And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal. Sea of glass, or a glassy sea. The quality of "glassiness" may refer to the pure appearance of the sea; or it may mean that the sea was in consistency like unto glass; that is, solid and unyielding, so that there was nothing strange in the fact that it supported weights. In either case, the notion is repeated by parallelism in the next clause, "like unto crystal." But the glassy sea may mean "a glass laver," and bear no reference to what is usually called a sea. The brazen laver is described (1 Kings 7:23) as a "molten sea." St. John may therefore mean that before the throne of God was a laver of the purest material, just as the brazen laver was before the temple. One difficulty here presents itself, viz. that there would be no use for a laver in heaven, where all is pure, and the figure therefore appears a little incongruous. But as it stood before the throne, where all who came would have to pass by, it may fitly typify the waters of Baptism, passed by all Christians; and the figure would be aptly suggested to St. John by the furniture of the temple to which he has such constant allusions. And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne. This may mean either
(8) The doctors of the Church (Vitringa).
(10) The four orders: pastoral, diaconal, doctoral, contemplative, (Joachim).
(11) The four principal angels (a Lapide).
(12) Four apostolic virtues (Alcasar).
(13) The attributes of divinity: wisdom, power, omniscience, creation (Renan).
Full of eyes before and behind. From Isaiah 6:2, Isaiah 6:3 the idea of six wings is borrowed, and also the "Holy, holy, holy" from Ezekiel 1:5, Ezekiel 1:6; the four figures and four faces; and from Ezekiel 10:12 the body full of eyes. The eyes denote unceasing activity. If the four living beings all faced towards the throne while standing on each side of it, St. John would see them in various positions, and observe the back as well as the front.