The Christ in Prophecy Journal

The Mighty Angels of Revelation 22 and the Dogs

MP3: The Mighty Angels of Revelation 22
Hosts: Nathan Jones & Vic Batista

The Dogs

Vic Batista: We are continuing to look at chapter 22 in our study of God’s mighty angels found in the book of Revelation. The last angelic messenger continues to share God’s message, that is until Jesus Christ Himself enters and pronounces the very last word that will be given to mankind until His return.

Let’s do a quick recap of Revelation 22:12ff before we are make our way through the last of God’s mighty angels and their proclamations.

Nathan Jones: Revelation 21-22 contains the bulk of what the Bible teaches concerning the Eternal State. By this point in the Revelation narrative, Jesus Christ’s thousand year kingdom is over. Satan and his demons have been sent to Hell, along with those who rebelled against God from all throughout human history. Now we’ve entered into the Eternal State and the capital city — the New Jerusalem — on a New Earth are being described.

For those who have accepted Jesus as Savior and have put their trust in Him, they can be assured they’ll be living in Heaven on Earth forever with our Creator. So, this chapter gives us a picture of what our eternal lives will be like.

When we get to Revelation 22:12-17, Jesus is testifying to the Church. This section contains part of the last message Jesus Christ will give us in the Bible. Verse 12-13 reads:

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

Verses 14-17 continue:

“Blessed are those who do His commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

‘I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.’

And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”

Vic Batista: Wow, what an amazing passage! We see from verse 15 that outside of the New Jerusalem dwells what are called the dogs. In other words, those outside are like wild animals which nobody would ever bring inside their home, much less God’s home. The New Jerusalem is going to be a perfect place without sin and corruption, which makes our eternal home beautiful.

The #NewJerusalem is going to be a perfect place without sin and corruption. #Heaven Click To Tweet

Nathan Jones: I’m glad that the New Jerusalem, this Heaven on a newly revised and rebuilt Earth, promises perfect holiness. We studied a little earlier in Revelation 20 about how the New Jerusalem will be 1,500 miles cubed, so it will have to rest on a bigger earth in order to support such a massive city. Those who are into math figured out that Earth would have to be the size of Jupiter in order to hold a city of that size and magnitude. The New Earth is described as pure, holy, and righteous, for inside the city dwells only those who have been purified by the blood of Jesus Christ.

The reference to outside is most likely referring to Hell, because somewhere among the vast reaches of the universe must reside those immoral demons and people who were sentenced to the Second Death. They dwell outside of God’s global universal kingdom. Those sentenced to Hell are the ones referred to as dogs. We domesticate our dogs today, but back in the Bible times, dogs ran wild and were mangy and good for nothing. Likewise, Jesus is saying that outside His Kingdom are those who have chosen worthlessness.

Jesus provides a list of sins which describe the dogs. There are the sorcerers, which are those who seek after demons for power. There are the sexually immoral, which are those who practice sex outside of the marriage covenant between one man and one woman. There are the murderers. Then there are those who worship idols, and not just statues, but anything that they put in importance before God. The dogs love to practice lying and to be lied to. Those are the main sins that Jesus lists.

In life, the dogs had rejected Christ’s sacrifice which provides salvation. Because these people lacked the one true work that mattered — Christ’s saving sacrifice on the cross — God had cast out the dogs at the Great White Throne Judgment and consigned them to Hell so that they can never enter His perfect city.

This is a hard truth Jesus is leaving us with, for I don’t want to say to my unbelieving family or friends that they are in God’s eyes like a bunch of dogs. Rather, they have chosen the worthless things in life and so have become worthless in God’s eyes. They haven’t put their faith in Jesus Christ so as to be made perfect, holy, and pure. In the Eternal State, with God’s wrath remaining over them for their sins, they have become outcasts. There in Hell they will dwell forever. There they remain outside of God’s grace, never getting to enter the beautiful eternal city of rest which we believers in Christ are so looking forward to.

Vic Batista: How sad that today people glamorize those who act like wild dogs. They live as if there was no moral law. We all need to realize that there will be a punishment for people who behave and live that kind of lifestyle, and who do not respect others. We need to recognize that is not a cool thing to take advantage of other people. Sexual perversion should never be glamorized, such as found in the book and movie Fifty Shade of Grey. When we glamorize certain behaviors that are sinful, the Bible promises that God is going to punish those sins. An awful day of reckoning will come!

Nathan Jones: Exactly, for when it comes to biblical teachings, we have to take the good promises with the bad warnings. Here in Revelation 22, we are given the picture of Heaven in glory and wonder and beauty. But, Jesus also reminds us that we cannot have access to that wonder in Heaven and beauty unless we are sinless and forgiven.

The weight of eternal judgment hangs over all those who reject Christ’s sacrifice. John 3:36 states, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” The wrath of God remains against the dogs. The only way to remove God’s wrath is to have His anger transferred onto Jesus Christ. Once that is done, by repentance and surrender to Jesus Christ, we are then purified and made whole. Our sins are forgiven. Judgment for those sins passes on to Jesus as He suffered and died on the cross. We have to accept salvation, or we’ll drown in our own sins.

We read earlier in Revelation 20 that the destiny of the dogs is the Lake of Fire, better known as Hell. It’s the eternal death, also called the Second Death. We may die in this life, but those who reject God die yet again by being sent to Hell. Hell is a very real destination for many people that must be taken seriously now while we still possess life.

Churches that don’t preach about Hell are not teaching what Jesus considered important. Jesus in His very last message is bringing up eternal condemnation. He is reminding people how life-changingly important our acceptance of His salvation is. Why, choosing Jesus Christ as Savior is the most important decision any of us will ever make.

Choosing #JesusChrist as #Savior is the most important decision any of us will ever make. Click To Tweet

Vic Batista: Jesus spoke often about Hell, more than anyone else, because He wants people to recognize that is not a place He desires anybody to go. But, when people reject the only way to Heaven — Jesus Christ — they themselves are actually choosing to go there.

Nathan Jones: They do. When people say, “God is sending me to Hell,” well no, He is not. As a matter of fact, the Father gave over His one and only Son to die horribly so that we too could have victory over death when Jesus was resurrected. Jesus beat death, and we can beat eternal death as well, but it is up to us to accept that free gift of life. When we reject Jesus, in truth, we are choosing Hell. Everyone who is going to Hell is going so because that is what they want. It’s hard for many people to get their minds around that fact, but that’s the truth of the situation.

There are some people who claim that everybody eventually goes to Heaven. Not according to Jesus! He states point blank in Revelation 22:15 that outside the city are the sinners who have rejected God’s love. So, it is very crucial that people understand that their eternal life absolutely depends on their decision to choose Christ.

In the eighty-fifth segment of our series “The Mighty Angels of Revelation,” Jesus stamps His approval on His message.

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Dr. Nathan E. Jones

As the Internet Evangelist at Lamb & Lion Ministries, Nathan reaches out to the over 4.5 billion people accessible over the Internet with the Good News of Jesus Christ. He also co-hosts the ministry's television program Christ in Prophecy and podcast The Truth Will Set You Free.

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