Tag: harps

7.w. Seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.

Revelation 15:1   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.

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.”

We have had the seven seals with the seventh seal bringing on the seven trumpets and the seventh trumpet ushering in the seven bowl judgments. We have read of the seals and power given to man to inflict judgment, the trumpets and power given to Satan to inflict judgment, and now the bowls of God’s judgment are to begin.  These judgments on mankind are the result of God’s wrath and anger against all who have chosen to reject His grace, mercy, and love.  They have chosen the beast, it’s image, it’s mark, and it’s number over God.  They willingly choose to deny God, eternity in heaven, Jesus Christ, and their destiny for this choice.   All of what we have read in Revelation has been given so that we know and future people will know God’s plan, purpose, love, grace, mercy, wrath, anger, and judgment.  It has been both a warning and proclamation to all generations; “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”

Time is near and urgent.  All are blessed who read and hear what is written.

7.r. These have been redeemed from mankind

Revelation 14:1  Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.

The Book of Revelation can get heavy on our hearts at times.  The amount of death, judgment, and tribulation is extensive and can be overwhelming.  Our hearts should break with the knowledge of what we are reading is going to impact real people someday. The violence recorded in Revelation is both a warning and before it happens and foretelling of what will happen.  This great tribulation is God’s wrath and anger and judgment, and where Satan has been given leeway on earth to carry out God’s plan of persecutions, destruction, death, famine, disease, war, and false prophecy.  Here in Chapter 14, we see a message of hope, a break from these judgments, not that there is a break in what is happening on earth but more for the reader to keep their eyes on the Lamb of God and the importance of this over pending judgment. With all that we have read so far during the tribulation period and the death of those who have been martyred for their faith, these 144,000 having been sealed by the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, have been kept whole.  What a glimpse of God’s grace.  He keeps His messengers safe and from harm to proclaim salvation in and throughout the tribulation time.  It may not seem like it with all that we have read so far.  However, during this time of the wrath, anger, and judgment of God we still see His grace.  Those who will listen and open their heart, mind, and soul to the message of Christ will be eternally saved but will suffer the consequences of their delayed obedience.  It is their delayed obedience in trusting Jesus Christ, repenting, seeking forgiveness, redemption, and salvation, which has resulted in them missing the time of God’s grace on earth with the presence of the Holy Spirit.