Revelation Chapter 15 verse 1 Holy Bible

Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 1. - And I saw another sign in heaven. The last time we had this expression was in Revelation 12, where the history of the war between Satan and the Church was begun. Once more we have a new departure, the seer again, as it were, returning to the beginning? in order to trace the course of the punishments inflicted on men for their worship of the devil. Revelation 15. gives a short summary of this, which is expanded in Revelation 16; and it is introduced, as usual, by a vision of the saints in glory, in order to comfort and support the Christian in his warfare (cf. Revelation 6:1, 2; Revelation 7:3; Revelation 14:1-5, 13). The "sign" is what is described in the following account. "In heaven" probably merely means in a conspicuous position (cf. Revelation 12:1). Great and marvellous. On account of the terrible nature of the events depicted. Seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God; seven angels having seven plagues, the last [ones], because in them is finished the wrath of God. The seer describes what he sees subsequently, as if all the actors were present at one moment. In reality, he sees the actions of the "seven angels" in succession. The number seven denotes the universal, all-extending nature of the plagues (see on Revelation 1:4; 5:1, etc.). They are the last plagues, because they lead on to the description of the final fall of the power of the devil in its various forms, and to the account of the last judgment of God and the eternal bliss of the saints in glory.

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersXV.(1) And I saw another sign in (the) heaven.--The sign is, as we noticed before (Revelation 12:1), a token, not a mere empty wonder. This sign is called "great and marvellous;" it introduces a new set of scenes; the same characters will reappear, but we must start with fresh attention.The seer sees seven angels (not "the seven angels;" it is perfectly needless to ask what angels, or to try and identify them with the trumpet angels) having seven plagues, the last, because in them is completed the wrath of God. The statement that these are the last plagues seems to show that the set of visions now commencing carry us down to the end of the age; there are no other plagues after these: they are the last plagues; the vials, like the seals and the trumpets, run up to the final consummation. They are plagues; the word carries us back to Egypt: on Egypt fell the ten plagues which showed forth God's righteous power, and exposed the hollow pretensions of the magicians and their gods; the wild beast-power and the false prophet-power of that day was crippled and exposed. In like manner upon the wild beast-power of later ages the plagues of God fall. They are plagues, because they are sent forth, not like the trumpets to warn men to repent, but upon those who have obstinately refused to return; they are not goads to the wavering, but they are strokes upon the wilful and hardened; they are directed against those who are deliberately hostile.