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LESSON 20 - CHAPTER 15:01-08
R E V E L A T I O N
Charles Caldwell Ryrie, p. 127-129
A Reminder
Charles C. Ryrie's [1996]
Book
REVELATION
Everyday Bible Commentary
Moody
Publishers
Chicago
ISBN: 978-0-8024-1825-8
(You Must Own your
own copy)
(Ryrie's book text is
not included in these lessons)
LAST JUDGMENTS
THE VISION
Chapters 15 and 16 of Revelation bring to
consummation the chronologically ordered events leading up to the second coming
of Christ (which is) described in chapter 19. These are introduced in this
chapter as “the seven last plagues” which are the divine judgments preceding the
second coming of Christ. As previously indicated, the chronological order of
events in Revelation is presented basically in the seven seals (6:1-17; 8:1).
The seventh seal includes all of the seven trumpets (8:1-9:21; 11:15-19). The
seven vials or bowls of divine judgment are included in the seventh trumpet.
From this it can be seen that the order of events is one of dramatic crescendo,
the seventh seal being all-inclusive of the end time events including the seven
trumpets, and the seventh trumpet including the events described in the seven
vials. The second coming of Christ follows this order of events immediately
after the seventh vial.[1]
CHAPTER 15
10.
Prelude to the Last Judgments 15:1-8
(A
Scene of Heaven)
a.
The Plagues 15:1
THE TEXT
Then I saw another sign in heaven,
great and marvelous,
seven angels
who had seven plagues,
which are the last, because
in them the wrath of God is finished.
Ryrie, Pg. 127 top
OUR COMMENT:
Here I will again state that the
Bible was ordered and originated by God. It was given to mankind to read – and
understand. We then should read our bibles like any other book or document that
was written for you and I to understand. Words and ideas are expressed in a way
so as to make it possible for us to read and understand the story and events
contained therein. Metafores and simalies are supposed to be obvious and their
meanings are part of the pictures presented by the author. The bible is not some
magical book that takes magicians and symbolic forecasters to understand. We are
to read it; think about what we read; dig deep (sometimes) into metafores and
symbols; so that we, as ordingary people that the world is made up of, and
understand what He wants us to know and change us. Therefore, do not believe
that it takes special people, with special knowledge and powers, who sit in
sheltered organizations, based in other places or countries to understand and
regulate how and why you should read and understand your bible. God gave it to
you to read and understand - period.
And thus this first verse points us to a time of real and powerful judgment upon
the world and its people… and then… Our Blessed Lord Jesus returns to this earth
to setup His Kingdom – and all of us who have believed in what God has required
you to know and believe – in your time in human history, will come with Him and
establish that Kingdom that was promised way back to Abraham, his descendants –
both physical and spiritual – as a blessing to the whole world.
b.
The People 15:2-4
(1.)
Their Identity 15:2
THE TEXT
2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and
Those
who had been victorious over
the beast and
his image and
the number of his name,
standing on the sea of glass,
holding harps of God.
Ryrie, Pg. 127 middle
OUR COMMENT:
“When the believers of the Church period are removed
at the beginning of the tribulation period their laver is seen as a sea of
crystal. Some of them may have suffered martyrdom, but the maintenance of their
fellowship was by the Word alone. In the tribulation period, the Lord has seen
fit to demand, for His honor and glory, that they maintain their fellowship at
the price of their sufferings. Their laver is crystal, mingled with fire.”[2]
1 Peter 1:7
Peter writes of the symbol of fire in this
connection:
“So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is
perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and
glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ
In the sea mingled with fire the Lord recognizes
these sufferings and commemorates the faithfulness of this martyr group in this
beautiful way.
(2.)
Their Activity 15:3-4
3 And they sing the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the
Lamb, saying,
“Great and marvelous are Your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty;
Righteous and true are Your ways,
King of the nations!
4 “Who will not fear,
O Lord, and
[who
will not] glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For all the nations
will come and
[will]
worship before You,
For Your righteous acts have been revealed.”
Ryrie,
Pg. 128 Middle
OUR COMMENT:
Exodus 15:1,2
“Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord,
for He is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
He has hurled into the sea.
2 “The Lord is my strength and my defense;
He has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise Him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”
Deuteronomy 32:3
“I will proclaim the name of the Lord.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
4 He is the Rock, His works are perfect,
and all His ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is He.”
PSALM 22
A Cry of Anguish and
a Song of Praise.
For the choir
director; upon Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.
22 My God, my God, why
have You forsaken me?
Far from my deliverance
are the words of my groaning.
2 O my God, I cry by
day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I have
no rest.
3 Yet You are holy,
O You who are enthroned
upon the praises of Israel.
4 In You our fathers
trusted;
They trusted and You
delivered them.
5 To You they cried out
and were delivered;
In You they trusted and
were not disappointed.
6 But I am a worm and
not a man,
A reproach of men and
despised by the people.
7 All who see me sneer
at me;
They separate with the
lip, they wag the head, saying,
8 “Commit yourself to
the Lord; let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him,
because He delights in him.”
9 Yet You are He who
brought me forth from the womb;
You made me trust when
upon my mother’s breasts.
10 Upon You I was cast
from birth;
You have been my God
from my mother’s womb.
11 Be not far from me,
for trouble is near;
For there is none to
help.
12 Many bulls have
surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan
have encircled me.
13 They open wide their
mouth at me,
As a ravening and a
roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like
water,
And all my bones are out
of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me.
15 My strength is dried
up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaves to
my jaws;
And You lay me in the
dust of death.
16 For dogs have
surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has
encompassed me;
They pierced my hands
and my feet.
17 I can count all my
bones.
They look, they stare at
me;
18 They divide my
garments among them,
And for my clothing they
cast lots.
19 But You, O Lord, be
not far off;
O You my help, hasten to
my assistance.
20 Deliver my soul from
the sword,
My only life from the
power of the dog.
21 Save me from the
lion’s mouth;
From the horns of the
wild oxen You answer me.
22 I will tell of Your
name to my brethren;
In the midst of the
assembly I will praise You.
23 You who fear the
Lord, praise Him;
All you descendants of
Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him,
all you descendants of Israel.
24 For He has not
despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His
face from him;
But when he cried to Him
for help, He heard.
25 From You comes my
praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows
before those who fear Him.
26 The afflicted will
eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will
praise the Lord.
Let your heart live
forever!
27 All the ends of the
earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of
the nations will worship before You.
28 For the kingdom is
the Lord’s
And He rules over the
nations.
29 All the prosperous of
the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to
the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep
his soul alive.
30 Posterity will serve
Him;
It will be told of the
Lord to the coming generation.
31 They will come and
will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be
born, that He has performed it.
c.
Their Preparation 15:5-8
THE TEXT
5
After these things
I looked, and
the
temple of the tabernacle of testimony
in
heaven was opened,
6 and
the seven angels who had the seven plagues
came
out of the temple,
clothed
in linen, clean and bright, and
girded
around their chests with golden sashes.
7 Then
one of the four living creatures gave
to the
seven angels
seven
golden bowls
full of
the wrath of God,
who
lives forever and ever.
8 And
the temple was filled with smoke from
the
glory of God and from His power; and
no one
was able to enter the temple
until
the seven plagues of the seven angels
were
finished.
Ryrie,
Pg. 128 Bottom
The Preparation, 15:5—8
OUR COMMENT:
There in heaven John sees the new heavenly temple. In it he sees the tabernacle
of the testimony (or witness) was the “Holy Place” (the Light stand, the
Showbread and the Incense Altar) and the Holy of Holies (The place of God with
the Ark of the Covenant holding the scroll of the “10 Commandments” which was
foretold by the portable, sacred tent built by the Israelites in the wilderness
to house the Ark of the Covenant, which held the "testimony"—the Ten
Commandments. The Tabernacle, serving as a visible symbol of God’s dwelling
place, represented His presence, holiness, and covenantal agreement with His
people.
For future reference:
Exodus 25 - Instructions for building the Ark and the Tabernacle.
Acts 7:44 – the “Temple of the tabernacle of testimony in Heaven.”
[1] John
F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (The Book), Moody Bible
Institute of Chicago, 1966, Pg. 225.
[2] Idid.
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