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New Living Translation

2 Peter 3:13

But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Earth;   Faith;   Heaven;   Jesus Continued;   Thompson Chain Reference - Heavens;   New;   The Topic Concordance - Earth;   Heaven/the Heavens;   Newness;   Righteousness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Creation;   Earth, the;   Promises of God, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Creation;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Heaven;   Jesus christ;   Millennium;   Promise;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Create, Creation;   Day of the Lord, God, Christ, the;   Jesus Christ;   New Command;   New Creation;   New Heavens and a New Earth;   Promise;   Sanctification;   Second Coming of Christ;   Suffering;   World;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Conflagration;   Dissolution;   Faithfulness of God;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Heaven;   Lamech;   Noah;   Peter, the Epistles of;   Regeneration;   Thousand Years;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Future Hope;   Heavens, New;   Hope;   Promise;   2 Peter;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hope;   Peter, Second Epistle of;   Regeneration;   Restoration;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Character;   Eschatology;   New Jerusalem;   Parousia;   Perseverance;   Peter Epistles of;   Presence (2);   Promise;   Prophet;   Restitution;   Righteousness;   Stoics ;   World;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Heaven;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Heavens, New (and Earth, New);   Jude, the Epistle of;   New;   Peter, Simon;   Peter, the Second Epistle of;   Promise;   Regeneration;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for December 1;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
But God made a promise to us. And we are waiting for what he promised—a new sky and a new earth. That will be the place where goodness lives.
Revised Standard Version
But according to his promise we wait for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Neverthelesse we loke for a newe heven and a newe erth accordynge to his promes where in dwelleth rightewesnes.
Hebrew Names Version
But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new eretz, in which dwells righteousness.
New American Standard Bible
But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
New Century Version
But God made a promise to us, and we are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth where goodness lives.
Update Bible Version
But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.
Webster's Bible Translation
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, in which dwelleth righteousness.
World English Bible
But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which dwells righteousness.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Nevertheless we look for new heavens and a new earth, according to his promise, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Weymouth's New Testament
But in accordance with His promise we are expecting new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness will dwell.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Also we abiden bi hise biheestis newe heuenes and newe erthe, in which riytwisnesse dwellith.
English Revised Version
But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Berean Standard Bible
But in keeping with God's promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
Contemporary English Version
But God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth, where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to that!
Amplified Bible
But in accordance with His promise we expectantly await new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
American Standard Version
But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Bible in Basic English
But having faith in his word, we are looking for a new heaven and a new earth, which will be the resting-place of righteousness.
Complete Jewish Bible
but we, following along with his promise, wait for new heavens and a new earth , in which righteousness will be at home.
Darby Translation
But, according to his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.
International Standard Version
But in keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; Revelation 21:1,27;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
But new heavens and earth, according to his promise, we expect; those wherein righteousness dwelleth.
Murdock Translation
But we, according to his promise, expect new heavens, and a new earth, in which righteousness dwelleth.
King James Version (1611)
Neuerthelesse wee, according to his promise, looke for new heauens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousnesse.
New Life Bible
We are looking for what God has promised, which are new heavens and a new earth. Only what is right and good will be there.
New Revised Standard
But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.
English Standard Version
But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But wee looke for newe heauens, and a newe earth, according to his promes, wherein dwelleth righteousnesse.
George Lamsa Translation
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, in which dwells righteousness.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, new heavens, and a new earth, according to his promise, are we expecting, wherein, righteousness, is to dwell.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But we look for new heavens and a new earth according to his promises, in which justice dwelleth.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Neuerthelesse, we accordyng to his promise, loke for a newe heauen, and a newe earth, wherein dwelleth ryghteousnesse.
Good News Translation
But we wait for what God has promised: new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will be at home.
Christian Standard Bible®
But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
King James Version
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Lexham English Bible
But according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness resides.
Literal Translation
But according to His promise, we look for "new heavens and a new earth," in which righteousness dwells. Isa. 65:17
Young's Literal Translation
and for new heavens and a new earth according to His promise we do wait, in which righteousness doth dwell;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Neuertheles we loke for a new heauen and a new earth (acordynge to his promes) wherin dwelleth righteousnes.
Mace New Testament (1729)
As for us, in consequence of his promise, we expect a new heaven, and a new earth, where justice shall reside.
New English Translation
But, according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness truly resides.
New King James Version
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Simplified Cowboy Version
We wait for God to come through on his word; he promised us a new heaven and a new earth where his cowboys will ride in stirrup-high green grass and sit beside crystal-clear waters forever.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Contextual Overview

11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness. 14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. 15 And remember, our Lord's patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— 16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. 17 You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

according: Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22, Revelation 21:1, Revelation 21:27

Reciprocal: Psalms 5:4 - evil Psalms 25:13 - inherit Psalms 37:29 - General Psalms 119:89 - For ever Isaiah 26:2 - righteous Isaiah 35:8 - the unclean Isaiah 51:16 - plant Isaiah 54:14 - righteousness Isaiah 60:17 - brass Isaiah 60:21 - people Matthew 19:28 - in the regeneration Matthew 25:1 - went Romans 8:21 - Because Romans 13:11 - for now Galatians 3:22 - that 1 Thessalonians 4:17 - and so Hebrews 2:5 - the world Hebrews 13:14 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 3:4
"You won't die!" the serpent replied to the woman.
Genesis 3:6
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.
Genesis 3:9
Then the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?"
Genesis 3:10
He replied, "I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked."
Genesis 3:12
The man replied, "It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it."
Genesis 44:15
"What have you done?" Joseph demanded. "Don't you know that a man like me can predict the future?"
1 Samuel 13:11
but Samuel said, "What is this you have done?" Saul replied, "I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn't arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle.
2 Samuel 3:24
Joab rushed to the king and demanded, "What have you done? What do you mean by letting Abner get away?
John 18:35
"Am I a Jew?" Pilate retorted. "Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?"
1 Timothy 2:14
And it was not Adam who was deceived by Satan. The woman was deceived, and sin was the result.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Nevertheless we, according to his promise,.... Or promises, as the Alexandrian copy, and the Vulgate Latin version; namely those in Isaiah 65:17;

look for new heavens and a new earth; not figuratively, the world to come in distinction from the Jewish world or state; a new church state, the Gospel dispensation, with new ordinances, as baptism and the Lord's supper, all legal ceremonies and ordinances being gone, and everything new; for these things had taken place already, and were not looked for as future: but these phrases are to be understood literally, as the heavens and the earth are in every passage in the context, 2 Peter 3:5; and designs not new heavens and earth for substance, but for qualities; the heavens and elements being melted and dissolved, and so purged and purified by fire, and the earth and its works being burnt up with it, and so cleared of everything noxious, needless, and disagreeable, new heavens and a new earth will appear, refined and purged from everything which the curse brought thereon for man's sin: and such heavens and earth the saints look for by faith and hope, and earnest expectation, and with desire and pleasure; and therefore are not distressed, as they have no reason to be, with the burning of the present heavens and earth, as awful as these things will be; and they expect them not upon their own fancies and imaginations, or the vain conjectures and cunningly devised fables of men, but according to the promises of God recorded in the above passages, and in which they may be confirmed by the words of Christ, and by the vision of John, Revelation 20:1. The Alexandrian copy reads, "and his promises"; as if it respected other promises the saints looked for besides the new heavens and earth; namely, the resurrection of the dead, eternal life, the in corruptible inheritance, the ultimate glory and happiness:

wherein dwelleth righteousness; meaning not the heavenly felicity, called sometimes the crown of righteousness, and the hope of righteousness, to which righteousness gives a right, and where it will be perfect, for the apostle is not speaking of the ultimate glory of the saints; nor the righteousness of Christ, as dwelling in the saints, as if the sense was this, we in whom righteousness dwells, look for new heavens and a new earth; for though the righteousness of Christ is unto and upon them that believe, yet it is not in them; it is in Christ, and dwells in him, and not in them; it is not inherent in them, but imputed to them: by "righteousness" is meant righteous men; such as are so not in and of themselves, or by the deeds of the law, or by works of righteousness done by them, but who are made righteous by the obedience of Christ, and are righteousness itself in him; see Jeremiah 33:16; now these, and these only, will be the inhabitants of the new heavens and the new earth; there will be no unrighteous persons there, as in the present world, which lies in wickedness, and is full of wicked men; and they will be stocked with inhabitants after this manner; all the elect will now be gathered in, and Christ, when he comes, will bring all his saints with him from heaven, and will raise their bodies, and reunite them to their souls; and those that are alive will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and will make up together the general assembly and church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven; and whereas, upon the coming of Christ, the present heavens and earth will be burnt or purified by fire, and so made new and fit for the spirits of just men made perfect, who being again embodied, will fill the face of them, and shall inherit the earth, and reign with Christ on it for a thousand years, during which time there will not be a wicked man in them; for the wicked that will be alive at Christ's coming will be burnt with the earth, and the wicked dead shall not rise till the thousand years are ended, and who being raised, will, together with the devils, make the Gog and Magog army; wherefore none but righteous persons can look for these new heavens and earth, for to these only are they promised, and such only shall dwell in them; so the Targum on

Jeremiah 23:23 paraphrases the words,

"I God have created the world from the beginning, saith the Lord, I God will "renew the world for the righteous":''

and this will be, the Jews say, for the space of a thousand years;

"it is a tradition (they say l) of the house of Elias, that the righteous, whom the holy blessed God will raise from the dead shall not return to their dust, as is said, Isaiah 4:3, and it shall come to pass, c. as the Holy One continues for ever, so they shall continue for ever and if you should say those years (some editions read, "those thousand years", and so the gloss upon the place) in which the holy blessed God "renews the world": as it is said Isaiah 2:11, and the Lord alone; c. what shall they do? the holy blessed God will make them wings as eagles, and they shall fly upon the face of the waters:''

and this renovation of the heavens and the earth, they say, will be in the seventh millennium

"in the seventh thousand year (they assert m) there will be found new heavens and a new earth;''

which agree with these words of Peter.

l T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 92. 1, 2. Ed. Coch. p. 317. m Zohar in Gen. fol. 35. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Nevertheless we, according to his promise - The allusion here seems to be, beyond a doubt, to two passages in Isaiah, in which a promise of this kind is found. Isaiah 65:17; “for, behold, I create new heavens, and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” Isaiah 66:22; “for as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord,” etc. Compare Revelation 21:1, where John says he had a vision of the new heaven and the new earth which was promised: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea.” See the notes at Isaiah 65:17.

Look for new heavens and a new earth - It may not be easy to answer many of the questions which might be asked respecting the “new heaven and earth” here mentioned. One of those which are most naturally asked is, whether the apostle meant to say that this earth, after being purified by fire, would be suited again for the home of the redeemed; but this question it is impossible to answer with certainty. The following remarks may perhaps embrace all that is known, or that can be shown to be probable, on the meaning of the passage before us.

I. The “new heavens and the new earth” referred to will be such as will exist after the world shall have been destroyed by fire; that is, after the general judgment. There is not a word expressed, and not a hint given, of any “new heaven and earth” previous to this, in which the Saviour will reign personally over his saints, in such a renovated world, through a long millennial period. The order of events, as stated by Peter, is:

(a)That the heavens and earth which are now, are “kept in store, reserved unto fire “against the day of judgment,” and perdition of ungodly men,” 2 Peter 3:7;

(b)That the day of the Lord will come suddenly and unexpectedly, 2 Peter 3:10; that then the heavens and earth will pass away with a great noise, the elements will melt, and the earth with all its works be burned up, 2 Peter 3:10; and,

(c)That after this 2 Peter 3:13 we are to expect the “new heavens and new earth.”

Nothing is said of a personal reign of Christ; nothing of the resurrection of the saints to dwell with him on the earth; nothing of the world’s being fitted up for their home previous to the final judgment. If Peter had any knowledge of such events, and believed that they would occur, it is remarkable that he did not even allude to them here. The passage before us is one of the very few places in the New Testament where allusion is made to the manner in which the affairs of the world will be closed; and it cannot be explained why, if he looked for such a glorious personal reign of the Saviour, the subject should have been passed over in total silence.

II. The word “new,” applied to the heavens and the earth that are to succeed the present, might express one of the following three things - that is, either of these things would correspond with all that is fairly implied in that word:

(a) If a new world was literally created out of nothing after this world is destroyed; for that would be in the strictest sense “new.” That such an event is possible no one can doubt, though it is not revealed.

(b) If an inhabitant of the earth should dwell after death In any other of the worlds now existing, it would be to him a “new” abode, and everything would appear new. Let him, for instance, be removed to the planet “Saturn,” with its wonderful ring, and its seven moons, and the whole aspect of the heavens, and of the world on which he would then dwell, would be new to him. The same thing would occur if he were to dwell on any other of the heavenly bodies, or if he were to pass from world to world. See this illustrated at length in the works of Thomas Dick, LL. D. - “Celestial Scenery,” etc. Compare the notes at 1 Peter 1:12.

(c) If the earth should be renovated, and suited for the home of man after the universal conflagration, it would then be a new abode.

III. This world, thus renovated, may be, from time to time, the temporary abode of the redeemed, after the final judgment. No one can prove that this may not be, though there is no evidence that it will be their permanent and eternal home or that even all the redeemed will at any one time find a home on this globe, for no one can suppose that the earth is spacious enough to furnish a dwelling-place for all the unnumbered millions that are to be saved. But that the earth may again be revisited from time to time by the redeemed; that in a purified and renovated form it may be one of the “many mansions” which are to be fitted up for them John 14:2, may not appear wholly improbable from the following suggestions:

(1) It seems to have been a law of the earth that in its progress it should be “prepared” at one period for the dwelling-place of a higher order of beings at another period. Thus, according to the disclosures of geology, it existed perhaps for countless ages before it was fitted to be an abode for man; and that it was occupied by the monsters of an inferior order of existence, who have now passed away to make room for a nobler race. Who can tell but the present order of thing may pass away to make place for the manifestations of a more exalted mode of being?

(2) There is no certain evidence that any world has been annihilated, though some have disappeared from human view. Indeed, as observed above, (see the notes at 2 Peter 3:10) there is no proof that a single particle of matter ever has been annihilated, or ever will be. It may change its form, but it may still exist.

(3) It seems also to accord most with probability, that, though the earth may undergo important changes by flood or fire, it will not be annihilated. It seems difficult to suppose that, as a world, it will be wholly displaced from the system of which it is now a part, or that the system itself will disappear. The earth, as one of the worlds of God, has occupied too important a position in the history of the universe to make it to be easily believed that the place where the Son of God became incarnate and died, shall be utterly swept away It would, certainly, accord more with all the feelings which we can have on such a subject, to suppose that a world once so beautiful when it came from the hand of its Maker. should be restored to primitive loveliness; that a world which seems to have been made primarily (see the notes at 1 Peter 1:12) with a view to illustrate the glory of God in redemption, should be preserved in some appropriate form to be the theater of the exhibition of the developement of that plan in far distant ages to come.

(4) To the redeemed, it would be most interesting again to visit the spot where the great work of their redemption was accomplished; where the Son of God became incarnate and made atonement for sin; and where there would be so many interesting recollections and associations, even after the purification by fire, connected with the infancy of their existence, and their preparation for eternity. Piety would at least “wish” that the world where Gethsemane and Calvary are should never be blotted out from the universe.

(5) However, if, after their resurrection and reception into heaven, the redeemed shall ever revisit a world so full of interesting recollections and associations, where they began their being, where their Redeemer lived and died, where they were renewed and sanctified, and where their bodies once rested in the grave, there is no reason to suppose that this will be their permanent and unchanging home. It may be mere speculation, but it seems to accord best with the goodness of God, and with the manner in which the universe is made, to suppose that every portion of it may be visited, and become successively the home of the redeemed; that they may pass from world to world, and survey the wonders and the works of God as they are displayed in different worlds. The universe, so vast, seems to have been suited for such a purpose, and nothing else that we can conceive of will be so adapted to give employment without weariness to the minds that God has made, in the interminable duration before them.

IV. The new heavens and earth will be “holy.” They will be the home of righteousness forever.

(a) This fact is clearly revealed in the verse before us; “wherein dwelleth righteousness.” It is also the correct statement of the Scriptures, Rev 21:27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Hebrews 12:14.

(b) This will be in strong contrast with what has occurred on earth, The history of this world has been almost entirely a history of sin - of its nature, developements, results. There have been no perfectly holy beings on the earth, except the Saviour, and the angels who have occasionally visited it. There has been no perfectly holy place - city, village, hamlet; no perfectly holy community. But the future world, in strong contrast with this, will be perfectly pure, and will be a fair illustration of what religion in its perfect form will do.

(c) It is for this that the Christian desires to dwell in that world, and waits for the coming of his Saviour. It is not primarily that he may be happy, desirable as that is, but that he may be in a world where he himself will be perfectly pure, and where all around him will be pure; where every being that he meets shall be “holy as God is holy,” and every place on which his eye rests, or his foot treads, shall be uncontaminated by sin. To the eye of faith and hope, how blessed is the prospect of such a world!



Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 13. We, according to his promise, look for new heavens — The promise to which it is supposed the apostle alludes, is found Isaiah 65:17: Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind; and Isaiah 66:22: For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed, c. Now, although these may be interpreted of the glory of the Gospel dispensation, yet, if St. Peter refer to them, they must have a more extended meaning.

It does appear, from these promises, that the apostle says here, and what is said Revelation 21:27; Revelation 22:14-15, that the present earth, though destined to be burned up, will not be destroyed, but be renewed and refined, purged from all moral and natural imperfection, and made the endless abode of blessed spirits. But this state is certainly to be expected after the day of judgment; for on this the apostle is very express, who says the conflagration and renovation are to take place at the judgment of the great day; see 2 Peter 3:7-8; 2 Peter 3:10; 2 Peter 3:12. That such an event may take place is very possible; and, from the terms used by St. Peter, is very probable. And, indeed, it is more reasonable and philosophical to conclude that the earth shall be refined and restored, than finally destroyed. But this has nothing to do with what some call the millennium state; as this shall take place when time, with the present state and order of things, shall be no more.


 
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