NEW HEAVEN NEW EARTH
by Roger Hathaway (April 5, 2012)
In the last couple chapters of Esaias (text is printed below) God is speaking to His great Prophet about the coming of new kingdoms of heaven and earth.
Heaven is a dimension of spiritual consciousness, something we now have available but don’t know how to realize. Earth is the "form" of an apparent material/finite reality, a mental dimension of space and time limitations (the Genesis Design) in which God’s two teams wage eternal contest. During the World half-cycle period, under Satan’s influence of lie we believe matter has physical properties separate from us, but in God’s kingdom of Truth we will realize that we are the manipulators of whatever we choose to perceive in our minds.
Our present world of Satan’s dominion will soon be largely destroyed and then renewed into a new, positive energy field reality which will be under our dominion as God’s spirit-being offspring. We inherit the vineyard already prepared for us. We are the genetic Family of Israel, all of whom are "born from above" with the indwelling Spirit-of-God. This indwelling Spirit-of-God is that spiritual nature/mind which is one of the four Living Beings of Revelation 4, namely the "Man" nature. We who are ‘born from above" with this indwelling spiritual nature are the anointed sons of "Man," distinguishing us from all other peoples of the earth. Jesus knew that He lived to express that "Man" nature, and His work then enabled us Israelites to once again experience and express that spiritual mind of God, from which we had been veiled since the Fall. As spirit-beings, we would no longer need to hear an audible voice of God, as did the ancient prophets, but each of us is again able to relate im-mediately with his Father; the veil of separation is gone.
While Jesus’ work did reconcile us spirit-offspring with our Father in the spiritual Mind, it is left to each of us to deliberately estrange ourselves from our physical, emotional, and rational natures which anchor us to the lie of world-material reality. So, Jesus also showed us the PATH to solve this problem: one must leave his physical and personal self behind in order to realize himself as a spiritual "Man." Death of the physical is the Path to our Father, leaving behind all memories, relationships, emotional influences, and intellectual achievements. Esaias 65:17 "For there shall be a new heaven and a new earth: and they shall not at all remember the former, neither shall they at all come into their mind." We won’t be rejoicing in heaven to restore emotional ties with past loved-ones.
Consider that God’s anointed offspring have lived since before the world began, many 24,000 year cycles ago; we’ve always lived, expressing our Father’s will. So, this present world lie of parent - child relationships is just another temporary scene in a long play of character-roles for us; we certainly don’t want to carry worldly emotional attachment memories into a new kingdom. Actually, Jesus stated this truth quite crudely, saying that we should hate all such relationships if we want to follow Him.
[Just a sidenote here: as we near the end-time moment of Satan's world kingdom, and it becomes more important for each of us to disconnect from relationship bondages, notice how society is exaggerating emotional relationships with cell-phones, chat-rooms, blogs, social-networks like Facebook, YouTube, etc.]To follow Jesus, "that where I am ye may be also," is the process of divorcing ourselves (our spirit-beng selves) from our human natures and to REALize our spiritual "Man" nature which is the Christ-presence, the "parousia," of Scripture. This is a word of special importance in the Bible which has never been properly understood. The word is often translated into English as "coming," but it really means "presence." Its meaning is not so much a matter of Jesus' return as a "coming" as it should be a realization of Christ Presence, a real sharing of the spiritual "Man" nature within the Mind of God. It is this Son of "Man" (with a capital "M") which is God’s only begotten Son, a Sonship which we all share with Jesus, with Him as the Head of our Christ corpus.
Here is text of the last portion of the book of Esaias (aka Isaiah) according to the Greek Septuagint of 285bc which reads somewhat differently from the Edomite Jewish "Hebrew" text of 1,000ad which is the basis for most English Bible versions.
ESAIAS 65:17 For there shall be a new heaven and a new earth: and they shall not at all remember the former, neither shall they at all come into their mind. 18 But they shall find in her joy and exultation; for, behold, I make Jerusalem a rejoicing, and my people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and will be glad in my people: and there shall no more be heard in her the voice of weeping, or the voice of crying. 20 Neither shall there be there any more a child that dies untimely, or an old man who shall not complete his time: for the youth shall be a hundred years old, and the sinner who dies at a hundred years shall also be accursed: 21 and they shall build houses, and themselves shall dwell in them; and they shall plant vineyards, and themselves shall eat the fruit thereof. 22 They shall by no means build, and others inhabit; and they shall by no means plant, and others eat: for as the days of the tree of life shall be the days of my people, they shall long enjoy the fruits of their labours. 23 My chosen shall not toil in vain, neither shall they beget children to be cursed; for they are a seed blessed of God, and their offspring with them.
24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will hearken to them; while they are yet speaking, I will say, What is it? 25 Then wolves and lambs shall feed together, and the lion shall eat chaff like the ox, and the serpent earth as bread. They shall not injure nor destroy in my holy mountain, saith the Lord.
Chapter 66 [New Heaven and Earth for God's Family]
66:1 Thus saith the Lord, Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what kind of a house will ye build me? and of what kind is to be the place of my rest? 2 For all these things are mine, saith the Lord: and to whom will I have respect, but to the humble and meek, and the man that trembles at my words?
[Transgressors will suffer for their apostasy]
3 But the transgressor that sacrifices a calf to me, is as he that kills a dog; and he that offers fine flour, as one that offers swine’s blood; he that gives frankincense for a memorial, is as a blasphemer. Yet they have chosen their own ways, and their soul has delighted in their abominations. 4 I also will choose their mockeries, and will recompense their sins upon them; because I called them, and they did not hearken to me; I spoke, and they heard not: and they did evil before me, and chose the things wherein I delighted not. 5 Hear the words of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; speak ye, our brethren, to them that hate you and abominate you, that the name of the Lord may be glorified, and may appear their joy; but they shall be ashamed.
6 A voice of a cry from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord rendering recompence to his adversaries. 7 Before she that travailed brought forth, before the travail-pain came on, she escaped it and brought forth a male. 8 Who has heard such a thing? and who has seen after this manner? Has the earth travailed in one day? or has even a nation been born at once, that Sion has travailed, and brought forth her children? 9 But I have raised this expectation, yet thou hast not remembered me, saith the Lord: behold, have not I made the bearing and barren woman? saith thy God.
[Joy and Blessing to Mine in the New Jerusalem]
10 Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and all ye that love her hold in her a general assembly: rejoice greatly with her, all that now mourn over her: 11 that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breast of her consolation; that ye may milk out, and delight yourselves with the influx of her glory.
12 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I turn toward them as a river of peace, and as a torrent bringing upon them in a flood the glory of the tribes: their children shall be borne upon the shoulders, and comforted on the knees. 13 As if his mother should comfort one, so will I also comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14 And ye shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall thrive like grass: and the hand of the Lord shall be known to them that fear him, and he shall threaten the disobedient.
15 For, behold, the Lord will come as fire, and his chariots as a storm, to render his vengeance with wrath, and his rebuke with a flame of fire. 16 For with the fire of the Lord all the earth shall be judged, and all flesh with his sword: many shall be slain by the Lord.
[Transgressors aside, I bring back the dispersed to the fold]
17 They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens, and eat swine’s flesh in the porches, and the abominations, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord. 18 And I know their works and their imagination. I am going to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. 19 And I will leave a sign upon them, and I will send forth them that have escaped (diasporan Israelites) of them to the nations, to Tharsis, and Phud, and Lud, and Mosoch, and to Thobel, and to Greece, and to the isles afar off, to those who have not heard my name, nor seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20 And they shall bring your brethren (diasporan Israelites) out of all nations for a gift to the Lord with horses, and chariots, in litters drawn by mules with awnings, to the holy city Jerusalem, said the Lord, as though the children of Israel should bring their sacrifices to me with psalms into the house of the Lord. 21 that from them I take priests and Levites, saith the Lord.
[New Heaven and New Earth]
22 For as the new heaven and the new earth, which I make, remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name continue. 23 And it shall come to pass from month to month, and from sabbath to sabbath, that all flesh shall come to worship before me in Jerusalem, saith the Lord. 24 And they shall go forth, and see the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched; and they shall be a spectacle to all flesh.