**The New Heavens and the New Earth**

In the days when the earth groaned under the weight of human rebellion, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Isaiah, declaring the end of all things and the dawn of a glorious new creation. The Lord spoke with thunderous authority, yet with the tenderness of a father calling his children home:

*”Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Where will My resting place be? Has not My hand made all these things?”*

The people had built temples with hands of stone, offering sacrifices without hearts of repentance. They chose their own ways, delighting in abominations while pretending to worship. But the Lord, who searches the hearts of men, saw their hypocrisy.

### **The Lord’s Judgment and Mercy**

Then came the sound of war—a great trembling in the earth as the Lord rose to judge the nations. The wicked, who had oppressed the righteous and scorned the ways of God, were consumed like kindling in a furnace. Their deeds were brought to nothing, and the stench of their rebellion reached the heavens.

Yet, in the midst of wrath, mercy shone like a beacon. For those who trembled at God’s word, who mourned over sin and longed for His righteousness, a promise was given:

*”Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her! You shall nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; you shall drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance.”*

For Jerusalem, once broken and desolate, would be reborn in an instant—like a woman who labors in pain one moment and holds her child the next. The Lord Himself would be her comforter, and His glory would dwell within her.

### **The Gathering of the Nations**

From the farthest coasts, from lands where the name of the Lord had never been heard, the nations would come. Kings and commoners alike would journey to the holy mountain, riding on swift steeds and camels, bringing offerings of gold and incense. They would bow before the King of kings, and His glory would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

But not all would enter. Those who had defiled themselves with idols, who had turned away from the living God, would meet a terrible end. Their worm would not die, nor their fire be quenched, and they would be an abhorrence to all flesh.

### **The Final Restoration**

Then the new heavens and the new earth would stand forever, unshaken by sin or death. The wolf would lie down with the lamb, and no harm would be done in all God’s holy mountain. The children of Zion would play by the cobra’s den, and the lion would eat straw like the ox.

And the Lord would say to His people:

*”As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you. You will see My power, and your heart will rejoice. Your bones will flourish like tender grass, and the hand of the Lord will be made known to His servants.”*

Thus, the old order would pass away, and all things would be made new. The Lord would reign forever, and His people would dwell in peace, bathed in the light of His presence.

And it would be said among the nations: *”The Lord has done this!”*

For He had spoken, and so it would be.