Episode 21: Revelation Chapter 15 – Final Judgement Escalates

 

You can watch the video of the study tonight between 8pm and 9pm AEST here. 

In our last study we saw how the city of God was standing in opposition to the city of this world, really it is standing in defiance of this world and proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ to be the true King. On Mt Zion stood the redeemed people of God, singing and praising the lamb, the righteous people of God made clean in his site. Their souls, their bodies have been made pure. Like the virgin bride of Israel was always meant to be. Opposing God's people is the city of Babylon, the whore, the centre of rejection and hatred for God. “Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the Great!” The surety of the defeat of Babylon is so certain that the angel speaks of it in the past tense.

Tonight, we are going to begin to evaluate the chapters that show the escalating judgement on Babylon. A lot of what we speak of tonight is going to harken back to what we read in chapter 14, so if you missed that study go back and watch it before you watch this session.

Chapter 13 shows the escalation of the beast's powers and the rest of Revelation shows how that power is unwound. 

Before we get into our questions, though, lets evaluate some of the imagery and theology behind this passage.

Old Testament Imagery

First let’s evaluate some of the Old Testament imagery behind the passage. This passage draws heavily from the Exodus and the Prophets.

1.      The Sea of Glass Mingled with Fire (v. 2): This may echo the Red Sea (Exodus 14-15). The Red Sea was the place of God's judgment upon Pharaoh's army (the fire of His wrath) and the place of salvation and deliverance for Israel (the sea they crossed on dry ground). Here, the "sea of glass" represents the stable, transcendent platform of God's throne room (cf. Ezekiel 1:22), now mixed with the "fire" of His purifying judgment. It could also echo the “sea” that was built to sit out the front of the temple, which was filled with water, and sat out the front of the temple for the priests to wash themselves in (1 Kings 7:23-26).

2. The Song of Moses (v. 3): This is a direct reference to the song sung by Moses and the Israelites after their deliverance through the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-18). That song celebrated God's victory over a specific earthly enemy (Pharaoh). In Revelation, this song is combined with the "song of the Lamb," celebrating a greater, cosmic victory over the ultimate enemy (the Beast/Satan). The fact that Revelation is referring to Moses’ victory over Egypt here is significant considering what is said in Revelation 11:8, and what is going to come next in chapter 16.
3. The Sanctuary / Tent of Witness (v. 5): This is the "tabernacle of testimony" (or "tent of meeting") from the wilderness wanderings (Exodus 40). It was the place where God's presence dwelt and where Moses would meet with Him. John sees the heavenly, true counterpart to this earthly tent being opened, signifying that the judgments to come originate directly from God's holy presence.
4. The Seven Angels with Golden Bowls (v. 6-7): The "golden bowls" (phialas) are shallow bowls used for libations in the temple. This imagery is drawn from the prophetic tradition where the "cup of God's wrath" is a symbol of judgment (Jeremiah 25:15-16; Ezekiel 23:31-34; Isaiah 51:17). The number seven signifies completeness and divinity.
5. The Sanctuary Filled with Smoke (v. 8): This powerfully recalls the dedication of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 8:10-11) and, more specifically, the Tabernacle, where the glory of God in the form of a cloud would descend, preventing even Moses from entering (Exodus 40:34-35). It signifies the overwhelming, holy, and terrifying presence of God as He prepares to act in judgment.

New Testament Imagery

The New Testament imagery builds upon the Old Testament foundation, reinterpreting it through the lens of Christ's work and the Church's experience.

1.      The Conquerors of the Beast (v. 2): These are the faithful believers, the martyrs and those who refused to worship the Beast or take his mark (Revelation 13). Their victory is not achieved through military power but through faithful witness (martyrdom) and the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 12:11). They are now in a state of triumphant, heavenly rest.

2. The Song of the Lamb (v. 3): This is a distinctly Christian development. The song is not just about deliverance from physical slavery (like Moses' song) but about redemption from sin and death through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Lamb (Revelation 5:9-10). It merges the story of Israel with the story of the Church, showing that God's saving acts in Christ are the ultimate fulfillment of the Exodus. This is vital to understand that all of the saving events in the Old Testament are a shadow pointing to the fulfilment in Christ.
3. The Harps of God (v. 2): Harps are associated with David, the original image of the Messiah in the Old Testament and are specifically seen in the hands of the 24 elders around the throne (Revelation 5:8). This connects the martyrs to the ongoing worship of heaven.
4. The Completion of God's Wrath (v. 1, 8): A key New Testament theme is the certainty and finality of God's judgment, which is held back until the proper time (Romans 2:5; 2 Peter 3:7-10). The phrase "with them the wrath of God is finished" signals the final, culminating act of judgment before the establishment of the new heaven and new earth.

Chapter 14 told us that Babylon is fallen, chapter 15 is going to begin to tell us how. But note this as we go forward, the language again here is the language of triumph, not of uncertainty. The victory of God is assured.

Let’s now examine our study questions 

1. Why is this passage so similar to chapter 14? What is going on here? 

 

2. If this is happening in the tribulation, which part of it are we in now according to verse 1? Can you think of any other part of history that this can refer to?

 

3. Who are these people standing here with harps? Are they the same people as 14:2? Or are they a different group.

 

4. What is the song of Moses (cf. Exodus 15, Deuteronomy 31:30-32:1-43).

 

5.  What are the contents of the song in verses 3-4? Could we say that this is the song of the lamb?

 

6. In verses 5-6 we get this description of Angels dressed in white, with golden sashes around their chests carrying the seven final plagues? Why are they described such a way do you think?

 

7. Why is verses 7-8 so similar to the end of Chapter 14?