Topical Bible: The Sea: The Waves of Multitudinous

◄ The Sea: The Waves of Multitudinous ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

The sea, with its vast expanse and powerful waves, is a prominent symbol throughout the Bible, representing both the majesty of God's creation and the tumultuous nature of the world. The imagery of the sea and its waves is used to convey themes of chaos, divine power, and the multitude of nations.

Creation and Sovereignty

In the creation narrative, the sea is depicted as part of God's orderly design. Genesis 1:9-10 states, "And God said, 'Let the waters under the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear.' And it was so. God called the dry land 'earth,' and the gathering of waters He called 'seas.' And God saw that it was good." Here, the sea is a testament to God's sovereign power, as He commands the waters and sets their boundaries.

Symbol of Chaos and Judgment

The sea often symbolizes chaos and the forces of disorder. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the sea was seen as a place of danger and unpredictability. This is reflected in biblical passages where the sea is associated with judgment and turmoil. In Isaiah 57:20 , the wicked are compared to the restless sea: "But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and muck."

The sea also serves as a backdrop for divine judgment. In the account of Noah, the floodwaters cover the earth as an act of divine retribution (Genesis 7). Similarly, the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus 14 demonstrates God's power to deliver His people and judge their enemies, as the waters return to engulf the Egyptian army.

Divine Power and Control

Despite its association with chaos, the sea is ultimately under God's control. The Psalms frequently highlight God's dominion over the sea. Psalm 89:9 declares, "You rule the raging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them." This theme is echoed in the New Testament when Jesus calms the storm on the Sea of Galilee, demonstrating His authority over nature (Mark 4:39).

The Sea as Nations and Peoples

In prophetic literature, the sea often symbolizes the nations and peoples of the world. The book of Daniel and Revelation use the imagery of the sea to depict the rise of empires and the multitude of nations. Daniel 7:2-3 describes a vision of four great beasts emerging from the sea, representing successive kingdoms. Similarly, Revelation 17:15 interprets the waters as "peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues."

Eschatological Imagery

In eschatological visions, the sea is depicted as a place of transformation and renewal. Revelation 21:1 envisions a new creation where "the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." This imagery suggests the removal of chaos and the establishment of eternal peace in God's new order.

Conclusion

The sea, with its waves of multitudinous, serves as a powerful biblical symbol reflecting the complexity of God's creation, the reality of chaos and judgment, and the ultimate sovereignty of the Creator. Through its imagery, the Bible communicates profound truths about God's relationship with the world and His redemptive purposes for humanity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 51:42
The sea is come up on Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Creation of Moving Creatures.
... Their multitudinous numbers are kept up in subsequent succession ... out of the depths
of the sea and take ... in constant succession like the waves, have submerged my ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily vii the creation of.htm

On a Piece of Chalk. A Lecture to Working Men.
... on the sea-coast, where the waves have pared ... that the chalk-makers lived in the sea. ...
these structures, but gathers strength from multitudinous collateral proofs ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/ix on a piece of.htm

The Abiding of the Spirit the Glory of the Church
... If the Spirit be with us, there will come multitudinous conversions ... night vision
the sea, the deep and broad sea of truth, flashing with its silver waves. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/the abiding of the spirit.htm

Eternity in the Heart
... keep His commandments.' If transitory things with their multitudinous and successive
waves toss us ... which shines high above the roaring sea of circumstance ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/eternity in the heart.htm

The Doctrine of God
... How the divine intelligence can comprehend so vast and multitudinous and exhaustless
a number of ... of Satan just as he can set a bar to the waves of the sea. ...
/.../evans/the great doctrines of the bible/the doctrine of god.htm

Outward Bound
... flying showers, and great north-eastern waves raced past ... against it the black jagged
sea; and richer ... the hills reminded me, with its multitudinous little coves ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter i outward bound.htm

Monos
... probably, than the bottoms of the troughs between the waves. ... cliffs by the gnawing
of the sea; and, as ... of the twig, and turning their multitudinous golden and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter vi monos.htm

The Empress Eudoxia from the Story of Christian Womanhood in Old ...
... One might behold the inhabitants, multitudinous as the waves, arrayed in ... her encoffined
body had, by her own directions, been cast into the sea at Nicomedia ...
/.../brittain/women of early christianity/ix the empress eudoxia from.htm

Paragraphs from Notable Speeches
... The waves of derision were stayed by no barrier ... in the uttermost parts of the sea,
duty performed ... The multitudinous pursuits of enlightened life are cultivated ...
/.../paragraphs from notable speeches.htm

Criticisms on "The Origin of Species. "
... in the matter; but that among the multitudinous variations of ... What are these "dunes?"
The winds and waves of the Bay ... But that which wind and sea are to a sandy ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/xiii criticisms on the origin.htm