THE 21 JUDGMENTS IN REVELATION—THEIR RELEVANCE TO THE CHURCH'S FAILURE AND FUTURE GLORY
Opening Themes of The Book of Revelations with Christ judging seven churches in the Roman province of Asia beginning with Ephesus, the capital of that province. These seven assemblies were chosen out of many because Asia was the pinnacle of Paul's work so that they represent what man did with Paul's administration of the Church see Col. 1:25-2825Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; 26Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27To 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: 28Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: (Colossians 1:25‑28). While the Lord found many things to commend, great failure crept in too. The responsible church on earth ends with the rapture, the figure of which is the call "come up here" Rev. 4:11After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. (Revelation 4:1). The judgment seat of Christ follows i.e. the individual review of our responsible Christian walk while we were on earth. Some things will be burned up for others there will be an appropriate crown. We know that this sequence of events is chronologically correct for how could we cast our crowns before the throne 4:10 unless these had previously been awarded at the judgment seat? Tying these two things together we note that the church corporately and individually has been judged, fulfilling the requirement that judgment must begin at the house of God 1 Peter 4:1717For 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? (1 Peter 4:17). Once this is done the world, which is Satan's work, as the assembly is Paul's, must be judged. Paul predicted that a time would come when God would judge the world by Jesus Christ Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31). Now that time has come. We find 24 elders 1 Chron. 24 i.e. the Old and New Testament saints gathered around God's throne in heaven. Out of the throne warnings of the coming wrath lightnings and thunderings.
So 21 judgments, executed by the Lamb whose great day of wrath has come, fall on the earth. These are given to us in the symbols of 7 seals, 7 trumpets, and 7 bowls. Whenever 7 things are mentioned in the Bible they are broken down into 4 and 3, or inversely, as in the case of the 7 churches. The judgments of the 7 seals, 7 trumpets, and 7 bowls are interrupted by parentheses which throw light on them. These judgments are not in sequence because they are presented to us as the revealed mind of God on moral and spiritual matters. God's manner of presentation in which His thoughts take precedence to chronological order is given to us in the beginning in Gen. 3:1515And 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. (Genesis 3:15) so it is not surprising to find it at the end. Some writers have tried to arrange the judgments chronologically to make the order of events easier to follow. We have not attempted to do so here. This outline begins with the opening of the seals in Chapter 6.
Judgment of the 7 Seals
The Lamb now begins to execute God's judgments on the earth:
The first 4 seals—The 4 horses of the Apocalypse. The white horse is bloodless conquest. The white horse and the crown are symbols of victory. Antichrist sits on the white horse here as Christ does at the end 19:11. The bow symbolizes distant (perhaps psychological) war. He is victorious, intimating world acceptance of his claims. The red horse is war. The great sword, unexplained, might be nuclear war, but this is conjectural. The black horse is the famine conditions which accompany war, and the pale horse follows Death and Hades. Details are not given only enough to explain the world's cry "who can make war with the beast?” world's cry "who can make war with the beast?
The last 3 seals—The 5th seal is about the martyrs who will lose their lives in the time of the beast—the 6th seal gives us a great earthquake -6:12. There are many earthquakes in Revelation so that we must decide whether to interpret them as actual earthquakes or symbolically as the shaking of what is established on earth. Verses 15-17 help us to understand that the latter interpretation applies here. It is God's vengeance on those who have killed His people. This is confirmed in what follows in Chapter 7, which is a parenthesis. 144,000 are sealed. When the 7th seal is opened there is silence in heaven for about half an hour, contemplating the awesome judgments still to proceed out of God's throne.
Judgment of the 7 Trumpets
The judgments increase in severity when man refuses to repent. The symbol of this is the trumpet, which normally everyone can hear. As Chapter 8 opens, Christ under the figure of "another angel" intercedes before God, with the saints, for those of His people who will suffer under the trumpet judgments:
The first 4 trumpets. The first trumpet is hail and fire mingled with blood. All green grass is burned up 8:7. This means business prosperity ends. The 1929 stock market crash preceded the depression, and today the world banking system is almost bankrupt so it is not difficult to interpret this judgment. In the second trumpet 8:8 there is a judgment on a great power and the destruction of trade and commerce. In the 3rd trumpet 8:10 and the 4th trumpet 8:12 moral death seems to be implied bitterness and darkness as man's security vanishes with the dissolution of the institutional structures in which he trusted, and the poisoning of society with Satanic things like the mark of the beast. This is a commercial control 13:17 only possible in the computerized world of today. It will probably be introduced to overcome the effect of God's judgments on world trade initially.
The last three trumpets—The "woe" trumpets—In the first woe trumpet the abyss is opened and locusts are released. The locust eats everything in its path and the figure is strengthened from 9:7-11. They are demons whose king is Satan. They afflict the wicked so greatly that they attempt suicide but are prevented from doing so. Just as locusts fly away, so this plague on the apostate Jews who were not sealed lasts 5 months. It is followed by the 6th woe trumpet in which 4 angels are freed, not from the abyss like the locusts, but from a river which confined them. This is a judgment on the West, thought to be a plague of Eastern religions, but in any case connected with 16:12, where the Euphrates is dried up to become the highway of the kings of the East to Armageddon.
The Heart of Revelation -Who Is Worthy to Rule the World for 1000 Years?
Before the 7th trumpet is sounded we come to a great parenthesis in Chapter 10 and Chapter 11:1-13. We can't understand these chapters without referring to Jer. 32:9-129And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver. 10And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. 11So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open: 12And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison. (Jeremiah 32:9‑12). Here we learn that in ancient Israel title to ownership of real estate was established with a sealed book and a small open book. These figures are carried over into Revelation. The Lamb owns heaven and earth. When He takes the sealed book, all heaven acclaims Him as worthy to open it Rev. 5 but when He comes down to earth (in figure as a mighty angel) with the little book, the world will not bow to His claims. Judgments must fall on earth then, so those on it will be in harmony with those who acknowledged His property rights in heaven.
The Lord raises up two witnesses to represent Him in His royal city Jerusalem. Then the 7th angel sounds and His 1000 year world kingdom is introduced in principle 11:15-18 because the 7th trumpet does that cf 10:7
Background Chapters- Helping Us Understand the Necessity of the Last 7 Judgments
Before the Last 7 Judgments us a picture of Satan and the beast the 2 great enemies opposing Christ's property rights on the earth. In Chapter 12 Satan is pictured as a great red dragon. He is the fierce enemy of Israel and tries to destroy the Man-child (Christ) born of Israel. He fails. The Man-child (Christ) ascends to God's throne. Israel is providentially sheltered by God. The dragon is thrown out of heaven. He comes to earth, giving his power and authority to the beast, the subject of Chapter 13. Another beast appears who deceives men into making them worship the image of the beast through miracles which Satan makes possible. He compels men to accept the mark of the beast. This control seems total, but God in some unexplained way must make it possible for the godly to circumvent it. The chapter closes with a challenge to calculate the number of the (first) beast 666. The next chapter opens with the 144,000 who, instead of having the mark of the beast on their foreheads, have the Father's name written instead. So the 14th and 15th chapters tell us about the conflict between those on earth who worship the beast and those 15:2 who became victorious over the beast, his image, his mark, and the number of his name. It is time for God to bring the war to a victorious conclusion 15:6-8, with the 7 last plagues. Verse 15:6 tells us that angels are not without feelings, but the wrath of God must be executed. The sea of glass before the throne is now mingled with fire 15:2 and one of the 4 living creatures which represent the throne hands the 7 angels 7 bowls full of the wrath of God.
Judgments of the Seven Bowls
The symbolism of the bowls is contrary to that of the trumpets. The trumpets audibly warned men that God was behind the calamities falling on the earth. But they wouldn't listen and hardened their hearts. When we pour a bowl out, its entire contents go. So the bowls speak of no tempering of judgment. The pouring out of the judgments in the bowls ends the wrath of God in judgment:
The first 4 bowls. These fall, symbolically on creation the earth 16:2 The sea 16:3 the rivers and fountains of waters 16:4 the sun 16:8. Since Satan has always been worshipped as a serpent and the sun god they are judgments on those in Satan's kingdom a kingdom which he has usurped in God's creation. The first bowl 16:2 is retribution on those who received the mark of the beast a "grievous sore." The second bowl is moral death on such people. The third bowl is probably by extension the same judgment on their rulers. The fourth bowl is man tormented by the unbearable tyranny of the beast.
The last 3 bowls- those in Satan's kingdom like the first four bowls, but at those ruling it the beast and Satan. So the fifth bowl falls on the seat of the beast. The sixth is a direct blow at his empire for the Euphrates is dried up so the Eastern powers can attack him. The seventh falls on the air Satan's seat for he is the ruler of the authority of the air. The introduction of Babylon in 16:19 makes it clear that this is not' in chronological order, for Babylon's judgment is long past at this point of time. This passage is the reverse of 11:15-18, with Satan's kingdom in dissolution.
The Parenthetical Teaching Following the Bowls
Rev. 17 and 18 break the flow of thought which would have taken us from the bowl judgments to Armageddon. Here we have the judgment of the harlot church. Christ judged the true church "in the midst of the 7 lampstands" Rev. 1:1313And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. (Revelation 1:13). He is not in the midst here and the judgment falls on the pretender. The harlot is in the wilderness for there are no heavenly springs in her. Rather she commits fornication with the kings of the earth. She is also seen sitting on the beast as a rider would sit on his horse to show that he is the master. These two figures unite to tell us that by corruption and figures unite to tell us that by corruption and power the harlot governs the world.
The principal use God makes of the beast is to destroy the harlot. She is intolerable to God, for she claims to be the true church and so Christ's Bride. But Christ cannot be married to a harlot 1 Cor. 6:1515Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. (1 Corinthians 6:15). So the marriage of the Lamb cannot take place in heaven until the harlot is destroyed on earth. This is clear from Rev. 19, particularly v. 7. When this question is settled (but again the order is moral, not chronological) the logical sequence asserts itself. Heaven is opened. Christ is seen on a white horse (the symbol of victorious power) and the saints with Him. The time has come to crush the serpent's head. We are at Armageddon Rev. 19:11-2111And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And 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. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21And 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. (Revelation 19:11‑21) and 20:1-3.
The Revelation opens with this statement "the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to him to show His servants things which must shortly come to pass. The Revelation was written for three classes of servants. First there are those who serve during the church period. These have been given a general understanding that God is going to judge the world after we have left it. It is not a specific understanding i.e. answering all our curious questions. For example we wonder about the meaning of Paul's "sudden destruction." Could this be a strategic missile exchange between the two superpowers? If so would this explain the massive depopulation of the world Revelation predicts? We cannot be certain. The second class of servants will be the godly Jewish remnant who replace the Church as God's witness in the world. They will pass through the tribulation and will have a specific understanding of Revelation which we lack. In other words they will see things happening before their eyes and will understand the difference between what is symbolic and what is literal. Once the 1000 year kingdom has been established, Revelation will become largely, though not entirely, an historical book like Acts, since the majority of its predictions will have been fulfilled. Even so there will still be a third class of servants the godly in the world as the 1000 year kingdom comes to its end. They know that Satan will soon be released from the abyss to lead a rebellion against God and the consequences. Thus the Revelation retains some of its prophetic character to the end of time.
When on earth the Lord used simple illustrations in His parables to make them easily understood. Borrowing this principle the Revelation can be understood by comparing it to a two story house with a basement. The basement is analogous to the failure in the Church which the Lord exposed in His addresses to the seven churches or even, where repentance was spurned, to the harlot church for nothing lowers a heavenly church like worldliness. The street level of the house is analogous to the world the place on which the 21 judgments falls. The upper level of the house is analogous to the Holy City Jerusalem failure past, all glorious, elevated above the earth, and ruling over it. With this basic understanding behind us, we will conclude our meditations on "heavenly things" with the vista of the Holy City Jerusalem. This is the subject of the last chapter in this book.
Thy Kingdom Come
O separation soon to end
From Him who leaving called us friends
We absent are while present in the body.
Yet naught from love of God can sever
From Jesus Christ the Same forever.
Head of the body here we've known
Bridegroom of bride in glory Stone
Rejected by the builders.
In twinkling eye, assembling shout
This will remove the feeblest doubts.
Christ in the midst all then will see
On cloud of glory, crystal sea
The home of life forever.
No more the tree of life is barred
His right hand holds the seven stars.
Home of the heart where Jesus is
In courts of love and light and His
Our life so we'll enjoy it.
Receive us Savior Great eternal
Who saved us from a fate nocturnal.
The kingdom bright with promise now,
The crown of gold upon His brow
Is evidence of splendor.
There's none but He the seals can break
And make the world with fear to shake.
The beast will reign months forty-two
But what has even this to do
With Him who reigns forever?
Hitting the image on its feet
A mountain great will then us greet.
From mountain great to city of light
With street of gold and never night
Where bright shall stream the river
Out of God's throne the Kingdom come
The sin of earth now overcome
Judge of all flesh the Father gave
Whether alive or in the grave
At kingdom start, or kingdom end
Then to the Father he will hand
A perfect rule o'er sea and land.
O new creation stainless scene
Where saints with Christ in light supreme
Shall worship and adore Him.
A thousand years of bridal glory
Ends and yet starts this wondrous story.