Revelation - Chapters 15-16

In this transcription, Julie Callio discusses the main ideas from Revelation chapters 15 and 16. She mentions the visions of Jesus Christ, the seven letters to the churches, the seals and trumpets, the battle and judgment, and the seven final plagues. She talks about the significance of the songs of Moses and the lamb, the offering up of worship, and the repetition of certain phrases. She also highlights the pouring out of the seven bowls of God's wrath and the resulting destruction. Overall, she emphasizes the importance of God's righteous judgment and the need for repentance. I'm Julie Callio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at theab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are looking at Revelation chapters 15 and 16. So far in this book we have seen a vision of Jesus Christ among the seven candlesticks with seven stars in his right hand. Then there were seven letters to the seven churches, Ephesus, Myrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. We learned that the Lamb is worthy to open the seals of the first scroll. We read about the seven seals on the scroll, and then the seven trumpets where the earth was damaged, and the sea was damaged, and the rivers were damaged, and the sun was damaged. The abyss was unlocked with darkness and pain. The demonic army from the Euphrates with seven thunders, two scrolls, two witnesses, and a great battle. And then the time for the dead to be judged with a great hailstorm. Chapters 12 through 14 are seven visions of warfare. And now we are on the seven final plagues where the earth is plagued, the sea is plagued, the river is plagued, the sun is plagued, the throne of beast is with darkness and pain, a demonic army from the Euphrates comes with a battle, and then the start of judgment with a great hailstorm. Did you catch the similarities between the seven seals on the scroll and the seven final plagues? With that in mind, let's start chapter 15. Then I saw another great and awe-inspiring sign in heaven. Seven angels with the seven last plagues. For them, God's wrath will be completed. In chapter 14 verse 10, it's talking of those who worship the beast and it reads, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of his anger. And he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb. Brother Jerry said it means it is undiluted. God's wrath is now undiluted. If you remember when we read chapter 8 with the seven trumpets and the use of the fraction one third was used, brother Jerry said that it was a sign of God's grace because God did not destroy everything. Well in chapters 15 through 16, there are no more fractions. God's wrath is coming in full strength. Now in verses 2 through 4, we see a sea of glass and those who have been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name. Remember that this is the unholy trinity and believers in Jesus have been victorious over them. Here they had harps and were singing the song of God's servant Moses and the song of the lamb. Some people believe that these are two different songs such as Moses' song in Exodus chapter 15 and the song of the lamb is either Psalm 86 or Psalm 22. Some believe it is one song with two titles and some people think it is one song with one title. Any way you look at it, this song praises God for his awe-inspiring works. It praises God for his righteous and true ways. It heralds him as the king of all the nations. It declares that all people will fear and glorify his name because only God, only God is holy and all will come and worship because God's righteous acts have been revealed. This song, the song of Moses and of the lamb, is the song for all believers in Jesus. One more thing to note, in chapter 8, before the seven trumpets, there was an offering up of the prayers of the faithful. Here in chapter 15, before the seven final plagues, we have an offering up of the worship of the faithful. These highlights have come from Peter J Gentry's book, How to Read and Understand the Biblical Prophets in his appendix, Revelation 7, sequences of 7. Verse 5 reads, After this I looked, and the heavenly sanctuary, the tabernacle of testimony, was opened. This is only mentioned here in Revelation. This phrase, the tabernacle of testimony, is used in the Old Testament in Exodus chapter 38 verse 21, Numbers chapter 1 verse 50 and then verse 53, chapter 10 verse 11, chapter 17 verse 7 and 8, chapter 18 verse 2 and then in Exodus chapter 32 verse 15 it says two tablets of the testimony. This reminds us of the covenant that we have with God. Seven angels came with seven gold bowls filled, no longer a fraction, with the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. This is the eleventh time that this phrase, which is technically ages of ages, is mentioned. One thing that is very interesting is that in Revelation chapter 5 verse 8 it reads, When he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. J.B. Smith said, The judgments of God are not vindictive, meaning revenge, but vindictive, meaning justified. Verse 8, And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. God's Shekinah glory filled the temple the first time when the tabernacle was completed in Exodus chapter 40 and then at the dedication of Solomon's temple in 1 Kings chapter 8. Two prophets saw it, Isaiah's vision of God found in Isaiah chapter 6 and Ezekiel's vision in chapter 44. One thing I learned as we studied the Old Testament is there is no mention of the glory of the Lord entering the new temple which was rebuilt after the Babylonian destruction. Chapter 16 covers the seven bowls of God's wrath and it is also known as the great mega chapter of the Bible because the Greek word mega meaning great is used eleven times just in this chapter. Verse 1, Then I heard a mega voice. Verse 9, Burned by a mega heat. Verse 12, On the mega river Euphrates. Verse 14, The battle of the mega day of God the Almighty. Verse 17, A mega voice. Verse 18, A mega earthquake. And then so mega an earthquake it was. Verse 19, The mega city. And then Babylon the mega. Verse 21, And mega hailstones. And the last one in this chapter is also verse 21, Because the plague was mega severe. What have we learned when a writer repeats a word or a phrase? He's emphasizing something important. One other thing I want to mention is that there are 21 mega voices found throughout Revelation. Chapter 1 verse 10. Chapter 5 verse 2. Chapter 5 verse 12. Chapter 6 verse 10. Chapter 7 verse 2. Chapter 7 verse 10. Chapter 8 verse 13. Chapter 10 verse 3. Chapter 11 verse 12. Chapter 12 verse 10. Chapter 14 verse 2. Chapter 14 verse 7. Chapter 14 verse 9. Chapter 14 verse 15. Chapter 14 verse 18. Chapter 16 verse 1. Chapter 16 verse 17. Chapter 18 verse 2. Chapter 19 verse 1. Chapter 19 verse 17. And chapter 21 verse 3. Do you think the writer is trying to get our attention with all of the mega voices? Verse 2, The first bull brought God's wrath upon the earth, and all who had the mark of a beast, who worshipped his image, had malignant sores, all, not one-third. This also resembles the sixth plague of Moses in Exodus chapter 9 verses 10 and 11. Verse 3, The second angel brought God's wrath upon the sea, and it became like a dead man's blood, which is coagulated, and all life in the sea died, not one-third this time. Verse 4, The third angel poured out God's wrath upon the rivers and springs of water, and they became like blood, which is like Moses' plague in Exodus chapter 7 verses 17 through 21, the first plague on Egypt. Verses 5 through 6 say, I heard the angel of the water say, You are righteous, who is and who was the Holy One, for you have decided these things, because they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets. You also gave them blood to drink. They deserve it. Actually the Greek says they are worthy of this punishment, which is the same word that is used of the Lamb who is worthy to open the seals in chapter 4 verse 11. Another thing to notice is in chapter 7 verse 1 we have the angel of the wind. In chapter 9 verses 14 and 15 there are angels of the great river Euphrates, and in Revelation 14 there is an angel over fire, and here is an angel of the waters. So the rivers were destroyed with blood, and the angel said God was just in these actions, and then verse 7 says, Then I heard someone from the altar say, Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments. Verses 10 and 11 are the fifth bowl of God's wrath, and this went to the throne of the beast, and his kingdom plunged into darkness, and there were pains and sores on the people, yet they did not repent. This is similar to Exodus chapter 10 verse 21 with the ninth plague. Verses 12 through 14, the sixth bowl of wrath came upon the mega river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east, their purpose for it. Then three unclean spirits, like frogs, came from the dragon's mouth, from the beast's mouth, and from the mouth of the false prophet. This is the first time the red dragon is described as the false prophet, again this is the unholy trinity. Then it reads, For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, who travel to the kings of the whole world to assemble them before the battle of the mega day of God, the Almighty. This is like the frog plagues in Exodus chapter 8 verse 3. Verse 15 is the third beatitude found in Revelation. The first is chapter 1 verse 3, Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it, for the time is near. The second is chapter 14 verse 13, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the spirit, so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them. Now the third, Look, I am coming like a thief, blessed is the one who is alert, and remains clothed, so that they may not go naked, and they see his shame. Ladies, how are we clothed? We are clothed because of the blood of the Lamb. There are seven times in the New Testament that the idea of Jesus coming like a thief happens. Matthew chapter 24 verse 43, Luke chapter 12 verse 39, 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 2 and then verse 4, 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse 10, Revelation chapter 3 verse 3 and then here. Chapter 16 verse 16 says they gathered in a place in Hebrew which is called Har-Magedon. This is the only place in scripture that this is mentioned. The problem is that there is no Hebrew word like this, it is not found on any map. Many think it really means Mount Magedon, but Magedon is an area of the plain of Jezreel to the north east of Mount Carmel. It is not a known mountain. Verses 17 through 21 is the seventh bowl of wrath that is poured out into the air and the mega voice cries, it is done. There are lightnings, rumblings, thunders, earthquakes, hailstones and they are all mega. Verse 19 says that Babylon the mega was remembered in God's presence. This time God poured out the cup filled, not one third, with the wine of his fierce anger. How did they respond? And they blasphemed God for the plague of hail because that plague was extremely mega. With Moses it was the seventh plague that was hail in Exodus chapter 9 verse 23. Smoke, lightning and rumblings appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai in Exodus chapter 19 verse 16. After seeing the correlation between these bowls of wrath to the plagues of wrath on the Egyptians with Moses it seems clear why the song was called the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. God delivered his people both times and if we are his people he will deliver us too. May we also offer up prayers to the throne of grace and offer up worship to the only one who is worthy of praise, glory and honor. To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and covers us with his grace. Until next time and thanks so much for listening.