Is the sea in Revelation 8:8-9 literal or not ?
Is the sea in Revelation 16:3 literal or not ?
Of course those are literal seas
Not all seas are literal in Revelation
Example Rev 17
1
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying [
a]to me,
“Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast
which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of [
b]her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name
was written:
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
The Meaning of the Woman and the Beast
7 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the [
c]mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to [
d]perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and [
e]yet is.
9 “Here
is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is,
and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to [
f]perdition.
12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those
who are with Him
are called, chosen, and faithful.”
15
Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you [
g]saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
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And this Revelation 21, does not necessarily imply the new earth has no oceans or seas.
Seas in this context is the same as Rev 17:15
Just as sometimes seas are oceans of water, sometimes seas refer to nations of peoples and tongues, their politics, world governments, etc....
If God wants the new earth to have fishes, crabs, etc... seas the new earth will have.
I figure the new earth will have living animals on it.
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1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.
Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, [
a]John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God
is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them
and be their God.