The Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is called the Salt Sea on the Bible (Gen. 14:3; Deut. 3:17). The constant inflow of water from the Jordan River, no outflow, and high rate of evaporation, combined with natural mineral deposits, make this one of the saltiest places on earth. The water of the Dead Sea is almost ten times saltier than the ocean, and so no fish can live in it.
The wilderness around the Dead Sea has long been a place sought for refuge and isolation. David found shelter from Saul at the oasis of Engedi on the western side of the Dead Sea (1 Sam. 23:29). Further south on the same shore is the fortress of Masada where a group of Jews made their last stand against the Roman legions in AD 73.
The region around the southern part of the Dead Sea is most infamous for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19), condemned in Scripture for their pride, failure to care for the poor, and homosexual perversity (Ezek. 16:49; Jude 7). God overthrew these wicked cities with an explosion of fire and brimstone visible from miles away (Gen. 19:24–25, 28). Their destruction became a vivid emblem of God’s anger against sinners (Deut. 29:23; Jude 7).
Therefore, the Dead Sea warns us of the second death, the lake of eternal fire where God’s enemies will suffer forever (Rev. 21:8). It calls us to see all mankind, regardless of their wealth or status in this world, as people headed for one of two eternal destinies, heaven or hell. It exhorts us to flee the wrath to come and embrace the gospel, or we will find on judgment day that is far worse for us than it will be Sodom (Matt. 11:24).
However, the Bible can also use the Dead Sea as a remarkable picture of hope. In Ezekiel’s symbolic visions, the prophet saw waters flowing out of the temple, growing ever deeper, crossing the desert, and healing the sea. The Dead Sea became full of vast numbers of living fish, and on the banks of the river will grow trees full of fruit and leaves for medicine and healing (Ezek. 47:1–12). John’s visions in Revelation pick up this same imagery, and incorporate it into the New Jerusalem (Rev. 22:1–3).
The message of these visions is that God can take the deadest of the dead and bring them to life. God, in His mercy and love, takes people who are dead in their sins and make them alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:4–5). God will one day take this sin-cursed world and regenerate the entire cosmos, and then every dead sea will erupt with life and joy forever.
