| Christian Life and Doctrine | May 1964 |
The Creative Power of the Word
“I have put My words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of Mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art My people.” —Isaiah 51:16
IT WAS many eons ago that God created the literal heavens and the literal earth. “In the beginning,” the Genesis account informs us. (Gen. 1:1) Therefore, when he tells us through Isaiah that he will “plant the heavens,” and “lay the foundations of the earth” through the power of his Word, we must assume that the reference is to a symbolic heavens and earth. And this indeed is the case.
Isaiah 65:17 speaks of this symbolic heavens and earth. In this text the Lord says, “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” The Apostle Peter refers to God’s promise to create a new heavens and a new earth. (II Pet. 3:13) The Apostle John was given a vision of this “new heaven and … new earth” which the Lord had promised.—Rev. 21:1
A symbolic heavens existed prior to the Flood. Peter speaks of it as “the world that then was.” This world, made up of a “heavens” and an “earth,” perished in the Flood. The literal heavens and earth did not perish in the Flood, but rather, the social order that then existed. (II Pet. 3:5,6) Peter also speaks of “the heavens and the earth which are now.” (II Pet. 3:7) He informs us that these come to an end with the return of the Lord and the ushering in of the day of judgment.—II Pet. 3:8
We believe that the “heavens” and the “earth” which were before the Flood, as well as those which come to an end “against the day of judgment,” are the spiritual and earthly phases of social orders. It is also apparent from the Scriptures that the “new heavens and … new earth” which God promised to create are the spiritual and earthly phases of a new social order, the messianic kingdom, which is to rule over the literal earth for a thousand years for the fulfillment of God’s promise to bless all the families of the earth.
Co-operation
The promised “new heavens” consists of the resurrected and highly exalted Jesus, and with him those who are called by the Lord to follow in his footsteps and who are faithful in doing this even unto death. The new earth will consist initially of the resurrected ancient servants of God, beginning with righteous Abel and ending with John the Baptist. Both of these groups are “created” for the positions assigned to them in the new heavens and new earth largely through the power of God’s Word.
As followers of the Master, the power of God’s Word is now working in us to prepare us for a place in the “new heavens.” Unlike the original creation when the elements, brought forth and assembled by the Creator, had no voice in what was taking place, we do have the privilege of co-operating. Indeed, we also have the privilege of refusing to co-operate. But those of us who do yield our hearts and minds to the influence of the Holy Spirit, as it reaches us through the Word of God, are molded and prepared for the high position the Lord has arranged for us in the new kingdom.
And God’s Word is powerful! We are assured that it will accomplish everything designed for it by the Lord. We read, “As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my Word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”—Isa. 55:10,11
We know that God’s power, his Holy Spirit, is able to accomplish all his designs. His power operates in many and various ways. The original work of creation was accomplished by the power of God in what we could perhaps refer to as a mechanical manner. But his new creation, the chief functioning body of the “new heavens,” is brought into being through the power of his thoughts. True, his providences also help to accomplish his purpose in drawing those whom he desires to use in this great creative plan. And his providences continue to operate in their lives throughout the entire period during which they are being prepared for their position in his kingdom.
God’s Word is a powerful influence in the lives of God’s people. His Holy Spirit, through the written Word, begets, anoints, and seals them. Through the Word they receive the witness of the Spirit that they are his children. His Spirit working in them brings forth the rich fruitage of love, joy, peace, patience, etc.—all elements of character which are necessary if they are to live and reign with Christ in his thousand-year kingdom. How thankful we can be that this grand purpose of God will be fully accomplished, and in his own due time; that his Word will not return unto him void, but will accomplish that which he pleases, and will prosper in the thing whereto he sent it!
The Heavenlies
The Diaglott translation of Ephesians 1:3 reads, “Blessed be that God of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies, by Christ.” In creating the new heavens, God exalted Jesus far above “every authority, and government, and power, and lordship, and every name being named, not only in this, but also in the future age; and subjected all things under his feet; and constituted him a head over all things for that congregation, which is his body, the full development of him who is filling all things with all.”—Eph. 1:21-23, Diaglott
It is interesting to note that “the full development” of Christ includes his church. While Jesus is the Head, the chief One, in the promised “new heavens,” his faithful body members must be joined to him ere this new creation of God will be complete. Even now, upon the basis of faith, the Lord has “raised us up together, and seated us together in the heavenlies, by Christ Jesus, in order that he might exhibit, in those ages which are approaching, the surpassing wealth of his favor, by kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.”—Eph. 2:6,7, Diaglott
We are not as yet actually a part of the promised “new heavens,” but upon the basis of faith we have been raised up to sit with Christ in the heavenlies. This is a wonderfully favored position in which to be. Here the Heavenly Father extends his love and favor toward us. Here he guides us by his Word, and inspires us by his promises. Here he assures us of his grace and strength to help in our every time of need.
As the various parts of a building which are being assembled and prepared for the place they will occupy in the new structure could properly be said to be a part of that building, so we are even now, by faith, a part of the new heavens. “We are his workmanship,” Paul wrote, “created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained [margin, or, prepared] that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10) Notice the words “workmanship” and “created.” While we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies, his work, through his creative power, must continue in us until we are fully prepared for actual exaltation in the heavenly kingdom with Christ to accomplish that good work of blessing all the families of the earth which was ordained from before the foundation of the world.
How the Word Reaches Us
How does the Word of God, by the power of which he is creating the new heavens, reach us? Paul explains this in Ephesians 4:10-15. Speaking of the resurrection of Jesus, and some of his work thereafter, Paul wrote, “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill [margin, or, fulfil] all things. And he gave some apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. … Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature [margin, or, age] of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”
The “gifts” which Jesus provided for the church are servants who dispense the Word of God. God does not write his instructions and his promises in the sky for his people to read, but imparts them to us through his servants. There are two main groups of these servants, the inspired and the uninspired. The inspired servants of God are the Old Testament prophets, our Lord Jesus, and “the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” (Rev. 21:14) These serve us today through the written Word of God, the Bible.
The function of the uninspired servants of the church is to impart to the Lord’s people the message that is contained in the written Word. They have no inspired authority. The value of their ministry depends upon their faithfulness in proving all things which they teach by a “thus saith the Lord,” as recorded in his written Word. And all of us, as the consecrated people of God, should make sure that we accept no teachings that are not well attested by the Scriptures.
While Paul emphasizes the messengers of the truth, inspired and uninspired, which the Lord has provided for his people, actually all the consecrated, to the extent of ability and opportunity, are channels of the truth. We all have the privilege of building one another up in our most holy faith by speaking the truth in love, endeavoring on every suitable occasion to help and assist our brethren, as together we grow up into Christ in all things. Thus we co-operate with our Lord in the creation of “the new heavens.”
The New Earth
In our text the Lord also tells us that through his Word he would “lay the foundations of the earth.” As we have noted, the new “earth” will be, to start with, the resurrected ancient worthies. These will be the human, visible representatives of the spiritual, invisible rulers of the new age, the symbolic “new heavens.” And how true it is that these likewise were developed through obedience to the Word of God!
In ancient times the Lord’s people did not have his Word in the same form as we have it today. Note, for instance, the case of Abel. Paul informs us that by faith he offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than did Cain, “by which he obtained witness that he was righteous.” (Heb. 11:4) Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, so it must be that in some way God communicated to Abel that he would be pleased to have him offer a flesh and blood sacrifice, which he did. (Rom. 10:17) Otherwise Abel’s faith would not have entered into the offering to any great extent. In other words, Abel was guided by the Word of the Lord, which might well have been communicated to him by an angel.
We know that God communicated with Abraham through one of the holy angels, and what a wonderful message Abraham thus received! He learned that through his seed God intended to bless all the families of the earth. But Abraham was called upon to obey the Lord’s Word. We read, “By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go into a place which he should afterward receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”—Heb. 11:8
Later, the Lord asked Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering, and again he showed his willingness to obey. His faith was so strong in this instance that he believed God would raise Isaac from the dead, “from whence also he received him in a figure.” (Heb. 11:19) The Bible sometimes speaks of an angel as communicating with Abraham, making known the Lord’s will, and sometimes the record reads as though God spoke directly. It matters little to us now just how the Lord made his will known to Abraham, and inspired him by his promises. The point is that God did make his thoughts known to Abraham, and by these promises and experiences Abraham was prepared for the position he will occupy in the “new earth.”
God began very early in Moses’ life to work with and through him by his Word. Evidently his mother was used to communicate to the young Moses the wonderful heritage of promises they had received from Abraham. This information was such a powerful factor in Moses’ life that “when he was come to years, [he] refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.”—Heb. 11:24-26
Later, God’s Word was communicated to Moses at the burning bush, and still later on at Mt. Sinai, when the Law was given to him for the guidance of the whole nation of Israel. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, and from that time on the Lord’s people had this portion of the written Word for their instruction and guidance. But direct communications from God to individuals who served him faithfully were continued.
These communications were given to the Lord’s people mostly by angels. Some of those who received them were Joshua, Gideon, Elisha, Daniel, and others. All the holy prophets were directed in what they wrote by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. (II Pet. 1:21) And while a great deal of their writings was designed for spiritual Israel of the Gospel Age, yet there was information in the prophecies for natural Israel, and those who profited by them were blessed.
One of the last of the important messages delivered to the Lord’s people at the close of the Jewish Age was communicated by the angels. This was appropriate. An angel had informed Abraham that through his seed all the families of the earth would be blessed, and now that the Messiah of promise was born, an angel announced his birth, calling the announcement “good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people.”—Gen. 22:15-18; Luke 2:10
Yes, all the ancient worthies were guided, strengthened, and nourished by the Word of God. And all who received the testimony that they pleased God, were obedient to the communications which they received. Not all had the privilege of being visited directly by angels, but those who were not this fortunate received their information concerning God’s will from those to whom it was thus directly communicated.
The Old Testament does not reveal just how much knowledge the ancient worthies had of the plan of God. They did know about the coming of the Messiah, and they looked forward to this great event in the divine plan. Paul tells us that according to the Law and the prophets there was to be a resurrection of the just and the unjust, and that the people of Israel professed to believe this. (Acts 24:15) It would seem that the resurrection of the just is what Paul refers to in Hebrews 11:35 as a “better resurrection,” and those in the ancient worthy class all strove diligently in order to be worthy to attain a place in this arrangement of the divine plan.
Thus we see that just as God has been “planting” the symbolic “new heavens” through the power of his Word, he also laid the foundations of the new symbolic earth in the same way. And it is interesting to note that in the case of the new “earth” reference is made only to laying its foundations. Actually, the ancient worthies will constitute merely the foundations of this new earth. Upon this foundation will be “built” the entire restored world of mankind, beginning with the people of Israel.
And even the completing of the new earth will be accomplished through obedience to the Word of God. Revelation 20:12, describing the judgment work of the Millennium, informs us that then the “books” will be opened, and that all will be judged according to the things written in the “books.” This is God’s way of saying that then a true knowledge of his character and his will is to fill the earth as the waters cover the sea, and that the people will be found worthy or unworthy of everlasting human life upon the basis of obedience or disobedience to his revealed will. Peter said that those who do not hear, or obey are to “be destroyed from among the people.”—Acts 3:23
God’s Word Important
How important it is to give heed to the Lord’s Word! May we never permit it to be sidetracked in our lives and supplanted by theories and traditions which are unsupported by the Bible. May a “thus saith the Lord” always be the end of all controversy on whatever phase of the divine plan we may be considering. And believing the Word, may we always obey it. Thus will it mold our lives in preparation for our place in the “new heavens” of promise, and prepare us for actual exaltation with Christ in the heavenlies.
In our text the Lord tells us, through Isaiah, that he has covered us in the shadow of his hand. Through his Word the Lord has overshadowed us with his promises, and we can be assured that each and every one of his promises will be abundantly carried out on our behalf, giving us grace, strength, guidance, and assurance in our every time of need.
Our text also informs us that through his Word God says to the Zion class, “Thou art my people.” This blessed assurance the Apostle Paul referred to as the witness of the Spirit. He wrote, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”—Rom. 8,16,17
“If so be that we suffer with him.” We need to be so obedient to the Word that we will incur the disfavor of the world, and thus suffer with the Master, to be assured that the Lord is actually dealing with us. It is to those who are thus laying down their lives in the service of the Lord that he is now saying, “Thou art my people.” And it will be the Lord’s spiritual Israelites of the Gospel Age, who, together with Christ, will constitute “the new heavens,” to rule for a thousand years.