Revelation and its Judgments

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If you haven’t been with us before we pray, sing the Word of God set to music, and then sit in silence for each individual to commune with God according to how they are lead. We then come back and read our text for the day together and then go through and study what we have read verse by verseTGNN’s Bible teaching series—book-by-book, through the lens of fulfillment and spiritual liberty..

Alright, we have pretty much exhausted the possibilities of the two witnesses and left off at verse 13 which says (in relation to them being caught or called up into heaven):

13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Revelation 11 and Historical Context

Revelation 11 part VI
November 12th 2017
Meat

The closest we can get to a fulfillment of slain men being seven thousand from a preterist perspective is from Josephus who wrote that at the felling of the Temple that “ten thousand Jews” were killed. Two things – the “ten thousand” deaths mentioned by Josephus could have been rounded up from 7000 OR 7000 here in Revelation is a representative number of the whole amount of dead – the total number with seven of anything representing the complete number rather than the actual number.

This brings us to the end of the discussion of the two witnesses and takes us back to the last woe. Let’s read beginning at verse 14:

Revelation 11:14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Understanding the Three Woes

Alright, let's quickly review the woes:

Of course Woe means “grief, anguish, affliction;” therefore the three woes of Revelation are the final judgmentGod’s judgment on old covenant Israel—fulfilled in 70 A.D., not a future judgment day. God pronounces on the evil inhabitants of the earth or area in order to spur them to repentance. We read that this was the woes purpose in Revelation 9:20. Remember, God’s judgments during the tribulationA real historical event fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not a future apocalyptic crisis. More are pictured as seven seals, opened one at a time. The seventh seal reveals the seven trumpet judgments and the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpets are called the three woes, according to Revelation 8:13.

The first woe is revealed after the fifth trumpet judgment. Recall that this woe involves something like locusts that have the ability to sting like a scorpion (Revelation 9:3) these creatures are permitted to harm only those people who do not have the “seal of God on their forehead” (according to Revelation 9:4). Those bearing God’s seal are described as the 144,000 (according to Revelation 7:3-4) or, possibly, all believers during that time (Ephesians 4:30). These demonic locusts are allowed to torment unbelievers for five months (Revelation 9:5) with painful stings. Although victims will long for deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. (Revelation 9: 6), they will not be granted that release. We recall that Jerusalem and its trapped inhabitants were attacked for five months.

The second woe is revealed after the sixth trumpet judgment. This woe begins when a voice commands, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates” (according to Revelation 9:14). These angels and their armies, numbering two hundred million, are released to kill a third of mankind (Revelation 9:15-16), material which we covered back when we were on these verses. After the second woe passes (which we have just concluded in our study of the Two Witnesses up to Revelation 11:14), there comes a clear division in the book with the announcement from heaven, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15).

In other words, this final stage of judgment will be the end, and righteousness will be restored to the earth. The third woe is revealed after the seventh trumpet judgment. This woe is parallel to the trumpet that sounds in Joel 2 and signals the consummation of God’s plan for the entire world. This third woe marks the finishing of God’s judgment on sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace.; it occupies the book of RevelationA symbolic prophecy fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not a prediction of future global events. through the 19th chapter, when Christ’s Kingdom is established on earth. Incorporated within this third and final woe are the seven “bowls” of God’s wrath, described in Revelation 16:1-21. This series of judgments is the greatest horror the citizens of earth have ever seen. And of them Jesus said, “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive” (Matthew 24:22).

The Trials of Revelation

Again, from verse 14 of chapter 11 to the end of chapter 19 we are going to be reading the content of the third woe, which is revealed after the seventh trumpet judgment, and in this third woe we will discover the seven bowl or vial judgments.

Just to be sure, let’s rehearse all of this one more time: The seven seals are covered in Revelation 6:1-17, 8:1-5, the seven trumpets in Revelation 8:6-9:21; 11:15-19, and seven bowls/vials in Revelation 16:1-21. These are three succeeding series of end-times judgments from God. The judgments get progressively worse and more devastating as the end times progress. The seven seals, trumpets, and bowls are connected to one another and, as we have said, overlap and include each other. What we mean by this is the seventh seal introduces the seven trumpets and the seventh trumpet introduces the seven bowls (Revelation 11:15-19, 15:1-8).

Revelation's Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls

The first four of the seven seals are known as the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. The first seal introduces the Antichrist (Revelation 6:1-2). The second seal causes great warfare (Revelation 6:3-4). The third of the seven seals causes famine (Revelation 6:5-6). The fourth seal brings about plague, further famine, and further warfare (Revelation 6:7-8).

The fifth seal tells us of those who will be martyred for their faith in Christ during the end times (Revelation 6:9-11). God hears their cries for justice and will deliver it in His timing—in the form of the sixth seal, along with the trumpet and bowl judgments. When the sixth of the seven seals is broken, a devastating earthquake occurs, causing massive upheaval and terrible devastation—along with unusual astronomical phenomena (Revelation 6:12-14). Those who survive are right to cry out, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:16-17). Thus far, most of this is supported as having happened historically.

Description of the Trumpets and Bowls

The seven trumpets are described in Revelation 8:6-13. The seven trumpets are the “contents” of the last or the seventh seal (Revelation 8:1-5). The first trumpet causes hail and fire that destroys much of the plant life in the world (Revelation 8:7). The second trumpet brings about what seems to be a meteor hitting the oceans and causing the death of much of the world’s sea life (Revelation 8:8-9). The third trumpet is similar to the second, except it affects the world’s lakes and rivers instead of the oceans (Revelation 8:10-11). The fourth of the seven trumpets causes the sun and moon to be darkened (Revelation 8:12).

The fifth trumpet results in a plague of “demonic locusts” that attack and torture humanity (Revelation 9:1-11). The sixth trumpet releases a demonic army that kills a third of humanity (Revelation 9:12-21). Then the seventh trumpet calls forth the seven angels with the seven bowls of God’s wrath (Revelation 11:15-19, and then the first eight verses of chapter 15).

The seven bowl/vial judgments are described in Revelation 16:1-21, and they are called forth by the seventh trumpet – again, what we are about to read in the rest of chapter 11. And again, we can read about the bowl or vial punishments in Revelation 16. The first bowl causes painful sores to break out on humanity (Revelation 16:2). The second bowl results in the death of every living thing in the sea (Revelation 16:3). The third bowl causes the rivers to turn into blood (Revelation 16:4-7). The fourth of the seven bowls results in the sun’s heat being intensified and causing great pain (Revelation 16:8-9). The fifth bowl causes great darkness and an intensification of the sores from the first bowl (Revelation 16:10-11). The sixth bowl results in the Euphrates River being dried up and the armies of the Antichrist being gathered together to wage the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-14). The seventh bowl results in a devastating earthquake followed by giant hailstones (Revelation 16:15-21).

Acknowledgment of Justice

In Revelation 16:5-7, God is declared just in all of this as it says, “You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve. … Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”

14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

The Revelation and Establishment of God's Kingdom

believe that the first two woes have already occurred you have to accept that the third has also occurred because the word for quickly here means that – very quickly. No gaps or spans of time between the second and third woe possible. Here we go:

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Understanding the Vision

Don’t let this confuse you – and remember the rule of recapitulation amidst Hebrew writers. We are only halfway through the Revelation – at least in terms of chapters – and yet this verse seems to imply that right here we are at the end of all things when the Kingdom of our Lord God and His Christ will reign. It is true – this is the case – even here at this point – but there is still much left to occur. We might suggest that this verse is simply telling us that the beginning of the end is here – that the victory and completion has truly been had – it’s a foregone conclusion.

And what does this victory look like – how is it described? Let’s read verse 15 again:

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

This passage, though not in a chronological location here, is discussed and described all over the Bible – from the Old Testament to the New. And quite frankly we are left to seriously ask ourselves in the face of its impactful strong stance – has it happened?

Biblical Prophecies of the Kingdom

Before answering this let's look to some passages that predict or describe this event – starting with Daniel, which says in Daniel 2:44:

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

Then five chapters later we read:

Daniel 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Four verses later Daniel reiterates aspects of this kingdom, saying:

Daniel 7:18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

Then nine verses later in the same chapter we read:

Daniel 7:27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Revelations and their Significance

Then we move into Revelation to passages we have already covered. Like:

Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

And then out to Revelation 16:17 we will read:

“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.”

And then on out to Revelation 19:6:

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”

The book of Revelation is describing the time and place where the Lord will reign over this kingdom which has or was beginning to be, established – one where Jesus has had the victory over all things, one where God is omnipotent, one where the accuser has been cast down, who used to accuse the brethren day and night.

Understanding the Kingdom of God

Christians today – not knowing any better, believe this Kingdom is still to come. This is in part due to the prominent eschatologyStudy of “last things”—TGNN teaches all biblical eschatology was fulfilled in 70 A.D. More and in part due to the errant belief that this kingdom will be material and it will be centered here on earth. Listen closely folks, as we are based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. The importance of a proper eschatology is ESSENTIAL in overcoming Mormonism and proving without question, that it is a worldly kingdom – or that it is the truth.

Mormonism was founded on the notion that the second comingChrist’s return, fulfilled in 70 A.D., ending the old covenant—not the world. of Jesus Christ was eminent. That is what they started out as – an end-watching group of people. Their newspapers were called the Millennial Star and the Times and Seasons – both titles reflecting a mindset that said the end was a-coming! Get “yerselves ready.” Even in the nascent stages of the church's growth and history, they saw themselves as preparing Christ’s Kingdom materially so that when He decided to return it would be in place in all of its glory.

When the expected second coming of that time never materialized, they shifted their focus to kingdom building. This would include continued missional efforts, planting wards everywhere, and putting temples in every land. They saw and see themselves as the peculiar people whom Jesus will come back and reign.

The Need for Apostles

Now, if Jesus has NOT come back as He said He would, then what they are doing in terms of approach and methodology is dead on – they are living right (as the apostles were constantly encouraging the Saints in New Testament times to do) ever-ready for Jesus to return – and save them. They have twelve apostles – of course they are frauds – but there is no way Jesus would ever leave His church on earth without the leadership of these Holy Spirit filled apostles.

In fact when He said the gates of hell would not prevail against His church that was barely possible even in the days of the original apostles. The more I study the New Testament the more I can see the absolute need for actual, genuine apostles to govern Christ’s church – IF it is a material church. From 30 AD to 70 AD it was a material church – that is what we read about here in our New Testaments. And obviously the apostles were needed to guide and protect it until He returned. If they weren’t Jesus would have done his job, ascended into the clouds, and no influence from mortal men would have been necessary to continue on earth to keep things right. But trained witnesses were necessary – we have the biblical evidence for this that cannot be denied.

Apostles and the End of Material Religion

What can be denied was the need to replace themselves with new apostles as they died. James was rather quickly put to death – no replacement made – and there were plenty of apostles still alive on earth to see it done. But in God’s eyes there was apparently no reason for this. The apostles, being put to death over the course of a forty-year period, ended with John – receiving the Revelation to the Seven Churches, the contents of which he is told were coming quickly, and then the end where Christ did, as promised, come and save and take His bride and the entire structure of material religionA fulfilled system of temples, rituals, and laws—replaced by direct spiritual relationship. was complete.

So no more need for apostles. We live in an entirely different age where the Kingdom of GodGod’s spiritual reign—fulfilled and present, not political or future. is in the individual believers, where they are individually lead of the spirit, and no man can teach His neighbor, know the Lord, know the Lord, for all will know Him.

Not accepting this information, men, like Peter who decided in His flesh to cast lots and elect Mathias to replace Judas, have attempted to recapture material religion. But the gates of hell have certainly prevailed over them. Seeing the cacophony, disorder and in-fighting of the religious forces around them, Alexander Campbell lead a movement known as the Restorationist Movement and did His best to point out all that was wrong with the organized religions of his day.

He had a man in his organization named Sidney Rigdon who had a falling out with Campbell and Rigdon. At that time he began to associate with a young charismatic front man named Joseph Smith. In short order Rigdon became a key figure in the development of the Book of Mormon – so key that most of Alexander Campbells ideas.

The Presence of Apostles in Modern Christianity

With the true restoration of the true material church, there would have to be apostles – and so voila! Here they be – of course lacking all of the Biblical qualifications the apostles of the New Testament possessed.

In all this, we can see that a keystone in proving Mormonism an unnecessary fraud is a proper eschatology. If and when the Body of Christ gets this right, which is really easy to do if we just trust what Jesus and the Apostles said and wrote, we will be able to face every LDS claim with the biblical facts of fulfillment, making their assertions of being a “continuation of the original church” wholly untenable and unnecessary.

However, if we are to admit fulfillment, we also have to let go of a number of things to which many Christians really enjoy clinging.

1. The end of the world.
2. A second coming of Christ ahead.
3. Satan and his angels tempting,
4. Wars with vice and evil.
5. Works righteousness.
6. The need for church, and playing church, and funding church, and all that goes with it.

These are warm blankets people have wrapped themselves in for nearly two millennia. I’m not sure they will ever be abandoned. But in the end, I do ardently maintain that we are able to understand all the passages I just read in the present sense if His kingdom is entirely spiritual, ruled from heaven, and existing in the hearts of those who are His.

The Seventh Angel's Revelation

So again,

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

When it says, “and the Seventh angel sounded” this is of course the last of the trumpets, implying, of course, that under this trumpet the series of visions was to end, and that this would ultimately lead to the state of things under which the affairs of the world (or age) were to be wound up. And there were great voices in heaven,” which seems to be saying that there was “exultation and praise.” The great and grand consummation had come, the period so long anticipated and desired when God should reign on the earth had arrived, and this lays the foundation for joy and thanksgiving in heaven.

Again, we MUST ask ourselves – is God reigning on earth. This one is so hard for people to admit to – so perhaps a better way to approach it is to ask: Has God, through His Son, had victory over all things in heaven and on earth and under the earth? This is perhaps one of the most important questions Christians can ask themselves today.

Truly. Has He. Or . . . is He still warring to win. And the exultations of the angels has yet to happen. Be careful how you answer because IF He has not been victorious, then we are still involved – greatly – in Him becoming so, and the importance of religion, and religious practices, and institutional religion . . . and apostles, and worthiness, and holiness, and church discipline, and all the rest is requisite.

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Understanding the Kingdom of this World

Most modern editions of the New Testament read the line here in the King James of “and the Kingdoms of this world” in the singular. "The kingdom of this world has become the Kingdoms of our Lord," etc. Whether plural or singular, the sense is not materially changed whichever interpretation you favor, the sense in the plural is that all the kingdoms of the earth, being many in themselves, had been now brought under the one scepter of Christ while the singular view is the whole world (which was once regarded as one kingdom of Satan) is now in His power, reign, and control.

In reality, the overtaking of Satan and his power started way back in the Gospels (and probably from the foundation of the world). But in John 12:31, Jesus said: “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” He also said in _________

What’s sort of interesting about this passage is it does not say that the Kingdom or Kingdom’s of the world are cast out but that they are become “the Kingdoms (or Kingdom) of our Lord.” So again,

The Reign of God and Christ

We must ask ourselves – Is Jesus King of Kings and Lord of Lords, is God reigning or is satan still God of this earth? Does God reign through Jesus or not?

The line is actually:

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Wild one, folks.

“has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.” Who is He? The Lord? His Christ? God? Why does John write this this way?

The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. Why and of His Messiah or Christ?

He is called "his Christ," because he is set apart by him, or appointed by him to perform the work appropriate to that office on earth. This language discusses God and Christ as absolutely distinct. As does the rest of scripture. The essential meaning of this passage seems to be that the kingdom of this world had become the kingdom of God under Christ; that is, that that kingdom is administered by the Son of God and therefore it is Gods and His anointed one – or Messiah.

The Distinction Between God and Christ

The question we are left with is who is the last line speaking about – the distinct God, or the Distinct Christ when it says:

“And he shall reign for ever and ever.”

Again, which distinction will reign forever and ever? In common Christian nomenclature it is assumed that Jesus will reign for ever and ever – God’s Messiah. I used to subscribe to such thinking – but no longer. I now subscribe that God – the one God – will reign forever and ever – because of the efficacious work of His only Human Son.

The Role of Jesus

That His only human Son, who is the head of the human race, will assume His place as such, with God reigning over all. Of course His Son will stand as Lord and Savior of Man – but God will reign – over the man/Savior Jesus and over those who are His by faith on Him and His shed blood.

I justify this position, of course, by a reading of 1st Corinthians 15 which we will read in closing and where Paul writes:

1st Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

We’ll stop there for now.

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