We continue with the subject of,

The Millennium and the End of Sin

The New Earth? And who Adventist believe will dwell there

According to our Adventist friends:

“The “saints” will live with God in the New Earth. In Isaiah 35:9-10 we are told, “But only the redeemed will walk there, and those who the Lord has rescued will return.”

In order to gain a better understanding of the text here quoted from Isaiah by our Adventist friends in support of their belief that the saints are the “redeemed” the “rescued” ones here mention who will live on the new earth we have chosen to fully examine the context from whence it comes laying the foundation with an examination of the previous chapter first.

Let us now move on to Isaiah Chapter 35

The Future Glory of Zion

As was stated in our last post Verse 17 of Chapter 34 actually belongs to Chapter 35, and so we will begin there.

VERSE 17 “He has cast the lot for them, And His hand has divided it among them with a measuring line. They shall possess it forever; From generation to generation, they shall dwell in it.”

VERSE 1 “The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.”

VERSE 2 “It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, The excellency of our God.”

These verses are addressed primarily to Israel in the Kingdom, secondarily to the world. Israel’s inheritance is mentioned: Lebanon, Carmel, and Sharon. Lebanon will become part of Israel. The “glory” of Lebanon in the past was its great cedars and forests. Isaiah is contrasting the majestic forested mountains of Lebanon and Carmel with the fertile, lush valleys or plains of Sharon. (“Sharon” means “plain.”)

In other words, when the Kingdom is established, Israel will be fruitful and beautiful, glorious and excellent—and a sample of what the rest of the world will become. It will be representative of the great transformation that is to take place all over the earth.

VERSE 3 “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.”

VERSE 4 “Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”

Characteristics of the Holy Remnant are that they will be meek, righteous, and full of faith. Here the feet members (the last of the bride of Christ, the little flock, this side of the Vail) are being told to “strengthen” the Jew (especially the faithful ones, the Holy Remnant) and to give a word of encouragement. The Church class are to tell them to “be strong” and to “fear not,” for God “will come and save” them. When the Church is gone, the Great Company (the tribulation saints) will take up this message. Certain Scriptures indicate the Great Company will be given wonderful opportunities. And when the Great Company is off the scene and the Kingdom is set up, the Ancient Worthies will take strong, authoritative command.

“Behold, your God will come with vengeance … [and] recompense.” The feet members will tell the faithful Jews that their God will come. Since Israel as a whole is indifferent to God’s promises, it is not yet time to comfort all Jews but only the ones who manifest faith. Uncertainty and problems in the future when pressure comes on Israel will cause a separation among the people: desperation in the majority and great fear (reverence for the Lord) in the minority (the Holy Remnant) but also a hearing ear for encouragement. The minority will show an interest, first with the Church, then with the Great Company.

If the Church and the Great Company are to be off the scene before Jacob’s Trouble, how could there be much time for encouragement?

There will be premonitions of Jacob’s Trouble before it occurs—just as we can see a storm approaching. We can see the potential for trouble in the lawlessness of the people and their disrespect for authority. At present, however, people are still deluding themselves with pleasure.

Comment: The statement “God WILL COME with vengeance” shows the trouble is yet future.

Comment: “He will come and save you” is a real promise to the Holy Remnant.

“He will come and save you [the fearful ones with the feeble knees].” God will save the Jews who are right-hearted, the Holy Remnant, the contrite and meek minority (those of the faith of Abraham). That is the element who will survive Jacob’s Trouble.

VERSE 5 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.”

From the standpoint of the nation of Israel, this verse reminds us of the prophecy “Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25). Another prophecy ties in the rebuilding of the tabernacle of David as awaiting the completion of the call of the Church from among the Gentiles (Acts 15:14–16). We are also reminded of Zacharias, who was struck dumb until John the Baptist was born and named (Luke 1:20).

John’s birth represents the birth of a class, the Church, particularly the feet members, who announce the Lord’s Second Presence (“There stands one among you, whom ye know not”) and the coming judgment (“whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his [threshing] floor”) (John 1:26; Matt. 3:12).

John, who also said, “He [Jesus, The Christ] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30), represents the Church in the flesh at the end of the age.

The Church on this side of the Vail (the Vail of death, as represented by the second Vail in the tabernacle picture) is slowly decreasing in numbers as one by one each member of the body having made their calling and election, having been proven faithful until death passes beyond the Vail. At the same time the Christ, Head and body on the other side increases in number until the full number is complete.

Just as Zacharias, the father of John, could not speak until his birth and naming, so the Church must be fully born beyond the veil before the promises given to the nation of Israel can be realized. Great joy will be the result (Verses 6–10).

But this verse pertains likewise to the world of mankind as well, both literally as well as symbolically.

“Then (After Satan shall have been bound for the thousand years that he should deceive the nations no more. Rev. 20:1) the eyes of the blind (the eyes of their understanding) shall be opened (Eyes which cannot see the things of faith, eyes long-blinded to the glorious light of the gospel and the goodness of God, blinded by the god of this world 2 Cor. 4:4). And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped (ears which presently cannot hear the message of faith, these too will be opened).”

Ignorance and prejudice being removed, all shall come to an accurate knowledge of the truth, for the true knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth as the waters cover the great deep. (1 Tim 2:4; Isa 11:9)

We continue with Verse 6 in our next post.