No More Sea (Rev. 21:1)
Many Christians believe there will one day be a world without oceans. They base this on a statement in Revelation, which says:
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea” (Rev. 21:1).
While this passage does in fact say “no more sea,” those who take it literally are missing the rich symbolism behind the statement. Revelation is a book of signs and symbols that represent spiritual realities—and that’s what is going on in this case too.
There are at least three possibilities as to what “no more sea” refers to, and there is probably some truth to each of them.
The Sea Represents the Sinful World
The first possibility is that the “sea” represents the sinful world. Postmillennial theologian Kenneth Gentry points out that in the Old Testament, “the raging sea serves as an image of a restless and rebellious world laden with sin.”[1] For example, Isaiah says:
“The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked’” (Isa. 57:20–21; see also Isa. 17:12–13).
Isaiah portrays the wicked as a troubled sea. We’ve all no doubt heard the saying, “There is no rest for the wicked.” Well, this is where it comes from. Godless sinners have no rest. They are like the raging sea.
But Jesus has overcome sin; therefore, those who put their faith in him have rest. In other words, in Christ, there is “no more sea.”
The Sea Represents Godless Gentiles
Another possibility is that Revelation’s “sea” refers to Godless Gentiles. In Old Testament times, Gentiles were compared to turbulent waters such as the sea, rivers, rushing waters, etc.
For example, Isaiah 8:7 portrays the king of Assyria as “the waters of the river, strong and mighty.” Likewise, Daniel 7:3f describes four beasts coming up out of the sea to devour Israel. Most Christian scholars agree these beasts represent the Gentile empires of the Babylonians, Medo-Persians, Greeks, and Romans. In fact, the last of these sea beasts, the Roman Empire, was still around when Revelation was written in around AD 65 (Rev. 13:2).
Why were Godless Gentiles portrayed as raging water? Because they did not know God, and thus were unstable, inconsistent, unpredictable, and restless—just like the sea. On the other hand, Israel was steady and stable—like land—as a result of knowing and obeying God. (Although in times of disobedience, God brought “earthquakes” [judgments] upon the land—see Zech. 14:5; Matt 24:7, 27:54; Rev. 6:12, 11:13).
So when Revelation speaks of “no more sea,” it is referring to Gentiles around the world coming to Israel’s God and become “land,” as it were…until there is “no more sea.”
The Sea Represents the Demonic Realm
Another possible interpretation of Revelation’s “sea” is that it represents the demonic realm. “The Jews taught that the sea was symbolic of the demonic realm and was untamable by man. Leviathan comes from the sea” (see Isa. 27:1).[2]
So when the Messiah came, he bound the strongman (Matt. 3:27) and cast out demons (Matt. 8:16), thus demonstrating his power over the spiritual realm. Jesus calming the waves and sea (Matt. 8:27) was the sign—or proof—of his power over all things, including the demonic realm. Hence, there is “no more sea.”
These are three possibilities as to what “no more sea” refers to. As stated above, there is likely some truth to each of them.
For more information about topics discussed in this article, get my book The End is Here: How the New Testament Prophecies Were Fulfilled, available on Amazon!
By Alex Polyak, Director of The Bible Fulfilled, 4/2/25
[1] Kenneth Gentry, The Book of Revelation Made Easy: You Can Understand the Bible
Prophecy, 2nd ed. (Braselton, GA: American Vision Press, 2010), 129.
[2] Pastor Kevin Druhe, Hands and Feet Outreach, San Diego CA.
