The Color Of Anger

I would ask you this morning to take your Bibles and turn to Revelation chapter 15. Revelation 15. You follow as I read this chapter. Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire, and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands.

And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.

After this I looked, and the sanctuary, the tent of witness in heaven, was open. And out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen with golden sashes around their chests. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.

And the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power. And no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. Let's pray. Father, would you now open your word to us? We are people who need to hear this. You have, in your providence, brought us here, these particular people, to hear this particular message.

Would you, Father, guide our thinking and press these things upon our hearts? Help us to see who God is. Father, we thank you now for your word. We know that it's a living word. We pray that your spirit would apply it to us, would bring it to bear upon our hearts. and we'll thank you for the glory of Christ. Amen.

You were angry sometime this last week weren you All of us were What does that anger look like? Was there a nuclear explosion, wiping out everything and everyone in sight? Did smoke roll out your ears as anger smoldered in your heart? maybe it was the slow drip of sarcasm as the anger of bitterness found expression quite possibly you flew off the handle because you just could not take it anymore we all get mad we know what anger is all about but we are not the only ones who get angry God gets angry too.

Now, we've seen the revelation of God's anger already in this book. The anger of the Lamb opening the seals, pouring out His wrath on the earth. The anger of God and the plagues of the trumpets let loose on unbelievers. We've heard it in the angel's warning of a judgment of fire and sulfur, torment and restlessness. We see it depicted in the rivers of blood flowing from the winepress of the fury of God.

Now we stand on the threshold of another revealing picture of God's anger. We see bowls filled with wrath, the wrath of God. Bowls of wrath that are then poured out on the earth. Horrific plagues of God's judgment. but what is God's anger like? what is God's anger like? does the lamb fly off the handle and starts ripping open the seals of the scroll so that all that wrath is poured out on the earth does God do a slow burn until finally he yells to the angels blow those trumpets and unleash all those plagues on those unbelievers does he start flinging bowls of wrath around because he's finally had it is that is that is that the way god's anger is is that the way it is is your view of god's judgment tainted by the perverse perversions of human anger does god look like to you an out of control tyrant losing his temper If that kind of your view of God then this text Revelation 15 verse 1 and verses 5 through 8 are meant for you this morning You see here the vision that John witnesses here, the vision of a tabernacle and angels and bowls that gives you the backdrop to the anger and judgment of God that will be unfolded and revealed for us in chapter 16 and further.

It tells you what colors the judgment of God. It tells you what's behind the judgment of God. It tells you what motivates this anger of God. And as we come to this introduction to the pouring out of these bowls of wrath, we get an understanding of the character of God and why he's pouring out these bowls of wrath, why he's so angry, what's behind it. Now, as we look at this, we see that John has another vision.

All right, we saw last week that verses 2 through 4, part of this interlocking puzzle, 2 through 4 go back up with chapter 14, and 15, 1, and 5 through 8 are together. And here we see this new vision, this vision of these angels and bowls of the wrath of God. He sees angels who have authority over seven plagues. And these angels emerge from what looks like a tent.

What it is, is the tabernacle of God's presence that traveled with the Israelites in the wilderness. That is to say, it's a picture, it's a vision of that tabernacle of God's presence that traveled with the Israelites through their wilderness wanderings. Except that when he looks at this vision, it's opened. The flaps covering the entrance to the tent, if you will, are open.

And out step seven angels who look like priests. That's the pure linen with the golden sash over their chests. At least they're attired like priests who serve in the tabernacle. As they step out into the courtyard, they are met by one of the four living creatures that we have met before in Revelation chapter 4. In a previous vision these are the four living creatures that sit on each side of the throne of God only now in this vision one of those creatures sits in the tabernacle courtyard and hands a golden bowl full of the wrath of God to each angel as he emerges from the tabernacle.

But these bowls, which are the golden bowls that were used at the altar of incense, which you remember is inside the tabernacle right before the veil that goes into the Holy of Holies. Those are the bowls that usually had incense in them that were used at the altar of incense. Only this time, they do not contain incense, which you remember in the Old Testament and in the book of Revelation stand for the prayers of the saints.

Instead of them being filled with incense, now they are filled with the wrath of God. and then suddenly the Shekinah glory, that cloud as John looks at this vision descends once more on that tabernacle tent and the tent is filled with the glory and the power of God as if it looks like smoke coming out, building out of that temple and the glory is so overwhelming that no one can enter the tabernacle until those bowls filled with the wrath of God are all empty. Now that's the vision. That's the first part of the vision that John sees about these seven bowls.

Now let's go back to verse 1. You find a preview to all of this in verse 1. Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. This verse is like a movie preview. All right. It's like a movie preview.

When you're sitting in the theater, you know, you see the previews that come on before the main feature. They go through a number of different movies that are coming up. Or when you put in your DVD, which is a new release they'll have on there again previews of DVDs that are coming out in other words previews of coming attractions this comes on and says seven angels, seven plagues on the ground All right.

Gives you a preview of what's coming up. It also makes clear that this is the last movie of a trilogy of God's wrath. There are three movies of God's wrath. And this makes clear, this preview says the last movie of the trilogy is coming up. Now we all know what that's like, right? Why can't I think of it now?

Lord of the Rings, right? The trilogy of Lord of the Rings. We all knew there was going to be three movies. This one tells us there are three features that feature the wrath of God. And John writes that these seven plagues are the last. It's the last one.

Now again, remember what we've seen before. John does not mean that these bowl judgments follow chronologically the seal judgments and the trumpet judgments that we've seen before. In other words, he's not saying, first God pours out the judgments that are represented by the seals, and when those are finished, then he pours out the trumpet plagues. And when those are finished, then he pours out the bowl plagues.

That's not what he's saying here. OK, he means that this is the last this is the last vision in the order of visions. That is to say, the first feature is the lamb opening the seals. The second feature is the angels blowing the trumpets. The third feature is the angels pouring out all the bowls. All three cover all three of those cover the same period of time.

Remember, all three cover the same period of time. The same period of time which is from Jesus' ascension to Jesus' return. We see that first of all with the seals. That period of time. We look at the picture of the seals. Then that same period of time we see God pouring out or blowing the trumpets.

The angels blowing the trumpets. Covers the same period of time. Now with the pouring out of the bowls of wrath. Covers the same period of time from the ascension of Jesus to his return. All right? That's what's happening.

We've got to remember that. This is not chronological in the sense of one next last one But this is the last in the visions of what going on during this period of time Okay remember what we called that Recapitulation We rewind it and start over again at the beginning but we see it from a different angle First the seal angle, then the trumpet angle, and now the bowl angle. And it says, with them the wrath of God is finished.

That is to say, the full portrait of God's wrath poured out on the earth now and when Jesus returns will be finished when all the bowl visions are now painted on that heavenly canvas. When that's done, then we've seen the last of the wrath of God. It's finished. The picture's done now. Okay? So that's what he means when he talks about that in verse 1.

Now, as we look at verses 5 through 8, as I thought about this, why is this here? That's the most basic question you always ask in Bible study. Why is this here? Why didn't he just say these seven angels came and why didn't he go from verse 1 to chapter 16, verse 1? Why all this symbolism here of all this other stuff? Because he's telling you what colors the anger of God.

God intends you to understand what motivates his wrath with the symbolism of the angels emerging from the tabernacle. What is it that motivates the wrath of God? Here's the first thing. Recognize God's justice in judgment. Recognize God's justice in judgment. Does God just fly off the handle? does God lose his temper?

Does he go nuclear? Alright? The judgment of God originates within the sanctuary of the tent of witness. Now that's very important. The angels come out of the sanctuary of the tent of witness. In the Old Testament translation of John's day the tabernacle was called the tabernacle of the testimony.

God's dwelling place of the testimony. Now what did that mean? It simply meant this. Testimony referred to the two stone tablets that contained the Ten Commandments. Those were put in the Ark of the Covenant You remember In the tabernacle in the Holy of Holies was this Ark a box alright And in that box was here in that box were Aaron rod that budded a jar of manna and the two tablets of the Ten Commandments were inside the box, over which was that golden cover with that cherubim facing one another.

Inside that ark were the Ten Commandments, the testimony of God. So this refers to the Ten Commandments placed in the ark in the covenant within the sanctuary. This is the tabernacle of the witness, the tabernacle of the testimony. It was the place of the Lord's testimony, the witness to his just will and his divine mercy. All right? but it's not just that because the heavenly tabernacle symbolizes Jesus who sums up all of what God intends who sums up the will of God who sums up the law of God within his person and his commandments so it has to be as well the tabernacle of witness here has to also mean Jesus so this heavenly tabernacle is the testimony of God's law and of Christ who sums it all up.

The angels emerge to bring judgment upon those who have spurned the testimony of God in His commandments and the testimony of God in Jesus. They come out to pour out the bowls of wrath from within this place that testifies to the justice of God in His commandments and in Christ. God does not fly off the handle. He does not just lose his temper. He reveals what he expects of mankind.

And God does not go nuclear. He reveals his mercy in Jesus. A mercy that delivers people from the judgment of God if they will but humbly bow before the Lord Jesus and call him Lord. And say, I submit my will to you. I submit all of me to you. what you say will be my life. He's revealed all of that in Jesus.

And he brings his judgment to those who have spurned Christ Larry Haas and I were reminiscing the other day With his children and my children We have much to reminisce about And we were and I think it was within with Larry flock who meets her on Wednesday I stopped back there and we got reminiscing about all about our kids and the shenanigans they used to pull. and one of them was this. After repeatedly telling our boys, we'd drive up in our vehicle before we got out, every Sunday, we would say, and you all know what the mantra was, you've all heard it, okay boys, remember, no running, no jumping, no balls. That is to say, when they would get in the back and we'd be up here out front just talking after the service, they'd be back there and they'd get some balls out and they'd be running and jumping and heaving those balls at one another.

After repeatedly, week after week, saying to our sons, remember, no running, no jumping, no balls. One Sunday, in an effort to go after a ball that had just been thrown, Levi broke Josh's collarbone. as they were diving for a ball, which they shouldn't have thrown to begin with, running to the ball, which they shouldn't have been doing, one broke the other's collarbone. Now was I unjust in my anger at that point?

Was I unjust in hauling my son to the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth? no, I was not unjust. That anger was just. Why? Because the law was known. Here it is. And you have purposely violated that law.

That is what God wants us to see here. You see? All of you here today have heard the voice of God in His commandments and His mercy in Jesus. And yet some of you, Still refuse to repent. And bow before Jesus and say, you are my Lord. And God will not.

Be unjust when his anger is displayed. Listen to me now. Listen. When God does go nuclear, he is not unjust. And when God pours out his wrath upon the earth in this age, he is not unjust. And as we see, God is about to reveal his just will by sending forth judgments on the earth to those who have rejected his testimony.

Now, this is God's just judgment because he responds to the prayers of his saints. Again, this is still part of the whole picture here. He is responding to the prayers of his saints who we have seen in chapter six. right the martyrs who are underneath that altar of incense chapter 6 remember he is responding to those saints who have been blind unjustly accused unjustly condemned and unjustly executed in many cases and so you see these angels emerge from the tabernacle to receive bowls that were used in the service of the temple.

These bowls, to a Jewish eyes, they would recognize these bowls as part of the utensils that were used in the worship of the temple in the tabernacle. And these are the golden bowls that were used at the altar of incense. Remember, as you step into the tabernacle, right before you would be the small altar of incense where the priests would offer incense that represented the prayers of the people of God.

Alright? Turn back to chapter 6. Again, we see this theme throughout the book. Chapter 6, verse 9. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who'd been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, O sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth.

Again, this is not God get them because they just did us wrong. This is God, you're holy and true. Can you let injustice stand? Are you ever wrong for saying let see justice done Are you wrong for that No And that what they crying for They crying for justice God you holy and true Where is your justice Where is it You remember God responds it coming It's coming.

Well, this then is an answer to their prayer. The prayers of the martyrs for justice. The prayers of the saints of God even today for justice. This is part of the answer. God takes those. He takes those bowls that had the incense of their prayers and now fills them with the wrath of God. to pour out on the earth.

We saw this in chapter 8. Remember, the theme is picked up in chapter 8, beginning in verse 3. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints rose before God from the hand of the angel.

Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning at an earthquake. That again, remember, is the picture of the end. God answers that prayer by bringing final judgment. So the bowls are connected to the altar, but instead of the incense of the prayers of the saints, they are filled now with God's wrath.

And God will bring justice in answer to the prayers of the martyrs and to all the saints today who are praying for justice. Do you ever wonder whether God's going to answer that prayer? Have you ever been mistreated and said, God, would you please deal with this? Have you ever prayed for others? We have spent time in this church praying for people in other nations that are suffering for the gospel.

There are plenty of prayers that we wonder, has God answered that a certain way? This is one prayer you never have to wonder about. God will answer that prayer. He will bring justice. he is bringing justice as we see that these these bowls once filled with the incense are now filled with wrath and the angels are now pouring them out on the earth this is part of god's answer to our prayers for justice you know a lot of people as we're going to see as we proceed through here and see these bowls of wrath poured out oftentimes we say god why aren't you at work we're blind he's opening up the vision now so that we see that God is at work and he is seeing justice done even already so here's the first thing God's anger flows from his justice he is not capricious nor is he malicious in expressing his anger He is just And we must always remember that it flows from his justice But there another thing that he tells us about is there another truth here about his anger and his judgment.

You know what it is? Recognize God's glory in judgment. Now let me say that again. Get this in your mind before we unpack it. Recognize God's glory in judgment. Do you ever feel embarrassed about God's anger?

Do you ever think that, oh, we better not talk about God's anger with people outside the family. They'll never understand. It's kind of like, God and his anger is the grumpy old grandpa that we want to kind of put upstairs when the visitors come. Right? We don't want him to see that guy. That's a wrong view of the anger of God.

That's a wrong view of His judgment. God's judgment is glorious. Look at verse 8. What does we see in verse 8? And the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power. And no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

This is the glory of God. God's judgment is glorious. Now, we ought to glory and rejoice that God is glorious in His mercy. God is glorious in His grace. and we see the glory of God supremely displayed with Jesus on the cross and the justice of God being served and yet God still being merciful. And yet when God displays His anger, it is glorious. Now the vision of the tabernacle billowing with smoke with the glory of God and so that no one can enter reminds us of two dedication services in the Old Testament.

We read one, Dennis read one this morning, Exodus 40. when the temple was finally put together and they started to worship, the glory of God so filled that tabernacle tent that the priest could not minister there any longer. The same thing happened in 2 Chronicles chapter 5, where Solomon dedicates the temple of God. What happens? You remember, in the midst of this wonderful worship service, with all the music and all the priests operating, suddenly the whole, the glory of God kind of erupts from the Holy of Holies so that it is so bright and so glorious that no one can worship anymore.

Remember that story They couldn even go in It was unbelievably powerful God shows himself unapproachable in those instances What's the point? So you see the picture of the glory of God. God, when he judges, shows himself unapproachable in his glory. listen carefully when God unleashes the plagues it does not diminish his glory it reveals his glory you see we're afraid of that we don't want to talk about the anger of God that's a grumpy old grandpa let's just not deal with that no no when God judges he shows his glory we cannot hold God in derision for the display of his anger but we should fall down and worship overcome by the glory of it all do you find yourself doing that? do you worship God because of his wrath? because he's glorious in it? is this kind of new to you?

It shouldn't be. God is glorious when he unleashes his anger. And it ought to cause us to be overcome with awe and to worship him. It's glorious as well because it serves his purposes. Verse 6. Verse 6, we see these angels emerging from the tabernacle dressed like priests.

Priests serve the purposes of God with the people of God. And they're the ones who pour out his judgments. and so John depicts the angels like priests serving the living God ministering in his name like the priests and the Levites and so when they pour out his wrath they are serving him they are serving this God unless you don't get it verse 7 says that these seven angels with the seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. It is God's wrath.

Don't make any mistake about it. He wants you to make sure that even though angels are pointed out, it is the wrath of God and not to be attributed to anything else but God. So what's he tell us? We must worship God in all his glory and that includes the glory of his wrath expressed in Judgment Day. As we look at these plagues, as we continue through chapter 16, now we come to chapter 17.

From now on, it's almost unrelenting judgment from now on until the new heaven and the new earth are revealed in a vision. From now on, we're going to see these plagues unleashed. We're going to see the prostitute Babylon destroyed. We're going to see in chapter 19 this incredible vision of Jesus coming on a white horse. We're going to see Satan and the dragon and the beasts thrown in the lake of fire.

We're going to see all this stuff coming. It's almost unrelenting judgment from now on through the rest of this book. And as we proceed and read of these terrible plagues and of all the judgment that comes, we ought to worship and adore God for the glory and justice of his wrath. now if that's news to you then we need to get an understanding of the wrath of God it is just, it is glorious and lastly God's judgment is determined God's judgment is determined there's a frightening symbol in this vision it's found in verse 8 no one could enter the sanctuary until all the bowls had been poured out.

Verse 8. No one can enter the sanctuary until all the bowls of his wrath are poured out. You see, why is that frightening? Simply this. God himself executes these trials and no one will be able to enter the temple until he's done. In the Old Testament, do you remember the stories of Moses?

There are certain points where God says, I am going to destroy this stubborn people. I'm going to wipe them off. Moses, I'm going to make a nation out of you. What does Moses do? Remember? Moses pleads with God for his people and says God don destroy them Don destroy them God if you do that these nations over here they going to say what kind of a God is that God for the glory of his name don destroy it And remember your promises.

And Moses intercedes and God relents and doesn't wipe the people out. It happens a couple of times in the Old Testament. But in this vision, there's no way you're going to stay God's hand. There's no way you're going to walk and plead. He's pouring it out. And there's no stopping Him.

He's going to do it. No one will be able to approach God and plead for Him to stop. No one will be able to enter to make the case. God will, and He is pouring out these plagues. And God unleashes these plagues and they will continue to lash this world. For no one will be able to hinder His purposes or hold back His hand.

Now for you, who are in Christ, that ought to make you look and say, God, be praised. But for others, as we see, will end up in hardening hearts until they feel the full justice of the wrath of God. But no one is going to stay His hand. He is determined to see His justice done. So as we begin to understand the bowls of God's wrath, understand that God will not be hindered in his purpose.

He won't be hindered in it. God will see that justice will be accomplished. There'll be nothing that will keep justice from happening. All right? So here's the question. Here's the question.

I hope you can walk away today with this. What is the color of God's wrath expressed in judgment? What colors his wrath? His wrath is first of all what? Just. His wrath has the brightness of his glory about it.

And his wrath his judgment is inescapable No one is going to slip through No technicalities in this justice You see? It's inescapable. What hope do you have in all that? What hope do you have? Here's the first. you don't serve a grumpy grandpa you serve a glorious God and you shouldn't be ashamed of it not when you understand what motivates his judgment there's hope in the fact that I begin to understand God in the way he wants me to understand him what hope do we have right now as we're going to see his judgments are being poured out on the earth right now.

Those bowls of wrath are being poured out now. Do you see them? And will you rejoice in the justice of God? And listen, if you are here and you don't see Jesus as Lord and Savior, do you see his justice poured out and will you repent and believe? you know what when we look around and we see those bowls being poured out it's a wake-up call wake up you want to see god's justice look around and he says repent and believe are you prepared for the ultimate judgment that comes at the end of those bowls we get to the end of those bowls and we see the final ones poured out that bring the ultimate judgment of God will you be prepared for that? our hope is in this there is one who has delivered us from the wrath of God his justice is served in our lives because of the fact that God can't overlook any sin that the kind of justice he has it inescapable it is a fine justice no sin is overlooked from the moment you stole that cookie from the cookie jar God men keep in track But here the good news.

God can freely say, I don't hold that against you if you believe in Jesus, because he paid for that. That's the justice of God. It's inescapable. And yet, justice and mercy kiss at the cross. And not one of your sins has been overlooked. But if you're in Christ, everyone has been paid for without exception.

And so this just God can look at you in mercy. There's great hope in the justice and the judgments of God. If we look at them the right way. Father, thank you. for your word. Would you help us now as we see the fury of God's wrath poured out because of sin. Never let us forget to look at the Savior.

And for those here, Father, even many here today who have heard the Gospel and have seen Jesus over and over and over again, Lord, help them to hear this message. God's justice will not be denied. Either they will face the full brunt of his fury, or they will find refuge in Jesus, who has faced the full brunt of your fury for your people. Work in this congregation, we pray, as we think of your judgments. cause us to rejoice in the refuge we have in Jesus and Lord help us to glory in the wrath that displays the perfections of your character help us we pray to do that in Jesus name Amen