I have written an article about this at http://www.jwfacts.com/index_files/earthforever.htm (sorry but it is not very well structured)
Anyway, there are scriptures to say the earth will be destroyed, and some to say it won't. It really is a matter of take your pick, what do you want to believe. The scriptures that say the earth will last forever are generally in the poetic books, and so most religions believe them to be just figurative Jewish restoration prophecies.
Scientifically, of course it will be destroyed. The sun has a finite amount of hydrogen, and when it is all used up it will explode and consume the earth in a massive fireball.
will the earth be destroyed.
by ajie 23 Replies latest watchtower bible
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jwfacts
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jwfacts
Here are some interesting scriptures to show that the earth will wear out. The WTS may say they are figurative, or hyperbole, but as these scriptures confer with what science has proven to be the case maybe these scriptures are the ones that should be taken literally.
(Psalm 102:25-26) 25 Long ago you laid the foundations of the earth itself, And the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They themselves will perish, but you yourself will keep standing; And just like a garment they will all of them wear out. Just like clothing you will replace them, and they will finish their turn.
(Isaiah 51:6) 6 “Raise YOUR eyes to the heavens themselves, and look at the earth beneath. For the very heavens must be dispersed in fragments just like smoke, and like a garment the earth itself will wear out, and its inhabitants themselves will die like a mere gnat. But as for my salvation, it will prove to be even to time indefinite, and my own righteousness will not be shattered.
(Isaiah 65:17-18) 17 “For here I am creating new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart. 18 But exult, YOU people, and be joyful forever in what I am creating. . . .
(Hebrews 1:10-12) . . .You at [the] beginning, O Lord, laid the foundations of the earth itself, and the heavens are [the] works of your hands. 11 They themselves will perish, but you yourself are to remain continually; and just like an outer garment they will all grow old, 12 and you will wrap them up just as a cloak, as an outer garment; and they will be changed, but you are the same, and your years will never run out.” -
Leolaia
jwfacts....The wording in some of those texts is strikingly similar to the Canaanite Baal Epic (twelfth century BC):
Isaiah 27:1: "That day Yahweh, with his hard sword, will punish (ypqd) Leviathan (lwytn) the fleeing serpent (nchs brych), Leviathan the twisting serpent (nchs 'qlltn), he will kill the sea-dragon (tnyn 'sr b-ym)".
KTU 1.5 i 1-4: "When you smite (tmchz) Lotan (ltn) the fleeing serpent (btn brch), finish off the twisting serpent (btn 'qltn), the close-coiling one (slyt) with seven heads, the heavens will wither and go slack like the folds of your tunic".
Isaiah 34:4: "All the host of heaven (shmym) will wither away (mqq), and the heavens (shmym) will roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree."
Psalm 102:25-27: "The heavens (shmym) are the work of your hands. They will perish ('bd), but you endure; they all will wear out (blh) like a garment (bgd). You change them like a raiment (lbwsh), and they pass away (chlp)."
KTU 1.5 i 1-4: "When you smite Lotan the fleeing serpent, finish off the twisting serpent, the close-coiling one with seven heads, the heavens (shmm) will wither (ttkch) and go slack (ttrp) like the folds of your tunic ('pd)".
Just one example of several verbal similarities between Canaanite literature and the OT.
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defd
The earth will not be destroyed. Jehovah promises us that.
D.
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stev
On the webpage below, there is information about predecessors of C. T. Russell, who believed and taught a restored earthly paradise. There are some articles by Joseph Seiss that were printed in the early Watch Tower. One of the articles by Seiss on this question of "the earth abideth forever." Seiss believed that the Greek word for "world" referred to a "dispensation." So he expected a change in dispensation, but not a physical burning of the world.
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fairchild
Welcome to JWD. As you go along, you will have many more questions, this is the right place to ask them.
As mentioned above.. the JWs do not believe that the earth will be destroyed.
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jwfacts
Thanks Leolaia, that is very interesting. Its a pity you are not based in Aus, I would love to meet up and steal some of your knowledge some time.
Franz has an article about the earth at http://www.commentarypress.com/essay-lifeonearth.html He concludes that the scriptures are too vague to make any definite assertions about the long term role of the earth. -
ajie
Thankyou all so much for your replies,you lot make me feel quite dump im always amazed at the knowlege out there,and thanks for the welcomes,having this study is already paying off as my wife who has been a witness about a year is now questioning the idea of a paradise earth brought about be the watchtower over the thousand years, she can see that the earth is gonna be changed by god not man,and agrees that the bible says it will be destroyed in some manner.Once again thanks, im sure ill be posting many more questions in the near future.
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Atlantis
Lori MacGregor over at MacGregor Ministries has some information on that subject.
http://www.macgregorministries.org/jehovahs_witnesses/new_heavens.html
The New Heavens And The New Earth....
Many Christians are surprised when Jehovah's Witnesses knocking on their doors point out the scriptures on a promised new earth. Many Christians are so "heavenly-minded" that they cannot discuss the Bible promises of a new heavens AND a new earth. We hope to correct that problem here, with a better understanding of what Scripture teaches about the "new heavens and the new earth".
PROMISED IN THE BIBLE
The promise of such an arrangement is found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Isaiah 65:17 says this:
"For behold I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind."
Here is a promise of God to CREATE new heavens and a new earth. This word "create" is a key word in God's promise. Notice that He doesn't say he will cleanse the old one, but that He will create a new one. This is in line with the prophecy in Zephaniah, chapter one, which contains a judgement by God on the earth, sky, and sea, followed by a judgement on Judah and then on the Gentiles, in later chapters.
JUDGEMENT TO ALL ON THE EARTH
Consider carefully the words of Yahweh God in Zephaniah, chapter one, verse two:
"I will completely remove all things from the face of the earth", declares the LORD".
This is pretty plain, isn't it? God intends to remove ALL THINGS from the face of the earth. He elaborates further in verse 3,
"I will remove man and beast; I will remove the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and the ruins along with the wicked; and I will cut off man from the face of the earth."
WHEN WILL JUDGEMENT COME?
Now there is no way we can "spiritualize" or "figuratize" this Scripture away. Nor can we claim that it is already fulfilled, or has some application to only a small locality. When God says He will cut off man from the face of the earth, the Hebrew word used for "man" is "Adamah", that is, all descendents of Adam. Verse 14 continues,
"Near is the great day of the LORD (YHWH), near and coming very quickly. Listen the day of the LORD! "
After a very vivid description of the distress to come, verse 18 says plainly,
"Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the day of the Lord's wrath; and all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, for he will make a complete end, indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth."
WHERE IS OUR HOPE?
If I was placing my hope in an organization that promised me I would survive Armageddon and live on into the promised new earth, I would have to seriously consider my position in the light of the Scriptures just read. If God says He will remove ALL INHABITANTS of the earth, then there is no possible way I can expect to remain. No one will remain.
NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCE TO THE
NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH
2 Peter 3:10-13 speaks of this time also,
"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 its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise, we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells."
THE PLACE OF SAFETY
No flesh could survive such an occurrence unless God placed them in a place of safety, just as He placed Noah and his family in the ark when he destroyed the world in Noah's day. The place of safety CANNOT be anywhere in the vicinity of this earth, so those hoping that the place of safety is within their organization, will have their hopes cruelly dashed when God's judgement falls.
DOES THE EARTH ABIDE FOREVER? Some hope to survive by clinging to the vain hope that the earth will continue to "abide". Let's look at that Scripture, which at first glance, may seem to contradict the ones just considered. Ecclesiastes 1:4 says this,"A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever". Solomon wrote this Scripture at a time in his life when he had ceased to serve the Lord. He wrote from a very humanistic point of view, and his own thoughts are recorded here. These are not necessarily God's thoughts. For example, in verse 2 of the same chapter, Ecclesiastes 1, Solomon makes the statement, "All is vanity". This is not true--all is NOT vanity for the child of God. He says in verse 8, "all things are wearisome". Again, not so, for the child of God. In verse 15 he says, "What is crooked cannot be straightened", yet Jesus makes the crooked way straight. The book of Ecclesiastes is included in Scripture to show us the futility of man without God. Notice the use of the phrase "under the sun" in this book. Not all of his humanistic statements applied to life "under the sun" should be regarded as the last word from God.
TWO OPINIONS ABOUT THE EARTH There is no doubt that there is room for two opinions, Biblically speaking, as to whether God will destroy the literal earth as such. However, whether or not the literal earth remains, the fact is that ALL INHABITANTS will not! They must be in God's place of safety through the coming destruction, for neither man nor beast nor fish will remain, according to the prophet Zephaniah. Yet, in Chapter 2, verse 3, he says this,"Seek the Lord all you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances, seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger." Hidden where? Where is this special place of safety? It cannot be anywhere in the vicinity of the earth, nor within any earthly organization. All the earth will be consumed and all inhabitants with it, according to the prophecy.
ONE PLACE OF SAFETY We have only one hope to be redeemed from this day of judgement and destruction, and that hope is in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. When this matter of the end of the world was discussed with His disciples in various parts of the New Testament, the disciples were looking for comfort from their Lord. Jesus did not disappoint them. In John 14 Jesus said to His disciples, "Let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also".
WITH THE LORD Here, then is our place of safety. Our promise as Christians is that we will be wherever Jesus Christ is. I never argue about going to heaven versus staying on earth with the misguided zealots at my door. I tell them that if they wish to stay behind on earth and suffer the consequences, they are perfectly free to do so. Their publications are careful never to bring to their attention the scriptures saying all inhabitants of the earth will be destroyed, since it disagrees with their theology. I tell them that my hope as a blood-washed, born-again Christian is in the Lord Jesus Christ, who ALONE will prepare a place for me. If Jesus is in heaven, then I will be in heaven. If Jesus is in the air, then I will meet Him in the air. If Jesus comes down to earth, then I will be with Him on earth. The place of safety is in the Lord Jesus Christ, and none other. Jesus went on to say in verse 6 of John 14, "I am the way, the truth and the life". If you speak of your organization's teachings as "the truth", you are usurping the authority of Jesus Christ.
FURTHER REVELATIONS ON THE NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH Let's now consider the final Scriptures on the new heavens and the new earth contained in the Bible book of Revelation, chapters 21 and 22. Chapter 21 opens by the Apostle John saying, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband." Verse 5 says, "Behold I am making all things new", and He said "Write for these words are faithful and true".
ALL THINGS NEW Read Revelation chapters 21 and 22 carefully so you will become aware that indeed God will make "all things new". The new heavens and the new earth are, in fact, one arrangement, with the new heavens coming down and joining the new earth. Revelation 21:22,23, says of this new arrangement, And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple". "And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb." Verse 25 tells us there will be "no night". This is a new arrangement, created by God as promised, NEW heavens and a NEW earth. Christians long for this day and say, "Amen, come Lord Jesus". -
M.J.
Leo, do you mean this one? http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/85470/1.ashxAlso, there was this tongue-in-cheek one from Farkel: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/89694/1.ashx with comments and links from Leolaia.