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Genesis
Estudy

In the Hebrew Bible the name Genesis is called "Bereshith", "in the
beginning". The Greek transla on, known as the Septuagint, gives the
first book of the Bible the tle "Geneseos", which means "origin" or
"source". As this is the "Book of Beginnings," the tle "Genesis" is
appropriate.

The book of Genesis is the founda on upon which all the books of the
Old and New Testaments stand. In it, we can study the crea on or
absolute origin of the universe, the origin of man and the beginning of
the human race. It contains the only authen c informa on of humanity's
original dignity. It gives the only sa sfactory explana on of the state of
sin and misery and of the gospel of salva on sufficient to meet man's
spiritual need.
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Who wrote Genesis?

It is widely accepted that the person who wrote the book of Genesis was
Moses. Originally the book of Genesis is an anonymous book that
integrates the unified Pentateuch. This means that the authorship of
Genesis cannot be discussed apart from the composi on of the first five
books of the Bible.

The authorship of Moses remained undisputed for a long me. However,

some interpreters emerged who began to ques on this authorship. There
are those who believe that the book of Genesis was wri en by various
authors over several years. Others suggest that perhaps the book of
Genesis had a single author who lived later than Moses. Know who Moses
was.

However, it can be said that the theories that say that the person who
wrote the book of Genesis was not Moses are not based on solid
founda ons. Basically there is a lot of specula on and no hard evidence.

Considering the authorship of Moses, the book of Genesis is believed to

have been wri en in the second millennium BC, approximately 1400 BC.
The contents of the book clearly indicate that it was wri en early in the
history of the people of Israel.

Despite this, it is not possible to determine exactly when Moses wrote this
work. Some scholars believe that he wrote Genesis during the first
genera on of the Exodus, perhaps even before the Israelites le Egypt.
Other scholars argue that he wrote the book of Genesis already during the
second genera on of the Exodus, in prepara on for the taking of Canaan.
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Cri cs who do not accept the authorship of Moses hold different

opinions. Some suggest that the book was wri en during the me of
Joshua, shortly a er Moses. Others think the book was wri en in the
period of the judges. Finally, there are those who believe that the book
was wri en during the period of monarchy in Israel.

It is true that the author of the book of Genesis does not iden fy himself
anywhere in the book. But the New Testament indicates that Moses
wrote the Law (Luke 24:44). It makes no sense to exclude the book of
Genesis from the Pentateuch's composi onal list. In John 7:22 Jesus
himself says that Moses gave the Jews circumcision (cf. Acts 15:1). This
ritual is men oned only in chapter 17 of the book of Genesis.

In addi on to biblical witness, Jewish tradi on defends the authorship of

Moses. Likewise, from the Church Fathers to the Reformers, Chris an
tradi on accepts that Moses really was the one who wrote Genesis.

Moses was educated in the Egyp an courts. This means that he

possessed the necessary technical qualifica ons to have composed the
contents of Genesis and the other four books that make up the
Pentateuch. More importantly, he was divinely called to fulfill this role,
and he was empowered with incredible spiritual gi s.

But when it is said that Moses was the one who wrote the book of
Genesis, it is not being said that he wrote the book as we know it today. It
is correct to say that Moses, under the inspira on of the Holy Spirit,
composed the essen al part of the book of Genesis.

All the events narrated in the book took place before the me of Moses.
Therefore, he certainly used sources before him, perhaps oral tradi ons
and wri en records preserved through the genera ons. Furthermore,
obviously much may also have been told to you through divine
revela ons.
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Purpose
There is no book in the world about which more has been wri en than
the Bible, and perhaps no part of the Bible has given rise to a greater mass
of literature than the book of Genesis. organized with all unity of purpose
and plan. It is characteris cally a book of origins and beginnings. Nothing
is unfolded in God's rela ons with man that does not begin in this book
which opens with the story of crea on followed by an outline of human
history up to the birth of Abraham.

The remaining and main part of the book presents the lives of four
patriarchs whose family came from the people of Israel and, ul mately,
the Savior of the world. Let us keep in mind, however, that the supreme
value and purpose of the book is the revela on of a God, infinitely
mighty, wise, and good; an account of its rela on to the origin of the
world and to the history of na ons. Recorded are the beginning of life,
sin, apostasy, judgment, atonement, worship, prophecy, and salva on.
Genesis forms the first chapter in the story of redemp on, which is the
substance of the en re Bible. It points forward from a paradise lost to a
paradise regained in the book of Revela on.
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Genesis is one of the most important books of humanity, as it is the only

one that actually narrates the origin of the universe, the Earth, nature,
animals and, finally, the human being.

The Story of Creation (1:1 – 2:4)

It was in this period that we human beings were created, however, with a
decisive difference in rela on to other living beings, we were made in the
image and likeness of God.

Furthermore, and above all, we are the only ones capable of developing
a rela onship with the Lord. He made us on the last day and set us to rule
over all crea on.

The Story of Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve were created pure, however, they listened to the Devil and
ended up sinning against the Lord. With that, they lost the right to be in
paradise and to have access to the tree of life.

Expelled, they began to experience a life full of difficul es and afflic ons,
something that did not exist in the state of perfec on. Here we see how
harmful sin is to human beings and how contagious it is. The further from
God men live, the more evil and merciless they become.
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Noah's Story
(Genesis 6:1-11:32)
A er sin filled the earth, man became wicked and turned against God.
When the Lord realized that the human being was the great evil of
crea on, he decided to eliminate the unjust, leaving only Noah and his
family, with whom the Lord made a covenant.

The Lord directs Noah to build the Ark and gives him instruc ons on how
to preserve the created animals, which he does.

A er the flood, we see a new Genesis, in Noah and his sons, from now on
they should repopulate the Earth and not make the same mistakes that
were made before.
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The Story of Abraham

(Genesis 12:1-25:18)
His purpose to create a model na on. Abraham is the first of them.

With him the Lord makes a perpetual covenant and guarantees that his
descendants will become a great na on and fill the whole earth.

By believing in the Lord and faithfully following his direc on, even the
most difficult ones, Abraham was considered the father of faith.
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The Story of Isaac

(Genesis 25:19-28:9)
Isaac is a great example of submission and dependence. When his father
prepared him to be offered as a sacrifice, he couldn't resist. When she
found out that Rebecca was not having children, she prayed to the Lord,
in dependence and saw the miracle. He didn't make his parents' mistake
of having children with a slave.

He followed God's direc on through lands his father had passed, and
even when he was unfairly treated, he didn't fight back.

Wherefore God greatly blessed him and made him prosper in spite of all
adversity.
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Jacob's Story
(Genesis 28:10-36:43)
Isaac had twin sons, Esau being the eldest and Jacob the younger, but
from his birth, God promised that the younger would rule over the older.

Even in the face of such a promise, he yielded to his mother's wishes and
deceived his father and brother into receiving the birthright blessing.

Jacob's journey to become Israel is a long and painful one, but when he
wrestled with God, he showed that his character had been perfected and
that he was ready to be a great na on.
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Joseph's Story
(Genesis 37:1-50:26)
José walked difficult and demanding paths. Most believers would have
given up, even in the face of grandiose promises, but Joseph would not.
He maintained his integrity and faith in the midst of injus ce, loneliness,
betrayal, and seeming abandonment by God. However, the Lord made
him prosper even in the most inhospitable environments. Whether in
Po phar's house or in prison, whatever he played, God blessed. Un l
finally he was ready to be li ed to higher places and actually live the
fulfillment of the dreams that God gave him. This became real when he
interpreted Pharaoh's dreams and gave him the instruc ons the Lord
showed him.

Amazed, the king of Egypt made him Governor, being subject only to him.
With that, in me of scarcity, by part of God's plan, Israel and their
children were welcomed in Egypt and there they grew and mul plied in
safety. In other words, the structure of Genesis is easy to understand and
its content shows us an evolu on in the way the Lord God began to reveal
himself to human beings.
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Outline
We can suggest a simple outline of the book of Genesis as follows:

• The Early History (chapters 1:1-11:9): This sec on contains the

prologue with the descrip on of the crea on of the universe, the Fall of
man, and the rise of sin. It also relates the genealogy of Adam, and the
genera ons of Noah.
• The Patriarchal History (chapters 11:10-37:1): This sec on begins with
the record of Shem's genera ons and introduces the history of Abram.
It also talks about the genera ons of Ishmael, Isaac and Esau.
• The Story of Joseph (chapters 37:1-50:26): This sec on especially
shows the development and organiza on of the people of Israel
through the descent of the patriarchs.
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Facts about the book of Genesis

• There is a ques on whether Genesis or Job was the first book of the
Bible to be wri en.

• The me period described in Genesis spans a longer me span than the

rest of the Bible.

• God is presented as Creator at least 50 mes in the first two chapters of

Genesis alone.

• The book of Genesis explains to the Israelites the origin of circumcision.

• The book of Genesis shows the origin of the 12 tribes of Israel.

• God's covenant with Abraham described in this book is fundamental to

the understanding of the en re Bible.

• Genesis reveals how the Hebrews went to Egypt. This migra on

explains one of the most important events in human history: The
Exodus.
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Christ in Genesis

The book of Genesis clearly points to Christ. As early as chapter 3 we

read that God himself announced that the seed of the woman would
destroy Satan (Genesis 3:15). The genealogy begun in Genesis finds its
end in the New Testament with the birth of Christ (cf. Genesis 5; 11;
Ma hew 1; Luke 3).

Noah prophesied that the descendants of Japheth would be blessed by

finding salva on through the descendants of Shem. In the New
Testament we see the fulfillment of this prophecy in the spread of the
Gospel throughout the world (Romans 11).

The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews points to the fact that the
Melchizedek priesthood typified the priesthood of Christ (Hebrews 7;
cf. Genesis 14:18-20).

Finally, we also realize that at the very beginning of Genesis paradise

was lost by the first Adam and sin began to ravage humanity. Already in
the New Testament we see the last Adam restoring paradise and
gran ng his people victory over sin.

The Bible begins in Genesis showing man being deprived of God's

presence. However, it ends by showing man enjoying eternal salva on
through the merits of Christ. Man will no longer return to Eden, but will
dwell with the Lord in the new heaven and new earth.
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Many New Testament themes have their roots in Genesis. Jesus Christ is
the Seed of the woman who will destroy the power of Satan (Genesis
3:15). As with Joseph, God's plan for the good of humanity through the
sacrifice of His Son was designed for good, even though those who
crucified Him had evil inten ons. Noah and his family are the first of
many remnants portrayed in the Bible.

Prac cal Applica on: The overriding theme of Genesis is God's eternal
existence and His crea on of the world. There is no effort on the author's
part to defend the existence of God; he simply asserts that God is, always
was, and always will be Almighty over all. Likewise, we have confidence
in the truths of Genesis, despite the claims of those who deny it. All
people, regardless of culture, na onality or language, will have to give
an account before the Creator. Nevertheless, because of sin, introduced
into the world by the Fall, we are separated from God. However, through
a small na on, Israel, God's redemp ve plan for mankind was revealed
and made accessible to all. We rejoice in this plan.

God created the universe, the earth and every living thing. We can trust
that He can handle the worries in our lives. God can take a desperate
situa on (like Abraham and Sarah s ll childless) and do amazing things if
we just trust and obey. Terrible and unfair things can happen in our lives,
as they did with Joseph, but God will always bring about greater good if
we have faith in Him and His sovereign plan. “We know that all things
work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the
called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
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Apocalypse
Estudy
Revela on 1, begins with iden fying the origin of the message, is a
revela on on the part of Jesus Christ about the things that are going to
happen before the end. The author introduces himself as John, the same
one who wrote one of the Gospels that bears this name. As in the book,
he presents Jesus as the Word of God and says that blessed are those who
read, hear and keep the words of this revela on.

The recipients of Revela on are seven Churches that were located in Asia.
The author greets them with grace and peace from God. John declares
that the author of the message, Jesus Christ, is about to return because
He is the beginning and the end of all things, including the history of
mankind.

Everything begins and ends in Christ. John tells us that he was on Patmos
when he received the revela on, located on the coast of Asia Minor
(modern-day Turkey). He was there because of the Word of God, that is,
he was in exile. The Island was a kind of prison.
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The afflic ons that hit believers all over the world, also hit him, so he says
he is "companion in sufferings".

In the midst of his tribula ons, the Lord Jesus reveals himself to John, on
"the Lord's day", that is, on Sunday. The first century church called this
"the first day of the week." John calls him that, because it was on Sunday
that Jesus was resurrected.

The Lord reveals himself in Revela on no longer as the suffering servant,

but as a glorified one. Full of glory and majesty. Seeing Him, the apostle
immediately faints before Jesus.

Just like Daniel, he tells him: “Don't be afraid”.

We don't need to fear the revela on of the glory of God, the Lord is good,
loves us and wants to show us his secrets.

Jesus tells John that he must write down everything he is about to hear
and send it to the seven Churches of Asia. Here the apostle was in
spiritual ecstasy, something similar to what happened to Peter when he
had a vision in the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:9-10) and Paul when he
was in the temple at Jerusalem (Acts 22:17,18).
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Basically there are four styles of interpreta on of the book of Revela on

that are adopted by Chris ans. Are they:

• Preterist: says that virtually everything in the book of Revela on has

already been fulfilled. This would have mainly happened at the
destruc on of Jerusalem and the fall of the Roman Empire.
• Historicist: says that the revela ons of the book of Revela on are
fulfilled in the course of church history un l the second coming of
Christ.
• Idealist: says that the revela ons in the book of Revela on do not
describe specific events, but spiritual principles that apply to the en re
history of the church.
• Futurist: says that virtually everything that was said in Revela on will
s ll be fulfilled in a final period that precedes Christ's return.

According to the characteris cs and purposes of the book of Revela on,

the most coherent way to interpret the book of Revela on is through a
combina on of the four styles of interpreta on above. From this
perspec ve, it is correct to say that many passages in the book of
Revela on have three applica ons; they deal with specific events of the
first century, events that took place throughout the history of the church,
and also make reference to the period of final crisis that will precede the
second coming of Christ.
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Another point that is the subject of much discussion in the book of

Revela on is the reign of Christ for a thousand years as men oned in
chapter 20. About this period, there are basically three interpreta ons:

• Premillennialists: argue that this period will occur a er the second

coming of Christ. Anyone who thinks like this says that Jesus will
literally reign over the earth for a thousand years. Others believe that
the thousand years simply refers to a long period of me. Within this
group are the historical premillennialists and the dispensa onal
premillennialists.
• Postmillennialists: believe that the millennium refers to a final period
of Church history on earth. In this period there will be peace and
prosperity without equal. Most people will be converted through
global evangelism.
• Amillennialists: understand that the millennium is a spiritual reign that
takes place with the Church on earth preaching the Gospel and with
the departed saints who reign with Christ in heaven. For amillennialists
this period began at the first coming of Christ, where Satan had his
power limited through Christ's victory in the crucifixion and
resurrec on. Most amillennialists also advocate a final period of great
tribula on on earth. This period will take place before the second
coming of Christ.
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The outline of the book of Revela on can undergo several modifica ons
depending on the type of reading adopted to organize its content. But
below we leave a sugges on of a very simple and objec ve outline of the
book of Revela on.

1. Chapters 1 to 3 – Prologue and the le ers to the seven churches: Christ

in the midst of the seven candles cks.
2. Chapters 4 to 7 - The seven seals: the beginning of the series of
heavenly visions.
3. Chapters 8 to 11 - The seven trumpets.
4. Chapters 12 to 14 - The birth of Christ and the persecu ng Dragon: The
woman and the dragon.
5. Chapters 15 to 16 – The seven bowls.
6. Chapters 17 to 19 - The fall of Babylon and the punishment on the
Beasts.
7. Chapters 20 to 22 – The Kingdom of the Saints and the Last Judgment:
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The Seven Churches of Revelation

The seven churches of Asia Minor are, originally, the recipients of the
book of Revela on. These churches became popularly known as "the
seven churches of Revela on". It is very important for a correct study of
the book of Revela on to know a li le more about these churches.

Why seven churches?

First we need to understand that the number “seven” is very

representa ve in the construc on of the book of Revela on. The number
“seven” is explicitly applied 54 mes throughout the book, including: the
seven churches, seven stars, seven spirits, seven seals, seven trumpets,
seven bowls, etc. Implicitly we have several applica ons such as: seven
sec ons that divide the book, seven bea tudes, seven references to the
Word of God, seven mes the reference “God Almighty”, among others.

Basically, the number seven in Revela on represents wholeness,

something complete. Therefore, a good explana on of the reason for the
“seven churches” is the indica on that the book is current for all
churches of all mes, without disregarding that the seven churches
described are the primary addressees.

It is important to say that in Asia Minor there were other churches, such
as the church in Colossae. This leads us to another ques on: what was
the criteria for choosing the seven churches? To this ques on, there is
definitely no conclusive answer. In the first instance, the order about the
churches to which the book of Revela on is addressed came par cularly
from Christ (Rev. 1:11), and, for me, that is enough.
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What are the seven churches of Revela on?

The list of the seven churches can be easily found in chapter 1 of the book
of Revela on (Rev 1:11), namely: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thya ra,
Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. It is worth knowing that Asia Minor is
currently the western region of Turkey.

The seven candles cks and the seven stars

A er receiving the command to write the book for the seven churches,
John had a vision of Christ walking in the midst of seven candles cks (or
lampstands), and, among other characteris cs, He had in His right hand
seven stars.

Who are the angels of the seven churches of Revela on?

The le ers are addressed to the angel of each church, this is clear from the
text. There are two interpreta ons of who the angels of the seven
churches were:

• The first interpreta on defends that they are celes al beings, that is,
literally angels. This interpreta on seeks some references in the Old
Testament where celes al beings are designated to help and protect a
certain people. But why would John write to angels when they are
constantly in the presence of God? How could it be possible to write a
book and send an angel? These and other objec ons are the greatest
weaknesses of this posi on.

• The second interpreta on mainly considers the fact that the word
“angel” literally means “messenger”, which can be either a heavenly
being or a human being. Being human, the word “angel” fits perfectly
with church leaders. A weakness of this posi on is that nowhere else in
the Bible are church leaders (elders, bishops, pastors) iden fied
as’’angels."
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The characteristics of
each church in the seven letters
Ephesus: The Church of Ephesus is praised for its good work, for rejec ng
evil, for its perseverance, and for being pa ent. The cri cism is due to the
cooling off of his first love. The recommenda on is that the church repent
and return to the first works.
Smyrna: The Church of Smyrna is commended for enduring the great
suffering it was being subjected to. Smyrna does not receive any
cri cism. The recommenda on is that they be faithful un l death and
resist persecu on. Smyrna is promised the crown of life.
Pergamum: The Church of Pergamum is commended for maintaining
faith and trust in Christ. It is cri cized for condoning immorality, idolatry
and heresies. The recommenda on is an invita on to repent.
Thya ra: The Church of Thya ra is commended for the love, faith and
pa ence it shows. Also for the service provided, and the good works that
have improved compared to the beginning. It is cri cized for condoning
idolatry and immorality. The recommenda on is that they be faithful,
because the judgment is near.
Sardis: in the Church of Sardis some have been faithful, but it is heavily
cri cized for being a dead church. The recommenda on is for you to
repent and strengthen what you s ll have le . The faithful are promised
white dresses.

Philadelphia: The Church of Philadelphia is commended for persevering

in the faith, for obeying Christ and honoring His name. Philadelphia
receives no reviews. The recommenda on is for them to be faithful.
Laodicea: the Church of Laodicea is not praised in any way, on the
contrary, it is cri cized for being lukewarm, indifferent, and for not
realizing the very miserable condi on in which it finds itself. Laodicea is
commended to repent and be zealous, and those who overcome are
promised that they will share Christ's throne.
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What is the meaning of the seven

churches of Revelation?
Briefly, there are two interpreta ons of the meaning of the seven
churches of Revela on. One holds that the seven churches represent
seven successive eras, or periods, of Church history. The other
interpreta on holds that the seven churches represent condi ons that
occur in any period of Church history, and are constantly repeated, not
just specific periods.
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The seven seals

First Seal: In the first seal, the white horse with its rider represents the
An christ who will seduce the na ons.

Second Seal: In the second seal, the red horse with its rider represents
the wars that will take place in this future period, perhaps even a great
world war, culmina ng in the persecu on of the Jews.

Third Seal: in the third seal, the black horse with its rider, represents a
great famine that will devastate the earth, and whoever does not have
the “mark of the beast”, that is, the control proposed by the An christ,
will not be able to buy or sell.

Fourth Seal: the fi h seal shows the yellow horse with its rider, which
represents the large number of deaths that will occur in the great
tribula on for the most diverse causes.

Fi h Seal: in the fi h seal, John sees the martyrs of the great tribula on,
that is, the Chris ans who died in this specific period as a result of the
persecu on imposed by the An christ.

Sixth Seal: the sixth seal shows terrible natural disasters such as: great
earthquakes, eclipses, falling stars (according to those who defend this
posi on would be meteors) and many people will die because of it.

Interlude: Between the sixth and seventh seals, John sees Jews who will
be converted at the great tribula on and will be sealed, that is, protected
by God during this period, and also the martyrs of all na ons who will die
as a result of the persecu on of An christ.

Seventh Seal: The seventh seal refers to the second half of the great
tribula on, with the angels blowing seven trumpets, which represent
seven more events that will devastate the world.
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The seven trumpets

The seven trumpets are described in Revela on 8:6–9:19 and 11:15–19.
The seven trumpets are the “content” of the judgment of the seventh
seal, in which the seventh seal summons the angels who sound the
trumpets (Revela on 8:1-5). The judgments announced by the seven
trumpets will take place during the tribula on period at the end of me.

The first trumpet. When the first angel blows his trumpet, the world
experiences “hail and fire mingled with blood” (Revela on 8:7). A third of
the world's trees are burned in this pest, and all the grass is consumed.
This judgment has some similari es to the seventh plague in Egypt (see
Exodus 9:23–24).

The second trumpet. In heaven, a second angel blows a trumpet. The

result is that “a kind of great mountain on fire was thrown into the sea. A
third of the sea turned to blood” (Revela on 8:8). A third of the sea turns
to blood, a third of the ships sink, and a third of the life in the ocean dies
(Revela on 8:9). This judgment is similar in some ways to the first plague
in Egypt (see Exodus 7:20–21).

The third trumpet. The judgment of the third trumpet is like the second,
except that it affects the world's freshwater lakes and rivers rather than
the oceans. Specifically, “a great star, burning like a torch” falls from the
sky and poisons a third of the water supply (Revela on 8:10). This star is
named Wormwood and many people die (Revela on 8:11).

The fourth trumpet. The fourth of the seven trumpets brings changes in
the heavens. “The fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun,
moon, and stars was smi en, so that a third part of them was darkened,
and a third part of the day, and also of the night, was without light”
(Revela on 8:20). 12).
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A er the fourth trumpet judgment, John no ces a special warning that

comes from an eagle soaring through the air. This eagle cries out with a
loud voice, saying, “Alas! There! Woe to those who dwell on earth,
because of the sound of the other trumpets that the three angels are yet
to blow!” (Revela on 8:13). For this reason, the fi h, sixth and seventh
trumpets are called "three woes".

The fi h trumpet. The fi h trumpet (and the first woe) results in a terrible
plague of “demon locusts” that a ack and torture unbelievers for five
months (Revela on 9:1-11). The plague begins with a “star” falling from
the sky. This star is likely a fallen angel, for he received “the key of the
bo omless pit” (Revela on 9:1). He opens the Abyss, releasing a horde of
“locusts” with “power that the scorpions of the earth have” (Revela on
9:3). Locusts do not touch the plant life of the land; rather, they go straight
to “the people who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads”
(Revela on 9:4).

These demonic “locusts” have a “king” who is the angel of the Abyss
(Revela on 9:11). In Hebrew, its name is Abaddon, and in Greek it is
Apollyon, which means "Destroyer". The locusts themselves are
described in unusual terms: they look like “horses prepared for ba le”
(Revela on 9:7). They wear something like “crowns looking like gold” and
their faces are vaguely human (Revela on 9:7). They have hair "like the
hair of a woman" and teeth "like a lion's teeth" (Revela on 9:8). They have
something like breastplates of iron, and their wings sound like “the noise
of chariots drawn by many horses as they run to ba le” (Revela on 9:9).
Like scorpions, they have s ngers in their tails (Revela on 9:10). This
descrip on has given rise to many different interpreta ons: is this a vision
of helicopters, of barbarian warriors, of a Satanically empowered army, or
of real creatures from the abyss of hell? We won't know for sure un l it
happens.
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The sixth trumpet. The sixth trumpet (and second woe) involves the
a ack of another demonic horde (Revela on 9:12-21). As soon as the
sixth trumpet sounds, a voice from the altar of God cries out for the
release of “the four angels that are bound by the great river Euphrates”
(Revela on 9:14). These four angels were held cap ve only for this
purpose: to cause destruc on during the tribula on (Revela on 9:15).
These four wicked angels lead a supernatural cavalry of thousands upon
thousands to kill a third of humanity (Revela on 9:16). The horsemen
have breastplates “the color of fire, hyacinth, and brimstone” (Revela on
9:17). His horses have heads “like the head of a lion, and fire and smoke
and brimstone came out of their mouths” and “their tails were like
serpents” (Revela on 9:18–19). They kill with their mouths and with
their tails.

A er the sixth trumpet judgment, there is a literary interlude. John sees

an angel come down from heaven with a small scroll in his hand. A
promise is made for when "...the seventh angel... is about to blow the
trumpet" (Revela on 10:7), and John is told that he must prophesy some
more (Revela on 10:11). Then comes a descrip on of the two witnesses
who will preach in Jerusalem and perform miracles before they are
murdered. God will then resurrect them and take them to heaven
(Revela on 11:1-13).

The seventh trumpet. The seventh trumpet (and third woe) sounds, and
immediately there are loud voices in heaven saying, “The kingdom of the
world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will
reign forever and ever” (Revela on 11:15). The twenty-four elders say,
“…your wrath is come, and the appointed me… for you to destroy those
who destroy the earth” (Revela on 11:18). Obviously, God is about to
end things once and for all. At the sound of the seventh trumpet, the
temple of God is opened in heaven, and “the ark of his covenant was seen
in his sanctuary, and there came lightnings, voices, thunderings, an
earthquake, and a heavy hailstorm” (Revela on 11:19).
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The woman and the dragon

Chapter 12 of the Book of Revela on, where the story about the woman
and the dragon is narrated, is one of the best known and most debated in
this book. The figure of the dragon as a symbol of Satan, and the figure of
the son of the woman as being Jesus, is prac cally a consensus.

Who is the woman in Revela on 12?

The woman is Mary: this is the interpreta on defended by the Catholic

Church, which understands that the woman is a symbol of Mary. This is
one of the most used passages by Catholicism to defend an ascension of
Mary to heaven.

The woman is the Na on of Israel: this is the interpreta on preferred by

those who defend Dispensa onal Premillennialism, but there are also
scholars from other eschatological lines who defend this posi on. In this
interpreta on, the 1260 days in which the woman flees into the desert
represent the period of the Great Tribula on.

The woman is the Church: this

interpreta on understands that
both in the Old Testament
as in the New Testament,
the Church is one, therefore,
the woman is a symbol of
Church.
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The seven cups

The judgments of the seven bowls or vials are the final judgments of the
tribula on period. They will be the harshest judgments the world has
ever seen. The seven bowls are described in Revela on 16:1-21, where
they are specifically called "the seven bowls of the wrath of God"
(Revela on 16:1). Under An christ, man's wickedness has reached its
apex and is met with God's wrath against sin. The judgments of the seven
bowls are evoked by the seventh trumpet.

The first cup. The first angels pour out the first bowl on the earth, “and
there appeared malignant and painful sores on the people who had the
mark of the beast and who worshiped his image” (Revela on 16:2). This
plague targets those who have pledged themselves to An christ; the
tribula on saints will not be affected by these wounds.

The second cup. The second bowl is poured over the sea, turning the
water “into blood as of a dead man, and every living thing that was in the
sea died” (Revela on 16:3). A third of the marine life had already died at
the sound of the second trumpet (Revela on 8:9), and now the rest of the
marine life is gone. The oceans are dead.

The third cup. When the third bowl of God's wrath is poured out, the
rivers and springs of fresh water also turn to blood (Revela on 16:4-5).
The angel in charge of the water says: “You are righteous, you who are
and who were, the Holy One, for you have judged these things. Because
they shed the blood of saints and prophets, you also gave them blood to
drink. It is what they deserve” (Revela on 16:5-6). The altar in heaven
answers, “Surely, O Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are your
judgments” (Revela on 16:7).
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The fourth cup. The fourth angel pours out his cup on the sun, “and it was
given him to burn mankind with fire. The people were scorched by the
intense heat” (Revela on 16:8–9). Instead of repen ng of their sins, the
wicked inhabitants of the earth “blasphemed the name of God, who has
authority over these scourges. But they did not repent to give glory to
God” (Revela on 16:9).

The fi h cup. The fi h of the seven bowls plunges the beast realm into
great darkness. The pain and suffering of the wicked intensifies, so that
people gnaw their tongues in agony (Revela on 16:10-11). Yet the
An christ's followers "repent not of their works" (Revela on 16:11).

The sixth cup. The sixth angel pours his bowl of judgment into the
Euphrates River. That river dried up in prepara on for the kings of the East
to make the way to their own destruc on (Revela on 16:12). John then
sees three unclean spirits “like frogs” coming out of the mouths of Satan,
An christ, and the false prophet (Revela on 16:13). These demons
perform miracles and deceive the kings of the earth and gather them for
the final ba le on the Lord's Day (Revela on 16:14). Under demonic
influence, "then they gathered the kings together to the place which in
Hebrew is called Armageddon" (Revela on 16:16).

The seventh cup. The seventh cup is emp ed into the atmosphere. A loud
voice in heaven says, "It's done!" (Revela on 16:17). The seventh bowl
results in lightning and an earthquake so severe “such as never was since
there were people on the earth, so was the earthquake, strong and great”
(Revela on 16:18). Jerusalem is divided into three parts and the ci es of
the world collapse (Revela on 16:19). The islands are flooded and the
mountains disappear (Revela on 16:20). A great hailstorm “also fell from
the sky on the people…. with stones weighing more than eighty pounds”
(Revela on 16:21). Those under judgment “blasphemed God, because
this scourge of hail was terrible” (Revela on 16:21).
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The final judgement

The final judgment is the event in which God will judge men and spiritual
beings.

The first thing to understand about the final judgment is that it cannot be
avoided. Regardless of how we interpret end- me prophecy, the Bible
tells us that "it is appointed for men to die once, and a erward
judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). We all have a divine commitment to our
Creator. The apostle John recorded some details of the final judgment:

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose
presence the earth and heaven fled; and no place was found for them.
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne; and they
opened books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the
book of life; and the dead were judged from the things that were wri en
in the books, according to their works. The sea gave up the dead that
were in it; and death and the and they delivered up the dead that were in
them; and they were judged, each one according to his works. And death
and hell were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the
lake of fire. And everyone who was not found wri en in the book of life,
was cast into the lake of fire" (Revela on 20:11-15).

This remarkable passage presents us with the final judgment – the end of
human history and the beginning of the eternal state. We can be sure of
this: no mistake will be made in our audiences because we will be judged
by a perfect God (Ma hew 5:48, 1 John 1:5). This will manifest itself in
much undeniable evidence. First, God will be perfectly just and impar al
(Acts 10:34, Gala ans 3:28). Second, God cannot be deceived (Gala ans
6:7). Third, God cannot be influenced by any prejudices, excuses or lies
(Luke 14:16-24).
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As God the Son, Jesus Christ will be the judge (John 5:22). All unbelievers
will be judged by Christ on the "great white throne" and will be punished
according to the works they have done. The Bible makes it very clear that
unbelievers are storing up wrath against themselves (Romans 2:5) and
that God will "repay each one according to his works" (Romans 2:6).
Believers will also be judged in a different judgment called the "judgment
seat of Christ" (Romans 14:10), but since the righteousness of Christ has
been imputed to us and our names are wri en in the Book of Life, we will
be rewarded, not punished, anyway. according to our ac ons. At the final
judgment the fate of the lost will be in the hands of the omniscient God
who will judge each one according to the condi on of his soul.

Although the Word of God gives us a general explana on of the order of

events, it does not reveal to us the exact moment when this will occur.
Jesus said that “of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in
heaven, but only the Father” (Mt 24:36).

While we cannot set a date, we are comforted that the hour of judgment
is already set. In the Gospel of John we read: “Marvel not at this; for the
hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice.

Who will be the judge in the final judgment?

In some biblical passages, judgment is a ributed to the Father (1Pe 1:17;

Rom 14:10; cf. Mt 18:35; 2Th 1:5; Heb 11:6; Jas 4:12; 1Pe 2:23). However,
in general the New Testament points out that Christ will be the Judge.

In the Gospel of John, we read that “the Father judges no one, but to the
Son he has commi ed all judgment” (John 5:22). The apostle Paul in the
book of the Acts of the Apostles, told the Athenians that God “has set a
day in which he will judge the world in righteousness, through a man
whom he appointed and believed before all, by raising him from the
dead” (Acts 17:31; cf. 2Co 5:10).
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Therefore, God the Father, through the Lamb, Jesus Christ, will be the
judge, that is, the honor of judging the living and the dead has been
conferred on Christ, who will judge all men in the name of His Father (Dan
7:13 ; Mt 13:40-43; 25:31,32,41-46; 26:64; 28:18; Joh 5:22-27; Acts
10:42; 2Co 5:10; Phil 2:9,10; 2Ti 4:1; Heb 9:27; 10:25-31; 12:23; 2Pe 3:7;
Jude 6:7; Rev 20:11-15). This accords with the fact that it was Christ who
became incarnate, died and rose again.

The saved are those who believe in Him, and the damned are those who
reject Him. Hence it is more fi ng that He Himself should judge such
persons. This will also be a kind of reward for your work as a Mediator,
and the final exalta on of His greatest triumph. This will be the me
when the Lamb will consummate all things, subdue all his enemies and
hand over the Kingdom to God the Father (1Co 15:24).

Who will par cipate in the final judgment?

The Bible clearly states that angels will be associated with Christ at the
final judgment (Mt 13:41,42; 24:31; 2Th 1:7,8; Rev 14:17-20). Their part
will be to gather the wicked for judgment before the throne and cast
them into the lake of fire.

Other biblical passages also state that the saints, in their glorified state,
will also ac vely par cipate in the judgment (Ps 149:5-9; 1 Cor 6:2,3). The
Bible is not very clear on what this par cipa on will be, but it is very likely
to be in the sense of praising and recognizing the integrity of Christ's
judgments (Rev. 15:3,4).

The day of judgment will be one of terror for some and of great joy for
others. While the wicked will receive eternal damna on, the saints will
be saved through the merits of Christ in “the day of wrath and revela on
of the righteous judgment of God” (Rom. 2:5). Jesus is the one who
delivers us from the wrath to come (1 Thess 1:10).
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What will be judged in the final judgment?

At the final judgment all things that have been done during the present
life will be judged, whether they be bad or good (2 Cor 5:10). This
includes:

The works: the book of Revela on says that “the dead were judged
according to their works, according to what was wri en in the books”
(Rev. 20:12). The same teaching we find in several other biblical
references (Mt 25:35-40; Eph 6:8; Heb 6:10; cf. 1Co 3:8; 1Pe 1:17; Rev
22:12). Here we can also include the issue of omission, that is, the mes
we make a mistake by failing to do something.

The words: Jesus was clear when he said that “every idle word that men
speak, they will give an account of it in the day of judgment” (Mt 12:36).
Thoughts: The apostle Paul wrote that when the Lord comes, “he will not
only bring to light the hidden things of darkness, but he will also make
manifest the counsels of the hearts” (1 Cor. 4:5; cf. Rom. 2:16).

In short, we can say that on the day of judgment there is nothing that is
now hidden that will not be revealed (Luke 12:2; Mt 6:4,6,18; 10:26; 1Ti
5:24,25). The judgment of all things done by men in life emphasizes the
reality of human responsibility taught in the Bible.
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What are the purposes of the final judgment?

We can cite some main purposes that explain the need for the Last
Judgment:

• The final judgment will show the sovereignty of God and His glory in
revealing the eternal des ny of every person who has ever lived on the
face of the earth, and in the final outcome of the present age. In the
condemna on of the wicked, the jus ce of God will be exalted, and His
grace will be exalted in the salva on of the saints.
• The final judgment will be the moment when Christ and his people are
publicly vindicated. All men will see him whom they crucified in great
splendor and glory. Now he whom they judged will judge them.
• The final judgment will reveal the degree of punishment or glory
(rewards) that each will receive.
• IN THE Last Judgment each person will be assigned to the proper place
where he will spend eternity, that is, either the new heaven and the
new earth or the lake of fire.

What is the meaning of the final judgment?

The final judgment means, above all, that history is not driven by chance.
Nothing that happens escapes the knowledge of God, for He is sovereign,
and it is He who governs History.

The day of judgment will show the great triumph of God and His
redemp ve work, that is, the final and decisive conquest over all evil, and
the ul mate revela on of the victory of Christ, the Lamb who was slain.
The final judgment will reveal and prove to the world that God's will will
be carried out perfectly, and that none of His plans can be thwarted.