Posts from September 2023

In Revelation 12-17 John saw Satan (the “dragon”) and his allies (the “beasts” and then the “great harlot”) presented as emblems of the evil one’s power and overwhelming determination to conquer the faithful through persecution, trial and seduction. From chapter 17:16 onward he saw these same forces being overcome – in reverse order – by the power of God (first the harlot, 18:2, then the “beasts,” 19:19-21, and finally in chapter 20, the “dragon” himself, Satan). Just as Satan’s servants…

In chapters 17-19 John presents Heaven’s explanation of the vision of angels pouring out the “vials”/bowls of God’s wrath. The angel introduced in 17:1 establishes that what John now sees is a depiction of judgement that bears out the “beginning of the end” theme that began with emptying of those bowls in chapters 15-16. Chapter 17 paints a picture that most biblical scholars with pagan Imperial Rome – the judgement of the “Great Harlot.” This chapter falls naturally into two…

Taken together, Revelation 15-16 form “the beginning of the end” of the visions John sees of God’s judgement against the world. The seven plagues these chapters depict represent God’s “perfect” (complete, full) wrath. The praises in 15:2-4 come from those who have emerged victorious over the “beast;” now, they are seen standing on God’s side of the sea. The “song of Moses…and the Lamb” unites the faithful of both old and new testaments in one whole – “the saved” –…

The image of seven angels blowing trumpets in Revelation 8-11 echoes the basic message of the opening of the seals seen in chapters 4-7 – God’s judgement against all unrighteousness. Like the brief pause between the opening of the sixth and seventh seals when John saw those who are saved being “marked” to protect them against the coming judgement, the “break” between the sixth and seventh trumpets heightens the readers’ anticipation – “What will happen next?” During this break, John…