Revelation Chapter 15

INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAGUES

A brief preface to the Subject of the Plagues

“This exposition will treat the plagues as having mostly occurred during the 20th Century. No serious Bible student, or human being for that matter, can deny that this century has been, if not THE most eventful in history, certainly ONE of the most eventful in history.

Are we to believe that Revelation has ignored these astounding events (viz. the first of its kind world war, WWI, followed by the great depression, WWII, the nuclear age, the information or computer age, the space age and etc.) while it took the time and space to detail the far less interesting years of the dark ages?

If any 100 years in history should be detailed in prophecy for the benefit of the saints, should it not be the 20th Century?

Should all of Chapter 10 and most of Chapter 11 with important parts of other chapters be devoted to the time of the French Revolution and then have nothing devoted to the turbulent years since 1914?

The thought is incredible to the extreme. It seems very likely, on the contrary, that Chapters 16 and 18 carefully detail this century’s many wonders.

The thought that all of the plagues are past is untenable since, if for no other reason, God’s wrath is clearly NOT finished (Rev 15:1).

The thought that the plagues are all future is a carefully thought-out position by superior students of Scripture and is, therefore, not a position to be lightly dismissed.

However, it is our contention that all of the “proofs” for a future view have good answers to the contrary so that a protracted fulfillment during this century is a very tenable interpretation. By this position we do not deny that a future of significant and traumatic events for the saints is likely. We simply do not believe that the totality of plagues must be future to accomplish this.”

It should likewise be noted that the belief is that these plagues are ongoing, that is to say even though each has come in secession one following the next throughout this century they are not over. The effects of each of the plagues poured out thus far are still ongoing and will continue so until all seven plagues are running concurrently one with another.

As is the case with our studies thus far on Revelation our two primary resources come from “The New Albany Notes on Revelation” and “The Keys of Revelation” written by Brother Shallieu. There are many other fine brethren who have written extensively on Revelation and we may at times include excerpts from their materials as well.

In our next post we will begin with Chapter 15 Verse 1.