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Revelation 15

Even angels stand prepared with vessels of God's wrath, ready to emerge from the Temple and pour out the fiery contents upon earth's wicked inhabitants. John's attention is turned to a "great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues."

The prophet is signaling the onslaught of apocalyptic catastrophe from the throne of God that will literally demolish the ecological system of plants, animals and all living creatures, and in the chaos will lead to military mayhem and the fiery extinction the entire human population of the Planet Earth.

God's patience with sin and sinners will soon be exhausted.  The appointed time and season has already been set in the eternal plans of the Ancient of Days when the Courtroom Judgment will close and all prayers will cease to be heard; then the destiny of every living man, woman and child will be sealed.

The prophet John foresaw that future day when Jesus will end probation and divide the saved from the lost with His Courtroom decree: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.  And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be," Revelation 22:11-12 (K.J.V.).

1. What was the location of the great and marvelous sign (Revelation 15:1)?

The sign of calamity in Heaven represents supernatural events of great proportions direct from God Himself through His assigned messengers of doom against sinful humanity. Once all seven angels pour out their vials, God's wrath will be finished.

2. God's anger is poured out during the Great Tribulation, also simply known as THE END.  Review the Appointed Times and Seasons Calendar, and determine how many days total the final plagues could last.  What is this time span?

Daniel 12:11-12 indicates there will be 40 days between Yom Kippur and Day 1,335 during which the last plagues will be delivered.

3. John noted the sea of glass mixed with fire (Revelation 15:2).  Where is the sea of glass found (Revelation 4:6)?

4. A group of last-day saints are found safe and secure in Heaven's Temple before the outpouring of God's wrath.  How do we know this is a select group of devout followers of Christ who kept their faith during the time of trial?

They are identified as having overcome the beast, his image and his number.  This group of winners endured harsh treatment but would not yield to idolatry, accept the mark to buy or sell, or honor Antichrist's name.

5. What work must the angels perform before the final wrath is unleashed (Revelation 7:2-4)?

The 144,000 elect must be sealed for protection to endure the Great Tribulation until the coming of Christ.  They are the only group of saints who are alive and will remain after the resurrection of the dead saints, and therefore the only ones to be sealed for divine safety against the onslaught of the plagues.

6. What multitude of saints arrive in Heaven to stand before the throne in the Temple (Revelation 7:9), identical to the group of Revelation 15?

In contrast to the 144,000 Jews of the twelve tribes of Israel, the "great multitude" of every nation, tribe, people and language are seen standing before the throne in Heaven on the sea of glass.  This great number of saints "come out of [escape from the midst of] the Great Tribulation," just as it begins.

7. How does Revelation 3:10 and Luke 21:36 describe the escape of these last-day saints from the Great Tribulation test where they will stand secure before the Son of Man?

"Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth." And, "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

8. When their salvation comes, how is the group praised (Revelation 12:11)?

They are overcomers who did not shrink from the threat of death or deny Christ, because they loved the Savior more than their own lives.

9. Where will this select group serve for all eternity (Revelation 7:15)?  

These martyrs will serve before God in His Temple forever.  They will never worry about food, water or heat of day.  Sadness and sorrow will not afflict them anymore.  They will in one sense succeed evil angels and Satan who has from the beginning accused them "before our God day and night," Revelation 12:10.

Song of Moses

Revelation 15:3-4 relays that the overcomers, the kingdom rulers, will receive musical instruments distributed by God, and they will sing the song of Moses and the Lamb (the "Rock").  The song praises God for His marvelous deeds, proclaiming His acts of punishment are just.  The whole world will fear Almighty.  The group, so large that no one could count, declares in praise, "all nations [of every  nation, tribe, people and language] . . . come and worship before you, for your righteous acts [of judgment] have been revealed [to the whole world]."

The entire Song of Moses is found in Deuteronomy 32:1-43.  The hymn was sung just before the prophet's death as guidance for the people of Israel so "that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law," (32:46). 

However, Moses predicted that in spite of his warnings after his death "you will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands [idolatry]," (31:29--K.J.V.). 

The song speaks of the Rock, and of His righteous judgments.  Although Israel was the "apple of his eye," she is warned not to forgot her heritage and forsake Yahweh to follow strange gods and idols.  Otherwise, God's wrath will be kindled and it will "devour the earth and its harvests and set afire the foundations of the mountains," (32:22).  God proclaims,  "I will send wasting famine against them, consuming pestilence and deadly plague," (32:24).  

God Almighty declares in 32:40-41, "I will lift My hand to Heaven and declare: As surely as I live forever . . . I will take vengeance on My adversaries and repay those who hate Me."  "Rejoice, O nations, with His people, for He will avenge the blood of His servants [the martyred]; He will take vengeance on His enemies and make atonement for His land and people," (32:43).