1Then I saw in heaven another marvellous event of great significance, seven angels holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God’s wrath to completion.
2I saw what seemed like a glass sea mixed with fire and on it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name, they were all holding harps that God had given them.
3They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: “Great and marvellous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty, just and true are your ways, O King of the nations 4for who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name, for you alone are holy, because all the nations will come and worship before you, because your righteous deeds have been revealed” 5after which I looked and beheld the Temple in heaven, God’s Tabernacle, was wide open, 6seven angels clothed in spotless white linen with gold sashes across their chests, who were holding the seven plagues brought forth from the Temple.
7One of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.
8The Temple was filled with the smoke of God’s glory and power so that no one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues.
Revelation 15:1-8 [IVLVa]
This chapter is the shortest in the Book of Revelation and yet it is packed with meaning and filled with sparkling gems. I will lead you through it piece by piece, following which we will take in the bird’s eye view of what John has seen. Is this John’s revelation? No, he has been careful to tell us this Revelation is the result of what he has seen via visions and heard from voices in heaven. It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. In this short chapter all things finally come together.
Just step back from the text for a moment and take in the panorama of what John saw. I have modelled the text of the NLT’s 236 words in a literal re-write above (normally 241 words in 16 sentences in the NLT). The Greek text contains 217 words set in 5 sentences filled with meaty statements pregnant with meaning. All of which flow out from the previous nine chapters and are interconnected. Thus my approach with the original text of the NLT above was to reformat the text into 5 sentences which are separated above but I have left the verse numbers the same [5 sentences yet 8 verses]. Now you have the text of Revelation in five sentences in the way John combined them.
I did promise you some hidden gems in this chapter which is all about a marvellous event of great significance. It is actually the culmination of the previous 9 chapters which left us with two extremely relevant questions. Do you remember what they were? More on that when the time is right. (A little technique I learned from John.)
I wonder if you sense, like me, that we have come to a major turning point in the unfolding of the warnings. I certainly do. We have been through a long period of hiatus in the promised out-pouring of judgement. The sense has been almost constant comment of being on the threshold of the coming judgement. Yet for the last seven chapters since the 30 minute silence in heaven, there has been delay on delay, pause on pause. Or if not delay and pause, then yet more layers of expansion in the judgement process with each seventh step, morphing from seals to trumpets to bowls, with the seventh example of each expanding to seven of the next expression of judgment. The seventh seal becoming seven trumpets followed by the seventh trumpet becoming seven bowls of wrath. Yet all the while the promise that the final judgement is coming closer, it’s imminent, very near now, almost at the door.
However, with this current threat before us, namely the seven bowls of God’s wrath, do you sense a change in the atmosphere? I do. I sense there will be no more delay. Now the events ahead are both terrifying and marvellous, depending on which side of the action you stand. John conveys the message to us that we are now on the brink of victory and judgement.
Now let’s work our way through this text piece by piece. Have you noticed John leads off in 15:1 with what he saw, while in 16:1 we have what he heard? Here in Rev 15 the opening words convey a dual sense of wonderful, awesome, awe-inspiring at the same time as being terrible, threatening and scary. We have victory and judgement combined together along with two groups of beings set on a heavenly stage. We have seven angels holding bowls of plagues and we have an innumerable multitude of victorious saints. The victorious saints break into spontaneous songs of worship while the angels prepare to spread chaos on the earth. Do you realise these two scenes are deliberately contrasted? Not only are the players or actors different, but also the setting in the throne room of heaven changes. As the players move on and off stage, so too the stage is altered to suit each event on main stage. The progression of the revelation has been moving towards this contrast since the beginning of Chapter 6, along with little thematic cues or motifs which indicate something global is happening on the big picture level. More on that in subsequent Gems.
John opens Revelation 15 with the comment that he saw in heaven a vision (sign) of marvellous significance. What he saw indicated something wonderful but at the same time terrifying. The things seen and heard are the culmination of all John has seen and heard thus far. Each chapter builds on what preceded it. This current scene opens with seven angels holding seven plagues. Well we expected that because we were introduced to the likelihood at the end of the last chapter. The last trumpet changing into seven bowls of God’s wrath did not really come as a surprise. We expected it, did we not?
Suddenly after the opening sentence, the scene changes; there is no time for sleeping or dozing between the pages of Revelation. We have switched from the angels holding plagues to a glassy sea mixed with fire. Do you recall encountering this glassy sea before? Do you remember this image? It’s found in Revelation 4:6, seen in the throne room of God.
In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.
Revelation 4:6
Interesting isn’t it, once more John finds himself in the presence of the four living beings on the sea of glass. We are back in familiar territory except for one change to the scene. This sea is now mixed with fire. The sea appears transparent and flat like glass. I am sure you have seen the sea like that before in the dawn, with the early light of day gleaming off the reflective surface of the sea. Perfectly calm and tranquil, not a ripple of wind on the surface. But there is one disturbing feature John sees. This glassy sea is tinged, or some translations say mingled or shot through with fire. At this point the commentators disperse in all directions. Some think red shafts of dawn light playing on the sea. Some think the red comes from the lightning mentioned in verse 5, while others think the red comes from the gems stones mentioned in the context of the reference in 4:6. Some who think this are stuck on a change in some manuscripts where [linon] “linen” becomes [lithon] “stone” in 15:6. There is a variation in the text here between the two because the words are similar in Greek. The thought being that there are precious jewels giving off their reflective colours. Yet others figure the red is symbolic of the fire of God’s justice and holiness. However the most obvious connection is that of the fire of God’s judgement and the bloody persecution that the people who have been victorious over the beast, his statue and the number representing his name. In other words all aspects of the beast’s attempted domination of God’s people. So the people standing on the sea of glass or beside the sea of glass have to be the martyrs or those persecuted and beaten in order to make them submit. The total number is not stated but it must be representative of saints in the Old Testament and New Testament periods. Ultimately, at the end of time, all will be included, those who have been martyred, persecuted and ill-treated because of their association with Jesus Christ.
One more noteworthy aspect for me to comment on before we move to the third sentence is the fact these victorious people are all holding harps GIVEN BY GOD HIMSELF. That is remarkable! The harp is the musical instrument most associated with heaven and the after-life. It is of course connected with the music of heaven and it is generally associated with praising and worshipping God. How fitting that these victorious ones should be given prime place in the worship of heaven. But that is also to be expected because we first met the martyrs under the altar in Chapter 6 to introduce the two questions which are still relevant to us now. The basic means of surviving the onslaught of the enemy is to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our Testimony, not loving our lives even to the point of death.
I have been asked one question on this passage already. One woman asked me if I thought those who were victorious and standing on the glass sea were rejoicing and singing because those opposed to them were finally going to be punished. No, most definitely not. I disagree that the rejoicing and the singing is over the plight of those soon to be judged; rather they are lost in praise and worship of the God who has saved them. Look at the lyrics of the song, they are all directed toward God and the Lamb.
We will turn our attention to the song and why it is called the Song of Moses.
- Are there two songs or just one?
- Where do the lyrics come from?
- How do the singers know the words?
- Where exactly were the people standing? On the sea, by the sea or beside the sea?
- And if it’s on the sea, how is that possible? Were they standing on the water?
Feel free to add any other questions you may have.
- Do you know the two questions which are still hanging over us?
- They would help you maintain perspective and figure out how everything is linked together.
a IVLV = Ian Vail’s Literal Version
When you reach a stage in your journey that is puzzling or threatening, take a moment to ask God for His perspective on what is happening.
Ian
You can face anything seemingly insurmountable from your place in Him, the Ha Makom.
Ian
When God’s people are determined enough they can overcome anything.
Nelson Mandela
Nikē, no not the brand, the Greek work. In Christ you are a victorious overcomer!
Ian