Author: missionspaul

Why couldn’t it have finished in chapter 19 and had the dragon (satan) thrown in the lake also?

1,000 years … what is this?

“And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.”  (Revelation 20 v 1-3)

Since Bible College days I had to adopt an understanding of what kind of millenialist I am. I chose one that my friends were as I didn’t have a clue what was the truth. Basically it goes like this:

Pre-thousand years: Jesus comes before.

A-thousand years: Jesus is reigning now in the church age.

Post-thousand years: Jesus comes after.

But what if all the numbers in the vision are symbolic? That’s what I have been writing throughout these devotions. What if Jesus isn’t a physical Lamb with 7 eyes and 7 horns?!! What if the church at Smyrna didn’t go through tribulation for 10 literal days but that it was simply a symbol of a time of testing but that the 10 being a complete number shows that God was completely in control of them during the difficult season? And so …. What if the 1,000 years is not time-based but a sign of who actually is in control? What if the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan is actually under the control of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Isn’t that true anyway?

And if that is true, what are you then afraid of this Sunday morning?!!

It is probably a good time for a refresher on who’s who!

If you have in mind the Trinity it helps. These are the parody of that perfect trinity:

The dragon (God the Father); the beast from the sea (God the Son, the Lamb) seen as Babylon, Rome and all the anti-Christ blasphemous empires of the world which follow and who use the Great Whore to tempt people to follow the beast; the beast from the earth (God the Spirit) seen as the false prophet who corrupts the nature of people through the mark 666.

“Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. ²⁰ But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. ²¹ The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.” (Revelation 19 v 19-21)

So the beast from the sea and the beast of the earth (the false prophet) are captured. They never do wage war on Jesus Christ!

The Great Whore was already fallen and now the 2 members of the evil trinity are thrown in the fire of burning sulphur. The kings of the earth and their armies (representing the flesh of mankind) lay rotting on the floor (see yesterday’s devotion on v17-18).

Evil is unravelling fast. The beasts are gone. The dragon will be next.

For a quick 10 minute read then go to https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/most-awesome-awful-places-earth-gory-details-travel-science

Within the article you see the worst places on earth that are simply natural wonders but are super dangerous and scary at the same time. Like Turkmenistan’s Door to Hell which is a sulphur burning crater in a desert which is continually burning.

Once you have read of these places it helps to appreciate one far worse than these. All the anti-Christ blasphemous empires, religious and political and all the corruption that invaded the nature of the history of mankind are no more. They are in the lake of burning sulphur.

Can you imagine a world without those 2 beasts? John’s revelation is starting to make us become excited of what might look like a new earth. More to come!

There are 2 suppers and one doesn’t seem appealing at all!

“And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.” (Revelation 19 v 17-18)

In both Greek and Jewish literature they have images of the wicked who have died but have no burial so the vultures devour their rotten flesh. In the Old Testament we have numerous references but perhaps John’s readers saw this as a fulfilment of The battle of Gog and Magog which we will read in the next chapter and is told in Ezekiel 38 and 39. “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Call out to every kind of bird and all the wild animals: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood. ¹⁸ You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls—all of them fattened animals from Bashan. ¹⁹ At the sacrifice I am preparing for you, you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk. ²⁰ At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.” (Ezekiel 39:17-20)

So you can see the similarity with the verses in Revelation.

Gog and Magog have been debated and interpreted for generations. Some have gone as far as naming the nations who these belong to and who exactly they will attack. It’s quite amazing what people know! Anyway, we will get to that soon.

There isn’t much life at the Great Supper party. You don’t want to be there!

So what am I reflecting on this morning? It is simply this:

The vultures are eating the ‘flesh’.

All that has been relied upon; all that has been achieved; all that we have boasted in, battled and divided over; all the grotesque sinful flesh; the hurt and the pain of sin; so much of what has caught our attention and what we have wasted time over; its lying rotting on the floor; gone forever.

Don’t put too much trust in the flesh. Some arguments last far too long. Some desires drain you because they never cease. Real life is never about the flesh.

White supremacists advocating a jihad in the name of Christ didn’t end in the 13^th century. Using passages like the one we will read right now and preparing for a literal Armageddon which is not going to take place the modern day crusader is still at large.

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. ¹² His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but He himself. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron sceptre.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

King of kings and lord of lords.

(Revelation 19 v 11-16)

The Christian crusades of killing Muslim and Jewish people including women and children were as evil as the fanatical militants are today.

The crusade is the cross and the cross of Christ was enough.

What we have read is as symbolic as the image of the dragon with his 7 heads and the beast coming out of the sea. It is not a proof text to take up the sword against anyone. The symbolism draws from Isaiah 11 and 63 and Psalm 2.

What we know now from Revelation is that Jesus does have weapons and they are his own sacrificial blood and the Word of God.

What we know now from Revelation is that heaven’s door keeps opening and throughout the vision Jesus keeps being revealed. In fact this is the Revelation of Jesus and from Jesus.

It is all about Jesus. Christmas is about Jesus. The New Year is about Jesus. Every day and every moment is about Jesus.

Here He comes. On a horse which is a sign of war and He comes to wage war but not as we know it. It is not the final battle for that has already happened on the cross. This is not a crusade. This is to deal with the dragon and the 2 beasts. This is a ride of declaration and of victory.

Let us unpack this briefly.

• He is Faithful and True. John has already written (1:5) that Jesus is the ‘Faithful Witness’. He represents God the Father to the world and as the witness he knows what it is to suffer. He is the perfect model for martyrdom. No matter how dark or difficult your road you are walking in His steps who has gone before you.
• He has eyes of blazing fire. Not only are they pure but they see into the soul of anything and judges them with purifying fire. “Purify my heart, let me be as gold and precious silver.”
• He has many crowns. The dragon only has 7 and the beast of the sea has only 10 crowns on 7 heads. That may look complete. But Jesus has many crowns. It is hard to count there are so many! What the enemy purposes for evil Jesus turns it for good because He always has more authority over the situation of your life than the dragon.
• He has a name that no one knows. There isn’t anyone in creation that truly knows or can control Him by knowing Him. No matter if you have served Jesus for all of your life there is still more to know. Today you can pursue Him with a first love because you don’t know Him fully.
• His robe is stained with His own blood. The blood is the sign of victory. He has been treading the winepress of God’s wrath. Where? On the cross. There is no battle for He has already battled and won. Your sin has been dealt with. Your judgment has been taken away. The wrath of God has been peacefully met.
• The armies with him are dressed in linen. Again another proof there is no battle for they are not dressed for it. The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world.
• He is the Word of God. Surely John is remembering what he wrote in his gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” (John 1: 1-2) Jesus is not only the reason for the season, He is the reason for life. Jesus is not only the true meaning behind Christmas, He is the true meaning to everything of your life.
• He is above every other name. The Caesars would be called king of kings and lord of lords but He is the real King and the real Lord. Bow before Him now and make Him so.

Are their idols in the church?

Is it possible that the pews can get so enamoured by the pulpit that worship begins to be slightly distracted from the right person?

If it could happen to John it can happen to us.

“Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” ¹⁰ At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.” (Revelation 19 v 9-10)

John fell down to worship the angel because the powerful communicator of the gospel and the declarer of the truth given by God can be so mesmerising that we lose sight that this being is only a created one.

The angel reveals what all communicators for God should note: true prophecy keeps Jesus in the right place which is the highest place for that is the true test of the Spirit of prophecy.

Write this John. That was the instruction even though John has already been told to do so right at the beginning of this vision. The point is made. Get this down John. This is important. They need to know this truth.

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. ⁸ Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) ⁹ Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” (Revelation 19 v 7-9)

Why should John be told to write this?

It is because the only thing that matters in all of history and the entirety of your life is this: to know Jesus loves you.

That is all. Do you know you are perfectly loved by Jesus? What good is it if you achieve everything in this world and have so many friends but you do not fully know His love for you? Before you do anything today. As you wake from your sleep. Jesus loves you. How would you go into your today if you truly knew this? If you knew for certain that in a few days you would be with the person who loved you, how would these next few days be lived? How much more in waiting for Jesus? Dressing to impress in order to be loved is not the same as dressing for the one you know is in love with you.

Jesus loves you as a bridegroom does a bride. Can you imagine that day when you will see Jesus face to face?

Jesus’ love for you cost Him his blood (it is the wedding of the Lamb). Our ‘clothes’ are clean only because His clothes are bloodied. Can there be any greater love than dying for another?

Jesus’ love for you carries an eager expectation that this engagement will soon turn into a marriage. Can you imagine permanently living in the presence of Jesus with no distractions and disappointments, no trials nor temptations?

How? How is it possible to do enough righteous acts that we are then worthy of an invitation? In Islam your good deeds have to outweigh your bad ones and the problem is a Muslim never knows how the weighing scales are balanced. But ‘the true words of God’ (v9) are founded on the love of Jesus.

It is the righteous act of Jesus that clothed us with grace and opened up the opportunity of us becoming like Him. Our righteous acts stem from one righteous act. How did He do this?

Love!

It is with a sigh of relief that the Great Whore of Babylon is dead! I woke this morning happy knowing I will be meditating on happier things, Hallelujah!

Okay so the dragon (Satan) and the sea beast (Anti-Christ, blasphemous regimes) and the earth beast (prophetic religious deception) are still alive and will appear again soon. But the Great Whore of Babylon (the spirit of the corrupt world) is dead! Hallelujah!

So back to the title: how amazing that this word only appears in the passage we are going to read in the whole of the New Testament!

“After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” And again they shouted: “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.” The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: “Amen, Hallelujah!” Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small!” Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. (Revelation 19 v 1-6)

That’s it. Hallelujah!

Not everyone mourns the loss of the world’s corrupt system and complete meltdown of its economy and structures as we know it! Heaven rejoices! We will shout Hallelujah! Babylon will be smoking for ever and ever meaning she is finished, never to return, final, this is not a temporary defeat; it is permanent. Everyone, the whole of the martyred family (that is God’s family for we are all one) from every class and distinction (both great and small) will be shouting this word!

‘Praise to YHWH’ is more than an expressive praise word. It is a declaration.

The Hallel Psalms (Psalms 113-118: ‘You Praise’ Psalms) were sung by Jesus and his disciples at the Passover meal as they celebrated God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt. Since the Exodus they also became prophetic that one day God would deliver them again but this time from Babylon.

This is why we have to wait till the end-time vision of John to read the word, Hallelujah!

The Great Whore of Babylon is gone, Hallelujah!

We no longer eat the Passover meal.

There is a new meal about to be served … Hallelujah!

The great city of Babylon … never to be found again.

Music … will never be heard in you again.

The sound of work … will never be found in you again.

Light … will never shine in you again.

Joy of relationships … will never be heard in you again.

 “Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. ²² The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.
²³ The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. ²⁴ In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.” (Revelation 18 v 21-24)

Silence and darkness.

No one will be around to listen to the absolute silence. No one will be trying to see through the darkness. It will be over.

It will be complete desolation.

It will be nothing.

A void.

Like the moment before creation when out of the chaos God began to create.

Perhaps that is the point … !

​

Maybe this weekend you will be attending carol services where pretty angels will dance and wave their arms in the air and you will be happy that your little one played such an amazing part. Beautiful that is not all the angels are involved in beautiful activity!

We have come across several angels in the Revelation. Here we have a mighty angel who carries out another play but this time of Biblical judgment. Remember what Jesus said of our abuse of children? “It would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Matthew 18 v 6) Also in Jeremiah 51:63-64 he prophesies of Babylon falling: “When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. Then say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people will fall.’” Here comes the final act towards the life which is outside of God:-

“Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. ²² The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.
²³ The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. ²⁴ In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.” (Revelation 18 v 21-24)

What does this look like? Catastrophe of a proportion so big it destroys everthing!

In September 2008 the Wall Street Investment Banker, Lehman Brothers, collapsed. It led to the global financial crisis we had not seen before. The US debts totalled $619 billion. That is a hard figure to compute! I read yesterday that there are severe warnings of a global collapse which would make the 2008 debt sit at just 1% of what will happen with a staggering $80 trillion at stake!

There seems to be a cry from many quarters saying this world cannot carry on at the pace it is doing. This year, 2022, the 3 major crises endangering the Earth according to scientists is climate disruption, biodiversity decline and human overconsumption and overpopulation. (https://www.livescience.com/ghastly-future-global-crises.html)

So we see all these warning signs and yet the oldest one is here in these verses. Babylon will be destroyed.

Consider taking all the music and the entertainment from the world.

Consider taking all the employment from the world.

Consider taking food from the world.

Consider taking all light from the world.

Consider taking all joy such as weddings and parties from the world.

Why would God do this?

It is because of the violence towards people, v24. The migrant workers deaths in places such as Qatar, the hangings of protestors such as in Iran, the death camps in places like North Korea, the drownings of the asylum seekers trying to get to the UK, the killings of school children in the US, do we need to go on? Plus all the suffering and martyrdom for Jesus Christ!

Millstones are signs of judgment and God will judge the world for judging one another.

In a final act towards all that we know of this world, here comes an Angel, a mighty one and ends it all.

No matter how much idolatry, extravagance, evil rises in this world … God wins!

No matter how bad, dark, evil, terrible it gets … God wins!

No matter how much pain, suffering, deaths … God wins!

“Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you.” (Revelation 18 v 20)

We are nearly through the tough stuff of evil. We are nearly there! The Great Whore will be gone forever and into a new chapter we will go and we will see that heaven will just not stop celebrating!

The call is for those who have been sent into the world (the apostles) and those who have spoken God’s Word to a godless society (the prophets). They should rejoice because though they were judged and suffered right up and until Babylon fell they are now seeing their God win!

And because God wins … we win!

Whatever you are going through today and whatever you face remember that as a follower of Jesus it comes to an end. When it does, you win!

It is hard when in the middle of suffering to picture celebration. You may not have had a great life, this world may have been harsh to you and your suffering may be great. ‘People of God and the apostles and the prophets’ these 3 categories, the faithful, the sent, the spokespersons, there will come a day when you will rejoice because it will be a day when you see with your own eyes that God wins! I can only imagine that this rejoicing will overwhelm everything that this world has imposed on you and the judgment you received.