The third and final woe is about to begin as the seven angels have been made ready to pour out the last seven vial judgments or as some use the word bowl judgments of Gods fierce anger against those who have blasphemed His name and refuse to repent before the return of Christ.
The seven trumpet judgments are to make man realize through the witness and testimony of the gospel that is being preached to them during this time of Gods wrath they need to repent and come back to Gods grace and their dependence on God as He would that none should perish, 2 Peter 3:9, 2 Chronicles 7:14.
The seven vial judgments are the righteousness of Gods judgment on those who refuse to repent. They have taken the mark of the beast and follow after the image of the beast as they bow down to their false doctrines and gods denying and blaspheming the sovereign God of all creation as their hearts have been hardened, Hebrews 3:15. They have made their choice to drink the wine as they take from the cup of Gods final wrath even though they have been warned to repent.
These judgments are severely painful and grievous as they afflict the flesh of men who refuse to repent and acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior. They choose to go after other gods and believe the lies that Satan preaches out of the mouth of the false prophet. Those who are sealed by the Holy Spirit and are in hiding or held captive in detention camps at this time, (look up apfn.org), like the Jews in the time of Nebuchadnezzar or Hitler’s holocaust, will not be touched by any of the seven trumpet or vial judgments as they are protected by God.
The sores are described as noisome and grievous that means annoying and troublesome. These sores could possibly be that of boils that causes inflammatory swelling and open puss filled skin infections covering ones body in great pain like we read in Exodus 9:10, 11 and Job 2:7.
Before we get into the second and third vial judgments I feel it is important to see the synopsis that is involved with them as these vial judgments are different then the first six trumpet judgments that only affected a third part of man and the worlds environment as now is come the time of full global judgment right before the return of Christ.
There are five oceans: Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Southern and Indian. There are one hundred and thirteen seas altogether if you include the three landlocked ones. The Atlantic Ocean connects to forty, the Arctic connects to seventeen, the Pacific connects to thirty three, the Southern Ocean connects to eleven, the Indian Ocean connects to nine and there are three landlocked seas being The Dead Sea, Caspian Sea and Aral Sea although these could be classed as salt lakes.
Then we have rivers and fresh water creeks we get our filtered drinking water from. Without fresh water man dehydrates and dies, but this will not affect those who are in Christ as God supplies all our need even when it comes to fresh drinking water like that of Moses who God instructed to strike the rock and fresh water came out of it, Exodus 17:6. Let us now continue with the second vial judgment.
The sea became as the blood of a dead man. The sea does not turn into actual blood as in Revelation 8:8, 9 as this verse says as, emphasis on as, like the blood of a dead man. When one dies their blood coagulates meaning the blood turns into a semisolid or a solid mass as the heart is no longer pumping the blood through the body and the lack of oxygen causes the tissues and cells to die making the blood become a solid or semisolid in time.
God causes the water of the sea to become thick like the blood of a dead man. This possibly could come from and increase of algae called microorganism dinoflagellates that is already growing in the sea that causes a reddish thick substance. God in His supernatural powers could increase the algae on a massive scale. This will cause a lack of oxygen and food source that is vital for all sea life to exist as it will poison the water causing all sea life to die. The stench from the water and rotting carcasses of sea creatures would be tremendously unbearable and also shut down the fishing industry and also the trade industry as merchant ships will no longer be able to travel port to port by sea.
The third angel follows suit as he pours out his vial and all rivers and fountains of water that are our fresh water ecosystems are also turned to this thick form of blood like substance. The angel of the waters proclaims that the Lord is righteous in His judgments against those who have slaughtered the saints and prophets from the very beginning when Cain killed his own brother Able.
Those who have killed the saints and prophets of God are worthy to drink putrid waters of Gods righteous indignation as they deserve nothing better for what they have done against the saints and prophets of God as God has forewarned man to not touch His anointed, 1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalms 105:15.
God gives the fourth angel all power to unleash the full extent of the heat of the sun that man will be burned by its immense heat, but yet many refuse to repent. The suns surface is approximately 9,800 degrees Fahrenheit. The suns core is around 27,000,000 degrees Fahrenheit. When a person is exposed to the sun unprotected from its UV rays they usually receive very severe and painful sunburn and use various methods of soothing the heat and pain.
Now imagine the heat of the sun being more intense as the ozone layer could be virtually nonexistence at this time of the fourth plague. The UV rays from the sun would literally burn the skin causing deterioration of the skin which in turn would cause great pain and infection of the skin. There would be no resources left to soothe the heat and pain of this magnitude one would receive on their body. Instead of men being remorseful of their sin and repent of it they in turn blasphemy the name of God for the great pain that have been inflicted on them.
During the timing of the first trumpet judgment up to the fourth vial judgment we have read about the horrendous environmental, physical and psychological devastation befalling unrepented man. The gospel of grace has been preached to unbelievers throughout all these judgments, but yet many refuse to repent. God sends an angel out to the nations with the everlasting gospel as a last chance warning to repent and not take the mark of the beast and again many refuse to repent.
Marshall law would be prevalent at this time throughout the nations as this time they are led by a one world government of the Luciferians New World Order and many who lack spiritual knowledge are seduced and drawn into what the beast and the false prophet is offering as he promises peace for all who will take its mark and bow down to their gods.
Those who have taken the mark of the beast will see those who are held captive and are sealed by the Holy Spirit being physically unharmed from these horrendous vial judgments falling on them. Instead of questioning and understanding why they are safe those of unbelief in the true God of all creation would rather blasphemy the name of God as they are in excruciating pain and angered as they have been deceived by the Luciferians Roman Catholic religious system.
The seat of the beast is Papal authority that sits in the temple in Jerusalem. This was explained in Revelation chapter 13. His kingdom is worldwide as Satan is the dragon that works through the beast that is the Jesuit Vatican and the Pope who is the false prophet that deceives those who lack spiritual knowledge. Many believe the lies coming out of the mouth of the beast as he controls the kingdoms of this world, 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2.
The 1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church recognizes God as the source of truth, but declares the church or in other words the Pope infallible for interpretation of the Scriptures. This goes against what is said in 2 Timothy2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
The darkness of evil is the seat of the beast with its end of day’s worldly headquarters of the Luciferians New World Order that vacates its seat in Rome and takes over the temple mount in Jerusalem, Isaiah 14:13. The beast and false prophet that has blinded those from truth and have persecuted and killed many of the saints and prophets of God will be rewarded in Gods righteous indignation.
The fifth angel fills the actual headquarters of the beast and his kingdom here on earth with blinding thick darkness as God exposes this false religion and false prophet for who they truly are as being those used of Satan. People have been duped into believing this economic, political and religious system would bring peace and provision to its people who chose to take its mark and bow down to their gods, Proverbs 24:19, 20; Isaiah 3:11; 60:2; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.
Man will gnaw their tongues for the pain they are in as they realize they have been deceived by the false teachings and false promises, 1 Thessalonians 5:3. Instead of repenting and turning to God they choose to curse the name of God as they are in great pain from the sores and the scorching of the sun that has been inflicted on them as they blame God instead of realizing the warnings God gave them to repent and turn back to His grace.
The Euphrates River stretches approximately 1800 miles beginning in Turkey flowing down through Syria and Iraq where the great walled city of Babylon once stood before it was destroyed by God and never inhabited again, Isaiah chapter 45; Jeremiah chapters 50, 51; Daniel chapter 5.
This great river separates the land mass between Israel and all the eastern countries and ends in Kuwait City at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. The Euphrates receives most of its water in the form of rainfall, melting snow and a few tributaries along the way.
God spoke of the latter days that he would dry up the Nile River and the Euphrates River to prepare a highway for the scattered tribes of Judah to return back to Jerusalem, Isaiah 11:11-16; 27:12, 13; Jeremiah 50:4, 5. The kings of the east, 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6; 5:10, are the faithful Jewish remnant of God’s people that He will gather back to Israel as they reclaim the inheritance of all the land from the Nile River to the Euphrates River that was promised to Abraham and his seed.
They are the faithful Jewish remnant of the house of Judah whom from the time of the Babylonian captivity in 586 B.C. and the Egyptian captivity of Judah in 609 B.C. have stayed in the same lands they became accustom to, but now God will deliver them back to their own land as they are joined together once again with the house of Israel, Ezekiel 37:22. This takes place when Jesus returns as we will study this in Chapter 19.
(cross-reference for the remnant of God: Genesis 15:18; Isaiah 11:11, 12; Isaiah 27:12,13; 35; 43:1-7; 52:1-10; Jeremiah 3:18; 16:14,15; Joel 3:2-7; and Zechariah 10:9-11; 2 Kings 23:29-37, 2 Chronicles 35:20-27)
The three unclean spirits are spirits of demons that proceed out of the mouth of Satan who gives power and authority to his unholy trinity that is Satan, the Jesuits (beast) and the Pope who is the false prophet who speaks lies and teaches a twisted word of God that deceives the nations. These three spirits of demons send out wondrous signs to the political leaders (kings) of the earth and throughout all the nations as the signs are that of the monumental greatness of this modern day tower of Babel with its seat in Jerusalem as they make a name for themselves setting themselves above all that is God’s, Genesis 11:1-9; Isaiah 14:12-14.
It was through vanity and pride that the tower of Babel was being built and as God made an end to that so will He also make an end to this Luciferians New World Order as the whole world is gathered to the great battle of God almighty as Satan gathers them to a place called Armageddon. Jesus said we need to keep watch as He will come as a thief in the night to those who have no relationship with Him. We will study more about this battle in Chapter 19, but first let’s understand what Armageddon means.
Armageddon is not a literal place you can locate on a map, but is symbolic of many areas north of Israel where the great battles of the Old Testament were fought. Armageddon derives from the Hebrew word Har-mageddon which means the Hill of Megiddo which is found in the Carmel mountains. Megiddo is mentioned in the Old Testament as the site where Joshua conquered one of the thirty one Canaanite kings, Joshua 12:21. Deborah and Barak defeated the army of Sisera in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, Judges 5:19. Megiddo is the ancient city that was formerly a Canaanite stronghold. The city was occupied by the Israelites under King Solomon who reconstructed the city as one of his storage cities, 1 Kings 9:15-19.
Megiddo is on the east of the Plain of Esdraelon opposite the Jezreel Valley in the Carmel Mountains. The land has three passes that form together as a “Y” making a strategic land route going south towards Jerusalem. We studied how the seas will be impassable at this point and the only option will be traveling by land as all nations will be gathered together for the battle of God almighty. Megiddo is the key for understanding the meaning of the Hebrew word Har-mageddon or the hill of Megiddo which is called Armageddon in scripture.
Joel calls this the valley of decision as multitudes of people are gathered there, Joel 3:14. This is why Jesus says to be watchful as He will come as a thief in the night to those who have no Spiritual relationship with Him. There are an estimated seven billion people living in the world today with only a small percentage of them being truly Spiritually born-again so this gathering can not take place in one specific area found in the Carmel mountains as this gathering is that of one like mind.
The multitudes and multitudes are those of every nation who have no knowledge of the true Christ and have been deceived by the beast and the false prophet taking its mark. Revelation 1:7 says every eye will see Jesus coming in the clouds. This means everyone all around the world simultaneously will see Jesus coming in the clouds with His mighty army.
Many will set out to rebel and fight against Jesus, but not realizing the battle of God almighty is not that of any military enforcement using weaponry of mass destruction, but is that of Jesus coming to make an end to all the abominations that have caused desolations in this world casting it into the lake of fire for all eternity. Jesus will purify this present earth and the atmosphere (first heaven) above us renewing that which was corrupt in order for God to usher down the New Jerusalem then we will be with the Lord forever.
Throughout all the ages the battles have always been that of Satan’s rebellion against God as he works through those who lack true knowledge of Gods word, Hosea 4:6, 7, and are lovers of self, 2 Timothy 3:2, 4. Satan claimed in Isaiah 14:14 he would be like God and also sit on the mount of the congregation as he takes his seat on the sides of the north.
This has already happened when Israel lost control of the holy city of Jerusalem and it’s government back in 70 AD and continued when the Muslims seized control of Jerusalem in 637 AD that will soon be given over to the papacy of the Vatican in Rome as the Luciferians One World Government and religious system will move their headquarters from Vatican City in Rome to the Dome of the Rock that sits on the original temple mount in Jerusalem. When this is accomplished then will be the greatest battle the world has ever seen and never to be seen again.
God’s word has taken us from the covenant promises He has made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel to a literal nation of Israel that has walked according to the flesh, 1 Corinthians 10:18; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 3:1-25, to a spiritual Israel of God from every kindred, tongue and nation, Jew and Gentile who are centered in Christ Jesus throughout the world, Galatians 3:26-29; 6:14-16. Israel, according to the flesh, has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times throughout the ages because they disobeyed God and lost that spiritual relationship with Him.
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
This has been the whole purpose of Gods wrath on those of disobedience. His longsuffering and patience is His perfect timing that none should perish as His covenant promises are the same today as in the day He made them with Noah, Abraham, Isaac and David. God wants all to come to repentance before the door of salvation is closed forever when Jesus returns, 2 Peter 3:9. Religion can not save you nor the traditional doctrines of man teach you all truths as it is by grace only through faith that is Christ Jesus can we come to God with a repentant heart, John 3:3-7; Romans 10:9, 10; Ephesians 2:8, and learn all truths by His Holy Spirit, John 14:26, 1 John 2:27.
From the sounding of the first trumpet to that of the seventh trumpet sounding the kingdoms of the world will have become the kingdoms of God and His son Jesus as God is in control of all things that will come about including the timing of Jesus second coming.
The horrendous devastations brought on by God during the seven trumpet judgments and the last seven vial judgments are not brought about by God using any military forces with nuclear wars of mass destruction. God being sovereign and omnipotent only needs to speak those things into existence during the timing and purpose of His great wrath in order to accomplish that which His word is sent forth to do as God’s word never returns back to Him void, Isaiah 55:11.
Hail, fire, stars falling from heaven, earthquakes, and waters becoming blood-like up to the sun scorching man is all literal and not symbolic as you read all things come from heaven above and has nothing to do with any earthly military force or nuclear wars.
The voice out of the temple in heaven that comes from the throne is God proclaiming “It is done”, meaning the days of Jacobs trouble is about to come to an end. God is about to greatly shake the nations causing them to fall in preparation for the purity of the earth to begin and also for His people to be given back what was taken from them, Jeremiah 30:1-11; Haggai 2:4-9. Voices, thunders and lightnings are that of Gods mighty power as He unleashes the greatest earthquake the world has ever known or seen before this time.
This earthquake is not a localized one as we see them today, but is worldwide in so great a strength that will literally shake all the fault lines around the world in every nation and under the sea. This massive earthquake will cause the plates in the earth to shift causing much of the land mass to disappear. Islands will be swept away from the tsunamis the earthquakes will cause under the seas. Mountains that stood majestic will be leveled. God will then rain hail stones down on those of disobedience with each stone being the weight of a talent, which equals around seventy-five pounds each. This is Gods final attempt to bring mankind back to Him, but instead of repenting they curse God instead.
The great city is Jerusalem and will be divided into three parts. Two parts consist of the papacy whose seat is in Jerusalem at this time and all those who have taken its mark. They have cut themselves off from God and will be destroyed. The third part are those Israelites living in Jerusalem who have not taken the mark of the beast, but will be brought through the refiners fire and made pure again before the Lord as they call upon His name and they will be His people and He will be their God, Zechariah 13:8, 9; Jeremiah 9:7; 50:4, 5; Ezekiel 20:33-38, as the covenant promise God gave to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3; 15:18 will be fulfilled.