The death and resurrection of Christ, together with the preaching of God's eternal plan, is the occasion of the warfare in heaven pictured in chapter 12. Satan is defeated and cast down to earth by the blood of the Lamb and the word of the testimony of the brethren.
Now the Dragon's attention is turned to the woman with the crown of twelve stars. However, she escapes by the help of God to a place in the wilderness where she is nurtured from the presence of the Dragon for 1260 days (three and a half years). During this time the woman (God's people, the church) is safe from destruction.
Since the Dragon failed to destroy Christ, and the church is out of His reach, he turns his attention to the individual Christians, the children of the woman, who bear testimony to Christ.
Act 2: THE CONFLICT ON EARTH (Rev. 13:1 - 14:5)
The Beast, the Persecutor. In Act 2 the resulting conflict is seen on earth. Satan calls forth an agent from the sea, persecution, personified as the Beast with seven heads and ten horns. This conflict is for the same period that the woman is in the wilderness. It is expressed this time as 42 months, during which the Beast is given the task of making war on the saints. Although the church is out of his reach, Satan can still persecute and kill individual Christians.
The False Prophet, the Deceiver. A second agent of Satan is called forth from the earth, the personification of deceit and false teaching. He is pictured as a beast with two horns and is later called the False Prophet. His task is to deceive the nations. He is given the authority of the first Beast which he exercises in the presence of the Beast, directing the operations of the Beast. The False Prophet is embodied in the false religions which are established through his false teachings. He, through them, deceives the nations so that they worship the Beast and make war on the saints. The 7-headed Beast is embodied in governments that serve Satan in persecuting the saints.
The Victory of the Saints. The victory of the saints is seen in Rev. 14:1-5 as they stand on Mt. Zion before the throne of God with the Lamb. There they praise God and sing a song of exultation.
Act 3: SCENES OF GOD'S WRATH (14:6 - 16:21)
Judgment Announced (14:6-13). Three angels fly through the heaven announcing the time of God's final judgment, the day of wrath. The first is a general announcement, the second announces the destruction of Babylon the Harlot, and the third announces God's wrath on those who worship the Beast.
Reaping the Harvests (14:14-20). Judgment is presented as the reaping of two harvests-the harvest of the grain (righteous) and the harvest of the grapes (wicked). Christ himself harvests the grain when an angel from the temple announces the time. An angel reaps the grapes and throws them into the winepress of God's wrath at the instruction of an angel from the altar. There they are trodden and a great amount of blood comes out of the wine press.
Seven Bowls of Wrath (15 - 16). In another group of symbols God's judgment is pictured in terms of plagues poured out upon mankind. Four bowls of wrath are poured out on earth, the sea, the fresh water sources, and the sun. Unlike the trumpet judgments, the bowls bring total destruction to man's habitat. The symbolism is drawn from the plagues of Egypt, as were the seven trumpet judgments.
The dust of the earth produces boils or sores upon men, the sea and fresh water sources are turned to blood. Every living thing in and on the sea dies, and men have nothing to drink but blood. The sun becomes so hot it scorches men. The fifth bowl produces great pain and men curse God because of the sores and pain. When the sixth bowl is poured out the Dragon, Beast, and False Prophet gather the nations at Armageddon in preparation for the final battle. The end comes with the outpouring of the last bowl. "It is done." What we see in the first six bowls is a symbolic picture of events immediately preceding the final judgment.
Act 4: BABYLON THE HARLOT (17:1 - 19:10)
Babylon and the Beast Explained (17). Act 4 focuses upon the judgment of Babylon the Harlot. She is referred to for the first time in the announcement of her fall in chapter 14. Her destruction is announced again at the end of chapter 16 in preparation for the description of her judgment. Chapter 17 takes time out to explain both the Harlot and the Beast. The Harlot is a third agent of Satan, the counterpart of the woman with the crown of 12 stars in chapter 12.
There are two realms or systems represented by these two women. The woman with the crown of stars is the body of Christ consisting of the saints of God. She is also represented as the holy city New Jerusalem and the pure bride of Christ. The Harlot, robed in purple and Scarlet is the world system, and incorporates the people of the world. She is called Sodom and Egypt in chapter 11. Here she is called Babylon, and is portrayed as the ruling city, Rome, in the days of John. She is the farthest thing from a pure virgin for she is a harlot, and her purpose is to entice the nations and peoples of the world into indulging the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. Worldliness and materialism are her stock in trade.
She sits astride the heads of the beast, indicating that she exercises a controlling influence over the governments. She holds out her cup of abominations to them. She also sits on the many waters, indicating her influence on the peoples and nations of the world.
Destruction of Babylon the Harlot. In Rev. 18 her destruction is announced again, and the chapter proceeds to describe her judgment in symbols drawn from the Old Testament prophets. In the first part of Rev. 19 the rejoicing of the saints over her destruction ends with the celebration of the marriage of the Lamb to His bride, the saints of God. His bride is clothed in fine linen pure and white, representing the righteous deeds of the saints. The contrast to the Harlot is striking. She who is impure represents the allurements of the world, is made up of "those who dwell on earth," and is destined for utter destruction-to be burned with fire. She who is pure represents all that is righteous, is composed of the people of God and is destined to be joined with Christ, to live with Him through eternity.
Act 5: DESTRUCTION OF THE BEAST AND FALSE PROPHET (19:11-21)
The Triumvirate. The three weapons that Satan uses to subvert the souls of men are the allurements of the world (the Harlot), the deceit of false religions, philosophies, and science (the False Prophet), and the coercion of persecution, torture, and death (the Beast). We have just seen the destruction of the Harlot. Now in Act 5 we see the destruction of the Beast and False Prophet.
The Second Coming. Christ comes from heaven with His holy angels, all riding on white horses. This is the second coming.
The Destruction of the Beast and False Prophet. The Beast and False Prophet have gathered the nations for the final battle. The Beast and the False Prophet are taken and thrown into the lake of fire (hell).
All Who Are Of the World Are Slain. The people of the nations who are gathered against Christ are killed with the sword (word of God) from the mouth of Christ, and the birds feast upon the dead bodies. Once more we come to the end. The details of the resurrection and final judgment are seen in Rev. 20:11-15.
Act 6: THE MILLENNIUM AND DESTRUCTION OF SATAN (Rev. 20)
The 1000 Year Reign (20:1-6). Time out is taken from the pictures of judgment to go back 1000 years and give some details of the victory of the saints on earth. There has been a previous reference to this reign in 11:11-17. The time of the reign of the saints on earth is given as 1000 years. Before that can take place Satan must be banished from the earth so that he can no longer deceive the nations and rouse them to make war on the saints. He is chained and cast into the lowest region of Hades, called the bottomless pit, or the abyss, for 1000 years. The persecuted church, formerly seen as the souls of the witnesses under the altar, is now seen as souls raised to thrones. Judgment is given on their behalf, and they who have lived with Christ through times of tribulation now reign with Him for 1000 years. Satan is released from his prison only after the 1000 years is completed.
The Judgment of the Dragon (Satan) (20:7-10). Now we return to the scenes of Judgment. This time it is pictured as the judgment of Satan himself. Satan, released from the abyss, deceives the nations again (the work of the False Prophet), and enlists them to make war on the saints (the work of the Beast). We see another picture of the gathering of the nations for the final battle. Once more we see an immediate defeat of the forces of evil. Fire comes down from heaven and destroys the nations arrayed against the saints. Satan is taken and cast into the lake of fire (hell), just as the Beast and False Prophet had been in the previous scene of judgment. The two scenes of 19:19-21 and 20:7-10 are not separate judgments, but two pictures of the same judgment, one from the perspective of the Beast and False Prophet, and one from the perspective of the Dragon.
The Wicked Dead. In both judgment scenes all those who are on Satan's side as part of the world system are killed. This is one of the ways that we know that they are two pictures of the same judgment scene. In Rev. 19:11-21 they are killed by the sword (word of God) proceeding from Christ's mouth. In Rev. 20:7-10 they are killed by fire from heaven. These are two different ways of picturing the same judgment. While those in the camp of the saints are still alive, all the wicked have been killed and are awaiting the resurrection.
The Final Judgment (20:11-15). The judgments we have seen thus far have all been about the destruction of the spiritual forces of Satan, and of Satan himself. They all come immediately before the resurrection of the dead and the great white throne judgment. The lake of fire is prepared for the Devil and his angels. They are the first ones to occupy it. Now there is a general resurrection of all the dead, including those most recently killed by the word of Christ, the fire from heaven. All men stand before the throne to be judged out of the books according to their deeds. The living in Christ have no advantage over the dead in Christ according to 1 Thess. 4:15-17. First the dead in Christ are raised incorruptible, and then those who are still living are changed to be like them.
All whose names are not recorded in the Book of Life are thrown into the lake of fire where Satan has already been thrown. Death and Hades are also said to be thrown into the lake of fire where the Beast and False Prophet have already been thrown. These four are personifications, so they cannot literally be thrown into the fire. This is a figurative way of saying that Death, Hades, Persecution, and Deceit are utterly destroyed and will afflict the saints no longer. There is no release from the lake of fire. It is called the second death, and is said to be an eternal punishment (Matt. 25:41, 46). The righteous will live eternally with God and the Lamb in the new heaven and earth.
Act 7: THE ETERNAL CITY OF GOD (21:1 - 22:5)
The New Heaven and Earth. The redeemed saints (the bride of Christ) are pictured as a beautiful city, New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven to the new heaven and earth. The first heaven and earth have passed away. They fled away before the face of the one on the judgment throne, and no more place was found for them. According to 2 Pet. 3:10-13, they are dissolved in fervent heat. The place Jesus has gone to prepare for us is a new heaven and earth wherein dwells righteousness.
God Dwells with Men. God has brought His own throne to the new earth in order to make His dwelling with the redeemed saints in the new heaven and earth. There is one eternal day there. We will drink of the river of the water of life, and eat of the fruit of the tree of life, and live forever in eternal bliss, with no more pain, sorrow, crying, or death. (Pages 19-25)
