THE BOOK OF LIFE AND THE LAKE OF FIRE

PROCLAMATION

“Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”  Revelation 20:15 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of prophecy which were revealed to, and written by, the Apostle John, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this twentieth chapter of Revelation, while he was still in the spirit, John saw another angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss in his hand.  The angel seized the dragon, who is the devil or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.  He threw him into the Abyss and sealed it. (Revelation 20:1-3)  Then John saw the souls of those who would reign with Christ for a thousand years.  (Revelation 20:4-6)  When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released for a short while and will again go out and deceive the nations.  He will gather the nations to do battle against God’s people, but fire will come down from heaven and devour them.  Then the devil will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet were thrown.  They will be tormented there day and night forever. (Revelation 20:7-10)  Then John saw a great white throne and he saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne.  Books were open from which the dead were judged.  Anyone whose name was not found in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.  Death and Hades were also thrown into the lake of fire.  This is called the second death. (Revelation 20:11-15)

 

APPLICATION

All of the dead unbelievers, the great and small, the young and old, the free and slave, stood before the great white throne.  Each of them was judged according to what they had done as written in the books. (Revelation 20:12)  Their life was reviewed to reveal that they had the opportunity to accept Christ, but they rejected Him.  Therefore their name was not written in The Lamb’s book of life.  Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15) )  Repent, the kingdom of God is coming.

 

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

PROCLAMATION

“On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: ‘KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.’ ”  Revelation 19:16 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of prophecy which were revealed to, and written by, the Apostle John, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this nineteenth chapter of Revelation, while he was still in the spirit, John heard what sounded like a roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah …”  because the great prostitute, Babylon, had been condemned. (Revelation 19:1-3)  The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God and they cried: “Amen, Hallelujah!” (Revelation 19:4)  Then an angel said to John, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of The Lamb!” (Revelation 19:9)  Then John saw heaven opened and there before him was a white horse whose rider is called Faithful and True, who with justice He judges and wages war.  “His name is called The Word of God.” (Revelation 19:11-13)  The armies of heaven followed Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine white linen.  Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.  On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:14-16)  John then saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the white horse and His army.  The beast and the false prophet were captured and both of them were thrown alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.  The rest of them were killed with the sword which came out of the mouth of the rider on the white horse. (Revelation 19:19-21)

 

APPLICATION

“His name is called The Word of God.” (Revelation 19:13)  This is an affirmation of what the Apostle John had written earlier: “In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God.” (John 1:1)  “And The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us …” (John 1:14)  He has a name which is written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. (Revelation 19:12)  What is known is that He is The King of Kings and The Lord of Lords. (Revelation 19:16)  What is incredible is that in light of all the signs that had occurred, mankind refused to repent, and gathered together to wage war against Him. (Revelation 19:19)  It was a war which they lost, and they died in their stubbornness. (Revelation 19:20-21)  Repent, the kingdom of God is coming.

 

COME OUT FROM AMONG THE EVIL DOERS

PROCLAMATION

“Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.’ ”  Revelation 18:4 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of prophecy which were revealed to, and written by, the Apostle John, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this eighteenth chapter of Revelation, while he was still in the spirit, John was carried away into a wilderness by one of the seven angels who had one of the seven bowl full of the wrath of God.  There he saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast.  The woman, the great prostitute, represented the city of Rome, the spiritual Babylon, the seat of idolatry, immorality, deception, and persecution. (Revelation 17:1-3)  After this John saw another angel coming down from heaven, who illuminated the earth with his splendor, shouting: “Babylon the great is fallen …”  Babylon had become a dwelling place for demons and a habitat for impure spirits. (Revelation 18:1-2)  Then John heard a voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, My people …”  Do not partake of her sins and you will not share in her punishment. (Revelation 18:4-5)  Babylon will be destroyed in one day. And the kings, merchants, and sailors who profited greatly from her will mourn her demise as well as their loss of future revenue. (Revelation 18:9-20) 

 

APPLICATION

The text here is directed at Babylon, or Rome, but it can be applied to a number of sin-sick cities of yesterday and today. (Ezekiel 22:1-13)  The take home lesson here is that those who gain by deceit will lose in the end.  We were taught not to be envious of evil doers who prosper and enjoy dishonest gain because The Lord God is against them and they will be cut down in the end. (Psalm 37:1-2 and Psalm 37:16)  We were also taught not to associate with evil doers because only birds of the same feather will flock together. (Amos 3:3)  If we share with them in their sins, then we will share in their punishment. (Revelation 18:4)  The Lord God has called us, His people, out of sinful darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9 and Revelation 18:4)  If we come out of our sinful existence and desire to go back to it, then we are not fit for the kingdom of heaven. (Luke 9:62)  Remember what happened to Lot’s wife as they left Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 19:26)  We are in this world but not of it.

 

THE PROSTITUTE AND THE SCARLET BEAST

THE PROSTITUTE AND THE SCARLET BEAST

 

PROCLAMATION

“Then the angel carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness.  There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.”  Revelation 17:3 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of prophecy which were revealed to, and written by, the Apostle John, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this seventeenth chapter of Revelation, while he was still in the spirit, John was carried away into a wilderness by one of the seven angels who had one of the seven bowl full of the wrath of God.  There he saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast. (Revelation 17:1-3)  The woman, the great prostitute, represented the city of Rome, the spiritual Babylon.  Upon her forehead was written: “Babylon, The Great, The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of The Earth.” (Revelation 17:5)  The scarlet beast upon which she sat is the seat of idolatry and persecution, a deceiver of mankind.  The seven heads represent the seven hills upon which Rome stands.  The ten horns represent the ten kings which have yet to reign.  The chapter ends by describing their destruction. (Revelation 17:15-18)

 

APPLICATION

It is thought by some Bible scholars that The Antichrist will establish a “false church” through a covenant with the papacy.  He will come to hate this false church, break the covenant, and destroy this apostate church clearing the way for worship of the Antichrist.  The real church will have been raptured and will not be available to help guide the unbelievers during this period.  Today, and in the future, let us not get so caught up in the sinful pleasures of this world and the “worship” of things that we put them ahead of, or in place of, worshiping The Lord God.  That path is well-travelled, and many have followed it, but it leads to destruction. (Matthew 7:13)

  

PROCLAMATION

EXPLANATION

APPLICATION

THE SEVEN BOWLS OF GOD'S WRATH

PROCLAMATION

“Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.’ ”  Revelation 16:1 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of prophecy which were revealed to, and written by, the Apostle John, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this sixteenth chapter of Revelation, while he was still in the spirit (Revelation 4:2), John continued to see vision after vision and hear voices.  He heard a loud voice coming from the temple telling the seven angels to pour their bowls of wrath onto the earth. (Revelation 16:1)  The first bowl caused ugly, festering sores to break out on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped its image.  The second bowl caused the sea to turn into blood like that of a dead person and it killed every living thing in the sea.  The third bowl caused the rivers and streams and springs to turn into blood.  The fourth bowl caused sun to scorch the people as if they were burned with fire.  The fifth bowl plunged the earth into darkness.  The people gnawed at their tongues in agony.  They cursed God and they refused to repent. (Revelation 16:2-11)  The sixth bowl caused the great river Euphrates to dry up to prepare the way for the kings of the east.  Then John saw three impure spirits, that looked like frogs, come out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. These demonic spirits went out to gather the kings of the world for the battle of Armageddon. (Revelation 16:12-16)  The seventh bowl caused lightning and thunder and a great earthquake.  Islands and mountains disappeared, and one hundred pound hailstones fell from the sky onto the people.

 

APPLICATION

The Great Tribulation period will begin with thunder and lightning (Revelation 4:5) and it will end with thunder and lightning. (Revelation 16:18)  The church will not suffer through this, nor will any believers.  The wrath of God will be felt by the unbelievers who have the mark of the beast on their foreheads, or their hand, and who worship its image. (Revelation 16:2)  Those who refuse to repent will suffer the consequences.  

 

THE PEOPLE VICTORIOUS OVER THE BEAST

PROCLAMATION

“And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name.  They held harps given them by God and sang …”  Revelation 15:2-3 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of prophecy which were revealed to, and written by, the Apostle John, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this fifteenth chapter of Revelation, while he was still in the spirit (Revelation 4:2), John continued to see vision after vision.  Now He saw another great and marvelous sign in heaven, and he saw what he described as a sea of glass glowing with fire.  Standing besides the sea he saw those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and they were singing. (Revelation 15:1-3)  After this he looked and he saw in heaven the tabernacle of the covenant, and it was open.  Out of the temple came seven angels with seven plagues.  Each angel was given a bowl filled with the wrath of God which, along with the plague they had been given, would soon be unleashed on the earth. (Revelation 15:5-8)  The seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven angels were precursors to the seven bowls of wrath, the wrath of God, which will be the last and worst of all. (Revelation 15:1)  This is the preparation for the destruction of the Antichrist.

 

APPLICATION

After the rapture of the church from the earth, (1 Thessalonians 4:17) the 144,000 Jewish male virgins will be sealed and protected during the Great Tribulation period, and they will be God’s witnesses on earth. (Revelation 7:9-10)  They will proclaim the gospel and many souls will be saved.  Those saved people are the ones that John saw in his vision standing by the sea of glass glowing like fire. (Revelation 15:2-3)  They did not defeat the beast, they survived him by their belief in God.  They were brought into heaven during that first harvest. (Revelation 14:14-16)  Believers will be watching what the unsaved will be going through next from someplace safe in heaven.  The Bible Book of Revelation is a book of prophecy.  It provides us with a warning of things which must take place in the future. (Revelation 4:1)  Repent or suffer.

THE THREE ANGELS

PROCLAMATION

“… If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or their hand, they too will drink the wine of God’s fury ... They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and The Lamb.”  Revelation 14:9-10 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of prophecy which were revealed to, and written by, the Apostle John, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this fourteenth chapter of Revelation, while he was still in the spirit (Revelation 4:2), John was shown a vision.  He saw The Lamb standing on Mount Zion and the 144,000 sealed male Jewish virgins were with Him. (Revelation 14:1)  They sang, and it sounded like the playing of harps.  They sang a new song which only they could sing based upon what only they had been through. (Revelation 14:2-5)  Then John saw an angel flying in midair proclaiming the gospel and saying, “Fear God, and give Him glory …” (Revelation 14:6-7)  A second angel followed saying, “Babylon is fallen …” (Revelation 14:8)  A third angel followed them and said, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or their hand, they too will drink the wine of God’s fury.” (Revelation 14:9-11)  Then John was told to write: “Blessed are the dead who die in The Lord from now on.” (Revelation 14:13)  Then there were the two great harvests, the wheat and the grapes, the good men and the evil men. (Revelation 14:14-20)

 

APPLICATION

The first time that Christ came to earth was to shed His blood for mankind’s salvation.  His second coming will be to shed their blood in mankind’s judgment. (Revelation 14:17-20)  There will be some souls saved during the Great Tribulation period but most of them will be lost.  Take heed, Christ is coming back.  This time when He comes, He is not coming to suffer but to inflict the suffering on those who reject Him.  People get ready.  Those who give in and worship the dragon and the beast and its image, and accept its mark on their forehead or hand, will suffer.  Resistance will require patient endurance on the part of believers. (Revelation 14:12)