Book of
Revelation
Apocalypse

Jesus is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords,
our Triumphant King with a total and eternal victory with his Church, for his Church, in his Church and to his Church...
with the total and eternal defeat of Satan and his followers

Jesus is called the Lamb 28 times in Revelation... in the Gospels is called the Lamb only twice (Jn.1:29,36).

Revelation - Apocalypse, a quick glimpse
The 7 Great Visions and Cycles
Themes of Each Chapter
A completely New Vision of the Book of Revelation
Titles of Jesus Christ in Revelation
Revelation Links

Revelation:  1  2  3   4  5  6  7  8   9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19 20  21  22

Revelation - Apocalypse, a quick glimpse:

1:1- The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John

Revelation is a book of prophecy. In order to any clear understanding of the book we must never lose sight of its object, as stated in this opening sentence, to show to his servants what must soon take place... soon!... for you and for me, the day we die... and at the end of the world, of course.

But even before that, the book is The revelation of Jesus Christ, as he is now, as he will be all eternity, and what he is doing now for you and me... and it is not just "a" Revelation, but "The" Revelation.

"Apocalypse" means "revelation", "discovery"... and the heart of the book is to discover the final total and complete triumph of Jesus Christ in his church, with his church, by his church, and for his church... with a final total and complete defeat of Satan and his followers... it is a book of the history of salvation of the church, and of you and me.

Revelation's message is that he who is with Jesus Christ will prevail: He will have joy and love and peace in this life, and a glorious eternal one in the New Jerusalem... and he who is in sin, with Satan, will fail: He will have no love nor joy nor peace on earth, and he will go to eternal Hell.

A Book of Consolation:

Although is has over 300 symbols with mysterious visions and catastrophic cosmic events that seem incomprehensible, it was very clear for the humble people addressed... it was a letter of consolation rather than a book.

It was written for the Christians in a "great crisis of faith": They lived in the catacombs, persecuted and killed by the Romans who threw them to the lions in ridiculous feasts of diversion, and it seemed that Jesus was doing nothing, he was not moving even a finger to help them...

... And here comes Revelation, to assure them, that eventually the final total and complete triumph is theirs... and not for just 50 or 1000 years, but for all eternity!.... and soon!... the day they die is the end of times for them, the glorious day of resurrection into the eternal New Jerusalem (1:1, 22:20).

Each one of them, as you and I, would have to have their 7 Seals and their 7 Trumpets and their 7 Plagues. ... but they are nothing else that the signs of the immediate coming of glorification... just have a little patience!.

Jesus wants us to read Revelation so much that it is the only book in the Bible with a blessing to those who read it,  Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is near (1:3)... because it essentially shows the triumph of Jesus Christ in His Church...

... And Satan do not want us to read nor understand it, because it shows the total failure of Satan and his followers... and for centuries Satan has almost succeeded... but he always eventually fails!... read Revelation with much love and a little humility, and you will understand it as a glorious tool to help many to go to Heaven.

Man and woman are free, responsible, immortals like God, made to love eternally like God... but, in their freedom, they can choose to fall into the abyss of the Devil.

The value of Sufferings in life: They are the Trumpets of God. God loves us the way we are, right now... but he loves too much to leave us that way!.
- He whispers in our ears with the nature and the Bible... but often we don't listen to Him.
- Then, He talks to us through His Church... and, again, we don't listen to God.
- Finally, God shouts in our ears, with the trumpets of God, the sufferings, pains... they are the megaphones of God.

The meaning of each Prophecy:
Each Prophecy of Revelation, and of the whole Bible, has at least 3 meanings:
1- The one intended for the people who was written, at the time it was written.
2- The meaning for your life and mine today... the Bible is a living book.
3- The possible meaning for the end of times.

The four schools of interpretation:
There are four main schools or ways to interpret Revelation... and the four of them are valid:
1- The preterist: It describes events of John's own time, and until the end of the Roman empire or at least the conversion of Constantine.
2- The historicist: It is a chart of the whole of salvation history from Christ's first coming to his second, and beyond... and the salvation history of your life and mine.
3- The idealist: It deals chiefly with principles that are always valid in Christian experience.
4- The futurist: It is largely a prophecy of events still to come, especially just prior to the return of Christ.

Cycles of Visions:

The book does not provide a linear description of the end times, of the end of your life and mine, but presents several cycles of visions that warn about coming tribulations and the final total triumph..

The adversaries of God's people are depicted as a Beast and a Harlot, who are finally destroyed.

The final chapters culminate in the new Jerusalem, the city of God (21:1-22:5).

Through its warnings and promises the book seeks to bring readers to renewed faith in God and the Lamb, who are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (1:8; 22:13).

The 7 Great Visions and Cycles of Revelation:

There are actually 7 Great Visions in Revelation, each one accompanied by 7 great things (7 Letters, 7 Seals, 7 Trumpets...), plus some other treasures in them.

Each Great Vision leads a cycle, 7 cycles, and each one shows the whole history of the world and of your life, but each one emphasizes certain special aspects of it... so, chapter 20, for example, is not a continuation of chapter 1 or chapter 10, but part of the Seventh Great Vision of chapters 20 to 22.

Revelation is like a symphony, with the same melody repeated 7 times, and the emphasis in different notes every time:

The 7 Great Visions and Cycles:

1- Vision of Jesus Christ (chapters 1-3):
- Jesus Christ (1:10-20)... as He is now and for all eternity.
- The 7 Letters of Jesus to the 7 Churches (2-3)... Salvation history of the 7 periods of the Church, and of your life.
- Other Treasures: Introduction, the Trinity, Special blessing, Christ coming, Jesus makes us Kings and Priests.
2- Vision of the Throne of God (chapters 4-7):
- The Throne of God(4).
- The Eucharistic Lamb (5)
- The 7 Seals (6)... like the 7 warnings of Matthew 24:1-14.
- The 144,000 sealed (7), the blood of the Lamb...
3- Vision of the Altar and Prayers of the Saints (chapters 8-11):
- Altar and Prayers (8:3-6).
- The 7 Trumpets (8-11)... similar to the Plagues of Egypt (Ex.7-11).
- The open book (10), the 7 thunderstorms (10:3), the 2 Witnesses (11), the Temple (11), the 3 woes (9:12, 11:14,19).
4-   Vision of the Woman and the Serpent (chapters 12-14)... the Central Vision.
- The Woman and the Serpent... 7 battles lost by Satan (12)
- The 7 Signs: Antichrist, the 2 Beasts (13)...
- The 7 Visions: The triumphal Lamb with the 144,000... the Condemned... the Harvest (14).
5- Vision of the Victorious (chapters 15-16):
- The Conquerors (15:1-6),
- The 7 Plagues the 7 Bowls or Cups or Vials (16).
6- Vision of Babylon the Great... Armageddon(chapters 17-19):
- Babylon the Great (17).
- The 7 Judgments of Babylon (18).
- The triple Alleluia... the Wedding of the Lamb... Armageddon, the Lord of Lords in the White Horse (19).
7- Vision of the New Jerusalem, a new heaven and a new earth (chapters 20-22):
- The Millenium and the Great White Throne of Judgment (20).
- Revelation ends with the "Maranatha": "Come, Lord Jesus"... "Yes, I am coming soon"... the day of our death!.

Theme of Each Chapter

1- Introduction.- Christ coming.- The Vision of the Son of Man
2- Letters to the Seven Churches
3- Letters to the last Three Churches
4- The Open Door in Heaven -  The Throne of God and of the Lamb.
5- The Book with Seven Seals - The Lamb standing like slaughtered.
6- The Opening of the 7 Seals
7- The Sealing of the Servants of God - The 144,000 and the multitude
8- The Altar and Prayers - First 4 Trumpets, the 3 Woes.
9- 5th and 6th Trumpets - The Woe Trumpets.
10- The Mighty Angel and the open sweet bitter Book
11- The Temple... and the Two Witnesses- 7th Trumpet
12- The Woman and the Dragon - the Church... 7 battles lost by Satan.
13- The Two Beasts from see and earth... the Antichrist
14- The Triumph of Christ with the 144,000.- the Condemned... the Harvest
15- The Victorious.- Victory over the Beast.
16- The 7 Last Plagues (or 7 Bowls, 7 Cups, 7 Vials).
17- Woman on the Beast.- Babylon, the Great Harlot
18- The Doomed City.- Babylon's complete fall.
19- Armageddon: The King of kings on the white horse- The quadruple Alleluia- The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
20- The Millennium and the Great White Throne of Judgment.
21- The New Jerusalem- New heaven and new earth.
22- The New Jerusalem.- River of Life.- Epilogue- "Maranatha": "Come, Lord Jesus"... "Yes, I am coming soon"... the day of your death!.

The First Great Vision of Revelation
First Cycle

First Great Vision, First Cycle (chapters 1 to 3):
Jesus Christ
- Vision of Jesus Christ (1:10-20).
- The 7 Letters of Jesus to the 7 Churches (chapters 2-3).
- Other Treasures of this Vision (1:1-9).
- Introduction, the Trinity, the alpha and omega, the Spirit, the Father
- Special blessing to the one who reads Revelation
- The Second Coming of Jesus
- Jesus makes us Kings and Priests
- The Lord's Day
- Jesus Christ

Vision of Jesus Christ (1:10-20):

It is the first great vision, and a most glorious one. It presents Jesus Christ as He is now, as He will be for all the eternity, and what He is doing now for you and for me... only comparable to Ezek.1, Song of Songs 5, and Dan.7.

- A loud voice like a trumpet (1:10)...   his voice was like the sound of many waters (1:15).
Jesus voice is heard all over Heaven... and all over earth in many ways, like the sound of many waters, if we pay attention:
1- In the wonders of nature, in an atom, in a star... who made the wings of a bird?, or the eyes of a mosquito?, or the hairs of your head?... all scientists of history have been unable to make a petal of a rose, not even a leave of a tree!...
2- In the Bible, in the teachings of the Church...
3- The sufferings and pains are the megaphone of Jesus shouting into our ears!.

- Turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man (1:12-13).
- Yes, he is now like a son of man, fully human and fully God... and like that for all eternity.
- And in the midst of 7 lampstands... the universal Church of all times and all places... always in our midst, on earth and in Heaven... Jesus is now with you... and more: He is in you! (Mt.28:20, Gal.2:20)... you have never to be afraid of nothing and of nobody... God Himself is with you, taking care of you always, in every second of every day... so much, that even the hairs of your head has counted! (Mt.10:30).
- The lampstands are of "Gold"... the Church is the most valuable property of Jesus Christ.

- Clothed with a long robe (1:13)... as a Priest... always interceding for you and me.

- And with a golden girdle round his breast (1:13)... as a King... like in an.10:4... to rule always with his Sword of Love, the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Rev.17:14, 19:16)... you and I, Christians are also kings, and Jesus is the King of kings... but we are kings to rule with our love, our service, even giving our life to help others...

- His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow (1:14)... His white head because he is pure... His white hair because he is very old, eternal!... like in Daniel 7.

- His eyes were like a flame of fire (1:14)... full of love...only love...

- His feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace (1:15)... steady, secure, solid... but refined, very smooth.

- In his right hand he held seven stars (1:16)... the authorities of the universal Church... in His right hand, again, the most treasured property of Jesus.

- From his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword (1:16)... yes, the Word of God... The Sword is his Love, the two edges are his suffering and his humility... with that Sword Jesus is conquering the world, little by little, today we are 2 billion Christians!... and it is the same sword of justice of Rev.19:15 at Armageddon, with the two edges of omnipotence and mercy.
This two-edged sword is the same rod of iron of Rev.2:27, 12:5, 19:15, and Psalm 2:9, with which He shall rule all nations, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces...
... Jesus is braking our pride with his humility at Calvary and in the Eucharist, little by little... who would like to go on horse on earth, when he sees the King carrying a cross?...

- His face was like the sun shining in full strength (1:16)... glorious, the light of the world... with a countenance like in the Transfiguration of Mt.17:2.

- John rests in the Spirit: When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore (1:17-18)... John falls in the Spirit... and it always happens when we see just a glimpse of God!... Ezekiel and Daniel are the champions in experiencing these fallings, the rest in the Spirit.

- I have the keys of Death and Hades (1:18)... ). The Bible mentions several kind of keys, the third one, the Keys of Heaven, Jesus gave to Peter and his successors (Mt.16:19)... that's why the Church can say who is in Heaven, but not who is in Hell or the day of Death, Jesus kept those keys.

- An Order: Now write what you see, what is and what is to take place hereafter (1:19)... Revelation is a book for the present, "what is", and for the future, "what is to take place hereafter", a book of prophecy too...
- It is for the present: What is doing Jesus for the Church, for you and for me, to bring us to Heaven.
- And for the future: How and when things are going to happen.

- An Explanation of the meaning of the greatest property of Jesus, the symbols of his Church: As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.(1:20)

Other "Treasures" in this First Vision:

1- The opening Statement:

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants what must soon take place; and he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John (1:1)
Already commented in Revelation... a quick glimpse

2- The Trinity:

Already mentioned on 1:1:
- God the Father gave.
- The revelation of Jesus Christ.
- The "Angel" of 1:1 is the same Holy Spirit of Gen.22:11-18, 31:11-13.

Immediately, in this first chapter, it mentions:
- To "Jesus Christ", the first-born, the alpha and the Omega, the one that is, the one that was, the one that comes, the Almighty (1:1,5,7,8).
- To the "Spirit", its fullness in the Church, the "7 spirits", and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne(1:4).
- To the "Father", to whom is the glory and the empire by the centuries (1:6).

3- Blessings for the one who reads this book... The only Book in the Bible who says it!.
Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near (1:3).
There are 7 Blessings in the Book of Revelation.

4- The Second Coming of Jesus:

It is mentioned three times in the first verses:
- Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come (1:4).
- Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. (1:7).
- the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. (1:8).

This book, the Revelation, begins and ends with a prediction of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. We should set ourselves to meditate frequently upon the second coming of Christ, and keep it in the eye of our faith and expectation.
John speaks as if he saw that day: "Behold, he cometh, as sure as if you beheld him with your eyes.
He cometh with clouds, which are his chariot and pavilion.
He will come publicly: Every eye shall see him (1:7), the eye of his people, the eye of his enemies, every eye, yours and mine.
He shall come, to the terror of those who have pierced him and have not repented and of all who have wounded and crucified him afresh by their apostasy from him, and to the astonishment of the pagan world. For he comes to take vengeance on those who know not God, as well as on those that obey not the gospel of Christ...
He will come to judge the living and the death... the good ones to bring them to Heaven, the bad ones to send them to eternal Hell (Mat.25:31-46).
The Coming of Jesus for you and for me will be soon... very soon!... just the day we die.

5- Jesus made us "Kings" and "Priests" of God"... and "Prophets", adds 1Pet. 2:9

- Jesus made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father (1:6).
- And hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth (5:10).

Anyone baptized in the Catholic Church is officially proclaimed "prophet and priest and king"... and in the Confirmation, again, is confirmed officially as prophet, priest, and king.

- Prophet, to talk to men about God... when you tell your child about Jesus, you are a prophet...
- Priest, to talk to God about men... before being a prophet we should exercise our priesthood.
- King, to be another Christ on earth!... to love and serve and be humble like Jesus... to cast out the demons of alcohol and drugs and jealousy and heresies... and to heal the sick of the soul and the body... to be kings on earth, right now! (Mt.10, Lk.9 and 10, Mr.16:17-19).

6- The Lord's Day:

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, (1:10)
The Lord's Day

7- Jesus Christ:

4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;   5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,    6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.   7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.   8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Here our Lord Jesus justly challenges the same honor and power that is ascribed to the Father. He is the beginning and the end; all things are from him and for him; he is the Almighty; he is the same eternal and unchangeable on.
And surely whoever presumes to blot out one character of this name of Christ deserves to have his name blotted out of the book of life. Those that honor him he will honor; but those who despise him shall be lightly esteemed.

Revelation 2-3:

The 7 Letters of Jesus Christ

Introduction

1- Ephesus    2-Smyrna     3- Pergamos    4- Thyatira

5- Sardis     6- Philadelphia     7- Laodicea

Introduction:

Jesus did not leave anything written... but, yes, he did!!... and here they are, His "7 Letters" to the "7 Churches", to the universal Church... the number 7 means universal or catholic, completion.

These Letters are plagued with history, the history of our salvation, of prophecy, of life... we should read and know them at least as much as the Letter of Paul to the Romans... some Christians never even heard about the Letter of Jesus to Ephesus!...

In them He shows the "7 periods of the Church", until the end of time... and you and I live now in one on those periods... your life is now Smyrna?, in Laodicea?... they are the salvation history of your life!... however there is no accurate correspondence of Letters with periods, so the interpretations of the periods vary greatly.

Jesus gives precious practical lessons, they are like an encyclopedia for life:
- "Good Works" are mentioned 16 times.
- "Tribulation and patience" 13 times.
- "Service and love" 8 times.
- "Repentance" 8 times.
- "I come to you" 6 times.
- "Faith" 3 times.
- The double bottom line in each Letter: Heaven and Hear!.

Each Letter follow a similar pattern:

1- A greeting to the angel of the church: To the leader of each church... and to you and me, the leaders of our lives.
2- A special title of Christ, mostly taken from the Vision of Jesus of Rev.1:10-20... and this title has some significance to the message of the church.
3- A praise or a reproach to the church for its good or bad deeds... and to you and me:
- Smyrna and Philadelphia have no reproach... where there are sufferings and evangelization things are all right!.
- Pergamum and Laodicea have no praises... the worldly church and the lukewarm church, the last one.
4- Two bottom lines:
a- Rewarding for him that overcomes: Heaven!... in each Letter in different way.... the bottom line of Revelation and of your life and mine.
b- Hear!!!... He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches... Hear, oh Israel... is the beginning of the "Shema", which means "hear", the most cherished prayer of the Jews in Deut.6:4-5, and the one quoted by Jesus in Mr.12:29-30, when He was asked about the First Commandment.
Yes, we have to listen to God... prayer is a conversation with God, and we should praise Him, and ask things from Him... but in that conversation, the most important part of it is not to talk to Him, but to Hear Him. see the Loud Voice

1- To Ephesus (2:1-7):

1

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

2

"'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear evil men but have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not, and found them to be false;

3

I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.

4

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

5

Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

6

Yet this you have, you hate the works of the Nicola'itans, which I also hate.

7

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.'

Ephesus corresponds to the first period of the Church, from Pentecost to the year 64, the first persecution of Nero... and it is the Church without the First Love!.

- 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands... as already commented, the 7 stars are the authority of the universal Church, the most treasured possession of Jesus, and the lampstands the Church itself... the number 7 means universal or catholic, completion.

1- Good works and patience:
Indeed, this church did god works, it is the church of the first Christians,of Peter and Paul and all the Apostles who expanded Christianity to the end of the known world in 32 years.
- The "works of the churches" is mentioned 16 times in the 7 Letters... you can not measure faith, but you can measure love, the works done through faith... indeed, love is the only measure of faith... see Salvation by Faith?... by Works?:
- Patience and tribulation are mentioned 13 times in the 7 Letters, two very important items in the life of a Christian!.
- You can not bear the false prophets: The Judaizers and Legalists who teach the need of something more than Jesus Christ to be saved from sin... Judaism was the cradle of Christianity and it could have been its coffin because of these Judaizers.
- You hate the works of the  "Nicolaitans" (2:6)... another good thing!...you hate the liberal ones, exactly the opposite of the Judaizers, those that call themselves Christians, but live like pagans, in adultery, approving abortion, homosexuality, social injustice, underpayment to the employees... in Pergamos, the Nicolaitans are welcome (2:15).

2- But with a great reproach: "You have left your first love" (2:4).... "Ephesus" means "ardent desire", and it is necessary to conserve always that first love, that first ardent desire!...
... so much, that Jesus makes this serious admonition to them, and to us when in our personal life or in the life of our community or church abandon our first love: Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place (2:5)... Wow!... Jesus will remove that church with good works!... he will remove your community or your apostolate or mine if we loose our first love, even if we work hard, well, and with patience... Wow!.
- The "first love" is lost when we do things by routine, when we pray without joy, when we sing without enthusiasm... in Spanish we say "cumplimiento", "cumplo y miento": When we do apostolic works that look good from outside, but inside ourselves are done without any deep commitment and enthusiasm... just a ball game or a soap opera get more exited than talking to God or saving souls!...
- The first Christians had already left their first love!... what about you and me?... the remedy of God were the Roman persecutions... and they worked!... see Smyrna.
- Repent!... Repent!... a constant call for you and for me repeated 8 times in the 7 Letters. See Pergamos.

3-The same double bottom line of all the 7 Letters: Heaven and Hear!:
In the first 3 Letters, the double bottom line is first Hear and last Heaven... in the last 4 Letters, first is Heaven and last Hear!.
1- Rewarding for him that overcomes: Heaven! (3:5)... the bottom line of Revelation and of your life and mine, To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (2:7)... the "tree of life" is Jesus at Calvary paying for our sins, and the Eucharistic Lamb of Rev.5:6, in the center of the Throne of the Paradise of God, in Heaven, who gives Himself to us, today, made bread and wine in the Eucharist.
2- Hear!!!... He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (2:7)... Hear, oh Israel... is the beginning of the "Shema", which means "hear", the most cherished prayer of the Jews in Deut.6:4-5, and the one quoted by Jesus in Mr.12:29-30, when He was asked about the First Commandment.
Yes, we have to listen to God... prayer is a conversation with God, and we should praise Him, and ask things from Him... but in that conversation, the most important part of it is not to talk to Him, but to Hear Him. see the Loud Voice.
Notice that it says "hear", not "read"... and it is the same way all along the Bible (Rom.10:17)... not just read the Bible, but hear what God says through the reading, and hear what God tells you through His Church, in the sermons, the writings... always hear to God, even in His continuous message through nature, the stars, oceans... who made the hair of a lion, or the feathers of a bird, or the claws of an insect?... all scientists have been unable to make a petal of a rose, not even a single leaf of a tree... we have to listen and hear God every moment of our life!.

2- To Smyrna (2:8-11):

8

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

9

"'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

10

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

11

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death.'

"Smyrna" means "myrrh"... and it is the "Church Persecuted", from Nero, year 64 to Constantine, year 313. (250 years).

Jesus does not make any reproach to it, everything is good. He encourages them, the sufferings will last for a short time, just "for 10 days", like yours and mine!...
I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! (2:9)... Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life (2:10)... at that time, the Christians were poor, living in the Catacombs, persecuted and killed by the Roman Emperors... today, many Christians are oppressed by Communism and Capitalism, and by the sword of Islam... and many are poor... but many of us are rich!... watch out!.

See The 4 reasons for suffering in the Bible

The "synagogue of Satan" of 2:9: Yes, Satan has his own synagogue!, looking Jewish and being false!... it also appears in 3:9, in the church of Philadelphia: It claims to liberate the world, but it is a lie!... in Christianity today they have a false adulterated Jesus... like Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Masonry, Rosicrucians, New Age, New World Order... they slander and persecute any good humble Christian...

Policarp was the bishop of this very church at Smyrna. In 155 A. D., at the age of 86, he was sentenced to death by being burnt at the stake for his faith. He had refused to say, "Caesar is Lord." When he died he gave an eloquent testimony to his love for Christ.

The same double  bottom line of all the 7 Letters: Heaven and Hear!: See Ephesus... He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death... by Hell! (2:11). (Rev.20:14, 21:8).

3- To Pergamum or Pergamos   (2:12-17):

12

"And to the angel of the church in Per'gamum write: 'The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

13

"'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; you hold fast my name and you did not deny my faith even in the days of An'tipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

14

But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice immorality.

15

So you also have some who hold the teaching of the Nicola'itans.

16

Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.

17

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it.'

"Pergamos" means "marriage commitment", and it is the "worldly church" that marries virtue with vice... the third period of the Church from the 313 to year 800 when the Pope crowned Carlomagno in the Sacred Roman Empire (500 years).
Pergamos was a notorious center of idolatry... and Jesus gives not even one praise to this church!.

The sharp sword with two edges, mentioned twice, already commented (2:12,16).

The "throne of Satan" (2:13): In Smyrna it was the Synagogue of Satan, here is the Throne of Satan Itself: The Christian leaders, bishops, priests, pastors and preachers with political and social power, earthly possessions, living in adultery and immorality...

The "doctrine of Balaam" (2:14), as in Numbers 22 (25:2, 31:16), holds the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice immorality... Those who should have been speaking for God led the people astray. The once faithful wife, became a prostitute... I pray it is not the history of your life and mine!.
- At that time, among others, it was Arrianism., claiming that Jesus was not God... Jehovah's Witnesses claim the same today...
- And Nestorius: Since Jesus was not God, the Mother of Jesus was not the Mother of God... both heresies were condemned at the Council of Ephesus in the fifth century... but there are many denominations today who do not honor the Mother of God, and some even talk bad about the Mother of Jesus and even hate her... watch out!.

The Nicolaitans (2:15) like in Ephesus, but here, in Pergamos, they are welcome... the liberal ones, those that call themselves Christians, but live like pagans, in adultery, approving abortion, homosexuality, social injustice, underpayment to the employees... they call themselves Christians, but they go to church 4 times a year, with the occasion of a baptism or marriage or funeral.... they have no Christian community life at all... and there are many like those today!.

Repent (3:16): It is a constant call, repeated 8 times in the 7 Letters... It is the same call of the Baptist and of Jesus when they started their ministries... it is a call for you and for me today... we all have to repent, to recognize our wrong doings, our sins, to be sorry for them, to confess them, to ask pardon, to trust in the mercy of God who wants to purify us with the Blood of the Lamb... always, no matter what!... but we have to repent!, that's our doing!.
If any day you feel like you are good for nothing, you are still good enough to be a Saint in Jesus Christ... but you have to repent!...
Repentance and conversion  must be our daily task, for every body:
- Paul says to the Romans "from faith to faith" (Ro.1:17)... from a personal problem to another problem...
- To the Corinthians he says "from glory to glory" (2Cor.3:18)... from joy to joy, from success to success...
- John, in his Gospel, says to all of us, "from grace to grace" (Jn.1:16)... from religious service to religious service, from a good Christian reading to another good reading...

The same double  bottom line of all the 7 Letters: Heaven and Hear!. See Ephesus
To him who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it (2:17).
- The "hidden manna" is the bread of life, the bread from heaven. The living bread is Jesus Christ, unseen on earth and hence called hidden in the Eucharist of John 6:30-35,48-58...
- "a white stone": White is the symbol of purity, and stone never to be corrupted...
- "with a new name", as he changed the names of Jacob and Abram and Peter... a new, pure, uncorrupted character of a good Christian... of you!... to live for ever and ever in the glory of Heaven.

4- To Thyatira (2:18-29):

18

"And to the angel of the church in Thyati'ra write: 'The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

19

"'I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.

20

But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jez'ebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

21

I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her immorality.

22

Behold, I will throw her on a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her doings;

23

and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches shall know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve.

24

But to the rest of you in Thyati'ra, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay upon you any other burden;

25

only hold fast what you have, until I come.

26

He who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations,

27

and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received power from my Father;

28

and I will give him the morning star.

29

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

The fourth period of the Church, from year 800 to the 1305, with the Pope exiled in Avignon (500 years).
'The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze, already commented.

It is the "corrupt church", with "Jezebel" at the top (2:20), the most ominous woman of the Bible, in 1Kings... who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
It is the "depths of Satan" of 2:24: The spiritism, divination, witchcraft, santería... which are called "fornication" against God... it is a fornication against God to go to church on Sunday morning and to check the horoscope at noon...and to go to the wizard or the fortune teller on Monday... in person, or in T.V...

Thyatira has good works and love and faith and patience... but tolerates Jezebel...
Bad things occurred, like the rupture between Catholics and Orthodox, The Crusades, The Inquisition... but a lot of good things happened, like the resurgence of Religious Orders: Benedictines, Dominicans, Franciscans, Cartujos, Augustinians...

Repent, repent, repent (2:21,22)... again, the same urgent call to repentance like in Pergamos... with incredible threats, like I will throw her on a sickbed... I will throw into great tribulation... I will strike her children dead... and I will give unto every one of you according to your works (2:23)... not according to your faith, but to your works!... because the works of love or hate are the only measure of faith. Salvation by Faith?... by Works?

The Second Coming of Christ is mentioned for the first time in the Letters (2:25). See Sardis and Philadelphia.

The same double  bottom line of all the 7 Letters: Heaven and Hear!. See Ephesus
Here, in Thyatira, dedicates 4 full verses to the conquerors with impressive promises (2:25-28):
- He who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received power from my Father... we already commented this power and this rod of iron... it is the power of love with the sword of two edges... the rod, the sword, is the love, the two edges are the suffering and humility of Jesus at Calvary and in the Eucharist... with his humility is crushing our pride, with his cross is saving us from our sins... and with this weapon of the Spirit of love Jesus is conquering the nations, little by little, but we are already 2 billion Christians!... and Jesus is doing it with your help and mine, you and are the co-redeemers with Christ, preaching the Gospel, teaching it to our children, bringing it to Africa and Asia... you and I have the same power of Jesus... you and I are conquering the nations, little by little, with the same weapon of Jesus... the Sword of Love
- And I will give him the morning star... Jesus Himself in our hearts!... now!.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (2:27)... see Ephesus... we have to hear, to listen the Word of God in these 7 Letters of Jesus Christ Himself, praised be Jesus!.

Revelation 3:

The 7 Letters of Jesus Christ
Continuation

5- Sardis     6- Philadelphia     7- Laodicea

5- To Sardis (3:1-6):

1

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. "'I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead.

2

Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God.

3

Remember then what you received and heard; keep that, and repent. If you will not awake, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.

4

Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.

5

He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

6

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

"Sardis" means "to leave"... it is the "dead church", from where you have to leave... more problems in the Church!.
The fifth period of the Church, from 1305 with the Pope exiled in Avignon, to 1545, the Council of Trent (250 years).

The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars (3:1), already commented.

This Letter begins immediately with a reproof, and a very severe one: "'I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead (3:1)....
... But with a praise: Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy (3:4).
Here it happened the Papal Schism, with the misfortune of the rich Bishops... then, the Protestant Reformation... and also the Catholic Counter-reform, with the Jesuits, Saint Teresa of Avila... culminating with the Council of Trent.... the discovery and evangelization of America...
The Roman Catholic Church is the oldest organized Christian religion and was struggling to survive. It is part of the downfall or falling away from true Christian life...  but the powers of death shall not prevail against it (Mt.16:18)... so, even then, the whole America was discovered and evangelized!.

The Second Coming of Jesus:
Remember then what you received and heard; keep that, and repent. If you will not awake, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you (3:3):
1- Remember and keep the Bible, the Tradition, the example of so many Saints... Remember then what you received and heard; keep that...
2- Repent... Awake... Confess your sins, change of attitude, awake... it is for the Church of that time, and for you and for me today!.. Live in Christ, for Christ, with Christ, to Christ... like Virgin Mary: Everything for Jesus, in Jesus, with Jesus, to Jesus... for Mary it was easy, because she always had Jesus with her, you and I also have always Jesus with us, because what we do to our neighbor we do it to Jesus Himself, as Jesus told us 13 times in the Sermon of the Last Judgment of Mathew 25:31-46... every child looks like his mother... we have to look like our Mother, the humble servant of the Lord of Luke 1:38,48.
3- Like a thief... Jesus will come when least expected, and Revelation tells us it will be soon, as Jesus emphasizes in the next Letter to Philadelphia (3:11), as it is said all along the Bible, and in the very last message of Revelation and of the Bible (Rev.22:20)... very soon for you and for me!: Exactly the day of our death!, as he came to Peter and Paul and Stalin and Kennedy... soon!...
4- We have to  awake, because if Jesus finds us death in sin, we will end up in Hell... we have to awake!... Jesus will come anyway like a thief, when least expected, but He wants to bring us to eternal Heaven, the bottom line of these Letters of Jesus, and of all the book of Revelation, and of the whole Bible... He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels (3:5).

The same double bottom line of all the 7 Letters:
1- Rewarding for him that overcomes: Heaven! (3:5)... the bottom line of Revelation and of your life and mine.
2- Hear!!!... He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (3:6)... Hear, oh Israel... is the beginning of the "Shema", which means "hear", the most cherished prayer of the Jews in Deut.6:4-5, and the one quoted by Jesus in Mr.12:29-30, when He was asked about the First Commandment.
Yes, we have to listen to God... prayer is a conversation with God, and we should praise Him, and ask things from Him... but in that conversation, the most important part of it is not to talk to Him, but to Hear Him. see the Loud Voice.
Notice that it says "hear", not "read"... and it is the same way all along the Bible (Rom.10:17)... not just read the Bible, but hear what God says through the reading, and hear what God tells you through His Church, in the sermons, the writings... always hear to God, even in His continuous message through nature, the stars, oceans, who made the hair of a lion, or the feathers of a bird, or the claws of an insect?... all scientists have been unable to make a petal of a rose, not even a single leaf of a tree... we have to listen and hear God every moment of our life!.

6- To Philadelphia (3:7-13):

7

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens.

8

"'I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut; I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

9

Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie--behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and learn that I have loved you.

10

Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial which is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth.

11

I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

12

He who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.

13

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

"Philadelphia" means "brotherly love", and it is the "missionary church"... and the apostolate, the evangelization, is the best sign of brotherly love, to help somebody to go to Heaven!.
It is the period from Council of Trent to Vatican Council II, in 1962-65 (400 years).

Here are the words of Jesus, the words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens. (3:7)... what Jesus opens, no one shall shut!, not the pagans, not the heretics, not even Satan himself.... nothing and nobody!.

It is the time of the great Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox evangelizations... into America, Africa, Asia... with thousands of missionary Catholic Orders, the radio and television used mainly by Protestants, the distribution of millions of Bibles and good books and magazines...
And there are no reproaches... when there is persecution, like in Smyrna, or evangelization, like in Philadelphia, things go right...

Look at The Greatest Love in the Bible:
The greatest love in the Bible is to help someone to go to Heaven, because to be in "error" in Religion, is to have a "cancer in the Soul"... it can ruin the only life on Earth, and the eternal one after Death.
"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one's friends" (John 15:13).
Jesus the Messiah on a Cross... that's the "Greatest Love"... believe in Him, right now, and you will have eternal life, right now! (Jn.3:36). Salvation by Faith?... by Works?:
The Sweetest Love in the Bible:
It is God becoming a little child at Bethlehem, stretching his arms asking for help, and love...
The Excess of Love in the Bible:
It is Jesus in the Eucharist... that's the excess of love in the Bible... God makes himself now not "a humble child" like in Bethlehem, but just "bread and wine" to feed you and me!... every day!... he is the our daily bread of Mt.6:9.
Jesus is madly in love with you... he is waiting for you daily in the Eucharist... let yourself be loved... just go and receive him every day in the Sacrament of Love! (Matt.6:11, Jn.6:53).
And if any day you feel depressed, or lonely, or hurt, or too sick or old... if you ever feel that you are good for nothing... you are still good enough to be a "Saint" in Jesus Christ.
Even Jesus will deliver back to the Church some of those of the "synagogue of Satan" of the Letter of Smyrna in 2:9 (3:9)... and in what a way!, behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and learn that I have loved you (3:9).

The Second Coming of Jesus:
As it was already commented just in the above Letter to Sardis... but here with a double emphasis:
1- I am coming soon... very quickly!... the day of our death!... 2, 10, 60 years?...
2- Hold fast!... have just a little patience, keep on enjoying the glorious adventure of being a Christian... because the eternal crown waiting for you is great... I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown (3:11).

Again, the same double bottom line of all the 7 Letters:
1- Jesus offers Heaven to him who conquers... "him", you and I, are the heart of Jesus's Letters!... and here, he offers Heaven with so many beautiful delicacies and privileges:
He who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name (3:12)... Wow!.
2- Hear God!... Hear Him in the message of these 7 Letters of Jesus.... He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (3:13)... Look at Sardis.

7- To Laodicea (3:14-22):

14

"And to the angel of the church in La-odice'a write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

15

"'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot!

16

So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.

17

For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

18

Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.

19

Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent.

20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

21

He who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

22

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

"Laodicea" means "judgment of the nations"...    it is the "lukewarm church", that God is about to vomit... the church to which Jesus does not give any praise and it will end up with the "Judgment of the Nations"...
And it is our time!... the seventh and last one, from Vatican Council II, in 1962-65, to the end of time... if it lasts as much as the first period, the church of Ephesus, it will be about the year 2,000?...
Time of the 7 periods of the 7 churches:
- Ephesus: 30 years.
- Smyrna: 250 years.
- Pergamos: 500 years.
- Thyatira: 500 years.
- Sardis: 250 years.
- Philadelphia: 400 years.
- Laodicea: 30 years?.

In Laodicea Jesus is the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.

Here Jesus left us two of the most cherished quotations of the Bible: 3:15-16,  3:20:

- 3:15-16: I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth... Wow!.
There are the new breed of Christians of today: Those who call themselves Christians, but live like pagans, in adultery, approving abortion, homosexuality, social injustice, underpayment to the employees... they call themselves Christians, but they go to church 4 times a year, with the occasion of a baptism or marriage or funeral.... they have no Christian community life at all... and there are many like those today!.
Next verse is also for you and for me, incredibly strong, For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked... for the new breed of Christians of today!.
A triple solution gives Jesus in verse 18:
1- Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich... the gold of true faith, refined by the cross, by the personal sufferings and persecutions. See Beliefs and Practices.
2- Buy from me white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen... the 35 directives or orders that every Christian has to do to in Ephesians 4-6 to "Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph.4:22-24).
3- And salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see... as St. Augustine puts it, exercising three main virtues: Humility, humility, humility...

- 3:20: Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
But Jesus is always waiting for anyone, for you and me, we just have to open the door of our lives to Jesus... to have faith in Jesus in every minute of our lives, and do what He asks us to do... He is waiting, waiting... every day in the Eucharist, waiting day and night, with love, with patience, with great humility, just made bread and wine in the Tabernacle, in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass... God is waiting for you and me!...

- Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent (3:19): The chastisements of God, His Trumpets, are the most delicate acts of His love to bring us to the right path... God loves us the way we are, but He loves us too much to let us stay that way... so, His punishments are like injections of the doctor to heal us, as Hebrews 12 says:

4

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

5

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

6

because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." (Prov.3:11-12).

7

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

8

If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.

9

Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!

10

Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

11

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. See The 4 reasons for suffering in the Bible

And again, the same double bottom line of all the 7 Letters, in the last two verses:
1- The offer of eternal Heaven.
2- Hear God!... Hear the messages of these Letters!... see it above in Sardis and Philadelphia.

He who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (3:21,22)... the bottom line of the 7 Letters of Jesus.

Second Great Vision of Revelation
Second Cycle

Second Great Vision, Second Cycle (chapters 4 to 7):
The Throne of God and of the Lamb
4 - The Throne of God (chapters 4-5).
5- The Lamb (chapter 5)... the Eucharistic Lamb (5:6).
6- The 7 Seals (chapters 6-7)... like the 7 warnings of Matthew 24.
7- The 144,000 sealed, and the Great Multitude (7), the blood of the Lamb...

Throne of God Images - Enlarge Image

Throne of God with the Lamb  - The Lamb  -  The Lion-Lamb - The Throne of Heaven  Heaven

The Throne of God (chapter 4):

Through an open door John saw Heaven (4:1), and describes what he saw and heard:
1- The Throne of God (4:1-8).
2- Heaven Itself. (4:6)
3- The songs he heard (4:8-11).

1- The Throne of God (4:1-8):
- John saw in the center of the Throne, God the Father, the 7 Spirits, the fullness of the Holy Spirit (4:5), and the Lamb standing like slaughtered (5:6)... the reason of all the joys and songs and love of Heaven.

- How God looks like?:

- His countenance was like a jasper and a sardine-stone (4:3):  He is not described by any human features, but only by his transcendent brightness.
"Jasper" is a transparent stone, which yet offers to the eye a variety of the most vivid colors, signifying the glorious perfections of God.
The "sardine-stone" is red, signifying the love and justice of God. These attributes used in pardoning as well as in punishing, in saving as well as in destroying sinners.

- A rainbow about the throne, like unto an emerald (4:3): The rainbow was the seal  of the covenant with Noah.-  the emerald, a pleasant green, to show the reviving and refreshing nature of the new covenant.

- He saw four-and-twenty seats round about the throne (4:4) , filled with four-and-twenty elders, representing, the whole church of God, both in the Old-Testament and in the New-Testament state. They are clothed in white raiment, of purity and righteousness of the saints. They had on their heads crowns of gold, with honor and authority.

- And out of the throne proceeded flashes of lightning, and voices and peals of thunder (4:5): Like in Sinai(Ex.19,20)... it is the activity of God, present today in our lives through the Church:
- The lightnings through the charisms of the people of God.
- The voices through the evangelists, the mother who teaches the Bible to her son...
- The thunderings though the teachings of the authority, proclaiming truths, dogmas, condemning errors, heresies... and these are called pearls... and they are!

-  He saw seven lamps of fire burning before the throne (4:6)... They are the 7 Sacraments, different from the 7 golden lamps of 1:12 symbol of the universal, catholic, Church.

- And round the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: Like a lion... like an ox... a face like a man... like a flying eagle: And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all round and within (4:6-8)...
The 4 Gospels like in Ezekiel 1:6-12, the symbols of Jesus as represented in each gospel. In classical church architecture, these four creatures are repeated often as a motif that signifies both heaven and the four gospels.
- Matthew as the "Lion" gospel, showing Jesus as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
- Mark is seen as the "Ox" gospel, showing Jesus as a humble servant, a worker.
- Luke is seen as the "Man" gospel, showing Jesus as the perfect man, the second Adam.
- John is seen as the "Eagle" gospel, because it stars with the Hymn of the Word, the tallest pick of the Gospels.
Others think that the four faces are important because they represent all of animate creation, in its utmost excellence

2- Heaven Itself (4:6):
In one verse describes how Heaven look like, He saw before the throne a sea of glass, like unto crystal... the City of the New Jerusalem is also pure gold, clear as glass (21:18)... all white gold, pure diamond!...

3- The Songs he Heard (4:8-end):

In 4:8: And the four living creatures... day and night they never cease to sing, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"... like in Isaiah
Holy the Father, Holy the Son, Holy the Holy Spirit... day and night!... without ceasing!... every second of every day!... it sounds a bit like the Rosary!... repeat and repeat the praises of the Son, praising His mother, and the praises of the Spirit praising His spouse, and the praises of the Father praising His preferred daughter...

In 4:9 repeats the same song in different way: Glory to the Father, Honor to the Son, Thanks to the Spirit...

In 4:9-11, the 24 elders repeat the same song in different way: Glory to the Father, Honor to the Son, Power to the Spirit...

The Church teaches us to say it this way:, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

It is the song of the angels and saints... the song we will sing every second of every day for all eternity, full of joy and love and peace, amazed to see face to face the glory and wonders an greatness and beauty of God Himself.

Enlarge Picture

The Lamb (chapter5):

The Eucharistic Lamb, "standing like slaughtered" (5:6).

I saw in the middle of the throne a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain (5:6)... the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David (5:5)...

The Lamb, in the middle of the Throne, is the reason of the joys and songs of the greatest choir ever imagined, all the angels and saints, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, and every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, singing the triple song to the Lamb, and specially the "New Song":
1- And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." (5:9-10).
2- "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" (5:12)... the 7 praises, the fulness of praises, all the imaginable praises!
3- And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!" (5:13).
- And the 4 living creatures said, "Amen!" and the 24 elders fell down and worshiped (5:14).

The Lamb with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth (5:6):          - seven horns, perfect power to execute all the will of God.
- seven eyes, perfect vision and wisdom to see all and to understand it all.
- for he hath the seven Spirits of God, he has received the Holy Spirit without measure, in all perfection of light, and life, and power, by which he is able to teach and rule all the universe in His very best own way.

The "Song of Moses"... and the "Song of the Lamb"

The Eucharistic Lamb:
A Lamb standing, as though it had been slain (as if it had been slaughtered) (5:6):

The Eucharist is the eternal and perpetual sacrifice ordered by God, and celebrated by the Jews sacrificing 2 lambs daily in Num.28:3 and Ex.29:39.
If it is eternal, it has to be present now and in Heaven, eternally... and it is!:
- Now, the Jews do not celebrate it any more, as prophesied by Daniel and Isaiah... those 2 lambs will be substituted by the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world... but it is being celebrated now 500,000 times a day, all over the world, in the daily sacrifice of the Mass.
- And it is present in Heaven, eternally: The Lamb standing, like slaughtered, in the center of the Throne, the reason of all the joys and songs of Heaven, of the 25 hymns of praise of Revelation, most specially the New Song of 5:9, as commented above, praise the Lord!.

Chapter 6: The 7 Seals

Chapter 7: The 144,000 and the Great Multitude

Chapter 6:
The 7 Seals
Like the 7 warnings of Matthew 24

And I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals (5:1)... but "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" (5:1)

The Scroll contains the whole humanity enslaved by Satan... and it is sealed with 7 seals, as in the usual Jewish way: The mortgage of a house was sealed with 7 seals, and the only way be recovered it was to brake he 7 seals by paying the debt...
... But here, no one could open the scroll and recovered the property, because no one could brake the seals, no one could pay the debt, which was infinite, the debt of sin!... but alas!, Jesus did!, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.   (5:5).  Look at Picture

The work is already done, Jesus has conquered!... as we sing in the New Song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." (5:9-10).

So, what is the need to open or brake the 7 Seals now?:

Jesus wants us to appropriate that full victory!... it is ours, but we have to be purified... and that's what Jesus is doing now: To clean each one of us of any impurity... each Seal is to purify you and me of the different kind of chains that still tie us to Satan... to deliver the whole Church... you and I will have the story of the 7 Seals in our lives.

So, the 7 Seals are part of the history of salvation of the Church, part the history of salvation of you and me.

The order of the Seals is the same as the 7 warnings of Matthew 24, of the Sermon of the End of Times.

- The first 4 Seals are the famous 4 Horses of Revelation, and deal with mankind's history of salvation.
- The fifth seal concerns church history.
- The sixth seal deals with the end of man's history. It clearly depicts the Second Coming of Christ... that's why it is followed, in chapter 7, by the sealing of the 144,000 and a glimpse of the great multitude in Heaven, with a description of their blessedness in terms very similar to Rev.21:3-7

The First Seal (6:1):
It is the "White Horse", the false Messiah disguised as the true Christ... there are "many", says Mt 24:4,5... and they will start many false churches of Christ, and they will deceive "many".
You and I will have our White Horse...and I pray you and I are not one of those "many" deceived.

The Second Seal (6:3):
It is the "Red Horse", as in Mt.24:6, with the power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword, he will hurt many.... with wars, crime, abortions...
You and I will be tested by this Red Horse... and I pray you and are not one of those many hurt.

The Third Seal (6:5):
The "Black Horse", as in Mt.24:7, it is the Horse of famine, and social injustices, and stealing by the so called professionals holding a pair of cheating scales in their hands, paying low salaries, discriminating, taking advantage of immigration rules...
You and I will also be tested and purify by this Black Horse.

The Fourth Seal (6:7):
A "Pale Horse", as in Mt.24:7-8, its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth... AIDS, drugs, earthquakes, hurricanes...
You and I are going to be tested by this Pale Horse... only Jesus can liberate us!.

The Fifth Seal (6:9-11):
I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.
Mat.24:9-13 says: you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me...
Are you persecuted or hated?... he who stands firm to the end will be saved (Mt.24:13).

The Sixth Seal (6:12-27):
12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
It is the Abomination of Desolation and the Great Tribulation of   Mathew 24:15-27... as it will appear again in Rev.11 of the Two Witnesses, in the 6th and 7th Trumpets and in the last Plagues, as it is usual in Revelation, to repeat the same fact in several of the cycles of the Book, adding each time new insides on the subject.
Yes, you and I will have our own Holy Friday... and rejoice!, because our Easter Sunday is near... Friday comes always before Sunday... there is no way to reach the Sunday of Resurrection but passing first for the Holy Friday.
It is the Holy Friday of the world at the end of times (the end of time and space).

Chapter 7, gives account of the glorious results of opening the Sixth Seal, the victory of the 144,000 sealed and of the great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. (7:4-9)... in Heaven!...our Easter Sunday!.
It corresponds to Mathew 24:29-40:
- The Second Coming of Christ (24:29-31).
- It will happen as the days of Noah: Only those in the boat of Noah were saved (24:37-39).
- The Rapture in Mt.24:40.

The Seventh Seal (8:1):
The Seventh Seal is mentioned in 8:1 but never revealed... only silence in heaven for about half an hour... it is the beginning of the 7 Trumpets, the repetition of the same history of salvation emphasizing different aspects.
8:1- When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.

Chapter 7:
The 144,000 sealed, and the Great Multitude in Heaven.

Chapter 7, gives account of the glorious results of opening the Sixth Seal, the victory of the 144,000 sealed and of the great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. (7:4-9)... in Heaven!...our Easter Sunday!.

The Great Multitude (7:9-20):
No one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language (7:9)... Yes, Indians of 10,000 years ago, and Africans from 20,000 years ago... And Europeans, and Americans, and from Oceania and Asia...

Standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb (7:9)... In Heaven!.

These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (7:14)... every person on earth will have his own great tribulation before entering Heaven, his Holy Friday before Easter Sunday... Kennedy had it, and Stalin, and St. Therese... and every Indian of 5,000 years ago...

And they are in Heaven!... with a beautiful description of Heaven, only comparable to Rev.21-22:
- Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.
- The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat... in springs of living water.
- God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

"they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (7:15-17).

- They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands: The symbols of purity and victory, like Jesus on Palm Sunday (John 12:12-16).

And what were they doing in Heaven?:
The same as those we saw in chapters 4 and 5, singing with joy the glories of God... what we should be doing already on earth: Praise the glories of God day and night:
And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" (:10-12)... the 7 praises of God, the fulness of the praises!.

The 144,000 sealed with the seal of God (7:1-8):

Ones first impression t these 144,000 is that they are a special group of saints, however closer inspection reveals that they have the characteristics of all the redeemed... but they are just the first-fruits, as revealed in chapter 14, these have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb (14:4)... just the first fruits of that Great Multitude.

They are the thousands and thousands of Jews from every Tribe, since Abraham and Moses and all the Prophets mentioned by Jesus Himself in Lk.13:28 and Mt.8:11 that they will be in Heaven... until the last Jew who dies in the Lord.

They are12,000 from each Tribe, a symbolic number... the omission of the tribe of Dan may be it is because Dan is the tribe of the Antichrist, based on Daniel 11:37 and Jeremiah 8:16. This may or may not be the case, but without doubt, Dan was the tribe which introduced idolatry into the nation of Israel (Genesis 49:17; Judges 18:30)... However, there is a wonderful redemption for the tribe of Dan, which is the first tribe listed in Ezekiel’s millennial role call of the tribes (Ezekiel 48).

Here, in chapter 7, they are on earth, we are sealed on earth... in chapter 14, the same ones appear in Heaven.

Some facts about the 144,000 from Revelation 7 and Revelation 14 give us insight regarding their identity:
1- They were sealed on the foreheads as the servants of our God (Rev.7:3).
2- They are called the children of Israel (Rev.7:4).
3- Their tribal affiliation is specific (Rev.7:4-8).
4- They are in Mount Zion with the Lamb... in Heaven Rev.14:1).
5- They are singing the New Song, as anyone else in Heaven (Rev.14:3, 5:9).
6- They follow the Lamb wherever he goes (Rev.14:4)
6- They are celibate, they did not defile themselves with women, for they are chaste (Rev.14:4).
7- They are the beginning of a greater harvest, these have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb (Rev.14:4).
8- No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless (Rev.14:5).

The Seal of God (7:3):

No one can enter Heaven without the seal of God on the foreheads. And God will give to every person ever born all the opportunities to be sealed, "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." (7:3)... God wants every person ever born to go to Heaven (1Tim.2:4)...God actually made every person to go to Heaven... but anyone can end up in Hell, if he is not faithful!.
The Seal is not a tattoo in the skin of the forehead, but the infusion of the "Love of God", manifested by truthfulness in the head and by generosity in the hand, in contraposition of the Seal of Satan which is the infusion of "the hate of Satan", manifested of lies in the head and greed in the hand. See a larger comment on  The Mark.

The Sealing of the Christians in Baptism:
- Having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. (Ephesians 1:13).
- And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30).
- God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).
This is the first time the Seal of God is mentioned in Revelation, and it will appear again in 9:4, 14:1, 22:4... the Seal of the Beast is mentioned in 14:9,11, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4.

The Lamb:

Only Revelation can give us these bold insights of the Lamb:

1- They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Rev.7:14).
Make the robs white in the blood?... yes, it is!... the only way!... for Christians and for Abraham and Moses, who are in Heaven as Jesus tells us in Lk.13:28 and Mt.8:11... because the redemption of the Lamb is retroactive, up to Adam and Eve.

2- For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd (Rev.7:17):
A lamb who is a shepherd?... yes, he is for all eternity.... and He is now your shepherd and mine... what a good shepherd we have right now: A lamb!... The Lamb!... God is my shepherd, nothing I shall want... (Psalm 23).

Third Great Vision of Revelation
Third Cycle

Sanctuary diagram The most holy place with the ark is the smaller room on the left (west). The holy place, with the altar of incense, colored gold, is on the right. The altar of burnt offerings shown by a square outside the tent, in the courtyard.

Third Great Vision, Third Cycle (chapters 8 to 11):
The Altar and Prayers:
Altar and Prayers (chapter 8:1-6)
The 7 Trumpets (chapters 8, 9, 11:15-18).
The Open Book (chapter 10).
The Two Witnesses (chapter 11).

The Altar and Prayers (8:1-5):

The vision of the Altar and Prayers of the saints is often taken as an introduction to the 7 Trumpets, and it is... but it is much more: It is the Third Great Vision of Revelation, the reason for the Trumpets, and it will be the reason for the 7 golden bowls or cups containing wrath of God (15:7).

Times of danger should be praying times, and so should times of great expectation; both our fears and our hopes should put us upon prayer, and, where the interest of the church of God is deeply concerned, the hearts of the people of God in prayer should be greatly enlarged.

These prayers produced great changes upon earth: The 7 Trumpets, which should be considered as God's voice to call for repentance... as 7 warns to the world that God is Holy and will judge man for his sin... as 7 warns to you and me... you and I will have these 7 calls to repentance, thanks to the Altar and the Prayers of the saints.

This is the wonder of the spiritual that has a direct effect on the natural and physical realm... and vice versa.

Here is the Scheme of the Altar and the Prayers:

- Silence in heaven (v.1)
- Seven angels given seven trumpets (2)
- Angel with golden censer goes to altar, and is given much incense with the prayers of all the saints (3)
- Smoke from angel's hand ascends up to God with prayers of saints (4)
- Angel fills censor with fire, and throws censor to earth (5a)
- Peals of thunder, voices, flashes of lightning and an earthquake [on earth] (5b)... the answer of God!.
- Seven angels with seven trumpets prepare to sound (6)

1- When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
- A silence: The only sound of the opening of the seventh seal... a dramatic pause... a time for expectation... indicates the solemnity of the moments, it could also be so that the prayers of the saints can be heard.
- For about half an hour: It doesn't look much... but a silence of a preacher for 10 minutes would look an eternity... and a silence in heaven for a half an hour, it had to be tremendous in a place where there are continuous songs.

2- And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
But they still were not ready to sound them... they had to wait for the prayers of the saints.

3- Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar (on earth). He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.
The angel was given the prayers of the saints on the Altar on earth, to offer them to the Altar of Heaven before the throne of God.
The problem of many churches today is that they have no altar, no priests, no sacrifices to offer... and the essence of any good religion is an altar, a sacrifice, and a priest to offer it to God.
Jews do not have altar today, nor priests, nor sacrifices to offer... if Abraham or David would come today to Jerusalem or New York they would not recognize Judaism... without altar?... without sacrifices?... without priests?...
The golden censer and golden altar: Gold reflects purity and value, thus the value of the prayers of the saints.

4- The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand.
Prayer and incense are often associated in the Bible. The idea is that just as incense is precious, pleasant, and drifts to heaven, so do our prayers.
It indicates the ministry of Christ in the sanctuary in heaven, and teaches about Christ's ministry now (Heb. 8:1,2)... His merits are thus added to our prayers making them acceptable before the Father as they ascend, like smoke, to the throne in heaven.

5- Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar (of heaven) and threw it on the earth; and there were peals of thunder, voices, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

a- Peals of thunder, voices, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake: We saw them in Rev.4:5, like in Sinai(Ex.19,20)... it is the activity of God, at Sinai through Moses, today, in our lives, through the Church.
These were the answers God gave to the prayers of the saints, and tokens of his anger against the world and that he would do great things to avenge himself and his people of their enemies; and now, all things being thus prepared, the angels can discharge their duty.
At Mount Sinai, God gave to the people, through Moses, the 10 commandments and all ordinances, and it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled (Ex.19:16).
Here, in Revelation, we witness the many tribulations of cosmic proportions sent by the 7 angels of God, but all of them are calls to repentance, with the activity of God, through His Church, to help us:
- The thunder though the teachings of the authority, proclaiming truths, dogmas, condemning errors, heresies... and these are called pearls... and they are!
- The voices through the evangelists, preachers, the mother who teaches the Bible to her son...
- The flashes of lightning through the charisms of the people of God.
- The earthquake is always a great tribulation sent by God, physical or spiritual, calling to repentance.

We see these activities of God in:
- The vision of the throne in heaven 4:5.
- Here, in the Vision of the Altar and Prayers 8:5.
- After the two witnesses go to heaven in a cloud 11:13.
- After the seventh trumpet is sounded 11:19.
- The seventh bowl 16:18.
- In the Lord's presence at Sinai (Ex.19:16, 20:18).
- In Is.29:6.

b- And all of this activity of God took place because the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar (of heaven) and threw it on the earth.
God heard the prayers of his saints. Compare this with God hearing the cry of the Israelites when they were in slavery in Egypt (Ex.2:23, 3:9). And the prayers of the saints are one of the keys to the fulfillment of God's plan.
The seven trumpets that follow are therefore God's response to the prayers of the saints.
Significantly, the prayers of God’s people set in motion the coming consummation of history. They are more potent, more powerful than all the dark and mighty powers let loose in the world... more powerful than anything else, is the power of prayer set ablaze by the fire of God and cast upon the earth... most specially the most complete and humble prayer of the Eucharist.
After the prayers went up before God, the angel takes the same censer that contained the incense and fills it with fire from the altar of heaven and throws it back to earth. The same golden censer that contained incense together with the prayers of the saints is used to throw fire to the earth...This reminds us of the Lord's words in Luke 12:49, 'I have come to cast fire upon the earth'... in fact fire is a feature of the first six trumpets.

6- Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
Now they are ready to sound them... and they do!.

The 7 Trumpets (chapters 8 and 9, and 11:15-18):

The 7 Trumpets that follow are God's response to the prayers of the saints... all of them are calls to repentance, to warn the world that God is Holy and will judge man for his sin... tokens of his anger against the world and that he would do great things to avenge himself and his people of their enemies...

... But we can count with the activity of God, through His Church, to help us... You and I will have the 7 Trumpets in our life, either as friends or as enemies of God!.

The first 6 trumpets are also God's preliminary warning to mankind of the imminent arrival of Christ with the 7th trumpet... you and I will have these 6 Trumpets before the second coming of Christ into our lives, soon, exactly the day of our death.

- The first four trumpets affect the world: earth, sea, rivers, light... they bring disaster onto the world (vegetation burned, sea, rivers and springs; i.e. man's environment) and universe (sun, moon and stars).
- The fifth and sixth trumpets affect mankind directly, his physical and spiritual life: : The demonic locusts torment mankind, and the two hundred million horsemen kill a third of mankind.
- The seventh trumpet is the Second Coming of Christ (11:15-18)... which will be accompanied by the trumpet call of God, 1Thes.4:16.

The Trumpets are modeled on the plagues on the Egyptians, in Ex.7 to 11, whose purpose was the repentance of Pharaoh  to let God's people go so that they might worship Him (Ex.9:13-18)... the purpose of the 7 Trumpets is to bring mankind to repentance. Despite these disasters mankind refuses to repent, as the Pharaoh!...  and hence the witness of the church occurs in the interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet, in chapters 10 and 11.

These 7 Trumpets are the repetition of the same history of salvation of the 7 Seals but emphasizing different aspects... This is typical of John’s method. He goes over the ground again and again, in 7 cycles, each time teaching us something new. Every series of visions brings out new facets of it.

A difference:
- The 7 Trumpets affect a third of mankind... and much of mankind refuse to repent.
- The 7 Seals affect a quarter of the land.
- The 7 Bowls or Cups with the 7 Plagues affect all mankind who once again refuse to repent.

The Trumpets:

Trumpets are used dozens of times in the Bible for many purposes... but in Revelation they are the voice of God, as John heard it in 1:10... they are the megaphones of God:
1- Jesus whispers into our ears with the wonders of nature, with an atom, with a star... who made the wings of a bird?, or the eyes of a mosquito?, or the hairs of your head?... all scientists of history have been unable to make a petal of a rose, not even a leave of a tree!... but we don't listen to God!.
2- Then, He talks to us in the Bible, with the teachings of the Church... but we still refuse to listen to God.
3- And when there is no other way, Jesus shouts into our ears with the Trumpets of God, with sufferings and pains, which  are the megaphones of Jesus, His most dear earthquakes, the most delicate expression of His love to us.... He wants to see us in Heaven!.

In scripture, trumpets are used at the following occasions:
1- The Lord's voice, Rev 1:10, 4:5, 8:5, 11:13,19, 16:18.
2- To announce disaster because of sin, Is.58:1, Jer.4:4-6, 6:1,16-19, 51:25-29, Ez.33:1-8, Hos.7:16, 8:1, Amos 3:6.
3- To announce the coming of God to Mt. Sinai, Ex.19:16
4- Calling the people together and having the camp move on, Num.10:2.
5- To announce the start of a battle, and feast days, Num.10:9-10.
6- When the Israelites entered Jericho, Josh.6:3-9
7- To announce the coronation of the king (Solomon), 1K.1:34.
8- To announce the winning of a battle, 1Sam.13:3
9- Warning of the second coming, Joel 2:1
10- To announce the second coming, 1Thes.4:16, Zep.1:14-18, Mat.24:31, 1Cor.15:51-52.
11- To announce the day of atonement, Lev.25:9.
12- Dedication of the temple, 2Chr.5:12-13.
13- To announce the arrival of the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem, 1Chr.15:24.

The 7 Trumpets (chapters 8, 9, 11:15-18):

First Trumpet:
8:7- The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, which fell on the earth; and a third of the earth was burnt up, and a third of the trees were burnt up, and all green grass was burnt.
"Earth" in Rev.13:11 corresponds to the "religious wold", from where comes the Second Beast, the False Prophet.
Here, in the First Trumpet, is a terrible storm, with a thousand western and eastern religions, cults, sects, religious errors... spiritism, divination, sorcery, witchcraft, satanism... Freemasonry and Rosicrucians... and mainly the New Age which is the AIDS of religion... atheism, Marxism, humanism, secularism...
... Jesus already said that will come "many" false prophets, with "many" false churches, and they will deceive "many"... (Mt.24:4,5,11, 24)...
You and I will have this trumpet call in our lives... I pray you and I are not one of those many deceived.

Second Trumpet:
8:8- The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea; 9- and a third of the sea became blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
The "see" in Rev.13:1 corresponds to the "social world", from where the First Beast comes.
Here, the Second Trumpet, calls the attention on a "great mountain", any dictator like Hitler, Communism, bad governments... may fall into your way of life... with social injustices, prejudice, discrimination, hunger, human atrocities, abortion, euthanasia...
I pray you and I are not affected by them.

Third Trumpet:
8:10- The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the fountains of water. 11- The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died of the water, because it was made bitter.
Of course, again, all of this is symbolic: Any star fallen on earth will melt the whole planet instantly!.
But the "great star" here may be a movie star, or a political star, or a sport star, or a simple singer to whom you dedicate more time and money than to Christ Himself... or just a proud minister or preacher... it would be "Wormwood" in our life, making bitter the rivers and the fountains of ourselves, our feelings and emotions and our very strength and ideals...
God must be "the Star" in your life and mine!.

Fourth Trumpet:
8:12- The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light was darkened; a third of the day was kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.
The nature of this Trumpet is darkness... it is very deep, within ourselves... and it may be our pride or honor or glory or personal ambitions or comfort that darken the glorious Christian life in us... they don't let us see the real way and the truth and the life who is Jesus Christ in person in us!.

The 3 Woes:
8:13- Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice, as it flew in midheaven, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets which the three angels are about to blow!"
Here are three woes!... to show how much the calamities coming in the next three Trumpets should exceed those that had been already.

Revelation 9:

The Last Three Trumpets

The Fifth Trumpet: The swarm of locusts!... heretic religions, erroneous Protestant denominations, cults, sects...
The Sixth Trumpet: The Abominable Desolation, in the Catholic Church
The Seventh Trumpet: The Second Coming of Christ

The First Three Trumpets

The Fifth Trumpet (chapter 9): The swarm of locusts!... heretic religions, cults, sects...:

9:1- The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth, and he was given the key of the shaft of the bottomless pit..
2- When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.
3- And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.
4- They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
5- They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man.
6- During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
7- The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.
8- Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth.
9- They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.
10- They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months
11- They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon (Destroyer).
12- The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.

Things have changed dramatically in the 5th Trumpet... as in the 5th Seal: It is much longer, and, more important, it hurts not the environment (earth, see, rivers, sun), but mankind itself, his spirit, his soul, our own being!.

Some scriptural interpretations say the "locust" are "helicopters in battle", with bombs through their tails... but it is much more!... it is a spiritual catastrophe... in your life and mine!.

It is something directly from Satan: They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon (Destroyer) (9:11)... The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10).

It is something related with the antichrist that you and I will have in our lives... that antichrist that was already present in the time of John, and, of course, is present in your life and mine, the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world (1Jn.4:3).

9:1- A star falling from heaven to the earth is some famous religious leader, a minister of Christ.

To this fallen star was given the key of the shaft   the bottomless pit (of the Abyss): Having now ceased to be a minister of Christ, he becomes the antichrist, the minister of the devil;

9:2- There arose a great smoke... which darkened the sun and the sky.
- The sun is Christ Himself, the same one who clothed the woman of Rev.12
- The sky is the true and only Church of Christ... and they darkened the sun, Christ Himself, and His Church (the sky).

9:3: The swarm of locusts... here they come!... from this dark smoke, with power like scorpions, one of the plagues of Egypt, the devil's emissaries headed by the antichrist, an army of pseudo-Christians, the Mormons, the Jehovah Witnesses, the Moonies, the Adventists, the New Age, the Christian Science Church, the Church of Scientology, the Children of God, the Church Universal and Triumphant, the Worldwide Church of God, many erroneous Protestant denominations, all kind of western and eastern cults and sects...
... Some say Jesus is God, others claim Jesus is not God... some believe in the Holy Spirit, other say He does not exist... the Mormons say that God the Father once did not existed... some believe in the real Eucharist, for others is only a symbol... some love the Mother of Jesus, other hate her... some approve and promote adultery and abortion... for most of them, anyone has the right to the free interpretation of the Bible, except the Catholics and the Orthodox!...
... Just believe a lot, and sin all you want!, some claim...  some become professional thieves, they have a vast deal of wealth by unjust means, by collections in the churches keeping most of it for themselves, by apparent good programs of evangelization or charity but to get richer themselves, or to get personal honor or power by doing radio and television programs... they may end up obstinate, hardened, impenitent... not good honest deeds,  just believe, and do whatever you want!.
... Some call themselves Christians, they claim: Only Jesus!, only Jesus!... but as an excuse to disobey the Church of Christ, even to hate it, and promote a thousand errors...

9:5- They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man.
They will not kill, not a persecution, but a secret poison in the souls. Heresy is a poison in the soul, working slowly and secretly... five months... and it is so painful and devastating that during those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

9:5-10- These locusts are well equipped for their work, like horses prepared to battle.
- They pretended to have great authority: They had crowns like gold on their heads; it was not a true, but a counterfeit authority... nobody gave it to them, they just assume it!.
- They have the faces of men, but the spirit of devils.
- The hair like women, very delicate, but the teeth of lions, really cruel.
- They have the defense and protection of earthly powers--breastplates of iron... again, as hypocrites.
- They had tails and stings like scorpions... an error in religion is poison in the soul... and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months... again the 5 months!...

It is the antichrist and his army!...  the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world (1Jn.4:3).

The Sixth Trumpet (chapter 9): The Abominable Desolation in the Catholic Church:

9:13- Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God,
14- saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphra'tes."
15- So the four angels were released, who had been held ready for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, to kill a third of mankind.
16- The number of the troops of cavalry was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number.
17- And this was how I saw the horses in my vision: the riders wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulphur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulphur issued from their mouths.       18- By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulphur issuing from their mouths.
19- For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; their tails are like serpents, with heads, and by means of them they wound.
20- The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot either see or hear or walk;
21- nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their immorality or their thefts.

Here we have the 200 million Calvary army!... we right away think about China or Islam... or about Hinduism or Buddhism with their thousands of sects and cults... but it is deeper and more important!.

The Sixth Trumpet is the only one that specifically mentions a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God... it means that it is a most important Trumpet.

And from the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphra'tes... Babylon is in the river Euphrates, and may be this Trumpet is talking about Revelation 17, about Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of earth's abominations.

It is the Abomination of Desolation mentioned by Jesus in Mat.24:15, as spoken of through the prophet Daniel... and Jesus challenges us by adding: "let the reader understand"!.

Looking at Daniel he mentions the Abomination of Desolation 4 times, an the essence in all of them is the abolition of the eternal sacrifice (8:13, 9:27, 11:31, 12:11)... and the only sacrifice present today in Christianity is the Holy Mass... so, the actual 500,000 daily Masses will be abolished...

... How this can happen?... I don't know, but in the 7th century came Mohammed and in a few years the 500 Christians bishops of Africa came down to just 8... in the 16th century Luther came, and the Mass was abolished all of a sudden for millions of Christians...

Paul told us that the Antichrist would sit in the temple as God (2.Thes.2:3-4).

The concept of the abomination of desolation is often spiritualized with explaining it as idolatrous worship established in the hearts of God’s people (His "temple"). But the simplest and more real explanation of all these passages is to see the abomination as the suppression of the eternal sacrifice, now a days only present in Christianity in the Holy Mass.

In the Two Witnesses: The 7 years of the Antichrist, starting  3.5 years with the Abominable Desolation, and 3.5years with the Great Tribulation of Mat.24:15,21.
The Abominable Desolation and the Great Tribulation

17- And this was how I saw the horses in my vision: the riders wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulphur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulphur issued from their mouths.
A warning at the Apparitions at Garabandal was that many priests and bishops and cardinals are going through the road of perdition and bring with them many souls... I pray you and I are not one of those souls.

20- The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent... (9:20-21):
- Of their idolatry: worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood... Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry (Col.3:5)
- Their murders: Abortion, euthanasia, hunger...
- Their sorceries: Divination, horoscope, witchcraft, spiritism...
- Immorality: fornication, adultery, homosexuality...
- Thefts: Social injustices, low salaries, discrimination, prejudice...

The Seventh Trumpet (chapter 11:15-18): The Second Coming of Christ:

11:15- 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."

16- And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,

17- 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.

18- The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth."

19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

It is the Second Coming of Christ, glorious for some and horrible for others... because in the Second Coming, at the end of time , Jesus does not come to save anyone, he comes to Judge both the living and the death: To bring the good ones to Heaven, and to send the bad ones to eternal Hell... glorious and horrible!... It is time for rewarding and destroying (11:17)... you may take a look at Mt.25:31-46, and the Last Judgment of the White Throne in Rev.20:11-15.

This Second Coming is at the end of the World, at the end of times (Mt.24:3)... the end of time and space, because in Heaven and Hell there is no time nor space... with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2Pet.3:8, Psalm 90:4)... time and space are only the ingredients of our limited time on earth to reach eternity... in Heaven and Hell we live like in our imagination, we can be at all places and at the same time, only there it is not imagination, but for real!.

And it is soon!, as the last words of Revelation say... for you and for me, the end of times is exactly the day of our death!... soon!... I pray you and I are among the glorious ones...

... And, of course, there will be the Second Coming of Christ at the end of times, at the end of the World.
You may look at The Second Coming of Christ.

The last verse, 11:19, is preparing for the fourth cycle of Revelation, the Fourth Great Vision, the one where the Antichrist coming is emphasized.... and again, we have the flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm as in the Vision of the Altar and Prayers... the first four were commented there flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake... The great hailstorm is the symbolism of the Antichrist of the end of times.

The Mighty Angel...
and the open sweet bitter Book

Revelation 10

1

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars.

2

He was holding a little book, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

3

and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.

4

And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down."

5

Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven.

6

And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay!

7

But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets."

8

Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the book that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land."

9

So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little book. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."

10

I took the little book from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.

11

Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."

Another vision of John, between the sixth trumpet and the seventh.

At the end of the Sixth Trumpet people did not repent, so, what else God can do?... two things: In chapter 10 He offers the Word of God, and in chapter 11 the Two Witnesses, the Witness of the Church.

There are two main features in this vision: The Mighty Angel, and the little open Book:

1- The open bitter Book:

It is the Bible, part of our daily bread...
- It is open... because we have to read it, not just have it in the bookshelf...
- We have to eat it!... we have to meditate it, to digest and live its teachings... and it is sweet to the mouth, has beautiful thoughts... but bitter in the stomach, because it contains things against our natural will, against our pride and selfishness and greed and laziness...

2- The Mighty Angel:

It is the Church, the mighty messenger used by Jesus to give us the Bible. God gave us the 10 Commandments and the Law through another mighty angel, Moses... and the Bible through Pope Damasus I in the Council of Rome, in 382, who gave us the complete list of the books of the New Testament... it is the list we all use today, Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants...

Many Protestants do not realize that the New Testament they cherish was given to them by a Pope, the Spaniard holy and wise Pope St. Damasus, at the times of St. Jerome and St. Augustine... When Luther broke with the Pope, he kept the same New Testament as the one Pope Damasus I had given us... if the Pope is no good, then, the Bible is no good!.

There are another 15 beautiful books, called apocrypha, dealing with themes of the New Testament, and attributed to St. Paul, St. Thomas, St. James, St. Peter, Virgin Mary, St. Joseph... and they are not in the Bible, because the Church says so!.

Jesus did not write the Bible, and he did not give us a list of the books of the Bible... In fact, all the books of the New Testament were not even written when Jesus died...

... Jesus founded "his Church" (Matt.16:18-19), and he gave her the greatest power on earth: "whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matt.16:19, 18:18)... and he gave to his Church an order: Go and preach the Good News of Redemption, the Gospel, to the whole world... and one of the ways she is doing it, is by giving us the Bible... The Church of Christ is the one who gives us the Bible, the number of books of the Bible, the Canon... without the Church, there is no Bible.

The Bible is the book of the Church; she is not the Church of the Bible. There was no canon of scripture in the early Church; there was no Bible. It was the Church--her leadership, faithful people--guided by the authority of the Spirit of Truth which discovered the books inspired by God in their writing... the one who gave us the list of the books of the Bible in the fourth century

As far as the Old Testament is concerned, the Church also gave us the list of the Books that form today's Bible, in the Council of Laodicea, in 360. This was one of the Church's earliest decisions on a Canon... and the same whole Bible was confirmed by Pope Paul III at the Ecumenical Council of Trent (1545).

There are also about another 15 beautiful books, called apocrypha, with themes of the Old Testament, attributed to Enoch, Moses, Salomon... and they are not in the Bible because the Church says so.

Christians Holy Scriptures

This Mighty Angel reminds the vision of Jesus in Rev.1:10-20:
- Clothed with a cloud: he veils his glory, which is too great for mortality to behold; and he throws a veil upon his dispensations.
- A rainbow was upon his head; he is always mindful of his covenant, and, when his conduct is most mysterious, yet it is perfectly just and faithful.
- His face was as the sun, the light of light, all bright, and full of majesty... The Bible is the Word of God.
- His feet were as pillars of fire, pure and steady... that's the way of the Pope: He may be a sinner, like Peter, but he is pure and steady when he teaches ex-cathedra, because Jesus Himself promised him: "whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matt.16:19, 18:18).
- He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land: We already saw the "sea" as the "social world", and the "land" as the "religious world"... the angel’s stance projects his authority over both land and sea, it is universal, catholic.

The Seven Thunders:

When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down." (10:3-4).

We already commented the Thunders in Revelation, as the teachings of the authority of the Church, proclaiming truths, dogmas, condemning errors, heresies... and these are called pearls... and they are! (Rev.4:5, 8:5).

Here, John is ordered do not write it down... probably the greatest thunder of the Church is to give us the Bible!... but the "7 thunders" mean the completeness of the teachings of the Church, as number 7 always mean "completeness"... and, of course, the complete teachings of the Church would have to include also the Declaration of Dogmas, the Condemnation of Heresies, the Teachings of Life in Christ, the Teachings in the Ecumenical Councils...

No More Delay:

"There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets." (10:6-7).

With the call of the 7th Trumpet all is finished... but in this cycle of Revelation... next cycle, chapters 12 to 14, will show us another whole salvation history of the world and of your life and mine, emphasizing different aspects... a total of 7 cycles in the Book of Revelation... "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings." (10:11).

The Angel and the Little Scroll painting.

The Temple...
and the Two Witnesses

Abomination of Desolation, Great Tribulation,
the 42 months, the 1,260 days

The Ark of the Covenant:
The greatest miracle in the Bible...
and the one to come at the end of time!

Revelation 11

1

I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there.

2

But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.

3

And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth."

4

These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

5

If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.

6

These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

7

Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.

8

Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

9

For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.

10

The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

11

But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.

12

Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.

13

At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14

The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.

The Seventh Trumpet (11:15-18). already commented

19    Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

Here, again, John had another vision between the 6th and 7th Trumpets.

At the end of the Sixth Trumpet people did not repent, so, what else God can do?... two things: In chapter 10, He offers the Word of God, and in chapter 11 the Two Witnesses, the Witness of the Church.

There are two main features in this Vision:
- The Temple: The chapter starts with the Temple and ends with the Temple.
- And the Two Witnesses.

The Church is the temple of God and is first measured... protected spiritually from the power of the enemy.
The Witness of the Church to the world is her great work as commissioned by Christ (Mat.28:18, Mar.16:15, Luke 24:45, Jn.10:21, Acts.1:8)... and until it is finished He will not return (Mat.24:14).
The Two Witnesses: Jesus sent his disciples out two by two, and some interpreters see them as symbolic of the entire Church in the tribulation period, or as symbols of the law and the prophets... but in the chapter they rather look as two real individuals in the power of Elijah and Moses, during the times of the Abomination of Desolation and the Great Tribulation.

Paul describes the Church as a Temple: Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (Eph.2:19-21)... and Peter too: You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house. (1Pet.2:5)... You and I are living stones of the temple of God.

The Work of these Two Witnesses:

1- They will prophesy with power, with their word and with their life, with penance, in sackcloth, for 1,260 days, 3.5 years (11:3)... their ministry will be so strong that had tormented those who live on the earth (11:10).
It will be the time of the Abomination of Desolation of Mt.24:15 (see the 42 months).

2- After 3.5 years, they will be killed, and their bodies will lie in the street of Jerusalem for 3.5 days, without burial... people will rejoice, sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth (11:7-10).
But these 3.5 days may correspond to 3.5 years, as many interpreters believe... the time of the Great Tribulation of Mt.24:21 ... these three and a half days of 11:9 is also half a week and could have a connection with the half week of Dan 9:27 (see the 42 months).

3- After these 3.5 days they will resurrect,   and terror struck those who saw them... And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on... and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven (11:11-13).

- At the very hour of their ascension to heaven  was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed, with 7,000 killed... but still some people did not repent... so, the third woe is coming soon (11:13-14)... God wants all of us in Heaven!.

Who will be these Two Witnesses:

The list is not short of modern nuts who think they are one of the two witnesses... may be as many thousands as those who think they are one of those 144,000 of chapters 7 and 14.

When you first hear about two witnesses coming at the end of the world, your mind goes right away to the two persons who never died in the Bible: Enoch and Elijah (Gen.4:24, 2K.2:11).

However, verse 6 alludes to Elijah and Moses with the wonders they did, These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; (Elijah in 1K.17:1) and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want (Moses in Ex.7:17, and chaps.7-12).
So, the two witnesses are two real individuals in the power of Moses and Elijah, the representation of the Law and the Prophets... if not Elijah and Moses themselves, the two who were present in the Transfiguration of Jesus at Mt. Tabor (Mat.17:3).
The two witnesses were in sorrow and reproach, but with power, as Elijah and Moses were when the people were in apostasy and captivity.

11:4- These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.... the two olive trees, meaning a plenteous supply of oil for the lamps, the Spirit! (Zech.4:3)... and it may also allude to Zerubbabel and Joshua, the two anointed ones who serve the Lord, who stand for the kingly and priestly function of the ministry (Hag.1:1, Zech.4),

The Great City:

Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

The Great City is Jerusalem,  where also their Lord was crucified, which is described in three illustrative terms:
- As Sodom, speaking of immorality, wickedness.
- As Egypt, speaking of oppression and slavery.
- As the great city, persecution, a term often applied to "Babylon the Great"m later in Revelation, the headquarters of Antichrist (Revelation 16:19, 17:18, 18:10, 18:16, 18:18, 18:19, 18:21).

Abomination of Desolation, Great Tribulation, The 42 months... the 1,260 days (11:2,3,11):

This is the first time they appear in Revelation, but they are often mentioned in Revelation and Daniel:
- The 42 months (3.5 years), correspond to the Abominable Desolation of Mt.24:15.
- The 1,260 days (3.5 years), correspond to the Great Tribulation of Mt.24:21.

Daniel says the whole time of the work of the Antichrist is 2,300 evenings and mornings... 7 years (Dan.8:14):
- The first period will last 1,290 days (Dan.12:11)... which corresponds to the Abominable Desolation of Mt.24:15.
- The second 3.5 years, correspond to the Great Tribulation of Mt.24:21.
The Abominable Desolation and the Great Tribulation are also the theme of the 6th and 7th Trumpets and Plagues, as it is usual in Revelation, repeating it in several of the 7 Cycles of the Book.

Some interpret this 2,300 days in "a year per day"... so, if it is since the beginning of the last times, since the birth of Jesus, the end of the world will be about the year 2,300 (Dan.8:14)... or the year 2,580 if the figure of Dan.12:11 is half of the total duration... however, in or around the year 1,260 or 1,290, the end of the Abominable Desolation,  nothing very special happened!.

In Revelation the Antichrist will do his work of the Great Tribulation for 42 months, or 1,260 days, counting exactly 30 days per month (Rev.13:5, 11:2, 12:6)... there is a slight difference in Daniel, 1,290 days, because he  considers the months of having either 30 or 31 days, in a similar way as we have them now.

Also these 3.5 years are referred in Daniel and Revelation as "for a time, times and half a time" (a year, two years and half a year), or "for a week" (7 years).

Here is a rundown of these figures
in Revelation and Daniel:

Total Duration of the work of the Antichrist: 2,300 days, 7 years (Dan.8:14)
He will impose his law on a great part of the people for a week (7 years) (Dan.9:27):

First 3.5 Years (First half week)

Second 3.5 Years (Second half week)

11:2  holy city trampled on by Gentiles for 42 months.

13:5  Beast exercises his authority for forty-two months.

11:3  Two witnesses prophesy for 1,260 days.
12:6  woman taken care of by God for 1,260 days.

11:9  Two witnesses lie dead in the street of the great city for three and a half days.

13:5  First Beast, for 42 months

12:14  woman taken care of for a time, times and half a time.

Dan.12:11,12  1,290 or 1,335 days

Dan.7:25  for a time, times and half a time.

Dan.9:27  for half of the week he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease

Dan.12:7  It will be for a time, times and half a time

Days as symbols of Years in the Bible: Num.14:34, Ez.4:6

We should also note that the period of three and a half years is also the same time of drought that Elijah prayed for (1K.17:1, Jam.5:17) and the time that he was miraculously cared for by Ravens and the widow with her flour and oil which were not used up (1K.17:4-16). Thus this time period indicates both persecution and divine care.

You may look at the Abominable Desolation on the Sixth Trumpet

A more complete commentary on The Abominable Desolation and the Great Tribulation

11:9- For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial

This description of every people, tribe, language and nation is also used of:
1- Descriptions of the universal origin of the saved, 5:9, 7:9.
2- It is the same group to whom the angel has an eternal gospel to proclaim, 14:6.
3- It is the same group that the beast has authority over, 13:7.

The Temple:

The chapter starts with the Temple and ends with the Temple.

The Temple is such an important feature of the chapter because the ministry of the Two Witnesses occur during the Abomination of Desolation of Mt.24:15, the time when the sacrifice has been abolished in the Temple, in Christianity.

John is instructed to measure the temple, the altar and its worshippers (11:1-2).

The Temple of God on earth is the Church, and it is first measured to protect it spiritually from the power of the enemy, because the powers of Hell will attack ferociously the Church, but will not prevail against the Church, not even in the time of the Abomination of Desolation nor in the Great Tribulation... never! (Mt.16:19)... Satan will strike her heel, her Aquiles tendon, the most sensitive area to walk properly, it will look like the Church is lame, paralyzed... but always the Church will end up crushing the head of Satan, the head of all the powers of Hell (Gen.3:15).

This is the essence of Revelation: The complete victory of Christ and his Church, defeating completely Satan and his power and followers... the powers of Hell will strike you and me, your home and mine, but we will always end up being the victors, no matter what it may look like... only we just have to have a little patience, stay with Jesus always, no matter what!.

The Witness of the Church to the world is her great work as commissioned by Christ (Mat.28:18, Mar.16:15, Luke 24:45, Jn.10:21, Acts.1:8)... and until it is finished He will not return (Mat.24:14)... and the Church will finish its work, no matter what!... and it will finish it exactly the way God Wants it to finish it, and at the very time God plans to do it!.

The Temple of God on earth is the Church, and this is the temple that must be on the earth for the fulfillment of what Daniel, Jesus, and Paul said about the abomination of desolation (see The Sixth Trumpet).

The Ark of the Covenant... and a Great Hailstorm:

The last verse of chapter 11 is also about the Temple:

11:19- Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

A Great Hailstorm:
The meaning of the first four features, flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, was already commented as the Voices of God... The fifth feature here, a great hailstorm, is the Antichrist, the Two Beasts coming in the Fourth Great Vision, the fourth cycle of Revelation, in the next chapters 12-14.

The Ark of the Covenant: The greatest miracle in the Bible... and to come!

Sanctuary diagram The most holy place with the Ark of the Covenant is the smaller room on the left (west). The holy place, with the altar of incense, colored gold, is on the right. The altar of burnt offerings shown by a square outside the tent, in the courtyard.

- The 7 Trumpets came from the Altar of Heaven...
- The Great Hailstorm, the Antichrist, comes from the Ark of the Covenant, in the Holy of Holies of the Temple... in the next three chapters 12-14.

The Ark of the Covenant was the sacred and precious treasure of Israel... first, in the portable Tabernacle for the 40 years of wandering at Sinai, and later, since Solomon, in the permanent Temple at Jerusalem, built precisely to host the Ark in the Holy of Holies, where nobody could enter, except the High Priest,and only once a year, on the day of Yom Kippur.

The contents of the Ark of the Covenant:

It had three objects, the symbols for the time after the Messiah comes, for the Church on earth, for the present time, says Hebrews 9:4,9:
1- The Tables of the 10 Commandments of Moses, symbol of the Bible.
2- The gold jar containing the manna, symbol of the Eucharist.
3- The rod of Aaron which blossomed, symbol of the Church's Hierarchy.

The most spectacular "Miracle" in the Bible:

The columns of fire and cloud over the Ark is "the most durable and spectacular miracle" in the history of humanity... and a Great Miracle to come at the end of times:

Since the Ark was set up in the Tent, a column of fire stood on top of it during the night and a column of cloud during daytime... columns of over 2 miles high, and over 40 years, day and night!...
...and still more!:
When the columns stood still, the people stood in the same place; but when the columns moved, the people would follow them... the 3 million of Israelites, with their cattle and belongings, and follow the columns for miles, until they stopped, and at that place, they would set up the new camp; and they would stay there as long as the columns stayed there; but, if in one day or in a month, the columns started to move, they would pick up everything again, and follow the columns... the 3 million of Israelites! (Num.9:15-23, Ex.40:34-38, 13:21-22, 15:38).

The great miracle to come,  at the end of times:

When the Temple was destroyed, the Ark was lost... but the Bible says that Jeremiah put it in a huge cave at Mount Nebo, and made 2 prophecies:
1- It will stay there until God gathers his people together again,
2- And at that time, the columns of fire and cloud will be seen again as in the times of Moses (2Macc.2)... a huge column of fire of 3 kilometers high that will be seen from all over Israel and Jordan... and by Television from all over the world!

Many people are searching now for the "Ark of the Covenant", the most sacred property of Israel, but they are looking for it in the wrong places!... it is at Mount Nebo!, the Scriptures say.

The Fourth Great Vision of Revelation
Fourth Cycle

The Fourth Vision, Fourth Cycle (chapters 12 to 14):                                      Click picture to enlarge
The Woman and the Dragon ... the Central Vision.
- The Woman and the Dragon (chapter 12)... the 7 Signs
- Antichrist, the 2 Beasts (chapter 13)...
- The Triumphal Lamb with the 144,000... the Condemned... the Harvest (chapter 14).

This 4th Great Vision is the fourth cycle in Revelation emphasizing the Great Battles of the history of salvation.
It covers the period since the birth of Jesus and his ascension to Heaven, in chapter 12,  to the triumphal Lamb with the 144,000 in Heaven, in chapter 14... including the 7 great battles between the woman and the dragon, and the offspring of the woman and the offspring of the dragon.
And it should be connected to the Ark of the Covenant in the previous verse, Rev 11:19, already commented.

The 7 Signs:

1- The woman... Virgin Mary, the People of God, the Church (12)
2- The man-child... Jesus (12)
3- The dragon... Satan (12)
4- Michael the archangel... head of the angelic host (12)
5- The offspring of the woman... the good Christians (12)
6- The beast out of the sea... the Antichrist (chapter 13)
7- The beast out of the earth... the False Prophet who promotes the Antichrist (chapter 13)

The Woman and the Dragon (chapter 12):

In this chapter 12 we have an account of the contest between the church and antichrist, the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent... The main idea is taken from Gen.3:15, I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring (or seed) and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel... God Himself establishes two enmities for ever: Between the woman and the serpent, and between the offspring of the woman and the offspring of the serpent...
Here, in Rev.12, the war goes on... as it is in the real battle of your life and mine, until our death!. see Genesis.

It includes:
1- The first 5 Signs.
2- The first 7 battles of the history of salvation... all of them lost by the dragon.

Summary:
1- The woman, the child, and the dragon (12:1)
- The woman fled to the desert for 1260 days (12:6)... the Abominable Desolation of he 6th Trumpet, of Mt.24:15.
2- War in Heaven (12:7)
3- The dragon pursues the woman for  3.5 years (12:14)... the Great Tribulation of Mt 24:21.

The first 5 Signs:
1- The woman... Virgin Mary, the People of God, the Church (12:1)
2- The dragon... Satan (12:3)
3- The man-child... Jesus (12:5)
4- Michael the archangel... head of the angelic host (12:7)
5- The offspring of the woman... the good Christians (12:17)

The man-child (12:5): Jesus:

He is easy to identify... he is Jesus, and she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron... which is a reference from the messianic psalm 2:9, and used also in Rev.2:27 and 19:15, where Jesus is also clearly the subject. (see Letter to Thyatira)
- and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne... the Ascension of Jesus of Mark 16:19 and Acts.1.
The throne of Jesus appears in Rev.3:21, 5:6, 7:17, 22:3... and in Heb.8:1, 12:2.

The woman (12:1): Virgin Mary, the People of God, the Church:

She is literally obviously the Mother of Jesus, the Mother of the man child she brought forth, Virgin Mary...
Some Commentaries on Revelation see the attempt to devour her Child of verse 4 as initially fulfilled by Herod’s attempts to kill Jesus as a child (Mat.2:16-18)... but they refuse to see Mary in 12:1.
Others see Mary's flight with Jesus into Egypt as a type of verse 6, the woman fled into the desert... but again, they refuse to se Mary in the woman of 12:1.

But this woman represents also the People of God, the Church, for two reasons:

1- Women often represent religious systems in Revelation.
- Jezebel is associated with a religious system of false teaching and life (Revelation 2:20).
- The Great Harlot is associated with false religion (Revelation 17:2).
- The Bride is associated with the Church (Revelation 19:7-8).
Here, the woman represents the People of God, the Church, because all Revelation is about the triumph of Jesus in his Church, with his Church, for His Church, to His Church... for you and me, who are members his Church... and for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets, as Jesus says in Lk.13:28, because the victory of the blood of Lamb is retroactive, for all persons since Adam to the end of the world...
... Yes, the woman represents Israel, and there is general acceptance of it in the commentaries.
... but there are some objections about the Church of Christ, claiming that Jesus "gives birth" to the Church, not the other way around... but John sees a continuum between the OT and NT elect in 21:12-14. Wilson says 'In scripture no sharp dividing line is drawn between the true Israel and the new Israel, because the people of the promise are one people, whether they lived before or after the coming of Christ'... yes, because the victory of the blood of the Lamb, again, is retroactive... it applies both to the Church of the Old Testament, to Israel, and to the Church  of the New Testament.

2- The second reason is that in the Bible the prophesies on Mary can be applied to the Church and vice-versa:
- Psalm 45, the one on the King and the Queen, looks like a riddle: The Queen is mother of the King, spouse of the King, and daughter of the King... it is Virgin Mary!: Mother of Jesus, Spouse of the Spirit, daughter of the Father... and it is the Church: Founded by Jesus (her Father, in Mt. 16:18).... Bride of Jesus, in Rev.19:7-8... and Mother of Jesus, who was brought forth by the labor pains of the People of God.
- The prophecy on Virgin Mary, all generations shall call me blessed, of Lk.1:48, can also be applied to the Church... it it the same prophecy of the last verse of Psalm 45.
- Virgin Mary is the Mother of Jesus (Mt.1, Lk.1)... also the Church: The Church is the one used by God to bring Jesus to us... Jesus did not baptize you, but the Church... God teaches you the Bible through the Church... the Church feeds us and cleanses us, and cares for us, as a good mother... the Holy Mother Church!
- The promise of Lk.1:31, you shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus, can be applied to the People of God, the Church of the Old Testament, to Israel.
- In Gen.3:15, again, the woman represents Virgin Mary and the Church.

The Looks of the Woman:

A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: A woman... (12:1-2).
- A woman, the weaker part of the world, but the spouse of Christ, and the mother of the saints... and she is arrayed in heavenly splendor, clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
- Clothed with the sun: Christ is the Sun of righteousness or of justice (Mal.4:2).
- The moon under her feet: That is the world, she stands upon it, but lives above it; her heart and hope are not set upon worldly things, but on the things that are in heaven, where her head is.
- A crown of twelve stars on her head: The 12 Tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles (Rev.21:12-14).
- She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth: The pain described refers to the travail of Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth, under Roman occupation and oppression... and the pain of Mary, She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn (Lk.2:7)... can you imagine it?: No room, no bed, no doctor, no nurses... and baby Jesus in a manger!.

The picture of O.L.Guadalupe is a good painting of Rev.12:1, and Altagracia of 12:5  Guadalupe  Altagracia

The great red dragon (12:3)... is Satan... And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world (12:9):
- The ancient serpent of Gen.3:14-15

- Satan means accuser, see Job 1:6 ff., Zech.3:1.
- The Devil in Greek is Diabolos which means slanderer: In Rev.2:9 the false Jews slander the saints like their father Satan.
- Demons means bad, harmful spirits, spirits under Satan (Lk.8:30).

This dragon has great power (seven heads and ten horns) and claims royal authority (seven diadems).... fulness of false power and authority (Rev.12:3).

And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it forth (12:3): This refers to king Herod who tried to kill Jesus when he was born in Mat.2:16... Herod is a type of the antichrist... most commentaries of Revelation accept this interpretation, but some of them refuse to see Mary in 12:1.

The woman fled to the desert for 1260 days (12:6)...
This corresponds ro the Abominable Desolation of he 6th Trumpet, of Mt.24:15.
Mary's flight with Jesus into Egypt is a type of this flight.

War in Heaven (12:7):

Satan in the Old Testament could accuse people in Heaven, as he did in Job 1:6 when he presented himself to God, and when Satan accuses Joshua the high priest of sin (Zech.3:1).

This section depicts the eviction of Satan from his role as accuser in Heaven, as a result of the death and resurrection of Jesus. His basis for accusing mankind before God has gone because Christ fulfilled God's legal requirement on behalf of man. Having been evicted from heaven he continues his war against God and his people, and all people on the earth (Jn.12:31).

And still more: Now Jesus gives his followers authority over Satan and his demons (Luk.9:1, 10:19, Mat.10:1, Mk.16:17).

The three-fold title or Satan shows him as the deceiver, the slanderer and the accuser...   after Jesus, his right to accuse men before God was gone... but we see him still active in Revelation as the deceiver and slanderer through the false prophet (13:14, 19:20), the beast (13:6) and the false Jews (2:9).

That's why John heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. (Rev.12:10).

In John 12:31, just before his crucifixion, Jesus says now the prince of this world will be driven out, and in John 16:11 he says the prince of this world now stands condemned. We see here the first part of Satan's defeat, first he is hurled out of heaven to the earth, later he loses his place on the earth, and eventually will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev.20:10).

The Bible describes four different falls of Satan. Revelation 12:9 describes the second of these four falls:
1- From glorified to profane (Ezekiel 28:14-16).
2- From having access to heaven (Job 1:12, 1 Kings 22:21, Zechariah 3:1) to restriction to the earth (Revelation 12).
3- From the earth to bondage in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years (Revelation 20).
4- From the pit to the lake of fire (Revelation 20).

- Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short (12:12) - The heavens can rejoice because Satan has been cast out, but to the earth and sea it means (yet another) woe because he will have his domain there and he is furious having lost his position in heaven.

The Blood of the Lamb:
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death (Rev.12:11).
They overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb, they are freed of their sins by the blood of Jesus (Rev.1:5), therefore the basis of his accusation has gone because the penalty has been paid by the blood of Jesus, so when he accuses them they point him to the blood.
The basis of his accusations has become null and void because they have been freed from their sins by the blood of the Lamb (Rev.1:5, 7:14, 12:11, Col.1:22, Rom.8:33, 1Jn.1:7).

Michael the archangel (12:7):
God defeated Satan using Michael and his angels... as usual, God uses someone to do His plan... He used Abraham, and Moses, and David, and Michael... and He wants to use you and me today!... you and I have to be another Moses or another David...
Michael is also mentioned in Dan 10:13, 20, 21, 12:1 where he is described as the great prince who protects your people, and Jude 1:9 in which he disputes with the devil about the body of Moses.

The dragon pursues the woman for  3.5 years (12:13-18):

This corresponds to the Great Tribulation of Mt 24:21.

The dragon (Satan) pursues the woman (the Church) in two ways:

1- And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had borne the male child (12:13).
It's like in Exodus with Pharaoh in pursuit of the People of God (Ex 14:8). He pursues the Church with political and social powers from outside the Church: Roman Emperors, Communism, dictators, materialistic philosophies, Freemasonry, social economic policies...
But The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert (12:14). The two wings of a great eagle is a reference to Exodus 19:4 in which God carried the Israelites out of Egypt on eagles wings... the two wings are the the trust in God and the word of their testimony of 12:11.
And the Church, you and I, are like eagles, those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Is.40:31,Ps.103:5).

2- The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood.(12:15).
The flood of water is the doctrine of demons or false doctrine and heresy and errors from inside the Church, by which he tries to destroy the Church... as it was prophesied by Jesus and Peter and Paul, with the false prophets or false Christ's (Mat.7:15, 24:24, 2 Pet 2:1, 2Tim3).
If he cannot destroy the church through persecution he will try to destroy her through heresy and false doctrine. The church of God is in more danger from heretics than from persecutors; and heresies are as certainly from the devil as open force and violence
We have also already seen in Revelation the false teaching of the woman Jezebel, the Balaamites and the Nicolaitans (Rev.2:14-15, 20, 24)... then came Arius, Nestorius, Pelagius, and 1001 more up to our days, by which the church of God was in danger of being overwhelmed and carried away.
But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth (12:16) - A reference to the Song of Moses, sang after the Egyptians died in the sea, You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them (Ex.15:12)... the earth, as in Rev.13, makes reference to the religious system, the Church itself, fighting back with the declaration of dogmas, teachings, a life of witness truly faithful to Jesus...
And, of course, there is always the promise of Jesus,  I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it (Mt.16:18)... Hell will always strike the heel of the church and yours and mine, but the church, and you and I, will always end up crushing the head of the serpent, like in Gen.3:15, and in he 7 defeats of Satan in this chapter 12.

The 7 defeats of Satan in Rev.12:

1- When the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it forth (v.4)... but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, (v.5).

2- When the woman fled into the wilderness for 3.5 years ... but there she has a place prepared by God, in which to be nourished for 1,260days. (v.6).

3- Satan is completely defeated and humiliated by Michael the archangel (vs.7-10).

4- And the same victory is yours and mine, if we bath in the blood of the Lamb, they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony (v.11).

5- When Satan pursued the woman in v.14... But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time (v.15).

6- When the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood (v.15)... But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon had poured from his mouth (v.16).

7- And Satan will ve defeated when in verse 17 when   the dragon went off to make war on the rest of her offspring... see next:

The offspring of the woman... the good Christians (12:17):

Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. (12:17).

It is obvious that the the offspring or seed of the woman are the good Christians, because the good Christians are those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus.

Satan will make a furious last effort war against you and me until the end of our lives, against the whole Church at the end of times...

And here comes Revelation 13,  it is nothing new, but a specific look at the 2 Beasts of the end of times, those who pursued the Church in Rev.12... the same 2 Beasts you and I will have in our lives...

... And they will be defeated totally and completely as it is shown in the next chapter 14, at the end of this fourth cycle of Revelation.

Revelation 13
The Antichrist... the Two Beasts

A Full Web Page on the Antichrist

The Antichrist of the Book of Revelation

Revelation 13    Book of Judith    Books of Maccabees

Revelation 13:

Chapter 13 of Revelation describes the Two Beasts:
- The First Beast is the Antichrist.
- The Second Beast is called the False Prophet in Rev.16:13.
- Both of them, with the Dragon (Satan) of 16:13, form the Satanic Trinity, to emulate most perfectly the Christian Holy Trinity.

1- The First Beast, the Antichrist: Rev.13:1-10:

1- He is a person, a beast (13:18, 2Thes.3): "1: And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems upon its horns and a blasphemous name upon its heads".
- It is called a "beast", because a man without God is a beast… the worst!
- Rising out from the see: From the political, economic, and social conglomeration of the earth, the people, multitudes and nations of every language (17:15).
- He has 10 horns, 7 heads, and 10 crowns, like the dragon of 12:3, like the beast that mounts the great prostitute in 17:3... symbols of power and authority.
- 10 horns: These are ten kings with their crowns, diadems, at the service of the beast (17:12-13), he actually rules over the kings of the whole world (17:18).
- 7 heads, reigning over 7 religious systems, all of the blaspheming against the only real God… and there are also 7 hills on which the Beast seats (17:9).

2- He has an enormous political and economic power: "2: And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority". It is like the beasts of Daniel 7.

3- A Miracle made the whole world to follow him, because before that he was just a "Little Horn" of Daniel 7 and 8, an unimportant power: "3: One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth followed the beast with wonder".

4- The Beast becomes a great religious figure, adored by the whole world, together with the adoration of Satan, who is actually the one who gives the power to the Beast… all the world except those whose names were written in the book of life of the slain Lamb of 13:8: "4: Men worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?"… "8: and all who dwell on earth will worship it, every one whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain."

5- This Beast will reign for 42 months (13:5), for 1.260 days (12:6), for the 42 months that the Two Prophets gave witness (11:2), for the 3.5 years that the Great Tribulation will last (Mat.24:21-30): "5: And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months; 6: it opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his sanctuary, that is, those who dwell in heaven."… and, though he was adored as a god, he spoke boastful and blasphemous words against the real God and his sanctuary.

Look at a complete rundown of the 42 months in The Two Witnesses

6- He makes war on the saints and conquers them!… yes, there will be saints in the Great Tribulation caused by the Antichrist… but don't worry!, if you are in Christ, in His Church, and Christ is in you, the Antichrist can't even touch you!: "7: Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation, 8: and all who dwell on earth will worship it, every one whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain".

7- These are the last words about the First Beast, about the Antichrist: There are words of encouragement for the saints, and a call for endurance and faith, for joyous perseverance… Jesus who is in you, is more powerful than a million Antichrists put together!… don't you ever be afraid of nobody and of nothing… because if you are not alive at the last times, you are going to have some kind of Antichrist in your life, but you will always come out victorious, with a joy and peace and love that no one can take away: "9: If any one has an ear, let him hear: 10: If any one is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if any one slays with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints".

8- The number 666 comes at the end of the chapter, after describing the Second Beast, but it refers to the First Beast, to the person of the Antichrist, and we will make later an special comment on it: "18: This calls for wisdom: let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a the name of a human person, its number is six hundred and sixty-six". See 666

9- Next chapter14 shows the victory of Jesus and His Church over the Antichrist in this fourth cycle of Revelation...  the Book shows in every one of the 7 Great Visions the total and complete victory of Jesus in His Church, with His Church, and for His Church over the Antichrist, and the total and complete defeat of the Dragon, the Antichrist and all their followers… and this is all the aim of the Book of the Apocalypse, which means Revelation, with many symbolic figures, but very clear for the humble Christians who were at that time suffering the horrors of the Roman persecutions, and served them well for their joyful perseverance in the faith.

2- The Second Beast, (the False Prophet of 16:13): Rev.13:11-18:

1- The Second Beast is called the False Prophet in Rev.16:13: "13:11: Then I saw another beast which rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon."
- He is also a human person, a religious one. He is most deceiving: He looks as good as the real Jesus Christ, like the Lamb of God, but he speaks and acts like Satan.
- He rises from the "earth", which in the Bible stands for "the good ordained religion"… he actually will come from the real Church of Christ!, as St. John proclaims: "Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us" (1Jn.2:18-19).
This statement of St. John applies also for the First Beast, the Antichrist: Some scholars think he will be a Jew, but this statement of St. John clearly indicates that he will be a Christian from the real Church of Christ.

2- The purpose of this Second Beast is to make people worship the First Beast: "13:13: It works great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men; 14: and by the signs which it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast, it deceives those who dwell on earth, bidding them make an image for the beast which was wounded by the sword and yet lived; 15: and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should even speak, and to cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain."
- It makes great signs: It makes fire come sown from heaven, deceiving people.
- It persuades the people of the earth to make a statue of the First Beast… gives spirit to this statue… and the statue speaks!… and those who refuse to worship it are killed.

3- This Second Beast has a very powerful economic and social influence with its signs and miracles: "13:16: Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17: so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name."

The Mark:
Most probably the Mark is not something physical, like a tattoo in the skin, but something spiritual:
- The Mark of God is the love, joy, peace, and generosity... within yourself... in your head and your hand.
- The Mark of Satan is the hate, lies, deceive, and greed with selfishness in themselves... in their head and hand.
We already saw the Mark in 7:4, and Rev.14 mentions it in 3 places, 14:1,9,11.
For sure the Mark is not the celebration of the Lord's Day on Sunday as the Adventists claim.
You may take a look at the full treatment of the The "Mark"

4- The number 666 is the number of the Beast, the name of a human person. See 666

The Book of Revelation mentions the Antichrist in one way or another in each one of its 7 Great Visions with the total and complete defeat of the Antichrist in all of them, specially in the last Great Vision of Chapters 19 to 21.

The Book of Judith is typical of the work of these Two Beasts:

1- King Nebuchadnezzar of the Assyrians declares himself God, to whom all the people of the world have to adore and serve. He would be the First Beast, or the Antichrist.

2- Holofermes, his general, went about the whole world, making people to adore the King, or he will kill them.

3- Every nation adored the King, except a little one: Israel… and a strong woman of Israel, Judith, cut the head of Holofermes and ended with the Kingdom… Judith is a type of Virgin Mary.

Both Books of Maccabees present the life and works of the King of the Assyrians, Antiochus Epiphanes, or Antiochus IV, who is the type of Antichrist referred in Daniel 7:8 and 11:21, and the Assyrian mentioned in Is.10:5,10.

Revelation 14

The 144,000 Victors
and the 7 Angels

The punishment of Satan and of those with the Mark of the Beast
The Harvest

Enlarge Picture

After an account of the great trials and sufferings which the servants of God had endured in chapters 12 and 13, we have now in chapter 14, the last chapter of the fourth cycle, a more pleasant scene:

1- The victory of those 144,000 sealed with the seal of God. (ver.1-5)... The Mark of the Sealed
2- The total defeat of Satan and his followers, those who have the mark of the beast (ver.6-13)
- A most terrible punishment for Satan and his followers... The 7 Blessings
3- The Vision of the Harvest, of the good grain and the bad grapes (ver.14-20)... the Last Judgment.

1- The Victory of the 144,000 sealed with the mark of God. (ver.1-5):

1

Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.

2

And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.

3

And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

4

These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb.

5

No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

How Christ appears:
As a Lamb standing upon mount Zion. Mount Zion is the Church. Christ is with his Church and in the midst of her in all her troubles, and therefore she is not consumed (Mt.16:18, 28:20)... Jesus is right now with you!.

The 144,000 in Rev.7:3 were marked with the seal of God on earth, now in chapter 14 they are in Heaven singing the New Song before the Throne of God. (v.3). See Rev.7
Verses 3-5 give a description of these 144,000 redeemed, ones first impression is that they are a special group of saints, however closer inspection reveals that they have the characteristics of all the redeemed... but just the first-fruits, these have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb (14:4).

The Mark of the Sealed:
A main point of chapter 14 is to contrast those sealed with the name of the Lamb and his Father of verse 1, with those sealed with the mark of the beast of verses 9 and 11.
Rev.14 mentions them in 3 places, 14:1,9,11... and we already saw these marks in 7:4 and 13:16...
Most probably they are not something physical, like a tattoo in the skin, but spiritual:
- The Mark of God is the love, joy, peace, and generosity... within yourself... in your head and your hand.
- The Mark of Satan is the hate, lies, deceive, and greed with selfishness in themselves... in their head and hand.
For sure the Mark is not the celebration of the Lord's Day on Sunday as the Adventists claim.
You may take a look at the full treatment of the "Mark".

2- The total defeat of Satan and his followers, those who have the mark of the beast (ver.6-13).

6

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language and people.

7

He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."

8

A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries."

9

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand,

10

he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.

11

And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."

12

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.

13

Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."

The Angel of verse 6 is the Church who has the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language and people... but hurry!, because Judgment time is coming ,in v.7.

The Babylon the Great of the second Angel will be seen with more details in chapters 17 and 18... The fall of Babylon is also proclaimed by an angel in 18:2 and described in 17:16 ff.

A most terrible punishment of eternal torment by burning sulphur on those who worship the beast and receive his mark is proclaimed by the third Angel.
Any comment may blur its clarity in 14:19-11:
A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."
The wrath of God is poured full strength, it is not mixed with his mercy. The punishment will be in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb which makes it more personal.
Our horror of this judgement must be understood in the light of God's eternal hatred of sin, God's character never changes.
It is eternal, for ever and ever... because the wickedness of sin is infinite, a horrible thing done to an infinite Being, and the only infinite in man is eternity, the only way to justly pay an infinite wickedness.
This is the first time punishment by burning sulphur occurs in Revelation, this is a reference to God's judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah, (Gen.19:24, Lk.17:29, 2Pet.2:6, Jude 1:7).
This punishment will be revealed again in the last cycle of Revelation, the 7th cycle, in Rev 19:20, 20:10, when the beast and the dragon are consigned to the lake of burning sulphur and in 20:15, 21:8 when their followers join them... Those who worship the beast will join the beast (Rev 19:20, 20:15, 21:8).

A call for endurance:
This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus (v12). - This is the last of three calls for 'patient endurance' of the saints (1:9, 13:10) in the face of suffering (2 Cor 1:6).

Blessed are the Death:
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them." (v13)-
He is told to write it, which emphasizes the blessing.
If the verse before is a warning then this verse is an encouragement... because we all have to die!... and to die in the Lord, with good deeds (v13), is to go to eternal Heaven... death is the only door to enter Heaven... that's why we celebrate the the feasts of the Saints the day they die.
This is one of seven blessings in Revelation, two of them in chapter 22:
1- Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near (Rev.1:3).
2- The one just quoted of Rev.14:13.
3- Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed (16:15).
4- "Write: `Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God." (19:9).
5- Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection (20:6).
6- Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book (22:7).
7- 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 city (22:14).

3- The Vision of the Harvest, of the good grain and the bad grapes (ver.14-20).

14

I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one "like a son of man" (Daniel 7:13) with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

15

Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."

16

So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

17

Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.

18

Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe."

19

The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath.

20

They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia (about 180 miles, about 300 kilometers).

In the scriptures there are a number of references to two harvests, a grain harvest and a grape harvest for producing wine from the juice from a winepress (Num.18:27, Deu.15:14, 2.K6:27).
In this passage these two harvests are referred to:
1- The first, the grain harvest is the harvest of the righteous
2- The second, the grape harvest is the harvest of the wicked.

In verses 14-16, the one like a son of man is Christ, 1:13, this is taken from Daniel's vision of 'one like the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven', Dan 7:13, see also Rev 1:7, Mark 12:26, Mat 24:30.
The sickle is the tool used to harvest grain, here the good people... Jesus is coming!.. for you and for me, the day of our death for sure!.

Verses 17-20 is the grape harvest, the bad people, those with bad deeds (v13)...
The winepress of God's wrath of v19-20 occurs in Isa.63:2-6, Lam.1:15, Joel 3:13, see also Rev 19:15 in which Christ is said to tread the winepress of God's wrath. The winepress is an expression for God's wrath and the day of his vengeance.
In this reference to God's wrath the people are grapes which are pressed in the winepress and their blood is the grape juice. John uses a similar figure in 14:10 in which those who worship the beast will drink the wine of God's fury, see also the reference to Babylon in which God gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath 16:19 which resulted in her being consumed by fire (18:8, 19:3).
The blood of the wicked in the winepress rose as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia
The 1,600 stadia (about 180 miles: about the length of Israel) is a symbolic number derived from the square of 4, the number of the earth , multiplied by the square of 10, the number of completeness. It thus signifies completeness in the inability of anyone to escape God's judgement.
- Number 4 is the number the four corners of the earth (North, South...), the four quarters, the four winds, and is held to be an Apocalyptic symbol of the earth.

This Vision of the Harvest is a representation of the Last Judgment, the completion of this 4th cycle of Revelation... it was described by Jesus in Mat.24:31-46, by Paul in Rom.2:5-11.
In Revelation is mentioned at the end of each cycle: In the last 2 verses of the Letter of Jesus to Laodicea, in chapter 7, in chapter 14, and it will appear again in the Great White Throne of Rev.20:11-15... This is typical of John’s method. He goes over the ground again and again, in 7 cycles, each time teaching us something new. Every series of visions brings out new facets of it.
In all places, the reason for the judgment will be the good or bad deeds... because love is the only measure of faith.

Fifth Great Vision of Revelation
Fifth Cycle

Fifth Vision... Fifth Cycle (chapters 15-16):
The Victorious
- The   Victorious, the Conquerors,  (chapter 15)
- The 7 Plagues... the 7 Angels with the 7 Cups (Bowls, Vials) (chapter 16).
- Armageddon (16:16).

The Victorious, the  Conquerors (chapter 15):

Chapter 15 is the Fifth Great Vision of Revelation:
The Victorious over the Antichrist, standing in Heaven, whose prayers released the last 7 last plagues from the Tabernacle of the Testimony of Heaven

- The 7 Trumpets came out of the Altar of Incense (Rev.8:3).
- The Woman and the Dragon and the Antichrist came out of the Ark of the Covenant (Rev.11:19).
- These 7 Plagues of the 7 Angels come out from the Tabernacle of the Testimony itself (Rev.15:5).

- The 7 Trumpets came about because of the prayers of the saints (Rev.8:4).
- The 7 Plagues came about because of the prayers of the victorious, the martyrs (Rev.15:2, 16:6, 7 (the martyrs under the altar of Rev.6:9).

- The Seals: Again and again trouble will sweep the world.
- The Trumpets: Whenever suffering is caused, God warns that it cannot be caused with impunity, and calls for repentance... they are the megaphones of God shouting into our ears!
- The Plagues: Whenever His warnings go unheeded, he will in the end punish the wrongdoers... but calling again for repentance... it is another cycle of Revelation wih more insides.

15:1: I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues--last, because with them God's wrath is completed.

15:2: And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God.
- The sea of glass, of pure diamond, is the same Heaven as Rev.4:6, 21:18... Just as Satan stood by the sea, Rev.13:1, so God's people stand by the heavenly sea and look on.
- The fire is the love of God all over the city.
- standing beside the sea of glass, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name... victorious over the Antichrist.
- They held harps as did the 144,000 from 14:2.
It is likely therefore that both groups are the same, only the 144.000 are the first fruits, these have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb Rev.14:4)...  just as the 144,000 from 7:3 are the first fruits of the great multitude of 7:9.

15:3-4: and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb:

"Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways, King of the ages.
Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

Just as when the Israelites had passed through the Red Sea and the Egyptians were destroyed, they then sang the song of Moses, so God's people stand by a heavenly sea before singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb.

The two titles refer to a single song. Here is a perfect union between law and love, between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

There are two songs of Moses in the Bible:
1- In Ex.15: It speaks of Gods deliverance of his people... The Plagues are also similar to the plagues of Egypt, but the Egyptians were not finally destroyed until they entered the Red Sea...
2- In Deu.32: Speaks of Gods greatness and true ways, applicable but in the context of the 7 Plagues.

The song of the Lamb is the New song of Rev.5:9-14... we see another song of the Lamb in chapter 19.

Just as the Israelites praise God for his great deeds in bringing them out of Egypt and killing the Egyptian army, so God's people in heaven praise him for the Trumpets and the coming Plagues.
It is God's holiness and perfect righteousness and justice the one who brings about the Trumpets in response to the sin of man... as a call for repentance.
It is his mercy which has delayed for so long these final Plagues, and preceded them with the warning trumpets, with, again, a renew call for repentance... God wants every person to be saved (1.Tim.2:4)... you and me!.

15:5: After this I looked and in heaven the temple, that is, the tabernacle of the Testimony, was opened.

- The 7 Trumpets came out of the Altar of Incense (Rev.8:3).
- The Vision of of the Woman and the Dragon came out of the Ark of the Covenant (Rev.11:19).
- This Vision, the Victorious, comes out from the Tabernacle of the Testimony itself (Rev.15:5).

The tabernacle of the Testimony (Ex 38:21) contained the Ark of the Covenant (Ex.32:15, Deu.10:4), which contains the two tablets, the manna, an the rod of Aaron, as we saw in Rev.11:19 (Heb.9:4,9).

15:6: out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests.
- Out of the Temple: From the Tabernacle of Testimony itself: It means from the presence of God and therefore with divine sanction. One of the purposes of the book is to show that earthly events are under the control of God. The seven plagues can be likened to the sevenfold affliction promised by God to those who disobey Him, Lev.26:24-25.
- They were dressed in clean, shining linen (Acts 10:30) which emphasizes their purity.
- They had a golden sash, similar to the son of man of Rev.1:13 (as in Dan.10:5)... They are distinguished from the saints who wear white linen.

15:7: Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.
They were armed with the wrath of God against his enemies. The meanest person, you and I, when comes armed with the anger of God, will be too hard for any man in the world... but much more an angel of God.
The golden bowls in Rev 5:8 were full of incense which are the prayers of the saints, now they are used to pour out God's wrath.
The wrath of God with the Trumpets was God's answer to the prayers of the saints (Rev.8:5)... now,again, the cry of the martyrs for their blood to be avenged is answered in the Plagues (Rev.16:5-7).

15:8: And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
There are many incidents like this in scripture, in which the tent or temple is filled with a cloud of the glory of the Lord, Ex.40:34-35, 2Chr.5:14, Is.6:3, 30:27, Ez.10:4.
This verse emphasizes God's determination to complete his wrath... it indicates God's determination to carry out these plagues to the bitter end
The greatest deliverance of the Church, of you and me, are brought about by awful and astonishing steps of Providence.

Chapter 16

The 7 Plagues

Armageddon or Harmagedon

The 7 Plagues:

16:1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth."

The 7 Plagues are also called the 7 Bowls, the 7 Cups, the 7 Vials, the 7 Angels... and hey come from Heaven, from the Tabernacle of the Testimony itself, in answer to the prayers and blood of the martyrs, as we saw in Rev.15.

They are the last call for repentance, the seven last plagues--last, because with them God's wrath is completed (Rev.15:1)... they are the last opportunities for the Church, for you an for me... they are catastrophes in our lives calling for repentance, because God wants all persons in the world to go to eternal Heaven (1Tim.2:5).

The seven plagues can be be compared to the warning given in Lev.26:21,24,28.: If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve... people ignored the repentance call of the 7 Seals and the 7 Trumpets, so here come the 7 Bowls...

The 7 Bowls are directed at:
1- The people who had the mark of the beast and worshipped his image, both Christians and non-Christians (16:2).
2- Those who had shed the blood of the saints and prophets, the martyrs (16:6,7).
3- To the throne of the beast and his kingdom on earth (16:10);
4- To the air where Satan has his dwelling (16:17).

They follow similar pattern as the 7 Trumpets, and some them remind us the plagues of Egypt: The first four affecting creation: earth, sea, water, cosmos... then two affecting the beast... the final one in which the cities of the nations collapsed.

A difference:
- The 7 Seals affect a quarter of the land.
- The 7 Trumpets affect a third of mankind... and much of mankind refuse to repent.
- The 7 Bowls or Cups with the 7 Plagues affect all mankind who once again refuse to repent.

Bowl 1 is poured out on the land and it effects the people who had the mark of the beast and worshipped his image.              Bowl 2 is poured out on the sea.
Bowl 3 is poured out on the rivers
Bowl 4 is poured out on the sun
Bowl 5 is poured out over the throne of the beast
Bowl 6 is poured out over the Euphrates, the kingdom of the beast on earth
Bowl 7 is poured out into the air, where Satan has his dwelling... the cities of the nations collapsed

First Bowl:

16:2- The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.

On the Land: Like the First Trumpet. "Earth" in Rev.13:11 corresponds to the "religious wold", from where comes the Second Beast, the False Prophet of Rev.13:9-18, and of the Sixth Plague...
Here, it affects those religious people who had the mark of the beast and worshipped his image.
Painful sores: They are mostly sores of the soul, errors, heresies... any error or heresy is a cancer in the soul, much worse than a physical cancer or AIDS, because it can ruin the joy and love and peace of our only life on earth, and send us eternally into Heaven or Hell.
Like the sixth plague on Egypt (Ex.9:9)... as Satan afflicted Job with boils (Job 2:7). In Deu.28:35 painful boils were the chastisement on those who disobeyed God... AIDS?... cancer?... anthrax or any other germ?...
Matthew Henry, without any evidence, he just mentions the "Romish clergy"... ridiculous!.. he is obsessed with the Pope and the Church... he forgets to mention the New Age, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses...

Second Bowl:

16:3- The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.

On the see: Like in the Second Trumpet. The "see" in Rev.13:1 corresponds to the "social world", from where the First Beast comes, the political Beast of Rev.13:1-10.
Blood: It may mean a political and social and economic collapse affecting every body in the world... this collapse, as anything in Revelation, will come into our lives before we die... it came in the lives of Kennedy and Shakespeare and Marilyn Monroe... and on every person ever born, before his death.
Matthew Henry, again, mentions "upon the jurisdiction and dominion of the papacy"... it is a pity that such a well known scholar of the Bible makes this ridiculous assertion... he looks obsessed with the papacy!... open your eyes, the many Henrys around!... I pray for you, please, pray for me. Thanks...
Like the first plague on Egypt (Ex.7:17)
Every living thing in the sea died... in the second trumpet, a third of the living creatures in the sea died (Rev.8:8-9).

Third Bowl:

16:4- The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.

5- Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: "You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged;

6- for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve."

7- And I heard the altar respond: "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.".

On he rivers and springs: Like in the Third Trumpet, the rivers and the fountains are the most intimate parts of ourselves, our feelings and emotions and our very strength and ideals... in the 3rd Trumpet they became bitter, here they become blood, like the first plague on Egypt (Ex.7:17-19)... The blood may mean that persons die with desperation...

Here, Matthew Henry has the obsessive audacity to mention "the Jesuits, who, like streams, conveyed the venom and poison of their errors"... without any reason or evidence at all!...  The Jesuits number today 23,570. Only in the area of New York there are 539 Jesuit priests, who conduct 1 University, 3 Colleges, 7 High Schools, 4 Retreat Houses, 8 Parishes, the Society for the Blind, chaplaincies in several hospitals and prisons, and many publications... is this what Mr. Henry calls streams of venom and poison?... and it is not something of the past, "conveyed", but it is today!.

I heard the angel: In verses 5-7, the angel praises the Holy One for sending these Plagues because true and just are your judgments.
As the 7 Trumpets came about because of the prayers of the saints (Rev.8:4), the 7 Plagues came about because of the prayers and sufferings of the victorious, the martyrs (Rev.15:2, 16:6)... the martyrs under the altar of Rev.6:9, means the "altar response" of verse 7...
The reason for the judgement is given here, they shed the blood of the saints, one of the most heinous crimes that man can commit... but the mercy of God wants to forgive them, as He did with Paul, Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief (1Tim.1:13)...
... We should never forget that all these catastrophes are mainly calls to repentance, as the angel of the next two Plagues will specifically state, but they refused to repent and glorify him (Rev.16:9,11).

Fourth Bowl:

16:8- The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire.
9- They were scorched by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.

The sun, as always in the Bible, is Christ Himself, the light of the world... the sun that clothed the woman in Rev.12...
The same sun of the Fourth Trumpet... but the nature of the Trumpet was darkness... here it is intense heat, Jesus is pouring all the fire of his love to the world... but instead of repentance, they cursed the name of God!... and refuse to repent and glorify him... they become obsessed, unreasonable…  obstinate,  hardened beyond repentance, like Pharaoh or Judas, unable to see the truth, the real light of Jesus in His Church...
... Satan blinds the heretics and unable them to feel the immense love of Jesus in the Eucharist and the glorious life of Christ within us... the real way and the truth and the life who is Jesus Christ in person in us!... in Person in us!... it is mind boggling, but it is just that: Jesus in Person in you and me!.

Here, again, Matthew Henry has the ridiculous audacity to call the sun "some eminent prince of the popish communion", without any evidence or reason, obsessed with the Pope and the Church... open your eyes, if you think as Mr. Henry.

Fifth Bowl:

16:10- The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony
11- and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

The Throne of the Beast is where heresy is!... Revelation points out exactly where the prostitute sits: Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages (Rev.17:15).
It is the swarm of locusts of the Fifth Trumpet... the Mormons, and the Jehovah Witnesses, and the Moonies, and the Adventists, and the New Age, and the Christian Science Church, and the Church of Scientology, the Children of God, the Church Universal and Triumphant, the Worldwide Church of God, and the Branch Davidians of WACO, and the People's Temple in Jonestown, and the many other heretic denominations...
... Only this time, in the Plague, they were plunged into darkness and   men gnawed their tongues in agony... they realize they go nowhere with their heresies... they are not proclaimed as rulers of mankind, they don't become the god of the world... and they are plunged into darkness, in complete disarray... and they end up doing what verse 11 says.... simply horrible, the work of Satan!.

Again, Mr. Henry, in his unreasonable obsession, calls "Rome itself" the seat of the beast... he forgets about the Mormons, and the Jehovah Witnesses, and the Moonies, and the New Age...

Sixth Bowl:

16:12 - The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.
It is the same river Euphrates of the Sixth Trumpet... in he Trumpet it was the symbol of the Abominable Desolation of Mt.25:15 .. in the Sixth Plague is also the Abominable Desolation with new insides, as it is usual of Revelation, already described in the Sixth Trumpet and in the Two Witnesses .

16:13 - Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. -
This is the first mention of the false prophet who is the beast out the earth, because he is the one who performed the miraculous signs on behalf of the beast in 13:13, and deceived the inhabitants of the earth in 13:14, and is destroyed in 19:20.
Frogs, as in the second plague on Egypt (Ex. 8:3), are connected with plague.
The unholy trinity of Satan, beast and false prophet.
- From the mouth of the dragon came the river of lies with which he tried to overwhelm the Church (12:15).
- From the mouth of the beast, political power, came blasphemous pretensions to deity (13:4,8).
- From the mouth of the false prophet came wonders and signs to make people worship the political beast (13:12-15).
They do the same as the man of lawlessness will in 2.Thes.2:9-10, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.

16:14 - and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.    See Armageddon, and 16:16.

16:15 - Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." -
A warning to the Church: Christ is coming soon... to you and me exactly the day of our death... and we have to be ready at all times, because he comes as a thief (Mat 24:43, 1.Thes.5:1, 2Pet.3:10, Rev.3:2).
This is the third of seven blessings in Revelation. Take a look at the 7 Blessings.
The clothes: The whole armor of of of salvation at all times (Eph.6:11-18).
- Some go around naked, they don't even think in God. The naked Laodiceans who are counseled to buy white clothes to wear to cover their shameful nakedness (3:17-18).
- Others go shamefully: With public sins.

16:16 - Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
The only place in the Bible where the word Armageddon appears. See Armageddon, and 16:14

For Matthew Henry most of this Plague is about "the Turks" and "the downfall of popery" in his obsession with the Pope... There is much more to it... and of course, the Abominable Desolation will come at the end of times, and today, in your life and mine, before we die!... it is written!.

Seventh Bowl:

16:17 - The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" -
Into the air: Where Satan is, the prince of power, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph.6:12, 2:2).
"It is done!: As Jesus said when he completed his redemptive work, It is finished... It is done will appear again in Rev.21:6, in the 7th cycle of Revelation, it is the same one with different insides, presenting the new heaven and the new earth and the new city, as it is usual in this Book.

16:18 - Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.
The same activities of God appear over and over in Revelation, in the different cycles, showing that the judgment of God comes from God personally:
- The Vision of the Throne in heaven 4:5.
- In the Vision of the Altar and Prayers 8:5.
- After the two witnesses go to heaven in a cloud 11:13.
- After the seventh trumpet is sounded 11:19.
- The seventh bowl 16:18.
This earthquake is the Great Tribulation, For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be as described by Jesus himself in Mat.24:21.
You and I will have this earthquake in our lives... there is no way to rich Easter Sunday but passing before through Good Friday, our earthquake!... and the earthquake of the end of times.
It is similar to the Sixth Seal in 6:12-14.

16:19 - 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.
The Great City was introduced in Rev. 11:8, but Babylon the Great here... Revelation will dedicate to Babylon, the Great City, chapters 17 and 18... here only the results of the Great Tribulation on her are mentioned.
- Split into three parts: Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants... and  the cities of the nations collapsed, Christianity as a whole looks death in every city and nation all over the world, Jesus has died!... this is at the end of times, but it will occur in the history of salvation of your life and mine, soon!, just before our death... be ready!.

16:20 - Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. -
As in the sixth seal of 6:14, in which every mountain and island was removed from its place, the heresies, cults, sects, denominations will not be found.

16:21 - From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.
The huge hailstones are the symbol of the Antichrist as in Rev.11:19 when they were mentioned to introduce the Two Beasts of Rev.13...
But here, of 100 pounds each, wow!... a most dreadful plague of the soul, a spiritual punishment, more dreadful and destructive than all the rest... it will be at the end of times, and at the end of your life and mine... get ready!.
Because people did not repent, instead they cursed God... you and I should not blaspheme ever, instead, always give thanks to God with joy, at all times, in any circumstance... to praise God when things go right is great, to praise God in the sickness and failures of life it is divine!.
This plague of hailstones corresponds with the seventh plague on Egypt (Ex.9:22), and the judgement of God (Josh.10:11, Ez.38:22).

Sixth Great Vision of Revelation
Sixth Cycle

Sixth Vision... Sixth Cycle (chapters 17 and 18):
- Babylon the Great (chapter 17)
- Judgment of Babylon the Great (chapter 18)
- Armageddon: The Lord of Lords in the White Horse (19:11-21)
The Triple Alleluia- The Wedding of the Lamb- The Two Suppers (chapter 19).

Picture

Babylon the Great
Chapters 17 and 18

Babylon and the Beast
Who is the Woman, Babylon the Great?...
A political power like the Rome of the Emperors...
... not a church!... not the Catholic nor the Protestant churches!.
Hints of Revelation to identify Babylon and the Beast
Importance of Babylon the Great
Who is the Woman Babylon of the End of the World?
Communism... Islam... America... Europe...

Babylon and the Beast:

In Revelation 17 there are Two Characters:
1- The Woman, Babylon the Great, of 17:1,5.
2- The Red Beast, on which the Woman sits, of 17:3.

For the Christians to whom Revelation was written it was easy to identify them:
1- The Woman, Babylon, was the city of Rome of that time.
2- The Red Beast was the Emperor of the Empire... who proclaimed himself "god", and was killing the Christians in horrible diversions, throwing them to the lions.

However, there is a deepest meaning, because Revelation is using the term Babylon and not Rome... so, it does not apply only to Rome and the Emperor but also to those ungodly empires of the future, like Hitler's in Berlin and Stalin's in Moscow, of which Rome and the Emperor were just an example, and culminating with the Antichrist of the end of times (the end of time and space), the end of the world.

And most important, you and I will have the Woman and the Beast in our lives, before out death, which is the end of times of our lives, the end of time and space for us, because in Heaven and Hell there is no time nor space... time and space are only the ingredients of our limited time on earth to reach eternity... in Heaven and Hell we live like in our imagination, we can be at all places and at the same time, only there it is not imagination, but for real!.

Who are the Woman and the Beast for us?:

1- The Woman, Babylon the Great:

The Woman, Babylon the Great, is a city (17:18), who sits on many waters (17:1), and the "waters", like the sea in Rev.13:1 represent a "political institution", not a religious one which is represented by the earth with the False Prophet in Rev.13:11... and these "waters", explains Rev.17:15, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.

Babylon, like the beast from the sea of 13:1 is clearly a political power.... as the first century Rome who destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem and persecuted and tried to destroy the Church of Christ throwing the Christians to the lions... as natural Babylon in the past who, again, destroyed the original Temple and brought natural Israel into captivity.

So, one thing is for sure: Babylon the Great is not any religious institution or church... It is a political, social and economic institution or power or empire seating in a specific city, like Berlin, Moscow, New York...

The Catholic Church has erroneously been related with Babylon... and it is a great biblical error: Babylon is not a religious power but a political power!... look rather to Communism or Islam with their destruction of Christian temples and their persecution and killing of millions of Christians all over the world, Islam for centuries!...

There is no biblical evidence to back up the 19th century Protestant claim that vilified the Catholic Church as the Babylon of Revelation 17.

Now a days, most Protestant commentaries don't even mention the Pope nor the Catholic Church in relation with Babylon, including Matthew Henry who was so obsessed with the Pope and the Catholic Church in his commentary of the Plagues... because Mr. Henry knows pretty well that Babylon the Great is a political power, not a religious one.

But Matthew Henry, in his obsession with the Pope, still injects the Papacy as becoming the possible eight king of Rev.17:11, the eight political power of the empire, by stating, "this beast, the papacy, makes an eighth governor, and sets up idolatry again"... impossible, Mr. Henry!, nobody can even imagine the Pope becoming a political power today!.

Though most Protestant commentaries on Revelation today must be praised on their view of Babylon the Great, I believe their leaders still owe an apology to the Catholic Church for the past slanders, repeated over and over... and they should effectively teach in their churches that the the Pope and the Catholic Church was erroneously slandered on this subject... because millions of Protestants, out of ignorance, still relate today  the Pope and the Catholic Church with Babylon... God Bless you.

An example of these slanders is The Scofiel Reference Notes on Revelation 18: "Two "Babylons" are to be distinguished in the Revelation: ecclesiastical babylon, which is apostate Christendom, headed up under the Papacy; and political babylon, which is the Beast's confederated empire, the last form of Gentile world-dominion"... No, Mr. Scofiel!... there are not "Two Babylons" in the Revelation, but one Babylon!... your quotation is biblically incorrect... and on top of it, that one Babylon is a political power, not an ecclesiastical power... your slander to the Papacy is against any biblical evidence.

The Catholic Church does not have the spirit of the Antichrist but of God, since no one without the Spirit can say "Jesus is Lord" (1Cor.12:3), something the Church and Catholics always have done and continue to do!.

In St. John's letters (1 John 4:3, 2 John 1:7), is the only place in the Bible where the word "antichrist" appears, and he tells us that the spirit of the Antichrist denies the Incarnation (the Son of God becoming man) and thereby also the Trinity (the Father and the Spirit, too). This is the spirit of the Antichrist!...
... And there is not a single text in 2000 years, including the new Catechism of the Catholic Church, where the Catholic Church, her popes, her bishops, her official teachings, her saints, or her acknowledged ecclesiastical authors, deny the Word-made-flesh or the Blessed Trinity... Instead, all of Christianity owes the preservation of these Truths to the Catholic Church, whose great Councils formulated them and whose saints and popes have defended them to this day, often at the cost of martyrdom.
... The present pope, John Paul II, has written three great encyclical (circular) letters on the Trinity, one for each Divine Person, and he has without a doubt preached Jesus Christ to more people than any other person in human history, including St. Paul and Jesus Himself. http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/whore_of_babylon.htm

However, still the Adventists, and each one of the 6 million members, claim the rest of the Christians, 2,100 millions, are of the Antichrist because they celebrate Sunday as the Lord's Day, instead of Saturday... every Catholic or Presbyterian or Pentecostal is of the Antichrist, and, every Pastor, and bishop, and Billy Graham and the Pope, of course!…
... It is curious to notice that all the Adventists celebrate Saturday as he Lord's Day, not even one Adventist read in the Bible what other 2,100 million Christians do. Why at least one Adventist do not celebrate on Sunday the Day of the Lord?. It is not because they read it in the Bible or in the history of the Church since its beginnings, but because their leaders say so. And if anyone claims otherwise, he is expulsed from that church. See The Lord's Day.

... And it is not only those who celebrate Sunday, but also those who celebrate Christmas, the Santa Clause, who use Christmas trees, Easter, Easter bunny's and eggs, St. Valentines day, Halloween, the 40 days of lent... those who wear wedding rings, or those who teach the Trinity, the immortal soul, eternal Hell... you may read the full list on http://www.localline2.com/~nicholas/666-CHAR.htm#14.

Hints of Revelation to identify Babylon and the Beast:

Babylon is especially important because it affects the whole world... With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries (17:2).

In old biblical times, Babylon, "confusion" was a city of confusion because of the tower of Babel; because of the Chaldeans, soothsayers, magicians, superstitions and all that would fall in the category of spiritual wickedness. It is "spiritual Babylon," and it is still a "city" of confusion.

The historical Babylon was the pagan power which persecuted the People of God, the Jews, between 610 and 538 BC, destroying the Temple, dispersing the people, and bringing them captive to Babylon. The Romans inherited that mantle of infamy when they destroyed the Temple in 70 AD, and more importantly persecuted the new People of God, the Church. Thus, St. Peter, writing from Rome refers to as "Babylon" (1Pt.5:13) - a name any Jew or Christian familiar with the Old Testament would know.

Ancient Babel or Babylon was the root of all heathen religion. When men tried to build their religious tower independently of the true God, they soon found other gods to worship; and the evil heathen influence spread to the surrounding countries as well. In the end these other gods surrounding ancient Israel led to her downfall and captivity.

The Bible says that Babylon will be quickly and violently destroyed (Is.13:1, 14:27, Jer.50-51) ... but the ancient city of Babylon was never destroyed.  It simply diminished slowly over the years. Today it is but an ancient city of ruins in the middle of nowhere in Iraq. So, the ancient city of Babylon cannot be the Babylon referred to in these two chapters.... which Great City is it?

Revelation gives us many hints for its identification:

1- She is a Great City (17:18)... like the Rome of the Emperors of the first century who destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem and persecuted and tried to destroy the Church of Christ throwing the Christians to the lions... as natural Babylon in the past who, again, destroyed the original Temple and brought natural Israel into captivity
2- The great prostitute, who sits on many waters... "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. (17:1,15).
3- With her the kings of the earth committed adultery (17:2)... Reigns over the kings of the whole world (17:18).
4- The inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries (17:2).
5- The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries (17:4, 18:16).
6- On her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of earth's abominations (17:5)... well visible on her forehead!... obvious to anyone.
7- I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints (17:6)... In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth (18:24)... Her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes (18:5).
8- The great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified (11:8)... As Sodom, with immorality and wickedness, As Egypt, with oppression and slavery, as Jerusalem, with persecution, where the prophets were killed and Jesus crucified.
9- Sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns... like Rome sitting on the Roman Empire.
10- The same beast destroys her, The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.(17:16), like Rome burned by Nero and destroyed by the Roman Empire itself!.
11- It has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every foul spirit, a haunt of every foul and hateful bird (18:2)... sorcery, witchcraft, divination, devil worship, satanism...
12- A rich merchant's place: And the merchants of the earth have grown rich with the wealth of her wantonness... The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more-- cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.(18:3, 11-13, 15)
13- A city of splendor and feasts, theater, opera, parties... Your riches and splendor...  O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! (18:14,16)... they are the same as those of 17:4... they are not just the red hats of bishops!...The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters (18:22).
14- She is a seaport,  "Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off... all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! (18:17,19). New York, Tokyo, San Francisco, Hong Kong are seaports... Rome, Moscow, Paris, London, Berlin are not...

2- The Red Beast, on which the woman sits:

Revelation gives several hints for its identification:

1- A scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns (17:3)... The beast is the Antichrist, the same First Beast  of Rev.13:1... the Dragon of Rev.12:3..
2- The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. (17:8).
3- - The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. (17:9,10).
4- The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. (17:11).
5- "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. (17:12)... They will get ready and fight at Armageddon for the beast (17:13-14).
6- The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.(17:16).

Importance of Babylon and the Beast Today:

Babylon is especially important because it affects the whole world... It is something which corrupts and contaminates the whole Christian world. As natural Babylon in the past destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem and brought natural Israel into captivity, Spiritual Babylon now brings spiritual Israel into captivity... and as the first century Rome destroyed again rebuilt Temple and persecuted and tried to destroy the Church of Christ...

Revelation 17 presents the city of Rome as the Woman, Babylon the Great... and the Emperor in the Roman Empire as the Beast.

Now, some people believe that Babylon is every church, sect and denomination except their own... but Babylon is not a church, but a political and religious empire, like Babel was... including the world's power, and riches, and economy, and trade, and religions, and the world's commerce and culture... http://www.wcg.org/lit/prophecy/babylon.htm

... And, like in the ancient Babel, it will promote both:
1- All kind of the most horrible sins to seduce the world away from God... mainly the Abominable Desolation of destroying the temples of Christ, and, with it, the eternal sacrifice... replacing the trust in God for the trust in the world, in money, power, honor... with injustice, hate, lies, all that appeals to the flesh... adultery, abortion, homosexuality, life in lust, with all kind of evil pleasures, promoting alcohol, drugs, sexual perversions...
2- The Demons of Babylon: It will be a heaven for sorcery, divination, horoscope, magic, witchcraft, devil worship, satanism... Seeing the rise of devil worship and witchcraft is clear that the ancient prophesies about Babylon are unfolding before us.

... Of course, Masons, illuminati, new world order, and any kind of evil secret society will be involved with joy... and the promotion of all kind of evil eastern and western cults... and the the New Age, with all kind of crystals, magic, divination, witchcraft, devil worship...

Who is the Woman Babylon of the End of the World?

Is got to be similar to the ancient Babylon and to the Rome of the Emperors.

The historical Babylon was the pagan power which persecuted the People of God, the Jews, between 610 and 538 BC, destroying the Temple, and with it, ended with the eternal sacrifice, dispersed the people of God, and brought them into captivity to Babylon...

Roman and the emperors destroyed again the rebuilt Temple in 70 AD, and with it, again, ended with the eternal sacrifice, which is the Abominable Desolation, and persecuted and killed the new People of God, the Church, throwing the Christians to the lions...

Berlin and Hitler was a possibility, but it is gone!... just a micro symbol of the real Babylon to come.

Communism, with Stalin and Moscow was another possibility... and a more serious one... the temples were destroyed, and with them the eternal sacrifice, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, was ended, Christians were persecuted and deported to Siberia and killed...
And with Moscow and Stalin, the other 10 horns: Mao in Beijing, China... Fidel Castro in Havana, Cuba... East Berlin in East Germany... Poland, Yugoslavia, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Estonia (Estonskaya), Lithuania (Litovskaya)...
But it is gone!... or is it?... or is it the beast whose fatal wound would be healed of Rev.13:12, or the eight head of Rev.17:11?... somehow Communism is popping up today in Venezuela with Chavez, in Colombia with the guerrillas, in Peru with the fighters, in Argentina with the economic collapse... and it is being promoted in Africa, Asia, and Europe with the new kind of Christians who live as pagans without God... with a new kind of cry of "God has died!".

The whole Europe has been mentioned as a revival of the Roman Empire, with Russia as the head
http://homepages.msn.com/SpiritSt/revelation13/Europe.html

Islam has been a perennial symbol of Babylon for centuries, either by Arabs, Moors, or Ottoman Turks:
- In Africa, there were 500 Christians bishops, among them St. Augustine, but Mohammed came, and in the 7th century they were reduced to just 8 in a few years... and with the bishops, the Christian temples were gone, and the eternal sacrifice, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass... and they are still gone!... and Christians were humiliated, persecuted and killed...
- In Spain, Islam reigned for 800 years, the temples and eternal sacrifice gone, Christians persecuted and killed...
- The same fate suffered Portugal for 600 years, Greece for 500 years, Sicily for 300 years, Serbia for 400 years, Bulgaria for 500 years, Romania for 400 years, Hungary for 150 years... Italy, Austria, Bosnia, Croatia, Wallachia, Albania, Moldavia, Armenia, Georgia, Poland, the Ukraine, and eastern and southern Russia were all battlefields where Islam conquered or was conquered in violent conflicts marked by cruelty, bloodlust, and a fearful loss of life, spread over considerably more than a thousand years... and in all places, Christian temples and the eternal sacrifice were gone... until Islam was finally stopped in Spain by Isabel and Ferdinand, and in France by Charles Martel.
- Today, Terrorism is a main weapon of Islam, with the suicide bombers among other things, in the Middle East, in America, in so many places...
Would it be Islam the final Babylon?...
Islam: Wars, Terrorism... the too many Hitlers!    War on Terrorism, contingency planning

The United States of America has been vilified lately as the Babylon of modern times... but in the USA Christian temples have never been destroyed, the eternal sacrifice of the Mass has never been abolished, Christians are not persecuted nor killed... and the USA has been one the most generous countries in history: Germany and Japan were defeated, and the USA poured so much money on them  that after a few years both were beautifully reconstructed and both of them even became leaders of the economical and industrial countries in the world... the same thing is going on in Aphganistan: In a few years it will be the envy of its neighboring countries, with a progress and comfort they never even dreamed to have...
The vilification of the USA is based on the assumption that American money, culture, music and the Hollywood movies are eating up the whole world into moral decay... and America is driven by the "love of money," which is the root of all evil (1Tim.6:10, Hebrews 13:5). And because Revelation is talking about a country that is considered the greatest commercial profit center of its time, and no other nation can even be compared to its great wealth today...
... But these are not the basic facts of Mystic Babylon, but the Abominable Desolation of destroying the temple and the eternal sacrifice, and the persecution and killing of Christians...
Another point is made about New York City as the Rome of the Roman Empire, a port city, the location of the United Nations, Wall Street, and the Reserve Bank where all the gold of the world is kept, including the gold of Russia, Cuba, China... the city of trade, commerce, diversions... the city of all languages and races and nations...
... Again, this is true, but far away from the basics of Babylon the Great of Revelation 17.
http://www.newwine.org/Sabbath3/Rev_f.htm
http://www.calvaryprophecy.com/babylon.html
http://www.angelfire.com/rant/watchman2001/MysteryBabylon.html

Jerusalem: It is argued that it was not Rome, but Jerusalem, the Great City of Rev.17, because Jerusalem killed the prophets and crucified Jesus, quoting Rev.11:8: The great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified... and that Jerusalem may be the Babylon of the end of the world.
... The first assertion is true, as a symbol of the ancient Babylon, but the last one has not biblical nor actual common sense evidence.
http://members.aol.com/johnprh/whore2.html
http://www.preteristarchive.com/Preterism/preston-don_p_03.html

The Catholic Church:
It has been vilified as Babylon the Great almost since the beginning of the Reformation, and it is completely wrong and anti-biblical, as it was mentioned before.

The Protestant Reformation:
Many Protestant Denominations do not have the eternal sacrifice which is the essence of the Abominable Desolation, the first step of the Antichrist for the first 3.5 years. They don't have altar, nor sacrifice, nor priests to offer it... they actually don't have "temples", but "synagogues", which mean "halls of meetings", without Tabernacle... and a hall of meetings without Tabernacle is not a Temple of God.
Many Protestants use the Inquisition as a handy stick to beat the Catholic Church, but they also tend to forget The Protestant Inquisition: King Henry VIII of England took the lives of some 72,000 Catholics, many of them cruelly tortured, while the grand total of persons killed by the Inquisition in 331 years were an estimated 3,000 to 5,000. Queen Elizabeth I, proved herself the former's daughter by putting to death more people in one year than the Inquisition had done in 331 years!

Babylon for You and Me today:

You and I are going to suffer the bad experience of Babylon just where we are, before our death... the neighbors and friends and the whole environment may try to steel from us the temple of God, the altar, the eternal Sacrifice of the Holy Mass, which is the essence of the Abomination of Desolation.... someone may  try to get us away from the love of God, from the total trust in the Lord Jesus... we may be hated or ridiculed or rejected or persecuted or killed... what a glory!... Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets (Lk.6:22-23).

Chapter 19

The Quadruple Hallelujah

The Wedding Supper of the Lamb

Armageddon:
The Lord of lords on the White Horse

The Original Picture

The Quadruple Hallelujah

1

After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,

2

for his judgments are true and just; he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants."

3

Once more they cried, "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever."

4

And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!"

5

And from the throne came a voice crying, "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great."

6

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.

Three Hallelujah song by the Great Multitude, one, in response, by the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures of Rev.4.

The first Hallelujah, sung by the Great Multitude of Saints in Heaven, the same one as in chapter 7... this is the way Revelation goes, repeating the same subject in different cycles. Chapter 7 was in the second cycle, now in the sixth cycle.
And they sing because salvation and glory and power belong to God: It is the same triple song of glory to the Trinity of Rev.4, again, in a different way: Salvation from the Father, glory to the Son, power of the Holy Spirit.
The Church us to sing it, Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit... the song of the Angels and Saints in Heaven, the one we will be singing day and night without ceasing for all eternity, says Rev.4:8.

The second Hallelujah, comes from the same Multitude and for the same reason: The great harlot has been judged, for ever and ever.

The third Hallelujah comes from the response of the 24 elders of Rev.4.

The fourth Hallelujah comes again from the same Multitude of Saints in Heaven, For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.

The Wedding Supper of the Lamb:

7

Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;

8

it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure" --for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

9

And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are true words of God."

10

Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God." For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

The Lamb marries the Church... you and me!... in Heaven... dressed with white purity... because in Heaven can not enter anything with sin... only those who are pure and immaculate, like Virgin Mary (Eph.1:4).

Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb... This is one of the 7 blessings of Revelation, and what a great blessing for you and me!... You may read the other blessings in Rev.14.

There are Two Suppers in this chapter:
1- The Wedding Supper of the Lamb (19:7-10).
2- Come, gather for the great supper of God... come to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great."... (19:17-18)... I pray you and I are invited to the two suppers!.

Armageddon- The Lord of lords on the White Horse:

The Armageddon of the End of Times, of the End of the World.

The word Armageddon or Har-magedon is mentioned in the Bible only in Rev.16:16., Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

This battle occurs at the Second Coming, which is referred to in the previous verses (Rev.16:14-15).

It is the great final battle between the King of Kings and the trilogy of the Antichrist of Rev.16:13: The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.

Revelation deals with it in Rev.17:14, 19:19 (11-21), and 20:8-9... in 4 of the 7 cycles of Revelation, as it is usual in the Book...  this last battle appears also in Zech.14, Joel 3, Ez.37, 38, and Psalm 2:2, 'The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One'.

This chapter, in Rev.19:11-21, is the place where it is best described... the battle of the Lord of lords with his Saints in Heaven, against Satan and his followers... Jesus is now getting help!... as usual!... every evangelist is a co-redeemer with Christ, helping people to go to Heaven, Hallelujah!... every father and mother are the first evangelists when they teach their children about Jesus... it there are not missionaries, some people in Africa and Asia will never even heard the word "Jesus".

1- The Preparation:
19:11- I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.
12- His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself... The Loving Savior?
13- He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God... The blood at Calvary.
14- The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean... it is the Great Multitude of Rev.7:9, already in Heaven... and I shall have also my white horse to be with Jesus, and to visit all the mountains and the deep of the oceans, and the stars, and the atoms...
15- From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty... this is the sword of his justice, it is his rod of iron!... See Commentary of the Sword and the Rod
16- On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords... as in Rev.17:14.

2- The angel calling to watch the massacre, the great feast of God:
19:17- Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly in midheaven, "Come, gather for the great supper of God,
18- to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great."... watch and rejoice the defeat of the flesh, the total defeat of worldly life. See the Two Suppers.

3- The Battle and results of this Armageddon:
19:19- And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who sits upon the horse and against his army.
20- And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had worked the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur.
21- And the rest were slain by the sword of him who sits upon the horse, the sword that issues from his mouth; and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

3b- The results of Armageddon on Satan,  the Beast, and the False Prophet:
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever (Rev.20:10).

3c- The results of Armageddon on those who followed the Beast:
"If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." (Rev.14:19-11)... Those who worship the beast will join the beast!. (Rev 19:20, 20:15, 21:8).

Armageddon in our Lives on Earth:

The Great Battle of Armageddon has been already won for us at Calvary, and it is our victory, right now!. This is how Paul puts it:
He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins...  having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Col.1:13, 2:14-15).

You and I will have our Armageddon at the end of our lives on earth... we have to expect Armageddon, and most important, be always ready for it... because it will come when least expected...

... We have to appropriate the victory of Jesus which is our victory... we just have to believe in Jesus, to trust in Him every second of our lives, and do whatever he tells us to do, among other things:
- Baptize ourselves in His Church to live in Christ, in His Mystical Body (1Cor.12)... and Christ in us (Gal.2:20).
- Receive Him daily in the Eucharist, our daily bread of Matt.6:11... because Jesus said several times: "I am the bread of life... Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink" (John 6:35, 48, 51, 53-55, 58).
If we believe in Jesus, but we don't do what he tells us to do, we are cheating ourselves, we just don't believe in Jesus!... it is like if we say we believe in our Doctor but we don't take the medicines he gives to us... we actually don't believe in our Doctor!.

I was at "Mount Magedon", which is the meaning of "Armageddon or Har-magedon"... "Har" means "mount"... "Mount-magedon".
It is located in the cross roads of the North and South of Israel, and it is now just an elevation, a small mount, like the Mount of Beatitudes.
The city on the top of the Mount was destroyed over 20 times, more times that Jerusalem! (2K.9:27, 2329, Judg.5:19)... Now it is in ruins, with many archeological studies going on....it is the place where the enemies of Israel were routed led by Deborah (Judg.5:19), and in the valley of Megiddo Josiah was slain.
"Armageddon" was the proverbial place for "Battle" at the times of Jesus and John.
This picture of the Valley of Megiddo was taken at the top of Mount Magedon.

Armageddon, as Paul teaches, was already won for us at mount Calvary, praise the Lord!.

The Armageddon of the End of Times, of the End of the World

Seventh Great Vision of Revelation
Seventh Cycle

The White Throne, Enlarge

Seventh Vision... Seventh Cycle (chapters 20 to 22).
- The Millenium and the Great White Throne of Judgment (chapter 20).
- Vision of Heaven: The New Jerusalem, a new heaven and a new earth (chapters 21-22).
- Revelation and the Bible ends with "Maranatha": "Come, Lord Jesus"... "Yes, I am coming soon"... the day of our death, for you and me, praise the Lord!... Maranatha was the glorious shout of joy for the first Christians... it should be for you and me.

Millennium

The word "Millennium" only appears in the Bible in Revelation 20, and 7 times!... and this chapter 20 is one of the most controversial of the Bible, and one of the less understood.

To understand it properly, two facts should be considered:

1- The Order of the End of the World given by Jesus himself in Matt.24-25.

2- Revelation has 7 Cycles, and Chapters 20-21-22 are the seventh Cycle of Revelation… each cycle is a general view of the history of salvation, but each one emphasizing different aspects of Christ's   Redemption…
In the Book of Revelation, chapter 20, for example,  does not follow in time after chapter 1 or 9… chapters 1-2-3 is the First Cycle of Revelation, and shows the whole view of the Redemption of Christ emphasized with the Letters of Jesus to the 7 churches… chapter 9 is part of the Third Cycle with the Trumpets, showing the whole history of salvation, but emphasizing different aspects of it... Chapter 20 is part of the 7th Cycle of chapters 20-21-22...

Chapter 20 of Revelation has Two main subjects:
1- The Millennium in verses 1-10.
2- The Last Judgment in verses 11-15, which is actually the way the Millennium ends.

The Millennium is mentioned 7 times in verses 1-10, ... but  actually the "Millennium" is not the central theme of these verses, but "the condemnation of Satan".

It Shows 7 facts:

1- "Satan is bound for 1,000 years" (20:1-3):

This "bind of Satan" already occurred at Calvary, as the Bible says: "despoiling the principalities and the powers, he made a public spectacle of them, leading them as captives in his triumphal procession"… "he has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son" (Colos.2:15, 1:13)… "the ruler of this world has been already condemned" (Jn.16:11).

The "1,000 years" is a symbolic number, it mean "many years", actually, since the death of Christ to the end of the World...  already 2,000 years!… and counting!… The Millennium is not to come, we are on it!

"After that he must be loosed for a little while" (20:3).

2- The Millennium of the saved (20:4-5):

Those who already died in the Lord are with Christ, they reign with Christ for these thousand years… surely the "good thief" of Luk.23:43 is not alone at Paradise with Jesus!… with him are all those who died in Christ, like Peter, and Paul, and Francis, and Therese…

3- Our Millennium (20:6):

The "first Resurrection" is by "Baptism"… and it is our Millennium now!… every Catholic when baptized is officially named priest, prophet, and king, now!… in Christ!... the "first death" is by sin, the "second death" is Hell. For those death saved in Heaven the second death has no power... of course, for those saved still alive on earth, the second death still has power... you and I, saved, are not yet in Heaven! See the two meanings of Salvation in the Bible

4- Satan released after the thousand years (20:7-9):

Satan will come out to deceive the nations, "And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be loosed from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, that is, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city"

… These are the years of the Antichrist of Revelation 13, with the Abomination of Desolation and the Great Tribulation of  Matt.24:15 and 21. See the Time of the Antichrist.

5-Armageddon (20:9b):

"And fire came down from heaven, and consumed them": Satan, the beast, and the false prophet, mentioned in the next verse 10. It is the Armageddon.

6- Satan thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur (20:10):

The eternal final place for Satan, the beast, and the false prophet, for ever and ever..

7-The Judgment of The Great White Throne (20:11-14):

It is the Last Judgment of Matt.25:31-46… with the same "measure stick" for everyone, for Catholics, Protestants, Hindus, Muslims... because God does not show favoritism... For God shows no partiality, says Paul (Rom.2:5-11)... with the measure stick of "love", of the good works done in life: By the works written in the book of life… "according to what they had done". "And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead in them, and all were judged by what they had done"... (Rev.20:11-14).
Here is mentioned again the "second death": The lake of fire, Hell!.
You may take a look at the full treatment of The Last Judgment

8- Chapters 21 and 22 are continuation of the same Seventh and last Cycle of Revelation.

Your Millennium Now!:

If you live in Christ, in His Church, and Christ lives in you, you are in the glorious Millennium right now!... with fear to nobody and to nothing, because Jesus lives in you, and He is more powerful than the Universe... and He is the Lord of the hurricanes and of the tempests... and He is within you! (Gal.2:20)... and He is the Lord of health and riches and honor... and He is in you!... alleluia!...

All the Antichrists of the world can't touch you right now!... because Jesus who is in you is more powerful than one thousand Antichrists put together (1Jn.4:4)... these words of 1Jn.4:4 go exactly after those of 1Jn.4:3, where John warns us about the Antichrist being already in the world...

... You just need to have faith in Jesus, every second of every minute of your live... in fact, these tree words are the message of every page of the Bible: "Faith in God", in the Old Testament, "Faith in Christ" in the New, which is almost the same... "Trust in Jesus", in His Divine Mercy...and it is all you have to do to live with joy and love and peace in the glorious Millennium of Revelation 20.

... And right now, you are a priest of Jesus, and a prophet, and a king, to live the life of Jesus in you, to be another Christ, humble like Jesus, healing the sick like Jesus, casting out the devils of fear, and of vices, like Jesus did... every Catholic is officially proclaimed prophet, priest, and king in his Baptism... and confirmed with the three titles in the Sacrament of confirmation.

... right now you are living in the glorious Millennium of Christ, when Satan can do nothing to you, if you are in Christ, trusting Jesus in every second of your life... and you will live this glorious Millennium for eternity in the glory of the Father, praising with joy for all eternity the Lamb standing in the center of the Throne with the power of the Holy Spirit, praise the Lord!.

Revelation 21-22

The City of Heaven

The Life and Joy of Heaven

Heaven Art Gallery

The City of Heaven

Revelation 4 and 5 shows the God of Heaven... 21 and 22 the Heaven of the saved.

Heaven is described in the Bible as a Place, as a City: "the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the New Jerusalem" (Heb.12:22, Rev.21:1-2, 10, Is.66:1-22).

We will never be able to understand and comprehend it, because the whole universe compared with Heaven is like a drop of water compared with the ocean...

However, the Bible makes a beautiful description of it for our imagination:

1- It is a gigantic, enormous city:

As big as the whole world known at that time, the whole Europe!... and tri-dimensional!:

"I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God... The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long." (Rev.21:2, 15-17)

12,000 stadia are about 1,400 miles, 2,2000 kilometers... The length of the whole world known at that time!... and the same length in high!... and it is not plane, but tri-dimensional... going up another 1,400 miles!...

2- The Walls:

Huge... and beautiful!:

"He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was using. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst" (Rev.21:17-20)

Its thickness and high was about 200 feet (about 65 meters)... you have never even heard about a foundation of a Wall made with all kind of precious stones!... not just cement or plain stones, but chalcedonies, emeralds... the most beautiful precious stones known at that time... and millions of them!...

3- Twelve Gates:

Incredible!... each gate is a pearl of about 150 feet diameter!

"It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb... The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl" (Rev.21:12-14, 21)

The 12 gates are the symbol of the 12 tribes of Israel, and the 12 apostles... it is a universal City, with people coming from the north, south, east and west...

4- The City itself is gorgeous:

Not only great and high, but shining with the glory of God... brilliant like a most precious diamond... and the street made of pure gold... like the most pure, transparent, diamond glass... and the 1,400 miles of it!... in length, wide, and high!...

"And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal... The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass"  (Rev.21:10-11, 21).

5- The Lamb is its light... the splendor... the judge:

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Rev.21:23-27)

Use your imagination!.... no night... the most splendor light!... the inhabitants are only those written in the Lamb's book of life (Rev.20:11-15, Matt.25:31-46).

Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the Queen of Heaven, because the mother of the king is the queen mother in all the kingdoms.

6- It is eternal:

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever." (Rev.22:1-5).

The Tree of Life, beside the River of Water of Life, first pictured in Eden (Gen.2:9-10)... Paradise restored!... Fullness of life flows from the the Father through the son, the Lamb, by the power of the spirit... later in Ezequiel 47:1-12, appears in his vision of Healing Waters... every desire is met in the kind of fruit available

... and Eternity!... this glorious term is so huge we will never can even imagine it, until we get into the City of God, into Heaven!... and in all of this the Lamb is focal!, praise the Lord!...

This is how John saw Heaven through an open door: In Rev.4-5

The City of Heaven!... we are citizens of Heaven... our eternal place with the fullest continuous joy.

The Life and Joy in Heaven

The Essential Life and Joy
The Utmost Joy and Happiness

The Secondary Life and Joy

1- The Essential Life and Joy:

There are two distinctions of life in Heaven:
1- The essential life and joy... he utmost joy an happiness!.
2- And the secondary life and joy: It is less important, but we can understand better something about it.

The essential beatitude or life is God alone... the possession of God, and it consists in the acts of vision, love, and joy. "They will see his face (the face of God)" (Rev.21:4).

St. Thomas holds that the metaphysical essence consists in the vision alone. For the acts of love and joy are merely a kind of secondary attributes of the vision, resulting directly from the vision

The possession of God assures us also the possession of every other good we may desire; moreover, everything else is so immeasurably inferior to God that its possession can only be looked upon as something secondary or accidental. That all else is of minor importance from the fact that nothing save God alone is capable of satisfying man.

Eternal happiness is metaphorically called a marriage of the soul with Christ. And theologians distinguish seven gifts, four of which belong to the glorified body -- light, impassibility, agility, subtility; and three to the soul -- vision, possession, enjoyment (Rev.21:2).

This mystery of blessed communion with God and all who are in Christ is beyond all understanding and description. Scripture speaks of it in images: life, light, peace, wedding feast, wine of the kingdom, the Father's house, the heavenly Jerusalem, paradise: "no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him." (1Cor.2:9).

This perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity - this communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed - is called "heaven." Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness.

See my poem: My vision of Heaven

The utmost Joy and Happiness:

We will never be able to understand and appreciate this glorious joy until we have it... but John gives us a glimpse of it... all is joy and music and songs... with the greatest orchestra ever imagined, including "billions of angels...  and every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea" (Rev.5:11,13)... and the Lamb in the center of the Throne, the Eucharistic Jesus Christ, "standing, but like sacrificed", (Rev.5:6), as the reason and cause of this great shout of  continuous and eternal joy, day and night:

We're going to have the greatest choirs, the greatest bands and symphony orchestras, the greatest music that the world has ever known. The world has never even heard music yet compared to what we're going to have there!

Do you like feasts, and joy, and songs, and music?... look how John describes it in Rev.4:8  Rev.5:6-14  Rev.7:9-17

"Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

2- The Secondary Life and Joy:

In Heaven we will enjoy many secondary blessings, that we may be able to understand better. We shall mention only a few:

1-  In heaven there is not the least pain or sadness; for every aspiration of nature must be finally realized... no sickness, no toothaches, no problems with the family or neighbors...  "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Rev.21:4).

2- We will delight greatly in the company of Christ, the angels, and the saints, and in the reunion with so many who were dear to us on earth... no vanity, no envy...We do know that we will be able to recognize our loved ones in heaven, and we will experience great joy over being reunited with them (Luk.23:42-43, Heb.12:22-23). Your real self will live on in heaven, not some shadowy part of you. You will never feel so alive as when you enter into the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem God has prepared for the saints.
One of the best things about Heaven is that we will be able to reunite with loved ones who have already passed on. It will be the greatest family reunion we've ever known, with our loved ones, relatives and ancestors all together in one place at the same time, rejoicing. All together at last!

3- Our body will be transformed, like the resurrected Jesus ... real, corporal, but no longer susceptible to disease or death. No longer governed by the laws of this universe: We can appear and disappear. We will be like Christ. Our weakness will be traded in for strength. Death for life. Humility for glory, with fullness of love and joy and peace... (1Cor.15:51-55, 2Cor.3:18)

4- Our body will be recognized by anybody... and it will be perfect!... if you died of a heart disease, you will have now a perfect heart... if you died of a car injury, with the head crushed and many fractures, now you will have a perfect head and bones... if you die very old, you will have now the strength of your youth, and the kindness of your childhood, and the wisdom of your mature years...

5- No transportation problems: You can travel with the speed of thought!: You just think you're in the deep of the ocean or at the top of a mountain and you're there!... you think you are in the Moon or in a Star, and you are there... it is just like your imagination, but for real!...

6- And furthermore: You can be in a lot of places at the same time, like God!... just like with your imagination now, but for real!... you may be in Africa and in America at the same time... you may be living in the times of Columbus and Kennedy at the same time!...
In Heaven there is no time nor space... that's what it means "the end of times" (Mat.24:3).

7- You will know and enjoy the truth of everything: The secret of the atoms, the mystery of the stars... There is going to be an extension of man's mind beyond anything we could begin to understand now. There will be an opening of understanding into the secrets and mysteries of the universe. Furthermore, in heaven there will be no fear of any kind of evil, and God will provide magnificently for His people.

8- Feasts and joys and music and singing: See before

9- For me, a very special joy will be to ride my own "white horse"... I never rode a horde, but i Heaven I am going to ride my own white horse into the deep of the ocean, and into Jupiter and all the stars and the core of the atoms...as it is written: "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True... and his name is the Word of God... The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean." (Rev.19:11,13,14).

10- Heaven will be our last move!... No baggage, no luggage, no hard journey, no packing, no long travel! It may be a long way, but it may be closer than you think!... a gorgeous mansion that isn't going to cost you anything!: No upkeep, no expense, absolutely nothing except what it's already cost Jesus!.

11- "Sin" is considered in Heaven as what it really is: "Garbage" that belongs into Hell... even a relative who died in Sin: It will be as natural to see him in Hell as we see our most intimate personal things going to the toilet without any remorse at all, rather being glad that they go to the toilet, it is garbage!.

12- Sinful acts, consequently, will be recognized in Heaven as what it is: Pure filthy garbage which belongs to Hell: Cowards, immoral sex, traitors, depraved drugs, murder, liars, magic, idolaters... read a list in Rev.21:8: "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

13- The "Crowns of Heaven": The Bible also talks about crowns and thrones and mansions and rooms in Heaven... Very special joys are granted to the martyrs, doctors, and virgins, a special proof of victories won in time of trial (Jn.14:1-3, Rev.7:11-17, 14:3-5, Dan.12:3). Hence theologians speak of three particular crowns, by which these three classes of blessed souls are accidentally honored beyond the rest... your crown depend of your works on earth, what you already paid for it down here.

Have your name put in the Lamb's Book of Life in Heaven so you'll be sure you've got your reservation confirmed for one of those mansions in God's golden Space City! (Rev.20:11-15).