8:19-21 What is Paul teaching here?

The whole creation - all nature - comprising both the animate and the inanimate world, is waiting for the glorification of the saints so it too may also be delivered from the curse under which it now exists because of Adam's sin (CP Gen 3:17-18). The saints will be glorified when they go to Heaven to be with Jesus at the first resurrection (CP 1Cor 15:42-44; Col 3:4).

The curse will be lifted and all things will be restored to what God intended them to be before Adam fell when Christ sets up His millennial kingdom on earth. There will be no more sin and sickness (CP Isa 33:20, 24; 35:3-6; 53:5; 1Cor 15:56-57; 1Pe 2:24). World wide peace will prevail in the kingdom (CP Isa 2:1-4 (Mic 4:1-3); 9:6-7; 11:10; 19:23; 26:12; 32:18; 54:14; 57:19; 60:18; 66:12; Zech 14:9-11).

There will be no more poverty; material blessings will fill the earth; prosperity will be for all (CP Isa 60:5-17; 62:8-9; 65:21-23; Mic 4:4; Zech 3:10). The earth will be restored to normal fertility and productivity; there will be no more famines in the land; fruitful seasons will be without interruptions; waste places will be restored to usefulness, deserts will blossom again (CP Isa 4:1-2; 30:23-25; 32:15; 35:1-2, 7; 41:17-19; 43:19-20; 49:9-10; 51:3; 55:12-13; 61:4-5; Eze 34:24, 29, 36:8-12, 29-30, 33-38; 47:1-12; Joel 2:18-19, 21-27; 3:18; Amos 9:11-15; Zech 8:12; 14:8; Rev 7:16-17).

Wild animals will be tame; children will play with once poisonous snakes (CP Isa 11:6-9; 65:25; Eze 34:25, 28). Sorrow and mourning will not exist (CP Isa 25:8; 35:10; 60:20; 65:18-19; Rev 7:17; 21:4). The righteous will no longer die (CP Isa 65:20-22; 1Cor 15:52-56).

(We learn from Isa 65:20 that death will continue in the millennium, but only for those who commit sins worthy of death. No longer will babies die when only a few days old, and no longer will one hundred year old men be considered old - only sinners will die that young. Human life will be prolonged so that men will live as long as trees, and for the entire one thousand years if they do not commit a sin carrying the death penalty (CP Isa 11:2-5). V4 here refers to those humans in the millenium who Jesus judges worthy of death. The humans who do not rebel with Satan at the end of the thousand years, and have accepted Jesus as their saviour, will continue to live eternally with Jesus after the millennium (CP Mt 25:46; 1Cor 15:23-28; Eph 1:10; 2:7; Rev 20:7-15; 21:4)) No-one will ever die after the millenium.

Even though creation was not responsible for Adam's sin God extended the curse to cover it as well as humanity upon the basis that it would also be delivered from the curse when the saints are glorified. Being made subject to vanity means that creation was made vain, empty, futile, fruitless - not able to fulfil its purpose. That is why there are such great seasonal extremes, famines, typhoons, tidal waves, floods, pestilence, earthquakes, etc, that cause so much devastation in the earth. It is also why animals, reptiles, and sea creatures, etc, attack and kill humans as well as each other (see also comments on Ac 3:19-21, Rev 20:4-6).

8:23 See comments on 2Cor 5:5

"Romans"