The ancient rabbis certainly did! And they painted a vibrant picture, filled with light, healing, and unimaginable peace.
Our starting point is a fascinating passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus. It begins with the verse, "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2), and then quotes Isaiah 42:9: "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare."
But isn't there that famous verse in Ecclesiastes (1:9) that says, "What has been is what will be"? So, what's truly new about the future?
The rabbis of the Midrash propose ten incredible changes that God will introduce in the world to come. Get ready, because they're pretty mind-blowing.
First, the world will be illuminated by God's own light! Isaiah 60:19 tells us, "The sun will no longer be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory." But how can we even gaze upon such divine radiance? The Midrash explains that God will amplify the sun's light forty-ninefold! It builds from Isaiah 30:26, "The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter." The midrash understands this to mean that if the moon's light increases sevenfold to equal the sun, and the sun is already seven times brighter, then the sun's light becomes 7x7, or 49 times brighter than before. And even the sick will be healed by the sun's rays, as Malachi 3:20 promises, "But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays."
Next, healing spring water will flow from Jerusalem, curing all diseases. Ezekiel 47:9 says, "Every living creature that swarms will live wherever the river flows." Imagine, a river of healing flowing through the heart of the world!
And that's not all. Trees will bear fruit every single month, and eating from them will bring healing, according to Ezekiel 47:12: "Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, trees of every kind shall grow… their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”
The fourth change? All ruined cities will be rebuilt, never to be desolate again. Even Sodom and Gomorrah, those infamous cities of sin, will be restored, as Ezekiel 16:55 states, "Your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, will return to their former state." A truly fresh start for everyone.
Jerusalem itself will be rebuilt with precious sapphire stones, so radiant that they shine like the sun. Isaiah 54:11 promises, "I will set your stones in fair colors," and Isaiah 54:12 adds, "I will make your windows of rubies." Nations will be drawn to its light, as Isaiah 60:3 foretells, "Nations will come to your light."
Then comes a vision of universal peace. "The cow and the bear will graze; their young will lie down together," as Isaiah 11:7 describes.
And not just among animals! God will make a covenant with all creatures – beasts, birds, and creeping things – alongside all of Israel. Hosea 2:20 says, "In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds of the sky, and the crawling things of the ground."
The eighth change is the end of sorrow. "The sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more," says Isaiah 65:19.
Death itself will be vanquished! Isaiah 25:8 proclaims, "He will swallow up death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will remove from all the earth."
Finally, all sighing, groaning, and despair will vanish, replaced by everlasting joy. "Those the Lord has rescued will return and enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads," we read in Isaiah 35:10.
Wow. Just imagine a world without pain, without death, without sorrow. It's a powerful vision, isn't it?
This passage from Shemot Rabbah isn't just a list of future events. It's a testament to hope, a reminder that even in the darkest of times, we can hold onto the belief that a better world is possible. It's an invitation to participate in bringing that world closer, one act of kindness, one moment of healing, at a time. And perhaps, that's the most "new" thing of all: our renewed commitment to building a brighter future, together.