My name is John, and today I am here to reveal the truth behind the book I wrote, the book of Revelation. Many have distorted and misinterpreted this important text for believers. If you think the book of Revelation is about destruction, evil, or Satan, you are completely mistaken.
The book of Revelation is about the second coming of Christ. This event is predicted 318 times in the Bible, making it the most mentioned prediction. The book of Revelation narrates what will happen before, during, and after this event.
Revelation is a book of great importance. However, many churches and pastors avoid preaching about it. But this book is vital for the church because as it is written, blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it because the time is near. This is the only book in the Bible that promises a blessing to those who read and hear it.
Studying Revelation is crucial because it contains all the prophecies about the end times, prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled, but we believe they will soon be. Moreover, it is an extremely relevant book for our times. Many believe the end times are approaching and the events of the book of Revelation will unfold. Therefore, It is vital that believers read the book of Revelation to know what is coming and how to be prepared.
And you may wonder, who am I? My name is John and you know me as the Apostle John or John the Evangelist. I was a beloved disciple privileged to rest my head on the Lord's chest during the Last Supper.
I was a fisherman in Galilee until Jesus called me to follow Him. Since then my life was forever transformed. As one of the Twelve Apostles, I had the privilege of witnessing many of Jesus'miracles, such as giving sight to the blind and raising the dead. I was a witness to Jesus'crucifixion and resurrection.
I ran to the empty tomb and saw the resurrected Jesus full of glory and power. This event reaffirmed my faith and mission. After Jesus'ascension, I preached the gospel and cared for the Church.
I lived in Ephesus where I wrote my gospel and three epistles, exhorting the church to live in God's love and keep the truth. But then came the rise of the fearsome emperor Domitian and a very dark time began. Domitian was a cruel man who demanded to be worshipped as a god. He demanded an act of loyalty that went against the very essence of the Christian faith. Once a year, on the day of the Lord, everyone had to burn incense before an altar and proclaim, Caesar is Lord.
For Christians whose devotion was firmly anchored in the declaration, Jesus is Lord, this mandate was a severe challenge. They could not, must not, compromise their faith without facing terrible consequences. The followers of Christ suffered brutal persecution for proclaiming the gospel and keeping their testimony firm. I was sentenced to a horrendous death. My persecutors, with ruthless cruelty, condemned me to die in a cauldron of boiling oil.
The intention was clear, a spectacle of death to dissuade others from following Christ. But what happened defied all human logic and showed the miraculous power of God. The cauldron, which was supposed to be my tomb, had no power over me. Submerged in the boiling oil, I suffered no harm. The oil which was supposed to consume my flesh became a testimony to divine protection.
My enemies, astonished and terrified, had no choice but to acknowledge that something supernatural had occurred. Unable to kill me, they decided to exile me. They sent me to the island of Patmos, a desolate and cruel place where the Roman Empire exiled its enemies to die slowly.
Patmos, an island barely 12 kilometers long and six wide, was a rocky wasteland without streams, trees, or fertile land. Its aridity and isolation made it a natural prison, a place where the condemned faced a slow agony. Thus I was sent to this inhospitable island, an exile that was supposed to be my death sentence.
But in the solitude and suffering of Patmos, I found God's presence in a way I had never experienced before. In the midst of the rocks and winds surrounded by the endless sea, the final destiny of humanity and God's eternal glory was revealed to me. Patmos, which was supposed to be my place of death, became the stage for a heavenly vision where I received and the book of Revelation.
Therefore, the book of Revelation is a guide, a beacon for those willing to die for what they believed. Initially, the word martyr simply meant witness, but it soon became clear that being a true witness of Jesus could mean losing one's life. This is why the meaning of martyr changed to someone who dies for their faith in Jesus. The brutality of the Roman persecutions was at its peak, and believers needed a guide, a beacon of hope and strength in the midst of the darkness. Let us begin to delve into my visions that culminated in the book of Revelation, its symbolism, and the true message behind these texts.
It was the Lord's Day, the first day of the week when I was in prayer, but in the midst of my devotion and meditation, I felt a profound peace that only the Divine Presence can bring. As my mind was elevated in communion with God, I was caught up in the Spirit. The environment of Patmos faded away, and I found myself in a heavenly realm, where reality was more vivid than anything I had experienced on Earth.
Suddenly, I heard a powerful voice behind me, like the sound of a trumpet, saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. The voice resonated with an authority and majesty that surpassed any earthly sound. It was a voice I knew, the voice of my Lord, Jesus Christ.
My heart pounded as I tried to comprehend what was happening, as... I turned to see who was speaking to me, and as I did, I saw someone like the Son of Man. He was dressed in a long robe that reached his feet and was girded with a golden sash around his chest. His hair was white like wool, like snow, and his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet shone like polished bronze in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.
Seeing Christ glorified, I understood that I was in the presence of the full manifestation of God. In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword. The seven stars in his hand represent the angels of the seven churches, and the sharp two-edged sword that comes from his mouth symbolizes the word of God, powerful and penetrating. I fell as if dead because no one can stand before the holiness of God without being overwhelmed, but Christ's hand upon me was an act of grace and comfort. assuring me that he is the victor over death and Hades.
His face was like the sun shining in its strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said, Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am the living one.
I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades. While I lay prostrate before the glorious presence of the Son of Man, His voice gave me a clear and compelling command. Write on a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. My heart pounded, aware of the magnitude of the task entrusted to me. Every word, every vision that would be revealed to me had to be written with precision and faithfulness.
My mission was crucial, to convey the divine message to the churches, ensuring they understood God's will amidst persecution and trials. Thus the Bach of Revelation was given to me in a unique way. No other book in the Bible emerged in such a complex and divine manner. God the Father gave it to Jesus, then Jesus gave it to an angel. That angel, in turn, passed it to me, John, and I wrote it for all the churches.
During my visions, I was taken to heaven where I heard various voices and choirs singing. I had to make sure to record all these things accurately. The supernatural nature of my visions was such that I often found myself in a state of awe, needing the constant guidance of the angel to stay focused on my task. I wrote what I saw and heard, and sometimes what I saw was so extraordinary that the angel had to remind me up to 11 times to write it all down.
Every detail was important and significant. My first visions were actually letters to the seven churches, and so I transmitted them. To the angel of the church in Smyrna write, Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.
I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown. To the angel of the church in Pergamum write, I know where you live, where Satan has his throne, yet you remain true to my name. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you. There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam.
Repent therefore, otherwise I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. To the angel of the church in Thyatira write, I know your deeds, your love and faith. Your service and perseverance.
Nevertheless, I have this against you. You tolerate that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations. To the angel of the church in Sardis write, I know your deeds.
You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, strengthen what remains and is about to die. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, see, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength. Yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
To the angel of the church in Laodicea write, I know your deeds that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other. So because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. So be earnest and repent. These messages to the churches reflect the spiritual and moral realities of the Christian communities.
Christ praises their virtues and denounces their faults, calling them to repentance and fidelity. Each letter contains a promise for those who overcome, emphasizing the importance of perseverance to the end. But a few hours later, I was once again taken in the Spirit. After this, I looked. And there before me was a door standing open in heaven, and the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this.
At once I was in the spirit and saw a throne in heaven, with someone seated on the throne. His appearance was dazzling, like Jasper and Carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald. This vision of the throne symbolizes the absolute majesty and sovereignty of God.
The jasper and carnelian reflect his purity and justice, while the rainbow is a symbol of his covenant and mercy. Around the throne I saw 24 thrones and seated on them were 24 elders, clothed in white robes with golden crowns on their heads. The 24 elders represent the saints of all ages, the patriarchs and apostles.
and their white garments symbolize the purity granted by God. The golden crowns indicate the eternal reward for their faithfulness. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder.
And before the throne were seven burning lamps, which are the seven spirits of God. Also before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal. midst of the throne and around it were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind.
These creatures represent the fullness of creation, vigilant and full of knowledge. The first living creature was like a lion, the second like an ox, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. These living creatures praised day and night, saying, Holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. who was and is and is to come.
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say, You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being. In the right hand of him who sat on the throne, I saw a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
A mighty angel proclaimed in a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seal? seals. But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.
I wept much because no one was found worthy. The scroll represents God's sovereign decree for the future, sealed until its time of fulfillment. Then one of the elders said to me, Do not weep.
See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals. I turned and saw, in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. This lamb is Christ, who has triumphed by his redemptive sacrifice.
The lamb went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain. And by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. Then I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders. Their number was millions of millions, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying, To him who sits on the throne and to the lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever.
Then I watched as the lamb opened one of the seals and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, Come! And I looked and there was a white horse. Its rider held a bow and a crown was given to him and he came out conquering and to conquer. This rider represents conquest. but his nature can be interpreted as both divine justice and oppression.
When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, Come! And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.
This rider symbolizes war and bloodshed. When the lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come! I looked.
and there before me was a black horse. Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, Two pounds of wheat for a day's wages, and six pounds of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine.
This rider represents famine and scarcity, with the scales symbolizing the rationing and high cost of basic foodstuffs. When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, Come. And I looked, and behold, a pale horse.
Its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill with sword, with famine, with pestilence, and by wild beasts of the earth. This rider personifies Death in its various forms, followed by Hades, the place of the dead.
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had. They cried out with a loud voice, saying, How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed. I watched as he opened the sixth seal.
There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair. The whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth as figs dropped from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.
The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks. Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.
For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it? These seals reveal the progressive judgment of God upon the earth. The writers symbolize war, conquest, famine, and death, showing how human sin and rebellion bring destruction. The martyrs under the altar represent God's justice and His response to the persecution of His people.
The sixth seal, with its cataclysms, announces the beginning of the final judgment, highlighting that creation itself will be convulsed before the wrath of God. Once again I was taken in the spirit to receive visions of future events. After the sixth seal I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so that no wind would blow on the earth or the sea or any tree.
These angels represent the containment of destruction until God's servants are sealed. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea. Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.
And I heard the number of those sealed, 144,000. from all the tribes of the children of Israel. This number, 144,000, represents the completeness of the Jewish believers, symbolically whole and perfect, sealed for divine protection amid judgment. After this I saw a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. This multitude represents the redeemed Gentiles, indicating the universality of the salvation offered by Christ. Then one of the elders asked me, These in white robes, who are they and where did they come from? I answered, Sir, you know.
And he said, These are they who have come out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Here, the white robes symbolize purity and redemption through Christ's sacrifice. These people have persevered through tribulation and have received the reward of being in God's presence. When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
This solemn silence anticipates the gravity of the judgments to come. I saw the seven angels who stand before God and seven trumpets were given to them. Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer.
He was given much incense to add to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. The incense symbolizes the prayers of the saints, showing that our petitions are precious before God and directly before his throne. The angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. The seven angels prepared to sound their trumpets, signaling the beginning of catastrophic judgments.
The first angel sounded his trumpet. and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. This judgment affects the vegetation, recalling the plagues of Egypt and demonstrating God's power over nature.
The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died and a third of the ships were destroyed. This judgment affects the oceans, highlighting large-scale devastation.
The third angel sounded his trumpet and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood and many people died from the waters because they had been made bitter.
Here the fresh waters become bitter, symbolizing the corruption and contamination of vital sustenance. The fourth angel sounded his trumpet and a third of the sun, a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck. so that a third of their light was darkened, a third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
This judgment affects the sources of light, creating chaos and darkness on the earth. As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in mid-air call out in a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels. This woe announcement indicates that the judgments to come will be even more severe.
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, and 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.
This fallen star represents an angelic being, possibly Satan, with the power to release demonic forces. Out of the smoke, locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months, and the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. These demonic locusts symbolize spiritual judgment and internal torment on those who reject God. The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle.
On their heads were something like crowns of gold. Their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lion's teeth.
They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. This description emphasizes their terrifying and destructive nature. They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. Abaddon and Apollyon mean destruction and destroyer, highlighting the lethal purpose of these demonic forces. The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God.
It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. These bound angels represent destructive forces that have been restrained until now. The four angels were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was 200 million. I heard their number.
This massive army symbolizes a demonic invasion upon humanity. The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this. Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and sulfur. A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths.
These plagues symbolized divine judgment and destruction. The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands. They did not stop worshipping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, idols that cannot see or hear or walk.
Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality, or their thefts. Despite the judgments, many continued in their rebellion, showing the hardness of their hearts. The trumpet judgments reveal the severity of God's judgment and the hardness of the human heart. The demonic locusts and the mounted army underscore the reality of both spiritual and physical judgment awaiting the ungodly.
Yet these judgments also serve as a call to repentance, a final attempt by God for humanity to turn back to Him. Before we continue with my visions on this spiritual journey, Please give this video a like if it is helping you understand the meaning of the book of Revelation. With your like and your comment in the comment box, you will help others know the word and understand what God intended to convey in these verses. Thank you for your support in this Bible study and let us continue.
Because once again I was taken in the spirit to receive visions of future events. This time I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud with a rainbow over his head. His face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. This angel reflects divine majesty and power with elements symbolizing God's presence.
The angel had in his hand a little scroll which lay open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he called out with a loud voice like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded.
The little scroll symbolizes a specific revelation from God, while the angel's stance indicates his authority over all creation. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven say, Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down. This command reveals that there are divine mysteries that must not yet be revealed to man, reminding us of God's sovereignty over knowledge.
Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God would be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more, Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel, who is standing on the sea and on the land. So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.
I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. This symbolizes the duality of God's revelation, sweet to receive, but bitter in its fulfillment and judgment. Then I was told, you must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.
This reaffirms my mission to proclaim divine truth to all nations. I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, Go and measure the temple of God and the altar with its worshippers. But exclude the outer court, do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for forty-two months.
This act of measuring symbolizes the protection and preservation of the faithful, while the Gentiles represent the persecution of God's people. And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth. These witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands, and they stand before the Lord of the earth. The two witnesses symbolize the constant presence of God's testimony on earth, representing the law and the prophets, or the church, in its prophetic mission. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies.
This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. They have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying, and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. These powers recall Moses and Elijah, highlighting the divine authority given to these witnesses.
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will attack them and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom in Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven which said, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.
And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped God, saying, We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a severe hailstorm. This symbolizes God's direct presence and eternal covenant with his people, culminating in a complete and final judgment. Then a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a cross on her head.
And she was seen by the crown of 12 stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. This woman symbolizes God's people, both Israel and the church, bringing forth the Messiah into the world.
Another sign appeared in heaven, an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. This dragon represents Satan.
with his power and dominion over earthly kingdoms and his rebellion against God. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.
And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The male child is Jesus. who is pursued from birth by the forces of evil, but is exalted to heavenly glory. There was a great battle in heaven.
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down. That ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.
He was hurled to the earth. and his angels with him. This war symbolizes Satan's defeat and expulsion from heaven, reaffirming God's and his angels'victory. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb. and by the word of their testimony they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. The dragon, filled with fury, pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach. The woman, protected by God, symbolizes the divine refuge and provision for his people during times of persecution.
Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. This shows Satan's efforts to destroy the church and divine intervention to protect his people.
Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God's commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. This indicates the ongoing spiritual battle between the forces of evil and God's faithful. Chapters 10, 11, and 12 of Revelation reveal the ongoing struggle between good and evil, the sovereign authority of God, and His faithfulness to His people.
The mighty angel and the little scroll remind us of the duality of divine revelation, sweet to receive but bitter in its fulfillment. The two witnesses symbolize the constant presence of God's testimony on earth. The vision of the woman and the dragon represents the spiritual battle, divine protection, and Christ's ultimate victory.
These visions call us to remain steadfast in faith. Trust in God's sovereignty and persevere amid tribulation, knowing that our redemption is near and our Lord's victory is sure and eternal. After all these incredible visions, I thought I had experienced every possible emotion, but what I saw next filled me with awe and fear, for I was shown the forces of evil unleashed on the earth and the resistance of the faithful under God's sovereignty. These visions would become chapters 13, 14, and 15 of the book of Revelation. They reveal the struggle between good and evil, the faithfulness of the saints, and God's final judgment.
The beast from the sea and the beast from the earth symbolize oppressive political and religious powers under Satan's influence. The mark of the beast represents loyalty to evil, contrasting with God's seal on the faithful. Let's begin.
I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. I saw a beast coming out of the sea.
It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. A blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion.
The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. This beast represents an oppressive political power, a coalition of kingdoms acting under Satan's influence. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. People worshipped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast.
And they also worshipped the beast and asked, Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it? This apparent healing symbolizes evil's ability to regain power and continue deceiving humanity. The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for 42 months.
It opened its mouth to blaspheme God and to slander His name and His dwelling place and those who live in heaven. This duration symbolizes a time of great tribulation and testing for the faithful. It was given power to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast, all whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.
Here we see the intense persecution of believers and the apparent temporary victory of evil. Then I saw a second beast coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.
It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast whose fatal wound had been healed. This second beast symbolizes a false prophet or religious system that supports and promotes the power of the first oppressive kingdom. And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. Because of the signs, it was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast. It deceived the inhabitants of the earth.
It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. This deception reveals evil's ability to imitate the divine and confuse humanity. The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.
It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. The mark symbolizes loyalty and submission to this evil power, contrasting with God's seal on the faithful. This calls for wisdom.
Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666. This number, 666, symbolizes imperfection and humanity in its fallen state, in contrast with divine perfection. Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and His Father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.
And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. This vision represents the faithful who have persevered and been redeemed, marked with loyalty to God.
These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths. They are blameless.
The purity and faithfulness of these saints symbolize true devotion and the holiness required to be in God's presence. Then I saw another angel flying in mid-air. And he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth, to every nation, tribe, language, and people.
He said in a loud voice, Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water. This first angel proclaims the eternal gospel, calling humanity to repentance and worship of the true God. A second angel followed and said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.
This second angel announces the fall of Babylon, symbolizing the corruption and moral decay that opposes God. A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast in its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, They too will drink the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb, and the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast in its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name. This third angel warns of the fate of those who choose to follow the beast, facing God's eternal wrath.
This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep His commands and remain faithful to Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven say, Write this, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.
This exhortation is a call to perseverance and faithfulness, ensuring eternal blessing for those who remain steadfast in their faith. I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man, with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. This vision of the harvest symbolizes the final judgment. where Christ will separate the righteous from the wicked.
So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe. The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes, and threw them into the great wine press of God's wrath.
This act of gathering symbolizes the collection of the wicked for judgment and God's wrath. They were trampled in the wine press outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horse's bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia. This graphic image represents the magnitude of the judgment and divine retribution on the wicked.
I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign, seven angels with the seven last plagues, last because with them God's wrath is completed. These angels represent the final and complete judgment of God on the earth, 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 the song of God's servant Moses and of the Lamb. Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name, for you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed. This song celebrates God's justice and holiness, acknowledging his sovereignty over all nations. After this, I looked and I saw in heaven the temple, that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law, and it was opened.
Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. These angels, dressed in purity and authority, symbolize the divine execution of final judgment.
Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed. The golden bowls represent the complete wrath of God, and the smoke of his glory symbolizes his supreme holiness and power. The visions continued to unfold before me, showing the culmination of divine judgment upon the earth.
I saw the seven angels with the seven bowls of God's wrath. prepared to pour out their contents on the world. The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshipped its image. These sores symbolized the physical pain and affliction resulting from divine judgment on the followers of the beast. The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.
This judgment recalls the plagues of Egypt, showing the death and destruction of marine life symbolizing total judgment on creation. The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, You are just in these judgments, O holy one, you who are and who were, for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve. This judgment symbolizes divine retribution for the bloodshed of the righteous. The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.
They were seared by the intense heat. And they cursed the name of God who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. This judgment symbolizes torment and the hardness of the human heart, persisting in rebellion against God.
The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony. This judgment symbolizes confusion and suffering in the center of evil power.
Showing the beast's impotence before God's power, the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east. This symbolizes the preparation for the final battle, allowing the passage of armies towards their place of destruction. Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs.
They came out of the mouth of the dragon. Out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are demonic spirits that perform signs and they go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. These spirits symbolize the deceptive propaganda of demons leading nations to the final war.
They gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. This place symbolizes the ultimate confrontation between the forces of good and evil. The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne saying, It is done! Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth.
So tremendous was the quake. This earthquake symbolizes God's final and total judgment. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed.
God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of His wrath. Babylon symbolizes the culmination of all evil and human corruption. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.
From the sky, huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people, and they cursed God on account of the plague of hail because the plague was so terrible. This hailstorm symbolizes the intensity of the final judgment and humanity's persistent rebellion. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute who sits by many waters.
The great prostitute symbolizes the corruption and false religion that seduces nations. 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. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.
She held a golden cup in her hand. filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. The name written on her forehead was a mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth.
The woman and the beast symbolized the alliance between corrupt religion and evil political power. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
Then the angel said to me, Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. The beast which you saw once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
This symbolizes the apparent resurrection of evil power and its eventual destruction. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come.
But when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven. and is going to his destruction. These heads represent kingdoms and rulers supporting corruption.
The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. These horns symbolize temporary political alliances with evil power. They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and with Him will be His called, chosen, and faithful followers. This declaration reaffirms Christ and His followers'final victory over evil forces.
The waters you saw where the prostitute sits are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. This final betrayal symbolizes the self-destruction of evil.
For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority until God's words are fulfilled. The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth. The great city symbolizes the center of corruption and evil power. After this, I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.
With a mighty voice, he shouted, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great. She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. The fall of Babylon symbolizes the complete and final judgment on all corruption and evil.
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. This call is a warning for believers to separate themselves from evil and avoid its judgment, for her sins are piled up to heaven and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given.
Pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts, I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow. I will never mourn.
The judgment of Babylon is proportional to her arrogance and wickedness. Therefore, in one day her plagues will overtake her death, mourning, and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. The kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning.
They will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry, Woe, woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon. In one hour your doom has come. The lament of kings and merchants shows the sudden and total destruction of corrupt power and influence. Another voice from heaven was heard saying, 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. This cry of joy in heaven symbolizes the vindication of the saints and the fulfillment of divine justice. 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. This symbolizes the irrevocable destruction of Babylon and the definitive end of its evil influence. And then came the final vision where I witnessed the glorious culmination of God's plan.
The scene changed and I saw heaven open. What I saw filled my heart with hope and joy, for it was the vision of the ultimate triumph of our Lord Jesus Christ. 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. The whole heaven united in praise, proclaiming the justice and truth of God's judgments. And again they shouted, Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up forever and ever. The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped 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.
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. This celebration represents the eternal union of Christ with his Church, a relationship of eternal love and faithfulness. Then I saw heaven open, and behold, a white horse.
The one riding it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems. He has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. This rider is Jesus Christ, the Word of God, coming in power and glory to judge and conquer.
The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword, with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. These armies represent the saints and angels who accompany Christ in his final victory over evil.
I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 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 worshipped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse.
And all the birds gorge themselves on their flesh. This scene shows the final destruction of evil power, ensuring that God's justice will prevail. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the abyss and 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. This binding symbolizes the restriction of Satan's power, preventing him from deceiving the nations during Christ's millennial reign. I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge, and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the Word of God.
They had not worshipped 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 a thousand years. These martyrs and faithful participate in Christ's millennial reign and era of peace and justice. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.
This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. The first resurrection is the resurrection of the righteous, who participate in Christ's reign and are free from eternal judgment. When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and to gather them for battle, in number.
They are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
This temporary release and final defeat of Satan highlight God's complete victory over evil. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever. This is the eternal condemnation of Satan and his followers.
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.
Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. This final judgment reveals God's perfect justice, where every person is judged according to their deeds. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them.
And each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
The second death represents the eternal condemnation for those whose names are not written in the book of life. This vision reveals the culmination of God's plan for humanity's redemption and judgment. The second coming of Christ is presented as a glorious and definitive victory over evil.
The Lamb is united with His Church in the wedding of the Lamb, symbolizing the eternal union between Christ and the redeemed. This revelation forms chapters 19 and 20 of the book of Revelation. The destruction of the beast and the false prophet, as well as the binding of Satan, show the elimination of evil and the establishment of Christ's kingdom. The millennial reign symbolizes a period of peace and justice.
where the saints reign with Christ. The great white throne judgment is the final manifestation of God's justice, where all human beings are judged according to their deeds. Those whose names are written in the book of life are saved, while the wicked face eternal condemnation. Finally, the visions culminated in a glorious and hope-filled revelation.
I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. and there was no longer any sea. This new heaven and new earth symbolize the complete renewal of creation, free from corruption and sin. And I, John, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared, as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
This holy city represents the eternal dwelling place of God with his people, adorned with beauty and holiness, prepared as a bride for Christ. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Look, God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. This divine promise assures that suffering and death will be eliminated. And God himself will live among his people, bringing eternal comfort and peace. He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new.
Then he said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. 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 water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. This promise of eternal life and divine inheritance is reserved for those who persevere in faith, but the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the... Sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars, they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
This is the second death. This final judgment ensures that those who persist in evil are excluded from eternal blessing. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great high wall with twelve gates and with twelve angels at the gates.
On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. These gates and foundations represent the fullness of God's people, both from the old and new covenants. The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city. Its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide.
He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The perfect dimensions of the city symbolize the perfection of God's kingdom. The wall was made of jasper and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The precious materials and pure gold reflect the purity, holiness, and eternal value of the new Jerusalem.
I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light and the Lamb is its lamp. The presence of God and the Lamb replaces any need for a physical temple, as their glory illuminates everything.
The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it. Nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
The open gate symbolizes perpetual accessibility and welcome for the redeemed, while the exclusion of the impure ensures the eternal purity of the city. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
This river of life and the tree of life symbolize the eternal life and healing flowing from God's presence. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him.
They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever. The absence of the curse in the presence of God's throne indicate complete restoration and eternal communion with God. He said to me, These words are trustworthy and true.
The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place. Look. I am coming soon.
Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll. This confirmation reaffirms the truth and urgency of the prophecies revealed. I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.
And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, Don't do that. I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll.
Worship God. This call to worship God alone underscores the centrality of true and exclusive worship of the Creator. He told me, Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll because the time is near. Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong.
Let the vile person continue to be vile. Let the one who does right continue to do right. And let the holy person continue to be holy.
The imminence of these prophecies calls for an urgent decision of holiness and righteousness. Look, I am coming soon. My reward is coming soon. The reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. The promise of Christ's coming with His reward highlights divine justice in the believer's hope. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs. Those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
The blessing upon those who wash their robes in the Lamb's blood underscores the purity needed to enter the new Jerusalem. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David and the bright morning star. The Spirit and the Bride say, Come.
And let the one who hears say, Come. Let the one who is thirsty come, and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. Jesus'testimony reaffirms his messianic identity and the open invitation to all to receive eternal life. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll. If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.
And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the holy city which are described in this scroll. This final warning ensures the integrity of the prophetic message. He who testifies to these things says, Yes, I am coming soon.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. John's response expresses the longing for the Lord's coming. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people.
Amen. This final blessing assures Christ's grace and continual presence with his people. Chapters 21 and 22 of the book of Revelation reveal the glorious culmination of God's plan, the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, and the manifestation of the new Jerusalem. God's dwelling among his people eliminates all suffering and death.
Bringing eternal peace and comfort. The holy city symbolizes the purity and perfection of God's eternal kingdom. The river of life and the tree of life represent the eternal life and healing that flow from God's presence. The confirmation of prophecy, the call to worship, and the promise of Christ's coming highlight the urgency and hope of the message. Dear brothers and sisters, these chapters call us to live in holiness and to eagerly await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Remain steadfast in faith, knowing that the end of all things is God's victory. This concludes the final chapter of the Bible, but don't stop here. There is another topic shrouded in mystery, biblical numerology.
The number 40 is unknown and holds a secret that has gone unnoticed by everyone. Click on the video and don't miss the mystery behind the number 40, the most powerful in the entire Bible. Watch this video to delve into the mysteries of numerology in the Bible.