Tag Archives: Revelation

Imagine Heaven — Part 2

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In the last post we looked at verses fromMatthew 5:8, John 14:1-4, Philippians 3:20-21, Colossians 3:1-3, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, Hebrews 11:13-16, 1 Peter 1:3-4, and Revelation 21:1-8. Today we will look at verses from Revelation 21:9-22:5.

Revelation 21:9-22:5. This section depicts all that God reveals to us about the holy city, the New Jerusalem—that place that will be our eternal dwelling with God. We won’t go over every point in any great detail; we will cover just the high points to stir our imagination of what our future home will be like.

Ch. 21:10-11. This great city, which John saw coming down out of heaven from God, sparkled with the glory of God. Its brilliance was like that of a crystal-clear jasper. Some commentators say that it will be more like a clear diamond.

Ch. 21:12-14.  This great and marvelous city will have a very high wall around it with twelve gates, three on each of its four sides; and the gates will have written on them the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. These gates with the names inscribed on each one will be an eternal reminder of Israel and also of the millennial temple that will be set up in the same way (Ezek. 48:30-35).

Ch. 21:15-16. The city will be 1,500 miles square and 1,500 miles high, in the shape of a cube. So, it will have over two-million square miles of ground space and plenty of space above for several levels. I imagine that each of our dwellings will be very large! With very high ceilings! What do you think?

Ch. 21:17-20. The thickness of the clear diamond walls will be seventy-two yards; that’s almost three quarters the length of a football field. That’s pretty thick, but it has to be to support all the weight of a 1,500-mile-high city. Also, the rest of the inside of the city; its streets (v. 21), and I suppose other interior walls, will be of pure gold, gold like pure glass. I’ve never seen transparent gold. I can’t imagine it, nor can I imagine clear diamond walls. Now the foundation of the city—all around the bottom part of the walls—will be composed of twelve kinds of very expensive precious stones, again it will represent and bring honor to the Jewish people.

Ch 21:21. The twelve gates all around the city will be made of pearl; that is, each gate will be made of a single pearl. That is very hard to imagine since the gates will be very large; at least seventy-two yards thick and who knows how high.

Ch. 21:22. There will be no temple anywhere in heaven, for the presence of God will fill the new heaven and earth and He will be the new temple.

Ch. 21:23-24. Whether there will be a sun or moon anywhere in heaven, I’m not sure; but in the city there will be no need for their light, for the glory of God will light up the city and also the new earth. All people on the earth will see by the light of the glory of God coming from the city.

Ch. 21:25-27. There will be no night in the city; it will be light all the time and the gates will never be closed, inviting anyone to come and go in and out of the city. And it appears that God will be pleased with people coming into the city; their personalities will be honoring to God and others; that is, every person that comes into the city will make it more glorious and honoring to God. Think of it, my presence there will bring an added joy to all. But nothing unclean or evil will be allowed in the city.

Ch. 22:1-5. In this passage John records things that are especially enjoyable and beneficial to the soul for eternity. John sees a river flowing from the throne of God coursing down the center of main street. This river is unique in that it is crystal clear and eternally nourishing. That is, it holds all the qualities in it that keeps us living and thriving for eternity. Hence, it is more than H2o; it contains all the living qualities of God’s holy life. I believe it is the very water that Jesus spoke of to the woman at the well (Jn. 4:14). It is water that if anyone drinks of it will never thirst again. Hence, in heaven we will be eternally satisfied. Moreover, on either side of the river there will be a tree of life bearing twelve crops of fruit—one crop every month; and the leaves of the tree will be for the healing of the people.

Now I don’t think this description of the river and the fruit trees are entirely literal. I’m not sure what we can expect to see, but I think the main point of this picture is to tell us that we will be eternally nourished and satisfied with God and the Lord Jesus. I think there may be several living rivers and multiple fruit trees wherever we go—to delight us.

Verses three through five seem to clump many things together—important things that John needs to say before he concludes.

  • That there will no longer be any curse. All that from the old earth is over.
  • That God’s throne and of the Lamb will be present somewhere in the city. I imagine it will be in a central location.
  • That His bond-servants (you and me) will serve Him.
  • That we will see His face; finally, we being sinless will be able to see God’s face.
  • And God’s name will be on our foreheads—to symbolize that we are His and He forever will protect us (Rev. 7:3).
  • And there will no longer be night; and we will no longer need the light of the sun because God’s glory will give us all the light we need.
  • And we will reign with God and the Lord Jesus forever and ever.

The New Heaven And The New Earth

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In this article we will look at Revelation 21:1-7, verse by verse.

Verse 1. After John got a good view of the great white throne judgment, God flashed this scene before his eyes. He saw a new heaven and a new earth. It appeared very different than the old ones. And one reason is because there appeared to be no seas. And what that means I’m not exactly sure, but we will discuss a few different views in chapter eight.

Verse 2. Next, after being in awe of the new heaven and earth, John was dazzled by a very large bright cube-shaped city descending from the heavens. This, John commented, was “as a bride adorned for her husband.” These words tell us that it is the place where the saints (the church as well as the Old Testament and Tribulation believers) have been taken to live with the Father and the Son (Jn. 14:2-4).

Verse 3. Then John heard a loud voice from the throne of God saying, “The tabernacle of God is among men” (all believers)—meaning that God now lives together with His believers. I am not sure whether this is referring to the holy city, or to all of heaven. The new Jerusalem will be the capitol city of heaven and where God’s throne is; but certainly, all of heaven and earth will be God’s abode and His presence will be everywhere.

Verse 4. This verse describes the new changes that God will bring to all believers. (1) He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; (2) there will no longer be death—for you remember (in 1 Cor. 15:26) that death was abolished; and (3) there will no longer be mourning, crying, or pain; these things have passed away.

Verse 5. And then He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true” (NIV). So, God wanted to make a firm point to John, and to make sure to record it—that He was making all things new, that the heavens and the earth, and the people and all things were new and different. It is nothing like the old. No sin, no tears, no death, no pain and no curse. Everything is and will continue to be very good and new.

Verse 6. Then God said to John, “It is done.” He was saying that His work of making all things new was completed. Then Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.” So, He was saying here clearly that He is supreme overall and if anyone has any needs He will supply that need.

Verse 7. Here Jesus puts a condition on those who receive His blessing freely. It is for only those who are overcomers of sin according to their faith, which makers them sons of God. For all others, their part will be in the lake of fire (v. 8).

The Great White Throne Judgment

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This great and important event takes place immediately after the destruction of heaven and earth. We will comment on it verse by verse from Revelation 20:11 to 20:15.

Verse 11. After John saw (in his vision) the devil being thrown into the lake of fire, he then immediately saw the vision of a great white throne and Him (God) sitting upon it. And the Scripture text here is written as if this throne with God upon it was all there was. That is, the earth and heaven had fled away, or we could say that it disappeared or gone into non-existence. It seems here as if John missed the great explosion of heaven and earth. His eyes saw the great white throne, and then he realized that heaven and earth were gone.

Verse 12. Then next John saw the dead (those who had died) standing (now alive) before the throne. And John here is careful to make clear that all the dead are here: great and small, which means the young and old; the rich and the poor; the big ones and the short ones, etc. And the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to what was written about them in the books—all their deeds (everything they ever did, good or bad, was recorded in these books).

Verse 13. God here seems to circle back to make certain that no dead is left out, even those who died at sea, or that were thrown into the sea; these were included in the number of dead. And all the places of death and hell turned in or released their dead ones to go and sand before the throne of God. Apparently, these dead beings are given new bodies suited for hell.

Verse 14. At first glance this verse was difficult to me. But when I looked back at 1 Corinthians 15:26 the meaning was made clear. At this point, that is, at the great white throne, death and hell will be abolished forever—cast into the lake of fire. And this is the second death. The first death was only physical death, but this second death is spiritual and eternal.

Take note also that this second death is only for unbelievers. It will have no power over believers. They will reign with Christ for a thousand years and then on into eternity (Rev. 20:6; 22:5).

Verse 15. Here it is made clear who will be judged. It is all those whose names are not written in the book of life.

The Contents of The Tribulation

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I’m excited about this new book. If you have been a little confused about future things and about the coming Tribulation, I think this book will help you straighten things out. Here is the book’s contents. Please let me know if you have any questions about the book.

INTRODUCTION    vii 

LEADING UP TO THE TRIBULATION   11

PART ONE: INTRODUCING THE TRIBULATION  

1. The Source and Purpose of the Tribulation   25

2. The Nature of the Tribulation   41

3.Personalities in the Tribulation   59

PART TWO: THE TRIBULATION                                             

     4. The Seals   107

     5. The Trumpets   131

     6. Mid Tribulation Events   153

     7. The Bowls    175

PART THREE: LAST THINGS  

     8. Armageddon, The Fall of Babylon, The Return of Christ, and The Judgment of The Nations   197

The Tribulation: My Latest Book

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I have just finished writing my latest book, THE TRIBULATION. I think it is my best book and I hope you will consider getting it. It is available now at my Lulu website: https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/lordteachustopray/

As I have noted on the book description,

This is not a book on all the personal tribulations/trials we may go through [now]. It is on the seven-year Tribulation written about in the book of Revelation, and also in the Old Testament prophetical books. The Tribulation is a product of my study of Scripture, and also from a few other bible scholars whom I trust. As to its content, about half of the book introduces the Tribulation, giving important information as to it setting, its purpose, and its nature. Then in the second half, the judgments (the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls) are expounded on, and each Tribulation event is highlighted. I’m sure that this book will serve you well in your understanding of The Tribulation as it is given to us in the Scriptures.

Huge Earthquake — More than 2,300 Dead

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The 7.8 mag. Earthquake in Turkey and Syria that had claimed the lives of more than 2,300 people, has brought my attention to what I have been reading in Revelation sixteen. Verse 18 and following, tells us that there will be a great earthquake—the greatest there ever was. It will be so great that it will cause all the cities to fall. And it will cause every island and all the mountains to disappear below the earth. Read it yourself (Rev. 16:18-20).

As great as this quake in Turkey is, the one coming up will be so much greater. I hope you who are reading this will not have to go through it—in the Tribulation. You need not experience it if you are a Christian and are raptured.

Here is an article on this recent earthquake.

More than 2,300 people dead in Turkey, Syria after 7.8-magnitude earthquake

 February 5

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, killing more than 2,300 people and taking down countless buildings. 

The earthquake prompted a search for survivors in the rubble in cities and towns across the region. The death toll is expected to rise. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the numbers could increase as much as eight time as rescuers work to find more victims. 

“We always see the same thing with earthquakes, unfortunately, which is that the initial reports of the numbers of people who have died or who have been injured will increase quite significantly in the week that follows,” the WHO’s senior emergency officer for Europe, Catherine Smallwood, told AFP.

Read the full Article

Armageddon — An Introduction

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I have been writing a book on the Tribulation, and I am at the end of it. The last chapter, which I am beginning now is entitled: Armageddon, The Fall of Babylon, and The Judgement of the Nations.

ARMAGEDDON

When we think about Armageddon we should think of it first as a war, or as an extended, escalating conflict. Then at the very end it will be a bloody battle, normally called the Battle of Armageddon.

In my research I found that some of the most popular authors on this subject seem to be quite sure that the campaign of Armageddon involves eight phases or stages: 1) the gathering of the armies of the Antichrist, 2) the destruction of Babylon, 3) the fall of Jerusalem, 4) the Antichrist moves against the Jewish Remnant, 5) Israel is saved, 6) Jesus Christ Returns, 7) the final battle, and 8) Christ ascends to the Mount of Olives.

Using the same Scriptures, I came up with a slightly different and shorter list of stages. Here are my five stages: 1) the gathering of the armies, 2) A Great Earthquake, or a nuclear exchange, 3) the fall of Babylon, 4) the fall of Jerusalem, and 5) the climax of the battle, or the return of Christ. Also note that I am not positively sure about the order of stages two, three, and four; but I will do my best to explain things as I see them, as you will read in upcoming blogs.

The Harvest On The Earth

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The harvest of the earth speaks of the great judgment of God upon all unbelievers, which occurs at the very end of the Tribulation. We will look at the entire passage and then break it down into three points.

Revelation 14:14-20. Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.

17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.

The Executioners

There will be two executioners: Jesus Christ and special designated angels. Jesus Christ is seen by John as “a son of man having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.” This imagery, especially the golden crown on His head, shows us vividly that Christ is victorious in battle; and even before the battle is over, we know that He will conquer His enemies.

His special angels helping Him also have sharp sickles (deadly weapons), and they will be working to gather all the sinners into the great wine press of God (the wrath of God).

The Harvest Will Be Ripe

The harvest in this passage is first of grain (vs 14-16), and then of grapes (17-20). In the first group of verses I think the harvest of grain is dealing with the separation of the tares from the good grain, or the unbelievers from the believers (This is explained for us in Matthew 13:39-43). We can’t be sure exactly when or how this will occur, but I think it will occur sometime before Armageddon—which is what is described in verses 17 through 20.

So, as for this second passage, where the imagery is clearly of the harvest of grapes, the separation has already occurred, and all of the unbelieving people left (represented as grapes) are harvested (judged); they are all ripe and are cast into the great wine press.

Notice that in both cases—the harvest of grain (the separation) and the harvest of grapes—the timing is exactly right. Hence, as the writer of Ecclesiastes puts it, “There is an appointed time for everything” (Ecc. 3:1). And in this case, the time for God’s judgment on unbelievers has come. He has waited patiently for people to repent and come to Him. But there will be an appointed time when His patience runs out and His judgment begins. At that time nothing can be done to delay His time of judgment.

The Great Wine Press

The great wine press is the slaughter of all unbelievers like the pressing of grapes. The writing here portrays all those who will come to the great battle ground in Israel. As is described in the sixth bowl (Rev. 16:13-16), they (hundreds of millions) will be drawn to this place of battle: mainly in Armageddon, but I think in most of the land of Israel, by demons which will come out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet; these three will demonically convince the world to come and fight. And so, they will be led by demons to this great battle. But they will come to be slaughtered by the angels of God and Christ Himself. They will be slaughtered by the sword, and their blood will be as deep as the horses’ bridles—as it flows for 200 miles from Armageddon in the North to Edom in the south.

Now these who gather, at least most of them, I think, are military men (armies). But what of the civilian unbelievers. I assume that they will be judged too—wherever they may be located. None will escape the sword of God’s wrath. All will die because of their rebellious unbelief. As the seventh bowl judgment describes, some will die by a great earthquake, and some will die by huge hail stones, and I imagine that some will die merely out of fear—the fear of His judgment. In the end there will be no unbelievers left. All will die.

Mid-Tribulation Event (Revelation 12:1-15:4) – Part 1

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Stephen Nielsen's avatarStudying Bible Prophecy

To start with, let me clarify something about the title of this section. I am not meaning here that the events from Revelation 12:1 to 15:4 will all occur exactly in the middle of the Tribulation, or that they will even occur between the trumpets and the bowls. I only mean that they are found written about in the book of Revelation between the trumpets and the bowls. Actually, it is a parenthetical passage meant to convey details of key events during all of the Tribulation and especially during the last three and a half years of it. But it is more than a record of key events. The passage is meant to give us background information or a setting for the Tribulation and for the main characters: for Satan, Israel, Christ, the two beasts, the 144,000 witnesses, and certain angels.

We will divide this lengthy passage into seven parts:…

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Angelic Quotes about Jesus – from Revelation

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I have just started reading through Revelation, and I keep noticing the many quotes about Jesus, which have been given to us through the apostle John, by “His angel” (Jesus angel, Rev. 1:1; 22:16). The angels are such good witnesses to Jesus; we ought to pay attention to what they say. Here are the quotes I ran across so far, up to Revelation 3:14.

[He is] the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. [He] loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father (Rev 1:5-6).

I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades (Rev 1:17-18).

[He is] the first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life (Rev 2:8).

The One who has the sharp two-edged sword (Rev 2:12).

The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze (Rev 2:18).

He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars (Rev 3:1).

He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens (Rev 3:7).

The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God (Rev 3:14).