BOOK of Revelation:
Vision to Strengthen the Saints
Revelation 19:11-21:8
The Drama Behind History – Scene # 7
Oakland International Fellowship
Raymond Breckenridge Orr
title
Dr. Greg Beale’s Chiastic Diagram
Book of
Revelation
Outline of the movement of chapters 17-22:5
19:11Passage
21:8
A Judgment of the harlot (17:1-19:6)
B The divine judge (19:11-16)
C Judgment of the beast (19:17-21 ; cf. Ezek.39)
D Satan imprisoned for 1000 years (20:1-3)
D’ Saints’ reign / judge for 1000 years (20:4-6)
C’ Judgment of Gog & Magog (20:7-10 ; cf. Ezek.38-39)
B’ The divine judge (20:11-15)
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A’ Vindication of the bride (21:1-22:5 ; cf. 19:7-9)
(NIGTC - p.983).
The Rider on a White Horse
Rev. 19:11-16
title
Book of
Revelation
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white
horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True,
19:11Passage
and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His
21:8
eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many
diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows
but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood,
and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white
and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From
his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike
down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of
iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath
of
God
the
Almighty.
16
On
his
robe
and
on
his
thigh
he
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has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Title
Rider – The Lord
Jesus
Christ.
title
Book of
Revelation
19:11Passage
21:8
(19:11-16)
Heaven stands open, not just heaven's door (4:1)
or heaven's temple (11:19 ; 15:5),
but the whole of heaven (19:11).
1. This rider wears “many crowns” which reveal
his universal authority over the nations (19:12).
2. The rider’s robe is “dipped with blood”
(7:14b ; 19:13)
3. The rider battles with a “sharp sword” that
comes out of his mouth
(19:15,21 ; Isa.49:2)
4. The rider’s name: a “name written that no
one knows but himself”, one who is called…
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“Faithful and True”, the “Word of God”
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and the “King of kings and Lord of lords”.
Rev. 19:17-21
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a
loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly
Book of
Revelation
overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God,
18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the
19:11Passage
21:8
flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders,
and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small
and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the
earth with their armies gathered to make war against
him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.
20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false
prophet who in its presence had done the signs by
which he deceived those who had received the mark of
the beast and those who worshiped its image. These
two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with
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sulfur.
21
And
the
rest
were
slain
by
the
sword
that
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came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the
horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.
title
title
Book of
Revelation
19:11Passage
21:8
The end of the Beast and False Prophet, & the Death
of those who followed them to war (19:17-21)
1. This fulfills the “3rd woe” that was never
actually said to have been completed (8:13 ; 9:12
; 11:14 ; 3rd woe?).
2. Beast and false prophet are first captured and
then“thrown alive into” the lake of fire (19:20 ;
20:10), “tormented day and night”
in what is called the“2nd death”
3. God remains sovereign as the prime mover of
peoples, nations and history (17:16-17 ; 19:20-21)
Ironic twist between the
“great supper of God” (19:17) & the
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"wedding supper of the Lamb" (19:8-9).
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John has described the end of men bearing the
Book of
Revelation
19:11Passage
21:8
mark in chapters 15 & 16, a detailed description and
the end of Babylon in chapters 17 & 18, and Christ's
victory bringing an end of the beast, false prophet
and their followers in chapter 19.
But there is one foe, the leader of them all, who
remains to be dealt with in chapter 20. His doom, is
inevitably related to theirs and is described in this
last section of final judgment and vindication.
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Then the remainder in chapters 21 & 22 will deal
with the glorious manifestation of the bride, the
marvelous promises of God fulfilled and the final
words of Christ through his messenger to the
church that guarantee his return.
The 1000 years --- Rev. 20:1-6
title
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in
Book of his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And
Revelation he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and
Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him
19:11Passage
into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might
21:8
not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years
were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom
the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and
for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the
beast or its image and had not received its mark on their
foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with
Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not
come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the
first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in
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the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no
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power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they
will reign with him for a thousand years.
Victory Over Evil Through Christ: as the 1st
Resurrection during the Church Age & Beyond
Book of
(20:1-6).
Revelation
When John says,“Then I saw” (20:1,6,11), this
19:11Passage
communicates the truth of God on 3 levels:
21:8
(1). VISIONARY – what John sees and hears
John sees an angel, with a key, holding a great
chain, and a dragon cast into an Abyss for 1000 yrs.
(2). REFERENTIAL – what realities these things identify
with in history
This is a period when Satan is bound and limited in
influence as Christ reigns together with the saints.
(3). SYMBOLIC – what meaning or interpretation they
provide
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These images signify the limiting control and
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confinement of evil during the period that Christ
asserts his authority in creation.
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Behind the scenes :both present realities and
the real triumph of those who have died in
Christ.
1. Christ’s first coming resulted in Satan being bound
title
Book of
Revelation
19:11Passage
21:8
(20:1-2 ; Mat.12:29 ; Mk.3:27).
2. Now God's judgment is portrayed as the climax of
history.
3. The battle is simply described as “Fire came down
from heaven and consumed them” (20:9).
4. The thrones’ location is unclear (where), the period
of 1000 years is uncertain (when), and the return of
Christ is unmentioned in chapter 20 (why?).
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5. But we know who controls the
“key to the bottomless pit” (9:1-2 ; 20:1),
“keys of death and Hades” (1:18) and the
“key of David” (3:7)
Both the “1stresurrection” and the “2nd death” refer
primarily to the spiritual realm (20:5-6 ; 21:8).
title
Book of
Revelation
19:11Passage
21:8
1. The 5th of 7 blessings (20:6) puts its focus upon the
1st resurrection”
2. The concept of a “1st resurrection” is unique to
Scripture here.
3. Christ is the “1st born from the dead” and the
“1st fruits of those who have fallen asleep”.
The church is called the
“assembly of the 1st born” (Heb.12:23), the
“1st fruits of God and the Lamb” (14:4), and a
“kind of 1st fruits of his creatures” (Ja.1:18).
4. These concepts transcend the normal boundaries
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of physical life and deal with the spiritual realm.
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“1stresurrection” and “2nd death”
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(20:5-6 ; 21:8).
Book of
Revelation
19:11Passage
21:8
1. The main difficulty raised is how to understand the
phrase “they came to life” as the meaning
presents some ambiguity: “They came to life and reigned
with Christ 1000 years” (20:4) and the “rest of the dead” who
“did not come to life until the 1000 years had ended” (20:5)
2. Critique: Interpretation must be consistent in a
specific uniform context – a reasonable expectation.
3. In answer to this critique: John’s use of the word
“life” in John 5:24-29, gives it a dual meaning in a
uniform context, communicating both spiritual and
physical realities. { N.T: coming to faith in Christ }
nd death”, ‘coming to life’ will be a fearful
4.
In
the“2
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resurrection before the judgment throne of God,
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bringing great “weeping and gnashing of teeth”.
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The Defeat of Satan
Book of
Revelation
Rev. 20:7-10
7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will
be released from his prison 8 and will come out to
deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the
earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their
number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched
up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the
camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came
down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the
devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake
of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet
were, and they will be tormented day and night forever
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and
ever.
Lesson
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19:11Passage
21:8
Title
Victory over evil through Christ: The final battle and
Satan’s doom (20:7-10)
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Book of
Revelation
19:11Passage
21:8
At the very end of human history, Satan is to be
released for a “little while” (20:3).
1. The “little while” of 20:3 intersects with the “little
time” of 6:11 and the “time is short” of 12:12.
2. It appears to form the very final stage of the entire
church age.
3. This “little while” (20:3) relates directly to the
angel’s oath that there would be “no more delay”
(10:6).
4. It links with the “one hour” ruin of Babylon (3:10 ;
17:12 ; 18:10,17,19) and with both the “time is near”
and Christ’s promise to be “coming soon” (1:1,3 ;
22:6,7,10,20)
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Title 5. During this “little while”, Satan will seek to crush
the people of God once and for all (20:7-8).
Deceiving
the nations
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Book of
Revelation
1. The great battle of “Armageddon” (16:16).
2. Chapter 20:7-10 is a recap of 16:14-16 and 19:17-21.
19:11Passage
21:8
3. Final fulfillment of the prophecy of Ezek.38 & 39 -the evil designs of Gog & Magog.
4. The result: unremitting torment forever and ever, as
symbolized by the “lake of fire and sulfur”
(19:20 ; 20:10).
5. This harkens back to O.T. history & prophecy (20:9 ;
Ezek.38:22 ; 39:6 ; 2 Kings 1:7-17 -- Elijah).
6. It is referred to as the “2nd death” (20:14-15 ; 21:8 ;
2 Pet.2:4 ; Jude 6)
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7.
Who
can
oppose
the
awesome
power
of
the
Lord
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God Almighty? Scripture’s answer -- No one!
Judgment Before the Great White Throne
Rev. 20:11-15
Book of
Revelation 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was
seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled
19:11Passage
away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw
21:8
the dead, great and small, standing before the throne,
and books were opened. Then another book was
opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were
judged by what was written in the books, according to
what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead
who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who
were in them, and they were judged, each one of them,
according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and
Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the
second
death,
the
lake
of
fire.
15
And
if
anyone's
name
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Title was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown
into the lake of fire.
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Victory over evil through Christ: The throne of
God and final judgment (20:11-15)
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Book of
Revelation
19:11Passage
21:8
1. “Great white throne” harkens back to Dan.7:10-11
and Ezek.1:26-28 -- Daniel’s Ancient of Days”
2. A vast universal impact is signified by “earth and
sky fled away” from His presence.
3. The books are opened and “another book, the
book of life” is opened (20:12).
4. Sea, death and Hades all give up their dead,
signifying a ‘general resurrection’.
5. Dead are judged according to what they have done.
6. ‘Double reference’ to “death & Hades”
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nd death”, for those whose names are not
7.
The
“2
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written in the book of life (18:5).
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The New Heaven and the New Earth
Book of
Revelation
Rev. 21:1-4
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first
heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the
sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I
heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the
dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with
them, and they will be his people, and God himself will
be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every
tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither
shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore,
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for
the
former
things
have
passed
away.”
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19:11Passage
21:8
Title
title
The New Heaven and the New Earth
Book of
Revelation
Rev. 21:5-8
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I
am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this
down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And
he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will
give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I
will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the
cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers,
the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars,
their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and
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sulfur,
which
is
the
second
death.”
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19:11Passage
21:8
Title
title
The New Order (21:1-8)
Book of
Revelation
19:11Passage
21:8
Vision of a new world order in a new heaven and a
new earth (21:1 ; Isa.65:17-19 ; Isa.66:22-24)
1. This depicts a movement in history
from the transitory to the permanent,
from a temporary ‘1st’ that is now old,
to the everlasting new.
2.
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As the 1st earth and the 1st heaven pass away,
the “new heaven and new earth” probably imply
something rejuvenated and transformed, rather
than a totally other creation (Rom.8:18-23).
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The New Order (21:1-8)
Book of
Revelation
19:11Passage
21:8
This brings radical changes: ‘7’ eliminations that
represent the old order of mankind passed away.
1. There will be no sea (21:1), symbol of the abode of
evil forces (13:1,6-8) & turbulent nations (17:1,2,15).
2. There will be no mourning (7:16-17 ; 21:4).
3. There will be no crying,
4. There will be no pain
( “ “ “ )
( “ “ “ )
5. There will be no death (20:13-14 ; 1 Cor.15:54-55).
6. There will be no more curse (22:3), and
7. There will no longer be any night (21:25 ; 22:5 ;
compare Gen.8:22).
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The New Order (21:1-8)
Book of
Revelation
19:11Passage
21:8
The new order manifests the intimacy, perfection and
permanence of relationship between God and His
people.
1. “A new heaven and a new earth” (21:1) and
“a holy city, the New Jerusalem” (21:2) coming
down from heaven: these convey the meaning of a
perfect creation made by God and set apart for God.
2. “the Bride, the wife of the Lamb” (21:2,9) and
“the dwelling of God is with man” (21:3): these
confirm an intimate and lasting relationship.
3. “the Alpha and the Omega” (1:8 ; 21:6 ; 22:13.),
“the beginning and the end” affirm that all this is
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established upon the character of God --------------Lesson
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later revealed as the person of Jesus Christ
including a 3rd label “the 1st and the last” (22:13)
Book of
Revelation
†
19:11Passage
21:8
†
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For all who continue in evil ways, judgment will be a
“lake that burns with fire and sulfur”, “It is done!”
†
For the “detestable, murderers, sexually immoral,
sorcerers, idolaters and all liars”, “It is done!”
†
For the “cowardly” & “faithless” who are unwilling to
face persecution as faithful witnesses, “It is done!”
†
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The new order affirms that judgment will be
fully satisfied.
John hears the voice command to write “words that
are trustworthy and true” asserting,“It is done!”
†
For the divine justice that eternally vindicates those
persecuted & all the martyred saints, “It is done!”
For the fulfilled promise of Jesus Christ when nailed
to the cross, saying, “It is finished!”
Victory of redemption is fully satisfied, “It is done!”
title
Book of
Revelation
Discussion Questions:
19:11Passage
21:8
1. When you read the description of the one
seated on a white horse, what kind of
comfort does it bring to you?
2. How should John’s vision of “all things
new” impact us when at times it feels like
the “same old, same old”?
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3. What is your response to the depiction
“tormented day and night forever and
ever”? (Rev.20:10)