@Re 15:1-8. THE LAST SEVEN VIALS OF PLAGUES: SONG OF THE VICTORS OVER THE BEAST.
1. the seven last plagues--Greek, "seven plagues which are the
last."
is filled up--literally, "was finished," or "consummated": the
prophetical past for the future, the future being to God as though it
were past, so sure of accomplishment is His word. This verse is the
summary of the vision that follows: the angels do not actually receive
the vials till @Re 15:7; but here, in @Re 15:1, by anticipation
they are spoken of as having them. There are no more plagues after
these until the Lord's coming in judgment. The destruction of Babylon
(@Re 18:2) is the last: then in @Re 19:11-16
He appears.
2. sea of glass--Answering to the molten sea or great brazen laver
before the mercy seat of the earthly temple, for the purification of the
priests; typifying the baptism of water and the Spirit of all who are
made kings and priests unto God.
mingled with fire--answering to the baptism on earth
with fire, that is, fiery trial, as well as with the
Holy Ghost, which Christ's
people undergo to purify them, as gold is purified of its dross in the
furnace.
them that had gotten the victory over--Greek, "those (coming) off
from (the conflict with) the beast-conquerors."
over the number of his name--A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, and
Coptic omit the words in English Version, "over his mark."
The mark, in fact, is the number of his name which the faithful
refused to receive, and so were victorious over it.
stand on the sea of glass--ALFORD and
DE
BURGH explain "on (the
shore of) the sea": at the sea. So the preposition, Greek,
"epi," with the accusative case, is used for at,
@Re 3:20.
It has a pregnant sense: "standing" implies rest, Greek "epi"
with the accusative case implies motion "towards." Thus the meaning is,
Having come TO
the sea, and now standing
AT it. In @Mt 14:26,
where Christ walks on the sea, the Greek oldest manuscripts have
the genitive, not the accusative as here. Allusion is made to the
Israelites standing on the shore at the Red Sea, after having passed
victoriously through it, and after the Lord had destroyed the Egyptian
foe (type of Antichrist) in it. Moses and the Israelites' song of
triumph (@Ex 15:1) has its antitype in the saints' "song of Moses
and the Lamb" (@Re 15:3). Still English Version is consistent
with good Greek, and the sense will then be: As the sea typifies the
troubled state out of which the beast arose, and which is to be no more
in the blessed world to come (@Re 21:1), so the victorious saints
stand on it, having it under their feet (as the woman had the
moon, see on Re 12:1); but it is now no longer treacherous
wherein the feet sink, but solid like glass, as it was under the feet of
Christ, whose triumph and power the saints now share. Firmness of
footing amidst apparent instability is thus represented. They can stand,
not merely as victorious Israel at the Red Sea, and as John
upon the sand of the shore, but upon the sea
itself, now firm, and
reflecting their glory as glass, their past conflict shedding the
brighter luster on their present triumph. Their happiness is heightened
by the retrospect of the dangers through which they have passed. Thus
this corresponds to @Re 7:14,15.
harps of God--in the hands of these heavenly virgins, infinitely
surpassing the timbrels of Miriam and the Israelitesses.
3. song of Moses . . . and . . . the Lamb--The New Testament song of
the Lamb (that is, the song which the Lamb shall lead, as being "the
Captain of our salvation," just as Moses was leader of the Israelites,
the song in which those who conquer through Him [@Ro 8:37] shall
join, @Re 12:11) is the antitype to the triumphant Old Testament
song of Moses and the Israelites at the Red Sea (@Ex 15:1-21). The
Churches of the Old and New Testament are essentially one in their
conflicts and triumphs. The two appear joined in this phrase, as they
are in the twenty-four elders. Similarly, @Isa 12:1-6 foretells the
song of the redeemed (Israel foremost) after the second antitypical
exodus and deliverance at the Egyptian Sea. The passage through the
Red Sea under the pillar of cloud was Israel's baptism, to which the
believer's baptism in trials corresponds. The elect after their trials
(especially those arising from the beast) shall be taken up before the
vials of wrath be poured on the beast and his kingdom. So Noah and his
family were taken out of the doomed world before the deluge; Lot was
taken out of Sodom before its destruction; the Christians escaped by a
special interposition of Providence to Pella before the destruction of
Jerusalem. As the pillar of cloud and fire interposed between
Israel and the Egyptian foe, so that Israel was safely landed on the
opposite shore before the Egyptians were destroyed; so the Lord, coming
with clouds and in flaming fire, shall first catch up His elect
people "in the clouds to meet Him in the air," and then shall with fire
destroy the enemy. The Lamb leads the song in honor of the Father amidst
the great congregation. This is the "new song" mentioned in @Re 14:3.
The singing victors are the 144,000 of Israel, "the first-fruits," and
the general "harvest" of the Gentiles.
servant of God--(@Ex 14:31 Nu 12:7 Jos 22:5). The Lamb is more:
He is the SON.
Great and marvellous are thy works, &c.--part of Moses' last
song (@De 32:3,4). The vindication of the justice of God that so He
may be glorified is the grand end of God's dealings. Hence His servants
again and again dwell upon this in their praises
(@Re 16:7 19:2 Pr 16:4 Jer 10:10 Da 4:37). Especially at the judgment
(@Ps 50:1-6 145:17).
saints--There is no manuscript authority for this. A, B,
Coptic, and CYPRIAN read, "of the NATIONS." C reads
"of the ages," and so
Vulgate and Syriac. The point at issue in the Lord's controversy
with the earth is, whether He, or Satan's minion, the beast, is "the
King of the nations"; here at the eve of the judgments descending on the
kingdom of the beast, the transfigured saints hail Him as "the King of
the nations" (@Eze 21:27).
4. Who shall not--Greek, "Who is there but must fear Thee?"
Compare Moses' song, @Ex 15:14-16, on the fear which God's judgments
strike into the foe.
thee--so Syriac. But A, B, C, Vulgate, and
CYPRIAN reject "thee."
all nations shall come--alluding to @Ps 22:27-31; compare
@Isa 66:23 Jer 16:19. The conversion of all nations, therefore,
shall be when Christ shall come, and not till then; and the first
moving. cause will be Christ's manifested judgments preparing all
hearts for receiving Christ's mercy. He shall effect by His presence
what we have in vain tried to effect in His absence. The present
preaching of the Gospel is gathering out the elect remnant; meanwhile
"the mystery of iniquity" is at work, and will at last come to its
crisis; then shall judgment descend on the apostates at the
harvest-end of this age (Greek, @Mt 13:39,40) when the tares
shall be cleared out of the earth, which thenceforward becomes Messiah's
kingdom. The confederacy of 'the apostates against Christ becomes, when
overthrown with fearful judgments, the very means in God's overruling
providence of preparing the nations not joined in the Antichristian
league to submit themselves to Him.
judgments--Greek, "righteousnesses."
are--literally, "were": the prophetical past for the immediate future.
5. So @Re 11:19; compare @Re 16:17. "The tabernacle of the
testimony" appropriately here comes to view, where God's faithfulness in
avenging His people with judgments on their foes is about to be set
forth. We need to get a glimpse within the Holy place to "understand"
the secret spring and the end of God's righteous dealings.
behold--omitted by A, B, C, Syriac, and
ANDREAS. It is supported
only by Vulgate, Coptic, and
PRIMASIUS, but no manuscript.
6. having--So B reads. But A and C, read "who have": not that they
had them yet (compare @Re 15:7), but they are by anticipation
described according to their office.
linen--So B reads. But A, C, and Vulgate, "a stone." On the
principle that the harder reading is the one least likely to be an
interpolation, we should read, "a stone pure ('and' is omitted in A, B,
C, and ANDREAS), brilliant"
(so the Greek): probably the diamond.
With English Version, compare @Ac 1:10 10:30.
golden girdles--resembling the Lord in this respect
(@Re 1:13).
7. one of the four beasts--Greek, "living creatures." The
presentation of the vials to the angels by one of the living creatures
implies the ministry of the Church as the medium for manifesting to
angels the glories of redemption (@Eph 3:10).
vials--"bowls"; a broad shallow cup or bowl. The breadth of the vials
in their upper part would tend to cause their contents to pour out
all at once, implying the overwhelming suddenness of the woes.
full of . . . wrath--How sweetly do the vials full
of odors, that is, the incense-perfumed prayers of the saints,
contrast with these!
8. temple . . . filled--(@Isa 6:4); compare @Ex 40:34 2Ch 5:14,
as to the earthly temple, of which this is the antitype.
the glory of God and . . . power--then fully manifested.
no man was able to enter . . . the temple--because of God's presence
in His manifested glory and power during the execution of these
judgments.