THE END OF ALL HURT
They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, says the Lord. Isa. 65:25, N.E.B.
Christians look forward to the new earth for a number of reasons. For one thing, all that hurts us will be no more. Even the animals will no longer experience discord. "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together and the lion shall eat straw like cattle'' (isa. 65:25, N.E.B.). The second half of this text (referring not just to animals, but to all the inhabitants) reads, "They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, says the Lord."
What brings this state of harmony into existence? Will the second coming of Christ radically alter the character qualities of those He comes to redeem? Or will those who are to inhabit the new earth already have reached a place where they no longer are hurtful to one another? Let's take a look at Hebrews 8:10,11: "For the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord, is this: I will set my laws in their understanding and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach one another, saying to brother and fellow-citizen, 'Know the Lord!' For all of them, high and low, shall know me" (N.E.B.).
It is our privilege to begin to know God now. As we come to know Him as our best Friend we shall see that His law is the transcript of His character. His ways shall become a very part of us, because we are so enthralled with the quality of life that is in Him. We shall no longer feel the need to take care of ourselves--the root cause of our hurting others--because we shall no longer experience any emotional deficits. Who He is shall so satisfy our hearts, so excite our intelligence, so motivate our actions, that we shall have no more misgivings about Him or about ourselves.
Freed from self-concerns, we shall be able to focus fully upon others. We'll listen to what they have to say without interrupting to make sure what we think is understood. We'll make sure they feel adequate without ourselves needing to grasp for our self-assurance. All this is ours to know and become--before there is a new earth. It is, as Jesus said, "because the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21, N.I.V.).
They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, says the Lord. Isa. 65:25, N.E.B.
Christians look forward to the new earth for a number of reasons. For one thing, all that hurts us will be no more. Even the animals will no longer experience discord. "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together and the lion shall eat straw like cattle'' (isa. 65:25, N.E.B.). The second half of this text (referring not just to animals, but to all the inhabitants) reads, "They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, says the Lord."
What brings this state of harmony into existence? Will the second coming of Christ radically alter the character qualities of those He comes to redeem? Or will those who are to inhabit the new earth already have reached a place where they no longer are hurtful to one another? Let's take a look at Hebrews 8:10,11: "For the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord, is this: I will set my laws in their understanding and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach one another, saying to brother and fellow-citizen, 'Know the Lord!' For all of them, high and low, shall know me" (N.E.B.).
It is our privilege to begin to know God now. As we come to know Him as our best Friend we shall see that His law is the transcript of His character. His ways shall become a very part of us, because we are so enthralled with the quality of life that is in Him. We shall no longer feel the need to take care of ourselves--the root cause of our hurting others--because we shall no longer experience any emotional deficits. Who He is shall so satisfy our hearts, so excite our intelligence, so motivate our actions, that we shall have no more misgivings about Him or about ourselves.
Freed from self-concerns, we shall be able to focus fully upon others. We'll listen to what they have to say without interrupting to make sure what we think is understood. We'll make sure they feel adequate without ourselves needing to grasp for our self-assurance. All this is ours to know and become--before there is a new earth. It is, as Jesus said, "because the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21, N.I.V.).
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