October 15, 2014 Revelation Chapter 15

Revelation Chapter 15

Originally posted Tuesday December 30, 2008

Revelation, Chapter 15 The Angels with the Seven Plagues

Chapter 15 and 16 constitute a single unit. Chapter 15 introduces the last series of seven events of the tribulation that are described in chapter 16. Chapter 16 marks the finale, the end of the tribulations preceding the fall of Babylon/Rome. While the first series of seven described the opening of the seven seals of the scroll by the Lamb, the second (trumpets) and third series (bowls/plagues) are introduced by angels - messengers of God. It is important to note that in one or more of these disasters it is not clear if the impact is on believers as well as non believers as it was in the previous two series of woes. In general the wording implies that these plagues are aimed at the worshippers of the beast - a generalized term for those who have accommodated themselves to the Roman Imperial religion of deified Emperors and other deities. Some of these worshippers may be associated with John's churches.

Chapter fifteen serves as both a heavenly worship celebration of victory and an introduction to the seven plagues. John's vision of the seven angels with seven plagues/bowls sees this series as the last of "the [generalized] wrath of God (15:1)." There will be more of God's wrath to come but it will be directed at Rome, Satan and those who serve him. The opening scene is in heaven by the sea of glass mixed with fire (4:6). As with other parts of John's visions the content of this vision is derived from the Exodus experience of Israel. In the Exodus story a number of plagues preceded the escape from the evil god-man Pharaoh across the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds). Once the Israelites had crossed the Sea they stood by the shore and sang the song of Moses celebrating the victory of God's defeat of the Egyptians. In Exodus the sea is the water of deliverance in which Israel can see the ultimate fulfilling of God's covenant with Abraham. Now they are on God's side of the sea. In John's vision the martyr church of 7:1-8 and 14:1-5 that has conquered the beast is gathered by the transparent "sea of glass mixed with fire" through which they see the coming age of God's kingdom. They are standing with God's harps on God's side of the Sea of Glass and Fire before the throne of God (4:6) rejoicing and praising and glorifying God with the song of Moses (Exod. 15:1-5) and the Lamb. The song refers to the nations in two phrases. In vs. 3 God is called the King of the nations (some manuscripts have "King of the ages"). Elsewhere Christ has a similar title and kingship is shared with God. In vs. 4 "all the nations will come and worship before [God]. This is an important reference to Isaiah's understanding of universal salvation which means that when God transforms the world and gathers Israel all nations of the world will come to worship God (Isa. 66:23 as interpreted by later Judaism).

The vision returns to the seven angels. John sees them coming out of the opened sanctuary of the heavenly tabernacle (tent) dressed in the garments of the priests and in response to the song of Moses and the Lamb. They carry with them seven Sanctuary offering bowls from which they will pour out the seven plagues (the fury of God) upon the earth. The image of a Sanctuary full of smoke (cloud) such that no one could enter refers to the Shekinah, the manifestation of the presence of God (Exod. 40:34-35). The offering bowls can be understood in two ways: as the bowls used to carry away the ashes from the altar of burnt offering or as bowls in which incense was burned within the Sanctuary. The latter seems to be the case here since the altar of burnt offerings stands outside the sanctuary. That being the case the bowls referred to were used in conjunction with the prayers of the People of Israel rising up to God in the smoke of the incense. For John the incense carries the prayers of the saints petitioning God with the oft repeated petition, "Let your kingdom come; let your will be done on earth as in heaven." The final set of seven plagues poured from the seven bowls may be understood as God's response to these prayers.