For the next eight blogs, we are going to focus on some of God's promises which are fulfilled in the book of Revelation. For each of these themes, we will look at promises which were made in the Old Testament and examine briefly how each of these promises have become a reality in God's plan.
In today's blog, we focus on God's big promise to recreate creation which has been spoiled by the effects of sin. In the Genesis account of the original creation, there is a repeated phrase - "God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:10; 1:12; 1:18; 1:21; 1:24). But when Satan disguised as a serpent deceived Eve and she along with her husband, Adam disobeyed God, (Genesis 3:6) this was the start of the downward process which has continued ever since. Their son, Cain murdered his own brother (Genesis 4) and by the time of their descendant, Noah the whole earth had become corrupted and God destroyed the world by a great flood. The survivors of the flood who had been kept safe in the ark still had the capacity to sin (Genesis 8:21) and so we read of the building of the tower of Babel in defiance of God (Genesis 11).
But the Old Testament contains prophecies of a new creation where there will be no sin nor will there be the effects of sin.
[17] “For behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind. [Isaiah 65:17 ESV]
Isaiah tells us that this new creation will be so wonderful that we will forget all about the sorrowful history of sin, rebellion against God, violence, bloodshed, hatred and cruelty. There are clues that things are going to be very different in this new creation. Read the whole chapter in Isaiah 65 remembering that the prophet is using figurative language to describe a way of living which contrasts forcibly with human society since the fall of mankind in Genesis 3.
[19] 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. [Isaiah 65:19 ESV]
Here is how this new creation is described in the second last chapter of the Bible.
[1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [Revelation 21:1 ESV]
The whole universe will be destroyed and there will be a new creation which will provide an eternal home for the redeemed humanity. The church is described as the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:2) and we will briefly consider this in the next blog. In short, for those who have sided with the despised and rejected Jesus of Nazareth, there is a wonderful future which is beyond our wildest imagination.
When we've been there a thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun.
Photo by Arto Marttinen on Unsplash.
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