Abstract
Revelation 13 describes the persecution by the Christians who have the Mark of the Beast of the Christians who have the Seal of God. Revelation 15 is a point in history when every person is marked, either with the Beast’s mark or God’s seal. After that, the Sevel Last plagues are poured out on the people with the Mark of the Beast, as described in Revelation 16.
Overview
Revelation 15 is the beginning of the vision of the Seven Last Plagues. In this chapter, the seven angels receive the Plagues. In the next, they pour out the Plagues on the people with the Mark of the Beast. The last Plague is poured out on Babylon. Then, the following two chapters explain what Babylon is and how she will come to her end. The seventh plague concludes in Revelation 19, followed by Christ’s return.
In 15:2, John saw “those who had been victorious over the beast.” They are the 144,000. God’s people are sealed during the end-time persecution described in Rev 13. (See here) This persecution begins when the Land Beast (false Christianity) convinces the people to create an Image of the Beast, meaning that the Church is once again able to persecute God’s people through the State. Therefore, this will be persecution of Christians by Christians. It began in the fourth century, continued and escalated in the Middle Ages, and ended due to the modern separation of Church and State, but will be resumed in the End Time. The same controversies that we see today will form the basis for persecution. The difference will be the ability to persecute God’s people through the State.
The Mark of the Beast is something for which the Beast (the Church of the Middle Ages, which was the continuation of the Church of the Roman Empire) is particularly known. It is an ancient but blasphemous teaching received from the Roman Empire but still accepted by Protestant denominations.
In 15:8, “the temple was filled with smoke … and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished,” meaning that nobody will be saved from this point forward. The eternal destiny of every human being is now permanently fixed. At this point in history, the plagues begin to fall.
15:1
| Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, |
The previous “great signs” John saw in heaven were the woman clothed with the sun (Rev 12:1) and the great red dragon (Rev 12:3).
| … seven angels who had seven plagues, |
These seven angels already had the plagues. In 15:7, they additionally receive “bowls full of the wrath of God.”
Revelation 14 ends with Christ’s return (Rev 14:14), but the Plagues are poured out BEFORE His return. In Revelation, each main vision ends with Christ’s return (Read), and the Seven Last Plagues is a new main vision. Revelation 15, therefore, jumps back in time to before Christ’s return.
Revelation 21:9 also refers to the Seven Plagues as the “last.” These Seven Plagues are the last because they end in Christ’s return, as described in Revelation 19.
| … because in them the wrath of God is finished. |
The warning of the third angel, namely that anyone who receives the Mark of the Beast “will drink of the wine of the wrath of God” and that “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever” (Rev 14:9-11) is often taken as proof of eternal torment. However, according to 15:1, the wrath of God will be “finished” with the Seven Last Plagues. Show More
| The smoke rising “forever and ever” in 14:9-11 does not mean eternal torment. Similar to Babylon’s smoke that “rises up forever and ever” (Rev 19:3), it means that their torment will always be remembered. (Read article). |
15:2
| And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. |
These victorious ones are the 144,000.
The Beast, his Image, and the Number of his Name refer back to the end-time persecution described in Revelation 13:11-17. The “victorious” people are those who refused to worship (obey) the Beast (Rev 13:12) or to accept its Mark (Rev 13:16).
Revelation 13:16-14:3 identifies BOTH the Mark of the Beast and the Seal of God as names on foreheads. This implies that that end-time persecution will divide the world between those with the Mark of the Beast and those with the Seal of God.
The people “who had been victorious over the beast” (Rev 15:2) are described by Revelation 14:1 as the 144000. They have the Seal of God on their foreheads (Rev 14:1). Therefore, the “victorious” people (15:2) are the 144000.
In Rev 15, all 144,000 are sealed.
Rev 7:1-3 describes how the Seal of God is brought from heaven and the sealing of God’s people begins. Since John saw all the people who were victorious over the Beast, he saw them when all God’s people were sealed. Since he saw them before the Plagues are poured out in Revelation 16, they will only be poured out after all God’s people are sealed. Revelation 15 describes that point in history.
They seem to be in heaven but are on earth.
The “victorious” people stand on the “sea of glass,” which is before the throne of God (Rev 4:6), which is in His temple (Rev 16:17) in heaven (Rev 11:19; 14:17). It, therefore, seems as if they are in heaven. However, they are the same as the 144000 “standing on Mount Zion” (Rev 14:1) before God’s throne (Rev 14:3). In Revelation, “those who dwell on the earth” refer to evildoers (Rev 6:10; 11:10; 13:14; 17:2) while God’s people are presented AS IF in heaven (cf. Rev 11:1; 12:1). Therefore, they really are on Earth.
End-Time Persecution
The plagues are poured out on the people who accepted the Mark of the Beast (Rev 16:2) as soon as all people have either the Seal of God or the Mark of the Beast. People receive the Mark during the end-time persecution described in Revelation 13:
The Land Beast is false Christianity.
That persecution begins when a second beast comes “up out of the earth” (Rev 13:11). It “had two horns like a lamb” (v11), meaning it appears Christ-like, for Jesus is called the Lamb 28 times in Revelation (e.g., Rev 14:1). But it “spoke as a dragon” (Rev 13:11), which is a symbol for Satan (Rev 12:9). For that reason, the Land Beast is also called “the false prophet” (compare with Rev 16:13; 19:20). It deceives the people of the world with signs and wonders (Rev 13:14). These symbols identify the Land Beast as a Christian organization.
The Image of the Beast is the civil government.
Christians who accept the Mark of the Beast, to enforce their views on all Christians, would need the strong arm of the state. Therefore, the Land Beast will deceive the people “to make an image to the beast” (Rev 13:14). The Image of the Beast represents civil authorities under the control of false Christianity. This may be confirmed as follows:
(a) This is an Image of the Sea Beast (Rev 13:1, 3), and the Sea Beast symbolizes the Church of the Middle Ages (See here). The Image is a replica of the system during the Middle Ages when the Church used the State to persecute God’s people, for example, in the massacres of the Waldensians.
(b) Since the Land Beast has to deceive the people to create the Image (Rev 13:14), only people are able to create it, which is consistent with the interpretation of the Image as a system of government.
(c) The Image kills the people who do not have the Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:15), implying laws made by government.
(d) In the Sixth Plague, demon spirits, coming from (1) the Dragon, (2) the Beast, and (3) the False Prophet, gather (4) “the kings of the whole world” (Rev 16:13, 14). These are the same four role-players as the end-time persecutors in Revelation 13 (Rev 13:11-12, 14), but the Image has been replaced by “the kings of the whole world.”
(e) At Christ’s return, we again find the same four as God’s enemies (Rev 19:19-20; 20:2), and again the “Image” is replaced by “the kings of the earth” (Rev 19:19).
(f) Like the Image is created by signs, the kings are gathered in the Sixth Plague by Signs and Wonders (Rev 13:14; 16:14).
(g) While the one beast comes out of the Sea and the other out of the Land, the Image does not come out of something. Instead, it is “made” (Rev 13:14), similar to the “kings’ who are gathered in the Sixth Plague and assembled at Christ’s return.
The Dragon and the Beast no longer exist.
The Land Beast and the Image of the Beast are the main characters in the end-time persecution. The Sea Beast and the Dragon are in the background. The Sea Beast received its authority from the Dragon (Rev 13:2), but the Land Beast exercises the Beast’s authority. It is the Land Beast that gives life to the Image (Rev 13:15), and the Image persecutes God’s people (Rev 13:15). This is because the Dragon and the Sea Beast represent world powers that no longer exist as such during the end-time persecution:
The Sea Beast is the same as the 11th horn in Daniel 7 (See here) and symbolizes the Church of the Middle Ages (See here).
The Dragon is Satan (Rev 12:9), but when mentioned with the Sea Beast, it specifically represents the Roman Empire because the Roman Empire gave birth to the Church of the Middle Ages. Show More
| In the Roman Empire, the emperors decided which religions and factions of religions to allow. In the fourth century, the Church was divided, mainly between Arian and Nicene factions. However, in 380, the Roman Empire made Nicene theology the State Religion of the Roman Empire, meaning that the Emperor became the real head of the church. The Church was subject to the authority of the emperors, who had the final say in church doctrine and in the appointment of the pope and the bishops. On the other hand, the Roman Church received protection from the emperor. The Empire outlawed and persecuted the other forms of Christianity. However, outside the Empire, Christianity remained ‘Arian.’
In the next (fifth) century, Arian tribes wrestled control of the Western Empire from the Romans and fragmented it into several Arian kingdoms, symbolized by the first ten horns of the fourth animal (the Roman Empire). The Roman Church, with its teachings and hierarchy of bishops, survived as a distinct organization but was now subject to Arian rule.
In the next (sixth) century, the Eastern Empire made the Roman Church dominant over the Arian Church by subjecting the three Arian nations in Europe that were the most direct threat to the papacy. This is symbolized by the 11th horn coming up.
However, it was still subordinate to the Eastern Roman rulers and depended on them for protection. In the eighth century, Muslim armies subjected the Eastern Roman Empire. The Roman Church survived by seeking the protection of other rulers but remained subject to such rulers, who had the final say in appointing popes and bishops.
However, beginning in the 12th century, in the High Middle Ages, the Papacy attained power that rivaled and exceeded that of the Western Monarchs. It became the Church of the Middle Ages, which dominated the nations of Europe and persecuted God’s people. The Church of the Roman Empire (the Roman Church), therefore, carried forward the authority of the Roman Empire. (Read Article) |
Persecution of Christians by Christians
Since the Sea Beast represents the Church of the Middle Ages and since the Land Beast appears Christ-like, the persecution in Revelation 13 is persecution of Christians by Christians. Both groups attend church, study their Bibles, and claim to be God’s true people. But the Christians who persecute other Christians show by their intolerance that they have Satan as their true father. Their desire to prescribe what others should believe and to punish those who do not comply identifies them as end-time Pharisees. Show More
| “You, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matt 23:28)
“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.” (John 8:42) |
A true Christian does not insult or injure any other person. God gave our Master “all authority … in heaven and on earth” (Matt 28:17), but He never used His power to benefit Himself. Even when He hung on the cross, suffering the most excruciating torment and pain, He did not use His powers to benefit Himself. In this way, He demonstrated God’s character, which is the opposite of ours. Show More
| “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all” (Mark 10:44).. |
This Persecution began in the Fourth Century.
In the fourth century, the church learned from the Roman Empire the practice of formulating creeds and persecuting people who taught contrary views. That was the first official persecution of Christians by Christians through the power of the State.
The main controversy in that century was whether Christ is equal to God the Father (See here). Some emperors were Arians and banished Nicene Christians to the other ends of the empire. Others adopted Nicene Christology and persecuted the Arians. In the 380s, Emperor Theodosius made Nicene theology the State Religion and outlawed and persecuted other factions of Christianity (See here).
This practice continued and escalated in the Middle Ages when the Church used the State to persecute those who rebel against her blasphemous practices. Revelation 17 symbolizes this relationship as “a woman sitting on a scarlet beast” (Rev 17:3, 18).
In recent centuries, the church, mainly due to the modern separation of Church and State, has lost its power over the State and, therefore, its ability to persecute those who oppose its teachings. However, we are living in the period of the Beast’s fatal wound, and the wound will heal (Rev 13:3), enabling persecution to resume. Show More
| The wound will heal when the Land Beast (the false prophet) deceives the people of the world to create an Image of the Beast. The Land Beast will also “give breath to the image of the beast” (Rev 13:15), meaning to enable it to act. Then the Image would kill “as many as do not worship the image of the beast” (Rev 13:15).
Persecution is always with us in the form of intimidation and insults. The difference is that the Church currently cannot use the State for that purpose. |
Mark of the Beast
It is not the purpose here to identify the mark of the beast but only to describe specific characteristics:
(1) The Mark is very Old.
It is the Mark of the Beast that comes up out of the Sea (Rev 13:1, 12), which has been identified as the Church of the Middle Ages (Article). Show More
| That Sea Beast looks like a Leopard, has the characteristics of a Bear and a Lion, and receives its power from the Dragon (Rev 13:2). These are the four animals in Daniel 7:3-7. The Dragon represents the Roman Empire (See here). Therefore, the Sea Beast is the little horn of Daniel 7, which is the Church of the Middle Ages. |
Therefore, the Mark of the Beast is something the Church of the Middle Ages is particularly known for. It has been a fundamental teaching of the church for many centuries and not something new that will be invented in the End Time.
(2) The Mark was received from the Roman Empire.
“The dragon gave him (the Sea Beast) his power and his throne and great authority” (Rev 13:2). In this context, the Dragon represents the Roman Empire (See here). As explained above, the Church of the Middle Ages was a continuation of the Church of the Roman Empire and carried forward the authority of the Roman Empire. This implies that the Beast received its mark (the Mark of the Beast) from the Roman Empire.
(3) Protestantism adopted the Mark.
Since all Christians will be forced to accept the Mark of the Beast, it is already accepted by most Christians and something that the Protestant denominations received from the Church of the Middle Ages.
(4) The Mark is not worshiping the Creator.
Since God’s people refuse to accept the mark of the beast, it must be contrary to the will of God. The most important verse in Revelation is the first angel’s message in Rev 14:6, for it tells God’s people what they must do when people are being forced to accept the Mark of the Beast. He tells them to worship the Creator, implying that the Mark is to worship somebody else. Therefore, worship of the Creator alone is the opposite of the mark of the Beast.
(5) Visible Distinction
Lastly, to enable the persecution of people who refuse to accept the Mark, it must make a visible distinction between people. If history is anything to go by, God’s people will rebel against unscriptural doctrines and be persecuted for their rebellion. We will not be persecuted if we do nothing to oppose such teachings. But we must testify. Show More
| Satan will be overcome “because of the word of their testimony” (Rev 12:11). Underneath the altar, John saw “the souls of those who had been slain … because of the testimony which they had maintained” (Rev 6:9). God’s people must protest, and that testimony will identify them as the enemies of the false prophet. |
In Summary
The Mark of the Beast is something the Beast, which is the Church of the Middle Ages, which was the continuation of the Church of the Roman Empire, is particularly known for. It is a very old but blasphemous teaching or practice that was received from the Roman Empire but is accepted by Protestant denominations. The end-time persecutors will use it as a boundary marker to determine who is inside and who is outside ‘the church.’ Show More
| Since the Mark of the Beast is something that the church of the Middle Ages is particularly known for, the people who accept it are traditionalists. Over the centuries, the church has accepted several doctrines that contradict the Bible, but very few people study the Bible to form their own opinions. Instead, people learn their (often erroneous) doctrines from their spiritual fathers and then interpret the Bible to fit their doctrines. Consequently, once a denomination accepts a doctrine, it is almost impossible to change.
For example, the doctrine of eternal torment has been established for centuries. Although very sound arguments have been proposed against this view (e.g., The Case for Annihilationism), the inertia of denominations prevents them from changing their official doctrines. (I am not saying this is the Mark.) |
15:3
| And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, |
This is a single song, joining the two main figures from the Old and New Testaments. In Revelation, “the Lamb” refers 28 times to Jesus.
| Saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! |
This is an example of parallelism, which essentially says the same thing twice. God is praised for His “works” and His “ways.” As is stated in the next verse, “for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
This is the song of Moses and the Lamb. This, therefore, is what Jesus Christ sings to His Father. In other words, Jesus refers to His Father as “Lord God, the Almighty.” This is consistent with the statements earlier in Revelation that the Father is Jesus’ God (Rev 1:6; 3:12). In Revelation, only the Father is God (see here), and only the Father is Almighty (see here). Similarly, in His prayer to the Father, He described the Father as “the only true God” (John 17:3).
15:4
| “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.” |
Previously, His “works” and His “ways” (Rev 15:3) were hidden in mystery, but now His “righteous acts have been revealed.” In particular, God’s judgments are revealed as “true and righteous” (Rev 16:7; 19:2; cf. 16:5). The article series on the Seven Seals explains why God’s judgments must be revealed as true. In overview:
In God’s government, “if anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35; cf. 10:44; Matt 18:4; 23:11).
Satan was probably the most beautiful and talented of all of God’s creatures (Exek 28:12-14, 17), but refused to “be last of all and servant of all.” Instead, he said, “I will raise my throne above the stars of God … I will make myself like the Most High” (Isa 14:13-14).
Therefore, God condemned Him. To defend himself, Satan shows that the people whom God has elected to eternal life do the same things as he does (Rev 12:10).
Before His incarnation, the Son of God defended God’s elect and God’s judgments. However, Satan was able to create doubt about whether the Son could defend God’s judgments unbiased, arguing that, under the right circumstances, the Son would also sin.
Revelation symbolizes the Book of Life as sealed with seven seals (Rev 5:1). It is sealed by Satan’s informed accusations against God’s elect (Rev 12:10) (See here). That no one can open the book symbolizes that the intelligent created beings were unable to refute Satan’s charges against God of unfair judgments.
For that reason, the Son, “although He existed in the form of God,” took on “the likeness of men” (Phil 2:6-7) and “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). He became a human being to be tested.
God created all things through His Son. As a human being, He was able to perform many amazing miracles. Throughout His earthly life, Satan tempted Him to use His powers to glorify Himself. The hours of His death were the most severe temptation possible. But, through it all, the Son of God remained without sin even when tempted to death. His life, but particularly His death, understood as His final hours, revealed Him to be “worthy” to break the seals of the book (Rev 5:9), meaning to refute Satan’s accusations against God’s elect.
However, even after His death, evil was allowed to continue to reveal that God’s judgments are perfect; both His judgments of those that will die the second death (Rev 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8) and those who will eternal life (e.g., 1 John 2:25).
He breaks the seals by revealing the character of God’s elect (See here). He does this throughout history. However, the final persecution involving the Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-17) will particularly reveal the perfection of God’s judgments.
These same principles also explain the need for the Plagues. To finally confirm the perfection of God’s judgments, the purpose of the Seven Last Plagues is to show that the people with the Mark of the Beast, although they appear to be Christians, are hardened beyond repentance (Rev 16:9, 11; see here).
15:5
| After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, |
“Tabernacle” means tent. In modern language, we may understand it as home. In this instance, it is where God lives. “The tabernacle of testimony” is an Old Testament expression for the temple the Jews carried with them in the wilderness. The “testimony,” when connected with the temple, refers to the Ten Commandments (e.g., Exo 31:18; 32:15), which were placed in the ark. Therefore, the ark was called “the ark of the testimony” (e.g., Exo 25:22).
There is no literal temple and no literal Ten Commandments in heaven. The reference to the Ten Commandments symbolizes that God’s judgments, as reflected in the plagues, are based on His law.
15:6
| and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. |
In 15:1, the angels are in heaven. It was not explicitly said that they are in the temple. But now they have come out of the temple, which implies that John had previously seen them in the temple.
Their clothes symbolize and reflect the purity of God. They have the same “golden sashes” as Jesus (Rev 1:13).
15:7
| Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever because in them the wrath of God is finished. |
The four living creatures – They are always in close association with the throne of God (Rev 4:6). They seem to be the primary connection between God and the created universe. That means they received the golden bowls with the “wrath of God” from God.
Bowls – These are temple vessels associated with the altar of incense (Zech 14:20; Num 7:84; Rev 5:8). In Revelation, bowls symbolically carry God’s wrath (Rev 15:7) from the temple to earth.
Wrath of God … is finished – The seven angels already had the Seven Last Plagues. Now, they also receive “the wrath of God.” As discussed under 15:1, “the wrath of God is finished” in the final events, concluding with Christ’s return.
God, who lives forever and ever – In Revelation, only “Him who sits on the throne … lives forever and ever” (Rev 4:9; 10:6), meaning to be immortal.
15:8
| And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. |
This will be a major turning point in the history of mankind. In the preceding period, the persecution of God’s people by the Image of the Beast (Rev 13:15) and the proclamation of the eternal gospel by the Three Angels (Rev 14:6) divided the world’s population into two camps; those with the Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16) and those with the Seal of God (Rev 14:1; 7:1-3). When the last person makes his or her final choice between God and the Beast, and everybody has either the Mark or the Seal, the temple will be filled with smoke so that nobody is able to enter, meaning that, from this point forward, NOBODY WILL BE SAVED. The eternal destiny of every human being is now permanently fixed. Nobody will switch sides. At this point in history, the plagues begin to fall.
This raises the question of why God sends plagues on people after their eternal destinies have been sealed. This is briefly discussed above but will be more fully addressed in the article: The Purpose of the Seven Last Plagues.
16:1
| Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God. |
Revelation 15 describes events in heaven. Revelation 16:1 is still part of this heavenly scene, for the voice comes from the temple. As from Revelation 16:2, the focus shifts to the earth, describing the outpouring of the seven bowls upon the earth.
Not Seven Literal Bowls
The angels do not pour a literal chemical from literal bowls upon men who had received a literal mark imposed by a literal beast.
Nor is the number seven to be understood literally. In Revelation, the number seven signifies the COMPLETION OF A PROCESS. Show More
| It is based on the first series of seven in the Bible, namely the seven days of the creation week. In any series of seven in Revelation, the second follows after the first, the third after the second, and so forth, and the seventh is always the last. The number seven is therefore symbolic of a ‘completed process. ‘ Other symbolic numbers in Revelation do not imply a sequence. (See – What do the numbers in the Book of Revelation mean?) |
When applied to the Plagues, the number seven means that an undefined number of plagues will be poured out until God’s purpose has been achieved.
Other Articles
The Seven Plagues
Other
- I recommend Jon Paulien’s commentary on Revelation for further reading. For general theological discussions, I recommend Graham Maxwell, who you will find on the Pineknoll website.
In Revelation 18, an angel with great authority descends from heaven, illuminating the earth with his glory, and cries out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon, the Great. She has become a dwelling place of demons” (Rev 18:1-2). In other words, “fallen” here means that Babylon has become corrupt, not that it has lost power. 
The Loud Cry will precede the Seventh Plague because it places her destruction in the future, and the Seventh Plague destroys Babylon (Rev 16:19). Show More