General Remarks on the Timing of the Plagues

Please look carefully at Rev 18:4

“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.”

Several deductions seem either inevitable or likely in its words. It clearly shows that no plagues were poured out prior to A.D.1878, the date at which most of us date this verse. It shows this by saying, come out of her SO THAT you will not be subject to the plagues. This strongly implies that THERE IS REASONABLE TIME TO COME OUT BEFORE THESE PLAGUES BEGIN. That is to say they were not poured out immediately upon the proclamation of this message, but would be shortly, very soon, so heed this warning.

After all, if there were a bomb in the room ready to blow at any moment, we would be screaming at you as we were running out the door, shouting, there’s a BOMB! RUN! RUN!

But this verse is more rational than this. It says, “Friends, please leave the room because a bomb on a timer is in the room, and you don’t want to be left in here when it explodes.”

This verse also seems almost inescapably to apply to those LIVING IN 1878. After all, why should we warn you of a bomb that will not go off until after you are dead and your children are sitting in the room? Logic is so strong on this that no one need make the point that the plagues began previous to this. The warning is directed at those living in 1878. They are now gone; therefore, the plagues have begun! The simplicity of this verse is so powerful that it would take a whole lot of evidence to the contrary to overcome its simple logic. Nevertheless, there are still many who need further evidence.

Another general observation is that the destruction of Babylon is LIMITED to the seventh plague. As a matter of fact, Babylon (by name) is not mentioned until the seventh plague. While all seven plagues weaken, affect, and undermine Babylon, ONLY the seventh destroys her. Therefore, EVERYONE SHOULD AGREE that the seventh plague is still future because Babylon still exists (no matter what state any of us might think she is in.)

Another point on this, this one taken from the Southern Wisconsin’s notes on Revelation:

“A point in the favor of the bowls having to wait until the time of the seventh messenger before they can destroy the false system is that before it can be destroyed it must be judged guilty and sentenced. That did not occur until 1878 A.D. thus, the final punishment of the bowls has to occur after that date.”

The history of the 20th Century is a factor in this question. Bible Students regularly (and correctly) preach 1914 (Viz., the End of the Times of the Gentiles) However, how many of us think that history suddenly stopped there! It was the BEGINNING of the end, not the end itself. In 1914 the Gentile nations were served their eviction notice, they have not been evicted yet, but that day is coming soon.

From this point forward it has been one of the most horrendous of centuries.

IS IT POSSIBLE that the Bible has been silent on the details of this the most dramatic of times?

We think not.

If the Bible was careful to document in such great detail the 1799 date (the time pf the end) and the French Revolution details that just precede it, how can we honestly not believe that there is a detailed account of our century?

We believe that Revelation Chapter 16 IS THAT DETAIL – along with a number of other prophecies. But Chapter 16 is such a wonderfully progressive and step-wise view of the century as to make it a veritable MAP to let us know where we are on the stream of time and what to expect next.

(Compare Rev 1:1)

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place…”

Perhaps we, like most prophecy-oriented segments of Christianity, tend to look forward to horrible things to come. (THAT is not the best approach to prophecy!) But let us please think of how horrible this century HAS BEEN.

Its events are not just little items to fill our children’s 5th grade history books. As a matter of fact, not long ago, a furor erupted in Japan over school books which ELIMINATED the bad things the Japanese have done in this century because the writers felt that they were too horrible for their children to read!

Just think about some of the horrific events which took place in this century alone, some of them beyond imagination.

We will take a look at some of these beginning with our next post.