THE JUDGMENT OF THE WORLD DESCRIBED

The Description of Judgment on the World  

15:1-4

"And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest."

The Sign in Heaven vs. 1

"And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God."

• Seven angels
• Seven last plagues
• Wrath of God is finished with these

Wrath is come in 6:17 and is finished in 15:1.

"For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"

The Sea of Glass vs. 2; cf. 1 Kings 7:23

"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God."

"And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about."

• The sea is now mingled with fire, indicating judgment. The symbolism is like the Red Sea. cf. Rev. 4:6.

"And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind."

• The sea is covered with a victorious company. Those who have gotten the victory over the beast, image, mark, numbers of his name. This is also like at the Red Sea.
• Harps are in the hands of this victorious company. Thus they rejoice.

The Song of Moses vs. 3-4

"And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest."

 

Cf. Deut. 32:1-43 (31:30; 32:44). As the Israelites sang at the Red Sea, so this victorious company sings.

• This is the song of Moses and the Lamb. Ex. 15, also Deut. 32. cf. Rev. 5:9-14.
• This song acknowledges the greatness of God's works and the justness and truth of God's ways, O King of Ages.
• The song acknowledges the holiness of the Lord and his right to be feared and glorified.
• The song predicts that all nations will worship him because his righteous acts have been mani­fested (RV).