More Details About
the Three Stages of the Great Tribulation
The First Woe
| The Second Woe | The Third
Woe
The Third Woe: Third Stage of the
Great Tribulation
1. The Preparation of the Seven Vial Plagues of the Wrath
of God
“And I saw another sign in heaven, great
and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues;
for in them is filled up the wrath of God.” (Rev.
15:1)
Now shall the plagues of the seven vials of the wrath
of God shall be poured out. The day of the mighty judgment
and the vengeance of the Lord against the number appearing
in Revelation chapter 13 will have arrived. (Isa. 63:4;
34:1-7; Zeph. 1:12-18; Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21-22) This
is the third woe, the time of the last plagues. (Rev.
13, 16, 17, 18, 19:11-21)
“1. And I heard a great voice out of the temple
saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out
the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 2. And the
first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and
there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which
had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped
his image. 3. And the second angel poured out his vial
upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man:
and every living soul died in the sea. 4. And the third
angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and foundations
of waters; and they became blood. 5. And I heard the angel
of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which are,
and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are
worthy. 7. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even
so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun;
and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed
the name of God, which hath power over these plagues:
and they repented not to give him glory. 10. And the fifth
angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast;
and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed
their tongues for pain, 11. And blasphemed the God of
heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented
not of their deeds. 12. And the sixth angel poured out
his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water
thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the
east might be prepared. 13. And I saw three unclean spirits
like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out
of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the
false prophet. 14. For they are the spirits of devils,
working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the
earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle
of that great day of God Almighty. 15. Behold, I come
as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his
garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16. And he gathered them together into a place called
in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 17. 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. 18. 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. 19. 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. 20.
And every island fled away, and the mountains were not
found. 21. 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.
16:1-21)
The whole of Revelation chapter 16 is written about the
fierce judgment of God by the pouring out of the seven
vials of the seven angels. It is an introduction of the
third woe. In the two following chapters, 17 and 18, the
details of God’s judgment are clearly laid out.
(Isa. 63:1-4; 34:1-5; Zep. 1:12-18; Dan. 12:1; Mt. 24:21-22;
2Pet. 3:1-13; Rev. 6:15-17; 19:11-21; 14:20; 11:19)
2. The Judgment of the Great Mother
of Harlots
“1. And there came one of the seven angels
which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying
unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment
of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2. With
whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,
and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk
with the wine of her fornication. 3. So he carried me
away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman
sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy,
having seven heads and ten horns. 4. And the woman was
arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with
gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup
in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her
fornication. 5. And upon her forehead was a name written,
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6. And I saw the woman drunken
with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the
martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with
great admiration.” (Rev. 17:1-6)
Revelation chapter 17 contains the judgment of God against
the Mother of Harlots, who not only tempted, but persecuted,
blasphemed and killed the saints.
“The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and
shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition:
and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names
were not written in the book of life from the foundation
of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and
is not, and yet is.” (Rev. 17:8)
It is like in chapter 13. This harlot, the ecclesiastical
power, shall deceive the people and make them receive
the mark of the beast that came up from the bottomless
pit, which refers to the Antichrist power. (Rev. 11:1;
13:11-15; 17:8-13, 17-18; Ezek. 9:5-7; Mt. 23:13-33)
“These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb
shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King
of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen,
and faithful.” (Rev. 17:14) At last, we come
to the third woe. Total judgment shall be carried out
against the Mother of Harlots, which blasphemed the
everlasting gospel and persecuted the saints who are
sealed. The servants of God and the saints who are commissioned
in the last days shall be involved in this battle and
shall overcome them together. This number shall follow
the Lamb wherever He leads them. They are the righteous,
the prophets, apostles and martyrs who shall stand on
Mount Zion. (Rev. 6:9-11; 11:7; 12:11; 13:7; 14:1-4;
15:2-3; 17:14; 18:20-24; 19:1-3, 7-8, 14; 20:4)
3. The Judgment of Babylon
“1. And after these things I saw another angel
come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth
was lightened with his glory. 2. And he cried mightily
with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen,
is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and
the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean
and hateful bird. 3. For all nations have drunk of the
wine of the wrath of her fornication and the kings of
the earth have committed fornication with her, and the
merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance
of her delicacies. 4. And I heard another voice from
heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye
be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not
of her plagues. 5. For her sins have reached unto heaven,
and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6. Reward her
even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double
according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled
fill to her double. 7. How much she hath glorified herself,
and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give
her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and
am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. 8. Therefore shall
her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and
famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for
strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. 9. And the kings
of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived
deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for
her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, 10.
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying,
Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city
for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11. And the merchants
of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man
buyeth their merchandise any more: 12. The merchandise
of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls,
and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlets,
and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory,
and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of
brass, and iron, and marble, 13. And cinnamon, and odours,
and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil,
and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and
horses, and chariots, and slaves and souls of men. 14.
And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed
from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly
are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no
more at all. 15. The merchants of these things, which
were made rich by her, shalt stand afar off for the
fear of her torment, weeping and wailings. 16. And saying,
Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine
linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold
and precious stones, and pearls! 17. For in one hour
so great riches is come to naught. And every shipmaster,
and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many
as trade by sea, stood afar off, 18. And cried when
they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city
is like unto this great city! 19. And they cast dust
on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying,
Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all
that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness!
for in one hour is she made desolate. 20. Rejoice over
her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets;
for God hath avenged you on her. 21. And a mighty angel
took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it
into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that
great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found
no more at all. 22. And the voice of harpers, and musicians,
and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more
at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft
he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound
of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23. And the light of a candle shall shine no more at
all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of
the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for
thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by
thy sorceries were all nations deceived. 24. And in
her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints,
and of all that were slain upon the earth.” (Rev.
18:1-24)
In Revelation chapter 18, we read about the fierce judgment
of Almighty God against the Tower of Babel, the Babylon
of this world. This includes the power and rule of the
antichrist, the power and rule of atheism, the power
and rule of materialism, the power and rule of idolatry,
the power and rule of Mammonism, the power and rule
of the ecclesiastical Harlot. There shall be great damage
done to the world economic system; the destruction of
the buildings, facilities and the infrastructure of
all the cities, and a large-scale burning of people’s
possessions. The reason the great city became a primary
object of God’s judgment is because that city
had become a breeding place of crime like the city of
Sodom and Gomorrah. It became a place of lewdness and
crime both in the fleshly and spiritual sense, day and
night, and because it is the symbol of the arrogance
of atheism and Mammonism. This is the day of God's vengeance.
(Isa. 34:1-7; 63:4; Zeph. 1:12-18; Rev. 14:8-11; 16:17-21;
18:1-5, 10, 14, 15, 21)
At that day, people shall see the destruction of their
wealth and the power in which they had trusted. It shall
suddenly come to naught, and they shall be in confusion.
The kings, captains and wealthy men who think themselves
mighty and set against God shall be ashamed and shall
grieve. Their cries of woe shall reach even to the one
who had been hunting the souls of men with lewdness
and the pleasures of this world and the art of divination.
(Gen. 11:1-9; Rev. 6:15-17; 16, 17, 18)
4. The Second Coming of the Lord to
Earth: The Wrath of the Lamb
“11. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white
horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful
and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make
war. 12. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his
head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that
no man knew, but he himself. 13. And he was clothed
with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called
The Word of God. 14. And the armies which were in heaven
followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen,
white and clean. 15. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp
sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and
he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth
the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty
God. 16. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh
a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17.
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried
with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly
in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together
unto the supper of the great God; 18. That ye may eat
the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the
flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of
them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both
free and bond, both small and great. 19. And I saw the
beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies,
gathered together to make war against him that sat on
the horse, and against his army. 20. And the beast was
taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles
before him, with which he deceived them that had received
the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his
image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire
burning with brimstone. 21. And the remnant were slain
with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which
sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls
were filled with their flesh. (Rev. 19:11-21)
Revelation chapter 19 is the record of the Second Coming
of the Lord to earth after the third woe. But the seven
vial plagues of the third woe represent the judgment
of God through the pouring out of the vials upon the
earth by the seven angels. There still remains the wrath
of the Lamb, which shall be fulfilled at the time of
the return of the Lord. We see a scene of judgment at
the appearance of Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory. (Matt. 24:30; Mk. 13:26;
Lk. 21:27; Rev. 1:7) We also see it at the appearance
of Jesus’ coming as he sits on the white horse
(Rev. 19:11-16), and at the appearance of Jesus coming
with the wrath of the Lamb. (Rev. 6:15-17) The purpose
of Christ’s return to earth is to save the living
righteous and to judge the wicked. There is no sympathy
or forgiveness here, not in the least, when His judgment
is meted out upon the wicked. (Ps. 1:6; Rev. 21:8; 22:15;
Mt. 13:43; 25:1-13; 7:21-27; 25:28-33; Jude 1:10-15)
The climax of the wrath of the Lamb shall be at the
war of Armageddon, the plague which is directly connected
with the wrath of the Lamb at the opening of the sixth
seal. (Rev. 6:15-17) The third nuclear war (Rev. 9:14-16)
which shall break out at the trumpet plague of the sixth
angel shall continue until the war of Armageddon, the
fourth great World War, at the vial plague of the sixth
angel. (Rev. 16:12-16) The third nuclear war that breaks
out at the Euphrates River shall be a war between the
nations. But, the fourth World War at Armageddon shall
be the last great battle. In it, the Devil's three numbers
shall initiate a general mobilization of the power of
Satan with the wicked that are controlled by him, against
the God of heaven to try to prevent His return to earth.
Then, the Devil's three numbers, which will make a general
mobilization, is the red horse, the black horse and
the pale horse, combined with the number six hundred
sixty-six (666), and the three unclean spirits like
frogs. These are the three numbers of the Devil. (Rev.
6:3-8; 13; 14:8-11; 16:12-16; 17:8-13; 19:17-21)
Therefore, the beast and the kings and the armies shall
gather at Armageddon coming from the east to war against
God and to attack Israel. But, as it is written in the
words of the text, this last war shall end up with the
wrath of the Lamb being poured out on these armies at
the coming of the Lord. Jesus Christ, King of Kings
and Lord of Lords, who sits on the white horse, shall
reek a devastating defeat upon the hosts of Satan, and
give victory to His followers; the righteous, the prophets,
the apostles and the martyrs. (Dan. 7:13; Mt. 24:30;
26:64; Mk. 13:26; Lk. 21:27; Acts 1:9-11; Zech. 14:4;
Rev. 1:7-8; 19:11-16; 11:15; 20:5-6; 21:1-7; 22:1-7,
20)
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