A lot of apocalyptic narrative and prophecy in Scripture is difficult to understand. Descriptions of things seen in prophetic visions by the likes of Daniel, Ezekiel and the Apostle John are so fantastic and overawing that they defy proper and precise description. But one of the things I have come to learn about understanding prophetic imagery is to first ask what is the image(s) trying to communicate in its most basic form? For example, if I saw a shovel as a piece of prophetic imagery I might deduce that God is asking me to dig into something, not just appreciate a picture of a shovel. For what is a shovel used? Is it a long-handled shovel, or a spade. You get the drift, I’m sure. Analysing and meditating in such a way gives us clues as to what God is saying to us.
The apostle John sees certain imagery in Revelation 4 and 15
Revelation: 4:6 “Before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.” And again, in Revelation 15:2 he records, “I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled [or mixed] with fire.”
On neither occasion does John say that he saw a literal sea of glass. Look carefully at the text. John says, there was “as it were” a sea of glass, and, I saw “what appeared” to be as sea of glass. Clearly, he is struggling to describe the scene before the throne. So, we might ask what is a sea? What is glass, or put together, what do “sea” and “glass” together signify? A sea is a vast body of water and it has waves, and these waves can be blown about and even become whitecapped waves, or heaving, heavy, stormy seas. But when the sea image is fused with the glass imagery the scene changes. Glass is flat and smooth, it certainly seems to be shining or finest quality glass “like crystal”. It’s quite beautiful and exquisite in appearance, a lucid, magnificent purity ... The apostle is attempting to describe the indescribable. If we add to this the “mingled with fire” descriptor the scene changes again … vivid brilliance like the fire of a diamond as it catches the light.
So, a “sea of glass”. A vast expanse of smooth, clear, unrippled, undisturbed settledness, one could say. And with a vivid, pure brilliance. What a sight for the aged apostle as he gazes upon it. What is he seeing?
The human mind is just too limited to apprehend all the realities of the spiritual realm. But we have this confidence in that the prophets and apostles wrote under the inspiration of Holy Spirit; and the words they chose are the best possible means of communicating the message. The imagery here, of the throne of God sitting on this sea of glass – so much sea-glass in front of the throne and around it. I believe this is the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding. Certainly, John cannot apprehend its magnificence and sheer settledness, its uncontradictable tranquillity and serenity, that permits no interference to it (no ripples, no storms, no waves, no upheaval).
When Jesus awoke and stood up on the deck of the disciples’ boat in that great storm which Mark records in his gospel account, this is what happened that day ….
Mark 4:37-39 (NIV) A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm …
The Prince of Peace is asleep in the storm. He awakes … and commands the tempest to be quiet! Still. And there was a great calm on the water … flat like a sea of glass, as it were. What was in Jesus, He released into the environment around Him. And the storm was stopped in its tracks – there was a great, flat calm.
Is that how it is with you? What is in you that is released into the environment around you when the storms rage? Do things become calm? Do you become afraid? Can you sleep at night?
From eternity Jesus dwelled in heaven with the Father on the sea of glass. That was His glorious environment that He had created. He came to earth and tabernacled here for a time and what was in Him was imparted to so very, very many. These recipients of this peace suddenly knew a peace not from this world, and it started to govern their lives. And with us, too. The death of Christ brought us peace with God the Father … and His peace from heaven got into us … and it now governs our lives and circumstances no matter what rages around us.
John 14:27 (NIV)
[Jesus] “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Did you see that? Jesus gives peace “not as the world gives”. For example, the world thinks peace is like a truce, or the cessation of hostilities, or the like. But that’s not the peace Jesus gives. The sea of glass gives us a wonderful clue. The Prince of Peace gives to us a peace that is “undisturbable”, “unrippleable”, imperturbable, uncontradictable and undefeatable.
Perfect peace!
No matter the storms of life, no matter how furious, fearful and tempestuous … they all bow to the peace of God. “Silence! Be still”, and there is a great, flat calm. “Yes, but how?”, you ask. The prophet Isaiah knew the how, and we can, too …
Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”
Think on these things, and may the perfect peace of God bring a great, flat, sea-of-glass calm to you as you walk with Him in confidence on the stormy seas of life.
Ps Milton