THE GLORIOUS TRIUMPH OF CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH

THE GLORIOUS TRIUMPH OF CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH BY THE GOSPEL

Lesson #25 Revelation 15:1-8

Things look very bad now. False religion abounds on every side. Papacy has risen again to the position of prominence and acceptability throughout the world. The idolatrous superstitions of Rome have become acceptable and pleasing, even in those churches which were born in the great Reformation under the leadership of Luther, Calvin, and Knox. The poisonous errors of Pentecostalism have spread throughout the world, to the ruin of millions of unsuspecting souls. The doctrines of easy-believism, decisionism, free-willism, and works salvation, parading through the world under nearly every denominational name, have spread darkness throughout the world. And liberalism, in its many pompous forms, continues to sway the minds of multitudes who are ready to embrace anything other than the Word of the living God. Add to these heresies the increased acceptability of Islam, Judaism and the mystic religions of the world, and one might almost sink in utter despair. The world today is more religious than it has ever been in history. But the world today is more godless than it has ever been in history. As always in history, the more popular false religion is, the more perverted society is. The more men preach up the free-will of man, good works, and law, the more man exercises his free-will to do evil and live in lawlessness. It appears that we are living in that day when God’s true witnesses lie as dead men on Main Street in the City of False Religion, which is called Sodom and Egypt (11:7-8). The religion of the world appears to have trodden down the holy city of our God. It seems that satan has been loosed out of his prison for a little season to once again deceive the nations of the world (20:7). The time of apostasy has come (II Thess. 2:1-12). But there is no cause for despair.

There’s a better day coming! The Spirit of life from God shall once again enter into his church. His faithful witnesses shall once again stand forth upon their feet. And by the power of the gospel we preach fear shall fall upon our enemies (11:11). The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church of God. Truth shall prevail at last. Without political force, without legislative power, without carnal weapons of any kind, the cross of Christ, the simple preaching of free-grace by God’s appointed, all-sufficient Substitute, shall destroy the religion of antichrist. Babylon and all her daughters shall fall like dominoes before Zion, by the mighty arm of the Lord, when the everlasting gospel is preached "unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" (14:6). This is the great and marvelous sign which John saw in heaven and describes for us in Revelation 15:1-8. This vision, like the ones before it, runs throughout this entire age. It gradually builds up to and culminates in the last days immediately preceding our Lord’s glorious second advent. Throughout the vision John is telling us "There is a better day coming!" In the end, Christ and his church shall triumph and be victorious over antichrist and all false religion by the gospel.

JOHN DESCRIBES THE PREPARATION OF GOD’S WRATH IN VERSE ONE. God’s acts of judgment are not sudden outbursts of passionate fury. Judgment is always the just and righteous retribution of God upon men and women who, by their sinful rebellion and unbelief, have ‘filled up the wrath of God." These seven last plagues which John saw poured out upon the world were, in his mind’s eye, acts of astonishing wrath and justice. This sign in heaven is the sign of our Lord’s approaching advent and of the destruction of antichrist (II Thess. 2:11). It is called a "great" sign because it speaks of great things: the fall of Babylon; the glory of Christ’s church and kingdom, and the ultimate triumph of Christ and his church. It is a "marvelous" thing indeed when we realize that the means by which these things shall be accomplished is that very thing which the world most despises - the preaching of the gospel! As the walls of Jericho fell by the sounding of rams’ horns, antichrist and the empire of false religion shall fall by the preaching of Jesus Christ and him crucified.

The "seven angels having the seven last plagues" are gospel preachers, representatives and spokesmen for the church of God. They come out of the church, the temple of God (v. 6). Antichrist shall be destroyed by the preaching of the gospel, not by political power, not by civil legislation, but by the preaching of the gospel. The "seven last plagues" are the judgments of God upon the wicked and unbelieving, by which their eternal ruin is forever sealed. They are called the "last plagues" because they are God’s last dealings with the wicked and impenitent upon the earth; and they will result in the final, eternal ruin of all who refuse to repent. God almighty will not trifle with those who trifle with his Son and the gospel of his grace. When sinners harden their hearts against Christ, God responds by hardening their hearts to the gospel. And gospel hardened sinners cannot repent (Prov. 1:22-33; Rom. 1:24; II Cor. 2:14-16; I John 5:16). Once a person has filled up the measure of the wrath of God by willfully rejecting and despising the gospel of his grace, he is past all hope. The door is shut! His doom is certain. For such reprobate souls, the wrath of God is prepared!

IN VERSES 2-4 JOHN SAW THE VICTORY OF GOD’S CHURCH. Without question, these verses may be applied to the glory and triumph of Christ’s church in heaven. But in the context, they speak directly about the triumph and victory of God’s church in this world by faith in Christ and by the preaching of the gospel. Notice the threefold description the apostle gives of God’s saints in this world. First, and foremost, John saw in the church of God "a sea of glass mingled with fire." There is an allusion here to the brazen sea in the temple and the laver of brass in the tabernacle (II Kings 25:13; Ex. 30:18), in which the priests were required to wash before entering upon the service of God in his house. This "sea of glass" represents the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. All of God’s people stand before him upon the basis of Christ’s blood atonement. It is compared to a "sea" because of its abundance and efficacy. It is called a "sea of glass" because in it we are able to see clearly the fullness of free justification, the pardon of our sins, and the basis upon which God can be both just and the justifier of all who trust his Son (Rom. 3:24-26). It is called a sea of glass "mingled with fire." because of the fires of God’s wrath which Christ endured as our Substitute. When he was made to be sin for us (II Cor. 5:21), the Son of God endured all the vehement fire of God’s wrath against our sin and drowned the sins of his people in the depth of the sea of his own precious blood! This, and this alone, is the basis of our acceptance with God!

Then, John saw "them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name." They got the victory over the beast by standing "on the sea of glass," that is, by the blood of the Lamb, by their close, constant, persevering adherence to the gospel of Christ. Antichrist could not deceive them or destroy them because: (1) They were chosen by God the Father, whose purpose of grace cannot be frustrated (II Thess. 2:13-14); (2) They were redeemed by God the Son, whose blood cannot be shed in vain (Gal. 3:13); and (3) They were called and sealed by God the Holy Spirit, whose grace is irresistible and effectual (Eph. 1:13-14). Hence it is written, "We are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Rom. 8:32-39).

Even in the midst of trials, troubles, and persecutions, all God’s saints are full of praise in their hearts, "having the harps of God." Their hearts are in excellent frame, turned, and inclined by God to sing his praise and show forth his glory. Believers are people who in their hearts celebrate the praises of God with joy and gratitude, giving thanks always and for all things (Eph. 5:20; I Thess 5:16-18; Phil. 3:3). The obvious allusion is to the children of Israel, led by Moses, singing and dancing beside the Red Sea as Pharaoh and the Egyptians were drowned (Ex. 15:1-21). Like them, we do and we shall give praise to our God for the defeat of all our spiritual enemies (the world, the flesh, and the devil), the redemption of our souls by the blood of Christ, God’s paschal Lamb sacrificed for us (I Cor. 5:7; Rev. 5:9-10), all his great and mighty works of providence and grace, and as our sovereign, mediatorial King. He is the "King of saints." And, as the word implies, he is also the King of all nations and the King of all ages. Our Savior is the almighty Sovereign of the universe (John 17:2). We give praise to him by ascribing to him alone all reverence, glory, holiness, righteousness, and worship (v. 4).

VERSES 5-8 SHOW US OUR LORD’S INSTRUMENTS OF JUDGMENT. The basis of judgment is twofold: the law of God and the gospel of his grace. It proceeds from the very throne of God, the mercy-seat (v. 5). Those who have violated God’s law and despised the blood of his dear Son shall not be spared his wrath. The instruments of judgment are gospel preachers (v. 6). God will judge those who hear and refuse to believe the gospel by the gospel (Rom. 2:16; Heb. 13:17). Indeed, as the gospel is preached, sinners are judged by it (II Cor. 2:14-16), and the messengers of God are binding the tares for the burning (Matt. 13:30). The pure, white linen garments with which these messengers are clothed is the righteousness of Christ by which they are accepted of God and which they proclaim to and wear before men. The golden girdle with which they are girded and strengthened is the love of Christ and the grace of God bestowed upon them in him. The vials of wrath are the judgments of God upon those who refuse to repent and believe the gospel (v. 7). They are vials, that is, measured bowls of wrath. The wrath of God shall be in exact proportion to the sins of men, measured by divine justice. They are golden vials, symbolic of righteousness and truth. They are full of wrath. They are temporal judgments which result in eternal judgment. Those against whom judgment is passed in this world in judicial reprobation shall forever suffer the wrath and judgment of God in the world to come (Luke 13:24-25). Be sure you do not miss the lesson of verse 8 - Though judgment falls upon the wicked, the church of God shall be filled with the power and glory of God in the last day. In that day, our God will reveal himself gloriously. His glory will be our defense, which will keep our enemies from entering into and destroying the church. The wicked shall not intrude into heaven’s kingdom (Rev. 21:27). The saints of God will make no intercessions for the damned, once judgment is passed (Jer. 7:16; Rev. 19:1-6). And when John tells us that the seven last plagues shall be fulfilled, he is assuring us that God’s judgment upon antichrist shall be fully accomplished by the gospel of his grace. The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church and kingdom of our God. The gospel shall be triumphant at last. When Christ, the King of Saints, is revealed in his ultimate glory, when he has at last conquered all his enemies, all nations and people shall bow before him and acknowledge that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:9-11). Every knee shall bow to the Son of God. If we bow to him now in humble faith, we are saved by his grace. But if you bow only when you are forced to do so, in the terror of his wrath, you shall be damned forever!

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