I have a previous post on what Christ said at the end of the book of Revelation, which seems to point to the unsaved being present on the new earth outside the New Jerusalem in which God dwells with us who washed our robes in Christ. Along those lines, perhaps Isaiah 24 holds another clue. The beginning tackles God’s judgement on the earth and all the unbelievers that defile it leading into Christ’s millennial kingdom reign.
Isaiah 24:1–6
Judgment on the Whole Earth
[1] Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants. [2] And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor. [3] The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the LORD has spoken this word. [4] The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the highest people of the earth languish. [5] The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. [6] Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left. (ESV)
You certainly want to be reconciled to God through Christ to avoid being present during this terrible judgement on all who reject Christ, which is growing near. If you are saved, you’ll be extracted from the earth before the judgement and tribulation of God begins. But perhaps the following verse holds a clue to the unsaved being on the new earth outside the New Jerusalem.
Isaiah 24:21–23
[21] On that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth. [22] They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished. [23] Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders. (ESV)
God speaks of sending the fallen angels and the kings of the earth to a prison, and we know that Satan and his fellow fallen angels are chained and locked in a pit during the millennial reign to no longer influence mankind or have authority on the earth, only to be released at the end of Christ’s Millennial reign for one last rebellion, leading those who reject Christ for the final time to be consumed by fire from heaven. So is rebellious mankind’s prison sentence to last until the new heavens and earth, to be judged and put on the new earth outside the New Jerusalem which they can never enter? Are they to burn as they can see where God dwells, being eternally separated from Him, forever tormented by their rejection of God for their pride and passing sin they chose over Him on this earth?
2 Thessalonians 1:9–10
[9] They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, [10] when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. (ESV)
And it all comes down to what Christ meant by sinners being outside the gates of the New Jerusalem on the new earth? And who make up the nations outside the New Jerusalem? And is an angel at each gate so those who rejected God can never enter?
Revelation 22:14–15
[14] Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. [15] Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (ESV)
Revelation 21:9–14
The New Jerusalem
[9] Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” [10] And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, [11] having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. [12] It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—[13] on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. [14] And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (ESV)
As us believers who will live within the New Jerusalem are called priests of God, will we minister and rule over all those outside the new Jerusalem?
1 Peter 2:4–5
[4] As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, [5] you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (ESV)
On a certain level, in our time today, the fallen angels not chained in the pit because of insubordination, have access to heaven, at least Satan, and the holy angels have to fight with them as Daniel’s angel revealed.
Daniel 10:12–14
[12] Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. [13] The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, [14] and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.” (ESV)
And Christ said we’ll be like the holy angels.
Matthew 22:30
[30] For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. (ESV)
Whatever the truth, which surely exceeds our feeble human understanding, Maranatha!
Isaiah 24
Judgment on the Whole Earth
[1] Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate,
and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.
[2] And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest;
as with the slave, so with his master;
as with the maid, so with her mistress;
as with the buyer, so with the seller;
as with the lender, so with the borrower;
as with the creditor, so with the debtor.
[3] The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered;
for the LORD has spoken this word.
[4] The earth mourns and withers;
the world languishes and withers;
the highest people of the earth languish.
[5] The earth lies defiled
under its inhabitants;
for they have transgressed the laws,
violated the statutes,
broken the everlasting covenant.
[6] Therefore a curse devours the earth,
and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;
therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,
and few men are left.
[7] The wine mourns,
the vine languishes,
all the merry-hearted sigh.
[8] The mirth of the tambourines is stilled,
the noise of the jubilant has ceased,
the mirth of the lyre is stilled.
[9] No more do they drink wine with singing;
strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
[10] The wasted city is broken down;
every house is shut up so that none can enter.
[11] There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine;
all joy has grown dark;
the gladness of the earth is banished.
[12] Desolation is left in the city;
the gates are battered into ruins.
[13] For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth
among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,
as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done.
[14] They lift up their voices, they sing for joy;
over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west.
[15] Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD;
in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
[16] From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise,
of glory to the Righteous One.
But I say, “I waste away,
I waste away. Woe is me!
For the traitors have betrayed,
with betrayal the traitors have betrayed.”
[17] Terror and the pit and the snare
are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth!
[18] He who flees at the sound of the terror
shall fall into the pit,
and he who climbs out of the pit
shall be caught in the snare.
For the windows of heaven are opened,
and the foundations of the earth tremble.
[19] The earth is utterly broken,
the earth is split apart,
the earth is violently shaken.
[20] The earth staggers like a drunken man;
it sways like a hut;
its transgression lies heavy upon it,
and it falls, and will not rise again.
[21] On that day the LORD will punish
the host of heaven, in heaven,
and the kings of the earth, on the earth.
[22] They will be gathered together
as prisoners in a pit;
they will be shut up in a prison,
and after many days they will be punished.
[23] Then the moon will be confounded
and the sun ashamed,
for the LORD of hosts reigns
on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and his glory will be before his elders. (ESV)