In Revelation 15, we are introduced to the song of Moses and the Lamb. John sees seven angels; their actions are a recapitulation of the seven seals and seven trumpets. They are singing the song of Moses, a song of triumph, and they are singing the song of the Lamb. These songs contain thanks, victory, and praise.
John now sees another great and marvellous sign; he sees seven angels with the seven last plagues, Revelation 15:1. As we have already mentioned, the number seven represents completeness to the people of the time.
God’s anger is complete, Revelation 14:10-11, and will be poured out on the Roman Empire until His purpose is fully executed. God’s wrath being completed, Revelation 15:1, signifies that the Roman Empire is going to eventually fall as a result of their persecution.
Notice John says that he saw what looked like a sea glass glowing with fire, Revelation 15:2. The glass was earlier mentioned in conjunction with the eyes of the living creatures, Revelation 4:6, and probably illustrates the transparency of everything to God, who knows all things, 1 John 3:20.
In Revelation 21, the sea, which stands between God and His children on earth, is gone. Standing beside the sea of glass mixed with fire are those who had been victorious, those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, Revelation 15:2. They had been given harps by God, Revelation 15:2. These harps are not to be taken literally.
Pieters, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Literalism is here hopeless. How could one put the wrath of God in a bowl and pour it on the sun?’
Ladd, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The harps are a symbol of their victory, of praise and worship to God.’
They are rejoicing, Revelation 15:3. The song of Moses brings to our minds, Exodus 15. The people had escaped from Egyptian bondage, and they were under horrible tyranny under Pharaoh, who was a hard taskmaster. God delivered them through ten plagues, and they walked across the Red Sea on dry land.
The Egyptian army was crushed by the waters of the Red Sea, and the Israelites cried out victoriously because they had been delivered from great tribulation and trouble. God’s people had been able to overcome and end up triumphant, so they sang the song of Moses, Exodus 15:1-19.
Notice the people aren’t merely singing the song of Moses, instead, they are singing the song of Moses and the Lamb, Revelation 15:3. Just like Moses led God’s people out of Egyptian bondage to the Promised Land, the Lamb is able to lead Christians out of trials and tribulations resulting from the Roman government so that those Christians could be victorious and be able to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb, Revelation 14:3.
The song of the lamb is a figurative expression for the deliverance from the bondage of sin. This, then, was another sign of how, if Christians would trust in God, He would lead them to victory. Here, we find great comfort given to these first-century Christians.
God is just and true in His ways, and He is the King of the nations, Revelation 15:3 / Psalms 145:17. The question is asked, who will not fear the Lord and bring glory to His Name? Revelation 15:4 / Isaiah 45:23.
Only God is holy, Revelation 15:4 / 1 Samuel 2:2, and the nations will certainly know about the Lord, Psalms 86:9, but they will not accept Him as Lord, Revelation 15:4 / Psalms 86:9. However, they will, like all people will bow down to Him, Philippians 2:9-11.
According to my footnote, it says the following, concerning Revelation 15:4.
‘Phrases in this song are drawn from Psalm 111:2-3 / Deuteronomy 32:4 / Jeremiah 10:7 / Psalms 86:9 / Psalm 98:2.’
McGuiggan, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The saints are to know the battle is not just between them and Rome, but between God and the Dragon, between God and Satan, between holiness and unholiness!’
John now sees the temple in heaven, that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law, Revelation 15:5. The word ‘temple’ here is rendered from the Greek word ‘naos’ and it alludes directly to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle, known as the Holy of Holies. Within this chamber of the tabernacle was kept the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the tables of the law, called ‘the testimony’.
Barclay, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The tent of witness, or the tent of testimony, is a common title in the Old Testament for the tabernacle in the wilderness, Numbers 9:15 / Numbers 17:7 / Numbers 18:2. It is, therefore, clear that John is seeing this picture, not in terms of the Jerusalem temple, but in terms of the ancient tabernacle.’
Notice that it was opened, Revelation 15:5. This tells us that heaven itself was opened up and God Himself is about to come forward and send the seven angels with the seven plagues, Revelation 15:6. As noted before, the number seven is representative of that which is complete.
The seven seals in Revelation 5 and Revelation 6 reveal the wrath of God, the seven trumpets announce and warn of the coming wrath of God, Revelation 8, and the seven bowls execute the wrath of God. The doom of the Roman Empire is sealed.
Notice they are clean, they have shining linen and wear golden sashes around their chests, Revelation 15:6. They are dressed as High Priests., Revelation 1:3 / Leviticus 16:2-23 / Ezekiel 28:13 / Isaiah 61:10. The adjectives ‘clean’ and ‘shining’ are representative of the purity and holiness of the judgments of wrath to come.
Once again, we’re introduced to the four living creatures, Revelation 15:7 / Revelation 4:6 / Revelation 5:6-8 / Revelation 5:14 / Revelation 6:1-6 / Revelation 7:11 / Revelation 14:3 / Revelation 19:4.
McGuiggan, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The living creatures are the cherubim. They are the chariot of God, 1 Chronicles 28:18 / Psalm 104:3.’
The wrath of God’s judgment is now given over to the angels for implementation, Revelation 15:7. The fact of their being ‘golden’ speaks of the extreme value in God’s purpose of judgment. The plan is complete, God’s will on the matter is settled. The sanctuary is filled with smoke, Revelation 15:8, because God is about to act, Exodus 40:34-35 / Numbers 16:31-50 / 2 Chronicles 5:13.
Barclay, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The idea of the glory of God being symbolised as smoke is common in the Old Testament. In the vision of Isaiah, the whole house was filled with smoke, Isaiah 6:4. Further, the idea that no one could approach while the smoke was there is also common in the Old Testament. This was true both of the tabernacle, Exodus 40:34-35, and of the temple, 1 Kings 8:10-11.’