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| Photo of Jon Tracy, by Jim Tracy |
1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, “Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God:”
After Jerusalem is destroyed, after all the merchants of the earth mourn for her, God is praised.
2 “For true and righteous are His judgments: for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand.”
God is not a pacifist. He brought vengeance on those who murdered His saints.
Israel committed whordom; spiritual adultery. God has fulfilled the judgment He pronounced on adulterers in the Mosaic Law- execution.
3 And again they said, “Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.”
The destruction of Jerusalem in AD70 is one of the most horrific events in all of history.
4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshiped God that sat on the throne, saying, “Amen; Alleluia.”
Remember the twenty-four elders were the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles; in other words, the totality of the Church of God throughout history. The four beasts were the ministers in His church.
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great.”
This is the dispensation we live under today, the dispensation of praising God.
The Church’s job is to praise God.
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”
Many waters represent great numbers of people, especially from gentile nations. Multitudes have praised our God throughout the last 2000 years.
7 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.”
The divorce is final. The adulteress has been executed. Now Christ has “remarried.” His bride, the New Testament Church, has come eagerly to the altar and is ready to be married.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
All who choose to become a part of the Church are given the clothes of righteousness. Our sin-stained garments are removed, we are bathed in the Blood of the Lamb, and we are presented to Christ as new creatures.
9 And He saith unto me, “Write, ‘Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And He saith unto me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
God calls all who choose Him to the marriage supper. We are enjoying this “Supper of Fellowship” with Him right now. No matter what is happening in the world around us, we have the joy of this feast in our hearts.
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, “See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
John began to worship the angel bringing this message. The angel clarifies that he is not God, but just a messenger like John. We are only to worship God, not “saints” or angels.
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon Him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth (present tense, not future) judge and make war.
White horses were generally reserved for royalty in Europe. They were a symbol of authority.
Jesus, the faithful and true, is the King of kings. He has dictated the Bible to His people throughout the ages;
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:21
The Bible, including this prophecy, being the Word of God, is faithful and true. This Word judges the world and makes war on evil.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.
God sees into our hearts and burns away the dross (unnecessary stuff). He is the ruler of all governments and authorities, whether they acknowledge Him or not. He has authority over all nations to decide, to judge, right and wrong. He has had those standards written in His Word and worked miracles to preserve them.
13 And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.
The Bible is covered in the Blood of Christ. The whole purpose for the Word of God is to show us the way to Jesus Christ.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
All who are truly servants of God follow His Word, and can do so with authority.
15 And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Hebrews 4:12 says “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
God's Word, The Bible, judges the hearts, and divides the saved from the lost. The Laws God has put in place to rule the universe will destroy any nation, any people, any individual who doesn’t follow them. You can’t violate the principles in God's Word, either on a personal or national level without consequences.
God is no longer ruling through one nation. He is applying all His principles to all nations equally. Follow His Word, His way of doing things and be blessed. Ignore Him and be destroyed
A rod of iron is inflexible, unchangeable. God’s Word never changes.
16 And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, “King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.”
Just as ball players have the name of the organization they identify with written on their clothes (i.e. Dodgers, Rams, Kings, The Mighty Ducks [who in the world ever thought that was a good name for a sports team?!]), the one ridding the white horse has the name of God written on his clothes. When the Bible is studied honestly, there is no doubt it comes straight from God Himself.
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and He cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 “That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.”
God is not a respecter of persons. He applies His laws to every one on every level of society. Those who violate His Laws are punished no matter how rich or poor.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army.
Rome and all subsequent human governments have fought against the will of God. They have all tried to make their own rules and have all become tyrants. They have all in one way or another fought the army of God. Rome was especially bad at defying God and murdering anyone who loved Him.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which He deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped His image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
The beast was Rome, the prophet Israel. They are symbolic of all who fight against God. All who join them will be punished.
Both Israel and Rome were literally destroyed. Israel in AD70, Rome began her decline in the second century being really destroyed by the 4th.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
The Word of God destroys any excuses to not obey Him. All who are destroyed will not receive the honor of burial but will be consumed like road kill is by crows. This is about the most horrifying, shameful end that could be portrayed. This is the regime we are now under; rule by God over all nations, eventual destruction to all who are disobedient.