ACT SIX — VISION OF THE SEVEN DOOMS OF GOD'S ENEMIES
I. OVERVIEW (Chapters 17-20):
. . A. God's wrath is satisfied only when evil is completely destroyed. But first he gives mankind every possible
. . . . opportunity to repent.
. . . . 1. He sends His prophets, His Son, His Christian witnesses.
. . . . 2. He sends warnings through hostile acts of nature.
. . . . 3. He sends warnings through the unleashing of demonic forces upon man, which torture and kill.
. . . . 4. But when every means of persuasion has been exhausted, God will destroy unrepentant mankind.
. . . . 5. At that time the forces of Satan and his helpers will also be destroyed, as they have been spared until
. . . . . . now only to confront man with the choice of God's way or Satan's way.
. . B. The vision describes the final doom that God will bring on the seven persons or classes of evil beings.
. . . . 1. Babylon, the Woman on the Beast, the great harlot, the worldly center of seduction — representing
. . . . . . the inherent evil in man's "civilization" without God (17:1-19:4).
. . . . 2. The beast out of the sea, with the seven heads and ten horns — anti-Christian government (19:11-20).
. . . . 3. The false prophet, which is the beast out of the land with two horns — anti-Christian religion
. . . . . . (19:11-20)
. . . . 4. Satan, the great red dragon — the real force behind the first three (20:1-10).
. . . . 5. Death — the enemy of mankind from the Fall of Adam (20:14).
. . . . 6. Hades — the person who had custody of the dead until now (20:14).
. . . . 7. All persons whose names are not written in the Book of Life, who had received the mark of the beast
. . . . . . and worshipped his image (19:19-21; 20:15).
. . C. God also prepares His people for their final destiny.
. . . . 1. He warns the saints to come out of Babylon, so that they will not share in her sins or receive any of
. . . . . . her plagues (18:4--5).
. . . . 2. The Bride of the Lamb is made ready (19:6-9).
. . . . 3. The conquest of the Rider on the White Horse (19:11-21).
. . . . 4. The millenium of the saints (20:1-6).
. . D. John worships the angel, but is rebuked for doing so (19:10).
II. THE WOMAN ON THE BEAST (Chapter 17):
. . A. John is invited by an angel to see the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.
. . B. He is taken in the spirit into a desert.
. . C. He sees a woman, gorgeously appareled, seated on a red beast with seven heads and ten horns.
. . D. The woman is drunk with the blood of the saints, those who bore testimony to Jesus.
. . E. The angel "explains” the meaning of the "mystery."
. . . . 1. The beast once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction.
. . . . 2. The inhabitants of the earth — those whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the
. . . . . . creation of the world — will marvel at the beast.
. . . . 3. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
. . . . 4. They are also seven kings.
. . . . 5. The beast is an eighth king, belonging to the seven.
. . . . 6. The ten horns are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom.
. . . . 7. The ten kings will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them.
. . . . 8. The waters, where the woman sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.
. . . . 9. The beast and the ten kings will hate the prostitute, and will bring ruin to her, eating her flesh and
. . . . . . burning her with fire.
. . . .10. The hate of the beast and the ten kings comes from God.
. . . .11. The woman is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.
III. THE FALL OF BABYLON (Chapters 18 and 19:1-4).
. . A. Babylon's fall is announced by the mighty voice of an angel (1-3).
. . B. A second voice from Heaven warns God's saints to "come out of her".
. . C. The kings of the earth weep and mourn over her (9-10).
. . D. The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her (11-l7a).
. . E. Every sea captain . . . and all who earn their living from the sea throw dust on their heads and weep and
. . . . mourn over her (17b-20).
. . F. A mighty angel throws a millstone into the sea (symbolizing Babylon's fall); pronounces "nevermores" against
. . . . Babylon (21-23a).
. . . . 1. Nevermore music to be heard in her.
. . . . 2. Nevermore working at any trade to be found in her.
. . . . 3. Nevermore the sound of millstones to heard in her.
. . . . 4. Nevermore the light of a lamp to be seen in her.
. . . . 5. Nevermore the voice of bridegroom or bride to be heard in her.
. . G. The angel explains the reasons for her doom (23b-24).
. . . . 1. Because she led the nations astray, particularly the merchants.
. . . . 2. Because the blood of the prophets and saints and all who have been killed on earth was found in her.
. . H. The rejoicing in Heaven over God's action in condemning Babylon (19:1-4).
IV. THE WEDDING SUPPER OF THE LAMB (Chapter 19:5-10):
. . A. The wedding supper was the last event in the consummation of a Jewish wedding. The three events:
. . . . 1. The bethrothal (similar in many respect to our wedding ceremony).
. . . . 2. The interval between bethrothal and wedding feast, during which the bride price was paid.
. . . . 3. The wedding feast or supper — a season of festivities lasting seven or fourteen days.
. . B. Voices proclaim the glad event.
. . . . 1. A voice from the throne demands praise to God from all His creatures (v.5).
. . . . 2. Voices, like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters, like loud peals of thunder, shout (vv.6-8):
. . . . . . a. Hallelujah!
. . . . . . b. For our Lord God Almighty reigns!
. . . . . . c. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory.
. . . . . . d. For the wedding feast of the Lamb has come.
. . . . . . e. His bride has made herself ready.
. . . . . . f. Fine linen (righteous "acts" of the saints) were given her to wear.
. . C. The angel (see 17:1) tells John to write (vv.9-1O):
. . . . 1. Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb! (fourth beatitude; see 1:3, 14;13,
. . . . . . 16:15 for the first three).
. . . . 2. These are the true words of God.
. . . . 3. John falls down at the angel's feet to worship him.
. . . . 4. But the angel rebukes him, saying he is only a fellow servant with him who holds the testimony of Jesus;
. . . . . . worship God!
V. THE RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE (Chapter 19: 11-21):
. . A. John sees Heaven "standing open" and before him was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True
. . . . (Christ).
. . . . 1. "With justice He judges and makes war."
. . . . 2. Is this a new vision or the continuation of the previous one?
. . . . 3. What is the time frame, the first advent or the second?
. . B. "His eyes are like blazing fire (see 1:14) and on his head are many crowns.”
. . C. He has a name written on Him:
. . . . 1. One that nobody but Himself knows (v.12).
. . . . 2. His name is the Word of God (v.13b)
. . . . 3. On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."
. . D. Description of the Rider on the White Horse:
. . . . 1 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood (His own or His enemies?)
. . . . 2. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword (see 1:16) with which to strike down the nations.
. . . . 3. "He will rule them with an iron scepter" (see Psalm 2:9; see also Isaiah 11:4).
. . . . 4. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty (see 14:19-20).
. . E. An angel "standing in the sun" cries in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair:
. . . . 1. "Come, gather together for the great supper of God —
. . . . 2. "to eat the flesh —
. . . . . . a. "of kings, generals, and mighty men;
. . . . . . b. "of horses and their riders;
. . . . . . c. "of all people, free and slave, small and great."
. . F. John then sees the Beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against
. . . . the Rider on the White Horse and his army.
. . . . 1. The Beast and the False Prophet (see 13:15-14) are captured and thrown alive into the fiery lake of
. . . . . . burning sulphur.
. . . . 2. The rest of them (kings and armies?) were killed by the sword that came out of the mouth of the Rider
. . . . . . on the White Horse.
. . . . 5. The birds gorged themselves on the flesh of the slain.
. . G. Recapitulation of God's judgment on unrepentant mankind:
. . . . 1. Sixth seal of the second vision (6:15-17).
. . . . 2 Sixth trumpet of the third vision (9:18, 19-20).
. . . . 3. Fourth and seventh angels of fourth vision (14:9-11, 19-20).
. . . . 4. All seven bowls of the fifth vision (16:1-21).
. . . . 5. Their first and second deaths in the sixth vision (19:19-21; 20:11-15).
VI. THE THOUSAND YEARS (Chapter 20:1-6):
. . A. Satan is seized by an angel, bound with a chain for a thousand years, and thrown into the Abyss (see 9:1, 11;
. . . . 11:7), which is then sealed over him “to keep him from deceiving the nations any more until the thousand years
. . . . are ended.”
. . B. John sees “thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.” John does not say where
. . . . these thrones are, but of the 47 times in Revelation where the word “throne(s)” is mentioned 44 are in Heaven,
. . . . and only three on earth — Satan’s throne (2:13) and the throne of the Beast (13:2, 16:10).
. . C. John sees “the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the
. . . . word of God.” They had not worshipped the Beast or his image or received his mark. “They came to life and
. . . . reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years
. . . . were ended.) This is the first resurrection.” Just who is included in the pronoun “they”? Only those who
. . . . were beheaded as martyrs? or also those who were killed as martyrs in other ways? or anyone who died as a
. . . . believer? Note that these are “souls” of those who have died in Christ (see 6:9-11).
. . D. The fifth beatitude is pronounced: “Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The
. . . . second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him
. . . . for a thousand years.” There is not the slightest suggestion of the Second Coming of Christ in this passage.
. . . . John never mentions a second resurrecion. Jesus promises in the letter to the Laodicean Church (3:21): “To
. . . . him who overcomes (is martyred for Christ?), I will give the right to sit on my throne, just as I overcame
. . . . (was crucified?) and sat down with my Father on His throne.”
. . E. On these six verses have been built the most elaborate theories of any passage of Scripture — those pertaining
. . . . to the “millenium.” The four major views are presented for you in chart form on the accompanying sheet. Most
. . . . of the content of these theories comes from other passages of scripture, both Old and New Testaments, and some
. . . . from non-Biblical sources. The major points of variance among these theories are three: (1) Is John talking
. . . . about a reign of saints in heaven or on earth? (2) Does Christ come in His Second Advent before or after the
. . . . thousand years? (3) Is there to be a period of intense persecution either before the thousand years,
. . . . afterwards, or both? For more on these four views of the millenium, click here.
VII. THE FINAL BATTLE BETWEEEN GOD AND SATAN — SATAN'S DOOM (Chapter 20:7-10):
. . A. When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison (John does not say how or by whom),
. . . . and will “go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth — Gog and Magog — to gather them
. . . . for battle.” The only other references to Gog and Magog in the Bible are in Ezekiel 38:2 ff, and in
. . . . genealogies in Genesis 10:2 and I Chronicles 1:5; 5:4. Ezekiel calls “Gog, of the land of Magog, the
. . . . chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.” These places are thought by some to be located in northern Syria.
. . B. John sees these nations “in number like the sands of the seashore” march “across the breadth of the earth”
. . . . and surround the “camp of God’s people, the city he loves.” There is no battle. Fire comes down out of
. . . . Heaven and “devours” them. Is this not the same battle as that of 19:19-21 in which the Rider on the
. . . . White Horse kills “the kings of the earth and their armies” with the sword of His mouth? At the end of
. . . . that “battle” the Beast and the False Prophet are thrown into the “fiery lake of burning sulphur.” At the
. . . . end of this “battle” Satan is thrown into the “lake of burning sulphur, where the Beast and the Faslse
. . . . Prophet had been thrown.” It must be the same “battle”. In both passages John shows us the utter
. . . . impossibility of mere man, even under Satan’s leadership, conducting warfare against God Almighty, maker
. . . . of Heaven and earth and creator of all mankind.
VIII. THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT (Chapter 20:11-15):
. . A. John sees a great white throne and Him Who was seated on it. John doesn’t say Who He is. Rather he says
. . . . that earth and sky fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. Is this not the passing of
. . . . the first Heaven and the first earth that John describes in 21:1?
. . B. John next sees “the dead, great and small”, standing before the throne. The sea had given up the dead that
. . . . was in it, and Death and Hades had given up the dead that were in them. The books (John doesn’t say what
. . . . books) were opened, and “another book was opened which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged according
. . . . to what they had done, as recorded in the books.” (John says this twice.) Death and Hades are thrown into
. . . . the lake of fire, the second death. “If anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was
. . . . thrown into the lake of fire.”
. . C. Clearly this is the Final Judgment, which is spoken of in many places in the New Testament. In one of His
. . . . parables (Matthew 25:31-46), Jesus tells of this event: It will happen “when the Son of Man comes in His
. . . . glory, and all the angels with Him (the Rider on the White Horse?), He will sit on His throne in heavenly
. . . . glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him. . . . Then they (the wicked) will go away to eternal
. . . . punishment but the righteous to eternal life.”
. . D. All of the enemies of God (and Christ) have now been disposed of: Satan, the Beast, the False Prophet,
. . . .Babylon, and those who worshipped the Beast and his image and had his mark on them. Even Death, the
. . . . “last enemy”, is gone forever. The first heaven and the first earth have passed away (21:1), and the
. . . . stage is set for the final vision, Chapters 21 and 22.
Act 7 (Chapters 21-22)
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