The Seven Last Plagues
George Burnside
“Another Angel Came Out of the Temple. Crying With a Loud Voice to Him That Sat on the Cloud, Thrust in Thy Sickle, and Reap: for the Time Is Come for Thee to Reap; for the Harvest of the Earth Is Ripe.” Revelation 14:15
“I SAW another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.” Revelation 15:1. There is coming a day when God is going to pour out His wrath upon the inhabitants of this world. Are we sure that these terrible plagues are going to take place upon this earth’ ‘I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.” Revelation 16:1.
When will these terrible plagues fall on the earth? “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap: for the time is, come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Revelation 14:15. When is this harvest of the earth? “The harvest is the end of the world.” Matthew 13:39. What takes place at this harvest at the end of the world? “And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine press of the wrath of God.” Revelation 14:19. So the seven last plagues of the wrath of- God are coming at the end of this world, or at the time of the Second Coming of Christ.
Might there not be some way to divert this great time of trouble and punishment of God, and may He not, in His mercy and love, change His mind and not really bring it upon the earth? “And He that sat on the cloud thrust In His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.” Revelation 14:16. Friends, the great time of the wrath of God and the seven last plagues has already been recorded as part of the assured plan of Heaven. That record will never be changed. The seven last plagues are coming as surely as the sun rose this morning.
You may say, “If they are certain to come, and are going to he so terrible, I want to know on whom they are to fall, and how to escape them.” “And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshiped his image.” Revelation 16:2. So these plagues are to fall on those who have the mark of the beast. These are the same people who are mentioned in Revelation 14:9-11. The twelfth verse mentions those who will not receive the seven last plagues: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus!” Revelation 14:12. So there are to be just two classes at the end of the world, those with the mark of the beast, and those who keep the commandments.
If those with the mark of the beast receive the seven last plagues, what will happen to those who keep the commandments? “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:14. How else are those characterized who keep the commandments? “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.” Revelation 15:2.
It is impossible to keep the commandments, and have the mark of the beast at the same time. If you have the mark of the beast, you cannot keep God’s commandments. The commandments and the mark of the beast are antagonistic and contrary. Evidently, there is something about the mark of the beast to which a real commandment keeper is very much opposed. And, on the other hand, there must be something about the commandments to which those with the mark of the beast object. My friend, if you are opposed to any or all of the commandments of God, you are a candidate for the mark of the beast, and are certain to get it, unless you are changed over to the commandment-loving and commandment-keeping people. There are only two sides: the commandment keeping and the commandment-breaking people. Commandment breakers receive the mark of the beast.
“Oh,” you say, “I keep God’s commandments.” Do you? To keep God’s commandments, means to keep all of God’s ten, as well as any other command that He gave. The fourth commandment is one of God’s commandments, as well as any other command ever given by Him. If you do not keep the seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth commandment, you are a commandment breaker, and not a commandment keeper. All commandment breakers receive the mark of the beast.
“But,” you protest, “I keep all the other nine. Surely God will not count me a commandment breaker.” The adherents to every religion in the world, both pagan and Christian, profess to keep nine of the ten commandments. The Animists of Africa, the Confucianists, the Buddhists, Hindus, and Shintoists of the Orient, all profess and try to keep the other nine. None of the heathen religions permit their members to have any other god to worship except the god of their religion. They do not allow their members to take the name of their god in vain, nor to lie, steal, kill, commit adultery, or dishonor their parents. There is hardly a soul in the world that does not try to keep the nine, and scarcely any one is opposed to them. But the millions who have the mark of the beast are opposed to something in the commandments, and that is the fourth commandment, or the seventh-day Sabbath.
None of the false religions believe in or attempt to keep the seventh-day-Sabbath commandment. This fact establishes at once as commandment breakers, all the heathen, for scarcely any of them worship the God who made heaven and earth in six days. The Sabbath is a memorial of the God who created everything in six literal days. The Buddhists, Confucianists, Mohammedans, Catholics, and most of the Protestants, place themselves on the side of commandment breakers, for they do not believe in nor try to keep the seventh day of the week, Saturday, as the Sabbath, in commemoration of the creation of this world in six days by God. All that are left of the hundreds of religions of the world, as Sabbath keepers, are the Jews, Seventh-day Adventists, and Seventh Day Baptists. But Revelation 14:12 says that those who do not have the mark of the beast keep the commandments, and have the faith of Jesus; they are Christian people. Therefore the Jews are eliminated.
“But you Seventh-day Adventists do not keep the commandments either, for nobody can keep the Sabbath perfectly,” I suppose some one is saying. No, we cannot keep the commandments perfectly, but God, through Christ, can, if we do not willingly disobey the precept. The Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul in Romans 8:14, says that the very letter, and all the ordinances of the commandments can be fully and completely kept through that power of Christ manifested in one who trusts Him and does not willingly disobey any of the commands. Evidently some will be able to keep them, for only commandment keepers will be saved. Revelation 22:14.
In contrast to the distinguishing mark, the Sabbath, which distinguishes one group of people from all the rest, and makes them commandment keepers, is the other outstanding sign on all the commandment breakers, the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast does not come from disobedience to any of the nine commandments, for the entire world believes and teaches them; so it must come as a result of breaking the Sabbath commandment. Let us see if that is true. What is this mark of the beast, that brings upon the bearer the seven last plagues?’
The beast is the leopard beast of Revelation 13:1-3. A beast in prophecy stands for an earthly government. “The forth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth.” Daniel 7:23. This leopard-beast kingdom received its capital, territory, and power from the dragon government. The dragon government is mentioned in Revelation 12:1-5, and it is stated that this government tried to kill the man child (Jesus Christ), who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron (see Revelation 19:15, 16). But the child, Christ, was finally caught up to God and His throne. The only government in existence at the birth of Christ, that tried to take His life as soon as He was born was the pagan Roman Empire. To whom did the pagan Roman Empire under Constantine, turn over the capital, the city of Rome, and the, territory, the Western Roman Empire, and give great riches and power? It was to the Papacy in 331 AD, history tells us, that Constantine turned over the city of Rome to Sylvester I, the bishop of the Catholic Church in Rome. And the Papacy became the “legatee of the dying empire of the West,” says the historian Seignebos. So it is the leopard beast, the Papacy, that places a mark on the millions of the world.
What is this mark of the Catholic Church that distinguishes millions of people from God’s true commandment keepers? It would naturally be a rival Sabbath to take the place of God’s true Sabbath. And such is the case, for the Catholic Church admits that the institution of the observance of Sunday as a Sabbath in the place of the observance of Saturday, the Sabbath of the commandment, is a mark of her authority to teach. Said the late Cardinal Gibbons, “The Catholic Church for over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant, by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday!” Also by his permission was published this statement: “Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act. It could not have been otherwise, as none in those days would have dreamed of doing anything in matters religious without her. And the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters.”
So it is a question of more than a day. It is a question of allegiance. The Sabbath is a sign of allegiance to God, the Creator of the earth, while the observance of Sunday is a sign of allegiance to the Papacy. Anyone who will support, regard, and pay reverence to a day that stands for disloyalty to the Creator, can never hope to receive the blessing of God, but is doomed to the curse of the seven last plagues.
Of course, there are many individuals who have been keeping Sunday with the thought in their mind that they were keeping God’s seventh-day Sabbath. To such, the regard for Sunday would not be the mark of the beast, but to those who know that the Bible teaches that all should observe Saturday, and who know that Sunday observance shows a mark of respect to those who made it, to such people I say that the observance of Sunday means the mark of the beast for them, and they are headed straight for the fury of God’s unmingled wrath.
It is a terrible thing to reject the truth of God. “But into whatsoever city you enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaves on us, we do wipe off against you. Notwithstanding be you sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But I say unto you, that it shall be Tore tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.” Luke 10:10-12. Christ said to the Pharisees, in John 9:41, “If you were blind, you should have no sin: but now you say, We see; therefore your sin remains.” It will be more tolerable for the heathen out in the center of Africa, who die without knowing the truth, than it will be for men and women who have become convinced in their hearts that this is the truth of the Bible, and then go on living as they have before they received the light.
Why is it called the unmixed or unmingled wrath of God? “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation.” Revelation 14:10. It is because probation closes before the plagues start, and there is no more mercy available from God. It is the wrath of God unmingled with mercy. “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.” Revelation 15:8. It is in the temple that the intercessory work of Jesus Christ takes place, but during the plagues the work of Christ ceases, and all are banished from the presence of God.
There will be no conversions or repentance on the part of any one during the time of the plagues. Speaking of those who are suffering the tortures of the plagues, God says, “and repented not of their deeds.” Revelation 16:11. Before the plagues start, the fiat goes forth: “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. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:11, 12. After this edict is made, no one will change from wickedness to righteousness, for the rewards have all been made, and all will remain in the state in which they were found when their names were passed upon.
Yet the coming of Christ is still in the future. “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man,” says Jesus Christ. The saved at that time went into the ark one week before the flood came, and the door was shut, so that they could not go out, nor could the unsaved come in. So there will be a period of time before Christ comes, in which the righteous will be kept from all sin, and the wicked cannot be saved. This will be during the period of the unmingled wrath of God, or-during all the seven last plagues. How long will they last? “Therefore shall her plagues come in one day.” Revelation 18:8. A day in prophecy represents one year, so the seven last plagues will last for one year. So don’t wait until the plagues start, to give your heart to Christ. Do it now, while the door of mercy is open. If you wait, it may be everlastingly too late.
If probation closes upon you, and you have the marl of the beast stamped upon you instead of God’s commandments, the first thing you will know will be: “And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth. And there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast.” Revelation 16:2. The pain will be severe, and fever will start to rage in your body. You will struggle to the faucet to get a drink of water to cool your burning tongue, but instead of water coming forth, a stream of blood will gush forth. “And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.” Revelation 16:3, 4. You will rush out of doors to the spring for a refreshing drink, and filthy and poisonous blood will be bubbling from the ground. In your desperation you will go to the river, but when you get there you will find it a stream of blood, with dead fish strewn along the bank. With raging fevers, and sores all over their bodies, thousands and millions will be lying helpless begging for water, when suddenly, the heat of the sun will be increased many times, until it sears the flesh wherever its rays strike. Even in the shade it will burn the body. “And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.” Revelation 16:8. Then, amid the heat, the fever, the pain, and the sores, all light is blotted out from the earth, and the earth is enshrouded in such an intense darkness, that it can be felt. “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; And his kingdom was full of darkness.” Revelation 16:10.
Amid the thunder of cannons and the shrieking of missiles, will peal out the voice of God from heaven like the voice of thunder, saying, “It is done.” Revelation 16:17. The period has been placed at the end of this world’s history. Then God will rock the world in a mighty earthquake that will shake the mountains down, ‘and the islands of the sea will disappear.’ Revelation 16:18-20. Millions will die of the heat, thirst, and sores; other millions will perish on the plains of battle, and a great slaughter will come from the terrible earthquake.’ God then opens up His own arsenal’ of heaven. “The Lord hath opened His armory, and hath brought forth the weapons of His indignation.” Jeremiah 50:25. What are they? “Has thou seen the treasures of the hail, which 1 have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?” Job 38:22, 23. “And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent.” Revelation 16:21. In this bombardment, with missiles from above, millions will be riddled to death, Until the blood will flow in rivers. “And blood came out of the wine press, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” Revelation 14:20. [Eight furlongs equal one mile.]
Is God a tyrant to do such things? Not at all, for nobody need pass through those horrible times, unless he chooses to do so. If you walk in the way of God’s commandments, you will never suffer such things. Everybody who suffers the seven last plagues, will receive them because they chose to disobey God. But perhaps somebody did not really understand which was the Sabbath, and how to follow God. If that is the case, it is because they did not take enough interest in the matter to find out what God’s will was. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall, And knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.” Luke 11:9, 10. The truth of the, Bible, the way of salvation, and the commandments of God are easy to find and, easy to understand. It is easy to get men and women to see that the Sabbath should be kept. But it is tremendously hard to get people to try to follow the way of truth. Cod will be merciful to such stubbornness just so long, and then-look out!
Are the plagues soon to fall? Is the Second Coming of Christ near? If you think Christ is coming soon, remember the plagues come before that. There are twelve great lines of prophecy that speak of the second coming of Christ, and they all end in this present generation. But the plagues are one year nearer still. That would mark the signal for the opening of the sixth plague, Armageddon. The plagues will begin nearly one year before that.
The black, threatening clouds of the wrath of God are already rolling up in the western heavens. The first gusts of wind and a falling barometer herald an approaching storm. Will the crushing storm of God’s wrath find you sheltered and protected by Jesus? He is ready only to gather you as “a hen gathers her chickens tinder her wings,” to protect you from that time of wrath, if you will only step over to Him.
“He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Surely He shall deliver you from the noisome pestilence. You shall not be afraid for the terror by night [the darkness of the plagues] nor for the arrow that flies by day [Armageddon] nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness [the sores of the first plague]; nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday [heat of the sun]. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come near you. There shall no evil befall thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” Psalm 91:1-10. My friend won’t you step in under the sheltering protection of Jesus Christ now, so that you may be protected from the onrushing storm of God’s wrath?
What Then?
When the great plants of our cities
Have turned out their last finished work:
When our merchants have sold their last Yard of silk,
And dismissed the last tired clerk;
When our banks have raked in their last dollar,
And paid the last dividend;
When the Judge of the earth says, “Close for the night”
And asks for a balance-
What Then?
When the choir has sung its last anthem,
And the preacher has made his last prayer;
When the people have heard their last sermon,
And the sound has died out on the air;
When the Bible lies closed on the altar.
And the pews are all empty of men,
And each one stands facing his record
And the Great Book is opened-
What Then?
When the actors have played their last drama,
And the mimic has made his last fain,
When the film has flashed its last picture,
And the billboard displayed its last run;
When the crowds seeking pleasure have vanished,
And gone out in the darkness again
When the trumpet of ages is sounded,
And we stand up before Him-
What Then?
When the bugle’s call sinks into silence,
And the long marching columns stand still,
When the captain repeats his last orders,
And they’ve captured the last fort and hill,
And the flag has been hauled from the masthead
And the wounded afield checked in;
And a world that rejected its Savior is asked for a reason-
What Then?
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life,
and may enter in through the gates into the city.” revelation 22:14