13:12 exercises all the authority of the first beast. The false prophet exercises the same kind of satanic power as Antichrist because he is empowered by the same source. He, too, will have worldwide influence and reputation as a miracle worker and speaker. causes…to worship. “He causes” is used 8 times of him. He wields influence to establish a false world religion headed by Antichrist and to entice people to accept that system. whose deadly wound was healed. See notes on v. 3; 17:8. This likely refers to the carefully crafted deception of a false resurrection, a false murder to inspire allegiance for the world.
13:13 great signs. The same phrase is used of Jesus’ miracles (John 2:11, 23; 6:2), which indicates the false prophet performs signs that counterfeit Christ’s. Satan, who has done supernatural works in the past (e.g., Ex. 7:11; 2 Tim. 3:8), must use his strategy of false miracles to convince the world that Antichrist is more powerful than God’s true witnesses (chap. 11), including Jesus Christ. fire come down from heaven. The context indicates that the false prophet does counterfeit pyrotechnic signs continually to convince men of his power, and also in imitation of the two witnesses (11:5).
13:14 make an image. This refers to replication of Antichrist that is related to the throne he will erect during the abomination of desolation, halfway into the Tribulation period. This will happen in the Jerusalem temple when Antichrist abolishes the former false world religion and seeks to have people worship him alone as God (cf. Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4). The false prophet and Antichrist again will deceive the world with a clever imitation of Christ, who will later return and reign from the true throne in Jerusalem.
13:15 speak. The false prophet will give the image of Antichrist the appearance of life, and the image will seem to utter words—contrary to what is normally true of idols (cf. Ps. 135:15, 16; Hab. 2:19). cause…to be killed. His gentleness is a lie, since he is a killer (7:9–17). Some Gentiles will be spared to populate the kingdom (Matt. 25:31–40) and Jews will be protected (12:17).
13:16 a mark. In the Roman Empire, this was a normal identifying symbol, or brand, that slaves and soldiers bore on their bodies. Some of the ancient mystical cults delighted in such tattoos, which identified members with a form of worship. Antichrist will have a similar requirement, one that will need to be visible on the hand or forehead.
13:17 buy or sell. Antichrist’s mark will allow people to engage in daily commerce, including the purchase of food and other necessities. Without the identifying mark, individuals will be cut off from the necessities of life. number of his name. The beast (Antichrist) will have a name inherent in a numbering system. It is not clear from the text exactly what this name and number system will be or what its significance will be.
13:18 His number is 666. This is the essential number of a man. The number 6 falls one short of God’s perfect number, 7, and thus represents human imperfection. Antichrist, the most powerful human the world will ever know, will still be a man, i.e., a 6. The ultimate in human and demonic power is a 6, not perfect, as God is. The 3-fold repetition of the number is intended to reiterate and underscore man’s identity. When Antichrist is finally revealed, there will be some way to identify him with this basic number of a man, or his name may have the numerical equivalent of 666. (In many languages, including Heb., Gr., and Lat., letters have numerical equivalents.) Because this text reveals very little about the meaning of 666, it is unwise to speculate beyond what is said.
Revelation 14
14:1 a Lamb. See note on 5:6. Mount Zion. The city of Jerusalem, where Messiah will return and plant His feet (cf. Pss. 2; 48:1, 2; Is. 24:23). one hundred and forty-four thousand. See note on 7:4. name. The counterpart to the mark of the beast. It is the stamp that will identify the 144,000 as belonging to God (see note on 13:6).
14:2 harps. See note on 5:8.
14:3 new song. The song of redemption, which is being sung by all the redeemed saints in one gigantic choir. They are rejoicing over the accomplishment of God’s entire redemptive work before Christ’s return (cf. Pss. 33:1–3; 40:3; 96:1; 144:9, 10; 149; Luke 15:10; see note on 5:9). the four living creatures, and the elders. See notes on 4:4, 6.
14:4 not defiled with women. An illustration of God’s ability to keep believers remarkably pure in the midst of great difficulty. This phrase indicates that the 144,000 Jewish evangelists will have not only resisted the perverse system of Antichrist, but they will have also resisted all temptations to illicit sex. Cf. 2 Cor. 11:2. follow the Lamb. This indicates partisanship for Jesus Christ. The victorious 144,000 are unwaveringly loyal to Him, whatever the cost (cf. Matt. 16:24; Mark 10:21; Luke 9:23; John 10:27; 12:26; 14:15). firstfruits. Like the OT firstfruits offerings, these men will be set apart for special service to God (cf. Deut. 26:1–11). Some see firstfruits as the first large group of redeemed Israel (see note on 11:13), saved much earlier, and representative of more converts to follow (cf. Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:15), the first fruits of a redeemed Israel (Rom. 11:1–5, 11–15, 25–27).
14:5 no deceit. The 144,000 speak God’s truth accurately and precisely, with no exaggeration or understatement (cf. Zeph. 3:13). without fault. Not sinless, but sanctified (see Eph. 1:4; 5:27; Col. 1:22).
14:6 midst of heaven. From a Gr. term (“mid-heaven”) denoting the point in the noonday sky where the sun reaches its zenith. This is the highest and brightest point, where all can see and hear. the everlasting gospel. The angel is preaching the good news concerning everlasting life and entrance into the kingdom of God (cf. Matt. 24:14; 1 Cor. 15:1–10). He is urging the people of the world to change their allegiance from the beast to the Lamb. It is also called in the NT the gospel of God, the gospel of grace, the gospel of Christ, the gospel of peace, the glorious gospel, and the gospel of the kingdom. It is good news that God saves by the forgiveness of sin and opens His kingdom to all who will repent and believe. The whole world will hear this preaching by the angel as God graciously calls all to salvation.
14:7 Fear God. Not Satan, nor Antichrist. This is the theme of Scripture, calling people to give honor, glory, worship, and reverence to God (cf. Prov. 23:17; 1 Pet. 2:17). See notes on Rom. 1:18–21. hour of His judgment has come. The last moment arrives to repent and believe before God’s wrath is poured out. This is the book’s first use of the word judgment, a term that has the same meaning as wrath (see 6:17; 12:12). Him who made heaven and earth. Creation is the great proof of God, which preachers will appeal to as the ground for all people to believe in Him and worship Him (cf. 4:11; 10:6; John 1:9; Acts 14:15–17; 17:23–28).
14:8 Babylon is fallen. Lack of response to the first angel’s message causes a second angel to pronounce this judgment. Babylon refers to the entire worldwide political, economic, and religious kingdom of Antichrist. (cf. 16:17–19 for details of this fall.) The original city of Babylon was the birthplace of idolatry where the residents built the Tower of Babel, a monument to rebelliousness and false religion. Such idolatry was subsequently spread when God confounded man’s language and scattered them around the world (cf. Gen. 11:1–9). wine of the wrath of her fornication. This pictures Babylon causing the world to become intoxicated with her pleasures and enter an orgy of rebellion, hatred, and idolatry toward God. Fornication is spiritual prostitution to Antichrist’s false system, which will fall for such iniquity.
14:9 worships the beast. See notes on 13:14, 15; cf. 13:8.
14:10 cup of His indignation. Anyone loyal to the Antichrist and his kingdom will suffer the outpouring of God’s collected wrath, done with the full force of His divine anger and unmitigated vengeance (cf. Ps. 75:8; Is. 51:17; Jer. 25:15, 16). Divine wrath is not an impulsive outburst of anger aimed capriciously at people God does not like. It is the settled, steady, merciless, graceless, and compassionless response of a righteous God against sin. fire and brimstone. These are two elements that are often associated in Scripture with the torment of divine punishment (Gen. 19:24, 25; Is. 34:8–10). Here the reference is to hell, the lake of fire (cf. 19:20; 20:10; 21:8). Brimstone
is a fiery sulfur (see note on 9:17).
14:11 torment ascends forever and ever. A reference to the eternality of hell (cf. Matt. 3:12; 13:41, 42; 25:41; Mark 9:48). Torment is the ceaseless infliction of unbearable pain (cf. Luke 16:23, 24), here prescribed for all who are loyal to Satan’s leader.
14:12 This is excellent scriptural support for the doctrine of perseverance, which assures all true believers in Christ that they will never lose their faith. The regenerate will continually endure, right to the end, in obedience to the truth, no matter what may come against them (see notes on Rom. 8:31–39; Phil. 1:6; cf. Jer. 32:40; Matt. 24:13; John 6:35–40; 10:27–30; 1 John 5:4, 11–13, 20).
14:13 Blessed. See note on 1:3.
14:14 Son of Man. See note on 1:13. The imagery of the Lord on a cloud is from Dan. 7:13, 14 and emphasizes magnificent majesty (cf. 1:7; Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Acts 1:9–11). golden crown. The victor’s crown, a laurel wreath, worn by those who celebrated victory in war or athletic competition. Christ now wears this particular crown, in this case made of gold, as a triumphant conqueror coming out of heaven to prevail over His enemies. sickle. A harvesting tool with a razor-sharp, curved steel or iron blade and a wooden handle, commonly used by ancient farmers to cut grain. It represents swift and devastating judgment.
14:15 harvest of the earth. The grain—in this case the ungodly people of the world—is ready to be gathered up and judged.
14:17 temple. See note on 11:19. This refers to the heavenly dwelling place of God, not the Tribulation temple in Jerusalem (cf. 11:1).
14:18 another angel…who had power over fire. This angel is associated with fire on the altar, which represents the prayers of the saints (6:9–11; 8:3–5). Fire refers to the constantly burning fire on the brass altar of the Jerusalem temple. Twice daily the priest would burn incense with that fire and offer the burning incense in the Holy Place as a symbol of the people’s prayers (see notes on 5:8; 6:9; 8:3). This angel is coming from the heavenly altar to ensure that all the prayers of all the saints for judgment and the coming of the kingdom are answered. He calls for judgment to start. sickle. See note on v. 14.
14:19 winepress. This vivid imagery signifies a horrendous slaughter or bloodbath (cf. Is. 63:2, 3; Lam. 1:15; Joel 3:13). Here it refers to the slaughter of all the enemies of God who are still alive, facing the destruction at Armageddon, the final battle against God’s enemies, staged on the Plain of Esdraelon. The bloody imagery comes from the fresh juice of stomped grapes splattering and running down a trough from the upper vat to the lower vat of a stone winepress.
14:20 outside the city. God will determine that this bloodbath will occur outside Jerusalem, as if God wants to protect the city from the carnage all around. Zechariah 14:1–5 makes clear that Jerusalem will be attacked, but will not be destroyed in the end, but spared for the glory of the kingdom, and the believing remnant will be saved as the Lord defends them and the city against the nations. They will escape through a newly created valley as the Lord finishes judgment and sets up His kingdom. up to the horses’ bridles. The severity of the slaughter is indicated in the imagery of the blood of those killed in the Battle of Armageddon splattering as high (about 4 ft.) as the bridles of the horses involved. Equally likely, if the battle occurs near the central valley of Israel, the tremendous volume and flow of blood could easily form troughs 4 ft. deep in some places. This event clearly is described in 19:11–21. Ezekiel 39:8–16 may be describing the clean up. one thousand six hundred furlongs. See marginal note. The approximate distance from Armageddon in the N of Palestine to Edom in the S. The great battle will rage across that entire area and even slightly beyond.
Revelation 15
15:1–8 Chapter 15 introduces the 7 bowls of wrath, God’s final judgments at the end of the 7 year Tribulation period. The bowl judgments come in a rapid-fire, staccato fashion, each one stronger in fury and intensity. The bowls are the last plagues that issue from the blast of the seventh trumpet, and will conclude the seventh seal (see note on 6:1).
15:1 wrath of God. See notes on 11:18; 14:10; 16:19; 19:15; cf. Rom. 1:18–21.
15:2 sea of glass. God’s heavenly throne sits on a transparent crystal platform or pavement (see note on 4:6). victory over the beast. All the saints from every nation, including Israel, ultimately triumph over Satan’s Antichrist and his system because of their faith in Jesus Christ. number of his name. See note on 13:17. harps. See note on 5:8.
15:3 song of Moses. Sung by the people of Israel immediately after their passage through the Red Sea and their deliverance from the Egyptian armies (Ex. 15:1–21; cf. Deut. 32:1–43), this was a song of victory and deliverance that the redeemed who overcome Antichrist and his system will readily identify with. song of the Lamb. See 5:8–14. These two songs celebrate two great redemptive events: 1) deliverance of Israel by God from Egypt through Moses; and 2) deliverance of sinners by God from sin through Christ. Great and marvelous are Your works. This statement from the song of the Lamb extols God’s powerful works in creation as He providentially upholds the universe (cf. Ps. 139:14). Almighty. God is omnipotent (cf. Amos 4:13). King of the saints. God is sovereign over the redeemed of every nation (cf. Jer. 10:7).
15:4 God’s holy and perfect character inevitably demands that He judge (cf. Ps. 19:9; Nah. 1:3, 6). After God’s righteous judgment is complete, He will set up Christ’s millennial kingdom on earth and the elect from every nation will come and worship Him (cf. Ps. 66:4; Is. 66:23; Phil. 2:9–11).
15:5 the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony. This refers to the location of the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies where God dwells (see note on 11:19; cf. Num. 10:11).
15:6 seven plagues. The final, most severe judgments from God, described in chap. 16 (see note on v. 1). linen…golden bands. The fabric represents holiness and purity (19:14). These are belts or girdles, running from the shoulder to the waist, that each of the 7 angels wear over his garments. The bands demonstrate riches, royalty, and untarnished glory.
15:7 four living creatures. See notes on 4:6–8. seven golden bowls. These are shallow saucers, familiar items often associated with various functions of the temple worship (1 Kin. 7:50; 2 Kin. 12:13; 25:15), such as wine (Amos 6:6) and blood sacrifice (Ex. 27:3). Their flat shallowness pictures how the divine judgments will be emptied instantly rather than slowly poured, drowning those who refused to drink the cup of salvation. wrath of God. See notes on 11:18; 14:10.
15:8 filled with smoke. Cf. Ex. 19:16–18; 40:34–35; 1 Kin. 8:10, 11; Is. 6:4.
Revelation 16
16:2 first…bowl…a foul and loathsome sore. The Septuagint (LXX) uses the same Gr. word to describe the boils that plagued the Egyptians (Ex. 9:9–11) and afflicted Job (Job 2:7). In the NT, it describes the open sores that covered the beggar Lazarus (Luke 16:21). All over the world, people will be afflicted with incurable, open, oozing sores. mark of the beast. Only the worshipers of Antichrist will be afflicted (see note on 13:16; cf. 14:9–11).
16:3 second…bowl…every living creature in the sea died. This is reminiscent of the second trumpet (8:8, 9), and of the first plague against Egypt (Ex. 7:20–25). This plague, however, will be far more widespread. The water in the world’s oceans will become thick, dark, and coagulated, like the blood of a corpse. The death and decay of billions of sea creatures will only add to the misery of this judgment.
16:4 third…bowl…rivers and springs of water. Fresh water, already in short supply because of the prolonged drought (11:6), will now suffer the fate of the oceans (cf. Ex. 7:19ff.). In addition to suffering from thirst, the worshipers of Antichrist will have no clean water with which to wash their sores.
16:5 who is and who was and who is to be. This phrase expresses God’s eternality (cf. 1:4, 8; 4:8; 11:17). Verse 6 says that the eternal God will judge justly because they have killed the believers and preachers of the gospel (6:9–11; 7:9–17; 11:18; 17:6; 18:20). This slaughter will have no parallel in history (Matt. 24:21) and neither will the vengeance of God (cf. Rom. 12:19�
�21).
16:6 given them blood to drink. The thick, blood-like substance which the fresh waters have become is all that is available to drink (cf. v. 4). For it is their just due. The angel exonerates God from any charge that His judgments are too harsh. The unspeakably wicked generation then alive will shed more blood than any before it, including that of saints (6:9; 17:6) and prophets (11:7–10). God’s judgment is fair and proper (cf. Ex. 21:25–27; Lev. 24:19, 20; Heb. 10:26–31).
16:7 altar. The personified altar echoes the words of the angel, reinforcing the truth that God is just in all judgment (19:1, 2; cf. Gen. 18:25; Ps. 51:4; Rom. 3:4).
16:8 fourth…bowl…scorch…with fire. The sun that normally provides light, warmth, and energy will become a deadly killer. With no fresh water to drink, earth’s inhabitants will face extreme heat. The scorching heat will melt the polar ice caps, which some estimate would raise the level of the world’s oceans by 200 ft., inundating many of the world’s major cities and producing further catastrophic loss of life (cf. Amos 9:5, 6). The resulting disruption of ocean transportation will make it difficult to distribute the dwindling resources of food and water.
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