This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “New Heavens & New Earth” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, January 14, 1990.
Our scripture reading tonight is Isaiah chapter 66. And God says to the Lord, Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where, then, is a house you could build for me? And where is a place that I may rest? For my hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being, declares the Lord. But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit and who trembles at my word.
But he who kills an ox He’s like one who slays a man. He who sacrifices a lamb is like the one who breaks a dog’s neck. He who offers a grain offering is like one who offers swine’s blood. He who burns incense is like the one who blesses an idol. As they have chosen their own ways and their soul delights in their abominations, so I will choose their punishments, and I will bring on them what they dread.
Because I called that no one answered, I spoke that they did not listen. And they did evil in my sight and chose that in which I did not delight. Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word. Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for my name’s sake, have said, let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy. That they will be put to shame. A voice of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple, the voice of the Lord who is rendering recompense to his enemies. Before she prevailed, she brought forth Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion prevailed, she also brought forth her sons.
Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery, says the Lord? or shall I, who gives delivery shut the womb, says your God, be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her. Be exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over her, that you may nourish and be satisfied with her comforting breasts, that you may suck and be delighted with her bountiful bosom. For thus says the Lord, Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream. You shall be nourished, you shall be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you. You shall be comforted in Jerusalem. Then you shall see this, and your heart shall be glad, and your bones shall flourish like the new grass.
And the hand of the Lord shall be made known to his servants, and he shall be indignant toward his enemies. For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire. The Lord will execute judgment in fire and by his sword on all flesh, and those slain by the Lord will be many. Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the gardens following one who is centered, who eats the swine’s flesh, the testable things, and mice, shall come to an end altogether, declares the Lord.
For I know their works and their thoughts. The time is coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and see my glory. I will set a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations, Tarshish, Hood, Lod, Nashik, Rosh, Tubal, and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard my fame nor seen my glory. They will declare my glory among the nations.
Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the Lord on horses and chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offerings in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites, says the Lord. Just as the new heavens and the new earth which I make will endure before me, declares the Lord, so your offspring and your name will endure. And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from sabbath to sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before me, says the Lord. Then they shall go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against me. For their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched. And they shall be an abhorrence to all mankind.”
Our Father, truly our comforts are found with you and our peace is found in your word. We ask, Lord, that more and more we might understand how it is that we live in that which the word describes and declares. Father, take away from us that thought that we live at a distance from what your word says may that distance then be removed for us that we may not think that your word came to people in a different time that we live in our own unique time rather Lord we pray that you may sense our participation in the things we hear you say to these people and through your servant, Isaiah. Bless us, our God, now in our time together. May we love you as we revere your word. Amen.
We have been considering the theme of the new heavens and the new earth And we have come to Isaiah because, in one respect, Isaiah is known as the prophet of the New Heavens and the New Earth. We have him mentioning the New Heavens and the New Earth twice. Once in verse 17, verse 65, and then again in the passage that we read tonight, verse 22 of chapter 66. Isaiah. the prophet of the new heavens and the new earth. But this mention of the new heavens and the new earth occurs in a very powerful, very compelling portion of Isaiah’s prophecy.
It does in fact occur at the conclusion of his prophecy, the fact that I’m sure we’ve not missed it by you, thus accenting the significance of this declaration by Isaiah. Context, of course, broadly speaking, we have reviewed on a number of occasions. The context historically, of course, is the assault of the Assyrians on Judah, Jerusalem, threat to the southern tribes. They will in fact follow along the path in the course and be overtaken by the fate and the judgment that had overtaken the ten northern tribes.
Isaiah prophesying in this day, looking down the border of time, seeing all future events somewhat compressed and superimposed on one another. Almost as if you cannot distinguish near events from distant events. Near events that are relatively proximate, namely the coming deportation of Judah, the citizens of Jerusalem, under the Babylonians, the coming destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. as if he could not distinguish that somewhat proximate event from the distant event of the end of the world, or the coming of Christ, or the rise of the Church, or the blessing of the Spirit. That’s the nature of the Prophet’s vision. He sees distant events and proximate events together. He reads them together, as if they are all happening simultaneously.
Now we have said that because of that prophetic vision, the Church has become very confused. The church has difficulty understanding what’s proximate and what’s distant. Is it able to sort it out well? Gets into all kinds of arguments about what is proximate, what is distant. Becomes confused and upset about the meaning of particular phrases, ideas, intentions from the prophet.
Beyond this matter of how far distant an event may be, is, what does a specific event mean? When the prophet talks about the revitalization of Jerusalem, the city, is he merely talking about Jews coming back from Babylon, or is he seeing something greater still? Is he seeing the establishment of the final city of God, the Zion that is above, the heavenly city? But speaking of that cities in turn that are readily understandable to his audience would be to the U.S. So there are those complications and difficulties, and they have caused a great deal of discussion and even argument in the Church of Christ down through the ages.
The context, broadly speaking, we have given to you. Circumstances in the 8th century, 700 years before the birth of Christ. As Isaiah now looks down the corridor of time, he sees the coming exile, deportation of the people of Jerusalem under the Babylonians. also their eventual return, but not only that, but dawn of a new day in which God’s servant shall stand forth to be the propitiation for his people’s sins, and also bring blessing in keeping with the promise made of him centuries before for all the nations. OK.
And even though Isaiah has to this advantage, being a prophet, being visited with visions of God, being in direct communication with God. Yet, he stands as one who yet yearns for God’s final salvation, God’s deliverance of his people. We hear Isaiah’s prayer. After all that has been said throughout the prophecy in its entirety, after Isaiah has been privileged to know these things, give expression to the glorious hope, certain judgment, the glorious hope, he is still a man filled with turmoil and distress.
The man who is filled with anguish, consternation, respect to the circumstance of the people of God, the church of his day, her suffering, her plight, the disobedience that is evident within her, and God’s action with respect to her. So, Isaiah 63. If you look at that, Isaiah 63, verse 7. And then you move from that 7th verse of Isaiah 63 to the conclusion of Isaiah 64. There is this concluding prayer from Isaiah.
He is crying out to God, knowing all that he does. He is still filled with trouble. He is still filled with distress and concern. He turns to God now. At the conclusion of this prophecy, pleading with him. And he is pleading with him because he knows for sure the impending judgment. He knows for sure the impending judgment. Even though he has been given promises with respect to what lies beyond that judgment, he is concerned, he is racked, He is in deep pain because of what is coming.
There is the judgment that is coming upon the city, and there is the devastation that is coming upon the temple. Think of what this means to a Jew. Be ye as informed as Isaiah. be he as enlightened as this prophet, the city is going to be destroyed, the temple is going to be razed, there’s not going to be one stone left upon another, the entirety of it undone. He cries out in verse 15 of chapter 63, look down from heaven, O God, and see from my holy and glorious habitation, where are thy zeal and thy mighty deeds, theatics?
The stirring of thy heart and thy compassion are restrained toward me.” The grief to be experienced by the people is something that he anticipates, and even now expresses. And what of the marvelous entreaty to the Lord at the beginning of chapter 64, one that I’m sure you’ve heard time and time again, O that thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at thy presence, that you might act again to save your people, to deliver them He asks, at the conclusion of his prayer, verse 12 of chapter 64, “‘Wilt thou restrain thyself at these things, O Lord? Wilt thou keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?’ It is specifically his zeal for Judah, for the city of Jerusalem, and especially her temple, that drives him in his prayer. Listen to his description in verses 10 and 11 in chapter 64.
My holy cities have become a wilderness. Here he is looking down to that time which the devastation will come. My holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness. Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and beautiful house that is the temple where our fathers praised thee. have been burned with fire, and all our precious things have become a ruin.”
Well, that… that is, then, the condition of Isaiah’s heart. He comes to the end of life. You might think that Isaiah would say, well, those who are punished and judged, they have it coming. And if God judges his house, his household, then his household is quite deserving. But even though Israel is deserving of that judgment, Isaiah’s heart is still moved. How is it possible for a preacher, how is it possible for a preacher to plead with you with regard to a certain coming judgment and then love? The problem for Isaiah is the problem of those who truly follow in his steps.
You see the destruction that is human. You see the waywardness of the people, the stubbornness of hearts. You see wickedness, unrepentant, zeal, not encouraged, nor pursued. And your heart is broken. And yet the fact that devastation is coming and certainly shall visit even the Church of Jesus Christ causes you to cry out for the Bride of Christ, for the habitation of the Spirit. God now answers. He responds to Isaiah’s prayer.
Chapters 65 and 66. And at the center of this answer which God gives is the promise of the new heavens and the new earth. Verses which That phrase, it appears, has already been sung. And at the center of this new heavens and new earth will be a new Jerusalem. Note verse 17 of chapter 65. There the mention of the new heavens and the new earth. God is going to create afresh. Former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create, for behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing, and her people for gladness.” At the center of the new heavens and the new earth will be the new city, the new city of God, the new Jerusalem. And we’ve spoken about the qualities of this new city and the quality of life in it. Note the description that follows in verses 18 through 25.
There will be perpetual joy and gladness, joy and gladness that cannot be interrupted. There will be no more sorrow, we are told. The voice of weeping, the sound of crying, will not be heard in the New Jerusalem. The whole issue of age, how old you are, will be immaterial. For sorrow and crying, weeping, having been banished, death itself will have been banished.
Life forever in the new city, in the new heavens and the new earth. In the city, possessions will be permanent. That is, you will not be able to lose anything. You will never suffer loss. Building a house, you’ll inhabit it. Planning a vineyard, you’ll be the fruit, you’ll harvest the grain. The work of your hands established, that is, there will be no futility, no emptiness, no dissatisfaction.
And as this beautiful section of the prophecy concludes, you hear that what is truly transpiring as God gives the new earth, gives the new heavens, grants the new city, there is nothing less than an undoing of the curse. Why? The wolf and the lamb will graze together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. Satan himself will be merrily judged. There shall be no harm or evil in all my holy knowledge. Utter perfection. A wonder. What a glory. Here is God’s answer.
But this answer is not without its problem, as chapter 66 goes on to tell us. For you see, when God acts anew to establish His new heavens and new earth, and when He establishes His new city, Jerusalem, This new environment will bring into operation an entirely new administration. What if, in answer to the prayer uttered by Isaiah in chapter 64, verse 1, O that thou which trend the heavens and come down, God did in fact come down? What then of the temple? What then of the temple? You see, Isaiah is concerned about this temple. But if God does actually come down, And in His descent brings the transformation of all reality.
New heavens, new earth, new cities. Let me tell you. In what He brings, there will be no need for the devil. A new administration. Heaven is my throne, earth is my footstool. Where then is a house you could build for me? And a place, where is a place that I may rest? For whatever dwelling would be established would be utterly inadequate. Which means, of course, that there was an inadequacy to the prior administration.
Even that temple upon which Isaiah has focused all of his attention and concern. that temple, I might say, in which he saw the original vision by which he was called in Isaiah 6. The inadequacy of that temple is accented now by the mystery of the true temple, the nature of which is revealed. For when God comes down, he does not dwell in a building. But to this one I will look, to him who is humble, contrite in spirit, and who trembles at my word. the inadequacy of the prior testament, the mystery of the new administration, the nature of the true testament, where God dwells, a humble heart, contrite spirit. Not only this, as you read on, verses three through six, an earthly temple becomes the scene of that which the Lord abhors. Those who cling to the earthly temple in their service, even if it be unto God, become an importance to him.
You play it off for a sacrifice like murdering a man and as it is abominable to murder someone so in God’s eyes it will be an abomination to even play it off formally it was what the Lord required what he commanded now. It’s completely unacceptable more than that. It’s the most serious form of sin. When God comes down and temples with his people, to continue to go through the temple, and to perform sacrifice there, is an abomination to him.
Once it was right to sacrifice a lamb, but now the Lamb of God has been slain. And anyone who then slays a lamb as a sacrifice will be slaying, as it were, a dog. Great offerings will be like the offering of swine’s blood, burning incense, as if to an idol. the worship of Yahweh becomes worship that is idolatrous. And the day when the new administration comes, God comes down as well with the Holy Communion. God promises then that temple service in that day, if it is pursued, will be a sacrilege.
And those who practice temple service after God has worked His work will be enemies of God’s true service. So then there comes verse 6. the voice of uproar from the city, the old city, the voice from the temple. Or you might think it is the wailing of those who have been overtaken there in their sacrilege. It is the voice of the Lord, the Word of God, as He renders recompense to His enemies. There are those who hold on to earthly and earthy administrations in a day when the new comes. And though they call themselves friends of God and practitioners of true religion, they are in fact God’s enemies. God is jealous of certain things. You understand why Paul is so exercised when he hears of Galatians going back to the old It’s no incidental matter to him.
It’s a matter of life and death. You go back to the old form, you’ll die. Don’t you know that? You will die. Why does the writer of the letter to the Hebrews plead, plead so strenuously and earnestly with his audience? If you go back to the shadows and the previous things, you will walk with perseverance. You will fail in your endurance, you will come short of God’s glory, and salvation will be denied you. You can’t hold on to the old when the new comes.
So it is that God answers. He answers Isaiah’s concern about the city and about the temple by telling him about the passing nature of both. Both are fading. It is specifically this message that is picked up by Stephen his plea with Jerusalem in his day is in fact that the hour has come for the arrival of the new administration and this stiff-necked generation continues to resist God. Stephen quotes from this portion of scripture in Acts 7 verses 49 and 50. But that brings us now to the conclusion of the prophecy. Verses 7 through 24. We cannot read these latter verses of this prophecy without having in view the new heavens, new earth, and that new Jerusalem of which the Lord has spoken.
In the realization of this new Jerusalem, There will be, as it were, a short-lived labor. Before she prevailed, she brought forth. Before her pain came, she gave birth to a child. Though it seems like an extensive labor, nothing could be more severe, Isaiah himself feeling it severely. God is saying that when all is finished, it will seem but a passing moment. The delivery taking place even prior to the labor pains. God Himself will bring His purpose to birth.
And when he does, the birth of a child for a family is truly a joyous occasion. But now, an entirely new form, an entirely new world has been born. An entirely new setting, situation, and the joy is unprecedented. There is satisfaction, peace, and comfort. These things are known in their perfection in the New Jerusalem, verses 10 through 13. The Church will delight, the people of God will rejoice, but the enemy’s destruction is certain and swift, verses 14 through 17.
And in this circumstance, as God is concluding His purposes and intentions, He gathers the nations for the unveiling of His glory, and in the midst of the nation, His sign appears. It sounds as if what is expected here at the end of Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in what we read and act. as there come from the various nations of the earth those representatives of all the tribes for the unveiling of God’s glory and the setting up of His sign in their midst. And then the emissaries are dispersed who tell of His glory among the nations.”
Verse 19. This leads to true and full worship, the perfect restoration of all of God’s owners. They are gathered unto Him from the four corners of the earth. He’s elect come for that true and perfect worship of God. And in that day there will be a renewed priesthood. A new Levitical order, a ministry for the gospel, and diaconal service for the new house of the Lord.
And God’s people shall live forever, and his enemies shall be damaged. When we come to the end of Isaiah’s prophecy, we come to the end of the world. Though the language may oftentimes be confusing to us, we might not always get the point. What is envisioned is the final administration of God for His people.
The passing away of the old, in which sorrow and sighing, death and dying were constant, and a grief where the loss of city and temple were the severest concern now into an environment where sorrow flying, death dying, sinning even are impossible and where God’s people live forever perfectly blessed and in which the Lord and the Lamb are the temple and the people dwell with their God those who are humble and contrite in heart in perfect, unbreakable fellowship
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