Book of the Revelation, chapter 15, please, is where we are turning to tonight. We're going to read this chapter through, and the first seven verses of chapter 16 as well. These two chapters go together, as we've already been pointing out. So, we'll read from Revelation, chapter 15, verse 1, and then, as I say, on into chapter 16, and we'll finish at verse 7 of that chapter. Revelation chapter 15, verse 1. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues. For in them is filled up the wrath of God. 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. 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. 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.' And after that I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. 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. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke of 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. And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went and poured out his vial upon the earth. And there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea, and it became as the blood of a dead man, and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shall be, because thou hast judged thus. for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy.' And I heard another out of the altar say, even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments." Amen. We'll end there at verse 7, chapter 16. We know the Lord will add His blessing to the reading of His Word. We're going to be coming back to the latter verses of chapter 15 here this evening. Although those verses that we have read do explain a little bit more of what it is that we are thinking about, but we are going to be majoring upon verses 5 through to 8 of chapter 15. We're not going to read those again. We've just done so. But those are the four verses that we want to consider. We'll bow together in prayer. Ask the Lord tonight for His help. Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for Thy Word, and we pray now that as we come to consider it, Thou will open up Thy truth to us. Lord, apply Thy Word. How serious are these words that we have read and that we are coming to consider this evening. Lord, what a day is yet to come upon this world. And upon all who are ungodly, there is a day of account. There is a day of recompense. And we pray, Lord, that we might be those who escape that awful day, are found in Christ, and found there in safety and in deliverance. O Lord, have mercy this night upon us. Speak to us all, we pray. And may the Word of God be with power this night, for we ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. We thought about the prelude to the wrath of God being poured out in these seven vials, and that covers verses 1 to 4 of this chapter. And before the Lord was going to show John anything about the pouring out of these vials of wrath, He gives him that foresight of those who have gotten the victory over the beast, over his mark, over his image. those who are going to be delivered. They sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. They rejoice and they marvel. at the Lord's deliverance towards them. And it takes us back to those events that we have read of in Bible history when Israel came out of the land of Egypt, and God dealt with Pharaoh and his armies, and how Israel sang that song. You have the details of that song in Exodus chapter 15, and there's words in that song that have not yet to this night been fulfilled. We read a little of that song last Lord's Day evening and mentioned it, and certainly would encourage you to read it through and take note of some of those statements that are made in that song that Moses sang. And then Miriam went out with the women and sang as well, the same words. in repetition of what had already been stated. So we are transported back in a sense to those times, way back in Bible history to the days of the Exodus and to what took place on the banks of the Red Sea and how the Lord granted deliverance. And there are parallels here in what we come to think about now. beginning at verse 5 of Revelation chapter 15 and on into chapter 16, these vials of wrath that are going to be poured out. There are statements that are very similar that again would take us back to those times and to the plagues that came upon the land of Egypt. The plagues are significant. I have mentioned these before in going through the book of the Revelation, how the plagues are significant and that there are going to be a repetition of some of these. They were not standalone events way back there in the days of the Exodus and the history of Israel and Egypt. And that's it. That's as much as we refer to them. They're also prophetic. And again, as we come to this portion of Scripture, we're going to see that tonight. There are a people who are going to escape the vials of wrath. And before those vials are poured out, the Lord would have us to take note of those. And that's why you have verses 1 to 4 here in Revelation chapter 15. We were looking at those verses last Lord's Day evening. There is a people who are going to escape. The Lord will redeem a people and spare a people, just like he did with Israel out of Egypt. He redeemed the people there and brought them out and saw them through the Red Sea. And they stood watching what God did to their enemies. Well, that is going to be replicated again in a future day. There is a people who are going to be delivered. Now these verses 5, 6, 7, and 8 are an introduction to what really does follow on in the actual pouring out of the vials of wrath in chapter 16. So we're going to work our way through them. We're just going to take each verse here as it comes in chapter 15. And we're going to notice what it is that the Lord says to us about his word here about these times that are yet future. These are the last of the plagues. If you go back to Revelation chapter 15 verse 1, these seven angels appear having the seven last plagues, for in them is filled up the wrath of God. So these are the last plagues that the Lord is going to pour out upon the ungodly just prior to the coming of the Lord. And when we get through these, and then the Lord will give us a review of Babylon, we get to Revelation chapter 19 and His appearing. And there are things that He's going to do at His appearing. We know He's going to destroy Antichrist at His appearing. Antichrist is going to be alive, and through all of this, He's going to remain alive and active. He's not going to be destroyed until the Savior appears, and it's going to be the brightness of the Savior's coming. It's going to consume the man of sin. But these are the last plagues that are going to be poured out upon an ungodly and a sinful world, a world that is in rebellion against God, even more so than it is tonight. This world is in rebellion against God and has been for a long time. And as that day approaches, Psalm 2 tells us that there is going to develop an even greater spirit than there has ever been before, where they want to overthrow all the laws of God. They want to cast away His cords. They don't want to be bound or restricted as they see it in any fashion by the law of God. And it's interesting when we come here now, to Revelation chapter 15 and verse 5 here, and notice what it is that is opened and what the emphasis is upon, because the Lord is going to bring us back to His moral law, and He's going to bring us back to see that the judgments that are coming upon the world are coming upon the world in the light of what they have done against His moral law. God hasn't forgotten His law. There might be that spirit that is going to be among men and women where they want to cast away every semblance of restraint and command that God has given for our good. But God is going to emphasize here that this is going to be the very basis of judgment. These last plagues that are going to be cast out. Now, if you look there at verse 5 of Revelation chapter 15, it says, Now, that's a very specific statement. There are other places where it tells us about the temple being opened, for example. something just coming out of the temple. But here it is a very specific statement that is made, that behold John says, I saw the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven. It was opened. So there's something very, very specific that is found here. We can first of all tie that in with a few other places here. If you go back to the previous chapter in verses 15 and 17, you'll find there about an angel referencing an angel coming out of the temple. What there isn't is I developed a statement, as we have now, in chapter 15, verse 8. As I say, there's places where it tells us the temple in heaven was opened, or someone come out of the temple, as it mentions there in chapter 14, verses 15 and 17, about angels coming out of the temple. But when we come to chapter 15 and verse 8, or sorry, chapter 15 and verse 5, there is something very specific that is mentioned here. So what is it referring to? Well, that word testimony, if we pick up on that, is a reference to the moral law, to the summary of the moral law, the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments is not the sum total, Ten Commandments are a summary of God's moral law. The rest of that moral law is outlined for us in the Word of God and Exodus and Leviticus and Deuteronomy, other portions of Scripture as well, elaborate upon that. But as we know, the Ten Commandments were a summary given by the Lord to the nation of Israel, to all of mankind, because the law was written upon our hearts initially. When we were created, we had that knowledge written on our hearts, but that knowledge has been lost or corrupted and therefore It was given orally, and then Israel at Mount Sinai, it was given to them in a written fashion on two tables. And Moses was commanded that in the making of the tabernacle, he was to take those two tablets of stone and he was to put them inside the Ark of the Covenant. Now, the first set were broken. When Moses came down the mountain with Joshua and heard the people, they had turned to idolatry. They'd made the golden calf, and Moses cast down the two tables of stone, and they were broken. But the Lord rewrote those 10 commandments on a second set of tablets of stone. And those were to be put inside the Ark of the Covenant. And they became known as the Tables of Testimony. In Exodus chapter 31 verse 18, Exodus chapter 34 verse 29 are two references where you will find them called the tables of testimony. So when you think about that moral law and the summary of it, the Ten Commandments, that's the summary of the moral law, God in His Word calls them the tables of the testimony. And then we can go a little bit further in Scripture, because 11 times eleven times in the Old Testament, you will find that the Ark of the Covenant is actually referred to as the Ark of the Testimony. The Ark of the Testimony, because in that Ark, the Ark of the Covenant There were placed these two tables of stone, and on those two tables of stone were written the Ten Commandments. And somebody worked out how large two tables of stone you would need. I don't have them in an older Bible. I have it in the margin of my Bible of somebody who worked out, I remember reading it at the time, of some individual who worked out How large would two tables of stone have to be to have those Hebrew words written on either side of them? Could somebody carry them down the mountainside, in other words? Was it feasibly possible? Well, we believe it is. We don't have to set about proving it. But this individual did indeed set about proving it. How large two tables of stone would have to be that an individual like Moses would be able to carry them down the mountain, and then that they could be put inside the Ark of the Covenant? Perfectly possible. And as a result of that summary of the moral law, the tables became known as the tables of testimony. The Ark of the Covenant later then became known as the Ark of the Testimony. As I say, 11 times you find that term used. You actually even find it mentioned as the tabernacle of the testimony. The tabernacle of the testimony. So, there was a focus in on the testimony, and the testimony is the Ten Commandments on two tables of stone. Now, when we come here to Revelation chapter 15 and verse 5, and it tells us, John looked and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. Is the Lord emphasizing here His moral law? That which we have learned from Scripture as to what was called the testimony, the tables were called the testimony, the tablets of stone were called the testimony, the ark itself, the ark of the covenant itself was called the ark of the testimony. So in a sense, we are brought here into the very inner sanctum of heaven because the temple and the tabernacle on earth are a picture of Heaven above. Hebrews tells us that in a number of places. For example, chapter 9, verse 23, it was therefore necessary that the pattern of things in the heavens should be purified with these. So the tabernacle on earth was a pattern of the things that are in heaven. And it's the tabernacle in heaven here that is opened in Revelation 15 and verse 5. It's not a tabernacle on earth. It's a tabernacle in heaven. It's the testimony So we are coming right into the very inner sanctum of heaven. We have come into the holiest of all. We recognize that term. We have come into the holiest of all. And out of the holiest of all in heaven, there is going to proceed the seven angels. To them are going to be given the seven vials of wrath. And we're told that they are the seven last plagues. that are going to fall upon the world. God is going to judge the nations of the world according to His moral law. And we live in a day when that moral law is trampled underfoot, left, right, and center, where it is mocked and belittled and disregarded and even pulled down, physically sometimes actually pulled down. where it has been put up by previous generations in recognition of the importance of God's law as a standard by which we are to live. There's no salvation by keeping the law. We know that, we acknowledge that, but it is the standard by how we are to live. That's what God has given it to us for. It would have been a means of salvation if we could perfectly keep the law, but we cannot. We are sinners, all of us, by nature and by practice, and therefore there is no salvation tonight by keeping the law. We need a Savior, but the law is a pattern for life. The law is the standard by which men and women are going to be judged. And that is emphasized here, I believe. by this very specific statement that you have there in verse 5, that John saw the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven that it was opened, and out of the holiest of all in heaven, God sends these last plagues. Then on to verse 6, if we look there, it says, these seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, and then the description of their clothing is given. They're clothed in pure and white linen and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. So there has to be some significance in these statements as well. So out of this very inner sanctum, there comes what we could call priestly angels, in a sense, because they're clothed there in pure, bright linen, it tells us. They have their breasts girded with golden girdles. Now this is, in a way, a reference to the priests and how they were girded, even how Aaron was girded on the Day of Atonement, because he left off that outer set of garments, those garments that were beautiful in color, the purple, and blue, and scarlet, and they had gold running through it as well, and white linen as well, and the blue robe, and then the breastplate of righteousness, all of that was laid aside. And when Aaron went in on the holiest of all, he was only clothed with a linen garment and a linen girdle. That's how he went in to the holiest of all. And that's the picture that is given to us here of these seven angels, and they're coming out of the holiest of all in heaven, because what Aaron went into on earth was just a pattern of the heavens, and it tells us that these seven angels, they're clothed in pure and white linen, but they have got golden girdles. They've got golden girdles. They are superior creatures. They're superior creatures. They're clothed with golden girdles. They've come not out of some earthly tabernacle, even some earthly holiest of all. They've come out of the holiest of all in heaven to run this errand of judgment and wrath as God is going to cast out His wrath upon the world. So they reflect a higher temple. They reflect a holier administration. They reflect an errand that has sent them not from earth but from heaven to earth to come down into this world. Holy creatures are going to pour out God's holy wrath against sin. And then if we come on to verse 7, we learn here about one of these four beasts, give an instruction unto these seven angels. First of all, they give them the vials full of the wrath of God. And then when you go into chapter 16 in verse 1, you find the instruction that is given, go your ways, pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. So there is this instruction that is given. And maybe we need to stop for a moment here and think again about those four beasts that are mentioned there in verse 7. They are living creatures. They are different to the beast that is mentioned in chapter 13 as a title for Antichrist. That word, the beast, referring to Antichrist, is a word that means a devouring beast, a ferocious beast, a wild beast. That's not what this word here. This is a completely different word that is found here in chapter 15, verse 7, about the four beasts. There are four living creatures. We read about those living creatures in Ezekiel. We read about them as well in the opening part of the book of the Revelation. In fact, it's interesting because in chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 of Revelation, you read 15 times about those four beasts. And yet in the rest of Revelation, so from chapter 8 onwards, you only read about them three times. And here's one of them, chapter 15 and verse 7. There's an interesting divide here. that the majority, the vast majority of the mention of those four beasts is in the opening part of the book of the Revelation. In fact, they're put into those four chapters, 4, 5, 6, and 7. As I say, 15 times you will read about them in those four chapters, and yet only three times in the rest of the book. So what is the significance of those beasts or living creatures? Well, it's not the first time that they have played a part in the administration of God's judgments and justice. Turn back over to chapter 6, please, of Revelation. And here's one of those chapters where you read of them on a number of occasions. And if we just start there at verse 1 of chapter 6. In fact, this is where we started our studies. It was never my intention to develop this into any more than look at Revelation chapter 6. If you remember way back a good while ago now that we were just thinking about these four horsemen of the apocalypse. It's over a year ago because it was a storm in America. And they talked about apocalyptic scenes. And that's what made me think about the four horsemen of the apocalypse. So it has developed out of that. And we started at Revelation chapter six. And if you look at chapter six, verse one, it says there, and I saw when the lamb opened one of the seals and I heard as it were a noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, come and see. And as I say, if you go through these four chapters, beginning there at chapter, 4, 5, 6, and 7, 15 times you will find reference to these beasts that are mentioned. And they play a part. And here, at the beginning of the seven seals, they are found. Now we're jumping forward to chapter 15, and we're thinking about the seven vials of wrath. And they're found there at that time as well. And these beasts play an important part in the administration of God's judgments in the earth. We're really thinking about the seventh seal being opened. The six seals are covered there in chapter 6 of Revelation, as you will remember. And then you have to work your way on through to chapter 8 before we start to read about the seventh seal. And then we took in the seven trumpets that were mentioned here as well in this portion. And now we've come on chapter 15. We've come the whole way through. And we're reading here about seven vials of wrath. And the beasts are mentioned once again. So they play a part and the administration of God. They're separate from these angels. There's varying, if I could go back, I think I did say this at the time, but just to refresh your memory, there are varying opinions as to what is represented by these beasts. There's four of them that are mentioned. There's one thing that we can say about them, that they are tied into redemption. Because if you read in chapter 5 about them, they are a people. They are those who rejoice in being redeemed. So whatever they represent, they are separate from these angels that have come out from the very inner sanctum of heaven, from the holiest of all, and are given the vials of wrath. And then there's this one of these beasts that speak to them and give them a command. hasten to the earth and pour out these vials of wrath upon an earth that's worthy of the judgment of God because they've turned away from the Lord. there's mention made here of one of these beasts in chapter 15 and verse 7 and what command it is giving. The other thing that's important to notice there in verse 7 is the actual word vials and what we understand by that. Because maybe if I was to ask you tonight what do you understand by the English word vial, we might think of well something little and small, maybe something that's got a very small narrow neck on it. That's only going to let a little out of the time. Maybe that's our idea of a vial. Sometimes they talk about that word in medical circles of maybe a particular medicine or inoculation that's going to take place, and it's in a vial or whatever. And as I say, sometimes we might think that this is a very small little container, and it's got a very small little neck, and there's only a little of it's going to come out at one time. That's not the meaning of that word. In fact, it couldn't be any further away from the actual truth of that word, because that word, vile, has the idea in it of a shallow pan, a shallow pan. Like onto the golden bowls or basins that were found in connection with the tabernacle and the temple, we read about vessels that were made of gold. For example, in Exodus chapter 25 and verse 29, it says, and thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof to cover with all of pure gold shalt thou make them. The same thought is repeated in Exodus 37. So there is a picture in the tabernacle that we're thinking about here now when we come to Revelation 15. There was something that Moses was commanded to make, and Solomon later on as well, commanded to make that was part of the temple that is a reflection of the wrath of God that's going to one day fall upon the world, and it's going to be poured out. It's not going to trickle out. As I say, it's not a vial as we think it of a little narrow neck and some liquid that is in it, and it's only going to drip out or run out at a very slow pace. This is something that can be tipped out, something that can be overturned very quickly, and all of its contents cast out very quickly. That's the idea that is in this Word. And that's the idea that is in the wrath of God being poured out upon this world, because that very Word is used, poured out. These seven vials of wrath are going to be tipped out one after another upon this world, poured out in their fullness very quickly. That's how we are to understand this statement that you have there in this chapter where it mentions these vials. They're going to be poured out just like those basins that were used in tabernacle times, temple times, they actually had a handle on them, where somebody could take the handle and hold it, and have its contents full, and then just tip it. And I'll give you one example where that was used, because there were those times when drink offerings were offered in Old Testament times, and sometimes they were just poured out on top of a sacrifice on the altar, And the priest would come with one of those pans, basins, censers, whatever you would want to call them, as to use biblical language. But he would have a handle on a flat pan, and in that flat pan there would be that offering, that drink offering that was going to be offered to the Lord. And he would come over to the brazen altar, and he would just tip it on to the sacrifice. And it would be consumed in a moment. that sacrifice was being burdened and offered as a sacrifice unto the Lord. That's the word that is being used here. That's the word that is being used here, of a pan, a flat pan with a handle on it and its contents being poured out immediately, just tipped out. And that's what the Lord says He's going to do here someday on the world. Upon an ungodly, a wicked world, Let's move on to the last verse here. It says, the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power. No man was able to enter into the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. Again, that's going to take us back to Exodus. It's going to take us back to think about that day the Lord came down in Mount Sinai, and the mountain was fenced about. nobody was permitted to approach onto it. Moses was actually told to go down and warn the people a second time and make sure that none of them would break through, because if they did, they were going to be consumed, was the message that Moses had to convey to them. And the mountain was fenced around. That word is actually used there in Exodus. The mountain was fenced around in the sense that there was a warning, maybe even sentries set up People who were told, don't let anybody come beyond this point. If they do, they're going to be consumed. God has come down in His holiness upon this mountain, and if you approach unto Him, you're going to be consumed. That's the thought that is brought before us here in verse 8, this temple Out of it comes these priestly angels. They have been commissioned to go with these vials of wrath. They're going to pour them out upon the world, and it tells us there that that temple was filled with smoke. It mentions the smoke in Exodus 19 around that Mount Sinai when God came down to give His holy law. And here now, God is going to judge the nations according to that law. and the smoke fills his temple, such is his power and his glory." We can think as well about the dedication of the tabernacle, how that Moses was not able to enter in because of the cloud that filled it that day, the presence of God, the shekinah glory come down. You read about it in Exodus 40, when the tabernacle was set up and dedicated. Again, Solomon's temple, when it was dedicated, The priest could not minister. 1 Kings chapter 8 tells you that. The priest could not minister in that temple because of the presence of God that was in there. They were overcome. And here's a similar thought, men and women, that are given to us. The glory of God and the power of God is so overpowering, nobody can enter into this temple. Nobody can enter into this temple. There is a work that is to be done. And these angels hasten to do that work. But you know what the most important point to notice here is? Nobody can enter into that temple to make intercession. Nobody can enter in to make intercession. This is the hour of God's vengeance. God will not listen. There will be nobody able to plead for sinners then. There will be but the demands of His righteous indignation. Jeremiah speaks of a time when God will cover Himself with a cloud, and no prayer will reach Him. No prayer will reach Him. It's found in Lamentations chapter 3 and verse 44, that has covered thyself with a cloud that our prayer should not pass through. Jeremiah was speaking about the desolations of Jerusalem. We were speaking a little bit about those this morning. But in context of those desolations that came upon Jerusalem, Jeremiah says, the Lord so clothed Himself with a cloud that our prayer could not pass through. No prayer could get through to God. No pleading for God to go easy could ever get through. Is that the thought that is here presented to us in Revelation 15, verse 8, where it tells us that the temple was filled with the smoke of the glory and of His power, and no man was able to enter into that temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled? There's no intercession. There's no opportunity to plead. This is the time of His vengeance. the time of His wrath has come. How important it is to be ready, to be ready now to meet the Lord, to realize there is a day of account that is coming, and God is going to judge the world according to His moral law. Now is the time to flee to Christ. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold now is the day of salvation." You think about the contrast. It speaks about the gift of the Holy Spirit being poured out at a time when God sent out His truth. The gospel is to be preached. Souls are to be won for Christ. Forgiveness is to be given. But what about a time that will come as is represented here, and no prayer of intercession can get through to God. God clothes Himself with smoke and a cloud, and there's no intercession can get through, because God has come to the day of His vengeance, and it's going to be poured out without measure upon this earth. Are we not thankful that tonight there is mercy? We have not yet reached those days. There is opportunity now for sinners to press in and come to Christ and be saved. And may there indeed be those, even tonight, who will come, who will come and trust in Christ. I'll finish with this thought. You think about seven seals. You think about seven trumpets. Now we're thinking about seven vials. Each one of them is a step closer. It's as if God is focusing in closer and closer. When we started off there at the seal, as we said, it was a wide panoramic view of what was coming upon the world. Now we're narrowing in. There was the trumpets. Now we're narrowing into the vials of wrath. We're almost at the point of His coming. We're almost at the point of His coming. We're going to look at that chapter 16, God willing, next time, and see those seven vials poured out, and the lessons, because there's times along the way there that the angels stop and speak, and there are lessons along the way. Tonight, may we even take heed to the Word of God. Let's bow together in prayer. Our Father, write Thy Word upon our hearts. How solemn are these times, these words, Lord, how solemn a thought there comes a time when there's no intercession, no prayer that can get through to Thee, because it's the day of Thy vengeance and Thy wrath. Oh, we pray that men and women would flee to Christ, that we would pray for sinners, Lord, when our prayer can get through to heaven. We pray that we might be found faithful, even pleading for those who know not Christ. Have mercy, write Thy word upon our hearts. Make it a saving word tonight in some life. Bring them to Christ, we humbly pray. We ask in Jesus' name.