We’ve come to the point in Revelation where God calls the debt of righteousness due upon the earth.  So many scream unfair at the thought of God judging evil, even Christians cringe at the thought and understandably so, consequence and judgment is not a pleasurable thing.  We’ll see in this chapter that even God cringes at it however…fair?  Absolutely!  Psalm 7:11 says, “God is a just judge, and He is angry with the unrighteousness of the wicked every day!”  That chapter goes on to say that it is the wicked who have dug their own pit with their own violence and that violence will ultimately return upon them!  I love the thought introduced eloquently by Elanor Roosevelt.  She said, “justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.” 

We are entering God’s cross examination of the world.  Proverbs 18:17 says, that the one who first testifies seems right until the other comes and cross examines!  And the cold fact is that the entire earth is overtaken in wickedness…the entire earth is fallen, has been since the Garden of Eden and in its fallen state, it is wrought with perversion.  Perversion of nature, perversion of humanity…even perversion of order. 

The word for order in the Greek is kosmos.  We find that word, speaking of the circumstance of the world, 187 times throughout the Bible.  Jesus said in Matthew 5:14, “you are the light in this very dark kosmos, this very dark order.”  He said in Mark 8:36, “what good has come to you, if you gain this entire kosmos, the whole world, and yet lose your soul.”  In John 1:29, John the Baptist sees Jesus coming and says, “behold, the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the kosmos, the sin of the world.”

This world is polluted.  We are born into a polluted state…even ourselves.  We are all born with the disease of sin, inherited from our father, and he from his father, on back to the origin of earthly fathers, Adam.  And that sin that we share with the kosmos, because we are part of the order, we are physical, we are creation, we’re in the kosmos man…and that sin is a debt against a holy Creator, that we cannot pay…a debt however nonetheless.

To overcome sin one would have to live a perfect life.  Never have a selfish desire, never have a frustrated stare (a mean mug), never being puffed up, never dishonoring God or others…impossible for you and I.  The first thing we do is make demands…we are born screaming for comfort!  I remember before Madison was even big enough to alarm you with her scream she was screeching out orders!  Just a couple of days old!  And so that sin debt…is upon us and the whole world…until there was One…One that did live a perfect life….

He was born to a humble virgin…grew up simply…found out what it was like to tire, to hunger, to sob, to play, to grow, to have human relationship and emotional temporal bonds…He was in all ways tempted just like you and I the Bible says, understanding to the details precisely what we go through because He walked among us…yet completely pure, utterly sinless and being perfect in all ways, He was able to pay the debt of sin upon mankind…because He Himself chose to become a member of mankind…and not only was He able, He was willing…and even more than willing…He was faithful and He accomplished precisely what He promised.

Just as John said, He took upon Himself the sins, the perversion of the kosmos and He took it to the grave and with that He made a way…well actually He made a choice…whosever would accept His attoning work upon the cross, place their trust in Him…meaning their lives man…they would not perish but inherit everlasting life.

Perish?  Revelation 16 through 21.  The final judgment.  Where the debt of sin is called due and God finally does away with evil and unrighteousness forever.  But for those whose debt has been paid, for those who have turned completely to the able, willing and faithful Savior, Jesus said in Luke 21:36 that they are looked upon from God Almighty in heaven and counted worthy to escape all these things which we are about to see and to stand before the Son of Man. 

We’re not worthy, we just covered that…we’re all born into debt…but Jesus was not born with the same earthly father as we were…He had no earthly father, His nature, the seed within Him was divine man…God is His father, born pure, not the debtor but He was Himself to whom the debt was owed…yet in His love for you, He paid it Himself…and so by His payment, His worth is freely given to anyone who would receive it.  But for those that would not, all of this terror, this righteousness defeating unrighteousness forevermore…this debt is being called due…you gotta understand this set of chapters, this final judgment of God…is utterly holy and completely fair. 

So many would read Chapters 15 – 21 and cry out “unfair!”  Not so!  The righteous and just payment for sin and perversion is condemnation and destruction, is it not!?  Yet God has already even given Himself as payment and that payment has been rejected and so what is left?  Payment for sin in the form of Love Himself, the suffering Savior has been rejected and so men are left with only one other recourse, pay it themselves!  Right?  That is not harsh…what that is…is altogether and perfectly fair man and its vital that we understand that as we click up the first hill here in Revelation 15 in preparation for the downfall of the polluted order that is to come in Revelation 16 – 21.

Revelation Chapter 15 Verse 1

• Seven speaks of perfection.  The imperfect order, the imperfection of sin, the debt of imperfection…imperfection in general…all that is off and perverted and polluted and evil…all is about to be done away with perfectly and completely and so seven angels with seven last plagues…

Revelation Chapter 15 Verse 2

• I dig this because they are standing on the sea aren’t they?  In effect, they’re walking on water…just like that night when the disciples were terrified and Jesus came to them walking on the water and Peter cried out, “Lord if that’s You, call me to Yourself.”  And Jesus did and next thing you know, terrified Peter is walking on water.
• These are the ones who were called losers in life.  Who wouldn’t take the mark, who wouldn’t worship the beast…these were the rejects of society…the despised of men…not so in heaven man.  In heaven they are water walkers and we have GOT to be mindful of eternity Christians!  If we don’t factor in heaven and eternity, in its rightful place and order…first and primary…then biblical Christianity simply doesn’t work.  These seemingly failed in life but notice they are upon the sea of glass in heaven, before the very throne of God worshipping Him…
• And their song…

Revelation Chapter 15 Verses 3 – 4

• The song of Moses recorded for us in Exodus 15, the song they sang after coming across the red sea being delivered from the armies of men…notice is also the song of the Lamb…deliverance from the kosmos man is the song of the Lamb in my life and yours and here these are…standing with the seven angels holding the seven last plagues which are about to wipe out unrighteousness forever without delay and with sure strength, and…what is their description of God?
• Great.  Marvelous.  Just and true!  Holy.  Just as we have spoken, even now, as God’s judgment is being manifested once and for all upon an order, a world that has unanimously rejected Him, He is perfectly good…

Revelation Chapter 15 Verses 5 – 7

• Check that out!  Did you see it?  Seven angels, having the seven final plagues…where’s the third seven man?  Father, perfect…Son, perfect…Holy Spirit, perfect…holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty!   Seven, seven, seven…the number of God…where’s it at?  I love the simplicity and pattern rich consistency of the Word of God…where’s it at?  There, verse 7.  You see this chapter is setting the stage for the completion of ALL things…seven angels, having the seven last plagues, are given the seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God.  Not wrath as in thrashing anger, that’s not the word man…its thymos in the Greek meaning ignited passion man…passion for all things to be accomplished and for what the enemy has stolen to be returned!  For all things to be completed man!!!  The same passion that led Him to the cross!
• But the destruction of men, even evil men that reject God, gives Him no pleasure!  His heart has always been for all men to be saved and He proved that by giving His all, all that He ever had, His only Son…and so as the kosmos is prepared to be overturned finally, done away with eternally…and God the Father says, “I need to be alone…”

Revelation Chapter 15 Verse 8

• What kind of love is this, that even as folks pay the debt themselves as per their own demands, what kind of love is this that even as His only Son is murdered for the sake of saving any who would humble themselves, what kind of love is this that even as He is rejected and hated and spat upon and pushed away, what kind of love is this, that He even weeps over their just penalty?
• A love very much unlike me…a love very much beyond my understanding…a love deserving my trust…
• Jesus wept over Jerusalem…Oh Jerusalem, how I would have gathered you all to Me and protected you all, but you are not willing…the implication…the reason for Him demanding to be alone until the final plagues are accomplished…His will is to gather, His will is to save…it is the will of the world that brings about this just and true judgment…this ditch that they’re all falling into…while God’s goodness is not in any way lessened…