Bible Study - Revelation FIFTEEN

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We're in Revelation 15.

And this is relatively a short chapter, but it still has a very powerful punch to it before things really kick into an accelerated event of things from 16, 17, 18, and 19.

Revelation 15 serves as an introduction to the final series of judgments known as the Bull Judgments, B-O-W-L, which are fully described in Revelation 16.

And although Revelation 14 concluded with the harvest of the earth and the certainty of God's judgment, Revelation 15 is going to pause to provide a heavenly perspective before those judgments are poured out.

And this is a theme, by the way, that we should at this point should not be that surprised by.

Reveals the worship of God's victorious people in heaven.

And it prepares, number two, it prepares the reader for the final outpouring of God's wrath on a rebellious world.

So we're going to see this victory, but we're also going to see this preparation because God's wrath is coming.

The book of Revelation often follows a pattern of introducing an event, then returning to provide additional details, which is why we've seen this pattern where we're here, but suddenly we'll be thrown to the future and then we'll be thrown back.

It's this kind of constant back and forth.

It reminds us a little bit as Genesis gives an overview of creation before revisiting certain details.

The book of Revelation frequently expands on previously introduced events as well.

So chapter 15 is going to remind us that before God's final judgment falls, heaven is going to declare that his judgments are righteous.

They are just and they are deserved.

Now, that's an interesting thing to take in consideration.

Why does heaven declare that these judgments are righteous, just, and deserved?

Well, you know, in the natural side of it, if we're dealing with some form of justice, we don't always feel like it's righteous, it's just or deserved.

If you've ever seen a court case or, you know, one way or the other, it's according to how your views are, you may feel one way.

Well, naturally, the earth is going to feel like we're being punished for no reason.

Well, they're not being punished for no reason.

The punishment is rebellion.

And in a, at this point in time, a really miraculous way, after everything that we've seen happen, it seemed like everybody would fall down on their knees and say, Lord, I worship you.

But that's not the case.

An overall theme of this chapter is God's final judgments are not acts of uncontrolled anger, but the righteous completion of his holy purposes against the world that has persistently rejected him.

This will, believe it or not, this falls in that category where people will want to try to pull what they've always pulled.

This is the Old Testament God.

You're believing in an Old Testament God, an angry God, and God's not angry anymore.

God's in a good mood.

Y'all ever have conversations with people like that?

And it's it's like, oh my gosh.

You know, yes, God is in a good mood.

He is a good, good father, but he still hates sin.

And he hates rebellion, and he hates liars and deceivers and manipulators, and and I mean, that scripture doesn't change.

Verse 1.

15, verse 1.

And 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.

So John sees these seven angels having the seven last plagues.

These judgments represent the final phase.

The word last here does not necessarily mean the final event, but it does mean the final series of judgments.

The seals, if we remember, the seals introduced judgment, the trumpets intensified judgment, and now the bowls are going to complete judgment.

And if you just think of it in this way, when you've heard if you've ever heard the terminology, God is going to pour out his wrath on mankind, this is where this is going to come from.

What is in those bowls, eventually you'll see being poured out.

And so this is where the terminology originates.

So John calls this a great and a marvelous sign, which indicates this is probably pretty significant.

Because it'd be one thing to say, I saw a great sign in heaven.

It's another thing to identify it as marvelous.

I mean, for us, we would look at Christmas trees and Christmas lights and go, oh, that's so marvelously beautiful.

I don't think John was necessarily going on that kind of marvelous, but he's driving a point here.

In Revelation 12, we were introduced to the signs involving the woman, the child, and the dragon.

And now Revelation 15 is going to introduce us into major prophetic sign.

If we remember from last week, Revelation 14, we have to bring back the history to a climax.

And now we're going to take a step back and expand some of the details a little bit.

For example, throughout the book of Revelation, you would read Revelation 6, but you would also find bits of what was in Revelation 6, you find it in 8 all the way through 19.

In Revelation 11, we also found it in Revelation 12 and 14.

And in Revelation 14, we're going to see it in Revelation 15 and 16.

Now, why is that important to know?

Because, yes, thank goodness we have chapters and verses.

Oh, thank goodness we do.

I'm a huge fan of chapters and verses.

I'm a huge fan of that.

But we have to remember this was not written in chapters and verses.

So the reason for us, it can be a little confusing because our American mindset is new chapter.

Last chapter ended all things, new chapter, new story.

But if you remember, this is not only a common theme in Revelation, this is a common theme through a lot of the Bible, where one chapter appears to end, but it's actually a continuation.

And you're actually getting more context if you won't start and stop and start and stop.

So we have to remember when John is writing this, John's not writing what he sees and then goes, oh, this will be a good place to stop, and then I'll start a whole new vision in this part.

That's not the way that it's working in this.

I'm saying this because we have to understand Revelation 4, all the way forward, is one massive scene for him.

So there's a lot of back and forth, but it's only back and forth for us.

For him, it's like watching a movie.

Have you ever watched a movie before where you're set in, you know, 2020, and then all of a sudden it goes back to 1985, but you're watching a movie made in 2020, and then all of a sudden it jumps to 1993, and then you're back in night, you go from 1993, maybe to 1943.

It's like, can we not just stay with a timeline?

I mean, do y'all ever have issues with movies like that?

It's the same thing here.

This can be an issue if we allow it to be.

It's why we have to constantly take a step back and look.

So the book is not arranged in some kind of chronological order.

Instead, John is frequently revisiting different perspectives, and God reveals prophetic truths in layers which expands details at his purpose, not our purpose.

We have to remember that revelation is not simply a timeline, it is an unveiling of God's purpose from multiple perspectives.

But I get it, we want to read it and we want to go where are we at on the timeline?

And if you remember, you can't always nail it where you're at unless you have a specific number or a specific amount of time that is given.

For example, remember when it says, and they were there for 1260 days.

We know that for a fact to be three and a half years.

Well, was that at the beginning or is that halfway through?

Then we can kind of figure out where we're at on that.

Which is another reason why we have to remember that if anyone says, I know that Jesus is coming back on this date at this time, number one, they're a liar.

Number two, don't drink the Kool-Aid.

Because scripture is clear, no one knows the day nor the hour, not even the Son of God himself.

So I don't care what guy or what woman or what individual has a dream, a vision, whatever, if they say they know, they're not more special than the son.

The son knows the moment that the father says, now, or go get them, or let's roll.

I don't know what he says.

I don't know exactly, you know.

Uh, you know, maybe he may be a college football fan, he goes, seek them.

You know, I don't know.

Um that's neither here nor there.

But so John says, in the wrath, in them, the wrath of God is complete.

The Greek word here is thymos.

T-H-Y-M-O-S.

The Greek word for wrath is thymos.

It describes intense wrath, passionate judgment, and holy indignation.

Now, this is a different word from another Greek word that is often used in the Bible for wrath, which is O-R-G-E, orj.

That Greek word for wrath emphasizes that God's settled and righteous opposition to sin.

So now we're being introduced to a completely different word for wrath, which gives you or should give you an eye and understanding that no one has seen anything like this.

God's wrath is not emotional instability.

It's never impulsive, it's never uncontrolled, and it's never vindictive.

It's hard to wrap around our minds, but God's wrath is always holy, righteous, and just contrary to popular opinion, the bold judgments are not God losing his temper.

Again, they are the completion of his righteous response to persistent rebellion.

So when it says complete, what exactly does that mean?

That word means to bring to fulfillment, it means to accomplish a purpose.

And it means to reach an intended end.

So God's judgments here serve his eternal purpose to bring fulfillment to something.

Our modern culture, and it's just not ours, it was, you know, cultures before, generations before, but currently it still rings true.

Our modern culture often struggles with the concept of divine wrath.

We think wrath is strictly God hates us, God's mad at us, God's angry, and he wants nothing to do with us.

And yet, what we need to remind ourselves, and I get it, it's hard because when you start reading these things, it's like, oh my, this is bad.

But it's all coming from a place of his holiness, and that's difficult to sometimes see.

And I admit that.

It's hard when you're seeing, if we go all the way back to the seals opening up and a third of the earth being destroyed, it's hard to see any kind of righteousness in that.

Well, that's minute to where we're going.

Because God is holy, we do remember this, right?

God is holy.

Because he is holy, he has to confront sin, evil, rebellion, and injustice.

If God was to never judge evil, he wouldn't be holy.

So, in a challenging way, God's wrath is necessary as a response from a holy God toward an unrepentant sin.

Let's put it to something that we can really know.

Have you ever have you ever been to a restaurant and you've seen that one table with that one family, and you know that there's never been a rod of discipline?

Have you ever?

And and and and I'm not not that I'm I'm saying corporal punishment or anything like that.

So everybody save you comments on that stuff.

But I'm saying there's never been any kind of discipline whatsoever.

And the kids are like just, you know, and to be honest with you, when I've been in that, I'd be like, I think the parents need to go first.

You know, uh discipline the parents and then we'll work on the kids.

But it it's one of those things when you see that and go, well, if a parent would be responsible and parent a child and raise a child the way they should go, well, then some people say, Well, that child's free will and it's going to do all that.

Welcome to the kingdom of God.

The family structure is a picture of what God has created for the kingdom, and we have that free will to go.

But when we choose, we also remember that the scripture says he disciplines or chastise those whom he loves.

Yea, us.

And that is true.

Yea, us.

He loves us, he loves us enough to bring that correction.

So when we look at this going forward, you can't ever get in your mind that God suddenly doesn't love.

Oh, this is because God loves.

God's judgments are not reckless, and we have to remember that.

Verse 2.

And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.

And now you know why all the cartoons have you playing harps on your own individual cloud.

This is where this comes from.

Although, when you die and go to heaven, I'm not a hundred percent sure that you're going to be granted a harp in your hand.

I don't know, you may, it may be at roll call, I don't know.

But I've never seen scripture other than David played his harp for Saul.

Uh harps and leers are mentioned throughout scripture a couple different times.

And then we see this group here, this victorious group, and I'm going to ask in just a second.

They come off as a victorious group from the beast and from the image and from the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.

So it's an interesting view.

John sees the sea of glass, but it's mingled with fire.

In Revelation chapter 4, verse 6, we're first referenced the sea of glass.

Revelation 4:6

We know that it's a symbol of God's holiness, his purity, his majesty, and now we see the glass with fire.

Well, fire is an interesting theme because a lot of times fire in the Bible has symbolized judgment.

So are these people being judged?

But it also symbolizes purification.

So are these people being purified?

And we know that fire also is the holiness of God confronting sin.

So the same scene that we see in Revelation 4 is now.

A similar scene with a little bit of a twist to it.

There is, believe it or not, a very strong emergy throughout this chapter from the book of Exodus.

In Exodus, we remember we have Moses, we have the plagues, we have the deliverance, we have worship, we have God's glory, and we have a heavenly tabernacle, right?

As Israel was delivered from Egypt through divine judgment, God's people now escape the beast and are standing before God in potentially either purification or judgment.

We're going to get to this in just a moment.

The first Exodus, when we go back to the book of Exodus, Israel was delivered from Pharaoh.

Now we're seeing a group of people that are being delivered from what?

What does it say?

The beast, his image, the number of his name.

So, here's the question.

Who are these people?

Well, John calls them the victorious saints.

Victorious saints of what?

Well, obviously they're victorious over the beast, over the image, over the mark, over the number.

So what are we dealing with right here?

This is a group of people that are standing on the sea of glass.

There is fire here.

And the fire is not simply representing purification.

This is a sign, a marvelous and a great sign that John would see as a form of judgment that was coming to pass.

Judgment of what?

The victorious people or the thing in which they overcame.

So let's keep going.

From an earthly perspective, this group of people to be in heaven on the Sea of Glass means that they died.

These are martyrs.

Martyrs from what period?

Obviously, the latter half of the tribulation period.

Why do we know after the latter half of the tribulation period?

Because we know at the latter half, we've got the beast, we've got the image, we've got the name, and we've got the number.

So this group of people is not like the two witnesses before, and not even the 144,000, we have now a group of people here that survived the last part of the tribulation period right here in some kind of time form, right?

Now, here in heaven, even though they're on the sea of glass and there's fire representing potential judgment, they won.

How do we know they won?

Well, they're defined victorious.

So even if it is a form of judgment, it's not a judgment into eternal damnation because they won.

Well, beyond being called the victorious people, how do we also know that they won?

They're in heaven and they're given the harps of God.

That's not the ultimate trophy, by the way.

That's better than any participation trophy that you could possibly ever have.

I mean, I don't know exactly what the harp of God is.

I kind of got in my mind what a harp looks like, but I would imagine it's probably something a little bit better.

And I bet you don't ever have to tune that thing.

It is perfect pitch every single time.

The beast, obviously, here means that the beast killed them.

Well, how do we know that the beast killed them?

Remember Revelation 13 and even in a little bit under 14, we understood that one of the things that happens when you refuse the mark, death for some.

Okay.

But even though they're dead, the beast still didn't conquer them.

So the early church often refers to this time period in history.

If you look at some of the writers of the forefathers and the great men and women of God back, I'm talking about like go back 17th and 18th century, even honestly, 15th century, they would call this the day of victory.

And it would be called the day of victory because death did not defeat the believers.

Death ushers them into the presence of Jesus.

So the world defines victory often as gaining wealth, gaining power, you survive, you're popular.

But God's victory is defined as faithful, obedient, and endurance.

It's interesting because we read this, and I'm automatically, I don't know you, I'm automatically reminded of what Paul said about not running the race to get first place.

But for what purpose of the race?

To finish, to endure.

It's not about the victory itself, it's about enduring long enough that you finish the race and know that victory is yours.

So the saints overcome because they remain faithful, and God measures this victory, obviously, different than others.

Now they're standing on that sea of glass.

Now, a lot of commentators will connect this image to uh, if you go all the way back to the tabernacle in the labor, the wash basin, it would be described in the way that it is made.

It was kind of mirror-like or glass-like in that.

Some commentaries will say this is like a cleansing through the word of God, and others will simply say it's just a reminder of the stability of God's truth.

Now, is there a sea of glass in heaven that is literally a sea and it's glass and it's all this?

There's gonna be people that say it's all an allegory, it's symbolic, there's really not a sea, and it's not made of glass, and it's not this, and it's not that.

Look, here's the thing.

Could it be yes?

Could it not be, yes?

We don't know 100% what it is, but I wouldn't be so wrapped up and defended and say there's no way that we're gonna have a sea of glass.

With God, all things are possible.

So don't ever get into a debate or an argument with somebody over something trivial like that.

Don't miss the victory because you're trying to pick out the details of something that isn't worth debating.

Now, here they're given these harps of gods, and throughout Revelation, we know that harps are associated with worship, but it's interesting because the suffering of the earth has now been given away to worship in heaven.

Now, I say that because a lot of people have a very difficult time with worship in this life.

And we know that in this life, we're going to have some things that we suffer through, right?

Whether it's pain, affliction, sometimes death, and so on and so forth.

But get this, even though the suffering ends, the worship truly only begins.

So if you're really struggling with worship now, you may want to kind of get a heart for it, because it's a part of your life, your eternal life going forward, by the way.

Verses three and four.

And they sang the song of Moses, a bondservant of God, and sang the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty, righteous and true are thy ways, thy kingdom the nations, who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name, for thou art alone, art holy, for all the nations will come and worship before thee, for thy righteous acts have been revealed.

Why Moses?

Now, here's where we can easily go back to.

See, I told you it was Elijah and Moses.

You know, that's that's fun there.

Why the song of Moses?

Well, Moses led Israel through deliverance through Egypt, the Red Sea crossing, and he saw God's judgment upon Pharaoh.

We also know that Moses was at the Mount of Transfiguration.

We know that Jesus, the Lamb, provides redemption, salvation, ultimate deliverance.

Could it simply be that the reason it's the song of Moses is because there was deliverance under the law, the old covenant, and there's deliverance under the new covenant.

Moses was the deliverer in the old, and Jesus was the deliverer in the new.

It could be as simple as that.

Can I say that for a hundred percent guarantee?

No, I can't.

But it sure does make a lot of sense, but I don't know.

So, what does the psalm praise?

Well, God's works.

Great and marvelous are your works.

That sounds like it ought to be a good hymn.

God's immediately pastor stood and sat up and started singing.

Yeah, it's a good hymn if y'all don't know it.

God's ways, just and true, are your ways.

His holiness, you alone are holy.

And God's worship, all nations shall come and worship before you.

Now, there is a repeated focus here.

Your works, your ways, your name, your holiness, your judgment.

This song is actually a song that is centered on God and not how we feel.

Sometimes we have a tendency, old, new, whatever, we have a tendency to make some things more about us.

We just do.

True worship focuses on who God is and not merely what he does for us.

Now, verses five and six.

After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened, and the seven angels who had the seven plays came out of the temple clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around the breast with golden girdles.

There's a similarity here that we're going to find.

Just write these down, look for this later.

Exodus 25, verses 8 through 9.

Exodus 25:8–9

And Hebrews 8, verse 5.

Hebrews 8:5

One of the things that we have to constantly remind ourselves is the earthly tabernacle was modeled after heavenly realities.

John is seeing a heavenly sanctuary, and earth modeled it after heaven.

We have to remember that because I know if you've not heard it before, you'll probably run into it.

Well, we need to be not so heavenly minded and we need to be more earthly, whatever.

And, you know, the reality is we can't be earthly anything until we're first heavenly focused.

To be truthful about it.

So the angels come directly from the presence of God, which means that their authority is not self-drip-derived, it's under a divine commissioning of God.

We know that the angels are dressed in pure bright linen, but they have golden sashes.

Now we see a color combination of something here.

Most of the time we've seen them just like in white.

But now we're seeing white with gold in this.

So the garment, obviously, the white represents impurity, but the gold is also representing a purity because gold has to be refined in order for it to be pure.

But we also see the holiness, the righteousness.

All this stuff is it matters why John is seeing this.

It's not that he's just seeing people come out and all this type of stuff.

Now, why that's important is we have to remember that even though the high priest on the earth had this ephod and he had the twelve stones that represented the twelve tribes of Israel, and he had this blue garment that went over him, and I mean he was gaudy to the nines.

The Bible also said before he went into the Holy of Holies, he had to strip himself of everything but a white hat, a white shirt, a white belt, and white linen pants.

So he went in, not with the array of stuff, he went in in the purest form.

And now we're constantly seeing this constantly in heaven.

But now we see that gold sash, which is interesting of that, because it's not that the gold is just saying, oh, there's something that is off about them.

No, the gold is symbolizing that there's a divine purpose for it.

Verse 7.

And 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.

Wow.

This is pretty interesting here.

Who gives the seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God to these seven angels?

One of the four living creatures.

Now, which one?

We don't know.

It's not written down.

We have no idea which of the four living creatures.

We just know it's one.

Which is just fascinating to think about in and of itself.

So, we do know that the bowls are full, which should signify something.

This ain't a little dabadoo.

How big are the bowls?

I don't know.

The first question I think we'd have to ask is how big are the angels?

I don't know.

I mean, there's a difference between a salad bowl and a popcorn bowl.

Or a mixing bowl.

Or, well, a mixing bowl and a cereal bowl in our house is about the same.

But we don't know how big these bowls are.

We just know that they're full, which means don't get lost chasing details that aren't necessary.

If it was necessary for us to know, John would have put it there.

What he did want to make it necessary to know is that they were full.

I've seen people, even, Lord have mercy, on TikTok, people making all this stuff, and the bowls measured out to this and that.

I'm like, child, please.

Verse 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.

In Exodus 40, verse 34 and 35, God's glory filled the tabernacle.

Exodus 40:34

In 1 Kings 8, verse 10 through 11, God's glory filled Solomon's temple.

1 Kings 8:10–11

In both cases, no one was allowed to enter.

And now, here we are where?

In heaven.

And when the glory of God fills up, what happens?

Nothing can happen until they are all poured out.

This is wild to think about right here.

What that verse just said.

Nothing in heaven is going to move until those last bowls are complete.

Now, does this mean that heaven gets a glimpse into the earth and figures out one would think, but one cannot guarantee.

One would assume, but again, you can't 100% guarantee this now.

This is what we know, the glory of the Lord filled.

Now, I'm going to say this, this is my opinion, so take this with a grain of salt.

In both cases, that I mentioned Exodus and 1 Kings, both cases, the reason that man couldn't enter is because man was on the ground.

Man was out.

This is my opinion.

So take this with a grain of salt.

I think the reason that heaven doesn't do anything is because when the glory fills the way that it feels, all of heaven goes down in awe of who he is.

Again, because it's it's wild to think, but that scripture just said his glory filled.

And it's like, whoa.

That's pretty expansive when you think of it that way.

And I don't think it's all of heaven just standing there going, oh my gosh, look, there went bow one.

There's bow two.

There's five more left.

I don't think it's that at all.

I think it's it's just you're on your face.

But I can't, I can't say that.

I'm just saying that's my opinion on that.

I would never make a theology of that in the sense of that's the way it must be in the end times.

I can make a theology that those that know him are in awe of him and they will fall to the ground and worship him.

I can definitely make a theology of that because scripture's full of it.

I can carry it even further that there'll be a day that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord.

That's everybody.

So, yeah, I can do it on that side, but I can't take it out of this one verse and try to make something that it is potentially not.

So this scene is communicating definitely finality and completion, but remember we're getting a prelude to what is coming.

This has not happened yet.

How do we know that?

Because chapter 16, now the bowls start to happen.

So when that glory fills the earth or fills heaven in that sense, this is about to start.

Because when that first bowl pours, then we know that this is really activated in this.

But we've not seen the bowls poured yet.

So it's kind of like a movie premiere.

This is coming.

Get ready.

Everybody ready?

And then boom, here they go.

So, Revelation 15 serves as that preparation for this outpouring of God's wrath, but you cannot ever lose sight that there is hope in all this.

Now, this is what I'm gonna go back to.

If I can get that first screen, I got two images that I did not print these out.

So, here's the thing: we have the victory of the tribulation saints.

Remember, we were discussing this earlier, and we have to remind ourselves why this is so important.

Who are they over?

Who is their why are they victorious saints?

Well, number one, we know that they have victory over his name.

Over whose name?

The Antichrist.

It's that that person.

Then they have victory over the mark, which means they never took it.

Which means They knew exactly what they were determining to do, just like those who take the mark know exactly what they're doing.

They know that they are not being rebellious towards the Antichrist, although that will be the common thing.

You're rebelling towards the Antichrist when the Antichrist is all high and mighty and this and that and so on and so forth.

No, you're honoring and serving the Lord even in the midst of tribulation.

Now, again, this is one of the things I do want to kind of, not kind of, I do want to make this point.

How many knows how blessed we are to live with the Holy Spirit within us?

That's a huge deal.

And can we just, can we admit that if we didn't have the Holy Spirit within us, this would be a lot more challenging than it already is.

Alright?

So we see that from the Old Testament.

David really struggled with this.

So much so that David begged God, don't take your spirit from me.

I'm saying that to say you cannot help but think and remember how significant the Holy Spirit is and potentially going to be during the tribulation period.

How in the world could they ever have this without the presence?

You hear someone I'm saying?

It's hard enough to get people to come to church on Sunday.

Imagine telling them, you gotta serve God.

I know it's hard.

I know you can't buy stuff, you got to do this.

Well, I can't do this.

Yeah, you can.

Those that are weak in Christ can be made strong through Christ because of his spirit, right?

So, yes, we do that.

Their victory over his image.

Remember what the false prophet is going to do.

It's going to build this big image that everybody should bow down and worship this image.

Again, we saw this in the book of Daniel many, many times.

We see this throughout the entire Bible so many times.

And then, of course, the victory over the beast.

And of course, this is the Antichrist itself in this.

So you have the government, the military, all these things happening.

Now it's crazy, it's ironic.

Here we are on this day.

We're talking about this.

Six years ago, we were told we were evil for not taking a shot or wearing a mask.

And six years to the day today, we have a guy that was telling everybody, you got to have the shot and have the mask, or you were going to die.

Who was making it up as he goes?

And it's coming all out.

To which we were made, you're not being Christ-like.

Imagine what all that's going to be like.

2020 was a trial run.

And there'll be a couple more trial runs.

Just get ready.

And each one will progressively, and you'll lose friends and relationships and possibly even family members who gets mad at you and you don't love them, and they'll twist scripture and so forth.

How do we know all this?

Well, first of all, Colossians 2, 6 through 15, we are made alive in Christ.

Victory.

Philippians 4, 11 through 13.

We can do all things in Christ through Christ.

And 2 Timothy 2, 11 through 15, God is faithful.

Is it always easy?

No, but it is always possible.

Second image, please.

Let's go back to the song of Moses.

Now, Song of Moses and the Lamb.

In this, it is they sing the song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb.

Again, is this potentially simply about the deliverance?

I'm going to say, and this is my opinion, that this is why I do lean more to what this is about deliverance in the old, deliverance in the new, and deliverance through tribulation.

Okay?

Again, we find Colossians 2, Philippians 4, and 2 Timothy, all this theme in these verses here.

The sea of glass, having the harps of God, all that stuff is amazing.

But it's insignificant if we think this is about what we're capable of doing outside of him.

All this is still about King Jesus.

And we have to remember this.

Now, the lamb, who is the Lamb?

Well, it's Jesus, right?

Why do you think, though, I want to pick your brain on this?

Why does it not simply say the song of Jesus?

Or the song of the Messiah?

Or how about the song of Emmanuel?

I mean, that was the name given early, right?

Why specifically do we think that it's the song of the Lamb?

Now, what I'm testing you on, I'm going to give you a clue.

I'm testing you on if you can remember what is early written in the book of Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Yes, ma'am.

Hang on, if it's gonna be a long one, I won't repeat it.

We'll get the microphone here.

Sorry.

In the beginning, they were talking about so the Jews could understand it and the Gentiles could understand it and nobody else.

Okay.

I like that.

What else?

Anyone got anything else in mind?

Why the song of the Lamb?

I like this statement that she said, and I'm gonna I'm gonna mention why in just a moment.

Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth, I like that too.

I'm looking for a specific thing mentioned early in the book of Revelation when we talk specifically about the lamb.

Who was worthy to open the seals?

The lamb.

The lamb.

The lamb was the one found worthy to start all of this off.

The seals start with the lamb, the only one who was found to be worthy.

It was the lamb of God.

That lamb was the one to be worthy, and now they're singing the song at this final completion.

We have to remember what God always starts, there's always a pattern that follows.

Pastor.

Whew.

Man, my leg hairs are standing up on that one.

Okay, but but it says that they were holding harps that God had given them, and they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the lamb.

And what I saw is um the Jews singing the song of Moses because they know the song of Moses.

And then those who were under the blood, those who were Christians singing the song of the Lamb, can you imagine when we look at this?

What we're seeing is that there are harps given to those who are persecuted, who go through great tribulation, and their overcoming song is the song of the lamb.

It overcomes everything.

Even now, even now, God has put a song in our heart when we're going through persecution.

But this is the greatest, this is the greatest worship scene we've seen thus far in heaven.

Is Jews and Gentiles that were persecuted and murdered have been given a harp and they're singing.

Can you imagine the sound in heaven?

This is what I love, what you said earlier.

The Jews and the Gentiles would understand this scenario and the emergy and stuff in this.

Moses clearly is under the old covenant, where the Lamb made a way.

We have the he came for the Jews first, Jews rejected him.

The Gentiles have.

What we have here is the old and the new.

Ephesians says it is one new man.

This scene is the fruition of the coming together of the one new man.

This is neither Greek nor Jew nor Gentile nor male nor female.

This is that scene.

As they sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, it's the old and the new becoming one.

And it's not simply about, well, it's just about a bunch of Jews.

And it's not about just a bunch of Jesus freaks.

This is the whole thing.

This is what God has been culpable, and John sees this.

Now, let me just kind of throw this out for a little bit of fun.

And this is just purely fun.

And I heard this one time years ago, and I thought, that's kind of interesting.

And it just made my wheels turn.

Okay?

I'm not saying that this is this is that.

But the Sea of Glass.

I heard somebody say that there is a possibility that what John was actually seeing was dual time.

And what he you ever look, you ever like, okay, you ever seen a sunset and you see it on water?

What does it look like?

You're looking at two different sunsets, top and bottom, right?

And so this what this guy was saying is like in the Mount of Transfiguration, we I hope we know this.

If we don't, maybe we'll get in this sometime in the future.

Mount of Transfiguration, what Peter saw was a time jump.

Like he saw Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.

But did he see Moses, Elijah, and Jesus in Peter's day?

Or did he see Jesus talking to Moses in Moses' day and Jesus talking to Elijah's day?

Jewish custom is, and the belief is that Jesus was talking face to face Moses in the day of Moses and face to face with Elijah in the day of Elijah.

Now our minds go, that can't even be right.

Why can't it be?

I'm just saying.

Okay, just think about that.

That's a very realistic possibility that.

That being the case, what John could actually be seeing is generations before and generations now.

And what he's seeing is the heaven's capacity as one.

And it looked like a mirrored thing.

And when he saw the victory of the saints, what he's actually saying is the victories through all mankind.

You see what I'm saying when I say that?

So, what you know, did he actually see a sea or glass?

We don't know.

One would think it's possible.

Or what John could actually have been seeing is this massive wave of people.

And to him, it looked like one level of people, but it was this throughout all the history of mankind.

And I mean that could be ginormous.

And again, I can't prove any of that.

Nobody can prove any of that.

It's a good, it's a fun thing to think about and consider.

It's a dangerous thing to try to make it a doctrine, a theological dissertation.

It's dangerous to do that.

It's fun to think.

It's fun to think.

What's the sea of glass?

And why is it a sea of glass?

Or, you know, whatever the case may be in that.

It's fascinating.

I mean, it really is to think about it, but it's even more fascinating when you again look at verse 3.

Why they're singing these two distinctive characteristics Moses and the Lamb.

There's something there that we're only getting a taste of it.

And we don't know what it's all about, but man, it's so cool.

Any other questions or comments?

15 is such a short chapter, but it's like a really loaded chapter.

I mean, it's loaded with stuff.

So, and 16 is gonna we're gonna jump off the deep end.

So get ready.