Babylon the Prostitute, 17:1-19:10

In the 5^th major cycle of judgments, 17:1-19:10, Babylon the prostitute appears, representing the seductions of the world (17:4; 18:3). The destruction of Babylon goes together thematically with the destruction of the other primary agents of wickedness. We see the destruction of the Beast and the False Prophet in 19:11-21 and the destruction of Satan in 20:7-10. It is better to see these three destructive, judgmental episodes as running thematically parallel rather than being in strict chronological succession. Together they make up the final three cycles of judgment within the total structure of Revelation’s 7 cycles of judgment (see Introduction: Structure).

The corruptions of Babylon contrast with the purity of the bride of the Lamb, 19:7-9. Babylon sums up in herself the worship of the godless world. By contrast, the bride, the church, represents the worshipers of the true God. Just as Satan, the Beast, and the False Prophet form a counterfeit Trinity, Babylon is a counterfeit church, seducing the world to allegiance to the counterfeit Trinity (see Introduction: Counterfeiting).

Seven messages of judgment on Babylon are arranged into larger groups: three angelic messages of doom (17:7-18; 18:1-3; 18:4-8), three laments by those committed to Babylon (18:9-10, 11-17a, 17b-19), and a climactic pronouncement of the permanence of her fall (18:21-24). (See Introduction: Structure, under Rhetorical Structure of Revelation.)

Messages of Judgment on Babylon

Satan attacks the saints in two main ways. The Beast attacks with power and persecution, endeavoring to destroy the witness of the saints and force them to worship the Beast. Babylon attacks with seduction, endeavoring to destroy the purity of the saints.

Babylon stands for the city of Rome with its immorality. For the seven churches of Revelation, Rome was the source of all manner of idolatry—not only the worship of the Roman emperor, but the structures of an idolatrous society. The paganism of the cities of Asia Minor made each city into a small manifestation of Babylon. Full economic and social participation (13:17!) involved attendance at idol feasts and pagan religious celebrations. Babylon is attractive because she promises pleasures associated both with sexual intercourse and with economic prosperity. Both the clothing of Babylon in 17:4 and the laments in 18:9-20 indicate that much of the attraction of Babylon lies in her wealth and luxury. The pagans in Asia looked to Rome as the source and guarantee of economic well-being and material comfort. They gave political allegiance and worship to the Roman Emperor, not only because they feared the power of Rome, but because they loved the economic benefits that they received from her.

Worship of the emperor was an expected expression of political allegiance. Pagans called Christians atheists because they did not worship the many gods, and called them haters of humankind because they withdrew from compromised forms of social life (cf. 1 Pet. 4:3-4; 2:12). In reaction to this pressure, even some professing Christians argued that participation in idolatrous feasts and sexual immorality were acceptable (Rev. 2:12, 20; cf. 1 Cor 6:12-20). The woman Jezebel in 2:20-23 was a key seducer whose work is generalized and more deeply symbolized in Babylon the prostitute (compare 2:21-22 with 17:2).

The cities of the first century are not alone is being centers of seduction to idolatry, to greed, to materialism, and to sexual immorality. Our modern cities with their wealth, false religions, and sexual exploitation are modern forms of Babylon. The media and their advertisements can bring into our homes and thoughts the seducing message of worshiping money, sex, power, and pleasure. Advertisements tell us that satisfaction and meaningful living can be found if only we buy the latest product. They say, “if only you have enough money and toys and sexual pleasures, you will be fulfilled.” Thus the symbolism of Babylon is capable of multiple embodiments, including a final, climactic embodiment just before the Second Coming (see Introduction: Interpretation).

Analogues to Babylon also exist in the recesses of our hearts. The Beast commands his subjects through fear; the Prostitute seduces by playing on our lusts with the enticements of illicit pleasures. However subtle may be the remaining sinful tendencies in our hearts, they take these two forms, of fear and of lust. We capitulate and compromise with sin either through fear or through lust. We fear suffering and shame. Or we lust, we have unbridled desire for whatever it is that has made our hearts captive. Sex, wealth, fame, power, health, beauty can all become idols, objects for our lust. But how foolish it all is! Not only will it come to nothing, because of God’s judgment. It is but nothing even now, because it forsakes God who is the true object both of fear and of proper desire. The true remedy is in God himself. In the new Jerusalem God grants the sexual pleasure of the marriage supper of the Lamb, the wealth of streets paved with gold, the fame of being known by God and having his name on one’s forehead, the power of the throne, and health of no sickness or death, and beauty of the architecture of the new city. The objects of our lust are only tawdry counterfeits of what God has created out of his own bounty, and what he will bestow in unfathomable fullness!

Much of the imagery fits well the character of Jerusalem before its destruction. In refusing to accept the Messiah she became a prostitute, as had happened in the Old Testament (Luke 21:9-18; 11:47-51; Isa. 1:21; Ezek. 16; 23; Hos. 2). 11:8 links Jerusalem with Sodom and Egypt. A few interpreters have therefore argued in favor of identifying Babylon the prostitute with Jerusalem. But Jerusalem was only one instance of a society seducing people away from true worship. In Old Testament times ancient Babylon was another, and accordingly Revelation takes up the language of the Old Testament prophetic condemnations of Babylon and Tyre (Jer. 50-51; Ezek. 27). 17:9 and 18 are most naturally understood as allusions to Rome, not Jerusalem.

We should remember that the false prophetess named Jezebel appeared already in 2:20-23. Jezebel represents the same principle that Babylon represents on a world-wide scale. The seduction to idolatry arises not only from outside the church, from an idolatrous culture of the Roman Empire, but from inside the church as well. People who claim to be Christians try to convince us that compromise with worldly idolatry is really O.K. Thus, in our day, seduction comes not only from TV advertisements that would promote materialism, but from religious false teachers. Theological liberalism intends to make peace with many ideas of the world. Health-and-wealth theology claims that we can be rich and healthy if only we follow recipes alleged to come from the Bible. The shallow pastor or counselor offers versions of self-help pop psychology rather than the message of sin and redemption as the remedy for our frustrations. Apparently orthodox circles may imitate from a distance the latest the styles of the world.

The prostitute is borne up by a hideous beast, evidently the same Beast as in 13:1-10. The Beast, representing the Roman Empire, supports the city of Rome in its luxurious idolatry. It also spreads the practices of Rome throughout the Empire. Eventually, however, the Beast turns against the Prostitute and destroys her (17:16-17). The rapacious powers of Roman government and the Roman legions destroy prosperity, and eventually the military powers of surrounding tribes destroy the city of Rome completely. The lesson from Roman times is generalizable: idolatrous states end up destroying the very powers, riches, privileges, and people that they start out supporting. False worship is self-destructive.

When the destruction of false worship is complete (17:1-18:24), the true worshipers, the bride of the Lamb, stand out in their splendor and joy (19:1-10).

Introducing Babylon, 17:1-6

Even at the beginning of the section on Babylon, the note of punishment and downfall becomes evident. The angel is the same as one involved in terrible judgments in the preceding cycle, hinting that further judgment is the subject of this section. John sees not simply a vision of Babylon, but her punishment (v. 1). Her punishment is simultaneously an indictment of all who associated with her; they are corrupted by her corruptions, and hence in a measure they will share her fate (v. 2; see 14:8-11). The many waters (v. 1) stand for many nations (v. 15), indicating the scope of her corrupting influence.

John the seer moves through the Spirit to a new vantage-point for the vision (v. 2). Such transports occur only at 1:10, 4:1, 21:9, underlining the significance of the revelation that will be given.

The Prostitute symbolizes the worldly city (v. 18) and the opulence possible through the power and complexity of cities. Ironically, the scene of her judgment is in the desert (v. 3), in austerity. The promises of luxury and pleasure prove in the end to be vain. But at the moment she is impressively luxurious (v. 4).

The woman sits on a scarlet beast (v. 3), whose features match the Beast of 13:1-8. In a word, the Prostitute and the Beast cooperate. In the Roman Empire, the idolatry of imperial power (the Beast) undergirded the idolatry of pleasure and wealth (the Prostitute). State power made possible the amassing of wealth. So today people invest hopes in state power, whenever it promises to deliver utopian peace and prosperity. Communist governments engaged in all kinds of brutalities, and yet received people’s allegiance, because totalitarian power was supposedly a necessary means to the utopian communist society of the future.

The woman is dressed in the ostentatious garb of a prostitute (v. 4, cf. Prov. 7:16-17). She combines the lure of sexual pleasure with the lure of luxury. Sensual pleasures of all kinds are available in the city in relative anonymity. But she is deceitful. The long-term consequences are entirely unpleasant. The golden cup looks good on the outside, but inside it has abominable things and the filth of her adulteries (v. 4). “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23; cf. Prov. 7:27). (On the spiritual dimensions of adultery, see 2:20.)

She is called Babylon (v. 5), indicating the essential unity of all manifestations of the worldly city. Babel (Gen. 11:1-9), Belshazzar’s Babylon (Dan. 5; 7:4; Jer. 50-51), imperial Rome (1 Pet. 5:13), the seven cities of Asia (Rev. 1:11), papal Rome, and modern worldly cities can in fact all be rolled together, because the principle is the same. The kingdom of God is opposed by the kingdom of this world (Rev. 11:15; 11:8). Her most heinous crime is participation in the persecution of saints (v. 6).

Angelic Message concerning War and the Destruction of Babylon, 17:7-18

As in other cases in Revelation and in apocalyptic literature, angels explain the significance of aspects of mysterious visions (v. 7; cf. 7:13-14; 10:9-11; Dan. 10:10-12:4; Zech. 1:9; 1:18-21; 2:1-2; 4:4-7; etc.). The Beast once was, now is not, and will come … (v. 8). The description is a counterfeit of the sovereignty of God, which is proclaimed in 1:4, 8; 4:8. “Now is not” indicates that persecution is now at an ebb, but with rise with renewed intensity in the future. The Beast represents a repeated pattern of persecution, as in the four successive beasts of Daniel 7 (see 13:1-10). As in 13:8, the Beast captures the allegiance of all except the elect, those whose names have been written in the book of life. The names were written from the creation of the world, indicating the absolute sovereignty of God and his control over salvation from the beginning (4:11; compare John 6:37-39). The course of history holds no surprises for God. He knows the end from the beginning, for he is the Alpha and the Omega (1:8; 21:6; 22:13). We are saved not because of superior goodness or intelligence, but through the goodness of God, who has undertaken to redeem us from the rest of humanity (14:4). In spiritual warfare there is no neutral position. Ultimately you are either for God or against him.

Rome was known as the city built on seven hills. At the time that John wrote, Rome was the principal embodiment of Babylon the worldly city. But who are the seven kings, five of whom have fallen? According to one interpretation, if Revelation was written in about 67 A.D., these five may be the first five Roman emperors, beginning with Julius Caesar. The sixth is then Nero, the currently reigning emperor. But in that case the history of the Empire subsequent to Nero presents us with nothing but problems. After Nero came Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, in 68 A.D., the “year of three emperors.” One may not simply ignore them or skip them in order to arrive at Vespasian (69-79 A.D.) and the time of the fall of Jerusalem (70 A.D.). The sixth head is clearly near the end, and is to be succeeded by at most two more manifestations. Hence, this whole line of reasoning is off the track. The five who have fallen simply represents an indefinite number of previous emperors. The presence of the sixth indicates in symbolic fashion that Christians are near the end, but not quite there. The Beast itself is an eighth king (v. 11). Since there are only seven heads, the verse is not claiming that the Beast is an eighth head. Rather, the Beast symbolizes, in final manifestation, a power analogous to that of the seven.

What then are the ten horns (v. 12)? The number ten goes back through 17:7 and 13:1 to Daniel 7:7, 24. But the Beast of Revelation cannot simply be identified with the fourth beast of Daniel. Rather, he is a composite, summing up characteristics of all four of Daniel’s beasts. In Revelation the ten horns are kingly confederates of the Beast. In view of 16:12, 14, 16; 19:19; 20:8; the political powers beyond the borders of the Roman Empire are most directly in mind. Rome was eventually overrun by barbarian tribes. But the picture rises beyond the limitations of Rome and opens up a picture of the final battle in which the Beast will enlist large-scale assistance. The Beast, as an antichrist figure, enlists many other powers who cooperate with him. As arch rebels against the Lord, they undertake a final, climactic battle against the Lord and his Anointed (Ps. 2:2; Acts 4:26). The details of the battle unfold in 19:11-21.

Peoples, multitudes, nations and languages (v. 15) reiterates the cosmic scope of the conflict (see on 5:9).

Ironically, God uses evil powers to destroy one another. The Beast and his cohorts turn against the Prostitute (vv. 16-17). Idolatry is all its forms crumbles and fails. Those disappointed with the failure of their idols may turn on the idols and take vengeance. The pattern proved true in the Roman Empire, in that military might, which for a long time upheld the Empire, in the end destroyed it. The same pattern holds for every manifestation of Satan’s works throughout this age.

God is the ultimate agent behind the destruction (v. 17). In the midst of trials, the saints are assured that God is in control even of this appalling conflict.

Second Angelic Message, Announcing Babylon’s Fall, 18:1-3

18:1-24 contains many allusions to Jeremiah 50-51 (the fall of Babylon) and Ezekiel 27 (the fall of Tyre).

An angel announces the fall of Babylon (compare 14:8). Because of his exalted commission, the angel’s splendor reflects that of God himself (10:1; 1:16). As in Jerermiah 50:39, Babylon becomes utterly desolate. Unlike Jerusalem in the exile, not even a remnant or shadow of the original city is left. It is not fit for human habitation, but only for wild animals (Isa. 13:20-22). Since the whole picture is symbolic, the usual desert animals of Jeremiah 50:39 and Isaiah 13:20-22 are replaced by every unclean and detestable bird, the uncleanness of which stands for the spiritual uncleanness of Babylon. The unclean birds in turn symbolize unclean spirits.

All the nations, their kings, and their merchants are implicated, because Babylon has seduced them (cf. 14:8; 17:2). She is not only immoral herself, but has entrapped others, thereby multiplying the guilt (cf. 2:20; Rom. 1:32).

Third Angelic Message, Warning Saints to Come Out, 18:4-8

A heavenly voice commands the saints to come out, that is, to be separate from Babylon’s immorality. Purity and spiritual separation from worldliness are a repeated theme in the Bible (Isa. 48:20; 52:11; Jer. 50:8; 51:6, 45; 2 Cor. 6:17). When the temptations are subtle, as they frequently are in modern societies, vigilance, watchfulness, and understanding of the true nature of spiritual war are necessary. Revelation as a whole summons us to be aware of Satan’s schemes (2 Cor. 2:11).

Her sins are piled up to heaven, in an ironic reminiscence of the plan for the tower of Babel to reach to heaven (Gen. 11:4; Jer. 51:9). Fame and power are vain if they are achieved through sinning.

As in 16:5-6, judgment fits the nature of the offense (vv. 6-7; Exod. 21:23-25). Fire (v. 8) is a symbol of God’s consuming judgment (see Jer. 50:32; Mal. 4:1; Isa. 66:15-16; etc.).

Laments from Friends of Babylon, 18:9-19

Revelation illustrates the wide-ranging scope of Babylon’s work, and the meaning of her downfall, by picturing the reactions of her friends. Kings, merchants, and sailors have been seduced to worship the luxury of Babylon. All in their way admire and profit from her. They are terrified by the destruction that they see, and stand far off, out of fear of getting caught in the destruction (vv. 10, 15, 17). But they do not learn repentance. Instead, they look back longingly to the earlier time of her prosperity, even as Lot’s wife looked back longingly at Sodom and Gomorrah.

Cases of hardened wickedness take this very pattern. Even when people know that they are sinning, and when they know that destruction follows, they cannot bear to give up their sins. They cannot give up the pleasures or wealth that they obtain from sin.

The catalog of luxuries in 18:11-14 makes clear how people may indulge themselves at the expense of others (“bodies and souls of men,” v. 13). Other people, merchants and sailors, may admire the luxury, but are most interested in the profit that they get from supplying the luxuries to others (vv. 15, 19). In the context of the Roman Empire the picture was literally true. The powerful (“kings of the earth”) grew rich through the concentration of power in the Roman Empire, and they built their pleasure estates on the backs of slaves. Merchants and sailors stood to profit from the trade in luxury items.

Analogous possibilities still offer themselves in modern societies. Those with power, whether in positions in government, industry, commerce, or entertainment, grow rich, frequently through unscrupulous practices. Others profit from serving those in power. Typically such people cannot bear to see a change in the status quo, for it threatens the comfort of their position. But the righteous love righteousness more than any amount of earthly comfort and prosperity.

The powerful weep to see the end of the power to exercise wickedness; but the proper reaction is rejoicing (v. 20; 19:1-4). Modern societies teach us to love comfort and to abhor all destruction. But this modern attitude is nothing but a false sentimentality. Wickedness needs destruction. It is an offense to God primarily, but also to those who are oppressed under it (18:13). The saints rejoicing is quite proper. Modern critics may claim that Revelation’s morality is “substandard,” but the claim only shows the substandard character of modern criticism!

Final Announcement of Irrevocable Destruction, 18:20-24

In the final, 7^th message of destruction on Babylon, the announcing angel dwells on the irrevocably permanent character and the completeness of the destruction. Babylon will never again have any power of resources with which to bring her evils on the world. The destruction of Babylon is thus a fitting prelude to the vision of a new heaven and a new earth, free from all trouble (21:4).

In a parallel with Jeremiah 51:63-64, the finality of Babylon’s fall is depicted by the irreversible act of throwing a large stone into the sea. Then follows a long list announcing the permanent cessation of all kinds of activity (compare Jer. 25:10, predicting the fall of Jerusalem). The heaping up of phrases proclaims like a death knell the surety of her end. The passage closes, fittingly, with a final reminder of the necessity and justice of her judgment: she was guilty of the blood of martyrs (v. 24).

The Pure Bride, Antithetical to Babylon, 19:1-10

The triumph of the pure bride is contrasted with the destruction of the corrupt false church (Babylon). Note the repeated hallelujahs (1, 3, 4, 5, 6). The roar from heaven imitates the thunder of God’s own voice (see 2-3). We are probably supposed to think of the entire heavenly company as participating, as in 18:20: angelic beings and human saints from Old and New Testament times. The heavenly company rejoices when wickedness is destroyed and righteousness established (see on 18:20). The judgment is just, fitting Babylon’s crimes (see on 15:3).

The description singles out the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures, the most prominent angelic servants from 4:4, 6. The focus is on the creatures and their worship, but we are not to forget the God of heaven and earth who is in the center of the picture in Revelation 4. The final celebration of God’s victory fittingly takes place before his presence, in the company of the heavenly host (Heb. 12:22-24).

In verse 5 a voice came from the throne, possibly an angelic voice, but in any case representing an expression of God’s will. The saints respond, in joyful obedience and at the same time with heart-felt spontaneity. God’s triumph is complete, and his triumph also means profound satisfaction for his saints.

In fact, there is a wedding (v. 7). The wedding imagery expresses the intimacy, love, and joy between Christ and his people. It consummates the commitments expressed earlier in Scripture (Hos. 2:19-20; Isa. 54:5-8; Eph. 5:26-27). The wedding feast, the consummation of blessing and satisfaction, contrasts pointedly with the horrific feast of 19:17-18. Everyone will participate in one or the other feast.

The fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints. The saints are distinguished from the world by their righteous acts (2 Thess. 1:5; Matt. 25:31-46; 5:16). At the same time, these acts are not the product of autonomous effort, but planned and empowered by God (Eph. 2:10; Phil 2:12-13).

As at several points, Revelation underlines the trustworthiness and certainty of God’s word (21:5; 22:6; cf. 1:2,5). The angel bears a divine message. And as one of the highest creaturely servants of God, he reflects God’s splendor. John is overwhelmed with the weight of it all, and in confusion starts to worship the mediating angel (v. 10; cf. 22:9). The angel therefore reminds him that the angels also are servants, alongside all Christians (cf. Heb. 1:14).

The Appearing of Christ and the Final Battle, 19:11-21

Christ appears as the divine warrior to wage final war against all the enemies of God, headed up by the Beast and the False Prophet. Christ’s holy attributes contrast markedly with the unholy counterfeit attributes of the Beast (13:1-10). This final war brings to a climax all the wars that God has waged on behalf of his people (Exod. 15:2; Deut. 20; Hab. 3:8-15; Isa. 59:16-18; Ezek. 38-39; Zech. 12:1-9; 14:3-5) and consummates the triumph achieved by Christ on the cross (John 12:31; Col. 2:15; Rev. 5:9-10; 12:10-11).

Some have interpreted the imagery as a reference to the spread of Christ’s rule through submission to the gospel. But the parallels with 16:14, 16; 17:14; and 20:7-10 show that the final battle is primarily in view (see on 16:14 and 16:17-21). 19:11-21 constitutes the sixth cycle of judgments leading to the Second Coming (see Introduction: Structure). In the later cycles the imagery concentrates more and more intensively on the Second Coming and its immediate precursors. In this cycle all the events are actually part of the Second Coming. But, as is typical of Revelation, they bring into full manifestation spiritual principles of war that have been operative throughout the church age (1 John 5:4-5; Eph. 6:10-20). At the end Jesus Christ is revealed fully as who he always is (22:13; Heb. 13:8).

The Appearing of Christ, 19:11-16

Heaven stands open. God reveals his presence not merely to John the seer, as in 4:1, but to the whole world of humanity. The appearance of the divine warrior in his majesty must mean the end of the battle and the destruction of all enemies before him.

Christ bears worthy names (vv. 11-12, 16), in contrast to the blasphemous names on the Beast (13:1). During this age he has been the faithful and true witness (1:5), identifying with the suffering and martyrdom of his saints that witness on earth (cf. 11:7). At his Coming he appears as the faith and true warrior and judge (cf. Isa. 11:4). The wars of earthly armies typically leave much unjust suffering and destruction in their wake. This war, however, is utterly just, because of the supreme power and justice of its leader.

Other aspects of the vision also testify to his worthiness and authority for the task. The eyes like blazing fire, recalling 1:14 and 2:18, affirm Christ’s ability to see and judge human hearts and not merely outward appearance (2:23; Isa. 11:3-5; 1 Sam. 16:7). The crowns indicate the legitimate kingly authority that he has from the Father. The name that no one knows (v. 12) indicates that the full and surprising aspects of his coming are still a mystery to all. It may also remind us of his transcendence, his deity (cf. Judges 13:18, 22). The name Word of God, as in John 1:1, reminds us of his role of power in creation (Gen. 1:3; Ps. 33:6) and providence (Ps. 147:15; Lam. 3:37-38; Heb. 1:3). By virtue of his divine and his Lordship over all, he has ability to wrap up in final form the history that he has ruled over from the beginning (Isa. 11:4).

The significance of the robe dipped in blood is ambiguous. Some think that Christ’s own blood, the blood the redeems the saints, is in view (5:9). This view is possible, because Christ’s sacrifice is the key to the working out of God’s plan for all of history, including its consummation (5:2-6). But the picture developed in 19:13 has close affinities with Isaiah 63:2-3, where God as the divine warrior spatters his garment with the blood of the enemies whom he tramples in the winepress (as in Rev. 19:15). The context in Revelation 19 is one where Christ destroys his enemies in blood, not one where he redeems the saints. Hence, the connection with Isaiah 63:2-3 is the significant one.

The armies of heaven (v. 14) imitate their leader. They too ride of white horses, and they have his purity. In the Old Testament the heavenly armies are composed of angels. Possibly the saints are included as well at this point; but there is no explicit indication to that effect (but note 17:14). In any case, the assistants receive no distinct role in the battle. The achievement and the glory belong to Christ, and all the focus is appropriately on him. His weapon is the sharp sword, as in 1:16, representing his all-powerful word (see Eph. 6:17; Isa. 11:4; Heb. 4:12).

Christ rules the nations with an iron scepter, in fulfillment of Psalm 2:9. In Psalm 2 the rule is further defined as dashing “them to pieces like pottery.” This rule is to destroy the nations is rebellion (19:18-21). The Bible as a whole, as well as Revelation, indicates that the Second Coming is for the purpose of salvation and renewal of the world (21:1-8) as well as destruction. But 19:11-21 focuses on the destructive aspects. Evil must be destroyed not only for the sake of God’s justice, but for the sake of the purity of the new world (21:27).

The Battle, 19:17-21

The angelic messenger stands in the sun. He reflects the brightness of God’s glory, and calls to mind the great theophanies of 4:1-11 and other parts of the Bible. This reflection of God’s splendor is also a reminder that his message has God’s authority and expresses his plan.

The angel summons birds to a horrific supper. Building on the imagery of Ezekiel 39:4, 17-20, it depicts God’s curse on rebels. The curse includes not only death and utter powerlessness, but dishonoring of the bodies after death. Instead of receiving the honorable burial that the great men covet, the bodies are devoured by birds (cf. Gen. 40:19; Deut. 28:26; 1 Sam. 17:44; 2 Sam. 21:10; 1 Kings 14:11). It is the antithetical counterpart to the blessed supper of the Lamb in 19:9. On the Beast and the False Prophet, see 13:1-18. The gathering armies fill out the picture already introduce in 16:14.

The fiery lake of burning sulfur (v. 20) is hell, the final abode of the wicked (20:10, 14-15; 21:8; 14:1011; cf. Isa. 66:24). Fire is frequently associated with all-consuming judgment (cf. Joel 2:3; Isa. 66:15-16).

The Judgments, 20:1-21:8

The 7^th cycle of judgment includes the 1000 year reign of the saints (20:1-10), and the last judgment in its negative aspect (20:11-15) and positive aspect (21:1-8).

This final cycle wraps up the course of history by dealing with several issues of justice. God vindicates the saints, giving an answer for their past suffering and martyrdom (20:4-6). He executes final judgment on Satan, the source of evil, thus eliminating the last of the three evil scourges on the world. (The Prostitute was eliminated in 17:1-19:10 and the Beast and the False Prophet were eliminated in 19:11-21.) He pronounces comprehensive judgment; no item of the past escapes his attention (20:11-15). He creates a new world free from the evils and sufferings and rebellion of the old world (21:1-8).

The 1000 Year Reign, 20:1-10

The 1000 year reign gives the promise of relief to persecuted saints.

An angel descending from heaven binds Satan for a thousand years. The faithful martyrs (20:4) come to life and reign with Christ. After the thousand years, Satan is released, gathers the nations for battle, and is finally rendered powerless (20:10).

Biblical interpreters have differed in their interpretation of the 1000 year period, commonly called the millennium. Premillennialists believe that the 1000 years follow the Second Coming, which has been described in 19:11-21. After the Second Coming Satan is bound and Christ ushers in a long period of earthly peace and prosperity—some think of a literal 1000 years and others consider the number to be simply a symbol for a very long period of time. Christians receive resurrection bodies at the beginning of the millennium, but the final judgment for all others takes place at the end, after a rebellion led by Satan. In the second century A.D. Justin Martyr and Papias were among those holding a premillennial view.

Amillennialists understand the millennium to be a picture of the present reign of Christ and of the saints in heaven (analogous to 6:9-10). The first resurrection is either the life of disembodied Christians with Christ in heaven (6:9-10), or life in Christ that starts with spiritual new birth (Rom. 6:8-11; Col. 3:1-4; Eph. 2:6). Satan has been bound through the triumph of Christ in his crucifixion and resurrection (John 12:31; Col. 2:15).

Postmillennialists believe that the kingdom of Christ and the church will experience much more expansion on earth before the Second Coming. The 1000 years are understood by some as a final period of Christian earthly triumph following the spread of the gospel in 19:11-21. Other postmillennialists agree with amillennialists in identifying 20:1-6 with the entire period beginning with the resurrection of Christ.

Caution is needed because the different millennial positions depend on the interpretation of Old Testament prophetic texts as well as 20:1-10. Moreover, like most of Revelation, 20:1-10 uses language that in principle may be capable of more than one concrete embodiment. These facts make precise interpretation more difficult. The major point concerns the fact that Satan will be finally defeated, and that even before that time God takes care of his saints and gives them enjoyment of the benefits of his triumphant rule. This assurance ought to comfort us, whatever our millennial position.

The millennial dispute partly concerns the chronological relation of 20:1-10 to 19:11-21. Premillennialists believe that 20:1-10 simply follows the Second Coming, which is depicted in 19:11-21. But it makes more sense to see 20:1-15 as the last cycle of judgments, out of a total of 7, leading up to the Second Coming. Several different kinds of evidence point in this direction.

• The final battle in 20:7-10 seems to be the same as the final battle in 16:14, 16; 17:14; 19:11-21.
• Similar language from Ezekiel 38-39 is used in the various descriptions of the final battle.
• The judgment of Satan in 20:10 parallels the judgments against Babylon (17-18) and against the Beast and the False Prophet (19:11-21). These enemies of God all receive their doom, and the visions depicting their doom are thematically rather than chronologically arranged.
• Certain features in 20:11-15 correspond to earlier descriptions of the Second Coming (6:14; 11:18).
• Most important, all Christ’s enemies have been destroyed in 19:11-21. If 20:1-6 were to represent events later than 19:11-21, there would be no one left for Satan to deceive in 20:3.

Thus, 20:1-15 is to be seen as a 7^th cycle leading to the Second Coming. It parallels all the other cycles, rather than representing a unique period chronologically later than any of the others (see Introduction: Structure).

The mention of the first resurrection in 20:5, 6 is often seen as counterevidence. The argument runs as follows. The first resurrection must be bodily resurrection. If so, it follows the Second Coming and therefore places all the events of 20:1-10 subsequent to the Second Coming.

But in fact the issue is more complex. The language of the first resurrection obviously implies that there is a second. In this context, the first and second resurrections have a suggestive relation to the first and second death. The mention of the second death in 20:6 clearly implies a first. And we know from the general teaching of Scripture what both of these are. The first death is bodily death. The second death is consignment to hell, the final abode of the wicked (20:14-15). The second death is spiritual in character, and accompanies bodily resurrection (John 5:29). The first death is preliminary, while the second death is final and irreversible. It is last. As there is a first heaven and earth and a second or last (Rev. 21:1), so there is a first and last death. Moreover, the first death, in its curse character, is a sign of the coming of the more terrible second death (cf. Gen. 3:19).

These facts provide the decisive clues for understanding the first and the second resurrection. The first resurrection is preliminary, while the second resurrection is final and last. The second resurrection is clearly bodily resurrection. It is clearly the remedy for the first death, bodily death. Conversely, the first resurrection is a kind of remedy for the second death, according to 20:6. The first resurrection guarantees freedom from the second death. The various symmetries suggest that the first resurrection, like the second death, is paradoxical in character. As the second death implicitly includes and accompanies an act of bodily resurrection, so the first resurrection implicitly includes and accompanies bodily death. We find an allusion to just this bodily death in 20:4, the souls of those who had been beheaded. The phrase refers to those who have suffered martyrdom for not worshiping the Beast. These are now disembodied souls living in the presence of God and of Christ, as represented in 6:9-10. The important thing to see is that these souls are living, triumphant, because of their union with Christ and victory through his blood (12:11). The assertion and enjoyment of their triumph is not simply postponed until the Second Coming. They enjoy victory even at the moment of the death, for God places them in positions of authority and judgment in the heavenly realms (thrones, v. 4). The judges and earthly authorities who condemned them to death are already beaten by this greater authority that the saints exercise in heaven.¹

The picture in 20:4-6 thus answers a very pressing and practical problem during times of intense persecution. When Christians are a tiny, powerless minority, when great imperial powers are arrayed against them, is there any hope for victory? What happens when Christians see some of their brothers and sisters put to death? It appears to worldly eyes that Christians have been decisively defeated. The world has won the battle. The persecuting governors are very much alive and as powerful as ever, while the Christians have been simply wiped out. Christianity appears to be a meaningless, hopelessly weak religion. Does God not care? Is he really in control? And what could possibly undo the defeat that Christians have suffered through their martyrdom? 20:4-6 answers that heavenly realities must be included in true reckoning. And when we see these realities, the tables are completed turned. Defeating Christians is impossible. Even when demonic forces rage and strut and do their utmost, they only succeed in establishing Christians in positions of real and permanent power!

Now let us consider some of the details. Satan is bound, meaning that his power to influence the nations is suppressed. Premillennialists and some postmillennialists associate this event with the advent of an extraordinary future era of peace and prosperity, contrasting with the present (1 Thess. 2:18; 1 Pet. 5:8). But amillennial interpretation, the binding of Satan has already taken place through Christ’s death and resurrection (John 12:31; cf. Col. 2:15; Rev. 12:9; Matt. 12:29). The present spread of the gospel to the nations, as initiated in Acts, is the result of a restriction on Satan’s power to deceive. Possibly this restriction on Satan’s power is closely associated with the present temporary demise of the Beast (17:8). The deceiving of the nations takes place largely through the activity of the Beast (13:14; 16:14; 19:20). As the Beast can suffer repeated defeats (17:8, 10), so Satan can suffer repeated defeats in his power over the nations. The loosing of Satan in 20:7-10 represents his final attempt, leading to his final defeat.

Who are the souls (v. 4)? As in 6:9-10, martyrs are singled out as the most notable group of faithful witnesses. But other saints are not excluded from the privileges mentioned.

The reigning of saints in verse 4 corresponds to the promise in 2:26-27 and 3:21.

What is the first resurrection? If this resurrection means bodily resurrection, it coincides with the Second Coming (1 Cor. 15:51-57; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). Then the premillennialists are right (see above). But the correlations between first and second death and first and second resurrection suggest that the first resurrection is a picture of the spiritual life of martyrs who reign with Christ between the time of their martyrdom and the Second Coming.

Gog and Magog are names from Ezekiel 38-39 representing the final enemies of God. Having been loosed, Satan is finally able to gather the nations to battle, as in 16:14. His desire all through history has been to muster all human beings into united opposition to God, and now he finally achieved his desire, after a fashion. But opposing God is always futile. Satan is summoning the nations only to experience his final doom.

The Judgment, 20:11-15

God appears in a scene of final judgment. God’s authority to judge has already been anticipated in 4:1-5:14. Now he executes the judgment that befits his character and power over the created universe, as was earlier displayed in 4:1-11. The vision shares features with Daniel 7:9-10; Matthew 25:31-46; Psalms 7:6-8; 47:8-9; and other Old Testament judgment scenes.

Injustices and sufferings in history never escape God’s eye. Those who persecute and who practice injustice can never win. God will judge every deed, all wrongs will be righted, and all attempts to dethrone God and enthrone oneself will be turned around to frustrate God’s enemies completely. The prospect of final judgment ought to be a terror to God’s enemies but a foundation of assurance to the saints: all evil will be frustrated and eliminated.

This judgment follows the 1000 years of 20:2, 7. Premillennialists believe that the Second Coming precedes the 1000 years, and hence must include a distinct judgment of its own. At the Second Coming Christians receive their reward, and this later judgment is for the wicked and those living in untransformed bodies during the 1000 years. Amillennialists and postmillennialists, on the other hand, have generally understood this passage as one among many references to a universal final judgment at the Second Coming (see on 20:1-10).

The throne of God symbolizes his power, his authority, and his ability to exercise righteous and thorough judgment (see 4:2).

The sky fled, repeating the idea in 6:14. The book of life, the roster of God’s elect people, symbolizes that he knows his own sheep (John 10:3, 27), keeps them all, and loses none of them (John 6:39; 10:28-29; cf. Rev. 13:8). The lake of fire, hell, demonstrate God’s consummate justice and his utter frustration of all the devices of wickedness. The new heaven and the new earth are free from all that has contaminated the world in the first order of things.

The New Heaven and the New Earth, 21:1-8

21:1-8 is usually grouped together with 21:9-22:5. The two passages present two aspects of the final vision of the new Jerusalem. 21:1-8 introduces many of the features that appear with greater elaboration in 21:9-22:5. 21:1-8 consists primarily of messages announcing the new realities, while 21:9-22:5 contains more visionary description of these realities. But 21:1-8 also has close relations to 20:11-15. The final judgment of God in fact has two sides: the negative side, the judgment of the wicked, is expressed in 20:11-15, while the positive side, the reward for the righteousness, is expressed in 21:1-8. Within the negative message of 20:11-15 one finds a final exception in the mention of the book of life (20:15). Similarly, within the positive message of 21:1-8 one finds a final exception in the mention of the fiery lake (21:8). Thus 20:11-15 and 21:1-8 form two symmetric tableaux depicting judgment in both negative and positive sides. 21:1-8 is thus a bridge between the judgment of 20:11-15 and the extended description of the new Jerusalem in 21:9-22:5.

The voice of God announces the descent of the new Jerusalem, against the backdrop of total renovation: a new heaven and a new earth. God is the Alpha (see 1:8), the Creator, whose purposes were expressed in creation from the beginning. Now he shows himself to be the Omega, the Consummator, who brings his purposes to final realization. The throne vision of 4:1-11 displayed God’s glory, power, and beauty within the fundamental sphere of heaven. Now the dwelling of God extends to all his people (21:3). All evil and pain is abolished, in contrast to the pain, suffering, and struggles running through the earlier parts of Revelation. The promises made to overcomers are now fulfilled (see 2:7).

This vision is meant to encourage faithfulness, confidence, and hope in Christians, especially those who face persecution. God will achieve his full purpose, and Christians will inherit his full blessing, however grim the circumstances may temporarily look. Though this vision pertains to the consummation of all things, in Christ we even now receive the down-payment of our future inheritance (Eph. 1:14; Heb. 12:18-29). Hence Christians may receive a foretaste now of that final bliss. God’s promises should stimulate our fervent devotion to Christ.

The final visions of Revelation weave into a beautiful unity a host of themes from the rest of the Bible. Note the theme of creation (v. 1); the holy city of Jerusalem (v. 2); communion with God expressed through marriage imagery (v. 2); dwelling of God, including tabernacle and temple (v. 3; see on 4:1-5:14); saints as God’s own people (v. 3); the end of suffering and death (v. 4); new deeds of salvation (v. 5); trustworthiness of God’s word (v. 5); living water (v. 6); becoming a son of God (v. 7); warnings to the faithless (v. 8); judgment (v. 8).

God creates a new heaven and a new earth, implying comprehensive renovation. Some have thought that the new universe will be an entirely new world with no connection with the old. But Isaiah 65:17-25 and Romans 8:21-23 indicate that a transfiguration of the old world is in view, like the way in which our new bodies will be transfigurations of the old (1 Cor. 15:35-57). Everything is new (21:5), which indicates the thoroughness and extent of transfiguration; but the result is redemption and not mere abolition of the old. Some people are prone to worry about the loss of things from this life. Indeed, we must be prepared to give up everything for the sake of loyalty to Christ (Luke 9:23-26; 14:25-35; John 12:24-26). But in the process we will find that nothing of genuine value or beauty is permanently lost. After all, God in his beauty and majesty is the source for all beauty and joy that we have as creatures. Living in the presence of God in the new world (Rev. 21:3; 22:4-5) means bathing in the source of the river, in comparison with which the joys of earth are but a few drops of muddied water. We do not know the details of what God will do and how he will do it. But we know that his presence is consummate joy (19:9). We will have no regrets or unsatisfiable longings (21:4).

Why is there no sea? The description here is symbolic. We will not lose the beauty and awe that modern people associate with the sea and its creatures. Rather, we lose the ancient biblical symbolic associations of the sea with evil and chaos. Water destroys the world in the time of Noah. Overwhelming waters picture the coming of death (Pss. 42:7; 69:1; Jonah 2:3). From the water rise terrible monsters (Dan. 7:3; Isa. 27:1; 51:9-10; Rev. 13:1). The removal of the sea means the absolute and permanent removal of all challenges to God’s order, and hence the peace and stability of the new world.

At the center of the new creation is the new holy city, representing the dwelling of God with human beings. In the Old Testament Jerusalem was the place where the Lord God put his name and where he established his dwelling place (Deut. 12:5, 11; 1 Kings 8:16, 29). God establishes a place where not only individuals but the whole nation can have access to him, can obtain forgiveness, and can bring their prayers and their offerings. The temple and the surrounding city are consecrated for the presence of God, to be the way of access to God. In Christ this access to God is fulfilled. He is the “one mediator between God and men” (1 Tim. 2:5). The whole international community of saints has access even now to the heavenly assembly (Heb. 12:18-29). The new Jerusalem represents the perfecting of the community and the consummation of its joy in the presence of God. This consummation is fundamentally the work of God, not human beings. It is not Babel reaching up to assault heaven in autonomous pride, but the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven as the gift and artistic product of God’s craft.

The imagery then shifts from city to bride (v. 2), further personalizing the picture and stressing the intimacy, love, and pleasure of communion with God (cf. 19:7-9; Eph. 5:22-33; Song of Solomon).

God dwelt with human beings in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:7, 16; 3:8), in the tabernacle (Exod. 25:8; 40:34), in the temple (1 Kings 8), and climactically in Christ (John 1:14; 2:19-21). Christ sends the Spirit in order that the church (1 Cor. 3:16) and its members (1 Cor. 6:19) may be dwellings of God. The new Jerusalem is the consummation of all of these. God will be their God, implying that he will be a faithful and loving supplier of all needs, with unimaginable fullness. All the commitments and promises of God through earlier history find the apex of their fulfillment. Positively, there is consummate blessing; negatively, all aspects of suffering and frustration are completely removed (v. 4). God himself guarantees the certainty and the effectiveness of this result (v. 5), on the basis of his own sovereignty and competence as Creator (v. 6). Full satisfaction is pictured through the image of the water of life (v. 6). A whole cluster of passages associate living water with the Holy Spirit first of all, and then subordinately the blessings that the Holy Spirit brings (22:1, 7; 17; John 4:10; 7:37-38; Isa. 44:3; 55:1; Zech. 14:8; Joel 3:18; Ezek. 47).

Both as warning and as guarantee, verse 8 notes that the wicked will be excluded from the new Jerusalem. This exclusion summarizes the point already made in 20:11-15. The standard of God’s justice as well as the holiness and the peace of the new Jerusalem require the exclusion of evil. No sin or second fall into evil will disturb the permanent security and bliss of the new world.

The New Jerusalem, 21:9-22:5

The picture of the new Jerusalem is now unfolded in detail. The final dwelling place of the saints is simultaneously the fulfillment of earlier revelations of (a) God appearing in glory and reigning in his heavenly court (compare 22:1, 3; and 21:22-23 with 4:1-11); (b) the holy city Jerusalem (21:10); (c) the Garden of Eden (22:1-3); (d) the bride, the marriage partner of the Lord (21:9); (e) the temple as dwelling place of God (21:22, 3). The central figure and the central blessing of the city is God himself and the Lamb (21:22-23; 22:1-5). The final revelation of God necessarily brings to a climax all earlier revelations. It completes God’s purpose of bringing all things under one head, even Christ (11:15; Eph. 1:10). Thus it harmonizes with the creation of all things by Christ at the beginning (4:11; 1:17; Col. 1:15-17) and the redemption of all things through Christ in the middle (5:9-14; Col. 1:18-20; Rom. 11:36). Because of the fluid character of the imagery, it is wisest not to distinguish rigidly between the inhabitants of the city (the saints) and the city itself (saints together with glorified creation).

The Architecture of the New Jerusalem, 21:9-27

As in 21:2, the new city is also the bride. We enjoy personal intimacy and joy in the presence of God (bride), and structural organization with other saints into a harmonious worldwide community (city).

The mention of being in the Spirit reiterates 1:10; 4:1; and 17:3. The Spirit transports John to a new vantage point for this final vision, underlining its importance. The mountain location reminds us of God’s special meeting-place with human beings, alluding to 14:1; Exodus 15:17; 19:1-25; Psalms 48:1-2; 68:15-16; Ezekiel 28:14; Micah 4:1-2; and other passages.

The fundamental character of the city is that it shines with the glory of God (v. 11). Closely associated with the imagery of light, glory indicates the majesty, awesomeness, and beauty of God. Glory is a prominent theme in 21:9-22:5. It is associated with the temple and the appearing of God in the Old Testament (21:22-23; 22:5; 15:8; Exod. 16:10; 24:16-17; 40:34-35; Isa. 6:3; 40:3; 60:1-2, 19-20; Hab. 2:14; Zech. 2:5; John 1:14). God’s heavenly splendor as seen in 4:1-11 now fills the new world.

In ancient cities gates and walls served for protection. Because of the abolition of all evil (vv. 4, 8), the city has no need of protection in a literal sense. But the imagery remains, to remind us of the full security and architectural wisdom of the whole (cf. Ezek. 40). The use of the number 12 also has symbolic significance. The twelve tribes of Israel formed the holy people of God in the Old Testament. The church under the teaching and leadership of the twelve apostles forms the holy people of God in the New Testament. The integrity and careful organization of the people is stressed by the use of the number 12. The foundation is the twelve apostles, as they in their teaching and leading functions point us to Christ (Eph. 2:20; 3:5; 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:28; 1 Cor. 3:11!).

. The process of measurement, as in Ezekiel 40-41 and Revelation 11:1-2, symbolizes the commitment to preserve the whole, not only in memory but in actual structural integrity. The dimensions supplied have symbolic significance. Each side is 12,000 stadia. The number 12 symbolizes the people of God, of which this city is the dwelling place. The 1000 multiplies the dimensions so that the city is absolutely huge: about 1400 miles on a side. The immense size symbolizes the immensity and profundity of God’s purposes that will be realized. There is no lack of space or lack of supplies for the new world. Note also that the city is in the shape of a perfect cube: all three dimensions are the same. The shape is the same as the most holy place in the tabernacle and the temple, but now immensely magnified. Thus the whole city is not only architecturally perfect, but has become the most intimate dwelling place of God (21:22-23; 22:4).

The wall is 144 cubits (v. 17). 144 = 12 X 12. All the dimensions of the city symbolize its associations with the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles (21:12, 14). 12 symbolically designates the people of God.

There now follows a list of jewels and precious things, expressing the overwhelming riches and beauty and light-filled splendor of the whole city. This city has thus become in its whole and in every part a reflection of the riches and beauty and splendor of God, as earlier revealed in 4:1-11. The list of jewels corresponds roughly to the twelve precious stones of Aaron’s breastpiece (Exod. 28:15-21). The prerogatives that once belonged exclusively to the high priest are now reflected in the entire city.

There is no temple, because God is present in his full immediacy in the whole city. See on 4:1-5:14. The brightness supplied directly from God is such that it makes superfluous the heavenly bodies, the sun and the moon that up to this time have represented as a dim reflection the originary splendor of God. The magnified sense of light fulfills Isaiah 60:19-20.

The nations (v. 24) represent redeemed humanity in all its cultural divisions. The distinctiveness of different cultures and peoples is not simply wiped out, but redeemed, in harmony with the picture in 1 Corinthians 12 of the unity and diversity in the body of Christ. (See Isa. 60:3-12 and Rev. 5:9.) The nations bring in their splendor, all the diversity of riches both material and intellectual and artistic and spiritual, as in Isaiah 60:3-5; Haggai 2:7-9.

Ancient city gates needed to be shut in case of attack. These gates need never be shut, in fulfillment of Isaiah 60:11.

As in 20:11-15 and 21:8, all uncleanness and corruption is excluded (v. 27). On the book of life, see 13:8.

The New Jerusalem as New Edenic Garden, 22:1-5

The final paradisiacal description contains many elements alluding to the Garden of Eden. The intimacy of God with his people (22:3-4) and the abundance of his blessing (22:1-2, 5) are stressed even more than in the preceding verses. The final state restores the unbroken, idyllic communion between God and human beings. But the apex of history is ever so much more magnificent than the beginning. The garden is now also a city, and the light has driven out all night.

Revelation is designed not only to inform us and assure us about God’s final purposes, but to increase our longing for God and the realization of his purpose. The sureness of that final bliss comforts saints during times of temptation and persecution. It purifies our desires by directing them to God and his glory. And then the tawdry counterfeits of this world are seen to be what they are. We have eyes to see the beauties and joys of this creation as pointers to God and his goodness (Acts 14:17), rather than foolishly perverting created things into idols to which we offer our ultimate allegiance (Rom. 1:18-23).

The center of the new world is God himself, and the Lamb. Their rule and control, symbolized by the throne, produce the beauty and blessing of the new world. Abundant supply of life-giving water comes from God. In the picture of the river Revelation weaves together allusions to Genesis 2:10-14; Psalm 46:4; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Joel 3:18; and John 4:10-14; 7:37-39. The brightness of the river (clear as crystal) reflects the glory of God (21:11, 23). The tree of life is present, renewing the blessing of Eden in Genesis 2:9. Access to God’s life-giving blessings, barred after the fall, is here renewed (Gen. 3:22-24; Ezek. 47:12; Rev. 2:7; 22:14, 19). It is not clear how many trees there are (cf. Ezek. 47:12), but in the symbolic mode of Revelation this detail is not important. The point is that Eden is back, with its fullness of blessing multiplied many times.

The leaves are for the healing of the nations (v. 2). The new world has already been described as free from all problems and suffering (21:4). So how can the nations need healing? But in fact we are not intended to read the passage so unimaginatively as to infer a literal presence of sickness. A visionary passage like this one weaves together symbolic themes rather than being pedantically precise about all possible implications. The language reflects Ezekiel 47:12, but extends the healing not just to Israel but to all nations, in fulfillment of the international promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:3). The new creation as a whole answers all our needs and produces a consummate remedy for all the ills that belonged to the old (21:4).

The theme of returning to Eden continues with the reversal of curse (v. 3), which answers Genesis 3:14-19. God now exercises his rule entirely in blessing. At the heart of this blessing stands communion with God himself: to see his face (v. 4). Creaturely knowledge of God never exhausts the infinity of God’s being. But this final knowledge brings the apex of intimacy and enjoyment. At that point we experience perfect holiness and no more sin, and so human beings can enjoy a vision of God such as was not possible while they were contaminated with sin (Exod. 19:21; 33:20; Judges 13:22; Isa. 6:5; John 1:18).

Light is a symbol of ethical purity, and is closely associated with God (1 John 1:5-7; 2:8-11; John 1:4; 3:19-21). It is fitting, therefore, that the final symbolic vision is characterized by pervasive light, with no darkness (Rev. 22:5). All evil is gone, and the splendor and brightness of God’s presence fills the entire universe.

Closing Exhortations, 22:6-21

The central visionary part of Revelation ends with 22:5. Revelation now concludes with promise, exhortation, and confirmation in order to drive home to our hearts the message of the visions, and to stir up hope for the coming of the Lord Jesus (22:20). The major themes of Revelation continue to be woven into this concluding section. There are many allusions back to Revelation 1.

The words are trustworthy and true, echoing 1:2. The theme of witness runs through the entirety of Revelation. Christ is the preeminent witness (1:5), John communicates this witness through the content of Revelation (1:2-3), and the saints take up the task of witness in the face of opposition (2:10, 13; 11:3-12).

Jesus promises to come soon (v. 7). As in 1:1, the shortness of the time is from the standpoint of Old Testament prophecy, especially Daniel. Daniel prophesied about things that were far distant in time. John prophesies about things that are even now in the process of realization, since the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Saints are always to be watchful, not knowing when the Lord will come (Mark 13:32-37; Luke 12:35-48; 17:20-37). Blessed are those who are awake and watchful, and blessed likewise are the people who take to heart the prophecy of Revelation, which calls us to this same watchfulness and faithfulness to the Master.

The temptation to worship the assisting angel repeats 19:10.

The instruction not to seal up the book (v. 10) underlines the nearness of fulfillment. By contrast with Revelation, Daniel’s scroll was sealed because the time of fulfillment was distant (Dan. 12:4).

Verse 11 exhorts us to perseverance in doing right. Under persecution, oppression, and discouragement, saints are tempted to lose heart and compromise. The call to persevere in the faith is always apt (cf. Heb. 10:35-39; 3:6; etc.). But how do we understand the negative pronouncements about doing wrong? The working out of history polarizes good and evil. If people do not repent when they hear the word of God, it increases their hardness. If hearing Revelation does not change one’s course of life completely, it fixes one more firmly to one’s present course, whichever side of the battle that may be. (See Dan. 12:10; Ezek. 3:27; 2 Cor 2:15-16.)

On coming soon, see 1:1 and 22:7. God distributes rewards and punishments according to what people have done, as in 20:12. The saints are saved by the grace of God in the work of Christ (19:8; 5:9-10; 13:8; cf. Eph. 2:1-10). But they are not saved in order to continue in sin (Rev. 2:4; 3:3-4; 14:4-5). Even during this life the saints begin to live a holy life, and God is pleased to reward them for their works (2:7, 11, 17, 23-26; 3:3-5, 12, 21; 19:8). The imperfections in these works, and the remaining contaminations from sinful inclinations, are covered by the blood of Christ. Good works are not the basis for eternal life, as if we earned life through our own efforts; but they are external demonstrations of the genuineness of our faith and of the justice of God’s judgment (1 Pet. 1:7; 2 Thess. 1:5). The separation between the righteous and the wicked in 22:14-15 distinguishes people with two antithetical kinds of character and behavior (cf. Matt. 25:31-46). (On the Alpha and the Omega in verse 13), see 1:8.)

The time of consummation has not yet come. But it will come. Revelation by picturing the final triumph of God and the splendors to follow stirs up the longing for that final day. The Spirit leads the church in prayer, “Come!” Come, Lord Jesus (22:20). The bride, that is, the church (19:7; Eph. 5:22-33), takes up the prayer and longing, as she is taught by the Spirit (cf. Rom. 8:15-16). Revelation continues with an address to the thirsty: “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; …” (v. 17). On this basis some interpreters have seen all the occurrences of “come” as addressed to thirsty human beings. But the atmosphere of anticipating the Second Coming makes it more probable that the first two occurrences are addressed to Christ, in longing for his Coming. The invitation to the thirsty is then a surprise twist. But it harmonizes with urgency of the nearness of the Second Coming, as this nearness is underlined by the first two occurrences of “come.” The door is open for repentance. The invitation extends both to those who already trust in Christ and to those who are still in rebellion. Come while there is still time, before He comes.

God’s word is holy; it is distinguished from all merely human words. No mere human authority is authorized to add to or subtract from the word of God (Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Prov. 30:6; cf. Eccles. 3:14). Revelation underlines its character as the word of God by explicitly prohibiting tampering. God’s word is sure, and needs no “updating” or supposed “improvements.” Jezebel and the false teachers mentioned in 2:14-15, 2:20 claimed to be Christians but distorted the truth. Such tampering remains a real possibility throughout church history. It may take the form of claims to special visions, as is shown by the production in later centuries of supposed revelations: Apocalypse of Peter, Apocalypse of Paul, and Apocalypse of Thomas. Claims for supposed visions and angelic revelations have continued to crop up until the present time (Emanuel Swedenborg, Joseph Smith). In addition, teachers who do not claim to have special visions may distort the truth. Like Jezebel, they may give plausible arguments trying to convince Christians that they can compromise with the ways of the world in order to avoid persecution.² (On the tree of life, see 22:2.)

Come, Lord Jesus. The whole of Revelation is meant to stir our longing and prayers for the full realization of God’s purposes, which is to take place at the Second Coming. Revelation fittingly ends on this note. See 1 Cor. 16:22.