THE SECOND SCENARIO

7:1-3. After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind should blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."

The four angels "represent divine agencies in the world holding back the forces of evil until the work of God on human hearts is complete" (SDA.BC Vol 7).

There is no gap in the first scenario (Rev 6); There, the winds of strife never cease to blow. Where then do we place this scene of relative calm if the great tribulation began in the first century and was to continue to the very end of time? (Mt 24:15-21,29-31). Answer: This is clearly the beginning of a second scenario.

4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel.

These bond-servants of God come from all the tribes of spiritual Israel (vss 5-8). The Millerites were such a remnant. They did in fact come from all the denominations in the Christian Church and were the largest such interfaith movement in history. They were to be the one hundred and forty-four thousand.

The key historical events that build up to this climactic point are not yet mentioned. They are taken up in great detail as an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet. See 10:1—11:13. If the reader wishes to first see how events were to unfold to the point mentioned above, then the "historical section" or any historicist commentary on that interlude should be inserted here for review. The reader should also consider the fact that there is an interlude between the sixth and seventh seal, trumpet, and bowl of wrath.

8:1 And when He broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

Thus far, the throne room has been filled with praise and adoration, but now, as in a court, all are quiet with an awesome reverence as the Judge of all the earth breaks the final seal to the book of destiny. The Lamb now goes through His record book. John was painfully aware of how long this awesome scene of investigation was presented before him, for he was writing down what he saw as the images passed through his mind. See 10:4. He later beheld a panoramic view of many centuries within a short time, yet he estimated the silence to last half an hour. This tells us that the opening of the book is a most important event.

2. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God; and seven trumpets were given to them.

3. And another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.

5. And the angel took the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

6. And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.

7. And the first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burnt up, and a third of the trees were burnt up, and all the green grass was burnt up.

8. And the second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood; 9 and a third of the creatures, which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10. And the third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters; 11 and the name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood; and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

12. And the fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were smitten, so that a third of them might be darkened and the day might not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.

13. And I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe, to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"

9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. 2. And he opened the bottomless pit; and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.

3. And out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

4. And they were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

5. And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. 6. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; and they will long to die and death flees from them.

7. And the appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads, as it were, crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8. And they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. 10. And they have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. 11. They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.

12. The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

13. And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15. And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they might kill a third of mankind.

16. And the number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17. And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. 18. And a third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths. 19. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads; and with them they do harm.

20. And the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; 21 and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.

11:14 The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

15. And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." 16. And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying "We give Thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign."

18. The nations were enraged, and God’s wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to His bond-servants the prophets and to the saints and to those who fear His name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.

19. And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.