Singing on the Fiery Sea of Glass (Rev 15:2-4)

The Sea of Glass in Heaven (Rev 15:2)

At the start of the Third Woe, John sees "as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire." This describes the celestial kingdom of God's residence in heaven that had the appearance of a fiery sea of glass. John previously saw a sea of glass like unto crystal in his vision of celestial paradise in Revelation 4:6. That sea of glass is not the sea of glass mingled with fire in Revelation 15:1. Celestial paradise is part of the postmortal spirit world which John saw as of 96 AD, where disembodied spirits await the day of their resurrection to celestial glory. The celestial kingdom of God's residence, by contrast, is his glorified world inhabited by exalted and exaltation-worthy saints called the 144,000 Servants (Rev 14:1). These persons have been redeemed‒meaning they have their calling and election made sure and they stand in the flesh on mount Zion having been transfigured, translated, or resurrected.

John's symbolic description of the fiery sea of glass is similar to the description found in D&C 130:6-7, which states: "The angels do not reside on a planet like this earth; But they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future." Glass is an emblem of brightness and glory, but it also denotes the idea of transparency so that all things can be seen and known past, present, and future. Donald W. Parry said: "The sea of glass indicates a celestial sphere [D&C 130:6-7], and the presence of fire indicates the presence of God, who dwells amid everlasting burnings [Isa. 33:14-16]." (Understanding the Signs of the Times, 332)

The 144,000 Servants Sing with Harps

The 144,000 Servants stand in this celestial sphere in the presence of God the Father and Jesus Christ as the last seven plagues of the Third Woe are about to be poured out on earth. The 144,000 will not be subject to the horrors on these seven "Vial Plagues" because they have been redeemed and taken up to "heaven." Their calling and election has been made sure because they have overcome the world and gained a great victory over "the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name [666]." (Rev 15:2) "They will be gods; and they will associate with him as do the Father and his Only Begotten." (JD, 18:292)

As victors over the Beast, the 144,000 Servants "sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb." (Rev 15:3) The song of Moses is an allusion to the song sung by the Israelites when they stood on the far shore of the Red Sea after Pharoah's Egyptian army was destroyed. That former scene of victory on an earthly seashore is a type and foreshadow for the scene of victory on a heavenly seashore.

The song of the Lamb is a joyous refrain that praises Christ as the deliverer of these redeemed saints from both physical and spiritual bondage. This song praises Christ's unmatched power as God Almighty (Jehovah, God of hosts). "It goes beyond that of Moses, and takes in that of the Lamb as well, which is the song of victory over sin and death, the song of justification and eternal life through the blood and triumph of Jesus, whose dominion and right as the Lord of the nations are attested by these mighty judgments." (The Apocalypse, Lectures on the Book of Revelation, 369)

For a deeper dive, check out my podcasts from April 26 and 28, 2026.

April 26, 2026 — Podcast

April 28, 2026 — Podcast