02.46. LECTURE No. 46 -- Rev_15:1-8
LECTURE No. 46 -- Revelation 15:1-8 The Seven Last Plagues - Before God Judges Men He Is Faithful to Warn Them - With the Seven Last Plagues the Wrath of God Will Be Over - The Scene at This Point Changes from Earth to Heaven - The Importance of Signs - Joy in Heaven Because the End of the Tribulation Judgments Is Near - The Song of Moses and the Lamb - The Martyrs of the Tribulation Period - The Temple in Heaven to Be Opened and the Purposes of God to Be Made Known
WE have progressed in our present study to Revelation the 15th chapter, and the first verse, where our present lesson begin.
In our last lesson based upon Revelation 14:8-20, we spoke chiefly concerning the fall of Babylon; the doom of the beast worshippers; the blessedness of the holy dead, who will die during the tribulation period; and the vision of the Son of Man coming to reap the harvest of the earth.
In Revelation 14:20 it says, “And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” The Seven Last Plagues
We are now ready to advance in our study by reading what is stated in Revelation 15:1-8, where it says,
“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
“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.
“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
“Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
“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 feasts girded with golden girdles.
“And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth 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.”
God’s Judgments Classified and Progressive
Before we take up our study of the things suggested in our lesson text, we would do well to remember just here that the judgments of God recorded in the Book of Revelation are classified and are to be carried out under the symbolism of the seven seals and the seven trumpets and the seven vials of the wrath of God.
From our study of the seven seals and the seven trumpets, we have discovered that God is faithful, and that He will not bring these judgments upon men without having first warned them of the error of their ways and of the judgments, which He is about to perform against those who refuse to believe and obey.
It is expected that when the judgments indicated under the opening of the seven seals have been brought to pass, that God will send forth the 144,000 sealed ones of Revelation 7:1-17 to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, which will be a call from God to repentance.
We have every reason to believe, however, that for the most part the masses of the people will fail to heed the call and will refuse to repent of their sins. A Second Warning When the judgments under the seals have been executed and the warning has been given, God will resume His judgments as indicated under the first six trumpets. This series of judgments, when they shall have been accomplished, will be followed by a second warning from God, who will send His two witnesses to witness and to prophesy during the tribulation period; thus warning men concerning the dangers of believing Satan’s lie and of their failure to believe the truth.
But even under the preaching of the two witnesses, men will not repent except for a believing remnant. The masses of the people will go right on in wicked unbelief and will actually rejoice when the two prophets have been killed, as indicated in the eleventh chapter. A Third Warning
Following the sounding of the seventh trumpet and just before the pouring out of the seven last vials of the wrath of God, we discover that God will warn the people again, even though He will have to send an angel to proclaim His message!
The message of the angel is recorded in Revelation 14:7, where the angel is quoted as saying,
“Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”
Thus, my friends, we see that the work of judgment, although it is necessary, is painful unto God Himself, and before He finally afflicts men, He is kind enough to warn them of the error of their ways.
Concerning this point, Louis T. Talbot, in his book, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ,” says,
“If any man finds himself in eternity unsaved and lost, that man will have no one to blame but himself. In every age, and even in the days of tribulation, God is, as it were, trying to blockade the way to judgment.”
Mr. Talbot says: “Several years ago, I saw a fearful sight. I was walking along a street in the city of Chicago, toward a place where there were some railroad tracks. As I walked, I could see those tracks, and in the distance a train approaching. I saw the signal arms come down and block the way to make known the fact that the train was coming. There was a man just ahead of me. He was walking in a leisurely fashion.
“There was nothing about him to indicate that he was desperate, or that he was going to do anything unusual. You can imagine my astonishment and horror when I saw that man reach the blockade, throw it up, and cast himself right in the pathway of that oncoming train! In a spiritual sense, every man in this day, as well as in the tribulation period, who goes on to the judgment bar of God unprepared, does that very thing.”
Indeed, my friends, the judgments of God are based upon justice and truth and God only executes His judgments upon men after they have rejected the truth and have turned against the light, and have refused to hear and to heed the warnings which He has given them. It is still true, and always will be, that “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” This is true of man individually and it is also true of nations.
Another Sign in Heaven
Returning now to our lesson text, in Revelation 15:1, John said,
“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.” The Scene Changes At this point in our study, the scene in the on-going drama of events changes from the earth to heaven. There in heaven, John saw another sign-great and marvelous-seven angels having the seven last plagues. The fact that John speaks of this as “another sign,” reminds us of the fact that in Revelation 12:1-17, he spoke of two other signs; namely, the sign of the Sun-clad Woman and the sign of the great red Dragon.
It was in reference to these two great wonders that John spoke of this as “another sign.”
All through history God has spoken to men through signs and wonders. In Matthew 24:1-51, Jesus gave three signs which were intended to warn the people of the fact of His second coming. In Matthew 24:29-30, He said,
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall, appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
He then gave them the sign of the Fig Tree, saying,
“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.”
The third sign which He gave them was that the world would lapse into the same condition as it was before the flood.
This is confirmed in Matthew 24:37-39, where He said,
“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
So, here in the Book of the Revelation we have another sign which is described as being “great and marvelous,” and even so it was.
It was a marvelous thing that God revealed to John these seven angels having the seven last plagues, which God is going to pour out in wrath upon the wicked of the whole earth.
The words “seven last plagues” should impress us deeply, for they indicate that the purposes of God in judgment will, by that time, be nearly to a close.
Nearing the End When this time is reached, many of the judgments of the tribulation period will have already passed, and when just a few more blasts of the terrible storm will have come, the storm will be over, and the end will be in sight. This in itself will be a cause for rejoicing. The Song of Moses and the Lamb
Considering these things, we are not surprised to hear John say, in Revelation 15:2-4,
“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. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”
We know very little about this sea of glass which is mentioned here. We know there is a sea of glass in heaven, because such a sea is mentioned in Revelation 4:6, where it says, “And before the throne was a sea of glass like unto crystal.”
Whether the sea of glass mentioned here and the one mentioned in Revelation 15:2 in our lesson text today are the same or not, we cannot say, for the one is described as being clear as crystal and the other is described as a sea of glass mingled with fire.
Martyrs of the Tribulation Period The thing that interests us most is that those who will have gained the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name are going to stand before God. The very language used here identifies these victorious ones as the martyrs of the tribulation period.
Having gained such a wonderful victory, it is little wonder that their hearts will be filled with praise and gratitude to God, and that they will sing “The song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.” The Song of Moses
I presume we all know what the song of Moses is. It is recorded in Exodus 15:1-27. The song was sung by the Children of Israel just after they had passed through the Red Sea and immediately following the drowning of Pharaoh’s hosts in the waters of the sea, when they had attempted to follow them.
We do not have time to read the entire song, but we will read a portion of it to show you what it was like. In Exodus 15:1-11, it says,
“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
“The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest thy forth wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
“And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea!
“The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them: I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”
Just as the Children of Israel escaped from the hands of Pharaoh and his armies, just so will these martyrs of the tribulation period have gotten the victory over the beast, over his image, over his mark, and over the number of his name. They shall stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God, and they shall sing the song of Moses all over again because of their rejoicing over the great deliverance that God will have given them.
Not only will they sing the song Moses, but we are told they will the song of the Lamb, saying,
“Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”
Another Song of Moses
Also in Deuteronomy 32:1-52, we have recorded another song written by Moses, in which he ascribes praise unto Christ whom he calls “The Rock.”
In Deuteronomy 32:1-4, Moses said, “Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
Thus, did Moses in prophetic language ascribe praise unto the Lord Jesus Christ. We do not wonder, therefore, that those who shall be redeemed during the tribulation period and who will stand upon the sea of glass will sing the song of Moses and the Lamb, for Moses sang of Him and they will sing of Him also because of their redemption.
We do not wonder that they will say of the Lamb,
“Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.” The Temple in Heaven In Revelation 15:5-6 of our lesson text, John said,
“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.”
We know that there is a temple in heaven, which served as a pattern for the tabernacle which Moses pitched in the wilderness. In the tabernacle which Moses made, there was the outer court the holy place, and the holy of holies. In the holy of holies was the ark of the covenant, containing the two tables of stone on which were written the commandments of the law. There in the holy of holies God revealed Himself in His Shekinah glory between the cherubims above the mercy seat.
The holy of holies was separated from the rest of the tabernacle by a great vail, and no one was allowed to enter this holy place except the High Priest, and he only once a year. Later the temple was built in Jerusalem and the vail was hung in the temple the same as it had hung in the tabernacle in the wilderness. Years and centuries passed by, but the holy of holies in the temple remained closed. The holy of holies continued to represent the secret purposes of God.
It was a great day, therefore, in human history when Jesus died upon the cross and the vail in the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom by an unseen hand, thus exposing to view the contents of that sacred place to the gaze of all men. Thus, the secrets of God were revealed and the purposes of God in bringing the dispensation of the law to a close and the ushering in of a dispensation of grace upon all men were made fully known. The Purposes of God to Be Made Known
Understanding these things, we can more nearly realize the importance of John’s words when he said, “The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.”
These words would seem to indicate that by that time the purposes of God will no longer be kept secret but will be made known, both to angels in heaven and to men upon earth.
The fact that God intends to make His purposes known was revealed to John, when he said,
“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.”
From the language used here, we discover that these angels are the priests of the heavenly temple, for they are dressed in priestly robes, which indicate their office and high calling.
In Revelation 15:7-8 of our lesson text, John said,
“And one of the four beasts (or living creatures) gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth 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.”
Here we see these heavenly priests exercising themselves in their high office in preparation for the pouring out of the seven vials of the wrath of God upon the earth, which will bring a conclusion the awful judgments of the tribulation period, which, when they have been brought to pass will be followed by the ushering in of a new day, a new era of peace and blessing, the like of which the world has never known.
~ end of lecture 46 ~