This series of posts is my attempt to demonstrate that the language of the Revelation was actually symbolic code that was very intelligible to a first-century Jewish Christian living in the Roman Empire. I’m re-writing the Revelation to communicate the same message, but to a twenty-first century American Christian audience, using symbols we understand. This particular section parallels Revelation chapter 14. If you want to catch up, here’s a PDF of the entire series so far: The Revelation to JR. – Chapters 1-16.
Next, I saw another awesome sign in heaven: seven angels that had seven plagues (these are the last plagues, because once they’ve been unleashed, God’s wrath will be fulfilled). I saw what looked like a sea of molten glass, and along its shore, sitting at organs or playing Taylor guitars, stood all the peoples who had conquered the Beast and his image and the number of his title.
They sang the song Moses – God’s slave – wrote, and the Lamb’s song:
Lord God, General of Heaven’s Armies,
What you’ve done is wondrous and amazing!
President of all countries,
Your policies and ways are always just and correct.
Lord, who doesn’t respect and give you your due honor?
Because you alone are holy and righteous.
Every country and people in the world will come and worship you,
Because your judgments have finally been revealed to everyone.
Then I looked and the Temple (which is really the Tabernacle in Heaven) was opened, and out came the seven angels that had the seven final plagues. They were wearing bright white graduation robes and they had beautiful golden sashes across their chests. One of the four creatures gave the seven angels seven golden offering plates full of the eternal God’s wrath. God’s glory was so bright that the Temple seemed to be filled with a smoke or haze, and so powerful that no one could enter until the seven angels’ plagues had finished.
A loud voice from the Temple called out to the seven angels:
Go and pour out onto the Earth the seven offering plates of God’s wrath.
So the first angel poured his bowl onto the Earth, and anyone who had the Beast’s mark or worshiped its image developed a putrid, painful sore. The second angel poured his bowl into the ocean, and it turned into congealed blood, and everything in the oceans died. The third angel poured his bowl into the rivers and they turned to blood. At this, the angel that commands the water said,
Eternal Holy One, you have judged these things and your judgments are just.
They shed the blood of saints and prophets, so you have given them blood to drink.
It’s what they deserve.
And I heard the altar respond,
Yes, Lord God, General of Heaven’s Armies, your judgments are always just and correct!
The fourth angel poured his bowl into the sun, and it was allowed to burn them. They were burned by the sun’s fierce heat, but they cursed God, who had authority over the plagues. They didn’t repent or acknowledge God’s supremacy.
The fifth angel poured his bowl on the desk of the Beast, and its nation fell into darkness. The peoples’ sores were so bad they gnawed their tongues and cursed the God of heaven… but they still didn’t repent.
The sixth angel poured his bowl on the Pacific Ocean, and its waters dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the Orient. I saw three evil spirits like snakes coming out of the mouths of the Dragon and the Beast and the False Prophet. These are demons that work miracles and go to the kings, presidents and prime ministers of the whole world to call and assemble their armies for battle on the great Day of God the General of Heaven’s Armies.
Watch! I’m coming like a thief! The one who says awake, ready and dressed, is blessed. Don’t go around naked and embarrass yourself!
The demons assembled the world’s powers at the place that in English is called “The Meadows” and in Spanish is “Las Vegas”.
The seventh angel poured his bowl into the air, and a loud voice called out from the Temple,
It is done!
Lightning fell like hail, thunder crashed like jets flying overhead, and an 10.0 earthquake struck – worse than anything anyone’s ever experienced. The great city split in three and all the great cities of the world fell. God didn’t forget about Babylon – he made her drink from his cup, the juice of his furious wrath. Every island sank and every mountain fell. Huge hailstones the size of Volkswagens fell on people from the sky, and everyone cursed God because the hail plague was so horrible.