Study Series 16 Lesson 7: This study covers chapters 19 and 20 and goes into numerous topics such as:
Chapter 19: This chapter we have already done some sub-studies within other Study Series 16 Lessons on some of the major themes (i.e. The Beast (Lesson 4) and Armageddon (Lesson 5)). Here, in this Study Series Lesson 7, we take a look at another theme:
THE BOOK OF JOHN, BABYLON, AND SIGNS OF THE SOVEREIGNTY OF CHRIST
The relationship between the gospel of John, and Revelation, is helpful in establishing the identity of Babylon. In John 20:30-31, the beloved apostle said:
“Many other signs did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, but these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life in His name.”
During His ministry Jesus was asked for signs of verification for His claims to being the Messiah (Matt. 12:38-39). His response was that His resurrection was to be the fundamental sign. In addition, in Matthew 24:29-31, Jesus said His coming in judgment against Jerusalem would be the, “sign of the Son of Man in heaven.”
In his gospel, John lists seven miracles performed by Jesus that substantiated His claim to deity. The final miracle was His resurrection from the dead. Jesus said His coming in judgment against Jerusalem was to be a sign of His deity.
John wrote to create belief in Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus Himself had given the fall of Jerusalem as a sign of His Sovereignty. In his gospel, John briefly hinted about the fall of Jerusalem (John 2, 4, etc.). Yet, in the book of Revelation, the fall of Babylon at the Parousia of Jesus demonstrates that He is, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Rev. 19:11-16). Thus, the judgment against Babylon, in Revelation, does exactly what Jesus, in Matthew 24:30, said His coming against Jerusalem would do – demonstrate His deity.
From this perspective, the book of Revelation is simply John’s expanded discussion of the theme set forth in his gospel, the signs of Jesus’ Sonship. This is substantiated even by the title, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:1). The gospel was written to give signs of who Jesus is, Revelation was written to provide one final (imminent) sign in confirmation of Jesus as the Christ the Son of the living God.
Chapter 20: A chapter covering several major subjects, such as:
THE CAMP OF THE SAINTS AND THE BELOVED CITY:In view of the fact that the unbelieving Jews are never referred to as being “saints” in the book of Revelation (e.g., Rev 16:6; 17:6; 18:20, 24), it seems more appropriate to see this war as the Neronic persecution upon the Church (the real “saints”).
THE OPENING OF THE BOOKS
Not only does John record the opening of the Book of Life, he says, “the books were opened” (Rev. 20:12). This is an unmistakable reference to Daniel 7:10.
The prophet of the exile was given a vision during the night. He saw the coming of four kingdoms, and in the days of the fourth, a small horn was manifested as the enemy of God’s saints (Dan. 7:8). The little horn persecuted the saints until the time of the judgment (vs. 8-27).
Daniel described the judgment scene, “I beheld till the thrones were cast down and the Ancient of Days did sit … and the judgment was set and the books were opened” (Dan. 7:9-10).
THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT AND REVELATION 20:11-15:
Rev. 20:13 “And the sea gave up the DEAD ONES (plural) which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the DEAD ONES (plural) which were in them; and THEY (plural) were judged, every one of THEM (plural) according to THEIR (plural) deeds.”
Important note: Did you also notice what was “not” said in Rev. 20:11-15? There is “nothing” mentioned about the “living.” This is highly significant and dispels the view that this is an end of world, end of time, resurrection judgment. No, this is speaking of an “in time” resurrection judgment. This resurrection judgment had nothing to do with a supposed end of time judgment of every person dead or alive. This passage is about the resurrection judgment of the “dead” only. The timing was at the destruction of Babylon, i.e. Old Covenant Jerusalem. The fulfilling and complete “vanishing away” of the empty and obsolete covenant as spoken of in Hebrews 8:13 had now come in AD 70.
The purpose of this resurrection judgment was to raise and empty all of the “dead” disembodied souls out of Sheol/Hades/Paradise. Then all of the unrighteous souls were cast disembodied into the Lake of Fire (second death/eternal separation from God) along with the Death Angel and Hades, and the righteous were raised to put on their individual immortal spiritual bodies God had reserved for them in heaven (2 Cor. 5:1-2) and entered the heavenly realm to forever be with the Lord.
** In addition, we do an in-depth Sub Study on:
The Wedding: Revelation depicts the wedding of Christ at the time of the judgment of the city “where the Lord was slain” and in the promise of His coming alludes directly to Isaiah 62:10-11 (Rev. 22:12) this amounts to proof positive that Babylon was none other than Old Covenant Jerusalem.
Revelation clearly places the wedding at the coming of the Lord against Babylon (19:1-10). In Matthew 24:29-31, Jesus spoke of His coming to gather the saints to be with Him (v. 31). This would be in Jesus’ generation (v. 34) in His coming against Jerusalem. The presentation of the Bride, at the Parousia, against a persecuting city, is associated with Jesus’ coming against Jerusalem.
The New Testament presents the story of two competing “women,” Old Covenant Jerusalem, and New Covenant Jerusalem. To suggest that Revelation departs from this theme is to create a dissonance in the New Testament doctrine.
The Bible knows nothing of two weddings to two different “women,” at two different times by Christ. There is only one wedding, and it was the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel. Revelation 19 is not the wedding of the church, unrelated to Israel’s promises, as posited by the amillennial and postmillennial views. Nor is it two different weddings as the millennialists suggest (one for the church and one for Israel). The Biblical picture of the wedding is that God would marry Israel once again (True Israel = believing remnant Israel and grafted in believing Gentiles). However, that wedding would only take place when the unfaithful, adulterous wife, Judah, was divorced/judged, and God once again espoused Himself to Israel (True Israel = believing remnant Israel and grafted in believing Gentiles). This means that the wedding should be seen in the light of the putting away/judging of Judah, the adulterous wife, and the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel that the new creation would include “Israel and the nations.”
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