Scripture quotations are from
English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.
Abbreviations: ESVSB = English Standard Version Study Bible
NIVSB = New International
Version Study Bible
VERSE
15:1
This brief chapter is an introduction to chapter 16, which
describes the seven plagues in detail.
This chapter gives the heavenly context for the earthly events. The first verse serves more as a title or
summation, and the following verses unfold the scene in more detail.
The scene is referred to as a “sign.” That informs us that what we will see unfold
is full of meaning and is to serve as a warning. The contents of the sign are the seven angels
and the plagues that they have in store for the earth.
VERSE
15:2:
The narrative takes a step back and begins with praise to
God. The praise locale is a “sea of
glass.” A sea of glass is also mentioned
in Revelation 4:6. That sea is before
the throne of heaven. The sea in the
present verse is “mingled with fire.” ( Ex. 24: 10 ; Ezek. 1: 22 , 26 ; Rev.
15: 2 ). A similar “sea” or “expanse” is
featured in heavenly visions in Exodus 24:10 and Ezekiel 1:22 and 26. ESVSB states in its commentary on Revelation
4:6…
It
is the “floor” of heaven and the “ceiling” of the created universe, and its
transparent tranquility shows heaven’s peace in contrast to earthly turmoil.
Probably the two seas are the
same. This would mean that the scene
takes place before the throne of God. It
is not apparent to me what might be the significance of the fact that the sea
of glass is mixed with fire. It
communicates beauty as well as foreboding.
The focus, however, is not on the glassy sea, but on the
singers who are there. The various
versions give two possible translations for the preposition “epi.” ESV, NIV, and New Revised Standard Version use
“beside,” so that the singers are beside the sea. New American Standard and King James Version
use “on.” The singers are on the
sea. This is the usual meaning of
“epi.” I think that, unless there is a
compelling reason, this usual meaning should be kept. This makes the scene more unreal, but that
sense of ethereal drama is consistent with the book.
The singers on the sea are the human heroes of
Revelation: they are those who come out
victorious in the great conflict that will take place before the second coming
of Christ. Specifically, the verse
describes them as those who have conquered.
The wording is a little strange in Greek: “those who are conquering out of [or “away
from”] the beast…out of his image…out of the number of his name…” Some of the versions simplify this to
“normal” English: “…those who had
conquered the beast [etc.]…” New
American Standard Bible includes the preposition [ek], but uses “over”: “…those who had been victorious over the
beast…” It does acknowledge in a footnote
that “out of” is a more accurate translation.
It seems to me to be significant that this preposition is used. It gives the picture that victory over the
beast, his image, and the number of his name is a victory that gets the person
out of or away from the entities that harass the Christians. Moreover, the tense is a progressive present,
so this is an ongoing victory. These are
the people who are constantly escaping the beast and worship of the beast and
the brand of loyalty to him. I think we
should keep in mind that “escaping out of” is more than simply getting away
from. It is escaping the intellectual
and spiritual pressures that the Beast and his minions exert.
These
overcomers are holding harps of God. I
assume that they are “harps of God” in two senses. They have been given to these people by God,
and they have a godly, or heavenly, quality about them. Musical instruments are a means of expressing
the inner feelings that only music can convey.
VERSE
15:3
The singers sing (possibly) three songs. They sing “The Song of Moses,” “The Song of
the Lamb,” and they sing the song that is quoted in the text, which does not
seem to be a quote from the other two songs.
“The Song of Moses” could either be Exodus 15:1-18 or Deuteronomy
32:1-43 (as the notes in ESVSB state).
ESVSB also assumes that “The Song of the Lamb” is Revelation 5:9-10.
“The Song of Moses” in Exodus 15:1-18 is a praise to God for
the deliverance of Israel from Egypt through the Red Sea. In that passage, the victory over the
Egyptian army is described. This victory
is understood to be a redemption of the people of Israel because they were
freed from slavery. The result is that
the Lord, God of Israel is exalted above all other so-called gods. Moreover, the nations are in awe of Yahweh
and fear Him. The nations that are
mentioned are those that Israel will face, in one way or another, in years to
come, such as Philistia, Moab, Edom, and the Canaanites. The second “Song of Moses” in Deuteronomy 32
takes a position far in the future (from the setting of Deuteronomy, which is
in the last days of Moses). From that
vantage point it describes the justice and loving care for the people of
Israel. But it also describes their
rebellion and his chastening of them and his final redemption of them. Thus, the two songs of Moses encompass the
history of God’s people, Israel, in which God has dealt with them with love,
mercy, and justice.
“The Song of the Lamb” from Revelation 5 summarizes the great
work of God in Jesus Christ. He died and
his blood was a ransom for people of all the nations. These ransomed people have become “a kingdom
and priests” (Revelation 5:10) who will “reign on the earth.” Thus, the Lamb’s song takes a world-wide view
of the people of God. In both cases—the
songs of Moses and the Lamb’s song, the redemption and ultimate victory of the
people of God is extolled.
The words of the singers, which are quoted in 15:3b-4, are
echoes of the songs of Moses and the Lamb.
First, the deeds of God are praised as “great and amazing.” It is appropriate in the worship of God to
praise God for His attributes, such as wisdom, power, and so forth. It is also appropriate to praise God for His
deeds. In some ways, the deeds of God
flow from the attributes. If God is
perfectly good and loving and all-powerful, then God will rescue humans from
their dire condition of sin. He will do
so out of His goodness and loving nature and because His power enables Him to
do so. The paradox of this rescue is
that the Son of God had to submit to being utterly powerless in order to rescue
us from sin. Yet, that powerlessness
became the power of God (I Corinthians 1:18).
So, the singers on the sea of glass praise God for what He has
done.
They also praise Him that His ways are “just and true.” In a world that is crooked, filled with lies
and deception, God adheres to justice and truth. In the current political atmosphere of the
United States, it is a blessing to know this.
Recently,
Senator Bernie Sanders attacked the Trump nominee for deputy director of the
Office of Management and Budget—Russell Vought.
The senator had discovered that the nominee had gone on record that
Jesus is the only way to salvation and this excludes Muslims. This statement was
in the context of theological discussions about Islam in a Christian
college. Sanders regarded such a stance
to be unjust and un-American, because it discriminated against
non-Christians. He considered himself, a
Jew, to be among those who Mr. Vought was discriminating against. In his misguided zeal against
non-discrimination, Mr. Sanders revealed a deep ignorance of the message of the
gospel, which offers salvation to all persons without respect to their
background or position in life. The
truth of the gospel is that salvation is only through faith in Jesus
Christ. That certainly does discriminate
against other religions, but does so with regard to salvation, not with regard
to personal or political privileges. So,
I can announce that one’s relationship to God comes through faith in Jesus
Christ. But I can also announce that all
persons may speak their mind, vote their conscience, associate freely, and so
forth. My faith in Jesus gives me no
superiority in the marketplace, in the forum, or in other settings. These are points that Mr. Sanders was
horribly—and dangerously—wrong about.
(These comments are not meant to be an endorsement of Donald Trump.)
VERSE
15:4
The singers continue by asking the rhetorical question of
who would not fear and glorify the Lord’s name.
In a world where names are given children because they are either euphonious
or evocative (names like Chance, Shantee, Shay) it is difficult to relate to
the Biblical culture in which names are revered. Just as the Lord is to be feared and
glorified, so is His name, which communicates His person.
The
singers imply that all will fear and glorify His name because, first of all, He
is alone is holy. That which is holy is
set apart. The utensils of the Temple
were dedicated to use in the Temple and not for use in the home or
workplace. The One who is totally
separate from the world is the Lord God.
He is not tied to the biosphere, the mechanics of the universe, nor to
the motivations of a sinful world. He is
utterly separate. He is also perfect in
righteousness and judgment. His holiness
is so thoroughly descriptive of Him that we can reverse the association and say
that whatever is of God is holy for God makes it holy. Thus, anything or person who is holy is only
by derivation from and association with God.
Thus, the fact that God is holy strikes a certain fear in humanity, for
it reminds us that God is utterly separate from us. The very name of God is to be feared as the
representation of that which transcends us.
Moreover, we glorify the name of God because we acknowledge that He is
holy and worthy of praise.
The
answer to the question, “who will not fear…and glorify your name,” includes the
fact that “all nations will come and worship you.” Though all the nations have gone their own
way and have created their own gods, the perfection and holiness of Almighty
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is something that all should know
about and respond to with worship. In
fact, the singers remind us that the Lord’s “righteous acts have been revealed.” The fact that this is in the same sentence
with “all nations” implies that this revelation has been disseminated around
the world. The witnesses to what God has
done in Jesus Christ have obeyed the Great Commission and have made disciples
in all the nations. Those disciples indeed
worship God through Jesus Christ.
Moreover, in an eschatological sense, the final outcome of God’s work in
the world is a world-wide Kingdom of God in which all the nations come to God
to worship Him. From the Hebrew
perspective, “coming” implies going “up to Jerusalem” to worship the Lord. (See Isaiah 2:2-4 and Micah 4:1-3.) As ESVSB comments on Isaiah 2:3: “the Gentiles will abandon all other
religions for the true God.”
Note
that the praise from the victorious saints of God sets the stage for the seven
last plagues. Throughout the book,
praise and honor is given to God even as horrific scenes of judgment are
described. The message of the book is
that God is worthy of praise and is just in His judgments. See a statement of this in the midst of plagues
in 16:5-7.
VERSE
15:5
The narrative has set a background of praise from the heroic
martyrs. Now it states that the origin
of the seven angels is the “sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven.” The “tent of witness” is the heavenly
tabernacle from which Moses copied in order to build the Tabernacle that is
described in Exodus. (See Hebrews 8:2-5
and 9:11-12 and Exodus 25:40.) The
“sanctuary” (sometimes translated “temple”, Greek: naos) probably is the inner room, the Holy of
Holies. For example Revelation 11:19
uses “naos” to designate the place where the Ark of the Covenant is located,
and the Ark was in the inner room of the earthly tabernacle (Exodus 26:33).
The following is speculation on my part. It is possible that the outer room (the “Holy
Place”) of the earthly tabernacle is a copy of the heavenly environment of the
Holy of Holies. Since we do not have
mention of this outer room, to my knowledge, in a description of heaven, it is
possible that the earthly tabernacle (and temple) portrayed the work of Christ
as the Holy of Holies and the heavenly environment as the Holy Place. The outer room had a table for the bread of
the presence, 12 loaves from the 12 tribes.
They represented the offering of the 12 tribes unto God as a people who
were dedicated unto God. It also had a
table of incense, symbolizing the worship of God. And it had a lampstand, symbolizing the
eternal light of God, who reveals Himself.
In heaven the redeemed people of God stand before God (see Revelation
7:9ff). The worship of God goes on day
and night (see various references to worship throughout Revelation). And, of course, God’s immediate presence
enlightens all of heaven (see, for example, chapter 4). The Holy of Holies is revealed to contain the
Ark of the Covenant (see 11:19). I
believe that this Ark, which is the pattern for the earthly Ark, is the symbol
of the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31ff and Hebrews 9:11-28).
It is from this inner sanctum, where the blood of Christ was
applied and Christ confirmed the covenant, that the angels come bearing the
seven last plagues. Though God’s wrath
is poured out on unrepentant humanity, it is not because God has not showed
mercy and grace. The cross of Jesus
Christ and the Ark of the Covenant witness to all that God loves people and is
“not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (II
Peter 3:9)
VERSE
15:6
The sanctuary is opened so that the seven angels can come
out. These angels have already been
mentioned in verse 15:1. Their identity
is that they bring with them the seven plagues.
They are described as wearing “pure, bright linen.” Throughout Scripture garments often play a
significant role in describing a person.
John the Baptist wore camel’s hair (Mark 1:6), which evokes a primitive
toughness. The Tribulation saints have
robes that are white because they are washed in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14) The angel(s) at the tomb had “dazzling” (Luke
24:4) and “white” (Mark 16:5) clothing. The
white signifies purity and the “dazzling” signifies light. Similarly, these seven angels wear robes that
are clean or pure to represent their moral purity. And they wear bright robes that signifies the
light of heaven. They also wear golden
sashes around their chests, representing a priestly function, perhaps.
VERSE
15:7:
A new actor comes onto the stage in this verse—one of the “four
living creatures.” These are described
in Revelation 4:6-8. They are constantly
praising God. But they also play a role
in the events initiated by opening the seven seals (Revelation 6). Specifically, as the first four seals are
opened, one of the living creatures calls upon one of the infamous “four
horsemen of the Apocalypse.” We can take
the roles of the four living “creatures” (which can be translated “animals”) in
two ways. First, we find them performing
various functions that seem somewhat unrelated.
This reflects that they simply are assigned various tasks, just as a
soldier might be called upon for various missions, but whose identity is more
bound up in his or her name, rank, and serial number. Second, the fact that they are constantly
speaking and singing praises to God and to the Lamb (4:8, 5:9-10) in heaven is
tied to the fact that they play roles in the bringing of judgment to
earth. These creatures have magnificent
insight into the glory, holiness, and worthiness of Almighty God and the
Lamb. That insight is contrasted to the
darkness and sinfulness that is found on the earth. They are, therefore, qualified to be instruments
of judgment.
The living creature gives seven bowls to the seven
angels. It is natural to assume that
each angel receives a bowl. The bowls
are “golden.” This is a reflection of
the immeasurable wealth of heaven and, therefore, a reflection of the glory of
God. If one goes to an extremely wealthy
person’s house, every element of the house—the yard tools, the vacuum cleaner,
the commode, everything—is first class.
Whereas us poor folks go to Walmart and buy what we can afford, the
wealthy buy the best. So, these bowls
are first class bowls. The most
significant thing about the bowls, however, is that they are filled with the
wrath of God. This wrath is “thumos,”
which is God’s fury.
In verses 1 and 6, the seven angels are said to have the
seven plagues. Now an angelic being
gives to them bowls of wrath. One should
not make too much of this, but there seems to be a separation and mixing of two
concepts in this passage—the plagues and the wrath of God. I would interpret as follows: The each of the seven angels has the
authority to inflict one of the plagues upon the earth. Each angel, in addition, is handed a bowl
full of God’s fury. So, each plague will
be inflicted upon earth with the fury of God.
God has authorized that the utmost expression of His anger will be
exhibited in these plagues.
The God who owns this fury is the God “who lives forever and
ever.” This God lived before anything
else existed, for He created all things.
Anything else that might be called “god” owes its existence to this God,
the God of creation. This God will
continue to exist for all time. That
means that our eternal life is backed by the power of an eternal God. The fact that we receive eternal life through
faith in Jesus (John 3:16) means that we will be upheld for all eternity by the
God who lives forever and ever.
VERSE 15:8:
When the seven angels step out of the “sanctuary” and are
handed seven golden bowls of the fury of God, there is a heavenly
response. The sanctuary is filled with
smoke so that no one can enter it. In
Exodus 40:34-35, as the Tabernacle was completed, God’s glory filled the
Tabernacle so that Moses could not enter it.
Similarly, the glory of God filled the Temple when it was completed and
the Ark of the Covenant was placed within the Holy of Holies (I King
8:10-11). Now, in this last days scene,
the sanctuary in heaven is filled with the smoke of God’s glory and power. In the first two instances, the entrance of
God’s glory seemed to express two things.
First, it was a stamp of God’s approval on the structures that had been
built. Second, it was an expression of God’s
presence—first in the Tabernacle and then in Solomon’s Temple.
I have discussed, in my comments on verse 15:5, that the
sanctuary of heaven is where the Ark of the Covenant is located and where the
blood of Jesus was applied. Thus, this
Holiest of Holies is where human redemption was sealed. It is the place where human access to God—“the
new and living way”—has been procured.
This center of our salvation is filled with the glory of God so that no
one can enter. For a brief season, God’s
wrath must be poured out through the seven last plagues. In that season, the glory of God takes
precedence and the sanctuary has a “closed” sign on it. For God’s wrath has been stored up in the
winepress (14:19). Even as that wrath is
poured out, God is understood to be characterized as glorious.
Linked to God’s glory is God’s power. The sanctuary is filled with the smoke of
God’s glory and power. The power reminds
us that nothing and no one can resist God’s purposes. The plagues will remind the people that
almighty God is the one with whom they are dealing.
SUMMATION:
Chapter 15 is a prelude to the actual plagues that are
described in chapter 16. The chapter is
divided into a title (verse 15:1) and two parts within the body. The first part, verses 15:2-4, describes the
song of those who have been victorious in the face of the persecution from the
Beast and his empire. The song is one
that praises God for His acts. The
second part, verses 15:5-8, describes the preparation for the administration of
the seven last plagues. The seven angels
exit from the sanctuary and are given bowls filled with God’s wrath. Then the sanctuary is filled with the smoke of
God’s glory and power. Thus, even as the
seven last plagues are poured out upon humanity, we are reminded that we serve
a great and glorious God.
COMMENTATORS
RIST (477-480)
In his introduction to this material, Rist refers to similar
preparatory passages before the descriptions of the seven seals and seven
trumpets (Revelation 5 and 8:1-5). He
asserts that 8:1-5 and chapter 15 are “doublets.” Some Biblical scholars consider that certain
passages that are similar are really two versions of the same event. For example some might consider the feeding
of the 4,000 to be a doublet of the feeding of the 5,000.
VERSE 15:2: He notes that that in 8:1-5 prayers of the
saints are offered up and that this is parallel to the song of the martyrs in
15:2-4. He understands that the “glass
mingled with fire” is really a description of glass that is “fiery red in
color.” He makes an interesting
observation that the martyrs in Revelation 15 are parallel to the Israelites in
Exodus. Just as the Israelites crossed
over the Red Sea safely, escaping Pharaoh and the Egyptians (Exodus 14), so the
martyrs have crossed the fiery sea of heaven to escape “their persecutor, the
satanic Roman emperor…”
VERSE 15:3a: He contrasts the martyrs in Revelation 6:9-11
with the martyrs of chapter 15. In
chapter 6, the martyrs are crying out for vengeance, but, in chapter 15, the
martyrs’ number is complete and “their enemies are about to be overwhelmed by
God in his wrath.” So now they sing a
song of praise.
VERSES 3b and 4: The song “bears little resemblance to the
song of Mosesin Exod. 15.” It is a
“catena of O. T. phraseology…”
“Obviously, the author…was thoroughly imbued with O. T. phrases…” He considers that the line “All nations will
come and worship you” is not in “harmony” with the view in Revelation that the
nations will “refuse to repent.” He
considers two possibilities: John was
quoting a Christian hymn of the time, which contained the line, and left it
in. Or, he believed that the nations
would come, not in repentance, but in acknowledgment of God’s might and power.
VERSE 15:5: He is troubled by the phrase the “temple of
the tent of witness” (as in old Revised Standard Version). He considers the juxtaposition of “temple”
and “tent [or “tabernacle”] of witness” is not consistent with other uses. I have discussed in detail above my own
understanding of this phrase. It is
interesting to compare the various translations of this phrase (see
below). KJV is King James Version, RSV
is Revised Standard Version, NASB is New American Standard Version, ESV is
English Standard Version, NIV is New International Version.
KJV: “temple of the tabernacle of the testimony”
RSV: “temple of the tent of witness”
New RSV: “temple of the tent of witness”
NASB: “temple of the tabernacle of testimony”
ESV: “sanctuary of the tent of witness”
NIV: “the temple—that is, the tabernacle of the
covenant law”
Notice that only ESV uses
“sanctuary” instead of “temple,” yet it seems to me that “sanctuary” is an
accurate translation. I find the NIV
translation to be intriguing, because it calls attention to the idea that the
“tent of witness” is a place where the “ark of the covenant” was located. Thus, it is the place where God’s covenant is
witnessed to by God and people. However,
it misses the idea that the greater covenant—the New Covenant—which was
ratified by the blood of Jesus, was so ratified in heaven. Rist misses this point also. However, he does offer another
interpretation: that this “tent of
witness” is analogous to the tabernacle of Exodus. In Exodus the tabernacle traveled with the
newly liberated Israel. In Revelation,
this use of “tent” or “tabernacle” might be “an allusion to the new exodus” of
the new Israel who are “traveling through the wilderness to the eternal promised
land, i.e., to God’s temple in heaven[.]”
VERSE 15:7: He comments that the “vials” or “bowls” that
are given to the angels have various associations. The bowls might be for drinking or incense or
for ashes after cremation. Thus, the
bowls represent cups of anger to be drunk.
They might also refer to the embers of burning incense such as were
thrown on the earth in 8:5. Or, they
might refer to the ashes of the dead, who die as a result of the plagues.
VERSE 15:8: He goes back to his explanation of verse 15:5
and refers back to Exodus 40:34-35. In
that passage, the cloud covers the tabernacle and the glory of the Lord so
fills the tent that it cannot be entered.
He sees this connection with the present passage as confirmation that
“for John the exodus of the Jews from Egypt…is a prototype of the divine
deliverance of the loyal Christians from the power of the satanic beast
representing the rule of the Roman state…”
MORRIS (187-191)
Morris introduces the chapter
by describing it as an introduction to the last plagues in which John “stresses
the majesty of God who is over the whole historical process.”
VERSE 15:2: He considers that the fire refers to the
“wrath and judgment” of the plagues. He
notes that the martyrs are considered victorious. He says that, when people died for the faith,
the church considered it their “day of victory.”
VERSE 15:3: He comments on the mention of the song of
Moses and the allusion to Exodus: “The
great deliverance wrought under Moses forms the pattern for the great
deliverance wrought by the Lamb.” He
comments that, although the earth-dwellers “have marvelled at the beast and his
wonders,” the works of God are truly marvelous.
The song praises “God’s universal sovereignty…which must have been
exceedingly important for his troubled readers.”
VERSE 15:4: Morris notes that KJV translates the final
clause to say that God’s “judgments are made manifest.” He notes that this can also be translated
“righteous acts” (and all the modern translations do so), but he believes
“judgments” is appropriate here. He
quotes R. H. Charles: “[the word refers
here to] the judicial sentences of God in relation to the nations…” Morris adds:
“At the last God’s judicial sentences will be made plain to all.” He notices, finally, that the song of the
martyrs does not refer to them, but fixes its attention on Christ.
VERSE 15:5: He discusses the unusual “temple of the
tabernacle of the testimony.” (KJV) I
have discussed this at length in my own commentary and in the discussion of
Rist’s commentary. Morris also sees an
allusion to the wilderness experience of the Israelites. The tabernacle is “a symbol of the very
presence of God Himself” in the wilderness wanderings of Israel. He also notes that the word “witness” calls
attention to the martyrs, for the two words are the same in Greek.
VERSE 15:6: The seven angels have come from “the very
presence of God,” and therefore the plagues have “the fullest divine sanction.” The appearance of the angels (and of their
clothing) “symbolizes their spotlessness.”
“It emphasizes the purity from which the wrath is poured out on the
world.”
VERSE 15:7: Again, the fact—that one of the four living
creatures relays the bowls of wrath to the angels—emphasizes the divine
sanction, since the living creatures are always close to the throne of God. Morris, as does Rist, notes that the bowls
are the same kind of vessel that held the prayers of the saints in 5:8. The prayers of the saints, “which seem so
insignificant…have their part to play in bringing about the final state of
affairs.”
VERSE 15:8: Morris interprets the fact that no one can
enter the sanctuary until the plagues are completed: “When God’s good time has come nothing can
stop final judgment.”
LADD (203-208)
Ladd introduces the chapter
by referring back to the structure of Revelation over several chapters.
· In 8:13 an eagle flies through the air and shouts
three woes to the earth-dwellers.
· The fifth trumpet judgment is described in
9:1-12. This is described as the “first
woe.”
· The sixth trumpet judgment is partially described in
9:13-21.
· In 10:6-7, it is announced that the “mystery of God”
will be accomplished with the seventh trumpet.
Then, several more incidents are described in 10:8-11:13, including the
career of the two witnesses and a great earthquake. This completes the second woe.
· The seventh trumpet is sounded in 11:15. There follows what Ladd calls a “proleptic
announcement of the coming of God’s kingdom” (11:15-18). After this is the material of chapters 12-14,
which Ladd calls an “interlude.”
· Ladd concludes that, since there was no woe
immediately after the seventh trumpet, the seven bowls “constitute the third
woe.”
I recapitulate this structure as follows:
Trumpet 1: 8:7
Trumpet 2:
8:8-9
Trumpet 3:
8:10-11
Trumpet 4: 8:12
(Three woes announced:
8:13)
WOE 1: Trumpet
5: 9:1-12 (Woe 1)
WOE 2: Trumpet
6: 9:13-11:14 (Announcement of the completion
of
the
mystery of God: 10:7) (Woe 2)
Trumpet 7:
11:15-19 (proleptic announcement of the Kingdom)
INTERLUDE:
12-14
WOE 3: Seven
bowls of wrath: 15-16 (Woe 3)
VERSE 15:1
Ladd
clarifies that the “last” plagues and the fact that the wrath of God is “ended”
must be qualified. Obviously God’s wrath—in
the defeat of the Beast at the Second Coming as well as in the Great White
Throne Judgment—will take place after the seven bowl plagues. In the context of the Tribulation, the seven
bowls of wrath are the culmination—the “last”—of the outpouring of God’s wrath
with the purpose of making “the worshipers of the beast bow before the
sovereignty of God.”
VERSE 15:2
Ladd
considers the scene to be a “proleptic vision of the conquerors of the beast.” The martyrs have conquered the Beast, his
number, and his image by refusing to worship the Beast and to go along with his
program. This brought their death but
frustrated the purpose of the Beast to bring them to heel. He believes the sea of glass is the one that
is described in 4:6, which is before the throne of God. Thus, they stand in the very presence of
God. The fire represents the judgments
upon the earth or the persecution of the martyrs.
VERSE 15:3
He
believes the reference to Moses and the Lamb means that the martyrs’ song is
one of deliverance such as occurred in the Exodus from Egypt and such as will
occur in the Tribulation. The latter is
deliverance from the Beast. In spite of
the intense persecution, the martyrs can still praise God as all-powerful and
as a deliverer. He notes that the song
is in “Old Testament language” because the Old Testament emphasized God’s
deliverance from trouble and from the power of the nations. He considers the song to be “one of the most
moving expressions of faith in the entire biblical literature.”
VERSE 15:4
He notes
that “out of context” the words might suggest universal salvation. However, he notes that the Bible looks
forward to the day when God will reign and be surrounded “only by those who
find their joy in worshiping him.” The
ultimate Kingdom of God will include people from all the nations. He notes that the martyrs are focused only on
“the sovereignty, justice and glory of God.”
They are not concerned about personal vengeance or with their own
victory over the Beast.
VERSE 15:5
He
considers that the reference to the temple symbolizes two things: the faithfulness of God because it is where
the Ark of the Covenant is and the presence of God. He notes the peculiar expression, “temple of
the tent of witness.” He interprets this
as simply referring both to the wilderness tabernacle and the Temple of
Solomon. Strangely, he says that the
pattern of these two places of worship serve as a a pattern for the “dwelling
of God in heaven.” In fact the earthly
structures were patterned after the heavenly structure.
VERSE 15:6
He
believes the angels’ clothing have the purpose of enhancing their “splendor.” He does not believe that the clothing implies
a priestly function.
VERSE 15:7
The
mention of one of the four living creatures means that the bowls and their
wrath come from a creature whose station is close to the throne of God,
therefore the “bowls have full divine sanction.” The use of the same word for these bowls and for
the bowls of 24 elders, he thinks, may be a reference to the prayers of the
saints. “The prayers of the saints have
their role in bringing upon the world…God’s justice and wrath.” The emphasis on God’s eternity reminds us
that, even though evil may seem to dominate, God’s purposes will prevail.
VERSE 15:8
Ladd
lists several Old Testament descriptions of the how the presence of God is so
powerful that people cannot approach:
Exodus 40:35, I Kings 8:10-11, Isaiah 6:4, Ezekiel 44:4. He says that these are not so much intended
to portray God as unapproachable but rather to portray God’s “majesty and glory
in comparison to all that is human and mundane.”
JOHNSON
I am
including a new commentary (and dropping several others). This new one is the Revelation, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Revised
Edition, by Alan F. Johnson. Since my copy of this book is a Kindle
e-book, I cannot give page numbers.
VERSE 1
Johnson
considers in what way wrath of God is completed by these bowl judgments. He notes that the context for these judgments
begins with the seven trumpets and includes the three woes. Thus, these bowl judgments are the climax of
the wrath that is first mentioned in 6:17.
VERSE 2
The sea
of glass “shot through with fire” reflects the glory of God. The ones who are on the sea are the martyrs
that are mentioned again and again through Revelation.
VERSE 3
He
believes that a single song is referred to by the “song of Moses and of the
Lamb.” He notes that the song of Moses,
which celebrates the victory of the Exodus, was used in the ancient synagogue
services on the afternoon of the Sabbath.
It celebrates God’s sovereign rule of the universe, and he believes this
is the emphasis of the song in verses 3 and 4.
He notes that there are echoes of the Old Testament throughout the
song. He believes that it might be drawn
from an early Christian hymn. He also
notes that the early church referred to the Exodus in its Easter liturgy.
VERSE 5-7
The
bowls, he believes, can be related to the bowls used in Temple worship to
collect the blood of the sacrifices.
VERSE 8
The
smoke is a reference to the “shekinah cloud” that was in both the Tabernacle
and the Temple. “It symbolizes God’s
special presence and the fact that he is the source of the judgments.”
REFERENCES
Crossway Bibles (2009-04-09).
ESV Study Bible. Good News
Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Johnson, Alan F. Revelation. The Expositor’s Bible
Commentary, Revised
Edition. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, Gen.
Ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006.
Ladd, George Eldon. A Commentary on the Revelation of John.
Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publ. Co.,
1972.
Morris, Leon. The Revelation of St. John. Tyndale New
Testament Commentaries. Vol. 20. R. V. G. Tasker,
Gen.
Ed.
Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans
Publ. Co., 1980.
Rist, Martin. “The Revelation of St. John the Divine”
Exegesis.
The
Interpreter’s Bible. Vol. XII. Nolan
B. Harmon, Ed.
New York: Abingdon
Press, 1957.
Zondervan NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publ.,
2002
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