Jeanie C. Crain http://crain.english.missouriwestern.edu
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Jeanie C. Crain http://crain.english.missouriwestern.edu
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Revelation 15–22. Seven bowls of God’s final wrath With only eight verses, chapter fifteen is clearly an introduction to the pouring out of seven plagues upon the earth. John sees another vision of things to come: "The I saw another portent in heaven, great and amazing: seven angels with seven plagues which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is ended" (1). The reader should note John's structure: these are the "last." The victorious martyrs in heaven are now seen "standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands" (2). Notably, they are singing both "the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb" (2). The song they sing emphasizes God's universal outreach to humankind: "Great and amazing are your deeds, Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, King of the nations! Lord, who will not fear and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your judgments have been revealed" (3, 4). After this, the tend of witness in heaven is opened out of which come the seven angels with their seven bowls full of the wrath of God (7). Chapter fifteen ends with everyone being prevented from entering the temple of God until the seven plagues have ended (8). Chapter fifteen is certainly brief; nonetheless, like every verse and chapter in the apocalypse, it is rich in meaning, especially through allusion. Of course, one notes that the pattern for completeness continues in the use of seven angels, seven bowls, seven plagues. Careful attention to the separation between God and humankind is revealed in the redeemed, who have overcome the beast and its image, now depicted as standing beside the sea of glass (2). The sea appears to be mixed with fire. The reader will recall that in John's first vision into heaven through an open door, he has seen "something like a sea of glass like crystal" in front of the throne; John, of course, only seeing into heaven, is separated from God, creature from Creator. The reader recalls, too, that the twenty-four elders surround the throne, from which emanate rumblings and peals of thunder. On each side of the throne are the four living creatures (chapter four). In chapter five, the readers learns the throne is also surrounded by angels, myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands singing (11). Farther, joining in the singing is every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all of them (13). This certainly has to be a vision of final victory. In chapter six, the souls of the martyred are revealed as being under the altar (9); they are given white robes and told to rest a little longer in response to their question concerning how long it would be before justice reigned (10, 11). In seven, an angel arises from the sun and ascends into heaven with a plea not to damage the earth until the the servants have been marked (3). The sealing is completed and John sees " a great multitude no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white" (9). This is certainly a fast forward through events on earth into the end of time. The reader notes this multitude stands before the throne, thus joining the four living creatures, elders, and angels. Chapter eight returns to earthly scenes and devastating judgment upon the inhabitants of the earth. This continues, and it affects particularly those who have not been sealed (9.4). In chapter eleven, the temple is measured to determine who is to be preserved. After this, the kingdom of heaven is opened (11.19), an event yet future to the portents or visions of the woman, child, and dragon, and of the two beasts. Chapter fourteen places the Lamb, who has been in heaven, upon Mount Zion, the meeting place of earth and heaven. An angel "flies in midheaven, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation and tribe and language and people" (6). The gospel is "Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come; and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water" (7). The battle for the souls of humankind rages on, with the fall of Babylon only being announced (8). The call for endurance, just as to the seven churches, resounds (14.12). Interestingly, the Lamb of 14.1 on Zion is pictured as one like Son of Man "with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand" (14). Just as in 7.7 the sacrificial Lamb has become the Shepherd, here the Sacrificial Lamb and Son of Man come together. Harvesting begins. That which has separated God's throne from humankind now reflects the fire of judgment. That movement is both from heaven (the Son of Man harvesting) and to heaven (judgment of the great and small-20) only after earth and heaven have fled, leaving only the great white throne and the one who sat on it, is attested by John's seeing a new heaven and earth, "and no more sea" (21.1). At this point, in the New Jerusalem, one finds the throne of God and of the Lab, "nothing accursed" (3) and God's servants with His name upon their foreheads (4); now, God's servants see His face and live eternally. Of particular note is verse three of this chapter, where John makes it quite clear that those who have overcome will sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. While this could simply mean victory, the emphasis upon multitudes and universal outreach suggests John means what he says here: that what began with Moses is completed with Christ, that faithful Hebrews (Jews) and Christians are one people. F.F. Bruce in The International Bible Commentary notes that "the song of verses 3f. is a cento of passages from various places in OT" and lists these: "Great and Marvelous are your deeds" (Pss. 104.24; 111:2; 139.14) "Lord God Almighty" (4.8, Isa. 6.3) "Just and true are your ways" (Ps. 145.17) "King of the ages" (Jer. 10.10) "You alone are holy" (Ps. 86.10; 99.3, 5, 9) "All nations will come and worship (Ps. 86.9) In verse five, John says he sees "the temple of witness in heaven" opened. Throughout Revelation, the reader has become accustomed to interventions and resumptions in the unfolding and fulfilling of God's purpose. Other allusions also occur: the seven bowls of wrath evoke memory of the golden bowls containing the prayers of saints (5.8). The smoke filling the temple of God recalls the divine shekinah in Exodus 40.34 following (Bruce). Chapter fifteen concludes the beginning of reaping with the reminder that judgment has arrived and that no one can now enter into the temple until the seven plagues have run their course. Throughout, Revelation has been consistent with the Old Testament experience that God's judgment can be long deferred yet be swift and terrible in its moment. With emphasis upon swift and terrible then, the reader moves into the execution of the seven wraths. |
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