JUDGMENT IS CERTAIN
Revelation 15:1-8
James A. Gunn
Preached on November 18, 2007
Copyright © 2007 James A. Gunn
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Used by permission.
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Revelation 15:1-8

1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.

2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.
3 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,
O King of the saints! 
4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested."

5 After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.
6 And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands.
7 Then 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 The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

In order to understand the Book of Revelation it is essential for you to see how the apostle John is given signs or visions that repeat and expand on what has been revealed before.

In Chapter 11 the temple of God is measured. This is not a literal stone temple but it is the people of God. The two witnesses are the Law and the Prophets, symbolizing Moses and Elijah, and the preaching of the Word of God until the end of this present age. The seventh angel sounds the trumpet and the 24 elders fall down before Christ and worship Him.

In Chapter 12 there is the great sign of the woman in heaven and another sign of the great fiery dragon and the war in heaven.

Throughout the Book the scene repeats itself. The saints of God are patient in their suffering and they worship the Lamb and those “whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” [13:8] worship the beast.

Chapter 14 gives us another vision of the end of the world with the entire company of the redeemed before the Lamb who is standing on Mount Zion. The redeemed are symbolically called the 144,000: the twelve and the twelve; the spiritual OT tribes of Jacob and the spiritual twelve apostles of the church; the OT and the NT; a continuity of justification by faith of individuals and not geopolitical nations that runs from the Garden of Eden until the end of the world.

Revelation 14:1-3

1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.
3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.

The gospel is preached for the last time on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. The gospel is summed up in the words of 14:7:

Revelation 14:7
"Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."

Study the Book of Revelation and take note of how God as the Creator is emphasized. I believe that it is the denial of God as the Creator that is at the top of the list of things that indicate a reprobate mind. Man puts his own God-given intellect in the place of God and thus denies the God who gave him a self-conscious spirit. I am still waiting for evolution to explain why only man has the intellect to reflect on his existence. A brute animal doesn’t meditate on where it came from or have a consciousness of morality. 

In Chapter 4 what are the four living creatures who represent the living nature of creation and the 24 elders who again are the twelve and the twelve doing and saying as they worship God?

Revelation 4:8-11
8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

"Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!"

9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

11 "You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created."

The announcement is made in 14:8 that “Babylon is fallen!”

Babylon here is not a literal city but is so named after what occurred at Babel. Man doesn’t need God; man will build a tower that will reach into heaven and give him a place to stand if ever the world is flooded again.

“Babylon” of old and the “Babylon” of Papal Rome stand for all of the places where God is blasphemed and where man has attempted to take God off His throne.  “Babylon is fallen!”

The angelic reapers are sent to separate the wheat from the tares and the same scene is given in the parable of the dragnet in Matthew 13:47-50: 

47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 
48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 
49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,
50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Chapter 14 then is a scene of the end of the world and Chapter 15 repeats the same prophecy in greater detail.

Some many years ago Brother Henry Mahan was preaching from this pulpit and said there were four things that were necessary to be said if a message was to be the Gospel. Now this is not a formula but the elements are essential if the truth is to be preached.

1.Man is a sinner. Sinners deserve to be in hell. If you do not agree that you ought to be in hell it means that you are clinging to some self-righteousness.

2.Jesus Christ is the Savior. We live in a postmodern culture that includes Pluralism that says that any and all religions are valid. But Jesus Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Me.” Now it does not matter if you agree with me but if you disagree with the Lord Jesus you are calling Him a liar.

3.Christ is not a beggar. God is not “trying” to save anyone. God is saving sinners through the Gospel and He is in control of who is getting saved and not you or me.

4.Judgment is certain. And that is the message today.

Chapters 15 and 16 should be studied together and are a prelude to following chapters which add more and more details about the Judgment of God who is altogether righteous and just to bring His creatures into account.

The wheat and the tares: The wheat are those who by faith have repented and put their entire trust in the sufficient atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and are redeemed. The tares are those who have seen the sure evidence of God as the Creator in the visible creation and yet suppress that knowledge, along with those who have heard the gospel and have loved their sin more than they loved Christ.

Chapter 15  Judgment is certain!

It will not surprise you that most of my verse by verse exposition is taken from
Charles D. Alexander’s Revelation Spiritually Understood.

1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.

The sign is of seven angels, seven is always the number of completion, seven angels who have the seven last plagues [bowls of the wrath of God 16:1] to pour out on the earth; for in them the wrath of God is complete.

Judgment is certain!

In verses 2-4 John sees a vision of the people of God and there are four characteristics given of them.

2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.
3 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,
O King of the saints! 
4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested."

The people of God:

First, we have their identity - they have obtained the victory over the Beast and his image and mark. The mark of the beast is not a tattoo or birthmark or a computer chip imbedded under the skin. It is the power of this world, its deceits and blasphemies, its errors and apostasies that has been trampled under their feet.

Secondly, we have the standing - on the motionless sea of God’s wisdom, providence and grace. Nothing changes here. All is still, peaceful, and at rest. Here is the immutable counsel of God in the redemption and preservation of His people: they stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

Thirdly, they have a unique song: “They sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and of the Lamb”. The title of their song - Moses and the Lamb - indicates that Law and Gospel unite in proclaiming the deliverance of God’s people.

Fourthly, we have their declaration, “Great and marvelous are thy works, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name: for all nations shall come and worship before thee: for thy judgments are made manifest”.

Thus we have four characteristics of the saints of God.

This wonderful assessment of the works and wisdom of God is the final answer to the lie of the Serpent in the Garden impugning the integrity of Almighty God and accusing Him of a selfish intent in withholding from Man the knowledge of good and evil.

But the Church knows, and declares that God’s ways are just and true, and that this will be acknowledged by all creation. The Creator will be vindicated at the last, and all opposing assessments will be put to silence.

Quote from Charles D. Alexander:

The reading in the AV, “King of saints” has been almost unanimously opposed by the commentators in favour of the reading “King of the nations”. The phrase is certainly taken from Jeremiah10:7- “Who would not fear thee, O King of nations?” No doubt it is because of this variation that the question has arisen, but our translators knew what they were doing when they put ‘saints’ in the text, and ‘nations’ in the margin, for they allowed that John also knew what he was doing when, under the impulse of divine inspiration he accepted the change of words. The variation is intentional.
The sovereignty of God over His people is in view, and more than a hint is given that it is ‘the nations of those who are saved’ (that is, the saints) who are deliberately intended, for that is what John is led to write in chapter 21:24: “The nations of those who are saved shall walk in the light of it”. Also in verse 26: “They shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it” (v.26). In other words, the nations in view are not the nations of the world as such, but those out of all nations who are redeemed by the blood of Christ, and who represent in themselves the glory and honour of the created world.

Jesus calls His people a “nation” is His prophecy of the end of the Jewish order:

Matthew 21:43
"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

Jesus is not referring to a geopolitical nation but to the nation of the people of God. Cf. 1 Peter 2:9-10

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation , His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Take a crude example. The University of Alabama football fans call themselves the Bama Nation; the Crimson Nation. Do you think they mean only those people who live in Tuscaloosa, Alabama? No, it is a group of people who have a common interest. If you are in a state of continual repentance and trust only Jesus Christ for your acceptance by God then you too are included in the “holy nation” of the people of God.

The character, wisdom, and justice of God are fully vindicated in the salvation of His elect. The judgments of God are assessed and approved by the total assembly of the saints, who thus celebrate the final triumph of Christ.

The Song of Moses is found in Exodus 15 after the miraculous deliverance of the Hebrews from their bondage in Egypt. This deliverance is actual history and stands as a symbol for the deliverance by God of His people in every age.

Read again what the redeemed of the Lord are singing:

3 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,
O King of the saints! 
4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested."

The Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb show the continuity of the OT and the NT and the singularity of the Gospel. There is one Gospel and one Savior and anyone who is redeemed from Adam and Abel to the last one of God’s elect are saved by grace through faith in the altogether sufficient atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

PREPARATION FOR JUDGMENT

The remainder of chapter 15, verses 5-8, gives us a remarkable picture of the deliberate nature of the preparation for the last events leading up to the final judgment:

5 After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.

6 And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands.

7 Then 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 The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

The opening of the “temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven” is the full revelation or unveiling of the mystery of the righteousness of God, so that all creation understands what it is and how God upholds and vindicates that righteousness.

In the earthly tabernacle the purpose of these structures was figured in the Most Holy chamber in which reposed the Ark of the Covenant, containing the two tables of the Law written with the finger of God on Mount Sinai. None had access to that place except the High Priest, and he only once a year.

The rending of the veil of the temple guarding this Most Holy place from all unlawful access was a significant accompaniment of the death of the Saviour on the Cross. That death opened the way by direct access to the presence of God for every penitent soul, without intervention of any High Priest other than “Jesus the Son of God who has passed into the heavens” (Heb. 4:14).

There is no temple in heaven. The phrase is figurative of that which the temple represents - access by sacrifice to the Presence of a Holy God. Its ‘opening’ prior to the Last Judgment shows that the righteousness of God is about to be revealed to all creation for it is the righteousness of God which is the conditioning factor of the entire universe.

Impugned as that righteousness was when Satan left his first estate and became the dark spirit of evil, the tempter of our first parents (and of all their posterity), creation must continue on its course until that moment when the mystery of God is finished and the divine Name fully vindicated and glorified.

That great moment is hastening on. Only God knows when that point is reached when no more remains to be proved. Not a moment longer will the present creation exist. The Name of God will be exalted above all, to the exulting of angels and redeemed men and the confusion of Satan and all who are with him.

We are warned by the Lord Jesus not to make guesses as to the time of the Judgment Day.

Matthew 24:36-39

36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 
37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 
38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage , until the day that Noah entered the ark, 
39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 

We must remain content with what it has pleased God to make known to us. Faith anticipates the answer to all hard questions by saying here and now, in the words of our third verse, “Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”

What faith now accepts the judgment will fully reveal, in all the glorious colours of God’s matchless wisdom and grace. Christ will see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied - and so shall we, for whom He suffered in the agony of the Garden and the shame of the Cross.

For He is God - Christ is God: God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, the Word, the Power and the Wisdom of God, incarnate in our flesh, in Whom the Godhead proved Itself and showed Itself to be eternal and unqualified Love, in truth and righteousness, glorious in holiness.

The opening of the Temple in heaven will declare the mystery of divine election, which is so profound a mystery to the elect themselves. It will answer all questions satisfactorily. We shall see then that the extent of redemption reaches to the utmost sublime limits which grace and wisdom combined have determined. “He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:11).

Before the blazing light which streams from the temple of God opened in heaven, all the wisdom of men and their hard speeches against God and against His saints will come to naught. They will dissolve for ever as they dash them¬selves against those ramparts which guard the holiness of God.

Not one accusing mark will be left upon the white marble of the divine holiness.

“Thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth!” (Psalm 80:1).

Faith waits for God to have the last word. The opening of the mystic temple will not only vindicate His Name but will demonstrate the unique glory of Christ and will vindicate the Lord’s people from every charge which men or devils have made against them. Hell itself must acknowledge the righteousness of the divine judgment.

In short, at the centre of the universe is a holy Law. That Law is the transcript of God’s own righteous nature. It is the signature of His Name on the document of Creation.

It is the underwriting and the endorsement of His character in all that He does. It is the assurance, the warranty, the guarantee, and the pledge that all He does is perfect truth and righteousness. The opening of the mystic temple is the sign that all has been fulfilled and the Law of God finally upheld. The wicked will not escape retribution and the redeemed will be proved untouchable by the power and malice of the foe.

Man is God’s greatest work, made for a little while lower than the angels, to be crowned at the last with glory and honour. Paul tells us in Hebrews (and it was Paul who wrote that treatise - who else?) that we see not yet all things put in subjection to Man, but we see Jesus (God incarnate as Man) made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

In other words, man’s destiny is achieved by God becoming man and it is this that destroys Satan and proves to be his hell. By destroying man he has only prepared the way for God to travel to His own glorious destiny, and to achieve His complete triumph through death, and thus to destroy him that had the power of death, namely the devil (see Hebrews 2).

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts”
(Zechariah 4:6) - for the Kingdom of God and His temple are established by humility, faith, poverty of spirit, worship and testimony. Noiselessly, ceaselessly, without ostentation, the Almighty travels to His glorious destiny by the road of that love which lives only to give itself in deepest self-surrender.

From Brother Walter’s message last Sunday:

Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me?”

And I will ask you as a messenger of God, Do you love Jesus?

I am not asking you to “make a decision” but do you love Jesus?

Repent and believe the Gospel.


Amen