Revelation 15:2 Commentary and Bible Study

We have met with the sea of glass before in chapter 4 of the Book of Revelation. John looks into heaven itself where, before the throne of God, there is a great sea of crystal. That sea represents the created order, and God’s transcendence over all that he has made. Here it features again, but now it is not only the Lord but also believers from all ages who are standing on the sea. They too have been given dominion over all things that Christ has gained for mankind (Genesis 1:26; Psalm 8:6); they shall in Christ rise to the supreme position (Hebrews 2:8). Ungodliness cannot cross this sea or get near to God. Only those in Christ are described as being on this crystal, glassy sea. Now at the end of earth’s history, the saints are seen with this sea under their feet, a posture which in the Bible consistently represents mastery. Mankind as represented by the children of God has now achieved that dominion over all things which men and women were created to enjoy. We are given this preview of the final state of the elect to show their security before the seven last plagues are poured out on the world.They are described as those who have gained ‘the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name.’ They have not yielded to the pressure and threats of the world to serve the devil and to serve mammon, but have kept themselves for the Lord even at the cost of their lives. This reference to the beast and his mark shows how this chapter builds on what comes earlier in the book. This section has features which are very similar to section 3 (chapters 7-11) and also develop themes in section 4 (chapters 12-14). To interpret the book we need to add all these features together to form a comprehensive view of the gospel age.The sea is now mixed with fire. In a verse so closely connected with the wrath of God, this can only mean that the fire of God’s wrath has been sent into the creation. God’s judgment is already at work in the world. It is a fire that burns in a world from which believers are safely removed. This is true whether they are still physically left in the world or not. Even though physically present in the world, they are ‘not of the world’ in the Lord’s eyes, for they belong to the light and are children of the day. They have received the promise of eternal life and have been given the Spirit as an earnest of their future bodily redemption. The fire therefore cannot hurt them.They are given harps of gold in order to worship the Lord. Worship of the Lord is our highest privilege. It implies acceptance by God, ‘For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. ¹⁹ The living, the living, he shall praise thee’ (Isaiah 38:18-19). It implies sanctification, since none but those who are holy will be allowed into heaven. Their minds are now able to take in the wonders of God, for worthy praise is with understanding and with a proper appreciation of who he is.