[Continuing from Chapter 16 of Revelation. This concludes my 4-part summary of Greg Albrecht's Exposition of Revelation (in Revelation Revolution)]
In Chapter 16, the angels pour out the bowls in quick succession. Those who follow the beast are stricken with boils, the sea turns to blood, the rivers and springs turn to blood, the sun becomes intensely hot, and the kingdom of the beast is plunged into darkness. River Euphrates is dried up, preparing the way for the evil kings of the east to come and battle the army of God at Armageddon.
These judgments are most possibly not a blow-by-blow description of coming judgment but graphic, metaphorical illustrations of the sure judgment of God.
We see (
in chapters 17-18 of Revelation) a portrait of God’s earthquake-like devastation on the religious-political system of Babylon. God minces no words, comparing the enticements, temporary pleasures and ultimate emptiness of religion to a whore.
This whoredom is not sexual prostitution. This is a sign of infidelity and includes power and money, key elements of prostitution. Many who profess the name of Christ can fall for the temptation of selling themselves for the price of self-sufficiency and vanity. The whore is described as riding the beast with seven heads and ten horns, introduced in Ch 13.
An angel explains that the seven heads of the beast represent seven hills or mountains and seven kings. The ten horns are ten lesser kings who rule with the beast. The beast revolts against the whore, who represents a religious system that rules the world.
For Christians in the first century, this city would have represented Rome. The beast would have represented the political power of Rome; its seven heads corresponding to the seven hills of Rome as well as the succession of emperors in the first century. However, the whore and the beast are the archetypes of every evil system opposed to God throughout the ages. The whore is the great religious system that has controlled the history of the world. She is the economy and the culture. The rulers of the world hate her because she controls them; but they are in bed with her because they want what she provides. This system could be communism, materialism, atheism, or even counterfeit Christianity. Chapter 18 gives a detailed account of God’s judgment on this system. It contains a funeral dirge for the system of Babylon.
In Chapter 19, Jesus is the rider on a white horse. He has destroyed Babylon. The chapter contrasts the whore and her lovers from Babylon with the Lamb and his bride.
The bride is the church, the people of God down through time. Christ’s bride wears white clothing in contrast to the purple and red clothing of the great whore. The whore of Babylon earns her purple and red clothing by her profession that degrades and abuses her.
The bride is given her garments, which symbolize righteousness, reminding us that our righteousness is given to us because of Jesus Christ, by God’s grace. She accepts the love of the Lamb who died and gave Himself for her. A wedding supper is given for her.
The battle between the forces of Christ and the armies of the Kings of the world turn to be a non-contest. The beast and the false prophet are thrown into a lake of fire and the rest of the army is killed, the birds gorging themselves on their flesh in a great supper of God to which all the fowls are invited.
Chapter 20 talks about a thousand-year reign of the saints. In Psalms 50:10, the psalmist tells us that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. The one thousand years of Revelation could well be symbolic of a long, long period. Three views have prevailed about the one-thousand years.
Postmillennialism was the prevailing Protestant idea until about mid-nineteenth century. In this view, Jesus’ second coming occurs after the millennium. It looks for a thousand year period of peace brought about by the evangelistic work of Christianity, after which Christ will return to defeat Satan and rule forever. Obviously, such a millennium has not started as peace does not reign supreme on earth.
Premillennialism is now popular among evangelicals and teaches that Christ will return, followed by an exact thousand year reign followed by Satan’s removal. Dispensational Premillenialists believe that Christians will be raptured seven years before the millennium, requiring two second comings of Jesus. Historic Premillennialists see rapture at Christ’s second coming, immediately preceeding the one thousand years.
Ammillennialsm believes that the thousand years is symbolic of an imprecise period of time of the ‘Church age’ between Christ’s resurrection and his return.
What can we know for sure? During this time, Christ and the saints reign and Satan is bound and sealed in the abyss. Initially, earth is a ‘Satan-free’ zone but towards the end he is released, deceives and is again soundly defeated by fire from heaven. This points out that even under the best of circumstances the human heart is deceitful. Perhaps Satan will be allowed back to prove that even when we have been exposed to perfection, we are still capable of being deceived. This lesson may not be for some future time, it could be for Christians of all times. Satan is finally cast into the lake of fire where the beast and the false prophet await him.
We come back to the heart and core of GOSPEL: We are saved by grace.
The next scene depicts Judgment. At least two books are opened. One of them includes names of those who will be judged ”according to their works”. We might call this ‘The book of Human Merit and Works’. We often think that our evil deeds will be outweighed by our good deeds. But James 2:10 says that anyone who stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all the law. No one can come out of the Last Judgment looking good based on his or her deeds. This book is contrasted with another book, the book of Life. Only those whose names are written in this book is saved from eternal damnation.
At the end (chapters 21 & 22) of the book of REVELATION, Jesus tells us that all things will become new. We have only known an earth of suffering, sin, pain, heartache, warfare, inhumanity lust and greed. A new world is coming that will be without all these. 
The new Jerusalem is referred to as a bride, which tells us about God’s personal relationship with his people, for all eternity. Towards the end of the book Jesus reminds us that He is coming soon. Twenty centuries from the time the book was written does not appear to be “soon”. Some say that these prophecies have already been fulfilled but it is obvious that many of these have not. Death still lurks, the first heaven and earth are still around and the bodily second coming of Jesus has yet not taken place.
“Soon” could therefore be when the believer dies and goes to be with God. It is just that since we do not live longer than 70 or 80 years, on average. Whether we live in the first or the twenty first century, Jesus is coming soon. The Revelation is always current.
[The CROSS was in essence God's LOVE at cross-roads with God's Righteousness and Judgment. God's REVELATION to John too, was of God's LOVE at cross-roads with God's righteous judgment. If only we understand its message, will we accept his Grace, become his Bride and join him for eternity. Greg Albrecht of PLAIN TRUTH MINISTRIES has fascinatingly brought out this clear message in his exposition. I recommend that you read this book to soak yourself with a clear understanding of God's message of love and hope, conveyed through John's REVELATION.]
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(RELATED ARTICLE . . . REVELATION AND YOU )
The new Jerusalem is referred to as a bride, which tells us about God’s personal relationship with his people, for all eternity. Towards the end of the book Jesus reminds us that He is coming soon. Twenty centuries from the time the book was written does not appear to be “soon”. Some say that these prophecies have already been fulfilled but it is obvious that many of these have not. Death still lurks, the first heaven and earth are still around and the bodily second coming of Jesus has yet not taken place. “Soon” could therefore be when the believer dies and goes to be with God. It is just that since we do not live longer than 70 or 80 years, on average. Whether we live in the first or the twenty first century, Jesus is coming soon. The Revelation is always current. 
