The Temple Of Doom Series

Then I looked and saw is used (4:1; 6:2,5; 8; 7:9; 14:1, 14; 19:11), the phrase indicates something drew John’s attention away from the redeemed saints singing praises before God’s throne. This vision revealed to him refers to the bowl judgments (Revelation 16:1-21), but first John saw the angels who will carry out those judgments. What John saw was the Temple in heaven, God’s Tabernacle, was thrown wide open. The NKJV indicates that this is the tabernacle of the testimony which points back to 11:19, “The temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightening and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.”

Naos (temple) refers to the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctuary where God’s presence dwells, emphasizing that God is the source of the plagues. The tabernacle was sometimes referred to as the tabernacle of testimony (ex 38:21; Numbers 1:50, 53; 10:11; acts 7:44) because the most important item in it was the dark of the covenant, sometimes called the ark of testimony (Ex 25:22; 26:33-34; 30:6; Lev 16:13; Numbers 4:5; 7:89; Josh. 4:16). It was so named because it contained the testimony, the two stone tablets on which God had written the Ten Commandment (Ex 25:16, 21; 40:2-; Ps 78:5).

God’s throne was earlier opened in Revelation to the faithful in 4:1. The earthly tabernacle is only a copy of the heavenly one (Heb 8:2,5) which points out to the fact that it was opened to reveal the most severe earthly judgment ever on the unfaithful. 6The seven angels who were holding the bowls of the seven plagues came from the Temple this point out for us the fact that God’s divine justice is now ready to be poured out and the execution of divine justice has emerged. God’s sovereign plan is for the seven plagues which represent the final deadly judgments will execute that plan on the world (Hebrews 10:31). The angels will be clothed in spotless white linen which points to the fabric representing their holiness and purity (Acts 10:30). Not only this though but with gold belts across their chests which will run across the torso from the shoulder to the waist.

After the emergence of the angels from the inner sanctuary of God’s heavenly temple the seven angels received the means by which they will dump God’s judgment upon humanity. And one of the four living beings (Cherubim; an order of high-ranking angels; 4:6, 8-9; 5:6, 8,11, 14; 6:1, 6; :11; 14:3; 19:4; Ezek. 1:4-25; 10:15; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 22:11; Pss 80:1; 99:1; Isa 37:16) handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the terrible wrath of God, who lives forever and forever. Phialas (bowls) refers to shallow saucers. This imagery clearly shows that it is not of a stream being poured gradually out of a pitcher, but of the whole contents of the shallow saucers being hurled down in an instant flood of judgment. Bowls were part of the temple furnishings (1 Kings 7:50; 2 Kings 12:13; 25:15; 1 Chron 28:17; Zech 14:20) and were associated with the sacrifices (Ex 27:3; 38:3). Those who refuse to drink the cup of salvation (Ps 116:13) will be drowned in the judgments of the bowls of wrath. God lives forever and ever and because of that He has the power to end sin so that it cannot exist again forever in His holy presence.