The Third Angel's Message of Rev. XIV

THE terrible penalty threatened by the third angel is divided into two parts. 1. The wine of God's wrath. 2. The torment in fire and brimstone. The wine of God's wrath is shown in Rev. 15:1, 7, to be the seven last plagues. "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 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." That the seven last plagues are future, and that they are the means by which God will destroy the living wicked from the earth at the last day, is shown by the following facts:—

1. The wrath of God, as threatened by the third angel, is poured out in the seven last plagues; for the first plague is inflicted on the very class that the third angel threatens. Compare Rev. 14:9, 10; 16:1, 2. This fact proves that the plagues must be future when the third angel's message is given; and it also proves the identity of the wrath of God without mixture, and the seven last plagues.

2. We have shown that the plagues and the wrath of God without mixture are the same. And wrath without mixture must be wrath with nothing else; that is wrath without mercy. God has not yet visited the earth with unmixed wrath; nor can he while our great High Priest ministers in the heavenly sanctuary, and stays the wrath of God by his intercession for sinful men. When the plagues are poured out, mercy has given place to vengeance.

3. Hence it is that the seven angels are represented as receiving the vials of the wrath of God—the seven last plagues—after the opening of the temple of God in Heaven. If we turn to Rev. 11:15-19, we shall find that the opening of the temple in Heaven is an event that transpires under the sounding of the seventh angel. And that account concludes with a brief statement of the events of the seventh vial or last plague. Now if we turn to chaps. 15:5-8; 16:1-21, we shall read an expanded view of the facts stated in chap. 11:15-19, and shall find that the two accounts conclude in the same manner, viz., with the events of the last plague. These scriptures show that the seven angels do not receive the vials of the wrath of God to pour out upon the earth until the temple in Heaven is opened.

That temple is opened under the voice of the seventh angel. The third woe is by reason of the voice of the seventh angel. Chap. 8:13; 9:12; 11:14. The seven plagues are poured out under the sounding of that angel; hence the plagues are future, and constitute the third woe.

The seven last plagues are poured out on the living wicked, but the second part of the penalty affixed to the warning of the third angel is not inflicted until the end of the thousand years, when all the wicked are raised and suffer it together. This part of the penalty we will now consider.

"He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever," etc. The final perdition of ungodly men in the lake of fire, is without doubt the subject of these awful words. That we may rightly understand this text we call attention to several important facts.

1. The punishment of the wicked will be inflicted upon them on this earth; for the final conflagration of our globe is to constitute the lake of fire in which they are rewarded, each according to his works. "Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner." Prov. 11:31. "But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 2 Pet. 3:7. "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Rev. 21:8. "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." Mal. 4:1. "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." Rev. 20:7-9.

2. The prophet Isaiah (chap. 34) describes the final conflagration of our globe in language which is a complete parallel to that of the third angel in describing the punishment of the wicked. Those who contend that Isaiah refers only to ancient Idumea must admit that the period of time described in this strong language must finally come to an end. And those who admit that Isaiah, in the language we are about to quote, refers to the conflagration of our earth will find, what follows, ample proof that that scene will finally close.

"For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever." Chap. 34:8-10.

3. But this terrific scene of final conflagration is not to last throughout unlimited duration. For the earth having been burned, and all its elements melted, new heavens and new earth are to follow, as the present earth succeeded to that which was destroyed by water. And in the earth thus made new the righteous are to be recompensed. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Pet. 3:10-13. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." Rev. 21:1.

4. Thus, however dreadful and long continued the punishment of the wicked will be (for each is to be punished according to his deserts), that punishment will finally result in the utter destruction of all transgressors. All the wicked will God destroy. Ps. 145:20. They shall die the second death. Rev. 21:8; Rom. 6:23; Eze. 1:4, 20. They shall perish, being consumed into smoke. Ps. 37:10, 20, 38. They shall be punished with everlasting destruction, being burned up in unquenchable fire. 2 Thess. 1:9; Matt. 3:12. And thus, having been consumed root and branch, they shall be as though they had not been. Mal. 4:1. Obadiah 16.