Revelation 15:1

Another sign in heaven (allo shmeion en twi ouranwi). Looking back to John 12:1 John 12:3 , after the series intervening. The Seven Bowls are parallel with the Seven Seals (ch. Revelation 6:1 ) and the Seven Trumpets (chapters Re 8-11), but there is an even closer connection with chapters Re 12-14, "the drama of the long conflict between the church and the world" (Swete). Great and marvellous (mega kai qaumaston). Taumasto is an old verbal adjective (from qaumazw, to wonder) and is already in Matthew 21:42 . The wonder extends to the end of this vision or sign ( Revelation 16:21 ). Seven angels (aggelou epta). Accusative case in apposition with shmeion after eidon. Cf. Revelation 8:2 . Which are the last (ta escata). "Seven plagues the last." As in Revelation 21:9 , "the final cycle of such visitations" (Swete). Is finished (etelesqh). Proleptic prophetic first aorist passive indicative of telew as in Revelation 10:7 . The number seven seems particularly appropriate here for finality and completeness.