New Testament Bible Study by John Stanko

Revelation 22

Dear Student of the Word,

Well, here it is. This is not only my last entry for our Revelation study, this is the last post on this Bible study site. I began writing these New Testament studies in 2001, beginning with four verses a day every day of the week. Now 17 years later, I have written, edited, and uploaded every study, which covers every verse in the entire New Testament, on the site where this entry is located (there are 7,957 verses in the New Testament in case you were wondering).

This week, we reach the end of Revelation, in which we see the river coming from God's throne and Jesus' promise to John that He was coming "soon." Here are my comments on two "soon" verses as to what "soon" means in the context of Revelation (you can download the entire study of Revelation 22 below):

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⁷“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”

22:7 – The book of Revelation is a prophecy. This doesn’t mean it’s a mystical, secrets-only-known-to-a-few book that is difficult to grasp (although it is harder than most). A prophecy is a message from God, and God wants that message to be understood. Anything the meaning of which is only available to a select few isn’t a message from God.

What does it mean that the Lord is coming soon? Here are some of my thoughts:

1. He is literally coming soon. Revelation was written 2,000 years ago and He still hasn’t returned, so that interpretation is out.

2. The presence of the Spirit makes the return of the Lord feel like it will be soon. Almost every generation has felt that the Lord would return in their lifetime, this one included. When the Spirit comes into your life and lives in you, you feel the closeness of Jesus and His Word. It feels like He is coming soon.

3. You will soon die. No one is getting out of here alive should the Lord tarry. Thus, your end will be soon and you should live with an expectation that the Lord is coming for you soon and that His return may come at any time. Thus, your urgency to live a godly life and bear fruit is reinforced by those two facts of life.

4. We don’t understand exactly how to interpret the phrase, “the return of the Lord is soon.” Earlier in Revelation, John wrote: "Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you” (Revelation 3:3).

Could the return of the Lord be our death or some other visitation where the Lord works to set things straight? The return of the Lord in my life is “soon.” I am 68 years old and things are happening quickly as my life finishes. What I have been waiting for the Lord to do seems to be taking place at a faster pace. Is this what He meant by His returning in my life “soon”?

Please do not misunderstand me. I believe in the Second Coming of Christ. That is a tenet of the faith that no one can deny. My point is that those who continue to guess or predict when that Second Coming will be have been incorrect, and they will continue to be incorrect. Revelation is not a book to help a select few gain insight to share with others about God’s plans for the end times.

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¹²“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done."

22:12 – Soon doesn’t mean in 2,000 years. Soon means the time is at hand. This was Jesus talking, perhaps through the mouth of the messenger angel. After all, this was not the message of the angel; it was the message of Jesus. Either Jesus will intervene soon or you will die soon. Either way, you win because of what Jesus has done in your life. And you will receive your reward from Jesus, as everyone will. So be encouraged, for God is watching and mindful your situation. If it is a difficult one and doesn’t seem to be changing, be encouraged. God is in control and it will change soon.

What’s more, Jesus may return tomorrow. You must be ready and found doing His will when He does come. Live in the reality that He is coming soon:

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him" (Matthew 24:42-44).

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the daily devotional entitled Your Life Matters: Daily Reflections from the Book of Psalms. Thank you and soon I will begin sending you my edited studies from James' epistle. After that, we will only have the book of Revelation to complete before the entire New Testament is on the site where this study is posted.

Download Rev 2-23

Revelation 21

Dear Student of the Word,

I just got back from Israel with a side trip to Rome and had a great visit. Along the way, I had a few opportunities to talk about Revelation and how it related to Jesus' life and ministry. As I wrap up this study (we finish next week), I have an idea for another book - this one called from To Rome: From Galilee through Jerusalem.  Before I get into the them of that book, however, let's finish up our study of Revelation 21. This chapter introduces the picture of a new Jerusalem coming down from heaven, which I maintain is not a picture of heaven, but rather the church on earth (you can read more about that if you download the document attached below). I also addressed two interesting verses in this chapter, 21:8 and 21:9. Here is what I wrote:

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⁸But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

21:8 – I can understand that the idolaters and murderers will be in the lake of fire, but what are the cowards doing there? What are the unbelievers doing there? I don’t consider cowardice and unbelief as sins worthy of hell or in the same “league” as adultery and theft, but there they are. Maybe the fearful would have sinned, but their fear was their motivation instead of their love for God. Also, fear is the opposite of faith, for it causes the potential believer to shrink back from action and without faith it is impossible to please God.

Where is fear crippling your life and your walk with the Lord? Perhaps fear has more serious implications than you have thought and needs to be treated like you would address more serious sins, like stealing and lying? You need to ask yourself today and every day: “What could I do if I was not afraid of . . .” and then finish the sentence? Then address where unbelief is causing you to displease God and address it for what it is: a serious sin.

The second death is the final judgment when all are assigned their eternal destination, either heaven or hell. I am glad that heaven is my destination, but I’m also glad I don’t have to wait until I get to heaven before I can enjoy God’s blessings. That is another message of Revelation: No matter how bad things are now, we can live in the kingdom of God right her and now. Praise the Lord!

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⁹One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 

21:9 – In this verse, we have another visit from the angel who carried one of the plague-filled bowls. These angels obviously did “double duty.” This particular angel carried one of the plagues to earth, but he also brought a revelation or message to John. He offered to take John to see the bride of Christ, the Church. 

The angel told John to “come.” That tells me that you have a role to play in anything that God wants to show you. You must come to the place where He wants to reveal Himself and His will. That may even be a specific place or geographic location. When I first wrote the commentary on this verse, I was in Asia. That was where God wanted me at the time. For me to learn what God had for me then, I had to be in Asia and not remain in my home town.  That is my role in hearing from God: positioning myself where He wants me to be. Where does God want you to be?

This also tells us that we cannot see the Church with its glory and majesty unless God shows it to us. Are you discouraged about the state of the Church and all its human imperfections? Then allow God to show you His Church from His perspective, with all its glory and beauty. 

Church leaders and members have offended and hurt many people throughout history, and do so even today. I too have been hurt, and I have also hurt others.  Yet I am not walking away from the Church, nor am I discouraged about her. The Church is the apple of God’s eye and the bride of Christ. I must serve what He loves and be where He is. That is in the Church, more specifically a local church.

The church is the bride of Christ. If you said to a man, “I like you, but I hate your wife. I would still like to be friends.” That would be difficult for the husband. When people say I love Jesus, but I don’t like His church, they have a problem that they must resolve.

Are you a member of a church? Are you holding back? Have you been hurt and withdrawn your gifts and time from God’s bride? I urge you to get healing for your wounds and then get back into the Church, into a local church, where you belong:

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:23-25).

When Jesus was raised from the dead, He met the women who were coming to the tomb. What did He tell them?

Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." (Matthew 28:7-10)

Jesus had all the disciples assembled there in Jerusalem where He appeared to the women. Yet He told them to instruct the disciples to meet Him in Galilee, some distance north of Jerusalem. God determines where and how we will encounter Him. It is by His grace that He reveals Himself, but He also reveals Himself as part of His Lordship. His revelation is based on His terms, not ours.

Is God telling you to “come” or “go” somewhere and to do it “quickly”? He may want to show you something that He will not show you if you stay where you are. It is not a matter of convenience; it is a matter of obedience. I had a professor say once, “When God wants to say something to you, He often takes you on a trip.”

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the daily devotional entitled Your Life Matters: Daily Reflections from the Book of Psalms. Thank you and soon I will begin sending you my edited studies from James' epistle. After that, we will only have the book of Revelation to complete before the entire New Testament is on the site where this study is posted.

Download Rev 2-22

Revelation 20

Dear Student of the Word,

Greetings from Jerusalem! I have one more day to tour here and then I will move on to Rome. We have had many discussions about the book of Revelation here and I am happy I found time to edit this next installment of my study, with only two more to go after this and I am done. This week we look at the chapter that contains the reference to the thousand-year rule of Christ. This is what I wrote about what has come to be known as the Millenium (the entire study is available to download below):

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⁶Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

20:6 – Are you blessed to be part of the first resurrection? I know I am and I hope you are, too. I can face the ultimate judgment of Christ, the second death, because I have experienced the born-again phenomenon. I was dead, but now I live. I am a priest of Christ and I am reigning with Him now, with the best yet to come:

As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall."

They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:4-10).

Will there be a literal 1,000-year reign on the earth? Perhaps, but that is not important. What is important is that you, like your brothers and sisters who first received Revelation, will rule now regardless of the circumstances in which you find yourself. You are a priest now. You rule with Christ now. You are enjoying resurrection life now.  Should the Lord tarry, I know I will die, but that death cannot affect me. I am alive in Christ forevermore!

I had another seminary professor who said that eternal life is a quality of life so good and pure that nothing can end it, not even death. On that basis, we have entered into eternal life now. I refuse to spend one minute in foolish, useless speculation concerning obscure passages or concepts. If the Lord wanted me to know more about the millennium, He would have made it clear. He did not so I choose to focus on the many, many things He did make clear. It is a much better and wiser investment of my life, time, and ministry.

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the daily devotional entitled Your Life Matters: Daily Reflections from the Book of Psalms. Thank you and soon I will begin sending you my edited studies from James' epistle. After that, we will only have the book of Revelation to complete before the entire New Testament is on the site where this study is posted.

Download Rev 2-21

Revelaton 19

Dear Student of the Word,

Right now, I am at 39,000 feet on a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt where I will transfer to a flight to Tel Aviv where I will be till May 4. Then I will stop in Rome for four days before I return home. What a great time to send you the next installment in our Revelation study! Revelation 19 paints a picture of heaven where Jesus is exalted and active, interceding and waging war. I explain more about Jesus' heavenly activity in the study you can download below, but here is an excerpt of what I wrote about Revelation 19:8 (after this, there are only three more chapters and we will be finished):

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⁸Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

19:8 – The Church and her members can prepare by wearing the fine linen that the Lord provides:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Notice that Revelation clearly defines what the linen garments are that the saints are given to wear; they are the good deeds or righteous acts of the saints. The point is that when Revelation wants to identify something that is symbolic, it does so. Therefore, we should be careful not to impose a meaning on any symbol that is not expressly explained in Revelation or in some other book of the Bible.

Salvation is a gift of God, given to all those who believe in Him and trust in His name.  Once saved, He expects us to do good works, but He provides the good works for us to do. He provides the garments, so to speak, but expects us to put them on. What are the good works that He has prepared for you to do? Are you doing them?

You do not have to work to find the “works” to perform (He will show them to you), but you must work to accomplish and complete the “works” He gives you. Paul described some of these good works toward widows when he wrote:

No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds (1 Timothy 5:9-10).

These good works are practical and directed toward relieving the suffering or lack that others are experiencing. You are to be mindful that God will present these opportunities to you. A study of Revelation should not involve spending time trying to understand who the antichrist is. A study of the Bible should lead you to perform good works. These works do not earn your salvation, they prove the validity of your salvation.

The rich are especially commanded to do “good deeds.”

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share (1 Timothy 6:17-18).

At times, the more Bible someone knows, the more rigid and legalistic that person can be. Knowledge of the Bible does not qualify us to be God’s watchdog but should prepare us for love and good works. Does the Bible make you a better Christian in deeds or just a more knowledgeable Christian?

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Can you find any other references or examples of good works in the Bible?  What are they? Are you doing good works? Are you dressing yourself as a bride for her husband? You need to be aware that God is bringing these good works to you. He has prepared them beforehand for you to accomplish. You need to be watching for them and then be ready to do something about them.

We of all people should be generous and gracious, for we know that God is in control.  We worship Him, acknowledging what He has done for us, when we do the things He sets before us to do.  See how practical Revelation is. It doesn’t only provide us with knowledge of who God is and what He is doing. It describes for us a life we now live that is to be both practical and sane. 

Dear reader, I pray that you will clothe yourself in the good deeds that God has prepared for you. This commentary is not intended to make you more intelligent, but to make you more like Him. It is also not geared to study the antichrist, but the Christ. The knowledge of Jesus should make you a better spouse, obedient child, efficient worker and cooperative church member. Be careful not to make Revelation a book of bizarre interpretations, but of godly knowledge that leads to righteous deeds!

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the daily devotional entitled Your Life Matters: Daily Reflections from the Book of Psalms. Thank you and soon I will begin sending you my edited studies from James' epistle. After that, we will only have the book of Revelation to complete before the entire New Testament is on the site where this study is posted.

Download Rev 2-20

Revelation 18

Dear Student of the Word,

Our countdown until we finish Revelation continues as we look at chapter 18 this week. This chapter focuses on the concept of Babylon and its destruction as a harbinger of things to come for any world system that attempts to exalt itself against God. Here is what I wrote about Revelation 19:9&10, with the entire study of chapter 18 available to download below:

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⁹“When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. ¹⁰Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: “‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!'"

18:9&10 – Let’s do a quick review. Revelation was addressed to churches living under the rule of the Roman Empire. This Empire was increasingly hostile to Christians and had a history of persecution, oppression, and violence. I have stated repeatedly that Revelation was written first to comfort them in their distress and second to any others in history who would face the same dilemma.

At the time of Revelation, Babylon did not exist as a city. The name Babylon was used as a symbol of an idolatrous, polytheistic society. Babylon in its prime under Nebuchadnezzar in the sixth century B.C. was a magnificent city. The walls were so wide that a chariot with six horses across could ride on them! The Hanging Gardens, one of the ancient wonders of the world, have yet to be replicated, and it is not even known how they were constructed. Babylon was a tremendous city, yet it was one polluted with idols and false gods.

Babylon, with all its splendor, existed for only two generations. Quick was its rise and quick was its fall, as described by the declaration that it had collapsed in an hour. That is the message to the reader of Revelation. We are not to be fooled by the magnificence or power of any society, for it is only temporary. The kingdom of God is advancing and it will absorb or overcome all opponents as Daniel clearly saw in his vision of the nine-foot statue in Daniel 3.

Once again, we see an Old Testament concept or history lesson repeated in the book of Revelation to show that there is “nothing new under the sun.” What God did in the Old Testament, He continues to do in the New, thwarting His enemies and protecting His people. Revelation takes us back into the Old Testament much more often than it attempts to predict the future; many modern commentators do not pay attention to that tendency and thus try to make the book a treasure trove of futuristic predictions, which Revelation was never intended to be.

This discussion of the city of Babylon precludes the description of the heavenly Jerusalem in the last few chapters of Revelation. It seems that God builds cities and Satan, who can only imitate God, tries to do the same thing. Abraham was looking for God’s city, as described in Hebrews 11:8-10:

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the daily devotional entitled Your Life Matters: Daily Reflections from the Book of Psalms. Thank you and soon I will begin sending you my edited studies from James' epistle. After that, we will only have the book of Revelation to complete before the entire New Testament is on the site where this study is posted.

Download Rev 2-19

Revelation 17

Dear Student of the Word,

After this post, we will have only six chapters left to cover and then I will be ready to publish. At that time, I will also be done with this blog site, having included a verse-by-verse study on every book in the New Testament that is available to the public anywhere in the world. I thank God that He empowered and enabled me to see this work completed, and I trust it will survive me and bless many until the Lord returns!

This week, we look at the prostitute, Babylon the Great. You should not be surprised that I do not see this as any one individual or movement, but rather a trend throughout history of movements and philosophies that try to overpower the church and overcome the Lamb. You can download this entire study below, but here is what I wrote pertaining to Revelation 17:11:

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¹¹The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

17:11 – This is the key issue: The beast and the kings are heading to their destruction. They may persecute the Church and gain control of the governments of the earth, but they are doomed to failure for the Lord reigns.

Much of this will not make sense until after it all happens, not before. Imagine the confusion produced over the three seemingly conflicting prophecies surrounding the coming of the Messiah. It was said that He would be from Bethlehem, come out of Egypt, and be a Nazarene. Prior to Jesus’ life and death, not many would have understood how all that could be true about one man. Today, however, it makes perfect sense. Eventually, the symbolism of Revelation will make sense.

The question for you is, “What does any particular interpretation produce in your life?” If it stirs up fear, for example, then you must question your interpretation. I read these prophecies and images and it causes me to worship the Lamb. While I am powerless to do anything about these scenarios, He is all powerful. I am glad my name is in His book!

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the daily devotional entitled Your Life Matters: Daily Reflections from the Book of Psalms. Thank you and soon I will begin sending you my edited studies from James' epistle. After that, we will only have the book of Revelation to complete before the entire New Testament is on the site where this study is posted.

Download Rev 2-18

Revelation 16

Dear Student of the Word,

This week we look at Revelation 16 that describes seven bowls poured out by angels that are reminiscent of the plagues unleashed on Egypt in the book of Exodus. Once again, we see that Revelation is not as interested in predicting the future as showing that all things have been fulfilled in Christ. The book also encouraged the early church that God would protect them just like He did the Israelites in Egypt. This week, we also encounter the concept of Armageddon, of which I had this to say (you can download the entire chapter 16 study below):

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¹⁶Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

16:16 – I have been to the valley called Armageddon in Israel on numerous occasions. It is an impressive valley, but hardly big enough for the kings of the earth to gather. This must be symbolic of something else, especially in the context of the preceding verses.

I read one of the end time novels written by a well-known Christian author. It was entertaining but pure fiction. Even knowing that, it produced fear in me because of the elements of conspiracy, intrigue, and mystery that surround the story line. Does Revelation point to a literal Armageddon? Or is it a symbolic Armageddon that represents the ongoing battle between good and evil, which of course is ultimately won by the Lord?

There will be a final historical event that will end history as we know it and usher us into the next age of a new heaven and earth. I do believe that there will be a final establishment of the kingdom of God when His enemies will be defeated once and for all. How will this happen? I don’t know. Revelation tells us to have faith that it will happen, however. Even if we lose our lives in the process, God will be victorious over every foe, no matter how powerful they seem to be.

We are also warned to be ready for this to happen at any time. It is too late to prepare when it happens. We must get ready now for when it happens, as Jesus warned:

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

 At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' " 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'

"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:1-13).

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the daily devotional entitled Your Life Matters: Daily Reflections from the Book of Psalms. Thank you and soon I will begin sending you my edited studies from James' epistle. After that, we will only have the book of Revelation to complete before the entire New Testament is on the site where this study is posted.

Download Rev 2-17

Revelation 15

Dear Student of the Word,

it is my pleasure to send along my commentary for Revelation chapter 15, which is a short chapter that contains several images with which we became familiar in the Old Testament. As I have stated throughout this study, God is less interested in predicting the future in Revelation as He is in pointing out that all things that had their beginning in the Old Testament were and are fulfilled in Christ. After this week's study, there are seven more to go. Thank you for helping me finish this work so I can publish it later this year.

Here is what I wrote about Revelation 15:2 in this week's study, which you can download below:

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²And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name.

15:2 – There is a reward for those who overcome the devil and his world system. God honors them, if not in this life, then certainly in the next. It is interesting that God gives them harps to play. A harp is a difficult instrument to master. Not many people on earth play a harp. If God gives you a harp, something seemingly complicated and hard to do, however, then he will equip you to play it!  What is impossible for man is possible for God (see Luke 1:37).

Notice that the saints were rewarded for overcoming, yet it is the grace of God that enables us to overcome. Our spiritual success is a partnership, for we must cooperate with God’s grace and allow it to work in our lives doing what we can to allow it to work in us. Yet we can never take credit for what God has done in our lives; it is His work alone. 

In 15:2, John saw a sea of glass mixed with fire. Let’s think about glass for a minute. Glass reflects things and the Church is to reflect God’s glory on earth. The word is also a glass for we look in it and it shows us the reflection of who we are or are not. Finally, it is hard to hide behind glass. The Church’s deeds are to be pure and holy, done is such a way that the world will see and hopefully turn to Him:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the daily devotional entitled Your Life Matters: Daily Reflections from the Book of Psalms. Thank you and soon I will begin sending you my edited studies from James' epistle. After that, we will only have the book of Revelation to complete before the entire New Testament is on the site where this study is posted.

Download Rev 2-16

Revelation 14

Dear Student of the Word,

After this week, we have only 8 more chapters to cover in our Revelation study, and then I will be ready to publish. In our last installment, we looked at the symbolism of the number 666 and this week we start out looking at the verses immediately following that discuss another sign on foreheads, this time of those who believe. Here is what I wrote about Revelation 14:1, with the study of the entire fourteenth chapter at the bottom of this post:

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¹Then 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.

14:1 – When we ended chapter 13, we looked at the concept of the mark of the beast in 13:17. There has been much speculation about that one verse mentioning the sign 666. Yet the writer quickly returned the focus to the Lamb, where it should be. Where is your focus, on the mark of the beast or on the mark of the Lamb?

There were no chapters or verses in the original manuscript. Therefore, John saw the Lamb immediately after the warning about the beast. The central theme of Revelation is the ongoing and ultimate victory of God in Christ. The focus was not to be the beast, the dragon, or the antichrist.

There was a company of 144,000 standing with Christ on Mt. Zion. They too had a mark on their forehead. Why isn’t anyone speculating about what this mark is? They are not because most believe it is a spiritual symbol and not a literal mark. Then why would the mark of the beast be a literal mark? It makes no sense if we follow this logic of the mark of the Lamb not being a literal marking.

There also aren’t literally 144,000 who are “saved” and standing with the Lamb. That number is also symbolic. I have tried not to get immersed in the meaning of numbers in this commentary, but must in this instance. The number 144,000 is 12 times 12 times 10 times 10 times 10 – two 12s and three 10s. All those numbers – twelve, three, and ten – have a positive meaning and implication, so the number 144,000 represents the totality of God’s government on earth representing the full number of the saved community.

Jesus had promised He would not lose one of the sheep who are entrusted to Him, and this image in Revelation depicts an assembly where “all are present and accounted for.” Jesus’ power is not limited to save only a few but all who put their faith and trust in Him for salvation.

Since the 144,000 are standing on Mt. Zion, a location on earth, the number would seem to represent the entire Church or the number of people who are saved on the earth at any one time. It is not a literal census, but a picture of the fact that all are saved in every generation who put their faith in Jesus.

God’s name is written on my forehead. He is always in front of me and on my mind. When I look at myself closely, I am reminded to look at Him. When I get too into myself, I am reminded to think about Him.

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the daily devotional entitled Your Life Matters: Daily Reflections from the Book of Psalms. Thank you and soon I will begin sending you my edited studies from James' epistle. After that, we will only have the book of Revelation to complete before the entire New Testament is on the site where this study is posted.

Download Rev 2-15

Revelation 13

Dear Student of the Word,

This week we reach an important point in our Revelation study because we come to Revelation 13, where the concept of 666 is introduced. Here is what I have to add to the debate and speculation about what 666 actually means (you can download the entire study below):

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¹⁸This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

13:18 – I saw an article once claiming that Bill Gates, owner of Microsoft and the richest man in the world, is the antichrist. In my lifetime, I have heard the same said about Henry Kissinger, the Pope, Saddam Hussein, and Michal Gorbachev. This is silly speculation and obviously, those reports were incorrect.

It is a waste of time to try and determine a literal meaning for the number 666. If the Bible wanted us to know, it would have explained it to us. Because this is the only mention of this concept (a mark on the forehead), then we must leave it alone. If you read back over the commentary on the verses above, you will understand that persecution and death for believers have been part of every generation somewhere on the earth. Those who belong to God can be easily distinguished; those who don’t can as well. 

I wear the mark of faith, and those who don’t serve my God wear a mark of works or some other religious system. I wear the mark of joy and peace, and those who don’t serve my God must wear the mark of sadness and torment. 

There is no question that there is a systematic plot to wipe out Christians. That is nothing new. It was true in the days when Revelation was written; it is true today. What is also true is that God is still on the throne and the Church of Jesus is still here. It is also true that the devil is still trying, by every means possible, to thwart the work of God. The good news for us is that he has always and will always fail. To God be the glory! 

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the daily devotional entitled Your Life Matters: Daily Reflections from the Book of Psalms. Thank you and soon I will begin sending you my edited studies from James' epistle. After that, we will only have the book of Revelation to complete before the entire New Testament is on the site where this study is posted.

Download Rev 2-14