Introduction

The Bible prophecies give us a broad outline on the main events that occur at the end of time. One of the things we are told is that, “when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them” (1 Thess. 5:3). This sudden destruction is accumulative. It begins with the downfall of Babylon. It intensifies and grows exponentially. It concludes with Armageddon, followed quickly by the pouring out of the seventh and last plague, which brings total destruction and the end of the world.

The Seventh Plague

One of the features of Revelation is that as we move through the events in the book, and as we come closer and closer to the end, the details about the end become intensified and exponential. For example, there is not much detail about the end of the world in the seven churches. There is more detail in the seven seals. The details are expanded upon in the seven trumpets. And the seven last plagues are all about the end of the world and the seventh plague is specifically about the end of the world. In addition, the seventh plague is a repeat and enlargement of the seventh trumpet:

The seventh plague is a repeat and enlargement of the seventh trumpet, and it is also a repeat and enlargement of the end of the world in the seals:

Moreover, in keeping with the principle, the seventh plague does not just repeat but it enlarges. Apart from sharing; the islands and the mountains with the seals, and the voices, lightenings, thunderings, earthquake and hail, with the trumpets the seventh plague adds additional information:

And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.  Rev. 16:19, 20.

The great city is the modern-day manifestation of Babylon. Its judgment and fall is repeated and enlarged upon in chapters 17 & 18. The reason why it is divided into three parts, is because its core is made up of three parts. The three parts are; the dragon, the sea beast and the land beast. These three parts are repeated and enlarged upon in the form of the three unclean spirits, like frogs. When the city falls the cohesion between these three components dissolves and the great global edifice called the great city of Babylon, breaks apart. The cup of wrath that God gives her is the seven last plagues and the additional wrath inflicted with the second coming of Christ (see Rev. 6:14-17; Rev. chapter 19).

Physical Destruction

When God adjudicates that nations and people have filled up their cups of iniquity and probation closes, there is always physical destruction when He pours out His cups of wrath. Classic examples are the antediluvian flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The same applies with the end of the world. Like the time of the flood, the destruction will be world-wide. God showed the eventual fate of the world to His prophets of old:

Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof… The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.  The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly… The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.  And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Isa. 24:1, 3, 20-22.

I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.  I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.  Jer. 4:23-28.

For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. Then took I the cup at the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the Lord had sent me… Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you. And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink. For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of hosts. Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.  A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.  Jer. 25:15-17, 27-34.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.  1 Thess. 5:3.

Some of these prophecies had a partial fulfilment in Old Testament times, but they also serve as types which will have antitypical fulfilments at the end of the world. These judgments and their accompanying cups of wrath and the consequences thereof, are found repeated and enlarged in Revelation:

Conclusion

The religious market place likes to talk about God’s love, mercy and grace. But it is seldom taught that God will hold all the inhabitants of the earth accountable for their sins. God has told us that, “We reap what we sow” – and that he – “will not be mocked” (Gal. 6:7). In other words, He means what He says, and He has told us that He, “will by no means clear the guilty” (Ex. 34:7; cf. Nahum 1:3; Job 10:14). Therefore, when the world at large, fills up its cup of iniquity and probation for the world closes, the cup of God’s wrath is poured out upon the wicked, in the form of the seven last plagues.

For 2000 years, Jesus has been inviting the world to drink the new wine of Christianity. However, the majority have spurned the offer to drink the new wine. Therefore, because they have refused that which would have saved them, they are forced to drink from another cup – the cup of God’s wrath – and then the end of the world will come.

pours out His cups of wrath, and judges And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.  Rev. 16:17-21.

Destruction from beneath, in the form of a great earthquake, and destruction from above in the form of great hail “every stone about the weight of a talent” (about 100 pounds or about 50 kilos), destroys the earth.  The earth is left utterly desolate.  When the Jews rejected Christ, He said to them, “Behold your house is left unto you desolate”  (Matt. 23:38).

The destruction of Jerusalem was a type for the antitypical destruction at the end of time.  As the Jewish nation was left desolate, so also is the earth left desolate.  As the Christians heeded the words of Christ when He said they should flee to the mountains (see Matt. 24:15,16), they escaped the destruction of Jerusalem, when they saw the signs being fulfilled.  So too, at the end of the world Christ’s people will escape the worldwide destruction by being evacuated to Mount Zion.  Just as the Christians in the time of Jerusalem’s time of visitation were able to be ready and prepared by understanding “the signs of the times” so too, are we able to be ready and prepared for the end of the world by being “faithful and wise servants” who understand “the signs of the times” for our generation and therefore able to give the people “meat in due season”  (Matt. 16:1-3; 24:33,45).

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