Why Plagues?
It is no coincidence that these plagues correspond with the plagues which God poured out on old Egypt. Babylon (false religion) is spiritually called Sodom because of the lewdness that goes on under the cloak of religion. It is spiritually called Egypt because it (false religion) holds many of God's people in bondage just as literal Israel was held in Egyptian bondage.

We have studied about those who stand on the "sea of glass" (the Word of God) mingled with fire (the Holy Ghost). They sing the song of Moses and the song of The LAMB. They are songs of God's glory and of divine deliverance. Just as Moses saw Israel have a wonderful, magnificent deliverance, here is a people who has been miraculously delivered, not only from sin and the power of sin, but also from the bondage of false religion. They have victory over the beast, Roman Catholicism, the image of the beast, Protestantism, and over his mark and the number of his name.

If we are going to understand these plagues, called the seven last plagues, we must go back and look at Egypt because this condition is spiritually called Egypt. Many of God's people who actually belong to Zion are held in bondage in these religious organizations. God is using the plagues today for the same reason He used them on literal Egypt. He only had one reason for using the plagues: to see His people delivered, set free from that which had them bound, so that they might freely serve Him.

God's people have become bound in different religious organizations, and God is saying, "Walk in the light of this truth." But His people say, "We can't, because 'our church' doesn't teach it that way." God is therefore saying to them, "COME OUT OF HER, my people, and come back to Zion!" The whole reason for the plagues in literal Egypt was to loose God's people so they could be free to serve God. The reason for the plagues on Babylon, which again, is spiritually called Egypt, is to loose God's people so they can come back to Zion where they belong, to truly serve God and worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

Now there is one thing strangely different about the plagues back in Exodus and the plagues here in the Revelation message. The plague that was the sixth plague in Egypt is the first one here in the Revelation. When God poured out the plagues on Pharaoh, those noisome, grievous sores all over them was the sixth plague, but here in Revelation it is the first plague.

There is a reason for this. Every time that Moses would take his rod and bring forth a miracle and pour out a plague, Pharaoh would get his sorcerers and magicians to do the same thing. But when he got up to the sixth plague, of sores falling all over the people, the sores also fell on the sorcerers and the magicians so that they couldn't work their magic. So God just gets rid of the falsities right with the first blow in Revelation: He pours the sores out first, then we get the frogs and the fire later on. He pours out the sores first so that all the falsities will get busy digging at their sores and won't bother the man of God.

Only Moses and all the children of Israel were free from the sores. Now get it straight, if this truth makes YOU "sore", you are an Egyptian (spiritually speaking). You have never been born again and you don't belong to Israel, because the sores don't fall on Israel. God just moved the [former] sixth plague up to first place in order to expose these New Testament false prophets who want to try to stand up and match wits against a man of God.

Confirming Their Unbelief
God sent Moses down to Egypt to deliver a people. Every sign that Moses was given to convince the Egyptians that God was true, the sorcerers and magicians came out and imitated (counterfeited) them. Every time God moved the heart of Pharaoh a little bit, these magicians came along and confirmed his unbelief exactly as false preachers do yet today! Now get this: Unbelief would not be so great today if it were not for the false preachers who confirm people in their unbelief. Do I need to repeat that? Let's do: Unbelief would not be so great today if it were not for the false preachers who confirm people in their unbelief.

Paul said in II Timothy 3:1-5,

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Wow! What a POWERFUL portion of scripture. Laid out, clear, plain and simple. And yet we always manage to overlook that all important part: …from such TURN AWAY… We know so much we say, "But you don't turn away from those who need…" These are NOT ignorant, never-known-God-before sinners! These are those who "have a form of godliness"-false, so-called Christians! My friends, false religion today is FULL of all kinds and forms of godliness, but denying the power thereof. From such, we MUST, we are clearly INSTRUCTED, to TURN AWAY!

What does this have to do with Moses or Pharaoh's magicians? Verses 6-9 of that same chapter tell us, For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. (Note: "Jannes" and "Jambres" were Pharaoh's two leading magicians.)

These false preachers only have a FORM of godliness, but deny the power of salvation. These are they who are out and about telling you that they "still sin", that "everybody still sins". What is the use, however, of having a church if we can't find deliverance FROM sin? The power of salvation is to deliver you from the power of sin and through the power of the Holy Ghost make you able to live and reign OVER sin, the flesh, and the devil right here!

False religious leaders withstand us when we preach this truth, and they have corrupt minds just as Jannes and Jambres who withstood Moses. Just as they encouraged Pharaoh in his unbelief, my friends, the false teachers and preachers of today are encouraging people in their unbelief!

In verse 9, Paul tells us that they shall proceed no further because their folly shall be manifested unto all men, even as the folly of Pharaoh's magicians and sorcerers was. These modern-day preachers and teachers who have brought perilous times into the religious world, their folly WILL be stopped.

Well, how will their folly be stopped? Paul instructed Timothy to Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. II Timothy 4:2. Why did Paul give such admonition to Timothy? For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. II Timothy 4:3,4. Now if that doesn't explain a lot of what is going on in our so-called churches today, nothing does.

You know, a false teacher may have crept into your house with a doctrine through a pamphlet or a radio message (or tv), but IF you will STUDY the SCRIPTURES, my friends, it will put an end to their folly. The preaching of the Gospel (we're talking about the TRUE Gospel of God here) will put an end to their folly, at least to those who will listen to it.

Let me say this right here and now: preachers and teachers who give out a false message are certainly going to face the wrath of God's judgment, but folks, you and I have an accountability before God, too! YOU AND I are instructed: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15. That's why we (YOU AND I) need to study the Word of God. That's why YOU AND I need to seek understanding God's Word, so that we can "rightly divide it" and KNOW it for OURSELVES, so that we can recognize the lies that are being preached and taught in churches and church groups today! In the beginning, Roman Catholicism burned the Bible. Why? They knew they couldn't continue to perpetuate their lies if the Word of God was made available to the "common man". They can't carry on their folly if the Word of God is loose. Even today, Catholics are not admonished to "study/learn" the Word of God. Instead, they are "encouraged" to leave that up to the Pope and the other "leaders of the church" to tell them "what they need to know" about the Bible. Let me tell you, lies and perversions cannot prosper where the truth is preached, my friends. So what puts an end to such folly? Searching the Scriptures and preaching the Word as it truly is.

If you will search the Scriptures, if you will heed the preached true Word of God, my friends, it will bring an end to this folly just as it did with old Jannes and Jambres. They were right there in the plagues of darkness, flies, rivers turning to blood, and a lot of other things. When God got a "craw-full" (got enough of it, got fed up with their refusal to see the truth), He poured out sores on them and their folly came to an end.

Truth Reigns
So in the Revelation message, God moved that plague right up to the first place and poured it out on the earth. Everyone who has the mark of the beast or who worships the image of the beast gets sores all over them. They get sore, and the next thing you know, you don't see them around. I have no debates with false preachers. I hardly ever see them. Why? They can't stand the truth. They do all their talking out where they can slip around. They can't come face to face because the truth puts a sore on them.

False doctrine cannot prevail where the Scriptures are read and studied and where the Bible is preached. Notice Revelation 16:7. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. When true and righteous judgments are poured out, the folly, or fun, of false religion comes to an end.

When Protestantism killed the Word and the Spirit, the two witnesses, they lay dead in the street for 350 years. That was from 1530 to 1880. They made merry over them and sent gifts to one another (Revelation 11:10). When you get right down to the depths of Protestantism, it has no use for the Word and the Spirit. Why? They have their own dogmas and creeds. The Word and the Spirit are the true vicars of The Church, and they made merry over them while they lay dead in the street. But they are alive today.

Revelation 11:11,12 tells us And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. When you get to laying down the truth through the Spirit of God, a lot of the merry-making in false religion comes to an end.

That noisome and grievous sore fell on men who had the mark of the beast and worshipped his image. The mark of the beast is to have the spirit of the beast, the teaching of the beast, and the name of the beast. A beast name is ANY name but the Bible name.

We have shown you in previous messages how Protestantism built up an image to Roman Catholicism. When Protestantism first began, through the labors of Martin Luther and other reformers, they got the name Protestantism from the word protest, because they protested Roman Catholicism. It wasn't many years, however, according to the Revelation and according to history, until they turned right around and built an image to the first beast. Not everybody who is out in Protestantism is worshipping the beast or worshipping his image, but the Bible says for God's people to come out of her or they will end up worshipping that image.

God Means Business
Let's go back to the original happening so that we may learn more about these plagues. We read in Exodus 9:1-11,

Then the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still, Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous Murrain. And the Lord shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel. And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land. And the Lord did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one. And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

The first lesson God wants us to get right here is that every plague is poured out because God wants His people loose. He wants His people FREE to serve Him. The second lesson teaches us that if a lesser judgment won't work on you, God will use a stronger one. There is truth all through the Old Testament for us to learn. I will go so far as to say this: many many folks, today, who are going through "so many trials and tribulations" are doing so because they refuse to go the way God wants them to. Oh, they just "can't understand" why they are "going through so much". Oh yes they can, they simply refuse to face up to the truth. If God can't get your attention (and your obedience) one way, He will another. When sickness and disease and trials or tribulations come upon us (plagues), we need to TRUTHFULLY examine ourselves to see if there is something amiss in our life; if there is damage in our relationship with God; if there is something we "ought to be" doing instead of what we ARE doing!

Those things, according to the Apostle Paul, happened unto them for our ensamples (examples) that we might learn from them. But did we? Apparently not, or many of us would not be "going through" the things that we are. We will learn that when God says, "I want my people loose to serve Me," He means it! If bringing one plague on you won't loose you, He will send a worse one.

Mark this down: God is determined for people to be free to serve Him. He wants people to serve HIM and HIM ALONE. He IS a jealous God. It doesn't matter how much "modern man" wants to "re-invent God" to suit his own ungodly purposes and perverted views-that doesn't change God. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He IS STILL a jealous God! How we need to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and submit to HIS way. We MUST get rid of the hypocrisy and come square with God. What more is He going to have to do to get you to come square with Him?? Whatever it takes, He will do it.

He will stop at nothing to bring you to a place of humbling yourself. He would like for the preaching of the Gospel to do it, but if that doesn't do it, He has a lot of other ways. He may take your job. He may take your health. He may even take a loved one. "Oh no, not God. He doesn't operate that way. He is a 'God of Love'." You'd better get a grip on this: God can and will do whatever He sees fit to do. Let me tell you, it may take you waking up and humbling yourself over a little casket in a cemetery. Certainly, He would rather you humble yourself BEFORE that, but if it takes it, He will send whatever it takes. When He didn't stop in giving His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, when He didn't stop in giving the Pearl of Great Price, the most wealthy, perfect thing that all of Heaven had, He will not stop at spending some other things to get you saved and moving in HIS Will.

Divine Retribution
God spoke to Pharaoh time after time through Moses. How many times has God knocked on your heart's door? You would think He would give up, but God says to the Holy Spirit: "Go to him again. Go to her again. Deal with him (her) once more."

Well, we all know the story: Pharaoh refused to give in to God. The longer he refused, the harder his heart became, the more his unbelief built up, and the harder God had to lay plagues down until He finally took the firstborn. Thousands of Egyptians homes had funerals the next morning, because of ONE man who refused to submit to the Will and Purpose of God! Only the Israelites were exempt (again), because they HAD obeyed God. They had applied the blood of the passover lamb to their doorposts. That is why this group in the 15th chapter of Revelation not only sang the song of Moses, but also sang the song of The LAMB. Thank God for The LAMB!!!! Worthy IS The LAMB that was slain, whereby His blood keeps the destroyer off of our homes!! Hallelujah!

Sometimes God shows men their sins in the punishment He gives them. He told Moses and Aaron to get some ashes out of the furnace. The Hebrew version says that He told them to go get some ashes out of the brick kiln. What was a brick kiln? That was where Pharaoh had the Israelites. They pressed bricks every day of every week. When they first went down, Pharaoh supplied the straw for them to press bricks, but before long, as his heart hardened against them, he made them gather their own straw and still produce just as many bricks as they had before.

The lesson here is that God may use some of your past sins for your own punishment. Oh, I can know it now: this is NOT popular preaching for the "modern-minded person", is it? When God told Moses to go to those brick kilns, get some ashes, and stand right in front of Pharaoh, He wanted Pharaoh to do some remembering. When Moses threw the ashes toward heaven, it came back down (according to the Septuagint version) as a hot dew from heaven. Every where it hit man or beast, it made a blister and that blister turned into a boil. It fell on man and beast, including Pharaoh. Don't you think ole' Pharaoh didn't do some thinking when Moses took the ashes out of the very furnace where he had held such a hard hand on the Israelites? The hand of God was bringing retribution, using past sins, and He does the same thing today!

The magicians couldn't stand. They had to run because the boils were on ALL the Egyptians. Right here, their folly was made manifest. They couldn't stand before Moses. It's just the same today. When God's Holy Spirit gets to anointing the man of God and the Word of Truth goes forth, it will STILL put blisters on false religion!

Only Moses and the Israelites stood without any blisters on them. Don't tell me that this truth doesn't divide people. You can talk all you want, but only the people who are in the divine order of God can stand where the plagues are being poured out. Everybody else, just like the magicians, run off the field.

Now God is NO respecter of persons. This old eternal-security doctrine is devilish. God will blister you just as much as an out-and-out sinner whenever you turn and refuse to walk in His Way. God, speaking to His own people said in Leviticus 26:21, And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. Did you read it there? One more time now: And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.

Egypt was in darkness and didn't know better, but we as Christians know better. I merely have gone back to the Old Testament so we could have a better understanding of these plagues. God hasn't changed His mind.

How Are You Repaying Him?
Let us read Deuteronomy 31:29, and 32:1-6.

For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands. Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation. Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?

God is pleading with a people; He is asking yet today, "Sinner friend or hypocrite, is the way you are living the return you are making to God for all His favor to you?" God IS your Maker; He has furnished you strength to live today, and He furnishes you with "gray matter" so you can think. Every way you look, He has blessed you. Is this the way you are repaying Him for His goodness to you? Is this the way you want to repay Him?

Jesus, in the New Testament, spoke the same words in a little different way: Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? John 10:32. He had done nothing but bless them, doing "good works". He fed them, just as He is feeding you. Some people feel that they are feeding themselves, but I would not wish to see them if God shut off their supply. Brothers and Sisters, He CAN put you where you cannot even get welfare!

When Jesus came down here, all He did was feed the multitudes, heal the sick, cast out devils, and bless people everywhere He went. Here, however, were the Jews rising up against Him with stones in their hands. He asked, "Now which of the good works that I have done are you stoning me for? Or is it because I fed you? Strengthened you? Which one of those works are you going to punish me for?"

God is asking you that today, sinner friend. He has done nothing but good to you, yet you rebel and refuse Him. You must have something against Him. He wants to know which one of His good works, His mercy, toward you is it that you are holding against Him? Think about it. God wants you to serve Him, friend.

The Sore Of Sin
Moses said, "Is not he [God] thy father?" Isaiah 1:2-6 tells us:

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

"Why should you be stricken any longer?" In other words, "Why do you insist on God pouring out more plagues upon you?" This is a picture of the noisome and grevious sore that was found on men when the truth was poured out. What is it? The 'sore of sin', which is noisome, grevious, and putrifying. It has never been bound up or mollified, never been closed.

Now, what is the picture of the sores, the noisome sores which have never been bound up or mollified? The word mollified means "made less severe". The sore of sin in the Old Testament was leprosy, a disease with no cure. Every Bible student knows that leprosy is a "type" of sin, and none but Jesus can cure it. So my friends, in the realms of false religion, here is mankind with these putrifying sores, sin getting worse in his (her) life, and it has never been "made less severe" or closed up. Why? False teachers tell him (or her) that there is NO deliverance FROM sin, that he (or she) cannot get healed from sin. False preachers and teachers tell folks that they will still sin, "more or less", every day. It, therefore, never is mollified.

Our nation is the most "religious" nation in the world. Church attendance, at least for a while, more than quadrupled itself. We have spent more billions on church edifices than any nation, perhaps several nations put together, BUT our nation is more corrupt. While church attendance may be "up", sin is being loosed and running more rampant every day. Why? These places do NOT teach a Gospel that will close it up, mollify it, or heal it. The reason it has never been mollified is because there has never been any ointment poured out.

The Song of Solomon in 1:3 tells us, …thy name is as ointment poured forth… Thank God, if you will come in full faith and confidence in the name of Jesus, my friends, you can find a cure for the sin business. The sore can be healed. Why? Because Jesus Christ IS the solution-He knows exactly how to deal with the sore of sin.

False religion, according to the prophet Jeremiah, just cries, "Peace, peace!" when there is NO peace. There have been instances where "healing powder" was poured on a cancer and it got healed over from the outside, but it was in the bloodstream and broke out elsewhere. That is NOT healing. Jesus does not operate in such a manner. He is THE GREAT PHYSICIAN. He goes right to the core, the innermost part of wherever you are ailing, whether from the sickness of sin or the sickness of disease and heals it from the inside out, not just on the surface. When He heals you, you ARE HEALED! It is closed up-it is completely mollified.

God wants His people to serve Him. You cannot serve Him while still living in sin! Oh, that's not a "popular" idea today, let me tell you! The false religious leaders of today, so very widespread all in so many organizations, are preaching and teaching that there are no changes that take place in your life when you get saved. That's true if you use THEIR religion-their salvation. But let me tell you one thing: you come to God the Father, in true repentance, asking forgiveness of sins, and there WILL BE changes made in your heart, your life, your mind, your spirit. The Word of God tells you that you will be made a "NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST". Not the same old creature with a few erasure marks on you-a Nyou-a new creature in Christ. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, ALL things are become new. II Corinthians 5:17. Glory to God!

Understand this, according to the sixth chapter of Romans, you are EITHER the servant of sin or the servant of God, but you cannot and will not be both! You cannot serve two masters a bit more than you can be in two different places at the same time.

So, my friends, there is a noisome, grievous sore on men (mankind) who have the mark of the beast and worship his image. Why? Because they are not worshipping God. They have NOT given their lives to Christ. Through the image that Protestantism has built, they are worshipping the beast, Roman Catholicism, so they have his mark and the number of his name.