The Wrath Of God-How Is It Described Part Ii Series

"THE WRATH OF GOD-HOW IS IT DESCRIBED?"

(Part II)

We left off in Part I discussing the sixth trumpet and its devastating results ending in Revelation 9. Chapter 10 brings a decided halt or interlude in the outpouring of God’s wrath, for now we have reached the end of Daniel’s Seventieth Week and one of the most significant events in history is about to take place for "there should be time [delay] no longer:

But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished."(v.7)

The phrase ’mystery of God should be finished’ tells us where we are in God’s timetable as described in Daniel 9:24: ’Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.’

Romans 11:25, 26 also refers to this time in history:

’For I would not, brethren, that ye should ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob’.

Daniel gives an outline of God’s progressive dealing with the Jews throughout history:

"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness..."

At this juncture in history, the ’seventy weeks’ are complete, ’there should be time no longer’, for now Israel (thy people) has been ’purged and purified’ (Van Kampen) and we are at the focal point of much of Biblical history when God will "bring in everlasting righteousness" for "this mystery... (the mystery of God be finished)... until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in (also at the end of Daniel’s Seventieth Week). And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob."(Romans 11:25.26)

The very last event of Daniel’s Seventieth Week is the only recorded ’victory’ of the beast/Antichrist:

"And when they (the two witnesses) shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them." (Revelation 11:7)

Their 3-1/2 years of warfare with the Antichrist has ended, however, they will be victoriously resurrected 3-1/2 days later! (Revelation 11:11,12) All of these significant Biblical events have met at this most momentous intersection of time!

1. The Death of the Two Witnesses

2. End of Daniel’s Seventieth Week

3. The Mystery of God is Finished

4. Times of the Gentiles Fulfilled

5. God will bring in Everlasting Righteousness

6. The Lord Jesus Christ Delivers Israel

The triumphant return of the Deliverer, the Lord Jesus Christ, to the devastated planet earth is here recorded as John "saw another Mighty Angel come down from heaven clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow was upon His Head, and His Face was as it were the sun, and His Feet as pillars of fire: And He had in His Hand a little book open: and He set His Right Foot upon the sea, and His Left Foot on the earth, And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when He had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices." (Revelation 10:1-3)

This Mighty Angel is clearly identified as the Lord Jesus Christ as this description coincides with numerous Old Testament passages and Revelation 1:15 which record earlier appearances of the Lord. Compare Ezekiel 1:26-28; Daniel 10:5, 6; Hosea 11:10,11 where the Lord appears with similar and, in some cases, identical characteristics.

He is the only one who is worthy to open the large seven sealed scroll of Revelation 5,6 and therefore it follows that He will be the only one who also is worthy and has "in His Hand a little book (scroll) open"(Revelation 10:2). John is told to eat the little book, he obeys and it is sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach. (Revelation 10:10)

The future events, during the momentous days that follow the end of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, will be both sweet (The Redemption of Israel) and bitter (The Vial/Bowl judgments). The final Vial/Bowl judgments of God’s wrath/the Day of the Lord will be the most devastating of all that precede. Van Kampen in his most helpful and informative volume "The Sign" on p. 324 states, the bowl judgments, will be "the worst ever to be poured out".