Standing on the Sea of Glass
If you are concerned about whether or not you are spiritually prepared to meet the challenges facing us in these uncertain times, I would like to share with you a verse of Scripture that you may find helpful for direction and encouragement.
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.
Here are people who have gained the victory over the beast, his image, his mark and the number of his name (666). How did they accomplish this? By standing on the sea of glass. The fact that they have harps does not necessarily mean they are angels or spirits of departed saints because harps are symbolic of something having to do with the spiritual side of our being even as we are alive on earth. I see these people as Overcomers who are still on earth.
The most important thing here is that these people are standing on the sea of glass. Once I explain my interpretation of what this is, you will see that we can all stand on the sea of glass if we are willing to put forth the effort to do so. The sea is comprised of water. In Ephesians 5 we are instructed, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph 5:25-27).
The washing of water by the Word—water cleanses us physically and the Word of God cleanses us spiritually. The sea here in Revelation would be a very large body of water which I see as a type of the whole Bible. This sea is like glass. The Greek word for glass used here is hualinos meaning “transparent.” So as these people are standing on the sea, or rather standing on the Word of God for this interpretation, they can look down through it into the depths. In addition to reading their Bible they must have studied the Bible to get down into the deeper levels of meaning. Going deep doesn’t just mean study though; it also means putting into practice in your life what you are learning as you study. If we don’t live the revelation we receive, the Lord will not give us more revelation. This is because we will be judged according to what we know. The more we know, the more we are responsible to incorporate what we know into our life. “And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:47, 48).
If we don’t have revelation in the Word, it may be because we don’t spend much time studying our Bible. It might also be because the Lord is protecting us knowing that we would not live what we learn. I believe this is one reason Jesus taught in parables to the masses but explained the deeper meaning to his disciples. He knew the masses would have no guidance to help them incorporate into their lives what he taught. On the other hand, his disciples were in the position to assimilate his teachings into their lives.
Our verse says, the sea of glass was mingled with fire. There are two things about fire that I believe fit perfectly into this interpretation. We know that fire purifies. The heat of fire kills all the bacteria and burns away impurities. Fire can also mean passion. As we study the Word we should expect to grow in the purity of our life. We should also expect to gain a passion for the Word of God and for Jesus who is the Word. Bible study that starts out as a discipline should grow into a passion of delight over time. It is good to remember we are not alone as we study because the Holy Spirit is our teacher. He delights in this time spent together because he loves fellowship with us and he loves to teach. Our changed life and our passionate love for him is a great joy to him. Few people know this little secret but IT’S ALL ABOUT HIM. It’s not what we can get out of God but what we can give to God that is the basis of our true joy and a successful Christian life. All he wants is our love and faithfulness. If you would like to learn to study your Bible but don’t know how, read my article “Principles of Bible Study” found here: http://hispresenceonline.org/full-stature-life/principles-for-bible-study-finding-hidden-treasures/
If you are aware of the many dangers we all face at this time, you know that nothing is certain. Everything is in a state of change and these changes are almost universally for the worse. The economy is on a downhill slide with a debt hanging over our heads that can never be paid in our lifetime or the lifetime of our children. Our environment is becoming increasingly radioactive because radiation has never stopped spewing forth from the 2011 Fukushima power plant disaster. Our air, water and food are irreversibly polluted. Bureaucrats in Washington seem hell-bent on war with Russia…and the list goes on. We cannot change any of these things. All we can change is us. Each individual Christian can be changed into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ IF we keep our feet firmly planted on his Word as revealed in the Scriptures and trust in and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Scriptures do not change. Our God does not change. We must rise up in faith and grab hold of all that Jesus Christ has made available for us.
The people standing on the sea of glass mingled with fire were victorious over the beast, his image, his mark and the number of his name. To find out what all these mean please read my two-part article beginning here: http://hispresenceonline.org/revelation/the-first-beast-of-rev-13/
