Sermon Tone Analysis

Rev 19:11-20:15

Revelation 19:11–20:15 (CSB)

Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse.

Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with justice he judges and makes war.

His eyes were like a fiery flame, and many crowns were on his head.

He had a name written that no one knows except himself.

He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God.

The armies that were in heaven followed him on white horses, wearing pure white linen.

A sharp sword came from his mouth, so that he might strike the nations with it.

He will rule them with an iron rod.

He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty.

And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he called out in a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying high overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of military commanders, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and slave, small and great.”

Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against his army.

But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with it the false prophet, who had performed the signs in its presence.

He deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image with these signs.

Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

The rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds ate their fill of their flesh.

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand.

He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed.

After that, he must be released for a short time.

Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge.

I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands.

They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.

This is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection!

The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle.

Their number is like the sand of the sea.

They came up across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city.

Then fire came down from heaven and consumed them.

The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it.

Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them.

I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.

Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.

Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works.

Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.

This is the second death, the lake of fire.

And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Today, 2 more views of this final battle (again, not a chronological account of literal future events, but a revealing of how God is going to fulfil His promises)

One view (ch.19) to echo Isaiah 66

“You will see, you will rejoice, and you will flourish like grass; then the Lord’s power will be revealed to his servants, but he will show his wrath against his enemies.

Look, the Lord will come with fire  — his chariots are like the whirlwind  — to execute his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire.

For the Lord will execute judgment on all humanity with his fiery sword, and many will be slain by the Lord.

“For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will remain before me” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “so your offspring and your name will remain.

All humanity will come to worship me from one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another,” says the Lord.

“As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never go out, and they will be a horror to all humanity.””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭66‬:‭14‬-‭16‬, ‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭CSB‬‬

What happens to God’s enemies?

They are destroyed… dead bodies

at the same time glorious and devastating

Why is this Rev 19 picture of Jesus important?

things we’ve seen in Rev before

sharp sword, white robe, iron rod, wine press, MANY crowns,

this is the REAL God, not the counterfeit!

not the ‘wish version’

looks like the real thing in the ad, but when you get it, it fails to deliver every time!

He’s not covered in blasphemies, on Him is written “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”

Because the prevailing picture of Jesus in Australia in 2020’s is baby Jesus in a manger or blonde haired surfer Jesus patting a lamb.

No wrath, no majesty, just a lovely guy who wants you to be happy and good to everyone.

Jesus’ humanity IS crucial to understand and uphold, but if it’s ALL you have, that’s an impotent, powerless god who you get to determine how to respond to… take it or leave it, he just has suggestions, and a vague encouragement to love; whatever that means for you.

but how do the demons respond to Jesus?

Fear!

“I thought we had more time!”

“I know who you are!”

“Please don’t send me away!”

The 2nd view, in ch.20, is here to echo & fulfil Ezekiel 38ff

““Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, ‘This is what the Lord God says: On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know this and come from your place in the remotest parts of the north  — you and many peoples with you, who are all riding horses — a huge assembly, a powerful army?

You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud covering the land.

It will happen in the last days, Gog, that I will bring you against my land so that the nations may know me, when I demonstrate my holiness through you in their sight...

I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed.

I will pour out torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur on him, as well as his troops and the many peoples who are with him.

I will display my greatness and holiness, and will reveal myself in the sight of many nations.

Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭38‬:‭14‬-‭16‬, ‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭CSB‬‬

““Son of man, this is what the Lord God says: Tell every kind of bird and all the wild animals, ‘Assemble and come!

Gather from all around to my sacrificial feast that I am slaughtering for you, a great feast on the mountains of Israel; you will eat flesh and drink blood.

You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the earth’s princes: rams, lambs, male goats, and all the fattened bulls of Bashan.”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭39‬:‭17‬-‭18‬

The Revelation is the recapitulation, the summing up of everything that has come before

What happens to God’s enemies?

Destroyed.. dead bodies.. the next chapter tells us it takes 7 months (apocalyptic number, remember not a literal 7 months) to bury all the dead… and the land is cleansed.. no more death.

What about the 1000 years?

The millennium!

1000 years is figurative!

otherwise to maintain a consistent hermeneutic (way of reading the Bible) you need to come up with crazy ways of reading Rev (doesn’t stop some people though!)

The 144,000 - 12 by 12 by a huge number

1000 years is a day to the Lord

Or next week, 144 cubits, 12 foundations, 12,000 stadia length width and height.. that’s not giving us an architectural design!

It’s a sign pointing to significance!

If we read it literally, we miss the point; it’s a poor reading!

Don’t let anyone tell you because you read it literarily, NOT literally, that it’s a bad reading; it’s the only way to understand what is being revealed!

What’s the better reading of Song of Solomon… that he’s in love with a goat for hair, clay for neck, sheep for teeth woman?

No, we know that reading it literarily (how it’s meant to be read) is the way… the same is true for revelation.

Who are those reigning with Christ during the 1000 years?

it’s those who have died in Christ already

Revelation‬ ‭20‬:‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬ “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection!