Isaiah 65:17 promises that God is making a completely new creation, and that the sorrows and failures of the past will no longer be remembered or weigh on anyone’s mind. The verse looks ahead to a future where God renews the whole world, not just patches up what has gone wrong. It was spoken by the Lord through the prophet Isaiah to the people of Jerusalem and Judah, who had returned from exile and were living among ruins, discouragement, and unresolved conflict.
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Isaiah 65:17 (WEB)
What Isaiah 65:17 Means
The phrase “I create new heavens and a new earth” is the center of the verse. The word translated “create” is the same word used in Genesis 1 for God’s original making of the world, so the prophet is saying that God’s coming work is as deliberate and powerful as the first creation. This is not a small repair job. It is a fresh beginning on the scale of the cosmos itself.
The second half speaks about memory: “the former things will not be remembered, nor come into mind.” In Hebrew thought, remembering was more than recalling facts. It meant living under the weight of something, letting it shape your choices and feelings. God is promising that the old pain, shame, and loss will no longer hold people in their grip. The verse does not claim that people will lose their memories, but that the past will no longer define them.
What the verse does not say is equally important. It does not describe the exact timetable of this renewal, and it does not spell out every detail of what the new earth will look like. It also does not promise that believers will escape hardship today. Its focus is God’s faithfulness to make all things new, and his commitment to a future where the old brokenness is set aside.
The Context of Isaiah 65:17
The book of Isaiah is a collection of prophetic messages, traditionally attributed to the prophet Isaiah who ministered in Jerusalem in the eighth century before Christ. Chapters 40 through 66 are often read as a distinct section, with many scholars dating parts of it to the period after the exile, when the people had returned to a Jerusalem that was still struggling to recover. Chapter 65 belongs to this hopeful but unfinished period.
The verses just before and after set the mood. In verses 14 and 15, the prophet contrasts the joy of God’s servants with the sorrow of those who turn away from him. Verse 16 explains that “the former troubles are forgotten,” which prepares the way for verse 17. Then verses 18 through 20 describe Jerusalem as a place of delight, with the weeping heard no more. Reading the verse in this setting shows that the new creation is closely tied to restored joy and justice for God’s people.
Key Phrases in Isaiah 65:17
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.
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Paul describes anyone in Christ as a new creation, with old things passed away. This echoes Isaiah’s promise of renewal and shows how the hope of a new creation becomes personal for those who belong to Jesus now.
Revelation 21:5
He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” He said, “Write, for these words of God are faithful and true.”
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In Revelation, the one seated on the throne says he is making all things new. This passage picks up the same promise of a renewed creation and shows how Isaiah’s vision reaches its fulfillment in the final chapters of Scripture.
A Short Prayer From Isaiah 65:17
Lord, you are the one who creates new heavens and a new earth, and you are able to make something good out of what has been broken. I bring you the memories that still weigh on me, the failures I keep replaying, and the sorrows that seem to repeat. Loosen their hold on my heart and help me trust that your future is bigger than my past. Teach me to rest in your faithfulness and to walk in the new life you are giving. Amen.
