Verse 6 says, “And the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in pure bright linen, and girded around the breasts with golden girdles.” The seven angels are clothed like priests (Ezek. 44:17), not like soldiers. According to my opinion, the angels who are to pour out the seven bowls should be clothed in military uniforms. The fact that they are clothed in priests’ garments is very significant. This indicates that the outpouring of the seven bowls by the seven angels is the response to the praises of the late overcomers on the glassy sea mingled with fire. The late overcomers standing on the glassy sea will worship God with their praises. At that time, prayer will be over and praise will have begun. In the fifth seal we saw the cry, the prayer, of the martyred saints (6:9-11). But there is no cry or prayer in chapter fifteen; instead, there are praises. The late overcomers do not pray, saying, “O Lord, Antichrist has persecuted and martyred us. Now, You must come in to avenge our blood and to destroy his kingdom.” Instead of praying in this way, the late overcomers praise God. Immediately after the record of their praises, there is the unveiling of the scene in heaven before the outpouring of the seven bowls. Out of the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven come the seven angels with the seven plagues. These angels are not dressed as soldiers, but as priests who come to fulfill their ministry. It is no longer merely a matter of judgment, for here judgment is mingled with the accomplishment of God’s economy so that God may have His expression.
At this point we need to pay close attention to 16:17. This verse says, “And the seventh poured out his bowl upon the air; and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, It is done.” Notice that in this verse two things are mingled—the temple and the throne. It is difficult to understand the grammatical construction of this verse. What does it mean to say that a voice came “out of the temple from the throne”? We have seen that God’s acts in the first section of this book come out of the throne and that His acts in the second section proceed from the temple. The book of Revelation firstly shows that the center of God’s judgment is the throne and then that the center of God’s testimony is the temple. In this verse the throne and the temple are combined. Now God’s judgment is mingled with God’s expression, with God’s testimony. In other words, God’s testimony comes out of God’s judgment, and God’s judgment is for God’s testimony. The temple comes out of the throne, and the throne is for the temple.
This principle is applicable to us today. If we would be for God’s temple, God’s expression, we must be judged. The central principle of the first eleven chapters of Revelation must be applied in our daily life, in our public life, and in our church life. How many things in us still need to be judged! There are many “scorpions,” “snakes,” and “frogs” in our lives. Many “scorpions” are still creeping in our family life and married life, and some “frogs” are still plaguing the church life. All these “scorpions” and “frogs” must be judged. The issue of this judgment will be the testimony “out of the temple from the throne.”
We have pointed out that the seven angels with the seven bowls are not soldiers, but priests, and that their outpouring of the seven bowls is in response to the praising of the late overcomers. God responds to the praising of the late overcomers, not just from the throne, but also from within the temple. This means that God’s answer is not merely for judgment, but even the more for His testimony and for His expression, His temple. Because the seven angels with the seven bowls are not merely for God’s judgment, but especially for God’s testimony, they come out of the temple. They do not proceed just from the throne of judgment, but also out of the temple for God’s expression. After the last bowl has been poured out, every negative thing will have been eradicated. Immediately after that, the Bride appears (19:7-9).
Chapter nineteen is the continuation of chapter sixteen. Chapters seventeen and eighteen are inserted to give further details regarding the two aspects of Babylon, religious Babylon and material Babylon. However, chapter nineteen is the actual continuation of the outpouring of the bowls in chapter sixteen. This is a further indication that the seven bowls are not simply for judgment from the throne, but even the more for God’s testimony out of His temple. This is the meaning of the phrase “out of the temple from the throne.”
Verse 7 says, “And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the fury of God, who lives forever and ever.” The seven bowls given by one of the four living creatures are full of the fury of God. The bowls, being small, signify limitation. Although the last seven plagues are the ultimate fury of God, His fury is nonetheless limited; otherwise, the entire earth and all its inhabitants would be destroyed. For the fulfillment of His eternal purpose, God still exercises limitations in His ultimate fury in judgment upon the earth. This outpouring of God’s wrath is extremely serious, but it is still limited. God is merciful. The beast, his citizens, and his entire kingdom deserve to be utterly destroyed without limitation, but God still limits the outpouring of His wrath to a small scale. Thank the Lord for this!
Verse 8 says, “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one could enter into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels should be finished.” This means that no one can enter the temple to pray to appease the fury of God until it is fully poured out upon the rebellious people instigated by Satan and influenced by Antichrist.