How can you say there will be oceans in Heaven
When Rev. 21:1 says something different?

One of the most confusing—and to many people disappointing—statements of Scripture is that on the New Earth "there was no longer any sea" (Revelation 21:1).

When we read that, we think this: no more warm inviting waters, no more surfing, tide pools, snorkeling and fun on the beach, and no more wonderful sea creatures. That's bad news.

But when Scripture says "There was no longer any sea," the core meaning is that there will be no more of the cold treacherous waters that separate nations, destroy ships and drown our loved ones, no more creatures swallowing up seafarers, and no more poisoned salt waters. That's good news.

Steven Lawson elaborates: "To the ancient peoples, the sea was frightful and fearsome, an awesome monster, a watery grave. They had no compass to guide them in the open sea. On a cloudy day, their ships were absolutely lost without the stars or the sun to guide them. Their frail ships were at the mercy of the tempestuous ocean's fearsome, angry storms. The loss of human life in the sea was beyond calculation. So the sea represented a vast barrier for nations, continents, and people groups."ⁱ

Hence, the prospect of "no more sea" was very positive for the passage's original readers.

Lawson also wonders if there will no longer be seas because the seas as we know them weren't God's original creation, but a result of his judgment through the Flood. "Many scientists who are Christians believe that before the great flood of Noah's day, there was no sea. But in the flood, the bottoms of the deep were opened up, allowing the release of great bodies of water, and the world was flooded. The oceans were then formed between the overturned land masses and the seas became a barrier separating what we now know to be continents, further dividing the human race. On the new earth, it appears there will be no sea because the earth will be restored to its original splendor."ⁱⁱ

A case can be made that given the fallen state of nature, the salt seas function as a great antiseptic to cleanse the earth and make life possible here. The salt seas purge, cleanse, and preserve the earth. They absorb and cleanse the pollution and filth poured into them.ⁱⁱⁱ On the New Earth such cleansing will no longer be necessary.

Even if this passage means "no more ocean," this wouldn't require the absence of large bodies of water. Revelation tells us a great river flows right through the capital city (22:1-2). How much more water will there be outside it? Flowing rivers go somewhere. We would expect lakes. Some of the world's lakes are huge, sea-like. The New Earth could have even larger lakes, especially if they have no oceans to flow into. Huge lakes could in effect be fresh water oceans.

Another reason I think that the New Earth will have large bodies of water is that, as I argued in chapters 24 and 25, the same animals that inhabit our current planet will inhabit the New Earth. Most animal species live underwater, not on land, and most of those live in the ocean, not in fresh water. So, since animals were created to manifest God's glory, it seems inconceivable that on the New Earth he would eliminate most living things that glorify him. The Bible gives no indication that sea creatures perished in the Flood. They still exist, so God preserved them. Since God rescued them from the earth's destruction by flood, shouldn't we expect him to rescue them from—or revive them after—the earth's destruction by fire? If God desires to, he could make every sea creature he ever created capable of living in fresh water. In fact, that might be the environment he originally created for them. No matter how large, a body of water without salt might not be considered a sea, and that may be the primary meaning of "no more sea."

In a passage that definitely contains references to the New Earth, portions of which are cited in Revelation 21-22, Isaiah 60 says of the renewed Jerusalem, "the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come" (v. 5). The passage goes on to speak of inhabited islands and their ships traveling the sea: "Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your sons from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God" (v. 9). Somehow the "no more sea" of Revelation 21 and the "wealth of the seas" and the great ships traveling them in Isaiah 60 are compatible.

As someone who loves to snorkel, explore ocean waters for hours at a time, and marvel at multicolored fish, great sea turtles, squid, rays, and eels, I sympathize with people's instinctive resistance to the words "There was no longer any sea." I've seen hundreds of different kinds of fish, some of them more spectacular than any land creature. I've done enough diving to know it's exhilarating, even worshipful, to be immersed in a God-made world normally beyond our reach. I remember one time snorkeling with one of my daughters, a friend, and his son. Suddenly we heard the melodic sounds of whales calling to each other. The sounds were so loud we expected whales to appear any moment. We floated, nearly motionless, just listening to musical beauty and power that defies words. I felt closer to God during that twenty minutes than at nearly any other time in my life.

I predict the New Earth will include large bodies of water where we'll dive, perhaps without tanks or masks. Can you imagine effortlessly holding your breath for hours? Imagine fresh water we can freely drink of, water in which we can open wide our eyes and play with God's creatures of the deep. Instead of salt water, it will be pure, refreshing, life-giving "sweet" water, just like the ocean water the noble mouse Reepicheep found in the waves near Aslan's country.^iv

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By Randy Alcorn
Eternal Perspective Ministries
39085 Pioneer Blvd.   Suite 206
Sandy, OR 97055
(503) 668-5200
www.epm.org
www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com