In this shortest chapter of Revelation, one sees a vision in Heaven as God prepares His final judgment for the tribulation earth.

In this shortest chapter of Revelation, one sees a vision in Heaven as God prepares His final judgment for the tribulation earth.

1a And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; These seven angels will be God s instruments of final judgment upon the earth. They will pour out the vials filled with the seven last plagues upon the world to inflict all those who have rejected Christ during the Tribulation Period. The pouring out of the vials will begin in Revelation 16:1.

1b for in them is filled up the wrath of God. The vials, containing the seven last plaques, held by these seven angels, are filled up with the full fury of God s wrath.

The vials or bowls are full, meaning swelled up with God s wrath. Up until now, the wrath of God has been like water flowing over a dam. Flooding can occur causing severe damage, but the dam still holds back most of the water. Now, God s wrath has reached the breaking point. The dam will break, and the waters of judgment are going to drown both sin and sinner.

The phrase filled up translates the Greek verb telos, which simply means, It is finished. This is the same phrase or word that Jesus used when he was dying on the cross. ~John 19:30. Jesus used this phrase on Calvary to let everyone know that He had finished the Father s work and that redemption s price has been fully and finally paid.

The phrase, It is finished, or telos is used in Revelation 15:1 to also signify completion. When these seven last plagues are poured out, God s judgment on this world will be finished.

2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

The sea of glass was before God's throne in Rev. 4:6. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

John was seeing the same crystal sea, but now it was mixed with the fire of God's judgment.

On this earth, there is nothing more constantly changing than the ocean. The sea is never still and it is never the same.

These saints are standing on a sea of glass mingled with fire. This glassy sea speaks of God s judgment as being firm and fixed.. This sea is solid and unmoving! Judgment is fixed and it cannot be altered! It is mingled with fire to remind us that God is a God of wrath who is in the process of judging this world.

Those rejoicing are the Tribulation Martyrs who have refused to submit to the worship of the Antichrist by keeping their faith in Christ and dying for Christ.

The harps indicate the tribulation saints are rejoicing and singing praise to God because their prayers for God's vengeance on their persecutors are about to be answered.

3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. The tribulation saints who have given their own life for Christ sing two songs that have a common theme of the unity of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant through redemption.

The song of Moses, representing the Old Covenant, is the first song in the Bible and is sung at the Red Sea. It celebrates God s redemption of His people Israel by bringing them OUT of Egyptian bondage to the Promised Land through the leadership of Moses.

The Song of the Lamb, represents the New Covenant, and is the last song in the Bible, sung on the glassy sea after deliverance from the Antichrist. It celebrates the great redemption purchased by the Lamb on Calvary by the victorious shedding of His precious blood to bring people IN to the Promised Land, Heaven, and eternal life through belief in Christ Jesus.

All the shed blood of the Old Testament pointed to the Blood of the Lamb. Old Testament saints looked forward to the shedding of the blood, while we look back to Calvary. Without blood there is no salvation:

The opening words of the songs are Great and marvelous are thy works! These words also occur in Rev. 15:1, and refer to the closing judgments upon the earth that John saw. In Rev. 15: 3, the works of God are also called great and marvelous.

The judgments in the vials are terrible, but they are just and true. God deals in righteousness and his judgment is righteous. Jesus is the King of Israel, King of the earth, King of all nations. The nations here are about to be dealt with in final fury and righteous judgment. Jesus will put down all enemy rule and resistance.

4a Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: We are not to fear the world or its people, but fear (reverence) God.

4b for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. After God s righteous acts of judgment have been manifested or revealed, the time of Isaiah will come!! ~Isaiah 66:23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.

5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: The scene now changes and focuses attention on the Tabernacle in Heaven, from which the earthy tabernacle was patterned. The open tabernacle John saw, revealed the most severe earthly judgment ever to fall on the unrepentant.

The Tabernacle was opened by Jesus upon His death on the cross, as the temple curtain or veil, which was in front of the Holy of Holies, was torn or rent from the top to the bottom.

The Holy of Holies revealed the tabernacle of the testimony, so named as it contained the testimony written on the two stone tablets on which God had written the ten commandments, known as the Law.

6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. These "angels" are operating under God's orders. They are clothed in pure and white linen, signifying their holiness and reflecting the holiness of the One they serve. They wear golden girdles around their chests, speaking of the majesty and glory of the God they serve.

The seven angels have in their hands the seven last plaques that will be poured out on the earth in the last three and one-half years to punish those who have chosen to serve the Antichrist.

7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. The seven golden vials full of God s wrath are given to the seven angels. The sevens show the completeness of it all. Here, we see the eternity of God in the forever and ever, who has the power to put an end to sin so that it can never exist again in His holy presence through the pouring of His wrath on the inhabitants of the earth.

8a And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; The Temple that was standing open has been closed for the duration of the Tribulation Period and will not be opened! No one is allowed to enter because it is filled with the glory and presence of Almighty God. The day of mercy has passed and man s access through grace and salvation has been forever cut off. Judgment is ready to be poured upon the world!

8b and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. No human beings can go back into the temple to worship until the seven plagues of the seven angels are completed. God is not be dealing with people in mercy here, but in judgment.