The Six Last Plagues

The six last plagues

"And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: 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." (Rev. 15: 5, 6.)

We are reminded that this temple consists of the true church on its way to the new Jerusalem. During this journey of development, the temple develops in its two successive com partments — the holy and the most holy. Persecution is the means of driving the host on the sea of glass forward to the throne of heaven, and, according as the life of faith develops to perfection in the sealed company, they appear before God Almighty in the most holy state, and as a result the most holy compartment of the temple of Christ will come forth and be revealed.

The death of the two witnesses opens the way to the most holy, for when they are murdered, each one of the sealed will be placed in a similar position both before God and the oppo nents as those two witnesses had been placed in, namely to stand in the breach, or in the first rank as defenders of the kingdom of God. The responsibility and the burden of the movement fall on them, they, therefore, will have to hold on to the Unseen as if they saw Him. When the dragonic power has succeeded in overcoming the two witnesses of Jesus, the speaking image has in mind to exterminate from off the earth all who adhere to or profess to believe in the mission of those murdered. The Jewish Church meant to do the very same thing with the apostolic church — murder the leaders and the movement will be suppressed.

Just then the temple of the testimony is opened. Everyone of the sealed company does what the apostles did after the death and resurrection of Christ, they bear witness and prove by the Scripture that the spurious church in the name of Jesus has sought to murder Messiah Himself by slaying His special witnesses. This calls forth anew the wrath of the image and the beast, and in the eagerness for their own honor they decide to make an end of all these witnesses. (Compare Acts 3: 14, 15; 7:51-54; 13:27-31, 40, etc.)

Then, when the opponents of Christ and the saints press forward in their murderous zeal, the temple-people are filled "from the glory of God, and from his power," and to them are handed weapons of defense whereby they meet their tormentors. These weapons are called the seven last plagues, for with them terminates the wrath of God over the unrighteous and sinful mass.

The first one of the last plagues: "And there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image."

In the strength of the beast and impelled by the spirit of the speaking image, they resist the work of Christ when His saints take the kingdom under the whole heaven, and in retaliation they receive a noisome sore which consumes them. This shows that the judgment of God proceeds from the temple.

The second plague: "And it (the sea) became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea."

It is obvious that the water after 3½ years of drought, wars and pestilence raging on the earth simultaneously, will become dreadfully unclean, and to this is now added an extra direct plague on the water in the great sea.

The third plague: "And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood."

The reason why such horrible plagues come to visit men is recorded thus: "Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy."

"The altar," that is, the slain, slaughtered by the beast and the image, corroborates, by means of the innocent case, the above testimony thus: "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments."

The fourth plague: "And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire."

This terrible punishment comes as a direct retribution on the ungodly for burning others at the stake. They have en joyed, and will yet enjoy, seeing those slowly burn at the stake whom they have been unable in any other way to subdue, there fore this scorching plague is called forth over them.

The fifth plague: "And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of dark ness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain."

This seat, to which the kings of the earth link their military power, is the papal seat. Ultimately, after it has filled its measure of wickedness, it will be made to pay for all the evil it has perpetrated against the Word, work and people of God. The objects of these 'terrible plagues are unable to change, for they have committed the unpardonable sin before these plagues smite them, therefore it says of them: "And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds."

The sixth plague: "And the sixth angel (messenger) poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water there of was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared."

The word east is misleading. It is rendered from the Greek words Anatolon helion — sun rising — and the same words occur in chapter 7:2, where the messenger with the seal of the living God is described. Of this messenger, who is to seal, i. e., to prepare the 144,000 as kings and priests, it says that "he ascended from the sun-rising." By this expression is signified the morning of the great day when the kings and priests of the kingdom of heaven are being prepared to take over the kingdoms and thrones of this world.

The river Euphrates — the Mohammedan power — then executes its work, and the remnant "dries up" so as not to stand in the way for the sealed of the Lord when they take over all the kingdoms on the earth. This is the great day of Jezreel — the inheritance of God — then the kingdom shall be the Lord's and His Christ's. Of this the prophet says:

"Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel." (Hos. 1: 11.) The firstborn will then come in possession of the eternal inheritance, and the kingdom, which will establish justice and righteousness on the earth, will then be a reality.