 |  |
2.
Verse 18 gives a summary (see below) of the events that fill out the sounding of
the seventh trumpet, which upon examination will be found to be chapters 12:-
20: in brief.
a. "The nations were angry, and thy wrath is come.
b. The time of the dead, that they should be judge.
100: And the rewarding of God's servants the prophets.
d. And the saints, and them that fear Thy name, small and great.
e. And the destruction of those which destroy the earth."
This summary is followed by the statement "that the temple of God was opened in
heaven, and there was seen in His temple the Ark of His covenant". Then follow
lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, earthquake, and great hail.
It will be evident that the time for judging the dead and giving rewards must reach
over to chapter 20: The anger of the nations and the failing wrath, together with the
destruction of those who destroy the earth, are also found in the chapters that follow.
Some look upon chapter 15: 5 as the resumption of the subject, and place
chapters 12:-14: as episodes, not strictly in chronological order, which lead up to the
same point by other ways. We feel that this is unnecessary.
Upon the proclamation of heaven's King war would be made by Michael upon the
Dragon. That this is no fancy is seen by reading 12: 9-12:--
"And the great Dragon was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with
him, and I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and
the Kingdom of our Lord, and the power of His Christ: FOR the accuser of our brethren
is cast down.......Woe to the earth.......for the devil is come down unto you having great
wrath."
Our search has not been fruitless: here we discover the third woe. The third woe, the
proclamation of heaven's King, and the casting out of Satan therefore synchronize. This
settles the position of chapter 12: We must not look upon it as a parenthesis--it is an
integral part of the subject. We are also able to say, with tolerable certainty, when the
seventh angel sounds, and what time the "days" will cover. Upon the casting down of
Satan the woman flees into the wilderness for the space of three years and a half. For
exactly the same period the outcast Satan gives his authority and throne to the beast from
the abyss (13: 5). The aionian gospel will be published at this time also, for one of its
statements is "for the hour of His judgment is COME". Again, the fall of Babylon, which
occupies chapters 7: and 18: and leads right on to the Hallelujahs of 19:, is linked
with these chapters, for another angel follows the herald of the aionian gospel announcing
that Babylon is fallen.
Chapter 15: introduces the seven angels having the seven last plagues, and these are
not poured out until after the beast has arisen (chap. 13:), for those who had gotten the
victory over the beast, and over his image and over his mark and over the number of his
name (all found in 13:) stood upon the sea of glass having the harps of God.
Immediately before chapter 12: we read, "and the temple of God was opened in heaven,
and there was seen the Ark of His covenant". In chapter 15: the wording is a little