Why Does God Need the 7 Last Plagues?
“Then I saw in heaven another marvelous event of great significance. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God’s wrath to completion.” – Revelation15:1 NLT
Now would be a good time for you to read Chapter 15 in one sitting.
The limitation of doing Revelation by SMS is being unable to picture important information in one hit. Rev 12 – 14 is the heart of the book we have been considering. The next two chapters, which deal with the 7 last plagues, stand opposite the 7 trumpets in the chiastic structure of the book. Therefore, they somehow complement each other. Why does God need 7 last plagues? Where is the Revelation of Jesus Christ in this? By the time we have finished reflecting on these two chapters, you will have received one of the most powerful and awe-inspiring Revelations of Jesus Christ anywhere available. The Gospel message comes out clear and strong during this contemplation.
Revelation is like a powerful symphony which rises and falls through crescendo moments.
Revelation 5 had left us in a state of incredulous worship. The melody of history like Vivaldi’s Four seasons’ concertos led us on a journey that brought us to the theme. Beethoven’s ninth symphony, the first in that instrumental genre to incorporate vocal / choral hosannahs, is like the three chapters at the heart of Revelation. But now we will have Handel’s magnificent Messiah, that will have you singing the Hallelujah chorus.
During the last 3 chapters of the book there have seen 4 internal chiasms that have highlighted the journey of God’s people. If you want to read a detailed account on this, I can suggest you google the following article: The chiastic structure of Revelation 12:1 -15:4 The Great Controversy Vision, William H Shea, Biblical Research Institute.
Revelation 15 begins with another “great and marvellous sign in heaven” (NASB). If God’s wrath is ‘completed’ it raises the question: what is God’s wrath? I think we generally assume we know the answer to that question, but have we actually investigated the answer? The widespread misconception to this question leads to the wrong idea of God’s wrath that we find presented in the Bible.
Two words are used for ‘wrath’ in the Greek: ‘thumos,’ is passionate anger or fury; and ‘orge’ is a display of displeasure and righteous indignation. Revelation 15:1 uses thumos. It follows earlier verses about the winepress of God’s wrath in Revelation 14:19,20. In fact the cup of God’s wrath is a common Old Testament metaphor. (see e.g. Isa 63:1-6, Lam 1:15, Joel 3:13, or Zech 14:2-4.) In each of these examples, it represents God’s judgment against sin.
Remember how in Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “Take this cup from me,” (Matt. 26:39). Instead, He drank the cup of God’s wrath, taking the full measure of condemnation that sin delivers on Himself.
So, who or what is God angry with? God hates with a passion sin: “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” Romans 1:18 NLT. But later Paul says, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.” Romans 5: 8-9 NLT. The NASB translates that last sentence as, “we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” 1 Thessalonians says we have been rescued from the coming wrath. (c.f. 1 Thessalonians 5:9).
There is a magnificently clear passage in 2 Corinthians 5:18 -21. One of the best gospel texts in the New Testament. It gives us a clear picture of a God who is not angry with us, or one who needs the death of His Son to appease Him. No in this text we see the Father and the Son, working in perfect unity of purpose to save us. It reads: “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, … He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” NASB
God is not angry with us or with Jesus. His anger is against sin that eventually must be expunged from the universe. God hates sin because He sees more clearly than we do just how evil and destructive it is. Think of the worst and most abhorrent crimes in human history – do they raise your anger level? How much more ‘upset’ must God be that His perfect creation should be so warped and debased by sin.
Yet despite this (and I could have waxed eloquent on evil) His love is so great for us that He refuses to cross human free will – until the end of all things. Sinners will die in the end because they have chosen to live without Him and contrary to His revealed will. “The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:23) How incomprehensible yet true it is, that the bulk of humanity choose the wages over the gift! It makes me want to cry as I even contemplate that thought now. All of us have loved ones who are making the choice for wages over gift.
Our God is one of justice and it is the intention of God’s redemptive work to bring and end to sin. This is the mystery of mercy and justice combined in one act – the death of Jesus on the cross!
Thank God for the gift of eternal life in place of the wages of sin which we have all earned – eternal death.
amen thanks Cyril
The passage from 2 Cor mentioned is chap 5, not 8.
Thanks Alan for picking that typo up.I have corrected the original. It is one of my favourite passages of scripture so it was pretty dumb to make such a mistake. Ross