The Seven Last Plagues
In this chapter, the Revelation returns to the description of the order of events of the Last Days and the pouring out of the Seven Last Plagues.
I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. Rev. 15:1
The Seven Last Plagues will come in addition to the judgments of the Seven Trumpets and will complete the Wrath of God on the Inhabitants of the Earth. As in previous events, the timing of the Seven Last Plagues is made known to us by who John saw at the Throne of God before the Seven Last Plagues were poured out.
And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb. Rev. 15:2-3
In these verses, those who were victorious over the Beast and the number of his name is a description of those who will refuse to take the Mark of the Beast and who will be killed in the events of the Great Tribulation. When John testified that he saw the pouring out of the Seven Last Plagues, after, he saw the Martyrs of the Great Tribulation at the Throne of God, it tells us that the Seven Last Plagues will take place after the events of the Great Tribulation. This follows the pattern of how John was shown the Ascension of Christ prior to the opening of the Seven Seals, and how he saw the Martyrs in Heaven before the sounding of the Seven Trumpets. In each case, who John sees at the Throne of God tells us where we are at in the Timeline of Events before the next events begin on earth.
More information concerning the specific timing of the Seven Last Plagues is given to us in the naming of the plagues themselves. In order to be the Last plagues, the Seven Last Plagues must start after the plagues of the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets, and end during the final plague of the Seventh Trumpet when the enemies of God will be destroyed by a Great Earthquake and Severe Hailstorm at the Battle of Armageddon.
The Seven Last Plagues and the Seven Trumpets
The relationship between the Seven Last Plagues and the Seven Trumpets can be seen in how, earlier, we read that at the end of the Last Days, the Martyrs in Heaven who have been killed since the time of Christ will pray for their blood to be avenged.
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been. Rev. 6:9-11
In answer to their prayer’s, the Martyr’s in Heaven will be told that there blood will not be avenged until the full number of their brothers and sisters were killed just as they had been. Accordingly, following the prayer of the Martyrs in Heaven, the Two Witnesses will be sent to warn the Inhabitants of the Earth of the judgments to come when the prayer’s of the Martyrs in Heaven will be answered. The preaching of the Two Witnesses will be accompanied by the Plagues on the Land, the Sea, and the Trees of the First Three Trumpets, which will serve as additional warnings to the Inhabitants of the Earth. Rather than repenting at the sight of these plagues, and the preaching of the Two Witnesses, the Inhabitants of the Earth will kill the two prophets in the events of the Attack on Jerusalem as described by the Fourth Trumpet. (See Chapter 11) The Attack on Jerusalem will be followed by the Great Tribulation when the Inhabitants of the Earth will kill the full number of God’s people. This, in-turn, will fulfill the condition given to the Martyrs in Heaven, and the judgments of the Last Three Trumpets will be poured out on the Inhabitants of the Earth in order to avenge the blood of the Martyrs in Heaven as promised.
Having understood the above events of the Seven Trumpets, in this chapter, we read that seven additional plagues will be poured out on the Inhabitants of the Earth. The purpose of the Seven Last Plagues will be to avenge the blood of those killed in the Great Tribulation itself. In this way, the Wrath of God will be completed on the Inhabitants of the Earth for all the blood of God’s people that has been shed since the time of Christ, including the blood of those killed in the Great Tribulation.
All of the above adds to our understanding of the events of the Last Days as follows:
– When the Martyrs in Heaven pray for judgment and revenge, they will be told that they must wait until the full number of their brothers and sisters were killed just as they had been.
– Following the Prayer of the Martyrs in Heaven, Two Witnesses will begin preaching in Jerusalem and calling down plagues in order to warn the Inhabitants of the Earth of the judgments to come as a result of the above prayer.
– The Inhabitants of the Earth will respond to the warnings of the Two Witnesses by attacking Jerusalem and killing the two prophets.
– After the Attack on Jerusalem, the Beast will occupy the fallen city, and the Great Tribulation will begin when the full number of God’s servants will be killed.
– Following the Great Tribulation, the condition given to the Martyrs in Heaven will have been met, and God will avenge the blood of the Martyrs in Heaven through the plagues of the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets.
– Following the plagues of the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets God will avenge the blood of those killed in the Great Tribulation, itself, through the Seven Last Plagues.
The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath
The Seven Last Plagues are also known as the Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath because Seven Bowls will be given to the Seven Angels to pour out the plagues.
After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. Rev. 15:6-7
Order of Events of the Last Days
1. Wars, Rumors of Wars, Earthquakes, and Famines (Seals 1-4)
2. The Martyrs Pray for Judgment and Revenge (5th. Seal) – The 144,000 are sealed
– 1/3 of earth is burned up in world-wide drought (1st. Trumpet)
– 1/3 of sea turns to blood, Satan’s kingdom defeated (2nd. Trumpet)
– 1/3 of waters are poisoned, Satan cast out (3rd. Trumpet)
– 1/3 of Israel is struck, the Attack on Jerusalem (4th. Trumpet)
3. The Great Tribulation – the full number of God’s people are killed
– The Plague of Locusts (5th. Trumpet)
– The Plague of Fire, Smoke, and Sulfur (6th. Trumpet)
– The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath – to be announced
4. The Great Earthquake and Severe Hailstorm – the Battle of Armageddon (6th. Seal, 7th. Trumpet)
5. Silence in Heaven – the enemies of God are defeated (7th. Seal)
6. The Reign of Christ on Earth
Revelation Chapter 14
Revelation Chapter 16
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