This chapter and the next portray the third and last of the sevenfold visions of the Book of Revelation. The scenes of the vision are unfurled before our eyes in chapter 16; here in this chapter, we are given a picture of the angels who are to initiate each scene by emptying out a censer full of God’s wrath. These seven angels are the same seven angels who blew their trumpets to open each scene in the second vision, in chapters 8-11. Here in this third and final vision, we see the Lord’s angry judgments being poured out upon His Church’s foes. The angels are working on His behalf, making one last attempt to bring the unbelieving members of mankind to take advantage of their final chance to bow the knee in repentance and submission to Him.
In the second verse, the Apostle John gets the view of the battleground – “a sea of glass mingled with fire” – where the Church and the beasts of the dragon (particularly the political beast from the sea and his image, in this scene) are engaged in their conflict. John had seen a peaceful glassy sea before the Lord’s heavenly throne, in chapter 4; its serenity was a symbol of the victorious saints’ peace in the presence of their God. The fact that this sea mentioned here in verse 2 is mixed with fire is meant to give a picture of the awful suffering that the members of Christ’s Church endure as they engage in this terrible war. Nevertheless, even though the beast and his image seem to win the victory over them (chapter 13:5-7), they are indeed the true victors! And thus, during the time period from Christ’s Ascension to His Second Coming, the Church fights and suffers, and yet sings in faith; for she is assured of success in her mission because her Savior has already won the victory for her!
The song that the Church sings is here referred to as “the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.” Moses’ song in Exodus 15 gave thanks to the Lord for saving His people from the hands of the Egyptians at the Red Sea; its theme was redemption from slavery and suffering, and this miracle of deliverance at the Red Sea was a foreshadowing of the redemption from sin that the Lord Jesus has brought about for His people. The “song of the Lamb” is a celebration hymn concerning any particular act of redemption that the Church experiences during her time on earth. The people of God in both the Old and the New Testaments are herein united. They are always being crushed and thrown down by the enemy, but their Savior is always rescuing and delivering them so that they may continue to do the work that He has given them to do on this earth. And in this blended song of Moses and of the Lamb, they ceaselessly rejoice over this act of continual deliverance during their warfare with the dragon’s beasts.
After seeing and hearing these things, John’s attention is directed to “the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven” (verse 5). This seems to be a reference that reminds us of the tabernacle that the Israelites built in the wilderness, which was the visible dwelling-place of Jehovah’s presence with His people. Similarly, this tabernacle in heaven is meant to show us that our Lord’s presence is with us here on earth, and that He uses His righteous judgments to save His Church and execute vengeance on her adversaries and foes. From this heavenly tabernacle, the seven angels that are to unleash God’s judgments come forth. Their white garments represent the pure and perfect holiness of Christ, and their golden belts symbolize the royalty of King Jesus – making it clear that they are acting on His behalf. From one of the four living creatures (archangels) around the heavenly throne, these angels receive the seven censers full of the wrath of God, and prepare to pour out His judgments. When this was done, “the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God” – representing His holy presence, as on Mount Sinai. And the smoke was so thick that “no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled!” (verse 8)
Thank You, Lord Jesus, that although we are always being crushed and thrown down during our warfare with the dragon’s beasts, yet You are always rescuing and delivering us from the enemy! Amen.
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