Scripture assures us that before Christ will return, there will come a falling away first, and then that man of sin (Satan) will be revealed, II Thessalonians 2:3. This falling away is strictly in reference to the apostasy in the corporate church worldwide. It is the falling away from the truth of God that is in view in II Thessalonians. This is the time wherein Satan is to be loosed from his spiritual prison, from which he was bound at the cross (cf. "loosed," Rev. 20:3,7; "wound by the sword," Rev. 13:3,5,12). Satan is to be allowed to deceive the nations by hindering the work of the Gospel of Christ, because his deadly spiritual wound was healed (cf. "his deadly wound was healed," Rev. 13:3; "and did live," Rev. 13:14); until his time is finished, (cf. Rev. 20:8-10). This then is the time appointed by God as spiritual judgment upon the worldwide corporate church of Jesus Christ. This judgment is a short duration of time, probably twenty-three hundred literal evenings and mornings (see Daniel chapter eight), represented by the symbolical numerical and spiritual figures of "three days and a half," (Rev. 11:8); "forty and two months," (Rev. 13:5); "little season," (Rev. 6:11, 20:3); "the hour, and the day, and the month, and the year," (Note - "the" hour, etc. not "an" hour, etc. in the Greek), (Rev. 9:15); "hour," (Rev. 4:7, 17:12, 18:10,17,19); "half an hour," (Rev. 8:1); and "day," (Rev. 18:8). These are all figures of the duration of the great tribulation, in which Satan will be allowed to desecrate the Temple of God immediately after the great "falling away."

Why do many interpret this time as encompassing a literal day of twenty-four hours, as we read in Revelation 18:8, when all other time factors with reference to the great tribulation are viewed as figurative?

When we read in verse eight that her plagues shall come in one day, we must understand that the Greek rendering of "one" is used in different ways. It is used in the plural in Revelation 2:10 "... and ye shall have tribulation ten days." The word "days" being "hay-mer'-ah" in the Greek, which is the same as "days" in Revelation 18:8. The ten days surely must be figurative for the completeness of one's persecution, as applied in this particular verse. Many times in scripture the term "one day" will mean precisely one literal day, and yet its spiritual fulfillment will have a time era in view. Likewise, when Revelation 18:8 speaks of this woman's plagues coming in one day, we know this must be figurative of a time span, since her plagues are clearly spiritual in nature. Therefore, her plagues must complete the duration of time appointed by God in which to fulfill the great "falling away" and the "twenty-three hundred evenings and mornings" of Daniel chapter eight.

Is it inconsistent with scripture to assign a literal period of time to the twenty-three hundred evenings and mornings and yet assign a spiritual equivalent to the other numerical renderings? Maybe not, since Daniel chapter eight seems to differentiate between the spiritual and the literal by embedding "morning" and "evening" in which to emphasize a twenty-four hour period.

When we consider the Greek word (hay-mer'-ah) used for 52*"day" in Revelation 18:8 (her plagues shall come in one day), we find its definition to include not only a day, but age, years, while, for ever, and judgment as well. It's emphasis is on a similar Greek word "ho'-rah," used also as day but defined additionally as hour, instant, season, and time. By examining the word "day" throughout the New Testament, we find many references suggesting a literal day, and yet some will require a fulfillment of a time span. For example, Christ spoke of the Gospel Age as a "day" in John 9:56:

"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day [hay-mer'-ah]: and he saw it, and was glad."

Could this be speaking of a literal twenty-four hour day? Not at all. It speaks of Abraham's spiritual insight (given by God) to foresee and envision a Gospel Age. Abraham through faith looked for that spiritual city whose builder and maker is God, Hebrews 11:10. Abraham looked for that marvelous day of which Christ confirmed to the Jews by stating that Abraham rejoiced to see "my day." Abraham rejoiced to see the Messianic Age!

This Gospel period or Messianic Age is again spoken of by Christ in John 9:41 as "day":

"I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day [hay-mer'-ah], the night cometh, when no man can work."

And again in the following verses we find the Gospel Age mentioned in reference to a day:

"The night is far spent, the day [hay-mer'-ah] is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." (Romans 13:12)

Do we suppose that Paul is speaking of one literal day in which we are to cast off all the works of darkness and put on the armour of light? Of course it must be a symbolical figure of the Church-Age. The following verses confirm Romans 13:12:

"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day [hay-mer'-ah] of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; now is the day [hay-mer'-ah] of salvation.)" (II Corinthians 6:2)

"Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day [hay-mer'-ah]; we are not of the night, nor of darkness." (I Thessalonians 5:5)

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day [hay-mer'-ah], and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13)

"And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day [hay-mer'-ah] time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;" (II Peter 3:13)

[Again, there appears to be a time span depicted by the phrase "day time." To riot in the day time is viewed in this verse as being done by the ungodly among the church, e.g. "while they feast with you." To riot in the day time is tantamount to being an unbeliever in the Church-Age, i.e. day time.]

We find the usage of the word "day" translated a "while" in Acts 18:18:

"And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while [hay-mer'-ah: same as "day"], and then took his leave of the brethren ... "

Again in Acts 15:7:
"And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know that a good while [hay-mer'-ah: same as "day"] ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe."

We also find the word "day" used as "time" in the following verses:

"And it came to pass, when the time [hay-mer'-ah: day, while, judgment, for ever] was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51)

"And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at the time [hay-mer'-ah]." (Luke 23:7)

The word "days" can also be translated as "years" from the same Greek word:

"And they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years [hay-mer'-ah: same as days, etc.]." (Luke 1:7)

"And Zacharias said unto the angel, whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years [hay-mer'-ha: same as "days"]." (Luke 1:18)

We see also that this word can be translated as "judgment" in the following verse:

"But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment [hay-mer'-ah: same as "day:]: yea, I judge not mine own self." (I Corinthians 4:3)

Finally, we see that "day" is translated as "ever" in 2 Peter 3:18:

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever [hay-mer'-ah], Amen."

The Greek word "hay-mer'-ah" is translated three hundred and fifty-five times in the New Testament as "day." However, as we have seen only a portion of this evidence, we know that not all of the New Testament verses can possibly be speaking of a literal twenty-four hour day, even though the majority of them do in their hisorical settings. The spiritual plagues that God brings upon the corporate church during the great tribulation must cover a short span of time represented throughout scripture by symbolical references. Time is needed for these plagues to silence the gospel, although the corporate church will have already been ripe for this apostate condition to culminate. Not to begin, but to culminate, because her sins (the Great Falling Away) will have made her ripe for God's judgment. Even as this earth begins to go into convulsions as God commences to destroy it, nonetheless it will last longer than one literal hour. Not that God can't destroy the earth in one hour - He surely can - but we read verses in scripture that indicate the passage of days being required immediately after the great tribulation before the earth is totally destroyed.

As we have seen, the term "one day" is a symbolical or figurative phrase that does not and can not require a literal interpretation. Likewise, when we read in Revelation 18:10,17, & 19 that her judgment will come in one hour we must also carefully harmonize this with scripture. Verse seventeen says of this harlot:

"For in one hour so great riches is come to nought..."

The word "nought" is the same Greek word as "desolation" in verse nineteen: "... for in one hour is she made desolate." Not surprisingly these two words "nought and desolate" come from the same Greek word "desolation" in the gospels when Christ spoke of the abomination of desolation. As the symbolical world of Babylon enters into the Temple of God, this Temple is then defiled and made a desolation by this abomination. These plagues do not come in one literal day, nor do they come in one literal hour. God again is using figurative and parabolic language.

When Revelation 8:1 states that the seventh seal was opened, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour, are we to understand this to encompass thirty earthly minutes in heaven, of which time is non-existent? No, we simply interpret this along with the way the rest of scripture is to be interpreted. The Greek word used in Revelation chapter eighteen being translated as 54*"hour" is ho'rah, and can be defined not only as hour (majority of renderings are translated as "hour"), but can also be translated as day, instant, season, short, eventide, or high time. Let us look at a few of these verses:

"And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time [ho'rah: also hour] is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals." (Matthew 14:15)

"At the same time [ho'rah] came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" (Matthew 18:1)

"And when the day [ho'rah: same as "hour"] was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time [ho'rah: same as "hour"] is far passed."

"He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season [ho'rah; same as "hour" Rev. 18] to rejoice in his light." (John 5:35)

"They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time [ho'rah] cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service."

"But these things have I told you, that when the time [ho'rah] shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them ..." (John 16:4)

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time [ho'rah] to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." (Romans 13:11)

"But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short [ho'rah] time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire." (I Thessalonians 2:17)

"For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season [ho'rah]." II Corinthians 7:8

"For perhaps he therefore departed for a season [ho'rah], that thou shouldest receive him for ever;" (Philemon 1:15)

"Little children, it is the last time [ho'rah]: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." (I John 2:18)

We have quoted only a portion of verses that translate the Greek word "ho'rah" as season, time, short time, hightime, and day. This being the very same Greek word that is translated in Revelation chapter eighteen as "hour." This Greek word is translated in many places throughout the New Testament as "hour," however we have shown that it too can take on a different meaning, as in a longer span of time, rather than one twenty-four hour period. Indeed, this must be the case in reference to God's spiritual plagues that He pours upon the corporate church at the end of time. It is a short span of time, represented by the term "one hour," however it is a relatively long space of time when compared to one literal hour. On the other hand, it is a relatively short span of time when compared to the complete length of the Church-Age. Perhaps this is why God symbolizes it as one hour? We do know that it is a short season, and God conforts the believers by stating that " ... but for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened," Matthew 24:22. It is this symbolic hour in which God brings his corporate church to its end. It is this "hour" in which all things that were dainty and goodly have departed from her. This is the spiritual hour in which so great riches have come to nought or "desolation." The church no longer will sound the trumpet. She no longer will voice the Word of God. The voice of the bride and of the bridegroom shall be heard no more at all in thee. The "light of the candle" will no longer shine in her. The light of the world - Christ Jesus - is no longer preached in the corporate church. The voice of the true worshipers harping, and of the pipers piping, are no longer found in her. The sound of the millstone (the gospel being declared) shall be heard no more in her. The woman's true gospel merchandise is gone, never to be revealed in her again! What great city was like unto this great city? The majority of the elect of God have fled this great spiritual harlot. They have fled to the mountains; i.e. the kingdom of God. "My people" - God's people - have "come out of her, as commanded in scripture. They are now standing "afar off" in a spiritual essence, that they receive not of her plagues and torment. God is the great preserver of His people.

52* "hemera" (hay-mer'-ah" #2250 Strong's Greek. Meaning day, age, for ever, judgment, (day) time, while, years.