It is a wonderful thing that we find the book of Revelation as the last one in our Bible. These last two chapters are the other bookend to the first bookend found in Genesis 1 and 2. Everything in between is the story of the loss and redemption of Paradise.
God’s original intent at creation was to have a dwelling place. It is described in various ways because God’s dwelling is not something we can fully comprehend in our finite world. He describes it as a holy city, a bride, a people, among other things. That’s why he describes the new Jerusalem as a bride.
We also see in this passage that there is no more sea. Why not? Isn’t the ocean a beautiful thing? It was looked upon as a symbol of death in John’s time. You cannot drink from it as one drinks from the River of Life. You cannot tame it. Only Jesus exercised absolute authority over the sea. That’s why his disciples were so astounded by his power to calm the raging sea. Death and the grave had been thrown into the Lake of Fire, so naturally there was no more sea in John’s vision.
God’s original intent at creation was to have a dwelling place. It is described in various ways because God’s dwelling is not something we can fully comprehend in our finite world. He describes it as a holy city, a bride, a people, among other things. That’s why he describes the new Jerusalem as a bride.
We also see in this passage that there is no more sea. Why not? Isn’t the ocean a beautiful thing? It was looked upon as a symbol of death in John’s time. You cannot drink from it as one drinks from the River of Life. You cannot tame it. Only Jesus exercised absolute authority over the sea. That’s why his disciples were so astounded by his power to calm the raging sea. Death and the grave had been thrown into the Lake of Fire, so naturally there was no more sea in John’s vision.
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