notes
The Apocalypse of John
• v14-18. The War against the Lamb
• • • • •
The make war with the Lamb The waters are many peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues. The ten horns will despise the woman... God has put it in their hearts to do this. Here is who the woman is...
Revelation Ch. 16-17 Things to keep in mind for today... This section of text in Revelation seems to be set within the context of the “Song of Moses” and the idea of God’s deliverance of his people from Egypt. John (God the one sending John the message) are trying to connect what is about to happen with the idea of the Exodus. The Idea is that, if God delivered Israel in such a way back then from her enemies, how much more will he now deliver his people (Christians) from the enemies of God today. When reading, look for possible parallels with the Exodus story, and see how these “plagues” have been exaggerated from the appearance they took in Egypt. This once again points to the idea... If God delivered his people back then, get ready for an even greater deliverance. Also, in chapter 17, pay attention to the description of the woman. The description fits very well with our idea that Rome is the Woman, and the beast (esp. Domitian). The description of her here helps us to identify what the symbol represents.
Additional Reading:
Lowery, Robert A. Revelation’s Rhapsody: Listening to the Lyrics of the Lamb. Joplin, Missouri: College Press Publishing Company, 2006
Chapter 16: The 7 bowls of God’s wrath... • v1. Here we see God sending out his angels to accomplish his wrath... • This is in keeping with OT ideas that God would punish his enemies from his temple. • Is. 66:6; Ezek. 22:31; Zeph. 3:8. • v2. The first angel pours out his bowl of wrath, and it is a sore covering the people who have made themselves enemies of God • Exodus 9:8-11; this is Exodus imagery again... • v3. The second angel pours out his bowl, and the sea turn to blood... • Exodus 7:17-24; here is where God turns the water in Egypt to blood. • v4. The third angel pours out his bowl of wrath, and the fresh water turns to blood. • v5-6. The angel who is over the waters, recognizes God justice in bringing these plagues onto the earth.
The Apocalypse of John: Ch 14-15
Αποκαλυψις Ιησου Χπιστου
• One of the reasons that this was just is because these people poured out the blood of the saints, so it is only right that they have blood to drink.
• v7. The saints who had been slain (Revelation 6) cry out to God from under the alter (their lives being pictured as a sacrifice) and lend their support for
God’s actions crying out that God is true and righteous in the way he judges.
• v8-9. The fourth angel poured out his bowl, and the sun was given the ability to scorch and torment men.
• Look at how this compares with Exodus 10:21. • Here instead of darkness (which can be felt) it is intensity of the sun which can be felt. • In response, these men (God’s enemies) do not honor God, instead, they curse him. • v10-11. The fifth angel pours out the bowl and the kingdom of the beast was covered with darkness. • Look at this, Pharaoh and his kingdom of Egypt was covered with darkness during the Exodus. • Exodus 10:21-23 • But, in response to this plague, they do not repent, nor do they change. Instead they curse God... • Look at how this parallels the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart. • v12-16. The sixth bowl poured out... • The river Euphrates was dried up... this is similar to the Red Sea drying up to let the Israelites pass (Exodus 14:21-22) • Euphrates being a river near “Babylon” and Babylon is representing Rome. • This was to prepare the way for the kings of the East... Three unclean spirits come out of the Dragon, Beast, and False Prophet. • Exodus 8:2-7 deals with the plague of frogs, this is likely where the imagery comes from. • These are spirits/demons which go out to try and deceive and gather the kings of the earth for battle • John makes an aside (like Jesus talking) With the thief in the night kind of imagery. Jesus is like the thief, always be ready. • They gather together on Har Magedon (Armageddon). • This is the Mount. of Magedon. • • v17-21. The seventh angel pours out his bowl. • IT IS DONE!!! • Once again, this seems like an ending to the book of Revelation. All of the stuff in 18 sounds like judgment language. • v19. Deals with the destruction of the city. God remembered Babylon and sent destruction down on her. • v20. More judgment language. • v21. Hailstones... giant ones falling from the sky. • Remember Exodus... • Revelation 17: The great harlot Babylon... • v1. He is going to show him the harlot who sits on many waters. • Many waters = many rivers? • v2. It is with this harlot that the kings of the world have committed adultery (notice here that it is the kings of the world... Kings of the known world at least :-) ) • v3. Here we see an image of this adulterous woman riding on a scarlet beast. • Scarlet and purple are often associated with the splendor of Evil in all its debauchery. • The beast she is riding is the beast mentioned earlier. • Notice she is riding the beast, this means that whoever the woman is, and whoever the beast is should be linked in some way. • v4. Her the woman is viewed, clothed in scarlet and purple (remember what we just said) • She has in her hands a golden cup full of her wickedness. • She is dressed to the nines as well, so we see her covered in this splendor. • v5-13. This is all a description of the woman... and it leads us to believe very strongly that this is Rome.