Another Sign in Heaven

And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. 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. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. 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 15:1-8) KJV

We will shortly wrap up this month’s discussion of the Millennial Kingdom. Before we do I want to share something that I have discovered about the way that the different parts of the book of Revelation appear to line up.

As I have attempted to correlate the different passages of scripture that pertain to the events of the tribulation, the reshaping of the surface of the earth, and the Millennial Kingdom, it has become increasingly clear that the book of Revelation contains two accounts of the same thing. One version is from a heavenly perspective, the other is from an earthly.

Revelation chapters 6-8 describe the opening of seven seals that bring about a series of plagues during the first part of the Tribulation. When the last of the seven seals are opened the heavens are rolled up like a scroll. This could only be possible if the heavens were of the nature of an actual sheet, which it is, called the firmament. Then Revelation chapters 8-11 describe the sounding of seven trumpets. These trumpets announce seven plagues such as the stars falling to earth which we have discussed in detail. I actually made a spreadsheet to help me make the correlation of scripture passages with the events that they portray. Revelation chapters 12-14 appear to be an entirely different narrative which starts at the creation and on through history to the destruction of Babylon. This is not really connected to the events of the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom, although it provides context.

The thing that is really fascinating is that Revelation chapters 15 and 16 describe seven plagues that are caused by the pouring out of vials, but the actual events that they trigger and the sequence of them align exactly with the trumpet blasts of Revelation 8-11. It seems, then, that Revelation 8-11 is the heavenly perspective for what is happening on the earth in Revelation 15 and 16.

This may not be news to many of you. Perhaps this is common knowledge throughout the circles of the folk who know the Bible. I have found that study Bibles and commentaries are generally disastrous as guides to knowledge of the Bible, since they are entirely based in the understanding of the author. As such they are molded by the author’s agenda. As a result I have assiduously avoided study guides and commentaries, preferring instead to tackle this through prayer and communion with the Holy Spirit. Forgive me if it means, at times, I have to reinvent the wheel.