The ‘Reign’ is Coming

The ‘Reign’ is Coming

“The ‘Reign’ is Coming!”
(Revelation 15:1-8)

Series: Understanding The Book Of Revelation

Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD

First Baptist Church, Henderson KY

11-12-06 (AM)

 

  • Please open your Bibles to Revelation, chapter 15.

We are continuing our study of the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation.  It is appropriately the last book of the Bible because it is a book about last things, the end times, the eschaton, the end of the ages.  And we’ve been studying about a future time near the end known as the time of Tribulation.  Chapters 6-19 teach us about this time of Tribulation and so we’re in chapter 15 this morning, the shortest chapter in the book, a chapter that prepares us for the outpouring of God’s final judgment upon this earth, the outpouring of the 7 bowl judgments, the last plagues upon the earth, final judgments of God at the end of the Tribulation.  The actual judgments themselves come in the following chapter, in chapter 16, but here in chapter 15 we have John telling us what he sees in this vision about the coming seven bowls of God’s wrath.

 

  • Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s holy Word.

 

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.

 

  • Pray.

 

Introduction:

 

You’ve probably heard the story about the town that was going through a severe dry spell, a terrible drought that lasted several weeks.  The community of mostly farmers was devastated as their crops were drying up because there had been no rain for what seemed an eternity.  So the local preacher of that small town invited the community to come out one afternoon for a time of intense prayer, asking God to send rain.  When the folks gathered at the appointed time, the preacher, demonstrating his own belief that God would send rain that afternoon in answer to their prayers, looked out at the crowd before they began to pray and then pulled out his umbrella, asking the crowd how many others had brought their umbrellas.  That preacher had great faith that though the town was going through difficult days and it seemed God was nowhere in sight, the rain was coming.

 

I thought of that story as I studied chapter 15 because what we have here are three visions of a future time when the difficult days of the Tribulation are just about over.  We see in chapter 15 three signs teaching us about the last events just prior to our Lord’s second coming.  So while there is this time of tribulation, difficult days where it seems God is nowhere in sight, we can be encouraged because the ‘reign’ is coming, the Lord’s reign is coming; not r-a-i-n, but r-e-i-g-n.  The ‘reign’ is coming.  The events we read about here in chapter 15 set the stage for the final act of drama, the final overthrow of evil, the Lord’s final judgment just before Jesus Christ returns to set up his reign upon the earth.

 

So as terrible as this time of tribulation is, there are reasons we can be encouraged.  These reasons are built around the three signs John sees here in these verses.  Three times he says either, “I saw” or, “I looked.”  We see the phrase in verse 1, verse 2, and verse 5.  So let’s look at these three signs that are meant to encourage us, reminding us that the “reign” is coming.  First:

 

I. Be Encouraged by God’s Sign of Vindication [1]

 

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.

 

What we have here in verse one is a summary statement of everything going on in chapters 15 and 16.  Verse one is like the Cliff’s Notes version of chapters 15 and 16, the Reader’s Digest of all the events of these two chapters.  John saw a sign in heaven of seven angels having the seven last plagues, the plagues in which the wrath of God is complete.  Chapter 16 will further spell out what these seven last plagues will look like, but John says, in essence, “Get ready for the Lord’s reign, because I saw the sign of the last judgment.”

 

It’s interesting that John describes this sign as “great and marvelous.”  We might ask, “What is so great and marvelous about these seven bowl judgments that we’ll be reading about in chapter 16?  What’s so great and marvelous about seven occasions of God’s pouring out his wrath upon the unbelievers of the earth?

 

John describes this sign in heaven as great and marvelous because in the pouring out of God’s wrath we have the vindication of all Christians.  See the sign of verse one is the answer to a question asked by the Christian martyrs, those who have died for the faith, refusing to follow the Antichrist and his devices.  The sign of verse one is the answer to the question posed by the Christian martyrs all the way back in chapter 6, verses 9-11.  We read there about those, “who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held,” those who, “cried with a loud voice, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’”  Verse one is God’s answer to that cry for justice.  Verse one is a sign of God’s vindication, a future time when all Christians will be vindicated.

 

Vindication simply means that God will prove that the Christians were right for following the Lord Jesus Christ.  They will be vindicated.  That’s why John describes this sign as great and marvelous.  He, too, knew what it was like to yearn for vindication, for justice.  Remember that John is seeing these visions while exiled on the island of Patmos because of his faith in Christ.  He’s been persecuted for his faith and he, too, looks forward to the coming reign of Christ when all Christians will be vindicated.  The Lord Jesus Christ will one day return and demonstrate that every Christian was right for following Him.

 

That’s why this sign is encouraging.  Man, I remember times when I was in school, particularly in high school and later in college.  I mean many people just considered you a complete doofus if you were a Christian.  You know: “You believe all that Jesus stuff?!  You’re crazy!”  Or maybe persecution takes on a different form.  Maybe we’re passed over for that promotion because we’re seen as “too religious.”  “We can’t have that guy in management, he’s too “churchy.”  And some of us will endure literal persecution perhaps on the mission field, standing for Jesus, enduring beatings, or imprisonment, perhaps even death, such as the over one hundred thousand Christian martyrs who have died worldwide over the past year, people dying for their faith in Christ.

 

Be encouraged by God’s sign of vindication.  The Lord Jesus is coming again and when he does you will be vindicated.  You will be found to be right after all, found on the right side, standing with Jesus Christ.  The reign is coming.  Be encouraged by God’s sign of vindication.  Secondly:

 

II. Be Encouraged by God’s Sign of Victory [2-4]

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.

 

John sees another vision of something happening at the end of the 7 year Tribulation period.  He sees all the Christians who died for their faith in Christ, all the martyrs, standing victoriously in heaven.  They are persecuted on earth for not following the beast, the Antichrist.  They refused to receive his mark and his number, 666, either upon their hand or upon their forehead.  They stayed faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego of Daniel 3 they refused to worship a false image.  And so we see them standing in heaven upon the sea of glass, mingled with fire.  That’s the throne room of God from which His fiery judgment is about to come.  That John sees them having harps in their hands is a sign of joy and celebration.

 

John sees them with harps in their hands which is a sign of joy and celebration.  There’s a party going on up there!  There’s singing up there.   We’ll be singing in heaven—all of us.  You say, “All I can do is make a ‘joyful noise’ down here.”  We’ll you’ll be able to sing perfectly up there.  I’ll be able to sing better than most of you!  Verses 3 and 4 gives us the song that they’re singing.  John says they are singing “the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.”  So it looks like there are two songs.  More importantly we see in their singing a three-fold praise chorus to God.  These Christians remind us of the many reasons we can praise God.  Look at this three-fold praise.  First:

 

1) Praise Him for His Incredible Works (3a)

 

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!

 

They’re praising God for his works in these two songs.  The song of Moses is the song the Israelites sang back in Exodus 15:1-18.  You remember the story.  The bad guys were chasing after the good guys.  The Egyptians were chasing after Moses and the Israelites.  They chased them all the way to the Red Sea.  It looked like it was all over for the good guys.  Then God parted the Red Sea and Moses and the Israelites traveled through the dry land with a wall of water at either side.  Then when they were safely on the other side, here came the bad guys chasing after them through the dry land with a wall of water at either side.  Then God nodded at the walls of water and the walls of water came crashing down upon the bad guys.  You can read about it back in the book of Exodus.  Then in Exodus 15 you read about “the song of Moses,” the song of victory that Moses and the Israelites sang.  The song describes the victory that God gave the Israelites by saving them and delivering them.

 

So the Christians in heaven are singing the song of Moses, the song of victory.  They’re also singing the song of the Lamb, probably a reference to Revelation chapter 5, verses 8-14, where we read of the “new song” led by the 24 elders, then joined by the thousands of angels, then all of creation, singing praises to the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Like the song of Moses, this song describes the victory that is ours through the mighty works of God, namely redemption and salvation in Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Praise Him for His incredible works.  Secondly:

 

2) Praise Him for His Impeccable Ways (3b)

 

Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!

 

The Christian martyrs also praise God for His impeccable ways.  They sing, “Just and true are Your ways, O king of the saints (better, ‘nations’).”  The Lord is “just and true” with respect to everything He does.  He always does what is right.  His ways are impeccable.  Thirdly:

 

3) Praise Him for His Incomparable Worth (4)

 

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.”

 

Here these martyred Christians remind us that there is no one worthy to be worshiped other than the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is incomparable.  There is none like Him.  They rhetorically ask, “Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?  For you alone are holy.”  And the implication is, “Only a fool would not worship You, O Lord.  Only a fool would not glorify Your name.  Because, after all, You alone are holy.  There is none like You.  There is none to compare to You.  You are incomparable and we praise You for Your incomparable worth.”

 

Then these martyred Christians foretell of the coming time when all the nations will come and worship the One True God.  They say, “For all the nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested.”  This is God’s great and glorious design according to the counsel of His will: He desires worship of all the nations.  This is why we do mission work.  This is why we do evangelism, because our mission is to go out there and tell the nations that they were created for the purpose of glorifying God.  He alone is to be feared.  He alone is to be glorified.  He alone is holy.  He alone is to be worshiped.  Praise Him for His incomparable worth.

 

Remember the immediate context here is the time of Tribulation when many will be following not the One True God, but the false god, the imposter, the imitator, Satan Himself, manifested in the Antichrist.  These martyred Christians, in essence, are saying, “We refused to follow the false teachings of the false god and his false religion.  You alone, God, are to be feared.  You alone are holy.  You alone are to be worshiped.”

 

Someone says, “Well, I wouldn’t follow the Antichrist during the time of Tribulation.”  Listen, the same John who gave us the book of Revelation gave us the book of 1 John.  He says in 1 John 2:18, “Just as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrist’s have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”  There have been many antichrists throughout history preceding the great Antichrist to come.

 

Any religion, any philosophy, any thinking that draws us away from following the Lord Jesus Christ is the spirit of antichrist.  It works against—anti—Christ.  Christ alone is worthy of worship.  As Peter preached emphatically  in Acts 4:12: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

 

No other name but the name of Jesus,

No other name but the name of the Lord;

No other name but the name of Jesus

Is worthy of glory, and worthy of honour,

And worthy of power and all praise.

 

Praise Him for His incredible works, praise Him for His impeccable ways, and praise Him for His incomparable worth.  Be encouraged by God’s sign of vindication and be encouraged by God’s sign of victory.  Thirdly:

 

III. Be Encouraged by God’s Sign of Vengeance [5-8]

And now we see the wrath of God poured out upon those who refuse to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.  We see the sign of God’s vengeance.  We know that vengeance belongs to the Lord.  Paul reminds us of that in Romans 12:19: “ ‘Vengeance is Mine.  I will repay,’ says the Lord.”  The Lord will retaliate against the unbelievers when He comes again.

 

Like the first sign, God’s vindication of Christians, this third sign, God’s vengeance upon non-Christians, encourages us to remember that justice will be served.  God will punish those who speak against the Lord Jesus Christ and refuse to follow Him.  We don’t delight in God’s vengeance.  Rather, we should mourn for those who will be the subjects of God’s vengeance and continue to warn them of the wrath to come.

 

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.

 

These verses introduce us to the seven bowl judgments of chapter 16.  We’ll be studying more fully about God’s vengeance at that time.  For now, remember that this vengeance belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ and that it is part and parcel of His glorious coming again.  Paul writes of this vengeance in:

 

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, “…When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,”

 

Those are words of warning to the non-Christian.  The good news is given to us in Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”  If you’ve received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you need not fear His second coming.  You’ll be ready when the “reign” comes.  And should you die before He comes again, you’ll be ready then, too.  You can look forward to singing victoriously:

 

When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!

When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory!

 

  • Stand for prayer.

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