A sea of glass was what Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and the seventy elders of Israel saw under the feet of the God of Israel. It was as if a pavement made of lapis lazuli (silver-blue), as bright blue as the sky, existed under His feet.1 In similar fashion Ezekiel saw something like a firmament of impressive ice crystals above the heads of the angelic beings (the living creatures in Revelation).2 Above the firmament over their heads was what appeared to be a throne of lapis lazuli. Above that, atop of something that looked like a throne, there was a Figure, Who looked like a human being.3 These images all pointed to the same thing: under and in front of the throne that was something as clear and transparent as Heaven itself, both solid and transparent as ice crystals, a glassy sea of crystal, Transparent and yet solid. Perfect, transparent clearness and holiness surround Him. Again, John was trying to describe what he saw in terms of things from our creation that he was familiar with, without saying for instance: it was ice, crystal, glass, gold, and so forth. He compares what he saw with what he knew from his own daily experience.
Completely transparent purity surrounded Him. When those who have become victorious sing their songs, before the seven angels pour out the last seven plagues from the seven vials, they stand at the sea of glass, which is glowing with fire.4 The judgment, the holiness glows through it. Will this ‘sea’ one day flow through into the world and subject the ‘sea of nations’, from which the beast arises,5 and purify and sanctify them and bring them into harmony? Is that why the ‘victors’ are standing there with their harps of God?6 There was no longer any ‘sea’, says Revelation 21:1. ‘Sea’ in the Book of Revelation sometimes means the ‘sea of nations’. Compare Luke 21:25 where Jesus meant it in a double sense: sea of nation, and seas like the big Flood, Genesis 7. The rebellious, fallen, ungodly world of nations has been overcome and exists no more.
The basin of cast metal, the laver, the washbasin in Solomon’s Temple is also called a ‘sea’.7 It was round, and its radius was the same as its height—that is, five el. Here again we see purity, cleansing, before the priests were able to appear before God in the Holy Place. Before the throne, in the centre and around the throne, Ezekiel saw the living beings also under the throne. In these ‘throne wagon’ visions he saw a heavy cloud with blazing fire and surrounded by a glow; inside, in the midst of the fire, was what looked like glowing metal. And in the midst of that was what looked like four living creatures. Their form was somewhat human in appearance.8 Yet each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs (under the knee joints) were straight and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man, all four had, the face of a lion, on the right side; the face of an ox on the left and, and all four had the face of an eagle. In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches, darting back and forth among the living beings. They rush around like flashes of lightning, without needing to turn around.9 There are wheels next to them—one next to each of them. And they are full of eyes, which go where the living creatures go, for the spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels.10 Above them are the ice crystals, the throne and the Figure. They form the throne wagon: four cherubim, for that is what they are called, make up the ‘carriage’/’throne wagon’ of God.11 The Lord dwells, is enthroned, between these cherubim.12 That is why there are two cherubim with their wings spread over the ark, over the mercy seat, in the Holy of Holies.13 Cherubim take a protective stance before the Lord. They ‘carry’ Him and His throne. They bear the likeness of both animals in Creation and of human beings. Do they represent Creation to God, and God to Creation? Although the traits of animals are not mentioned in connection with the cherubim of the ark. The guardians of the good Creation, of Paradise, the Garden of Eden, were ‘thus’ cherubim.14
• Ezekiel sees the Glory of the Lord actually moving.15 In chapter 10:9-20 and 11:22–23 the Shekinah—the Glory of the Lord—moves from Jerusalem and the Temple to the Mount of Olives. In Ezekiel 43:1–7 the Shekinah returns and takes possession of the final Temple, which is described in Ezekiel 40–48.
Bible References:
1.Exodus 24:9–10 2. Ezekiel 1:22 3. Ezekiel 1:26 4. Revelation 15:1–2 5. Revelation 13:1 6. Revelation 15:2 7. 1 Kings 7:23 8. Ezekiel 1:4–5 9. Ezekiel 1:6–14 10. Ezekiel 1:15–21 11. Ezekiel 10:1 12. 1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2; Psalm 80:2, 99:1; Isaiah 37:16; Ezekiel 9:3 13. Exodus 25:16–22, 37:7–9, see also 1 Kings 6:23–28,
8:6–7 14. Genesis 3:24 15.Ezekiel 10
