Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: Daily Thoughts from Revelation (Revelation 15)

Every branch of our armed forces has its own song. The lyrics usually are focused on the mayhem our forces are going to create and their unstoppable energy, with some acknowledging the reason we’re doing this (“rights and freedom” come to mind). But the angels of God have a different anthem, one focused on God’s great might, for sure, but also on His great justice and worthiness to be worshiped.

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.

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! 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.”

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. (Revelation 15 ESV)

Now John sees the prelude to the final expression of God’s wrath against the earth’s inhabitants, which will be administered by seven angels with seven bowls that are full of God’s wrath.  Praising God for this are those who have conquered the beast and the image of him that was brought to life by the false prophet.  Either they were martyred and this is why they are now in heaven, or this is a future picture of those who will come back with Christ to do battle with the beast as described in chapter 19.  With harps provided by God Himself they sing the song of Moses (who celebrated God for His deliverance of Israel from Egypt in the exodus) and the song of the Lamb, who is the ultimate deliverer from bondage.

The song praises God for His deeds and ways in judging the nations justly.  God the Father is king of the nations and they must honor Him as such because He is the only one worthy of worship.  This judgment will pave the way for all nations to eventually worship God.

To show how important this moment is, the heavenly sanctuary, after which the earthly tabernacle and temple of Israel was modeled, is opened and the seven angels come forth from it dressed in symbols of purity and majesty.  The bowls they receive are made of gold, as the bowls used in the tabernacle and temple were.  And just as at times the glory of God filled the earthly tabernacle and temple, so His glorious presence, in the form of smoke, fills this sanctuary, making it impossible for anyone else to be there.  He alone is holy.

Once again we see how seriously God takes judgment and how important it is to the concluding of history. All the injustice that has been done, all the evil that has been perpetrated, all the suffering that has been caused by our fellow human beings, and all the rebellion against the God who made us, must be punished. The consequences due such wickedness must be paid. Our rebellion would lead to our punishment also, if it weren’t for our having embraced the one who took our punishment in our stead.

And at pouring out of these bowls of judgment, the wrath of God will be finished, completely finished.  Wrath will never again be needed or called forth.  All those who are recipients of it will be judged and only the righteous will remain.  Oh what a day!