In Those Days - Pt. 3

 

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord. (Isaiah 65:17-25 ESV).

 

I am often asked what heaven will be like; what will the New Kingdom be like? In our reading today the prophet gives us a descriptive preview of what life on the new earth will be like when Jesus comes again. Isaiah’s picture of what is in store for us will come as a complete surprise to some. The American writer Mark Twain, who did not believe in life after death, caricatured the life to come as one of the most boring things imaginable. According to Isaiah 65, he and others who think that way could not be more wrong. The new heavens and new earth will be filled with joy. Instead of being boring, it will be a delight. None of the ugliness of sin will be remembered. Never again will there be the sound of crying. People will go on living and be able to “enjoy the work of their hands.” They “will be a people blessed by the LORD.”

 

Mary and I have lived in many houses throughout our married life. Each time we moved out, someone else moved in. At almost every place we lived I planted trees, only to leave them behind for someone else to enjoy. They were mere saplings when planted; however, visiting those places now, they are towering trees. On the new earth we’ll build houses and live in them. We’ll plant trees and enjoy them when they are full grown. And animal lovers can take heart: every animal God made will live there in peace. Most important, we will live in the presence of and in communion with God in a way we can barely imagine. Paradise lost will be paradise regained! Is it really any surprise that so many believers have expressed a longing for that new home? Patient waiting becomes more difficult the more I know about that place! And, my hope is strengthened even more!