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Will There Be Beaches in Heaven?

Q: In Genesis 1:6-8, God separates the waters (above and below), defining the sky and sea. This second day of creation is the only one that does not end with God proclaiming that “it was good.”

Presumably, the sea represents an ongoing threat to Man, one characterized by chaos and possibly death.

In Revelation 21:1 we read, “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”

So the threat of the sea (chaos) is ultimately removed.

In considering the account of Jesus walking on the water in Matthew 14:25, can we take this as a foreshadowing of His ultimate victory over death (chaos), or is that symbolic interpretation going too far?

More importantly, it seems to me that an implication of the Day 2 narrative is that the threat of chaos (or death) may have been built into the fabric of creation prior to the Fall, which may be why God doesn’t pronounce it as having being “good.”

I’d appreciate your thoughts on the role of the sea in these various passages, whether or how they might be connected, and why the threat represented by the sea would preceed the Fall.

Summary

In this episode, Dr. E tackles a fascinating and often misunderstood question: Will there be beaches in heaven? The conversation begins with the symbolism of the sea in Scripture—chaos in Genesis, sovereignty through God’s separation of the waters, and the mysterious statement in Revelation 21 that the “new earth” will contain “no longer any sea.” Many believers worry that this means the beauty of oceans, beaches, and familiar landscapes will disappear in eternity.

Dr. Easley helps listeners zoom out. Revelation gives very few geographical details about the New Heaven and New Earth, and much of its imagery is symbolic, attempting to describe realities beyond human language. What do we know? God will dwell with His people. Christ Himself will be our light. There will be no sin, no decay, no disappointment, and a physical existence more glorious than anything we experience now. Scripture points to continuity—renewed creation, real bodies, activity, fruit-bearing trees, and a river flowing from God’s throne.

Ultimately, Dr. Easley reminds us that the glory of Christ will so overwhelm us that the “things of earth grow strangely dim.” Whatever the landscapes of eternity look like, they will surpass every earthly beauty we cling to today.

Takeaways:

• The “sea” in Scripture often symbolizes chaos, not merely a body of water.
• Revelation 21’s “no longer any sea” speaks more to symbolism than geography.
• The New Heaven and New Earth will be physical, renewed, and gloriously different.
• Believers will not experience disappointment in eternity—only fulfillment.
• Christ’s presence will outshine every earthly beauty we cling to now.
• Eternal life will include activity, purpose, and joy without the burden of sin.

Find more episodes of Ask Dr. E here.

If you’ve got a question for Dr. Easley, call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.