Lesson 463 - Senior

Memory Verse

"Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened"  (Matthew 24:22).

Cross References

I John's Vision of the Overcomers in Heaven

1. John sees those who "had gotten the victory over the beast," [REV:15:2]; [REV:13:4], [REV:13:8]; [ROM:8:35-37].

2. They sing the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb, [REV:15:3]; [REV:14:3]; [EXO:15:1].

3. The Millennium is to follow the final outpouring of God's judgment on earth, [REV:15:4].

II Preparation for Outpouring of the 'Seven Last Plagues

1. John beholds the Temple opened in Heaven, [REV:15:5].

2. The seven angels receive the vials containing the seven last plagues, [REV:15:1], [REV:15:6-8]; [EXO:40:34-35].

III The Outpouring of Five Vials Full of the Wrath of God upon Earth

1. The angels are commanded to "go," [REV:16:1].

2. The first vial is outpoured, [REV:16:2]; [EXO:9:9-11].

3. The second vial is outpoured, [REV:16:3]; [EXO:7:17]; [REV:8:8-9].

4. The third vial is outpoured, [REV:16:4-7]; [REV:8:10-11]; [REV:18:24]; [MAT:23:34-35].

5. The fourth vial is outpoured, [REV:16:8]

6. The fifth vial is outpoured, [REV:16:10-11].

IV The Outpouring of the Sixth Vial and the Approach of Armageddon

1. Preparation is made for Armageddon, [REV:16:12-14].

2. "The battle of that great day of God Almighty" is set in array [REV:16:14], [REV:16:16]; [REV:17:14]; [REV:19:17-21]; [JOE:3:1-2].

3. Christ comes to earth to fight this last great conflict, [REV:16:15]; [REV:1:7]; [2TS:2:8].

V The Outpouring of the Seventh Vial

1. The end of God's wrath is reached, [REV:16:17].

2. "There were voices, and thunders, and lightening; and there was a great earthquake," [REV:16:18]; [MAT:24:29]; [ISA:29:6]; [ISA:2:19-21].

3. The fall of Babylon is foretold, [REV:16:19]; [REV:14:8]; [REV:18:5].

4. The fall of great hail is told, and yet men continue to blaspheme God, [REV:16:21]; [REV:11:19]; [EXO:9:23-25].

Notes

There is coming a time of terrible tribulation and trouble that is horrible to contemplate. This earth will be visited by the wrath of God because of its rejection of the mercies that God has extended through the ages. In the time now about to open, God's judgments will be poured out without restraint. People will even be given blood to drink, for they are "worthy." What an awful thought! Human language could never paint the horrible picture that will unfold here on earth during the time of the Great Tribulation. We try to picture as best we can, using these insights that the Word of God gives us, and yet it is certain that our minds grasp only a small portion of the horror that will be the experience of those who live on the earth during this time.

"As a Snare"

p>We know that these judgments are coming but the people of the world do not know. We read the Bible and know that every prophecy of the Book will be fulfilled. But it is possible to hear preaching and to read prophecy and still not "know." Just as it was in the days of Noah -- he preached as he built the ark, but even though the people heard his preaching, it was said of them that they "knew not until the flood came, and took them all away." These are not idle words. "If any man have ears to hear, let him hear."

These plagues will be literal. Just as the plagues that God sent on the Egyptians in Moses' time were real, these will be. Those who have the mark of the beast will be afflicted with sores; the sea will be turned to blood and everything in the sea will die; the rivers and fountains of waters will all be blood which means that every water system will have blood instead of water. The sun will be so very hot that it will scorch men with fire, and yet they will not repent. These terrible times are coming to the very community in which you and I live, so it behoves all of us to be sure that we are ready for Jesus' coming so we will be shut in with Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, during the time of the Great Tribulation upon the earth.

When we study the opening of the seven seals and the sounding of the seven trumpets and the pouring out of the seven vials we see the plagues growing exceedingly more severe with each cycle. The seven vials are the final wave of judgments that God will send. But even when they are at their worst, people will not turn to God; rather they will harden their hearts and blaspheme God because of their trouble.

The Overcomers

In John's vision he saw a company of people in Heaven rejoicing before God with the harps of God. They were singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. They were praising God for His deliverance out of the hand of the Antichrist and out of the terrible things that had transpired on earth. There seems to be a connection between these two songs. The song of Moses was one the Israelites sang as they were delivered from their troubles in Egypt, and now again that song is sung, along with the song of the Lamb. What a wonderful anthem that will be! This seems to indicate that this group "that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name," and stood on the sea of glass, having the harps of God, were Jews. At least it is certain that we could not use this verse of Scripture to prove that there is hope of salvation for those who live under the blazing light of the Latter Rain Gospel and fail to make the Rapture. There will be those who will stand true and will give their lives for their testimony rather than to take the mark of the beast; but you who read these Bible Studies and hear the things that are taught, your hope of seeing God in peace is in being sure that you are ready to go with the Lord when He comes in the sky for His Bride. The Rapture of the Church could take place at any time and it certainly will be before the more terrible stages of the Great Tribulation come upon this earth.

Righteous Judgment

God, having made provision for man's redemption, is perfectly just when He judges man for refusing it. Some might think that a God of love would not send such judgments upon the inhabitants of the earth. But they, in effect, ask for them when they refuse His call of mercy and fail to take advantage of the provision made to escape the things that He tells us are coming. The Prophet Isaiah gives the warning and points to the provision in [ISA:26:20-21]: "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpass. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain."

This very plainly speaks of the possibility of escape. It tells us that we may have the privilege of being shut away with the Lord at the time of the First Resurrection. (The privilege of the raptured ones will be covered in the next lesson.) But during the time that these vials of judgment are being poured out, the ones left here will be punished by things that have never been before nor ever will be again.

The Glory of God

The smoke that filled the Temple in Heaven and the glory of God that John saw there remind us of the scene that unfolded when Solomon's Temple was dedicated. Each of these occasions reveals God's interest in the affairs of man. He is concerned, and blesses people when they worship Him in truth and His name is glorified. He is concerned when people rebel and refuse to obey Him; and when judgment is meted out, that is to the glory of God, too. God is a God of love, but He could not be just if sin went unpunished. Judgment is never sent until mercy has first been offered.

In Heaven the angel said, "Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus." When Christ was on earth He drove the money changers out of the Temple with cords, because they had made the house of the Lord a den of thieves. So even the wrath of God poured out during the coming tribulation will be to His glory, and all the redeemed of all ages will rejoice with Him in these judgments -- not because men are punished but because God's judgments are righteous.

Tribulation but No Repentance

Some would say that when the great trouble comes they will then repent and seek God. But when the sun was so very hot that men were scorched with great heat, they blasphemed the name of God and repented not. Repentance does not come about through trouble alone but through the awakening of the understanding of man by the Holy Spirit. When sin is shown in its awful reality, the sinner realises that his sins are hideous and that his soul will be damned unless he calls out to Clod for mercy in true repentance. Some come to this point through trouble, but by far the greater number of people who have distressing problems are more likely to forget God then, because they are preoccupied with their troubles. Signs and wonders do not often cause people to repent, either. Father Abraham told the rich man who was in hell that if his five brethren did not believe Moses and the prophets, they would not believe even though one went to them from the dead.

The Finish

In the pouring out of the last vial we have these words, "It is done." It has been said, "This tells us direct from the judgment seat itself that here the end is reached, and that with this outpouring the whole contents of the wrath of God upon this present world are exhausted." In the Battle of Armageddon, in which the kings and armies of the earth set themselves against Christ and His armies, there will be the defeat of these evil forces who will be slain by the brightness of His coming. Those who are not destroyed will be brought into subjection and obedience to the rule of Christ, for then will He establish the Millennium upon this earth.

A great many events will take place at the revelation of Christ. After having had a part in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the high privilege of the redeemed will be to come back with Christ on white horses and rule and reign with Him a thousand years.

Questions

1. Over whom had the overcomers in this lesson gotten the victory?

2. What was the reason for the song of Moses?

3. What comparison could there be between the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb?

4. Where, first, did John see this scene unfolding?

5. What comparison could be drawn between the happenings in the Temple in Heaven and in Solomon's Temple at its dedication?

6. Will the rivers literally be turned to blood? Have they ever been before?

7. When will the Battle of Armageddon be fought?

8. From where will the armies of God come?