Last week’s article talked about the seven angels and the terrors that they brought. It also covered the woman and the dragon. This will be the final article in this series. We will see the last parts of the God’s plan fall into place and we will see what eternal life will look like with Him.
Chapter Thirteen
A beast rises up from the sea; it has seven heads and ten horns. The beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave this beast a throne and all the power. One of the heads of the beast is wounded beyond repair but the dragon heals it and for this the people on Earth worship him. The beast of the sea spoke many blasphemies against God. He is given the power to do whatever he wants for 42 months. The beast was allowed to wage war against God’s people. People who still belong to this world worshiped the beast because their name was not in the Book of Life that the Lamb has.
Then another beast emerges from the Earth. He had two horns like those of the Lamb and all the power of the first beast. He speaks with the voice of the dragon. Remember that not all good things that come into your life are from God. They are disguised by the devil to appear that way. This beast performed astounding miracles and make fire come from the skies. A statue was made of the beast and any who refused to worship it would die. This beast required that the people of the Earth receive a mark on their right hand or forehead to buy or sell anything. The mark of the beast was a number. His number is 666.
Chapter Fourteen
The Lamb is standing on Mount Zion with the 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name on their forehead. Then the sound of harps being played thunders through the air. A great choir sings a new song at the throne of God. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 that had been redeemed from the Earth. They have told no lies; they are without blame.
An angel flies across the sky carrying the eternal Good News to tell the people, “Fear God! Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.” A second angel follows shouting, “Babylon has fallen! The great city has fallen because she made all the nations drink the wine of her passionate immorality.” The third and final angel comes across the sky shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his ark on the forehead or on the hand must drink the wine of God’s anger.”
They will be tormented with fire in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. They will have no relief day or night because they accepted the mark of his name. This means that God’s people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintain their faith in Jesus. Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!
Down from heaven came a white cloud with the Son of Man on top. An angel cane down from the Temple and told Him that the harvest on Earth was ready. He swung his sickle and the whole Earth was harvested. After that, another angel came down from the Temple that had the power to destroy the fire. He swung his sickle to gather the clusters of grapes from judgment. They were put into a winepress and wine flowed in a river 180 miles long.
Chapter Fifteen
The seven angels in heaven are given seven different gold bowls that contain the seven plagues. When the seven plagues are released God’s wrath will be completed. No one can enter the Temple until the seven angels fulfill their duties.
Chapter Sixteen
The seven angels leave heaven to fulfill the prophecy. The first angel pours his bowl on the earth, and horrible, malignant sore broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. The second angel poured his out on the sea. It became like the blood of a corpse and everything in the sea died. The third angel dumped his bowl on the rivers and springs and they became blood. The fourth angel poured his bowl out on the sun causing it to scorch everyone with its fire. Everyone was burned by the blast of heat. The fifth angel pour out his bowl on the throne of the beast! His kingdom was plunged into darkness and his subjects cursed God. The sixth angel poured his bowl on the Euphrates River and it dried up so that the kings from the East could march their armies toward the west without hindrance.
The John saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. They are demonic spirits that perform miracles for rulers so that they can use their armies to fight against God the Almighty. The demonic spirits gathered all the ruler and their armies at a place called Armageddon.
Then the seventh and final angel poured out his plague and a mighty shout came from heaven saying, “It is finished!” The great city of Babylon split into three sections and the cities fell into piles of rubble. Every island disappeared, and the mountains were leveled.
Chapter Seventeen
An angel leads John to the great prostitute. There was a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns. In her hand, she held a goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. Her name was written on her forehead, “Babylon the Great, Mother of all Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.” The beast was once alive but he isn’t now but he will soon rise from the bottomless pit. The seven heads represent the seven hills that the woman rules over. They also represent the seven kings. Five of the kings have fallen; the other two are soon to fall. The scarlet beast is the eighth king. The ten horns represent the ten kings that have not yet risen. They will reign the beast for a brief point of time. With the beast, they will go against the Lamb but will be defeated because he is the King of all kings.
Chapter Eighteen
Babylon has fallen! It is now a home for demons and evil spirits. All the kings who committed adultery with the city will cry out in terror. The merchants will cry because nobody will be left to but their jewels. The city of Babylon is gone.
Chapter Nineteen
There is a large crowd I heaven signing of the victories. Then a white horse descends from Heaven. The rider is named Faithful and True. A name was written on him that no one else understood except himself. He wears a rode dipped in blood, and his title was Word of God. He will release the fierce wrath of God. Then the beast and the kings of the world gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse. The beast was captured and was thrown into a fiery lake of burning sulfur. His army was killed by the sharp sword and the cultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies.
Chapter Twenty
Then an angel come down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit. He took the dragon, who is the devil, and bound him in chains for a thousand years. Satan can no longer deceive nations. Then John saw thrones and those who sat on them had been given the authority to judge. There were souls there of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus. This is the first resurrection (the rest did not come back until after the thousand years).
When the thousand years comes to an end Satan will be let out of his prison. Fire from heaven came down and consumed his armies. Then the devil was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. He will be tormented day and night forever.
Then John sees a white thrown where God is seated. The dead were judge according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. Then the death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. Anyone whose name is not found in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Chapter Twenty-One
Then he saw the new heaven and the new Earth. God wiped away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow of crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. God is making everything new. He gives life to those who drink the water of life. But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars will face their fate in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Then one of the seven angels who held the bowls of plague came to show John the wife of the Lamb. So the angel took him to a mountain and showed him the city of Jerusalem. There was a large wall make of jasper and the city was pure gold. The wall was built was jasper, sapphire, agate, emerald, onyx, carnelian, chrysotile, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, amethyst. The twelve gates were each made of a single pearl. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter the city.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Then the angel showed John a river with the water of life in it. It was as clear as crystal. On each side of the river was a tree of life that grew the crops of fruit. Everything that is seen is trustworthy and true.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.
