SCENARIO III: The Grand Finale
With the sounding of the seventh trumpet, Christs reign had been announced (Rev 11:15-17). The stage was set for the culminating act in the apocalyptic drama (11:18). So then, it is reasonable to expect that the scenes to follow might describe the resurrection, the final judgment, and the new age to come. Yet such is not the case. With the end of this second cycle of prophecy, the text now develops more fully the final and ultimate scenario. Beginning with the history of the early church, this next revision now extends the consummation of history into a more distant future. It comes with even worse plagues upon the world. These terrible plagues follow three solemn messages of warning, and no warning of the shortness of time is better expressed than Revelation 14:6-10 it is the last and final appeal to accept Christs offer of mercy. This is the larger picture of the book of Revelation. In the first scenario, the book of destiny is being opened. In the second scenario, the book is opened. In the third scenario, the message is, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come" (Rev 14:7). Evidently, The first angels message is an allusion to Revelation 8:1 which points to judgment in the great Antitypical Day of Atonement. So then, the judgment that began in the second prophetic cycle was not canceled the hour of judgment has come!
COMMON LITERARY STRUCTURES Each of the three units of prophecy are complete, i.e., they each tell a story. They reach to an end of time. The three scenarios emphasize one especially important feature: The gospel commission is fulfilled in each of them. The white horse of the first seal, the two ascending witnesses, and the three angels of Rev 14 all refer to the gospel being proclaimed with power and great glory just before the end of the world.
AN ESCALATION OF JUDGMENT In each scenario, a percentage of the earths population is killed before the return of Christ: In the first scenario: 1/4 of the earth are killed with "sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth" (6:8). In the second scenario, A third of mankind was killed, by three plagues: fire, smoke & brimstone (9:17,18). In the third scenario, the great river Euphrates, symbolizing all the wicked that support Babylon, is dried up (16:12 cf. 17:1,15).
PARALLEL JUDGMENTS The parallels between the seven trumpet judgments and the seven last plagues are quite illuminating. See the next section. We find that:
B. Both scenarios refer to the cessation of Christs priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary (Rev 8:5 /Rev 15:8). C. Both allude to the fact that none are lead to repent because His intercessory work is finished (Rev 9:20,21 /Rev 16:9,11). Again, this is another reference to the Day of Atonement where the destiny of all mankind is fixed and the righteous are sealed of God (Rev 9:4). D. There is no satisfactory explanation for points B & C in terms of historicist thinking. If trumpets judgments are so similar to the seven last plagues, and if the trumpets can be interpreted as historical events, then it follows that the seven last plagues can be construed as historical events. TIME MARKERS Since the first scenario restates Mt 24, Mk 13, Lk 21, and because Mt 24:34 demands those events were to have a first century fulfillment, then the simplest conclusion is that the first scenario expresses the thought that an imminent return was still possible for the Apostolic church. In the second scenario, time ends soon after a terrible 3 & 1/2 years of persecution, a period later explained in the third scenario. There, the terminus of this time period is a reference point; it is when the beast receives a deadly wound. But time does not end at the conclusion of Daniels 2300 days. In the second prophetic cycle we were told, in the seven peals of thunder uttering their voices, that, no doubt, the people of God would still not be ready. The failure and unfinished work of that movement brings us to the time when the beast is healed of its deadly wound, when it returns from the abyss, full of life. So the third scenario up-dates the second, time is extended, yet we are encouraged in that when the beast is resurrected, time is for only a little while longer (17:10). That the second and third scenarios are so close in time naturally accounts for the similarity in the trumpets and vials. Their dissimilarity with the judgments that were to fall in the first century suggests that the end of the world was delayed far beyond that time. It will be shown just as clearly that we are now living at the final end of human history, near the conclusion of the final scenario.
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