God's Coming Kingdom

Isaiah 65:17-25

Most people would agree that this world is often a very difficult place, with sorrow and many tears, and premature death.  We sometimes find our belongings being stolen and taken away, and even nature sometimes seems to be against us.   It would be wonderful if none of these ever happened.  Believers in the Lord Jesus have that hope and promise which we see in our passage today from Isaiah.  Our verses describe some of what the world will be like during the reign of Jesus, after He returns to earth.  This future kingdom Jesus will set up will include an earthly kingdom of a thousand years, and then He will have an eternal kingdom with God’s new creation.  We read about both in Revelation 20 - 21.  Let’s take a look at what Isaiah prophesied about this time.

One thing believers can look forward to is that God promises there will be no more crying or weeping (vs. 19).  There is so much pain and sadness in this world, and there has been ever since Adam and Eve listened to the serpent and disobeyed God.  Sickness and death bring sadness and tears.  So does unfairness and wrong treatment from others.  In the new kingdom that Jesus will set up here on earth there will be no crying.  Jesus promises that we won’t ever even hear the sound of weeping or crying.  We have the precious promise that God will wipe away all of our tears given twice in the Book of Revelation, in Revelation 7:17 and again in Revelation 21:4.

Many of us have had the experience of something that was rightfully ours unjustly taken away from us.  Often there was nothing we could do to retrieve it, either.  In God’s new kingdom no enemy will be able to deprive us of what is rightfully ours (vs. 21-23).   Whether it be a house, property, a paycheck, etc., we will be able to enjoy it, not have it snatched away from us.

Another thing that we read in this passage about God’s new kingdom is that animals that we know and fear as wild will be no longer dangerous to us or to each other (vs. 25).  This is something that I will look forward to.  I live quite close to a very large zoo in the Chicago area, and one thing I love to see when we visit are the large cats, the lions, tigers, etc.  How nice it will be to snuggle up with a tiger!  I also love bears and wolves, and I look forward to walking along side them without fear for my safety!  God promises that the day is coming when a lamb, wolf, and lion can be safely side by side.

There is one verse in this passage that I believe we can claim, both now in this day, and also in God’s future kingdom, and that is verse 24.  Sometimes in this life God feels very distant.  God has promised us, though, that if we have put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus, and are His children, then He will hear and answer our prayers.  At these times when He feels distant we need to exercise our faith, and show we do believe Him, regardless of how we feel (Hebrews 11:6). God is not distant.  He is closer than we can ever imagine.  God will answer even before we pray.  Jesus affirms this in Matthew 6:8, and we can rejoice that this relationship will be even closer in His Kingdom.

Knowing about and anticipating this coming kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ should give us great gladness and rejoicing (vs. 18).  We can have joy in this life, knowing we have such a wonderful future with Jesus!