Grand Finale, Revelation 20:11-22:21

CityPoint: Meta Tauta, Session 7 Notes: Grand Finale, Revelation 20:11-22:21

I. Great White Throne Judgement, Revelation 20:11-15

a. Judgement of the wicked of all time

b. Judgement of works contrasts to judgement of believers which is rewards

c. Cast into the Lake of Fire: Anti-christ and False Prophet first sent before Jesus’ reign then Satan now everyone else

Second Resurrection: This is the resurrection of all those who have died rejecting Jesus. They go to the Great White Throne Judgement as described in verses 11-15. It occurs after the events described above with the Second Coming of Jesus (Chapter 19), Binding of Satan, First Resurrection, Millennial Reign, Gog and Magog War. There are several judgements noted in Scripture. The KJV Commentary notes seven of them (one past, one present, and five future):

1. Past is the Judgement of the Cross: Praise HIM!! By Jesus allowing Himself to be the Passover Lamb for all mankind, our sins were judged, and Satan was judged. It is a judgement of the past and will never be repeated. 

2. Present is the Judgement of the sinning believer if he doesn’t judge himself: This is where we all need to pay attention, and I have stories for my own life. The more often the judgement is experienced, the better. 

3. Future is the Judgement of the believer’s works: This takes place at the Rapture at the judgement (Bema) seat of Christ in heaven. It is for rewards or suffering loss. 

4. Future is the judgement upon Israel: This takes place after the Tribulation Period; those who continue to reject their Messiah will not enter the kingdom; those who have received Him will enter it. 

5. Future is Judgement of the nations: It will also occur after the Tribulation Period. It will be on the basis, as always, of acceptance or rejection of Christ. 

6. Future is the Judgement of fallen angels and Satan: Time and place are not specified for the angels. The beast (anti-christ) and false prophet will be judged before the Millennial Reign. Satan is judged after the reign. 

7. Future is the Great White Throne Judgement: This is where all those who have rejected Christ from all time will be judged and thrown into the lake of fire. 

II. All things new, Revelation 21:1-22:5

a. New: chronos, new in time or kainos, new in kind. Latter used here, complete new beyond what we know

b. As a bride adorned for her husband: Israel to God, Church to Jesus

c. God with us…

d. Gates are Israel, but the foundation is the Gospel, ie apostles. Everything in Jesus!

e. 1400 cubic miles in our rendering

f. No temple as God and Jesus are the temple

g. No sunlight: what was will be, Genesis 1. Shekinah glory of the Lord!

h. No more curse: direct contrast to Malachi 4:6

Chapter 21

Verses 1-2: Amir Tsarfati states regarding the word new: In Greek, there are two words that can be translated “new.” One is chronos, and it primarily refers to something that is “new in time.” You used to drive an old car, but now you drive a new car. The second word is kainos, and it means “new in kind.” That is what we find John using in this passage. 

The New Heaven and New Earth will be something completely different than what we experience as earth today. John goes onto describe what this new place will look like. 

Verses 3-6: This reminds me of another song. This song was my favorite camp song growing up as a kid. 

Verse 7: As believers, we have all things to inherit as a reward for trusting in Christ. I found a good quote in Wiersbe regarding this: After the great Chicago fire of 1871, evangelist Dwight L Moody went back to survey the ruins of his house. A friend came by and said to Moody, “I hear you lost everything.” 

“Well,” said Moody, “you understood wrong. I have a good deal more left than I lost.” 

“What do you mean?” the inquisitive friend asked. “I didn’t know you were that rich.” 

Moody then opened his Bible and read to him Revelation 21:7. 

Verse 8: The contrast is always eye opening. Those who practice what is listed in this verse will be sent to the lake of fire which is the second death. Hell or Hades is the first death where those who have rejected Christ are sent to be held until the Great White Throne Judgement. After that, all those are sent to the lake of fire. Keep in this mind when you interact with non-believers. Their destiny is very much dim. 

Verse 9: We have another chronology statement with the events of Revelation. It states, …”with the seven last plagues.” The word last there is the Greek escheats which means last in time or series. Therefore, Revelation shows chronology from the start to the finish. 

Verses 12-14: The gates are representative of the 12 tribes of Israel, but the foundations upon which the gates set are the apostles representative of the gospel. What is the gospel? Literally, it means the “good news.” What is the good news? In short, Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. See I Corinthians 15:1-8 which defines the gospel. This is the only way a man who is inherently sinful can obtain salvation: through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus with His subsequent defeat of death. Praise HIM!

Verses 15-16: Ron Rhodes has a great description. He says this: The heavenly city measures 12,000 stadia on each side, meaning that the city is approximately 1400 miles by 1400 miles by 1400 miles. Though some interpret these big numbers symbolically, I think the dimensions are intended to be interpreted literally. The eternal city is so huge that it would measure approximately the distance from Canada to Mexico, or from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rockies. The city is tall enough to reach about one-twentieth of the way from the earth to the moon. If the city has stories, each being 12 feet high, then the city would have more than 500,000 stories. The eternal city could either be cube-shaped or pyramid-shaped - and there are good Christian scholars on both sides of the debate. Some prefer to consider it shaped as a pyramid, for this would explain how the river of the water of life could flow down its sides as pictured in Revelation 21:1-2. Others prefer to consider it shaped like a cube. After all, the Most Holy Place in Solomon’s temple was cube shaped (I Kings 6:20). The eternal city could be likened to an eternal Most Holy Place. 

Verse 22: the KJV Commentary says this: Contrary to the long history of temples in Israel, there will be no temple in the New Jerusalem. Does this indicate an element of secularism? God forbid. Rather, it means there will be free access to God; it will be for all (recall that only priests could enter the sanctuary proper and that only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and that on one day a year). It will be immediate access, and it will be without barrier (witness the calamity that befell Uzziah of Judah when he tried to offer incense in the holy place; II Chronicles 26:16-21).

Verse 23: I always have loved the parallels to Genesis 1 and this verse, and this is yet another what was will be. In Genesis 1:3-5, God announces light! How is there light without the sun no different than on earth today? Parallel question is how is there light in the New Heaven and New Earth without a sun? Revelation 21:23 answers it: “for the glory of God illuminated it.” It’s called the shekinah glory. This is found throughout Scripture as well. 

Chapter 22

Verse 3: “There shall be no more curse.” This is a direct contrast to how Malachi 4:6 closes the Old Testament: “Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

As a group, we had several questions regarding this first section of Revelation 22: why are the nations still present, why is there need for continued healing, why are there still kings and what are they ruling, and who can and cannot come in and out? Some of this we need to leave up to the sovereignty of God. Some of this may be revealed as any of any continue to journey through Scripture to study it. Some of this is may be a what was will be which on that note we know that Paradise and Hell are separated by a great chasm which people can communicate across. Maybe the Lake of Fire will be visible from the New Heaven and New Earth from both sides. As believers, we will be able to see those in torment. As non-believers, they will be able to see the glory of all things new and not be able to participate. 

This, I find interesting as I also came across it when I was looking through Daniel trying to find the references of him bowing before an angel. Again, I love finding things in Scripture I wasn’t necessarily looking for or find after a conversation with someone when I wasn’t sure on the answer. That’s the Holy Spirit! Daniel 7:9-12 is also pretty interesting with this concept of being able to see from both sides to the other (Lake of Fire and New Heaven and New Earth). Daniel sees God sitting on His throne. In verse 10, he sees a fiery stream coming forth from before the Lord. He then sees the anti-christ being thrown into the burning flame. Remember when Jesus sets His foot down to rule and reign after the tribulation/70th Week the anti-christ and false prophet are thrown into the Lake of Fire. Nobody else is thrown in until the Millennial Reign is over: first Satan, then the wicked of all time. 

III. Be Ready, Revelation 22:6-21

a. Shortly take place more literally means quickly come to pass. When things start, it will be a crescendo. 

b. Jesus inserts Himself four times: verses 7, 12-13, 16, 20. Also references 1:3

c. I am coming quickly: our timeframe isn’t God’s timeframe. In essence, He is coming twice as fast as He came the first time: 4000 years from sin to the cross, bumping up against 2000 years from the cross, then a 1000 years of rest???

d. Verse 8: Repeats same mistake as in 19:10 which Daniel made same mistake, but unlike Satan, these angelic beings acknowledged they were not worthy and pointed John and Daniel to Jesus. Always test spirits: I John 4:1-6 gives us our parameters. 

e. Verse 10 is contrast to Daniel 12 for we are now in the final days

f. Verses 18-19, see Deuteronomy 4:2 and Proverbs 30:5-6

g. MARANATHA!!!

Verse 6: Wiersbe notes regarding the last few words: “shortly take place”: The word shortly means “quickly come to pass.” The church has expected Christ to return since the days of the apostles, and He has not yet come, but when John’s prophecies begin to be fulfilled, they will happen very quickly. There will be no delay. 

Verse 7: “Behold, I am coming quickly.” Amir notes this is first of four instances in this last chapter that the Lord inserts Himself: verses 7, 12-13, 16, 20. In three of the four, His words are “I am coming quickly!” If you are saying, “Quickly? A week, a month, a year, even a decade is quickly! Two thousand years? That’s not quickly!” Then let me remind you that you should be so very thankful God’s definition of quickly is very different than yours. If He limited His meaning to our earthly, temporary definition rather than looking at it through the lens of eternity, then He would have returned long ago. That means you would not exist. You would not have had the opportunity to experience the joys of this life, the blessed hope of salvation, the glories of eternity with God, and the freedom to complain about the “slowness” of the Lord’s return. 

From my perspective regarding, “Behold, I am coming quickly” has reference to God’s perfect timeline. I fully believe our earth is a little over 6000 years old. I also believe that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again at the 4000 year mark from when sin entered the world. If you go back another 2000 years from there, you have an approximate time of when God made His everlasting covenant with Abraham. That means, we are closing in on 2000 years since Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself for our sins which is 6000 years from sin entering the world which requires a 1000 years of rest (Millennial Reign) to bring all things to completion. That means, Jesus is coming twice as fast as He came the first time. The first time He came to earth it was 4000 years from the beginning. This time will only be 2000 years from His death, burial and resurrection. 

The second part of this verse we saw in Chapter 1 verse 3: “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy…” Many do not enjoy or like to study prophecy or feel it isn’t worth the time. We literally reject a blessing Jesus promises to us. If we don’t at least read and study through Chapter 3 of Revelation, we ignore the only direct words of Jesus to the church…to us! 

Verses 8-9: Daniel had similar experiences with an angel in bowing before him: Daniel 8:17 and 10:9. Neither time did the angel receive the worship. This isn’t John’s first time running into this problem either (Revelation 19:10). The KJV Commentary notes: “Worship of the creature rather than the Creator is never justified (Romans 1:25). The seemingly worthy the creature, the greater is the danger.” Angelic beings who are at the service of our King will not receive the worship. In Daniel’s case, the angel simply stated his purpose for his arrival. In John’s case, the angel pointed John to Jesus. 

Remember, Satan masquerades as an angel of light. He is quick to deceive. Just because we are believers does not mean we are immune to his deceptions. This is something to be very much on guard with especially in a day and age where “alien” encounters seem to be on the rise and being more accepted mainstream. 

Verse 10: This is a stark contrast to what Daniel was told in Daniel 12:2. He was told to seal up the vision. John has now revealed the vision. Remember, the word for this book of Revelation is literally to unveil. This doesn’t mean we have all the answers or know how everything will play out in real time. It just means we know what is coming and how it will present itself, so BE READY!

Verse 11: In regards to the wicked world, I found the KJV Commentary had a good quote: Sow a thought, and reap an act. Sow an act, and reap a habit. Sow a habit, and reap a character. Sow a character, and reap a destiny. 

We must be watchful as to what we are allowing into our lives and homes. We must clean ourselves of all unrighteousness. 

Verse 14: This is the last of seven beatitudes (blessing) of Revelation. They are all follows in this book: 1:3, 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:7, and now 22:14. These would all be good references to read and heed!

Verse 15: Again and just as in Verse 10, we have the stark contrast of the evil doers. 

Verse 16: Wiersbe states this: Our Lord’s titles in Revelation 22:16 are most interesting. The “root” is buried in the ground where no one can see it, but the “star” is in the heavens where everyone can see it. In “the root and offspring of David” we have Jesus’ Jewish, national name, but in “the bright and morning star” we have His universal name. One speaks of humility, the other of majesty and glory. As “the root…of David,” Jesus Christ brought David into existence. As “the offspring of David,” Jesus came into this world, born a Jew from David’s line. Both the deity and the humanity of Jesus are evident here. For a parallel, see Matthew 22:41-46. The “morning star” announces dawn’s soon arrival. Jesus Christ will come for His church as “the Morning Star.” But when He returns to judge, it will be as “the Sun of righteousness” in burning fury (Malachi 4:1-3). Because God’s people look for their Lord’s return, they keep their lives clean and dedicated to Him (I John 2:28-3:3). 

The KJV Commentary states regarding the bright and morning star: He will come for His saints before He comes with them to reign, just as the morning star appears before the sun. 

Verses 18-19: pretty stark warnings in these two verses. Reference Deuteronomy 4:2 and Proverbs 30:5-6. 

Verse 20: Come, Lord Jesus! This is how I have been ending every note. This 3-word phrase in the English is translated from the Greek….

MARANATHA!!!