Revelation 21:1: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

In Revelation 21:1, John describes this resurrected earth as a new heaven and a new earth. The same phrase can be found in other scriptures. Depending on the context, this phrase means the transfigured terrestrial earth at the start of the millennium or it means the celestial earth after it dies and is resurrected.¹ Since John's account is chronological,² his vision of the new heaven and new earth in Revelation 21:1 comes at the end of the earth after the millennium,³ which means he is describing the celestial earth.

The imagery of the resurrected earth as a new heaven and new earth comes from Isaiah 65:17.⁴ The timing of this new heaven and new earth comes after the earth dies in Revelation 20:11,⁵ after the entire human family is resurrected on all worlds,⁶ after the final judgment of all sons of perdition in Revelation 20:12-15,⁷ and after all plants and animals are resurrected on all worlds according to the Order of Resurrection.⁸

The new heaven and new earth is a regenerated and resurrected version of the first heaven and the first earth that pass away at the end of the little season.⁹ They are the same heaven and earth that now exist,¹⁰ except their resurrected elements are renewed to a state of immortality¹¹ and raised¹² to the glory of the celestial kingdom where celestial-worthy people will dwell forever.¹³ The new heaven may also describe the new surroundings of this resurrected earth. During its resurrection, the earth will be relocated from its current location in this solar system to the place of its creation in close proximity to God's celestial residence and throne.¹⁴

In John's vision of the resurrected earth he saw that there was no more sea.¹⁵ Some people interpret this literally¹⁶ to mean that the old sea that now exists on this earth becomes a new sea in some manner.¹⁷ Others say there has been some reconfiguration of the oceans that now exist¹⁸ or that there is no sea or watery oceans at all.¹⁹ Contrary to such thoughts, the sea is an ancient symbol for hostile nations and enemies,²⁰ and also of chaos and tumult.²¹ A metaphorical sea also means the abyss or habitation of evil spirits as described in Revelation 20:13²² and in Revelation 9:1-2.²³ Since John envisioned the resurrected earth as a new heaven and new earth, the symbolism of the missing sea can only mean that there will be no evil, no source of evil, and no location of evil on the resurrected earth.²⁴ John also used the sea as a symbolic image in Revelation 4:6 to represent conditions in celestial paradise where there is no evil.²⁵