Revelation 15
Book of Revelation • Sermon • Submitted
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We are brought once again in Revelation 15 to the end of history and the judgments of that time, but this time the focus is on God’s FINAL judgments and plagues that He pours on the wicked. The plagues God brought against Egypt in Exodus 7-12 seem to be the pattern.
John sees another sign in heaven: 7 angels hold the 7 last plagues...God will bring to a final consummation His wrath...
Revelation 15:1
1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.
Though there have been judgments pictured in the opening of the Seals (Rev 6:1-17; 8:1-5) and the blowing of the Trumpets (Rev 8:6-9:21; 11:15-19) judgments which have been happening since Christ ascended and til He returns...these judgments in Rev 15-16, called “plagues” focus on the end of history.
Thomas Schreiner says:
“It may be that all seven of these bowl judgments describe from various angles the nature of the last judgment.”
Then there is a shift of the scene to before God’s throne & on His redeemed who are worshiping in vv2-4:
Revelation 15:2-4
2 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. 3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
“Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!
4 Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
First, what is this “sea of glass mingled with fire”?
We saw in Rev 4:6 a sea of glass like crystal. If you remember, we saw in ch 4 that the sea most often represents chaos and destruction in the Bible. Also, remember in Rev 13 that the first beast rises out of the sea (on earth)...but in Rev 4 it was a sea of glass in heaven, meaning that in spite of all the chaos and destruction going on on planet earth, it does not affect God or His sovereign throne in heaven...He is in complete control...the sea is glassy. And it is critically important for the suffering saints in the midst of the churning sea of evil on earth, to know this.
Here in Rev 15 the sea of glass is mixed with fire. This may be a picture of God’s sovereignty and holiness.
It is possible that the saints pictured here are standing, v2, ON (as per NKJV), not BESIDE (as per ESV) the sea of glass (Greek preposition epi)...the saints are standing ON the sea of glass, in the sovereign, holy presence of God...without harm...as though they belong there...AND THEY (WE!) do!!
Notice these saints:
-are “those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name” of Rev 13
-they conquered by (Rev 12:11) the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death
-these saints are standing on the sea of glass “with harps of God in their hands”
*harps: Rev 5:8 (4 living creatures and 24 elders); Rev. 14:2 (the 144,000?)
-harps are used for praising God for his deliverance and salvation...
These saints “sing the song of Moses, the servant of God AND the song of the Lamb”...
Note how in the “song” in Exodus 15, the deliverance and redemption under Moses is also a picture pointing forward to the greater deliverance and redemption in Christ...
Exodus 15:1-15
The Song of Moses
1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying,
“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
my father's God, and I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a man of war;
the Lord is his name.
4 “Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea,
and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
5 The floods covered them;
they went down into the depths like a stone.
6 Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power,
your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
7 In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;
you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.
8 At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up;
the floods stood up in a heap;
the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.
I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’
10 You blew with your wind; the sea covered them;
they sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
12 You stretched out your right hand;
the earth swallowed them.
13 “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed;
you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
14 The peoples have heard; they tremble;
pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed;
trembling seizes the leaders of Moab;
all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
Revelation 15:5-8
5 After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, 6 and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. 7 And 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, 8 and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.
Now John looks and sees the very dwelling place of God in heaven...it is opened...which means judgment is at hand...
and out of it comes 7 angels with the 7 plagues
These are glorious, powerful angels, in purity coming from the very presence of God...
Note their dress is similar to that of the glorified Christ in Rev 1:12f...they come from the very presence of Christ, as well. He is there at the throne with the Father...
These glorious angels are given golden bowls full of God’s wrath by one of the four living creatures who are around the throne of God, to pour out His wrath of judgment on the earth...but before they pour them out in Revelation 16...
In v8, John sees the sanctuary fill with smoke from “the glory of God and from His power”
And “no one could enter the sanctuary (like when the tabernacle was dedicated and the temple dedicated under Solomon - Exodus 40:35; 1 Kings 8:11)
Now, no one can enter the very sanctuary of God in heaven until His glory and power are fully exercised in His wrath through the 7 bowls of wrath...
And ch 16 will take us through the pouring out of the 7 bowls of God’s final wrath by the 7 glorious angels...