Sea of Glass

The Sea of Glass is a heavenly feature described in John's Apocalypse. In Revelation 4:6 it appears as "a sea of glass, like crystal" spread before the throne of God, evoking the cosmic firmament and the dazzling purity of the heavenly realm. A second vision in Revelation 15:2 shows the victorious saints standing upon "a sea of glass mingled with fire," having overcome the beast, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. The image may draw on the bronze laver or "molten sea" of Solomon's temple (1 Kgs. 7:23–26), transposed into eschatological glory, and on Ezekiel's vision of the crystal firmament above the cherubim (Ezek. 1:22). In the heavenly sanctuary the sea represents not chaos but the transparent holiness of God's presence.