And I saw another sign in heaven. The last time we had this expression was in Revelation 12:1-17., where the history of the war between Satan and the Church was begun. Once more we have a new departure, the seer again, as it were, returning to the beginning?
in order to trace the course of the punishments inflicted on men for their worship of the devil. Revelation 15:1-8. gives a short summary of this, which is expanded in Revelation 16:1-21.; and it is introduced, as usual, by a vision of the saints in glory, in order to comfort and support the Christian in his warfare (cf.
Revelation 6:1, Revelation 6:2; Revelation 7:3; Revelation 14:1-5, Revelation 14:13). The "sign" is what is described in the following account. "In heaven" probably merely means in a conspicuous position (cf.
Revelation 12:1). Great and marvellous. On account of the terrible nature of the events depicted. Seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God; seven angels having seven plagues, the last [ones], because in them is finished the wrath of God.
The seer describes what he sees subsequently, as if all the actors were present at one moment. In reality, he sees the actions of the "seven angels" in succession. The number seven denotes the universal, all-extending nature of the plagues (see on Revelation 1:4; Revelation 5:1, etc.
). They are the last plagues, because they lead on to the description of the final fall of the power of the devil in its various forms, and to the account of the last judgment of God and the eternal bliss of the saints in glory.