What Does It Mean That the “SEA” Gave Up the Dead?

Let’s read the passage in question with focus on verse 13:

11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:11-20

Both the bodies and souls of the unredeemed will be resurrected to stand before the LORD at the Great White Throne Judgment. There are a couple of interpretations of verse 13.

Here’s one:

“Death… gave up the dead” would refer to all bodies resurrected from graves/tombs.
“Hades gave up the dead” would refer to all souls resurrected from Hades, aka Sheol.
“The sea gave up the dead that were in it” suggests this resurrection extends even to those who lost their lives in the waters of the Earth, whether oceans, seas, lakes or rivers. This would include the multitudes who perished in the global flood of Noah’s day (1 Peter 3:20 & Genesis 7:23). In other words, no unsaved person throughout history would be exempt from standing before God for judgment.

The other interpretation is this:

“Sea” is figurative of this turbulent fallen world and therefore refers to the resurrection of all unredeemed people who died throughout history.
Death and Sheol (Hades) are spoken of synonymously in the Scriptures, as observed in Psalm 6:5, Psalm 89:48, Proverbs 5:5, Proverbs 7:27, Proverbs 9:18, Isaiah 38:18-19 and many other passages. Why? Because, when unredeemed people suffer death, their dead soul is housed in Sheol (Hades) until resurrection on Judgment Day.
So verse 13 is simply a way of saying every unsaved person will be resurrected to face Divine judgment, both body and soul (Matthew 10:28).

I favor the second interpretation.

IMMORTALITY — Only Available Through the Gospel

DEATH — Does It Mean “Separation” as Religionists Claim? (No)

RICH MAN & LAZARUS: Fantastical Parable or Literal Account?

The Believer’s “Intermediate State” (between Physical Death and Bodily resurrection)

Hell (Human Damnation) — Questions and Answers

Eternal Life (“Heaven”): Questions & Answers