Monday, May 26 The former heaven and the former earth had passed away.​—Rev. 21:1.

[Áine]

Monday, May 26

The former heaven and the former earth had passed away.—Rev. 21:1.

 

“The former heaven” refers to political governments influenced by Satan and his demons. (Matt. 4:8, 9; 1 John 5:19) As used in the Bible, “earth” can refer to the earth’s inhabitants. (Gen. 11:1; Ps. 96:1) Thus, “the former earth” refers to today’s wicked human society. Jehovah will not merely remodel, or fix up, the existing “heaven” and “earth”; rather, he will make a clean sweep by replacing them. He will replace the present heaven and the present earth with “a new heaven and a new earth”—that is, a new government and a new human society. Jehovah will make the earth and humans like new by bringing them to a state of perfection. As Isaiah foretold, the entire earth will be made into a gardenlike park—a global Eden. We will also be made new, or experience restoration, on a personal level. The lame, the blind, and the deaf will be healed, and even the dead will be restored to life.—Isa. 25:8; 35:1-7. w23.11 4 ¶9-10