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Chapter 1. *

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Revelation 1:1.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 

This revelation started with God the Father, and was given to Jesus Christ, the Son, who sent His angel (Revelation 22:6, 16; 19:10; and 22:9) to show these things to John, who wrote these things down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for us.

Notice that this revelation is something that was shortly to come to pass. This was written 2,000 years ago. In Revelation 22:6, the angel that gave this revelation said these things must shortly be done. In Revelation 22:10, the angel instructed John not to seal the words of this book, because "the time is at hand." The word "speedily" that was used in Luke 18:8 was translated from the same Greek phrase that was rendered "shortly" here.

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Revelation 1:2.
Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 

It is interesting that John never named himself when writing the Gospel that bears his name (see my notes at John 1:1, 13:23, and 20:2-4), but he did clearly mention himself as the author of this book. I guess that this was done to add some authority to this prophecy. John was the last of the original apostles, nearing 100 years of age at this time, and was probably the prominent Christian leader of his day.

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Revelation 1:3.
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 

There is a specific blessing on those who read, understand, and take heed to the things written in this book.
This is the second time in three verses where the nearness of these events is mentioned. Remember this was written nearly 2,000 years ago.

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Revelation 1:4.
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; 

The Asia of the New Testament is what we now call Asia Minor. These seven churches were listed by the Lord in Revelation 1:11. The letters to these seven churches are recorded in Revelation 2 and 3.

Notice that this book was to produce grace and peace to those who received it. This is not the case with so many people who study the book of Revelation today. Instead, many people are gripped by fear by all the prophecies of this book. That indicates they haven't accurately interpreted it. When received correctly, this prophecy gives grace and peace to the hearers.

"Him which is, and which was, and which is to come" is referring to God the Father. Then the next verse says this was also from Jesus Christ. So, I suspect that these "seven Spirits which are before his throne" refers to the sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Amplified Bible translated this as "John to the seven assemblies (churches) that are in Asia: May grace (God's unmerited favor) be granted to you and spiritual peace (the peace of Christ's kingdom) from Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] before His throne." Compare with Isaiah 11:1-2 (the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;).

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Revelation 1:5.
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, 

Jesus is the faithful witness. The English word "witness" here comes from the Greek word "MARTUS." This is the Greek word from which we get the English word "martyr." Jesus is a martyr unlike any other. He was not only killed for His faith, but He also rose from the dead and continued His testimony.

Jesus is the first begotten of the dead, not the only begotten. Others were raised from the dead before Jesus, but Jesus was the first Person to ever conquer death, never to die again. He is also the first begotten in the sense of importance (see my note at Colossians 1:18).

The Old Testament saints only had their sins covered. That's what the word "atone" meant. But in the New Testament, our sins aren't just covered. They are gone, washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ.

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Revelation 1:6.
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

There was a very clear separation between kings and priests in the Old Testament. King Uzziah was struck with leprosy because he tried to do what only priests could do (2 Chronicles 26:16-20). But the New Testament believer is both a king and priest. That is something no O.T. believer had. We are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).

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Revelation 1:7.
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. 

The second coming of the Lord will not be a secret thing. Every eye on earth will see Him. Matthew 24:27 says, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."

Therefore, anyone such as the Baha'is, who say that Jesus came back the second time secretly and found things so bad that He left again and now they are waiting on His third coming, are dead wrong.

Notice the mention of the One coming with clouds as having been pierced. This is speaking of Jesus' crucifixion, where His hands and feet were nailed to the cross (John 20:20 and 27) and His side pierced by the Roman spear (John 19:34).

Today many people deny and defy Jesus. But when He returns in His glory, they will be singing a different tune. There will be no arguments or excuses. They will know they are wrong, but it will be too late. Even so, so be it.

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Revelation 1:8.
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.

Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet. Jesus is the first and the last, the beginning and the end, and everything in between. Jesus is everything.

Revelation 1:7 clearly identifies the one speaking as Jesus. It refers to the fact He had been pierced. That's speaking of Jesus' crucifixion. In this verse, Jesus said He is the Alpha and Omega who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. This is exactly what was said of God the Father in Revelation 1:4. This is another proof that Jesus was God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16) and equal with God (see my notes at John 5:23 and Philippians 2:6).

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Revelation 1:9.
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

John knew what it was like to be persecuted. This verse reveals he had been exiled on the isle of Patmos, an island in the Aegean Sea, about twenty miles south-southwest of Samos and twenty-four miles west of Asia Minor. Most scholars believe this happened in the reign of Domitian at the earliest around A.D. 85 to 95. See my note at Revelation 17:10.

Tradition has it that John was exiled to Patmos (see my note at John 1:1) after they had tried to boil him in oil and he didn't die. After Domitian died, John returned to Ephesus, where he died a natural death around 100 years of age.

John was exiled because of the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 19:10 says that is the spirit of prophecy.

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

John was focused on and being controlled by the Spirit. This is speaking of being more sensitive to the Spirit than his physical surroundings. It could be describing a trance, or vision, as Peter had (Acts 10:10).

The Lord's Day is probably referring to the first day of the week, or Sunday, when Jesus was raised from the dead (Mark 16:9).

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Revelation 1:11.
Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 

In Revelation 1:8, the Alpha and Omega is referred to as the Almighty. That's a term for God the Father. Here, this same Alpha and Omega is referring to Jesus. This is a clear statement of the Oneness of the Father and Son.
Our Lord Jesus specifically instructed John to write these things down for us. He intended this revelation to be understood (Revelation 1:1 and 3).

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Revelation 1:12.
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 

The seven golden candlesticks symbolize the seven churches of Asia (Revelation 1:20).

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Revelation 1:13.
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 

The word "paps" is referring to the breasts. See Luke 11:27 and 23:29.
John was one of Jesus' twelve disciples. He knew Jesus as very few did. But this is the resurrected Jesus. He is now in majesty and He's different.

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Revelation 1:14.
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 

The physical body that Jesus inhabited during His earthly ministry was not especially impressive. Isaiah 53:2 says, "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." All that is changed here, as Jesus appears in His glory.

A hoary head (white hair) is a crown of glory if it is gotten in the way of righteousness (Proverbs 16:31). Jesus certainly got His white hair in righteousness.

It must have been awesome to look directly into these eyes. John had seen Jesus thousands of times before but not like this (see my note at Revelation 1:17).

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Revelation 1:15.
And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 

Brass burning in a furnace would be glowing white.
A voice as the sound of many waters would be like the roar of Niagara Falls.
This is very similar to the One who appeared to Daniel in Daniel 10:6, giving the impression that Daniel's messenger was none other than Jesus (See also Revelation 2:18).

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Revelation 1:16.
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 

The seven stars were the angels (ministers) of the seven churches (Revelation 1:20). The "sharp twoedged sword" was the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12).

You can't look at the sun, shining in its strength, for very long without it destroying your eyes with its brightness. I'm sure John was relating that it was hard to look on Jesus for the glory streaming from Him.

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Revelation 1:17.
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 

This was a common occurrence when people were in the awesome presence of God (Daniel 8:18, 10:8-9; and John 18:6).

Remember that this same John leaned on Jesus' bosom at the Last Supper (John 13:23). That was the same Jesus at the Last Supper as this resurrected Jesus. The only difference was that in John 13:23, the true deity of Jesus was veiled by the physical body He inhabited. In this instance, Jesus had His glorified body and His true self was more evident. Here, John was prostrate before Him, overwhelmed by His majesty and glory.

This is what Paul was referring to in 2 Corinthians 5:16 when he referred to knowing Jesus after the flesh at one time but not knowing Him that way anymore. The twelve apostles knew Jesus in a physical way, but they didn't come close to knowing the full extent of who He was. Judas' actions prove that. In many ways, the physical presence of Jesus hindered truly knowing Him.

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Revelation 1:18.
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 

This leaves no doubt as to who this was. Jesus is the only One who was dead and then raised from the dead physically, never to die again.

Jesus said He had the keys of hell and of death. Keys signify power and authority. The one with the keys is the one in control. Jesus now has power and authority not just in heaven but in heaven, earth (Matthew 28:18), and even hell. He has conquered death (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

Notice that Jesus said "Amen" to His own statement. The word "amen" means "properly, firm, i.e. (figuratively) trustworthy; adverbially, surely (often as interjection, so be it)" (Strong's Concordance). The fact that Jesus rose from the dead never to die again is firm and trustworthy. Amen!

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Revelation 1:19.
Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; 

This divides the book of Revelation into three major parts: 1) that which already has been, i.e. the vision of Jesus John had just seen; 2) that which is, i.e. the instructions to the seven churches of Asia; 3) and that which shall be hereafter, i.e. Revelation 4:1-22:21.

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Revelation 1:20.
The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

The seven candlesticks are the seven churches of Asia detailed in Revelation 2-3. The seven stars are the seven pastors of those churches. The Greek word translated "angels" here is "ANGELOS," and it means "a messenger, especially an 'angel'; by implication a pastor" (Strong's Concordance). It's possible that the pastor of the church at Ephesus was Timothy, since Timothy was the pastor there at one time (see my note at 2 Timothy 4:22).

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Chapter 2. *

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Revelation 2:1.
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 

Ephesus was a major city in Asia Minor (see my note about Ephesus at Acts 18:19).
In each of these messages to the seven churches, one or more characteristics of Jesus standing among the seven candlesticks that John saw in the first chapter is mentioned.

Some scholars have estimated the Ephesian church to be between 50,000 to 100,000 strong. The Ephesian church was a hub of Christianity until the fourth century. There was a major church conference held there in the third century.

Timothy was the senior pastor at Ephesus at one time (see my note at 2 Timothy 4:22). It's not certain that he was the pastor being addressed here, but it's possible.

Since the seven stars symbolized the seven pastors of the seven churches of Asia (see Revelation 1:20), this is saying that Jesus holds these seven pastors in His right hand. And He walks in the midst of the seven churches.

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Revelation 2:2.
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 

What is the difference between "works" and "labour" in this verse? By looking at the Greek words from which these English words were translated, it appears to me that "labour" is describing the hardships encountered in the "works."

This pastor was praised for not bearing or tolerating those who are evil. This was a good thing. Many pastors and Christians today would think this pastor was not compassionate enough. In our politically correct world, it's not acceptable to be against anything. But that's not God's standard. We are to hate evil (Proverbs 8:13). We love the sinner, but we hate the sin.

The Lord was telling the pastor of the Ephesian church that it was a good thing that he had tried those who claimed to be apostles and had found them to be false. So, we don't just accept a person as an apostle without it being proven in their life.

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Revelation 2:3.
And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 

The things this pastor had done were awesome. Very few could live up to all these good works. But the thing the Lord rebuked this pastor for was not what he had done but what he had not done. He had walked away from his intimacy with the Lord. The Lord wants our hearts more than our service. If He gets our hearts, He will get all of our service.

In the next verse, the Lord began to reprove this pastor for losing his first love. But notice that the Lord mentioned all the good things he had done before He got to the thing he hadn't done. This is a good way for us to approach correcting someone. If we would list all the good things first, it would help us and them.

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Revelation 2:4.
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 

This illustrates 1 Corinthians 13. It doesn't matter what we do; if we don't have love, we are nothing. This pastor was exemplary in most ways, but he had left his first love.

Most of us would be satisfied with someone who served us so well, but that's not the case with our Lord. He saved us so He could have intimate, personal relationship with us (see my notes at John 3:16 and 17:3). That's God's goal for salvation. That isn't exclusive to eternity. He wants that relationship with us now. Although this pastor was acting well, he wasn't loving the Lord well.

Our love for the Lord matures over time, just as it does with our mates, but it should never lose the passion and fervor we had in the beginning. Lord, help me stay passionate about You.

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Revelation 2:5.
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 

In Revelation 2:4, the Lord had told this pastor he had left his first love. Here, he was telling him how to get it back: remember. Memory is a powerful force. If we would go back and remember all the good things the Lord has done for us and how we loved Him for those things, our first love would return. See my note at Romans 1:21.

Notice how the Lord was going to correct this pastor if he didn't repent. He would remove the candlestick out of its place. In the first chapter, Jesus explained that the candlestick was the church (Revelation 1:20). This is saying that the Lord would remove the people from under him. The Lord would lead the people to leave that church.

This is the way church correction is to be administered. If problems can't be resolved, then the only scriptural thing to do is leave. It is not God's will to vote the pastor out or split the church. Just leave and that will be a very effective correction.

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Revelation 2:6.
But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. 

Most scholars believe this sect was named after Nicolas, one of the seven deacons appointed by the church for the administration of the widows (Acts 6:5). They believe these were people who had taken the principle of grace to an extreme that allowed all types of immorality as Christian liberty.

Proverbs 8:13 commands us to hate evil. The Lord commended this pastor for doing this (see my note at Revelation 2:2).

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Revelation 2:7.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

In Revelation 2:1-6, it was the pastor of the church at Ephesus who was addressed. But Revelation 1:11 and this verse indicate this was sent to the whole church. So, it was for the whole church to read or know, but the instruction was specifically to the pastor. The church body needs to know what the Lord is saying to their pastor.
The Tree of Life is mentioned again in Revelation 22:2 and 14. It is supposed this is the same Tree of Life that was in the Garden of Eden, which the Lord drove man from so they wouldn't eat of it and live forever (Genesis 3:22-24). Revelation 22:2 specifically mentions that the leaves from this tree are for the healing of the nations.

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Revelation 2:8.
And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; 

When Ignatius was on his way to martyrdom in Rome, he wrote to Polycarp, whom he called the bishop of Smyrna (A.D. 108). This was approximately twelve years after John's writing here. Therefore, it's possible that Polycarp could have been the pastor of Smyrna that John was writing to here. Another early Christian writer who said he spoke with Polycarp said the Apostle John was the one who set Polycarp in as the bishop of Smyrna.

Smyrna was located about forty miles north of Ephesus (see my note at Acts 18:19) on the Aegean Sea in what today is called Turkey. It was an ancient city and renowned for its paganism.

It is interesting that the Lord didn't mention anything at all about the terrible condition of the town. Instead He praised this pastor for the good job he was doing.

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Revelation 2:9.
I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 

This pastor was suffering persecution for his godly actions (2 Timothy 3:12). It can be assumed that his poverty was related to this persecution. But he was rich in spiritual things, and that's what really counts. The Lord called him rich. God doesn't see things the way people do (1 Samuel 16:7).

This is not a corrupted man speaking as a bigot. This is the Lord God Almighty calling zealous, religious Jews those who are of the synagogue of Satan. It's not bigotry to tell people the truth. There is no doubt that this was offensive to Jews then and now, but it's the truth. The truth will make you free (John 8:32).

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Revelation 2:10.
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 

Notice that it was the devil casting them into prison, not the Lord. And notice that some of them would die. The Lord would not deliver them. We are not always promised deliverance from persecution (2 Timothy 3:12, see my note at 2 Corinthians 12:7). But we are promised the Lord's strength in the persecution and a reward for those of us who remain faithful.

It's hard to know if this is a literal ten days that some of them would be cast into prison. Many scholars interpret these seven churches as symbolic of seven periods throughout church history. I'm hesitant to do so. I think that when things in Scripture are symbolic, it's obvious that they are symbolic.

Some people would think that getting a crown of life in exchange for being faithful to death isn't a good trade. But that's because they are shortsighted. Looking at things in the light of eternity, a crown of life, where we will live forever in the awesome glory of God, is more than enough reward for enduring physical death for the cause of Christ. But carnal man, who only thinks that what they see is real, will always be afraid of losing this physical life.

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Revelation 2:11.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

This was a promise to those who would be martyred. They would not have to face the second death. It will help us in the face of potential death to remember that there are two deaths (Revelation 20:6, 14; and 21:8). If we deny our faith in the Lord to avoid the first death, all we will do at best is delay it and ultimately face the second death. But those who remain faithful to the Lord, even at the cost of their physical lives, will never face the second death, which is eternal separation from the Lord. If we look at things in the light of eternity, this is a no-brainer.

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Revelation 2:12.
And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; 

This was written to the pastor of the church at Pergamos (see my note at Revelation 1:20).
Pergamos was a royal city that had many of the splendors associated with royalty. There was a "library, containing 200,000 volumes. Here were temples of Zeus or Jupiter, Athene, Apollo and Aesculapius" (Smith's Bible Dictionary). Jesus said it was where "Satan's seat is" (Revelation 2:13).

Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12 show this sharp, two-edged sword is the Word of God.

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Revelation 2:13.
I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. 

This is now the third pastor and church addressed in this chapter (first - Ephesus [Revelation 2:1-7] and second - Smyrna [Revelation 2:8-11]) and the second one who was reproved by the Lord for something being wrong. Out of these seven churches and pastors, only two were not rebuked and told to correct something (Smyrna [Revelation 2:8-11] and Philadelphia [Revelation 3:7-13]).

Pergamos was apparently a very wicked place, to be referred to as Satan's dwelling place twice in this verse. And the Lord made special mention of Him knowing the situation this pastor was in. But that didn't excuse his failings. There is victory available to us in whatever situation we find ourselves in (2 Corinthians 2:14).
None of the commentaries I read knew anything about Antipas except what is stated here.

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Revelation 2:14.
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 

Some people think Balaam's great sin against the Lord was going to curse the Israelites. But this verse makes it clear that his counsel to Balac, which taught Balac how to get the Israelites into sin (Numbers 25:1-3), was his real transgression. Moses said this same thing in Numbers 31:16.

The Lord's contention with this pastor wasn't over something he had done personally but something he allowed in his church. This is very enlightening as to how the Lord views the responsibility of pastors. They are accountable not only for what they do but also for what they permit. This is not to say pastors have to absolutely control everything and everyone, but they should speak out against the things the Lord is against.

Eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols and then resold in the marketplace was a big issue in the early church, and it occupied Paul's attention in 1 Corinthians 8-10. Paul's judgment was that technically, there was nothing wrong with eating meat that was used in pagan sacrifices, because the idol was not truly a god (1 Corinthians 8:4).

But because not everyone had that knowledge, eating meat that had been previously used in idol worship would defile some people's consciences (1 Corinthians 8:7) and therefore cause them to perish (1 Corinthians 8:11). Paul concluded, therefore, that believers who knew the truth should prefer their weak brothers over themselves and not do such a thing (1 Corinthians 10:28). If someone ate of meat used in idolatry by mistake, it was okay (1 Corinthians 10:25-27) because actually, it was just meat. But when they were aware that this meat had been used in idolatry, they shouldn't eat so that they wouldn't offend others.

Here, our Lord Jesus Himself weighs in on this matter. He considered it worth a rebuke to this pastor who allowed people in his church to do and teach that it was okay to eat this meat that had been used in pagan worship.

These people were not only teaching others that it was okay to eat meat used in idolatry, but they also taught that fornication was okay. Some may wonder how this could happen, but the same thing is going on in the church today. Pastors are not teaching the words of Jesus about marriage and divorce. The church has become as liberal as the world on the justification for divorce.

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Revelation 2:15.
So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. 

See my note at Revelation 2:6.
God is love (1 John 4:8). But notice that there are things He hates. Anyone who truly loves another will hate anything that comes against the one who is loved. That's the way God is, and that's the way we should be (Proverbs 8:13 and Romans 12:9).

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Revelation 2:16.
Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 

Notice that the Lord wasn't going to fight against this pastor. The Lord would fight against those who held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. The Lord is saying, "You judge them or I will." If pastors truly love their people, they will deal with their sins (Leviticus 19:17) not in a condemning way but in a helpful way, the Lord corrects like godly parents correct their child. See my notes at 1 Corinthians 5:12-13.

How would the Lord fight against these people? It was with the sword of His mouth, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). The Lord corrects us with His Word (see my notes at 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Hebrews 12:6-8).

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Revelation 2:17.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Jesus said that He was the manna of God (John 6:48-58). This is a promise that those who overcome will live by the life Jesus gives them.

This stone that we each will receive will have our new name written on it, and no one will understand it but us. A very personal relationship will exist between every believer and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

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Revelation 2:18.
And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; 

According to Smith's Bible Dictionary, Thyatira was about twenty-seven miles from Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6). Lydia, Paul's first convert in Philippi (Acts 16:14-15), was from Thyatira.
John described Jesus as looking like this in Revelation 1:14-15.

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Revelation 2:19.
I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. 

This is very similar to the reproof given to the pastor of the church at Pergamos (see my note at Revelation 2:14). This pastor was commended in this verse for the things he and his people did. But in the next verse, he was rebuked for what he allowed.

This clearly shows that it's not only important what we do, but we are to be salt and light to the world (Matthew 5:13-16). The Lord holds us accountable for affecting those under our influence. For a pastor, this means accepting the responsibility for being the bishop or shepherd of the souls of the flock (1 Peter 5:1-4).

At the end of this verse, the phrase "and the last to be more than the first" is referring to the fact they were increasing in their godly actions. Other translations bear this out. The Amplified Bible says, "And that your recent works are more numerous and greater than your first ones." The New International Version says, "And that you are now doing more than you did at first." The Message says, "You get better at it every day."

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Revelation 2:20.
Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 

This pastor was doing wonderful things. He was full of good works and charity and growing in the grace of God all the time (Revelation 2:19). But Jesus rebuked him because he hadn't taken a stand against a false prophetess who was teaching His people to commit fornication and eat things sacrificed to idols. This was the same doctrinal error the pastor of the church at Pergamos was rebuked for (see my note at Revelation 2:14).

The woman who called herself a prophetess was called Jezebel by Jesus. I doubt that this was her real name. That name had been forever disgraced by the wife of Ahab who was a very wicked woman. I doubt that any parents would name their daughter Jezebel.

The Old Testament Jezebel manipulated her husband, Ahab, into being a very wicked king (1 Kings 21:25). She outlawed the true worship of God in Israel, killing the prophets of the Lord (1 Kings 18:13 and 2 Kings 9:7).
She orchestrated the death of Naboth just so her husband could occupy his land (1 Kings 21:7-14). Elijah cursed Jezebel in 1 Kings 21:23, and the curse came to pass in 2 Kings 9:30-37.

The Lord's use of the name Jezebel to describe this false prophetess says volumes of what He thought of her.

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Revelation 2:21.
And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 

Despite the wickedness of this false prophetess (see my note at Revelation 2:20), the Lord extended mercy to her by giving her space to repent. But she wouldn't do it. This shows the power of repentance. If she would have repented, this judgment would have been averted.

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Revelation 2:22.
Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

I believe this is speaking of spiritual adultery. The Lord is going to let her go for a time, and those who join in with her will be punished with her. Even as Jesus pronounces judgment on this false prophetess and her disciples, He mentions they could avert this punishment if they repent. God is gracious and long-suffering but not "forever suffering."

For these people to come under the wrath of God means they were not true believers (see my note at Acts 5:5). The believers' sins, including their punishment, were placed on Jesus (see my notes at John 12:32; Hebrews 9:12, 10:10, and 14). God judges unbelievers, but as believers, we are supposed to police ourselves (see my notes at 1 Corinthians 5:12-13).

In Matthew 13:37-43, Jesus taught there would be tares, or unbelievers, sown among the true believers. I believe this Jezebel was one of those tares. See my note at Matthew 13:37.

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Revelation 2:23.
And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. 

Notice that it is the children of Jezebel who will be killed. This is speaking of those who are begotten by her. There might be some who have been affected by her, but they wouldn't be killed. It is those who bought into her lies.

This isn't describing chastisement of which all true believers partake (see my notes at Hebrews 12:5-10). This is judgment from which believers have been redeemed (see my note at Revelation 2:22).
This same effect came after God's judgment on Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:11).

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Revelation 2:24.
But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. 

This pastor was not going to be judged, but people in his church were. The fact that the Lord said He had "a few things against thee" (Revelation 2:20) to this pastor means he had some responsibility in this issue. If he had countered this error earlier, perhaps Jezebel or, certainly, many of her disciples would have been warned and not suffered this judgment. There is a grave responsibility on ministers to speak out for the Lord. People's lives depend on it.

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Revelation 2:25.
But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

Notice that this pastor and the faithful in Thyatira were told to hold fast to what they had. That would have been an unjust command if they couldn't do it. Therefore, we can maintain our faith in the Lord. It's up to us. (see my note at Romans 1:21) (see also Luke 19:13).

Obviously, the Lord did not come back during the lifetime of this pastor in Thyatira. So, what did Jesus mean?
Was He referring to the time He would come to execute the judgment He had pronounced on Jezebel and her disciples (Revelation 2:22-23)?

Jesus said, "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father" (Mark 13:32). Is it possible that the risen Christ didn't know the exact time He would return and was giving the instruction to remain faithful till He came, whenever that was?

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Revelation 2:26.
And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 

Saints will judge the world (1 Corinthians 6:2). I'm not sure exactly how this will work, and my reading of commentaries implies no one else does either. But there will be nations outside of the New Jerusalem in the new earth (Revelation 21:1-2 and 24-27), and those who have been faithful to the Lord will be given power over nations.

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Revelation 2:27.
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 

Here, Jesus is sharing with those who are faithful to Him the same commission that God the Father gave Him (Psalms 2:8-9; Revelation 12:5, and 19:15).

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Revelation 2:28.
And I will give him the morning star. 

Jesus is the bright and morning star (Revelation 22:16). He will give Himself to those who have given themselves to Him.

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Revelation 2:29.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

This is speaking of spiritual hearing. See my notes at Mark 7:16 and 8:17.

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Chapter 3. *

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Revelation 3:1.
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 

In other words, this pastor's reputation was greater than his true character. Reputation is our value in the market. Character is our value in the sight of God.

Sardis was around sixty miles northeast of Smyrna (see my note at Revelation 2:8) and twenty-seven miles from Thyatira (see my note at Revelation 2:18). Smith's Bible Dictionary says that "the art of dyeing wool is said to have been invented there." This city was originally the residence of the kings of Lydia. When Cyrus the Persian conquered this city around 548 B.C., he was supposed to have taken $600 million in treasure from this city.

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Revelation 3:2.
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 

Jesus had given a stinging rebuke to this pastor in Revelation 3:1, yet here, He encouraged him to strengthen that which he still has. The Lord's rebukes are never self-serving. He corrects us for our benefit (Hebrews 12:5-10).
The Greek word "GREGOREUO," which was translated "watchful" in this verse, means "to keep awake, i.e. watch" (Strong's Concordance). This is like those on bunker duty. They have to stay alert to keep the enemy from overrunning their position. Likewise, we must stay alert to keep from losing the things we have received from the Lord.

The very fact that the Lord told this pastor to do this shows it can be done. He wouldn't give an impossible command. There are simple things we can do to stay full of God's love and power (see my note at Romans 1:21).

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Revelation 3:3.
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 

The Lord is telling this pastor to remember in the hope that it would cause him to repent. Memory is a powerful tool when directed by the Holy Spirit. See my note at Romans 1:21.

The Lord's coming to this pastor would not be for judgment. Jesus bore this pastor's judgment (see my note at John 12:32). But this pastor would lose his rewards if he didn't repent and the Lord came while he was in that state (see my note at 1 Corinthians 3:15).

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Revelation 3:4.
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

It is only our faith in what Jesus did that makes any of us worthy (Ephesians 2:8 and Titus 3:5). These white garments are the righteousness of the saints (Revelation 19:8). This righteousness comes as a gift (Romans 5:17). We saints don't make these robes; they are given to us. But we can defile them.

This righteousness is in our born-again (see my note at John 3:3) spirits (see my notes at 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Ephesians 4:24). Our spirits cannot be defiled, because they are sealed (see my note at Ephesians 1:13), but our souls and bodies can be defiled, giving the devil an inroad into our lives (see my note at Romans 6:16). When that happens, we need to turn from what we've done and confess or agree with the Lord. Then the righteousness that is in our perfect spirits (see my notes at Hebrews 10:10, 14; and 12:23) comes out into our flesh and purges it from all unrighteousness (see my note at 1 John 1:9).

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Revelation 3:5.
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 

See my note about the white raiment at Revelation 3:4.
Notice that Jesus said He would not blot out their names from the Book of Life. That means their names were written there, and He wouldn't remove them. It appears that the Lord has written everyone's name in the Book of Life because of what Jesus did (1 John 2:2). But if a person doesn't receive what Jesus did for them, then their name will be blotted out?

This makes it an even greater tragedy when people go to hell. They had Jesus pay for their sins; it was already done, but they just didn't accept it. Their names were in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:12-15 and 21:27), and they removed them by their rejection.

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Revelation 3:6.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

See my note at Mark 4:9.

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Revelation 3:7
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 

This is only one of two pastors of these seven churches who were not rebuked–the other being the pastor at Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11).

Jesus addressed each of the seven churches (Revelation 1:11) and described Himself by one of the attributes John saw in Revelation 1:11-18. To the pastor at Ephesus, He spoke of having the seven stars in His right hand and walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (Revelation 2:1). To the pastor at Smyrna, He spoke of being the first and the last (Alpha and Omega) and coming back from the dead (Revelation 2:8).

To the pastor of Pergamos, Jesus identified Himself as the One with the sharp sword with two edges (Revelation 2:12); i.e., the Word of God. To the pastor of the church in Thyatira, He said He was the One with eyes like fire and feet as burning brass (Revelation 2:18).

Here, He came to the pastor of the church at Philadelphia and identified Himself as the One who is true and has the key of David. To be consistent with all the other instances, this should be referencing something that John saw or heard, and recorded in Revelation 1:11-18. It appears to me this is just a different way of stating that He had the keys of hell and of death (Revelation 1:18).

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Revelation 3:8.
I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 

Jesus knows each one of our works. And as revealed with His statements to the other pastors of the seven churches, He knows the heart attitudes behind our works too (see my note at Revelation 2:4).

This pastor had a good heart that produced good works. Because of that, the Lord opened a door for him that no one, not even the devil, could close. Paul spoke of a great and effectual door being opened to him (1 Corinthians 16:9). In Paul's instance, it appears this was speaking of a door of opportunity to minister the Gospel. We can assume it is the same or similar here. Opening a door does no good unless we walk through it.

Notice he had "a little strength." This wasn't the strongest saint ever. But if we keep loving the Lord and doing what we know to do, the Lord can take little and turn it into much (Mark 6:41-43).

This pastor kept Jesus' word and didn't deny His name. These two things go hand in hand. We can't deny His name without rejecting His words. And conversely, if we always adhere to Jesus' words, we won't deny Him. Jesus is the Word (John 1:1 and 14). We can't have relationship with the Lord if we reject His Word.

Jude described denying the Lord God as turning the grace of God into lasciviousness (Jude 4). So, it appears to me that this pastor had not gotten into some of the heresy the other pastors were rebuked for, which centered around using grace to justify sin.

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Revelation 3:9.
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

A true Jew is not just a Jew by birth but is one that has the faith of Abraham. Romans 2:28-29 says, "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." The body of Christ, i.e., those who are true believers in Jesus–is made up of the true Jews.

This is not to say that all prophecies and promises made to the Jews are now fulfilled in the church and the Jews are not God's people. There were and still are prophecies made directly to the physical descendants of Abraham that are still valid. Many prophecies about the end times are centered around the physical nation of Israel. But there are also things spoken of the Jews that are now fulfilled in the body of Christ.

Jesus was speaking about people who were Jews by birth and were claiming relationship with God by genealogy as being, in reality, of the synagogue of Satan. Likewise, there are people in the church today who are claiming relationship with God by their good works instead of only their faith in what Jesus did. They are not true members of the church but members of Satan's church.

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Revelation 3:10.
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

This "hour of temptation" will come upon "all the world." This is hard to understand, how the things the church at Philadelphia experienced would be a trial that comes upon all the world. Those who use these churches symbolically to represent the church ages say this is promising the end-time church that they will not go through the Great Tribulation but will leave in the Rapture before that time. I'm suspect of that interpretation. If you use this passage to make that point, then you can make the Word of God say anything you want it to say.

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Revelation 3:17.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 

This sounds a lot like the modern-day American church. We have lots of money and material possessions, which have led many to believe we are in need of nothing. But as a whole, the church can't heal the sick, comfort the afflicted, or save the lost; nor do they care. That sounds to me like spiritually we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

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Revelation 3:20.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

This is a beautiful picture of what happens at the initial invitation of Jesus into our lives. But in context, this is speaking to Christians. These Christians may have had God in their hearts, but they had shut Him out of their souls and daily lives.

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Revelation 3:22.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 2 and Revelation 3 are written to the pastors of the seven churches of Asia (Revelation 1:11). Of the seven pastors, only the pastors of the church at Smyrna (Revelation 2:8) and this pastor of the church at Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7) were not rebuked for anything. Three of the other pastors (Ephesus - Revelation 2:1, Pergamos - Revelation 2:12, and Thyatira - Revelation 2:18) were personally commended for their good work, but they had things that needed to change.

The pastor of Ephesus had left his first love and needed to return (Revelation 2:4). The pastors of Pergamos and Thyatira were personally okay, but they were allowing people to teach error in their churches and were warned about that (Revelation 2:14-16, 20).

The pastors of Sardis and Laodicea were rebuked for their personal errors. The pastor of Sardis was serving the Lord in name only. He was a hypocrite (Revelation 3:1-2). The pastor of the church at Laodicea was lukewarm (Revelation 3:15-16). He was well-off financially but poor spiritually.

That translates to 28.5 percent of these pastors doing a great job. Forty-three percent of the pastors were doing a good job but needed to rein in those in their churches who were in error. And 28.5 percent were really bad. Things haven't changed much in 2,000 years.

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Chapter 4. *

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Revelation 4:1.
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. 

I read seven other translations of this verse, and all of them specifically related this voice as being the voice John had heard before in Revelation 1:10; i.e., Jesus (Revelation 1:11). So, this was Jesus who told John to "come up hither."

In Revelation 1:19, the Lord broke this book up into three parts: that which was, which is, and which is to come. It looks like this verse begins the "that-which-is-to-come" part of this revelation.

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Revelation 4:2.
And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

Paul spoke of a man who had been caught up into heaven, but he couldn't tell if he was caught up in his body or if this took place in the spirit (2 Corinthians 12:2-3). But John clearly stated he was in the spirit.
John was caught up to the throne of God and began to describe what heaven is like.

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Revelation 4:3
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. 

This is, of course, God the Father. And the glory that surrounds His throne is a rainbow, which is the glory of God (Ezekiel 1:28).

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Revelation 4:4.
And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. 

Most scholars believe the twenty-four elders comprise the whole church of Jesus, both Old and New Testament saints. Of course there were twelve tribes of Israel in the O.T. and twelve apostles of Jesus in the N.T. (Matthew 19:28 and Luke 22:30). So, adding these two groups together gives the number twenty-four.

These twenty-four elders completely surrounded God's throne.
This white raiment is the righteousness of the saints (Revelation 19:8).

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Revelation 4:5.
And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

These lightnings, thunderings, and voices came out of the throne. This must be an awesome sight (compare with Exodus 19:16-20 and 20:18-20).

These seven lamps are explained as standing for the seven Spirits of God (Revelation 3:1). But what are the seven Spirits of God? The Old Testament tabernacle had a seven-candle lampstand that we have come to call the menorah, which is the Hebrew word for candlestick (Exodus 37:17-24). In Revelation 5:6, Jesus had "seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God."

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Revelation 4:6.
And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

This sea of glass appears again in Revelation 15:2.

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Revelation 4:7.
And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

This sounds like the description of the cherubims of Ezekiel 1:10; 10:14, and 21.

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Revelation 4:8.
And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 

This is like the description of the cherubims of Ezekiel 10:21, but differs from the description of Ezekiel 1:6. See my note at Revelation 4:7.

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Revelation 4:10.
The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 

Since the four beasts cease not, day and night, to cry "holy, holy, holy" (Revelation 4:8), then the twenty-four elders are continually falling down before the throne of God and worshiping the Lord.

Notice that these elders are casting their crowns before the Lord as they worship. The Scriptures do speak of crowns that we will receive (James 1:12 and Revelation 2:10), but that doesn't mean there will be a class system in heaven. I believe that just like these twenty-four elders, we will throw our crowns down before the Lord, knowing that He is the only One who is worthy (Revelation 5:2 and 12).

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Revelation 4:11.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Notice that the reason all things are and were created is for the Lord's pleasure. Many things changed after the fall of man, but God's purpose for creating us is still the same. We were created for His pleasure.

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Chapter 5. *

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Revelation 5:3.
And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

The phrase "neither under the earth" appears to be speaking of those who are in the midst of the earth in hell (see my note at Ephesians 4:8). The Amplified Bible's translation of this verse confirms this: "And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth [in the realm of the dead, Hades] was able to open the scroll or to take a [single] look at its contents."

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Revelation 5:4.
And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 

John was in the spirit (Revelation 4:2), yet he wept much. But this wasn't like the weeping we do in the flesh. This wasn't selfish or petty. This was godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:9-11), because John knew that something profound was locked within this book that he and all believers needed to know.

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Revelation 5:5.
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

This is an obvious reference to Jesus. He prevailed and gained the right to open this book by conquest. See my notes at Revelation 5:6 and 9.

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Revelation 5:6.
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

This, of course, is Jesus (see my notes at Revelation 5:5 and 9), but in John's vision, He is depicted as a Lamb that had been slain yet was alive. Revelation 13:8 reveals Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

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Revelation 5:7.
And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

Jesus, the Lamb, took the book from God, His Father.

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Revelation 5:9.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

This is another very clear reference that the "Lion of the tribe of Judah" and the "Root of David" (Revelation 5:5), and the "Lamb that had been slain" (Revelation 5:6) are all pictures of Jesus.

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Revelation 5:10.
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

See 1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 1:6, and 20:6.

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Revelation 5:11.
And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

Ten thousand times 10,000 equals 100,000,000. Plus, there were thousands more than that. This is the number of angels John saw.

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Revelation 5:13.
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

This apparently includes the ungodly and even demonic realm. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). Even those who reject or ignore Jesus here in this life will confess Him as Lord in the next life. There will be no God haters throughout eternity. There will only be those who acknowledged too late that Jesus is Lord.

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Revelation 5:14.
And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

This is what they constantly do (see my note at Revelation 4:10).
Andrew Wommack's Living Commentary.

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Chapter 6. *

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Revelation 6:11.
And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. 

These white robes stand for the righteousness of the saints (1 Corinthians 1:30 and Revelation 19:8).

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Revelation 6:12.
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 

This sixth seal not only releases the judgments spoken of in the rest of this chapter, but also the sealing of the 144,000 and the great multitude clothed in white robes, which was recorded in Revelation 7:9, takes place before the opening of the seventh seal recorded in Revelation 8:1.

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Revelation 6:14.
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 

Islands are mountains in the sea. So this is saying that 

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Chapter 7. *

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Revelation 7:1.
And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 

Everything recorded in this chapter took place after the sixth seal was opened (Revelation 6:12) and before the seventh seal was opened (Revelation 8:1). Therefore, these events could be considered part of the sixth seal or an occurrence in between the sixth and seventh seals.

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Revelation 7:4.
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

There were twelve sons of Jacob, or Israel, as Jacob was also called (Genesis 32:28). These sons were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher (Exodus 1:1-5). The tribe of Dan is missing from this list (Revelation 7:5-8), and Joseph is given two tribes because the tribe of Manasses, or Manasseh (see my note at Revelation 7:6), belonged to Joseph (Genesis 46:20).

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Revelation 7:6.
Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.

Manasses (or Manasseh as in Genesis 46:20) was Joseph's firstborn son. He is listed as if he was one of his grandfather's (Jacob also called Israel) own sons. Jacob prophesied this (Genesis 48:5), but the original number of twelve tribes was maintained by giving Joseph two tribes and taking the tribe of Levi out of the twelve and using them as priests (Numbers 3:12, 45; and 8:14).

I suspect the tribe of Ephraim (Manasseh's brother, or Joseph's second-born son, Genesis 41:51-52) was meant by the reference in Revelation 7:8 to the tribe of Joseph.

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Revelation 7:9.
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 

White robes are the righteousness of the saints (Revelation 19:8).

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Revelation 7:13.
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

See Revelation 19:8.

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Revelation 7:14
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

See Revelation 19:8.

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Chapter 8. *

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Revelation 8:1.
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. 

This silence is in stark contrast to the loud praise of Revelation 7:9-12. After this seventh seal is removed, the book and its contents are about to be revealed. This causes a holy hush over everyone in heaven. The majesty of God is about to be revealed through His judgment on the earth in a way that has never happened before.

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Revelation 8:2.
And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. 

This seventh seal was comprised of seven trumpets. Before the seventh trumpet was blown (Revelation 11:15), there were seven thunders (Revelation 10:1-4), which were either part of the sixth trumpet or something that took place between the sixth and seventh trumpets.

Seven is a very prevalent number in the book of Revelation. There were seven Spirits that stood before God (Revelation 1:4 and 3:1). These seven Spirits of God were symbolized by seven burning lamps before the throne of God (Revelation 4:5). These seven Spirits of God were symbolized again by the seven horns and seven eyes that the Lamb of God had in Revelation 5:6.

Jesus stood in the midst of seven candles (Revelation 1:12). There were seven stars in His right hand (Revelation 1:16). These were interpreted to be the seven churches of Asia and the seven pastors of those churches (Revelation 1:20). Revelation 2-3 records special messages to the pastors of these seven churches (see my note at Revelation 1:20).

Then there were seven seals on this book (Revelation 5:1). The seventh seal on this book was seven angels with seven trumpets (Revelation 8:2 and 6). The seventh trumpet was seven thunders (Revelation 10:3-4). Then there were seven angels having the seven last plagues (Revelation 15:1 and 6-8).

The devil was portrayed as a dragon having seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 12:3 and 9). The beast of Revelation 13:1 had seven heads and ten horns. The whore of Revelation 17 rode upon a beast with seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 17:3). The seven heads were revealed to be seven mountains (Revelation 17:9) with seven kings (Revelation 17:10).

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Revelation 8:3.
And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 

This is what the symbolism of Leviticus 16:12-13 stood for. This was the prayers of the saints that made a sweet smell before the Lord (Revelation 5:8, Psalms 141:2, and Philippians 4:18; see my note at 2 Corinthians 2:16).

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Revelation 8:5.
And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 

The previous verses (Revelation 8:3-4) show that the censer and its incense were the prayers of the saints. These prayers ascended up to God, and this judgment was coming down from God to the earth as an answer to these prayers.

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Revelation 8:6.
And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

There had been a brief interlude between the opening of the seventh seal (Revelation 8:1) and the sounding of these seven trumpets. There had been a half hour of silence (Revelation 8:1), followed by the angel offering the prayers of the saints (Revelation 8:2-4), and a response on earth (Revelation 8:5). Now comes the judgment of these seven trumpets.

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Revelation 8:7.
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

This is very similar to what happened in Egypt when Moses called for hail and fire to fall (Exodus 9:18-24). Many people and animals were killed by this hail and fire in Egypt (Exodus 9:19), and thus this plague is said to be mingled with blood. Many people will die from this.

The plagues of Egypt were literal, and I have no reason to doubt these plagues are literal. One-third of all the trees on earth will be destroyed and all the green grass. This is a devastating plague.

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Revelation 8:8.
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; 

This doesn't say this was a mountain; it says this was "as it were a great mountain burning with fire." This could possibly be an asteroid hitting the seas.

The result was that one-third of all creatures in the seas were killed and one-third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed. Certainly, this literally caused the seas to be filled with blood.

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Revelation 8:10.
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

The "star" that fell to the earth in Revelation 9:1 was some created being. So, this star could likewise be some created being instead of some physical piece of rock.


The previous judgment had affected one-third of the seas (Revelation 8:8-9). Here, one-third of all the fresh water on the earth is made bitter (Revelation 8:11), killing many people.

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Revelation 8:11.
And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

This is speaking of the fresh waters on land (Revelation 8:10). One-third of all fresh water was polluted, and many people died from drinking it.

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Revelation 8:13.
And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

This is announcing that the last three trumpets will be worse than the four that sounded in this chapter.
The four trumpets of Revelation 8 were physical judgments on 1) the trees and grass (Revelation 8:7); 2) one-third of the seas, and all ships on and living creatures in that third of the seas (Revelation 8:8-9); 3) one-third of all the fresh water on the planet, which resulted in the deaths of many people (Revelation 8:10-11); and 4) the sun, moon, and stars didn't shine for one-third of the day (Revelation 8:12).

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Chapter 9. *

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Revelation 9:1.
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 

This "star" is clearly not what we would call a star. This is speaking of some being. Therefore, the star called Wormwood in Revelation 8:10-11 could likewise be some created being.

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Revelation 9:4.
And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 

The only men mentioned in this book that had the seal of God in their foreheads were the 144,000 Israelites of Revelation 7:4-8.

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Revelation 9:11
And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. 

Both the Hebrew name Abaddon and the Greek name Apollyon mean "to destroy" or "destroyer."

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Revelation 9:15
And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 

At the current population of the earth, one-third of all mankind would be over two billion people.

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Revelation 9:16
And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

This number is 200,000,000.

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Revelation 9:20
And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 

See Daniel 5:4 and 23

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Chapter 10. *

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Revelation 10:6.
And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: 

This isn't saying that time will cease to exist; this is saying that there will not be any more delay. The end has come. See my note at Revelation 22:2.


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Chapter 11. *

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Revelation 11:4.
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 

This must be the two witnesses spoken of in Zechariah 4:2-3 and 11-14.

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Revelation 11:8.
And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 

This is Jerusalem.

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Revelation 11:15.
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 

This appears to be the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:52).

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Chapter 12. *

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Revelation 12:3.
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 

Three beasts, each with seven heads and ten horns, are mentioned six times in the book of Revelation.

This is the first mention of a seven-headed beast with ten horns. This beast is called a dragon, and Revelation 12:9 clearly states this is "the Devil, and Satan." This beast is mentioned throughout this chapter and again in Revelation 13:2.

Then there is a seven-headed beast with ten horns revealed in Revelation 13:1. This beast rose up out of the sea (see my note at Revelation 17:15). The dragon of Revelation 12:9 gave this beast his power and seat and authority (Revelation 13:2).

Then there is a beast with seven heads and ten horns that the whore of Revelation 17-18 rides. This beast is mentioned four times in Revelation 17:3, 7, 12, and 16. Revelation 17:9 explains that the seven heads are seven mountains, and Revelation 17:12 reveals that the ten horns are ten kings who had not reigned yet at the time John wrote this.

Therefore, I suspect that all these seven-headed beasts with ten horns are related. And just as the seven heads were seven mountains in Revelation 17:9 and the ten horns were ten kings in Revelation 17:12, I believe the same is true for this symbolism used of the devil here.

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Revelation 12:4.
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 

This is the scripture people use to say that Satan took one-third of the angels with him in his rebellion against God. As far as I know, there isn't any other scripture they use to establish this. This seems like poor Bible interpretation to me.

Even if this passage is referring to Satan taking one-third of the angels with him in his transgression, I think he would be foolish to charge God, who still retained two-thirds of the angels. Satan would be foolish to rebel at God even if he had all of the angels on his side. Instead, I believe his rebellion took place at the temptation of Eve through subtlety, not force.

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Revelation 12:5.
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. 

This appears to be Jesus (Psalms 2:9 and Revelation 19:15) or possibly His church (Revelation 2:26-27).

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Revelation 12:7.
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 

Where did Satan (the dragon - Revelation 12:9) get angels? We can be certain he didn't create them as God created His angels. Therefore, it can be supposed that Satan took some angels with him in his rebellion against God. But as I wrote in my note at Revelation 12:4, it is hard to interpret that verse to say that one-third of God's angels rebelled with Satan.

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Revelation 12:9.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 

This verse clearly shows that Satan had other angels that rebelled with him and were cast out to the earth.

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Chapter 13. *

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Revelation 13:1.
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 

The seven heads and ten horns of this beast are explained in Revelation 17:7-12. The seven heads are seven mountains (Revelation 17:9) with seven kings (Revelation 17:10). Five of the seven kings ruled prior to John's vision, one was ruling at the time of John's writing, and one was yet to come (Revelation 17:10). Then the beast of Revelation 13:1-4 was the eighth king (Revelation 17:11). The ten horns are ten kings who will reign with the beast and give their support to the beast (Revelation 17:12).

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Revelation 13:2.
And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 

Satan, the dragon (Revelation 12:9), was behind this beast and his kingdom. The kingdom of this beast is not ordained of God. Therefore, all that this chapter says that the beast will do is what Satan has empowered him to do. Satan has never done anything perfectly yet, and this kingdom will not be able to perform all that Satan wants him to do either. People will resist and overcome the beast. See my note at Revelation 15:2.

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Revelation 13:5.
And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 

Forty-two months is three and a half years.

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Revelation 13:6.
Note on Revelation 13:6
This beast was the product of Satan. Thus, he opposed God. Those who blaspheme God are likewise a product of Satan and are at opposition to God. That's what's in their hearts (Matthew 12:34-37).

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Revelation 13:7.
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 

Who gave this beast the power to make war with the saints? Revelation 13:2 and 4 make it very clear that Satan was the one empowering the beast. So, this power isn't absolute. No doubt, many saints will be overcome, but there will be those who escape through the power of God. This verse also says the beast is given power over every kindred, tongue, and nation, yet there will be armies that oppose him.

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Revelation 13:8.
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 

This beast will be a religious and political world leader.

This Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world, is Jesus (Revelation 5:6-9). Notice He was slain from the foundation of the world. This clearly reveals that the Lord knew exactly what man would do with the free will He gave them and He knew He would sacrifice His Son to redeem mankind back to Him, before He ever created man. This is amazing. This not only shows us the foreknowledge of God, but it also reveals just how much He loves and values us.

If we knew someone would hurt us as we have hurt the Lord and it would cost our only son to fix the situation, we would never have created them. That's because we look at all the negatives. But Jesus looked at the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2); i.e., you and me–those who He knew would accept His sacrifice.
God values us so much that all the suffering sin has caused God and the whole human race is worth it just to have us as His children. That's amazing! We can't wrap our brains around something like that, because we don't place the same value on us that God does.

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Revelation 13:9.
If any man have an ear, let him hear. 

John is sounding a warning to all who read his writings so they will not fall into this trap of worshiping the beast.

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Revelation 13:10.
 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 

The saints are able to persevere because they believe the truths expressed in this verse. Whatsoever a man sows, that is what he will reap (Galatians 6:7-9). The godly believe they will be rewarded for their commitment to the Lord, and the ungodly will be punished for their rebellion. There is coming a day of reckoning. This knowledge keeps us on track.

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Revelation 13:11.
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 

Horns were symbolic of kings in Daniel 7:24 and 8:20 and also here in the book of Revelation (Revelation 17:12).

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Chapter 14. *

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Revelation 14:5.
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. 

This doesn't say they were without sin. All have sinned and come short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). But they had turned to the Lord, received forgiveness, and were walking holy before Him.

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Revelation 14:6.
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. 

These verses reveal a quick succession of three angels making proclamations. This angel preaches the Gospel to all on the earth. The second angel proclaims the destruction of Babylon. The third angel issues a warning against taking the mark of the beast.

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Revelation 14:7.
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 

This is taking place during the time on the earth that most people call The Great Tribulation. The beast and false prophet are ruling and causing unprecedented iniquity to abound. But I'm sure some repent at the proclamation of this angel.

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Revelation 14:10.
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 

God's wrath being poured out without mixture is speaking of that wrath being full strength, without being diluted.

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Revelation 14:13.
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 

This verse makes it very clear that there will be true believers in the Lord during this time.

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Revelation 14:15.
And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 

This is a direct quote from Joel 3:13. Reading the context of Joel 3:13 will give more insight on what is happening here.

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Revelation 14:20.
And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. 

A horse's bridal is about three feet high. Six hundred furlongs is more than 200 miles. So many people will be slain that the blood will be around three feet high for 200 miles.

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Chapter 15. *

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Revelation 15:2.
And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 

Satan gave the beast power to rule over and oppress all people on earth, but he couldn't pull it off (see my notes at Revelation 13:2). These are people who overcome the beast.

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Chapter 16. *

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Revelation 16:12.
And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 

This possibly is the result of the fourth angel's vial that causes great heat on the earth (Revelation 16:8-9). This could be drought that causes this river to dry up.

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Revelation 16:18.
And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 

This is such a great earthquake that every island and mountain disappears (Revelation 16:20).

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Revelation 16:21.
And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. 

A talent weighed about seventy-five pounds. This is unprecedented.

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Chapter 16. *

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Revelation 16:12.

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Chapter 17. *

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Revelation 17:1.
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 

This is one of the obvious metaphors or symbols in the book of Revelation. This is not talking about a little woman but a false religious system that has polluted the whole world.

The "many waters" is symbolic of many people, or multitudes of people (Revelation 17:15). This is describing how many, many people have been corrupted by this false religious system.

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Revelation 17:2.
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 

James called being friends with the world spiritual fornication (James 4:4). This is the same point being made here. Kings of the earth have willingly participated in these false religions, symbolized here by the whore, because of the advantage it gave them.

And just as being drunk is senseless, likewise, false religion has dulled masses of people to reason. They blindly believe superstitious things that any reasonable person would reject. History is replete with examples of this.

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Revelation 17:3.
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 

These seven heads of the beast are interpreted for us in this chapter. They are seven mountains (see my note at Revelation 17:9).

The ten horns are ten kings (Revelation 17:12) who had not begun their reign at the time John wrote this. In Daniel's prophecies, horns were also used to symbolize kings many times (Daniel 7:24).

This combination of seven heads and ten horns is used to describe three beasts in the book of Revelation (first - Revelation 12:3; second - Revelation 13:1; third - Revelation 17:3, 7, 12, and 16). See my note at Revelation 12:3.
The dragon with seven heads and ten horns of Revelation 12:3 is explained in Revelation 12:9 as being "the Devil, and Satan."

In Revelation 13:1, a beast with seven heads and ten horns came up out of the sea (see my note at Revelation 17:15). The dragon of Revelation 12:3 gives this second beast "his power, and his seat, and great authority" (Revelation 13:2).

This chapter mentions the whore riding on a scarlet-colored beast with seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 17:3, 7, 12, and 16). Each of these beasts are some manifestation of Satan. And it appears Satan is connected with a city built on seven mountains or hills and ten kings.

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Revelation 17:4.
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 

The purple and scarlet colors with the gold and precious stones, pearls, and a golden cup all give the appearance of honor, riches, and majesty. But this cup was full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornications. This is depicting a false religious system that looks great outwardly but, within, is total corruption. I believe this is symbolic of all false religion, which includes apostate Catholicism, but isn't limited to it.

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Revelation 17:5.
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 

To have this written on her forehead means this was blatant, not hidden. This whoredom and iniquity were things she was proud of.

Babylon was originally the kingdom started by Nimrod, right after the Flood (see my notes at Genesis 10:8-10). The tower of Babel (or Babylon) was what occasioned God dividing the tongues of man (Genesis 11:1-9). It was the beginning of man's collective rebellion against God and has served ever since to represent organized rejection of the Lord and His values. It was personified in the kingdom of Babylon.

So, "BABYLON THE GREAT" is referring to the ultimate manifestation of man united against God. I believe this will be some religious system. And it won't exclude "Christianity." Indeed one of the greatest opponents of true Christianity has been the apostate Catholic Church. History is full of terrible things done against true believers by the Church of Rome.

This is not to say that all Catholics are a part of this Babylon the Great. There are true believers who are Catholics. That's why the angel called for the true believers to come out of her (Revelation 18:4). And this doesn't apply only to the apostate Catholic Church. There are numerous "religious" Christians who are "tares among the wheat" (Matthew 13:24-30).

I believe this includes all false religion. This is all the major religions of the world–Satanists, agnostics, atheists, and all who have embraced anything but the truths revealed in God's Word (Galatians 1:8-9). They will all find a common denominator and come together into this organized resistance against the true Gospel.

False religion is the mother of all harlotry and abominations done in the earth.

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Revelation 17:6.
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 

This verse obviously shows this religious system as the instigator of persecution against the true believers of the Lord Jesus. In Jesus' day, it wasn't the Romans who were dead set against Jesus. Pilate was willing to let Jesus go (Luke 23:4; John 18:38, 19:4, and 6). It was the religious Jews who demanded that He be crucified (John 19:6). Likewise, religion is always the worst enemy of true Christianity.

Notice that John wondered with great admiration. This implies that this whore was decked out in such a way as made her appealing, but she was deadly.

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Revelation 17:7.
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. 

The angel explains the symbolism of this beast with its seven heads (Revelation 17:9) and ten horns (Revelation 17:12) and, in so doing, gives us the key to the two other beasts in Revelation that are represented with seven heads and ten horns (see my notes at Revelation 12:3 and 13:1).

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Revelation 17:8.
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 

"The bottomless pit" is a reference to hell (Revelation 9:1-2, 11; 11:7; and 20:1-3).
This beast is the devil and Satan (see my notes at Revelation 12:3 and 20:2) ruling through some kingdom. This empire was and then ceases to be and then is resurrected in the end time. Many scholars believe this is a revival of the Roman Empire (see my notes at Revelation 17:9-10).

The Lamb's Book of Life (Revelation 13:8 and 21:27) is where all the names of true believers in Jesus are recorded (Revelation 20:12-15). If your name is in that book, you avoid the Great White Throne Judgment (see my note at Revelation 20:12) and reign with Jesus 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-5).

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Revelation 17:9.
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 

The Greek word translated "mountains" in this verse is "OROS," and according to Strong's Concordance, it's "probably from an obsolete oro (to rise or "rear"; perhaps akin to 142; compare 3733); a mountain (as lifting itself above the plain)." This Greek word was translated "hill" three times (Matthew 5:14; Luke 4:29, and 9:37). Jerusalem was built upon Mount Zion, but this would be called a hill by many. Isaiah 10:32 refers to Jerusalem as a hill and a mountain in the same verse.

So, this doesn't necessarily mean a high mountain but could be describing seven hills. This whorish woman is describing a false religious system that has polluted the whole world, and the city where its headquarters are located is built upon seven hills.

Many scholars interpret this as referring to Rome, which was built upon seven hills. The Vatican is not built on one of those famous seven hills of Rome, but it is built on a hill in Rome. Although I admit that many of the details of this whore in Revelation 17-18 fit the apostate Catholic Church, I don't think it is limited to that. I believe this is descriptive of all false religions of all ages.

Just because some city fits this description doesn't mean that this is that place. Hitler fit nearly every description of the Antichrist given in Revelation, but he wasn't that man.

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Revelation 17:10.
And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 

The previous verse (Revelation 17:9) interprets the seven heads of the beast (Revelation 17:3) as being seven mountains or hills from which this beast rules. And this verse reveals seven kings that rule from these seven hills. Five of them had already come and gone before John wrote this. One king was currently reigning, and another would come in the future.

This clearly dates this city and the kingdom that ruled from there as being in existence at John's time. Of course, Rome was the dominant world power at that time, and it would be natural to assume this is the kingdom John was referring to. Ancient Rome was built on seven hills (see my note at Revelation 17:9).

There is some debate about who the first five emperors of Rome were. Rome had existed as a republic since 508 B.C. But things changed with Julius Caesar. His adopted son, Octavian, was the first ruler to proclaim himself as "first citizen" and "first among equals." Octavian defeated Mark Antony and solidified his control over Rome and had the title "Augustus" (meaning elevated or divine one) conferred on him by the Senate.

So, some consider Julius Caesar as the first emperor, others consider Octavian (Augustus) as the first emperor, and still others Tiberius as the first true Caesar. So, the following list is given without knowing for sure whom this angel is referring to as the first emperor of Rome: Julius Caesar, Augustus (Octavian), Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero. There were then three who proclaimed themselves emperors, but none of them lasted more than a few months, all perishing in civil war. So, many don't list them as emperors. The next would be Vespasian, then Titus, and then Domitian.

If you start with Augustus as the first "king," this would make the date of John writing the Revelation during Vespasian's rule, or not later than A.D. 79. However, most Bible scholars accept a later date around A.D. 95 or 96 (see my note at Revelation 1:9). This is based primarily on the writings of Irenaeus (c. A.D. 150-202) and Eusebius (c. A.D. 263-339). There are scholars who date the book of Revelation as early as Nero's reign (A.D. 54-68) because of this very verse.

It appears to me that John had to be speaking of five of the Roman emperors as already having ruled with a sixth one ruling at that time. Then there would come a seventh, not necessarily in sequence, but a later ruler who was not in power at that time.

Then the next verse (Revelation 17:11) reveals an eighth king, which is not really an eighth but a resurrection of the seventh. This king is referred to as the beast, not just the seventh horn of the beast. This implies this eighth king, or resurrected seventh king, will be Satan (the beast) personified, or the beast of Revelation 13:1 that had a deadly wound and yet lived (Revelation 13:3-4, 12, and 14).

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Revelation 17:11.
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 

This is referring back to Revelation 17:8. This kingdom, with its headquarters located in a city built on seven hills (see my note at Revelation 17:9), has seven kings. Five of them had already reigned, one was currently reigning, and then there would come a seventh (see my note at Revelation 17:10).

Here, this verse reveals an eighth king, which is not really the eighth but a resurrection of the seventh. This could correspond to the seven-headed, ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:3, 12, and 14.

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Revelation 17:12.
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 

The ten horns of the beast of Revelation 17:3 are ten kings who had not yet reigned as of John's writing of this book. These ten kings will reign with the eighth king of Revelation 17:11, which is really a resurrection of the seventh king of Revelation 17:10.

In this imagery, the seven-headed beast would have ten crowns on the seventh head.
The "one hour" that they reign with the beast implies this will be a short period of time.

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Revelation 17:13.
These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 

These ten kings are united in their total devotion to the beast, who is the devil and Satan (Revelation 12:9 and 20:2).

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Revelation 17:14.
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. 

The Lamb is Jesus (Revelation 5:6, 8, and 12-13). He is King of kings and Lord of lords. Notice Jesus is (capital) King over (lowercase) kings and (capital) Lord over (lowercase) lords. No one compares to Jesus, regardless of what title they go by.

Many are called but few are chosen (Matthew 20:16 and 22:14). The Lord calls everyone (Romans 10:13 and 2 Peter 3:9), but He only chooses those who accept His call and remain faithful (1 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 4:14, and 10:23).

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Revelation 17:15.
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 

This verse is a key to interpreting such passages as Revelation 13:1 and 17:1. The sea and many waters stand for many people from different nations and with different languages.

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Revelation 17:16.
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 

In the image given at the first of this chapter (Revelation 17:3), this whore was riding this beast that had these ten crowns, or kings (Revelation 17:12-13). So, there was a time when this whore and the beast were cooperating. But as with so many alliances throughout history, this confederation won't last.

Satan's forces are never in true unity. Envy and jealousy are synonymous with Satan's kingdom (James 3:16). That's one big reason this coalition didn't last. The destruction of this whorish system called Babylon the Great (Revelation 17:5) is given in Revelation 18.

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Revelation 17:17.
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 

God's will was for this whorish woman to be destroyed, as revealed in Revelation 18:2. He accomplishes His will through these ten kings (Revelation 17:12). The destruction of Babylon the Great, which is detailed in Revelation 18, was all accomplished through these ten kings who were part of this beast.

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Revelation 17:18.
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. 

What great city does this whore represent? It was one that ruled over the kings of the earth during John's time, as can be seen by his statement that the sixth king was reigning at that time (see my note at Revelation 17:10). That obviously was Rome.

And this whore was a city that sat upon the seven hills where these seven kings reigned. Rome uniquely fits this description. Rome definitely had some of the mightiest rulers the world has ever seen, and it also has a religious system located there that has ruled over the great kings of the earth for nearly 2,000 years.

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Chapter 18. *

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Revelation 18:2.
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 

See Revelation 17:5.

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Revelation 18:8.
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. 

The Lord accomplished this judgment through the ten kings who hated this whorish religious system (Revelation 17:16-17).

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Chapter 19. *

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Revelation 19:1.
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: 

After what things? It was after the total destruction of Babylon described in Revelation 18. The saints are rejoicing at this judgment. There are many "Christians" today who wouldn't rejoice at God's judgment on the ungodly. But this chapter shows the saints praising God for wrath being poured out on the ungodly.

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Revelation 19:2.
For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. 

There are times when it doesn't always appear that the judgments of the Lord are true, but they are. He is long-suffering now and often the ungodly look like they are going unpunished, but that's only temporary. A day is coming when those who reject or ignore Jesus' payment for our sins will have to pay (Romans 6:23).

The great whore was first revealed in Revelation 17:3 and spoken of throughout that chapter. Then Revelation 18 described the destruction of the whore, who had "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" written on her forehead (Revelation 17:5).

Many martyrs of the Christian faith were found in this whorish religious system (Revelation 18:24).

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Revelation 19:3
And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. 

This wasn't a temporary punishment with a future day when all will be reconciled to God. No! Their smoke rose up for ever and ever.

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Revelation 19:4.
And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. 

This is what they constantly do (Revelation 4:8-11).

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Revelation 19:5.
And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 

Those who are true servants of the Lord and those who fear Him praise His name. That's why we were created (see my note at Revelation 4:11).

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Revelation 19:6.
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 

It appears that all the saints, angels, and all of creation join in to praise the Lord. When we praise the Lord from pure hearts, we are getting in on a little bit of heaven.

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Revelation 19:7.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb comes after the destruction of Babylon (Revelation 19:1).
Just as a wedding is greatly anticipated here on earth, this marriage of the Lamb and His bride is something all heaven has been waiting on. It will be a time of unbridled joy.
How did Christ's bride (the church) make herself ready? We accepted what Jesus did for us. That's the only thing that makes us pure (see my note at Ephesians 5:27). That's why all the honor goes to Him, not to us.

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Revelation 19:8.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

These white robes represent the righteousness of the saints. What is now a present reality in our spirits (see my note at Ephesians 4:17) will be manifest outwardly through these pure white robes.

Anyone who tries to get into the Marriage Supper of the Lamb without one of these pure white robes will be cast out into outer darkness (Matthew 22:11-13). That is to say, anyone who doesn't have true righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and Ephesians 4:24) will not be able to come to this Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

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Revelation 19:9.
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 

The Lord has granted us innumerable blessings through Christ (Ephesians 1:3). But among the truest words ever spoken by God are these–that those who are called to participate in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb are blessed. That is putting it mildly. They will miss the Great White Throne Judgment (see my note at Revelation 20:12).

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Revelation 19:10.
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 

John did this again in Revelation 22:8, but the angel forbade him and told him to worship only God (Revelation 22:9).

In both Revelation 22:9 and this verse, the angel identified himself as a "fellowservant" and one of John's brothers and even a prophet. This sounds to me like a redeemed man instead of an angel.
The Greek word "PNEUMA," which was translated "spirit" in this verse, means a variety of things. One of those meanings is "the...vital principle" (Strong's Concordance). The testimony of Jesus is the essential and first, or most important, element of prophecy.

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Revelation 19:11.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 

Jesus could have ridden anything. He could have created a machine or a new animal. But I believe the Lord did an awesome job on creation the first time around (Genesis 1:31). He described the horse in Job 39:19-25. He thought it was wonderful. It's an awesome animal that even God Almighty likes and will ride. His saints will ride white horses with Him (Revelation 19:14).

The first advent of Jesus was to reconcile man unto God (see my notes at Luke 4:19 and 2 Corinthians 5:19). But this appearing of the Lord is to make war against those who are at war with Him (Revelation 19:14-15).

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Revelation 19:12.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 

Compare with Revelation 1:14.
The Lord is going to give those who overcome a stone with a name written on it, and only the one who receives it knows that name (Revelation 2:17). His Father is going to do the same with Him.

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Revelation 19:13.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 

Is this blood the blood of His enemies or His blood that was shed for us?
Jesus is the Word (John 1:1, 14; 1 John 1:1, and 5:7).

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Revelation 19:14.
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 

This fine, white, clean linen is the righteousness of the saints (Revelation 19:8). Therefore, these aren't angels but the redeemed.

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Revelation 19:15.
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 

This sharp sword is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). Jesus will speak Scripture out of His mouth and slay all His enemies. What a powerful truth. Anything the Lord would say would be equal to Scripture, but He won't say anything new. That's because the written Word that we have is as good as it gets. He doesn't need to say anything that isn't already recorded in Scripture. God's written Word is greater than all the weapons of mankind, and it is ours now (see my note at Luke 4:4). We just have to mix it with faith (Hebrews 4:2).

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Revelation 19:16.
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 

Not only Jesus' robe but also His thigh has "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" written on it. It is probable that as Jesus was riding on a white horse (Revelation 19:11), His leg was exposed enough to see this writing.

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Revelation 19:17.
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 

This appears to be the same event described in Ezekiel 39:17-20.

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Revelation 19:18.
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 

This chapter started off talking about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Is it possible that this great carnage is the Marriage Supper? This isn't appealing, but in context, this could be what He was speaking of. Of course, this would be symbolic for us but literal for these birds of prey.

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Revelation 19:19.
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 

This graphically displays the arrogance and stupidity of man for them to think that they could defeat the Lord. These are probably the ten kings of Revelation 17:12 that the Lord used to destroy the whore (Revelation 17:16-17).

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Revelation 19:20.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 

This is the beast of Revelation 13:1 and the false prophet of Revelation 13:11-17.
This lake of fire is the final place of torment for the devil (Revelation 20:10) and all who reject the salvation Jesus offers (Revelation 20:14-15).

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Revelation 19:21.
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. 

This sword is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). See my notes at Luke 4:4 and Revelation 19:15.

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Chapter 20. *

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Revelation 20:1.
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 

The Greek word "ABYSSOS," which was translated "bottomless pit" in this verse, was also translated "the deep" in Luke 8:31. It's obvious from the demons' pleas in that passage, that this abyss is not somewhere the demons and Satan want to go.

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Revelation 20:2.
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 

The devil was the spiritual force behind the beast and the false prophet (Revelation 13:4), just as he is with unbelievers today (Ephesians 2:2). The beast and the false prophet were cast into the lake of fire in Revelation 19:20, and here, the devil is bound for 1,000 years.

This dragon is clearly identified here as "the Devil, and Satan" exactly as in Revelation 12:9. This is the beast that Revelation 17:8 refers to as ascending out of the bottomless pit.

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Revelation 20:3.
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 

Notice that Satan's power is deception. He doesn't have the power to make us do anything (see my note at Genesis 3:1). It is only his lies that deceive mankind, and then as we believe his lies, we destroy ourselves. Satan can't do anything to us without our consent and cooperation.

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Revelation 20:4.
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

This Millennial Reign coincides with the 1,000 years that Satan is bound and cast into the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:3). So, without Satan to deceive people, this will be heaven on earth.

Notice there were thrones, plural. This isn't speaking of God on His throne. But these are those who were beheaded for their faith in Christ and those who had remained faithful to the Lord through this period when the beast and false prophet were dominating the world. They were sitting on thrones and reigning with Christ. This is possibly what 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 is speaking of.

Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 19:28 that they would sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Daniel was told in Daniel 7:27 that the kingdom would be given to the saints of the most High. So, I suspect that this isn't limited to the two groups spoken of in the previous paragraph, but it refers to all saints. It encompasses all who partake in the first resurrection (Revelation 20:5).

But there is a noticeable absence of God's throne in this 1,000-year reign. It appears to me that Christ is reigning through His saints, not in Person or directly. If this be the case, this makes it more understandable how these people could rebel at the Lord at the end of this 1,000-year reign.

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Revelation 20:5.
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 

The ungodly dead who are currently in hell (see my note at Ephesians 4:8) are not resurrected at this time. Only the godly dead are resurrected, and they reign with Christ on earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4).

So, there is a separation of 1,000 years between the resurrection of the godly dead and the ungodly dead. After this Millennial Reign, the ungodly will be resurrected, judged, and cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15).

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Revelation 20:6.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

The second death is after the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-13) when all the ungodly are cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).

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Revelation 20:7.
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 

The next verse explains why the devil was loosed for a season. It was to separate the tares from the wheat (Matthew 13:24-30). Satan will again deceive all those who didn't receive a love of the Truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12), and they will rebel at this perfect reign of Christ and perish in the battle described in Revelation 20:8-9.

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Revelation 20:8.
And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 

This mention of Gog and Magog is no doubt intentionally used to connect this to Ezekiel 38.
This means millions of people participated in this rebellion against Christ and His saints. Ezekiel 38:5-6 reveals this will include Persia (modern Iran and Iraq), Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, and Togarmah of the north quarters (Russia - see my note at Ezekiel 38:3).

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Revelation 20:9.
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 

The fact that they went up "on the breadth of the earth" refers to this being a vast number of people (Revelation 20:8). This is all the more amazing when you consider that all these people had lived through the 1,000-year reign of Christ. Howbeit, it may be that they didn't see the Lord directly but Christ reigned through His saints (see my note at Revelation 20:4). But still, this was a reign without the Devil deceiving people (see my notes at Revelation 20:2-3), and I'm sure it's the best kingdom this world has ever seen. You would think this would forever endear them to Jesus in such a way that this couldn't happen.

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Revelation 20:10.
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 

The beast and the false prophet were already in the lake of fire. They had been there throughout the 1,000-year reign on earth of Christ and His saints (Revelation 19:20). Here, the devil is cast into this lake of fire where he will be tormented for ever and ever. And eventually all the ungodly dead who had been in hell (see my note at Ephesians 4:8) will be judged and cast into this same lake of fire where they will be punished forever (Revelation 20:14-15).

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Revelation 20:11.
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 

What almighty power that just a look could make the earth and the heavens move from their places! The phrase "there was found no place for them" implies they totally disappeared. They were gone!
Since the earth was gone, where was this Great White Throne set up?

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Revelation 20:12.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 

The godly dead had already been resurrected (Revelation 20:4-6) and had reigned on the earth for 1,000 years. So, these who are standing before this Great White Throne of God for judgment are the ungodly dead (see my note at Revelation 20:5). These ungodly dead who are resurrected are judged according to their works.

Praise God that those of us who have received salvation by faith in what Jesus did for us will not be punished for our sins. All that punishment came upon Jesus (see my notes at John 12:32; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:12, 15, 10:10, 14, and 12:23).

Revelation 20:13.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 

Every ungodly person who did not take part in the first resurrection (Revelation 20:4-6), whether their body was on land or at sea, is resurrected to stand before Almighty God and be judged. What a sobering thought. If the ungodly would think of this while they are alive, they would repent and turn to the Lord while they can (2 Corinthians 6:2). There won't be any mercy meted out at this Great White Throne Judgment.

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Revelation 20:14.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 

Compare with Revelation 21:8.
This lake of fire will replace hell, where the ungodly dead are now incarcerated. Hell will be no more, because it is in the bowels of the earth (see my note at Ephesians 4:8) and the earth will flee before the face of the Lord (Revelation 20:11). There will be a new heaven and earth (Revelation 21:1), and the place of torment for the ungodly will be this lake of fire where they will be punished for ever and ever (Revelation 20:10).

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Revelation 20:15.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 

There were multiple books at this Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-13). One of those books is the Book of Life, which has all the names of those who have received salvation by faith in what Jesus did written in it. But none of these at this Great White Throne Judgment are saved (see my note at Revelation 20:12). Therefore, none of them will find their names recorded there. They have been blotted out (see my note at Revelation 3:5).

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Chapter 21. *

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Revelation 21:1.
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 

The first heaven and the first earth fled away at the sight of Jesus sitting on the throne (Revelation 20:11).
This new earth will not have a sea. That isn't to say there won't be lakes; they may even be large lakes. There certainly are rivers (Revelation 22:1-2).

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Revelation 21:2.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 

Jesus told His disciples in John 14:2-3 that He was going to prepare a place for them. This is it. We won't live throughout eternity in heaven, but all the saved will live in the New Jerusalem.

It only took the Lord six days to create the heavens and the earth (Genesis 2:1-2). He has been working on this new place for 2,000 years. It's going to be awesome.

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Revelation 21:4.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 

Thank You, Jesus! What a glorious thing this will be.
Notice this verse does not say there wouldn't be any more sickness. I believe people won't live in sickness, but that's because the leaves of the Tree of Life will heal them (Revelation 22:2).

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Revelation 21:5.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 

By the Lord saying "These words are true and faithful," He was simply saying that this would certainly come to pass. Every word of God comes to pass. We can count on it.

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Revelation 21:6.
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 

This is how the Lord began His revelation to John (Revelation 1:8).

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Revelation 21:10.
And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 

There will be mountains on the new earth.

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Revelation 21:16.

The 12,000 furlongs is equal to about 1,500 miles. This is roughly the distance from Texarkana, Texas, to Chicago. The height, length, and breadth of this city are all the same. It's a cube.

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Revelation 21:17.
And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. 

There is not 100 percent agreement on what a cubit was, but the majority of scholars believe it was the measurement from the elbow to the tip of the longest finger of the hand, or about eighteen inches. Using that figure, 144 cubits would equal 216 feet.

Revelation 21:16 describes the city as a cube of approximately 1,500 miles on each side. Some interpret the 144 cubits (216 feet) as the thickness of the walls of this city. But this verse leads me to believe this is the height of a wall that surrounds the city, because the wall and the city were made out of different substances (see my note at Revelation 21:18).

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Revelation 21:18.
And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 

This verse seems to imply that the mention of the wall in Revelation 21:17 was not speaking of the thickness of the wall but rather the height of a wall that surrounded the city. That's because this wall was made of jasper but the city was made of pure clear gold.

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Revelation 21:19.
And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 

These gems are beautiful. To see a wall 216 feet high made out of this mixture of gems would be breathtaking.
Jasper is a very hard stone that is usually sea green in color.
A sapphire is usually a beautiful blue stone.

Chalcedony comes in a variety of colors. The most common is bluish white. But there are also brownish black and milky white varieties that are not as valuable. Probably one of the most beautiful types is the yellow and red.
An emerald is bright green.

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Revelation 21:20.
The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 

Sardonyx is a type of onyx in which there are layers of red, which is what the word "sard" means.
Sardis is fiery or blood red in color. In Revelation 4:3, a sardis stone is used to describe the way the Lord on the throne looked.

Chrysolite comes in many variations and colors. It is often called chrysoberyl today. It is generally a gold-colored stone.

Beryl is a hexagonal crystal that is clear in its pure form. But it is colored when impurities are present and can come in green, blue, yellow, red, and white.

Topaz is a fluorine aluminum silicate and comes in yellow, yellow-brown, honey-yellow, flax, brown, green, blue, light blue, red, and pink; sometimes it has no color at all.
Chrysoprasus is a variety of chalcedony containing small amounts of nickel. This makes the stone apple green to dark green.

Jacinth is a red transparent stone.
Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz.

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Revelation 21:21.
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 

This wall around the city was 216 feet high (see my note at Revelation 21:17). So, I don't think these were small gates. Any pearl that would be large enough for people to walk through would be huge. But these must be massive pearls. I would like to see the oysters they came from!

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Revelation 21:23.
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 

The city was made of clear gold (Revelation 21:18). That means this light that comes from the glory of God and the Lamb would penetrate and possibly be amplified through every part of this city.

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Chapter 22. *

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Revelation 22:2.
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

Months are mentioned here, showing that there will be some marking of time in heaven. See my note at Revelation 10:6.

What nations are these?

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Revelation 22:3.
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 

In the New Testament, we are redeemed from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13), but the curse still exists. We have to use our faith to appropriate what Jesus provided for us. But in the new heaven and the new earth, the curse won't exist. Thank You, Jesus!

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Revelation 22:4.
And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 

Our mortal bodies can't behold the face of the Lord and live (see my note at Exodus 33:20). But in our glorified bodies, we will be able to see Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12 and 1 John 3:2). Hallelujah!

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Revelation 22:5.
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. 

Revelation 21:23 says the glory of God lights this city and the Lamb is the light thereof.

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Revelation 22:6.
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. 

It was mentioned twice in the first chapter (Revelation 1:1 and 3) that the things revealed in this book must shortly come to pass. This is being emphasized again, and in Revelation 22:10, the angel said the time was at hand (see my note at Matthew 3:2).

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Revelation 22:7.
Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. 

In Revelation 1:3, a blessing was placed on those who read and observe the sayings of this revelation. That blessing is being repeated here at the end of the book.

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Revelation 22:8.
And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 

This is the second time John had this response (Revelation 19:10). Once again, this angel refuses worship. We are to worship God alone.

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Revelation 22:10.
And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 

"The time is at hand" is saying that the time for these things to happen is now (see my note at Matthew 3:2). Therefore, the things recorded in this book are for us now, and there is no blockage to the Holy Spirit revealing these things to us as there was with Daniel (Daniel 8:26; 12:4, and 9).

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Revelation 22:13.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 

This is Jesus (Revelation 1:8 and 11).

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Revelation 22:14.
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 

The leaves of the Tree of Life heal the nations (Revelation 22:2).

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Revelation 22:18.
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 

What a statement! This is one reason I haven't written any more notes in Revelation than I have. I don't want to say anything I'm not sure of.

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Revelation 22:20.
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 

Does this mean His coming will happen suddenly, or is it speaking of it coming shortly relative to John's time?