The Hope of a New Earth

WOULD you not like to see a better world? A world free from the greed, the corruption and the suffering that characterize the present one? Would it not bring true comfort to have a real basis for hoping for such a better world? Surely it would.

There is a sound basis for hoping to see a better world because there is a God in heaven even as all nature testifies. And from his Word, the Bible, we learn that he is a loving, just, all-seeing and all-powerful God. That being so, we can rest assured that he takes note of present conditions and therefore in righteous indignation will make an end of them, even as he foretold some twenty-five centuries ago: “Wait ye for me, saith Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them all mine indignation, even all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.” (Zeph. 3:8, AS) That event is elsewhere in the Bible described as Armageddon.

But perhaps you will ask, What good will that do if in wiping out earth’s evil conditions God at the same time destroys the earth itself, consuming it with fire, burning it to a cinder? However, let us not hastily jump to any such conclusion, for God’s Word uses figurative as well as literal language.

That we are not to think of the literal earth as being consumed by fire is apparent from many other assurances that God has given us. For example, the one at Isaiah 45:18 (AS) where we read: “For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed the earth and made it, that established it and created it not a waste, that formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else.” If God created the earth to be inhabited, then it must endure, must it not? Specifically guaranteeing the permanency of this globe, God’s inspired Record states: “A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains for ever.”—Eccl. 1:4, RS.

Why, reason alone should tell us that such must be God’s purpose regarding the earth, which of all the planets, as far as is known by man, is the only one supporting life. Such a beautiful globe, with its towering, snow-capped mountain peaks, its verdant valleys, its winding rivers and placid lakes, its mighty oceans and glorious sunsets, its stately trees and its endless and colorful variety of flowers and other vegetation, its changing seasons, the phenomenon of the rainbow, not to say anything of the many, many kinds of bird and marine life, its many kinds of beasts of the field, both wild beast and domestic animal! Would an all-wise and all-powerful God destroy all this simply because many of earth’s caretakers fail to appreciate how good God is and even begrudge their fellows’ enjoying the very things they so much want for themselves?

Is it not far more reasonable to conclude that God would merely rid the earth of those who defile it with their selfishness and wickedness so that he could realize his purpose regarding the earth, which is to have it filled with righteous creatures worshiping him and loving their neighbors as they love themselves? Of course it is. What landlord would burn down his house simply because the tenants occupying it failed to take good care of it? Would he not rather oust the undesirable tenants and rent it out to others who he had reason to believe would prove desirable tenants? Well, that is just what God tells us he is going to do: “Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look well at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall possess the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.”—Ps. 37:10, 11, RS.

Yes, remember the Bible record of the evil preflood days? Did God at that time destroy the earth itself because of the wickedness of man? Why, no, he merely removed the wicked corrupters of the earth by means of a global flood, delivering those who loved God, righteousness and their fellows, together with representatives of the various kinds of the lower animals, from that catastrophe into a cleansed earth. The Deluge did not destroy the earth, it merely rid the earth of its undesirable tenants. So likewise with the rapidly approaching cataclysm of Armageddon; earth’s wicked tenants will be destroyed, but it will remain.

What a wonderful place this globe will then be! Concerning that time God promised: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Isa. 65:17) The new heavens does not refer to new galaxies of stars but rather to new invisible rulers that will replace the present ones, who are the Devil and his demons, even as the new earth will not mean a new planet but a new system of things upon this earth, a New World society, already being formed.

Regarding the conditions that will prevail in that new earth God’s prophet goes on to say: “They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith Jehovah.” (Isa. 65:21, 23, 25, AS) God’s Word contains many similar prophetic assurances.

If we would escape the destruction of this old world and enter the cleansed new earth in which righteousness is to dwell, then we must now heed God’s prophetic command given at Zephaniah 2:3 (AS): “Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah’s anger.”

So, all you persons of honest heart and good will toward God who long to see a better world, take hope, for Bible prophecy shows that the new earth not only is a certainty but is near at hand. God cannot lie and he is too just and loving to raise hopes in us only to disappoint us by failing to fulfill his promises, the way politicians do. Says he: “I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it.”—Isa. 46:11, AS.