Isaiah 65:17

 Isaiah 65:17 says, For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.  This prophesy refers to when Jesus Christ returns to claim His people and send unrepentant sinners away to everlasting punishment.  God, Who created the heavens and earth in perfection only to see the earth become imperfect because of the siss of mankind said He is going to create a new heaven and earth and that the old one won't be remembered.  This is what we as followers of Jesus Christ look forward to.  I don’t believe that we can fully understand all that this means, but we know that it will be a glorious place without sin or death. 

Verse eighteen adds, 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.  God also said that Christians would rejoice forever in His new creation.  He said that Jerusalem, the city of God, would be a place of rejoicing in the Lord and a joy to His people.  This will be a place for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ and those who haven’t will never enter the city. 

Verse nineteen continues, 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.  God said He would rejoice in His people and that weeping and crying would be heard no more.  The sins of people are what lead to weeping and crying and in the new Jerusalem there will be no sin, so there will be no reason to weep and cry. 

Verse twenty states, There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.  God said those who died as infants will be just as mature as those who lived a hundred year.  There will be no separation of people by how old they are because we will all be new creatures in Christ at that time.  On the other hand, those who do not put their faith in Jesus Christ, even if the live to be a hundred, will be accursed of God because of their refusal to accept His gift of salvation.  It is still their choice that separates them from God forever and not His choice. 

Verse twenty-one adds, And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.  God said that those who entered into the new Jerusalem would build houses and plant vineyards and eat from them.  I don’t profess to know what the new heaven and new earth will be like, but it seems that it may be as God created it to be in the beginning. 

Verse twenty-two continues, They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.  God said when His people built and planted in this coming time that no one else would take what they planted and built from them.  Many times, this had happened to the people of Israel and even happens to Christians today, but it would happen no more. 

Verse twenty-three says, They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.  God said at that time those who were His people would not labor in vain nor have their work to bring forth trouble.  It seems that often times in life that we labor in vain, never really benefitting from our labor as we should, and this will no longer be the case after Jesus Christ returns to claim His people. 

Verse twenty-four adds, And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.  God said in that day that He would answer the prayers of people even before they had a chance to speak or think them.  There will be nothing separating us from God.  

Veres twenty-five continues, The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.  God said that this peace would even apply to animals, with the wolf and the lambs eating together and the lion eating straw like the bull.  This is what God intended the earth to be like when He created it, but the sin of mankind destroyed that creation, and when He creates the new heaven and earth, it will be as He intended when He created everything in perfection to start with. 

Isaiah 65:8

Isaiah 65:8 says, Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all.  God compared His people to a cluster of new grapes, which people would say to not destroy because there was a blessing in it.  The new wine would come from this cluster of grapes.  God said that He likewise would not destroy those who were supposed to be His servants because good could still come from them.  We know that Jesus Christ came from the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people and this is the ultimate goodness that came from them, but we also know that those who put their faith in God and obeyed is commandments brought goodness into the world.  If God had destroyed everyone because of their disobedience at that time, Jesus Christ could not have come to redeem mankind. 

Verse nine adds, And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.  God said he would bring a seed of Jacob out of the people of Israel and He would be the inheritor of the mountains, or the world I believe.  This seed of Jacob was Jesus Christ and He owns all of Creation.  Those who accept Him as their Savior and Lord are the elect, not because God chose them above others but because they chose to put their faith in Him.  Being the elect of God never means that some people deserve salvation and others don’t. 

Verse ten continues, And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.  God said when His people sought Him that they would be blessed.  I don’t believe that this means materially, though they often were blessed materially when they were following God, but I believe it means spiritually.  We should never come to God just because we expect to be blessed materially and we shouldn’t expect to be blessed materially once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. 

Verse eleven states, But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.  God said that the people of Israel were those who had forgotten their relationship with Him.  They were His people in name only and not because they had a personal relationship with Him.  There are still people today who are God’s people in name only. 

Verse twelve adds, Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.  God said because they refused to hear when Him called that they would be defeated because they did what was evil in His eyes.  Those who will not hear God’s call to salvation today will be defeated spiritually and ultimately sent away to everlasting punishment. 

Verse thirteen continues, Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:  God said that those who were called His servants, the people of Israel, would eat and not be filled and drink and still be thirsty.  I believe that He is speaking about spiritual hunger and thirst and not physical hunger and thirst.  Until we accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, we will never be spiritually satisfied, even if we are not physically hungry and thirsty. 

Verse fourteen says, Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.  God said that those who were truly His servants would sing with joy, but the people of Isreal who had turned away from Him would cry in sorrow and howl in vexation of their spirit.  Those who do not accept God’s gift of salvation will never be satisfied spiritually, no matter how rich and powerful they may become. 

Verse fifteen adds, And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord God shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:  God said because the people of Israel had rejected Him that their name would become a curse to those who were His chosen, or those who had put their faith in Him.  The people of Israel were never chosen because they were better than other people spiritually, but they were simply the people that God chose to reveal Himself to the world through.  We may call ourselves Christians and think that makes us better than other people simply because of where we were born, but if we have not come to God through faith in Jesus Christ, He will reach out to people elsewhere while we are left accursed. 

Verse sixteen continues, That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.  God said if anyone would be blessed in the world that it would be because they have a personal relationship with Him and for no other reason.  If we would be blessed, it can only be because we have put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.