Revelation 16

Above image from www.truthnet.org/Christianity/revelation/Revelation16/

Chapter 16 is introduced in Chapter 15, where we first see the seven angels emerge from the Temple in Heaven with the seven plagues. Chapter 16 takes place after the world has been given a choice. Those on the earth have the choice to receive the mark, worship the Beast and live or refuse and die. God sends three angels to warn them about the choice they are being forced to make. Many on earth choose Christ and death, rather then worship the Beast and his image; they are seen in Heaven before the throne, on the crystal sea - Revelation 15:2.

During this period, Israel is supernaturally protected in the wilderness of Judea, probably in Petra. Those who followed the warning of Christ in Matthew, fled into the wilderness following the Abomination of Desolation, when the Mt. Olives split opened for their escape. (Matthew 24:16-20, Revelation 12:14, Zechariah 14:5) Here in the wilderness, Israel comes to the knowledge of Christ, realizing Jesus who was crucified by their descendants was in fact Israel’s Savior and only hope. As the armies of the earth gather toward the hills of Megiddo (Armageddon), Israel calls out to Jesus Christ as their Messiah, who returns with armies of heaven - Revelation 19:15-21.                  

At this point, those alive on the earth are mostly followers of Satan, working through the Antichrist and False Prophet. The great multitude in Revelation chapter 7 gathered before the throne, from all the nations, are those killed for their faith - Revelation 7:14. After the earth has made its choice, God begins the judgments of wrath by commanding the angels to pour out the bowls on the earth. The seven bowl judgments complete God’s wrath on the earth. Following the 7th bowl, Christ returns with angels and saints and establishes the Messianic Kingdom (Revelation 19:15-21) also known as the Millennium - Revelation 20:1-7. Those killed for their faith receive their resurrected bodies and rule with Christ in His kingdom along with the returning saints. (Revelation 20; 4, Matthew 19:28-29)

The Bowl judgments stand in contrast to the seven trumpet and seal judgments. The Bowl judgments are not meant to move humanity into decision but are a demonstration of God’s wrath. For example, the 2nd trumpet judgment affected one third of the sea, the second bowl judgment affects the whole sea causing all sea life to die. The Abomination of Desolation also separates the Trumpet and Bowl judgments. The first bowl judgment is against those who worshiped the beast and his image by receiving the mark, placing the timing of this judgment in the second half of Daniel’s 70th week, following the Abomination of Desolation.

Above paragraphs excerpted from www.truthnet.org/Christianity/revelation/Revelation16/

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Even though this chapter concludes with the pouring forth of the seventh bowl, at which the work of God’s wrath is complete, John’s vision will not be complete - three more chapters (Revelation 17, 18 and 19) remain within which John is shown details attending the judgments associated with these bowls culminating in the Second Coming of Christ and the binding of Satan prior to the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:1-3+).

Revelation 15:7-8: And one of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the terrible wrath of God, who lives forever and forever. And one of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the terrible wrath of God, who lives forever and forever.

(1) THEN I heard a mighty voice shouting from the Temple to the seven angels, "Now go your ways and empty out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth."

• Mighty - Greek, megas meaning “great or large.”
•  Megas is used 11 times in this chapter in connection with its events. This emphasizes the intensity or unprecedented nature of what will begin to take place on earth at this point in the tribulation:
• “mighty” voice (16:1,17)
• "blast" of heat (16:9)
• "great" river (16:12)
• "great" day (16:14)
• "greater" earthquake (16:18, twice)
• "great" city (16:19)
• "great" Babylon (16:19)
• "terrible" hail (16:21)
• "terrible" plague (16:21).
•  Megas also occurs 9 times in chapter 18, which is an elaboration on the seventh bowl judgment introduced in 16:17-21.
• Temple is naou, which generally describes the inner sanctuary, the "Holy of Holies". In 15:8, the Shekinah glory of God filled the Temple and no one could enter until the plagues were completed. Thus, this must be God's voice.
• Empty out:
• The angels had previously received their instructions from God’s throne within the Temple - Revelation 15:5. Now, He orders them to carry through with their assignment.
• The fact that God tells all seven angels to "empty out the seven bowls” seems to indicate that these judgments will follow each other in rapid succession. The final act of history has begun.

(2) So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl over the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue.

• Sores:
• The word in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) for sores (boils in the KJV) in Exodus 9 is used here.
• “Lilje comments that those who once bore the mark of the beast are now visited by ‘marks’ of God.” Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation.
• The Beast worshipers experience a similar condition to that of Job when he was struck with boils by Satan (Job 2:7). The plague which strikes the Beast worshipers is like that which Aaron and Moses caused upon the men and beasts of Egypt (Exodus 9:8-11). God promised to strike Israel with similar boils if they continued in disobedience toward Him (Deuteronomy 28:27, 35), but also to strike their enemies if they returned and were obedient to Him (Deuteronomy 7:15).
• Job 2:7: So Satan left the LORD's presence, and he struck Job with a terrible case of boils from head to foot.
• Exodus 9:8-11: Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take soot from a furnace, and have Moses toss it into the sky while Pharaoh watches. It will spread like fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, causing boils to break out on people and animals alike." So they gathered soot from a furnace and went to see Pharaoh. As Pharaoh watched, Moses tossed the soot into the air, and terrible boils broke out on the people and animals throughout Egypt. Even the magicians were unable to stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them, too.
• Deuteronomy 28:15,27,35: "But if you refuse to listen to the LORD your God and do not obey all the commands and laws I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you: ... The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, scurvy, and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. ... The LORD will cover you from head to foot with incurable boils."
• Deuteronomy 7:12,15: "If you listen to these regulations and obey them faithfully, the LORD your God will keep his covenant of unfailing love with you, as he solemnly promised your ancestors. ... And the LORD will protect you from all sickness. He will not let you suffer from the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will bring them all on your enemies!
• On everyone who had the mark of the beast:
• Since these people received the Antichrist’s mark (13:16-18; 14:9-10), God adds His mark to them as well.
• I wonder if applying the mark to the hand or forehead brought with it a severe infection resulting in the horrible, malignant sores.

(3) THEN the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse. And everything in the sea died.

• Sea: This could be just the Mediterranean Sea ("Mare Nostrum" of the Roman Empire) but is probably world-wide.
• Poured out:
• Psalm 79:6-7: Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to recognize you -- on kingdoms that do not call upon your name. For they have devoured your people Israel, making the land a desolate wilderness.
• Jeremiah 10:25: Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to recognize you -- on nations that do not call upon your name. For they have utterly devoured your people Israel, making the land a desolate wilderness.
• Daniel 9:27: He will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. Then as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the end that has been decreed is poured out on this defiler."
• Zephaniah 3:8-9: So now the LORD says: "Be patient; the time is coming soon when I will stand up and accuse these evil nations. For it is my decision to gather together the kingdoms of the earth and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them. All the earth will be devoured by the fire of my jealousy. On that day I will purify the lips of all people, so that everyone will be able to worship the LORD together.
• Blood of a corpse:
• In the judgment of the second trumpet in Revelation 8:8, a third of the sea became blood and a third of the living creatures in the sea died. Now, the rest of the sea becomes blood:
• Revelation 8:8: Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. And one-third of the water in the sea became blood.
• As in Egypt, the animal life within the water dies (Exodus 7:18, 21). The loss of sea food will be devastating after the destruction of vegetation that will occur as a result of Revelation 8:7:
• Exodus 7:18, 21: The fish in it will die, and the river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink any water from the Nile.'" ... The fish in the river died, and the water became so foul that the Egyptians couldn't drink it. There was blood everywhere throughout the land of Egypt.
• Revelation 8:7: The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down upon the earth, and one-third of the earth was set on fire. One-third of the trees were burned, and all the grass was burned.
• According to an article in Reuters January 12, 2015, something similar but localized happened: "Blood-red sea as underwater volcano erupts off Tonga...by Matt Siegel - An underwater volcano off Tonga was spewing ash high into the air on Tuesday, causing several carriers to suspend air travel to the South Pacific island nation and turning the surrounding ocean blood red, residents and officials said. ... Residents in Tonga described a spectacular sight, with the enormous plume from the volcano shooting high into the sky and a muddy discharge underwater turning areas of the sea off the island blood red."
• Everything in the sea died:
• John Phillips vividly describes the phenomenon of “red tides” in his commentary on the Revelation. “From time to time, off the coast of California and elsewhere, a phenomenon known as "the red tide" occurs. These red tides kill millions of fish and poison those who eat contaminated shellfish. In 1949, one of these red tides hit the coast of Florida. First the water turned yellow, but by midsummer it was thick and viscous with countless billions of dinoflagellates, tiny one-celled organisms. Sixty-mile windrows of stinking fish fouled the beaches. Much marine life was wiped out, even bait used by fishermen died upon the hooks. Eventually the red tide subsided, only to appear again the following year. Eating fish contaminated by the tide produced severe symptoms caused by a potent nerve poison, a few grams of which, distributed aright, could easily kill everyone in the world. An unchecked population explosion of toxic dinoflagellates would kill all the fish in the sea." (Exploring Revelation)

(4) THEN the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs, and they became blood.

• Other than what was already  stored, there will be no fresh water to drink on the earth. During this period of judgment, fresh water to drink will be more valuable than oil! We're already seeing severe droughts in California, expansion of deserts world wide (Gobi and Sahara especially) - stage setting for what is to come.
• Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 291: "Overly subtle interpretations in the interest of recapitulation overlook the distinct differences between the two series. Among the more important are: (1) the trumpet-plagues are partial in their effect (one-third of the earth is burned, Revelation 8:7+; one-third of the sea becomes blood, Revelation 8:8+; see also Revelation 8:9-12+) while the bowls are universal (“every living soul died,” Revelation 16:3+; “every island fled away,” Revelation 16:20+) and final; (2) the trumpets are to a certain extent a call to repentance while the bowls are the pouring out of divine wrath; and (3) man is affected indirectly by the first four trumpets but is directly attacked from the outset by the bowls. It should also be noticed that the bowls are poured out in rapid succession with the customary interlude between the sixth and seventh elements of the sequence missing."

(5) And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying, "You are just in sending this judgment, O Holy One, who is and who always was.

• You are just:
• "The destruction of what is left of the earth’s fresh water will cause unthinkable hardship and suffering. There will be no water to drink; no clean water to wash the oozing sores caused by the first bowl judgment; no water to bring cooling relief from the scorching heat that the fourth bowl judgment will shortly bring. The scene is so unimaginably horrible that people will wonder how a God of compassion, mercy, and grace could send such a judgment. And so there is a brief interlude in the pouring out of the judgments while an angel speaks in God’s defense". - John MacArthur, Revelation 12-22 : The MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 2000), Revelation 16:4.
• Who is and who always was:
• Present tense and past tense, but the future tense is included in the present tense because this is in the future!

(6) For your holy people and your prophets have been killed, and their blood was poured out on the earth. So you have given their murderers blood to drink. It is their just reward."

• Killed:
• Since the rejection of Jesus as King of Israel, the promised Messiah and the Son of God and the going forth of the gospel to the whole world, over 2000 years have transpired and the toll of the shed blood of the saints has escalated dramatically. It has been said in our own century that more have died for the cause of Christ than any previous century. Yet, the persecutions of history will pale in comparison with that which befalls the saints in the Tribulation when the Beast and the Harlot slaughter the saints during Satan’s final attempt to overthrow the plan of God. This is why the book of Revelation has always been precious to the persecuted Church, for its pages are sprinkled with the blood of martyrs.
• The Scriptorium journey in the "Holy Land Experience" park in Orlando, Florida tells the story of those who struggled to make the Bible available to all who sought its solace - the blood stained pages of a martyr's bible tell just part of the story of these brave, committed women and men who were imprisoned, some brutally murdered, simply for owning or sharing a bible. You can also see there the prison cell of John Bunyan, the author of "In Pilgrims Progress."
• Blood to drink:
• Isaiah 49:26: I will feed your enemies with their own flesh. They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood. All the world will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.

(7) And I heard a voice from the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God Almighty, your punishments are true and just."

• Voice from the altar:
• This voice would be one of the four cherubim which attend the throne, though we're told in chapter 15 that No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues.:
• Revelation 4:6: In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.

(8) THEN the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, causing it to scorch everyone with its fire.

• The sun:
• In the fourth trumpet judgment, only “one-third of the sun was struck” (Revelation 8:12).
• MacArthur, Revelation 12-22 : The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: "Another serious consequence of the sun’s intense heat will be the melting of the polar ice caps. The resulting rise in the oceans’ water level will inundate coastal regions, flooding areas miles inland with the noxious waters of the dead oceans. Widespread damage and loss of life will accompany that flooding, adding further to the unspeakable misery of the devastated planet. Transportation by sea will become impossible."
• The plague will be a horrible heat - extremely intense and excessive, and the sunburns will be severe. Air conditioners will fail and life will be miserable. The ice caps at the North and South poles and on the mountains will probably melt. The ocean water will rise and the destruction will be extreme. Each plague is getting progressively worse!

(9) Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God, who sent all of these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

• Blast of heat: True global warming is coming!
• They did not repent:
• Instead of repenting and giving God glory, the Beast-worshipers blaspheme God. They recognize His sovereignty, but they refuse to honor Him as sovereign.
• Walvoord: “The wishful thinking of some that men would repent if they only knew the power and righteous judgment of God is shattered by frequent mention in this chapter of the hardness of the human heart in the face of the most stringent and evident divine discipline.”
• 1 Samuel 6:6: Don't be stubborn and rebellious as Pharaoh and the Egyptians were. They wouldn't let Israel go until God had ravaged them with dreadful plagues.
• Daniel 12:9-10: But he said, "Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is for the time of the end. Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means."

(10) THEN the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. And his subjects ground their teeth in anguish,

• On the throne of the beast and his kingdom:
• It is stated that this judgment is limited to the "kingdom of the beast," generally thought to be Rome or the revised Roman Empire (EU?). It describes a great area of earth covered with a sudden and unexplainable darkness.
• Darkness:
• We suddenly go from the sun burning down to total darkness!
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England's_Dark_Day: New England's Dark Day refers to an event that occurred on May 19, 1780, when an unusual darkening of the day sky was observed over the New England states and parts of Canada. The primary cause of the event is believed to have been a combination of smoke from forest fires, a thick fog and cloud cover. The darkness was so complete that candles were required from noon on. It did not disperse until the middle of the next night. The darkness was seen at least as far north as Portland, Maine, and extended southwards to New Jersey.
• Exodus 10:21-23: Then the LORD said to Moses, "Lift your hand toward heaven, and a deep and terrifying darkness will descend on the land of Egypt." So Moses lifted his hand toward heaven, and there was deep darkness over the entire land for three days. During all that time the people scarcely moved, for they could not see. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived.
• We have every reason to believe that this fifth judgment will be in the latter part of the latter half of the Tribulation. Those who've received the mark of the beast will still have the sores from the pouring out of the first bowl of God's wrath.
• There was another time when there was darkness on the earth (Matthew 27:45). Jesus endured three hours of darkness on the cross to take away our sin. God couldn’t look upon the face of His dear Son, as every despicable sin known to mankind was placed upon Jesus. God hid the face of Jesus in darkness so we could have the “light of life.” Here, the world rejects the Light so God gives them darkness.
• Matthew 27:45: At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock.

(11) and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they refused to repent of all their evil deeds.

• Pains and sores:
• One indication that the bowl judgments will follow each other quickly, is that the "sores" of the first bowl are still on the people in the darkness of the fifth bowl. The bowl judgments come in swift succession, and will overlap, one right after another.

(12) THEN the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies westward without hindrance.

• 
  Above map of the Euphrates from http://globalslaves.blogspot.com/2010/12/chronological-order-of-book-of.html
  
• Euphrates river ... dried up:
• The parting of the Red Sea allowed Israel to flee from slavery. Now, the waters of the Euphrates are dried so that God’s enemies can gather to their destruction. God dried up the Jordan for Israel to cross into her inheritance, the Promised Land (Joshua 3:15-17; 4:22). Now, He dries up the Euphrates to gather the kings into Israel.
• In Revelation 9, we saw four demons imprisoned at the Euphrates River and an army of 200 million demons come to power and kill one-third of the world. Now here in Revelation 16:13-14, we find three unclean spirits at the Euphrates River. Their movement is associated with the Campaign of Armageddon.
• theTrumpet.com: "June 11, 2014: Turkey completely cut off the Euphrates River water flow upstream of Syria, reported Al Akhbar on May 30, 2014. The Euphrates originates in Turkey and passes through the Atatürk Dam before flowing into Syria and Iraq. By cutting off the flow and directing it into the reservoir, Turkey has lowered water levels downstream. Water levels in Lake Assad, Syria’s largest body of water, have dropped by 20 feet since Turkey shut off the water supply. Middle East expert Daniel Pipes explained the looming disaster as genocide by way of “terminal dehydration.” Cutting off a nation’s water supply is potentially fatal in its severity and indiscriminate in its victims. The dry and arid regions of northeastern Syria will quickly empty if one of the most basic necessities of human life dries up. Turkey could at will, use its technological control of the Ataturk Dam to quickly and easily dry up the flow of the Euphrates in order to achieve military advantages, such as allowing military troops and trucks to cross over the Euphrates on dry land."
• Kings from the east - tōn apo anatolēs hēliou, literally "from the rising of the sun":
• In John's day (90 AD), this would have been the Parthians, whom the Romans never conquered and the Euphrates formed the boundary between the two.
• Previously, God had called Cyrus of Persia “a swift bird of prey from the east -- a leader from a distant land who will come and do my bidding” (Isaiah 46:11). The wise men also came from the rising of the sun (Matthew 2:1). The movement of these kings probably contributes to the “news from the east and the north” which disturbs the Antichrist (Daniel 11:44).
• With the calamities in the world at this time, including lack of food, water and darkness surrounding the throne of the Beast (in Jerusalem or Rome or New York or new Babylon?), why does an army from the east advance toward Israel? There are two views:
1. The kings from the East are coming in opposition to the Beast after his kingdom is made vulnerable by all the judgments. With his kingdom in darkness, an invasion might seem right. To repay the Beast for the destruction he waged on them. (Daniel 11:44)
2. The kings from the East are coming in alliance for a final satanic assault against the Creator.
• The frog-like demons in verse 13 lend support to the second viewpoint, since they go out and deceive the kings of the earth, to gather them.

(13) And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.

• Verses 13-16 give us a commentary on verse 12. Demon activity (13-14) follows God's activity (15-16).
• Looked like Frogs:
• Notice that the verse does not say they were frogs, but rather they looked like frogs. Per the next verse, they are demons that look like frogs.
• Their comparison with frogs recalls the plague of frogs in Egypt (Exodus 8:2-13).
• Frogs  are unclean (Leviticus 11:10-11, 41).
• Dragon ... beast ... false prophet:
• The unholy trinity. Satan always imitates God.
• False prophet:
• This is the first mention of "the false prophet," but he is clearly the "beast out of the earth" (Revelation13:11-17). He deceives the mass of people. What he urges them to do (take the mark, & worship the beast) results in their destruction eventually.

(14) These miracle-working demons caused all the rulers of the world to gather for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God Almighty.

• All the Rulers ... gather for battle:
• The demons gather kings from nations all around the globe. This includes the ten kings who are allied with the Beast and go to war against the Lamb (Revelation 17:12-14). Just as God led Gog to come against Israel to his own doom (Ezekiel 38-39), so too these unclean spirits will influence to battle the Lord.
• The place where they gather is “Armageddon.” While the kings are being gathered by unclean spirits, an angel gathers vultures in readiness for their feast on the kings (Revelation 19:17). Battle is polemon, which more correctly denotes an extended engagement or campaign rather than a single battle.
• This is the time when, as we saw in Chapter 9, armies of 200,000,000 gather into Palestine, to make war, first with one another and then, in a last desperate combat, with the Lamb of God himself!
• This battle is not nation against nation, but the nations against God (Psalms 2:2). This is one of three important battles mentioned in prophecy:
1. The battle of Gog, Magog and her allies come against Israel (Ezekiel 38-39).
2. The battle of Armageddon, when the Antichrist leads the world system against a returning Jesus (Revelation 17:12-16 and Revelation 19:19).
3. The final battle, when Satan and his allies, after the millennium, make war against God (Revelation 20:7-10).
• Revelation 9:15-17: And the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth. They led an army of 200 million mounted troops -- I heard an announcement of how many there were. And in my vision, I saw the horses and the riders sitting on them. The riders wore armor that was fiery red and sky blue and yellow. The horses' heads were like the heads of lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths.
• Revelation 17:12-16: His ten horns are ten kings who have not yet risen to power; they will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. hey will all agree to give their power and authority to him. Together they will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord over all lords and King over all kings, and his people are the called and chosen and faithful ones." And the angel said to me, "The waters where the prostitute is sitting represent masses of people of every nation and language. The scarlet beast and his ten horns -- which represent ten kings who will reign with him -- all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire.
• Revelation 19:17-19: Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: "Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. Come and eat the flesh of kings, captains, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great." Then I saw the beast gathering the kings of the earth and their armies in order to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army.
• Revelation 20:7-10: When the thousand years end, Satan will be let out of his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations from every corner of the earth, which are called Gog and Magog. He will gather them together for battle -- a mighty host, as numberless as sand along the shore. And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God's people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them. Then the Devil, who betrayed them, was thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
• Against the Lord:
• Those who attack Israel, attack God Himself!

(15) "Take note: I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their robes ready so they will not need to walk naked and ashamed."

• I will come unexpectedly:
• There is always a parenthesis between the sixth and seventh of each series. Here, that parenthesis is only one verse long - Verse 15.
• Jesus Christ Himself evidently gives this invitation and warning to the Christian readers of this prophecy during the church age, before the tribulation begins. By the time the sixth bowl is poured out, believers who have not taken refuge (12:13-17) will have suffered martyrdom (13:15; 14:1-5, 13; 15:2).
• The world forces will be surprised. No army in the world wants to be surprised by the enemy, but Jesus will surprise them. That is the message.
• Revelation 16:15 is the last occurrence of the "as a thief" simile in the New Testament. The suddenness with which Christ will come will leave no room for escape. Revelation 16:15 begins with a Greek interjection translated in the NLT as "Take note". In 16:14, we are told that "all the rulers of the world to gather for battle." The idea of the verb "gather" is one of a building up. In other words, the nations do not all arrive at the same time, but slowly build up the numbers as the days pass. But, the coming of Christ will be sudden. Jesus will not build up his forces. He will appear suddenly. Revelation 16:15 is a warning concerning the coming of Christ at Armageddon. It will be sudden and the destruction will be sure.
• Matthew 24:42-44: So be prepared, because you don't know what day your Lord is coming. Know this: A homeowner who knew exactly when a burglar was coming would stay alert and not permit the house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time. For the Son of Man will come when least expected."
• 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3: I really don't need to write to you about how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters. For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, "All is well; everything is peaceful and secure," then disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman's birth pains begin when her child is about to be born. And there will be no escape.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3: And now, brothers and sisters, let us tell you about the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered together to meet him. Please don't be so easily shaken and troubled by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Even if they claim to have had a vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us,  don't believe them. Don't be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed -- the one who brings destruction.
• 2 Peter 3:10: But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment.
• Revelation 3:3: Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly and turn to me again. Unless you do, I will come upon you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief."
• Robes (garments in the KJV):
• Garments are pictures of spiritual and practical righteousness. We are told to clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14).
• Naked and ashamed:
• We are told in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15: But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames. 
• In other words, stark naked!
• Revelation 3:18: I advise you to buy gold from me -- gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. And also buy white garments so you will not be shamed by your nakedness. And buy ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.

(16) And they gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place called Armageddon in Hebrew.

• And:
• "And" (Greek kai) resumes the exposition of the sixth bowl judgment from verse 14 after the parenthesis in verse 15.
• They:
• The "they" who do the gathering of the armies here are the demons of verse thirteen. They will fight in the Valley of Megiddo.
• Armageddon:
• 
• 
  Above image from http://bibleexplained.com/revelation/r-seg15-16/r1616-Armageddon.htm
  
• MacArthur, Revelation 12-22 : The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: “Since there is no specific mountain by that name, and Har can refer to hill country, it is probably a reference to the hill country surrounding the Plain of Megiddo, some sixty miles north of Jerusalem.”
• John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Moody Press, p. 238: "Geographically, it relates to the Mount of Megiddo located adjacent to the plain of Megiddo to the west and the large plain of Esdraelon to the northeast. Megiddo is the Hebrew word corresponding to the Greek word Armageddon. This area was the scene of many of the great battles of the Old Testament such as that of Barak and the Canaanites in Judges 4 and the victory of Gideon over the Midianites in Judges 7. Here also occurred the deaths of Saul and Josiah. The area, though it is a large one, is not sufficient for the armies of all the world, though the valley of Esdraelon is fourteen miles wide and twenty miles long. What this Scripture seems to indicate is that this area is the central point for the military conflict which ensues. Actually the armies are deployed over a 200-mile area up and down from this central location (cf. 14:20). At the time of the second coming, some of the armies are in Jerusalem itself (Zechariah 14:1-3)."
• The name Armageddon comes from two Hebrew words, har and Megiddo. The word har literally means “mountain or hill.” The word Megiddo means either “place of troops” or “place of slaughter.”
• This is the time when, as we saw in Chapter 9, armies of 200,000,000 gather to make war, first with one another and then, in a last desperate combat, with the Lamb of God himself!
• Alternatively, "Har-Magedon" may refer to the "mountain" closest to Megiddo, namely, "Mt. Carmel." On that mountain, God and Elijah slaughtered the entire host of the 450 prophets of Baal in the Valley of Jezreel (1 Kings 18:16-40). Mt. Tabor is another prominent hill (1,850 feet high) at the east end of this valley.
• Megiddo is in a region frequently associated with decisive battles: Deborah over Sisera (Judges 5:19); Gideon over the Midianites (Judges 7:1-25); Pharaoh over Josiah (2 Kings 23:29; 2 Chronicles 35:22). It is also a place of end-times mourning (Zechariah 12:11). The vast Valley of Megiddo has seen tremendous battles through the centuries. Over 200 battles have been fought in the region, from 1468 B.C. (with Pharaoh Tuthmosis III) to 1917 (with Lord Allenby of the British).
• The conclusion of the battle will be given in Revelation 19. The next few chapters will provide more details.
• Joel 3:11-17: Come quickly, all you nations everywhere! Gather together in the valley." And now, O LORD, call out your warriors! "Let the nations be called to arms. Let them march to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I, the LORD, will sit to pronounce judgment on them all. Now let the sickle do its work, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread the winepress because it is full. The storage vats are overflowing with the wickedness of these people." Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision. It is there that the day of the LORD will soon arrive. The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine. The LORD's voice will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem, and the earth and heavens will begin to shake. But to his people of Israel, the LORD will be a welcoming refuge and a strong fortress. "Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, live in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy forever, and foreign armies will never conquer her again.

(17) THEN the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne of the Temple in heaven, saying, "It is finished!"

• Air: This final judgment has the greatest impact of all, since "the air" into which the angel pours his bowl is what humans breathe.
• Mighty shout: The word "mighty" is the Greek megas, meaning "great."
• It is finished:
• It is finished is gegonen, perfect tense, It has come to be. This agrees with what John was told: that in these seven last plagues, the wrath of God is complete:
• Revelation 15:1: Then I saw in heaven another significant event, and it was great and marvelous. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God's wrath to completion.

(18) THEN the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And there was an earthquake greater than ever before in human history.

• Earthquake:
• There are numerous earthquakes associated with the time of the end. This earthquake surpasses them all:
1. Jesus taught that earthquakes were an indicator of “the beginning of the horrors to come” (Matthew 24:8).
2. A tremendous earthquake results from the opening of the sixth seal, attended by cosmic signs (Revelation 6:12).
3. There was an earthquake after the seventh seal, but before the first trumpet, when the angel of the altar took the censer, filled it with fire, and threw it to the earth (Revelation 8:7-10).
4. At the ascension of the two witnesses, a great earthquake leveled one tenth of Jerusalem (Revelation 11:13).
• Haggai prophesied of a great shaking which would involve all nations prior to their recognition of Christ and the return of the shekinah glory of God to the Millennial Temple: "For this is what the LORD Almighty says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth. I will shake the oceans and the dry land, too. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will come to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the LORD Almighty. (Haggai 2:6-7)

(19) The great city of Babylon split into three pieces, and cities around the world fell into heaps of rubble. And so God remembered all of Babylon's sins, and he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his fierce wrath.

• Babylon:
• There is much debate whether "Babylon" refers to Rome which is spiritual Babylon or, as some have understood it, to a rebuilt city of Babylon on the Euphrates, or to Jerusalem. Regardless, the fact that the judgment is an earthquake seems to indicate that a literal city is in view, and that the judgment results in its physical destruction - just prior to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Further revelation concerning the destruction of Babylon follows in chapters 17 and 18. There is an excellent article on Babylon at www.discoverrevelation.com/9.html. I would also highly recommend the book "The Two Babylons" by Rev. Alexander Hislop.
• It is split into three pieces (perhaps reminiscent of the three factions that fight over it today - Jews, Christians and Muslims.
• Revelation 17:1-6: One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. "Come with me," he said, "and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. The rulers of the world have had immoral relations with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality." So the angel took me in spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, written all over with blasphemies against God. The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry gold and precious gems and pearls. She held in her hand a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. A mysterious name was written on her forehead: "Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World." I could see that she was drunk -- drunk with the blood of God's holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her completely amazed.
• John is going to pick up one event out of this scene, the destruction of Babylon the Great, and enlarge on it in the next two chapters. But in Chapter 19, Jesus will reveal himself; he will be seen by all the world, appearing in power and great glory, just as the Scriptures long have predicted.
• The fall of Babylon was announced in Revelation chapter 14. Under the seventh bowl, the judgment of that guilty system takes place. The events in Revelation 14:8 through the remainder of the chapter take place AFTER the pouring out of the seventh bowl. This is an important help in proper understanding of the various parts and visions of the book.
• Revelation 14:8: Then another angel followed him through the skies, shouting, "Babylon is fallen -- that great city is fallen -- because she seduced the nations of the world and made them drink the wine of her passionate immorality."

(20) And every island disappeared, and all the mountains were leveled.

(21) There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing seventy-five pounds fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the hailstorm, which was a very terrible plague.

• Hailstorm:
• Exodus 9:23: So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. The LORD sent a tremendous hailstorm against all the land of Egypt.
• Joshua 10:11: As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the LORD destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword.
• Job 38:22-23: "Have you visited the treasuries of the snow? Have you seen where the hail is made and stored? I have reserved it for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war.
• Psalm 105:31-32: When he spoke, flies descended on the Egyptians, and gnats swarmed across Egypt. Instead of rain, he sent murderous hail, and flashes of lightning overwhelmed the land.

Since the wrath of God is complete in these seven bowls, they span the remainder of the Tribulation period up until its end, when Christ returns and overthrows the enemies of God in the Campaign of Armageddon. Even though this chapter concludes with the pouring forth of the seventh bowl, at which the work of God’s wrath is complete, John’s vision will not be complete. For three more chapters (Revelation 17, 18 and 19) remain within which John is shown details attending the judgments associated with these bowls culminating in the Second Coming of Christ and the binding of Satan prior to the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:1-3).

Chronologically, the next event will be the return of the Lord to earth as King of kings (chapter 19). The next two chapters, however, halt the sequence and give us a parenthetical look at Babylon because of her prominence historically and in the future kingdom of the system of the beast.

John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Moody Press, p. 242: "Though from the contemporary point of view all the details of these dramatic judgments are not immediately understood, the unmistakable impression of the Scriptures is that the whole world is being brought to the bar of justice before Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. There is no escape from divine judgment except for those who avail themselves of the grace of God in that day by faith in Jesus Christ. The utter perversity of human nature, which will reject the sovereignty of God in the face of such overwhelming evidence, confirms that even the lake of fire will not produce repentance on the part of those who have hardened their hearts against the grace of God."

NOTES:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois.
• Disclaimer: Source material for this study has been gleaned from many different sources. If you want further study, I have attempted to acknowledge these sources at http://revelationofjesustojohn.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-of-revelation-references.html
• Index to our other Revelation studies is at http://revelationofjesustojohn.blogspot.com/2014/03/index-to-book-of-revelation.html
• Index to all our studies is at http://oakview-bible-fellowship.blogspot.com/

Revelation 15

Above image from www.truthnet.org/Christianity/revelation/Revelation15/

Revelation chapter 15 begins the preparation for the last seven bowls. Now in Chapters 15 and 16, we see the final outpouring of God's wrath before Christ's return. Revelation 15 describes the last scene in heaven before the final great war of the tribulation - Armageddon.

The chronological order of events is set forth in Revelation, chapters 6, 8, 9 and 16, with the symbolism of seven seals (chapter 6); seven trumpets (chapters 8 and 9); and seven bowls (chapter 16). The chapters intervening give what might be called, figuratively speaking, the stage setting. This phase of the drama is so important that the Lord devoted chapters 12 through 15 to it, in order to give us the facts that must be understood if we are to comprehend the message of chapter 16.

(1) Then I saw in heaven another significant event, and it was great and marvelous. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God's wrath to completion.

• Another significant event (a sign Greek: semeion):
• Another is allo, another of a similar kind.
• In the great parenthesis of the book of Revelation are found three signs or symbols. The first is the sign of the woman (Revelation 12:1); the second, the sign of the dragon (Revelation 12:3); and the third is the symbol of the seven angels, who have the seven vials or bowls of the wrath of God (Revelation 15:1). These three signs are given in Heaven and they foreshadow, or signify, things upon the earth.
• Dr. Harlin J Roper (Genesis through Revelation: Through the Bible study) says, "Since chapter 12, this is the third sign. The first sign (12:1) was a sign of divine purpose; the second sign (12:3) was a sign of satanic opposition; and this third sign (15:1) is one of ultimate victory."
• Seven angels:
• The seven angels prepare to administer the last seven Tribulation judgments of Christ: the seven bowls or vials. The bowls are full of the wrath of God "on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus" (2 Thessalonians 1:8). Until the seven plagues are finished, no one is able to enter into the temple. These plagues will conclude with the wrath of God on sinful mankind for rejecting His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This finishes the 21 (3 x 7) total plagues on mankind before the end of time.
• Seven last plagues:
• "Last" shows these are the climactic judgments, those that occur in rapid sequence and with greater intensity. As the last judgments, they will be concluded by the personal return of the Lord Jesus and His personal defeat of the enemies of God and His people.
• Completion:
• At the pouring forth of the last of these seven bowls, a voice from the Temple announces, "It is finished!" (Revelation 16:17). Then “the LORD's anger against your enemies has passed” (Isaiah 26:20).
• As the judgments progressed from the seals, to the trumpets and now to the bowls, their level of intensity has steadily increased. These are the final set of judgments which conclude with the Second Coming of Christ, when the “great winepress of God's wrath” is “trodden in the winepress outside the city” (Revelation 14:19-20+). “From his mouth came a sharp sword, and with it he struck down the nations. He ruled them with an iron rod, and he trod the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God.” (Revelation 19:15+).
• David Guzik: "The word completion (the ancient Greek word etelesthe) means, 'to reach an end or an aim.' Here, the hot wrath of God will fulfill an eternal purpose. God isn't just blowing off steam."

(2) I saw before me what seemed to be a crystal sea mixed with fire. And on it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them.

• Crystal Sea:
• Walvoord: “The sea is designed to reflect the glory of God. In chapter 4 its description ‘like unto crystal’ speaks of the holiness of God. Here the sea mingled with fire speaks of divine judgment proceeding from God’s holiness.”
• Revelation 4:6: In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.
• People ... victorious - tous nikōntas, the overcomers:
• The victory over the beast has been won through faith in Christ and refusal to submit to the Antichrist. These are the Tribulation Martyrs (6:9-11; 7:9-17; 12:11; 14:1-5, 13) who are rejoicing over the victory they have won. The harps indicate they are rejoicing and singing praise to God. These believers are rejoicing because their prayers for God's vengeance on their persecutors are about to be answered.
• In chapter 14, there were two "harvests" - the wheat harvest and the grape harvest. The wheat harvest separated the wheat from the tares. The saved people (the wheat) from the Great Tribulation are here in heaven standing on the crystal sea mixed with fire.
• Ray Stedman: "The Antichrist thinks he is getting rid of his enemies down here, but what he is really doing is running a shuttle service to heaven! He is but an elevator boy in God's service, taking loads of saints up to glory. He does not realize that God is using him for the very purposes that he has ordained."
• May we too be tous nikōntas in our lives and the assignments He has given to us - race runners, race winners, finishers of our race!
• Harps:
• Since this scene occurs prior to the end of the Tribulation, it probably precedes John’s vision of the Lamb and the 144,000 standing on Mount Zion (Revelation 14:1). If so, these could be among those who play their harps in heaven where John heard “the sound of many harpists playing together” (Revelation 14:2).

(3) And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your actions, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations.

• Song:
• Both songs, the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb, are the response of grateful hearts celebrating God’s merciful deliverance.
• Commentator John Phillips compares and contrasts the two songs: “The song of Moses was sung at the Red Sea, the song of the Lamb is sung at the crystal sea; the song of Moses was a song of triumph over Egypt, the song of the Lamb is a song of triumph over Babylon; the song of Moses told how God brought His people out, the song of the Lamb tells how God brings His people in; the song of Moses was the first song in Scripture, the song of the Lamb is the last. The song of Moses commemorated the execution of the foe, the expectation of the saints, and the exaltation of the Lord; the song of the Lamb deals with the same three themes.” (Exploring Revelation, rev. ed. [Chicago: Moody, 1987; reprint, Neptune, N.J.: Loizeaux, 1991], 187)
• Song of Moses:
• Exodus 15:1-18: Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has thrown both horse and rider into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my victory. He is my God, and I will praise him; he is my father's God, and I will exalt him! The LORD is a warrior; yes, the LORD is his name! Pharaoh's chariots and armies, he has thrown into the sea. The very best of Pharaoh's officers have been drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the bottom like a stone. Your right hand, O LORD, is glorious in power. Your right hand, O LORD, dashes the enemy to pieces. In the greatness of your majesty, you overthrew those who rose against you. Your anger flashed forth; it consumed them as fire burns straw. At the blast of your breath, the waters piled up! The surging waters stood straight like a wall; in the middle of the sea the waters became hard. The enemy said, 'I will chase them, catch up with them, and destroy them. I will divide the plunder, avenging myself against them. I will unsheath my sword; my power will destroy them.' But with a blast of your breath, the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who else among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is glorious in holiness like you -- so awesome in splendor, performing such wonders? You raised up your hand, and the earth swallowed our enemies. With unfailing love you will lead this people whom you have ransomed. You will guide them in your strength to the place where your holiness dwells. The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia. The leaders of Edom will be terrified; the nobles of Moab will tremble. All the people of Canaan will melt with fear;  terror and dread will overcome them. Because of your great power, they will be silent like a stone, until your people pass by, O LORD, until the people whom you purchased pass by. You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain -- the place you have made as your home, O LORD, the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have made. The LORD will reign forever and ever!"
• Song of the Lamb:
• Revelation 5:8-14: And as he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense -- the prayers of God's people! And they sang a new song with these words: "You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were killed, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become God's Kingdom and his priests. And they will reign on the earth." Then I looked again, and I heard the singing of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus: "The Lamb is worthy -- the Lamb who was killed. He is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing." And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They also sang: "Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever." And the four living beings said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped God and the Lamb.

(4) Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed."

• Fear (reverence):
• Psalm 111:10: Reverence for the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. The rewards of wisdom come to all who obey him. Praise his name forever!
• Proverbs 9:10: Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in understanding.
• Holy:
• Isaiah 6:1-3: In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Hovering around him were mighty seraphim, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with the remaining two they flew. In a great chorus they sang, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty! The whole earth is filled with his glory!"
• All nations ... worship:
• This "all nations will come and worship", is speaking of the time when Jesus will sit on a throne in Jerusalem and rule the world - the millennium.
• Psalm 86:9: All the nations -- and you made each one -- will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your great and holy name.
• Isaiah 56:7: I will bring them also to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.
• Zechariah 8:20-23: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem. The people of one city will say to the people in another, 'Let us go to Jerusalem to ask the LORD to bless us and to seek the LORD Almighty. We are planning to go ourselves.' People from many nations, even powerful nations, will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to ask the LORD to bless them. This is what the LORD Almighty says: In those days ten people from nations and languages around the world will clutch at the hem of one Jew's robe. And they will say, 'Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"
• Revelation 21:23-26: And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations of the earth will walk in its light, and the rulers of the world will come and bring their glory to it. Its gates never close at the end of day because there is no night. And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city.

(5) THEN I looked and saw that the Temple in heaven, God's Tabernacle, was thrown wide open!

• Then - Greek kai meta tauta (after these things):
• The actual chronological event of the 7 bowl judgments of chapter 16 formally begins in 15:5 with the phrase kai meta tauta.
• Temple:
• The word temple is mentioned 15 times in Revelation. But it is not mentioned until chapter 4 after the church has been removed.
• Psalm 11:4: But the LORD is in his holy Temple; the LORD still rules from heaven. He watches everything closely, examining everyone on earth.
• Revelation 11:19: Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared; there was a great hailstorm, and the world was shaken by a mighty earthquake.
• Tabernacle:
• This "tabernacle" is the original tabernacle in heaven after which the one on the earth was patterned. God instructed Moses how to build the earthly one. The Ark of the Covenant is in heaven too.
• Hebrews 8:5: They serve in a place of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: "Be sure that you make everything according to the design I have shown you here on the mountain."
• Thrown wide open:
• As John looks intently on the scene, the sanctuary is opened, that is, the curtain is parted, and seven angels are seen coming out of the sanctuary. The holy place, into which the high priests alone could go and only after proper sacrifices, does not exclude holy angels who have no sin.
• The tabernacle was opened by Jesus, as the temple curtain which was in front of the Holy of Holies, was torn from the top to the bottom, when Jesus died on the cross.

(6) The seven angels who were holding the bowls of the seven plagues came from the Temple, clothed in spotless white linen with gold belts across their chests.

• Seven ... bowls:
• Seven golden bowls (vials) full of the wrath of God. These are the "plagues" that will strike the earth in the last three and one-half years to punish those who have chosen to serve the Antichrist, doing his bidding to persecute the saints for their faith in Christ.
• They are really “Shallow, pan-like, golden bowls, or censers, such as were used in the temple to hold the fire when incense was burned.” (Seiss)
• Seven plagues:
• These are the final judgments in the series of seals, trumpets and bowls.
• God wants to us understand there is a "point of no return". This eight-verse chapter shows the redeemed from the Great Tribulation are in heaven prior to the final set of judgments listed in the next chapter. God is patient with us and waits a long time to see who will turn to Him. There is a point where it is "too late" and we are watching that point here in Revelation.
• The term plagues takes us back to its first use in Revelation 9:18,20:
• One-third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues -- by the fire and the smoke and burning sulfur that came from the mouths of the horses. ... But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to turn from their evil deeds. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood -- idols that neither see nor hear nor walk!
• Temple:
• Temple is naos, generally used of the innermost portion of the temple, the holy of holies. These angels come forth directly from God’s presence - the throne room!
• Gold belts:
• They show that they have been in the presence of God.

(7) And one of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the terrible wrath of God, who lives forever and forever.

• Four living beings:
• These are the four cherubim which attend the throne:
• Revelation 4:6: In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.
• Bowl (vial):
• There is a parallel between these golden bowls of wrath and the “gold bowls filled with incense -- the prayers of God's people” (Revelation 5:8). The wrath contained in these bowls represents God’s response to the mountains of prayers over the ages by the saints of God to avenge the blood of the martyrs (Revelation 6:10) and to bring His kingdom to earth.
• The seven bowls are poured forth in the next chapter.

(8) The Temple was filled with smoke from God's glory and power. No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues.

• Smoke:
• His glory filled the Tabernacle in the Wilderness indicating His approval and presence among the children of Israel:
• Exodus 40:34-35: Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. Moses was no longer able to enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the Tabernacle was filled with the awesome glory of the LORD.
• His presence also filled Solomon’s Temple at its dedication:
• 1 Kings 8:10-11: As the priests came out of the inner sanctuary, a cloud filled the Temple of the LORD.  The priests could not continue their work because the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple.
• No one could enter the Temple:
• It may suggest that God will, at this point in history, seal the doors of Heaven, making it impossible for any who have not yet accepted Jesus as Savior to do so. In other words, from this time forth until God has executed the human race, no additional souls will be saved. This is reminiscent of the previous great judgment, for, in the age before the flood, God said, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time” (Genesis 6:3). What a fearsome prospect: God closeted in His sanctuary until His wrath is satisfied, and no one able to approach Him. Sin will cause this; sin is never a light matter. (Monty S. Mills, Revelations: An Exegetical Study of the Revelation to John (Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries, 1987), Rev. 15:5.)

NOTES:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois.
• Disclaimer: Source material for this study has been gleaned from many different sources. If you want further study, I have attempted to acknowledge these sources at http://revelationofjesustojohn.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-of-revelation-references.html
• Index to our other Revelation studies is at http://revelationofjesustojohn.blogspot.com/2014/03/index-to-book-of-revelation.html
  
• Index to all our studies is at http://oakview-bible-fellowship.blogspot.com/

Revelation 14

Above image from www.truthnet.org/Christianity/revelation/Revelation14/

Much of Chapter 14 gives us an "overview" of end time events, but is not chronological. Chapter 14 falls within the "great parenthesis" from Revelation 11:6 to 15:4.

Revelation 14 describes three key events that will occur:

1. The 144,000 "first fruits" of Israel will meet the Lord Jesus on Mount Zion. As promised, they were sealed.
2. Three angelic proclamations will be delivered to the world.
3. Angels will harvest the wicked for judgment.

Revelation 14 answers two questions from chapter 13:

1. Is the beast completely victorious over all God’s people? The presence of the 144,000 on Mount Zion with the Lamb emphatically says “no.”
2. What happens to those who take the mark of the beast? They cannot be saved. 

The purpose of chapter 14's events is listed in verse 12: Let this encourage God's holy people to endure persecution patiently and remain firm to the end, obeying his commands and trusting in Jesus.

What has happened so far? At the 3 1/2 year mid-point of the seven-year Tribulation, the Antichrist walked into the newly-rebuilt temple, putting a stop to the sacrifices and claiming to be god. A world-wide persecution of the Jews broke out that day. Many of the Jews in Judea fled into the wilderness, pursued by the armies of the Antichrist, but the earth opened up and swallowed them. These Jews were brought to safety, presumably in the city of Petra, where they will spend the next 3 1/2 years. The Antichrist turned his attention to killing the rest of the Jews in the world. Then there was an assassination attempt and the Antichrist was killed. But he appeared to rise from the dead! The after-effects seemed to be only a blind eye and a withered arm. The Antichrist's right-hand man, the false prophet, commissioned an image of the Antichrist to be built, and somehow gave it breath and speech. It was commanded that everyone on the earth worship this image of the beast, and receive a mark on them, demonstrating their worship of, and loyalty to, the beast. It became impossible to even buy or sell without this mark. So, chronologically, we are somewhere between the halfway point and the end of the Tribulation.

(1) THEN I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.

• Mount Zion:
• Occurring over 150 times in the Bible, the word “Zion” means “fortification.” In the Bible, Zion is both the city of David and the city of God. The first mention of the word “Zion” in the Bible is 2 Samuel 5:7: But David captured the fortress of Zion, now called the City of David. When Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, “Zion” expanded in meaning to include the temple and the area surrounding it (Psalms 2:6; 48:2, 11-12; 132:13). “Zion” was eventually used as a name for the city of Jerusalem, the land of Judah and the people of Israel as a whole (Isaiah 40:9; Jeremiah 31:12; Zechariah 9:13). Peter refers to Christ as the Cornerstone of Zion in 1 Peter 2:6.
• The question here is whether this is the physical Mount Zion or the heavenly Zion.
• 144,000:
• If this group of 144,000 is the same as the 144,000 of chapter 7, they are specifically said to be sealed and kept safely through the tribulation. In their first mention, they are seen at the beginning of the great tribulation. In their second mention in chapter 14, they are seen still intact, preserved by God through the fearful days of persecution and standing triumphantly with the Lamb on Mount Zion at the beginning of the millennial reign.
• Some say that this 144,000 are different people than the 144,000 in chapter seven but that view is not founded on any scripture and is not logical. This is the same 144,000 that were sealed on the earth.
• Name ... foreheads:
• Having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads clearly refers back to Revelation 7:3-8.

(2) And I heard a sound from heaven like the roaring of a great waterfall or the rolling of mighty thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together.

• Heaven:
• The image now moves to heaven.

(3) This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. And no one could learn this song except those 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

• New song:
• A. R. Fausset: “The song is that of victory after conflict with the dragon, beast, and false prophet: never sung before, for such a conflict had never been fought before; therefore new.”
• Twenty-four elders:
• The twenty-four elders, probably representatives from among the Church, “sang a new song” (Revelation 5:9). The subject of their song was redemption (Revelation 5:8-10+).
• Redeemed from the earth:
• Taken from the twelve tribes of Israel, these redeemed are God’s first fruits of Israel’s national salvation.

(4) For they are spiritually undefiled, pure as virgins, following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering to God and to the Lamb.

• Spiritually undefiled ... Virgins:
• Walvoord: "If the term virgins is a picture of purity in general, it reinforces the identification of the 144,000 with Israel. Israel is referred to frequently in the Bible as ‘the virgin the daughter of Zion’ (2 Kings 19:21; Isaiah 37:22), as ‘the virgin daughter of Zion’ (Lamentations 2:13), and as ‘the virgin of Israel’ (Jeremiah 18:13; Jeremiah 31:34; Jeremiah 31:21; Amos 5:2).”
• Paul uses the term “chaste virgin” (KJV) or "pure bride" (NLT) in 2 Corinthians 11:2 in reference to the church as a bride.
•  John is probably using these terms in a spiritual sense to declare their spiritual chastity and devotion to Christ. During the Tribulation, there will exist a great ecumenical apostate church, or religious Babylon, the mother of all harlotries and the great harlot of the Tribulation. This will be followed by the apostate and idolatrous worship of the beast (Revelation 17-18:24). But, these 144,000 escape all spiritual defilement with these religious systems of the Tribulation. They remain pure, i.e., spiritual virgins. One might compare also a similar use of virgins in the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. The emphasis is not on sex but on spiritual purity.
• Following the Lamb:
• These 144,000 are of Jewish heritage (Revelation 7:4-8). Yet, they are also clearly believers in Jesus or they would not stand with the Lamb, follow the Lamb wherever He goes and could not be without fault before the throne of God.
• Joshua and Caleb were allowed into the Promised Land because they followed God fully: Numbers 14:24: But my servant Caleb is different from the others. He has remained loyal to me, and I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will receive their full share of that land.
• John 10:27: My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
• John 12:26: All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them.
• Special offering:
• Firstfruits in the KJV.
• William Varner, Jacob’s Dozen: A Prophetic Look at the Tribes of Israel: "These sealed Jews [Revelation 7:4-8+] are those who come to faith in Jesus as Messiah during the Tribulation period. They are further described as “first fruits unto God and to the Lamb” Revelation 14:4+), indicating that they compose the first stage of a final harvest of Jewish souls to be gathered later at the Lord’s coming in glory. . . . These comprise the “remnant” of Jews “who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17+b).

(5) No falsehood can be charged against them; they are blameless.

• Blameless:
• Jeremiah 50:20: In those days," says the LORD, "no sin will be found in Israel or in Judah, for I will forgive the remnant I preserve."
• Blameless (without fault) is used throughout the New Testament to describe a faithful follower of Jesus Christ who exhibits moral purity:
• Ephesians 1:4: Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
• Ephesians 5:27: He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.
• Colossians 1:22: yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

(6) And I saw another angel flying through the heavens, carrying the everlasting Good News to preach to the people who belong to this world -- to every nation, tribe, language, and people.

• Another angel:
• The last angel we encountered was the seventh angel who sounded his trumpet in Revelation 11:15+. Another angel (called an eagle in the NLT and angel in the KJV) mentioned was back in Chapter 8. This was the angel that said "Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world". (Revelation 8:13). The terrors or woes themselves were specific judgments that were already described in previous chapters.
• Everlasting Good News (Gospel):
• It is everlasting because it is ageless, not for any specific period. The everlasting gospel seems to be neither the gospel of grace nor the gospel of the kingdom, but rather the good news that God at last is about to deal with the world in righteousness and establish His sovereignty over the world.
• The content of this Gospel or good news will be defined in verse 7.

(7) "Fear God," he shouted. "Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all the springs of water."

• Notice that this angel's message does not mention Jesus.
• This good news or gospel is a six-fold message:
1. He Is To Be Feared.
2. He Is To Be Given Glory.
3. Judgment time has arrived.
4. He Is Going To Judge.
5. He Is To Be Worshiped.
6. He Is The Creator.
• Fear God ... Give glory to him:
• It is certain that one day all will give glory to God. Philippians 2:9-11 says, Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
• The time has come:
• Compare Isaiah 61:2 and the point where our Lord stopped in His reading (Luke 4:19):
• Isaiah 61:2: He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD's favor has come, and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies.
• Luke 4:18-20: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come." He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue stared at him intently.

(8) THEN another angel followed him through the skies, shouting, "Babylon is fallen -- that great city is fallen -- because she seduced the nations of the world and made them drink the wine of her passionate immorality."

• Babylon:
• This is the first mention in Revelation of Babylon. There are two Babylons that are mentioned in the Book of Revelation: First, Babylon the harlot, appearing in chapter 17; and secondly, Babylon the city, which is described in chapter 18.
• Mystery Babylon will oppose the purposes of God and support the Antichrist in his persecution of Israel and believers. Mystery Babylon will be judged and destroyed for her sins. The destruction of Mystery Babylon will be a phenomenal end-times judgment during the Day of the Lord.
• Walvoord: “Prophetically, ‘Babylon’ sometimes refers to a literal city, sometimes to a religious system, sometimes to a political system, all stemming from the evil character of historic Babylon.”
• The name Babylon is designed to take us back to the original city of Nimrod and Babel because this became the seat of Satan's ancient counterfeit strategy to destroy and corrupt the knowledge of God as well as God's plan of salvation as anticipated in Genesis 3:15. This was accomplished by Nimrod's political, commercial and international system as demonstrated in the tower of Babel and by the mother-child cult instituted by Nimrod's wife, Semiramis. This system has never ceased to exist in one form or another, exists today and will exist in the Tribulation as never before (Revelation 17 and 18). The history and spread of this system is described and documented in The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop.
• Hislop: "From ancient Babylon and the kingdom of Nimrod, this cult spread all over the world. In Egypt, its worship centered in the names of Isis and Osiris; in India in the names Isi and Iswara; in Asia in the names Cybele and Deoios; as Diana in Ephesus, and as Fortuna and Jupiter in Pagan Rome. In Greece, it appeared under the names of Ceres, the Great Mother with the babe at her breast, or as Irene, the Goddess of Peace, with the boy Plutus in her arms. The names have changed, but certain elements are always there as the mother with the child in her arms, or the lady in heaven. Thus, Babylon has become the biblical name and symbol for this world-wide religious system which has touched all the nations of the world to some degree or another. She is indeed the "Mother of Harlots" (Revelation 17:5)."
• Fallen:
• the word "fallen" is repeated for emphasis. It is first in the sentence in the Greek. Literally, the text reads "Fallen, fallen, Babylon the Great."
• The judgment of Babylon has not yet occurred, but it is so certain that it is stated as a past event (Revelation 16:19+; 18:2-3+).
• Isaiah 21:9: Now at last -- look! Here come the chariots and warriors!" Then the watchman said, "Babylon is fallen! All the idols of Babylon lie broken on the ground!"
• Jeremiah 51:6-9, 37-41: Flee from Babylon! Save yourselves! Don't get trapped in her punishment! It is the LORD's time for vengeance; he will fully repay her. Babylon has been like a golden cup in the LORD's hands, a cup from which he made the whole earth drink and go mad. But now suddenly, Babylon, too, has fallen. Weep for her, and give her medicine. Perhaps she can yet be healed. We would have helped her if we could, but nothing can save her now. Let her go; abandon her. Return now to your own land, for her judgment will be so great it cannot be measured. ... and Babylon will become a heap of rubble, haunted by jackals. It will be an object of horror and contempt, without a single person living there. In their drunken feasts, the people of Babylon roar like lions. And while they lie inflamed with all their wine, I will prepare a different kind of feast for them. I will make them drink until they fall asleep, never again to waken," says the LORD. I will bring them like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and goats to be sacrificed. How Babylon is fallen -- great Babylon, praised throughout the earth! The world can scarcely believe its eyes at her fall!
• Revelation 17:3-5: So the angel took me in spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, written all over with blasphemies against God. The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. She held in her hand a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. A mysterious name was written on her forehead: "Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World."
•  Revelation 18:2: He gave a mighty shout, "Babylon is fallen -- that great city is fallen! She has become the hideout of demons and evil spirits, a nest for filthy buzzards, and a den for dreadful beasts
• Immorality:
• The Greek porneia is used figuratively of spiritual prostitution and apostasy from God. It particularly refers to the various idolatries and human ideologies of man as found in the religious and politico-commercial system of the beast. Babylon's porneia is contrasted with the "spiritually undefiled, pure as virgins" 144,000.

(9) THEN a third angel followed them, shouting, "Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or the hand

• It could be translated, "if (for the sake of argument) anyone worships the beast and his image…." There is no doubt that people will take the mark and worship the beast. So the statement is not made because of any doubt that people will engage in these actions. Rather, the point is to emphasize the consequences of doing so.

(10) must drink the wine of God's wrath. It is poured out undiluted into God's cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb.

• Undiluted:
• The emphasis of this whole clause is that God's wrath at this point in time will in no way be diluted with His grace and mercy. At this point, all of God's mercy and grace will be withdrawn. Now the longsuffering of God in His mercy and grace holds back the divine justice and holiness of God, but a time is coming when the man who is without Jesus Christ as his Savior will face the unalterable and absolute wrath of God's holiness.

(11) The smoke of their torment rises forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.

• Forever and ever - Greek eis aiōnas aiōnon (“to ages of ages”):
• Those who worship the Beast and take his mark are irredeemable. Even though they have not yet died, their fate in the Lake of Fire is sealed. As we saw in Revelation 13:8, those who worship the Beast “are not written in the book of life” and are destined for the Lake of Fire. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15).
• Those who are left behind after the Rapture of the Church must reject the Mark of the Beast if they are to receive eternal salvation. The Third Angel proclaims that anyone who takes the Mark of the Beast will be condemned to endure the wrath of God during the Trumpet and the Bowl Judgments and suffer eternal separation. This proclamation is not aimed at those who have already taken the Mark of the Beast and sided with Antichrist - they are forever lost to God - but rather as a final warning to the undecided.

(12) Let this encourage God's holy people to endure persecution patiently and remain firm to the end, obeying his commands and trusting in Jesus."

• If the Christian church is "raptured" prior to this future time frame, then those who turn to Jesus during this time frame will wonder if it is too late to be saved. These verses give assurance of one's salvation to those living at that time. God understands that Christians are suffering during this time frame. God is saying in effect, "This is terrible, but it's only for a set period of time. It will not continue forever. Have patience, your victory is guaranteed!"
• As Antichrist gathers his armies to battle at Armageddon, the pressure to join his ranks will greatly increase. This warning is for those who are fighting to be found faithful at the Lord’s coming at Armageddon.
• This verse is the key to why this announcement occurs at this point in the chronology of the Revelation. This is within days of the final outpouring of the wrath of God - the bowl judgments. The battle of Armageddon is probably only a few weeks away, which adds to the importance of this warning.

(13) And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord FROM NOW ON. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from all their toils and trials; for their good deeds follow them!"

• Voice:
• This is probably the same voice which told John to "Write down what you see" (Revelation 1:11), to "come up here" (Revelation 4:1), to “Keep secret what the seven thunders uttered” (Revelation 10:4) and called the two witnesses up to heaven (Revelation 11:12) - "Come up here".
• Die in the Lord from now on:
• The dead which "die in the Lord FROM NOW ON" are Tribulation martyrs. They will be blessed through rest, resurrection and reigning with Christ during the Millennium:
• Revelation 20:4-6: Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus, for proclaiming the word of God. And I saw the souls of those who had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.
• In the Lord - Greek en kurio:
• In the Lord is a favorite phrase of the apostle Paul occurring more than 40 times in his writings. This is the only exception outside the writings of Paul. This phrase in Paul’s writings speaks of the special relationship believers have with the Lord Jesus.
• From now on:
• There is a special reason why John is told to add the words, "from now on." It is because the saints of that day it will feel as if they have missed the resurrection! The church has already been taken out of the world and these tribulation believers know it. To those who are saved during the tribulation, it will raise the troubling thought that when they die, they are not sure that they will be included in the resurrection, for it is already past. The words "from now on" intimate the near end and that the blessing is just about to be entered upon. 
• Rest:
• The martyrs attending the opening of the fifth seal are found under the altar in heaven (Revelation 6:9). The ones coming out of the Great Tribulation are immediately before the throne of God (Revelation 7:14). Those who overcome the Beast and his image (by death) are seen straightway in heaven (Revelation 15:1-3). Scripture denies the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory.
• Revelation 6:9: And when the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their witness.
• Revelation 7:14: And I said to him, "Sir, you are the one who knows." Then he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.
• Revelation 15:1-3: Then I saw in heaven another significant event, and it was great and marvelous. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God's wrath to completion. I saw before me what seemed to be a crystal sea mixed with fire. And on it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them. And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your actions, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations.
• Their good deeds follow them:
• 2 Timothy 4:7-8: I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me -- the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return.

(14) THEN I saw the Son of Man sitting on a white cloud. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

• White cloud: Possibly the Shekinah.
• The purpose of Revelation 14:14-20 is to preview the final judgment of God. Revelation 15-16 will expand Revelation 14:14-20. Revelation 17-18 will expand Revelation 14:8-13. Revelation 20 expands Revelation 14:6-7.
• This brings now the coming of the Son of Man with judgment into view. The day of judgment has come. The nations and their armies will be in the land; the Assyrian from the north, Antichrist, foreshadowed by Antiochus Epiphanes (Daniel 8:1-27) will do his awful work. The false prophet is in Jerusalem. But then the judgment clouds break. The battle of Armageddon comes into view for the first time in Revelation 14:20.
• The Son of Man:
• May also be translated, "One like the Son of Man". This is the last occurrence of this title.
• The reason that Son of Man oversees the harvest of wheat is that it is He who sowed the good seed (Matthew 13:37).
• The person John saw was evidently Jesus Christ, though some commentators think he was an angel. Since the sickle is "sharp," the reaper can do His work swiftly and completely.
• Gold crown:
• "Gold" in Scripture is a symbol of deity, of value, of what is imperishable and of righteousness. "Crown" is the Greek stephanos which refers to the victor's crown rather than diadem, the crown of royalty. Christ is coming to conquer, having the right and power to do so as the victorious Savior.
• Sharp sickle:
• The word "sickle" occurs 12 times in the Bible, 4 times in this chapter.
• The Lord Jesus stated in Matthew 13:39 that "the harvesters are the angels" at the end of the age.
• The sickle is sharp so that this harvesting will be complete and thorough.

(15) THEN an angel came from the Temple and called out in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud, "Use the sickle, for the time has come for you to harvest; the crop is ripe on the earth."

• Use the sickle:
• Joel 3:13: "Now let the sickle do its work, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread the winepress because it is full. The storage vats are overflowing with the wickedness of these people." Joel 3:13 combines both the wheat and wine harvests. However, they are separated into two events in Revelation. This first harvest mentioned is the wheat harvest. The sickle can be used because "the time has come" - time for judgment!
• Harvest:
• The harvest is used throughout the Scriptures to symbolize the final gathering and separation of that which is desirable and productive (wheat) from that which is useless and for the fire (tares, chaff).
• This judgment will occur at the end of the tribulation Revelation 19:17-21:
• Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: "Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared.  Come and eat the flesh of kings, captains, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great." Then I saw the beast gathering the kings of the earth and their armies in order to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast -- miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came out of the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And all the vultures of the sky gorged themselves on the dead bodies.
• From Matthew 13:39-41, we learn that "The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels" and that "I the Son of Man, will send my angels, and they will remove from my Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil". But in the parable as Christ told it before giving the meaning, he said of the tares (the enemy or unbelievers) and of the wheat (the people of God, believers), "Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds and burn them and to put the wheat in the barn.” (Matthew 13:26-30).
• The tares, which is a plant called the Bearded Darnel, look just like wheat as it matures. The difference between the two plants becomes clear when they near harvest time. The head, or top, of the tare turns black and stands up straight. It is filled with tiny black seeds that can cause nausea or even death. It is a natural emetic and when tares are harvested with the wheat, every kernel must be inspected. The wheat, on the other hand, has a head filled with heavy kernels of wheat. These kernels cause the head of the wheat plant to bend toward the earth - the obvious contrast between the saved and the lost.
• The crop is ripe:
• That the crop on the earth is ripe explains why the time of harvest begins at this point. A ripe earth continues the metaphor of the wheat harvest. Literally, wickedness has run its course and demands punishment.
• The phrase "is ripe" is the Greek verb exeranthe which means "to be dry, be parched, withered". It refers to a dry, withered or overripe harvest. Ryrie says, "The inhabitants of the earth are withered, lifeless and fully ready for judgment" (Ryrie, Revelation, Moody Press, p. 105).

(16) So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.

• These events are taking place right here on earth. When the Son of Man swung His sickle into earth’s harvest, men “ground their teeth in anguish” (Revelation 16:10). During this time, the great whore sitting on the beast is stripped of her pride and haughtiness. She is filled with torment, burning, sorrow, anguish, woe and misery.

(17) AFTER THAT, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.

• After that:
• The fact that the wheat harvest is followed by the grape harvest similar to Joel 3:13 argues for the conclusion that this is a preview of the bowl judgments to be unleashed in Revelation 15-16.

(18) THEN another angel, who has power to destroy the world with fire, shouted to the angel with the sickle, "Use your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are fully ripe for judgment."

• Grapes:
• Expresses the second harvest depicted from Joel 3:13. This is the grape harvest. The metaphor is carried forward, but the literal idea is that the wicked get their deserved punishment.
• Fully ripe:
• The expression “fully ripe” is a different expression from the verb used in the description of the harvest in verse 15. Here it pictures grapes fully grown in their prime almost bursting with juice. Though the figure is somewhat different, the spiritual meaning is the same. The time has come for the final harvest.

(19) So the angel swung his sickle on the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God's wrath.

• Winepress:
• This angel’s job is to gather the wicked of the earth. This overview will be expanded in Revelation 16:12-16 (the sixth bowl) and Revelation 19 (the actual battle of Armageddon). A winepress is the place where the grapes were pressed to separate the juice from the pulp. God’s literal winepress will be on the plains of Megiddo.
• Revelation 16:12-16: Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies westward without hindrance. And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.  These miracle-working demons caused all the rulers of the world to gather for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God Almighty. "Take note: I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their robes ready so they will not need to walk naked and ashamed." And they gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place called Armageddon in Hebrew.

(20) And the grapes were trodden in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse's bridle.

Above image from www.truthnet.org/Christianity/revelation/Revelation14/

1600 furlongs = 183 miles
Above image from www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/177796-the-restrainer/page-2

• Winepress:
• Revelation 19:11-15: Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True. For he judges fairly and then goes to war. His eyes were bright like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him, and only he knew what it meant. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword, and with it he struck down the nations. He ruled them with an iron rod, and he trod the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God.
• Outside the city:
• The city is Jerusalem. The exact location of God’s judgment will be specified in Revelation 16:16 as Armageddon, north of Jerusalem.
• This is the terrible battle described in Revelation 16:14; 19:19. The Beast and False Prophet meet their doom there.
• Blood:
• Isaiah 63:1-6: Who is this who comes from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, with his clothing stained red? Who is this in royal robes, marching in the greatness of his strength?" It is I, the LORD, announcing your salvation! It is I, the LORD, who is mighty to save!" Why are your clothes so red, as if you have been treading out grapes? "I have trodden the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury I have trampled my foes. It is their blood that has stained my clothes. For the time has come for me to avenge my people, to ransom them from their oppressors. I looked, but no one came to help my people. I was amazed and appalled at what I saw. So I executed vengeance alone; unaided, I passed down judgment. I crushed the nations in my anger and made them stagger and fall to the ground."
• Jeremiah 25:29-38: I have begun to punish Jerusalem, the city where my own name is honored. Now should I let you go unpunished? No, you will not escape disaster. I will call for war against all the nations of the earth. I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken! Now prophesy all these things, and say to them, 'The LORD will roar loudly against his own land from his holy dwelling in heaven. He will shout against everyone on the earth, like the harvesters do as they crush juice from the grapes. His cry of judgment will reach the ends of the earth, for the LORD will bring his case against all the nations. He will judge all the people of the earth, slaughtering the wicked with his sword. The LORD has spoken!' This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Look! Disaster will fall upon nation after nation! A great whirlwind of fury is rising from the most distant corners of the earth!" In that day those the LORD has slaughtered will fill the earth from one end to the other. No one will mourn for them or gather up their bodies to bury them. They will be scattered like dung on the ground. Weep and moan, you evil shepherds! Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock! The time of your slaughter has arrived; you will fall and shatter like fragile pottery. You will find no place to hide; there will be no way to escape. Listen to the frantic cries of the shepherds, to the leaders of the flock shouting in despair, for the LORD is spoiling their pastures. Peaceful meadows will be turned into a wasteland by the LORD's fierce anger. He has left his den like a lion seeking its prey, and their land will be made desolate by the sword of the enemy and the LORD's fierce anger.
• Zechariah 14:1-4: Watch, for the day of the LORD is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! On that day I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses plundered, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken away into captivity, and half will be left among the ruins of the city. Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west, for half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south.
• 180 miles:
• The valley of Jezreel, the location of Armageddon, is exactly 183 miles from Petra!
• As high as a horse's bridle:
• This probably describes blood splattering up to the horses’ bridles, a picture of tremendous carnage in the battle of Armageddon described in Revelation 16 & 19.
• John fast-forwards through to Armageddon, a time of harvesting the wicked.
• The battle described here, and the battle of Gog and Magog, described in Revelation 20:8-9, are two separate battles. Most respected Bible prophecy scholars today place the timing of Gog/Magog before or at the beginning of the seven year Tribulation period. Armageddon on the other hand occurs at the end of the seven year Tribulation period. The purpose of Gog/Magog is to take a spoil and prey, while the purpose of Armageddon is to destroy Israel once and for all.

Revelation 15: THEN I saw in heaven another significant event, and it was great and marvelous. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God's wrath to completion. I saw before me what seemed to be a crystal sea mixed with fire. And on it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them. And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your actions, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed." Then I looked and saw that the Temple in heaven, God's Tabernacle, was thrown wide open! The seven angels who were holding the bowls of the seven plagues came from the Temple, clothed in spotless white linen with gold belts across their chests. And one of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the terrible wrath of God, who lives forever and forever. The Temple was filled with smoke from God's glory and power. No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues.

NOTES:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois.
• Disclaimer: Source material for this study has been gleaned from many different sources. If you want further study, I have attempted to acknowledge these sources at http://revelationofjesustojohn.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-of-revelation-references.html
• Index to all our studies are at http://oakview-bible-fellowship.blogspot.com/