The Three Messages of Revelation 14:6-12
CHAPTER VIII - THE PENALTY THREATENED BY THE THIRD ANGEL
A Fearful Penalty - The Seven Last Plagues - The Third Woe - The Lake of Fire - Limited Duration of Final Conflagration - New Heavens and New Earth - Recompense of the Righteous - Annihilation of the Wicked
THE fearful penalty connected with the warning of the third angel now claims our attention. It consists of two things: 1. The wine of the wrath of God, poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; 2. The torment with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. Let us carefully consider each in order. What is the wine of the wrath of God? The next chapter clearly explains this point: “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.” And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials, full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever.” Verses 1, 7. It follows, therefore, that the wine of the wrath of God is the seven last plagues. The fact will be further apparent as we proceed to show that these plagues are future, and that they do pertain to the future we think can be established beyond controversy. TMR 115.1
1. The wrath of God, as threatened by the third angel, is poured out in the seven last plagues; for the first plague is inflicted on the very class that the third angel threatens. Compare Revelation 14:9, 10; 16:1, 2. The fact proves that the plagues must be future when the Third Angel’s Message is given; and it also proves the identity of the wrath of God without mixture with the seven last plagues. TMR 115.2
2. We have shown that the plagues and the wrath of God without mixture are the same. And wrath without mixture must be wrath with nothing else; that is, wrath without mercy. God has not yet visited the earth with unmixed wrath; nor can he while our great High Priest ministers in the heavenly Sanctuary, and stays the wrath of God by his intercession for sinful men. When the plagues are poured out, mercy has given place to vengeance. TMR 116.1
3. Hence it is that the seven angels are represented as receiving the vials of the wrath of God; - the seven last plagues - after the opening of the Temple of God in heaven. If we turn to Revelation 11:15-19, we shall find that the opening of the Temple in heaven is an event that transpires under the sounding of the seventh angel. And that account concludes with a brief statement of the events of the seventh vial, or last plague. Now if we turn to chap. 11:5-8; 16:1-21, we shall read an expanded view of the facts stated in chap. 11:15-19, and we shall find that the two accounts conclude in the same manner, viz., with the events of the last plague. These scriptures show that the seven angels do not receive the vials of the wrath of God to pour out upon the earth until the Temple in heaven is opened. That Temple is opened under the voice of the seventh angel. The third woe is by reason of the voice of the seventh angel. Revelation 8:13; 9:12; 11:14. The seven plagues are poured out under the sounding of that angel; hence the plagues are future, and constitute the third woe. TMR 116.2
The foregoing reasons establish the fact that the plagues are future. We see no reason why they will not be similar in character to those poured out on Egypt, while their consequence will be far more terrific and dreadful. We will now briefly compare the account of these plagues with other scriptures calculated to shed light upon the subject. The first vial is thus presented: “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 worshiped his image.” Revelation 16:2. TMR 117.1
This may be best understood by referring to Exodus 9:8-11. “And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. And they took ashes of the furnace and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boil; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.” TMR 117.2
Why will not the antitype be as real and literal? The wine of the wrath of God unmixed with mercy must be far more dreadful than the judgment inflicted on Egypt. The second and third vials are thus presented: “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. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. 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: for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.” Revelation 16:3-7. TMR 117.3
As an illustration of these plagues, read Exodus 7:17-21: “Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord; behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river. And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone. And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river: and there was blood throughout the land of Egypt. TMR 118.1
The third vial is a retribution for the blood of the saints. As the blood of all the righteous that had been slain upon the earth came upon that generation which rejected Christ at his first advent (Matthew 23:34-36), so also may it be now. It should be remembered that these fearful judgments are inflicted in consequence of the acts described in the conclusion of Revelation 13. “And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 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. 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, and blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.” Revelation 16:8-11. TMR 118.2
The scorching of the fire in the midst of their trouble will be terrible in the extreme. Exodus 10:21-23 will illustrate the fifth vial: “And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days; they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” TMR 119.1
On this subject, Litch remarks: “What a terrible scene! with all their grievous sores, blood to drink - stagnant blood - and putrid fish filling the waters, scorched with burning heat; and then, to crown the whole, the kingdom of Anti-christ is to be full of darkness. Oh, what a picture of woe! Reader, make haste to escape it! ‘Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and stand before the Son of man.’ “ TMR 119.2
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. 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. 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. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” Revelation 16:12-16. TMR 120.1
The effect of the sixth vial will be, first, to prepare the way for the kings of the East to come up to the great battle; and, secondly, to send forth the spirits of devils to deceive, by miracles, the kings of the whole earth, and their armies, and to gather them. TMR 120.2
The battle of the great day of God Almighty is very fully described in Jeremiah 25:- TMR 120.3
“For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me, Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. Then I took the cup at the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the Lord had sent me.” “And all the kings of the North, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth; and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.” Therefore, prophesy thou against them all these words, 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. 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. 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. 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.” Verses 15-17, 26, 30-33. TMR 120.4
The coming of Christ as a thief (see Matthew 24:42-44) does not take place until after the sixth vial is poured out. The gathering of the nations to the great battle, which is accomplished by the spirits, is brought to view in many scriptures. Joel 3:1, 2, 9-16; Zephaniah 3:8; Revelation 19:19-21. TMR 121.1
The present development of the spirits of devils in our land, we do not regard as anything but their preparatory work; for there is always a period in which Providence is preparing those agents which are to fulfill prophecy; but the fulfillment of prophecy begins at the point where the agents are prepared to act the predicted part. Thus Rome, though it constituted the fourth empire, was founded when Babylon, the first empire, was in the height of its glory. But when Greece, the third empire, had fulfilled its part, Rome was prepared to act the part assigned it in prophecy. It is thus that we understand the work of the spirits. Under the sixth plague, the spirits will be prepared to act the part predicted in verse 13. TMR 121.2
“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. 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. 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 wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 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.” Verses 17-21. TMR 122.1
The voice from the temple may be illustrated by the following texts: “The Lord, also, shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.” Joel 3:16. “Therefore, prophesy thou against them all these words, 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. 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.” Jeremiah 25:30, 31. TMR 122.2
The great earthquake may also be found spoken of in other scriptures: “The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.” Isaiah 24:19, 20. “And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.” Revelation 6:14; 11:19. TMR 123.1
The great hail out of heaven is well illustrated by the following scriptures: “And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven; and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.” Exodus 9:22-25. “Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow, or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?” Job 38:22, 23. “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.” Isaiah 28:17. TMR 123.2
Such is a brief view of the dread realities of the seven last plagues, - the third woe! How fearful will be the events of that woe! May God count us worthy to escape the things coming on the earth, and to stand before the Son of man. TMR 124.1
The seven last plagues are poured out on the living wicked; but the second part of the penalty affixed to the warning of the third angel, is not inflicted until the end of the thousand years, when all the wicked are raised and suffer together. This part of the penalty we will now consider. TMR 124.2
“He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever,” etc. The final perdition of ungodly men in the lake of fire is without doubt the subject of these awful words. That we may rightly understand this text, we call attention to several important facts:- TMR 124.3
1. The punishment of the wicked will be inflicted upon them on this earth; for the final conflagration of our globe is to constitute the lake of fire in which they are to be rewarded, each according to his works. “Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth; much more the wicked and the sinner.” Proverbs 11:31. “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men” 2 Peter 3:7. “But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8. “For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, said the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Malachi 4:1. “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earthy, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle; the number of who is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” Revelation 20:7-9. TMR 124.4
2. The prophet Isaiah (chap. 34) describes the final conflagration of our globe in language which is a complete parallel to that of the third angel in describing the punishment of the wicked. Those who contend that Isaiah refers only to ancient Idumea, must admit that the period of time described in this strong language must finally come to an end. And those who admit that Isaiah, in the language we are about to quote, refers to the conflagration of our earth, will find in what follows, ample proof that that scene will finally close. TMR 125.1
“For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up forever; from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it forever and ever.” Isaiah 34:8-10. TMR 125.2
3. But this terrific scene of final conflagration is not to last throughout unlimited duration. For the earth having been burned, and all its elements melted, new heavens and a new earth are to follow, as the present earth succeeded to that which was destroyed by water. And in the earth thus made new the righteous are to be recompensed. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also; and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness; looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:10-13. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” Revelation 21:1. TMR 126.1
4. Thus, however dreadful and long-continued the punishment of the wicked will be (for each is to be punished according to his deserts), that punishment will finally result in the utter destruction of all transgressors. All the wicked will God destroy. Psalm 145:20. They shall die the second death. Revelation 21:8; Romans 6:23; Ezekiel 18:4, 20. They shall perish, being consumed into smoke. Psalm 37:10, 20, 38. They shall be punished with everlasting destruction, being burned up in unquenchable fire. 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Matthew 3:12. And thus, having been consumed, root and branch, they shall be as though they had not been. Malachi 4:1. Obadiah 16. TMR 126.2