1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” 5And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”
6And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. 8“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.”
Revelation 21:1-8
After sending Bible Gem 2377 I received an email from a dear friend and colleague in Wycliffe with her idea of what happened to the sea.
Just read the Gem and what came to me was that while there may be no sea on the new earth, there will definitely be water. What is wrong with trading the waters of chaos with the water of life, which may be metaphorical (but so is the chaos idea)? Metaphorically Jesus has already ordered / defeated the chaos and given us (like the Samaritan woman) living water. The sea is literally chaotic too so why can’t the water that flows from the throne of God and gets deeper as it goes out be literal as well. Maybe it won’t be called ‘sea’ but be it’s sanctified, glorified equivalent?
Chris
I love it Chris and totally agree with you. Reading what you wrote above I thought immediately of Ezekiel 47 and like you, linked it to John talking with the Samaritan woman about Living Water in John 4. It struck a chord with me and I thought, I think Chris is on to it. After two millennia, no other Christian commentator has linked the passages in the way you have. Then I read once more Revelation 21:1-8 in preparation for this Gem. While reading Revelation 21:6 my excitement grew. Of course that is what John is meaning. How could we miss it for so long?
To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. How appropriate of John to link this thought back to the teaching which comes out of the encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well at Sychar! Besides which, John has just told us what the loud voice from the throne said to him:
Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.
Revelation 21:6
Why would we not think of the vision given to Ezekiel of the water flowing from the temple?
1In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side. 2The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the water flowing out through the south side of the east gateway. 3Measuring as he went, he took me along the stream for 1,750 feet and then led me across. The water was up to my ankles. 4He measured off another 1,750 feet and led me across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. 5Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to walk across. It was deep enough to swim in, but too deep to walk through. 6He asked me, “Have you been watching, son of man?” Then he led me back along the riverbank.
7When I returned, I was surprised by the sight of many trees growing on both sides of the river. 8Then he said to me, “This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure. 9There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows. 10Fishermen will stand along the shores of the Dead Sea. All the way from En-gedi to En-eglaim, the shores will be covered with nets drying in the sun. Fish of every kind will fill the Dead Sea, just as they fill the Mediterranean. 11But the marshes and swamps will not be purified; they will still be salty. 12Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, for they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.
Ezekiel 47:1-12
Surely as Chris wrote above, this flow of water from the Temple in the New Jerusalem on earth won’t be called a sea. But its sanctified, glorified water will flow from the temple on earth and touch everywhere it flows with the fresh life-giving water that bubbles up and quenches the thirst of all who drink from it. Why would we need the sea anymore when we will have the freshness of the true water of spiritual life the LORD talked about? A much more satisfying source than anything the Genesis mist or anything else could offer as a substitute. After all, we are talking about the Life of the Age to Come. Why would such life be watered from any other fount than the river of life springing up to feed all with the Life Water that quenches thirst so thoroughly? Yes Chris, I have to confess you prompted me with your moment of inspiration to connect these two images together to explain why the seas will not be needed when we have such a river bubbling up to distribute the Water of True Life everywhere. It all makes sense.
But the benefits of the new Earth don’t stop there. As John has been telling us throughout his letter the details of what he saw and heard. He has been consistent throughout his letter to remind God’s people what is in store for them. Let me summarize for you what is listed in this twenty first chapter of Revelation.
He told John, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” I am sure you recall we have met this statement twice now, stated clearly at two very important points in the mega narrative. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the Blessings in store for those Who have Stood Firm, Unafraid and Persevered to the End.
“It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End.” This closing statement repeats what was said of Jesus with the opening words in Revelation 1:5 – from Jesus Christ, He is the faithful witness to these things. Don’t forget the promise made in Revelation 1:3 – God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obeys what it says, for the time is near. Everyone in each of the seven churches are reminded to use their God-given ears and listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to each church and persevere, be victorious to the end. “Don’t be afraid, I am the first and the last.” Here in Chapter 21 those same words are repeated again forming book ends for the whole letter. This message from the faithful and true witness is woven together in such a remarkable way as I will demonstrate over the following Gems.
John’s unfolding of the visions are really quite remarkable. They are all crafted together so well into a wider overall picture which I have called the mega narrative. More on that in the next Gem. John, as he had done before, had made it plain that there are two possible future scenarios laid before each soul. John describes them here in this penultimate chapter in stark contrast. In fact he has laid the two alternatives before his readers over and over throughout the Revelation he received. The way John has brought it all together at the end is masterful and with an economy of words. He doesn’t want us to miss the grand scheme so he lays out the benefits for the redeemed alongside the consequences for the lost.
I also don’t want to you miss the significance of what it being said here in this penultimate chapter of Revelation. Reading Chris’ alternative take on why there is no sea, included together with my preparatory read of Revelation 21:1-8, I thought “Eureka, that’s the answer and that is exactly what John is intending us to pick up on subliminally. Hence I need to add this Gem before I lay out in vivid detail the lightness of the light and the darkness of the dark from Gem 2376.
The man who has experienced shipwreck shudders even at a calm sea.
Ovid
The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.
Vincent van Gogh
I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple . . . the man brought me outside the wall . . . measuring as he went every thousand cubits . . . ankle deep . . . knee deep . . . waist deep . . . chest deep . . . Life will flourish everywhere this water flows.
Ezekiel 47:1,3,4,5,9
But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.
John 4:14,23,24
Linking Ezekiel 47 with John 4 is a stroke of brilliance.
I don’t take the credit for the brilliance per se Ross. The credit must go to Chris who spotted it first. When I read Chris’ comment it struck a chord with me. Then as I read again Revelation 21:1-8 it became clearer still as I read John’s words relating to God making His Dwelling place with us permanently in the context of those who were thirsty being given freely from the streams of the water of life. (21:6) That seals the deal in my opinion. All I can say is well done Chris! Ian