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"Teaching the things concerning the kingdom of
God..."
Part 174
THE SEVEN ANGELS WITH THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES
“And
I saw another sign in heaven, great
and marvelous, seven angels having the
seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God” (Rev. 15:1).
This
first verse of chapter fifteen introduces the deep mystery the Holy Spirit now
reveals to the called and chosen elect of the Lord. John speaks here of “another sign,” that is,
a similitude, something like a parable, and this sign is in contrast with the
other signs he previously beheld in spirit — the sign of the sun-clad woman
with the moon under her feet, ready to be
The
sign which he now sees in the heaven of the Spirit is great and marvelous. It is, in other words, awe-inspiring and
wonderful! And no wonder: for the sign
which he now beholds is of the greatest importance. It cannot be looked upon or understood
without moving us deeply and filling our hearts with the overflowing of wonder
and joy.
In
this remarkable introduction we once more meet our old friends, the seven
angels of His presence, and here again they are operating in the action the
Holy Spirit sets before the beloved apostle in his visions. They are prepared to pour out the seven vials
or bowls of God’s passion. This pouring
is called the plague, for the
outpouring of God’s determined passion, zeal, or wrath, as the King James Bible
terms it, is
John
beholds seven angels, or messengers. And
although, without doubt, the sight of these seven shining heavenly messengers
positioned side by side is already
It
is interesting to note that when no one in heaven or on earth was able to open
the scroll sealed with seven seals, John wept
(Rev. 5:3-4). When the seventh seal
was opened which introduced the seven trumpets (Rev. 8:1), the event was so
significant that there was complete silence
in heaven for the space of half an hour.
Now the third cycle of God’s dealing begins, to execute the seven
plagues “which are the last,” as it reads in the Greek. But this time there is neither weeping nor
silence but great joy and a mighty song of victory! (Rev. 15:2-4). Final victory is near in the
THE
“And
I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is
filled up the wrath of God” (Rev. 15:1).
The
word “plagues” is a most interesting word!
It is translated from the Greek word plege
meaning “a wound caused by a stripe or blow.” Plege is
translated in the King James Bible as “wound” or “wounded” four times; it is
rendered “stripes” five times; and is rendered “plagues” only in the book of
Revelation twelve times. Thus, the
“seven last plagues” may be characterized as the “seven last stripes” or the
“seven last scourgings” or the “seven last chastenings” in which is filled up
the passion of God to correct His children.
“Last” plagues in which the passion of God is “filled up” or “complete”
signifies that these are the last or final dealings of God with a
people. Not the last in the sense that
God will
Elwin
Roach once wrote, “There is something else that is last. There are seven of them — plagues. They are the last seven plagues mentioned in
the book of Revelation. What a promising
word! They are full of the wrath (thumos — passion) of God. If we will notice, these plagues are poured
out on men, upon flesh. Everything which
is carnal will be subjected to the plagues!
It appears that seven plagues, seven days, seven colors of the light
spectrum make up the Last Day, and it swallows up every dark thing in its
path. It is like a tidal wave of fire
sweeping over the earth. There is
nothing but stubble left in its wake…”
When
these seven “last plagues” have gone, there will not be any more flesh,
carnality, or selfhood dominating in any of the Lord’s people. This will ultimately be true for all men
everywhere, as we see at the conclusion of the Revelation, but here it refers
to the people of God who are still immature children and who are enslaved in the
carnal religious systems of man. There
is the same truth as it pertains to the
1. The Earth.
(soulical religious realm)
2. The Sea.
(body, sensual realm, fleshly passions, wicked works, ungodliness)
3. The Rivers and Fountains of Water. (sources of ideas, concepts, culture,
teachings, philosophies, doctrines, traditions, customs, carnal knowledge,
worldly wisdom, the sources from which carnal men draw their life, their
natural joy and refreshment, all that gives vitality to the programs of men. “Rivers” suggest the flow of these ideas as they are taught, propagated, and promoted by
human institutions and instrumentalities of all kinds)
4. The Sun. (the external light of the old heavens and earth — laws, rules, commandments, authorities,
hierarchies, dominions of the old world of man — religion, science, business,
finance, etc.)
5. The Seat of the Beast. (human heart, deceitful above all things and
desperately wicked, out of which all evil emanates — also the corrupt seat of
spiritual wickedness)
6. The
7. The Air.
(the atmosphere created by
man’s programs, promotions, and works — realms of understanding, feeling,
sentiment, emotion, especially religious)
When
the last seven plagues have finished their work there will be no more missing
the mark, no more childish immaturity, no more deception, no more fleshly
manipulation and control, no more mistakes, no more spiritual bondage, no more
falling short, no more sins of omission,
and no more resistance to the will of God.
There will be no more cause for correction, chastisement, purging, or
purification, no more need for gaining more understanding,
THE WRATH OF GOD
“And
I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the
seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God” (Rev. 15:1).
The
seven plagues are here described as acts of judgment in which is “filled up the
wrath of God.” The concept of “filled
up” (Gr., etelesthe) means to bring
to conclusion or to the ultimate goal, that is, a complete fulfillment of God’s
purpose in a thing or person.
Just
as in Revelation 14:8 we read, in connection with Mystery Babylon, of “the wrath of her fornication,” the Greek
word for “wrath” here, as mentioned previously, is thumos meaning, according to Strong’s
God
has a passion to make right what is wrong, to cleanse and restore His people
and creation, like any father who wants his son to grow straight and
strong. He has a passion, therefore He
will spare nothing, not even the rod, to accomplish His great purpose. The wrath of God is the wrath of a Father and
in His wrath He remembers mercy! His
purpose in wrath is always corrective and redemptive! Multitudes of religious people are full of
bitterness, self-righteousness, condemnation, censure, denunciation,
vindictiveness, judgment, anathemas, and damnation — the wrath of man — and
really can hardly wait for the deceived religionists and the sinners and
tyrants of this world to get just what they deserve — eternal damnation in hell.
But now GOD’S WRATH is revealed!
It is the wrath of our Father and our Redeemer! What a revelation that is! Oh, the wonder of it! How sublime the very
thought! How awesome the
implication! How divine and glorious the
outcome!
However,
as the love of God does not cancel out His wrath, so His wrath does not cancel
out His love! Every parent who has ever
disciplined a child understands this!
Wrath and love work together to correct what is wrong and make it
right. Strictly speaking, the wrath of
God and His love are not equally eternal
attributes of God. God IS love, the
scripture testifies, but nowhere does it infer that God IS wrath! You do not see in any listing of God’s
attributes that wrath is included.
Neither is wrath listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit. When
sin and error are finished in God’s universe His wrath will end, but His love
will abide eternally upon all His creatures and upon all the works of His
hands. God reacts to sin by wrath — stern measures of discipline and
correction. The wrath really is the love
of God in reverse! According to the Word
of God His wrath is but for a moment —
but His love is unending! In wrath God remembers mercy — because
GOD IS LOVE!
Men
have been given a wrong view, a mistaken image of God! Religion preaches and serves a God who is a
monster, who is exacting, mean, cruel, and vicious. They say that God is love, but in their
hearts they believe that God is vindictive, implacable, harsh, and ultimately
unmerciful because they believe that God’s judgment against sin and error is
eternal torture in the fires of hell without
one degree of mercy ever. They have a distorted, deranged notion of
God’s justice, too, for He will send
to this eternal doom men who
And
yet — even in passion there can be anger.
In fact, one of the divinest things I know is anger! A divine
He
walked into that temple, and then burst out in His divine
Jesus
became angry at the dinner-table when He marked the hypocrisy of His host. The Pharisee saw that uninvited guest who had
crept in from the street, who was weeping in her penitence at the Saviour’s
side. The Pharisee was saying in his
heart, “This fellow, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner
of woman this is who toucheth him, for she is a sinner (prostitute).” He was a hypocrite in his heart, and Christ
unveiled him. “Simon, I have something
to say to you.” “Rabbi, say on.” Jesus continued and told the story of one who
was forgiven so much. He said to Simon,
“Which of them will love him most?” He
answered, “He to whom he forgave most.”
“Seest thou this woman, Simon?” and then Jesus unveiled him. He had given Him no kiss. He had not washed His feet, but the woman had
kissed His feet, and washed them with her tears. He turned from the severity of His reproach
to the pity of His love and said to the poor, broken woman: “Thy sins are
forgiven thee; thy faith hath saved thee: go in peace!” Do you not see the Christ’s hatred of
hypocrisy, His anger at self-righteousness and the sublimity of His love? If a man cannot get angry, if there is no
The
following illustration will make this clear.
It is frequently said in the Old Testament that Yahweh is angry. Yet Jesus came as the revelation of our
Father, Yahweh, and He said that “God (Yahweh) so loved the world, that He
gave His only begotten Son.” The beloved
John states that as to His nature, “God IS love.” Does not love appear to be far above anger
and wrath? This may be compared to a
Consider
this. Our language betrays the fact that
the average person sees God as an antagonist.
When high tides or strong winds shatter beachfront homes, what do men
call it? An act of God! When an earthquake collapses buildings and
lives are lost and thousands left homeless, what do we call it? An act of God! True enough, but why don’t we call a bumper
crop or a surplus an act of God? Why
don’t we call a warm, sunny day an act of God?
The tendency to see (and fear) God in adversity as some kind of divine
ogre is as old as civilization. But the
actual message of the Bible and of God’s Christ is just the opposite! Their main claim is that God cherishes you. He is for
you. God loves you. He has paid the
highest price for you! And God so loves the world. He so loves every man in the world. Moslem,
Communist, Roman Catholic, drunk, prostitute, homosexual — God so loves them
all! And He is angry! His passion is stirred! He shall arise and take all the measures
necessary to bring correction, repentance, and redemption into the earth! Repentance shall come, but how great is the
need for the inworking of His judgments, until that submission comes. To this very end there are even now seven
angels prepared in the
THE
“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” (Rev. 15:2).
The
next scene that opens to the view of this prophet is one of victory. Those who have witnessed the brilliant
spectacle of a tropical sunset at sea have caught a faint idea of the glory the
prophet here attempts to describe. As
the great sun sinks like a ball of blazing fire, the ocean itself seems to
Early
in his visions, when John beheld the unveiling of Christ — Christ the Head and
Christ the body — he also saw “a throne set in heaven” with God’s Christ upon
the throne. It is then that we read,
“And before the throne there was a sea
of glass like unto crystal…” (Rev.
4:6). Ezekiel, in the first chapter of
his book, speaks of seeing the color of the “terrible crystal” or in
contemporary English the “awesome, shining, dazzling crystal.”
We
bear in mind the qualifying words, “as it were…” “And I saw as it were a sea of glass
mingled with fire.” If we have considered
the matter as we ought, surely we realize that those believers who expect to go
to heaven one day and literally stand upon a celestial sea of glass mingled
with fire are certain to be disappointed.
What John saw was not an actual sea of glass, but as it were, that is, a vision,
a symbol standing for reality. The
surface of glass cannot ripple or swell or wave as water in a sea here on
earth. Water bespeaks the emotions of
the multitudes. Here, then, we are shown
a vast multitude standing in the glory of God knowing no anxiety, no fear, no envy, no hatred, no distress, no lust or
demanding desires. As surely as the
raging sea represents multitudes of restless, clamoring, surging, sinning
humanity, so does the exquisite sea of glass before the throne of God represent
an assembled throng of quickened and transformed saints IN WHOSE HEARTS THE
PEACE OF GOD RULES.
This great sea of redeemed men is calm and serene, tranquil and quiet,
transformed “even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
Just
how did this crystal sea become what it is?
John envisions this sea of glass twice.
In both of these descriptions, they are symbolical views of both a
people and a state of being. They have
been as
Glass
is sand that has been heated in the fire and is melted and flows together until
each grain of sand loses its
When
the hour comes for a son of God to be tried as by fire, first your faith must be tried, your ability to
trust God all the time and in every thing.
“…who are kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation ready
to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a
season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold testings: that the trial of your faith, being much
more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried by fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of
Jesus Christ” (I Pet. 1:5-7). Your
faith must be tried, and it must possess three qualities, praise, honor, and glory. God won’t put honor on any unless they have become
a praise unto Him, and God won’t put glory on any thing He cannot
honor. I
Second,
you are to be tried. “Beloved,
think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing
had happened unto you: but rejoice,
inasmuch as ye are partakers of
Christ’s sufferings; that, when His
glory shall be revealed, ye may
be glad also with exceeding joy” (I Pet. 4:12-13). This is not the fiery trial of your faith
now; this second trial is upon your character,
your virtue, your life, your state of being. Your very
nature must be tried, of what kind of fiber you are, what kind of spiritual
quality, whether you are a piece of second-growth hickory or just a piece of
pine. What is the matter with pine? It works nice, the lathes can be run nearly
three times as long turning out pine, as when working on hickory, but God
cannot make sons out of pine people! I
have heard people say, “I became a son of God ten years ago.” No, you did not! It takes a long time to grow good
hickory. You have to grow in grace. The
Third,
your work must be tried. “For
other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. But let every man take heed how he buildeth
thereupon. Now if any man build upon
this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the
day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall
try every man’s work of what sort it
is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built…he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (I Cor.
Paul
tells us in the passage above that various kinds of works may be built up upon
the foundation of Christ. It is
of great importance that we understand this potential and its outcome! There are works of great spiritual content
and value which are characterized as gold, silver, and precious stones. These are enduring works, raised up by the
nature and power of the Holy Spirit.
Then there are works with little spiritual content and of questionable
value which are characterized as hay, wood, and stubble. These are perishable works, raised up by the
zeal of man, carnal, fleshly works which are pawned off as something spiritual
and valuable for they are built up upon the foundation of Christ, that is, they
are done in His name and professedly for His glory.
Nowhere
are these combustible works, made to be burned in the day when men’s works are
tried by fire, more evident than in the religious world of the carnal church
systems of man. The so-called “gospel”
in this hour is fashioned to appeal to the carnal mind, offering men blessings,
prosperity, instant solutions to problems, a miracle a day, ease and comfort,
and all the good things of life, rapture out of tribulation, and in that
glory-world above golden streets, harps, and wings to flit about a celestial
Disney World with nothing to do and all eternity to do it in. There are no enduring qualities in these
works, for the benefits are all natural,
physical, earthly, tangible, for creature comfort — not spiritual or heavenly! I do not err when
I say that if all the prayers and faith that are exercised daily for earthly things, blessings of money, cars, homes, clothes,
physical healing, comforts, and luxuries that pamper the flesh were stripped
away from most believer’s prayers, their prayer lives would hardly exist at
all!
All
carnal, man-made church systems, programs, rituals, ceremonies, promotions,
outreaches, and efforts are but hay, wood, and stubble before the consuming
fire of God. Through the years we have
received a steady stream of letters in the mail telling of this great program
and that great endeavor for God, with their pleas for financial help. With glib tongues and plausible programs by
which the world is going to be won for Christ, well-meaning people are
Whether
it be carnal and deceptive operations such as those described above, or merely
our own good works to be seen of men, our self-efforts to appear righteous and
holy, or our human zeal to do something for God and be pleasing to Him, when
all these good religious fleshly works are brought into the blazing presence of
God who is a consuming fire they will one and all go up in smoke! “For
the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” What a bonfire that will be! Oh, yes, my brother, my sister, every man’s
work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it will be
revealed by fire. Even all our good “kingdom” and “sonship”
works, ministries, outreaches, books, preaching, conferences, and all the rest,
shall be tried by fire! EVERY MAN’S work
shall be tried by fire! That is the
final test. If the work abides the fire
and comes out unscathed on the other side, that man shall receive a
reward. Those who truly stand the test
in all things shall receive the prize
— the HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS! These stand upon the sea of glass mingled with
fire, having the harps of God, and sing the song of Moses and the Lamb! These are they who shall reign with
Christ. Those whose works are all burned
shall suffer great loss with embarrassment, shame, dishonor, reproach,
humiliation and mortification. Yet God
in His rich mercy says, “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer
loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet
so as by fire.” This one will have nothing, no reward, no honor, no place,
no position of responsibility in God’s great kingdom — how art the mighty
fallen! He will escape with only his eternal life!
A
sea of glass like unto crystal! The
figure is a striking one, and now in chapter fifteen of the book of Revelation
he tells us that this glassy sea which spread before the throne of God was shot
with flame, and upon it stood a host of those who had come victorious out of
the conflicts of earth, and these have harps and
sing the song of Moses and the Lamb — the song of
The
sea of glass mingled with fire
represents the purification that is necessary for every son of God who enters
the throne zone. It is not possible to
partake of the realm of God’s sovereign, unlimited, omnipotent power and
authority until we have passed through the crystal sea mingled with fire and
been purged from all carnality and self-hood by the quickening radiance of
Christ’s own pure and divine life. By
the regenerating power of the living water which Christ is we lose the scent of
the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Every son of God is today passing through the sea of divine
purification, into the state of transparency, which gives us access to the
throne-room of God!
It
is here that all the fickle emotions of the soul and the relentless passions of
the body have been put under our feet until they toss us no more. There is a great calm! There is substance — a solid foundation —
under our life and our walk, for we cannot fail to observe that God Himself
possesses the same attributes as the glassy sea which surrounds His
throne. The sea before the throne is the
very nature of God established within a people until they stand and walk in the
power of it. The sea is the emblem of
mystery in many of the apocalyptic writings.
But here we are told that the mystery which surrounds the nature of God
is no longer mystery to those who are able to see Him as He is. The sea of glass
is crystal clear with the light of truth!
The glassy sea is thus a beautiful figure for the perfect revelation of
the grace, righteousness, and glory of God.
Those
who stand upon the sea of glass have escaped from the imprisonment of self into
the mind of Christ. They have lost
themselves so completely in the life of God that there is no longer any
distinction between “I” and “Christ.”
They have reached the good beyond the good; the right within the right;
the truth of which the truth we have known is but the shadow. They have been lifted out of the tossing sea
of human passion and carnal understanding into the eternal calm of Christ-consciousness. These love without fear of losing, and
worship without ceasing that which is the living God reflected in our own being
— our very reality and state of being, being
the homage we render unto Him who is the source and substance of all.
All
who attain to the heights in God are moved to climb the steep and winding path
that leads from the
The
following words from the pen of brother Carl Schwing
resonate profoundly within my spirit today:
“A glorious visitation of the Holy Spirit draws near. He is going to annihilate us. This will be the true ‘
I’m
sure it would be thrilling to stand upon a literal, physical sea of glass and
play a harp while waving a palm branch.
But that would change nothing within us!
How much more glorious to stand in that eternal calm where all
warfare, strife, struggle, fear, temptation, and failure have forever ceased —
far, far above our own soulish efforts, yet deep within our spirits even
now! When shall we behold that glorious
expanse of righteousness, peace, and joy?
When? Only when we ourselves become
the perfectly manifest life, light, and love of God, eternally at one
with Him, and with all that is His image and likeness. This alone is real; all else is but
seeming. There is nothing beyond the
crystal sea but the throne of God!
TRIED BY FIRE
Tried in the fire, consumed in the
Melted till nothing of self remains;
Tried in the furnace till God only sees
The beauty of Jesus reflected in me.
Tried in the fire till all self has died,
Tried in afflictions with Christ
crucified;
With much pain and tears, pressed out of
measure,
For God is preparing HIS special treasure.
The great Master Builder knows how to make
A
man in His likeness with not one mistake;
He works with precision His image to mold —
Not one that’s earthly, but one that’s
pure gold.
— sister Lee Cline
To be continued… J. PRESTON EBY
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