BOOK OF REVELATION SERIES (Second Coming & Battle of Armageddon Rev 18-19)

By Bishop Elijah H. Hankerson III, BA, MA, DD

LESSON NOTES:

I.                 THE FALL OF BABYLON. As mentioned in our previous lesson the Great Whore is a false church and the antithesis of the real church. It is through the Great Whore that the entire world is deceived into worshipping the Antichrist and turning against the real Christ. Because the Great Whore commits spiritual adultery with the political and corporate world; she is associated with the name of an ancient city that also came under the judgment of God: Babylon. The Great Whore is utilized for the Antichrist’s purposes and cast aside. The world mourns the loss of “Babylon.” Whether this is an actual city or symbolic name remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the wicked world will mourn its demise and prepare to fight against the Lord Jesus Christ.

A.             ANGEL ANNOUNCES THE FALL OF BABYLON. While people have tried to associate Babylon and the Great Whore with Rome and the Roman Catholic Church; it does not fit this description. While Catholicism has much influence; it does not have the influence to plunge the entire world into chaos and cause the entire world to turn against Jesus Christ. And the Pope does not have the influence that the False Prophet has. Plus the False Prophet will work signs and wonders; like calling fire down from Heaven.

Revelation 18:1-3 ¹After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. ²With a mighty voice he shouted: "'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!' She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. ³For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."

B.             VOICE FROM HEAVEN CONDEMNS BABYLON. Isn’t it amazing that after all of the plagues that have hit the Earth; that you will still have some of the people that are supposed to be saved aligning themselves with the false church. To the point that a voice from Heaven has to warn the saints to come out of her.

Revelation 18:4-8 ⁴Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "'Come out of her, my people,' so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; ⁵for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. ⁶Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup. ⁷Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn.' ⁸Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the LORD God who judges her.

C.             POLITICAL WORLD MOURNS BABYLON. There has been a marriage (so to speak) of religion and politics with the False Prophet promoting the worship of the Antichrist. Political leaders will therefore mourn the loss of Babylon.

Revelation 18:9-10 ⁹"When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. ¹⁰Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: "'Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!'

D.             BUSINESS WORLD MOURNS BABYLON. A lot of money was gained from the relationship of the false church with the business community. With the fall of Babylon there is a major blow to the world economy.

Revelation 18:11-19 ¹¹"The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore- ¹²cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; ¹³cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves. ¹⁴"They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.' ¹⁵The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn ¹⁶and cry out: "'Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! ¹⁷In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!' "Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. ¹⁸When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' ¹⁹They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: "'Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!'

E.             HEAVEN REJOICES IN THE FALL OF BABYLON.

Revelation 18:20 ²⁰"Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets! For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you."

F.              ANGEL DOOMS BABYLON. It pays to be on the side of righteousness. Any other side is doomed.

Revelation 18:21-24 ²¹Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: "With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. ²²The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. ²³The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. ²⁴In her was found the blood of prophets and of God's holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth."

II.            THE SECOND COMING.

A.             WORSHIP IN HEAVEN. There is constant worship in Heaven, due to the greatness and power that God displays.

Revelation 19:1-9 ¹After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, ²for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants." ³And again they shouted: "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever." ⁴The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: "Amen, Hallelujah!" ⁵Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small!" ⁶Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our LORD God Almighty reigns. ⁷Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. ⁸Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.) ⁹Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" And he added, "These are the true words of God."

B.             TRUE WORSHIP. Whoever was giving John this message apparently was a human. He must have been radiating with God’s glory. John was compelled to worship him. This gentleman did not make the same mistake that Satan made ages earlier by receiving that worship. Instead he gave God all the glory.

Revelation 19:10 ¹⁰At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus."

C.             JESUS COMES BACK TO EARTH. Jesus is not coming back to suffer. He is coming back to subdue all rebellion. He is coming back to undue everything Satan has done on the Earth. He is coming back to restore everything to its rightful place.

Revelation 19:11-16 ¹¹I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. ¹²His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. ¹³He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. ¹⁴The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and LORD of lords.

1.               Second coming described.

Zechariah 14:1-9 New International Version (NIV)

14 A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.

² I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. ³ Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. ⁴ On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. ⁵ You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.

⁶ On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. ⁷ It will be a unique day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light.

⁸ On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.

⁹ The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.

2.               Notice how the language here is different from the Rapture. In the Rapture we are caught up to meet the Lord in the clouds in the air. We are transformed. However, in the Second Coming, Jesus actually sets foot on Earth and wages war against His enemies. And wins!!!!

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 ⁵¹Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed- ⁵²in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 ¹³Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵According to the LORD's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the LORD, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the LORD himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the LORD in the air. And so we will be with the LORD forever.

a.               In the Rapture we go up; in the Second coming we come down.

Jude 1:14-15 ¹⁴And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the LORD cometh with ten thousands of his saints, ¹⁵To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

b.               The Earth is our inheritance. Heaven is only a temporary place for the saints.

Genesis 1:28-29 ²⁸God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground." ²⁹Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

Psalm 8:4-8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁴ What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
⁵ Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
⁶ You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
⁷ All sheep and oxen,
And also the beasts of the field,
⁸ The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

Matthew 5:5 ⁵Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Revelation 21:1-3 ¹Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ²I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

III.        THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON. The Antichrist and his forces will seek to wage war against the Son of God; who will appear with His armies. It will be a day of tremendous slaughter.

Revelation 19:17-21 ¹⁷And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, ¹⁸so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small." ¹⁹Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. ²⁰But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. ²¹The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

A.             BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON DESCRIBED.

Isaiah 13:9 - Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

Isaiah 13:6 - Howl ye; for the day of the LORD [is] at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

Zechariah 14:2

For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.

Zephaniah 3:8

"Therefore wait for Me," declares the LORD, "For the day when I rise up as a witness Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them My indignation, All My burning anger; For all the earth will be devoured By the fire of My zeal.

Joel 3:12-14 ¹²"Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. ¹³Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow- so great is their wickedness!" ¹⁴Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

IV.        CONCLUSION. Jesus is coming back. Don’t get left behind! Receive Christ today as Lord and Savior.

A.             PRAYER FOR SALVATION FOR YOU TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST; THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.[1] As we close, if you have not received this Jesus pray this simple prayer:

 

"Father, I know that I have sinned against You. Please forgive me. Wash me clean. I promise to trust in Jesus, Your Son. I believe that He died for me—He took my sin upon Himself when He died on the cross. I believe that He was raised from the dead. I surrender my life to Jesus today.

"Thank You, Father, for Your gift of forgiveness and eternal life. Please help me to live for you. In Jesus' name, Amen."                             

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[1] http:www.joycemeyer.orgOurMinistriesEverydayAnswersHow+to+Become+a+Christian. (Accessed, March 2, 2011).