Series: Isaiah
Title: The New Heaven and New Earth
Text: Isaiah 65:17-19
Date: March 13, 2016
Isaiah 65: 17: For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 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.
Imagine a world where everything is new. Imagine having all new joy. A world with no sin, no curse, no weeping and no crying. Imagine a world with no disappointments, no vain labor. Imagine a world where God delights in you. That is the description God gives in our text of “The New Heavens and New Earth.”
When I speak of a new heaven and new earth—do you think of something off in the distant future? Indeed, this text speaks of the end when we shall be brought by Christ into glory, into the new heavens and the new earth. But the text, cannot describe one specific time—this new heavens and new earth began when Christ came the first time and accomplished the redemption of his people. This new heavens and new earth exists right now for you who are called into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. For you and I who await the consummation, it will only get better and better.
God our Savior is the creator of the new heavens and the new earth wherein all is the righteousness of Christ.
OUR SAVIOR IS THE CREATOR
We see plainly that God our Savior is the Creator of the new heavens and new earth—Isaiah 65: 17: For, behold, I create a new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Three times, God says “Behold, I create a new heavens and a new earth.” “He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5).
It was the eternal purpose of God our Father before he created this heavens and this earth to create a new heavens and a new earth. God the Father chose to give his Son all preeminence in all things; that all fullness dwell in his Son. The way God chose to give Christ all glory is by giving him the reigns to create all things. Christ his Son created the first heaven and earth.
Colossians 1: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18: And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19: For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
God our Savior created the first man Adam—a figure of Christ to come—in that both were the head and representative of their people. Then, according to his purpose, God our Savior allowed Adam to exercise his will—Adam sinned. Death passed upon all men because we all sinned in Adam. (Rom 5: 12) This heavens and this earth became cursed by God due to the sin of mankind. Isn’t it amazing that we have even polluted space by our sinful touch. If we touch it, we corrupt it! But our fall into sin did not take God by surprise—it was purposed so that Christ might save us from our sins.
Then God created a world which he called Israel—why? We say “A picture is worth a thousand words.” With political Israel, God drew us a detailed picture—in shadows and types—showing how he would create all things new by Christ Jesus the Son of God. But the natural sons of Abraham sinned against God—doing what multitudes do in our day—they latched on to the law, tried to save themselves and rejected Christ who it was given to declare.
Yet, God never intended for this heaven and this earth to last—nor for political Israel to last—he says, “and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”—In verse 16, God said, “the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.”
This new creation began for all God’s elect in Christ, by Christ, when Christ came the first time and redeemed us from iniquity.
2 Corinthians 5: 17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18: And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,…
It means our standing before God is brand new. For all God’s elect, our curse, our sin and our death are not remembered by God. We have eternal life in Christ. So believer, stop bringing up the past.
Also, Christ fulfilled the law so that the old, carnal ordinances of legal worship are abolished: the sacrifices, the sabbath days, all holy days, all yearly feasts, all altars, and the entire carnal priesthood are ended—because they all typified Christ who is the express image and glory of those pictures.
Colossians 2: 16: Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Now Christ has ushered in the everlasting covenant of grace in which the worship of God is entirely different.
John 4:23: But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24: God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Hebrews 10:15: Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16: This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17: And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18: Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 19: Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20: By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21: And having an high priest over the house of God; 22: Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
The only ordinances we have now are believer’s baptism and the Lord’s supper. And soon, very soon, just as Israel passed away, this heaven and this earth shall also pass away, and there will only be the new heavens and the new earth.
2 Peter 3: 10: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 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;
Oh, hear God, rest in Christ and honor him in our lives. Our former troubles are forgotten, hid from God’s eyes. This new heavens and new earth will only get better, better, better!
NEW REJOICING
For all who are translated into this new heaven and new earth, God our Savior has created new rejoicing—Isaiah 65: 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.
The first, carnal Jerusalem is forgotten. God our Savior has created a new, heavenly Jerusalem. It is made up of all his redeemed, newly created elect people.
Galatians 4: 25…Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26: But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Revelation 21:1: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2: And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
New Jerusalem is all God’s elect—Christ’s bride—when each one shall be saved and adorned in his righteousness.
Yet, even now, in Christ, by Christ, God creates everlasting joy in all believers—“behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.”
Right now, believer’s glory! Oh, how we do glory! We praise and glory and rejoice! But we rejoice and we glory, not in ourselves. We glory only in the Lord!
Isaiah 12:4: And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. 5: Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. 6: Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
Isaiah 42: 12: Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.
We glory and rejoice in Christ! We glory in God’s electing love in Christ! We praise God for his blood atonement in Christ! Our glorying is in God’s regenerating, sanctifying grace in Christ! God’s people rejoice in God’s free forgiveness in Christ! We joy in God’s providence in Christ! Our glory shall be in God’s resurrecting, glorifying grace in Christ! Christ is All and in All to the believer. Our one rejoicing!
Yet, the most amazing thing about our joy is this, God says, “I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people:” Created entirely new in the righteousness of Christ, God finds only cause for rejoicing and joy in his people!
Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Zephaniah 3:14: Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. 15: The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. 16: In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. 17: The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Christ walks in our midst right now in Spirit. But in that eternal day, he will walk among us face-to-face!
Revelation 21: 3: And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
For now, while in these bodies of death, our joy is mixed with sorrow and pain. But God promises in that eternal day, “the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.”
Revelation 21: 4: And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5: And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
What is the joy of heaven? What will make all our tears cease? Listen carefully! This world is such a noisy place! Everybody’s talking and nobody’s listening! Oh, but believer, keep your eye toward the heavens and keep your ear tuned. Soon, our Redeemer will say to each one of his blood-bought children—
Matthew 25: 21: Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
Psalm 16: 11…in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Christ is our joy both now and forever!
Amen!