Will we forget everything of this life after death?
A dear friend of mine called me recently with essentially this question. He was studying Isaiah and came across this verse:
“See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind."
Slightly frustrated, my friend asked, "If we're not going to remember any of this stuff, why are we here and what's it all for?". My friend consulted Matthew Henry's commentary (An exceptional work!) and was exasperated. Below are some quick notes I put together on the topic.
“See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind."
Slightly frustrated, my friend asked, "If we're not going to remember any of this stuff, why are we here and what's it all for?". My friend consulted Matthew Henry's commentary (An exceptional work!) and was exasperated. Below are some quick notes I put together on the topic.
If you want the background on my conclusions see below, in my experience no one wants the "long explanation" prior to the short explanation. - all citations are from the KJV unless otherwise stated.
Conclusions:
Two people groups are identified and three additional primary characters in Isaiah chapters 61-66. The passage details the present situation and story of both groups in Isaiah's day and includes each groups final places of residence and standing before the Holy God of Israel.
People Groups:
- God's people often named -The daughters of Zion, the Righteous, God's servants.
- Enemies of God's people - Rebellious people, The oppressors, Provoking people
Characters:
- God (Primarily The Father, although references to the Spirit and the Son are also present!)
- Isaiah (The prophet preaching)
- God's deliverer (hinted at and referenced via Moses, Abraham, the Lab, The angel of "his" presence 63:9)
Flow or 'main thought of the passage':
God is at work redeeming his people by providing redemption out of an otherwise nonredeemable position. This work is accomplished through God's own intercessory work on his people's behalf. Judgment comes upon those who are not of God's people. This judgment has various poetic expressions including the "numbering off by the sword" and other phrases denoting utter destruction.
How does 65:17 fit, and will we forget everything in the New life after death?:
65:17 is set in the midst of judgment from God speaking about the present (redemption even during Isaiah's day) and future (end of days 62:11). In the immediate preceding verse God speaks of the "former troubles". 65:16 and 65:17 have a continuity of thought in that former troubles are no more - hidden from our eyes. This phrase or expression is meaningless if we divorce each word from one another and try to parse the meaning of the phrase by the summation of definitions of each word. The phrase effectually means that the old troubling stuff (65:16) is no more. It could be translated into our contemporary day as noted Disney theologians from the Lion King sing "hakuna matata" or "life's good" or "its all good" or "I'm gone fishing". That old junk of the former world (after the new world has been made) will not be forgotten in it's totality. Otherwise the stories of God's grandeur, his glorification through his redeeming work of his people would also all be forgotten! Rather we will remember back our troubles not as troubles, but as they truly are - God's glory and salvation of us, his people, being worked out with holy fear and trembling.
Appendix/Citations
1. This chapter and verse in question is in the midst a large prophetic text regarding the New Jerusalem. I saw the New Jerusalem (with capital letters) as it's a proper place. It's not the same Jerusalem made new, but rather a fulfillment of all that Jerusalem ought to be. It will be remade new, wiped away from all previous hindrances and filth.
2. Chapter 61 opens with the prophet speaking representing the Lord in regard to his own inclusion in God's word. Isaiah's purpose is to preach, why? specifically "Because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound" (Is 61:1). This is good news to a clearly downtrodden people. Verse 1 reveals to us WHO Isaiah is preaching to, but doesn't fully expound on the content of the message he's been sent to preach. Verse 2-3 expound quite a bit of this good news and the subject of the message.
3. This "train of thought" continues until 62:11 when Isaiah switches focus from the audience of his message, and the present content of his message to that audience, to the future. In 62:11 Isaiah proclaims on behalf of God "Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, they salvation cometh; behold his reward is with him, and his work before him. 12 And they shall call them, the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord and thou shalt be called, Sought out, a city not forsaken." This change indicates a potential shift in the audience for this message, (I think it's the same audience, but not all would agree with me on that) but a DEFINITE change in the content of the message, which is now focused on the final accomplishment of the Lord's achievements on his people's behalf (the end of the story) rather than on the lowly present condition (the middle of the story IE the present day of Isaiah and his immediate audience).
4. Chapter 64 then details the Prophet Isaiah speaking once again in his own voice and then changes again in a manner representative of God's voice in chapter 65. In 64 yes, Isaiah still speaks on behalf of the Lord (always as an inspired speaker in the text), but now from his own voice with a message representing the people of God. Evidence of this is found by looking at the pronouns used throughout 64 and 65:
*You is used in reference to God (64:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12,)
*The plural used in reference to the wicked and the faithful of God's people (64:3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12)
*The first person used from God's speaking (65:1, 2, 3, 6,
*You in 65 changes to be just the people of God and the peoples whom God pronounces judgment upon (65:3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12)
5. Several "Thus says the Lord" statements (65:7, 8, 11 13, 25) are used to identify and alert the two people groups that have been identified and revealed - both present in Isaiah's time, and also identified and present at the end of all things: God's people, and the Wicked.
6. God's ultimate judgment provides both a final separation of his people, from those enemies of his people, along with a new place of residence for both groups. In 65:17 God establishes the new people of residence for his people with a new sky above, and new dirt beneath. At first glance memories of things past seem to be not remembered (as though God has Will Smith's memory pen from Men in Black). But this is only an introductory and frankly dangerous reading of the passage. If we divorce each individual word from the sum total meaning of a phrase, any cliche, phrase, or repeated theme loses it's significance and meaning. In 65:16 we're told the "former troubles are forgotten" שָׁכַח Transliteration shakach (https://www.blueletterbible.
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