The Dream Lives On

Imagine a world without sin. No problem is too great to be solved. No one goes without food. Everyone’s needs are met. People live in peace and prosperity. Justice reigns. There is no crime. Death is unknown.

Down through history, various groups have grasped at that utopian ideal. None has succeeded. Yet the dream lives on, and for good reason: That was God’s original intention for His creation. He made a perfect world and placed humankind in it with a mandate to “be fruitful and multiply” (Gen. 1:28). Likewise, He has promised to someday restore His creation to its original purpose and perfection (Rev. 21:1–4).

In the meantime, humanity must live with the memory of what Eden was and the hope of what the new creation will be. God helps people keep alive that vision of life with Him—which sometimes seems more like a dream—by offering occasional glimpses of it:

1. Genesis describes what Eden was like (Gen. 1:1—2:25). The account tells of a world that was “very good” as God determines “good” (1:31).

2. In the Law, God promised to bless His people Israel with a land of peace and prosperity if they upheld His commandments (Lev. 26:3). Life in the Promised Land would not be a return to Eden, but it would have much of the same character. For example, God promised to make the people “fruitful” and help them “multiply” (26:9). (Note that this was a covenant agreement.)

3. In the Psalms, the world as it is, even in its fallen condition, is full of the “possessions” of the Lord. He has not left it to fend for itself. He maintains the earth and its creatures and rejoices in His works (Ps. 104:24–30).

4. Isaiah foresaw new heavens and a new earth. There will be no more weeping or, by implication, sin, or death. God’s people will build houses in a renewed Jerusalem and will do meaningful, satisfying work (Is. 65:17–23).

5. Paul also looks forward to the day when creation will be set free from its “futility,” a day when God’s people will finally be “delivered from the bondage of corruption” (Rom. 8:19–25).

God’s people live in hope. They base their lives on the promise that God’s original design and purpose will not be crushed under the terrible load of sin, rebellion, and condemnation. Instead, because of Christ, they look forward to the day when they will enter a new world to live with God forever.

Taken from NKJV Study Bible