Thursday, December 30, 2010

Revelation 12-18: It is Done

In John's telling of what he saw on the Isle of Patmos, the seven trumpets have been sounded, and God's temple in heaven has been opened.  Now a pregnant woman clothed with the sun and moon under her feet appears as well as an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and a great battle in heaven ensues:  Michael and the angels against the dragon and his angels.  The great dragon, who is called Satan or the devil, calls forth two beasts, one from the sea and one from the earth, to lead the entire earth astray.

But, the Lamb also appears, standing on Mt. Zion, and John sees three angels flying throughout the earth to counter what the two beasts are provoking with three messages of truth.

   “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
  “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”  
   “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. - Rev. 14:7-9

John sees sickles being swung from heaven to harvest the earth and the seven angels are told to  “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”  - Rev 16:1 NIV  The earth is visited by horrible plagues, death, fire, and darkness until the seventh angel pours out his bowl and out of the temple comes a loud voice from the throne proclaiming, "It is done!" and suddenly there are flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.(Rev. 16:18)

Then one of the seven angels takes John into a desert and shows him a woman sitting on a best  This title was written on her forehead:
   MYSTERY
   BABYLON THE GREAT
   THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
   AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. - Rev 18:5
And John saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. - Rev. 18:6 NIV

All that has gone against God from the beginning of time, all the principalities and powers that war against those who bear testimony to Jesus are represented by this prostitute who sold her soul for riches and wealth that no longer has any worth.

  ‘Woe! Woe, O great city,
   O Babylon, city of power!
In one hour your doom has come!’
- Rev 18:10 NIV

It is done.  The flimsy things that make up the world as it has been known are no more. 

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