March 18 - Seven Angels, Seven Plagues (pt. 3)

March 18 - Seven Angels, Seven Plagues (pt. 3)
Revelation 15:5-8

"After this I looked and in heaven the temple, that is, the tabernacle of the Testimony, was opened. Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed."

The temple, the tabernacle of the Testimony opens. By specifying that this is the tabernacle of Testimony, we realize that we are looking at the ancient Tabernacle where God's Law first found its home.

The Tabernacle was part of the covenant between God and His people. We read in Exodus 25:8 that God asks the Israelites to make a sanctuary so that He can live among them. Now, the Temple was not part of the same plan. It was David's idea to build a temple for God. God did bless David for desiring to make His home. But, it's interesting to read His response to David, "I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling." (2 Sam. 7:5-7)

As God settled his children into a permanent home, He promised to continue living among them.

The Tabernacle was a plan that came directly from the throne. It was always just a copy of what was in heaven, though. In Hebrews 9:23, Paul describes the necessity of Jesus' sacrifice. The original copy of the heavenly things (tabernacle, etc.) were to be purified with manmade sacrifice.

Out of the Tabernacle of Testimony, the location of God's law, come the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests.

Remember ... white linen was the garment that symbolized purity and was what the priests were told to wear when entering the Tabernacle. We will see this beautiful linen once again as the church's bridal garment in Revelation 19.

One of the four living creatures gave the seven angels bowls filled with the wrath of God. The four living creatures represent all of animate (living) creation. The bowls of wrath will bring disasters to all of creation.

In Revelation 6:1, one of them called forth the four horsemen. Now, they prepare the angels to pour out God's wrath. In Revelation 15:1, we read that they already have the seven plagues, they just needed the wrath of God.

"And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed." (Rev. 15:8)

In Isaiah's vision of heaven (Isaiah 6), one of the things that signified that the Lord was there was smoke.

God's wrath and fury are so intense that absolutely no one could approach Him. Heaven empties. Not even the living creatures or the elders can be in His presence.

God has been dealing with mankind's sin since He created us. Sin is what separates man from God. He can not stand in the presence of sin. His purity will annihilate it and anything that it is contact with. Since the beginning of time, God has promised that He would punish the sins of man, but it has always been tempered with His mercy and His grace. No more. God will allow all of His fury and judgment and wrath to pour out onto the earth. Only those who are sealed by the Lamb will be safe.

Hebrews 10:31 says, "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

It is a dreadful thing ... unless you are sealed by the Lamb.