Among the things which are missing in Heaven, there is first and foremost the absence of the sea. This may surprise many, but spiritually speaking, the sea is something in this world which we have to cross to reach ‘the haven we desire to see’. Also the sea puts a distance between ourselves and those whom we desire to be with; it is a boundary between two lands.

Separation⤒🔗

The sea is a symbol of separation. In his exile on the Island of Patmos the Apostle John would look across to the land of Asia Minor (Turkey). Over there was the congregation he had been separated from, Ephesus, where he was the Pastor. The sea separates those on the land and those on the sea, and those still on the sea and those in heaven. The believer is on a voyage home (Psalm 107:23, 24). When there is no more sea, there is an end of separation; there is reunion. The sea gives up the dead (bodies) as stated in Revelation 20. There is no more sea, they have landed, the voyage is over. Some perhaps grumbled about the everyday routine of the voyage, but a crew needs to be disciplined in order to successfully complete the voyage, and that often requires practice of the same things. There is often ‘sorrow on the sea’ (Jer.49:23), but there is also ‘no more death’. All of God’s elect safely made it alive to the other shore by following God’s Word, as the sailors did in Acts 27.

Change and Unrest←⤒🔗

The sea is also a symbol of change and unrest, the ‘troubled sea’ (Isaiah 57:20). On the voyage it is different every day. There are storms of agitation, and the resultant temptations to panic, and act foolishly. These storms arrive suddenly; many are not seen as they move towards us. They often strike against us when we are least prepared, especially if we have not had time to recover after the previous storm. These contrary winds make us ‘reel to and fro’ (Psalm 107:27). Sometimes we are becalmed and feel we make no progress. At such times we must be patient, but also continue in our duty and pray for the Spirit to move our earthen vessels, but it will be in God’s time, not ours. Sometimes the typhoon is so fierce that we feel in danger of being overwhelmed with the waters (Psalm 124:3, 4, 5). At such times we must ride it out on the anchor of hope. It helps if we have seasoned mariners with us who have been through such before. At other times we may have only the illusion of progress, when in reality the wind and current are pushing us backwards, without our being aware of it. This is why we need to continually check our course and progress by our chart and compass, the Word of God. It is so easy to measure our progress by how we feel – drifting happens without any sound or disturbing motions. But when there is ‘no more sea’, changes and unrest are now behind us and the sailors are at rest in the haven (Psalm107:30).

Danger←⤒🔗

Thirdly, the sea is a symbol of danger. Noah saw a ‘Flood’ of God’s judgment. The sea is feared, even by those who love the sea and spend their lives upon it. It brings to us a trial of strength and endurance; not every ship in the convoy which started out made it across. Apart from knowing that there is an enemy searching for and tracking us silently and invisibly in the deep, we must also be on the lookout for the rocks which increasingly appear as we near the other land. Many have been shipwrecked by overconfidence in themselves and losing confidence in God; they left off to watch and scan the horizon. Some also felt carnally secure when they had actually been holed below the waterline, not checked and not visible to themselves; although others may notice that they are listing to one side. We must pause and plug such gaps by repentance and continue on. This has to happen every day on the voyage. Many ‘who need no repentance’ continue on, gradually taking in water and suddenly sink. It appears sudden, but because of this lack of scrutiny it was inevitable. Some let themselves drift along with the current of the world or the worldly church and fail to maintain a strict narrow course. There is only one narrow way between the rocks and the mines. As Robert Bruce said, ‘The believer must steer between the extremes of legalism and presumption’.

The Lord says to us all, ‘Watch’ and also ‘Pray’, not only out of concern for ourselves but also for others. None of us can remain here upon the land or sea; we must all pass on to one or the other land, one of great light, another of great darkness. We must pray that the Lord will prepare us by grace for glory (Psalm 84:11), so that when we come to the end of the voyage we will hear Him say when the evening has come, ‘Let us pass over unto the other side’ (Mark 4:35). No doubt you would like to go to Heaven, but are you willing to cross over with Christ?