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Revelation #5
Chapters 17-22
Plan for Today
• Recap the story so far
• Go through chapters 17-22
• When will it happen?
• What are the key lessons?
Chapters 1-3 • Revelation of Jesus
• Revelation of us and the church
• Jesus speaks to the churches
• Learn lessons from the churches
Chapters 4-7• Throne room of God
• The scroll with 7 seals – the judgment
• The rapture – before judgement falls
Chapters 8-12• The breaking of the first seal indicates the
start of Daniel’s 70th week (probably). The Antichrist “confirms a covenant”
• 7 trumpets herald destruction
• John eats the little book
• The gentiles (the huge army?) capture Jerusalem and take control of the temple
Chapters 8-12 contd• For 3½ years (first half of Daniel’s 70th week)
– Jews are allowed to visit temple and continue sacrifice
– 2 witnesses prophesy and more Jews (and others) get saved
• After the 3½ years (middle of Daniel’s week)– The beast kills the 2 witnesses– Jews flee to a wilderness– 2 witnesses resurrected– 144,000 called up to heaven
• A political leader will rise to power over a group of 10 nations (the G10?)
• 3 of their leaders will oppose him but he will subdue them
• At some point he will experience a miraculous healing of a deadly head wound
• At some point he will be possessed by the spirit of antichrist (5th trumpet?)
• He will oppose the 2 witnesses and eventually kill them
Revelation 13 – summary
• He will have a deputy who does signs and wonders
• A number of key signs identify the middle of Daniel’s 70th week– The temple is occupied, the sacrifice stopped
and a statue of the antichrist is set up
– The statue gains the power to talk and to kill
– A new economic system is enforced
• People idolise the charismatic new leader who seems to bring sense and order in a time of chaos
Revelation 13 – summary
• Angel carries the gospel (14:6) – it’s not too late to get saved
• Angel warns not to accept the mark of the beast (14:9-11)
• 2 Harvests
• 7 bowls – army gathers at the hill at Meggido (ch 16)
Revelation 14 -16
Rev 17-18 - The Fall of Babylon the Great• Details of events in Rev 14:8, 16:19 – the
second half of Daniel’s 70th week• The prostitute on the beast = a city (v18)• She sits on seven hills (v9 - probably
Rome)• The old city of Babylon was desolate by
the time Revelation was written• She sits on a beast – represents support
from 4th kingdom of Daniel 7 (from which the Antichrist comes)
• 10 horns are the same 10 nations who support the Antichrist
Rome/Babylon
• Is rich (v4)
• Killed saints (v6)
• Has/had worldwide influence (v2,15,18)
• Prostitute/ causes adultery – draws people away from God
• Some people speculate about the Tower of Babel, the Roman Catholic Church or remnants of the Roman Empire (Daniel 2, Daniel 7)
Rev 17-18 - The Fall of Babylon the Great
The destruction of Rome• Partly by God (16:18-21)• Partly by the Antichrist and 10 nations
(17:16) who turn against it• May involve ruining the Roman Catholic
church as all are forced to worship the beast
• The earth is surprisingly shocked – economies collapse (18:11-19)
• Perhaps linked to destruction of other cities and the mark of the beast – luxury goods are no longer so important
Rev 17-18 - The Fall of Babylon the Great
• Hallelujah!• The church is the bride of Christ
(Eph 5:23-32)The steps of Jewish Marriage1. Betrothal - The father pays a dowry/bride
price which is delivered by the son2. Preparing a place - The son returns to
his father’s house to prepare a house / extension depending on the size of the land
3. Return to fetch bride – she expects him but doesn’t know the exact time
Rev 19 - The marriage and a battle
The steps of Jewish Marriage
4. Preparation - The bride makes herself ready
5. Wedding ceremony – the two become one
6. Marriage supper / wedding feast
The marriage of the lamb is a culmination of our relationship with God
Rev 19 - The marriage and a battle
• After the marriage Jesus and the “armies of heaven” come to earth for a great battle
• The second coming (third?)• Zechariah 14
– V2 all nations fight at Jerusalem– V4 the lord will stand on the mount of Olives
(Acts 1:11-12)– A valley opens for those loyal to God to flee
(v4-5)– In that day God becomes king over all the
Earth (v8-9)– Millennial reign begins (v16-20)
Rev 19 - The marriage and a battle
• Only soldiers are killed in the battle – most of the people survive (v19,21)
• The beast and false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire (Gehenna)
• Gehenna was prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41)
Rev 19 - The marriage and a battle
• Satan locked in the Abyss for 1000 years (the Millennium)
• Christ rules for 1000 years – who rules with him?– Those who didn’t receive the mark (v4)– All with thrones and authority to judge (v4)
= the saints (2:11, 26-27, 3:21)
• Who is in the first resurrection? (v5-6)– The dead in Christ who rose first– Those alive at the rapture– Those saved during tribulation
Rev 20 - 1000 years, final judgement
• Satan is released and deceives the nations (v7-8)
• Gog and Magog lead the nations to the last battle (v8, Ezekiel 38-39) – we don’t know who they are – it’s a 1000 years away
• Fire falls from heaven to destroy everyone• But the day of the Lord will come as a thief
in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10)
Rev 20 - 1000 years, final judgement
• White throne judgement – the second resurrection
• All the ‘dead’ judged – anyone not part of the first resurrection
• Our judgement is for reward (Rev 11:18)• This judgement is for ‘destination’ - those
not written in the book of life cast into the lake of fire (the second death)
• Difficult to know if you can get ‘saved’ during the millennium
• Death and Hades (the grave) thrown into the lake of fire
Rev 20 - 1000 years, final judgement
• The bride comes from heaven in the city of the New Jerusalem (v2-3)
• God now lives with men (v3)
• No more tears, death, mourning, pain (v4)
• No sea (v1)
• God provides the light (v23) – no need for sun and moon
• Gold, precious stones, gates of single pearls – the only way John could describe it
Rev 21-22 - New heaven and earth
• The city is 1,400 miles wide, long and high
• More description of heaven – the river
• It’s coming soon (v6, 7, 10, 12, 17, 20)
• Whoever is thirsty let him come (v17)
Rev 21-22 - New heaven and earth
Summary of Chapters 17-22• The city of Rome/Babylon falls• The marriage of the lamb takes place• The last battle at Jerusalem – beast and
false prophet thrown into lake of fire• The reign of 1000 years• Satan thrown into lake of fire• Earth cleansed by fire• The final judgement – unsaved thrown into
lake of fire• New heaven and earth• New Jerusalem
When will it happen?• We might be living in the last days
Total located Earthquakes 1973-2006
When will it happen?• We might be living in the last days
• The sign of the ‘fig tree’ (Matt 24:32+, Luke 21:25+) is not proof we are in last days
• Every sign that has to be fulfilled might have happened already
• It might not be for 1000’s of years
Key Lessons
• Be ready now
• Heaven is how it’s meant to be
• The judgement is partly to do with making the choice clear
• Jesus is amazing