Men put their trust in the things that they can see, and ignore the things that are invisible. But visible things are passing away and he who right now can only be seen by faith will endure forever. Human beings want security. They want to attach themselves to something that will not let them down, which will not change. How long do they need security for? As long as they hope to continue in existence themselves. Is this world then a worthy object in which to trust? No, for it is passing away. It is in turn dependant on another, on the one who made it out of nothing, but he has only made it to last for a limited time. Man should aspire to outlast the world he lives in, for while the world is passing away, he knows that there is a part of his being which will endure forever and cannot therefore attach itself to a world which is vanishing away. Part of his being still belongs to the old creation which is passing away, but part of it belongs to the new creation, of which he is the firstfruits.
Christ will take this world which he has made and will fold it up like a cloak, which is not going to used anymore, and he will then make a new garment for himself. That new garment will not have the principle of decay in it like the old because of the curse, but will be made to last forever. It will be suitable for the glorified Saviour, who could not return in his glorified state to this fallen world, and it will be suitable for his people in their resurrection or their changed bodies. Why would God’s people need to occupy a fallen world again, designed by God to remind them of their sin and need for redemption, when they have already been redeemed? The elect will no longer be in danger of making the created world into an idol. This passage elevates Christ above the angels by showing that he is the Lord of all creation in contrast to any created thing.