A Sea of Glass
A meditation on Revelation 4:6
“Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal” (Revelation 4:6, NIV)
Ever read something familiar, only to find that it’s not? That was my experience recently with Revelation 4. I’ve read these verses a hundred times, but this time, verse 6 caught my attention. The scene is heaven, with God sitting on His throne in unapproachable light. And John, the author, sees many things around the throne: a rainbow (v. 3), twenty-four elders (v. 4), lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder (v. 5), the burning lamps of the Holy Spirit (v. 5), a crystal-clear sea of glass (v. 6), and four living creatures worshiping God (vv. 7-8).
I’ve always pictured the sea of glass as a solid glass floor. It calls to mind the “vault” God created to separate the waters below from the waters above and make the sky (Gen 1:7). It’s clear so that God can look through the floor of heaven and see what’s happening on earth. The clarity of the glass also reminds us of God’s purity—there are no imperfections in Him. And these things might be true. However, something else stood out to me in John’s choice of words in this verse.
John calls it a “sea” of glass. In the Bible, the sea often represents chaos. And it’s easy to understand why. The weather could be unpredictable, and a storm at sea was perilous. When Jesus calmed the stormy sea (Matt 8:23-27), his disciples were utterly amazed—“What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” John writes at the end of Revelation, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea” (Rev 21:1). No more darkness. No more chaos. No more sea.
Back to Revelation 4. John sees a vision of heaven’s throne room: “In front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.” Have you ever seen a lake on a clear, calm, peaceful day with no breeze stirring and no waves breaking the water's surface? It looks like glass, clear as crystal. So, John sees God enthroned over the serene waters of a smooth sea.
Now, that brings to mind Psalm 29.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters… (Ps 29:3)The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace (Ps 29:10-11).
God is sovereign over our tempest. He sees through our chaos with crystal clarity. The winds and waves of our storms don’t undo His rule or overwhelm His power. From God’s perspective, the murky depths of our turmoil are a sea of glass, clear as crystal, over which He sits enthroned as King forever. Whatever chaos you’re facing, God is still King. The Lord gives strength to His people and blesses us with peace. So, take a breath and find refuge in Him.