As the apostle John presents the final vision of Revelation 20, he wants his readers to face the reality of the final judgment. John wrote: “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it” (v. 11). The apostle Paul warned that God “has fixed a day on which he will judge the world” (Acts 17:31). Jesus defined this day as the day of His return: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne (Matt. 25:31). Whatever clever arguments may be made to urge us not to expect God’s judgment, Revelation 20:11-15 starkly upholds the words of the Nicene Creed: Christ “will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead.”

John begins by describing the judgment seat: “Then I saw a great white throne” (v. 11). Back in chapter 4:2, John was invited into heaven and the first thing he saw was a throne, and now at the end it fills his vision. As a “great” throne, it exudes majesty and authority. As a “white” throne, it radiates perfect purity, holiness, and incorruptible righteousness. When Isaiah saw his vision of the heavenly courtroom, the seraphim were crying, “Holy, holy, holy” (Isa. 6:3). The great white throne conveys the same message of infinite perfect justice.

John doesn’t specify who is seated on the throne, which suggests the presence of God the Father, as when this throne was first seen in chapter 4. In Daniel 7:9, from which John’s vision likely draws, it was “the Ancient of Days” who sat on the throne, clothed as “white as snow.” The Bible also states, however, that Jesus will judge the world together with the Father. Therefore, while verse 11 seems to focus on God the Father, it is clear that Jesus, God’s Son, is the agent to whom judgment is committed, which is why He was seated at the right hand of the holy God (Eph. 1:20; Heb. 12:2).

John adds the striking statement: “From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them” (v. 11). This imagery connects with earlier language in Revelation that was tied to Christ’s return. After the sixth seal was opened, John saw a cataclysmic end to the physical order, with a great earthquake and the falling of stars. “The sky vanished like a scroll,” he said (Rev. 6:12-14). This shows the upheaval that results from the absolute holiness and majesty of God when His throne is brought into the fallen world order. The reason for the fleeing of creation was “transgression and sins” (Mic. 1:5).

In addition to the reality of judgment, John’s vision presents the scope of the final judgment: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne” (v. 12). The meaning is that every human being who has ever lived will stand in this judgment. John emphasizes the general resurrection of all the dead to stand before God’s throne. Jesus said that “an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out” (John 5:28). The universality of this resurrection is conveyed in verse 13. The point is that all will stand before the judgment throne. John emphasizes that there will be no distinctions, since the “great and small” stand together before God.

Since each of us will be present before God’s throne, we should realize now what is the basis for the final judgment. John answers: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened… And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done” (v. 12). Here we arrive at the vital matter. Since each of us must face God’s judgment, what will be the basis of condemnation?

The Bible is clear in stating that we are judged by our deeds. A book is opened, John reports, pointing out the divine record of our every thought, word, and deed, together with our sinful omissions. The infinite and omnipresent God has watched over every detail of history, with a perfect and infallible observation. This thought is unsettling, to say the least. Yet while we might forget our transgressions, the Righteous Judge of the universe remembers every single one. Not only are all our sins recorded in God’s book, but that book will be opened before all creation and the great white throne of the holy God.

When we understand the basis for God’s judgment, we realize the great problem that all of us are guilty and stand worthy of condemnation. For this reason, the most important of all truths is how sinners can escape from final judgment. John answers: “Then another book was opened, which is the book of life” (v. 12). The Bible states that God has a record of every person chosen to be saved by His grace. This book contains not deeds but names.

The full name of this book is given in Revelation 13:8: “the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.” This makes clear that election and salvation are always in Christ. To say that it is the book “of the Lamb” is to affirm that the names recorded are those who belong to Jesus Christ. Moreover, in calling Jesus “the Lamb who was slain,” this book records those who are saved by means of His atoning death for sin. Paul exclaims: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7). This redemption is received through faith in Jesus.

The question is raised about believers’ standing before God to be judged according to their deeds. It is clear in John’s vision that while all mankind outside Christ must be judged by the book of their works, believers in Christ are vindicated by the record of their names in the Book of Life. With our sins forgiven through His blood, our good deeds will then be rewarded with the praise of our dear Savior and Lord (Matt. 25:35-40). This is the reason of Paul’s statement that believers must appear before Christ and the reason we should be zealous in our living (2 Cor. 5:10). It is for this reason that Christians are taught to look forward to the return of Christ and the final judgment. Not only the guilt but also the shame of our sin was fully borne by Jesus on the cross. We will face not judgment but our coronation as joint heirs together with Christ in blessing.

Yet how dreadful is the punishment of the final judgment for those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and who are judged for their sins. John writes: “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (v. 15). This statement makes it clear that no one will ever be saved by his or her own works. The reason was stated by the apostle Paul: “None is righteous, no, not one; … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:10, 23). Since all are sinners, none can be justified by their works before God. Salvation comes only through faith in Jesus, by grace, according to the Lamb’s Book of Life.

John’s vision of the final judgment concludes with God’s ultimate victory – a triumph over even hell and death themselves: “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire” (v. 14). Death was the curse brought by sin into God’s perfect creation. In order for Christ to bring the “new heaven and a new earth” of eternal glory (21:1), then He must put an end to the curse of death, along with Hades, the abode of the condemned. Because of this victory, the final judgment is a day of rejoicing for the holy angels together with God’s redeemed people. For then it will be truly declared by the exultant voices of heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (11:15).

Revelation 20:11-15 Study Questions:

What is the significance of the books that are opened as the dead gather around the throne (vv. 12-15)?

How does knowing we are in the Lamb’s Book of Life change who we are and what we do today?

How have you seen the Spirit of God working within you to redeem and enhance your thoughts, desires and actions?

The vision of Revelation 20:7-10 reflects the New Testament teaching of a great rebellion that will mark the end of the church age. Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 24:21: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” Paul wrote that Christ “will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction” (2 Thess. 2:3).

Revelation variously has depicted this intense attack against the church. In chapter 11, the church is represented by twin witnesses resembling Moses and Elijah. When their witness is concluded, “the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,” until Christ raises them three and a half days later (Rev. 11:7-11). Revelation 20:1-3 shows Satan as bound during the church age, “until…he must be released for a little while” (20:3); John picks up this thought in verses 7-8.

We should notice that Satan is “released” from his bonds, emphasizing the sovereign rule of God over him. This detail reminds us that however mighty the devil may be, he remains a finite creature of limited strength, unable to match the infinite might of God. We remember from our study of verses 1-3 that the binding of Satan has to do with God’s forbidding him to “deceive the nations any longer” (v. 3), so that the gospel may spread throughout the world. The binding of Satan doesn’t mean that his evil activities are totally curtailed but that he no longer has authority to bind the nations in the darkness of unbelief. It is noteworthy, then, that as soon as Satan is released, this is precisely what he does: he “will come out to deceive the nations” (v. 8).

This combination shows us that Satan’s chief instrument in this world is not violent persecution but deceptions that promote unbelief. This is why the Christian church is sent into the world with the truth. Whatever else the church does, it must boldly proclaim the truth if God’s Word, refusing to compromise with the prevailing dogmas of secularist unbelief. We are constantly told today that Christians must be less doctrinally fixated and that we must be more tolerant of worldly ideas and practices. This approach should alarm us, given Satan’s chief strategy of binding unbelievers with deception. Moreover, we see that the sinful tendencies of the human heart do not evolve upward over time. As soon as God lifts His restraint of Satan, “the nations” are deceived once more.

The purpose of Satan’s deceptions has always been to lead darkened mankind into warfare against God, and so will be the great tribulation that ends the age (v. 8). The book of Revelation makes clear that this battle is the same final conflict that earlier received the name “Armageddon” (16:16). The great battle of chapter 19 draws the imagery of feeding carrion birds from Ezekiel 39, and the battle of chapter 20 draws the names “Gog and Magog”  from Ezekiel 38, where the prophet foretold a great assault on God’s people after the age of their blessing. Regarding the final battle, Ezekiel wrote: “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him” (38:2). By using this same designation, Revelation is saying that its final battle is the same final battle anticipated by Ezekiel.

John’s language confirms the New Testament teaching of a final worldwide persecution of the Christian church (see Matt. 24:21; 2 Thess. 2:3-4). First, the nations are gathered from “the four corners of the earth…for battle” (Rev. 20:8). This shows that the final battle is launched not merely by a far-eastern nation such as Russia or China, as popular prophecy teaching often states. It is the entire world that gathers for a stand against the authority of God. Second, “their number is like the sand of the sea” (v. 8), referring to the vastness of these enemies. The battle will not pit evenly matched forces, so that Christians may hope to succeed by their own strength. Rather, only the power of God is able to save them.

This vast worldwide army “marched up over the broad plain of the earth” (v. 9). The idea is of a great army marching over a vast tract of ground. Their objective is the church: “and surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city.” This recaps the biblical model for the salvation of God’s people. Throughout the Old Testament, Israel was placed at the mercy of wicked powers, yet was delivered by God’s sudden intervention. It was the situation of John’s readers, surrounded by pagan rulers who wielded the Roman sword. How often believers have experienced this plight, from David’s exile in the caves of Judea, to the Chinese house churches that meet secretly to avoid arrest, to the Christian churches in Muslim lands that meet under the threat of violence and attack. So in the end the entire church will be besieged, so that a refusal to worship idols and a bold witness to Christ will result in suffering.

Notice the language with which John describes the church: “the camp of the saints and the beloved city” (v. 9). The first description alludes to the camp of Israel in the exodus journey: the church is likewise the pilgrim body of believers passing through life toward a promised land beyond. It is with this in mind that Peter urged Christians to avoid the pollutions of sin (1 Pet. 2:11). At the same time, though we are despised as aliens by the world, the church is God’s “beloved city.” Babylon stands for the prostitute world, just as Jerusalem represents the church as the bride of Christ. Whereas God will judge and condemn faithless Babylon, the faithful church bears His love and receives His promise of an eternal salvation.

We can tell that the people of God are God’s beloved city because of His fiery defense of her from Satan’s attack: “but fire came down from heaven and consumed them” (v. 9). Here, as elsewhere in Revelation and the New Testament, Christ’s second coming results in the immediate defeat of all the foes who afflicted His church. Ezekiel specified that fire would fall on Magog both to defend God’s people and to glorify His name (Ezek. 39:6). This point emphasizes that the church does not fight to defend herself. Revelation 12:11 described her warfare as trusting in Christ’s blood, bearing testimony to God’s Word, and offering our lives to seal our witness.

The main emphasis in this vision is the defeat and destruction of Satan himself (v. 10). Notice that the devil is primarily judged for deceiving the nations, reminding us again that the church’s ministry of truth through God’s Word is always the world’s greatest need. The greatest victory of history is Jesus’ conquest of sin by His blood, and that victory is joined with His defeat of Satan, the great tyrant and deceiver of the world. Knowing this, Christians face the future with great hope, since God has ordained the judgment and condemnation of Satan. This judgment was anticipated in Matthew’s Gospel when demons whom Jesus had cast out admitted knowing of their coming judgment (Matt. 8:29). Jesus said that this time had not yet come, but Revelation shows that history ends with the greatest agents of evil receiving a terrible and just punishment from God.

The final words of this vision are poignant and decisive: “forever and ever” (v. 10). This constitutes the gravest warning for those who enter into rebellion with Satan, reveling in sin and rebelling against God’s rule. Their punishment is as eternal as God Himself is. Sin, being an offense to God’s justice and holy nature, is eternal, and so are its consequences. This same “forever and ever” provides the Christian with a ground for a most joyful hope. Our own sin will be not only forgiven but actually removed. There will be no adversary to accuse us but only God’s justice to demand our justification through faith in Christ.

What is the meaning of this “forever and ever” to believers now? It means that we have an antidote to the crippling fear of persecution that might otherwise undermine our faith. Why would we forsake Jesus Christ amid the afflictions of this world when we know how the story ends? Jesus wins! Why would we abandon His victorious cause, even though it may entail suffering for a little while in tribulation, and even if discipleship to Him requires us to renounce the sinful pleasures of the condemned world? Because we know this end, and the “forever and ever” beyond it without fear, sin, or death, let our worship, our service, and our lives now reflect the joy that belongs to the people of the beloved city that God has made His own.

Revelation 20:7-10 Study Questions:

What is the significance of Satan being released after the thousand years are ended (v. 7)?

The troops go straight for the camp of the saints, but no battle takes place. What happens instead (vv. 9-10)?

How does this picture of the ultimate overthrow of the devil give us hope to face trouble today (v. 10)?

John begins the vision, “Then I saw thrones” (v. 4). This raises the question: Where are these thrones located? According to the premillennial view, these thrones are on earth, since the thousand years sees faithful Christians as reigning with Christ on earth. This claim is problematic, since of the forty-seven times that the word throne is used in Revelation, the thrones are almost always in heaven. The only exceptions are three occasions when the throne of Satan or the beast is mentioned on earth (2:13; 13:2; 16:10), and the references to God’s throne after He has come down to reign in the new heaven and new earth (22:1, 3). On every other occasion, especially when the Lamb or the angelic representatives of the church are enthroned, the scene is in heaven. Moreover, Jesus earlier gave a promise that is fulfilled in this scene, locating it in heaven (3:21).

The argument is made by premillennialists that the thrones have come to earth because of Christ’s earthly millennial reign after His return. But the text states that John saw “the souls of those who had been beheaded” seated on the thrones (v. 4). This verse clearly connects with an earlier vision of the souls of martyrs in heaven, who are described in nearly identical terms (6:9). Revelation 20:4 explains that these souls had been “beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God.” These are evidently the same persons. Moreover, verse 5 contrasts these souls with “the rest of the dead,” making it clear that John is seeing a vision of the saints in glory, those believers who have died are translated into the presence of Christ in heaven.

The thousand years we studied in Revelation 20:1-3, giving the amillennial answer that John describes as the entirety of the church age. The millennium – the number one thousand symbolizing a lengthy and perfect duration of time – began with Christ’s ascension to His throne and will conclude with His return to usher in the new heaven and new earth. During this present millennial age, Christ is reigning in heaven, and since these souls are reigning with Him, the location can be only in heaven.

This means that Revelation 20:4-6 provides a heavenly counterpart to the events taking place on earth in verses 1-3. It describes what is known as the intermediate state: the state of believers’ souls after death and before Christ’s return and the resurrection of the body. John’s vision shows these souls seated on thrones above during the gospel age. When Jesus returns, these spirits will be rejoined to their bodies to reign with Christ not merely for a thousand years – “they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:5).

So who is seated on these thrones? At the least, these are the souls of martyrs who suffered death for their faith in Christ (v. 4). Some premillennial scholars argue that this vision shows martyrs of the faith receiving the special reward of reigning with Christ on earth during the thousand years. Dispensational writers give a number of opinions, including the view that it is not martyrs but the saints who fought with Christ before His return (Rev. 19:14) who now exercise judgment with Him on earth. There can be no doubt however, that John sees a vision of martyrs reigning with Christ on thrones above. The question is asked of the entire church that boldly suffers for the gospel, a church typified by those who lost their lives for Christ: Have these believers lost everything by remaining loyal to Jesus? John reveals that all who remained faithful in their testimony “came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (v. 4).

We have seen that the vision of verses 4-6 describes thrones in heaven on which the souls of faithful Christians are seated during the intermediate state between their death on earth and the return of Jesus from heaven. Next John says that the saints “reign with Christ,” and called this reward “the first resurrection” (vv. 4-6). The premillennial view of history sees the statement that these souls “came to life” as requiring a physical resurrection. Premillennialists therefore teach that when Jesus returns, believers who died have their souls restored to their bodies in order to reign with Christ on earth. Only later, after the thousand years, are the bodies of unbelievers resurrected in order to stand in the final judgment.

The amillennial view, which teaches that the thousand years symbolically refers to the present church age, has a number of compelling responses to this argument. The first response is to note not only that the Bible nowhere else speaks of a thousand-year interval between the physical resurrection of believers and unbelievers, but also that the Bible positively rules out such doctrine. An example is Jesus’ teaching about His return to earth and the immediate judgment, for which all persons stand before Him in their resurrected bodies (Matt. 25:31-32). Not only is there no thousand-year interval between Christ’s return and the final judgment, but all persons – godly and ungodly – are resurrected at the same time for this event. In John 5:28-29, Jesus similarly placed the physical resurrection of all persons in a single event. By separating the return of Christ and the final judgment by a thousand years, and likewise separating the resurrection of believers and unbelievers by the millennium, the premillennial view contradicts these plain statements and must therefore be rejected.

How then, do Christians reign with Christ in heaven after their death? John answers: “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years” (v. 6). The main point is that believers reign with Christ as priests who serve in God’s presence. John has emphasized this calling from the very beginning of Revelation, saying in the benediction of 1:6 that Christ freed us from sin by His blood to be “a kingdom, priests to his God the Father.” This indicates that believers in heaven have immediate access to the presence of God and enjoy the unimaginable blessing of perfect spiritual worship before the face of divine glory. Christians who die receive a glorious advance in their redemptive experience, reigning with Christ as priests above.

In verse 4, John also said that these enthroned souls “were those to whom the authority to judge was committed.” The manner in which the saints exercise judgment is not specified, but at a minimum they have the pleasure of approving and taking part with Christ in His judgment of sin. This emphasis reflects Revelation’s deep concern for God’s justice on behalf of His persecuted church, including many of John’s original readers, who would be martyred for their faith.

How do believers reign with Christ, as priests who sit on thrones to judge? John exclaims that they reign in blessing and holiness: “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection!” (v. 6). Having been exhorted throughout Revelation to overcome by faith, the saints above are now seen to have overcome, entering the blessing of spiritual communion with God. Their bodies were destroyed on earth, but the souls reign with Christ in heaven. They are the holy ones whom God has set apart as His treasured possession forever and blessed to dwell before His glorious face.

John clinches the believers’ hope of life after death in verse 6: “Over such the second death has no power.” Christians suffer physical death, just as unbelievers do. The souls of believers are raised into heaven, awaiting the resurrection of their bodies, but with no fear of any further experience of death. How different is the fate of those who reject Christ! In death their souls do not go to heaven but to hell, and the resurrection of their bodies leads to the second death, which appears later in this chapter as eternal death in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10, 15). To believe in Christ is to experience the first resurrection but never the second death. But to reject Jesus is to be denied the first resurrection and be condemned to the second and final death.

Revelation 20:4-6 Study Questions:

For what period of time will Satan be bound and the faithful martyrs reign with Christ (vv. 2, 4)?

Why do those who share in the first resurrection become priests of God (v. 6)?

If we are already reigning with Christ, how do we serve as priests of God and Christ to those around us?

When it comes to eschatology, the doctrine of the end times, Bible-believing Christians hold differing views about the thousand years referred to in Revelation 20:1-9. In order to handle the material in chapter 20, we must come to conclusions regarding the nature and timing of the thousand years, which is mentioned six times in verses 1-9. Since premillennialism has been the most popular evangelical approach in recent years, we will begin with this understanding of the millennium.

The premillennial view of verses 1-2 holds that Satan is bound for a thousand literal years after the second coming of Jesus Christ. Thus, Christ’s return is premillennial. According to the premillennial view, Revelation chapters 17-20 follow a chronological progression. Another argument employed by some premillennialists holds that the number one thousand must be interpreted as a literal period of history and that this precludes us from assigning it to the church age, which has already lasted much longer than a thousand years. A third argument concerns the language about Satan’s binding in verses 1-2. According to some premillennialists this passage requires a complete termination of Satan’s activity in the sphere of the earth. Based on these arguments – the chronology of Revelation 19 and 20, the literal view of the number one thousand, and the absolute binding of Satan – premillennialists look for a golden age on earth that follows the return of Christ.

The most powerful critique of premillennialism is made today by those holding the amillennial position, who teach instead that the thousand years of Revelation 20 is a symbolic description of the entire church age. This assessment begins by denying that Revelation 20 should be understood as following chronologically from chapter 19. Instead, it understands these visions as recapitulating the history of the spiritual opposition to Christ.

Revelation 19 shows the judgment of spiritual opposition to Christ. Revelation 19 shows the judgment of the enemies of Christ who were introduced in the symbolic histories of chapters 12-14. In reverse order from their appearance, the harlot Babylon is first considered, and her judgment takes place to make way for the marriage feast of the Lamb, which occurs in the return of Christ (Rev. 19:6-10). Then the career of the beast and his false prophet is summarized, and they are destroyed by Jesus, returning on His white horse (19:11-21). At this point there is one more enemy to be defeated, the dragon Satan, and chapter 20 reveals his defeat and final judgment in the return of Jesus. These visions therefore follow one another not chronologically, but topically: the judgment of Babylon, then the beasts, and finally Satan.

Next, consider whether the thousand years of Revelation 20 should be viewed as a literal period. We have noted all through Revelation that these visions beg to be interpreted symbolically, not literally. This is true of numbers, such as seven, ten, and a thousand, just as it is true of features in this passage as the angel’s chain and the image of Satan as a dragon. Satan is by nature an angelic spirit who could not be bound by a physical chain, however stout. If the chain and the dragon imagery of these verses is manifestly symbolic, it makes little sense that the number one thousand is literal. The symbolic meaning of this number is not difficult to discern, since a thousand years represents a long but definite span of time. Moreover, noting that a thousand is a perfect cube of the number ten, we see that this number represents perfect completeness. Thus, the millennium is a long but definite time in which the work of the gospel is completed.

The most important premillennial (and postmillennial) argument pertains to the actual binding of Satan in verses 1-3. Their view states that this binding cannot describe the situation of the entire church age. Both hold that this binding must be understood as an action that completely curtails the actions of Satan which plainly is not yet the case. This is why postmillennialists ascribe the thousand years to a golden age of total victory at the end of the church age, rather than the entire church age itself. Amillennialists reply that this binding of Satan in fact describes the entire age of the gospel with great accuracy, showing the spiritual results of Christ’s first coming with His conquering death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. The key to understanding the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church in this age is the binding of Satan as a result of Christ’s saving work.

Christians today may not realize how much of a revolution resulted from the first coming of Jesus. When one asks how Satan can be described as being bound during our present age, there are two answers. The first answer notes that verse 3 specifies the particular effect of Satan’s binding: “so that he might not deceive the nations any longer.” This verse does not state that Satan is bound in every way, or that he is physically kept in a chained cell, but it symbolizes that he is bound in the particular way of no longer being able to prevent belief in Jesus.

A second way to see that this binding of Satan depicts the church age is to note how this vision echoes the language used elsewhere of Satan’s defeat in Christ’s first coming. Consider Matthew 12:29, where Jesus spoke of Satan in this same way. The word for bind is the same here as in Revelation 20:2 and the plundering of Satan’s house undoubtedly refers to the salvation of sinners through the gospel. There are many other New Testament passages that use similarly forceful language in describing the victory of Christ’s first coming. All this language unmistakably speaks of the stripping of Satan’s power by Christ’s death and resurrection and the granting of authority to Jesus in His ascension so that His gospel may go forth through the church.

In light of this overwhelming biblical evidence, a careful study of the binding of Satan reveals the thousand years as symbolically depicting the church age of gospel expansion. This argues for the amillenial view, as opposed to premillennialism, which ascribes this situation to an earthly reign after Christ’s coming, and also the postmillennial view, which sees Satan as bound only at the end of the church age.

The vision of Revelation 20 begins with John seeing “an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon” (vv. 1-2). In chapter 9, we saw the Abyss as the dwelling place of evil spirits, which, in that case, was opened by an angel to allow calamities on the earth (9:1-5). Now, Satan is symbolically locked in the Abyss. The angel brings a chain that Satan cannot break, with a key that locks the dungeon, so that the devil is thrown in, shut in, and sealed in (20:3). This vision shows the complete and sovereign control that is being exercised over Satan. God’s plan for salvation must be fulfilled, and to this end, God’s spiritual enemy is placed under wraps.

The binding of Satan is not permanent, however, since after the thousand years “he must be released for a little while” (v. 3). This statement also confirms to the general New Testament teaching and confirms that the thousand years describes the church age. Paul wrote that before Christ’s return “the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed” (2 Thess. 2:3). This describes the beast whom the dragon was seen calling out of the sea in Revelation 13:1, who wages a worldwide persecution of Christians and gathers the nations for the last battle. Paul is clear that this final time of great tribulation, characterized by Satan’s “wicked deception” (2 Thess. 2:10), occurs at the end of the gospel age, just before Christ’s return. This corresponds to the “little while” after the thousand years when Satan is released so as to deceive the nations briefly before the final battle.

From this perspective, Christians look back on history, knowing that in Christ’s first coming He defeated the devil and limited his authority. We look to the future and know that “for a little while” Satan will return to deceive the nations and persecute the church. What is most important now is our awareness of the current situation, when Satan is bound “so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended” (v. 3). This defines our great opportunity in this life, our great calling as the church of Christ in the world, and our glorious privilege in service to the strong Savior who has defeated and bound our dreaded enemy. This was precisely Jesus’ emphasis as He commissioned His disciples before ascending into heaven (Matt. 28:18-20). As Jesus put it at the end of John’s gospel “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21).

Revelation 20:1-3 Study Questions:

What happens to Satan in verses 1-3?

We must not forget that Satan was initially a member of the heavenly council. Though he has fallen from his position, he may still, by God’s permission, play a role. Satan’s job was always to “accuse” where accusation was due to make sure that all wrongdoing was exposed. In what ways has Satan abused and distorted this role?

In what specific ways does Satan try to lead us astray?

One reason Christians are to seek the salvation of the lost is our awareness that the offer of salvation will end when Christ returns. Although we are called hatemongers for our witness of God’s wrath against sin, Christians are motivated by the forewarning of destruction for those who deny Jesus and reject His salvation. The horrific nature of that destruction was foretold to John with an image of an angel summoning carrion birds to the future battlefield (vv. 17-18).

The angel stands in midair, an appropriate place from which to summon the eagles and vultures to descend on those slain by the judicial sword of Christ. This image is symbolic, but what it represents is correspondingly devastating: the utter shame, destruction, and condemnation suffered at the end of history by those who opposed Christ and afflicted His people during history. Divine retribution for sin is just as certain as the arrival of vultures to devour flesh that dies in the desert.

The details of verses 17-18 are worth noting. First, there is a clear and ironic contrast with the earlier summons of believers to the wedding feast of the Lamb. This carnage is named “the great supper of God” (v. 17), making the point that God is glorified in judgment just as in salvation. One of these destinies is the end toward which every single person is heading, depending in his or her response to the saving offer of Jesus Christ. The ungodly, whose sins are not forgiven because of their unbelief, “will go away into eternal punishment,” Jesus said, “but the righteous into eternal life” (Matt. 25:46).

Second, this fundamental contrast pertains equally to every single person. The carrion birds are summoned to devour all walks of life. This proves that whatever earthly distinctions we may recognize, the entire human race is united in the guilt of sin and in our need for a Savior in order to escape God’s judgment. When that judgment comes, those who have refused Jesus will find that no earthly status matters at all, but only their guilt before the scorned Savior who has now returned to judge.

Verse 19 presents the final battle itself, which was described earlier in Revelation as the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:16). Revelation 17:14 foretold that the beast and his vassal kings “will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them.” Revelation 19:19 presents the same epic final confrontation. Jesus’ teaching clarifies that this great battle symbolizes a worldwide persecution before His return: “There will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved” (Matt. 24:21-22).

John is shown the immediate aftermath of the last battle and the devastating effects of Christ’s coming in verse 20. Here in the end, the final beast and false prophet will be captured by Christ, leaving only Satan to face his judgment in the very end. Having been disarmed, the beast and false prophet “were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur” (v. 20). This is the first of four references to the “lake of fire” at the end of Revelation. The lake of fire manifests the wrath of God, inflicting the burning punishment of hell.

John specifies that the beast and false prophet “were thrown alive” into the lake, making the point that their punishment will consist not of eradication but of eternal suffering as the just penalty of sin. When the devil receives his punishment, he too, is cast “into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). Whether or not we like the idea of such a hell, the fact is that God’s revealed Word teaches it. Hell is part of the reality we must face, and to deny reality is a disaster for us, sooner or later.

Verse 21 makes clear that the beast and false prophet will not suffer alone. All their allies “were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.” Later in Revelation 20:15 it states that all who worship the beast and serve in his army will be cast into the lake of fire, together with everyone who has not believed in Jesus Christ. The slaying sword appears here to represent a decree of death as the punishment for sin. The New Testament teaches that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23), and these images depict that death in terms of eternal condemnation, eternal suffering, and eternal shame.

These symbolic images – the lake of fire and the carrion birds who eat the flesh – combine to show the torment and shame that God will inflict on His enemies when Christ returns. The solemn scene with which Revelation 19 concludes confirms the warning of Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

According to the Bible, you can avoid a destiny of punishment in the lake of fire in one of two ways. The first is to live a life of perfect obedience to God’s law, never sinning in the least degree and doing all things over the entirety of your life for the glory of your Creator. If you have not done that – if you have sinned in the least degree (and Solomon reminds us that “there is no one who does not sin” [1 Kings 8:46]) – then you need a second way of salvation. You need a Savior to deliver you from God’s holy justice. The only Savior available is the very Son of God, who did live a perfect life to provide righteousness for His needy people, and who died a sin-atoning death so that those who believe in Him may be forgiven of their sins.

Notice that verse 20 speaks of the people who bore “the mark of the beast and those who worship its image.” According to Revelation, there are two marks that determine one’s ownership and destiny, and everyone bears either one or the other. Revelation 7:2-3 says that God has marked His servants with a seal, a mark that only He can see and that signifies true and saving faith. Revelation further teaches that “those people who do not have the seal of God” (Rev. 9:4) all bear the “mark” of the beast (14:9, 11). These are those who worship the beast’s false gods – pleasure, power, wealth, and beauty – and belong to the world in rebellion to Christ.

The point is that unless you are gathered to Jesus for salvation, having believed on Him in this life, you must in the day of His return be consigned to the judgment reserved for the servants of rebellion to Christ’s kingdom. Jesus said that when He returns, He will gather His people into eternal glory, but that to those who refused Him He will declare, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41). With this punishment looming before you, the most urgent issue in your life is to act on the counsel given by the apostle Paul: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

The outcome of the last battle not only urges us to believe, but also teaches believers not to fear the power of evil in this world. The Bible says that Christians will face tribulation and, in the end, a dreadful conspiracy of worldwide persecution. Yet the last battle will bring a stunning end to all evil. The appeal of the writer of Hebrews aptly suits the exhortation of Revelation: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23).

Revelation 19:17-21 Study Questions:

What is the ultimate fate of the beast and the false prophet (v. 20)?

Why do they face such a harsh judgment?

Many in our own day are still oppressed by monstrous forces, and the local propaganda machines that promote their cause. Equally, many otherwise well-intentioned people are taken in by the lies and deceits which these systems continue to put out. Revelation 19 stands as a promise to the first, and a warning to the second. Once you understand who Jesus was and is, and the significance of the victory which He has won in His death, there can be no doubt about the final outcome. Monstrous regimes may come and go. Lies and deceits will continue to be spread. We must be on our guard. But the King of kings and Lord of lords will be victorious. In the meantime, there must be no compromise. How can we help each other to be on guard against falling prey to the lies and deceits of the world system?

We remember that Revelation presents a series of visions depicting the church age and final judgment. The seven seals, trumpets, and bowls each provide a perspective on Christ’s reign throughout the age of the gospel to restrain, warn, and finally punish evil. Each of these cycles concluded at the very brink of Christ’s return. In chapter 6:12-17, the sky was rolled up like a scroll and the wicked vainly hid from the wrath of the Lamb. When the seventh trumpet blew, angels sang, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Rev. 11:15). Later, a cloud appeared with “one like the son of man” who harvested the earth with a sharp sickle (14:14-16).

These were veiled allusions to the second coming of Christ to overthrow and judge evil once and for all. In Revelation 19:11, the veil is lifted and John writes: “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse!” No longer do we look through windows or doors into heaven, but this time heaven itself opens so that the Lord and His armies may come out.

The Christ who comes forth from heaven is the Warrior-Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. This was the Savior who slew the hosts of Pharaoh after parting the Red Sea for Israel to pass through. Moses sang, “The Lord is a man of war; the Lord in his name” (Ex. 15:3). This is the battle captain who appeared to Joshua “with his drawn sword in his hand” (Josh. 5:13). “I am the commander of the army of the Lord,” Jesus declared, and Joshua worshiped Him (Josh. 5:14). Here in Revelation 19:11, the heavenly Warrior Jesus arrives on a white stallion, wielding a sword to slay the enemies of His church. The white horse symbolizes victorious conquest in battle. In His first coming, Jesus dealt with sin by offering His own blood in sacrifice. He now returns in glory, “and in righteousness He judges and makes war” (v. 11).

At first glance, we might think that this vision shows only Christ’s victory in bringing judgment to the unbelieving world. But just as Christ wears a crown of “many diadems” (v. 12), the victory that He comes to proclaim has a number of facets. For instance, Jesus arrives as the Savior who has already conquered by His cross. John sees Him “clothed in a robe dipped in blood” (v. 13). Some scholars argue that Christ’s robe is spattered with the blood of His enemies. Isaiah 63:1-6 supports this view as it presents the Lord as “mighty to save” and clothed in crimson garments.

Yet there are also good reasons to this blood as representing Christ’s own atoning blood for the cleansing of His people. Here in Revelation 19:11-13, Jesus presents Himself before entering into battle with His enemies. He is joined by “the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure,…following him on white horses” (v. 14). This army includes the assembled host of the redeemed, who are cleansed and arrayed in white because Jesus shed His blood for their sins. Also, Revelation has emphasized that the saints conquered the dragon Satan “by the blood of the Lamb” (12:11). The blood on His robe will always remind us of where the victory was actually won, on the cross.

Jesus further conquers by means of His covenant faithfulness in obedience to God the Father. John says that the rider of the white horse “is called Faithful and True” (v. 11). Jesus appears as the new and righteous Adam who receives the nations as His inheritance (see Ps. 2:8). Paul notes in Philippians 2:8-11 that Jesus took up a human form and “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Furthermore, Christ appears, having conquered by His Word. John writes that “the name by which he is called is The Word of God” (v. 13). It seems that “Word of God” is used here to signify Christ’s authority to exercise the will of God for His redemptive conquest. Revelation 5 showed that only the Lamb could open the scroll of God’s will. It is in view of His obedience in suffering death and His righteousness in fulfilling God’s covenant that Jesus is now granted the right to wield God’s omnipotent decree. As God’s appointed and faithful Messiah, Jesus has authority to proclaim God’s final judgment against His foes.

Jesus appears from heaven to meet His wicked foes, having already conquered by His death, by fulfilling God’s covenant, and as the Word who bears God’s decreed will. Appearing this way, Jesus then achieves the victory highlighted in this passage: the conquest of His final judgment over evil. Riding the white horse of victory, Jesus “is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war” (v. 11).

Numerous details are provided about Jesus’ victory in judging His enemies. Some of them emphasize Jesus’ person and the attributes that enable His conquest. For instance, it is in His “righteousness” that “he judges and makes war” (v. 11). Christ makes war in perfect righteousness and true justice. This is especially important when we realize that His chief battlefield is not one of literal warfare but rather a legal contest in the courts of God. Justice is on Jesus’ side, in both His righteousness and His just condemnation of sin. The ungodly will suffer conquest in the shame of knowing that Jesus is right to slay them with the sword of His righteousness.

Jesus is further seen with eyes “like a flame of fire” (v. 12). This may speak in general of Jesus’ deity, but it specifically depicts His penetrating sight that discovers all sin. Hebrews 4:13 speaks this way about God’s Word: “No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Because of this, faithful preachers are sometimes accused of prying into people’s private affairs to discover and expose their secret sins in a sermon they are preaching, when what actually happens is that the Word of God penetrates to expose the secret corruptions of the heart. How complete will be the exposure of all sin when Jesus returns with eyes of flaming fire to judge all whose sins are not forgotten.

Jesus’ authority is further seen in His command of the mounted hosts of heaven (v. 14), which include the legions of angels Paul wrote about in 2 Thessalonians 1:7. And according to Revelation 17:14, they are joined by those who “are called and chosen and faithful,” that is, the glorified church. The spiritual power of this army is seen in the fine white linen of their holiness before God and their righteousness in Christ, the saints wearing the uniform of their priestly status in Christ’s kingdom.

The authority of Christ to judge is especially emphasized in the title written on His robe at the thigh: King of kings and Lord of lords” (v. 16). The thigh symbolizes manly strength, and thus Christ’s robe bears titles upon His thigh that proclaim His supreme rule. Not only is Jesus qualified to judge by His person and His authority, but He also appears with overwhelming power to destroy His enemies completely and immediately. John says, “From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations (v. 15). We know from 1:16 that the “sharp two-edged sword” of His Word comes from Jesus’ mouth. Wielding this weapon, Jesus doesn’t trade blows with the powers of evil but immediately slays them.

Jesus’ power also “will rule them with a rod of iron” (v. 15). This weapon is the rod of the shepherd by which he protects his sheep from predatory animals. Jesus wields this rod to shatter all opposition, fulfilling the promise of Psalm 2:9. It was because of this punishment of the wicked that Paul commanded Christians not to retaliate against evil in Romans 12:19. As a rod of iron, Christ’s vengeance on the oppressors of His people is mighty and unyielding. Evil must in the end be crushed and destroyed if Christ’s flock is to lie down in the green pastures beside the still waters of eternal glory.

Finally, John writes that Jesus comes with power to vent the fury of God’s wrath on the wicked rebel powers of the earth: “He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” (v. 15). Like a man trampling grapes in a winepress, the Warrior-Messiah will trample the wicked in His divine strength, with their blood pouring out in floods of just retribution for evil and sin. Of course, this is symbolism. But the reality it depicts ought to terrify sinners as they ponder having to suffer the judgment of the righteous and avenging Jesus Christ. These verses show that Jesus is not squeamish when it comes to judgment, nor is He aloof from the inflicting of God’s personal wrath.

Not only is Christ going to judge the world by the sword of His Word, but He is going to judge you by His truth. If you are wise, you will stand under that judgment now, confessing your sin, believing His gospel offer of salvation, and embracing in faith the mercy that forgives you through the loving sacrifice of Jesus’ blood. It is by the Word that believers are called (John 10:27), born again (1 Pet. 1:23), sanctified (John 17:17), enlightened (Ps. 19:8), and in the end finally delivered (2 Thess. 2:8). In His gospel, Jesus comes humbly on a colt of a donkey, signifying mercy to sinners who repent and believe (Matt. 21:5). He returns riding on a white horse to slay the wicked and cleanse the world of sin. Let us call Him Faithful and True now. Let us invite His gracious rule into our hearts. And let us joyfully anticipate His coming by crowning Him with our faith and love, joining the praise that is sung by His church.

Revelation 19:11-16 Study Questions:

What is the significance of the names given to the One riding the white horse (vv. 11, 13)?

What do the images in verses 14-16 symbolize, if not an actual military battle?

How do we participate in the victory that Jesus has won?

We know that God’s wrath is both just and glorious, but hell remains less than a cheerful thought. Now as the heavenly choir sings “Hallelujah,” we find more positive reasons to rejoice in God’s final judgment. The overthrow of the ungodly is a means to the glorious, universal, and unimpeded reign of Jesus Christ over all things. “Hallelujah!” heaven sings, “For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns” (v. 6).

The title “Lord our God the Almighty” emphasizes the sovereignty and omnipotence of God. In an important sense, there has never been a moment when God has not been reigning. God’s plan for history merely permitted sin so that in the end His Son, Jesus Christ, would reign in grace with a people purchased by His blood. When this victory is achieved, when the opposition of Satan, sin, and death is conquered and put away, leaving nothing to hinder the blessed kingdom of Christ in all creation, no wonder that heaven rejoices.

When believers seek to understand the blessings that await us in glory, the Bible provides a variety of images. What Christian has not reveled in blessed anticipation of Psalm 23’s final verse? Revelation 19:7 adds a glorious vision of a wedding banquet after Christ has taken His bride. The choir sings: “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.” All throughout the Bible, salvation is presented as a love relationship between God and His people.

So how can sinners from this world, who have ourselves betrayed God in sin and idolatry, ever qualify to be Christ’s spotless and radiant bride? The answer is given in verse 8: “It was granted her to clothe herself with fine lines, bright and pure.” This sums up the Bible’s gospel teaching, that God so loved the world, and Christ so loves His bride that He came to cleanse His chosen people from sin by dying on the cross. Jesus further achieved a perfect righteousness on our behalf by means of His own spotless life. Sinners are justified by means of the imputed righteousness that Jesus gives, so that through faith alone we receive the spotless garment of the righteousness of Christ (see Rom. 4:4-6; 2 Cor. 5:21).

Our covenant relationship with Jesus Christ equally involves His righteous work for us to justify us from sin and His sanctifying work in us, in which we participate to present ourselves beautifully to Him. In the language of our passage, a spotless wedding garment is “granted” by God to every sinner who believes. Henceforth, we are to put it on and wear it – that is, we are to live accordance with the righteous standing we have received through faith in Christ (Eph. 4:21-24). Having been saved by the blood of Christ from the judgment of the harlot world to which we formerly belonged, we are by grace alone granted a spotless wedding garment of righteousness, and henceforth we are to live as His holy people.

Revelation 19 doesn’t show the actual marital bliss that Christ and His bride will enjoy in eternity: that description comes in chapters 21 and 22. But the angel did point out a particular blessing that belongs to the people of Christ even now: “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (v. 9). This is the fourth beatitude of the book of Revelation. So far, blessing has been pronounced on those who read and hear the message of this book (1:3), on “the dead who die in the Lord,” who “rest from their labors” (14:13), and on those who keep their garments on, remaining ready for the return of Christ (16:15). Now Christians are described not only as the bride of Christ but also as the wedding guests who are invited to attend the feast. We are blessed in looking forward to the wedding and the feast, both of which will continue forever.

Even though the wedding between Christ and His church is yet to come, believers are blessed now because through faith in Jesus they possess the invitation needed to reserve a seat at that feast. This makes the vital point that our present salvation through faith in Jesus renders our future salvation in the wedding feast to come absolutely secure. We know this because of the inviolable authority of God’s Word. John adds in verse 9: “And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’” Everyone who believes in Jesus now and lives as His disciple has “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4-5).

Knowing this, Christians do not need to wait for the wedding feast before we join the heavenly choir of praise. We may worship just as fervently now, with a present assurance of salvation in Christ. Now we await the sudden appearing of our Lord. But our invitation to His feast is certified by the Word of God and secured by the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 10 adds a surprising episode that highlights how glorious it is to anticipate our future union with Christ. Having heard God’s blessing on those invited to the wedding feast, John “fell down” at the feet of the angel “to worship him.” The angel stopped John, crying in alarm: “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus.” This verse reminds us that however glorious any person or angel may appear to be, we must never grant worship to anyone but God. Moreover, this verse states that having been redeemed by Christ’s blood, Christians are now “fellow servants” with the angels in proclaiming the gospel and bringing praise to God’s throne.

This kind of keen anticipation will make the rigors of the present Christian life seem as nothing compared to the glories ahead. As we grow in Christian faith, that future should loom ever clearer in our minds, so that the glory and love awaiting us become more real to our hearts than the poisoned delights of a harlot world that desires to lead us astray.

Finally, while we celebrate the coming day when “the Lord our God the Almighty” will reign (v. 6), let us never forget that Jesus reigns now through the ministry of His Word. The angel concludes: “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (v. 10). This statement can be taken in two equally valid ways. It may mean that wherever the testimony of Jesus’ love is given, there is the true spirit of prophecy. Alternatively, it may state that those who believe in the gospel testimony receive the spirit of prophecy to tell others about the saving grace of Christ.

Both as the gospel comes to us and as we bring it to others, Christ reigns in our present world, bringing sinners to Himself through faith, and securing for everyone who believes a place in the wedding feast that will resound in joy and praise forever. How exciting it is to be a Christian, even as we wait in this darkened world for the glorious light of Jesus’ soon appearing” “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory” (v. 7).

What higher love can you ever discover than the redeeming love of Jesus Christ? If you respond to His call, offering your faith and love to Him, then Jesus will take you to Himself for eternity. He will be your beloved Savior and glorious Lord, and by His grace at work in you, you will respond in faithful covenant love and worship back to Him. Every believer of the gospel will be blessed together with the Son of God, along with the entire glorious host of His blessed church, so long as you both eternally live.

Revelation 19:6-10 Study Questions:

The marriage of the Lamb and His bride is to be the focal point of the marriage of heaven and earth themselves. Who is the “bride” of the Lamb (vv. 7-8)?

John himself is so excited by all this that he begins to worship the angel who is revealing it all to him. Why is this a big mistake (v. 10)?

How are we sometimes tempted to make the same mistake John made?

Revelation 19 begins with “After this,” speaking of the judgments of the prior chapters, which are now followed by the adoring worship of heaven. John heard “what seemed to be a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, ‘Hallelujah!” (v. 1). In verse 1, the heavenly throng rejoices in the glory that God has won by saving His people: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.”

When we speak of salvation glorifying God, we mean that His saving achievement shines light on His wonderful attributes. A similar worship scene in Revelation 7:12 noted seven attributes of God for praise: “Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power ad might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Here in chapter 19, the heavenly host celebrates three of God’s attributes that are marvelously displayed: His salvation, glory, and power.

In rejoicing that “salvation…belong[s] to our God,” the heavenly singers note God’s sovereignty over salvation. Salvation belongs to God in that He alone accomplished it. We do not save ourselves either by good works or by our efforts to defeat evil, since we are ourselves sinners who need to be saved.

Since the expression “Salvation…belong[s] to our God” emphasizes God’s sovereignty in our salvation, it reminds us of the aim of God’s will for believers. Christians sometimes wonder what God’s will for them is, especially when they are going through hard times. “To what purpose is God working in my life,” they ask, “and how do I make sense of these trials?” The answer is that God has sovereignly willed and is presently working out our salvation to the praise of His glory. He has arranged marvelous ways in which each of our lives displays His sovereign grace, so that forever in heaven the angels will marvel at how we each bear our own unique testimony that “salvation belongs to God!”

God’s salvation also magnifies His power. Doubters ask, “We see that God wills salvation, but is he able to do it?” The destruction of the satanic world system in the coming of Christ, which our passage celebrates in praise, will put an end to such questions. The Bible shows throughout that God has power to save His people.  Paul states that the greatest example is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, when God overcame the power of sin and death. He thus prayed that believers would know “the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead” (Eph. 1:19-20). We may add to this the praise of the angels in Revelation 19, magnifying God for the display of His power in overthrowing the Babylonian harlot that is our world. Anticipating this end, we should rely on God’s power now without doubting.

The end of history will see God glorified not only in saving His people but also in judging the wicked. The angels thus praise God’s holy justice: “for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute (v. 2). God is glorified in His wrath for sin, since “his judgments are true and just.” God is not capricious or unfair in judging, but exercises perfect justice in accord with His law. Even those who reject God’s Word tend to agree in the punishment of murderers, thieves, and cheats. God enforces the entirety of His law, upholding it perfectly in His judgment of sin.

Two primary causes are cited in the judgment of the Babylonian world system. First, Babylon “corrupted the earth with her immorality” (v. 2). The world tempts people by making actions seem attractive and pleasing, when they are in fact immoral and ultimately destructive. This is heinously offensive to God, who made mankind to live in holiness and blessing.

Second, Babylon is judged because her hands are red with “the blood of [God’s] servants” (v. 2). In many places in the world today, the most dangerous thing one can do is speak the Word of God or worship openly in Jesus’ name. Christians are killed and imprisoned for telling others the good news of salvation. Milder forms of persecution have now arrived in the West. Businesses are closed because their Christian owners refused to violate their consciences by glorifying the sin of homosexuality. Others are threatened by the government for refusing to fund the slaughter of infants in the womb.

Worldly Babylon lashes out against faithful witnesses to the grace and truth of Christ, but God has promised to avenge their sorrow and blood. In the end, the world’s persecution of believers, together with its crucifixion of Jesus, will be a chief cause of God’s wrath. For judging those who shed His servants’ blood, God’s faithfulness will be praised (V. 3).

Verse 4 shows the response of the worship leaders of heaven to God’s eternal judgment of the wicked. The twenty-four elders are angelic counterparts to the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of the church, who thus represent the entirety of the redeemed people of God in history. The “four living creatures” are the cherubim who are closest to God’s throne and represent the submission of all creation (see Rev. 4:4-6).

These opening verses of Revelation 19 conclude with a summons to praise God (v. 5). Having believed in God’s Word concerning His glory in salvation and judgment, we not only should ensure that we are saved through faith, but should then live in such a way that expresses thanksgiving and praise to Him. Three statements are made here about those who worship God. First, God is worshiped by His servants. This title doesn’t describe a certain class of Christians, such as those who hold vocational positions in ministry, but rather describes all believers. To be a Christian is to be a servant of God.

Second, worshipers are those who “fear him” (v. 5). True servants of God worship Him with reverence and are careful to obey God’s Word. The believer’s fear of God is not a servile terror, but the respectful attitude of a son for a father whose rule is accepted and whose punishment is dreaded. The wise Christian knows that “the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Heb. 12:6). Therefore, he is careful how he lives, and while he delights in the Lord’s kindness and love, he worships “with reverence and awe,” knowing that “our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:28-29).

Third, the God-fearing servants who are summoned to worship God include people of all kinds; both “small and great” (v. 5). This includes the new believer and the spiritually mature. It summons people from every race, nationality, and economic class. What matters is no longer how the world classifies and divides us, but how believers are united as one people in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. No matter who you are in the world or in the church, your calling in life is to give praise to God through your worship, service, and reverent obedience, all of which display the glory of God’s grace in you. Just as our voices unite in the congregational singing of the worship service, each of our lives and our testimony of God’s grace is needed to form the true hallelujah chorus that will praise the Lord in unending ages to come.

Revelation 19:1-5 Study Questions:

How does this passage emphasize the intensity of the celebration that takes place?

Why is there so much celebration in heaven?

Where are we in this picture of joyful celebration and union?

In Revelation 18 John presents a perspective of the fall of the great world city Babylon the great that is molded on Ezekiel’s lament for the city of Tyre (Ezek. 26-27). Revelation 18 imitates this lament, featuring the kings, merchants, and seafarers whose alliance with wicked Babylon is ended by God’s judgment. This scene of despair is contrasted at the end with the rejoicing of heaven and the people of God.

When John wrote the book of Revelation, the city of Babylon had long since been destroyed. Babylon symbolized imperial Rome, the powerful and decadent city that dominated the first-century Mediterranean world. Rome itself was symbolic, standing along with Babylon as a symbol of the satanic realm of secularism in idolatrous opposition to God. Her judgment is lamented in these verses by those who had feasted from her table.

The first to lament Babylon’s fall are “the kings of the earth” (v. 9). These are the client princes who relied on the empire for their prestige and power, including the rulers in the province of Asia, where John’s churches were located. These rulers had embraced the corruption of Rome so as to gain power from her. The kings lamented Rome’s greatness and might in verse 10. With the great city fallen, they grieve not for her but for their lost patronage.

The second mourners are the merchants, who grieve over losing the great market for their luxurious products (v. 11). Historians describe the staggering amount of trade that flowed into Rome. People compare today’s Western decadence with that of ancient Rome, but there is no comparison. The citizens of Rome led lives of spectacular wealth and stunning opulence. The riches of the ancient world were poured into the lap of Rome. Against this backdrop, we are not surprised at the wealthy cargo that the merchants lament as lost in verses 12-13. If the rulers valued power, the merchants loved splendor and beauty (v. 14). Verse 16 views the great city as a sumptuously beautiful woman dressed in the most alluring clothes and the richest jewelry.

The third group of mourners consists of the seafarers, whose ships carried the merchants’ cargo (vv. 17-18). The ship captains and their crews see from afar the smoke of the great burning city. Unlike the kings, who sought power from Rome, and the merchants, who relished the luxurious living of Rome, the shipmasters care only for the money they made from Rome (v. 19). There will be no further chance for them to get rich quick and make such lavish profits. Contrary to Jesus’ advice in the Sermon on the Mount, they had stored up treasure on earth, rather than in heaven, and the time had now come when all their riches would be lost (Matt. 6:19-20). In the judgment of the Babylonian world system, those whose hearts are fixed to the things of the world will suffer total loss.

The lament of the kings, merchants, and seafarers is not the only perspective on the fall of mighty Babylon. Verse 20 interrupts with the voice of John’s angel-interpreter: “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” In dramatizing Babylon’s fall, John leaves us in no doubt that this was God’s doing.

Now, as John looks to the end of history when the Babylonian world system will come under judgment, “a mighty angel” appears with “a stone like a great millstone” (v. 21). The great millstone crashes into the water and sinks to the bottom of the deepest sea. This symbolizes the utter ruin of the evil world, which perishes forever because of idolatry and sin. The angel follows up this symbolic gesture with a eulogy recounting the judgment befalling every aspect of Babylonian life. In verses 21-23 he intones the words “no more” six times. Babylon herself “will be found no more.” With her fall the sound of music, the busy noise of craftsmen, and the clanging sounds of daily industry “will be heard in you no more (. 22).

There are three lessons we can learn from Babylon’s judgment and fall. The first is that Christians must learn how to use the things of the world rightly, enjoying God’s good gifts without falling into the world’s idolatry. Just as the kings, merchants, and seafarers stood far off from Babylon in fear, Christians must keep distance from the materialism that characterizes Babylon’s spirit. Christians are perfectly free to enjoy good things in the world and even to appreciate luxuries, so long as we do so in gratitude to God and with generosity toward those in need.

A second lesson from this passage is that we should never doubt the certainty of God’s judgment on the wicked. Long years after John recorded this vision, it seemed to many that Rome would never fall but would endure forever. Yet the day came, in A.D. 410, when the Visigoth chieftain Alaric overran and sacked the city of Rome, bringing the empire to an end. Many Christians were utterly dismayed in the insecurity of the moment, just as many Christians today tremble for the collapse of Western society.

Finally, Christians should realize that in the midst of this very world, with its history moving forward to certain judgment, Christ is building His church that will endure eternally in glory. Jesus promised, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). These judgments display God’s sovereignty and power. Those same almighty attributes ensure that the work He is doing now in our midst through the gospel is certain to succeed. Knowing this, we labor in the world for eternity. We seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, as Jesus said, confident that all other things will be given to us with Him (Matt. 6:33).

Revelation 18:9-24 Study Questions:

How do the kings and merchants of the earth react to the fall of Babylon (vv. 9-11)?

In verses 12-13, John builds up a marvelous catalog of luxury goods as well as basics of trade – flour, wheat, cattle and so on. But what horror do we find at the end of this list?

How does the final item of “cargo” reveal the depth of Babylon’s wickedness (vv. 12-14)?

What prophetic act does the mighty angel perform to indicate judgment on Babylon’s violence (v. 21)?

Babylon is a city founded on violence; not only the blood of the martyrs. Babylon has been at the center of a network of violence that spanned the world, and all who have been slaughtered on earth have, in a sense, been slaughtered at the behest of Babylon. Where do we see violence of Babylon revealed in our own society?

How might we live in a way that opposes this violence?

One could hardly find a stronger statement of biblical opposition to the world than is stated in Revelation 18. A simple reading of verses 2 and 4 would seem to urge Christians to adopt a very negative attitude toward the world. However, this attitude of opposition to worldly culture is not the only view in the Bible. In Philippians 4:8, Paul urged us to appreciate good things wherever we find them. The world was made good by God and was precious to Him as His own possession (Ps. 24:1).

The angel’s hostility is directed not to the physical earth but to sinful worldly culture. What God hates is Babylon as a symbol of the idol-worshiping, sensually perverse world system in rebellion to heaven. The world is not evil in itself but only in rebellion and sin. The most virulent atheist today, the most arrogantly seductive cultural harlot, and the most cynical abortion doctor all bear the stamp of the image of God. It was in this world that Jesus taught, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matt. 5:44).

In calling forth Babylon’s fall, the angel condemns the depravity of its condition in verse 2. This statement mirrors Isaiah’s prophecy that foretold Babylon’s complete desolation to the extent that “wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures…Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant places (Isa. 13:20-22). Revelation takes this same imagery to its ultimate extreme, saying that worldly Babylon will be haunted by demons, unclean spirits, and defiled beasts. This imagery of occupation by violent and unclean animals symbolizes what happens in a society whenever God is rejected.

The apostle Paul said in Romans 6:23: “The wages of sin is death,” including the death of any society that knowingly turns against God and falls under His judgment. The living death depicted in Babylon is caused by the reign of moral depravity in rebellion to God. First, Babylon is condemned for exporting a culture of sexual indulgence and perversion throughout the world (v. 3). This statement suggests that those who lead masses of people into sin will be especially accountable to God’s wrath.

Tyrannical governments rely on the sensual inducements of immorality to gain allegiance and strengthen their power. Furthermore, “the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living” (v. 3). The point is not to condemn honest gain from business but to oppose merchants and corporate titans who so worship money that they traffic in the poison of sin. The angel’s condemnation of Babylon warns both citizens engaged in public service and those engaged in private enterprise that God is keeping tabs on their practice, and will hold them especially to account for their promotion of sexual immorality and other abuses of their fellow man.

After the first angel’s rejoicing for fallen Babylon, another voice is heard from heaven that either belongs to God or certainly represents God. This voice is directed to John and his readers, who live in the very Babylon under judgment. Their call is both simple and urgent: “Come out of her, my people” (v. 4). So how do Christians obey the command, “Come out of her, my people”? The answer is given as the voice continues: “lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues” (v. 4). Christians need to avoid two dangers in relating to worldly Babylon” the danger of participating in its sin and the danger of suffering its judgment.

Separation from sin can be achieved only by a no to the world and a yes to God’s Word. So important is this principle of thinking and acting by God’s Word that it was Paul’s exhortation in the long book of Romans: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2).

The voice from heaven aids Christians in this calling by pointing out that Babylon’s “sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities” (v. 5). This statement warns us against taking a casual view of sin, especially in light of the Bible’s teaching about God’s mercy and grace (Heb. 8:12; 10:17). The sins that are so flagrantly discounted by a depraved society are each an infinite and eternal offense to the heart of the holy God.

Beyond the call to come out from the sinful ways of the Babylonian world, we may make three more specific applications, each of which is tied to the statements of judgment in verses 6-8.First, since the sinful world is destined for judgment, Christians should not invest our ultimate dreams or seek our true treasures in this world. Jesus taught, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth.” We should not set our hearts on earthly things because they are inherently unstable. Even in this life, Jesus warned, moths and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal (Matt. 6:19-20). While we are in this world, we are bound to have a good many interests here. But those who know the grace and glory of Christ should hold Him as our highest treasure (Matt. 6:21). Our minds should be interested in the work of His church and of the gospel. And our chief interests should be those bound up with the kingdom of heaven.

Second, since this judgment reveals God’s hatred of the world’s sinful priorities, Christians should increasingly take the attitude that is pleasing to God and contrary to the spirit of the world. Some believers are reluctant to be different from the world because they fear being discovered as Christians. But what does this say about our commitment to the Lord? Seeing His response to Babylon’s arrogance and sins, we should cultivate instead the holy humility that characterized Jesus and pleases our God. God’s revulsion for the sinful world is vividly displayed in verse 7. Here, it is especially the self-glorifying attitude of the world that offends God. Similar attitudes are prevalent in secular society today; Christians should turn their hearts toward God in humility, using the things of the world in stewardship to Him.

Finally, Christians are always to remember the fate in store for the ungodly world in verse 8. Like the world that Noah departed before the flood that rose suddenly, and like Sodom, which fell in a day to the fire and brimstone crashing down from God, the entire world awaits a judgment that will utterly destroy everything that sinners hold dear. When judgment comes, there will be no escape for those who have rejected the gospel offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Why should you live differently from the world in sin? First, for God’s sake, then second for the world’s sake. Our world desperately needs the testimony of a lived Christianity that bears witness to the God of salvation, His judgment on sin, and the forgiveness He offers through the blood of Jesus Christ. This gives the most important answer to the question of Christianity and culture, as commanded by Jesus Himself: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20).

Revelation 18:1-8 Study Questions:

What message does the angel with great authority bring (vv. 2-3)?

As those who live in a society that places a high value on human achievement, what lessons might we learn from the fall of Babylon?

What specific judgments are pronounced on Babylon for her sin (vv. 6-8)?

How is this a just punishment for Babylon?

How do we discern the point at which a government or other worldly power passes from being a servant of God to putting itself in the place of God?

In what ways do we also need to “come out” from present-day “Babylons” with their corrupt systems, and separate ourselves from their ways?