There is just one last item on the Lord’s agenda for man’s reconciliation. The church age has demonstrated the benefits of grace. The righteous have been resurrected or raptured. The Tribulation is over. All evil has been purged from the cosmos having first been confined to planet Babylon then cast into the eternal torment of perdition. The old heaven and earth have vanished. And now…

Words and deeds are all most of these people have to be judged by – they either rejected or were ignorant of grace. Notice I said most. It’s quite interesting that the Book of Life is brought out as well as the books of men’s words and deeds. It is evident from this and the following passage that some of these people are in the Book of Life. Though I can’t be adamant, I think it is possible that this is what was spoken to Daniel who was learning of the conclusion of the tribulation and the promises of God to his people was told: And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt….But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.” (Dan 12:2:13)

In pouring out His wrath contained in the seven bowls mixed with the seven last plagues, God was unapproachable. No one could enter the holy place of the temple in heaven. In this chapter, there are two amazing and long-awaited events that take place. It is a time of celebration and then conflagration.

How glorious, how wonderful, that she is cast so far away from all the created cosmos, both seen and unseen, as to never be found again. I’ve been inclined to picture her and all the demonic horde within her as diminishing in size forever and ever into infinite smallness and complete darkness.

In the midst of the tribulation, the AC will set up his throne in Jerusalem and while in the temple declare himself to be god – the ‘unquestionable’ ruler of Israel. As such, he himself will be the eighth kingdom, and he will use his position to both corrupt the carnally minded of Israel and attempt to annihilate God’s faithful remnant.

He has reached out to man for so long that it is difficult to see Him dealing with the planet as He does in this chapter. But God is also just. At this point, each of the messages given by way of the judgments are no longer spoken to those who may be saved somehow. The messages are simple and are given as a witness to the entire cosmos, to all of creation. God is Who He is. All who could be saved have been; that is part of what Jesus meant when at the conclusion He thundered for a second time, “It is done!”

His glory and power are ever a part of Who He is, yet at this point, they make Him unapproachable. I submit that it is because He is here unleashing them to accomplish His pure purpose. The expression of this power and glory are beyond even heaven’s ability to bear. This fully distinguishes these plagues from any and all that have ever gone before. This tells us that there is no room for repentance at this point.

Hell is a real place and its torments are not only terrible but eternal. For the people who have gotten saved during this horrendous time, life will be hellish, and they will be continually presented with the temptation to give in to the lie. The good news is that their time of suffering is limited. It will end soon for God is about to bring them home.

The Greek word for breath is pneuma which indeed usually means breath (and sometimes spirit) but would be better translated here as “animation”. In Rev 9:20 it says that the deluded people of the world will continue to worship demons and idols that cannot see or hear or walk – it specifically omits speak because this idol can do that. But this will be no voluntary religion.

The seventh trumpet has just sounded and in response the elders representing all the redeemed worship God and proclaim that His reign over the kingdoms of man has begun. The very first thing we see after this is the ark of the covenant in the heavenly temple. This can tell us that the most important aspect of the Lord’s reign over man is what is symbolized by the ark – man’s gracious redemption in Christ, the empty tomb, the communion of God with man, etc. The King’s first act is that which is most pressing upon His mind. Even as He is about to pour His wrath upon a reprobate planet, He is mindful of His covenant with the redeemed.