5/13/07 – 19LAW “The Seven Last Plagues” - Part 1
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Hello!  This is Richard Vaughn

Today’s message is “The Seven Last Plagues - Part 1”

Before we begin, let us seek God’s guidance, “Heavenly Father, as we study this most important subject regarding the seven last plagues, I pray that You bless those listening today with the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we pray for wisdom, knowledge and understanding so that we may live in the center of Your revealed will, as we ask in Jesus Name, Amen.”
Right now, I continue to keep my pledge, to cry aloud and spare not, to lift up my voice like a trumpet and to show God’s people where they are transgressing God’s law.
Today we will focus our study on Revelation’s seven last plagues as found in Revelation chapters 15 & 16. First let us read the most solemn warning ever given in the entire Bible, a warning for the very generation in which we are living, and that is found in Revelation 14:9, 10. “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; …” 

Here is the last plea to rebellious planet earth and the Christian church in particular. I sense the firmness of God in this warning, but also the pity God has for His followers that do not sense the impending destruction, both to the world and their very own souls.

It is like Jesus when He wept over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37, 38. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”
	
The time is 31 A.D. and the hour was drawing close to the Lamb of God to shed His innocent blood for those who will be numbered in the redeemed. For many centuries God strove with Israel, but the prophets were killed and now the Son of God, the Messiah they had long waited for, would yield His life, and the probation for the Jews would find its final hour in only 3-1/2 years hence. But sadder still was the fact that the city Jerusalem, in less than 40 years, would be totally destroyed by the Roman armies, along with over a million of the city’s residents.

The impassioned plea of Jesus brings us to the confession of God found in Ezekiel 33:11, “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”   
Don’t ever believe for a minute that the virus of sin will ever be taken to heaven. We must gain the victory over sin and God provides that heavenly power to do just that. We just finished Revelation’s 7 churches and consistently we read that the reward is to the overcomers. But Satan has the Christian church today believing that they will sin right up to the second coming of Jesus, and some how be made perfect. That is an overwhelming deception as so many believe it.

We who have Jesus as our Savior are Abraham’s seed according to the promise, and therefore the message “turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” is a message to our very souls.

If we receive the mark of the beast and our sympathies rest with the Sunday keeping majority, we will fall pray to the wrath of God, poured out without mixture. Without mixture means that God’s grace and mercy is no longer attainable or available. No plea for mercy shall be heard by the three dignitaries of the heavenly Godhead.

Revelation 15:1 “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.”

“…another sign in heaven…” This additional sign is in reference to the sign in Revelation 12:1 “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven…” The word sign and wonder are from the same Greek word ‘semeion’. In both cases John sees the sign in heaven. Since He is in vision, this heaven is not the third heaven where God’s throne is, but is most likely the atmospheric heaven where birds fly. “great and marvellous, …” is in reference to its far reaching effects. “… seven angels having the seven last plagues …” Although these are the last plagues to fall on man before the second coming, the destruction of sin, sinners, Satan and his angels will yet be 1,000 years in the future. “… is filled up …” From the Greek word ‘teleo’ which means ‘to finish,’ ‘to execute,’ ‘to perform,’ ‘to accomplish.’ The seven last plagues are the special punishment reserved for the worshippers of the beast and his image and each plague has special significance. “… the wrath of God.” Men who drink of the wine of the wrath of Babylon’s fornication, (embracing her false doctrines), will most certainly drink of the wine of the wrath of God.

Revelation 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.” 

“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: …”As John describes this sea of glass in his best terms, he is no doubt speaking about the clear crystal all are standing on and with the glory of God penetrating the clear crystal and reflecting the colors of the 12 foundations John sees it as 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, …” Though there are multitudes of the redeemed from many centuries, he in particular notes this special group of redeemed who responded to the final everlasting gospel message of the three angel’s messages of Revelation chapter 14, and took their stand of loyalty to God and did not fear for their own safety, even when the death penalty was enacted. Now they are victorious in Jesus and they stand in absolute safety in God’s presence on the sea of glass, singing the anthem of victory.

Revelation 15:3 “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.”

“… the song of Moses …” was a song of victory as God delivered Israel from the Egyptians after they crossed the Red Sea. The new song will be a song of victory as God delivered spiritual Israel from the tyranny of “Babylon the Great.”

Revelation 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.” The message of the first angel of Revelation 14 was, “Fear God, and give glory to him …” Fear in this sense does not to be unduly afraid, rather to give God His due worship with reverential awe. We should fear only that we displease Him by rejecting His law and walking in paths of our own choosing. The saints that John sees here have heeded the appeal and their pilgrimage is over, as they now stand in God’s presence to join in this wonderful ascription of praise to the glory of God.

Revelation 15:5 “And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: …”

“… the temple …” referring to the most holy place. “… tabernacle of the testimony …” or “tent of the witness”
Numbers 17:7 “And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.” This is without doubt referring to the most holy place.

Revelation 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.”

“the seven angels came out of the temple,” These are the same seven angels in verse 1. 

“… clothed in pure and white linen …” White garments are the usual attire of celestial beings. Matt. 28:3; Luke 24:4; Acts 1:10.

Revelation 15:7 “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.”

“And one of the four beasts…” The description of the four beasts is given in Revelation 4:6-8 and they closely resemble those of Ezekiel’s vision in Ezekiel 1:5-26; 10:20-22.

 “…vials…” The Greek word is “phialai” meaning bowls or basins.

Revelation 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.”

“… and no man was able to enter …” Literally means the time for intercession is past; no one can enter and have access to the mercy seat, the time of preparation is over, now the time has come for the pouring out of the unmingled wrath of God; unmingled with mercy.

Well time is up for this week. Next week “The Seven Last Plagues” – Part 2. If you would like to worship with seventh day Sabbath-keepers, come to the Victory Seventh Day Adventist Church in South Hill at 117 W. Danville Street, in the old Citizens Bank building, just a couple doors from the library.
Until next week, Jesus said in John 5:39, “Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me”. Come Lord Jesus.