The Enduring Word

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away (Matthew 24:35).

The heaven (atmosphere) and the earth (this planet) will one day pass away, be destroyed, in order to be purged from the effects of Satan and our sin. When Adam and Eve sinned in Eden, God passed judgment on the serpent, Satan, Adam, and Eve. To Adam God said (Genesis 3:17-19), Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.

Sin has cause all of creation to be cursed - humanity, the earth, the animal kingdom, the universe, and Satan - all are cursed and destined to be destroyed. Paul wrote (Romans 8:19-22), For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

The effects of sin cannot and will not continue forever; they will ultimately destroy creation unless the Lord intervenes. From Revelation 6 - 19 we see the effects of sin upon a world where the Holy Spirit, the Restrainer (2 Thessalonians 2:7), has been removed. At the end of the Tribulation the devastating effects of sin and God’s judgment upon sin has an unprecedented toll upon creation. It is estimated that 2/3 of all humanity dies and the earth - fresh water, salt water, vegetation, the animal kingdom, etc. - is all but destroyed.

When Jesus Christ returns (the 2nd coming) and sets up His Millennial Kingdom, the process of restoration will commence. Some say the earth will be restored to an Eden-like state immediately after His return. After the 1,000-year Kingdom is over, Satan will be released from the abyss, will gather an army to march on Jerusalem (the capital of the Kingdom), and will be destroyed. The unrighteous dead will be resurrected and stand before God, be judged, and cast into the Lake of Fire. The universe will then be destroyed in a ‘fervent heat.’ (2 Peter 3:10) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. The Lord will then create a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-2) and eternity will begin.

In studying through divine prophecy, all that the Lord has promised has come to pass without exception. All that Jesus has taught and promised has come to pass and will come to pass without exception (Revelation 21:5-6). Heaven and earth will indeed pass away, but His words will never pass away. We can take comfort in this. Amen.

Pastor