High Voltage Shareware/high1.zip/high1/DIR46/ALPHON_1.ZIP/REVELATN.015

Text File | 1992-08-13 | 13KB | 262 lines

                THE BOOK OF REVELATION

CHAPTER.15.

THE FINAL JUDGMENTS OF GOD INTRODUCED .

Chapter 15 is the shortest chapter in the book of Revelation.
its size should not be taken as an indication of it
importance, however, for it reveals three things:

1.  It concludes the events revealed in chapter 10 through 15
concerning visions in heaven or conditions on the earth to the
middle of the Tribulation Period.

2.  It serves as an introduction to the Great Tribulation,
the latter half of the Tribulation Period described in
chapter 16, when the seven angels pour out the bowls of the
wrath of God.

3.  It reveals important truths concerning the wrath of God.

John said, "And I saw another sign in heaven, great and
marvelous" (v1).  The word `another' relates back to the two
signs revealed to John in chapter 12, the woman representing
Israel and the great red dragon representing Satan.  This
third sign is described by John as `great and marvelous,'
indicating that it is the most significant of all the signs
revealed to this point.  When we bear in mind that it is the
sign revealing the final act of God's judgment upon earth, we
will understand that it has great spiritual significance, God
has inflicted judgments many times:  His judgment on the
tower of Babel; His judgment on the world in sending a
universal flood; His judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah; His
judgment on Jerusalem in A.D. 70; and His judgments on Israel
for  almost two thousand years.  This will be God's final
judgment, the result of His wrath being `filled up.'

The word `sign' should not confound or disturb us, for it
occurs seventy -seven times in the New Testament.  An
examination of the use  of this word would certainly put an
end to the lie that the book of Revelation is clouded with
`signs and symbols' impossible for the average person to
understand.

The book of Revelation becomes much more understandable when
one recognizes that the word `sign' really means a `symbol of
revelation'.  That is, it is a symbol or picture or prophetic
event that conveys some great truth or principle of God that
He wants to convey to His people.  As one studies this book
and begins to understand the meaning of these signs, he
receives the fulfillment of chapter 1 and 3.  "Blessed
(happy) is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of
this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it,
for the time is at hand."  As we shall we in the next
chapter, the sign of these seven angels before the throne of
God results in literal events of judgment emanating from the
throne of God to the earth.

THE SEA OF GLASS MINGLED WITH FIRE.
Rev 15:2-4.

This is another parenthetical expression.  The sea of glass
seen here by John is the same one he saw when he was caught
up to heaven in Rev 4:1-6.  This is an actual pavement
before the throne, which is like unto crystal mingled with
fire.  This area is now occupied by the Tribulation martyrs,
whereas in Chapter 4, it was unoccupied.  The sea of glass in
indescribably beautiful.  Its population embraces saints who
have `harps of God,' who sing the song of Moses and the Lamb
because they are victorious and have been resurrected.  There
is no explanation as to the exact words of the song of the
Lamb, but undoubtedly its theme is one of victory.

The Song Of Moses And The Lamb.

To understand the song of Moses, we must remember that after
Pharaoh released the children of Israel, he repented of his
decision and pursued them furiously with a host of Egyptian
troops.  When the children of Israel saw their plight, the
Red Sea in front of them and Egyptian troops behind them,
Moses looked to God, who had instructed him to put his rod
upon the water.  Thus the people walked over on dry land.  It
must have been a harrowing experience when the people barely
got across the supernaturally created channel with the
Egyptian army in hot pursuit.  No sooner had the people
safely arrived on the opposite shore when God permitted the
channel to close and drown the Egyptian.  The people were
naturally overwhelmed, because what looked like complete
disaster at the hands of a cruel, satanically inspired king (a
brief likeness of antichrist) was suddenly turned into
victory, and they lifted their hearts in gratitude to God.
That exactly parallels the response of these tribulation
saints standing before the throne of God, realizing that they
are out of the clutches of antichrist and Satan.  Their
hearts are filled with rapturous joy at His deliverance.

The song of Moses and the Lamb in verse 3 and 4 clearly
identifies Jesus Christ with the attributes of God Himself.
No man or created being has ever been addressed like this.
Note the characteristics attributed to Him:

1.  Creation - "Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God
almighty".

2.  Justice - "Just and true are thy ways."

3.  Object of worship - "....thou King of saints.  Who shall
not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name".

4.  Holiness - "For thou only art holy".

5.  Omnipotence and eternity - "...for all nations shall come
and worship before thee; for thy judgment are made manifest".

This song is a prophetic foreglimpse of the true treatment of
Jesus Christ at the end of the Tribulation that will exist
for the entire millennium and eternal order.

VISION OF THE HEAVENLY TEMPLE RESUMED !
Rev 15:5-8

After the vision of the Tribulation saints upon the sea of
glass, the vision of the seven angels and heavenly tabernacle
is resumed.  The temple in heaven is mentioned twelve times
in Revelation.  There is  every indication that this temple
is literal and God sits on the throne.  As proof that the
temple of heaven is literal we recall that both the
Tabernacle of Moses and the temple of Solomon were patterned
after the temple in heaven.  (See Ex 25:9,40, Num 8:4, 1
Chron 28:11-19, Heb 8:5, 9:23.)

The Heavenly Mercy Seat:

Then the apostle John says, "And after that I looked, and,
behold the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in
heaven was opened" (v5).  God once more reveals what was
known in the Old Testament and what is known to Israelities
today as the ark of the covenant.  In other words, this is
His mercy seat in heaven.  The ark signifies that God is
faithful in keeping His covenant and promises.  Earlier in
Revelation we saw the ark when the temple of God was opened
in heaven (11:19).  Now once more before His final judgments
come, God shows the true character of His heart and assures
everyone that He is absolutely faithfully in keeping His
covenant promises.  And He is faithful in keeping His promise
that if any man will come to Him, he will not perish but have
everlasting life. (John 3:16).

The Seven Angels Before The Throne:

Then John writes, "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."

This is the third time we have encounted a group of seven
angels at once.  There were seven angels assigned, one each,
to the seven churches in chapter 2 and 3.  Then each of
seven angels was given a trumpet to blow in revealing the
second quarter of the tribulation judgements.  Now we see the
seven angels to whom the judgments of the last half of the
tribulation period are given.

The angels coming out of the heavenly sanctuary indicate that
the judgments to be poured out stem from the holiness of God.
Therefore, the judgments are just, for God is righteous and
does all things according to truth.  This further emphasizes
that the judgments of God are not revengeful but are intended
to vindicate His holiness.  Many today, even Christians, do
not fully recognize God's holiness.  This is evident from the
way they live.  But God is holy and we must answer to Him for
the sin in our lives.

The Smoke-filled Temple:

We are told in verse 8 that `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.'  Smoke is frequently associated
with the glory of God.  When God gave the law to Moses on
Mount Sinai, He revealed His holiness in the following
manner:  "And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because
the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof
ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount
quaked greatly" (Ex 19:18).  Later, after the Israelites had
built the tabernacle and placed the ark of the covenant
within the Holy of Holies, we are told how the glory of God
filled the tabernacle.  Ex 40:34-35 says "Then a cloud
covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of God
filled the tabernacle.  And Moses was not able to enter into
the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode
thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle."

The again when Solomon built his great temple of God and had
set everything in order; `And it came to pass, when the priests
were come out of the holy place, that 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 had
filled the house of the Lord' ( 1 Kings 8:10-11).

It is a sad thing that the glory of the Lord has departed
from most places.  But when He comes again in great judgment,
the door of heaven will be opened and the people of earth
will see the great mercy seat.  They will see once again the
cloud of the glory of Almighty God.

The Long - Suffering Of God:

An important question that needs answering is: When does God
exercise wrath?  It is said of the seven last plagues of
Revelation 15:1 that ` in them is filled up the wrath of
God.'  Because of His holiness, God always has wrath against
sin, but there are great pauses before He exercises His
wrath.  These delays are for extended mercy before the final
outpouring of wrath.  God can never be blamed for pouring out
His wrath because never has one suffered as much or waited as
long as God has.  No one gets by with sin before God.  God is
slow to anger, but the cup of sin is filling up now, and by
the time of these judgments the cup is full.  His anger is
not a fit of temper, but rather indignation against sin
because of His holiness.

Access into the sanctuary is made impossible by the smoke
until the judgments of the seven plagues are fulfilled.  This
is an unmistakable sign of the impending doom for those who
persist in their blasphemous disregard of the sovereignty and
holiness of God.

The seven vials and the three unclean spirits make up the
contents of chapter 16.  This has to do primarily with the
seven vials, or bowls of wrath, which will be poured out upon
the kingdom of the beast during the last half of the Week.
These vials, and the pouring out of them, will not begin
until after the seals and the trumpets are completed.

The seven angels, each holding a bowl containing the
judgments that are about to fall on the earth, seem reluctant
to cast their bitter judgments forth.  However, they are
obedient to the voice of God when He speaks, saying "Go your
ways, and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God upon the
earth."  These bowls constitute what the Lord Jesus referred
to as the `great tribulation' (Matt 24:21), or the last
forty-two months of the Tribulation Period.

Wild and fanciful ideas have been offered through the years
as a means of symbolizing or spiritualizing these judgments.
There is no scriptural basis for such symbolism.  In fact,
four of these seven judgments occurred quite literally in
Egypt among the ten plagues and have never been accepted by
credible Bible teachers as anything but literal.  In
addition, part of the sixth judgment, that of drying up the
Euphrates River and producing frogs, was also literally
fulfilled during the history of Israel.  Frogs were generated
as one of the plagues of Egypt, and both the Red Sea and
Jordan River were rolled back that God's people might walk
forth on dry ground.  Therefore, nothing new will be
transpiring when God dries up the Euphrates River that the
kings of the East may march over on dry ground.  If the
plagues of Egypt were literal, and they certainly were, why
should we not accept these awful judgments like wise to be
literal?  We shall now examine the judgments individually.