About This Chapter: Revelation fifteen introduces seven angels holding seven plagues. John sees those who had overcome standing beside a sea of glass mingled with fire, holding harps and singing a song that honored God, His just and truthful ways, and His marvelous works. The temple in heaven is then opened, and the seven angels emerge carrying the plagues. The chapter concludes with the temple filled with smoke from the glory and power of God, with all prohibited from entering until the plagues were complete.
Revelation 15:1 — Prelude: The Seven Angels with Seven Plagues
Revelation 15:2–4 — The Song On the Sea
Revelation 15:5–8 — The Temple Opened and the Angels Emerge
Revelation 15:1 — Prelude: The Seven Angels with Seven Plagues
At just eight verses, Revelation chapter fifteen is the shortest chapter in this book. This chapter functions as a sort of interlude that precedes the terrible judgments that will dominate chapter sixteen. Thus, Revelation chapter fifteen acts much like a staging area for the events to follow…
“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete” (Revelation 15:1).
In Revelation chapter six, we witnessed a series of divine judgments, each corresponding to the opening of seven different seals. Revelation chapter eight then brought forth seven trumpets that heralded a series of further judgments. Those judgments impacted one-third of the oceans, one-third of the vegetation, and one-third of the earth’s freshwater supply, among other things.
Revelation chapter fifteen will now unveil the final set of judgments that take the form of seven different plagues. No further judgments will follow those plagues, for our text from Revelation 15:1 explicitly links them to the culmination of God’s wrath.
In the source language for our text, the word “wrath” signifies a volatile, passionate type of anger. (1) For instance, anyone who has ever witnessed someone erupt in a display of furious indignation will readily grasp the idea behind this word. But what could possibly generate such a response from God? To help address that question, let’s approach this subject from the perspective of humanity’s Creator.
From God’s perspective, we might begin with the following observations…
- God created human beings and gave them life.
- He provided them with the capacity to experience love, pleasure, and happiness.
- He equipped them with the ability to think, feel, reason, and create.
- Finally, He placed them in an environment that was perfectly suited to their growth, development, and prosperity.
Now let’s consider the way God’s human creation responded to those blessings. Have the members of the human family returned God’s love for them? Have they offered Him the respect and appreciation He deserves? Have they even acknowledged His existence? Unfortunately, the answer is no for large numbers of people.
Now let’s consider these things from a 21st century vantage point. Today, there are many among the members of God’s human creation who employ His name as a profanity. Others refer to Him in a flippant and disrespectful manner. Then there are those who respond by mocking Him or dismissing Him in pursuit of their passions or pleasures. If you were in God’s position, how you would feel if countless millions did such things to you each day? Would you have a right to feel angry?
We’ll consider another aspect of these questions next.
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(1) G2372 – thymos – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2372/kjv/tr/0-1/
“Then I saw another great and awe-inspiring sign in heaven: seven angels with the seven last plagues, for with them, God’s wrath will be completed” (Revelation 15:1 HCSB).
What could account for God’s wrath as mentioned in this passage? In addition to the factors we’ve already discussed, there is something else to consider. For instance, suppose you were God and your only Son intervened to resolve the conflict that existed between you, as the Creator, and your human creation. What if your beloved Son was brutally assaulted and murdered by those He sought to help? Would that scenario inflame your wrath?
In considering these questions, it’s important to recognize that God’s wrath does not stem from an impulsive outburst or loss of composure. Instead, God executes His wrath in the form of judgment against those who refuse His mercy. These final seven judgments will unleash unprecedented devastation upon a world that has utterly rejected its Creator. But they will fully satisfy His justifiable wrath towards those who have provoked, dismissed, or ignored Him.
“And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.
They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested’” (Revelation 15:2-4).
The people mentioned here in Revelation 15:2 are those who prevailed over the beast, his mark, and the number associated with his name. So how did they achieve that victory? The answer to that question leads us back to a portion of Revelation chapter fourteen…
“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus” (Revelation 14:12 NIV).
So these individuals remained loyal to Christ, obeyed God, and rejected the mark of His enemy. Their presence with the Lord also implies their passing from this earthly life. So let’s tie these elements together: if they were victorious over the beast, and they were with the Lord, then it likely means they sacrificed their lives for what they believed.
We’ll consider some modern-day applications from this passage next.
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Revelation 15:2–4 — The Song On the Sea
“Then I saw something that looked like a glass sea mixed with fire, and people were standing on it. They were the ones who had defeated the beast and the idol and the number that tells the name of the beast. God had given them harps” (Revelation 15:2 CEV).
The people referenced in this passage likely perished for their refusal to follow the rest of the world and acquiesce to the beast of Revelation thirteen. Did they make a foolish decision in doing so? Well, the answer to that question largely depends on one’s perspective.
From a short term, earthly perspective, those who opted into the beast’s unholy economic system by accepting his mark may have seemed wise and practical. But those who held an eternal view that honored and acknowledged God were prompted to make a different choice. That choice evidently came at the cost of their lives. While each group undoubtedly viewed the other as foolish and misguided, one of those groups went to heaven, as seen in the passage quoted above. The fate of the second group will be revealed in the following chapter. Thus, in the words of Jesus, “…wisdom is shown to be right by its results” (Matthew 11:19 NLT).
This same concept also applies to the choices we make today. For example, a person who customarily makes short-term decisions without regard to eternity will likely view those who honor God as foolish or naïve at best. At worst, God’s followers risk being categorized as hateful, intolerant, or dangerous individuals who pose a threat to society. That latter response apparently reflected the experience of the church at Smyrna, as recounted earlier in Revelation chapter two.
While no one enjoys being classified in these ways, such is the inevitable consequence of life in a world that has little use for its Creator. If this seems difficult to accept, consider how Jesus was viewed by some of His contemporaries…
“‘You are demon-possessed,’ the crowd answered…” (John 7:20 NIV).
“…’Didn’t we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?’” (John 8:48 NLT).
“Many of them were saying, ‘He has a demon and he’s crazy. Why do you listen to him?’” (John 10:20 CSB).
“But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, ‘He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons’” (Mark 3:22 NLT).
Revelation chapter fifteen thus serves to remind us that what we believe about the future should impact how we seek to honor God in the present, even when those beliefs lead to expressions of rejection or intolerance among others.
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“And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear You, Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous deeds have been revealed’” (Revelation 15:3-4 NLT).
This passage alludes to the song of Moses and the Israelites that commemorated their safe passage through the Red Sea in Exodus chapter fourteen. A closer look at this song from Revelation 15:3-4 highlights four important elements. The first element involves the magnificent works of God: “Great and awe-inspiring are your works, Lord God Almighty…’ (CEB).
From the majestic waves that crash upon a beach, to the beauty of a glorious sunset, to the wondrous expanse of a starlit night, God’s creation showcases these great and marvelous works. If these wonders of creation inspire such awe, how much more awe-inspiring is the One who created them?
So the first element of this passage involves the things God has done. The next component references God’s character: “Just and true are your ways…” This reminds us that God never interacts with us in a false or unjust manner. Instead, the qualities of truth and justice characterize His relationship to humanity. As we’re reminded in the Biblical book of Psalms, “…the Lord is righteous; He loves righteous deeds. The upright will see His face” (Psalm 11:7 HCSB).
The next element involves God’s worthiness: “Who will not fear You, Lord, and glorify Your name?” Once again, this reference to “fear” conveys a sense of reverence, honor, and respect. Our text from Revelation 15:3-4 thus makes use of a literary tool in the form of a rhetorical question. When our author asks, “Who shall not fear You, O Lord,” the assumed answer is, “no one.”
Finally, we have a reference to the act of glorifying God’s name. In the original language of Revelation, the word “glory” expresses “…a good opinion that results in praise and honor for the person under consideration.” (1) It also conveys the characteristic attributes of excellence, preeminence, and dignity. A contemporary definition of this word includes “very great praise, honor, or distinction bestowed by common consent; renown.” (2)
So, taken together, these qualities should encourage us to acknowledge and glorify God for the things He has done. It should also prompt us to give Him the credit and respect He richly deserves.
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(1) G1391 – doxa – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1391/kjv/tr/0-1/
(2) Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words. (2025). In Dictionary.com. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/glory
“Lord, who will not fear and glorify Your name? Because You alone are holy, for all the nations will come and worship before You because Your righteous acts have been revealed” (Revelation 15:4 HCSB).
The song of the victorious multitude of Revelation 15:2 now ends with the great crescendo of verse four: “All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed” (NIV). This verse offers an opportunity to revisit the wide-ranging topic of worship.
As mentioned in our earlier look at Revelation chapter five, the Biblical concept of worship encompasses a loving attitude of reverence for God accompanied by an external expression of honor, humility, and respect. “Worship” also conveys the idea of attributing worth to someone or something. That definition is reportedly derived from the Old English word worthscipe, or “worth-ship,” a word that described a “condition of being worthy.” (1)
With these definitions in mind, we can say that “worship” is not limited to the domain of the religious. You see, everyone possesses something that fulfills the “condition of being worthy” in his or her life. Whatever occupies the highest position of worth in our lives is that which serves as the ultimate object of our worship.
Whenever we dismiss God as the object of our worship, we must replace Him with something else to fill that position. That “something else” doesn’t have to be a spiritual belief or religious conviction. For instance, we might substitute a person, an object, a concept, or ourselves as the focus of our worship. In fact, the Biblical book of Romans devotes a significant portion of chapter one to a discussion of that very subject.
The point is that we attribute the highest position of worth to anything we value, love, honor, respect, or fear the most. If God does not occupy that position, then something of lesser value will inevitably fill the void and prompt a violation of the first Commandment.
Finally, we should note that John, the author of Revelation, will make the mistake of attempting to worship an angelic being later in this book. That quickly led to a corrective response: “…No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God…” (Revelation 19:10 NLT). If John was capable of such an error, we should be more diligent in seeking to avoid a similar mistake.
Therefore, we should consider this subject carefully, for as Jesus said in the midst of His wilderness temptation, “…’It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve’” (Luke 4:8 ESV).
(1) What does worship mean? (n.d.). https://www.definitions.net/definition/worship
Revelation 15:5–8 — The Temple Opened and the Angels Emerge
“After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed” (Revelation 15:5-8).
This portion of Scripture presents us with seven majestic angels who are dressed in formal attire, so to speak. Their raiment and their emergence from this heavenly temple attests to the official nature of what is about to take place. You see, these celestial beings are poised to unleash an unprecedented series of plagues. In fact, the word “plague” itself conveys the apocalyptic nature of these afflictions, for it refers to “a public calamity, [or] heavy affliction” in the original language of this passage. (1)
We should also note how these plagues will be dispersed: seven bowls filled with the wrath of God. In contrast to a bottle that restricts the rate at which its contents can be emptied, a simple turn of the wrist is all it takes to jettison the contents of a bowl. As we’ll see in the following chapter, this does not bode well for God’s enemies.
Finally, there is an important detail tucked away within the final verse of this chapter: “…the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed” (CSB). The fact that no one can approach God during this period is significant. You see, there was once a time when God was accessible. But here now in Revelation chapter fifteen, that time has passed. At that point, God’s temple will remain inaccessible until justice prevails.
However, since God is accessible to us today through Christ, we would be wise to take some good counsel from the pen of the Biblical prophet Isaiah…
“Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call on him while he is near. Let wicked people abandon their ways. Let evil people abandon their thoughts. Let them return to the Lord, and he will show compassion to them. Let them return to our God, because he will freely forgive them” (Isaiah 55:6-7 GW).
(1) G4127 – plege – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4127/kjv/tr/0-1/
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