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

The judgments of God contribute to this last three and a half years of Daniel’s 70 sevens what Jesus calls the “great distress” or “great tribulation.”

The Seal Judgments

There are seven seals on the scroll that Jesus takes from the Father’s hand, that when broken, bring forth judgments. The first four are visioned as horses with riders:

a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest…another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword…a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand…a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:2,4,6,8)

These all appear to be the destructiveness of war. The scales measure out food that has become scarce and thus inflated in cost. Famine and plague often follow in war. The antichrist, the beast out of the abyss, is one of those engaged in war, against numerous nations and against Mystery Babylon (chs. 17&18) and Israel (ch.19). And he is fighting against believers, hence the fifth seal:

⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. ¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” (Revelation 6:9,10)

The sixth seal is an earthquake along with cataclysmic solar and lunar consequences:

¹² I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, ¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. (Revelation 6:12-14)

It is hard to know what to take literally here. Certainly the earthquake is literal, and such a quake could stir up massive amounts of dust in the atmosphere darkening the sun and moon, but stars as we know them could not fall to earth without completely destroying it, so these might be asteroids pelting the earth, which also send up dust into the atmosphere.

The seventh seal initiates the trumpet judgments.

The Trumpet Judgments

The first trumpet sounding brings “hail and fire mixed with blood” that burns up a third of the trees and all the green grass (Revelation 8:7). The second trumpet brings “something like a huge mountain” that turns a third of the sea to blood and kills a third of the sea creatures, as well as destroying a third of the ships on the seas (Revelation 8:8,9). The third trumpet sends a blazing “star” to turn a third of the rivers and springs to poison (Revelation 8:10,11). The fourth darkens a third of the sun and moon (Revelation 8:12). The fifth trumpet heralds the release of scorpion-like creatures from the Abyss to torture, but not kill, earth’s inhabitants, except for believers (Revelation 9:1-6). The sixth trumpet announces the release of the four angels bound at the Euphrates River who raise an army of 200 million, killing a third of mankind (Revelation 9:13-19).

The seventh trumpet introduces the bowl judgments and with it a declaration that God’s kingdom is now come (Revelation 11:15), signaling that this is the final and ultimate judgment.

The Bowl Judgments

The first bowl brings “festering sores” that afflict all those with the mark of the beast (Revelation 16:2). The second bowl turns the sea to blood and kills every living thing in the sea (Revelation 16:3). The third bowl pours out destruction on all the rivers and springs of fresh water (Revelation 16:4). The fourth bowl makes the sun a scorching fire (Revelation 16:8). The fifth bowl plunges the antichrist’s kingdom into darkness (Revelation 16:10). The sixth bowl dries up the Euphrates River to allow the antichrist’s army to march on Israel and Jerusalem (Revelation 16:12-16). The seventh bowl brings an earthquake so destructive it has never been equaled, as well as hailstones weighing a hundred pounds (Revelation 16:17-21). These plagues are much more severe than the trumpet plagues and signal the end of the age.

God’s judgment seems universal, but it is actually more targeted at unbelievers. Somehow believers are protected from God’s wrath even as they are not deserving it. More than once it is noted that despite the suffering of God’s anger the people of earth do not repent and seek Him. There are, we will see, many, many people who do come to Christ during this great distress, but most only get hardened against God.