Revelation 10:7, NKJV. “But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets”
- The Seven Trumpets 1-4 Revelation 8
- The relationships between the seven seals, seven churches and seven trumpets.
By way of a brief review, the seven seals in Rev. 6 describe the degeneration of the Christian church from Pentecost (AD 31) to the Close of Probation, which is very soon. The seven churches in Rev. 2-3 describe the spiritual condition of the church and Jesus’ remedy for every need they will ever have in every time period from Pentecost to the Close of Probation. The seven trumpets describe the judgments that fall on God’s people when they apostatize and discard the gospel teachings. Jesus offers total grace to the willing believer. He must call the trumpet judgments on those who are openly rebellious and disobedient.
As the Pergamum church leadership began ruling with the emperors, they became arrogant and haughty. The pagan world changed them instead of the story of Jesus changing the pagans. The early Christian church accepted the teachings of the Nicolaitans, who taught that all you had to do was say you loved Jesus and don’t worry about the commandments. They accepted the teaching of Balaam, and became covetous and licentious. In other words, they wanted what the world had, and they no longer cared for the sanctity of marriage, among many other things. They became what the Bible calls, the Synagogue of Satan, or the children of disobedience. (See Rev. 2:12-17). (See EGW, CET, 207.1) This is serious apostasy!
What happens in the Revelation when God’s people apostatize, or move away from the Bible? Jesus calls the trumpets to sound. The trumpets sound judgments on one third of the people on earth, meaning these judgments are not the final judgments like the Seven Last Plagues. In Rev. 8:6, the angels prepare to sound their trumpets. They have apparently been given the signal to do so. Notice it is the 1st angel who sounds, NOT ALL THE ANGELS AT ONCE. There is a sequence here, the angels sound one AFTER the other, implying a duration of time of the sounding of each angel, not a point in time.
One should note here that if the typology is correct, and if the our interpretation of the Ephesian and Smyrnean churches is correct, then the first trumpet sounded in 395 AD, or when the major apostasies of the church were most mature. In the time period of the Church of Pergamos, the Mass was most fully promulgated by Ambrose of Milan and the re-introduction of the Aaronic Priesthood occurred with the forgiveness of sins only by the priest. Therefore, while the mediatorial work of Christ, vs 3, commences in 31 AD, the trumpet commences to sound in 395 AD, when Christ’s high-priestly work is supplanted by the church. This is major apostasy and rebellion.
“The sounding of the seven trumpets I understand to shadow forth the instrumentalities by which the Roman empire was to be overthrown and subverted, and finally ruined…Under the first four trumpets the two western divisions fell, and under the fifth and sixth the eastern empire was crushed; but under the seventh trumpet great Babylon entire will sink to rise no more at all.” Pg. 1.
“The Roman Empire declined, as it arose, by conquest; but the Saracens and the Turks were the instruments by which a false religion became the scourge of an apostate church; and hence, instead of the fifth and sixth trumpets, like the former, being marked by that name alone, they are called woes. It was because the laws were transgressed, the ordinances changed, and the everlasting covenant broken, that the curse came upon the earth or the land.” Pgs. 30, 31.[1] (See Isaiah 24:4-6)
Judgments come as a result of apostasy. This is a biblical truth throughout the Old AND New Testament. Conversely, apostasy is NOT a judgment.
- Jesus’ mediatorial work in the time period of the trumpets
Jesus’ mediatorial work (Rev. 8:3-5) continues through the entire time of the Christian era, ceasing only at the Close of Probation. John understands that this vision of Jesus ministering at the golden altar continues throughout human history, during which time the seven trumpet judgments sound. In verse seven, he sees the sounding of the first trumpet. These trumpets sound the judgments that come upon Jesus’ apostate church, those persecutors of God’s people, calling the remnant of those left after the judgments to repent before it is too late. Just as God “strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD,” (Judges 3:12); and just as God sent Nebuchadnezzar against apostate Israel (Jeremiah 25:9), so He sent real and literal judgments against New Testament spiritual Israel, in judgment for their apostasy and for calling the remnant to repent. Here is an explanation of Rev. 8:1-5.
- Vs. 1 John has just finished seeing the seventh seal broken and “silence in heaven” since everyone in heaven comes to the earth for the 2nd Coming.
- Vs. 2 John then “recapitulates” and goes back in time to another scene, that of the seven angels “which stood before God” and unto them were given seven trumpets. Like the “seven spirits before the throne,” these seven angels stand before the throne, awaiting the order to blow their trumpets. When do they blow their trumpets? Is it required that they immediately blow the trumpets, or do they blow the trumpets at the appropriate time in history, when major apostasy begins to occur? When Jesus circulates through the seven churches, offering His grace for every need of the church and its members, what does Jesus do when they apostatize or refuse to repent and return to Him? He sadly calls the seven trumpets to blow.
- Vs. 3 John next sees another angel come and stand at the (golden, Holy Place) altar, having a golden censor with much incense, to offer it with the prayers of the saints. Specifically, this angel stood in front of the golden altar, which was before the throne. Until October 22, 1844, this throne was on “the sides of the north.” God and Jesus sat on the throne or at the “bread of the presence.” Six loaves were in one stack and six loaves in the other stack. Jesus is the only mediator between God and man, and is represented by the angel at the golden altar. They sit here, or reside there, until October, 22, 1844. (See Daniel 7:9-14; Rev. 11:15-19)
- Vs. 4, the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of Jesus’ hand. How long a period was this? Could this be several hundred years before the angels begin to blow the trumpets? There appears to be some time between the beginning of Jesus’ mediatorial ministry and the blowing of the 1st trumpet in verse 7. Based on our study above, it took time for apostasy to become open, defiant, and rebellious against God.
- Vs. 5. Jesus takes the censor, and filled it with fire from the copper altar and “casts” (ballo; to discard what he tosses to the ground). According to Early Writings, pp. 279, 280.[2] this is the end of probationary time, the Close of Probation. Therefore, John has just been shown a scene in his vision concerning the trumpets, a vision that ranges from the beginning of Jesus’ mediatorial work in heaven in AD 31 to the Close of Probation, and back again, as we move to verse six. The use of this word ballo now indicates there is no longer any more mediation, and no more sacrifice.
A word or two about contemporary Adventist scholarship on the interpretation of the Seven Trumpets. The lesson describes an interpretation that is different than the church-voted view years ago of the trumpets characterized by Uriah Smith. This interpretation is the result of a 70 year shift from Smith’s view to what we see now. A brief summary of this change shows us that we have dropped the two time prophecies of the 5th & 6th trumpets, introduced the Fall of Jerusalem and the Fall of Pagan Rome in the 1st & 2nd trumpets, and interpreted the remaining trumpets as metaphors for the darkening of the Word of God and the emergence of Atheism. While the lesson is not completely clear, the scholarship in their own books describe us as living in the 6th trumpet, while the 7th trumpet “signals the conclusion of this earth’s history.” (P. 58 of the lesson). So, while the six trumpets have been periods of time, the 7th trumpet may be a point in time, or the Second Coming?
While some theologians might protest this statement, I believe the apparent severity and “scariness” of the Pre-Advent Judgment, as we have taught, has led some to lessen their emphasis on the judgmental aspects of the of this judgment going on in heaven. As we place less emphasis on teaching the judgment work of Christ in the Most Holy Place, other important beliefs tend to be taught less; the belief that we can be Overcomers just like Jesus, to name one.
In the end, studying the Bible to know Jesus and His plan for your life is an individual effort. No one else will be saved for you. “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” John. 7:17. Jesus will guide you into all truth. The trumpets describe judgments on the apostasy of God’s church. Let us stay with Bible truth at all cost and personally avoid the trumpet judgments. In so doing, we shall avoid the Seven Last Plagues and the Lake of Fire. More importantly, our study will lead us to Jesus, keep us with Jesus and be with Him forever in the New Earth. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Rom. 1:16 KJV) May God bless your reading and studying of His Word!
- Brief description of the first four trumpets
In identifying the symbolism of the trumpets, the following scheme is helpful. See what you can do.
1st Trumpet There is an action BY the hail and fire mingled with blood ON the earth
2nd Trumpet There is an action BY the great mountain ON the sea
3rd Trumpet There is an Action BY the great star from heaven, ON the rivers and the fountains of waters
4th Trumpet One third of the sun, moon and stars ARE smitten and they go dark
Known in history to be the period of AD 395 to AD 476.
Hail and fire mingled with blood Alaric the Goth
Great Mountain Genseric the Vandal
Great Star from heaven Attila the Hun
Sun, Moon, and Stars smitten Odoacer the Heruli
Earth Western Roman
Empire gone
Sea Southern Roman Empire gone
Rivers & Fountains of Waters Central (Italy) Roman Empire gone
Darkness of the Sun, Moon & Starts Emperor, Senate, & Consuls gone
Because of the blasphemous behavior of the Little Horn/Sea Beast (Daniel 7:25; Rev. 13:5), crucifying afresh the Son of God every time the mass was said, and re-introducing the Aaronic priesthood between Jesus and mankind, judgments followed. Starting in AD 395, Alaric the Goth, Genseric the Vandal, Attila the Hun, and Odoacer the Heruli swept successively through the Western Christian Roman Empire, ultimately destroying it in 476 AD. These are the first four trumpets. There three trumpets yet to sound and three woes yet to experience on earth!
Hardly had the mass been firmly established, when, in the same year, Theodosius, the Roman emperor, died. With his death, a flood-tide of barbarians came over the northern borders of the empire. The barriers of the Danube were thrown open in AD 395. Alaric the Goth attacked and blasted a third of the Roman Empire, with Rome as its capital. One-third of the Roman Empire came under siege and was destroyed by the barbarians under Alaric the Goth.
Genseric, king of the Vandals, A.D. 428–468, invaded and conquered Africa, making Carthage his capital. In A.D. 455, Genseric sacked Rome. They vandalized the city for two weeks, systematically and persistently. They carried off to Carthage the solid-gold seven-branched candlestick, the very one that in A.D. 70 Titus carried off to Rome from the temple in Jerusalem.
A progression of devastation is seen here in the trumpets. First the earth, then the sea, and then the rivers and fountains of waters are polluted or destroyed. The Goths devastate the many provinces of Gaul and take Rome. The Vandals devastate the sea trade, the coastal cities and take Rome. The coming of the Huns over the breadth of the earth devastates the soul and heart and wellspring of the empire. They come through the Alps and down through the rivers to the plains of Italy. The principal operations of Attila were in the regions of the Alps and on the portions of the empire whence the rivers flow down into Italy.
Odoacer the Heruli was the first barbarian who reigned in Italy, over a people who had once asserted their just superiority above the rest of mankind. The symbols of the sun, moon, and stars may suggest the great luminaries of the Roman government—the emperors, the senators, and the consuls. The last emperor of Western Rome was Romulus, who in derision was called Augustulus, or the diminutive Augustus. Western Rome fell to Odoacer in A.D. 476.
When the saving grace of Jesus is spurned, judgments occur successively on the then known Christian World until they are destroyed. First the Western Portion of the Christian Roman Empire and then the Eastern Portion of the Christian Roman Empire. Why these two areas? These two areas are where the gospel spread from the work of the early Christians. The gospel had not yet spread to the New World, Australia, etc.
- The Seven Trumpets 5-7 Revelation 9
- Explanations of some of the symbolism in the 5-6th trumpets.
9:1 An event occurs in 9:1 to trigger the onset of the 5th & 6th trumpets. A divine messenger has come with a key to the bottomless pit. The purpose of the divine messenger is to open the bottomless pit. This pit is the abode of demons and the prince of this earth, Satan himself. Jesus, who has the key, and therefore the control of all things, sends the messenger to open the bottomless pit, that the nations may be “strengthened” for judgment upon the apostate Christian believers. When Chosroes fell to the Romans (Heraclius), it loosed the Saracen hordes upon the Eastern Roman Christian Empire. (See Uriah Smith)
9:2 Like the spreading smoke, Satan’s warriors come out of hell itself, bent on destroying the people on the earth. As the first four trumpets judgments were military in nature, so too the next two trumpets will be military in nature. These judgments come on the apostate Christian church for their open rebellion. These will be worse than anything before them.
9:3 Who are these “demonic locusts?” How are they used in judgment? Notice the connection between locusts and judgment on Israel in Judges 6:1-5 and 7:12. When the Children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years. The Midianites, the Amalekites AND THE CHILDREN OF THE EAST came up against Israel. They came like grasshoppers (locusts is also a translation) for a multitude and entered into the land to destroy it. Notice Nahum’s comparison. Nahum links the locusts with the enemies of Israel. “But the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down. The enemy will consume you like locusts, devouring everything they see. There will be no escape, even if you multiply like swarming locusts (Nahum 3:15, NLT).”
OT Metaphor Literal enemy consume God’s People like locusts. Nahum 3:15
NT Metaphor Literal enemy consume God’s People like locusts. Revelation. 9:3-10
In the OT, God’s People were physical Israel.
In the NT, God’s People are spiritual Israel or the Christian Church.
In the OT, the literal agents of judgment upon Israel were the Assyrians and Babylonians, etc.
In the NT, the literal agents of judgment upon the Christian Church were the Goths, Vandals, Huns, Heruli, Saracens and Ottomans.
The locusts, both in the OT and the NT, symbolize literal agents of judgment upon God’s apostate people.
Notice the time prophecy in the 5th trumpet in 9:5, 10. The Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) would be “tormented” five months. From July 27, 1299 to July 27, 1449. Josiah Litch, an early Adventist prophecy interpreter, stated that the first assault on the Eastern Empire by Othman (the Ottomans) occurred on July 27, 1299. On this date Othman, the first of the Ottomans, first invaded the territory of Nicomedia, in the Byzantine Empire.
Chapter 9:7-10 describes the Muslim warriors. We can only summarize here. They wore yellow turbans, had a beard, and long-flowing hair. Teeth describe them as having weapons (Psalm 57:4; Psalm 58:6; Proverbs 30:14). Teeth symbolize their power to destroy. (Daniel 7:5, 7, 19) They wore defensive breastplates of armor. In Isaiah 9:14, 15, we find that “the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.” This is a description of the activities of the Saracens and Ottomans as they spread across the Middle East, North Africa and toward India!
- Brief description of 5th and 6th trumpets
From 1449, the Ottomans reigned supreme, conquering Constantinople in AD 1453, reigning over all the old Christian Byzantine Empire. Truly the Ottomans were let loose to “slay the third part of men.” (9:15) Their power waned into the early and mid-1800’s as a new secular nationalism abounded in Europe. The sixth trumpet was nearing its end, in 1840. And, on October 22, 1844, the 2300 year prophecy of Daniel 8:14 ended, ushering in the seventh trumpet. See below.
9:11 The “they” of 9:11 is a continuation of the use of the word from “locusts” in 9:3, “them” in 9:4, 5. The word “locusts” is repeated in 9:7, with the use of the word “they,” in 9:8, 9, 10 and 11. The word “they” in 9:11 means locusts. These locusts are warriors from the bottomless pit, rising out of the smoke from the pit and wreaking havoc upon the Eastern Christian Roman Empire.
In 9:1, the “star” or angel from heaven comes down to open the bottomless pit from whence the smoke comes. In 9:11, “they have a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit.” This king, which the text describes is the angel of the bottomless pit, not the angel who opened the bottomless pit, is a very bad person, being called Abaddon and Apollyon. He is the king over the locusts.
This term, bottomless pit, likely is a metaphor for where Satan resides. The bottomless pit of Genesis 1:1-2 is the primordial earth (real, not metaphorical). The bottomless pit of 9:11 is the abode of Satan and demons on this earth. The bottomless pit of 20:1-2, is the broken down, and destroyed earth, that Satan is limited to, while everyone else is dead for the 1000 years. This idea takes some study to realize it is a metaphor and not a real “pit” somewhere in the earth that Satan and his hosts reside. But, I think this is the preferred explanation.
If Satan is the king of the “bottomless pit,” then the angel (messenger) of the bottomless pit, Satan’s messenger to the earth, who is a king, is likely the Ottoman Sultan and his successors. There is a considerable amount of debate over these texts, but this is my best understanding at this time. This earthly king’s name (as is Satan’s) is Abaddon and Apollyn, “His name in the Hebrew tongue is “Abaddon,” the destroyer; in Greek, “Apollyon,” one that exterminates, or destroys. Having two different names in two languages, it is evident that the character rather than the name of the power is intended to be represented. If so, as expressed in both languages, he is a destroyer. Such has always been the character of the Ottoman government.”[3]
Many earthly kings and commanders might fit this title, due to the nature of their activities. The simplest explanation is that Satan himself is in charge of the bottomless pit (this sin-blackened earth), from whose evil mind and ambition cometh the smoke and the demonic locusts, and all the harm that is done during the three woes. No other candidate exists! The king who is the angel (messenger) of the bottomless pit (9:11) is the Sultan and his successors (Othman being the first sultan).
The sixth trumpets sounds in AD 1449, and a new Sultan, the young Mehmet The Conqueror, calls the Ottomans from the four corners of the Empire, bounded by the Euphrates River, to come for the battle of Constantinople, which he conquered on May 16, 1453. “I conclude that the interpretation of 9:13, 14 be as follows. The voice of Jesus from the golden altar of the sanctuary commands the angel with the sixth trumpet to loose the hordes of Ottoman warriors from their bases among the people of the Euphrates basin, to become the tool of judgment upon the apostate Christian church. This is not the global release of the winds of strife (destruction) in chapter 7, but the release of the Ottoman warriors upon the lands of the Great apostate Eastern Roman Empire.”[4]
We must note that despite the trumpet judgments that have occurred, 9:20, 21, says the New Testament church refused to repent from their murders, sorceries, or their fornication, nor of their thefts. The Ten Commandments appear to be referenced here. The second commandment (idolatry), the sixth (murder), the seventh (adultery), and the eighth (theft), all come into mind here. Apparently, these people can neither give up glorifying themselves, nor can they give up the things that please the flesh. No desire, no interest in doing so exists, and they just plain refuse to acknowledge their Creator.[5]
- Living in the Seventh trumpet
There is one last warning call to God’s people in their Laodicean condition. This is the seventh trumpet. The blowing of the seven trumpets ushers in the antitypical Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement in the Hebrew Economy lasted one day a year. The antitypical Day of Atonement lasts from October 22, 1844, to the close of probation.
Notice the vision of Hiram Edson the morning after the Great Disappointment. Many of us are familiar with the fact Edson saw Jesus moving from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place on October 22, 1844, instead of coming to this earth. But what we have not realized is that Hiram Edson also saw that morning was when the blowing of the seventh trumpet began.
“After breakfast I said to one of my brethren, “Let us go and see, and encourage some of our barn.” We started, and while passing through a large field I was stopped about midway of the field. Heaven seemed open to my view, and saw distinctly, and clearly, that instead of our High Priest coming out of the Host Holy of the heavenly sanctuary to come to this earth on the tenth day of the seventh month, at the end of the 2300 days, that he for the first time entered on that day the second apartment of that sanctuary; and that he had a work to perform in the Most Holy before coming to this earth. That he came to the marriage at that time; in other words, to the Ancient of days , to receive a kingdom, dominion , and glory; and we must wait for his return from the wedding; and my mind was directed to the tenth ch. of Rev. where I could see the vision had spoken and did not lie ; the seventh angel had (p. 10) began [sic.] to sound; we had eaten the (10) little [sic] book; it had been sweet in our mouth, and it had now become bitter in our belly, embittering our whole being. That we must prophesy again, etc., and that when the seventh angel began to sound, the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament, etc.” [6]
Hiram Edson was shown when the seventh trumpet began to sound. He was shown how Revelation 11:15 and 11:19 are linked together. The seventh trumpet sounds (11:15) and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament. (11:19)
Rev. 11:15-19 is an important set of verses. It reads and interprets much like Rev. 8:1-6 with recapitulation featured. We must include this here on the seventh trumpet. Some of our theologians currently believe we are in the 6th trumpet. I do not believe this to be the case, for the following reasons. Literal trumpet judgments occur on people who apostatize from the Bible truth. They occur over time periods, not points of time. Without the two time prophecies in the 5th & 6th trumpets, interpretation becomes difficult.
According to the new understanding, the seventh trumpet becomes the Second Coming of Christ, not the time period of the Pre-Advent Judgment ending with the Close of Probation. I believe we live in the time period of the 7th Trumpet, when the mystery of God will be finished. (10:7). This “finishing work of Jesus,” is the mystery of God, “Christ in you, the Hope of Glory. (Colossians 1:27, 28) These are important verses, which lead us from the end of the 2300 year prophecy into the Pre-Advent Judgment just before Jesus comes, which is the work of Jesus in the Heavenly Sanctuary, moving from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place.
Here is an interpretation of the 11:15-19 passage, which is remarkably similar to that of Friday’s lesson in the quarterly. Someone apparently took this straight from the Spirit of Prophecy as I did, Early Writings, pp. 36-38. I highly recommend reading these pages. I include this material because I believe it gives you great reassurance we are living in the 7th trumpet NOT the 6th trumpet.
11:15—“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
When the seventh trumpet “is about to sound,” it signals that the mystery of God is soon to be finished (10:7). The mystery of God, that is the incarnation of Jesus, that is the gospel of Jesus, and is, in fact, the Plan of Salvation pre-determined by the Trinity in ages past, this receiving of “Christ in you, the hope of glory; (Col. 1:27)” this is the mystery of God to be completed and fulfilled in this time period.
What is the meaning of “Christ in you, the hope of glory?” (Colossians 1:25-27) In this time period of the seventh trumpet and the pre-advent judgment, Jesus calls to his wayward, hopeless, helpless, poor, naked, blind, wretched and miserable Laodicean church and desires to make of them His 144,000. Jesus wants a people, pure, undefiled with false teaching, and who keep all 10 of the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. He wants to place His law in their hearts and minds. He is cleansing the sanctuary of your sins right now. Make certain your sins are confessed and in the heavenly sanctuary, and covered with the blood of Jesus.
Who are those singing these praises to Jesus, in 11:17, 18? The twenty-four elders are the ones who are singing there in the throne room of heaven. Those “first-fruits” of His resurrection have seen it all, for nearly2000 years. They totally and completely agree with Jesus’ right to begin judgment on those who would say they are Christians but are not. The time is at hand. Other commentators see a judgment here, but it is the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20. They see the seventh trumpet of 11:15–19 as a more severe woe than the fifth and sixth trumpets, since it represents the climactic final judgment.[7] In my view, the seventh trumpet and the third woe begin on October 22, 1844, not at the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20:11.
A) Vs. 18. The nations were angry, thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged.
Interpreters, including myself, have been looking at this passage in every way possible. How does this fit into the chronology of Revelation? When are the nations angry, when does His wrath come, and when are the dead judged? John freely looks backwards and forward in the chronology of this world as he sees the vision unfold. We were not there with him, so what did he see?
The Spirit of Prophecy once again provides a key to the interpretation of verse 18. Here is in Early Writings, page 36.
“At the commencement of the holy Sabbath, January 5, 1849, we engaged in prayer with Brother Belden’s family at Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and the Holy Ghost fell upon us. I was taken off in vision to the most holy place, where I saw Jesus still interceding for Israel. On the bottom of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate. Then I saw that Jesus would not leave the most holy place until every case was decided either for salvation or destruction, and that the wrath of God could not come until Jesus had finished His work in the most holy place, laid off His priestly attire, and clothed Himself with the garments of vengeance. Then Jesus will step out from between the Father and man, and God will keep silence no longer, but pour out His wrath on those who have rejected His truth.
I saw that the anger of the nations, the wrath of God, and the time to judge the dead were separate and distinct, one following the other, also that Michael had not stood up, and that the time of trouble, such as never was, had not yet commenced.
The nations are now getting angry, but when our High Priest has finished His work in the sanctuary, He will stand up, put on the garments of vengeance, and then the seven last plagues will be poured out.” [8]
There was a debate on this verse (vs. 18) between J. N. Andrews, James White and others.
J. N. Andrews taught that the judgment of the dead was referring to the Investigative Judgment that began in 1844 and that the anger of the nations was a response to the seven last plagues after the close of probation. {1890 JNA, JEO 55.1}
James White taught that the judgment of the dead was the judgment of the wicked during the 1000 years and the anger of the nations come before the close of probation. {1868 JW, LIFIN 213.3}
From the passage in Early Writings, one can see that Ellen White’s vision takes her husband’s position. Again, her statement is in line with the exegetic interpretation of the “prophetic perfect.” John describes it as if it had already happened, but has not happened yet.
John sees the anger of the nations developing during the blowing of the seventh trumpet, BEFORE the Close of Probation. When nations get angry, they generally go to war over territory, or ideology, etc. Since 1849, of the modern era, there have been more wars and more deaths then in the entire history of the planet. When Satan is angry (wroth, 12:17), the nations get angry. The history of this earth is largely a history of war between kings and nations.
In sequence in the text, “thy wrath is come.” Another “prophetic perfect.” What is the biblical wrath of God? We see the answer in Rev. 15:1, 7. The wrath of God is the seven last plagues. As promised to the “souls under the altar,” (6:10), and as promised to Babylon the Great (18:6), the vindicative judgments of the seven last plagues will fall as the wrath of God.
Thirdly, the “time of the dead, that they should be judged; when is that? There are several judgments mentioned in Scripture.
Trumpet judgments (chapters 8 & 9)
Pre-Advent Judgment (11:1; 11:19; 22:12)
Vindicative Judgments (chapter 15)
Millennial Judgment (20:4)
Executive Judgment (20:9-10)
In sequence, after the seven last plagues, Jesus comes the second time.
*The wicked are slain by the brightness of His coming
*The righteous dead are raised for His coming
*The righteous living are caught up together in the air with the resurrected righteous dead, and meet the Lord in the air.
Chapter 20:4 becomes a reality.
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
In summarizing verse 18, John sees **the nations are angry before the close of probation.
**the seven last plagues fall after the close of probation **the righteous reign with Christ and judge the wicked dead during the millennium.
Last but not least is 11:19. I call this verse the Apocalyptic Divide. Here is the midpoint of the book, the transition from the historical actions of the church to the eschatological actions of the end-time church and its participants. This is a major moment for John in the book of Revelation. Here is the text.
Rev. 11:19 “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.”
After looking through the open door of the sanctuary in 4:1, John now sees another door open, which clearly looks into the Most Holy Place where the ark of the testament resides. Lightnings, voices, thunderings, earthquake and great hail accompany and signal any major change in the activities of the Trinity. In the prophecy on the church of Philadelphia, John saw a door open, that no man could shut, and a door shut, that no man could open (3:7). Considering the chronology of the Philadelphia church, 1833 to 1844, these passages are talking about the same door to the Most Holy Place being opened. Only now, John sees clearly that he is looking into the Most Holy Place, because he sees the “ark of his testament.” (11:19). Here is a defining statement on John’s vision.
GC 433.1–434.1. “The temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament.” Revelation 11:19. The ark of God’s testament is in the holy of holies, the second apartment of the sanctuary. In the ministration of the earthly tabernacle, which served “unto the example and shadow of heavenly things,” this apartment was opened only upon the great Day of Atonement for the cleansing of the sanctuary. Therefore the announcement that the temple of God was opened in heaven and the ark of His testament was seen points to the opening of the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844 as Christ entered there to perform the closing work of the atonement. Those who by faith followed their great High Priest as He entered upon His ministry in the most holy place, beheld the ark of His testament. As they had studied the subject of the sanctuary they had come to understand the Saviour’s change of ministration, and they saw that He was now officiating before the ark of God, pleading His blood in behalf of sinners.[9]
Friends, we live in the Day of Atonement, the
Pre-Advent Judgment. Jesus is looking through the Book of Life to determine who
has their garment (character) on. He is
looking for complete faith in Him, total devotion to Him and for someone who
will follow him wherever He goes. As
Edson saw in Rev. 10:7, the mystery of God would be completed during the
blowing of the seventh trumpet. What is
the mystery of God? Colossians 1:22-25
states that the “the mystery of God is Christ in you the hope of glory.” Those who would be His 144,000, shall have
Christ in them. They shall have his
character. His laws shall be written in
their hearts and minds. He will make us
Overcomers! Then Jesus says He will
come!
[1] 1859 – James White – Sounding of the Seven Trumpets of Revelation 8 and 9, By James White. Steam Press of the Review & Herald Office. Battle Creek, Mich. 1859
[2] I was pointed down to the time when the third angel’s message was closing (14:9-12). The power of God had rested upon His people; they had accomplished their work and were prepared for the trying hour before them. They had received the latter rain (18:1-4), or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and the living testimony had been revived. The last great warning had sounded everywhere, and it had stirred up and enraged the inhabitants of the earth who would not receive the message. {EW 279.1}
I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven. An angel with a writer’s inkhorn by his side (Ezekiel 9:2, 3, 11) returned from the earth and reported to Jesus that his work was done, and the saints were numbered and sealed. (7:1-4) Then I saw Jesus, who had been ministering before the ark containing the Ten Commandments, throw down the censer. He raised His hands, and with a loud voice said, “It is done.” (16:17; 21:6) And all the angelic host laid off their crowns as Jesus made the solemn declaration, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” (22:11) {EW 279.2}
[3] Uriah Smith. Daniel and the Revelation. Pg. 503.
[4] Kenneth Mathews Jr. Unpublished work on the 7 Trumpets.
[5] Osborne, Revelation, 385, 387.
[6]Hiram Edson Manuscript.
[7] Beale, Revelation, 610. Beale sees the third woe as a very severe judgment—we just differ on which judgment it is.
[8] Ellen G. White, Early Writings (Washington, DC: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1945), pg. 36.
[9] Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911), page 433, 434.
