REVELATION - CHAPTER 15 - The Seven Vial Angels
Revelation – Chapter 15
The Seven Vial Angels, The Song of the Redeemed, The Tabernacle of Testimony
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
October 10, 2012, the Year of Our Lord
The Apostle John is seeing and writing the greatest drama ever written. As before, when John is about to unveil a dramatic action, we are introduced to the players in the drama.
So here, we come to the seven vial angels bearing the seven last plagues; the victory song of the redeemed and the opening of the “tabernacle of testimony”.
Rev. 15:1: “I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.”
“Another sign in heaven”: “An unusual occurrence, transcending the common course of nature; miracles and wonders by which God authenticates the servants sent by him…”
Acts 2:18-19: “On my servants and on my handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy; and I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.”
Mt. 24:30: “Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
The breaking of the seventh seal was the cue for the blowing of the seven trumpets (Rev. 8:1). The pouring out of the seven last plagues by the seven vial angels is within the seventh seal and within the seventh trumpet.
SEVEN SEALS:
Seal #1 – White horse -Outbreak of war of conquest.
Seal #2 - Red horse – war
Seal #3 - Black horse – famine
Seal #4 – Pale horse – death and hell
Seal #5 – Martyrdom of saints
Seal #6 - Great earthquake (seismos)
Seal #7 – The 7 trumpet angels
Trumpet #1 – 1/3 of the earth scorched
Trumpet #2 - 1/3 of sea bloodied
Trumpet #3 - 1/3 part of Rivers poisoned
Trumpet #4 - 1/3 part of the sun, moon and stars were darkened
Trumpet #5 – Demons loosed (1st woe)
Trumpet #6 - Demonic Calvary under Abaddon (2nd woe)
Trumpet #7 - The Last Trumpet
Within the 7th Trumpet:
1. The third woe.
2. The announcement of the great voices.
3. The statements of the 24 elders.
4. Opening of the heavenly temple
5. The Seven Vial Angels (Chapter 15-16)
Chapter 12-14:
Travail of sun-clothed woman.
Dragon’s attack on the man-child.
The man-child caught up to Heaven.
Flight of the woman
War in heaven
Dragon’s attack on the woman
Rise of beast out of the sea
Rise of beast out of the earth.
Before more is said about the seven vial angels, John describes another vision of the beatified martyrs.
Revelation 15:2: “I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass having the harps of God.”
I don’t believe as some do that it is parenthetical that John describes the beast out of the sea and the beast out of the earth in chapter 13. The Word of God clearly states here that these saints had gotten the victory over the beast, his image, and his mark. They had refused to be sealed by the number of his name. That clearly means there will be saints on the earth during the reign of Anti-Christ.
They extol the greatness of God’s works. They call upon all nations to render unto God the fear due to such a discovery of his truth and justice; “Who shall fear thee” (Vs. 4)?
“The sea of glass” beside which the triumphant saints are standing is a reminder of another great deliverance when the children of Israel came out of Egypt. Just as the delivered Israelites stood on the opposite shore and witnessed the destruction of Pharaoh’s chariots, so these saints are standing on the shore of the crystal sea before the throne witnessing the destruction of the beast.
Harps are given to them to sing praises to God. Having experienced His Glory, these songs echo the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb.
Rev. 15:3-4: “They sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Your ways, You King of saints, Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For you only are holy; for all nations shall come and worship before You; for Your judgments are made manifest.”
The song of the Lamb is sung by the Host of Heaven described in Rev. 5:12-13: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing….Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be to Him that sits upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”
The song of Moses refers not only to the hymn of praise for redemption in Exodus 15: 1-18, but also to the judgment-song of Deut. 32. In Rev. 15: 3, we can discern clear echoes of Deut. 32:4: “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are judgment; a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.”
But the song of verses 15:3 is a cento of passages from various places in the O.T.
- “Great and marvelous are your deeds” (Psa. 104:24; 111:2; 139:14).
- “Lord God Almighty” is used as God’s name five times in the Book of Revelation and only two other times in the Holy Bible: Gen. 17:1 and 2 Chr. 6:8).
- “Just and true are your ways” (Psa. 145:17).
- “King of the saints” is only used here.
- “You alone are holy” (Psa. 86: 10; 99:3, 5, 9).
- “All nations shall come and worship” (Ps. 86: 9, 5).
Rev. 15:5: “After that, I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened…”
After the Praise of His Glory by the Overcoming Saints, the opening of the tabernacle of the testimony denotes the unfolding and fulfillment of God’s Glory for all eternity.
The Ark of the testimony (Ex. 25:22) is the Ark of the Covenant. It was the only piece of furniture in the Holy of Holies. It was upon the Mercy-Seat that the Atonement blood was sprinkled. This represents the Holiness of God in His Tabernacle. This is the throne of God.
This is Christ revealed as the tabernacle, King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is risen, exalted, and seated, resting in His victory over all enemies, Lord God Almighty. When the Lord told Moses to build the tabernacle according to the pattern in Heaven, it was so God might dwell among his people, teach His people Holiness, teach them of their sinfulness and how to approach him through sacrifice.
The tabernacle of Moses originated in the mind and planning of God. God gave the divine blueprint, pattern, order to his man (Ex. 25:40).
God walked in the garden with Adam. He visited the patriarchs. He dwelt in the tabernacle of Moses, David and Solomon. He dwelt in the restored temple after the Babylonian captivity. Herod built his temple for the perpetuation of his name.
The glory of God left Herod’s temple. Jesus Christ was the tabernacle of God on earth.
On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit indwelt the Church and we are now individually the Temple of God on earth. As Christ is revealed in our lives we are a type and shadow of the heavenly tabernacle.
The “tabernacle of testimony” is the witness of God; the fullness of the Godhead bodily; The Covenant of the Lord of all the earth; the God of Israel; The strength of God.
The Ark of the Covenant i.e. testimony of the tabernacle is the presence of God in Christ, by the spirit in the midst of the Redeemed.
The Redeemed have just worshipped Him with the victory song of the Lamb and He opens His tabernacle in their midst. Their praise declares the finished work of Christ on the Cross over Satan.
The Ark of the testimony is His Presence among men built according to divine purpose and pattern (ex. 25: 10-22). It was built by the enablement of the Holy Spirit in wisdom (Ex. 35: 31-36). The Book of the Law was placed inside it.
The inside of the Ark represents the bosom and the heart of God ---Jesus came from the bosom of God (Jn. 1:18). Jesus came to fulfill the law. “Mt. 5:17-18: “Do not think that I came to destroy the law, or the prophets, I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. Verily I say unto you, until heaven and earth pass, not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the law, until all be fulfilled.”
The contents of the Ark of the Testimony are to be considered in view of this judgment:
- The Tables of the Law –the Father, the powerful Lawgiver.
- The Golden Pot of Manna---the Son, the Bread of Life
- The Rod that budded – the Holy Spirit, bearing fruit and life.
Rev. 15:6: “And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.”
They are vested in priestly garments for their terrible liturgy. The golden sashes are like the glorified Son of Man in Rev. 1:13. There clothing symbolizes the sacred nature of their job, their authority and power to execute their mission. Jesus is the King-Priest and fulfilled every jot and tittle of the Office of the High Priest.
The Overcoming saints prophesy, "Your judgments are made manifest". The judgment God is about to manifest is the fulfilling of the prophecies and promises of His Word and covenant, which were there always before him. “not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the law, until all be fulfilled.”
Rev. 15:7: “One of the four beasts gave to the seven angels, seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.”
I enjoyed reading Van Tanner’s revelation that he is persuaded that the Soaring Eagles are the ones who give the seven vials to the Angels. The Word reads, “One of the four beasts”. Since I recently had a vision of a golden eagle, Bro. Van’s interpretation suits me (Smile).
It is notable that the angels emerged from the temple having the “authority” of the seven plagues, but they were given the vials or instruments of their warfare by one of the four living creatures (guardians of the throne and guardians of the Holiness of God).
(At this point in the Bible Study on Tuesday, October, 9, 2012, the Year of Our Lord, the room filled with the awesome Presence of the Lord. We were silent before the Lord, listening and praying. I felt the Holy Spirit was commissioning us to align ourselves with the four living creatures as guardians of the Holiness of God.)
Bible Study resumed:
Rev. 15:8: ‘The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, until the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.”
This is the cloud of the Shekinah Glory as in Exod. 40:33-34: “…Moses finished the work. Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”
1 Ki. 8:10: “…When the priests came out of the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord.”
Isa. 6:4: “The posts of the door moved at the voice of Him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.”
Deut 29:20: “The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and His jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.”
The Cloud is the Presence and Glory of God. The Cloud covered the O. T. Tabernacle as the cloud overshadowed Mary. Jesus was the beginning of the true tabernacle and was conceived in the same glory Cloud. Jesus ascended in the same Glory Cloud
Here the Cloud is described as “smoke”. The Cloud is also a fire, making each son a flame.
When David cried out to the Lord, the Lord revealed himself out of his temple, “My cry did enter into his ears, Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured, coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down, and darkness was under his feet.”
Long deferred though God’s judgment may be, when once it is begun it proceeds with terrible swiftness, the seven receptacles of His wrath do not pour out slowly, but splash out immediately when they are upturned. But while the strange and swift work is going on, the sanctuary is inaccessible; the meaning may be that the time for intercession is past.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V.; I entered into the labors of F. F. Bruce International Bible Commentary by: F. F. Bruce and The Tabernacle of Moses by Kelly Varner; also with a quote from The Seven Thunders of God by: Van Tanner. The comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those whom I entered into their labors.