Understanding Revelation (21:9-10)~Newton

"Then came one of the seven angels who...spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,"

(Revelation 21:9-10)

For the bride is the church, the wife of the Lamb, and the holy city, new Jerusalem that has come down out of heaven from God is the church in eternity as well. It may be best to see “the holy city” as the community of the redeemed in eternity—the church—which is also “the wife of the Lamb.” It is the community of the redeemed in that the church involves many people from every age and from among every people group on earth all redeemed through the death of Christ on their behalf. They exist together for eternity as one body of believers, undivided by sectarianism, nationalism, racism, class, economic factors, or gender. Here is the community elected before the world began, each one’s name “written in the Lamb’s book of life,” and redeemed by the substitutionary death of Christ at the cross. The entire community unites around worship and service to “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb.” So quite appropriately, this community of the redeemed is called “the bride, the wife of the Lamb,” which foreshadows the intimate communion and eternal love of Jesus Christ with His people forever. This is the bride that Christ has secured through His own bloody death and sanctified through His Word and by His Spirit, so that He might present her “in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:25-27). Now, John explains what Paul meant by presenting the church “in all her glory.”

(Phil A. Newton)

Understanding Revelation (21:7)~Newton

"The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son."

(Revelation 21:7)

This new heaven and new earth belong to those who inherit it through the covenant promises in the gospel. It’s not for those who merely profess to be Christian or those who merely belong to a church. The Lord specifies who receives the eternal inheritance. “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.” The same promise that God gave to David, He gives to all that are in Christ. Notice that the theme of “he who overcomes” that we’ve seen throughout Revelation remains constant. He both promises and warns in such a statement. The promise is clear: the overcomers—those that persevere in the faith—receive the eternal inheritance. But the warning is just as clear. Those that shrink back, those that profess a step toward Christ but then return to the world will not receive the eternal inheritance. Real Christianity perseveres because in real Christianity God preserves His children.

(Dr. Phil A. Newton)

Understanding Revelation (21:6)~Riddlebarger

"And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment."

(Revelation 21:6)

God has spoken of a new creation and it is so. He also identifies himself as that one is before all things and after all things. In other words, he alone is the sovereign one who rules over everything from the beginning of history until its end. This means that all of human history is under God’s sovereign control and he has finally brought all things to the end for which they have been created. God works all things according to the counsel of his will.

This is one of the great proof-texts in Scripture for the deity of Christ. Here, God declares himself to be the Alpha and the Omega, while in Revelation 1:17-18, Jesus affirms of himself that he is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. The conclusion is obvious–Jesus is God. And he who is the living water, will now give that living water to his people without cost or without limit. One day we will drink of this water and we will never thirst again.

(Kim Riddlebarger)

Understanding Revelation (21:5)~Venema

"And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 

(Revelation 21:5)

Far from being an empty and desolate place, the new creation will be enriched with the sanctified fruits of human culture. Nothing of the diversity of the nations and peoples, their cultural products, languages, arts, sciences, literature, and technology – so far as these are good and excellent – will be lost upon life in the new creation. Life in the new creation will not be a starting over, but a perfected continuation of the new humanity’s stewardship of all of life in the service of God

(Cornelius Venema)

Again, the word for “new” does not mean new in kind but new in quality.

Understanding Revelation (21:4)~Beale

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." 

(Revelation 21:4)

In this new creation, God's people will no longer experience any of the forms of suffering characteristic of the old creation. When this occurs in the future, it will be a fulfillment of prophecy from (Isaiah 25:8) "the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces."

Both (Isaiah 35:10 and 51:11) predict that at the time of Israel's full restoration to God the people will experience "everlasting joy" and "gladness" because they will be protected from their former sufferings of "sorrow and sighing"" which will have fled away. 

The conclusion of verse 4 that "the first things have passed away" again fulfills Isaiah's prophetic utterances, "Do not call to mind the former things....Behold, I will do something new" (Isa. 43:18-19). "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind" (Isa. 65:17). 

(G.K. Beale) 

Understanding Revelation (21:3)~Riddlebarger

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God."

(Revelation 21:3)

The great covenant promise God made first to Abraham and then to all of his people throughout redemptive history is now a glorious reality. Promise has become fulfillment. Type and shadow have become reality. God dwells with his people, who are fully redeemed and glorified, forever safe from peril and danger. God’s people have at long last entered the promised land and begin their Sabbath rest. With God’s people dwelling in his presence, all effects of human sin the curse are now gone.

(Kim Riddlebarger)

Understanding Revelation (21:2)~Hendriksen

"And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

(Revelation 21:2)

This Jerusalem is called 'new' in contradistinction to the earthly, Palestinian Jerusalem. It is called "holy" because it is separate from sin and thoroughly consecrated to God. This new and holy Jerusalem is very clearly the Church the Lord Jesus Christ, as is also plainly evident from the fact that it is here and elsewhere called the bride, the wife of the Lamb (Is. 54:5; Eph. 5:32). Even in the Old Testament the church is represented under the symbolism of a city (Is. 26:1; Ps. 48). A city calls to our mind the concept of a permanent residence, a great number of inhabitants, safety and security, fellowship and beauty. With respect to all of these characteristics the church- in principle even today, in perfection, is like a city. We read that John saw this Holy City coming down out of heaven from God. This, too, is true with respect to both the ideal church of the present and the church of the future. It is always born from above. It is always the result of the transforming work of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 4:26; Heb. 11:10,16; 12:22). 

(William Hendriksen) 

Understanding Revelation (21:1)~Hendriksen

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more."

(Revelation 21:1)

The first heaven and the first earth have passed away. In our imagination let us try to see this new universe. The very foundations of the earth have been subjected to the purifying fire. Every stain of sin, every scar of wrong, every trace of death, has been removed. Out of the great conflagration a new universe has been born. It is the same heaven and earth, but gloriously rejuvenated, with no weeds, thorns or thistles, and so on. Nature comes into its own; all of its potentialities, dormant so long, are now fully realized. The old order has vanished. The universe in which the Dragon, the beast, the false prophet, and the harlot caring out their program of iniquity has vanished. The sea, as we know it, is no more. At present the sea is the emblem of unrest in conflict. The roaring, raging, agitated, tempest-tossed waters, the waves perpetually engaged in combat with one another, symbolize the nations of the world in there conflict and unrest. It is the sea out of which the beast rises. But in the renewed universe the head new heaven and earth all will be peace. The heaven and the earth and the sea as they now are shall vanish. 

(William Hendriksen)

Understanding Revelation (20:15)~Newton

"And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

(Revelation 20:15)

There is another book beside the books that record our deeds and the only thing that stands between any of us and the lake of fire is our name written in the Lamb’s book of life. In Rev. 13:8, John tells us that the book was written “from the foundation of the world.” He calls it, more precisely, “the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” In Rev. 17:8, he reminds us that all of those dwelling on the earth will bear the mark of the beast except the one whose name was written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. This book alludes to two wonderful truths. First, that a name was written before the world’s foundation points to election; and election highlights the grace of God in salvation. Second, it is the Lamb’s book of life, so it points to redemption; and redemption highlights the gracious provision of Christ to bear God’s judgment for us at the cross.

The juxtaposition of the two books puts all men in condition of deserving wrath. Our deeds—all of them—are recorded in the books. But the book of life declares the deliverance of the redeemed, even though we deserve God’s wrath. Is your name in the Lamb’s book of life?

(Phil A. Newton)

www.Southwoodsbc.org

Understanding Revelation (20:12-14)~Newton

"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

(Revelation 20:12-14)

It is “a direct allusion to the courtroom scene in Daniel 7,” where the Ancient of Days took His seat on the throne, “and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; the court sat, and the books were opened”. 

He is not establishing a works-oriented salvation but rather the record of men’s deeds demonstrate their failure to obey the Law of God and God’s justice in judging them. The God that created the world also commanded obedience to His Law. The creature’s existence relates directly to the Creator’s purpose; that of living totally to His glory, perfectly conforming to His will. Yet we’ve all sinned and fallen short of His glory (Rom. 3:23). “The books” unpack the details of thought, word, and deed—intentional sins and sins of omission.

Nothing is more sobering than to realize that God holds us accountable for every idle thought, idle word, and careless deed. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13). Justice will be meted out according to the measure of our offence against God—a holy God who has nothing to do with sin; whose eyes are too pure to behold sin. Dare we play lightly with this reality? Who of us can stand before the searching gaze of the omniscient God?

(Phil A. Newton)

Understanding Revelation (20:11)~Hendriksen

"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them."

(Revelation 20:11)

Christ's coming in judgment is vividly described. John sees a great white throne. Upon it is seated the Christ (Matt. 25:31; Rev. 14:14). From His face the earth and the heaven flee away. Not the destruction or annihilation but the renovation of the universe is indicated here. It will be a disillusion of the elements with great heat (2 Peter 3:10); a regeneration (Matt. 19:28); a restoration of all things (Acts 3:21); and a deliverance from the bondage of corruption (Rom. 8:21). No longer will this universe be subject to vanity.

(William Hendriksen)

Understanding Revelation (20:9-10)~Newton

"And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

(Revelation 20:9-10)

Should the church live in fear of that day? Absolutely not! John pictures one giant army, representing the devil’s horde, coming against one camp and then one city, representing Christ and the Church. But the language shows that he is not referring to one locale—“and they came up on the broad plain of the earth.” In spite of what appears to be insurmountable odds—Christ has already triumphed over Satan; that’s the point made. The power of the cross that has defeated our enemy will be unleashed! “And fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Victory is assured because Christ triumphed at the cross and in the resurrection. The mopping up will come on that great day of which John speaks. So we need not despair when persecution arises. Our Redeemer is King of kings and Lord of lords! He has conquered. He has finished the work of redemption. He loses none that He redeems—even in the face of the worst persecution. “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.”

(Phil A. Newton)

Understanding Revelation (20:7-8)~Newton

"And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.

(Revelation 20:7-8)

Though bound for the gospel age—the thousand years—the time will come when the Lord God will release Satan from his prison. Here is God exercising sovereign authority in releasing Satan for the purpose of ultimately, exercising final judgment on Satan and all that reject the gospel of Christ.

Gog and Magog represent an ancient enemy of Israel that Ezekiel spoke of in chapters 38-39. 

William Hendriksen comments that Ezekiel’s use of Gog and Magog “refers…to the terrible persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes, ruler of Syria” in the Seleucid Kingdom. John is not identifying one or two nations but rather uses this epitome of adversaries to refer metaphorically to the entire world, vast in number, in hostile opposition to Christ and His Church. The “four corners of the earth,” simply implies the universality of this final opposition. Satan’s deceit will reach its apex; persecution will be unequaled. 

Augustine wrote of this, “For this persecution, occurring while the final judgment is imminent, shall be the last which shall be endured by the holy Church throughout the world, the whole city of Christ being assailed by the whole city of the devil, as each exists on earth” 

(Phil A. Newton)

Understanding Revelation (20:5-6)~Riddlebarger

"The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

(Revelation 20:5-6)

John calls this translation from earth at the time of death to the reign in heaven, the “first resurrection.” Indeed “blessed and holy” are those who take part in it. This is not a reference to the bodily resurrection at the end of the age, but is instead a reference to a believer’s regeneration, conversion, and entrance into heaven at death, a point confirmed by a number of New Testament passages, most notably (John 5:24-25), where John quotes Jesus as saying, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” In his gospel, John very clearly teaches that all those who come to faith in Jesus Christ, do so because they have already crossed over from death to life. Thus the first resurrection occurs at the time of regeneration when we are born again, and is manifest when we leave this life and enter into the presence of Christ in heaven, where we will reign with Christ as priests until the thousand years are over.

(Kim Riddlebarger)

Understanding Revelation (20:4)~Kim Riddlebarger

"Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

(Revelation 20:4)

Throughout the Book of Revelation, thrones are always in heaven, not on the earth. Therefore, this scene is a heavenly one, not earthly. This is further supported by the fact the John sees “souls,” not people. According to John, these souls are the disembodied spirits of those who were put to death for refusing to worship the beast or to take his blasphemous mark upon their bodies. These individuals held to their testimony for Jesus and his word, until taking their final breath. But when they die, John says, they immediately come to life and reign with Christ for a thousand years! This is hardly a description of a future earthly millennium characterized by a time of universal peace. This is a time characterized by persecution and suffering. People are dying because they confess “Jesus is Lord,” in the face of the persecution of the beast. Not only do these people come to life, but the second death–which is a reference to eternal judgment and the fires of hell–has no power over them. They come to life and reign with Christ in heaven until his return at the end of the age.

(Kim Riddlebarger)

Understanding Revelation (20:3)~Newton

"And threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while."

(Revelation 20:3)

The boundaries are very clear: Satan is “bound…for a thousand years.” The angel “threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed.” John’s symbolic language expresses that Christ has put the clamps on Satan! Having said that, we know that the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8); so how do we juggle this verse and the reality of Satan’s continuing presence? 

[“Indeed, after the Fall, the serpent and his agents do on a worldwide scale what the devil began to do in the garden…In the OT age Satan was able to delude the majority in Israel so that they were not able to fulfill their commission to be a salvific light to the nations"] (G.K. Beale)

So, would Satan thwart the purposes of God to save a people throughout the world? He seemed to be having great success in doing so, even among Israel. But then came Christ into the world; and the cross and resurrection. John expresses this in symbolic language in our text to show that Satan’s stranglehold on the nations was broken. The good news could now spread throughout the world. And that was greatly encouraging to the believers in Asia Minor! 

If you were living in Asia Minor in the 1st century, feeling the overwhelming power of idolatrous Rome overshadowing you, then this message would encourage you to keep pressing on. You would understand the certainty that the gospel would go forth in unstoppable ways throughout the world.

(Phil A. Newton)

Understanding Revelation (20:2)~Newton

"And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years"

(Revelation 20:2)

John is dealing with the Incarnation and the redemptive work of Christ. In short focus, he shows us how Christ came and conquered Satan so that believers “overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb,” and how God preserves the church through centuries of persecution in spite of the devil’s antagonism. Though Satan rages, the Lord protects His people through the most difficult periods and brings each one safely into His presence. Satan is unable to thwart the work of the gospel or conquer the church. In that sense, Satan was bound by Christ’s redemptive work that continues to sustain the church. 

Consider how Jesus put it. For centuries, since the Fall, Satan had blinded and duped all of the nations to the glory of God with the exception of Israel. God had laid His gracious hand upon Israel and maintained a clear witness to His sovereignty and glory, even in times of great apostasy. But at this point in history, the rest of the world had no interest in the Creator, choosing instead the vanity of idolatry. When Jesus came into the world, He spent much of His time casting out demons, showing the widespread power of Satan, even in Israel. When accused of casting out devils by the devil, Jesus explained the impossibility of Satan casting out Satan. Then He declared, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house” (Matt. 12:22-29). The same word  (deo) that John uses for Satan being bound by the angel is the same word used by Jesus. With Christ came the advent of the kingdom of God in demonstration of His sovereign reign—He bound the strong man so that through the gospel, He might plunder his house. He further affirmed this in (John 12:31-32), a text that has great bearing on Revelation 20:1-3. “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” Here the decisiveness of the cross explains that the devil will be cast out (ekballo), and thrown (ballo) into the abyss. And what is the purpose? That by Christ’s death, He “will draw all men to” Himself—that is, not just Israelites, but men of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. Christ’s worthiness as redeemer of the world, not just Israel, is heralded by the gospel and amplified in Revelation (5:9-10; 7:9-10). It was the decisiveness of Christ’s first advent, and what He accomplished in it that bound the devil. His second advent will finish him off!

(Phil A. Newton)

Understanding Revelation (20:1)~Riddlebarger

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain."

(Revelation 20:1)

Throughout the Book of Revelation, whenever John uses the word “eidon” (I saw) he is introducing a new vision, that which we have been describing as different camera angles of the same event. In this vision, John sees an angel coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a golden chain to frustrate the purposes of Satan.

The first thing we must remember is that this is apocalyptic symbolism. John never intends us to understand these things literally. How can an angel bind a spiritual being (Satan) with a real chain?

How can a spiritual being be locked away in a pit. The second matter is the identification of this particular angel and the meaning of the symbolism of the key to the abyss and the chain. Keys have been mentioned throughout Revelation. In Revelation 1:18, Christ holds the keys of death and hades in his hand. In chapter 3, we read of the Holy One who has the key of David which opens and shuts. And then in Revelation 9:1-2 we read that “the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.” Therefore we look back to see how these terms were used earlier in Revelation. 

Given the symbolism of the keys prior to this text, we have the “key” (pun intended) to interpret correctly all of these things with some degree of certainty. The abyss is a reference to death and Hades–the realm with which Satan is most closely associated in this book. Having been cast of out heaven (according to Revelation 12:7-9), John now sees an angel (either Christ himself, or an angel exercising Christ’s authority) confining Satan to the realm of the dead since Satan has been cast from heaven where he had been making accusations against the saints. 

(Kim Riddlebarger)

Understanding Revelation (19:19-21)~Riddlebarger

"And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh."

(Revelation 19:19-21)

John now sees one more graphic image–the next scene in the final judgment, which is the last battle. The great struggle of redemptive history now reaches its grand climax. All those who have worshiped the dragon will now suffer the full consequences of their actions. In the midst of the final and furious war the beast is waging upon the church at the end of the age, suddenly Christ will appear and the beast will be caught alive and thrown into the lake of fire, to be tormented forever and ever. The false prophet, who enticed and deceived the peoples of the earth into worshiping the beast and his image will suffer the same fate. All those who serve the beast will be consumed by the wrath of God, their remains will be eaten by birds. The harlot has now been judged. The beast will now be judged. The false prophet will likewise be judged. And all those who serve them will be judged. And in the next chapter, we will watch as the dragon suffers the same fate as do all his henchmen. Jesus Christ will triumph over all of enemies and he will vindicate his bride, those he as marked with his secret name. But all of those who wear the mark of the beast will suffer the full fury of God’s eternal wrath!

(Kim Riddlebarger)

Understanding Revelation (19:17-18)~Riddlebarger

"Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, "Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great."

(Revelation 19:17-18)

There is great irony contained within these verses. In the first 10 verses of Revelation 19, John has told us of the great blessing of being invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb–that great feast which the prophets described as including the best of meat and the finest of wine. Recall that we are not invited to this wedding as mere guests. Rather, we are invited to be Christ’s own bride.

But there is another feast yet to come. A feast of judgment. For this feast, YHWH also issues an invitation, this time to all the birds of prey. All those who reject the mercies of Jesus Christ will be invited to this feast along with the birds. They won’t be mere guests either. They will be the main course! The great and the mighty in the eyes of the world, will fall under the judgment of God. Their power, prestige and wealth will not afford them the dignity of a decent burial. They will be nothing more than food for vultures.

(Kim Riddlebarger )