Introduction4⁵
Congregational Bible Experience Day #86
Bible Reading: Revelation 19-20
Bible Reading: Revelation 19-20
As we have read through these past few chapters in Revelation, it does appear that the 544 is darkest just before the dawn (although astronom4ers will undoubtedly disagree!). There's no inkling of the sunrise just yet, although that will surely come. For now, we are plunged back into the darkness of God's judgement against the sin for one last time. What these chapters are teaching is that while we ⁵ know already that we need a range of metaphors to describe the fullness of sin (twistedness, rebellion, falling short, breaking barriers, etc) and the cross of Jesus (depictions from the court of law, military battlefield, freedom from prison and slavery, family reconciliation, payment of a debt, etc), so it also takes a range of metaphorical images and pictures to describe the utter thoroughness by which God finally rids the universe of sin and those who defy Him and rebel against Him. This is what we have in Revelation 19-20. Not an endless sequence therefore of descriptions of God apparently defeating evil only for it to reappear and needing judged again. But God's once and for all final overthrow of sin and Satan seen from different perspectives. Such is the careful diligence with which God judges and removes anything and everything that would rob Him of His due glory and would threaten our salvation. Such also, if we can join the dots, is both the horror and the wonder of Calvary.
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Revelation 19:1-10
conclude John's vision of the overthrow of 'Babylon', the 'great Prostitute',
symbolising the alternative man-made system of the 'world' organised in
defiance and opposition to God and His Kingdom, in its lustful pursuit of
wealth and power. But Babylon, the evil empire that harried and harassed the
church for centuries, has now fallen by God's judgement upon it (v2), and His
people have been saved (v6-9). And now the rejoicing from heaven begins, with a
four-fold "Hallelujah!" (v1,3,4,6 - the only time this exclamation of
praise is used in all of the New Testament).
The judgement of the lost (v1-3) is not something to gloat about:
rather, the emphasis is upon the
vindication of God's truth that has been mocked, God's will that has been
defied, and God's character which has been smeared.
The roar of
"Hallelujah!" also arises because God's glorious Kingdom has finally
come, and the wedding feast celebrating the marriage of the Lamb to His people,
the church, can begin (v7-8). The contrast between the 'Prostitute' (Babylon)
and the 'Bride of the Lamb (as we shall see, the New Jerusalem) could not be
more striking. The former represents those who have faithlessly deserted God
for other lovers, while the latter represents those who have stayed faithful to
Christ. The coming of God's Kingdom is great joy and gladness (v7), for Jesus'
relationship with His people, the church, is now perfected. This is what John
is being prepared to see (chapters 21-22). The prayer of the saints down the
ages, "Thy kingdom come", has finally and fully been answered.
But before we get
our 'glad rags' on for the wedding party (19:8-9), there's something else John
needs to see and know, and therefore, so must we…
We might have
expected to see the Lamb, the Groom, coming for His Bride, the Church. What we
see instead is a majestic royal warrior, the fifth horseman of the Apocalypse
(19:11-16), the Lord Jesus himself (v16), who has come to make final
preparations for the wedding. He is portrayed as the Revealer, the Word of God
(v13) who makes God perfectly known; He is the Redeemer (v13), whose robe is dipped
in blood, for in saving us He has died for for us; He is the Ruler (v16), the
King of all kings and ruler of all nations; and He is the Judge (v15), who puts
God's righteous judgement into effect. But His blooded robe reminds us that the
One who releases God's wrath upon the world has first experienced it Himself in
the cross. And what does Jesus the warrior do with His wedding in view? Judges
and makes war (v11). This is not so much Jesus riding forth to engage in a
final showdown. The text highlights not what Jesus is 'going to do', but who He
is and what He does. As the conquering King, the righteous Judge and the
Captain of heaven's armies, this is what Jesus has been doing all along to
prepare His church for the full and final reunion with Himself in glory. He comes to establish His reign and defeated
the powers of evil that have wreaked havoc on the earth and terrorised the
godly (v17-18).
In a book filled
with contentious interpretations and debatable meanings, Revelation 20 is the
most controversial and divisive passage of them all. Many believers get
themselves hotly stoked up about the Millennium, the 1,000 years, what it is
and when it begins. Needless to say we shall not be engaging in the arguments
here… but just to say two things briefly: first, we have said all along that
most of the numbers in this book are used in a symbolic manner and are not to
be taken literally, similarly - I would argue - with this "1,000
years"; secondly, we have seen the book that the story is not told in a
linear historical manner from beginning to end, but in a series of repeated
cycles (seals, trumpets, bowls, etc) which tell the story of God's salvation of
His people again and again from different angles and so from different
perspectives - the same, I would argue, is going on here in this chapter. The
'thousand years' is symbolic of the time that stretches between Christ's first
(12:10) and second (11:15) comings. And by His victory at Calvary, Satan was
defeated and bound, for Christ now reigns over His people through His word. But
this Kingdom reign of Jesus is hidden and does not look as other kingdoms
display their power: it is glory in shame, power in weakness, victory through
death - just like Calvary. This reign is cross-shaped, for that is how God's
people, Christ's disciples, now live as we bear our cross (Mark 8:34). 
Revelation 20:7-10
is another view of God overthrowing evil at the End, in which Babylon's
sponsors and allies - the dragon (20:10) and the two beasts (chapters 12-13) -
are judged and destroyed. And how is this battle against Satan engaged, and how
is he defeated? Not in any military combat (for the battle has already taken
place at Calvary), but they are overcome instantly and effortlessly by the
sword from Jesus' mouth (19: 21) and the fire that falls from heaven (20:9) -
both of which are pictures of God's Word (see Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12;
and also Jeremiah 5:14; 23:29). John sees the powerful, authoritative Word of
Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, now reigning over His people (see
above) also effecting the complete overthrow of the hosts of evil. And then John sees
God's throne of Judgement (20:11), before whom, every human being stands (v12)
and who will be judged with fairness, based upon "what they had done"
(v12-13). When the books are opened (v12) those who are guilty of unrepentant sin are judiciously sentence to
the lake of fire (v15), along with Satan and those with him (v10).
Again, I think it is
fair to suggest that the battle scene (19:17-21, and repeated in 20:7-10) and
the courtroom scene (20:11-15), are not separate events, for the people who are
destroyed in battle (19:17-18) then reappear in court (20:12). So, once more, we have the final climactic
event, the End, being viewed from different angles: the fall of Babylon, the
last battle and the last judgement are all ways of depicting God's overthrow of
evil when His Kingdom comes in its final fullness. It takes more than one
picture of sin and judgement to understand how God deals with evil. Sin is defying His rule, thus judgement
implies that such rebellion is subdue by military might; sin is also
disobedience, breaking God's law, a legal metaphor, so as God's will is
transgressed, wickedness must be found as guilty and sentenced appropriately.
We must admit, these
last chapters (16-20) are a tough and dark read. The point has been laboured from every which
way that God's judgement against sin and wickedness is full as it is final. No
loopholes here for anyone. Now, why is this so important? The believers in the
seven churches need to be reassured that no matter how great the evil they
face, no matter how powerful the authorities who are hounding them appear,
nevertheless - God rules, and He will have the last word, so they and we can
join together in the Hallelujah chorus (ch.19). But this extensive treatment of
God's judgement against sin also serves as a warning for us: for everyone that
opposes God, that defies His will, and contradicts His holiness will be
destroyed. Sin is not to be played with. God, in Christ, has gone to a lot of
bother to save us from its consequences; He will go to a lot more bother to rid
the new heavens and new earth of any its lingering and contaminating stain
(Revelation 16-20). What will such a
world, free from sin look like? We turn to the final pages of the Bible to see
(Revelation 21-22)…
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