Our last lesson deals with the Christian’s ultimate hope in, and longing for, the time God will establish the eschatological new heavens and new earth. All the old order of our sinful world will pass away. Our sinful past will no longer trouble us, and all our failings, sins, and trespasses will be blotted out. All distresses, disappointments, and wounds will be healed.
After the millennium, God will wipe away our tears, and the great controversy will be finished. God will create everything new. In this landscape, love, happiness, peace, and joy will rule. God will establish the new heavens and the new earth with a new quality of life. There will be no more need for hospitals, prisons, and cemeteries because no pain, sickness, suffering, violence, crime, exploitation, or death will be present (Rev. 21:4, 5). The New Jerusalem will be “ ‘the dwelling place of God . . . with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God’ ” (Rev. 21:3, ESV). Life in the new earth will be breathtaking and most satisfying. What God has revealed to us about it is beyond our imagination to fully fathom, for “the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:3–5, ESV).
Part II: Commentary
Description of Isaiah 65:17–25
The prophet Isaiah is a prophet of hope. More than any other prophet, Isaiah points to the coming Messiah and the establishment of the kingdom of God. Isaiah is rightly called the prophet evangelist. In Isaiah 65:17–25, he speaks about the new heavens and the new earth. How does Isaiah describe life on the new earth? He presents us with 12 characteristics:
The new earth is God’s unique creation (Isa. 65:17). God intervenes and creates it because He is the Creator.
The sinful past will no longer burden God’s servants (Isa. 65:17).
Jerusalem will be a place of joy and happiness (Isa. 65:18).
There will be no weeping and crying in Jerusalem (Isa. 65:19).
No infant mortality or miscarriages will occur (Isa. 65:20, 23).
Longevity of the faithful is guaranteed (Isa. 65:20, 22), but before life on the new earth commences, sinners will die prematurely (Isa. 65:20).
Creative work will prevail (Isa. 65:21–23): houses will be built and vineyards planted.
Peace and prosperity will be secured (Isa. 65:22). There will be no threats of war or destruction.
People will enjoy life under God’s presence and blessings (Isa. 65:23).
Prayers will be immediately answered by God (Isa. 65:24).
New conditions of life in nature will be created (Isa. 65:25).
Inhabitants will experience the reversal of the covenant curses into abundant blessings, as indicated by the theology of this passage in comparison to the Deuteronomic blessings and curses (Deuteronomy 27; Deuteronomy 28; compare with Leviticus 26).
It is noteworthy to observe that Isaiah repeatedly declares that God creates heaven and earth, and he pairs these two key words, even though sometimes quite loosely (see Isa. 1:2; Isa. 13:13; Isa. 24:4, 18, 21; Isa. 37:16; Isa. 40:12, 22, 26–28; Isa. 42:5; Isa. 44:23, 24; Isa. 45:8, 12, 18; Isa. 48:13; Isa. 49:13; Isa. 51:6, 13, 16; Isa. 55:9). Heaven and earth are often mentioned in the context of God’s power to save His people. From these occurrences, it is obvious that Isaiah uses figurative language when he speaks about God creating new heavens and a new earth; the figurative language points to restoration. God stated previously in Isaiah that He is the Creator and will establish “new” heavens and a new earth: “ ‘I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, “You are My people” ’ ” (Isa. 51:16, NASB). Only two times in the Hebrew Bible is it stated that the Lord creates “the new heavens and the new earth,” and it is only in Isaiah (Isa. 65:17, Isa. 66:22). The other reference is in the New Testament book of Revelation (Rev. 21:1).
The crucial question is whether the above description of Isaiah 65:17–25 is a depiction of the eschatological new heavens and new earth. It becomes clear that Isaiah 65, 66 does not describe the eschatological picture as described in Revelation 21, 22, because death, sin, curse, marriage, and the birth of babies are included. To what situation or event, then, does Isaiah 65:17–25 refer?
Isaiah 65:17–25 paints the new conditions that will exist in Israel should the people of God live according to God’s Word. God’s miniature model of His kingdom would be manifested in Israel. Subsequently, the knowledge about the true God would grow, and the possibility of accepting the Messiah would expand. Jerusalem would become a megacapital city. Nations would stream to the temple of God to learn about the true living Lord in order to serve and worship Him (see, for example, Isa. 2:2–4, Isa. 56:3–8, Mic. 4:1–3). The “new heavens and a new earth” is a hyperbolic expression, which means, in its context, new conditions of life on earth and points to the restoration of Judah after returning from the Babylonian captivity. This expression describes the ideal conditions for God’s people in their land of that time. Isaiah 65 is a prepicture, foretaste, or type of the antitypical new heavens and new earth, certainly. But what can be applied from it to the description of the eschatological new earth? One needs to implement three principles to discover the correct application.
Three Key Interpretative Principles
Principle 1: What is not denied remains. Isaiah 65:17–25 furnishes descriptions of the new earth that later inspired biblical writers will either (a) confirm, support, and repeat, or (b) not deny as valid, thus conferring their validity and application to the eschatological new earth. To say it simply: What is not denied will be there in the new earth because it is automatically transferred, and its validity continues. The following good qualities of life are retained: joy, happiness, security, peace, prosperity, and creative work. There will be new relationships in the animal world. Further, there will be no more crying, pain, sorrow, and suffering. The past will not be a burden. The new earth will flow with God’s abundant blessings. No later inspired author is against these crucial characteristics of life or denies them. On the contrary, these values are endorsed.
Principle 2: What is denied is not transferred. What later biblical authors oppose or explicitly deny from the description of Isaiah 65:17–25 does not apply to the eschatological new earth. In other words, the aspects of life that contradict other places in the Holy Scriptures will not be included. So, what will not be there?
Death. Isaiah has death in view (after productive, blessed, and prosperous life), but John explicitly renounces it: “ ‘He [God] 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. 21:4, NIV).
Sin, sinners, and curse. Isaiah mentions “curse” and “sinners,” but John clearly proclaims that nothing sinful will enter the new earth (Rev. 21:8, 27; Rev. 22:3).
Marriage and birth of children. Isaiah underlines that on “the new earth” there will be no miscarriages or infant death, which implies that meaningful marriages with abundance of children as an expression of God’s blessing will be there. However, when Jesus is asked about the resurrection and the life afterward, He responds that marriage and childbirth will be not part of eternal life (Matt. 22:29–32; see also Ellen G. White, Manuscript 28, 1904; and Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 172, 173). What God prepares for His children will be much better and more fulfilling than what we can experience today in the best, happiest, most harmonious, and meaningful marriage. God will give the redeemed something better and even more satisfying.
Principle 3: New things will be included. In the eschatological new earth, there will be new, surprising things that were not mentioned in Isaiah 65:17–25 or in Genesis 2. At least three magnificent realities will be completely new:
The New Jerusalem descends from heaven (Rev. 21:2, 3).
The throne of God with the living water will be in the city (Rev. 22:1, 3).
God Himself, His physical, visible, and constant presence, will dwell with His people (Rev. 22:4, 5).
The concluding remarks of Isaiah 66:22–24 encompass the eschatological time when all the servants of the Lord will be in the New Jerusalem living under the new conditions described as the new heavens and the new earth (Isa. 66:23). The final outcome is that the faithful servants of the Lord are in the New Jerusalem, but those outside are under the divine judgment of condemnation and total destruction (Isa. 66:24). This cosmic picture is the last picture of Isaiah in which the new life is unmolested by the influence of the unrighteous so that peace and harmony will never again be disturbed by sin. This result comes after intense evangelistic activities among the nations (Isa. 66:19–21).
The anticipation of the Old Testament church was splendid. It was a view forward to the establishment of the eternal kingdom of God, of the new heavens and the new earth. Texts such as Isaiah 65:17–25, as well as Daniel 2, Daniel 7–9, Isaiah 24–27, Ezekiel 38–39, Ezekiel 40–48, Joel 3, Micah 4, and Zechariah 14, provide important glimpses into this Old Testament hope. This church was expecting, waiting for, and anticipating outstanding things to come: the Messiah and the establishment of God’s kingdom.
Beloved author and preacher Dean Frederic Farrar was a personal friend of, and honorary chaplain to, Queen Victoria in the 1870s.
“One day the chaplain . . . preached a sermon on the second coming of Christ. As he spoke of that glorious event, he noticed tears in the eyes of the queen. After the service, he approached her, and asked: ‘Why did Your Majesty weep as I spoke to-day?’
“ ‘Oh,’ said she, ‘because I do hope that He will come in my day!’
“ ‘Why does Your Majesty desire that He should come in your day?’ the chaplain asked.
“ ‘Oh, sir, that I may lay my crown at His feet!’ ”—H.M.S. Richards, Signs of the Times, December 1, 1931, p. 10.
Part III: Life Application
How has the hope of the new earth transformed our current values and goals?
In what way does John in the book of Revelation build on Isaiah’s view of the new earth in Isaiah 65? How does John transform it?
Is this eschatological hope good only for discouraged people and for those who are dying? Discuss, giving reasons for your answer.
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Key Texts: Isaiah 65:17–25, Revelation 21, Revelation 22
Part I: Overview
Our last lesson deals with the Christian’s ultimate hope in, and longing for, the time God will establish the eschatological new heavens and new earth. All the old order of our sinful world will pass away. Our sinful past will no longer trouble us, and all our failings, sins, and trespasses will be blotted out. All distresses, disappointments, and wounds will be healed.
After the millennium, God will wipe away our tears, and the great controversy will be finished. God will create everything new. In this landscape, love, happiness, peace, and joy will rule. God will establish the new heavens and the new earth with a new quality of life. There will be no more need for hospitals, prisons, and cemeteries because no pain, sickness, suffering, violence, crime, exploitation, or death will be present (Rev. 21:4, 5). The New Jerusalem will be “ ‘the dwelling place of God . . . with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God’ ” (Rev. 21:3, ESV). Life in the new earth will be breathtaking and most satisfying. What God has revealed to us about it is beyond our imagination to fully fathom, for “the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:3–5, ESV).
Part II: Commentary
Description of Isaiah 65:17–25
The prophet Isaiah is a prophet of hope. More than any other prophet, Isaiah points to the coming Messiah and the establishment of the kingdom of God. Isaiah is rightly called the prophet evangelist. In Isaiah 65:17–25, he speaks about the new heavens and the new earth. How does Isaiah describe life on the new earth? He presents us with 12 characteristics:
The new earth is God’s unique creation (Isa. 65:17). God intervenes and creates it because He is the Creator.
The sinful past will no longer burden God’s servants (Isa. 65:17).
Jerusalem will be a place of joy and happiness (Isa. 65:18).
There will be no weeping and crying in Jerusalem (Isa. 65:19).
No infant mortality or miscarriages will occur (Isa. 65:20, 23).
Longevity of the faithful is guaranteed (Isa. 65:20, 22), but before life on the new earth commences, sinners will die prematurely (Isa. 65:20).
Creative work will prevail (Isa. 65:21–23): houses will be built and vineyards planted.
Peace and prosperity will be secured (Isa. 65:22). There will be no threats of war or destruction.
People will enjoy life under God’s presence and blessings (Isa. 65:23).
Prayers will be immediately answered by God (Isa. 65:24).
New conditions of life in nature will be created (Isa. 65:25).
Inhabitants will experience the reversal of the covenant curses into abundant blessings, as indicated by the theology of this passage in comparison to the Deuteronomic blessings and curses (Deuteronomy 27; Deuteronomy 28; compare with Leviticus 26).
It is noteworthy to observe that Isaiah repeatedly declares that God creates heaven and earth, and he pairs these two key words, even though sometimes quite loosely (see Isa. 1:2; Isa. 13:13; Isa. 24:4, 18, 21; Isa. 37:16; Isa. 40:12, 22, 26–28; Isa. 42:5; Isa. 44:23, 24; Isa. 45:8, 12, 18; Isa. 48:13; Isa. 49:13; Isa. 51:6, 13, 16; Isa. 55:9). Heaven and earth are often mentioned in the context of God’s power to save His people. From these occurrences, it is obvious that Isaiah uses figurative language when he speaks about God creating new heavens and a new earth; the figurative language points to restoration. God stated previously in Isaiah that He is the Creator and will establish “new” heavens and a new earth: “ ‘I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, “You are My people” ’ ” (Isa. 51:16, NASB). Only two times in the Hebrew Bible is it stated that the Lord creates “the new heavens and the new earth,” and it is only in Isaiah (Isa. 65:17, Isa. 66:22). The other reference is in the New Testament book of Revelation (Rev. 21:1).
The crucial question is whether the above description of Isaiah 65:17–25 is a depiction of the eschatological new heavens and new earth. It becomes clear that Isaiah 65, 66 does not describe the eschatological picture as described in Revelation 21, 22, because death, sin, curse, marriage, and the birth of babies are included. To what situation or event, then, does Isaiah 65:17–25 refer?
Isaiah 65:17–25 paints the new conditions that will exist in Israel should the people of God live according to God’s Word. God’s miniature model of His kingdom would be manifested in Israel. Subsequently, the knowledge about the true God would grow, and the possibility of accepting the Messiah would expand. Jerusalem would become a megacapital city. Nations would stream to the temple of God to learn about the true living Lord in order to serve and worship Him (see, for example, Isa. 2:2–4, Isa. 56:3–8, Mic. 4:1–3). The “new heavens and a new earth” is a hyperbolic expression, which means, in its context, new conditions of life on earth and points to the restoration of Judah after returning from the Babylonian captivity. This expression describes the ideal conditions for God’s people in their land of that time. Isaiah 65 is a prepicture, foretaste, or type of the antitypical new heavens and new earth, certainly. But what can be applied from it to the description of the eschatological new earth? One needs to implement three principles to discover the correct application.
Three Key Interpretative Principles
Principle 1: What is not denied remains. Isaiah 65:17–25 furnishes descriptions of the new earth that later inspired biblical writers will either (a) confirm, support, and repeat, or (b) not deny as valid, thus conferring their validity and application to the eschatological new earth. To say it simply: What is not denied will be there in the new earth because it is automatically transferred, and its validity continues. The following good qualities of life are retained: joy, happiness, security, peace, prosperity, and creative work. There will be new relationships in the animal world. Further, there will be no more crying, pain, sorrow, and suffering. The past will not be a burden. The new earth will flow with God’s abundant blessings. No later inspired author is against these crucial characteristics of life or denies them. On the contrary, these values are endorsed.
Principle 2: What is denied is not transferred. What later biblical authors oppose or explicitly deny from the description of Isaiah 65:17–25 does not apply to the eschatological new earth. In other words, the aspects of life that contradict other places in the Holy Scriptures will not be included. So, what will not be there?
Death. Isaiah has death in view (after productive, blessed, and prosperous life), but John explicitly renounces it: “ ‘He [God] 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. 21:4, NIV).
Sin, sinners, and curse. Isaiah mentions “curse” and “sinners,” but John clearly proclaims that nothing sinful will enter the new earth (Rev. 21:8, 27; Rev. 22:3).
Marriage and birth of children. Isaiah underlines that on “the new earth” there will be no miscarriages or infant death, which implies that meaningful marriages with abundance of children as an expression of God’s blessing will be there. However, when Jesus is asked about the resurrection and the life afterward, He responds that marriage and childbirth will be not part of eternal life (Matt. 22:29–32; see also Ellen G. White, Manuscript 28, 1904; and Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 172, 173). What God prepares for His children will be much better and more fulfilling than what we can experience today in the best, happiest, most harmonious, and meaningful marriage. God will give the redeemed something better and even more satisfying.
Principle 3: New things will be included. In the eschatological new earth, there will be new, surprising things that were not mentioned in Isaiah 65:17–25 or in Genesis 2. At least three magnificent realities will be completely new:
The New Jerusalem descends from heaven (Rev. 21:2, 3).
The throne of God with the living water will be in the city (Rev. 22:1, 3).
God Himself, His physical, visible, and constant presence, will dwell with His people (Rev. 22:4, 5).
The concluding remarks of Isaiah 66:22–24 encompass the eschatological time when all the servants of the Lord will be in the New Jerusalem living under the new conditions described as the new heavens and the new earth (Isa. 66:23). The final outcome is that the faithful servants of the Lord are in the New Jerusalem, but those outside are under the divine judgment of condemnation and total destruction (Isa. 66:24). This cosmic picture is the last picture of Isaiah in which the new life is unmolested by the influence of the unrighteous so that peace and harmony will never again be disturbed by sin. This result comes after intense evangelistic activities among the nations (Isa. 66:19–21).
The anticipation of the Old Testament church was splendid. It was a view forward to the establishment of the eternal kingdom of God, of the new heavens and the new earth. Texts such as Isaiah 65:17–25, as well as Daniel 2, Daniel 7–9, Isaiah 24–27, Ezekiel 38–39, Ezekiel 40–48, Joel 3, Micah 4, and Zechariah 14, provide important glimpses into this Old Testament hope. This church was expecting, waiting for, and anticipating outstanding things to come: the Messiah and the establishment of God’s kingdom.
Beloved author and preacher Dean Frederic Farrar was a personal friend of, and honorary chaplain to, Queen Victoria in the 1870s.
“One day the chaplain . . . preached a sermon on the second coming of Christ. As he spoke of that glorious event, he noticed tears in the eyes of the queen. After the service, he approached her, and asked: ‘Why did Your Majesty weep as I spoke to-day?’
“ ‘Oh,’ said she, ‘because I do hope that He will come in my day!’
“ ‘Why does Your Majesty desire that He should come in your day?’ the chaplain asked.
“ ‘Oh, sir, that I may lay my crown at His feet!’ ”—H.M.S. Richards, Signs of the Times, December 1, 1931, p. 10.
Part III: Life Application
How has the hope of the new earth transformed our current values and goals?
In what way does John in the book of Revelation build on Isaiah’s view of the new earth in Isaiah 65? How does John transform it?
Is this eschatological hope good only for discouraged people and for those who are dying? Discuss, giving reasons for your answer.