“Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created. He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass,” Psalm 148:4-6.
I will quote but one of a great variety of headlines setting forth unconverted man’s baseless conjecture regarding the future of our planet and the cosmos.
‘The Four Ways The Earth Will Actually End’
I will not give the ‘link’ to this stupid article, for I would not encourage any to read such idle buffoonery!
The truth of the matter is that men, observing the signs of decay and decline in the environment of the earth, have in their folly, drawn conclusions that are contrary to the plain statements of Holy Scripture.
These conclusions also run contrary to the dominant concept of modern biology — EVOLUTION!
Charles Darwin, ‘the patron saint’ of Evolution, has misled the world, aided by a multitude of like-deluded ‘eejits’, into believing that by a process that cannot be observed, and therefore is unscientific, life on earth began as a mere single cell which ‘evolved’ through millions of years, until, MAN appeared. Evolution claims that he ‘appeared’, only after passing through many stages of ‘development’ which included a time in which our ‘ancestors’ swung about in the branches of trees, having first of all spent ages crawling on our bellies as an unspecified assortment of ‘creepy-crawlies’!
So, we are told, humanity evolved!
Considering the behaviour of many today, you could be forgiven for considering that the genes of a monkey are indeed to be found in mankind’s DNA!
However, despite their belief in Evolution, the ‘wise and the learned’ today see the opposite process at work and conclude that the earth will one day cease to be, destroyed as a result of man’s abuse of the constituent elements of the earth.
We are told that the fears of today’s ‘environmentalists’ are rooted in the ‘accelerating effects of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and the potential consequences for human societies and ecosystems.’
There is indeed abundant evidence of man’s abuse of creation, brought about by his greed and indifference to the consequences of his actions.
HOWEVER, while decay is evident, that does not mean that it is a FATAL process!
The past and the future of the earth, the sun, the moon and the stars are declared for us in God’s Word.
I. CREATION HAD ITS ORIGINS IN THE SIX CREATIVE ACTS OF GOD, SOME 6000 YEARS AGO.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,”Genesis 1:1.
“For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it,” Exodus 20:11.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth,” John 1:1-3, 14.
II. THE EARTH IS PRESERVED BY THE LORD.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high,” Hebrews 1:1-3.
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist,” Colossians 1:14-17.
III. GOD’S PLANS FOR THE EARTH’S FUTURE ARE PLAINLY REVEALED.
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind,” Isaiah 65:17.
“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD,” Isaiah 66:22-23.
“Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless,” 2 Peter 3:12-14.
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away,” Revelation 21:1.
The Saviour does say in Matthew 24:35: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” He repeats this statement in a number of places. However, we must examine what these words “pass away” mean.
The Greek word translated as “pass away” in Matthew 24:35, parerchomai, is translated as “will come forth” in Luke 12:37; as “transgressed I” in Luke 15:29; as “go” in Luke 17:7.
These translations show that the word has a breadth of meaning.
As is proper practice, we should look to other Scriptures to see just what the ‘passing away of the heavens and the earth’ means.
Consider these verses.
“Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end,” Psalm 102:25-27.
The word “changed” in this quotation is translated “sprout again” in Job 14:6. “For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.”
“And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree,” Isaiah 34:4.
“And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: they shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail,” Hebrews 1:10-12.
I believe that what is said of the future of the creation is especially made clear in the last verses quoted, Hebrews 1:10-12. “They all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed.”
As is common amongst us, we change our garments for washing and renewing. In like manner, the Lord is going to purge the earth and the heavens with ‘fire’ one day in a fashion similar to what He did by water with the corrupt earth in the days of Noah. But there will be a greater, more thorough purging when fire instead of water is the agent of cleansing.
This is what Peter states in 2 Peter 3:11- “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved . . .”, the word ‘dissolved’ means to melt. It is what the goldsmith or silversmith does with an old ornament and refashions it anew!
Thus the Lord will one bring forth “a new heavens and a new earth”!
IV. THE NEW CREATIONS WILL BE THE ETERNAL DWELLING PLACE OF THE REDEEMED OF GOD.
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death,” Revelation 21:1-8.
Dear reader, will you be there amongst the redeemed, pardoned and forgiven, washed in the blood of the lamb? This is the glorious hope of the believer.
How sad that those who reject God’s Word are enshrouded by fears and darkness and blindly stumbling toward a lost eternity, and all the while there is freely offered to such in the Bible , a glorious salvation through the sufferings and death of the Saviour.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” John 3:16.
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
Friday 18th July 2025