The Tribulation:
A quick look at
'The Last Week'
“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.” Rev. 1.3
For the purpose of this history, a detailed explanation or discussion of Revelation is not possible. But a concise explanation of how simply the Book is put together is mandatory. The past one hundred years has been a boon to the Book of Revelation. Men moved by the Holy Ghost, like George Siess, Arthur Bloomfield, J.D. Bullinger and Gordon Lindsey, jumped into the intimidating waters of Revelation, and without fear worked to unlock its truths. These men, and others more contemporary, conscientiously labored to decode its symbols and visions so the unique blessing promised in verse three of chapter 1, and again in the last chapter, could be fully realized by the Church. The promised blessing is for anyone who reads, hears and keeps the words of Revelation. Just because a detailed account of Revelation is not appropriate in this writing does not mean this blessing, and how it is obtained, should be taken casually. To begin with, the blessing is connected with the Rapture because to read, to hear and most importantly, to keep the words of Revelation means we will not be deceived by the lies of the Antichrist and we will have an excellent chance of being kept from the hour of temptation that is coming on the whole earth. This blessing is one which will enhance our faith and give us peaceful confidence, even though caught in the vise of increasing pressure. But merely wanting this blessing, does not get it done. We must diligently seek it. To read and hear these words means to thoroughly and honestly investigate the contents of Revelation. But even that is not enough to secure the blessing. Understanding Revelation does not presuppose keeping the words of Revelation. If we are to keep the words of Revelation we must study to comprehend their exact purpose and meaning and then we must be willing to keep them in our hearts and our minds, keep them with us all the time, so they shape our faith and govern our personal ambitions. Simply put: to keep the words of Revelation means that we live our lives by them; live as though we believe that Jesus is returning, that the earth will be judged, and that God has everything under his merciful control. We must resist the Antichrist's humanistic gospel by faith and not by sight.
There are a million and one rumors and theories about Revelation. How many times have we heard the question: Doesn't the Bible say the yellow people will take over the world? Many of the rumors come from within the Church. Some supposed scholars have concluded Revelation is nothing more than an historical retrospective of the Roman Empire; others teach the book was broken into views from heaven and views from earth; some think there is a break in the chronological ordering of the Tribulation which occurs in the middle chapters to allow Church matters to be disclosed; and still others believe Revelation's fulfillment happened willy‑nilly over the last two thousand years. While some of these outlooks on Revelation can be illuminating or helpful, most of them are all wet.
Revelation is the final book of the Bible for a reason. Revelation is the end. Everything promised by God: all the judgment, all the hope, all the wrath, all the mercy, converge in the turbulent events of this wondrous and awesome book of the Bible. As the Bible's final book, Revelation chronicles the fulfillment of all the things which have been foretold by the prophets, by Jesus, and in the prophecies of the New Testament. More than any thing else Revelation is the story of the Tribulation that is coming on all the world to judge it. Tribulation, just another word for pressure, is a time that will try the inhabitants of the world to test what lies deep within their hearts. The pressure of the 70th week of Daniel will be brought to bare because God has promised that unrighteousness will not go on forever. The truth of about Satan and his rebellion must come out. People of courage will repent and turn to God for mercy and salvation, no matter what the cost; the majority however, under this pressure cooker called the Tribulation, will curse God, fighting him to their very last breath. It will be a time when an angry and desperate Satan, with his man the Antichrist, will hold the world hostage by violence and hatred. Their lies, deceit, hatred and rebellion will bring war and destruction. And crashing down on the world during most of the second half of the seven year period will be supernatural judgment from heaven.
Hung on Daniel's Skeleton
Revelation Is Easy to Follow
Daniel's prophecies, and the prophecy of the 70 weeks in particular, provide us with the skeleton on which to hang the meaty prophecies of Revelation. The conflicting schools of belief concerning the Book of Revelation can be debated until the cows come home. As with the case of the Rapture, there is no spiritual purpose in arguing about the nature and meaning of Revelation, but there is equally no reason to avoid study and discussion of Revelation simply because it is controversial. Many years of prayerful study have brought about the conclusions shared here. Time will prove them correct ‑ or time may prove some of the detailed speculation incorrect ‑ we discuss the particulars of Revelation so we can discern the difference between true hope and false hopes, true faith and humanism, judgment and mercy, God's ways and the ways of the Beast, and therein lies part of the quest for the blessing of Revelation: if we earnestly seek to know and understand and keep them we will not be deceived. Revelation when viewed in a simple, straight forward manner, dressed out on the skeleton of Daniel's prophecies, and clothed in the context of the full gospel of the whole Bible, is no longer a mystery, but can be readily understood and remarkably easy to follow.
At first reading, the book explodes in your face like a hand grenade, shrapnel of symbolic information flying everywhere. But viewed in the light of the knowledge of the rest of Scripture, with faith for the Rapture, and belief in God's promised judgment of the world, the book emerges as an ordered and concise account of the crucial events of the most hectic seven year period in the history of Mankind.
The Seven Letters are Important to Today's Church
Revelation opens by establishing that its contents are a revelation given to Jesus by the Father and passed on to the apostle John. The Revelation concerns things that are, and things that are to come. For those who understand and keep its words a promised blessing is given. This promised blessing is to those who will be kings and priests unto God and they will rule the nations, along with Christ, with a rod of iron. (Rev. 1.6) And then Christ appears and as the Lord and Master of the Church he delivers a set of letters to John to be read to the Churches.
Chapters 2 and 3 are letters addressed by Christ to the seven Churches. The seven letters were epistles written to contemporary churches for their edification, but typical of God's prophetic word they also foretold of things to come. Of all Scripture these letters are among the most vital for the Church. In this day and age when every man who wishes to call himself a religious teacher is quick to spout off on television or from the pulpit, these letters definitely fall under the category of the words of Revelation which must be understood and kept. They identify the whole nature of the Church, both good and bad. Through their understanding, a believer can avoid the sin and seduction that had already begun to invade the Church as early as A.D. 90, the time when these letters were handed to John. Since then the flaws and sins have become more than trends, they have become institutionalized and are accepted parts of the traditional Christian experience, but an understanding of the letters and their warnings and advice helps the believer to focus on the kind of faith and works that please Christ. And these letters are not only mirrors of faith, they are a prophetic chart for how the Church Age would evolve, how apostasy and sin would creep in and eventually cause the great falling away prophesied in the second epistle to the Thessalonians. The pitfalls and condemnation for the sins in the Church and the strong warnings to repent serve as sobering reminders for every believer who has ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.
So, this is the introduction to Revelation. We are called to the blessing of knowledge and faith. Promised kingship and priesthood. And provided with a marvelous and miraculous mirror that will show us, if we care to take a long, hard look, what our personal walk of faith is really like, and what it should be like, as seen through the eyes of the only one who counts: Jesus Christ.
Now the believer is ready to begin the journey into the pressure cooker. With chapter 4 the purely end time prophetic chapters of Revelation begin. Everything from this point on is an integrated part of the 70th week of Daniel. The next eight chapters, chapters 4 through 11, post a chronology of the events of the seven year period. The subsequent eight chapters, chapters 12 through 19, zero in on the main characters and themes of the Tribulation to discuss them in more detail. And the last three chapters, chapters 20 through 22, speak of things pertaining to the 1,000 year rule of Christ and his saints on earth, and on into eternity.
It is not possible ‑ since this is a prophetic primer ‑ to study every question and every detail of Revelation here. Each person, relying on the tutoring of the Holy Ghost, must study and draw conclusions for him or herself. For our purposes we can only skim over the book, with little or no explanation, just to wet the reader's appetite. The conclusions drawn here, when not explained, should be consistent with The Redemption Play's story line as it has unfurled in this prophetic primer. If the conclusions are not consistent, it is my oversight and I hope the Holy Ghost will correct it for us all.
The Events of the 70th Week:
In Order from Chapters 4-11
Chapter 4 - Opens with an event that can be easily construed, in the light of Scripture, as the Rapture. A door ‑ the open door promised to the Philadelphia Church ‑ opens in heaven. A voice like a trumpet ‑ the trumpet sounds the moment of the Rapture ‑ calls John up to heaven. Immediately ‑ as in the twinkling of an eye ‑ John is in the Spirit before the throne of God. As a symbolic representative of the Church John's experience fits the bill for the Rapture, does it not? Compassing God's throne are twenty-four elders seated with crowns on their heads who have been redeemed from the ranks of Mankind.
Chapter 5 - The Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world, appears before the throne and is found worthy to open the seven seals of the book of judgment. Upon hearing that Jesus is worthy to break the seals, allowing the start of judgment, the twenty-four elders, along with the four heavenly creatures which attend God day and night, with multitudes of "angels" (people), sing a new song of praise and worship, thanking Jesus for redeeming them from among every kindred, tongue, people and nation of the earth. These people are the first fruit resurrection. They are Jew and Gentile. And they praise God in unison, as they await the breaking of the first of the seven seals.
While chapters 4 and 5 depict the Rapture of the Church and the worship of the Lamb of God, the Tribulation begins with the breaking of the first seal in chapter 6. The Antichrist is given his power at this moment. This moment probably coincides with the moment that he confirms the covenant with Israel. This is the first of six seals which are broken in chapter 6. The first four seals unleash the horse and riders commonly called, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The fifth seal unveils the martyrdom that the Church must suffer during the Tribulation. And the sixth seal begins the supernatural judgment that shakes the heavens and the earth, setting the stage for the opening of the seventh and final seal and the great day of God's wrath. Here, briefly, are the seals:
First Seal
“And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer.”
The Antichrist is sent forth and given the power to subdue the world. His covenant with Israel has made him the savior of the Jews and his leadership of the New Empire has made him the darling of the New Roman World.
Second Seal
“And there came out a second horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.”
War, precipitated by the Antichrist's grandiose plans, begins to ravage the earth. War breaks out at the very beginning of the Tribulation. The three kingdoms of the Ten Kings are defeated; Egypt is beaten (initially), and Russia's supernatural defeat probably comes within six months of the Tribulation's start.
Third Seal
“And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.... A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.”
This indicates some type of economic concern and hardship connected with the necessities of life. The economic turmoil, the redistribution of land and wealth, new tax proposals and a revolutionary monetary system are immediately initiated by the Antichrist. Turmoil sets in that leads to the necessity of the mark of the Beast which comes at the half way point of the Tribulation, probably after the Abomination of Desolation is set up. Because the oil and wine are not being hurt, the continuation of luxurious living throughout the times of crisis is indicated, but this may also have to do with the setting up of the sacrifice and oblation, for which oil and wine are required. Daniel's prophecy that, from the time the daily sacrifice is set up to the cleansing of the Temple being 2,300 days means the sacrifice is set up 220 days into the Tribulation, so because of the reference to oil and wine and its possible connection to the sacrifice and oblation, let's put the opening of the third seal here: 220 days into the Tribulation.
Fourth Seal
“And I looked, and behold a pale horse; and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over a fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”
A fourth of the earth ‑ perhaps, Europe, perhaps the Middle East, perhaps Africa ‑ will be deluged with miseries of all sorts: famine, war, pestilence and nature gone wild. This devastation of a fourth part of the world will probably begin sometime after 220 days into the Tribulation but certainly long before the halfway mark.
Fifth Seal
“I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
These are the martyrs, the ones spoken of in Daniel over whom the Antichrist would be given power. Their martyrdom begins around the time of the setting up of the abomination that makes desolate and continues through the second half of the Tribulation, and is in large measure the reason the second three and a half year period is called the "Great Tribulation". Chapter 7 gives an account of these Christians who are the members of the Church which are saved after the beginning of the Tribulation through the preaching of the Two Witnesses and the 144,000 Jews who are marked for safety by God; and are also the members of the Church who were Christians prior to the Rapture and Tribulation, but as the five foolish virgins were unprepared for the Bridegroom's coming, so they entered the Tribulation because they had not been alert and waiting for Christ's return.
Sixth Seal
“And, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
And the stars of heaven fell unto earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
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:
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
At some point during the second half of the Tribulation the judgment will begin to intensify going from natural kinds of disasters caused by man's doings, like war and economic strain, to a siege of Mankind and the earth from supernatural quarters. The environment will be hit hard. People will be shaken to their very foundations, but as is revealed later in Revelation, they will not repent. Instead they will become more rebellious and stubborn. Chapter 7 tells that the opening of the sixth seal will give power to four mighty angels, stationed in each corner of the world, to hurt the earth and the sea. But they are stopped for a moment so the 144,000 Jews can be marked with God's protection. And finally, an innumerable company of martyrs are revealed and given their special place before the throne of God as promised when the Fifth Seal was opened.
Seventh Seal
“And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.”
With the breaking of the seventh seal all of heaven becomes silent. This begins the ominous moment of all history, foretold by the prophets and declared by the angel of the sixth seal, as the great day of the wrath of God. These judgments are commonly called the trumpet judgments and it is likely that they begin sometime before the middle of the second three and half year period. Until that time the cup of iniquity is not yet full, and the great day of God's wrath, spoken of by the prophets and testified to by the men and inhabitants of the earth who try to hide after the sixth seal judgment, is not ready to be poured out. Notice, because they begin the supernatural judgment from heaven, these judgments are preceded by the offering of prayers from the saints and the incense of worship. They are also broken into two parts: the first four judgments and the last three, which are called the three woes.
Part One of the Seventh Seal:
The First Four Trumpets Sound
First Trumpet ‑ By fire and hail a third part of the world's trees and grass is burnt up.
Second Trumpet ‑ A third part of the seas are contaminated and turned to blood by a burning mountain of fire so that a third of sea life and ships are destroyed.
Third Trumpet ‑ A third of the waters of the earth are poisoned and, "many men die of the waters".
Fourth Trumpet ‑ A third part of the sun, moon and stars are darkened.
These judgments come in succession and though it is not said how long each one lasts, or whether they continue for the rest of the Tribulation period, they begin within four and half, or five years, from the start of the Tribulation and as incredible as they are, as devastating as they will be to life and its normal course, these judgments are not even among the woeful judgments which are about to come upon the earth.
Seventh Seal Two: The Three Woes
“And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!”
There are clues to the length of each of these judgments, which by deduction give us reason to expect that the first four trumpets are sounded before the midway point of the second half of the Tribulation. These three woes last five months, thirteen months and probably one month, for a total of nineteen months. The first woe is expressly declared to be five months in duration, the second woe has a time of one year, one month, one day and one hour attached to it which adds up to thirteen months, for a total of eighteen. And the final woe is likely to be no longer than thirty days because it may make sense as we find out later to begin the great and terrible day of the Lord just as the Two Witnesses end their ministry. Of course, this is still an arbitrary number since God has not given an absolute number on the final woe. But it is so severe that it hardly seems possible it could last even thirty days without wiping out the entire world. That, in fact, was the prophecy of Jesus who said except those days should be shortened no life would survive. Here are the final three woes:
Fifth Trumpet ‑ Supernatural locust‑like beings come from the bottomless pit to terrorize and torment Mankind for five months. Their sting will not kill however, their mission is to torment men. People, notes the Scripture, will seek death but will not be able to find it.
Sixth Trumpet ‑ Four angels bound in the Euphrates River are loosed upon the earth for thirteen months to slay a third of Mankind. These angels command an army of 200 million fire, smoke, and brimstone, breathing monsters that are commissioned to kill millions and possibly billions of people. Unbelievably the rest of mankind, we are told, refuses to repent.
This brings us very near the end. Just a matter of a few short days remain. Probably in the neighborhood, as stated before, of thirty days. Remember, if these days, these days of the last woe, were not short, nothing would survive. The great and notable day of the Lord is at hand. Chapter 10 and 11 set the stage for this awesome judgment. Chapter 10 presents what many teachers of Revelation believe to be the deed to the earth as Jesus puts one foot on land and one on the seas to announce the retaking of the earth, saying, "In the days 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."
Chapter 11 gives the chronology of the ministry of the two witnesses who will resist Satan and the Antichrist and the False Prophet for 1,260 days (forty-two months) while testifying mightily to God's truth and righteousness. "And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit [who is the leader over the scorpions from the first woe] shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and shall kill them." And after three and a half days of celebration by the people of the world over their dead bodies, the Spirit of God shall enter them and they will be raised up to heaven in front of a stunned world. Instantly, a huge earthquake will hit Jerusalem and seven thousand will die and the rest in the city will "give glory to the God of heaven". God is called the God of heaven here because, still, in spite of the miracles and judgment, the people of the earth have received Satan and his Antichrist as their god, everyone, everywhere is committed to worshipping them, but God is about to become the God of this world.
With the resurrection of the Two Witnesses and the earthquake in Jerusalem, the second woe, the one with the great horde of killing monsters which have slaughtered a third of Mankind, is now finished. And now, the final and most terrible judgment of all comes very quickly in its wake.
The Seventh Trumpet
“The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
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.
...
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of the testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail."
The chronology of Chapters 4‑11 of Revelation ends with this concluding pronouncement. For the next eight chapters, 12‑19, characters and topics are specifically covered and details on how they fit into the Tribulation scenario are presented. The final, intense, densely packed and very short period of the seventh trumpet judgment - the day of God's wrath - is finally about to be fulfilled in the pouring out of seven bitter vials of judgment from heaven. Because of their importance, these judgments are detailed in their own exclusive chapters, as are all other major topics of the Tribulation.
Topics and Characters: Individually Covered in Chapters 12-19
CHAPTER 12
The Church and The Rapture ‑
Satan and Persecution ‑
CHAPTER 13
The Antichrist and False Prophet ‑
CHAPTER 14
Raptured Church Sings New Song ‑
Gospel Preached from Heaven ‑
Whore is judged ‑
Mark of Beast and Harvest of Martyrs Reaped ‑
God's Sickle of Wrath on the Wicked ‑
CHAPTER 15
Temple Opened in Heaven for Vial Judgments ‑
CHAPTER 16
The Seven Vials of God's Wrath Poured Out ‑
CHAPTER 17
Mystery Babylon Raped by the Ten Kings ‑
CHAPTER 18
Babylon the City Destroyed Forever ‑
CHAPTER 19
Marriage Supper of the Lamb ‑
Jesus's Return and Armageddon ‑
Chapters 12-19 provides details for Chronology of Chapters 4-11
Chapter 12 ‑ This chapter speaks of the contention between the Church and Satan during the Tribulation, and the war in heaven that takes place after the Rapture. At the time of the Rapture Satan is furious and, after kicking up a fuss in heaven and being cast out of heaven to the earth, goes after the Church with a vengeance. Wonderfully described, the Church is pictured as a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet ‑ showing she has conquered the ability to reflect the sun's light. She is wearing a crown of twelve stars, symbolizing the perfection of God's rule in the Church. She gives birth to a manchild who is in travail to be delivered. Is this not the Rapture? Satan wars with heaven after the birth of the Church's child and then when he is cast to earth he goes after the Church to do her in, though Satan is mad with anger against the "remnant of her seed" she is kept safe for 1,260 days (three and half years, or the first half of the Tribulation). This adds up because the tribulation's first half is the time of the building up of the Antichrist's case against the Church, but once the Abomination of Desolation is set up, and the second half or Great Tribulation begins, the Antichrist will be given power over the saints to make war with them and to overcome them.
Chapter 13 ‑ This is the Antichrist chapter, the chapter that exposes further details about the Antichrist's career and the False Prophet's relationship with the Antichrist. It pictures the conglomerate Antichrist Beast, the Colossus of Antichrist in its final dreadful form. The chapter speaks of the Antichrist's miraculous recovery from a deadly head wound, it speaks of the miracles brought by the False Prophet to confirm that the Antichrist is worthy of worship, it speaks of the mark of the Beast that will require worship in trade for the right to buy and sell, and it gives his number as 666.
Chapter 14 ‑ This chapter covers a number of topics quickly. The first fruits Raptured group of 144,000 is seen singing a new song that only they can sing. These, it says, are virgins without guile and without fault before God. Does this sound like the Philadelphia Church?
The Gospel is then preached from heaven just before the apostate church, Mystery Babylon, is raped by the Ten Kings. Further details of Mystery Babylon's judgment are given in a later chapter, however. What's emphasized here is the preaching of the Gospel. The preaching of the Gospel happens at a time to counteract the coming blasphemies and miracles of the Beast which lead to the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation. It comes at a time to encourage the Church for the martyrdom it will soon experience. The rape of the apostate church precedes the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation because there is no room for worship of Christ, no matter how lukewarm it is. Both these things are added insight for the first part of the Tribulation.
Then comes The Mark of the Beast and the pronouncement of damnation on all those who take The Mark. The smoke of their torment will rise up forever, but those who patiently resist and die from that point on will be blessed forever and their number is harvested by an angel with a sharp sickle, probably Christ, wearing a golden crown. This takes place after the Abomination of Desolation and under the fifth seal judgment.
After that, another angel follows, also with a sharp sickle, but this is the judgment of wrath on the rebellious, unrepentant world which begins at the time of the opening of the sixth seal and carries throughout the judgments of the seventh seal.
Chapter 15 ‑ Heaven is overjoyed as the climax of the Tribulation begins. Seven angels with seven golden vials "full of the wrath of God" appear out of the Temple ready to pour God's judgment out on the earth. The martyrs of the Tribulation sing The Song of Moses, and cheer and acknowledge God's holiness and wonderful works as the angels prepare for the Day of God's Wrath.
Chapter 16 ‑ The seven vials are poured out:
First Vial ‑ Sores infect those who have the Mark and worship the Beast.
Second Vial ‑ The seas' waters coagulate and turn into "the blood of a dead man" and every living soul dies in the sea.
Third Vial ‑ Waters and Rivers turned to blood. And an angel says, "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."
Fourth Vial ‑ Men scorched by the fire of the sun, and they blaspheme God.
Fifth Vial ‑ The seat of the Antichrist is attacked; and his kingdom is full of darkness and they gnaw
their tongues for pain; and still they blaspheme God and refuse to repent.
Sixth Vial ‑ The Euphrates River is dried up to make way for the Kings of the East to get to Armageddon; and three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouths of the Dragon, the Beast and the False Prophet and go forth to gather the kings of the earth to the "battle of that great day of God Almighty".
Seventh Vial ‑ It is done! The greatest earthquake ever to hit the earth flattens the cities of the world and every island and mountain is vanquished, while unbelievably big hail stones fall from heaven. And still they blaspheme God. And Great Babylon (the city of Rome) is utterly destroyed, annihilated forever.
A brief scan of the vial judgments can be helpful because it gives us a feel for the severity and tenacity of the judgment. Men will be afflicted by scorching heat and fire from the sun, by sores and by darkness. Everything in the sea will die because the seas will be turned to coagulated blood and the drinking water will be blood. An earthquake will level the earth and hail stones, one hundred pounds or more, will pound the rubble into dust. It becomes easy to see what Jesus meant when he said, except these days were shortened nothing would survive. Thirty days seems like a long time with nothing but blood to drink.
All that remains after the pouring out of the seventh vial is the return of Jesus and the subsequent battle of Armageddon, but before that is depicted Revelation devotes two chapters to Mystery Babylon and its special and richly deserved judgment.
Chapter 17 ‑ This chapter takes great pains to identify this "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and the Abominations of the Earth". It is Rome and all that is connected to the Roman Church. It has its roots in Mystery Babylon, the religion of the Empire. This chapter not only identifies her but describes her close, very close, relationship with the Antichrist and prophesies of the hatred that the New Empire of the Ten kings shall have for her and the betrayal, not unlike Napoleon's betrayal that will come. They "shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire". The chapter says the woman sits on seven mountains. Is this not Rome? It ends by Identifying her as "The woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." Is this not Rome also? Though this may hurt people's feelings, so be it. God is not a respecter of persons, nor is his prophetic word. This judgment takes place during the first half of the Tribulation before the Antichrist sets up the Abomination of Desolation and usurps the throne of God.
Chapter 18 ‑ This chapter turns to Babylon's total destruction as a city. It describes her obscene riches and fornications, her slaughter of true saints and her trafficking in the souls of men. The kings who have committed atrocities with and for her shall mourn her total and absolute destruction, "for in one hour is she made desolate." Chapter 17 is the betrayal of the spiritual whore, the apostate, political church. But 18 is the total destruction of the city and its power, "and in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints and of all that were slain on the earth." Her judgment is violent, final and for ever. "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her." This coincides with the final vial judgment when the cities of the world are flattened, just before the return of Jesus and Armageddon.
Chapter 19 ‑ Heaven rejoices over the judgment of the great whore and pretender. And Christ is now ready to marry the true woman in his life, the faithful and true Church who has remained a virgin separated and espoused to him only. "Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb."
After the marriage Christ returns with his saints for Armageddon. He returns as the Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords to vanquish the Beast and the other kings of the earth. The Antichrist and the False Prophet are cast into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, and the rest of the armies are slain by the sword of Jesus's mouth.
Jesus's return and the battle of Armageddon opens the way for Jesus's return to the Temple and the cleansing of it from the abomination that made it desolate. On this day the Temple will be cleansed and Jesus will be anointed as the Most Holy and the end of Daniel's 70th week will be accomplished. This will happen seven years, or eighty-four months, or 2,520 days, from the confirmation of the covenant between the Antichrist and Israel.
All that remains now is to deal with Satan, set up Christ's thousand year rule on earth - a time known as the Millennium - and prepare the way for redeemed Man to enter eternity.