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“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;

for the first heaven and the first earth passed away,

and there is no longer any sea.” – Revelation 21:1

There are many widely differing opinions on the internet concerning this Scripture verse.  They range from thinking God will do away with His beautiful, physical seas, to a whole gamut of symbolic meanings.  I will use Scripture to share my viewpoint.

Earlier in the Book of Revelation, in Chapter 4, it describes the ‘Scene in Heaven’ – ‘The Throne in Heaven’ – in the first/current heaven: “…and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal…” – Revelation 4:6. (Spoiler alert: this is the sea that will be “no longer”.)

Then, as the first paragraph read, the New Heaven and Earth: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.” – Revelation 21:1

The sea from the first heaven – the sea which is before the throne – is the sea that passes away with the first heaven – not the earth’s seas.

Revelation 22 even describes what replaces the ‘sea of glass’ before the throne: “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street.  On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” – Revelation 22:1-2

The Prophet Ezekiel wrote around 573 B.C. about this, future, river flowing from the throne, the tree of life bearing fruit and where the river would flow to – ‘toward the sea’:

– “…water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east…the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar…” – Ezekiel 47:1

– “By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food.  Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail.  They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.” – Ezekiel 47:12

– “These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah [the Jordan Valley]; then they go toward the sea [the Dead Sea], being made to flow into the sea [the Dead Sea], and the waters of the sea become fresh.” – Ezekiel 47:8.  Here is mention of a sea, in the future – in the new earth.

Another prophet, Zechariah, also wrote about future seas: “In that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea.  And the Lord will be king over all the earth.” – Zechariah 14:8-9.

Ezekiel wrote of another future event: “you shall divide the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel…” – Ezekiel 47:13, and the western boundary will be: “The west side shall be the Great Sea [the Mediterranean]…” – Ezekiel 47:20.  A mention of another sea.

In describing the new heaven and earth, the Greek word kainos is used, not neos.  Neos means ‘new in origin’ or ‘new in time’ like a totally new cosmos.  But that’s not the Greek word used.  The Greek word kainos that was used means ‘new in nature’ or ‘new in quality’.  So the new heaven and earth will stand in continuity with the present cosmos, but will be gloriously renewed, restored and rejuvenated.  Acts 3:21 – “…the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke”.  The earth’s seas – such an integral part of our beautiful planet – will continue.

In summary:

• the sea, which is before the throne in the current heaven, is no longer, and is replaced by the river of the water of life, coming from the throne, in the New Heaven and Earth. Since the first heaven is gone, it’s only logical to consider that the sea, in the first heaven, will be gone as well (as well as everything else in heaven).
• Both waters (current ‘sea’ and future ‘river’) are located ‘before’/‘coming from’ the throne of God and of the Lamb.
• Another interesting point is the “sea of glass” – Revelation 4:6 is described as “like crystal”.  “The river of the water of life” – Revelation 22:1 – is described as “clear as crystal”.

“Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.” – Isaiah 12:3

“ ‘… whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst;

but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.’ ” – John 4:14

There are layers upon layers of wisdom and understanding in the Lord’s Word, so I’m not dismissing some of the more logical, metaphorical theories on the net because they might be relevant as well, I’m just sharing my thoughts for your consideration.  Above all else, make sure you discern everything for yourselves.  There is a lot of misinformation out there “ ‘For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.’ ” – Matthew 24:24.

Click here for link to the article: The Water of Life – The Lord Jesus Christ

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