Seven Last Plagues and the Wicked (The Great Time of Trouble, Part 1) 163
truly incurred the guilt of their blood as if it had been shed by their
hands.—
The Great Controversy, 628
(1911).
The Fourth Plague
In the plague that follows, power is given to the sun “to scorch
men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat” (
Revelation
16:8, 9
). The prophets thus describe the condition of the earth at this
fearful time: “The land mourneth; ... because the harvest of the field
is perished.... All the trees of the field are withered: because joy is
withered away from the sons of men.” “The seed is rotten under their
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clods, the garners are laid desolate.... How do the beasts groan! the
herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture.... The
rivers of water are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures
of the wilderness.” “The songs of the temple shall be howlings in that
day, saith the Lord God: there shall be many dead bodies in every
place; they shall cast them forth with silence” (
Joel 1:10-12, 17-20
;
Amos 8:3
).
These plagues are not universal, or the inhabitants of the earth
would be wholly cut off. Yet they will be the most awful scourges
that have ever been known to mortals.—
The Great Controversy, 628,
629
(1911).
The Fifth Plague
With shouts of triumph, jeering, and imprecation, throngs of evil
men are about to rush upon their prey, when, lo, a dense blackness,
deeper than the darkness of the night, falls upon the earth. Then a
rainbow, shining with the glory from the throne of God, spans the
heavens, and seems to encircle each praying company. The angry
multitudes are suddenly arrested. Their mocking cries die away. The
objects of their murderous rage are forgotten. With fearful forebodings
they gaze upon the symbol of God’s covenant, and long to be shielded
from its overpowering brightness....
It is at midnight that God manifests His power for the deliverance
of His people. The sun appears, shining in its strength. Signs and
wonders follow in quick succession. The wicked look with terror
and amazement on the scene, while the righteous behold with solemn
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