Faith Baptist Church
4258 Botetourt Road
Fincastle, Virginia 24090
(540) 473-2325
From Rev.15:1-4 we saw a prelude to the last judgments to be poured out in the second half of the seven year tribulation period. We saw the seven angels standing in the portals of heaven awaiting the order to commence. This solemn occurrence takes place at the beginning of the second half of the tribulation period. At this point in our prophetic study of Revelation the Church has been in heaven for over three and one-half years. We will be joined in heaven by the martyred saints of the tribulation period, particularly in the second half as the persecution heats up. Though the tribulation martyrs rewards and glorification will have to wait until the beginning of the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ, where they are joined by the Old Testament saints, for a time they find peace and sanctuary in the presence of the Lord in heaven.
For a moment John sees those who will get the victory in their deaths, and they are seen as singing up a storm. The Israelites in 1441 B.C. sang of their physical redemption from the jaws of death and the tribulation martyrs of the future will sing of their soul redemption as they will be standing before the Lord in heaven. Both groups, Israel of old, and the tribulation martyrs; sing of redemption and both praise the same God and both had the same testimony that God was mighty and should be revered.
Let’s look at a note of Bible doctrine here regarding life after death. From these Scriptures we see people whose physical bodies are deceased or expired. The soul of these martyred tribulation saints will sing and there will be a voice to their singing, a voice of jubilation denoting self-consciousness and emotion and memory and conscience. Life does not end at physical death; it goes on for you and me in life beyond the grave. God gives to all of us an immortal soul and this soul lives in a mortal body, a body made mortal by sin. See Luke 16:19-31 regarding the existence of the beggar, the rich man and Abraham in physical death, yet very alive.
In Christ we go into the presence of God in heaven, but as our Lord said, to not believe is for the soul to depart to an eternity of wrath, John 3:16-18.
And now as we get to verses 5-8 we see the preparation of these seven angels as they are ready to unleash God’s wrath on the unsaved of the earth.
v.5
John looks and sees a wondrous scene. Out of the temple of the tabernacle where the testimony of heaven resides come seven angels. This is the most holy place in heaven. It is the Lord’s sanctuary. It is his war room. It is also his prayer room where he answers the pleas of the suffering saints. It is the Holy of Holies. It contains the throne of the Father and the throne of the Son, Jesus Christ, Rev.3:21
God is not just in the area so be alert, he is right There ... Even when I think of this I sit in stunned silence... Though I know he is omnipresent, everywhere at once, it is Here we are in the personal presence of his Personage.
To get a picture of this I remind you of Rev.1:9-17 where John was said to have been so overtaken with the presence of the resurrected glorified Christ that John fell to ground as a dead man. You know something? The more we become impressed with our Lord the more we are astounded with his word. He takes our breath away.
This is why I believe the Word of God must be the centerpiece of the worship service. It is not enough to come milling around in the tabernacle, which is the courtyard around the word of God; we must enter in to the Holy of Holies in study and concentration upon God himself.
Until this happens on Sunday we really haven’t been with God or him with us. Our testimony depends on our understanding of this concept.
Also of the holy of holies it is said in Rev.11:19 that the Ark of the Covenant was seen there by John. The ark contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments given to Moses, Aaron’s scepter, or rod that budded and manna such as was fed to Israel during her wilderness years. It represents God faithfulness to his Word and to those who are his.
v.6 The seven angels come forth out of the temple, having seven plagues. As we have said these are literal plagues, not figurative plagues. The plagues God dispatched to the earth during his rescue mission of Israel through Moses were real and so will the ones he dispatches during the tribulation judgments be real.
As one author says regarding these judgments coming out of the holy heavenly temple, “they are not vindictive, but vindicative.” Ryrie, p.95
God does not judge out of spite, but as a response to the demands of his perfect righteous . In God’s righteous standards and in his perfect justice we comprehend as well as we can God’s absolute impeccable integrity.
Next we see…
The seven plagues are in the seven vials, or seven bowls.
The angels are clothed in pure white linen depicting their innocence and purity. You see, it is not sinful for God to vindicate his righteousness.
John says their breasts were girded with golden girdles. This article of clothing was originally used for the purpose of attaching ones weaponry upon, such as an ammo belt is used today. It was also common to use it to gather up ones tunic so as not to be encumbered when running or working or warring. The Arabians carried knives in this article of clothing, Unger’s Bible dictionary. p.277.
v.7 The seven angels are then met by one of the four living creatures.
Rev.4:6-8 gives to us a description of the four cherubim angels who stand before the throne of God at all times. One of these high ranking angels gave to the seven other angels seven golden vials, better translated, bowls, epta fialas crusaV seven bowls golden.
Full of the fury, qumou , of God. The wrath of God demonstrates his indignation. He is the God who lives to the ages of ages. Jesus Christ is called the alpha and the omega, the beginning the end and everything in between. Mal.5:2 calls the Messiah the one, “whose going forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
The Father and the Son are seen here as they are worshipped as one.
The eternal God has a handle on history; on those who contribute as well as those who destroy. God will vindicate the righteous and he will judge the wicked. God will bless the believing and he will judge the unbelieving.
The bowls were used in the O.T. temple as vessels to carry blood sacrifices or offerings, Ex.27:3. They were more of a saucer shape.
The bowls given to the seven angels will contain seven plagues to be poured out on the unbelieving inhabitants of the earth. God’s justice now holds back his mercy.
As I have said before, the definition of mercy, eleos, means to not receive what you have coming and it is in reference to something we do not want. It means not getting what you deserve in a bad connotation. I think we have all pleaded for this before. There is a time coming when mercy is withheld because justice must satisfy divine righteousness.
v.8
Next John sees the temple in heaven filled [Aor.Pass.I] with smoke, or a cloud. This smoke or thick cloud comes from the glory of the God and from his power. No man is able to look upon the full glory and power of God. Moses hid his face in Ex.3:6 because he was afraid he would die if he saw God in all his glory. When the Law was given to Moses in Ex.19:9 it is said the Lord came to Moses in a thick cloud.
John says no man was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues were fulfilled.
We will see these seven plagues in chapter sixteen.
They are just as real as the plagues the Egyptians had cast on them. We must be careful not to over think the word of God.
Let the word speak for itself. Find the passages’ correct dispensational fix and render it as close as you can to its contextual accuracy, but do not deny it. The best treatment of the word of God is to treat it with unflinching respect. It is the mind of Christ, I Cor.2:16.
This is why we believe the local church is the classroom of the saints.
Understanding the Holiness of God involves having an accurate understanding of God’s word, not mere speculation nor emotional deliberations. We must learn the Word to live the Word.