Revelation 18:9-24; At the destruction of Babylon by the beast and ten vasal kings, three groups of people were especially affected by the loss. The kings of the earth, the merchants and the mariners who most benefitted from their association with the “great prostitute” sand their lament with weeping and mourning. Yet they stood “far […]
Revelation 18:1-8; John clearly notes the visions of chap.27 have concluded, as another angel comes down from heaven. This angel had “great authority and the earth was illuminated by his splendor“. He announces to all creation, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!“, then describes the sad state the great city will become. Another voice from […]
Revelation 17:7-18; Addressing John’s amazement at the “great prostitute” riding the back of the red beast, the angel reveals the meaning of the beast’s seven heads and ten horns. They represent kings and kingdom that will set up the end times and appear in during the end times. The ten horns are vassal kings that […]
Revelation 17:1-6; Following the seven bowl judgements in chapters 15 and 16, John is visited by one of the angels who had poured out his assigned bowl. This is not sequential to the final bowl judgement, but a side-bar that reveals how Yahweh-God looks at the fallen nature of the earth. John is invited, “Come, […]
Revelation 16:10-21; The final three angels pour out the contents of their bowls as the conclusion of God’s wrath upon the one-world system of the dragon and two beasts. The 5th bowl was poured upon the thone of the beast, plunging the workd into total darkness for an unspecified time. The survivors of the Seals […]
Matthew 26:14-29; Our monthly observance of the Lord’s Supper is in obedience to Christ’s instructions to “do this in remembrance of me“. While the focus of the Last Supper is a foreshadowing of the events of Christ’s passion, the greater context reveals a theme of betrayal. Judas has offered up his services to the Jewish […]
Revelation 16:1-9; In chapter 15, John again saw visions of heaven, where “seven angels with the seven last plagues” were introduced. The final series of seven bowl judgements will pour out terrible plagues akin to those in Exodus, when Yahweh-God punished the Egyptians for mistreating Israel. Chapter 16 begins with a “loud voice from temple“, […]
Revelation 15:1-8; Following a preview of the bloody conclusion to the Tribulation period in chapter 14, John sees “another great and marvelous sign” in heaven. The vision reveals seven angels with seven plagues that will complete God’s wrath. Included in his heavenly vision, John sees a “sea of glass glowing with fire” and the victorious […]
Revelation 14:14-20; John nexts sees a vision of “one like a son of man” seated on a white cloud with a sharp sickle in his hand. A directive is given from the temple of heaven through an angel for the son of man to reao the earth. Once that is accomplished, John sees another angel, […]
In place of a regular sermon, the celebration of Communion was expanded as a bridge to our Baptism service a week ago, We also shared a special video update from our ABWE missionaries, Doug and Sharon Martin.