4) Following the fall of Babylon, her burning, the saints waiting, and the call of the 144,000, comes the plagues wherein the mark of the beast is the governing economic system. Rev. 6:7-8, Rev. 8:12, Rev. 12:7-9 (Rev. 13:11-18), Rev. 18:5-8
Continuing with the plagues.
vv. 6:7-8, And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
Again, the beast is the angel of Rev. 1:1 who is showing John the Revelation. John looks and sees himself as the power (the pale horse) who is also the rider of the black horse in the previous verse who holds the two balances.
Whereas one balance was the saints in Rev. 6:6 (Rev 10:10, sweet) and the other balance was the fallen in Rev. 8:10-11 (Rev. 10:10, bitter).
Now comes in Rev. 6:8, the balance weighing the bitter. The true bitter component is sending the “once” saints of God, to hell along with the followers of the beast and false prophet (Rev. 16:2-7). However, in the more general sense, the bitter describes the wicked who fall in the winepress (Rev. 14:17-20, Rev. 19:19-20) as well as the rejected souls in the judgment (Rev. 16:2-7).
Continuing with the plagues.
v. 8:12, And the fourth angel (John) sounded,
and the third part of the sun was smitten,
and the third part of the moon ,
and the third part of the stars;
so as the third part of them was darkened,
and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Notice that Verse 8:12 is referring to Rev. 12:1 and Rev. 12:4.
v. 12:1, And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
The sun, moon and stars link Rev. 8:12 and Rev. 12:1 together. Next, is the third part of them that are smitten (Rev. 12:4.
v. 12:4, And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Keep in mind that we are not reading a literal level of interpretation, but the metaphorical. In the end, we see the saints of God who have fallen to Lucifer. That is, they became darkened and eternally dead, having lost their eternal lives.
Continuing with the plagues.
v. 12:7-9, And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Here we see the warfare in heaven used as a type for the warfare in the tribulation. Lucifer attempts to destroy the saints of God, but they are victorious (Rev. 12:10-11, Rev. 15:3).
That is, while many saints fall (Rev. 8:12, 12:4), many do not (Rev. 12:11, Rev. 15:3).
Also describing the plagues in the mark of the beast storyline is Rev. 13:11-18.
Continuing with the plagues.
vv. 18:5-8, For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6Reward 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. 7How 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. 8Therefore 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.
Here we see that Babylon is destroyed by the plagues. Rev. 6:8.
These plagues are right around the corner. We are currently witnessing the fall of Babylon, and next comes her burning and the plagues associated with that.
There is a mechanism that the Savior uses to protect his people, which is the Davidic covenant. Said covenant is fashioned after the eternal covenant wherein the Savior saves us from hell, of which many are so deserving. But through our salvation in Jesus Christ, we have not hell but eternal life.
The Davidic covenant functions similarly to protect the Savior’s people, and it was alluded to in Rev. 6:6, where John is told, “see thou hurt not” the oil and the wine, which are the saints of the tribulation.
Again, there is no pre-tribulation rapture. Think about it. Are we better than saints in WWI or WWII? No! And they were not pre-tribulation raptured, and neither will we be taken away from our tribulation.
So draw close to the Savior and hope you are protected in the Davidic covenant. Draw close to the Savior now!
