The end of evil (Very non-exhaustive)

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MPhil 2003

2003 The Problem of Evil: Anglican and Baptist Perspectives: MPhil thesis, Bangor University 

Statement thirty-six: This statement stated: Eventually evil will cease to exist in any form. In light of the position I take with the previous statement (previous article), I thus would disagree with this one. I believe that Biblically evil is described as ultimately being imprisoned and set apart from the rest of creation, rather than being annihilated. However, in the Anglican denomination, 44% agreed with the statement, 34% were not certain, and 22% disagreed. With Baptists, 52% agreed, while 18% were not certain, and 30% disagreed.
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Evil is ended via another new creation or via a new re-creation?

From his commentary, Pastor Jon Courson reasons in regards to Revelation 20: 6 (b): 'The first death is physical. The second death is eternal. Yes, we will die physically unless the Lord raptures us first. But the second death is for those who are damned eternally.' (1783).

Pastor Courson disagrees with the view that the present heaven and earth 'will simply be refurbished.' (1788). He states that from Isaiah 65: 17, the word translated 'create' in Hebrew, which is 'bara' is the same word used in Genesis 1: 1 which means to create from nothing. (1788).

As much as I greatly appreciate Pastor Courson's online sermons and his commentary (that I was sold by his ministry for a good deal), I doubt his second creation from nothing, theology, based on theology and linguistic scholarship.

A recent New Testament example:

Monday, October 21, 2019 2 Peter 3: 10 (Non-exhaustive)

The Hebrew from some academic sources I have found:

Bible Hub Isaiah 65:17

I create בֹורֵ֛א (vo·v·re) 1254a: to shape, create a prim. root

Bible Hub Isaiah 65: 17

Strong's Concordance bara: to shape, create Transliteration: bara Definition: to shape, create

NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin a prim. root Definition to shape, create NASB Translation brings about (1), clear (2), create (6), created (32), creates (1), creating (3), Creator (4), cut them down (1), make (2), produced (1).

My review is very non-exhaustive, but I do see the concept from the Hebrew of  Isaiah to 'create' but not necessarily 'create from nothing'. Looking at my own Strong's text with again 1254 from the Hebrew, 'bara' is defined as choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make. (28).

Is create from nothing, ex nihilo (out of nothing from the Latin), actually within the original Hebrew text in Isaiah? Very non-exhaustively, this would be a biblical and theological debate, at best, it appears.

According to my own hardcover Strong's entry, indeed Genesis 1: 1 is also documented as the using the same word from 1254, but this does not mean that word 'bara' is used in context, and defined exactly the same way, every time it is used in the Hebrew Bible. I do reason that Genesis 1:1 is discussing creation out of nothing, but this is not necessarily the case with the recapitulation of the universe and earth in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, based on the scholarship I have read.

Theologically, God can create in Genesis 1:1 and then create again in Isaiah 65: 17 and Revelation 21-22, but in context, the second creation is recapitulation. Theologically, the first creation was by definition ex nihilo. Theologically, the second creation, discussing a creation that already exists, does not requires this. It is biblically a reasonable possibility, granted, but I do not find the theology and linguistics as convincing.

I do not see God giving up on his initial creation. It is rather a fix.

Isaiah scholar David F. Payne writes in regard to 65: 17-25:

'It is doubtful if v.17 envisages the destruction of this universe; more probably the prophet is promising its transformation, in an era when all former troubles shall be forgotten.' (762).

There is a degree of literalness with the language from Isaiah, here. We in the Church (and Hebrew Bible believers) will not plain literally have forgotten all evil, but we shall no longer live in it.

The creation and re-creation of the universe and earth is likely similar to how humanity was created completely new in Genesis, but is recreated and recapitulated in the future according to 1 Corinthians 15 and Revelation 21-22.

Dr. Russell Norman Murray II, will not be created, rather Dr. Russell Norman Murray I, will be restored and created new, in a sense.

COURSON, JON (2005) Application Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Nashville.

PAYNE. DAVID F.(1986) Isaiah, in F.F. Bruce, (ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Marshall Pickering/Zondervan.

STRONG, J. (1890)(1986) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Burlington, Welch Publishing Company.