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Once again, welcome. Please stand for the reading of God's Word. I'll be reading from Ezekiel beginning in chapter 8 and verse 17 through chapter 9 and verse 6. Ezekiel chapter 8 beginning in verse 17. He said to me, Do you see this, son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they have committed here, that they have filled the land with violence and provoked me repeatedly?

For behold, they are putting the twig to their nose. Therefore, I intend, I indeed, will deal in wrath. My eye will have no pity, nor will I spare. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet I will not listen to them. Then he cried out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, Draw near, O executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.

Behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his shattering weapon in his hand. And among them was a certain man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his loins. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar. Then the glory of the Lord of the God of Israel.

Went up from the cherub on which it had been to the threshold of the temple. And he called out to the man clothed in linen, at whose loins was the writing case. The Lord said to him, Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.

But to the others he said in my hearing, Go through the city after him and strike. Do not let your eye have pity, and do not spare. Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark.

And you shall start from my sanctuary. So they started with the elders who were before the temple. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, as we come before you this morning, we are indeed again reminded of your goodness and your wrath. Father, that even in your wrath is goodness, because your wrath brings about a good purpose.

Your wrath is never unrighteous. Your wrath is never tainted with any kind of injustice. Your wrath is never tainted with any kind of wrongdoing or any kind of wrong. Of misperception or any kind of anything that would render it less than true and good and thorough. There is no error in your wrath.

And so, Father, as we come before you this morning, I know there are many who do not like to talk about the uncomfortable thought of your wrath. And yet, over and over we see it in the scripture, and that in fact it is your wrath that provides the backdrop for the gospel.

Father, that you are a God who is holy and clean and pure, and you have purposed that man will bear your image, that we will be in your likeness, that all will come into compliance with your Son if we're going to live upon this earth and the future.

Father, that you have good, just plans for humanity that go on into the future and into eternity. And it is for those who embrace your ways. And Father, we recognize that we are sinners and that rightfully we come under your wrath. But we do groan, Father, and we do groan over the sins in our nation.

We groan over the sins in our own hearts. And Father, we are encouraged that you do take note, that you have provided a way for sinners to be cleansed before you and to Escape your wrath and come under your eternal favor. And Father, this is indeed good news.

And so it is in the light of this good news that we come this morning, confessing our sin, knowing that you have drawn us to come into your presence. You delight when we come before you, laying down our sins, laying down our burdens, and calling upon your name.

And that is exactly what we do this morning. And so, as we continue, Father, I pray that your spirit, your clean spirit from above, would take hold in even the darkest of souls here this morning. Father, that you would illumine our minds so that we may see, perceive, and lift up with our voices in praise as we continue worshiping you, for you truly are worthy.

In Jesus' name, amen. Well, again, good morning. Please turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 16. I'm sorry, chapter 15. What am I thinking? Revelation chapter 15. Let me read to you verses 5 through 8. 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. Well, welcome. If you're just joining us, you've joined us at a good time, right?

As the wrath of God is pouring out on the whole world. You know, we, for those of you who are just joining us, we have a systematic approach. We go through the scripture line by line. We take a book and we go through verse by verse. And that takes us through all of the doctrines that a book may teach.

And certainly, it's popular to avoid discussion on the wrath of God because it is so uncomfortable. We don't like to think of God in the terms of wrath. We like to think of Him in terms of love. So, doctrines like this just can easily be brushed aside if you're not committed to going through and preaching even the difficult passages.

Well, certainly, this is a picture of God's wrath and a future that's going to be poured out on the world, and it's going to be the final expression of wrath described. Like this, and so it's important that we go through and we understand. God wants us to do so, He wants us to understand His wrath, because really, without the wrath, you have no really framework for even understanding the good news.

When you think about what the message of the scriptures is, it's about fleeing the wrath that is to come and coming into the good news. That the souls of every human being is in peril, and that peril is coming under the eternal wrath of your Creator. But the good news is that you can come under the eternal favor of your Creator.

So we are again looking in chapter 15. It's all about the ministry of the seven bowl angels. And we began, really began working through chapter 15 and 16. They go together. 15 and 16 tells us about the ministry of these bowl angels. We began looking at it last time.

And what these two chapters do is they give us an overview of the end of human history as we know it. The end of the end. And so far, we've looked at, we've been introduced to their ministries. Look at verse 1, 15:1. 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 God is finished.

Wrath of God being finished. He's introduced us to them. We've also noticed that their ministry is a cause for celebration. There's no lamenting going on in heaven in accord with this wrath that's going to be poured out. Look at verses 2, 3, and 4. 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 bondservant 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. Well, just as we looked at last time, it's very clear that from these verses that God wants his name to be treated with dignity on planet earth. God is going to answer all the cries for justice.

All the injustices are going to, God has taken, understands, and will answer all the cries for justice. And when he does, He will so display himself that all will fully understand that all of God's ways are perfectly righteous, that is, there's no mixture of injustice, and true, that is, without any errors, oversights, or mistakes.

It's also clear in these verses, in this celebration, that all will glorify him. All are going to come and glorify him. Things are going to be set right. And all of these earthly realizations coincide with the ministry depicted in these seven bowls. And so this morning, we've already looked at, in this chapter, we've already looked at been introduced to the ministry of the seven bowls angel.

We've been introduced, or we've seen the celebration that coincides with it. And now I want us to look at the preparation for their ministry, the preparation. In verses 5 through 8, they are prepared for their ministry. So look at verse 5. That is, John takes us into this scene of their preparation, and it's a very active scene.

There are four active key actions that are described in this scene. Notice this. After these things, I looked, and the temple. Of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. So, in verse 5, we see the first action: the tabernacle is opened. It opens up. Oh, let me just, before I go there, let me just give you a little bit of a statement about where we are in the books, just in case you're joining us.

You remember the book of Revelation is broken up into really seven, seven, and seven. There's seven seals. Looked at the first six, and then when you open the seventh seal, you have seven trumpets. And then when you open the seventh trumpet is blown, you have seven bowls. So, if you're just joining us, we're about to start the pouring out of the bowls.

So, you've joined us for a good time, and even if you haven't been here for the seals and the trumpets, they'll all connect. You're at a very good place to join in the studies. These seven bowls are going to be the end of the end. And so, as they're being prepared, the first action that we see in verse 5 is this: the heavenly temple opens up.

Temple of the tabernacle opened up. Now, just a few comments: the temple is not the church. That's just very clear. This is not the church. It's not the earthly rebuilt temple. No, it's the True temple in heaven. You remember that when Solomon, when he built the temple in his day, he patterned it after the earthly tabernacle, which was patterned after this heavenly temple.

So Moses was given very explicit instructions to build and to furnish the tabernacle precisely according to God's pattern. Why? Because the tabernacle that Moses was to construct is going to be a window, a visual into heaven itself. And so if you are familiar with the temple worship or the tabernacle worship, you will be familiar with heavenly worship and all that goes on in God's holy presence.

You remember in Exodus 25, Moses was told to make sure he made it just like the tabernacle, made it just like the pattern that God showed him on the mountain. And then the writer of Hebrews tells us that it was to serve as a copy. In Hebrews 8:5, a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle.

For, see, he says, That you should make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain. And you think about when you saw this tabernacle in the wilderness, it was a humble-looking tent. And if you compared that dwelling place with the pagan temples of the day, I mean, it's extremely humble in comparison to the grand pagan temples of the day.

And yet, this is where God chose to dwell. And so, this tabernacle was an earthly replica, but it gave humanity a visual idea about the actual dwelling place of God and the activities associated with it. For instance, you remember the glassy sea, this glassy sea that we saw in chapter 4 and verse 6 before the throne, something like a sea of glass.

And there, you remember that that sea of glass added to the splendor of the whole heavenly scene, but it also was a depiction of God's separateness, of his holiness, his distinctiveness. In fact, it may very well be that this sea, or however it's described, whatever this sea of glass, when Moses and Aaron, if you remember, and the 70 elders went up, Exodus 24.

And they met with God, they saw there in 24, verse 10, they saw the God of Israel, and under his feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. And so you get this glassy sea, and then in Exodus chapter 30, verse 18, in instructing how the tabernacle to be built, there was this bronze lever or this big bowl held this water.

And so the first thing you would see is this altar of sacrifice, but then you would see, so the way into God's present was through the sacrifice, and then there's this holy, glassy lava or bronze lava full of water. And in 1 Kings, if you remember when then Solomon goes on and builds the temple, he makes this huge sea of cast metal, a much bigger one, and he has three or twelve oxen, three pointing each direction, holding this great basin of water.

And it was through this that they were to ceremonially cleanse themselves. Ezekiel sees something similar when he sees these living beings and these cherubim, and then above them, he sees them carrying what looks like this awesome. Gleam of crystal spread out over their heads, like the throne room, this big glassy.

But certainly, what this does, and certainly in Revelation, this sea emphasizes the separateness of the Creator. He is holy, holy, holy, holy, his holiness. He is distinct from his creation. And those before him, those who had to minister before him, even in the copy, in the earthly replica, had to be ceremonially cleansed before they could minister.

They had to be holy in order to serve in the presence of the holy God. You see this, the sea. Now, in our chapter, this sea of glass in verse 2 is mixed with fire, mixed with fires. And there are some victors who had been victorious over the beast.

And they're standing on this sea of glass mixed with fire. Well, as we talked about it last time, it's clear that these are not all believers of all time. You can say that with certainty because of what they overcome. Notice, these are ones who overcome, verse 2, the beast, his image, and the number of his name.

Those haven't come on the scene yet. So those are going to be, this is a distinct class of people, victors, who are. Going to be victors over the beast, his image, and the number of his name. They stand where Satan could not stand in that holy presence. There is no, they are holy, set apart.

There is no wrath against them. But this, the fire, the addition of the fire, it may very well depict that you've got this reservoir of God's righteous indignation that is about to be poured out on his holiness, his righteousness, about to be poured. Maybe it's associated with that judgment that's coming, that fire.

But it's clear that holiness has always been required to come into God's presence. And so when God's presence is coming to earth, guess what's going to have to happen? He's going to have to make it holy, prepare the way for the Lord. You can't come into his presence in heaven without being absolutely holiness.

And now, as that presence comes to earth, holiness is going to be expected on earth because that's where he's going to dwell. But notice this word in verse 15. I mean, verse 5. After these things, I looked in the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony, the tabernacle of testimony.

There's an emphasis here upon testimony. What is that testimony? Well, the testimony refers to everything that God has said. You remember, he made the tabernacle, and then he put the words of his law in there, in that ark, in that most holy place, his word. God has not forgotten a single word of his law.

What he gave to Moses and what Jesus readily affirmed, not a single word, it is a testimony. It is God's word, a testimony to who he is and what he is going to do. He hasn't forgotten a single word. And so here, as heaven is opened up, there is a reminder of what he has already testified and witnessed to.

Remember, Jesus said this in Matthew 5:17. He said, Do not think I came to abolish the law or the prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the stroke shall pass from the law until all is accomplished.

What is Jesus saying? The law is a testimony that is going to accomplish everything that it said it's going to do. And until heaven and earth pass away, not the single least little bit of the law is going to perish. All of it. Is going to be accomplished.

So everything God has promised, he is going to do, including pouring out his wrath upon his enemies and establishing the world in righteousness, visual, practical righteousness, not just spiritual righteousness, yes, but the physical and practical righteousness that emanates out from a spiritual righteousness. Yes, he's at work spiritually changing, calling people to themselves and transforming them.

But there is coming a day when that righteousness will be given unhindered expression on planet earth. So the open temple indicates from where the bowl judgments come. They contain the wrath of God, and so it issues forth from the wrath of God. I mean, from God Himself. Judgment comes from God's presence.

And this is something we've already been taught in Scripture: that judgment comes from God's presence, whether it's upon the sacrifice or whether it's upon the ungodly. You see this early on in just Leviticus 9 and Leviticus 10, right there. You remember, as right after Aaron had made the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the people.

Peace offerings. Moses and Aaron in verse 23 went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Then fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar.

And when the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. So at that initial sin offering being offered, here comes the presence of God opened up out of the temple and consumes the sacrifice. So fire. And that's an expression of God's wrath upon the sacrifice. Very important.

Then in chapter 10, what happens is Nadab and Abby, who didn't really pay attention to what God required, and they took their fire pans, put some strange fire before the Lord, and then in verse 2, and fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them.

And they died before the Lord. So even early on, we see fire comes out, it consumes the sacrifice, or fire comes out and consumes the ungodly. We come to another place in Scripture where the temple was opened up. What might that be? Remember when Jesus was crucified? What do we have happen in Mark?

15, 37, and Jesus uttered a cry and breathed his last, and the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion, who was standing right in front of him, saw the way he breathed his last, he said, Truly, this man is the Son of God.

Now, oftentimes, as we read this, we think, okay, the way to God was opened up. And surely, certainly, that is true. What's happening, God is depicting the way to God is opened up. But don't miss the fact that that way is opened out by the outpouring of his wrath upon the sacrifice.

The temple is open. The sacrifice is consumed. His wrath is justly poured out at the cross on Jesus Christ. Well, taking the next step into their preparation. Notice in verse 6, the seven angels report for duty. Verse 6, and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out from the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes.

So they report for duty. They're dressed in the same manner. As Christ is, remember all the way back to chapter 1 and verse 13. We read the words: that in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet and girded across his chest with a golden sash.

So here are some angels that come out from the temple, out of that inner part, the very presence of God, and they're dressed just like the glorified Christ himself. I refer to these as the sacred elite class. They're right there in the immediate presence. These seven bull angels are dressed just like the Son of Man.

You know, God wants his name to be treated as holy, and so do these angels. And God's going to bring it about. Listen, if you, for instance, for a moment, uses God's name as a curse word, I encourage you to fall flat on your face before God this morning and repent of that.

Don't even think that. His name is absolutely to be treated in the most holy manner, and here is a great and marvelous scene. These angels coming out, and they're going to make sure it is. It's no small thing to take God's name in vain, either with your lips or in your heart.

There are many layers to that, but certainly his name is to be the most sacred, most holy, and God's going to see to it that it is. This is a great and marvelous scene. It's what John says to open it. This is the one scene that we have of the past few that it's like this is the great and marvelous scene.

We have marvelous scenes, but we don't have a great and marvelous scene like this. But what's marvelous about this scene is these angels. It's during their ministry that the earth is going to learn that the Ten Commandments were not ten suggestions. It's here the earth is going to learn that Christ's commandments are not suggestions either.

God wants compliance with the person of Jesus Christ. That is the humanity in whom he is well pleased. And he wants all of humanity to resemble him. Listen, you have one of two spiritual fathers this morning. You either are serving God, he is your spiritual father, or you are a child of his adversary.

Your spiritual father is either Satan or your spiritual father. Spiritual Father is God. It's one or the others. And if you belong to Satan, the invitation to you today is to come to Christ. Come to God. That is what this is all about: He is calling people to Himself.

He is calling you this morning, if you do not know Him, to get rid of your spiritual father, the devil, and come to Christ. And let your heavenly Father be your spiritual father. You will learn that His commandments are not suggestions. You think about a law that has no enforcement.

Would you really call that a law? If there is no enforcement behind the law, it's really not a law, is it? Just maybe a good idea or a thought. Well, these angels, as John has seen this great and marvelous scene, it's clear that God's law is law and He will enforce.

It's not just a good suggestion. And listen, governments all around the world that the moral code embodied in God's law is good. We all know that. It's written on our hearts to some degree. We understand that. Stealing is wrong. Murder is wrong. We long for faithfulness in our relationships.

Adultery is wrong. We understand all of that. Humanity understands that. Why? Because it's fundamental to being made in the image of God. It is a reflection of who God is. That's why we all know it. But they're not suggestions. This is what God expects of humanity. Remember, I read to you a few moments ago Ezekiel 9.

You remember when the executioners of Jerusalem reported for duty? They too came out, the temple. They too come, stand at the bronze altar, and they're about to go. Each of them has their destroying weapon in their hand. It's not a bowl, but it's a destroying weapon. He cries out, what's the problem?

What's the problem with Judah and Israel? They're thumbing their nose at God. They're putting the twig to their nose. They're doing all kinds of abominations, things that God has no delight in, injustice. And then God says, Therefore, I will indeed will deal with them in wrath. I will have no pity.

I will not spare. And then he cries out and he says, Draw near, O executioners of the city. And each comes forward. Their destroying weapon. Behold, six men came forward, and they went and stood beside the bronze altar. And he says, Go through the city, strike, do not let your eye have pity.

And so they started with the elders, the ones who were leading there at the temple. But here's the point: even in Ezekiel, what God is letting us know, what God did to Jerusalem, guess what? He is going to do to the whole world. And Paul made this point very clear.

In Romans 11:19, he says, You will say, then, branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. Quite right. They were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand because of your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear, for if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

Behold, then, the kindness and severity of God. To those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in his kindness, otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again.

You see, there is no partiality with God. God wants all to believe in him, Jew and Gentile. God wants all to trust in him, you and me. So the message of Revelation is very clear. We read it in the angel in chapter 14, verse 7. Fear God, give him glory, worship him who made heaven and earth.

You know, all are going to learn. God's ways, commandments are not suggestions. Well, this great and marvelous scene continues then in verse 7. As these seven bowl angels, sacred elite, come out and are being prepared for their ministry. One of the living creatures equips them for their mission.

Look at verse 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. These living creatures are probably the seraphim that Isaiah calls. We've already met them, described. They're the seraphim. They're that inner, inner circle, four, they're right at the throne, cry, holy, holy, holy.

They're in that immediate presence. Then you have the elders, and then you have these others. And one of these seraphim comes out, and he equates. Equips, he gives these angels bowls, golden bowls, full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. Earlier, the golden bowls contained the prayers of the saints.

Here, the golden bowls are filled with God's wrath. Bowls, by the way, were associated with the temple worship. But get this image for just a moment. Wrath, God's wrath. It's likened to the pouring out of the contents of a bowl upon an object. The pouring out of a bowl upon an object.

Now, I think many times we think of wrath or anger in the context of like blowing off steam. And maybe there's some biblical merit to that, but here the image is something very different. It's the idea of pouring out wrath upon an object. But there's a some, and I want to take a little time and contrast God's wrath with human wrath for just a moment.

Because if we look at this, we might be inclined to think that God's wrath is much like our wrath. And totally misunderstand this holy picture, this picture that John is describing as great and marvelous. But what an image. Think about this for a moment. Wrath, like dumping fury over a person or a thing or an object.

But here's some of the problems with human wrath. First of all, human wrath oftentimes is not righteous. Genesis 4:23, you remember Lamech? He said to his wives, Listen to my voice, you wives of Lamech, give heed to my speech, for I have killed a man for wounding me and a boy for striking me.

If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech 77fold. What's happened here? Somebody inflicted some kind of wound on Lamech, and what did he do? He killed him. He just pours out his wrath. It wasn't righteous. It went way beyond, and oftentimes that's what happens. Our wrath goes way beyond what is righteous.

And oftentimes, our human wrath is not directed at the right object. I'm mad, but the one who made me mad isn't here, so you come here. That's the whole rage of the dragon. We've seen that. He couldn't take down the sun in heaven. He couldn't take down the woman fleeing into the wilderness, so he turns all of his emotional rage against God's people.

Oftentimes, human wrath is hasty, it doesn't wait, it doesn't take time to investigate or to verify its justification. Oftentimes, our wrath is based on what is false. We hear a little bit, don't get the whole story, and run on and pour out. Oftentimes, it's out of control. For these reasons and others, human wrath never accomplishes anything good.

Remember, James 1:9:19 says this: This you know, my beloved brethren, but every one must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. For the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. What Proverbs says? Proverbs 22:24? Do not associate with the man given to anger, or go with a hot-tempered man, or you will learn his ways and find a snare for yourself.

You know, being honest here for a moment, some of the greatest. Greatest regrets I have in life involve my expressions of anger. Think about this for just a moment. Get this picture of wrath. I mean, I have poured out my wrath in places that were not righteous on objects that were not deserving.

In fact, I got a. Can you get my got a little object lesson for you? It was an impulse buy. But let me think, as I'm working through this text, I'm thinking about what human wrath looks like. You know, one of the things that was really neat about my time in Africa was just how much stuff people could carry on their heads.

I mean, they could really carry a lot. But think about this for just a moment: wrath. Get this image. A lot of us are just like these big reservoirs of wrath, just ready to dump on somebody. And we go through life, you poke us, or and all of a sudden you get.

Have you ever known people like that? Yet you're just afraid to get around them because it comes out. It comes out. I can tell you some of the. Moments of my life that I look back, and some of the greatest points of regret have involved pouring out my wrath on an undeserving object.

I mean, I have poured out my wrath, and I say this to my shame, on a little doggy for being a little doggy. You messed in my garage. Yeah, well, you hadn't let me out for three days. It doesn't matter. And my kids. Sometimes what happens, you come home and it's like I've had a bad day, and it turns out it's like what happens?

Wife comes up, and then what does the wife do? Comes the kid, then big brother goes to Little Britches. Of course, that's when you see the dog scratching on the door. I know where this is going. Get me out of here. I know that's silly. But that's a lot like what we are.

And God is saying, don't be like that. Let me tell you something, men. If you do not have control over your anger, God does not rule over your home. And I'm not just talking about the men. I'm talking about all of us. What are you like? Are you like one of these that just pouring out your wrath, not being righteous, not on the right object?

Hasty? Out of control? I promise you, you will not accomplish anything good. Listen, you cannot reign with Christ until you reign with Christ in your heart. You cannot reign over the things He gives you until He reigns in you. And so often, our anger, this is why Proverbs say, Do not associate with a man given to anger.

You'll be like Him. And when we put that on display in our homes, guess what? We are making disciples. Oh, yeah, they'll learn how to stay out of mom and dad's wrath, but they'll just learn their own. Yeah, our wrath. How do you deal with anger, human wrath?

Oh, you take it to the place of spiritual execution. You've got to get familiar. With the cross in that place of spiritual execution. That's what God did. That's why he sent his son. And if this is you, you need to repent. You need to fall on your face.

Ask God to forgive, to bring about his righteousness in your home. But I go through all that because as we're witnessing God's wrath here in Revelation 15, it's not at all like human wrath. God is very different. Matthew 5:19, 5:9, Jesus says, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.

You see, consistent with the character of God is the skill of making peace. You know, and that's, consider, remember where Moses first came to grips with this reality? You remember what just happened in Exodus 34? You know, they had made these ten, God had given him these ten commandments on the stone.

He goes down, and what's going on? They've made this golden calf, and they're already committing spiritual adultery right there at the very beginning. And what does Moses do? In verse, he takes those stone tablets and he throws them down. He's burned up with anger in chapter 32, and 19.

And what does God do? Just pick it up in Exodus 34, 1. Now the Lord said to Moses, cut out for yourselves two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets, which you shattered. Which, by the way, you think about what's taken place, both the nation and Moses have acted contrary to God.

Then, verse 4, so he cut out two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him. And he took two stone tablets in his hand, and the Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with him.

Even after Moses' hostility, even more after what the people did, that would be a time to just. But what does God make known? Right at the very beginning about himself, he comes down and he stood there with Moses as he called upon the name of the Lord. Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness, who keeps loving-kindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin, yet he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.

What a wonderful. Wonderful scene, especially in light of what has just occurred. A calm answer. You see, unlike human wrath, God's wrath is always righteous. It is always directed at the right object. It is never hasty. It is never out of control. And it always accomplishes something good.

And that is why, in the very next verse, his wrath is going to be associated with his glory. And this is also why that when his wrath does ultimately come, it cannot be stopped. Because it is righteous. It's at the right object. It is not hasty. It is well thought out.

It is under control. And it is accomplishing something very, very good. And so we move on to verse 8. That is why the temple becomes off limits. Look at 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.

You see, once it's started, it cannot interrupt, be interrupted. A similar thing happened in the tabernacle copy. You remember in Exodus 40, verse 35, Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Again, the glory. You see this picture in heaven, the glory filled it. His judgment is part of his glory. His wrath is part of his glory. That's because it's not at all like human wrath. It is accomplishing something good. God's commandments are not suggestions. Compliance to the nature and character of Christ is God's plan for humanity.

It's God's plan for you and me. So let's embrace it and thank him for it. What a good gift. He gives us Christ. And then he's going to populate the earth with people who are like Christ. And then on into the new heavens, new earth. Well, so in bringing Revelation 15 to a conclusion, we've looked at the ministry, these seven bull angels.

We've looked at the introduction, the celebration associated with their ministry, and preparation for their ministry. But this is the Message of the scripture, flee the wrath to come. This is a depiction of the end of the end. And even if we're not there at that planet earth, we do have our time when we stand before God.

There is an end of the end for us. We are to flee the wrath to come. How do you flee the wrath to come? You fear God. You meet Him at the cross. You meet Him where His wrath has been poured out on Christ and His people, or Christ for His people.

Fear God. Come to Him at the cross. Give Him glory and worship your Creator. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we do bow our hearts, thanking you again for this picture of the end. That, Father, you have set that appointed time when injustice is over, when all lying, all stealing, all slander, all rage of earth is done.

And Father, it is good as the angels sing and rejoice. And those who look those myriads and myriads in heaven rejoice to see the day, Father, we too see it by faith, and we recognize that it is good. And so, Father, knowing this truth, knowing that this is how all things end, help us now to turn to you and to put down our idolatry, our false ways of living, our destructive ways, and glorify you.

Thank you, Father, for the work at the cross. Help us all to come to this place of spiritual execution and see what was accomplished there so that you would open the way to a clean and new relationship with your people. We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.