Revelation 15 | The Seven Angels With Seven Plagues

We walk through Revelation 15 as the calm prelude to the seven bowls of wrath, and we trace why God’s judgment is terrifying yet perfectly just. We also hold that warning next to a stunning scene of worship, where the redeemed sing of deliverance through the blood of the Lamb.

• Revelation 15 as a pause before the seven bowls
• why “bowls” fits the Greek word better than “vials”
• the number seven as complete and finished judgment
• the plagues of Egypt as a backdrop for final wrath
• the sea of glass mingled with fire and what it signals
• the fixed chasm of Luke 16 and irreversible destiny
• the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb as one story of deliverance
• Passover imagery pointing to Jesus as the true Lamb
• modern idolatry as anything loved more than God
• the heavenly sanctuary opening and the smoke of God’s glory

So don't anchor your life to a world that's destined to pass away. Stand with Jesus Christ.

Transcript

Revelation 15 Sets The Stage

SPEAKER_00 0:18

Well, thanks again for joining me as we continue in our study through the book of Revelation. We're in chapter 15, which is the shortest chapter in Revelation, having only eight verses, and it's sort of a pause in the action or a prelude before we see in the next chapter the pouring out of the seven bowls of God's wrath upon the earth and upon unbelievers. The wrath of God began with the opening of the seven seals by Jesus, and it will end with the seven plagues on the earth. This chapter is an introduction and preparation for those seven plagues. So let's jump in where John's vision continues, and he tells us in verse one, 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. So John sees this marvelous sign in heaven, seven angels with seven bowls, which contain seven plagues, and these bowls will be poured out on the earth and on unbelievers in the next chapter, which is the beginning of the end, when God's wrath will be administered. And these bowls of wrath also remind us about what we just read about in the last chapter about unbelievers drinking from the cup of

Bowls Versus Vials And Meaning

SPEAKER_00 1:36

God's wrath. Now just a quick word here about the bowls themselves. Some Bible translations use the word bowls while others use vials to describe the containers holding God's wrath. So for example, the King James Version translates the word as vials, whereas some of the more modern translations like maybe the ESV or the NIV, they translate that word as bulls. But the Greek word used here is fiale, and in the ancient world this referred to a broad, sort of a shallow bowl or a saucer like container that was used in temple worship and for drink offerings. Now back in 1611, when the King James Version was published, the English word for vial, it didn't necessarily mean this tiny test tube or this medicine bottle or a vial used like when you have your blood drawn like it does today. It could refer to more of a ceremonial container, but over time, some English words have simply changed meaning. So modern translations prefer bull because it better reflects the shape of the Greek container, and it avoids confusion with the modern glass medicine vials. And there's also some symbolic significance because bowls suggest abundance and fullness, overflowing judgment. The image is not of these tiny little medicine bottles or vials, but of God's wrath being poured out fully and completely and without

Seven Plagues And Complete Judgment

SPEAKER_00 3:12

restraint. But we see that seven angels are appointed to carry out the mission and God's plan here. And John says that these signs were great and amazing or wonderful, because God will punish evil and ultimately triumph as he releases seven plagues upon the earth. Now I've mentioned that there are seven angels, but notice also that there are seven plagues, and we've already discussed a few times that the number seven in Scripture it denotes completeness or perfection. The seven plagues represent God's full and complete and perfect judgment. And this is not the first time we've seen a seven in connection with punishment. All the way back in Leviticus twenty six, God says to Israel, in warning them of their disobedience and rebellion, then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you sevenfold for your sins. But we're also reminded of the plagues that God visited upon Egypt. Those plagues were punishment as well, and devastated the country. But these seven plagues are the last, the final judgments, as John tells us, as the wrath of God is finished. And so what we're preparing for now, and we'll begin in the next chapter, is that these seven plagues will usher in the end of history on earth. But while these judgments will indeed be horrific, and there'll be much suffering and carnage and death, they also represent salvation for God's people. Just as the plagues of Egypt brought death and destruction to unbelievers, it also represented salvation and deliverance for God's people. But let's continue now with verses two

Sea Of Glass And Fixed Destiny

SPEAKER_00 5:00

and three which read 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, 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. So John sees something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and the fact that it was mixed with fire speaks of God's judgment and the lake of fire. But we also saw mention of the sea of glass back in chapter four in God's throne room, the heavenly temple. And if you remember, back there, the sea of glass was an expanse of crystal before God's throne. And this expanse of glass also reminds us of Ezekiel one, where it says over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse shining like awe inspiring crystal spread out above their heads. But keep in mind that this is most likely not a literal sea of glass. John is saying as it were and what appeared to be. In other words, John is trying to describe something heavenly using earthly language. But notice who's standing beside the sea of glass, those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. In other words, believers. Notice who is not mentioned there unbelievers. And so this sea of glass somehow represents God's holiness and his separation from his creation. But even though there's a separation, think about glass. You can see through it. And even though you're separated from what's on the other side, there's still clarity, perfect visibility to what's on the other side. And when I read this, I can't help but to think about the expanse mentioned by Jesus in Luke chapter sixteen, where he's telling a parable about the rich man and Lazarus. In the parable, the rich man is in torment after death, and he speaks to Abraham and requests that Lazarus, who is comforted at Abraham's side, bring him water to cool his tongue. He also asks that Lazarus be sent to warn his five brothers. But do you remember what the response was? Child, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things. But now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all of this, and here's the important part, between us and you, a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us. And so what Jesus is describing is some sort of an impassable, deep divide or this gulf, some sort of a chasm. And the importance of this, I think, is that it sheds light on the permanent nature of eternal destiny after death. In other words, once a person dies, their eternal state is fixed. There's no crossing over from the place of torment to the place of comfort or vice versa. There's no second chances. This isn't like college sports where you just enter the transfer portal. There are no transfers. There's no relief from one side to the other, because death seals a person's fate based on how they responded to God in this life. But it emphasizes God's justice and the irreversible consequences of how we live and how we decided to respond to Jesus Christ. If you've decided to reject Jesus and you have no real interest in God during your lifetime, that separation you created in life now becomes permanent in death. And the chasm shows that our earthly choices we make have eternal consequences. And just as a side note, it also seems to rule out ideas like purgatory or any post death opportunities to change sides. No one can bridge the gap, and so it stresses the absolute nature of separation. The boundary has been set by God and it cannot be violated. But getting back to the text at

Moses, The Lamb, And Passover Blood

SPEAKER_00 9:34

hand, verse three tells us that the believers standing next to the sea of glass, sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the lamb. Now this song of Moses, it refers to the song that Israel sang after they were delivered from slavery in Egypt. We read about this song in Exodus 15. The song of the Lamb, it has to do with the praises of worship for what Christ has accomplished in redeeming his people. And what we see here in Revelation is that the redeemed are singing both songs, and both songs recall a deliverance. The song of Moses recalls the people being freed from slavery. The song of the lamb recalls people being freed from sin. And maybe another way to think of it is that the song of Moses is the song of an earthly deliverance, whereas the song of the lamb is the song of spiritual deliverance. And so it recalls the exodus from Egypt and the plagues that God visited upon Egypt. And do you remember how they escaped and were delivered from the last plague on Egypt, the death of the firstborn, by the blood of the lamb? God instructed them to take a lamb without blemish and put some of the blood on their doorposts. And we read in Exodus twelve, The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. God commanded that each Israelite household to sacrifice a spotless lamb and apply its blood to the doorpost and lintel or that top beam of their home. And when the Lord or the destroyer, the angel of death, passed through Egypt to judge the land by killing the firstborn, he would see the blood and pass over those houses, sparing the people that were inside. Well this event is called the Passover, and it became the foundation for the annual Passover feast. It was the final plague that finally caused Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. And so this story, it's rich in symbolism, and it's a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ as our Passover lamb, whose blood delivers us from judgment. And so just like the blood on the doorpost delivered the Hebrews from the angel of death and slavery in Egypt, the blood of Jesus Christ delivers from sin and the final judgment. And just like when God brought his people out of Egypt through the Red Sea, believers are part of a new Exodus, delivered from the slavery of sin, and standing as conquerors on a sea of glass and fire. But let's continue with

Idolatry And The Coming Worship

SPEAKER_00 12:18

verse four which reads 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. Now these words echo the words of the prophet Jeremiah who asked the same question. Back in his day, the people were tempted to worship idols made of wood and stone and metal, but with John here in Revelation, the idolatry in mind is most likely that of worshiping the beast. Now today, very few people bow down to literal statues, but idolatry is alive and well. And the Bible describes idolatry basically as anything that we trust or that we revere, that we serve or love more than God, anything we look to for maybe our identity, our security or for meaning or ultimate satisfaction. So things like money, materialism of any sort, fame, popularity, power, success, pleasure, and the list goes on. But the sobering reality is that every false God, whether it's ancient wood and stone, or today's money and fame and self, they ultimately fell. They cannot speak life into us, they cannot save us, and they cannot satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart. Only the holy, living God that's revealed in both nature and scripture, and in the person of Jesus Christ can do that. And so John is once again asking the rhetorical question, who will not fear and glorify your name? And yet again, we see how the story ends, as it tells us that all the nations will come and worship you. And this reminds us of Psalm eighty six where we read the same thing, that there is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. But with that, let's transition to the last four verses of this chapter, verses five through

The Heavenly Sanctuary Opens

SPEAKER_00 14:28

eight, where John continues by saying, After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests, 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. 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. So after describing the joy and the triumph of believers in the first four verses, these last four verses return to the last seven plagues that we're going to see in the coming chapters. The judgments of the last seven bowls is about to begin, but before that, John sees the opening of the heavenly tabernacle. He says that the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened. And this is a very similar phrase to what we read back in chapter 11, where we saw that the temple of God was opened in heaven. Now one thing to consider is that this may not be describing or referring to an actual literal physical temple in heaven, but it's a way of referring to God's presence. And the opening of the temple points us to God's presence and his glory and his greatness. And so the opening of the temple suggests revelation and the disclosing of God's will. The opening of the temple here is to reveal the seven angels coming out who will pour out the seven judgments upon humanity. And we've discussed before that the seven plagues, using the number seven, represent God's full and complete wrath on unbelievers. And we read in verse six of the seven angels with seven plagues clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chest. Now the wearing of linen suggests a noble person. For example, the priest wore linen back in Leviticus, and we also see that they have golden sashes. Back in chapter one, the Son of Man, Jesus, had a golden sash around his chest, and a similar sash was also worn by the priest back in both Leviticus and Exodus. And so all of this clean clothing represents clothing that has not been defiled by sin. And the fact that the angels are wearing this type of clothing may be to remind us that angels feel priestly roles in heaven. But in verse seven, the angels are given the seven bowls of God's wrath, and when they emerge from the temple, one of the four living creatures, which we discussed, I believe, back in chapter four, gives the golden bowls to the angels, and just like the contents of these bowls will be poured out, so will God's wrath be poured out on those who reject him. And the fact that they're gold may suggest that these judgments of God are true and they're right and they're pure. But the last verse of this chapter, verse eight, tells us that the sanctuary was filled with the 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. And you know, I think sometimes we're so used to just talking about God that sometimes we need to be reminded of his holiness and of his power and of his glory. And here we see that the sanctuary is

Smoke, Holiness, And The Final Question

SPEAKER_00 18:04

filled with smoke from the glory and the power of God. And as we've mentioned before, the temple represents God's heavenly tabernacle, where he dwells. But we also need to understand that this may not be an actual physical temple like we're thinking of. But if you remember, back in the days of the Exodus from Egypt, after the tabernacle was completed, it was filled with the glory of God, and God's glory was so overwhelming that not even Moses could enter the tabernacle. And this smoke that fills the heavenly temple, it's quite a contrast to the smoke of the world's torment that we read about in the last chapter. We see the same thing in first Kings. After the temple was completed by Solomon, that the priests were unable to minister because the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. It's the same thing we see in Second Chronicles, and so even this remnant of God's glory, it's too much for people to withstand. And it's the same thing that we see here in Revelation, where it says in verse eight, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. God's holiness and his wrath prevent anyone from entering into his presence. And so John here is preparing us for the seven bowls that will be poured out in the next chapter, and he's doing it by highlighting the awesomeness and the holiness and the majesty of God. And even though some people might argue that this calls into question somehow the goodness of God, what it actually demonstrates is that God cannot tolerate sin. This is God's response to sin and to evil. Back in the days of the construction of both the temporary and the permanent tabernacles, God had filled them with his glory, and it was a time of celebration and dedication. And here we see God fill his temple with his glory in response to both worship and judgment. And so as we close out chapter fifteen, here's the bottom line. God's wrath is real. It's terrifying, but it's also perfectly just. But for those who belong to God, who've placed their trust and faith in Jesus, that same holiness becomes our greatest comfort. The plagues are coming, the bowls are being filled, and yet standing on that sea of glass is a multitude of believers singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb because they've been delivered by the blood of the true Passover Lamb. The same God whose glory fills the temple so completely that no one can enter is the same God who has opened a way for you through the cross. And the question that Revelation keeps forcing us to answer is actually rather simple. Which side of that chasm will you be on when history ends? So don't anchor your life to a world that's destined to pass away. Stand with Jesus Christ. And remember, the God who will pour out his wrath into these seven bowls is the same God who poured out his blood on a cross.