Revelation 15:1
Anticipation
I believe we are well into the last half of the Tribulation. There
is no way that I know of to know how far into the last half, but it
appears to me that during the last half:
1. Satan is cast out of heaven.
2. The anti-Christ is completely possessed by the devil or one
of his high demons.
3. The anti-Christ becomes leader over the world’s political,
religious, and the economic affairs.
4. The anti-Christ, in the Jewish temple, pronounces himself god.
5. The Jews have rejected the anti-Christ and turned with one
heart to accept Jesus as their Savior.
6. This begins the great persecution on the earth by the anti-
Christ of the Jews as well as the Gentiles.
7. The last of the 144,000 are slain.
8. The False Prophet emerges and is set in place as the anti-
Christ’s second.
9. Some type of image is created, endowed with life-like
intelligence and abilities.
10. The anti-Christ, the False Prophet, and the Living Image, with
Satan’s help, institute a world-wide numbering system without
which no one can buy or sell.
11. And all of these are taking place while at least some of the
judgments that were begun upon the earth continue in the
first half of the Tribulation continue.
It just seems to me that it would take some time for all of that to
happen.
Now we are at chapters 15 and 16, which to me go together. Beginning
at \\#Rev 15:1\\, John saw three things happen and recorded them.
Because we won’t get finished with all three of them today, let me
list the three things that John saw:
I. \\#Rev 15:2-4\\ John saw the saints singing.
II. \\#Rev 15:5-8\\ John saw the doors opening.
III. \\#Rev 16:1-20\\ John saw the angels pouring.
But in the first verse of our text, I see another indication that
time is moving on in the Tribulation.
Rev 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.
Notice:
1. The angels that he saw have "the seven LAST plagues."
2. And in them is "filled up" or completed "the wrath of God."
These indicate that time is moving on. We are not at the end yet, but
by the time the events of Revelation 16 are complete, the end is
coming into sight.
Let’s go as far as we can today.
I. \\#Rev 15:2-4\\ John saw the saints singing.
Rev 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.
3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant
of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great
and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty;
just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
4 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.
A. Notice John sees the "sea of glass" again.
1. I say again because John first saw it in \\#Rev 4:6\\.
a. At that time, it was a sea of glass like unto crystal,
calm, still, and reflective.
b. I told you then that I thought the Sea of Glass was a
place holder, that it was holding the place for the
saints of God who would one day stand in that place.
2. Now, two things have changed.
a. Now, standing ON that Sea of Glass are saints who have
gotten victory of the beast.
Rev 15:2 …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.
(1) All of them are not there yet.
(2) There are more to die; but the devil, the anti-
Christ, and the False Prophet with the aid of
the Living Image are slaying large numbers of
them—probably daily.
(a) Some are being starved, dying from thirst,
and from exposure because they cannot buy
food, drink, or shelter.
(b) Others are experiencing the pure hatred of
the unsaved and the anti-Christ’s troops.
Those will be beaten to death, abused to
death, and just plain murdered.
(c) And of course some may be dying from the
judgments that God will have cast upon the
earth.
i. While we know the millennial saints
will be spared from some judgments,
we do not know for certain how many.
ii. I do not know of an absolute "get-
out-of-judgment" card that promises
those saved during the Tribulation
will not have to suffer any of the
tribulational judgments.
(3) And that brings us to the second change in the
Sea of Glass…
b. It is now mingled with fire.
Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass
mingled with fire…
(1) It is bit unusual to see a fire burning within a
sea, even a sea of glass; but that is what John
saw.
(2) If there is a message here, it is in symbolism.
(a) Typically fire is a picture of judgment in
the Bible, usually God’s holy judgment
(b) Typically the sea is a picture of humanity.
(c) Perhaps it is here as well.
(d) If so the image could be a statement that as
the anti-Christ slays God’s people, God
will be judging the devil’s people.
(3) But even if I have read too much into this Sea of
Glass, I believe the image would have to stand
for a judgment of some kind sweeping through the
earth.
B. But while the Sea of Glass burns, the saints that have already
died sing.
Rev 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the
servant of God, and the song of the Lamb….
1. That they sing the song of Moses AND the song Jesus is not
an indication that Moses is on the same level with Jesus.
a. It is God’s way of saying both the Jews and the
Gentiles are singing.
b. The raceless society that this world seems to crave so
badly has already been achieved in heaven.
(1) It will not be Jew against Gentile, black against
white, or American against European.
(2) In heaven, there will just be the saved.
2. And the song that will be sung is a song of praise to God.
a. \\#3\\ He alone is great and marvellous.
b. He alone is just and true.
c. \\#4\\ He alone should be feared and glorified.
d. He alone is holy and should be worshipped.
C. This was not the first time John has seen the saints
assembled.
1. \\#Rev 7:9-12\\ A great multitude stood before the throne
and the Lamb clothed with white robes and waving palms
while they shouted praise to the God and the Lord. I
think that was them.
2. \\#Rev 13:13-15\\ One that looked like the Son of man took
a sickle and reaped a harvest from the earth. I believe
that was them too.
3. The difference between the first two visions and this one
is the first two would be prophecies in anticipation of
what was TO happen while; but by this time in the
the Book of Revelation, this vision would actually be
happening at that time.
4. The number of those standing on the burning Sea of Glass
will be increasing even as John looks at it for every
saint that dies steps off the earth and onto that plane.
II. \\#Rev 15:5-8\\ John saw the doors opening.
A. The doors I am speaking of are the doors to the heavenly
Tabernacle.
Rev 15:5 And after that I looked, and, behold,
the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in
heaven was opened:
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
B. All that John sees here is designed to present the reality,
the urgency, and the severity of what is about to happen.
1. \\#5\\ The reality of what is about to happen is pictured.
a. The earthly Tabernacle that Moses built was patterned
after the heavenly Tabernacle. \\#Heb 8:5\\
b. The earthly Tabernacle was only a pattern, a replica,
a symbol of the heavenly Tabernacle, but the heavenly
Tabernacle is real.
c. While the priest of the earthly Tabernacle was only a
symbolic priest, the Priest of the heavenly
Tabernacle is the real Deal, the Son of the Living
God.
d. And while the blood on the altar of the earthly
Tabernacle was only symbolic, being animal blood; the
blood on the altar of the heavenly Tabernacle is the
real deal. It is the blood of Savior.
e. And while anyone walking out of the earthly Tabernacle
would be holy only in symbol, the angels that will
come out of the heavenly Tabernacle will be holy
through and through; and the vials they will carry
will unleash the judgments of God on this earth like
it has never been unleashed before.
f. This is the real deal.
2. \\#6-7\\ The severity of what is about to happen is
pictured.
a. \\#6\\ The angels have a girdle of gold that runs up
to their chest and \\#7\\ tells us they carry golden
vials filled with the wrath of God.
b. The only other One to have such a girdle is Jesus
\\#Rev 1:13\\.
(1) The angels wear a girdle like Jesus to
distinguish them from others in heaven who wear
pure and white linens in heaven.
(2) In \\#Rev 19:4\\, all of the saints will be
clothed in white linens, but we will not be
wearing any golden girdles.
(3) The golden girdles are worn only by those whose
origins are above ours.
c. \\#7\\ One of the beasts gives to these angels golden
vials or bowls filled with the wrath of God.
(1) These are not capped vessels which are difficult
to open.
(2) No, they are bowls easily to be emptied for this
judgment is long overdue.
d. Notice that material of both the girdles and the vials
is God.
(1) Gold is the metal that represents God.
(2) In the Old Testament system of worship, most of
the time, if a man was to use a tool or touch
an item, it was made of brass. (An exception are
the staves of wood which come into contact with
the Ark.)
(3) But if the object was for God alone, it was
layered in gold.
(4) The angels wear gold and \\#7\\ tell us that the
bowls they use to carry the wrath of God are
of gold as well.
e. All of this points to the justice of God.
(1) A specially formulated judgment placed into
divine and easily emptied golden containers to
be administered by divinely appointed being with
the power of God flowing through them and
dressed in apparel similar to the Son of God
Himself.
(2) This is a severe judgment for a wicked people who
inhabit a wicked planet.
(3) Nothing and no one shall stay their hands or
hinder them in any way.
3. \\#8\\ The urgency of what is about to happen is pictured.
a. The heavenly Tabernacle is filled with smoke from
the glory of God.
(1) To be honest, I don’t understand the smoke.
(2) The smoke that appears stays in the Tabernacle
until all seven of the angels have poured out
their vials.
b. Why smoke?
(1) On earth, when God would appear in the
Tabernacle, it would fill with smoke.
(2) Most think that is because human eyes cannot see
God and live, but there won’t be any human eyes
in heaven.
(3) John had already seen Jesus, God sitting upon His
throne, angels in their splendor, and many other
things that human eyes might be incapable of
seeing in the flesh.
(4) So why see smoke now?
(a) I don’t know except to say that smoke won’t
stay in the Tabernacle long.
(b) Smoke dissipates and disappear quickly.
(c) Perhaps the smoke is to indicate that it
won’t take those angels long to pour out
the contents of their vials.
(d) The judgment is not coming, It is there.
All is now ready. The angels, dressed in divine apparel and armed
with the most deadly mixture this world has ever seen, stand at the
ready, waiting the command of God to administer the judgment. That
command will be given in the next chapter.
Could I plead with you one more time not to go into the Tribulation?
1. Jesus Christ died for you so that you need not go through
this!
Luke 3:7 Then said he (John the Baptist) to the
multitude that came forth to be baptized of him,
O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to
flee from the wrath to come?
2. I know that verse is not speaking directly about the seven-
year Tribulation, but if that Tribulation is not part of
God’s wrath to come, I don’t know what would be.
3. The Apostle Paul made a similar statement.
1Thessalonians 1:10 (We are) And to wait for his
Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead,
even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to
come.
4. Understand the blood of God’s Son, Jesus, can cleanse every
one of us from unrighteousness.
a. That means the wrath of God will never fall upon us.
b. There is no reason for it.
c. The sin that produced the wrath of God will be removed.
d. You need to do but two things to be forgiven.
(1) The best you know, believe what the Bible says about
Jesus.
(2) The best that you are able, repent of your sins and
surrender your life to God.
Don’t wait. Don’t wait and see this day. Don’t wait and see the
Tribulation begin. Don’t wait and miss the rapture. Don’t wait for
another day or even a later hour. You know what is coming. Make
haste and come to Christ right now.
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