Preparing the Vials of Divine Wrath
An Affirmation of Divine Justice

Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the
seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the
victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his 
name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
Rev 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, 
saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways,
thou King of saints.
Rev 15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for 
all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.        

This chapter introduces the seven last plagues, a manifestation of Heaven's
unmingled wrath, in its full measure upon the last generation of the
wicked. The work of mercy is then forever past.        

A Preparatory Scene.--Thus reads the fifteenth chapter. By it we are
carried back to a new series of events. The whole chapter is but an
introduction to the most terrible judgments of the Almighty ever to be
visited upon this earth--the seven last plagues. What we behold here is a
solemn preparation for the outpouring of these unmixed vials.   

God's People Remembered.--In this scene the people of God are not
forgotten. The prophet is permitted to anticipate somewhat in verses 2-4,
and behold them as victors upon the sea which had the appearance of glass
mingled with fire. They sing the song of Moses and the Lamb as they stand
upon that sparkling expanse of glory. The sea of glass upon which these
victors stand, is the same as that brought to view in Revelation 4: 6,
which was before the throne in heaven. As we have no evidence that it has
yet changed location, and the saints are seen upon it, we have here
indubitable proof in connection with Revelation 14: 1-5 that the saints are
taken to heaven to receive a part of their reward. Thus, as if the bright
sun should burst through the midnight cloud, some scene is presented or
some promise given to the humble followers of the Lamb in every hour of
temptation, to assure and reassure them of God's love and care for them,
and of the certainty of their final reward. "Say ye to the righteous,"
wrote Isaiah of old, "that it shall be well with him;" but, "Woe unto the
wicked! It shall be ill with him." Isaiah 3: 10, 11.        

The song the victors sing, the song of Moses and the Lamb, is given here in
epitome: "Great and marvelous are They works, Lord God Almighty; just and
 true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints." It is a song of infinite grandeur. 
How comprehensive in its terms! How sublime in its theme! It appeals to
 the works of God which are a manifestation of His glory. With immortal 
vision the saints will be able to comprehend them as they cannot in the 
present state, even though astronomy reveals enough to fill all hearts with 
admiration. From our little world we pass out to our sun ninety-three million 
miles away; on to its nearest neighboring sun, twenty-five million million miles 
away; on to the great double polestar, from which it takes light four hundred 
years to reach our world; on past systems, groups, constellations, till we reach
 the great star Rigel, in Orion, shining with the power of fifteen thousand 
suns like ours! What then must be the grand center around which these myriads 
of shining orbs revolve! Well may the song be sung, "Great and marvelous are 
Thy works." But the song covers another field also, the field of God's providence 
and grace: "Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints." All the dealings
of God with all His creatures in the eyes of the redeemed and the sight of
all worlds will be forever vindicated. After all our blindness, all our
perplexities, all our trials, we shall be able to exclaim at last in the
exuberance of satisfied joy, "Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of
saints."