Topical Bible: The Sea: The Renewed Earth Shall be Without

◄ The Sea: The Renewed Earth Shall be Without ►

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In the biblical narrative, the sea often symbolizes chaos, danger, and separation. Throughout Scripture, the sea is depicted as a formidable force, representing the untamed and unpredictable aspects of creation. However, in the eschatological vision of the renewed earth, the sea is notably absent, signifying a profound transformation in the created order.

Biblical Symbolism of the Sea

The sea is frequently portrayed as a place of peril and mystery. In the Old Testament, the sea is associated with the primordial chaos that God subdued in the act of creation. Genesis 1:2 describes the earth as "formless and void," with "darkness over the surface of the deep," until God brings order. The sea is also the setting for Jonah's flight from God (Jonah 1:3-15) and the site of the Israelites' miraculous crossing during the Exodus (Exodus 14:21-22), both instances highlighting its role as a barrier and a place of divine intervention.

In the New Testament, the sea continues to be a symbol of danger and fear. Jesus' calming of the storm on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:39) demonstrates His authority over the natural world, reinforcing the sea's representation as a domain needing divine control.

The Absence of the Sea in the Renewed Earth

The Book of Revelation provides a vision of the new heaven and new earth, where the sea is conspicuously absent. Revelation 21:1 states, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." This absence is significant, as it suggests the removal of chaos and separation, ushering in a state of perfect peace and unity.

Theologically, the absence of the sea in the renewed earth can be interpreted as the culmination of God's redemptive plan. The sea, as a symbol of chaos and division, is no longer necessary in a world where God's order and harmony are fully realized. The removal of the sea signifies the end of all that separates humanity from God and from one another, reflecting the ultimate reconciliation and restoration of creation.

Implications for the Renewed Creation

The absence of the sea in the eschatological vision underscores the transformative nature of God's new creation. It points to a future where the threats and uncertainties associated with the sea are eradicated, replaced by the stability and peace of God's eternal kingdom. This imagery aligns with the prophetic visions of peace and restoration found throughout Scripture, such as in Isaiah 11:6-9, where harmony prevails in the animal kingdom, and in Isaiah 65:17-25, where new heavens and a new earth are described as places of joy and fulfillment.

In this renewed creation, the absence of the sea symbolizes the fulfillment of God's promise to make all things new (Revelation 21:5). It reflects the ultimate victory over chaos and evil, as well as the establishment of a new order where God's presence dwells among His people, free from the divisions and dangers that the sea once represented.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Revelation 21:1
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

"Destroyed for Lack of Knowledge"
... history, God's covenant with His commandment-keeping people is to be renewed. ... and
will "worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 24 destroyed for lack.htm

The Cleansing of the Earth.
... iniquity shall be no more, all things being renewed by the ... things, Is merely as the
working of a sea Before a ... and his wrath is hot, Shall visit earth in mercy ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the cleansing of the earth.htm

Meditations of the Misery of a Man not Reconciled to God in Christ ...
... so many thousand years as there are grass on the earth, or sand on the sea shore,
thou ... of man in his state of corruption, unless he be renewed by grace in ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/meditations of the misery of.htm

Life and Death
... land left dry by rivers and by the sea is generally ... Thou dost renew the face of the
earth." Fulfilled?"yes ... for the glory of the renewed earth read the first ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon iii life and death.htm

Holiness Demanded
... at home and abroad, on the land and on the sea! ... him to bear with thine hypocrisies
on earth; shall he have ... not holy, whom his Spirit has not renewed, who have ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 50 1904/holiness demanded.htm

Our Strong City
... wild confusion and tossing billows of the sea of the ... as expressive of the truth that
a renewed earth is to be ... keeping us safe at every moment, we shall not ask ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/our strong city.htm

God did not Make Evil, nor is He at all in any Way the Author of ...
... the universe will be utterly destroyed, and sea and air ... we who are renewed may dwell
in a renewed world without ... shalt renew the face of the earth;" [2868] God ...
/.../methodius/from the discourse on the resurrection/part i god did not.htm

Canaan on Earth
... only is my heart changed and my nature renewed, but my ... the fish that we get out of
the sea of providence ... they come from the natural soil of this earth, we feel ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/canaan on earth.htm

Appearance at Sea of Galilee.
... or with whom we have spent a night at sea fishing, and ... there is all power in heaven
and on earth"power to ... former miracle, and read in it a renewed summons to ...
/.../the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol ii/xxiv appearance at sea of.htm

Who is the Greatest?
... any question of precedence might have renewed the trouble ... his neck, and he were cast
into the sea." And He ... they become "the salt of the earth," restraining evil ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 48 who is the.htm