Eschatological Optimism (Part Two)

Throughout this series on eschatology, we have slowly been building a case for eschatological optimism. That is, Christ will triumph over the world through his church.

Jesus is presently reigning in heaven, subduing his enemies. He is renewing the earth, causing the rule of heaven to gradually descend upon the earth. The church is fulfilling the great commission, discipling the nations. All of this will produce a period of peace and joy and harmony that the world has not known since the garden.

As we look at the present state of the world, it appears that Jesus is committed to a long-term plan. For many, such long-term thinking may be disorienting. As one pastor quipped, we may still be in the early church.

That is, we generally think of the early church as the first few centuries after Christ’s first advent. However, if the present age lasts for say, ten thousand years, then our distant descendants will regard us as “early.”

In the next few posts, we will look at how to apply this eschatological optimism to our lives and what role we should take with regard to our present culture.

Eschatological Optimism

These are just a few of the texts that should point us in the direction of eschatological optimism. That is, we believe that Christ will triumph over the world through his church. We see such optimism in Psalm 2:

“Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: Yahweh has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel’” (Psalm 2:6-9).

Jesus will rule over the entire globe, so that the ends of the earth are his possession. When necessary, he will crush the rebellion of the nations.

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of Yahweh’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:2).

Isaiah prophesies about a period of unprecedented peace, when weapons will be used as tools. This passage is describing our present age, although we appear to be a long ways from fulfilling this.

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

This familiar Advent passage promises an increase in the peace of Christ’s rule. Peace can only increase in history.

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of Yahweh shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Yahweh. His delight is in the fear of Yahweh, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Yahweh As the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious” (Isaiah 11:1-10).

This also describes a condition of unprecedented peace, when the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Yahweh. Yet, notice, that this is not describing eternity, but the latter stages of our present age.

Already/Not Yet (Part 3)

Another crucial passage that applies to our present age is Isaiah 65.

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying” (Isaiah 65:17-19).

God says that he will create a new heavens and a new earth. Look closely at how this is described.

“No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, Nor bring forth children for trouble; For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of Yahweh, And their offspring with them. ‘It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,’ Says Yahweh” (Isaiah 65:20-25).

While many see this as a description of the eternal state, at least two events described do not fit: giving birth (v 20, 23) and death (v. 20).

In eternity, there will be no birth and no death, so this passage must be describing the present age.

The best way to understand this is by applying the already/not yet principle. At Jesus’ first coming, he inaugurated the new heavens and the new earth. However, we do not yet see the consummation of the new heavens and the new earth.

Again, this passage invites us to take a long-term perspective on the present age. We do not appear to be anywhere close to seeing Isaiah 65:17-25 fulfilled, which means that the return of Christ must be a long ways off.

Already/Not Yet (Part 2)

While already/not yet is a helpful tool to understand some passages, there are many promises that will find their primary fulfillment in this present age.

The Reign of Christ

One example of this is the reign of Christ. After his resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

“So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).

“Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3).

At his first coming, Jesus was inaugurated as king. Presently, he is already reigning as king, but his reign is not yet perfect.

“Yahweh said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool’” (Psalm 110:1).

The Father’s intention is that Jesus reigns until all of his enemies are defeated.

“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool” (Hebrews 10:12-13).

“But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:23-25).

Jesus will remain in heaven ruling until his enemies are defeated. After this, he will return.

Again, our eschatology affects how we view this present age. Because we do not yet see all of Jesus’ enemies defeated, we do not expect Jesus to return yet.

This is the opposite of how most contemporary American Christians think. Many view the world as getting worse and worse and assume that this means that Jesus will return soon.

Yet, the exact opposite is true. Jesus will not return until all his enemies are under his feet. If we see evil triumphing on the earth, this is not a sign that Jesus’ return is getting closer. It is a sign that Jesus is not done ruling from heaven.

Already/Not Yet (Part 1)

A large portion of our series on eschatology has been dedicated to correctly understanding the significance of the Destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

This has been an important step because many texts that are commonly thought to apply to the second coming of Christ are actually fulfilled in his first coming, which culminated in the destruction of the temple and of the city of Jerusalem.

We are still expecting the second coming of Christ, which will be a physical return to earth. We are also looking forward to the resurrection of the dead, the rapture of living, and the judgment of all men.

The Present Age
We are going to look at our present age in which we live. So far, we have looked at eschatological texts as being fulfilled in either the first coming or the second coming.

However, there are many eschatological texts that are being fulfilled in the present age. Such texts are gradually fulfilled throughout history over a long period of time.

As our present age is framed by the two advents of Christ, we best understand these texts in reference to these. The first coming of Christ inaugurates, while the second coming consummates. Our present age represents growth, development, and partial fulfillment.

First Coming = Inauguration
Present Age = Growth
Second Coming = Consummation

Theologians use the principle “already/not yet” to describe such fulfillments. The first coming of Christ inaugurates and some of the promises are already fulfilled in part. However, because the second coming represents the consummation, some promises are not yet fulfilled.

First Coming = Inauguration (Already)
Present Age = Growth (Already/Not Yet)
Second Coming = Consummation (Not Yet)

The Kingdom
One easy example is the kingdom of God. At Jesus’ first coming, he preached the good news of the kingdom.

“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).

Jesus announced that the kingdom of God was at hand. It had been inaugurated.

However, the kingdom of God was far from being completed. At his second coming, the kingdom will be complete. When Jesus returns, he will usher in the perfected kingdom. It will be consummated.

In the meantime, we live between the already and not yet. The kingdom has already come in one sense

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13).

In another sense, the kingdom not yet come in its fullest. However, the present age is not a static age of waiting for the kingdom to be completed. We are to pray that the kingdom would come.

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10).

As we live between the two advents of Christ, we see how the kingdom is growing, but we do not demand perfection.

This is how we will see eschatology affect our daily lives. We are optimistic, in that we expect the kingdom of God to continue to grow, but we are realistic in that we do not expect perfection until Christ returns.

Revelation 22

“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:1-5).

With the mention of the tree of life, this takes us back to creation and the garden. God’s purposes for creation are finally fulfilled. And we shall reign forever and ever.

“Then he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true.’ And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. ‘Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book’” (Revelation 22:6-7).

We are reminded why the book of Revelation was written. The early church was facing persecution, and it was only going to get worse. These things were going to happen “shortly.”

Yet, Christ was going to come ”quickly.” He gave the early church a picture of how he was going to deal with their enemies to encourage them to stand strong for the gospel.

All the judgments that Revelation 6-19 describes came to pass. God vindicated his people and his Son in his judgment upon Jerusalem.

God also gave the church a picture of her glorious future. The beautiful language of Revelation 21-22 describes Christ building his church. When Christ returns, the bride will not have a spot or wrinkle or any such thing , but be holy and blameless. This is our future hope.

Revelation 21

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea” (Revelation 21:1).

The first heaven and the first earth is the old covenant, the old creation. When Christ came, he ushered in a new heaven and a new earth, which is the church.

In the church age, there is no more sea, that is, no more Gentiles. The Jew/Gentile distinction of the old covenant has been destroyed by Christ. Remember that the sea was the temporary boundary between heaven and earth set up on the second day of creation (cf. Gen 1:6-8)

“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).

John sees the New Jerusalem descending from heaven. What is the New Jerusalem? Compare this language that John uses with that of Hebrews 12:22-23.

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect” (Hebrews 12:22-23).

The author of Hebrews emphatically describes the church as
• Mount Zion
• the city of the living God
• the heavenly Jerusalem

Thus, when John describes the “New Jerusalem” as a bride adorned for her husband, we should not hesitate to understand that the New Jerusalem is the church (cf. 20:9ff).

In history, the New Jerusalem is in the process of descending from heaven. The church spreads and the kingdom of God comes to earth. At the end of history, the New Jerusalem comes decisively when Christ unites heaven and earth.

“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the 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. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’ And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death’” (Revelation 21:3-8).

Believers will be comforted by God and given the water of life. Unbelievers are sent to the lake of fire, the second death.

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:9-10).

John sees the bride, the Lamb’s wife, and she is described as “the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.”

“Having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Also she had a great and high wall with twelve 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: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The 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 furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass” (Revelation 21:11-21).

This is a metaphorical description of the beauty of the church at the second coming of Christ. Much of this parallels the temple-city that Ezekiel wrote about in Ezekiel 40-48.

“But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Revelation 21:22-27).

This seems to be a description of eternity. There is no need for the sun or moon because Christ will be our light. Only the saved nations and the undefiled are present. This description continues in the next chapter.

Revelation 20 (Part Three)

The Binding of Satan

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so 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” (Revelation 20:1-3).

This is the binding of Satan. Notice that all of the language here is metaphorical. Satan is a spirit-being without a physical body. Chains, pits, seals, and keys would have no effect on Satan.

These are metaphorical descriptions of how God limits Satan during the church age. He is prevented from “deceiving the nations,” which is precisely what is described in the book of Acts. The gospel spreads to the nations, the Gentiles.

Thus, the Millennium begins with the binding of Satan, which was accomplished in the first coming of Christ in his death and resurrection. During the church age, Satan is still active, but he is prevented by God from deceiving the nations as a whole.

Reign with Christ

“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4-6).

Those who were martyred reign in heaven with Christ during the church age. Although unmentioned here, all Christians participate in this heavenly reign upon their death (cf. 14:13).

The “first death” refers to the fall and the impact of original sin. The “second death” is the punishment of sin (cf. 20:14). The “first resurrection” is salvation, the new birth. The second resurrection would be the final resurrection of our bodies.

Satanic Rebellion

“Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They 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. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:7-10).

Between the end of the Millennium and return of Christ, Satan will be released and allowed to deceive the nations one last time. God will crush this rebellion once and for all. No time frame is given for how long this rebellion lasts.

The Final Judgment

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).

This is the final resurrection and the final judgment. The wicked are cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20 (Part Two - The Length of the Millennium)

The defining feature of Revelation 20 is the “thousand years,” mentioned six times in the chapter (vv. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). Theologians have labeled this thousand year period as the “Millennium” (mille = 1000; anne = year).

The church has had difficulty assimilating the Millennium as described in Revelation 20 with what the rest of Scripture says about eschatology.

Historically, most Reformed churches have concluded that the Millennium is roughly equivalent to the church age. The Millennium starts with the first coming of Christ and ends with the second coming of Christ. Thus, the Millennium spans the gap between the two comings of Jesus Christ.

This means that the Millennium is now almost two thousand years long (and counting). Some have been troubled by this, expecting the Millennium to be exactly one thousand years long. While this is certainly a plausible expectation, Scripture often uses large numbers in a generic or symbolic sense.

“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (Revelation 5:11).

The word for “ten thousand” is myriad. A myriad can refer to the exact quantity of ten thousand, but it is also used to refer to an inexact large number, so much so that lexicons include “countless thousands” as a frequent translation.

The word for “thousand” is chilias, from which we get kilo, as in a kilogram. Likewise, the word chilias can refer to exactly one thousand, but it is also used to refer to an inexact large number. We see this use of “a thousand” in the Scriptures.

“For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10).

God is not limiting his possession of cattle to exactly one thousand hills, but using a thousand in a generically large sense. God owns the cattle on every hill, which would actually be a much larger number than one thousand hills, probably in the millions.

“For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:10).

David is not making an mathematical equation to say that one day with God is better than exactly one thousand days without God. David is saying that one day with God is better than any number of days without God.

“For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4).

“But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).

When Peter alludes to Psalm 90, he is not employing a precise, algebraic formula. He is simply illustrating that God is not bounded by time.

We ought to bear these examples in mind when we come to Revelation 20, because John is not writing about a period of “one” thousand years. The word “one” is not in the Greek text. John writes about “a” thousand years. Such intentional imprecision indicates that this “thousand years” is probably a generically large number, just like “the cattle on a thousand hills” or “a thousand days outside.”

This squares with the rest of the Scriptures. If the Millennium was exactly one thousand years long, then we could know exactly when it was coming to an end.

On the other hand, if the Millennium is a generically large length of time, then we do not know exactly when it ends. This is true of the second coming of Christ. We do not know when Christ will return, which is how we are supposed to live.

Revelation 20 (Part One - Millennial Positions)

The defining feature of Revelation 20 is the “thousand years,” mentioned six times in the chapter. Theologians have labeled this thousand year period as the “Millennium” (mille = 1000; anne = year).

According to Revelation 20, Satan is bound at the beginning of the Millennium. Christ reigns for the “thousand years.” Near the end of this Millennium, Satan is released and leads one last rebellion before he is defeated. The final resurrection and the final judgment take place after the Millennium.

Historically, the church has had difficulty assimilating the Millennium as described in Revelation 20 with what the rest of Scripture says about eschatology. Three main positions have been forged.

Premillennialism
Some believe that the Millennium of Revelation 20 is entirely future. Jesus Christ will return (Revelation 19) to reign upon the earth for a long period of time (perhaps exactly 1000 years). During the Millennium, the earth will be peaceful (Isaiah 11, 65, etc.) and believers will prosper. The Millennium is ended when Jesus crushes the final Satanic rebellion.

This view is known as “Premillennialism” because it holds that the second coming of Christ starts the Millennium. This is currently the majority position in American churches. Two popular proponents of Premillennialism are John MacArthur and John Piper.

Postmillennialism
Others believe that the Millennium of Revelation 20 encompasses the entire time between the first and second comings of Jesus. During the Millennium, Jesus rules from heaven, and he builds his kingdom through the church as she fulfills the Great Commission. Eventually, the earth will be peaceful (Isaiah 11, 65, etc.). The Millennium ends when Jesus returns to the earth in his second coming.

This view is known as “Postmillennialism” because it holds that Christ will return at the conclusion of the Millennium. Postmillennialism was the dominant position during the Puritan era. Two popular proponents of Postmillennialism are R.C. Sproul and Keith Mathison.

Comparing Premillennialism and Postmillennialism
Notice that both Premillennialists and Postmillennialists believe that the Millennium will be a time of peace on the earth, leading to the fulfillment of passages like Isaiah 11, 65, etc. Thus, they agree on the character of the Millennium.

The difference is in the timing. Premills believe that Christ’s second coming happens at the beginning of the Millennium. Postmills believe that Christ’s second coming happens at the end of the Millennium.

Amillennialism
There is a third view of the Millennium, known as “Amillennialism” (a = not). Technically, Amillennialism means “no Millennium.” However, this is not exactly what is meant.

Amillennialists disagree with both Premills and Postmills on the character of the Millennium. Amills hold that the Millennium is not a time of idyllic conditions upon the earth.

During the Millennium, Christ reigns in heaven, but the church on earth is locked in a perpetual struggle against evil. This struggle between the church and the world continues throughout the “Millennium.” Neither side prevails until Jesus’ second coming at the end of the Millennium.

Thus, Amillennialists agree with Postmills on the timing of the Millennium. They both believe that the Millennium encompasses the entire time between the first and second comings of Christ. However, they disagree on the character of the Millennium.

Amillennialism is currently the majority position in Reformed churches. Two popular proponents of Amillennialism are Michael Horton and Kim Riddlebarger.

Comparing Millennial Positions

Millennial Position	Timing	Character
Premillennialism	Starts at 2nd Coming	Peace on Earth (immediate)
Postmillennialism	Starts at 1st Coming Ends at 2nd Coming	Peace on Earth (gradual)
Amillennialism	Starts at 1st Coming Ends at 2nd Coming	Struggle on Earth (perpetual)

Revelation 19

Chapter 19 continues the reaction of heaven to the destruction of Jerusalem.

“After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.’ Again they said, ‘Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!’” (Revelation 19:1-3).

Those in heaven rejoice because God has judged Jerusalem, the great harlot who polluted the land with idolatry and killed the saints.

“And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, ‘Amen! Alleluia!’ Then a voice came from the throne, saying, ‘Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!’ And 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 the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.’ And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy’” (Revelation 19:4-10).

God is praised for caring out his vengeance. As Jerusalem is destroyed and the last vestiges of the Old Creation are put away, the Lamb is preparing to take a new bride, the church. She wears fine linen, which is a symbol of the righteous acts of the saints.

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:11-16).

This is obviously a description of Jesus. Many see this as a portrayal of the second coming, and there are probably typological parallels between this description and the second coming.

However, if we keep in mind the context of the book of Revelation, we understand that this is Jesus coming in judgment. As Jesus comes in judgment, so the church also expands through the preaching of the word, which is the sword coming out of Jesus’ mouth. The great commission is being fulfilled.

“Then 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, ‘Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 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, free and slave, both small and great.’ And 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. Then 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 those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh” (Revelation 19:17-21).

Those who survived the destruction of Jerusalem are eventually taken out, including the beast and the false prophet.

Revelation 18 (The Fall of Baylon [Jerusalem])

Revelation 18 describes the destruction of Babylon (Jerusalem).

“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury’” (Revelation 8:1-3).

Jerusalem (Babylon) has fallen. This is classic Old Testament language to describe the apostasy of Israel.

“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day--death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her’” (Revelation 18:4-8).

God’s people are supposed to flee Jerusalem before the final wrath is poured out (cf. Matthew 24:15). Two lamentations come next.

“The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come’” (Revelation 18:9-10).

The first is the lamentation of the kings of the earth (land), that is the religious leaders.

“And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, `Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! ‘For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate’” (Revelation 18:11-19).

The second is the lamentation of the merchants. The merchandise listed matches that used to build the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:4-7) and the Temple (1 Chronicles 28-29). All the nations that assisted Israel in building the Tabernacle and the Temple are now lamenting her destruction.

“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!” (Revelation 18:20).

While the earth weeps for Jerusalem, heaven rejoices.

“Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ‘Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth’” (Revelation 18:21-24).

The archangel casts a mighty stone into the sea, signifying that the surviving Jews will be scattered among the Gentiles. The city will be destroyed.

Revelation 17 (The Babylonian Harlot)

Outline of Revelation

1) The Vision of Jesus (Revelation 1)

2) Seven Churches (Revelation 2-3)

3) Jesus Takes the Scroll (Revelation 4-5)

4) Seven Seals (Revelation 6:1-8:5) – expansion and persecution of the church

5) Seven Trumpets (Revelation 8:6-11:19) – warning judgments

6) The Times of the Trumpets (Revelation 12-14)

7) Seven Bowls (Revelation 15-16) – final judgments

Overview of Revelation 17-20

Chapter 17 – Description of the Babylonian Harlot (Jerusalem)

Chapter 18 – The Fall of Babylon (Jerusalem)

Chapter 19 – The Defeat of Babylon (Jerusalem) and the Beast (Rome)

Chapter 20 – The “Millennium”

Revelation 17

This is a symbolic description of Jerusalem and unbelieving Jews as “the great harlot” and “Babylon.”

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication’” (Revelation 17:1-2).

Jerusalem is about to be judged. She “sits on many waters.” That is, she does not have her own sovereignty but is dependent upon Gentile nations. Indeed, she trusts these foreign nations, rather than Yahweh. She is a harlot, spiritually speaking (Isaiah 1:21, Jeremiah 2:20-24; 2:30-33; 3:1-3; Ezekiel 16; 23; Hosea 9:1).

“So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement” (Revelation 17:3-6).

John sees that the woman (Israel/Jerusalem/Jews) is in the wilderness. Why was she in the wilderness? She was persecuting the church, which had fled to the wilderness (12:14). The Jews were persecuting the church.

The woman is sitting on a scarlet beast with seven heads and tens horns. This is the sea beast (Rome) from chapter 13. Unbelieving Jews are sitting on Rome in that they are trusting Rome, not Yahweh.

The colors of the woman’s adornment matches those of the Temple and the priesthood. The high priest also wore a gold plate on his forehead that was engraved “holiness to Yahweh” (Exodus 28:36-38). Because the priesthood is now unbelieving, they symbolically wear a plate that identifies them as “Babylon, the mother of harlots.” The priests were the ones that led the persecution of the saints. They are “drunk” with the blood of the saints and martyrs.

Most Reformers saw the Babylonian harlot as the Roman Catholic church. We can certainly see similarities between how the Reformers were persecuted and how the first century church was persecuted. In fact, every person in every age who is persecuted can find similarities between their persecutors and the original persecutors of the first century church.

These are typological parallels, and these are legitimate connections. The Reformers were right in seeing typological parallels between the Roman Catholic Church of their day and the Babylonian harlot of Revelation 17. However, they were wrong to make an absolute identification.

“But the angel said to me, ‘Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time’” (Revelation 17:7-10).

The Beast (Rome) himself will eventually be destroyed, which will cause the world to marvel. The woman (harlot = Jerusalem) sits on seven heads, which are seven mountains. Rome was built on seven hills.

John learns that these seven mountains are also seven kings. Here, we gain insight into the time that Revelation was written.

John is told about seven kings of Rome. Five kings have fallen, or died. The sixth king is still alive, and the seventh king is not reigning yet.

Starting with Julius Caesar, the sixth king is Nero, and the seventh is Vespasian. When John recorded the book of Revelation, Nero was reigning, which dates the book to between AD 54-68.

“‘And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.’

Then he said to me, ‘The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth’” (Revelation 17:11-18).

There is a lot of detail here that describes the relationship between Rome and Jerusalem, but we are going to skip over it for now.

Revelation 15-16 (The Seven Bowls)

In Revelation 12, there were two signs in heaven (the woman in 12:1 and the dragon in 12:3). We see a third sign in Revelation 15.

“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete” (Revelation 15:1).

The third sign is the seven angels, who have the seven plagues (bowls), which will complete the wrath of God on Jerusalem, which is a response to the martyrdom of the saints.

“And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested’” (Revelation 15:2-4).

The saints have been martyred. They are now in heaven, worshiping God. Next, the attention returns to the seven angels with the seven plagues.

“After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed. Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth’” (Revelation 15:5-16:1).

One of the four archangels gives each of the seven angels a bowl of the wrath of God and commands them to pour them out. As we shall see, the first four bowls are similar to the first four trumpets.

The First Bowl
“So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image” (Revelation 16:2).

The first bowl of wrath is poured out upon the earth (geo = land of Israel). This is against the unbelieving Jews who worshiped Caesar instead of Jesus.

The Second Bowl
“Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died” (Revelation 16:3).

The second bowl of wrath is poured out on the sea, which is a symbol of the Gentiles. The Gentiles who participated in the persecution will be judged.

The Third Bowl
“Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying: ‘You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.’ And I heard another from the altar saying, ‘Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments’” (Revelation 16:4-7).

The third bowl of wrath is poured out on the rivers and the springs of water, which are symbols of the Temple. The priests and the Levites led the Jewish persecution of the saints. The saints who cried “How long?” in 6:10, now say “Even so” (amen) in 16:7.

The Fourth Bowl
“Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory” (Revelation 16:8-9).

The fourth bowl is poured out on the sun, which is a symbol of Jewish rulers, particularly the high priest.

The Fifth Bowl
“Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds” (Revelation 16:10-11).

The fifth bowl is poured out on the beast, Nero (Rome). Nero dies in torment and pain.

The Sixth Bowl
“Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. ‘Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.’ And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon” (Revelation 16:12-16).

The sixth bowl is poured out on the Euphrates. When Rome surrounded Jerusalem with her armies, they were supported by troops from the east.

John also sees three demons coming out of the dragon (Satan), the beast (Nero/Rome), and the false prophet (the high priest). These demons deceive the people into a battle royal.

The battle is going to take place at “Armageddon.” Armageddon does not mean “apocalypse.” It is a place. In Hebrew, it is actually Harmagedon, which is made up of two words: har meaning mountain and maged meaning festival assembly.

Harmagedon is a reference to Mount Sinai. There will be a final battle at the temple on Mount Sinai. This battle will be further described in chapter 19.

The Seventh Bowl
“Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’ And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great” (Revelation 16:17-21).

The seventh bowl is poured into the air. The full wrath of God has been poured out. The language of cosmic destruction is the final destruction of the temple, the city, and the entire Old Covenant system.

The Seven Bowls (Revelation 15:5-16:21)
1) Judgment against Land (Israel)
2) Judgment against Sea (Gentiles)
3) Judgment against Waters (Temple)
4) Judgment against Heavens (Jewish Rulers)
5) Judgment against the Sea Beast (Rome/Nero)
6) The Battle of Armageddon (Mount Sinai)
7) The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple

Revelation 14

In Revelation 7, John witnessed the sealing of these 144,000. Now, in Revelation 14, John witnesses the martyrdom of this multitude of Jewish Christians.

“Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God” (Revelation 14:1-5).

These 144,000 are the firstfruits of the New Covenant, as well as the final harvest from the Old Covenant.

Next, three angels make pronouncements.

“Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people – saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water’” (Revelation 14:6-7).

The first angel commands that these martyrs are to preach the gospel to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.

“And another angel followed, saying, ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication’” (Revelation 14:8).

The second angel announces that Babylon has fallen. Babylon is a symbolic name for Jerusalem, who has become apostate. God will later describe Jerusalem as a great harlot who is guilty of fornicating with the nations.

“Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”’

‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them’” (Revelation 14:9-13).

Whoever worships the sea beast (Nero) will suffer the wrath of God forever. Conversely, the saints who are martyred will receive eternal comfort.

“Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped” (Revelation 14:14-16).

Jesus is the One like the Son of Man with a golden crown. He thrusts his sickle into the earth and reaps. This is the salvation and martyrdom of the 144,000. Jesus said that the fields were ripe for the harvest, and now he reaps his harvest. This is the grain harvest.

“Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, ‘Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.’ So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs” (Revelation 14:17-20).

Another angel cries out for another harvest, the grape harvest. Grain and grapes produce bread and wine. This is a sacramental harvest of the church.

The saints (symbolically grapes) are martyred outside the city (Jerusalem), just as Jesus was. The blood from their martyrdom fuels the winepress of the wrath of God. The blood of the martyrs covers the land and cries out for vengeance. This vengeance comes with the pouring out of the bowls of wrath.

Revelation 13

Revelation 13 describes how the church will be persecuted by Rome.

“Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority” (Revelation 13:1-2).

“A beast rising up out of the sea” is Rome (the beast) rising up among the Gentiles (the sea). Satan brought this to pass when he used Nero to change Rome’s relationship with the church. Up until then, Rome was the restrainer of the Jewish persecution and the protector of the church. In fact, during the early part of Nero’s reign, from AD 58-64, Nero did not persecute the church.

However, after the Jewish persecution of the church began to wind down, Satan moved Nero to persecute the church, beginning in AD 64. Nero blamed the burning of Rome on Christians.

This imagery of the beast should remind us of Daniel 7. Remember, that God gave Daniel a vision of four animals that would be the caretakers of Israel until the Messiah. The fourth animal, representing the Roman empire, was simply described as a beast. Notice that this beast encompasses the previous three empires: leopard (Greece), bear (Persia), and lion (Babylon).

These four caretakers of Israel can also be divided into seven distinct stages, which are the seven heads.

1. Babylon

2. Persia

3. Greece (under Alexander)

4. Greek Egypt (king of the South from Daniel 11)

5. Greek Syria (king of the North from Daniel 11)

6. Hellenistic Rome

7. Imperialistic Rome (under Nero, AD 64-70)

Just as in Daniel 7, the ten horns are the ten rulers of Rome, starting with Julius Caesar and ending with Vespasian, who was ruler in AD 70, when the temple was destroyed.

“And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’” (Revelation 13:3-4).

This describes the transition from the sixth head to the seventh head. Under Nero, Hellenistic Rome suffers a “mortal wound” and is “healed” when she becomes imperialistic and persecutes the church.

“And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints” (Revelation 13:5-10).

Nero is given forty-two months (3½ years) to persecute the church. He forces all inhabitants of the land of Israel to worship him (verse 8).

“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” (Revelation 13:11-12).

John now sees a second beast. This beast comes not out of the sea (Gentiles), but out of the earth (geo = land of Israel). This is a Jewish beast, representing the Jewish rulers.He has two horns, like a lamb. However, he is a counterfeit of the true Lamb. The two horns may refer to the twin powers of evil: the Herods and the high priests.

He speaks like a dragon, that is, like Satan. He has all the authority of Nero, and forces those in the land of Israel to worship Nero.

“He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed” (Revelation 13:13-15).

This may be referring to the completion of the Herod’s temple, which was completed in AD 64, the same year that Nero began to persecute the church. The newly built temple emboldened the Jewish leaders to persecute. The fire from heaven may be a reference to the animal sacrifices.

An image of Nero is set up, and worship is commanded under the penalty of death.

“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666” (Revelation 13:16-18).

This is one of the most well-known and least-understood parts of Revelation. The “mark of the beast” is not a literal mark on the forehead or hand. This is not a tattoo or a computer chip. This is classic Old Testament language to describe one’s thoughts (forehead) and deeds (hands). To receive the mark of the beast was to worship the beast, which is the sea beast (Nero).

The “number of the beast” is 666. This is not three sixes in a row, but a number, six hundred and sixty-six. This appears in 1 Kings 10:14 to describe how the weight in talents of the gold Solomon took in annually.

“The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold” (1 Kings 10:14).

Israelite kings were forbidden to multiply gold, women, and horses. Solomon did all three. He collected an “evil” amount of gold, and thus the kingdom was taken from him.

The first century Jewish leaders were thoroughly evil, and so their kingdom was taken from them in AD 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed.

The number 666 corresponds with the Hebrew (Aramaic script) of Nero’s full name, Nero Caesar. The Hebrew language did not have a separate alphabet and separate numerals. Alphabetic letter also represented numerals, similar to how Roman “numerals” (I, V, X, L, M, etc.) are actually from the Roman alphabet.

In Hebrew, Nero Caesar would have been written: “NRWN QSR.”

N = 50

R = 200

W = 6

N = 50

Q = 100

S = 60

R = 200

666

John was given a clue to identify the beast. The sum of his name is going to be 666, according to the Hebrew alphabet. This was a message for Jewish believers.

Thus, non-Jewish readers of Revelation would have been confused because in Greek, Nero Caesar adds up to 616. Interestingly, one ancient manuscript lists the number of the beast as 616. Some enlightened scribe changed this so that Gentile readers would understand.