Revelation 15

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful: seven angels holding the seven last plagues. With these plagues God's anger is brought to its full end.

1And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

Note"Sign" translates a Greek word for a portent, a marvel displayed in the sky that signals something coming; it is the same word used of the woman and the dragon in chapter 12, which is why this one is "another" sign. "Plague" in older English means any blow or disaster sent as a stroke against people, not only an outbreak of disease. "In them is filled up the wrath of God" uses the image of a container being topped up to the brim: with these seven, the measure is complete and nothing more follows.

2I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. Standing on that sea of glass were the people who had won the victory over the beast, over its statue, over its mark, and over the number that stands for its name. They were holding harps that God had given them.

2And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

NoteThe sea of glass was described back in chapter 4 as spread out in front of God's throne, like a floor of crystal; here it is shot through with fire. The Greek preposition behind "stand on the sea of glass" can mean either standing on it or standing beside it at its edge, and translators divide over which is meant. The beast, its image and its mark all come from chapter 13, where a beast rises from the sea, a statue of it is set up and people are marked on the hand or forehead to buy and sell. "The number of his name" refers to the practice, common in the ancient world, of adding up the numerical values of the letters in a name; chapter 13 gives that number as 666. The harps are the kithara, a lyre-shaped stringed instrument used in temple worship and in victory songs.

3They sang the song of Moses, God's servant, and the song of the Lamb. They sang, "Lord God Almighty, what you do is great and wonderful. King of the holy people, your ways are fair and true.

3And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

NoteThe song of Moses is the song in Exodus 15, sung by the Israelites on the far shore after they came through the sea and the army pursuing them did not. Placing it here sets these people, standing beside a sea and holding harps, in the same position. "The Lamb" is the title this book has used for Christ since chapter 5, a lamb that has been killed and yet stands alive. Where the King James has "thou King of saints," the Greek manuscripts disagree: most read "King of the nations," some read "King of the ages," and the line of manuscripts the King James translators used reads "King of the saints," that is, of the holy people.

4Lord, who will not respect you and honor your name? You alone are holy. Every nation will come and worship in front of you, because the right things you have done are now out in the open for all to see."

4Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Note"Fear" here does not mean fright. It renders a word for the awe owed to someone of overwhelming rank, the attitude a subject takes toward a king, and it is paired with "glorify thy name," giving public honor. "Thy judgments are made manifest" does not mean sentences have been handed down; the Greek word covers righteous acts and verdicts together, and "made manifest" means brought out into the open where everyone can see them.

5After this I looked, and the temple in heaven was opened. This is the temple that is the tent of the testimony.

5And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:

NoteThe tabernacle was the portable tent that held the ark before the temple in Jerusalem was built. "The testimony" is the stone tablets of the law kept inside the ark, and "tent of the testimony" is the standard name for the tabernacle in the Greek Old Testament that this book quotes from. So the phrase piles the two sanctuaries together: the temple in heaven is the tent that held the testimony.

6The seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple. They were dressed in clean, bright linen, and they wore gold sashes across their chests.

6And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.

Note"Girdle" in 1611 English means a belt or sash, and "breasts" means the chest; a sash worn high across the chest rather than at the waist marked out priests and men of high office. The same dress is given to the figure in chapter 1. On the clothing itself the manuscripts differ by one letter in Greek, between "linen" and "stone," so some copies read that the angels were dressed in pure bright stone; the King James follows linen.

7Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven gold bowls. The bowls were full of the anger of God, who lives forever and ever.

7And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

Note"Beasts" here translates a different Greek word from the "beast" of verse 2. These are the four living creatures around the throne in chapter 4, covered with eyes and never ceasing their praise; the King James uses the one English word for both, which makes them look related when they are not. A "vial" in 1611 was not a narrow tube but a phiale, a broad shallow bowl of the kind used in temple worship to pour out wine or blood at the altar. The shape matters: such a bowl empties completely in a single tip.

8The temple was filled with smoke that came from God's glory and from his power. No one could go into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

8And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

NoteThe image comes from the Hebrew scriptures, where a cloud settled on the finished tabernacle and filled the temple at its dedication so densely that the priests could not go in to perform their duties. Here the same thing happens, and the closure lasts for a set stretch of time: while the seven plagues run their course, no one goes in.