Revelation 21 and 22

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
A WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOOK STUDY
EDGEMONT BIBLE CHURCH
FALL 2009- SPRING 2010
MAY 19, 2010
CHAPTERS 21:1-22:5
NEW JERUSALEM AND THE CONDITIONS OF THE
MILLENNIUM

I. NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH

A. Its Promise - Isa. 65:17-25; 66:22-24
...1. The Lord promised through Isaiah that a new heavens and a new earth would be created
...2. With it came the promise that the former one (the one you and I live in now) would be remembered no more
...3. A new Jerusalem would also be created and it would be a rejoicing
...4. Not only would Jerusalem be a joy to all people but the people of Jerusalem would be a joy - the voice of weeping and crying would no longer be heard
...5. Accompanying them there would also be changes in the animal world
6. There would be a prosperous agrarian society; the curse would be reversed
7. Death would still come to those who sin
8. This sounds like the millennial kingdom
*The inhabitants of the new earth will be those who have survived the Great Tribulation, in particular Israel, but also many Gentiles
*They will have different bodies than they had during the
Tribulation; bodies that will live as long as trees and are still capable of reproduction
*Before they ask, the Lord will be answering their prayers
*They will still work with their hands, enjoy the labor of their hands and not labor in vain as under the judgment of the fall of man
*The judgment of sorrow in conception and child-rearing wiill be annulled
*Sin and therefore death will still be a capacity during this time.

B. Its Occurrence - The Day of the Lord 2 Pet 3:3-13
...1. Identifying the Day of the Lord
*It is a day of anger, wrath and vengeance Isaiah 13:9; 34:8;
*It is darkness and not light Amos 5:18
*It is a time of "harvesting" sinners from the earth; a day of judging the nations in war; multitudes shall be in the valley of decision Joel 3:9-14 Compare with Revelation 14:14- 20; 19:11-21
2. Signs of the Day of the Lord
*It is preceded by the sun being darkened, the moon being like blood Joel 2:31 compare with Revelation 6:12-17
*It is preceded by Elijah the Prophet to turn the hearts of the fathers and the children to one another Mal 4:5
*Peter and Paul both say it will come as a thief in the night when it is least expected. 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10
*It is accompanied by the destruction of the current heavens and earth. 2 Peter 3:10
*It is followed by new heavens and a new earth 2 Peter 3:11-13
*It is preceded by an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all flesh but, in particular the children of Israel as spokesmen for God
C. The new heavens and a new earth is the condition description of the Millennium
1. Chapter 21 through chapter 22:5 is a description of the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ
...2. One major difference in the new and the old is the absence of seas.
*This is a change in the hydrologic cycle. Evaporation and
condensation as we know it will not be viable
*This will change some commerce as we have known it
...3. Chronologically, I think it best fits between verses 3 and 4 of Chapter 20 as a description of millennial conditions

II. NEW JERUSALEM COMING DOWN OUT OF HEAVEN

A. John calls it the holy city coming down from heaven adorned as a bride for her husband
...1. The church is referred to as the bride of Christ
...2. The church is promised to co-reign with Christ and has a special relationship to Him, therefore we conclude that this new Jerusalem is the church of Jesus Christ, His bride
...3. The inhabitants of this city are described in this way
*God will wipe away their tears
*They will experience no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying
*They will have no more pain
*The former things have passed away
*God will make all things new
*They will be given to drink of the fountain of the water of life freely when thirsty
*They will inherit all things and God will be their God and they will be called sons of God
...4. Those who cannot inhabit this city are described this way: Rev 21:8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (NKJV)
...5. It apparently is suspended above the earth replacing the sun as the illumination for the earth 21:23,24 There is no night there 21:25
...6. The kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it 21:24
...7. Its gates are never shut 21:25
...8. Nothing that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie can get in. The only ones who can get in are the ones who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life
B. The New Jerusalem described
...1. John is shown the city by one of the 7 angels who had the 7 bowls filled with the 7 last plagues
...2. John is shown that it has the glory of God.
...3. He describes its light as that of a precious stone, in this case a jasper yet clear as crystal
...4. Next he tells us of it great high wall with 12 gates, each gate with an angel. Either the angel or the gates have the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel written on each one. I assume this means each gate has a different tribal name attached to it. 3 gates face each direction: 3 to the north, 3 to the south, 3 to the west and 3 to the east
...5. The wall has 12 foundations upon which were written each of the names of the apostles of the Lamb. I assume that is one name per wall.
...6. An angel with a gold reed measuring rod with which to measure the city, its walls and gates.
*The city is a cube measuring 12,000 furlongs on each of its sides. That is 1377 miles
*The wall of the city is 144 cubits.
*The wall is made of jasper and the city itself was pure gold
*The foundations are adorned with different precious stones. In order they are: jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth and amethyst
*The gates were each one pearl
*The streets of the city were pure gold, so pure it was transparent
*The city had no temple for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple
7. (From Rev 22:3-5) Conditions of the new heavens and new earth
*There is no more curse for the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. His servants shall serve Him
*They shall see His face and His name shall be on their foreheads
*Emphasis by stating once again there will be no night there
*They need no lamp nor light of the sun for the Lord God gives them light
*They shall reign forever and ever
D. The river and the tree of life Rev. 22:1-2
...1. The river of pure water was clear as crystal proceeded from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Compare this with Ezek 47:1-12
...2. The Tree of Life grew in the middle of its stream
...3. On either side of the River grew trees which were for food and healing
*They bore 12 fruits
*They bore fruit each month

III. SOBER TRUTHS AND WARNINGS FROM GOD

A. The words John has heard are faithful and true and were sent to show the servants of God what must shortly come to pass
B. Blessing: Re 22:7 '1Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. " (NKJV)
C. John falls down to worship at the awesome things he has just seen. The messenger (does not look to be an angel) rebukes John for attempting to worship the messenger
...1. This may not be an angel for he describes himself as a "fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book." He reminds John to "Worship God" and without having to say it "Worship God only!"
...2. He tells him to not seal the book for the time of its fulfillment is at hand. Compare this with Daniel 12:5-9
...3. He then gives him these words of warning:
Re 22:11 "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” (NKJV)
D. The Lord Jesus asserts Himself into the moment with these words:
Re 22:12 "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." (NKJV)
E. The translators feel the angel asserts himself back into the conversation with these words:
Re 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (NKJV)
F. Again the words of the Lord Jesus Christ:
Re 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." (NKJV)
G. John speaks what he is hearing as the invitation of the Spirit and the bride
Re 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (NKJV)

Revelation 19

A WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOOK STUDY
EDGEMONT BIBLE CHURCH
FALL 2009- SPRING 2010
APRIL 21, 2010
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET, A PARENTHESIS - Part 14
REVELATION CHAPTER 19:1-21
THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE IAMB AND
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

I. A LOUD MULTITUDE PRAISES GOD FOR HIS RIGHTEOUS
JUDGMENTS AND THE END OF THE OLD ORDER (vv. i-6)
A. John hears the sound of a loud voice (singular) of a great multitude, perhaps comprised of angels. This group is so much in one accord that their voices have become as one. The subject of their praise is God and the reason for their praise is the final destruction of the wicked harlot, who deceived the whole earth including its wise men and kings, even Babylon. It is her destruction that elicited so much unified, great praise from this vast multitude. Does this not reveal to us the powerful foe she has been to man and God? Her destruction is celebrated!
B. The multitude is saying:
"Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her." Rev 19:1,2 (NKJV)
C. They also say:
"Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!" Rev 19:3 (NKJV) This statement is a difficult one as it uses the phrase "forever and ever Will this smoke be rising up during the millennium? Will it still be seen during the eternal state?
D. The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures respond in earnest agreement, giving praise to God
E. A voice from the throne calls on all to join the praise saying
"Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!" Re 19:5 (NKJV)
F. Another great multitude sounding like many waters and mighty thunderings responds to this call to worship saying
"Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!" Rev 19:6 (NKJV)
II. THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB (vv. 7-10)
A. Announcement of the Supper and a call to rejoice because of it by the great multitude who had been urged to praise God by the voice from the Throne in verse 5. This multitude of both great and small must be the gathered church in heaven?! There are 6 "stages" in a Jewish wedding
...... 1. Betrothal or engagement in which an agreement was made by the parents that particular one was to be the spouse of another particular one. This betrothal was done before the foundations of the earth. Eph 1:4; 1 Pet 1:2; Titus 1:2
...... 2. Preparation in which both prepared themselves for the other. The groom prepared a good income and a home for her which they would share. In our case the groom also prepares the bride and her garments for Himself John 14:1-7 Jesus has gone now to prepare a place for us.
...... 3. Presentation in which the bride and groom both don their finest apparel in preparation for the ceremony. This is the time at which the groom comes for his bride with his entourage. In the case of the church and Christ, this is the rapture. Christ will be donning His robes as king of kings and the church will be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. Since the bride's garments are given her after the judgment seat of Christ we can assume that this judgment prepares her for the ceremony.
......4. Ceremony in which the participants speak their vows to one another
......5. Supper in which the Father throws a community-wide celebration for the bride and groom at which all the wedding guests attend. This is the event to which Jesus was referring to in Mark 14:25
......6. Consummation in which marital intimacy is finally accomplished with the pure groom and bride. Here they will live together the rest of their lives.
B. Attention drawn to the Bride, His Wife, the Church He purchased with His own blood.
...... 1. She has made herself ready - His judgment seat has been completed
......2. It has been granted to her to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. The fine linen is described as the righteous acts of the saints.
...... 3. Passages which speak of the church as the bride of Christ are these: Eph 5:25-27; 2 Cor 11:2;
C. Blessing the guests at the wedding. The speaker must by the voice from the Throne again
...... 1. Who are the guests?
......2. How do they get to come to the wedding?
D. The voice then affirms that what John has heard is absolute Truth coming from God.
E. John is so overwhelmed with the truth and the magnitude of the worship that he falls down to worship the person behind the voice. This person refuses the worship, identifying himself as a fellow servant of John. We can see from this refusal that at least this voice coming out of the throne was not divine.

III. THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PRONOUNCEMENT OF THE THIRD ANGEL OF THE 7th TRUMPET (14:14) - THE SECOND COMING AND THE BATTLE OF THE
BEAST, THE PROPHET AND THE ARMIES OF THE WORLD (vv. 11-21)
A. John witnesses the appearance of the Rider on the White Horse
......1. Heaven is opened to reveal a rider on a White Horse
......2. He is called Faithful and True (Rev 3:14; John 14:6), in righteousness He judges and makes war (Is 11:4)
......3. His eyes were like a flame of fire (Rev 1:14) and on His head were many crowns (Rev 11:15)
......4. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself
......5. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood (Is 63:1-6; Rev 14:17-20)
......6. His name is called the Word of God (John 1:1, 14)
......7. He commanded the armies in heaven, clothed in white linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses
......8. Out of His mouth (Is 11:4) goes a sharp sword (Heb 4:12) that with it He should strike the nations and rule them with a rod of iron (Ps 2: 8,9). He Himself treads the winepress of God's fierce wrath.
......9. He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
B. John now witnesses an angel standing in the sun and using a loud voice calling all the birds that fly in heaven to come dine on the blood and bodies of those who are about to die. A battlefield of massive proportions of death perhaps never known before is about to appear. The birds will eat their fill (Rev 19:21b).
C. John now sees the beast, the kings of the earth and their armies
gathered to make war against the white horse rider.
D. The beast is captured along with the false prophet and they are cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
E. The rest of the armies, the human beings arrayed against God, are killed with the sword which came out of the mouth of the
King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Revelation 18

A WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOOK STUDY
EDGEMONT BIBLE CHURCH
FALL 2009- SPRING 2010
APRIL 21, 2010
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET, A PARENTHESIS - Part 13
REVELATION CHAPTER 18:1-24
BABYLON, THE CITY, DESCRIBED, EXPLAINED, AND
DESTROYED
(Catching up on History)

I. ANGELS SPEAK WITH JOHN ABOUT THE FULFILLMENT OF THE
PRONOUNCEMENT OF THE SECOND ANGEL OF THE 7Th TRUMPET (14:8)
A. Another angel of the same kind he has been seeing and hearing from
descends out of heaven.
1. This angel is going to show John what had taken place after the second angel of the 7th Trumpet had made his proclamation regarding the fall of Babylon, the great (14:8) This fall takes place before any of the bowl judgments had occurred. Here we are having the details of what had taken place prior to the bowl judgments.
2. John says "After these things..." He is telling us that after he saw the destruction of Babylon, the mystery, by the 10 horns, he saw the destruction of Babylon, the great city.
B. This angel is one having great authority. This means he is a high-ranking angel of principality level or above. No name is given for him as has been the case for most of the others. Remember the angelic hierarchy? This helps us see the great importance of both his announcement and of the subject of that announcement, Babylon!
C. So brilliant is his glory (the light appearing around him) that it illuminates the earth as he gets closer to it.
1. What must this look like on earth? Think back on the Fourth Trumpet and the increased darkness there had already been on the earth (8:12,13).
2. How does an angel with a body emit light from it? Is there another set of rules in operation of which we know nothing?
3. This may look like a meteor descending to the earth. Angels and stars are often seen as synonymous in the scriptures.
4. You will recall too that at the time the second angel had made his proclamation of Babylon's fall two other angels had also made loud proclamations - one presenting the everlasting gospel and the other proclaiming the judgments that will fall on all who worship the beast and have his mark. This angel is even louder with his proclamation. The people on earth had been fairly warned by supernatural warnings as well as by the two witnesses and the 144,000 witnesses as well. How did those dwelling on earth and worshipping the beast miss this? How hard must their hearts be to ignore all these obvious and plain supernatural events and not see them as the hand of God?
D. He announces the fall of the great city of Babylon. Whereas the last chapter, 17, had spoken of the one world united religion that had been in operation from shortly after the flood, this time he speaks of the physical manifestation of the religion by mankind in the building of a commercial and cultural center and capital of the world. You will recall it was the beast and the horns that destroyed mystery Babylon. Here it is God destroying the manifestation of that wicked, religious system as a commercial center.
1. He announces her condition
a. The habitation of demons - Recall that 4 major angels had been bound at the Euphrates River and were released in the 6th trumpet (9:14,15). With their release came the release of 200 million demons (9:16)! They are all in the Babylon area. So it is true with the demons released from the bottomless pit in the 5th trumpet (9:1-12). Satan had already sent down 1/3 of the angels before the birth of Christ (12:4). All of his army had been cast down from heaven during the war with Michael (12:9) Babylon has become their new home and center of operations.
b. A prison for every foul spirit - a parallelism to the previous statement. This gives a description of the kind of spirits they were: Unclean.
c. A cage for every unclean and hated bird - These all gather from the smell of death, ready to devour and indulge in a great gluttonous feast of flesh. It may even picture yet another parallelism to the demons and foul spirits. Birds, especially carrion birds, are seen as those assisting the devil in his work. This may picture the behavior of the demons and foul spirits occupying the place; like vultures waiting for the victim to finally die so they can devour it.
2. He announces the cause of this condition
a. All the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication
b. The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her
c. The merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury
E. Another voice comes from heaven speaking this time to the inhabitants of Babylon, specifically to those who belong to God living in this wealthy, debauched place.
1. The voice commands the Lord's people to get out of Babylon
a. Lest they share in the sins of Babylon - sooner or later whatever one is around, one also begins to participate in its habitual behavior. Righteous Lot vexed his soul every day in Sodom and ultimately lost his entire family to its lusts or in its destruction!
b. Lest they receive her plagues - God is no respecter of persons. Whenever any community, regardless of population or geographical boundaries, continues unrepentant in sinful behavior, when God judges, the whole community and its residents, saved and unsaved, suffer the consequences. Here God warns his people to get out of sinful Babylon before He carries out His judgment.
APPPLICATION: Should not believers consider God's judgment on this gross city and begin to make our independent separation from this style of living now? Understanding that this is to be a tribulation judgment, does it not yet reveal to us God's standard of judgment on what is pleasing and displeasing to him? Should we not consider our need to separate ourselves from her sins?
2. The voice states again the justice and retribution due Babylon and reveals the just cause
a. Her sins have reached to heaven. The sins of Babylon were so numerous and so inseparably connected they were "piled up" or "stuck together" that, like bricks and mortar in the tower of Babel in the first place, they had reached heaven.
b. God was remembering their iniquities (perversions of the truth) God does not forget anything but He often doesn't choose to remember them. But know this, He is just and will remember them when His longsuffering has come to its terminal point. The blessedness of every believer is that God does not call to his memory their iniquities. Here the God of mercy has now brought to His mind the quantity and devastation of Babylon's iniquities. God's mercy and longsuffering have come to an end. Judgment has fallen.
c. The voice states the strength of the judgment against her
*She has to have rendered to her what she had rendered to others
*She was to be repaid double according to her works. This is right out of the "Mosaic" law: vs 6ff
*In the cup she mixed (her cup of ini4uities) she is to receive double (wrath)
*Make her punishment (torment and sorrow) as strong as her lust for her own glory and luxury. This too is from the Mosaic law in a principle called lex talionis, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!
*This would come because she arrogantly said she was as relaxed as a queen on her throne and so secure that she could not be harmed. She was not a widow but the wife of many and she would see no sorrow, as she would not have her children die before her. She would always be taken care of. Compare this with Isaiah 47:5-11
*Her plagues were going to come in one day and would include death, mourning and famine.
*She will also be burned with fire for the LORD who judges her is so powerful He cannot be resisted nor stopped

II. BABYLON, THE GREAT CULTURAL CENTER OF THE WORLD,
DESTROYED AND THE WORLDWIDE REACTION TO IT
A. Reactions of the kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her V 9
1. They wept and lamented for her when they saw the smoke of her burning
2. They stood at a distance because they are afraid of her torment. If they get too close they too will die. These were not in the city in it's hour of destruction. They are not going to reenter the city. There is nothing that can be saved from it.
3. They expressed their loss verbally. The destruction had come so quickly that no one had time to respond to it. If you were in it, you were dead. If you were not in it, you would not attempt to reenter even though they are taking a total loss on their investment. Their future was gone; they had nothing. These are likely the kings who will be going on to Armageddon soon. Funding their political machines of conquest is going to be difficult from now on.
4. This is not atypical for the political bosses to distance themselves from the devastation of the business world when it is expedient for them to do so.

B. Reactions of the merchants who became rich by her
1. They selfishly mourned and wept over her for no one was buying their merchandise anymore. It should be noted that there is no mourning over the loss of human life in this city! The merchandise is described. As you read through the list consider the massive trade network that had been developed to bring all of this exotic merchandise to a center that could not produce or develop it. The harvesting, mining, gathering, production and development were done elsewhere and shipped here.
a. Gold and silver
b. Precious stones and pearls
c. Fine linen and purple
d. Silk and scarlet
e. Every kind of object of citron wood
f. Every kind of object of ivory
g. Every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron and marble
h. Cinnamon and incense
i. Fragrant oil and frankincense
j. Wine and oil
k. Fine flour and wheat
l. Cattle and sheep
m. Horses and chariots - they were engaged in arms sales, weaponry and associated war machinery more than likely to the highest bidder without thought of ideology or purpose of use.
n. Bodies and souls of men! Human trafficking was a prosperous endeavor. Slavery, prostitution, child sexual/physical abuse, bondage and every demeaning, dehumanizing trade was prevalent. Having the souls of men means they were agreeable to being dominated and accepted it as their way of life. This city, because of its unclean spirits, had become sadistic, masochistic and abusive to the maximum it could be done.
o. Any fruit a soul longed for
p. All things rich and splendid - things you did not even think of were available.
2. They stood at a distance from her, weeping and wailing, for fear they would be included in her torment
a. They grieve for her greatness being ruined!
b. They are shocked at the quickness with which she has fallen!
3. The shipmasters, the sailors and those who trade on the sea stood at a distance in the same shock as their fellow profiteers. This is how we know this event happens before the bowl judgments. After the second bowl judgment all the sea has become the coagulated blood of a dead man; sea travel and trade will be impossible at that time. With the mention of these merchants, we see that the 2/3 of the sea which had not become bloody after the Second Trumpet (8:8,9) were still navigable with no stopping the trade.
a. They too expressed their dismay and disappointment when they see the smoke of her burning
* "What is like the great city?"
b. They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, once again for their own loss
* They bemoan their loss of gain
* They express shocking dismay that' it all happened so quickly!
III. THE VOICE OUT OF HEAVEN ADDRESSES A NEW AUDIENCE AND
DECLARES THE FINALITY OF BABYLON'S JUDGMENT
A. He turns his speech now to heaven and its citizens, the holy apostles and prophets. God has avenged them!
B. A mighty angel took a huge stone and throws it into the sea as an illustration of the violence with which Babylon is overthrown.
C. The voice now finishes his thought about the finality of Babylon's judgment
1. The day the music died (Bye, Bye Miss Babylonian Pie). The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters will never be heard in her again. Parades- gone; concerts- gone; night clubs-finished; no more mardi gras; music festivals -nevermore
2. No craftsman of any sort will ever be there again
3. No mills or bakeries or their goods will be found there. Foodless!
4. No lights will ever shine there again - no night life, no reading or study at night, no dinner celebrations after dark etc.
5. There will never be the joy of marriage, weddings, youthful unions again. Compare with Matthew 24:37-38
6. By their wealth, the merchants had become the great men of earth; now they were ruined
7. By her sorcery (pharmakeia) she deceived the nations. Pharmakeia is the word from which we get our English word pharmacy. It means to mix drugs for medicine. It is called sorcery for it involved those elements mixed together for the rituals practiced in their spiritual ceremonies. Potions, spells, hallucinogens, mind-altering drugs, behavior-modifying drugs helped convince the participants of the altered reality the shaman wanted them to perceive and trust as real. Not all citizens have to be "stoned" for it to have its behavioral and thought modifications. People are sheep-like and can be led, stone-sober into group behavior expected and demanded by trusted leaders. The nations were and are deceived by this sorcery. Compare with pharmaceutical sales in the world today!
8. The voice's final indictment is that in her, Babylon, was found the blood of prophets and saints and of all who were slain on the earth.

This is an actual geographical location somewhere on the earth during the tribulation. It is probably here now and may be more than just a city; it may include an entire nation. As you recall, Babylon was the capital from which the nation of Babylon received its name. It may be rebuilt as the old Babylon or it may be somewhere else. Many hold that it is rebuilt in the former location. Wherever it is, it is real and the judgment of it should sober every believer. It should cause us to examine our lifestyle and if it seems to relate to the Babylonian one we need to carefully consider God's warning and take heed now. Come out of her is a very pointed commandment. Babylon will never rise again after this destruction. Other passages that deal with Babylon's destruction are: Psalm 137:8; Isa 13:19-22; 14:22-23; Jer 50:13-15, 29,39; 51: 24, 29-37, 56

Revelation 17

A WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOOK STUDY
EDGEMONT BIBLE CHURCH
FALL 2009- SPRING 2010
APRIL 14, 2010
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET, A PARENTHESIS - Part 12
REVELATION CHAPTER 17:1-18
THE GREAT HARLOT, BABYLON, DESCRIBED, EXPLAINED,
AND DESTROYED

I. THE GREAT HARLOT, BABYLON, DESCRIBED
Introduction: Chapters 17 and 18 are not in chronological order with the bowl judgments but are an aside to bring John (and therefore us) up to speed on more biblical history and what has created the need for these judgments. This same type of occurrence took place just after the sounding of the 7th trumpet. Between the trumpet's sound and angel's announcement and the bowl judgments had been a parenthesis in chapters 12, 13 and 14 to give us greater detail on the background of the events going on that are important to the judgments. We have been using the illustration of a news station with several video screens going at the same time capturing news from several different parts of the world since they are happening simultaneously.
A. John is called to a desolate place (wilderness) to see the judgment of the great harlot. Babylon of John's day was a ruined place like this area.
1. She sits on many waters
2. The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her
3. The inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication
B. Appearance
1. A woman riding on a beast
a. The beast is scarlet in color (picture of wealth and power as well as metaphorically for sin)
b. The beast is full of the names of blasphemy
c. The beast has seven heads and ten horns
d. (See below for a discussion on his identity)
2. The woman's apparel
a. She is dressed in purple and scarlet
b. Wearing lots of jewelry of gold, precious stones, and pearls
c. Holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication (Jeremiah 51:7)
d. She has a name written on her forehead
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER
OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF
THE EARTH. (NKJV)

*Mystery - heretofore unknown but now revealed that she has been around for a long time, has been universally influential, the source of all such abominations and that she is both the system of unbelief and a city (as seen later)
*Babylon - location of the beginning of idolatry after the Flood Genesis 11:1-9
*Mother - the source of
*Harlots - those who profit from illicit and therefore evil relationships i.e. moving men away from their relationship to God to a relationship with demons, idols, false philosophies and religions. This is both natural and spiritual pornographic activity
*Abominations - blasphemous activities detested by God that bring about judgment and destruction. Abominations are natural things that have been so twisted from their intent as to abuse them, pervert them and change them into something hideous. Abominations is the word used most are poisonous or destructive to natural health. They may even carry their own destruction within themselves
e. She is drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. Her opposition to God has found its venting in the death of those who have loved God and therefore opposed her and her evil ways. It has been her delight to kill as many of these saints (believers in God in spite of the culture they were in) and those who after His coming believed in Jesus. So passionate has she been about this that it is compared to being drunk - a little calls for more!
3. John is stunned with wonder - interpretive possibilities ~
a. At the wonder of the sight itself; a thing not seen before in this way; that such raw, gross wickedness could exist at all given God's perfection
b. Wonder that such a beautiful, wealthy and attractive one could be associated with such a hideous beast; could have such murderous lust as to be drunk on the wine of her fellow believers; could be so foully corrupted. Disgustingly gross and amazing. She is like a ring of gold in a swine's snout. Prov. 11:22
c. Wonder as the announcement had been made by the angel that Babylon is fallen and instead of fallen this is what he sees. Instead of fallen she looks spectacular, wealthy, drunk but exalted!

C. Explanation
1. The angel questions why John is marveling
2. The angel explains this wonder to John
a. The Beast
*Carries the harlot. He is supporting her, aiding her, using her to accomplish his ends. She is the trap he uses as he himself might not be appreciated in his ugliness. He is unattractive and she is appealingly attractive
*He has been around longer than she has and has a mystery
existence: he was and is not now, yet will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition(Hades).
*There are two beings described with this appearance:
*Satan - Rev 12:3
*The Beast that comes up out of the sea. Rev 13:1 This is a powerful demon summoned by Satan out of the bottomless pit (Rev 11:7; 13:1; 17:8) to inhabit or take over the human anti-christ at the middle of the tribulation. This will be the result of a mortal head wound received by the human anti-christ. This new inhabitation by the demon will appear as a resurrection. He is the image of Satan. He has been the spiritual power behind the kingdoms of this world. We are not told why, when or how he was put in the bottomless pit. He is not in power right now but will be when he is summoned out of the bottomless pit.
*Note on the human anti-christ: Daniel pictures the human antichrist in Dan 7:19-25 as one of the horns or kings that arise out of the fourth beast (Roman empire). He is an 11th horn rising after the 10 horns, which are the kings of the fourth beast, dominating 3 of the original 10 horns. His activity during the first half of the tribulation is described for us in Daniel 9:27; 11:36-45. He is not pictured as being a beast until the middle of the tribulation when he is inhabited by the demon out of the bottomless pit apparently after his assassination.
*All the unbelievers will marvel at him
*His seven heads are seven mountains or seven kings upon which the woman sits. Five have fallen, one is and one is yet to come. The last one continues a short time. An eighth head will arise who is of the seven. This is the beast out of the sea who was, is not and will be. The seven heads are seven nations that have had some kind of influence over or against Israel: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greece, Rome (the one that now is at the time of the writing) and a seventh which is yet to come. There is an eighth but it is the demonic extension of the seventh one. He is the resurrected 7th one.
*The 10 horns are 10 kings who have not received power as of the writing of Revelation. We believe they are still future. They will reign only a short time. They will give their power and their authority to the beast
*The 10 horns will make war with the Lamb and will lose to Him "Rev 17:14 "... for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful." (NKJV)
b. The Harlot
*Sits on many waters. Civilizations must have adequate
water to survive. After the tower of Babel, God spread the rebels out across the earth. Taking their languages and their rebellious unbelief with them (the harlot, Babylon) they settled wherever water was adequate. With them unfortunately went their Babylonian abomination. She sits on many waters or she occupies many places of civilization. Where civilization goes, she goes and is relaxed with them
*consequently many religious systems are almost identical in the gods and goddesses they worship, in the darkness of their ceremonies, their magic, their priesthood, their matriarchal makeup
*Traveling along with her system has been the drunkenness of immorality (uninhibited lust-filled sex) as well as sorcery, known in the Scriptures as pharmakeia. It usually involves some form of drink (wine, honey, flour mixed with a stimulant or mind-altering drug) and a ritual in which the altered state of reality allows demonic activity to create a twisted reality and power. He has always controlled people through esoteric experiences, frenzy, fervor, fanaticism, mind altering drugs, confusion, ritual, high-sounding knowledge, asceticism, paranormal and psychic experiences. She is the mother of them all, the tool he has used to control the masses and blind them from God.
*She is identified as that great city which reigns over kings. Kings have used this spiritual power gained from her to dominate others, to produce fear in the hearts of adversary and follower alike, to brutalize, to persuade, to captivate. But she has used them and gets her will done through them. She is a harlot so she too is used by the very beast which carries her! That great city is Babylon itself from where the original perversion came.
*Babylon is that great demonic religious system that has
blinded the world from the days of Nimrod at Babel. Men are made to worship; it is inherent in them. Sin makes men hide from the true God. Hiding from him and finding her they find their satisfaction to worship
met in her intoxication, perversion, ritual, sorcery and power. Babylon will be the world-wide unified religious system the devil will use to bind all people together in controllable spiritual blindness.

II. THE GREAT HARLOT, BABYLON, DESTROYED
A. Satan's goal has always been to be like the most high. Isaiah 14:12-14
B. He has been willing to keep men from their innate desire to worship the true God by offering them many power substitutes (for which see above)
C. No longer content to be worshipped through the many substitutes he used with the harlot, he prepares to get rid of her. He wants all the worship himself. His methodology has always been to get someone else to do his dirty work. Now that he is done with her he releases the 10 horns who have hated her to finish her off.
1. They are going to violently take away her wardrobe and riches and expose her. She will be seen for what she is: a fraud and no god at all. She was a creation of the devil. She had used people who had used her and the devil gave her a little power for a while. They are removing from this religious system all of its beauty and promises of power.
2. Now that she has been exposed, they begin to pick her apart. She is powerless without the beast's help. Her doctrines are picked apart and "eaten" (destroyed). The belief system is ridiculed. Idols have no power; they are lifeless objects. They will begin to show that her rituals were all just theatrics without the real power behind them. Her ceremonies and visions were the product of another power, not hers
3. Liberating the people from slavery to her, they burn her in the fire. This gets rid of every last vestige of what she plied. They are free now from her fraud and bondage.
D. In this spiritual vacuum, the beast can now introduce his "flock" to the real power, the real mastermind, the real "wizard of Oz" that gave the harlot power, wealth, riches and beauty; his own boss. He gives them the beautiful 7-headed, 10 horned scarlet dragon! The devil himself. No more pretense, no more substitutes; just raw devil! He is worshipped at last!

Revelation 16

A WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOOK STUDY
EDGEMONT BIBLE CHURCH
FALL 20O9 - SPRING 2010
APRIL 07, 2010
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET - Part 11
REVELATION CHAPTER 16:1-21
THE SEVEN BOWLS OF WRATH POURED OUT

IX. THE SEVENTH SEAL IS OPENED (Continued from previous week)
...M. The Seven Bowls of Wrath - A loud voice from the Temple (in heaven) tells the angels with the seven bowls to begin pouring them out. The bowls match what had been done with the trumpets in order but in intensity they are far more intense and more deadly. They are also similar to the plagues of Egypt at the time of the Exodus. The bowls are not deep dished bowls but more like saucers. They are poured out rapidly in succession with little time in between. (Continued from previous weeks)
a. The First Bowl
1. The bowl is poured out on the earth
2. Foul and loathsome sores came upon the men
* who had the mark of the beast and
* on those who worshipped his image
3. The word for sores here indicates they were ulcers, open bleeding or oozing wounds that eats the flesh upon which it rests.
4. Compare this with Zechariah 14:12
Zech 14:12 And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths. (NKJV)

b. The Second Bowl
1. The bowl is poured out on the sea
2. The sea became blood as of a dead man, the solids separating from the liquid; compare the Roman soldier piercing Jesus' side with his spear
3. Every living creature in the sea died; no oxygen to breath
4. Previously, the second trumpet (8:8-9) had brought a volcano-like mountain (perhaps meteor) burning with fire into the sea and 1/3 of the sea had become blood. Here we have the other 2/3's become coagulated blood
5. A much smaller scale fish kill has happened in history off the coast of Florida several times from 1834-1955 in a phenomenon known as the Red Tide. Explosive growths of colonies of a single celled aquatic organism known as Gymnodinium breve produced large quantities of toxins that killed all fish and other aquatic organisms for miles. People eating the effected fish or other marine edibles died from it. The water is turned to a reddish to yellow tint that becomes dark to black as it progresses.

c. The Third Bowl
1. The bowl is poured out on the rivers and springs of water
2. The rivers became blood; this time the blood seems to be flowing and liquid rather than as that of a dead man; it does not seem conceivable that it could stay that way long without the air coagulating it, but the Scriptures do not elaborate on this point. It would seem that blood being the composition it is of solids and liquids that it would be inadequate for living animals to continue living and breathing in it
3. This outcome from this bowl elicits a spontaneous praise from the angel of the waters
* God is addressed in His eternality recalling His name, I AM, YHWH - The One Who is, Who was and Who is to come!
* His righteousness is declared for His judgment in turning the waters to blood
* The reason given is that those who were refreshed from the waters would now have blood to drink in response to their brutal killing of the saints and prophets. It is their just due.
* NOTE: We have seen angels in charge of the winds (Rev 7:1), angels in charge of prisons on earth (Rev 9:1). Now we see there is an angel is charge of the waters of the earth. What else do you suppose they may be in charge of that is not mentioned in Scripture?
4. John hears from the altar words affirming the praise offered by the angel of the waters in strong terms calling upon God, the Almighty and saying that His judgments are true and righteous.
5. Consider the devastation this plague has just brought
* Those on the earth now have no fresh drinking water; they cannot even purify this "water" for drinking; thirst is going to become critical and deadly
* Those with the mark of the beast have horrible ulcerated sores on their bodies. There is now no clean water with which to clean them in any attempt to be relieved of the horrible pain
* There is no longer any water in which to bathe or clean up.
* All metropolitan sewage and clean water systems are now clogged up beyond all repair. This will back up all the sewage systems and all water delivery Systems and plumbing are now ruined.
* With this composition of the water, the animals within must be dying.
* With the sea and rivers no longer in a water state, evaporation and condensation cannot occur so we can see rain will cease from the earth.
* Disease will have to be abundant, killing even more people and remaining animals
6. Previously, the third trumpet had sent a burning star from heaven to the earth on 1/3 of the rivers and springs of waters turning the waters bitter and deadly, killing many people. Here the totality of fresh water is affected.
d. The Fourth Bowl
1. The fourth bowl is poured out on the sun.
2. The sun is intensified in its heat production
3. The effect is that men are scorched with its great heat
4. It is to be remembered (4th trumpet, Ch 8)
* The winds have been withheld (Rev 7:1)
* Moisture is gone: the sea is blood, the fresh water is blood and there can be no more rain
* 1/3 of the trees and all the green grass is gone (Rev 8:6-7); finding a place to get away from the heat is no longer possible
* War, plague devastation, disease, famine have all worked together to produce an unlivable environment
* Now global warming is a reality! No mention has been made earlier about the frozen water of snows in the mountain elevations and the polar ice caps. Under this intense heat they will be melting but it does not say if they will come as water or as blood.
5. Yet for all of this pain, misery and suffering beyond anything known on earth before, the recipients of these judgments retain their hard-heartedness and impenitence. Instead of repenting and crying out to God for mercy, they blaspheme the God who has power over the plagues. They refuse to turn from their sin and give God glory.
6. At the sounding of the fourth trumpet earlier, the sun had been stricken and reduced by 1/3. The stars and the moon had also been stricken by this same ratio with the result that the earth was darker longer each day. Now what time the sun is out it has intensified dramatically.
e. The Fifth Bowl
1. The fifth bowl is poured out on the throne of the beast
2. The result is that his kingdom is full of darkness; this is reminiscent of the darkness of the ninth plague of Egypt – it was a darkness that could be felt. They could not see one another yet the heat remained intense; their ulcers continued to hurt intensely.
3. You will recall that as it was with the Egyptians during the ninth plague, it was only their kingdom that became darkened. The parts of the world which have not been conquered by him yet are not under this darkness nor does it appear that escaped Israel or the gentile believers in Christ are under this darkness.
4. They continue chewing their tongues for the pain was excruciating
5. Yet with the same tongues they were chewing, they blasphemed God because of the pains and sores and refused to repent.
6. We recall that with the fifth trumpet (Rev 9:1-2) the sun and moon had been darkened by the smoke of the bottomless pit and that locusts of a perverted variety had been released on the earth producing intense pain in those they stung.
f. The Sixth Bowl
1. The sixth bowl is poured out on the great river Euphrates.
2. Recalling that all fresh waters have become blood, it is assumed here that it is the bloody waters which are dried up. Any waters from the melted mountain snows do not matter now as all of the water is completely dried up. The intense, ramped-up heat of the sun is assisting in this dried up condition.
3. The reason the river is dried up is to make a dry land route for the armies of the east to come to Israel where the Beast has established his throne. This is God's plan for bringing all of the armies of the world into one place for the final battle, Armageddon, in the valley of decision, Jezreel
4. To further lure the armies of the east to this final battleground, three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast and the prophet.
* These are identified as spirits of demons
* They perform signs
* Their function is to gather the kings of the earth and the whole world to the final battleground of the great day of the Almighty God!
* Compare this to Joel's description of the Great Day of the Lord (Joel 3:9-15)
Joel 3:9 Proclaim this among the nations: "Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up. 10 Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, 'I am strong."' 11 Assemble and come, all you nations, And gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, 0 LORD. 12 "Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. 13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow-For their wickedness is great." 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness. (NKJV)

And Ezekiel gives us a description of it in Ezek 39:17-20
Ezek 39:17 "And as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field: "Assemble yourselves and come; Gather together from all sides to My sacrificial meal Which I am sacrificing for you, A great sacrificial meal on the mountains of Israel, That you may eat flesh and drink blood.
18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, Drink the blood of the princes of the earth, Of rams and lambs, Of goats and bulls, All of them fatlings of Bashan. 19 You shall eat fat till you are full, And drink blood till you are drunk, At My sacrificial meal Which I am sacrificing for you. 20 You shall be filled at My table With horses and riders, With mighty men And with all the men of war," says the Lord GOD. (NKJV)

Compare to Rev 19:17-21
Re 19:17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 "that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great." 19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. (NKJV)
5. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself now speaks and gives a sobering warning to all His own.
Re 16:15 "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame." (NKJV)
g. The Seventh Bowl
1. The seventh bowl is poured out into the air.
2. A great (loud) voice speaks out of the temple of heaven, from the throne "It is done!" (Not the same word that Jesus used on the cross in "It is finished!". The word used here is in the same tense, perfect, as the "cross word" so it means completed action with abiding results. The word here is from a word which means "to become" and speaks of the completion of a previous condition with a new and abiding one having begun. It is my opinion that God is saying here "The old order is judged and finished and the new order has begun!")
3. Because this bowl is poured out in the air, it is the air which responds with noises and thunder and lightning. The earth responds with another massive earthquake, the largest that has ever been.
4. Apparently the great earthquake splits Jerusalem into three parts. I think this is the first work of her becoming the capitol of the millennial kingdom. She has already been judged and she must now be remodeled %as the new capitol. We know (Zech 14:4-10) that when Messiah touches earth at His second coming He will split the Mount of Olives and a valley running east to west will go to the Mediterranean Sea. A spring of water will come up from there that will run year round. Jerusalem will be further elevated and the surrounding ground will be lowered.
5. The cities of the nations fell. There is no major city left standing and undamaged from this quake. This is the beginning of the cleansing of the earth for the millennium.
6. Great Babylon is also "remembered". She is not destroyed in this earthquake for God has a special remembrance for her, since she has been the harlot for the whole world from early on in human history. She will be receiving from Him the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath
7. Every island (these are the land masses in the sea and outside of Israel. You live on one of them!) was leveled back into the sea that surrounded it. You will remember they had all been surrounded by the coagulated blood of the seas. They had already been left without supplies to be shipped in to them for sea traffic is non-existent. They had been surrounded by the death that had occurred from the sea turning to blood.
8. The earthquake levels all the world's mountain ranges
9. It seems miraculous that any humans are left alive but they are! Yet many of those left living will be perishing in one of the worst hailstorms ever – 75lb hail! Still men blaspheme God because of the plague of the hail.

This ends the pouring out of the bowls of wrath but not the final judgments! Still to come is the harlot's destruction, the actual city of Babylon's destruction, Armageddon, judgments on Satan, the beast and the prophet, and the establishing of the long awaited Kingdom of God!
These should be sober warnings and encouragements to us to follow the
Lord Jesus Christ, seeking first His kingdom and its righteousness and to not be drawn into the world with its deceit. Are you trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior, today?

Revelation 15

A WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOOK STUDY
EDGEMONT BIBLE CHURCH
FALL 2009- SPRING 2010
MARCH 17, 2010
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET - Part 10
REVELATION CHAPTER 14:9-20-15:1-8
THE SEVENTH SEAL

“We (really) wrestle not against flesh and blood, but …”

IX. THE SEVENTH SEAL IS OPENED (Continued from previous week)
...L. The Seventh Trumpet sounds - The appearance of the seven angels with the
seven last plagues, their song, occurrences in the temple in heaven. The
vision has moved back from earth to heaven again. (Continued from
previous weeks)
...... a. Another great and marvelous sign - seven angels
.........1. They are seen to be having the seven last plagues in their
possession. We are not told how John knows this
information but we understand that information is known in
some manner in heaven that is beyond the way we know and
learn things here. 1 Cor 13:9-12; compare also the
Transfiguration - How did the disciples know it was Moses
and Elijah speaking to our Lord?
......... 2. They came out of the Temple of God in heaven. Actually it is
called the Temple of the tabernacle of the testimony. This is
a way of saying the tent (tabernacle) that had the holy place
where the work of the priest was done and the "Holy of
Holies" that contains the ark of the covenant, the testimony
of the covenant with God and Israel. They did not come out
of the courtyard but from the presence of God and where He
meets with man. See Numbers 9:15-10:13
......... 3. They are dressed in white linen with golden bands around their
chests
......... 4. The seven plagues are carried by angels out of the Temple and
are therefore being given by God. Why are such horrible
things found in the holy, heavenly temple of God?

.........5. They receive seven golden bowls, one each, filled with the wrath
of God from one of the four living creatures
.........6. The temple is then filled with the smoke from the glory of God
and from His power. No one can enter the temple till the
seven plagues are completed.
......b. The second part of this vision - The victorious ones on the sea of glass
mingled with fire
..........1. They have overcome the beast, his image, his mark and the
number of his name.
.......... 2. They are standing on what looks like a sea of glass. This appears
to be a platform before the throne of God. It has been seen
before when the throne has been seen:
* Rev 4:6 John's first vision of the throne
* Ex. 24:10 Moses, the elders and others
* Ez. 1:22 Ezekiel saw it as well
* This is the first time that someone has been revealed
standing on it and the first revelation with fire on it.
* Since they have been on earth and they are now standing
here in the presence of God it could be assumed their
life on earth is completed (to be absent from the body
is to be present with the Lord).
* Though they are standing in the midst of fire they are
untouched and unmoved by it; rather they are...
* .. singing a song of delivery and worship called the song of
Moses and the song of the Lamb, the words of which
are:
"Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord
God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, 0
King of the saints!
4Who shall not fear You, 0 Lord, and glorify
Your name? For You alone are holy. For all
nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested.1'
(NKJV)
* . . accompanying themselves on harps apparently given to
them by God.
* The fire may be seen as a purifying refining agent for
these great tribulation saints or as the flames of God's
judgment. We are not given a statement in the text as
to the meaning of the fire.
......c. A third element in this vision is the Temple.
..........1. The temple had already been opened when the 7th angel sounded
his trumpet in Rev. 11:19. At that time the ark of the
covenant could be seen. We recall that the veil in the temple
at the time of Jesus' crucifixion was torn from top to bottom.
* The ark of the covenant contains the covenant God made
with Israel. Its terms are about to be dealt with; it had
been broken by Israel and a new covenant with them
had been promised.
* The temple opened them in response to a song of the
triumph of God over the nations of the world, the
coming kingdom of Christ, the time of judgment of
the dead, the reward of the saints and the coming of
destruction.
* Two angels came out of the temple and a third comes away
from the altar of the temple to start and conduct the
reaping of earth in response to the loud voice
addressing the martyrdom of the saints 14:13,14-20
.......... 2. At this second account of the opening, it is the holy of holies, the
"temple" or inner shrine of the ark, that is being opened
* Seven angels exit the holy of holies with plagues which
must have been kept in there.
* Their exit had been preceded by the song of the martyrs in
which they speak of God's coming justice, the inability
of God's enemies to stand against it, God's righteous
judgment and all nations bowing before Him
* Each of them receives from one of the living beings a bowl
of the wrath of God
* The temple is then filled with smoke from the glory of God
so that no one could enter it again until the angels
work was completed
* The temple being filled is reminiscent of the same
occurrence taking place in time on earth before
** Exodus 40:34-35 The consecration of the
tabernacle
** 1 Kings 8:10-il The dedication of Solomon's
Temple
** Ezek. 8:1-11:25 The glory of God is departing from
the temple because of the wickedness of the
children of Israel
** No account is given of the glory of God ever filling
Herod's temple or filling any place again in this
same manner
* The temple being filled with the glory of God is its
cleansing, its sanctification, its consecration
* The tabernacle/temple on earth is but a shadow or type of
the heavenly
* Spiritual warfare is against "spiritual wickedness in high
places" not against flesh and blood.
* Twice in Matthew (16:19, 18:18) Jesus spoke of
binding/loosing things on earth that they shall have
been already bound or loosed in heaven.
* This would indicate that what had happened on earth (as
the shadow) had happened in heaven (the reality), i.e.
the heavenly temple had been defiled with the
wickedness of Satan and his host. The heavenly
temple is cleansed and dedicated so that the new
temple on earth will be a clean and dedicated building
for the indwelling of the King of Kings, the Lord of
lords.

Revelation 14

A WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOOK STUDY
EDGEMONT BIBLE CHURCH
FALL 2009-SPRING 2010
MARCH 10, 2010
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET - Part 9
REVELATION CHAPTER 14:1-20
THE SEVENTH SEAL
(What about Israel?)

IX. THE SEVENTH SEAL IS OPENED (Continued from previous week)
[Note: there is war in heaven. Seems to be about Truth and Deception, not carnal weaponry. Ex. Jesus’ temptation: Holiness versus Evil.]
K. The Seventh Trumpet sounds - The 144,000, the angels announcements and the harvest judgment (Continued from previous weeks)
…a. The vision is still on earth - the Lamb is standing on Mount Zion
……1. This is Mount Zion, Jerusalem on earth and there is no threat to is well-being or safety; He is not running, hiding, fighting; this is Jesus as the Redeemer
……2. The setting is after the horrible days of the two beasts and the dragon’s murderous persecution of those believing in God; we have just “fast-forwarded” to the end of the Great Tribulation (Rev 12:7-13:18)
…… 3. The 144,000 Jewish men (Israelites) who were sealed by God (Rev 7:1-8) are standing with him.(This is the New Covenant of Ezek 36)
 Have His Father’s name written in their foreheads
 Are redeemed from the earth, from among men
 Men not defiled with women; virgins
 Follow the Lamb wherever He goes
 First fruits to God and the Lamb
 No guile is found in their mouth
 Without fault before the throne of God

…b. Sounds from heaven speaking to the Lamb and the 144,000
……1. A voice speaks; it has the sound of “many waters” (waterfall? White water rapids?); It has the sound of loud thunder. Unclear whether this is a single voice, whether it is speaking or singing, whether it is judging or rejoicing
……2. Unidentified harpists are heard playing their harps; not only are they unidentified but it is not clear if they are singing as they are playing. We know from earlier accounts the 24 elders have harps but we do not know if they are the ones playing here. Harps are instruments of praise.
……3. If the harpists are the elders they cannot be singing for the singing is being done before the throne, the four living creatures and the elders.
…c. Looks like the 144,000 may be the singers and they have a direct link to the throne of God. No one can learn the song except the 144,000 50 we propose that they are the ones singing back to heaven to the
accompaniment of the heavenly harpists. There is no real distance between heaven and earth when faith, hope, redemption, love and praise are involved.
…d. Three angels make announcements as the one-by-one fly through heaven.
…… 1. The first angel in a loud voice proclaims the everlasting gospel to everyone on earth defined here as every ethnic group, every tribe, every language group, every people
 Fear God (be being in fear)
 Give to Him glory
 The hour of His judgment has come
 Give Him His worth (worship Him)
 He made the heaven, the earth, the sea and the springs of water
…… 2. The second angel of the same kind and in the same way says
Fallen, Fallen is Babylon pronounced as a completed situation
* Babylon is described as that great city (great because of its age; its role in promoting evil idolatry in the world; its commerce as a world commercial center)
 Babylon is described as great because she made all nations
drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. She made them drink because she took advantage of the perverse lusts in human flesh and gave them what they were looking for. Wine because of its captivating, addictive, intoxicating, behavior-modifying and life-destroying power. Wrath because it is filled with ungodly passion, rebellion, rage, violence and hatred of God. Fornication here as spiritual immorality; disloyalty to the maker and lover of the soul of man; illicit relationships with the “gods” of their own making and of demonic origin.
……3. The third angel of the same kind and in the same way pronounces judgment
* on those who have worshipped the beast and his image, who have received his mark on his forehead or his hand
*shall also drink (since he has drunk to the fullest drunkenness the wine of Babylon) the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. Wine because of its intoxicating, life-destroying power. Wrath because it is full of God’s long-suffering anger against repeated,
multiple violations of His relationship to humanity; because it has been stored all these long years against them.
* The judgment is described as tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Sinners in the hands of an angry God!
 The smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever
 They have no rest day or night
 The angel then pronounces the blessing of those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus; he calls it their patient endurance - something worth waiting for in spite of all trials, temptations and persecutions
 John gets to record this blessing for us in these words
‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” Rev 14:13 (NKJV)
… e. The vision of the Son of Man sitting on a white cloud wearing a golden crown and having a sharp sickle in His hand
……1. This is Jesus as the Judge and Lord of the Harvest. The crown pictures His victory over sin, death and the curse. The sickle pictures the tool of the harvest.
……2.Yet another angel of the same kind and in the same way flies out of the temple (the Throne of God the Father) crying with a loud voice to the One seated on the cloud
 Thrust in your sickle and reap; the harvest is ripe and ready. This may not be a resurrection at all
 He thrusts in His sickle and the earth is reaped. This is the reaping of the redeemed ones; the seed the Son of Man sowed from the beginning. This is a delivery of the Tribulation believers from the wrath that is coming with the next harvesting and not necessarily a resurrection.
 Yet another angel of the same kind came out of the temple of heaven with a sickle joined by another angel of the same kind from the altar commanding the previous angel to reap what is left
 His reaping is of the wicked who bore fruit and it is cast into the winepress of the wrath of God
 The wine press is pressed to its completion and a huge multitude of the wicked die. This is probably the battle of Armageddon

Revelation 13

A WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOOK STUDY
EDGEMONT BIBLE CHURCH
FALL 2009- SPRING 2010
MARCH 03,2010
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET - Part 8
REVELATION CHAPTER 13:1-18
THE SEVENTH SEAL

IX. THE SEVENTH SEAL IS OPENED (Continued from previous week)
J. The Seventh Trumpet sounds - Two beasts on earth with Tribulation powers
(Continued from previous weeks)
1. Standing on the sea shore
a. The vision is clearly back to earth again
* Textual clarity is needed here. Who is it that is standing on the sands of the sea? NKJV says "I" meaning John. Some other texts read "he" most likely referring to the dragon. It makes sense that it is most likely the dragon that is in view here.
b. He is summoning up the beast out of the sea. The statement
probably belongs at the end of the previous chapter as its last verse.
2. The beast comes out of the sea.
a. The sea must be identified with the abyss for Rev 11:7 and 17:8 identify this beast as coming out of the abyss or bottomless pit. Since the abyss had been the dwelling of other demons, it is logical to assume this beast is a demon as well. He must be a powerful demon, as it appears he has been the power behind the 7 empires that have persecuted Israel. He is an identical image of Satan. He looks to be coming out of the abyss corresponding to Satan's fall from heaven about mid-Tribulation. He has 3 1/2 years or 42 months of a reign of terror during the last half of the Tribulation. He will inhabit and empower the Antichrist (see below, "CONJECTURE")
b. The description of this beast matches that of the 4 beasts in Daniel 7with some added detail. These beasts pictured the Babylonian empire (lion), The Medo-Persian empire (bear), the Grecian empire (leopard) and the Roman empire (a dreadful, terrible and powerful indescribable beast) with ten horns.
c. This beast has 7 heads and 10 horns matching the description of the dragon in 12:3. The seven heads correspond to the kingdoms that have enslaved or persecuted Israel: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome and now this last one. This does not imply that other earthly kingdoms did or do not exist but that these kingdoms had a relationship to His covenant people, Israel. Other kingdoms such as the mean, Mayan, Chinese and etc., may all have been powerful and expansive but their relationship with Israel seems to have been nil. The Bible's emphasis is placed on Israel, His covenanted people, their existence, their future, the future of the gentile nations as it is tied with theirs and the devil's hatred of them.
d. This is the last gentile, earthly kingdom before the final earthly kingdom, the one in which Jesus is king, is established. It is a combination of all previous kingdoms, most likely coming geographically and perhaps ethnically from the old Roman empire.
e. This beast is both a nation or kingdom and a person at the same time. Identities of nations are often tied up with a prominent leader even today. Egypt is tied to Pharaoh, Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar, Greece with Alexander the Great, Rome with Julius Caesar etc. Barak Obama speaks for and is the United States in the eyes of many of the world just as it had been with all other previous presidents. So as this beast is spoken of it is both as a kingdom and as its king.
f. He is fully empowered by the dragon in his authority, power, and throne. The devil, who has all earthly kingdoms in his control, puts all the power he intends to share with a mortal, in this last empire and its king. The dragon, of course, is Satan.
g. One of the beast's head is described as having had a mortal wound which miraculously seems to have been healed!
* Since the heads have referred to empires or kingdoms in
the past, is this referring to a kingdom or empire which had been "mortally wounded"? It would be consistent with biblical hermeneutics to keep the symbols the same.
* Since an empire being mortally wounded may be a hard concept to grasp, could this by referring to the king or head over some nation or empire who was wounded mortally in the head?
CONJECTURE: Is it possible that the human anti-christ
who had made the covenant with Israel for a 7 year time of peace is human for his first 3 1/2 years, is assassinated about that time with a head wound and is resurrected by the beast out of the sea? It is the beast out of the sea who takes over his place for the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation then known as the Great Tribulation. This makes sense of Rev 17:11 where he is said to be the eighth who is of the seven.
* Whichever it is, the head wound which killed him is healed and some sort of resurrection has followed, giving rise to another false perception of a Christ. It looks to be an imitation of Jesus' death and resurrection in order to bedazzle the world into believing he is the messiah.
* Whether this is a genuine resurrection allowed by God as a great delusion (2 Th 2:11,12); or it is a lying wonder, a fake or fraud (2 Th 2:9,10) it is enough to fool the whole world into amazed following of him.
h. His first act as the Antichrist/beast is to murder the two witnesses Rev 11:7. He then begins to exalt and magnify himself
3. Satan, the dragon, has given the beast its power and the world knows it. They worship the dragon who has given the beast the power
4. The beast is granted authority and his arrogance, since he can go unchecked, extends now to his mouth speaking great things and blasphemies. He blasphemes God, His Name, His tabernacle and those who dwell in Heaven.
a. He is given authority to do his blasphemous work for 42 months, the last half of the Tribulation or the period known as the Great Tribulation.
b. He is given authority to make war against the saints and to overcome them. Notice: this will be the Gentile saints since believing (elect) Israel has been protected by God.
c. Additionally this authority extends over every tribe, tongue and nation. His is a world-wide empire and kingdom.
5. The worship of him is also world-wide among those whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.
6. A solemn, bone-chilling warning is given to anyone with an ear to hear:
Re 13:10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. (NKJV)

7. The beast out of the earth
a. This is probably some sort of chained demon now released from an earth-bound prison, as he is called "another" (Greek meaning another of the same kind) beast.
b. He is described as much more subtle than the first. He has horns like a lamb but a voice like a dragon. Not much other physical description is given of him
c. When he is in the presence of the first beast he has the same authority as the first beast.
d. He causes the whole earth to worship the first beast
e. He has power to perform miraculous signs and wonders including bringing fire down from heaven
f. He uses these signs to deceive the world (of unbelievers) and to make an image of the first beast and worship it
g. He gives breath to the image to make it speak and kill those who do not worship the image of the beast.
h. He is the one who uses the scheme of a mark of the beast or the use of his name to ensure proper economic distribution of all necessities of life to those with the mark and no other
i. Here is a mystery given to us:
Re 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has
understanding calculate the number of the
beast, for it is the number of a man: His
number is six hundred and sixty-six.(NKJV)

AS A SIDE NOTE: The devil is always about the business of deceiving and creating the false so that he may be "like the Most High!" With the coming of this last beast the unholy trinity is complete: The Devil, is counterpart of the Son; and the last beast is the counterpart of the Holy Spirit.

Revelation 12

A WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOOK STUDY
EDGEMONT BIBLE CHURCH
FALL 2009- SPRING 2010
FEBRUARY 24,2010
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET - Part7
REVELATION CHAPTER 12:1-17
THE SEVENTH SEAL

IX. THE SEVENTH SEAL IS OPENED (Continued from previous week)
H. The Seventh Trumpet sounds - A review of history and a look to the future end of the devil's time in heaven and how it happens.
1. The time of praise and thanksgiving, the opening of the temple in heaven and the noises, thunder, lightning, earthquake and great hail have just ended when a great sign opens in heaven for John to see. It is divided into several connected parts.
2. The vision of the woman
a. Her appearance v.1, 2
She is clothed with the sun
The moon is under her feet
On her head is a garland of twelve stars
She is pregnant and in her 9th month
b. Her identification vv 5,6
The church -problem: The church is the bride of Christ; this woman is giving birth to the Christ which the church did not do!
Mary - problem: Nowhere else in Scripture is so much exaltation given to Mary. She is never illustrated this way. The details of this account match with nothing that has ever happened to Mary
Israel - most likely. Images similar to the ones in this account had been alluded to earlier when Joseph was young and sharing his dreams with his family in Gen. 37:9-11. Here Jacob interprets the dream as Jacob being the sun, Rachel being the moon and his brothers the 11 stars. Through Israel, Messiah was to come. Messiah's mother is Israel.
A sign in the zodiac - This one has the constellation, Virgo, rising in the house of the sun and the moon with 12 stars over her head at the time of the birth of Christ. It has possibilities but none I can confirm. Hard to see how the constellation gave birth to the Christ.
c. Her condition and action vv. 2,5, 6, 13-17
She is near the end of her pregnancy and she is evidently ready to give birth at any time

She delivers a male Child who was to rule the nations with a
rod of iron (an evident reference to the Messiah and
the prophecies concerning his rule and reign). After
the delivery, the child is caught up to God and to His
throne (something that was never said of another
mortal. Caught up to the throne is a reference to the
child's authority with God)
She then flees for her life to the wilderness from the attacks
of the frustrated dragon where she is kept secure for
1,260 days (42, 30 day months or 3 1/2, 360 day
years). Vv. 6, 13-17
The dragon seeks to persecute her
She is given two wings of a great eagle that grants her
a swift and safe flight to the wilderness
The earth helps her by preventing the flood, which was
sent by the serpent to sweep her away to affect
her by "opening its mouth and swallowing the
water"
3. The vision of the dragon
a. His appearance vv. 3,4
The dragon is great, fiery red and angry with the woman. He has seven heads and ten horns. A diadem sits on each head. This shows that he is the real power behind all of earth's kingdoms referred to in the Scriptures. He is a beast of great authority. He seems to be angry with the woman
b. His identification v.9
That serpent of old
Called the Devil and Satan
He deceives the whole world
He is the accuser of the brethren, day and night before God
c. His activity vv. 4, 7,
He is ready to devour her Child as soon as it is born
To assist him in the destruction of the child he gathers a third of the stars with his tail and throws them to the earth
War breaks out against him and his angels. Michael and his angels are fighting with him
He and his angels lose this battle and are cast out of heaven for good!
He is the one who has deceived the whole world with his Lie about being like god, about having supreme power, with pride, etc.
He is the one who, with access to heaven, accused the brethren before God day and night. As an illustration, consider the life of Job.

After he is cast out of heaven he is in a terrible, wrathful rage and goes first for the woman (1,elieving Israel) to destroy her. He persecutes her until her escape. When she escapes, he tries to sweep her away (drowning?)with a flood of waters which the earth promptly swallows up! When she is spared, he turns his wrath on her "other offspring". This would be the Gentiles who have believed in her Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!
4. The time covered by all of this and the timing of the events
a. Skipping a number of details in time, these events cover the time from the Israel's delivery from Egypt (i~6 BC) through the birth of Christ (4 BC) through his Ascension (32~ and on through whatever date is ahead of us for the Tribulation. It has already covered for us 3,456 years!
b. The timing of the war in heaven is the middle of the Tribulation according to Daniel 12:1 when Michael is permitted to engage Satan in war. He and his angels have been permitted limited engagements in the past, but this one they are given full permission to drive him out as the “kingdom(s) of this world have become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ" Rev 11:15. We also see in Daniel 12:1 that when Michael stands up, the time following is known as a time of trouble such as has never been before, a clear reference to the Great Tribulation, the last 3 1/2 years of the 7th week of Daniel, the Tribulation. We also see from this passage in Revelation 12 that there are 1,260 days, which follow his attack on believing Israel (the woman). These references in time are equivalent to 3 1/2 years of 360-day years ("time, times and a half time") or 42 months of 30-day months.
c. This will be consistent with the middle of the Tribulation when the beast, also called the Antichrist, arises to declare himself god in the middle of the Tribulation (the "abomination of desolation" spoken of by Daniel in 9:27 and by our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:15-22) as Paul said would happen in 2 Thess 2:3-12


STILL NO ACTION HAS OCCURRED ON EARTH AFTER THIS TRUMPET!
WHEN THINGS DO START HAPPENING ON EARTH IT WILL MAKE
THE OTHERS ALMOST PALE IN COMPARISON! IN THE NEXT
CHAPTERS WE HAVE EVEN MORE OF THE CATCH UP HISTORY OF
WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON EARTH DURING THE FIRST
SEALS AND TRUMPETS! What a book! What an Awesome God!

A WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOOK STUDY
EDGEMONT BIBLE CHURCH
FALL 2009- SPRING 2010
FEBRUARY 17,2010
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET - Part 6
REVELATION CHAPTER 11:15-19
THE SEVENTH SEAL

IX. THE SEVENTH SEAL IS OPENED (Continued from previous week)
H. The Seventh Trumpet sounds - Angelic announcement
1. The kingdom(s) of this world...
a. The hierarchy of heaven from Creation
* Cherubim (Archangels?), Seraphim, Living Beings, Elders, Angels: Gen 3:24; Ez 10:1-20; Ez 28:14-16; Rev 4:1-11
* Thrones, dominions, principalities, powers Col 1:16;
* Rulers, hosts Eph 6:12
* Watchers Dan 4:13, 17, 23
b. Rebellion in the heavens Isa 14:12-17; Ez 28:12-17; Rev 12:4
c. The fall of man and the usurpation of authority - the kingdom of our God becomes the kingdom(s) of this world!
* Sovereign authority and delegated authority
* Deceit over authority and equality with God ~Satan
* Whom you obey, his servants you are Rom 6:16; 2 Pet 2:19
* The delegated kingdom of God on earth is now influenced and bonded by man's willingness to heed the words of the liar, the devil, Satan, making it literally the kingdom of Satan or the power of darkness and him the god of this age, the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience
* Every place men go to subdue and have dominion over the earth they are dogged with their bondage to the usurper, who would enslave them to follow his dictates; their sin of distrust of God and self-exaltation contributed to the wickedness of the new "kingdom" and the blind following of Satan as if they themselves were still in charge; they are no more than slaves to his will
* The intensity of this battle to control finds a full expression in the "days of Noah" when the wicked angels propagate with the daughters of men to create a hybrid race of half-human/half-demon men resulting in a powerful, but wicked breed that is intended to stop any messiah to come from the seed of man. This of course resulted in the judgment of the flood and the destruction of all but 8 of the human race!
* A battle between the holy angels and Satan and his angels for the right to rule ensues because the kingdom belongs to God and His kingdom rules over all
* In the same way the kingdom was lost, through acceptance of the statements of the liar as true, the only way the holy angels can assist man in his proper dominion of the kingdom delegated to him is if such a man or men trusted God's word over their own self-centered deceit and practiced truth. When men give themselves over to the fear of God, faith in God and application of His Word in obedience that nation or kingdom becomes a holy nation or kingdom. When men give themselves over to the lie, distrust or forget God and exalt themselves, that nation is corrupt and on a path to destruction.
* This is why we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but
against principalities and powers etc. These two ranks of angels are in a pitched battle continuously for the dominion over earth. It is lost or won on the basis of what men believe and act on about God - truth or lie. As we believe, promote and live truth, the region we are in comes under the influence of the Spirit of God and the holy angels. As we reject truth, believe and act upon lies, the region comes under the influence of the one who has come to steal, to kill and to destroy.
* Our goal must be to pray for those in authority over us (that they will be God-fearing, believing leaders) and to promote the truth that tears down strongholds and every thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God
d. A principality is a prince over a region, city or district.
* Any "kingdom" or "nation" which gives itself over to the lie, is dominated by a principality. He is now known in Scripture as the prince of that territory; see Daniel 10:12-13; 20
* Ranking under him and used by him would be those known as powers, rulers of the darkness of this age and spiritual hosts of wickedness. There function is to keep all "citizens" "fat and happy" with their slavery to the wicked one
* But there will be a battle going on for the hearts and minds of the thoughtless people who are being used by the principality. The battle is conducted by the promotion of truth, humility, faith and prayer. These are the tools that empower the holy ones to win the battle for control back from the wicked ones. It is always a tentative holding as men are given over to sin and a sinful nature than they are to holiness. Idolatry, power, control and passions are more likely to dominate than holiness and submission to God. It makes it very hard for any nation to stay under God's control and enjoy His blessings!
2... .have become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ.. .forever and ever!
a. The angel's announcement is so wonderful as to cause all of heaven to pause and to reflect on the truth that the ages-long battle is finally over!
* As a man had lost the delegated kingdom of God, so too now a Man, the man Christ Jesus, has won it back!
* The kingdom on earth shall never be lost again and all things shall be corrected as they ought to be!
*The slavery has ended; the slave master is judged and condemned!
* The new covenant with the house of Judah and the house of Israel will soon be in force!
* The kingdom promised to David and to all Israelis finally to be seen and realized!
* All prophecies and visions shall be completed and fulfilled!
b. The announcement is so profound and awesome, the four elders fall on their faces and worship God!
* They praise His Omnipotence and eternality
* They give thanks for His mighty intervention of grace, mercy, power and righteousness for regaining the kingdom of earth.
* They acknowledge His longsuffering in dealing so patiently with the enraged nations and finally bringing His wrath to bear on their total unrighteousness.
* They acknowledge that the righteous dead will be rewarded and the unrighteous dead will finally receive the well-deserved punishment
* They acknowledge that those who have destroyed the earth, the devil and all his hordes, shall be finally themselves destroyed!
3. The temple of God in heaven, which had been closed to sinful man, is now opened for all to see!
a. This means that God's presence will now be open to all men!
b. Mercy, grace, fellowship with God are now an every moment occurrence!
c. As God had foretold, He will tabernacle among His people, be
their God and they shall be His people!
d. The missing Ark of the Covenant is now seen to be in the Holy of Holies in heaven!
3. As a response to this announcement, the atmosphere and the earth respond with lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake and great hail!