Revelation 4:6 – Sea of Glass – Part 2

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What is This “Sea of Glass?”

Updated January 18, 2024

Rev 4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal:

The Bible makes it very clear that anything “in Christ” which is within the heavens themselves has been through the purifying fires of the word of God:

Gen 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Jer 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Rev 11:3 And I will give [power] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Rev 11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

It is the Truth which burns and devours the enemies of God’s elect. As I have said before, God’s Word is a purifying fire, and the only way to get to the tree of life is through that purifying fire. That fire will burn out of us all the wood, hay, stubble and tares, which all represent the weaknesses of the flesh and the lies of Babylon and any and everything which cannot withstand that purifying fire.

1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

It is common knowledge that “gold, silver and precious stones” are all formed under extreme pressure and extreme heat. Spiritual gold, silver and precious stones are formed under the extreme heat of the Word of God. What we may not have considered is the fact that this is also true of glass. Glass and crystal are also formed right out of “the sand of the sea” being put into the heat of the fire of the word of God in the heavens of God’s people.

Psa 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Psa 19:2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
Psa 19:3 There is no speech nor language, where their [the heavens] voice is not heard.
Psa 19:4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them [the heavens] hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
Psa 19:5 Which [Sun] is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
Psa 19:6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

What we are studying comes “from the end of heaven. His circuit is unto the ends of it, and there is nothing hid from the heat [of the Sun].” That ‘Sun’ is also The ‘Son.’ In the heat of His words even “the sand of the sea” is melted to form “a sea of glass like unto a crystal.”

Later in this revelation we are told that this “sea of glass” is “mingled with fire,” and that ‘fire’ is revealed as the wrath of God which is poured out on all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, to the spiritual Jew first and also to the spiritual Gentiles.

Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, [and] over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

Rom 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom 2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
Rom 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

We have all “believed not… [been] ungodly and unrighteous,” and it is only those who have endured that ‘fire,’ the fire of the word of God, who “stand on that sea of glass mingled with fire, having the harps of God.” When the ‘fire’ of God’s Word is finished with its work, the unstable waters of the sea will all become “a sea of [very stable] glass.” All men will have endured that fire, and all that can be burned up will have been burned up, and there will be only a sea of glass with the harps of God in their hands. Those standing on this ‘sea of glass, mingled with fire… having the harps of God” in their hands, are signified earlier as 144,000 who are also called “the firstfruits of God and The Lamb.”

Rev 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
Rev 7:2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
Rev 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Rev 7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the [spiritual] tribes of the children of Israel.

Notice that it is only these 144,000 who are called “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb.” It is also only these 144,000 who “have the harps of God” in their hands as we see in the very next chapter:

Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

Let’s notice who else has these ‘harps”:

Rev 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
Rev 14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

It is only those who overcome the “image… mark… and number of the name [of] the beast” who are given “the harps of God.” In other words, the symbols of the four beasts, the four and twenty elders, the 144,000 firstfruits unto God and The Lamb, and the seven angels standing on the sea of glass mingled with fire, are all one and the same. These are one and all symbols of those who overcome the image, mark, number of the name of the beast in this present time. They, and they alone are given “the harps of God.”

There were two groups who came up through great tribulation and washed their robes white in the blood of The Lamb in Revelation 7. The first group were the 144,000 who will come up in the “resurrection of life” (Joh 5:27-29). The other group who come up through great tribulations and wash their robes white in the blood of The Lamb are innumerable, and instead of “the harps of God” this group have something else in their hands to distinguish them from those who stand on the sea of glass with “the harps of God.”

Here is what the “great multitude which no man could number” hold in their hands:

Rev 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Rev 7:10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
Rev 7:11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation [“the lake of fire (which) is the second death/white throne judgment” (Rev 20:11-15)], and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Rev 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

The four beasts and the four and twenty elders have the harps of God and are on the throne of God. Those who are of the company which cannot be numbered have palms in their hands, and they are “before the throne of God.”

Nevertheless we must take note that those who overcome the beast and his image, and mark and the number of his name, stand on a “sea of glass.” It is not called a ‘lake of glass.’ The Greek word for ‘lake’ as in “lake of fire” is:

A ‘lake’ is not a ‘sea’. Here is the Greek word for ‘sea’:

While this Greek word ‘thalassa’ is used in reference to the Sea of Galilee, it is also used to in reference to the Mediterranean Sea where the city of Joppa is located:

Act 10:32 Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.

Clearly a ‘lake’ is a much smaller body of water than a ‘sea’, yet we are told that all mankind who are not in the first resurrection to life will be at the great white throne judgment and will be cast into the “lake of fire”:

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea [‘Thalassa’].
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

‘The beast and the false prophet’ signify all men whose names are not written in the book of life and who were not judged in this present time and consequently were not granted to have a part in “the resurrection of life” which takes place at the beginning of the thousand-year reign of Christ and His Christ:

Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

As is possible only in the realm of the spirit, the larger ‘sea’ of all mankind is cast into the smaller ‘lake’ of those who overcome the beast in this present time. That explains why we are told that those who overcome the beast and his image and his mark, and the number of his name are standing on a ‘sea of glass mingled with fire.’ The message we are being given is that they are indeed overcomers in this present time and therefore this ‘sea’, which represents the flesh, is under their feet, and it will be those who are standing on this ‘sea’ who will judge that ‘sea’ of mankind and become the “saviors” who come upon Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau:

Oba 1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

When those ‘Saviors’ shall have completed their job of judging the mount of Esau, and all men of all time have “come up through great tribulation and washed their robes white in the blood of The Lamb”, then we are told that there will be “no more sea.”

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

So the symbolism of the “sea of glass” is the complete destruction of “the sea”, and ‘the sea’ is the symbol of the flesh of all mankind, out of which ‘sea’ the beast in us all “rises up.”

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Where is This Sea of Glass?

That is an easy question to answer:

Rev 4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal:

This verse accords exactly with where the “great multitude which no man could number” is:

Rev 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

So the ‘sea of glass’ is not in the middle of the throne like the four beasts, neither is it round about the throne as the four and twenty elders are. Rather, it is “before the throne.” Why is it “before the throne?” The pattern of the things in the heavens reveals to us why it is before the throne instead of in and round about the throne. Here is the pattern of this “sea of glass.”

Exo 30:18 Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.

It is “between the tabernacle…and the altar” that we are washed and cleansed of all the blood we have shed on the altar of God, which altar is the cross of Christ.

Luk 11:49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
Luk 11:50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

As we have pointed out so many times, “this generation” is the generation reading and understanding these words. It has nothing to do at this time with those who do not read or understand the sayings of the prophecy of this book (Rev 1:3). “This generation” is you and me and the blood of all the righteous men from Abel until today is required of the old Adam that is within our flesh. This is not addressed to someone else. It is addressed to “he that hath and ear to hear.”

The “heads, and horns and crowns” upon the beast are the old heavens and the old earth which are in the process of passing away and being replaced with the new heavens and the new earth “after the pattern shown us.”

Heb 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

That pattern is, of course, our Lord Himself, and “we have this treasure within” where He dwells on the throne of His entire kingdom and where we stand with Him on a sea of glass “between the temple and the altar.” All who are bless and granted the honor of standing on the sea of glass with the harps of God themselves “came up out of the sea” and were mercifully given to overcome that beast and his image, and his mark and the number of his name, in “this present time” (Rom 8:18). This entire prophecy takes place within the hearts and minds of His elect where He directs “all things after the counsel of His own will,” burning out the wood, hay and stubble. Here is how we stand with Him on that sea of glass mingled with fire” even though were were at one time a part of the sea of mankind:

Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, [and] over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

So once again, we discover that the “sea of glass,” just like every other symbol throughout the word of God, is part of the revelation of Jesus Christ, by working all things within us after the counsel of His own will.

Summary

We did not get to the four beasts in the middle of and about the throne in heaven this week, but we did see that the word ‘seats’, as in “24 seats around the throne”, is the exact same Greek word ‘thronos’, which is also translated ‘throne’ in the very same verse.

We have seen that God did not reveal the fullness of the meaning of the heavens or the meaning of the earth or the details of all the things that happen therein to the prophets or kings or patriarchs of the Old Testament. We have seen that revelation is accomplished incrementally throughout all scripture so that the entire process of salvation, from the physical realm with its birth and death, to the spiritual realm with its deaths and resurrections, are all being revealed in increments as each book is added to the scriptures. The fact that there are both defiled and purified heavens is revealed only in the New Testament and that only through the sum of God’s Word. The fact that there are two resurrections is revealed fully only in the New Testament and that only through the sum of God’s Word. So it is with all of the symbols of this book of signs and symbols. It is being revealed to us, and it will continue to be revealed to us until the day we draw our last breath of air.

Isa 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
Isa 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

We have seen that every word of this revelation of Jesus Christ is for every man in his own appointed time, and that every man will learn of this revelation in the same incremental, line upon line, precept upon precept manner.

I want to give a special thanks to our brother Scott McGregor for this revised explanation of the significance of this ‘sea of glass” and why it is called a ‘sea’ and not a ‘lake’ of glass.

We have seen that the sea of glass is glass because it symbolizes the burning up of the things of the flesh, including all the lies and false doctrines of the unstable waters of the sea, out of which the beast arises, and upon which unstable waters of the sea the great harlot sits.

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

We have seen that the sea of glass is located between the tabernacle and the altar, because this is the part of our walk in which we are baptized and cleansed of all the blood we have shed upon the altar of the cross of Christ.

We have seen that this is the location for this sea, whether we are the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb, or the great multitude which no man can number. Both those in the resurrection to life and the resurrection to judgment are guilty of the blood of all the prophets from Abel to Zacharias (Luke 11:50-51).

We have seen that even with all the symbolism of evil, including the very crucifixion of Christ which is contained in all these symbols of the things of the true heavens, it is all a necessary part of the beginning “first man Adam” and “the last Adam” (1Co 15:45). It is all part of the revelation of Jesus Christ, in us, Christ in His Father and His Father in both Christ and in us. It is “the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev 1:1).

Next week, Lord willing we will complete the coverage of these two verses:

Rev 4:7 And the first beast [was] like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast [was] like a flying eagle.
Rev 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about [him]; and [they were] full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

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