Preamble: The revelatory confirmation given to John plays a very pivotal role in our understanding of Daniel's interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream and also magnifies Daniel's direct vision of almost a direct replica of Daniel 7. At the very beginning of the study of the Book of Revelation; certain assertions were made and one of such assertions was the fact that the Book of Revelation is a hodgepodge of past, present and future representation of events. I believe this chapter as well as others clearly shows a build up from past revelatory experiences and not only that but also provides for us an opportunity to appraise past revelatory encounters and contrast them with present reality- thereby creating clear cut authentication of not only past and present prophecies but also the elicitation and  veracity  of future occurrences.

Revelations. 17: 10-18 put paid to any doubt or uncertainty about the terrestrial world being under the direct subjection of the celestial world. Physical happenings are manifesting only as the spiritual world determines. Ephesians. 6: 11-14, 2 Cor. 10: 3-6; Job. 1: 6-12.

I would like to draw our focus to the colour of the beast, the colour of the woman's dress and the golden cup in her hands. Rev. 17: 3. These are powerful symbolisms of Satan's deception they are his instruments of attraction to undiscerning travellers who are only after the dainties of the world without understanding that whatever the devil gives it is to lure men to their doom. Prov. 7: 15-20, Luke. 4: 5-8

Verse 10: unfolds a deep mystery Satan orchestrates control over the nations using the woman as an instrument of domination. It is amazing how the woman is used as a portrayal of God's instrument of victory in Revelation. 12: 15-17. Here also we see Satan using the woman as an agent of destruction upon the nations; that's not surprising Satan has no capacity for creativity but deception and lies. The highest of Satan's efforts are always entrenched in counterfeits.

Many scholars have varying interpretations of the 8 kings. some believe the kings represent the Caesars and emperors of Rome. Others posit that the kings are representations of kingdoms and empires that had ruled and were particularly hostile to Israel and those kingdoms are. Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the Roman Empire existing at the time of John's revelation.  And then the seventh, the revived Rome which has not yet come, then the eighth and final will be the Antichrist. I would be more inclined to go with the latter argument because it has correlation with Daniel. as we earlier read. No matter what side of the divide one belongs the most important thing is the realisation of a spiritual determinism on physical reality.  Kingdoms and dominions exhibit whatever spiritual machinations operating within their territory.   Zech.  1: 21

The perversion of nations and the display of madness are as a result of spiritual harlotry being orchestrated by Satan in collusion with leaders that have drunken at the hand of the strange woman. Prayer. Lord deliver this nation from spiritual harlotry and help the leadership of our nations to escape from the grip of this Babylonian blasphemer.1 Tim. 2: 1-5.

Verse 11: we have seen five kings whose era had gone and as at the time of John's revelation the sixth king was already on the throne with two more kings yet to ascend the throne. The reign of the seventh king will be brief so as to make room for the scarlet coloured beast coming in the form of a king. This eighth king had ruled before but would come back again perhaps to finish what it started. 2 Thessalonians. 2: 3-12. This is the man of perdition, the man of sin waiting to be revealed before the final stage which perhaps would herald the coming of the Lord. Prayer. Lord keep us in the knowledge of the truth; that we be not taken by the deceit of Satan and the strong delusional spirit that shall come upon the earth.

Verse 12 and 13:  (Daniel. 7: 7, 24-25). Some scholars believe that a time will come when leaders of nations will come together to form a coalition by joining forces together and appointing one to be their leader and there have been certain assertions that the EU might be the fulfilment of these revelation. Some bible scholars believe Rome will emerge once more as a powerful empire that would lead these other nations until the glorious appearing of the Great God.  In reality we need not look far to understand the manifestation of these things. Look at the different philosophies, religions, movements, etc. springing up everywhere; "The truth is that the West has chosen to be secular, and secularity has taken the form of a religion; not necessarily like Atheism, Agnosticism, Hedonism etc, but as a force to pull down spirituality, and preach a new message, which elevates science to the pedestal of religion. Charles Krauthammer, while writing in TIME magazine of April 3, 2006, averred that the ?European man has convinced himself that in order to be modern and free, he must be radically secular'. Therefore, I dare propose that what is our modern day demon is no more than Radical Secularism" Odogwu, author of The Spiritual Evolution of Mankind. Recently some European countries came together and developed a machine called neutrino the idea behind this invention was to simulate how the world began. They created an atmosphere where particles collided and asserted that that was how the world came into existence.

Verse 14: (Dan. 7: 21-22, 13-14, 27). We are aware that the end game is near and the close of the age will come but it will not be without the battle for supremacy. Satan is poised for war, arming, preparing and equipping his end time army for the final showdown.  Dan. 8: 23-25. The battle for the heart and mind of believers is real. We are killed all the daylong that the life of Jesus might be manifest in us. 2 Cor. 4: 10-11. These prophesies are happening right in our presence, we therefore cannot sit idly by and think that these things are for a time to come; unfortunately we are witnesses of these realities and are called to battle everyday as the soldiers of Christ. Rev. 12: 12-13. Zech. 14: 1-4, 9.

Verse 15: (Dan. 7: 2-3), the reality of this should make one shudder and tremble because this woman rules over  multitudes of people. She sits upon the heads of destinies. Many lives are at her whims and caprices. Do we still wonder why the world is the way it is. Why we see the things we see in this generation and the barrage at which they come at us. Many people are remote controlled by a force stronger and more powerful than them. Many lives not under the Lordship of Jesus are susceptible to this worker of iniquity.

We are experiencing unprecedented scale of immorality and blasphemies like never before. Many lives are in jeopardy, tormented by a vicious fiend determined to enslave them forever. Christians are the only ones equipped to liberate lives from this hideous and atrocious beast; now is evangelism needed than in any other generation.  Many lives are under the manipulation of a higher spiritual force. Luke. 18: 8, Matt. 24: 12. Prayer. the Lord should deliver us from the power of the stranger that manipulates destinies to self destruct.

Verse 16: Satan gives only to take back; once he is through with his victims he discards them without a second thought. Judas, the Pharisees and Sadducees were used by Satan to crucify the Lord and once Satan was through with them he threw them away. John. 8: 44.  Whatever the devil gives he gets back.  The devil uses and dumps. John. 10: 10. Demons connive to destroy others and then they help to destroy themselves. All those who do Satan's biddings are themselves lined up for slaughter.

Verse 17: God unfolds His greatness and majesty. We see God using all of creation to fulfil His purpose. Col. 1: 16-18. All of creation exists to bring God's will to pass. Every single thing under heaven functions to the commandment of God. God puts His will in the heart of these terrible creatures so that His purpose might be established. God can use anyone and anything to being your miracle to life.

God allows these kings to cede their kingdoms to the beast.  These nations or kings are willingly giving up their kingdoms to the worship of devils. Politicians making laws that advance the cause of the devil; Policies promoting abortion, gay rights, worshipping of devils, Raelian Movement, (UFO religion), etc. 1 Tim. 4: 1-3, 2 Tim. 3: 1-3. Isaiah. 14: 26-27. This reality should give us hope that all things work together for good. God is still in charge and determining every move no matter how miniscule it may seem. Romans. 11: 33-35. Isaiah. 40: 21-22, 28. All things must work in tandem with His will and to His word. Psalm. 119: 89, Luke. 16: 17.

Verse 18:  this I believe unfolds the nation whose culture, language, way of life and might controls the rest of the world. Many nations today talks about the greatness of America and how through her greatness and might controls the rest of the world.  We see the extent at which other nations and leaders would go to cripple America.  We see the passion and hatred with which Americanism is being lauded and at the same being derided.  Citizens of different nations look to America for fashion, freedom, culture and might. This text is quite inductive in the sense that we can take a country as explained above and then use it as a model for whatever nation this might end up being.

Nations around the world are emerging with great powers and determination, not only to be acknowledged and recognised but to have the world at its feet. Nations like China, Russia and even Iran are not only demanding recognition but also challenging the status-quo. Two verses back talks about the connivance of other nations to bring this nation to her knees and make her of no relevance. God is strategising- to the end that His purpose only will stand. 2 Chronicles. 20: 22-23.

Our generation I believe is witnessing the fulfilment of prophesy in greater dimension than any other generation. Events of end time proportions are unfolding before us with amazing speed but that also leaves us with very grave responsibilities that require our total and unreserved commitment to be active participants in bringing to bear the kingdom of God on the earth. In no other generation is Matt. 28: 19-20 more relevant than in ours. We have seen the helplessness of humanity under the tyrannical rule of a monster bent on decimating humanity at will. We have also seen his tools of operation that they are clandestine and deceptive; we can therefore like Apostle Paul say we are not ignorant of the devices of Satan.

God beckons on us as His battle axes and weapons of war to sharpen our vigilance and commitment in rescuing humanity from the onslaught of a maniac, that old serpent called the devil. We must as a matter of urgency first work out our own salvation with fear and trembling before we step out as crusaders. May we not be found wanting. Shalom.

Contributor: Paul Thomas

Introduction: We were carefully and extensively taken through the Last Two Bowls judgement last week. Amongst other things, we were reminded that even the Devil is a pawn in the hand of our God. The teaching ended in the unfolding of Great Babylon which was brought into remembrance before God. This week, we will be looking at the Judgement of Babylon The Great (The Great Harlot) and the lessons that can be learnt.

Spiritual Prostitution and Fornication: (Rev. 17:1-2 NKJV)

"Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, ² with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication."

·         Great Harlot: This is over people, multitudes, nations. The worldly philosophy or system that teaches rebellion against God and encourages the pursuit of sin in every ramification. The world system is satan's tool of manipulation in the world. Satan hates the truth and all who rejects the truth (Jesus) are slaves to him. "Great" refers to the harlot (worldly) system that will reach its zenith after the removal of the true church (genuine believers) by means of rapture.

·         Sits on Many Waters: refers to world-wide unification and control. "Sits on" suggests the concept of control and unification (Psalm 110:1, Hebrews 8:1). "Waters" refers to the nations and many people of those nations.

From the above therefore, the first verse can be rephrased as;

"Come, I will show you the judgement of the worldly philosophy that is in control of the nations and all the people of the nations"

·      With whom the kings of the earth committed fornication: This indicates alliance/ agreement which those in authorities have with the worldly system. Put another way, an unfaithful, unholy alliance between the church and state which should by design remain separate. By Separate, we are not talking about the separation of church and state that is being promoted today where prayer and dependence on God has been removed from the classroom while godless ideologies are being promoted. Both the state and church were established by God (1 Timothy 2:1-3) but must remain separate if they are to carry out their purpose howbeit that they must support one another without compromising their responsibility before God.

·      Inhabitants........made drunk with the wine of fornication: The unholy alliance with the worldly system and philosophy have gone unchecked for a long time, spreading like a plague and the nations and people of the nations have become entrapped in the fangs and chains of satan.

 Babylon The Great: (Rev. 17:  3-9 NKJV) :

³ So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. ⁵ And on her forehead a name was written:

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH.

⁶ I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

⁷ But the angel said to me, "Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. ⁸ The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

⁹ "Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 

......into the Wilderness - This obviously refers to a desolate, desert-kind of place, because it will be full of cities and peoples who are spiritually dead - a spiritual desert, which the woman and beast will rule. A church could be full of attendees who are spiritually dead. There will be no true spiritual food or water from this empty religious system. The world will be starving and dying - this is what religion does for a man, it leaves him empty, in the desert! This is not God's desire

"And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding".[Jeremiah 3:15]

It is our responsibility as pastors, workers and members in the local church to be an oasis holding forth the word of life and if we remain faithful to this, individually and corporately, the Lord will give us an open door to those who are thirsty. He will lead us to the hungry and them to us.

Scarlet Beast - As we will see later in verse 8, The Beast on which the Harlot is seated is the Antichrist. He is scarlet because he is blood-thirsty and will at the right time kill the woman (a symbol of religous system).  He is a counterfeit of our Lord in that he "was" and "is not". These phrase also referred back to Rev. 13:3, 12, and 14 where the beast is resurrected. We know that the ultimate fate of this beast will be destruction just as the end of evil will be. The reason why we must desist from evil at all cost.

"The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who keeps his way preserves his soul". [Prov. 16:17 NKJV]

......arrayed in purple and scarlet - This in part stands for her political power, and in part they point to her religous pomp. Gold, precious stones and pearls refer to her immense wealth. It is believed that these colours have, for centuries, been the colours of the Roman Catholic Church, and the wealth of this church is immense.

......having in her hand a golden cup..- Refers to her enticing manner of alluring men and nations. Religion can be very alluring and eventually become a trap. Many are trapped in the chains of religion today, even in the church of God where His power and authority are meant to be in full expression.

"having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" [2 Tim. 3:5]

The gold and religous trappings - appeal to the sensual, material and religous bent of man's sinful nature. He admires this, he is awed by it, and it blinds him.

.....abominations and filthiness - Man's religion offers no solution to the flesh. It's the flesh seeking to overcome the flesh and it profits nothing. These may refer to the various forms of idolatry involved in the worship of God through images, statues, and medals (achievements) etc. Filthiness (Unclean things) does not only refer to the natutre of the doctrines taught, but what they lead to in life, immorality and impurity!

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. [John 6:63]

....and on her forehead a name..- In ancient times, the practice of harlots was to write their names on their foreheads for easy recognition, which showed the shamelessness of their character, revealing a seared conscience from continual rejection of God's truth.

.....Babylon The Great - is the secret name. This refers not only to the city of Babylon, but to a religous system, the Babylonianism of ancient time, which will reach its peak in the tribulation.

......Mother of Harlots....- This points to the source. Besides the concept of origin or source of all spiritual idolatry and false religions, the word "mother" indicates the position the harlot will play in the final days, gathering all the form of false religions under her wings for the one great world-wide harlot system.

Martyrdom of Believers  (Rev. 17:6a) - Refers to the rampant matrydom of believers during this time This is one of the ways satan will promote the one-world church system - by annihilation of all opposition.

John Marvelled (Rev. 17:6b) - Another word for Marvel here is to Wonder. The greek word here is "to be amazed, surprised" or "to wonder at something with attentive interest". Shouldn't that be the effect that Bible study and the word of God have on our hearts when we open the Word and study, reflecting on its marvelous truth? We should be interested in the details of God's revelation, its explanation and application. When this is done, God sees to it that that we have an opportunity to learn and to know.

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." [Jer. 29:13]

Description of the Woman (Rev. 17:7)- The angel's question about John's amazement at the sight of the fully decked and pompous woman and description shows we should not marvel at the woman which appears in such pompous and religous attire because she's so satanic and thereby destructive and deceptive also - these are some of the consequences and effects of evil. We should never be deceived by outward form of religousity no matter their outward attractiveness of influence or power as is the case of false ecumenical (promotion of unity among churches) and godless system.

In Conclusion:

And finally, regardless of the details of who the beast is, we know that its ultimate end will be destruction. But before he meets his end, he will deceive "those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world." The opposite side of this verse is very encouraging to the believer when you notice that your name has been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world. Your name was not placed there at the point of your salvation. Your name was there before you were saved.before you were born.even before the foundation of the world. If you have believed in Jesus as your Savior, you can be confident that God chose you and has placed your name in the Book of Life. What an encouragement! You didn't choose God; He chose you! Because He chose you, He will be sure to preserve you in His grace. Amen!

"just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love," [Ephesians 1:4]

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

Introduction:

In the study last week, we considered the first five bowls judgment comparing them with the trumpet judgment. We looked at the similarities and considered the intensity of the suffering. In today's study we will look at the trailer of the last two bowls judgment and the divinely orchestrated end of events.

Verse 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."

The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; similar to that of the sixth trumpet judgment. A cruel army arose from the great river region to kill a third of mankind. (Rev 9:14). The Euphrates River is called "the great river" in Genesis 15:18. The importance of the river becomes apparent as the text unfolds. It dried up.

So that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east God dries the great river Euphrates to prepare the way for the kings of the east (for the slaughter of the Battle of Armageddon at the appointed time). It would appear that the kings were already on their journey to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army Rev 19:19b; so the Lord clears the way for them to plunge to their deaths.

Interestingly, even the Devil is a pawn in God's hands. You will expect that by now he would know better. See Isaiah 45:7

"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things."

Verses 13-14

"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. 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"

The dragon, the beast and the false prophet released demonic spirits to influence the kings of the world by performing signs that will cajole them. So God dries up the river Euphrates for the kings of the east and the dragon, the beast and the false prophet cajoles the kings of the world to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty

Verse 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."

"Behold, I come as a thief" is a warning, but this verse is also meant to be a promise to those who read it before Armageddon is fought. Only to the wicked, will He come as a thief.

"Blessed is he that watcheth" The receiver of this promise; the one who "watcheth" and awaits his LORD's coming is blessed. See 1Thessalonians 5:2-9

"To keep one's garments" imply a carefulness to walk in holiness as well as preparedness; because it is the one who is unprepared (asleep, indulging) that will be caught naked.

Verse 16

"And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon."

The place of "the war of great day of God, the Almighty" is called (in Hebrew) Har-Magedon. This is the only place in the Bible where the word occurs. The Hebrew word can be translated to be either a hill or mountain. Megiddon "was an ancient city located on a plain in the southwest portion of the Valley of Jezreel (Jewish name) or Esdraelon (Greek name)."

Two great mountains stand to the northeast and southeast of the hill of Megiddo: Mt. Tabor and Mt. Gilboa. Between these two mountains run the valley of Jezreel, which is fifteen miles wide at its widest point. It will be the place of God's great slaughter of the nations depicted in Revelation 19:11-21.

Verse 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."

The seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, introducing the final bowl judgment. The seventh and final bowl-carrying angel punishes the air. The earth (land), water, fire and air are the four elements that are the objects of God's wrath.

A great voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done." God at this stage pronounces, "It is done," What is done? It usually refers to something being over, finished or completed. However, it must be kept in mind that bowls six and seven are given in summary fashion. We will see the details in Chapters 17-19.

Verse 18

"And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty."

Having poured his bowl upon the air, lightning and thunder rocked the air followed by a great earthquake unparalleled in all of human history.

Verse 19-21

 "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. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 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."

The great city . . . What city? Revelation 11:8 identifies Jerusalem as "the great city."  

Divided into three parts: Zechariah 13:8 says: "And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein."

Zechariah 14:2 "For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city."

Zechariah 14:5 also implies that God will empty Jerusalem of his people just prior to His arrival with His angels for the battle of Armageddon.

The cities of the nations fell: as a result of the earthquake, the rest of the world fell.

Babylon the great was remembered before God apart from suffering the effect of the earthquake, God poured out the worst expression of His wrath the world will ever know upon it. Islands and mountains disappeared and then He sent a great hail from heaven; stones weighing about 45kg!

Conclusion

Now that we have seen the trailer of the end of events, I invite you to tune in for the actual unfolding of the end as God unleashes His wrath but yet in it all He still sends a warning for those who would care to listen!

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

Introduction:

Last week we saw the Joy and celebration of them who got 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 (Rev.15:2) They sang high praises to God, and His Lamb, for giving them the grace to overcome. We also saw the Angels with the seven golden vials full of the wrath of God ready to release the wrath of God (Rev.15:7). Our emphasis last week was on the content of their songs. It was pure praises and worship directed to God (Rev.15:3,4).

This week we shall study the effects of the wrath of God on the earth as the Angels were releasing the seven last plagues.

 There is a great deal of similarity in the judgments of the trumpets (Rev.8&9) and bowls. In both, the first series deals with the earth (Rev.8:7 with 16:2), the second series deals with the sea (Rev.8:8-9 with 16:3), the third series deals with the rivers and fountains of water (Rev.8:10-11 with 16:4), the fourth series deals with the sun (Rev.8:12 with 16:8), the fifth series deals with darkness (Rev.8:12 with 16:10), the sixth series deals with the Euphrates (Rev.9:13-14 with 16:12), and the seventh series deals with lightning, thunders, and earthquakes (Rev.11:19b with 16:17-21).

1)      The First Bowl: Painful Sores (Rev.16:1,2)

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 on the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial on the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore on the men which had the mark of the beast, and on them which worshipped his image.

This bowl resulted in "loathsome" (evil) and "malignant" (painful) sores. Can you imagine if you had a case of terrible sores over your entire body? You would be unable to walk, sit, or lie down without pain. Such will be the case during the tribulation for those who experience these sores.

It is important to see that these sores break out "on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image." This plague and those that follow are not the expression of God's wrath against sin in general, nor are they punishments for individual wrongdoing. The judgment comes from God because of the world's allegiance to God's supreme opponent. Since these people received the Antichrist's mark (Rev.13:16-18; 14:9-10). They begin to pay the penalty for their allegiance.

2)      The Second Bowl: sea turns to blood ( Rev.16:3)

And the second angel poured out his vial on the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

The Greek text here is very graphic. Literally it reads, "And it (sea) became blood as of a dead man," i.e., like a dead man wallowing in his own blood. Every living thing (sea creature) in the sea will die. Imagine all the world's oceans and seas turning to blood "like that of a dead man." In the second trumpet judgment, one-third of all sea life perished (Rev 8:8-9). The emphasis here is greater with the phrase "every living thing in the sea died." The stench alone would make most people want to die.  It will wreck fishing and it is bound to affect ocean navigation, transportation and shipping. Quite frankly, this is far beyond our comprehension.

3)      The Third Bowl: inland waters turn to blood (Rev.16:4-7).

And the third angel poured out his vial on the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.  And I heard the angel of the waters say, You are righteous, O Lord, which are, and were, and shall be, because you have judged thus.  For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.  And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments.

Not only are the world's oceans and seas affected, so are the fresh bodies of water ("the rivers and the springs"). Even these "became blood." This resembles the first Egyptian plague where the Nile River and its tributaries were turned into blood and all the fish died (Exod 7:14-21). There will be no fresh water to drink on the earth. During this period of judgment, fresh water to drink will be more valuable than oil! After all, people cannot exist long without any water to drink.         

"The angel of the waters" literally refers to an angel who has jurisdiction over the waters of the earth as one of the varied ministries of angels. As the one in charge of this area he makes an important statement vindicating the holiness of God and setting forth the reason for this judgment (vss. 5-6).

These apostate and rebellious people have slain and shed the blood of believers, thus, just as the saints receive rest and reward for their faith, so these will receive punishment fitting the nature of their crimes. They have only blood to drink. They have been blood thirsty?now they get their fill. This gives us another indication that during the Tribulation the shedding of the blood of believers will be without parallel in history.

Two principles can be found in Rev.16:6-7: First, the world will one day pay for its treatment of believers (Rom 12:19). They rejected those who preached, and offered them the "water of life." God judges them for it by turning their water to blood. Second, because the world rejected the blood that brings forth life (Jesus), God poured out blood that brings forth death. The lesson is clear: reject what the blood of Jesus gave to save you and you will perish for eternity.

4)      The Fourth Bowl: the sun scorches people (Rev.16:8-9).                                 

And the fourth angel poured out his vial on the sun; and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.  And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which has power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

The fourth trumpet judgment darkened the sun (Rev.8:12), but this judgment increases the sun's intensity. God will increase the intensity of the sun's heat and light rays to such a degree that it will scorch and burn the skin of men. Some scientists claim we are not experiencing global warming while others maintain the earth is cooling off. Both are in for a surprise (1 Cor. 1:25).

"And men were scorched with fierce heat and they blasphemed the name of God." This again demonstrates two things: (a) men clearly recognize the source of the plagues, but (b) they will have become so hardened in their souls they refuse to repent. They will have reached the point of no return. This was clear when they took the mark of the beast.

This hardening of the soul (or heart) poses a warning for all of us. Anyone who becomes negative toward the Lord, grows indifferent to His Word, and ignores the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit, can begin to harden his heart and become more and more callused  (Heb. 3:7; Eph. 4:17-19). One way we can see such a condition developing in our lives is by the way we murmur and complain or look for "pity parties" among our friends. This is a sure indication that the heart has become somewhat hardened (Heb. 3:7-19; with 1 Cor. 10:5-10. Note particularly verse 10.)

5)      The Fifth Bowl: the Beast's throne in darkness and pain (Rev.16:10-11). 

And the fifth angel poured out his vial on the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,  And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds

 The bowl is poured out "upon the throne of the beast. This is the land beast of Revelation 13 who will receive his power from Satan and who will become the object of man's worship. Neither Satan nor this Beast can alleviate this judgment. This will clearly illustrate that there is only one hope, the Eternal God and Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ whom the world has by-in-large rejected; the One who alone is the Light of the world. What irony strikes here (John 1:3-5, 9-11)!

This is just a preview of the hell that is to come (Matt 8:12; 13:42). Those who reject Christ will spend eternity in darkness. But this ultimate fate is unnecessary. Hell was not prepared for humans. It was prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matt 25:41).

Contributor: Alex Alajiki

Introduction:

We considered the preservation and rapture of the 144,000 Jewish Believers just before the final wrath of God in our last study. The qualities of these Believers are worthy of emulation for us, namely non-defilement, following of the Master, and no guile (willful deceit of the heart). Finally, we saw God, who would not wish that any should perish, allow angels to preach before executing judgement on the earth. As we were taught last week: "the study should make us to appreciate our salvation even more; that we were fruits of the harvest of souls borne out of God's love and not that of His wrath". Indeed, it should even make us to do all that is required of us to hold on our faith with Godly fear and reverence. Today we will look a sort of preface to the final expression of God wrath and lessons for present day believers.

Another sign (vs 1)

1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

John had yet another sign which was the third sign in this book (Recall the first two in Revelation 12: 1 and 3). Seven angels were introduced having the last plagues as a final expression of God's wrath.

What John saw (vs 2-8)

2a And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire:

John was attempting to describe what he saw. Note the word "as it were", so his description will be more figurative. We can compare with Rev. 8 where John saw also seven angels while one of them came in with "the prayers of all the saints" like incense at the altar in heaven, filled the censer with fire from the altar and poured the fire on the earth in judgment (8:3-5). Here, however, as we see in the following verses, the saints are present themselves. Can we conclude that prayers of the saints trigger judgment?

The saints and what they were doing

2b 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.3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.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.

There are divergent views on the composition of this group. While some believe that they are the 144,000 in the preceding chapter (see for instance IVP New Testament Commentaries), others believe they are Tribulation Martyrs - group in Rev. 7:9-17 (E.g. Bible Knowledge Commentaries). It will suffice to say that these people are overcomers and it is interesting to note that they had harps of God with which they would rejoice and praise God.

It is also very important to highlight the importance of music before God. God enjoys music and infact He dwells in the praises of His people (Ps. 22:3). He described David as a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). David was a skillful musician and indeed that skill brought him to the palace:

I Sam 16:16: Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better.

I Sam 18: 10: The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did.

As believers, we must not joke with music.

Content of the Music: They sang the song of Moses and the Lamb. Of course the song is not exactly those recorded in Exo15:1-18, Ps 90 but they all have same spirit namely celebrating the power, holiness, marvelous works and the justice of our God. This should be the content of our own music individually and corporately as a church. Any song that does not reflect these attributes of God must be thrashed!!!

Beginning of the wrath

5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: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.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.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.

These verses outline the commencement of the wrath of God. The temple was opened so that the angels carrying plagues can exit. We should also note the description of the clothing of the angels: pure and white which should also remind us that we must be holy as believer as a prerequisite to seeing God (Heb 12:14).

God is the Everlasting God (He lives forever). Shouldn't we be excited to have this God as our Father? Shouldn't we just trust and obey this Eternal God? No matter what the present situation is, our God who lives forever is still on the throne able to do according to His will, therefore, we must take solace in this.

The glory of God is described here as a smoke similar to description given in Ex 40:35, 19:18, Isa 6:4, I Kings 8:1-66. It is amazing the precision of God's word.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we see a prelude to the judgment bowls containing plagues carried by seven angels. Prior to the exiting of these angels, the saints that had just been vitorious praised God with harps and song. The content of their song must strike chord with us as believers. The song was not about Moses neither should the song we sing be about us but about the majesty, justice, power, holiness, etc of our God. It should also serve as a reminder of what God expects from us:

Micah 6:8 "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

Contributor: Akin Akande

Introduction

In our last study we looked at the Beast from the Land. This land beast (also called the false prophet) operated under the authority of the sea beast and was totally committed to promoting this sea beast. We also learnt of its deceptive powers and it how it will coerce by deception people to take the mark of the beast.

In today's study we will look at a new turn of events; separated into two parts. The first part addresses the 144,000 that were removed (raptured) from the face of the earth to avoid the wrath of God and the second part, the final warnings before and consequently the wrath of God!

PART 1 - The 144, 000

Verses 1-3:

"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father's Name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from Heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a New Song before the Throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that Song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the Earth."

In this vision, John sees the LORD Jesus Christ on "mount Sion", which in this instance, refers to a heavenly scene. "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels" (Hebrews 12:22).

·         The 144,000 refers to the Jewish Believers, who were sealed in Chapter 7. This triumphal scene in Heaven indicates that the 144,000 were preserved from the Antichrist and were raptured before God's wrath (see Rev 7:3)

·         The "voice from Heaven" that John heard was that of the Almighty God, "as the Voice of many waters". See Ezekiel 43:2 and 2Samuel 22:14

·         The "harpers harping with their harps" were most probably the 144,000 Jewish Believers, who have been raptured before God's wrath was released as they would have much to celebrate! And also because they were the only ones who could learn the song being sang.

·         "No man could learn" the song of the 144,000, because God has covenanted His secret personally and only to those that fear Him. (Psalm 25:14).

Verses 4-6:

"These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb." And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the Throne of God." And I saw another angel fly in the midst of Heaven, having the Everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,"

·         Not defiled: In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul speaks of the entire Body of Believers as a "chaste virgin" (2Corinthians 11:2). Mostly when we talk about virginity, we often use it to describe a woman who has not known a man sexually, but it was also used to identify both men and women of Israel, (Isaiah 37:22). However, the "virgins" described here, "were not defiled with women" indicates that the 144,000 were unmarried and chaste men.

·         First fruits unto God and to the Lamb: These 144,000 male virgins represent the first of the eventual harvest of the elect Israel at the Second Coming of the LORD Jesus Christ; therefore, they are called the "firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb".

·         To "follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth" describes the action of the 144,000; but, this should also be the characteristic of the Saints of these Last Days. Read 1Peter 2:21. The 144,000 have simply followed their Master home to Heaven, at His Command, "Come up Hither" (Revelation 11:12).

·         No Guile: In completing the description of the 144,000, John records that "in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the Throne of God". Guile is the wilful deceit of heart that cannot be separated from a man without the cleansing that comes from the forgiveness of God. See 1Peter 2:22-23

PART 2 - The Victorious Judgment of the Lamb

Verses 7-12:

. "Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His Judgment is come: and worship Him that made Heaven, and Earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the Saints: here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

Evidently, the All Wise God expects to see the very last fruits finally and certainly harvested. See (2Peter 3:9) So He sends the first two angels akin to giving the world a last chance before judgment. Before sending the third who declares the consequences of worshipping the Beast and receiving his mark (verse 9) - Eternal Damnation, (Verse10). No one ought to doubt the sincerity of this threat from the God. Read Titus 1:2 & Numbers 23:19).

·         The First Angel's Announcement: Was a universal declaration of the necessity and opportunity of embracing the fear, glory, and worship of God to the inhabitants of the earth.

·         The Second Angel's Announcement: Was a collective warning that the worship system of Babylon the Great that made the nations drink of the wrath of her fornication was fallen (that era was over).

·         The Third Angel's Announcement: Was a warning to individual hearers against their personal participation in the worship of the Beast. "If any man . . ."

Verse 12 introduces verse 13, both of which are an interlude of peace between the warnings and threatening to those who "worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark" and the final judgments of the "great winepress of the wrath of God".

Three words stand out in verse 13 (Patience, Commandments, and faith.)

·         First, the "patience of the Saints" is that attribute of love that "beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things" (1Corinthians 13:7). Patience comes only from the "trying of your faith" (James 1:3), which will be greatly needed by the Tribulation Saints to complete their appointed course of trying, testing, and suffering, that they "may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:4) in preparation for Heaven.

·         Second, keeping the "Commandments of God" is not simply the hallmark of a true Saint, "My sheep hear My Voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27); but, it represents our joyful opportunity to demonstrate our love for Him, "Thy Law do I love" (Psalm 119:163). Resisting fidelity to the Antichrist by refusing his mark is an act of the Tribulation Saints' loving obedience to the Commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).

·         And, finally, the "faith of Jesus" is the Saints' supreme confidence in our LORD and Saviour, Whose Name "is above every name" (Philippians 2:9) especially above the name of the Antichrist-- that Jesus will "yet deliver us" (2Corinthians 1:10) from the Antichrist or from dishonouring Him by yielding to temptation. (2Peter 2:9).

Verses 13-15:

"And I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the LORD from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the Temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the Earth is ripe"  

·         "Blessed are the dead which die in the LORD from henceforth"; this makes special reference to those who have died (the dead) and those who will die (which die in the LORD from henceforth). The encouragement is true for all Saints throughout history, but is especially necessary for those who will be martyred, reminding them of the Eternal Blessedness of those that "resist steadfast in the faith" (1Peter 5:9).

·         "and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man in His hand a sharp sickle". Christ Jesus, Who is the "LORD of the Harvest" (Luke 10:2), He is also the "Judge of All the Earth" (Genesis 18:25), to Whom the Father "hath committed all judgment" (John 5:22).  "Clouds and darkness are round about Him: Righteousness and Judgment are the habitation of His Throne" (Psalm 97:2)

·         The "golden crown" on the head of the LORD Jesus indicates His authority over all. (Phil. 2:9-11).

·         The Apocalyptic "Harvest of the Earth" will be both a gathering of the Righteous and a separating out of the Wicked. Read Matthew 3:10-12 and 25:31-32

Verses 16-20:

"And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the Earth; and the Earth was reaped." And another angel came out of the temple which is in Heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.  And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the Earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 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. 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."

·         Verses 16&17 tell us that the time for the great judgment that was constantly talked about and anticipated had finally come. Read Matthew 13:39, 41

·         Verse 18 describes "another angel". . . from the altar which had the power over fire". God is a "Consuming Fire" (Deuteronomy 4:24), and "His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire" (Hebrews 1:7).

·         Verse 19: Reveals that the very fact that the harvested vines with their fruit are cast "into the great winepress of the wrath of God" indicates that the harvest is of some form of (bloody) judgment; probably the much talked about Armageddon see Verse10, Psalm 60:3, Proverbs 4:17, Amos 2:8.

·         Verse 20: The "city" refers to Jerusalem, for it and its godly inhabitants will again make it the "apple of God's eye" (Lamentations 2:18).  Blood will come out of the winepress "even unto the horse bridles". The amount of bloodshed will be so much that it will yield a flow of blood deep enough to come up to the bridle of a horse. A "thousand and six hundred furlongs" is the distance in which the blood will flow "unto the horse bridles" 1,600 furlongs is about 183.86 miles which is approximately 296km. The distance between Newry and Cork is 291km. We are talking about a flow of blood across Ireland deep enough to drown a horse! That is some blood!

Conclusion

This chapter combines both a heavenly scene with the "hundred forty and four thousand before the throne of God" and an earthly scene of three angels preaching to the Earth. It makes a statement that combines both the past and future about the dead which die in the LORD and it concludes with another three angels executing judgment on the Earth led by Jesus Christ Himself. The study should make us appreciate our salvation even more; that we were fruits of the harvest of souls borne out of God's love and not that of His wrath. If that was all, then one would say "job done! Blood shed - it's all over!" But no; eternity still awaits all!

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

Introduction:

Last week, we saw that the beast which came from the sea derived it power from the Dragon (Satan).   He carried out three major assignments; blasphemy against God, make war with the saints and all that dwell on the earth worshiped him (Those whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world). Notice that the beast operated within the limit of his given power.

Another beast is revealed to John, only this one is distinguished from the previous since he came out of the earth or land. This completes the trinity of evil?the dragon (Satan), the beast out of the sea (The anti-Christ), and now, the beast out of the earth (the devil's "unholy spirit"). The land beast operates under the authority of the sea beast) and is totally committed to promoting not himself, but the first beast. The beast out of the land is also called the false prophet in other places in Revelation (16:13; 19:20; 20:10), probably because he promotes the first beast.

1)    His description, Power & Wonders [Verse 11-13]

"And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men"

And I beheld another beast." "Another" is the Greek allos meaning, "another of the same kind." He plays a different role, but in character he is another one who is beastly, rapacious, cruel, and of course hostile to God's people. And he had two horns." The horns are symbolic of great power, but not to the degree of the first beast who had ten horns. His horns were like those of "a lamb." As the lamb is a religious symbol, a symbol of sacrifice, so this beast is a religious figure and, as a lamb is also symbolical of a mild, lamb-like manner, so this second beast will adopt a mild lamb-like appearance, but he will be a wolf in sheep's clothing. He was promoting the 1^st beast just like the Holy Spirit came to speak of Jesus Christ (Jhn.16:13-14). He is a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit.

Note that the signs are described as "great," the Greek megas meaning "large" but it is used of that which is great in the sense of significant, prominent, important, and outstanding. The signs the second beast performs won't be the run of the mill miracles that one hears about with pseudo healers or the paranormal events of today.

"So that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men" illustrates something of the power of his miraculous activity.  Whatever this will be, it is clearly designed to counterfeit the miraculous works of God, either that of Elijah in 1 Kings 18:38 or that of the two witnesses in Revelation 11:5  (2 Kings 1:10-15; Lev. 10:1-2). Some have suggested that this could be a reference to fire from heaven to imitate that which occurred at Pentecost (Acts 2:3) and could be a reference to pseudo-charismatic gifts to create a counterfeit religious community whose allegiance is to antichrist.

2)    His Deception [Verse 14-15]

"And deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed."

And he deceives....The next thing we saw about the signs is that they are designed to deceive, they are deceptive. "Deceives" is the Greek planaw meaning "to lead astray, cause to wander, mislead, deceive." This word is consistently used in Scripture of the work of false teachers who lead people away from God into some form of false worship ( 2 Thess. 2:9-12). Satan and his Prophets are deceivers (2 Thes. 2:3-4).

This should be a warning to all of us. Miraculous signs are not in themselves a proof that whatever is going on is from God. There are other issues that must be discerned with the Word of God as the final index and authority, never just our experience. However, we are living in an esoteric, mystic oriented age where reality is too often reduced to a personal experience or some kind of enlightenment. Just note the rise of the psychic "hotlines" and the emphasis in TV shows on the paranormal or on psychic phenomena. Even within the body of Christ, the emphasis has moved away from the Word of God as our authority to an emphasis on phenomena and subjective experiences, the kind promoted in many charismatic circles today.

The image which breathes and speaks is the second great deception of these verses. The word "image" is eikwn which is not a mere copy but in fact partakes and constitutes the very reality of the thing of which it is a likeness. The image is designed not only to portray a likeness to the beast, but the reality of his rule and worship. Whatever the image will be it will portray a likeness of the beast which becomes a symbol of his power and majesty, and of the character of his system.

3)     The Significance and Meaning of the Number 666[Verse 16-18]

"And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that has understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred three score and six.

Here we see the means by which the second beast carefully and exclusively distinguishes between those who will worship the beast and those who will not so that they might be identified and killed. He forces all men of every class and category of society to receive the mark of the beast either in their right hand or in the forehead, two places that are prominent and easily seen.

Here is sheer tyranny. The word "mark" is the Greek caragma which means "an impress made by a stamp" like a brand used on slaves and cattle. Men will become the slaves of the beast and will somehow carry the identifying mark of their slavery.

To enforce the worship of the beast and to make life impossible without his worship, men cannot buy or sell without this mark. As a result of the decree to worship the beast and be branded with his mark, multitudes of believers will be killed directly because they do not have the mark and refuse to receive it or because they starve to death since they cannot buy or sell. Some will survive, however, by living off the land or because other believers who have food share with those who do not (Matt. 24:15-25 and 25:31-40).

We should note that to receive the mark of the beast is tantamount to the worship of the beast, to blasphemy of God, and rejection of Jesus Christ (13:8; 17:8; 14:9-12; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4)

Conclusion

In conclusion, the general character of the Tribulation is clearly portrayed in this chapter. It is a time of slavery, blasphemy, apostasy, and gross satanic activity. Let us thank God that we have the blessed hope of the rapture (Titus 2:13). But let us not, as we contemplate on all this, forget our responsibility to be involved in the propagation of the gospel of Christ, the only hope for the world.

Contributor: Alex Alajiki

Introduction:

Last week, we had the opportunity to "watch" an "imaginary" movie titled "The Woman, Her Son, and the Dragon" filled with breadthtaking events. It is a must-get "DVD"! We saw how John saw a sign (or wonder) of a Woman travailing in birth and about to deliver a man Child while a red Dragon was waiting to devour the Child. The Woman might be seen as the Nation of Israel (Physical or Spiritual), the Child is Christ while the Dragon is Satan. She gave birth to the Child; the Dragon couldn't devour the Child, lost the battle in heaven and was unsuccessful in his attempt to destroy the Woman. Being therefore, as what one can term, a serial loser, the Dragon directed his wrath towards the rest of the Woman's children. Included amongst these children are true children of God, Jews or Gentiles. On a very bright side, we have a recipe for success namely three weapons: the blood of the lamb, the word of our testimony and the refusal to love one's life. This week, we will consider a wild wounded (injured) beast rising from the sea to whom the Dragon gave power. It is well known that one of the most brutal (wild) animals are those that are wounded: Snakes, cats, even humans. What can we then learn from this John vision?

Description of the beast [Verse 1-3a]

   1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed:

This beast has similar description with the Dragon in Rev. 12:3 "and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads." The description also bear resemblance with the vision Daniel had in Daniel 7:1-27. This has made many bible scholars to interpret the head of the beast as different world empires including EU, etc, it will suffice for us to know that the beast came up after the trouble that took place in the preceding Chapter and having a tyrannical and persecuting power whose obvious target will be mainly the Church (true believers). We also note that his power was derived from the Dragon and he has a brutally wounded head Gen 3:15. The ?healing' of the wound might have been a deception.

Same "old story" from Satan [Verse 3b-6]

3b and all the world wondered after the beast.4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

Satan's ?tactic' has not changed since the beginning. Recall from last week in Ezek. 28:15-19 and also in Isaiah 14:12-15 that he was cast down because of his pride. He used similar trick on Eve in the garden of Eden in Gen 3:5 "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." He is always seeking attention and wanting to take ?centre stage'. Our attitude as Christians must be different from this as succinctly admonished by Paul in Philippians 2:1-18 which we will read and reflectively meditate on. It is also note worthy that the beast is only allowed to do what he did for an appointed time and when his time is over, he will be thrown to where he is destined to be.

Read this again from last week's lesson: "Satan has perpetuated the lie that he is God's opposite. He is not God's opposite. He is not omniscient, omnipresent, or omnipotent. He is only a created being. In our times of discouragement and seeming defeat, we must remember that the powers of good will overcome the powers of evil. Satan and his demonic forces may win some battles along the way but they will ultimately lose the war!"

Persecuting the saints and the inhabitants of the earth [Verse 7-10]

7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

As believers, we must understand that we are the first target of Satan and his allies. Since he lost his place in heaven and he is fully aware that we are joint heirs with Christ, he does everything to frustrate the reality of this hence we must patiently endure and faithfully hold fast to Christ.

Are you certain that your name is written in the book of life? Is your name still in this book of life? Are you still running the Christian race as expected from you by Christ Jesus? Are you still standing firm in the faith? Will you go with the first flight?

Let us all examine ourselves tonight as the scripture admonishes us in 2 Cor. 13:5 "Test yourselves to discover whether you are true believers: put your own selves under examination. Or do you not know that Jesus Christ is within you, unless you are insincere?"

Conclusion

In conclusion, let us reflect on these verses of the scripture:

Hebrews 12:1-3: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."

Matt. 24:13 "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."

Contributor: Akin Akande

Introduction:

In last week's study, we looked at the concluding part of chapter 11 in a study titled "The Witnesses Resurrected". We looked at the resurrection, glorification and translation of the two witnesses as well as the calamity that befell God's enemies on earth and the proclamation of God's Kingdom and the worship of our Maker. We concluded the study with the announcement of God's pay back for both the good and the bad.

This week, the study takes a new turn. In these intriguing verses, crammed with symbols and figurines, we delve into the excitement of these breathtaking events (akin to a blockbuster movie) as we watch Satan lose the battle and realize that he is all bark and no bite! So imagine for a moment, the word is spread round the streets of heaven: "Showing tonight in HD 3D - "The Woman, Her Son, and the Dragon"". You arrive at heavens cinema and take a front row seat, the curtains are drawn and Revelation 12: 1-17 unfolds . . .

1.      Verses 1 - 4: Two Great Signs (An Attempt To Understand The Signs)

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

It is important to note that John referred to the "woman" and the "dragon" as signs. A sign is defined as: "An object, quality, or event whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else."

·         Symbol 1 - The Woman

The fact that the "woman" is referred to as "a great sign" means that John was not referring to a literal woman. Although there are many thoughts on what the woman represents e.g. the virgin Mary; (which by the way would not be wrong as we see in verse 5) as well as the Nation of Israel (physical & spiritual).

The thought however that I believe is more appropriate is the Nation of Israel (physical & spiritual). The Bible, in the Old Testament referred to Israel as a woman (God's wife). See Isaiah 54:5,6; Jeremiah 3:6,8; 31:32; Ezekiel 16:32; Hosea 2:16.

The symbol of Israel as a woman travailing in birth is found in several Old Testament passages. (See Isaiah 26:17-18; 66:7-12; Hosea 13:13; Micah 4:10; 5:2-3).

·         Symbol 2 - The sun, moon, and twelve stars

The symbols of the sun, moon, and twelve stars remind us of Joseph's dream in Genesis 37:9-11 refer to Jacob, his wife and the 12 tribes of Israel. (This "validates" the thought in Symbol 1 above)

·         Symbol 3 - The Child

This is obviously a reference to Jesus Christ who, as promised in Scripture, was from the nation of Israel. Verse 5 says the child is the One who rules with a rod of iron. See Matthew 1:1-25; Psalm 2:8-9; Revelation 2:27; 19:15.

·         Symbol 4 - The Red Great Dragon

In verse 9, the Bible identified the dragon as Satan. The description is also symbolical; his "red" color suggests bloodshed and death, the seven heads represent mountains (Rev 17:9) and the ten horns represent kings (Rev 17:12; Dan 7:7-8, 20, 24). Its tail "drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth:" These "stars" are fallen angels who revolted with Satan at his fall (see Isa 14:12-17; Ezek 28:12-14).

Verse 4a creates some sort of "special effects" The past and present events all happening at once (in John's eyes). He brings together events in Ezek 28:12-14 and his vision in verses 1-3

Verse 4b says, "the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child."

Satan is not ignorant about God's plan of redemption. He also knows that redemption would come through the Messiah who would come from the lineage of Israel. As we journey through the Bible, we find Satan's attempt to wipe out God's plan in the persecution of the Jews culminating in Matthew 2:13

2.      Verses 5 - 6: Jesus - Triumphant And Caught Up!

"And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days"

Verse 5 perfectly summarizes Christ's birth, his life, and ascension into heaven. Satan failed to destroy Jesus at His birth, during His life, and in His death, Jesus Christ ascended victoriously into heaven.

Unable to destroy Christ, Satan turned his attention toward the "woman" - Israel. But God prepared a place so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days."

3.      Verses 7 - 10: The Final Battle - Angelic Victory!

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."

"And there was war in heaven: . . ." Was this the same war referred to in Ezek 28:12-14 or is this a future event? It is almost like déjà vu; the use of the word "And" in the beginning of the verse will suggest that this time John's vision was futuristic. After the woman fled under God's protection, Satan and his angels went and waged war in heaven. It would be akin to the last effort in battles as we see in movies. He knew he was going down but not without a fight; and down he went! He and his angels for the second and final time. While Satan and his demons, in Ezek 28:12-14, fell and were cast out of heaven, Satan still had access to heaven to accuse the brethren (see Job 1:6-7; 2:1-2 & Zech 3:1-2). However, after this battle in question, he will no longer be permitted access to heaven.

It is important to note that is NOT a battle between God and Satan, but between Michael and Satan. It is two created angels and their forces battling each other. Satan has perpetuated the lie that he is God's opposite. He is not God's opposite. He is not omniscient, omnipresent, or omnipotent. He is only a created being. In our times of discouragement and seeming defeat, we must remember that the powers of good will overcome the powers of evil. Satan and his demonic forces may win some battles along the way but they will ultimately lose the war!

4.      Verses 11 - 12:  The Weapons - Human Victory!

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."

Verse 11 describes three weapons the martyrs will use to overcome Satan.

a)      The Blood of the Lamb: The first weapon is "the blood of Lamb." The bloodshed on the cross ensures that God will forgive us (Rom 8:31-34). Thus, Satan's accusations, however true, are rendered null and void in God's court of law. So how can we practically apply this truth?

First, we have to honestly admit the truth of Satan's accusation: We are sinners!

Secondly, we should remind Satan that the blood of the Lamb covers us. Our sins have all been nailed to the cross of Christ and we will no longer be judged or accused by God for these sins.

b)      The word of our testimony: The second weapon we have is the word of our testimony (see 1:9; 6:9). This refers to testimonies of both our lives and lips. We must be salt and light to our world (Matt 5:13-16). When we share our testimony, we move into Satan's territory and it's intimidating to him! Our testimony is powerful and irrefutable.

c)      The refusal to love one's life: The third weapon we have is a refusal to love one's life. These tribulation martyrs were willing to lose anything and everything for Jesus: (reputation, status, and possessions, etc.) They were even willing to give up their lives for what they believed, even if it meant suffering the violent death of a martyr. See Rev. 2:10, John 10:11, 15. Revelation (1:9; 6:9; 14:12; 20:4).

Verse 12 is yet another encouragement why we should endeavor by God's grace to be on the first flight. While in heaven there will be rejoicing, on earth there will be woe! Satan knowing that he has only 1,260 days before Jesus Christ returns to the earth and binds him (20:1-2) unleashes his whole arsenal in one last desperate attempt to drag many down with him.

5.      Verses 13 - 17: The War Against The Remnant

"And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

Satan tries to do everything in his power to destroy the woman (Israel). But God's provides a way for her (them) to escape. Once again the use of the word Eagle is a metaphor used to describe the way God will deliver Israel. God often uses this metaphor of the Eagle to refer to His protection of Israel (Ps 55:6-8; Isa 40:31). The comparison between an eagle that can fly overhead and an earth-bound serpent implies the superior protection of God. (Exodus 19:4; Deut 32:11).

In verse 15, he changes battle strategy - he "cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood."

Notice again that the Bible says water "as" a flood, it would be difficult to tell if the flood should be interpreted literally or figuratively. Because it is possible that Satan will use a Tsunami as a form of attack, and it could also be that he will pursue them with soldiers as a river (Jer. 46:7-8; 47:2-3; Ezek 38-39). A flood is also a biblical metaphor for overwhelming evil (Ps 18:4; 32:36; 69:2; 124:2-4; Isa 43:2). The flood however did not accomplish its task because the earth helped the woman, and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.  Isaiah 59:19

Satan is now three times a loser. He has failed to destroy the man child (verses1-6), he has lost the war in heaven (verses7-9), he has been unable to destroy the woman (verses13-16), and thus his wrath is directed toward the "rest of the woman's children." These "children" referred to here will be any true child of God, Jew or Gentile. (See 1 Cor. 2:1-2; 1 John 5:11-12 & 2 Timothy 3:12)

CONCLUSION

You get up from your seat and walk out of the cinema thinking to yourself; "how do they make it look so real?"You still feel the adrenaline rush during the war in heaven and the burst of excitement in verse 12 when the call was made to heaven to rejoice and the feelings for the inhabitants of earth. "How do they make it look so real?"

Well, because it is (or rather, it will be) real. So as you get into your car and drive home; remember that the Christian life is not a playground; it's a battleground! Do all you can to live for Jesus Christ in this life, prepare for and go through suffering when they come, get ready for the first flight because despite all, our concern should be to make the first flight and reap our eternal rewards. (As well as have a front row seat when the whole "drama" unfolds)

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

Introduction:

Two weeks ago, we looked at the first part of Chapter 11 where we considered the exploits of God's two prophets and the subsequent and resultant reactions of their oppositions. We were challenged by the speaker to ask ourselves if we are faithful witnesses to the command and charge of Jesus Christ, our Lord, that He commanded us before His ascension into glory. You will recall that the teaching ended with "those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth".  The events take a glorious and enviable turn in the verses we will be looking at today. We will, amongst other things, see the awesomeness and faithfulness of Him, who has called us unto glory and Honour.

1]         God's Witnesses Are Resurrected & Translated - (Verses 11-14 NKJV)

¹¹ Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. ¹² And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. ¹³ In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven. ¹⁴ The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.  

Double Honour

Remember Lazarus? John 11:17 records: "So when Jesus came, He found that he (Lazarus) had already been in the tomb four days" [Emphasis mine].

Why did Jesus wait for four (4) days?

Why did God wait for three and half days before resurrecting the dead witnesses?

Jesus said in the same John 11:4 "......but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." The dead witnesses' bodies were lying on the street for three and half days, already decaying. Recall also that there was merry making, rejoicing and sending of gifts by men because of the calamity that befell these men.

The very life-giving breath of God Almighty, same that was breathed into man (Gen 2:7) entered into these prophets, and they that were dead, stood on their feet. Let's imagine for once, the scenario. No wonder, the bible recorded that Great Fear fell on those who saw them. From drunken merry making one moment, to soberness and great fear the next. I can perceive most (if not all) frozen from their face down. It suddenly dawn on them that the end is what actually justifies the means. You see, it is never over with God until His will is accomplished! Are you at the verge of giving up? Be encouraged! The enemy of your soul is about to experience one of the greatest defeat of his life. Nothing beats God!

Notice also that these prophets were not just resurrected, they were glorified and translated. I believe they were not the only people that heard the voice from heaven, the emphasis on loud would indicate that every one present heard. Imagine a host of heavenly companies escorting these two to heaven above. How glorious it is to serve the Lord. These were going to get double honour for every shame they have suffered (Isaiah 61:7). This was witnessed by their enemies, how shameful.                                                            

Calamity for the Enemies

Now as a further demonstration of God's power and sovereignty over the beast and his system, and still in shock of the preceding events of the resurrection and ascension of the prophets, a great earthquake occurs in and around Jerusalem killing 7,000 people. Those who are left become terrified and give glory to God. Perhaps some are saved through this, but the others will simply confess the glory and power of God without repentance, or faith. They are like the fallen angels who believe and know the reality of God, and yet tremble in their confirmed state of rebellion against God (James 2:19). Because of the hardness of their hearts, these will have become confirmed in their unrepentant condition. They have reached the point of no return.

2]         Seventh Trumpet: God's Kingdom Proclaimed

. ¹⁵ Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" ¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying:

"We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
¹⁸ The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth."

¹⁹ Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail

The Effect and Consequence of the Seventh Trumpet

1] Here were loud and joyful acclamations of the saints and angels in heaven (Rev. 11:15). We need to carefully observe the following;

·         The manner of their adorations: They rose from their seats, and fell on their faces, and worshipped God; they did it with reverence and humility.

·         The matter of their adorations: They thankfully recognize the right of our God and Saviour to rule and reign over all the world: The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.

·         They thankfully observe his actual possession of them, and reign over them; they give him thanks because he had taken to him his great power, asserted his rights, and exerted his power.

·         They rejoice that this his reign shall never end: He shall reign forever and ever, till all enemies be put under his feet; none shall ever wrest the sceptre out of his hand.   

These must be our attitude in the worship and adoration of our Maker! It's not just about the rhythm of the song; it's all about our God!

2] Here were angry resentments in the world at these just appearances and actings of the power of God (Rev. 11:18):

·         The nations were angry; not only had been so, but were so still: their hearts rose up against God; they met his wrath with their own anger. And why were they angry?

·         It was a time when God was taking a just revenge upon the enemies of his people, recompensing tribulation to those who had troubled them.

·         It was a time in which he was beginning to reward his people's faithful services and sufferings; and their enemies could not bear it, they fretted against God, and so increased their guilt and hastened their destruction.

Remember what the psalmist says in Psalm 73?  He mentioned that he "....was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.....(vs 3); Their eyes bulge with abundance; they have more than heart could wish. (vs 7); He could not help but confess that "When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me- (vs 16); Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end" (vs 17).

The wicked had their chance for repentance, but they blew it. As God's anointed servants, we must have confidence and draw strength from the truth that He is sovereign and has all things under His control. We must not be moved by situations and circumstances. It may look like the enemy has an upper hand now, but let us remember, God is a faithful Rewarder and a just Judge.

3] Another consequence was the opening of the temple of God in heaven (Rev.11:19). This may infer two things;

·         This may mean that there is now a more free communication between heaven and earth, prayer and praises more freely and frequently ascending and graces and blessings plentifully descending.

·         It may also refer to the church (or kingdom) of God on earth, a heavenly temple. Recall that the kingdom, which refers to the reign and rule of the entire earth that God intended to be under man's authority and rule, but was wrested from man by Satan (Heb. 2:5-8). Satan became "the god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4) and "the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working [as a ruling king] in the sons of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2). There are really only two kingdoms?Satan's and God's (Col. 1:13). But through this trumpet and woe, Satan's kingdom will be totally destroyed and the world will come under the lordship of Christ

At the opening of the temple of God, we observe,

1. What was seen there? The ark of God's Testament. This was in the holy of holies; in this ark the tables of the law were kept.

 2. What was heard and felt there: Lightnings, voices, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. The great blessing of the reformation was attended with very awful providences; and by terrible things in righteousness God would answer those prayers that were presented in his holy temple, now opened.

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola