seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 15:I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb:
“Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the nations.[a]
4 Who will not fear you, Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”[b]
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the nations.[a]
4 Who will not fear you, Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”[b]
5 After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law—and it was opened. 6 Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
a. Revelation 15:3 Some manuscripts ages
b. Revelation 15:4 Phrases in this song are drawn from Psalm 111:2,3; Deut. 32:4; Jer. 10:7; Psalms 86:9; 98:2.
The commentary notes.... they are about worship and greatness. This is an uplifting chapter.... except that a lot of people have been sick with COVID-19 and just like when polio came around.... we think it's the end of the world.
This is the commentary from the easy English site.
What John saw next was great and wonderful. He saw in heaven 7 angels. These angels controlled the 7 last troubles that came upon the world. These will be times of awful trouble and pain, because God will be angry. God will be angry because people refused to accept his love. God will be angry because people became very wicked. And God will be angry because people worshipped the beast and his image instead of God.
This does not mean that God’s anger has finished. He still has to punish the devil. And he still has to throw the beast and the false prophet into the lake of fire. But it does mean that this will be the final act of God’s anger on the earth.
These 7 troubles will be the last ones. When they have finished, Christ will return to the earth.
John again sees a glass sea (Revelation 4:6). This sea seems to be glass, but it glows like fire. It was a solid sea rather than like water. A large crowd stood on the sea.
The crowd was of all those who had defeated the beast and its image. They did not worship the beast. They did not have the mark of the beast. That mark was the number of the name of the beast. God gave to them harps in order to make music. They held these harps in their hands.
In the end, all who remain will be afraid of God. They will give honour to him. Nobody will worship another god because there is no other. He is the one and only holy God.
Then John saw the temple in heaven. In the temple was the most holy place. It was open and 7 angels came out of it. The angels came from God. They would bring the final awful troubles to the earth.
Each of the 7 angels received a gold bowl from one of the creatures. These bowls contained the 7 last troubles. In other words, each trouble would happen when the angels poured out each bowl. These troubles were the anger of God. This means that the troubles were the result of God’s anger.
As the angels received the bowls, smoke filled the temple. This smoke was from the glory and power of God. This smoke showed that God was present in his temple. Because of the smoke, nobody could enter the temple. Nobody could stop the awful troubles that God sent on the earth.
My online Bible called this the chapter about the Seven Plagues.... and the commentaries call it the chapter that introduces the Seven Bowls. Either way... God is angry.... and John gets that.
Verse 2.... now that's been my fear for my whole life. I've never really liked harps..... and the thought have having to fly around Heaven all day.... playing a harp.... well that just would not be a Heavenly experience for me. I would almost have to decline..... but this verses says I'm good.... I'm not getting a harp.... I'm good.... I decided before the end times really got going.... I hope.
Revelation 15:2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God
So... those who believe the Bible to be the exact "Word of God" will see people playing harps for eternity..... "should have spoke up sooner".... they say to the harpists. Those who believe the Bible has been changed so much over the years will be more lenient with the late bloomers..... saying "you will be singing a song of praise.... you will be so happy to be on the right path.... "you will want to play that harp and sing praise songs all day....." Back in the late days of the election..... and immediately after it.... there were quite a few pages on social media about worshiping a man in church. They even went so far as to craft an image of a previous leader.... and roll it onto a stage to be worshipped. That scared me..... I knew it was way too close to what John saw playing out in Revelation. I got the feeling they were saying.... "come on.... bring it on..... bring on the Seven Bowls.... we will survive.... we have the power"
The Seven Plagues..... the Seven Bowls.... the Harpists..... it's all waiting for us..... and the ring of fire is heating up.
So.... to avoid being a harpist..... with nothing to do but roll around Heaven all day.... strumming a harp...... you have to decide now..... you have to get on the right path..... or you will be stuck.... harp in hand.... working in the choir.... providing the music to sooth men's soul in a place where men's souls are already at ease.... sort of useless.... right?
Choose Christ now...... To avoid being a harpist in Heaven..... you have to choose now...
