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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Revelation 15:5 - 15:8
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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Rev_15:5-8
5After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, 6and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. 7Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.
Rev_15:5 "the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened" In Rev_4:1 a door in heaven was opened for John; in Rev_11:19 the Ark of the Covenant appeared in the temple for believers to see. Now the entire heavenly tabernacle appears (cf. Exo_25:9; Exo_25:40; Exo_38:21; Num_10:11; Num_17:7; Act_7:44). This OT allusion is developed in Heb_8:5; Heb_9:23. This literary unit uses the Exodus and the Wilderness Wanderings Period as an OT backdrop. This symbolizes the second and ultimate exodus from bondage (bondage to sin).
Rev_15:6 "clothed in linen, clean and bright" These seven angelic beings come from the very innermost part of heaven's temple, which shows their authority because they come from the very presence of God. In rabbinical Judaism there are seven powerful angels surrounding the throne of God, called "the angels of the presence."
Their dress is described as (1) "linen" (linon or linoun [P47]) which was worn by priests in Exo_28:4 (UBS4, "B" rating) or (2) the ASV translates this as "precious stone" (lithon) which follows the Greek uncial manuscripts A and C, and may be an allusion to Eze_28:13 as an angelic clothing of the Garden of Eden.
If the two basic presuppositions of textual criticism (see Appendix): (1) the most difficult reading is probably original and (2) the reading that best explains the variants is probably original, then "stone" is the probable choice.
▣ "and girded around their chests with golden sashes" This is very similar to the angel found in Dan_10:5 or to Christ Himself in Rev_1:18. These are obviously very powerful angels representing God or Christ.
Rev_15:7 "seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God" These shallow golden bowls are mentioned in Rev_5:8, where they contain the prayers of the saints. There is a connection throughout Revelation to the prayers of His persecuted children and the wrath of God on unbelievers (see note at Rev_7:14).
▣ "who lives forever and ever" This is an oath based on the root meaning of the term YHWH (cf. Exo_3:14). YHWH is the only living One; all else derives life from Him. See Special Topic: Names For Deity at Rev_1:8.
For "forever and ever" see Special Topics at Rev_1:6.
Rev_15:8 "And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God" This was a common OT description of the presence of God (cf. Exo_19:18; Exo_40:34; 1Ki_8:10-11; 2Ch_5:13-14; Isa_6:4). This is an allusion to the Shekinah cloud of glory which represented God's presence to Israel during the Exodus. But because of the contextual connection with the bowls, it may refer to the abundance of incense representing the prayers of God's children for justice.
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▣ "no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished" This possibly means that there was no stopping God's wrath once it had begun. This wrath is difficult to correlate theologically with Rev_16:9; Rev_16:11, which implies that redemption is still the goal, even in the bowls it is still the hope and intent that fallen mankind, made in God's image, will repent and return to Him!
Revelation 16