Then I saw another great and astounding sign in heaven: seven angels who have seven final [eschatas] plagues (they are final because in them God’s anger is completed [etelesthē]). (Rev 15:1)
John Accomando asserts:
Revelation 15:1 doesn’t say that the vials “finish” the wrath of God. The Greek word is “teleō”, which also means “to fulfill”: Revelation 15:1- “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.”
1. Accomando is demonstrably wrong. The verse explicitly states that the vials finish the wrath of God: “seven angels who have seven final [eschatas] plagues.” He just carelessly skipped over it.
2. He says, “The Greek word is “teleō”, which also means “to fulfill.” He is referring to the Greek word underlying “completed.” He fails to read this together with “seven angels who have seven final [eschatas] plagues.” If he had read it in context he would see that the fulfillment of God’s wrath is accomplished at the final wrath of God.
Therefore, Accomando is wrong to claim that the seven trumpets do not represent God’s wrath but begins with the seven bowls.
By the way, this verse is problematic for posttribs and others who place the trumpets and bowls as occurring concurrently because it strongly indicates that the trumpets come before the “final” wrath of God in the bowls. So the consecutive reading is the most natural having the trumpets come before the bowl judgments—not at the same time.
In my next post, I will address his claim, “More than once, the vials are called “the wrath of God”, whereas the trumpets are not.” This is the word-concept fallacy, claiming that a certain word must be present for the concept to exist. It is a very common fallacy. Pretribulationists commit it by claiming that because the word “church” (ekklēsia) does not appear in Revelation chapters 4–21, therefore the church is not involved in any events during that time. Non-rapturists commit it as well by claiming that since the word “rapture” is not found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17, therefore the rapture is not being described. Yes, I know, it is absurd argumentation, but it is a very common fallacy in which I could cite many examples from different theological traditions.
