The Epistle of Jesus #16: The Kingdom Comes - Revelation 20

The Epistle of Jesus #16: The Kingdom Comes - Revelation 20

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Introduction: Five great events that close all of time for all eternity take place in Chapter 20.

First Satan is taken and bound for 1000 years,

Secondly, The rest of the righteous dead, the Old Testament saints are resurrected and join Christ and together they reign with the New Testament saints during the Millennium.

After the Millennium, Satan is released, deceives the nation and there is on last great battle that takes place at the end of the 1000 years,

Finally, the unrighteous, unsaved dead in Hell are raised and brought before the Great White Throne for judgment and then cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity.

 Savior Rules - Revelation 20:1-3

1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

The Millennium

The thousand-year kingdom of Christ is called the millennium. The word millennium is a Latin word composed of mille, “a thousand,” and annum, “year”; thus, a thousand years.

Some would claim that there is no millennium, or that the millennium is taking place now and not after the tribulation. But just note how many times the phrase “1000 years” is used in this passage, six times, in six verses. That means six times you must deny scripture if you refuse to believe in a literal 1000 year reign of Christ which begins after his return and before eternity starts.

And why would you want to deny something as wonderful as the millennium? It will be the greatest period of history on earth since the Garden of Eden. The Old Testament is filled with the promise of God to His people of a time of heaven on earth. That time is revealed to us in the Book of Revelation as lasting 1000 years and takes place after the Messiah, the hero that defeated the Beast and the Dragon, saves Jerusalem.

Old Testament Descriptions of The Millennium

We could spend the rest of our time this morning reading the passages of the Old Testament that tell God’s promise of the Millennium to His people. Passages like Isaiah 2:2-4, 9:6-7; 11:4-9; 30:15-33; 35; 44; 65:17-66:13; Jeremiah 23:5-6 or Psalms 72. Instead I just want to highlight a few of the most memorable one.

Isaiah 2:2-4 And it shall come to pass in the last days,
that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains,
and shall be exalted above the hills;
and all nations shall flow unto it.
And many people shall go and say,
Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways,
and we will walk in his paths:
for out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
And he shall judge among the nations,
and shall rebuke many people:
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruninghooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.

Isaiah 35:5-8, 10 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water:
in the habitation of dragons, where each lay,shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. …
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs
and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 65:17– 25 17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. 24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

Ruling and Reigning with Jesus

The Millennium is mostly about Israel, it has been promised them since the exile to Babylon and even hinted at before by David. And though it is mostly their kingdom on earth, isn’t it amazing that we will also be there ruling and reigning with our Savior.

I don’t know all of what that entails, but I do know that only heaven will be more wonderful than Christ on earth sitting on the throne of David and all the peoples of the earth will come to hear him.

Won’t it be almost unbelievable during the Millennium, that instead of trying to get people to come to church, trying to find a way to bring people to the Lord and struggling at every step in this sin-soaked world, instead of that hard path, people will be struggling to come to Jesus! We might have the job of just being ushers, telling millions of people, “Right this way to Jesus.” Wouldn’t that be great?

Can you imagine how many people will be saved during this time? First there is going to be a population explosion, there is no sickness, no death with perhaps the exception of accidents, there is no hunger, no shortage of water, the earth will flourish as it did in the Garden of Eden, but there won’t be a serpent. So, there will be billions upon billions of people born and they will all come to hear Jesus.

They will hear, Jesus himself, not some poor old preacher trying to do his best to tell them about Jesus, but they will hear and see Him. They will see and hear the one who spoke as none other before ever spoke. They will hear Him as Galilee, Nazareth, Sychar, Jericho and Jerusalem did when He first came. Back then in just about 2 years He had 1000s of followers flocking to hear Him, to find Him, to listen to His teachings. Just imagine how many will believe over a 1000-year time period, while Jesus teaches and preaches .

After all these hundreds of years of reading the Sermon on the Mount, the Olivet Discourse, the teaching in the Upper Room, all those years listening second hand as the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to prayer, but then we will be able to hear Him ourselves. The whole world will be able to hear Him.

How many will believe then will be saved? We can’t know exactly but in my mind’s eye and in my heart’s hope I see billions upon billions, upon billions. There will be many more saved during the Millennium, than were saved during the thousands of years before Jesus returned.

People of that generation will look at us and whisper, “They believed before Jesus came back! What faith they must have had!”

That’s us, that’s this age we now live in. A time of walking by faith and not by sight and great is the reward for those who keep that walk.

Remember the story of Jesus and Thomas? In John 20:26-29 Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Paul made this statement in 2 Corinthians 5:6-7 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

That is our task, that is our calling, that is our challenge until Jesus comes back, “Walk in faith.” And one day, one glorious, wonderous, fantastic day we will see Him face to face and hear those wonderful words of life directly from His own lips.

Illustration: Won’t It Be Wonderful There

When with the savior we enter the glory land
Won't it be wonderful there
Ended the troubles and cares of the story land
Won't it be wonderful there?

Chorus:
Won't it be wonderful there
Having no burdens to bear
Joyously singing, with heartbells all ringing
Won't it be wonderful there?

Walking and talking with Christ, the Supernal One
Won't it be wonderful there
Praising, adoring the Matchless Eternal One
Won't it be wonderful there?

Chorus

 Saints Reign – Revelation 20:4-6

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The Resurrection of the Righteous

All the righteous, all the saved, of all ages and times, will be resurrected during the first resurrection. But we need to understand that first here as it is used is in regard to the second resurrection of the unrighteous. The first resurrection by the power of God took place in the Old Testament under the power of Elijah and Elisha. In the New Testament, Jesus stopped a funeral procession and raised a son to his mother and brought back to life a precious daughter to her parents. Lazarus was raised 4 days after his death and all Jerusalem heard of the miracle. Jesus was the first fruit of all the resurrected. Some graves were opened when Jesus was crucified. (Matt. 27:52–53) Paul and Peter both were able to bring back to life disciples of Jesus during the early days of the church.

So, this is not first in the sense of chronology, it is first as regards the book of Revelation and as contrasted with the second resurrection.  This first resurrection begins at the Rapture of the saved during the church age. It continued with the resurrection of the two witnesses will took place as the whole world looked on in Revelation 11. Next here we have the resurrection of the faithful heroes of the tribulation, martyred by the beast and his followers, This will occur soon after Christ returns to earth, Revelation 20:4–5. The last resurrection will be that of the Old Testament saints also at this this time, though not specifically spelled out here, but we read of it in Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel

Daniel 12:1-3 ​ And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Ezekiel 37:11-14 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

You must also understand that this is a bodily resurrection. John has seen the saints, Old Testament and New Testament, in heaven with the Lord as souls, spirits. But we were created as body and soul and Jesus in his resurrection was not spirit but once again body and soul. So, all the resurrected will be following the “first” resurrection. Our souls which have “been absent from the body, but present with the Lord” will now be reunited with a perfect sinless, ageless body.

And yes, I will have hair. Some of you won’t even recognize me.

After the last of the “first” resurrections the saints shall reign with their King.

This will include the Old Testament Saints, the true Israel but it will also include us, the church, the Bride of Christ, in some way.

Jesus said in Luke 22:29–30 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Not sure exactly how this is going to be done and it really doesn’t matter. Personally, I’m hoping the Lord gives me a mountaintop somewhere like Joshua gave Caleb but an island would be just as nice.

Transition

The next event in Revelation 20 is a hard one for us to understand. But it has its parallels with the Garden of Eden just as the Millennium’s wonder and beauty are also comparable to the Garden.

Satan Released – Revelation 20:7-9

7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Rebellion of the Nations

Satan, who as taken and bound with a chain by a single angel, is released from his prison, his stinking foul pit. The Bible says he goes forth to the four corners of the world, to Gog and Magog, as numerous as the sand of the sea and once again they march on and surround Jerusalem. But it is a very short battle and God sends fire from heaven and their destruction is so complete that it is as though they were “devoured.”

Now you should ask yourself, “Why is Satan set free? Why is he loosed for a short season here at the end of the millennium, the most peaceful time in all the earth’s history?

I certainly don’t have the mind of God on this but I think it is the same answer as would be given to someone asking why Satan was allowed to live after he rebelled and why he was allowed into the Garden of Eden to tempt Eve and Adam.

It is the same answer given when someone asks why is there sorrow, pain and sickness in God’s creation? The same answer to why there is a heaven and a hell.

After 1000 years of no Satan, God releases him one last time. This gives all those who were born during the Millennium, and there will be billions upon billions, a greater population than the world has ever been able to sustain, It give those people a choice, it is the final proof that man is not a fatalistic puppet jerking at the strings God pulls. But that God desires and will have only those who truly choose Him as their God.

This is also the finally, proof of God’s grace, His mercy and man’s inherit sin nature and willingness for rebellion.  Even with Jesus, physically on the earth, and Satan bound the Bible says a number more than the sand of the sea from among the nations will turn against God and once again follow Satan.

Could there be any greater proof of God’s giving mankind a choice. Even if that choice is eternally and desperately wrong.

After this last war, Satan is once again taken and now cast into the Lake of Fire, joining the Beast and false Prophet who have been there for 1000 years.

Transtion:

They are the first inhabitants of the Lake of Fire for Hell has not yet been emptied of those who are there. Look at vss. 11-15

 Sinners Judged – Revelation 20:11-15

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The Great White Throne Judgment

Quickly I want you to note these things.

This is the second resurrection, but it is not a resurrection to eternal life but a resurrection to eternal death.

All the dead, who were not in the first resurrection(s) will stand before God seated upon the Great White Throne, which symbolizes utter, pure holiness and justice.

The unrighteous dead are now judged by two books. The first is the book of their life, the book of their deeds and actions. They are judged according to their works and their place in the Lake of Fire, their degree of punishment is according to their works. The Lake of Fire is just what as its title declares it to be, but even in everlasting fire there is justice. A Hitler, a Stalin, a Mao will not be judged in the same way that person who did not commit the same horrific sins and atrocities that they did.

How do we know this? Jesus told us.

Degrees of Eternal Punishment

Matthew 11:20-24 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

Mark 6:11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

I have no idea how the God will make even an eternal lake of fire just but He will. They are judged according to their works.

But if anyone is counting on the Lake of Fire being tolerable, they need to also remember what Jesus said about eternal punishment. And He said more than any other person in scripture, because He knew more.

The Suffering of the Lake of Fire

Mark 9:43-48 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Their torment will be the same as those described in Revelation 14:9-11 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Conclusion:   

The Contrasts of the 20th Chapter

We go from the heights of God’s grace and love to the depths of His justice and judgments in this chapter. We see the world as it was meant to be when Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden but we also see the final result of man’s sin which spoiled the Garden and will close the Millennium.

I want to live on the heights. I want to live on the heights in my life now and I sure want to be on those height reigning with my King Jesus during the Millennium. And just like those who face a choice at the end of those 1000 years, it is my choice right now. I can choose where I will spend the Millennium and where I will spend eternity.

The gift of God’s image to us is also the gift of free will and the consequences of such a great gift is literally the price of eternity. Where do you intend to be when eternity begins? Then make sure you make the right choice and be a part of the resurrection of the righteous and not the resurrection of the damned.

 

Epistle of Jesus #15: Hallelujah In Heaven, Hell on Earth Revelation 19

 

Epistle of Jesus #15: Hallelujah In Heaven, Hell on Earth Revelation 19

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Introduction: The Lamb Wins

Haddon Robinson writing in the Daily Bread, tells a story that took place back in the late 1980. “Spontaneous celebrations of freedom erupted all across Eastern Europe in the late 1980s as atheistic and tyrannical governments suddenly disintegrated. One of the more unusual displays of liberty took place in Czechoslovakia on November 27, 1989.

Although church bells had not been heard in that freedom-starved nation for 45 years, at noon that day every church bell in the country began to ring. The pigeons were as startled as the people. A sign placed on the front lawn of a church in Prague summed up the joy of the moment. It read simply: The Lamb Wins!

Today in the 19th chapter of Revelation, we are going to see through John’s eyes the final and ultimate victory of the Lamb of God as Jesus return to earth for the last battle of the Tribulation.

Review- The Judgement of God and the Salvation of God

The Seals, the Trumpets, the Vials. One series of judgments leading to the next series of judgments, the 7th seal reveals the 7 trumpets and the 7th trumpet reveals the 7 vials.

And haven’t the judgments been terrible, haven’t they been beyond anything that has been seen or can be imagined today? Often when natural disasters strike in our day and time, things like hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, or terrible plagues or hellish wars, we hear people asking the question why did God do that? Why did God allow that? Let me say this, unless the Bible declares that God has done something like that then you better be careful blaming Him. Be careful blaming the One you need to make it through those horrific events, because in your misplaced anger you will not turn to the only One who can help you through.

Those things happen in this world because sin has been introduced into this world, because even creation has been tainted and the terrible price of sin can be felt even on a global and universal basis. Its foolish in this time to blame God for the disasters that happen every year, but when the Tribulation begins, the Bible then very clearly tells us that God is judging and His judgement encompasses catastrophes of weather, plague, war and even falling mountains and stars. All the world will know because the angels of heaven will declare it. “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

And today we have reached the end of all those judgments. Only one thing is left, a great and terrible battle, the battle of Armageddon.  But before that battle can start, there must be some things that take place in heaven.

 Heaven Sings - Revelation 19:1–10

The Songs of Heaven

There are three songs sung in these opening verses.

Alleluia, For The Harlot is Judged (vv. 1–4).

Praise, For the Lord God Reigns (vv. 5–6).

Rejoice, For The marriage of the Lamb is come (vv. 7–10

Alleluia, For The Harlot is Judged (vv. 1–4). 1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: 2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. 3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. 4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

This is the Hallelujah Chorus of Revelation, four times in these opening verses we hear the host of heaven sing out, Hallelujah!

The first Song of Hallelujah is sung because the Great Harlot, the anti-religion, the persecutor and killer of God’s people has been destroyed as we studied last week. Revelation 18:24, “And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

These songs are a direct response to Revelation 18:20 “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.” These songs of heaven are the rejoicing of those who have waiting for so long for the justice of God to fall. For the wrong to be made right. For the truth and might of God to be fully revealed upon the one who has persecuted His beloved.

The next song of heaven is in vss. 5 and 6. It flows directly from the song of vss. 1-4.

Praise, For the Lord God Reigns (vv. 5–6). And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Don’t you feel the power of John’s description? I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, the sound of a high crashing waterfall, the symphony of a mighty thunderstorm” What John is describing is the near deafening song of Praise to God.

Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth!

The word Alleluia, or Hallelujah, is taken directly from the Hebrew. This word and the word Amen are both Hebrew words and are the oldest words still in common use today. Hallelujah is a compound word, formed from two words other Hebrew words, hallel, which mean “praise,” and jah, which is a short form of the word for God. Hallelujah means, “Praise God!”

But I know you already knew that. You’re all a bunch of old Hebrew scholars yourselves. Let me show you something I didn’t realize. In Psalms 111 and 112, where we read, “Praise Ye the Lord” in the Hebrew that is the word Hallelujah. From Psalms 146 to 150,  each psalms begins and ends with Hallelujah. Now, I didn’t know that until I researched this sermon. Isn’t great to learn new things and isn’t even greater leaning them from God’s Word? You know what that makes me want to say? “Hallelujah”

Listen to Psalms 150

Praise ye the LORD. (Hallelujah)
Praise God in his sanctuary:
praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts:
praise him according to his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the sound of the trumpet:
praise him with the psaltery and harp.
Praise him with the timbrel and dance:
praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
Praise him upon the loud cymbals:
praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD.
Praise ye the LORD. (Hallelujah)

There is one more song to be sung and it is vss. 7-10

Rejoice, For The marriage of the Lamb is come (vv. 7–10). Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

This is the song announcing the marriage of the Lamb. The great chorus of heaven sings out and rejoices because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and she has made herself ready. She has been granted to dress herself in fine linen, bright and clean for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

The marriages in Jesus’ time usually had three major events. First there was the marriage contract, decided by the parents while the bride and groom were still children. There had to be proper payment for the bride, the more desirable the bride the greater the dowry. When the dowry was paid and the contract agreed upon then the couple were already considered legally married, which is why the Bible talks about Mary being espoused to Joseph and being found with child. That would be adultery even though that had not been through a marriage ceremony.

2nd, when a couple had reached a the right age, the second step in the wedding took place. This was a ceremony in which the bridegroom accompanied by his friends would go to the house of the bride and escort her to his home. Only those who were ready to go to the wedding would be permitted to go with the bridegroom.

3rd and finally, the bridegroom would bring his bride to his home and there they would celebrate with a marriage supper or feast..

Jesus of course is the bridegroom, and the true church is the bride. The contract was part of the New Covenant draw by God the Father and Jesus The Son. The dowry, the bride price paid, was the life of Jesus given upon the cross. The rapture is the groom coming back for his bride and the guests and here in Revelation 19 is the wedding feast. This is the last act of the church age and the last action that must be completed before Jesus returns as Messiah and King.

The angel tells John, “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. These are the true sayings of God.” When John sees all of this and when John hears all of this, he falls at the feet of the angel and the angel stops him and says, “See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” He is telling John that he the Angel has no power, no prophecy but that it all because of God. Worship God, he says and he reminds John why he is there. “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” This is the epistle of Jesus, not an angel, no matter how great. It is all about Jesus, it is all from Jesus and it will all come to pass by Jesus.

It’s over

You know why I think John fell at the feet of the angel? I think it happened because John had just heard and seen the end. After all the visions, all the judgments, all the terror, all the blood of the saints, all the prayers of the saints, its over and the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

It’s over and the persecution of the church, the bride of Christ has been avenged. Jesus the bridegroom has taken rightful vengeance upon the Great Harlot that has beaten, persecuted, imprisoned, martyred and murdered His bride.

Remember where John is actually out as he sees these visions? He’s not in heaven yet. He’s back on earth, he’s on the isle of Patmos, left there to die by the Roman Emperor. Remember who John is? The last living apostle, all his fellow apostles are dead. His spiritual family on earth under threat from the same powers that banished him to die. How hopeless it must of seemed on that dark, miserable slab of volcanic rock not even a mile wide.

But now, he has seen the end. He has seen the bride dressed in fine white linen, because she did not fail. She triumphed, she was victorious over all the world’s worst attacks and threats. She is dressed in white, a white that represents the righteous acts of the saints. John sees it and he collapses in gratitude, in relief, in exhaustion, in thankfulness.  I think he tried to give thanks and praise to the angel we read about back in Revelation 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.

He simply collapses in gratitude at what he now sees is the true, unchangeable end for God’s people and for the Bride of Christ.

Paul tells the Ephesians in 5:25-27, that Jesus gave himself for the church, his bride and that through His power and grace she has been sanctified, and cleansed Bride of the Lord. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” This is what John now sees, no wonder he is overcome.

 Heaven Opens - Revelation 19:11-16

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

The Hero of Heaven

On these verses One of the authors I was reading as I prepared for this sermon said, “This paragraph has always seemed to me almost too overwhelmingly glorious for exposition.” – Wycliffe Bible Commentary. How do you do anything but just sit back, watch, listen and try not to miss any detail of what is taking place before the eyes of John?

After the emotional events of John seeing and hearing the hallelujah chorus  in the opening of the chapter, after seeing the wedding feast of the Lamb, with the Bride arraigned in white made ready to stand with Jesus. After his emotional collapse before the angel, he is given no time to recover but suddenly “I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and the rider was called Faithful and True.”

Then John begins to list the name and description of the rider of the white horse. This is the rightful and true rider of white horse, Revelation 6 opens with a rider on a white horse, but he is anything but Faithful and True. That was the Anti-Christ, the false messiah and the world welcomed him, but now comes the rightful rider, now come Jesus, the faithful and true and he comes in righteousness to make war upon the armies of the Beast as they storm Jerusalem.

His Description

His eyes were as a flame of fire. There is fire in his eyes showing wrath and purpose.

On his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

WA Criswell said of this phrase, “That refers to His essential deity, the incommunicable, unpronounceable, unknowable name of God.  No man can know God.  Finite as we are, restricted as we are, the essential deity of God is something a man cannot enter into, but (only) the Lord God who is coming!”

And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: This signifies the terrible battle that is about to take place, the slaughter, the carnage and the righteous rage of the one who rides the white horse.

His name is called The Word of God. ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Seven times in the Bible the word Logos is used to describe Jesus. It is John’s particular name for Jesus. It describes him as the direct and divine expression of truth and God the father.

His Armies

John sees the armies which were in heaven, all the armies, the army of angels, the host of heaven with Michael and Gabriel their captains. The armies of Israel with Joshua and David their great and fearless captain, and the armies of the Bride, led perhaps by Peter, the fisherman but now rightfully taking up a sword of the Lord.

The armies followed after Jesus, also riding white horses, and their uniform is fine linen, white and clean.

His Slaughter

And though the armies of heaven ride with Jesus, it is Jesus who leads and it is Jesus who destroys the armies gathered against Jerusalem and in the valley of Armageddon. John sees that “out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. He destroys the might of the armies of the world and then like the ancient kings that took possession of Israel in the Old Testament. He now takes possession of the nations of the world. He has defeated them with the sword of his mouth, with a single spoken word coming from the Rider on the white horse and all the power of all the worlds mightiest armies, all the destruction of their most terrible weapons are crushed. Just one word.

Remember it was the spoken word, the brought the universe into existence and that same unfathomable, inexhaustible, all-consuming power will be turned on this army of over 200 million. No wonder earlier in Revelation we read that the blood would run as deep as a horse’s bridle. That broad valley will be filled by the blood as He treads the enemy down like a winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  

The Prophets of God have long before seen the visions of this day.

Isaiah 11:4–5  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Isaiah 63:1–6 1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? 3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. 4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. 5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. 6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

Joel 3:9–17 9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare 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 pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. 11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. 12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. 13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats 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.

Zechariah 14:1–5 1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Zechariah 14:12–13 12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. 13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

His Eternal Title

And as John watches, perhaps as the Lord Jesus ride past him to fight the last battle of the Tribulation,  he sees a name written on His clothes and running down the legs of that vesture, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

As if to remove any doubt, to lift any confusion, to show the foolish, sinful, hateful, rebellious world who it truly is that is coming with all the armies of glory. This is Jesus of Nazareth, this is the lowly Jew you rejected. This is the one who treated as an lunatic and mocked, this is the one you saw as a fool and walked away, this is the one you told yourself was only a myth, this is the one you branded an outlaw and crucified. This is the One who now returns in all His glory and power, all his brightness and authority. This is God the Son, this the King of Kings, this is the Lord of Lords.

You’ll never see him as anything else after this day!

Hell Fills - Revelation 19:17-21

And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

The Justice of Heaven

In one decisive moment, the armies are slain and all that remains is for the scavengers of the air to come and feast on their flesh.

In one decisive moment the great military leader of the earth, the man who had all the power of Satan the great Dragon, all the power of he armies of the world at his command is seized and along with the false prophet thrown alive into the lake of fire. The Bible tells us that two men were taken to heaven without dying Enoch and Elijah and now here it seems the scales are balanced for two are thrown alive into the Lake of fire.

The battle is over and all that is left is the slaughter and the scavenging. What a terrible waste, what Hell on earth, but what a victory and what a rejoicing in Heaven.

 Conclusion: 

You know where I want to be on the Day of the Lord? I’ve only ridden a horse about three times in my life, but when the Day of the Lord comes, just after the wedding feast. I want to hear Michael, or Joshua or Peter call out, “Mount Up and Ride!” or maybe it will be more Old Testament sounding like “Ye Armies of the Heaven, Arise and ride forth to battle for our Lord and King.” I like that better.

I want to be on the winning side of heaven. I want to be on that white horse, dressed in white linen watching as my Lord rescues His city, his nation, and his people. Don’t you want to ride to the rescue of Jerusalem with Jesus?

You know where you don’t want to be? On the losing side of this battle. For if all the power of all the assembled armies or all the earth can’t stand before a single spoken word of the King of King and Lord of Lords, what can you do against Him. Why would you resist Him, why would you rebel against the one who loved and died for you? Why would you ignore the One who has given so much to reach out to you? How can you stand when your rejection brings Him in his wrath and judgment against you?

Make sure this morning, make sure, absolutely sure, you have made a conscious choice to be on the Lord’s side, the winning side of eternity.

 

The Epistle of Jesus #14: The Fall of the Two Babylons

 The Epistle of Jesus #14: The Fall of the Two Babylons

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Introduction: In the Book of Revelation, we have seen Satan mounting his last gasp all out assault on God and the things of God. He has attacked the very hall of Heaven and is then cast to earth, where he attacks the God’s people. Along with this physical frontal assault there has also been an spiritual covert assault on the souls of mankind.

Through the world leader that Satan install, he creates a vast and all encompassing false belief system, a counterfeit of everything that is true. This belief system has an anti-God, who is himself, the great Dragon. It has an anti-Christ who is the beast. It has an anti-Spirit who is the false prophet. And now in chapter 17 we see the completed system with the woman who rides the beast, clad in purple and scarlet. She is the anti-religion.

Though we are introduced to the woman late in the book, actually she is the oldest and most useful of all the tools that Satan will use. She reaches her greatest power her, but her beginnings go all the way back to the book of Genesis. So lets begin in chapter 17 and see the woman in her full glory and then we will also trace her back to her beginnings.

The Fall of Babylon the Mother of Harlots - Revelation 17:1–2

1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great (harlot) whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Identification of The Harlot

The angel calls her the great harlot, I’m going with the NKJV on this word. The word used here in the KJV is translated 8 times as harlot and 4 times with this much harsher word used here. All the times it is translated with this word, it is in Revelation 3 times in this chapter and one time in chapter 19. The word in the Greek is πόρνη pórnē and yes that is the word we derive our word pornography from. Strong’s dictionary says this is, “a woman who sells her body for sexual uses, a prostitute, a harlot, one who yields herself to defilement for the sake of gain.

I think the KJV translators wanted to use the more derogatory and harsher English word here because they were trying to show the disgust God has against what this this particular harlot represents.

It is interesting that there are four women in the book of Revelation: (1) 2v20, Jezebel, symbolizing apostasy creeping into the church, (2) Israel, the wife of God, in 12:1; (3) here in 17:1, we see this harlot, the and (4) finally in 19:7 we see the bride of the Lamb, the church of Jesus Christ.  

The prostitute of chapter 17 is described in the end of vs. 1 and then in 2, “that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

She sits on many waters.

This symbol is explained for us in Revelation 17: 15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

The symbolism here is that the woman is worldwide, upheld and supported by all the people of the world. 

The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her.

The kings and leaders of the world’s nation have through political and economic intercourse partnered with the harlot. They have used her to gain power and appease their people and she has used the kings and leaders to gain power through the state, the power of government.
The inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

This woman, this harlot has seduced the inhabitants of the earth. Has put them under her control through the wine of fornication. She is the cause, the root, the reason for so many not turning to the Creator and instead turning to the basest, most reprobates elements of the Creators creation.

Romans 1:18-25 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, …

Description of the Harlot – Revelation 17:3–18

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.  7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

Decadence and Death Are Her Dress

The Woman located. Revelation 17:18, tells us, “the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.”

The statement is very straightforward without any explanation, meaning that John would clearly understand what city this was. In John’s time the city that reigns over the kings of the earth, was Rome. Vs. 9 tells us the seven heads are seven hills. Rome is situated on seven hills and when Revelation was written, Rome was reigning over the kings of the earth. Will the revived Roman Empire’s one world religion have its headquarters at Rome? Possibly, the Roman Catholic popes since the 1970s have opened up dialogue and forged relationships with most of the world’s religions. It may be another city that is in view, where the final version of one-world religion will be situated but it will be like the Rome John knew. It will be corrupt; it will be immoral and it will be locked in intercourse with the powers of the world.

Her Appearance - Revelation 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

Her dress shows that she is rich and wrapped in this world’s luxury. If you ever wonder why so many Bible scholars of the past have identified the Great Harlot with The Roman Catholic Church all you have to do is look at the Vatican or any large Catholic church with gold crucifixes, gold covered altars and the vestments of the popes, bishops and priest made from the finest silks and fabrics the world can offer. If you wonder how churches of the future will so easily join in this adulterous religious system all you have to do is look at the houses, cars, clothes and property of todays health and wealth preachers. They are in it for the money and that will only be the case when the true church is taken in the rapture.
Her Title. Revelation 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Her Killings – Revelation 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. (wonder and astonishment)
 

This Title is the most important element of identifying and understanding the Harlot and what she represents. And it takes us back all the way to the book of Genesis. 

Her Heritage - Look at Genesis 10:6-14 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. … And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel…

Nimrod, the mighty hunter, the mighty champion, the mighty predator, establishes the first empire after the flood, the kingdom of Babel, later Babylon. He is more than just a king because he controls several cities in a region, cities that will still be in existence and antagonist of God’s people for centuries to come.

What happens at Babel, probably under the influence and power of Nimrod is in Genesis 11:1-4 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

Pay attention to what they said, perhaps this is what Nimrod said as their king. “let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name.” Now this wasn’t just a high tower, no this was a tower that may reach to heaven. Not so much by its height but by what took place on that high tower. Throughout the ancient world we see examples of these towers sometime called ziggurats. They are step pyramids, and we see them in ancient Babylon, ancient Egypt and even ancient Mexico and central and south America. They built these towers to reach into the heavens by the practice of paganism and human sacrifice. They sought to get the attention of the gods that they had now turned to by doing acts of such devotion that their gods of sun, moon, rain and harvest would have to take notice and bless them. It seems likely that this systematic form of paganism may have arisen with Nimrod and the tower of Babel. It was the final culmination of Cain’s rebellion away from the one true God to many gods. Away from true worship to the most gruesome kinds of human sacrifice.

The Great Harlot Is Paganism, the Mystery Religion began in Babylon and has existed since that time and for most of our history has been the most dominate form of religion on the earth. It flourished under the Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, the Incas, the Aztecs. Today it still holds the great power in places like India under the Hindus, Tibet as Buddhism and Japan as Shintoism. Neo-Paganism is even today, growing in influence among the enlightened people of countries like the United State, and Europe. Those who have rejected God and true Christianity but still need to believe in something, just like the did in Nimrod’s day. It is opposed to God and to truth and it is always filled if not dominated by female deities. Names like Tammuz, Ishtar, Astarte, Hera, Juno and Mary fill the same role and find their ultimate personification in the purple and scarlet woman of Revelation.

What happens in Revelation 17 and 18 is the final chapter of the story that begin with Cain, was strengthened and codified by Nimrod and has claimed billions and billions of souls before the Lord’s truth could reach them.

One-eighth of the entire book of Revelation is devoted to the subject of judgment upon Babylon, around 50 verses. Chapter 17 and 18 aren’t just incidental events they are central to the judgment of God that is the core of the Book of Revelation. The merciless retribution against the woman arrayed in purple and scarlet is the just reward for those billions of lives and souls, destroyed, corrupted and lost for eternity by Mystery, Babylon, the Mother of Harlots and the abominations of the earth.

It also must be noted that John, in vs. 6 “saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” This Harlot has martyred God’s people throughout time, but it especially has delighted in killing the saints of Jesus Christ. The influence of the Harlot within the city of Rome both during its pagan Emperors and its Popes, has led to the deaths of million and millions of the Lord’s true church. Entire cities, entire regions of countries have been slaughtered like vermin while the Harlot of Rome urged the kings of the earth on to victory. It goes on still today and will become even more inescapable during the Tribulation for those who turn to Jesus Christ even after the church is gone. 

Lets go back to her description. The Beast. John sees the woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast, This is the same Beast, that was the rider on the white horse in Chapter 6 and is also described in chapter 13, this is the Antichrist. In verse 8 we read that the beast seemingly comes back to life. He arises from the bottomless pit, the abyss. The Beast is scarlet-colored, showing his relationship with the Great Dragon, Satan. He also has seven heads and ten horns like Satan.

The Heads and Kings Verse 10 tells us that the seven heads are seven kings and v. 12 explains that the ten horns are ten more kings. The “seven kings” of v. 10 could also be translated “seven kingdoms.”

The seven heads. Revelation 17:9-13 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

The five kingdoms that had fallen were Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome and then the Revived Roman Empire of the 10 Kings, where the Anti-Christ arises to power.
Remember we read in Revelation 13:3 it says, “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death…”

The Beast receives a wound unto death and during this time when he seemingly dies, the woman who once rode on the back of the beast, now takes his power and reigns.

Destruction of the Harlot - Revelation 17:16–17

And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the (harlot) whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

So the Harlot is the 6th Kingdom, taking power after the anti-Christ is removed, killed or missing, then these 10 Kings, turn and kill the harlot. The Bible says they make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her. They will not accept her as a replacement for the Beast. They see her as a usurper and they determine to return to the world power balance they had at the beginning of the tribulation when they along with the beast rose to power. So they destroy her, stripping away her purple and scarlet,  humiliating her, and taking her riches even to the point of consuming her, like a cannibal and then burning anything that remains, so there is nothing left.
Then after destroying the great harlot, they become the 7th Kingdom but “only for an hour” because the Beast, is resurrected, comes back from oblivion and they give their power to him. He then is the 8th kingdom, who comes from the 7th, the original 10 Kings of which he was when he first rose to power.  

The Great Harlot, Mystery Babylon is gone but the Beast is back and now stronger than ever. He doesn’t share power with the Harlot and the 10 Kings give their power to him. At this point, probably right at the midpoint of the Tribulation, 3 ½ years into the seven years, The anti-Christ with the power of Satan behind him, moves against nation of Israel, the last vestiges of God’s promises on the earth.

Revelation of The Harlot

The Great Harlot, the woman in purple and scarlet, represents the anti-religion of the anti-Christ.
For a time, it will be the glue that holds together the Beast’s kingdom and gives him an air of morality. This world religion, this anti-religion will be intimately involved in all the political, social and economic systems of the world during the Tribulation. With the aid the fornication, so to speak of the Beast, she become a great power, riding to power on his back and when he is struck down, she assumes all power during his absence.

Then just before the beast ascend back to life and to power, the 10 kings kill the Harlot and then give their kingdom to the Beast, when he returns from the abyss. Now the Beast and the False-prophet turn all worship, all the power of the harlot to the Beast. He is now completely and fully their god and fully in control.
 

For us today, we as Christians, the people of God in this age, the warning we take from Revelation 17 is clear. There is no place for the mixture of this world’s religion and its paganism with the church of Jesus Christ.
 

God hates Jezebel, the Harlot among His people.
 

He harshly condemns Jezebel and those who were in bed with her in the church of Thyatira back in Revelation 2:20-23 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: …

Jezebel, The Harlot, Paganism, Satan’s counterfeit religion has been with us since the days of Cain and Nimrod. It is still corrupting and polluting the Lord’s work today.

The so called Mother Church of Rome is more pagan than Christian. From its cannibalism of the Lord’s body, to praying to the dead saints, to purgatory, to infallible leaders and the veneration of the Queen of Heaven who replaces Jesus Christ. The mother church of Rom is indeed a mother but not of Christianity.

There are entire denominations today that practice, preach and proclaim the worst doctrines of the paganism of the Old Testament. Homosexuality, transsexuality, open marriages, fornication, abortion of innocent babies all mark them as part of that heritage of Nimrod.  

These denominations and churches often are dominated by feminists who have been made pastors in Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Charismatic and Episcopal churches. Even some with the name Baptist have accepted this mixture of the world’s religion as necessary and proclaim that it is God will. 

I could go on, but this is supposed to be a sermon and not a rant. Besides I don’t need to go on. You know because you are the Lord’s church. You know that there is a line, clearly draw from us in scripture and when you cross that line, you weaken or even lose your connection to the God of Heaven, while the god of this world, the Great Dragon strengthens in these denominations and his power and influence rises. We as God’s people in this day and time are called to hold that line.

Illustration:
Goal line defense. The simplest because you just stopped everything from coming across. That is what we are called to do in this age, stop everything from the coming through into our church.

The Fall of Babylon The Mother of Commerce – Revelation 18

I’m just going to touch on chapter 18, the Fall of Babylon The Mother of Money and then conclude the sermon.
 

Revelation 18 tells us of the fall of another Babylon, related by history and again intercourse with the Babylon of chapter 17. That was the Babylon of Religion, this is the Babylon of Commerce. So we have two Babylons, the Mother of Harlots and the Mother of Money, the the great global economic system of the latter days. When the religious system collapses, it begins the domino effect of collapsing the Beast’s entire empire. He is despearate and motivated and empowered by Satan, he moves again Jerusalem, that once thought he was their Messiah.

Warren Wiersbe points out four voices in this chapter. I will give them to you and we will be finished. There is…

The Voice of Judgment Revelation 18:1–3

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying,
Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

The Voice of Separation Revelation 18:4

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

The Voice of Mourning Revelation 18:9-10
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her,
shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
But the last voice we hear is the important one, for it returns us after all this darkness and destruction to rejoicing.

The Voice of Rejoicing Revelation 18:20

Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

Conclusion:  

Two lessons we take with us from the Two Babylons
Number one, God hates Jezebel, God despises Babylon the Mother of Harlots that has claimed billions of souls and doomed them when their creator would have saved them.

God hates Jezebel and therefore we must not tolerate her in our churches, our live or our families. Yes we must be intolerate in this, not unloving, not unconcerned but not ever tolerate of the corruption and evil of the mother of Harlots drunk on the blood of the saints.

Just as the voice from heaven says in Revelation 18:4-6 Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill.

Number two, for God’s people there will always be a voice of rejoicing at the end of the darkest night and the most oppressive struggles. Listen for that voice at all times.
Remember what Paul wrote to the church at Philippi? Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

This is what we are called to do until that last great voice from heaven calls out that final command to rejoice. You can’t ignore the difficulties, the darkness and the desolation but don’t ever forget we will always rejoice.