SURVEY OF CHAPTER 13

[McGuiggan: Chapter 13 spells out clearly the three enemies of the church. They are listed as the Dragon (Devil) and the “Sea Beast” (Rome - the civil power) and the “Earth Beast” (Rome - the religious movement). A fearsome trio indeed. Because they are so horrific, the saints are warned and assured of the human and evil nature of the beasts.]

In chapter 13, we are introduced to two fierce friends—“colleagues”—“cohorts”—of the Devil who will combine in a powerful onslaught against the cause of righteousness. Much has been speculated and much has been said about these beasts, but most commentators agree that they represent not physical beasts, but rather things of the world, one being perhaps materialism, the other being false religion, false doctrine, both that manifest themselves in the emperor worship of the Roman Empire. That became a combination of church and state, and as such, became, in a sense, subtle, but became very overt in the way it operated. From 29 B.C. forward, Caesars were known as “Augustus.” That word from the Latin means “the August,” or the “mighty one,” the “one to be worshipped.” That was their title. Christians can only worship the Lord, our God. That’s what Jesus Himself said, Matthew 4, verse 10 [“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”].

So, you’ve got a problem! If you were living in the Roman Empire, if you were a citizen, then you were required to bow down before Caesar. You were required to worship the Emperor. Followers of Christ were put in that circumstance again and again, and the consequences were severe. There was not a gray area here, history tells us. You either bowed down and worshipped Caesar, or, if you didn’t, off came your head. You were killed. That was at least part of the dilemma that they were in. The representation here of these beasts speak to the influence—the power—of the materialistic world and of false religion, and the struggle that Christians would have faced.

SURVEY OF CHAPTERS 14 AND 15

[McGuiggan: Chapters 14-15 are more assurance. Chapter 14 makes that (assurance) not only desirable but needed. In sprite of the nature of the enemy, the 144,000 are singing “a new song” for (as the rest of the chapter tells us) the righteous are “garnered in” and the wicked are trampled in the winepress. Then chapter 15 explicitly declares the 144,000 are victorious.]

In chapter 14, there are two very dynamic verses that we will look at. Chapter 14, verse 4, “These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.” We are told here in verse 4 that it was the expectation that one would not bow down to Caesar, but, rather, would follow the Lamb of God—the Lord—and would be faithful and loyal to the Lord. Then they would be able to walk the golden streets of glory. Then verse 13 says, “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”’” This verse tells us that those who die in the Lord will be forever blessed.

In chapter 15, the ransomed host sings a song, and that song has two stanzas: “the song of Moses,” and the “song of the Lamb,” [verse 3: “They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!’”] Yes, the Redeemed of all ages hymn an anthem of victorious deliverance, as those with Moses did in Exodus 14, verse 14, when they sang, “our God will fight for us[“The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”].” We can see here a relationship, where, in the Old Testament context, we know that the enemy—this being the armies of Pharaoh, the armies of Egypt—perished in the very sea that had dramatically ushered Israel into safety and into the promised land [see Exodus 14]. We are on our way to the rest that remains for the people of God, Hebrews 4, verse 9 [“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.”], and we shall reach that shore. We will reach that rest through the leadership of Christ Jesus, our Lord.

SURVEY OF CHAPTER 16

[McGuiggan: Chapter 16 introduces us to the seven bowls. (These come under the heading of the seventh trumpet, as the trumpets came under the seventh seal.) The seven bowls are the complete, outpoured wrath of God. This chapter implies all of the wrath of God outpoured and the complete victory of the saints over their enemy even though it leaves the details of that victory to the following three chapters. For example, the Battle of Armageddon is previewed in 16 and is described in 19. Babylon is declared destroyed in 16 but the details are left for chapters 17-18.]

Chapter 16uses an Old Testament reference as well, that bolsters the faith of the saints in every age. The word there, “plague,” reminds us of what we can read about in Exodus, chapters 7 through 11, where the Egyptians were beset with very serious problems due to rebellion against the Creator, while at the same time the people of God were untouched [Revelation 16:9: “And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the Name of God Who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.” Revelation 16:21: “And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.”]. Don’t you know that the saints of the 1^st Century were comforted by the knowledge that earthly woes would soon be reversed and the Empire of Rome’s doom was shortly to arrive! Psalm 126, verse 5 says, “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.”