At the end of this chapter filled with the darkness of sin, Isaiah depicted a worldwide event that will completely reform creation—a dramatically new universe, free from corruption and death.
New Heavens and New Earth
“For I am about to create new heavens
Isaiah 65:17-18 (NRSVUE, emphases added)
and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I am creating,
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy
and its people as a delight.”
The apostle Peter’s second letter gives added details for what Isaiah was prophesying.
Destruction of the Old
“the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be destroyed with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed”
2 Peter 3:10 (NRSVUE)
In the time just before the creation of a new heavens and a new earth, God will bring the whole universe back to the starting point of creation in Genesis 1. This will involve, according to Peter, the destruction of the present heavens and earth, when even the elements are destroyed, the very structure of the universe itself will melt, atom pried from atom, so that nothing is left. This will complete the predictions of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible concerning the “Day of the Lord” judgment.
Isaiah portrayed in great detail this time of amazing peace, prosperity, and long life.
Description of the New
Isaiah 65:17 The overwhelming nature of our joy will cause us to forget our former way of life.
Isaiah 65:18 There will be a new Jerusalem, a city of delight, with no more sorrow, tears, sin, or pain, ever again.
Isaiah 65:19 God will personally revel in the beauty of creation
Isaiah 65:20 health, safety, and strength is depicted as living to venerable old age where a hundred years old will be considered young.
Isaiah 65:21-22 Life will be joyful, work will be satisfying.
Isaiah 65:23 Generations of families will be raised in the peace and blessing of God.
Isaiah 65:24 The Lord will be so close that God will answer before people even pray.
Isaiah 65:25 And even the animal kingdom will live peaceably with each other.
Scholars who compare Isaiah’s prophesy with the book of Revelation indicate Isaiah’s vision was a far future time, where only glimpses of a timeline were in view.
The Millennial Age
John’s Apocalypse indicates there will be a time of tribulation followed by the judgement Jesus described in Matthew 25. After those events the Lord will establish what is sometimes called the Millennium, or otherwise called the Messianic Age. Millennium is a Latin word which means “thousand years,” and it is found only in Revelation 20:1-6.
When comparing Isaiah’s vision to John’s in Revelation, this seems to describe that thousand-year reign of righteousness of Christ on earth. This millennial reign will come at the very end of human history but before the final Day of Judgement, after which will come the creation of a new heaven and earth that Isaiah prophesied, to be experienced in an eternal, pure, and glorified state.
Amillennialism
There is little agreement among expositors in how to understand this millennium. Some interpreters state there is no millennium at all, the millennium prophecies are really symbolic of the church age, which is right now. The kingdom of God is now present in the world through God’s word, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and the church, though there is a continuous parallel growth of good and evil. They are known as amillennialists, “a” means “no,” “no millennium.”
Postmillennialism
Postmillennialist commentators assert a millennial age will occur first as Jesus reigns in heaven. Currently, the kingdom of God is being extended through evangelizing, and as the world becomes filled with Christians, life on earth will become increasingly better for all, and the peace and prosperity that Isaiah depicted here will become lived reality. Jesus will return “post” or “after” peace and prosperity reaches its zenith at the close of this millennial time.
Premillennialism
Premillennialist interpreters believe Jesus will physically return before (“pre”) the millennium in order to establish his kingdom. Jesus will reign in person, in Jerusalem as the capital city of all earth. During this time, Satan will be confined and not permitted to roam the earth as he does now. Nevertheless, there will still be pockets of discontent and rebellion in which people do not want to give allegiance to the Messiah.
Historic premillennialism was actually the dominant interpretation of these prophecies for the first three hundred years of the church. So many prophecies delivered by the Hebrew prophets—and most notably by Isaiah—had been concretely and literally fulfilled in Jesus’ birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection. With this massive body of evidence, for the early church, there was no reason to doubt that what God promised through the prophets could be taken at face value.
Early Church’s Position
The early church accepted and believed the stories of Scripture, that God had indeed followed through with both the warnings and promises delivered throughout Israel’s history. They saw in Jesus the Messiah promised since the day Adam and Eve stood before the Lord, under God’s judgment, hearing of a champion who would one day come to crush their enemy. They believed Jesus’s own promise of bodily return.
The early church believed God’s covenants with Abraham and David were based upon God’s unconditional promise to establish Israel as an earthly nation on an actual piece of ground in the Ancient Near East, which would be ruled by the ultimate Son of David. All the prophets had spoken of this day to come.
The writers of the Christian Testament did not try to change the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible’s prophecies. Instead, they included the church in the spiritual blessings of the covenants God had made with God’s people Israel.
The Hebrew prophets uniformly predicted a time when God would physically remove evil, and bring physical restoration just as God spiritually conquered evil and brought the hope of spiritual restoration. Jesus and the apostles taught that we are to encourage each other by looking forward to Jesus’ return, and the events that will come at the close of human history.
To receive God is to inherit an infinitely glorious future
There are several equally well-researched ways to understand what the last days are going to be like. The Christian Testament gives added information to such prophetic books as Daniel, Zechariah, Malachi, and Isaiah concerning the fulfillment of these visions. What scholars generally can agree on is that Jesus’ return
- will take place in the time frame called the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
- will take place before God establishes God’s eternal kingdom, when Jesus will reign in righteousness, and the powers of darkness are finally dealt with.
- Revelation 20 gives a chronology of events, and the length of Messiah’s earthly kingdom (whether you consider that to be purely spiritual, or also physical) before the new heavens and the new earth are created.
Apocalyptic literature becomes especially meaningful for those who are suffering. When our lives are already terrific, a beautiful future has less impact. But when the going gets rough, it helps to see the light at the end of the tunnel, to know the last page of this story ends well.
Beautiful overview of these different interpretations! Initially though what stood out to me was this; “The Hebrew prophets uniformly predicted a time when God would physically remove evil, and bring physical restoration just as God spiritually conquered evil and brought the hope of spiritual restoration.”
I’ve been actually specifically thinking while I’ve been doing my own soul searching yesterday and today taking account of my own shortcomings and what seem to be failures in my own eyes, perhaps dropping the ball, but, only because I wonder if I could have done even much more good over the years than I had; due to my perhaps making a wrong choice on my path in life or not fully appreciating something placed directly in my path for me to act upon and fully utilize any such opportunity! Then I wonder did I pass up a golden opportunity somehow thinking I was making the best decision, or was I acting on my inner deep “spiritual intuition” (the Holy Spirit speaking) to change course and thus “avoid many pitfalls or even temptations” that could be overwhelming if I leaped into waters “over my head!” Not actually self-doubt now as much as it is “sincere reflection” in wanting to “truly understand my place and purpose” in all of this enormous existence that “God created for His purposes” that is perfect, of which we are truly the central reason for it all!
Very cliché to say “Let go and let God,” but I do after reading this realize something that came to my mind today as I was troubled with my “contemplative prayers for answers” that “there is always hope with God” and if anything seems to have gone astray or awry years ago or even today, that in the scheme of things “relative to God’s purposes” “there really is nothing to fear or regret” because “with a genuinely sincere humble heart which is seeking God devoutly” one way or another things are going to work out just fine and “the light from God will overcome all darkness, doubt or concern.”
Then what you stated here is quite poignant as it indicates a reality to me that applies to all who live in this world if they even care about the light of God one iota; “Apocalyptic literature becomes especially meaningful for those who are suffering. When our lives are already terrific, a beautiful future has less impact. But when the going gets rough, it helps to see the light at the end of the tunnel, to know the last page of this story ends well.”
This should be relative to all who live in this fallen world where “suffering is a key or central component of the human condition” of “the dichotomy of struggling within material life’s daily challenges” and ultimately “we all absolutely suffer” in some way, growing old and even facing death, which can come with old age or suddenly in some tragic traumatic way; all of which is no picnic! But, even aside from these factors we can see so much ugly suffering going on every day throughout the world, and that is so horrible to me, that I can only reconcile all of this harsh reality to which I’m sure we agree here in our shared belief, that “with God there is always hope!”
Just last night I was reading how Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta saw so much dying and suffering every day while she tended to the dying or suffering souls constantly around her in such a selfless manner! Something I would find so hard to carry on and do day in and day out; and yet here I am worrying about some decisions I made decades ago that altered the course of my life for sure, but not knowing what might have been if I made a few different choices that were right in front of me; could that have been better or the actual right thing to have done? But the truth is, I’m here to do one thing; and that is “to love and serve God,” to do His will is paramount so who am I to say, because regardless of choices I made as a mere imperfect fallen human being, that God can and does use any and all outcomes to serve His ultimate purposes!
Romans 8:27-29 “And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. 29For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.”
God bless you Sister Joanne.
And God’s blessing of Hope to this entire suffering world, God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven! Amen.
Brother in Christ Jesus,
Lawrence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEaKXRJ4NB4
https://lawrencemorra.com/2022/06/13/selflessness-devoid-of-selfishness-saint/
https://lawrencemorra.com/2021/09/23/the-hole-in-our-holiness/
https://lawrencemorra.com/2021/08/26/why-are-we-here-is-it-worth-being-born/
https://lawrencemorra.com/2022/01/12/an-evolutionary-fluke/
Beautiful overview of these different interpretations! Initially though what stood out to me was this; “The Hebrew prophets uniformly predicted a time when God would physically remove evil, and bring physical restoration just as God spiritually conquered evil and brought the hope of spiritual restoration.”
I’ve been actually specifically thinking while I’ve been doing my own soul searching yesterday and today taking account of my own shortcomings and what seem to be failures in my own eyes, perhaps dropping the ball, but, only because I wonder if I could have done even much more good over the years than I had; due to my perhaps making a wrong choice on my path in life or not fully appreciating something placed directly in my path for me to act upon and fully utilize any such opportunity! Then I wonder did I pass up a golden opportunity somehow thinking I was making the best decision, or was I acting on my inner deep “spiritual intuition” (the Holy Spirit speaking) to change course and thus “avoid many pitfalls or even temptations” that could be overwhelming if I leaped into waters “over my head!” Not actually self-doubt now as much as it is “sincere reflection” in wanting to “truly understand my place and purpose” in all of this enormous existence that “God created for His purposes” that is perfect, of which we are truly the central reason for it all!
Very cliché to say “Let go and let God,” but I do after reading this realize something that came to my mind today as I was troubled with my “contemplative prayers for answers” that “there is always hope with God” and if anything seems to have gone astray or awry years ago or even today, that in the scheme of things “relative to God’s purposes” “there really is nothing to fear or regret” because “with a genuinely sincere humble heart which is seeking God devoutly” one way or another things are going to work out just fine and “the light from God will overcome all darkness, doubt or concern.”
Then what you stated here is quite poignant as it indicates a reality to me that applies to all who live in this world if they even care about the light of God one iota; “Apocalyptic literature becomes especially meaningful for those who are suffering. When our lives are already terrific, a beautiful future has less impact. But when the going gets rough, it helps to see the light at the end of the tunnel, to know the last page of this story ends well.”
This should be relative to all who live in this fallen world where “suffering is a key or central component of the human condition” of “the dichotomy of struggling within material life’s daily challenges” and ultimately “we all absolutely suffer” in some way, growing old and even facing death, which can come with old age or suddenly in some tragic traumatic way; all of which is no picnic! But, even aside from these factors we can see so much ugly suffering going on every day throughout the world, and that is so horrible to me, that I can only reconcile all of this harsh reality to which I’m sure we agree here in our shared belief, that “with God there is always hope!”
Just last night I was reading how Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta saw so much dying and suffering every day while she tended to the dying or suffering souls constantly around her in such a selfless manner! Something I would find so hard to carry on and do day in and day out; and yet here I am worrying about some decisions I made decades ago that altered the course of my life for sure, but not knowing what might have been if I made a few different choices that were right in front of me; could that have been better or the actual right thing to have done? But the truth is, I’m here to do one thing; and that is “to love and serve God,” to do His will is paramount so who am I to say, because regardless of choices I made as a mere imperfect fallen human being, that God can and does use any and all outcomes to serve His ultimate purposes!
Romans 8:27-29 “And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. 29For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.”
God bless you Sister Joanne.
And God’s blessing of Hope to this entire suffering world, God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven! Amen.
Brother in Christ Jesus,
Lawrence
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEaKXRJ4NB4
//lawrencemorra.com/2022/06/13/selflessness-devoid-of-selfishness-saint/
//lawrencemorra.com/2021/09/23/the-hole-in-our-holiness/
//lawrencemorra.com/2021/08/26/why-are-we-here-is-it-worth-being-born/
//lawrencemorra.com/2022/01/12/an-evolutionary-fluke/
You have been doing some deep reflection indeed, brother Lawrence. I agree with your wisdom in sober reflection, making ourselves available to God to hear the Lord’s word to us. Maybe today I will be strong enough to see something in myself that until this moment I did not have the courage to face. God is is strengthening us all throughout, this is the work–both divine and personal–of God’s transformation of each believer.
I remember your story about leaving Hollywood and all it represented, just as your career was really hitting stride. I can imagine you have wondered (especially considering other Christians who have made such a mighty impact through cinema) if you made the right decision, if this was by God’s leading or prompted by some other personal matter. I believe God is giving me a word for you about that.
You and I, all of us, have hopes and dreams we grow up with, ideas about how our life will go, and even certainties about how we think God wants our life to go. Often, what we thought is not how things turn out. Perhaps one person though they would marry and have a large family, with many grandchildren. Now, as they reach grandparent years, there is no family. Perhaps they remained single. Did they miss their big chance? Perhaps another person is told by many how talented and gifted they are in a particular area. But after many years they have experienced no success in that field, or perhaps they have gone into another field entirely, and are feeling unfulfilled. Did they take missteps and end up on the wrong path?
I did a little video talking about this very thing. We start at “A” and we tend to head towards “B.” But very often, God has “B Prime” in mind, a much different destination that will accomplish the Lord’s purpose, which is itself such a vast plan (and our part just one tiny component) that it’s hard to see it sometimes. Here’s the video link https://youtu.be/jvH4YmG7w54
God’s word to you is that you are right on track. God’s plan A is never derailed in a person’s life. When we are following the Lord’s leading, God will be bringing us to where God intends. God knows you and me. God knows your ability to hear and to understand what God has in mind. We follow imperfectly, no doubt, we make poor decisions, we err. Yet, in God’s sovereignty, God is able to work in and through human decisions to bring about God’s divine purposes.
Joseph’s words to his brothers is our word of reassurance today: “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. ” (Genesis 50:20 NRSVUE)
Grace and peace to you in Christ, Joanne
Dear Lord Jesus all praise to you!
Sister Joanne you pegged it for sure as the Spirit speaks! Just got back from a hike with my blue eyed dog that caught my attention the first time she locked her icy blue eyes on mine about a year ago after the loss of my previous dog I had rescued 15+ years prior from imminent termination at that shelter due to her being “not adoptable,” but, her and I with God’s intervention proved that assessment wrong!
This is all about her meeting me mysteriously to save her life.
https://lawrencemorra.com/2019/03/18/a-god-sent-ray-of-hope-and-light-on-thanksgiving-for-a-dog-and-a-man/
What you said here; “if this was by God’s leading or prompted by some other personal matter. I believe God is giving me a word for you about that.”
Yes as I stated previously I see the advantages and disadvantages both ways, but, like my dear dad said, “son it wasn’t meant to be,” to stay in that track I was on and my mom said, “oh Larry God saved you,” and I tend to see it all more vividly now by “this crystallization” (witness) you brought forth through God’s spirit! I think what happened to me lately is I tend to look back thinking, some say over think, how when I met Paul Newman and loved him as a real human being, no pretenses, and thought wouldn’t it be wonderful to accomplish the things he did from that track like he did, if even on a much smaller scale; perhaps fulfilling a “grand purpose” not for self-adulation at all, that’s deadly and wrong, but, rather to serve and save others from whatever may harm them, even Paul’s only son if I could have been around maybe, some positive influence! Aren’t we to strive toward being “warriors for the Lord” and do what we can to help others!
But, this is key to the matter, what you stated for sure, “if this was by God’s leading or prompted by some other personal matter.” I at that time was very worried about my baby sister who was more of the wild seed sort than all my other siblings and I knew if something went terribly wrong I couldn’t live with myself for not being there, I had always been like a watchdog kind of, so I tossed all my dreams of being somebody when I already was, back home to my sister! Split homes are difficult which we had unfortunately, and it was very much so at times with many repercussions! I know it’s like mother said how God saved me and others by directing my actions or decisions! I just read yesterday about Paul Newman and his beautiful family, how his first marriage broke, and I was taken aback how it seems that his son Scott was suffering and tripped or lost his footing especially after an auto accident and that subsequent poison came into play as it does with so many youth, “alcohol with pain meds did him in!”
Absolutely beautiful what you said here; “Did they miss their big chance?” After all can’t most anyone express that sort of remorse or at least wonder about their own life and what it amounts to in the end? But we don’t want to miss our “really BIG chance,” to stand before our Lord and Savior, Father, Son and Holy Spirit to not hear these words as to God’s assessment of our lives at their completion!
Matthew 25:23 His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I shall set you over much; enter the joy of your Lord.”
This is what really matters as we have to recognize “all that glitters is not gold” and what mankind has contrived or set up as a system is nothing, and only “dust in the wind,” for it is what “God set as His truth” long before all of this was even here! Be humble or actually “humble yourself and build your faith” as my dad told me often over the years, that is where the God truth is, the message through the ages; and I had to learn how to do that better and realize how that actually works!
Absolutely full of beauty and God’s truth here sister in Christ; “God is strengthening us all throughout, this is the work–both divine and personal–of God’s transformation of each believer.”
Can we for a moment see all and know all in order to make a decision and know full well it is absolute? Of course not and at best most of us plod through life and make educated guesses at times or making course corrections habitually by whichever way the wind is blowing (in fashion or trending) or suits our fleshly fancies; if we aren’t being “divinely directed like the prophets and saints were and are!”
I was actually a science major in my formative years of youth less of an artist then, but, that paradigm did flip as I got more independent. And one great scientist that I really appreciate how he said some profound truths that are impossible to not acknowledge as fundamental tenets of this universe that we obviously must travel through for a time; until that “New Kingdom” comes.
“To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their primitive forms – this knowledge, this feeling is at the centre of true religiousness.”
-Albert Einstein – “The Merging of Spirit and Science”
Let’s admit that there are many more brokenhearted or sad people in this world, because this world here can ultimately only offer some shelter, which is all temporary, and many times even a dirty trick it would seem, because let us not forget, that spirit of the air here that is the so called prince of the air the liar/deceiver!
And I just was listening to an old tune that I hadn’t heard in many, many years when I jumped in here to respond to your fine commentary, and it all flowed, so I went with that creative “God gift energy and Spirit” to say what I say here, but, I will watch the video and be sure to pray with reflection I’m sure, to address this possibly further later on!
But for now what you said is spot-on here, and I get teary eyes like a child!
“God’s word to you is that you are right on track.”
And absolutely, because of what you say here Sister!
“We follow imperfectly, no doubt, we make poor decisions, we err. Yet, in God’s sovereignty, God is able to work in and through human decisions to bring about God’s divine purposes.”
And then I’m brought to tears by those words of precious truth from the past in Scripture!
Joseph’s words to his brothers is our word of reassurance today: “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. ” (Genesis 50:20 NRSVUE)
I truly see happening for real in real time, what you have brought out here so succinctly! Praise the Lord, in Jesus’ holy name! Amen.
Thank you and blessings to you and yours, in Christ brother,
Lawrence
PS
Not to be cute or cheeky but this is so over-the-top different that this song came to me as I walked with my dog, “Mellow Yellow.” As we had just stopped and I chatted with a woman I’ve know many years strolling along in our path that I hadn’t seen in a while. And it turned out that a dog she tried to adopt was too frantic and snappy, so she had to bring her to a foster family who will give her what she needs to come out of her condition, to which I said, “I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”
But then I thought like a news flash whirling round in my head how blessed I was to have the dog I now have, that came from a disaster and very stressful catastrophe that occurred in another state, but, she is so “mellow” with those icy very piercing blue eyes like I remember Paul Newman had when I met him on that film set, which blew me away in both cases, it was an amazing thing how this dog ended up being with me, more than surreal, but miraculous; divinely ordered! And that this dog is just what I needed, some sweet mellow dog that needs me for my abilities and deep connection to animals, very spiritual as in a blessing from God! Then once home I had to look that old tune up, and with it came this one that played in the background as I wrote here!!!