Revelation Chapter 15

 

Brief introduction:

 

Chapters 15 and 16 belong together because in them we have the pouring out of the seven bowls (vials) of wrath... 

 

We have already seen the seven seals opened, heard the seven trumpets sound, and had seven key personalities revealed. 

 

Next we have the up and coming seven vials of wrath... which are the worst of all. 

 

Chapter 15 is like a preface to the final series of judgements which come on the earth during the Great Tribulation.

These judgements are the most intense and devastating of any that have preceded them.

 

The Church has been Raptured and is in heaven while all the horrors of the Great Tribulation are taking place. 

Because the terrors of the Tribulation are not going affect the Christian, doesn't mean they should avoid reading, studying or knowing the contents of this amazing prophetical book.

 

We need to know what the unsaved will have to face, and that should inspire us to witness for Christ in these difficult days.

Each person won for Christ is one person less going to hell.

 

Reading the book of Revelation should stir up the "evangelist" in all of us.

 

☆ 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."

 

In chapter 12 John saw two great wonders in heaven...                "a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars," and a "great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads."

 

Here in chapter 15, the Apostle sees another sign in heaven... something he describes as great and marvellous. 

 

"another sign"... means: of signs foretelling remarkable events that are soon to take place.

 

What was it he saw?

He sees 7 angels who are assigned the seven last plagues ready to be poured out onto the earth... each plague filled with the wrath of God. 

Time has run out and God is on the final warpath with wicked, rebellious man on planet earth.

God has kept the worst for last.

 

The Lord God has been slow to anger, but here ends His longsuffering.

Judgement in the final stages of the Day of Wrath proceeds from God, not from Satan nor the wild Beast.

It comes directly from the throne of God. 

 

God will judge!

 

☆ Revelation 15:2...

"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the Beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God."

 

In chapter 4:6... John saw a sea of glass before the throne in heaven.

Here "He saw as it were a sea of glass"... and... this one was mingled with fire.

 

One Bible commentator suggests that... "the sea of glass mingled with fire" here represents... "the frightful persecution by the Beast during the Great Tribulation Period."

 

This is the period of time, as we have seen, where no man can buy or sell unless he has the mark of the Beast. It is going to be very difficult to get things to eat in that day.

 

And standing on this sea of glass are the Tribulation saints who "had gotten the victory over the Beast, over his image, over his mark and over the number of his name... 666."

 

These will be extremely difficult days. And although there will be multitudes martyred during this period, they will be faithful to Him unto death.

 

These Tribulation saints who have come through the fires of persecution on the earth we are told, have not lost their song. They "have the harps of God," and in the next couple of verses we will see that they are able to sing... and they do sing.

 

☆ Revelation 15:3-4...

"And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are Your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Your ways, You King of saints.

Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? for You only are holy: for all nations shall come and worship before You; for Your judgements are made manifest."

 

These saints who have been saved during this Tribulation time must have done some very quick reading, studying and learning of the Scriptures, to be able to "sing the song of Moses" and "the song of the Lamb."

 

"The song of Moses," can be found in...

☆ Exodus 15:1-21 and ☆ Deuteronomy 32:1-43.

 

"The song of the Lamb" is the acknowledgement of praise to Christ as the Redeemer. 

We have seen that in ☆ Revelation 5:9-12.

 

Both songs speak of God's deliverance, God's salvation, and God's faithfulness. 

 

A quick summary of their praise is given in these verses...

▪ "Great and marvellous are Your works, Lord God Almighty..."

▪ "... just and true are Your ways... "

▪ "... You are King of saints."

▪ "You only are Holy."

 

The Book of Revelation is Christ-centered.

He is in charge... He is the Lord.

In this book we have the unveiling of Jesus Christ in His holiness, in His power, in His glory and in His majesty.

 

This Man Christ Jesus is wonderful!

 

The day will come when nations will come and worship before the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

☆ Psalm 86:9...

"All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord; and shall glorify Your name."

 

In ☆ Jeremiah 23:5... we are told, "Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth."

 

☆ Philippians 2:9-11... 

"Wherefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every name:

That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

 

☆ Revelation 15:5-6...

"And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened... And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles."

 

The temple is mentioned some 15 x's in the book of Revelation. 

 

Chapters 1-3... the church is the main subject with no mention of the temple. 

 

Beginning with chapter 4 the scene shifts to heaven, and we see the temple in heaven.

There is a temple on earth patterned after the one in heaven.

There is no temple in the New Jerusalem where the Church is going because the Church is not identified with a temple.

 

From chapter 4 onwards, God is dealing with a people who have had a temple, and it's only to Israel that God had given a temple, patterned after the one in heaven.

 

In these verses, the reference is specifically to the tabernacle (skenes) and the Holy of Holies in which the ark of the testimony was kept.

 

In the ark were the golden pot that had manna, Aaron's rod that budded and the tablets of the covenant. Both the tabernacle and the tables of stone were duplicates of originals in heaven.

 

☆ Exodus 25:49...

"And look that you make them after their pattern, which was shown you on the mount (Sinai)."

 

☆ Hebrews 9:23 TLB...

"That is why the sacred tent down here on earth and everything in it... all copied from things in heaven... all had to be made pure by Moses in this way, by being sprinkled with the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven, of which these down here are copies, were made pure with far more precious offerings."

 

The originals are referred to in ☆ Revelation 11:19...

"Then, in heaven, the temple of God was opened and the ark of His covenant could be seen inside. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed and roared, and there was a great hailstorm, and the world was shaken by a mighty earthquake." 

 

The importance of angels in Revelation is again brought to our attention by the appearance of angels at this point. 

We have already had seven angels sounding trumpets. 

Now we have seven angels with bowls of plagues of wrath ready to be poured out upon the earth. 

 

Angels leaving the temple shows that they depart from the throne of mercy, but now... God acts in justice instead of in mercy.

 

"Clothed in linen." The angels are clothed in linen... another meaning is clothed with precious stones. Although their garments identify them in a priestly activity, they forsake that work of mercy for plagues of judgement.

 

The "golden girdles" reveal the angels in the attire of Christ.

Christ is no longer exercising a priestly function but is seen here judging the world.

 

☆ Revelation 15:7-8...

"And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, Who lives for ever and ever.

And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled."

 

Note the repetition of the number seven, which stands for completeness. 

 

We have a complete history of the Church in the seven churches of chapters 2 and 3.

 

We have a complete Great Tribulation Period in each one of the series of seven... seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls.

 

"golden vials full of the wrath of God"... note that they are not filled with the love of God, but with the wrath of God.

 

"And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God..."

The fact that we are dealing with the temple tells us that the Church is not involved. 

Neither the temple nor the tabernacle had anything to do with the Church. 

Even though they present marvellous pictures of Christ, it does not mean that the Church should build a temple or a tabernacle. 

 

This section refers to Israel.

 

Many dismiss Israel from the plan and purpose of God with the beginning of the New Testament. But, as you can see, the New Testament by no means dismisses Israel!

The Church has never replaced Israel. Israel is the apple of God's eye... always has been... always will.

 

Read ☆ Romans chapters 9 to 11...

 

"seven golden bowls"... represents the final "act" of the Great Tribulation. Bowls rather than vials are a better description of the containers used... golden bowls were used in the service of the temple.

 

These seven angels with priestly garments, having departed from the temple, are no longer engaged in a service of mercy but in a strange ministry of pouring out bowls of wrath on a Christ-rejecting world.

 

This judgement is a direct action from the Lord Jesus Christ. 

We have seen the gentle Jesus... now we see wrath of the Lamb... now we hear the mighty roar of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. 

 

The Old Testament prophets used the figure of the cup of iniquity and wrath filling it up...

It spoke of God's patience in waiting for it to fill. 

Then, once it was full... God moves in judgement.

The seven angels with the seven golden bowls make it clear that the judgements of the bowls are straight from God Himself.

 

"... no man was able to enter into the temple"... the idea of no man being able to enter the temple during this period of time seems to be that no one would be permitted to enter to make intercession, to turn away God's wrath, to divert Him from His purpose.

 

So... the day of reckoning has finally come!

The cut off point has been reached.

 

Earth dwellers watch out!

 

Better still, repent before the terrible day of the Lord even takes place.

 

Selah!