Revelation 15

2 a sea of glass. See iv. 6, and note. “Repose mingled with struggle. It is peace and rest and achievement, with the power of trial and suffering yet alive and working within it. It is calmness still pervaded by the discipline through which it has been reached” (Phillips Brooks).

mingled with fire. “The red glow on the sea spoke of the fire through which the martyrs passed, and yet more of the wrath about to fall upon the world which had condemned them” (Swele).

3 the song of Moses, etc. A song of triumph celebrated the deliverance by Moses (Exod. xv. 1-21); a new song connected with this the greater salvation by the Lamb.

King of saints. The best MSS. have, “King of the ages” (as in Jer. x. 7).

4 all nations shall come, etc. This is the anticipated result of God’s judgement: cp. Psa. lxxxvi. 9; Isa. xxvi. 9.

5 the temple. See note on xi. 1.

the tabernacle of the testimony. The sanctuary. “The tabernacle of testimony” is the Septuagint version of the Hebrew phrase “the tabernacle of the congregation” (“tent of meeting,” R.V.): cp. Numb. xiv. 10.

6 clothed in pure and white linen, etc. The dress of priests: cp. Exod. xxviii. 27-29, 39, 40; Lev. xvi. 4; Dan. x. 5. But see var. read.

7 vials. Rather, “bowls” or vessels; such as were used in the services of the Jewish temple: see 2 Chron. iv. 8.

8 filled with smoke. Cp. Exod. xl. 34; Psa. xviii. 8; Isa. vi. 4; Heb. xii. 29. This imagery may denote not only the presence of God in unapproachable majesty, but also the exclusion of intercession; “no man was able to enter the temple,” etc.

1 a great voice out of the temple. Where God dwells: see xv. 8. “Vials”: R.V., “bowls.” See xv. 7, note.

2 upon (into) the earth. Rather, “into the land”; in distinction from the sea (3). There is an obvious similarity between the first four visions of this series and the first four of the preceding: in both, the land, the sea, the rivers, and the sun are presented in the same order. The plagues are, however, more extensive and more dreadful than those under the first four trumpets (cp. vers. 3, 4, 8, with viii. 8-12). They again resemble the plagues of Egypt (cp. Exod. ix. 8-11; vii. 20, 21; x. 22; ix. 18-29); and, like them, they manifest the power and the justice of God, but fail to subdue the impenitence of men.

the mark of the beast. See xiii. 16.

7. I heard another out of the altar. The best authorities omit “another out of.” It is the altar itself that utters its Amen to the “true and righteous judgements” of the Almighty.

8 upon the sun. Cp. viii. 12; where the visitation is partial darkness: here it is scorching heat, occasioning blasphemous rage, yet not bringing men to repentance.

10 seat. Rather, “throne,” or seat of empire, as in xiii. 2.

12 the great river Euphrates. See note on ix. 14. The ministers of God’s wrath had often issued from the region of the Euphrates in ancient times. This figure seems to have reference to the fall of ancient Babylon; when Cyrus, at that time one of “the kings of the East,” laid dry the bed of the Euphrates, and so obtained an entrance into the city. This drying up of the Euphrates, therefore, would seem to indicate the removal of some impediment in the way of the executioners of Divine judgement upon the spiritual Babylon.

13 frogs. Unclean creatures. Symbols of impurity.

the false prophet. “The false prophet,” who is named here as if known already, is probably the same as the second beast mentioned in xiii. 11-15.

14 devils. Or, “demons”: cp. ix. 20.

miracles. Or, “signs”: like those anciently wrought by the Egyptian magicians.

15. Behold, I come as a thief. See Matt. xxiv. 41-44, and note.

and keepeth his garments. His “loins must be girded about” as well as his “lamps burning.” See Luke xii. 35. “Think not of this as of some great battle in which you are yourself unconcerned; you are yourself, O reader, now in the midst of that conflict of which you read” (Isaac Williams).

16 he. This should probably be rendered “they”; i.e., the spirits mentioned in ver. 14.

Armageddon. Har-Magedon, R.V. (the mount of Megiddo), is supposed to denote the high ground on which Megiddo stood; adjoining “the great plain of Esdraelon,” or Jezreel; which has been the scene of many bloody battles, both in ancient times (see note on 1 Sam. xxviii. 4) and subsequently in the times of the Crusades and of Napoleon; so that it has been called “the battlefield of Palestine” (see Stanley’s Sinai and Palestine, pp. 329-340). The great battle and its issue appear to be described in ch. xx.

18 such as was not, etc. See note on vi. 12; the greatest commotion that the earth has witnessed since the creation.

19. And the great city, etc. This scene of ruin is minutely described in ch. xviii.

divided into three parts. By the earthquake which swallowed the city.

20 every island fled away. Cp. vi. 14, where there are similar images of terrific commotions.

21 a great hall. Cp. xi. 19; and see Exod. ix. 18-29. The Jewish talent was more than a

hundredweight. The futile “blasphemy” occasioned by the hail appears to be parallel to the anger of the nations (xi. 18). No earthly power can afford protection against the Divine judgements.