Revelation 15 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Rev 15:1-4

1 I saw in heaven another great and marvellous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues – last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb:

‘Great and marvellous are your deeds,
    Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
    King of the nations.
4 Who will not fear you, Lord,
    and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
    and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.’

A. Find Out:

1. How are the seven plagues described? v.1
2. Who stood beside the sea of glass? v.2
3. What were they doing? v.2c,3a
4. How did they describe the deeds and ways of God? v.3
5. What should be the response to God? v.4a
6. Why? What will happen? v.4b

B. Think:

1. Why do you think the angels are described as a “sign”?
2. How is this clearly seen to follow what happened in chapter 13?
3. What effect do you think this passage should have on us?

C. Comment:

     The angels are described as “another great and marvellous SIGN”. This is the third and final reference to a sign in Revelation (also 12:1,3 – woman and dragon). A sign is a significant or momentous event leading to a fuller revelation of God’s purposes. This sign points to the end which is drawing near, these are the final and last judgements of God upon the earth.

     Yet before we are given a full view of this sign (being fully revealed in chapter 16) we get yet another heavenly glimpse. It seems that again and again in revelation we are shown something of heaven, as if to help us realise there is another dimension which almost presides over the earthly dimension, that we need to see to get a complete picture of what is going on. Without it we are very limited. 

     Here we are shown those who did not loose their faith because of the two beasts and their systems. The beast may seem to prevail over the earth, but those he prevails over simply leave that dimension and transfer to the heavenly one! There they see fully and declare the truth; there is no sense of upset in them over what they have been through, to the contrary they praise God for His justice and His ways.

D. Application:

1. Do we maintain a heavenly as well as an earthly perspective over our lives, to ensure we hold a right attitude?
2. When we see it all we will not be able to criticize God for anything!

Passage: Rev 15:5-8

5 After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple – that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law – and it was opened. 6 Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes round their chests. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. 8 And 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.

A. Find Out:    

1. What was opened? v.5
2. Who came out and how were they dressed? v.6
3. Who handed them what? v.7
4. What then happened in the temple? v.8

B. Think:

1. Why do you think there is clear reference made here to a temple in  heaven, from which the seven angels came?
2. What do you think is the significance of the temple being filled with smoke until after the seven plagues are finished?

C. Comment:

     Sometimes the vision of heaven reveals a throne where God is seen as ruler and judge, but now the present vision is of a tent in heaven which instinctively reminds us of the Tabernacle of old where the presence of God came and dwelt with men. The emphasis there was on the holiness or separateness of God, whose presence dwelt in the innermost part of the Tabernacle. These angels therefore come from the most holy place from the presence of Holy God. They come almost dressed as priests but instead of bringing man to God their role is to take the holiness of God to the people, and where His holiness touches sin it destroys it.

     When the angels have received their bowls of judgement and depart, the smoke or cloud of the glory of God fills the place so that no-one can enter (see also Exodus 40:34,35 & 1 Kings 8:10,11). In the Old Testament the glory filling the Tabernacle and the Temple was a sign of God’s acceptance of the two structures. Here it is more an indication of God’s inaccessibility, as if to say that no one can see God until these things are over, partly as a sign that God is not out rejoicing over what has to happen to the earth, and partly as a sign that He cannot be seen or be persuaded to change this course of events.

D. Application:

1. God is holy!
2. The only reason His holiness does not destroy us today is that His mercy has been extended through the Cross.