The classic allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress, was written in 1678 by pastor John Bunyan while imprisoned for his faith. The main character, Christian, goes on a journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. He has adventures and experiences along the way, which represent typical events in the Christian life.

At the end of Bunyan’s book, we get a peek at the Celestial City. Similarly, we get a glimpse of the New Jerusalem at the end of the book of Revelation. After the Millennium comes “a new heaven and a new earth,” which we also call the “eternal state” (v. 1). The lack of a sea likely indicates there is now no more sin, death, or rebellion against God. Everything will be made new (v. 5).

At this time, believers will live in heaven, seen here as the heavenly New Jerusalem (vv. 2–4). In this city God will dwell eternally with His people, thus fulfilling the desire of every worshiper’s heart (Psalm 84). There will be no more sorrow, pain, or death, because “the old order of things has passed away.”

The Lamb said to John, “It is done” (vv. 6–8)—reminiscent of His words from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). He’s the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. As He was there at Creation, so now He’s there at the end of history and time. There are only two eternal destinies: One is in heaven, with Christ and those who have accepted God’s gift of the water of life (Isa. 55:1; John 4:10; 7:37–38). The other is in hell, the “second death,” with sinners. Why are the “cowardly” on this list? They chose fear over faith. All this encourages believers not only to stand firm and endure but also to spread the good news of the gospel (Matt. 28:19–20).

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“An important aspect of apocalyptic literature,” wrote professor Leland Ryken, “is the final triumph of good and defeat of evil. The battle is not a battle between equals, but this does not minimize the strength of the life-or-death struggle. The power of evil in apocalyptic literature is terrifying and often drives us to temporary despair.” But, Ryken assures us, “the book of Revelation ends with a hero on a white horse who kills a dragon, marries his bride, celebrates the wedding with a feast, and lives happily ever after in a palace glittering with jewels.”

There are a few “loose ends” remaining at the end of the Millennium. One is Satan, the dragon (vv. 7–10). He’s had a thousand years to think it over and can see for himself the results of Christ’s perfect rule. Even so, he’s unchanged and goes out to deceive the nations, to gather them for another “final battle.” Some believers and unbelievers survived the Tribulation. They and their descendants are Satan’s targets. Apparently, some people can choose lies and unbelief, even while living in utopia with glorified believers.

This battle never happens because fire from heaven devours God’s enemies. “Gog and Magog” represent the nations of the world (as in Ezekiel 38–39). Satan is thrown into hell, alongside the beast (Antichrist) and his false prophet, for eternal punishment. This is followed by the Great White Throne judgment (vv. 11–15). The remaining dead are resurrected and brought before the Lamb to determine their eternal destinies. If they are “judged according to what they had done,” they end up in hell because good works cannot save. If their names are in the Lamb’s book of life, they go to heaven. Finally, death itself is thrown into hell, symbolizing its definitive conquest (1 Cor. 15:24–26).

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During Christ’s Millennial Kingdom, “the world as we know it with its sin, suffering, death, and the devil will pass away while the paradise of God is restored to this creation and gradually encompasses the globe,” writes seminary professor Michael J. Svigel in The Fathers on the Future. “The world will be transformed and released from its bondage to corruption, not through a natural evolutionary process and not instantly through a divine snap of the finger, but progressively through the co-laboring of humanity—indeed, through the second Adam and the new humanity—as they finally fulfill the imago Dei mission in being fruitful, multiplying, filling the earth, subduing it, and expanding the boundaries of Eden [Gen. 1:28–30].”

Christ’s return marks the end of the Tribulation and the start of the Millennium. This is an earthly utopia with Christ as King. Though some see the thousand years as a symbolic number, it’s mentioned rather often—six times in seven verses!—to be only symbolic. For this period of time, Satan the dragon and “ancient serpent” (v. 2; see also Genesis 3) is bound and imprisoned in the Abyss (vv. 1–3). He will not be allowed to deceive or interfere with this perfect kingdom.

Alongside Christ as King, we as believers will reign with Him (vv. 4–6). Jesus had spoken of this to His disciples (Luke 22:29–30). Our thrones will be “sub-thrones” under His authority. At this point, all dead believers will have been resurrected, including the martyrs of the Tribulation. This is the “first resurrection.” The rest of the dead will not be resurrected until after the Millennium, and these will mostly be unbelievers. The timeless encouragement is that the “second death” (hell) has no power over us as followers of Christ (v. 6)!

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For centuries, believers have been awaiting Christ’s return with great anticipation. “Lift up your hearts! Our King shall come!”—preached Clarence Edward Noble Macartney in a classic sermon—“When the world sky is darkest with clouds of unbelief, behold the glory of the coming of the Lord…you shall hear floating down from heaven the notes of that distant triumph song whose sweet melody shall one day encompass the heavens and the earth.” Today’s reading in Revelation 19 describes Christ’s Second Coming and His victory at Armageddon. The forces of evil have gathered for a final battle. But it’s not much of a battle when the opponent is all-powerful.

Christ the Messiah arrives on a white horse leading the “armies of heaven” (vv. 11–16). Since they’re “dressed in fine linen,” in this case the army is the church (v. 8), including believers raptured prior to the Tribulation. Christ is wearing a golden crown, because He’s the “King of kings and Lord of lords.” Out of His mouth is coming a sword (as in Rev. 1:16). His robe is “dipped in blood,” foreshadowing His victory and fulfilling Old Testament imagery of God as the Divine Warrior (for example, Isa. 42:13). Christ is the One who actually “treads the winepress” (Rev. 14:19) of God’s righteous wrath. The Lamb’s victory is absolute. Both beasts (Revelation 13) are captured and thrown into a “fiery lake of burning sulfur,” that is, hell (vv. 19–20). (What about the dragon? See Rev. 20:7–10.) An angel had invited birds to a grisly feast on the dead bodies of God’s defeated enemies—an ironic contrast with the wedding supper of the Lamb—and indeed the birds “gorged themselves” (vv. 17–18, 21).

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This past summer, we celebrated the marriage of my oldest daughter Kristen. The weather was perfect. The flowers seemed extra colorful. A harpist played superbly. And my daughter was a beautiful bride. God was honored and glorified in the vows being exchanged and in the ceremony as a whole. It was an extraordinary and memorable experience!

Yet, even as a proud father, I have to admit that an even more glorious wedding day is coming. In the larger structure of the book of Revelation, we will see that praise brackets the final judgments. In chapter 15, the Tribulation martyrs give glory to God for what is about to happen—the seven bowls of judgment in chapter 16, and the fall of Babylon in chapters 17–18. In Revelation 19, a “great multitude” gives glory to God for what has happened.

Heaven praises God for His just judgments, including the downfall of Babylon, the “great prostitute” (vv. 1–4). Her persecution of God’s people has been avenged. “The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever”—her destruction is an eternal testimony to God’s power and justice. The 24 elders and four living creatures cry “Amen!”

Next, a call to praise from God’s throne itself is resoundingly answered (vv. 5–8). A great shout, “Our Lord God Almighty reigns,” rings out across heaven. They are rejoicing not only over the end of something ugly but over the imminent arrival of something beautiful: “The wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” Christ is the groom; His bride is His church. The church is dressed in “fine linen, bright and clean.” These are “the righteous acts of God’s holy people” (see Eph. 2:8–10). Those invited to this wedding supper are blessed indeed (v. 9; Isa. 25:6–9; Matt. 22:1–14).

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Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler of the Babylonian Empire (Daniel 4). God warned him in a dream about his pride. But one day he praised himself for the splendor of his empire, crediting it all to his own “mighty power” and “the glory of my majesty.” Immediately God took away his reason, and Nebuchadnezzar behaved as an animal for seven years before God restored his sanity. He learned his lesson: “[God] does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth…And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”

In the same spirit, an angel in today’s reading proclaims the fall of Babylon (vv. 1–3). The “maddening wine” of her spiritual adulteries and her “excessive luxuries” have brought about her devastation under God’s just judgment.

Verses 4–8 are an exhortation to believers. We are to “come out of [Babylon].” Her pride and idolatry are her doom. Though she considered herself exempt from consequences, thinking she would “never mourn” (see Isaiah 47), the bottom line is, “mighty is the Lord God who judges her.” The New Testament agrees with this exhortation. For example, Paul wrote, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Cor. 6:14–17).

A threefold woe follows, delivered by Babylon’s former political allies and economic trade partners (vv. 9–19). These woes emphasize the quickness and completeness of her judgment and destruction. For the redeemed, this is cause for rejoicing (v. 20)! Finally, a “mighty angel” casts a boulder into the sea, illustrating the finality of Babylon’s destruction (vv. 21–24). She will never be rebuilt. Interestingly, in the days following Babylon’s conquest of Judah, a messenger of the prophet Jeremiah used a similar object lesson to warn that empire (Jer. 51:63–64).

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The long history of Babylon stretches back at least to the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1–9). Humanity tried to challenge God by building a tower that would reach to heaven. God stepped in and multiplied their languages in order to halt the project. From Babel to the Babylonian Empire and beyond, the name “Babylon” has symbolized power and pride.

The same is true of the woman in today’s reading. She’s the “great city that rules over the kings of the earth” (v. 18). The “many waters” by which she sits symbolize all the peoples of the world (vv. 1, 15). She’s a prostitute, engaged in spiritual adultery (vv. 2–6). She’s sitting on a “scarlet beast” that is the first beast from Revelation 13 (vv. 7–8). The beast is covered with blasphemous names and has seven heads and ten horns. The woman is also wearing luxurious clothes and jewelry and holding a cup filled with the “filth of her adulteries.” She’s “drunk with the blood of God’s holy people.”

An angel explains (vv. 9–14): The seven heads are kings or nations. Five are past, one is present (presumably the Roman Empire), and one is future. The beast is the eighth and of the same sort as the previous seven. The ten horns are also kings or nations, all future. They’re in alliance with the beast, whom we also know as the Antichrist. All these enemies of God are destined for defeat and destruction. “The Lamb will triumph over them.”

As so often happens when evil forces try to cooperate, there will be dissension and conflict (vv. 16–17). The beast and ten horns will hate the woman and will “bring her to ruin.” As they always do, God’s purposes prevail over His enemies’ best efforts.

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If people in hell were given a second chance, they’d change their minds, right? Wrong. In The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis, “tourists” from hell are allowed to visit the outskirts of heaven. There, each is met by a friend who tries to convince them to stay, a choice which would require repentance. Nearly all of them reject this opportunity and return to hell.

The hardhearted rebelliousness of sinners is highlighted in Revelation 16, where the final seven bowls of judgment are poured out (v. 1). The first brings nasty sores to all those wearing the mark of the beast (v. 2). The second turns the oceans’ waters to blood (v. 3). All sea life dies. The third does the same to all freshwater rivers and springs (vv. 4–7). This is poetic justice: Given their sinful actions, people deserve to drink blood.

The fourth bowl judgment is environmental disaster, as the sun scorches the earth (vv. 8–9). In the fifth bowl, the very “throne of the beast” is targeted (vv. 10-11). Darkness descends. In the sixth bowl, the Euphrates River dries up and the false trinity gathers its forces, via deceiving demonic spirits, for Armageddon (vv. 12–16).

Verse 15 is a message to believing readers from Christ Himself. We’re exhorted to “stay awake” and be ready. He will return “like a thief,” unexpectedly (1 Thess. 5:2). Jesus gave His followers the same message (Matt. 24:36–44; 25:1–13) and wrote the same to the church at Sardis earlier in the book (Rev. 3:2–3).

With the seventh bowl, the words “It is done!” are pronounced. Natural devastation follows—including an earthquake and hailstones—as well as spiritual devastation, the fall of Babylon. Of course, the survivors will repent now? No. They continue to curse God.

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