THE SEA/THE DEEP

Definition:

A place under the earth (possibly more general, a place underneath) (also see “Water, Pit, and Valley“).

Scripture:

The Underworld

The Sea is certainly the symbolic term for the underworld and a receptacle for the dead. Either a place in the underworld, or more likely, the sea is a general name for the underworld which contains different places. The term we know as “hell” may be a place in the Sea.

Revelation 20:13 (KJV) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Revelation 21:1 (KJV) 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.

Ezekiel mentions the deep, the waters, the pit, and the low parts of the earth (underworld) as the same place. It also states that this is a place where people of old are.

Ezekiel 26:19-20 (KJV) For thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee; 20 When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living;

Paul quotes Deuteronomy speaking about “the sea” as referring to where Christ went after He died (under the earth).

Deuteronomy 30:13 (KJV) Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

And Paul’s quote of Deuteronomy 30:13:

Romans 10:7 (KJV) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

Jonah is thrown into the sea for three days (as a symbol of Jesus) and calls it symbolically, hell [Sheol]. He implies it is under the earth as well.

Jonah 2:2-3 (KJV) And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. [3] For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Verse 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

The sea is used interchangeably with “the pit.”

Ezekiel 28:8 (KJV) They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas.

Revelation 13:1, 17:8 (KJV) And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea… Chapter 17, Verse 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit…

Place Of Fire

The sea (the underworld) is said to be a place of fire. This further confirms the idea that the sea represents or at least contains the place we know as hell.

Psalms 29 speaks about the Lord’s voice being “upon many waters,” but then says that He “divides the flames of fire.” This seems to be using the “dividing the Red Sea” symbolism to refer to the underworld, but rather than say He divides the waters, it says He divides the flames of fire — as if a flood of fire (as 2 Peter 3:6-7).

Psalms 29:3-7 (KJV) The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. 7 The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.

Job seems to refer to the “shadow of death” (another term for the underworld) and “the floods” as a place of fire.

Job 28:3-5 (KJV) He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death. 4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men. 5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it [the earth] is turned up as it were fire.

Again, the sea is said to contain fire.

Zechariah 9:4 (KJV) Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.

People crying aloud to the Lord from the sea are said to glorify Him “in the fires.”

Isaiah 24:14-15 (KJV) They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea. 15 Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.

The Red Sea As The Underworld

The Red Sea, in Moses’ time, is also symbolic of the contents under the Earth (Ex 15:1-12) coming up in the last day to destroy the Earth and all that belong to it.
At dawn, the Red Sea overtook the gentiles, bringing them down to the bottom, but only Israel was spared from it, as they went to Mount Sinai.
This is an example of end time destruction, when Jesus comes back (the dawn, morning star). At which point, the contents of the underworld (the Sea) will come upon the earth and destroy all the inhabitants thereof (Egyptians), bringing them down to the underworld (the Sea), but only the Lord’s heavenly Israel will be spared, as we ascend to Heaven (the Mountain, Sinai).
Moses sings of the Red Sea event as if it were the end of the age, and the Lord’s enemies have been thrown under the earth.

Exodus 15:1-12 (KJV) … I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Verse 5) The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone [dead, see “Stone”].
Verse 12) Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them [showing the Sea is under the earth].

The Waters Of The Sea

The Sea is said to be a place of spiritual waters and floods. It is uncertain what the waters of the underworld represent. See “Water” for substantiation that the waters of the Sea are under the Earth.

The Red Sea As The Holy Spirit

The Sea is a word to typify the underworld, but it’s also a word that can be used for the Holy Spirit inside of us and presumably inside Jesus also.
The Red Sea is also used as a picture of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Israel went into the Red Sea with gentile flesh (the Egyptians), but came out with the gentiles dead, afterward arriving at Mount Sinai.
We enter the baptism of Holy Spirit (the Sea) living by our earthly flesh (Egypt, Gentile) and come out on the other side with our earthly flesh (Egypt) given rest. That’s called circumcision by baptism (Col 2:2). The Holy Spirit now living through us, instead of our gentile flesh. We, having now arrived at Mount Zion (heaven inside of us).

Noah’s Flood As The Holy Spirit

See our “Noah timeline” for details on this section.

To confirm that this was God’s intention with the Red Sea symbolism, the story of Noah’s flood also symbolizes the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 3:20-21) with the exact same structure as the Red Sea event.

All flesh was living upon the Earth, but Noah and his family went into the ark, and after the flood came (fountains of the deep and rain from heaven), all flesh died upon the Earth, and the waters were mighty. The ark resting on the mountains of Ararat.
Just like our flesh was working (flesh alive), but we were baptized by the Spirit (the flood), seemingly coming out of Christ and falling from Heaven to us (fountain from the deep inside Christ, then raining down from heaven), we thus entering the ark (baptized into body of Christ), and all of our flesh was given rest (flesh died), the Spirit now working instead of us (waters being mighty). We now rest, having heaven inside of us (Ark resting upon the mountains).

You see both the Red Sea event and Noah’s flood have the exact same structure and symbolism. A flood of water kills flesh (circumcision, Col 2:2), before arriving at the mountain.
So, the Red Sea and the fountains of the great “deep” can be symbolic of the underworld or symbolic of the spirit within us (and Christ presumably). It shows us that the word “Sea” and “Deep” can apply to both.

Parallel Symbols: The Underworld And Underneath Us

You may have noticed that in this definition (Sea), but also in “Water” and in “Pit/Ditch/Well” that the symbolic terminology for the underworld is the exact same terminology used for inside our flesh (where the Holy Spirit dwells). They are parallel.

In the spiritual realm, there is a spiritual underworld below the Earth (the Sea) that that is described as a place of water, rivers, and a well that can spring up upon the Earth.

Inside of us is described the same way. Our flesh is made of earth/dirt (like the planet, 2 Cor 4:7), and underneath us (the Sea) dwells the Holy Spirit, who is also described as water, river, and a well that can spring up from within our earthen bodies (John 4:14).

This is an undeniable parallel, but of course, no association in reality.

The Well/Pit

See Pit/Ditch/Well for more proof. The Holy Spirit is called a well (SoS. 4:15). A well/pit/ditch is also a reference to the underworld.

The Spring/Fountain

The underworld (the sea) is said to have springs, just like the inside of our earthen vessel has a spring called the Holy Spirit.

Job 38:16 (KJV) Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

John 4:14 (NKJV) but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Issuing From The Womb

The Spirit is typified in the Bible as a river, spring, or even a child issuing from the womb/belly of our earth bodies (in more ways than we can show here, i.e. Solomon’s Temple, Jesus’ birth from Mary, Isaiah 66, Romans 8).

John 7:38-39 (KJV) He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit…

The springs of the underworld are said to issue forth, as if from the womb of the earth. The Sea is said to have bars and doors (Jonah 2:2-3) and having gates, to restrain it from issuing forth from the womb of the Earth.

Job 38:8-11, 16 (KJV) Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? 9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, 10 And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, 11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
Verse 16) Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth? 17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

Also Matthew 12:40 like in the center of the Earth as a belly.

Conclusion: The Physical Planet, A Schematic?

Knowing that the symbolism for the Holy Spirit in us and the underworld are both represented by “the waters of the sea, under the earth,” it seems likely that God created Planet Earth to mirror us as believers, and also to mirror the spiritual realm.

A word of caution: I’m getting this from scripture, not from observation of the world. We need to look at scripture to define symbolic terms, and then interpret the world around us, not look at the world around us to interpret symbols in scripture. That means that one should not take liberties in observing the way that earth works to then interpret what Biblical symbolism means. We let the Bible interpret its own symbols.

A Schematic Of The Spiritual World

(The following claims are substantiated in these glossary definitions: “Water, Pit, Valley”)

On this physical planet, I don’t believe it’s coincidental that physical water collects at the lowest point. The physical sea being lower than the earth at the shore. Physical water is also underneath the Earth, which can be dug up to spring upon the earth (Gen 26:19). Also, physical mountains are higher than the plain of the Earth.
In the spiritual realm, the underworld (Sea) is below the Earth and able to spring up, the same way that the physical Sea and waters are described. And heaven (the mountains) are described as being higher than the earth, the same way that physical mountains are.
It’s as if God designed the earth to be a symbolic mirror and schematic of the spiritual world, with high places and places below the earth, even beasts inhabiting each place.

A Schematic Of Us, As Believers

I also believe, from the symbolic terms that Scripture uses for us, that the planet was also designed to look like us.

Again, this physical planet has mountains higher than the Earth, but waters and the sea collecting below the exposed earth, with physical rivers and channels that one can dig to spring up upon the earth.
And so with us, the heavens are said to be above us, but the Lord has given us His heavenly Spirit (the water of the Sea, Well, River) underneath our flesh (earth) they can spring up to manifest upon us.

And so, based on what the Bible says of the physical planet, and also of the spiritual realm and believers, it seems likely that God created the physical planet to mirror both the spiritual realm and us, as believers.

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