Sea of Glass
Then I saw something that looked like a glass sea mixed with fire, and people were standing on it. They were the ones who had defeated the beast and the idol and the number that tells the name of the beast. God had given them harps, and they were singing the song that his servant Moses and the Lamb had sung. They were singing, “Lord God All-Powerful, you have done great and marvelous things. You are the ruler of all nations, and you do what is right and fair. Lord, who doesn’t honor and praise your name? You alone are holy, and all nations will come and worship you, because you have shown that you judge with fairness”
(Revelation 15:2-4).
John saw a sea of glass glowing with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast held harps in their hands and sang about God. This vision of the sea of glass embodies God's holiness and purity, while the fire symbolizes the impending judgment that was set to fall on the whole earth. The faithful martyrs who were victorious over the Antichrist, its image, and mark carried harps to sing about the goodness of God, for there were going to be judgments poured out on the earth due to the wickedness of sin, yet these faithful were overcomers and chose death rather than succumb to the deception of the beasts. These judgments will not be for the righteous, but they will be for those who accepted the mark of the beast and his image. The wicked will not be able to escape the final wrath of God. The Bible tells us why in the book of Romans.
The Bible says: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness…when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools… Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness… They changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator… For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly...God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents… Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” ((Romans 1:18-32). This text outlines why the wicked will be judged and the sins for which punishment will be given. We want to make a conscious decision to follow and obey God.
The righteous sang a song unto God because of His goodness. They knew that God had been fair in all His ways and that all nations would acknowledge Him and His greatness. The Bible says: “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: ‘I will sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name’ ” (Exodus 15:1-3). God is mighty and just in all His ways. We will not cry over anyone who doesn’t make it to Heaven once we get there because we will know that everyone has a chance to make it but refuses to accept His gift of salvation. He is all-powerful, and there is no one greater than our God. During the millennium reign, all nations will worship the Lord, who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords forever and ever.
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