Revelation Chapter 15/Commentary

Revelation Chapter 15 Revelation 15:1 “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished. 2And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. 3And they sang the song of Moses the bond-servant of God and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the nations.

4"Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name?

For Thou alone art holy; For all the nations will come and worship before Thee, For Thy righteous acts have been revealed."

5After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, 6and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their breasts with golden girdles. 7And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. 8And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished”.

Introduction “The last three chapters exhibit the spiritual reasons behind the struggle between the church and her persecutors. Satan was identified as the great red dragon who gave power to two allies, the great sea beast and the false prophet. Having failed in a direct conflict with God, Satan then attempted to destroy the kingdom of God left on earth. A glimpse of the church was then portrayed in its heavenly state, redeemed from the earth and victorious. In contrast, the allies and followers of Satan were cast into the great winepress of God’s wrath. The 1

present vision enlarges upon that judgment and reveals its intensity. From this point to the end of the book all of the participants are presented step by step: 1.

The full wrath of God is poured out with seven bowls, revealed in chapters 15 and 16. 2. The destruction of the great Babylon is described in chapters 17 and 18. 3. Praise is given to Christ who led the victory in the battle of the great day of God Almighty, recorded in chapters 19 and 20:1-10. 4. In conclusion, the final judgment and the beauty of the new heaven and the new earth are portrayed in 20:11-15 and chapters 21 and 22:1-5” (Harkrider p. 172).

“The accounts of the trumpets sounding (chapters 8-9) and the bowls of wrath being poured out upon the ungodly world have underlying similarities, but there are marked differences as well. The trumpets affect only a third of society; but the bowls of wrath indicate completeness or totality of judgment…If proclaiming the good news of redemption does not cause men to fear before God, and if partial judgments do not turn them from humanism and materialism to repentance, then such an unregenerated society forfeits its right to continue” (Hailey p. 318).

15:1 “Then I saw another sign in heaven”: This is the third time John has seen a great sign in heaven (12:1,3). “In each instance the sign is seen from heaven’s point of view. This one is ‘great and marvelous’, producing wonder because of its terrible nature and significance” (Hailey p. 319). “Seven angels who had seven plagues”: These seven angels possess seven plagues, “which are public calamities or heavy afflictions sent by God as judgments or punishments upon men. Other plagues had come as judgments before (9:20; 11:6)” (Hailey p. 319). “This chapter gives a prelude to the judgment of the seven bowls. There was a heavenly scene of victory in chapters 4-5, just prior to the breaking of the seven seals, and a similar prelude in 8:1-6 anticipated the seven trumpets” (Gregg p. 344).

15:1 “Which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished”: The term “finished” means to find its consummation, or reach perfection, and also, to carry out, accomplish, perform and fulfill. “Many take this to indicate the last judgment acts in history, i.e., at the end of time. Hendriksen, on the other hand, thinks that the finality of these plagues is not with reference to history in general, but to individual sinners who have not repented following the trumpet warnings that God has sent. Every unrepentant sinner eventually exhausts God’s patience, bringing fatal judgment upon his life” (Gregg p. 345).

McGuiggan notes, “This is not to suggest that God is exhausted, but that these are all He needs to finish the job. He will strike and need to do so no more (compare with Ezekiel 7:2,6)” (p. 227).

In addition, remember the overall context of the book of things that must shortly come to pass (Revelation 1:1,3).

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15:2 “I saw something like a sea of glass”: This appears to be the same sea mentioned in 4:6. “The sea of glass is the approach to God. It is modeled after the laver (Solomon’s brazen sea). The priest had to go through the laver in order to enter into the sanctuary to serve God. Therefore the sea of glass speaks of the holiness of God---His unapproachableness” (McGuiggan p. 227). “It symbolizes the transcendence of God who could not be approached by men” (Harkrider p. 174).

15:2 “Mixed with fire”: Some view this as symbolizing the trials that the saints have endured (1 Peter 1:7; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15). Others view this meaning divine judgment coming from divine holiness.

15:2 “And those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name”: These are faithful Christians. “Standing on the sea of glass”: “The faith of these now standing on the glassy sea mingled with fire had been tested by the blazing trials through which they had passed” (Hailey p.

320). Of course, Premillennialists with their theory of the rapture have a major problem here. To them this cannot refer to the church, which they claim has already been raptured prior to such persecution. So they argue that this must refer to those converted during the supposed Great Tribulation. The fact that they are standing on the sea of glass means that those who overcome are in some proximity to God (Luke 16:25; Philippians 1:21,23; Hebrews 12:23).

“Holding harps of God”: Compare with 5:8; 14:2.

Point to Note C.S. Lewis wrote: “All the scriptural imagery (harps, crowns, gold, etc.) is, of course, a mere symbolical attempt to express the inexpressible. Musical instruments are mentioned because for many people (not all) music is the thing known in the present life that most strongly suggests ecstasy and infinity.

Crowns are mentioned to suggest the fact that those who are united with God in eternity share His splendour and power and joy. Gold is mentioned to suggest the timelessness of heaven (gold does not rust) and the preciousness of it.

People who take these symbols literally might as well think that when Christ told us to be like doves, He meant that we were to lay eggs” (Quoted in Harkrider p.

175).

15:3 “And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb”: The “song of Moses” is the song that was sung by Moses and the children of Israel after crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 15). This song praised God for their deliverance. As God had delivered Moses and the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians and had destroyed the Egyptian persecutors in the process, now God does a similar feat. “Under the same mighty hand of God, the Lamb had given deliverance and victory to these who had overcome the forces of the

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dragon” (Hailey p. 320). “The deliverance God wrought through Moses in the Exodus foreshadowed the salvation accomplished by Christ at the cross” (Gregg p. 347).

15:3 “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty”: These words are also found in Psalm 92:5; 98:1; 145:17.

15:3 “Righteous and true are Your ways”: God’s ways are still righteous and true when He judges. God’s ways are still just when He casts people into the lake of fire. “Some think a loving God has no spirit of vengeance. God is love; but God is also just. He gives every opportunity of repentance (2 Peter 3:9), but justice demands punishment of the wicked or else He would be a respecter of persons. God’s wrath as portrayed in Revelation is justly poured out against the ungodly (Romans 1:18)” (Harkrider p. 176).

15:3 “King of the Nations!”: See Jeremiah 10:7. “As King of the nations, Jehovah rules and governs their destiny according to righteousness and truth, whether that nation be Egypt, Babylon, Rome, or the United States” (Hailey p.

321).

15:4 “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?”: Compare this with Exodus 15:11. The answer should be obvious, all men should fear Him, but sadly this is not the case. God’s “name” stands for all that He is. “There is no promise here of worldwide conversion. The nations will know, but they will not accept the Lord as Lord. This is seen over and over again in the lives of Bible characters. See the conduct of Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, and Belshazzar. The peoples of Canaan, Moses said, were frightened half to death, but look what happened when Israel arrived there (Exodus 15:14fff)” (McGuiggan p. 229).

15:4 “For You alone are holy; for all the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed” Some see the above referring to the fact that one day indeed all will acknowledge the Lord at the judgment but for many this acknowledgement will be too late.

Compare with Psalm 98:2; 86:9. Note that God alone truly possesses holiness (1 John 1:5).

15:5 “After these things”: This expression occurs seven times in the book and each time it introduces a new and emphatic point. “I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened”: The word “temple” here refers to the inner sanctuary of the temple or tabernacle, the Holy of Holies.

Previously John had seen the sanctuary opened to reveal the ark of the covenant (11:9). “The ‘testimony’ was the 10 commandments. The ark of the testimony was the ark that held the Ten Commandments. The tabernacle of the testimony was the tabernacle wherein was the ark which held the testimony. The ‘temple’ was the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle wherein the ark was that held the

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testimony. In that inner sanctuary God dwelt. Alone and solitary. It stressed His holiness. No one but the High Priest was ever permitted to enter that awful place” (McGuiggan p. 229).

15:6 “And the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple”: The seven angels who had been introduced in verse 1 now appear bearing the seven plagues to be poured out upon the earth. “These plagues of judgment come from the very holiness of God” (Hailey p. 322). “John sees that the temple in heaven was opened, not to grant access to worshippers, but to allow the priest-like angels of doom to emerge to receive the seven bowls of wrath” (Gregg p. 349). “Clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes”: Such clothing seems to suggest that they are angels of high rank, entrusted with a solemn obligation. Angels are often pictured as clothed in white (Matthew 28:3; Mark 16:5; John 20:12; Acts 1:10).

Concerning the golden sash, see Revelation 1:13.

15:7 “Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever” Concerning the living creatures see (Revelation 4:6-8). The term “bowls” refers to “a broad shallow vessel or deep saucer” (Hailey p. 323). The bowls are “full of wrath” (15:1), indicating “the fierceness and unmitigated character of God’s wrath” (Hendriksen p. 160). On a side note we should remember that God’s wrath against the unrepentant sinner is eternal because God lives forever and ever.

“These are acting in a priestly fashion. This must not be forgotten. This is not a war of politics. This is not dealing with a cultural or social upheaval. It is dealing with rebellion against high Heaven! David, when approaching Goliath, never viewed the conflict as anything other than an insult against God, and the necessary defending of God’s honor” (McGuiggan p. 230).

15:8 “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished” “The sanctuary is filled with smoke: a symbol of the full and thorough operation of God’s holy anger (Isaiah 6:4; Psalm 18:8). No one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels should be finished, that is, intercession was no longer possible. God had in anger shut up His tender mercies (Psalm 77:9)” (Hendriksen p. 160). “The meaning here seems to be, that no one would be permitted to enter to make intercession—to turn away His wrath—to divert Him from His purpose” (Barnes). “God cannot be approached at the moment when He is revealing Himself in all the terrors of His indignation” (Gregg p. 351).

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In the Old Testament, after the tabernacle was erected the glory of Jehovah filled it, and Moses was not able to enter it (Exodus 40:34ff). Likewise, when Solomon had completed the temple, the glory of the Lord filled the house, so that the priests could not stand to minister (1 Kings 8:10f). Thus, “no intercessions can change the determinate counsel of God� (Hailey p. 324).

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