REVELATION 15 – Verses 1-4
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
REVELATION 15
Introduction:
Last time when we finished off the 14th chapter we encountered two heavenly harvest scenes. They introduced us to the rest of the book of Revelation.
The grain harvest was an encouragement to God’s suffering people showing them the incredible future of the last 2 chapters (21-22), the new heaven and new earth.
The vintage or the trampling of the grapes anticipates what lies next in chapters 15-20.
As we come to chapter 15 we have 2 more heavenly scenes.
Before John introduces the final awful judgments of God upon the earth he begins with a scene in heaven – shall we say he begins with the reality of heaven.
For those of us who live on earth we can become so wrapped up with our present reality that we miss the ultimate reality.
For those living under the might of Rome it would be difficult to see beyond the evil of the Empire with its emperor worship.
Think of our persecuted brothers and sisters. I’m thinking of the church in northern Nigeria which is believed to be the place where some of the worst persecution against followers of Jesus is taking place.
The first century believers and believers of every century since until this very day need this reminder that the present is not the end of the story.
Chapters 21 and 22 are coming.
OT Backdrop:
The backdrop is so obvious that one writer entitled these verses simply as “The Exodus.”
There is much Exodus imagery in this short chapter.
“We have here a more complete and systematic use of Exodus typology then in any other part of John’s book” (Caird, 197).
Scene #1: Verses 1-4
Verse One:
I saw in heaven another great and marvellous sign: seven angels with the seven last plaques – last, because with them God’s wrath is completed.
We are now introduced to the last set of 7ths:
7 seals
7 trumpets
7 thunders
And now 7 last plaques.
Chapter 14 ended with a horrifying picture of the wrath of God.
This chapter begins and ends with the wrath of God.
In this 1st verse we meet the wrath of God and also in vss. 7-8 (again like bookends).
Here we are introduced to the 7 angels with the 7 plaques and with the 7 bowls of wrath.
They will not begin to be poured out until the next chapter.
Verse 2:
And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God
“And I saw what looked like.” Immediately we know we have a metaphor and therefore symbolism
“a sea of glass mixed with fire.”
We have met a sea of glass before and it was in front of the One who sits on the throne in Revelation 4:6.
There John saw “what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.”
Here we have the same sea of glass but this time it is mixed with fire.
Fire – symbol of judgement in Scripture.
Standing beside the sea, John sees those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. What a huge encouragement!
In previous chapters we know that there were many who worshiped the beast and in their blindness they wondered who could compare to this beast.
We also know that he was making war against the saints and he was conquering them. How is this possible? These are after all followers of the victorious Lamb.
Men worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?” He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation (13:4, 7).
He (the second beast also referred to as the false prophet) also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name (13:16-17).
The saints seem to be at his mercy and he is conquering them.
This is what the church was beginning to experience toward the end of the first century and ever since? Does it not seem like the evil one, military might and oppressive regimes are winning?
But here in verse 2 we read just the opposite.
The saints were conquered and now we read that the saints are the conquerors.
John pictures them as victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name.
It seems a paradox!
How can those who were killed by the beast be seen as conquerors over the one who killed them?
We see something very similar in Chapter 5:
5:5 The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David has conquered.
5:6 I saw a Lamb standing as though it had been slain.
5:9 You are worthy because You were slain,
5:12 Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
12:11: and they have conquered him (the great dragon, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and satan, the deceiver of the whole earth) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
The Lamb conquered through dying.
It is through His death on the cross that He conquered sin, death and the devil. Though humanely speaking, it looked like the devil had conquered Him, just the opposite happened.
SONG: “Death could not keep its prey, Jesus my Saviour; He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord. Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph oe’r His foes.
He arose a victor from the dark domain and He lives forever with His saints to reign.
He arose, He arose, Hallelujah! Christ arose.”
The martyrs died but death was but a doorway to great Life and Victory.
Jesus had said, I AM the Resurrection and the Life, he who believes in Me will live even though he dies and however lives and believes in Me will never die.
Those who believe in and follow Christ will live forever regardless of what happens to them on the earth; regardless of difficult, even impossible circumstances; regardless of whether Christians flee for their lives or experience death.
Those who do not believe in Him will be separated from true Life forever.
John 3:35: whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.
There are only 2 groups of people – only 2 groups of worshippers.
Those who worship the things of this world, all of which will fade away, or those who worship the eternal God.
Those who worship the evil one or those who worship the Lamb.
The difference is stark and clear. While empires rise and fall; while wickedness seems to reign, that is not the real picture.
Very interesting what John says about the followers of the Lamb – they did not worship the beast and his image (cf. 14:9, 11).
Note what will happen to those who do worship the beast and his image:
If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of His wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb (14:9-10).
It is precisely because their allegiance and worship was elsewhere that the followers of the Lamb are victorious.
This victory was achieved through martyrdom.
Just as the Lamb was killed and in this way (through the cross) was victorious, so His followers have followed in His steps (1 Peter 2:21-25).
For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death” (12:10b-11).
Many have experienced the wrath of the dragon, beast and false prophet and Babylon; but their death (speaking of believers) spells victory and rest (14:13).
However, the death of those who worship the beast and his image spells eternal torment.
“they held harps given them by God.”
In 5:8 we find the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders which represent God’s creation and all of His people, also have harps and they sing a song as well.
Some feel that the ones holding the harps of God are identical to the 144,000 of 14:1-5 who appeared to the accompaniment of harp music with the Lamb on Mount Zion.
Verse 3-4: THE SONG OF VICTORY!
And sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb:
Great and marvelous are Your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are Your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear You, O Lord, and bring glory to Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.
The song of Moses.
In Exodus 15 we find the song of Moses!
Why is this song recorded?
Because of a great victory over the powers of darkness.
Because of the miraculous rescue the children of Israel experienced when Moses was their leader.
It was because of their miraculous rescue from the gods of Egypt and from evil Pharaoh who was also regarded as a god.
It was a great victory because the Egyptian army was totally destroyed and the gods of Egypt defeated.
The song Moses sang celebrated a great salvation, rescue and deliverance.
It is very clear in Exodus 15 who receives the credit for the victory. It is not Moses but God:
I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted.
The LORD is my strength and song; He has become my salvation.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has hurled into the sea.
Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand shattered the enemy. In the greatness of Your majesty You threw down those who opposed You. You unleashed Your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble.
Who among the gods is like You, O LORD? Who is like You – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? You stretched out Your right hand and the earth swallowed them (Exodus 15:1,2,4,6-7,11-12).
In the same way ALL powers of darkness and those who worship them will ultimately be defeated. The Exodus is a foreshadowing of that.
The rescue through the Red Sea is a powerful image throughout the word of God and also foreshadows the final destruction of all evil.
Here too (in Revelation 15) there is a great celebration but it is very different in the sense that here the children of God are killed and yet they sing a song of victory – victory over the powers of darkness. These are ultimately spiritual forces of darkness and they have already been defeated by the Lamb (very fitting that we have the song of Moses and the Lamb together) and will ultimately be totally destroyed – and the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever – There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.
“The Song of the Lamb”
5:9-10 speaks of people from every tribe and language and people and nation who have been made a kingdom and priests before God.
Compare that with 15:4:All nations will come and worship before You.