We live in troubled times. Do we have a future? Is our planet perishing? Even if we go to heaven when we die, what will happen to this earth?
Even the seasons are changing. We hear fierce arguments everywhere about climate change. But if it isn’t climate change, what is it?
Recently, many Europeans have had to endure heat waves, with sometimes 40 degrees and very warm nights, like in California or Australia, but without air conditioning.
In Australia a terrible drought has led to the worst bush fires ever. An area larger than Belgium has gone up in flames.
In some areas, people have fought for months against fires that could not be put out even with masses of water poured from big aircraft.
Many environmental scientists warn that our planet is in grave danger. Committed young people are shouting at us.
Do we have to radically change our entire economic system to save the planet? Is that politically possible?
What does the Bible say?
Will the earth perish? Yes and no.
Jesus promised to save the souls of believers, even in dramatically hard times.
I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' Acts 2:19-21 (NIV)
We can expect a wonderful future in God's heaven. Christians have always had this hope.
But what is to come of this earth?
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. Mark 13:8 (NIV)
We see natural disasters and political unrest now, but there is more to come, and much worse.
In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. Revelation 9:6 (NKJV)
But in the end we can expect a new creation because God assures us that he has everything under control.
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1 (NKJV)
"Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. Isaiah 65:17 (NIV)
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 2 Peter 3:13 (NIV)
When God declares the same promise three times in His Word, we can be completely reassured. It will come to pass.
But God has more to say to encourage us.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Therefore encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NIV)
Will this dramatic event literally come to pass? Some would like to doubt that. But God does not want to keep us in the dark about it.
When God wants to emphasise something, he repeats his promise in another Bible passage.
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NKJV)
Even the seasons are changing. We hear fierce arguments everywhere about climate change. But if it isn’t climate change, what is it?
Recently, many Europeans have had to endure heat waves, with sometimes 40 degrees and very warm nights, like in California or Australia, but without air conditioning.
In Australia a terrible drought has led to the worst bush fires ever. An area larger than Belgium has gone up in flames.
In some areas, people have fought for months against fires that could not be put out even with masses of water poured from big aircraft.
Many environmental scientists warn that our planet is in grave danger. Committed young people are shouting at us.
Do we have to radically change our entire economic system to save the planet? Is that politically possible?
What does the Bible say?
Will the earth perish? Yes and no.
Jesus promised to save the souls of believers, even in dramatically hard times.
I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' Acts 2:19-21 (NIV)
We can expect a wonderful future in God's heaven. Christians have always had this hope.
But what is to come of this earth?
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. Mark 13:8 (NIV)
We see natural disasters and political unrest now, but there is more to come, and much worse.
In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. Revelation 9:6 (NKJV)
But in the end we can expect a new creation because God assures us that he has everything under control.
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1 (NKJV)
"Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. Isaiah 65:17 (NIV)
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 2 Peter 3:13 (NIV)
When God declares the same promise three times in His Word, we can be completely reassured. It will come to pass.
But God has more to say to encourage us.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Therefore encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NIV)
Will this dramatic event literally come to pass? Some would like to doubt that. But God does not want to keep us in the dark about it.
When God wants to emphasise something, he repeats his promise in another Bible passage.
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NKJV)
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