Theology 25 multiple choice #3

13. The Harlot and the Beast (17:1-18)

In Revelation 17, the wicked city is described as a harlot. This is not a new city or a different city than the ones judged throughout Revelation. This is the same “great city” where the Lord was crucified (see 11:8; 16:19; 17:18).

The wicked city destined for destruction is Jerusalem and John shows how the wicked city, “the old” Jerusalem, symbolically called “Babylon,” is replaced by a “new” Jerusalem.

Through subtle clues, we can see how John connects the two cities. The wicked city is the photographic negative of the New Jerusalem. This can be seen in the numerous ways John describes the similarity of the two cities. It is, then, John’s intention to describe the new Jerusalem as the antithesis of the old one.

If the city is Jerusalem, though, what are we to make of John’s vision of the city “sitting upon the seven hills” (Revelation 17:9)? Rome, of course, is famously built on seven hills. Because of this, many are convinced that the wicked city is Rome rather than Jerusalem. However, it is important to situate this vision within the larger symbolic framework of the chapter and the book itself.

First of all, it is clear that the harlot in chapter 17 is an image of the “city” (17:18). Secondly, the harlot is not the beast, but symbolizes something separate from it. This is clear from the fact that the “beast” devours the “harlot” (17:16). Furthermore, the harlot “sits” upon the beast (17:3).

Now we can consider the “seven hills” (17:9). John tells us that the seven hills are the seven heads of the beast (17:8). Thus, the harlot-city sits on the seven hills, just as the woman sits upon the beast with seven heads. As mentioned above, Rome was the city of seven hills. In Revelation 17, we have an image of Jerusalem (=the harlot) “propped” up on Roman authority (=the beast with seven heads). In other words, Jerusalem had become an instrument, a puppet, controlled by the beast. This is also evident in the words of the chief priest at Christ’s trial: “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15).

Furthermore, this interpretation reflects the true historical situation of the Herodian dynasty. Herod, as we have said, was not the rightful king – he wasn’t even a Jew! He and his sons were appointed by the Roman Emperor. Therefore, Jerusalem is the city that “sits” upon Rome.

13.1 The Harlot (17:1-6)

1Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who is seated upon many waters, 2with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and with the wine of whose fornication the dwellers on earth have become drunk.”

In looking at John’s image of the city “seated upon many waters,” many scholars rightly point to Jeremiah 51:13, which says that Babylon sits by “many waters”. By borrowing this imagery, John is describing Jerusalem, the New Babylon, in terms identical to the old. Yet John may also have a subtler point.

As we have already mentioned, the symbols of “sea” and “waters” represent Gentile nations. The “many waters” that the woman sits on is yet another way of showing how Jerusalem has set itself up on Gentile authority (see 17:15). It is another way of presenting the same message conveyed in the portrayal of the “harlot riding the beast” and the “city sitting on seven hills” (17:3, 8).

Because Israel was supposed to be in a covenant relationship with God, its unfaithfulness was often painted in terms of an adulterous wife. In the first chapter of Isaiah, we read concerning Jerusalem, “How the faithful city has become a harlot, she that was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers” (Isaiah 1:21). Her participation in the idolatrous ways of the nations was also understood in terms of harlotry. Ezekiel explains that, when the city engaged in the idolatrous practices of the pagans, she was “playing the harlot” (Ezekiel 16:15ff.). This is also a major theme of Hosea’s message (cf. Hosea 1:2; 4:16-19; 5:3-5; 6:10).

3And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.

John, much like Isaiah, is carried out into the wilderness to see the fall of the harlot. Isaiah also had a vision of God’s coming judgment, which was also associated with the desert (see Isaiah 21:1). John again borrows from this chapter of Isaiah when he states: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon” (Isaiah 21:9; Revelation 18:2).

This beast is the first beast that arises out of the sea in Revelation 13, which we saw was Rome. As in Revelation 13, this beast has seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 13:1; 17:3) and has “blasphemous names” (Revelation 13:1; 17:3). Its scarlet color stands in stark contrast to the “white robed” saints.

4The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and bedecked with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and impurities of her fornication; 5and on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of earth’s abominations.”

The jewels that the woman wears (17:14) are a subtle contrast to the splendor of the Bride of the Lamb (see 17:4; 21:11). Likewise, these jewels are mentioned in chapter 18 as the goods the harlot city traded as part of her prosperous economy (18:12). The harlot, then, is literally “wrapped up” in her own wealth. Jeremiah uses similar imagery to describe Jerusalem dolling herself up to seduce the nations (cf. Jeremiah 4:30). John’s description mirrors Jeremiah’s words: “Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of her wine, therefore the nations went mad” (Jeremiah 51:7).

Furthermore, precious jewels and gold were also used as part of the temple services in Jerusalem. The high priest wore “gold”, “scarlet,” and “precious stones” (Exodus 28:5, 15-23). These items were part of the of the temple’s furnishings (see Exodus 25:3-7; 26:1; 26:31, 36; 27:16). Some scholars have seen temple imagery in the “golden cup” and have connected the inscription on the harlot’s forehead to the high priest, whose miter also had words written across the forehead (Exodus 28:36-37). Cups, in fact, were used in the temple for sacrifices. However, the blood poured out in the harlot’s cup is not from animals, but the martyrs. In a sense, then, Jerusalem has “sacrificed” the saints.

When John speaks of the “mystery” of the words written on the harlot’s forehead, he alludes to Daniel’s visions. There “mystery” is associated with the destruction of the wicked kingdom. It is also connected with the establishment of God’s kingdom by the Son of man. Here, therefore, the “mystery” is applied to the destruction of the wicked city – Jerusalem. Once this earthly city has been destroyed, God’s true bride, the New Jerusalem, will come down from heaven (21:11). As Jerusalem is judged, God begins to reign (see Revelation 11:15-17). Similarly, God’s temple in heaven is opened once the earthly city is judged (see Revelation 11:19).

6And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her I marveled greatly.

The Greek word here, martyrs, is translated as “witness” everywhere else in John’s vision. In this, we can better see the link between those who are killed by the harlot here in Revelation 17 and the two “witnesses” who lie dead in the streets of the wicked city of Revelation 11. The wicked city’s responsibility for the deaths of these saints is also mentioned in Revelation 18: “And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints” (18:24). Clearly, this describes the prophets and saints killed in Jerusalem.

13.2 The Angel’s Interpretation (17:7-18)

7But the angel said to me, “Why marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8The beast that you was, and is not, and is to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to perdition; and the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will marvel to behold the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. 9This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven hills on which the woman is seated; 10they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes he must remain only a little while. 11As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to perdition.

John’s wonder at the beast reminds the reader of those in Revelation 13 who “follow the beast with wonder” (Revelation 13:3). John is similarly captivated by the woman, albeit only temporarily. Her beautiful appearance, which shares so much in common with the Bride of the Lamb, is truly compelling (see Revelation 21:10-23). The harlot is very seductive. Yet the angel rebukes John for admiring her skin-deep beauty. The angel turns John’s focus to the beast that carries her.

The beast parodies the Lord, who is called the One who “was and is and is to come” (Revelation 1:8; 4:8), by being called the One who “was, and is not, and is to ascend from the bottomless pit.” Furthermore, the prediction of the beast who will die (“is not”) and then be revived from the pit refers to the re-emergence of the Empire after the chaos that followed the death of Nero (see 13:3). At that time, those who though Rome would fall will “wonder” in amazement at its resurgence.

Here John tells us wisdom is needed to discern the meaning of the seven heads. This is reminiscent of the beast in 13:18, where wisdom is required to know the meaning of “666.” The seven hills represent the first seven emperors of the Roman Empire. When we begin counting with Julius Caesar, as the historians of John’s day did, we learn that Nero is the sixth king, the one who is reigning at the time John writes Revelation; this is who John is referring to by the phrase, “the one who is.” The Caesar who reigned after Nero, Galba, only reigned six months, fulfilling what John said, “[W]hen he comes he must remain only a little while.”

But who is the “eighth”? At the outset, it is noteworthy that John does not call him “the eighth,” but simply, “an eighth.” This is because he only saw seven heads and seven hills. The “eighth,” therefore, is not to be understood in the same way that the other seven are. He is not necessarily the successor of the seventh king. At the same time, he does “belong to the seven.”

In connection with this, it is important to realize that, though John has foretold the collapse and resurgence of the Empire, his list of seven kings stops short of the reign of Vespasian, the tenth Caesar, who brought about its revitalization. John is using the number “eight,” then, symbolically. “Eight” was a symbol of resurrection and new beginnings in first century Judaism and Christianity. The Christians especially understood this in reference to Christ, who was raised from the dead on the “eighth” day. In fact, if one calculated the numeric value of Jesus’ name, one would find that it equals “888.”[footnoteRef:2] The “eighth” king, therefore, is likely a reference to the re-establishment of the Empire – its “resurrection” – under Vespasian. [2:  = 10;  = 8;  = 200;  = 70;  = 400;  = 200.]

12And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13These are of one mind and give over their power and authority to the beast; 14they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

Drawing on Daniel 7:4-7, John uses the imagery of ten horns to signify ten kings. These ten horns derive their authority from the beast. Some have seen these ten kings as representing ten rulers appoint by Caesar. The Herodian dynasty would be included with these “client-kings”.

It is not clear what John means when he says that they have not yet received “royal” power. Regardless, the “ten horns” represent the sum total of those who receive their power from the Roman Emperor and rule under him.

15And he said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the harlot is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 16And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the harlot; they will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 17for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and giving over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18And the woman that you saw is the great city which has dominion over the kings of the earth.

John’s description of the waters as the peoples and nations confirms our interpretation above that the meaning of the harlot sitting on the waters is Jerusalem, sitting atop and supported by Gentile authority. The image of the beast turning on the harlot and burning her down is a graphic description of the destruction of Jerusalem – for in the year 70, Rome truly did burn down the city.

But how did Jerusalem have dominion over the kings of the earth? On the surface it seems that Rome would fir this description much better than Jerusalem! Yet John is speaking of “spiritual” dominion. As God’s holy city, Jerusalem had pre-eminence among the nations. Indeed, in the glory days of Solomon, the nations came to recognize this, coming to Jerusalem to learn the ways of God (see 1 Kings 10:24). The Old Testament contains numerous examples of pagan kings coming to understand the spiritual leadership of Jerusalem (see 1 Kings 3:1; 10:2; 2 Chronicles 6:6; 9:1; Isaiah 2:1-3; Jeremiah 3:17; Sirach 24:11).

Since she was called to lead the nations back to God as the Lord’s light to them, she was given a sacred authority over them. Yet the “great city” turned sinful itself. Jerusalem became a hypocrite and a bastion of wickedness. She, to whom the other nations were to turn for guidance, led them astray. She is responsible for getting the other nations “drunk” with immorality (17:2). By forsaking her God, she has not only condemned herself to judgment but has also led the Gentiles into blindness. Jerusalem is the “false prophet.”

14. Judgment of Babylon (18:1-24)

14.1 The Fall of Babylon (18:1-5)

1After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendor. 2And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! It has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every foul spirit, a haunt of every foul and hateful bird; 3for all nations have drunk the wine of her impure passion, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich with the wealth of her wantonness.” 4Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; 5for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

Chapter 18 contains numerous parallels to Jeremiah’s prophecy (50-51) concerning the fall of Babylon:

Babylon destroyed the earthly temple; Jerusalem destroyed the true Temple – Christ (see John 2). Jerusalem will now fall as Babylon did.

Though the angel uses the past tense (Babylon has fallen) this should be understood as a prophetic announcement of a future event. This is clear from the warning to the saints to leave the city in the next verse, as well as the future orientation of the rest of the angel’s words (eg. 18:8: “so shall her plagues come in a single day”). In addition, the link between “harlotry” and trade is made in Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the destruction of Tyre (Isaiah 23:17). It is appropriate that John draws on imagery from the destruction of Tyre, since it was Hiram from Tyre who originally helped Solomon build the temple (1 Kings 7:13-14).

John draws his imagery not only from Jeremiah, but also from the Exodus. The saints are to “come out of” this new Babylon, also called the new Egypt (Revelation 11:8), so that they do not share in its “plagues.” Just as the Passover Lamb delivered the Israelites, the saints here are saved by the true Lamb of God. The Exodus is one example of God leading his people out of a city on the brink of judgment. Another example is God’s deliverance of Lot’s family from Sodom.

14.2 The Judgment of the Harlot (18:6-8)

6Render to her as she herself has rendered, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double draught for her in the cup she mixed. 7As she glorified herself and played the wanton, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning. Since in her heart she says, ‘A queen I sit, I am no widow, mourning I shall never see,’ 8so shall her plagues come in a single day, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she shall be burned with fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

The message God sends in judging Babylon is, as the well-known saying goes, “a punishment that fits the crime.” Just as the harlot-city sought to kill the saints, now she herself will be destroyed. Just as Babylon prided herself as unbreakable, so she will be broken. And just as she indulged herself in illicit pleasures, she will now face painful judgment.

Moreover, the angel’s message has an interesting parallel to Psalm 137, which is a prayer for judgment on Babylon. The psalmist prays: “Happy shall he be who requites you with what you have done to us!” (137:8). Yet at the time Psalm 137 was placed in the Psalter, the Babylonian exile had long been over. The return from “Babylon,” then, was a symbol for the hop of God’s restoration of Israel in the New Exodus. This is what John now describes.

Jerusalem became proud expecting to be the center for that glorious gathering of God’s people. After all, hadn’t the prophets said that it would take place in Jerusalem? In judgment, however, they had come to realize that the earthly city was only penultimate. It was only a scale model of something greater, something heavenly. Because they became attached to the earthly, they missed the heavenly – a lesson taught over and over, from Adam, to Solomon, to Jerusalem.

14.3 Kings, Merchants and Sailors Mourn over the Harlot City (18:9-19)

9And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and were wanton with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning; 10they will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! Thou great city, thou mighty city, Babylon! In one hour has thy judgment come.”

Three groups mourn the destruction of the city: kings (18:9), the merchants (18:11), and the sailors (18:17). The description of the three groups parallel each other:

· They each “mourn” over the fall of the city (18:9, 15, 19).

· Each group “stands far off” as they watch (18:10, 15, 17).

· All three begin their lament, saying, “Alas, alas” (18:10, 16, 19).

· The three groups also mention that the city is destroyed in “one hour” (18:10, 17, 19).

Although each group mourns at the sight of the harlot’s judgment, they cry, not necessarily because of the city, but because of the negative effects its destruction has on them. They cry for themselves.

This is manifest in the lament of the kings of the earth, who weep because they have now lost the one with whom they “committed fornication.” They now must go and search for another who will indulge their perverted appetites. They don’t pity her and try to help her. Rather, they stand far off, for fear that they will be judged as well, and watch as she burns.

11And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo any more, 12cargo of gold, silver, jewels and pearls, fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet, all kinds of scented wood, all articles of ivory, all articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. 14“The fruit for which thy soul longed has gone from thee, and all thy dainties and thy splendor are lost to thee, never to be found again!” 15The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud. 16“Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, bedecked with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! 17In one hour all this wealth has been laid waste.”

As the lament of the kings was motivated by selfishness, so too are the cries of the merchants. They mourn because there is no one left to buy their goods. The destruction of the city hits these merchants hard financially, since they lose their best customer. They cry because they lose money.

The list of the goods that were sold is partly based on those included in Ezekiel’s condemnation of Tyre (see Ezekiel 27:12ff). In fact, Josephus explains that these were the very same items the Romans carried out of the temple: “The treasurer of the temple … showed Titus the coats and girdles of the priests, with great quantities of purple and scarlet … as also a great deal of cinnamon and cassia, with a large quantity of other sweet spices.”

The list climaxes with the trading of “human souls,” indicating Jerusalem’s involvement in spiritual slavery. One is reminded of Paul’s words, “Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother” (Galatians 4:25-26). Now those earthly thing, for which Jerusalem traded its soul, will be taken away from her.

17And all shipmakers and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?” 19And they threw dust on their heads, as they wept and mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! In one hour she has been laid waste.

Finally, the last group, the sailors, mourns at the fall of Babylon because “all who had ships at sea grew rich by her.” They put ashes on their heads, not because of true repentance, but out of self-pity. Like the merchants, they cry because they lose money. Again, John seems to draw from Ezekiel’s imagery. Ezekiel speaks of sailors placing ashes on their heads at the fall of Tyre (see Ezekiel 27:28-33).

14.4 Heaven Rejoices over the Judgment of Babylon (18:20-24)

20Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” 21Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So shall Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and shall be found no more; 22and the sound of harpers and minstrels, of flute players and trumpeters, shall be heard in thee no more; and a craftsman of any craft shall be found in thee no more; and the sound of the millstone shall be heard in thee no more; 23and the light of a lamp shall shine in thee no more; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride shall be heard in thee no more; for thy merchants were the great men of the earth, and all nations were deceived by thy sorcery. 24And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.

The prophets and saints rejoice at the destruction of the city that killed them. God has avenged their blood, as he promised in Revelation 6. Jesus’ promise that Jerusalem would finally be held accountable for the blood of all the prophets killed there is finally fulfilled (Luke 11:50).

The image of the city being cast like a millstone into the sea, recalls John’s description of a mountain cast into the sea in Revelation 8:8. However, it also vividly depicts Christ’s warning: Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin” (Luke 17:1-2). John takes this imagery from Jesus himself and applies it to Jerusalem. So then, because the city seduced the nations as a harlot and led them into sin by its scandalous conduct, it is cast into the sea like a “millstone.”

There are many connections here between Revelation 4-5, the end of Revelation 11 and the vision presented here in chapter 19.

In all of this, then, John shows how Christ fulfills God’s Old Testament promises through the Church. In the Church, the spotless Bride, God’s plan from the dawn of time is accomplished and Christ’s victory is realized. His victory over the devil is finally complete. And all of this converges in the event called the marriage supper of the Lamb.

15. Rejoicing in Heaven, Judgment on Earth (19:1-21)

15.1 Hallelujah: Rejoicing in Heaven (19:1-5)

1After this I heard what seemed to be the mighty voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2for his judgments are true and just; he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” 3Once more they cried, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.” 4And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5And from the throne came a voice crying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.”

In response to the fall of Babylon, the saints in heaven rejoice. The close resemblance between John’s words here to the prayers of the souls under the altar in 6:10 reveals that God has heard their prayer. With this all the saints and angels erupt in praise.

Revelation 19 is the only place in the New Testament where the word “Hallelujah” (or “Alleluia”) occurs. The word comes from “praise the Lord” in Hebrew; hallel, meaning “to praise”, and jah, short for YHWH (the “j” functions as a “y”).

The word was used to refer to Psalms 111-118, which are called the “Hallel Psalms”. These psalms function as praise for the coming and triumph of the Messiah, which is depicted in Psalms 108-110.

The Book of Psalms is carefully arranged. The psalms move from songs of lament, which make up the majority of the first half of the book, to psalms of praise, a theme that abounds in the second half. In fact, the Psalter (the Book of Psalms) is arranged into five books:

Book One: Psalms 1-41

Book Two: Psalms 42-72

Book Three: Psalms 73-89

Book Four: Psalms 90-106

Book Five: Psalms 107-150.

There is a traceable movement in these psalms as well.

· Book One is primarily made up of psalms about David and seems to end with a prayer the king sang as he lay on his deathbed.

· Book Two ends with Psalm 72, a song about Solomon, the successor of David, at the height of his reign.

· Psalm 89, which ends Book Three, recounts the defeat of the Davidic king and Israel’s exile.

· With Israel in exile, Moses enters the scene in Book Four. Psalm 90 is, in fact, a “Prayer of Moses.” Throughout this book, Israel’s wilderness experience is recalled, forming the basis for the hope of the New Exodus.

· Book Five subsequently pictures the restoration of Israel. After the first psalm of Book Five, Psalm 107, which celebrates the deliverance of Israel, the Davidic king, the Messiah, returns to sing Psalms 108-110. After appearing in 108, he suffers in 109, only to be glorified in 110. Indeed, the New Testament points to Psalms 109 and 110 as prophecies concerning Christ’s death, Resurrection, and Ascension.

With the Messiah’s victory, Israel explodes into the praise of the “Hallel” psalms (111-118). These psalms function as a response to the triumph of the Messiah in Psalm 110. They represent a kind of climax, toward which the entire Book of Psalms has been moving.

Because these psalms celebrate the return of Israel in the New Exodus, it should be no surprise that they were used during the Passover Meal, which celebrated the first Exodus. The “Hallel” psalms were divided up into two parts, one sung before and one after the meal. In fact, it was believed that the messiah would come to restore the kingdom on the Feast of Passover. In this, the first Exodus was linked to the new one.

The Book of Revelation manifests these hopes. After the plagues, which bring about the destruction of the city called the new Egypt, God’s saints in heaven rejoice. They sing to God the “new song” sung by Moses, at the edge of the sea (Revelation 15:2-3). They burst into celebration, singing “Hallelujah.” Furthermore, all this is done in the context of a “supper.” This has led some scholars to see the Passover liturgy, which later became the Eucharistic celebration, as the background for John’s vision in Revelation 19.

15.2 The Marriage Supper of the Lamb (19:6-9)

6Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunder peals, crying, “Hallelujah”! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure” – for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”

There is a profound contrast between the “spotless” Bride, who wears her “righteous deeds” as garments, and the harlot who was the “mother… of the earth’s abominations” (17:5). And yet the harlot inadvertently plays an important role. For God used her persecution of the saints as a means to “prepare” his Bride. Truly, then, the Bride has cooperated with God’s grace, so that she is not simply prepared by God, but, we are told, “has made herself ready.”

In this passage of Revelation, we see part of the Scriptural basis for the Church’s understanding of salvation. Contrary to Luther, Scripture teaches us that we are not saved by faith alone. The Church’s glory is revealed when she is clothed with her “righteous deeds” (19:8).

But doesn’t this downplay Christ’s work? How is one to understand Paul’s statement, “[B]y grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God – not because of works lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

At the outset, it must be said that the Church teaches that grace is not earned. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons.” (Catechism, 1996). No one earns the gift of salvation – no one can merit heaven.

At the same time, though, Christ’s work is so effective it merits our ability to merit. Jesus allows us to participate in his work of redemption. He turns our worthless deeds into saving acts by uniting them to his works. So Paul says, “Work out your salvation in fear and trembling; for God is at work in you” (Philippians 2:12-13).

This does not mean that we should have a lower view of Christ’s work. Not at all! Far from diminishing Christ’s role, Catholics should have a great appreciation for the power of his love. When Christ crowns our good deeds and makes them meritorious, his work is not lessened but glorified, since our works are only possible because of his. In reality, then, when Christ crowns our work, he is simply glorifying his own work!

This brings us to the image of the Church as the Bride of Christ. Christ truly reproduces his life in the Church, so that the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. Yet the Church is not simply his Body, forming some kind of torso connected to him as Head. Though a surface reading of some of Paul’s letters may lead to that conclusion, a deeper look reveals a much more profound mystery.

In Ephesians 5, the Apostle Paul gives us his most profound thoughts on the Church. He writes, “Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one.’ This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and his Church” (Ephesians 5:28-33). Paul cites Genesis 2:24, “ant they shall become one flesh” and applies it to Christ and the Church. Therefore, when Paul speaks of the Church being Christ’s Body, he speaks in marital terminology.

The intimate communion in marriage, which occurs when the two become “one flesh,” is a picture of Christ and the Church. Christ unites Himself to the Church so that His life is reproduced in her. The Church, therefore, becomes “Mother Church.” Furthermore, just as husband and wife are united in an intimate communion of one flesh, so too the Church is wedded to Christ at the marriage supper of the Lamb, which is the Eucharist, where she enters into Holy Communion with the Flesh of our Lord.

The image in Chapter 19 of a supper celebrated after a time of persecution also recalls the todah (“thank”) offering. This offering was comprised of three parts. It begins in a life-threatening situation. The afflicted would beseech God with a prayer for deliverance, attaching an oath by which he swore that he would offer God a sacrifice once he was saved.

Once the time of tribulation passed, the person who was saved would go to the temple and offer a sacrifice to God. Along with the animal to be slaughtered, bread would be brought to the temple, which was consecrated when the animal was killed. Finally, the person would gather his family and friends for a banquet, and over a cup of wine, he would recount how the Lord has rescued him from death. During the meal, the bread would be eaten. This is especially noteworthy, since the todah was the only time consecrated bread could be eaten by the Israelite people.

Although the Book of Leviticus makes provisions for the “thank offering,” it became a prominent part of Israelite spirituality with the rise of David. The Book of Psalms contains numerous examples of todah offerings made by the great king. In fact, in the Psalms, the todah offering even seems to displace the sin offering as the superior sacrifice: “I will magnify [the Lord] with thanksgiving [todah]. This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs” (Psalm 69:30-31).

Furthermore, the Psalms often depict “thanksgiving” as offering before deliverance has occurred (see Psalm 9:1-6). In this we see that the essence of the todah is not found simply in the sacrifice of the animal, but also in the sacrifice of praise made by the righteous who endure suffering. The todah, therefore, is an offering of self in sacrificial love to God. Psalm 141 therefore says, “Let my prayer be counted as incense before thee, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2).

In the Book of Psalms, David acts as an example for Israel. As he offered up his sufferings and tribulations through sacrifice so too must Israel. In fact, a kind of “corporate” todah may be found in the Passover, where bread and wine are offered, as God’s people recount his great deliverance.

It is no surprise then that Isaiah envisions a messianic banquet on Mount Zion once the New Exodus is accomplished. “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees, of fat things full of marrow of wine on the lees well refined. … He will swallow up death for ever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces” (Isaiah 25:6, 8). The banquet of the restored kingdom is entirely appropriate. A new Passover meal should accompany the New Exodus.

In all of this we have a picture of what we find in Revelation. The saints celebrate the coming kingdom of God and their deliverance from the persecution of the harlot-city through a kind of corporate todah, the New Exodus’ Passover meal. This messianic banquet is celebrated at every Mass.

It is important to note that the Greek word for todah is eucharistia, where we get the term “Eucharist.” In the celebration of the Lord’s supper, the Son of David offers his own todah, in which he offers himself as a sacrificial offering and proclaims his deliverance from death. The Church, the restored kingdom of Israel, participates by offering herself through her own sufferings and afflictions, as she wanders in this earthly pilgrimage, while also celebrating her redemption in the New Passover. In this she makes and fulfills her “oath” – in Latin, “sacrament” – to thank God in the banquet in the heavenly Mount Zion.

10Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

In Revelation 1:17, John fell down at Jesus’ feet. Likewise, John falls down at the feet of the angel here in Revelation 19:10. However, the angel rebukes John for falling at his feet, saying, “Worship God!” Implied in all of this is the belief that Jesus truly is God. You can’t worship an angel – he is not God; but you can worship Jesus – He is God.

The angel’s definition of the “testimony of Jesus” begin “the spirit of prophecy” reveals that all the Old Testament prophets, whether they knew it or not, were ultimately speaking of Jesus. In this, the marriage supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19 accomplishes all that God promised he would do. And yet, while the angel’s words explain the true mission of the prophets, they also bespeak a much more profound truth, for they also reveal the true identity of the spirit.

The angel’s explanation has strong echoes of John’s Gospel, where Jesus explains: “But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27). Similarly, in one of his letters, John writes: “And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth. There are three witness, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree” (1 John 5:7-8).

In all of this, we see that any testimony to Jesus comes through the Spirit. On one level, this teaches us that all prophecy comes through the Holy Spirit. However, on a deeper level it signifies the close association of the Spirit with the martyrs. “Martyr” in Greek means “witness,” and the saints offer their lives as a “testimony” to Christ.

Earlier, in looking at the Trinity, we saw that the Holy Spirit is the Life-giving Love that unites the Father and the Son; indeed, he is the very life they share. Because of this, when grace is given to believers, offering man a share in the life of God, it is done in the Spirit. In addition, when the saints offer their lives to God in self-donation, this too is done “in” and “through “ that same Spirit, who is Life-giving Love itself.

In other words, since the Spirit is “Life-giving Love,” he enables the saints to offer their lives in love, once he dwells within them. Paul explains: “It is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:16-17). It is the Spirit, therefore, who reproduces Christ’s life-giving love in the Church, making her alive, and enabling her to enter into God’s inner life.

15.3 The Rider on the White Horse (19:11-16)

11Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed which no one knows but himself. 13He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, followed him on white horses. 15From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords.

The phrase, “Then I saw heaven opened,” functions as an introduction to a new section. John now turns to see the final effects of the judgment on the harlot-city. Jesus’ coming on a “white” horse should probably be understood in connection with the white robes given to those whom God avenged (see Revelation 6:11). Jesus is coming, therefore, as one who brings vindication.

John now sees Jesus riding in as the triumphant King. This imagery of the Davidic King approaching his Bride is also found in Psalm 45, which was interpreted by ancient Jews as speaking about the coming of the messiah to the restored Jerusalem. Because of this, Psalm 45 may serve as the background for John’s description.

John’s vision of Christ also draws heavily from Isaiah 62-63, which describe the restoration of Israel in terms of a marriage (Isaiah 62), when the Lord comes to crush her enemies (Isaiah 63). These parallels include:

· A “new name” (Isaiah 62:2; Revelation 19:12)

· A “crown” and “diadem” (Isaiah 62:3; Revelation 19:12)

· Garments stained with blood (Isaiah 63:3; Revelation 19:3)

· The treading of the wine presses (Isaiah 63:2-3; Revelation 19:15).

Christ’s judgment of the harlot city and his marriage to the Bride are, therefore, also spoken of in terms of God’s promises to restore Israel when the Messiah comes.

In fact, the description of Christ also serves as a reverse image of the harlot’s wickedness. While Christ rides triumphantly on a white horse (19:11), she rides a scarlet beast that destroys her (17:3, 16). As the harlot had “a name of mystery” on her forehead, Jesus has a “new name” inscribed, apparently on the diadems on his head (19:12).

Jesus’ appearance here also echoes the description of him in Revelation 1-3.

In chapters 1-3, Christ promises that he will surely bring condemnation unless the faithful of the seven churches repent of their deeds. Here John shows that Jesus did not issue an idle threat. He will be true to his words. Just like Jerusalem, each of the seven churches will receive judgment unless they reform their lives.

15.4 The Supper of God (19:17-21)

17Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly in mid-heaven, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” 19And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who sits upon the horse and against his army. 20And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had worked the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone. 21And the rest were slain by the sword of him who sits upon the horse, the sword that issues from his mouth; and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

The invitation to the birds to come to the supper of God, in which the wicked will be devoured, is a parody of the invitation to the marriage supper of the Lamb. In fact, several sacramental parodies may be found in John’s account. As the New Jerusalem is connected with the “river of the water of life” (22:1), a baptismal image, so too the harlot-city sits upon “many waters” (17:1). The harlot is “drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of martyrs” (17:6), and her “flesh” is later eaten by her foes, parodying the Eucharist (17:16; 18:3). Likewise, the followers of the beast are sealed, just as Christians are sealed with a mark in Baptism and in Confirmation (Revelation 7:1-4; 13:16). The kings of the earth committed fornication with the harlot – a parody of Christian marriage.

The wicked are divided into seven categories, recalling the seven-fold judgments of God throughout the book. This passage also mirrors Ezekiel’s vision of a similar feast, wherein the wicked shall be devoured (39:17). In this, the beast and the kings united with him will receive judgment.

While 17:16 envisions the beast turning against the harlot and devouring her, an image of Rome destroying Jerusalem, the idea here is that it is Christ who ultimately defeats them both. The alliance that was formed to kill Jesus – Pilate (the Roman governor) and the rulers of the Jews – is now judged. This is the same battle mentioned in 16:14, 19:19, and 20:8, as is apparent from the fact that all three contexts speak of the kings of the earth gathered for war. All those who are associated with the beast therefore receive the judgment of God.

The description of God’s condemnation here in Revelation 19 is different from that in chapters 17-18. There the battle is fought between earthly powers, resulting in earthly consequences: the harlot-city is burned with fire (17:16; 18:9, 18); the city becomes a haunt for animals (18:2); her wealth is obliterated (18:16-17), etc. With the exception of the birds who fly in mid-heaven eating the flesh of the kings, the judgment here is depicted in much more spiritual terms: the battle is fought by God’s armies from heaven (19:14, 19); the beast and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire (19:20); the wicked are slain by the sword that comes out of Christ’s mouth (19:21).

16. The Millennium, the Dragon’s Defeat, and the Final Judgment (20:1-15)

Revelation 20’s description of the “thousand year reign” has traditionally been one of the most difficult parts of the Apocalypse to understand. A common interpretation among some Protestants is that Christ will return and set up some kind of earthly reign. Yet Christ explains, “My kingship is not of this world” (John 18:36).

Because of this, it seems unlikely that Christ would set up an earthly kingdom. Instead, we will see how John’s use of symbols and covenant terminology envision something much more than just a future reality. Revelation 20 gives us a kind of panoramic view of salvation history. In short, Revelation 20 is the summary of the story of Jerusalem, established by David, who began to reign in c. 1000 B.C.

Traditionally, Catholics have understood the “1,000 year reign” as referring to the age of the Church. In this interpretation, the “thousand” years are understood symbolically. The thousand years stand for the time Christ would reign through the Church – from the time of His first coming to the time of His second Coming. Satan is restrained – the power of the sacraments administered by the Church hold him at bay. The first resurrection – the one prior to the final resurrection at the end of time – refers to the saints being taken up to God. At the end of time there will be a final confrontation between the Lord and the devil, wherein God will crush Satan once and for all.

To this view, we can add an understanding of the Millennium in terms of the Davidic covenant. Since the Davidic covenant is the Old Testament blueprint for the New Covenant, the Davidic kingdom foreshadows the “age of the Church.” For example, in Solomon’s concern to include all nations we have a foreshadowing of the way the devil will be bound and chained through the ministry of the Church. Likewise, just as the devil was loosed to wreak havoc in the last days of the Old Testament world, which climaxed in the destruction of the temple, so too will he be loosed at the end of time. The “Davidic” interpretation laid out here, therefore, does not exclude the traditional explanation – it compliments it.

16.1 Satan is Bound for a thousand years (20:1-3)

1Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were ended. After that he must be loosed for a little while.

The devil is locked in the “pit” by an angel, who uses the “key” to imprison him. These two images were loaded with meaning to Jewish readers. Understanding these two terms will be the key to unlocking the meaning of this passage.

The image of the “key” is drawn from Isaiah 22, where it represents the authority of the Davidic kingdom (3:17-22). Indeed, John specifically identifies it as “the key of David” (Revelation 3:7). It is also referred to as the key of “Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18).

The “key” is linked with the “pit.” This “pit” is a word used in the Old Testament and Jewish tradition for the watery place of the dead, that is, the underworld, or “Sheol.” This “pit” or “abyss” was also connected to the temple in Jewish literature. According to Jewish tradition, the temple was built on top of a special rock, called the “foundation stone.” This stone was said to be the “plug” to the netherworld.

In keeping with this, Rabbinic tradition passed on the story of how David almost inadvertently unleashed the waters of Sheol when he came to lay the foundation for the temple, which his son later built: “When King David came to dig the foundations for the Temple around the Foundation Stone, he dug to a depth of fifteen hundred cubits. At length he found a projecting stone which he wished to remove. But the stone said to him: “This you cannot do.” David asked; “Why not?” and it answered: “I cover the mouth of the abyss!” … But David would not hearken and wished to remove the stone; and as he tried, the waters of the abyss rose in great torrents which appeared to be about to flood the world. Then David began to sing the Song of Degrees (Psalm 120-134) from the Book of Psalms, and the waters of the abyss returned to their place.” The blood of the sacrifices was said to run down the shafts under the altar on the foundation stone below, so that the blood would cover those in Sheol.

This tradition formed the background for Jesus’ words in Matthew 16. There, Jesus builds his Church on Peter, the Rock, as Solomon built the temple on the foundation stone (Matthew 16:18). Moreover, he gives Peter the “keys to the kingdom,” which gives him power over the “gates of Hades,” and in so doing, grants him the power to “free” souls from the power of the devil (Matthew 16:18-19).

Whether or not David actually built the temple on a foundation stone that plugged up some watery pit, is not important. What is important is the truth this symbolism conveys. When God swore to David his covenant oath, establishing his kingdom, God brought to partial fulfillment all the promises of the Old Testament. Through David’s son, the effects of original sin would begin to be reversed. Jerusalem would become the center from which God’s law would be taken to the nations. As the Lord promised, all nations would be blessed through Abraham’s descendants.

When David understood this, he exclaimed, “[God] hast shown me a law for mankind” (2 Samuel 7:19). Following in his father’s footsteps, Solomon began to teach the Gentiles, who came from all over to hear his great wisdom. Because of God’s oath, Satan was “bound” to deceive the nations no more.

This brings us to the angel’s “chain.” Just as the “key” was symbolic of the Davidic kingdom, so also a “chain” was associated with Solomon’s courtroom. Right near the “Dome of the Rock” in Jerusalem, there is a smaller shrine called the “Dome of the Chain.” This building commemorates an ancient legend, which says that a “chain” was used by the king in determining the truth of a witness’ testimony. The person under oath would hold on to the chain and give his sworn statement. If he were not telling the truth, a link would fall so that all would know the lie he had told.

The image of the devil being “bound” for “a thousand years,” therefore, is a depiction of the incredible power of God’s oath to establish the Davidic kingdom, through which the nations would be taught and the devil’s deceptions unmasked. Indeed, the Davidic kingdom stood for one thousand years from David to Christ, since it was established in about 1000 B.C.

Furthermore, it is interesting that the devil is “bound,” a term often connected with exorcism. This is important because Solomon was well-known in Jewish tradition as the greatest exorcist who ever lived. The Greek word for exorcism, ex horkia, literally means, “to oath out.” Thus, because of God’s sworn oath to David, the devil was exorcised – “bound” – so that he could no longer deceive the nations.

The Millennium, therefore, does not bespeak a future age of an earthly kingdom, but rather, summarizes God’s work in salvation history. This is hinted at from the very beginning, since it is an angel who binds the devil. Angels were those through whom the Old Covenant economy was administered. This is why the author of Hebrews explains that the New Covenant is superior to the Old. The New is mediated by Christ, whereas in times past it was mediated by angels (see Hebrews 2:2-5).

So far we have seen that the one thousand year reign relates God’s use of the Davidic kingdom and the king’s own city, Jerusalem, in his plan to save the nations. The image of the devil being “loosed” for a short time at the end of the thousand years, therefore, must be understood in connection with this. In fact, as we have seen, Jerusalem became increasingly evil in the first century. Its wickedness reached its peak at the time of its destruction in A.D. 70.

Jesus himself testifies against the wickedness of his own generation, comparing it to the final state of wickedness: “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, but he finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and brings with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. So shall it be also with this evil generation” (Matthew 12:43-45).

Likewise, Josephus writes of his own people: “[N]or did any other age ever breed a generation more fruitful in wickedness than this was, from the beginning of the world.” Therefore, at the end of the thousand years, Satan was let loose to wreak his worst damage.

16.2 The First Resurrection (20:4-6)

4Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom judgment was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life, and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they shall reign with him a thousand years.

Just as the twenty-four elders sat on thrones, the saints sit on thrones here. But who are they? In keeping with our prior analysis that the thousand years represents the time from David to Christ, these are the prophets and Old Testament martyrs.

“Those who are beheaded” refers to John the Baptist, the final and greatest prophet, of whom Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). The Baptizer therefore embodies all the prophets who were killed for their witness to God. Likewise, those who did not “worship the beast or his image” refers to those Jews who refused to bow to the orders of pagan rulers to worship idols, such as those in Daniel 3.

All of these receive the “first resurrection.” This resurrection is penultimate and awaits a “second resurrection” at the end of time. The first resurrection is not, therefore, the bodily resurrection of the saints at the end of time. The first resurrection is the ascent of the righteous souls to God at death. This is clear from the fact that the “first resurrection” is linked with the “first death” – physical death (see Revelation 2:10-11).

These Old Testament martyrs have learned “life-giving” love in the fullest sense. They are made holy in their priestly self-offering and, in a special way, made ready for heaven. We too are called to prepare ourselves in this life for heaven by giving our lives to God – whether that means through martyrdom or through daily self-sacrifice.

16.3 Satan is Loosed and Cast into the Lake of Fire (20:7-10)

7And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be loosed from his prison 8and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, that is, Gog and Magog, to gather then for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.

At the end of the thousand years, Satan is loosed to “deceive” the nations. Thus, as Christ comes to replace the earthly Davidic kingdom and capital city (Jerusalem), with their heavenly realities, wickedness descends on the earthly city. Satan’s “unbounded” work of deception seems to be evident in Jesus’ condemnation of Jerusalem in his day (see Luke 11:29-32, 49-51). Jesus says his generation is in the worst state of demonic possession (Matthew 12:43-45).

Jerusalem was supposed to be a beacon of righteousness for the nations. When it becomes evil, the nations are set for shipwreck, as the devil is set free to deceive them as well. Because of this, Satan is able to deceive the nations, who are called Gog and Magog, and to bring them to fight against God’s people.

“Gog” and “Magog” were originally spoken of by Ezekiel. In Ezekiel, “Gog” and “Magog” symbolize those who fight against the Davidic messiah and destroy Jerusalem. Gog and Magog later became symbols in the Jewish tradition for the enemies of the Messiah. These two symbols, then, represent those who persecute Jesus and God’s people. They set out to destroy both Christ and the restored Israel (the Church), just as Gog and Magog did.

9And they marched up over the broad earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city; but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The Church is here described as the “camp of the saints,” recalling the “encampments of Israel in the wilderness on their journey to the Promised Land. This image underlines the Church’s pilgrim identity. Her dwelling on earth is only temporary – an “encampment” on the way to the true Promised Land. The other term used to describe the saints, “the beloved city,” anticipates the vision of Chapter 21, where the Church is described as the New Jerusalem.

Those who oppose God’s people face God’s wrath and are consumed by fire. This is an apt depiction of the actual burning of Jerusalem. As the earthly enemies are defeated, so too is Satan, who is thrown into the lake of fire, with the beast and the false prophet. Furthermore, hell’s torment is graphically depicted as a place of never-ending suffering, lasting “day and night… forever!”

16.4 The Last Judgment (20:11-15)

11Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat upon it; from his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.

John now goes on to describe the “second resurrection” and the “second death.” At first glance, it might seem strange that John moves from narrating the events of 70 A.D. to speaking about the final judgment. However, as we have seen, the destruction of Jerusalem points forward to that event. Because of this, John moves subtly between the two events.

The picture of Christ on the throne may evoke Daniel, where God is enthroned as the “Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:9). Christ’s kingship is also described in terms reminiscent of Solomon, who also sat enthroned on a white-ivory throne (see 1 Kings 10:18). Jesus, therefore, rules as the true Son of David, bringing to fulfillment God’s plan for the Davidic covenant.

The flight of the earth and the sky evokes Old Testament descriptions of the Lord’s coming (see Judges 5:3-6; Psalm 18:6-16; Psalm 68:6-9; Amos 1:1-3; Micah 1:2-5; Habakkuk 3:3-16). It also bears similarities with Isaiah’s prophecy of God’s deliverance of his people in the New Exodus. Isaiah states, “Life up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath, for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment” (Isaiah 51:6).

12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done. 13And the sea gave up the dead in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead in them, and all were judged by what they had done. 14Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire; 15and if any one’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

John sees the death standing before the Lamb to be judged. Note that there is no distinction between the righteous and the wicked at this point. Both will, in some way, be resurrected on the last day. Therefore, just as the righteous will somehow experience the joys of heaven in their bodies, the torment of hell is felt in both soul and body.

The opening of the books is taken from Daniel 7:10 and 12:1-2. In Daniel 7, the books are opened with the coming of the Son of man. Later, in Daniel 12:1-2, God promises to deliver all those whose names are “found written in the book.” John thus foresees the Second Coming as the time when God’s people will receive their eternal reward. Of course, those who are not written in the Book of Life will be cast with Satan and his minions into the fiery lake of hell.

17. New Creation, the Bride of the Lamb, and the River of Life (21:1-22:5)

17.1 The New Heaven and the New Earth (21:1-8)

1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

With the passing away of the old Jerusalem, the entire Old Economy – the temple, the Levitical priesthood, etc. – is replaced. A “new creation” is inaugurated with the vision of the “New Jerusalem.” In one sense, this explains the spiritual significance of Christ’s fulfilling all things in himself and his Church, making the earthly Jerusalem obsolete. At the same time, it looks forward to the Last Day, in which the earth itself will pass away and the Church will receive her final heavenly glory.

Much of the imagery is taken from Isaiah’s vision of the great restoration, which will occur under the Messiah. We have already seen how the prophet envisioned the latter day deliverance of Israel in terms of a marriage (see Isaiah 62-63; Revelation 19:11-16). In addition, Isaiah described God’s salvation in the latter days as a “new creation”: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17).

Also, since we have seen that the “sea” was a symbol for evil, its passing away describes God’s final victory over Satan. The image also recalls “new creation” terminology. The first creation arose out of the waters of chaos (cf. Gen. 1:1-2). It also evokes Noah’s covenant with God, in which Noah is made to be a new Adam. In this, the “new creation” coincides with the subsiding of the waters of the “sea.”

3and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them;

The New Jerusalem describes both heaven and Christ’s bride the church. The New Jerusalem comes down from heaven to be with the saints on earth. The image here is this: through the Church, the people of God already share in the heavenly realities. This is especially true, of course, in the Eucharistic banquet, where our heavenly High Priest is present under signs and symbols. His dwelling is with men, as John says.

Furthermore, the word for the Lord’s “dwelling” is the same word used for the “tabernacle” constructed by Moses in the wilderness. Leviticus 26:11-12 and Ezekiel 37:26-28 both anticipate the day when God will place his sanctuary in the midst of his people. In that day, God promises that the righteous “shall be his people,” as John sees here.

Ezekiel depicted God’s meeting with his people in the wilderness in terms of marital embrace (see Ezekiel 16:8-10). John, therefore, combines the marriage imagery with “tent” imagery to convey God’s intimate union with the Church. God is not just close to us on earth – he communes (he tabernacles) with us.

John also borrows from Jeremiah’s prophecy of the New Covenant when he says, “they shall be his people” (see Jeremiah 31:33). In so doing, he shows that Jeremiah’s words are fulfilled as the Old Covenant has passed away with the establishment of the New City: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people (Jeremiah 31:31-33).

The only time Jesus referred to this “new covenant” was when he instituted the Eucharist. It is there that God’s covenant union with his people is finally consummated. There the heavenly Jerusalem descends in our churches.

4he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” 5And he who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

The source for much of the language in verse 4 is Isaiah’s vision of the great messianic banquet. Isaiah 25:8 reads, “He will swallow up death for ever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take way from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken.” Once again, this passage can be read in connection with the Eucharist, Christ’s great banquet, through which death is defeated and truly “swallowed” up.

Verse 5, not surprisingly, continues with a reference to Isaiah, “Behold I am making a new thing” (Isaiah 43:19). In the Greek, the word is present tense and may be translated “I am making,” not simply, “I make.” This is not, therefore, simply a vision of the Last Day, but God’s work to remake the world through the Church on earth, which is happening now.

6And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water without price from the fountain of the water of life.

The words Jesus utters, “It is done,” call to mind his words from the Cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). His name as “Alpha and Omega,” the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, is another way of alluding to Isaiah’s description of the Lord as “the first and the last” (see Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; 48:12). It also fittingly describes him here, at the consummation of all things, as the Lord of history. The One through whom “all things were made” (John 1:3) also brings them to fulfillment.

Jesus’ promise that the righteous shall drink from “the fountain of water” evokes Jesus’ words in John’s Gospel: “If any one thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:37-38). Jesus says, in effect, that those who are thirsty will come to him, and then living waters will flow not only from himself, but also from them. In Revelation 22, this river is an image of the Holy Spirit.

Those who drink, then, from the fountain of life are those who have received the Holy Spirit and enter into communion with the Triune God. As Jesus explains, “[W]e will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). Though the water is a symbol for God’s presence, it is nonetheless an efficacious sign – a symbol that accomplishes what it represents. The water of Baptism isn’t merely a symbol of rebirth – it is through water (and the word) that our rebirth in Christ is accomplished. So Christ says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

7He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son.

Salvation is not just a legal transaction where God, the judge says, “Not guilty!” Salvation is more than a legal declaration – it’s entrance into God’s family. This is seen here as God says, “I will be his God and he shall be my son.” Sonship is also implied in the promise of a “heritage,” since “inheritance” is given, not to strangers, but to one’s children. In fact, John may be borrowing from Psalm 2, where God promises his “son” an inheritance” (Psalm 2:7-8).

The language, “I will be his God and he shall be my son,” is closely related to the phrase, “I shall be their God and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33). Both are representative of covenant language. As we have seen, covenants involve the forging of family bonds. Covenants make families. One enters into a covenant by swearing an “oath” (Latin: sacramentum). One enters the New Covenant through the sacrament of Baptism – the sacrament or oath of initiation.

The Church is not just the restored kingdom; it’s God’s covenant people – covenants make families. So the Church, the restored Kingdom, is God’s family. Baptism doesn’t simply grant “legal justification,” but familial status. Through it, we are God’s sons and daughters.

Therefore, our salvation needs to be understood, not simply in terms of “me and Jesus”, but in the larger context of a family. We are sons and daughters, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Saint Paul therefore calls the Church not only the pillar and bulwark of truth,” but God’s “household” (1 Timothy 3:15).

8But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

To be a sinner is to be a coward. Christians need strength and fortitude to profess their faith since the world is against them. In contrast, sin is easy. One simply goes along with one’s own passions and desires to get immediate – though fleeting – pleasure. Sinners simply go with the flow, floating along. There is no effort in that.

17.2 Vision of the New Jerusalem (21:9-27)

9Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10And in the Spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

As mentioned earlier, the introduction of the New Jerusalem parallels the vision of the harlot city, the old Jerusalem. The vision of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 closely follows Ezekiel’s vision of the temple in the latter days. Here, like Ezekiel, John is transported to a mountain from which he will receive his vision (see Ezekiel 40:1-2).

The New Jerusalem has “the glory of God,” the fiery cloud of the Spirit’s presence, called Shekinah, which once dwelled in the temple. Ezekiel saw its departure from the earthly temple before its destruction by the Babylonians (see Ezekiel 10:4). Later, Ezekiel saw the Lord’s glory return and dwell in the latter day temple (see Ezekiel 43:4-5). Now John sees that same glory-presence dwelling in the New Jerusalem.

12It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed; 13on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The city is perfectly symmetrical with three gates on each of its four sides. Obviously, the total number of gates, twelve, is symbolically significant. As in Ezekiel’s vision, each of the twelve tribes’ names is written on these gates (Ezekiel 48:31-34; Revelation 21:12). Indeed, Israel may be described as a gate, since through God’s promises to them, the whole world enters into his covenant family.

The foundations for the walls of the city have the names of the twelve apostles on them, signifying that the Church is built on them. This of course is an image borrowed from Jesus himself, who made Peter the foundation rock upon which the Church is built (see Matthew 16:18). Likewise, Paul explains that the Church is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 2:20).

The close connection between the twelve apostles and the twelve tribes underscores the continuity of God’s plan. The Church does not replace Israel. Rather, she is the fulfillment of God’s Old Testament promises to the chosen people. In fact, Jesus picked “twelve” apostles, painting his mission with the colors of Old Testament hopes.

This is especially clear from Jesus’ promise that the apostles would “sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” The twelve apostles represented the hope for the restoration of Israel.

15And he who talked to me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its breadth; and he measured the city with his rod, twelve thousand stadia; its length and breadth and height are equal.

Once again, the image of measuring is drawn from Ezekiel’s vision (see 40:3-5). As in the verses above, the number twelve figures prominently, as all the measurements are multiples of twelve. However, the most profound truth of all is found in John’s description of the city itself.

John learns once the measuring is complete that the city is built as a perfect cube. In this, the city is like the holy of holies, the sacred inner room of the temple, which was also a perfect cube (see 1 Kings 6:20). The New Jerusalem, therefore, is one giant temple. And, not only it is a temple, but all who dwell within it live in the most sacred presence of God. John sees no court divisions, as in the earthly temple, which segregated the Gentiles from Israel, the men from the women, and the priest from the rest of the men. In heaven, all are given equal access to the holy presence of God.

17He also measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits by a man’s measure, that is an angel’s. 18The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. 19The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every jewel; the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.

John’s language here is confusing. What does it means that the measurement is that of “a man, that is, an angel’s? The phrase probably refers to the fact that though the temple is spiritual, the length is given according to human standards so that the reader will understand.

The precious stones that decorate the city are drawn from the account of the construction of the tabernacle in Exodus (28:17-20; 39:10-13). It is also overlaid in gold as the temple was. In this, the heavenly city’s identity as a temple is made clear.

In addition, many of these stones were also associated with the Garden of Eden, the first sanctuary, where Adam was called to be priest-king (Ezekiel 28:13). The heavenly Jerusalem, therefore, is the place where God’s people realize the calling of Adam, dwelling as a kingdom of priests in his presence (see Revelation 1:5-6). The connection between the heavenly city and the garden may also be seen in the fact that both the Garden and the heavenly city are guarded by angels (Genesis 3:24; Revelation 21:12).

Not surprisingly, there are twelve stones, in keeping with the number of the apostles and the tribes. In the Old Testament the high priest was to wear a breastplate that contained twelve precious stones when he went into the holy of holies (see Exodus 28:29). This was to symbolize Israel’s entrance into God’s presence. In the New Jerusalem, the Church truly does enter (and permanently resides) in that presence.

22And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.

As we have seen, the heavenly Jerusalem is described as one giant holy of holies. Now we realize why all in the heavenly city dwell in the presence of the Lord – He is the Temple. The righteous dwell within the Lord God and the Lamb. In other words, they are taken into the inner life of God; they live in the Trinity.

The promise that the saints would dwell within the Lord himself was also proclaimed by the prophets. Isaiah predicted, “He will become a sanctuary” (Isaiah 8:14). Similarly, the Psalmist frequently refers to the Lord as a “refuge” (Psalm 2:12; 5:11; 7:1; 11:1; 14:6, etc.). Psalm 90:1 says that the Lord is a “dwelling place.” The New Jerusalem represents the fulfillment of God’s promise that the righteous would abide in him.

How do they get there? How is one made worthy to enter into the self-giving life of the Blessed Trinity? By pouring out one’s own life in life-giving love.

23And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24By its light shall the nations walk; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, 25and its gates shall never be shut by day – and there shall be no night there; 26they shall bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

John’s imagery is drawn from Isaiah’s description of the restoration of Israel in the latter days (Isaiah 60:3, 5, 11, 19). In both cases, God’s universal salvation is extended. All nations shall come to this New Jerusalem and offer all they have to the Lord. Here is yet another metaphor for the total life-giving love of the saints.

17.3 The River of the Water of Life (22:1-2)

1Then he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

The image of water flowing out from the Lord God and the Lamb, who are the Temple, is taken from Ezekiel, who sees a similar vision. The prophet writes, “Then he brought me back to the temple and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east)” (Ezekiel 47:1). Likewise, the prophet Zechariah saw water flowing out from the restored Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:8-9, 16).

Next to the river is the tree of life. This mirrors Ezekiel’s vision, in which trees are seen next to the river, whose leaves are also “for healing” (Ezekiel 47:12). The image also recalls the first psalm, where the righteous man is described as a tree that bears fruit. “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither” (Psalm 1:3). The tree here has twelve kinds of fruit, indicating that it is a sign of God’s people, the Church of the twelve apostles, the restored Israel.

In the discussion above, we connected this river to Jesus’ words in John 7:37-38, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Scholars are oftentimes perplexed over Jesus’ assertion that he is quoting Scripture, since no Old Testament passage says, “Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.” So where is Jesus taking this from?

Although John may have Numbers 20:10-13 (see 1 Corinthians 10:4) and Zechariah 14:8-9, 16 in the back of his mind, many think John is primarily drawing from Ezekiel’s vision of the water flowing from the temple. Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John are spoken in the context of the Feast of Booths, which celebrated the temple’s dedication. Jesus, whose body is the true Temple (John 2:19-22), is therefore speaking of the water that will flow out of him into believers. Through him, the Holy Spirit will be given.

And yet Jesus insists that the waters will flow, not only from him, but out of the heart of the believer as well. This is because the Church is his Body, and thus is also a temple. If Jesus’ body is the temple, out of which living waters flow, the same is true of the Mystical Body. Christ does in us what he once did in his earthly body.

Here, then, we have something similar to Revelation 22, where the river flows from the Lord God and the Lamb, through the Church (through the city’s street and the Tree of Life), to the nations. The fruit of the Tree of Life may be understood as the Eucharist, which fruitful Mother Church ministers to the nations. Likewise, the river of water is not simply the Holy Spirit, but Baptism, through which he is received.

17.4 The Night Shall Be No More (22:3-5)

3There shall no more be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall worship him; 4they shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads. 5And night shall be no more; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign forever and ever.

John’s mention that there is no longer any “curse” is taken from Zechariah’s vision of the restored Jerusalem, “And it shall be inhabited, for there shall be no more curse; Jerusalem shall dwell in security” (Zechariah 14:11). The reason there is nothing unclean in the city is that the New Jerusalem represents the Church sharing in God’s own glory. In fact, there is no need for any sun or moon – his glory burns bright enough to give light to the whole city.

Furthermore, the saints are said to “reign” there just as the twenty-four elders sat on thrones. Moreover, these saints are priests, bearing God’s name on their foreheads as the high priest once did (see Exodus 39:30). Thus, by their self-offering, they fulfill mankind’s original calling to a royal priesthood. They therefore enter fully into communion with God, as they “see his face,” a hope expressed by the righteous of the Old Testament (Psalm 11:4-7; 27:4; Psalm 42:2). They bear their worthiness by the mark on their foreheads, which is the seal of their baptism.

18. Epilogue and Benediction (22:6-21)

6And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. 7And behold, I am coming soon.” Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.

Verses 6-21 serve as the concluding message not only to the visions of chapters 21-22, but also to the book as a whole. The words here closely mirror the introduction of Revelation.

In this, the beginning and end of the book are neatly tied together.

The reader is assured that the contents of the Apocalypse are “trustworthy and true,” since it comes from the God of “the spirits of the prophets.” On one hand, we could say that this refers to the “prophetic spirits” of the prophets (see 1 Corinthians 14:32). However, the “spirit of the prophets” is also the Holy Spirit, the seven-fold Spirit, who inspired the prophets (see 1:4, 4:5, and 19:10). The words here also echo the prophet Daniel.

The overall context of Daniel 2 is itself similar to Revelation 22, since both describe the ultimate triumph of God’s kingdom.

The “trustworthiness” of John’s prophecy is bound up with the warning that Christ is coming “soon.” This cannot simply be the end of time. It is imminent. His coming is as near to the Church as the next Eucharistic celebration. Furthermore, for John’s audience of the late 60s, he is coming soon in the judgment of A.D. 70.

8I, John, am he who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me; 9but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

John establishes himself as a “witness,” one who has “seen” and “heard” the visions presented (see 1 John 1:1-2). In so doing, John is saying, “These visions are true. Trust me, I’ve seen them, and I’m not lying.” By making such testimony, John is putting himself under an oath, guaranteeing its truth.

As in Revelation 19:10, John is rebuked for falling down in worship at the feet of an angel. Only God is worthy of adoration. The angel reminds John that he is simply a “fellow servant.” In this phrase we see how God raises up those who follow him to the level of the angels, so that they worship and serve him alongside the angelic host.

10And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” 12”Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense, to repay every one for what he has done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

The command not to “seal up the words … of this book” implies that its prophecies are soon to be fulfilled. Daniel was told just the opposite, “But you Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4). John, therefore, is told that the end is about to come.

Because of the imminent coming of Jesus, John is told to let the wicked continue in their ways – their time is short. The righteous should continue to endure, because they don’t have much longer to wait until God’s judgment comes. At the same time, they should not fret about the wicked actions of God’s enemies since Jesus, the Lord, will soon deal with them.

Indeed, the Old Testament makes it clear that God’s judgment of the wicked is inevitable. Ecclesiastes states, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 12:14). Furthermore, Jesus makes it clear that he himself is the all-powerful God who will sit in judgment of them, identifying himself as the “Alpha and Omega.” This was the same title of the Lord God” in Revelation 1:8.

14Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15Outside are dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and every one who loves and practices falsehood.

The description of the righteous as those who “wash their robes” and “eat from “the tree of life,” evokes the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Eucharist. It is through these two sacraments that believers come to enter into the Holy City, the Church. The Fathers understood these same sacraments in the symbolism of John 19, where “blood” and “water” flow from Christ’s side (John 19:34). The Fathers also saw this as an image of the Church, the New Eve, being formed from Christ’s side in the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist.

16I Jesus have sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.”

Jesus has sent his angel to bear his testimony, much like the Old Testament depicts YHWH sending his angel to bring his message (see Malachi 3:1; Revelation 1:1 and 10:1). The testimony is specifically for the “churches,” presumably the seven churches mentioned in Revelation 1-3. In other words, the Book of Revelation’s prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem is a warning for the seven churches: just as Jerusalem is judged for its unfaithfulness, so too will the Christian churches in Asia Minor be judged unless they repent.

Jesus’ title, “the root and offspring of David,” recalls Isaiah’s prophecy, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of roots” (Isaiah 11:1). Isaiah foresaw a time when the Davidic kingdom would be crushed. This happened in 586 B.C. when the Babylonians killed King Zedekiah and his sons, and carried the Jews off into captivity. Jesse was the father of David. When the Davidic sons were killed, it looked as though Jesse’s family tree was cut down; all that remained was a stump.

Yet Isaiah saw that the kingdom would not be defeated. A Messiah would appear, symbolized by a branch that grows forth from Jesse’s tree and restore the kingdom. Jesus, the true Son of David, fulfills this. As the “morning star” he brings about the dawn of the new age.

17The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price.

Notice the close connection between the Spirit and the Bride. As the Spirit and Bride say, “Come,” those believers who hear the call respond as they receive the Spirit and become a member of Christ’s Bride (the Church). John tells us that believers therefore speak in union with the Spirit and the Bride, uttering the same words, “Come” (Revelation 22:17). Grace cannot be contained. As the believer receives God’s life of self-giving love, he then turns to others to share it with them.

18I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

The warning at the close of the book is very similar to Moses’ admonitions throughout Deuteronomy. Moses states: “You shall not add to the words which I command you, nor take from it; that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2). Likewise, at the end of Deuteronomy we read what will happen to those who do not heed Moses’ words, “The Lord would not pardon him, but rather the anger of the Lord and his jealousy would smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book would settle upon him, and the Lord would blot out his name from under heaven” (Deuteronomy 29:20).

The Book of Deuteronomy is basically Moses’ last sermon. This sermon was given as Israel stood on the plains of Moab, preparing to enter into the Promised Land. Now, as Christians stand at the edge of eternity and prepare to enter into the true Promised Land in heaven, Jesus gives a stern warning as Moses did – you’re not there year; do not fall away before you have entered your reward.

20He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.

The promise that Jesus is coming soon is strengthened by the oath formula, “Amen.” Jesus’ coming is assuredly imminent. He is coming in the year 70, with the judgment on Jerusalem. He is also coming soon in the celebration of the Eucharist. In fact, the very word “Amen” is a liturgical utterance. His coming in the Eucharist makes that coming present to us today.

Moreover, those who follow the Lord have nothing to fear when Jesus comes. Rather, they rejoice at his coming. Because of this the Church voices her prayer: “Come, Lord Jesus.” The book then ends with a prayer for the endurance of God’s people – “grace be with all the saints.” For it is through God’s grace that the Church will learn life-giving love and thus more earnestly pray for the Lord’s swift return.

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