The Plagues are Coming!

The fifteenth chapter of Revelation is, as it were, an introduction to Revelation 16. It sets the background scene from which the judgments in Revelation 16 will emerge, and brings us to the final judgment of God upon the earth prior to the return of Jesus Christ.

There is one aspect of the book of Revelation that sometimes makes it difficult to understand or follow - the related events do not always follow a chronological order. Many times John will describe the overall scene and then return to fill in the details and amplify some of the earlier descriptions. Such is the case with Revelation 15 and 16. These are fill-in chapters which add further details to events already described.

In Revelation 10 we came to the second coming of Jesus Christ. We also read of it in Revelation 14. However, the events in Revelation 15 and 16 will be taking place before the Lord's second coming. These are the details of God's judgments to be poured upon this earth very soon because of the rejection of His love and grace. God is going to purge the world before Jesus comes to reign again.

Chapter 15 shows us what is happening in heaven while Revelation 16 describes the corresponding events taking place upon the earth during the Great Tribulation period. The church shall be in heaven with Christ at this time.

REVELATION 15:1-3

John said, "I saw another sign in heaven" (Rev. 15:1). The word sign means "wonder" or "miracle." The Bible speaks of the Lord working signs and wonders (Acts 2:19, et al). Now there is another miracle in heaven... "great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God" (Rev. 15:1).

The seven last plagues will complete the judgment of God against this Christ-rejecting world. It will also complete God's purging process. Once this is over, Christ will come back with His church to set up His kingdom, and the righteous government of God over the earth will begin.

"I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire" (Rev. 15:2). Before the throne of God in heaven there appears a "sea of glass." In Revelation 4 John said the sea of glass was clear "like unto crystal" (Rev. 4:6). But here John sees it as "mingled with fire." This could be a foreboding of the impending fiery judgment when the seven vials are poured upon the earth.

John saw those "that had gotten the victory over the beast [Antichrist], 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" (Rev. 15:2).

This is not the church standing in heaven on this sea of glass. It is probably the 144,000 who were sealed in Revelation 7. These have the victory over the Antichrist and over his image. The church will never see the Antichrist. As a matter of fact, he can't be revealed until the church is taken out of the way, until that which hinders is removed (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8). Then the Antichrist shall come forth with all his lying wonders and deceit, deceiving if possible even the very "elect." Many Jews will be drawn into a pact with him.

John sees the group standing with the harps of God. "And they sing the song of Moses" (Rev. 15:3). This causes me to believe that they are the 144,000 of Israel. The song of Moses is the song of Israel's deliverance out of Egypt. The Jews escaped from their enemy when they reached the other side of the Red Sea and the waters closed on the Egyptian army. The Jews sang the song of Moses, the song of victory and deliverance (Exodus 15:1-21).

Here, they have also been delivered from the hand of their enemy, the Antichrist. So, they sing "the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb [the victory through Jesus Christ], saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints" (Rev. 15:3). This song of praise unto God tells of the great and marvelous works of God.

Notice the proclamation that the works of God are just and true. God is absolutely just, far more than we could ever be. It's stupid for us to challenge the justice of God. "I don't see how God can..." We act as if we're purer or more just than God. That's ridiculous. Yet, we often hear people challenging His justice.

Satan is constantly challenging the justice of God. But God is and will always be absolutely fair. The 144,000, witnessing part of God's judgment, are proclaiming in song, "Just and true is the King of saints."

REVELATION 15:4-8

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 (Rev. 15:4).

Who shall not come and worship? All the nations will come and worship before Christ when He returns again. He'll rule over all the nations and "every knee shall bow... every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11).

And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: 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. And one of the four living creatures [the cherubim] gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. 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 (Rev. 15:5-8).

Interestingly enough, there is a temple in heaven. The earthly tabernacle that God commanded Moses to build was patterned after the heavenly temple and included the various courts, the holy place, the Holy of Holies in the center of the temple where God dwelled, and the mercy seat (Hebrews 8:5). Jesus, as our High Priest, did not enter into the earthly tabernacle built by hands but entered into that heavenly place to offer His blood as an atoning sacrifice for our sin (Hebrews 9:24).

John now watches as the seven angels come forth and the cherubim give them the seven golden vials full of the wrath of God. In Revelation 16 these seven angels pour out the vials of God's wrath upon the earth - the plagues which are the final judgment before the return of Jesus Christ in glory.