ICEBREAKER
Name famous contrasting pairs from popular culture. I’ll name one side of the pair, and you come up with the contrast or opposite.
Harry Potter - Voldemort
Batman - The Joker
Simba - Scar
Frodo Baggins - Sauron
Luke Skywalker - Darth Vader
Aslan - The White Witch
Sherlock Holmes - Moriarty
TRANSITION
You can see that as a culture we are enamored with this good vs. evil dynamic. It’s all over our movies, our literature, and popular entertainment. We seem to connect with this idea on a deep, almost sub-conscious level. The reason I believe it’s that way is because it reminds us of the great struggle that we have all been a part of ever since the pre-mortal existence. The Book of Revelation is probably the best biblical manifestation of that idea. Through fictional characters, symbols, and events, John portrays the great story of earth's mortal existence played out in one fantastic narrative. Each event slowly marching toward the inevitable outcome, the triumph of good, and the defeat of evil. When you watch these kinds of movies or read these kinds of books, you want good to win, you expect good to win. Perhaps this resonates with us on such a profound level because deep in our hearts and spirits, we know that this is more than fiction. In fact, it’s the most real thing of all. In the end, good will triumph over evil.
GOOD vs. EVIL ACTIVITY
First, identify the pairs, then match them with you think they could represent.
5:6 12:3
12:1/19:7 17:1-6
19:11-16 13:1-7
11:3-4 13:11-15
7:3/14:1 13:16-18
21:10-16 18:10-13
____ The Church vs. The World (The Great and Abominable Church)
____ True Prophets vs. False Prophets
____ Belonging to God and His Church vs. Belonging to Satan and the World
____ Celestial Glory vs. Worldly Glory
____ Christ vs. Satan
____ Christ’s Reign as the King of Kings vs. the Evil Political Powers
ANSWERS
A. 5:6 The Lamb as it had been slain vs. 12:3 The Seven Headed Dragon
B. 12:1/19:7 The Bride vs. 17:1-6. The Whore of Babylon
C. 19:11-16 The King of Kings vs. 13:1-7 The Beast
D. 11:3-4 Candlesticks/Olive Trees vs. 13:11-15 The Dragon voiced Lamb
E. 7:3/14:1 The Seal of the Living God vs. 13:16-18 The Mark of the Beast 666
F. 21:10-16 The New Jerusalem vs. 18:10-13 The Great City Babylon
B
D
E
F
A
C
COMMENTARY ON ACTIVITY
The Harlot of Babylon:
Who does she represent? The world, or as Nephi puts it, “The great and abominable church”. If Satan has a wife, she is it. She is described as a whore, or a harlot. Why? She has sold that which is most precious and sacred for money. She has sold out. She wears scarlet and gold and pearls because these are her desires. Mammon, or material goods. She is an embodiment of lust. She is drunk with the wine of fornication and the blood of the Saints. She represents the worldly philosophy of Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.That’s why Nephi writes: 10 Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth. 1 Nephi 14:10. Whether we describe ourselves as religious or not, we all belong to a church. You can worship in the chapel or the club. You can eat and drink of the sacrament, or you can eat and drink at the party. You can love or lust, serve or steal, believe or blaspheme. In the end, there are only two churches. The Church of the Lamb, or the Church of the World.
The Beast:
Chapter 13 really introduces us to the three pronged attack of the Dragon’s Kingdom, embodied by the beast, a dragon voiced lamb, and a great city. Each of these three represents a different tactic of evil and gaining influence. Let’s see if we can determine what those are. The fact that the beast has the likeness of a leopard, bear and a lion signals that John is alluding to the Book of Daniel. In Daniel 7:3-6, different nations are represented by these animals. They are predatory animals, just as many powerful nations prey on weaker ones. Their horns and crowns, and then also the words, power, seat, great authority, make war, and overcome suggest that this is the political arm of Satan’s strategy. Here the influence comes from brute force, authority, and political power. Again, this beast has many heads and manifestations, yet, the same evil heart. There are many examples of the damaging influence of this beast in the last century. The Nazism of Hitler, the repressive communist regimes of Stalin, Mao, Castro, and Kim Jong Un, the fanatic terrorism of Al Queda, Isis, and the Taliban, and we can even see the mark of the beast's influence manifest in the candidates and parties of democratic nations as well. The beast makes war with the principles of agency, religious freedom, and morality in order to maintain it’s grip of power and exploitation.
The Dragon-Voiced Lamb
Why a lamb with a dragon’s voice? Well who is the other lamb in the Book of Revelation? It’s Jesus. So this beast has the outward appearance of innocence, but his voice is that of the dragon. What does he do with that voice? He deceives. What could he represent? False prophets. In fact, this beast is referred to by that name later in 16:13, 19:20, and 20:10. He represents the religious prong of the dragon’s three pointed attack. They are the false lambs, or false Christs who may appear devout on the outside, but the well tuned ear will recognize the dragon’s voice whispering from it’s throat. Manifestations of the false prophets? This is the beast that inspires inquisitions, burnings at the stake, crusades, forced conversions, holy wars, and a whole slew of evil practices justified in the name of God and religious zeal. Currently, terrorist attacks carried out in the name of religion would be a noteworthy example of this beast in our day. Also, this beast is manifest in any person or organization that seeks to deceive others with an innocent exterior. The tobacco, alcohol, and pornography industries could be examples of this. The predator who exploits, the conman who swindles, the philanderer who seduces. The dragon voiced lamb is alive and well in the 21st century.
The Mark of the Beast:
The wicked also have a mark on their forehead. The mark of the beast. Or the number of his name. This is where we get the idea that the number 666 is associated with the devil. What’s the meaning of the number? Well, in many ancient languages, letters had numerical equivalents. You see this practice in Roman numerals or maybe when you were younger you made up a secret code where numbers represented letters. So, a person could represent their name in numbers if they wished. So 666 is just the numerical way of writing the name of the beast. This makes sense in contrast. If the seal of the living God was the name of the Father, it would make sense that the mark of the beast constitutes the name of the adversary. Verse 17 basically tells us that is what it is. Whether that name be Satan, or Lucifer, or Devil, or Accuser, we don’t know. One theory I find interesting comes from Moses 5:31 describing the account where Cain gives himself the title Mahan after he kills Abel. The footnote to that word tells us that “Mind, Destroyer, and "great one” are possible meanings of the roots evident in Mahan. The name of the beast, maybe. Just a thought. If I have his name on my forehead, who do I belong to? The devil. Now don’t take this mark too literally. I’ve heard a lot of interesting ideas on possible physical manifestations of the mark of the beast, but I don’t buy it. Symbolic not literal. Just like we don’t actually write the name of God on our foreheads, the mark of the beast is likely not an actual mark of some sort. It’s just another way of showing the demarcation between good and evil.
The New Jerusalem:
This is the city of God. The New Jerusalem, or more particularly, the Celestial Kingdom. It’s made up of precious gems and crystal, both of which are pure, precious, reflect light and never decay. The Celestial Kingdom will be a place of worth, purity, light, and eternal splendor. Each gate has the names of 3 of the 12 tribes of Israel, mirroring the pattern of the Camp of Israel at the time of the Exodus. There are also 12 foundations to the wall, representing the 12 apostles. Usually a building only has one foundation, but this city has 12. Certainly it is a strong wall. Along with the symbols of stars, eyes, and horns, the apostles are now foundations. They offer us security, a sure foundation, and support. The city has an interesting shape doesn’t it. It says that it’s length and width and height are all equal. So what does it look like? A giant cube. The Holy of Holies in the tabernacle had square dimensions as well. Why? For something to be square suggests that it was exact and perfect, without any deviation, incongruity or inequality. Such are the principles of the Celestial Kingdom. It is a place of perfection, where not only the city is exact, but also all those who dwell within.
Babylon
The city is Babylon, or Satan’s worldly kingdom. Here we have the third prong of Satans attack, the economic or materialistic arm. If Satan can’t corrupt us with power, or religious deceit, maybe he can get us with materialism. I believe the United States is a prime example of a nation that has been dominated by this attack. In Old Testament times, Babylon was the wealthiest, most opulent and excessively materialistic cities of the age. Earlier in the chapter, vs. 7 tells us that she (Babylon) lived deliciously and vs. 14 mentions all things which were dainty and goodly. This passage speaks of the buying and selling of merchandise. It’s an intriguing list. It just seems to go on and on and on. There is purpose in that. John wants you to almost get tired of reading the list. Isn’t that the way of Babylon? There is always something else to buy. Enough is never enough. Babylon must continually offer something new to keep them coming back to buy and buy again. They operate under the philosophy that there is nothing that money can’t buy. And then he ironically throws that last item on the list, and you can almost hear the sarcasm in his voice, "and the souls of men". Everything is for sale, even the souls of men. Jesus said in Mark 8:36 “ 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? In Babylon, people are in the business of selling souls, and in the end, they will come up on the losing side of that equation.
TIMELINE FOR THE END OF TIMES
Place the following events in Chronological Order
____ Earth receives its Celestial Glory
____ The Resurrection of the Unjust
____ Satan is bound
____ The Battle of Gog and Magog
____ The Millennium
____ The Restoration
____ 1/2 hour of silence
____ Satan is loosed for a little season
____ Armageddon
____ The Apostasy
____ Christ appearing in glory to the world
____ The Resurrection of the Just
____ The Final Judgment
____ The Sign of the Son of Man
ANSWERS
14 Earth receives its Celestial Glory
10 The Resurrection of the Unjust
7 Satan is bound
12 The Battle of Gog and Magog
9 The Millennium
2 The Restoration
4 1/2 hour of silence
11 Satan is loosed for a little season
5 Armageddon
1 The Apostasy
6 Christ appearing in glory to the world
8 The Resurrection of the Just
13 The Final Judgment
3 The Sign of the Son of Man
ACTIVITY COMMENTARY
#1 The apostasy. Prophecies about the Great apostasy are all over the Book of Revelation, but we saw it particularly in Chapter 12 with the woman fleeing into the wilderness.
#2 The Restoration. Jump to 14:6-7 This angel has been identified by prophets as Moroni, having the fulness of the everlasting gospel to restore to the world in the Last days.
#3 The Sign of the Son of Man, that we find in D&C 88:93 that we discussed this back in Chapter 8 along with
#4 The half hour of silence.
#5 The Battle of Armageddon. I’ll talk more about this later in the video but sometime before the appearing of the Savior will be the great battle where evil will finally be vanquished. This destruction of evil can be seen in many places in Revelation, specifically chapters 16-19.
#6 Christ appearing to the world in glory. Lets look more closely at this prophecy. It’s found in 19:11-16
The first time Christ came to earth he came as a baby, then a humble carpenter and teacher, he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey in peace and invitation. This time, he comes on a warhorse as judge and conqueror of evil. He wears red this time. Why red? Well, Isaiah offers some insight on that question and it’s a little chilling. Isaiah 63:2-4
The image is that he will trample and tread down the wicked and their blood will splash on his clothing, dyeing them red. I know that’s a tough image to reconcile with the merciful and loving Savior we are all familiar with, but I don’t believe this is a literal event. I don’t believe that Jesus will actually trample people to death. It’s a symbol. He is coming in justice. Those that have refused time and time again his outstretched arm of mercy, will now face his judgment. The wicked will be removed from the earth and they will spend the millennium in Spirit Prison, rather than with the Lamb of God.
#7 Satan is bound
Revelation 20:1-3. Satan will no longer have any influence on our world. I feel this prophecy could be taken both literally and figuratively. Satan’s influence will be removed from the earth. Physically, I believe he will have no physical or spiritual presence here. On the other hand, I like how Nephi says it in 1 Nephi 22:26 That’s another way Satan is bound, because of their righteousness, he has no power over them. He can’t get to their hearts because nobody listens to him. In that sense, we can bind Satan right now. Just stop listening to him, and he will be bound and cast away from your life.
#8 The resurrection of the just
#9 The Millennium
#10 The resurrection of the unjust
These events are described in 20:4-6
Therefore, the righteous will be resurrected first. We know that Celestial and Terrestrial people will be resurrected at this time and enjoy the 1000 years of peace with Christ as their King. And then at the end of the millennium, those that have lived a Telestial law and spent the millennium in Spirit Prison will then be brought forth and also resurrected.
#11 Satan loosed for a little season
#12 The Battle of Gog and Magog
We see these events in 20:7-8
I’m not going to go into great detail on these prophecies and I don’t wish to be speculative. I believe our understanding of them is limited anyway. But apparently, Satan will begin to have influence once again near the end of the millennium. How and why that exactly takes place, I’m not sure. But much like the War in Heaven in the pre mortal existence, this will not be a physical but spiritual conflict. And I’m sure that the conflict will be over the same question. Will you stand behind the wisdom of the plan of the Father and accept his Son’s sacrifice for your sins, or will you rebel with Lucifer and use your eternal agency to turn away from God. However that happens, the final outcome is certain, Satan and his followers, the Sons of Perdition will finally be cast out of our presence once and for all.
This paves way for
#13 The Final judgment described to us in 20:12-15
All must be judged according to their works out of the books that have been carefully kept by the angels through the ages. A quick note here on the judgment. I like the phrase that D&C 137 adds to our understanding of the judgment. I don’t know about you, but I am so grateful that I will not only be judged by my works, but that my desires will count for something too. We’re all familiar with the saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and I believe that’s true, but according to this verse, so is the road to heaven.
The final event on our list then is
#14 The earth receives its Celestial glory.
And the description of this event comprises chapters 21-22 and we’ll go into more depth on these chapters later.
ICEBREAKER: HOW DID IT END?
How did those stories end? What was the resolution of that conflict?
Harry Potter - Voldemort
Harry defeats Voldemort
Batman - The Joker
Batman prevails and the Joker is put into prison.
Simba - Scar
Scar falls off the cliff in a fight with Simba and survives. However, he is killed by the hyenas instead.
Frodo Baggins - Sauron
Frodo destroys the ring and Sauron crumbles
Luke Skywalker - Darth Vader
Darth Vader in a way is eventually destroyed by Luke, as he once again becomes Anakin Skywalker in a type of deathbed repentance. Aslan - The White Witch
The white witch is killed by Aslan
Sherlock Holmes - Moriarty
Moriarty falls to his death at Reichenbach Falls.
So in popular culture, good almost always defeats evil. We feel it ought to end that way.
TRANSITION
Well, lets see how the Book of Revelation turns out.
The question is the same. How does it end?
HOW DOES IT END FOR THE DRAGON?
I invite you to take a quick look at the following verses to see what happens to evil. I won’t lead you through each verse but I have a feeling you’ll get the message.
For the Beast? (19:20)
For the Dragon voiced lamb (false prophet)? (19:20)
For the Whore of Babylon? (17:16)
For the great city Babylon? (18:8, 10, 17-19)
For those with the mark of the Beast? (16:1-12, 20:15, 21:8)
For the Dragon (20:1-3)
The message is really quite simple isn’t it. Evil loses. Good triumphs over all. The beast will no longer conquer, the Dragon voiced lamb will no longer deceive, the Harlot of Babylon will no longer seduce, and the great city will no longer hock its wares. And the dragon? Well, instead of chaining others, he will be chained, instead of spreading darkness, he will be enveloped in it, instead of dragging others into the pit, he himself will be cast there. It makes one wonder why anybody would consciously choose the losing side.
ARMAGEDDON
An interesting side note on how this loss and destruction will take place. In the past I used to picture the second coming as a literal giant fire falling from heaven and burning the wicked people and purifying the earth. I don’t think I see it that way anymore. Now it could be that, but I don’t believe it is likely. There is a symbol we haven’t examined closely yet from Revelation 16:16.
Armageddon means Hill of Megiddo. Megiddo was a very strategically placed city in northern Israel. It guarded an important pass in the Carmel mountain range and was vital to controlling the area. Consequently, many battles were fought there. Revelation tells us that before the Second Coming, a great battle will be fought there. Now you can probably guess how I’m going to interpret this. Often this prophecy is taken literally and many believe that an actual major battle will take place at that very spot in the future. Me, I’m not so sure. It’s possible, I won’t deny that it could happen, a major world conflict playing out in the Middle East is not too far fetched of an idea. However, I think John is just playing off the reputation of Megiddo as being a place of battle and conflict for literary effect. The people of John’s day would have recognized that name as being associated with war. Also, the way modern warfare is fought nowadays doesn’t lend itself very neatly to the idea of a large number of nations sending their troops into one location to have it out. I believe Armageddon symbolizes all conflict and violence throughout the world. In that sense, Armageddon is happening now. It’s in the Middle East, in Afghanistan, Sudan, Nigeria, and Myanmar. It’s being fought in Syria and in the Drug Wars of Mexico and Columbia. Armageddon is whenever mankind is engaged in war and conflict.
Another point that should be made. Who is going to be fighting who in the last final battle? Is it a battle between good and evil with good finally vanquishing the bad. Not exactly. Certainly good is in a conflict with evil and the two forces do face off at times. But Armageddon seems to be a different kind of battle. Who is fighting who? Read the following verses and see if you can figure it out:
17:16
So who destroys the Whore of Babylon? The beast. The beast turns on her and destroys her.
13:10
Again. Those that live by the law of the sword will be destroyed by it.
Nephi says it the most clearly in 1 Nephi 22:13-14
So who destroys the wicked? The wicked. Just like the great final battle of the Book of Mormon. It was not a fight between good and evil, but evil and evil. Evil consumes itself. Satan’s kingdom self implodes. Perhaps God doesn’t even need to do anything to destroy the wicked. They will take care of it themselves. Leaving only the righteous behind.
Probably my favorite place in the scriptures to see this comes from another prophet who prophesied about the end of the world. Joel. A book that Revelation certainly draws inspiration from. Joel doesn’t refer to Armageddon but a different equally compelling location. He says in Joel 3:2
What is the valley of Jehoshaphat? This is a fascinating story from the Old Testament rarely mentioned. It’s buried in 2 Chronicles 20.
I won’t take the time to read through it verse by verse but I encourage you to do so. I’ll summarize. Jehoshaphat is the King of Judah when he receives word that many nations have decided to band together to attack them. They realize that they have no means of defending themselves against such an enemy and they turn to the Lord in prayer and fasting. The prophet Jahaziel proclaims “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle, set yourselves , stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord, tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you”. So with great faith, the people march towards the oncoming army, not knowing how it would all play out. When they come up over the hill to meet their enemy, what do they see? A field of dead soldiers. The battle had already ended. You see, as the different nations started to march towards Jerusalem, they begin to argue with each other about who got what spoils. Their arguing turns to violence and they end up fighting with each other to the death. By the time Jehoshaphat gets there, the battle is over and they have destroyed each other.
I believe that this will be the same outcome for Armageddon. Evil will destroy evil. And all Zion will need to do is sit back and watch. On an even deeper figurative meaning. We could say that any person engaged in evil behavior usually ends up destroying themselves. Their own personal Armageddon. The criminal, the warmonger, the addict, the dishonest, they almost always bring upon themselves their own destruction. I don’t think God hardly ever has to punish people for their behavior, their own behavior punishes them. They merely experience the natural consequences of their bad choices. So the personal warning for all of us here: Are you heading for your own Armageddon or Valley of Jehoshaphat? If so, turn around, change sides, come to Zion, come to Zion, For your coming Lord is nigh. Come to Zion, come to Zion, for your coming lord is nigh.
HOW WILL IT END FOR THE LAMB?
So that is how it ends for the wicked. But what about the righteous?
Lets approach this with a search activity. Break these references up into individual assignments or groups and have them search for the outcomes promised the righteous.
19:7-9
21:3/22:4
21:4
21:5
21:6
21:7
22:2
ANSWERS:
19:7-9 Wear our righteousness, feast of truth
21:3/22:4 We meet and dwell with God and Christ
21:4 Tears wiped away, no more death, pain, or sorrow
21:5 All things made new
21:6 Drink of the waters of life freely
21:7 inherit all things
22:2 the fruit of the tee of life
COMMENTARY
19:7-9
If any of you are married, do you remember what that day was like? Or, have you ever attended a wedding? How did you prepare for that day? Especially if you were the bride? My wife prepared herself for hours to be ready for the wedding. Every hair had to be in the right place, the make-up done just so, the dress carefully selected and meticulously fit. Why? She wanted to look and be her very very best for that special occasion. For me. And she was radiant, beautiful, If you turned the lights off, she’d of glown in the dark. I’d never seen her look like that before. Well, that’s the way we should feel about meeting the Savior. Hopefully we live our lives in such a way that we look our absolute best for the Savior when he comes. What is it that we will wear to the wedding? Our righteousness. Like John says in vs. 8, the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. Hopefully that is the attitude we all have as we prepare ourselves for his coming. An eagerness to look our best, for Him! I like to imagine a giant locker room in the sky. Each one of us has a locker with our name in gold above it. Inside it what we will wear to the Second Coming. It’s our righteousness. Each day of our lives we are weaving threads into our wedding garment through our obedience, sacrifice, and service. And if our live have been full of these principles, when we open the locker, for women their will be a beautiful wedding dress, and for men a handsome looking 3 piece suit. However, if our lives have not been full of obedience, and sacrifice and service, how horrified we might be to see what we had to wear. Would you feel comfortable going to the wedding of the Savior in a pair of shorts and a tank top, or worse!? And there we will enjoy the marriage supper of the Lamb. And what will we feast on? Truth! Christ is the waiter and truth is on the menu. You can see this in D&C 101:32-35. Ever had a question you wanted answered? Something you didn’t understand. Christ will feed you those truths. What an amazing meal, not to be missed.
Revelation 21:3
Revelation 22:4
We get to meet God and Jesus Christ. Can you imagine that moment. We will get to spend time with both of them. One on one time with our Father in Heaven and our Older Brother Jesus Christ. I don’t think we realize just how much we miss our Heavenly parents, but oh what a reunion it will be when the veil has dropped and we get to meet them again. And how do you think you will react when you meet your Savior, and touch the wounds in his side, and hands and feet?
Revelation 21:4
We cry a lot of tears in this life. Tears of physical pain, tears of grief, tears of guilt, tears of longing, tears of disappointment, tears of loneliness. What does Christ promise to do? To wipe them each from our eyes. Maybe you have wiped away the tears of loved ones but have felt inadequate because you couldn’t wipe them away from their hearts. Christ will do both. There will be no more reason to cry. All the things that make mortality difficult, and painful, will be gone. No more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain. There really is a "happily ever after” for us if we but remain faithful. You may be tried and tested by the tragedies and terribleness of life. But just as a parent lovingly wipes away the tears from their child’s cheek, so too will Christ wipe yours away. All pain has an end. Even Christ was able to say “It is finished” of his pain. I promise that one day, so will you.
Revelation 21:5
All things will be made new. This world will be changed. It will be as glorious as the sun. If the glory of the Telestial kingdom is beyond our mortal comprehension, what does that tell you about the glory of the Celestial? We will no longer live in a fallen world, but a world even greater than Eden. Do you love the way it feels to move into a new home, buy a new car, or wear new clothes? Wait until you get a new world, and life, and body, and glory.
Revelation 21:6/22:1
We will drink of the water of life freely. When Nephi saw a similar symbol in the dream his father Lehi saw, an angel explained that the living fountain of waters represented the love of God. We all thirst for love, and in this life we have probably all tasted too much of the water of bitterness, loneliness, or even hatred. In God’s kingdom we will drink daily from the love of our Father in Heaven and feel and know that we belong.
Revelation 21:7
We will inherit all things. We will become heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. What will we inherit? His truth, his power, his love, his immortality, his kingdom, his presence, his understanding, his nature. Perhaps greatest of all, we will be like Him. Gods and goddesses. The thing he desired most for us from the beginning. For us to be like Him.
Revelation 22:2
Not only will we drink of the water of life, but we will eat from the tree of life. And don’t you love that there 12 different kinds of fruit on one tree! Maybe that tells us that the fruits of God’s love are many and various. There is so much he wants us to enjoy and he offers an assortment of blessings and gifts for us to enjoy in eternity. We won’t even have to wait for the fruit to come into season. It gives fruit all year long. It’s always available.
APPLY
A question to ponder. As you look at that list, which of these blessings do you most look forward to and why?
CONCLUSION
So, has the Book of Revelation helped you to make a decision? I pray that I’ve been able to help make its message plainer to you. You and I have a choice to make. As you make your choice, please remember that the outcome has already been determined since the foundation of the world. Just as we expect Harry Potter defeats Voldemort, and Simba to overpower Scar, and Frodo to conquer Sauron, so too will the Lamb overcome the Dragon. No matter how powerful or intimidating, or in control the Dragon, and the Beast, and the Harlot seem to be, they will lose. The Lamb will prevail. So when the earthquake shakes, and the stars fall, and the Beast rises, and the Dragon snaps, and the merchants call, and the 4 horseman stalk, and the dragon-voiced lamb whispers, and the smoke from the bottomless pit billows in our eyes, we may rest assured, that it is all temporary. You could sum up the message of the entire Book of Revelation in one simple statement: Choose Christ and all will be well. I’ll conclude with one of John’s final prayers in Chapter 22:17.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
I have spoken with a lot of students and members that feel trepidation and uncertainty when they contemplate the Second Coming. I’m not sure why. Christ’s return will be the most glorious and phenomenal event the world will know in the last days. It’s something to look forward to, to pray for, and to anticipate with joy. So I echo John’s sentiments. Let him come. Let the end begin so that the real beginning can commence. So Come, and to that prayer, I say AMEN!
I loved the last lesson. I now enjoy Revelations