A Scene in Heaven - Revelation 15:1-8
INTRODUCTION:
This morning we are going to look at the shortest chapter in the book of Revelation. Revelation 15 is just 8 verses long and we are going to cover them all this morning. These verses are an introduction into the final judgment of God on sinful man. It seems that we have spent weeks looking at God’s judgment, but we need to remember that the book of Revelation is primarily a book of judgment and while it may seem very gloomy and negative to spend so much time on so many fearful scenes, it does not end that way, it ends all bright, the book of Revelation does not close until the new heavens and the new earth are created, a place where only righteousness will dwell for all eternity. So, we must endure God’s judgment on sinful mankind to reach the new heavens and the new earth. God has given us this Revelation out of kindness and mercy that we might know and be warned of what lies ahead, so that we might warn those who do not know Christ and share with them the good news of salvation from the judgment to come through faith in Jesus Christ.
This chapter is a scene in heaven and introduces us to the seven bowl judgments, the outpouring of God’s wrath on the earth. Let’s pray and get into our Scripture passage for this morning.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles this morning to Revelation 15 and please stand if you are able in honor of the reading of God’s Word. Follow along while I read.
Revelation 15:1-8,
“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You, For Your righteous acts have been revealed.’ After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. 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. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.” (Revelation 15:1–8, NASB95)[1]
A SIGN (Revelation 15:1)
This vision that John has is a scene in heaven that anticipates the bowl judgments, if you remember from chapter 4 there was a scene in heaven preceding the opening of the seal judgments, then in chapter 8 there was a scene in heaven that came before the trumpet judgments, this scene in heaven precedes the bowl judgments.
John announces this scene in heaven by declaring that he saw another sign, this is John’s third sign in the book of Revelation. The first sign was in chapter 12 and it was a woman about to give birth and we learned that this woman represented the nation of Israel. Israel will be a major character in the end times and God will keep all His covenant promises with her. The second sign was also in chapter 12 and it was a great, red dragon who represented Satan, another key character in the end times as he does all in his power to prevent Jesus Christ from reigning as King of kings on the earth and fulfilling all the covenant promises to Israel.
John describes the sign in heaven in chapter 15 as “great and marvelous” these two words describe for us the enormous importance of this sign which contains the final outpouring of God’s wrath on the wicked, unrepentant sinners of the earth.
This sign that John sees is seven angels that have seven plagues. Hebrews tells us that the angels are ministering spirits sent out to render service for the sake of those who inherit eternal life, but in the end times they will also be those who bring God’s wrath to the sinful world. This word translated “plagues” literally means “a blow” or “a wound.” The seven plagues as such are not really diseases or epidemics, but deadly blows that will strike the world with killing impact.
These seven plagues (the seven bowl judgments) are the last and worst plagues, because we are told that in them the wrath of God is finished, it is complete. Three important truths to note from these judgments being the last of God’s wrath, or that God’s wrath is finished in them. First, the fact that they are called the last implies that the seal judgments and the trumpet judgments were also plagues expressing the wrath of God. Second, this makes it clear that God’s wrath extends throughout the Tribulation and is not confined to a brief period at the very end of the Tribulation as some teach. Third, that they are the last shows us that the bowls come after the seals and trumpets in chronological sequence. The trumpet judgments come forth from the seventh seal judgment, and the bowl judgments proceed out of the seventh trumpet judgment. John goes on in the remaining verses of this chapter describing the scene before him from which this sign came.
THE TRIBULATION SAINTS (Revelation 15:2-4)
John begins by describing for us what he sees in heaven and the first thing that he saw was something like a sea of glass mixed with fire. Back in chapter 4 when John was first transported to heaven in the Spirit he described in verse six that before the throne was something like a sea of glass like crystal. This sea is not an actual ocean, but a transparent crystal platform before God’s throne, it shimmers and glistens like a tranquil, sunlit sea, as it reflects the glory of God. In Exodus 24 Moses and Aaron and his sons, and seventy elders of Israel saw the God of Israel and they describe a pavement under His feet as clear as the sky. Ezekiel describes an expanse under God that was like the awesome gleam of crystal.
John writes that the tranquil beauty of this sea was now mixed with fire, the fire of God’s judgment which was about to be poured out on the earth.
John then describes a group of people standing on this sea of glass, this group were those who had been victorious over the beast (the Antichrist), his image, and the number of his name. In other words, these were those who had remained faithful to the Lord Jesus to the death, they were victorious because even though the Antichrist could take their physical life, he could not take away their eternal life. These are those who were redeemed during the Tribulation and were martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ. When we get to Revelation 20 we will read of their resurrection and their reward. So, what on earth may have seemed a loss, in reality it was a victory because these tribulation saints will by God’s power, eternally triumph over the whole scheme of Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet.
John goes on to tell us that these Tribulation saints are holding harps of God as they worship and rejoice in singing praises to God. We saw harps earlier; the twenty-four elders were holding them as they sang praises to God. The Tribulation saints were also singing praises to God, John says they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God and the song of the Lamb.
The song of Moses is the first of several songs recorded in the Old Testament. It is found in Exodus 15 and part of it was our Scripture reading this morning. It comes from the time of the Exodus. Moses, as the bond-servant of God, was leading the people of Israel out of Egypt. They came to the Red Sea which God parted for them, piling water on both sides of a path through the sea. The Israelites passed safely through the sea on dry land to the other side, when Pharaoh and his army followed them into the sea God sent the piled-up water crashing down on them and drown them in the sea. Exodus 15 records for us the song of Moses, that the Israelites sang in praise to God for their deliverance.
The song of the Lamb, found in Revelation 5 like the song of Moses expresses themes of God’s faithfulness, deliverance, redemption, and judgment on God’s enemies. The words of the song that is recorded here in Revelation 15 does not match exactly either the song of Moses in Exodus 15 or the song of the Lamb in Revelation 5. But the themes and the key terms are the same.
The song recorded here sung by the redeemed, tribulation saints exalts God’s character as the omnipotent, unchangeable, sovereign, perfect and righteous Creator and Judge. Because God is all these things just mentioned, He must and He will judge sinners; if God ignored the sin of sinners, then He would not be holy, righteous and true to His nature. All will come to fear the Lord and worship Him, because He alone is holy. The song closes anticipating the millennial reign of Christ on the earth when all the nations will come and worship before Him and will exalt Him for all His righteous acts. As God delivered the Israelites from Pharaoh and his army back in Exodus, so God had delivered these Tribulation saints from the Antichrist forever. This song of praise is in anticipation of the judgment that is about to be introduced, the prayers of the saints are about to be answered, the vengeance of God is about to fall on those who persecuted the saints.
THE SEVEN ANGELS AND THE SEVEN BOWLS (Revelation 15:5-8)
John’s attention is turned from the singing Tribulation saints as the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was open. What does that all mean? The inner sanctuary of the temple in heaven, the holy of holies, the place where the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat were kept. The place where God’s presence dwells opens, the curtain is drawn aside to indicate for us that God is the source of these judgments that are about to take place. God’s covenant with Israel promised judgment on their enemies and a restoration of the kingdom. From within the Holy of holies the seven angels emerge, the seven angels that John had seen in the sign, the ones with the seven plagues. They emerge from the Holy of holies and they are dressed in linen, clean and bright. Their clothes represent the holiness and purity of these angels as they come forth from the presence of God to do His bidding. Each of these holy messengers of God will fulfill his assigned duty according to God’s plan. It has always been God’s purpose, because of His holiness, to judge sinners and destroy sin. Matthew 25:41 tells us that the eternal fire has already been prepared for the devil and his angels and awaits those whom God will one day sentence to eternal punishment. We also read, which underscores again, the holiness and the solemn duty of these angels that they are wearing golden sashes that run across their torso from shoulder to waist.
Now is the time of the last plagues, the final judgments of God on the nations, the tormenting of them in His great anger, before He sends His Son, the Lamb of God, to execute the fierceness of His wrath in person. For at this time the earth is worshipping the Antichrist; and the jealousy of the Living God burns like fire.
One of the four living creatures or beings that is constantly around the throne of God worshipping Him gave each of the seven angels a golden bowl full of the wrath of God. This Greek word translated “bowl” refers to a shallow saucer. The imagery is not a stream of liquid being gradually poured from a large bowl, but the whole contents of the shallow saucers being hurled down in an instant flood of judgment. Those who refused to repent, will be drowned in the judgments poured from the bowls of God’s wrath. Because God lives forever and ever, He and He alone has the power to put an end to sin, so that it cannot exist again forever in His holy presence.
John tells that the temple in heaven filled with smoke, the smoke symbolizes God’s glory and power. Smoke is an emblem of majesty also symbolized God’s presence in the earthly Tabernacle and Temple. When Moses had finished building the tabernacle and it furnishings as God had commanded and it was set up we read in Exodus 40:34-35, “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” (Exodus 40:34–35, NASB95)[2] When Solomon had completed the building of the temple and the ark of the covenant was placed in the Holy of holies in the temple we read in 1 Kings 8:10-11, “It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.” (1 Kings 8:10–11, NASB95)[3] Again God’s glory and power fill the temple in heaven, and no one is able to enter the temple until the seven plagues are finished. God will so turn to anger over the idolatry on the earth, that all else ceases, even in heaven. Wrath will be the only business as it is carried out by the seven angels. No angel or person can enter the temple and pray for mercy for those on the earth, the time of God wrath, the time of God’s judgment on sin has come, nothing and no one will turn Him from completely purging the earth and preparing it for the return of the King and the establishment of His kingdom.
CONCLUSION:
This will be an utterly horrifying and terrible time to be on the earth. Praise God that we still live in the age of grace and we can escape from the wrath to come by repenting of our sins, believing in faith that Christ’s death paid the penalty for our sins and that are sins can be forgiven by faith in Him, believing that He was buried and three days later rose from the dead proving that His death had satisfied the wrath of God against sin for those who would put their faith in Christ.
As we consider this introduction to the seven bowls of wrath and anticipate them being poured out which we will begin to look at in the second week of May, there are three things that we must understand as we begin to look at these seven plagues that are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.
The first thing to understand is that the whole earth (except God’s elect) has gone mad after the beast, the Antichrist. They have followed him wholeheartedly, worshipping him, his image and having taken the number on his name on their foreheads or hand showing their loyalty to him.
The second thing to understand is that even as the nations of the earth prepare to invade Israel when Christ returns, these seven bowls are seven visitations from God in wrath on men while the Lord Jesus Christ is yet absent from the earth.
The third thing to understand is that these seven bowl judgments are literal. There is no other reasonable interpretation possible. The fact that they are literal also puts them yet future. The final result of God’s judgment which will culminate in the return of Christ and the destruction of the Antichrist and all who follow him will be that all the nations will come and worship before the true and rightful King of the nations, the only King who deserves our worship and our adoration, the Lord Jesus Christ.
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[2]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[3]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995