Seal #1 Seal #2 Seal #3 Seal #4 Seal #5 Seal #6 Intermission Seal #7

2. The Great Intermission Bowl #1 Bowl #2 Bowl #3 Bowl #4 Bowl #5 Bowl #6 Bowl #7 Seal #1 Seal #2 Seal #3 Seal #4 Seal #5 Seal #6 Intermission Seal #7 Trumpet #1 Trumpet #2 Trumpet #3 Trumpet #4 Trumpet #5 Trumpet #6 Intermission Trumpet #7 INTERMISSION Fall of Babylon

3. The Great Intermission John connects a variety of traditions going back into antiquity - Ancient Near East (ANE) mythological legends of creation - Greco-Roman mythology - Christian and Jewish images John paints a picture of evil - Connects today’s evil with the Garden of Eden - Rome is not the ultimate evil, only the current manifestation We must be careful when we approach these “word pictures” - They probably should not be interpreted in light of the modern world - The normative basis for how we read these images is how they appeared to John’s original audience - Only a few centuries ago, popular literature interpreted the sun as the Christian world, the moon as the Islamic world and the war with the saints as the Pope’s assault on the “heretic” Waldensians and Albigenes So let’s take a look at the images and try to “unpack” them

4. The Woman and the Dragon Revelation 12:1-6 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

5. The Woman and the Dragon Revelation 12:1 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. This is a sign or symbol, not a literal description of events. So, who are the characters in this scene? 1) The woman 2) The child 3) The dragon

6. The Woman and the Dragon Revelation 12:9 The great dragon was hurled down-- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. The dragon is obvious – the text identifies him.

7. The Woman and the Dragon Revelation 12:5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The child is Jesus.

8. The Woman and the Dragon Revelation 12:5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The child is Jesus. Psalm 2:7-9 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery."

9. The Woman and the Dragon Revelation 12:5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The child is Jesus. This is the Ascension. Luke 24:50-51 - When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Acts 1:9 - After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. What we have is a very compressed presentation of the gospel.

10. The Woman and the Dragon Revelation 12:4b The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. The dragon’s eagerness to consume the child portends the violent opposition to Jesus’ earthly ministry. It began with the slaughter of the innocents. Matthew 2:16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. And culminated with the crucifixion. Luke 23:33 - When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals-- one on his right, the other on his left.

11. The Woman and the Dragon Revelation 12:1 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. The woman has variously been seen to be: Mary the mother of Jesus The Christian Church The Jewish people Probably what John had in mind was the ideal community of the people of God who in their Jewish form gave birth to the Messiah and in their Christian form were being persecuted by an evil power personified by the dragon.

12. War Breaks Out in Heaven Revelation 12:7-9 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down-- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Angered by his failure to destroy the Christ child, Satan takes it out on Michael and his angels.

13. War Breaks Out in Heaven Revelation 12:7-9 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down-- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. The archangel Michael has previously been identified as the Guardian angel of the nation of Israel. Daniel 10:13 - But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. And by extension, Michael is also the guardian of the new people of God as well.

14. War Breaks Out in Heaven Revelation 12:7-9 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down-- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. The devil’s defeat and being cast out of heaven is a cause for great celebration by the remaining heavenly dwellers (12:11-12) How did Michael achieve his victory? By the blood of the Lamb Revelation 12:11-12 - They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."

15. War Breaks Out in Heaven Revelation 12:11-12 - They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." The words of triumph remind us that the vision of Michael battling the dragon is symbolic. It represents the victory won by the atoning death of Christ.

16. Pursuit of the Woman and Her Offspring Revelation 12:13-17 - And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14 And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, in order that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

17. Pursuit of the Woman and Her Offspring Revelation 12:13-17 - And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14 And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, in order that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. Once again we see John speaking metaphorically. The earth has no mouth. But John’s message is as clear as if it had been communicated clearly in nonmetaphorical terms.

18. Pursuit of the Woman and Her Offspring Revelation 12:17 - And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. Infuriated by his defeat by Micahel’s angels and his inability to capture the woman, Satan takes it out on the only people he can – the children of God.

19. The Beast from the Sea Revelation 13:1-9 Then I saw a beast emerge from the sea: it had seven heads and ten horns, with a coronet on each of its ten horns, and its heads were marked with blasphemous titles. 2 I saw that the beast was like a leopard, with paws like a bear and a mouth like a lion; the dragon had handed over to it his own power and his throne and his immense authority. 3 I saw that one of its heads seemed to have had a fatal wound but that this deadly injury had healed and the whole world had marvelled and followed the beast. 4 They prostrated themselves in front of the dragon because he had given the beast his authority; and they prostrated themselves in front of the beast, saying, 'Who can compare with the beast? Who can fight against it?' 5 The beast was allowed to mouth its boasts and blasphemies and to be active for forty-two months; 6 and it mouthed its blasphemies against God, against his name, his heavenly Tent and all those who are sheltered there. 7 It was allowed to make war against the saints and conquer them, and given power over every race, people, language and nation; 8 and all people of the world will worship it, that is, everybody whose name has not been written down since the foundation of the world in the sacrificial Lamb's book of life. 9 Let anyone who can hear, listen:

20. The Beast from the Sea Revelation 13:1-9 Then I saw a beast emerge from the sea: it had seven heads and ten horns, with a coronet on each of its ten horns, and its heads were marked with blasphemous titles. 2 I saw that the beast was like a leopard, with paws like a bear and a mouth like a lion; the dragon had handed over to it his own power and his throne and his immense authority. 3 I saw that one of its heads seemed to have had a fatal wound but that this deadly injury had healed and the whole world had marvelled and followed the beast. 4 They prostrated themselves in front of the dragon because he had given the beast his authority; and they prostrated themselves in front of the beast, saying, 'Who can compare with the beast? Who can fight against it?' 5 The beast was allowed to mouth its boasts and blasphemies and to be active for forty-two months; 6 and it mouthed its blasphemies against God, against his name, his heavenly Tent and all those who are sheltered there. 7 It was allowed to make war against the saints and conquer them, and given power over every race, people, language and nation; 8 and all people of the world will worship it, that is, everybody whose name has not been written down since the foundation of the world in the sacrificial Lamb's book of life. 9 Let anyone who can hear, listen: LOTS OF PASSIVE VOICE HERE – The beast has no power of its own!

21. The Beast from the Sea Let’s look at the symbols Ten – usually means the natural world Horn – a symbol of power Crown – a symbol of rulers or kings Seven – the number of totality All powerful king of the natural world ROME The embodiment of the anti-christ The power of the beast comes from the dragon (12:2) The fatal wound that was healed is probably an allusion to the “Nero Redivivus” myth Beast causes humanity to worship the dragon – emperor worship is equated with Satan Only those who belong to the Lamb will not worship the beast

22. The Beast from the Sea Here we see John beginning to make extensive use of parody – using one image or idea to portray, in a negative or comical sense, another idea Nero's return from death is a parody of Jesus resurrection (the Nero redivius myth) The worship mankind gives to the beast and the dragon who stands behind him parodies the true worship of God The extensive use of passive voice reminds us that even Satan is a pawn in God’s plan for His people

23. The Beast from the Sea Beginning with Julius Ceasar, Roman emperors had been deified. Mostly after they died. Domitian was the first to REQUIRE his subjects to worship him and refer to him as “My lord and my god.” In the cities to which John was writing temples were built for the worship of Roma (goddess of Rome) and the emperor.

24. The Beast from the Earth Revelation 13:11-18 Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

25. The Beast from the Earth This beast is a parody of the seven-horned Lamb of God (5:6) It speaks like a dragon whereas the Lamb of God speaks the Word of God The Lamb of God died in weakness, raised by God’s power – this lamb promotes the one who recovered from the fatal wound This beast probably personifies paganism The cult of emperor worship came from the emperor himself – the beast from the sea (Rome) Ancient pagan rituals included a number of “magical” practices including tricks with statues using machines to make them appear alive

26. The Beast from the Earth The beast from the earth promotes the best from the sea. In the Roman world, execution of Imperial decrees was enforced on a local or provincial level. In the province of Asia, where John’s audience was located, the cult of emperor worship was firmly established and vigorously enforced. Remember that one form of persecution was economic. To do business in the Roman world, one had to handle coins that bore the image of the emperor. These coins would have inscriptions referring to the emperor’s divine and worshipful character. Early Christians found this repulsive.

27. The Counterfeit Trinity • Dragon parodies God • has a throne • is the source of (limited) • power All three taken together include heaven, earth and the sea All of creation • Land beast parodies the Spirit • points to the sea beast • represents imperial priests • The sea beast parodies Christ • has the marks of slaughter • conquers by the sword

28. The Mark of the Beast

29. The Mark of the Beast Arabic numerals as we know them did not exist so the ancients used letters to represent numbers. In the Greek alphabet alpha (a) is one, beta (b) is two and so on. If we use the Hebrew alphabet we get something like this: a b g d h w z x j y k l m n s [ p c q r f f t 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 200 300 400 500 So, a name could contain a number. For example: rsq nwrn becomes 200+60+100 + 50+6+200+50 = 666 Hebrew transliteration of “Nero Caesar” This one verse of Revelation ahs probably received more attention than any other as scholars and laypersons alike try to unlock the clue to the name of the person and the beast. 1,800 years of study and hypothesis have not brought us any closer to a definitive answer. In John’s day, many of the cities and towns struck their own coins with pictures of the emperor and inscriptions of various titles for him. Many of these referred to him as “Lord” and “god.” Domitian required that his subjects address him as “Our Lord and our god.” Thus the mark of the beast could very well have been the imperial coins without which no one could buy or sell. To refuse to use these coins would place one in jeopardy of economic strangulation.

30. A Final Thought John was describing the very essence of evil. The ultimate evil was not Rome. Evil began with the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Evil continues today and is in conversation with us. In John’s day, the current manifestation of evil was Rome and the cult of emperor worship. Mankind has always deified and worshiped power. The question is whether we chose to worship the power that operates through inflicting suffering or the power that operates through accepting suffering into itself.1 1Bruce M. Metzger, Breaking the Code, (Abbingdon, Nashville, 1993), 77.

31. A Scene of Comfort and Reassurance Revelation 14:1-20

32. The Lamb and the 144,000 Revelation 14:1-5 - Then 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. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

33. The Lamb and the 144,000 Revelation 14:1-5 - Then 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. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. Parody of the mark of the beast

34. The Lamb and the 144,000 Revelation 14:1-5 - Then 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. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. Takes us back to the heavenly vision of Chapter 4

35. The Lamb and the 144,000 Revelation 14:1-5 - Then 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. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. Does not mean celibacy. Those who have not “prostituted” themselves by worshiping the emperor.

36. The Three Angels Revelation 14:6-13 - Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth-- to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water." 8 A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries." 9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."

37. The Three Angels Revelation 14:6-7 - Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth-- to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.“ God is worshipped because the hour of judgment has come.

38. The Three Angels Revelation 14:8 A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.“ Babylon (Rome) has fallen - past tense (more details in Chapter 19) Satan’s power and rule are limited.

39. The Three Angels Revelation 14:9-11 - A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.“ Anyone who worshiped the beast and received the mark of the beast will not escape judgment. This passage seems terribly vindictive. However, what John is trying to get across is that the most terrible thing a person can do is reject God. Fire and sulfur (brimstone) are traditional symbols of punishment for those who reject God. Those who persist in living contrary to God’s universe must suffer.

40. The Harvest of the Earth Revelation 14:14-16 - I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one "like a son of man" with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." 16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. “Son of Man” recalls Daniel 7:13 and probably refers to Jesus The harvest of the earth has been understood to be the gathering of the children of God. Those who did not participate in the worship of the emperor.

41. The Harvest of the Wicked Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. Then another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over fire, and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.“ So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the vintage of the earth, and he threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the wine press, as high as a horse's bridle, for a distance of about two hundred miles. Revelation 14:17-20

42. Next Week: The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath Chapters 15 through 18