The Great Ribulation

Au.cREAnoNTAKEs~ ml
Altar itself, where the blood of the saints and prophets
had been poured out. The Altar rejoices: “Yes, O
Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Thy
judgments!” The saints gathered round the base of
the Altar had cried out for justice, for vengeance on
their oppressors (Revelation 6:9-11). In the destruction
of Israel that prayer is answered; the witnesses
are vindicated. It is more than coincidental that
these prayers in Revelation 16:5-7 (along with the
text of the Song of Moses in Revelation 15:3-4) are
strikingly similar to the song sung by the priests just
before the offering of the sacrifices. Ironically-just
as God Himself is preparing for the Whole Burnt
Sacrifice of A.D. 70 – the very angels of heaven were
singing apostate Israel’s own liturgy against her.
The Fourth Chalice
The fourth angel (Revelation 16:8-9) now pours
out his Chalice upon the sun, scorching the men
with fire. Whereas the Fourth Trumpet resulted in a
plague of darkness (8:12), now the heat of the sun is
increased, so that the men were “scorched with great
heat.” This too is a reversal of a basic covenantal
blessing that was present in the Exodus, when Israel
was shielded from the heat of the sun by the Glory-
Cloud, the Shadow of the Almighty (Exodus
13:21-22; cf. Psalm 91:1-6). This promise is repeated
again and again throughout the prophets:
The LORD is your keepeq
The Lom is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day,