The Warning of the Third Angel 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, 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: And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. (Revelation 14: 9-11) This angel warns about receiving the punishment of the seven last plagues. It is the final message to the world. It is therefore significant that God is giving us a complete understanding of the plagues.
The Third Cup: The Cup of Indignation For a cup is in the hand of the Lord and the wine foams. It is well mixed and He pours out of this. Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs. (Psalm 75: 8). This is the event prophesied by the third angel and in the third cup of the Passover seder. In that third cup God redeems His people then He pours out wrath on the wicked. The dregs of the third cup must be this "cup of indignation". These are the words that are said after they drink the seder cup. Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You, and upon the kingdoms which do not call upon your name. For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. (Psalm 79: 6-7). You shall pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens of the Lord. (Lamentations 3: 66). It must be this cup of indignation that He uses to fill the vials of the seven last plagues.
The Legal Basis for the Plagues: The seven last plagues are the final curses that are applied to the whole world for continued disobedience to the covenant and continued hostility towards God. They are the response from God to an attempt to build a rival sanctuary that tries to corrupt the people, worship and covenant of God. God responds by destroying the sanctuary, the city of Babylon and the false worshippers.
The Final Curse of God: The images in the plagues come from the legal contract in the curses. In Leviticus 26, we find that God promises blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. In it, we see that Israel is given five chances to repent. With each escalation of hostility towards God, He escalates the curses until the fifth time when He makes a complete destruction. Let us take a look at the final curses in Leviticus 26: 27-34. The Covenant Contract. This is the summary of the terms of the covenant in Leviticus 26: 1-3. It essentially emphasizes the first four commandments before adding our duties to all of God's laws. You shall not make for yourself idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary; I am the Lord. If you walk in My statutes and keep my commandments so as to carry them out ... (Leviticus 26: 1-3)
Do not worship the idols or images.
Do not make idols or images of idols and bow before them.
Reverence the sanctuary. The name of God.
Keep the Sabbaths.
Obey the commandments.
The Crime. Yet if in spite of this you do not obey Me, but act with hostility against Me, Then I will act with wrathful hostility against you, and I even I will punish you seven times for your sins. (Leviticus 26: 27-30) The crime is described in the final curse in the law. Notice the key elements here:
Disobedience and Hostility. They were disobedient and acted with hostility towards God. According to Revelation 16: 9 and 11, the wicked blaspheme the name of God and do not repent. Then, they escalate their hostility by starting a war against God - the Battle of Armageddon. Revelation 16: 14 and 16.
Wrath of God. God acts with wrath and he punishes them seven times just as He does in Revelation 16: 1. Then I heard a loud voice form the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God". (Revelation 16: 1)
The Punishment. It is described in Leviticus 26: 29-34. Look at the key words. Cannibalism. Further, you will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters you will eat. Sanctuary and City Destroyed. Then I will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and heap your remains on the remains of your idols, for my soul shall abhor you. I will lay waste your cities as well and will make your sanctuaries desolate and I will not smell your soothing aromas. Desolation. I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it. Exiled. You however, I will scatter among the nations, Sword. and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste. Sabbath Rest. Then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. (Leviticus 26: 29-34)
Destroy the False Sanctuary (verse 30). This part of the curse is fulfilled by the seven last plagues.
Idols. False gods.
High Places. Altars of sacrifice.
Incense Altars. Prayer shrines.
Soothing Aromas. Prayers are the incense rising up.
Cannibalism (verse 29). In the end, after the collapse of Babylon, the coalition of governments who acted to persecute the saints will turn against the great whore in a cannibalistic frenzy. They will eat their own. And the ten horns which you saw and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. (Revelation 17: 16)
Destroy the City (verse 31). Babylon the Great and the cities of the earth are destroyed.
Desolation. Land is made desolate (verse 32). The earth is desolated in preparation for the millennium. The enemies who settle in the desolated land, who will be appalled by it are Satan and his angels.
People Exiled (verse 33). The wicked die at the Second Coming and are in the land of the dead. The Righteous are sent to Heaven. The exile lasts 1000 years.
Sword (verse 33). In the seventh plague, Jesus comes with a sword in His mouth and an army (Revelation 19: 15). They fight the army assembled for Armageddon in the sixth plague.
Sabbath Rest. Land will enjoy its Sabbaths (verse 34). This is the period of 1000 years after the Second Coming.
The Purpose of the Plagues: Therefore, we see in the punishments of the final curse, similar events at the end of the world. The seven last plagues precede the Second Coming and the Millennium. It prepares the earth and the wicked people for the world to come because the curse also includes other punishments.
Create the Abyss. The plagues destroy the earth in preparation for the millennium. God reverses creation to bring the earth to the status of the dark abyss that existed in the beginning. It is this world where Satan must be bound until the final judgment. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. (Revelation 20: 1-3).
End Corrupt Government. It punishes Babylon, the system of false religion and government. The great city that corrupts the earth.
Destroy False Religion. Taking each furniture, it destroys the false sanctuary created by Babylon.
Revenge. He sends the final curses on the wicked and makes them unclean and unfit to enter the true sanctuary in heaven. They are exiled to the land of the dead and Satan is exiled to the broken earth.
The Third Cup: The Cup of Indignation For a cup is in the hand of the Lord and the wine foams. It is well mixed and He pours out of this. Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs. (Psalm 75: 8). This is the event prophesied by the third angel and in the third cup of the Passover seder. In that third cup God redeems His people then He pours out wrath on the wicked. The dregs of the third cup must be this "cup of indignation". These are the words that are said after they drink the seder cup. Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You, and upon the kingdoms which do not call upon your name. For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. (Psalm 79: 6-7). You shall pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens of the Lord. (Lamentations 3: 66). It must be this cup of indignation that He uses to fill the vials of the seven last plagues.
The Legal Basis for the Plagues: The seven last plagues are the final curses that are applied to the whole world for continued disobedience to the covenant and continued hostility towards God. They are the response from God to an attempt to build a rival sanctuary that tries to corrupt the people, worship and covenant of God. God responds by destroying the sanctuary, the city of Babylon and the false worshippers.
The Final Curse of God: The images in the plagues come from the legal contract in the curses. In Leviticus 26, we find that God promises blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. In it, we see that Israel is given five chances to repent. With each escalation of hostility towards God, He escalates the curses until the fifth time when He makes a complete destruction. Let us take a look at the final curses in Leviticus 26: 27-34. The Covenant Contract. This is the summary of the terms of the covenant in Leviticus 26: 1-3. It essentially emphasizes the first four commandments before adding our duties to all of God's laws. You shall not make for yourself idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary; I am the Lord. If you walk in My statutes and keep my commandments so as to carry them out ... (Leviticus 26: 1-3)
Do not worship the idols or images.
Do not make idols or images of idols and bow before them.
Reverence the sanctuary. The name of God.
Keep the Sabbaths.
Obey the commandments.
The Crime. Yet if in spite of this you do not obey Me, but act with hostility against Me, Then I will act with wrathful hostility against you, and I even I will punish you seven times for your sins. (Leviticus 26: 27-30) The crime is described in the final curse in the law. Notice the key elements here:
Disobedience and Hostility. They were disobedient and acted with hostility towards God. According to Revelation 16: 9 and 11, the wicked blaspheme the name of God and do not repent. Then, they escalate their hostility by starting a war against God - the Battle of Armageddon. Revelation 16: 14 and 16.
Wrath of God. God acts with wrath and he punishes them seven times just as He does in Revelation 16: 1. Then I heard a loud voice form the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God". (Revelation 16: 1)
The Punishment. It is described in Leviticus 26: 29-34. Look at the key words. Cannibalism. Further, you will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters you will eat. Sanctuary and City Destroyed. Then I will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and heap your remains on the remains of your idols, for my soul shall abhor you. I will lay waste your cities as well and will make your sanctuaries desolate and I will not smell your soothing aromas. Desolation. I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it. Exiled. You however, I will scatter among the nations, Sword. and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste. Sabbath Rest. Then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. (Leviticus 26: 29-34)
Destroy the False Sanctuary (verse 30). This part of the curse is fulfilled by the seven last plagues.
Idols. False gods.
High Places. Altars of sacrifice.
Incense Altars. Prayer shrines.
Soothing Aromas. Prayers are the incense rising up.
Cannibalism (verse 29). In the end, after the collapse of Babylon, the coalition of governments who acted to persecute the saints will turn against the great whore in a cannibalistic frenzy. They will eat their own. And the ten horns which you saw and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. (Revelation 17: 16)
Destroy the City (verse 31). Babylon the Great and the cities of the earth are destroyed.
Desolation. Land is made desolate (verse 32). The earth is desolated in preparation for the millennium. The enemies who settle in the desolated land, who will be appalled by it are Satan and his angels.
People Exiled (verse 33). The wicked die at the Second Coming and are in the land of the dead. The Righteous are sent to Heaven. The exile lasts 1000 years.
Sword (verse 33). In the seventh plague, Jesus comes with a sword in His mouth and an army (Revelation 19: 15). They fight the army assembled for Armageddon in the sixth plague.
Sabbath Rest. Land will enjoy its Sabbaths (verse 34). This is the period of 1000 years after the Second Coming.
The Purpose of the Plagues: Therefore, we see in the punishments of the final curse, similar events at the end of the world. The seven last plagues precede the Second Coming and the Millennium. It prepares the earth and the wicked people for the world to come because the curse also includes other punishments.
Create the Abyss. The plagues destroy the earth in preparation for the millennium. God reverses creation to bring the earth to the status of the dark abyss that existed in the beginning. It is this world where Satan must be bound until the final judgment. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. (Revelation 20: 1-3).
End Corrupt Government. It punishes Babylon, the system of false religion and government. The great city that corrupts the earth.
Destroy False Religion. Taking each furniture, it destroys the false sanctuary created by Babylon.
Revenge. He sends the final curses on the wicked and makes them unclean and unfit to enter the true sanctuary in heaven. They are exiled to the land of the dead and Satan is exiled to the broken earth.
This is a very clear and well conceived time line of the End Times. I made an attempt at placing a simplified version of this sequence in the setting of our own times, thinking to popularize it for a broader public than those prepared to read Bible quotes. It's on the Web as a free e-book, Walkabout: The History of a Brief Century. See what you think!
ReplyDeleteThis is the second time I have visited the website page. I must say that I am still as sad this visit as the last, maybe even a little more dissatisfied; because it does NOT clearly differentiate -- with a different font -- between the words that are yours, and those that are quotes from whatever unspecified translation you are using from the Hebrew and/or Greek Scriptures.
ReplyDeleteIs there any excuse for this? Elsewhere on other blogs it is rather clear when words are a quote from the Bible. And because the specific translation is not identified, it is all too easy to wonder when and if you have chosen to paraphrase -- with all the opportunity to lack clarity and correctness in paraphrase.