This transcript was generated by whisper.ai.

[Music] This is day two of our look together through Revelation chapter 15.
We're going to look at verses two and three today. In fact, let me begin by
reading verse two in the first part of verse three.

"And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and standing beside
the sea those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the
number of his name. They held harps given to them by God, and sang the song of
Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb. " Now, as I read these two
verses, let me bring you up to date with where we are in the book of Revelation.

Revelation chapter 15, we are seeing a scene in heaven before the final judgment
is going to unfold. This is the prelude to this final judgment. And then in
chapter 16, the final judgment of God upon earth is going to unfold.

In chapter 17 and 18, we're going to see that personalized in some way in the
judgment against Babylon the Great. So here we are, chapter 15, we are at this
worship experience in heaven before the final judgment happens. And in chapter
15, there are two pictures that are part of this worship experience.

The second we're going to look at together at the end of the week is seven
angels emerging from the temple of God, from the presence of God. The first of
those pictures we're looking at today, and that is those who were victorious
over the beast, worshiping before God in heaven. It's a picture of worship.

And in this picture, you see three things happening. You see a sea of glass
that's mixed with fire. You see harps that they are holding, and you see them
singing.

All of these are pictures of worship. This sea of glass that's mixed with fire.
It is a picture of the majesty and the glory of God.

When the sea is like glass, or you're on a lake that's like glass, it reflects
everything. That's what happens when water is like glass. Here is a sea that is
like glass.

It's a reflection of the glory of God as far as the eye can see. Now, our
researchers this week, the number one question they asked was, what is this
about it being mixed with fire? Is this some picture of hell?

Absolutely not. No, this is a picture of God. This is a picture of His glory.

And some people think that the mixing with fire had to do with the persecution
that these worshipers had faced. Others think that it's a picture of the
judgment that is coming. And the glory of God is also the judgment of God.

I think that's most likely because that's what's being pictured here in
Revelation chapter 15. Here is this sea of glass, this reflection of the majesty
and glory of God. And then we have these worshipers, which we're going to focus
on in a few days.

These worshipers have in their hands some harps. Now, I believe with all of my
heart that heaven is not about just playing harps. I believe that you're not
going to just sit on a cloud all day long and play a harp, the picture that
sometimes you see in movies or you read in a book.

I believe that God has some significant work for us to do in heaven for all of
eternity. And we're going to enjoy His creation in the new heaven and new earth
for all of eternity. But having said that, these harps keep showing up in the
book of Revelation.

What's going on with all the harps? Remember, the harp is a symbol. I believe
that these worshipers, they really had harps and they were really dressed in
white robes.

But they were also symbols. They were symbols of what it meant to worship God.
The white robes were a symbol of purity.

We've talked about that before. But we haven't talked about what is the symbol
of a harp in the book of Revelation. The harp is a symbol of joyful praise.

Just study harps throughout the Old Testament. Just look at every time the word
"harp" comes up and you'll find out that it was always a place where joyful
praise was happening. Just like you and I might use a noisemaker, you know, one
of those little party noisemakers.

And that's to us, whenever you hear that sound, it's a sign of a celebration.
It's New Year's or it's a birthday. That's a symbol of celebration to us, one of
those party noisemakers.

Well, a harp is a symbol not just of celebration but of joyful praise. So the
harps that these worshipers are carrying, it's a symbol of the fact that the
praise that they have before God is a joyful praise because of all that God had
done. The Bible says in Psalm 43 verse 4, just one of the many verses about
harps in the Old Testament, "To God, my joy and my delight, I will praise you
with the harp, O God, my God.

" So they had harps, a symbol of joyful praise. They were on a sea of glass, a
symbol of the majesty and glory of God, and they were singing. They were singing
two songs, it says here.

They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and they sang the song of the
lamb. Now, this song of Moses, it is recorded for us in Exodus chapter 15. And
one of the main messages of that song of Moses is in Exodus chapter 15, too,
which is, "The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.

" God is our salvation. Jesus Christ is our salvation. This is a song about
salvation.

But it's also a song, if you read Exodus chapter 15, it's also a song about how
God had protected His people through the time of judgment. He had judged those
who were evil in that day, and in this song it's about Pharaoh and his army
being drowned in the sea, but He had allowed God's people to pass through on dry
land. Exodus 15 verse 13 says, "In your unfailing love, you will lead the people
you have redeemed.

In your strength, you will guide them to your holy dwelling. " It's a song about
God's protection of His people, God's judgment of evil, and about God's
salvation for all who will turn to Him. They're singing the song of Moses.

They're also singing the song of the Lamb. Revelation chapter 5 verse 12 talks
about this, a song at least, of the Lamb. It might be this very one they were
singing.

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and
strength and honor and glory and praise. " A song looking back to the Old
Testament and how God had set the people free from Egypt. He had redeemed His
people.

And a song looking at Jesus and how God had set the people free by the cross,
giving us new life in Him. We're going to look a little bit more at this song of
Moses tomorrow. But before we end today, I want to look at the worshipers.

We've looked at the symbols of worship that they held, that they stood upon,
that they sang, but let's look at these worshipers. Did you notice how they were
described? They were those who had been victorious over the beast and his image
and over the number of his name.

They are victorious. If you look back at these who are victorious, these are
those who have given their life for their faith. So they are victorious not by
winning some battle on this earth, but by winning the eternal battle.

They're martyred by their faith. It might have seemed like on this earth they
had lost the battle, yet they held on to their faith to the end. And so they are
victorious, truly victorious.

Do not settle for some small seeming victory on this earth, which takes you away
from the eternal victory that can only be found in God. Notice they're
victorious in three ways. These are very significant.

Over the beast, over the image of the beast, and over the number of his name.
They are victorious over the beast. That is a picture of evil influence.

The beast is the evil influence that's in this world, and they were victorious
over that evil influence that came into this world. But not only that, they were
victorious over the image of the beast. You remember that is the image that was
set up as an idol that all were to worship.

So this isn't just evil influence, this is evil idolized. All of us, we live in
a world where there is the influence of evil. And I can be affected by that, or
I can be victorious over that by the blood and power of Jesus Christ.

That's a day-to-day decision. Am I going to allow the influence of evil to guide
me, or am I going to allow the love of God and Jesus Christ to guide me? We also
all live in a world where evil is idolized.

Oftentimes today it's idolized in material things. If I could just own this, if
I could just have that. And you and I, we can get caught up in that.

The image of the beast. We don't see it as an image of the beast, we just see it
as something that we want. But we begin to live for that thing.

It becomes more important to us than anything else, even than God. And we'll
even let go of our integrity. We'll even let go of our worship in order to get
that thing.

Sometimes evil idolized can be a person. Some guy that you want to be with. Some
woman that you want to be with.

You know it's wrong. You know it's going to lead you down the wrong path. But
you want it so badly.

These were victorious over the beast, evil influence. But they were also
victorious over the image of the beast. They did not bow before that idol.

And they were also victorious over the number of his name. That is evil
personalized. The name that was stamped in an image, in a mark on people's
foreheads.

That said that they were worshippers of the beast. So that they could get all
the benefits that the beast was offering to them. Evil isn't just something
that's in this world.

Or just something that is in an idol, a material thing that I might worship.
Evil is also in me. It's personalized.

And through Jesus Christ, I can say no to the temptations that come into my
life. Into my mind on a daily basis. But by myself, on my own, trusting in my
own strength and power.

I'm going to live out this evil personalized. Now it might be pride. It might be
selfishness.

It might be position. It might be getting what you want at the cost of somebody
that you dearly love. And the relationship that you have with them.

There are so many ways that evil can be personalized into my life. The question
here is what am I being marked by today? That's the question behind evil
personalized.

Am I being marked by my love for Jesus Christ? By his word in my life? Or am I
being marked by my actions, my words, my thoughts?

Are they being marked by the evil that's in this world? What am I allowing into
my mind? What am I allowing into my words?

What am I allowing into my life? These who were victorious sang a song. I want
to sing with them.

I know you do too. So let's pray that today we can make this choice to trust God
over evil. Let's pray.

My father, our father in heaven. I pray today that you would help me in this
evil world to be victorious. Not by my own strength and power.

But by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. The love that he showed me on the
cross. And his resurrection.

Lord, today I pray that you would lead me not into temptation. But you would
deliver me from evil as I choose to trust in you. I pray this in your name.

Amen. Join us tomorrow. We're going to look some more at the significance of
this song of Moses.