Chapter 15, is the shortest in John’s Revelation and the preface to the final series of judgments to come upon those who reject Christ. The phrase, Another sign, connects this chapter with Revelation 12:1. The first sign was that of a woman who represented the entire covenant community – all the faithful people of God from the beginning of time.
Following the pattern of parallelism, the events spanning Chapter 12 up to Christ’s return are related but not meant to represent a chronological order. They retell some of the same events from different perspectives, adding detail in much the same way the four Gospels talk about Jesus from various points of view. This new sign initiates the climax of the revelation.
(*All Bible verses are from the NIV unless otherwise noted)
Chapter 15
1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.
2 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands.
3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!
4 Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
Rev 15:1
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:
Several times in previous chapters, events appear to be leading up to God’s final judgment. Similar to the “trumpet judgments” of Chapters 8 and 9, these plagues are to be administered by seven angels.
God inflicted plagues on Egypt to warn Pharaoh to recognize the One True God and set free the enslaved Israelites (Exod 7-10). In the same way, these final seven plagues serve as a warning to the rulers of the world that God’s power is supreme and that persecution of the saints will result in Divine Justice.
Rev 15:2
And I saw what looked like a sea of glass :
Our study of Rev 4:6 noted that the prophets often used the image of the “sea” figuratively to represent humanity:
Isa 57:20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud.
Isa 17:12 Woe to the many nations that rage— they rage like the raging sea! Woe to the peoples who roar— they roar like the roaring of great waters!
Hab 1:14 You have made people like the fish in the sea, like the sea creatures that have no ruler.
Rev 17:15 identifies the waters on which the “great prostitute” sits:
Rev 17:15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.
John’s experience is similar to Moses’. Almighty God is Sovereign over all creation. He sees all things clearly. Nothing is hidden from Him!:
Rev 4:6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
Exod 24:9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.
Rev 15:2
Glowing with fire:
In metalworking, refining is a fiery process used to separate the desired metal, such as gold or copper, from impurities that would affect the quality of the finished product. In the same way, God’s love and wisdom seek to “refine” our hearts and minds resulting in a purified reflection of the heart and character of Jesus. Just as gold and other precious metals are refined through fire, our response to God’s love refines us with spiritual fire:
Matt 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
This refining process comes in the form of trials and challenges; through adversity as well as victory. God doesn’t leave us alone to struggle through the trials that life inevitably throws at us. By enduring these refining fires in faith and determination, we have God’s promise that we will overcome!
Luke 11:9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
1John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1John 5:4 …for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
1Cor 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rev 15:2
Standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name:
2Tim 2:19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his…
John 10:3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
Rev 3:5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.
It’s important to note that John sees the saints of God standing victoriously beside the sea (the world, humanity), not in the sea. God’s people are in the world but are not part of the world’s corruption:
John 17:14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Rev 15:3
And sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb:
It’s interesting to compare these “songs” of praise:
The song Israel sang on their deliverance from the Egyptians:
Exod 15:2 “The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The song Moses taught the Israelites:
Deut 32:4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
The “new song” John hears the redeemed of Christ singing:
Rev 15:4 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.”
Rev 15:4
All nations will come and worship before you:
John has heard this declaration before:
Rev 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
This is a definitive statement of truth. Because of God’s eternal goodness, the whole world will eventually have to acknowledge His redeeming grace in Christ Jesus—the only way the world will know peace and salvation from the evil one. There will be those who will rebel to the very end, but God’s victory is sure.
*All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
