The Tribulation
Part 2

The Tribulation part two

Revelation 11:15 to 22:21

The angel sounds the seventh Trumpet

Revelation 11:18ff is a little confusing, there appear to be large gaps in the times between the outpouring of the wrath of God, the final judgement of the dead and the reward of the faithful, but let us get back to the story, we must remember that John is writing down as it happens, they appear to happen very closely, one right after the other.

After the trumpet sounding the twenty -four elders who have sat before God fall down and worship God and then say the words John recorded
Revelations 11: 18.

1)The nations are very angry.
2)The rewards have been given to the Believers, from the Old Testament and those who became Believers during the Tribulation. Note those who were from the Church age received their rewards at the Judgement seat of Christ soon after the Rapture.
3) Those who are destroying the earth are to be destroyed.

The Ark of the Covenant

Revelation 11:19..

"19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. "

Many people today are searching for the Ark of the Covenant, well, it appears to be already in the Heaven temple.

This shows us that God is still full of mercy and love for His creation, as we look into the Temple we cannot think about the events of the tribulation. He has not left His people, we will hear the truth and experience His life giving power.
With the dark days about to appear, Hebrews 6:17,18

"17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:"

A woman clothed with the sun.

Revelation 12:1-6..

"1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days."

We are told that at one time Satan swept a third of the stars(angelic beings) out of the sky and flung them to the earth

The event shown here shows that there are things happening which we do not know about, here we see war happening between Israel and Satan. The woman, Israel, is about to produce a man child, the Lord Jesus Christ, Satan is ready to destroy the child, which we know that he tried, this is to stop God’s promise found in Genesis 3:15.

"15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. "

Revelation 12:7-10.

"7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
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."

Please note that as Believers we are not bystanders but active participates in this very long term war.
Ephesians 6:13

"13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

Israel gave birth to the son, His incarnation, "they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb," next we see the ascension, "The child was snatched up by God," and finally we see His second coming

Revelation 12:11-17.

"11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

If Satan was conquered at the cross, why has God not destroyed him? We do not understand the times of God but it may be that there are many more to be offered their forgiveness through Jesus yet to come into the world. Satan still has access to God in heaven today, he can accuse us of wrong, but we have a wonderful advocate in Jesus who can defend us, using His blood as the way out, paid for.
This final battle is yet to occur, when Satan and his angelic beings are thrown out of heaven. His time is very close.

Satan, now on earth totally, goes for the woman, who was given wings to fly to a prepared place for her during the rest of the tribulation. God has protected the 144,000 witnesses, now Satan wants to destroy Israel, verse 15 tells us that Satan produces a flood, but what ever the attack is, God safeguards His people. God will always protect His people, Jesus will be the victor!

Revelation 13:1-9.

"1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindred's, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear."

This is the Beast, the Antichrist, the final source of evil. People are very attractive to him, he is very persuasive, with proud words and blasphemies, he has the ability to hold the people with great words. He is a political and diplomatic genius, promoting peace and becomes the leader of the world.
The Antichrist captures the world and accepts worship,
2 Thessalonians 2:4

"4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. "

The 2nd Beast, the False Prophet.

Revelation 13:11-10.

"11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."

Satan is trying to copy God by producing a trinity, we now have Satan, the antiChrist and the False prophet, the religious leader and right hand man of the antichrist, just as the Holy Spirit points people to Christ, the False Prophet is causing people to worship the Antichrist.

The False Prophet looks like a lamb, but Satan has given him the very cruel heart of a serpent and the voice of a dragon. The false prophet will generate fake miracles to cause the world to turn to the Antichrist and worship him.

The false Prophet will construct an image to be worshipped by the people of the world, this is the image that the Antichrist will eventually place inside the Jewish Temple. The image will have the power of speach and will issue instruction that anyone who does not worship the image will lose their life.

The Image will also issue an instruction that all people must have a mark to allow them to work and eat, this mark, it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

The Mark of the Beast.

This appears to be something attached to the person, an insignia, and without it they are unable to go to work or purchase food etc. Without access to the basic things of life, death will result.

The Lamb of God

Revelation 14:1-5.

"1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God."

This chapter contains seven future visions of what is about to happen, they are offering to us as wide screen view of the tribulation

The first vision is of the Lamb of God, we have seen Him suffer for the Believers and now He is showing us His victory. He is standing upon Mount Zion near Jerusalem with the 144,000 Jewish saints who have the name of God upon their foreheads, verse 1. We are told that one day will be the highest mountain and the Law and the words of God will go out into the world. We are here to see the 144,000, twelve thousand from each tribe, receive their rewards for their work and the completion of their work.
On the mountain we find these Jewish believers singing praises to God, no one can sing there song as only they went through the tribulation.

Revelation 14:6-13.

"6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."

The six Angels make announcements.

The first angelic being declares the eternal gospel, this must be heard by the world and is an invitation to turn to God and worship Him, God is continuing to offer His mercy and grace.

The second angel now makes the announcement that Babylon has "Fallen". Many people believe that Babylon was the city and the false religious system of the Antichrist and Satan. The repetition words given by the angel, that it has "fallen, fallen" so confirming it has been destroyed.

The third Angel now mentions that those who are on the earth can choose to worship the Beast and then be judged by God, or they can worship God and be judged by the Beast, you have no other choices.
The punishment and torment for any who choose to worship the beast is for ever, eternal.

We now are sent a wonderful message, verse 13, a promise,And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.. They will still find the way to the Lord and be blessed, there eternal home. This is a magnificent promise for any who die during the Tribulation.

A terrible harvest is now taken

We now turn to the battle to end all battles, Armageddon.
Many millions of people will gather on the plain of Megiddo in Israel, some students have reckoned on two hundred million, the figure being thought possible. In the vision we see God collecting all the lives of those who have rejected Him, the blood is very deep, it appears to be a flood which is covering many miles, and about four feet deep. This is very hard to imagine.

Revelation 14:14-20.

"14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine press of the wrath of God.
20 And the wine press was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the wine press, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs."

The people on the earth are like bunches of grapes, very ripe and now ready for the crushing in the wine press of God’s wrath. Note that in ,
Matthew 13:40-43. Jesus spoke of how they will collect the "wheat" and the "Tares (weeds)" and separated them. Jesus will use the angels to sort out the good and the bad, anything which causes evil will be burnt.

The Seven Last Plagues

Revelation 15:1-4.

"1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest."

We now see the final action by God, for many years He has offered His love and mercy, including His Son as a sacrifice for Men, and even during the tribulation. The justice for a pure and holy God is about to be completed. Those about to be punished are those who said that they do not want His forgiveness.

The tribulation saints are singing "song of Moses the servant of God,", Deuteronomy 32:1-52. Then they sing "the song of the Lamb," Revelation 15:4.

The Holy of Holies

Revelation 15:5-8.

"5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled."

John can see the open Holy of Holies, only the high priest would have access to this area. As the angels with the bowls of Wrath leave, the temple is filled with smoke from the glory of God. We see now that those who refused to drink from the cup of God now have to partake of the bowls of wrath.

The final conclusions from God

Revelation 16:1-21.

"1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 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.
18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great."

We now see the seven angels pour out their bowl judgements onto the earth. The first angel marks them, who had the mark of the beast, of the judgement of God.

"5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.""

We now see the fourth angel affect the power of the sun, to scorch Mankind "with fire," Yet under this pain they still curse God and refuse to turn to Him.
The fifth angel pours out his bowl upon the throne of the Antichrist and the world becomes darkness. The sixth angel now pours out his bowl and the river Euphrates dries up, allowing the kings of the east to come into Armageddon.
John now describe three evil spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. and enter into the world of kings, to make them ready to fight.

Finally we see the seventh bowl tipped out into the atmosphere, and the words from the temple, " It is done." These bowls affect the earth, a massive earthquake, the cities collapse, , islands fled , mountains disappeared,, hail, each weighing many, many pounds fell on the earth. Many cities including Jerusalem were destroyed.

The end of an unfaithful religion.

Revelation 17:1-18.

"1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."

The counterfeit version of Christianity, the place they all apparently went to pretend to worship the true God, "the great whore" or prostitute, she is very evil, associated with the beast and the world leaders. The prostitute is dressed like a queen, but the cup she holds is full of fornication. John is surprised that this church is involved with the death of true Christians. Unfortunately, she is hated and will be destroyed by the ten kings who were about to control the earth with the Antichrist, v12-14

The kings are totally against The Lord and King of kings and it shows that the church must watch how much it gets involved in political partnerships, we must be vigilant to continue in a pure gospel, free of any distortions and corruptions.

Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen,

Revelation 18:1-19.

"1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. 7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate."

We now see an angel of great power and whose splendor lights up the earth. He makes the announcement, "that city of Babylon, the business hub, has collapsed, in just an hour the majesty of Babylon has turned into an ash heap, destroyed by a greater force and glory, Rev. 18:10.." The leaders of the world are now weeping for all their money, and glory was gone, note, they were not worried about their sinful nature and God, just their lifestyle. Verse 5 shows how sinful and bad the city had become, it had come in contact with heaven somehow. Now they would feel the power of God and His wrath.

4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Revelation 18:20-24.

A mighty angel throws a very when large rock, like a millstone, into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all."

Heaven Rejoices and a Marriage

Revelation 19:1-8.

"1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
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.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."

We are told that all who have turned to the Lord will be there in heaven to rejoice, this great hallelujah chorus is before the wedding of The Lord Jesus, the bridegroom, and his bride, the church. As believers in Jesus, when we accepted His offer of forgiveness, we entered into a "marriage" to Christ, now we are waiting to be taken to the new home that He has prepared for us. We are celebrating the united Jews and gentiles into one body, and married to Jesus Christ.

Jesus takes over the world

Revelation 19:11-16.

"11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

John now sees the door to heaven open again, and out of the door comes a white horse and all the believers of the world and times on their own white horses, this will be a glorious event and all the world will see and witness it.

The world is prepared for a final battle with God but in this battle the final outcome is never in doubt, the Lord Jesus Christ comes down to the enemies and with a word destroys each person who comes to fight, the magnificent army from Heaven has nothing to do, He is "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.", on that day every tongue will confess that he is Lord, Philippians 2:11

The Birds are Well Fed.

Revelation 19:17-21.

"17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh."

Come to the supper of the great God, was the invitation given by the angelic being standing in the sun. He was telling the birds of the world to come and eat the flesh of all in the world army. Their bodies may be eaten but their souls go to hades to await the Great White Throne Judgement.
John also saw the beast and the false prophet taken and thrown into the lake of fire burning with brimstone for eternity

A thousand years.

Revelation 20:1-5.

"1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection."

We now enter a very long delay before God does anything, for the next one thousand years the world will recover and repopulate with Jesus in charge of the world. Satan has been locked away in the bottomless pit and is not able to attack any one for the period. Life will be very perfect, animals will not hunt each other, it appears to be a near perfect world.

It is after one thousand years of near perfection

Revelation 20:6-10.

"6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

The population grows, note that children will come from parents which have not given their heart to Jesus, they were left over from the battle of Armageddon

At the end of one thousand years, God releases Satan into the world, he rapidly reaches out to many souls and they turn against Jesus. God destroyers them with fire from heaven. Why did God do this? To prove that it is the heart of the person which was wrong, the people on the earth, born since Armageddon, lived in a near perfect situation, yet still turned to evil when given the chance. Satan now ends up, for eternity, in the Lake of fire.

Completion

Revelation 20:11-15.

"11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

Only the people left have given their hearts and souls to Jesus and have great love for Him.

God now holds a judgement on how they loved their lives for all the people of the world, who have rejected the offer of forgiveness in Jesus through His blood on the cross. If they were not found written in the book of life, they were sent to eternal punishment, in the Lake of Fire, no rewards or excuses. All other world problems, like death, hell, sickness and pain were also sent into the lake of fire.

This is the Second death

A New Heaven and Earth

Revelation 21:1-3.

"1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that over cometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

We now see the future, a glimpse of the glorious future and inheritance which awaits us.
The New Jerusalem comes down from heaven onto the new earth, an earth with no more evil, sin, fear, illness, death or Satan.
The tabernacle of God will now be among us on the new earth, we will live with His love and glorious presence, day by day.

The New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:9-27.

"9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

We now see the new Jerusalem coming down onto the earth from heaven. This is of a magnificat construction, the foundations are on many jewels, the streets are made of pure gold, it is of an amazing construction, 1500 miles long, 1500 miles wide and of 1500 miles height. With twelve gates and each gate had one very large pearl making the doors. Note there was no temple, because God and His wonderful Son live in the city.

This is our forever home

Revelation 21:5.

"5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."

1 Corinthians 2:9,10

"9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."

Revelation 22:1-21.

"1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3 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:
4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed i he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."