Isaiah 65:17
See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind. (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 65:17-25
We continue our look at the end times as we wrap up the book of Isaiah. God continues to tell Isaiah about a time when all things are made new. Beginning in verse 17, God says that he will create a new heavens and a new earth. Jesus tells John the same thing in Revelation:
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name” (Rev 3:11-12).
“Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death” or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’” (Rev 21:1-4).
As I read through Isaiah 65, here are the things that God says we have to look forward to:
- Living will be a delight
- All the people will be a joy
- God will delight in us
- No weeping
- No crying
- No death
- Doing work by building and farming
- Blessed by God
- Speaking with God
- Animals living together in peace
Reading through this list does make me wonder what it will really be like. We can imagine all these things here on earth. And in the context of the life that we know, this existence would be wonderful. But we know that it will be way better because there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Paul says:
“There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another” (1 Cor 15:40).
The earth will be different and our bodies will be different. Everything will be different – and better! So it’s hard to imagine what life will really be like except to say that it will be better than we can even imagine. It’s like when we go to a beautiful place and take a picture to show people where we have been. Then when we get home to show them the picture, all we can say is that the picture doesn’t do it justice. You just had to be there to experience the view. The picture doesn’t capture the magnificence and the beauty.
The new earth will be the same I think. When we get there, we will say that the words of Jesus, John, Isaiah and Paul described it correctly. But they didn’t do it justice. The actual experience will be magnificent and beautiful. And we will get to live there forever. And it’s all because Jesus rescued us by enduring the cross.
Peter also reiterates the promise of heaven in his second letter:
“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Pet 3:11-13).
Since we know this day is coming and as we look forward to this day, what kind of person ought you to be? It’s a good question to ask yourself because Jesus is coming back one day. This day will happen. And when it does, you won’t have any more time to get ready.
Peter actually tells us what kind of people we ought to be:
“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him” (2 Pet 3:14).
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18).
We are to learn more everyday about Jesus and become more graceful as we grow in that knowledge. Simply put, we ought to be a people of grace. That is our God. He is full of grace. He gives us a new heaven and a new earth even though we deserve none of it. So because we know this day is coming, what could someone possibly do to us here on earth today that doesn’t deserve our grace in return?
Christ in the Old Testament 
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