Revelation 15:2, commentary and pictures

The sea of glass mingled with fire stands before God's throne shining with His glory, and upon it stand those who have conquered the beast and his image and his mark and the number of his name with the harps of God in their hands. They are the 144,000 redeemed from among the living, translated at Christ's coming and sealed with God and the Lamb's name after passing through great tribulation without an intercessor. Their victory means keeping God's commandments and the faith of Jesus and refusing to worship the beast and his image, distinguished especially by keeping the Sabbath as God's sign against the enforced mark and idol sabbath of Rome. Standing there they sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, declaring God's works great and marvelous and His ways just and true, with crowns and palms and white robes given by Jesus Himself. Keeping this triumph in view calls for overcoming temptation and sin now by the blood of the Lamb, learning praise and purity of character here in order to sing that song there.

Sea, Harps, and Setting

The sea of glass mingled with fire stands before God's throne, shining like crystal and like fire because it is resplendent with God's glory. It is there that those who have gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name are gathered to stand with the Lamb, holding the harps of God.

Those harps are God's harps of gold, given by Jesus Himself to the victorious saints standing on the sea. With them He gives palms of victory and clothes them all in a glorious white mantle reaching from shoulders to feet, and with His own right hand He places crowns upon their heads. Holding that reward before the mind shows a promise and victory that cannot be lost, with a precious victory to gain every day, calling high and low, rich and poor to move heavenward and bring souls to truth.

The 144,000 stand on the sea in a perfect square as a sealed and perfectly united company, having God, New Jerusalem, and Jesus' new name upon their foreheads. Angels surround them as they stand there, and then they march over the sea of glass to the gate of the city. Their crowns differ in brightness and in number of stars, some very bright and heavy with stars and others with few, yet all are perfectly satisfied with their crowns.

Jesus Himself opens the pearly gate for them to enter with a perfect right to the city because they washed their robes in His blood and stood stiffly and firmly for His truth. The sea of glass is thus the place where the victorious stand before God. Looking ahead to standing there should teach littleness of self and greatness of God, for God values where humans supposed littleness and finds littleness where they supposed greatness.

Identity of Victorious Company

Those who stand on the sea are the 144,000, redeemed from among humanity, translated from among the living, called firstfruits to God and the Lamb, standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion with God's harps in their hands. They are the same faithful company seen with the Lamb on Mount Zion, bearing the Father's name on their foreheads instead of the beast's mark. They stand there in a perfect square as a sealed and perfectly united company with God, New Jerusalem, and Jesus' new name on their foreheads.

They came through great tribulation, the unprecedented time of trouble and Jacob's trouble, stood without an intercessor during the final outpouring of God's judgments, washed their robes white in the Lamb's blood, were delivered, and serve before God's throne. They are Christ's true disciples and remnant church who followed Him through sore conflicts, persecution, painful trials, self-denial, and bitter disappointment, learned the guilt and woe of sin and abhor it, were purified and disciplined, and having shared Christ's sufferings are destined to share His glory. Their victory comes by enduring temptation to the end, and after gaining it they stand surrounding the throne beholding the Saviour bearing the marks of crucifixion on His glorified body.

After gaining the victory they ascend seven days in the cloud to the sea after the Second Coming, when the sleeping saints are raised clothed with immortality, the living are changed, and all are caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. There Jesus Himself with His own right hand places crowns on their heads and gives them harps of gold and palms of victory, clothing them all in glorious white mantles from shoulders to feet, with angels surrounding them. After receiving harps, robes, and crowns and entering the holy city, they sit with Jesus in judgment on the wicked during the thousand years before the city descends to earth.

Soon when Jesus returns He brings His long-waiting people to the Father's house, leads them beside the living stream flowing from the throne of God, explains the dark providences through which He perfected their characters on earth, and shows them with undimmed vision the beauties of Eden restored.

Meaning of Gaining Victory

Getting the victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name means conscientiously keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus and refusing to worship the beast and his image and to receive his mark. The final conflict divides the world and all Christendom into those who keep God's commandments and have the faith of Jesus and those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark. God's worshipers are distinguished by keeping the fourth commandment, for the Sabbath is the sign of God's creative power and claim to reverence and worship, while worshipers of the beast tear down the Creator's memorial to exalt the institution of Rome, an idol sabbath and institution of the papacy.

Though church and state unite to compel all, small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive the mark, God's people will not bow to decrees of earthly rulers set against the authority of the King of heaven and will not receive it. They gain the victory by the patience of the saints, keeping God's word with endurance to the end and enduring temptation to the end. They overcome the accuser by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, loving not their lives unto death.

They pass the final searching test when a decree goes forth that all who will not receive the mark shall neither buy nor sell and finally shall be put to death, by obeying God rather than men and standing firmly for truth and for the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus under oppressive powers seeking to force disobedience. Their victory is unyielding firmness after enduring trials suffered for truth's sake, revealing position, dangers, conflicts, and final deliverance. They do not find safety in working miracles against Satan's deceptive miracles, but find power in the Sabbath sign and stand securely on the living Word, It is written, protected by angels that excel in strength and walking in light from God's throne through fearful tests and the time of trouble unmoved.

The same company promised to ride on the high places of the earth and be fed with the heritage of Jacob endures the dragon's war on the remnant in the last period of earth's history when churches and the world unite in trampling God's commandments and threaten with death all who obey them. Getting the victory then means keeping the commandments of God and having the testimony of Jesus Christ while exercising the patience of the saints by enduring unto the end.

Prophetic Place and Sequence

The scene belongs to the great and marvelous sign in heaven of the seven angels having the seven last plagues, in which the wrath of God is filled up. It follows the proclamation and explanation of the first, second, and third angels' messages. At that time the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony is opened, and the seven angels go forth to receive the golden vials of wrath, while those who gain the victory over the beast and his image and mark and number stand on the sea of glass mingled with fire with the harps of God, singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb magnifying the works and the just and true ways of the Lord God Almighty.

It stands with the daily deciding of what shall be written in the books of heaven and with the reaping of the ripe harvest of the earth. It leads into the declaration that the works of the Lord God Almighty are great and marvelous, that His ways are just and true, that He alone is holy, and that His judgments are manifested before all nations. That final triumph belongs to those who kept the word of God's patience through the approaching hour of test and trial.

The prophecies of Revelation 12 to 18 are being fulfilled as the last message of warning is to be heard by all. The very last call of Revelation 18 is now to be given to the churches. Those who escape the seven last plagues are God's people who have heeded the warning of God's final judgments and are characterized by keeping God's commandments and having the faith of Jesus.

The seven last plagues are poured out after Jesus leaves the sanctuary. They are the wrath of God and the Lamb bringing destruction and death to the wicked. After this victory the beast and the false prophet are taken and cast into a lake of fire, and the dragon who instigated the great rebellion against heaven is bound and cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years. Then follow the resurrection of the wicked and the final destruction of Satan and all the wicked, and the final triumph and reign of Christ in this earth.

At their deliverance in the time of trouble the Israel of God flees the cities and villages and is protected from the sword of the wicked. Having cried day and night for deliverance, they stand with eyes fixed upward listening to the voice of Jehovah like many waters shaking the heavens and the earth. That shaking comes amid sun, motionless moon, stopped streams, clashing clouds, opening sky, shaking mountains, and boiling sea.

As God speaks the day and hour of Jesus' coming and delivers the everlasting covenant, pausing between sentences that roll through the earth like loudest thunder, the saints answer every sentence with Glory, Alleluia. Their faces are lighted up and shining with the glory of God as Moses' face shone when he came down from Sinai, so that the wicked cannot look on them. When the never-ending blessing is pronounced on those who honored God by keeping His Sabbath holy, there rises the mighty shout of victory over the beast and over his image. That shout of victory at the declaration of the everlasting blessing for Sabbath keepers is the victory over the beast and its image.

Song and Heavenly Worship

Standing on the sea they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb, declaring great and marvelous are the works of the Lord God Almighty and just and true are His ways as King of saints, with His sole holiness and manifested judgments before all nations. This singing belongs to the ultimate triumph after the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels' messages, when the seven last plagues fill up the wrath of God and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony is opened for the seven angels to go forth to receive the golden vials of wrath. It is the song of those who conscientiously kept the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, refused to worship the beast and his image and to receive his mark and bow to an idol sabbath, overcame the accuser by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony loving not their lives unto death, endured temptation to the end through sore conflicts, self-denial and bitter disappointment, and stand redeemed and glorified surrounding the throne. Beholding the Saviour bearing the marks of crucifixion on His glorified body around God's throne, they praise God for His great and marvelous works and just and true ways. Israel's song of deliverance at the Red Sea points forward to this final victory of the Israel of God and destruction of all foes of righteousness, and it does not belong to the Jewish people alone, for the white-robed multitude sings the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb.

The conquerors sing the song of triumph in the Paradise of God, the home of eternal bliss around the great white throne, showing final salvation belongs to those who conquer and pressing who will be present there and who will be missing. Those who die for the truth will rise to everlasting life in God's city and sing triumph in heaven, while their persecutors remain outside grieving that they chose persecution rather than faithfulness. Music is of heavenly origin, and the redeemed finally enter the immortal reward with music and songs of victory. The music is perfectly ordered, harmonious, and divine, with angels playing golden harps as one sounds the first note and leads before the others join, their faces shining with the image of Jesus.

Heaven is not inactive: every overcomer receives a golden harp, and there the redeemed plant and build, ever learn, worship God, delight to sing His praises and speak of His mercy and love, with music far richer than earth's sweetest music. Only the pure and undefiled without spot or wrinkle enter the city, where a harp is placed in each overcomer's hand, heaven's highest angel leads the song of redemption through Christ, and with crowns cast at the Redeemer's feet and golden harps touched they fill heaven with praise to Him on the throne. There beside the living stream flowing from the throne Jesus leads His long-waiting people brought into the Father's house at His return, explains the dark providences by which He perfected their characters, and shows them Eden restored in undimmed vision. The One who endured temptation and wore the crown of thorns for sinners will be crowned with glory as the redeemed see Jesus, worship at His feet, and receive harps for heavenly music.

Together in glory with golden harps they make heaven's arches ring with Alleluia, declaring heaven cheap enough because their greatest trials look small beside the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The victorious redeemed gather in God's city celebrating with the song of Moses and the Lamb, entering bearing palms of victory and wearing crowns of glory.

Promise and Present Preparation

The sea of glass holds a promise and reward that cannot be lost for those who advance heavenward and are numbered among the redeemed, with harps given by God in their hands, and there is a precious victory to gain every day, so keeping that victory and reward before the mind calls high and low, rich and poor to take part in moving heavenward and to bring souls to a knowledge of the truth. Laying hold upon divine strength amid besetting dangers in the coming crisis almost upon the world brings victory over the beast and his image and standing at last on the sea to sing everlasting triumph, and that warning of crisis and victory is for the world and must not be kept to oneself. That victory is gained by overcoming temptation and remaining faithful through trials and by withstanding Satan's tests, and entering the heavenly courts to sing songs of praise and triumph there and to share in the life of the kingdom, with crown, harp, and entrance into the city of God and the crown of eternal life, requires overcoming. Faithful labor on earth is acknowledged in heaven when the redeemed stand victorious before God with the signs of victory and the harp and enter the joy of their Lord, entering through the gates into the city to have eternal life in the kingdom of glory, where they receive the crown of life and a golden harp and a palm branch of victory.

The hope of entering the city gives believers a goal to aim for as they endure sorrow and affliction with strength and grace from the living Saviour. Reaching that standing with Christ soon upon the sea with the harps of God and crowns of glory and unmeasured eternity before them requires being ready and waiting with lamps trimmed and burning in watchfulness for the Lord's coming, which has been delayed by long-suffering unwilling that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life. Telling of the matchless power of Christ and speaking of His glory instead of gossiping and creating mischief, and beginning now to sing songs of triumph and thanksgiving, trains and prepares for meeting on the sea to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb as the song of victory in the kingdom of glory. That song is praise, thankfulness, joy, happy contentment, gratitude, love, and peace, with no frowns, no whining, and no complaining but joy wholly and continually through eternal ages, and all must learn its principles here on this side and practice them here in order to sing and practice them there. Only those who can sing the angels' strains will be there, while grumblers, murmurers, whiners, faultfinders, scolders, fretters, unbelievers ever questioning the right, and those who do not cherish love for one another here and therefore would have no love for heavenly beings there, will be left outside.

Singing the song of triumph in the city of God depends on living rightly now in the great day of atonement by confessing and forsaking sins, humbling the heart before God, clearing sin from the door of the heart and letting Jesus rule on the throne of the heart, receiving the purifying sanctifying influence of the truth, living in faith and confidence shoulder to shoulder, and sitting together below in heavenly places in Christ in order to be found in the kingdom above. Fitness for the heavenly home where the redeemed sing the song of victory is gained now by casting aside murmuring and repining, being filled with praise, drawing together with Christ, repenting and being converted, placing self on the altar of service, bringing Christ into the heart and into worship, and being ready to meet Him in peace at His soon coming, which brings rejoicing. Standing on the sea requires moral purity and transformed character with no guile in the mouth, putting away exaggeration, misstatements, and every untruth and living openly before God. Standing on the sea on the eternal hills of paradise the redeemed will look back over past life and review hours of impatience and see how many unnecessary trials they brought on themselves by thinking God was dependent on them to do everything, learning littleness of self and greatness of God and forbidding exalted ideas of personal greatness and exalting of self, for magnitude of experience is no measure of worth since God has a standard unlike human standards, showing value where littleness was supposed and littleness where greatness was supposed, and looking ahead to standing there believers should already recognize how small they are and how great God is.

When they look back from eternity with unmeasured eternity before them, the waiting period and waiting time of probation will seem short, and their future glory will make it seem so. The scene shows the victorious standing after the great conflict, the people who refused the beast, its image, its mark, and the number of its name, having overcome the beast and singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. It shows the faithful finally delivered after the church's deadly conflict with the beast and its image and the enforcement of its worship on pain of death, standing with God's harps as the same faithful company seen with the Lamb on Mount Zion bearing the Father's name instead of the beast's mark. It pictures the redeemed in triumph at the close of time having gained the victory by unyielding firmness in keeping the commandments against oppressive earthly powers seeking to force disobedience after enduring trials suffered for truth's sake, revealing not only their position but their dangers, conflicts, and final deliverance and what happens to those who overcome in the final standing.