Basic Truth #11 - The Earth Remains Forever

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bejay

Basic Truth #11 - The Earth Remains Forever

Post by bejay »

Basic Truth #11 – The Earth Remains Forever

Genesis 1:1 states that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Since creating humans and putting them in charge of the earth, it can be said that they have ruined the earth and it is full of wickedness. Many believe that the only way that God can solve these problems would be to destroy the earth, to completely obliterate his creative work. Many religionist believe that the Bible itself supports such a claim and they use the scripture at 2 Peter 3:10 (NASB) to back up their view. This verse reads this way: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and the works in it will be burned up.” Is this what the Bible really teaches or can we accept the statement recorded Genesis 1:31, which reads: “And God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good?”

As we read the Bible we learn that is supports the idea that the earth as well as all of God’s inanimate creative works were made to last forever. Ecclesiastes 1:4 that “a generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.” Yes, people, whether righteous or wicked, live and they die and another generation takes their place, but the earth has remained standing in its place. Psalms 104:5 supports this by stating: “He established the earth upon its foundations, so that it will not move out of place forever and ever.” (See also Psalms 119:90)

Isaiah 45:18 shows that God had a purpose in creating the earth and that purpose is that “it should be inhabited” and not to be a waste. Genesis chapter 1 testifies to all of the work that Jehovah did to make the earth a habitable place for humans to live. Humans are now able to send space probes into our solar system to view other planets. They have not seen any of them that are as beautiful as the earth is nor do they find any signs of life on them. They are true wastelands.

There are many verses in the Bible that use the term ‘earth’ in a symbolic sense to refer to the people who live on it. Here are some examples. “Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words.” “He raised his voice and the earth melted.” “Let the earth rejoice.” “For He is coming to judge the earth.” “Listen O earth and all that is in it.” “For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” “Hear O earth: behold I am bringing disaster on this people.” “And all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy.” (Genesis 11:1; Psalms 46:4; 96:11; 98:9; Micah 1:2; Isaiah 11:9; Jeremiah 6:19; Zephaniah 1:18)

Therefore the example given above from 2 Peter 3:10 is also one that uses the term ‘earth’ in a symbolic way to refer to the wicked people and their wicked works that Jehovah is going to destroy. The NRSV renders this verse this way: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.”

Jehovah assures us that the earth will remain forever by stating that “the righteous will possess the land and dwell in it forever.” (Psalms 37:29) “For the upright will live in the land and the blameless will remain in it.” (Proverbs 2:21) He also assures us that “He will bring to ruin those who are ruining the earth.” (Revelation 11:17, 18) “But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted from it.” (Proverbs 2:22) “Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; and you will look carefully for his place, and he will not be there.” (Psalms 37:10) We have many assurances that the earth will remain forever.


NOTE: NASB (The New American Standard Bible), NRSV (The New Revised Standard Version)
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