The New Heaven and New Earth - Context Isaiah 65

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.

It is important to have an understanding of the context of Isaiah’s prophecy of the new heavens and new earth, found in Isaiah 65:17. Once we make our way through this chapter, it will become clear why it matters.

Isaiah 65:1 I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.

The chapter begins with a prophecy of how the nations will seek out the Lord, and He will call out to them, saying, “Behold me, behold me.” The Apostle Paul quotes verses 1 & 2 of Isaiah 65, in his teaching on Israel in Romans 10 [Rom. 10:20-21].

Isaiah 65:2 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;
3a A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face;

Verses 2 and 3a is an expression of God’s weariness with the constant rebellion of Israel. He had spread out or stretched forth His hands all the day, meaning He was constantly reaching out to His people, although they were continually walking in a way that was not good. They walked after their own thoughts, instead of walking after His Word. This resulted in them continually provoking Him to anger. To do this, to my face, means they did not try to hide their apostasy, but flagrantly rebelled in His presence. This is likely a reference to their rebellion being displayed in His House, the Jerusalem temple. When Christ came, He witnessed to the reality of this.

In verses 3b through 5, the Lord brings an indictment against the rebels of Israel, who have provoked Him to His face. The indictment is that they have broken the covenant He gave them. All the accusations He lays against them are violations of the covenant law which He gave them. This covenant required their obedience in order for them to continue as His special covenant people. His servant, Moses, warned them what judgments would befall them if they failed to obey His Voice and keep His commandments [Deut. 28].

This people, who walked after their own thoughts, provoked Him to anger continually to His face. How did they provoke Him?
1. They sacrificed in gardens (vs. 3)
2. They burned incense upon altars of bricks(vs. 3)
3. They lived among the dead, lodged in the monuments(vs. 4). This is a reference to communicating with the dead, which was strictly forbidden.
4. They ate swine’s flesh, and the broth of abominable things(vs. 4)

“They forsook God’s temple, and sacrificed in groves. They cared not for the distinction between clean and unclean meats, before it was taken away by the gospel. Perhaps this is put for all forbidden pleasures, and all that is thought to be gotten by sin, that abominable thing which the Lord hates.”
(Matthew Henry)

All the while they pretended a holiness, which said, “Stand by thyself, and come not near to me, for I am holier than you.” (vs. 5a) Their holiness was false, being based upon the external works of the flesh. The Lord says, He will not stand by and be silent about their provocations. He will repay them, even into their bosoms. The Jewish Targum or Aramaic Interpretation of this verse, states it this way,

“I will recompense to them the vengeance of their sins, and deliver their bodies to the second death”¹

Isaiah 65:7 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.

These illicit practices were not new, but had been practiced by their fathers. This means that this idolatry and rebellion had been a generational apostasy. In fact, Jeremiah states that they had never kept the covenant He made with them at Sinai.

Jer. 32:21 And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror;
22 And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;
23 And they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them:

In fulfillment of God’s promises to the fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He brought them out of the land of Egypt. He gave them the land that He swore to their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey. This land He brought them into, “they came in, and possessed it.” Do not let anyone deceive you ino thinking that Israel has not possessed the land that was promised to their fathers. Here in Jeremiah and several other places testify to the fact that they did [see Joshua 21:43; Neh. 9:23-24, et al].²

Israel being God’s special covenant people was not based only in their connection to the fathers, but was dependent upon their keeping the covenant He made with them at Sinai.

Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

Notice the condition for being His “peculiar treasure” above all the peoples of the earth³. They were required to and agreed to obey His voice and keep His covenant. In order for Israel to be His special covenant people, they were required to obey Him and keep or fulfill the covenant. All the indictments listed here in Isaiah 65:3-7, are based upon them breaking that covenant. Even Jeremiah testifies that Israel had “done nothing of all that thou commanded them to do.” They broke the Sinai covenant with the Lord, but in His graciousness, He promises them a new covenant.[Jer. 31:31-37].

Isaiah 65:8 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.

This is the first instance we see that the Lord distinguishes between those who have rebelled against Him, and those He calls “my servants.”

The image we have here, is the owner of the vineyard supervising the pruning of his plants. A servant may be about to sever a good branch, when the owner says to him, “Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it.”

The purpose of this statement is to demonstrate the care of the Lord for those who have been faithful to him, even in the midst of the national rebellion. Those faithful are the new wine, wherein there is a blessing. The Lord will save His servants out of the midst of the apostates, so that, “I may not destroy them all.” The Lord always leaves a remnant for Himself.

This image of Israel as a vineyard in need of pruning, finds its root in Isaiah 5, which is the Song of the Beloved’s Vineyard. I would strongly encourage you to read it and become familiar with it. It describes Israel as a vineyard, in which everything possible was done for it, so that it could be fruitful. However, instead of bearing good fruit, it brought forth stinkberries. What shall the Lord of the Vineyard do? The Song states that He will take away the hedge, break down the wall, and lay the vineyard waste. The judgment of the song is that the vineyard would be destroyed. Just so there is no misunderstanding, the Lord states it a clear as possible,

Isaiah 5:7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

The vineyard is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant plant, or vine. Here in Isaiah 65, instead of destroying the whole vineyard, the Lord finds a branch with a cluster containing new wine. For the sake of this cluster, or remnant, He will not totally destroy the whole vineyard. He would use this remnant to replant the vineyard of the Lord.

Isaiah 65:9 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.

Here, the Lord promises to “bring forth a seed out of Jacob.” The seed that comes out of Jacob, is a reference to the Messiah. The word here, seed, is masculine singular, referring to a single male seed, that will come out of Jacob.

To be more specific, the Lord will bring “out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains.” The noun here, inheritor, is also masculine singular, pointing to a single male inheritor. This can only refer to the Messiah. Paul also points out this single male seed, when he writes in Galatians,

3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

The promise of God was to Abraham and his seed, his single male seed. Paul plainly says that Christ is that single male seed. So also Christ is the single male seed that was brought forth out of Jacob. He was the single male seed that is brought out of Judah to be the Inheritor of the Mountains (kingdom) of the Lord [Heb. 1:2].

Paul also teaches us that this promise to Abraham and his seed, was that he was to be the heir, or inheritor of the world.

Rom. 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

The term, elect, in verse 9 is plural. Christ is the primary Elect One of God [1 Pet. 2:6]. However, His covenant people are also called His elect ones [Col. 3:12]. He then states that after His Inheritor comes out of Judah to inherit the Lord’s mountains, the Lord’s elect or chosen ones, i.e., His covenant people will also inherit His mountains [Dan. 7:18; Gal. 4:7]. Who are these chosen ones? They are joint-heirs with the Inheritor, and they shall dwell there. In the context, they are the remnant of Israel, the new wine [Matt. 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37].

He pronounces the following concerning His servants and the apostates,

13 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:
14 Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.
15 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:

The Lord says that His servants shall eat, drink and rejoice, while the apostates shall hunger, thirst and be ashamed. This is the language of the Shepherd, stating that He will care for His flock, while those that are not His sheep, will be left to their own devices.

What is interesting to see here, is that God said the apostates would leave their name for a curse unto His chosen ones. What name could He mean? The name of “Jew,” of course. After the establishment of the New Covenant, the name Jew came to mean “he who despises Christ and His Gospel.” The main persecutor of the followers of Christ, for the first forty years after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, was the Pharisaic Jew, i.e., the Synagogue of Satan [Rev. 2:9;3:9].

Isaiah states clearly that the “Lord God shall slay thee,” and shall call His servants by another name. This tells us that God warned the apostates of Israel in advance, that there would be a separation. He would separate the apostates of the house of Israel from those He deemed as His servants. His servants, also called His elect ones [Isa. 65:9], would be those who dwelled with the Inheritor of His mountains. This is an obvious reference to Christ, as the Inheritor, and those redeemed by Christ, as God’s servants and elect ones. There can be no doubt that the other name that the Lord would call His servants, can be none other than Christians [Acts. 11:26].

{It is unclear whether the first instance of the name, Christian, was used as a slur against the Assembly in Antioch, or was a name they adopted for themselves. The verse, Acts 11:26, is not totally clear as to which is the case. However, later, in Acts 26:28, it appears to be a settled name for the community of Christ's disciples. Here, after Paul's testimony, King Agrippa says, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." So early in the history of the Ekklesia of Christ, the name Christian appears to be widely used in and out of Judea for believers in Christ.}

It is after the Lord makes the distinction between those apostates of Israel and those He calls His elect and His servants, that He makes the promise of a new heaven and new earth, along with a newly created Jerusalem.

We have already seen in Isaiah 51:16, how God proclaimed the establishment of a heaven and earth, when He delivered them out of Egypt, and brought them to Sinai. There He “gave them His Word,” and said, “You are my People.” However, this covenant they did not keep but broke it through their rebellion. Because of this, a new covenant was needed to replace the broken Sinai covenant.

If there is any such thing as Replacement Theology, it is this. The only thing that has been replaced
is the covenant by which Israel was to relate to its God.

The Old Sinai covenant had been broken by their disobedience, and became antiquated [Heb. 8:13]. The Law was the parenthesis that existed between the giving of the Promise to Abraham and its fulfillment in the coming of the Messiah [Gal. 3:19]. When the Messiah came, the Sinai covenant was destined to be done away with [Heb. 8:13]. He would eradicate the Old and establish the New. Israel would continue but only by way of their New Covenant established in the blood of the Lamb of God, Christ Jesus the Lord.

This new covenant would by necessity be different. This new covenant is,

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: [Jer. 31:32]

Notice God said they broke the covenant that He made with them when they came out of Egypt. It was the making of this covenant, that Isaiah refers to as “planting the heavens and laying the foundation of the earth” [Isa. 51:16]. Here, he equates the establishing of the heaven and the earth, with the establishment of covenant with Israel. The promise of a new heaven and a new earth, is language which promises a new covenant to the Remnant of Israel.

Now He is going to bring forth a Seed from Jacob, and out of Judah would come the Inheritor of His mountains. This is an obvious reference to the Messiah. His servants shall dwell in those same mountains. These are not physical mountains in some specific land, but refer to the kingdom domain of the Lord God and His Messiah.

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.

It is only after we read how the Lord will slay the apostates of Israel (vs. 15) and that He will call His servants by another name, that we see the promise of a new heavens and a new earth. It is only after we read of a Single Male Seed, who will come out of Jacob, as the Inheritor out of Judah, who will inherit the mountains of the Lord, that we read of the new heavens and new earth. It is only after the servants, the elect ones of the Lord, are said to also inherit the mountains of the Lord, along with the Inheritor from Judah, that we read of the new heavens and the new earth.

It should be obvious to any New Covenant Believer, that this is a prophecy of the coming New Covenant to be made with Israel. This New Covenant would be made with that remnant of new wine, wherein is a blessing. This is that new wine in a new container [Matt. 9:17]. The One who represents this remnant of Israel is that single seed from Jacob, that Inheritor out of Judah, the Messiah Jesus of Nazareth.

As we have seen in 2 Peter, the language of the new heaven and new earth is representative of a kosmos, or an ordered arrangement. Hence, here we have the promise of a new arrangement, wherein righteousness is its defining character. We can say with a good level of confidence, that this new heaven and new earth is another way to describe the New Covenant God made with Israel through its covenant representative, the Messiah Jesus.

END

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Footnotes

¹ https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/isaiah-65-6.html
² This subject is covered in detail in my book, Creating the Israel of God.
³ It is important to note that 1 Pet. 2:9 refers to the Ekklesia of Christ as the peculiar people, using the same Greek word, as used in the Greek Old Testament at Exodus 19:5.