The Seven Final Plagues

Revelation 15

Immanuel – 6/12/22

Revelation is a book that is extremely difficult to understand if you unhitch it from the Old Testament. It is absolutely packed with allusions, references, symbols, and so much from the Old Testament – more than any other New Testament book. In fact, Revelation would be impossible to understand without the lens of the Old Testament.

This is especially true today, as we consider Revelation 15. Though it is the shortest chapter in Revelation, it will plunge us deep into the Old Testament. And always, we want to interpret Scripture with Scripture.

Purpose

Look through the lens of the Old Testament to open the symbols of Revelation 15.

I want you to see the beauty and terror that is our Holy God.

Read Revelation 15

Chapter 15 begins, and John sees another sign in heaven. This is just how part three of Revelation began. At the beginning of chapter 12, John saw a great sign: a woman clothed with the sun. A few verses later, another sign: a great red dragon.

Then there is this whole drama that plays out as the dragon makes war with the woman. The dragon allies himself with two beasts – one from the sea and one from the land – but this unholy trinity is no match for the Lamb, the King of Zion. Uninhibited, He gathers the elect to Himself; and with fury before which all creation trembles, He treads the winepress of the wrath of God.

That fury, that blood, and so many of the previous signs, are found here in chapter 15. John does indeed see a great sign: great and amazing. Great and amazing are words that have lost so much of their meaning. When John says that the sign was great and amazing, think beautiful and terrifying, glorious and awful – like a crimson sunrise beneath ominous thunderheads.

The sign that John sees? The final spending of the wrath of God, about to be poured like a flood upon Israel – the land of idols, the land of beasts.

This is the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one else.” What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild beasts!

-Zephaniah 2:15

Wrath like a flood upon the land of beasts. For Israel worships the sea beast that is Rome and obeys the land beast that is the Jewish religious establishment. The sign, or symbol, that John sees in chapter 15 is this great and awesome wrath of God, placed in the hands of seven angels, prepared for Jerusalem’s final destruction.

Interesting that each part of Revelation has its seven angels of judgement. In part 1, there were the seven angels of the seven churches – which I said symbolized the pastors of those churches. These seven gave judgements as warnings, admonishing faltering churches to turn back to their first love – Christ.

Then in part 2, there were the seven angels of the seven trumpet judgements. Now, in part 3, there are the seven angels with the seven plagues; or as we will see soon, the seven bowls of wrath.

Already, in part 2 of Revelation, we have seen seven seals and seven trumpets, and at the end of them we already saw the final destruction of Jerusalem. The temple was destroyed and heaven and earth were united. We read…

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. -Revelation 11:15

It was a work completed. It was finished. But here in 15:1, it says that the seven plagues will be the last of God’s wrath. So what is going on?

Well, we are in part 3 of Revelation; and part 3 is another vision of the same events leading to Jerusalem’s destruction. It’s a Biblical pattern. God gives two visions prophesying the same events. It happened to Joseph, Pharaoh, Daniel, Zechariah, and here it is happening to John. But now we have come to the final demonstration of God’s wrath in Revelation – the culmination of all of its parts.

Read vs 2

Water and Fire

Do you remember the sea of glass from chapter 4?

Behold, a throne stood in heaven, with One seated on the throne. And He who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald…and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. -Revelation 4:2-3,6

The first temple in Jerusalem had something like a glassy sea. In the inner courtyard there was a large and elaborate basin filled with water. It was called “the sea of bronze” or “the sea of cast metal” (1 Kings 7:23). It held about 12,000 gallons of water. That’s a small swimming pool. The priests would use it to wash themselves before entering the temple and before offering sacrifices (Exodus 30:20).

The symbols of the temple pointed the Israelites to a Holy God, unlike anything or anyone in His absolute purity and majesty. Anyone that would approach Him or worship Him must be cleansed, washed.

Or, as God said, “I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” -Leviticus 11:44

The objects in the temple were symbols; they pointed worshippers towards spiritual – or heavenly – realities. And those symbols in the temple, and the spiritual realities to which they pointed, found their fulfillment in the new covenant. The greater reality is in the new covenant.

For in the new covenant, there is washing far more powerful than water from basins.

[Jesus] rose from supper. He laid aside His outer garment, and taking a towel, tied it around His waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered Him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” -John 13:4-9

That bronze basin in the temple always pointed to Jesus. Through Christ, all of our immoral filth is washed clean, and we are sanctified, made holy as He is holy.

Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. -1 Corinthians 6:9-11

You see, you do not wash yourself. You cannot make yourself pure enough to approach the throne of God, to cross that glassy sea. You need Jesus to wash you.

You may ask, how does one get to be washed by Jesus? He is not in this room to wash my feet. How does He make me – sexually immoral and greedy and idolatrous as I am – clean? Through faith.

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts being sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

-Hebrews 10:22-23

God has given you promises through His Word: promises to forgive, to make righteous, to love you, and for you to forever live in His presence. Then Jesus send to you His Spirit; and the Spirit empowers you to believe, to walk by faith rather than by sight. Therefore, when you believe that through Jesus’ death and resurrection you were spared the wrath of God – which you deserved – that you are forgiven and loved and that you will live forever, then you are washed. Faith in Jesus is the water that cleanses.

And look again at Revelation 15:2. Standing beside the sea of glass are the overcomers, the elect, the church. They have held fast to the faith, without wavering, because they did not bow their knee to the beast. They have not given themselves over to other gods.

They are like spiritual virgins, pure, faithful to Jesus. And look, in their hands are harps. This is just like the 144,000 in the previous chapter: 144,000 who are virgins and play harps. Two symbols of the same greater reality: the church, those cleansed by Christ.

And with harps in hand, with voices lifted, the church sings two songs.

Read vs 3-4

Though we are told that the saints sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, what is quoted is found in no single song of the Bible. It is a collage of Scripture: Exodus 15 and 34, Deuteronomy 32, 1 Chronicles 16, Psalm 92 and 111 and 139, Isaiah 47 and 66, Jeremiah 10 and 16, Amos 4 – and there are many more. It is as if old covenant truths serve to magnify new covenant worship.

You might think that Moses’ name appears here somewhat randomly in verse 3, especially if he is not being directly quoted. Well, it is not random at all. In fact, it is a key to unlocking a profound layer of meaning in verses 2-4.

There is a detail I have so far overlooked. Notice how the glassy sea looks different in this chapter. It is red with fire, red with blood. Remember where the sea of bronze was located in the temple complex? It was in the courtyard right beside the altar of sacrifice. The glassy sea has become red, almost like the fire and blood from the altar has spilled into it, almost like the river of blood from chapter 14 has mixed into these holy waters.

A red sea, God’s chosen people worshipping beside it, Moses’ song lifted. This is a picture of another moment when God wrought salvation and judgment. God parted the waters of the Red Sea, and Israel passed through on dry ground. And once through, Pharaoh’s army came rushing after them; except that God caused the waters to swallow them.

Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses. Then Moses and the people of Israel sang [a] song to the Lord.

-Exodus 14:30-15:1

Israel believed. They passed through the waters and were cleansed. Then they worshipped.

In the new covenant, Israel has been given a new name: the Church. Christ brought her through the fiery sea of the beast’s tribulations. Because she trusted in Christ, she has conquered the antichrist of her time. She has been saved. Now the furious waters of God’s wrath will swallow the persecutors, utterly destroying them, mixing their blood into the glassy waters. The fire and blood from the altar of sacrifice mixes into the bronze basin.

And there is the church, looking upon the condemned, worshipping God.

But we need to be careful here.

“As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” -Ezekiel 33:11

God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and neither must we. Instead, we see the littered shores of the Red Sea and rightly recognize that our blood should be mingled in those waters. But so that we would not have to be sacrificed, Christ sacrificed Himself – His blood rather than ours. When the wicked perish it should make us tremble, weep and worship, as we rejoice in God’s immeasurable and unmerited favor towards us!

Also, the church rejoices that God has upheld truth and justice; and has not allowed the rebellions of the wicked to tarnish His holy nature. He will not allow the wicked to walk upon the glassy sea. Instead, like a consuming fire, the sea turns red and swallows them whole.

Are these not the themes of the quoted song?

As it starts, again we see the words great and amazing. Beautiful and terrible are the works of God – glorious and awful: like salvation through walls of water, only for them to crash upon the wicked: like a rock of salvation and a rock of stumbling. Mighty are the deeds of God – works of salvation and works of judgement!

And unlike the rulers of men, these works are done in truth and justice. Even the best of kings somewhere fall into corruption; but not Christ, who rules the nations of earth with truth and justice. What a King!

Only the fool fails to fear the Lord. Only the fool refuses to bow their knee. All who know truth, all who love justice, all these will bow their knee. For they have seen the works of the King on a blood soaked cross and a vacated tomb. Let the nations come! Let every knee bow down and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

Is not the implication of verse 4 obvious? The nations of the earth will overwhelmingly pursue Jesus, not because of some future and militaristic appearing, but because He has already appeared in righteousness and justice; because the power of the eternal gospel has gripped their souls and they have been riveted by the King’s righteous acts as revealed on a cross and a tomb!

Moses pointed to it. The Lamb accomplished it. And we, the church, will forever sing about it! Let the nations come!

Read vs 5-6

Temple of Witness

After the elect worship in song, it seems that something catches John’s attention, and he turns to look into the temple. He uses a very technical name for the temple: the temple (same Greek word as sanctuary) of the tent of witness.

In the old covenant, the temple – or the sanctuary – was the holy place of God’s dwelling. Contained within it was the ark of the covenant. Inside the ark was some manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the ten commandments. These were the testimony of God’s great and amazing deeds.

In Revelation 11 the earthly temple was destroyed and the spiritual temple was opened, the ark of the covenant revealed, and the kingdom of the world became the kingdom of Christ. We will see that pattern again in part 3 of Revelation.

You see, that old covenant temple was a copy and a shadow of the new covenant church. The church is the dwelling place of God, where all the redeemed worship in Spirit and in truth. We are the new and rebuilt temple. For the Spirit of Christ resides (or tabernacles) in the hearts of men. We have been graciously washed and rescued from slavery to sin. We all carry the testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our hearts. Here, in these hearts, is the ark of the covenant!

John is seeing symbols of new covenant, spiritual realities. This is the church, united to Christ, victorious and holy, conqueror of her enemies! She is overthrowing the kingdom of the world with the kingdom of Christ!

The church is overthrowing the kingdoms of this world with the testimony we carry in our hearts. We proclaim the gospel and the gates of hell cannot prevail. We proclaim the gospel and the Light of the World comes to the nations. We proclaim the gospel and the peace of Christ will transcend understanding. For this is a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy!

These are the promises of Scripture. Believe them! Proclaim them!

And issuing forth from this symbolic temple, the seven angels again appear. They are dressed similarly to priests. They are attired like the great High Priest.

In the midst of the lampstands [I saw] one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around His chest. -Revelation 1:13

Jesus, the glorious Son of Man, is the High Priest. These angels are His ministers, bringing forth His judgements.

Read vs 7

Wrath and Glory

One of the four living creatures, one of the cherubim, suddenly appears. We haven’t heard anything of the cherubim since they released the four horsemen in chapter 6. Now the cherub fills bowls with fury: bowls filled with the wrath of God.

That is language we say in the preceding chapter.

The angel swung his sickle across the [land] and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. -Revelation 14:19

If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives the mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of His anger. -Revelation 14:9-10

See the connections between chapters 14 and 15? Can you also see the connection to Jesus’ words?

“You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on [the land], from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” -Matthew 23:33-36

And when these same Jews spilled the most innocent blood of all, that of the Lamb’s, they cried out,

His blood be on us and on our children! -Matthew 27:25

Yes, God held that generation accountable. The blood of Christ had been offered, but it was rejected. The blood of Christ and the blood of the martyrs would come violently upon them. In 70 AD the time for mercy had ended. The wine of the wrath of God, full strength, is poured upon the land of Israel from seven symbolic bowls.

For that wicked generation, and all who have likewise taken their mark of unrepentance, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.

Indeed, as these bowls are poured out in the next chapter, mixed into them are the plagues of Egypt and Sodom, and the plagues of covenant disobedience. It is a final fury, a red sea that will swallow the enemy.

And this winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia. -Revelation 14:20

It is announced in chapter 14. It is prepared in chapter 15. It is accomplished in chapter 16.

The enemies of God will perish; but God will live forever and ever. The nations may rage against Christ, but all their combine strength is vanity before the King. Never would they bow before Him and serve; so in wild rebellion they spend themselves vainly attempting to take the throne. He who sits in heaven laughs, and then He gives to them His terrifying anger. It is beautiful and awful.

The enemies of God will perish. But God will live forever and ever. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him (Psalm 2).

Read vs 8

The pillar of smoke that led Israel through the wilderness entered the tabernacle and filled it.

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the clouds settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. -Exodus 40:34-35

So also did the glory cloud fill Solomon’s temple, once completed and dedicated.

When the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. -1 Kings 8:10-11

This glory cloud is God’s shekinah glory, the visible manifestation of our invisible God. Great and awesome is the manifest presence of the Living God! And why could no one enter tabernacle or temple when filled with God’s shekinah glory? Isaiah is shown why.

I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple…and one [seraphim] called to another and said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of Him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts!

-Isaiah 6:1-5

No one can enter the temple because they are unclean. No one can withstand the hurricane of God’s glory. It is fury for the unrepentant. At least, not until the seven bowls of wrath had been poured out. This is a symbol. It shows that once the temple falls, all the barriers of the old covenant have been removed.

And, it does not necessarily follow that the glory cloud is removed once God’s wrath has been spent. In fact, it would seem that His glory and His presence remain thick in the temple; and once the fury of wrath has abated, access is open.

Did not Christ turn this wrath away? Has he not touched our hearts and lips, purified us, and atoned for our sins? Has not the Son of God bent down to wash our feet? Has not God spoken, with creative force, “Be holy, for I am holy!”

And as He speaks, so it is. We are new creations. We have been sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Now, with confidence, we can approach the throne of grace, where we will find no condemnation, but only praise and glory and honor (1 Peter 1:7).

And one layer deeper, Jesus is the shekinah glory of God.

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature.

-Hebrews 1:3

Through faith in Jesus we are clothed in Christ, we are hidden in Him! We are brought into the shekinah glory; right into the center of the hurricane of God’s glory – right into the eye of the storm. And far from destruction, what we find is paradise. What is furious for the unrepentant is rest and peace for the elect.

Oh brothers and sister, believe in this gospel and be cleansed! Believe today and be saved! Enter the temple and become the temple, as the Holy Spirit makes His home in you. Let your heart sing the praises of the King who loves you, who died and was raised to reconcile you to the Father.

To Him who loved us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests unto His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. -Revelation 1:5-6

But if you reject the Son, then He will ride out on His clouds to meet you, and you will wail on account of Him. Thus it was for that generation of 70 AD.

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the [land] will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen.

-Revelation 1:7

Read the song of Moses and the Lamb

The earth is the Lord’s, and the area of His victory. The issue of the kingdom’s battle will be no more a flight from history than was the incarnation and atonement. God the Son did not enter history in order to surrender it. He came to redeem His elect, assert His crown rights, make manifest the implications of His victory, and then to re-create all things in terms of His sovereign will. -R.J. Rushdoony, Thy Kingdom Come: Studies in Daniel and Revelation