 All right. Welcome everyone. Welcome back to our second lecture of PC 213. We're just giving a quick overview of Revelation. We are in Revelation chapter 13. So Revelation 13, what we are seeing is there's a beast who's empowered by the dragon. That's the devil. And this beast is speaking in verse 5, Revelation 13.5. He's speaking blasphemies things. And he will continue for 42 months. And if we cross reference this with what Daniel wrote in Daniel chapter 7 and 8, which we will do in our third year when we studied Daniel in Revelation, we will see that this was exactly described by Daniel, these things, or what this man will do. He refers to him as a little horn in Daniel. And this is exactly what that person will do. So we can see the fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy here. And this man is speaking blasphemy against God, against God's tabernacle. That's a temple. And he's making war with the saints. So he's attacking the saints. And he's doing this. Then verse 11 onwards, I saw another beast coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. So there's another beast, another person who's demonically empowered. So these two, the Antichrist and the false prophet, they're people, but they're empowered by Satan. And this man looks like a lamb and speaks like a dragon. So if you just go over to chapter 19 and verse 20, Revelation 19, 20, when the Lord Jesus comes, then the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he received those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. So the second beast is called false prophet, Revelation 19, 20. Okay, so we'll come back to chapter 13. So the second beast is actually called the false prophet because he's going to be a promoter of religion. He's going to work signs in wonders. And his main thing is worship the beast. So his religion is worship the beast. So they're working together, the Antichrist and the false prophet, they're working together. This false prophet, he's like a lamb, like a copy of Jesus, but different. He's speaking like a dragon, he's preaching, he's speaking all these things and he's given authority. And what was his main thing? He causes, back in Revelation 13 verse 12, he causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast. So the main thing is worship the first beast. So he's creating a religion that is going to cause people to worship the beast, the Antichrist. And it says, verse 13, Revelation 13, 13, he performed great science. He makes fire come down from heaven. He deceives those who dwell on earth, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast. And verse 15, he was granted power to give breath to the image and the image of the beast will speak and cause many would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. That's interesting. He's telling people to make an image of the beast. This image of the beast can speak and if you don't worship the image of the beast, you will be killed. How is this going to possible? And again, I'm using my imagination here. In some parts of the world, and you'll find this online as well. In some places, they have robots as saints. So meaning, see now some places you go, you will see a shrine, you'll see a statue of a saint. But now instead of putting a physical statue, they have a robot and that will speak to them. So they go to worship and this robot is speaking. So it's as though, it's not real. Everybody knows it's not real. But it is as though this image, it's talking nice things only. It's been programmed to talk nice things. So they're replacing a statue with a robot that can speak things. Obviously, if they want, they can create this robot to even shoot them down. But it's real. It's not imaginary. It's being done now in some parts of the world. They have this. So I'm just imagining. I'm not even saying. So when it says here, you're causing many to worship the image of the beast and if you don't worship it, you'll be killed. I can imagine how this can be done today. You can have an image that can speak and it can even do harm. It can be programmed to do those things. So verse 16, he causes both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave to receive a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And that no one might buy your cell except who has a mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name. And verse 18, let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast. For it is the number of a man. His number is 666. So there is something here. I mean, what's the essence of what's happening here is this. There is the beast was the Antichrist. There is the false prophet. The false prophet is promoting what we refer to as a global religion, a one world religion. And this religion is to cause people to worship the beast, the Antichrist. And at this time, there is also an economic system, a financial system that's introduced where you have to have the number of the beasts, the number of this Antichrist. So some association with him, some saying that I accept this thing. And you can only and you can buy and sell only if you have the number of the beast on you. That means there is a global religious system and a global economic system that's been put in place at this time. And again, this is something that can happen today where a system can be introduced globally where you buy and sell only if you have a certain mark or a certain ID. It's possible. And if you think about it, literally maybe 20 years ago, before, you know, credit cards were introduced and global transactions could take place. Before that, it was not even, you can't think of it. But hey, people all over the world could be controlled by something like this. But today, with financial systems so interconnected and things that can be done online, you can imagine that, yeah, something like this can happen. That one man could introduce a system where you cannot buy or sell unless you have that particular mark or identification, making control systems. It's possible. So the technology to make this happen is possible. Two things we are seeing a religion, a global religious system and a global economic system being introduced by the false prophet by the Antichrist and they're working together. And this is starting from the middle of the tribulation till the end of the tribulation. Chapter 14, scene changes. The scene is now in heaven. So somewhere right after the middle of the tribulation, the 144,000 Jews are in heaven and they're worshiping God. So the question that many have tried to answer is how did these 144,000 Jews get to heaven? Because they're there before the throne of God, they're worshiping God. And we can say, okay, it's only going to be one of, I mean, it could be, what are the possible options? One, maybe they were all killed and their souls are coming up to heaven. Or maybe they were all rampant and taken up to heaven. So the only clue we have is they are the first fruits. So the 144,000 Jews, they follow the lamb wherever we, this is in Revelation 14, was for the other ones who follow the lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being first fruits to God and to the lamb. These were redeemed from among men. This is verse four, Revelation 14, four. Being first fruits to God and to the lamb. And in the mouth was found no deceit for they have without fault before the throne of God. So this is the only clue we have. How these 144,000 Jews who were marked by God on the earth now in heaven. So they were redeemed from among men, being first fruits to God and to the lamb. So the word first fruits. That's what we have to look at. Okay, first fruits. How is it used? So you look in, for example, in James, he talks about being that these believers were first fruits. You can just look at that. The first ones who got saved, verse 18, James 1, 18. James is writing, he says, of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. So he's saying, okay, we were born again. That's what he's referring to. We were born again by his, by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. It means the, the early people, the first set of people who got saved. Okay. And James is writing to Jewish Christians, Jewish believers who've been scattered after the persecution that rose in Jerusalem. They've been scattered out of Jerusalem. So they're all outside. But they became believers while they were in Jerusalem. So you're saying they were born again. You're all born again. And we were kind, became like the kind of first fruits, meaning the first, the first fruits, like the first set of harvest that comes. But in this context, James 1, 18 is the context of them being born again. Right. So the idea of first fruits, it's like the first harvest. Right. Who are redeemed from among men, going back to Revelation 13 and verse four, from among men being first fruits to God and to the Lamb. How do we understand it? And so it's not very clear, but we can, we can, you know, make some intelligent deductions. I say that most likely these Jewish people were raptured, but taken up to God. And the reason he's saying they were among the first fruits, meaning the first set of people who believed in Jesus. From the Jewish community, from the people of Israel, who have been taken up to God from out of the tribulation, taken up, raptured. Because we already know that there must have been a lot of other Jews who believed in Jesus, who have been killed. So example, we saw in Revelation 12, 17, the dragon is going to make war with the rest of our offspring. That's the Jewish people who keep the commandment of God and have the testimony of Jesus. Right. That means he's going after them. He's persecuting them. Many of them will be killed, will die. They go up. But what's the difference between them and these 144,000 Jews? So it's like these 144,000 Jews have been preserved. They start from the early part of the tribulation. They go across after the middle of the tribulation and then they are raptured. If you say they are raptured, then that makes them a kind of first fruits. If you say they all died, they were all killed, then it's like everybody else was killed during the triplets. So I'm just trying to analyze what could it mean? They have to be something that they are first in. Right. So because of the first fruits to God and to the Lamb, they were redeemed from among men. So most likely, and I'm not saying this is a definitive, right? It's most likely just because we're trying to understand what he's saying about first fruits. That is they're the first set of the Jewish people who were raptured. They were taken up to God, given the glorified bodies and taken up to God. In the middle of the tribulation, they are brought up into heaven. Possible. I'm not saying that this is 100%. I'm just saying there has to be something special. What can make them different from the rest? Because other than this now, right? Because there is going to be a resurrection at the end of the tribulation. That's also going to happen. So if these people are taken up into heaven, given the resurrected bodies, now then it's like first fruits, like, okay, before others, they're the first. So in that sense. Okay. So this only analysis is only like, you know, I'm not saying this is 100%. I'm just trying to explain. But there is a lot of question, you know, how did this happen? They were redeemed from among men being first to God and now they are before the throne of God. They are worshipping God. So these 144,000 Jews right after the middle of tribulation are in heaven and they are worshipping God. Then comes something very important or very interesting. The rest of chapter 14, John is saying that there are going to be angels making announcements. Okay. God is going to do something at that time. This is right after the middle of the tribulation. There are going to be angels announcing to people about certain things. First, Revelation 14.4. There's an angel. He is proclaiming the everlasting gospel to those who dwell on the earth. So there's one angel. Revelation 14 verse 6 and 7 is proclaiming the everlasting gospel. Now I'm just giving a side note here. There was a time in the 1980s, people were saying, oh, this angel is a satellite. Okay. It's a satellite going all over the world. It's proclaiming the everlasting gospel because that time satellite television was big thing and Christian TV was beamed through satellite to different parts of the world. People were saying, oh, this satellite must be that angel flying in the midst of heaven. They have an everlasting gospel to preach all those. And he's saying fear, you know, with the loud voice, fear God. For the art of judgment is come worship the Lord and so on. So there used to be a time like this that they show this angel must be a satellite proclaiming this. I'll just leave it as, okay, there's an angel. I'll just leave it like that. I don't change the angel to a satellite and you know, then a lot of other things can happen. So leave it as an angel. This God has assigned an angel to proclaim this. Verse 8, another angel is announcing something. This angel is announcing the fall of Babylon. And we will see in coming up in chapter 17 and 18, there is a fall of Babylon. In chapter 17, there is a fall of Babylon as this mystery Babylon, this world religious system. Chapter 18, there is a fall of Babylon as in Babylon representing the world economic system. So two things. We saw in chapter 13 that there are two things introduced by the false prophet and the antichrist or the antichrist and false prophet. An economic system and a religious system. Religious system, everybody must worship the beast. Economic system, you must take the number of the beast only then you can buy and sell. And it's covering the earth. Chapter 17 and 18, both these things collapse. But now in chapter 14 verse 8, angel is saying it's going to collapse. I don't believe, don't be a part of this. Babylon is fallen, is fallen, the great city is fallen. It's announcing, it's going to fall. Another angel, verse 9, is telling people don't receive the mark of the beast. Verse 9, so another angel is announcing, telling people don't receive the mark of the beast. It's better to die than to receive the mark of the beast. So basically saying, this is the patience of the saints. You must have endurance. Verse 12, keep the commandments of God and faith in Jesus. Don't receive the mark of the beast. Then verse 13, there's a voice in heaven saying, blessed are those who die in the Lord. So it's better to die in the Lord than to receive the mark of the beast. So this what's happening. Then verse 14, John sees and he sees a sickle ready. And an angel, verse 15 is coming and saying, Lord put in your sickle for the harvest has come. So this sickle, verses 14 and 15, 14 to 16, is talking about a great harvest. So the sickle, all this represents a great harvest, harvest of souls. That's the only thing we can think of harvest, harvest of souls. That means verses 14 to 16 is telling us that this time there's going to be a lot of people who are turning to the Lord. A great harvest of souls. But at the same time, there's another picture, verses 17 to 19, another picture of a wine press. And the wine press is saying you gather the grapes and you crush the grapes in the wrath of God. The wine press represents the judgment of the wrath of God. So wine press means you cut all the grapes, you put it in a big container and those days people used to physically stamp on the grapes and crush it. Like they'll walk on it and they crush the grapes. So that's called the wine press and they'll get the juice. But that was a symbol of judgment because you're being crushed. So that is a picture here. The wine of the earth, the grapes are there. And they're going to be thrown at the great wine press of the wrath of God verse 19. And then he says verse 20, the wine press was trampled outside the city. That means outside Jerusalem. And blood came out up to the horses bridle for 1600 for long. So about 180 some miles blood was flowing as high as five feet height. That means this angel is saying there's going to be such judgment taking place outside the city of Jerusalem. Blood is going to flow like a river for about 180 miles. This high five feet so much blood is going to flow outside the city of Jerusalem. That is the kind of judgment that's going to happen. So two things are going to happen. There's going to be a great harvest. And there's also a great judgment that is coming, which will happen right there. Revelation 19 at the when the Lord Jesus returns and all the armies have gathered against Jerusalem. And the people are destroyed. There's going to be this kind of judgment. Okay. Sorry Nina's question. Why do we say they are Jews? Sorry. So Nina, in what context was this Nina? The 144,000. Yeah. If you're referring to, oh yeah, the 144. Yeah. The reason we say they are Jews is because of what we saw in chapter seven, Revelation seven, that these 144 were selected from the tribes of Israel. Revelation seven verse four, I heard the number of those were sealed 144 of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed. So that's why we say the 144,000 Jews, because Revelation seven four, they were these 144 were from the tribes of Israel. So that's these 144,000 Jews in Revelation 14, whom we are seeing in heaven. These 144,000 Jews. And so that's why we are saying these because they will be redeemed from men, but they were the first fruits. So the first set of people, the Jewish people from the tribulation who have been resurrected or, you know, they had received the glorified bodies and they are raptured, taken up into heaven. That's what we're saying. And again, remember that the mission about that first fruit, it's our best guess. All right. You know, we're analyzing and we're thinking, we're not saying it's conclusive, but they're the first fruits to go into the lab. Okay. Yeah. So Revelation 14, after these 144,000 Jews are in taken into heaven. What else we are seeing? We are seeing three different angels making announcements to people on the earth. One is saying, believe the everlasting gospel. Another saying is do not receive the mark of the beast. Sorry. Another is announcing the fall of Babylon. And another is saying, don't receive the mark of the beast. And then we're also seeing two other announcements. One is there's going to be a great harvest of souls. And there's a great judgment coming. That's being announced. So the way we can understand it is that all the there's going to be a great assembly of all the armies are going to gather against Jerusalem. So they're all coming to attack Jerusalem. And at that time, Revelation 19, people. So this will be nations of the earth armies from all the nations of the earth. So lots of people can imagine, you know, we don't know exactly. I mean, some nations are mentioned in Ezekiel 38. We know, for example, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Egypt is mentioned. Ethiopia is mentioned. So certain nations, Arab nations all mentioned. Obviously, there will be a lot more because we will see in Revelation 16, the kings of the east. That means so many nations, east of Israel are beginning to move. So all these armies were so literally the people are mobilized to go against Israel, Jerusalem. And at that, so, you know, let's say, let's say, I don't know for sure, but let's say 200,000, 300,000, many thousands of soldiers are suddenly from all these opposing nations are all just landing there in outside of Jerusalem. Helicopters have been dropped there from, you know, aircrafts and this. So you can imagine if there's this huge armies of people surrounding Jerusalem at that time, that's that. That's Revelation 16 says, I'll give you the exact question. Okay, Revelation 16. Right, verse 12. So the Sixth Angel poured out his bowl on the Great River Euphrates and his water was dried up so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. So way for the kings of the east, that means kings means leaders from the east, they're coming in against Israel. And he says, I see a frog, dragons are going out. And what are these going to do was 14. They're going to go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to battle of the great day of God Almighty means demonic powers are released on the earth. And they are going to instigate the nations to come against Israel. That's what he's saying. So you can imagine so many people gathering their soldiers, people coming against Israel. And at that time, you know, Revelation 19 verses 15 and 16. You know, so when we're talking about this wine press, the same language is used here in Revelation 19 15. Just now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it, he will strike the nations and he himself will rule them with the rod of and he himself treads the wine press of the fierceness and rocked up on mighty God. So wine press, Revelation 14 saying, Hey, it's going to happen. Oh, here it says this is what's happening. Jesus, by the word of his mouth, this is how he's going to carry out that great judgment. Zachariah describes Zachariah 14. It says when these people are there now, it's just like the flesh is going to disintegrate. I don't know how it's going to happen, but it says that. So just by the word of his mouth, it says here going back to Revelation 14 20. The blood came out of the wine press. Up to the horse's brad, it's 1600 for long. So about 180 miles blood is flowing. Yes, he will be there at that time. So yeah, so what we what we can, let's say I'm using the word guess, but we can understand is that there will be some nations who are going to who are supporting Israel, and there will be some nations who are against Israel. So it's like a flash. Antichrist is in the middle of this because he's the one who made the seven years of peace treaty. He broke it in the middle and desecrated it. So it's given rise to this big confusion and he's doing all this. So the nations are gathering against Israel. There will be, of course, Israel is going to defend itself and there will be armies who are supporting Israel. And there'll be armies who are coming against Israel. It's like, you know, war. And at that moment, the Lord is going to return. And if you think of it, even what you're saying happened today. Israel is such a tiny country. And of course, you know what happened in November 7th. The Palestinians attacked and Israel is retaliating. That's been going on. But it's so much of tension in the Middle East because of this war that's going on. Or actually Israel is retaliating and trying to doing this. Almost every day, you know, the news. Okay, what's going on? What's going on there? Israel and its neighbors. And everybody's trying to calm things down, you know, make peace. But they don't want this war to escalate and spread all over the Middle East. Other nations join in. It'll become a big thing. You know, but at that time it's going to be very big revelation. Okay, any questions? All right. So. Relation 15. Now we're getting ready for the bowl judgment. So we've gone through seven seals, seven trumpets. We're getting ready for the seven last plagues. And just before that, we're seeing there is, you know, there's worship in heaven happening. And this is revelation chapter 15. There's worship in heaven happening. And things are getting ready for the seven bowls to be poured out. Then we come to revelation 16. The seven bowls are being poured out. First bowl. There are all kinds of source that affect the people who worship the beast and the worship is image. I believe she's 16 two. I believe she's 16 three. The second bowl affects again more of the seas, the waters. Third bowl again affects the waters, the rivers and springs. Revelation 16 verse eight, fourth bowl. Men are scorched with great heat and they blaspheme the name of God and they don't repent. Revelation 16 10. There is darkness, the pain. Again, the blasphemy, the God of heaven. Sixth bowl, Revelation 16 12. This is where the river Euphrates is drying up to make way for the people armies of the earth to begin to move towards Jerusalem. So this is where it's like this is revelation. Revelation 16 12. The sixth bowl is okay. This is where it's time for the battle of Armageddon. The armies of the world are going to begin to move towards Israel. So Revelation 16 12. Sixth bowl. It's coming to the end. So Revelation 16 16. It says they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew Armageddon. So it's called the battle of Armageddon, the final battle. So they're all moving now towards Israel so on. Seventh bowl, this is it. The last one, the little terrible things happening in the heavens above on the earth beneath earthquake and so on. Now Revelation 17 and 18 are interesting because remember, the nations are moving into battle getting ready for the battle of Armageddon. And then two things, two big things happen. Revelation 17. I'll just summarize this, but we will read this in a verse by verse next year. This mystery Babylon. Now mystery Babylon is referring to this religious system that was introduced by this false prophet. Suddenly falls. It is rejected. And people reject this false religion. And they no longer receive or they no longer subscribe to this religion. You see Revelation 17 verse 16. And the 10 horns which you saw on the beast. This will hate the hullet, make her desolate and naked and eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill his purpose, to be a one mind and to give the kingdom to the beast unto the words of God of fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. So this mystery Babylon or this harlot is talking about this religious system that was introduced by this false prophet. Suddenly these 10 rulers, 10 leaders who supported the antichrist will turn against this religion. We don't want this. And that they will hate this harlot, this whole religious system. So it's almost like within themselves, they're dismantling this system. Revelation 18 is the fall of Babylon the great. And here when you read it, you'll understand that it is referring to the fall of the economic system. Literally in one hour it says the wealth of all the people of the earth is just going to go up in smoke. That means in one hour all the wealth that they made just disappear. And this is so true, so possible in today's world. You know that people invest and put their money in different things and suddenly all that money is gone, disappear. It's almost like your value now is zero. Your value was maybe millions of dollars and suddenly things have changed. Your value is zero. So that's Revelation 18, the fall of this. And you will see that the merchants of the nations, the people who put their money in. In one hour everything is gone up in smoke. And it's gone. So Revelation 17, the fall of mystery Babylon which is the religious system. Revelation 18, the fall of the city of Babylon which is the economic system is gone. Then Revelation 19 is a scene in heaven. Heaven is like celebrating that the end has come. And you know that the Lord reigns. Revelation 19, there is a married supper of the Lamb. And then the second half of Revelation 19, you see Jesus coming from heaven. He's coming to make war. And all of us are coming with him. The armies in heaven, they're coming with him. And he destroys the beast and the false prophet. That's Revelation 1919. I saw the beast, the kings of the earth and the armies gathered together to make war against him. He was sat on the horse and against his army. Then the beast was captured with him and with him the false prophet to work signs in his presence. By which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped this image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with a sword which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. So this is the battle of Armageddon. This is the end of the seven years of tribulation. The Lord Jesus comes and with his word he destroys all these armies. The beast and the false prophet are taken and cast into the lake of fire. And then that brings us to the end of this age. The end of the seven years of tribulation. Okay, so we're going to pause here. Any questions? Answers? The same city of Babylon. The physical city of Babylon is in Iraq. And when we read about in Revelation 18 about that great city Babylon in Revelation 18, we see that it says that the business people from around the world, they are trading with this or in this great city Babylon. So literally that does not, cannot happen. Iraq itself is quite poor in its country. And it's not like nations of the world are trading with that. So the reason we are saying that this great city Babylon in Revelation 18 is referring to an economic system is because merchants from all over the world, traders from all over the world are participating in it. It's something that is global and it is economic because they're buying and selling, they're selling their goods, all of those things. And they're participating in it. And in a moment their wealth is gone. So we know that it doesn't have to do with the physical, literal city of Babylon because that's not happening practically. The whole world is not trading with Babylon as a city. Like if you say maybe New York or if you say some city of Singapore or some city where there is a lot of global economic exchange happening, maybe. But the way Revelation describes it is literally the nations of the world are trading in this and people are losing their wealth instantly. So therefore, because it cannot be with the literal city of Babylon, we therefore say it's very clear it's an economic system. And also because we see in Revelation 13 that this beast has set up a system where you cannot buy or sell unless you have the mark of the beast. So we connect that. Yeah. So this is what is happening and the religious system which the false prophet set up and the economic system which the beast set up, both have collapsed. So we can come to that conclusion, which I think is logical. It's fair. Okay. So let's take a break. Next week we'll continue with chapter 20, 21, 22. We'll see what happens after the Battle of Armageddon. All right. Thank you all. Let's close and we'll dismiss. Thank you.