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The Sea Of Glass
Perhaps because so much of
the imagery in the book of Revelation is strange, the significance of John’s
description of the region before the throne of God as a ‘sea of glass’ has often been missed.
“And before the throne there was a sea of
glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the
throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.” Revelation
4:6 KJV
The
NIV has, “what looked like a sea of
glass, clear as crystal.”
On Patmos, an island in the
Aegean, John must have sometimes observed the sea when it was calm, and still,
and its waters clear, so one could see the bottom of the sea from a boat, or
when looking down from a high place on the shore.
Such a scene may have
suggested the idea of a sea composed of glass.
The same sea of glass is
referred to in chapter 15.
“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.” Revelation
15:2
In John’s time, the use of
glass was known already for thousands of years, but it became much more common
during John’s lifetime, due to the invention of glass blowing.
John may have witnessed
glassblowing some time in his life; he described the sea of glass as “glass mixed with fire.”
A very hot mass of glass
glows red hot, with the heat.
According to some scholars,
in ancient times glass was valued as jewelry, like gold.
The NASB translation of Job
28:17 refers to glass, where the KJV and NIV translations use the word “crystal.”
“But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price.
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx, or sapphire.
Gold or glass cannot equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.” Job 28:12-17 NSAB
And where is the place of understanding?
Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price.
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx, or sapphire.
Gold or glass cannot equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.” Job 28:12-17 NSAB
During the first century AD
the production of glassware increased throughout the empire, so by the time
John wrote the Apocalypse, many items made of glass that were once considered
precious had became commonplace.
In those days, glass items
were not clear and transparent, as most glass is today.
Paul
spoke of viewing “through a glass,
darkly,” as a metaphor, representing an imperfect, or incomplete
view.
The word that Paul used for
glass actually refers to a mirror. Glass has the property of reflecting, and so
can be used as a mirror. It reflects as well as being transparent.
The glass Paul referred to
was probably a translucent, and unclear sort of glass. Clear glass was first
developed about the end of the first century, in Egypt.
Paul’s idea of glass
obscuring our view of things, may be the foundation for John’s use of the idea
of a “sea of glass.”
Paul
said, “For now we see through a glass,
darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even
as also I am known.” [1 Corinthians 13:12]
Paul
contrasted the view through a glass, with a “face
to face” perspective.
Moses
was famous for being a prophet who “the
LORD knew face to face.”
In
this, he was unique. “And there arose not
a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.”
[Deuteronomy 34:10]
John described those who gain
the victory over the beast, standing upon the sea of glass, that is before the
throne of God, where they no longer have to view things “through a glass.”
Their perspective is like
that of Moses; they are “face to face” with
Christ, and the throne.
But the sea of glass on which
they stand still functions as a mirror.
In prophecy, the word of God
is couched in symbol and metaphor.
From the viewpoint of the
earth, man’s perceptions must be as one peering through the “glass mixed with
fire” of the sea of glass, but those who obtain victory over the beast stand
upon the sea of glass, so they see what before was only imperfectly understood.
Unless properly interpreted,
prophecy gives only a murky view of things.
The saints who gained victory
over the beast and his image, standing above the sea of glass represents their
possessing a clear, and un-obscured understanding, that comes from a right
interpretation.
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