Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" 2Ti 2:7.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth!




¶ For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." Isaiah 65:17

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.
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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?

Sing F Lau
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.

Sing F Lau
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.

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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?
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