"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..." [Revelation 21:1-2]
This past Sunday, the RCC congregation focused on a passage spanning Isaiah 63 and 64. Though I'm not convinced our collective focus was appropriate (i.e. proper thematic/prophetic context), I was taken in by the themes of Isaiah's desperate call to God.
A brief analysis of the text reveals Isaiah's posture toward the broken status of the world around: the prophet is in the midst of a great lament over the separation between God and his people. Consider the following pattern:
- 63:15 -- Look down from heaven, and see from your lofty throne...
- 63:17 -- Return for the sake of your servants...
- 64:1 -- Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down...
- 64:2 -- ...come down to make your name known....
- 64:9 -- Oh, look upon us we pray, for we are all your people.
- 64:12 -- After all, Lord, will you now hold yourself back?
In response, God -- in chapter -- manifests his disdain for sinful rebellion, yet promises redemption unmerited by covenant faithlessness. His response culminates in the famous eschatological text of Isaiah 65, where God promises to establish a "new heavens and new earth."
The concept of the "new heavens and new earth" has produced a substantial amount of contemporary, scholarly debate. In sum, there is substantial divide over whether whether scriptures speaks of an annihilation of the present cosmos and the creation of a new universe, or whether scripture indicates the transformation of the present cosmos.
I tend more toward the latter for the following reasons:
- [1] the ordering of Revelation's eschatological process:
If, in fact, the old order is simply obliterated, to what end or purpose does Christ's reign function or fulfill?
- [2] basic exegesis of Revelation 21
"Then I saw a new heavens and a new earth, for the first heaven and first earth had passed away." [Rev. 21:1]The Greek translated as "passed away" is aperchomai, which literally means "to pass or change from one condition to another." It does not indicate complete destruction or ceased existence.
Consider verse 5, as well:
"And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new." [Rev. 21:5]
It is important to note that verse 5 does not not indicate complete annihilation. God states with clarity that he is renewing all things, not creating all new things. The process described here does not parallel the Genesis 1 creation account, in which God creates ex nihilo from the formless void.
- [3] substantiating OT and NT passages
There are a host of OT and NT texts which seem to indicate that God's ultimate purpose for Creation has been and continues to be its redemption through the establishing of Christ's kingdom. Examples from the OT include:
And the NT:
- [4] the narrative of Scripture en sum
Scripture seems to harmonize around the redemptive, renewing work of God. Indeed, God's redemptive work seems to lead more toward renewal through destruction rather than complete annihilation of the creation, marred by sin. Consider the words of Paul, who states in 2 Corinthians that "the old has passed away" and that "all things have become new."
I am reminded of C.S. Lewis's Narnian character Eustace Scrubb, and his encounter with Aslan. Gradually and painfully, Aslan removes Eustace's dragon scales, producing a final product that is entirely different in character and conduct. Eustace is not destroyed, per se, but his former self has aperchomai -- passed away -- and has been replaced with a renewed self.
N.T. Wright's book, Surprised by Hope, far exceeds my stream-of-conscious blog post in effectively introducing the complexity of this topic. Indeed, there is far more to say on the subject, not only in regard to the scholarly discussion, but also significant implications for Christian ethic, Christian participation, living redemptively, and so on.
[JSD]
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