We stopped at how, in a vision, the Apostle John sees how the seventh Angel sounded, and loud voices were heard in heaven saying: the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ, and he will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 11:15).
Since it is said that the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ will reign forever and ever, this means that all the texts written below are a repetition of the events that have been described up to this point.
Starting from chapter 12 of the Book, the Apostle John describes the events that should be anew very briefly. Here, the main role in the work of God is given to the word of God, relying on which the saints of the Most High abolished the authority and power of superiors at the legislative level, and established the rule of law based on God's law. By creating favorable conditions for the upbringing of a morally new person, we have achieved from the people such spiritual perfection that the law has become their conscience and way of life. This is how the Apostle John writes about it.
12,1. And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed in the sun (the word of God); under her feet was the moon (saints of the Most High), and on her head was a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was in her womb, and she screamed with the pain and agony of childbirth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: Behold, a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns.
Here the Lord shows two opposing sides.
On the one hand, a wife clothed in the sun is the word of God, which is based on God's teaching about housebuilding. The proof that the opposing side against the dragon is precisely the word of God is this text of the Book "Apocalypse". Chapters 19, 11. And I saw the sky open, and behold a white horse, and the one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, Who justly judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He had a written name that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed in a robe stained with blood. His Name Is "The Word of God"
On the other hand, the dragon is the spiritual Babylon, which represents the kingdom of this world, the essence of which is lawlessness, enmity and grief. To make sure that this is indeed Babylon the great, let us turn to the text of this Book, chapters 14, 8. "And another Angel followed him, saying, Babylon the great city is fallen, because she has drunk all the nations with the fierce wine of her fornication. The fact that Babylon has fallen means that it is Babylon that is the opposing side of the spiritual war of the word of God with the kingdom of this world.
The following describes how these opposing forces are at war with each other, and how the word of God, through the saints of the Most High, overcomes the enemy, the dragon.
4 His tail drew a third of the stars from the sky and cast them to the earth. This means that the propaganda of spiritual Babylon has influenced the minds of this part of the saints of the Most High, and they have deviated from the truth. This fact made it possible for the dragon to start a war against the teachings of God.
This dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth, he would devour her baby. But he couldn't resist. 5 And she gave birth to a male child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and his throne. (The infant, whose mission is to shepherd all nations, here embodies the law of God. The fact that her child was caught up to God and His throne means that the law of God has acquired supreme authority over all nations. Thus, the kingdom of this world, which is based on the authority and power of every authority, was transformed into the Kingdom of God, which is based on the rule of law, based on the principles of justice, morality and morality, consistent with the commandments of God's law.
This kingdom lasted for 1,000 years. Then the Kingdom of God again gave way to the kingdom of this world, the spiritual Babylon.
6 But the woman fled into the wilderness, where a place had been prepared for her by God, to be fed there for one thousand two hundred and sixty days (3.5 conditional years). The desert here represents a secular (pagan) state. The church is separated from the state and leads a solitary lifestyle. He does not interfere in the affairs of the state, as they say, "Neither hot nor cold."
But now the time has come, and the church has begun a spiritual war through the word for the transformation of the kingdom of this world into the Kingdom of God and emerged victorious from this war. This is how the apostle John sees this holy war of the word of God through the saints of the Most High.
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought against them, 8 But they could not stand, and there was no place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, the ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole universe, was cast down to the earth, and his angels (the kings of the earth and various rulers) were cast down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, Now is the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren, who slandered them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and did not love their soul even unto death. 12 Rejoice therefore, O heavens and you who dwell in them!
So, the victory is once again with the word of God. The kingdom of this world has been transformed into the Kingdom of God again, and it will stand forever.
So, the kingdom has been owned by the saints of the Most High for 1000 years now. The period of the gradual retreat of the people from the truth begins, and as a result, the transformation of the Kingdom of God into the kingdom of this world, now only not pagan, but secular, godless. Therefore, Woe to those who live on earth and at sea! because the devil has come down to you in a great rage, knowing that he does not have much time left. 13 But when the dragon saw that he had been cast down to the earth, he began to pursue the woman who had given birth to a male child. 14 And the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place from the presence of the serpent, and there she might eat for a time, and for a time, and for half a time. 15 And the serpent sent water out of his mouth after his wife like a river, in order to carry her away with the river. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the river, which the dragon sent out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged at the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Now the Angel describes the kingdom of this world, the spiritual Babylon, which was given to conquer.
Chapter 13.1 And I stood on the sand of the sea, and saw a beast coming up out of the sea with seven heads and ten horns: on his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads were blasphemous names. 2 The beast that I saw was like a leopard; his feet were like a bear's, and his mouth was like a lion's mouth; and the dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and great dominion. 3 And I saw that one of his heads was as if mortally wounded, but this mortal wound was healed. (Here, the first beast is a secular, anti–God ideology.)
And the whole earth marveled at the beast, and they worshiped the dragon, who had given power to the beast. 4 And they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like this beast? And who can fight him? 5 And he was given a mouth that spoke proudly and blasphemously, and authority was given to him to act for forty-two months (3.5 years). 6 And he opened his mouth to blaspheme God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority was given to him over every tribe, people, language, and tribe. 8 And all the inhabitants of the earth, whose names are not written in the book of the life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world, will worship him. 9 Whoever has an ear, let him hear. 10 Whoever leads into captivity, he himself will go into captivity; whoever kills with the sword, he himself must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saints.
Thus, an ideology based on complete freedom from God defeated the word of God, which led to the transformation of the Kingdom of God into the godless kingdom of this world. This is how the Apostle John describes the essence of the kingdom of this world.
11 And I saw another beast coming out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb, and it spoke like a dragon. (Two horns tell us about dual power.)
12 He acts before him with all the authority of the first beast (that is, in accordance with the ideology) and forces the whole earth and those living on it to worship the first beast (that is, the ideology of the kingdom of this world), whose mortal wound has been healed; 13 and performs great signs, so that fire also descends from heaven to earth in front of people. 14 And by the miracles that he was given to perform before the beast, he deceives those who live on earth, telling those who live on earth (so that they follow the image of the beast, that is, the ideology on the basis of which the kingdom of the world builds its statehood).
15 And it was given to him to put the spirit into the image of the beast (that is, to include the provisions of ideology in the basic law of the state), so that the image of the beast, already at the legislative level, would speak and act in such a way that anyone who would not worship the image of the beast would be killed. 16 And he will cause that all, small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, will have a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one will be allowed to buy or sell except he who has this mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of the name. him. (The mark of the beast on the forehead or hand means a person who worships the image of the beast, serves it in word and deed.) 18 Wisdom is here. Whoever has intelligence, count the number of the beast, for it is a human number; its number is six hundred and sixty-six.
So, the kingdom of this world is victorious over the saints of the Most High. His reign lasts 3, 5 years. The following describes the second coming of Christ, who, through His army of 12,000 from each tribe of Israel, launched a spiritual war. It is this spiritual war that is called Armageddon.
Chapter 14.1 And I looked, and, behold, the Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, who had his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of great thunder; and I heard a voice like harp players playing on their harps. 3 They sing, as it were, a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn this song except these one hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. The new song symbolizes the word of the new Testament. 4 These are those who have not defiled themselves with their wives, for they are virgins.; these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They were redeemed from among men, as to the firstborn of God and the Lamb, 5 and there is no guile in their mouth; they are blameless before the throne of God. 6 And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, who had the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people. This is the high priest. 7 And he said with a loud voice, Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come, and worship Him who created the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And another angel followed him, saying, Babylon, the great city, is fallen, because she has drunk all the nations with the wine of her fornication.
So, the kingdom of this world has been transformed once again into the Kingdom of God, which is destined to reign forever. However, in order for it to stand forever, it is necessary to eradicate the spirit of the kingdom of this world from people's consciousness. This can only be achieved through education combined with justice. The purpose of education is to put the law into the thoughts of the people and write it on their hearts, and thereby achieve from them a spiritual state in which the law for them would become more than just legislation or the legal order determined by it, but that the law also determined his way of life corresponding to the law, including his inner spiritual state, this lifestyle is appropriate.
The following describes how the saints of the Most High bring up a morally new person.
Первое что сделали святые – это предупредили об ответственности тех, кто будет жить прежней греховной жизнью и заверили народ в том, что кто будет жить в соответствии с заповедями Божьего закона, будут иметь все привилегии и благословения Царства.
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, Whosoever worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 He will drink the wine of the wrath of God, whole wine boiled in the cup of his wrath, and will be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will go up for ever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image and receive the mark of his name will have no rest day or night. 12 Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God and the faith in Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write: From now on, blessed are the dead who die in the LORD; to her, says the Spirit, they will rest from their labors, and their works will follow them.
THE HARVEST. Here, like the Son of man, he embodies the words of the new testament, and having power over fire is the law, which is protected by perfect justice. In other words, it is about education through the word of the New Testament in conjunction with justice, which is based on the Law of God. The point is that for someone, a word is enough, but for someone, in order to educate, you need to apply the power and force of the law.
14 And I looked, and, behold, a bright cloud, and on the cloud sat one like the Son of man; on his head was a golden crown, and in his hand was a sharp sickle. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple and cried with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Let go your sickle and reap, for the time of harvest has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." 16 And he that sat on the cloud cast his sickle upon the earth, and the earth was reaped.
So, the kingdom of this world was transformed into the Kingdom of God at the legislative level. However, the establishment of the rule of law based on the law and the word of the Lord did not mean that the people would change overnight. It took a long time to reeducate. And here the apostle shows the ripe rafts, which represent the people after the renewal of the mind and heart. They are a people who have the law of God in their hearts. The harvest is the reception of the citizens of the Kingdom into the family of God. In other words, being a citizen of the Kingdom, whether it be the state or the church, is not enough for salvation, in order to inherit eternal life in heaven, it is necessary to achieve spiritual perfection from oneself. And for this, it is necessary to put aside the former way of life of the old man, decaying in seductive lusts, and, having absorbed into himself the moral principles established by the commandments of God's law, to be renewed in the spirit of the mind and clothe himself with a new man, created according to God, in the righteousness and holiness of the truth. (Ephesians 4:21-24). Such a reincarnation of a person is called rebirth.
17 And another angel came out of the temple in heaven, also with a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel having power over fire (that is, over the law, which is like fire) came out from the altar and cried with a great cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Put out your sharp sickle and gather the grapes of the earth, for the berries are ripe on it." 19 And the angel cast his sickle upon the earth, and pruned the grapes of the earth, and cast them into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the berries were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and the blood flowed from the winepress even to the horse's bridle, one thousand six hundred stages.
We know that in order to get juice, it is necessary to extract it from grapes. So, the fruits here are not berries, but juice, and it is the juice that represents the citizens here, to whom not only the word of God, but also justice has been applied, and thanks to whom the people have gained a spiritual state based on the norms of justice, morality and morality, established by the commandments of God's law.
THE THIRD NARRATIVE IS ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE KINGDOM OF THE WORLD INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
At the beginning of chapter 15, the angel shows God's main goal, which is to raise a special people, zealous for good deeds, a people with God's law in their hearts.
15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful: seven angels having the seven last plagues, with which the wrath of God ended. 2 And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mingled with fire; and those who had overcome the beast, and his image, and his mark, and the number of his name, stood on this sea of glass, holding the harp of God, 3 and sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord. God Almighty! Righteous and true are Your ways, King of saints!
The song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb tell us that the basis of the way of thinking and life itself is the law of Moses, as legislation, and the word of the new Testament, as the spiritual state of the people.
4 Who will not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been revealed.
Now the apostle describes in detail the judgment of God as a process of education in conjunction with justice, thanks to which the saints of the Most High have achieved such high standards.
5 And after these things I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. 6 And seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in clean and fair linen garments, and girded with golden girdles at the edges. 7 And one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.
Chapter 16.1 And I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the seven vials of God's wrath upon the earth. 2 The first angel went and poured out his cup on the earth, and there were cruel and disgusting festering wounds on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. (This means that the law and the word of the Lord have pointed out the sins of the people of the kingdom of this world).
3 The second angel poured out his cup into the sea, and the blood became like that of a dead man, and every living thing died in the sea. (This means that sinners died as sinners, so that they would be born as righteous. (For if we are united to Him in the likeness of His death, we must also be united in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing that our old man was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be abolished, for he who died to sin was freed from sin. For if He died, He died once to sin; but if He lives, He lives to God. Rome 6.5)
4 The third angel poured out his cup into the rivers and springs of water, and it became blood. (The springs of waters are sacred Scripture and literature glorifying the pagan religion and ideology of the kings of the earth. The fact that they turned into blood means that this literature is dead for people. They also died, like the works of V.I. Lenin. For many years, people have studied them, relied on them as a dogma, but the time has come and people have forgotten about them).
5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Thou art righteous, O Lord, who art and was, and holy, because thou hast judged thus; 6 Because they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, thou hast given them blood to drink: they are worthy. 7 And I heard another from the altar saying, To her, O Lord God Almighty, thy judgments are true and just.
8 The fourth angel poured out his cup on the sun, and it was given to him to burn people with fire. 9 And the intense heat burned the people, and they blasphemed the name of God, who has power over these plagues, and did not understand to give him glory. (The sun here is the word of God convicting the people of the kingdom of this world. However, despite the fact that the word of God has pointed out their obvious sins, they are not going to repent).
10 The fifth angel poured out his cup on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became dark, and they bit their tongues because of their suffering, 11 and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings and their plagues, and did not repent of their deeds. (The Dark Kingdom tells us that people no longer perceive the ideology on which the kingdom of this world is based as correct).
12 The sixth angel poured out his cup into the great river Euphrates, and the water in it dried up, so that the way for the kings would be ready from the rising of the sun. The water in the Euphrates River represents the word of God, and the fact that the water has dried up means that the word of God has ceased to influence people.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet: 14 These are demonic spirits working wonders; they go out to the kings of the earth of the whole universe, to gather them to battle on that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I come like a thief: blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his clothes, that he walk not naked, and that his shame be not seen. 16 And he gathered them together to a place called Armageddon in Hebrew. (Demonic spirits are the pagan faith and ideology of the kings of this world. The war on Mount Armageddon with the spirits is a spiritual war of the word of God with the ideology of the kings of this world, that is, with spiritual Babylon. The word of God is winning this war.)
17 The seventh angel poured out his cup into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple of heaven, saying, "It is finished." (The victory of the word of God in the minds of people has led to a change in the worldview, morals and morals of the entire people. This event is shown here as an earthquake).
18 And there were lightnings, thunders, and voices, and there was a great earthquake, such as had not been since men were on the earth. Such an earthquake! So great! (The change in people's worldview led to the eradication of pagan ideology and, as a result, to the destruction of the kingdom of this world).
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the Gentiles fell, and Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her a cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 And every island (state) fled, and the mountains (small states) were no more; 21 and hail, the size of a talent (the word of God) fell from heaven upon the people; and the people blasphemed God for the plagues of the hail, because the plague from it was very severe.
Chapter 17. The trial of the great harlot.
1 And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me, saying, "Come near, and I will show you the judgment of a great harlot who sits on many waters. 2 The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the inhabitants of the earth have drunk in the wine of her fornication." 3 And he led me in the spirit into the wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, with seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was clothed in purple and purple, and was adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, and had a golden cup in her hand filled with abominations and the uncleanness of her fornication.; 5 And on her forehead is written a name: mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. 6 I saw that the woman was intoxicated with the blood of the saints and the blood of Jesus' witnesses, and when I saw her, I was amazed with great wonder.
Next, the Angel talks about the fate of spiritual Babylon.
7 And the angel said to me: What are you marveling at? I will tell you the secret of this woman and the beast that bears her, which has seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will come out of the abyss and go to destruction; and those who dwell on the earth, whose names have not been written in the book of life since the beginning of the world, will be amazed when they see that the beast was, and is not, and will appear. 9 Here is the mind that has wisdom. (In this case, the Angel is talking about the kingdom of the world, which was transformed into the Kingdom of God, so it did not exist during this period, but as a result of the church's departure from the truth, the Kingdom of God turned back into the kingdom of this world).
Next, the Angel shows the democratic institution of the change of power in the kingdom of this world.
The seven heads are the seven mountains on which the woman sits, 10 and the seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he will not be long. 11 And the beast that was and is not is the eighth, and of the seven, and will go to destruction. 12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received the kingdom, but will take power with the beast as kings for one hour.
13 They have the same thoughts and will transfer their power and authority to the beast. 14 They 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. 15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are men, and nations, and kindreds, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, and will make her desolate, and will strip her naked, and will eat her flesh, and will burn her in the fire.; 17 For God has set it in their hearts to do his will, to do one will, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 But the woman whom you saw is a great city, reigning over the kings of the earth.
Chapter 18. The Fall of Babylon
1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great power; the earth was illuminated by his glory. 2 And he cried out mightily, with a loud voice, saying, Babylon the great harlot is fallen, she has become a dwelling place of demons, and a dwelling place for every unclean spirit, and a dwelling place for every unclean and abominable bird; for she has made all nations drink the wine of her fornication, 3 And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich from her great luxury.. 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Depart from her, my people, that ye partake not of her sins, and be not subject to her plagues.; 5 For her sins have gone up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Repay her as she has rewarded you, and repay her twice according to her works. In the cup in which she made wine for you, prepare twice for her. 7 As much as she was famous and exalted, reward her with so much torment and sorrow. For she says in her heart, "I am sitting as a queen; I am not a widow, and I will not see sorrow." 8 Therefore, one day, plagues will come upon her, death, weeping, and famine, and she will be burned with fire, because the LORD God is strong in judging her. 9 And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and indulged in luxury with her, will weep and mourn for her when they see the smoke of her conflagration, 10 Standing afar off for fear of her torment, saying, "Woe, woe to you, great city of Babylon, mighty city! For your judgment has come in one hour. 11 And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her, because no one buys their goods anymore, 12 goods of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and purple, and all kinds of fragrant wood, and all kinds of ivory, and all kinds of precious wood, of copper, iron, and marble, 13 cinnamon, and incense, and myrrh, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and the bodies and souls of men. 14 And the fruits that were pleasing to your soul are gone from you, and all that is fat and glorious is gone from you; you will no longer find it. 15 Those who sold all these things, who had become rich from her, would stand far away from the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 and saying, "Woe, woe to you, great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and purple, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, 17 For in one hour so much wealth was lost! And all the pilots, and all those who sailed on ships, and all the shipwrights, and all those who traded on the sea stood afar off, 18 And when they saw the smoke from her conflagration, they cried out, saying, What a city is like a great city! 19 And they sprinkled ashes on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, Woe, woe to you, the great city, with whose jewels all who have ships on the sea have become rich, for it was desolate in one hour! 20 Rejoice in this, heaven, and the holy apostles and prophets; for God has executed your judgment on him.
Chapter 19. The accession of the King of Kings.
1 After these things I heard a loud voice in heaven, as of a great multitude, saying, Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and honor and power to our Lord! 2 For his judgments are true and righteous, because he condemned that great adulteress who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and sought the blood of his servants at her hand. 3 And they said a second time, Hallelujah! And her smoke ascended forever and ever. 4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped the God who sat on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah! 5 And a voice came from the throne, saying, Praise our God, all you his servants and those who fear him, small and great. 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, as it were the sound of many waters, as it were the voice of mighty thunders, saying, Hallelujah! For the Lord God Almighty has reigned. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad, and give him glory; for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has prepared herself. 8 And it was given to her to put on fine linen, pure and bright; and fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, Write, Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, "These are the true words of God." 10 I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "See that you do not do this; I am your fellow servant and your brothers who have the testimony of Jesus; worship God; for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Thus, the kingdom of this world, whose existence is lawlessness, enmity and sorrow, was transformed into the Kingdom of God, whose existence is righteousness, peace and joy, based on the law and the word of the Lord, who will reign forever and ever.
Another account of the transformation of the kingdom of this world into the Kingdom of God.
To better understand what is going on, let's take as a basis the period that describes how fire fell from heaven from God and devoured them. This is the text.
7 But when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations that are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and gather them together for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 8 And they went out into the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. 9 And fire fell from heaven from God and devoured them; 10 but the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast (the kingdom of this world is spiritual Babylon) and the false prophet (or ideologist) will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
In order to correctly interpret these images of the apostle's vision, we need to turn to texts that can be interpreted literally. This is how the Apostle Paul writes about the mission of Jesus Christ to transform the kingdom of this world into the Kingdom of God in his epistle to the Corinthians. He explains that the end (meaning the end of the kingdom of this world) will come when He (Jesus) hands over the Kingdom to God and the Father, for He must reign until He puts all enemies under His feet, (and this will happen only when) He abolishes all authorities and all their authority and power. (1 Corinthians 15:24-26).
As you know, the power and authority of any authority can be abolished only at the legislative level, by abolishing the institutions that grant authority to any authority. Therefore, the mission of Jesus Christ is to create a society that, based on the law and the word of the Lord, would be able to defend God's teaching on housebuilding in the legislative assembly. This society is the church of Jesus Christ. The proof that the Lord intends to rule the Kingdom, relying on the saints, is the prophecy of the Prophet Daniel. He's writing: "I saw in my night vision, and behold, the four winds of heaven were fighting on the great sea, and four great beasts came out of the sea, unlike one another." The Lord explains: these big beasts, of which there are four, mean that four kings (or rather, four kingdoms) will rise from the earth. The four winds of heaven, which fought on the great sea, embody various kinds of ideologies (teachings on housebuilding) on the basis of which these kingdoms are built, while the great sea represents different peoples. Daniel further says that after these kingdoms, the saints of the Most High will take over the kingdom and will rule the kingdom forever and ever. (Dan. 7:17-18).
And here is how the prophet Ezra covers these events (the third book of the Orthodox canon, chapter 13.). He says: And they will undertake wars one against another, city against city, one place against another, people against people, kingdom against kingdom. When this happens and the signs that I showed you before appear, then My Son, whom you saw as a man ascending, will be revealed. And an innumerable multitude will gather in one assembly, as if desiring to go and defeat Him. But my son will expose the wickedness invented by these nations, who by their evil thoughts have brought the storm and the torments with which they will begin to suffer, and which are like fire; and He will destroy them (the wickedness invented by these nations) without difficulty by a law that is like fire.
God is always the same, He cannot say one thing first and then another. And because God spoke once through a prophet, He cannot speak another through an apostle. So, it says here that the Son of God will destroy not the nations, but the wickedness invented by these nations. Considering that the mission of Jesus Christ is to abolish institutions at the legislative level that provide power and strength to the kings of the earth, wickedness is these institutions, and the Fire that fell from heaven on the wicked is not fire, in the truest sense of the word, but the law, which is like fire.
So, we continue to study the texts of the Book, relying on common sense.
It is customary for Jews to mention the main event at the beginning of the book, which we will come to after reading the following. That's what the Apostle writes.
11 And I saw heaven open, and, behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it was called Faithful and True, who judges justly and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He had a written name that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed in a robe stained with blood. His Name Is "The Word Of God." 14 And the armies of heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure. 15 And out of his mouth cometh a sharp sword, that he may smite the nations with it. He shepherds them with a rod of iron; He tramples the winepress of the wine of the wrath and wrath of God the Almighty. 16 His name is written on his robe and on his thigh, "King of kings and Lord of lords."
The saints of the Most High, through the word, abolished the authority and power of superiors. This is how the Apostle John sees this fact.
17 And 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, Fly, gather yourselves together to the great supper of God, 18 that you may devour the corpses of kings, the corpses of mighty men, the corpses of captains, the corpses of horses and those who sit on them, the corpses of all free and slaves, and small and great. (The corpses of kings and chiefs are the political corpses of kings and chiefs. In other words, as a result of the spiritual and political war, the power and authority of the superiors was abolished at the legislative level).
Now there is a detailed description of how this victory was achieved.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to fight with him that sat on the horse, and with his army. 20 And the beast (the kingdom of this world) was seized, and with him the false prophet (the ideologist), who performed miracles before him, by which he deceived those who had accepted the mark of the beast and worshipped his image: both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone; 21 and the rest were slain by the sword of him who sat on a horse coming out of his mouth, and all The birds fed on their corpses. (Since the sword of the Man Sitting on the horse is His tongue, they were killed through the word, that is, by political means).
After the kingdom of this world is transformed into the Kingdom of God at the legislative level, the task of the saints in this Kingdom is to educate a morally new man, created according to God, in the righteousness and holiness of the truth" (Ephesians 4:21-24), and thus establish on earth righteousness and peace based on the norms of justice, righteousness, morality, and morality established by the commandments of God's law. This is how the apostle sees this process of education.
Chapter 20.1 And I saw an angel descending from heaven, who had the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. (The abyss represents the human soul. The key to the abyss, that is, to the human soul, is the word of God, and the chain is the law of God). 2 He took the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and cast him into the abyss, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were ended; and after that he must be set free for a little while.. (The devil and Satan here represent the sin that sits in the flesh of every human being, these are his sinful thoughts and intentions – evil at all times. The law of God, under pain of punishment, bound man's sinful thoughts and intentions for 1,000 years, so that he could not bring them to life while the law of God had authority and power).
Thus began the millennial reign of the saints of the Most High.
4 And I saw thrones and those who sat on them, to whom it was given to judge, and the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of 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. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (Here the revived are the saints of the Most High, who have taken possession of the Kingdom of God. The proof that the Lord intends to rule the Kingdom, relying on the saints, is the prophecy of the Prophet Daniel. He's writing: "I saw in my night vision, and behold, the four winds of heaven were fighting on the great sea, and four great beasts came out of the sea, unlike one another." The Lord explains: these big beasts, of which there are four, mean that four kings (or rather, four kingdoms) will rise from the earth. The four winds of heaven, which fought on the great sea, embody various kinds of ideologies (teachings on housebuilding) on the basis of which these kingdoms are built, while the great sea represents different peoples. Daniel further says that after these kingdoms, the saints of the Most High will take over the kingdom and will rule the kingdom forever and ever. (Dan. 7:17-18)).
5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were over. This is the first Sunday. 6 Blessed and holy is he who participates in the first resurrection: the second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. (This is not about specific individuals, but about a specific government structure. The fact is that the saints have taken on the burden of justice, education, and the economy of the state, whereas according to God's teaching on housebuilding, the mission of the saints is only justice and education, while the economy of the state should be taken over by the government created by the saints. During the new elevation to the pedestal of state power, the saints of the Most High will make the right choice to rule the Kingdom)
7 But when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations that are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and gather them together for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 8 And they went out into the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city.
After 1000 conditional years, the saints begin to depart from the truth. This retreat weakened people's faith, and as a result, the law lost its power and authority, so the devil, that is, man's thoughts and intentions were freed from their shackles. This caused lawlessness, enmity, and grief to return to earth. This period lasts 3.5 years. After that, 9 Fire fell from heaven from God and devoured them; and the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast (the kingdom of this world is spiritual Babylon) and the false prophet (or ideologist) will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Considering that the mission of the King of Kings is to abolish institutions that grant authority and power to superiors at the legislative level, it must be assumed that this fire is not fire in the literal sense of the word, but a law that is like fire, as the prophet Ezra claims (Book 3 of the Orthodox canon).
So, the power of kings has been overthrown, the power of God has come. And since the kingdom of the world has been transformed into the Kingdom of God, both the righteous and sinners live in this Kingdom at the first stage. Therefore, the first priority is to cleanse the Kingdom of sinners. This task is performed by justice, the great white throne.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face heaven and earth fled, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged according to what was written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 Then the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and hades gave up the dead who were in them; and everyone was judged according to his deeds. 14 Both death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whoever was not written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Justice has done its work, it has rid the kingdom of lawlessness. This is the essence of the mission of Jesus Christ at this stage, for Jesus gave Himself for us to deliver us from iniquity. (Titus ch. 2)
Chapter 21, 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. (The new heaven and the new earth are the transformed kingdom of this world into the Kingdom of God. Heaven represents the supreme authority of the law, and the earth represents the peoples of the earth, whose existence is righteousness, peace, prosperity and joy).
Description of the Holy City of Jerusalem. The apostle sees the city coming down from heaven, which means that the city was built on the basis of God's teaching on housebuilding.
Chapter 21:2 And I, John, saw the holy city of Jerusalem, the new one, coming down from 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; they will be his people, and God himself will be with them, their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death; there will be no more weeping, no more crying, no more sickness, for the former things have passed away.
5 And he who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And he saith unto me, Write; for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said to me, It is finished. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end; to the thirsty I will give freely from the fountain of living water. (the source of the water is the word of God) 7 He who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. 8 But the fearful, and the faithless, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will have their fate in a lake burning with fire and brimstone. This is the second death. (The words "He who overcomes inherits everything" mean that it is on the saints of the Most High that the Lord entrusts the mission to transform the kingdom of this world into the Kingdom of God, since everything can be obtained only in the Kingdom of God).
The bride of the Lamb.
9 And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and said to me, "Come, I will show you the wife, the bride of the Lamb." 10 And he lifted me up in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, which came down from heaven from God. 11 He has the glory of God. His light was like a precious stone, like a crystal jasper stone. 12 It has a large and high wall, and has twelve gates, and on them twelve Angels; on the gates are written the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 On the east are three gates, on the north are three gates, on the south are three gates, on the west are three gates. 14 The wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (The names of the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles emphasize that the Kingdom of God is based on the Old Testament and the New Testament, as one word of God.)
15 The one who spoke to me had a golden reed to measure the city, its gates, and its walls. 16 The city is located in a quadrilateral, and its length is the same as its latitude. And he measured the city with a reed for twelve thousand stadia; its length, breadth, and height were equal. 17 And he measured its wall a hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, according to the measure of an angel. 18 Its wall was built of jasper, and the city was pure gold, like pure glass. 19 The foundations of the city wall are decorated with all kinds of precious stones: the first base is jasper, the second is sapphire, the third is chalcedony, the fourth is emerald, 20 The fifth is sardonyx, the sixth is carnelian, the seventh is chrysolite, the eighth is virillium, the ninth is topaz, the tenth is chrysoprase, the eleventh is hyacinth, the twelfth is amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: each gate was of one pearl. The street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 But I did not see a temple in him, for the LORD God Almighty is his temple, and the Lamb.
Here, in order to show the sanctity of the Kingdom of God, the Angel shows all the buildings of the city using materials made of gold and precious stones. He says: the city was pure gold, like pure glass. It's clear that gold doesn't look like pure glass at all, which means it's an allegory.
23 And the city needs neither the sun nor the moon for its illumination, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations that are saved will walk in his light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory and honor into him. 25 Its gates will not be shut by day, and there will be no night. (The day here represents light, as eternal enlightenment, and the night is darkness, which is ignorance).
26 And they will bring into it the glory and honor of the nations. 27 And nothing unclean will enter into it, and no one devoted to abomination and lies, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. 22.1 And he showed me a pure river of the water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb–this is the word of God. 2 In the middle of its street, on both sides of the river, is the tree of life (the law of God), which bears fruit twelve times, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree are for healing the nations (which are the commandments of God's law). 3 And nothing will be cursed anymore.; But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in him, and His servants will serve Him. 4 And they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no night there, and they will need neither a lamp nor the light of the sun, for the LORD God gives them light; and they will reign forever and ever.
6 And he said to me, "These words are true and true; and the LORD, the God of the holy prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what is about to happen." 7 Behold, I am coming quickly: blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. ((Here the water of life represents the word of God, the tree of life represents the law of God, and the fox of this tree represents the commandments of the law. The words "blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book" tell us that this Book is not a prediction, but a command from God to transform the kingdom of the world into the Kingdom of God.)
8 I, John, have seen and heard these things. But when I heard and saw it, I fell down at the feet of the angel who showed me these things, to worship him. 9 But he said to me, "See that you do not do this, for I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets and those who keep the words of this book; worship God." 10 And he said to me, Seal not the words of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand. 11 Let the unrighteous still do unrighteousness; let the unclean still be defiled; let the righteous still do righteousness, and let the holy one still be sanctified. 12 Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to reward everyone according to his deeds. 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the First and the Last. 14 Blessed are those who keep his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and enter the city through the gates. 15 But outside there are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and does unrighteousness. 16 I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things to you in the churches. I am the root and descendant of David, the bright and morning star. 17 Both the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, come! Let him who is thirsty come, and let him who is willing take the water of life (the word of God) freely. 18 And I also testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds anything to them, God will put on him the plagues that are written in this book. 19 And if anyone takes away anything from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his participation in the book of life and in the holy city and in that, what is written in this book. 20 He who bears witness to these things says, "Behold, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you all. Amen.