I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star

Revelation 22:1-21

The angel affirms that the revelations are true to John. At the presence of such experience, John was also in fear and fell down to worship the angel. The angel immediately told John not to worship him and explained that the angels are fellow servants of the prophets and those who belong to Yshua. Instead we should all "worship God". In addition, the angel asked John not to seal the contents of the book - meaning that it should be told to people because the time of the Lord is near.

Finally Jesus spoke and referred to Himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and End, the First and the Last. This shows the divine nature of Yshua being above all creation, who exist before and after it. Jesus warns that He is coming quickly. Those who obey His commandments will have immortality with Him, by being able to eat from the Tree of Life and entering through the gates. Then the invitation goes out to those who thirsts, to come and drink the water of life from Yshua.

Finally, there is a warning on this extraordinary and abstract book of revelations. The warning is that anyone who adds or remove any content of this book will be cursed with the judgments described in this book and be damned by having their names removed from the Book of Life. This warning is very fitting to prevent people from modifying the contents which are so unusual. The Scripture, and this book, ends with asking our Lord Yshua to come!

The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it,[j] for the glory of God illuminated it

Revelations 21:22-27

In the new earth, there would be no need for temple to go to worship and no Sun to produce light. The reason is because God will be there, hence no need for a place to worship and no need for other light than God. There will still be nations and kings and they will bring Glory to God. The inhabitants are those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire

This chapter tells of the imprisonment of the Enemy for 1000 years in the bottomless pit. If this chapter is to be taken chronologically from the last chapter, then the imprisonment of the Enemy follows the defeat of the Anti-Christ. However, it is God's plan that after 1000 years the Enemy would be released.

Then the chapter describes the saints that would reign with Christ for a thousand years. Contrary to popular interpretation, the chapter seems to suggest that these saints are only the one who did not follow the Beast and who were destroyed because the chose Messiah over the Beast. So does that mean that other followers of Y'shua Ha Massiach who lived and died before the period of the Anti-Christ, will not then take part in this thousand year reign?

The next description is more interesting. At the end of the thousand years, the Enemy is released to lead another rebellion on Earth. So this suggests that during the one thousand years, the saints of the First Resurrection lived on Earth and reign with Christ. Then during the final rebellion by the Enemy, there are still people or beings opposed to God who live on Earth, whom the Enemy will gather for the final battle.

Another interesting point is that the Enemy is defeated in this Final Battle and thrown into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone where the Beast and False Prophet had been for the last thousand years. So it seemed that the Enemy was first thrown into a different place, which is the Bottomless Pit, for the first thousand years and that this is a different place to the Lake of Fire where the Beast and False Prophet were kept.

The chapter ends in the Final Judgement which is so terrible that heaven and earth flee in the face of God. It mentioned that this is the time that the dead will be judged. The question is whether these dead include the believers of Y'shua who have died. Where is the argument that says that these dead are all non-believers?

For these resurrected dead, they will be judged according to their works which are written in multiple books, not just one book. In addition, the judgment will also consider the Book of Life. It is still possible to interpret that the dead believers of Y'shua, who will be found in the Book of Life, will not be judged by their sins at this stage. The last sentence also supports this saying "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." This agrees with the fact that all humans sinned and fall short of God's glory and the wages of sin is death, hence everyone will be cast into the Lake of Fire no matter what their works were. The only exception is having their names in the Book of Life, which can only happen for those who follow Y'shua Ha Masiach.






Revelation 20
Satan Bound 1,000 Years

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a[a] thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Satanic Rebellion Crushed

7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where[b] the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The Great White Throne Judgment

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God,[c] and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.[d] 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life

The letter to the church in Sardis warns them to be watchful and that their works have not been acceptable. They are accused of being dead even though believers are supposed to be alive in Christ. They are told to repent and it seems that perhaps they have not been watching or waiting for the return of the Lord. To those who overcome, their reward is the righteousness of Christ (white garments) and they will be in the Book of Life.


Revelation 3
The Dead Church

1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,

‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.[a] 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4 You[b] have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’