book of Revelation 15:1–8 Catholic Bible study lesson 16

The Revelation of Jesus Christ:
The Faithful Witness

Lesson 16 Seven Angels with Seven Plagues
the book of Revelation 15:1–8

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for the book of Revelation
cross references in the book of Revelation
chapter-by-chapter review page
next lesson: Seven Bowls of the Wrath of God

This coordinates with Lesson 16 on pages 98–102 in The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness.

“Great and wonderful are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways,
O King of the ages! Who shall not fear and glorify your name, O Lord? For you alone are holy.
All nations shall come and worship you, for your judgments have been revealed.”
—the book of Revelation 15:3–4

welcome to our in-depth study of the book of Revelation
We invite groups and individuals to check out the sample first lesson and video from this 23-lesson Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. Our online pages link to the free lesson videos, a glossary, cross references in the biblical text, and a chapter-by-chapter review page—and they also include illustrations, maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness has been granted an imprimatur. The study may be purchased from our website shop. If you have a Bible-related question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.

open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

let’s review—the book of Revelation 14:1–20
In Lesson 15 On Mount Zion Stood the Lamb, the Lamb appears on Mount Zion with the 144,000, who are singing a new song. An angel in mid-heaven proclaims that the hour of God’s judgment has come, and that angel urges all people to worship God. A second angel follows, proclaiming that Babylon the Great is fallen. A third angel proclaims that worshipers of the beast or its image will drink the wine of God’s wrath. A voice from heaven announces that those who die in the Lord from now on are blessed. One like a son of man appears seated on a cloud, wearing a crown and holding a sharp sickle. An angel emerges from the Temple in heaven announcing it’s time to harvest the earth. The one seated on the cloud swings his sickle and the earth is reaped. Another angel appears with a sharp sickle and gathers the grapes of earth, throwing them in the wine press of the wrath of God. Blood flows from the wine press, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

who cares about the sea of glass?
Lesson 16 in The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness covers the fifteenth chapter in the book of Revelation, which is only eight verses long. A large amount of spiritual information is packed into these eight verses, however, including one of the most intriguing images in this final book of the New Testament. We first encountered the sea of glass in the book of Revelation 4:6. It shows up again in the book of Revelation 15:2, only it now appears to be mingled with fire. There are a lot of unusual things going on with this image. The sea of glass, with or without the fire, is a foreign idea. We’d expect that if the author of the book of Revelation had wanted to indicate that the sea was in solid form he’d have referred to it as a frozen sea. Instead, he describes it as a sea of glass, “like crystal.” In the fifteenth chapter of the book of Revelation, this same sea still is described as a sea of glass, so it seems to have retained its property of being solid, but the author adds that it’s mingled with fire. In our world, water and fire are incompatible. What do we think that the author is suggesting when he writes that this sea is mingled with fire? Click on the image (above right) to enlarge Turning to God’s Word co-founder Tami Palladino’s illustration, which also appears on page 99 of The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness. The map locating the seven churches that receive dictated letters from Jesus appears on page 101 and elsewhere in the study book; the image can be enlarged by clicking on it.

we’re approaching the seventh week—but we aren’t done yet (01:09:34)
The fifteenth chapter in the book of Revelation looks at the final and seventh”week” and introduces the bowls of the wrath of God. In the video for this lesson, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps explains that there’s a lot of fanfare around both the first and last “weeks.” In the Old Testament, seven weeks and one day culminates in a major religious feast—Pentecost, which was a harvest festival that occurred in the context of the Exodus. Numerically speaking, Pentecost happens on the fiftieth day, not the forty-ninth, and it completes the series of seven sevens that prior to this have kept repeating. After the seventh “week,” the end of the age will be over. Of particular interest is that what the Church has been doing will be unneeded. This section of the book of Revelation describes the new Exodus as what it will take to free Christians to be able to serve God as the people of God. It’s common human experience that suffering cuts through the lies of the devil. This seems easier to understand on an individual level than on the macro level of the vision in the book of Revelation.

The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the Scripture ranges for the sets of questions in The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness. You can follow along with the video overview as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 16, “Seven Angels with Seven Plagues,” on pages 98–102 in the study book.

one of the most important prepositions in Scripture
Prepositions often are considered an insignificant part of speech, and many people toss them around as though it makes little difference which one is used in any given sentence. Prepositions impart very precise meaning, however, especially in the Scriptures. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the book of Revelation 15:2. The exact location of these people who have conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name is extremely important to understanding what’s happening in this section of the book of Revelation, particularly in relation to a restatement of themes from the book of Exodus.

‘every translator is a traitor’
This old adage is easy to bring up in connection with the book of Revelation. Unfortunately, some translations, including Catholic translations of the Revised Standard Version—the RSVCE and the RSV2CE—substitute the misleading preposition “beside” for the the more accurate “on” in the book of Revelation 15:2. (The New American Bible Revised Edition [NABRE] more correctly translates the same verse using the preposition “on.”) While “beside” seems to make more sense than “on,” that’s not the meaning that the author of the book of Revelation intended. Readers are supposed to think about why it might make sense that there are people able to stand “on” this sea of glass. For more information, be sure to read “Beside” and “Upon,” both on page 100 in The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness, and “The Sea of Glass Mingled with Fire” on page 102.

the mystery of the sacrament of Baptism
The book of Revelation makes powerful statements about how it is that we enter heaven. The account of God leading his people through the Red Sea—out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land—is recorded in the book of Exodus 14:1–31. The book of Revelation 15:2 builds on that Old Testament foreshadowing of the way in which Jesus leads his followers out of slavery to sin. The following thought-provoking description of the sacrament of Baptism is from a homily by Basil of Seleucia, a bishop who lived in the 4th century. Note that one of his descriptions of the sacrament compares it to “liquid fire.”

Consider what Baptism is and proclaim its grace. All blessings are contained in it. It purifies the world; it restores nature. It’s a speedy redemption, a simple remedy, a liquid fire that burns away sin, a sponge that purifies conscience, a garment that never wears out. It’s a womb that conceives without passion, a tomb in which those who are buried are born again. It’s the ocean in which sins are drowned, the element that witnesses to the devil’s defeat. It’s the seal of him who takes possession of the fortress, the unfailing advocate before the Judge. It’s the stream that extinguishes the fires of hell, the grace that gives admission to the supper of the Lord. It’s a mystery, both old and new, foreshadowed even in the time of Moses. To Christ our God be glory forever, through endless ages.

the popes inspire us—waters of death
Take time to read “Waters of Death,” a Scripture reflection from Pope Benedict XVI on page 100 of The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness. It provides some additional insight about the sea of glass mingled with fire in the book of Revelation 15:2. The Holy Father also offers this particularly beautiful image of the Church: “[S]he sings the song of Moses and the Lamb, in which the Old and New Covenants blend into harmony.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK that we’re supposed to conquer?
The theme of the necessity of conquering has been woven throughout the book of Revelation. The letters to the seven churches all urged the recipients to persevere in conquering but never described exactly what it was they were to conquer or how they were to accomplish their conquest. In the book of Revelation 6:2, the rider on the white horse comes out conquering and to conquer, but the author never tells us exactly what it is that the rider is conquering. In the book of Revelation 12:10-11 we learn how those in heaven have managed to conquer, and who it is that they’ve defeated.

? In the book of Revelation 15:2, the author expands the definition of what it is that must be conquered: “the beast and its image and the number of its name.” What might the beast represent?
? Where can the presence of the beast be seen in the present-day world?
? How can a person conquer its effect in his or her own life?
? Consider where the presence of the number of the beast’s name can be found in the present-day world?
? What might be effective in conquering its influence?

tabernacle—you could look it up in our archives
In the book of Revelation, the tent of meeting in heaven is open. What might this indicate? To learn about the original tent of meeting—which also is called a “tabernacle,” read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.

keep your eyes peeled for liturgical images
We’re heading into a heavily liturgical section of the book of Revelation, so moving forward we should expect to encounter a variety of liturgical images, that is, images associated with worship. How many liturgical images have we already run into in our study? Consider why it is that the author seems to be so focused on liturgy. What point might he be trying to make about worship?

don’t misinterpret the number of these last plagues
While the seven last plagues in the book of Revelation mimic aspects of the 10 plagues that led to the Exodus, the number isn’t identical. It’s important not to get hung up on that difference. The author of the book of Revelation is heavily focused on the importance of the number seven, which underlies his entire vision. The vision also is describing things that occur outside of time and space, which means that the events in the book of Revelation can occur simultaneously rather than in chronological order. So the seven last plagues have many points of contact with things described in previous “weeks.”

Q&A—what’s the point of the heavenly liturgy?
A group leader in this study would like help with the last part of Question 9, which is: “Consider whether the heavenly liturgy described in the book of Revelation more closely resembles Old Testament or New Testament worship practices?”

Q: I’m not exactly sure what we’re to compare in Question 9. By “New Testament liturgy,” do you mean what we do now or some semblance of what’s recorded in Scripture? I’m probably overthinking this. I get that you are leading us to be very aware of liturgy from now until the end of the study, and I don’t want to miss anything important.

A: [Here’s the question for the benefit of those who don’t have access to the study book. Question 9 (Read the book of Revelation 15:7; the instruction for Question 8 still applies). The book of Numbers describes various sacrifices that the Levitical priests were to make to God once the Israelites entered the Promised Land after their years of wandering in the wilderness. Describe the nature of the drink offering that was to accompany each sacrifice. How was it to be presented to God? If necessary, refer to the book of Numbers 15:1–10. Consider whether the heavenly liturgy described in the book of Revelation more closely resembles Old Testament or New Testament worship practices.]

Your question about liturgy gets to the heart of one of the primary themes in the book of Revelation. As you know, there’s much written about how the book of Revelation is describing the Catholic Mass as heaven on earth. And the Mass is, of course, a New Testament liturgical practice. It’s what we do now, and parts of it also are recorded in the New Testament. The place to focus this question is the high point of the Mass. What actually is the most important part of what occurs during the Eucharistic sacrifice? Can this same thing be seen occurring in any of the liturgical actions described in the book of Revelation? This isn’t a trick question, but it’s not one most of us are used to thinking about, and your answer is likely to surprise you. Think about why John is writing the book of Revelation.

? When’s John writing, and for whom?
? What point is he trying to make?
? How are the concepts of time and space used to get his point across?
? What’s John’s purpose in relying so heavily on Old Testament liturgical practices instead of presenting images that would be more familiarly recognizable as part of Christian liturgy?
? Consider at what point Old Testament and New Testament liturgy connect?

the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic Bible study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however, including the passage in this lesson from the book of Revelation 15:1–8.

ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun in the primary biblical text for The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness.

to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the cross references pertaining to it—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness.

review previous lessons
As we progress through the book of Revelation, the images become more complex, increasing the potential for confusion. To help participants in our study keep track of what’s happening in the Scripture, we’ve prepared a chapter-by-chapter review of key events and images in the book of Revelation. A link can be found at the top of every online study page that accompanies The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.

ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
You can find links to magisterial documents referred to in Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This page includes a listing of significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.

wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

the book of Revelation 15:1–8 (NIV)

close with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following short prayer based on this lesson’s text from the book of Revelation.

O God and loving Father,
you created men and women out of love,
and you established love as the means by which evil is overcome.
Help us to demonstrate our love for you
through participation in the liturgy of the Church,
which is the work of worship you wish for us to perform
as a means of honoring you and your Son, Jesus Christ,
in whose name we pray. Amen.

Lesson 17 Seven Bowls of the Wrath of God, the book of Revelation 16:1–21
Lesson 15 On Mount Zion Stood the Lamb, the book of Revelation 14:1–20

you also may like our two-part study of the prophets
Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided examines the prophets in their historical context using the First and Second Books of the Kings and other Old Testament passages written before the Babylonian Exile in 586 B.C. Volume II: Restoration & Redemption looks at the post-exilic prophets. This 51-lesson Catholic Bible study builds on The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. Click on the books’ covers to view a sample lesson from each volume.

start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness. Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions and offer support. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer

*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?

Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online pages of The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.

The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.

Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.

You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.