The Seven Last Plagues

"Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete." (Revelation 15:1 - New King James Version)

Chapter fifteen is a short interlude before God's wrath is poured out upon the earth. It reminds us that the judgment of God is not vindictive but just. It is not based upon anger but upon holiness. To lightly skip over this chapter would prevent us from seeing the wrath of chapter sixteen from the correct perspective.

Verse one is like a title for the chapter. The subject of this chapter is the seven angels who carry the bowls filled with God's wrath. John calls them a sign. These angels and their actions teach us about the holiness and justice of God.

There is a finality in the words of this verse. These angels carry the seven LAST plagues. These will bring an end to the Tribulation. The wrath or anger of God is filled up in these seven last plagues. The word for filled up or complete means finished. It is the same word Jesus used on the cross when He said, “It is finished.”

These plagues will finish the wrath of God. They will satisfy his justice.