Video

Revelation Chapter Eighteen

1. Chapter 18 is another portrayal of a fall of Babylon.  Some view this as the same Babylon as ch. 17, but too many differences emerge.
   1. Religious Babylon (Rev. 17) is destroyed by the Beast and his world empire, replaced by his own religious system.
   2. Commercial Babylon (Rev. 18) is destroyed by God, and the Beast’s world system will lament its fall.
2. The fall of Commercial Babylon is detailed (Rev. 18:1-24).
   1. The angelic decree (vv.1-3).
   2. The warning for faithful believers to flee (vv.4-8).
   3. The lamentation of the world system (vv.9-19).
   4. The rejoicing in heaven (vv.20-24).

Revelation Chapter Nineteen

1. The judgment of Religious Babylon and Commercial Babylon prompt two hallelujah choruses in heaven (Rev. 19:1-3).
   1. The twenty-four elders and four living creatures Amen the Hallelujah (Rev. 19:4).
   2. God the Father orders the praise to continue (Rev. 19:5), and the Lord Jesus Christ obeys (Rev. 19:6).
2. While Religious Babylon is being judged on earth, the raptured Church is being prepared in heaven for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-10).
3. The Lord Jesus Christ is then prepared for battle, and goes forth in victory as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev. 19:11-16 cf. Ps. 45:3-9; 110:2-3).
4. The Beast has assembled a world-wide alliance of nations to stand against the coming of Christ, but his defiance is swept away by the Sovereign majesty of Christ (Rev. 19:19-21).  The Beast and the False Prophet become the first two occupants of the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20).
5. Although the precise chronology and details of the Tribulation cannot be established beyond question, the general outline of Revelation nevertheless is clear:
   1. The Dispensation of the Church (Rev. 1-3).
   2. The Church in Heaven (Rev. 4-5).
   3. The Dispensation of Israel: Age of Tribulation (Rev. 6-19).

Revelation Chapter Twenty

1. The Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ then begins with the incarceration of the Dragon (Rev. 20:1-3).
2. Christ and His Bride are then seated for the Judgment of Life (Rev. 20:4-6; Lk. 22:29-30; cf. Dan. 7:9-10,22,27).
   1. The Resurrection of Life and the Resurrection of Judgment are contrasted and separated by 1000 years (Dan. 12:2; Jn. 5:28-29).
   2. Tribulational Martyrs will receive special Millennial rewards at the First Resurrection.
      1. They have a 1000 year reign with Christ.
      2. They have a special priesthood of God and of Christ. 
3. The entire Millennium is then passed over (Rev. 20:7a), and the following events are then described (Rev. 20:7b-15).
   1. Satan is released for a final human-rights protest and rebellion against Divine rule (vv.7b-9a).  This rebellion is destroyed by God the Father, and Satan is eternally condemned to the lake of fire (vv.9b-10). Though called a “war” it cannot be a conventional militaristic conflict (Isa. 2:4; Mic. 4:3).
   2. The Great White Throne is established after the destruction of the heavens and the earth (vv.11-15).
      1. The text doesn’t tell us what happened to the living mortal saints at the conclusion of the Millennium. Where did they all go when earth and heaven are literally nowhere? (v.11).
      2. All the unbelievers of all the ages (from Cain to all remaining unbelievers at the end of the Millennium) stand before the Great White Throne. This text does not reference the fallen angels, or Nephilim, but they are undoubtedly also judged at this event.
      3. Unbelievers are not condemned to the second death because of their sins, but because their names are not found in the Book of Life (v.15).
      4. The degree of their day & night eternal torment will reflect the Divine recompense for their deeds, according to the Books of Deeds (vv.12-13).
   3. When Death & Hades are cast into the Lake of Fire, the end of death is secured (v.14 cf. Rev. 21:4).