Seven Angels with Seven Plagues
“After this, I looked at the sky and saw something else that was strange and important. Seven angels were bringing the last seven terrible troubles. When these are ended, God will no longer be angry. Then I saw something that looked like a glass sea mixed with fire, and people were standing on it. They were the ones who had defeated the beast and the idol and the number that tells the name of the beast. God had given them harps, and they were singing the song that his servant Moses and the Lamb had sung. They were singing, “Lord God All-Powerful, you have done great and marvelous things. You are the ruler of all nations, and you do what is right and fair. Lord, who doesn’t honor and praise your name? You alone are holy, and all nations will come and worship you, because you have shown that you judge with fairness” (Revelation 15:1-4).
The Apostle John describes this vision as a great and marvelous wonder, suggesting that it is significant and no small matter. While mankind tends to make light of God’s serious nature regarding His righteous decrees, these judgments will in no way be taken lightly or casually, for they will have major implications on the wicked. The Bible says, “I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live. Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness (Ezekiel 20:11-13). Just as the Lord rebuked Israel for disobeying His righteous laws and decrees, resulting in judgment upon them and the land, the Lord will do the same during the Great Tribulation to those who ignored the warnings of His servants and rejected Him as their Lord and Savior.
John saw seven angels with the seven last plagues, signifying the completion of God’s wrath, as we read in Revelation chapter 6, which consist of the four horsemen, martyrdom (persecution of the saints by the wicked), and the shaking of the cosmos. This wrath of God is best understood as the righteous and holy response to and repercussions of the world’s rebellion against God and the wicked’s persecution of the Church. God has always dealt with mankind in accordance with their wickedness, but He has also forewarned them of His judgments if they fail to obey. The Bible says, “If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve. I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted” (Leviticus 26:21-22). Yet, John saw that there would be an end to God’s wrath because His anger does not last forever. He is not a God that gets emotional, is mean-spirited, not impulsive, or has angry outbursts. He is a God who is patient, always in control, and decides what actions He will take, to what extent, and when they will happen. God is a God of mercy, grace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, righteousness, and love. Even in His judgments, He embodies all these traits.
Mercy – “According to Meriam-Webster, mercy is compassionate treatment, forgiveness, or leniency shown to someone whom one has the power to punish or harm. It involves active kindness, relieving distress, and withholding deserved punishment (like "mercy killing" or a judge's lenient sentence). Synonyms include compassion, pity, grace, clemency, charity, and leniency. The Bible says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Grace – According to Dictionary.com, one of the definitions of grace is the free and unmerited favor and love of God. It is also defined as clemency, or a temporary reprieve, such as a "grace period" for payments. The Bible says, “Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:16-17).
Long-suffering – According to Gotquestions.org, long-suffering is the patient, uncomplaining endurance of provocation, pain, or long-lasting hardship. It describes a person who remains steadfast, calm, and forgiving despite ongoing annoyance or difficulty, essentially demonstrating a "long fuse" or "long-tempered" demeanor, often in the context of relationships or severe trials. The Bible says, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
Kindness – According to Wikipedia, kindness is a behavioral, emotional, and ethical trait characterized by generosity, consideration, and care for others, often executed without expecting rewards. It includes voluntary acts aimed at benefiting others—or oneself—motivated by genuine goodwill. The Bible says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12).
Goodness – According to Merriam-Webster, goodness is defined as the state or quality of being good, encompassing moral excellence, virtue, kindness, and generosity. It represents the essence of doing what is right, selfless behavior, and beneficial, nutritious, or high-quality characteristics in, for example, food or materials. The Bible says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).
Faithfulness – According to Merriam-Webster, faithfulness is the quality of being loyal, steadfast, and reliable in relationships, duties, or beliefs. It involves keeping promises, maintaining firm allegiance, and demonstrating consistent devotion, often regardless of circumstances. The Bible says, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).
Righteousness – According to Merriam-Webster, righteousness is the quality of being morally correct, virtuous, and upright, often defined as acting in conformity with divine or moral law. It involves living justly and honestly, maintaining a right relationship with God, and adhering to high ethical standards. The Bible says, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).
Love – According to a co-pilot search, Agape love is a selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love that seeks the highest good of others, rooted in God’s nature and expressed through deliberate action rather than emotion. The Bible says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails… And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:5-8a, 13).
HOMEWORK: Write 2 verses or sentences to a song of your own creation that you could imagine singing to Jesus in Heaven. Next week, you will present it in speaking or singing it to the class.
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