Revelation 15:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The smoke indicates the fearful, dreadful, and tormenting wrath of God. Having filled the temple, it overtakes those worthy of it on the day of Judgment, especially those who submitted to the Antichrist and did apostate works.

This is confirmed by what follows, for he says: “And no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.”

From this we suppose that until divine wrath against the ungodly separates the righteous from the unrighteous, the saints will in no way receive their portion in the heavenly Jerusalem, nor priestly service and rest in the temple of God.

First the plagues must be completed, by which sin is repaid to those who deserve this. Only then will dwelling in the city above be granted to the saints.

The smoke is a sign of divine wrath. For it is written: “Smoke went up from His wrath” (Ps 17:9).

This smoke is an indication of fire. It is also the smoke that the divine Isaiah saw when he said: “The lintels of the doors were shaken by the voice with which the holy seraphim cried out, and the house was filled with smoke” (Isa 6:4).

The smoke indicated the wrath of God directed against the temple in Jerusalem.

That the smoke came from the glory of God and from His power is a kind of figurative expression. It is as though John said: it was filled with smoke from the wrath of God.

For God is power itself and glory itself. And who possesses His power?

I think the smoke indicates that no one can penetrate the mysteries of the judgments of God. Mortal minds are blinded, trembling at the thought of the plagues being brought, which John begins to recount here.

Until their full completion, smoke will remain in the temple. Therefore what follows is logical: “No one could enter the temple.” That is, this remained in deepest secrecy “until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.”

Therefore the psalm also says: “This was a trouble before me, until I entered the sanctuary of God and understood their end” (Ps 72:16-17).

Again, confession is usually depicted under the image of smoke. For as smoke precedes fire, so confession of sins precedes the flame of faith and love.

When the Church is about to go forth to preach to the Gentiles, she first, being kindled with the fire of love, sends forth the smoke of pious confession, thanking God for His ineffable gift (2 Cor 9:15).

“And no one could enter the temple,” and so forth. No one can be joined to the members of the Church except one who, hearing the mysteries of faith, learns from the preachers that Jesus is the Judge of the living and the dead appointed by God (Acts 10:42).

But if the smoke is interpreted as the hidden mysteries of the judgments of God, then for mortals they remain hidden and incomprehensible.

This remains so until, when the plagues of the present age are finished, the Lord comes. He will illumine what is hidden in darkness.

"No one could enter" shows that before God separates the righteous from the impious, the saints can in no way dwell in the Jerusalem above or receive rest. They will do so only after sinners have been repaid according to their deserts.