Isaiah 65:17
¶ For, behold, I
create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor
come into mind."
What's your idea of "the new heavens and a new earth" when the LORD addressed the nation of Israel? What was the former thing which was replaced by "the new heavens and a new earth"?
Take a close peep at
the description of it by the Scriptures!
Be careful not to
yank the passage from its context, and imagine things of your own.
18 But be ye glad
and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a
rejoicing, and her people a joy.
19 And I will
rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be
no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
20 There shall be no
more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days:
for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred
years old shall be accursed.
21 And they shall
build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the
fruit of them.
22 They shall not
build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the
days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the
work of their hands.
23 They shall not
labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the
blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
24 And it shall come
to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking,
I will hear.
25 The wolf and the
lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and
dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my
holy mountain, saith the LORD.
Did you notice these
things about "the new heavens and a new earth"?
- "... for the
child shall die an hundred years old."
- "... And they
shall build houses, and inhabit them."
- "... they
shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them."
- "... They
shall not build, and another inhabit."
- "... they
shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them."
- "... for as
the days of a tree are the days of my people."
- "... mine
elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands."
- "... They
shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble."
- "... for they
are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them."
- "... And it
shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer."
- "... and
while they are yet speaking, I will hear."
What are these new
heavens and new earth?
Is it speaking of
the new situation after the complete abolition of the old theocratic Israel, or
after the complete destruction of the present world?
And please note, before the mention of the new heavens and a new earth, there was mention of fiery judgment in the previous paragraph Isa 65:11-16.
Isaiah 65:11-12
reads:
11 ¶ But ye are they
that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for
that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.
12 Therefore will I
number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because
when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before
mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.... READ ON...
And just in case it slips your notice... see how SMOOOOOOTH the transition from the paragraph on judgment (65:11-16) and the next paragraph on the new heavens and a new earth.
Here they are, the end of the paragraph on judgment and the beginning of the paragraph on the new heavens and a new earth.
16 That he who
blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he
that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former
troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.
17 ¶ For, behold, I
create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor
come into mind.
The execution of divine judgment upon the nation of Israel (i.e. the complete removal of Israel) and the resultant "new heavens and a new earth" are intimately related.
It isn't difficult
to be afflicted with sound-bititis. So beware of the disease.
-------------------------
Sing F Lau
Peter wrote to the
Jewish believers these words,
"For the time
is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at
us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" 1Pe
4:17
What is indicated by
"for the time IS come..."?
What was the
judgment Peter had in mind?
What was the house
of God spoken of?
Here is a statement about how the literal heavens and earth shall be FOLDED UP, and replaced:
Heb 1:10 And, Thou, Lord,
in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the
works of thine hands: 11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all
shall wax old as doth a garment;
12 And as a vesture
shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and
thy years shall not fail.
This is quite different and distinct from the violent and fiery obliteration of the "religious" old heavens and old earth of the old covenant embodied by earthly theocratic Israel.
One was violently
annihilated as an act of divine judgment, and the other shall be changed as an
act of divine salvation.
Apostle Peter in
2Pet 3 said Apostle Paul has also written to the Jewish believers about the
same subject matter...
11 ¶ Seeing then
that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be
in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and
hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire
shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we,
according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein
dwelleth righteousness.
14 Wherefore,
beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found
of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
15 And account that
the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul
also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all
his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard
to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do
also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Verse 11
- what are all those
things that shall be dissolved?
- When shall those
things be dissolved - imminently that will affect them personally, or something
far off into the future that have no direct relevance to them?
In which epistle of Apostle Paul did he specifically deal with the issue Apostle Peter was dealing with the Jewish believers... in which some of the things were hard to understand?
Who are the
unlearned and unstable who wrest the Scriptures unto their destruction? What
kind of destruction?
Think on these questions, and may the Lord give you understanding. Amen.
