Revelation 15:5-8; Victory Deployment

⁵And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: ⁶ And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. ⁷ And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. ⁸ And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. 

We are brought to the Temple of God in heaven, to the throne room of God. There, at the command centre of the universe, the seven angels are tasked to unleash the seven plagues upon earth.

The phrase “temple of the tabernacle of the testimony” gives us the clue to observe the record of the Exodus to see the construction of the tabernacle, the abode of God in the wilderness, a precursor of the Temple in the Promised Land and there was placed in the most holy place the ark of the covenant with the tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s rod that bud and a jar of manna. All the promises of God’s presence and power to protect and bless His people.

Four beasts – We mentioned in Revelation 4, that the four beasts angels are probably cherubims (Ezekiel 10:15-20).

Ezekiel 10:15-20 And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar. 16 And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them. 17 When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them. 18Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims. 19And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’S house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 20This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.

These special angels appear to be above even the archangels in rank. Their main function is in leading the heavenly worship of God, although their form indicates other duties they perform. Here, we see one of them handing out to each of the seven angels the instruction of bowls judgments (one bowl for each angel), to be sent for to unleashing the wrath of God upon wicked men on earth.

The Temple of God was filled with smoke. Just like the Tabernacle in the wilderness:

Exodus 40:33-38 (KJV) ³³ And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. ³⁴ Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORDfilled the tabernacle. ³⁵ And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of theLORDfilled the tabernacle. ³⁶ And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: ³⁷ But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. ³⁸ For the cloud of the LORDwasupon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. 

The glory of God was similarly present at the inauguration of the first Temple in Jerusalem: 

1 Kings 8:5-11 (KJV) ⁵ And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him,werewith him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude. ⁶And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, evenunder the wings of the cherubims. ⁷ For the cherubims spread forth theirtwo wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above. ⁸ And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy placebefore the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day. ⁹ There wasnothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenantwith the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. ¹⁰ And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, ¹¹ So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

Revelation 21:3-7 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God iswith men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and betheir God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

God dwelling with men is the consummating thought. The eternal blessings of living in the presence of God forever and ever. Amen.