| Jehovah created this earth so that humans could enjoy living on it forever. He wanted the earth always to be inhabited by righteous, happy people. (Psalm 115:16; Isaiah 45:18) The earth will never be destroyed; it will last forever. (Psalm 104:5; Ecclesiastes 1:4) |
Psalm 115:16 The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man. Isaiah 45:18 For this is what the LORD says -he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited-he says: "I am the LORD, and there is no other. Psalm 104:5 He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. Ecclesiastes 1:4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. |
The earth will never be destroyed; it will last forever. Compare these statements to the statements in Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22, 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1. The statements in the given passages (especially Psalm 104 and Ecclesiastes 1) refer to the fact that the earth remains unchanged while humans live, change and die. They do not imply that we will always live on this earth or that it cannot be destroyed. Psalm 104 points out that it is God’s hand that holds the earth in place. It does not say that He cannot move it. |
| Before God made man, He chose one small part of the earth and made it into a beautiful paradise. He called it the garden of Eden. It was here that he put the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. God purposed for them to have children and fill the whole earth. Gradually they would have made the entire earth into a paradise. (Genesis 1:28; 2:8, 15). |
Genesis 1:28; 2:8, 15 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." ... Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. ... The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. |
Gradually they would have made the entire earth into a paradise. While I do not doubt that this may have happened, the scripture does not support this assertion. |
| Adam and Eve sinned by deliberately breaking God's law. So Jehovah put them out of the garden of Eden. Paradise was lost. (Genesis 3:1-6, 23) But Jehovah has not forgotten his purpose for this earth. He promises to make it into a paradise, where humans will live forever. How will he do this? (Psalm 37:29). |
Genesis 3:1-6, 23 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' " "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. ... So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. Psalm 37:29 ...the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. |
He promises to make it into a paradise, where humans will live forever. Where does the Bible say this? As I pointed out previously, the Bible states that He will make a new heaven and a new earth. |
| Before this earth can become a paradise, wicked people must be removed. (Psalm 37:38) This will happen at Armageddon, which is God's war to end wickedness. Next, Satan will be imprisoned for 1,000 years. This means that no wicked ones will be left to spoil the earth. Only God's people will survive. (Revelation 16:14, 16; 20:1-3). |
Psalm 37:38 But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. Revelation 16:14, 16; 20:1-3 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. ... And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. |
...wicked people must be removed. The passage (at least in the NIV) talks about their destruction. ...Armageddon, which is God’s war... Again, the NIV differs by referring to "Armageddon" as a place. Only God’s people will survive. The referenced scripture does not say anything about this. |
| Then Jesus Christ will rule as King over this earth for 1,000 years. (Revelation 20:6) He will gradually take sin away from our minds and bodies. We will become perfect humans just as Adam and Eve were before they sinned. Then there will be no more sickness, old age, and death. Sick people will be cured, and old persons will become young again. (Job 33:25; Isaiah 33:24; Revelation 21:3, 4). |
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. Job 33:25 ...then his flesh is renewed like a child's; it is restored as in the days of his youth. Isaiah 33:24 No one living in Zion will say, "I am ill"; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven. Revelation 21:3, 4 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." |
I hesitate to discuss the prophecies revealed in Revelation. They were never clearly interpreted even to the prophet who saw them. The literal translations given here may or may not be accurate, but I do not think we are expected to understand the full meaning of the text. Just as, in the time of Isaiah, people did not imagine that God’s Son would be born and live and die and rise again when he prophesied about it, so it is with Revelation: it is something that will be more clear after it happens. He will gradually take sin away from our minds and bodies. Where is there scripture that says this will be a gradual process? Rather, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 states: "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality." This is an instantaneous change. |
| During Jesus' Thousand Year Reign, faithful humans will work to turn the whole earth into a paradise. (Luke 23:43) Also, millions of dead ones will be resurrected to human life on the earth. (Acts 24:15) If they do what God requires of them, they will continue to live on earth forever. If not, they will be destroyed forever.—John 5:28, 29; Revelation 20:11-15 |
Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." Acts 24:15 ...and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. John 5:28, 29 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. |
...will work to turn the whole earth into a paradise. The passage cited does not at all suggest a gradual change - Jesus says "today you will be with me in paradise." ...resurrected to human life on the earth. Again, the scripture reference does not state either that we will have "human life" like the ones we lead now, nor that we will be "on the earth". If not, they will be destroyed forever. This passage does not imply destruction - just condemnation. The nature of hell or the after-life for unbelievers is not known to us - perhaps it is a destruction of their human nature, leaving them as less than they were before or perhaps it is utter destruction. |
| God's original purpose for the earth will thus succeed. Would you like to share in these future blessings? If so, you need to keep learning about Jehovah and obeying his requirements. Attending meetings at the local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses will help you to do so. (Isaiah 11:9; Hebrews 10:24, 25). |
Isaiah 11:9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. Hebrews 10:24, 25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. |
What do you need to do? ...keep learning about Jehovah and obeying his requirements. Since neither of the scripture references say anything about this topic, I’ll offer some of my own: Matt 19:16-30 John 6:28-29 Acts 16:29-31 What must I do to be saved? Believe in the Lord Jesus. There is no mention of obeying his requirements. Not because obedience is unimportant, but because it is not the key to salvation. The redemptive act of Jesus is what saves me, and only my belief of, trust in and acceptance of this redemption will save me. Furthermore, such faith on my part is impossible without the gift of the Holy Spirit - I can't do even this on my own strength! |
