Lesson Two

Chapter 15:5-8

The Last Seven Bowls

a) Introduction:

- God is calling us to look at his judgments from three different perspectives.

- Seals are things that keep letters closed until the right person opens it. Seals remind us that only one is worthy to remove it. It is from the perspective of the slain lamb. It is from the perspective of the Suffering Church.

- Trumpets are used for the purpose of warning. It is from the perspective of warning (the World).

- Bowls is from the perspective of immediacy. Bowls are seen as broad and shallow shaped like a saucer so that it contents can be poured on us immediately. So it is from the perspective of the Throne of God.

b) Verse 5:

- “Tabernacle” Temple is also defined as the tabernacle. Speaks of a heavenly temple. What Moses was given to build in the wilderness was of a heavenly pattern.

- “Temple opened” its opened again (cf. 4:1; Mark 15:38) speaks of a symbol of Judgment. Note Rev 11:19 is symbolic of the eschaton, but here there are the judgments leading up to the eschaton.

- “Testimony” or “covenant law” refers to the OT stone tablets placed in the Ark. This speaks about the covenant that comes along with its blessing and cursing.'

c) Verse 6:

- “Seven Angeles” out of the heavenly temple emerge. They are carrying out the seven plagues of God’s sentence on sinners. Seven angel theme as in seven churches (Rev 2-3), trumpet judgments (Rev 7, 8, & 10), and end-time harvest (Rev 14). They come directly from the throne of God. They don’t act in their own authority, but God’s.

- “Plagues” These are the content of the bowls that’s about to be poured out. The plagues are judgments (not Covid virus). These are closely linked to Egyptian plagues of the Exodus. This demonstrates the sovereignty of Yahweh over the earthly gods. It’s also a call for the early dwellers to yield to him.

- “Pure white… linen” is what the seven angels are clothed with. Speaking of priestly function here (Lev 16:4, 23). Emphasized the purity and the glory of the angels

- “Golden sashes” This is like that of what the Son of Man is wearing in Rev 1:13. This too speaks of how they are acting on God’s authority. This symbolizes royalty/elevated status to assist Christ in pouring out judgment.

d) Verse 7

- “Four living creature” The form the innermost circle surrounding the throne of God (4:6-7). The elders and angelic host form the outer circles. They Appear to be leaders of the heavenly court. They have guided worship in revelation 5, sent out the four Horsemen in Revelation 6, and participated in worship in Revelation 7 and 14. their final appearance in the book of revelations will be when they fall before God crying out “amen and hallelujah” in 19.

- Why a circle? Anything of great weight cause things to encircle around it for maximize access I.e. planets around the sun, moon around the earth. Look at stadiums in the same way for NFL, NBA, NHL, Tennis, Soccer, and Olympics. To get maximum access of large crowds who want to be close, they encircle the masses around it. We see this in heaven. There’s a great view any side you sit.

- “Gave to the angels seven golden bowls” these the golden bowls connected with the bowls of Rev 5:8 filled with incense in the prayers of the Saints. This represents the outpouring of judgment by God, vindicating both his name and the prayer of his saints. Bowls link prayer with divine retribution.

- “Filled with God’s wrath” What was filled with incense in Rev 5:8 is now understood to be filled with God’s wrath in 15:7. It is the “cup of wrath” (Isaiah 51:17, 22). It is the bowls of “sin offering” in Exodus 27:3; 38:3, making these outpouring judgment as a sacrifice to God. God’s wrath is poured out on a Israel’s tormentors, namely Babylon (Rev 16:19). This is what overwhelmed the earth dwellers in Rev 6:15-17, making God’s wrath complete (15:1). In the book of Revelation, “wrath” in Greek is thymos (a volatile, passionate anger)

e) Verse 8:

- “The temple was filled with smoke” The smoke comes from the glory and power of God. This speaks of his majesty and sovereign significance. In OT, it symbolize the awesome presence of God as the Shekinah glory of God (Ex 13:21; 14:19, 24; 24:15-15). This cloud of God can also be a dark cloud (1 Kings 8:10-12). This fits with the judgment theme in Rev 15 and correlates well with Isaiah 6:1-4, where Isaiah saw the temple filled with cloud. After which Israel received a message from God of judgment to proclaim to his people. We see this same cloud scene in Ezekiel 10:2-4.

- “No one could enter the temple” Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting in Exod. 40:35. And priest could not perform services in 1 Kings 8:11 (2 Chron. 7:2). This is because the cloud and the glory filled the temple.

- “Until the seven plagues were completed” Nothing can hinder this irreversible judgment. No can come to the temple and stop it. This project is the importance of the plagues being completed.

- While the three series of 7 seals, trumpets and bowls cover the same period leading up to the end, each presents God‘s judgment under a different set of images.

Each set of sevens ends with finality https://youtu.be/GRwG75eiD2k