6.19 The Seven Last Plagues                                              

 

1. What is God's final warning against false worship?
Revelation 14:9-10
9 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,
10 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:
Note: During the time of grace, God's wrath has always been tempered or mixed with mercy. Hence the prayer of the prophet Habakkuk in Habakkuk 3:2 O LORD, I have heard Thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. God's wrath unmixed with mercy will only be poured out when grace has done its final work and evil has gone to the extreme, so that there is no remedy left.

 

2. In what is the wrath of God filled up?
Revelation 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

 

3. How does Joel describe the Day of the Lord?
Joel 1:15 Alas for the day! for the Day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
Joel 2:11 And the LORD shall utter His voice before His army: for His camp is very great: for He is strong that executeth His word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

 

4. What did Daniel say concerning this time?
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of Thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time Thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Ezekiel 7:15-19
15 The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him.
16 But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity.
17 All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.
18 They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads.
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
Note: The seven last plagues shall be the most terrible scourges with which man has ever been visited upon.

 

5. What will be the first plague, and upon whom will it fall?
Revelation 16:2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; 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.

 

6. What shall the second plague consist of?
Revelation 16:3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

 

7. What will be the third plague?
Revelation 16:4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
Note: The second plague affects the sea. The third plague draws near to where people live and affects the land. The water supply is contaminated.

 

8. Why does the Lord give blood to the people to drink under this plague?
Revelation 16:6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Note: In this, God's abhorrence of oppression and persecution is shown. The plagues are God's punishments for terrible forms of sin.

 

9. What will be the fourth plague?
Revelation 16:8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
Joel 1:16-20
16 Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17 The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.
18 How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.
19 O LORD, to Thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.
20 The beasts of the field cry also unto Thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
Note: Sun worship is the oldest and most widespread of all forms of idolatry. In this plague, God shows His displeasure with this form of idolatry. The object that people have worshipped as a god now becomes a plague and a torment. It was the same with the plagues of Egypt. The things that the Egyptians had worshipped became scourges to them instead of benefactors and blessings.

 

10. Will even this terrible judgment lead people to repent?
Revelation 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give Him glory.

 

11. What will be the fifth plague?
Revelation 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Note: The plague attacks the seat of the great apostate power of the last days. Namely, the beast. The power that presents itself as God on earth. Through this plague, that proud and apostate spiritual despotism, which boasts that it possesses the full truth and is the light of the world, is shrouded in darkness.

 

12. What takes place under the sixth plague?
Revelation 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
Note: As a result of the plagues, the nations will withdraw their support for the beast. The deception will be discovered too late. Christ the true King will then come from the east, and soon the final battle between good and evil, between Christ and Satan, will take place. This is the war of Armageddon.

 
13. What causes the nations to gather for the war of Armageddon?
Revelation 16:13-16
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

 

14. Which event is near at that time?
Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

 

15. What takes place under the seventh plague?
Revelation 16:17-19
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.

 

16. What accompanies the earthquake?
Revelation 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
Job 38:22-23
22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

 

17. What will the Lord be to His people at that time?
Joel 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
Haggai 2:22 And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

 

18. What call does God send to His people, who are still in Babylon, just before the pouring out of the plagues?
Revelation 18:4-5
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Jeremiah 51:6 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; He will render unto her a recompence.
Note: God's infinite lovingkindness toward mankind is revealed in the messages of warning and admonition that He sends them. Although the great Christian church has surrendered itself to a general apostasy, He acknowledges that within every organization there are still honest men and women connected who deplore the prevailing apostasy. God calls these truth-loving people His people; and He calls upon them to separate themselves from sin and sinful bonds, in order to have no share in the judgment that will come upon the apostates. This is not the work of men. God will take the reins and will truly bring peace.

 

19. How suddenly will the plagues come upon modern Babylon?
Revelation 18:8-10
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

 

20. What famine will come at this time upon those who have rejected God’s messages of mercy?
Amos 8:11-12
11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.
Proverbs 1:24-26
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded;
25 But ye have set at nought all My counsel, and would none of My reproof:
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
Hebrews 12:15-17
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Luke 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

 

21. What announcement is made under the seventh plague?
Revelation 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Note: All have decided what their lot will be. Death or life. Blessing or curse. At that moment, one no longer has the choice. It is done. The judgment has been passed. It is over.

 

22. What solemn decree will go forth just before the Second Coming of Christ, demonstrating that the cases of all have been decided?
Revelation 22:11-12
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

 

23. Which psalms seem to have been written especially for the comfort and encouragement of God's people during the time of the seven last plagues?
Read Psalms 91 and 46
Isaiah 33:13-17
13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge My might.
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
17 Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.