May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

"Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. "Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the LORD. (Isaiah 65:17-25)

In Christ's name and to his glory, dear friends: The words of Isaiah are poetry written with a "prophetic perspective", a two dimensional view as if it were a scene painted on the wall. God lets Isaiah look ahead and see two things-the days after the Messiah (Jesus) would be born [days in which we now live!] and the days when God's people are taken to heaven. He does not divide precisely between the two events; they melt together. This is something that the Old Testament prophets often did-telling of several future events without giving depth to the vision, without telling us how much time is elapsing between events. Again, we call it prophetic perspective. What we must remember is that we are living inside this picture now. One of the events has already happened-God has sent his Son into the world. One event still stands in the future-we are waiting for heaven. As we look at this wonderful picture, I hope that we can see that these wonderful blessings are not just things we are waiting for, something that will be ours someday. Rather, right now we have these blessings and they will only continue in heaven forever. So we have as our central thought: BLESSED - NOW & FOREVER. May the Lord bless us by his Word today.

This inspired poetry warms our hearts from the very first verses on through to the end. They have a wonderful beginning in the words: Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create. These words are pure Gospel-Goodnews because we hear again that the blessings that are ours come from God's creative hand. Just as you and I cannot create the world we cannot create peace and joy or heaven for ourselves. No, all we can create for ourselves is fear, God's anger, and wrath because all we are capable of is spoiled by our own sin. If we are to be blessed with peace, joy and heaven these must come as a gift, and they do come as a gift. The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6). God has justified his people, cleansed them of sin so that they are, as he says, a delight and a joy. We could not be these things by nature, but God has said: Be righteous in Jesus, and then we are what he has made us.

And remember, we have these blessings now. There is peace now. In vivid poetry Isaiah speaks of the day when the wolf and lamb feed together...the serpent defeated in the dust...nothing harming or destroying his holy mountain. Certainly this will be true in heaven, but it is already true now. The night that Jesus was born the angels sang: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. Peace had arrived because the Peace Maker was here. It is not a peace that the world seeks-lack of trouble. It is the peace of sins forgiven, peace between holy God and a sinful people. Paul wrote: there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8) Yes, we still have troubles along side the peace while we live here on earth. But do not doubt that the peace is real. Along with Pastor Luther we sing: Scowl fierce as he will, he (the Old Evil Foe) can harm us none; he's judged the deed is done. One little word can fell him. (A Mighty Fortress)

There is the patience and blessing of merciful Lord in these New Testament times. In his poetry Isaiah speaks of the days of low infant mortality, long lives, and good work done and enjoyed. We live in these days now, days in which God is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3) Now is the time when the saving Gospel is being preached in all the world and then the End will come. (Matthew 24:14)

Now is the time of prayer spoken and heard. In his colorful poetry Isaiah speaks of the ever-ready Lord. Before they call, he says, I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. This too is a blessing we enjoy now, not just in heaven. Our forgiveness in Christ in Christ makes us bold to pray as dear children ask their dear father.

My fiends, In John chapter 5 Jesus says: I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. Jesus speaks of our eternal life as already ours, not something that will be ours one day. It is like the money and assets we have tucked away in our bank-these things belong to us now. They're stashed away out of sight, but they truly are ours right now. So it is with these blessings described by Isaiah. These blessings are ours now. True, the effects of sin still harasses us here, but have no doubt, we are blessed now. And those blessings will continue forever in heaven.

The one big difference between enjoying these blessings now and enjoying them later in heaven is that only the blessings will survive the last day. The troubles, evil, and effects of sin will be destroyed in the fires of the last day. Just as Noah and his family lived among evil, yet separated from it, so now we live among evil, yet separated from it. And just as Noah and his family walked out of the ark into a new and sanctified world, so we will rise out of our grave to the new heavens and the new earth of perfect peace and joy in heaven. No longer will sin and it's effects hound us there.

There the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. Whatever made us cry or hurt or frustrated will be gone. Even the memory of them will not bother us. So often now we pass through troubles but never are able to forget them and their memory brings back pain. Then, in heaven God promises that the past will not haunt us.

The joy will go on endlessly. Be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create. Now, we know we are caught in time. We hesitate to enjoy blessings as a way of getting ready to cope with what will eventually come-the good times will end. But there no thought of and end will enter our mind. When we've been there 10,000 years bright shining as the sun, we've no less time to sing God's praise than when we first begun.

There will be no more weeping or crying. Now troubles accompany us. Our peace and joy have competition for attention-the evil of sin. So we still cry. We do not cry as people who have no hope, because we know what good things the Lord has promised us and how he will bless us even in trouble, but still it hurts. Then there will be no more tears because our peace and joy will have no competition. All effects of sin will be gone forever, only joy and peace remains.

These things lie ahead. Will they really come? Isaiah lived at a time when he was still waiting for Christ's first coming and Christ's second coming, yet he knew how certain God's promises were and rejoiced. He saw Jesus by faith and was saved in that faith. (John 12:41) We have even more reason to be certain for we live in the days of fulfillment when God has sent his Son as promised. He who kept his first promise will keep his second. So we pray, Come, Lord Jesus.     Amen!.