ISAIAH 65:17-24
17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
25The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.
I don't think it necessarily means that everything mentioned in verses 18-24 are to find their fulfilment in the new heavens and new earth.
Rather, I think it means that the new thing which God was about to do, not only for His people but also for the whole world, was to be so thoroughly new as to foreshadow and somehow bear the characteristics of and abide until the new heavens and earth are made, in which shall dwell only righteousness.
It's like He's saying, "I'm going to do this now (restore Jerusalem, etc), with all the surety with which I'm going to make those new heavens and new earth later."
When Israel returned from captivity in Babylon, the state of things was once again so glorious that the former state of Israel was hardly remembered - though perhaps not completely forgotten.
This was fulfilled more completely when the new covenant was inaugurated. By the preaching of the Gospel, the true Israel became so much more glorious, and its former state under the Law was completely forgotten - and even the Gentiles were grafted in to this new creation.
All of this (the glorious Gospel age) was to be like a portend - was to bear the characteristics of - and would abide until - the new heavens and earth appear. And that has come to pass by the new covenant, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy.
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