The End of the World as We Know It 7

Last time, we looked at the sounding of Jehovah’s 7^th trumpet, which heralded the coming victory of He and His Son, against Satan and his followers. And we examined the ‘7 signs’ – an overview of the latter half of the tribulations. Those signs were centered around Israel being hidden away from the onslaught of Satan and his two beasts: the Antichrist and the False Prophet (see The End of the World as We Know It 6).

            We also witnessed a war in heaven, where the devil is thrown out of heaven, with him subsequently pursing the followers of Christ. Then we watched the unbelievers worship the Antichrist and his idol statute of himself, and witnessed miracles performed by the False Prophet, and the initiation of the ‘mark of the beast.’

            Our study ended with the appearance of 3 angels: the first proclaiming that we must glorify God, the second to let us know that the world governmental system of the tribulation period was collapsing, and the third warning everyone to turn away from receiving the mark of the beast, or face eternal condemnation.

            All of this leads us to embracing the urgency of persevering in our faith in Christ, no matter what befalls us:

This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus. Rv. 14:12 NLT

            John’s visions in the mid-tribulations begins to end:

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!” Rv. 14:13 NLT

            God is calling upon His children who accepted Him, through Christ, during the first half of the tribulations – to stand firm in their faith, because their redemption is guaranteed.

            He is also comforting those whose martyrdom is imminent, that they will be instantly translated into the arms of their Lord – delivered from the vast severity of Jehovah’s final judgments during the latter half of the tribulations.

            The vision of John shifts both heavenward and forward in time, towards the end of the tribulation period, where we become privy to the ‘Great Harvest’:

Again I looked, and this is what I saw: a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was One like the Son of Man, (see Dn. 7:13, 14.) with a crown of gold on His head and a sharp sickle [of judgment] in His hand.

And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to Him who was sitting on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap [at once], for the hour to reap [in judgment] has arrived, because the earth’s harvest is fully ripened.” So He who was sitting on the cloud cast His sickle over the earth and the earth was reaped (judged). Rv. 14:14 – 16. AMP

After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.”

So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God’s wrath. The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and high as a horse’s bridle. Rv. 14:17 – 20. NLT

            First, we see Christ (the Son of Man) coming in judgment. Some scholars, ascribe His coming to being a ‘mid-tribulation rapture’. However, this is a somber occasion. Jesus is coming to gather up those who are found wanting in God’s eyes (the rebellious). This is further confirmed by the advent of angels appearing to assist Him.

            This is followed by the onslaught of Jehovah’s wrath (‘great winepress’) delivered outside of Jerusalem, through His Son – bringing destruction to rebellious armies (see Rv. 19:15 – 19.)

            (This is a preview of the time that follows Armageddon – the last battle where Christ and His army will stand against the 2-million-man army from the ‘east’ + the army loyal to the Antichrist. There will be unprecedented destruction – creating a swath of blood from the vanquished that is 180 miles long and 4 feet in depth.)

            Now, we get to look at John’s vision (heavenward and in the latter half of the tribulations) of all those who withstood Satan’s machinations in the mid-tribulations, and who came to Christ – many of whom were martyred. This is the 3^rd interlude in heaven, in the book of Revelation:

Then I saw in heaven another marvelous event of great significance. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God’s wrath to completion.

I saw before me what seemed to be a glass sea mixed with fire. And on it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them. And they were singing the song of Moses (Ex. 15:1 – 18), the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

“Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed.” Rv. 15:1 – 4. NLT

            The last ‘7 plagues’ (bowl judgments), are the fullest expression of Jehovah’s wrath against the rebellious unbelievers. But before He thrusts them upon the earth, He saves (raptures up if you will) those believers in the tribulations who have clung to Him and His Son in the face of severe satanic opposition.

            (The ‘song of Moses’ celebrated God’s deliverance through Moses for the Hebrews, after they crossed the Red Sea.)

            John’s vision remains heavenward at the beginning of the latter half of the tribulations:

Then I looked and saw that the Temple in heaven, God’s Tabernacle, was thrown wide open. The seven angels who were holding the seven plagues came out of the Temple.

Then one of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the wrath of God…The Temple was filled with smoke from God’s glory and power. No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues. Rv. 15:5 – 8. NLT

Then I heard a mighty voice from the Temple say to the seven angels, “Go your ways and pour out on the earth the seven bowels containing God’s wrath.” Rv. 16:1 NLT

            God is ready to strike the earth. This is setting the stage for the end of all that is familiar.  John’s vision straddles both heaven and earth:

Bowl 1: So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshipped his statue. Rv. 16:2 NLT

Bowl 2: Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse. And everything in the sea died. Rv. 16:3 NLT

Bowl 3: Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs, and they became blood. And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying,

“You are just, O Holy One, who is and who always was, because you have sent these judgments. Since they shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is their just reward.” Rv. 16:4 – 6. NLT

Bowl 4: Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, causing it to scorch everyone with its fire. Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over all these plagues. They did not repent of their sins and turn to God and give him glory. Rv. 16:8, 9. NLT

Bowl 5: Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth in anguish, and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. Rv. 16:10, 11. NLT

Bowl 6: Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance.

And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.

“Look, I will come as unexpectantly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”

And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon. Rv. 12 – 16. NLT

Bowl 7: Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne [of God], saying, “It is done. [It is all over, it is all accomplished, it has come.]” And there were flashes of lightning and loud rumblings and peals of thunder; and there was a massive earthquake – nothing like it has ever occurred since mankind originated on the earth, so severe and far-reaching was that earthquake.

The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And God kept in mind Babylon the great, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce and furious wrath.  Then every island fled away, and no mountains could be found.

And giant hailstones, as heavy as a talent (~ 100 lbs) fell from the sky on the people; and people reviled and spoke abusively of God for the plague of hail, because the plague was so very great. Rv. 16:17 – 21. AMP

            Wow! Jehovah is getting ready to bring total destruction upon the earth and the remnants of the rebellious. We have seen the complete annihilation of all aquatic life, no more potable water, tumors on those who took the mark of the beast, increased solar heat that burns everyone, God’s dominion is established over the throne of the Antichrist, the purposeful enabling of the gathering of the world’s armies for the battle of Armageddon, and unprecedented global geological devastation.

            God is cleaning house. What happens next? Tune in next week!

            Goodnight and God bless.