Today we're going to delve into the seven last plagues.
Realizing that by the time the plagues begin everyone has their eternal outcome decided is
something I don't think people really comprehend. We have various fictional
movies and books that portray the seven last plagues as being something that
can be stopped, that they are something that will decide your eternal life,
that you can avoid them and choose God when you are suffering the effects of
the plagues. Satan has woven his web of deceit expertly, all deceivers stem
from the greatest of deceivers. Satan would have us believe the lies that are
fed to us through his fictional tales. Satan feeds these lies through figures
that are respected religious leaders in the mainstream communities. People can
truly be deceived by the words that soothe them, that are pleasing to their
ears, that make them feel good, but those words that are sugar-coated with
truth hiding the inside evil, the deadly, eternal poison they never suspect is
there. Most people who are poisoned by someone are poisoned without their
knowing it's happened. Some poisons are slow acting and take a long while,
others are instant. People don't seem to realize that Satan loves to use his
own poison and this poison is what is going to have many people being told by
Christ Jesus, that He doesn't know them, to get away from Him. They THINK, they
are SURE, they are POSITIVE that they know Jesus! They are convinced beyond any
doubt that Jesus knows them! They do many, many things in Jesus' name, things
that in their minds can only be through the power of the Lord, but they are
wrong! They are deceived by Satan. We
need truth and only the truth, not sugar-coated falsehoods. With this in mind, let's read the following
excerpt and tomorrow, by the will of the Lord, through HIS grace, we will study
it in much more depth. All through the
love of our LORD, JESUS CHRIST, now and forever!!!!!!!
The Seven Last Plagues
(Part 4)
[Excerpt from wwn8(95)]
In
the pronouncement of the Third Angel a warning was given that if anyone
worshiped the beast or his image, that one "shall drink of the wine of the
wrath of God." (14:9-10)
Rev 14:9 And
the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the
beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his
hand,
Rev 14:10 The
same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without
mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire
and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb
In the
vision beginning with Chapter 15, this wrath is described as being the Seven
Last Plagues. (v. 1)
Rev
15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels
having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
The format for the giving of this vision is
the same as was the format of Revelation 12 - a great wonder is seen in heaven
- the screen upon which the divine revelation is portrayed. (The Greek word for
"wonder" in Rev. 12:1, and "sign" in Rev. 15:1 is the same)
These
plagues are defined as the seven last plagues.
The first reference to "plagues" in Revelation is in connection with
the sixth trumpet. (9:20)
Rev
9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet
repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils,
and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither
can see, nor hear, nor walk
This would
indicate that the fulfillment of the "trumpets" in the time sequence
of the book of Revelation precedes the final wrath of God, and therefore, is
NOT a parallel prophecy.
The
second reference to "plagues" is noted in reference to the Two
Witnesses which are given authority "to smite the earth with all plagues,
as often as they will." (11:6)
Rev
11:6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of
their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite
the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
It is interesting to note that in the Greek
text, the word "wound" is used to translate the "plague"
received by one of the heads of the beast of Revelation 13.
In
verses 3 and 12, the phrase is "plague of death," while in verse 14,
it is "the plague of the sword." These previous plagues as described
under the sixth trumpet, and the wound received by the beast are ministered by
EARTHLY forces, while the seven last are directly ordered by God, and placed
under seven angels who come from the Throne of God with their mandate. (15:5-6)
Rev
13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his
deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev
13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and
causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast,
whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev
13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those
miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them
that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had
the wound by a sword, and did live.
Rev 15:5 And
after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony
in heaven was opened:
Rev 15:6 And
the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in
pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
Verses
2 - 4 are interpolated like Rev. 16:15, and serve as an interlude as does Rev.
19:1-4. In each of these interludes, we are taken back to the ORIGINAL vision
given to John when "a door was opened in heaven" and John was
instructed by "the first voice" to "Come up hither, and I will
shew thee things which must be hereafter." (4:1) He sees a throne
"set in heaven" upon which sat the Eternal Majesty. Around the
throne sat 24 elders, while before the throne were "seven torches of fire
burning" declared to be "the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all
the earth,"
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representing the
omnipotence (horns) and omnipresence (eyes) of the Lamb. (4:5; 5:6; Hab.
3:4; Zech. 4:10) Also before the throne, there is "a sea of glass like
unto crystal." (4:6) In the midst of the throne are four living creatures,
and "a Lamb as it had been slain." (4:6; 5:6)
The
interlude of Revelation 15:2-4 returns to the setting of the vision of the open
door with its sea of glass; but here it is "mingled with fire" rather
than merely being "clear as crystal."
(Compare 4:6 with 15:2) Could the
"fire" be symbolic of the means by which the ones standing on the sea
of glass were victorious over the beast and his image and purified so as to be
fitted to be in the presence of God? (See Mal. 3:2-3; Luke 3:16)
There
are some parallels between this vision and the vision of Rev. 14:1-5, as well
as some distinct differences. Here it is stated that those who stand on the sea
of glass are victors "over the beast and over his image," while such
a conclusion concerning the 144,000 on Mount Sion can only be
inferred. The 144,000 sing an unique song, while those standing on
the sea of glass sing the song of Moses and the Lamb, the words of which are
given.
Another
question arises, how far back in time must we go to find victors over the
beast? Is the "beast" only that phase of the beast which had a wound
by the sword and did live? That is the emphasis used in previous identification
of the beast in connection with "his image." (13:12, 14) However, the
beast has "seven heads" which, depending on the interpretation given
to the seven heads, could reach back to Egypt, the first power to
"persecute" the corporate people of God. Of interest in this
connection, "the song of Moses" is introduced. All of these factors
must be programmed into any exegetical study of these verses.
After
recording this interlude, John's attention is returned to the "seven
angels having the seven last plagues." He sees the open temple - "the
tabernacle of the testimony" - from which these angels are to come. This
is none other than the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary
wherein is the ark of the covenant with the Law of God. John has seen this
tabernacle before as the vision of the trumpets was concluded. (11:19)
Another parallel
between these two revelations is that God in Chapter 11 is declared to have
taken His "great power, and has reigned," while in Chapter 15,
"the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His
great power." This assumption on the part of God brings forth His wrath in
judgment, and no "man" is able to "enter the temple, till the
seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. (15:8) Intercession has
ceased, for there is but "One mediator between God and men, the Man,
Christ Jesus." (I Tim. 2:5)
Next
John hears a voice described as "a great voice out of the temple."
(16:1) It is a mandate from the throne. (See 16:17) To the seven
angels, the command is given - "Go your ways, and pour out the vials of
the wrath of God upon the earth." Little have we realized what the mercy
of God has been, and what the wrath of God against sin is. We have
tried to reconcile the God of the Old Testament with how we perceive the God of
the New Testament. In our finite perceptions we have not realized the hatred
God has toward sin, nor the significance of the separation that took place when
on the cross, Christ became verily sin for us, nor the full significance of the
fact that "in the midst of the throne" has "stood a Lamb as it
had been slain." (5:6) But when that Lamb steps aside and when no longer
His blood pleads for the sinful race, and the wrath of God unmixed falls upon
the unsheltered heads of the devotees of the beast and his image, then will all
know that the Eternal God is the same God as is revealed in both the Old and
New Testaments.
In
noting the plagues, it becomes obvious that no plague falls without a reason.
"The curse causeless shall not
come." (Prov. 26:2)
The
warning was given to the final generation that to "worship the beast and
his image, and receive his mark" meant only one thing, the unmixed wrath
of God. (14:9-10)
To those
who received this mark, the first angel directs his plague. "A foul and
loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who
worshiped his image." (16:2, NKJV) If the symbols as given in these
chapters are to be consistently interpreted, the image was created and
worshiped by those "who dwell on the earth" meaning the place from
whence the second beast arose. (13:11-12)
The second
plague is more difficult of interpretation than would first appear.
(16:3) Is it the literal oceans that are here meant, or is "the
sea" to be understood as the place where arose the first beast? (12:12;
13:1)
It
is singular in number. If "the sea" is to be symbolically understood,
what does the clause - "every living soul died in the sea" - mean?
The explanation given by "the angel of the waters" as to why this
plague is poured out states "they have shed the blood of saints and
prophets." Who are the
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"they"?
The only plural antecedent would be the collective, "sea,"
"rivers and fountains of waters."
The
third plague is the one plague of the seven which is repeated.
(16:4) It is directed against the sources of the sea - "rivers
and fountains of waters." However, it does not state that "every
living soul" in the "rivers and fountains" dies; but the
pronouncement of the angel of the waters covers both plagues. The first beast
makes "war with the saints." (13:7) It could be assumed that blood
was spilt. The "image to the beast" issues a death decree but no
where is it indicated it was carried out. (13:15) The intent is
clear, there would be bloodshed. However, similar language as used by the angel
of the waters, "blood of saints and prophets," is used to describe
the "woman" of Revelation 17. (See verse 6) Can it be that the same
principle enunciated by Jesus for the generation which crucified Him, will
apply to the generation which issues the "death decree" against
"the remnant" of the woman's seed? (See Matt. 23:34-36)
Since
the death decree is issued not by the beast that came up out of the
"sea," but rather by "his image," and since the
"beast" did shed much innocent blood during the Dark Ages, does the
doubling of the plague of blood to drink, give an indication as to when the
"death decree" will be issued? If this indication is correct, the
"decree" comes after the
close of human probation. Further, from this point on in the detailing of the
plagues, the wording used by John becomes more reflective of that which is to
be revealed than with that which had been previously revealed. Confirming this
assumption is the fact that one of the seven angels of the seven last plagues
becomes John's instructor following the vision of the plagues. (See 17:1; 21:9)
The
fourth angel poured out his vial "upon the sun."
(16:8) The sun has been the object of worship from ancient times in
most if not all pagan religions. The Bible recognizes such worship as a denial
of the God of heaven. Job declared that "if I beheld the sun when it
shined, or the moon walking in brightness; and my heart hath been secretly
enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: this also were an iniquity
to be punished by the judge; for I should have denied the God that is
above." (Job 31:26-28) Transferred into professed Christian religions
through Romeare numerous elements of pagan sun worship. The birthday of
the sun-god Mithra, December 25, is now the celebrated birthday of Jesus.
Easter sunrise services are but echoing the pagan ritual of greeting the
sunrise with an act of worship. Then weekly, the Christian world, for the most
part, worships on the Day of the Sun. Significant, then is the inclusion in the
"everlasting gospel" (14:6) of the call to "worship Him that
made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." (v. 7)
God's designated day of worship as the Creator is the Sabbath. (Ex. 20:8-11)
The "beast's" designated day is the Day of the Sun.
Keenan
in his catechism asks the question, "Have you any other way of proving
that the [Roman] Church has power to institute festivals of precept?" Then
he answers - "Had she not such power, she could not have done that in
which all modern religionists agree with her; - she could not have substituted
the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of the
Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural
authority." (Doctrinal Catechism,
p. 174)
The
fifth angel pours out his vial "upon the seat of the beast." (16:10)
If the "sea" in the second plague does represent the area from which
the "beast" arose, and as a result of the plague, every living soul
died in the sea," this "seat" could not be Rome, its original
seat. The prophecy in Daniel does cast some light on this problem. There a
power "shall plant the tabernacle of his palace between the seas in the
glorious holy mountain" (Dan. 11:45) which is Jerusalem. This fact is
further emphasized in the sixth plague.
Resultant
from the plague, "the (beast's) kingdom was full of darkness; and they
gnawed their tongues for pain." This is an interesting use of words,
"darkness" associated with the "tongue." The victorious
144,000 do not have in their mouth "a deceitful tongue." (Zeph. 3:13;
Rev. 14:5) Spiritual darkness comes from deception and the corruption of the
Word, for the entrance of the Word giveth light. (Ps. 119:130) This
plague strikes the seat of the beast from whence came spiritual
"darkness" during probationary time. Now the medium - the tongue - by
which that darkness was conveyed is plagued with pain. The next
plague - the sixth - is poured upon "the great river Euphrates."
(16:12) What is this plague? It is something which dries up the
waters of the river, and the drying is for a purpose - "that the way of
the kings of the east might be prepared." Each plague, except for the
third, is directed toward what man did in probationary time. For example, the
first plague came upon those "which had the mark of the
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beast and
upon them which worshipped his image" activity during probationary time.
The description of this activity which brings the sixth plague follows in
verses 13-14, 16, verse 15 being parenthetical.
To
understand the import of what took place during the last remnant of time, one
must understand the imagery of the sixth plague - the river Euphrates, and
its waters. Significantly, one of the angels of the seven last plagues tells
John - "Come hither, I will shew thee the judgment of the great whore that
sitteth upon many waters." (17:1) Yet, when John is shown the judgment on
this woman, he sees her sitting upon a scarlet colored beast.
(17:3) Further, he is told that "the waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and
multitudes, and nations, and tongues." (17:15) The only vision,
previous to the explanation of the "whore" where John could have seen
her on "many waters", is during the vision of the seven last plagues.
This whore is "Mystery Babylon the Great" (17:5) the great antitype
of ancient Babylon which sat on the River Euphrates.
Even
as literal Babylon was situated on the Euphrates, so where this
antitypical Babylon will be situated is also revealed. In the
explanation as to why this plague is given, we are informed that the
"spirits of devils" gather the leadership of "the whole
world" to a place called in the Hebrew tongue, "Harmagedon."
(16:16) The Hebrew word, Har-mo'ed,
means the Mount of the Congregation or Jerusalem. (See Isa. 14:13; Ps.
48:2) There is also another connection of thought in regard
to Babylon and Jerusalem. This woman whom John saw on the
river Euphratesis called "that great city which reigns over the kings
of the earth." (17:18) This "great city" is described
elsewhere as the city "which spiritually is
called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified."
(11:8)
The
conclave at the Mount of the Congregation is religious in nature, motivated by
the spirits of devils emanating from the dragon, beast, and false prophet.
(16:13) They gather together for "the war (Gr. polemos) of the great day of God
Almighty." (16:14) In the explanation given concerning the
"whore" it states that these powers "make war with the
Lamb." (17:14)
The
plague itself is something which dries up the river, in other words, the
support of the people and multitudes. What could cause those who once supported
the woman to turn upon her? (17:16) The seventh plague involves a
great earthquake and hail. (16:18, 21) Another scripture indicates that, just
prior to the earthquake and hail, the temple of God is
opened in heaven and "there was seen in His temple the ark of His
covenant" which contains the Law of God. (11:19) Paul writes, "The
Law worketh wrath." (Rom. 4:15) Coming from the darkness of the fifth
plague, what greater revelation could arrest the attention of the inhabitants
of the earth than the meaning of the Law of God in all of its reality? Sensing
their deception, and the eternal loss involved, where would the rage of those
who have lost all in the battle of life be vented?
The
purpose of this plague is to prepare the way for "the kings of the
east." (16:12) Again the "type" needs to be invoked.
Cyrus, who overthrew Babylon came from the "east" and with
him were other kings. (Dan. 5:31) Cyrus is pictured in prophecy as the
Liberator of the captive people of God. (Isa. 44:28-45:4) When Christ comes the
second time, He comes as "King of kings and Lord of lords" to set the
captives free. (Rev. 19:11-16; Phil. 3:20-21)
When
the seventh angel pours out his vial into the air, "a great voice out of
the temple of heaven, from the Throne" declares - "It is done."
A series of events involving the earth are pictured to John as following this
declaration from the Throne. A great earthquake, Babylon divided into
three parts, the "cities of the nations" fall, "every island
fled away, and the mountains were not found." A judgment call must again
be made. Are these literal happenings, or is symbolic prophetic language still
being used? It is obvious from context that "Babylon" is a symbolic
term and is applied to the "harlot." (17:18). Then are the
"cities of the nations" the national units of the great international
city? Does the symbolism stop here, and the "islands" and
"mountains" are to be understood literally?
The
seventh plague itself is described as hail, every stone being "about the
weight of a talent." (16:21) It is said to be "exceeding
great." This can be understood only as literal language. While men
"blasphemed God," those who have been looking at the transgression of
earth's inhabitants from heaven's perspective declare, "Lord God Almighty,
true and righteous are thy judgments." (16:7)
The
first section of the book of Revelation closes with similar language as is
found in this 16th Chapter. Under the seventh angel of the Trumpets, and the
Third Woe are described events when God takes unto Himself, His great power and
reigns. (11:15-19) These must be considered as parallel with the time
of the seven last plagues.
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