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Revelation 15

1I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels with seven plagues, the last, because in them God's fury was completed. 2I saw something like a glass sea mixed with fire, and those who had overcome the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing on the glass sea, holding harps of God. 3They sing the song of Moses, God's slave, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God, the Almighty. Righteous and true are your ways, King of the ages. 4Who will not fear, Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, because your righteous acts have been revealed.”

5After these things I looked, and the temple of the tent of testimony in heaven was opened. 6The seven angels with the seven plagues came out of the temple, dressed in clean, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. 7One of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the fury of God, who lives forever and ever. 8The temple was filled with smoke from God's glory and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

Translation notes 3

15:2–3 — Sea and song. “On the glass sea” could also mean beside it. “Harps of God” can mean harps given by God. The song connects the deliverance associated with Moses and the Lamb without reproducing an Old Testament song word for word.

15:3 — King of the ages. This follows the Greek base. “King of the nations” has strong textual support and fits the next verse; the choice remains uncertain. The familiar “King of saints” represents another Greek reading.

15:4–6 — Holy acts and heavenly tent. “Righteous acts” may particularly mean God's judgments here. “The temple of the tent of testimony” evokes Israel's sanctuary; “the temple, that is, the tent of testimony” is another way to express the relationship. “Linen” has a striking textual alternative, “stone,” commonly understood as precious stone.