Revelation 15

A WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOOK STUDY
EDGEMONT BIBLE CHURCH
FALL 2009- SPRING 2010
MARCH 17, 2010
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET - Part 10
REVELATION CHAPTER 14:9-20-15:1-8
THE SEVENTH SEAL

“We (really) wrestle not against flesh and blood, but …”

IX. THE SEVENTH SEAL IS OPENED (Continued from previous week)
...L. The Seventh Trumpet sounds - The appearance of the seven angels with the
seven last plagues, their song, occurrences in the temple in heaven. The
vision has moved back from earth to heaven again. (Continued from
previous weeks)
...... a. Another great and marvelous sign - seven angels
.........1. They are seen to be having the seven last plagues in their
possession. We are not told how John knows this
information but we understand that information is known in
some manner in heaven that is beyond the way we know and
learn things here. 1 Cor 13:9-12; compare also the
Transfiguration - How did the disciples know it was Moses
and Elijah speaking to our Lord?
......... 2. They came out of the Temple of God in heaven. Actually it is
called the Temple of the tabernacle of the testimony. This is
a way of saying the tent (tabernacle) that had the holy place
where the work of the priest was done and the "Holy of
Holies" that contains the ark of the covenant, the testimony
of the covenant with God and Israel. They did not come out
of the courtyard but from the presence of God and where He
meets with man. See Numbers 9:15-10:13
......... 3. They are dressed in white linen with golden bands around their
chests
......... 4. The seven plagues are carried by angels out of the Temple and
are therefore being given by God. Why are such horrible
things found in the holy, heavenly temple of God?

.........5. They receive seven golden bowls, one each, filled with the wrath
of God from one of the four living creatures
.........6. The temple is then filled with the smoke from the glory of God
and from His power. No one can enter the temple till the
seven plagues are completed.
......b. The second part of this vision - The victorious ones on the sea of glass
mingled with fire
..........1. They have overcome the beast, his image, his mark and the
number of his name.
.......... 2. They are standing on what looks like a sea of glass. This appears
to be a platform before the throne of God. It has been seen
before when the throne has been seen:
* Rev 4:6 John's first vision of the throne
* Ex. 24:10 Moses, the elders and others
* Ez. 1:22 Ezekiel saw it as well
* This is the first time that someone has been revealed
standing on it and the first revelation with fire on it.
* Since they have been on earth and they are now standing
here in the presence of God it could be assumed their
life on earth is completed (to be absent from the body
is to be present with the Lord).
* Though they are standing in the midst of fire they are
untouched and unmoved by it; rather they are...
* .. singing a song of delivery and worship called the song of
Moses and the song of the Lamb, the words of which
are:
"Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord
God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, 0
King of the saints!
4Who shall not fear You, 0 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.1'
(NKJV)
* . . accompanying themselves on harps apparently given to
them by God.
* The fire may be seen as a purifying refining agent for
these great tribulation saints or as the flames of God's
judgment. We are not given a statement in the text as
to the meaning of the fire.
......c. A third element in this vision is the Temple.
..........1. The temple had already been opened when the 7th angel sounded
his trumpet in Rev. 11:19. At that time the ark of the
covenant could be seen. We recall that the veil in the temple
at the time of Jesus' crucifixion was torn from top to bottom.
* The ark of the covenant contains the covenant God made
with Israel. Its terms are about to be dealt with; it had
been broken by Israel and a new covenant with them
had been promised.
* The temple opened them in response to a song of the
triumph of God over the nations of the world, the
coming kingdom of Christ, the time of judgment of
the dead, the reward of the saints and the coming of
destruction.
* Two angels came out of the temple and a third comes away
from the altar of the temple to start and conduct the
reaping of earth in response to the loud voice
addressing the martyrdom of the saints 14:13,14-20
.......... 2. At this second account of the opening, it is the holy of holies, the
"temple" or inner shrine of the ark, that is being opened
* Seven angels exit the holy of holies with plagues which
must have been kept in there.
* Their exit had been preceded by the song of the martyrs in
which they speak of God's coming justice, the inability
of God's enemies to stand against it, God's righteous
judgment and all nations bowing before Him
* Each of them receives from one of the living beings a bowl
of the wrath of God
* The temple is then filled with smoke from the glory of God
so that no one could enter it again until the angels
work was completed
* The temple being filled is reminiscent of the same
occurrence taking place in time on earth before
** Exodus 40:34-35 The consecration of the
tabernacle
** 1 Kings 8:10-il The dedication of Solomon's
Temple
** Ezek. 8:1-11:25 The glory of God is departing from
the temple because of the wickedness of the
children of Israel
** No account is given of the glory of God ever filling
Herod's temple or filling any place again in this
same manner
* The temple being filled with the glory of God is its
cleansing, its sanctification, its consecration
* The tabernacle/temple on earth is but a shadow or type of
the heavenly
* Spiritual warfare is against "spiritual wickedness in high
places" not against flesh and blood.
* Twice in Matthew (16:19, 18:18) Jesus spoke of
binding/loosing things on earth that they shall have
been already bound or loosed in heaven.
* This would indicate that what had happened on earth (as
the shadow) had happened in heaven (the reality), i.e.
the heavenly temple had been defiled with the
wickedness of Satan and his host. The heavenly
temple is cleansed and dedicated so that the new
temple on earth will be a clean and dedicated building
for the indwelling of the King of Kings, the Lord of
lords.