Before the Throne a translucent sea, like to crystal" (Verse 6).

In prophetic writing "Sea" is representative of nations. It is thus used in Ezek. xxvi. 3, where Yahweh Elohim addressing Tyre, says, "I am against thee, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up." Here the waves of the sea represent the military forces of the nations marching against any enemy. Also in Jer. li. 42,43, the forces of the Medes and Persians which captured Babylonia are styled the sea; as "the sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof: her cities are a desolation."

Daniel’s four great beasts are represented as arising out of the Great Sea, or Mediterranean, as the result of the striving of the four winds upon it. These four beasts are systems of powers which arose out of conflicts of the nations inhabiting that portion of the earth the central sea of which is the Mediterranean. Hence, this sea became their representative in the prophecy. It is also so used in the Apocalypse into the symbols of which it has been transferred, and with them incorporated. The beast having seven heads and ten horns exhibited in ch. xiii. 1, is a combination of Daniel’s four, and therefore represented as rising up out of the sea," which of course, is the same sea.

The second trumpet was prepared to "blow upon the sea; and when it sounded the great Attila mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood; and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed." (Apoc. viii. 8). This was a representation of the judgments that were to fall upon the peoples of the Roman West occupying that third part of the great sea region and scourged by Attila and his Huns, as Moesia, Thrace, Macedonia, Illyria, Lombardy, and so forth. But, until the Sealing Angel had done his work upon the servants of the Deity, the Angel of the second trumpet was commanded not to hurt the sea (vii. 1,3).

The rainbowed angel that descends from the heaven, is represented in ch. x. 2,5, as planting his right foot upon the sea, and swearing that henceforth "there should be no delay in the finishing up of the mystery of the Deity as he had declared the good ," or gospel of the kingdom, "to his servants the prophets." This is the same sea; and the right foot of the angel resting upon it, indicates that it is to be subjected to the judgments of the Seven Thunders from the throne as well as the earth, or interior regions.

In chap. xii. 12, the sea is again introduced in the words, "Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! for the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." Here the sea is regarded as an inhabited region to which the Devil would pay a visit in wrath. In this text it represents those provincial regions of the Fourth Beast habitable in which the last struggle for power between the Catholic and Pagan factions was to ensue, subsequently to the expulsion of the "what withholdeth," from the Roman Heaven, in the Constantinian epoch (2 Thess. ii. 6,7).

In chap. xvi. 3, the second angel-power is exhibited as pouring out his vial upon the sea; "and it became as the blood of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea." Here is a sea of living souls in anything else than a translucent state like to crystal. It was opaque with human blood to excess, as symbolized by the death of all the souls it contained. The naval anti-revolutionary war, which commenced in 1793, and continued with brief intermissions till 1815, illustrates this judgment upon the sea. It is a sea of living souls noted for their wickedness; and hence it is that the Spirit speaking of them, says, "The wicked are like a troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. No peace for the wicked, saith my Elohim." (Isa. lvii. 20).

This is the present condition of the Apocalyptic sea, representative of the nations of the four beasts of Daniel; the people of the interior, as of Germany, Hungary, Poland, Russia, and so forth, being represented by "the earth." The sea-nations are more especially before, or in the presence of the throne; the earth-nations being more remote. Nevertheless, the nations, or "inhabiters of the earth and sea," are all of the same character, and in the hour of judgment "equally obnoxious to the wrath of the Deity. They are both a dead and a troubled sea, and so charged with mire and dirt," that nothing can make it transparent to the light of the divine glory, but the judgments of the Deity -- the bolts of the seven thunders pealing from the throne: "when his judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness;" and "all nations shall come and worship before Yahweh; because his judgments are made manifest" (Isa. xxvi. 9; Apoc. xv. 4).

This, then, is the purpose of the Deity upon the sea; to make it "like to crystal," transparent with righteousness and truth. This is the mission of Yahweh’s servant when he comes in power to enlighten the earth with his glory. But this must be preceded by judgments upon the sea. The representation of this is found in Apoc. xv. 2, in which John says: "I saw as it were a translucent sea that had been mingled with fire (memigmenen perf. part. pass.)." But the fire had ceased to burn, and those who had gained the victory over the sea of nations, he also saw standing upon it, and with their harps celebrating their victory over the Papal and other dominions, and singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. The fire with which the sea will have been mingled is the wrath of the Deity contained in the Seven Thunders, or terrors of the Seventh Vial, to be hurled from the throne by Jesus and his Brethren, who constitute the Rainbowed Angel, "whose face is as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire" (x. 1).

When these judgments, which make the Deity "a consuming fire" (and "the Spirit follows with them," the saints) when they shall have subsided, "the Mystery of the Deity will be finished." The sea of nations will be no more lashed into fury and tempest for a thousand years. In the presence of David’s throne it will be tranquil; and its waters so translucent, that those who stand upon it, having calmed its tempests and quieted its waves, will see into its utmost depths. But though at rest for a thousand years, and the power of the Satan submerged in the abyss, the sea will again become tempestuous, and cast up mire and dirt. "In the flesh dwells no good thing," and "it lusteth against the Spirit." At the end of the Millennial Period it becomes impatient of restraint, and the nations rebel against the saints who will have ruled them with a rod of iron so long in righteousness and peace. As "the sand of the sea" they again try conclusions with the saints; and as before the saints subdue them with a crushing and final overthrow. The end of flesh and blood upon the earth will have then arrived, and there will be "no more sea" (xx. 8; xxi. 1). A full end will then be made of all nations (Jer. xxx. 11). The nations of the earth and sea will then be superseded by "THE ISRAEL OF GOD," every individual of whom, of all orders and degrees, will be consubstantial with the Deity, and the occupant of this then glorious planet which shall never be removed.