Sea of Glass

Biblical Text

The sea of glass appears twice in Revelation.

• Revelation 4:6: In his vision of the throne in heaven, John writes, "And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal." Around the throne are the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders. Together with them, the sea of glass forms part of the scene of heavenly worship.
• Revelation 15:2–3: This scene comes just before the seven last plagues. John sees "as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire." Those who "had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name" stand beside the sea, "having the harps of God," and "they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb."

Terminology and Background

The Greek text reads thalassa hyalinē. The word hyalinē means "made of glass" or "glassy." In chapter 4 the phrase "like unto crystal" (krystallos) is added, emphasizing a clear, transparent brilliance. In both passages the language is figurative, as in "as it were a sea of glass." The expression is therefore read as a portrayal of what appeared in the vision rather than as a description of actual water or glass. Clear glass is known to have been a valuable commodity in the ancient world.

Old Testament Connections

Interpreters point to several Old Testament passages as background for the sea of glass.

• The floor of heaven: In Exodus 24:10, when the elders of Israel saw God on Mount Sinai, "there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone." In Ezekiel 1:22, a firmament "as the colour of the terrible crystal" is spread out above the heads of the living creatures. The "firmament" denotes a dome-like expanse arching over the sky.
• The sea of the Temple: Scripture calls the great basin of cast bronze that Solomon made for the court of the Temple in Jerusalem a "sea" (1 Kings 7:23–26). According to 2 Chronicles 4:6, the priests washed in its water. For this reason, some interpreters regard the sea of glass as a furnishing of the heavenly temple.
• The Exodus: The scene in chapter 15, in which the victors sing the song of Moses beside the sea, parallels Exodus 15, where Israel sang on the seashore after the crossing of the Red Sea. Many commentators read it as a picture of a new exodus.

Interpretations and Issues

The text does not directly explain what the sea of glass signifies, and interpretations therefore vary.

• God's holiness and transcendence: Some see it as representing the distance between creatures and God, as well as God's majesty and purity.
• Chaos subdued: In the Old Testament and the ancient Near East, the sea was often a symbol of chaos and threat. This interpretation sees the sea here as calmed and governed before the throne, still as glass. It is discussed alongside Revelation 21:1, "and there was no more sea."
• Purity and cleansing: Some interpreters connect it with the bronze sea of the Temple and take it as a symbol of purity. Some also associate it with baptism.
• "Mingled with fire": Interpretations of this phrase in chapter 15 differ. Some hold that it points to the judgment about to follow; others, that it refers to the trials and martyrdom the saints have passed through; still others, that it simply describes the play of light.

Those who read Revelation primarily symbolically understand the sea of glass as a theological symbol. Those who read it literally and futuristically sometimes take it as a description of something that actually exists in heaven. No denomination is known to have defined its meaning as official doctrine. Interpretation of its detailed symbolism depends on how one reads apocalyptic literature.