God says there have been many witnesses already extant in the world. The apostle Paul, in the book of Colossians, states that the final witness and warnings of the Word had already be preached "to every creature in heaven" in the first century A.D. (Colossians 1:23).
The prophets of God came with another type of final warning and witness. A prophet would tell Israel, "Don't do this. Don't do this." The prophets and preachers of righteousness have their place but they are NOT the ultimate witness. The book of Revelation states that in the end time just ahead of us there are going to be two witnesses who will warn the world of what will happen if they do not repent (Revelation 11:3).
For three and a half years Revelation's two witnesses are going to be invincible. No one will be able to kill them during their ministry of final warnings just before the return of Christ. At the end of their forty-two month period of service, however, they are going to be allowed to be killed. Their bodies will be unburied for three days until they are miraculously resurrected. Revelation, however, reveals still other witnesses from God.
In Revelation 6 we read of the sixth seal. It is a time, in the near future, when the sun will darken and the moon will look like the color of blood. The sky over the earth will appear as if it is being scrolled back (Revelation 6:12 - 14). When the moon turns like blood, the sun grows dim, the heavens roll back, and a giant earthquake takes place - that's a pretty big final witness from God, wouldn't you say?
Another witness is the trumpet plagues. God opens up one after another of these plagues and each of them constitutes a warning to repent of sin. After the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, loud voices are heard in heaven with a message that is especially noteworthy.
The power to rule over the world belongs now to our Lord and his Messiah, and he will rule forever and ever! (Revelation 11:15)
It is unclear whether these voices in heaven and the sounding of the seventh angel are heard on earth. But another voice certainly is, an angel given the task of preaching the gospel to the entire world (Revelation 14:6). Here is an opportunity to obtain mercy this late in the Book of Revelation. God is sending this angel with one more giant appeal. His appeal to humans will be that they can still mend their ways and choose to fear God. But this is not all.
Three angels warn
While the first angel has come out proclaiming, "Fear God . . ." (Revelation 14:7) a second one comes and loudly proclaim that the Babylonish system that has governed the world since Adam has fallen for its final time (Revelation 14:8)! Babylon the Great is what everyone is worshipping at this point in prophecy. She made all the nations drunk from her false teachings and deceptions.
The second angel says in effect, "She is finally gone. Do not worry about Babylon. You can still fear God." The last of three angels then gives their warnings that those who receive the mark of the beast will receive the Eternal's personal WRATH as their punishment (Revelation 14:9 - 10).
God's final warnings do not end with the message of the three angels! Even at this late date in prophecy there are people who are so deceived by the world's Babylonian system, so attached and addicted to it, that they still believe in it and refuse to change their ways!
In Revelation 16 we find the fourth angel pouring out some kind of bowl on the sun which causes it to burn people on the earth. The burning will be so intense that those alive will curse God (Revelation 16:8 - 9). There are certain people who are not going to repent. But, evidently, all through this time there are others who are finally repenting.
Revelation goes on to state that, sadly, many people will refuse to repent of their evil deeds (Revelation 16:11 - 12). Even within the final plagues God gives man a chance to repent and change his ways!
Severe plagues
Why are the God's plagues found in Revelation so gruesome? People are dying and the waters have been turned to blood. The sun comes out to scorch men. Earthquakes take place. Hail comes out of heaven and all the rest.
Why is God so harsh? Is He harsh because somebody walked by a religious magazine, looked at it, and threw it down and said, "I don't believe that?" Would the Creator then go on to say "You deserve to be scorched and tortured because you rejected my message in a magazine"? No, this is not the attitude of our Father in heaven. Instead, He is mercifully offering several warnings for humans to repent and turn from their sins.
The people who hold out until the final last plagues understand what they are doing. They have dismissed all the warnings from God they have received and have choosen to hold onto the mark of the beast and to worship the beast and his image. They have chosen to reject the message of repentance from the two witnesses and to spurn the heavenly signs. They have chosen to refuse to obey and worship the true God and instead give their devotions to his enemy.
The final plagues of God are so severe because the people in the End Time have become entrenched and hardened in sin. Those who hold on until the last plagues and who are blaspheming our Father when he brings these plagues are not those who have subscribed to a few false doctrines or not known some of the Bible's truths. These are people who have gone through multiple warnings without believing and acting on anything! These people are caught up in a powerful deception, gripped in a perverted state of mind.
You have been given a warning to repent, in advance of God's judgment to come, through this article. You don't have to wait until his final call to change your ways is made. It is now your move!