Revelation 15:1
in Revelation 15Then I saw another great and marvelous sign in heaven: seven angels with the seven final plagues, with which the wrath of God is completed.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having seven plagues, which are the last, for in them is finished the wrath of God.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Revelation 15
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Victorinus of PettauCommentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John · Written before 304.
"And I saw another great and wonderful sign, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is completed the indignation of God." For the wrath of God always strikes the obstinate people with seven plagues, that is, perfectly, as it is said in Leviticus; and these shall be in the last time, when the Church shall have gone out of the midst.
This site's exposition
the seven final plagues
This great and marvelous sign completes the two signs of chapter 12, the woman and the dragon. The plagues are final because with them the wrath of God is completed, the Greek teleo marking the series that ends what the seals opened.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
He saw, he says, seven angels having seven plagues. Seven, he says, are the many, the ones prepared against the sinners, by which the wrath of God receives its completion.
The Medieval Church4 voices
Everywhere he uses the number seven, signifying that the injustices done brazenly during the seven days of the present age will be held back by the seven plagues and the seven angels. After these, the future life of the saints, symbolized by the glass sea, …
And I saw another great and marvelous sign in heaven. With the order again restored, about to narrate the same plagues of the final persecution, he wanted the listener to be attentive by saying: A great and marvelous sign.
The seven angels. That is, the Church full of sevenfold grace.
Having the seven last plagues. Because in them the wrath of God is completed, he called them the last: for the wrath of God always strikes the rebellious people with seven plagues, that is, perfect ones, as frequently in Leviticus: And I will strike you …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And I saw seven holy angels having the seven last plagues - Before they had the phials, which were as instruments whereby those plagues were to be conveyed. They are termed the last, because by them the wrath of God is fulfilled - Hitherto.
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And I saw another sign in heaven - Another wonder or extraordinary symbol. The word “sign” here - σημεῖον sēmeion - is the same which in Rev 12:1, Rev 12:3; Rev 13:13, is rendered “wonder” and “wonders,” and in Rev 13:14; Rev 16:14; Rev 19:20, “miracles.” The word is not found elsewhere in the Book of Revelation, though it is of frequent occurrence in other parts of the New Testament. See it explained in the notes on Rev 12:1. Here it is used to denote something wonderful or marvelous.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the seven last plagues--Greek, "seven plagues which are the last." is filled up--literally, "was finished," or "consummated": the prophetical past for the future, the future being to God as though it were past, so sure of accomplishment is His word.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Seven angels having the seven last plagues - Under the emblems of harvest and vintage God’s judgments on the enemies of his Church have already been pointed out: but these are farther signified by the seven vials, which are called the seven last plagues of God. The seven last plagues appear to fall under the seventh and last trumpet. As the seventh seal contained the seven trumpets, so the seventh trumpet contains the seven vials. And as seven angels sounded the seven trumpets, so seven angels are appointed to pour out the seven vials, angels being always the ministers of Providence. This chapter contains the opening vision which is preparatory to the pouring out of the vials. The Targum of Jonathan on Isa 51:17, Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury, uses the same words employed by the evangelist here: “Jerusalem, thou hast received from the face of the Lord the cup of his wrath; ית פילי כסא דלוטא yath pailey casa dilvata, “the Phials of the cup of malediction “ find again on Isa 51:22: I will take out of thy hand the cup of malediction; ית פילי כסא דחמתי yath Pailey casa dechemti, “the Phials of the cup of my indignation.”
The words behind it
25 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| εἶδον | eidon | I saw | G1492 → | 374 times |
| ἄλλο | allo | another | G243 → | 155 times |
| σημεῖον | semeion | sign | G4592 → | 75 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὐρανῷ | ourano | heaven | G3772 → | 272 times |
| μέγα | mega | great | G3173 → | 243 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| θαυμαστόν, | thaumaston | wonderful, | G2298 → | |
| ἀγγέλους | angelous | angels | G32 → | 175 times |
| ἑπτὰ | hepta | seven | G2033 → | 86 times |
| ἔχοντας | echontas | having | G2192 → | 707 times |
| πληγὰς | plegas | plagues | G4127 → | 22 times |
| ἑπτὰ | hepta | seven — | G2033 → | 86 times |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐσχάτας, | eschatas | last, | G2078 → | 52 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | because | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| αὐταῖς | autais | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐτελέσθη | etelesthe | was completed | G5055 → | 28 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θυμὸς | thumos | wrath | G2372 → | 18 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ.¶ | theou | of God. | G2316 → | 1312 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εἶδονI saw
eidonG1492 →374 times
ἄλλοanother
alloG243 →155 times
σημεῖονsign
semeionG4592 →75 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
οὐρανῷheaven
ouranoG3772 →272 times
μέγαgreat
megaG3173 →243 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
θαυμαστόν,wonderful,
thaumastonG2298 →
ἀγγέλουςangels
angelousG32 →175 times
ἑπτὰseven
heptaG2033 →86 times
ἔχονταςhaving
echontasG2192 →707 times
πληγὰςplagues
plegasG4127 →22 times
ἑπτὰseven —
heptaG2033 →86 times
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
ἐσχάτας,last,
eschatasG2078 →52 times
ὅτιbecause
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
αὐταῖςthem
autaisG846 →5565 times
ἐτελέσθηwas completed
etelestheG5055 →28 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
θυμὸςwrath
thumosG2372 →18 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦ.¶of God.
theouG2316 →1312 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 19:15And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath…
it leads to
- Isaiah 63:2–6
Why are Your clothes red, and Your garments like one who treads the winepress?
- Revelation 1:16
He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.
- Revelation 2:27
He will rule them with an iron scepter and shatter them like pottery—just as I have received authority from My Father.
- Psalms 2:9
You will break them with an iron scepter; You will shatter them like pottery.”
- 2 Thessalonians 2:8
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival.
- Isaiah 63:2–6
Through
Revelation 21:9Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
it leads to
- Revelation 21:2
I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
- Revelation 19:7
Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.
- Revelation 16:1–17
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out on the earth the seven bowls of God’s wrath.”
- Revelation 21:2
Where this verse is studied
About Revelation
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 15:1; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation and Victorinus of Pettau, Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John.