Matthew Poole and continuators on Revelation 15

1 AND I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous , seven angels having the seven last plagues , for in them is filled up the wrath of God .

That is, a Representation which appeared to Iohn great and wonderful.

Ministers of God, used by him in the Dispensations of his Providence,

having a Commission to execute the seven last Judgments of God, by which he designed to destroy Antichrist,

For by them the Wrath of God was to be executed upon him to the uttermost.

2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass e mingled with fire f, 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, standing on the sea of glass , having the harps of God .

for it is mentioned as the place of the glorified Saints, who had overcome all Temptations to Idolatry, either from Pagans (which were the best) or from Antichrist and his Party (which are called the Image of the Beast) and had avoided all kind of Compliance with them in Profession of the Religion which he would endeavour to impose upon them.

Harps of God signifie either the most excellent Harps, or holy Harps. Mr. Forbes saith well, they signifie Hearts tempered with Joy, and Love, and a grateful Sense of the Mercies of God towards them.

Marginal references: Chap. 5.8. & 14.2.

3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God , and the song of the Lamb, saying , Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty ; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints .

The Song which Moses sang upon God's Delivery of the Israelites from the Danger of Pharaoh, which we have, Exod. 15.1, &c. not that they sang those words, but to the same sense.

A Song to the Honour of Christ, to the same sense that Moses sang, and upon a much like occasion.

Admiring the greatness and marvellousness of what God had done in their Deliverance, and giving him the Glory of his Almighty Power,

acknowledging, that all the Acts of his Providence were both just (God, in them, giving to every one their due) and true, God by them but justifying his Promises and Threatnings. These words are taken out of Psalm 145.17.

Marginal references: Psal. 111.2 & 139.14. Chap. 16.7.

4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorifie thy name? for thou only art holy : for all nations shall come and worship before thee ; for thy judgments are made manifest .

Acknowledging, that for this God deserved to be worshipped and served by all the World;

declaring their Faith and Hope that now all Nations should own and acknowledge Christ, and be subject unto him.

Now that his Judgments upon Antichrist, and his Justice in all his Dispensations, was made so evident to the World.

because of his Holiness much seen in the Justice and Truth of his ways;

Marginal references: Jer. 10.7.; Isa. 66.23.

5 And after that I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened :

Here is a plain Allusion to the Jewish Tabernacle or Temple, in which was the holy Place, and the Holy of Holies; into the latter the High-Priest only entred. There were kept in the Ark the two Tables of God's Law, often called the Testimonies of God. From this Tabernacle of Testimony proceeded God's Oracles; there God gave Answers from the Mercy-seat, and therefore in the Book of Kings it is called the Oracle. The Sense some put upon this, is, That God here shewed unto his Prophet the Liberty that should be, after the down-fall of Antichrist, to preach the Gospel. But in this sense it must be an Anticipation of what orderly should have come in after the pouring out of the Vials: I had rather understand it of God's being now about to give out an Answer to his Peoples Prayers for a Deliverance from the Tyranny of Antichrist; as the place called the Oracle in the Jewish Temple was opened when the High-Priest had been inquiring of God, to give an account of the Answer he had.

Marginal references: Chap. 11.19. Num. 1.50.

6 And the seven angels came out of the temple , having the seven plagues , cloathed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles .

The seven Ministers of Gods Vengeance on Antichrist, to whom the Vials were given.

That is, out of the Tabernacle of the Testimony; for in Moses his Tabernacle there was only this inward Court for the Priests, (the People worshipped without) They came (as the High-Priest was wont) out of the Oracle to bring God's Answer to all his Saints Prayers.

The Answer was seven Plagues, that is, that God had imployed them to bring seven Plagues successively upon the Antichristian Party, and all the Enemies of his Church, till by them they should be consumed.

These Angels came in the Habit of High-Priests, when they went in to inquire of God, or came out with an Answer from God.

Marginal references: Chap. 1.13.

7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels , seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever .

One of those four Beasts round about the Throne, ch. 4.6.

The seven Angels mentioned, v. 6.

A Vial is a plain Pot or Glass with a wide Mouth, used to drink in; these were full of the Wrath of God who liveth for ever. The meaning is no more than that the seven Angels before-mentioned, were commissionated from God, by one Plague after [illegible: 2 letters]other, to bring Antichrist to his ruine.

8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power , and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled .

That is, the Church (as Temple most ordinarily signifieth in this Book.)

By Smoke, doubtless, is meant Confusions and Troubles,

caused by God's glorious Manifestation of his Power, in bringing Antichrist to ruine, who had so twisted his Interest with that of the Civil Magistracy in several Kingdoms, that there was no rooting him out, without a terrible shaking of all those parts of the Earth where he set his Foot,

so as no part of the Church could be at Rest until God had fulfilled his Ruine by these Plagues: nor must any quiet state of the Church be expected, until this great Work be effected:

Marginal references: Exod. 40.34. 1 King. 8.10. Isa. 6.4.