Henri Nouwen Society - Daily Meditation
Wednesday December 11, 2013

A New Heaven and a New Earth

 

Long before Jesus was born the prophet Isaiah had a vision of Christ's great unifying work of salvation.  Many years after Jesus died, John, the beloved disciple, had another but similar vision:   He saw a new heaven and a new earth.  All of creation had been transformed, dressed with immortality to be the perfect bride of Christ.  In John's vision the risen Christ speaks from his throne, saying:  "Look, I am making the whole of creation new. ....  Look, here God lives among human beings.  He will make his home among them; they will be his people, and he will be their God, God-with-them.  He will wipe away all tears from their eyes;  there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness or pain.  The world of the past has gone"  (Revelation 21:5; 21:3-4).

 

Both Isaiah and John open our eyes to the all-inclusive nature of Christ's saving work.        

 

- Henri J. M. Nouwen  

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Text excerpts taken from Bread for the Journey, by Henri J.M. Nouwen, �1997 HarperSanFrancisco. All Scripture from The Jerusalem Bible �1966, 1967, and 1968 Darton, Longman & Todd and Doubleday & Co. Inc. Photo by V. Dobson.