I became pregnant with my son five months into the COVID-19 pandemic. I can’t count how many times since seeing those two pink lines I have wondered, “How could we bring a fragile, vulnerable baby into a world as broken as this?” But those of us who became parents in the last two years are not unique in this experience.
In Isaiah’s day, mothers wondered if the children they birthed were “destined for disaster” (Isaiah 65:23). They saw chaos, decay, and sinfulness all around them, but Isaiah prophesied about a new heavens and earth to come. After the fall of the first creation, redemption through Jesus Christ would usher in a completely new creation.
We can find comfort and hope in this promised restoration, this culmination of the gospel.
One day mothers will not bury their infants, children will not be “destined for disaster,” evil and destruction will be distant memories on God’s holy mountain (v.25). God will mend every broken thing and overturn every injustice. He will “wipe away every tear” we cry and “death will be no more” (Revelation 21:4).
And we get to play a small role in what is commonly called the “already, not yet” of this reality. Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection inaugurated God’s kingdom on earth, though we wait for Jesus to reign in complete power and glory when He returns. But today, in Christ, we get to give the world a glimpse of what restoration will be like.
When I hold my sweet boy in my lap and read to him, that’s just a touch of restoration. When you ask a friend to forgive you for a quickly spoken, insensitive word—a whisper of restoration. When you buy a meal for a person experiencing homelessness—a foretaste of restoration. When your child chooses to join the kid at school who eats his lunch alone every day—a glimpse of restoration.
As we celebrate and anticipate the future new creation that Jesus’s death and resurrection secure for us, let’s not forget that we don’t have to wait to live in that newness of life. “I am making everything new!” (v.5), John hears Jesus say in his Revelation visions. Not, “I will make everything new,” but “I am making everything new!” Right now Jesus is restoring the world, and until He comes back to complete that restoration in its fullness, we get to be His ambassadors on earth. Because we know complete restoration is coming, we should be people who confidently live with “holy conduct and godliness” (2Peter 3:11).
So, where in our lives is God whispering restoration to us? And how is He calling us to whisper it to others?
I did some research this morning of the word restoration, and I came across this: the 4 R’s of restoration: REPLACE – God replaces our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh (Ez. 36:26). RENEW – by focusing on the Bible, our minds can be continually renewed (Rom. 12:2). REVIVE – through the resurrection of Jesus, we are given new, everlasting life (Rom. 6:4). RETURN – through the saving work of Jesus on the cross, we are reunited with God (Rom. 5:10). ❤️❤️
Sending prayers up for your stepson and your family!
Traci Gendron I agree completely
We fell through pride, and we are restored through humility. Every small act of God’s faithful people builds into the coming Kingdom. He is making all things new with us as His willing helpers. Each small, faithful step ripples goodness on earth as it is amplified in heaven. My unseen faith in the face of opposition and strife builds peace within my heart when I hold steady and remain content in Him. Peace is the strength that ushers in more peace when facing war. This peacemaker attitude in me knows that is the point. To fight the good fight. To bring light into the darkness. This is what peacemaking looks like. This is what restoration looks like. It goes where there is none. And it is all part of the restoration work Jesus came to show us. He started the ball rolling, and it will come to completion soon. He is our peacemaker, slowing the pace of our heart, to rest in Him, draw strength in Him, fight for and with Him, for ultimate peace that will come. Now and not yet. Maranatha.
@TaraWorkman “”The biblical authors generally demonstrate a common cognitive perception of the cosmos with their ancient neighbors. Thus, an understanding of the cosmologies of the cultures surrounding ancient Israel and Judaea provides insight into the biblical writers’ contexts.
Mesopotamian Cosmology
Structure of the Universe. Ancient Mesopotamians commonly believed in a six-tiered universe containing three levels of heavens and three levels of earths (Lambert, “Cosmology,” 41–65; Horowitz, Mesopotamian Cosmic Geography)
It’s so comforting to know that this life isn’t all there is. One day there will be a new heaven and a new earth. There won’t be any sickness or suffering in this new world. I’m so thankful that God gives us glimpses of that new earth right now. I pray that I can show this restoration to those around me.
TARA, my understanding of the creation of new heavens plural is the atmosphere around the earth and then also space (containing the sun, moon, planets etc). The third heaven (presence of God) will not pass away.
Quick question: can anyone explain the plural on heaven. New heavens?