“What’s troubling you right now?”
Ask nearly anyone this question, and invariably they’ll tell you about their difficulties—family problems, financial hardships, work issues, and a whole host of others. In fact, some are so eager to share their woes that they’ll volunteer them, even without your asking (think of that stranger on the airplane who wouldn’t stop talking). “If only this,” and, “If only that,” they’ll say, as if things should have been better.
What this illustrates is that this world is laden with problems, and people want relief, as if they expect it. In a word, they desire hope. You might even say we’re wired for it. Hope is that Christian theme often overlooked in an otherwise affluent, comfortable, and secure America. It is when our securities begin crumbling and pressures begin mounting that our hope is most tested. In a world captive to sin’s curse, hope must remain ever-present in our mind.
It is for this reason that we look to Scripture for its testimony concerning God’s redemption, ultimately unto perfect renewal, for ourselves and for all of creation. Perhaps nowhere are these themes more prominent than in the book of Isaiah, where we learn about a new heavens, earth, and Jerusalem.
Context: Isaiah’s Background and Theology
Before exploring the book of Isaiah, we must understand the world into which he was born, historically and theologically. For this, we rewind to the beginning of Scripture, which testifies that God created the heavens, earth, and everything contained therein. Significantly, He pronounced them “good” (Gen. 1:31). However, mankind sinned, and sin’s curse spread to all.
Rather than destroying His broken creation and starting anew, God chose to reverse mankind’s corruption and its effects by “redeeming” it. As we explore Isaiah’s book, this theme of reversal will be important. Isaiah speaks and prophesies in light of this historical and theological background. At least two observations result from his context that bears importance for Isaiah’s theology.
a. God: Creator & Redeemer
The first is that God’s role as Creator is intricately tied to His role as Redeemer. Over and over again, Isaiah links these themes. For instance, as he is pronouncing the Lord’s prophesy concerning forgiveness and redemption, Isaiah identifies Him as our “Redeemer, the one who formed you from the womb” (Isa. 44:24a; cf. 44:2ab, 6a, 21c, 23e). Several chapters later, he writes, “For your husband is your Maker / Whose name is the Lord of hosts / And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel / Who is called the God of all the earth” (54:5, italics added; cf. 54:8d, 16ac).
Therefore, our understanding of God as Redeemer should point us to God as Creator, and vice versa. It is no wonder that redemption means to “buy back” or “repurchase,” as the Creator is reclaiming what is rightfully His. Significantly, this redemption is accomplished through the Servant-Messiah [1]. In fact, Athanasius memorably ties these themes together when he begins his classic On the Incarnation of the Word in this way:
We will begin, then, with the creation of the world and with God its Maker, for the first fact that you must grasp is this: the renewal of creation has been wrought by the Self-same Word Who made it in the beginning. There is thus no inconsistency between creation and salvation for the One Father has employed the same Agent for both works, effecting the salvation of the world through the same Word Who made it in the beginning [2].
We can take comfort amidst our woes, not simply because God is redeeming us, but because He created us—hence we can trust in His providence. Yet what is the scope of this redemption? Does it simply concern our individual salvation, or is it bigger than that? To answer these questions, we turn to a second observation, which flows from this first one.
b. God: Maker of All Things New
Because God is the Creator and Redeemer, He is making all things new. Although this popular language has its origin in Revelation 21:5, the theme makes many earlier appearances in Isaiah. It is in Isaiah that God “declares new things,” “will do something new,” and “proclaims to you new things” (Isa. 42:9; 43:19; 48:6). This can encourage people with present problems in several ways.
First, whatever our daily difficulties, God is not finished with us yet. While this process of making all things new has commenced in the Servant-Messiah, as revealed in Jesus Christ (Mk. 1:2, 14-15), it is far from concluded. The greatest glories are yet to be revealed (Eph. 2:6-7).
Second, God is renewing everything. This means that God will cause whatever frustrations we may experience to vanish. The phrase “all things” illustrates the sheer breadth of this redemption. Redemption is not simply something that takes place for us, an otherwise individualistic and selfish take, but also for all of God’s people and the created order itself. To illustrate the power of this promise, Isaiah tells us about a new covenant, new name, new song, new strength, new wine, new Zion, new heavens, new earth, new Jerusalem, and more [3].
What this means for us and for those to whom we witness is that we can have hope in a God Who is in the business of setting things right—all things. There is no one thing that is presently giving us trouble that will continue to do so at the culmination of God’s work. No frustration, no heartache is so small as to escape God’s notice. This is good news!
Culmination: A New Heavens, New Earth, & New Jerusalem
This good news will result in a new heavens, earth, and Jerusalem, according to Isaiah 65:17-25 (please read over this passage, as I will draw heavily from it through this section). Yet what is it that will be new about this future? What Isaiah does not mean is that it will have no relation to anything preceding it—just the opposite, actually.
It will be the total renewal of God’s creation. Here again we see the continuity between God’s role as Creator and Redeemer. Just as He created the heavens and the earth through His word (Gen. 1:1-3), so He will create a new heavens, earth, and Jerusalem through His Word (Isa. 65:17-18; cf. 66:22a; Jn. 14:1-3; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21). In it will dwell God’s people, who are as “new wine” (Isa. 65:8), because sin and its effects will be altogether forgotten (65:17b; cf. 9:1; 42:9; 43:18-19; 61:16ef; Rev. 21:4).
As such, this will be a place whose inhabitants live full lives, prosper in their work, experience perfect communion with God, and enjoy supreme peace (Isa. 65:20-25). For anyone living in frustration or grief, this is a happy prospect (65:18-19)! For you and for me, this prophecy signifies an absolute reversing of sin’s curse and a reclaiming of Eden’s perfect state in at least four ways: As in Eden,
(1) People will not die, as death will be altogether vanquished (65:20, 22c; cf. 25:8; 28:15-18; 66:22c).
(2) Work will not be laborious (Gen. 3:17-19), but people will enjoy it and prosper in it (Isa. 65:21-23). As work came before sin, so it will exist after sin, but it will not plague us as it so often does today.
(3) Sinless communion, rather than sinful corruption, will characterize the restored relationship between God and man (65:24). As these are an atoned-for, bought-back, reclaimed, redeemed, renewed, and restored people (57:18b; cf. 11:11b; 49:6b), they will not profane the Sabbath, commit gluttony, perform idolatry, practice false religion, or execute injustice (56-59). Instead, this people will practice righteousness (61:3e; cf. 60:1b, 2d, 9f, 21acd).
(4) Finally, peace will reign supreme, where enmities will be broken, fears gone, and natures altogether changed (65:25; cf. 11:6-9; 35:10; 65:14; 66:12; Rev. 21:4) [4]. Significantly, the serpent itself, the face of evil in Genesis 3, will be impotent there.
Whatever the harsh reality of our daily grind, we can glory and hope in the awesome expectation of our futures. Hallelujah!
Conclusion
What does this mean for us today in our world of grief, heartache, and trouble? How does this encourage us in our present plights? First, we can place great confidence in these hopes. God the Creator and Redeemer will finish what He has begun. Second, we can begin to live now in light of these truths. As Paul would later put it, we can “rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4; cf. 1 Thess. 5:16). Third, we live the life that’s dealt us—difficulties and all. We live as a redeemed people today, no matter what. We rely on God as our ever-present help (Ps. 46:1), and in time we demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Whatever our problems today, we live in light of our tomorrows, knowing that God will one day vanquish our frustrations once and for all. Amen, and amen.
_______________________________________
[1] Isa. 42:1-9; 49:1-7; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12; 61:1-3; cf. 9:1-7; 11:1-10).
[2] Athanasius, On the Incarnation, trans. Sister Penelope Lawson, accessed January 4, 2014, http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/history/ath-inc.htm#ch_1 (italics in original).
[3] Isa. 40:31; 41:1, 14; 42:9-10; 43:1, 7, 14-15, 19; 48:6, 17; 53:12; 54:1-3; 62:2, 8; cf. Lk. 22:20; Rev. 3:12; 5:9; 14:3; 21:5.
[4] Alec Motyer, Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1999), 399.
Recent Comments