Rev 17:1-6 The Judgment of the Great Whore, Part 1

 [Study Aired April 11, 2025]

Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Rev 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Introduction

As we saw in our previous studies, all these seals, trumpets and plagues occur within us, within our lives for the purpose of dragging us out of the darkness and the lies of the doctrines of the great harlot, and into the light of the truth in the doctrines of Christ:

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

This judgment of the seven last plagues is poured out upon us while we are still spiritually in “Babylon the Great”, and before we are given to begin to enter into the house of God:

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. [Greek: aorist tense – ‘begin to be fulfilled’]

We know this is true because the seventh plague is poured out on us while we are yet in darkness and yet in the clutches of Babylon the Great:

Rev 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.
Rev 16:18  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.
Rev 16:19  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.
Rev 16:20  And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 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.

The seven last plagues “fill up the wrath of God” upon the doctrines of Babylon which dominate our minds, for the purpose of doing what nothing to this time in our lives has accomplished. That is why they are said to be “great and marvelous”.

Rev 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.

The seventh plague signifies the sum of all that fills up God’s wrath against all the sins and false doctrines that still hold us within Babylon. Here is how that plague is described. Here is what must happen in the lives of all who will be dragged out of Babylon and ripped away from all that this world has to offer in the attempts of the adversary to keep his king, the beast within us all, upon Christ’s throne, the throne of our heats.

Rev 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.
Rev 16:18 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.
Rev 16:19 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.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 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.

Wait just one minute! Weren’t we told that these seven last plagues “fill up the wrath of God”?

Rev 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.

Psa 9:1 <To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David.> I will praise [thee], O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.

Yes, there it is. The seven last plagues “fill up the wrath of God” through our wholehearted service which “shows forth all thy [great and] marvelous works.” Wholehearted service to God endures “all thy [great and] marvelous works.” Enduring the judgment of our rebellious, self-righteous carnal mind is the fruit of being brought to realize that “the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17):

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins [no longer partake of her sins], and that ye receive not of her plagues. [Do not continue to receive of her plagues]
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Rev 18:6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double [The “fire and brimstone” of Rev 14:10-12].
Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. [Exactly what we said while we were in Babylon]:

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest [You and I have said], I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire [and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb (Rev 14:6-12)], that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Isa 40:2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for [Hebrew: ‘because’] she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.

Our “comfort”  is not because of some fabled ‘rapture’ out of this world to avoid the judgments of God. Rather, our comfort is… “for [because] she has received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”

The fact that it is the seventh plague, the last plague, which “gives to Babylon the wine of the fierceness of God’s wrath” explains to us that these next two chapters, chapters 17-18, are nothing less than the details of what must take place within us as these plagues are being poured out upon us while we were still in the clutches of the darkness of Babylon, all the while thinking of ourselves in these terms:

Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

The church of Laodicea also happens to be the seventh, the last of the seven churches, and she signifies the mind of the harlot who says, “I have done no wickedness”:

Pro 30:20  Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness [While in reality she is “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked”].

It is while we are in this complacent, self-righteous Laodicean mindset that we are still enmeshed and submerged in our most insidious and tenacious darkness. We have works and labour and patience, and we have not put up with them which are evil. We have tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and we have found them liars: We have borne, and had patience, and for Christ’s name’s sake, we have labored and hast not fainted. Nevertheless, we have all left our first love have those who lord it over the Lord’s flock (the Nicolaitans), we have Jezebel teaching us to rebel against the Lord’s ways, we say we are Jews and we are not, and we want nothing of His judgments in our lives (Rev 3:1-4).

At this point we all cry out, “My Lord, what more do you want of me? I have refused them that are evil, I have borne and had patience and for your name’s sake I have labored and have not fainted. I have tried them which say they are apostles and are not and I have found them to be liars. My end works are better than those I stated with. I hate the Nicolaitans. How have I left my first love? Where is the throne of Satan in my life? What more is there of this world that I must give up?”

We are completely unaware that it is even possible to have accomplished all of what is listed here in Revelation 2 and 3 and still come to a place where we are spiritually “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” How is that possible? It is possible because we have “become entangled again with the yoke of bondage”, we have left our first love, we have become lukewarm, and say in our heart that we are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, when in reality we are spiritually wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked, we deny that it is even so.

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

2Pe 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

So here we are in this 17th chapter. The shortcomings of the seven churches are burned out of us via the seven last plagues of chapter 16. The seventh plague was the judgment of great Babylon within us:

Rev 16:19  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.

This 17^th chapter and the 18^th chapter will reveal to us just how the Lord accomplishes the judgment of this great harlot with whom we have committed spiritual fornication and have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication:

Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Do we dare think that we have never been a part of the “many waters” upon whom this great whore has been sitting for so long? Who could better show us what it was like to endure and experience the seven last plagues than those who have already endured and experienced the seven last plagues which is exactly who this angel signifies:

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him [“one of the seven angels which had the seven vials”]. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book [including the seven last plagues]: worship God.

Something had to take place which would shake us up to such a degree as to bring us to realize that there is something which has not yet been burned out of us. There is something which has blinded us from seeing ourselves as “carnal… babes in Christ”, a spiritual state, which simply does not yet permit us to receive the strong meat of God’s Word. There is something still within us which resents even being told that we are “weak in the faith”, still “in need of milk and herbs, and not strong meat.” We are “drunk with the wine of her fornication”, and we can’t even recognize the alcoholics we have become. There is still more to be accomplished in us, even after so much has been done. Remember, this entire prophecy is addressed to the “seven churches which are in Asia.” These seven churches, with all their shortcomings, are ‘Babylon the great’ with which we are now dealing in this 17th chapter. These are not two separate churches. The seven churches of Revelation 2-3 are “all they in Asia” who have forsaken the Lord’s apostles and have followed “false apostles”:

2Ti 1:15  This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

“All they [of] Asia” signify the complete church, with all of its strengths, as well as all of its faults and shortcomings, and the “great city” and “great harlot” of Revelation 17-18 is that very same “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked” harlot church, as the seven churches of Asia:

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Satan’s throne in the church in Pergamos is the same as “the throne of the beast” in Revelation 16. The beast is given his throne by the great red dragon. When we are bowing down to and worshiping the beast, we are also bowing to and worshiping the dragon who gives the beast his power and his throne and his great authority.

Rev 2:13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat [Greek: thronos, throne] is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

Rev 16:10  And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat [G2362: ‘thronos’, “throne”] of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

So the seven churches are one and all “Babylon the Great”, and her candlestick will be removed if she fails to repent. But this is “Mystery Babylon the Great”. She is not easily detected by the world within us, and to make certain Babylon is given to “overcome the saints” within us, she performs “many wonderful works” (Mat 7:22), performs miracles (Rev 13:14), and we are even told that she is filled with “gold, silver and precious stones”, which are the very symbols of the materials with which we are to build upon Christ in 1Corinthians 3. Therefore we do not see the depth of her tentacles within our way of life, until it is “revealed by fire”.

1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Rev 18:11  And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
Rev 18:12  The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

It is while we are still in Babylon that we begin building with the proper materials, but until we become wholehearted in our walk, we are really doing nothing more than adding to the gold, silver and precious stones in Babylon. We see nothing for which to repent, and we are simply adding to her great accomplishments within us up to this point.

Jer 3:10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.

Jer 24:7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart [when the seven plagues of the seven angels have been poured out upon us].

Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. [That is the purpose and the fruit of the seven last plagues]

1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14  But strong meat [the enduring of the seven last plagues] belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

It is “envying, strife and divisions” (1Co 3:3) stemming from the inability to receive the strong meat of God’s word, which obstructs us from remaining “of one mind, and of one spirit.” Doctrinal divisions and denominations are symptoms of a carnal mind, and are not the fruit of searching for God with a whole heart, and trembling at His commandment to “defer to your leaders… [and seek] safety in a multitude of counselors”:

Heb 13:17 Be persuaded by your leaders, and be deferring to them, for they are vigilant for the sake of your souls, as having to render an account, that they may be doing this with joy, and not with groaning, for this is disadvantageous for you. (CLV)

Pro 11:14  Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

Pro 15:22  Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

Pro 24:6  For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Rev 18:12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

Now let’s look at the first example of this “gold, silver and precious stones” which are to be found in such great abundance in Babylon, as it is described in the first of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation 2.

Rev 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
Rev 2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: [Teachers  of egregious false doctrines]
Rev 2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. [Christ dwells in us (1Co 3:15-16)]

We all produce many wonderful works; we labor hard in the Lord’s service; we develop patience, and we refuse to put up with those who are evil in our midst. We have even tried those who say they are sent by God, and we have found out that they are not sent by God, but are just liars who deny the Truth of God’s Word. We hate the Nicolaitans, who lord it over the Lord’s flock. Our patience is twice noted, our labors in the service of our Lord is twice noted, and we are commended for “not fainting.” In the face of all of these “many wonderful works”, we are still told that we are guilty of “leaving our first Love.” In spite of all that has already been accomplished, we have not yet been granted to follow Him in everything and to go everywhere He goes. We are warned that if we do not repent, our candlestick will be removed.

Let’s compare the description of all of what is taking place in the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3, with the last three vials of Revelation 16, which fill up the wrath of God on the darkness that is still in us even after we have come so far.

Rev 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat [Greek: thronos, throne] of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Rev 16:11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
Rev 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.
Rev 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.
Rev 16:14 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.
Rev 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.
Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Rev 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.
Rev 16:18 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.
Rev 16:19 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.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 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.

This seventh and last vial, which fills up the wrath of God upon our ungodliness and unrighteousness, is the judgment of those influences of “great Babylon” which, even at this late date, still afflicted us. We have seen the scriptural meaning of the word ‘darkness’. We know that great Babylon carried away God’s physical Old Testament people. In the New Testament “Babylon the Great” is a spiritual harlot:

Rev 17:1  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2  With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

This spiritual ‘Babylon the great’ is a spiritual “whore” who is committing spiritual fornication with all the kings of the whole earth, and she is nourished by the spiritual “waters of the [spiritual] Euphrates river”, which we are told are “being [spiritually] dried up”. There is no difference between the “drying up” of the waters which nourish Babylon and “the great hail stones which sweep away the refuge of the lies” of Babylon. Both are instruments of God to expose and to judge spiritual Babylon’s “wretched, poor, blind and naked condition within us, and her judgment and destruction within us.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Isa 28:17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

We are plainly told that the frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, beast and false prophet, are all false, evil, lying spirits, and we know that ‘Christ’s words are also spirit’ (Joh 6:63). We know that these spirits coming out of the mouths of the dragon, beast and false prophet are false words and false doctrines which gather all the kings in our earth to “the …  battle of the great day of God Almighty”. We know this  because we at one time believed all the lies of this great whore:

Rev 16:14  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.

We will pause remembering that the angels showing the judgment of this great whore to John signifies all those who have come out of her and repented of having committed fornication with her.

Eph 3:3  How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, [‘He revealed to me the mystery’]
Eph 3:4  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) [“The revelation of Jesus Christ…” (Rev 1:1)]
Eph 3:5  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
Eph 3:6  That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Eph 3:7  Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
Eph 3:8  Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church [By the seven angels] the manifold wisdom of God,

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Rev 16:17-21 The 7th Vial, Part 1

[Study Aired March 30, 2025]

Rev 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.
Rev 16:18 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.
Rev 16:19 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.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 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.

Introduction

In our last study we saw that the seals, trumpets and vials are all part of “the judgments of the great day of God Almighty” upon the darkness in our lives:

Rev 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.
Rev 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.
Rev 16:14  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.

 “Spirits of devils” are ‘doctrines of devils’, working miracles that deceive us:

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

What this tells us is that all of this takes place while we are still in darkness, and while we are still “children of disobedience…children of… [God’s] wrath”.

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course [G165: ‘aion’] of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

It is our false doctrines which gather us together to withstand the Lord and His doctrines.

These seven plagues begin to be fulfilled within our lives after we come to know and believe on Christ, but while we still “have no place in us for Christ’s word.” That is an unheard of, but very Biblical doctrine, as Christ demonstrates for us in John 8.

Joh 8:30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed [‘I know you are Christians’]; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

These seven plagues of the seven angels are poured out upon us when we are “building on the foundation of Jesus Christ”, but we are building with the “wood, hay and stubble” of “the commandments and doctrines of men” instead of taking great care of that with which we are building.

Mat 15:9 But in vain they [you and I] do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Mar 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Col 2:22  Which all are to perish with the using; [at ‘the great day of God Almighty’] after the commandments and doctrines of men?

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the [great] day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

Tit 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth [Christ].

At this time in our walk we are “holding the Truth in unrighteousness.” Here is the apostle Paul speaking of these very same plagues upon our lives, by which we “keep the things written therein”:

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth [Christ] in unrighteousness;

God’s Truth is the spiritual Words of Christ as exemplified in His life. “The air” is the symbol for that spirit. It is into this part of our walk, when we think we believe on Christ yet we are still rejecting Him and His life and His words, that this seventh vial is poured out. It is while we think we are out of Babylon, but we simply cannot let go of “that great city”:

Rev 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.

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

This seventh vial symbolizes spiritual warfare in which we are engaged as we are “coming out of… that great city” (Rev 18:4). Therefore this seventh vial is “poured out… into the air.” The Greek here for ‘air’ is G109, ‘aer’. Here is how this word is used in scripture:

Rev 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

The darkening of our sun and air by reason of the smoke from the bottomless pit signifies the darkening of our understanding of spiritual matters. Here is how this word is used elsewhere in the New Testament:

Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course [the ‘aion’] of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [G109: ‘aer’], the lying and rebellious] spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

This ‘air’, G109, ‘aer’ of Ephesians 2:2 and Revelation 9:2, is the abode of the “principalities and powers” of the spiritual realm against which we are wrestling and fighting in this verse:

Eph 6:12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world [Greek: ‘aion’, same as “course” in Eph 2:2], and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. (NLT)

Here is the King James Version of this verse:

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].

So it is for the purpose defiling the spiritual realm of our heavens [the G109, ‘aer’ of Ephesians 2:2 and Revelation 9:2, that this “seventh vial [is] poured out.” It is through the work of this vial that our heavens must be cleansed at the coming of Christ into the ‘air’, the spiritual realm of our lives destroying the ways of our old man while purging and purifying our “air”.

Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens [signified by ‘the ‘aer’ of Eph 2:2 and Rev 9:2] should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves [our hearts and minds] with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

“The holy places… made with hands” was the physical temple in Jerusalem. What is “heaven itself?” What are the “heavenly things themselves” of which the temple was but a mere pattern? Here is the ‘temple’ of the ninth chapter of Hebrews:

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Where does “the man of sin sit as God”?

2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

“All men shall worship the beast”, which ‘beast’ we all first are. This ‘beast’ is even given “to overcome the saints.”

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Rev 13:7 And it was given [aorist tense] unto him [the beast] to make [aorist tense] war with the saints, and to overcome [aorist tense] them: and power was given [aorist tense] him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

This is the work of the seventh vial. Our ‘air’, signifying our understanding of spiritual matters, is darkened, and our understanding of spiritual matters is taken from us as we continue in the death throes of our old man, the beast within us, to resist the purpose for this “great and marvellous” work which is the work of these seven last plagues of the wrath of God upon all of our false doctrines and lying spirits which are loath to leave the temple which was his throne but is now through ‘Christ in [us]’, Col 1:27, ours to begin to enter in Christ. Our heavens are now beginning to be cleansed because the seven plagues of the seven angels are now beginning to be fulfilled within us:

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

So we are now told:

1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air [the realm of the spirit]: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

“The air” is invisible. “The air”, when it is in motion, is called “the wind”, and “the wind” is another symbol of the spiritual realm.

Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

“The air” is the realm of the spirit. When the seven plagues have been fulfilled and have accomplished their predestined mission of showing us all of the blasphemous nature of ‘the aer’ of our old man, then, and only then, we are told:

Rev 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.
Rev 16:18  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.
Rev 16:19  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.

The old man has run his course. That which withholds has withheld until he has been revealed for what he is, and he is now slated for destruction. “It is done.” He will now be destroyed by the brightness of the coming of the proper and rightful king of His throne, which is our hearts and minds, “the heavens themselves… the temple of God” in which God will now, through Christ, dwell with us in “this present time” and at the appointed time with all men of all time:

2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let [will withhold], until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

So, as with all things, we must be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, in “earnest” form, in down payment form first, if we hope to do so at “the redemption of the purchased possession”, known as that “blessed and holy first resurrection”:

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead [who do not reign with Christ a thousand years] lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Rev 16:18 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.
Rev 16:19 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.

Why are we told “there was a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth?” Why are we being told here in this last vial that “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?”

It is very appropriate that Babylon is mentioned at this very juncture in this “great and marvellous” revelation of Jesus Christ within His elect saints. What are the things of this world which we are so loathe to relinquish? What is within “the Jews who believe on Christ, but have no room in them for Christ or His Word?” What is one of the sins that so easily besets us all? What is it that caused “all they which are in Asia” to forsake Christ in His elect apostles who had raised up these seven churches, to whom this revelation is addressed? It was the attachment to the false doctrines of Babylon which caused the whole church to treat the apostles who founded those churches as their enemies?

Here is why “great Babylon” is mentioned here in the last of the seven last vials which fill up the wrath of God. It is because we have been building upon Christ with the lying doctrines of “wood, hay and stubble” of the traditions of Babylon, and we are loathe to separate ourselves from those traditions. We have been so faithful to God in so many ways; we hate the Nicolaitans, we have had good works which were better at the end then at the beginning, but we have left our first love, and have permitted that woman Jezebel to spread her doctrine within our midst.

1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Having seen the opening of the seven seals in this prophecy from God, to Christ, to us, (Rev 1:1) will we now declare we have never built upon the foundation of Christ with wood, hay and stubble? Will we deny that this part of the seventh trumpet, which is an integral part of the seventh seal, is not ours to fulfill? Will we deny these words of God?

1Co 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

When we deny the need to fulfill these plagues and their function of burning out of us “every sin that so easily besets us”, we are making Christ and His apostles liars and setting ourselves up on Christ’s throne in our hearts.

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

If all things are ours (1Co 3:21-22), then the “darkness upon the throne of the beast” is ours as long as we are in that darkness. We all come to Christ “out of [that] darkness… [out of] the course, the ‘aion’ of this world, [and out of] the traditions of men.” These are the very things which are the wood, hay and stubble, within us which fuel the fire of the Sun in these seven plagues which scorches us and burns us up. The fire of 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 is the same fire doing the same thing; purifying us before we can begin to enter into the temple.

Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled [aorist tense] with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter [aorist tense] into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled [aorist tense].

The story of King David’s adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband, Uriah, after being made king over all Israel, demonstrates that God’s wrath is not confined to the sins of our early walk. Nevertheless there in no contradiction in saying that God’s wrath upon the sin and darkness in our lives subsides as we “come out of that darkness into the glorious light” which is Christ. So, too, the wrath of God subsides and we can say “in times past we walked according to the course of this world… and in times past… we were by nature the children of wrath even as others”.

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Being “the children of wrath, even as others” is plainly said to be “in times past.” So where do we stand with God when He brings us “out of darkness, into His marvellous light?”

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Remember the fifth plague of the seven angels is “darkness upon the throne of the beast.” These plagues are upon us while we are “walking in darkness… walking according to the prince of the power of the air… as children of disobedience.” In Christ we are “called out of darkness into His marvellous light.” So is there now any change in our relationship with our heavenly Father? John 3 tells us we now have “everlasting life”, whereas “the wrath of God abode on us before we believed.” What does the spirit reveal is our relationship with our God now? We read it in Ephesians 2, but let’s read it again in Colossians 3.

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

We all “were… children of disobedience… when you lived in them.” However, we no longer live in “our members which are upon the earth”. We are now “seated with Christ in the heavens” and “in time past… we were the children of wrath even as others… when the wrath of God abode upon us.”

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life;but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:6 and He raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenlies [or, heavenly realms] in Christ Jesus, (ALT)

We will pause our study at this point and when we resume our next study we will be shown the extent to which Christ identifies with us and we with Him, by acknowledging that the curse placed upon Christ is also placed upon us as His body:

Act 22:6  And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
Act 22:7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Rev 16:10-16 The 5th and 6th Vials, Part 2

[Study Aired March 28, 2025]

Rev 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,
Rev 16:11  And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
Rev 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.
Rev 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.
Rev 16:14  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.
Rev 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.
Rev 16:16  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

We concluded our last study pointing out how the sixth trumpet and the sixth vial are both concerned with the great river Euphrates.

In the sixth  trumpet we are told that the great river Euphrates is the prison of four angels whose work is “to slay a third part of men”:

Rev 9:13  And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
Rev 9:14  Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
Rev 9:15  And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

As is always the case, the phrase “the third part”, reveals to us that the process of judgment is leading up to the work of the Lord which “fills up of the wrath of God” in our lives. This “filling up” of God’s wrath we are specifically told is a “great and marvellous” work of the Lord. It is the filling up of the wrath of God:

Rev 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.

What we must constantly remind ourselves is that this “great and marvellous” work is the painful process of our judgment at the hand of our God via His “seven angels” in this present time.

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer [in “this present time” (Rom 8:18)] according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

The excruciating pain of both the fifth and the sixth vials is associated with the darkness created by the smoke that arises out of the bottomless pit, signifying the lies which are associated with both the fifth and the sixth trumpets:

Rev 11:18  And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

What “the time of the dead, that they should be judged” signifies is our old man who is being destroyed by the brightness of the coming of the Truth of the doctrines of Christ into our lives. That revelation of the mind of Christ is our judgment which is now on the house of God:

1Pe 4:17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God. If it begins with us first what will it be like in the end for those who do not obey the good news of God?
1Pe 4:18 If the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinners appear?

The three angels of Revelation 14 signify the process of judgment the Lord is working in our lives as He destroys our old man and his kingdom founded on the lies of Babylon. These are the words of the first angel:

Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

The third angel with the third vial poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters causing them to become blood. The great river Euphrates would certainly be one of those “rivers and fountains of waters” and this is what the angels with the third vial says about the fact that the waters are becoming blood in our lives:

Rev 16:5  And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
Rev 16:6  For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

We demonstrated earlier how our faithfulness to the lies of Babylon is signified as drinking the blood of all the saints and prophets from Abel to Zacharias.

Luk 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
Luk 11:50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

“This generation” is the generation reading these words.

The events of the sixth vial are called “The spirits of devils working miracles” coming “out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet”, and they are the very doctrines and spirits coming out of the mouths of the false prophets of 1 John 4 of whom we are instructed to “believe not” and to “try the spirits to see whether they are of God.” These are the doctrines we all have believed and to which we have all subscribed, and from which we must all, by the scorching heat of the Sun, repent and destroy.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit [doctrine], but try the spirits [doctrines] whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

These are the very doctrines to which we cling so fiercely that they “gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” It is at our “Armageddon” that we are finally stripped of all those things we have up to now been incapable of relinquishing. Armageddon is our old man’s ‘Waterloo’. It is at this point that the seventh vial is poured out upon us and the wrath of God is being filled up within the kingdom and throne of our beast. It is now that “the seven plagues of the seven angels is fulfilled [and] the mystery of God is finished.”

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

These seven vials are “the voice of the seventh angel when He shall begin to sound.” When we come to see the lies of Babylon, we are “drying up the great river Euphrates”, which flows through and nourishes Babylon. The Sun of Righteousness arises in the east, and the east is the Biblical symbol for the rising light of understanding and of Truth, which will enter into Babylon via her dried-up Euphrates river bed, and destroy her with all of her oppressive lies and false doctrines, which have been used by our God (Jer 29:4 below) to prepare us for the destruction of our old man.

The holy spirit here is alluding to one of the most famous military actions of all time, where Cyrus the Great diverted the waters of the Euphrates and entered the great city of Babylon by night while Belshazzar the Babylonian was partying. He took the city without a fight and slew Belshazzar that very same night.

Here is that story in Daniel 5. It is the Biblical shadow of the fall of our Babylon, and the destruction of our Babylonian kings who rule us and want to keep us in Babylon.

Dan 5:21  And he [Nebuchadnezzar] was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
Dan 5:22  And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
Dan 5:23  But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
Dan 5:24  Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
Dan 5:25  And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
Dan 5:26  This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
Dan 5:27  TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
Dan 5:28  PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
Dan 5:29  Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Dan 5:30  In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain [“Armageddon”, or ‘Waterloo’].
Dan 5:31  And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

Summary

So what is all of this? Is this all something we need to avoid at all cost? Absolutely not! This is “the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to Him to show to His servants things which simply must come to pass.”

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

These seven last plagues of the wrath of God are the “great and marvellous” part of all “those things which are written” in this book which “must shortly come to pass” and be kept by all who read, hear and understand what they are reading. This is the patience and the faith of the saints, which is hidden behind the seven seals, which are upon the sayings of the prophecy of this book. Until that last seal is opened, this book is still sealed from our view, and we will weep with John because there is no one found worthy to take this book and open the seven seals upon it:

Rev 5:1  And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
Rev 5:2  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
Rev 5:3  And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
Rev 5:4  And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
Rev 5:5  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

It is “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David”… it is Jesus Christ who opens the seven seals of this book. Since the seventh seal is the seven trumpets, this book will remain sealed until the seventh trumpet “begins to sound” in our lives. Until the Lord gives us eyes that see and ears that hear, the sayings of the prophecy of this book will remain sealed away from our view. Until the seventh trumpet begins to sound in our lives the “great and marvellous work” of the seven last plagues, which begin to finish the work of God in our lives, we will not be granted to begin to enter into the temple of God and enjoy the fellowship of our spiritual brother and His and our Father:

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Rev 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Rev 13:3  And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Rev 13:5  And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6  And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9  If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10  He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

So it is good for us to “keep the things written herein”. It is good for the saints to be overcome by the beast within them. It is good for us to “live by every word” in this prophecy. It is good that our old man is “scorched by the heat of the Sun”, and it is “great and marvellous” in each of us for that old man to be “destroyed by the brightness of His coming”.

Mat 13:5  Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
Mat 13:6  And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

Jas 1:11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. (ESV).

We must live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, and these seven plagues of these seven angels ‘proceed out of the mouth of God.’ It was God Himself who instructed Israel to submit to and endure their Babylonian captivity, and it is while we are yet in the darkness which extends from the time before and continues through our time in Babylon, that the pain of these judgments is being worked within us. Darkness produces excruciating pain in us all, and the throne of our beast is afflicted with deep darkness which causes us to “gnaw our tongues for pain”, while we continue to defend those things in our lives which keep us connected to Babylon. It is all the work of God in our lives, and even the struggle to come out of her while we cling to her ways and her doctrines is all of God and for our good.

Jer 29:4  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;
Jer 29:5  Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
Jer 29:6  Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
Jer 29:7  And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

We will drink of the cup of God’s wrath, and we will be carried away into Babylon, and it is in “seeking the peace” of that city and accepting its place and function in our development, that we will have peace. It is only in Babylon that we drink of the wine of the wrath of God which these seals, trumpets and vials all symbolize. All of the horrendous events described and “written herein” are ours, by God’s own commandment (1Co 3:21-22):

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

We easily accept that Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and life are ours, but we struggle to understand how ‘the world… death and things present and things to come’, are also ours.

We read it in Revelation 13:10, and we are told a second time, that all of this ”is the patience and faith of the saints” of God, and of those who “keep His commandments”:

Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him [the beast], whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9  If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10  He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here [all of this] is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Rev 14:9  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,
Rev 14:10  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:
Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. [Is this a bad thing? Only in the sense that it is a necessary evil to bring about the destruction of the beast within, because we are told:]
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Is there any possible way to leapfrog these seven vials of God’s wrath? What is the doctrine of scripture? Will the Lord’s elect be raptured out of these persecutions and tribulations of the seven last plagues of the wrath of God? What is the answer of scripture:

Jer 25:27  Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.
Jer 25:28  And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.
Jer 25:29  For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
Jer 25:30  Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words [“the things written therein”], and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
Jer 25:31  A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
Jer 25:32  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
Jer 25:33  And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
Jer 25:34  Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.
Jer 25:35  And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.
Jer 25:36  A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture.
Jer 25:37  And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD.[The seven last plagues which fill up his wrath (Rev 15:1)]
Jer 25:38  He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.

All orthodox churches which teach that they will not drink of the cup of God’s wrath, will do so. All of orthodox Christianity which teaches that they will be either raptured away before God’s wrath, or supernaturally given a “place of safety” to avoid having to keep the things written in this book will drink of His wrath. All who tell you that you have no part in these things written in this 16th chapter are “the shepherds who will have no way to flee” when their lies are exposed, and the waters of that great river are dried up, and all the wealth which had flowed into Babylon upon those waters begins to dry up. In other words, it will be demonstrated that these “shepherds” have been teaching that these things written in this prophecy are not “the patience and faith of the saints”, and those who read hear and keep these things are not blessed at all, but rather are cursed. Nevertheless the truth remains:

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Which things? The ones “written therein”, including this sixteenth chapter which fills up the wrath of God on our ungodliness and unrighteousness (Rom 1:18).

Fortunately, for a “blessed and holy” few, this is one of the things written therein which they will live by:

Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Next week, Lord willing, we will once again see how the seventh trumpet, which sounds in Revelation 11 corresponds with, and helps to explain for us, the meaning of the experience of the seventh vial:

Rev 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.
Rev 16:18  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.
Rev 16:19  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.
Rev 16:20  And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 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.

Rev 16:1-3 The First Two of the Seven Last Plagues

[Study Aired March 14, 2025]

Rev 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
Rev 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.
Rev 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.

Introduction

This and the next several studies will be a powerful demonstration of the ‘is, was and will be’ character of the word of God as it relates to the seven seals, the seven trumpets of the seven angels and these “seven angels with these seven last plagues (which) fill up the wrath of God. In each case we will see that the number seven signifies a completing, rather than a certain order of events. When we forget that Truth of the meaning of the spiritual symbolism of the number seven, we inevitably become dispensationalists who ask “Where am I in this process? How far have I come, and how much further do I have to go?” instead of realizing that no one is ever perfected before “the third day”, and that again has nothing to do with the number three itself, but it rather has to do with the process of judgment signified by that number.

In the next few studies we will see that the “seven last plagues” of these vials or bowls are actually part of the seven seals upon this book, inasmuch as these seven plagues are the seventh trumpet, which in turn is the seventh seal.

Until that last seal is opened, this book is still sealed, and until the last trumpet sounds, the judgments of God are still working in our lives, and the seventh seal is still not opened. Since the seven trumpets of the seven angels are the seventh seal, this book is completely sealed from our vision until those seven angels sound in our lives. Now, since the seventh trumpet of God’s judgment is the seven last plagues “which fill up the wrath of God”, we are under that yet unfilled wrath until the “mystery of God should be finished” in us “till the seven plagues of the seven angels” have begun to be fulfilled within our lives.

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Rev 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.

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

We must take notice at this point that the statement… “no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled” is in the aorist tense.

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled^{[G5681: aorist tense]} with smoke from the glory  of God, and from his power; and no man was able^{[G5711: imperfect tense]} to enter^{G1525 [G5629: aorist tense]} into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled^{G5055 [G5686: aorist tense]}.

Who is “the earth” of verse one?

“In the days… when he shall begin to sound the mystery of God should be finished… filling up the wrath of God”, makes it abundantly clear that this is all speaking of an ongoing process of judgment within “the earth” which is us, and it all adds up to the fact that this book cannot be unsealed to be “read, heard or kept… till the seven plagues of the seven angels have begun to be fulfilled within our lives.”

Jer 22:29  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

Who is the “earth” which is supposed to “Hear the word of the Lord”? We need not guess:

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he [the “earth”] that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Rev 22:7  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he [the “earth”] that keepeththe sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:8  And I John [and you and me, Lord willing] saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets [“the earth” that “hears these things”], and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Rev 22:10  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

“The time is at hand” that “the mystery of God… Christ in you, the hope of glory… should be finished” in “the earth”; within each of us. That is why this prophecy is called “the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Col 1:26-27, Rev 1:1-3). This book is all about the revelation of Jesus Christ within His elect, and that is why we are admonished in the third verse of the first chapter, and the 10th verse of the last chapter, to “keep the things written therein, for the time is at hand”.

Rev 16:1  And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

Since we are “the earth” to whom Christ has been sent by the Father, and since we are also “the temple of God” (1Co 3:16-17), it is obvious that this “great voice from within the temple” is Christ and His Words speaking to us from within us. It is of utmost importance that we notice that these seven last plagues are poured out at the behest of this “great voice” which emanates “out of the temple”. What this tells us is that God really does do all that He does through Christ whom the Father has sent to do His will on this “earth”. Since this voice comes “out of the temple” and we, in Christ, are also that temple, it follows that we are sent by Christ to do all that Christ does. What that means is that we are called to live the life He lived. That is exactly what Christ has told us. Just as His Father operates all through Him, He also operates all through His anointed and sent ones; through His Christ; through His anointed; through His church (Eph 3:9-10):

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

2Co 1:21  Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed [Greek: Chrio, Christed, or anointed] us, is God;

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

“As He is, so are we”? What does that mean? God sent Christ for one purpose, and that purpose was “to save the world, not to condemn the world” to everlasting torment or to everlasting death.

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially [but not exclusively] of those that believe.

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also [“each in his own order” 1Co 15:23] for the sins of the whole world.

Who are these seven angels?

While we have discussed this much earlier, we need to put what we see here with what was said earlier to know for certain who these seven angels symbolize.

That these seven angels are God’s own physical servants in this age is not to be doubted, because we are twice told that they are those who are admonished at the beginning of this prophecy to “keep the things written therein”.

Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

There it is, twice we are told that it was “one of the angels which had the seven vials” who shows us 1) the judgment of the great whore, and 2) the bride, the Lamb’s wife. Where are we told that these seven angels are those who are told in chapter one, verse three, to “keep the things written therein”? Here it is. Here is where the symbolism of these seven angels is revealed to us. Notice who “the angel who showed John these things” tells John he symbolizes:

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

“I am your fellowservant, and of your brothers that have the testimony of Jesus.” These seven angels are you and me, if indeed we “have the testimony of Jesus.” This same amazing revelation is repeated in the 22nd chapter of Revelation:

Rev 22:7  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Rev 22:10  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

Which angel is this angel? Here it is again. Here is “the angel which showed these things unto John:

Rev 17:1  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Rev 21:9  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

So the seven angels are “our fellowservants, our brothers who have the testimony of Jesus, and them which keep the sayings of this book.” The seven angels are John and you and me.

So the same angels that have the seven last plagues are also showing us who is the “great whore that sits upon many waters”, as well as showing us “the bride the Lamb’s wife.”

However, the “mystery of God which He has declared to His servants” is not finished, and no man is given to enter into Christ, our temple, “till the seven plagues of the seven angels has been fulfilled” in the life of every man who is given to enter into Christ with Christ being in Him, fulfilling the mystery of God which He declared to His servants the prophets.

Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple [Christ Himself], and in three days I will raise it up.

Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

What is this, the greatest mystery of all time? Here it is:

Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Joh 14:20  At that day [the days of the voice of the seventh angel] ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

What this tells us is that we are in Christ, as all things are “in Him” (Act 14:22), but Christ is not really in us “till the seven plagues of the seven angels has been fulfilled” in our lives.

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

So now let us examine what begins to happen in the days of the seventh angel, when he begins to sound His seventh trumpet. Let’s examine what must be done before “the mystery of God, as He has declared by His servants the prophets”, can be finished us us,.

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

The “beginning of the sounding of the seventh angel” is these seven vials which “fill up the wrath of God.” These are the worst trials of our life as the first Adam, and they are poured out upon all of the ungodliness and unrighteousness that is within each of us. This is what is required to separate from us all of our heart’s idols and all of the pulls of the flesh which, until this point, have had the dominion over the throne of our hearts. That is why we are told in chapter fifteen, which is dedicated solely to the introduction of these seven angels with these seven vials, that the introduction of these angels with these vials is a “great and marvelous” event in our lives.

Rev 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.

Rev 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.

At this point we will begin to demonstrate that this entire “revelation of Jesus Christ” is to primarily and spiritually be understood only in its ‘is, was and will be’ nature as one whole prophecy which is to be kept within the lives of each of us.

Here we are finally arriving at “the days of the seventh angel, when he is beginning to sound his trumpet”, which trumpet is these “seven last plagues which fill up the wrath of God.” What does this tell us about the seven seals that are upon this prophecy of our walk? What does this tell us about the seven angels with the seven trumpets of the things we are to keep in the things written in the words of this prophecy? Let’s go back and notice just a few verses in the sixth seal which will help to open our eyes to what this entire revelation of Jesus Christ within us is all about:

Rev 6:12  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13  And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14  And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

If we were to take the time to look at the four horsemen of the first four seals upon this revelation of Christ within us, along with “the souls under the altar who were beheaded for the word of their testimony” and who comprise the fifth seal, we would see that they are nothing less than the judgments of God which lead “the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man” within us to “say to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

In other words, there is no possible way that the events of these seven seals were ever intended to be thought of as being anything other than judgments of “the great day of God’s wrath” upon our first Adam. The judgments of these seven seals are neither before nor after any of the events which we find in the events we are to keep which are opened up and revealed in the reading, hearing and keeping of the seven trumpets of the seven angels. Those seven trumpets, as a whole, are the seventh seal that is upon this book. Without the opening of that seventh seal, we cannot “read, hear or keep the things written therein”. So it is not possible to open the seventh seal without reading, hearing and keeping the sounding of the seventh trumpet.

Stated another way, we cannot, as all of orthodox Christianity wants us to believe, say that some men can enter into the temple of God in heaven without keeping the seventh trumpet with all of its plagues which simply must fill up the wrath of God on our stubborn and rebellious first man Adam, if we hope to “stand on the sea of glass mingled with fire, or enter into the temple of God in heaven.

Let’s take the time to see just how interconnected all of the seals, trumpets and vials of God’s wrath are. To make this clear we will display both the first trumpet and the first vial, side by side, and we will comment upon the fact that the work being accomplished in each of us is being accomplished upon the exact same object, and that object, in every trumpet and in every vial or bowl, while described each time in seven different terms, is all really just different symbols of what God is doing within each of us, to conform us to “the revelation of Jesus Christ”. Here are both the first trumpet and the first vial:

Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Now notice what is the object of the pouring out of the first vial.

Rev 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.

Notice that the object of both the first trumpet and the first plague which fill up the wrath of God, is “the earth”, which of course is us (Jer 22:9). Both are simultaneously working to conform us to the image of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. The trees and grass of the first trumpet, are simply a less severe trial than the noisome and grievous sore upon the men within us which had the mark of, and worshiped the image of the beast. Both the wrath of God and His judgments are working in us for that one and same end.

Now let’s look at the second trumpet and the second vial and see what they might have in common. First, the second trumpet:

Rev 8:8  And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
Rev 8:9  And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

Now the second vial:

Rev 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.

The mention of “the third part” in both the first and the second trumpets, tells all with eyes to see, that these words are speaking of the process of judgment within us:

Rev 8:6  And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
Rev 8:8  And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
Rev 8:9  And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

The ‘fire’ of the first trumpet and the ‘fire’ of the second trumpet both signify the work of our Lord’s ‘fiery words’ in the mouths of His messengers, His angels:

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

It is the Lord’s fiery words which will judge and save “every man”:

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Our old man is not saved, yet it is through his judgment and destruction that our new man is saved; “yet so as by fire”.

In the first trumpet and the first vial that judgment is upon our earth. In the second trumpet and the second vial it is upon the sea as the symbol of the body of our flesh, out of which comes “the blood of a dead man”, which “dead” man is called “creatures… in the sea” in the second trumpet.

Mat 8:21  And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Mat 8:22  But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

The fact that the object of both the trumpets and the vials are exactly the same, corresponding to their number, is not a coincidence. We will see that this holds true for all of the seven trumpets and all of the seven vials. What does this mean? It means that the seals, trumpets and vials are one and all expressions of God’s wrath upon the hardhearted and stubborn beast we all are as that “first man Adam” (1Co 15:45-47). The fact that the trumpets and the vials are judgments of the exact same thing means that they are all essential prerequisites to finishing the mystery of God within us, revealing who has been granted the patience of the saints, the gift of keeping the commandments and the gift of the ability to keep the commandments through the faith of Jesus (Rev 14:12). It is only those who are granted the strength to endure these trials who are given the honor of standing on that sea of glass, having the harps of God and being given the privilege of  entering into the temple of God in heaven.

The solemn significance of the seventh seal which is the seven trumpets is emphasized by being introduced with ‘silence in heaven for the space of half and hour’:

Rev 8:1  And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
Rev 8:2  And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

The enormous significance of the seventh trumpet is indicated with these words:

Rev 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.
Rev 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

The fact that there are three sets of seven – seven seals, seven trumpets and seven vials, for the one who is given eyes that see and ears that hear, is “the acknowledgment of the mystery of God” and His ability to finish the process of His judgment which He has begun in each of us:

Col 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

It is these seven last plagues of the wrath of God which begins to finish this “mystery of God”:

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh [trumpet] angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

It is only the rebellious flesh of our old man who is terrified by the words of this prophecy. To our new man these are words of comfort from the God of all comfort:

Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Joh 14:19  Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

2Co 1:3  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Summary

What we have learned in this study is that the seven seals, the seven trumpets and the seven plagues, are all one single is, was and will be work of God’s judgment upon our old man who, as “the first man Adam”, is also called“the earth” with its “sea and fountains of water” within us.

We have seen that “the earth” in scripture symbolizes Adam and all who are in him. We have seen that it is we, as God’s elect, who as “the earth”, including the sea and the fountains of waters, are those upon whom all these last plagues begin to be poured, before we can enter into the temple of God in heaven.

We have seen that the “great voice out of the temple” is “Christ in us” preparing our hearts through His fiery judgments, to take up His permanent residency as He is destroying our old “man of sin… with the brightness of His coming” (2Th 2:3-8).

We have seen that Christ has sent us just as His Father sent Him, to be the saviors of this world by living His life within us, and by suffering as He suffered. As such we have seen that we are these seven angels who pour out these seven plagues at the behest of Christ who is doing His judging of us within us.

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

We have seen that these seven angels reveal to us, both the judgment of the great harlot within us as well as “showing us the bride the Lamb’s wife”.

Rev 21:9  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
Rev 21:10  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Next study, Lord willing, we will see this is, was and will be character of these words continue to be demonstrated as we witness the striking correlation between the seven trumpets and the seven plagues of the seven angels. Here are the next two plagues:

Rev 16:4  And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
Rev 16:5  And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
Rev 16:6  For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Rev 16:7  And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous [are] thy judgments.
Rev 16:8  And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
Rev 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.

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Rev 15:1-4 Angels With The Seven Last Plagues

[Study Aired March 2, 2025]

Rev 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.
Rev 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, [and] over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
Rev 15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
Rev 15:4  Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Introduction

This fifteenth chapter of the book of Revelation is only 8 verses long and is essentially nothing more than the introduction to the sounding of the seventh trumpet which we are told is ‘great and marvellous’ because of the importance which scripture places upon this event within our lives. It consists of the pouring out of the “seven vials” or the seven bowls of the seven last plagues. This trumpet is part of a complete sounding of the trumpet which is called “seven trumpets”, and it cannot be considered apart from the other six trumpets. To separate this trumpet from the others would be like saying the first six vials of God’s wrath are for most people, but the seventh is only for the really wicked. Or ‘the first six seals are for most people but the seventh seal is only for the extremely wicked.’ God’s word is never to be handled in that way. We live by it all (Mat 4:4), and it is all for ‘he that reads, hears and keeps the things written therein’ (Rev 1:3). So these seven last plagues are brought into our spiritual view by “seven angels”, or messengers, and the very fact that the spirit has inspired the use of the number ‘seven’ tells us that if our understanding is to be complete, then every word is to be kept by those who are given to ‘read, and hear and keep what is written here’.

So we are about to finally discover what happens “in the days of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound…” We are about to discover what must take place before “the mystery of God [which is “Christ in you” (Col 1:27)] should be finished” within us. Here it is again:

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Once again, we are reminded in verses 3 and 4 of this fifteenth chapter of Revelation, that these seven last plagues are the “works… ways… and manifest… judgments of our Lord”, and in 1Peter 4:17 we are told that God’s judgments “first begin with us”.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

We know this is all “within” us because we are told that Christ is come to judge this world, and we are told that His coming is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” We are even told what qualifies him to judge this world within us:

Joh 5:25  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they [the dead] that hear shall live.
Joh 5:26  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
Joh 5:27  And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

There it is. That is the qualification for those who will “execute judgment.” They must all be “the son of man”. “The hour now is that the dead hear the voice of the Son of God”, and that ability to “hear the voice of the Son of God”, and to understand “the mystery of God… is made manifest [only] to His saints”.

Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

If we forget that it is the sounding of the trumpet of this seventh angel in our lives which facilitates the “finishing of the mystery of God” within us, then we will never realize the finishing of that work in our lives. If we deny that the sounding of the trumpet of this seventh angel with his “seven last plagues of the wrath of God” has anything to do with the finishing of the mystery of God in our lives, then “we will be judged out of our own mouth”, and we will never “enter into the temple” of God, until “the seven plagues of the seven angels is fulfilled” (Verse 8).

Rev 15:8  And the temple [“which temple ye are” (1Co 3:16-17)] was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Luk 19:22  And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book

So these seven plagues are going to be fulfilled in the lives of “every man” who has ever lived, and we are plainly told that it is a bitter experience for us all. Here are the verses from chapter ten which follow verse seven, and which tell us of the bitterness of having to “keep… every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”.

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Rev 10:8  And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
Rev 10:11  And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

As we have demonstrated, it is “the Israel of God”, including Gentile Galatians (Gal 6:15-16), who are “redeemed from every nation…” (Rev 5:9). We all rejoice to learn the truths we are learning. These wonderful truths are sweet in our mouths as we first hear and learn about them. But here is what happens when we “eat this book”:

Eze 2:3  And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
Eze 2:4  For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 2:5  And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
Eze 2:6  And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
Eze 2:7  And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
Eze 2:8  But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth,and eat that I give thee.
Eze 2:9  And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
Eze 2:10  And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe. [“the seven plagues of the seven angels”]

It is when we discover that we are required to “prophesy before many people” and live out these words in our lives that we all end up praying this prayer:

Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

We will one and all “eat this book”, and in doing so, we will “fulfill the seven plagues of the seven angels” in our own lives. It is at our own peril that we think we can eat all but “the seven plagues of the seven angels”. We will eat this entire book, including the seven last plagues. It will either be while we live in these vessels of clay, or they will be fulfilled in our lives as resurrected spirit bodies in a place called “the lake of fire”. In the end, “the mystery which has been hid from ages and generations” will be fulfilled and realized in “every man”, and “every man” will experience that same “one event” which we have referenced so many times in Ecc 9:2.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Now let’s remind ourselves what that “mystery of God, which He declared to His servants the prophets” really is. Here are the scriptures:

Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

Col 1:28 is the fulfillment of Rev 10:9-11. Let’s read it again:

Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
Rev 10:11  And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

“Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings”. It is this commission, to be a faithful witness to the words of this prophecy, which is an integral part of the experience of the seven vials of the seven angels, and the “finishing of the mystery of God” and the birth of “Christ in you”.

So “every man will be presented perfect in Christ Jesus” in his own time, and “every man” will, at his own appointed time, “enter into the temple, when the seven plagues of the seven angels are fulfilled” in his life. So there really is but “one event… which comes alike to all men”. All of “man[kind really] shall… live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, and “all things [really] are ours, things present and things to come”, and “every day we live [really] was written in God’s book before any of them ever were.”

Psa 139:16  Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. (NASB)

Ecc 9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

With this Truth firmly in place, let’s begin our study of “the words written in this book” which we are instructed from the beginning of this prophecy to read, hear and keep (Rev 1:3).

Rev 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.

Here we are again plainly told that these seven angels with these seven last plagues are a “sign in heaven”. What does that mean? We will not again go through all the scriptures which demonstrate that “heaven” is the spiritual place of God’s dwelling within the hearts and minds of His saints. We have already demonstrated this to be what the scriptures teach. What we are being told that is “great and marvellous” is that these seven angels with these seven last plagues upon us and upon our lives, are a sign to God’s elect which prepares our hearts for the fulfilling of these plagues within the hearts and minds of every man who will ever enter into the temple of God. Paul tells us the same thing in these words:

2Th 1:3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
2Th 1:4  So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

Now look at what Paul reveals that “all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure” are. This is what our  sufferings in His body is all about:

2Th 1:5  Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

That is the purpose of these “seven last plagues” and that is why are we told that they are a “great and marvellous sign” in [our] heavens! That is the purpose for all of God’s wrath upon our “ungodliness and unrighteousness”:

Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Rom 1:18  For [Greek: gar, because] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

“The just shall live by faith because the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…” That wrath of God, is first revealed against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of those who are chosen to become “the house of God”, and that chastening fire is just as hot and burning against our ungodliness and unrighteousness as it is against those who are predestined to be in that lake of fire. There is “one event to all”.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

1Pe 4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Fiery trials are called “fiery” because they are painful. “Fiery trials” and “great earthquakes” are both symbols of how God speaks to and judges the ungodliness and unrighteousness within us. Both are “plagues” upon our weak, flesh and blood, “shapen in iniquity, conceived in sin” bodies.

Why are these plagues called the “last plagues”? The answer is clear. We are told that they are “the manifest judgments of God” (Rev 15:4), and we are told “for in them is filled up the wrath of God.” They are “last” because they are those experiences in our lives which are required to finally finish and “fill up the wrath of God… against our ungodliness and unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18). In other words, these are the experiences which are timed to be so earth-shaking and so severe as to change us from within, in our hearts.

Rev 16:18  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.

At this point we need to ask, is God’s wrath only against certain evil people whose sins are so egregious that they deserve God’s wrath, whereas others are not? That is exactly what Job’s “miserable comforters” thought about Job:

Job 22:1  Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Job 22:2  Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
Job 22:3  Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
Job 22:4  Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
Job 22:5  Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
Job 22:6  For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
Job 22:7  Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Job 22:8  But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
Job 22:9  Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Job 22:10  Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;

The story of Job signifies the story of the Lord’s rejected and despised elect. The experiencing of God’s wrath is something which, in the Lord’s own time, becomes common to all men. That is what the scriptures teach about this seventh trumpet which “fills up the wrath of God”.  There really is just “one event [that is common] to all men”.  It is the Lord’s elect who are intended to be the first to “read, hear, and keep the things written in this book”, and that includes the seven last plagues of the wrath of God which is this seventh trumpet.  We cannot say that we are to see ourselves as sinners in need of a Savior and perhaps in need of some chastening from our heavenly Father, but never once in need of experiencing His wrath against us.

Do we ever need to experience His wrath? The answer to that question is to simply ask if you or I have ever “held the truth in unrighteousness”?

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Have you ever been ungodly or unrighteous? Have you ever been an unbeliever? Have you ever taught anything contrary to the truth, while at the same time claiming to be a teacher of and a witness for the Truth? If you have ever done any of these things, and we all have (Rom 7:17-21, Psa 51:5), then this is the Truth concerning God’s wrath as it relates to each of us:

Joh 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath [Greek: orge] of God abideth on him.

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened [given life], who were dead in trespasses and sins [did not believe];
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath [Greek: orge], even as others.

Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6  For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

According to the apostle Paul, we have all been “the children of wrath” and “the children of disobedience” and were all “dead in trespasses and sins… held the truth in unrighteousness, and are chief of sinners” before we were “given life in Christ Jesus”.

1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Is this simply a rhetorical statement by the apostle Paul? Or is this not how we are all to come to view ourselves? There are those who contend that God’s wrath is never poured out upon his elect. God’s elect, they contend, are somehow raptured away, or in some way protected from and never, ever exposed to the wrath of God. The whole orthodox Christian world quotes 1Th 5:9 as proof that God has promised to keep his elect from ever having to endure or experience His wrath which is being discussed here in Rev 15-16. Let’s look at that verse and see if it really does guarantee that God’s elect never have and never will endure His wrath upon their ungodliness or unrighteousness. Here is 1Th 5:9:

1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath [Greek: orge], but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

It is pointed out by some that the Greek word translated ‘wrath’ in Rev 15:1 is ‘thumos’ and God’s ‘thumos’ wrath is said to be much more severe than God’s ‘orge’ wrath.

For those who make such a clamor and distinction between the Greek words ‘orge’, and ‘thumos’, it is interesting to note that the Greek here in 1Th 5:19, which is touted as proof that we are never to experience God’s wrath, is ‘orge’ and not ‘thumos’. But where in that verse are we told that we never have had and never will have God’s ‘thumos’ or his ‘orge’ wrath poured out upon our ungodliness and unrighteousness? One thing is very clear, there is nothing in 1Th 5:9 that states that God’s elect do not experience His ‘thumos’ wrath.

So is there really any Truth to the argument that the ‘thumos’ wrath of God is somehow disconnected from or different from the ‘orge’ wrath of God? To answer that question we need to remember what we read in the previous chapter of Revelation. Notice how these two Greek words are used in the same verse and are both experienced by all who receive the mark of the beast:

Rev 14:9  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,
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath [Greek: thumos] of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation [Greek: orge]; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

So the ‘thumos’ of God is poured out without dilution into the cup of His ‘orge’. This “cup of God’s ‘orge’, which is full of God’s ‘thumos’” is then drunk by “any man who has ever worshiped the beast and his image, and received his mark in his forehead, or in his hand”. That doctrine is in complete accord with all the rest of the New Testament writings on this subject. Notice who God’s thumos and orge are upon in the writings of the apostle Paul:

Rom 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath [Greek: orge] against the day of wrath [Greek: orge] and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
Rom 2:8  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation [Greek: thumos] and wrath [Greek: orge],
Rom 2:9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

So ‘indignation’ and ‘wrath’, ‘thumos’ and ‘orge’, are as closely associated as “tribulation and anguish”. Now since we know that “all things come alike to all” (Ecc 9:2) and since “all things present and things to come are ours” (1Co 3:21-22), and since God’s thumos and His orge are “upon every soul of man that does evil”, and since “all have sinned” (Rom 6:23), how can we not conclude that we do indeed “fulfill the seven plagues of the seven angels”, and that we “keep the things which are written” in this 15th and 16th chapters of Revelation?

As we pointed out earlier, Job is the Old Testament type of us as we endure these seven plagues which fill up the wrath of God against all of our “ungodliness and unrighteousness”. Just like every one of us, Job thought he was totally undeserving of God’s wrath upon his ungodliness and unrighteousness. Job considered himself to be anything but ungodly and unrighteous. If you have any doubt about that then please take the time to read Job 29. Job, just like each of us, despised the judgments of God in his life. Here is what Christ said to Job, in response to Job’s accusations against God’s “righteous judgments”:

Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
Job 40:9  Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
Job 40:10  Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.
Job 40:11  Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.
Job 40:12 Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
Job 40:13  Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.
Job 40:14  Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.

We will pause here and continue our study of our judgment by the seven angels with the seven last plagues in our next study.

Rev 12:10-13 – Part 2 – Now Is Come The Kingdom

[Study Aired Dec 22, 2024]

Rev 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

True to its “is, was and will be” nature, in this verse we again see ourselves both as those who “dwell in the heavens” as well as those who were once “inhabiters of the earth and of the sea… unbelievers, abiding in God’s wrath”. Paul makes clear that both parts of this verse are ours in Eph 2.

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:

… the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

By whom does the Lord try and tempt mankind?

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to them that love him.
Jas 1:13  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man:
Jas 1:14  but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. (ASV)

“Enticed” by whom? Who incites man to lust after the things which the Lord has forbidden? We need not guess.

Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Gen 3:2  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
Gen 3:3  But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Gen 3:6  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

By whom did the Lord try Job?

Job 1:6  Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
Job 1:7  And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Job 1:8  And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Job 1:9  Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Job 1:10  Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Job 1:11  But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 1:12  And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

“Put forth Thine hand” shows us that Satan is nothing more or less than a tool of our Lord to “create evil”, and to “work all things after the counsel of His own will.” Satan could not touch Job without the Lord’s direction to do so. Do we think this is an exception to the rule? It is not. This is the rule of Him “of whom are all things”, all the good and all the evil.

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Isa 45:6  That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and [there is] none else.
Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Who was “the Lord’s” instrument to tempt King David? It is in “the sum of God’s word [that we will find the] Truth”. When we add up “the sum of God’s word” in these two verses we find that the Lord used the same adversary to tempt King David that He used to tempt Adam and Eve and Job.

2Sa 24:1  And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

1Ch 21:1  And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

The result of this provocation was that 70,000 men died as “the anger of the Lord” was poured out on Israel through the agency of Satan, who, as “an evil angel, was sent among them” to tempt King David to number Israel.

Who was sent to tempt our Lord?

Mat 4:1  Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Mat 4:2  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Mat 4:3  And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

If we are “as He is in this world” would not we also be tempted by “the tempter… the devil?

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

How are the seven last plagues of God’s fierce wrath administered upon us all in our own time? Is it not the same for all? Here are the verses that answer both of those questions respectively:

Psa 78:49  He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

What does “All things come alike to all” mean? What that means is that “there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked”, that is what that means. That “one event” includes the seven last plagues of God’s wrath being pour out on the wicked and on the righteous alike, in the day when we are all “made wicked for the day of evil” which comes to us all alike, and in the day when mankind will live by those words which have proceeded out of the mouth of God.

Satan comes to us with great wrath, but as we have seen in Job, Satan is nothing more than “thy hand”, and like all of us, Satan has no wrath except as it is given Him from God:

Job 1:11  But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 1:12  And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

Joh 19:11  Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

Rom 13:1  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Let’s summarize what we have seen here: “the Lord Himself tempts no man…” Satan is specifically called “the tempter”, is called “God’s hand”, and God ‘casts the fierceness of His anger, wrath and indignation and trouble, by sending evil angels among us’. What does it all mean? What it all means is “… the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time”. That is why this chapter is placed between the introduction of the seventh trumpet in Rev 11, and the revelation that the seven plagues of the seventh trumpet fill up the wrath of God against our ungodliness and unrighteousness in chapter 16.

… because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

The scriptures reveal that the time of our trials really is nothing more than “a small moment” and “a little wrath”. I know from experience that what God calls “a small moment” seems like an eternity when it is being endured, but as the example of our Lord demonstrates, it is only after God has forsaken us for that “small moment” that we will be raised up to sit with Him in the heavens as He has been raised to sit with His Father in His throne in the heavens.

Isa 54:7  For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
Isa 54:8  In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:

Rev 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

Have you and I ever lived these “words which have proceeded out of the mouth of God [in this] revelation of Jesus Christ”?

Who among us has not felt defrauded, lied to, played for a fool and robbed of the fruit of our efforts by men who at best were deceived and in many cases were proven charlatans. And who among us has not to some degree been embittered when we discovered that all our lives have been wasted by a woman who is nothing more than a great harlot, who despises her true Husband and despises His words. Here is what Satan does in us to “the woman” at that moment, with the power he gives to the beast in the horns upon that beast:

Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Rev 17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

What we are being told here is that this woman who is bringing forth this manchild here in chapter 12, is the same harlot woman we discover here in chapter 17. Do you doubt that God’s “man child” comes out of “the woman which… is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth”? Here is the scripture which tells us from whence come the Lord’s people. Speaking of this same woman, we read this:

Rev 18:4  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.

As redundant as it is to do so, we must remind ourselves that the only way to avoid death is to first die, the only way to see is to first be blind, and the only way to be healed of our sickness is to first be sick.

Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40  And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

In like manner, if there is anything we should be learning about living by every word of God, all things being ours, and keeping the things written in this prophecy, is that the only way to come out of Babylon, is to be in Babylon. The only way to avoid partaking of her sins is to confess that we ourselves have been the chief of sinners, and the only way to avoid receiving of her plagues is to fulfill within ourselves the seven plagues of the seven angels.

1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

It is because the spirit of Babylon is still in us that we, as the ten horns on the beast, turn on the woman and “burn her with the fiery” words of God of which we, as carnal babes in Christ, have only recently become aware.

It is we who persecute the woman who brought forth the man child, and we do so as we are coming out of her, because the ten horns that burn her with fire are us as “carnal… babes in Christ” who, in our immaturity, are bitter toward a woman who has deceived us and has taken advantage of our ignorance.

Where do the beast and his ten horns get their power?

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

By giving the beast his power, it can rightly be said “when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child”.

Summary

We have seen that this twelfth chapter, as well as chapters 13, 14 and 15, are all introductory and preparatory chapters to the revelation of the seven plagues of the seventh trumpet, which was first mentioned in chapter 10.

Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

We have seen once again that when “the mystery of God is finished” we will finally realize that “all things come alike to all, that all things are ours, things present and things to come”, and that it is we who are instructed to “keep the things written in this book”. So we have seen that we are first the woman who brings forth this man child before we are made to become this man child who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron.

We have seen that “all the nations” within us must be subdued to the mind and thoughts of our Lord, before we will be found worthy to be in that blessed and holy first resurrection. We must “bring every thought into subjection to God” before we will be entrusted to rule the nations of this outward world or judge angels in the lake of fire.

We saw that our “strength and salvation” comes through our recognition that Christ died for our own sins, and through our testimony to that effect, and our willingness to die to the things of this world to obtain life in the next age.

We have seen that the “war in heaven” of this chapter is the same “warfare” spoken of by the apostle Paul in 2Co 10:4-5, and the “casting down of the accuser of our brothers” is nothing more or less than “the casting down of imaginations and every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” spoken of by Paul in these same verses.

2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

That is the “casting down of the accuser of our brothers.”

We saw the three different verses in the New Testament which specifically speak of “our Lord and His Christ”, and we saw that we are our Lord’s Christ, and the salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ is NOW. It is in down payment form through “the spirit of promise”, but nevertheless the salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God is ours here and now.

We saw that the strength we are given gives us power and dominion over the power of the dragon who gives our beast his power over us with all his sinful desires within us. We have seen that sin no longer has dominion over us, because God, through Christ in us, no longer imputes sin to us because we have “suffered in the flesh” with Him.

We have seen that the short time given the dragon to persecute the woman is the time he spends trying us, because we saw where Job reveals that Satan is nothing more or less than God’s own hand, to create the wicked man for the day of evil.

Job 1:11  But put forth thine hand now [Lord], and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 1:12  And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

We also saw that the wrath given to Satan to persecute the woman is the same wrath God gives Satan to pour out “the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels” among us because “these things are all ours”.

Psa 78:49  He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

Finally we saw that the dragon’s persecution of the woman is accomplished through us, as the ten horns who agree to give their power to the beast we are at that time and upon which the ten horns are found. We do this at the time we, as carnal babes in Christ, are coming out of Babylon, because we are not yet mature enough to appreciate the fact that all the lies and all the hypocrites of Babylon are nothing less than an integral part of “His wonderful works to the children of men”.

Next week, Lord willing we will finish this twelfth chapter and we will see what it means for this woman to be in the wilderness, and we will learn how the dragon goes about “casting water as a flood out of His mouth, to cause the woman to be carried away of the waters.” We will also see how the earth can help the woman by swallowing up the flood, and we will see what happens when the dragon is “wroth with the woman”.

Rev 12:14  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
Rev 12:15  And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
Rev 12:16  And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Rev 12:17  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Rev 12:10-13 – Part 1 – Now Is Come The Kingdom

[Study Aired Dec 20, 2024]

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Rev 12:11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Rev 12:12  Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Rev 12:13  And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man [child].

This carnal physical realm was created to be the enemy of God and God is a worthy opponent of this realm of corruption:

Exo 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Remember as we begin this study, that chapters 12-15 are all interjected, with good reason, between the introduction of the seventh trumpet and the revelation of what that seventh trumpet is. The reason these chapters follow the introduction of the seventh trumpet in:

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

…The reason is the seventh trumpet is the pouring out of the seven last plagues which fill up the wrath of God upon all of our ungodliness and sins, “and no man can enter into the temple of God until the seven plagues of the seven angels is being fulfilled” in that man’s life. Let us never forget that it is the overcomers who will “keep the things written in this book”. Chapters 12, 13, 14, and 15, are one and all concerned with and are an integral part of the seventh trumpet:

Rev 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.

These are called “the seven last plagues” because they fill up the wrath of God against all unrighteousness and ungodliness within each of us.

It is not given to the multitudes of Christianity to see and understand these mysteries of the kingdom of God. Keeping those mysteries hidden from the multitudes of Christianity is the very function of all of Christ’s parables:

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them [the multitudes] in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

How few it is who are given to see and understand that ‘all things come alike to all… all things present and to come are ours, and all of ‘man[kind] shall’… live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’:

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

In these verses concerning the woman and the manchild here in Revelation 12, the Lord is showing us to ourselves as we are when we first begin to realize that Babylon is not the true body of Christ as we were once led to believe it was. It is in these verses that we learn both to hate the doctrines of Babylon as the doctrines of the great harlot, and it is in these verses that we also come to realize that Babylon with all her false doctrines is still an essential and integral part of coming to be a part of the true body of Christ. But just as the law of Moses is so often mistaken for the law of God, so too, those who subscribe to that law of bondage are easily mistaken for the body of Christ. The Truth is that when we were in Babylon we hated the doctrines that Christ taught, doctrines like… “love thine enemies… turn the other cheek… resist not evil”, etc.

Here is a section of scripture which comes as a bombshell for anyone who is not aware that the titles of ‘believer’ and ‘disciple’ are not necessarily referring of a true ‘believer’ nor a true ‘disciple’ any more than the words ‘bread from heaven’ refers to the “true bread from heaven”.

Joh 8:30  As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33  They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed [‘We are Christians’], and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Joh 8:37  I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.[We reject His Doctrine]

Joh 6:30  They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
Joh 6:31  Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Joh 6:32  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

So chapters 12-15 are interjected between the introduction of the seventh trump and the revelation of the pouring out of the seven vials or bowls of God’s wrath, which are that seventh trumpet, in chapter 16, because we, as carnal babes in Christ, abide in God’s wrath as long as we “believe not” and as long as we act in any manner which demonstrates our lack of faith. These chapters show us what we are as we are shedding these vessels of clay through the process of decreasing our old man as Christ in us increases. This twelfth chapter also concerns the revelation of a great red dragon who is identified as our first spiritual father (Joh 8:44), “that old serpent the devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world”:

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44  Ye [Jews who believe on Me but do not do the things I say, Luk 6:46] are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

This chapter is also concerned with the woman who “brings forth a manchild who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron”. Therefore this chapter will involve both of those parts of our walk. We will see behind us that part of our walk which finds us as this woman, out of whom God’s elect, pictured by this “man child” must come, and then, Lord willing, we will see ourselves as this “man child” who is seated in the heavens in Christ.

Rev 18:4  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.

Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Is this ‘man child’ speaking of Christ Himself? Inasmuch as it is He who does the overcoming, and the ruling with a rod of iron through us… Yes. This “man child” signifies all of the Lord’s people who all “come out of her”… come out of Babylon.

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

But the emphasis here is on “Our Lord AND His Christ, because we are Christ’s Christ, and the word ‘Christ’ means ‘anointed’:

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

2Co 1:21  Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;

There are two verses which specifically tell us that we ‘uihos’, adult sons, who are presently seated with Christ in the heavens, and we will be “sitting with Christ in His throne”:

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

It is very instructive that even though we are told that the dragon seeks to devour the ‘man child… as soon as He is born’(Rev 12:4), the Greek word translated ‘child’ in Rev 12:5, is ‘uihos’, meaning a mature son, as opposed to the Greek word ‘nepios’, which means an infant or a toddler. This “man child” signifies the Lord’s elect who have matured to the point of being prepared to “rule all nations with a rod of iron”.

Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child [G5207. ‘uihos’], who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Here is who this ‘man child’ signifies:

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

We saw last week that the man child who comes out of the woman is “caught up to God and to His throne, while the woman herself, who brings Him forth, flees into the wilderness where she has a place “prepared of God” where she is “fed of God” for 1,260 days, or three and one half years. Those who are not “seated with Christ in the heavens” (Eph 2:6), are of necessity being “fed of God” in a “place prepared for them” with “manna from heaven” which is “not that true bread from heaven”, but is rather bread from God which does not give life, but which does produce “carnal… babes in Christ”:

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

The Lord loves and provides for both the righteous and the wicked:

Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Here is why the woman who brought forth the man child is not caught up unto God and to His throne with the manchild who came out of her:

Num 14:22  Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;

This ‘woman’ signifies the unfaithful wife of our Lord and this is what she does within us even as He is in the process of delivering us from our own bondage to sin:

Hos 11:1  When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Hos 11:2  As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

The woman being taken to the wilderness signifies us as we rebel against our husband, Christ. Yet that rebellious part of our walk is as much a work of God as our coming out of her and becoming her man child and being caught up to God and to His throne.

“All things are of God”:

1Co 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

Four times in the first four verses of 1Co 3, we are taught that there is such a thing as “carnal… babes in Christ” and as always, these are words which we each must be the first to live and keep, before we are capable of becoming mature sons of God, a man child [G5207, ‘uihos’, a mature son]. No one who is “under the law” is a spiritually mature son:

Gal 4:1  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child [G3516, ‘nepios’, an immature toddler], differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

There is only one set of “statutes… and judgments” given by God to Israel in the Old Testament, and according to Christ they were not “the true bread from heaven” (Joh 6:32). Peter calls those statutes and judgments “a yoke which neither we nor our parents could bear”.

Act 15:10  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

Paul in the very next verse of Galatian 4 is so bold as to call them “bondage under the [weak and beggarly, vrs 9-10] elements of the world”

Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

It is with good reason that the woman is not “caught up to God and to His throne.” There is a very big difference between being in the wilderness, in “a place prepared of God”, and being seated with Christ in the heavens. The story of Israel coming up out of Egypt is a forerunner of us coming up out of Babylon, thinking that being Abraham’s spiritual seed makes us immediate spiritual adults, while in reality we are still spiritually “children… in bondage under the elements of the world”. Here is what we all first do according to Hosea, and here is what we must do according to the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Hos 11:1  When Israel [was] a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Hos 11:2  [As] they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

Rev 12:5  And she [the carnal “church in the wilderness”, Act 7:38] brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Rev 12:6  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Rev 18:4  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.

None of this will ever make any sense to us until we learn that it “is all ours, things present and things to come… every word… of the things written therein”. It is our own “old man” who is consumed by God’s wrath, and it is our infidelity and forsaking of our God as our rightful husband, which made us the harlot we once were, while we were still “in the wilderness”. It is while we are “in the wilderness” that we are still struggling against all the false doctrines instilled in us while we were in Egypt, the forerunner of Babylon. While this wilderness experience is where we learn how to approach God and how to worship Him, it is also where we rebel against Him ten times, and it is “in the wilderness” that we “abide in His wrath”and we begin to experience the pouring out of His wrath upon our sins and our “ten rebellions”.

Num 14:22  Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
Num 14:23  Surely they [our own ‘old man’] shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:

Exo 32:10  Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

2Ki 22:17  Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.

We are in no condition to be fighting a “war in the heavens” while we are yet in the wilderness. This is all given us, in type, in the account of Israel’s rebellions against God even as He was calling them out of Egypt.

Hos 11:1  When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Hos 11:2  As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

The only child who has never rebelled against His Father is Christ:

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

The adversary makes certain that the Lord is aware of this fact:

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

In this verse we have gone past God’s wrath and we no longer abide in it (Joh 3:36). This is one of three verses in the New Testament where we see this phrase “the Lord and His Christ”.

Act 4:26  The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

“The casting down of the accuser of our brothers which accused them day and night” signifies that we have at long last been given the dominion over sin in our lives.

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Rom 6:18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

But as the story of King David demonstrates, the ‘sword’ of the Lord’s chastening grace will always be in our house. After being given the throne of Israel, King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, and murdered her husband to cover up his adultery and the Lord chastened and scourged him all “for our admonition” (1Co 10:11). That all happened to King David “and it is written for our admonition”, to show us that His chastening hand will minister to us, even as those who are seated with Christ on His throne in heaven (Eph 2:6). When we need God’s chastening, it will always be there, and the pain of that chastening will always bless us. It is because He loves us that the sword of His word will never depart from us even after we are no longer “abiding in His wrath”.

2Sa 12:10  Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

Psa 118:23  This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

Joh 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Until we can see ourselves as “chief of sinners”, no better than a Pharisee who looks down on the publican, we will never understand what the Lord meant by telling us that “man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Mat 4:4 and Luk 4:4). The few chosen will be those who acknowledge that even after being placed on the throne of Israel, they can and will commit sins which will demonstrate that “all things are theirs, things present and things to come, all are theirs” (1Co 3:21).

But in this verse of Rev 12 we have gone beyond abiding in God’s wrath, and have been given salvation, strength and a kingdom. The “inheritance… of the purchased possession” is yet to come, but we are already an older son, and we have been granted strength and have been given dominion over sin in our lives.

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

What does “free from sin” mean? Does it mean we are no longer in corruptible flesh? Absolutely not, and yet we can truly claim that “sin no longer has dominion” over us because:

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

That is what “ceased from sin” means, and the Lord knows those who have “suffered in the flesh… for His name’s sake”. That is those who are always being “accused by the accuser of our brothers”, the great red dragon. It is out of their heavens that the great dragon has been expelled, and they are now free to serve their God and to suffer with their Lord as He carries on “His wonderful works to the children of men”.

Psa 107:24  These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Psa 107:31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

The “they” of this verse is the Lord’s Christ, and the “him” of this verse is the great red dragon, that old serpent called the devil and Satan.

This has nothing at all to do with physical warfare, and all who take up a physical sword have at that moment lost any hope of overcoming their enemy. The weapons of the Lord’s Christ are not carnal, but are powerful to the “pulling down of strong holds” which no physical sword can reach.

2Co 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2Co 10:6  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

“The power of the Christ of our God” by which they overcome the great red dragon and cast him out of heaven is “by the word of their testimony”, and by the fact that they value spiritual life over this physical life. “They loved not their lives unto death” tells us that Christ’s Christ is willing to die with Him instead of spitting on His doctrine while claiming to be fighting for Him.

Mat 26:51 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.
Mat 26:52  Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

“All they that take the [physical] sword shall perish with the sword”, which proceeds from the mouth of the Lamb.

Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Rev 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Rev 19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

This is the sword that will outlive and destroy every other sword which comes against it. This is the weapon of choice of our Lord with which He wages war.

Exo 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

We will pause here and continue our study of the spiritual significance of this woman and her man child son in our next study.

Rev 11:15-19, Part 2 – The Seventh Trumpet

Now Is Come Salvation

[Study Aired Nov 15, 2024]

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Rev 11:16  And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 11:17  Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Rev 11:18  And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great;   and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Rev 11:19  And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

In our last study we took note of the fact that the seventh trumpet is the only event among all the seven seals, all the seven trumpets, and all seven vials, which does not immediately describe the actions which this trumpet produces. Notice how this seventh trumpet, unlike any of the other six trumpets, is first alluded to in chapter 10:

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Rev 10:8  And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
Rev 10:11  And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

We are told that this trumpet eventually fulfills the mystery of God, but the same verse 7 of chapter 10 also reveals that this seventh trumpet is a process which requires a certain number of days to be fulfilled.

In chapter 11 we are actually given the fruit which is produced by this seventh trumpet… “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ”, but before the kingdoms of this world can become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ, it is revealed that a “manchild”, who was “to rule the nations with a rod of iron” must first be born of a harlot woman, which ‘woman’ was to spend “a thousand two hundred and sixty days in the wilderness, while her “manchild” was caught up unto God and His throne”.

Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Rev 12:6  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

But before that manchild can become mature he must first come to see himself as the beast of Revelation 13, which arises up out of the sea of all flesh. He then matures into “a second beast with two horns like a lamb, but which speaks as a dragon:

Rev 13:11  And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12  And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

“The earth and them that dwell therein” includes you and me and all the rest of mankind:

Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18  Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Three sixes is not the number of “a man”. There is no article in the Greek. The Greek simply reads…”it is the number of anthropos…” and ‘anthropos’ is the Greek word for ‘mankind’. Mankind’s creation began on the sixth day along with all the rest of the beasts of this earth. Consequently ‘mankind’ has been branded with the number six, signifying his incomplete state ever since the beginning of his creation:

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

Being ‘incomplete’, which is the spiritual significance of the number ‘6’, mankind is universally afflicted with the false doctrine of “free will”. Mankind is therefore incapable of understanding that he must be brought to “cease from his own works as God did from His”, before he can “enter into the Lord’s rest” and thereby become complete, which is the spiritual significance of the number seven:

Heb 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Heb 4:4  For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Heb 4:5  And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:6  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Heb 4:7  Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8  For if Jesus [Joshua] had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

The thirteenth chapter of Revelation reveals that the Lord’s Christ must come to see himself as an incomplete and hopeless beast before he can enter into the Lord’s rest and be complete in the Lord, who is in the process of making man in His image. But there is chapters 14 and 15 still to be revealed to the Lord’s elect before he can enter into His rest.

Revelation 14 begins with a snapshot of the completed product, 144,000, of “the firstfruits unto God and the  Lamb:

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
Rev 14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault [they are the complete and finished product] before the throne of God.

However, mankind cannot be completed by the work of this all important seventh trumpet, until he has been judged, because God’s judgments, whether in this age or in the great white throne judgment, always teach men to become righteous:

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

To that end, Revelation 14 tells us of the work of the three angels ‘flying in the midst of our heavens’. ‘Three’ signifies the process of being judged.

These three spirits are working our judgment in our heavens. The first angel brings the gospel to us. That good news includes the fact that “the hour of His judgment is come” upon us. The second angel destroys the very foundations of Babylon in our lives, and the third angel’s work is to pour out the seven last plagues which fill up the wrath of God upon us, and to torment the Lord’s very elect with the fire and brimstone which is His Word and His doctrines. That torment and judgment takes place “in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of The Lamb”. The work of this third angel causes the smoke of our torment to ascend up for the eons of the eons giving us no rest day nor night while there is any tendency at all to worship the beast and his image within us:

Rev 14:9  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, [Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:]
Rev 14:10  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:
Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

The work of the third and final angel concludes with these words, which let us know exactly to whom these words are addressed:

Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rev 14:13  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

The point that is being made is the imminence of the work of this seventh trumpet. “NOW is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ”.

This inheritance is all ours even now but only in down payment form.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest [the downpayment] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Mat 24:32  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

For all who are “found worthy” to be in that blessed and holy first resurrection, this kingdom and this reign is now. “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” (Rev 12:10)

The judgment of Revelation 14 is the judgment of “the very elect” and it is the product of the pouring out of the seven last plagues of the Lord’s wrath upon the kingdom of the beast within the Lord’s elect which is described in great detail in Revelation 15-16. That ‘wrath of God’ is His judgment which transforms the beast within the Lord’s elect into the four beasts and the four and twenty elders of Revelation four and five.

Where are the four and twenty elders?

Rev 11:16  And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

When we know what the four beasts and the four and twenty elders symbolize, we need not to even ask that question, because the four beasts and the four and twenty elders symbolize one and the same thing. Asking ‘where are the four beasts’ is like asking ‘what happened to the seven cows’ of Pharaoh’s dream, while discussing the the seven ears of corn. The cows and the corn are both symbols of the one point that is being made. There will be seven years of plenty, to be followed by seven years of famine.

Gen 41:25  And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

So too, the beasts and the elders are one. The seven angels and the seven priests are one, and in this entire prophecy God is showing us what the Lord is about to do.

Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

And what is God about to do? It is the very next verse, and it is to be “read… heard… and kept, for the time is at hand”.

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Christ has “given us a kingdom” just as His Father has given Him a kingdom, and like Him we are to “reign on the earth… for the time is at hand.” “Every creature in heaven and on earth” will worship God, and the four beasts do so continually.

Rev 4:8  And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Those who have been given “eyes within” know that the four beasts are always worshiping God

Rev 19:4  And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

But when is this worship emphasized and made especially evident? It is especially evident at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, when the kingdoms of this world “within” is seen by those who are “full of eyes within” to fall and “become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ”.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

What a wonderful day that is when the conquering king takes control of His own rightful kingdom which has been in the hands of wicked husbandmen for so long. Everyone will, in their own time, bow their knee and confess that our Lord is Lord over the man of sin “to the glory of God”.

Rom 14:11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Every part of our being rejoices at the time of this great event.

Rev 5:13  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

God’s wrath is, was, and will come before the dead are judged

Rev 11:17  Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Rev 11:18  And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

How few it is that realize that they are born and live their lives under the wrath of God until the day they believe on Christ. If “the time of the dead that they should be judged” means the resurrection that immediately precedes the millennium, and you do not experience the death and resurrection which is the revelation of Jesus Christ here and now, then you will not be in that resurrection that immediately precedes the millennium, and you will not be one of the priests and kings who will rule with Christ over the kingdoms of this world.

Joh 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

This truth is demonstrated with two verses of scripture. It is a rare person who even sees the apparent contradiction between these two verses of God’s Word.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

It is “in judgment” that God pours out His wrath upon all of our ungodliness and unrighteousness. Let’s read it again: “keep the things that are written therein, for the time is at hand… and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged…” (Rev 11:18).

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Death must precede judgment. Only those who are “full of eyes within” can even begin to see that those who “are appointed once to die and then be judged” are us. It is we who are the first to die to our old man through the judgment of our old man, and that dying and that judgment has begun at the house of God and we must “die daily” and be crucified with Christ daily:

1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

It is we who are “crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20), and it is we who are “buried with Him in baptism” (Rom 6:3-4), even as we live and are being judged in these dying “earthen vessels”.

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

The ‘world’ that is within us and the ‘world’ that is without us are both bent on the destruction of “the seed of the woman”,  (Rev 12:5). There are many other titles given to the “seed of the woman” who is also called “a manchild who is to rule the world with a rod of iron”, but they are all titles of “the very elect” of God.

Rev 12:4  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

While God is in the process of destroying our old Adam by replacing him with a “New Adam” who is called “the last Adam”, it is not our prerogative to “destroy the earth”. That is a task that has been delegated to those who are called ‘the seed of the serpent’ and are said by our Lord to be “of their Father the devil”.

Gen 3:14  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Who is it that our Lord says will bruise His heel? Who is it that seeks to destroy the manchild as soon as he is born? It is each of us when we are “those Jews which believe on Christ, but are still “of our Father the devil”.

Joh 8:30  As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33  They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:40  But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

This is us when we were “of our father the devil”, even as we thought we “believed on Christ”. This is us when our “man of sin” is standing in the temple of God proclaiming himself to be God. This is us as the wrath of God is being poured out upon our ungodliness and unrighteousness and we are made to admit that “I am the man” (2Sa 12:7). This is us when we come to see that “Them that destroy the earth” are those who are seeking the life of our Lord Himself.

Rev 11:18  And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

What is found within the ark of His covenant?

Rev 11:19  And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

These are the closing words of the introduction of the seventh trumpet. “The temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in his temple the ark of His testament.”

What was in the ark in the temple of God? Here is the first and the last account of the contents of what “was seen in His temple [in] the ark of His testament”.

Deu 10:5  And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.

1Ki 8:9  There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

Within the ark of the covenant was the law of God. That was the basis upon which the covenant was contracted. Israel contracted with God to keep His laws, and our Lord agreed to be their God. That is the same way we are married to our Lord today. That is how we become His bride. We agree to “do the things He says… and fulfill the law of Christ”. If we don’t do the things He says, then we are not His wife, and He is not our Lord.

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

That is what is meant by “there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament”. If we have our Lord living within us, then we will be doing the things He says and we will be doing “the will of our Father which is in heaven”. It is “the things which He says” which are the “lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake”. It is “the things which He says” which are the “great hail” which will “sweep away the refuge of lies”.

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

Summary

We have seen that “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ” is primarily to be understood as first happening within, as the image we are is destroyed by Christ as we decrease daily and He increases daily within us.

We have seen that “our Lord and His Christ” is speaking of us as those who are anointed of and are sent out by Christ, just as He was anointed of and sent out by His Father to save this world.

We have demonstrated that the four beasts and the four and twenty elders are one and the same symbol of God’s elect, just as the cows and corn both meant the same thing in Pharaoh’s dreams. Thus, when we are told that the four and twenty elders fall down and worship God when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, we are being told that the four beasts also fall down and worship our Lord and our God.

We have seen that it is God’s Word which is the fire of His wrath which is, was and will be poured out upon all of our ungodliness and unrighteousness, and we saw that this is all being announced and being done even as we are beginning to take the land away from the giants who have for so long dominated our land. This is the significance of the imminent judgment in every generation which is this seventh trumpet, which has already begun to take the kingdom of this world and “by little and by little” transform it into the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ.

Finally, we saw that this is all accomplished by the Words of our Lord being within us and destroying by its great ‘heat’ all that can be burned out of us, as we learn to “do the things that our Lord says”.

Next week, Lord willing, we will begin to see what we are given to understand in the first of the four chapters which separate this introduction of this seventh trumpet from the chapter which reveals to us the exact nature of the judgments of the seven last plagues of this seventh trumpet. It will be the beginning of chapter twelve, concerning the woman, the manchild she is prophesied to bring forth, and the dragon who is right there seeking to destroy that manchild.

Rev 10:5-11-Part 3- The Connection Between The little Book And The 7 Thunders  

[Study Aired Sept 29, 2024]

In this study we will consider why the seven thunders are placed where they are right after introducing the little book:

Rev 10:1  And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
Rev 10:2  And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
Rev 10:3  And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
Rev 10:4  And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

6) What is the connection between this “little book” and the seven thunders which are sealed up and not written?

This little book is introduced to us just before the seven thunders utter their voices. We saw that John, the type and symbol of God’s elect, heard the voices of the seven thunders and “was about to write” what he had heard. If this little book signifies Christ and His Words working their fiery work of judgment within us, if John is the symbol of us and Christ in us being judged in this present time, and if thunder typifies the wrath of God upon the unrighteousness of those who are in the process of becoming His elect, then the connection between the revelation of this little book and the seven thunders, is the revelation of the work of Christ’s Words upon all that is within us which is contrary to those Words of Christ. While we are not given any specifics, which is the meaning of the words “write them not”, we are given to know what those seven judgments entail because the only thing the scriptures tell us is withheld from us, is “what tomorrow holds” and “the day and hour” of Christ’s appearing:

Mat 24:36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Mar 13:32  But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Seal up the seven thunders

7) What is it that has been “sealed up and are not written”? What exactly is thunder? Exactly what is it that we are not being allowed to know?

The only other thing, besides the time of Christ’s appearing, which the scriptures tell us we do not know is exactly what will happen to us in the immediate future… “the morrow”:

Jas 4:13  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
Jas 4:14  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Jas 4:15  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
Jas 4:16  But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

We saw that ‘thunder’ symbolizes the wrath of God, on all that withstands His Word and His Work.

Psa 18:7  Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
Psa 18:8  There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

Psa 18:13  The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

We saw that the Lord withholds nothing good from His elect.

Psa 34:10  The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

We know that what the seven thunders uttered did not concern the overall plan and “counsel of God”:

Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

We also saw that it is just after telling us that the thunder of God’s wrath will destroy all that is contrary to His Words within us, we are told that “the secret things belong to God”.

Deu 29:24  Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?
Deu 29:25  Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt:
Deu 29:26  For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them:
Deu 29:27  And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book:
Deu 29:28  And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as [it is] this day.
Deu 29:29  The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Compare those words of Deu 29 with these words of Rev 10.

Rev 10:2  And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
Rev 10:3  And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
Rev 10:4  And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

Since we are told that we will not be given more than we can bear, it is obvious that what the seven thunders utter is “the secret things” which belong to God, concerning whatever lies ahead of us which we are not, at this moment, able to bear.

Joh 16:4  But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.
Joh 16:5  But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
Joh 16:6  But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Joh 16:9  Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Joh 16:10  Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Joh 16:11  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

“But ye cannot bear then now” is the answer to the spiritual significance of the “write them not” part of the seven judgment trumpets. It is in the Lord’s great mercy upon us that we are not given to know the details of the seven trumpet judgments. But there is a connection between the seven trumpet judgments and the contents of the little book. That is why they are mentioned in the same context. While we are not given the specifics of the contents of the seven thunder judgments, we are given to know the counsel of God concerning what is in that little book and how the scriptures describe the Lord’s judgments upon the kingdom of our old man within us. This is the general content of what is written in that little book which is so sweet in our mouths and so bitter in our bellies:

Eze 2:9  And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
Eze 2:10  And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

There were no chapter breaks in the original Hebrew manuscripts, and these are the very next words here in Ezekiel:

Eze 3:1  Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.
Eze 3:2  So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.
Eze 3:3  And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
Eze 3:4  And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.

Speaking The Truth is a sweet experience but the consequences of speaking The Truth is a revolutionary and bitter experience in our belly both in Ezekiel and in Revelation:

Eze 3:10  Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.
Eze 3:11  And go, get thee to them of the captivity [in Babylon], unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.
Eze 3:12  Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place.
Eze 3:13  I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.
Eze 3:14  So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.

Ezekiel’s witness to the Lord’s people in Babylon while sweet in his mouth, the mouth signifying his heart and mind, became ‘bitter in his belly’ signifying how his witness affected his bodily experience. It is a bitter experience to speak The Truth to those who reject The Truth. The book of Revelation is a confirmation of Ezekiel’s experience:

Rev 10:8  And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it,and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
Rev 10:11  And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

The only difference between these two accounts is that Ezekiel is sent only to ‘they of the captivity’, while the Revelation account sees us, signified by John, “prophesying again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings”.

Paul had this sweet in the mouth, bitter in the belly experience while witnessing to all the churches he had established:

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

There are well over 40,000 Christian denominations who are all testifying against themselves as spiritually being “carnal… babes in Christ”. They are “in Christ” in the same sense that the five foolish virgins are “virgins”. If we remain a spiritual “carnal… babe in Christ, we will hear the same words spoken by the spirit to the five foolish virgins:

Mat 25:7  Then all those [ten] virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8  And the [five] foolish said unto the [five] wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
Mat 25:9  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
Mat 25:10  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Mat 25:11  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Mat 25:12  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Mat 25:13  Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Being ever vigilant is signified by ‘bringing oil in vessels with our lamps’:

Mat 25:3  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Mat 25:4  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

The witness given by the Lord’s elect is signified by the witness of Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3, and the witness of the “two witnesses” who speak the Words of The Lord in Revelation 11:

Rev 11:1  And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
Rev 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred andthreescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

Without verse 4 we would never know for certain what these “two witnesses” signify. But we have verse 4 and we find what they signify in Zechariah 4:

Zec 4:1  And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
Zec 4:2  And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
Zec 4:3  And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
Zec 4:4  So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
Zec 4:5  Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:6  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

There it is. “This is the Word of the Lord…” That is the significance of the symbol of “the two olive trees” of Revelation 11. “The two olive trees” have nothing to do with the literal number ‘2’. Rather that particular number in scripture signifies all those who faithfully witness the Lord’s Words which are ‘sweet in our mouths’. But those words which are sweet while we faithfully witness to what is right there in the Bible… those same ‘sweet words’ precipitate a very bitter experience in our spirit when that witness is rejected by this world. The details of that rejection are what we are not given to know. But we are made certain to know that the things that are “not written” have everything to do with the bitterness in our bellies and the bitterness of our spirits. Remaining faithful even through that ‘bitterness in our bellies’ is the very meaning of ‘standing faithfully by the Lord of the whole earth’:

Zec 4:11  Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
Zec 4:12  And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
Zec 4:13  And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:14  Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand [faithfully] by the Lord of the whole earth.

If we are given to be faithful to the death of our old man while yet living in these corruptible clay vessels, we are considered by our Lord to be “dying daily” in His service (1Co 15:31). He considers us as being “crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20), and “presenting our [physical] bodies as a living [scapegoat] sacrifice” (Rom 12:1). These verses are all signified by these words  concerning the two witnesses:

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].

We also saw the verses of God’s Word which promise to “prepare our hearts” before we are faced with any trial.

1Ch 29:18  O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee: 

Psa 10:17  LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

It is only after we have been prepared, that we, with John, are given ears to hear the voices of the seven thunders and we are prepared for our trials which lies before us. But it is always sealed up, and we only hear it when we need to. It is “not written” because is it for us alone at that moment. “The secret things belong to God” who alone knows what we will do tomorrow, but we do not know because “The secret things [of our trials and tests] belong to God… because we have forsaken the covenant of our fathers… [so] seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.”

There should be time no longer

Now let’s look at the two verses we have not yet considered:

Rev 10:6  And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

In verse six we are reminded that God is the Creator of the heavens, the earth and the sea, and all the things which are therein. It is by our Creator that this great angel swears and declares “that there should be time no longer.” What are we being told? The thousand years have not yet even begun, and the great white throne judgment and the lake of fire is not yet finished, so why are we being told “that there should be time no longer”?

In the days of the voice of the seventh angel… the mystery of God should be finished.

The answer to this question is actually revealed in the next verse, verse 7, where we are told “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel the mystery of God should be finished as he has declared to his servants the prophets.” When we know what the seventh trumpet is, and we know what the mystery of God is which He has declared to His servants, then we will understand why we are being told “that there should be time no longer”.

What is the voice of the seventh angel?

What happens “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel”? What happens at that time is the judgement of the world in us. As Christ plainly told His disciples just before His crucifixion:

Joh 16:8  And when he [the holy spirit] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

That judgment “must begin at the house of God”.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

“The days of the voice of the seventh angel” signifies the seven last plagues of God’s wrath upon our sins, as detailed in chapters 15 and 16. This study concerns the sixth trumpet, and we are in Rev 10. Chapter 15 lays the groundwork for the pouring out of the seven last plagues of God’s wrath upon our idols and our sins. Here is what we are told in the last two verses of that chapter.

Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

“No man is able to enter the temple of God, till the seven plagues of the seven angels is fulfilled.” Put that phrase together with our verse here in chapter 10 and we should begin to understand what “In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, the mystery of God should be finished” means.

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

The seventh seal, which is the seven trumpets, is opened in the first half of chapter 8. The last half of chapter 8 contains the events of all of the first four trumpets. Chapter nine contains the events of the fifth and sixth trumpets, which are referred to as two of “three woes.” These trumpets are even called “plagues” in chapter nine.

Referring to the 2 hundred million army of the horsemen of the sixth trumpet, “the second woe”, we are told this:

Rev 9:20  And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
Rev 9:21  Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Notice that Revelation 9:20 refers to these trumpets as also being “plagues”. The Greek word for ‘plagues’ in Rev 9:20 is G4127, ‘plege’. That is the exact same word used in chapter 15 referring to “the seven last plagues” [G4127, ‘plege’]. Therefore, the events of the seventh trumpet, which is also called “the seven last plagues”, are obviously not the only plagues, and they are not the only wrath of God. What the seven last plagues accomplish is that they “fill up the wrath of God.” What that tells us is that God’s wrath continues on all sin until “the last trump.” If that seventh and “last trumpet” has no place in our lives, then neither will the finishing of the mystery of God, nor the first resurrection have a place in our lives in this present age.

1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall [in this present time] take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

If that “mystery of the gospel” (Col 1:27) is finished “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel”, and if that ‘mystery’ really is “Christ in you the hope of glory [in] this present time”, then we must conclude that the work of this seventh trumpet begins early in our spiritual lives and continues till we die and are “raised a spiritual body”, and we are changed.

So we really do need to ask ourselves, How then will the mystery of God be fulfilled in you and me if the voice of this seventh angel has no personal application, as so many who teach that there is a way to avoid the wrath of God upon our ungodliness and unrighteousness:

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Christ tells us this is a book of signs and symbols, a book which reveals the beginning and the end of the entire process of Christ being formed within us as He is being revealed in us. He tells us that we will “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” He tells us that these words are “a two edged sword,” and that “things present and things to come are ours.” He tells us we will realize this revelation only as we “look behind us”. So, for all those who believe that this book is telling them to avoid keeping the things which are written therein” (Rev 1:3), including the seven last plagues which must be poured out upon all men who wish to enter the temple in heaven (Rev 15:8), instead of seeing this prophecy as an overview of the entire Adamic experience, we ask again, How will the mystery of God be fulfilled in you? How will you enter into the temple of God if these seven plagues are not experienced and “fulfilled” in your life?

Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

We will pause our study at this point and meditate on that question, and we will continue to seek to know exactly what is “the mystery of the gospel”, and whether that ‘mystery’ includes the pouring out of the seven last plagues upon the kingdom of our old man in our next study.

The Law of Moses Versus the Law of the Spirit – Part 14

Updated February 24, 2024

The better part of this paper has been a demonstration of the depth of the first phrase:

Phrase 1) “A change also of the law” (Heb 7:12)

We have demonstrated how Matthew 5 conflicts with the 6th and 7th commandments as well as four of the statutes and judgments. These, of course, are simply examples given by Christ to show that the entire old covenant was being fulfilled in Christ. Christ could not very well cover the 613 laws of the old covenant in one lesson. Christ cannot very well be speaking of the law of Moses when He said…

Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

…Then in the very next verse, and the rest of the entire chapter, go about changing the law of Moses, at times blatantly contradicting what the law of Moses teaches:

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Mat 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

“Fulfilling” includes superseding, or else these two examples alone demonstrate that the Sermon on the Mount is a self-contradictory message. We have quoted the scriptures showing that the new covenant is spirit, is NOT in “the letter” (2Co 3:6).

Phrase 2) “That which is done away…”:

2Co 3:11 For if that which is done away [G2673: ‘katargeo’, “fail… vanish away” (1Co 13:8)] was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

This phrase (done away – used once as ‘put away’) is used five times by Paul in relation to the old covenant. It is used here in 2 Corinthians 3:11 and in the following entries in the New Testament:

1Co 13:10 – “When that which is perfect is come [the law of love] then that which is in part [the ten commandments and the old covenant] shall be done away.”
1Co 13:11 – “When I was a child I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child…” (Hate your enemies as opposed to love your enemies; don’t kill as opposed to don’t hate; don’t commit adultery as opposed to don’t look on a woman to lust after her, etc.) but when I became a man, I put away [Greek: katargeo) childish things”

When we put away childish things, we are no longer under the school master..

Gal 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Gal 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

The Greek for ‘child’ in Galatians is G3516: nepios – an infant or toddler, NOT G5207 – huios used in verse 5, which signifies an adult son. Huios in the King James is translated son, sonship and adoption. It has nothing to do with our present concept of adoption, but means a mature adult son about to take over his father’s trade. Paul says “the heir as long as he is a child [nepios] differs nothing from a servant” [a bond servant, a slave] (Gal 4:1). As a spiritual ‘huios’, adult, we are to “put away [our] childish, ‘nepios’” Old Covenant ways.

2Co 3:7 “But if the ministration of death [the old covenant (Deu 4:13)], written and engraven in stones was glorious so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory [ministration of death] was to be done away…”

Deu 4:13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.

Paul is saying that Moses’ face with its temporal glory which resulted from the giving of the ten commandments, is a type of the temporal old covenant “ministration of death and condemnation.” As we so often do, we have taken the type, “Moses’ face”, and made it the antitype, the reality, the ‘glory’ that comes “in the face of Jesus Christ”:

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

“Moses had a normal face before the two “tables of stone” were placed into his hands. When those two tables with the ten commandments written on them were placed in Moses’ hands, his face began to shine, but that shining and that ‘glory’ did not last very long. In that story, God is telling us that that covenant was a temporary covenant with a fading temporay glory. It was the covenant, the ten commandments, that made Moses’ face glorious, and that glory was “katargeo… done away… to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”.

2Co 3:14 “But their minds were blinded for until this day remaineth the same [blinding] vail not taken away in the reading of the old covenant which [old covenant blinding] vail is done away [G2673: ‘katargeo’] in Christ” [the new covenant].

Summary of “Done Away”

Five times we are told that:

1. The ‘in part’ is replaced by the ‘perfect’ and the ‘in part’ was “done away.”
2. We are to “put away” childish things when “that which is perfect is come.”
3. The ministration of death written and engraven in stones was glorious and “which glory was to be done away”.
4. (If) The “ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.”
5. The veil that was put over Moses’ face to hide the glory of the old covenant remains and serves as a veil that covers the glory of the new covenant, and in so doing, hides Christ. “In Christ”, however, that veil is “done away.”

That veil typically is the adherence to the old covenant. After making all these statements concerning the old covenant, Paul says: “… we have…not handled the word of God deceitfully…but if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost” (2Co 4:13).

2Co 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

The Greek word for ‘done away’ or ‘put away’ in all these verses is katargeo (Strong’s concordance G2673). It appears 26 times in the New Testament:

Luk 13:7; Rom 3:3; Rom 3:31; Rom 4:14; Rom 6:6; Rom 7:2; Rom 7:6; 1Co 1:28; 1Co 2:6; 1Co 6:13; 1Co 13:8; 1Co 13:10; 1Co 15:24; 1Co 15:26; 2Co 3:7; 2Co 3:11; 2Co 3:13; 2Co 3:14; 2Co 15:26; Gal 3:17; Gal 5:4; Gal 5:11; Eph 2:15; 2Th 2:8; 2Ti 1:10, Heb 2:14

This Greek word, katargeo, has been assigned thirteen different translations in the Kings James Version.

The most common translations are ‘destroy’ and ‘done away’ with five entries each.

Here are the five entries for where the English word ‘destroy’ is used to translate this Greek word, ‘katargeo’:

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him [Christ], that the body of sin might be destroyed [G2673: ‘katargeo’], that henceforth we should not serve sin.

1Co 6:13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy [G2673: ‘katargeo’] both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed [G2673: ‘katargeo’] is death.

2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy [G2673: ‘katargeo’] with the brightness of his coming:

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy [G2673, ‘katargeo’] him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Romans 6:6 is typical of the five entries of the word ‘destroy’. It is important that we know that the verbs ‘knowing’ and ‘serve’ in Romans 6:6 are both in the present tense while the verbs ‘crucified’ and ‘destroyed’ (‘katargeo’) are in the aorist tense, which tells us that a process is presently taking place within us, as our old man is diminishing and our new man is increasing:

Joh 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

Here are the five entries for where the English words “done away”; “fail”; “vanish away”, and “put away” are used to translate this Greek word ‘katargeo’:

1Co 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail [G2673: ‘katargeo’]; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away [G2673: ‘katargeo’].

1Co 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away [G2673: ‘katargeo’].
1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away [G2673: ‘katargeo’] childish things.

2Co 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away [G2673: ‘katargeo’] in Christ.

‘Without effect’ or ‘none effect’ is the third most common with three entries.

Rom 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? [G2673: ’katargeo’]

Rom 4:14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect [G2673: ‘katargeo’]:

Gal 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect [G2673: ‘katargeo’].

The next most common translation of the word katargeo brings us to our third phrase:

Phrase 3) “… That which is abolished”

This Greek word, katargeo, is the exact same word translated ‘abolished’ three times in the New Testament:

2Co 3:13 And not as Moses which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished” [G2673, ‘katargeo’]

Eph 2:15 Having abolished [G2673, ‘katargeo’] in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments [the ten old covenant commandments] contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.

According to the dictionary ‘commandments’ and ‘ordinances’ are one and the same:

ordinance
ôr′dn-əns
noun

1. An authoritative command or order

2Ti 1:10 But now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished [G2673, ‘katargeo’] death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”

While this last verse is not directly concerned with the law, it does demonstrate the meaning of the word katargeo in relation to the law. That which happens to death is that which happens to the law. Being “in Christ” in no way denies death; yea it establishes “the law of sin and death” of the flesh and in so doing, brings in “the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2).

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh [the letter of the law], but after the Spirit [“the law of the spirit of life”].
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Without the destruction of the “weak and beggarly elements” of the law of Moses (Gal 4:9-10), the “law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus”, also called “the law of love” (Rom 13:10, 1Jo 5:2-3), could not be established. Why is that? Simply because “that [only] through death he might destroy him that hath the power over death” (Heb. 2:14):

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through [the destruction of the law of sin and] death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

It is the law of Moses, the old covenant, on “two tables of stone”, which, is according to the word of God, the “ministration of death” (2Co 3:7).

2Co 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
2Co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter [the Old Testament], but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
2Co 3:7 But if the ministration of death [“the letter… the law of Moses”, the ten commandments], written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: [G2673: ‘katargeo’]

In other words:

1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
1Ti 1:11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

It is this law of Moses which carries with it the fleshly inclination of thinking one’s own righteousness can save oneself which makes “all the world guilty before God” (Rom 3:19).

Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

What is Meant by “Nature”?

Paul tells us that the Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the law:

Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

The Gentiles absolutely do not naturally love their enemy “by nature” inherited from Adam. However they can, and indeed they often do, “by nature… love their neighbor”.

Lev 19:18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am Jehovah.

Mat 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

This is Christ’s observation about the law of Moses concerning who we are to love:

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Many scholars declare that the first part of Matthew 5:43 is in the law of Moses but the last half “is the addition, or wrong interpretation of the Scribes and Pharisees” (Gill on Matthew 5:43). Gill apparently thinks that since the law of Moses says:

Exo 23:4 If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
Exo 23:5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.

That therefore Moses never said “hate thine enemy”, and he even asserts that Christ was not referring to the doctrine of Moses when Christ said… “You have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt… hate thine enemy” – nothing could be any further from The Truth. “Thine enemy” whose ox you are to “bring back to him” is your fellow Israelite, and “the ass of him that hateth thee” is also speaking only of the ass of a fellow Israelite.

When Christ said “it hath been said”…

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

…This is the enemy Moses explicitly told Israel to hate:

Deu 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
Deu 20:17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

“Save alive nothing that breatheth… utterly destroy them”. That is what the law of Moses taught concerning Israel’s enemies, and Christ changed those words to “Love thine enemies.” The contrast cannot be more stark between the law of Moses and the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

The most transparent part of the personality of every infant ever born, Jew or Gentile, is his complete and total self-centeredness from the very beginning. “… Both Jews and Gentiles…are all under sin”:

Rom 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Yet it is entirely possible for sinful, wicked men to love their neighbors. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil which signifies the law of Moses reveals our nakedness but it does not change our hearts as only the spirit of God within us can do. It is not called ‘the tree of sin’, nor is it called ‘the tree of nothing but evil and total depravity’. It is called “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” because we are both good and evil “by nature”, whether we are Jews or Gentiles.

Mat 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

When Paul says by the spirit that “the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law” (Rom 2:14), he is referring to the Adamic nature which “the carnal commandments” of the law of Moses, the “law… for the lawless” was designed to govern. We are all, by default, born “under the law… for the lawless… until faith comes.”

Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Let no false prophet tell you that he has never been under the wrath of God or that he never will be under the wrath of God. This is who the scriptures teach has been under the wrath of God:

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Since we are all born as unbelievers, we have all been under “the wrath of God” by default:

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

The Greek word for nature is Strong’s G5449: phusis.

Circumcision, tithing and Sabbath keeping are not natural to the Gentiles, because those parts of the law of Moses signify spiritual principles not to be found in the law of Moses. Nevertheless, it is the law of Moses to which Paul refers when He says:

Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law [“carnal commandment” (Heb 7:16)] written in their [carnal] hearts, their [carnal] conscience also bearing witness, and their [carnal] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;

Heb 7:16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

It is not the law of Moses (the law for the lawless – 1Ti 1:9) which gives life. Rather, it is the law of love, which is kept only by “being partakers of the divine nature having escaped [through this “divine nature”] the corruption that is in the world through lust (2Pe 1:4).

2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

We will pause here and resume our study of the law of Moses versus the law of the spirit by examining Paul’s fourth phrase… “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances… (Col 2:14).