Sometimes when uncovering a piece of Scripture the key to understanding is knowing who wrote it.
Read Revelation 21:1-4 and journal some thoughts.
There is a lot about this verse I get. I get the idea of the old heaven and old earth being transformed into this new place. I get the image of the bride and the bridegroom, and I get the image of no more tears or pain, or sorrow. What I don’t get is this little line thrown in verse 1 where John says “there will be no more seas.” Why not?
When most of us think of the seas we think of relaxing on a beach, and warm weather. When we stand at the edge of the world and look out into the seas some of us may be struck by the awe and wonder of the expanse of God’s creation. Maybe some of us look out into the seas and sense that there is something out there beaconing us to a great adventure.
What about John, how would he have viewed the seas? From what we know about John, when he wrote the book of Revelation he is exiled on the island of Patmos. With this in mind, what do you think the seas represent to John? You can imagine that for John the seas represent a great divide, a wall that separates him from everyone he knows and loves. We can understand this today when we have our loved ones scattered all over the country (if not the world). Right now we could probably close our eyes and imagine loved ones hundreds of miles away that we would love to be with right now.
This is what John is saying when he says there will be “no more seas” he’s saying all those things that keep us apart, whether its seas, roads, highways or byways will be gone. We will be with the ones we love and care for the most forever.
Today may you dream of a place where there will be no more tears, no more pain, or sorrow, may you dream of a place where we are no longer separated from those we love the most, and may you discover that dream will someday become a reality.
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