Three Woes Declared

(Read Part 36)

To recap what we saw last time, the Apostle John has already laid out the seven seal judgments and the first four trumpet judgments that will result in the deaths of more than one fourth of the world’s population, under devastating worldwide conditions. The thought that might come to mind at this point is, “How could it get any worse?” Yet, John now reveals that the past judgments pale in severity compared to the judgments he is ready to reveal.

Revelation 8:13 states:

And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

The Announcement Declared

The Apostle John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21-22) uses a very strong word, three times in a row, to announce the remaining three trumpet judgments “Woe, woe, woe.” The Greek word for woe is οὐαί, pronounced oo-ah’ee, and is “an interjection of grief or of denunciation.”[1]

Mal Couch states:

There are three more trumpet blasts to be sounded (verse 13). “Woe” is an intense, painful exclamatory term of despair and resignation that speaks of no hope of survival for those still left on the earth.[2]

What a powerful statement—“no hope of survival.”

Charles Ryrie points out that the three woes incorporate the fifth, sixth and seventh trumpet judgments. The seventh trumpet judgment incorporates all of the seven bowl judgments.[3] Therefore, all of the remaining judgments after the fourth trumpet fall under the pronouncement of the three woes that God will release upon “the inhabitants of the earth.”

David Levy points out that the phrase “the inhabitants of the earth,” “Is used throughout Revelation in reference to unbelievers who are against God and follow the demonic intents of the Antichrist.”[4]

Scripture plainly states that Christians cannot coerce or force anyone to believe the gospel (1 Cor. 3:7-8). However, based on the horrific ramifications that face all people who have not accepted the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-9; Rev. 21:8), God’s people have the responsibility to act as God’s ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20) and tell everyone who will listen the best news ever given to mankind—that Christ Jesus entered “into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15; cf. Luke 19:10) through His death, burial and resurrection (1 Cor. 15:3-4).

Conclusion

The question that begs to be asked is, Why is God going to pour out His devastating wrath upon the Earth as described in the final three trumpet judgments?

John Walvoord provides a powerful answer to the question when he states,

The destruction and judgment on the world indicate God’s purging of the world in preparation for the millennial kingdom.[5]

Here we stand; we cannot, and must not, be moved from this distinctive dispensational doctrine.

(To be continued)

Dr. Richard Schmidt is a church ministries representative for the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry and the founder of Prophecy Focus Ministries, having previously served as a pastor and church planter. His love for the prophetic Scriptures resulted in writing a doctoral dissertation on a dispensational perspective on the mystery church age existing between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel. Dr. Schmidt offers seminars on a variety of prophetic topics to local churches and conferences. We are very excited to involve him as a contributing author to Dispensational Publishing House.

[1] Joseph Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, “ουαι,” Database WORDsearch Bible, 2014.

[2] Mal Couch, in Exploring Bible Prophecy from Genesis to Revelation, editors Tim LaHayeand Ed Hindson, (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2006), p. 519.

[3] Charles C. Ryrie, Revelation (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1996), p. 70.

[4] David M. Levy, Revelation: Hearing the Last Word (Bellmawr, NJ.: The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc., 1999), p. 112.

[5] John Walvoord, Every Prophecy of the Bible (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2011), p. 548.