Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Rev 15.1 and following. Indeed, a final series of judgments (the cups) will begin here. And the saints will have to go through them. That is why we hear them say, “Great and wonderful are your works, Lord, God, Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!” He is not “king of the saints,” as we sometimes read. This is one of the worst alterations of the book of Revelation and is contrary to the best testimonies. No doubt Jesus is for the saints, Master and Lord, but the expression King implies a relationship with a nation living on earth, and it is not at all a relationship that suits the new creation. Moreover, those who sing the hymn, if they have gone through martyrdom, belong to heaven, where certainly such a relationship would be strange. In their words, reference is made to Jeremiah 10:7, where we find King of the nations, with other expressions quoted here. If these saints are not exclusively Gentiles, at least among them there are some and we must not forget it when reading this passage. The true title given to the Lord is therefore King of the nations or gentiles; he is undoubtedly the king of the Jews, but those in particular who were Gentiles must have rejoiced and rejoiced in being able to praise him as king of the nations.
For in chapters 15 and 16 are described scenes of a very special nature, on which a few words will suffice: “I saw in heaven another sign”; this is clearly linked with what is said in Rev 12: “I saw in heaven another sign, great and wonderful: seven angels, having seven wounds, the latter; for in them the wrath of God is consummated.” And it is important to note that the coming of Christ has not yet taken place. The events depicted by the seven cups do not follow the coming of the Son of man for the harvest and harvest of the earth. Because the vision goes back. Indeed, the last of the seven cups contains the fall of Babylon, an act of judgment that corresponds to the third of the ways of God presented to us in this chapter. The last cut brings us back to the same point. It is the last expression of God’s wrath before the Lord Jesus comes, and must therefore be placed before the end of chapter 14, the fourth section and the last three of which are subsequent to all the cups. We thus have a fair idea of the place that the various parts of the book should occupy in chronological order.
Let us now turn to the examination of these chapters. “I live like a sea of glass.” This is reminiscent of what we saw in Chapter 4, but differs from it in everything that surrounds and accompanies it. There the elders sat on thrones, and the sea of glass, placed before them, bore silent but powerful witness that these saints had finished with the necessities and dangers of the earth, and no longer needed the washing of water by the Word. For quand the glorified saints were delighted in heaven, what use would it be for them what the vat and the water it contained represented? Indeed, they are off the stage where their daily soils had to be washed: purity is now perfect and invariable, and this is attested by the crystal-like sea of glass.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
The seven angels and the seven plagues:
- Judgments
Ex 6:6 Therefore, say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord, I will set you free from the labors entrusted to you by the Egyptians, I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will save you with open arms and by great judgments. Ex 12:12 That night I will pass through the land of Egypt, and I will strike all the firstborn of the land of Egypt, from men to animals, and I will exercise judgments against all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. Ps 9:17 The Lord shows Himself, He does justice, He embraces the wicked in the work of His hands. Ps 36:7 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, Your judgments are like the great abyss. Eternal! you support men and beasts. Ez 25:11 I will exercise my judgments against Moab. And they will know that I am the Lord. Ez 30:14 I will devastate Pathros, I will set fire to Tsoan, and I will exercise my judgments on No. Ez 38 22 I will exercise my judgments against him by plague and blood, by violent rain and by hailstones; I will rain fire and sulfur on him and his troops, and on the many peoples who will be with him. Ez 39:21 I will manifest my glory among the nations; And all nations will see the judgments I will exercise, and the punishments that my hand will strike at them. Ml 3:5 I will approach you for judgment, And I will hasten to testify against enchanters and adulterers, Against those who swear falsely, Against those who withhold the salary of the mercenary, Who oppress the widow and the orphan, Who harm the stranger, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
- Songs of Victory
Ex 15:1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this hymn to Jehovah. They said, I will sing to the Lord, for he has shattered his glory; He threw the horse and its rider into the sea. Jg 5:1 On that day, Deborah sang this hymn, with Barak, son of Abinoam: Rev 14:3 And they sang a new hymn before the throne, and before the four living beings and the old men. And no one could learn the hymn, except the one hundred and forty-four thousand, which had been redeemed from the earth. Rev 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the lamb, saying: Your works are great and admirable, Lord God Almighty! Your ways are just and true, king of the nations!
- Examples of righteous men dominated by the Fear of God
Neh 5:15 Before me, the first governors overwhelmed the people, and received from them bread and wine, in addition to forty sicles of money; their servants themselves oppressed the people. I did not do so, out of fear of God. Jb 1:8 Jehovah said to Satan, Have you noticed my servant Job? There is no one like him on earth; he is a man of integrity and righteousness, fearing God, and turning away from evil. Jon 1:9,16 He answered them: I am Hebrew, and I fear Jehovah, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the earth.16 These men were seized with a great fear of the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and made vows. Acts 5:11 A great fear took hold of the whole assembly and all those who learned these things. Acts 9:31 The Church was at peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, rising and walking in fear of the Lord, and she grew by the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:2 This man was pious and feared God, with his whole house; he gave many alms to the people, and prayed to God continuously.
- Eternal God
Dt 32:40 For I raise my hand to heaven, and I say: I live eternally! Dt 33:27 The God of eternity is a refuge, and under his eternal arms is a retreat. Before you he cast out the enemy, and he said: Exterminate. Ps 135:13 Eternal! your name lives on forever, Eternal! your memory lasts from generation to generation. Ps 145:13 Your reign is a reign of all centuries, and your dominion endures in all ages. 1 Tim 1:17 To the king of the ages, immortal, invisible, only God, be honor and glory, in the ages of the ages! Amen! 2 Pet 3:8 But one thing, beloved, that you must not ignore, and that is that before the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. Rev 1:8 I am the alpha and the omega, says the Lord God, the one who is, who was, and who comes, the Almighty.
From all the above, we note that again it is not Israel, but all the nations that will come. “Who would not fear you, Lord, and who would not glorify your name? For only thou shalt be holy; for all nations will come and bow down before you; because your righteous facts have been manifested.” In their praises, the saints anticipate the triumph reserved for God on the glorious day of Christ’s coming. “After that, I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony was opened in heaven. And the seven angels who had the seven wounds came out of the temple, dressed in pure and bright linen, and girded on their chests with golden belts. And one of the four animals gave the seven angels seven cups of gold, full of the wrath of God who lives in centuries and centuries. And the temple was filled with the smoke that came from the glory of God and his power; and no one could enter the temple, until the seven wounds of the seven angels were consummated. It is no longer the ark of God’s covenant that appears in the open temple, as we saw in Rev 11:19; so it is not God’s counsel concerning Israel; what characterizes the temple here is the tabernacle of testimony and the judgments of God that will melt on apostate gentility. Then, the saints who will have to cross them are first seen in safety. After which the seven angels charged with carrying out the plagues come out of the temple and receive seven cups full of God’s fury (Jer 25:15-16). Dear believers, this world that will be struck, because it is the one that God has loved so much to the point of giving for the world his only Begotten Son. And the destructive angels have not yet received their terrible mission. The one that belongs to us in the meantime is quite different: it is to proclaim divine grace. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “the first six cups; the interval before the seventh cup. »
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.