XXXVI THE ANGELS OF THE LAST PLAGUES THE GLASSY SEA THE SONG OF MOSES AND THE LAMB THE GREAT GLORY OF GOD XV 1-8 This is the last vision of the seven trumpets, and the first of the seven last plagues: for as, in the rhythmical structure of the book, the seventh seal opens into the seven trumpets, so the seventh trumpet opens into the seven last plagues (163). The vision contains a number of particulars in preparation for the full disclosure of these plagues, i. e. the seven angels who minister in them; the glassy sea mingled with fire; the saved with the harps of God in their hands, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb; the glory and power of God in the heavenly temple. The whole is a heaven-scene, and all these particulars have their centre and unity in the idea of preparation for the tremendous judgments of the seven last plagues. 1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous: seven angels having seven plagues, the last, for in them is the wrath of God accomplished. This is another' sign with reference to the two which he has seen before, namely, those of the travailing woman and the great red dragon. It is seen 'in heaven,' i. e. in the sky, and includes all the phenomena of the vision, for these angels do not appear until near its close. It is 'great and marvellous,' both with respect to its size as represented in the sky, and to the glory of these angels, the mysterious and fearful judgments in which they minister, the glassy sea, the joy and song of the saved, and all the other particulars of the vision. The number 'seven' of the angels and of their plagues is significant of the fulness and perfection of this accomplishment of the wrath of God, and of its efficacy in subduing the rebellion of the world (14). 2 And I saw as it were a glassy sea mingled with fire, and them that had come off victorious from the beast, and from his image, and from the number of his name, standing on the glassy sea, having the harps of God. As the worshippers of the beast include the whole ungodly world, with special reference to those in the church who have been fatally corrupted by it (285), so they who have come off victorious from the conflict with him must include all the saved, yet with a like special reference to those in the church who have been sorely tempted by worldly influences, but have obtained the victory over them. It is the people of God, then, in their totality, who are here seen as having overcome all antichristian powers and influences, especially the corrupting influences of the world in the church, and as standing on,' i. e. on the shore of this glassy sea; which, as we have seen, is the symbol of human life, with reference to the providence of God in dealing with its stormy perturbations (112); under which, whereas it was formerly opaque and inscrutable, it has now become smooth as glass and transparent as crystal. Here it is mingled with fire, the constant symbol of divine justice, to denote that life is permeated with this justice for the chastisement and purification of God's people, and for the punishment of His incorrigible enemies. The saved are now seen as having passed through it, and as standing on its farther shore, with the harps of God in their hands, to signify that they have been purified by the fire with which it is mingled, and that they are no longer subject to its fiery trials; for all which they now praise God with their harps and voices. The whole representation is to be interpreted by the allusion which runs through it to the passage of the children of Israel through. the Red Sea, in which the pursuing host of their enemies were drowned; after which they found themselves in safety on the farther shore, and celebrated their deliverance with festive joy, timbrels, and dancing. This allusion will be more fully developed in what immediately follows. 3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord God Almighty: just and true are thy ways, O thou King of the nations. 4 Who, O Lord, shall not fear and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy for all the nations shall come and worship before thee, because thy righteousnesses have been made manifest. The allusion here is to that song of Moses wherewith he and his people celebrated their deliverance from the Egyptians by the overthrow of Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea. Its character may be seen in the following quotations: I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; Thy right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power; Thy right hand, O Lord, dasheth in pieces the enemy. . . Who is like unto thee, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders? . . . Thou in thy mercy hast led the people whom thou hast redeemed; The peoples have heard; they tremble; Fear hath taken hold upon the inhabitants of Philistia... Terror and dread falleth upon them; By the greatness of thine arm they are as still as a stone, Till thy people pass over, O Lord; Till the people pass over whom thou hast redeemed. Thou wilt bring them in and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance; The place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in ; The sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dances; and Miriam answered them: Sing ye unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; The horse and his rider hath He cast into the sea (Ex. xv. 1–21). Now this deliverance of the Old Testament church from her bondage in Egypt, that she might devote herself wholly to the service of God, is, as we have seen, one of the grand historic types of the deliverance of the latter day church from subjection to the great antichristian world-power (282). This power has now been overthrown and destroyed in this sea that is 'mingled with fire,' as the Egyptians were in the Red Sea; and the people of God are now set free to devote themselves wholly to the service and praise of their great Deliverer. Hence the song which they now sing on the farther shore of this sea, after they have come off victorious from their conflicts with the beast and his image, and have come safely through all their earthly temptations and trials, is called 'the song of Moses.' It is also the song of the Lamb,' because their deliverance has been wrought out through His sacrifice and all-conquering power, and is the fulfilment or realization of its typical foreshadowing in the deliverance of Israel. In almost every word of it there is some allusion to corresponding expressions in the song of Moses. For it celebrates the works of God, the Almighty, or All-Ruler (23), as great and wonderful, because nothing short of His almighty power could have accomplished this great deliverance; also, His truth, holiness, and covenant faithfulness, to which last idea the peculiar word 'óσ10, here rendered 'holy,' has a special reference; and His 'righteousnesses,' or righteous judgments, as now made manifest; in consequence of which all the nations of the earth shall come and worship before Him, and glorify His name: in all which we have a grand prophecy of the glory and joy of the saved, and. subordinately, as it would seem, of the Lord's millennial reign, which will follow the overthrow of the world-power. 5 And after these things I saw, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened; 6 and there came forth out of the temple the seven angels that had the seven plagues, arrayed in pure bright linen, and girt about the breasts with golden girdles. Having represented the deliverance and festive rejoicing of the saved, the vision now proceeds with a more particular description of the angelic ministers in these last judgments. They come forth out of 'the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven '-cumulative expressions intended to designate emphatically the inmost shrine of the Holy of Holies, where was the ark of the testimony, now made visible by the opening of the temple (231)-to signify that the judgments which they are to inflict proceed from God, who 'dwells between the cherubim ' (Ps. lxxx. 1), and especially from His holiness, truth, and covenant faithfulness to His promises, in which He has given the kingdoms of the world unto His Son, in order to the fulfilment of which these judgments are now to be executed. The appearance of these angels is very glorious. They are arrayed in pure, bright linen (85), to denote that they are holy beings, and that the wrath of God of which they are the ministers is no impure, personal, or selfish passion, but His holiness and justice in the government of His moral creatures: and they are girt about the breasts with golden girdles, like the Lord Himself (34), as being endued with His royal authority to execute His pure and precious justice upon the rebellious world. 7 And one of the four living creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden chalices full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever. These creatures are, as we have seen, the symbols of the wisdom and power of God in nature, and hence of nature itself in its totality (113). In the vision of the first four seals they call forth God's four sore judgments, war, pestilence, famine, and beasts of prey, because it is within the realm and by the destructive forces of nature, including man, that those judgments are executed (128). Here one of them reappears and gives to these seven angels seven chalices or bowls ('vials,' in the English Bible, does not give the meaning of the Greek word) full of the wrath of God, to denote that these plagues will take effect, in great part at least, within the same realm and by the same forces, i. e. as we shall see, in the sun, air, earth, rivers, and fountains. The chalices are of gold, to signify that nothing is more pure or precious than the divine justice and judgments (33); and they are full of the wrath of God, 'who liveth forever and ever,' to denote that His justice, being one of His essential attributes, can never cease to be exercised. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter into the temple, until the seven plagues of the seven angels should be accomplished. These particulars of the vision refer to such parallel pas |