Our Inheritance from Adam’s Family

Genesis 5:1-17 

1 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. 3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters. 5 So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died. 6 Seth lived one hundred and five years, and begot Enosh. 7 After he begot Enosh, Seth lived eight hundred and seven years, and had sons and daughters. 8 So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died.

9 Enosh lived ninety years, and begot Cainan. 10 After he begot Cainan, Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and had sons and daughters. 11 So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years; and he died.

12 Cainan lived seventy years, and begot Mahalalel. 13 After he begot Mahalalel, Cainan lived eight hundred and forty years, and had sons and daughters. 14 So all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died.

15 Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and begot Jared. 16 After he begot Jared, Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years, and had sons and daughters. 17 So all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years; and he died.

As Adam’s family began to grow and fill the earth in their multiplication, the first thing to see here is that the genealogy is focused on the beginning.  God made us in His likeness, made us both male and female, and blessed us as good while calling us after Adam, his kind (man/Adam kind).  We are descendants of the image bearers of God, sons and daughters of Adam the son of God, as recorded in the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:38, and are each borne in Adam’s likeness by God’s design.  This means we inherit not only the image bearing of our Creator, but also the sin of our progenitors.  We are all born in sin, guilty before God even before we act out any sin in our thoughts or actions (Romans 5:12, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22).  We are not born good, as some would like to believe.  What we do see here in the first descendants of Adam and Eve is the extremely long lifespans; 930 years for Adam, 912 for Seth, Enosh lived to 905, Cainan to 910, and Mahalalel made it to 895 years old.  These lifespans are about 10 times ours!  This gave them many of our lifetimes to be fruitful and multiply to fill the earth.  Though we are not told of every child born, we know they were able to find mates and continue multiplying quickly and for long times by this design.  In spite of the sin each inherited, God still showed grace by blessing them with many more children.  Here we see God’s goodness which is undeserved, a fact which we all should humbly keep in mind to be thankful of His kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4) while we were still dead in our sin which is our inheritance in Adam’s family from the womb (Romans 5:8). 

Hope after Sin’s Consequences

Genesis 4:16-26

    16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. 17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech.
    19 Then Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. 20 And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. 22 And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
    23 Then Lamech said to his wives:“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, Even a young man for hurting me.  24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”

    25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.

Cain left God’s presence.  He went out to the east of Eden to live with his guilt, shame, and possible remorse for murdering his brother and living with the consequences outside of his sight of God’s constant presence.  He had a son Enoch, built a city, and had grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  The earth began being filled as Adam was told to do (Genesis 1:28), yet not the way it should have been done from the garden while walking with God.  The stain of sin recurred in his great grandson Lamech, who also murdered a man in vengeance for being hurt by him.  Then Adam had another son, Seth (“compensation”), who made up for the loss of Abel and provided another heir who might not be a murderer as his other son Cain.  This is when men started to call on God’s name - they looked to Him as Cain did not in his sin.  Sinners began to see their need of God and the need to honor and worship Him, relying on His mercy and grace to turn their eyes on their need for God and on God their Creator Himself.  They turned to seek God’s presence.  Cain left the presence, now some men turned back. The pattern of hope appeared after sin’s consequences. Paradise was lost, but hope remained. 

Do Right, Knowing Sin’s Desire for Us

Genesis 4:1-15 

1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.  9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”  He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?”  10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”  13 And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! 14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.”  15 And the Lord said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.

Adam had received as a gift from God to be named and valued, and may have been what God sacrificed for coverings of skin (Genesis 3:21) for their sin.  God honored the gift of Abel (Hebrews 11:4) as a sacrifice of what he valued, animals which were given as companions (Genesis 2:18-20), and which would be a worthy sacrifice.  The blood shed was a forerunner of life for life, a payment for sin, while Cain’s sacrifice was of his own work and part of the curse, not of any more value than as food.  Cain was enraged that God did not value his offering and showed it in his unthankful attitude (1 John 3:12).  God tried to correct him by telling Cain to do what is right or the sin waiting to consume him (its desire was for him) would do so unless he ruled over its temptation.  But Cain’s anger followed sin as he surrendered to it instead of fighting against the anger, and he murdered Abel as soon as he had opportunity.  Then he not only denied knowing what happened to him, but further sinned in anger against God Himself by denying responsibility for his brother.  He was the elder, and was surely his brother’s keeper, but the blind anger and jealousy causes the sin to multiply from covetousness to anger to murder, and then lying to cover up and deny his sin.  God exposed the multiplicity of Cain’s sin and further cursed his work in scraping food out of the dust.  God cast him out, Cain was worried about other siblings in the future wanting vengeance, but God marked him for protection from that by promising multiplied retribution on any who killed him.  Cain’s sin led to judgement, banishment, and a hard road of life ahead.  This is an example for us to not sin, and to admit and turn from it when its desire for us overwhelms our rule over it by choosing God’s commands instead. Remember James 1:12-15 in warning us to not follow temptation into sin and death.

Covering for Sin and a Sword Keeping Eternal Life at Bay

Genesis 3:20-24 

20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Eve was named to mean life or living, because all humanity would come out of her for life, just as her life came out of Adam, whose life God breathed into him.  We all come from God via Adam by Eve’s conception of children, and this pattern of bringing forth life after itself is in God’s creation (1 Corinthians 11:8-12), and therefore we are all made to bear His image.  God made clothing cover their sin by killing the first animal as a first sacrifice.  Then He as the triune God said we were like the Godhead in knowledge of good and evil, and did not want our original parents to become forever living in sin by eating of the other tree, that of eternal life, so He banned humanity from the paradise made for us from where we were created.  Then He placed angelic guards and a sword of fire to the east of Eden to guard the way to eternal life, at least until sin could be dealt with in Christ many millennia later.  We must be righteous to obtain life from God’s tree for eternity, and this sin of knowing evil kept Adam and Eve, along with all born from them through the ages.  We need a gate (John 10:9, Romans 5:21) opened to become our righteousness to gain access to the eternal life made for us by the Lord our Maker.  Until then, we work the ground we were made out of to survive as Adam in verse 23 here, trying to work for a reconciliation with God, but always falling short; we need God’s work to free us from this life of our own ineffectual works (Romans 3:23, 6,23). 

Consequences of the Original Sin, Inherited by All

Genesis 3:9-19 

9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”  10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”  11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”  12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”  13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14 So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

16 To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.”

17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”

After Adam and Eve hid from God in shame for being exposed in their naked knowledge of evil, God called out to Adam.  He knew certainty where the man was, but called out to him for an accountability in response.  Adam confessed his fear for the disobedience of sin with the resulting knowledge.  God then pointedly asked if it was because he ate what was forbidden (for his own good) as commanded, and Adam relayed how he had not taken it from the tree, but that Eve gave it to him.  God then asked her what she had done, and Eve told how she was deceived by the serpent.  All these facts were true, but accountability for each one doing what was commanded not to was not admitted.  This is original sin.  Then God gives us three passages of judgement on the sin, one to each of the guilty parties.  First He condemns the serpent to an existence of humiliation and of ongoing conflict with the woman he deceived and all her offspring.  Ultimately, however, her seed would inflict a crippling wound on his ability to do harm after he attacked her head.  Second, God passed judgement on the woman who was first deceived (1 Timothy 2:14, 2 Corinthians 11:3).  She and her descendants would have more sorrow and have more pain in bringing children into the now cursed world because of her disobedience.  She would further be subject in desire for her husband and be under his authority (some recent scholars have tried to make this verse say that she was angry or opposed to her husband instead of desiring him, but that is simply bad translation of the meaning here).  Finally, God condemns Adam and his male descendants for listening to the voice of his wife over God’s words,and for the disobedience of yet eating what was forbidden by command of those words.  He would therefore no longer be given an easy work in being fruitful and filling the earth due to harsh toil in the soil to survive.  Going forward he will have to sweat and work for what God had freely provided in the Garden.  He was made aware of where he came from, the dust of the earth God made, and his end back to that dust of the ground he toils in.  His mortality is the consequence of the disobedience of sin in not trusting God’s absolute word and keeping it.  We are so born as the children of these two with the consequences, lifted only by the work of reconciliation in the second Adam (Romans 5:18-19, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19). 

The Fall of Man and Original Sin

Genesis 3:1-7

1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Our adversary the devil and satan is out to corrupt God’s work, especially men and women as he did in the very beginning of our creation.  He is still cunning and deceptive, twisting what God says by questioning it, denying it, taking a away from it, or even adding more to it than what God intended.  With Eve, he began with directly questioning if God indeed said what He had to Adam and so to her about eating from any tree in the Garden, omitting the prohibited tree to get Eve to repeat her understanding of the entire command.  She got it right, but did not call the tree of the knowledge of good and evil by name, but only as the tree in the midst of the garden.  She then added that not only could they not eat it or die, but not even touch it, which sounds like a good preemptive measure, but was not what God actually said (Genesis 2:17).  The emphasis also changed from ‘you will die’ to ‘lest’ you die, as if adding an uncertainty if death would absolutely occur.  Satan took hold of that error and multiplied it by asserting that they would not (certainly) die, and blasphemed God by accusing Him of lying and holding back a secret that they would eat, still live, and then be like God Himself in knowing what is good and what is evil.  These definitions of life and death are God’s, not for man to discover apart from His word to them and to us.  Taking of this tree seemed to promise what God should be giving, and they neglected obedience to wait on His timing and granting permission to partake of that fruit that is God’s alone to give, not ours to immaturely take (Hebrews 5:14) with the pride of the devil urging us on.  Eve took the bad advice and began looking at it, seeing the fruit as good food, not prohibited, because of the lie she believed.  Her eyes found it pleasing and desirable when God’s command was changed, and she wanted to be wise and all knowing of good and evil as if to be equal with God.  She ate it.  Adam then took the fruit she handed to him afterwards, and he ate also.  Then that knowledge which they were not yet prepared for by God made them see their nakedness as something shameful because of ungodly desires instead of the godly design, and they were ashamed enough to cover themselves and hide when God approached.  They hid from the very presence of their Creator in the garden He made for them in the bodies he made them with; they failed to see the good and saw the evil in their condition, for they did not wait for their senses to be trained to discern good and evil by God’s instruction in His time and in His way.  Their shortcut by evil advice opened sin into their hearts and minds, which sin they passed to all their children as a kind of spiritual DNA which we all inherit as their descendants.  This is the fall of man and the original sin of disobedience to God and His word, with the promised consequences of death for each one of us without exception apart from Him. 

Crowns of our Progenitors’ Creation

Genesis 2:18-25 

    18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
    21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said:
   “This is now bone of my bones
   And flesh of my flesh;
   She shall be called Woman,
   Because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.  25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

God made man and knew being alone was not His plan, so He made helpers fit for the image bearer of God Himself.  This is not as if He just figured it out and scrambled to find a fix, nor that it took a while to make the right one fitting for man, but is written for our benefit to see why He made all the animals before the woman.  Just as man, the animals were all made out of the dust (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20), the elements of the world, and then given life.  Adam then was tasked with naming each of them to value the creation God gave for his benefit.  God then let Adam see his need for one like him, fitting as a helper in God’s image, which the animals were not.  Though the animals were also made of the same dust, they were not of the same spirit nor the same design as a bearer of God’s very image, which sets man apart from animals.  Many would like to bring man down to an animal or raise animals to eternal soul status of man, but they sadly miss the lessons God shows here.  God’s next step of His plan was to create woman out of Adam himself, not directly from the dust (the only living being so made), and present her to Adam as he most precious gift and equal helper for the task of filling the earth and caring for it (Genesis 1:27-28).  Adam was ecstatic!  His joy and thanksgiving to God and for Eve are seen in his song of response, knowing she was part of him, ishah from ish, woman (אִשָּׁה) taken from out of the very being and body of God-created man (אִישׁ).  This was truly cause for such rejoicing after finding no animal could be equal or helpful in carrying out God’s plan and task.  The lesson is summed up as a command as well, that the children of our initial ancestors, our progenitors, will each cling to each other in marriage by separating from their parents to join as one.  The last word here shows their innocence apart from knowing good and evil yet; they were naked and unashamed, for they knew nothing of inordinate desire yet, only God-given desires. 

Paradise and a Command for Life or Death

Genesis 2:8-17 

8 The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

After God created the man whom He had formed or fashioned from the dust of the earth He first made and in whom He breathed life, He made the Garden of Eden to the east for Adam and put him in it.  This place was wonderfully pleasing, having beauty to behold in its array of trees and plants, as well as a boundless source of food to enjoy and sustain.  This was what we think of when we hear the word paradise.  There were two notable trees there standing out from the others, however. One was the tree of life, and the other the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  A description of the surrounding rivers is accounted for, but notice how they originated in Eden to water that garden before going out and spitting up to other places.  The source was Eden.  What did God do then?  He put the man He created in the garden to care for it that it might be fruitful and cared for.  But he was also given a strict command to not eat from one tree only.  He could eat from such abundance, but not partake of the tree giving the knowledge of what is good and what is evil; God Himself was to teach man these things, growing to know good and evil as he walked with God (Hebrews 5:14).  The penalty for the disobedience, what we call sin, was certain death which we inherit (Romans 5:12, Romans 3:23).  He even could take of the tree of life and never die if he chose wisely and heeded God’s word with trust and obedience. 

God’s Breath of Life

Genesis 2:1-7 

1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

4 This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; 6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.  7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

After six days of creating the universe and the earth, God chose to rest from all the work.  It was a pause to enjoy His creation, not a necessary time to recover His strength after working so much.  God is all powerful and we are simply told that He rested from His work - He stopped working.  This seventh day which He blessed as holy is the sabbath rest which God later referred to in His Law, that there should be a time to reflect on the works of God (and our own since we labor in His image).  Ultimately we who are in Christ will cease from our work and rest in His work in Christ on our behalf, but that is much later in God’s timeline.  Then the narrative here reflects back on this creation of the earth and heavens, before the plants grew and a mist covered everything before the first rainfall.  Then God made man out of the dust or dirt of the earth itself, which we can now examine to see our carbon based composition as testimony to this truth.  Though God’s word does not supply the scientific details, scientific examinations reveal the truth of God’s word and work.  Ah, then God breathed His life into man whom He made out of dust, and Adam became a living being instead of just chemicals of the ground marvelously thrown together.  Life comes from God and returns to Him when we die (Ecclesiastes 12:7); it is He alone who creates and gives life to everyone, which is why it is futile to attempt creating life apart from His giving of it to His creations. 

Foundation for God’s Image Bearers

Genesis 1:26-31

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

After God created the foundation for His prized accomplishment, that is, the heavens and earth with the land and seas and plants and living things, then the stage was set.  He created man in His own image!  We are made reflect our Maker, our God, because He designed us to be this way, something no other animal or other part of created life was made to be.  We are no mere animal, and are of higher value than anything else He spoke into being, for we alone reflect the one who fashioned us.  Man was commanded to be fruitful and reproduce to fill the earth made for us, and to rule over all created for us.  He gave us food and gave all other living things food as well.  What a marvelous design we lightly call an ecosystem!  It was made this way because God said it was to be so, and this is very good in His eyes when He made man on the foundation of the world for His glory.  The sixth day came to a glorious close. 

Purposeful, Good, and Orderly Creation

Genesis 1:14-25 

14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

God created lights in the heavens to separate night from day, and to track time through seasons and years.  These would suffice by themselves for millennia until written calendars would define the seasons and years better, but still based on God’s created order in the beginning; there is nothing new under the sun.  In fact, He created the sun and moon to rule the night and day, as well as the stars for our wonderment.  By putting these just high enough in the sky, the fourth day was done and the stage set for all to follow.  He created many living things in the water and air and commanded them to be fruitful and multiply.  The fifth day was also a good finish from morning to evening.  Then Cod began to fill the earth He had so meticulously prepared with the animals (of which man is not, despite efforts of man to so categorize himself and deny God’s handiwork).  These animals and creeping things of all types were another good thing of His creation in God’s eyes.  What this tells us above all else is that God’s creation has purpose and order, is self-sustaining, and is good as made by His design.  God does not make useless or purposeless things; all He made is necessary and part of the bigger design picture for what was to come, as we will see in the next verses. 

God’s Foundation of His Creation

Genesis 1:1-13 

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.

When God created the universe, the heavens and earth, He spoke the worlds into being (Colossians 1:16, John 1:1-3).  He created everything we can see out of absolutely nothing but His will and word to make it so.  Then God’s Spirit moved over the empty world in the darkness of the newly created space, and spoke light into existence.  This was the first day, followed by the first night of darkness; together these were the first day as we reckon time.  It was good!  Then he created the sky above the earth called Heaven, separating the waters on the earth from that in the sky (most to later become clouds).  The second day passed, and the third followed with the waters on the earth made to gather together into seas instead of spread over the entire surface of the earth.  As earth and seas were made, it was again called good by their Creator.  Then He made grass, herbs, and fruit trees to prepare for food for the living creations to come. These all were designed to be self-sustaining, bearing fruit according to what each kind was.  He made the world to continue automatically after He put all into motion.  The third day was then over with the beginning foundation put in place.  Certainly God could have spoke everything into existence in a single word, yet He chose to do things this way in order to show us the intricacies of His creation and to better understand it.  

Come Quickly, Lord Jesus of Grace!

Revelation 22:18-21

   18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
   20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”  Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
   21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

We read and take heed to this book and its revelation of God’s will and plan.  It is not wise to speculate on the difficult things here, for that often adds things as if to put words in God’s mouth and change what He said by adding meaning that is not intended. This is not wise, for it is what brought original sin into the world to begin with (Genesis 3:1).  What God has indeed said is what we listen to, not rebelling as we ask, ‘did God indeed say’ these things written here.  Of course this applies to all of God’s word, but this book seems to carry a special warning to us. Here it is told plainly that if we change and so teach more than what God said He will do, we risk the consequences of the plagues stated throughout the book.  Likewise, we must not take away from the words, making God less a judge or not holding us accountable.  We risk losing rewards of honor and glory to God, and if our names are written in His Book, we may mislead others in our failure to teach the whole counsel of God in His Scriptures.  John heard and was shown these things which he witnessed and testifies to us that they are true, and to remind us here that He is coming sooner than we think and not when we expect.  His grace is with us who believe, sustaining and giving hope as we endure all things to the planned end and a new beginning with our Lord and Savior.  Lord Jesus, come quickly!  So it is written, so it shall certainly be done.  Amen and amen. 

Come to Christ to Drink Deeply and Freely!

Revelation 22:12-17 

    12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
    14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
    16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
    17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

We have been just told to keep God’s word as shown to John by God’s angels, and now are again reminded that Jesus is coming soon.  Are we ready to reap the reward that aligns with our actions and labor in the gospel for the Lamb of God which honors the Father?  He is the beginning and end of all things, the creator and Judge, the one in the beginning who is God and the End of all promises and prophecy as He planned from before He spoke us into existence.  Yes, He tells us clearly that we are to be obedient in all things (2 Corinthians 2:9, 1 Peter 1:14), the primary of which is to believe in Jesus the Christ (John 6:29), relying on God’s character, command, and charter given in the garden and now made possible in the Son of God and Man (Hebrews 5:14) to hear and heed what we are to do by His grace and will.  In Christ we have the right to partake of all these things, unlike those continuing in sinful rebellion who remain forever outside the gate.  These are those who have rejected Christ and His righteousness, choosing to continue in and loving to practice sexual immorality, idolatry, hatred, and lies.  God is not mocked, yet still holds back from this final judgement that others may repent and be delivered from these due things.  Jesus had John write these warnings and comforts of hope to the seven churches, reminding them all (and us) of who He is, and inviting us who thirst for Him to come freely and drink deeply of His boundless grace and mercy (Isaiah 55:1).  We also as His bride, the church, also implore you to come! 

The Faithful Keep His Word Faithfully

Revelation 22:6-11 

    6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.
    7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
    8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.
    9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”

After the angel showed John the judgements, the hope of those written in His Book, and the new dwelling place of life for us in God’s eternal presence, the affirmation is given that all these words of the vision revealed are absolutely true.  We were not there as he was, but as a faithful chosen witness we can believe these are God’s words of revelation.  By trust in His word, we know these things will certainly happen, and sooner more than later (at least in God’s sense of time).  Our Lord is coming quickly, as a thief in the night and as lightning flashing His light of power in judgement on sin and with authority to deliver and keep those who are His, who have repented and believed the only way, truth, and life in the Lamb who is the Christ.  We are then happy and blessed in keeping these words of reproof and comfort as they are written, not changing to make it more palatable, not speculating and adding to them, instead accepting as much as is clear and waiting on Him to reveal the rest in due time.  We worship the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb on the throne, and do as He says out of loving obedience and infinite thankfulness for opening the eyes and ears of our hearts to know Him, the power of His resurrection, and the sharing of His suffering.  We are conformed to His death on the cross, co-crucified that we might live forever in His presence.  All we who are made righteous in Christ have this hope and live accordingly.  This is a book of joy and hope in Him and also weeping and sadness for those rejecting so great a grace as deliverance from these due judgements.  This is motivation to bear witness to His good news that those He calls may hear (Romans 10:14-15). 

We Will See His Face at Last!

Revelation 22:1-5 

1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

The City of God has the throne of God and the Lamb as the center and the source of the water of life flowing out of them as a river.  This brings true peace like a river to our souls which will finally and forever be at rest in our Lord, as we are then before Him as is not possible in this life.  The clarity of the life eternal with our Father and His Christ will be seen in this paradise that makes Eden pale in comparison, for there will be healing from the Tree of Life which our ancestors were barred from by sinfully rebelling in not taking God at His word and living accordingly.  Our new life is based on a righteousness in the Lamb, and a new uncorrupted body will accompany our regenerated souls there.  The tree will continue to bear fruit of healing, life constantly provided by our Lord with the assurance that the evil has been forever cast out and kept out of this place.  There we can serve Him without fear of the future or past.  There we will see His face at last (Job 19:25-27)!   We will see our mark of ownership clearly upon each of us there.  Ah, and there will be no more darkness and we will not need a light of our own effort to see anymore in it, for God illuminates as well as keeps us all warm in His love and very presence there.  The amazing part of this grace is that we will reign with Him forever (2 Timothy 2:12), we who formerly were His rebellious enemies.  He rescued and restores us to and through His great grace.  We who are called now may endure much before His return in this present darkness of this evil age (Galatians 1:4), yet the hope set before us (Colossians 1:5) keeps us in the race and about our Father’s business.  Amen.

Yearning for Consummation to Worship

Revelation 21:22-27

22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Our New Jerusalem, the place where we worship our great God and Savior, this place is where we will worship and enjoy Him forevermore.  The temple of David and Solomon was transitory, being destroyed and replaced by individual temples as a part of the whole (1 Peter 2:5, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Ephesians 2:21).  When the Lord brings the heavenly city to the new earth which was the pattern for the earthly temple (Hebrews 8:5, 9:24), then we will see the temple is God Himself.  He as Emmanuel, God in our midst, will be the place of true worship with no representation of a place of worship between us anymore.  This new earth will also not require the sun or moon to rule the day or night (Genesis 1:16-18), for He will rule and be our light at all times.  The Lamb of God is also the light of the world for eternal salvation, not just to bring us initially to life in Him for salvation.  We who have been saved by that Light will together live in that light and bring honor and glory to the Lamb who alone is worthy.  This eternal city of God will never sleep or close to His people, but will be inhabited by all made righteous in Christ to be able to enter into these gates with thanksgiving.  Only those made holy in the Lamb, who He chose before creation and are this written in His Book of Life, only these will be with our God and Savior to continue to more perfectly honor and worship Him forever as we enjoy our Maker and Lord in His presence.  The very suggestion by some that heaven will be boring if we cannot pursue what we do in this life now cannot grasp the wonder of the gospel which delivers us out of darkness into this marvelous Light of the Lamb now and forever.  Living and worshipping Him is why we were created and the purpose of His design for eternity.  We who are His yearn for this consummation! 

Gates, Foundations, and Gazing on His Face

Revelation 21:9-21

    9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
    14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

After the plagues of judgement, the seven angels now spoke differently to John of the hope and goodness of God’s work for eternity.  This pattern of the severity and grace of God is completed in the rooms prepared for us (John 14:2) now previewed by John in this Revelation, and recorded for us to anticipate the reality of the grace to be given in the new earth within the new heaven awaiting us.  The bride of the Lamb is both the city and all who will live in it; this is the dwelling of those in the Lamb’s Book of Life, descending from God’s heaven and sitting on a high mountain.  This city will have God’s glory and light which John put in words to describe what little he could for us.  There are twelve gates showing the entrance of His first chosen people by tribe, and twelve foundations of Christ’s chosen apostles of the gospel.  Both Israel and the fullness of the nations are His people in the new city of God on earth.  Israel gave entrance to the Messiah and the apostles founded the details and fulfillment of Christ through the gospel preached.  We see the judgement of God finished and the glory of His inheritance of us in Christ in the New Jerusalem with rooms prepared for all who are His.  The dimensions of the great city are given, and the beauty of God’s chosen place to live with all His chosen people after the resurrection to eternal life with Him.   We who are His will one day walk those streets of gold, yet all their splendor will go unnoticed as we look full in His wonderful face.  Turn your eyes upon Jesus now to do so forever! 

New Creations of Eternity

Revelation 21:1-8 

    1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
    6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

After all the physical heavens and earth run from God’s face, He will make a new heaven and earth; the ones we have now will no longer exist.  It is interesting to see that John reported that there will no longer be an ocean in this new earth, for it will no longer be necessary because He will satisfy our thirst out of Himself.  Then the City of God which is the holy city of His presence, New Jerusalem, will come from the spiritual heaven as a bride for Him to live with and in forever.  This is the only true story where His people will live happily ever after!  He will reside in this eternal temple where we will be able to constantly worship and enjoy Him forever because He will live with us eternally, which is eternal life.  As His people in His presence with Him as our God, we will no longer suffer or be sorrowful; God Himself will dry our tears of past suffering and not allow us to cry anymore.  We will no longer hurt either in body or mind, because we will be made new also (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 53-54), just as the heavens and earth.  This current life of suffering will be replaced by one far better than Eden.  These true and faithful words are no mere dream, but promises shown as absolute by our great God and Savior, whom we have trusted and continue to trust forever.  He is the only beginning and end of everything, and as Sovereign Lord will do as He says, filling our thirst for Him and His righteousness with water of life that is complete and which never ends.  Therefore in this present life we overcome (1 John 5:4-5) the suffering, doubts, and fear, and inherit in Christ all He plans for us in Himself!  He will be our God, and we His children (1 John 3:1-3).  Those who do not overcome, who refuse to believe, remain in sin and rebellion, and will suffer the end they have desired apart from Him in unholiness and suffering forever; this second death is one which never ends, so they do not cease to exist, but cease to know anything else but the consequences of rejecting their Lord God Almighty.  What can they do now to avoid this?  This is the work of God, that you believe who He sent (John 6:29).  The gospel call is to be over-comers, to trust God’s work in His Son and be reconciled to God now and forevermore.  He who has ears to hear, please listen and understand before these things come to pass!  Amen. 

Books of the White Throne Judgement

Revelation 20:11-15 

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

After the Deceiver is thrown forevermore into the torment of the lake of fire which never dies, then the great white throne of God will reveal Him to all creation.  The mere gaze of the Holy One will make heaven and earth vanish from sight, for there is no more place for them when the Lord makes all things new.  Every dead person who ever lived will face God and have the books of their lives revealed to all, for He has seen everything we have thought, said, and done in life, and we will be called to account (1 Corinthians 3:12-14).  Yet the Lamb’s Book of Life will also be consulted to identify all who are His from the foundation of the world (Psalm 139:16, Ephesians 1:4).  Every dead one raised up here will be judged by what they have done in life, but only those not recorded in the Book of Life will follow the devil into the eternal torment of the burning lake of fire.  Not only that, but death itself and the realm of those who die will also be permanently thrown into that fire that burns but does not consume.  There is no annihilation, but eternal suffering of unquenchable fire (Mark 9:43-44) for all who are not Christ’s by His hand which recorded them before they were born.  This death is far worse than the first physical death which we all face (Hebrews 9:27-28), and the only escape from God’s wrath of judgement on our sin is in the Lamb of God, Jesus the Christ.  These last things John recorded for us here are not to be feared for eternal punishment for His elect (1 John 4:17-18), but is a warning to His own to hate and avoid sin to bring glory to the One calling us out of it (Ephesians 4:17-24).  Let we who know we have been called out of sin live no longer therein, and let those who do not have this certainly soberly and intently consider the gospel message and allow their hearts and minds be opened to the truth of deliverance from this terrible end.  

A Certain Judgement on the Deceiver

Revelation 20:7-10 

7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

God’s plan will continue to unfold after the dragon is set loose from a thousand years of confinement, just as He planned and just as He will cause it to occur.  The adversary’s chains will be removed so he can go back into the world to deceive the nations again, but this time specifically to bring them together in probably the largest army ever seen for a final showdown. This deceived mass of men will surround God’s city of Jerusalem where His saints are gathered, intending to destroy them in vengeance for his imprisonment and that of his beast and false prophet.  But God will simply send down judgement in fire from heaven to eliminate the forces of evil and throw the deceiver, the devil, into the same eternal lake of fire where the henchmen of evil already are.  These will all be tormented forever with grievous torture fitting the crime of cosmic rebellion against the Lord Almighty.  These things written here may include allegory, but they also contain the truth of satan’s end and his reign of intentional evil over the deceived of mankind since Eve (1 Timothy 2:14).  We can speculate how the events align and at what times, yet in the end God’s plan will unfold as the title of this book of Revelation indicates.  Knowing that the instigator of sin and the fall of man will be judged and condemned with all who work with him against their Creator, we have a certain hope to follow of we who are in Christ and a drive to testify to the gospel of Jesus Christ who alone can set the deceived free for eternity.  His truth is marching on!  Let us be about our Father’s work.

Binding and Setting Free

Revelation 20:1-6 

    1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
    4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

After the beast and its false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire, an angel of God will use the key to the bottomless pit to open it, chain the serpent dragon Devil Satan, bind and throw him in there for a thousand years.  The serpent who deceived Eve and led many away from God and Christ by his lies and rebellion has no power to stop God’s judgement nor his demise.  He is only bound temporarily this first time, but will ultimately be put away forever according to God’s plan.  We do not know the precise details, and it is not profitable to speculate beyond what we can see as written here, but the important thing to grasp is that God is sovereign, the Devil is limited and doomed, and the saints of God in Christ who suffer and die for His sake will rule with Christ and live for that thousand year time in the first resurrection.  They cannot ever die again.  They are to be God’s priests to serve and minister to the Father and Christ the Son.  That is their reward for His name’s sake, suffering through tribulation and trials for His glory!  Likewise, those raised at the end in Christ also find the reasonable service of worship forevermore before the throne of God (Romans 12:1, Revelation 21:3, 7). 

Terrible Swift Sword of Judgement

Revelation 19:17-21 

    17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”
    19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

John witnesses yet another angel, this one standing in the bright light of the sun.  He shouts to the birds that they may come to eat of the many dead from their defeat by the Word of God and the heavenly armies.  The quick battle is finished and the great God has prepared their supper of all rebellious people from all walks and positions of life.  Still the beast and its followers make one last vain attempt to fight against God’s Word and righteousness, and His army.  Still the evil is defeated and the beast with its false prophet working miracles; this one who deceived many into worship for one other than God and who were persuaded to take his mark will be taken captive.  Then these will be thrown into the tortuous lake of fire forever (Matthew 25:41), while the remaining followers will be slain by the Word as a sword from the Lamb’s mouth as judgement is spoken as a terrible swift sword on those set on the rebellion of sin who refused to bow in worship to the Lord God Almighty and His Christ.  Who wants to face such judgement?  Why delay in confession of sin and acknowledgment of righteousness in Christ alone, believing His work and person and following Him now?   Time will end and we all will stand before Him (Romans 3:23, Hebrews 9:27-28, 2 Corinthians 5:10).  The lake of fire was prepared in advance for the deceiver and fallen angels, but we will join them if we are not in Christ before He returns to restore all things to His design as planned. 

Grapes of Wrath and the Sword of Justice

Revelation 19:11-16 

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
    KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

John saw a white horse whose rider came from heaven to both fight the evil one and to judge because He is Faithful and True.  His robe is covered in blood, His eyes burn as fire, and He has many crowns of all authority and sovereignty on His head.  He is the Word of God, who is the highest King and Lord over all; God and man in one (John 1:1-3, 14), the Lamb and Son of God will lead the war of justice and truth in the end.  He leads the armies of heaven who are seen as holy by the pure white attire and riding white horses of holiness to the Lord as well.  The Son of God speaks not to create this time (Genesis 1:1-3), but also to wage war and defeat those committed to the evil rebelliousness of sin.  His word will cut as a sword in battle this time.  He will then rule absolutely over all nations with power and control and execute God’s judgement on sin with the fierce anger against sin and those perpetrating it.  It is as if He stomps out the evil with blood flowing as spiritual grapes of wrath on the earth.  The sword of God’s justice and feet of His judgement will end the universe’s rebellion against the Almighty God forever.  Will you be with Him when He returns to end this present evil dark age and bring His eternal kingdom of light to replace the darkness?  That is only possible through the gospel of Jesus Christ by His righteousness and work.  Trust His word and Him.

Glorifying Gospel Testimony of the Lamb

Revelation 19:6-10 

    6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
    9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

A great voice will be majestically echoed forth before the throne, as if innumerable people were talking and thundering, but this time to not only show God’s glory but also His sovereign rule over all time and its events.  The inhabitants of heaven will rejoice and glorify Him because the time for marriage of the Lamb with His church is at hand (Matthew 22:2-14).  The saints who are all called in Christ will have prepared themselves for ultimate union with Him in grace and their testimony and in His righteousness.  The angel testified to John in this revelation that these are truths of God, and all called to the wedding supper are indeed blessed.  John fell at the servant messenger’s feet as if to worship, but it was made clear that worship is God’s alone.  We all testify of Jesus, obedient angel and human messengers called out, and worship Him in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 29:2, 96:9).  This is the true spirit of prophecy, to testify to the work of Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away our sin! 

Gospel Motivation

Revelation 19:1-5 

1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”

Babylon will be destroyed, thrown down from a position founded on pride and the rebellion of sin.  Then we see the great number of those in heaven raising their voices to glorify God in His judgement and justice.  His is the praise, salvation, glory, power, and honor - these belong to no other!  They all will exclaim this truth loudly in the true and righteous way He brings down Babylon and all aligned with her who deceive others from the gospel truth of God’s word.  He avenges His people who have been murdered by her for His name’s sake.  These then will praise God and His work, as the four creatures and twenty four elders fall prostate before the throne to worship and praise Him and His righteousness in judgement.  The call then echoes from the throne of God and the Lamb for all His servants to praise and lift Him high, those who each fear Him, from the lowest slave to the highest ruler.  We are all to praise and glorify God in His redemptive work of justifying righteousness to deliver from sin, as well as His final judgement on it.  Looking ahead to what we know to come should motivate us to bear witness of His gospel work in Christ on the cross as we consider well the outcome of those who are not written in His Book; we proclaim the good news in light of the bad news of the fallen human condition as we are sent to do (Romans 10:14-17). 

Justice in Judgement at Last

Revelation 18:21-24 

21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. 22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. 23 The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.”

John now witnesses a great and powerful angel cast a huge milestone into the ocean.  He said this will be as Babylon thrown down in utter defeat, never more to be found.  There will be no more of the merriment not of the trade or making of merchandise; no life will be there anymore.  There will be nothing like lights burning or weddings even.  Because those there will be so deceptive for others and lure the world away from the gospel of truth by their false teaching, because they killed God’s servants, spokesmen, and messengers, they will fall with the city and its deception.  There have been and will continue to be those with a false gospel who attack and even kill God’s messengers of the gospel as in the past centuries, and deceive the world by claiming it is in the name of Christ for a true church of man’s construction of righteousness, but they will be held accountable for leading many astray.  God’s righteousness in Christ alone which justifies the ungodly will prevail in the end, and He will bring justice in judgement at last. 

God’s Justice is Cause for Rejoicing

Revelation 18:9-20 

9 “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’  11 “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: 12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’  19 “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’   20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”

When Babylon falls, all those in her influence and sin will be distraught.  The trade in human lives and material wealth will be over, and will stand far off in fear of being tormented and burned with her, knowing at last that there is a punishment for sin.  Quick is the gavel of Justice and righteous judgement of God on those who oppose Him and pridefully live for deception and pleasure.  But those in Christ and all the prophets and apostles who bore witness to the truth will rejoice in the sentence being passed, and God’s vengeance avenging their suffering for His name’s sake.  Amen.