August 2, 2015

Wrath-Inspired Praise (Revelation 15:1-8)

Preacher: Bryce Morgan Series: Happy Ever After (Revelation) Topic: Revelation Scripture: Revelation 15:1–8

Happy Ever After

 

Wrath-Inspired Praise

Revelation 15:1-8

(One Lord: So Great a Salvation )

August 2, 2015

 

I. The Speeding Sports Car

Let me set the scene. You are driving down the I-10 freeway, and trying to pass a slow-moving truck in the right lane. All of a sudden, in your rearview mirror, you see a car quickly coming up behind you in the passing lane. You get back over just in time as a small sports car rockets past you doing at least 95 mph. Okay, gut check. How are you feeling at that moment? What thoughts are racing (no pun intended) through your mind?

Now let me add something else. What if, two minutes later, you happen to see the same sports car stopped on the side of the freeway. But he isn't alone. A highway patrol officer is parked right behind the car, lights flashing. Now, what are you feeling now?

Let me tell you what that feeling is: it is the longing for justice satisfied.

Now consider what would happen if we add another element to the story. What if in your first encounter with the speeding sports car he actually side-swiped you, nearly knocking you off the road and leaving horrible dents and scratches along the left side of your car. Would anything be different about your feelings when you see him stopped by the officer?

Or what if in the two minutes between your encounter with the sports car and seeing him or her pulled over, you received a call from a good friend who described how only ten minutes earlier, a speeding sports car drove him and his family off the road about 30 miles to the west. You could hear the fear in his voice as he described his wife's and his children's injuries. Would anything be different about your feelings when you eventually get to the detained speeder?

The feeling would be the same, only deeper, right? A deeper longing for justice. A deeper satisfaction when justice was served.

Last September, we began a journey through the book of Revelation or the book of THE Revelation. Given the challenges of studying and understanding a book like this, I compared our efforts to climbing a daunting mountain: it wouldn't be easy going up, but the climb would be rewarding and the views absolutely breathtaking. But to make the ascent safely, we would need what I called “Five Firm Footholds”, interpretive commitments to help us make sense of this challenging book. Here they are...

1. Foothold #1: Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ
2. Foothold #2: Revelation was Given to Seven Real Churches
3. Foothold #3: Revelation was Conveyed Through Symbolic Number and Images
4. Foothold #4: Revelation Should Always be Taken as a Whole
5. Foothold #5: Revelation is Meant to be Kept

With those in mind, this morning, we find ourselves picking up where we left off in this study. Turn with me to Revelation 15.

 

II. The Passage: “Just and True are Your Ways” (15:1-8)

This short chapter can be divided into three parts. In verse 1 we hear about the wrath of God finished, in verses 2-4 we hear the judgments of God praised, and in verses 5-8, we witness the presence of God manifested. Let's work through these sections one by one, and at the same time, let's use this to remind ourselves of what God has already shown us in this book.

 

A. The Wrath of God Finished (15:1)

This is what we read in verse 1 of Revelation 15:

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.

We know from chapter 1 that the Apostle John has been commissioned to write down the things he will see in the symbolic visions that make up the majority of the book. The first three chapters of the book deal with a vision of the exalted Jesus speaking words of comfort and conviction to the seven churches for whom the book was originally given. But starting in chapter 4, John is now being shown visions of “what must take place after this,” that is, after the present-day circumstances of these struggling churches.

What 15:1 should remind us of is the fact that the seven plagues announced here are the third and final set of judgments that God has and will unleash on the world. Jesus Christ, symbolized in chapter 5 as a lamb with seven horns and seven eyes, takes from the hand of God the Father, a scroll sealed with seven seals. When all seven seals are opened, seven angels with seven trumpets are revealed. And now, as we see here, when all seven trumpets are sounded, we see the seven angels bringing out seven plagues.

This verse also reminds us how these three sets of seven are connected: each of them is an expression of “the wrath of God”. You may remember that seven is a number of divine completion or perfection, and three is a number of full testimony or witness. Therefore, what we read here is not surprising: with this last set of seven, these seven plagues, the wrath of God is finished.

Remember what the scroll represents. It represents the decree/plan of God to bring ultimate justice to the earth by unleashing His wrath on unrepentant sinners, and lavishing reward and rest on His people.

The seven seals gave us a picture of what we could call God's common judgments through things like war and famine, judgments that set the stage for injustice and the persecution of God's people; judgments that would finally lead to a cataclysmic and final judgment. The scroll now fully opened led to the implementation of this divine decree through the seven trumpet judgments. These seem to be judgments from God that are meant to not simply punish sinners, but also persuade them to turn away from their sins.

But as we will see next week, with these final seven plagues, the divine decree symbolized by the scroll will be fully implemented and fully realized. Ultimate justice will by fully served.

 

B. The Judgments of God Praised (15:2-4)

But before these seven plagues are poured out on the rebellious world, we hear the judgments of God being praised in verses 15:2-4. Look at what we read there...

And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. [3] And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! [4] Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

The “sea of glass” first described back in 4:6 as being “before the throne” of God, this sea is described here as being “mingled with fire.” What does this symbolism mean? Well notice how the singers we go on to read about are said to be “standing beside the sea” and how the song they sing is called “the song of Moses.” I believe all of this is meant to point us back to Exodus 15, to the song of those redeemed from slavery by God, those who stood by the Red Sea, those who saw God's power to save and power to judge Pharaoh and his army.

Therefore, the sea is calm like glass to show God's mastery over the chaos of evil, it is mingled with fire to remind us of His judgments, and it stands before those who have experienced a new Exodus through Jesus Christ. That's why their song is also called “the song of the Lamb.”

But notice, again, how they and their redemption are described in verse 2. These are “those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name.” This takes us back to chapters 12-14.

You may remember that just as the seventh seal lead us to the seven trumpets, we also expected the seventh trumpet to lead us to the seven plagues. But a kind of parenthesis interrupted the pattern. That parenthesis was chapter 12-14. Those chapters appear to be an expansion of what we called “The Tale of the Two Witnesses” in chapter 11, which in turn seemed to be the content of the “little scroll” that John was instructed to eat in chapter 10.

Why is this parenthesis, why are these chapters so important? Because they go right to the heart of the nature of the need for ultimate justice. These chapters reveal the true, spiritual nature of the church's suffering. They set out a clear indictment that confirms humanity's guilt. And as we saw before in the sixth seal, they confirm a final judgment, the very judgment represented by the seven plagues.

Who is this “beast” that is conquered? As we learned from chapter 13, the beast is a satanically empowered earthly authority; the kind of human authority or worldly system that demands conformity and inspires compromise in every area of life, including work and worship. It holds captive all except those who have been liberated by God's grace.

They have conquered. How? 12:11 tells us they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

And so, understanding God's power, holiness, glory and justice, the redeemed - these overcomers, the Church of Jesus - offers praise to God, praise that points us to the divinely-entrenched foundations for the judgments to come. More about that in just a minute.

 

C. The Presence of God Manifested (15:5-8)

If we move to the last section in this chapter, we are confronted with the presence of God manifested. Look at how this is described in verses 5-8...

After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, [6] and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. [7] And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, [8] and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

The imagery from the book of Exodus continues here. Just as chapter 11, verse 19 described how “God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple,” we read here that “the sanctuary of the tent of witness (or testimony) in heaven was opened.” That's a reference connected to the earthly tent Moses was instructed to build after their exodus from Egypt. But remember, the earthly temple tents and temple buildings of the Israelites were only earthly symbols of God's heavenly throneroom.

Why is the heavenly “temple” of chapter 11 now called the “tent of witness” or “tent of testimony?” Probably because the “testimony” in the OT tabernacle or tent was the testimony of the Ten Commandments. Since those commandments are expressions of God's moral perfection, the judgments of the seven plagues, poured out on a morally corrupt world, are further confirmed as just and right.

And as those judgments begin to be dispensed through the seven angels, the imagery of the Revelation points us back to Exodus chapter 40. Listen to what we read there...

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

The wrath of God fully expressed is not a lesser or uncharacteristic aspect of who God is. As we see here, God's wrath is full of God's glory. When God judges, He is glorified.

 

III. Longing for Justice, Longing for Grace

So having unpacked and hopefully better understood the verses that make up this chapter, we have to ask, “How does this introduction to the seven plagues connect to the illustration of the speeding sports car, the one we talked about at the outset?”

Well, to answer that question, I think it's helpful to ask another question: “Why are God's people singing in this chapter?” There's no escaping the context here. They are singing in light of the seven angels who will bring the full and final manifestation of God's just wrath.

Now think about that for a minute. When you think of the full and final and furious wrath of God that is coming upon our world, how often do you sing? For most people, does Revelation put a song in their heart, or dread? Or confusion? Does coming judgment inspire praise in you? Are our worship songs an indication of something? How many of them include references to God as judge, to His judgments, to His wrath?

Here's the connection: I do believe God's people should sing and will sing from a heart in which a longing for justice has been satisfied. But even more so, we should and will sing because God's longing for justice has been satisfied. Our worship is not driven solely by what will be done (that's part of it), but more so by the One who does it. Listen again to the close connection between what God does and who He is:

“Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! [4] Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts (probably better translated, “for your judgments...”) have been revealed.”

Whatever you feel about God pouring out His ultimate justice on your unsaved family members, neighbors, co-workers and the other sinners of the world, we cannot say God will not be glorified (tent-bursting glory) in those judgments. We cannot say He is not fair. And we cannot say the universe, that all creation, is not better off with evil being stopped dead in its tracks and all things, once again, beating right along with the heartbeat of God. Therefore, God is worthy to be praised, and we should long for that day, crying out with the martyrs in chapter 6, “How long?” Crying out with John in the final chapter of the book, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.”

But the tension we feel, the tension that often pushes us in just one direction, is the tension that comes from knowing how often WE have been driving that speeding sports car. If we are honest with ourselves, we hate getting what we deserve, whether from a police officer or God. But if we are honest with ourselves, we know we deserve it...and we long for mercy. We long for the very grace described in the song of the twenty-four elders to the Lamb in 5:9, 10..

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, [10] and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Brothers and sisters, we should allow this tension to exist. Praise God in light of His redeeming grace, the grace that sets us free from what we deserve and lavishes us with the blessing and belonging we don't deserve. Pray for those around to know this grace.

But also praise God for His justice and coming judgment. Pray that it would come. Pray the tsunami of evil and pain and injustice would become like a sea of glass before God's throne. Worship God in light of the fact that one day His kingdom will come fully, and His will will be done fully on earth, just as it is done fully in heaven. Will you commit to pray this way this week? Let's ask God to help us as this chapter shapes our hearts for His glory.

 

other sermons in this series

Nov 22

2015

Nov 15

2015

I am Coming...Come! (Revelation 22:6-21)

Preacher: Bryce Morgan Scripture: Revelation 22:6–21 Series: Happy Ever After (Revelation)

Nov 1

2015