Jehovah's Works -Great and Wonderful

 Vision 10-REVELATION 15:1-16:21

Subject: Jehovah is his sanctuary; the seven bowls of his wrath poured into the earth

Time of fulfillment: 1919 to Armageddon

A WOMAN giving birth to a male child!  A great dragon seeking to devour that child!  Those two heavenly signs, so vividly portrayed in Revelation  chapter 12, brought home  to us that the agelong controversy involving the seed of God's woman and Satan and his demonic seed is reaching its climax.   In highlighting these symbols, John says:  "And a great sign  was seen in heaven . . . And another was sight was seen. (Revelation 12:1, 3, 7:12)  Now John reports a third sign: "And I saw in heaven another sign, great and wonderful, seven angels with seven plagues.  These are the last ones, beause by means of them th anger of God  is brought to a finish." (Revelation 15:1)  This third sign also has vital meaning for Jehovah's servants.  

Notice the important roles that angels again have in accomplishing God's will.  This fact has  long been known by Jehovah's servants.  Why, under inspiration the ancient psalmist even spoke to such angels, urging them:  "Bless Jehovah, O you angels of his, mighty in power, carrying out his word, by listening to the voice  of his word"!  (Psalm 103:20)  Now, in this new scene, angels are assigned to pour out the the seven last plagues. 

What are these plagues?  Like the seven trumpet blastsm they are scathing judgment pronouncements publicizing Jehovah's view of various features of this world and warning of that final outcome of his judicial decisions.  (Revelation 8:1-9:21) The pouring out of them points to the execution of those judgments, when the objects of Jehovah's  wrath are destroyed in the day of his burning anger.  (Isaiah 13:9-13) Thus by means  of them "the anger of God is brought to a finish." But before describing the pouring out of the plagues, John tells  us about some humans who will not be adversely affected by them.  Having refused the mark of the wild beast, these loyal ones sing praises to Jehovah as theyproclaim his day of vengeance. - REVELATION 13:15-17. 

Next time: Jehovah's Works -Great and Wonderful - The Song of Moses  and of the Lamb

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