Revelation 15:1 Commentary and Bible Study

The fifth section runs includes chapters 15 to 16. This scan pictures seven angels having the seven last plagues, or the vials of wrath. This is to contrast them with the trumpets of warning. The trumpets represented warnings. You still had the opportunity to repent; they could bring you to think. But now the bowls of wrath are the last or final plagues in the sense that they are real judgement; there’s no repentance available to people who suffer from these judgements. The earlier judgements were reformative; these last judgements are punitive. This sign is called great and marvellous. What is marvellous about it is the awesome nature of the judgments that it represents and their wisdom and aptness. It is a great encouragement to know that God is not indifferent to our trials in this world. He has not left us to battle against evil on our own.With these seven last plagues, the wrath of God is filled up. In one sense it isn’t, because these bowls are going to be poured out over a period of many centuries – it has been two thousand years already. We don’t know when the Lord will return. Maybe very soon, maybe not quite so soon, but when he does return there will be the end of the plagues, and all of them will be poured out in final judgement. But what this means is that this chapter is dealing with final punishment, the early stages of it working towards the return of Christ and the Day of Judgement. There is of course a reference back to the plagues of Egypt. What wonderful foresight we see in God’s purposes and what skill to teach the human race. The plagues of Egypt were literal plagues, but they were also signs for all times of the punishments with which God would continue to strike a sinful world until the end of all things. They were carefully chosen to target each of the major elements of man’s environment, elements which reflected the spheres of creation. In Egypt there were ten plagues, here there are seven. The number seven is used throughout the book to denote the totality of a thing and accordingly these seven plagues are said to complete the wrath of God. When these plagues are finished, earth’s history will be over.God’s wrath is not like ours. It is not a mere passion, likely to go out of control and to be disproportionate, but is in perfect harmony with all his other attributes. It is always executed in justice. It is never an overreaction but is a proportional, just response to the sinfulness of sin. None will ever be able to accuse God of injustice. His wrath waits long before it is expressed and he always gives men due warning before he punishes them. When they are punished they know why they are being punished and the internal verdict of their consciences agrees with his external verdict. He will judge each individual according to the light that they have and how much they understand of his commandments.