Bible Study With Jairus

Bible Study With Jairus Revelation 21 (part 2) Why Is There No Sea in the New Heaven and the New Earth?

Bible Study With Jairus

Revelation 21 (part 2)

Why Is There No Sea in the New Heaven and the New Earth?

 

Revelation 21:1 says, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." Why does it say here that the sea was no more? Does this mean that in the new heaven and new earth there will be no large bodies of water where water gathers? Not necessarily. Revelation 22:1 mentions the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Because this water flows endlessly, it could eventually form a sea. Though we can’t know for sure, I believe that this verse does not refer to literal bodies of water, but to the symbolic meaning of the sea in the ancient world.

 

To many ancient authors and thinkers, the sea represented chaos and unrest. It was a holding place for the souls of the dead and for evil spirits. We can see this idea in several passages in Scripture. The Lord Jesus permitted the unclean spirits to enter the herd of pigs, which then rushed into the sea and drowned (Luke 8:26–39). This suggests that there are unclean spirits in the sea. In the books of Daniel and Revelation, we see many dragons, beasts, and evil powers rising out of the sea with Satanic power and authority (Revelation 13:1–2, Daniel 7:3). These verses indicate that the sea contains beasts and evil spirits.

 

Additionally, the sea was seen as a holding place for the spirits of the dead. Revelation 20:13 says that when death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, the sea also gave up the dead who were in it. This passage equates the sea, death, and Hades as dwelling places for the dead. Verse 14 further states that death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. These passages indicate that the sea is a holding place for the dead.

 

The Bible does not provide many details about the sea as a holding place for the dead. We do not know how the souls in the sea differ from the souls held in death and Hades. However, the Bible does clearly state that these three places will give up their dead. This indicates that they are distinct from each other. In addition to the fact that death and Hades are ultimately thrown into the Lake of Fire, this chapter also mentions that in the New Heaven and New Earth, “the sea was no more.” This likely does not mean there will no longer be any bodies of water in the New Heaven and New Earth, but rather that certain functions of the sea in the old heaven and old earth will no longer exist.

 

I believe that the sea contains the bottomless pit, which confines various evil spirits, including the beast and Satan, and also holds the spirits of those who perished in Noah’s flood (1 Peter 3:19–20). Revelation 11:7 explicitly states that the beast came out of the bottomless pit. Revelation 9 mentions that locusts came out of the bottomless pit. Apart from being the place where the beast and evil spirits are confined, the bottomless pit is also described in Revelation 20:1 as the location where Satan is bound for a thousand years. Once Satan is released from the bottomless pit and thrown into the Lake of Fire, the bottomless pit and the sea will no longer be necessary.

 

When all the dead are resurrected and judged before the Great White Throne, some will enter eternal life, and others will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Evil spirits, the beast, the false prophet, and Satan will all be thrown into the Lake of Fire to be punished forever. Therefore, the sea will no longer be needed as a holding place for evil spirits, the beast, the false prophet, Satan, and the souls of certain people.

 

The sea, as it existed in the old heaven and old earth, served a specific function in the old creation. But when the old creation is rolled up like a garment (Hebrews 1:10–12), the sea's purpose will be rendered obsolete. We will examine this idea in detail in the next section.

 

The Old Heavens and the Old Earth Will Be Rolled Up Like a Garment

 

Hebrews 1:10-12 says, "And you, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end." This scripture is deeply significant and will greatly help us understand the disappearance of the old heavens, old earth, and sea in the book of Revelation. In this passage, the old heavens and earth are likened to an old garment that will one day be rolled up and removed.

 

When my daughter was younger, other families at church used to give her hand-me-downs that their children had outgrown. The clothes no longer fit their children, but they fit my daughter perfectly. Many of the clothes were beautiful and in good condition, and my daughter enjoyed wearing them. In the same way, we used to pass along clothes that our daughter had outgrown. They were not torn or unwearable; they simply did not fit her anymore because she had grown.

 

In the same way, as Christ’s body grows in stature to become more and more like Christ (Ephesians 4:13), she will outgrow her former garments. I believe the old heavens and earth will be laid aside because the church has outgrown them. As Christ’s body, the bride, grows in maturity, she will no longer need her old garments. As God's sons enter into God's glory, they will no longer need the old earth. Instead, they will put on the New Heaven and New Earth as their new garment.

 

When the bride of Christ is fully mature, she will wear fine linen, bright and pure (Revelation 19:8). She will “grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). Her life will be full of Christ’s life and she will be filled with all the fullness of God. “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:23). When the fullness of God fills the church, and through His body fills the universe, a new heaven and earth must come. The New Heaven and Earth are the new clothes that God has made for Christ’s bride.

 

The New Earth is also a new living and activity space for the bride, and it is full of righteousness. Peter explained, “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). Before this, Peter also mentioned that the day of the Lord will come like a thief. At that time, “the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn” (2 Peter 3:10-12).

 

Peter said that God’s righteousness will dwell in the New Heaven and New Earth. God is righteous, Christ is righteous, and the bride of Christ is wearing fine linen which represents the righteous deeds of the saints (Revelation 19:8). Daniel 12:3 says, "And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." This indicates that the righteousness of the saints will shine like the stars for eternity. If these righteous individuals fill the New Heaven and New Earth, then we can indeed say that righteousness dwells in the New Heaven and New Earth. For the body of Christ is made up of righteous people, and they will inhabit the New Heaven and New Earth.

 

The New Heaven and New Earth are undoubtedly our dwelling place, but they can also be seen as our garment. As believers grow in maturity and the righteousness of God fills them, the old heaven and old earth will metaphorically burst at the seams. Like old wineskins mentioned in Mark 2:22, the old earth will no longer be able to contain the spiritual growth and expansion of Christ’s body, the church.  At this time, the old heaven and old earth will be removed and will be rolled up like an outgrown garment (Hebrews 1:10-12).

 

In addition, Peter says that the old heaven and old earth will be burned and the elements will melt with fervent heat. When these elements are melted, will they be refined like gold, or will they be destroyed in the Lake of Fire? Will they be purified of impurities and made even more precious? Or will they be annihilated? Personally, I believe that the elements of the old heavens and old earth will be refined and purified of impurities so they can become part of the New Heaven and New Earth.

 

As people of the old creation, we are also part of the old heavens and old earth. Yet inside us is an element of newness that will one day fill our entire being. Paul says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Revelation 21:5 states, "And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'" Once we have received the life of Christ, we begin the process of becoming a new creation, a process that will ultimately transform us into a bride filled with righteousness. The old heavens and old earth will then be transformed to match our level of growth, maturity, and newness. At this time, the old heavens and old earth will no longer be suitable as our dwelling place because they are filled with impurity. Just like we will one day receive glorious bodies, we will also receive a glorious new place to live.

 

As We Grow Spiritually, We Must Shed our Old Garments

 

Let’s look at some analogies that help us understand that the old heavens and the old earth are like old garments that need to be left behind as we grow. The first analogy is a snake that sheds its skin. As a snake grows, its skin can no longer accommodate its size. Perhaps its skin is only five inches long, but its body inside has grown to six inches long. The five-inch skin can no longer accommodate its growth and has become a hindrance to further growth. At this time, the snake must shed its skin to continue growing.

 

At every stage of spiritual growth, there must be an outward renewal to match our inward growth. When I was 4 feet tall, I wore clothes that fit my height. But when I grew to 5 feet, my 4-foot clothes no longer fit and had to be replaced. This doesn’t mean the 4-foot clothes disappeared; they simply were too small for me. In the same way, why must the old heavens and the old earth be rolled up like a garment? Why will the sea no longer exist? Because the life of God’s Son within us has grown to such a degree that the old heavens and the old earth—like old garments—can no longer contain the new spiritual life we now possess.

 

May God grant us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to understand this spiritual truth. Paul said, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). Our outer self—our physical body—is temporary, like a garment, while our inner self—our spiritual life—is permanent. As our inner self is renewed and grows day by day, our outer self wastes away. This experience is like the transformation of a dragonfly nymph into a full-grown dragonfly. Each time it sheds its skin, it is more mature and closer to being a full-grown dragonfly. Similarly, as we leave behind our old self, we gain a renewed spiritual life. This is a continuous process. Paul explains, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18). We must continually put off the old self, like an old garment, and put on the new self, like a new garment. One day, when we enter into glory and receive our glorified bodies, the transformation from nymph to dragonfly will be complete.

 

Jesus said to His disciples, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains” (Matthew 24:7–8). In this passage, who or what is being born? I believe new life is being birthed into the world in several ways. First, the male child is being born (cf. Revelation 12:5). Second, Christ’s bride is preparing to enter eternal glory (Revelation 19:7 and Romans 8). And finally, the New Earth and New Heavens are coming into being. When the sons of God enter into God’s glory, the New Jerusalem will descend from heaven, and the birth pains will come to an end. At that time, the New Heaven and New Earth will be filled with righteousness.

 

The present suffering we experience—wars, famines, and earthquakes—are birth pains that bring forth the new creation. They are part of the process by which the old heaven and old earth are left behind, much like a snake shedding its skin. In Romans 8, Paul mentions that all things work together for the good of those who love God. Certainly, this includes even the negative things. The old heavens and earth contain many bad things, such as war, famine, earthquakes, and the sea, which may contain negative elements. However, God is using these negative elements to promote the ultimate birth of the new creation.

 

The purpose of the old creation is to bring forth the new creation. Once the new creation is fully revealed, the old creation will no longer be needed. For example, an eggshell is crucial for preserving the life of the developing chick, but once the chick hatches, the shell is no longer needed. Similarly, when the New Heaven and New Earth are revealed, the old heaven, old earth, and sea will no longer be needed. Like an eggshell, they will be discarded after the new life has emerged.

 

However, the converse is also true. Before the new life emerges, the eggshell is crucial for the survival of the growing chick. In the same way, the old heavens and earth are essential for the growth and maturity of the body of Christ. Just as our old bodies are crucial for our survival until we receive our resurrected bodies, the old creation is necessary until we receive new creation. Right now, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Eventually, the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to our mortal bodies. When we finally enter God’s glory, He will give us resurrection bodies. But before the new creation arrives, we must preserve the old creation, because the new creation comes from the old creation.

 

The Sea is a Temporary Symbol of Judgment

 

As we have seen, the sea is a symbol of evil and contains evil spirits, beasts, souls of the dead, and Satanic elements. The sea may also contain the bottomless pit, which holds all kinds of evil. The sea functions like a prison where certain souls and evil spirits are confined as part of God's judgment.

 

1 Peter 3:19-20 says that Jesus “went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.” The prison mentioned here is Tartarus, the deep, dark pit. The same concept is also mentioned in 2 Peter 2:4: “God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.” Clearly, this gloomy pit contains evil spirits and the souls of sinners—likely the ones who rejected Noah's invitation to board the ark. This passage says that Jesus went to this place of judgment to proclaim the gospel. If, in God's mercy, these souls eventually repent, then some of them may enter eternal life at the Great White Throne judgment.

 

God also mentions the angels that live in this place of judgment. Jude 1:6 says, “And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day.” When these spirits are judged at the Great White Throne, they will no longer need a temporary holding place. The gloomy pit and the sea will no longer be needed. Even Hades and Death will be thrown into the Lake of Fire.

 

When the sons of God enter God's glory, all creation will be liberated and set free. The entire old creation will pass away. Today, the old creation is gradually passing away. It is decaying day by day, just like our bodies. But the new creation is being renewed day by day. When one day the new creation is fully developed, the old creation will pass away.

 

Conclusion: We Must Experience Continuous Transformation and Growth

 

When the new creation arrives, the old creation will pass away. The new creation grows from within the old creation, and the old creation serves as a protective shell for the new creation, which is developing within it. Just like a snake needs its skin or a growing chick needs its shell, we need the old creation while we are growing and developing. But when we reach full maturity and enter God’s glory, the old creation will pass away.

 

Currently, the evil elements of the old creation are being used by God for his good purposes. They are the suffering that creates our maturity, and the birth pains that bring forth new life. One day, we will be set free from the old creation which has held us in bondage.

The process of growth and renewal is not only being experienced by the church as a whole, but also by individual Christians. Our outer self is decaying day by day, while our inner self is being renewed day by day.

 

We have seen that the sea is a temporary place for holding souls who will be judged. We must remember that judgment is merely a means to an end. God’s end goal is for people to repent, be saved, and mature in eternal life. This is the purpose of our loving God, whose thoughts toward us are thoughts of peace, not of disaster (Jeremiah 29:11). These words were originally spoken to the Israelites while they were in exile for their rebellion. Yet even then, God assured them of his good plans for their lives. In a similar way, we are now under the rule of Satan because of human sin and rebellion. However, God’s thoughts toward us are still good. Our difficult circumstances, hardships, and pain will ultimately help us grow and mature. When our new life is fully mature, we will shed the old life and enter into the new creation.

 

Bible Study With Jairus - Revelation 20 Part 1

Bible Study with Jairus: Revelation 20 part 2

Why Is Satan Released After the Millennial Kingdom?

 

In the second half of Revelation 20 (verses 5–15), we learn about the Millennial Kingdom, the release of Satan, the rebellion of the nations, and the Great White Throne judgment. This passage raises several interesting questions.

• After the thousand-year reign of Christ, during which time Satan is bound in the bottomless pit, why is Satan released to test the nations? Wouldn’t it be better if he remained in the pit?
• After experiencing the personal reign of Christ on earth, why do the nations still rebel?
• Why can’t the Millennial Kingdom transition directly into eternity?

These questions were raised by one of the members of the Bible study I teach, and they are perplexing questions for many. In this article, I will attempt to provide an explanation from the perspective of spiritual growth.

 

The temple worship of the Old Testament is a helpful metaphor that helps us understand this passage. In the Old Testament, God’s people approached Him in three stages. First, they entered the outer court, where they could worship God but not see Him face to face. Then, they entered the Holy Place, where they were only separated from Him by a veil. Finally, they entered the Most Holy Place, where the priests could experience face-to-face fellowship with Him. This progression from the outer court to the Holy Place and Most Holy Place represents a gradual process of drawing closer to God, partaking of His holy nature, and escaping the corruption in the world caused by sinful desires (2 Peter 1:4).

 

Although Christ's death has opened the way for all people to approach the Most Holy Place, only a small number of believers throughout history have attained this level of spiritual maturity. Few believers know how to draw near to God in the Most Holy Place. Those who reach this level of spiritual maturity are the overcomers, and when their number is complete, the Millennial Kingdom will begin.

 

The Millennial Kingdom is the result of the small-scale victory of a few overcomers. However, God desires to replicate this victory on a larger scale. During the Millennial Kingdom, the overcomers will help even more believers mature in their spiritual lives under Christ’s leadership.

 

At the end of the Millennial Kingdom, God releases Satan to test and deceive the nations. The release of Satan represents humanity's final trial, in which all people are given the opportunity to choose Christ and defeat Satan. The release of Satan will again separate these individuals with mature spiritual lives from those who rebel.

 

At this time, the majority of people on earth achieve spiritual victory. These individuals, along with original overcomers, will become part of the holy city, the New Jerusalem, and the prepared, spotless bride that descends from heaven as described in Revelation 21:2. Those who fail this final test, who join Satan in making war against the saints, will face ultimate destruction by fire (Revelation 20:9). After this, Satan will also be cast into the lake of fire and sulfur.

 

Without this final trial, there would be no widespread victory to usher in the new heaven, new earth, and the New Jerusalem. Suffering and trials are indispensable parts of the path toward spiritual maturity. Only those who have undergone and overcome trials are worthy of eternal life and of entering the new heaven, new earth, and the New Jerusalem. I believe that even in eternity, these mature believers will have the opportunity to perfect and assist others who have entered eternity but whose spiritual lives remain immature, including those allowed into eternity after the Great White Throne judgment. In the new heaven and new earth, people’s spiritual lives will still exist on a continuum between the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. People will continue to have the opportunity in eternity to allow their spiritual lives to grow and mature further.

 

The Relationship Between Personal Spiritual Struggles and the Release of Satan

 

I have mentioned many times that there are many similarities between God's methods of dealing with the collective church and His methods of guiding our personal spiritual growth. When we see God’s work in our individual lives to lead us through suffering and trials toward spiritual maturity, we will have a deeper understanding of how He leads the church as Christ's bride toward maturity. In our personal spiritual journey, our usual attitude toward difficulties is to pray for God to remove them. However, God's solution is often not to remove the difficulty but to increase His grace. Paul once prayed three times for God to remove the thorn in his flesh. Regardless of what that thorn was, it must have been a significant difficulty in Paul's spiritual life. But the Lord's response to him was, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

 

Watchman Nee shared a similar story about a difficult situation he was facing in his life. No matter how much he prayed, the difficulty was not removed. One day, while he was on a boat trip, he saw the small boat stranded among various reefs. While he was concerned about how the boat would get out, the tide suddenly rose, and the boat smoothly floated away from the reefs. He immediately received the revelation that God's way of dealing with his difficulty was not to remove the rocks (the trouble), but to increase the grace (the rising tide).

 

This insight can help us understand why God released Satan to test the people on earth. Just like we find it difficult to understand why God does not remove our personal trials in answer to our prayers, we also struggle to understand why God released Satan after the Millennial Kingdom.

 

Jesus has already gained victory over Satan through His death and resurrection. However, each individual believer (as well as the collective church) must apply Christ’s victory to their personal lives. If Satan were bound without the saints achieving victory, our problem would not be ultimately solved. The difficulties we face are key to our maturity. When Satan is released after the Millennial Kingdom, he tests the nations and provides an opportunity for people to grow in maturity.

 

When Satan is released, God’s people will be victorious. As Jesus said, Satan has no hold on Jesus and no power over him (John 14:30). Therefore, whether Satan is released or not is not the key; the key is whether or not we gain the victory.

 

Some people believe that Satan is released to test the generation of people who were born during the Millennial Kingdom. According to this belief, these children born during the Millennial period do not yet know Jesus. However, this view raises some questions.

• If people continue to be born during the Millennial Kingdom, would any of them reach the end of their normal human lifespan and die without learning to know God?
• If Jesus is publicly reigning as King, how could there still be people who do not know God?

We cannot answer these questions for sure, but we do know that many people still oppose God after the Millennial Kingdom. Satan convinces them to rebel against God and attack the camp of the saints, which indicates that they do not know God. Despite having seen God and Christ personally reigning on earth, these people still rebel against them.

 

I believe these people’s final fate is similar to Satan’s. Revelation 19 mentions that these people are killed by the sword from Jesus' mouth, but there is no mention of their eternal end. However, the Great White Throne judgment will certainly reveal their final outcome.

 

Satan’s Final Deception and Humanity's Ultimate Rebellion Usher in the Great White Throne Judgment

 

God is the judge of the living and the dead. As Peter said, God's judgment begins with the household of God (1 Peter 4:17), those who are currently alive. The judgment we experience while we are alive is an opportunity for our spiritual growth.  

 

The dead will also eventually face judgment as an expression of God's justice. Many who have died may not have had the opportunity to hear the gospel, but perhaps they will hear it in the afterlife. Perhaps God's judgment of them will be based on their conscience and the record of their deeds. Those not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:12-15). Perhaps the dead will still have the opportunity to receive the gospel’s teachings in the afterlife. While this is not explicitly taught in the Bible, some prophetic writings mention similar ideas. For example, author Lai Wangxiulan mentions that the Lord told her that some people in the valley of the dead were receiving teachings from the Bible. Those who repented would enter paradise, while those who did not repent would go to hell. These accounts may refer to the judgment the dead will face in the future.

 

If these accounts are true, they help us better understand the passages in this chapter. If the dead still have an opportunity to repent in the future, then those who have died and faced judgment throughout history may not necessarily suffer the second death. It is important to clarify here that not everyone will have the chance to hear the gospel and repent after death. Only those who did not hear the gospel while alive, and are awaiting judgment at the Great White Throne, may have this opportunity. In addition, I believe the gospel will be preached to other people who were not immediately condemned to hell but who are awaiting judgment at the Great White Throne.

 

Ultimately, the fate of these individuals is God’s decision. At the Great White Throne, God will give the final verdict regarding the ultimate fate of the dead. Before this judgment, trials and sufferings may have provided people with the opportunity to decide whether to gain the victory and enter eternity. Those who are victorious are certainly those who have chosen Jesus Christ as their life and have entered eternity, but not all who have chosen Jesus Christ as their life are necessarily overcomers.

 

Understanding the Millennial Kingdom from this perspective might help us better grasp why Satan is released. First, what is the spiritual condition of the people alive during the Millennial Kingdom? If some are not yet saved, then the final trial by Satan is significant—it separates the wheat from the tares. One issue within Western Christianity is that many believers equate Biblical knowledge with a true relationship with God. If a person is familiar with Biblical terms, they assume they are close to God. If individuals alive during the Millennial Kingdom make the same mistake, this trial by Satan will expose their hearts.

 

Some people will be killed by the sword proceeding from the Lord’s mouth, but the Bible does not explicitly say they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. God’s word says that he will burn the tares. Because of this, I believe that if these individuals sincerely repent after death (before the judgment at the Great White Throne takes place), they may still have the opportunity to enter eternal life.

 

When I was sharing the gospel with Chinese students on an American campus, I encountered a recent immigrant student who needed help. I provided him with a lot of assistance, but he did not accept the Lord. However, we became friends. Even though we are no longer in the same city, I still remember him in my prayers, hoping that one day circumstances will come into his life to help him ultimately accept Jesus Christ. He is my little lamb, and I care for him deeply. Similarly, I believe that God cares for and shepherds the people born during the Millennial Kingdom—even those who rebel. The trials that arise from Satan's temporary release after the Millennial Kingdom may cause some to stumble, but they may lead others to repentance. As I have mentioned before, suffering and trials are merely the means to an end. The ultimate goal is repentance and blessing of eternal life with God. God's mercy and wisdom are beyond what we can imagine.

 

David: I Will Make Your Enemies a Footstool for Your Feet

 

Finally, let’s talk about the importance of victory. One day, God will turn Satan’s trials into a stepping stool for us, helping us ascend to the victorious throne. As David said in the Psalms, "God has prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies" (Psalm 23:5).  This means that even when we face attacks from our enemies—just as David experienced countless attacks from Satan—God sets a table before us in the presence of our enemies. The question is, will we focus on the enemy's attacks, or will we focus on the table set before us by God?

 

The Bible says that the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20). Why? Because it is God's will and pleasure to give you the victory. And how do you crush Satan under your feet? You must overcome the trials, suffering, persecution, and stumbling blocks in your path, and you must also recognize the table that God has set before you in the midst of your suffering. When you live in the peace of God, you are lifted up to the third heaven to sit with the Lord on His throne. As a result, the God of peace crushes Satan under your feet, and you realize that the difficulties that once hindered you have become your footstool. David said: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'I will make your enemies your footstool.'" One day, Satan will become your footstool. He will become a stepping stool to help you ascend to the throne of God. God will make everything work together for your good, and you will see how great and beautiful God's will is.

 

With each small difficulty we overcome, we conquer Satan in one more way. Each trial becomes a stepping stool that allows us to ascend to the crown of life and the throne.

Bible Study With Jairus Revelation 19 (part 2) The Church’s Maturity Will Pave the Way for the Final Judgment and the Millennial Kingdom

Bible Study With Jairus
Revelation 19 (part 2)

The Church’s Maturity Will Pave the Way for the Final Judgment and the Millennial Kingdom

 

In Acts 19, we read about the seven sons of Sceva who attempted to cast out some demons. But they were not successful. Instead, the demons overpowered and harmed the men. The evil spirits even mocked them, saying, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15).

 

The inability to cast out demons is not limited to the seven sons of Sceva; it is a common experience for many Christians today. Demons and evil spirits are often at work in the lives of individuals and congregations, yet we are unable to identify and cast out these evil spirits. Not only can individual Christians be possessed by demons, but churches can also become a dwelling place for Satan when they accept the teachings of demons. The reason for this is a lack of spiritual maturity. Only when we reach the level of spiritual maturity of Paul or of Christ will we be able to successfully cast out demons from our lives and the church.

 

The final chapters of Revelation, including the latter part of chapter 19, describe the casting out of evil spirits on a cosmic scale. The Lord Jesus and His bride defeat the beast, the false prophet, and their kings at Armageddon. They then cast these evil forces out of the world. This passage not only describes the victorious Christ, but it also describes the bride’s pure white garments. I believe these garments represent purity and maturity. Even though the Lord Jesus has already won the victory on the cross, the beast and his followers cannot be judged until the bride reaches a place of victorious maturity.

 

This principle not only applies to the end times, but also to our present-day spiritual lives. Difficulty and oppression from evil spirits are tools that God uses to bring us to maturity. As we mature spiritually, we will be victorious over the evil spirits that are affecting a certain area of our lives.

 

Let's take a detailed look at the latter part of this chapter, which includes descriptions of Christ, His bride, and their victory over the beast, the false prophet, and the kings. This passage not only contains future prophecy, but also wise principles that we can apply to the church and the world today.

 

In Revelation 2:26, Jesus promised the church in Thyatira that the one who overcomes will be given authority to rule the nations with a rod of iron. We often think that this victorious authority will happen automatically once we go to heaven. As a result, we often overlook the process of suffering that is necessary to reach this victorious state. We forget that we need to apply Christ’s victory to our lives today so we can gain victory over sin and struggle. Only then will we have the maturity to rule over the nations with authority. If we merely hope for the arrival of the Millennial Kingdom so we can reign with Christ, we overlook the process and jump directly to the end. It is impossible to attain victory without going through the process of suffering. As Paul encouraged the disciples, “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Suffering is an indispensable path to growing in spiritual maturity, attaining a victorious life, and entering God's kingdom.

 

What is true of the individual believer is also true of the collective church. The maturity of the bride and the victory of the church, as recorded in Revelation 19, are the result of countless individual believers gaining maturity through suffering. Without the victory and maturity of individual believers, there is no collective maturity of the church as the bride and body of Christ.

 

Many Christians do not pursue personal spiritual growth and victory, but only long for the New Jerusalem to descend from heaven or for the sudden return of the Lord Jesus. This is irresponsible and childish behavior, akin to spiritual infancy. Without suffering, there can be no spiritual maturity, and many Christians who are unwilling to learn and grow from suffering are destined to fail to reach spiritual maturity.

 

The Fullness of Life Within and the Manifestation of Righteousness Without

 

In Revelation 19, the victorious bride is wearing fine linen which represents the righteous acts of the saints. On the surface, it may seem like this verse is encouraging us to do righteous deeds. However, if we are not filled with God's life within, we cannot produce righteous deeds (fine linen) outwardly.

 

Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil” (Matthew 12:34-35). What fills our hearts will inevitably be revealed externally. Jesus' brother, James, also said, “Can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water” (James 3:12). Only when we are filled with the life of Jesus Christ and God can his life be manifested in the righteous acts of the body of Christ, which is the bride.

 

We must first experience the filling of the Holy Spirit and the life of Jesus Christ in our spirits, and then we can experience the outward renewal and transformation of our souls and offer our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). When we are filled with God's life, we will live out the righteous deeds of Christ, manifesting the fine linen.

 

Jesus Christ is the fullness of God, and the body of Christ is the fullness of Christ. Therefore, together with Christ the Head, we become the fullness of God, manifested throughout the universe, filling all things. Without the inward fullness of Christ, we cannot accomplish external acts, such as casting out evil spirits. Only when the church is full of Christ will the final judgment take place. The church’s maturity brings about the judgment of all things, including the beast, the false prophet, the kings, and even Satan.

 

In the letters from Jesus to the seven churches, we see that God intends for the church to receive the fullness of God's life within. In the letter to the church in Thyatira, overcoming believers receive authority to rule the nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:26). As we’ve discussed in other lessons, we can only receive this rod of iron by overcoming “the deep things of Satan” (2:24), which means exposing and removing the work of Satan and evil spirits from our lives. How can we remove evil spirits from our lives? This can only happen when Christ’s life fills us. The more we are filled with the life of Christ, the less room there is for Satan and evil spirits to work within us. Jesus was so filled with the Holy Spirit that he could say about Satan, “He has no claim on me” (John 14:30). As we are filled with Jesus Christ, we can conquer Satan and produce the righteous deeds that are mentioned in the next letter, the letter to Sardis.

 

After the letter to Thyatira lays the foundation of being filled with Christ’s life internally, the letter to the church in Sardis explains how the church can manifest outward righteousness. Jesus promises that those who overcome in Sardis will be dressed in white garments and will walk with Him in white (Revelation 3:4-5).

 

The message to these two individual churches reflects the experience of the universal church in Revelation 19. In other words, the authority to rule the nations with a rod of iron (which results from being filled with Jesus’ life) and the promise of being clothed with white garments (messages to Thyatira and Sardis in Revelation chapters 2-3), is fully expanded and manifested in Revelation 19. The latter part of Revelation 19 describes how Christ’s victory and the church’s victory give them the authority to rule the nations with a rod of iron and to defeat the beast, the false prophet, and the armies of the kings. It also shows the bride, clothed in white, walking with the Lord. The bride, as the victorious body of Christ, joins the Lord in judging the nations and the evil spirits behind them.

 

This principle is not only applicable to the end times described in Revelation, but can also be applied to our personal spiritual lives today. If we are filled with the life of Jesus Christ, we can overcome the deep things of Satan and defeat the enemy's work in us. Then we will be able to walk with the Lord in white garments, displaying Christ's righteous deeds in our lives. Through his victory, we can be included in the 144,000.

 

The Crown on Christ's Head and the Robes Dipped in Blood

 

How do we experience being filled with God’s life today? By looking to Christ and imitating Him, as Paul said, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). How do we imitate Christ? By having a true knowledge and revelation of Him. When Jesus came to the earth, many did not recognize Him, and some even mistook Him for Elijah or John the Baptist. However, when He asked His disciples who they thought He was, Peter declared that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter received this revelation from God the Father Himself. As a result, Jesus called Peter the rock, and said the church would be built upon this rock, and the gates of hell would not be able to overcome it.

 

The degree to which we are filled with God's life depends on how deeply we comprehend the revelation of Jesus Christ. As we gaze upon and look to the Lord Jesus, we experience transformation. Just as a mirror, we reflect the glory of the Lord, and are transformed into His glorious image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:16). The truth revealed by Paul is the key to understanding the victory of the churches of Thyatira and Sardis in Revelation 2-3. Our understanding of Jesus, particularly through revelation, will ultimately allow us to transform into his image.

 

In Revelation 19, Jesus reveals a vision of his traits and characteristics that can help His people reach maturity. Revelation 19:11 tells us that “the heavens were opened.” This is reminiscent of what happened in Revelation chapters 4-5, when John sees “a door standing open in heaven,” and hears the sound of a trumpet. He is then taken in the Spirit to heaven, where he sees God’s throne and God’s work on the throne. Therefore, John sees that “the heavens were opened” here, and then begins to unveil a series of characteristics and descriptions of Christ.

 

The characteristics of Christ described in Revelation 19 are the key to the church’s transformation and victory. By knowing Christ personally and understanding the traits of Jesus Christ revealed in Revelation 19:11-16, the church is built up to maturity. The depiction of Christ in this passage is inseparable from the subsequent description of the church wearing white garments and judging the beast, false prophet, and the kings with the Lord. The more we understand and absorb the revelation of Christ, the more we understand our identity and position in Christ, and the more authority we gain to govern the universe and tread on serpents and scorpions.

 

The descriptions of Christ in Revelation 19 are deliberate and significant, emphasizing His role as the ultimate judge coming to judge the whole world and to avenge the martyrs. In Revelation 6, John saw the saints under the altar, crying out for justice (6:10). In that passage, God told them that the number of those to be martyred was not yet completed. By the time we reach Revelation 19, the number is complete and the time has come for justice.

 

The cry for justice from the saints, which is a request to judge Babylon the Great, has already been recorded in detail in the first half of Revelation 19. The second half of the chapter describes Christ as the great Judge who judges the Beast, the False Prophet, and the kings of the earth. Verse 11 reveals Jesus sitting on a white horse. He is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. Verse 12 describes Jesus’ eyes as being like a flame of fire, which symbolizes judgment. On His head are many diadems, symbolizing His victory. The verse also says He has a name written on him that only He Himself knows, which indicates His complete victory in every aspect. He is clothed in a garment dipped in blood, referring to the work of His precious blood, which has permeated His robe. This symbolizes that His body (the church) has been cleansed by His blood. These saints have been purified by the blood of Jesus and have been martyred for His testimony. The fine linen worn by the saints has also been purified by His blood. The righteousness of Jesus Christ fills both Christ and His body, the church. The more we understand Christ, who is the head of His body, the more we experience the purity of His cleansing blood in our lives (represented by the fine linen worn by the saints).

 

Revelation 19 describes Christ’s body, the church, as a heavenly army. They are riding on white horses like He is, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, following Him. This confirms what I said earlier, that the body of Christ, the church, is cleansed by Christ's precious blood, righteousness, and holiness.

 

As the description of Jesus continues, we learn that He has a sword coming out of His mouth, which can strike down the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron (19:15). This further confirms that Revelation 19 depicts the victory of both Christ and believers. Like the believers in the church of Thyatira, all victorious believers will rule the nations with a rod of iron.

 

The letters written by Jesus to the seven churches are secrets to victory for both individual Christians and the church as a whole. While the letters to the churches teach the principles to individual churches, Revelation 19 reveals the victory that happens when the collective church applies the principles. The principles revealed in both passages are the same, and understanding these principles will help us better comprehend the book of Revelation. The former is a prototype, the latter is its fulfillment.

 

Revelation 19:15 tells us that Jesus Christ will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty, bringing about the final judgment on the beast, the false prophet, the kings, and Satan. In verse 16, we learn that on His robe and thigh, He has a name written: King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. He is the Lord who judges all.

 

The Relationship Between the Help of the Heavenly Army and the Maturity of Our Lives

 

In Revelation 19:17, an angel summons the flying birds to gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings and of nations. The flying birds are a part of God's creation, and they help Him execute judgment upon the rebellious kings and people. This demonstrates that even angels and birds can help execute God's judgment, when He commands it.

 

The false prophet, evil beasts, and kings whom God is judging are part of a greater system that ironically helps God’s chosen people grow and mature. They are like scaffolding that remain in place until the construction is complete. What is God building? He is building the New Jerusalem. The evil kings are like scaffolding, which remain in place until construction is finished.

 

Another image that helps us understand the role of the kings of the earth is the image that King Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream in Daniel 2. A stone that is not cut by human hands will strike the feet of the great image, crushing it. The stone will then fill the earth, at which point the whole earth will become the kingdom of our Lord and Christ.

 

The beast, the false prophet, and others are merely branches attached to the great tree (Daniel 4). When it is cut down, the stump of Jesse will remain (Isaiah 11:1). Then new branches will grow from the stump. The great tree of Christ and His new bride will grow.

 

Revelation 19:19-21 records how the beast and the kings of the earth, along with their armies, fight against the one riding the white horse and are defeated. The beast and the false prophets who worship its image are captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. The rest are slain by the sword that comes from the mouth of Him who sits on the white horse, and all the birds are gorged with their flesh. Jesus Christ judges the beast, the false prophet, and the rebellious kings and civilians. Those who worship the image of the beast will receive a double punishment. Their souls will be tormented eternally in the lake of fire, and their flesh will be eaten by flying birds. This is a symbolic image, paralleling the cutting down of the branches of Nebuchadnezzar's great tree.

 

Conclusion: We Must Eagerly Long for Spiritual Maturity

 

Many people read the book of Revelation from the perspective of the end times. They focus on understanding its signs so they can identify the Antichrist and the beast in the present-day world. While it is important for us to be alert and recognize the signs of the end times and the characteristics of the Antichrist so we can be watchful in prayer, our main focus in reading the book of Revelation should be on spiritual growth. Without spiritual maturity in our individual Christian lives, it is impossible to gain the victory over Satan in our own personal lives. Before we can even speak of ruling the nations, we must overcome Satan in our own lives and in the lives of our families. It is unfortunate that many Christians look forward to ruling the nations when they cannot even rule their own lives. As a result, Satan is gaining a foothold in their lives and the lives of their families. They are not making use of the tools Jesus has provided, which will give us victory and authority over Satan in our personal lives. Only when we rule over Satan with a rod of iron in our own lives will we be able to use our God-given authority to rule the nations with a rod of iron.

 

Similarly, when Christ’s church reaches maturity, we will receive a rod of iron to rule the nations and bring judgment on the rebellious nations, the false prophet, and the beast, ushering in the millennial kingdom. I hope that all Christians will deeply meditate on the seven letters Jesus wrote to the churches, as they lay the foundation for the judgments depicted at the end of Revelation. Without the collective maturity of Christ’s body, the church, the millennial kingdom cannot come. The millennial kingdom is not merely something that descends from heaven; it is the fruit of our spiritual maturity.

 

Our job is not simply to wait for the return of the Lord Jesus. He declared, “I am coming soon,” over two thousand years ago, yet He has not yet returned. He is waiting for us to mature spiritually so that we can become His pure bride and His powerful army, ready to marry Him and defeat His enemies. May we all pray in this way: “Lord, I long for Your return, but I desire even more to mature quickly.”

 

Bible Study with Jairus Revelation 19 (part 1) God's Salvation Approaches Its Completion

Bible Study with Jairus
Revelation 19 (part 1)

God's Salvation Approaches Its Completion

 

In Revelation 19:7, the Biblical story of salvation reaches a turning point of great significance. This verse says, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready” (NIV). The bride’s preparation is a source of great joy. Why is this such an important turning point?

 

Romans 8:21 reveals an important link between the salvation of God’s people and the restoration of all creation. One day, God will release His creation “from its bondage to decay” and bring it into “the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Romans 8:21, NIV). This will only take place when God’s sons are revealed (Romans 8:19, NIV). God will ultimately restore all of creation to its original perfection—but only when God’s children are also set free and revealed.

 

God says: “all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). But his purpose links together creation and his children. All creation longs to be set free. It waits with eager longing for the sons of God to enter into glory. Only then can it be set free from bondage (Romans 8:21). This passage reveals God's method of salvation.

 

The story of God’s plan to restore this broken world can be traced back to Genesis. After He created the universe, God declared that his creation was good. But when He created humanity, He called mankind “very good.” This was before humanity’s fall.

 

Before the fall, everything was good, and God’s design for his creation remained intact. However, after Satan’s rebellion, both the heavens and the earth were defiled. One-third of the angels were cast out of heaven, and after humanity succumbed to Satan's deception and rebellion, all of creation fell under a curse. As a result of this disrupted order, lions became predators and venomous serpents began to harm humans. All these were consequences of creation being subjected to bondage.

 

Yet, Isaiah speaks of a future restoration when all things will be renewed: “The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:25). Even serpents suffer under this bondage. Because Satan used a snake for his evil purposes, all serpents were cursed by God. However, when all things are restored, even snakes will no longer harm anyone.

 

So, how can all of creation be restored? What is the overarching theme of God's plan of salvation? God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus, through His sacrifice on the cross, became our redemption, taking away our sins so that we might return to the Father. God accomplished this work through Christ and now offers salvation to all who believe. But not everyone will accept his salvation and enter into the glory of the sons of God. The difference between those who accept His gift and those who do not is a central theme of the Scripture.

 

Jesus Christ is the firstborn Son of God, and all who believe are also sons. We are predestined to enter into God’s glory. However, we go through stages of growth and maturity as we grow into our full glory as sons of God. After being born again, we start out like little children. Then we grow and mature to become full-grown sons. Finally, we become heirs of God through Christ. These stages represent the continual process of transformation. As we mature and ultimately enter into the glory of God's sons, God promises that creation will be set free from its bondage.

 

In Revelation 19, God's plan of salvation is near completion. The bride represents the mature sons of God as they enter His glory. At the same time, the judgment of the great harlot symbolizes God's judgment on Satan and the evil spirits, who have subjected creation to bondage. During the Battle of Armageddon, Christ and His bride defeat the beast and his great harlot. After this battle, the creation will be set free from its bondage.

 

From Children to Heirs: A Spiritual Progression

 

The Bible reveals a process of maturation for God’s children, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. God’s sons must move from infancy to childhood and then to mature sons ready to become heirs. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were like infants, needing the law as a guardian to discipline and guide them (Galatians 3:23-25). However, when Jesus Christ came, He became the fulfillment of the law, so that everyone who believes in Him would be justified by faith (Romans 10:4). The Israelites had to transition from being led by the law as their guardian to accepting the personal leadership of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As we trust in Him and grow spiritually, we become mature sons, ready to inherit His glory.

 

When the Apostle Paul speaks of God’s children, he uses two distinct Greek words to describe the progression from children to heirs. In Romans 8:16, the word "children" in Greek is teknon ("The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God"). However, in verse 17, it says, "and if children, then heirs." In this verse, the word for children is “huios,” which refers to a mature son. This is the word used when the Father says of Jesus, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).

The entire Biblical story, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, describes a process of growth in the lives of God’s children. But many Israelites rejected this growth, and as a result, many failed to recognize Jesus when he appeared.

When the disciples asked Jesus which prophet was the greatest, Jesus said that John was greater than all Old Testament prophets; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven was greater than John (Matthew 11:11). Why? Because no OT prophet had Jesus or the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. But even the least in the kingdom of heaven has Jesus and the Holy Spirit living within them. Since Jesus is greater than Solomon and the temple (Matthew 12:6), those in the kingdom of heaven who have Jesus and the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, are naturally greater than John. But since many Israelites rejected this process of growth and maturity, they were unwilling to accept the justification that Jesus brought.

 

In 1 John 2:12-14, the Apostle John mentions three stages of spiritual growth that mirror the stages of natural development. Believers start out less mature, like little children. They then grow in maturity, like young men. Finally, they reach the stage of a spiritual father. I believe the American church is in the young man stage. On the other hand, countries like China are in the first stage of maturity. These countries have not yet been evangelized, and the percentage of believers is still very small. For example, in China, there are only about 6% Christians. Although the spiritual life of each individual Christian can vary greatly, the spiritual life of China as a nation is often very immature. The influence of Christian culture within society is also quite limited. In contrast, the United States is in the young man stage because 65% of the population identifies as Christian, and Christian culture has permeated society. Although there is still much corruption in the United States, it is still stronger than countries like China, which are in a pre-gospel state. As the Chinese saying goes, “The sickly camel is still bigger than the horse.”

 

That is not to say that American Christians have no room for growth. Many American Christians refuse to grow spiritually, and teenagers are in rebellion. This creates many issues in society. If the American Christians would continue to grow spiritually, they would not only be able to address the political and social issues in the United States, but they could also bring a greater and more positive influence to the world.

 

What does maturity look like in a child of God? On an individual level, maturity refers to a victorious life, reigning with the Lord on the throne (Revelation 3:21). On a collective level, it refers to entering into the glory of God's sons, reigning with Jesus Christ. At that time, we become the mature heirs of God as his bride. This is the scene described in Revelation 19:7-9.

 

The three main sections of the Bible also mirror the three stages of growth and maturity in the life of God’s people.

1. The first stage includes the entire Old Testament and the Gospels. During this period, the Israelites are like spiritual children. In the Gospels, the Lord Jesus told His disciples that there were many things they did not understand and could not yet bear, and that they would only understand them when the Holy Spirit came.
2. The book of Acts and the epistles address the church’s spiritual growth pains. In one of Paul's letters, he mentions that the Corinthians should have grown to the point of eating solid food, but instead, they were still spiritual infants, only able to drink milk.
3. In John’s letters, some believers have reached the stage of spiritual “fathers.” The Book of Revelation highlights various trials that have helped believers mature. Although there have been victorious saints throughout the ages, the collective process of spiritual growth began in Genesis and ended in revelation.

 

The Bride’s Fine Linen Represents the Manifestation of God’s Glory

 

Another metaphor that God uses to describe His people is the Bride. What does the term "Bride" mean? It means we are filled with the life of Jesus Christ to the extent that His life is manifested through us, and we become His replica. We do not shine on our own, but we are clothed with bright, clean, fine linen, allowing God's light to shine through us. The fine linen represents the righteous deeds of the saints. When we are justified by faith in Christ, we are filled with the life of God. This life makes us pure and bright, like a bright inner light. This light shines out through the semi-transparent fine linen we are wearing. The linen represents our righteous acts, which demonstrate the life of God within us.

 

The Bride of Christ, a replica of Christ, signifies the completion of God’s will. In addition, this metaphor describes a pairing. Those chosen by God as His bride become the New Jerusalem, which is described in the next chapter as the Lamb's wife (see Revelation 21). These three metaphors all describe the experience of God’s people. We are the sons of God waiting to be glorified; we are the bride of the Lamb; and we are the New Jerusalem.

 

After we are transformed by God's redemption and united with the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, all things will enter into God's glory. This is what is spoken of in the beginning of Colossians 3, where Paul says, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Like a carnation flower hidden within its seed, our lives are hidden with Christ in God. When He is revealed, we will also be “revealed with Him in glory.” One day, Jesus Christ will be revealed as described in Revelation 19, and we will also be revealed with Him and will enter into the glory of God's sons. Right now, we are like the seed of a carnation—not very impressive or beautiful. But when Christ’s life is revealed, the beauty of our lives will unfurl like a flower.

 

At that time, the scene described in Revelation 19 will take place. We will praise God, and He will judge the great harlot. Before we reach this level of maturity, however, all creation will be ruled by the great harlot, Babylon the Great. This is why Revelation 19:1-6 records the judgment of Babylon the Great.

 

The Harlot, Babylon the Great, Creates Suffering and Growth

In Revelation 19, the great city of Babylon (the harlot) is mentioned for the last time. After that, it is burned. In Revelation 18, it is important to note that God crushes Babylon the Great rather than simply burning it. This is because Babylon the Great has imprisoned many believers. During a process of purification, God saves the lost sheep trapped in Babylon the Great. Only then does he begin to burn Babylon (18:9). In this chapter, God tells us once again that “the smoke from her burning goes up forever and ever” (19:3).

 

In Romans, Paul says that believers will one day enter into the glory of the children of God. After our victory, when the scene described in Revelation 19 takes place, all things will be restored. We as believers will be freed from the oppression of the enemy, and creation will be set free from bondage. All of creation will be renewed, just as Isaiah foretold.

 

Babylon the Great is evil, but her influence is a double-edged sword. As Paul says in the book of Romans, all things work together for good for those who love God. Babylon’s oppression is bad, but it will be used by God to create good. The sufferings Babylon creates help push people toward spiritual maturity. On one hand, she oppresses us, but on the other hand, these sufferings force us to mature. The intense sufferings described in Revelation are part of God’s plan to create intense maturity.

 

In Revelation 19:1, a great multitude in heaven praises God, shouting “Hallelujah.” They praise God's judgment as true and just and glorify God for avenging the blood of His servants (19:2). This corresponds to the prayer of the saints under the altar in Revelation 6, who cried out for vengeance but were told to wait a little while until the number of those who would be killed like them was complete. I believe that in Revelation 19, the number of martyrs who would be slain by Babylon the Great has reached its full number. This is why God judges Babylon the Great. In 19:3, the saints once again say, “Hallelujah.”

 

I also noticed that the saints say, that “the smoke of her [Babylon’s] burning goes up forever and ever.” Although it doesn't mention Babylon being thrown into the lake of fire in this passage, the reference to “burning forever” points indirectly to the judgment of the great harlot in the lake of fire. This is the first time I have noticed this.

 

The next passage describes the 24 elders who are praising God because His work has been completed. All they can say in response is, “Amen, Hallelujah.” These 24 elders are mentioned three times in Revelation, each time in the context of worship—particularly when God accomplishes a great work. At those magnificent moments, the 24 elders, along with the four living creatures, worship the One who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen! Hallelujah!” Here, the 24 elders have nothing else to say but “Amen” and “Halleluiah,” because God has finished His great work.

 

In the Bible, there are three significant places where the completion of God’s great work is mentioned. After the Heavenly Father completed the work of creation in the Old Testament, the Bible says “the heavens and the earth were completed” (Genesis 2:1). After the completion of His work of creation, God rested. Similarly, when the Lord Jesus was crucified, He also declared, "It is finished." His death on the cross marked the fulfillment of Christ's work of redemption. However, in the book of Revelation (10:7, 16:17, 21:6), the term "It is done" refers to the bride being fully mature and prepared for her husband, Christ (Revelation 21:6). This indicates that the work of the Holy Spirit was finished. He had transformed Christ's body, the church, into a spotless bride presented to God. After all creation is restored, and God's work is fully completed, then God says, "It is done." Heaven then bursts into joyous celebration and praises God. Following the praise of the 24 elders, a voice from the throne resounds, calling all creation to worship God. I believe this signifies Christ on the throne, leading all creation in worship of God. Subsequently, the heavenly multitude, which is the Body of Christ, responds to Christ’s leadership and begins to praise God.

 

Conclusion:

 

The vision presented in Revelation 19:1-10 portrays a heavenly scene in which God's salvation nears completion.

 

The first half of Revelation 19 reveals three topics:

• The judgment of Babylon the Great
• The preparation of the bride
• Christ leading the bride (and all creation) in to praise God.

 

The latter half of the chapter unveils Christ's body (the bride) engaging in battle under Christ’s leadership. In the Battle of Armageddon, the church and Christ battle the beast, the false prophet, and the kings who are allied with them. Ultimately, they are defeated, and the beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire.

 

What event precipitates the final judgment? The maturity of Christ’s bride. When she is fully prepared and mature, and the sons of God enter into glory, all these events begin to unfold. God will not judge Babylon the Great until the bride is mature and the number of martyrs is complete. But when the bride is ready, God judges and burns Babylon.

 

At the same time, the bride attends the marriage supper of the Lamb, and Christ takes her as His own. Christ then leads His bride (and all creation) in a magnificent song of praise to God, who sits on the throne. The 24 elders also bow down to worship and praise God.

 

Finally, the words of Paul are fulfilled: All things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will be united in worship of God through Christ, fully manifesting God’s wisdom to all creation. Paul writes that his goal is “to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 3:9-10). Perhaps this is why the 24 elders are so awestruck. When all things are restored, and all of creation worships God under the leadership of Christ and His bride, they marvel at God’s wisdom and offer heartfelt praise.

 

As Christ’s bride enters the glory of the sons of God, all creation is released from its bondage, and we as believers begin to share in Christ’s glory. After Christ is united with His bride, they confront the beast, the false prophet, and their kings before finally defeating Satan, the ancient serpent.

 

Today’s church is far from mature. We are not yet ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb. This is why I do not believe we are in the end times. Christ’s return cannot be imminent because His bride is not yet mature. We must set aside our speculations about the last days and instead learn the lessons of maturity that God wants to teach us through suffering in this present age. Only then will we be prepared to become Christ’s mature bride.

 

 

Bible Study with Jairus - Revelation 17 (Part 1) God Judges Babylon the Great by Taking Away Her Power

Bible Study with Jairus - Revelation 17 (Part 1)

God Judges Babylon the Great by Taking Away Her Power

 

Revelation 17 presents a spiritual picture of the punishment of Babylon the Great, the great prostitute. This prostitute sits on many waters, which represent various nations and peoples (17:1, 15). This woman is “the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth” (17:18). This verse refers to the spiritual domination of evil forces over the nations. In the book of Daniel, the evil prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood an angel and kept him from delivering a message to Daniel. In the same way, there are various evil spirits exerting influence over many nations. This creates a network of spiritual traps, woven by evil spirits, which dominates people and leads them into sin. Babylon the Great represents this web of evil, and it leads kings and nations to commit sexual immorality (18:9). Today, this web of evil is seen in the entertainment industry. It is well known that some Hollywood actors engage in Satanism, thus participating in spiritual adultery. In this way, they cooperate with the evil spirits that hover over Hollywood and participate in the evil of Babylon the Great. 

 

The prostitute not only exercises dominion over the kings of the earth, but she also rides on a beast with seven heads and ten horns. The seven heads represent seven kings (17:10) and the ten horns also represent ten kings (17:12). God has put it into the hearts of these kings to turn against the prostitute and to make war with her, “to make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire” (17:16-17). What does this mean? It signifies that God causes Babylon and the beast to turn against each other. Why do they turn against each other? Because Satan’s kingdom does not have a firm foundation. It is built on sand, not on the solid rock.

 

God’s final judgment uses a strategy the Chinese refer to as “removing the firewood from under the cauldron.” In other words, God has removed her chief assets, or “stolen her thunder.” He has attacked her indirectly. He has removed her ability to fight.[i] In the end, God judges Satan (chapter 20); but before that, He judges the beast and the false prophet (chapter 19); prior to that, He defeats Babylon the Great (chapters 17-18); and even earlier, He judges those who worshiped the beast’s image on earth (chapters 14-16).

 

God destroys Satan’s forces incrementally, as if cutting down a great tree. Those who worship the beast are the leaves, Babylon the Great is the branches, the beast and the false prophet are the trunk, and Satan is the root. God deals with them step by step. Satan’s regime was fueled by the worship of the men who bowed to the beast. The evil spirits gained power from people’s worship, which they then offered to the false prophet and the beast, and they in turn offered to Satan. By removing the worshipers, God stripped Satan’s kingdom of its power.

 

This strategy reveals the spiritual structure of Satan’s kingdom.  All of Satan’s power comes from human worship, which he gains by deception. If God removes the faithful believers from Babylon—those who would rather be martyred than worship the beast—and then judges those who bear the mark of the beast, then Babylon will have no foundation. God has given the earth to humanity, and if people no longer hand over their power to evil spirits through worship, Babylon the Great will lose its strength. Ultimately, this will lead to its collapse.

 

This is why God incites the kings to attack Babylon the Great. If the beast and the false prophet cannot receive worship from Babylon, they will turn against her. This is the reason for their infighting: God has cut off their source of power. After Babylon the Great falls, God will throw the beast and the false prophet into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19). When Satan loses his backing and support base, his day of reckoning will come (Revelation 20). God will thoroughly judge those who worship the beast, Babylon, the false prophet, and Satan by "removing the firewood from under the cauldron."

 

This chapter reminds us we must strike sin at its root. In the Book of Daniel, God gives Daniel a vision of a statue whose feet of iron and clay are crushed by a stone cut out without hands. The mixture of iron and clay symbolizes the mingling of sinners and evil spirits. God’s final judgment takes place when the angel hurls the great stone down and pronounces the destruction of Babylon (Revelation 18:21). Once these foundations are torn down, the entire kingdom of Satan will collapse. As Christians, we must work against spiritual adultery, which gives power to evil spirits. We must oppose the worship of Satan which forms the foundation of his kingdom. We must shatter this foundation in order to defeat the kingdom of Satan.

 

The Great Prostitute Sitting on Many Waters

 

God’s judgment of Babylon the Great is built on the foundation of His past achievements. God says that all things work together for good to those who love God, including negative things such as evil spirits and the great prostitute Babylon (Romans 8:28). God uses suffering and persecution to mature the body of Christ (His Bride). These sufferings serve as scaffolding, and once God’s construction is completed, they will be dismantled. With these thoughts in mind, let us examine some details in Chapter 16.

 

Before God judges Babylon, a loud voice comes from the throne of God, saying, “It is done” (16:17). God remembers Babylon’s sin and judges the earth with a great earthquake (16:18). Babylon’s time has run out; the “measure of her sin” is full, and judgment is inevitable (1 Thessalonians 2:16). A similar thing happened to the Amorites in the time of the conquest of Canaan. In Genesis 15, the Lord revealed to Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved in Egypt for four hundred years because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet complete. For the next four centuries, God gave the Amorites a chance to repent, but they did not do so. At that time, judgment was inevitable.

 

There is another parallel between the conquest of Canaan and the final judgment of Babylon. While God was waiting for the Amorites to repent, the Israelite nation was growing from seventy people into a multitude of millions. When God’s chosen people had gained enough strength, He used them to judge the Amorites. In a similar way, God is giving the world time to repent. Meanwhile, the bride of Christ is growing in maturity. When God’s people are fully mature, God will use the body of Christ to execute his great judgment against Babylon.

 

When the body of Christ has matured and those who refuse to worship the beast are taken to God’s heavenly throne room, God will begin to judge the earth and those who worship the image of the beast. These people are in alliance with the Great Prostitute.

 

This chapter explains that the Great Prostitute, Babylon the Great, sits on many waters (17:1) which represent many "peoples and multitudes and nations and languages" (17:15). In other words, humanity collectively engages in sexual immorality with Babylon the Great by worshipping idols. When people worship idols, they abandon the God who created them and worship evil spirits and Satan. Verse 2 explicitly states, "And the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the dwellers on earth have become drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality." Humans are created by God, yet they are tempted by Satan and evil spirits to worship idols.

 

Verses 4-5 describes the Great Prostitute: "The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: ‘Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.’” This description shows that Babylon the Great, instead of worshiping God, is actually engaging in idol worship.

 

The Great Prostitute (Babylon) not only worships idols, but also kills those who genuinely worship God: "And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly” (vs. 6). Idol-worshipers use various systems to persecute those who worship God. For instance, King Herod was an idolater who killed John’s brother James in order to please the Jews. The evil system of Babylon killed James through the religious spirit of Judaism and through the evil political leader Herod.

 

This story helps us explain the spiritual imagery in this chapter. The religious spirit of Judaism and the evil Jewish political system are part of Babylon the Great. Babylon encompasses all fallen religious and political systems in the world. Herod is an example of one of the many kings who was in collusion with Babylon.

 

The Great Prostitute Rides on a Beast With Seven Heads and Ten Horns

 

In response to human idolatry, a beast arises. This beast is the Antichrist. He is both a man and a conduit for evil, Satanic spirits. Revelation 17:3 states, “And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.” Just as Christ became flesh to identify with human beings, Satan and his evil forces manifested themselves as a human being in order to identify with sinners. The beast (who is a human being) shares many characteristics with Satan. Both are represented by red or scarlet animals, and both have blasphemous names. Satan has been a liar, a murderer, and a blasphemer since the beginning, and these traits are also characteristics of the beast.

 

The beast’s seven heads represent seven kings, as well as the seven mountains on which the woman sits. Some traditional teachings associate the beast with Roman Catholicism, since Rome was built on seven mountains. While this interpretation is possible, I believe that Babylon the Great is much larger than one denomination. It also encompasses the evil elements of fallen Protestantism, Judaism, and other fallen religious systems. (The beast does not represent true believers, but only the fallen religious institutions.) It also encompasses various secular worldly systems. Babylon the Great is an immense snare.

 

The angel says to John, "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come" (17:8). We know from Revelation 20 that Satan will be imprisoned for 1,000 years, released briefly to deceive the nations, and then finally cast into the Lake of Fire. This beast will share a similar fate.

 

Perhaps the beast is one of the evil beings that Peter refers to in 2 Peter 2:4. Peter writes, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment...” (2 Peter 2:4). These "chains of gloomy darkness" could be detaining many rebellious angels. Perhaps some are even detained in the second heaven. It is possible that the beast was active in the past but was then imprisoned by God in the bottomless pit. Perhaps at some point, this angel (the beast) will be temporarily released to deceive people.

 

Regardless of how we interpret the exact identity of the beast, we know he represents a union of evil spirits (including fallen angels) and sinful humans. This passage clearly states that “the seven heads are seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he does come, he must remain only a little while” (17:10). Verse 11 continues, “As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction” (17:11). Thus, it is clear that the beast is the eighth king. This king is human, but he is not an ordinary person. He is possessed by the beast from the bottomless pit, making him a fusion of a human spirit and a demonic spirit. Just like true believers are a union between God’s spirit and the human spirit, the beast is a union between Satan, evil spirits, and sinful humanity.

 

This reality should be a challenge to all of us. While true believers will grow increasingly holy, those who are sinful will grow increasingly depraved. We as Christians will be united more and more closely with the Lord so we can eventually sit on his throne and reign with him. However, sinners will grow more and more united with evil spirits and will end up sitting on an evil throne with Satan. However, this so-called throne is only an illusion, and it will not be able to withstand God’s final judgment.

 

Revelation 17:12 says, “And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.” These ten kings do not yet possess their kingdoms, but they will rule with the beast for a short time. In a sense, they will share Satan’s "throne," as stated earlier.

 

Revelation 17:13 says, "They are of one mind and hand over their power and authority to the beast." Why do humans have the authority to hand over authority to this evil being? In Genesis, God created humans and gave them the responsibility of governing the earth. Therefore, humans have the authority to determine who holds power. Adam’s initial sin transferred authority to Satan, but Jesus reclaimed it through His crucifixion. However, if sinners refuse Christ’s salvation and instead unite with Satan, they temporarily empower Satan to rule over this world.

 

After the authority has temporarily been transferred to Satan, these evil forces “will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful” (17:14). Christ defeated Satan at the cross, but we as Christ's followers will play a role in Satan’s ultimate defeat. This is the significance of the final battle on the Last Day.

 

The Ten Horns and the Beast Will Hate the Prostitute

 

In Revelation 17:16, the angel tells John that “The ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire” (Revelation 17:16). Why will the ten horns and the beast hate the prostitute? The reason is quite simple. The beast originally deceived people through the Great Prostitute in order to take their worship away from God. The Great Prostitute and Babylon the Great had included many true believers who had been deceived. Satan had used the errors of these misguided believers to persecute other believers.

 

However, by this time, God has exposed and judged the Great Prostitute and called His chosen ones to come out of Babylon the Great (Revelation 18:4). When God judged Babylon the Great and called out all true believers, Babylon’s mask was ripped off. Without the subtle deception of misguided believers within it, the city no longer had any value left for deception and manipulation. This is why the beast becomes very angry.

 

Satan responds in several ways to the fall of Babylon the Great. On the one hand, he hates the prostitute and attacks her. On the other hand, he leaves behind its indirect approach (using Babylon as a mediator) and begins directly possessing people—namely, the last ten kings. The alliance of the ten horns and the beast indicates that Satan no longer deceives people through the Babylonian system but instead directly unites with humanity. Therefore, in the final battle of the end times, Babylon no longer plays a part. Satan and his armies fight directly with the Lamb and His army.

 

John describes this final battle in chapter 19, saying, “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.” As you can see, those who are fighting against the Lamb and His army do not include Babylon or the prostitute; only the beast, the false prophet, and the kings of the earth with their armies are present. The beast and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire, and the rest are slain by the sword that comes from the mouth of the one sitting on the horse (Revelation 19:20-21).

 

Conclusion

 

God's judgment against Babylon the Great includes the dismantling of the snare that Satan and the evil spirits have set for humanity—Babylon the Great. God rescues groups of true believers from this snare and thoroughly cleanses it. As someone has said, Babylon the Great is like a spider's web that ensnares many true believers. But God's judgment acts like a broom that breaks apart Babylon's web so that true believers can be saved. The true believers who are set free from Babylon may then join God’s army and engage in the final battle against the beast, the false prophet, and the kings of the earth.

 

After winning an ultimate victory, God will judge the beast and the false prophet, throwing them into the lake of fire, thus laying the foundation for the final judgment of Satan (Chapter 20). By the time we get to chapters 21-22, the conclusion of Revelation is imminent. The New Heaven and the New Earth will be created and the New Jerusalem (the Bride and the Lamb's wife, as referenced in 21:1 and 21:9) will descend from heaven. At that time, all pain, sorrow, sin, and betrayal will be wiped away forever.

 

[i] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty-Six_Stratagems

#Bible Study with Jairus: #Revelation 18 (Part 3) God Strips Away the Desires of Babylon

Bible Study with Jairus: Revelation 18 (Part 3)

God Strips Away the Desires of Babylon

 

Beginning in Revelation 16, God deals with the sins of Babylon (16:19). This continues until chapter 19, where the saints praise God for judging Babylon, the great prostitute (19:2-3). Chapter 14 also discusses God's judgment on Babylon.

 

As we have mentioned multiple times, the great prostitute is the opposite of the Bride of Christ. While the Bride of Christ represents people who love Christ, Babylon represents people who have surrendered to evil spirits and the worldly system. Babylon is full of evil spirits and sinners.

 

How did these individuals become such a great prostitute? We cannot help but recall the Apostle John's definition of the world: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

 

We can also say that the world is Babylon, and Babylon is the world. This world is a system established by Satan and his evil spirits to entrap people. Satan uses the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life to take away people’s love for the Father and worship of Him.

 

Therefore, God's judgment on Babylon deals with these three elements by taking away the things people longed for. Each person longed for different items, including gold, gems, spices, food, expensive building materials and cloth, and other technology and produce (12-13). In the process of judging Babylon, God deprived people of the various things they were previously infatuated with, which included the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Revelation 18:14 says, “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!” The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are the ripe fruits that the Babylonian people’s soul longed for.

 

The principle of God dealing with Babylon not only applies to the collective judgment of Babylon but also to the lives of individual believers. One significant factor hindering our spiritual maturity as believers is our love for the world. On a smaller scale, God deals with our love for the world the same way he dealt with Babylon. When God takes away things we love, He is actually saving us from the world's domination.

 

Satan’s Resistance to the Threefold Work of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

 

When we pursue victory in our individual spiritual lives, the primary hindrances to our growth are sin, the world, and the flesh. The Triune God is responsible for dealing with these three hindrances:

• Jesus Christ deals with sin through his precious blood. We must continually deepen our awareness of his sacrifice, as well as our commitment to repentance. In this way, we lessen the influence of sin and apply the cleansing power of the Lord's blood. The Lord Jesus appeared to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8), and it is his job to help us rid our lives of sin.
• The Holy Spirit overcomes the flesh. Our flesh is where Satan resides due to original sin. As a result, the flesh resists the Spirit, and the Spirit resists the flesh (Galatians 5:17). But by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can continually put to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13). As we do, we receive life for our mortal bodies through the Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead and grants us new life (Romans 8:11). After the Holy Spirit regenerates us, our bodies become the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). If we are united with the Lord, we become one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). The work of the Holy Spirit is to transform us into the spotless bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:27). As we are collectively sanctified as the body of Christ, we are made into a spiritual temple in the New Jerusalem, dedicated to God. In short, resisting the flesh is the work of the Holy Spirit.
• The Father judges the world. The world resists the Father. If we love the world, the love of the Father is not in us.

 

Because God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are involved in our sanctification, Satan opposes all three through the world, sin, and the flesh.

 

The Father will ultimately judge the world, which is represented by the great prostitute. His method of judgment is to strip away the “fruits that our souls longed for.” When the things we love are taken away, we may feel sad and weep (Revelation 18:15). However, the ultimate outcome will be that the chosen ones who accept God’s discipline will be released from the grip of the city of Babylon (Revelation 18:4).

 

The Bible tells us that each member of the Trinity will complete their work.

• On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished” to show that his work of redemption was complete (John 19:13).
• In Revelation, the Holy Spirit says, “It is done'”(Revelation 16:17). In this case, he is not signifying the completion of the work of redemption that was already accomplished by Jesus on the cross, but the complete preparation of the bride by the Holy Spirit. Only after the Holy Spirit's work is complete does God begin to judge the sins of Babylon (Revelation 16:19).
• The Father says “It is done” once again when he is finished judging the world (Revelation 21:6). The work of the Trinity is now complete.

 

Though we still live in the world, Jesus teaches us not to live for the world or allow it to dominate our lives. He tells us that we do not belong to this world (John 17:16). Therefore, it is foolish to try to gain the whole world at the cost of our souls (Matthew 16:26). Our task today is to live in the world but not live for the world.

 

When we are dominated by the world and do not live for the Lord, the Holy Spirit will intercede for us with groans that cannot be expressed in words (Romans 8). In answer to his prayers, the Heavenly Father may choose to rearrange our circumstances to discipline us. This may include taking away the things we enjoy the most. When this happens, we should not think that God does not love us. As stated in God’s word, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ; all things work together for the good of those who love God (Romans 8). God’s discipline is a sign of his love (Hebrews 12:6). The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work together to help us break free from the world so we can live for God.

 

God’s ultimate goal is to grant us the glorious freedom of God's children and to liberate all creation from its bondage to corruption (Romans 8:21). These truths from Romans are mirrored in the book of Revelation. When Christ’s body is mature and becomes the Lamb’s wife (the New Jerusalem), God’s children will obtain glorious freedom. After God's children obtain His glorious freedom, God will judge all evil spirits, cleanse the entire universe, and bring about the restoration of all things.

 

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are working diligently to bring about God’s ultimate goal for His people and for the entire world. However, Satan is also working diligently to hinder the body of Christ from becoming the mature New Jerusalem. To do so, he uses the world, sin, and the flesh to resist the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

In this article, we will not delve deeper into the concepts of sin and the flesh. Instead, we will study the relationship between the world and Babylon.

 

Babylon the Great is Like a Spider Web

In John 17:14-16, Jesus prays to the Father, saying, "I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” We as God's chosen people do not belong to this world. The world is a system established by Satan, and the entire world lies under the sway of the evil one (1 John 5:19). The worldly system refers not only to the material world but also to the spiritual world. The world encompasses both spiritual and material aspects, and is filled with various idols set up by Satan's evil spirits and people ensnared by him.

The worldly system of Babylon is like a spider web, and Satan and his evil spirits are like the spiders who are lying in wait for their prey. Humanity is caught in the web when sinners follow their sinful way or God’s chosen ones are deceived. The web of evil includes not only evil spirits, but also fallen human systems such as politics, religion, society, and other aspects. This treacherous web is woven by sinners with the assistance of evil spirits. Babylon is an all-encompassing giant spider web, a comprehensive world system comprised of evil spirits, sinners, and a fallen world.

When we love this world, anything in the world has the potential to entangle us in the spider web set up by Satan. These things are clearly listed in Revelation 18:12-13, such as gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and slaves. This list comprises twenty-nine tradable goods, but it is by no means exhaustive. This list simply gives examples of material things our souls crave. When we love these things more than we love the Lord, we fall into the snare. The mention of "slaves" also indicates that our affection for people can also be part of the worldly temptation. Jesus even warns, "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" (Matthew 10:37). If we love anyone or anything more than God's word, then these people, things, or objects have become idols in our hearts, taking over and dominating us.

 

However, God called his chosen ones to come out of the Babylonian spider web: "Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues.’" (Revelation 18:4) He gives the same call to us today.

 

A Woman and A City

In the Bible, God refers to the Bride of Christ as a woman and also as a city, the New Jerusalem. Babylon is also referred to as a woman and a city, Babylon the Great. Why does God use these two images to refer to both Babylon and the Bride of Christ?

 

First, let's talk about the Bride of Christ. When God uses the image of a woman’s relationship to her husband, he is reminding us of our loving relationship with God. After creating Adam, God removed one of his ribs and used it to create Eve as a wife. God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone.” He then created the institution of marriage, in which “a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Paul discusses the same verse in the book of Ephesians, stating that the union of a husband and wife is a great mystery that points to the relationship between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32). As the bride of Christ, we are God's counterpart, the wife of the Lamb. In the Old Testament, Israel is also compared to the wife of the Lord. In the New Testament, Christ is the Bridegroom and the Church is the Bride. We are created to love and worship God, and the concept of a bride reminds us of our loving relationship with God.

 

On the other hand, the image of a "city" reminds us of our relationship with God and our role as vessels. God is all-encompassing and desires to fill all things. We are vessels created by God to be filled with His glory. When God dwells within us, our life with God is manifested as a city that contains the presence of God. The body of Christ, as a spiritual temple, is the work and building of God. We are built together with God through the Spirit. The New Jerusalem is the result of us being filled with God.

 

Similarly, Babylon is described as a woman to remind us that she is the harlot of Satan. When people love the world and the things in it, they demonstrate their love for Satan, which is spiritual adultery. James 4:4 says, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (NIV). When we are snared by worldly things which are under the control of the evil one, we essentially demonstrate our love for Satan. The heart of the struggle between God and Satan is a battle for the love and worship of humanity. If people choose to love God, they become the Bride. If they choose to love Satan, they become the harlot. The Apostle John agrees with this truth by stating that if we love the world, the love of the Father is not in us. By loving the world, we choose to love Satan instead of God. When Satan tempted Jesus, he offered Him all the splendor and glory of the world if He would bow down and worship him. However, Jesus responded, "You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve" (Matthew 4:10). Even though Jesus used the word “worship,” he could have substituted the word “love,” since Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

 

Babylon is also described as a city because it is an evil temple of Satan. It is the outworking of people who are filled by Satan. Just like New Jerusalem is the temple of God in the Spirit, Babylon is the temple of Satan.

 

Babylon, the great harlot, is full of jealousy towards the Bride’s loving relationship with God. Throughout the ages, the harlot has killed many of God's children out of jealousy. These martyrs cry out for God's judgment from beneath the altar. God comforts them and asks them to be patient for a little while, until the number of martyrs is complete (Revelation 6:9-11). Finally, when the number is complete, they stand by the sea of glass praising God (Revelation 15). Thus, this vision initiates the domino effect of God's final judgment. The harlot and city of Babylon are a part of God’s sovereign work that eventually leads to the maturity of God’s Bride (Romans 8). Once the Bride of God is mature, God will destroy the harlot and the city of Babylon.

 

Conclusion: The Great Cost of Our Love for the World

When we love the world, we are in essence building the city of Babylon, which represents the world and is built on a sandy foundation. However, when we love Christ and cherish the word of God, we are building on the rock, which is destined to endure forever.

 

Many Christians and people of the world do not resist the temptations of the world and Satan. They love the present world like Demas did (2 Timothy 4:10), or like Lot's wife who became a pillar of salt. If we are unwilling to let go of the world, we will lose many valuable things, as the Babylonians did. Paul teaches that even if we are saved, we will be saved “so as through fire.” Our works (represented by hay, sticks, and straw) will be burned up (1 Corinthians 3:15). When God burns down the city of Babylon, He will destroy the useless works of those who loved the world, and countless people will mourn because their works are consumed (Revelation 18:15, 19). Just like God dismantled the Tower of Babel, which was built by sinful and deceived people among God's chosen ones, God will dismantle the works of his people who choose to live for the world.

 

However, if we are willing to consecrate ourselves and forsake the world, we will become part of the Bride of Christ. We will dwell with God in eternity as Christ’s beloved bride, and we will also be the eternal temple of God, the New Jerusalem.

 

May we not only detach ourselves from the city of Babylon but also refrain from participating in its building. Those who persist in unrepentance will face the ultimate fate of being thrown into the lake of fire with the beast and the false prophet (Revelation 14:10, 19:20-21).

Bible Study With Jairus Acts 10 (Part 2) The Story of Peter and Cornelius: A Faith Leader and a Political Leader Collaborate to Bring the Gospel to the World

Bible Study With Jairus

Acts 10 (Part 2)

The Story of Peter and Cornelius:

A Faith Leader and a Political Leader Collaborate to Bring the Gospel to the World

 

Should Christians be involved in politics? And how does that question relate to the story of Cornelius and Peter? That is what we will learn in this devotional.

 

I have been taught in church for many years that Christians should not get involved in politics. However, more and more American Christians have begun to realize the dangers of not participating in politics. They’ve seen how ungodly people are seizing power, Christian and conservative groups are being persecuted, and America is in danger of losing its religious freedom. All this has led many American Christians, including Chinese Christians in the United States, to actively participate in politics and strive to change the society.

 

What does the Bible say about politics? Many Christians have begun to realize that the Bible never teaches believers to avoid politics. As king, David surely participated in politics. As we will see, the resistance to political involvement may stem from a misunderstanding of the teaching of submission to authority mentioned by Paul in Romans 13.

 

There’s no doubt that participating in politics will be controversial, but the price of not participating in politics is also high. If the church avoids politics, Satan will use the spirit of religion and evil political forces to persecute the church. For example, he used the religious forces of Judaism in Jerusalem, combined with the evil political forces of Herod, to kill James and capture Peter in Acts 12.

 

However, God can also use the cooperation of godly church leaders and godly political leaders to combat the schemes of Satan. In Acts 10, we see how Peter, a representative of true faith, and Cornelius, a godly Gentile political leader, worked together to expand the reach of the gospel from the small circle of Jerusalem to a vast number of Gentiles. Their collaboration had extremely far-reaching significance and removed the limitations that the religious spirit was attempting to place on the gospel.

 

If godly faith and upright politics do not work together, the religious spirit (false beliefs) will combine with evil politics, causing great harm to society and limiting the influence of the truth. We must reflect on God’s teaching in Genesis 1:26, in which God commands us humans to rule the earth. The church represents God’s authority in the world, and political avoidance may not necessarily be in line with biblical teachings. Christians should be salt and light in the world. Though we should not jump into political battles purely for our own benefit, we should learn from Peter's example and influence politicians to spread the gospel and the kingdom of God.

 

What Does the Bible Say About Christians in Politics?

 

Let’s examine the origins of the belief that Christians should not participate in politics. First, Christians point to the fact that we must pursue a spiritual kingdom, not a worldly kingdom. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, the disciples hoped that He would free the earthly kingdom of Israel from the oppression of the Romans, but the Lord told them, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (John 18:36) It was not God’s will for the disciples to fight Christ’s captor, because he had to be crucified to fulfill God’s plan of redemption. But this does not mean that we should avoid our responsibilities in the world. Elsewhere, Jesus taught us to be salt and light and to influence the entire world. He also taught us to make disciples of all nations. Naturally, this includes winning politicians to Christ through participation in politics. Our partial and one-sided understanding of some of the teachings of the Bible has led us to a faulty theology, which in turn led us to pursue a heavenly kingdom to the exclusion of positively impacting the world.

 

Second, some wrong theological ideas promoted in the United States in the 1970s taught that Jesus could come back at any time, so there was no need for children to go to college or to actively participate in society or politics. At the time, books about Jesus’ return were very popular, and many Christians dressed in white and waited on the mountains for the Lord to rapture them. But nothing happened. Now, it is 2024, and the Lord has still not returned. These erroneous teachings create obsessions with the Lord’s return while leading Christians to neglect their participation in everyday society. Because of these fallacious teachings, American Christians have gradually lost their influence in the realm of education. Since the 1950s, American public schools have gradually stopped allowing the teaching of the Bible and prayer. Little by little, children have been influenced by leftist ideas, resulting in generations of children who have been brainwashed by the far left. In addition to this, homosexuality has become rampant and has even begun to affect children in primary schools. Christians in the United States are gradually awakening to this phenomenon. They realize they have lost influence in schools, school boards, media, entertainment, and politics at the local and national levels. Some Christians are even facing small amounts of persecution. Not only are anti-God voices filling schools, media, and entertainment, but many Christians are being persecuted for praying and adhering to biblical values. As a result, many Christians have begun to reflect on their role in politics. They have not only returned to their faith, but also reconsidered the teaching that political involvement is wrong. As a result, many Christians have started influencing society by actively participating in politics and being salt and light in the spheres of media and entertainment.

 

Third, a one-sided understanding of Paul’s teaching on submitting to authority in Romans 13 has caused Christians to be too passive. Total submission to those in power is very popular among Chinese Christians. Because of the severity of persecution, they did not dare say no to evil politics, so they used Romans 13 to cover up their cowardice. However, this teaching is not in line with God’s teachings. Of course, Paul did teach that we as Christians should submit to government authorities because they were ordained by God to administer justice. However, the Bible also says many times (often through the mouth of Peter) that we should obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). In the past, I was deeply influenced by the idea of total submission, but God showed me through dreams and visions that Christians should participate in China’s political movements to uphold social justice and promote the spread of the gospel.

 

Cornelius Needed Visions to Help Him Recognize and Accept Peter's Message

 

God not only guides Christians, but he also guides people who do not know Him to guide them toward salvation. Acts 10 describes how Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian cohort, was a god-fearing man who prayed often. As a result, God gave him a vision and asked him to go to Peter to preach to them the gospel.

 

The same thing happened to me. Looking back, I can see that God was subtly guiding me, even when I did not yet know him. In recent times, I have heard many testimonies of Muslims in the Middle East who converted to Christ after God gave them dreams and visions. In the dream, Jesus appeared to them and asked them to read a certain passage in the Bible, leading to their salvation. This shows that God can come in person to directly preach the gospel to people. So why did God choose to send an angel of God to ask Cornelius to invite Peter to preach the gospel to him? Because God wanted Cornelius and Peter to collaborate, as we mentioned at the beginning of this lesson. Even though God or an angel could have preached the gospel to Cornelius directly and saved him and his family, God wanted the righteous political forces represented by Cornelius to join hands with the godly religious forces represented by Peter so that God’s gospel could extend beyond the small religious circles in Jerusalem to the entire Gentile world. This shows the magnificence of God’s great plan.

 

God revealed to me that the “Chinese Whistleblower Movement” that started in 2017 was from Him. The purpose was to provide a platform for Christians to preach the gospel. In turn, when the gospel is preached, it will change the hearts of the Chinese people and provide a solid foundation for democracy to take root in China. I will share more of these revelations in my upcoming content. For now, I will share that when I followed God's guidance to join this movement and publicly stated what I believed to be God's plan, I received a lot of opposition from the Buddhist and atheist members and founders of this group. They could not accept the idea of Christianity taking the lead in their movement. I quickly realized that these politicians needed God’s supernatural revelation through dreams and visions so they could humble themselves and recognize the importance of the gospel. After they resisted my attempt to join them, I saw God gradually begin to guide them through circumstances so they could learn the lesson of humility and learn to recognize God's will. I pray that like Cornelius, they can understand God’s will and humbly accept the guidance of God’s gospel.

 

Peter Needed Visions To Break Through His Narrow Religious Ideas

 

Likewise, Peter needed a vision from God to overcome his rigid religious ideology. First, God needed to break down the idea that Jews and Gentiles could not have contact. In the Old Testament, God restricted contact and intermarriage between Jews and Gentiles, mainly to protect the Israelites from worshiping idols as the Gentiles did. He wanted to preserve the purity of the Jewish line through whom Christ would come. After Jesus Christ accomplished redemption on the cross, the Jews no longer needed these dietary and social restrictions. Jesus made all things and people clean again. But as a Jew, Peter continued to follow the Old Testament way of thinking. Therefore, when God gave him a vision of different types of unclean animals and asked him to “kill and eat,” he said that he had never eaten anything common or unclean. But God said, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” The same vision was given to him three times in a row.

 

Visions and dreams convey God’s message through pictorial language. The various animals represented the Gentiles. They were originally unclean, but God had now cleansed them. God was telling Peter to boldly throw off the shackles of religion and preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

 

When the Lord Jesus was on earth, he did indeed teach his disciples to preach the gospel only to the Jews. However, after his crucifixion and resurrection, the Lord Jesus taught his disciples to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Times had changed, and so had God’s guidance. The redemption accomplished by the Lord Jesus on the cross changed everything.

 

Paul spoke extensively on this topic. He said that Jews and Gentiles were originally separated, but because Jesus destroyed this hostility on the cross, Jews and Gentiles have now been reconciled. We are now members of one body (Ephesians 2:11-17 ). "For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesians 2:18). Though these truths were later revealed through Paul, Peter did not have access to this revelation at the time he met Cornelius. That is why God had to reveal this truth to him through visions.

 

The Jewish people were God’s greenhouse, where his redemption was planted and nurtured. However, the purpose of a greenhouse is to eventually transplant the seedlings into larger vegetable gardens. Although God’s plan of redemption came through the Jews, God does not want to limit the gospel to one small people group. But because the Jews were unwilling to give up their sense of superiority, they rejected God's will and did not allow the gospel to be preached to the Gentiles. This was due to human jealousy and narrow-mindedness.

 

After Jesus Christ was resurrected, he told his disciples to make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But the minds of the Jewish Christians were restricted by the laws of the Old Testament and they were unable to embrace God's guidance for the new era. As a result, they limited the gospel to Jerusalem. Even Peter originally embraced this narrow-minded ideology.  

 

In addition, the religious forces of Judaism and the evil political forces represented by Herod were working together to confine the gospel of God to Jerusalem and keep it within the sheepfold of Judaism. Therefore, God urgently needed to enlighten Peter through visions so that he could break away from these narrow religious concepts and bring the gospel to the Gentiles. As Peter and Cornelius started working together, the gospel of God began to advance, and the Holy Spirit’s power reached the Gentiles. It was the beginning of a new era in Christian history.

 

The Collaboration of Faith Leaders and Political Leaders Continues Today

 

The examples recorded in the Bible not only reveal God’s guidance for that era, but also reveal a divine principle for later generations. The story of Peter and Cornelius’s collaboration is not only for the people of that time. The same story has also been replicated repeatedly throughout the ages.

 

For example, American Christians are working with political forces to influence the society of America. For many years, American Christians have prayed for the United States, repenting of the sin of massacring Indians, selling slaves, and killing babies. They have prayed for God’s care, healing, and forgiveness for America. As a result, faith has returned and many Christians have been revived. These same Christians actively participate in politics and support candidates who promote Christian values in order to restore America's conservative values. The people in these movements are not perfect, and many have shallow beliefs, but they represent a force of church revival. I believe this collaboration between people of faith and people of power will bring about the return of American Christian values. The recent election of Congressman Mike Johnson, a devout Christian, as Speaker of the House is a positive result of the convergence of conservative beliefs and political justice in the United States.

 

This is not only happening in the United States, but God has also revealed to me that it will soon happen in China. Previously, I had only planned to serve God in Christian circles and had never thought of participating in any political movement. I not only believed that Christians should not be involved in politics, but I was also afraid. I knew that Christians would have to pay a high price to participate in politics, especially in the face of evil political oppression. Although I am in the United States and do not have to pay a huge price personally, I am still worried that it will cause trouble to my family. But God revealed to me through a series of dreams that His will for me was to participate in the political democratic movement He initiated. As the gospel is preached to those who participate in the democratic movement, it will help the country of China come to know God. God revealed to me that I will play an important role and hold an important position in this movement in the future.

 

One night, I had a strange dream. I was riding a bicycle down the street as a group of democrats on bicycles chased me. The more they chased me, the faster I rode. This action depicts my fear very well. But these democrats finally caught up with me and said to me, “Thank you for your books and gospel messages. You helped our democratic movement to win.” This is just one of the dreams I have had. God has revealed to me through many other dreams that the preaching of the gospel by us Christians will help many Chinese political figures learn to know Christ. As these leaders begin to pursue justice and faith, they will bring great change to China. May God's will be done.

 

Bible Study with Jairus Revelation 18 (Part 4) Sorting Good from Bad: The Judgment of Babylon Is Like Cleaning Out a Dusty Attic

Bible Study with Jairus

Revelation 18 (Part 4)

Sorting Good from Bad:
The Judgment of Babylon Is Like Cleaning Out a Dusty Attic

 

Revelation 18 talks about God cleansing Babylon. God's cleansing of Babylon is not about simply destroying it, but about meticulous separation and sorting. It reminds me of cleaning out Grandma’s dusty treasure chest in the attic. Inside this treasure chest, there is dust, trash, and treasures. It requires careful work to sort through the items in the chest. To use another metaphor archaeologists carefully clean artifacts at a dig site, separating the precious cultural relics from the rock. In the same way, God carefully preserves the good in Babylon while throwing away the bad.

 

Because God treasures every soul caught in Babylon's web, he smashes the city but does not completely annihilate it. The Bible says God sends His angels to cast it down like a great millstone rather than directly burning it to ashes. Wouldn't it be easier to just throw Babylon the Great into the lake of fire and burn it? Yet God smashes the city to pieces rather than burning it. Just like we crack a walnut shell while preserving the nut inside, God smashes Babylon’s idols and impurities but saves those caught in its web.

 

The Complex Work of Separating Good From Bad

The Chinese metaphor, "投鼠忌器" (Tou Shu Ji Qi), refers to the dilemma of a homeowner who wants to kill mice that are hiding behind valuable porcelain. The owner wants to rid the house of mice but is afraid of smashing the valuable pottery. This is an excellent picture of God’s cleansing of Babylon the Great. Since many of God’s people have been snared in the worldly web of Babylon, God faces a dilemma as he prepares to judge it. Babylon, which resembles a spider's web created by Satan and evil spirits, has captured many of God's people in its web of lust, pride, and worldliness (see 1 John 2:16). As God’s work of judgment nears completion, He intends to cleanse Babylon of its evil. How will God accomplish this cleansing? Is it by burning? No. God overturns the city but does not mention burning it, because many of God's chosen people are trapped within its snare. If God would leave ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness to look for one lost sheep, God would not forsake any of the lost sheep captured in Babylon the Great. Thus, in judging Babylon the Great, God faces a situation akin to the metaphor "Tou Shu Ji Qi."

 

However, God's wisdom surpasses human wisdom and God’s ways are higher than human ways. While humans may inadvertently damage the china while trying to catch the mouse, God finds a way to punish the evil while preserving the good. Second Peter 2:9 says, “The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment.” (ESV) God sends an angel to cast a mighty stone, the size of a great millstone, into the sea. The angel says, ““So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence,
and will be found no more” (Revelation 18:21). God intends to carefully separate Babylon from His chosen people. How? Through His word. God's word says, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her plagues" (Revelation 18:4). God calls to His chosen ones through His word, commanding them to separate themselves from the city of Babylon the Great. God’s word has the power to decide between good and evil. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." God’s word can distinguish between Babylon and God’s chosen people who are ensnared by Babylon.

 

But this act of casting down the stone (Babylon) requires skill. For example, cracking a walnut without destroying the nut meat requires skill. It takes practice to learn how hard to hit the shell with a hammer or a nutcracker. If you are skilled, you may be able to strike the shell once and instantly separate the shell from the meat. Even though the walnut shell shatters, the kernel remains intact. The same is true of Babylon. When Babylon the Great is thrown down like a stone, the system of the world that does not belong to God will be smashed to pieces, but God’s chosen people will escape. Thus, God's judgment of Babylon separates good from evil, just like a nutcracker separates the shell from the kernel.

 

God calls upon His people to depart from Babylon the Great, warning them of impending judgment. Yet once they have been ensnared by the world, they are like flies caught in a spider’s web—unable to free themselves. Only external force, like a broom, can break the web and set the flies free. In the same way, Babylon's ensnaring web needs to be broken so God's chosen people trapped within it can be set free. Perhaps the only way for God’s people to be set free is for the stone (Babylon) to be thrown down and broken. This is a work of separation, and this is God’s plan.

 

The reason Babylon was able to snare people was that it contained some good things mixed in with the bad. In Revelation 18:22, we learn how God removes the shiny, tempting fishhooks that lured and deceived us: "The sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more" (Revelation 18:22). God removes some of the good things in the city, like a homeowner sorting through an attic filled with trash and treasures. In God’s love and mercy, he does not rashly burn the entire city. Instead, he sorts the good from the bad. God calls his chosen people out and saves them. After rescuing them, the rest of Babylon will be shattered to pieces.

 

The text goes on to say, "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth" (Revelation 18:24). What else is in this spider web? Within this web, there are remnants of prophets, saints, and others who have been killed. This indicates that believers have been ensnared in this web, and some martyrs have been killed by it. Why were these prophets and saints killed? Because the harlot, Babylon, is jealous of the Bride of Christ. Throughout history, idolaters have been jealous of those who worshiped the true God without fear.

 

In Revelation 6, the saints under the altar cried out for justice and prayed that God would avenge their blood and judge Babylon the Great. God comforted them and asked them to wait for a while until the number of people who would be killed like them was complete (Revelation 6:9- 11). In Revelation 18, God answers the prayers of the saints under the altar. God judges Babylon the Great and avenges the blood of the prophets and saints killed by Babylon the Great.

 

An Old Testament Reference to the Fall of Babylon

 

In Jeremiah 51, God predicts the judgment of Babylon. At the time, Babylon had captured the Israelites, but God promised that at the appointed time, seventy years later, God's chosen people would leave Babylon. Verse 45 says, “Go out of the midst of her, my people! Let every one save his life from the fierce anger of the Lord!” This verse is very similar to Revelation 18. God allowed the Israelites to be taken captive by Babylon, but He also called His chosen people to come out of Babylon.

 

God also revealed to Jeremiah that He would one day execute final judgment on Babylon. Verse 52 says, "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will execute judgment upon her images, and through all her land the wounded shall groan" (Jeremiah 51:52).   This is the same picture God paints in Revelation.

 

Jeremiah 51:61-64 says, "And Jeremiah said to Seraiah: “When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words, and say, ‘O Lord, you have said concerning this place that you will cut it off, so that nothing shall dwell in it, neither man nor beast, and it shall be desolate forever.’When you finish reading this book, tie a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates and say, ‘Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disaster that I am bringing upon her, and they shall become exhausted.’” Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.'" Jeremiah instructed Seraiah to tie a stone to the book containing the prophecy against Babylon and cast it into the Euphrates River. In the same way that the book sank, Babylon the Great would one day sink. In the same way, in Revelation 18, an angel throws a stone into the sea to symbolize the sinking of Babylon the Great.

 

In Jeremiah 51:63, we find a beautiful picture. Just as Jeremiah asked Seraiah to bind a stone to God's words and cast it into the Euphrates, God's judgment always includes his words. In Revelation, we find that God’s words are bound up in his judgments. As he judges Babylon, he also says, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues" (Revelation 18:4).

 

Let’s look at some verses that will help us understand the relationship between God’s word and God’s judgment.

 

God's word is Christ, and Christ is God's word.

• "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).
• “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14).

Christ is the Rock.

• “For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10:4 ESV)

Jesus is the judge.

• "The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22).
• "If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day." (John 12:47-48).

Jesus is the word, Jesus is the judge, and Jesus is the rock. God’s word, preached by Jesus, judges people. This word judges people, separates good and evil, and smashes Babylon the Great. Angels are the agents of God's judgment on people, but Jesus is the true Judge.

 

Our Souls Are a Mixed Bag: "A Golden Cup Filled With Abominations”

When we trust in Christ as our Savior, our spirits are instantly born again. If we believe, we are saved, and God promises to glorify our bodies and raise us from the dead to eternal life. Salvation is accomplished in one second. However, here on earth, our soul still struggles with sin. Many Christians, although saved, lack the sanctification of our souls and the renewal of our minds. It is as if we are trapped in Babylon the Great. We need the sanctification and healing from God.

 

Just like Babylon is described as "a golden cup full of abominations" (Revelation 17:4), filled with impurities, our souls today are filled with impurities mixed with goodness. Our souls are extremely precious; Jesus Christ shed His precious blood to save our souls. Yet many of us also have too much filth in our souls. Our souls are a mixed bag. We are full of good things given to us by God, but we are also filled by webs of deception and sin that Satan has woven in our hearts.

 

Our souls are a mess. If there were a special X-ray machine that could discern all the thoughts and ideas in a person's soul, you would see that a person's soul is similar to Babylon the Great, full of goodness mixed with adulterous thoughts. But there is hope! As the Bible says, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12). God's word can distinguish between good and evil. He can discern all the thoughts and intents of the heart, and he can separate the good motives from the bad.

 

In the future judgment, God will require us to give account for every word we have spoken (Matthew 12:36). Every thought and every motive will be judged by God. God will carefully separate good from bad and distinguish between corrupt and pure motives. No human is wise enough to accomplish this delicate work, but God can. Just like it is difficult for humans to kill mice while preserving porcelain dishes, it is very difficult for humans to sort out what is right and what is wrong. But God can accurately separate His chosen people from their enemies who ensnare them. God’s word says, “No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:13). God can accurately see each created being, even Satan and evil spirits.

 

God will one day judge us with his word, but we need His word every day. We need God's word and God's Spirit to cleanse us. We need God's word to discern the thoughts and intentions of our hearts and souls and to carefully separate the good from our bad (Hebrews 4:12). God’s word sanctifies our souls, frees them from the corruption of the world's desires, and helps us partake in God's divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). God’s word fills us with God's Spirit so we can experience the sanctification of our souls, the renewal of our minds, and the transformation of our hearts (Romans 12:1). The word of God will separate good from evil and save us from Babylon the Great.

 

Conclusion: God’s Sanctifying Word Can Separate Soul and Spirit

Not only is today’s world like Babylon the Great, but so are our souls. Our minds are full of good things from God but also of confusion and deception from Satan. Our emotions love God but also adore the world. Our wills confront the enemy but also sometimes confront God. Each of us is at a different level of sanctification. As God continues to cleanse the evil of Babylon from our hearts, we will gradually abandon the corruption that comes from the world's desires and become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). In this way, we gradually escape from Babylon’s snares so we will not receive its judgment.

Bible Study With Jairus—Revelation 21 The New Jerusalem Is the Wife of the Lamb and Her Beautiful Display

Bible Study With Jairus—Revelation 21

The New Jerusalem Is the Wife of the Lamb and Her Beautiful Display

 

The New Jerusalem is a beautiful heavenly dwelling place for believing Israelites and New Testament saints. God is at the center, and the Father is transcendent, permeating everything. The New Jerusalem is the wife of the Lamb, adorned with extreme beauty. Her finest adornments are not gold and silver, but the inner adornments of imperishable virtues more lovely than fine jewelry (1 Peter 3:3-4). Her testimony, dedication, and love for God throughout the ages will be the building materials that God uses to create the beautiful New Jerusalem. These virtues will make the Lamb’s wife exceedingly beautiful on the day of the wedding feast with the Lamb.

 

In a dream, I saw a heavenly house being literally constructed with virtues. In the vision, I saw a Christian’s sister’s house in heaven, which was constructed using the lady’s virtues and spiritual gifts. The courtyard wall of her house was fused with grapevines full of grapes, which represented spiritual fruit. Another wall was full of music boxes that could play music, which represented her talents. I believe that the New Jerusalem is a dwelling place constructed by the collective virtues and talents of all the believers in heaven.

 

The New Jerusalem is a part of the new heaven and the new earth, but not its entirety, just like Los Angeles is only one part of the United States. There is more to heaven than the New Jerusalem, and there is more to our heavenly experiences than the scenes described in the New Jerusalem. The Bible only describes part of the heavenly history because it would take an eternity to describe everything we will do in heaven. The New Jerusalem is only one part of the new heaven and new earth, but there is also much more beauty and glory to discover in the new earth.

 

Will The Vastness of Heaven and The New Jerusalem Continue To Expand?

Heaven is immensely vast. Revelation 21:1-2 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” These verses tell us that John first saw a new heaven and a new earth and then saw the holy city, The New Jerusalem, descending from heaven. Later, God tells us the dimensions of the New Jerusalem: “The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal” (Revelation 21:16). One stadion is approximately 600 feet, so 12,000 stadia is about 1364 miles, roughly the distance from Los Angeles to Dallas. This helps us imagine the size of this city. It doesn’t come close to covering the earth’s surface, and certainly doesn’t fill the vast universe or heaven itself. So what is the New Jerusalem? It is the Holy of Holies in heaven. Revelation 21:22 records, “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.” Does the city represent the entire temple or only the Holy of Holies? I believe the New Jerusalem may be a larger version of the Holy of Holies, and the entire earth is the Holy Place. Beyond that is the Outer Court. Mature believers have entered the Holy of Holies and have entered God’s presence. The New Jerusalem is the wife of the Lamb, the Holy of Holies where believers join together with God.

 

Why do I mention that there is also a Holy Place and an Outer Court? Because even after the New Heaven and the New Earth are born, and the New Jerusalem descends from heaven, the Bible still mentions that outside the city “are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” Outside are unclean people who do what is detestable or false (see Revelation 21:27). They can never enter into the city; only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life can enter the city (Revelation 21:27).

 

This verse raises a question. If unbelievers have already been thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15), why does this verse say that the unclean are outside the city? Why are there still detestable things in the new heaven and new earth? How can we understand this? Is there a possibility that the lake of fire is outside the New Jerusalem? This could be possible. In the Old Testament, the book of Isaiah mentions that in the last days, God will choose the Israelites as priests to lead the nations to worship God in Jerusalem (Isaiah 66:20). Moreover, Isaiah 66:22-24 says, “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord. And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” According to this scripture, those who come to worship God will have the opportunity to see the punishment of those who rebelled against God, including their dead bodies. Similarly, at the end of Revelation, God mentions unclean people who are outside the city. Perhaps they are in the lake of fire outside the city. In addition to the lake of fire, I believe there may be a Holy Place and an Outer Court as well.

 

Revelation also mentions that the leaves of the Tree of Life are for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2). This verse is also difficult to understand. If our resurrected bodies no longer get sick and our spirits are perfected in heaven, why would we still need to be healed? I believe it’s possible that the New Jerusalem is a place of intimate connection to God that not all people will immediately access. Like the Holy of Holies, not all are granted access. Perhaps some people escape hell but still need healing, discipline, growth, and sanctification in order to enter the city. If the New Jerusalem represents the Holy of Holies, it would make sense that there would also be a Holy Place and an Outer Courtyard outside of it.

 

Although the New Jerusalem is the center of the new heaven and the new earth, it is not the whole thing. In my dreams and visions, I saw the souls of some Chinese people living in a valley. They were in darkness but not in hell. I believe these souls might still have the chance to continue learning and getting to know the Lord. Then they may be allowed to enter the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:26 and 22:14).

 

But will they live in the New Jerusalem, and will the New Jerusalem continue to expand eternally? Is the size of the New Jerusalem described in Revelation fixed, or could it continually expand until it fills the infinite universe? As more people are sanctified, will they be able to enter the Holy of Holies, and will the Holy of Holies expand to accommodate them? The answers to these questions are unclear. If the New Jerusalem does not continue to expand, we should seize every opportunity to spiritually mature so we can enter the city of God.

 

The New Jerusalem Is the Manifestation of Our Resurrected Bodies

Revelation tells us that the New Jerusalem is the Lamb's wife, and that the church is the bride of Christ and the body of Christ. Are we the body of Christ in a spiritual sense only, or does this depiction also have a physical side? There is certainly a spiritual aspect, in which both men and women can be a part of Christ’s bride. The New Jerusalem is described as the Lamb’s wife, but it is also described as a physical city built with precious stones (Revelation 21) We as believers are also said to be living stones, being built up as a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). We as believers are the building blocks of the city.

 

What does this mean? What are living stones? To understand this concept, we must break free from our materialistic concepts. Heaven exists in a different dimension, and some say that even the grass in heaven can speak. We need to leave behind our preconceptions as we grasp this metaphorical language.

 

This brings me back to my dream about the Christian sister’s heavenly house. In the dream, the walls of her house were alive and were built of her spiritual gifts and talents. Grapevines were growing within the walls, as a part of the wall, bearing abundant fruits. This points to the fact that this sister has the gift of evangelism and has brought forth abundant fruit as she has led people to salvation. Not only were the walls alive, but the door was also alive, made of something resembling bricks that were full of life. The door had a music box that could play music. This sister loves music, and after hearing my testimony, she said that she never thought God loved her so much that he would place a music box on the door of her heavenly house!

 

As Christians, we trust that not only our spirits will be renewed in eternity, but also our bodies. What will our bodies be like after the resurrection? We can only speculate based on the appearance of the Lord’s resurrection body. When Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, they thought He was a spirit or some type of ghost without a body. However, Jesus told them that a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as He did. He specifically stated that he had a body, bones, and flesh that could be touched. He even ate a piece of fish in front of them to demonstrate the physical nature of his body (Luke 24:36-43). He had a physical body in the resurrection, and so will we. Yet our bodies will be nothing like our current bodies (1 Corinthians 15:35-45).

 

An example from nature will help us understand this. A caterpillar transforms into a chrysalis and finally into a butterfly. If we hadn’t seen such a transformation with our own eyes, it would be hard to believe that such a thing could happen. In the same way, the transformation and resurrection of human beings will be marvelous. One day we will be like caterpillars, the next we will go through the cocoon stage, and after the resurrection, we will obtain another form, just like butterflies. It will be truly incredible. I believe the New Jerusalem is a manifestation of our resurrected bodies. We will still be individual beings, but we will also be part of something bigger. It’s clear from Scripture that we will still be individuals; Jesus said that after the resurrection, we will be like angels, neither marrying nor being given in marriage (Matthew 22:30). This statement assures us that we'll remain individuals; we won't lose ourselves. But we will also be living stones that are being built together. How? Will we be literally linked together arm to arm, standing on someone else's shoulders? No, God builds us together through the life of God within us, linking us together. He is over all, through all, and in all (Ephesians 4:6).

 

A few examples from nature may help us understand these spiritual realities. A coral polyp is an individual, yet it builds and spreads and creates a network of dead coral polyps that turn into reefs. Slime mold creates an even better illustration of this concept since slime mold is alive. This type of mold not only grows as individual mold organisms, but also communicates and cooperates with other single-celled organisms to create efficient systems for the distribution of nutrients. A group of Japanese and British researchers strategically placed food in a pattern that mimicked Japanese subway stations. In response, the slime mold units worked together to create a pattern of tunnels that was remarkably similar to the pattern of the efficient Japanese subway systems. Several slime mold organisms connected and grew together as one network. In this example, each slime single-celled mold organism was an individual with life, yet they grew together to form a larger organism, exhibiting various shapes, structures, and forms. This is truly a wonderful thing, and it is an illustration of how we will remain individuals and yet will grow together into a dwelling place of God in the spirit.

 

In the New Jerusalem, we will live inside the city, yet we will also be a part of the city. We will live in God’s building/tabernacle, yet we will also be the living stones that it is built of. This is a profound mystery that cannot be fully described in words. Yet the story of the house built of grapevines and music boxes gives an image of this reality. The grapevines and the walls were one, forming a living unity. These walls were part of the house, but they were also a part of this Christian sister, since they represented the spiritual fruit of her preaching and were inextricably tied to her identity. This grapevine was also rooted in God and was also a part of God's building. This concept is truly marvelous. I believe that the New Jerusalem is a wonderful manifestation of our resurrected bodies.

 

The New Jerusalem Is the Glorious Wife of the Lamb

This city is full of the glory of God (21:11) because God’s people are filled with God’s glory and the New Jerusalem is the Lamb's wife, the church. Believers are created to be filled with God’s glory, vessels of His glory, manifesting His glory within them. Therefore, when the church is built into the New Jerusalem, it will naturally be filled with the glory of God.

 

We are not only living stones, but also precious stones (21:11). This means we have undergone a transformation, just like rock undergoes high pressure and change to become precious stones. The gates are made of pearls (21:21), which reminds us that pearls are formed when oysters experience irritation from a grain of sand and secrete a special coating to create the gem. This also speaks of transformation.

 

The city’s twelve gates have the names of the twelve tribes of Israel inscribed on them (21:12). The city’s twelve foundations contain the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (21:14). This shows how Israel and the New Testament church are joined together through Christ, the cornerstone. In Him, both grow together into a temple in the Lord (Ephesians 2:20-21). This is the beautiful display of the unity of Christ’s new bride, but who will view this display? If we showcase something but have no audience, then the display loses its meaning. Who is the audience for this display? It's all of God's creation, including everything in heaven, on earth, and beneath the earth. This is why I believe that there is certainly a Holy Place and an Outer Court apart from the Holy of Holies (the New Jerusalem). The church has an audience that stands in awe of what Christ has done in unifying Jews and Greeks in his body. Outside the Outer Court is the lake of fire.

 

This city does not need the sun or the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God gives it light (21:23). The present world needs the light of the sun and moon, but the future world will only need the light of the New Jerusalem, because God's light brings all the life, warmth, and nourishment we will ever need. In a way, we will become part of this “sun.” No wonder Proverbs 4:18 says, "But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day."

 

Revelation 21:25-27 says, "and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life." This verse indicates that there are nations that live outside the city. Perhaps these are the nations referred to in Revelation 22:2 who live in the Outer Court or Holy Place but continue to mature until they are admitted into the Holy of Holies. They do not necessarily live inside the city, but they bring their glory into it. Those dwelling in the city are those whose lives are mature enough to enter the Holy of Holies. Those in the lake of fire outside the city cannot enter it. This is confirmed again in Revelation 22: "Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." (22:14-15) Those who wash their robes are redeemed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus, but they are not mature enough to wear the bride’s “fine linen.” Clearly, they do not live in the city; if they did, there would be no need to talk about gaining the right to enter the city. There are difficult levels of spiritual life and maturity, and we must seize every opportunity to love and sacrifice for the Lord on earth today, so we can enter the Holy City one day. Let’s make the most of every opportunity during our precious time on earth so we can enjoy the full blessings of the life to come.

Bible Study with Jairus: Revelation 14 (Part 3) Why Did the 144,000 Offer Heartfelt Praise?

Bible Study with Jairus: Revelation 14 (Part 3)

Why Did the 144,000 Offer Heartfelt Praise?

 

Revelation 14 opens with these words:

Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

 

Why are these heavenly visions placed at the beginning of the chapter? These heavenly visions are not only meant to encourage people in heaven, but also to encourage people who are still suffering on earth. As we saw in the last chapter, many people were facing severe persecution for not worshiping the beast. They were risking their lives to bear witness to the testimony of Jesus. According to Revelation 19:10, “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Because of their suffering, God gave John a vision of this heavenly scene and the great reward awaiting those who suffer. This message was intended to comfort those undergoing trials. This perspective helps us understand why God gave John this vision. Heavenly visions can be a great source of strength for those who are suffering.

 

Let’s learn a bit more about the 144,000 and their song of praise to God.

 

Who Are the 144,000?

This group likely contains people who were martyred for refusing to worship the beast, as mentioned in Revelation 13. There may have been others in the group as well, and not all who refused to worship the beast were martyred immediately. However, there were likely some martyrs in the group. In addition, the passage specifically states that the 144,000 have not been defiled with women. What does this statement mean? Should we take it literally? Does this group include only men who have never been close to women, excluding men who were married (like Peter), as well as single women? In this case, perhaps Paul would be included in this group.

 

If we interpret this statement spiritually instead of literally, we can imagine that it refers to people who are spiritually pure. This interpretation may be more appealing to those who are married. However, the passage may have been intended to be taken literally. It is possible that the 144,000 were literally men who had never been close to women.

 

Some people believe the 144,000 are the members of the twelve tribes of Israel who were sealed by the angel in Revelation 7:4. But this does not account for the fact that these 144,000 have not been defiled by women.

 

So who are they? We don’t know for sure. But it seems clear that at least some of them are martyrs. These devoted believers would rather be killed than worship the beast, and they have made great sacrifices for the testimony of Jesus. The rewards and glory they receive in heaven should greatly encourage those currently suffering.

 

The New Song Sung by the 144,000

Why do these 144,000 people sing a new song? Because each person's salvation story is an individual masterpiece of God. God is the same, but each person's experience of God's salvation is unique. When we overcome the trials in our individual lives, we each compose a new song of praise to God. Only after trials and hardships can we exude such sincere praise. Though we may not see God’s grand plan right now while we are on earth, once we reach heaven we won’t be able to hold back our praise. Once we see how God worked everything together for good, we will offer a unique song of heartfelt praise for God's salvation.

 

Everyone's suffering is unique. As a result, their experience of salvation is unique, and the praise they offer is also unique. For example, a drug addict who has experienced the pain of drug addiction and the power of Jesus' redemption will have a unique song of praise that non-drug-users cannot share. Similarly, someone who has been sexually assaulted experiences Jesus' salvation and comfort in a unique way. As a result, this person’s new song will be different from the song of someone who has not had the same experience. Each person has a unique way of experiencing God’s salvation, so each person will have a unique psalm of praise for God’s goodness.

 

I shared this concept with some Christians who are involved in a political movement to eliminate the Chinese Communist Party. I explained, “Because we have responded to God's call to participate in the cause of eradicating the Communist Party, we experience suffering and persecution that are incomprehensible to both American and Chinese Christians who do not participate in this movement. However, in the future, when we welcome a new democratic and free China, the praise we offer to God will be something others cannot comprehend.” We will sing a new song of praise to God that is unique to us.

 

In the same way, the experience of American Christians is something that Chinese believers cannot fully participate in. Even though the United States is a Christian country, religious freedom has been under attack in recent years. There is a danger of losing the country's values, which are based on Christianity. Many American Christians have prayed for America and tried to revive its Christian values, and this experience is something Chinese Christians cannot fully understand. Meanwhile, Chinese Christians who are still on the mainland are holding onto their faith despite years of persecution. As a Chinese Christian living overseas, I cannot fully relate to their experience. Each believer will sing a new song of praise to God that will not fully resonate with people who have had different experiences.

 

In the same way, these 144,000 individuals had a unique song of praise to God. By giving up relations with women, they made sacrifices that married people with wives and children cannot fully comprehend. I heard the testimony of a modern-day Christian brother who dedicates himself to God and lives in celibacy. He said that he did not care about sexual relationships between men and women but longed very much to have children. When he sees others with children, he feels very lonely. He had made a very great sacrifice with his decision to live in celibacy.

 

When these 144,000 childless individuals see that God has not forgotten them and has richly rewarded them, they will sing a song of praise that is unique to their experience. The Bible specifically promises that celibate people who keep God's law will receive more beautiful blessings than those who have children (Isaiah 56:5). Those without children will receive special blessings from God.

 

God does not forget any small sacrifice we make for Him. He will reward us beyond our imagination. Jesus promises that if we forsake our biological family connections to follow Him, we will not only receive a hundredfold in this world but also eternal life in the world to come (Matthew 19:29).

 

The vision in Revelation 14 is just a glimpse into the ways God works. It shows that God does not ignore the sacrifices we make for him. He even remembers the small sacrifices we make. Jesus says that anyone who gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is His disciple will not lose their reward (Matthew 10:42). God will remember our service and dedication, and he will greatly reward us. This vision is just a small example of the rewards God will bestow, but the principle it reveals will encourage countless people who are bearing witness to God amidst suffering.

 

Seamless Transition between Heavenly Perspective and Earthly Perspective

An expert videographer smoothly transitions between close-up shots and distant perspectives. Sometimes, the lens focuses on the foreground, making the background blurry. Other times, the focus shifts to the background, and the foreground becomes blurred. However, a good camera lens can transition seamlessly, and a skilled director will use this transition to express the intended meaning.

 

The Holy Spirit often employs the same technique when inspiring the writing of the Bible. For example, David often begins his psalms by focusing on the details of his life in the foreground. He complains and pours out his distress about his enemies and their persecution. As the psalm progresses, he shifts his focus to a bigger perspective. He focuses on the greatness of God in creating the heavens and the earth, caring for humanity, and appointing them to manage the universe (Psalm 8).

 

The same transition happens between Revelation 13 and 14. Revelation 13 shows people on earth being persecuted for refusing to worship the beast, while Revelation 14 shows people in heaven receiving great rewards from God. The passage smoothly transitions from talking about earthly matters to talking about heavenly matters, and from material concerns to spiritual concerns. The Holy Spirit transitions smoothly and naturally between foreground and background and between earth and heaven.

 

We need to do the same in our spiritual lives. If we only focus on earthly matters and ignore what is happening in the spiritual realm, we may feel discouraged by the difficulties in our everyday lives. When we think about heavenly visions, we will be encouraged. At the same time, since we are living on Earth, we must also pay attention to what is happening on Earth so we can be prepared for hardships and have the right mindset to face challenging circumstances.

 

We must smoothly transition between seeing things from a spiritual perspective and seeing things from a practical perspective. We are still living in the world, and we still face difficulties. We need to focus on heavenly visions and earthly realities so we can be prepared to handle all the challenges we will face.

 

Martin Luther: The Suffering of Life is Like the Reversed Lead Type in Printing

It is said that Martin Luther, a pioneer of the Reformation, once said that suffering is like the movable type in the old printing presses. When a printer looked at the movable type, it was difficult to read because the letters were reversed and did not form sentences. However, when the newspaper was printed, these isolated and reversed letters suddenly became a beautiful piece of writing.[1]

 

In the same way, when we look at our suffering with our limited earthly perspectives, we cannot see God’s good intentions. But when we reach heaven and receive His rewards, we will see that all our present sufferings were permitted by God to fulfill His good will in us. At that time, when we see God's good intentions, we won’t be able to hold back our heartfelt praise. I believe that the 144,000 have gone through many hardships on earth. While on earth, they likely did not understand the meaning of these hardships, but when they stand before God's throne singing a new song, they finally understand God's good intentions. Therefore, they offer a new song that only they can sing. Every person who suffers for the sake of God's will will one day sing a new song to God.

 

A Warning Before the Great Harvest

At the end of the chapter, an angel warns that those who worship the beast will suffer in sulfur and fire forever (Revelation 14:9-11). The vision at the beginning of this chapter and the warning at the end of the chapter relate to the warnings and calls of the two angels that follow. God always gives warnings in advance. The Old Testament prophet Amos says, “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). Throughout the Bible, God always reveals His character and principles through His prophets and apostles. He warns people about the consequences of their behavior. He tells them what he is about to do so that people can choose to either follow or ignore Him. God gives people free will, so the ultimate result depends on people’s free will. He allows them to make a choice, even about significant matters such as salvation, eternal life, and eternal death.

 

A Call to the Saints

Revelation 14:12 says, “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” During trials, God gives us visions to strengthen our faith so that we can be gathered like grain into his barn. Revelation 13:10 also says, “If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain.” The passage addresses the appearance of the beast and how it will overcome the saints. Everyone whose name is not recorded in the Book of Life will worship the beast (Revelation 13:7-8). God wants to encourage those who are going through trials and tribulations, once again proving that the theme of Revelation is the testimony of Jesus. When we suffer for the testimony of Jesus, God not only encourages us through His prophetic words but also promises us great rewards in the future. This is the principle taught in the story of the 144,000 standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, and it is something that every person experiencing persecution and difficult circumstances needs to understand.

 

As I have mentioned many times, suffering by itself is not enough to bring maturity. Suffering is an external circumstance, and it can’t bring maturity on its own. Only when we see God's will in suffering can we be preserved through suffering. As we live in the will of God, experience the visions he gives, and dedicate ourselves to prayer, we will see for ourselves that God works all things together for good.

 

 

[1] I read this quote in Chinese but could not find it in English. I apologize for not having a source.