Revelation 15

Seven angels appear which have the last plagues a glassy sea at which the conquerors of the beasts stand furnished with harp 3 which sing a song of praise therein they praised God and his judgments 5 after that the temple of heaven is opened 6 whence proceed the seven angels in bright raiment 7 who receive from one of the four beasts seven vials full of the wrath of God whereupon the temple is filled with the smoke of the glory of God.

1. And I saw another great and marvelous token [that is which signifieth great and marvelous things] in heaven[as in the two former chapters was treated at large of the rising seducing and tyranny of the antichrist so now the holy ghost in some following chapters comes and relates from the comfort of believers the plagues and punishment that shall come upon the antichrist and his whole kingdom till he shall be utterly destroyed at last whereof vision contained in this chapter is but a preparation thereunto] namely seven angels having the seven plagues [that is power over the seven last plagues namely which God shall cause to come upon antichrist adherents in this world in this world for after the last judgment shall the wrath of God abide upon them and upon all wicked men forever as we testified before chapter 14.10,11 and is also testified hereafter chapter 19.3 and 20 see also Matthew 25:46 Job 3.46 whether these angels that are frequently mentioned before the uncertain but this is certain that they were instrument thereby God hath already in part executed and will yet in part execute his judgment upon antichrist kingdom as shall be further declared in the next chapter] fro in these is finished the wrath of God.

2. As I saw as it were a glass sea mingled with fire and them that hath the victory of the beasts [that is the true believers which according to their spiritual condition had overcome the beast as according to the body they have been tempted and persecuted and oftentimes killed forasmuch as they always continued in faith] and of his image [see hereafter the sequel chapter 13.14 &c] and of his mark and of the number of his name which stood at the glass sea [that is which had escaped all dangers and were got into a safe harbor as the Israelites being got through the sea to the shore were free from all care and trouble see Exodus 15:1 &c .] having the harps o God [that is fair and excellent harps as this phrase is much used among the Hebrews see Genesis 23:6 Psalms 36:7 and therefore sit to play and sing upon them to praise of God.]

3. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God [that is the song where Moses praised God for the deliverance of his people which is recorded Exodus 15 .1 &c for as much as the history doth wholly look at the deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt as also at the punishment of Pharaoh and the Egyptians in the red sea and lastly to the song of praise which Moses with the children of Israel standing on the shore of the red sea sung for their deliverance and for the punishment of the Egyptians his glass sea shall be mingled with fire and must be compared with the red sea where in the Egyptians perish and through which the Israelites were delivered these are then the many nations that are under the superstitious reign of the antichrist as the angel himself sheweth hereafter chapter 17.1,15 which like a sea do continually rage and be drowned in their superstitious and seek the overwhelm some believers therein with themselves which is mingled with fire by reason of their cruelty and blind zeal in persecuting them and is transparent like glass in the eyes of the Lord before whom all their actions are naked and manifest who withstanding bringeth his people through all the tumult and danger over unto the shore or haven of salvation as Moses did the children of Israel under the shadow of the angel of God see also before chapter 4.6] and the song of the lamb [that is which is sung by believers to the honor of Jesus Christ the lamb of God and their spiritual redemption purchase by him whereof an example is related before chapter 5,10 and chapter 12 verse 10,11] saying great and wonderful are thy works Lord thou almighty God just and true are thy ways [that is thy counsel and actions thou men be not always able to comprehend it see Romans 1 verse33] thou king of saints.

4. Thou should not fear thee and Lord not glorify thy name? for thou art alone holy for thy nations [that is the elect of all nations see above chapter 5.9,10] shall come and worship before thee for thy judgments are made manifest [namely against antichrist and his adherents of the execution of the judgment shall be further spoken in the two next chapters the words of the hymn of praise are for the most part joined together out of certain places of the old testament as Psalms 25:10 and 86 verse 8,10 Jeremiah chapter 10.7.]

5. And after this I looked [namely after the song of praise of believers of the judgments of God to come and a further preparation of the execution of God judgment is declared in the following verses] and behold the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven [some are of opinion that the temple is here called because it was made according to the pattern of the tabernacle but here the Greek word naos that is the temple may be fitly more taken for the innermost part of the temple that is for the holy of holies as this is sometimes used Psalms 28:2 which agreeth with the innermost part of heaven where God hath his throne and were the four twenty elders and the four beasts with the holy angels stand round about as was shewed before and especially chapter 4 and this is as it were Gods court in his celestial, church were the judgment of God are pronounced and the angels commanded to execute the same as the sequel importeth]was opened [namely to publish and execute the judgment or sentence of God against the antichrist or adherents a comparison taken from a royal throne and courts which are opened when sentence is to be given.]

6. And the seven angel which had the seven plagues [that is the power and the charge of executing the seven plagues as before verse 1] came out of the temple clothed with pure bright linen [namely to signify the purity and justice not only of their persons but also of their Gods judgment whereof their executioners] and girt about the brest with golden girdles [namely to express their readiness swiftness and activity in executing God judgments according to the custom of the eastern people that are girt about with broad girdles when they undertake or go about some difficult business see Luke 12:35 Ephesians 6:14.]

7. And one of the four beasts [namely which before in this book stood nearest to the throne of God with for and twenty elders and which represented the whole church of Christ at whose request and at the avenging of whom the judgments mentioned in the sequel are poured out unto the kingdom o the antichrist se before chapter 4.6] gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials [these vials were sort of drinking bowls somewhat deep and contained some ordinarily as much as man was able to drink off at once] full of the wrath of God[that is of the wine of the wrath of the cup of God whereof see before chapter 14.10] which liveth forever more.

8. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from the power [that is proceeding from the throne of God glory who was compassed about by the lightning and thunder voices and burning lamps all token of Gods glory as the same is described chapter 4.5 here the respect is happened to that which happened in the tabernacle Exodus 40:34 which was overshadowed with a cloud of Gods glory at the dedication thereof so that Moses could not enter into it as also happened at the dedication of Solomon’s temple 2Kings 8.10 others conceive that here respect is had to Isaiah 6:4 thereby the judgments of God upon the people signified] and no man was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished [no man was able to enter the temple namely behold or search narrowly into the Judgments of God sith they are unspeakable Romans 22.33 and which can then be only fully understood when they are fulfilled others take it thus that this shutting of the tabernacle by the smoke of God glory after the denunciation of Gods judgment upon antichrist and his worshippers yet signifieth a sequel of Gods judgment upon them namely that they should not be amended by any of these punishments or brought to mediation of what will come after to consider of these judgments as they ought to their own salvation but that they should be therein more and more blinded and hardened and regard it then more sooner and then when it should be too late when the last plagues should be powered upon them and they should be cast into everlasting destruction as Paul hereof yet speaketh 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 11 ,112 see also hereafter chapter 6.9,11.]