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1:42Well, good morning and howdy. I see we've got a lot of our students coming back, and welcome. Glad you're here. It's always that exciting time of the year to see the school year begin to get underway. I know we have some incoming freshmen, and I'd like to say to you who have gotten moved in, welcome to the end of the beginning. To the end of the beginning. You're at your college career. You are at the end of the beginning. What do I mean by that? Well, obviously there was a beginning of the beginning. Somewhere you decided to come to AM, and you started all the motion, and you did the different reviews of the colleges and whatever. And you decided somewhere along the way, you started that search. And then now that's the beginning of the beginning. And then the end of the beginning is you getting moved in and ready to start classes. Now you're at that end of the beginning.

2:53But there are also some seniors here who are going to graduate this year. To you, I think of you, you're at the beginning of the end. This is your last year, and you are now starting that final year and the beginning of the end of your college career. And hopefully, next May or within the year, you will graduate. You will go across that platform, you will receive the diploma, and then, and only then, do you really experience the end of the end? So, you're at the beginning of the end, but once you get that diploma, you're at the end of the end. Well, welcome. I'm glad you're here with us today.

3:44You think about the book of Genesis, the book of Genesis gives us the beginning of the beginning of human history. The book of Revelation gives us the end of the end of human history. And so, what we've just read is that what I call the end of the end. We finally have come to this point in the book of Revelation where the end of the end is coming into view. What we've just read is really an overview of the end of this age. How does human history end? Well, this is it. It gives us that chronological sequence, introduces us to the bowls, which will give us that chronological sequence. Sequence to the end of the end.

4:34But the scripture is given to us. It tells us the beginning of the beginning, and it tells us the end of the end, so that you and I can orient ourselves to how we are to live in the meantime, in the middle. These truths are given to us so that we will be wise in the way we live. We understand human history. We understand what's fundamentally wrong in humanity. We get that from the very beginning of the beginning. We also understand that God is going to let evil take its course, reach its maturity.

5:14We know how human history is going to end. He is righteous. He is good. He's not going to let this go on forever. So the Bible gives us the beginning of human history. It gives us the end of human history so you and I can orient our lives. The one who is wise takes heed to these things, understands the big picture, and understands what they are to be doing because God is at work and has a purpose for human history.

5:52So there are several ways that God wants to impress upon us wisdom from this passage, and we'll. Get to those in a moment, but first, I want us to walk through this vision that reveals to us and introduces us to this ministry of the seven bowl angels. It's been long coming, but here we come to the end of the end, and it's in the ministry. It's during the span of the ministry of these seven bowl angels. So we'll just jump right in. We have no PowerPoint for it today, but you don't need one. You have your Bible. And so we'll look at that.

6:35First, I want you to see the introduction to their ministry. The introduction. Look at verse 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 is finished. Notice right off the bat that it's another sign, another sign, another sign in heaven. You remember in this sequence of signs, you remember back in Revelation 12:1, there was the first great sign appeared in heaven, and that was a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet. And then there was another sign in verse 3 of chapter 12. Then another sign appeared in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads, ten horns, and on His heads were seven diadems. And now we come to this third great sign in this series. But notice back at 15:1, then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous. This sign is John refers to as great and marvelous.

7:53It's of enormous magnitude. And it inspires John with this profound awe, great and marvelous. This is the only sign that is called great and marvelous. It's something that has gripped John even beyond the other signs. It is only this third sign that is called great and marvelous, and it leaves a deep, awe-inspiring impression upon John. And it speaks to the ministry of these seven angels. It is a great and marvelous, or great and wonderful ministry. This is what John sees. Now, look at some of the details, verse 1. Three details really jump out. First of all, seven angels who had or who were holding the seven plagues.

8:57Seven angels having. Seven plagues. The word for plagues is literally blows or strikes. They have seven means to afflict the earth with. Seven plagues, seven strikes, seven blows to bring. And so this is this great and marvelous sign. He sees these angels and they're holding these plagues. Notice this phrase, which are the last, which are the last. Literal interpretation: who have the seven plagues, the last ones. The last ones. These are the last ones of human history as we know it. In them, in these bowls, the last.

9:54In them, the great day of the Lord is concluded. The end of the end. Remember, the day of the Lord began in chapter 6, in verse 16 and 17, with the opening of the sixth seal, and the people were crying out, Rocks fall upon us. Hide us from the presence of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand. That begins the beginning of the end, chapter 6, with the opening of the sixth seal. The end of the end. Is that last bold judgment and the last bowl of the last, but notice this other statement. They are the last, and he explains why they are the last. The last plagues, last bowls, last display of God's wrath, because in them the wrath of God is finished. The wrath of God is brought to completion, brought to its conclusion.

11:04Wrath poured out and completed. By the way, this simple statement makes, in my mind, preterism and historicism impossible. I know, and little statements like this, I haven't drawn attention to these, but I think it's important, as you know, we've gone through this, you understand I see these events largely future, still to come in human history. But it's little statements like this that are peppered throughout, and it hasn't been my purpose to bring these to the forefront as much as it is to impress and to teach Revelation because the blessing is tied with hearing and heeding. And understanding how Revelation applies to you is really fairly simple in the large part, no matter where you see these events happening. But statements like this just make the idea that these events happened in the past unquestionable in my mind. First of all, there is this thought that all these events have taken place and are fulfilled in 70 AD.

12:31The problem with that is, how do you then understand this expression? Because in them the wrath of God is finished. If these are bold judgments that apply to 70 AD, how in the world do we understand them to be finished in 70 AD? You can't without adding to or subtracting from the plain meaning of the text. You say, well, maybe it's just for Israel. No, that's not acceptable either because Israel, the wrath isn't complete upon Jerusalem in 70 AD because that's the beginning of the dispersion into the nations. You read Deuteronomy that the tearing down of the walls and destroying Jerusalem is just the beginning of the vengeance period. So little statements like this, but it also makes historicism, the idea that these things are being fulfilled just repeatedly throughout human history. That also seems impossible to me without adding or subtracting from the plain meaning of the text. Wrath can't be complete and then keep reoccurring. No, this is a future time that John is overwhelmed and awed that the wrath of God does come to an end upon human history. And he is describing that.

14:03It's this last of the series of the seals, the last trumpets. You have seven seals, and then that seventh seal becomes seven trumpets, and then that seventh trumpet, which actually blew way back in chapter 11 and verse 15. And now we've been four and a half chapters before we actually get to the seven bowls that the seventh trumpet is all about. But what this gives us, what this gives us is an overview of the next couple chapters. This first verse is giving you kind of that superscription or that heading of what's going to take place in chapters 15 and 16. This is the ministry of the seven bowl angels, and they will run their conclusion.

14:53And so that is the overview or the introduction to what. Is coming in chapters 15 and 16. So, second part of this message today is to look at the celebration associated with their ministry. So, we've been introduced to their ministry, an overview of what's happening. Now, beginning in verse 2, we will see the celebration that is celebrated or associated with the ministry of these angels. Look at verse 2. And I saw, again, he sees something, 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.

15:47What does he see? He sees a vision of victors, a vision of the victors. We've already gotten a special insight into this class of people. You know, first thing he sees is this sea of glass, just like he did back in Revelation 4 and 6. Remember that first throne room? There's this big sea of glass. There's the throne. God is separated from distinct and holy, set apart. And there's this, and around that, you have the living beings, the seraphim-like creatures flying, seems to be one of the highest orders. Then you have the elders, another order of angels.

16:31And here we see this special class. We've already been introduced to them. They are the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel, and perhaps people who listen to their message and also could be part of this class of people, but they are from the tribes of Israel, perhaps those who even heard their message. But in Revelation 12, 11, it tells us a little more about them. We've already been exposed to them. They overcame him, who? The dragon. Because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives even when faced with death. This is this class of people who goes through the whole period of great trial under the dragon, the beast. We see them in the last chapter, in chapter 14, in verse 1.

17:28I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000, having his name and the name of his father written on their foreheads. And then in verse 4, it tells us who they are. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. These are loyal. They have made it through. They have made it through this difficult time against all odds. And their loyalty to Christ is steadfast, solid, even in the faith. Of death all the way through, and these are just the first fruits.

18:09And they are there standing on. It's not just the word is not just that they're standing beside the sea, they are on this sea, this crystal glass sea. And here it adds the description mixed with fire. I don't know what he's trying to get at. But he sees fire. Maybe it indicates something about God's holiness. Maybe it indicates something about God's just judgments. In Revelation 4, it's just a pure glassy. And here there's something about the fire that catches John's eye. Enough to comment on it.

18:56But they seem to be standing in a place where Satan himself is kicked out of. Think about even back in Ezekiel 28. Listen to the description about what happens to Satan. In describing who Satan was, Ezekiel points this out. You were the anointed cherub who covers. And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God. You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways. From the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you.

19:37In verse 16, therefore, I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God, and I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. So get this scene of this lake, this sea, and there's this class of people on it, and they are, and it's a sea with fire. They're able to stand in that holy place, having in the very presence of God with his exacting holiness and perfect judgment. Place where Satan or the unholy angels were not allowed to stand. But you see a proximity, a closeness.

20:26But look at their threefold victory. It's described in verse 2. Those who had been victorious, by the way, the word for victorious is the ones overcoming. He says in the live-action scene, these are the ones who are overcoming. They're the ones that are on the earth, even at the time overcoming. But you can put it, they have been victorious. They are victorious and overcoming. These ones. But look at the, first of all, they're victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name. Threefold victory over the beast, certainly a depiction of all the political oppression that's involved in this last satanic empire under the direction and inspiration of the dragon. So they're victorious over the political oppressions, over his image. You remember, we spent some time looking at the image of the beast. He could speak, it can deceive the world, and people worship the image. So there's victory over his image, the religious oppression and deception, and over the number of his name. This speaks of the economic pressures, certainly that you couldn't buy or sell without the number of his name. And so these people lived through this time against all political oppression, against all religious oppression, and overcome all economic pressures in their loyalty to Christ.

22:21This is a loyal group of people. And this is what he calls us to be. And this even. Even if you and I may not agree with when this takes place, this is very clear. He gives us this image because this is what he wants us to be. We are to be a people who overcome every political, every religious, and every economic pressure that would rival or pressure us into being disloyal to Christ. Notice one more detail: they're holding harps of God. They are on the outside. You see something about their inside. They are poised to lead worship. They have come through. And it's, you remember the living creatures, the seraphim, they also hold harps and lead worship. The elders have also held harps and led worship. And now here is this special class.

23:31They have come through and they are poised to worship. The joy and the gratitude is in their heart. And they're ready to worship. Listen, you and I, if you are in Christ, you know what He has brought us out of. He's brought us out of sin, sorrow, shame, loss, and brought us in by the work of His Son into. The living favor of the living God forever and ever. That was Christ's work. That is what he wanted to give his people. He wanted to give us the favor of God, and he brought that out through a great deliverance, a spiritual deliverance. And certainly, here we see a future deliverance, but it's also spiritual, even though it has a physical component to it.

24:32And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb, the same way we do. But look back. Look back at this celebration. We get a vision of the ones, the victors, the vision of the ones overcoming. Now, in verse 3, we see the song. We see what they are singing. And they sing the song of Moses, the bondservant of God, and the song of the lamb. They are singing. And John, as he sees, they are singing. They sang the song of Moses, the bondservant of God, and the song of the Lamb. One kind of minor interpretive issue is: we're talking about two songs here, we're talking about one. Is this the song of Moses, i.e., the song of the lamb, or is it the song of Moses?

25:30And the song of the lamb. It's two. Grammar is clear on this. The song of Moses, the bondservant of God, and the song of the lamb. Now, the song of Moses is well documented in Scripture. We've just read it a few minutes ago, at least in Exodus 15. It also shows up in Deuteronomy 32 with a little bit different elements to it. Deuteronomy 32 speaks of the song speaks about the righteousness of God when he judges.

26:12Exodus 15, however, is expressly stated to be a song. And it occurs right after Israel's miraculous deliverance from Egypt. You remember, and I just read it, Exodus 15:1. Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord. It's clearly a song. And said, I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted, the horse and rider he has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation. This is my God. I will praise him, my father's God, and I will extol him. So both elements, both. Both songs, Deuteronomy 32 and Exodus 15, fit the context.

27:08Exodus 15, perhaps more so. But we're not left wondering what the Song of Moses is about. It's about God's great deliverance. It's about his righteousness and justice in the deliverance. So as he led the children of Israel out, he did it justly and he did it rightly. A great salvation that was upright, righteous, and good. So we understand largely the Song of Moses. Well written. The second song is about the song of the lamb. It's interesting how they're connected. There was a lamb that brought about the great deliverance. The distinction in Israel was between the blood of the lamb. How did God make a distinction between the Israelites and Egypt? It wasn't in their DNA, it was the blood of the lamb, the applied blood of an innocent sacrifice. That's what distinguished. And those who came out were a mixed group, largely Israel. But there were others who came out who distinguished by the blood.

28:21But we're not left guessing what the content of the Song of the Lamb includes, because the lyrics are given to us in the very Next, or in the next few phrases, look back to the lyrics of this song, verse 3. 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 Almighty. Righteous and true are your ways, O king of the nations.

28:55They, first of all, are exalting his works. Great and marvelous are your works, just like the sign that John, great and marvelous and awesome are your works and his ways. They exalt his ways. But look at the first, his works. Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God the Almighty. You remember, and we just read in Exodus 15, Moses says this in verse 11, Who is like you among the gods, O Lord? Who is like you? Majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders, that is, working marvelous deeds. You stretched forth your hand and swallowed them.

29:44In your loving kindness, you led the people whom you redeemed. In your strength, you have guided them to your holy habitation. Great and marvelous are your works. And as the song of Moses continues in verse. 15 of Exodus, 16 of Exodus 15. Terror and dread will fall upon them, that is, the pursuing army of Pharaoh. By the greatness of your arm, they are motionless as stone. Think about that. The superpower, if you could take your mind back to that moment where the superpower of the earth is in hot pursuit of this group of people who are defenseless, and then there they are, put down at all motionless as stone.

30:35These are great and marvelous are your works. And so they are praising God for that. And so this, this, that was Moses back then, but then this generation that is standing on the sea, having been through all that the beast and the dragon could throw at them, they too experience a deliverance from God. And they are, again, exalting, great are your works, O God. Who is like you? You remember? They're asking, who is like the beast?

31:16And here are these people who live through this time. Who is like the Lord? That's the right question to ask. Righteous and true are your ways, O king of the nation. Notice his marvelous works are described. He is Lord. God Almighty. He's the one who puts the superpower down. But also, they exalt his ways. Righteous and true are your ways, O king of the nations. What does a king do? A king judges. A king rules. A king guides by his laws. He exercises justice.

31:51And what this generation is singing here is that your ways are righteous and true. They are right in the sense there is no mixture of injustice here. They are true. There is no mixture of error in your ways. His ways of judgment are right, good. But not only do they exalt God for his works and his ways, but they also magnify his name. Look back at verse 4. Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name?

32:41The answer is no one. It's a rhetorical question. No one. No one. Even though, as the dragon worshippers in Revelation 13:4, we're saying, who is like the beast? And who is able to wage war with him? Who can Stand against him. So it's in chapter 13, it's the name of the beast. It's all these evil forces. It's that opposition to God that is striking terror upon the earth. But in chapter 15, it is the name of the Lord that strikes terror. Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war?

33:24The Lamb. And who is who can stand against the Lamb? And so it is the Lord that strikes terror in the nations. And it's a good kind. It brings them to praise, honor, and magnet. See the word? Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? This is a volitional. Who will not now, after these judgments have run their course? Who will not come? The answer is no one. And bring praise, who will magnify Jesus' name.

34:09And there's three causes for celebration. Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? Notice the word for. You'll see it three times. For you alone are holy. Reason number one: you alone are sacred. You are alone have sacred. Sacred character, you alone, holy. And this deals with both his sinlessness and his acts. He is innocent, he is undefiled, so all of his ways are holy. And the way he deals with his people is holy, and the way he executes justice is holy. There is absolutely nothing tarnished about the way he governs, about what he does. And these bowls are going to be horrific.

35:21And yet there's a celebration happening here. Something is coming to an end. Something that is right and good and necessary is about to happen with the ministry of these seven angels. God is bringing evil to its end. You'll probably have some professors. If God is good and all-powerful, why does evil exist? You've probably heard that. Well, he is all-powerful. He's good. He's merciful. And he will not tolerate evil. He has a good and sufficient reason for letting evil to run its course. But we have in the word that won't always be the case. So turn to him. Be wise. That's the kind of God who allows your sin to continue.

36:13He's not desiring any to perish, but that all would come to him. But there's a second reason. Look at this. Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. Second reason for celebration, for all the nations will come and worship before you. After the bold judgments have run their course, guess what? Universal worship will replace universal hostility. What a wonderful time to look forward to. What a reason to celebrate. The fear of God replaces the fear of evil. The fear of good and the fear of not doing good replaces the fear and self-centeredness and pride associated with doing evil. What a glorious time. Could you imagine what planet Earth will be like when the thoughts of men's hearts are only good always continually?

37:20That's the world that he is creating. And these bold judgments bring to the conclusion. Of this chapter, where man questions good and embraces evil. Well, why? Why are the nations going to come and worship? Look back at, there's a third reason. For your righteous acts have been revealed. Because your righteous deeds, your righteous acts have been revealed. There's no getting around it. Your deeds are made known to all their mighty power, and the rightness of them has been revealed upon planet earth.

38:11God, the reason all the nations come and worship before the Lamb is because God will indisputably dispel the deception of the dragon, his allies, his economic schemes, his political schemes, and his religious schemes. And at the end of it all, the nations are going to understand: your ways are good, your ways are just, your ways are right. He does what is right, he does what is good, and he only does what is right, and he only does what is good in your life, and in my life, and in the nations in the realm. He doesn't do anything else, and he can be trusted.

38:53So, who is like the beast? Well, the answer to quite the right question. Is who is like the Lord? And that is what these victors have experienced. Oh no, you, this dragon and his emissaries put the world into a prison, a deception. But the right question is: uh-uh, we, who is like the Lord? It's like this final generation invites judgment. You remember that Titanic, the great ship? Do you remember that employee that once it was launched made that statement, even God Himself cannot sink this ship? Remember that?

39:43Certainly, you know what's going to happen. It was a human being challenging God and inviting His judgment. Well, that's what this last generation does. Who is like the beast? Let me tell you. Remember Pharaoh? Who is this God? You're about to find out. So will it be at the end of the age. I have a little note here that says if it's past 11:40, stop. Well, welcome back. You know, we've been introduced to this. Ministry of the seven bull angels, and it's going to go all the way to the end of chapter 16.

40:36And there is a celebration associated with this ministry. In fact, sometimes we come to Revelation and there's a bit of fear, somberness, solemnness at all these judgments, but that's not what heaven's doing. Heaven is excited about what's ahead. So we have before us a preview of the end of the age. Let's bring it back to us today. Why were these truths given to us so that we would be wise in the way we live today? You have a semester, you have a school year before you. What are you going to do with this?

41:21It's very clear in what we've read this morning that God wants His name to be treated sacred and with dignity. You know, since God wants His name treated with sacred dignity, guess what you and I ought to be doing today? You know, sometimes we ask all these questions: how long? How long, Lord, will you make me go through this? How long, Lord, will I have to tolerate or endure this horrible situation that I'm in, or maybe this whatever it is. You fill in the blank. How long? Well, it is, you remember, we hear all those how-long prayers as the people under the fifth seal are asking how long, how long are you going to allow the martyrs that are being tormented and persecuted and harmed during this period of time? And they're crying out, how long? The Lord says, just rest. Gives them a white robe, rest. You know, this text teaches us that all the how long prayers are going to be answered one day. God will act. He does see us.

42:38So guess what? Your how-long prayers are going to be answered. So what do you do? Rest in Him while waiting. Do you know what's going to be fully realized at the end of the age? We've seen this. We're going to fully understand that all of His ways are righteous, no mix of injustice. All of His ways are true, no mixture of error. Those are all of His ways. So guess what? Since one day you're fully going to understand that, and everybody else is, why don't you embrace that now? Trust that now. Trust Him. Trust His ways now.

43:25Another truth that comes out of this end of the age. End is that all will glorify him. All will. And since all will glorify him, let's put off our pride and glorify him, not ourselves. Let's put aside our self-centeredness and be focused on him and making him known. That's the way, that's where humanity is going. Do you believe these truths? Jesus taught his disciples. They asked him, teach us how to pray. He says, pray like this.

44:07Hallowed be your name. God wants his name hallowed. Your kingdom come. Your will be done. Not mine. Let us be that kind of people. Let us live wisely in light. We have the bookends of human history. We have the exhortations. We have the loving Father who sent his Son so that we would be in union with him, so that we could be one of his loyal subjects, like those victors that we saw in our text this morning. That is what he calls you to be, and in him you can be.

44:52Let's pray. Heavenly Father, hallowed be your name. May your kingdom come and your will be done in our Lives totally, thoroughly. Father, forgive us where we cross the boundaries, where we trespass against your ways, and we elevate ourselves in arrogant pride, and we live as if we're the only ones on the planet earth. Father, forgive us for all of our self-centeredness, our pride. Help us to embrace and sanctify your name in our lives. Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. In Jesus' name. Amen.