Lessons From Revelation – Lesson 12
In our Bible survey of the book of Revelation we are midway thru Chapter 14.
So far we have seen tremendous judgment poured out upon the earth. But at the same time, along with the judgment we have seen God reach out to sinners and some people have gotten saved.
1 min after the rapture there are zero Christians on the earth. But Bibles are left and tracts and websites. And some do get saved. They are quickly killed and we see them in Heaven asking for justice upon those still on the earth who killed them.
No doubt the killers of Christians are destroying any Bible they can find. So God calls and seals 144,000 witnesses to tell people how to get saved. And then God sends 2 witnesses with power to do signs.
When the Devil is restricted to the earth and when the 2 Beasts are released they overcome and kill both the 144,000 witnesses and the 2 witnesses.
And then go to war against the remnant of believers who would have gotten saved thru the witness of the 144,000 and the 2 witnesses.
With all the witnesses killed we then see something about the heart of God. He then sends an angel to fly thru the air and preach the Gospel, and then a second angel saying your city is fallen and then a 3rd angel to tell them about hell and warn men about worshipping the beast.
The bible says that God is Love. It is a part of His nature. He cannot deny Himself. He is also justice and Holy and righteous. He is all of them in perfect balance and all at the same time.
So even in the terrible judgment of the tribulation God makes sure that there has been a witness to the truth and an offer to get saved. And some people do get saved.
We also saw something important about how people get saved.
The ones who will get saved after the messages of the three angels. They also heard the first angel, they also heard the 144,000 witnesses, they also heard the 2 witnesses. They also seen all the judgments. And do not get saved until after the 3 angels, but they do get saved.
They had a seed planted and then along the way it was watered and then watered again.
This is the way it works. Some need more watering than others before they get saved.
This is why the Bible says. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
In the last half of Chapter 14 God sends several angels to reap the earth.
Rev 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Rev 14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
This is not reaping as in reaping souls as in salvation. Notice the end of verse 19. They are cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God. Justice is being done to those who refused the witness of the 144,000 and the 2 witnesses and the witness of the 3 angels and who have been doing all kinds of wickedness, murders, sorceries, and blasphemy, ect…
In Chapter 15 the scene turns back to heaven.
Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
Here we see people in heaven and it says they had gotten the victory over the beast. What victory? It says over his image and his mark, and his number. So these are those who refused to take the mark of the beast or worship the beast.
These are those who listened to the message of the 3rd angel. The victory is not defeating the beast and removing him from power. The victory is in denying to give the beast what he wanted. The victory came at the price of being killed, but it was still a victory and one that will last for all eternity.
Rev 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
The song of Moses is the first recorded song in the Bible. It was sang after Pharaoh’s army was drowned in the Red Sea.
Rev 15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
Rev 15:5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
Rev 15:6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
We have had the 7 seals, and then the 7 trumpets, and now we have the 7 vials. These are going to be so terrible that the temple in heaven is cleared out and singing there and worship will stop in the temple in heaven until the judgment of the 7 vials are poured out.
In Chapter 16 the 7 vials are poured out.
Rev 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
Rev 16:2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
Rev 16:3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
Rev 16:4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
The wickedness of man on the earth at this time is worse than we can even imagine. This judgment is deserved.
Rev 16:5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
Rev 16:6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
The people receiving these judgments are worthy of receiving them.
Rev 16:7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
Rev 16:8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
Rev 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
Here it is again. We have seen this before. And they repented not to give him glory. They know the score; they know what is going on. And one of the purposes for these judgments is not only to judge but also to try to get men to simply repent.
And even with all of this most refuse.
Rev 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Rev 16:11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
And again. Repented not of their deeds. They would rather suffer than repent. Their wickedness and pride is more important to them.
Rev 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
The two witnesses were Jewish. The 144,000 witnesses were all Jews, and I think they went out into the world to witness. During the tribulation God opens the eyes of the Jewish people and they all get saved. During all of the tribulation the Jews have been in Israel and have had some protection.
When the wormwood fell from heaven and destroyed so much, it did not fall in Israel, in fact not even close to it. Same thing with the mountain of fire that was cast into the sea and the other huge disasters. Why do we know that, because Israel is still there.
Other parts of the earth are being destroyed and all the people are being killed in other areas ,for example by the one called Death who had power over 25% of the earth, but not in Israel.
The other people on the earth are refusing to repent no matter what. Their hatred of God is growing and growing. And that hatred needs an outlet. They have taken their hatred out on anyone that got saved. Anyone who chose God over the mark of the beast is now in heaven.
But Israel still stands. But they have defeated the 144,000 and the two witnesses and so I can see how they can think that Israel can be overcome.
God dries up the river that is standing in the way of an army marching on Israel. I think that kind of tells you how much technology is destroyed, and bridges. Things are so bad that to march on Israel, the river must be first dried up. They do not have enough boats and airplanes and other means to get an army across a river.
The wicked one has the nations gathered together to battle and take Israel out.
Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
There is a pause in Chapter 17.
John is shown a vision of what is called Mystery Babylon.
We are not going thru the entire thing. But just a couple of highlights.
Rev 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
This is a symbolic vision. There is not a literal woman here. We are told the explanation in verse 18
Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Rev 17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
This is what they are talking about when they say there will be a one world government. It will be actually a confederation of 10 kings that align with and get their power from the beast.
Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Rev 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
In the end the 10 kings will turn on the great city that gave them power. You get into bed with totally wicked people and they will turn on you when it is to their advantage or even just in anger.
Rev 17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
We stop today with the earth prepared for Armageddon.
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