God's Character Podcast

When we consider the verses about “fire” in Revelation, Satan and the demonic are usually left out of the picture. This misses the complete story that Revelation attempts to describe. For example, the 6th trumpet opens with the four angels released “to kill a third of the human race.” (8:15). The clarification however is that the source of the punishment is demonic mounted troops and that “from their mouths came out fire, smoke and sulfur...a third of the human race was killed by those three plagues: the fire, the smoke and sulfur coming out of the horses mouths” (8:19). Although the 3rd Angels Message describes torment in fire and sulfur for those who follow the Great Babylon the prostitute, Revelation 17 expands on this passage and explains "let me show you how the great prostitute will be punished" (17:1). The clarification is then given that “the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the whore; they will make her desolate and naked; they will devour her flesh and burn her up with fire” (17:16).

In addition, the description of “the wine press” where “blood flowed...as high as the bridles of the horses, for a distance of about two hundred miles” (14:20) has its context in the setting of war and self-destruction that comes from within not from God: “In those days...a stream shall flow with their blood. For a man shall not be able to withhold his hands from his sons nor from (his) sons’ sons in order to kill them. Nor is it possible for the sinner to withhold his hands from his honored brother. From dawn until the sun sets, they shall slay each other. The horse shall walk through the blood of sinners up to his chest; and the chariot shall sink down up to its top” (1 Enoch 100:3). I would suggest that this passage from 1 Enoch may be the clearest description of how humans and demonic alike are finally destroyed. See also Zephaniah 1:14-18, Zechariah 14:13-15, Ezekiel 38:18-23.

God’s wrath in the OT is associated with specific events like the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities where God, the healer and protector, was pushed away. Evil enemy forces were then unrestrained leading to the burning of Jerusalem and death. On the Cross we also see unrestrained demonic forces crushing out the life of Jesus. These forces in Revelation are the ones continually seeking to violence, to make war and to destroy - not God. “The dragon and his angels warred” (12:7); “Then the dragon...went off to make war…” (12:17); “And it was allowed to make war on the saints” (13:7); “the beast...will make war on them” (11:7); “these are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for war...” (16:14); “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against the rider...” (19:19) - - who, interestingly, fights with a sword out of his mouth.

In this Bible study, we will seek to put together the references to fire in the book of Revelation.

Follow along with the powerpoint presentation here - http://www.godscharacter.com/files/ppt/Revelation_14_Fire.ppt

The three angels' of Revelation 14 represent the final message to the world. In the context of the lamb-like imitative beasts of Revelation 13 that deceive the entire world, God's people are given a powerful final message. Understanding the essential meaning of this passage is critically important if we are to meet the world with a message that is transforming and that awakens hearts and minds to leave the kingdom of the beast and to join the Lamb's Kingdom.

Follow along with the powerpoint presentation here - http://www.godscharacter.com/files/ppt/Revelation_14_Three_Angels.ppt

The 7 bowls of God's wrath are seen by many as the strongest evidence of God's Divine retributive justice. These bowls, however, must be interpreted in the context of the book of Revelation as well as in the context of all 66 books of the Bible. In fact, the trumpets and the bowls have remarkably striking parallels which will allow the trumpet sequence to inform us about the identity of the active agent in the bowl sequence.

Follow along with the powerpoint presentation here - http://www.godscharacter.com/files/ppt/Revelation_16_Bowls.ppt

There are many different interpretations of the seven seals. Who is the rider on the white horse? Does this individual represent a person or a period of church history? Is the rider good or bad? The next three riders are maliciously associated with images of war, famine and death. The seventh seal is most perhaps the strangest of all - - 30 minutes of silence in heaven! The seals make sense if they are taken together as a whole and if the breaking of the seventh seal is allowed to answer the challenge to God's worthiness that was raised in the heavenly throne room scene.

Follow along with the powerpoint presentation here - http://www.godscharacter.com/files/ppt/Revelation_6_8_Seals.ppt

The book of Revelation revolves around the Cosmic Conflict between Christ and Satan. All of the vivid illustrations are for the purpose of explaining the issues in this conflict as well as to define the role that we have to play. At the heart of the controversy is the character of God. The dragon is described as slandering God's name and cleverly imitating and distorting the image of the true Lamb. The central image of God in the book of Revelation as well as the answers to Satan's charges are found in the throne room scene of Revelation 4 and 5. These two chapters are so imaginative in the way God's true character is revealed. Click here (https://www.facebook.com/pages/GodsCharactercom/102112119843672) to comment or discuss.

Follow along with the powerpoint presentation here - http://www.godscharacter.com/files/ppt/Revelation_5_The_Middle.ppt

The 7 bowls of God's wrath are seen by many as the strongest evidence of God's Divine retributive justice. These bowls, however, must be interpreted in the context of the book of Revelation as well as in the context of all 66 books of the Bible. In fact, the trumpets and the bowls have remarkably striking parallels which will allow the trumpet sequence to inform us about the identity of the active agent in the bowl sequence.

Follow along with the powerpoint presentation here - http://www.godscharacter.com/files/ppt/Revelation_16_Bowls.ppt

When we consider the verses about “fire” in Revelation, Satan and the demonic are usually left out of the picture. This misses the complete story that Revelation attempts to describe. For example, the 6th trumpet opens with the four angels released “to kill a third of the human race.” (8:15). The clarification however is that the source of the punishment is demonic mounted troops and that “from their mouths came out fire, smoke and sulfur...a third of the human race was killed by those three plagues: the fire, the smoke and sulfur coming out of the horses mouths” (8:19). Although the 3rd Angels Message describes torment in fire and sulfur for those who follow the Great Babylon the prostitute, Revelation 17 expands on this passage and explains "let me show you how the great prostitute will be punished" (17:1). The clarification is then given that “the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the whore; they will make her desolate and naked; they will devour her flesh and burn her up with fire” (17:16).

In addition, the description of “the wine press” where “blood flowed...as high as the bridles of the horses, for a distance of about two hundred miles” (14:20) has its context in the setting of war and self-destruction that comes from within not from God: “In those days...a stream shall flow with their blood. For a man shall not be able to withhold his hands from his sons nor from (his) sons’ sons in order to kill them. Nor is it possible for the sinner to withhold his hands from his honored brother. From dawn until the sun sets, they shall slay each other. The horse shall walk through the blood of sinners up to his chest; and the chariot shall sink down up to its top” (1 Enoch 100:3). I would suggest that this passage from 1 Enoch may be the clearest description of how humans and demonic alike are finally destroyed. See also Zephaniah 1:14-18, Zechariah 14:13-15, Ezekiel 38:18-23.

God’s wrath in the OT is associated with specific events like the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities where God, the healer and protector, was pushed away. Evil enemy forces were then unrestrained leading to the burning of Jerusalem and death. On the Cross we also see unrestrained demonic forces crushing out the life of Jesus. These forces in Revelation are the ones continually seeking to violence, to make war and to destroy - not God. “The dragon and his angels warred” (12:7); “Then the dragon...went off to make war…” (12:17); “And it was allowed to make war on the saints” (13:7); “the beast...will make war on them” (11:7); “these are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for war...” (16:14); “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against the rider...” (19:19) - - who, interestingly, fights with a sword out of his mouth.

In this Bible study, we will seek to put together the references to fire in the book of Revelation.

Follow along with the powerpoint presentation here - http://www.godscharacter.com/files/ppt/Revelation_14_Fire.ppt

The three angels' of Revelation 14 represent the final message to the world. In the context of the lamb-like imitative beasts of Revelation 13 that deceive the entire world, God's people are given a powerful final message. Understanding the essential meaning of this passage is critically important if we are to meet the world with a message that is transforming and that awakens hearts and minds to leave the kingdom of the beast and to join the Lamb's Kingdom.

Follow along with the powerpoint presentation here - http://www.godscharacter.com/files/ppt/Revelation_14_Three_Angels.ppt

There has been almost an infinite amount of speculation about the meaning of the mark of the beast. The book of Revelation is full of contrasting images that revolve around the distinction between the Lamb and the dragon. Followers of the Lamb are the 144,000 who receive the seal of God; followers of the dragon receive the polar opposite - the mark of the beast. Perhaps the best place to understand the meaning of the 666 then is to first discover what God's seal refers to.

Follow along with the powerpoint presentation here - http://www.godscharacter.com/files/ppt/Revelation_13_Mark_of_Beast.ppt

The Bible is redundant in associating the death of Jesus with the exposure and defeat of Satan and the cosmic opponents of God. Yet, it seems that this meaning is rarely expressed and the death of Jesus is discussed mainly in terms of personal salvation. In this Bible study we will consider very specifically how the death of Jesus was involved in disarming and destroying the Devil and the spiritual forces that oppose God. As promised in the lecture, click here (http://godscharacter.com/index.php/articles/god-blog/460-the-day-god-was-killed-by-his-creatures) to read a more extensive article on the atonement.

Follow along with the powerpoint presentation here - http://www.godscharacter.com/files/ppt/Colossians_2_13_15.ppt