[Chapter 15-2] The Division Point of Eternal Destiny (Revelation 15:1-8)
(Revelation 15:1-8)
Chapter
15 describes the plagues of the seven bowls, which would be poured
right after the saints’ rapture on those who, as God’s enemies, have
stood against Him. The number “seven” that appears in common in
Revelation, such as the seven seals, the seven trumpets and the seven
bowls, signifies God’s perfection and His almighty power. Jesus Christ
is the omniscient and omnipotent God. That Jesus is the omniscient and
omnipotent God to us means that our Lord is God Almighty for whom
nothing is impossible. Our Lord is God Himself who has planned all
things and who has the power to fulfill them all.
The
saints, as such, must praise the Lord for His omniscient and omnipotent
majesty and power revealed through the plagues of the seven bowls that
He would pour on this world. We thank our Lord for the fact that such
judgment is made possible by His omniscience and omnipotence. That the
Lord would take His avenge on His enemies with the plagues of the seven
bowls and the eternal suffering of hell is, for the saints, something
that they can only be grateful for and is most appropriate. The saints
thus cannot help but praise the Lord. Hallelujah!
The
plagues of the seven bowls will arrive after the saints are raptured at
slightly past the first three and a half years of the seven-year period
of the Great Tribulation. Because of these plagues of the seven bowls,
the hearts of the enemies of God will be dejected, and as they find out
that our Lord is God Almighty, they will fear Him.
The
“sign in heaven, great and marvelous” stated in verse 1 refers to the
last plagues that will be poured on this world—that is, the plagues of
the seven bowls. What the phrase “great and marvelous” tells us, on the
other hand, are three-fold: first, through the Word of prophecy, the
saints already know all about the plagues that will come to this world;
second, the saints will be exempted from the plagues of the seven bowls;
and third, the power of these plagues of the seven bowls brought by the
Lord will be worldwide and fatally destructive.
On
the other hand, the redeemed and raptured saints will sing “the song of
Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb” in the air. The
background to this song, as can be seen in Exodus 15:1-8, is the song of
Israelites, who praised the Lord for His power and authority after
crossing the Red Sea led by Moses. They could not help but praise the
Lord for saving them with His power and authority from the desperate
situation of being pursued by the Egyptian army.
Likewise,
the saints of the New Testament cannot help but praise the Lord for
their eternal salvation, which came through the remission of sin
fulfilled by the baptism that Jesus received from John and His blood on
the Cross. When the end times come, the people of God will once again
praise the Lord, thanking Him for their martyrdom, resurrection, rapture
and eternal life, all made possible through Jesus Christ who delivered
them from their enemies, and all their sins.
In
addition, the important distinction of this song is that it praises the
Lord’s omnipotence, majesty, and righteousness. The martyrs cannot help
but praise the Lord for His power, the grace of their salvation from
sin, and the blessing of eternal life.
“The
temple of the tabernacle of the testimony” in verse 5 refers to the
tabernacle that God allowed to the Israelites when they left Egypt so as
to give them the blessing of accompanying the Lord.
The
“linen” in verse 6 refers to the righteousness of God. It tells us that
the angels would be clothed in God’s righteousness and receive from Him
the authority to render the kind of judgment that no enemy can ever
reject.
Verse
8 says, “The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and
from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven
plagues of the seven angels were completed.” We can discover three
meanings here. First, it shows just how complete God’s wrath on His
enemies is.
Second,
it tells us that no one can enter into the Lord’s Temple without
believing in the baptism of Jesus Christ and His blood, for God’s
salvation of the sinners is so perfect.
Third,
it shows that no human goodness can ever enable anyone to avoid the
righteous judgment of God, and that only by believing in the baptism of
Jesus Christ and His blood on the Cross can one escape from the wrath of
God poured on the sinners.
The
saints must therefore hold steadfast to the gospel and preach it to the
last moment. And those who have not yet received the remission of their
sins must realize that they are bound to face the righteous judgment of
God, and they must return, as soon as possible, to the gospel of the
water and the Spirit given by the Lord. The passage shows us that, as
the judgment that God would bring on His enemies with the plagues of the
seven bowls is perfect before all eyes to see, no one would ever be
able to stop it until this judgment of sin is all completed.
Chapter
15 of Revelation shows us that the Antichrist, Satan, demons, and all
those who stand against and do not believe in the gospel of the water
and the Spirit, which has been made available to us by the love of
Christ, are the enemies of our Lord. I praise and thank the Lord for
bringing His plagues to these enemies of God to judge them. It is only
appropriate for the saints to praise the Lord with the song of Moses,
the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.
No
one can stop our praise of the Lord’s righteousness, power, majesty,
and truth. I praise the Lord for giving us such blessings. Hallelujah!
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