View source for A Glorious Heavenly Scene Preceding the Vial Judgments

•	"1 <span style="color:darkred"> And I saw another sign in Heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God." </span style="color:darkred">
After noting <span style="color:darkred"> "another sign in Heaven, great and marvellous" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 14:1), this chapter, the shortest of the Apocalypse, sees both a Heavenly scene of triumphant praise by those who will overcome the Antichrist (Rev 14:2-4) and a description of the final preparations for the pouring out of the final Vial Judgments (Rev 14:5-8). John describes the <span style="color:darkred"> "seven angels having the seven last plagues" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:1) as <span style="color:darkred"> "another sign" </span style="color:darkred"> (Greek, semeion), making a connection of significance between the signs of the First and Second Advents of the Messiah. 

If the Star of Bethlehem was seen by the Wise Men at the first Christmas, then this <span style="color:darkred"> "sign in Heaven" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 16:1) will most likely manifest itself as an observable celestial phenomenon. "1 <span style="color:darkred"> And there appeared a great wonder </span style="color:darkred"> [Greek, semeion] <span style="color:darkred"> in Heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: </span style="color:darkred"> 2 <span style="color:darkred"> And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered </span style="color:darkred"> [i.e., First Advent of the Messiah]. 3 <span style="color:darkred"> And there appeared another wonder </span style="color:darkred"> [Greek, semeion] <span style="color:darkred"> in Heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. </span style="color:darkred"> 4 <span style="color:darkred"> And his tail drew the third part of the stars of Heaven, and did cast them to the Earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born" </span style="color:darkred"> (Revelation 12:1-4).

Though the Seal Judgments (Rev 6:1-17; 8:1) and Trumpet Judgments (Rev 8:1-9:21; 11:15-19) demonstrate the displeasure of God with man, the Vial Judgments (Rev 16:1-21), which are the <span style="color:darkred"> "seven last plagues" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:1), are especially noted to be full of the <span style="color:darkred"> "wrath of God" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:1). <span style="color:darkred"> "God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day" </span style="color:darkred"> (Psalm 7:11). But here, Jehovah's anger is focused into Judgmental Wrath, resulting in the last plagues before the return of the LORD Jesus Christ. When the Almighty ceases to strive with man over their sin, then only the <span style="color:darkred"> "fierceness of His great wrath" </span style="color:darkred"> (2Kings 23:26) is left. The Therapeutic Anger of God is found only by the Elect, because they respond with repentance and faith to the mercy of God. 

"7 <span style="color:darkred"> For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. </span style="color:darkred"> 8 <span style="color:darkred"> In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer" </span style="color:darkred"> (Isaiah 54:7-8). Those who refuse to acknowledge the righteousness of the LORD's anger toward their sin, must ultimately <span style="color:darkred"> "fall into the hands of the Living God" </span style="color:darkred"> (Hebrews 10:31). And, He has promised Fearful Retribution to those who have had <span style="color:darkred"> "their conscience seared </span style="color:darkred"> [i.e., by their own hand] <span style="color:darkred"> with a hot iron" </span style="color:darkred"> (1Timothy 4:2). <span style="color:darkred"> "Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver" </span style="color:darkred"> (Psalm 50:22).
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•	"2 <span style="color:darkred"> 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." </span style="color:darkred">
The <span style="color:darkred"> "sea of glass" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:2), described previously in Chapter 4, is <span style="color:darkred"> "before the throne" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 4:6) of God. Thalassa is the Greek word used for <span style="color:darkred"> "sea" </span style="color:darkred">, which indicates a continuous body of water, as the ocean. The emphasis in this verse is that the Saints <span style="color:darkred"> '''"stand''' on the sea of glass" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:2). 

They are supported by the vastness of the High and Lofty One That Inhabiteth Eternity (Isaiah 57:15)-- indicating His serene and powerful control of all things. <span style="color:darkred"> "Alleluia: for the LORD God Omnipotent reigneth" </span style="color:darkred"> (Revelation 19:6). Perfect peace is portrayed by this imagery of a smooth and placid sea. <span style="color:darkred"> "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee" </span style="color:darkred"> (Isaiah 26:3). We are told that that the <span style="color:darkred"> "sea of glass" </span style="color:darkred"> is <span style="color:darkred"> "mingled with fire" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:2). Fire is indicative of God's Judgment. <span style="color:darkred"> "But the heavens and the Earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men" </span style="color:darkred"> (2Peter 3:7).

Standing around the throne of God are those <span style="color:darkred"> "that had gotten the victory over the Beast </span style="color:darkred"> [the Antichrist], <span style="color:darkred"> and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name" </span style="color:darkred"> ( Rev 15:2). This scene anticipates the <span style="color:darkred"> "seven last plagues" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:1) of the Tribulation Week. Specified in this Heavenly picture are all the Tribulation Saints (martyred or raptured), who have triumphed over the Antichrist-- having been collected from the immediately preceding Pre-Wrath Rapture ["Come up hither... the seventh angel sounded" (Rev 11:12, 15)] and its attendant Resurrection of the Just [the <span style="color:darkred"> "dead shall be raised incorruptible" </span style="color:darkred"> (1Corinthians 15:52)]. Though all of the Redeemed Elect have already been translated into the presence of God through:

(1) death, i.e., the Resurrected Saints from all ages will be resurrected immediately before the Pre-Wrath Rapture ["we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the LORD shall not prevent <literally, precede> them which are asleep" (1Thessalonians 4:15)],

(2) the Pre-Tribulational Rapture, i.e., <span style="color:darkred"> "Come up hither" </span style="color:darkred"> (Revelation 4:1), or

(3) the Pre-Wrath Rapture, i.e., <span style="color:darkred"> "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed" </span style="color:darkred"> (1Corinthians 15:51);
this gathering around the throne emphasizes the deliverance and victory of the Tribulational Saints through Pre-Wrath Rapture or Faithful Martyrdom, for which all of Heaven rejoices. <span style="color:darkred"> "But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because Thou defendest them: let them also that love Thy Name be joyful in Thee" </span style="color:darkred"> (Psalm 5:11).
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•	"3 <span style="color:darkred"> And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, LORD God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of Saints." </span style="color:darkred">
The Heavenly Harpers have their mouths free to <span style="color:darkred"> "sing the song of Moses" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:3), as they accompany themselves on their harps. Let us pause to consider the significance of their <span style="color:darkred"> "song of Moses" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:3). Twice in the Pentateuch are we given the understanding that Moses composed and sang a <span style="color:darkred"> "song unto the LORD" </span style="color:darkred"> (Exodus 15:1). The first instance of any song recorded in the Scriptures was occasioned by Jehovah's deliverance of the children of Israel from the chariots of Pharaoh by His miraculous parting of the Red Sea for Israel, while drowning the pursuing Egyptians. The Song of Moses can be divided into four parts:
(1) the enemy's evil intent, i.e., <span style="color:darkred"> "The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them" </span style="color:darkred"> (Exodus 15:9),

(2) the LORD's magnificent faithfulness, i.e., <span style="color:darkred"> "Who is like unto Thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:11),

(3) the Judgment's devastating consequence, i.e., "10 <span style="color:darkred"> Thou didst blow with Thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters... </span style="color:darkred"> 12 <span style="color:darkred"> Thou stretchedst out Thy right hand, the Earth swallowed them" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:10, 12), and

(4) the deliverance's joyful result, i.e., <span style="color:darkred"> "Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed: Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:13).

Outside of the Psalm of Moses (Psalm 91), which is a song of deliverance, i.e., <span style="color:darkred"> "Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence" </span style="color:darkred"> (Psa 91:3), the only other song attributed to Moses in the Pentateuch is Moses' Farewell Song of Deuteronomy 32. Sadly, this parting song for Moses to Israel is:
(1) a complaint of Israel's stiffneckedness, i.e., <span style="color:darkred"> "And </span style="color:darkred"> [the LORD] <span style="color:darkred"> said, I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very forward generation, children in whom is no faith" </span style="color:darkred"> (Deut 32:20),

(2) a reminder of Jehovah's mercy, i.e., "[Jehovah] <span style="color:darkred"> made </span style="color:darkred"> [Jacob] <span style="color:darkred"> ride on the high places of the Earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields" </span style="color:darkred"> (Deut 32:13),

(3) a warning to avoid Israel's future anguish, i.e., "29 <span style="color:darkred"> O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! </span style="color:darkred"> 30 <span style="color:darkred"> How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?" </span style="color:darkred"> (Deut 32:29-30), and

(4) a prophecy of Israel's future repentance, i.e., <span style="color:darkred"> "For the LORD shall judge His people, and repent Himself for His servants, when He seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left" </span style="color:darkred"> (Deut 32:36).

The difference between the Song of Moses (Exodus 15) and Moses' Farewell Song (Deuteronomy 32) is the difference between joyful deliverance, i.e., "[Egypt] <span style="color:darkred"> shall be as still as a stone; till Thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which Thou hast purchased" </span style="color:darkred"> (Exodus 15:16), and woeful unbelief, i.e., <span style="color:darkred"> "Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee" </span style="color:darkred"> (Deuteronomy 32:18). 

For this reason, Revelation 15:3 must refer to the theme of deliverance found in the Song of Moses (Exodus 15); because, it is more akin to the Pre-Wrath Rapture and Deliverance of the Tribulation Saints. <span style="color:darkred"> "For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea" </span style="color:darkred"> (Exodus 15:19). Antichrist like Pharaoh will be utterly defeated, i.e., <span style="color:darkred"> "And the Beast was taken, and with him the False Prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the Mark of the Beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a Lake of Fire burning with brimstone" </span style="color:darkred"> (Revelation 19:20). The Tribulation Saints like Israel will be thoroughly delivered, i.e., they shall have <span style="color:darkred"> "victory over the Beast" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:2). Again, Revelation 15:3 is more reminiscent of a triumphal gathering of Pre-Wrath Raptured Tribulation Saints, than simply and only an assembly of Martyred Tribulation Saints.

As the Song of Moses speaks loudly of deliverance, the <span style="color:darkred"> "song of the Lamb" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:3) gives worshipful praise to the Deliverer. <span style="color:darkred"> "Great and marvellous are Thy works, LORD God Almighty" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:3). Thanksgiving without naming God as the object of our gratitude is making ourselves our own deliverer and benefactor. <span style="color:darkred"> "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, '''unthankful''', unholy" </span style="color:darkred"> (2Timothy 3:2). Jesus, who is the <span style="color:darkred"> "Way, the Truth, and the Life" </span style="color:darkred"> (John 14:6), is the Just One, i.e., <span style="color:darkred"> "just and true are Thy ways" </span style="color:darkred"> (Revelation 15:3). <span style="color:darkred"> "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the Coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers" </span style="color:darkred"> (Acts 7:52). Jesus will soon definitively and everlastingly demonstrate that He is the <span style="color:darkred"> "King of Saints" </span style="color:darkred"> (Revelation 15:3). <span style="color:darkred"> "Which in His times He shall shew, Who is the Blessed and Only Potentate, the KING of Kings, and LORD of Lords" </span style="color:darkred"> (1Timothy 6:15).
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•	"4 <span style="color:darkred"> Who shall not fear Thee, O LORD, and glorify Thy Name? for Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy Judgments are made manifest." </span style="color:darkred">
The Song of the Lamb (Rev 15:3) is sung by these Triumphant Tribulation Saints. They sing, <span style="color:darkred"> "Who shall not fear Thee, O LORD, and glorify Thy Name?" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:4). The <span style="color:darkred"> "fear" </span style="color:darkred"> spoken of here is from the Greek word phobeo, meaning fear, reverence, or awe. The Saints stand in holy reverence and awe of God. <span style="color:darkred"> "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His Commandments: His praise endureth for ever" </span style="color:darkred"> (Psalm 111:10). 

If man does not voluntarily surrender himself to fear the Living God, then he can only have anxiety, agitation, and dread of the Judgment of God. <span style="color:darkred"> "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God" </span style="color:darkred"> (Hebrews 10:31). The godly willingly <span style="color:darkred"> "glorify </span style="color:darkred"> [the] <span style="color:darkred"> Name" </span style="color:darkred"> (15:4) of the LORD, for they understand that He is <span style="color:darkred"> "worthy" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 4:11), but the godless unwillingly glorify the LORD through the Judgment that Jehovah brings upon their sin, i.e., <span style="color:darkred"> "for Thy Judgments are made manifest" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:4). "22 <span style="color:darkred"> And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. </span style="color:darkred"> 23 <span style="color:darkred"> '''Thus will I magnify Myself''', and sanctify Myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD" </span style="color:darkred"> (Ezekiel 38:22-23).

How shall all nations <span style="color:darkred"> "come and worship before" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:4) the LORD, if not all nations will be converted? <span style="color:darkred"> "And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats" </span style="color:darkred"> (Matthew 25:32). Isaiah prophesied the salvation of the Gentiles from the nations of the world, i.e., <span style="color:darkred"> "ye that are escaped of the nations" </span style="color:darkred"> (Isaiah 45:20). "22 <span style="color:darkred"> Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the Earth: for I am God, and there is none else. </span style="color:darkred"> 

23 <span style="color:darkred"> I have sworn by Myself, the Word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear" </span style="color:darkred"> (Isa 45:22-23). Not only would Gentiles be saved from among the nations; but ultimately, every single human being would willingly or unwillingly bow their knee and confess that Jesus is LORD. "9 <span style="color:darkred"> Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every name: </span style="color:darkred"> 10 <span style="color:darkred"> that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in Earth, and things under the Earth; </span style="color:darkred"> 11 <span style="color:darkred"> and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father" </span style="color:darkred"> (Philippians 2:9-11).
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•	"5 <span style="color:darkred"> And after that I looked, and, behold, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony in Heaven was opened:" </span style="color:darkred">
The second half of chapter 15 begins with a look at the <span style="color:darkred"> "Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony in Heaven </span style="color:darkred"> [as it] <span style="color:darkred"> was opened" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:5). In chapter 11, immediately following the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet Judgment, it was said that the <span style="color:darkred"> "Temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in His Temple the Ark of His Testament" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 11:19). Both of these Temples are the same. Both reside in Heaven, and are, of course, not to be confused with an earthly Jerusalem Temple. It must be remembered that the Jerusalem Temple was patterned after the <span style="color:darkred"> "example and shadow of Heavenly things" </span style="color:darkred"> (Hebrews 8:5). 

Comparing the earthly Jerusalem Temple to the <span style="color:darkred"> "Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony" </span style="color:darkred">  (15:5), the most significant feature of both Temples is the Law of God-- also known as, the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 10:4), the Covenant of the LORD (Rev 4:23), the Testimony (Exodus 25:21), the Royal Law (James 2:8), the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). The <span style="color:darkred"> "two Tables of Testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God" </span style="color:darkred"> (Exodus 31:18) in the Jerusalem Temple's Holy of Holies are copies of the <span style="color:darkred"> "Testimony in Heaven" </span style="color:darkred"> (Revelation 15:5). And, the pre-eminent feature of the Law is Love, which <span style="color:darkred"> "is the fulfilling of the Law" </span style="color:darkred"> (Romans 13:10).

Though the Lost Ark of the Covenant, <span style="color:darkred"> "wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the Covenant" </span style="color:darkred"> (Hebrews 9:4), has been traditionally reported to have been hidden by the rabbis under the Temple Mount or by Jeremiah in a nearby cave to avoid capture by the Babylonians, the grand significance of this apocalyptic mention of the Testimony (Rev 15:5)-- of which the Moral Law of Love is its essence-- is that even the <span style="color:darkred"> "seven last plagues" </span style="color:darkred"> (Rev 15:1) of the Tribulation Week flow from the <span style="color:darkred"> "God </span style="color:darkred"> [Who] <span style="color:darkred"> is love" </span style="color:darkred"> (1John 4:16). It is an inescapable attribute of the Love of God, that opposition to sin is an essential characteristic of True Love to God. <span style="color:darkred"> "I hate and abhor lying: but Thy Law do I love" </span style="color:darkred"> (Psalm 119:163). For this reason, Jehovah chastens His wayward children, i.e., <span style="color:darkred"> "for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the LORD Jesus" </span style="color:darkred"> (1Corinthians 5:5). 

<span style="color:darkred"> "For whom the LORD loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth" </span style="color:darkred"> (Hebrews 12:6). And, God's final Judgments of the wicked at the end of the Tribulation Week reflect that though He does not take <span style="color:darkred"> "pleasure in the death of the wicked" </span style="color:darkred"> (Ezekiel 33:11), His love for the well-being of Himself and His creation necessitate that He must judge sin and halt its blighting influence, lest the universe be ruined. <span style="color:darkred"> "The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works" </span style="color:darkred"> (Psalm 145:9). "14 <span style="color:darkred"> And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the LORD cometh with ten thousands of His Saints, </span style="color:darkred"> 15 <span style="color:darkred"> to execute Judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him" </span style="color:darkred"> (Jude 14-15).
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•	"6 <span style="color:darkred"> 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." </span style="color:darkred"> 
<span style="color:darkred"> "Seven angels"</span style="color:darkred">  (Rev 15:6) are described. They come <span style="color:darkred"> "out of the Temple" </span style="color:darkred">  (Rev 15:6), indicating that they are sent by God. <span style="color:darkred"> "Who maketh His angels spirits; His ministers a flaming fire"</span style="color:darkred">  (Psalm 104:4). These seven have been commissioned to carry out the Judgments of the<span style="color:darkred">  "seven plagues"</span style="color:darkred">  (Rev 15:6), i.e., the Vial Judgments outlined in chapter 

16. Their clothing is <span style="color:darkred"> "pure and white linen"</span style="color:darkred">  (Rev 15:6), which indicates that their purpose is righteous, just as white linen speaks of the <span style="color:darkred"> "righteousness of Saints"</span style="color:darkred">  (Rev 19:8). And, their readiness, willingness, and agreement with the Almighty to carry out the Vial Judgments is portrayed in that they have <span style="color:darkred"> "their breasts girded with golden girdles"</span style="color:darkred">  (Rev 15:6), i.e., "wherefore gird up [Greek, anazonnumi, meaning prepare or ready] <span style="color:darkred"> the loins of your mind"</span style="color:darkred">  (1Peter 1:13). <span style="color:darkred"> "The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the Judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether" </span style="color:darkred">  (Psalm 19:9). 

If the <span style="color:darkred"> "seven plagues"</span style="color:darkred">  (Rev 15:6) to be executed by the <span style="color:darkred"> "seven angels"</span style="color:darkred">  (Rev 15:6) defied the Universal Law of Love, i.e., the Moral Law, then the angels would be under no obligation to perform such an unrighteous command. But, because <span style="color:darkred"> "God is love"</span style="color:darkred">  (1John 4:8) and <span style="color:darkred"> "He cannot deny Himself"</span style="color:darkred">  (2Timothy 2:13), then His commands must always be obeyed, for His Judgments would only be an expression of His Love, unlike the often perverse and contradictory laws of man. <span style="color:darkred">  "We ought to obey God rather than men"</span style="color:darkred">  (Acts 5:29). God demands the obedience of angels and man because He has discovered Himself to us to be altogether worthy of love, faith, and obedience. <span style="color:darkred"> "Thou art worthy, O LORD, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created"</span style="color:darkred">  (Revelation 4:11). No law is law that sets aside the Moral Law of Love, but it is for this very reason that holy angels and godly men joyfully carry out the Judgments of God, because His Judgments are expressions of His Love. <span style="color:darkred"> "I the LORD love Judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering"</span style="color:darkred">  (Isaiah 61:8).
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•	"7 <span style="color:darkred"> 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." </span style="color:darkred"> 
These are the same <span style="color:darkred"> "four beasts"</span style="color:darkred">  (Rev 15:7) that appear around the throne of God (Rev 4:6, 8; 5:6, 8; 6:1, 6; 7:11; 14:3), earlier. They are the same angelic seraphim that Isaiah saw crying to the LORD, <span style="color:darkred"> "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of Hosts"</span style="color:darkred">  (Isaiah 6:3), and that Ezekiel saw in his visions as <span style="color:darkred"> "four living creatures"</span style="color:darkred">  (Ezekiel 1:5). Holiness is the theme of their adoration of the LORD God, because they stand in His presence continually and <span style="color:darkred"> "worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness"</span style="color:darkred">  (Psalm 29:2). May we, the living, salute our Creator even now with our own worship of the Holy Jehovah, <span style="color:darkred">  "Who liveth for ever and ever"</span style="color:darkred">  (Rev 15:7), consecrating our lives in holiness to Him, who is worthy. <span style="color:darkred"> "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect"</span style="color:darkred">  (Matthew 5:48). <span style="color:darkred"> "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the LORD"</span style="color:darkred">  (Hebrews 12:14).

One of the seraphim gives<span style="color:darkred">  "unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God"</span style="color:darkred">  (Rev 15:7). This means that the wrath of the Vial Judgments is not an expression of their anger, but of the wrath of God Almighty. <span style="color:darkred"> "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little"</span style="color:darkred">  (Psalm 2:12). Not simply the wrath of a fabled pagan angel or god, but it is the fury of the Omnipotent Judge. "3 <span style="color:darkred"> I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with Me: for I will tread them in Mine '''anger''', and trample them in My '''fury'''; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment. </span style="color:darkred">  4 <span style="color:darkred"> For the day of '''vengeance''' is in Mine heart, and the year of My redeemed is come. </span style="color:darkred">  5 <span style="color:darkred"> And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore Mine own arm brought salvation unto Me; and My '''fury''', it upheld Me. </span style="color:darkred">  6 <span style="color:darkred"> And I will tread down the people in Mine '''anger''', and make them drunk in My '''fury''', and I will bring down their strength to the Earth"</span style="color:darkred">  (Isaiah 63:3-6).
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•	"8 <span style="color:darkred"> And the Temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power; and no man was able to enter into the Temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled." </span style="color:darkred"> 
Smoke <span style="color:darkred"> "from the glory of God, and from His power"</span style="color:darkred">  (Rev 15:8) filling the Heavenly Temple is reminiscent of Solomon's dedication of the original Jerusalem Temple. "1 <span style="color:darkred"> Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from Heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. </span style="color:darkred">  2 <span style="color:darkred"> And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD'S house. </span style="color:darkred">  

3 <span style="color:darkred"> And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For He is Good; for His mercy endureth for ever"</span style="color:darkred">  (2Chronicles 7:1-3). The Judge of All the Earth's stress upon the execution of the Vial Judgments is so great that <span style="color:darkred"> "no man was able to enter into the Temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled"</span style="color:darkred">  (Rev 15:8). This indicates that the emphasis of God is so wholly directed toward the judgment of the <span style="color:darkred"> "seven</span style="color:darkred">  [last] <span style="color:darkred">  plagues"</span style="color:darkred">  (Rev 15:8) of the Vial Judgments, that He allows no one else to even enter His Heavenly Temple for worship, and thereby detract from their momentousness. <span style="color:darkred"> "But the LORD is in His Holy Temple: let all the Earth keep silence before Him"</span style="color:darkred">  (Habakkuk 2:20).
[[Category:Revelation]]