As with Revelation 12, chapter 19 is likewise one of the most misinterpreted passages in what Jesus said are the things that shall take place shortly. Sadly, this same man-made confusion has caused many to avoid the topic of the end-times altogether. The result is that many do not have comfort, hope, or a sense of victory. This ought not to be because now is the time to declare the merciful warning as in the times of Noah. Only God raises up and brings downs the nations (Dan. 2:21). Our job is to save souls, not nations.
       We are meant to link the figurative language of Christ on a white horse in Rev. 19 with what we saw earlier in the vision in Rev. 14 of the seated heavenly court releasing the wrath of that Day. That is, releasing the bowl judgments that bring down the Antichrist. The passage even uses the same imagery of the winepress, showing the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
       In ancient times, the trumpet call sounded forth at a momentous time, either warning of danger or calling the people to gather for a feast. Bowls signify something prepared that is to be poured out. In short, the trumpets and the bowls are the same vengeance against evil, the just judgments of God.
        This time around, we get two more details about the warfare that affirm the defeat of the Antichrist. “And He Himself  [Christ, the King of kings] will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”  As always, our Lord Jesus has the preeminence (Col. 1:18). “For on His thigh a name is written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (v. 16).
       End-Time Lesson: No word in Scripture is haphazard. So why do you think that of all the things that could be said about Jesus’ rule, that the passage refers to the rod of iron? If you said it is because it is one of the promises given to His Body (Rev. 2:26-27) then give yourself a pat on the back! We’re meant to see that we are always with Him, in the place of all authority—ruling and reigning from  Heaven.
       Likewise, why does the angel tell John to write, “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” when it is not yet time for it? That celebration doesn’t happen until the millennial rule is complete, when God makes all things new again. It is because of what the angel adds to his declaration:  “These are the true sayings of God.”  
     In short, God’s prophetic plan of redemption is unfolding as declared and nothing can stop it. Despite the present warfare, no matter how things may look at any given time, His plan shall be fulfilled. “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!” Besides, there is another supper that has to take place first. Stay tuned.

     The next voices John hears are the loud praises of the heavenly court. If you haven’t noticed it yet, every time we see the description of a great multitude in Heaven, it refers to the raptured Church. “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments” (vs. 1-2a)       
       Notice that the 24 elders and four living creatures fall down in worship. They add the “amen and alleluia.” You may recall that the elders represent the Old Testament saints who accepted Jesus’ gospel message in Abraham’s Bosom and therefore ascended to Heaven with Jesus. Why would they rejoice at the Harlot’s fall? It is because they know evil must be dealt with, wherever it originates.
        Under the Old Covenant there were ramifications for breaking the Law. At a certain point, as lawlessness continued and God’s people chose to go their own way, the prophets warned the people of what would come. The people knew the consequences, yet chose to continue their own worldly ways. The prophet Isaiah declared, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Is. 5:20).
          Keep in mind, too, that not all of Israel has fallen. The rest of the Woman’s offspring, the faithful remnant who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ are in their protected place during the war for Jerusalem.
         “Then a voice came from the throne, saying, ‘Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great’!” (Rev. 19:5). To which the great multitude of the raptured Church responds with “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!” When this last Day ends and all is made new, there shall be a celebration like no other—the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. But for now, the heavenly court has more pressing things to attend to, “for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (v. 10). Something astounding happens when Heaven rejoices at God’s justice and mercy.
          End-Time Lesson: What John sees next gives us more details about how the Antichrist is defeated as prophesied. We know that the Antichrist has already declared war on Israel. Now John sees the veil over the heavenly realm being pulled back again. We see the Faithful and True One, the Righteous One, the Judge who makes war against the Antichrist’s coalition.
          He has eyes like a flame of fire. He is wearing many crowns. His name is called the Word of God (see Jn. 1:1). You may recall that the Body of Christ follows Jesus wherever He goes. So of course we are seen likewise riding horses in the heavenlies. Despite what you may have been taught, notice that this vision never shows this heavenly landing on the earth to fight like mere mortals.
          It doesn’t even say we ride through the heavenlies! There is no need to now because the archangel Michael and his angelic army already went to war with the evil spirits there and defeated them. Satan and his forces were cast down to the earth. Our spiritual warfare is fought using the Word. We sit tall in the saddle like our King before us and yield the strongest, most effective weapon in all of creation: our two-edged sword. [Ps. 149:6; Heb. 4:12].
           The sword is pictured as being in the Lord’s mouth. Do we really believe that Jesus will have to literally come down to the fallen earth and ride around swishing His head back and forth to cut down the enemy? For that matter, have any of us ever seen the four horsemen of the apocalypse (tribulation) riding around in our current heavenlies? Of course not. John is using the figurative images of warfare in His time (the cavalry) to set the stage. The two edged sword is our agreement with God’s will, our declarations and praise to the Most High God, releasing His will on the earth.

       As the end of the 6th great Day in God’s prophetic plan of redemption draws near, the next supplemental vision in Rev. 18 summarizes Israel’s condition in our own time. Her time for repentance is running out. For the offer to become the true Bride of Christ is a limited-time offer. It runs out at the end of the 6th great Day. By the time the 7th Day dawns, it is too late to become part of the Body of Christ, the Church, His Bride.
        But that doesn’t mean it is all over for Israel or for those left behind. They can still call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. They can become part of the redeemed family of God, but they miss out on becoming the heavenly court. This is what the Thief (Satan) robs from them if they are not watchful and alert to God’s times and seasons in this present age. Thankfully, if they do repent and receive Jesus as the Savior, they will live eternally with God in the new heavens and the new earth.
          As if to drive the timely point home, however, John sees the Fall of Babylon the Great and how the world reacts to it.  “For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury” (Rev. 18:3).
          From our perspective, we know that despite all of Israel’s efforts, her defenses will fall and sudden destruction will come. She confidently depended upon her own works. “For her sins have reached to Heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her” (Rev. 18:5-6). 
         Thankfully, we know that this fall is not the end. We know the remnant of Israel shall repent, this time for real, because they have finally recognized the Messiah. Sadly, their delay in accepting Him means they will have to endure the wrath of that Day along with those left behind at the rapture. Mercifully, they will have the later rain outpouring of God’s Spirit to empower them to become mighty warriors.
           End-Time Lesson: The supplemental vision is quick to point out two reactions to this literal fall as half of the city of Jerusalem goes into captivity (Zech. 14:2). As for the apostate leaders and merchants who allowed the Scarlet Woman to ride upon them, they now mourn her. Interestingly, verse 23 declares that “the light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore.”
          It sounds very much like the statue of a woman holding a lighted torch in a prominent port of the merchants, that just so happens to also be a financial center, entertainment center, and the place where abortion was first legalized. As one of the cities of the world, it shall likewise fall due to the judgments that are the wrath of that Day. No wonder John hears another voice warning the people “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues” (v. 4). 
            While the world mourns, however, verse 29 records the other reaction. “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!” God’s judgments are always righteous. In this case, since Israel clung to the Old Covenant so tightly, they experience the righteous judgments under the Old Covenant regulations.
            Those Jews who did accept the salvation that comes through Jesus under the New Covenant would have been raptured before the wrath was poured out.  The Woman has had the opportunity for 2,000 years now to repent and receive her salvation. In her pride and stubbornness, she turned her back, for the most part, on God’s grace.
            Amazingly, though, there is still hope and restoration possible. The prophecy that Daniel had read, prompting his intercession on behalf of his people, led to his prophecy concerning Israel’s hope and future (the 70 Weeks Prophecy). The first prophecy came from the prophet Jeremiah. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:11-13).

     Once again, the issue boils down to this: “Nor is their salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). We must remember as we view these supplemental visions, that we are going back in time before the rapture. We’re seeing what ultimately set up the final earthly Battle.
      The apostate Jews rejected Christ at His first coming. They rejected the Bread of Life as recorded in John 6:29-40. As a result of rejecting the Son of God, they lost the protection of their covenant with God. The last part of Chapter 17 reviews their tragic cycle of oppressors, bringing us up to speed to this present age (Day 6).
         John is naturally perplexed by what he is seeing, especially since he doesn’t have the advantage of history’s perspective as we do. So an angel gives him a quick review of the beastly heads or Gentile kingdoms, all of which are recorded in the Old Testament, some of which were pictured in Nebuchadnezzar’s statue of the times of the Gentiles.  
            John is told that five of the seven heads (kingdoms) have come and gone from power as of the time John is receiving this Revelation. The first five are Egypt, Assyria (who captured the northern kingdom), Ancient Babylon (who captured the southern kingdom), Persia, and Greece. The one that “is” as of John’s point in time is the sixth, Rome, which eventually split into the two branches of the western and eastern empires (the two legs on Nebuchadnezzar’s stature).
           John is then told that another head (the 7th empire) has not yet come in John’s time. The angel explains that when it comes, it will continue for a short time. The 7th empire that ruled the eastern part of the former Roman Empire was a series of Islamic superstates that  came and went, the most notable of which was the Ottoman Empire. It was disbanded after World War I.
          End-Time Lesson: The angel goes on to say that in time an 8th empire will arise from what was once the area of the 7th—that is the Middle East. The “beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.” This simply means this final Gentile coalition will include all the areas of the previous seven empires. The fact that this 8th embodiment of the Beast is going to perdition tells us that it is the final oppressor. Its destiny is utter destruction and eternal damnation. This is why Paul identified the Antichrist as the Son of Perdition (2 Thess. 2:3).
         All of Israel’s modern weapons and man-made defenses will fail them at first, as they did in October 2023. So what happens to turn the tide? The oppressors “will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Rev. 17:14).
       What releases the Lamb to overcome their enemy? Israel’s repentance and acceptance of God’s Anointed One, their Savior and Redeemer. The Revelation shows us that Israel’s story will change. It will no longer be the mystery of Babylon the Great, of the Mother of Harlots and of the abominations of the earth. For they will have “the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ” (Col. 2:2).
         Verse 17 affirms that God is allowing the Scarlet Beast to come against the Scarlet Woman to fulfill His purpose and His words, particularly the last prophetic Word given to the Jews in the book of Malachi. He exposes their polluted offerings, their apostasy, and their infidelity in Chapters 1-3, including their rejection of the “messenger of the covenant, Jesus the Messiah. Chapter 4 describes the coming of the Day of the Lord that will bring this judgment, yet also mercy.  
        “But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,” says the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 4:2-3).

     Chapters 17 and 18 are a brief interlude in the sequence of events. They are like the aside in a play that explains something important about what is happening on stage. They give us crucial information about the characters in the scene. That is, the Scarlet Woman and the Scarlet Beast.
     The unexpected spiritual identification of Jerusalem we saw in Rev. 16 may rattle some people. It has to do with Israel’s calling to be a people unto God, as His living object lesson as to how God’s kingdom and love operates to a fallen world. Like a besotted lover, He is a jealous God (Ex. 34:13-15; Deut. 4:23-25).
      Throughout the Exodus and the establishment of the Promised Land, the nation rebelled and did its own thing as they saw fit. They disregarded God’s command to wipe out all the ungodly people whose religions included perverted worship practices and child sacrifices. It is no wonder we are seeing these very practices in mush of entertainment and political world. As God had warned, these people would corrupt them. Even if God’s chosen people followed certain elements of their God-ordained religion, their hearts were far from Him at times. They rejected His grace and His eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.
      The Apostle John sees what has become of his people spiritually in these last Days of the New Covenant. Instead of seeing the mystery of Christ, of Jesus and His Church becoming one through resurrection as recorded in earlier chapters, John now sees the Mystery of Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth (v. 5).  In John’s gospel record, the Apostle dutifully recorded Jesus’ response to the Jewish religious leaders. “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive” (Jn. 5:43).
        End-Time Lesson: The issue boils down to this: “Who do you say I am?” (Mt. 16:14-16). Christ’s crucifixion was brought about by the Jewish religious leaders conspiring with Rome, their oppressor. After Christ’s resurrection confirmed Jesus as the Son of God, Israel still had a choice as to whom they would serve.  
      God’s commission to Jesus’ followers was to preach the Gospel in all the world. But once again, it was the Jewish leaders who fought so hard to hinder their evangelistic efforts and to reject the Gentile Christians (Acts 4:1-2). This is why Rev. 17:6 records that Israel was responsible for the blood of the saints and martyrs.
         But that is not all. Rev.17:3-6 identify the Harlot as the counterfeit bride. Her true nature is seen in the cup she holds—it is full of abominations (repulsive actions) and the filthiness of her fornication (her ungodly union with the ways of the world instead of the One to whom she should belong).
         Just as Christ is the embodiment of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Beast is the embodiment of the Kingdom of Darkness, the Scarlet Woman is the embodiment of the Apostasy, the broken covenantal relationship between God and His people, the apostate Jews, prior to the initial invasion, the final sign of darkness, and the second coming of Christ. 
         This is why she is described as Babylon the Great. It is the same rebellious spirit behind Babel. She seeks to build a “tower” of power of her own doing. She is the counterfeit to God’s City, the New Jerusalem, which Rev. 21 says is the Bride of Christ. As the counterfeit city, the Scarlet Woman rides the dragon-like Beast, being carried by it. Their fates are intertwined because they both have rejected God’s Son. The rest of Chapter 17 and then Chapter 18 describe their history.

     It is interesting that Rev. 15 opened with seven angels standing ready to pour out their bowls of wrath, yet the command to “go and pour” is not heard until the first verse of Chapter 16. What happened in between? The underlying theme of the entire Revelation: the mystery of Christ in His fullness. It is the timely ruling declarations of the King and His Bride (the heavenly Esther) seated as the heavenly court .
       Psalm 110 prophetically announced the Messiah’s reign. “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’ The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!” (v.1)
      Isaiah 66 prophetically confirmed that Christ’s 1,000-year reign would begin with the rapture when He comes again at the dawn of the 7th Day. “The hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants,
and His indignation to His enemies. For behold, the Lord will come with fire and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire” (Is. 66:14b-15).
       This supplemental vision of God’s judgments in Rev. 16 provides an encore performance of the trumpets we saw earlier in Rev. 8-9, as well as the second woe described in Rev. 11. They are recorded in a slightly different order with slightly different features described. Yet what we see matches the judgments prophesied in Ezekiel 38-39 concerning the 3½-year war.
       As the bowls are released, we see the people struck with terrible sores, the seas and fresh waters turning to blood, the earth scorched with unbearable heat, and a terrible darkness appearing in the sky that brings tortuous pain. Then the Euphrates River dries up, releasing evil spirits that perform deceitful signs that spark a worldwide war known as the Battle of that great Day of God Almighty.
        At first glance, verse 15 seems out of place. Does He come as a thief in the midst of the judgments being poured out from the bowls? No, John simply records what he hears Jesus saying concerning the Day of the Lord that dawns with the rapture and then initiates the wrath of that Day. To those who are not “in Christ,” the coming of that Day means they are robbed of something—the heavenly calling of being one with Him, being part of His Body, and reigning with Him for all eternity.
         It is as if Jesus is calling attention to the eternal consequences of mankind’s decisions. The sad part about this is that Jesus has already made salvation possible for every person. No one has to go through these judgments. But that reality is not up to God, for He has created mankind with a will to choose whom they will serve.
         As with the first two world wars, the battle does effect the whole world, but the fighting is centralized. In this case, in the Middle East. You may have heard this war called the Battle of Armageddon, primarily because of verse 6. This verse is the only place where we see this Hebrew name.
         It’s Hebrew nature has added to the confusion surrounding this battle. The place name is a misinterpretation of the Hebrew word that was used. Hebrew uses no vowels, and uses special markings (jots and tittles), making it hard to come up with a direct translation. For example, Yeshua, Jesus’ name in Hebrew, is translated as Jesus.
     The translators recorded it as Armageddon because of the accumulated archaeological mounds (tells) that were built up there over time. It simply refers to the Mount of Assembly, which is Mt. Zion and Jerusalem. This is why scholars cannot agree on the specific location for the translated place name and why they cannot find it throughout ancient history.
         As with the final 7th trumpet we saw in the overview, the earth is utterly shaken as a heavenly voice declares, “It is done.” There are noises, thunderings and lightnings. You may recall that I told you we would hear these earth-shattering noises again. They are the ruling declarations of the heavenly court against all evil!
        As before, they bring a great earthquake—“such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth” (v. 18). The earthquake splits Jerusalem into three parts. This shaking of the heavens and the earth also causes many of the cities of the nations to fall. Islands disappear and mountains collapse. A great plague of hail destroys much of what is left.
        End-Time Lesson: We know from the Old Testament that the topography of Israel, and particularly Mt. Zion, is radically changed by these “noises.”  Jerusalem is not only broken into three pieces, it falls like so many of the world’s great cities. She receives God’s righteous judgment. She is given the cup of the wine of the fierceness of God’s wrath (v. 19).
         This passage is not referring to ancient Babylon as some assume. To understand why Jerusalem is referred to as great Babylon, we have to look back at Chapter 11. Moses and Elijah have miraculously appeared in Jerusalem to preach the Gospel and witness to God’s power and authority. You may recall that when their ministry is complete, they are allowed to be murdered, yet God miraculously raises them from the dead and they arise to heaven.
       Notice that the great city of Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified, is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, Old Testament locations where evil and debauchery reigned supreme. Here in Rev. 16 Jerusalem is also spiritually called Babylon, a Gentile city that followed after their own gods and reveled in temple prostitution.
         These unexpected place names simply call attention to why God has allowed this final war as a weapon of His indignation. Israel in general has rejected Jesus Christ as the Son of God, which ultimately means it has rejected its covenant relationship with God the Father. Worse yet, it has participated in the spread of modern-day Baal worship so prominent in the entertainment industry. This is the apostasy that we saw earlier. This is why God allows the consequence of their ways by allowing the invasion.   Thankfully, this is not the end of Israel’s story. Unlike the nations that surround her, Israel has come to see the error of her ways and cries out to God, who mercifully comes to their defense, in the person of Jesus Chriset, the Son of God coming again. Those who finally receive Him as the Messiah shall therefore be spared. She shall prevail by the grace of God.
        This judgmental encore straightens out the End-Time highway of God in that we do not have to return to fight the misnamed battle of Armageddon by human means. Once we are gathered together with Christ in Heaven, we simply use our two-edged sword of agreement with God’s will to release the trumpet/bowl judgments.   

     Right on cue the next vision John reveals is the declarations of the seated heavenly court in Rev. 15. This isn’t another rapture. It is a vision of the court in session. Just as Daniel prophesied, we release the bowls carrying the wrath of that Day—the judgments against the Antichrist and those who have rejected Christ. We are about to glimpse operation consume and destroy (Dan. 7:26).
       We are pictured before the throne, on a sea of glass that is mixed with fire. Fire symbolizes light as well as power and purification. It also symbolizes the just destruction of those who have rejected God and His Son.         We are singing a song of praise, a song of the Lamb who overcame death. The Head and His Body, His Church, His Bride are united as one new Man to judge the world (Acts 17:31) by virtue of overcome death through resurrection.
        End-Time Lesson:  Why is the court singing when fierce justice is about to be served? Psalm 149:6 gives us the clue. “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.” Satan hates to hear such praise. It reminds him that he is defeated, if not yet incarcerated (stay tuned).    
      When we praise God while we are still on the earth, His power is released in our lives. Our praise releases God’s will with our agreement on earth as it is in heaven. It is how we wage spiritual warfare. That principle of the prayer of agreement doesn’t change when we are resurrected.
       We are singing the song of Moses, a song of great victory. For through God’s will the Old Testament prophet and deliverer overcame the enemy of his time with a collection of just plagues that were released because of Pharoah’s stubbornness and deceit.
         Now at the appointed time in God’s end-time plan, we declare that God is Almighty, His ways are true, for He alone is holy. We release God’s will on earth as in heaven, speaking words of faith. “For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested” (v. 4). As a result, seven angels go forth from the heavenly temple, carrying the judgments that are the wrath of that Day, God’s vengeance against evil.
          It’s interesting that the heavenly temple fills with smoke at this very moment. The “smoke” is actually the glory of God and His power manifested in a tangible way. The force of this smoke is so powerful that no one can enter the temple. This same thing happened when the first earthly temple that Solomon built was dedicated unto God.
       To see it here again symbolizes God’s power and complete authority in heaven and in the earth. Note, too, that this song sends seven angels to release seven plagues on the earth. Seven represents completion. The Antichrist and his coalition will be completed defeated as we shall see shortly in another supplemental vision.