A Preterist Postmillennial Commentary-Revelation 12-22 (PPC)

Revelation 12

V1-2: We see the same imagery of Joseph’s dream here in Genesis 37:9-11. Israel (representing Jerusalem as well in Matthew 2:18) is described as the Daughter of Zion-a dying mother in the sky; specifically, Rachel who died tragically during pregnancy. See Isaiah 50:1, 54:1-6, 66:7; Jeremiah 4:31; Micah 4:9-10; Galatians 4:27; Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:18. Although Jerusalem will be destroyed, the remnant will represent a glimmer of hope similar to Benjamin and Christ's respective births. The woman clothed with the sun represents the exalted status of Israel among all nations. However, the moon is under her feet, which represents the waning status of the Old Covenant system. The moon reflects light from the sun. The twelve stars represent the twelve tribes of Israel. The dying Daughter of Zion was about to give birth to Christ and the New Covenant Israel-144,000.

V3: The Dragon’s seven heads or Leviathan have crowns at this time, which means the Roman Empire was in control. This represents Satan’s authority over the Roman Empire-Jewish alliance. The Seven Heads are the seven main Roman Emperors-(1) Julius Caesar, (2) Augustus, (3) Tiberius, (4) Gaius or Caligula, (5) Claudius, (6) Nero, and (7) Vespasian. The Satan/ Dragon is a literary personification of systemic oppression. This symbol has been used for Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, and other nations (See Isaiah 27:1, Psalm 74:13–14, Psalm 89:9–10, Ezekiel 29:3–5, Ezekiel 32:2–3, Job 26:12–13). The angels of Satan are the agents of chaos brought forth from that systemic oppression.

Although INACTIVE at this time, the ten horns are the Governors of the Judean Provisional Government (66-68 AD), the 10 Zealot Governors. Either way it is the Jewish nature of the Beast:(1) Joseph-the son of Gorion,(2)Ananus-the high priest, (3) Jesus- the son of Sapphias, (4) Eleazar-the son of Ananias, (5) Niger-the then governor of Idumea, (6)Joseph- the son of Simon, (7) Manasseh of Perea, (8) John the Esscue (9) John, the son of Matthias (10) Josephus- the son of Matthia.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judean_provisional_government_(66%E2%80%9368)

1^st Century Palestine: [1] Phoenicia [2] Galilee [3] Samaria [4] Judea [5] Idumea [6] Philistia [7] Gualanitis [8] Decapolis [9] Perea [10] Nabatea.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judea_(Roman_province)

 

V4: Similar imagery is used in Daniel 8:10 and Lamentations 2:1. In Daniel, Antiochus Epiphanes IV is attacking the stars  (Jewish armies) being "THROWN" down and trampled (Hebrew word: napal). In contrast, Revelation 12:4 has The Satan "DRAGGING" (Greek word: syro) is influencing Herod the Great along with his palace soldiers (the angels). This caused the death of numerous male infants. Baby Jesus escaped this massacre. Similar to Moses.

V5: This part describes The Christ’s birth, death, and his exaltation to the right hand of the Father’s throne. He is now declared ruler over New Jerusalem. 

V6: While Cestius Gallus is fighting with the Jews/Zealots, the 144,000 Diaspora fled to the wilderness (Pella) due to the persecution of the Jews from 66-70AD.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_to_Pella

V7-13: It’s important to note that we see an abridged version of Christ’s exaltation first and then the Diaspora Exodus (verse 5-6). In verse 7-17, we get a glimpse what happens in the middle. The events fall in this order: Christ’s Ascension, the Great War in the Sky (66AD), Satan’s defeat (given the Keys of the Abyss-authority), and then the Diaspora Exodus to Pella. We know that the War in the Sky happens AFTER the Ascension. It is the fulfillment of Daniel 12:1-2. Although it says Heaven, it can be translated as sky like in the World English Bible translation.  It is not the same location as God's throne. That is the crucial difference. This imagery is borrowed from Isaiah 14:12-21 and Lamentations 2:2. Just like the King of Babylon was literally not in Heaven, Satan was literally not in Heaven. He lost his authority when Rome lost to the Zealots. In this context, Heaven represents the sphere of authority. It is like the prince of the power of the air concept in Ephesians 2:2- the spiritual realm.

Michael and the angels (agents of order) defeat The Satan- this time with the Blood of Christ. It is only through Christ’s atoning blood that victory is even possible. This led to the defeat of The Satan. This scene is considered a cosmic counterpart, where we see an event in its natural terms and then in its cosmic terms.  Similar examples include Judges 4 with 5, 2 Samuel 22 with Psalm 18, Daniel 10 with 11-12, and Esther 9 with Ezekiel 38-39. See also Isaiah 27:1, Psalm 74:13–14, Psalm 89:9–10, Ezekiel 29:3–5, Ezekiel 32:2–3, Job 26:12–13)

The Satan (Systemic Oppression) and his angels (now represented by Cestius Gallus, Herod Agrippa II and their respective troops) were defeated in 66 AD, not 33AD-See Revelation 9:1-3 for support of timing. This is the fulfillment of Luke 10:18 (see also John 14:30, John 12:31-33, John 16:10-11, Ephesians 2:1-3, (compare Heavenly Places of Ephesians 6:12-13 with 1:3-same Greek words), Matthew 4:8-9, Luke 4:5-6, Hebrews 2:14, 1 John 5:18-19, Colossians 2:10-15, Romans 16:20). This is an act of judgment upon Apostate Jerusalem. Satan is now furious and goes after the 144,000 exiles (1 Peter 5:8). The Devil falls to Jerusalem BETWEEN the events of Christ’s exaltation and the 144,000’s exodus to Pella. The fall from authority injured The Satan, which resulted in Cestius Gallus and Agrippa II being defeated by the Zealots (this was symbolized by the wounded head of the Sea Beast in Revelation 13:3; Psalm 74:13–14).

V14: The 144,000 goes to Pella around 66AD. Exodus imagery is used.

V15: The Satan persecutes the 144,000 exiles by using the Romans and Zealots. 

V16: During this time, the Jewish Priesthood (Earth) tried to facilitate peace between the Romans and Zealots. They eventually became the targets of Rome. Conflicts start to escalate between the Zealots and Cestius Gallus. This allowed the 144,000 exiles to escape to Pella. Satan used the Romans to punish the Zealots for interfering with his attack on the 144,000. Imagery from Job 40:23 of the Behemoth (land beast) is used for the Jews.

V17: The Satan then attacks the 7 Jewish Diaspora Churches of Asia Minor. These are the events of Revelation 1-3. Satan is attacking the Church through trials, persecution, false teaching, and compromise.

 

Revelation 13

V1-6: After Gallus is defeated, the Satan opens up the Abyss in order to release the demon, Abaddon and his armies  (Revelation 9:1-2, 11:7). The Satan gives his authority to the Beast (demons possessing Rome in its entirety). The Beast of the Sea is the spiritual entity that controls the Political Body of Rome. We see this Beast resemble the Leviathan from the Book of Job. In Job, it is represented by a physical sea creature of chaos. Here, it represents a spiritual sea creature of chaos. In regards to the mortal wound, I see it as Rome’s initial defeat under Nero’s leadership (See Revelation 8:12-13, Psalm 74:13–14). Interpreting this passage as Cestius Gallus’ defeat connects much better with Revelation 8:12-13. It transitions more smoothly to The Satan opening up the Abyss in Chapter 9. Gallus was defeated by the Zealots. They even took Rome’s Standard (An eagle statue that represented their Power and Authority). When Nero promoted Vespasian and Titus in place of Cestius, Rome was "alive" again. This made Titus the Rich Jews' Messiah. He was called to destroy the Jewish Zealots who threatened their luxurious lifestyle. Rome was now empowered by the Gates of Hades (Abaddon and the hordes of demons).

NOTE: Many see this as Nero’s suicide, but it doesn’t make sense since the previous emperors were already dead too. There would have been more than one wounded head on the Beast. Also, there are STILL seven active heads on the Beast in Revelation 17. This shows us that this cannot be considered Nero’s suicide at this time.

An interesting thought is the actual number of heads, horns, and crowns. The crowns switched from the 7 Roman Emperors (7 blasphemous names on the head) to the 10 Governors (Judean Provisional Government), which will further strengthen my view that the wounded horn represents Nero’s/Gallus’ loss, not his suicide. The Zealots were victorious, which makes sense that the 10 horns are now wearing the 10 crowns of authority. In Chapter 17:12, we see Satan give his authority to the 10 Jewish Governors (Parallel to Revelation 13:4-5). This should be around October 66 AD, which then leads to the Zealot Temple Siege (68AD) and ultimately to the destruction of 70AD.

·         Chapter 12- 7 Heads, 10 Horns, 7 Crowns: Rome Emperors in authority

·         Chapter 13- 7 Heads, 10 Horns, 10 Crowns: Jewish Governors in authority

·         Chapter 17- 7 Heads, 10 Horns, Jewish Governors are crowned in verse 12.

The forty-two months coincide with the same forty-two months in Revelation 11:2. The focus of the forty two months is when Nero appointed Vespasian/Titus as co-generals.  It is also when the spiritual entities possessed Jerusalem (10 Jewish Governors) on October 66AD-See Revelation 17:12-18). Both Nero and Vespasian/Titus are possessed by a spiritual army. This is why we see a significant shift from Christian persecution to Jewish persecution. Apostate Jerusalem is the new target for destruction. That’s the focus here. While possessed, Rome was more power-driven and oppressive. Jerusalem became more paranoid and rebellious.The supernatural authority was only good until Jerusalem was destroyed (See Revelation 19:20-21). Once Jerusalem was destroyed, the Beast was thrown into the Lake of Fire, but Rome continued to function afterwards. History supports this. The Beast’s authority was only good until 70 AD, which was the shattering of the Jewish people's power (Daniel 12:7). This is spiritual (not literal) because Daniel 2:35 and 2:44 state that the Gentile Kingdoms were going to be crushed at the same time by Christ’s Kingdom. Although Christ was the ruler of Heaven and Earth, Rome was still a functioning empire until its own conversion to Christianity during the reign of Constantine. The Lake of Fire is not a literal lake of lava. It is an apocalyptic symbol used for destruction and forgetfulness. See Daniel 7:10.  Jerusalem will experience a similar fate like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Daniel 2:35 New American Standard Bible 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed to pieces all at the same time, and they were like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the entire earth.

Daniel 2:44 New American Standard Bible 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

V7: Verse 7 uses similar language in Daniel 7:21-28 and Revelation 11:7. These are the same events. Because of the dual nature of the Beast of the Sea. This is the Zealots attacking the Church. See Revelation 2:9, 3:9.

V8-9: This is about the people within the jurisdiction of the Roman Empire (See Luke 2:1). This does not include the Chinese empires like the Han dynasty. An invitation goes out to the 7 Jewish Diaspora Churches (Revelation 1-3) to hear and persevere through the Great Tribulation.

V10- Parallel from Jeremiah 15:2 and possibly from Matthew 26:52.

V11-15: The Beast of the Land is the spiritual entity that has control over Jerusalem's Political Body-The Priesthood. As mentioned earlier about the Book of Job,  the land beast Behemoth was a physical composite creature. Here, it is the spiritual Behemoth who represents land chaos. Both Land and Sea of the Jewish World is experiencing chaos. The Political Body of Israel mirrors the Two Witnesses’ Testimony in an Anti-Christ manner. The Fire from Heaven can be possibly linked to Revelation 8:5. The Fire is coming from the altar of the Heavenly Temple.  The Rich Jews are so deceived at this point that they believe the Fire from Heaven is an affirmation for their idolatrous deeds/support for the Roman Emperor Messiah, and not judgment. The False Prophet confirms and honors the “ministry” of Rome just like the 7 Churches confirmed and honored the ministry of Christ. This is the False Prophet’s “Pentecost” and “Great Commission.” The image of the Beast is the Temple (See Matthew 23:38). Notice, the Temple is causing people to get killed. This further confirms that this is the Beast of the Sea-Jewish Zealots portion. It has a dual nature. See Revelation 17.

V16-18: The Mark of the Beast is the spiritual commitment to the Old Covenant- empowered by Rome (See Exodus 13:9, 16, Deuteronomy 11:18, Matthew 23:5). The Mark acknowledges that the Temple was under Roman Emperor authority. The Jews handed their system to the Romans and chose them over The Christ. Preaching Jesus as Messiah was bad for business. The only Messiah was the Roman Emperor. The instructions about wisdom resembles Solomon’s Book of Proverbs. 666 is associated with the Apostasy of Israel (1 Kings 10:14-15, 1 Kings 11:1). The Roman Emperor Messiah is the “new” compromising King Solomon. This is the Dark Age of Jerusalem. Alternatively, when scripture tells the wise to calculate the number of the Beast, it just means that the wise should be aware that the Beast is  a Messianic pretender. The number 666 is a symbol of the ownership. It’s not suppose to be a secret code to break.

The Jews were still invested in exploiting the Temple system for financial gain (Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, John 2:14–16). Buyers wanted quick, easy, and guilt-free atonement. They didn’t want to “buy” from Christ in Revelation 3:18-22, 22:17; Isaiah 55:1-13. Sellers wanted to rip off people with higher paying sacrifices/offerings and higher fees for currency exchange. Apostate Jerusalem wanted to exploit God Fearers and the 7 Churches (Acts 15:1-5; Galatians 5:1-3, 6:12-13; Matthew 23:15). They stirred up fear in the 7 Jewish Diaspora Churches by telling them that their sin remained. Anyone that preached Christ was the Messiah, threaten the Old Covenant system, and its financial investments. This would result in the Jews nagging the Romans to oppress and silence the Church. Similar to how Christ was crucified. Christianity was a threat to the Jews’ luxury: their high positions, false peace, and money. The Christians would not participate in the Old Covenant economy. See Revelation 18:11-13. This would caused them to struggle financially as well as experience social pressures from the surrounding nations and church compromisers. It is possible that Jews imposed higher Temple tax fees as well as higher portion sizes for tithes upon the churches. This resulted in impoverished churches or churches accruing a never-ending debt, which would inevitably result in them selling their land/property to the Priesthood. You were either a contributor who benefited from the Old Covenant system or an enemy/victim of the system. In regards to 666, some have claimed that Titus is considered the Anti-Christ. His family name interestingly does add up to 666. There are 3 ways listed below.

·         Greek form of Titus (first name) written on Caesarean coins = τειταν = τ (300) ε (5) ι (10) τ (300) α (1) ν (50) = 666

·         Greek of Vespasian's (last name) year one coin = Βασπασιανον+1 = Β (2) α (1) σ (200) π (80) α (1) σ (200) ι (10) α (1) ν (50) ο (70) ν (50) +1 ῍666

·         Hebrew of Titus Flavius Vespasianus Augustus = טיטסבלביוסבספסיאנוסאגוּסְטס= ט (9) י (10) ט (9) ס (60) ב (2) ל (30) ב (2) י (10) ו (6) ס (60) ב (2) ס (60) פ (80) ס (60) י (10) א (1) נ (50) ו (6) ס (60) א (1) ג (3) וּ (6) סְ (60) ט (9) ס (60) = 666

 

Revelation 14

V1: This chapter focuses on the 144,000 climbing up to Mt Zion according to Isaiah 37:31-32; 2 Kings 19:30-31; Joel 2:32. Mt. Zion is not a literal mountain per se (that doesn't mean they were not taking refuge on physical mountains of Pella). It is a physical description of a spiritual mountain-kingdom. It contrasts the Old Covenant that represented Mt. Sinai. To climb a mountain during the period of the Bible was a figurative description to "enter into Heaven".  You are above the Earth in the presence of clouds, but not exactly quite in Heaven (the Greek word for Heaven can be translated as sky). Furthermore, it represented fellowship with God similar to Moses-entering the sacred space. The 144,000 are now declared Citizens of Heaven (See Hebrews 12:22, Colossians 1:13-14, Ephesians 2:6-7, Galatians 4:21-31, and Revelation 11:11-12). This is in fulfillment of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and Corinthians 15:50-58. The 144,000 are waiting to be “changed” at the last trumpet meaning- they will be glorified- God dwelling in them as a Temple  (see Ephesians 2:6-7, Colossians 1:13-14, and Hebrews 12:22). The living saints are changed from dishonored to honored/ spiritually dead in exile to life again in the land, from Mt. Sinai to Zion, from fruits of death to fruits of righteousness, from death in Adam to life in Christ, and declared holy as a nation of priests. They are internally clothed in Christ's light like the transfiguration. Likewise, they are dressed and purified as priests on the 8th day (Ezekiel 43:27), the bride and the guests have their wedding garments (Matthew 22:1-14), the Prodigal Son/Joseph imagery now wears the Garment of Righteousness for the Great Feast. The dead (the Great Multitude/ 7 Churches) mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4 are sharing in the victory with the 144,000 living saints (see Isaiah 25, Revelation 15:1-4 for the Great Multitude's victory). First Thessalonians 4 figuratively describes that the 144,000 living saints and the dead saints of the OT have the same access to God in fellowship.

In terms of imagery, John sees the 144,000 living saints and Christ standing in victory/taking refuge (See Psalm 2:1-12). Another image that can be drawn from this passage is Genesis 19. We see Lot and his daughters run to the hills in order to take refuge before the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah (See Genesis 19:15-22, 30). The saints are taking refuge in Christ-away from the burning city of Jerusalem/Spiritual Sodom. God calls his saints not to look back at the Old Covenant system-similar to Lot's wife looking back at the old corrupt system of Sodom. Luke 17:32-33.

V2-3: This loud voice from Heaven (figurative of the high elevation of the mountain) is the 144,000 singing. This song is the Song of Deliverance (see Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32) from Apostate Jerusalem/Spiritual Egypt. Only a select few know this song. It demonstrated the deep, relationship they have in Christ. It brought comfort, peace, and thanksgiving to them.

V4-5: This doesn’t mean they are literal virgins (See 2 Corinthians 11:2). The Diaspora represented purity, holiness, and did not engage in spiritual adultery with the Whore of Babylon. Also, this is Mt. Sinai imagery from Exodus 19:1-25 and 24:1-18 being used to explain the New Covenant reality of Mt. Zion. This is why we see the word “virgin” on here. In the Old Covenant, people needed to abstain from sex and present themselves as holy/clean vessels before approaching God (Exodus 19:14-15). A virgin is the “highest” physical description of purity in order to explain holiness. The 144,000 are the First-Fruits of the New Jerusalem (See Zechariah 14:20, Acts 4:32, James 1:1 and 1:18, 1 Peter 1:1, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 1 Corinthians 15:23). I believe God has preserved the First-Fruits.

V6-7: Declaration of the coming judgment upon Apostate Jerusalem. The angel is possibly Gabriel.

V8: Rome and Jerusalem’s Old Covenant Cult worship is the Whore of Babylon who seduces and exploits all the neighboring nations.

V9-11: The promise of judgment on those who commit themselves to Rome and Jerusalem's Old Covenant Cult worship.

V12: Invitation to endure and be faithful to Christ (addressed specifically to the  Churches in Chp.1-3).

V13: The dead Martyrs are exalted in Heaven in 70AD. They are given justice from  between the 6th and 7th judgments. It is finalized once the Temple is destroyed (Hebrews 9:8).

V14-20:  The Grape Harvest imagery is from Joel 3:13, Matthew 13:36-43, Isaiah 63:1-6, and James 5:7-9. These are the same events occurring in Revelation 19:11-21.  Jesus is the same son of man in Revelation 1:13. Angel 1 tells Jesus to strike Jerusalem with his sickle to reap- a declaration of justice. Angel 2 comes out and the Angel 3 from the altar-who has authority over the fire. Angel 3 monitors the Martyr's prayers. He brings the prayers to Christ (holding a sickle). We see two actions: the grapes are cut off from the vines and then gathered together. Once they are gathered, they are crushed simultaneously. Apostate Jerusalem is crushed like grapes.

 

Revelation 15

V1:The 3rd set of 7 judgments will complete the wrath of God on Jerusalem.

V2: This verse parallels Revelation 14:1 with the same imagery of the 144,000’s victory in Christ. This time we focus on the Great Multitude’s victory from Revelation 7:9-17. Their shade (memory) has crossed from Sheol/Hades to Heaven. The sea of glass mingled with fire, represents Exodus imagery of withheld judgment. This is similar to how the Red Sea’s waters were parted temporarily, so the Jews can cross over while the Egyptians drowned in their pursuit. 

V3-4: The Great Multitude sings the new song of salvation just like the 144,000 in unity. Again, this was sung when the Egyptians drowned in the Red Sea. The people of God made it safely across. The song of Moses is a testimony of God’s victory over His enemies (See Exodus 15:1-27, Deuteronomy 31:19-29, Deuteronomy 28:59-60). In their case, it is the covenant people's victory over Apostate Jerusalem. The series of visions from Revelation 12-15:4 ends with recapitulation. It begins again with the 7 Bowls of Wrath judgment. This is similar to how the 7th Seal transitions into the 1^st Trumpet.

V5-7: Seven angels come out of the Heavenly Temple (Ezekiel 40-48) to execute final judgment on Apostate Jerusalem while the Day of Atonement ceremony is in process. See Hebrews 9:11-12, 23-28; Leviticus 16:1-34.

V8: We see Christ commanding His seven angels to pour out bowls filled with His blood. The bowls have been used for drink offerings in Exodus 25:29. His blood is combined with the Martyrs (this is their sacrifice too). This is similar to how the Prince combined His sacrifice with the people in Ezekiel 45:16-17, 22. Christ poured His blood along with the Martyrs' blood. Their blood will be upon the guilty in Matthew 23:32-36, 27:25, and Acts 5:27-28. Remember at the Day of Atonement, the High Priest placed blood on the Mercy Seat seven times in Leviticus 16:14-19. The difference we see in Revelation 15 in regards to Ezekiel 46:2 is that we see angels dressed as priests carrying out the blood. The Prince shall put together a large sacrifice for the new Israel.  This is Jesus offering his life to God. His sacrifice enters the Holy of Holies where the Prince can't go (The angels take it there due to the Principle of agency). Interestingly, part of this imagery is from Solomon’s Temple inauguration and Hezekiah's re-dedication ceremonies. This is when God’s Glory prevented others from entering the Temple temporarily. This is the fulfillment of Ezekiel 43:5; 44:1-4. Christ, the High Priest is making intercession for the New Israel (Leviticus 9:22-24, Ezekiel 45:13-46:24, Isaiah 4:4) and the removal of Apostate Jerusalem. The sanctuary was closed because intercession for Apostate Jerusalem was no longer available. They were ripe for judgment. God’s mercy has expired towards them. The Shekinah Glory was making itself into the inner courts (Holy Place and Holy of Holies) and all throughout the Heavenly Temple. Now the Day of Atonement sacrifice can be completed. 

Revelation 16

V1: The last 7 set of judgments are ready to happen.

V2: Bowl 1 starts in 66AD. It is not limited to this one event. It occurred throughout 66AD to 70AD. These painful sores (injuries/boils/welts, and wounds) may be the result of supernatural cause and/or unsanitary conditions of the war. In connection to Trumpet 1, the sores could have been caused by flaming arrows (fire), stones from slingshots (hail), or the unclean properties of the blood rain (resulting in injuries that led to infections). See Exodus 9:9, Deuteronomy 28:27, and Deuteronomy 28:35. Alternatively, Jerusalem has become a spiritual leper in God’s eyes-beyond healing; they are the new, Spiritual Egypt. Similar imagery can be found in Isaiah 1:6; Jeremiah 6:7, 8:22, 14:19, 30:13.

V3-4: This is the massacre of Galilee and Joppa. The blood has contaminated the aquifers and water supply in totality. See Exodus 7:14-25. Alternatively, Jerusalem has become a Spiritual Egypt.

V5-7:Here is the fulfillment of Matthew 23:35, 27:25; Acts 5:28. This is the judgment for killing the saints.

V8-9: Just like Revelation 8, the sun represented Rome. East wind/Fire/Firestorm imagery is used here. Figuratively, this can be about Vespasian/Titus burning down the cities of Yodfat, Gamala, Gadara, Gischala, and other Jewish inhabited strongholds. See Ezekiel 19:12. Alternatively, since the trees were burned down already, it was easy for the sun’s heat and east wind to scorch people. This can also be in reference to the Parable of the Sower when the rootless seeds were burned up by the sun in Matthew 13:6, 21.

V10-11: Nero dies-commits suicide. The Jews curse God for their suffering, but refused to repent of their sin. This starts the event known as the “Year of the Four Emperors.” Rome goes to civil war. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_of_the_Four_Emperors. Alternatively, this Imagery of Supernatural Darkness can be volcanic ash in the sky, literal darkness, and/or a thunderstorm. See Exodus 10:21-23. Another possibility is that Israel has become a Spiritual Egypt. Or this is about King Agrippa II escaping from Jerusalem or civil war between the three Jewish factions.

V12-14: Here we see recycled imagery of Medo-Persia attacking Ancient Babylon from the Book of Daniel (See 1 Peter 5:13, Jeremiah 51:63, Daniel 5:30, Isaiah 44:27, Isaiah 44:28, Isaiah 45:1, Isaiah 46:11, Ezra 6:5).  Babylon here is Apostate Jerusalem. Medo-Persia represents Titus’ Roman army. The Satan and his spiritual entities draws Rome and Jerusalem to fight against each other. Jerusalem is being led to a battle they cannot win. The unclean spirits that look like frogs represent lying spirits-Jerusalem has become Spiritual Egypt. See Exodus 7:25-8:15, 1 Kings 22:19-23. Most translations take away whole world or earth. They do not notice that these two are different Greek words here: Ge and Oikoumene. This represents Jerusalem and Rome respectively. This similar to the locust as unclean spirits as well from Revelation 9.

V15: A call to be ready for Christ and to be covered in his righteousness. See Matthew 25:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, 2 Peter 3:10, Luke 12:39, Matthew 24:43.

V16: Jerusalem and Rome meet in the place of judgment.See Acts 4:25-27, Joel 3:12-14, Psalm 2:1-12, Matthew 17:25.

V17-V18: The wrath of God is complete.The New Covenant Kingdom of God is inaugurated.

V19: Ezekiel's third-fold judgment was issued upon Jerusalem. See Ezekiel 5:1-6.

V20: This parallels Revelation 6:14, 12:8, and 20:11. This indicates that Revelation is not strictly sequential, but views the events of 70AD from different perspectives. This represents the inescapability of the situation.

V21:The hail is the stones being shot from the Roman catapults during the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. See Exodus 9:13-35, 2 Chronicles 26:15.

THE BOWL’S VIEW

·        Bowl 1: 66 AD-The unsanitary conditions of unburied corpses during the war with Cestius Gallus. Not exclusive to this event.

Alternate explanation: The supernatural onset of painful sores/ulcers/burns/boils through wounds represented by spiritual leprosy.

 

·        Bowl 2: Spring 67 AD-Vespasian/Titus' army massacres the Jews at the Sea of Galilee and Joppa.

 

·        Bowl 3: Spring 67 AD-The dead bodies from the Galilee and Joppa massacres significantly pollute the major and minor aquifers of Jerusalem and all surrounding cities. This included the Taricheae and Jordan River.

 

·        Bowl 4: Late 67AD/Early 68 AD-The Romans destroyed Yodfat , Gamala, Gadara, Gischala, and other Jewish inhabited strongholds.

Alternate Explanation: Since the trees were burned down already, it was easy for the sun’s heat and east wind to scorch the skin of the people.

 

·        Bowl 5: June 68 AD-Emperor Nero’s death-The Year of the Four Emperors-Roman civil war. Or King Agrippa II leaving Jerusalem/civil war between the three Jewish factions.

 

·        Bowl 6: December 69 AD-July 69AD-Titus arrives once again in Jerusalem. The Siege begins.

 

Bowl 7: August/September 70 AD- The Romans used catapults to breach the walls of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is destroyed

Revelation 17

V1: This new timeline starts with the promotion of Vespasian/Titus as co-generals and the Judean Provision Government in late 66AD-70AD. This passage contrasts the Whore with the Bride of Christ. This is a parallel to Revelation 21:9. See also Ezekiel 16 & 23, Hosea 2:1-23, Jeremiah 51:13, and Isaiah 43:14.

V2: The Kings of the Earth are the Jewish Officials, Rulers, Sadducees, Rich upper class, Sages, Wisemen, Civic leaders, Rabbis, Visionaries, Men of Renown, etc. This list can include King Herod Agrippa II, Berenice, and Tiberius Alexander. The spiritual adultery imagery shows that Jerusalem has perverted the Temple. The Jews have turned it into a large trade stock market/Las Vegas style resort. This may include adding idols inside the Temple.

V3-4: This being carried away in the Spirit resembles Ezekiel 40:1-2 and Daniel 7:2-8. John sees Jerusalem being supported/elevated by Rome. The woman is dressed in the colors of the High Priest. She is holding a chalice of wine to indicate unrestricted access to sin and pleasure.

V5-6: This is the reverse of the High Priest’s head plate “Holy to the Lord.” The Whore of Babylon has a disgraceful reputation while she drinks the blood of the martyrs. See Exodus 28:36, Zechariah 14:20, Hosea 2:1-23, Isaiah 1:21, 26, Ezekiel 16:1-63, Matthew 23:31.

V7: The angel will reveal the meaning of the vision of the Whore of Babylon and the Beast. The Mystery refers to Covenantal Unity and/or the Height of Wickedness in this context.  See Ephesians 1:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:7.

V8: The Beast uses a reverse mock title of God (Revelation 1:8).The Rich Jews will be impressed by the Roman Empire’s revival-after the defeat of Cestius Gallus.

V9-11: The Beast is the demon that has possessed the Roman Empire. The horns are the Roman Emperors-Nero is the “one is”, “the one that remains a little while” is  Galba and the other 3 Kings who have short, unnoticeable reigns. After that, Vespasian becomes Emperor (The Seventh). Titus is the Eighth because he is Vespasian’s son. Titus is co-emperor with his Father. See Daniel 7:2-8, 23-28.

V12-13: Compare Revelation 12:3, 13:1, and 17:7 with the heads, horns, and crowns. The Seven Roman Heads have Seven Crowns before Nero’s death because Rome was superior at that time. Now we see Ten Horns, which are the Ten Jewish Governors/Judean Provisional Government. Now, they are in a position of power because they defeated Cestius Gallus in Revelation 8:12-13.

The Ten Jewish Governors consisted of Joseph-the son of Gorion, Ananus-the high priest, Jesus- the son of Sapphias, Eleazar-the son of Ananias, Niger-the then governor of Idumea, Joseph- the son of Simon, Manasseh of Perea, John the Esscue, John, the son of Matthias, Josephus- the son of Matthias.

In verse 12, this is the same authority (belonging to The Satan) that was received in Revelation 13:4-5. This beast is the spiritual presence that possessed Nero to promote Vespasian and Titus (they are also possessed). When Gallus was defeated, Nero promoted Vespasian and Titus as his military co-generals. In verse 13, it says that both the Ten Governors and the Seven-Eight Roman Emperors shared the same destructive and power-hungry mindset. Later on, we see that the Jewish Governors were either killed or chose to surrender to Vespasian/Titus. Specifically, Josephus documents his own defection from the Jews to the Romans by 69 AD. The Ten Jewish Governors assimilated to the Romans, which led to the destruction of the Whore of Babylon-The Temple.

The Ten Jewish Governors (who were Zealots as well) were not like the Beast, but they became like the Beast. They allowed the unclean spirits to fuel their hatred for the Rich Jews aka Kings of the Earth- took the Mark of the Beast-James 5:1, John 11:48. The Rich Jews were Roman sympathizers and sell-outs to their own brethren. The Kings of the Earth were all about their financial investments through Rome and the Temple. The Ten Jewish Governors would clash with the Rich Jews and other Zealot factions. One notable instance is when the Temple was used as a fortress as to rob their fellow Jewish citizens. The Jewish Governor Ananus Ben Ananus incited the Jewish people to rise up against the Zealots. Ananus and John of Gischala (other Zealot) were in talks about forming a peace treaty between the Governors and the Zealots. However, Gischala betrayed Ananus. He told the other Zealots that Ananus was secretly contacting Vespasian for assistance. This was not true. In actuality, the other Zealots backstabbed the Governors. The other Zealots asked for help from the Idumeans to kill Ananus and his men. These events led to the infamous Zealot Temple Siege of 68AD.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealot_Temple_Siege.

V14:The Beast and the Ten Jewish Governors made war on the Lamb by fighting against God’s Will- not honoring Christ’s New Covenant, persecuting/killing the Elect, keeping the Old Covenant, stumbling the Jewish Christians and God Fearers, and fighting against the Romans. This predicts the final outcome of the war. Those with Christ are His dead Martyrs. 

 V15: The Whore has an strong following in the Ancient Greco-Roman World. Everyone has exploited her in various ways.

V16: The Governors and Vespasian/Titus hated the Zealots so much they fought them to the point of destroying the city and Temple. Jerusalem's spiritual lovers turned against her by stoning her to death (with catapults), stripped her of her jewelry (inside/outside the Temple), burned her with fire, and removed each stone (de-stoned her). See Leviticus 14:43-45, 21:9, Matthew 24:2, Isaiah 1:21, 47:3, Jeremiah 3:1-2, 13:22, Ezekiel 16:37, 57, 23:28, Hosea 2:3, 10-12, Nahum 3:5-6.

V17: In summary, I believe that the Ten Governors received power when Cestius Gallus was defeated (same time that Vespasian/Titus received power as co-generals for Nero). This makes sense since it says that the Ten Kings only had power for one hour-a short period of time. The Governors shared the same destructive and power-hungry mindset of the Romans. This mindset led to conflict with the other Zealots as well as the Romans. In 67-68 AD, after the siege of Yodfat, Josephus surrendered to Vespasian. By this time, the Governors were either dead or have surrendered to Rome. Josephus defected to the Roman’s side in 69AD when Vespasian/Titus became co-Emperors. Around this time, in 68AD, the Zealot Temple Siege has occurred. The Temple was used as a battleground between the Jews and Zealot factions. From that point on, there was no more Judean Provisional Government. The Temple was destroyed on August 9th 70AD and then the city was completely conquered on September 8th 70AD.

V18:The Whore of Babylon is revealed to be the Old Covenant Temple system. The Rich upper class and prominent members of society relied heavily on her for their extravagant living.

Revelation 18

V1-2: The Temple has been destroyed by the Romans and the Jews on August 9th 70AD. An angel or Gabriel announced the destruction of Jerusalem. She is a cesspool of spiritual depravity. This is the funeral dirge (lamentation) of Jerusalem-Spiritual Babylon. See Zechariah 5:11, 1 Peter 5:13, Matthew 12:43-45, Luke 11:24-26, 2 Peter 2:20. 

V3: The angel talks about the spiritual hold that the Whore of Babylon had over the nations.

V4-6: God pleads for his people (a warning to the 5 Jewish Diaspora Churches for their spiritual compromise) to separate themselves from Spiritual Babylon’s false theology (See Jeremiah 51:45). This passage just shows the heart of God in judgment. It is a heart of sorrow for His people. Also, it is reminiscent of Genesis 18:16-33 where Abraham pleads with God in sparing Sodom and Gomorrah. Tower of Babel imagery is used in verse 5. Jerusalem identifies as Babel (Genesis 11:1-9, Isaiah 40:2, Jeremiah 16:18).

V7-8: This is a description of Jerusalem's pride and judgment in 70AD.  See Lamentations 1:1, Isaiah 47:8-9, Isaiah 10:17, Isaiah 9:14, Leviticus 21:9

V9:-10: All the investors of Babylon will weep and mourn for their financial losses.

V11-13: The Temple had valuable products when it was ransacked by the Romans. Jerusalem forfeited their souls to the material pleasures. See Ezekiel 27:12-24, Ezekiel 28:1-10, 16-19, Daniel 5:30, Isaiah 44:27, Jeremiah 52:12-23, Matthew 23:13, Galatians 4:21-5:1. This is the fulfillment of Hebrews 9:8.

V14-19: Investors mourned for their losses in various fields/expertise. See Exodus 28:5-21, Isaiah 1:21, Jeremiah 22:8, Deuteronomy 29:24.

V20: Justice was satisfied for the dead Martyrs and persecuted believers.

V21-24: Babylon imagery from Jeremiah is applied to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was responsible for killing the saints and prophets. See Matthew 18:6, Luke 17:2, Jeremiah 51:63-64, Jeremiah 7:34, Jeremiah 51:49, Matthew 21:33-45.

Revelation 19

V1-5: Here we see the Great Multitude appear just like in Revelation 7:9 and Revelation 11:11-12. Praises and worship to God over the judgment of Apostate Jerusalem. The Temple and the Old Covenant system are destroyed. The saints sing in joy of the Inauguration of the Kingdom of God-The New Covenant. In verse 3, we see a reference to Jerusalem as Sodom and Gomorrah that comes from Revelation 14:11

V6-10: The dead saints from Sheol/Hades are now finally exalted in Heaven. They are covered with Christ’s righteousness (white garments). This fulfilled Isaiah 25:6-8, Isaiah 62:4, and Psalm 45:1-17.  Gabriel, the mighty angel reminds John not to worship him, but to the Father. See Revelation 1:1 and 22:6-8.

V  V11-18: A new narrative recapitulates the events of the Rich Jews and Romans challenging Christ and His armies to a final showdown in 70AD. This imagery is similar to when Joshua was fighting with the pagan armies for the land of Canaan. Christ’s army is composed of angels, not the dead saints. See Revelation 14:13. In reality, Rome destroyed most of the Jews in Jerusalem regardless of their loyalty. Rome also suffered many casualties as well. This is recycled fulfillment of 2 Chronicles 20:17-30. Also see Matthew 16:27-28, Isaiah 63:1-6, Psalm 2:1-12, Ezekiel 39:4, Daniel 2:43, and Daniel 7:12.

V19: This is the final month between August 70AD and September 70AD, the Kings of the Earth are the Jewish Officials, Rulers, Sadducees, Rich upper class, Sages, Wisemen, Rabbis, Civic leaders, Visionaries, Men of Renown, etc. They made war with Christ by fighting against God’s Will, not honoring Christ’s New Covenant, persecuting/killing the Elect, keeping the Old Covenant system, stumbling the 7 Jewish Churches and God Fearers, and fighting against the Romans. Revelation 17:14 predicts the final outcome of the war.

V20-21: The Lord captured Abaddon and the same spirits that were released from the Abyss (Revelation 9). Judgment is now completed. These entities that possessed the Roman Empire (The Beast) and the Jewish Priesthood (False Prophet) now have lost their power. This did not affect Vespasian/Titus. They continued to live past 70 AD. The difference is that they can no longer politically and spiritually influence Old Covenant Jerusalem (the Jews could never emulate their Old Covenant system again). The nation was no more- the Temple and city were destroyed. The shared mindset between the Roman Empire and Jewish Zealots have been completely dissolved (1 Corinthians 6:16, Jeremiah 3:8, Isaiah 50:1). Alternatively, in Daniel 2:43, Rome is the iron and Jewish Zealots are the clay infused together. The clay couldn’t stand the fires of judgment and was burned off. Nevertheless, the Romans continued to be a dominant force throughout history, which eventually led to their conversion to Christianity. These wicked entities/institutions were then destroyed into the Lake of Fire in 70AD. They received no trial unlike the Old Covenant Jews. In contrast, the Kings of the Earth (“The rest”/those who took the Mark of the Beast) were slain by the sword. We now see the fulfillment of Matthew 19:28, 25:31-46; Luke 22:30. However, none of the shades (Covenant Breakers) weren't thrown into the Lake of Fire until the end of Bar Kokhba Revolt. Jesus never preached to Gentiles during his ministry except for a select few. The twelves tribes were always the subject of judgment.

Revelation 20

V1: The 66-70AD war has come to an end. An angel comes down to bind The Satan (binding the strongman-Mark 3:27, Matthew 12:29, Isaiah 49:24-25). This is the fulfillment of Isaiah 24:21-23. The Keys of the Abyss (authority) are removed from The Satan.

V2-3: Satan is bound for 1,000 years. This time period has been erroneously called the Millennium. In regards to duration of time, the number 1,000 is NEVER used literally in scripture in reference to a duration of time. See Deuteronomy 7:9-16, Psalm 90:4, and 2 Peter 3:8. What many readers miss is that the 1,000 years is referring to “dead years.” A careful read would show us that the 1,000 years is only occurring in Heaven with the Martyrs, Satan in the Abyss, and the “rest of the dead” in the Sheol/Hades. All parties are not in the living realm. In Greco-Roman literature, which has heavily influenced the New Testament, the number 1,000 is used as a transition occurring within the eternal state. This is evident in the literary works of the Orphics, Empedocles, Virgil, and Plato. The following transitions we see: Martyrs reigning with Christ then judging, Satan sealed in the Abyss then released, and “The rest of the dead” in Sheol/Hades are summoned to the White Throne Judgment. Therefore, the time occurring in the living realm is irrelevant.

 V4: When the Temple was destroyed, the dead saints were exalted in Heaven (Revelation 18:11-13; 19:1-10). The phrase “they came to life” means they have received their crowns (James 1:12, Revelation 2:10). Now the Great Multitude (The martyrs-Diaspora Jews of Asia Minor-Philadelphia and Smyrna) is given their thrones, crowns, and rewards for their faithfulness. These are the same rewards that are listed throughout the entire Book of Revelation. This verse fulfills Daniel 12:2, 1 Corinthians 15:20, Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30, 1 Corinthians 6:3, Ephesians 2:6, Colossians 1:13, John 11:25-26, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, and Hebrews 12:22-29.

V5-8: Daniel 12:2, John 5:28-29, and Revelation 20:1-15 are describing the same event in a literary compressed manner. There are two different events: 70 AD and 135AD respectively. It is telescoping both events together. See Matthew 25:31-46 and Malachi 3:18. It is not intended to be taken in a wooden, literal manner. The righteous and wicked are NOT at the White Throne Judgment simultaneously. In 70AD, a DISTINCTION was made between the righteous and the wicked of the covenant people. The righteous were exalted and remembered in Heaven while the wicked remained unacknowledged. After the White Throne Judgment, the wicked were blotted out and forgotten forever. The wicked are shades. It is not the same concept as the Greek spirit. Their memory trace is now gone. See Isaiah 26:14 for this concept with the Assyrian Empire. There is no more Lake of Fire because it was an one time event. There is no more separation and blotting out.

Matthew 13:30, which is a parable, demonstrates that the wicked are being collected as bundles to be burned all at once. Likewise, Isaiah 24:21-23 supports a gap between the first and second resurrections (summonings). This context can be applied prophetically to the destruction of Jerusalem because of Isaiah 25:9, 26:1, 27:1-6, 12-13, 28:5-6’s “in that day” phrase.  This indicates God is collecting all the wicked all at once and will toss them into the Lake of Fire.

Also, the Lake of Fire judgment order in Matthew 25 is different from the order in Revelation 20. By reading Matthew 25 in a strict, literal manner, we would see that the Old Covenant Jews are tossed into the Lake of Fire BEFORE the Beast, False Prophet, and The Satan are in there. This is problematic because it would contradict the Lake of Fire judgment order in Revelation 20-Old Covenant Jews are tossed into the Lake of Fire AFTER the Beast, False Prophet, and The Satan are in there. See Matthew 25:44, John 16:2, and Matthew 7:21-23. The Beast, False Prophet, and The Satan NEEDS to go into the Lake of Fire BEFORE Old Covenant Jews are cast into it. Notice, in Revelation 19:20, it says these TWO were thrown into the Lake of Fire alive. There is no mention of Old Covenant Jews in the Lake of Fire. See Matthew 25:41. Only spiritual and conceptual entities are cast into the Lake of Fire without a trial. The Old Covenant Jews get a trial before they are sentenced to the Lake of Fire. Notice the sheep and goats (separation) imagery expanded from the Old Testament. See Exodus 8:22-23, 9:4-6, 11:7, Genesis 37:43, and Ezekiel 34:17-24.

I propose that Satan was locked away from 70AD to 132AD. In 130AD, Hadrian visited Jerusalem and observed a small, Christian community there. He then ordered the city to be rebuilt including the Temple. Once the Jews heard the news, they rushed from all directions in order to help rebuild the Temple and push the Christian community out (Compare the four corners of the Earth/Land with Revelation 7:1 and 20:8). Nevertheless, peace didn’t last for long. Hadrian changed his mind about the Temple project, which caused tensions to flare between the Jews and the Romans again. In 132 AD, The Satan was released from the Abyss. I believe, at this point, that The Satan started to deceive Simon Bar Kokhba along with some of the surviving Zealot factions. This led to the events of the Second Great Revolt from 132AD-135AD. Bar Kokhba and the Zealots believed that they could destroy the New Israel one last time with a larger army. Hence, the symbolic name of Gog of Magog. Gog of Magog is the more correct translation because this event is supposed to mirror/invert Haman’s ancient assault in the Book of Esther.

The “nations” in this context refers to Apostate Jerusalem-they are now out of covenant (Revelation 2:9, 3:9; Isaiah 49:23). Interestingly, Satan is resurrected (summoned) almost like a “Christ-like” figure (sealed in a tomb/Abyss). Apostate Jerusalem serves as an inverted Church image (their number is like the sand of the sea language). The first deception occurred in Revelation 16:14. These are the same nations in Revelation 19:15. Remember there is no chapter breaks in the original manuscripts. Therefore, there is no reason to change the deceptive “nations” in Revelation 20:3, 8. Interestingly enough, the events of the Bar Kokhba revolt could be possibly linked to the mysterious, seven thunders sealed in Revelation 10:3-4. This is suggested because the covenant curses happens to mention FOUR 7-fold judgments. See Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24, 28. However, in Revelation, we see three 7-fold judgments explicitly mentioned throughout the text. Although not explicit, the seven thunders could potentially be arranged as such:

1)      1) Satan released from the Abyss

2)      2) The deception of Gog of Magog

3)      3) Fire comes down from Heaven to destroy Gog of Magog

4)      4) Satan tossed into the Lake of Fire

5)      5) The Resurrection (Summoning) of the Wicked

6)      6) White Throne room judgment

7)      7) The wicked are tossed into the Lake of Fire

V9: This passage may be connected to Habakkuk 1:6 since it shares similar wording. This would reinforce the idea that Spiritual Babylon is Old Covenant Israel. The same figurative description use of fire is applied from Ezekiel 39:6 . The exiles will survive the persecution. God is their wall of fire in Zechariah 2:4-5 and Zechariah 12:6-8.The “camp of the saints” and the “beloved city” are the glorified 144,000 coming down from the mountains of Pella (representing Mt Zion spiritually in Revelation 14). Also, all throughout Revelation, Apostate Jerusalem is never referred to as the "Beloved City." It is called the "Great City." Even Peter calls it Babylon in 1 Peter 5:13. There is no proof of a positive reputation until AFTER its destruction. It is when the New Jerusalem comes down from Heaven to Earth where the promise of the New Name is presented in Revelation 2:17, 3:12; Isaiah 1:21, 26, 62:3-5, 12. See also Psalm 78:68, 87:2; Daniel 8:9,11:16, 11:41; Jeremiah 3:19; Zechariah 7:14. Just like the Jews were attacked by Haman in Esther , we see inverted imagery of the glorified 144,000 saints-rebuilding the ancient ruins of Jerusalem after 70AD- being attacked by Simon Bar Kokhba. Likewise, in the Book of Esther, we see no supernatural fire coming down on Gog of Magog. Instead, we see God use Hadrian’s Roman troops to defeat Bar Kokhba and his allies. This outcome resulted in a long-term defeat for the Jews. They were permanently banned out of Jerusalem with the threat of death until 1948. 

V10-15: The Satan is then cast into the Lake of Fire. The Beast and False Prophet are already there-not alive. After this event, The wicked from Sheol/Hades will be summoned to the White Throne room judgment (see Revelation 4:3, 9). The imagery of Heaven and Earth hiding is a figurative description of the inability to escape God’s Holy Presence (Psalm 139:8). See also Revelation 6:14-17, 9:6, 12:8, and 16:20 for inescapability imagery. Notice that the White Throne room Judgment is not a universal event according to Matthew 25:31, 19:28, Luke 22:28-30. This demonstrates that this is not the End of the World. The Bible does not teach an End of the World ideology. Lastly, we see the destruction of Sheolean/Hadean Death (a metaphor for permenant separation and forgetfulness) for the wicked-tossed into the Lake of Fire. This means that when wicked dies after the Bar Kohkba revolt, they cease to exist. Death and Hades should be read as a literary unit, not two separate compartments. Compare Hosea 13:14, Revelation 1:18, 6:8, with 20:13-14 for support.

It is an unpopular opinion, but physical death has always been part of the creation order. Death is used to manage population growth and resource distribution. Christ saved the exiles from covenantal death- permanent separation and forgetfulness. To say Christ saved us from physical death in addition to covenantal death is incorrect. First, it questions the efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice. Physical death is evident because people are still dying today. Furthermore, He said “it was finished” for the righteous saint in 70AD. However, skeptics would point to Revelation 21:4 as a proof text for a future promise of the removal of physical death. However, in context, Revelation 21:4 is saying that there is no more covenantal death for the 144,000. See John 8:51, 11:26; Matthew 16:28. The following passages still show people physically dying during the New Covenant Age: Revelation 14:13; Isaiah 65:17-20.

In summary, the first revival occurred in 70AD during the First Revolt, the righteous dead are exalted and remembered in Heaven for their faithfulness and the wicked dead are separated in Sheol/Hades. After the events of the Second Revolt-135AD, the wicked dead are summoned to be judged at the White Throne room Judgment and blotted out (forgotten forever)- Revelation 20:11-15.

 

Revelation 21

V1: The imagery of the New Heavens and Earth consists of the 144,000 exiles coming down from the Mountains of Pella (representing Mt Zion spiritually in Rev 14). This is reminiscent of Moses coming down from Mt. Sinai with a glowing face and Jesus' transfiguration. Exodus 34:29; 2 Corinthians 3:7-8, 18, Matthew 5:14, 17:1-2; Ezekiel 43:12. His chosen saints will bring Heaven to Earth. The exiles are the New Creation. The New Temple itself is also a model of Heaven and Earth in unity. See 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 3:20, Hebrews 11:13, and John 17:16.The absence of the sea is a figurative explanation for the absence of barriers to the Holy City-Isaiah 11:15-16, 19:5, 19:23-24, 50:2, 51:10; Ezekiel 30:12; Jeremiah 51:36, Zechariah 10:11; Zephaniah 2:13; Revelation 15:2-4. This doesn’t mean there will be no literal body of water. Clearly, there is a River of Life flowing from the Throne of God. The River of Life represents believers.

V2: This is the exiles, Bride of Christ-The New Eve. See Psalm 8:5, Psalm 78:69, Hebrews 9:7-11, Hebrews 12:22, Galatians 4:22.

V3: In the New Covenant, every believer is a walking city-Temple with the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy of Holies square is a symbol of holiness. God's presence is back with the exiles.

V4: No more separation and forgetfulness. The First war is over. The oppressive and burdensome nature of the Old Covenant is gone. See Malachi 4:2.  The 144,000 Diaspora belong to Mt. Zion- only ruins of Jerusalem remain. The Old Covenant Order was associated with tears, death (covenantal death/Sheol/Hades), mourning, crying, and pain. The New Covenant Order is associated with unending joy, long life, and peace from enemies. Imagery is used to describe the survivors of Babylon coming back to Jerusalem/Zion. See Jeremiah 31:12, 31:25, 32:15, 33:12, 3:14; John 16:22; Isaiah 35:10, 51:10-11, 58:11, 60:20, 65:19. This doesn’t mean that life will be pain-free. See Isaiah 54:12-15.

Jeremiah 31:12 12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more.

John 16:22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

Isaiah 54:12-15 New International Version 12 I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. 13 All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace. 14 In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you. 15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you

V5-7: God is actively making things new like in the time of Solomon's Golden Age. The Old Covenant Jerusalem is done away with. The nations are invited to drink the Living Water (be healed politically-moral decay, war trauma, and restructuring laws under Yahweh). See Isaiah 55:1, Zechariah 13:1, Psalm 36:8-9, Joel 3:18, and Jeremiah 2:13.

V8: Some Preterists believes that all of Revelation 20 was fulfilled in 70AD. This is incorrect and anachronistic. A careful observation can dismiss this argument right away. Although there are several reasons, I will present only three for the sake of brevity. 

First, notice Revelation 20:9’s Beloved City/The 144,000 (See Isaiah 62:3-5, 12) is the same city coming down in Revelation 21:2 and 21:10. The Beloved City is a name NEVER given to Apostate Jerusalem-The Great City. 1 Peter 5:13 calls the city Babylon. The new name is in fulfillment of Revelation 2:17, 3:12; Isaiah 1:21, 26. Furthermore, in Revelation 20:9, the city has already been established on the land after the 1,000 years. In contrast, in Revelation 21:2 and 21:10 the city is coming down from Heaven to Earth for the first time in 70AD. Therefore, a 26-66AD and 30-70AD millennium fulfillment is erroneous. 

Second, The Satan is locked away in the Abyss like a prisoner. It is not a minimal restriction like the Amillennialists teach. The text makes it clear. The Satan is thrown in, shut in, and sealed in a pit. The Greek word is phylake which means to imprison. It is the same Greek word in Revelation 2:10. It is also used for the imprisonment of John the Baptist in the gospels and Peter in Acts. 

Lastly, the Martyrs in Revelation 20 are the Martyrs of Asia Minor, not of 30AD from Judea- Revelation 1:9. Compare Revelation 7:13-17, 15:1-4, 6:11, 19:8, 22:14, 3:18 with Revelation 20, we can see that these Martyrs were the ones who were killed during the Great Tribulation. Not during Jesus' ministry. The whole Roman Empire/ancient Greco-Roman world has received the gospel (See Mark 16:15, Colossians 1:23, Matthew 24:14). 

V9-10: This contrasts the Whore with the Bride of Christ. It recapitulates the details of Revelation 21:1-8 and it is a parallel to Revelation 17:1. See Isaiah 54:6-7, 60:15, 61:10, 62:4, and Psalm 45:1-17

V11: New Jerusalem/New Eve/The Bride of Christ is the Lord’s Treasured Possession. She is dressed in God's Glory. See Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2, 26:18; Zechariah 9:16, Isaiah 28:5, and Malachi 3:16-17. No longer naked.

V12: A wall surrounds the city. Christ's wife is protected. The believer is no longer dominated by sin. The Lord’s salvation is strong and secure. No unclean presence can defile the believer. See Ezekiel 40:5, 48:31, and Isaiah 60:18.

V13: The order is East, North, South, and West. There is no West side in Ezekiel's vision. See Ezekiel 40:20-23-27.

V14: God is the builder of New Jerusalem and the foundation is the 12 Apostles. See Ephesians 2:19-20, Hebrews 11:10. The Righteous dead/12 Apostles are written in the hearts of the 144,000 in memory. No mention of Paul.

V15: These are angel measurements to indicate the perfection of New Covenant Israel. She measures up to God’s perfect standard. Each gate had 3 alcoves. See Ezekiel 40:10, 15.

V16-17: Same imagery of the angel using a measuring rod. The New Covenant Israel will be a perfect vessel for holiness. See Ezekiel 40:2-3, 43:9-11.

V18-21: The New Covenant Israel will resemble refined gold like the Holy of Holies. The stones resemble the similar stones/colors on the High Priest’s Ephod, the Rainbow Covenant of Noah, and the Rainbow colored coat of Joseph. 1 Kings 6:20, Job 23:10, Zechariah 13:9, Malachi 3:3, 1 Peter 1:7, and Matthew 13:45-46.

V22: There is no physical, stone-block Temple. In the New Covenant, God’s presence is within the believer. It is the Spiritual Temple itself. It will cover every inch of the Promise Land.

V23:The Lord is the source of light and guidance. See Isaiah 60:19.

V24-26: Every nation will come bring its tribute to God. This is the vassal/suzerain treaty. See 2 Samuel 8, 1 Chronicles 18, Zechariah 14:16-21, Psalm 18:43–44, 89:36-37, Isaiah 60:3, 10, 13. Within Christ and New Jerusalem, His people are welcomed and endless honor will go to Him. Isaiah 60:5, 11.

V27: Only the exiles will be permitted to fellowship with the Father God and His Christ. See Isaiah 52:1, Zechariah 14:21, Joel 3:17, and Ezekiel 44:9.

 

Revelation 22

V1-2: This is same healing tree imagery is used in Ezekiel 47:12. Interestingly, in Ezekiel, there are multiple trees while in Revelation 22 there is one tree. My best guess is that Christ is the fulfillment of the True Jerusalem. No longer is the Old Covenant Jews a light for the nations, but Christ and the 144,000 exiles. Jesus’ death/God's presence is the River of Life (See John 19:34), which will flow throughout the Promise Land.  The Tree of Life will heal the Gentile nations who attacked New Jerusalem during the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Zechariah 14:16-21 indicates these survivors will bring tribute to the 144,000 exiles.  The leaves (healing  balm) represent the removal of moral decay and war trauma by submitting to Yahweh as ruler. This can also be drawing imagery from the Book of Genesis about Adam and Eve’s fig leaves. 

V3: Only the New Covenant Jerusalem will be permitted to fellowship with the Father and Christ. Christ started his sole reign from 30AD-70AD. He then served as the Father's vassal king in 70AD and onward. See Matthew 24:14, 1 Corinthians 15:24-28, Revelation 11:15, 21:22, 22:1, 22:3. The Shekinah Glory is dwelling amongst a New Jerusalem. Those outside of the Holy City are Simon Bar Kokhba and his allies. For God to be "all in all" means that all Gentile nations submit to Yahweh and forsake their wooden and stone idols for Him.

V4-5: God declares ownership over his people. This is a close intimacy/accessibility involves a personal name and the ability to receive God’s favor/nearness. This does not mean we get to see God’s "actual" face or get literal name changes. God is no longer mediated. See Zechariah 14:20-21, Matthew 5:8, 1 Corinthians 13:12, Exodus 33:11.

V6-9: Parallel to Revelation 21:5. God says judgment is coming soon in the 1^st Century. The Apostle John is in awe of the future events to come.

V10-11: The Great Tribulation occurred in the 1^st Century (66 AD-70 AD). See Daniel 10:14, Daniel 12:4, 9-11.

V12-13: God promises to reward the Overcomers of the Great Tribulation. Christ has shared authority as the Alpha and the Omega of the New Covenant. See Isaiah 40:10, 59:18, 62:11, and Matthew 16:27-28.

V14: This is the call to wash one’s self in the righteous Blood of Christ. This is the Feast of Booths imagery. The Church has "exodus'ed" out of Spiritual Egypt/Apostate Jerusalem. See Leviticus 23:40.

V15: These are the current conditions of the Wicked Ones-outside of the New Covenant. They are the outer court of the Temple and not part of the Holy of Holies (Revelation 11:1-2). This is imagery of the non-believer. They are not in Christ’s light or safety. Adam and Eve were called to make image bearers outside of the Garden. Their goal was to teach Yahweh to those living in the dead wilderness. The Edenic Garden was always meant to grow past its boundaries, if it wasn’t for sin. Likewise, in the New Covenant, Christ-the new Adam and the 144,000- the new Eve will grow out the New Jerusalem past its boundaries.

V16-17: Christ’s testifies to His Word and Lineage. He also gives an invitation to come to Him. He is the true light bearer/the morning star. This is a call to not invest in Spiritual Babylon's culture. See Isaiah 8:20, 55:1.

V18-21: The warning is to not tamper with the Revelation scroll (not the entire Bible) and His coming soon. See Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32, Proverbs 30:6, 1 Corinthians 16:22, Hebrews 10:37, Song of Solomon 8:14.