Chapter 15 shows you what’s going on in heaven right before the last plagues of the Tribulation.  Seven angels have these plagues and when each plague comes, it comes with the wrath of God contained in vials that angels begin pouring out in Chapter 16.  John records what he sees just prior to the angels coming out of the tabernacle in heaven and what follows after they appear.

v.1 – the sign of these angels with the seven last plagues is marvelous – “so extraordinary as to be improbable, incredible, or miraculous”

These are the last plagues – so the Lord is going to return to the earth right after these plagues are finished – just like the Jews left Egypt after the last 2 plagues of darkness and the death of the firstborn males

Filled up the wrath of God – this is an indication of two things – one, these plagues are going to be worse than the other plagues before them – two, when these plagues are through, God will have poured out his entire remaining wrath

v.2 – sea of glass – matches Revelation 4:6 – so this scene takes place before the throne of God – however, this time the sea of glass appears to be mingled with fire – notice several things about why the crystal sea would appear to be mingled with fire – when Ezekiel sees the throne of God in Ezekiel 1, he sees fire in three things associated with the throne – it’s in the cloud [Ezekiel 1:4], it’s the appearance of the beasts [Ezekiel 1:13], and it’s the appearance of the Lord [Ezekiel 1:26-27] – furthermore, Revelation 4:5 describes the seven Spirits of God before the throne as seven lamps – and then add to this that when the Lord’s wrath appears, it appears as fire [Ezekiel 38:19; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8]

Them that had gotten the victory – these are the Tribulation saints that have been raptured [Revelation 7:9-14] – they had to lose their lives to have the victory [Revelation 12:11; 6:9-11] – but if they had attempted to save their lives they would have been lost [Mark 8:35]

They got the victory over:

• The beast – Revelation 13:4, 12 – they refused to worship the beast
• His image – Revelation 13:15 – they refused to worship his image
• His mark – Revelation 13:16 – they refused to take the mark
• The number of his name – Revelation 13:17-18 – they had wisdom to count his number [so by his number they knew who he was while the rest of the world was deceived]

Stand on the sea of glass – so they are standing in heaven before the throne

Having the harps of God – so they are like the elders in Revelation 5:8 and the harpers in Revelation 14:2

v.3 – they sing two songs – the song of Moses [Exodus 15, Deuteronomy 32] because they kept the commandments of God [Revelation 14:12] – and the song of the Lamb because they had the faith of Jesus [Revelation 14:12]

Lord God Almighty – a reference to Jesus Christ, the Lamb, confirming his deity

Just [Acts 3:14] and True [Revelation 19:11] – King of saints [1 Timothy 6:15]

v.4 – Who shall not fear thee and glorify thy name? The answer is “no one.”  For the Lord is the only one to be feared and the only name worthy of glory [Philippians 2:9-11] – he is the only one holy

All nations shall come and worship before thee – Zechariah 14:16-17

Thy judgments are made manifest – Ex 6:6 the Lord’s judgments were manifest when he got the children of Israel out of Egypt and they will be manifest again in the Tribulation when he pours out his wrath [Revelation 16:4-7; 19:1-2]

v.5 – John saw the Temple in heaven open

v.6 – the seven angels came out of the Temple – they were clothed in pure white linen with golden girdles [dressed similar to the Lord Revelation 1:13] – they had the seven plagues

v.7 – one of the beasts gave the seven angels seven vials full of the wrath of God

v.8 – and the Temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God – like Exodus 40:34-35 and 1 Kings 8:10-11 – and the Lord’s glory and power prevented anyone from entering the Temple until the seven plagues were fulfilled