Revelation 15

Translation

Then I saw another great and wonderful sign in Heaven: Seven angels that had seven last plagues, because by these plagues the wrath of God was completed.

Then I saw something like a glassy sea that had been mixed with fire, and those who were victorious from the Beast, his image, and the number of his name were standing on the glassy sea and had guitars of God. They were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the little lamb, saying,

“Your works are great and wonderful

O Lord God Almighty!

Your ways are just and true,

O King of the Nations!

Who does not fear and glorify your name, O Lord?

Because only you are holy,

Because every nation will come and worship before you,

Because your righteous judgments have been made clear.”

After these things I looked, and the temple of the tent of testimony in heaven was opened. The seven angels who have the seven plagues came out from the temple dressed in pure bright garments and they had golden sashes around their chests. One of the four creatures gave the seven angels seven golden offering bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.

The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power. No one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues and seven angels were finished.

God as Agent

What is God really?

Ancient question, what is God in essence?

Aquinas: God as being

“The Unmoved Mover”

Problem with Aquinas: You cannot be both “unmoved” and “mover”

Problem with the question: God is a who not a what

God as Agent

Importance: God is not unresponsive, he hears us, sees us, and responds to us

Consequentially, we believe God acts in history

Exodus then and Now

John points toward one of the greatest of God’s acts in history for the Jewish people: the Exodus

Plague language reminiscent of Exodus

The song of Moses (Ex. 15) denotes a liberation from oppression

Passage ends with glory of God, just as in Ex. 40

Revelation has frequent Exodus language.

Pharaoh - > Dragon

Saved by Water -> Saved by Blood of the Lamb

Brought to Sinai -> Brought to God’s Presence

Exodus as salvific framework (atonement theory)

John’s visions reveal that another Exodus event is under way

Judgement and Offering

The judgement offered here, then, is equivalent to God’s salvific act

Salvation and Judgement often go hand in hand

God hears the cry of his people and responds by bringing judgement on the oppressor and freeing the oppressed

God hears the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and responds

God hears the cry of his people in Egypt and resonds

God has now heard the cry of his people under Roman oppression and responds

Bowls are “offering bowls”, φιαλας,

“Tent of Witness”, these bowls likely used to hold ashes from offerings burnt on the altar

What’s in these bowls?

The wrath of God

Response to the prayers of the saints offered up to God (c.f. Rev 5:8; 8:3-4)

We see that “Babylon”, i.e. Rome, is “drunk on the blood of the Saints” (Rev 17:6)

God once again has heard the cry of his people, and now responds with Judgement and Salvation

Lamb Song: Glory to God

The aim of Exodus was not judgement, nor even salvation, but communion with God

Likewise, the focus of the judgement here is not on punishment, nor even on going to heaven, but on communion with God

Song focuses on God, not on celebration of judgement

“The tent filled with smoke” c.f. Ex 40, 1 Kings 7

We come to worship not because God exists, but because he acts , and we believe he acts in history

God acted in Exodus, He acted on the Cross, and He acted in saving Christian Martyrs in Rome. He continues to Act to day.

God’s action is not for the sake of punishment, nor even just eternal life, but to draw near to his people, and draw his people near to him

Thus the telos of the Christian life is a participation in the life of God.

In this sense, our purpose and great joy is worship. To celebrate the mighty acts of God, to celebrate the goodness and justice of God, and to rejoice in our experience of his presence.

We look to the day of new creation, when our worship will be in the full presence of God

Yet we also worship now, our eyes set on the future, celebrating both what God has done, is doing, and will do.