The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Revelation Chapters 20 through 22

We come now to the 20th chapter of Revelation at which point the 7th Trump has sounded and the true Jesus Christ has returned with great power and glory, bringing with Him His army of saints. Babylon the Great, i.e. the one world political system and the great whore along with Satan's role as the false-christ, the spurious messiah, has been destroyed forever and ever. And as we learned in our chapter 19, ALL flesh has been "changed" and everyone, both the good and the bad are in their spiritual bodies.

So it is the first day of the Millennium and John, who remember in Rev. 1:16 was taken there for an eye witness account, gives us another advanced news report, this time concerning the fate of Satan during the Millennium. Can't you just visualize the headlines?

THE MILLENNIUM PRESS

First Edition

"SATAN IMPRISONED, BEGINS SERVING 1000 YEAR SENTENCE"

John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was present today as Michael came down from heaven and appeared on Satan's doorstep with a warrant from the King of kings for his arrest. Satan has been residing in the temple for the last 5 months (ever since Michael cast him from heaven) where he has been impersonating Jesus Christ and claiming he is the Messiah come. He also is being held responsible for orchestrating the murder of God's two witnesses, a despicable crime, which he has been actually celebrating with his cronies for the last 3 1/2 days. Here's John description of the first thing he saw :

Rev. 20:1
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
It must have been pretty obvious to John when he saw the equipment, with the "BP" label on it, which the angel had with him, that Satan was about to be shackled and locked back up in the Bottomless Pit. John continues:
[2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
It would seem that Michael needed no assistance as he apparently just grabbed the evil crook by the shoulders, threw him mercilessly up against the wall and shackled him with the binding chain. It has also been reported that because of the manhandling of Satan by this very powerful angel that some folks are referring to him as the "Pit Bull".

Also, we were not able to determine from John's report whether he was close enough to hear what the angel said to Satan, but we believe it was something like "OK chump, the party's over! Let's go!" John did not report that the angel read Satan his rights because having already been judged and sentenced to die, he has none.

John then gives this account of the actual incarceration:

[3] And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
So as John reports, for the next 1000 years Satan will be imprisoned and not permitted to have any contact whatsoever, either by person or by spirit, with anyone outside his confines. However, we know from a related article submitted thousands of years ago by reporting agent Isaiah that Satan will be visible throughout the Millennium as a reminder to all of what can happen. Here's part of Isaiah's transcript concerning Satan's casting into the pit:
Isaiah 14:13
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
[14] I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
[15] Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

[16] They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

And so it shall be that people will walk by the "pit" during the Millennium, on their way to Discipline Classes, and shake their heads in unbelief to think that this poor slob could have perpetrated worldwide religious deception and political control.

End of article.

Yes, it's fun to imagine how it might happen, but happen it will! We already knew who the dragon and that old serpent was. We also knew from 2 Pet. 3:8 that 1000 years to the Lord is a one day, so that the Day of the Lord is 1000 years.

But the one thing we didn't discuss is "why will Satan be released at the end of the Millennium"? I'm sure you realize if you've studied this Book of Revelation from the beginning with us that Satan is coming to this earth disguised as Jesus Christ (and I'll bet you know that he comes before the true Christ). This final generation then will be tested by the false messiah, right? Those who fail, who do not overcome and who don't partake of the first resurrection, will go through the Millennium and be taught of and with discipline for 1000 years, which is how much time they have to get their act together. After they have been taught there will be another test, a final exam if you will, which they must pass before they can receive their diploma of eternal life. That test is Satan's release once again upon the world, but this time without the political beast and the role of spurious messiah. And no, it is not a second chance because they never came to a full knowledge of the truth in this generation because of the "famine" (Amos 8:11), and as such never had a prayer of a first chance.

Next we will learn what reward comes with being part of the first resurrection.

[4] And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Thrones, you know, are where rulers, the ones who wear crowns, i.e. the ones in authority who exercise judgment, sit.  And there are two groups in this verse who sit upon them.

(1) The first group are the martyrs down through the ages, those who have been beheaded, i.e. killed or executed for the (a) the witness of Jesus, and (b) for the Word of God. It would include the two witnesses also.

(2) The second group are those of this final generation who had the seal of God in their foreheads and who overcame the beast.

Note: In our previous studies we've covered in great detail the beast (Satan), his image (role as Jesus), his mark upon their foreheads (deception), and his mark in their hands (doing his work).

Now, did you read the last phrase in verse 4, "and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years"?  What an honor and a privilege! If you ever are in want of some encouragement to continue to fight the good fight, then just refer to Rev. 20:4.  For if you are one of God's elect then you will be part of the first resurrection at His coming, and you will reign with Jesus Christ for the entire 1000 years during the Millennium.

[5] But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
But if you are not part of the first resurrection then you are part of "the remainder" who are called "the dead" and you must wait until the end of the Millennium. You will then be tested that short season by Satan who will be released temporarily, and then you will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment when the books are opened (vs. 12). Only then can you be part of the Second Resurrection and receive eternal life. Until then you are called "dead" because you are still subject to the second death, which is the destruction of your soul in the lake of fire (vs. 14). Here is Christ documenting that there are two deaths, one of the flesh, and one of the soul in the lake of fire:
Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
And of course to have your soul "destroyed" is to "perish", which is taught in the most quoted verse in God's Word, John 3:16.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
So you'll either receive eternal life at the first or second resurrection, or you'll suffer the second death, i.e. perish in the lake of fire.

Let's now go back to Rev. 20:5. Understand that we are now in the Millennium! There are no more flesh people! Everyone has been changed. And John is telling us what's going on! The first death (of the flesh) and the first resurrection (to eternal life) is over! So the "dead" (who are alive in their spiritual bodies) in the Millennium means those who are "spiritually dead". To "live" then is to receive "eternal life". So the "dead" cannot "live" until the thousand years are finished, i.e. no one can receive the gift of eternal life until judgment day following the Millennium, which is the second resurrection! If you don't quite understand yet, wait until we finish this chapter and it should become clear in your mind regarding the "dead".
 

Rev. 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
To be part of that first resurrection is a truly an Unfathomable Blessing! If you have SEEN the PICTURES of heaven and of the glory of our Father and His throne described so far, and if you will follow with us to the end of this great Book of Revelation and SEE the beauty of the NEW JERUSALEM coming down out of heaven, then you still cannot fathom the blessing of being part of the first resurrection. Our feeble brains just cannot imagine how wonderful it is!

Now read again chapter 20 verse 6. Since eternal life is granted to those who are part of the First Resurrection, then the second death, the lake of fire, does not apply to them! Their souls cannot be destroyed because they have already received the gift of eternal life. And they shall be PRIESTS and REIGN with Christ throughout the Millennium.

Next we will document from the Old Testament and see in greater detail the reign of these Priests of God and of Christ. But for now, just stop everything and take a deep breath and consider the following:

If you have eyes to see and ears to hear then you have been and will be reading about YOU, a participant in the first resurrection! And if you can only even briefly comprehend the enormous reality of all this, that it WILL HAPPEN TO YOU as it is written, then your faith will be greatly increased, your fears and anxieties will be greatly decreased, and you will be overcome with love and thankfulness for our Father who loves His children so much.

Now we continue in what is often called the Millennium Chapter, because the events that are being described are happening during and after the 1000 year reign of Christ and His saints which commences with the sound of the 7th Trump.

We learned in Rev. 20:6 that those who are part of the first resurrection will be Priests of God and shall reign with Christ during the 1000 years. But once again, as we have seen throughout Revelation, this is not new knowledge if you are familiar with all of God's Word. You see, the last 8 chapters of the Book of Ezekiel contain more information about the Millennium than does the Book of Revelation. And so we can read even more detail about the 1000 year reign of God's elect, who are called the "zadok" in Hebrew, which means the "just" or "justified ones" (Rom. 8). Here's Ezekiel's account in chapter 44 concerning the Priests during the Millennium:   Live Links to- Ezekiel Chapters 40-44 Within The Millennial Temple and Ezekiel Chapters 45-48 Without The Millennial Temple

Ezekiel 44:23
And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
Those being taught by these priests obviously couldn't discern between the false messiah and the true Messiah, the profane and the holy, before the 7th Trump sounded, could they?
[24] And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.
AMAZING! We just read of this:
Rev. 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them... and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
But here's some detail that we didn't learn of in Revelation. And it answers a very common question often asked: "Will we recognize our loved ones in the Millenium?" The answer is yes, of course. (After all, we were created after the image of God and the angels, the host of heaven, the sons of God, i.e. ourselves. So we will all look like "ourselves" after which we were created in the image of.)
[25] And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves.
Again, how many times must we realize that these "dead" people are alive and going to discernment classes during the Millennium? They are "spiritually dead". Even your loved ones if you are unfortunate enough to have some who don't make the "first cut" at the 7th Trump, are called "dead", again because they have mortal souls and are liable to die the second death. You probably call some of them "dead beats" now, though hopefully not to their faces. Well...? Be nice.

Let's continue with chapter 20 of the Book of the Unveiling, the book that let's us SEE behind the VEIL!

We are now going to be taken behind that veil to the End of the Millennium, and we must "transport" our minds to that time with the understanding of those things which have been revealed to us thus far. Remember, everyone is in an incorruptible, spiritual body. Christ and His zadok have been reigning for the 1000 years during which time Satan has been imprisoned. Everyone now fully understands God Word and they have been taught the "difference" and how to "discern" between the unclean (Satan's ways) and the clean (God's way). They have all seen many times the video replays of the flesh age and the results of following the unclean path.

So you would think that most everyone would SEE and desire in their hearts to follow God and love Him and live the clean way of life that produces happiness and joy. That is our Father's desire, but there is some sad news in the next two verses.

Rev. 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
It is soon time for the Great White Throne judgment of God. Christ now let's Satan loose to test those who followed after him before.
[8] And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
And so Satan shall once again run "to and fro" and "up and down" in the earth gathering together all who will still follow him, although as you will recall he will not be afforded the one world political system or his former role as the false-christ. This beast and false prophet were destroyed for ever and ever (Rev. 19:20).

But as incredible as it may seem, and as sad as it is, the reality is that there will still be a lot of people who will follow Satan, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. So this verse documents the justification and the reason for the release of Satan and the "testing". All one can say is that the heart of the wicked and the kenite is a very hard thing to change.

The statements "in the four corners" and "Gog and Magog" simply mean all those nations outside the Holy City. Remember we are at the end of the Millennium and this Gog and Magog is not to be confused with the pre-millennial Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38 and 39. Here it means in both directions, East and West, from Jerusalem into all the earth, i.e. into all four corners. (For further documentation see notes in the Companion Bible on Rev. 20:8 and Ezek. 38:2)

[9] And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
When Satan has gathered all who will join him and they have compassed Jerusalem then it's lake of fire time for them. No need to even open up the book of works on these folks for they have totally and completely failed the final exam. They will not graduate into eternity. Bye!
[10] And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Here we come to the favorite verse of Dante, who gave us graphic descriptions, complete with illustrations, of an everlasting Burning Inferno, known as Dante's Inferno, where poor souls who didn't repent weep and wail and writhe in pain and agony and torment forever and ever while the saints sitting on the clouds with their harps look upon them and sing the refrain "Burn, suckers, burn, we told you so, we told you so"! Some concept of heaven, eh?

Well it ain't so! First of all, it is documented time after time after time in the Bible that the fate of the wicked is to PERISH, to die the second death, which is the DESTRUCTION OF THE SOUL! We've already quoted John 3:16 in the last study as well as Christ's own words in Mat. 10. But let's read again His words:

Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
And how about Satan's soul? Did we just read that Satan will be tormented for ever and ever? No we did not, because we read an idiom of another language translated into our English which completely lost the meaning. It would be like translating the English expression "She got cold feet", meaning "She lost her nerve" to do something, into French. But in the French language there is no such expression and so the best the readers of the expression can determine is that the actual temperature of her feet much approach that of ice!

The root of the word "torment" in verse 10 is the Greek word basanos from where we get our word "basis", and it means (through the notion of going to the bottom). But the whole expression together simply means that Satan will be consumed, debased, gone, day and night (for all eternity), forever and ever (to be no more).

For further documentation, let's look at a second witness, another account of Satan's ultimate fate, found in the 28th chapter of Ezekiel. Here's how he DIES! He perishes by fire!

Ezekiel 28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
Always remember from the last verse in Hebrews chapter 12 that our Father is a consuming fire. He will destroy Satan and turn him into ashes forever and ever.

Does that mean he'll burn for ever and ever? Of course not.

[19] All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.
Satan will BE NO MORE! You just read it! His very name in Greek is "Apollyon" which means PERISH. That is why he is called the "Son of Perdition", i.e. the son who will perish!

The same fate that awaits all of us who don't have part in the first nor the second resurrections.

Do you realize that Satan has succeeded in taking a few mistranslated verses and created an almost universally accepted Christian doctrine so heinous that it even defies the nature of human love. We have laws in human society against torturing both animals and people. Even a parent of a child who became a despicable evil murderer could not imagine nor accept and would certainly never decree that the child be heinously singed with fire, poked with hot coals, and roasted in an oven. What parent, brother or sister could look upon one of their own being treated as such? They could perhaps accept the humane execution of the child, to put him or her out their torment for ever and ever, for the protection and good of society. And guess what?  God says in Jer. 32:35 that He never ever thought of torturing children in fire! Such is the doctrine of Molech! NEVER EVER! And yet today it is a doctrine in most Christian churches. But it is a tradition of men like Dante and not of God's Word!

And as it is written, Death is exactly the punishment God decrees for the murderer in the flesh body, and as it is written, Death is exactly the punishment God decrees for the wicked in the spirit body. And just as we don't have to put up with the evil (flesh) person anymore on earth when they are executed (the first death), so we will not have to put up with the wicked anymore for all eternity when they are executed (the second death).

Rev. 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
This is the last day of this earth age and the full God head comes to earth. We'll read of it in detail in the next chapter. And this verse should remind us of that which we read in Rev. 6:14 "And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places." It is the end of this present heaven and earth age, the 2nd heaven and earth age, and the beginning of the 3rd which is for all eternity.
[12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Do dead people stand? This is not talking about resurrection, this is the coming before the Judge! Stand up and approach the bench please!

Remember where we are? We are at the end of the Millennium. There are no people in flesh bodies nor are there any souls in the ground. The "dead" referred to here are the spiritually dead who are about to be judged from the books and receive their rewards according to their actions! And their last actions recorded in the books just before the Millennium were to worship the beast and his image! God will pick it up from there.

And so it is more than obvious that these books that are opened are the Books of Works. You see, Almighty God keeps perfect records of all His children's activities?  Thank God for this dispensation of grace and for repentance whereby we can have our "activities", our sins, deleted from the books. Also, remember that those of the first resurrection are not subject to the judgment of the second resurrection and/or the second death. We read that in verse 6.

Notice too that the Book of Life was also opened.  This book already has the names of God's elect in this generation written in it. In fact, their names were written in that Book of Life a long time ago, before the foundation of this world. Remember we read of it in Rev. 13:8? All those of this generation whose names are not written in it will worship Satan as Jesus.

Rev. 13:8
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Let's return to the judgment.
Rev. 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
This verse simply says what the last phrase makes obvious. That every single person on earth who is spiritually dead, i.e. has a mortal soul and is subject to the judgment, will be brought forth and judged according to their works. There will be no "plea bargaining" and no "defense attorneys" will be permitted in the courtroom except when it is their turn to stand before the Judge to defend themselves! (That ought to be really something when they try to parse and redefine the Word). NEXT!
[14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
That's right. It's all over, all death and dying, and all the evil rudiments and wicked people will be consumed by the consuming fire, and they will be gone forever and ever. As Paul would say:
1 Cor. 15:55
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The only victory comes from having your name written in the Book of Life!
Rev. 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Otherwise you will be no more!

As for the rest of God's children whose names were written in the Book of Life? They lived happily ever after!

The Millennium is over. The final period, the final time of salvation has come to an end. The great white throne judgment has been concluded and the books have been closed. Our Father has destroyed all evil rudiments and souls in the lake of fire and we shall begin the wonderful, peaceful eternity.

And so the question is often asked "Can anything or anyone rebel again as did Satan in the 1st earth age? In other words, how do we know there won't be another Satan?"  The answer is contained in understanding the plan of God itself. No, it can never happen again. Why? Because all freewill souls will have exercised their freewill, i.e. made their decisions as to who they will follow, and will have been thoroughly tested to the point of irreversibility. The wicked will have proven they won't repent and the saints will have proven to always be faithful. Have you not read of the testing of all the saints from Noah to Abraham to Christ Himself to You (well maybe you keep a diary)? So you now know why James says in chapter 1 verse 2 of his book, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;". Hey, you get to "ace" another pop quiz!

Ladies and gentlemen, the 21st Chapter of Revelation.

Rev. 21:1
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
The word "first" used here is the Greek word "protos" and is the same word translated "former" in verse 4. So the heaven and earth that pass away in this verse is the one prior to the "new" one which comes into existence "after" the lake of fire, i.e. the present earth age that we are in now, the 2nd earth age. We know from 2 Pet. 3 that there are three heaven and earth ages. It is the same earth but three different "ages" because the earth itself "abideth forever" (Eccles. 1:4). The "world that then was" (Gen 1:2), prior to the foundation of this earth age, was totally destroyed. It perished at the overthrow of Satan. This one will perish at his destruction!

And so the 3rd earth age will be for all eternity. The planet itself will be set back on its proper axis and correct orbital path. The actual seas will be dried up and the water will return to the canopy from whence it came. The earth will once again be the most beautiful paradise in the universe (the wackos have it all wrong for this is the true greenhouse effect). And our Father will call it Home!

Note: We flesh human beings get all excited when the thought crosses our minds that we might not have boating and fishing, or golf courses, or have sex in the next dimension. Just remember that our Father doesn't take anything away that He doesn't replace ten fold.  So did you know that the entire universe awaits for the perfection of the Sons of God?  Talk about a fishing expedition! See commentary on verse 7.

[2] And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
There's nothing more beautiful to an husband than his adorned bride!
[3] And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.
God promised to dwell with man as part of His everlasting, unbreakable covenant a long time ago. He purposed it even from the beginning, for the desire of His heart is to be with and among His children for ever and ever, world without end. Here is the promised fulfilled in Rev. 21:3, i.e. the tabernacle IS with men, promised by our Father to Israel in Ezekiel 37:
Ezekiel 37:26
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

[27] My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

And do you know what? That glorious holy city, the New Jerusalem, from that day forth, from the day it comes down out of heaven throughout all eternity, will be known and recognized as the Headquarters of the Universe, also referred to as "Heaven", for it will bear the name of God Himself, Yahaveh Shamma, which interpreted means "The LORD is there". These are the very last words of the Book of Ezekiel concerning the new city:
Ezekiel 48:35
It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.
What will it be like living there with our Father?
Rev. 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Can you even begin to imagine such a society? No more pain and suffering, no more disease and war and death and dying, no more pesky telemarketers interrupting your dinner trying to sell you something you don't want or need. Yes, heaven on earth!

All the former things, all the evil spirits, all the wicked people, all corruptible flesh are passed away, GONE! (I believe most telemarketers will eventually repent or change jobs and so will not be part of the second death.)

[5] And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Guess who's talking to John now! "John, you tell My children that they can count on My Words coming to pass exactly as I have spoken them."

So if it sounds too utopian for the skeptic, or it sounds too good to be true, it isn't. In fact the words of man cannot even begin to describe the beauty and wonder, and yes, even the excitement of all that our Father has planned for His children. Man's words cannot describe it because man's mind cannot imagine it. This we know for it also is written and is true and faithful:

1 Cor. 2:9
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Now here comes a great opportunity. Would you like to hear God speak to you?  He just told John to write His true and faithful words down for you and me. Here's what He has to say to us. He is speaking to us:
Rev. 21:6 And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Here's how the N.E.B. translation has this verse: "Indeed', He said, 'they are already fulfilled. For I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end..."

Our Father tells us if we thirst for Him, (Amos 8:11 ...not a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:), He will provide us with all of the purest water of life that we could ever want.

And if we become DOERS and not just HEARERS, i.e. if we overcome, you won't believe the reward He has in store for us!

[7] He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Living with our Father! Imagine that! Now imagine inheriting ALL things:

Our Father OWNS, lock, stock, and barrel as they say, the Entire Universe. And when He says we will inherit ALL THINGS, that's infinitely more than all the wealth on earth! So if you are an overcomer, next time you're outside at night standing next to someone, you can look up and point to the stars and say "You see this vast universe? My family owns it all!" (Just be very careful who you say that to. Use wisdom and common sense.)

In contrast, just so you can SEE THE DIFFERENCE, here's the inheritance of the wicked:

[8] But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
But the faithless, and the non-believers, and the disgusting lowlifes, and murderers, and sexual perverts, and drug pushers, and lovers of everything other than that which is holy, and all liars (including unrepentant politicians and attorneys), they shall inherit the Lake of Fire. In other words, all the "wicked" will be consumed away, burned up in the lake of fire, which means they will DIE eternally, gone forever, PERISH.

We spent considerable time on this in the last study, but we must understand that the lake of fire is the second death, the DESTRUCTION of the wicked souls!  Remember we read of it in Rev. 20:14 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." God is going to destroy the souls of the incorrigibly wicked along with everything evil. He can do it, and He will! His words are "true and faithful". Remember once again what Christ said:

Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
So you say you understand? You've done well!  It is now time for dessert, a special treat from the sweet hidden manna from the Book of Psalms.
Note: You have seen us make reference to the Companion Bible many times in our studies. If ever there was a reason to obtain one it is to have access to the "gems" contained in the original manuscripts that are not brought forth (and therefore hidden) to the ordinary English reader. That which follows, along with all the richness contained in the Massorah, is found within its pages. It is the most comprehensive Bible available to the English reader. The Companion Bible is published by Kregel Publishers and can be ordered from most bookstores.
The 37th Psalm is an "Acrostic" Psalm. An acrostic is where sets of letters taken in order form a word or a special sequence. For instance the word SUN is an acrostic found in the word reStaUraNt, or LOCUST is an acrostic found in the word hoLOCaUST.

In the 37th Psalm each of the 22 quatrains, i.e. sets of four lines, begin with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, except that the 4th, 11th, and 19th letters each have a triplet assigned to them, i.e. only three lines, instead of a quatrain.  These three triplet verses occur in perfect order within the 37th Psalm and when taken together, as a separate set, they form an acrostic.

This acrostic will reveal the second death, the ultimate fate of the wicked who sometimes seem have it made with lots of money, big mansions and fancy cars, beautiful babes, etc., all derived from wicked devices like those we just read of in Revelation, i.e. drug pushing, prostitution, extortion, theft and deceptive business practices such as fixed markets and underhanded commodities trading.

The other amazing discovery is that these three verses parallel precisely the three verses we just finished reading in Revelation 21. Here is the acrostic of the 37th Psalm.

Psalm 37:7
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Be patient, thirst for righteousness, and don't be envious of the wicked who seem to prosper. Here's why:
Psalm 37:20
But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
The wicked shall PERISH, not fry "unconsumed" in Dante's Inferno for ever and ever! You just read it, they shall CONSUME AWAY!  It will be like a dripping drop of fat that splatters onto the hot burning coals of fire and is vaporized into smoke! This is the second death and a great analogy of it! SEE it in your Mind's Eye!
Psalm 37:34
Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
So be patient and wait on the LORD and you shall be exalted, receive a crown and a throne, and INHERIT all that our Father has promised to those that keep His way and overcome. I know it boggles the minds of those who love our Father to think that anyone could choose not to follow Him. But the wicked shall not and as verse 34 says "they are cut off" (from all inheritance) and you shall witness their execution in the lake of fire and that will be the end of it!

They are all gone, so let's get on with eternity!

Rev. 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
Here comes one those angels from chapter 16 again. Do you think it was the same one who came and talked with John in verse 1 of chapter 17?  Perhaps, but it could just as well be one of the other six who gives this magnificent tour. And so the angel told John, who as far I know hasn't taken a lunch break yet, to come and he will show him the beautiful bride, the Lamb's wife.
[10] And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Next we will read about the beauty and splendor of this great city, the holy Jerusalem. And since Almighty God dwells there, guess what? We will be reading about HEAVEN! It's coming here!

We are now in the eternity. The Millennium is over. All that which offends has been consumed away for ever and ever in the lake of fire, to be remembered no more. And our Father has prepared a great and beautiful city which He now brings to earth and places squarely on the spot He picked out to be the headquarters of the universe for all eternity, Jerusalem (read Ezek. 16).

Earlier we saw John being carried away in the spirit by one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues to be given a grand tour of the Eternal City, New Jerusalem.

[10] And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Do you look forward to this great city? Our forefathers did! Yes, they were well aware of the Eternal City and the very vision of it increased their faith. Abraham looked forward to it:
Hebrews 11:10
For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
And not only Abraham, but Enoch and Noah and all the patriarchs desired that heavenly city.
Hebrews 11:16
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city.
And now we are privileged to be given a first hand description of some of the beauty and details of that great city. Of course its number one attribute is that our Father will be there.
Rev. 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
The glory of God is that beautiful multicolored sparkling rainbow, the "shekinah" glory, that surrounds our Father. Do you remember we read of that glory and the jasper, etc. in the 4th chapter when John described God's throne and He that sat on it?
Rev. 4:3
And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
And so it is written that our Father will be with the beautiful new city descending out of heaven.
Rev. 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
We are reading the actual description of the eternal city. Think about it! It is so easy for us to read parts of the Bible such as this as if it was story, and miss the reality of what is written. This is for real. It shall descend from heaven and contain twelve gates, one for each of the 12 Tribes of Israel. And the rest of the nations will be there also as we shall see in verse 24.
[13] On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
All that Revelation tells us is that there will be twelve gates, three on each of the four sides, and they will contain the names of the tribes of Israel. If we want more details all we have to do is read the rest of the Bible, it's all there. Ezekiel, for example, tells us whose name is on which gate:
Ezekiel 48:31-35
And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi. [32] And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan. [33] And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun. [34] At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.
And the name of the entire city for all of eternity is "The LORD is there", Yahveh Shamma.
[35] It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.
Let's continue with the description of the city.
Rev. 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
We just read of the 12 Patriarch's names being written on the twelve gates and now the 12 Apostle's names are written on the twelve foundations.

Note:  Do you remember in chapter 7 of Revelation that two of the tribes of Israel were left out of the sealing of the 144,000? Well, if you notice carefully in Ezekiel's description of the gates of the city that all 12 original tribes are represented, or shall we say restored. Does it not follow that the 12 Apostles written on the foundations will also be the original twelve, i.e. restored?  It is written that Judas repented for that which he had done and was then murdered by the kenites so that he wouldn't expose them. Jesus said that the Father gave all 12 disciples to Him, including the one who would fulfill the role of betraying Christ, just as it was written. One thing is for certain, however, and that is that we are not the judge.

Rev. 21:15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
This golden reed, like a plant stem or yardstick, is to measure length, height and width for dimensional purposes only.  It is not the same as the reed we read of in chapter 11 that was "like unto a rod", which means it was to measure for the purpose of destruction.
[16] And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
Amazing, isn't it? The city is foursquare and about 1500 miles wide and 1500 miles high. Of course if it were centered in Jerusalem, 750 miles west would be in the Mediterranean Sea, but you will recall in verse 1 of this chapter, there are no more seas at this time. The waters have returned to the canopy in the firmament above the earth.
[17] And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
A cubit is the length from the elbow to the tip of the fingers, usually of the ruler at that time of history. Since this is a perfect city, then the cubit that this angel used would be of He who is perfect and rules that great city, even Christ.
[18] And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
How else could John describe the materials of another dimension? Brilliant translucent stones and transparent glass-like gold really only give us a glimpse, for we see only darkly behind the veil.
[19] And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
[20] The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
These twelve stones are the same stones that the Levitical priests wore in their breastplates, each one representing one of the 12 Tribes of Israel.  We find them listed in Exodus 28:17-21 "And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. [18] And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. [19] And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. [20] And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings. [21] And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
Rev. 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
Ah, the famous Pearly Gates of Heaven (now on earth), mentioned thousands of times each day in jokes about people who have died and are waiting at the Pearly Gates where they are greeted by St. Peter. Hmmm... we read earlier whose names were on these gates and guess what? St. Peter's name wasn't there. Now that's funny!
[22] And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
We knew that. Christ said He was the temple:
John 2:19-21
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. [20] Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? [21] But he spake of the temple of his body.

Rev. 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

That is correct, Jesus Christ is the light of the world. And when the brilliant "shekinah glory" emanating from God bounces off the water canopy 1500 miles above the earth, the entire earth will be illuminated from within.

This thought always brings to mind the awesome experience of the "Aurora Borealis", the northern lights, also called the "northern dawn", which I was so privileged to witness some years ago while traveling north in Canada. As breathtakingly beautiful as they are, I can only imagine that they are but a dim view of the emanations of the "shekinah glory" to come.

[24] And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
Yes, there are the different "races" present in the eternity and this verse documents that fact. The Greek word translated "nations" used here is "ethnos", meaning the ethnic peoples of the world, who are all those races who are not of the 12 tribed House of Israel.

It is too bad that the Four Hidden Dynasties, especially those of both religion and education, have brought forth the humanist doctrine that there are no differences between the races. Of course there are and there always has been, and furthermore, there always will be even throughout eternity. But then of course the humanist also teaches that everyone is the end product of the evolution of organic slime. They are not too bright, are they?

However, if the truth of God's Word were taught, that we are all equally God's children, i.e. created by Him, and loved by Him, then the racial and cultural differences would be looked upon as gifts from God for the purposes of His plan for His children throughout all eternity. "Variety is the spice of life" we say, and yet God is declared a "racist" for instilling differences into His children.

So as it is written, the races shall be present throughout the eternity and praise God for that. Furthermore, they shall be blessed to have their own kings to represent them and to bring their glory and honor into the great eternal city. Those kings (and queens) are those of their race who have and even now love and follow Jesus Christ and His Word, and who for their faithful service to Him shall lead their people into the promised land for all eternity.

And so as it is written, all nations of them which are saved, shall walk in Christ, and share in the glory of that city to come, which is heaven on earth!

[25] And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
Not only shall the earth be illuminated 24 hours a day but the gates to the city will always be open to the nations of the earth to enter therein.
[26] And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
[27] And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
The "abomination of desolation" and the "father of lies" and all who followed in his path are no more!

And as it is written, the rest lived happily ever after!

What an incredible source of information this picture Book of Revelation has been to those of us who have willingly taken the time to SEE the PICTURES and then read the simple explanations of the symbols and imagery used by the Holy Spirit to teach us.

We have now come to the 22nd and final chapter of this remarkable book where we continue, since chapter 21, verse 9, to read about the glorious new Holy City of Jerusalem which our Father will bring down out of heaven to this earth, wherein He shall dwell with His children for ever and ever. And since the entire Godhead will now be present on earth, heaven will be here also.  So you see, the earth is our home for ever and ever, for Heaven and Earth shall be as one!

Let's continue now with the angel still giving John a grand tour of the City of God.

Rev. 22:1
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Remember, this is what it looked like to John. The only way he could describe that which emanated and proceeded forth out of the throne of God and of the Lamb was that it looked like a river of water of life, only it was pure and clear as crystal.

Note: It is highly recommended for those who would like more insight into the river of water of life, that they read "Jacob's Pillar", A Biblical Historical Study, by E. Raymond Capt, M.A., A.I.A., F.S.A., Scot., published by Artisan Sales, Thousand Oaks, CA.    www.artisanpublishers.com   This book traces the rich history of the Stone which Jacob anointed and set up as the House of God. It was this same Rock that was carried in the wilderness which Moses struck and the "river of water proceeded forth" to quench the thirst of the people. It was this same Rock that Jeremiah took along with the daughters of the last king of Judah, king Zedekiah, to the shores of Ireland whereupon the marriage of Eochaidh and Tamar Tephi, the King and Queen of Ireland, took place. It is this Rock upon which virtually every king and queen of Ireland, Scotland and England has been coronated. Yes, even King James who decreed the English translation of the Bible was coronated on this Rock and it has resided under the English coronation throne in Westminster Abby from the 1300's until just recently when John Majors, the former Prime Minister of England, had it moved to Edinburgh Castle in Scotland at the request of the Scots who claim to be its rightful owner.

Rev. 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
This is another PICTURE. Can you visualize it?  See a crystalline river proceeding forth from God's throne with the tree of life standing on each bank. And each month the tree brings forth fruit to be eaten and leaves to maintain the wellness of the nations.

Yes, I can SEE the PICTURE, but what does it mean?

Well, let's start with the "tree of life". If you have read all of God's Word then you encountered the "tree of life" in the very first book of the Bible, for He was in the midst of the garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:22
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
The tree of life, when its fruit is eaten, grants eternal life. The tree of life is symbolic of Jesus Christ. And He "feeds" His people. He always has and He always will, even throughout the eternity as we just read in Rev. 22:2. He is the "bread of life" just as He is the "tree of life".

And we read in the messages to the churches that all those who overcome will be given to partake of the tree of life which is where? In the midst of the paradise of God!

Rev. 2:7
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Well what is the fruit that the tree bares each month? I know, it's very hard to get apples and oranges out of our heads, isn't it? Well we just read of the Holy Spirit proceeding forth from the throne of God as a river of the water of life! What are some of the fruits of the spirit?
Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
There are other fruits of the spirit. Do a word search and seek, and ye shall find.

Well, how about the leaves? Are people going to get sick and need medicine? Imagine after all the times we've discussed the incorruptible body, the spiritual body, which never hurts or pains, that we can come right back with a question like that?

The Greek word for "healing" is "therapeia" from which we get our word "therapy". Therapy is when you "do something" in order to maintain or improve a condition. The leaves therefore will be therapeutic for the nations, for they will bring forth exciting things for the nations to do throughout eternity and throughout this expansive universe that will "treat" their mental well-being, i.e. keep them from ever becoming idle minded or devoid of interest. Yes, it's in the leaves. How sweet it is.

Rev. 22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
Again, every cursed thing and all that offends have been completely consumed in the lake of fire. They are GONE, i.e. there shall be no more accursed thing!
[4] And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.
When the bride gets married her last name changes to her husband's name.
[5] And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

[6] And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

So the grand tour and the true and faithful sayings weren't just for John, but for all the servants of the Lord God. And thank God, now we know. Imagine if we had listened to those who call themselves ministers of God and yet tell their people not to read the Book of Revelation. We would have been robbed!
Rev. 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
And the very last words that John hears before he returns to his lot on the isle of Patmos are from the Lamb of God Himself. It is he or she that keeps and does the sayings of the prophecy of this book that shall be blessed! No other therapy will work!

Next we will see John come back from the future to his time and return to planet earth from heaven. We will then conclude the incredible edible Book of Revelation. John has just return to the Isle of Patmos and the realization of what has just happened suddenly overcomes him.

Rev. 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
We can only imagine the overwhelming impact it must have had on John when the reality of being taken to heaven, to the very throne of God, and witnessing the awesome events described in this book, finally "hit home". And so he fell down to worship before the feet of the angel. That's a "no no", and I'm sure but for the emotion of the moment that he knew better. "Welcome back to the flesh and humanity", John!  However, we will learn and even gain a "revelation" from John's mistake as our Father once again turns a lemon into lemonade.
[9] Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
This is a very revealing verse. The angel makes it perfectly clear that he is "one of us" who has lived in the flesh, from among our brethren the prophets. He is a fellowservant and he lets us know that he is living testimony to keeping the sayings of this book, to being a "doer" of what Christ just said in verse 7, "...blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."

However, the main point being emphasized by the angel is this: We are never to worship angels! And now that you know who they are, the angel is saying "We are never to worship each other", whether we are in our flesh bodies or whether we are in our spiritual bodies, i.e. angels. Worship only God.

[10] And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
Now wouldn't it be a "hoot", that's a slang expression used instead of dichotomous, if God had sealed the sayings of this book and then started it with verse one which reads: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John: (Rev. 1:1)."

Of course if you listen to what many preachers and ministers tell their people, who blindly trust in them to show them the truth of God's Word, saying that they don't need to understand the Book of Revelation, then this is how they present Rev. 1:1 "The Secret and Sealed Sayings of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to hide from His servants things which must shortly come to pass;". A sealed revelation? I think not!

But as it is written, the "learned", the PhD's, the seminary graduates, the professors of theologies and philosophies, who should teach our people the visions and the words of the prophecies of this book do not understand it, and we shall learn why from great prophet Isaiah!

Isaiah 29:11
And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
Ah, but the book is not sealed as we just learned, albeit they cannot understand it.
[12] And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
And so feeling unsatisfied from the "spin" of the so-called "learned", one asks their fellow church member, who says "You'll have to ask one of the "learned" men. I'm not a Rev."

Now here's the reason they cannot SEE and cannot HEAR the words of the prophecies of this book.

[13] Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
Yes, they go to church and they have a zeal for God, but they are never truly taught the depth of the love and the emotions and the rewards and the glory of our Father, which teaching causes the heart of the soul to draw ever so close to Him that He can draw ever so close to them. Why do they not know Him and why will He say "I never knew you" (Mat. 7:23)?

The answer is given in the last phrase of verse 13. For all they are taught about Him is taught BY THE PRECEPT OF MEN, the traditions of men. They are not taught line by line and chapter by chapter the wonderful words and the wonderful works of God.

And so contrary to the traditions of men, the Book of Revelation is OPEN and UNSEALED for all who will seek Him. And so we are all without excuse. And so will "action" be taken, or will the "status quo" remain just that?

Rev. 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
Yes, the sayings of the prophecy of this book are UNSEALED, available for ALL to understand, and so your time and my time is at hand. And since we must all give account for our own actions, what you do about what is written is completely up to you. If you want to remain unjust, have at it! If you want to remain spiritually filthy, go for it. Just remember that our Father has given all of us a choice and He so desires that we choose to love Him. The following verse from Deuteronomy says it all:
Deut. 30:19
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Therefore know this: Jesus Christ is returning soon and everyone will get what they deserve and be rewarded according to that which they have earned, i.e. according to their works. (No, we're not talking about salvation which is a free gift from God. But if a person wants some rewards they better have some righteous works.) Here are Christ's own words which we remember from verse 6 are "true and faithful", which means there's no doubt whatsoever that they are going to come to pass.
Rev. 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
[13] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
"I am Alpha and Omega". We read these very words in the 8th verse of the beginning chapter of this book. Now with only 8 verses to go we read them again. And in between them we have been given the special and honored privilege of SEEING behind the veil the "things which must shortly come to pass" as revealed by Jesus Christ Himself. But even so we are now reminded in this verse that He is still the same as from the beginning and that His message is still the same and knowledge alone isn't enough. We must take action and be "doers", not just hearers. How fitting the next verse spoken by He who the apostle Paul tells us in Hebrews 13:8 never changes: "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever", the Alpha and Omega.
[14] Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Blessed means happy beyond measure. Such are "they that do His commandments", for they have the right to the tree of life and may enter in through the pearly gates into that glorious and holy city which is so breathtakingly beautiful that words cannot describe it. But what about those who choose Plan B?
[15] For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Dogs means "idolaters", lovers everything else except the true God, and sorcerers are "drug" pushers, dealers and users. Remember, we are back in 96 A.D., not in the eternity where the fate of those listed in verse 15 will have been fulfilled. Do you remember from chapter 21 verse 8 what their fate is?
Rev. 21:8
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Knowing this, you would think that the choice of Deut. 30:19 would not be a tough one, wouldn't you! Let's see:
Deut. 30:19. Choose one of the following:

        Plan A:  Life and Blessings

        Plan B:  Death and Cursings

Jesus has a few more final words for us.
Rev. 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
So has your church brought forth the testimony of the Revelation that Jesus Christ specifically sent to them? Or are they teaching you that you will fly away when these events occur? Or are they busy teaching you how to be a good Christian by giving to this charity and that missionary?

And speaking about the churches, Jesus reminds us that He is the One who holds the Key of David that the Church of Philadelphia uses to unlock and bring forth the testimony of which He just spoke. Remember, there are only two out the seven churches that Jesus found no fault with, Smyrna and Philadelphia. The are rest are busy with their traditions!

And remember He also said while addressing those churches that He has something special for those who overcome: Rev. 2:28 "And I will give him the morning star." Jesus is that bright and morning star.

Or, you can choose to follow Plan B and fall with the anti-star, the son of the morning.  Isaiah 14:12 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!.."

Rev. 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
And so the Holy Spirit and the bride say "Come", which is "take action". And if you have "ears to hear" then you are also to say "Come", take action. And if you thirst for the hearing of the Word of God during this time of the great famine (Amos 8:11), then come and hear what saith the Spirit and the bride and those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. And anyone who is willing, anyone at all, of any race, of any gender, of any sect or creed, may take freely of the water of life. The choice is yours. There is neither fee nor tax.

Christ continues in summation:

[18] For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Go ahead, teach "Rapture" fly away doctrines and traditions of men that are not to be found in the Word of God. You'll be sure to get your reward. Jesus promised!
[19] And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Go ahead, tell people that they don't need to read the Book of Revelation or that it's just a matter of interpretation, so why bother! You'll be sure to get your reward. Jesus promised!

Now for the Revelation of the 7th and final solemn warning by our Lord and Savior that He shall return:

[20] He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Even so Lord Jesus, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth."
[21] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.

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