Revelation 15:2
in Revelation 15And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, beside which stood those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. They were holding harps from God,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that come off victorious from the beast, and from his image, and from the number of his name, standing by the sea of glass, having harps of God.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Revelation 15
Commentary
14 notes on this verseA sea of glass - A spacious lucid plain around the throne, from which fiery coruscations were continually emitted: or, the reflection of the light upon this lucid plain produced the prismatic colors of the most vivid rainbow. Over the beast, and over his image - See the notes on Revelation 13:1-18 (note).
This site's exposition
sea of glass mixed with fire
A sea of glass lay calm before the throne at 4:6, and now it is mixed with fire. Beside it stand those who had conquered the beast and its image, the overcoming, nikao, promised to every church in chapters 2 and 3.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
A commentator
Victorinus of PettauCommentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John · Written before 304.
proposed
"Standing upon the sea of glass, having harps." That is, that they stood stedfastly in the faith upon their baptism, and having their confession in their mouth, that they shall exult in the kingdom before God. But let us return to what is set before us.
[He saw] the water of baptism made holy by the fire of the Holy Spirit. Or, in view of the character of fire, this water has been made red through martyrdom. For this reason we read, "The kiln tests the clay vessels, and the trial …
And he saw, he says, a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the glassy sea, having the harps of God. He says somewhere in his own words …
A commentator
CyprianTreatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews · Written before 258.
proposed
That the foundation and strength of hope and faith is fear. In the cxth Psalm: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Of the same thing in the Wisdom of Solomon: "The beginning of wisdom is to fear God." Also in the Proverbs of the same: "Blessed is the man who reverences all things with fear."
The Medieval Church1 voice
We think that the "sea of glass" signifies the multitude of those who are being saved, the purity of the coming reward and the brightness that the saints will radiate by the sparkling of their virtue. The fire that is mixed with it may be …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
And those who have conquered the beast and its image, etc. Those who conquer the beast's deceits appear to stand by the fiery baptism, striving, according to the Apostle, to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).
Having the harps of God, and singing, etc. That is, bearing hearts dedicated to praising God, and singing with the truth of both Testaments. Or, the flesh extended on the wood of the passion. Where not only the sound of the voice, but also the …
And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire. That is, the translucent fountain of baptism, consecrated with the fire of the Holy Spirit. Or also, in regard to the quality of fire, reddened by martyrdom.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The song was sung while the angels were coming out, with their plagues, who are therefore mentioned both before and after it, verses 1-6. chap. xv, 1-6, And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire - It was before "clear as crystal," chap. iv, 6, but now mingled with fire, which devours the adversaries.
And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mingled with fire,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It has a pregnant sense: "standing" implies rest, Greek "epi" with the accusative case implies motion "towards." Thus the meaning is, Having come TO the sea, and now standing AT it. In Mt 14:26, where Christ walks on the sea, the Greek oldest manuscripts have the genitive, not the accusative as here.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And I saw as it were a sea of glass - In Rev 4:6, a similar vision is recorded - “And before the throne there was a sea of glass, like unto crystal.” See the notes on that passage. The sea of glass here means a sea clear, pellucid, like glass: an expanse that seemed to be made of glass. There it was entirely clear; here it is mingled with fire. Mingled with fire - That is, a portion of the sea was red like fire. It was not all clear and pellucid, as in Rev 4:6, but it was as it were a tesselated expanse, composed in part of what seemed to be glass, and in part of a material of a red or fiery color. In the former case Rev 4:6, the emblem was designed to represent the pure worship of heaven without reference to any other symbolic design, and hence, the sea is wholly clear and pellucid; here, in connection with the purpose of furnishing an appropriate symbol of the divine majesty, there is united the idea of punishment on the foes of God, represented by the fiery or red color. If it is proper, from conjecture, to suggest the meaning of this as an emblem, it would be that the foundation - the main element - of all the divine dealings is justice or holiness - represented by the portion of the sea that seemed to be glass; and that there was, in this case, intermingled with that, the image of wrath or anger - represented by the portion that was fiery or red. The very sight of the pavement, therefore, on which they stood when worshipping God, would keep before their minds impressive views of his character and dealings. And them that had gotten the victory over the beast - Rev 13:11. That is, they who had gained a victory in times of persecution and temptation; or they whom the “beast” had not been able, by arts or arms, to subdue. […]
The words behind it
35 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| εἶδον | eidon | I saw | G1492 → | 374 times |
| ὡς | hos | [something] like | G5613 → | 500 times |
| θάλασσαν | thalassan | a sea | G2281 → | 90 times |
| ὑαλίνην | hu'alinen | of glass | G5193 → | 3 times |
| μεμιγμένην | memigmenen | mingled | G3396 → | |
| πυρὶ | puri | with fire | G4442 → | 70 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τοὺς | tous | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νικῶντας | nikontas | conquering | G3528 → | 28 times |
| ἐκ | ek | over | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θηρίου | theriou | beast | G2342 → | 46 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐκ | ek | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| εἰκόνος | eikonos | image | G1504 → | 23 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of it | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐκ | ek | over | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀριθμοῦ | arithmou | number | G706 → | 18 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀνόματος | onomatos | name | G3686 → | 227 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of it | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἑστῶτας | hestotas | standing | G2476 → | 153 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θάλασσαν | thalassan | sea | G2281 → | 90 times |
| τὴν | ten | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὑαλίνην | hu'alinen | glass | G5193 → | 3 times |
| ἔχοντας | echontas | having | G2192 → | 707 times |
| κιθάρας | kitharas | harps | G2788 → | 4 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ. | theou | of God. | G2316 → | 1312 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εἶδονI saw
eidonG1492 →374 times
ὡς[something] like
hosG5613 →500 times
θάλασσανa sea
thalassanG2281 →90 times
ὑαλίνηνof glass
hu'alinenG5193 →3 times
μεμιγμένηνmingled
memigmenenG3396 →
πυρὶwith fire
puriG4442 →70 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τοὺςthose
tousG3588 →19766 times
νικῶνταςconquering
nikontasG3528 →28 times
ἐκover
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
θηρίουbeast
theriouG2342 →46 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐκof
ekG1537 →911 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
εἰκόνοςimage
eikonosG1504 →23 times
αὐτοῦof it
autouG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐκover
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
ἀριθμοῦnumber
arithmouG706 →18 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
ὀνόματοςname
onomatosG3686 →227 times
αὐτοῦof it
autouG846 →5565 times
ἑστῶταςstanding
hestotasG2476 →153 times
ἐπὶupon
epiG1909 →883 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
θάλασσανsea
thalassanG2281 →90 times
τὴνof the
tenG3588 →19766 times
ὑαλίνηνglass
hu'alinenG5193 →3 times
ἔχονταςhaving
echontasG2192 →707 times
κιθάραςharps
kitharasG2788 →4 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦ.of God.
theouG2316 →1312 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 12:11They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 10:3–5
For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.
- John 16:33
I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”
- 1 John 5:5
Who then overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
- 1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
- Romans 16:20
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
- 2 Corinthians 10:3–5
Through
Revelation 5:8When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which…
it leads to
- Psalms 141:2
May my prayer be set before You like incense, my uplifted hands like the evening offering.
- Revelation 8:3–4
Then another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before…
- Philippians 2:9–11
Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,
- Psalms 141:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Revelation

This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 15:2; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Cyprian, Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation; Primasius of Hadrumetum, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 15:2 and Victorinus of Pettau, Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John.
