Joyful Life, New Earth

"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying.

(Isaiah 65:17-19)

In this current age, we experience times of joy but also sorrow, weeping, and pain. In the age to come, however, there will be only joy and gladness. In the above passage of Scripture, God confirms that weeping and crying will cease, and His people will experience only peace, joy, and happiness. They will live in a perfect environment, free from destruction, pain, sickness, lack, worry, strife, envy, bitterness, and death.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

(Revelation 21:4)

In the above passage of Scripture, God reiterates what life on the new earth will be like. There will be no death, sorrow, crying, or pain. In this life, these experiences are unavoidable, but in the age to come, they will be impossible, as God will have eradicated them. Thus, the age to come will be a truly blessed environment, and we who believe are privileged to dwell there for eternity.

"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind…. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble; for they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.

(Isaiah 65:17-23)

This passage of Scripture describes life on the new earth God will create. It states that God’s elect will build houses and inhabit them. This does not refer to the Lord’s saints, who will dwell in the New Jerusalem, where God has prepared homes (John 14:2-3). Instead, it refers to the houses that the children of God will build on the new earth. Just as the children of Israel received land allotments in their Promised Land under the Old Covenant, God will allocate land to each of His children on the new earth. They will build homes and farm the land, planting vineyards, orchards, olive groves, and more. They will also keep flocks of sheep and herds of cattle to produce dairy products. The passage clarifies that their labour on these farms will not be wearisome, as they will long enjoy the work of their hands. Some may find this lifestyle unappealing, but consider the Garden of Eden: Adam and Eve were content without even building homes or farming. Only the flesh rebels against God’s decrees, and the flesh will not exist in the age to come.

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore. But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. For all people walk each in the name of his god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God Forever and ever.

(Micah 4:1-5)

Although this passage of Scripture primarily addresses the Lord’s millennial reign on the current earth, it is also relevant to the age to come. It highlights that agriculture will be central during the Lord’s reign, an emphasis that will continue when He reigns from the New Jerusalem. The phrase “everyone will sit under his vine and under his fig tree” indicates that each child of God and their immediate families will have their own farmlands. This leads to another aspect of the children of God’s lifestyle on the new earth: no one will work for another. There will be no master-servant relationships, as the passage states they will not build houses or plant for others. Their inheritance from the Lord will remain theirs for eternity. Neighbours will assist each other in building homes and planting crops, but this will be an act of kindness, not obligation. This ensures complete equity, with no one becoming wealthy while others are impoverished. All will be content with their inheritance, and none will seek to acquire more. The covetousness and desire for riches prevalent in this world will be absent. As an aside, unlike the saints’ homes in the New Jerusalem, the homes of the children of God will include bathrooms, toilets, and bedrooms. They will need bathrooms for bathing after labouring in the fields, toilets for bodily waste after eating and drinking, and bedrooms for resting, as their bodies will resemble those of Adam and Eve.

Michael E.B. Maher

The End of the Age

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