Index To All Six Sections Part I ... "Heaven" v. The Promised Kingdom of God Part II ... The Location and Nature of Heaven... The Promises and The Prophecies Part III ... Jesus' Second Coming and The Resurrection of The Body Part IV ... What The Bible Says About The Resurrected Body Part V ... A New Heaven and A New Earth You Are Here  Part VI ... No More Sea? Part VI ... The Bema or Judgment Seat of Christ, and Rewards in Heaven
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. (Revelation 21:1 NASB)
Introduction
Many people who understand John's words in Revelation 21:1 (Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea) to mean that oceans will not exist in the new earth are saddened at the thought. While the sheer size of these bodies of water can be extremely intimidating, there are wonderful pleasures to be had and an amazing number of God's creatures to be marveled at. Even those who, like myself, are more than slightly nervous of such large bodies of water, will sorely miss gazing at an unending ocean sparkling in the sunlight, walking on a beach listening to the sound of waves crashing on the sand, the cool ocean breeze, to say nothing of spectacular sunsets. When Is This Supposed To Happen?
We can be sure that the oceans will still exist after the millennium simply because as indicated by the frequent use of the word "then" (See Chapter 5) Revelation chapter 20 through 21:5 are in chronological order. (Verses 20:1, 4, 11, 14 and 21:1 are all prefaced by the word 'then') Revelation 20 tells us that the millennium rule of Christ is followed by Satan being released from prison. Once freed, he will set out to deceive the nations and gather them together for war. They will surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city but will be devoured by fire that comes down from Heaven. (Vs. 7- 9). Satan, along with the beast and false prophet will then be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Vs. 10). This is followed by the second resurrection which is when the sea and Hades will give up their dead who will be judged at the White Throne according to their deeds (Vs. 12-13). Finally, in the last verse of chapter 20, we are told that death and Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire (Vs. 14-15). The very next verse in which John says he saw the new heaven and the new earth is the opening verse of chapter 21. It too is introduced with the word "then", which means it follows the events described above. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. (Revelation 21:1 NASB)
All of which means that the seas survive the destruction of the seven trumpets and seven bowls. They are still in existence through the thousand year reign of Christ but somehow magically disappear after the White Throne Judgment. Seriously? In any case...
Why Would The Lord Do Away With The Seas?
What reason could the Lord possibly have for eliminating the oceans altogether?
Bizarre Theories
I have read various - even bizarre theories as to why the oceans will no longer exist. One school of thought believes the sea will be dried up by the end time conflagration which is not possible because as shown they will still be in existence after the millennium. Another theory is that the sea no longer exists because, as Revelation 13:1 says, it was where the beast emerged from. However, if the beast that came up out of the sea and the dragon that stood on the sand of the seashore are symbolic and not real live monsters, we cannot possibly assume the verse is speaking of a literal body of salt water. In any case, Revelation 13:11 says the second beast (the one that spoke as a dragon) came up out of the earth. Yet others, citing verses like Isaiah 57:20, believe that the sea represents evil. But the wicked are like the tossing sea, for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up refuse and mud. (Isaiah 57:20 NASB)].
The problem is that if the sea is to be forever destroyed because of its perceived association with evil, then the earth itself that has been the birthplace of every evil under the sun will be first in line for permanent destruction. However, Isaiah was simply comparing evil people with a restless sea that throws up mud. To be noted is that Isaiah also compares righteousness with the waves of the sea, If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. (Isaiah 48:18 NASB)
There are several reasons we can dismiss these rather implausible ideas. 1) The Importance of The Oceans
In the first place we we do not know whether John was referring to a particular sea and, if so, which one - there are after all plenty to choose from - the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean etc. etc. The list is a long one. It is however, very unlikely that John was speaking about the oceans in general simply because about 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water - a very large percent of which is in the oceans that are quite literally the heart of the planet - a vital part of the ecosystem that the Father Himself created. The Supreme Creator certainly knew what He was doing. The ocean is essential to life on Earth. They make up more than 70% of the Earth's surface, contain 80% of its life, generates 50 percent of the oxygen we need, and "absorbs 25 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions and captures 90 percent of the excess heat generated by these emissions. [01] The biosphere (the relatively thin life-supporting layer at or near Earth's surface) is influenced by ocean currents in several ways. Currents transport seeds, nutrients, and different kinds of plants and animals from one part of the ocean to another, both horizontally across vast stretches of water and vertically between the seafloor and the surface. The most important role ocean currents play in influencing the biosphere (the relatively thin life-supporting layer at or near Earth's surface) may be in moving heat from the tropics to colder areas near the poles. [02]
Additionally the seas form an important part of the carbon cycle - the movement of carbon as it is recycled and reused throughout the biosphere. This sequence of events is key to making the Earth capable of sustaining life. As NASA says The ocean plays a vital dominant role in the Earth's carbon cycle. The total amount of carbon in the ocean is about 50 times greater than the amount in the atmosphere, and is exchanged with the atmosphere on a time-scale of several hundred years. At least 1/2 of the oxygen we breathe comes from the photosynthesis of marine plants" [03] And there is more. The oceans are an important food source - seafood providing sustenance to billions of people worldwide. It is no wonder that ... 2) The Father Pronounced The Oceans and Everything In Them As "Good"
In the Genesis account of creation, we are told that on the fifth day God declared the sea and the creatures in it to be good, just as He did with the cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth created the next day. "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens." God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:20-21 NASB)
3) God's "Eternal" Decree is That The Sand Will Form A Boundary For The Sea
In Jeremiah, chapter 5, the Lord says even the sea has to keep within the boundary He assigned it however, because of their rebellious hearts people do not do so - i.e. they do not keep His laws. Do you not fear Me?' declares the Lord. 'Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it. But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed (Jeremiah 5:22-23 NASB)
Notice that God eternally decreed that the sand would be a boundary for the sea. 4) Christ Will Rule From "Sea To Sea".
Two verses in the Old Testament say Christ will rule from "sea to sea". Although both verses could be understood as figurative language in light of all the other evidence it is far more likely that they mean exactly what they say. May he also rule from sea to sea And from the River to the ends of the earth. (Psalms 72:8 NASB) I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth. (Zechariah 9:10 NASB)
Summary
In light of the fact that the Lord originally declared the oceans and their inhabitants to be "good", the oceans are a necessary part of the finely tuned balance of this planet, and God's "eternal" decree is that the sand forms a boundary for the sea, it seems reasonably clear that the seas will continue to exist. The question then is what John meant when he said "there is no longer any sea" (Revelation 21:1)
The Wording
Perhaps the first detail that should give one pause for thought is that in Revelation 21:1 heaven and earth are twice connected by the word and however, "the sea" is mentioned separately.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. (Revelation 21:1 NASB)
Whenever anyone speaks about the 'earth' it usually means the earth as a whole inclusive of land, forests, rivers, mountains, ocean etc. So why would a "new earth" not include the sea? Was John so struck by the fact that there were no oceans on this new earth that he had to mention it separately or was there another reason? In order to answer that question one has to travel an extremely long way back in time. In fact to the very beginning
God Created Heaven and Earth
In the Genesis account of creation we are told that, on the first day, God created the heavens and the earth. Whether or not the world was made out of nothing, or whether order and beauty were created out of chaos is not of concern here. What we do know is that the earth was formless - dark and empty until light was created on the first day,
Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. (Genesis 1:3-5 NASB) However, it is the second day's creation that is of particular interest...
The Second Day... Let There Be A "Firmament" (Expanse)
The narrative goes on to tell us about the events of the second day
(6) Then God said, "Let there be an expanse (Heb. râqîya) in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." (7) God made the expanse (Heb. râqîya), and separated the waters which were below the expanse (Heb. râqîya) from the waters which were above the expanse (Heb. râqîya); and it was so. (8) God called the expanse (Heb. râqîya) heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. (Genesis 1:6-8 NASB)
The Hebrew word râqîya has been variously translated expanse, firmament, vault (NIV) and even dome in one case. According to NASEC (New American Standard Exhaustive Concordance) it is derived from the root word râqa which means to beat, stamp, beat out, spread out etc. The Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon says it is an "extended surface, (solid) expanse (as if beaten out)" This makes sense because Genesis 1:14-16 tells us that the sun, moon and stars (what we call outer space) are set in the expanse and Genesis 1:20 states that birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens. (14) Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse (Heb. râqîya) of the heavens (Heb. shâmayim) to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; (15) and let them be for lights in the expanse (Heb. râqîya) of the heavens (Heb. shâmayim) to give light on the earth"; and it was so. (16) God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. (17) God placed them in the expanse (Heb. râqîya) of the heavens (Heb. shâmayim) to give light on the earth. (Genesis 1:14-17 NASB) Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse (Heb. râqîya) of the heavens (Heb. shâmayim)." (Genesis 1:20 NASB)
Which brings us back to verses 6 and 7.
The Waters 'Above' The Heavens
Most of us have read the creation account in Genesis but I wonder how many have had their curiosity piqued at the strange facts set forth in verses 6 and 7. Remember, as shown above, the word 'expanse' rendered from the Hebrew râqîya encompasses what we call the sky and outer space. This time I would like to draw attention to some very unusual statements... (All Emphasis Added)
(6) Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." (7) God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse ; and it was so. (8) God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. (Genesis 1:6-8 NASB)
Verse 6 says the Lord created this firmament, or expanse, in the midst of the waters, and it would separate "the waters from the waters". Verse 7 elaborates on this division of the waters, saying God "separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse". In other words, the expanse divides the waters, which means those waters which are said to be "above the firmament" have to be above the known solar system. The waters that were below the firmament were gathered into one place causing dry land to appear. The dry land was called "earth" and the gathering of the waters "seas" both of which God declared to be "good". Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:9-10 NASB)
Note that Psalm 148 also speaks of the waters that are ABOVE the heavens. Praise Him, highest heavens, and the waters that are above the heavens! (Psalms 148:4 NASB)
I can just hear some people protesting that this is not possible... that the idea is absolutely preposterous. But, may I remind you that this is exactly what the Bible says. In any case, if God can speak the world into existence, have the earth spinning in space (literally hanging on nothing), then He can hang waters above known space.
The Part of His Creation That God Didn't Specifically Call "Good"
As the story of creation unfolds we are told that at the end of each day God declared His handiwork to be "good" with one exception - the events of the second day. Although it is true that Genesis 1:31 tells us that on the sixth day God saw all that He had made and behold, it was very good, the second day of creation (Vs. 6-8) is the ONLY day in the Genesis narrative, where the Lord does not specifically pronounce as "good" what He created that day.
The second days events were not explicitly pronounced "good" Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. (Genesis 1:6-8 NASB)
However, on the third day the waters below the firmament were said to be "good" Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. .... There was evening and there was morning, a third day. (Genesis 1:9-10, 13 NASB)
The heavenly bodies set in the firmament were created on the fourth day and also pronounced "good" . Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. (Genesis 1:14-19 NASB)
On the fifth day God created birds, sea creatures etc. and called all of it good Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens." God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." (Genesis 1:20-22 NASB)
On day six, God created cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth and pronounced it "good" (Vs. 24-26). On this day, He also made man in His own image and although He did not specifically say that was good, verse 28 says God blessed them.) In summary, the heavenly bodies in the firmament, the earth, and the seas below the firmament below were all explicitly called good. The only part of creation that was not given this commendation were the waters above the expanse. And, as we shall see, there was good reason for this. Which brings up a question... If the waters below the firmament are called "seas", is it possible that the waters above the expanse are also called seas? There seems to be evidence that this is indeed so, although the "seas" above the firmament are not in a liquid state. Time out for a short science lesson
What Happens to Water in Outer Space?
The atmosphere of the earth and its relative closeness to the sun create conditions in which liquids remain stable virtually everywhere on the surface of the planet. However, outer space is very different from the earth's atmosphere in two extremely important ways...
1) It is cold. Although, strictly speaking, space has no temperature, the word "cold" works. 2) There is little or no pressure... outer space is as close as it gets to a perfect natural vacuum because extraordinarily little matter exists there (which is why astronauts wear a pressurized space suits while outside their spacecraft).
The natural assumption is that a glass of water transported into space, would freeze. However, both the conditions mentioned above have to be taken into consideration. As we know, water boils at lower temperatures on a mountaintop than at sea level, simply because the higher we go - the lower the pressure. The lower the pressure the faster liquids come to a boil. However, in a vacuum the water will not only boil but will boil violently and immediately turn into vapor. However, due to the extreme cold conditions of outer space, this vapor immediately turns into solids ie. very fine frozen crystals. Just ask any astronaut who has urinated, then had the urine dumped out of the spacecraft. In fact, in 2014 retired Air Force Colonel Mike Mullane (who completed three space missions aboard the shuttles Discovery and Atlantis before retiring in 1990) was asked this very question. His reply... After the urine is collected over a couple of days, it's dumped into space, which is beautiful to watch because the urine freezes into a glitter of ice crystals shimmering in the sun. [04]
In short, liquid in outer space, first boils then immediately solidifies into frozen crystals.
Ezekiel's Vision... An Expanse of 'Crystal'
We need to pay careful attention to Ezekiel's extraordinary vision of four living beings... (In all cases expanse is the Hebrew râqîya)
22) Now over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome (Heb. yârê) gleam (Heb. ayin) of crystal (Heb. qerach), spread out over their heads. (23) Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. (24) I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. (25) And there came a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. (26) Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. (Ezekiel 1:22-26 NASB)
There are two important points here... 1) Ezekiel said the expanse was "over the heads" of the four living beings which meant they were below it. However, the prophet not only heard the voice of the Almighty from above the expanse but in verse 26 said he saw a "figure with the appearance of a man" sitting on something resembling a lapis lazuli throne "above the expanse that was over their heads" In other words, God spoke from His throne situated above the expanse. NOTE CAREFULLY: This is exactly what Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel saw when they were camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai and were called up the mountain where they saw God, and ate and drank in His presence. Then Moses went up (to Mt. Sinai) with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank. (Exodus 24:9-11 NASB) Emphasis Added
Let's also examine the other words Ezekiel used in chapter 1 Verse 22 - qerach, ayin and yârê. Here is the verse again “Now over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome (Heb. yârê) gleam (Heb. ayin) of crystal (Heb. qerach), spread out over their heads.
2) qerach
The word qerach in verse 22 means frost or ice. Although the KJV and NASB translate qerach into crystal in Ezekiel 1:22, they render it frost or ice everywhere else it occurs in the OT. ... by day the heat consumed me and the frost (Heb. qerach) by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. (Genesis 31:40 NASB) From the breath of God ice (Heb. qerach) is made, and the expanse of the waters is frozen. (Job 37:10 NASB) Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah, "He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the frost (Heb. qerach) of the night. (Jeremiah 36:30 NASB)
The Other Hebrew Words - ayin and yârê
The NASB translation of Ezekiel 1:22 reads "Now over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome (Heb. yârê) gleam (Heb. ayin) of crystal (Heb. qerach), spread out over their heads.
Yârê, translated "awesome", is used over 3000 times in the Old Testament and means dreadful, fearful or terrible. For example Malachi 4:5 speaks of the "great and terrible day of the Lord". Ayin literally means an eye. Figuratively, it can means in someone's sight or how something appears to someone.
The NASB translated ayin into 'gleam' while other translations say the colour of the terrible crystal. Both Young’s literal translation and the Concordant literal version render the verse as so “And a likeness is over the heads of the living creatures of an expanse, as the colour of the fearful ice, stretched out over their heads from above”.
Simply put all Ezekiel was saying is that the expanse over the heads of the living beings had the appearance of (looked to him like) crystal - the entire scene an extremely awesome or even fearsome sight.
John's Vision .... A Sea of 'Glass' Like Crystal
John had two similar visions describing a 'sea' of what appeared to be crystal or ice before the throne of God.
and before the throne there was something like a sea (Gk. thalassa) of glass (Gk. hualinos), like crystal (Gk. krustallos); and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. (Revelation 4:6 NASB) And I saw something like a sea (Gk. thalassa) of glass (Gk. hualinos) mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea (Gk. thalassa) of glass (Gk. hualinos), holding harps of God. (Revelation 15:2 NASB)
We should take a brief look at three of the Greek words John used... Thalassa, translated 'sea', is the same word used for large bodies of water throughout the New Testament (Eg. Sea of Galilee in Matthew 4:18). Hualinos, translated 'glass', does not necessarily mean glass as we know it (as in window panes), but signifies "transparency". Strong’s Hebrew and Greek lexicon says hualinos means "glassy, that is, transparent" Krustallos, translated 'crystal', is derived from kruos (frost or ice). In fact, our English cryogenics - the branch of physics that deals with very low temperatures, comes from kruos.
So what we have here are two different prophets who, hundred of years apart, saw something that resembled a transparent sea of what seemed to be ice or crystal.
To Summarize
The structure of Exodus 20:11 and Revelation 21:1 present the heaven and the earth as one but the sea as a separate and distinct entity.
1. Genesis 1 speaks of God creating an expanse (or firmament) which He called Heaven. This expanse had lights in it to "separate the day from the night" and "for signs and for seasons and for days and years" (Genesis 1: 14). 2. This firmament was made in the midst of the waters and would separate "the waters from the waters", ie. the waters that were below the expanse were divided from the waters above the expanse (Genesis 1:6-7). In other words, since the expanse that holds the moon and sun divides the waters, those waters which are said to be "above the firmament" have to be above the known solar system. 3. Moses, Aaron, his sons and seventy elders saw the God of Israel on Mt. Sinai. He had what appeared to be a pavement of sapphire under His feet (Exodus 24:9-11 NASB) Also See Has Anyone Ever Seen God? 3. In his vision of four living beings, Ezekiel saw (and heard) the Ancient of Days seated on a throne that appeared to be lapis lazuli above the expanse. He also said the expanse in some way, resembled ice which is frozen water 4. In Revelation 4:6 and 15:2 John says he saw something 'like a sea of glass, like crystal' before the throne. Crystal was translated form the Greek krustallos which, in turn comes from kruos . As said earlier, cryogenics, the branch of physics that deals with very low temperatures, is derived from kruos. Like Ezekiel, John seems to have seen a sheet (sea) of ice or frost.
Hopefully, a picture is beginning to emerge... when the waters were divided or separated by the expanse, God caused the waters below the expanse to come together into one place which let the dry land appear. While we are not specifically told what the Lord did with the waters above the firmament, we know that water in outer space first boils, then immediately solidifies into frozen crystals. Thus it seems entirely possible that the waters above the firmament froze into a sheet of ice - crystal like in appearance. Both Ezekiel and John described God's throne as being above a sea of something that gleamed like ice or crystal.
Conclusion
When the Lord created the heavens and the earth He also made a sea of ice that formed an impassable boundary between His dwelling place(the highest heaven) and the two lower heavens - that is the visible sky and outer space. (The only humans ever seen standing on this sea were "those who had been victorious over the beast". (Revelation 15:2)
This has correlation in the details of the Old Testament construction, particularly ...
The "Thick Curtain" In Moses' Tabernacle
The Tabernacle Moses had made was divided into 3 sections....
1) the "outer court" which held the altar of burnt offerings and the bronze laver for the priests to wash in. 2) The "holy place" or sanctuary, in which were the Golden Altar for sweet incense, the Golden Lamp stand, and the table for the shewbread and various other vessels. 3) The "Holy of Holies" or "most Holy Place" where the Ark of the Covenant was kept as a symbol of God's dwelling place in the midst of His people. (There is a good simple diagram on THIS page).
Only the priests were allowed entrance to the "holy place" or sanctuary. However, the Holy of Holies was off limits to everyone except once a year on Yom Kippur, when the High Priest entered to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the Mercy Seat. (See Feasts of Israel). What is of particular interest is that the sanctuary was divided from the "Holy of Holies" by a thick curtain that served as a barrier, between God and the people. When Jesus was crucified, Matthew wrote that "the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom... "(27:51), which signified that no longer did God have to be approached through an intermediary ie. the High Priest. However, while one barrier has been removed, the firmament is still very much in place. Conclusion
The reason the sea of ice was never pronounced good was because it wasn't. God never intended for there to be a separate heaven and earth... but to always live among His people. The barrier is a temporary measure that will exist as long as sin and Satan contaminate the earth. It is only after all evil has been dealt with, and Satan, the beast, the false prophet, death, and Hades have all been "thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone" (Revelation 20:10), that there will no longer be any need of the barrier between heaven and earth. Which is why John said there is no longer any 'sea' and tells us exactly what will happen when this 'sea' is done away with Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." (Revelation 21:1-4 NASB)
The "highest heaven' will no longer exist, but God will bring the new Jerusalem down to earth and will forever dwell among His people. A new heaven and earth will take the place of the old. The poet John Masefield once wrote... I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying, And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
For those who, like him, yearn to go down to the seas again... be assured that you will.
Continue On To Part VII - Rewards in Heaven. Unfortunately many Christians, have come to the conclusion that since all our sins have been forgiven, our works cannot possibly be considered at the judgment Seat of Christ. Not true! HERE
End Notes
[01] United Nations. The ocean – the world’s greatest ally against climate change. https://tinyurl.com/5n86rm7r
[02] John P. Rafferty. Encyclopaedia Britannica How Do Ocean Currents Affect the Biosphere?
https://www.britannica.com/story/how-do-ocean-currents-affect-the-biosphere [03] Carbon Cycle. NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
http://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/oceanography/ocean-earth-system/ocean-carbon-cycle/ ] Link is no longer active [04] Corey Levitan. What Happens to Your Pee, Poop, and Penis in Space
https://www.menshealth.com/trending-news/a19530258/astronaut-interview/ | 
