Jehovah's Works -Great and Wonderful - The Song of Moses and of the Lamb

 A remarkable panorama now comes into John's view:  "And I  saw what seemed to be a glassy sea mingled with fire, and those who came off victorious from the wild beast and from its image and from the number of its name standing by the glassy sea, having harps of God." - REVELATION 15:2. 

The "glassy sea" is the same one that John saw earlier, postitioed before the throne of God.  (Revelaton 4:6) It is similar to "the molten sea" (water container) of Solomon's temple, where the priests  obtain water to cleanse themselves.  (1 Kings 7:23)  It is thus a fine representation of "the bath of water," that is, God's Word, by which Jesus cleanses the priestly congregation of anointed Christians.  (Ephesians 5:25, 26; Hebrews 10:22) This glassy sea is "mingled with fire," indicating  that these anointed  ones are tested and purged as they obey  the high standard set for them.  Further, it reminds us that God's Word also contains expressions of fiery judgments against his enemies.  (Deuteronomy 9:3; Zephaniah 3:8)  Some of these fiery judgments are manifested in the seven last plagues that are about to be poured out.

The fact that the molten sea in Solomon's temple was for the use of the priests indicates that the singers standing before the  heavenly glass sea are a priestly class.  They have " of harps of God," and we therefore associate  them with the 24 elders and the 144,000, since these groups also  sing to a harp accompanieniment.  (Revelation 5:8; 14:2)  The singers that John sees "come off victorious from the wild beast and from its image and from the number of its name."  So  they must be those from among the 144,000m who live on earth during the last days.   As a group, they do indeed come off victorious.  For almost 90 years since 1919, they have refused to accept the mark of the wild beast or look to its image as  a man's only hope  for peace.  Many of them have already endured faithful to the death, and these, now in heaven, doubtless follow with  special delight the singing of their brotehrs who are  still on earth. - REVELATION 14:11-13.

Next time: Jehovah's Works -Great and Wonderful -  The Song of Moses and of the Lamb

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