Revelation 15 - By the Sea of Crystal
- Chad Werkhoven
- Nov 4, 2022
- 2 min read
God's wrath is a fearsome thing. Be glad you'll see it from above, rather than underneath it.
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Revelation 14 (ESV)
1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion
stood the Lamb,
and with him 144,000
who had
his name
and his Father’s name
written on their foreheads.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven
like the roar of many waters
and like the sound of loud thunder.
The voice I heard
was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps,
3 and they were singing a new song
before the throne
and before the four living creatures
and before the elders.
No one could learn that song
except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
4 It is these who
have not defiled themselves with women,
for they are virgins.
It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
These have been redeemed
from mankind
as firstfruits for God and the Lamb,
5 and in their mouth
no lie was found,
for they are blameless.
6 Then I saw
another angel flying directly overhead,
with an eternal gospel to proclaim
to those who dwell on earth,
to every
nation
and tribe
and language
and people.
7 And he said with a loud voice,
“Fear God and give him glory,
because the hour of his judgment has come,
and worship him who made
heaven and earth,
the sea and the springs of water.”
8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying,
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great,
she who made
all nations drink
the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”
9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice,
“If anyone
worships the beast and its image
and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,
10 he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath,
poured full strength into the cup of his anger,
and he will be tormented
with fire and sulfur
in the presence of the holy angels
and in the presence of the Lamb.
11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever,
and they have no rest, day or night,
these worshipers of the beast and its image,
and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints,
those who keep
the commandments of God
and their faith in Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying,
“Write this: Blessed are the dead
who die in the Lord
from now on.”
“Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit,
“that they may rest from their labors,
for their deeds follow them!”
14 Then I looked, and behold,
a white cloud,
and seated on the cloud
one like a son of man,
with
a golden crown on his head,
and a sharp sickle in his hand.
15 And another angel
came out of the temple,
calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud,
“Put in your sickle, and reap,
for the hour to reap has come,
for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.”
16 So he who sat on the cloud
swung his sickle across the earth,
and the earth was reaped.
17 Then another angel
came out of the temple in heaven,
and he too had a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel
came out from the altar,
the angel who has authority over the fire,
and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle,
“Put in your sickle
and gather the clusters
from the vine of the earth,
for its grapes are ripe.”
19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth
and gathered the grape harvest of the earth
and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city,
and blood flowed from the winepress,
as high as a horse’s bridle,
for 1,600 stadia.
Previous DIG DEEPER posts on Revelation
Revelation 15 Summary
This fifth perspective of Christ's victory seems very similar to the fourth. We've already seen God's wrath poured out on those who had the mark of the beast. But in that earlier perspective, we saw that those plagues were preceded by trumpet blasts warning people to repent, and that even in the as the plagues, dragons and beasts came there was time for them to repent.
This current perspective has two key differences. First, it begins with a picture of all of God's people (so that includes you!) having been made victorious by God's grace standing around a sea of crystal praising God. The saints will not need to endure the bowls of wrath that will be poured out.
Secondly, unlike the seven trumpet blasts, these bowls of wrath will give no warning and leave no time for repentance. These are the seven last plagues, because with them God's wrath is completed.
Dig Deeper
The story of the Bible is a story of a God who was grieved and injured by the rebellion of His creation, but who nonetheless pursued His children, redeemed them and welcomed them back into His presence. That story has come to an end here in Revelation 15. The elect have been gathered in and now God's wrath is being poured out on the unrepentant. Look at the fury those who had refused God's invitation of salvation will face in v8:
And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
Praise God that He has saved you from experiencing this terrible wrath.
AAA Prayer :
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father God, who lives forever and ever (v7)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be able to live today knowing that you will be one of the saints gathered around the sea of crystal!
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
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