14 because when the Lord descends with His army, they will be riding on horses. "A thousand six hundred stadia" (14:20). Revelation 16:16 says that this battle will be at Armageddon. According to Isaiah 63:1, it will start from Bozrah. One end is Armageddon, while the other end is Bozrah. In between these two places there are exactly a thousand six hundred stadia. (The battle of Armageddon will take place when Antichrist is persecuting the Jews, and the Jews seek refuge in the Mount of Olives. When their escape routes are cut off, the Lord will set His feet upon the Mount of Olives, and the mountain will split into two halves—Zech. 14:4-5, making a way for the Jews to escape. The Lord will then fight with Antichrist and destroy him—Rev. 19:17-21.) God's kingdom will not come through the preaching of the gospel but through bloodshed. The church can only wait for the Lord's return; He alone will bring in the kingdom. Isaiah 34:1-8 speaks of Bozrah and of the extent of the bloodshed.
After these things, the kingdom will come. With the Israelites, after the harvest and the gathering of the grapes, there was the feast of tabernacles. The feast of tabernacles was a type of the millennium. (Revelation 15—16 does not continue the thought in 14:17-20, because 14:17-20 corresponds with 19:15.)
CHAPTER EIGHT THE OUTPOURING OF THE SEVEN BOWLS (Revelation 15:1—16:21) I. THE LAST SEVEN PLAGUES (REVELATION 15:1) "And I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful, seven angels having seven plagues, the last plagues; for in them the fury of God was finished." In 12:1 there was "a great sign." Here in 15:1 there is a "great and wonderful" sign. II. PRAISE (REVELATION 15:2-4) A. Revelation 15:2 "And I saw as it were a glassy sea mingled with fire and those who come away victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name standing on the glassy sea, having harps of God." A "glassy sea" was mentioned before in 4:6; however, neither the people nor the fire were mentioned there. In 4:6 the glassy sea is before the throne; that is, it is in the heavens. Hence, "standing on the glassy sea" in 15:2 indicates that these people have been raptured to the throne in heaven. This portion of the Bible tells us that these people have passed through the great tribulation and have encountered the beast, the image of the beast, and the number of the beast. Revelation 14:4-16 shows us a perspective of the rapture by God as seen from the earth. Revelation 15:2 shows us the perspective as seen from heaven. B. Revelation 15:3 "And they sing the song of Moses, the slave of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and wonderful are Your works, Lord God the Almighty! Righteous and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!" Why does it not say, "They sing the song of the Lamb," and then, "the song of Moses"? Why do they sing "the song of Moses...and the song of the Lamb"? If they had worshipped the image of the beast, they would have broken the law of Moses and violated the commandment of God. But they did not do this;
therefore, they sing the song of Moses. The one who gave the commandment not to worship idols was Moses; hence, they sing the song of Moses. The one who empowered them so that they would not worship the idols was the Lamb (13:8); hence, they sing the song of the Lamb. What they sing is clearly recorded in Revelation 15:3-4. This is not the song sung by Moses in Exodus 15. (Since 15:3 clearly mentions the name of Moses, this seems to indicate that Moses is not one of the witnesses in 11:3.) The first phrase of this song is concerning God's works. The second is concerning God's ways. "Works" are only outward, but "ways" are inward principles. "Lord God" is the name used for God when He has a relationship with man. "Righteous" is related to His principles. "True" is related to His promises. C. Revelation 15:4 "Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; for all the nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous judgments have been manifested." "Holy" pertains to God's nature. "Righteous judgments" are the principles of God's work. III. THE TEMPLE OF THE TABERNACLE (REVELATION 15:5-8) A. Revelation 15:5 "And after these things I saw, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened." "The temple of the tabernacle," though in the heavens, is still not eternal because it is the temple of the tabernacle. Moses built the tabernacle according to the heavenly pattern (Heb. 8:5), but when the temple was built, the tabernacle was done away with. Similarly, in eternity, when the Lamb becomes the temple, this temple of the tabernacle in the heavens will also be annulled. Revelation 15:5— 16:18 and 16:21 are the amplification of 11:18.
B. Revelation 15:6 "And the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in clean bright linen and girded around the breasts with golden girdles." These seven angels are priestly angels because their clothing is that of the priests. They are probably serving God in the heavenly temple. In offering of the Old Testament sacrifices, the drink offering was poured out first, then the burnt
offerings were offered. What the angels are doing here is similar to what was done in the Old Testament. C. Revelation 15:7-8 "And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the fury of God, who lives forever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one could enter into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished." This means that from this time onward no one can enter into the temple of God to intercede. There is no longer any possibility of appeasing the fury of God (Lam. 3:44). IV. THE SEVEN BOWLS (REVELATION 16:1-21) "And I heard a loud voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the seven bowls of the fury of God into the earth." The first through sixth bowls are similar to the plagues of the first through sixth trumpets, except there is a difference in degree. The first through sixth bowls are a repetition of the plagues of the first through sixth trumpets. However, the plagues of the bowls are more severe than those of the trumpets. The seventh trumpet includes the seven bowls; hence, the seventh trumpet repeats all the plagues of the first through sixth trumpets in greater severity. This is why the plagues of the seventh trumpet are the most serious of all. A. The First Bowl (Revelation 16:2) "And the first went and poured out his bowl into the earth; and there came to be an evil and malignant sore upon the men who have the mark of the beast and worship his image." Those who suffer this plague are only those with the mark of the beast and who worship his image. This sore is similar to those which Lazarus had (Luke 16:2021), from which there was no recovery. One of the plagues in Exodus was also a kind of sore (9:8-10). At one point, Job also had sores (Job 2:7), as well as Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:7) and the Philistines (1 Sam. 5:6, 9, 12). Sores are sometimes used by God as a kind of judgment (Deut. 28:27). These men in Revelation 16:2 had the mark of the beast; therefore, God gave them a mark also, a sore. This sore is "evil" because it is continually increasing. It is not that the trumpets are over and then the bowls begin. In the first trumpet, only the