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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Rev_15:1-3 a
1Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished. 2And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. 3And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
Rev_15:1 "in heaven" This is the third in a series of signs John saw in heaven. See Special Topic at Rev_12:1.
▣ "great and marvelous" This phrase occurs only here and points toward the OT allusion in Rev_15:3, which may come from one of several places (i.e., Deu_32:3-4; Psa_111:2; Psa_139:14; or Hos_14:9).
Rev_15:3-4 make up one long composite OT allusion from several possible places.
▣ "the wrath of God" See full note at Rev_7:14.
▣ "is finished" This is an aorist passive indicative of teleô to finish or fulfill. The bowls are a complete and final judgment on incalcitrant unbelief! There is no more hope of repentance and faith, only judgment and isolation!
It is theologically possible that the sequence of the seals, trumpets, and bowls was a way of showing God's hope of human repentance, but in the end, His total judgment, removal, and isolation of evil is justified! Hell is the only option left.
Rev_15:2 "I saw something like a sea of glass" This is first mentioned in Rev_4:6. Because of its use in Rev_21:1, it seems to be a metaphor for God's holiness, which kept sinful mankind from approaching Him (i.e., possibly a metaphor for the waters of heaven). One day this barrier will be removed. The OT allusion is to either Exo_24:10 or Eze_1:22; Eze_10:1. See full note at Rev_4:6.
▣ "mixed with fire" This is a new element not found in Rev_4:6. There have been numerous theories.
1. it is the reflected setting sun on human history
2. it represents fire which stands for God's judgment
3. it is the blood of the martyrs
4. it is connected to the victory at the Red Sea and the Song of Moses since the OT background of chapters 15 and 16 is the plagues of the Exodus (cf. Exodus 7-12; Exodus 15)
NASB "those who had been victorious"
NKJV "those who have the victory"
NRSV "those who had conquered"
TEV "those who had won the victory"
NJB "those who had fought against"
At first this seems to refer to the martyrs, but Rev_12:11 shows that it must apply to those who have experienced natural deaths but who have not worshiped the beast (cf. Rev_20:4).
NASB "from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name"
NKJV "over the beast, over his image and over his mark"
NRSV "the beast and its image and the number of its name"
TEV "over the beast and its image and over the ones whose name is represented by a number"
NJB "the beast and man, and against his statue and the number which is his name"
The beast is first mentioned in Rev_11:7. From chapter 13 it is obvious that there are two wild beasts; one is the incarnation of Satan (i.e., a parody of Christ) and the other is his false prophet (i.e., a parody of the Spirit). From Rev_13:18 we know that his number is 666, which is not so much a number of a person as it is of the fallenness and inadequacy of human society (i.e., government) apart from God.
▣ "standing on the sea of glass" Some translations have "on" (NASB, NKJV), and some have "beside" (NRSV) or "by" (TEV, NJB). The Greek preposition's basic meaning is "upon." This metaphor speaks of those overcomers being close to God. The "sea" in Revelation stands for a separation between a holy God and sinful creation. This sea is completely removed in Rev_21:1 when full fellowship is restored (i.e., the fellowship of the Garden of Eden is restored).
For interpretive options on the meaning of "the sea of glass" see note at Rev_4:6.
▣ "holding harps of God" Angels are described as having harps in Rev_5:8; Rev_14:2. In this context it refers to believers who are synonymous with the 144,000 of chapter 14. As the angels worshiped with music before the God in heaven, now too, the victorious believers!
Rev_15:3 "And they sang the song of Moses. . .and the song of the Lamb" This shows the unity of the old covenant and the new covenant in this song of redemption. The song of Moses is an allusion to Exo_15:1-19, where Moses thanks God for the defeat of Pharaoh at the Red Sea. However, it is possible that John had Deuteronomy 32 in mind because the first phrase may be an allusion to Deu_32:3-4. The song of the Lamb has previously been noted in Rev_5:9; Rev_14:3. Notice that it is a song of corporate, not individual, salvation (cf. Gen_3:15).
▣ "the bond-servant of God" This is an honorific title for OT characters like Moses, Joshua, and David. It may be the origin of Paul's "servant of Christ."