And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
Sea of glass - answering to the molten sea or great brasen laver between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, for purifying the priests: typifying the baptism with water and the Spirit of all made kings and priests unto God.
Mingled with fire - answering to the baptism with fire, i:e., fiery trial (Matthew 20:23), as well as with the Holy Spirit, which Christ's people undergo to purify them, as gold loses its dross in the furnace.
Them that had gotten the victory over - `those (coming) off from (conflict with) the beast conquerors.'
Over the number of his name. 'Aleph (') A B C, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic, omit "over his mark." The mark is the number of his name which the faithful refused to receive, and so were victorious over it.
Stand on the sea of glass. Alford, 'on (the shore of) the sea:' at the sea. [So epi (G1909), with the accusative, is used for at, Revelation 3:20. 'Standing' implies rest; epi (G1909), with the accusative, motion toward.] Thus the meaning is, having come TO the sea, and now standing AT it. In Matthew 14:26, where Christ walks on the sea, oldest manuscripts have the genitive, not the accusative. Allusion is maple to Israel standing on the shore at the Red Sea, after passing victoriously through it, when the Lord had destroyed the Egyptian foe (type of Antichrist) in it. Moses' and Israel's song of triumph (Exodus 15:1) has its antitype in the saints' 'song of Moses and the Lamb' (Revelation 15:3: cf. Isaiah 2:15). Still, "on the sea" is consistent with Greek; Cyprian and Vulgate support it: the sense is, As the sea typifies the troubled state out of which the beast arose, and is to be no more in the blessed world (Revelation 21:1), so the victorious saints stand on it, under their feet (as the woman had the moon, Revelation 12:1, note); now no longer treacherous, wherein the feet sink, but solid like glass, as it was under the feet of Christ, whose triumph the saints now share. Firm footing amidst apparent instability is represented. They stand, not merely as victorious Israel at the Red Sea, and as John upon х epi (G1909) with accusative] the sand of the shore (Revelation 13:1), but upon the sea itself, now firm, and reflecting their glory as glass: past conduct shedding the brighter luster on their present triumph. The happiness is heightened by retrospect of danger through which they have passed. So Revelation 7:14-15.
Harps of God - in the hands of these heavenly virgins (Revelation 14:4), infinitely surpassing the timbrels of Miriam and the Israelitesses.