END OF TIME PROPHECIES 171

"The sea of glass mingled with fire"                                            Revelation 15v2a 


The bible gives us only a few little "windows" into heaven.   We have already considered the sea of glass but it is good to remind ourselves of its meaning. especially, since here, something is added to the revelation.  

• It was described as "a firmament," an expanse between the four guardian angels and the throne. Thus firstly it speaks of the distance or the separation between God and His creation.  This symbolises the holiness of God; holiness just means "apart" He is separate from all, though wishing to draw all to Himself.   Some details of it are found in the following scriptures; (Exodus 24v10) this provides us with an amazing insight into heaven on a very special occasion.    God  invited Moses and Aaron and Nadab and Abihu  and seventy of the elders of Israel to have a feast before Him on Mount Sinai.      "And they saw the God of Israel and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone and as it were the body of heaven in its clearness."   Turning to (Ezekiel 1v25-26)  "there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.   And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne as the appearance of a sapphire stone."    The blue of the sapphire gave it an appearance of the sea.   Again in (Ezekiel 10v1)   "Then I looked and behold in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone......"   Thus three times over we see in scripture the separation of God from His entourage which had the likeness of a blue sea

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• "It was a sea of glass like unto crystal"  (Revelation 4v6).   The appearance of the sea was one of clear radiant brilliance reflecting the light of the glory of God.   Thus the sea speaks not only of the holiness of God, but it speaks of the glory of God which is reflected through the crystal sea

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• It is a sea of glass; the imagery here is in contrast to earthly seas.   The biblical view of the sea is given in Isaiah 57v20.    "The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest."   Thus the sea always speaks of restlessness, trouble, uncertainty, changeability.   The likeness of the sea before the presence of God and His throne is as of a sea of glass.   This speaks of absolute calm and peace and stability. 

 

• Something is added here; it is a sea of glass mingled with fire.   The fire always represents divine judgment.   Whether we think of past, present or future, where there is divine judgment there is always the symbol of fire. (Hebrews 12v29) says  "Our God also is a consuming fire". Note the word  "consuming", it is not the pleasant fire that brings heat, it is the devouring fire as stated in (Isaiah 33v14)  "Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?   Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?"   In the bible there are different ranks of angels; we have seen the cherubim, the guardian angels which stand before the throne.   There are other angels called seraphim which literally means  "the burning ones."   God has many sides to His character and one of those is the side which will always judge sin whenever it raises its ugly head.  

Thus we have in this picture the holiness of God, the glory of God, the peace of God in this sea of tranquility, but also the righteous judgment of God because of sin.   No sin or sinners will live in His presence.   We have already pointed out an interesting reference to this in (Ezekiel 28) which refers to Satan as  "the covering cherub."   In verses 16&17 of that chapter he reveals the destruction of Satan from that lofty position because of sin.    "Therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God; and I will destroy thee O covering cherub from the  midst of the stones of fire."   The suggestion is that these "stones of fire" are the same as the "sea of glass mingled with fire."   Thus we are speaking here of hallowed ground.   Up to this point only two persons have walked the stones of fire, Satan who was originally the highest creation of God ; and Jesus as a glorified man when He walked that hallowed place right to the very throne to receive the seven sealed book from the hand of God in Revelation 5v7.     Next we are going to see something very special because there appears on this hallowed ground a very special group of people.

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