The Chronology of Revelation
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Jesus will appear and be seen, in the sky, during both phases of His Second Coming:
After Jesus gathers the final harvest of believers out of the world
Figuratively speaking, the armies of the nations attacking Jerusalem will be thrown, like ripe grapes, “into the great winepress of God’s wrath,” where they will be “trampled” (Revelation 14:17-20) by Jesus, the Son of Man. On the day He returns to earth, He will travel from Bozrah, in Edom or southern Jordan
Many believe “treading the winepress,” when Jesus makes His glorious return to earth, to be descriptive of the destruction of the Antichrist and his armies at the Battle of Armageddon. I disagree completely. According to the ancient prophet Joel, the “trampling” of the “grapes” in the “winepress” will take place in the Valley of Jehoshaphat
The Valley of Jehoshaphat is on the eastern edge of Jerusalem, which is the primary location where Jesus will destroy the armies of the nations (not followers of the Antichrist but, rather, of Gog), which will be attacking Jerusalem when He returns
After the physical return of Jesus to earth, and His destruction of the Gog/Magog forces who will have been ransacking Jerusalem, survivors from nations that attacked Jerusalem will go to Jerusalem to worship Jesus, the Lord and King of the whole world
The events of the Third Woe also are known as “the seven last plagues”
The final plagues will be doled out upon those who have the mark of the beast and worship his image, who will belong to the kingdom of the beast
Long ago, the great King David of Israel wrote,
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill”I believe this insightful passage by David is descriptive of how the armies of ten kings and the beast will gather at Armageddon(Psalm 2:1-6).
After having angrily endured weeks of torment, caused by the plagues of God’s wrath being poured out upon the earth
Finally, after the seventh angel has poured out his bowl, God’s voice from His throne in heaven will proclaim loudly, “It is done!”
Chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation are a description of Babylon the Great and of the “final battle.” Chronologically, they are a detailed restatement of the
I have said how I believe that the woman described previously by John was symbolic of Israel, the “embodiment” of the Law/Torah, which consists of God’s eternal commandments, rules, and guidelines. Similarly, I believe that the harlot woman, “sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns”
This second “woman,” dressed in a worldly garment of purple, scarlet, gold, precious stones, and pearls
On the woman’s “forehead” is written Babylon the Great
There
are connections between Islam and Allah and the number of the beast: 666. In Arabic, 666 may be an encryption for “In the Name of Allah.” Furthermore, many Muslims will not do business with anyone who has not embraced Islam. Therefore, the idea seems plausible that, during the time of the Great Tribulation, people who do not have the mark of 666 embedded into their skin, identifying themselves as having embraced Islam, will not be able to buy or sell anythingThe beast, on which the woman rides, will have been “given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them” and will have been “given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation”
He who has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saintsIt is a fact that some fundamentalist Muslims are known for taking prisoners captive and killing them with the sword. One of their primary means of killing with the sword is beheading(Revelation 13:9,10).
The Antichrist, who will be highly influenced by the religious system represented by the “woman,” is described well by the following passage, written by the ancient prophet Daniel:
The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of godsAllah, the god of the Islamic faith, is the “god of fortresses.” It seems that he will be honored with many of the same riches worn by the “woman” (compare[Revelation 12:6a]. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers [Chemosh and Molech] or for the one desired by women [Ashtoreth—see2 Kings 23:13], nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He will attack the mightiest fortresses [seeHabakkuk 1:10b] with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him(Daniel 11:36-39a).
The Antichrist (leader of the beast empire) will believe himself to be God
The seven heads of the beast on which the woman sits are seen to be “seven hills”
The ancient prophet Jeremiah referred to Babylon as a “destroying mountain”
John was told that, of the seven kings, “Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come...”
At the time that John was writing the Book of Revelation, the first five kingdoms had fallen, the sixth kingdom was in power at the time, and the seventh kingdom had yet to come. (Note that the Ottoman Empire, the seventh kingdom, was Islamic, as is modern-day Turkey.) The eighth and final beast or kingdom
- Egypt,
- Assyria (modern-day Syria),
- Babylon (modern-day Iraq),
- Medo-Persia (modern-day Iran),
- Greece,
- Rome, and
- Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey).
Much speculation has been made over the centuries, beginning with the earliest interpretations of the Book of Revelation, about the identity of “Babylon the Great” and the “Mother of Prostitutes”
Rather, I feel that Mecca, the center and focal point of Islam in the world, is the most likely candidate to be “Mystery Babylon.” (Another possibility might be the futuristic city of Neom.) It very well may be, in addition, that cities all over the world will be closely connected to the Babylon system. To some extent, all will share in the end-time punishment of the “Harlot of Babylon.” This is because when the “great city” is given “the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath,” part of the final judgment will be a gigantic earthquake—the greatest quake in human history—presumably shaking the entire earth, in which every island and mountain will be removed from its place
There are several criteria, found mostly in Revelation 17 and 18, that are used to identify Mystery Babylon the Great. The most common “candidates” to be the end-time Babylon meet some of the criteria. However, the true Mystery Babylon must satisfy all of the criteria, not just some of them. Some of my thoughts about why I feel that Mecca best qualifies to meet these criteria are in Mystery Babylon the Great.
John indicated that the harlot “woman” is “the great city that rules over the kings of the earth”
One definition of “city” includes the actual people inhabiting the city. Another definition is “city-state,” which is a sovereign state consisting of an autonomous city with its dependencies. As such, it may be that Babylon the Great will be, collectively, the up-and-coming capital of Islam (perhaps Mecca, Saudi Arabia), along with all the (dependent) cities and nations of the world over which it will have gained control and dominion.
At the time that the Antichrist and the kings of the earth gather together to come against the King of kings
The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be foundEvidently, the entire earth will shake violently when this colossal earthquake occurs(Revelation 16:19,20).
In this scenario, every international city—such as New York City, Rome, Jerusalem, all of which are guilty of embracing the ancient Babylonian system of false worship—will be brought into submission under the rule and authority of Jesus, the Messiah. He will sit in Jerusalem to reign, and He will lead the operation of restoring the earth to a state of spectacular and unprecedented beauty and splendor. The main seat or center of Babylon, on the other hand, will be obliterated, never to be inhabited again.
Just as, in one sense, the first “woman” was literal Jerusalem, Israel (and, ultimately, will be the New Jerusalem from heaven), some feel that the wayward “woman” or “prostitute” could be literal Babylon, Iraq. This woman is said to be “the great city that rules over the kings of the earth”
In fact, prior to his demise and execution, Saddam Hussein had undertaken the very substantial and extravagant task of rebuilding Nebuchadnezzar’s Palace and other structures in Babylon, Iraq:
Babylon began as the ancient city of Babel. There, the pride of early mankind was epitomized in these ways:
These are basic tenets of virtually all world religions. They are diametrically opposed to the bedrock precepts of Christianity, which affirm that eternal salvation (and ultimate access to God) is obtained through faith in God and by God’s grace alone, not by works done to gain God’s approval
- striving to make a name for themselves before God,
- demonstrating that they could gain access to God on their own merits and terms,
- refusing to humble themselves and to allow God to raise them up in His own time, and
- attempting to work themselves “up” and “out” of their realm of sin, which had been present on the earth since the time of Adam and Eve.
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through meBecause of this:(John 14:6).
- Satan (the “dragon”) hates the first “woman”—because Jesus came from her
(Revelation 12:4b,5a) to begin the destruction of the devil’s work(1 John 3:8b). During the Great Tribulation period, Satan will go after the woman’s “offspring,” both Jews and Christians(Revelation 12:17), seeking to kill as many of them as possible.- Those who are deceived by the second “woman” already hate and will continue to hate Christianity and Christians. They will shed the blood of those who bear testimony to Jesus
(Revelation 17:6a) during the Great Tribulation: Fourth/Fifth Seals period—up until the point that the distress of the Great Tribulation is “cut short”(Matthew 24:21,22) by the Pre-Wrath Rapture event.
It was in literal Babylon, Iraq, where false religion, as well as a fiercely dominating political system, began millennia ago. Perhaps the forces of the Antichrist may come to occupy this place, either as a primary or a secondary location. It could be that al-Qaeda, ISIS and other militant Islamic forces, gaining footholds in Iraq ever since Saddam Hussein was deposed and hanged, will be promoting this.
The Antichrist (leader of the beast empire) will believe himself to be God
According to Isaiah, after Babylon ultimately is devastated, no person ever will dwell there again:
Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians’ pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flocks there. But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about. Hyenas will howl in her strongholds, jackals in her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolongedSimilarly, Jeremiah predicted an annihilation of Babylon that would result in its never being inhabited again:(Isaiah 13:19-22).
“A sword against the Babylonians!” declares the LORD—“against those who live in Babylon and against her officials and wise men! A sword against her false prophets! They will become fools. A sword against her warriors! They will be filled with terror. A sword against her horses and chariots and all the foreigners in her ranks! They will become women. A sword against her treasures! They will be plundered. A drought on her waters! They will dry up. For it is a land of idols, idols that will go mad with terror. “So desert creatures and hyenas will live there, and there the owl will dwell. It will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation. As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighboring towns,” declares the LORD, “so no one will live there; no man will dwell in it”It may be that the forces of Gog and Magog, who will attack Jerusalem near the end of the 70th Week, also will attack the Antichrist and his forces at Babylon(Jeremiah 50:35-40).
It has been noted, six places in Revelation, that the term “great city” is applied to Babylon the Great
As such, some have inferred that Babylon the Great is Jerusalem, Israel. Indeed, during the last half of the 70th Week, Jerusalem will be experiencing major troubles from being occupied and attacked. In the midst of the 70th Week, the Antichrist will enter the “holy place” in Jerusalem to put an end to sacrifice and offering and to set up the “abomination that causes desolation”
Babylon will be destroyed, never to be inhabited again
Jerusalem will be one of the cities of the world which will comprise the “great city,” Babylon the Great, as a whole. It will have its share of earthquakes and other devastation, but it will not be utterly and totally destroyed; in fact, it will be cleansed, spiritually purified, and restored
As noted before, I believe Chapters 17 and 18 are a lengthy, detailed restatement of the brief
The great multitude seen in
On the other hand, comparing
The multitude of believers in
An announcement and description of the “wedding supper of the Lamb” also is heard
In ancient Israel, a man who was recently married would not be sent to war at that time; rather, he was to stay at home and bring happiness to his wife for a year
John’s description of Jesus’ Second Advent to earth—to conquer, rule, and reign—is paralleled in these three passages (see also Seventh Trumpet, final harvest, and return of Jesus):
The second half of chapter 19 of Revelation recaps the physical return of Jesus—the “Faithful and True” and the “King of kings and Lord of lords”—riding a white horse back to earth. First, He will trample Jerusalem’s enemies in the winepress; then, He will destroy His enemies at Armageddon
Some surmise that Jesus’ blood-stained robe
When He returns to earth, the Lord initially will set foot in Bozrah, Jordan; and on His way to Jerusalem, His robe will become stained crimson red because He will be treading the winepress of His wrath, spattering His garments with the blood of the nations’ armies and shedding their blood on the ground
Jesus will “fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle”
After this, chronologically, the seven final plagues: Bowl Judgments will be poured out upon the nations of the earth
The beast (Antichrist) and his armies will be gathered to make war against Jesus the Lamb, “the rider on the horse and his army”
Some believe that God’s final Kingdom is on earth right now
At the end of this present age, following the defeat of evil forces coming against Jerusalem and against Jesus, Satan will be cast into the Abyss, bound and imprisoned for 1,000 years
Certainly, God is in ultimate control of everything, but Jesus has not yet come to sit on His throne in Jerusalem to rule as King over the whole earth
The Millennium will be the prophesied period of “Sabbath-rest for the people of God.” During that time, His people will rest from their work, just as God rested from His
At the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet, the kingdom of the world will become the Kingdom of God
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign”(Revelation 11:15-17).
During the Trumpet Judgments, a great deal of destruction and devastation will occur throughout the earth. After Jesus returns, at the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet, He will renovate and reconfigure the world into a glorious, magnificent, “Garden of Eden” utopia that will last for 1,000 years—the Millennium. However, this will not be an act of “creation” but, rather, of “remodeling” and “transformation” (see old and new Creations).
Jesus also will obliterate those who have attacked and transgressed against Israel. Then, along with resurrected believers who will be given authority by Him, He will rule and reign over the world for a thousand years
At the commencement of the Millennium, Jesus the Messiah and only Lord will become the King over all the earth
Furthermore, it appears that God will resurrect (“raise up”) Israel’s King David to rule again over Israel
During the Millennium, sin will not be absent, as many have supposed that it will be. Otherwise, it would not be necessary for Jesus to rule over the nations “with an iron scepter”
Throughout the Millennium Jesus will reign, as earth’s King, over both the righteous and the unrighteous. He will love and help the weak, the needy and the righteous, who will flourish with prosperity and peace. On the contrary, He also will severely judge those who are oppressive, violent and unrighteous. All of this, and more, will continue during His reign on this earth, as described in
The mortal people who will enter the millennial Kingdom of God on earth will be many of those who were able to survive the dreadful and cataclysmic Great Tribulation and day of vengeance periods. They will not have obtained glorified bodies in the Pre-Wrath Rapture, since they will not have acknowledged Jesus as Savior, Lord and Messiah before that point. It is conceivable that those who repent and turn to Jesus/God after the Pre-Wrath Rapture may be glorified and changed into their spirit bodies at a possible Post-Tribulation Rapture when Jesus returns.
There will be many people at that time who will not be violent criminals and who will not hate Israel or other believers in God, even if they happen to live in nations that generally are anti-Israel
Presumably, these “sheep” will not be vanquished and eliminated by Jesus and His armies but will be allowed to enter the Kingdom of God on earth. As mortals with an intrinsic sin nature, they and their offspring naturally will continue to be sinners requiring correction by the law. However, many or most of them will embrace and willingly receive Jesus as Lord, enabling them to obtain eternal life after eventually experiencing physical death during the 1000-year reign of Jesus.
During the millennial period, mortal people will multiply rapidly on the earth, since there will be no more war among nations
Some might think that overpopulation of the earth could become a problem, since death will be greatly decreased and human life spans will be immensely increased. However, the earth has more than ample room for countless billions of people; moreover, under the reign of Jesus, there will be plentiful amounts of food throughout the earth to feed them. Furthermore, there is a desire in the human spirit to explore the moon and planets, such as Mars, in this solar system. As such, it is conceivable that, perhaps, Jesus might make these other worlds habitable and provide the technology for humans to live there, although there does not appear to be anything in the Bible establishing that this will happen.
Given that death will remain until the end of the Millennium
Then the end will come, when he [Jesus Christ] hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is deathVery often in the present age, the arm of the law is too short. Court trials drag on and on, the rights of too many innocent people are violated, they are not recompensed properly, and too many criminals do not have to pay adequately, or at all, for their crimes. During the Millennium, however, impartial and immediate justice will be swift, perfectly fair compensation for all wrongdoing will prevail, and just punishment always will be dispensed. Isaiah wrote,(1 Corinthians 15:24-26).
The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down—those who with a word make a man out to be guilty, who ensnare the defender in court and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justiceIn the world now, deception and lies run rampant, virtually unchecked. They infect individuals, businesses, and governments; nothing seems to be exempt. Furthermore, there is not sufficient deterrence against doing evil because, for one thing, not enough people are caught and exposed. Under the worldwide rule and reign of Jesus Christ and the saints during the Millennium, though, all of this will change. The saints, along with Jesus, will rule “with an iron scepter”(Isaiah 29:20,21).
All criminals and their crimes will be revealed publicly, making people think twice before committing misdeeds. No one will “get away” with anything. Misleading advertising will be shown to be false, ungrounded scandals and scams will be disproven, attempts at delusion will be unveiled, underhanded motives will be disclosed, and the nature of false dealings will be divulged. This is because Jesus is “truth”
I do not see the heavens and earth during the Millennium as being equivalent to those in the new Creation to come (see old and new Creations). However, Jesus’ righteous and lawful reign, during the Millennium, will prepare those who are appointed to eternal life for the new, everlasting Creation to come, after the present heavens and earth perish and cease to exist
Thrones will be granted to those—I believe saints glorified at the primary Rapture event, plus at other possible resurrection and catching-up events—who are given authority to judge, rule, and reign with Christ for 1,000 years
Apparently, only those who are beheaded after the opening of the Fifth Seal
All who will be resurrected up to this point, collectively, will be part of the “first resurrection.” It will consist of those who have experienced physical death (the “first death”) throughout the ages but who will not experience the spiritual death of the unsaved (the “second death”). During the Millennium, all of the resurrected, immortal saints will co-exist with and will instruct the mortal people who will live and die
The unsaved dead of all the ages, including those who die during the Millennium without having acknowledged the authority and rule of Jesus/God over the world and in their lives, will come to life in the “second resurrection,” after the 1,000 years are over. They will be judged at that time
At the latter time, anyone whose name has been blotted out of the Book of Life
We cannot fathom the boundless limits of God’s mercy. Thus, I feel it is possible that at the Great White Throne judgment
Ezekiel provided a lengthy description of the Lord’s Temple (Ezekiel 40:5–43:27), which will be present during the Millennium. On the day that Jesus returns, He will travel from Bozrah
Atop the mountain, the millennial Temple will sit (or possibly hover), straddling the chasm in the middle and facing east
Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two(Zechariah 6:12,13).
Many will come to Jerusalem, after the Great Trumpet of Yom Kippur (the Seventh Trumpet) has been sounded. They will worship the Lord Jesus on His Holy Mountain, learning His ways so that they can walk in them, and He will judge and settle disputes among the people of the nations:
And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem(Isaiah 27:13).
And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel(Isaiah 30:29).
In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore(Micah 4:1-3).
Moses went up to the top of Mount Sinai to meet God face-to-face, and there God gave him the Ten Commandments
This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.” ... And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to entreat him(Zechariah 8:3,22).
Out of the Lord’s house (Temple), a fountain will flow
I suggest that the millennial Temple will be dedicated during Hanukkah, beginning 1,335 days after the abomination that causes desolation is set up, thus fulfilling
At the end of the Millennium, Satan will be released from the Abyss
However, an actual “battle,” per se, will not take place. That is, this will not be the battle described in Ezekiel 38 & 39 (see The Final Battles). Instead, in a flash, fire will come down from heaven and destroy them
Finally, the Great White Throne Judgment will take place. All the dead who have not been resurrected during any of the Rapture events of the 70th Week, prior to the Millennium, nor during the resurrection at the beginning of the Millennium
Books will be opened which show all the deeds, good and bad, performed by every person throughout human history; and each person standing there will be judged by what he or she did in life. The Book of Life also will be opened; it will contain the names of all those who have acknowledged that they are guilty of disobedience and sin in the eyes of God and have looked to God to save them from damnation or eternal separation from Him because of their sins. They wisely will not have depended on their own “good deeds” to save them. Before God, even our most “righteous” acts are like “filthy rags”
Then death and Hades will be thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, as will anyone whose name will not be found written in the Book of Life
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death(1 Corinthians 15:25,26).
To read more about my beliefs pertaining to this 1,000-year period of time in the future, go to The Millennium, which includes these three parts:
Prior to the final Judgment, at the end of the Millennium, the present “earth and sky” will “flee” from the presence of God, because there no longer will be any place for them
Ultimately, it appears that this present Creation will cease to exist, and a brand new universe (“heavens and earth”) will be created by God (see old and new Creations). In the eternal realm, all that will be created will be altogether different than the existing universe, which is bound by length, width, and height, as well as a one-dimensional, uni-directional time line. Unlike on the present earth during the Millennium, on the new earth in the eternal realm there never again will be any death, tears, sorrow, or pain
It may be that in the new earth and sky, the laws of physics, thermodynamics, and entropy that we presently know about will be altered completely, or even will be absent altogether. In fact, since time itself was created by God, who existed before time began
John was able to view far down the corridor of time and see the Holy City of heaven, the New Jerusalem, descending out of heaven
The foundations, walls and gates of the New Jerusalem will be 12,000 stadia (approximately 1,400 miles) in length, width, and height
The golden city’s “foundations,” which John and Abraham perceived, are the twelve foundations “decorated with every kind of precious stone”; and the City has twelve gates, each gate being one pearl
The New Jerusalem, and the whole host of glorified saints within, will be the beautiful “bride, the wife of the Lamb”
It appears that the “wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:7-9) will take place at the beginning of the Millennium. However, the ultimate and eternal “marriage” of the Lamb—with the Bride being the completed Church of believers—will become manifest 1,000 years later. Presumably, believers will be transported to the New Jerusalem upon the creation of the new heaven and new earth (21:1).
In essence, during the millennial period, the Bride will be “betrothed” or “promised” to Jesus, the Lamb of God. I do not believe that our complete, total, pure, unadulterated union and communion with God/Jesus can take place until the new Creation has come, at which time we will enter into a supreme and ultimate “marriage” relationship with Him.
There will be no temple in the New Jerusalem, because “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple”
During the Millennium, a river with fruit-bearing trees on both sides will flow from the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem into the Dead Sea, giving it life again
The trees on either side of the river, emanating from Jesus’ millennial Temple, with fruit for food and leaves for healing
Only a few select people in the past, other than Jesus, have seen or been in the presence of the eternal God. In the eternal realm, with no more curse on the earth, the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in plain sight of all who are in the New Jerusalem; everyone “will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads”
To understand the Book of Revelation, it must be read in its proper perspective and context. The Apocalypse completes what Genesis began. Genesis presents this present Creation, while Revelation presents the new Creation to come. Together, they describe the old and new Creations.
In Genesis, the sun, moon, and stars were made to serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years
Darkness is called night in
Jesus affirmed to John,
Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the cityWas Jesus God? Did He have the right to claim that He was “the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End”? Indeed He was and did! Jesus, as God, created the present universe and everything in it(Revelation 22:12-14).
Various interpretations (including as mine) of some of the events in the Book of Revelation may not be perfectly accurate. However, since the events were stated by Jesus to John, the real meanings are factual and they will occur—because Jesus is the “Faithful and True”
An invitation is extended to all who hear and understand the truth:
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of lifeJohn’s final acknowledgment is my desire as well:(Revelation 22:17).
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen(Revelation 22:20,21).
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