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A Bible Study:
The Revelation to John
May 30, 2006
A Study of the Revelation to John
A Study of the Revelation to John
By Bernie Parsons - May 30, 2006
A Study of Revelation Chapter 15:1-8
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Revelation 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.
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The seven plagues signal the fullness of God’s wrath about this particular judgment. His wrath played out over several years, but there was to be an end to it.
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Revelation 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.
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Ekekiel 1:22: “And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
23: And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.
24: And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
25: And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
26: And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
27: And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.”
Recall that the firmament is a platform. In Ezekiel, it was a part of the description of the glory of the Lord. The description of it is like crystal glass, and the person on the throne glowed amber, as though from fire.
Compare that to the Revelation description of a “sea of glass mingled with fire”. A sea of glass and a platform like a great crystal are very close descriptions, indeed.
Those who had triumphed over Rome, its emperors, and its pagan religion by not worshipping them were those who appeared here in the place of the Lord. These hold harps in their hands, and prepare to sing.
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Revelation 15:3: 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.
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Exodus 15:1: “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.
2: 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.
3: The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
4: Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
5: The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.
6: Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
7: And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
8: 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.
9: 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.
10: Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
11: Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12: Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
13: Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
14: The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.
15: Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
16: Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.
17: Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
18: The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.
19: For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.”
The song of Moses is a song of God’s victory over the enemy, and the deliverance of the people of God. The song of the Lamb is likewise a victory song over the enemy, and celebrates the deliverance of the righteous. God is praised in song.
Psalms 98:1: “O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.”
All nations will worship God because of His righteous judgment.
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Revelation 15:5: And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
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The holy sanctuary of the tabernacle is opened.
Numbers 1:48: “For the LORD had spoken unto Moses, saying,
49: Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel:
50: But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
51: And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
52: And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.
53: But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.”
Under the Law of Moses, the tabernacle of the testimony was the place of worship, and the place where the word of God, in the form of the tablets, was kept. In heaven is the true temple, the true sanctuary, the place where the eternal word of God resides.
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Revelation 15:6: 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.
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The end of the wrath of God is coming upon all the earth. The white garments of the angels from the temple signify the purity of God’s righteous judgment. The golden girdles show that God is sovereign--He is king. His will is righteous.
Exodus 39:1: “And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.
2: And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
3: And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.
4: They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together.
5: And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses.”
Gold, blue, purple, and scarlet were the colors of nobility. Kings wore these colors, because they were rare, and expensive.
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Revelation 15:7: 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.
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These vials contain the final elements of the wrath of God. Once these are poured out, His judgment would have been rendered, and His wrath fulfilled. Again, realize that the wrath of God, unlike the wrath of men, is righteous.
James 1:19: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”
Luke 21:22: “For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.”
Romans 3:4: “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
5: But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
6: God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?”
Romans 12:19: “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
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Revelation 15:8: 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..
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Isaiah 6:1: “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2: Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3: And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4: And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5: Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6: Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
8: Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
9: And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
10: Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
11: Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
12: And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
13: But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.”
Exodus 40:34: “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
35: 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.”
Numbers 9:15: “And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.”
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