Isaiah 65:17

17 “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.

Isaiah 65:17 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 65:17

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth
This prophecy began to have its accomplishment in the first times of the Gospel, when through the preaching of it there was a new face of things appeared in Judea, and in the Gentile world, so that the whole looked like a new world; and this was all the effect of creating power, of the mighty, powerful, and efficacious grace of God attending the word, to the conversion of many souls; a new church state was formed, consisting of persons gathered out of the world, the old national church of the Jews being dissolved, and Gospel churches everywhere set up; new ordinances appointed, to continue till Christ's second coming and the old ones abolished; a new way of worship observed, at least in a more spiritual and evangelic manner; a new covenant exhibited, or the covenant of grace held forth in a new form of administration, the former waxen old and vanished away; and the new and living way to the Father, through Christ, made more manifest: this will have a further accomplishment at the conversion of the Jews, which will be as life from the dead, and things will look like a new world with them; their blindness will be removed, the veil will be taken away from them; they will part with all their legal rites and ceremonies, and the traditions of the elders, and embrace the Messiah, and all his truths and ordinances; old things shall pass away, and all things become new: and it shall have its complete accomplishments in the New Jerusalem state, when not only Christ will appear, and make all things new in a spiritual sense, and that completely; but even in a literal sense there will be new heavens, and a new earth, which John in vision saw; and which Peter says he and other believers expected, according to the promise of God, when these heavens and earth shall be dissolved and pass away; and unless this passage is referred to by him, it will be difficult to find where this promise is; see ( Revelation 21:1 Revelation 21:2 Revelation 21:5 ) ( 2 Peter 3:13 ) : and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind;
either the old heavens and earth, which shall pass away, and be no more seen; or the former state both of the Jewish, and Gentile world; or the former troubles, as in the preceding verse, taken in the sense of affliction and persecution; all antichristian troubles shall cease in the latter day, after the conversion of the Jews, and especially in the New Jerusalem state; see ( Isaiah 2:4 ) ( 11:9 ) ( Revelation 7:16 Revelation 7:17 ) ( 21:4 ) .

Isaiah 65:17 In-Context

15 Your name will be a curse word among my people, for the Sovereign LORD will destroy you and will call his true servants by another name.

16 All who invoke a blessing or take an oath will do so by the God of truth. For I will put aside my anger and forget the evil of earlier days.

17 “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.

18 Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy.

19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in my people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more.