Revelation 15:5: And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened

John briefly introduced the Third Woe in Revelation 11:15-19, when he said the seventh angel sounded.... And the temple of God was opened in heaven.¹ After this brief introduction John began Revelation chapter 12 with a flashback to the premortal existence.² The flashback described the premortal church of God and Satan's war in heaven in Revelation 12:1-12.³ The flashback then continued with Satan's war on earth after the Savior's crucifixion until 70 AD in Revelation 12:13-17.⁴ Revelation chapter 13 chronicled the power of Satan and the history of his evil on earth from 70 AD until the end of the Second Woe. This was followed by Revelation chapter 14 that describes the destruction of all mortal sons of perdition at the end of the Second Woe.⁵ Revelation chapter 15 is another vision in heaven that begins exactly where John left off in Revelation 11:19. Thus, in Revelation 15:5 the heavenly temple stands open to John's view⁶ just as it stood open to his view in Revelation 11:19.⁷

In Revelation 15:5, John looked⁸ and could behold⁹ the symbolic images of the Third Woe. This new vision enhances John's vision of the Grand Sign of the Son of Man and the seven angels he saw in Revelation 15:1.¹⁰ The events from this new vision occur very quickly after the Grand Sign of the Son of Man is given in Revelation 15:1, and they bring an end to the history of evil on the earth that John catalogued in Revelation chapters 12 to 14.¹¹

The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven refers specifically to the Holy of Holies inside the heavenly temple.¹² This symbolic image is, of course, an allusion to the portable temple in the time of Moses.¹³ The tabernacle of the testimony refers to the ark of the covenant, which housed the stone tablets of testimony¹⁴ inside the Holy of Holies.¹⁵ Jehovah's throne on earth, called the mercy seat, was located in the Holy of Holies above the ark of the covenant.¹⁶ The ark is an earthly type for the Father's throne in heaven.¹⁷ The image of the open temple in Revelation 15:5 means that God the Father personally directs the seven angels of the Third Woe from his celestial throne in heaven.¹⁸

Revelation 15:6: 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.

The seven angels¹⁹ come out of the heavenly temple²⁰ with a commission from God the Father²¹ to carry out the final seven plagues of the Third Woe.²² They are angels of destruction²³ who receive their commission in Revelation chapter 15, but fulfill that commission in Revelation chapters 16 to 19.²⁴ These chapters describe the destruction of all the wicked (telestial) people still alive after the Second Woe,²⁵ as well as the removal of all evil spirits that have power on earth.²⁶ The Father commissions the seven angels to execute judgments during the Third Woe in the same way the Father commissions Christ to execute judgments against all the mortal sons of perdition during the harvest at the end of Second Woe in Revelation 14:18-20.²⁷

The seven angels of the Third Woe are clothed in pure and white linen²⁸ studded with precious stones.²⁹ They have their breasts girded with golden girdles to carry out their priestly duties.³⁰ The belt-like girdles symbolize strength, power, and activity.³¹ The girdles are golden to symbolize nobility, royalty, and priesthood authority.³² The clothing of the seven angels symbolizes their holy office,³³ their purity,³⁴ and their readiness³⁵ to perform their holy and destructive mission as a righteous judgment from God.³⁶ They personify the seven Vial Plagues.³⁷ Their dress is similar to the priests that made cleansing sacrifices in the ancient tabernacle.³⁸ This symbolic similarity exists because the seven angels will also carry out a sacrificial function that will cleanse the earth of both physical and spiritual wickedness during the Third Woe.³⁹

Revelation 15:7: 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.

John first identified the four beasts mentioned in this verse during his vision of celestial paradise in Revelation 4:6-7.⁴⁰ The four beasts represent all classes of creation.⁴¹ They had a symbolic part in the opening of first four historical seals of the book with seven seals to show that all creation was concerned with the first 4000 years of the earth's history.⁴² In Revelation 15:7, one beast acts for all four beasts.⁴³ All creation is again concerned with, and effected by, the final cleansing of the telestial earth during the Third Woe.⁴⁴ Therefore, after the Father commissions the seven angels in Revelation 15:6, the one beast representing all creation gives seven golden vials to the seven angels.⁴⁵ This symbolic act means that all creation joins with and supports the Father's cleansing of the earth and all of creation during the Third Woe.⁴⁶ The seven Vial Plagues represent complete and total judgment⁴⁷ that will cleanse both the physical part of this earth⁴⁸ as well as the spiritual part.⁴⁹

The golden vials⁵⁰ are shaped like nearly flat dishes or shallow bowls.⁵¹ They are full of the wrath of God,⁵² which can and will be poured out quickly upon the wicked⁵³ because the cup of their iniquity will be full.⁵⁴ The wrath comes from God, who liveth for ever and ever.⁵⁵ This descriptive phrase signifies the endless extent or full measure of God's wrath.⁵⁶

Revelation 15:8: And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Smoke symbolically fills the heavenly temple during the Third Woe to represent the glory of God the Father⁵⁷ and his wrath that is kindled like a smoke-producing fire.⁵⁸ The smoke also represents his power to execute judgement on the wicked.⁵⁹ This imagery comes from the historic scene of smoke on mount Sinai when Jehovah manifested himself in power to the Israelites⁶⁰ and again at the dedication of the First Temple in the time of Solomon.⁶¹

The smoke in God's heavenly temple will be so symbolically thick during the Third Woe that no man [is] able to enter into the temple.⁶² This alludes to Israel's ancient High Priest who entered the Holy of Holies to make intercession for the sins of Israel⁶³ on the Day of Atonement with a golden censer that produced a fragrant smoke.⁶⁴ Here, the symbolic smoke is so thick that even Christ, the Great High Priest,⁶⁵ cannot enter the heavenly Holy of Holies to intercede or seek God's mercy⁶⁶ on behalf of the telestial people that remain on earth. There can be no mercy in this time of the Lord's vengeance and judgment till the seven plagues of the seven angels [are] fulfilled.⁶⁷

The seven plagues will destroy wicked people and cleanse the earth.⁶⁸ Their purpose is not to intercede with men so they are persuaded to repent.⁶⁹ The telestial people that refuse to repent by the time the Second Woe ends⁷⁰ will not have time to repent during the brief period of the Third Woe, even if the judgments of the Second Woe had the effect of persuading them to do so.⁷¹

And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

— Revelation 16:17