The Second Phase of God’s Judgment

“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested.’” Rev. 15:1-4.

Compare this song with the gospel the angel preached in Chapter 14:6-7. Here we see the secondfruits—the fruit of the gospel of the angel—standing and singing, for the time has come for God’s judgment of the beast.

It was the harlot who persecuted the bride; so when the harlot falls, the bride will sing a new song. It was the beast that killed the secondfruits, so when judgment is executed on the beast, the secondfruits will stand and sing.

The seven last plagues are the wine of the wrath of God that is poured full strength from the cup of His anger. Up to this point, the cup of His anger was mixed with grace, and souls could be saved; but now it will be unmixed. No one will be saved during this time. All those who worshiped the beast will have to drink from the cup of God’s wrath. They will have had their “good times” during which they created a heaven according to their own liking. God had given them the power to fulfill His Word by letting them wage war against the saints and overcome them. Now they are going to have to reap all the evil they have sown. With the seven last plagues the outpouring of God’s wrath will be complete.

“Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.” Verses 7-8.

When we read further about these angels pouring out their bowls, we see that there is no more grace. None! They only harden their hearts and mock God. The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men gnawed their tongues because of the pain.