What Does Revelation 15:2 Mean in the King James?
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.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The beast can mark the visible world, but it cannot name the victors: they stand above the glass sea with God’s harps while the fire remains.
THE MEANING
When a power presses its mark and name upon you, this verse shows that its claim need not become your nature. The conquering ones stand on the glass sea with fire still visible, holding harps that belong to God. Danger remains in view, but it no longer has the ground beneath them.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie is that the power that can mark you can define you, or that victory only counts once danger is gone. Here the beast’s claim has lost its hold while the sea and fire remain.
THE ROOT
ὄνομα
onoma
GROWS FROM
ὀνοματ-
onomat-
Name, designation, reputation; here, the name carries the nature and claim it represents.
The beast’s number is tied to its name, so the image points beyond a mark to the identity and authority that mark claims. Those standing on the sea are no longer under that claim; the harps of God locate their belonging elsewhere.
ALSO GROWS
onomazō: To name or call
ὀνομάζω
The act of naming makes explicit whose identity or authority is being invoked.
epōnymos: Named after; bearing a name
ἐπώνυμος
It shows how a name can mark the identity someone carries.
νικάω
nikaō
GROWS FROM
νικ-
nik-
To conquer, prevail, win.
“gotten the victory” in this verse is nikaō. The verse uses νικῶντας (nikōntas, those conquering), a present participle. The conquering ones are shown not as an abstract result but as a company standing on the sea, with danger still pictured around them.
ALSO GROWS
nikē: Victory
νίκη
The noun names the victory that the verse depicts through their standing and harps.
nikētēs: Victor, conqueror
νικητής
This names the person who prevails, as the verse does with the conquering ones.
ἑστῶτας
hestōtas
GROWS FROM
στα-/στη- (sta-/stē-)
To stand, set, establish.
ἑστῶτας (hestōtas, standing) is a perfect participle: they have taken their stand and remain there. The verb family also gives ἀνάστασις (anastasis, rising or standing up); here, victory becomes a body with footing over the sea.
ALSO GROWS
anastasis: Rising, standing up; resurrection
ἀνάστασις
It carries the same image of rising to stand.
stasis: Standing, position
στάσις
It makes the link between standing and holding a position visible.
THE PATTERN
Waters that appear able to overwhelm become traversable and transparent under God’s rule.
But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.THE THREAD
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.The same Greek verb νικάω (nikaō, conquer or prevail) joins these scenes. Revelation 12:11 names the cost plainly, unto death, so the sea-of-glass vision does not pretend danger disappears; it shows that even a threat that can take life cannot finally own the conquerors’ nature.
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