Revelation 15 NASB
A Scene of Heaven
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.
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. And they *sang 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!
“ Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For all the nations will come and worship before You,
For Your righteous acts have been revealed.”
After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, 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. 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. 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.
Another sign, or vision, comes into view. The plagues mentioned here are contained in seven bowls which signify God's judgement on the rebellious man.
The sea of glass mixed with fire may represent those saved and are sealed with the fire of the Holy Spirit. Christ said the wheat and tares would grow together rather than uproot the wheat by mistake. Remember all wheat began as tare. God allows time for the wheat to form for the full harvest. Standing on that sea are the victorious in Christ. They have learned to walk on water and sing a new song. It is the song of the completed salvation of God for it is the song of Moses and the Lamb. Moses prepared us for the Lamb. The Lamb fulfilled the law. Both are the word of God for the salvation of the world.
The doors of heaven are opened, but the meaning and traffic are quite different. Instead of admitting all that respond to the grace of God to enter His house, plagues of judgement are about to leave heaven at this last hour to descend on the earth. No one is able to enter the temple until the plagues were finished.
We are told the tabernacle, or tent, of the sanctuary is opened. The imagery here might point more to a Jewish perspective. A tent was used by those itinerant people as the meeting place of God in the desert. That tent foreshadowed the temple above. The two witnesses at the end caused the rain to be withheld during their time of testimony and could call down fire anytime the chose, by the word of their mouth. This could be the remnant of Israel serving as a witness to the world, their original mission fulfilled. Through this small chosen people, the nations will come to know God.
The word "until" in the last verse tells us the plagues do not last forever. The tribulation is for a period of time set by God. During this time the faith of the saints is perfected, the wicked are punished, and the number of believers grow. The glory of God is revealed.
1 Peter 1:6-9
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Psalms 75:8-10
For a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams;
It is well mixed, and He pours out of this;
Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs.
But as for me, I will declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
And all the horns of the wicked He will cut off,
But the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.
2 Chronicles 5:11-14
The Glory of God Fills the Temple
When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions), and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the Lord saying, “ He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
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