Studies in Revelation: The Nature of the Judgment (Part One)

Chapters 6-19 of Revelation contain a description of the judgment God pours out on the world at the same time as the world becomes involved in world war and economic dictatorship.

There are three series of judgments on the world, named for the vehicles that bring them. There are the seal judgments (ch.6), so named because they come one-by-one as the seven seals on the scroll are opened by Jesus. Then there are the trumpet judgments, the judgments that are announced by a series of seven trumpet blasts (chs. 8&9). Then finally, the bowl judgments (chs. 15&16), seven bowls pouring out judgment on earth.

Some have suggested that these are not really three sets of judgment, but one set described three ways. But Revelation clearly puts them in sequence, following one another chronologically. The seventh seal opens to bring about the seven trumpet judgments, the seventh trumpet brings about the seven bowl judgments. There are clear time elements introduced (“When he opened the seventh seal…Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them,” [8:1,6], “seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed” [15:1]). Additionally, the severity of the plagues increases with each outpouring, strongly suggesting that these are not three descriptions of the same judgment.

There seems to be a parallel with Jesus’ description of God’s judgment described in Matthew 24. He describes what might be termed a minor or precursor judgment that is not the final judgment but the “beginning of birth pains,” which includes false messiahs, wars, famines, and earthquakes (Matthew 24:4-8).

The real judgment comes afterward, and though Jesus doesn’t describe it in particulars, it comes with persecution of Christians, an abundance of false prophets, apostasy from the faith, widespread hatred and a preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is initiated by the “abomination that causes desolation,” a desecration of the temple, and is described by Jesus as “a great distress” that is unequaled in history (Matthew 24:9-21).

Jesus says that were those days not shortened no one would survive, and he particularly mentions false messiahs and prophets that perform miracles that come close to deceiving the elect (Matthew 24:22-25).

It is after this time that the Son of Man will appear in the sky, “coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory,” gathering his elect to the kingdom (Matthew 24:29-31).

Revelation fleshes out this prediction.