The manner in which God’s wrath is poured out in the seven last plagues leaves no room for an intercessor in man’s behalf. The wrath of God expressed in those last terrible judgments is no new thing. It has been slumbering for ages. Since the fall of man, high heaven has witnessed the violation of God’s laws. God has beheld throughout the centuries the cruel and malignant treatment of His saints. But on every occasion when outraged justice has risen in terrible retribution, there has been One who raised His wounded hands, and pleaded, “Spare them yet a little longer.”
In the outpouring of the seven last plagues this Intercessor will have stepped aside. God’s silence, kept so long because of Christ’s mediation, is now broken. His wrath, unchecked by the pleadings of His Son, will have no obstacle in its way. And terrible is its path. When those scourges begin to come, they will be unendurable except by those who have been previously sealed by God, thus enabling them to stand without an intercessor.
Each one of the vial angels knows his work. John first sees them as they are commissioned to their task. It is evident that when John first catches sight of them (Rev. 15:1), they are within the temple; for the sixth verse of this chapter says: “And the seven angels came out of the temple,” and “one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God.” They issue forth from the temple, and line up in front of its heavenly walls. Then “no man was able to enter into the temple” till they had performed their duty. As man enters into that temple through his great high priest, Jesus Christ, Christ must have gone forth to enter not again “till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.” Lined up in front of the temple, the angels stand with their vials full.
Then “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,” Rev. 16:1. Each angel knows his duty. They have seen the sealing work, which had gone on within the temple. They were shown the names of those who had received the Spirit of Jesus and were faithful to His law. These they are to spare. They also learned the names of those who had turned from the mercy of God, who had despised His messages; and upon them they were directed to let fall the vengeance of God.
The plagues of the seven angels will be terrible; but before they fall, a message of warning is to be given that all may escape. God unmistakably makes known upon whom it is that these judgments fall. God never punishes for sins without first pointing out what the sins are, and giving the sinner an opportunity to repent and escape.
Those upon whom the plagues will fall are indicated in Rev. 18:4: “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” The plagues belong to her; her is indicated in verse 2: “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” Babylon, because she is fallen, is the one to whom the plagues belong. This fall can not be a literal, physical fall; because in these days of newspapers, telegraphs, and cables, it would be unnecessary for a mighty angel to descend from heaven to announce the fall of a great city. It must therefore be a spiritual fall. In this case Babylon properly represents the fallen churches, the only organized multitudes who could spiritually fall. The churches in their fallen state are saved awhile from the bolts of God’s wrath, until He calls His people out from them. All who will hear His call will come out from among the unclean, and be saved.
The burning question of the issue is, How many will hear the call? So terribly has Babylon fallen that it will need the piercing Spirit of God to dispel the blindness from some eyes. Though a man is unclean and filthy, he may change, if he can realize his condition. But if he can not be awakened to his uncleanness, his case is quite hopeless. Babylon has become unclean in her desires and conditions, yet she is unable to realize it. The Spirit says: “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become . . . a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.”
Suppose a man had recently built an elegant house, and wished to furnish it like a palace. To make his home melodious with the music of birds, he goes to a keeper of birds and buys—what?—A heron. What estimate would people place on his judgment when they should behold this unclean and awkward fowl occupying a cage within his dwelling? Such a choice has Babylon made. So blind has she grown that she can not discern the difference between a clean and an unclean bird. She chooses to be “a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” This blindness and her resulting sins call upon her the seven last plagues. And the fateful question now before each person is, How many shall hear the warning and escape? Let us see.
Connected with the mighty angel as he descends from heaven with heavy tread, two things attract John’s attention. First, the angel has great power. But that which attracts the more attention is, “The whole earth was lightened with his glory.” Whether this glory consists in the saintly character of the messengers, the convicting power of their message, or the signs which follow the spoken word, or of all these combined, we do not know. Whatever it is, we do know that it lightens the whole earth.
But of the whole earth which sees this glory, how many so fully comprehend the message of the angel that they are warned by it?—Not all. For in the wake of this mighty angel there comes a voice from heaven, calling: “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” A small number only is reached by that voice. They are my people. Here is a case similar to Paul’s when he was journeying to Damascus. A great light from heaven fell about him; a voice from heaven spoke. He saw and heard. Yet the men who traveled with him saw the light and heard the sound, but could distinguish no voice. So it is with the warning against the coming of the plagues. The whole earth will see the light of that mighty angel, and will hear the sound, but only God’s people will distinguish the voice.
Confronted by this critical situation, one may ask, What causes this fatal deafness? Here again God’s word does not leave us in ignorance. He speaks of the causes. They are hard to be confessed, and difficult to be plucked from the ‘carnal heart. Here they are: “How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her.” Rev. 18:7. Instead of seeking to glorify God, the receiver of the plagues has walked in the unsatisfying paths of self-glorification. The spiritual eye became darkened, and the spiritual ear too deaf to hear the warning of God. The next step was to find his highest delight in yielding to the forbidden desires of appetite. God has entreated these last-day sinners to cease their destructive gratifications. He placed before them higher delight. But no; slowly the soul became dulled and its spiritual perceptions blunted. Transgression soon lost its seriousness, and sins reached unto heaven. And the sinner slept on until awakened by the falling plagues.
But there is a class who will hear and will escape. Who are they?—Those who in these remaining hours of probation have gained by God’s grace the victory over selfishness and the gratification of appetite. Shall you? Shall I?
B. G. WILKINSON.
EDITORS’ NOTE: This is the third in the series of eight studies on The Plagues. The next article will be “The First Plague.” Your friend should read these articles. Invest twenty-five cents in a two-months’ subscription for him. If you can invest fifty cents to send these eight articles to TWO friends, so much the better. We can furnish the back numbers. You may pay in postage stamps if you wish.
