The Seven Angels of the Bowls
The crisis of the book is drawing near. The enemies of Christ and His Church—Satan, the empire, and the Provincial Government—have been shown in their power and cruelty. In Revelation 14 these were left standing in their might, while the blessed safety of the people of God was pictured. In this chapter is described the approach of the judgments which are about to fall on the empire and on the heathen world.
1-4. Seven angels appear, they to whom are committed the 'plagues,' i.e. scourging punishments, 'which are the last' (RV), because in them the temporal judgments of God are fully carried out (RV 'finished'). But yet once more there is a pause, as if the safety of God's people in the midst of all this sin and judgment could not be insisted on sufficiently, and a vision is granted of the blessedness of those who by faithfulness even unto death have conquered the beast. They stand by the 'glassy sea' (RV), i.e. the firmament (see on Revelation 4:6), having harps of God, i.e. harps such as are suited to the heavenly worship of God (Revelation 15:2). They sing 'the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb,' i.e. a song called out by the deliverance wrought by Christ, as the song of Exodus 15 was called out by the deliverance from Egypt—a song in praise of God who from the time of Moses to the time of Christ has never forgotten His oppressed people (Revelation 15:3.).