Revelation 16:3

3             Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse. And everything in the sea died.

The sea turned to blood and everything died. Let’s dig into the original Greek with blood and corpse so we can best understand John’s imagery here.

Blood is the Greek noun haima (HAH-ee-mah). In a literal sense, it refers to the physical substance of blood. In a metaphorical sense, it refers to the concept of atonement and the new covenant. It was a symbol of the new relationship between God and humanity, showing the new relationship through the sacrifice of Christ. Theologically, it refers to purification and redemption. It highlights the necessity of blood in the sacrificial system.

Corpse is the Greek adjective nekros (nek-ros’).  It describes a dead body. This is used in the New Testament in three different ways. It refers to the physical death, like being physically dead. (shocker) Spiritually, it refers to spiritual death, a state of separation from God or lack of spiritual life. Metaphorically, it describes things that are ineffective or without life.

The sea is the Greek noun Thalassa (thal’-as-sah). In a metaphorical sense, it represents danger, and the unknown. Symbolically, it can refer to the absence the peoples in a state of unrest.

Blood refers to the concept of atonement and the new covenant between God and humanity. A corpse refers to the concept of spiritual death a state of separation. The sea refers to danger and the unknown. The sea contained all the living things in the water. It contains everything unknown and everything chaotic. God pours out his judgment that creates a spiritual death in between the covenant between God and humanity. This not only undoes his creation back from Genesis 1, but it also creates harm in the ecosystem.

Next Part: The End is Poured Out – Part 3