Revelation 15 - What Do God's Wrath and Fire Have in Common?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Revelation 15

15 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb:

“Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations. 4 Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

As the wrath of God on the world continues, John looks up to heaven and sees another sign. Remember "signs" in John always revealed something not known before. I.e. A revelation. The final seven angels, who were also acting in the authority of the dragon (Satan), were the ones who would bring the seven plagues to complete God's wrath on the earth. 

Revelation 14 seemed to describe the consummation of all things, ending with the fury of the Battle of Armageddon. But now John will go back and describe God’s judgment in more detail. Revelation 14 seemed to describe the consummation of all things, ending with the fury of the Battle of Armageddon. But now John will go back and describe God’s judgment in more detail. (Guzik)

In heaven there was also another scene. Those who had victory over beast, his image, and over the number 666, were standing beside a sea of glass glowing with fire. They sang the song of Moses much like when Moses praised God for the victory God gave the Israelites over their oppressor, the Egyptians. Remember also that worship is a key theme in John's letter. 

“The sea is designed to reflect the glory of God. In chapter 4 its description ‘like unto crystal’ speaks of the holiness of God. Here the sea mingled with fire speaks of divine judgment proceeding from God’s holiness.” (Walvoord)

There is a little confusion in my mind whether these saints had victory over the beast by surviving the tribulation, or were victorious by being martyrs and were now in heaven. Because the wrath of God expressed through the bowl of judgments are coming in the subsequent chapters, it appears as if the victory is referring to the martyrs. The word "martyr" means "witness" in the Greek. 

These are those who were victorious over the beast through their faithfulness unto death. They are the tribulation martyrs, described in Revelation 7:9-17. They are not those who survive the tribulation. As much as we can discern any sort of chronology from Revelation (which is difficult), we are still very much in the tribulation – the bowl judgments still wait. (Guzik)

Though many worship the beast and the antichrist during the tribulation, one day all the nations will come and bow before the Lord God Almighty. 

They sing the song of Moses: Only one song is sung, but this song goes by two titles (the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb). The two titles refer to a single song. Here is a perfect union between law and love, between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

5 After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law—and it was opened. 6 Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

What is interesting about these verses is that the seven plagues come out of the temple in heaven as authorized by the four living creatures. These plagues come out of the law of the covenant, which was given to Moses. In the tabernacle were placed the ten commandments, which God gave to Moses to give to the Israelites in the wilderness. 

The seven angels are dressed in white with gold sashes and were given seven bowls. This again symbolizes the holiness of the angels and that God used them to bring his wrath to the earth. Smoke filled the temple from the glory of God. Smoke usually comes from fire and in this case it might be the fire of God's holy judgment. 

Other places in the bible talk about the fire of judgment that will consume the chaff that has been separated from the wheat. Fire is often a sign of judgment, though in the wilderness wander the fire by night led the Israelites. 

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames." 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

The reason for the metaphor of fire is that fire shows forth the following qualities: (1) clarity —God's judgment will be luminously clear and according to truth; (2) ardor — divine justice will meet out vengeance on works of impiety with zeal and power; (3) subtlety —divine judgment will search out even the most secret of human actions in an admirable way. The judgment, then, will be "as of fire" for the good as well as for the bad. (encyclopedia.com)

These angels bring God’s judgment. It is significant that they came directly from heavenly temple, from the presence and throne of God. They do not act on their own authority, but God’s. (Guzik)

When the cloud of glory fills the temple in heaven, no one can enter. It was the same when Moses could not enter the Tabernacle when the smoke of the cloud of God’s glory, sometimes called the Shekinah filled the tent (Exodus 40:34-35).

No one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed: This declares that judgment was now irreversible. Nothing could hinder it any longer, because access to this temple in heaven would not long be denied.