Revelation Chapter 15

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

AFTER THESE THINGS I LOOKED:

In essence, John goes back to LOOK at what he had seen. His traditional re-focus expression now gives us another look at the plague preparation. We had almost forgotten by this point about the contents of Verse 1. It will be re-stated with clarifying detail.

AND THE TEMPLE OF THE TABERNACLE OF TESTIMONY IN HEAVEN WAS OPENED:

or much more literally:

AND WAS OPENED THE SHRINE OF THE TABERNACLE OF THE TESTIMONY IN HEAVEN:

The thought is that the significance of the Most Holy was OPENED IN HEAVEN, i.e., in the religious world (among the saints) it would become to be understood.

This verse is a fulfillment of the first part of Rev 11:19 (which see here) The “temple” (or shrine) is the Most Holy. In it is the Ark of the Covenant — a symbol of the glorified Church and the New Covenant arrangement.

Thus Rev 15:5 points to the time (the Harvest) when the all- important doctrine of the New Covenant was understood. This entire section (Verses 5-8) is to show that the great event of the New Covenant’s inauguration must await the completion of God’s wrath — the pouring out of the plagues.

VERSE 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.”

AND THE SEVEN ANGELS WHO HAD THE SEVEN PLAGUES:

We are thus finally brought back to the opening subject of this chapter and reminded that these angels HAVE the plagues already.

CAME OUT OF THE TEMPLE: — out of the Most Holy.

Thus, they are in their GLORIFIED condition before they function to pour out their individual plagues. (Note that suggestions that the saints in the flesh pour out these plagues is contradicted by this verse.) The first six angels or messengers came to glorified life in A.D. 1878. The seventh wouldn’t join them until 1916. But that’s not the point here. The point is that they do this plaguing work as glorified new creatures. (This strongly suggests that all seven made their callings and elections sure.)

CLOTHED IN LINEN CLEAN AND BRIGHT:

A sign of their righteousness in Christ and their success in the narrow way.

AND GIRDED AROUND THEIR BREASTS WITH GOLDEN GIRDLES:

Like Jesus (Rev 1:13), they are VOLUNTARILY, from the heart, in Divine service, even after their glorification.

VERSE 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.”

AND ONE OF THE FOUR LIVING ONES:

Certainly, this one is JUSTICE since this is a judgment scene. (For more on the four living ones please see, “How to study the Book of Revelation”, Part 20)

GAVE TO THE SEVEN ANGELS:

The thought is that justice will arrange for (give) the vehicles to deliver the plagues. Justice is RETRIBUTIVE; In God’s arrangements it is often the natural result of things sown earlier.

SEVEN GOLDEN BOWLS: — one each.

Recall that these angels already HAVE the plagues — the truths which will cause the harm to the system of error once given the proper medium of delivery. Thus, the bowls ARE those media of delivery — EVENTS which will force certain truths to the attention of the old order. These are golden because they are Divinely planned and measured — arranged for by Divine Justice.

FULL OF THE WRATH OF GOD:

These bowls contain two things. They contain the truths (plagues) which are normally blessings; but they also contain God’s WRATH — His anger in the form of events which will FORCE the world to consider its erroneous ways. Recall that (Verse 1) once these plagues are accomplished, the wrath is finished; the retribution is accomplished; the old order is broken, and the way of the kingdom is opened.

WHO LIVES FOR EVER AND EVER:

This is a long time! That’s the point. Forever and ever. Thereafter there will be no more wrath! What a promise!

We will take a look at the final verse of this Chapter, Verse 8 in our next post.