The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

are also a fulfillment of the predicted troubles and calamities threatened by the third
symbolic angel. (Chap. 14:9,10.) These are to affect in a special manner the supporters or
worshipers of the systems symbolized by the beast and his image.
We are not to suppose that these "vial" judgments are successive in their fulfillment in the
sense of occurring in consecutive order; rather, close examination reveals that all except
the seventh begin in a measure at nearly the same time and, as observed by Mr. Russell,
continue contemporaneously with accumulative force and severity until the end:
"It is well to remember that one plague or evil goes on increasingly, after a second and
third, etc., are added, until in the end the entire seven forms of evil will be operating
simultaneously."
A very important matter to settle in connection with the interpretation of these "seven last
plagues" is the time when they are to have their fulfillment. It will be apparent that they
cannot begin their fulfillment until all the anti-Christian systems, including the last one,
that of the image of the beast, has come into existence. If we are correct in interpreting the
"image of the beast" as the federated Protestant sects, surely we cannot look for the
fulfillment of the plagues any earlier at least than the beginning of the organization of this
federation. This beginning was accomplished in the formation of the Evangelical Alliance
in 1846. Furthermore we could not expect their fulfillment until the seventh trumpet
begins to sound; for it is very evident that the seven last plagues are to be poured out
when the seventh trumpet is sounding. This will be seen from the fact that when mention
is made of the sounding of the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:15-18), we read that the time of
God's wrath is come, which wrath is evidently portrayed in the seven last plagues. The
seventh trumpet, however, is not only a trumpet of "woe," but also a trumpet of blessing; it
is associated with the impartation to the Lord's people of a knowledge of the "Mystery of
God"--the secret features of the Lord's Plan of the election of the Church to heavenly glory,
and of restitution for the world to earthly glory. The seventh trumpet is therefore both a
"woe" trumpet and a blessing trumpet--to the beast and the image systems it is a "woe"
trumpet or plague, to the true saints, a blessing.
Relationship of ten plagues of Egypt
There seems to be a correspondence between the plagues of Egypt and the seven last
plagues of this vision. The ten plagues of Egypt would seem to correspond to the last three
trumpets and the "seven last plagues" of the Revelation. The first three plagues of Egypt
seem to correspond with the last three trumpets of the Revelation. The fifth, sixth, and
seventh trumpets (the last three) are woes or plagues; likewise the seven vials are called
plagues. The correspondence is this: The first three plagues or woes of Egypt affected all
the land of Egypt, including the land of Goshen, where typical Israel dwelt. The fifth and
sixth trumpets likewise affect both antitypical Israel and the world. The seventh trumpet is
both a woe and a blessing trumpet--woes or seven plagues on the true Church's enemies,
and blessing and exemption from these woes for the true Church, or Israel of God. The
Church are exempt, in that the outpouring of truth, imparting a correct knowledge of the