What Happens Next? Revelation 15: The Second Exodus

One commentator noted that this chapter begins the “final exodus”. A parallel probably intended by John, where he makes obvious connections to God’s deliverance from his people from the hands of Egypt. There are multiple mentions of plagues and a song of Moses as well. Through Moses, God delivered his people from the Egyptians, through Christ he will deliver them from the domain of darkness and the consequences of sin.

“Revelation 15, the shortest chapter in the entire book, is remarkably parallel to Exodus 15. The victorious saints are gathered on “the other side” and stand beside the sea. They praise God for their great salvation. They have participated in the final exodus.” – Kendell H. Easley, Revelation, vol. 12, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 269.

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What Happens Next? Revelation 14: Who Will You Worship?

“In Revelation 14, John continues describing vision two that began in chapter 4. He is now describing the end of a great drama (12:1–14:20) that explains why the consummation is necessary. This chapter has four scenes. The first one is in heaven, where the perfected 144,000 have arrived to worship the Lamb; the second is in the skies where three angels tell of coming judgment. The last two scenes describe Christ’s return for his people as a gathering of grain and his judgment on the wicked as a gathering of grapes for treading.” – Kendell H. Easley, Revelation, vol. 12, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 244.

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What Happens Next? Revelation 13: 2 Beasts

13 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.

  • “beast” – literally: monster, in our understanding.
  • “out of the sea” – there is much speculation as to the meaning of this phrase, the ocean, for many ancient peoples was a place of unknown terrors and great storms, thus it is often used to represent evil and danger.
  • “ten horns and seven heads” – the monster mirrors and mimics its master, the dragon. See 12.3. For the dragon this description is meant to communicate wisdom and power, thus they should be understood this way here as well.

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