23n“The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, oand the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For pyour merchants were the great men of the earth, qfor by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.
24“And rin her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who swere slain on the earth.”
Revelation 19
Heaven Exults over Babylon
1After these things aI 1heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! bSalvation and glory and honor and power belong to 2the Lord our God!
2“For ctrue and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He dhas avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.”
3Again they said, “Alleluia! eHer smoke rises up forever and ever!”
4And fthe twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, g“Amen! Alleluia!”
5Then a voice came from the throne, saying, h“Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, iboth3 small and great!”
6jAnd I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For kthe4 Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
7“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for lthe marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”
8And mto her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, nfor the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9Then he said to me, “Write: o‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, p“These are the true sayings of God.”
10And qI fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, r“See that you do not do that! I am your sfellow servant, and of your brethren twho have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the utestimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Christ on a White Horse
11vNow I saw heaven opened, and behold, wa white horse. And He who sat on him was called xFaithful and True, and yin righteousness He judges and makes war.
12zHis eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. aHe 5had a name written that no one knew except Himself.
13bHe was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called cThe Word of God.
14dAnd the armies in heaven, eclothed in 6fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
15Now fout of His mouth goes a 7sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And gHe Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. hHe Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16And iHe has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
jKING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
The Beast and His Armies Defeated
17Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, k“Come and gather together for the 8supper of the great God,
18l“that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, 9free and slave, both small and great.”
19mAnd I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
20nThen the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and othose who worshiped his image. pThese two were cast alive into the lake of fire qburning with brimstone.
21And the rest rwere killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. sAnd all the birds twere filled with their flesh.
Revelation 20
Satan Bound 1000 Years
1Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, ahaving the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2He laid hold of bthe dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
3and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and cset a seal on him, dso that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
The Saints Reign with Christ 1000 Years
4And I saw ethrones, and they sat on them, and fjudgment was committed to them. Then I saw gthe souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, hwho had not worshiped the beast ior his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they jlived and kreigned with Christ for 1a thousand years.
5But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such lthe second death has no power, but they shall be mpriests of God and of Christ, nand shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Satanic Rebellion Crushed
(cf. Ezek. 38; 39)
7Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison
8and will go out oto deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, pGog and Magog, qto gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
9rThey went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
10The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone swhere2 the beast and the false prophet are. And they twill be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The Great White Throne Judgment
11Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face uthe earth and the heaven fled away. vAnd there was found no place for them.
12And I saw the dead, wsmall and great, standing before 3God, xand books were opened. And another ybook was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged zaccording to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13The sea gave up the dead who were in it, aand Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. bAnd they were judged, each one according to his works.
14Then cDeath and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. dThis is the second 4death.
15And anyone not found written in the Book of Life ewas cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21
All Things Made New
1Now aI saw a new heaven and a new earth, bfor the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
2Then I, 1John, saw cthe holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared das a bride adorned for her husband.
3And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, ethe tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
4f“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; gthere shall be no more death, hnor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
5Then iHe who sat on the throne said, j“Behold, I make all things new.” And He said 2to me, “Write, for kthese words are true and faithful.”
6And He said to me, l“It3 is done! mI am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. nI will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
7“He who overcomes 4shall inherit all things, and oI will be his God and he shall be My son.
8p“But the cowardly, 5unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in qthe lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem
(cf. Ezek. 48:30–35)
9Then one of rthe seven angels who had the seven bowls
filled with the seven last plagues came 6to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you sthe 7bride, the Lamb’s wife.”
10And he carried me away tin the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me uthe 8great city, the 9holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11vhaving the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
12Also she had a great and high wall with wtwelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13xthree gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
14Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and yon them were the 10names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15And he who talked with me zhad a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
16The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand 11furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.
17Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
18The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.
19aThe foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation wa s jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
20the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
21The twelve gates were twelve bpearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. cAnd the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
The Glory of the New Jerusalem
22dBut I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
23eThe city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine 12in it, for the 13glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.
24fAnd the nations 14of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor 15into it.
25gIts gates shall not be shut at all by day h(there shall be no night there).
26iAnd they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into 16it.
27But jthere shall by no means enter it anything 17that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s kBook of Life.
Revelation 22
The River of Life
1And he showed me aa 1pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2bIn the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was cthe tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were dfor the healing of the nations.
3And ethere shall be no more curse, fbut the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His gservants shall serve Him.
4hThey shall see His face, and iHis name shall be on their foreheads.
5jThere shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor klight of the sun, for lthe Lord God gives them light. mAnd they shall reign forever and ever.
The Time Is Near
6Then he said to me, n“These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the 2holy prophets osent His angel to show His servants the things which must pshortly take place.
7q“Behold, I am coming quickly! rBlessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8Now I, John, 3saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, sI fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.
9Then he said to me, t“See that you do not do that. 4For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
10uAnd he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, vfor the time is at hand.
11“He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him 5be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
Jesus Testifies to the Churches
12“And behold, I am coming quickly, and wMy reward is with Me, xto give to every one according to his work.
13y“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the 6Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
14zBlessed are those who 7do His commandments, that they may have the right ato the tree of life, band may enter through the gates into the city.
158But coutside are ddogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
16e“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. fI am the Root and the Offspring of David, gthe Bright and Morning Star.”
17And the Spirit and hthe bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” iAnd let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
A Warning
189For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: jIf anyone adds to these things, 10God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
19and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, kGod11 shall take away his part from the 12Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
I Am Coming Quickly
20He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
21The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be 13with you all. Amen.
Revelation Commentaries
Revelation 1
1:1 The Revelation. The Gr. word from which the Eng. word “apocalypse” comes lit. means “to uncover, or to reveal.” When it refers to a person, it means that person becomes clearly visible (see Introduction: Title; cf. Luke 2:30–32; Rom. 8:19; 1 Cor. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:7). Jesus Christ. The gospels unveil Christ at His first coming in humiliation; Revelation reveals Him in His exaltation: 1) in blazing glory (vv. 7–20); 2) over His church, as its Lord (chaps. 2, 3); 3) in His second coming, as He takes back the earth from the usurper, Satan, and establishes His kingdom (chaps. 4–20); and 4) as He lights up the eternal state (chaps. 21, 22). The NT writers eagerly anticipate this unveiling (1 Cor. 1:7; 2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:7). God gave Him. As a reward for Christ’s perfect submission and atonement, the Father now presented to Him the great record of His future glory (cf. Phil. 2:5–11). Readers eavesdrop on the gift of this book, from the Father to His Son. shortly. The primary meaning of this word (lit. “soon”; cf. 2:5, 16; 3:11; 11:14; 22:12; 2 Tim. 4:9) underscores the imminence of Christ’s return.
1:3 Blessed. This is the only biblical book that comes with a blessing for the one who listens to it being read and explained and then responds in obedience. This is the first of 7 beatitudes in the book (v. 3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14). time is near. “Time” refers to epochs, eras, or seasons. The next great epoch of God’s redemptive history is imminent. But although Christ’s coming is the next event, it may be delayed so long that people begin to question whether He will ever come (cf. Matt. 24:36–39; 2 Pet. 3:3, 4).
1:4 seven churches which are in Asia. Asia Minor, equivalent to modern Turkey, was composed of 7 postal districts. At the center of those districts were 7 key cities which served as central points for the dissemination of information. It is to the churches in those cities that John writes. who is and who was and who is to come. God’s eternal presence is not limited by time. He has always been present and will come in the future. the seven Spirits. There are two possible meanings: 1) a reference to Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the 7-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit (Is. 11:2); or 2) more likely, it is a reference to the lampstand with 7 lamps (a menorah) in Zechariah—also a description of the Holy Spirit (see notes on 4:5; 5:6; Zech. 4:1–1
0). In either case, 7 is the number of completeness, so John is identifying the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
1:5 firstborn. Of all who have been or will be raised from the dead, He is the preeminent one, the only one who is the rightful heir (cf. 3:14; Ps. 89:27; Col. 1:15).
1:6 kings and priests. More accurately, “a kingdom and priests.” All who believe live in the sphere of God’s rule, a kingdom entered by faith in Jesus Christ. And as priests, believers have the right to enter God’s presence.
1:7 coming with clouds. This echoes the promise of Daniel: The Son of Man will come with the clouds of heaven (Dan. 7:13)—not ordinary clouds but clouds of glory. In the OT, God often manifested Himself in an energized, blazing light, called the Shekinah or glory cloud. No one could see it fully and live (Ex. 33:20), so it had to be veiled. But when Christ returns, the glory will be completely visible. Cf. Matt. 24:29, 30; 25:31; see notes on 6:12–17. they who pierced. Not a reference to the 4 Roman soldiers usually involved in crucifixion, but to the Jews who were actually responsible for Christ’s death (Acts 2:22, 23; 3:14, 15). Zechariah identified the ones who pierced Him as “the house of David” and “the inhabitants of Jerusalem” and prophesied that they will weep tears of genuine repentance because of what they did to their Messiah (Zech. 12:10). all the tribes…will mourn. The mourning of the rest of the earth’s inhabitants is not that which accompanies genuine repentance (cf. 9:21). It is the result of guilt for sin and fear of punishment (6:16; cf. Gen. 3:8–10).
1:8 Alpha and the Omega. These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. An alphabet is an ingenious way to store and communicate knowledge. The 26 letters in the English alphabet, arranged in almost endless combinations, can hold and convey all knowledge. Christ is the supreme, sovereign alphabet; there is nothing outside His knowledge, so as there are no unknown factors that can sabotage His second coming. (cf. Col. 2:3). the Almighty. “Almighty God” occurs 8 times in Revelation, underscoring that God’s power is supreme over all the cataclysmic events it records (see also 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:15; 21:22). He exercises sovereign control over every person, object, and event, and not one molecule in the universe is outside that dominion.
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 672