What does the prophetic sea mean in the bible?

Answer 1

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Also:

Speaking non-prophetically or allegorically in The Bible, the sea also means a large body of water.

"And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let him have dominion over the fish of the sea..." (Gen.1:26).

Answer 2

"...I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a Beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." (Rev.13:1)

"...Come hither; I will shew unto thee the Judgment of the Great Whore that sitteth upon many waters... and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured Beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." (Rev.17:1-3)

"...THE WATERS [sea] WHICH THOU SAWEST, where the Whore sitteth, ARE PEOPLES, and MULTITUDES, and NATIONS, and TONGUES." (Rev.17:15)

Answer 3

Prophetically, in the Bible, the sea is the "teeming masses of people in the world" -- the nations... the world's population with all of its cultures, traditions and languages [tongues].

We're told in Revelation 13: "...I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a Beast rise up out of the sea..." (verse 1).

This "Beast" turns out to be the prophesied "government" that shall rule the world just before Jesus Christ must return to save it from its destructive rule, that will threaten to end all life on the planet. Jesus describes it as a time of "Great Tribulation" [see Matt.24:21-22].

Man's governments "rise out of the sea" of the nations of the world .

In chapter 17... we're told about a "great whore" [symbolizing a powerful religious organization, or 'church'] who "sits upon the Beast" [verse 3]... rides it... suggesting, like straddling a horse, pulling the reins and exerting influence in the direction it should go. Its symbolism pictures a "church/state" government arrangement.

She also: "...sitteth upon many waters..." (verse 1) -- which we are told:

"...The waters which thou sawest , where the whore sitteth, are PEOPLES, and MULTITUDES, and NATIONS, and TONGUES." (verse 15)

The great whore is a powerful religious organization in the world who holds sway over people, nations and governments. And the people, nations and governments of the world fear, respect and bow to her.

It is from "the sea" -- out of the "population of the world" from which both religions and governments rise.