Chapter 15.7
Seven Last Plagues
Earthquakes
– Thunder - Lightning – Hail – Darkness
The
Seas and springs turn blood red - No water to drink
Burning
heat – Suffering – Sores – Ulcers – Running boils
First
Word - 7
Seals – 7 Trumpets – 7 Bowls
The Seven Last Plagues occur during the seven years of tribulation. Most Christians believe that they will have
been raptured and taken to heaven and will not experience the terror of the tribulations.
In my Belief
System, I can certainly see that because of
the rapture and because of the tribulations, some of those remaining will
come to accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah.
Sadly however, these new believers along with the remaining unbelievers and Make
Believers will surely endure the
horror of the tribulations and
although some are SAVED, they most probably
will be martyred for their confession.
Background
In the book of Revelation, there are seven Seals,
the seventh Seal holds the seven Trumpets; the seventh Trumpet holds the seven Bowls. It seems like a slow process as we read, but
once we hit the seventh seal, it comes like a trip hammer; Bam - Bam – Bam - From
horrible to the excruciating worst in rapid succession.
The first six SEALS cover the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation period with the 7th
SEAL covering the last 3 ½
years, unleashing the seven Trumpets and seven Vials or Bowls. Some of the scriptures seem to overlap and
are not in chronological order. But from
John’s point of view; it’s all happening all at once.
I
might point out that the Biblically number SEVEN
always
means
“Complete”... Finished.
Seals, Trumpet & Bowls
As you follow along in scripture,
Revelation speaks of SEALS, TRUMPETS and BOWLS. The Seals release types of judgment, the Trumpets release the same type of judgment,
but more intense which then brings us up to the Bowls
or Vials which do the same thing,
but with more and terrible intensity. It goes from worse to horribly worse to
incredibly worse.
We pick up here at the beginning of the Seventh Trumpet
which releases the incredibly worst Bowls
of the SEVEN LAST PLAGUES.
Revelation 15:5-6 – Seven angels came with
SEVEN PLAGUES.
5 After this I looked, and the
sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was and out of the sanctuary came opened,
6THE SEVEN ANGELS WITH THE SEVEN PLAGUES,
clothed in pure,
bright linen, with golden sashes.
(ESV)
Revelation 16:1 – Pour out the seven bowls
of plagues on earth
1 Then I heard a loud voice from
the temple telling the seven angels,
“Go and POUR OUT ON THE
EARTH
THE SEVEN BOWLS OF THE WRATH OF GOD.”
(ESV)
Side Bar
Retribution: What is about to be revealed is
the slow unpacking of the very same things that happened to Jesus Christ, is now happening to those that
rejected him.
The Law of Retribution; wound for wound, stripe for stripe,
burning for burning; the law’s purpose was to limit the amount of retribution for
a wrong doing. In other words you could
not give someone 6 months in the electric chair for breaking your fingernail.
Exodus
21:23-25 – Wound for wound, stripe for stripe
23 And if any mischief
follow, then thou shalt give
LIFE FOR LIFE, 24 EYE FOR EYE, TOOTH FOR TOOTH,
HAND FOR HAND, FOOT FOR FOOT, 25 BURNING FOR BURNING, WOUND FOR WOUND, STRIPE FOR STRIPE.
(KJV)
1st Plague - Painful Sores - Suffering
This
First Bowl is similar to the plagues
of the seals
and trumpets,
but instead of 1/3 of the world, the
sores are on the whole world. The bowls are the last of the plagues and seem to MAGNIFY and intensify all the previous plagues of the seals
and trumpets.
The plague of sores, ulcers and running boils were
accompanied with highly offensive odors, pain, fever and suffering.
This
plague only affects those with the MARK OF THE
BEAST.
Evidently during the Tribulations there
was a remnant that did not take the mark of the beast or
worship his
image and are still alive.
The
KJV of the Bible speaks of Vials
instead of Bowls;
but are the same thing: same effect
Revelation 16:2 –First Bowl poured out; Painful
and ugly sores
2 THE FIRST
ANGEL went
and poured out his bowl on the land, and UGLY
AND PAINFUL SORES broke out on the people
WHO HAD THE MARK OF THE BEAST and worshiped his image.
KJV
Jesus - Painful cuts, sores, suffering
During the
Passion Week of Christ, Jesus is condemned by Pilate, the Roman
Governor and handed over to his Soldiers. -
See the Word
Study; THE WAY OF THE CROSS
They struck him
and pulled out His beard. Then they twisted thorns together to form a crown and
then forced it down on His head and then they gave Him a reed staff in His
right hand for a scepter to add to their mockery and insult.[1]
Jesus is flogged...
Under Jewish Law, the number of lashes was determined by the crime, but no more
than forty. Tradition has it that they always
stopped at thirty nine just in case they had lost count.
NOTE:
The Romans were not limited by this law.
The subjects
were beaten with elm or birch rods or whipped with the dreaded flagellum (The cat of nine tails) a short handled leather
whip with many leather lashes that had pieces
of bone and lead plaited into its thongs that were meant to rip the victims
flesh.
Jesus was flogged BEFORE the verdict...
Traditionally; He would have been stripped and tied to a low pillar so that His
back was bent upward. Two men would
stand on opposite sides bringing down the whip on the shoulders, back and legs.
The skin on the back is left shredded,
hanging down in ribbons. This left Jesus’ body a bloody pulp with deep gashes
probably exposing His bones and entrails. Most victims did not survive this cruel
punishment of CUTS, SORES and SUFFERING.
We are healed of our sins because
He took the stripes on His back.[2]
2nd Plague – Sea; Blood – Sea creatures die
Second Bowl: The previous and similar plague of the
seals and trumpets affected only 1/3
of the sea. This plague of the sea
turning to blood affects every living thing in the sea,
extending, intensifying and magnifying the previous plagues of the seals and
trumpets... Every
living thing in the sea dies.
Revelation 16:3 – The Sea is turned red as blood
3 THE SECOND ANGEL POURED OUT HIS BOWL on the sea, and
it turned into BLOOD
like that of a dead man, and
EVERY LIVING THING IN THE SEA DIED.
3rd Plague - Rivers and Springs; Blood - Animals die
Third Bowl: Don’t you think it’s cool, that the angels
have different assignments? This Angel
is in charge of the rivers and springs.
The rivers and spring waters now turn to blood and become unfit to
drink; symbolic of avenging the shed blood of
the saints and prophets.
This is the Law of Retribution:
ü
Pharaoh of the OT
ordered the male Jewish children to be drowned, so God killed all of Egypt’s
first born and drowned Pharaoh’s whole army in the Red Sea.
ü
Haman had a gallows
built to hang the Jew Mordecai on,
but instead Haman and his sons were hung on it.
It’s in the Book
Revelation 16:4-6 – Rivers and Springs turn to
blood
4 THE THIRD ANGEL poured out his
bowl on the
RIVERS and SPRINGS OF
WATER,
and THEY
BECAME BLOOD.
5 Then I heard
the angel in charge of the waters say: "You are just in these judgments,
you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for
6 THEY HAVE SHED THE
BLOOD OF YOUR SAINTS AND PROPHETS, and YOU
HAVE GIVEN THEM BLOOD TO DRINK as they
deserve."
Jesus – Blood
ü
The
blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over
you, [3]and
no plague will befall you to destroy you. - Without
the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins[4]
ü
The
blood of Jesus is spilled from the crown of thorns, his beard
being ripped out and his back torn open with the 39 lashes of the “Cat of Nine Tails”.
ü Blood is spilled when the nails
are driven into his hands and feet and when the spear is driven into His side.[5]
NOTE: Roman
crucifixion included nailing the criminal to the cross; although the
nailing is NOT found in
scripture, Jesus shows his disciples the hard evidence of the holes in his
hands and tells them to quit doubting. Technically, the nails were put into the
wrist; the reference to hands would include the wrist as well.
John 20:27 -
They used nails in his hands; spear in His side
27 Then he said to Thomas,
"PUT YOUR FINGER
HERE; SEE MY HANDS. Reach out your hand
and put it into my side. Stop doubting,
believe."
4th Plague - Intense Burning Roasting Heat
This plague is
against the inhabitants of the earth. They will
be scorched
with intense roasting heat as in an oven.[6] You would think men would repent and seek
God’s face, but they did not; many are burned with few inhabitants left.[7]
It may be that the new Tribulation
Believers as well as the creatures were not affected by this plague, the
implication from scripture is; “SOME” people will be scorched... It does not say ALL
people, nor does it mention the animals or critters.
Revelation 16:8 – Intense heat
8 THE FOURTH ANGEL poured out his
bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to SCORCH
“PEOPLE” WITH FIRE.
9 They were
seared by the INTENSE HEAT and they cursed
the name of God, who had control over these plagues,
but THEY REFUSED TO REPENT.
KJV
Jesus
Christ - The Lamb - Burning, Roasting Heat.
Jesus Christ is a TYPE of sacrificial Lamb… According to Levitical
Law the Passover Lamb could not be boiled; it must be sacrificed with fire.[8] Intense scorching heat
and not a bone in the body was to be broken.[9]
1 Corinthians 5:7 – The lamb is symbolic of a
type of Christ
7 Get rid of the
old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast-as you really are. For CHRIST,
OUR PASSOVER LAMB, has been sacrificed.
NIV
5th Plague – Darkness
This
is specifically directed to the kingdom of the Antichrist. This plague of darkness is so thick you can FEEL IT,[10] adding to the
suffering miseries. Their pain was so intense that men gnawed
their tongues and did not even notice the pain.
The
accumulation of these plagues is taking a toll on the wicked and now their
world has turned pitch dark and instead
of turning to God, their blasphemies just get worse.
NOTE: Every time Darkness is mentioned in the Bible, it is connected with JUDGEMENT.... EVERY TIME.
Revelation 16:10 – Darkness; Judgment on the
kingdom of the Beast.
10 THE
FIFTH ANGEL
poured out his bowl ON THE THRONE OF THE BEAST, and his kingdom was PLUNGED INTO DARKNESS. (Judgment) Men
gnawed their tongues and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their
sores,
11 but they
refused to repent of what they had done.
NIV
Jesus
Christ – Darkness
While Jesus was with the Disciples, for that brief
time, He was the Light unto their lives.[11] At the Crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, their light was
now gone, DARKNESS had come over
the land in more ways than one.[12] (But it’s only Friday; Sunday is coming!)
The Day of the Lord will be Darkness, not light to
the non-believer and Make Believer.[13]
Woe to Men who prefer Darkness
to the Light.[14]
6th Plague - Euphrates dries up - No Water
This
plague dries up the waters of the Euphrates River. Eastern powers like Japan, China, India and
others prepare for an invasion of Israel as the waters of the Euphrates dries
up. The kings of the East
combine their armies with the Kings of the North and South.
This is actually a trap prepared by God
that triggers the
battle of Armageddon. The
great river Euphrates dries up and there is no water fit to drink... Men’s
tongues stick to the roofs of their mouths.
Jesus Christ who is the Living Water said from the cross; “I Thirst”.[15]
Revelation 16:12-14 – Euphrates River dries prelude to Armageddon
12 THE SIXTH ANGEL poured out his
bowl on
THE GREAT RIVER EUPHRATES, and its
WATER WAS DRIED UP to prepare the
way for the kings from the East.
NIV
7th Plague - Thunder - Lightning – Hail -
Earthquake
This plague is poured out on the dominion of the
Air;
the POWERS
of the heavens are shaken.[16] Satan’s title is
the “Prince of
the POWER of the air”[17]
and now his domain is gone.
This is the last day of the tribulations.
A great earthquake[18] makes islands
disappear; mountains and cities are leveled, and what’s left is destroyed with
100 pound hail,[19]
and men still cursed God. (A talent, or “talantos” in the
Greek, is actually translated to be about 114 pounds.)
When Jesus died
on the cross there was a great earthquake and He said “IT IS FINISHED”; the plan of
salvation for man has been completed.
A voice from heaven says “IT IS DONE”. Jesus said from the cross, IT IS FINISHED.[20]
Revelation 16:17
– Plague poured out on the dominion of the Air
17 THE SEVENTH
ANGEL
POURED OUT HIS
BOWL INTO THE AIR, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne,
saying, "IT IS DONE!"
NIV
Jerusalem splits
This great city that splits in my BS seems
to be Jerusalem,
as Babylon
is mentioned often separately. (Although
some commentaries disagree.) The
earthquake convulses Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives also splits.
Revelation 16:19 – Jerusalem is split into three
parts.
19 THE GREAT CITY SPLIT INTO THREE PARTS, and the cities
of the nations collapsed. God remembered
Babylon the Great and gave
her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.
20 Every island
fled away and the mountains could not be found.
NIV
Side Bar
ü
Satan the anti-god
& the Anti-Christ & the False Prophet make
up this Counterfeit
Trinity.
ü
These slimy, filthy, loathsome, disgusting frogs
are evil spirits of propaganda coming out of the Counterfeit Trinity[21] to seduce all the kings of the world to come out
to the battle of Armageddon. Sadly, the whole world would include an army from
the United States.
ü
The
Kings of the South; Arab-African confederacy headed by Egypt and the King of the
North; Russia, will launch an “ALL
OUT”
invasion against Israel.[22]
ü
The Arabian Peninsula of Ethiopia is the Arab
States... The Southern Ethiopia
is Africa.
ü
CIS is the Commonwealth
of Independent States. There are currently 12 former Soviet
Republics, including Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Republic of
Georgia. Their allies are Persia (Iran),
Turkey, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer and Torarmah.[23]
ü
Russia
wants oil. Although they have oil, it’s not very
accessible.
ü
Russia
wants a
warm water sea port as well as easy oil.
ü
Russia
wants the
12 billion tons of magnesium chloride and twelve billion tons of sodium
chloride in the Dead Sea. There is also
2 billion tons of potash for enriching soil.[24]
ü
Russia’s
Allies want the
land of Israel. What a deal for everybody; except Israel.
The
Take Away
The Seven Last Plagues symbolically
have many of the very things that occurred in the Life of Jesus on the cross.- No water to drink – Earthquakes
– Thunder – Lightning – Darkness so thick you can feel it, but then added
to that more trouble; Sores - Ulcers – Running boils – Hail – Burning heat – Suffering – The
Sea and Springs turn to blood.
Many Christians
believe that we will NOT be PARTICIPANTS during this time of tribulation, but will
have been RAPTURED and we will be
merely SPECTATORS.
My BS of the scriptures is it teaches us that many
will come to believe on Christ after they observe the RAPTURE of the saints
or are forced to experience the Tribulations; they will be known as The Tribulation
Saints, those that did not take
the Mark of
the Beast.
Before 1830, no one had ever heard of a “Secret Rapture”
or the Fly Away
Doctrine. No Church had
taught it in their creed, catechism or statement of Faith until John Nelson Darby
preached about it in 1830. So at this writing the Rapture doctrine is NOT predated by
2,000 years, but is of recent origin; only 190 years old. It’s not of very much importance to your SALAVATION
whether or not you embrace the RAPTURE of the saints before the return of Jesus Christ.
The main point
is that you must embrace HIM.
You should PRAY that you are RAPTURED before the Lord
comes back, but PLAN
your life like there is no RAPTURE. If the seven plagues
teaches us anything, it teaches us that it’s better to be an observer from
heaven than a participant on earth… The choices we make today have eternal
consequences…
There is only ONE WAY to come to God.
“THE WAY”
is JESUS
CHRIST; God’s only begotten Son.[25]
There is just no
other way.[26]
IT’S
IN THE BOOK
[1] Matthew 27:26-30 –
Flogged, Crown of thorns, Cuts, and took the staff and STRUCK HIM ON
THE HEAD AGAIN
and AGAIN
-- Mark 14:65 – Hoodwinked – Struck - Buffeted – Spit on and the servants did STRIKE HIM -- Isaiah 50:6 – Prophecy
– Pulled out His beard. I hid not my face from SHAME and SPITTING.
[2] Isaiah 53:5 – We are
healed by the stripes on His back.
[3] Exodus 12:13 – The Blood is a sign: WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD, I WILL
PASS OVER YOU.
[4] Hebrews 9:22 – The Shedding of the blood of Jesus brings forgiveness
[5] John
[6] Malachi 4:1 – They shall
burn as in an oven -- Deuteronomy 32:24 – They shall be devoured with burning
heat
[7] Isaiah 24:6 – Men burned
and few are left
[8] Exodus 12:8-9 – The lamb must be ROASTED
with FIRE.
[9] Numbers 9:12 - Not one of
the LAMB’S
bones will be broken
[10] Exodus 10:21 - Darkness so thick YOU CAN FEEL IT
[11] John 12:35 – For a while the light is among you. Walk while you have the LIGHT, so that DARKNESS WILL NOT OVERTAKE YOU
[12] Mark 15:33 – At Jesus Death, darkness came over the whole land:
Judgment
[13] Amos 5:18 – The Day of the Lord is
darkness to the Make Believer
[14] Isaiah 5:20 – Woe to those who substitute
darkness for light
[15] John 19:28 – Jesus said “I Thirst”
[16] Matthew 24:29 - The POWERS of the heavens shall be
shaken -- 2 Peter 3:10 – The heavens will pass away with a great noise
[17] Ephesians 2:2 – Satan is the Prince of the POWER of the Air
[18] Revelation 16:18-20 –
Lightning, Thunder and a severe EARTHQUAKE
[19] Revelation 16:21 –
Hundred pound hailstones fall upon man.
[20] John 19:30 – The Plan of Salvation for man is
finished
[21] Revelation 16:13-16 – The
COUNTERFEIT
TRINITY seduces
the world; the DRAGON,
the BEAST
and the FALSE PROPHET
[22] Daniel 11:40 – At the
time of the end The King of the South & the King of the North will engage
him in battle
[23] Ezekiel 38:15 – A GREAT ARMY
WILL COME FROM THE FAR NORTH,
and MANY NATIONS WITH THEM
[24] Ezekiel 38:11-12 – I will
invade a land of un-walled villages and will PLUNDER and LOOT
[25] Acts 19:23 – The followers of Christ were known as THE WAY -- Acts 9:2 - Arrest
anyone belonging to sect known as THE WAY.
[26] John 14:6 – No one comes to the Father except through Jesus
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