Revelation 15:6-7; The Seven Angels Clothed in Pure and White Linen

Revelation 15:6-7 And 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. And 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. 

Once again (v5) the wording of this passage is closely linked to verse 1, which speaks of angels, plagues, and the wrath of God. The seven plagues are a throwback to Leviticus 26:21, where God says, “And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.”

However, the stress is more on the seven angels than on the seven plagues. In this chapter John describes the angels, and in the following chapter (chap. 16) he specifies in detail the force and the extent of the plagues.

First, the angels come forth from the presence of God, that is, they leave the inner sanctuary. Next, they have been given authority over the discharging of seven plagues on the people who had rejected God. One of them also takes on the responsibility of instructing John about the punishment of the great prostitute with her followers on the one hand and the identification of the new Jerusalem with the wife of the Lamb on the other (Revelation 17:1–18; 21:9–27).

Third, the apparel of the angels is made out of clean and glistening linen that epitomizes holiness, and the golden sashes around their chests symbolize dignity, authority, and prominence, for God had entrusted these seven angels with a special task. They are like the “son of man,” who also appeared with a golden sash around his chest (Revelation 1:13; compare Dan. 10:5).

Revelation 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks onelike unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 

Daniel 10:5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 

And last, the golden sashes point symbolically to kings and the linen garments to priests in ancient Israel. But George Eldon Ladd rightly notes, “There is no reason to think that the golden girdles suggest priestly functions.”

The four living creatures are given special roles in the progressive unfolding of the Apocalypse. They were instrumental in the opening of the first four seals (Revelation 6:1–8) and in holding golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints (Revelation 5:8; and see Revelation 8:3–5).

Revelation 6:1-8 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that wasred: and powerwas given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and seethou hurt not the oil and the wine. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. 

Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four andtwenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 

Revelation 8:3-5 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer itwith the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which camewith the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast itinto the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 

But note the sequence. The golden bowls of the saints are the prayers that express praise and thanksgiving to God. Yet with these prayers the saints under the altar asked God to avenge their blood (6:9–10), and God heard them. He now sends forth his angels to cause death and destruction on his adversaries.

Revelation 6:9-10 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 

The four living creatures represent God’s creation, and the seven golden bowls are full of the fury of his wrath. Golden bowls were used in the service of the tabernacle and the temple of Solomon (Exodus 25:29; 37:16; 2 Chron. 4:22).

Exodus 25:29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: ofpure gold shalt thou make them. 

Exodus 37:16 And he made the vessels which wereupon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold. 

They were flat objects shaped in the form of a pan or saucer for holding incense. Now these bowls are filled with the wrath of God from whose anger no one is able to escape (Revelation 6:17; 14:10).

Revelation 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? 

Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 

John concludes this verse with a phrase that describes God as the one who lives forever and ever. This phrase occurs often in the Apocalypse (Revelation 4:9, 10; 10:6; see also 1:18; Dan. 4:34) and implies that idols are dead and fail to inspire awe, while God, who lives forever, ought to be feared.

Revelation 4:9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 

Revelation 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 

Revelation 10:6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: 

Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Daniel 4:34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion isan everlasting dominion, and his kingdom isfrom generation to generation: 

 Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Vol. 20, pp. 432–433). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.