Sermon Tone Analysis

Lakeview Baptist Church

November 7, 2021

Revelation 15:1-4

Re 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. 2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, [and] over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous [are] thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true [are] thy ways, thou King of saints.

4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for [thou] only [art] holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Introducing One

I love music.

I believe it is the beat, rhythm, verse, and emotion that causes my audio sense to overpower the remaining senses.

Young

• Bad Man from Missouri

• Tennessee Ernie Ford – Sixteen Tons

• Floyd Creamer

Teens

• Beach Boys

• Jan & Dean

• Beatles

20’s to 30’s

• Boston

• Yes

• Eagles

• Alice Cooper

• Jethro Tull

Introduction to Contemporary Christian Music

• Petra

• The Talbot Brothers

• Kemper Crabb

• Keith Green

• Amy Grant

• Michael W. Smith

• DeGarmo and Key

• Mylon Lefevre and Broken Heart

Music Satisfies the Soul…God designed us that way.

Today I search for Christian music that matches the scriptures and satisfies my spiritual and emotional needs.

That is where we come to today.

In the middle of the judgments from God, John identifies two songs: one from Moses and the other from the Lamb.

Introduction Two

The fourteenth and fifteenth chapters are unified in their approach to the enemies of God.

They clarify that more judgments from God are about to be delivered to His enemies as they will be cut off from any chance of having a relationship with Him.

Especially concerning that the power of the Beast (Antichrist) will be destroyed.

For the believer, the church will be triumphant.

The fifteenth is the shortest chapter of the Revelation.

It is the prologue to the “vial” or “bowl” judgments.

Yet, it is another glimpse of heaven with all its benefits and joys to the believer.

As a reminder, we have already seen two sets of judgments on the creation including man.

In the sixth chapter we were introduced to the seven seal judgments.

After the interlude of the seventh chapter, the trumpet judgments were described in chapters eight and nine.

And finally, in the sixteenth chapter we will see the finale of the bowl judgments.

The first two judgments occupy the first three- and one-half years of the Tribulation period.

Chapter fifteen is relatively parenthetical, for while it is a “rest” from the previous judgments, it is the foreword to the upcoming pouring out of the wrath of God in the bowl judgments.

However we are reminded of the former judgments while looking at the glory to come.

If I can offer a description of chapter fifteen in a sports theme, it would be a glimpse into the locker room of before the game.

The game plan is revealed, and the outcome is discussed.

This chapter sets the stage for the seven “vial” judgments containing God’s wrath which will be poured out in chapter 16, the fall of Babylon in chapter 17-18, and the return of the Messiah in chapter 19.

John’s attention is not on the earth but drawn once again to heaven, just as it was before the scroll judgments (Rev.

4-5) and the trumpet judgments (Rev.

8:2-6).

In the previous chapter we were introduced to God’s wrath described as the cup of wine (14:10), the harvest (14:14-16) and the grape clusters (14:17-20), which will now be revealed to all the heaven and earth.

This chapter opens to the introduction of the seven angels that will carry out God’s final judgments.

The description of these angels is different from the other angels mentioned in the Revelation.

These seven angels are holding the seven last plagues in seven bowls.

The judgments are to be “poured out” are on the enemies of God, those “which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.”

(Rev 16:2) That means that those that love God, His church, will not be harmed.

The Antichrist and his world system will be crushed, and he will in due course be destroyed.

This chapter will remind the earth and its inhabitants that God will carry out His promise to those that are disobedient to Him.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

SIGNS AND WONDERS IN HEAVEN

Revelation 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

“And I saw another sign in heaven” – John is not describing what he is being told to write, instead he is describing what he sees, “and I saw.”

If I could take a few minutes to describe the Eiffel Tower in Paris, no matter how eloquent my words, it is not the same as experiencing it for yourself.

However, that is the task set out for John.

His attention is drawn to another “sign” in heaven.

This is the third of four signs or wonders mentioned by John.

The Greek word semeion is translated both as “sign” and “wonder.”

Rev 12:1 “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:”

Rev 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word “sign” has many different shades of meaning.

The New Bible Dictionary defines “sign” as:

• A visible mark or object intended to convey a clear message - the mark on Cain (Gen 4:15).

• An reminder - the stones taken from the Jordan (Jos.

4:6).

• Works of God.

In its simplest form, a sign is used for a remembrance.

SEVEN LAST PLAGUES

“…seven angels having the seven last plagues” – The Greek word for plague is “plege” (pronounced, play-gay) meaning a blow, to be struck as with a calamity.

It has been translated in the King James Version as:

• plague twelve times

• stripe five times

• wound four times

Therefore, these angels are going to “strike calamities” on the dwellers of the world.

“…great and marvelous” – What John sees fills him with awe.

The plagues will be unveiled, one by one, by being poured out on the inhabitants of the earth.

This horrible scene of the wrath of God may be viewed from two different standpoints.

For the believer, it would represent “truth” of God becoming reality as God is going to judge the nonbelievers and the ungodly and justice will be served.

For those that oppose God, it would be seen as horrifying, terrifying and severe acts of judgment.

In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the wrath of God began with the introduction of the seven seal judgments.

It will end with the last “woe” which is the seven last plagues held in seven bowls.

At this point, John saw the seven angels holding the seven vials of God’s wrath, poised for action.

The wicked world is about to “drink of the wine of the wrath of God” (Rev.

14:10); but before the angels pour out their judgments, there is an “interlude” of blessing.

Before sending the “third woe” (Rev.

11:14), God once again reassures His faithful people.