The Inheritance of the Righteous
By J. N. Loughborough
"FOR as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord." Isa. 66: 22, 23. From what we have found in former articles, there will be no time this side of Christ's second coming when all flesh will be worshipping God. The apostle Peter tells us when the new earth will be made, and the "all righteous" state be brought in. It is in "the day of the Lord" [Christ's second coming introduces that day. See 1 Thess. 4: 13-18; 5: 1, 2.]. "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter 3: 10-13. The promise respecting this new earth is found in Isaiah's prophecy: "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind [not come upon the heart, margin—no desire to get back to the old]. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying." Isa. 65: 17-19. Edward Robinson, D.D., a learned Greek scholar, says that "the word new, in 2 Peter 3: 13; Isa. 65: 17; 66: 22 means renewed, or made new; hence, better, superior, more splendid." This renewed earth was probably in the mind of David when he said, "Thou renewest the face of the earth" (Ps. 104: 30), and, "Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure: yea all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed." Ps. 102: 25, 26. John, on the isle of Patmos, had a view of the new earth, and says: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new." Rev. 21: 1-5. The Lord wipes away the tears by removing every cause of sorrow. The prophet Isaiah, writing of this new earth, said: "He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." Isa. 11: 4-6. This must be the first dominion (over the earth) restored. Still further he says: "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, saith the Lord." Isa. 65: 25. Again: "There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; and the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed." Verse 20. Paganinni's translation of this text reads, "There shall be no more thence carried out to burial an infant of days, or a youth, nor an old man who hath not filled his days: for the man of an hundred years shall be as a youth." Still further we read: "They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree [the Tree of Life — Septuagint] are the days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth [the products of labor] for trouble." Verses 22, 23. In another chapter Isaiah says, "The Lord shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord." Isa. 51: 3. Again: "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly; and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given6unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God." Isa. 35: 1, 2. The ancient forest of Lebanon was the most beautiful of any in the Eastern world. And the valley of Sharon was adorned with flowers of every description. Abraham looked for a city "that hath foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God." John saw "that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. . . . And the wall of the city had twelve foundations. . . . And the city was pure gold like unto clear glass. And the foundations [base moldings] of the wall of the city were garnished [garnished—decorated, embellished—Webster,] with all manner of precious stones. . . . And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl." Rev. 21: 10, 11, 14, 18, 19, 21. We suppose each gate is one variety of pearl set in gold, for the city "was pure gold." We will note the precious stones with their colors. "In these precious stones we have all the colors of the rainbow, only more complex in their mingling."—Stewart. - Jasper.—"A precious stone, purple, or cerulean green."—Greenfield.
- Sapphire.—"A precious stone of a blue color in various shades."—Greenfield, Robinson. "Perfectly transparent."—Clarke.
- Chalcedony.—"Whitish, bluish, or smoky green color. Susceptible of a very high polish."—Greenfield.
- Emerald.—"Bright green, without any other mixture."—Clarke.
- Sardonyx.—"White with streaks of flesh color."—Robinson.
- Sardius.—"Blood-red, and sometimes flesh color."—Greenfield.
- Chrysolite.—"A beautiful yellow color."—Cobbin.
- Beryl.—"Beautiful green, very brilliant."—Cobbin.
- Topaz.—"Green."—Stuart.
- Chrysoprasus.—"Apple green, extremely beautiful."—Cleveland.
- Jacinth.—"Deep red, with mixture of yellow."—Clarke.
- Amethyst.—"Purplish violet, very brilliant."—Chambers.
The glory of God, exceeding the light of the sun, illuminating these precious stones, will make a display that only immortal eyes can endure. As we contemplate this scene, it enkindles in the heart a desire to be there. John spoke of this city as the "bride, the Lamb's wife;" and said, "The Spirit and the bride say, Come." May we each respond with,
"O, glorious hope, O blessed abode,
May I be there, and like my God."