Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

Revelation chapter 19 brought world history to a satisfying conclusion. Christ’s white army overcame the antichrist’s dark army. The beast and the false prophet were thrown into hell. Peace at last. 

But chapter 20 says, “Wait! That’s not the end of the story. There’s more. The peace only lasts a thousand years.” 

What? Only a millennium of peace? Wasn’t Christ supposed to reign forever?  

Here’s the story from Revelation 20. 

First, Satan, that old serpent from the garden of Eden, is thrown into the Abyss. 

Then the saints martyred by the beast are resurrected to reign with Christ on earth for a thousand years. 

And then, at the end of that millennium, we have a second coming of Satan, who escapes from the Abyss and convinces the nations that Christ’s reign is a disaster. Who needs Christ and all his religious servants to impose their morality on earth? 

Satan organizes a worldwide revolt to depose Christ and to take back the earth for those he thinks deserve it–people who are strong and independent and think for themselves. Like him. 

Sounds like a repeat of the garden of Eden. The serpent counseled Adam and Eve to revolt at the world’s beginning. Now he convinces the nations to revolt at the world’s end.

This time, Satan’s gift is . . . Armageddon, that great battle where every nation marches against God’s city, Jerusalem. But this time, this time God has had enough of human free will. He acts with power, sending fire from heaven to consume the evil armies. That unholy trinity–the beast, the false prophet, and the devil–are finally and forever defeated. 

Then, God resurrects everyone who has died from the beginning of the world. He judges every person, rewarding some and sending others to join the unholy trinity they have served. 

God continues by remaking heaven and earth. The holy city, the new Jerusalem, comes down from heaven. God says he will live there among his resurrected people forever, healing their pains and sorrows, wiping away their tears. Only joy belongs in the new order. 

God says, “It is finished,” echoing Christ’s words on the cross. He says, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.” The long story that began in the garden of Eden ends here in a new Eden, a new Jerusalem, a new heaven and earth. 

Let’s pray. 

Our father, we live in the middle of your great story. Born too late to see the garden of Eden. Born too early to experience the wars and chaos at the end of time. Unless they happen soon.

Look upon us with your favor. Help us to journey in faith, as our world experiences again the rise and fall of empires. 

Help us not to place our hope in king or empire, not to believe that the right policies or the right morality will convert the kingdom of earth into the kingdom of God. 

In our time, help us wait patiently for the new story where your kingdom triumphs over all the others. 

Help us to be your faithful servants in everything our life and times brings us. 

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

Revelation chapter 18 predicted the destruction of Babylon, saying, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!” So, what’s next?

Chapter 19 continues the story. At long last, after the lamb’s servants on earth have endured persecution and martyrdom, heaven is ready to act. 

The main event? The wedding feast of the lamb. We see the church pictured as a bride dressed in bright white linen, the one who will soon marry the lamb of heaven. Having long endured the violence of the beast and the machinations of the prostitute Babylon, it is time for the church to exchange sorrow for joy, persecution for victory. 

Before the wedding supper is prepared however, heaven has to vaporize the beast. To accomplish this, Christ appears on a white horse wearing a robe dipped in blood. Now that’s a disturbing fashion statement. His army follows him into war, also dressed in white and riding white horses.

As the army marches from heaven, an angel summons the birds, “Come one and all to God’s supper. You will feast on the corpses of kings and generals and horses and riders and people great and small.” 

On earth, the beast and the kings muster a massive army of darkness against  the  army of light. When the white army wins, the beast and his false prophet are turfed into the lake of fire. 

And the birds on the battlefield feast. 

Let’s pray. 

Our father, we love the lamb, we love the picture of Christ riding to war with an army of white. We love the vengeance and destruction he wreaks on the evil empires, and the punishment he imposes on their leaders. 

But we say, “When O God, when will you bring this about?” For our experience has not yet changed: we are still the hidden church finding her uncertain way through the labyrinths of earth’s twisted kingdoms, its evil moralities and false religions. 

Bring us soon to the time when you will destroy all evil, when your white army will overwhelm dark powers, when we will joyfully say our wedding vows to the lamb, when we will eat the feast he prepares. 

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

In Revelation chapter 17, the apocalyptic season of visions ended with a cliffhanger: the beast was preparing to destroy the prostitute Babylon and launch a war against the lamb and his people. 

Chapter 18 opens a season of visions. But it doesn’t start where the old season left off. It begins with a massive spoiler, telling us how the story ends. Instead of continuing the story with the bloody details of wars and machination, it prophesies the downfall and destruction of Babylon, the evil empire. 

Let’s ask three questions. 
   Who is Babylon?
What did she do wrong?
And what is her future? 

First, who is Babylon? 

In the Old Testament, Babylon was a world power with an unbeatable military and unimaginable wealth. It was a hub of world trade and luxury, and home to the world’s tallest building—a temple dedicated to the god Marduk. 

Fast-forward to the gospel era. Rome is the new Babylon. A military power, wealthy, steeped in luxury, arrogant, and decadent. 

What can we describe as Babylon today? Just look for the tallest buildings in the world, temples where the modern gods of luxury and trade are worshiped. Like the World Trade Center in New York, China’s Shanghai Tower, and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Or look at our super malls, temples of consumerism. Or look at expensive gated neighborhoods surrounded by oceans of favelas. Today, Babylon is everywhere. 

Next question. What has Babylon done wrong? I think verse 7 reveals John’s answer. He says,
    In her heart she boasts,
        “I sit enthroned as queen . . .” (Rev. 18:7)

Babylon is the nation that manages its own affairs and plans its own destiny without reference to God. Babylon is the nation that masters its world, that builds its own kingdom instead of God’s kingdom. 

Last question: What is Babylon’s future? John does not offer hope that China will at last make Communism work. Nor does he predict success for the “Make America Great Again” campaign. 

Instead, he predicts that soon, in Babylon, lights flick off, music and dancing stops, trade ceases, and military power ends. The frenetic activity of the great city will turn to Sabbath rest. Not a rest that Babylon chooses, but a rest of quiet desolation and destruction imposed by the judgment of God. 

Let’s pray. 

O Lord, we live in a fantasy land. Where nations define themselves by war and violence and luxury. Where wealth is king and trade is queen, where the high priests of consumerism promise happiness and success. 

Save us, good Lord, from Babylon. For we know the end of her story. When you finish writing this chapter of history, when music is silenced and trade has ceased and  kingdoms are bankrupt, bring us safely into your everlasting kingdom.

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

In recent episodes we’ve looked at 16 chapters of the Book of Revelation. In a tangled and violent history, the world suffered through seven seals, seven trumpet blasts, and seven bowls of wrath.  

A trinity of seven disasters, three cycles of seven, what could be more fitting at the end of time? But the story doesn’t end there. Revelation 17 opens with still another beast appearing on the world stage.  

This new beast shows up in a desert. Riding this beast is a woman called “The Great Prostitute”, who arrives drunk with the blood of Christian martyrs. On her forehead is written, “Babylon the Great, Mother of Prostitutes and Abominations” (Rev 17:5). This woman won’t feature in many Mothers’ Day sermons!

The angel says to John, “Let me explain the mystery of the woman and the beast.” 

He tells John the woman is “the great city that rules over the kings of the earth” (v. 17). She is named for Babylon, the ancient city of Babel, where men built a tower to reach heaven, where God confused their languages and terminated their construction project, dispersing them throughout the world. The kingdom of Babylon reappears in the Old Testament, when it conquered Israel, destroyed God’s temple, and took God’s people into exile. 

Today, modern Babylons repeat the evils of old, building rockets to conquer space, cruise missiles to conquer enemies, and taking captives to consumerism, militarism, religion, and sex. 

But back to John’s vision. The beast that Babylon rides “once was, now is not, and will be again” (v. 8). The beast will come from the Abyss to rule the earth.

Where does Jesus fit in all this? He was alive on earth for 33 years, then he was executed, and he came back to life. The Book of Revelation promises he will descend on the clouds to rule earth. 

The beast in John’s vision is anti-Jesus, an anti-Christ who appears on earth, then appears to die, then appears again as if resurrected from the Abyss, coming again to conquer the world, not to save it. 

The angel tells John the seven heads on this beast represent seven hills the woman sits on. They also represent seven kings–five past, one present, and one future (v. 10). The beast itself is king number 8.  

But eight kings aren’t enough for this story. The beast’s 10 horns represent ten more kings who hate the prostitute, Babylon, who rides them. They help the beast wage war against her, and against the lamb and his followers.

Confusing? Mystery and intrigue and ambiguity are everywhere in this story. Why does the beast war against Babylon? Can’t they be friends in a common hatred of Christ? Stay tuned for the next episode!

Let’s pray. 

O father, John’s vision paints history as a confusing parade of beasts and kings and kingdoms and an evil queen.

Thank you that John also paints a picture of heaven where the lamb reigns in peace. A lamb with power over the kingdoms of this world, and over the beasts who rule them, and over Babylon who rides the beast, and over the rulers who war with each other and you.

Look on us from heaven. We are your servants who live in the kingdom of beasts, but we serve the kingdom of heaven. Protect us and give us wisdom to walk through these confusing times. 

O Lord, do your work quickly, we pray. Prepare the world for judgment and salvation.  

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

In the Book of Revelation, chapter 14, the son of man came on the clouds, and an angel harvested the earth with God’s judgment, creating a river of blood. 

In Revelation 15, John looks away from the bloody earth, to a scene in heaven, where seven angels have prepared seven plagues. More bad news for earth. But there’s also a trace of good news. These are the last seven plagues. Then God’s wrath will be complete. Perhaps peace will come?

Meanwhile, standing in heaven, are Christians who were victorious over the beast and its image and the number 666. I think the victory they won was to be tortured and executed for refusing to worship the beast. This earned them a warm welcome in heaven. 

These victors play harps and sing a song of praise:
  Great and marvelous are your deeds, 
      Lord God Almighty.
  Just and true are your ways.
      All nations will worship you (Rev 15:3-4). 

After this worship set, seven angels come out of the temple in heaven. The temple fills with smoke and glory, like Moses’ tabernacle in the Old Testament. Then the angels take their seven bowls overflowing with God’s wrath, and pour them onto the earth.

  Bowl 1 causes festering sores on those with the mark of the beast. 
   Bowl 2 turns the sea to blood, killing every sea creature.
   Bowl 3 turns rivers and springs into blood. 

   Bowl 4 makes the sun scorch the earth with fire. The result of this? No one repents. Instead they curse God as a troublemaker. 
   Bowl 5 plunges the beast’s kingdom into darkness. More people curse God. 
   Bowl 6 dries up the Euphrates River, creating a highway for all nations to march to the battle of Armageddon. 

   Bowl 7 unleashes a mighty earthquake, sinks islands, flattens mountains, and pounds earth with  hundred-pound hailstones. 

And still the beast encourages everyone to curse God.
And still the nations march toward Armageddon. 

Let’s pray. 

O father, our world is like John’s vision. The wars that plagued the 20th century did not bring peace or wisdom. Instead, we have a war-mongering dictator in Moscow and a belligerent communist in Beijing, and a society with more guns than people in America. 

Yet we receive Revelation’s vision. 
– A vision that confirms that the evils on earth are real and life-threatening.
– A vision that looks beyond earthly dysfunction, to heaven where you rule.
– A vision that places a lamb on your throne, and he will soon take charge of the earth.

Grant us wisdom and patience to recognize the work of the beasts on earth, and to serve and die in the hidden kingdom of Christ. 

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube