How does Revelation 21:5 connect with Isaiah 43:19 about new beginnings? The Promise Declared • Revelation 21:5: “And the One seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.’” • Isaiah 43:19: “Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.” Shared Vocabulary, Shared Author • Both passages begin with “Behold,” calling immediate attention to God’s initiative. • “New” (Greek kainos; Hebrew chadash) signifies something fresh in quality, not merely repaired. • In each setting, God alone is speaking; no prophet or angel mediates. From Wilderness to World-Renewal 1. Isaiah 43 speaks to Israel’s exile weariness. God pledges a new exodus—paths through wasteland, rivers in deserts. 2. Revelation 21 fulfills the pledge globally: not a single caravan trail in the sand but “all things” renewed—heaven, earth, nations, redeemed humanity. 3. Isaiah’s image of “streams” finds its climax in Revelation 22:1, “the river of the water of life.” Faithful Continuity • The same covenant-keeping God speaks in both texts; He cannot lie (Titus 1:2). • What He promised in Isaiah, He confirms and expands in Revelation—“faithful and true.” Other Harmonic Verses • 2 Corinthians 5:17—personal new creation now anticipates the cosmic new creation then. • Romans 8:21—creation will be “liberated from its bondage to decay.” • Isaiah 65:17—“I will create new heavens and a new earth,” directly echoed in Revelation 21:1. Practical Takeaways • God’s past faithfulness guarantees future completion; His track record fuels present hope. • Personal regeneration is a down payment (Ephesians 1:13-14) of the coming total renewal. • Because “all things” will be made new, believers steward current creation in expectation, not despair. Seeing the Timeline • Isaiah 43:19—foretaste in Israel’s return from exile. • Church age—inner renewal in Christ (Colossians 3:10). • Revelation 21:5—final, visible consummation when Christ reigns forever. Why It Matters Today • The God who carved rivers in desert hearts will one day erase every tear (Revelation 21:4). • Every setback is temporary; every act of faithfulness aligns with His unstoppable plan to renew everything. “Write this down,” He says—because the new beginning is certain, comprehensive, and coming soon. |
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