The transformation by God of the lives of his people, whether corporately or individually, leading to the recovery of lost vitality and purity.
Individual renewal
Isaiah 40:30–31; Ephesians 4:22–24 See also Psalm 23:3, Psalm 51:10–12, Psalm 103:1–5; John 7:37–39; Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Colossians 3:9–10; 2 Timothy 1:6; Titus 3:5
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.
to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Corporate renewal
The renewal of Israel
Ezekiel 37:1–14 See also Jeremiah 31:31–34; Lamentations 5:21; Ezekiel 11:17–20, Ezekiel 36:24–28; Joel 2:28–32
Examples of national renewal
2 Chronicles 34:29–33 See also Joshua 24:1, Joshua 24:14–27; Ezra 10:1–4; Nehemiah 10:28–29
Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And he went up to the house of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the Levites— all the people great and small— and in their hearing he read all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book. Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand in agreement to it. So all the people of Jerusalem carried out the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. And Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the Israelites, and he required everyone in Israel to serve the LORD their God. Throughout his reign they did not turn aside from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.
The new Jerusalem
Isaiah 65:17–19 See also Revelation 3:12, Revelation 21:2–4, Revelation 21:10
For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and take delight in My people. The sounds of weeping and crying will no longer be heard in her.
The church
Matthew 9:16–19 parallels Mark 2:21–22, Luke 5:36–39 Jesus Christ here prophesies the great act of renewal by God whereby the church rather than Israel becomes the people of God. See also Acts 2:1–4, Acts 2:42–47
No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. For the patch will pull away from the garment, and a worse tear will result. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will spill, and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” While Jesus was saying these things, a synagogue leader came and knelt before Him. “My daughter has just died,” he said. “But come and place Your hand on her, and she will live.” So Jesus got up and went with him, along with His disciples.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.