Revelation Chapter 15

The Doctrine of Endless Punishment

1) He can indulge it and allow it to go on forever. But in that case all the cruelty, injustice, hatred, pain, and death that now prevails on the earth will go on forever, too. God does not want that and neither does man.

2) God can force man to obey and control the human race as if it were an assemblage of automata. However, removing our free will would also take away our capacity to give our love to God freely. Love cannot be forced.

3) God’s only real choice: He must withdraw Himself from those who refuse His love. He must let them have their own way forever. Since God is necessary for our existence, the decision to reject God is a decision to plunge ourselves into the most terrible sense of loneliness and isolation a human being can know—and to endure this eternally, without any hope. Physical death is the separation of the soul from the body. Spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God Himself.

Ultimately: It is we ourselves who choose whether God will judge us. It is we ourselves who decide either to accept or refuse His grace, love, and forgiveness. It is we ourselves who choose everlasting life—or everlasting death.

Rev 15:1 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.

Seven angels with seven plagues. Chapter 14 seemed to describe the consummation of all things; but now John will go back and describe God's judgment in more detail. This idea of stating and re-stating in more detail is common with prophecy, and with Hebrew literature in general (see Genesis 1:1-2:7 and Genesis 2:8-25). "As is the plan of the prophet, he reviews, he recapitulates, he enlarges upon the scene he has already sketched". Remember, we already "saw the end" in Revelation 6:12-17; then John took us over the same material in greater detail again.

The idea of the seven last plagues bringing the judgment of God is also in Leviticus 26:21: Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins. The Greek word for God's wrath is thymos here; this is God's anger burning hot against a Jesus-rejecting world. Again, as we saw in 14:10, there are two words for anger in Biblical Greek: thymos (a volatile, passionate anger) and orge (anger from a settled disposition). Orge is the more common word for God's anger in the New Testament; thymos is used only 11 times, and 10 of the 11 are in Revelation. Complete (etelesthe) means "to reach an end or an aim"; here, the "hot" wrath of God will fulfill an eternal purpose; God isn't just blowing off steam.

Rev 15:2 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.

A multitude on the sea of glass. The sea of glass is mingled with fire; perhaps this is either a reminder of the "fires" of judgment, or of red color (with it an allusion to the Red Sea and the deliverance from bondage?) Images from the Exodus abound in this chapter; we see plagues, a red sea, Moses, the tabernacle, and the Shekinah cloud of glory. Who are these people? They are those who are victorious over the beast through their faithfulness unto death; they are the tribulation martyrs, described in Revelation 7:9-17. They are not those who survive the tribulation; as much as we can discern any sort of chronology from Revelation, we are still very much in the tribulation - the bowl judgments still are waiting. Therefore, even though they are killed by the beast, they have the victory over the beast - they are not losers. The early church consistently described the day of martyrdom as "a day of victory".

This multitude is standing on the sea of glass; on (epi) can mean on, over or beside; if the sea of glass is a physical representation of the Word of God (connecting to the idea of the tabernacle's laver and the washing of water by the word [Ephesians 5:26]), perhaps we could say that these saints are "standing on the Word". They also have harps of God; the only people we saw with harps before were the twenty-four elders (Revelation 5:8); these tribulation martyrs are given the blessing of helping to lead the worship music in heaven.

Rev 15:3 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.
Rev 15:4 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.

Their song of praise. Only one song is sung, but there is reference made to two titles (the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb); thus, the two titles refer to a single song. Here is a perfect union between law and love; between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. This song, deeply rooted in the Old Testament, gives praise to: God's works; God's ways; God's worthiness; and God's worship. Their focus is purely on God; not even on their own costly and glorious victory.

Rev 15:5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
Rev 15:6 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.

Seven angels, distinctively clothed. These angels will bring forth the judgment of God; it is significant that they come directly from His throne (which is in the heavenly temple). Their clothing (pure bright linen . . . their chests girded with golden bands) is a reminder that God's judgment is always completely pure and righteous. They are note like the modern anti-hero or vigilante, who sinks to the level of the criminal he fights.

Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8 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.

The bowls are given; the Shekinah glory fills the temple. The bowls described here are a broad, flat bowl or saucer used ritually for drinking or for pouring libations; the contents of a shallow bowl were quickly, easily, and completely poured out. When the cloud of glory fills the temple in heaven, no one can enter; even as Moses could not enter the Tabernacle when the smoke of the Shekinah glory filled the tent (Exodus 40:34-35). A declaration that judgment is now irreversible; nothing can hinder it any more - access to this temple in heaven will not long be denied! The cloud comes from the glory of God and from His power; this is a reminder of God's special presence and glory, even in the midst of devastating judgment.

These seven angels with these seven bowls make it clear that these judgments proceed from God, not man’s mistakes or Satan’s enmity.

Beware the Wrath of the Lamb!