The big picture
Revelation 15 opens in verse 1 with “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 4 with “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all…”, and closes in verse 8 with “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no…” Repeated or prominent terms include seven, angels, temple, plagues, filled. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Revelation · King James Version · 8Revelation 15:1-8
1–8: I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having…
Revelation 15:1–8 opens with “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last…” and reaches “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Victorious worshipers by the glassy sea, seven angels receiving bowls, and the sanctuary filled with smoke, with particular weight carried by seven, angels, temple.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is…” The number seven makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy…” Naming Almighty keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:” The line’s distinctive content terms include heaven, looked, opened. Its relationship to verses 4 and 6 shows what work it does in this passage.
Revelation 15:1-8
King James Version1And 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.
2And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: 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, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
3And 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.
4Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
5And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
6And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
7And 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.
8And 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Revelation 15:1 begins with “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.”
Where the chapter turns
Revelation 15:4 forms a natural hinge: “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are…”
The final note
Revelation 15:8 leaves the reader with “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…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words seven, angels, temple, plagues, filled, glass help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What is Abram invited to trust?
God's promise of an heir and innumerable descendants despite his present childlessness.
Why does the delay matter?
The covenant is larger than one lifetime and includes suffering before deliverance.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.