Who Shall Not Fear Thee?

 

Revelation 15:4: RSV:  “…Who shall not fear and glorify thy name?”

 

To me [belongeth] vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in [due] time: for the day of their calamity [is] at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. (Deut. 32:35)

 

For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that [their] power is gone, and [there is] none shut up, or left. (Deut. 32:36)

 

If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. (Deut. 32:41)

 

Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of [our] soul [is] to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments [are] in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 10 Let favour be shewed to the wicked, [yet] will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD. 11 LORD, [when] thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: [but] they shall see, and be ashamed for [their] envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them. (Isaiah 26:8-11)

 

            The judgments of God became manifest upon the wicked city Babylon/Jerusalem, (Revelation chapters 17 and 18).  Therefore, all nations shall worship Him because He is just and holy.  If Babylon/Jerusalem had not been judged, then all the sinful heathen would have been justified in their sins also.

 

Shekinah Glory

 

Revelation 15:8 RSV:  “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.”

 

            This verse shows that the temple in heaven was now blessed with the Shekinah glory that had once belonged to the earthly temple.  (Exod. 40:34-35; 2 Chronicles 7:1-3; Isaiah 40:5).

            “No man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues…were fulfilled.”  Man in the flesh cannot live in the presence of God’s holiness; he must “die to the flesh” to live in the Spirit.  The Flesh must be sacrificed one way or the other.  (Exod. 16:7, 10; 33:18-22; 1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chron. 5:14).  Even Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle when the glory was upon it, Exodus 40:34.

            In the Tabernacle the Shekinah appeared between the cherubim over the mercy seat which covered the Ark of the Covenant in the holy of holies.  When the ark was taken in Eli’s day, the glory departed with it, (1 Sam. 4:21).  When the nation had fallen into sin and idolatry and were being defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, the Shekinah had departed from the earthly temple as seen by Ezekiel 9:3; 10:1-4, 18-19; 11:22-23. 

            The prophets had foretold that the glory would return when the people repented and returned to their land and restored the temple, Isaiah 60:7; 66:18-19; Ezekiel 43:4-5; 44:4.  The Christians saw this as fulfilled in the presence of Christ, (John 1:14; 17:24), and of the Holy Spirit.  The return of the glory of God is apparent in the description of the New Jerusalem: Revelation 21:11, 23.