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angels are to be proclaimed to physical
mankind throughout the era of Pentecost to the harvest of the
earth when God determines that all who are going to be saved are
saved. Indeed, the messages of the three angels are the same message
proclaimed by Isaiah and Jeremiah to the whole known world
of their day, as seen in Isaiah, that says,
They have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned
the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the Lord’s anger
burns against his people; his hand is raised, and he strikes them
down.
Isaiah 5:24–25
Thus, the message of the gospel has always been to “fear God” and
repent, for those who do not fear him and repent are “fallen” and
will suffer the wrath of almighty God. This is the “eternal gospel” of
Jesus Christ.
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The Harvest of the Earth
In Revelation 14:14–20, there are two scenes depicting the final conclusion
of physical mankind on earth. Each scene speaks of the reaping
of the earth, and that grapes of the earth are ripe. In each scene,
an angel comes from the temple and commands that the earth be
reaped with a sharp sickle.
In Revelation 14:14–16, the first of the visionary scenes depicts
the rapture or the final gathering of the family of God. The one sitting
up on the cloud with a golden crown we understand to be Jesus
Christ. He “reaps” the final members of the family of God who are in
hiding from the beast. This illustrates to physical mankind that God
is in charge of the time and circumstance in which physical mankind
will come to their end––as an act of God, not a war between armies
of physical mankind.
Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud
voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and
reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth
is ripe” (Revelation 14:15).
The above verse, Revelation 14:15, is similar in nature to 1 Thessalonians
4:17, which says, “Then we who are alive and remain shall
be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in
the air.”
God designated the time to reap when the angel came out of
the temple and called in a loud voice. The message comes from the
temple, the place where God dwells; thus, the angel came from God
with the message that “the time to reap has come.”
Not only was it the right time for the end of time, but also the
circumstances were also right as related here in verse 15, which says,
“because its grapes are ripe.” The earth will be ripe because the family
of God will have been defeated (Revelation 13). There will be
no more witnesses (Revelation 11). No one else will be saved. The
family of God is complete, thus the final members of the family of
God are taken (raptured) and will not see death, as is common to all
mankind, but meet the Lord in the air.
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With the family of God complete, God’s plan for his creation
is complete and there is no further purpose for physical creation as
we know it.
God, then, determines both the time and circumstance in which
the physical comes to an end. The second scene coincides in time and
circumstance with Revelation 19:11–21, which explains the return of
the victorious Jesus to destroy those who have destroyed the earth. Those who
will be reaped through this second scene, or second reaping,
will be all mankind who are not the family of God, but who have
rejected God and God’s plan for his creation. They will be tread upon
in the wine press of the wrath of God, just as the Bible says in verse
21, “The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of his
mouth.” This passage also coincides in time and circumstance with
the pouring of the seventh bowl in Revelation 16: 17.
After the time and circumstance has been determined by God––
Jesus said that he did not know the time, but only the Father knew–
–then the angel will swing his sickle on the earth and physical mankind
will be no more. The number of those killed by God at the time
of the end can be somewhat determined by verse 20, which says,
They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and the
blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horse’s bridle
for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
Revelation 14:20
Thus, the first reaping is the reaping of the family of God. In time
sequence, I believe that this happens at the point in time of 1335 days
after the tribulation era begins. This is spoken about in Daniel 12:11–
12. It is also after the time that the two witnesses have been killed,
that the image that brings desolation has been set up, and the final
remaining family of God is forced to go into hiding as explained in
Matthew 24. They are reaped from the earth, changed in the twinkling
of an eye, to live with the Lord forever in heaven.
The second reaping is the reaping of the family of satan—those
who have rejected and fought against God. They will be killed by
the sword that comes from the mouth of Jesus Christ as he returns
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on the white horse. Their souls will leave their dead bodies to that
place which God has prepared for them, and that the Bible calls hell. They have
chosen to reject God as their God; thus, they received
their choice: eternity separated from God.
Outside the City
The city is Babylon the great, whose populace is the family of satan. Babylon the
great is the whole world as seen in its description in
chapter 18. Chapter 18:3 refers to “all the nations,” “the kings of the
earth,” and “the merchants of the earth.” Refer to the discussion on
Revelation 17 and 18. Therefore, if Babylon the great comprises all
the peoples of the world, then the city is the earth and outside the
city would be outside the physical earth.
A typology of the crucifixion of Jesus is seen in this passage of
Scripture. Jesus was taken by the family of satan outside of the holy
city Jerusalem––the city of God, Mount Zion, the city he loved,
where God made his dwelling place, etc.––to Golgotha hill, and
they crucified him. In the same manner, the family of satan will be
taken out of their beloved Babylon (earth) and will be slaughtered in
the winepress of God Almighty. This is not a physical war between
two physical armies. It is an act of God as clearly described in three
places: “the angel swung his sickle on the earth” (Revelation 14:19),
the description of the earth’s destruction (Revelation 16:16–21), and
“the rest of them were killed with the sword … of the rider on the
horse” (Revelation 19:21).
Revelation 14:20 says, “Blood flowed out of the press rising as
high as a horse’s bridle for a distance of 1600 stadia.” This picture is
shown to John to illustrate how many people there will be that will
have rejected God’s plan for salvation.
Please note that we are given only two dimensions: height and
length. To determine volume requires three dimensions: height,
length, and width. If we had the width, we would be trying to figure
out by volume how many people would be in the winepress. The
message of the flowing blood is that there will be many millions
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who will experience the wrath and destruction of God. We need to
be busy proclaiming the gospel of salvation.
Many have interpreted this blood flow to be the result of a
physical war with guns and bombs in a valley named Armageddon. There is a
battle of Armageddon. It is not a physical war. There
will be physical wars, fightings, and killings until the very end, but
Armageddon is more than a physical war. It is a spiritual war fought
between the physical family of satan and Jesus with the armies of
heaven. (Refer to the sixth bowl, Revelation 16:16; 19:11–21).
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Revelation 15
John is shown two scenes in chapter 15 Both scenes are in heaven,
and both illustrate that God is in complete control, as was stated
in Revelation 11:15–18 Chapter 15 contains continuing thoughts and
visions that follow a time sequence immediately after chapter 11
Chapters 12–13 are explanatory chapters that relate how the earth
came to be in the conditions stated in chapter 11 As chapters 12 and
13 explain the work of satan and those with him, chapter 14 explains
the work of Jesus, the Lamb, and his followers In chapter 15, we take
up again the sequence of events ending in chapter 11
As John saw the “seven angels with the seven last plagues” (Revelation
15:1), the angels were prepared and were waiting for the command
to pour out upon the earth “bowls” of God’s wrath, as seen in
verse 7, which says, “Then one of the four living creatures gave to
the seven angels seven golden bowls fi lled with the wrath of God ”
The fact that the bowls are fi lled with the wrath of God symbolizes
that God has been angry and has been storing up that anger for
many centuries against “those who destroy the earth” (Revelation
11:18b) God is indeed angry and is justifi ed in his anger For satan,
his demons and the human family of satan have destroyed God’s
beautiful creation from the Garden of Eden and all through history
until God himself puts a stop to it as foretold in chapter 20
The Lord allowed me to see, illustrated in real life, this destruction
of God’s creation Many years ago, my wife and I were shopping
in a Mexican border town where prostitution was an accepted
profession and big business As my wife was continuing to shop, I
stepped out of the store and was standing on a street corner I was
immediately approached by a man who began to show me nude pictures
of a young woman He was soliciting business for this young
prostitute, who was very beautiful As I was turning down his offer,
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my wife came out of the store, and we proceeded down the street. Sometime
later, we were back in our car making our way back to
the international bridge where we passed an old woman sitting and
exposing herself in an effort to promote her profession of prostitution. We
were greatly repulsed by the filth, ugliness, and pitifulness
of this old, worn-out prostitute still trying to exercise her trade.
Having seen this, the Lord pierced my heart with the awful
destructiveness of sin to his creation. On the street corner, I had
seen pictures of a beautiful young woman, God’s beautiful creation,
and a couple of city blocks away, the awful ugliness and the result of
a life of sin that had destroyed God’s creation.
In this manner and in every other way that the mind of satan and
mankind can devise, mankind has destroyed God’s creation. Thus,
God has good reason to be angry as he looks down from heaven and
sees what destruction satan, his demons, and mankind have done. This anger is
stored up in seven bowls full of God’s wrath to be
poured out on those, and only those, who have destroyed the earth.
These bowls of wrath will be poured out only on the family of
satan, for all of the family of God will be in heaven. This is evident
in Revelation 15:2, where John wrote, “And I saw what looked like a
sea of glass mixed with fire and standing beside the sea, those who
had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number
of his name.” It is very clear in this verse that the last generation
of Christians is in heaven, so only the family of satan will experience
the wrath of God as poured out of the seven bowls, which are
recorded in chapter 16.
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Revelation 16
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven
angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the
earth ”
Revelation 16:1
The command to pour out the seven bowls on the earth came from
the temple, the dwelling place of God, so it is evident that only God
knows the time for judgment and only God can give the command
Then God’s wrath will be complete, as recorded by John, who said,
I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels
with the seven last plagues, last because with them God’s wrath
is completed
Revelation 15:1
The completion of these last plagues brings the end of physical
mankind and the end of the earth as we know it
The fi rst angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and
ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the
mark of the beast and worshiped his image
Revelation 16:2
These sores that affect the family of satan are interpreted to be an
act of God, not a result of a natural phenomenon or nuclear radiation,
although both of these may have a dramatic ecological effect
on earth and cause physical problems for the family of satan during
the same time era These sores of the fi rst bowl will be an act of God,
without physical explanation and probably without cure
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The AIDS virus can be an illustration of this type of plague. The
AIDS epidemic was brought about through sexual transmission––
sexual sin––primarily begun in homosexuals, but homosexuality is
not a new phenomenon; note Sodom and Gomorrah. A similar parallel
can be seen as AIDS was not known to mankind until the latter
part of the twentieth century when suddenly it became a very deadly
disease. I believe that in a similar, but more deadly way, the sores that
result from this act of God will suddenly come upon mankind all
over the world and there will be no known medical treatment.
In the same respect, there may be physical problems resulting
from an ever-decreasing ozone layer, from solar storms (note: the
first and fourth trumpets), and from nuclear radiation as a result of
the wars described in the sixth trumpet.
Nevertheless, I believe these sores of the first bowl will be an act
of God at a time when he commands the angel to pour out the first
bowl on the earth.
The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned
into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the
sea died. The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and
streams of water, and they became blood.
Revelation 16:3–4
The second and third bowls are similar in that they, when poured
out, turn the waters into blood. Physical life––plant, animal, or
human––cannot exist without water, as exemplified in the phrase,
“and every living thing in the sea died” (Revelation 16:3). Because
of this fact, the end will be very near for all the living on earth. This
causes us to think that the bowls of judgment will be poured out very
quickly and that the family of satan, in the flesh, will be destroyed
very rapidly. This is evident in the description of the destruction of
Babylon the great: “Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off
and cry; ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in
one hour your judgment has come!’” (Revelation 18:10)
God is just in his decisions as described in this passage:
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You are righteous in these judgments, the One who is and who
was and who is to be, because You have judged these things; for
they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have
given them blood to drink as they deserve.
Revelation 16:5–6
So as a result of the second and third bowls, the family of satan
will have only blood to drink. When we hear today the reports of
satanists drinking the blood of their victims in their rituals, how true
and just are the judgments of God as portrayed here?
The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun
was given power to scorch people with fire.
Revelation 16:8
The destruction that occurs from the pouring out of the fourth bowl
seems to be a fueling for the sun’s fires that brings intense heat on
the earth. I believe this to be an act of God at God’s determined
time, not a natural phenomenon in which the sun suddenly explodes
into a great fireball that burns the earth. Nor do I believe it to be
anything that mankind can create, such as nuclear fallout. God has
the resources to sustain the sun indefinitely. He declares the time of
the end.
Revelation 7:1–3 substantiates the fact that it will be an act of
God. In these verses, the four angels are instructed to hold creation
in order until such time as the family of God is sealed. So prior to
the pouring of the bowls, all of the family of God will be sealed and
safe in heaven, and then, God will take creation apart; the sun, the
earth, the moon, the stars, etc., that have been held in place since
the beginning of creation will fly apart. God could hold creation in
its place indefinitely through his sustaining power. However, when
the time comes that no one else will be saved or enter the family
of God, there will be no reason for creation to continue. With the
family of satan as the only occupants of earth, it will be fit only for
destruction.
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They were seared by the intense heat, and they cursed the name
of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to
repent and glorify him.
Revelation 16:9
The family of satan will know who has control over the plagues as
seen in verse 9. The rulers and the leaders of the family of satan
today know that they are fighting God and that they are engaged in
a spiritual war, not a physical war fought with guns and bombs as in
the past. This war will be fought with spiritual powers, as seen in the
fifth and sixth bowls, the kind of spiritual power that witches, etc.,
(the beast) have been using and perfecting since time began.
Even though the family of satan will know that God is in control
of the plagues, they will refuse to repent and acknowledge him. It has been the
same continuously over the ages. They harden their
hearts, even more than the Pharaoh did at the time of the Exodus.
The family of satan will know who is in control, and they will
reject him. God will close the door, and they will be outside. They
will have no choice. They must prepare to fight against God.
The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,
and his kingdom was plunged into darkness.
Revelation 16:10
The “throne of the beast” is representative of the seat of power and
authority, leadership, kings, rulers, etc. As used in the biblical context,
“darkness” is representative of a lack of or void of knowledge
and understanding. Therefore, the leadership––the ten kings and
subordinates (Revelation 17:12–13) of the family of satan and kingdom
of the beast will be plunged (forced by God) into a state of
spiritual and physical ignorance. Mankind will be paralyzed by their
inability to make decisions and will be totally at the mercy of satan
to manipulate their minds. Thus, satan will be in complete control
of his family.
The family of satan will be in agony and curse God, whom they
blame for plunging them into this calamity of darkness and ignorance.
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This blaming of God for troubles has been characteristic of all
mankind from the beginning of time. A person who does not accept
the reality of sin in their own life and repent of it is forever hampered
in the decision-making process by never having learned the
proper process of one’s relationship to God and mankind. This can
be illustrated in the learning process of mathematics. If one does not
learn simple addition, he will have problems with multiplication and
division. It is necessary to learn addition first, then subtraction, then
multiplication, and then division. Life follows the same type of process. God
has put in process a system through which mankind sins,
acknowledges their sins, and repents of their sins. Only then can a
person move into a proper relationship with God and mankind. If
mankind refuses to acknowledge and repent of their personal sins
and rejects God, he is out of order and will continue to be so until
he gets that first step right.
Thus, near the end of time, the family of satan will know about
God (Revelation 16:9) and will refuse to repent of what they have
done (Revelation 16:11). Those unrepentant hearts will bring on the
sixth bowl.
The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,
and its water dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the
East. Then I saw three evil spirits that look like frogs; they came
out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast
and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are spirits of
demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the
kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle of the
great day of God Almighty.
Revelation 16:12–14
As discussed earlier, the great river Euphrates is a barrier. It is clearly
a spiritual barrier as used here, and it releases spiritual demons when
it is dried up, not a physical army. There is a definite relationship
between the sixth trumpet and the sixth bowl in the usage of “the
great river Euphrates.” The second time a barrier is released through
the great river Euphrates, the result is worse than the first time,
although it is similar.
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At the blowing of the sixth trumpet, four angels are released
from the river, but at the pouring of the sixth bowl, the river is dried
up. The result of the sixth trumpet gathers a 200-million-man army
that kills one-third of the inhabitants of earth. On the other hand,
the result of the sixth bowl gathers all the kings of the earth for the
battle of Armageddon that kills “all the rest” of the inhabitants of
earth (Revelation 19:21).
The great river Euphrates is a spiritual barrier, which God
removes in a two-step process. This removal brings to a conclusion
the family of satan by giving them strong warnings in which God
proves to them that they are fighting against God as seen in the
fourth and fifth bowls. After having proved this and still they continue
to resist, unrepentant, God orders the river to be completely
dried up; thus, no more barrier. This prepares the way “for the kings
of the East.”
By the time of the pouring of the sixth bowl, the situation on
earth will be much worse, which necessitates and also prepares the
way for the kings of the East. This worsened condition on earth
brought about by the first five bowls will make it necessary for the
family of satan to unite for protection––so they will think. The scenario
is as follows:
The trumpet plagues, as directed by God, bring mankind into
a worsening relationship with each other, which is culminated by
a great war in which one-third of mankind is killed (sixth trumpet). This
proves to mankind that, in spite of the fact that they have
cleansed the earth of the old system, by killing the two witnesses,
they cannot attain that world peace or Utopia (new-age doctrine)
that they desire.
As the bowls are poured out, conditions continue to deteriorate
until the family of satan comes to realize that they are engaged in
a spiritual war between God and satan. Yet they still do not repent,
having concluded, by the miraculous feats of the beast, that they can
indeed engage in spiritual warfare against God. This is the greatest
deception. However, they do deem it necessary to unite into a
worldwide front against such an adversary as God.
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Through the barrier of the great river Euphrates, God has prevented
the family of satan from having the ability to rule the world
and to rise up in courage against God Almighty until such a time as
he deems the earth is “ripe” (Revelation 14:8). When the barrier is
“dried up,” all ten kings will be allowed to unite and to be gathered
together for the “great day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:14) at
“Armageddon” (Revelation 16:16).
John was shown through this vision the process that will gather
the “kings of the whole world” (Revelation 16:14). In the vision, John
saw three evil “frog like” spirits that came from the mouths of the
dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.
The fact that they appear like frogs points to their ugliness
and repulsiveness. A person would be repulsed at their sight. In the
vision, John saw the ugliness and true nature of the demons that will
deceive and gather the kings of the earth by the miraculous signs
that they will be able to perform.
The power to perform these miraculous signs will be given (permitted)
by God and released through the sixth bowl. Because of the
great signs, “even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth
in full view of men” (Revelation 13:13), the ten kings of the whole
earth, followed by the whole world, will be led to believe that they
can do spiritual warfare against God. Therefore, they prepare and
are gathered for the battle of Armageddon on the great and terrible
day of God Almighty.
Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and
keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be
shamefully exposed.
Revelation 16:15
Verse 15 is an interlude of warning to the family of God. This does
not mean that the family of God or any portion of it will be present
at that time in history when the bowls are being poured out. Nevertheless,
it is the family of God (the seven churches) to whom the
message is given. We, the family of God, should take warning that
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such events will occur in the end and remove ourselves from the sins
of this world.
In the midst of the most dreadful part of the message, the family
of God is warned to keep their clothes with them. In chapter 7,
clothing is referred to in regard to the family of God. Those who are
standing before the throne and the Lamb are clothed in white robes. In verse 14,
the robes are “washed” and made white in the blood
of the Lamb. A person does not wash anything in blood, which is
red, and make it white. Therefore, the interpretation is spiritual, and
the elements, symbolic. White is symbolic of purity. Robes are symbolic
of having “put on Christ,” or salvation. Washing is symbolic
of cleansing from sin, or forgiveness. The blood is the blood that
Jesus shed at his death. The clothing referred to, in Revelation 16:15,
is spiritual clothing, which the family of God has” put on” through
the act of salvation through Jesus Christ. This is not to be confused
with works. The work of Jesus is that which washed the robes, yet
each person must choose to believe and repent, and, thus, the robes
are washed.
The warning of the family of God as they read this terrible
account of what will happen to the family of satan is to be careful
that they do not fall back into sin and the things of this world after
they have been cleansed and given white robes. This is referred to
very clearly in the message to the church at Sardis, “Yet you have a
few people in Sardis, who have not soiled their clothes. They will
walk with Me, dressed in white, for they are worthy” (Revelation
3:4).
Then they gathered the kings together in the place that in
Hebrew is called Armageddon.
Revelation 16:16
The last ten kings (Revelation 17:12) will be gathered at Armageddon. Although
there is a place that is commonly understood to be
the valley called Megiddo, I do not believe that Armageddon is a
particular spot on earth where all the kings of the earth will be gathered
for battle on the great day of God Almighty. I believe it is clear
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that the family of satan at that time will be in control of all the earth,
that they will live on all the earth, and that the battlefront will be
worldwide.
Here in the United States of America, we use a common phrase,
“He met his Waterloo.” Most people readily understand this phrase
to mean he met his defeat. It comes from the famed battle of Waterloo,
where Napoleon met defeat. The phrase, “He met his Waterloo,”
does not mean that one met at the place called Waterloo, but that
one met defeat. In a similar way, Armageddon is interpreted to refer
to be a time and circumstance in which the family of satan meets
defeat at the hand of God. This is substantiated by the fact that
many great spiritually decisive battles of Bible times were fought in
the Valley of Megiddo, Jezreel. Megiddo is the root word of Armageddon. “
The kings were gathered together” does not demand that
they were gathered at a particular place, but gathered together in
purpose, direction, and allegiance to satan. The Bible says, “They
have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the
beast” (Revelation 17:13).
The Battle of Armageddon
The battle of Armageddon will be a unique battle. There has been no
other battle like it in the history of mankind. It is a battle in which
physical mankind will think he can wage war in the spiritual realm.
Since the deception of the Garden of Eden, satan has deceived
mankind into thinking they can be like God. In order to do this, he
has used and will use black and white magic, Ouija boards, the Dungeons
& Dragons game, and other games that use or insinuate use of
spiritual powers (witches, warlocks), calling fire down from heaven,
an image that will both breathe and speak, a man who will seem to
be fatally wounded and healed, etc. By the end of the miracles performed
by the three frog-like demons, satan will have convinced his
family that they can, through these miraculous powers, actually fight
against God in spiritual warfare. This will be the ultimate deception,
the ultimate rebellion, the ultimate egotism, and the ultimate
battle––Armageddon.
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The battle of Armageddon is set! satan, the demons, the beast,
and the false prophet, and all of the physical family of satan are in
battle array against the Lamb and the armies of heaven.
The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out
of the temple came a loud voice from the throne saying, “It is
done!”
Revelation 16:17
The explanation, “it is done!” clearly means that “God’s wrath is
completed” (Revelation 15:1). The history of mankind will be completed,
the history of the earth as we know it will come to an end,
and mankind’s rebellion against their Creator will be ended, finished,
“done.” The Bible says, “It is done!” and God will have done
it, not mankind’s wars or bombs or nuclear fallout!
A great earthquake like no other will rip the earth apart. So
the scripture will be true that says, “Every island fled away and the
mountains could not be found.” Thus, the end of the earth as we
know it. “And they cursed God” (Revelation 16:21b).
God spoke, creation was created. Alpha!
God will speak, and creation will be destroyed. Omega!
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Revelation 17
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and
said to me, “Come I will show you the punishment of the great
prostitute, who sits on many waters ”
Revelation 17:1
The fact that this verse specifi es that one of the angels came and
spoke to John is important to help us understand that chapters 17 and
18 are not just thrown in, but are a continuing thought and explanation
of the entire vision John, having just seen the awful destruction
of chapter 16, was given the explanation of chapters 17 and 18
to show how mankind and earth came to receive the great wrath of
God God has judged and executed judgment and is correct in his
judgment He poured out his wrath, but not without explanation
God would be totally just even if he did not explain his judgments
Nevertheless, because of his grace and his long-suffering, our Lord
has told mankind and given warning many centuries before so that
mankind is without excuse in their rejection of and rebellion against
their Creator
Thank you, Lord, for thoroughly explaining the reason for
destroying your creation! Amen
Who Is the Great Prostitute?
The reason for the awful destruction of the bowls is contained within
the visionary description of “the great prostitute” (Revelation 17:1)
John was given a vision that is the best possible picture to show to
physical mankind a spiritual dilemma It is a spiritual dilemma in
that it is the description of “the punishment of the great prostitute”
(Revelation 17:1)
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The great prostitute is a picture of an anonymous entity that is
both spiritual and physical. It is spiritual in that its leader is satan
and physical in that she is comprised of physical mankind.
The great prostitute has some parallels to the true church, the
bride of Christ.
1.         Both have a spiritual leader: The great prostitute has
satan. The true church has Jesus Christ.
2.         Both, though spiritual entities, are comprised of
physical mankind. The great prostitute, the family
of satan, who has rejected Jesus Christ as Lord. The true church, the family of
God, who repent and
receive Jesus Christ as Lord.
3.         Both are described as feminine. The great prostitute
is a woman on the scarlet beast. The true church is
the bride of Christ.
4.         Both are loose-knit entities of numerous persons
and organizations with the same purpose, direction,
and continuity coming from their respective spiritual
leaders.
The great prostitute: persons who, through organizations,
businesses, and governments worldwide,
teach, promote, sell, and export things that satan uses
to destroy God’s creation. Example: alcoholic beverages,
desire for physical things, the use of beauty with
sexual emphasis, etc.
The true church: persons who, through churches,
businesses, and denominations worldwide, teach,
promote, sell, and export things that God uses to
save mankind from destruction.
5.         Both are evangelistic.
The great prostitute is evangelistic through manipulation
and deception. The true church is evangelistic
through free choice in Jesus Christ.
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6.         Both have knowledgeable leadership.
The great prostitute: beast and false prophet
The true church: born-again Christian leaders
7.         Both contain borderline persons.
The great prostitute has persons who respect
Christians and Christian values, but are not Christians. The true church has carnal
Christians who live more
in the world than in Christ.
Thus, the great prostitute is an anonymous, worldwide entity that is
comprised of the family of satan, directed by satan, and is somewhat
comparative to the true church.
There are seven descriptive phrases of the prostitute that help us
to understand her as that entity which is physical, spiritual, worldwide,
and led by satan.
1.         “Sits on many waters” (Revelation 17:1).
This phrase is clearly explained in verse 15, which
states, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits,
are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.” Also,
Revelation 18:24 says, “In her was found the blood
of the prophets and of the saints, and all who have
been killed on the earth.” If we couple verse 15 with
Revelation 18:24, then the prostitute is the one who
“sits” on all mankind, and she is responsible for “all
who have been killed,” and then “many waters” represents
all of mankind. So she “sits on” all of mankind
and is also comprised of mankind.
I suggest that the prostitute sitting on many waters,
or all mankind, has the effect of suppressing, or pressuring,
mankind. This can be illustrated through the
effects of peer pressure. Many young people are pressured
into alcohol, drugs, sex, etc., because, as they
say, everyone does it.
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Another illustration of peer pressure can be seen
as teachers and professors, who teach evolution,
pressure students to reject the reality of creation by
God and to believe a theory that satan has injected
into society. Thus, the great prostitute “sits on many
waters” and suppresses all of mankind, both physically
and spiritually. In this way, she molds society
into the same entity: the great prostitute.
2.         “A woman” (Revelation 17:3).
The great prostitute is feminine “woman,” which
is comparative to the true church, the bride of Christ,
but opposite to and opposed to the bride of Christ. Thus, she is somewhat the
bride of satan, whom he
hates (verse 16).
3.         “Sitting on a scarlet beast” (Revelation 17:3).
The beast she is sitting on and also rides is clearly
described as satan in verse eight, which says, “The
beast which you saw, once was, now is not, and will
come up out of the abyss and go to his destruction.”
No other being fits this description––only satan, who
is the head of the beast. One would normally think
of a rider directing the animal he is riding, but here
the opposite is true. The beast directs or takes the
woman where he, satan, wants her to go.
4.         “Dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering
with gold, precious stones and pearls” (Revelation
17:4).
This indicates that she is rich and lavishes on herself
her worldly wealth. Her riches and the accusations
brought against her are thoroughly explained in
chapter 18.
5.         “This title was written on her forehead: Mystery;
Babylon the great; the mother of prostitutes; and of
the abominations of the earth” (Revelation 17:5).
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This title that was given reveals her identity,
“Babylon the great,” and the accusations that warrant
her death penalty. As Babylon the great, she is comprised
of the whole family of satan. As the mother
of prostitutes and of abominations, she is that which
gave birth to, taught, and promoted sin and rejection
of God that brought the destruction of chapter 16.
6.         “The woman was drunk with the blood of the saints,
the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus”
(Revelation 17:6).
This phrase speaks of the multitude of the family
of God whom she had killed worldwide throughout
history.
7.         “The great city that rules over the kings of the earth”
(Revelation 17:18).
This phrase speaks of the influence and power
that is inherent in the woman as she is influenced
and guided by the spiritual mind of satan.
The actual vision that John saw is described in verses 3- 6. The
remainder of chapter 17 and chapter 18 are various descriptions and
explanations pertaining to the woman.
The Vision
John saw “a woman sitting on a scarlet beast” (verse 3). She was
“dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious
stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand” (verse 4). This
portion of the description causes us to see that the woman was very
wealthy with the things of this world. This portrait, which depicts
the family of satan, shows that two of their major characteristics are
their desire for the things of this physical world and their concern
for their outward appearance.
The family of satan, as seen here, has such a desire for material
things that those things control their lives and value systems to
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the exclusion of God and spiritual things. This does not mean that
they are all wealthy or that all who are wealthy are included in this
group. However, regardless of their financial status, their thoughts
and desires dwell totally on the material things of this world.
The woman’s material things are explained in this text as being
a serious problem that results in her condemnation. In Revelation
18:7, judgment is pronounced. It says, “Give her as much torture and
grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.” Thus, the sin is the
desire for things to lavish on oneself to the exclusion of God from
their lives.
The results of this desire are given in the book of James:
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come
from your desires that battle within you? You want something
but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what
you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you
do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you
ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on
your pleasures.
James 4:1–3
Therefore, the woman on the beast is portrayed as wealthy and as
one who lavishes that wealth on outward appearance (self ).
The woman’s desires were expended in pride of self. She had
gained wealth, which she used to dress and decorate herself in beautifully
colored clothes and expensive jewelry. As we make application
in real life, we realize that not all people are consumed with the
desire for clothes and jewelry. Some desire a luxurious car, a beautiful
home, valuable land, savings, a quality education, prestige, public
office, authority over others, etc.
One of the messages of the woman on the beast is that when
mankind’s personal desires take prominence to the exclusion of
God, it becomes spiritual adultery. When one puts self before God,
self is God. This spiritual adultery pertains to physical mankind
from every walk of life, as explained in verse 2, which says, “With
her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of
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the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.” This is
interpreted to mean all kings, leaders, presidents, dictators, etc., who
are of the family of satan and all inhabitants who are of the family of
satan. The great prostitute portrayed here is the family of satan, as
their personal desires control their lives and as they put self on the
throne of their lives.
This wealthy woman is also seen “sitting on a scarlet beast”
(Revelation 17:3). Again, this scarlet beast is satan, as can be seen in
verse 8: “The beast, which you saw once was, now is not, and will
come out of the abyss and go to his destruction.” There are two other
references to the abyss in the book of Revelation. One is in chapter
9, the other in chapter 20. Each refers to the same abyss. It is a spiritual
prison that God has set aside for satan and his demons.
John describes the beast as “scarlet.” This indicates that the
beast is satan in that scarlet, as red, coincides with the “red dragon”
in chapter 12.
The beast is “covered with blasphemous names” (verse 3). The
scarlet beast, being satan, is the spiritual leader of the false prophet
and the great prostitute (the three children of the family of satan). Being their
spiritual leader, satan is indeed covered with blasphemous
names, filled with the “abominations of the earth” (verse 5),
“drunk with the blood of the saints” (verse 6) having killed all “who
refused to worship the image” (Revelation 13:15).
The scarlet beast had “seven heads” (17:3). The “seven heads”
are described in verses 9 -11 as being “seven hills on which the
woman sits.” If the interpreting principle for numbers is applied,
the “seven hills” are all the hills on which the woman sits. The fact
that the woman is interpreted as sitting on all mankind (verses 2,
15, 18; Revelation 18:24) and on all the hills strengthens the interpretation
of the great prostitute, Babylon the great, as being a
worldwide entity.
The “seven heads” (Revelation 17:3) are also “seven kings” (verse
10). The seven kings are also interpreted as complete, thus, all the
kings of the family of satan. Since the heads of the scarlet beast are
also kings, then satan is the head of the kings. Of these seven kings,
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John wrote, “five have fallen”; at the time of the writing of Revelation,
“one is” the other is “not yet come” (verse 10).
The following explanations about these seven kings are simple
reasoning, not proven facts:
If seven kings represent all the kings of the family of satan––five
before the first century, one at the first century, and one to come––and
1900 years later, that one to come has not yet come, then the seven
kings would not be consecutive kings in historical sequence. Moreover,
when God’s time is applied––interpreting principle number
four––the five kings could have existed anytime from Adam to Jesus.
It may be possible that these seven kings (all kings equal five
plus one, plus one to come) could represent seven eras or times when
satan exercises a particular power or success over the family of God. If this
theory is correct, then a possible interpretation for the seven
kings could be:
Period number one: king at the time of Noah and the flood
Period number two: king at the time of the Tower of Babel
Period number three: king at the time of Egypt and the exodus
Period number four: king at the time of Elijah and the prophets
of Baal
Period number five: king at the time of the exile in Babylon;
story of Esther.
These could be the five who have fallen. At each of these times, God
intervened to change the course of history and save his people from
destruction. The one “who is” could represent the first beast, which
comes from the sea and is in power from the first century until the
two witnesses are killed in Revelation 11. The one “to come” could
represent the beast that comes from the earth and leads the family
of satan in the battle of Armageddon.
At these times in history, God’s people, the family of God, were
in particular jeopardy before the onslaught of satan and his family. The seven
kings are all the kings of the family of satan, but these
are seven times in biblical history in which satan exercised particular
control over the majority of mankind. These times brought the fam181
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ily of God into critical circumstances that required the intervention
of God to save his people.
Please note that the above explanation of the seven kings is simply
a possibility that makes sense to this author, but it is only speculation. Without
a doubt, there have been many kings throughout
history whose lives and action have been controlled by satan. And
there have been some eras in which God’s people have been in great
jeopardy as a result of the work of satan and his beast.
satan himself is “the eighth king” (verse 11a). According to interpreting
principle number one, since seven is a complete number,
then eight is one more. satan is one more because he is spiritual, not
physical; and because he is, in fact, the head of the other seven, he is
one more than complete. Revelation 17:11b says, “He belongs to the
seven and is going to his destruction.” satan, being the eighth king,
would refer to two circumstances. First, as head of the ten kings
after the abomination of desolation is set up and after being released
from the abyss following the millennial reign of Christ as he gathers
his family from the four winds to make war against the family of
God in the final battle (Revelation 20:7–10).
The scarlet beast also had “ten horns.” As the angel continued to
interpret the vision for John, he said,
The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received
a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings,
along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their
power and authority to the beast. They will make war against
the Lamb.
Revelation 18:12–14
These kings will reign for one hour and do so along with the beast. This means
that they will reign concurrently in history and at a time
when satan has control “as kings along with the beast” (verse 12). They also will
reign at a time when they will “make war against the
Lamb” (verse 14).
These ten kings are the kings of Revelation 16:14, which says,
“Go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the
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battle on the great day of God Almighty.” Also, Revelation 16:16
says, “Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in
Hebrew is called Armageddon.” They are also the same as the kings
described in chapter 19, which says,
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies
gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse
and his army.
Revelation 19:19
Throughout history, satan has been in a continuous state of rebellion
against God. In that rebellion, he has tried continuously to destroy
God’s witnesses, the family of God. There have been certain time
periods in history when satan cornered God’s people and was about
to strike the final blow to achieve his purpose and God intervened
and rescued them. This is clearly explained in the account of the
Babylonian exile.
God’s people were slaves in Babylon and lived continually under
the possibility of being destroyed. (Refer to the book of Esther). However, in due
time, God’s intervention saved his people from certain
death.
At particular points in history, satan has brought God’s people
to the brink of destruction through his great prostitute and certain
kings who were under his control, but God intervened. At the time
of the seventh king, however, God will not intervene; but the two
witnesses will be killed, leaving no further witness on earth. God
will intervene by resurrecting the two witnesses and removing his
family from the earth.
1. The five kings are the possibilities previously presented.
2.         The sixth king will reign at the time of the first
beast. (Revelation 13:1–8). He will progressively gain
authority over all mankind (Revelation 13:7b-8).
With the conquering and removal of the saints,
God’s Spirit will no longer be at work on the earth. satan will have a free hand
since he will be king of
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the earth. satan, the eighth king, is spiritual––seven
kings and one more. The seven kings are the complete
number of kings who have fought and will fight
to destroy God’s people.
3.         The seventh king will be synonymous with the ten
kings and will rule simultaneously in a kingdom
without God. 666 means mankind without God. (666, interpreting principle
number one.)
The ten kings will be satan’s vassal kings (Revelation
17:12–13), who will be gathered to make spiritual
war against the Lamb (Revelation 16:14, 16; 17:14;
19:17–21).
4.         The eighth king will be satan, the spiritual king of
the earth, who will reign as sole authority after the
midpoint, or three and a half years, of tribulation
after the two witnesses have been killed and the family
of God is all in heaven. “The beast and the ten
horns you saw will hate the prostitute” (Revelation
17:16a).
The prostitute is a visionary, spiritual entity that
is comprised of 1) All of the physical family of satan,
and, 2) The spiritual leader, satan. In spite of the fact
that she is the family of satan, satan and his kings
“will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they
will eat her flesh and burn her with fire” (Revelation
17:16b).
The family of satan will be like a rabid dog, biting and destroying
itself. This is pictured in the scenes of the fifth and sixth trumpets,
which correspond in time with the events that bring the ten kings to
power. These terrible events are the will of God and bring about his
purpose. This is seen in Revelation 17:17, which says, “For God has
put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give
the beast, their power to rule, until God’s words are fulfilled.”
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In 1 Samuel 8, the Israelites desired a king. God said that they
had rejected his leadership and desired an earthly king like other
nations. The last generation of mankind will have truly received
their king, but also will have realized the awesome consequences that
God pronounced in 1 Samuel. Not only will they compromise their
freedom to get their kings, but those kings will also compromise
their power as kings, for they will agree to give their power to satan
so they can rule. (They could not be kings except under satan.) Their
rejection of God––and God’s judgment being carried out as God’s
purpose for those who have rejected him as their Creator––will seal
their destiny as the family of satan. By their own choice, they destroy
themselves as God brings an end to his creation.
The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings
of the earth.
Revelation 17:18
The woman, or the great prostitute––people over all the earth––rule
over the kings. The people rule over the kings. This is a peculiar
statement in view of the fact that the kings are under the control of
satan, which is the purpose of God as explained in verse 17.
It is possible that this peculiar statement can be explained by taking
a look at the current situation in United States politics. A king
could be the equivalent to a president or a prime minister. There are
two things that have primary influence over the statements a US
President makes in public: 1) his perception of what the people want
to hear, and 2) what the news media manipulates him to say.
Therefore, through modern democracy and the mass media, we
can see how the people––that great city––will rule over the kings
in a way not possible before modern technology and communication
systems. The kings themselves will also desire the wealth and
power that is exemplified by the visionary woman and will say or do
anything to get votes to rule. Thus, the people actually rule over the
kings of the earth through democratic form of government.
Please note that a democratic form of government is not evil. Democracy is the
best form of government ever devised by man185
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kind. Democracy is great. It beats a dictator every day. What this is
saying is that at the time of the end the kings will be elected officials,
thus ruled over by the people.

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Revelation 18
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven He
had great authority and the earth was illuminated by his splendor
With a mighty voice he shouted: “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the
great! She has become a home for demons and a home for every
evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird ”
Revelation 18:1–2
This chapter is a description of the accusations brought against
“Babylon the great” (verse 2), which is synonymous with “the great
harlot” (17:1) The great harlot, or prostitute, is representative of and
descriptive of the people, and Babylon the great is their worldwide
city
I believe that here in this scripture God gives us an illustration
of “Babylon the great” as an example of mankind’s rebellion against
the way and plan of God The root of the name “Babylon” comes
from the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1–9 At the Tower
of Babel, mankind attempted to build a tower, a way to heaven, different
from God’s plan for his creation Mankind’s attempt to reach
heaven without being obedient to the plan of God is somewhat the
same as the statement by the great harlot in Revelation 18:7, which
says, “I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow ”
In this statement, she defi es death and judgment, which is common
to all and so defi es God’s plan for his creation Thus, God uses
“Babylon the great” as the name of the city of the rebellious; rebellious,
thus the remainder of her name “mother of harlots and of the
abominations of the earth ”
In time sequence, creation will be destroyed and will fall only
after God’s two witnesses have been killed and resurrected by God
After that, no one will have the opportunity to be saved, for there
will be no more witnesses Therefore, there will be no reason for
earth to continue Creation will be destroyed
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It is quite evident today, through movies, television, newspapers,
etc., that satanism is spreading like wildfire. The time is nearing
when the earth will truly be a “home for demons.” Verse 3 says, “For
all of the earth committed adultery with her.” Clearly, all of mankind
at the time of the ten kings will have committed spiritual adultery;
satan will be their god. Through their freedom of choice, they made
the wrong choice, the misuse of the spirit of conquest; the first seal
will have borne its fruit.
The remainder of verse 3 says, “ … and the merchants of the earth
grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” The business community will
have reached its height in greed, accomplishment, and wealth, but
they will have rejected God, all the while believing that their wealth
is all they need. The abuse of the spirit of business (the third seal)
will also have borne its fruit.
Then I heard another voice from heaven say; “Come out of her
my people, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for
her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her
crimes.
Revelation 18:4–5
This plea to the family of God to come out of Babylon the great is in
the midst of her accusations. Why does God warn the family of God
when they will not be there at that time in history? Remember,
The woman sits on all mankind.
The message was written to the family of God more
than 1900 years, at least, before these events.
There has always been a family of satan.
The family of God and the family of satan has always
lived side by side and even together.
The warning is not to be caught up in, nor participate in, the things
that satan promotes and deceives his family to accept. After the
warning to the family of God (verses 4–5) judgment is proclaimed.
1
2
3
4
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Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what
she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. Give
her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave
herself.
Revelation 18:5–7
Thus, judgment is passed on the great prostitute. She receives a
death sentence, not only because of the two preceding accusations,
but also because “In her heart she boasts, I sit as Queen; I am not a
widow, and I will never mourn (Revelation 18:7b).
In effect, she thinks she can escape death. God ordained that all
would die physically, but she has rejected God and refuses to accept
the fact that she must die and face the judgment. Thus, the message
of the fourth seal (death) is rejected, but she does not escape.
Therefore, in one day her plagues will overtake her: death,
morning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is
the Lord God who judges her.
Revelation 18:8
In this verse is the final sentence. Also, verses 9–23 elaborate on the
whole account of the end of physical earth. It is summed up best in
the following verse, “With such violence, the great city of Babylon
will be thrown down, never to be found again” (Revelation 18:21).
In the following verse is the final accusation. It is also the judgment
of the second seal (the rider with the great sword) because
they have sinned. “In her was found the blood of the prophets and
of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth” (Revelation
18:24).
With these explanations and judgments, the great prostitute,
Babylon the great, is condemned. Her sentence will be carried out as
seen in chapter 19, as the people are “all killed” with no one to bury
them. The great buildings, museums, statues, homes, estates, factories,
shopping centers, airports, etc., will utterly fall and burn.

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Revelation 19
The fi rst eight verses of chapter 19 are a record of three songs of
praise that are sung by the great multitude of the family of God, the
elders, the four living creatures, and a voice from the throne They all
praise God for his justice in pronouncing judgment upon the great
prostitute All are in agreement and shout “Alleluia! For the wedding
of the Lamb has come” (Revelation 19:1–7b)
After the choruses of praise, the angel instructed John to write
a message that contains the “true Words of God ” (verse 9b) He
wrote, “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of
the Lamb!” Those who are invited will be given “fi ne linen,” which
stands for the righteous acts of the saints (verse8b) This explanation
corresponds with Revelation 7:14, which states, “They have washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb ” The
blood of the Lamb was shed for all, but each person must choose to
wash their garments in that blood in order to be invited to the wedding
supper of the Lamb
At the awesomeness of the events he witnessed, John fell at the
feet of the angel “to worship him” (verse 10a) At that, the angel gave
him a severe warning, a lesson desperately needed among the family
of God The angel said, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you
and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus Worship
God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (verse 10b)
We need always to be careful to give all credit, glory, and honor to
God and do not glorify each other for the great deeds done here on
earth For of a truth, we could do nothing without our God, not even
exist for one heartbeat
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The Battle on the Great Day of
God Almighty: Armageddon
The last great battle of physical mankind is recorded in Revelation
19:11–21. This battle has been given its name, the place of its occurrence,
and the description of the preparations in Revelation 16:12–16. The pouring of the
sixth bowl will prepare the family of satan for the
battle, in that they will be gathered to the place, spiritually, where
they will meet their defeat.
The preparation of the family of God is described in Revelation
19:11–16. The rider on the white horse is Jesus. He is prepared for
battle with “many crowns”(verse 12) and a “robe dipped in blood”
(verse 13). He has two names: “the Word of God” and “King of kings
and Lord of lords.” He has “a sharp sword” coming out of his mouth. Following
him are the “armies of heaven” who are “riding on white
horses and dressed in fine linen.” All of the armies of heaven are
spiritual beings, not physical beings. Fine linen does not mean army
fatigues. All of God’s armies come from heaven.
Revelation 19:17- 21 tells of the destruction of satan’s family who
are involved in this ultimate battle. The angel calls on the birds to
come and eat the flesh of “all people, free and slave, small and great”
(verse 18). These verses speak of the completeness of the destruction
of mankind, who are the family of satan. They will all be dead, and
there will be no one to bury the dead. Their bodies will lie exposed
for the scavengers to feast upon. No one will escape. A king’s authority
will not save him. A general’s army will not be able to protect
him. The great and wealthy will not be able to buy their way out. The poor or
slave will not be able to beg their way out. All physical
mankind will be destroyed.
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies
gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse
and his army.
Revelation 19:19
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The armies of satan will be prepared and gathered together in array
against God’s armies. The armies of heaven will be set against the
kings of the earth and their armies––heavenly armies versus earthly
armies; spiritual armies versus physical armies. The mismatch of the
ages! Armageddon!
How could the physical earthly kings, generals, and mighty men
think they could fight the spiritual Jesus and the spiritual armies of
heaven? They will be deceived!
The Great Deception
Physical mankind of the family of satan will be deceived. They will
have listened to the beast and the false prophet, as stated in Revelation
19:20. The false prophet had performed the miraculous signs on
his, the beast’s, behalf. “With these signs he had deluded them, who
had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.”
The physical armies of the family of satan will have seen “miraculous
signs” and will have been “deluded” and deceived so as to think
they can fight God’s heavenly armies. These miracles, which are
recorded in chapter 13, are as follows:
One of the “heads of the beast” (a king, president,
prime minister, etc.) “seemed” (a deception) to have
had a fatal wound, which was “healed” (verse 3).
The first beast defeated his enemies, the physical
family of God (11:7 and chapter 12).
The second beast caused fire to come down from
heaven in full view of mankind (12:13).
The second beast also caused the image (statue, idle)
of the first beast to both breathe and speak. He seemingly
brought the dead back to life (13:15).
When mankind sees these great signs and wonders, they will think
they can fight God!
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At the present time, late twentieth and twenty-first centuries,
there are seemingly unexplainable phenomena taking place before
our eyes. It includes raising tables at séances, speaking to spirits, soul
travel, fortune telling, games––Ouija board, Dungeons & Dragons,
etc.––magic shows, spiritual warfare among witches, etc. Most magic
shows consist of sleight-of-hand tricks; however, many more than
would be imagined consist of feats performed by demonic powers. These magic
arts, in their many variations, are forerunners to the
miraculous signs that are spoken of in chapter 13.
By the time of this final battle in Revelation 19:20–21, these
witches, warlocks, satanic high priests, etc., will have become so
seemingly proficient with their spiritual powers that they will believe
they can fight God and win.
They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and
they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them
for the battle on the great day of God Almighty … then they
gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called
Armageddon.
Revelation 16:14–16
All of mankind, all creation, from all of history who rebelled against
God have waited and prepared for this final showdown. And
finally, the battle is set in array––the great day of God Almighty at
Armageddon.
Instantly It Will All Be Over
The beast and the false prophet will be “thrown alive into the fiery
lake of burning sulfur” (Revelation 19:20c). The interpretation is
that the beast and the false prophet will be the physical leaders of
the spiritual entities that are the beast––who is the ten kings of
13:12–13, plus certain persons who lead rebellion against God––and
the false prophet who is the satanic church, plus certain persons
who lead spiritual rebellion against God. They will be instantly
destroyed, both physically and spiritually. The lake of fire is spiritual
death (Revelation 20:10; 14–15). They will not have their day
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in court, being judged before the great white throne judgment of
God, but will be thrown immediately into the lake of fire; thus, the
eternal death.
The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of
the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorge
themselves on their flesh.
Revelation 19:21
“The rest of the them” will be all the physical armies of the family of
satan after their leaders have been thrown into the lake of fire. The
sword with which they will be killed is the “Word of God.” Jesus is
named the “Word of God” in verse 13. Throughout the Bible, the
sword of God is the Word of God. It is not a physical sword. It is
the Word of God as proclaimed from the mouth of Jesus. They all
die; their hearts stop beating. There is no battle; they just die. This
description of the battle in chapter 19 corresponds in history with
the pouring out of the seventh bowl and the reaping of the earth as
referred to in Revelation 14:14–20.
The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and out of
the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is
done!” Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of
thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever
occurred since man was on the earth, so tremendous was the
quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the
nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the great and gave
her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every
island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From
the sky, huge hailstones of about one hundred pounds each fell
upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of
hail, because the plague was so terrible.
Revelation 16:17–21
Thus, physical mankind and physical earth as we know it today will
be destroyed. There will be no more physical people on physical
earth after the battle of Armageddon.
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In Genesis 1:1–2a, “God created the heavens and the earth, and
the earth was without form and void.”
Then God began to form the earth. He made the Garden of
Eden, but sin came into the garden and brought the destruction of
creation. In the end, God will create a new heaven.
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Revelation 20
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key
to the abyss and holding in his hand a great chain He seized
the dragon that ancient serpent––who is the devil, or satan, and
bound him for one thousand years He threw him into the abyss,
and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving
the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended After
that, he must be set free for a short time
Revelation 20:1–3
This scene, as with the others, is a vision of physical things that
depict spiritual reality It is doubtful that the angel has a key that
fi ts a lock or a chain large enough to bind a spiritual being such
as satan However, this scene includes a lock and chain that depict
satan’s confi nement to a spiritual prison This is the same type of
imprisonment as seen in Luke 16:26, which states, “a great chasm has
been fi xed ” This is understood to be a barrier “fi xed” by God, and no
one can cross over The abyss, however, is signifi cantly different in
that it will be sealed over satan It is more like solitary confi nement
in nature than an open prison like in Luke satan will be confi ned
to the abyss and will not be able to communicate with those on the
outside satan is imprisoned and sealed by command of God No one
disobeys such a command
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given
authority to judge And I saw the souls of those who had been
beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the
Word of God They had not worshiped the beast or his image
and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands
They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years
(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand
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years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy
are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second
death has no power over them, but they will be priest of God
and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4–6
In this scene, John is shown the events surrounding the millennial
reign of Jesus. The family of God will be bodily resurrected and
judged. Then they will reign with Christ for a thousand years. I
believe that the whole family of God will be included in this first
resurrection. Here it states that those who gave their lives “because
of their testimony for Jesus” are priests and will reign with him
(Revelation 20:4).
It could seem as though those who will be priests of God and
of Christ and who will reign with him for a thousand years are set
apart from the rest as more holy because verse 6 says, “Blessed and
holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second
death has no power over them, but they will be priest of God and
of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” However,
I believe that the emphasis refers more to the fact of the fifth seal,
which gives those who are martyred a special place in heaven under
the altar. All of the family of God will take part in the first resurrection,
for there are only two resurrections, as explained in Revelation
14:14–20. The first includes the family of God; the second includes
the family of satan. In these verses, we are given an illustration of the
most rewarded, of the family of God, but that does not mean that
the rest of the family God will not be there. Indeed, all who have
“called upon the name of the Lord” have not received the mark of
the beast and will participate in the first resurrection as the part of
the family of God.
I believe that the millennial reign of Christ is a spiritual reign,
not a physical reign. I hold to this interpretation, believing that the
whole church, the family of God, will either have died and gone to
heaven or have been taken to heaven, raptured before the great tribulation,
the seven bowls of God’s wrath (chapter 16). I also believe
that, after the great tribulation, physical mankind will be no more
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because Revelation 19:21 states, “the rest of them were killed.” All
of the family of God is physically gone at the end of chapter 11; all
of the family of satan is dead at the end of chapter 19. As a result,
there is no mention of physical mankind in chapter 20. Therefore,
the one thousand-year reign with Christ is spiritual, not physical. This
interpretation is in harmony with the prophecies of Daniel 9
and Matthew 24, etc.
I saw thrones on which there were seated those who had been
given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had
been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because
of the Word of God.
Revelation 20:4
Here the family of God is judged from within. The judges will be
members of the family of God as described in Revelation 14:1–5. There is
nothing written in Revelation as to the nature of this judgment;
however, there are verses throughout the rest of the Bible that
do explain. Ecclesiastes 3:17 says, “God will bring to judgment both
the righteous and the wicked.” Jesus said to his disciples in Luke
22:30, you “will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Romans 14:10 says, “You, then, why do you judge your brother? For
we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” The first five verses of
1 Corinthians 4 states,
So, then, men aught to regard us as servants of Christ, and as
those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required
that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I
care very little, if I am judged by you or by any human court;
indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but
that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge
nothing before the appointed time; wait till the
Lord comes. He will bring to light, what is hidden in darkness
and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time, each
will receive his praise from God.
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These scriptures and many more speak to the fact that the family of
God will be judged. In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul gives some insights as
to the nature of the judgment of the family of God as referred to in
Revelation 20:4.
First, this judgment is not judgment as pertaining to salvation. All who are with
Christ during the millennial reign are saved. They
are the family of God, or they would not be there with him.
Second, each Christian has been given gifts and abilities and
will be judged according to how each used those gifts and abilities. The Bible
says, “ … those who have been given a trust must prove
faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2). We need also to apply the teaching of
Jesus from the parable of the talents (Matthew 25), the parable of the
sower (Matthew 13), etc., and realize that we will be held accountable
for what our Lord, through the Holy Spirit, has led us to do
in service to him. During the one-thousand-year reign, we will be
judged to determine whether we were faithful––not to condemn,
but for our learning.
Third, we will be judged to “bring to light, what is hidden in
darkness” (1 Corinthians 4:5b). We understand the phrase “hidden
in darkness” to be a reference to unconfessed sin. That which is in
the “light” is known or confessed. Thus, that which has not been
confessed is secret, or hidden in the dark. All of our unconfessed sins
will be brought to light that we may confess them and be cleansed,
then “God will wipe away all tears.”
Fourth, the motives of the heart will be judged. I believe that
there is an illustration of this in 1 Corinthians. Paul had apparently
been judged or accused by some of his contemporaries (1 Corinthians
4:3). Paul and those who judged him had an unresolved problem
between them. Paul said that his conscience was clear, so God had
not convicted him of sin, yet he was accused. If then Paul was falsely
accused, there may have been a misunderstanding of the motives of
men’s hearts.
I know of a circumstance in which two people that were neighbors,
friends, and leaders in their local church had a misunderstanding. They
became angry, accused each other, and refused to speak to
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each other for years, though each continued to be in leadership positions
in the church. At the judgment of the family of God during
the one-thousand-year reign, these two will have to settle their
misunderstanding. As
they stand in judgment, we may imagine that one
would say to the judge, “She laughed at me and said that my dress
was inappropriate.” The other one would reply, “Well, I didn’t know
what was wrong with you. You just started acting strange toward me. Besides, I
didn’t mean to insult you. I was just having a good time.”
The judge might say to the first one, “The true intention of her
heart was not to insult you in any way. However, since you were hurt
by the statement, you should have shared your feelings with your
friend so that she could have known and apologized.”
Then the judge might say to the second woman, “You also had
the opportunity to ask your neighbor whether there was some problem
or if you had hurt her in some way.”
These two friends would then have opportunity to forgive each
other, ask forgiveness from God for the problems that division had
caused in the church, and then enter into eternity with true joy and
regained friendship. Thus, as the motives of mankind’s hearts are
defined by the judge from the knowledge of God, the family of God
will become true brothers and sisters with love and understanding
and heaven will be heaven.
In these ways, and doubtless in many others, the family of God
will be judged, and we will “know as we are known.” Heaven will
be a wonderful place. It will be without misunderstanding, division,
prejudice, disagreement, or any such thing that would quench the
joy of being with our heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ in
heaven.
When the thousand years are over, satan will be released from
his prison and go out to deceive the nations in the four corners
of the earth––Gog and Magog––to gather them for battle.”
Revelation 20:7–8a
Satan will be released from his spiritual prison and, being a spiritual
being, “will go out to deceive the nations” (verse 8a). There is
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a marked difference between the description in chapter 20 and the
description described in chapters 13, 16, and 19. In these chapters, the
beast and the false prophet, who are comprised of physical mankind
with their spiritual leader satan, deceive physical mankind. Here in
chapter 20, there is no beast, false prophet, or physical mankind. Mankind was
either physically taken away (raptured) or physically
killed, as recorded in chapters 14 and 19. (Mankind, at the conclusion
of chapter 19, no longer exists as physical.) Therefore, the participants––
satan, Gog, and Magog––are spiritual beings.
We know satan well, but who are Gog and Magog? In order to
understand who they are as mentioned in Revelation 20, we need to
understand the interpretation of Ezekiel 36–39. First, read these four
chapters in Ezekiel and then proceed.
Chapter 36 of the Ezekiel says the following:
Israel’s enemies have taken possession of Israel’s
mountains (verse 2).
Israel has “suffered the scorn of the nations” (verse 6).
Israel’s enemies “with glee and with malice in their
hearts” have taken possession to plunder (verse 5)
Israel will be restored for the sake of God’s holy name
(verse 22).
Israel should be ashamed and disgraced for her
conduct.
Chapter 37 says the following through a visionary illustration:
There is a valley of very dry bones (verse two).
These dry bones, through an act of God, will become
alive and breathe.
These “bones are the whole house of Israel” (verse 11).
At that time, the divided kingdom will become one
under one king or one shepherd forever (verses 22–25).
God’s “dwelling place will be with them” (verse 27).
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Chapter 38 says the following:
God will bring Gog and his army of many nations
and prepare them for war (verse 3–7).
At any given time, Gog “will be called to arms” (verse 8).
In future years, Gog will invade a land that has recovered
from war, whose people were gathered from
many nations to Israel (verse 8).
Gog “will be like a cloud covering the land” (verse
nine).
Gog will attack a peaceful and unprotected people
(verse 10).
Chapter 39 says the following:
Gog and his armies will be destroyed by God.
God’s people will plunder and bury Gog and his
armies.
God will gather his people, will not leave any behind,
and will no longer hide his face from them.
There are two questions that need to be answered to correctly interpret
this block of Scripture: 1) who the prophecy is about, and, 2) to
what time era does it refer?
Who the Prophecy Is About?
Ezekiel 38:1 says that Gog is the prince of Magog. In a confederation,
alliance with the prince of Gog and the armies of Magog are
“many nations.” And all their “troops” are prepared for war (verses
5–6). Gog and Magog then are a vast confederated army with Gog
as its leader. They are those who are against God’s people, for they
will attack the land of Israel (verse 18). Thus, Gog and Magog are
those who fight against the family of God. Gog and Magog are the
family of satan.
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Gog does not plan and execute the attack of his own doing, for
God said, “I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring
you out with your whole army” (verse 4). Thus, God directs Gog and
Magog in order to bring creation to a conclusion according to God’s
plan and power. Thus, Gog and Magog are the leaders, and their
armies are the family of satan.
Therefore, we see in Ezekiel 36–39 a message that reveals the
plight of Israel at the time of its Babylonian exile: why they were
destroyed, who destroyed them, and who was in charge. It also
reveals a prophecy that proclaims the restoration of Israel and the
final outcome of all mankind. This final outcome of mankind parallels
the prophecies of Revelation.
The fact that life in God’s eyes does not end at death needs to be
included here. Not only does life not end at death, but there is not
even a break in it. At death, we simply step from physical life into
spiritual life, leaving the body behind. Thus God sees and speaks of
his people’s sins, his judgment for those sins, the destruction of his
people because of their sins, and the forgiveness and the restoration
of his people as a continuing sequence of events. They are a continuing
sequence of events, but some of those events are of the physical
world with the final event in the spiritual realm.
The need to understand this comes from the fact that most people
who write about Revelation prophecy speak about the millennial
reign of Christ as being physical mankind on a physical earth. Many
of the references come from the Ezekiel chapters 36 through 39, and
indeed these chapters give the best explanation to understand the
sequence of events as described in the previous paragraph.
In Ezekiel 36:16–21, God gives the accusations of sin that are brought
against the house of Israel that resulted with their exile to Babylon and
that resulted with the destruction of the temple in AD 70.
In Ezekiel 36:22–38, God gives an explanation of how the house
of Israel will be restored to their land and to him as their God. That
brought about the return from the Babylonian exile. That brought
the establishment of Israel in 1948.
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In Ezekiel 37:1–14, God gives a visionary illustration of the resurrection
of the family of God in the valley of dry bones. This corresponds
with the first resurrection (Revelation 20:4–6).
In Ezekiel 37:15–24, God gives an explanation of the family of
God being brought together as a resurrected family with one leader,
David. This corresponds with the judgment of the family of God
during the millennial reign (Revelation 20:4–6).
In Ezekiel 37:25–28, God explains how the children of Israel will
be returned to the land and they will live in peace with an everlasting
covenant and God’s sanctuary will be in their midst forevermore,
eternally.
God’s time must also be applied to Gog and Magog in the same
way that it is applied to Israel, the family of God. In God’s time,
Gog and Magog have set themselves in array against God’s people:
1) at the time of the Babylonian exile, 2) at the time of the beast and
the two witnesses (Revelation 11 and 13), and 3) at the time immediately
following the millennial reign of Christ in Revelation 20. Also,
in this context, Gog and Magog are destroyed 1) when Babylon was
destroyed in the Old Testament, 2) when the beast will be destroyed
at the physical end (Revelation 19:17–21), and 3) when they, Gog and
Magog, will be destroyed spiritually (Revelation 20:9). Thus, Gog
and Magog represent the eternal enemies of the family of God.
Some interesting observations:
As discussed in Ezekiel 38–39, Gog of the land of Magog is the
“chief prince” of “Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal” (Ezekiel 38: 3; 39: 1). He has with
him in battle array “Persia, Kush, Put, Gomer, Beth
Togarmah and many nations” Also, three other names that are mentioned
in Ezekiel 38:13 are Sheba, the Dedan, and Tarshish. It is
significant that all of these names, except their leader, Gog, are listed
among the sons of Japfeth and Ham, who are two of the three sons
of Noah (Genesis 10). (Persia is not listed in Genesis 10; however,
Nimrod, who is mentioned in verses 8–10, is described as the builder
of cities that are known to be in the area, later, called Persia.)
It is also significant that Abraham came from the lineage of
Shem. Thus, God’s chosen people, through which Jesus was born,
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came from the linage of Shem. Noah said of Shem, “Blessed, be the
Lord, the God of Shem” (Genesis 9:26). Therefore, Shem was recognized
by his father, Noah, as having the Lord as his God.
Please note: All of the forefathers of Joseph and Mary in Matthew
and Luke are listed in the lineage of Shem.
From Shem, Noah’s eldest son, came God’s chosen people,
Israel. From the other two sons descended the enemies of God’s
people. This does not mean that all of the descendents of Shem are
all the family of God or that all of the descendents of Japheth and
Ham are of the family of satan. (Not all of the sons of Ham and
Japheth were named here, thus allowing that not all of them were of
the family of satan.)
I believe these references are made with the same meaning as
when we say that the United States is a Christian nation. The US is
called a Christian nation, but that by no means implies that everyone
who is a citizen of the US is a Christian. Therefore, the sons of
Japheth and Ham are referred to as the enemies of the descendents
of Shem. In general terms in Old Testament times, the Israelites,
who were descendants of Shem, were God’s people; the rest of the
world, as descendents of Japheth and Ham, were not God’s people. In a real
sense, there has been a spiritual lineage that began with the
sons of Japheth and Ham, who did not worship God. This lineage
has continued unbroken throughout history as the family of satan. Gog and
Magog represent the whole family of satan, as referred to
in Revelation 20.
There is also a spiritual lineage that began with the descendents
of Shem who worshiped God, and that has continued unbroken
throughout history as the family of God. In Old Testament times,
this distinction was seemingly perpetuated by blood lineage. (If one
was an Israelite, that one would be of God’s people. If one was not
an Israelite, then that one would be a Gentile and not one of God’s
people.) Since the New Testament era, we understand that the family
of God is entered into by relationship with Jesus Christ as born
again spiritually, not through blood lineage as born physically.
Israel is the whole family of God (Ezekiel 37:11). “Whole” in the
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Ezekiel context is at the time of the resurrection, at the end of time. (Valley of dry
bones is the resurrection; “God’s dwelling place is with
them” is only after the resurrection.) So if the whole house of Israel
in Ezekiel refers to the time of the resurrection, then it is the same
time era as Revelation 20. Therefore, “the whole house of Israel”
refers to all of the family of God from Adam and Eve through the
two witnesses and those raptured.
As the leader of these named peoples and many nations mentioned
above, Gog is forced into obedience to God. God said to Gog, “I will
turn you around and drag you along” (Ezekiel 39:2a). God is in control
of Gog and his armies; God is in control of the family of satan. Therefore, when
God speaks of Gog, Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Persia,
Cush, Put, Beth Togarmah, and the many nations with them,
he speaks of the family of satan, those who have not repented and
accepted Jesus Christ.
Ezekiel 38:7 says, “Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes
gathered about you, and take command of them.” This is a command
from God to Gog and his troops. I suggest that the fulfillment
of this command is explained in Revelation 13:5–10. The statement,
“take command of them,” may be exemplified in the statement, “He
was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation”
(Ezekiel 38:7; Revelation 13:7b). He took “command” as instructed
by God and exercised “his authority for forty-two months.” (Revelation
13:5).
Ezekiel 38:8a says, “After many days you will be called to arms.”
The phrase “after many days” may be seen as a parallel to 1260 days
or forty-two months (same time period; 42 x 30 = 1260). The beast
will be given authority for forty-two months; the family of God is
protected for 1260 days. Thus, he will take command and consolidate
his power but must wait the 1260 days until he is “called” by
God “to arms” before he can kill the two witnesses.
Ezekiel 38:8b says, “In future years you will invade a land that
has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many
nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate.”
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The phrase “in future years” is different from the phrase “after many
days” (verse 8a); thus, it is a different era. The people who live in the
“land that has recovered from war” have been brought out from the
nations, live in safety and peace, and do not have walls, gates, or bars. Since,
after many days, Gog and his armies will be called to arms
and given power to kill the two witnesses, after which all physical
life on earth comes to an end––after Armageddon.
Then the verse which says, “in future years you will invade a land
that has recovered from war,” must describe satan’s invasion of the
land of Israel, family of God, on earth at the end of the millennial
reign of Christ as recorded in Revelation 20:1–6. The phrase “in future
years” parallels the one-thousand-year reign on earth when satan is
imprisoned in the abyss. Then after the one thousand years, satan will
be released to attack the family of God again for the last time.
Here in Ezekiel 36–39, the family of God is given an explanation
and prophecy in regard to the fact that they, the family of God, have
been disobedient, rebellious sinners. These, who are the believers in
God, have, as a result of their sins, been judged guilty and experienced
the discipline of God. The discipline of God has resulted in
the enemies of God––those who do not believe nor follow God––
bringing defeat and destruction to the family of God. Those who
are not God’s people have in fact been part of the disciplinary action
of God. As God removed his protection from his people because
of their disobedience, rebellion, sin, this allowed those who are of
the family of satan to persecute and destroy God’s people physically. This
message also tells the family of God that they will be restored,
physically, spiritually, and eternally.
Also, the messages of these four chapters tell the family of God
that this is an ongoing process. They, the family of God, at a time
prior to Babylon had sinned, and they were disciplined by godless
Babylon; and that, this process of disobedience—sin resulting in discipline––
from their God and Creator, was discipline, in many ways
carried out by those who are of the family of satan. This will be a
continuing process until the end of time and end of God’s creation.
Also, we are told in these chapters that those who were not of
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the family of God, who have been the rod of discipline against the
family of God, will be judged by God. Their unbelief and rebellion
against God will be defeated by God. In the end, the family of satan,
those who follow the rebellious nature of satan, will be judged and
judgment carried out by God in the lake of fire.
satan, with the one-third of the angels of heaven who rebelled
against God, along with mankind who followed in that same rebellious
state against God their Creator, will in the final analysis be
judged, condemned, and the death sentence carried out by God in
the lake of fire.
Therefore, the time era of Ezekiel’s prophecy begins with the
Babylonian exile and continues until satan and the souls from hell
come to attack the family of God at the end of the millennium.
We must remember that God sees no break in life at the point of
physical death. He speaks of his family when in a spiritual state, after
physical death, just the same as when they were in a physical state.
The invasion that takes place in Ezekiel 38:1–17 is in the spirit
realm. Ezekiel 38:1–17 coincides in time with Revelation 20:7–10. We
must also remember that in Revelation God ceases to speak of Israel
as the descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and begins to speak
of Israel as those who have repented and believed in the name of
Jesus, the Son of God (Revelation 7:13–15). Then, the invasion above
is of the land of those who inherit eternal life in heaven, being the
144,000 and the great multitude that could not be numbered from
every nation, language, and tribe in Revelation 7 not of the physical
nation of Israel.
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key
to the abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized
the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or satan, and
bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the abyss,
and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving
the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After
that, he must be set free for a short time.
Revelation 20:1–3
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Understand satan deceiving the nations, as stated above, refers to
Gog and his armies, or the family of satan. satan will be bound in the
abyss to keep him from deceiving the family of satan (many nations),
not the family of God.
It is important to understand that Israel, or the family of God,
are those who are gathered from “all nations, tribes, peoples, and
tongues” (Revelation 7:9). So, the family of God and the family of
satan both come from every people on earth, every nation.
When the thousand years are over, satan will be released for a
short time, during which he will again deceive the nations. This is
evidenced in Ezekiel when the Lord said,
On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will
devise an evil scheme. You will say, “I will invade a land of
unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting
people––all of them living without walls and without gates
and bars. I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the
livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.” Sheba and
Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages will
say to you, “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your
hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock
and goods and to seize much plunder?”
Ezekiel 38:10–13
On the day of the invasion, satan will again be free to deceive the
many nations by injecting evil thoughts, full of lies, into their minds. They will be
tricked into thinking that he can again attack and loot
the family of God. This deception is especially evident in the inquiries
of Sheba, Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, who are descended
from Ham and Japheth and, therefore, of the family of satan. Their
inquiry would be asking satan, “Why are we invading?” For they
are spiritual beings and have no need of the plunder mentioned,
although, in their physical lives, they desired these riches. Here they
are confused, misled, and deceived by satan. Again, this does not
mean that all descendents of Ham and Japheth are of the family of
satan or that all descendents of Shem are of the family of God. God
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uses these names to refer to the family of satan in the same way that
he uses the name Israel to refer to the family of God.
In Ezekiel, the Lord says,
Call out to every kind of bird and all the wild animals: “Assemble
and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing
for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you
will eat flesh and drink blood. You will eat the flesh of mighty
men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as if they
were rams and lambs, goats and bulls—all of them fatted animals
from Bashan. At the sacrifice I am preparing for you, you will
eat fat till you are glutted and drank blood till you are drunk. At
my table, you will have your fill of horses and riders; mighty men
and soldiers of every kind,” declares the sovereign LORD.
Ezekiel 39:17–20
These verses foretell the same event as Revelation 19:17, 18, and 21,
which is a call to all birds to eat the flesh of all the people of the family
of satan. There will be no one to bury them. All physical mankind
will be dead. This is not speaking about hungry birds, but an illustration
of the fact that there will be no one to bury the dead.
Please note that these chapters in Ezekiel give us difficulty in
regard to time sequence of events. Chapter 37 gives a visionary picture
of the first resurrection, and then chapter 38 explains of the
attack of Gog and Magog after the one thousand years. Chapter 39
explains the events of the battle of Armageddon.
My explanation: Chapter 37 equals the final events of the family
of God. Chapter 38 equals corresponding final events of the family
of satan. Chapter 39 goes back in time to give fuller explanation.
The above explanation has precedent in Revelation. Chapter 16
is a conclusion, and then we have the explanations of chapters 17 and
18. Nevertheless, as we mesh together these books of prophecy, we
have an excellent timetable of the end time.
Always remember our Lord has the final word; we are trying to
learn.
Therefore, the prophecies of Ezekiel reveal that Gog and Magog
are the eternal enemies of the family of God. They are not only the
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enemy in this physical world, but they will continue to be the enemy
in the spiritual realm.
Please note that it is necessary that the enemies of God be
defeated in every realm.
In the descriptions above from Ezekiel and the overall explanations
in Revelation, it is clearly declared that satan, every rebellious
angel, and every rebellious human being will be utterly defeated.
satan and one-third of the angels of heaven rebelled
against God and were defeated, thrown out, and confined
to the realm of earth.
satan and the demons, along with the rebellious of
mankind, rebelled and fought against God until they
defeated God’s people and took control of earth. Then, God killed the physical,
cast them out, and
destroyed the earth as we know it.
satan, the demons, and the spirits of rebellious mankind
rebelled again after the one-thousand-year
reign of Christ against God and his faithful. satan
was cast into the lake of fire and the spirits of the
rebellious received their resurrected bodies to stand
in judgment and be cast into the lake of fire.
Satan was defeated in the heavenly realm and condemned! satan will
be defeated in the earthly realm and bound! Satan will be defeated in
the eternal realm and the death sentence carried out!
It is necessary for every rebellion to be utterly defeated!
God is God, and there is no other beside him!
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given
authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been
beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the
Word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and
had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They came to life
and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to
life until the thousand
•
•
•
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years were ended). This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy
are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second
death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God
and of Christ, and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4–6
The family of God will be resurrected with spiritual bodies, which
will be like Jesus’ body after his resurrection from the dead. This is
called the first resurrection, as stated in verses 5b-6. I believe these
verses to mean that the armies of heaven that accompany Jesus on his
return on the white horse are the souls (in the spirit) of the family of
God. Their bodies (physical remains) are still on earth, in the grave,
in the sea, in the dust of the earth, etc. Their souls had departed at
death and had gone to be with their Lord. After the battle of Armageddon,
their bodies will be resurrected and united with their souls
and spirits. This explanation was given by God to Ezekiel in the
valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37).
The family of God will reign with resurrected spiritual bodies
for a thousand years. Then Gog and Magog, the souls of the family
of satan, will return to make war against them. This will be somewhat
as the return of Jesus and the armies of heaven. It will be satan’s
last attempt to duplicate what God has done.
Satan will be leading the souls, in the spirit, of his family––those
whose bodies are still in the grave, in the sea, or the dust of the earth,
etc. After satan is destroyed in the lake of burning sulfur (verse 10),
the souls of the family of satan will be judged before the great white
throne and will be thrown, resurrected body and soul, into the “lake
of fire, which is the second death” (verse 14). This is spiritual death
and separation from God for eternity. Thus, all of creation will be
placed “under the feet” and under the authority of Jesus.
Satan rebelled and attempted to rule heaven, the garden of Eden,
and all of earth; he will attempt to rule hell. He was not permitted
to rule in heaven but was thrown out. After satan takes control of
earth, God will immediately destroy it. He will also attempt to rule
in eternity, but God will not permit that, and satan will be cast into
the lake of fire. All will know that God is God and that there is none
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other besides him. “Every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Philippians 2:10–11).
When the thousand years are over, satan will be released from
his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners
of the earth––Gog and Magog––to gather them for battle (Revelation
20:7–8a).
The Four Corners of the Earth
The “four corners” refer to points in the spiritual realm, not the
physical world. This is substantiated by comparing these statements
in Revelation 7:1, Ezekiel 37:9–19, and Matthew 24:31. The latter is
the clearest, as it states, “And he will send his angels with a loud
trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from
one end of the heavens to the other.” This is obviously a spiritual
gathering of the family of God. The “four corners of the earth” refer
to satan’s family in hell, who are of this world, in the same way that
“the four winds … of the heavens” refer to God’s family, who are not
of this world.
To more easily understand the concept of the four corners of
the earth, let us review what we know about the spiritual realm. Even though we
are physical beings, we can understand that there
is a spiritual realm all around us. We cannot see this spiritual realm
unless God chooses to open our eyes to it or unless satan reveals
himself to us. (Refer to 2 Kings 6:17.) We know that the Holy Spirit
of God is with us and that there are angels. We know that satan
and his demons are present, though we cannot see them. So, we
conclude that the Holy Spirit and the angels exist side by side with
satan and his demons.
We also know that God has fixed “a great chasm” between the
spiritual family of God and the spiritual family of satan, as seen in
Luke 16:26. So we can reason that the Holy Spirit and the angels and
satan and the demons exist side by side. They are present all around
us; however, they are separated by a spiritual “chasm” or division that
neither side can cross over. We can determine, then, that the abyss and
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hell are not necessarily far away in some distant galaxy but around the
earth itself. The Bible calls satan “the prince of the air.”
This will also be true during the millennial reign. When Jesus
and the saints are ruling earth, satan will be released and will gather
his spirit family from the four corners of the earth. As God removes
the spiritual barrier, they will come to attack the family of God once
more, those who are living on earth in resurrected spiritual bodies. satan will be
destroyed, his family will be given their spiritual resurrected
bodies, and the great white throne judgment will be pronounced. The
family of God will be on the right; the family of satan
on the left. The family of God will live in the new heaven and the
new earth; the family of satan will be thrown into the lake of fire. The Scripture
says,
If anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life,
he was thrown into the lake of fire. Then I saw a new heaven
and new earth, for the first heaven in the first earth had passed
away.
Revelation 20:15–21:1
They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded
the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.
Revelation 20:9a
The family of satan as spiritual beings, as numerous as the sand of
the seashore, will cover the whole earth. Ezekiel helps us to see this,
“You will advance against my people Israel, like a cloud that covers
the land” (Ezekiel 38:16a). Thus, the family of satan will be gathered
from the four corners of the earth, hell, and will cover the earth like
a cloud ready to annihilate the family of God, though they are at
peace and seemingly unprotected while ruling with Jesus during the
millennium. “But fire came down from heaven and devoured them”
(Revelation 20:9).
The “fire” that came down from heaven is the Word of God. Thus, it is finished! It
is completely over; satan cannot rule. satan is
“thrown into the lake of burning sulfur,” and the family of satan is
prepared to stand before the judgment of the great white throne.
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John immediately saw a new scene. He wrote, “Then I saw
a great white throne and him, who was seated on it” (Revelation
20:11a). God is seated to judge all mankind. They will be divided
like sheep from the goats. Indeed, they will be already divided, for
the family of God is with Jesus and the family of satan surrounds
them (verse 9). The books were opened (verse 12) and “each person
was judged according to what he had done” (Revelation 20:13). Thus, God will
have a record of every person and every deed each
person did in his physical life. From these records, judgment will be
made as to the eternal destiny of each person. Revelation 20:15 says,
“If anyone’s name is not found written in the Book of Life, he was
thrown into the lake of fire.”
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Then John saw another scene that showed the fi nal destination of
the family of God It was a beautiful scene It seems to be the clearest
and best described scene of all of Revelation, and rightly so, for
God was showing his people who were suffering persecution, and
who would continue to suffer, that beautiful home that he had prepared
for them I do not want to interfere with this beautiful scene
described in chapter 21 and 22, so I suggest that you read these without
further discussion at this point “I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the First and the Last, the Beginning and End” (Revelation 22:13)
God is God God was in the beginning, the Creator
God will be in the end King of kings and Lord of lords
God will be the new beginning for eternity
Alpha, Omega, Alpha
Is your name written in the Book of Life?
The spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears
say, “Come!” Whosoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever
wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life
Revelation 22:17
Do you need to come to Jesus Christ for the salvation of your soul
and enter into the family of God?
If so, please pray, “Dear heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God and died on the cross to pay the penalty
for my sins Dear Lord Jesus, I am a sinner I am lost without you
Please, Lord Jesus, forgive my sins and save me I open my heart
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and life to you. Please come into my heart. Please, teach me through
your Holy Spirit. Thank you for hearing my prayer and for your
promise of eternal life. I ask you, Lord Jesus, to be Lord of my life. I
pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
The Holy Spirit of God invites, draws, and urges each person
to know and accept Jesus Christ as Lord. He is the Son of God, the
Savior of the world, and reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords.
We search for the meaning of life, death, and even our own existence. Why?
Because we yearn for understanding of God, of Jesus
Christ, of the Holy Spirit. Those who have found the answer and
understand realize how wonderful life is in Jesus Christ and how
important it is to know him as Lord and to have the presence of his
Holy Spirit. We realize how dangerous it is to turn to self, satan,
or the things of this world in a cheap exchange for the salvation in
Christ Jesus. That is why the Spirit says, “Come!” That’s why the
bride, those who have already accepted Jesus Christ, says, “Come!”
Some people come in deep need and searching desperately for
meaning in life. “Whosoever is thirsty, let him come.”
Some just want to come to Christ simply, unquestioning, trusting
as a child. “Whosoever wishes let him come, let him take the free
gift of the water of life,” said Jesus Christ.
The price has already been paid for your gift. It was Christ’s
death on the cross, which paid the price for your sins so that you
may have eternal life with God and the Son, Jesus Christ, in heaven
forever. The gift of life through Jesus Christ is a gift obtained just
by accepting what Jesus Christ gladly has done for you through his
death upon the cross for your sins.
All mankind, as created by God, is guaranteed freedom of
choice. Many have chosen not to receive Jesus and will spend eternity
in hell, separated from God (Revelation 20:15), but to all who
choose to receive and believe in Jesus Christ, he gives the right to
become children of God.
A person must first “believe in order to receive” ( John 3:18).
Believe that God is the creator of all things physical.
Believe that Jesus Christ is the only Son of God, that Jesus
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Christ is the only one who came from heaven (the spiritual realm)
into the physical world through the miraculous virgin birth, that
Jesus Christ is “Emanuel, God with us.”
Believe that Jesus, as the Son of God, is God’s plan for the
redemption of sinful mankind ( John 14:6).
Believe that Jesus physically died on the cross, was buried, and
was resurrected from the dead by the power of God.
Believe that Jesus Christ is Lord.
A person must “understand” in order to receive.
Understand that I have personally sinned.
Understand that I am condemned by God because of sin.
Understand that I must confess my personal sin to Jesus Christ.
Understand that I must choose Jesus Christ, turning from my
sins and the things of this world.
A person must make a determined decision and act upon that
decision through prayer.
Suggested Prayer
This must be your decision and your prayer.
Dear heavenly Father,
I believe that you are God, my Creator. I believe that Jesus is
the only Son of God, that Jesus died for my sins, arose from the
grave, and is alive in heaven.
I confess that I am a sinner, and I ask you, Lord Jesus, to
please forgive my sins and save me. Dear Lord Jesus, please
come into my heart and be Lord of my life.
Thank you, Lord, for dying for my sins, hearing my prayer,
and giving me eternal life in heaven.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
I ______________________________on this day ________
_______________ prayed, confessed my sins, and asked Jesus
Christ to come into my heart.