Welcome back! During this week’s fellowship time, we’ll continue our study of Revelation.
Revelation Chapter 15
This week we will investigate chapter 15 in our journey of the end times.
Chapter 15 introduces the seven bowls of wrath, God’s final
judgment at the end of the 7 year Tribulation period. The scenes described in
this chapter give a pictorial summary of the preparation for the outpouring of
the seven last plagues prophesied in chapter 16 which will come in a
rapid-fire, staccato fashion – each one stronger in fury and intensity.
A vision of the great multitude of – the Great Tribulation –
saints consisting of Gentiles and Jews was once again shown to the Apostle
John. However, this time the Tribulation martyrs were seen standing upon “a sea
of glass” before the Throne of God in Heaven. Then a vision of the temple
in Heaven – as seen earlier in chapter 11 – followed. But here, the temple had
become filled with “smoke” and the Ark of the
Testament could no longer be seen. When God starts pouring out the “seven
last plagues”, He will have left the Mercy Seat and He will cease to show
any more mercy…
We begin chapter 15 with the third and last great “sign in
heaven” that the Apostle John had seen of the many visions God showed him
on the Isle of Patmos:
Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete – Revelation 15:1
This third “sign” found
later in chapter 16 will show what is to be accomplished by the “seven
last plagues” which are God's great and final wrath being poured upon the
ungodly opposing forces of the Dragon, his Beast, his False Prophet and all
those who worship him and his image.
The Prophet Zephaniah also prophesied:
Therefore wait for Me, says the Lord, until the day I rise up for plunder; My determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger; all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy – Zephaniah 3:8
Therefore, the “seven angels having the seven
last plagues” will fully accomplish the intended purpose of the wrath of God as
we also see noted in the Psalms:
Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You, and on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name – Psalm 79:6
The “sea of glass” as seen
here “mingled with fire” is the
fire of the Great Tribulation and “those
who have the victory over the beast“ and who
are “standing” on it
are the “Great Tribulation Saints”:
And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God – Revelation 15:2
They are purged and perfected by the “fire” of the
Great Tribulation. They came through the “fire” when
the Beast was given the power to make war and to overcome them during that
terrible period of time described in chapter 13. But they died willingly
for their faith, as the Beast could only overcome them physically.
Therefore, they “had gotten the victory over the beast, and
over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name”. And they
have the “harps of God” which
symbolize their victorious joy as they stand before His throne in the Heavenly
Tabernacle. This was the same “great multitude, which no man
could number” that John saw in his earlier vision in chapter 7.
Next we see two different songs mentioned – the “song of
Moses the servant of God” and the “song of
the Lamb”:
They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! – Revelation 15:3
This passage reveals that there are two groups
of people saved out of the fire of the Great Tribulation. The Jewish
group will sing the “song of Moses” and
proclaim “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!” for they
believe in Yahweh – the Lord God Almighty. But to the Gentile
group, Jesus Christ is the King of saints and of the nations and they
will sing “Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!” As the
Jewish group stands before the Throne of God, they will come to the revelation
that the Jesus Christ of Nazareth – whom their forefathers had crucified
– was truly their Messiah!
These two songs celebrate two great redemptive events:
- Deliverance of Israel by God from Egypt through Moses
- Deliverance of sinners by God from sin through Jesus Christ
God’s holy and perfect character inevitably demands that He judge
the sin of man. After God’s righteous judgment is complete, He will set up
Jesus Christ’s 1000-Year Millennial Kingdom on the earth and the elect from
every nation will come and worship Him. Notice the words used by all the Great
Tribulation saints as they glorified God:
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested – Revelation 15:4
At this point, almost everyone in the whole world will have bowed
down to the Beast. The message of the 144,000 gave strength and courage to
these Great Tribulation saints for them to remain faithful to our Lord – even
unto death. It gave them the peace, patience and persistence to hold on to
their faith until they had found their rest accompanied by the deeds they had
done for and through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Of course, after the Great Tribulation on earth when the Lord God
“distorts its surface” with
His wrath, there will be a few people who have survived from every nation
left upon the “empty” earth:
Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, distorts its surface and scatters abroad its inhabitants – Isaiah.24:1 & 6
As we discussed in our last study, these people will be judged before
the 1000-Year Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ begins. Those who are found
worthy will live and repopulate the earth during the one thousand years:
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left… Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels…’ – Matthew 25:31-33, 41
Truly, as the Great Tribulation saints had proclaimed, they would
have to go and worship the Lord in Jerusalem, just as the words of the Prophet
Zechariah declared:
And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles – Zechariah 14:16
Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, inhabitants of many cities; the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, “Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord, and seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also.” Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.’ Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you” – Zechariah 8:20-23
The Prophet Isaiah also declared:
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore – Isaiah 2:2-4
The opening up of the tabernacle into the Holy of Holies speaks of
the ending of God's plan of redemption as “Mercy” leaves the “Ark of the
Covenant” and becomes the “Wrath” of God. Unlike the vision of Revelation
11:19, in which the Ark of the Covenant was seen to show that mercy was still
available. However, this vision shows the end of mercy!
After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever – Revelation 15:5-7
By this time, mankind has rejected the Word of God and now they
will have to face His wrathful judgment. God’s full “wrath” came
forth out of the temple via the “seven
angels” who had the last “seven
plagues” and who were “clothed
in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands”. These “seven angels” were arrayed as such to show
that the Word (Urim) and the Breastplate
of Judgment (Thummim – which the High Priest wore when
performing his service in the temple) is now ready to judge the world in
righteousness. There will be no more mercy – for they will be
given “seven golden vials full of the wrath of God” at this
future time of judgment.
In our closing verse, notice that it was “smoke”, not a “cloud” that
represents the glory and power of God:
The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed – Revelation 15:8
Throughout the Scriptures, the “cloud”
signifies “grace” as we also find in the following Old Testament
passages:
- Exodus 40:34-36
- 1 Kings 8:10-11
However, in these Old Testament passages “smoke”
signifies “judgment” and/or “destruction” from God:
- Exodus 19:18
- 2 Samuel 22:9
- Psalm 74:1
- Deuteronomy 29:20
- Isaiah 6:1-4
So, we see that the “seven
angels” proceed from the temple with the “seven
golden bowls” of God's wrath – signifying the glory and
the power of God! We see here that God is magnifying Himself in His saints as
He judges the world in righteousness with the outpouring of these horrifying
plagues.
During this devastating period of time, no one can enter into the
temple and no one can approach God till the intended wrath of God – His
indignation – has been fully executed on the earth. Similarly, we read in the
account recorded by the prophet Samuel:
Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter – 1 Samuel 6:19
Of course, the “temple of the tabernacle of the
testimony in heaven” in verse 5 does not refer to a
literal structure in Heaven. Rather, it refers to the Lord Jesus Christ in the
assembly of His saints who are the Testimony of His Word – The Truth is now
with them!
As we have discussed, at the Rapture, the Word – Jesus
Christ – and the Bride – His Church –
will eternally be together as one! While the unbelieving world comes under the
power of the Antichrist, the Lord Jesus Christ and His saints are glorified and
honored together in Heaven during the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. As this
glorious event closes out, God finally begins to judge the world. Mercy
will be available no more, for God’s “wrath” has
taken its place. His “smoke” fills the temple – for
the wrathful Judgment of God has finally come!
With this information as a foundation for your studies, please read
through Chapter 15 of Revelation.
Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s edition as we investigate chapter 16 of Revelation…
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