WHEN discussing the future of man and the earth, the apostle Peter wrote: “There are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his [God’s] promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.” (2 Peter 3:13) A promise of “new heavens and a new earth” was originally given through the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 65:17; 66:22) By citing this prophecy, Peter showed that in his time it had not yet been completely fulfilled.
Later, about the year 96 C.E., the Revelation given through the apostle John associated that “new earth” with blessings under God’s Kingdom. (Revelation 21:1-4) Jesus’ words as well as those of the apostle Paul about world conditions just prior to the coming of God’s Kingdom are now being fulfilled. Therefore, we can expect that Kingdom will soon usher in the new world. What will that new world be like? The Bible book of Isaiah tells us.
Blessings in the New World
Worldwide Peace and United Worship. “They will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.”—Isaiah 2:2-4.
Peace Between Humans and Animals. “The wolf will actually reside for a while with the male lamb, and with the kid the leopard itself will lie down, and the calf and the maned young lion and the well-fed animal all together; and a mere little boy will be leader over them. And the cow and the bear themselves will feed; together their young ones will lie down. And even the lion will eat straw just like the bull. . . . They will not do any harm or cause any ruin in all my holy mountain; because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.”—Isaiah 11:6-9.
Abundant Food for All. “Jehovah of armies will certainly make for all the peoples, in this mountain, a banquet of well-oiled dishes, a banquet of wine kept on the dregs, of well-oiled dishes filled with marrow, of wine kept on the dregs, filtered.”—Isaiah 25:6.
No More Death. “He [God] will actually swallow up death forever, and the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will certainly wipe the tears from all faces. And the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for Jehovah himself has spoken it.”—Isaiah 25:8.
Dead Ones Resurrected. “Thy dead live, their bodies will rise again. They that sleep in the earth will awake and shout for joy . . . The earth will bring those long dead to birth again.”—Isaiah 26:19, The New English Bible.
Messiah a Righteous Judge. “He will not judge by any mere appearance to his eyes, nor reprove simply according to the thing heard by his ears. And with righteousness he must judge the lowly ones, and with uprightness he must give reproof in behalf of the meek ones of the earth.”—Isaiah 11:3, 4.
Blind and Deaf Healed. “The eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped.”—Isaiah 35:5.
Wasteland Becomes Productive. “The wilderness and the waterless region will exult, and the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as the saffron. Without fail it will blossom, and it will really be joyful with joyousness and with glad crying out.”—Isaiah 35:1, 2.
A New Earth. “I am creating new heavens [a new heavenly government] and a new earth [a righteous new human society]; and the former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart. But exult, you people, and be joyful forever in what I am creating. . . . They [inhabitants of God’s promised new world] will certainly build houses and have occupancy; and they will certainly plant vineyards and eat their fruitage. They will not build and someone else have occupancy; they will not plant and someone else do the eating. For like the days of a tree will the days of my people be; and the work of their own hands my chosen ones will use to the full.
They will not toil for nothing, nor will they bring to birth for disturbance; because they are the offspring made up of the blessed ones of Jehovah, and their descendants with them. And it will actually occur that before they call out I myself shall answer; while they are yet speaking, I myself shall hear.” “‘Just as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making are standing before me,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘so the offspring of you people and the name of you people will keep standing.’”—Isaiah 65:17-25; 66:22.
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