A Journey through Revelation, Part 30: Michael the Archangel and War In Heaven

Revelation 12:7-17

 

In this section, the fourth person, Michael the Archangel is introduced. We will also explore the fact that Satan is cast out of heaven.

 

Satan Is Cast Out of Heaven by Michael the Archangel

,v.7, “And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. v.9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him”:

·     Though the conflict of the end of the age is primarily on earth, here, John gives his attention to the war, which will be waged “in heaven.”

 

·     Michael and his angels (the holy angels) fight against the dragon (identified in v.9 as the devil, Satan) and the wicked angels (demons) associated with him, with the result that Satan and his demons are cast out of heaven.

 

·     The description of Satan in v.9 is quite significant because all of his titles are given:

o  He is described as “the great dragon,” a term which also applies to the empire which he dominates in the end time.

o  He is referred to as “that old serpent,” a reference to the Garden of Eden and the temptation of Eve.

o  The title, “Devil” is from the Greek diabolos, which has the meaning of “defaming” or “slandering.” He is the great accuser of the brethren.

 

·     The name “Satan,” from the Hebrew, has the meaning of “adversary”:

o  The name is mentioned 14 times in the book of Job, and occasionally elsewhere (1 Chron. 21:1; Psalm 109:6; Zechariah 3:1-2).

 

·     C.A. Coates observes that Satan is seen in three characterizations in opposition to Christ:

1.    As accuser of the brethren, he is in opposition to Christ as priest.

2.    As the one who brings forth the first beast, he is in opposition to Christ as King.

3.    As bringing forth the second beast, the false prophet, he is opposed to Christ as prophet.

 

·     The concept that there is spiritual warfare in the very presence of God in heaven has been resisted by expositors, preferring to regard this war as being fought in the atmospheric, or starry, heaven rather than in the presence of God:

o  However, this event was prophesied by Daniel in Daniel 12:1, where it is recorded that Michael “At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people.”

 

·     This event marks the beginning of the “Great Tribulation” defined in Daniel 12:1. It is undoubtedly the same event as in Revelation 12.

 

 Announcement of the Coming Day of Wrath and the Ultimate Victory of the Saints

v.10, “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death. 12 For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”

·     As John watches Satan and his angels being cast from heaven, he hears a loud voice described as saying in heaven, ”Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come.”

 

·     The “loud voice” is not identified and probably cannot be with any degree of certainty:

o  Some believe this voice is the voice of God Himself; some believe it’s the angels; some the twenty-four elders; some the martyred saints in heaven mentioned in 6:10, because they also cried with a loud voice.

o  Support for the latter view is given in that in the same verse, the loud voice mentions “the accuser of our brethren.”

o  This would seem to eliminate angels and indicate the saints in heaven.

 

·     The “loud voice” may very well be the shout of triumph of the Tribulation saints longing for and anticipating their ultimate victory and triumph.

 

·     The salvation mentioned as pending, refers not to salvation from the guilt of sin, but to salvation in the sense of deliverance and completion of the God’s Divine program.

 

·     The reference to strength implies that, now God is going to strengthen His own people and display His own strength.

 

·     The declaration that the kingdom of our God is now at hand refers to the Millennial Kingdom when Christ will reign on earth.

 

·     The expression “His Christ” (also mentioned in 11:15), parallels “His anointed” in Psalm 2:2, against whom the kings of the earth rebel, but under whose control they are certain to fall.

 

·     The victory of the saints in that hour is revealed in verse 11, where it is declared that they overcome Satan “by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony,” and by the fact that “they loved not their lives unto death.”

 

·     The accusations of Satan are nullified by the blood of the Lamb, which renders the believer pure and makes possible his/her spiritual victory.

 

·     The words of the “their testimony” opposes the deceiving work of Satan in that the preaching of the gospel is “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16).

 

·     The saints’ dedication to their task, in which many of them died as martyrs, is recognized by the statement “They loved not their lives unto the death”:

o  The word for “love” is the word for profound love (agape). Though they do not seek a martyr’s death, neither did they regard their own lives as precious.

o  They follow the instructions given to the church in Smyrna (Rev. 2:10) of being faithful unto death just as their Savior, who laid down His life for the sheep (John 10:11, 15; Matthew 16:25).

 

·     The voice from heaven continues, exhorting the listeners, especially those in the heavens, to “rejoice O heavens and you who dwell in them” because of this great victory.

 

·     At the same time, the voice pronounces a solemn “Woe” upon the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea:

o  The awfulness of the time ahead is attributed to the fact that the devil has been cast to the earth and has great wrath because he knows his hour of confinement is near.

o  The word for “wrath” (not orge, but thymos in the Greek) means a strong passion or emotion, but carries less weight than orge.  It is an emotional rather than a rational state of mind and it stems from his own awareness that his days are numbered.

 

·     The short time, or season (Greek, kairos), refers to the time of the Great Tribulation after which Satan will be bound for the duration of the Millennial Kingdom of one thousand years.

 

·     Though many of the judgments of God inflicted on the earth during the Great Tribulation originate in Divine power rather than Satanic influence, the afflictions of the inhabitants of the earth come largely from the activities of Satan, resulting in the martyrdom of countless saints and widespread human suffering of every kind, as we’ll see starting in verse 13.

 

The Persecution of Israel In the Great Tribulation

v.13, “And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14 And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, in order that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.”

·     The immediate aftermath of Satan’s being cast out of heaven is his persecution of the woman, who brought forth the man-child. This apparently is the beginning of the “Great Tribulation” of which Christ warned Israel in Matthew 24:15-22:

o   This had it’s foreshadowing in Herod’s slaughter of the infants following the birth of Christ (Matthew 2:16).

o   It seems here to refer specifically to the Great Tribulation, which is yet future.

o   The persecution of Israel is a part of the satanic program to hinder the work of God.

o   As far as Israel’s concerned, this had it’s beginning in the delay of the birth of Isaac, which was overcome by the miraculous intervention of God.

o   This hindrance continued in the delay of the birth of Jacob and in countless means used thereafter to persecute the descendants of Jacob, including the effort, in the time of Esther, to blot them out completely.

o   Israel is hated by Satan not because of any of its own characteristics but because she is the chosen of God and is essential to the overall purpose of God for time and eternity.

 

·     Into this scene of satanic persecution is brought the Divine intervention of God:

o   The woman is described as being given two wings of a great eagle in order to enable her to fly into the wilderness into her place.

o   This figure of speech seems to be derived from Exodus 19:4 and Deuteronomy 32:11-12 and similar passages where God uses the strength of an eagle to illustrate His faithfulness in caring for Israel.

o   The same flight is indicated in Matthew 24:16, where Christ exhorts those in Judea to flee to the mountains.

o   Some have felt that the reference, here, is to some specific place such as Petra, where at least a portion of Israel might be safe from her persecutors.

 

·     Verse 14 implies that there is some supernatural care of Israel during this period similar to that which Elijah experienced by the brook of Cherith, or that which Israel experienced during the 40 years she lived on the manna in the wilderness:

o   Whether natural or supernatural means are used, it is clear that God will preserve a godly remnant, though according to Zechariah 13:8, two thirds of Israel will perish.

 

·     The time element of Israel’s suffering is described as “a time, and times, and half a time”:

o   This again seems to be a reference to the 3 ½ years, the mention of “time” being one unit, the second reference “times,” being two units, which the addition of one “half a time” would make 3 ½ units, or 3 ½ years.

o   A parallel reference is found in Daniel 7:25 and 12:7 referring to the same period of Great Tribulation.

 

·     The dragon, here, is called a “serpent” (Greek, ophis; Revelation 12:9, 14-15; 20:2 where the “serpent” is also used in connection with the devil).

 

·     In the persecution of Israel, the serpent is described in verse 15 as casting water as a flood out of his mouth that’s a woman might be carried away:

o   Verse 16 reveals that the earth helps the woman by swallowing the flood.

o   Various interpretations have been given to this description. Some prefer to take this literally as a flood of water let loose to sweep away Israel down some valley.

o    In this case, the earth would be either naturally or supernaturally enabled to swallow the water to prevent it from overtaking the Israelites.

o   However, the contour of the holy land, and the fact that Israel would probably not all flee in the same direction combined to make a physical interpretation, improbable.

o   It is more plausible that this passage should be understood in a symbolic way.

o   The flood cast after Israel is the total effort of Satan to exterminate the nation and the resistance of earth is the natural difficulty of executing such a massive program.

o   The nature of the terrain in the Middle East, including many areas not heavily populated, provides countless places of refuge for a fleeing people.

 

·     Weather the exact meaning of these two verses can be determined with certainty, the implication is that Satan strives, with all his power, to persecute and exterminate the people of Israel.

 

·     By Divine intervention, both natural and supernatural means are used to avoid his program and to carry a remnant of Israel safely through their time of Great Tribulation.

 

The Persecution of the Godly Remnant of Israel

v.17,  “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

·     The last verse of chapter 12 states that the dragon is especially angry with those within the nation of Israel who “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

 

·     While the program of Satan is against the Jewish race as such, anti-Semitism as a whole will reach its peak against Jewish believers during this period.

 

·     There is a double antagonism against those in Israel who turn to Christ as their Messiah and Savior in those critical days and maintain a faithful witness:

o   Undoubtedly many of them will suffer a martyr’s death, but others will survive that. Including 144,000 sealed in chapter 7.

 

·     The remnant mentioned here (Greek, ton loipon), literally “the rest,” is not the same term for remnant used elsewhere as in Romans 9:27 (Greek, hypoleimma) and in Romans 11:5 (Greek, leimma).  However, all these words come from the verb leipo, but normally when used as a remnant the prefix hypo is added:

o   Though the word is in a different form, the similarity is such that there is no good reason for denying that this is indeed a godly remnant.

 

·     Taken as a whole, chapter 12 is a fitting introduction to the important revelations given in chapter 13.

 

·     Here are the principal actors of the great tribulation with a historic background, which provides so much additional information:

o  Israel, Satan, Christ, the archangel Michael, and the godly remnant figure largely in the closing scenes of the age.

 

Next, the two principal human actors are introduced:  the beast out of the sea and the beast out of the earth, the human instruments, which Satan uses to direct his program during the Great Tribulation.

 

We’ll take a look at them next time.

 

May the Lord bless you as you continue to grow in His grace and the knowledge of Him.

 

By His Grace,

Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D., D.Min.

A Journey through Revelation, Part 29: The Woman, the Red Dragon and the Male Child

Revelation 12:1-5

 

The Seven Great Persons of the End Times (chapters 12–15)

Though the seventh trumpet was recorded in 11:15 as having already sounded, the details of what will come out of the seventh trumpet are not revealed until chapter 16. Accordingly, chapters 12–15 view the prophecies of the end times from another perspective and introduce the great personages who are involved in the second half of the seven-year period.

 

Here are the seven persons who appear in chapters 12–13: (1) a woman clothed with the sun, representing Israel (12:1–2); (2) the red dragon with seven heads and 10 horns, representing Satan (12:3–4); (3) the male Child, representing Christ (12:5–6); (4) the archangel Michael, casting Satan out of heaven (12:7–12); (5) the offspring of the woman, persecuted by the dragon (12:13–17); (6) the beast out of the sea, the future world dictator (13:2–10); (7) the beast out of the earth, the false prophet (13:11–18).

 

These chapters do not advance the narrative chronologically, but present events and situations that are concurrent with the soundings of the trumpets. Chronological progress of events begins again in chapter 16.

 

The First Great Wonder:  The Woman Clothed with the Sun (12:1–2).

v.1, “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth”:

·     This is the first of a series of events called “signs” or “miracles” (12:3; 13:13–14; 15:1; 16:14; 19:20):

o   As signs, they were symbols of something that God was about to reveal and usually contains an element of prophetic warning.

o   Though this sign was seen in heaven, the events, which followed, actually occur on the earth.

 

·     The first of the seven persons to be introduced in this section of Revelation is described as a “great wonder” in heaven, or, better translated, a “great sign” (Greek = semeion). Though what John beholds excites his wonder, he does not use the Greek word for wonder (teras), a word, which does not occur in Revelation:

o   The main point is that it is a sign or symbol of important truth rather than merely a wonder. This sign, in verse 1, is distinguished by being called ”great.”

o   Though the sign is seen in heaven, it apparently portrays a reality on the earth, for later, the woman pictured is persecuted by Satan in the Great Tribulation.

o   The woman is described as clothed with the sun, having the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. Also, she is with child, awaiting the imminent birth of her son.

 

·     Many explanations have been offered for the identity of this woman. The woman does not represent Christ, or the Church in general, but rather the nation of Israel as the setting from which Christ came.

 

·     Other representative women are mentioned in the Apocalypse such as:

o   Jezebel (2:20) the representative of false religion as a system.

o   The harlot (17:1-7, 15-18) as the apostate church of the future.

o   The Bride, the Lamb’s wife, is the Church joined to Christ in glory.

o   The Church of Jesus Christ is pictured as the virgin bride in 2 Cor. 11:2 and the Lamb’s wife in Rev. 19:7.

 

·     In the Old Testament, Israel is frequently portrayed as the wife of Jehovah, with her character being that of an unfaithful wife to her husband. Here is the godly remnant of Israel is standing true and faithful to God during the time of the Great Tribulation.

 

·     The description of the woman as clothed with the sun and the moon is an allusion to Genesis 37:9-11, where these heavenly bodies represent Jacob and Rachel, thereby identifying the woman with the fulfillment of the Abraham Covenant:

o   In the same context, the 12 stars seem to refer to the 12 tribes, the patriarchs, which are sons of Jacob (Israel).

o   The evidence from this chapter supports this identification of the woman as Israel.

o   Israel is obviously the source from which many of the blessings of God have come including: the Bible, Jesus Christ, and the apostles to name only a few.

o   The persecution of the woman also corresponds with the persecution of Israel.

 

·     The woman, as the nation of Israel, is seen here as travailing in childbirth and waiting for the delivery of her child:

o   Frequently in Scripture, the nation of Israel is pictured as going through great trial and affliction.

o   This woman was said to be pregnant and about to give birth (12:2). While in some sense this may be fulfilled in the birth of Christ to the Virgin Mary, the context seems to refer to the emerging nation of Israel in its suffering just prior to the second coming of Christ, at the end of the Great Tribulation.

o   Though historically, the nation gave birth to Christ through the Virgin Mary, the implication of verse 2 is that the references are to the sufferings of Israel as a nation, rather than the previous human birth of Christ.

 

The Second Person:  The Red Dragon, Satan

v.3, “And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child”:

·     The second sign appearing in heaven is described as “a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his head”:

o   From the similar description given in 13:1 and the parallel reference in Daniel 7:7-8, 24, it is clear that the revived Roman Empire is in view here.

 

·     Satan is also called “the Dragon” in 12:9, and it’s clear that the dragon is both the empire and the representation of satanic power:

o   The color red may indicate his murderous characteristics.

 

·     The 7 heads and 10 horns referred to the original 10 kingdoms of which three were subdued by the little horn of Daniel 7:8, who is to be identified with the world ruler of the Great Tribulation, who reins over the revived the Roman Empire.

 

·     The tail of the dragon is said to sweep away “a third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth”:

o   This seems to refer to the gathering, under his power, of those who oppose him politically and spiritually involving his temporary conquest of a large portion of the earth.

 

·     The dragon is seen awaiting the birth of the child with the intent to destroy it as soon as it’s born:

o   The allusion, here, is unmistakably to the circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ in Bethlehem (the dragon is referring to the Roman empire at that time as dominated by Satan) and the attempts of Herod to destroy the baby Jesus.

o   It is significant that Herod, as an Edomite, was a descendant of Esau and of the people who were the traditional enemies of Jacob (Israel) and his descendants.

o   Whether motivated by his family hostility to the Jews or by political consideration because he did not want competition in his office as King, Herod nevertheless fulfilled, historically, this reference to the destruction of children in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16-18).

o   Satanic opposition to the nation of Israel, and especially to the Messianic line, is clear in the Old and New Testaments.

 

The Third Person:  The Male Child, Christ

v.5, “And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days”:

·     The woman identified as Israel in verses 1 and 2, is said in verse 5, to bring forth the man child who is destined to rule all the nations, but who, for the time being, is caught up to God, to the throne.

 

·     Though expositors have somewhat agreed that the woman is Israel, there has been considerable differences of opinion on the identity of the man-child:

o   Some have argued that this is the New Testament Church destined to reign with Christ and that the act of being “caught up to God” is the Rapture.

 

·     Though the woman with child is identified with Israel collectively, rather than with the Virgin Mary specifically, the interpretation that the man-child is Christ himself is by far the preferred interpretation.

 

·     The Greek words for “male child,” with the emphasis upon his gender (hyion arsen means “son male”), favors identification of the child as Christ, rather than as the Church, which would be a feminine Greek word (ekklesia):

o   Alford concludes, “The man-child is the Lord Jesus Christ, and none other. He is described as destined to rule all nations with the rod of iron. This is an allusion to Psalm 2:9, ‘Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel.’ A similar expression is found Revelation 19:15, where it is stated of Christ, “He shall rule them with a rod of iron.”

o   His rule over all nations with the rod of iron is to be distinguished from His rule over Israel, which is more benevolent in character.

 

·     The catching up of the man-child to God and to His throne seems to be a portrayal of the ascension of Christ:

o   Alford interprets this as meaning that “after a conflict with the prince of this world [Satan], who came and tried him, but found nothing in Him, the Son of the woman was taken up to heaven and sat on the right hand of God. Words can hardly be plainer than these.”

 

·     An alternative view is that the “was caught up” refers to the flight to Egypt:

o   Shortly after the birth of Christ, Joseph was instructed to flee to Egypt in order to escape the wrath of Herod. Later, Joseph and his family were directed to return to Nazareth.

o   Some have objected to the idea that a child caught up to God pictures the ascension of Christ on the ground that “was caught up” connotes being delivered from danger, which was not the case at the ascension of Christ, but was true in the flight to Egypt.

 

·     The Greek word here (harpazo), is sometimes used to means “to seize” or ”to catch up,” or to “snatch away” as a wild beast would its prey, as in John 10:12 where the wolf “catches, seizes” them and scatters the sheep.

 

·     However, the same word is used for the Rapture of the Church in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 where the Church is “caught up” or “snatched away” to heaven:

o   The same word is used of Paul being “caught up” to paradise (2 Corinthians 12:2, 4) and of the Spirit of God “catching up” Philip (Acts 8:39).

o   In addition, the Rapture of the Church would not constitute a deliverance of the man-child from Satan.

 

·     If the identification of the 24 elders is rightly understood as the Church in heaven, it would seem to mix metaphors to have the Church represented as a male child, especially when the Church is regarded in chapter 19 as the wife and bride.

 

·     There is no good reason for not identifying the man-child as Christ and interpreting verse 5 as the panorama of His birth, life, and ascension:

o   The fact that He is caught up, not only to God, but also to “His throne,” is another indication that Christ is intended.

 

·     Next, we see John’s attention directed to the mother of the child, again represented by Israel:

o   Here, she is seen in the time of Great Tribulation as fleeing into the wilderness to a place prepared by God.

o   The deliverance takes place when the woman flees into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, and she is preserved for 1,260 days, which is three and one-half years, or 42 months of 30 days each.

o   Matthew (24:16) referred to the flight of Israel at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. References to both the desert and the mountains is not a contradiction as both are wilderness areas in the land of Israel.

o   It is in her desert hideout that Israel will be cared for, perhaps as miraculously as Israel was in her wilderness journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.

o   The time period of 1,260 days, is later described as “a time, times, and half a time” (Rev. 12:14).

·     There is obviously a large time lapse between verses 5 and 6, but this is not an uncommon occurrence in prophecy:

o   The first and second coming of Christ are frequently spoken of in the same sentence.

 

·     And as much as Israel is in comparative tranquility and safety in the first 3 ½ years of Daniels 70^th the week (Daniel 9:27), the reference must be to the preservation of a portion of the nation Israel through the Great Tribulation to await the second coming of Christ.

 

Whew!  There’s a lot here to digest. Reading it several times may be helpful.

 

May the Lord continue to bless you as you grow in your knowledge of His Word.

 

 

By His Grace,

Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D., D.Min.

 

 

A Journey through Revelation, Part 28: The Seventh Trumpet Sounds

Revelation 11:15–19

As we continue our Journey through Revelation, we come to the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Let’s dive in and see what’s coming next from our God and Savior in a time yet future.

The Seventh Trumpet Sounds

15 “And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever’”:

·     Though the full results from the sounding of the seventh trumpet are only introduced here and not brought to finality (as vv.15-19 will be in chap. 16), the introduction of the seventh trumpet itself is dramatic.

 

·     The fact that this will be fulfilled at the Second Coming makes it clear that the period of the seventh trumpet chronologically reaches forward to Christ’s return:

o   Therefore, the seventh trumpet introduces and includes the seven bowl judgments of the wrath of God that are revealed in chapter 16.

 

·     When the seventh trumpet sounds, John hears great voices in heaven announcing that the kingdom of earth has become the kingdom of Christ and that from this point forward He shall reign forever and ever:

o   In contrast to previous instances where a single voice makes the announcement, here, there is a great symphony of voices rejoicing in the triumph of Christ.

 

·     The expression “the kingdoms of this world” in the best manuscripts is in the singular:

o   The fact that earthy rule will pass into the hands of God is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament prophecies (Ezek. 21:26–27; Dan. 2:35, 44; 4:3; 6:26; 7:14, 26–27; Zech. 14:9).

o   The question that remains is how can the kingdom of the world become, at this point, the kingdom of Christ when, as a matter of fact, the seven vials are still to be poured out?

o   The answer, as indicated previously, seems to be that just as the seven trumpets are understood in the seventh seal, so the seven vials are understood in the seventh trumpet.

o   In other words, the process of destruction of earthly power is already underway.

 

·     A further problem is presented in the fact that Christ is declared to reign “for ever and ever”: 

o   This is more than simply announcing His kingdom on earth. 

o   The millennial reign, while it extends for only one thousand years, is in some sense continued in the new heaven and the new earth.

o   Never again will the earth be under the control and stewardship of man.

o   Even the brief rebellion recorded in Revelation 20 at the close of the Millennium is unsuccessful.

 

The Worship of the Twenty-four Elders

16 “And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying, ‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign’”:

·     The same twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, have appeared previously in the book of Revelation (4:4, 10; 5:5–6, 8, 11, 14; 7:11, 13; 11:16) and will yet appear in 14:3 and 19:4. Here, they were seen by John falling on their faces to worship God:

o   They give thanks to God as the eternal One, “which is and was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign,” because He has shown His power and assumed authority over the earth.

o   The event for which they give thanks is, of course, the fulfillment of Psalm 2:9, where Christ, the Anointed of God, reigns supreme over the earth.

o   Their song of praise indicates that the time has come for God to judge the nations, to judge the dead, and to reward His servants.

 

·     God is described as the “Almighty,” eternal (“who is and who was”), and possessing “great power.”

 

·     In general, their hymn of praise anticipates the second coming of Christ and the establishment of His rule on earth.

 

Events Marking the Reign of Christ

 18 “And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to Your bond-servants, the prophets, and to the saints and to those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth”:

·     This comprehensive statement of the main features of the transition from the kingdom of earth to the kingdom of God begins with the fact that the nations are angry at the time when the wrath of God comes:

o   They are no longer terrified as we saw in 6:15–17. They will be filled with defiant rage.

o   Their hostility will shortly show itself in a foolish attempt to fight against Christ—a doomed, futile effort that is the height of human rebellion against God (16:14; 19:17–21).

 

·     There is a play on words in the Greek which is not indicated in the English:  

o   The same Greek word is being used for “angry” and for “wrath” referring to the righteous judgment of God.

o   The wrath of man is impotent; the wrath of God is Omnipotent.

o   The wrath of man is wicked; the wrath of God is holy.

o   That which was anticipated in Revelation 6:16-17, as well as in Psalm 2:4 (“He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them”) is about to take place.

 

·     It is not clear from the text weather verse 18 is a continuation of the thanksgiving of the 24 elders or an observation made by John and given by direct revelation to him:

o   In either case, other important events related to the judgment of God are mentioned.

 

·     The dead are judged at this time. The judgment has two parts: 

o   (1) God rewards Old Testament saints (Dan. 12:1–3; 22:12; 1 Cor. 3:8; 4:5), the raptured Church (1 Cor. 15:51–52; 1 Thess. 4:13–18), and the Tribulation saints (20:4); and (2) God condemns unbelievers to the lake of fire forever (20:15).

o   The context seems to indicate that the resurrection of the righteous dead is in view here rather than that of the wicked dead, who are not raised until the end of the Millennium.

o   The comment, which follows immediately, speaks of the reward given to the prophets who are servants of God, to saints in general, and to those who fear the name of God, whether small or great.

 

·     The time has also come when God destroys those who destroyed the earth, referring to those living on the earth at that time that they rebel against God.

 

·     So, this verse teaches us that, in general, it is a time of Divine wrath, a time of resurrection of the dead and their reward, and a time of special dealing with those living on the earth.

 

·     All of these aspects of the second coming of Christ are borne out in later prophecies in the book of Revelation.

The Opening of the Temple of God In Heaven

19 “And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm”:

·     The chapter closes with another dramatic incident. John wrote, “the temple of God’s in heaven was opened”:

o   The opening of the temple of God in heaven seems to be related to the revelation given in chapter 12 rather than to the seventh trumpet specifically.

 

·     There may be a contrast between the temple of God in heaven (v.19) and the temple of God in Jerusalem (vv.1-2):

o   Though the earthly temple may have been desecrated by the beast, its counterpart in heaven reflects the righteousness and majesty of God.

o   The heavenly Ark of the Covenant, which in its earthly equivalent originally contained the Law, speaks of God’s righteousness.

o   Aaron’s rod that budded typifies resurrection; the golden pot that had manna represents Christ as the basis of the shed blood of the sacrifice. He is he bread of life

 

·     The opening of the temple in heaven is accompanied by lightning, voices, and thundering, in the earthly scene, as well as an earthquake and a great hail:

o   John was able to look into the temple where he saw the ark of His covenant. This refers to the heavenly temple rather than to a temple on earth.

o   The corresponding results in the earth, however, included “flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.”

o   The clear implication is that now God is going to judge the earth and those on it who choose to rebel against Him and His Christ.

 

·     J.N. Darby believes what precedes v.19, “Brings the general history of the ways of God to a termination.” He outlines the material which follows under three headings:

o   “First, the causes of evil and what proceeds from those causes.”

o   “Secondly, the development of Satan’s power and of the moving springs of evil in the instruments he used, and which manifests itself under a very decide form.”

o   “Thirdly, what God does in order to destroy the evil.”

 

·     Before the details of the judgment to follow are unfolded in the seven vials of chapter 16, the Divine revelation turns to other important aspects which relate to this and which chronologically precede the consummation of man’s rule over the earth.

 

·     Apart from the outpourings of the vials, which occur in rapid succession, there is little chronological movement from this point until chapter 19 and the second coming of Christ:

o   Events and situations are now introduced which are concurrent with the seals and the trumpets.

o   These serve to emphasize the dramatic climax of this period preceding the second coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

Next time we’ll be looking at the conflict that arises in heaven and on the earth.

 

Until then, may the Lord bless you as you continue to grow in His grace and truth.

 

By His Grace,

Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D., D.Min.