Does this sound familiar?
“For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress.”
Okay, how about this?
“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.And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’”
Why do I share these passages from Isaiah and the Book of Revelation with you about hope and the new heavens and new earth, especially in Advent? First, let’s remember that this world—this reality—is coming, and it’s a gift. “But be glad and rejoice in what I will create.” We don’t earn it or work for it. Just like waiting to go to college if you’re in high school, or waiting until Christmas to open presents if you’re a child, waiting is hard. But it’s important we regularly look to this vision of hope and rest in that this is a GIFT. In a sense, we have no work to do—we simply receive.
But second, in another sense there is work for us to do. Imagine a mirror. You can look at the frame, the craftsmanship, and how it fits in a bathroom. But what you usually look at in the mirror is yourself. It reflects yourself back to you in a way that makes you see yourself, and even your surroundings, differently.
What we see in these visions are like mirrors. When we stare at them long enough, we start to see not just the future differently, but ourselves. And our vision for work, for our communities, for our world starts to reflect the new heavens and the new earth. We begin to study, pray, worship and live in ways that reflect this new world. Even if all our plans fall apart, and even in the reality of the brokenness of the world, it’s the vision of the future which is emblazoned on our heart today.
Our job is simply to participate with the God who is makes all things new—yep, right here, right now—allowing him to bring about glimpses of this new reality until it is fully revealed on the day for which we all waiting in hopeful expectation finally arrives. It will be on that day that Christ Himself will return! Maranatha—Come Lord Jesus!!