1I saw another great and marvelous sign in the sky: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them God’s wrath is finished.
2I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who overcame the beast, his image, and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. 3They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
“Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God, the Almighty!
Righteous and true are your ways, you King of the nations.
4Who wouldn’t fear you, Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you only are holy.
For all the nations will come and worship before you.
For your righteous acts have been revealed.”
5After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. 6The seven angels who had the seven plagues came out, clothed with pure, bright linen, and wearing golden sashes around their chests.
7One of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. 8The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power. No one was able to enter into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels would be finished.
The bowls of wrath were given to the seven angels, and the temple filled with smoke until the judgments were completed. The seven angels step out of the opened temple in heaven. Nothing is said about them before this. The description of the angels’ clothing is similar to Jesus. The purity of their white robes speaks to their purity, holiness, and the golden bands reflect their authority as judges.
The action of one of the four creatures who guard God’s glory gives out the bowls to the seven angels. We are not told which one of the four. This indicates these judgments are directed by God. God is again identified in terms of His eternality. The temple filling with smoke indicates the significance of this event and matches the presence of God at the dedication of the tabernacle (Exod 40:34-35) and then Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 8:10-11). This expression of God’s glory will continue till the judgments are complete.