Yes, you read that right – the good news is: this present world is coming to an end – and that soon! By that the Bible means this present age or world order [or disorder?] — not the world as the globe we call earth! The word “world” in the question that Jesus’ disciples asked [“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the age {KJV, “world,” from the Greek aion} (Matthew 24:3)?] is better rendered as “age,” as the NKJV has it. Ecclesiastes 1:4 assures: “But the earth abides forever.”
Why should this come as a surprise to many people? It is because most people know this present world to be the only world they have and hold on to. They haven’t yet heard that there is a new — and better world coming soon.
The cold truth is that there are just too many things wrong with our present world: despotic, oppressive governments, nations warring against other nations, rampant criminality and immorality, disease epidemics and pandemics, an atmosphere becoming increasingly toxic, people going hungry and dying everywhere. Indeed, as Galatians 1:4 describes it, this present world is evil! 1 John 2:16 cites the make-up of this present world that renders it evil: “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” James 4:1-3 points to lust as the cause of wars and fights.
The word of God – the Holy Bible – assures us that Jesus Christ, our Creator and God, will come down from His heavenly throne to this our beleaguered earth, to bring to mankind the greatest relief effort it has ever seen! Not just simple relief, but salvation and refreshing.
This is what the “gospel” or good news of Jesus Christ is about. Jesus preached, as have His faithful servants: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” |(Matthew 4:17; Acts 2:16-40; 3:19-21; 8:12; 14:21; 16:6-10; 17:16-18, 30-31; 19:8; 26:18-20; 28:23, 30-31, etc.).
Our present world will come to an end, for one, through powerful forces unleashed by armies of nations in their last-ditch effort to defend themselves from their enemies. We have known that for years now many nations have a stock of nuclear weapons that can pulverize this earth many times over. The good news is that Christ will step in just in time before that could ever happen (Matthew 24:21-22, 29-31).
Christ will “destroy those who destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18). He will destroy wicked men and nations with the intense fire of His coming (Isaiah 66:15-16). Then He will take over the control of all government and dominion of this earth |(Revelation 11:15).
Christ’s kingdom or government, which will be run with the help of Christ’s resurrected or glorified saints (Revelation 5:8-10; 20:6), will promptly go about to “refresh” the earth. Acts 3:19 talks about these “times of refreshing” that Christ will bring to this earth at His return in glory.
First, Christ will need to refresh the earth’s atmosphere, which will have been spoiled by the aftermath of nuclear explosions by nations at war, and the pollution from man’s factories, vehicles, and other pollutants. Mankind, needless to say, cannot survive without pure, clean air to breathe. Almighty God has the power to cleanse all this filth with one whiff of His breath. By the fire of Christ’s coming the land, too, will be cleansed of the filth left by the bodies of dead men and beasts. Mass burying of carcasses, plus the clean-up work of carrion-eating birds and beasts (Ezekiel 39:12; Revelation 19:17-18) will complete the job.
Next, the metallic debris of warfare will be recycled into agricultural machinery instead (Isaiah 2:4). God will also purge the soil of deadly pesticides, herbicides and other toxic chemicals, thereby opening the earth to productive agriculture to nourish surviving mortals (Isaiah 24:8; 6:11-13).
Then the seas and rivers will be cleansed of the filth of dead aquatic life (Revelation 8:8) and man-made pollutants by a stream of “healing waters” that will flow from Jerusalem out to all the waters of the earth, thereby restoring healthy marine, river and shore life (Ezekiel 47:1-12).
Mankind given a new heart
The greatest and most basic work of refreshing will be that the human heart, mind, soul and spirit. As Jesus perfectly understood it, out of the human heart proceed all sorts of evil (Matthew 15:18-20) that have caused misery everywhere.
This great re-education and reformation of humanity will be carried out by Christ through His Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9-12), with the help of His glorified saints, who will serve as “kings and priests” in His kingdom (Revelation 5:10). As priests, they will teach God’s laws to the mortal subjects of the kingdom (Malachi 2:7). As a result, the pure knowledge of God will saturate the earth, “as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).
God’s perfect law of love for God and for fellow-man will be taught and enforced throughout the world. God’s Ten Commandments will be the basis of all legislation. As people everywhere learn about God’s law, they will “beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:1-4; Micah 4:1-3). “But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid… For all people will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever” (Micah 4:4).
Christ and His saints will rule the world with a “rod of iron” in such a way that evil will be nipped in the bud before it can cause damage to anyone (Revelation 2:27; Isaiah 30:20-21). People who will willfully rebel against and will not be corrected by Christ’s rule will be put away. Thus peace and joy will reign on earth (Proverbs 11:10). Isaiah 35 and 14:6-7 paint a magnificent picture of everlasting joy when humanity and the earth will come under the rule of Christ. [See: When He Rules the World.]
After the “Last Judgment,” only the righteous will enjoy everlasting life in Christ’s kingdom (Revelation 22:14). All the incorrigibly wicked will be destroyed forever in the “lake of fire,” which is the “second death” (Revelation 20:13-15; 21:8).
That same fire will them consume the earth’s atmosphere and surface, thereby purging it of all that human hands have touched (2 Peter 3:10-12).
Then God will create “new heavens and a new earth in which [only] righteousness dwells” (Verse 13). Revelation 21-22 gives graphic details of that new creation. “New Jerusalem” will be the eternal dwelling place of all the saved of mankind.
Will you be there? Make sure you will! [See: Saved for Good Works and Are We All God’s Children?]
Pedro R. Meléndez, Jr.
16102022