If there will be no sea in the New Earth and New Jerusalem, will the immortal bodies of the saints not require drinking water then?

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.”

Revelation 21:1, ESV

As the apostle John sees the new heaven and new earth being created, he notices that there is no more sea. No matter what your view of Revelation, no one can deny John is writing from Old Testament imagery throughout the book. But there are also allusions to other parts of the book of Revelation.

This is also true of the last two chapters describing the new heaven and new earth, and the New Jerusalem. John is referring to the seas as the place where Satan, the Dragon came from (Revelation 13:1) and the place of the dead (Revelation 20:13).

We’re not referring to a geographic sea but one where everything that is evil and dead came from. It is a statement that evil will not be part of the new heavens and new earth. There will be no death there. It is a place of eternal life.

Some scholars even suggest that this is a reference to the first creation way back in Genesis 1. The seas that God made there were pushed back so the earth could be exposed. The ancient Near Eastern cosmologies had myths about the gods of the seas fighting. They represent the chaotic waters that must be subdued. But when God created, these waters did not need to be subdued.

So everything that is bad about the old creation, the evil in the world, the devil himself, death because of sin, and the chaotic nature of the world, are no more. This is a place of peace, God’s goodness, and life.

However, to answer your question from some other passages in Revelation 21-22, there will be water for the immortal bodies of the saints. Take a look at some of these verses that mention water specifically.

“And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.”

Revelation 21:6, ESV

God shows that he has finished his new creation. As the Omega, he closes the door on the former things. And then he offers to anyone who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life without payment. It is free eternal water. Jesus talked about everlasting water he would give the woman at the well in John 4.

This water costs nothing because it is water of life in a place that is all about life. As I already mentioned, death will be no more. All that we will no in this place is life. Does this water keep one alive eternally? It’s most likely that the eternal bodies keep us alive forever. But the water of life is a gift from God himself.

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb”

Revelation 22:1, ESV

Next we see a river of life that flows from the throne of God. This river maintains the tree of life, but I am sure that people can drink the water there as well. The thing about seas is that they are saltwater, so people wouldn’t be able to drink from them anyway. But the freshwater of the river of life is probably drinkable.

“The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”

Revelation 22:17, ESV

Finally, one of the last passages of the book of Revelation is an invitation, a welcome to join the Spirit of God and the Bride. It’s an invitation to join the church triumphant and become one who will be able to enjoy these wonderful gifts from God for eternity.

The one who hears is anyone with ears. This is from the beginning of the book in the seven letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2-3). But then God says to anyone who is thirsty, and can have eternal life in him and they can drink from the water of life without price, the same water that was referenced earlier in Revelation 21:6).

So there will be water for the saints to drink in the new heavens and you are, as they dwell the New Jerusalem. God will supply every need, including food from the tree of life to eat and water from the river of life to drink.

Image by Larisa Koshkina from Pixabay