Revelation 15:1-8
Please read your Bible text: Rev 15:1-8
“Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God’s wrath to completion” 15:1.
I believe this is would be toward the second half of the Great Tribulation in which God’s wrath on Satan and on an evil world would come to a completion. John saw in this vision – Seven angels were holding seven bowls full of plagues, pestilence, disease, and death to be released one by one consecutively. It would be a catastrophic disaster mankind had ever seen. But before that happens John’s vision here has something to say to us:
Multitude of Believers who stand Firm – vv.1-4
John saw in his vision, 144,000 believers who had been victorious over the antichrist, by not bowing to the image and succumb to receiving the mark of the beast, standing there in heaven on what seems like a glass of sea mixed with fire. This confirms that there would be a certain multitude of believers in the Great Tribulation who would stand firm against the antichrist and remain faithful to Christ until death. These are the ones who will be delivered from the ultimate fiery seven bowls judgment of God’s wrath. These 144,000 saints or believers are different from the 144,000 Jewish remnants. The 144,000 may not be literal but maybe a representative whole of those who remain faithful to Christ during the tribulation. (Only God Himself knows how many believers would stand firm till the end).
Many will come to faith in Jesus Christ during the Great Tribulation under the preaching of the two super apocalypse witnesses and the miraculous angelic messages in the sky. Also, there may be pockets of Christians witnesses to their loved ones and with the Book of Revelation fulfilling before their very eyes, many I believe will turn to Christ. But these will have to die for their faith. Thus, through martyrdom, they will be delivered from the final seven bowls judgment of God’s wrath upon this evil world.
God’s Greatness Exemplified in Worship – vv.3-4
Notice that there will be two main things in heaven – Music and Worship. The 144,000 saints who were delivered from wrath were each given a harp by God, and they were singing. The fact that they were singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb indicates that both the Jews and the Gentiles were among the people who stand victorious.
The songs of the saints exemplify the greatness of God in two ways: a) as Lord God Almighty – His works are great and marvelous and b) as King of the nations – His ways are just and true. All nations will come and worship before God and King. The songs also express the millennium kingdom in which King Jesus will rule in Jerusalem over all the nations of the earth. He alone is holy and deserves the worship of all nations.
Unbelieving World under Impending Wrath
But alas! – The unbelieving world below awaits the wrath of God in judgment. Let this be known that the wrath of God in fiery judgment is meant for Satan and his demonic beings that have corrupted this once beautiful earth. It was not that God is cruel and wants to destroy the entire humanity. It is just that in the destruction of Satan and the corrupted world (Babylon – in Biblical term) unbelieving people (those whose name is not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life) who choose to give in to the antichrist and thus bow to Satan will inevitably come under God’s wrath of fiery judgment (Rev 14:9).
The seven bowls of God’s cosmic fiery judgment spell the complete punishment. Jesus made seven cries on the cross during His crucifixion, and one of the cries was – “It is finished”. The Holy God punishes all our sins on the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, and His judgment on our sins is completed! Similarly, the seven bowls of God’s wrath bring His judgment on Satan and the corrupted world to completion. “Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne of the temple in heaven, saying, “It is finished!” – Rev 16:17. The seventh cry on the cross was “It is finished”, so also the seventh cry of the last bowl judgment.
Think: Be among the Victors – faithful until death.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, make me strong and courageous in the face of persecution so that I can be firm till the end. I pray I may be among the 144,000 multitudes of saints.
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