Some modern religionists teach that this earth is to undergo a process of cleansing and renovation following the Final Judgment, and it will then serve as the eternal home of the redeemed. Their hope is, therefore, an earthly, rather than a heavenly, hope. The Bible sets forth but “one hope” (Ephesians 4:4; Titus 2:13-14), not two, and the one hope of Scripture is Heavenly. Jesus plainly declared, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away” (Matthew 25:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33). The “heaven” of this passage is the ethereal atmosphere which surrounds the earth, the same “heaven” of the birds and fowls of the air (Luke 13:19; Psalm 104:12; Jeremiah 4:25; Lamentations 4:19; etc.). Jesus continued, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:35-51). The apostle Peter gave a graphic description of the earth’s end and complete destruction by fire (2 Peter 3:7-10). He said that “the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” The Greek word for “burned up” is katakaid, meaning “to burn utterly, as the burning of chaff” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). Will the earth ever rise again? Isaiah the prophet said, “No.” “The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, …

David and Solomon said that our earth will remain forever. Isaiah taught that the reason the earth exists is for the purpose of human inhabitance. The implication seems to be that if the earth will remain forever, it will be inhabited forever. Jesus said, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” If the earth will remain forever, then what is God’s will for it? David says, “The righteous shall possess the earth and dwell upon it forever.” Jehovah’s Witnesses use the above argument as their proof that this earth will be the “new earth” – our eternal home. So, they say, all the saved will not go to Heaven, but instead, most will remain on this earth in its “new” form forever. This idea is not merely a footnote in their teachings, but this is one of their cardinal doctrines. If you have experienced difficulties talking about the will of God with a Jehovah’s Witness, it is because we do not share a common belief with them concerning the destiny of man and of earth. Many of their other religious doctrines are rooted in this belief about the future destiny of earth; so, we must meet this issue. In this essay we will discuss the destiny of the earth and its meaning to the righteous. David and Solomon did say that this earth would remain forever, but they were not speaking about an absolute eternity. The word “forever” that they used meant “an indefinite period of …

The great fundamental fact of Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus Christ! The resurrection bears directly upon the fact whether or not He is the Son of God, and thus upon His claim that He came from Heaven (John 1:1, 14; 3:16). Romans 1:4 says, “And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.” The foundation on which the entire doctrine of Christianity is based is the fact of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. The extreme importance of this teaching is seen in the part that it played in the preaching of the apostles who declared boldly in every place that Christ Who was crucified and buried in a tomb rose from the dead on the third day after His death, as He had promised. The apostle Peter preached to the Jews: Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know – Him, being delivered by the determine purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. (Acts 2: 22-24) The apostle Paul aptly stated, “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty” (1 …

Because of the uncertainty of life, people are frequently exhorted to be baptized “because you may die.” Death can come at any time, to the old or to the young. We must be ready when death comes. On the other hand, the Christian life is an “abundant life” (John 10:10). The fellowship of fellow Christians – brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers in the Lord, people who will help you when you need them – is ours in Christ (Mark 10:29-30). Real joy is found in loving your neighbor – in feeding the hungry, visiting the lonely, mowing the lawn of the infirm, helping others anonymously, being good even to our enemies – as Jesus commanded. Even if there were no Heaven, the Christian life is still the best life to live. So, become a Christian or be more faithful because you may live! [Editor’s Note: Allurements to be baptized because the baptistry water is warm or because this is a convenient time, etc. are not valid reasons for being baptized. Rather, conviction ought to be the factor that leads to conversion. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

We live in a world where work is important. There is nothing wrong with work. Before sin entered the world, God gave Adam a job to do (Genesis 2:15). We are told to do all of our work as if we are working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24) and to do our work with all of our might, giving it our absolute best (Ecclesiastes 9:10). The Bible places a responsibility on us to work if we want to survive. Far too many people simply want a handout. Yet, for all that the Bible says about work, it says as much about the value of rest. While none of us should want to rust out from inactivity, we should be careful not to burn out from overdoing it. Notice the theme of rest as it runs throughout the Scriptures. God Rested and Israel’s Sabbath The creation week was a busy week for God. In six days, God created everything in the heavens and the earth, and it was all very good (Genesis 1:31). On the seventh day, God rested from His created work (Genesis 2:1-2). The seventh day was blessed and sanctified because God chose to rest on the seventh day. This set a pattern to be followed later by the Israelites. God was not tired or worn out from creating the world, but He did stop creating (Psalm 121:3). God could have kept creating if He wanted to, but He chose to stop. God was not losing power or running out of ideas. He …

There is an interesting expression in Colossians 1:19-20 about which I have been unable to find any commentator who seems to have a satisfactory answer for its meaning. It says, “For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fullness dwell; and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.” The problem has to do with the question, “What are the things in the heavens that need reconciling to God?” While I am not arrogant enough to assume that I can give a definite answer to a question that has puzzled some of the greatest Bible scholars in all ages, there are a few things I can suggest that may be helpful in reaching some sensible conclusion. The simplest and easiest answer may be the best solution. It may be that Paul was simply saying all things that are in the whole universe (thought of as on earth or in heaven) will be made right as a result of Christ’s dying for us. Even the curse of Genesis 3:17, which may be the cause of all disorders such as the thorns and thistles, storms, hurricanes and earthquakes, will be removed when we have the “new heavens and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13), which will result from Christ’s death for us and our ultimate redemption. However, we would …

There are a number of people who can identify trees in the wintertime. They observe the type of bark, branch structure and environmental factors. Everyone else relies on the presence of leaves or fruit to draw their conclusions. The leaves and fruit serve as the primary information many people use for the basis of their discernment or judgment. In a similar manner, our life’s fruit serves as an indicator of our faithfulness to God’s Word. Jesus informed the crowd that a broad way lies before them and many will be on it by mistake (Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23). How does one find himself or herself on the broad way to destruction, howbeit, by mistake? Jesus gave that answer as well. He warned of false teachers who appear to be God’s people but are not (Matthew 7:15). How can one spot the false teacher? Jesus taught, “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:16-18). One ought to pay attention to the lives of those who lead them in faith to know where he or she is being led. The path may not be leading in the right direction. Similarly, we ought to inspect our own fruit. The activities we engage ought to be pointing to the cross where one finds God’s …

It seems that no matter how good a thing is, there is always someone wanting to mess it up. However, when God created the heavens and the earth for us in which to live, the Bible tells us that God looked at what He had done and pronounced it “good.” In the day that God finished His creation, He looked and said it was “Very Good.” When God acknowledged that among all the creatures there was not a helper for man, He created the woman whom Adam called Eve, for she would be the mother of all living mankind. In telling man to be fruitful, reproduce and fill the earth, God made the first pair agents of a free moral spirit. He gave them the choice of whether to follow His instruction. God told them one little thing they could not do and left them the choice to obey or to disobey. At this point all was still “very good” in the eyes of the Lord God. Satan, however, could not leave well enough alone. He had to stir things up for mankind, leading humans to rebel against what God had said. Ever since that time, there has been someone (every accountable soul at some time, Romans 3:10, 23) among the human race who sought to prove that he knew better than the Creator what was good for man to do. Such schemes have always been a dismal failure. Man was not put on this earth as a sinful being, …

It is common to hear the question – “What about the thief on the cross?” – in a discussion about the necessity of baptism or immersion. Baptism is a transliteration of a Greek word that means immersion, which is also evident from New Testament verses, too (Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:4). Some people assume the penitent thief was never baptized. We do not know whether he was baptized or not. He could have been baptized in John’s baptism when it was still in force. He could have been a disciple of Christ and then turned to sin. Regardless, we do not know if he was baptized or not. When you consider the discussion that Jesus had with the penitent thief, you learn several things (Luke 23:38-43). Among other things, you learn this man knew some things about Jesus and had changed his view of Jesus. You also learn that he believed in God and in a moral standard (right from wrong). This man confessed his sins and admitted his punishment was just. He said Jesus was innocent of the charges made against Him, which would have included Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God (Mark 14:61-62). This was an expression of faith and an acknowledgment of the truth that Jesus was Who He claimed to be. The thief was evidently penitent. Everything he said and did seems to indicate that. He, like the apostles, may have neither fully understood the kingdom nor the Lord’s intent and purpose. However, he believed …

During a recent election season, candidates promoted themselves as the solution to the healthcare crisis in America. They promised change. They promised solutions. Some of them even promised free healthcare as a fundamental human right. (You should expect to get what you pay for when the cost is free.) Yet, there is a country that has already promised universal healthcare as a basic right to all of its citizens. Better yet, it is even free for the taking. Further still, it is not even funded with taxes. In addition, healthcare is not only free, but the food in the nation is also unlimited and free. No, it is neither Canada nor the European Union. The country is eternal. The King is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The citizens of that kingdom are part of the bride of Christ, the church. As John described his heavenly vision of the church descending from the presence of God, he wrote of the eternal healthcare system of God. “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2). Remember the Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve could freely eat from it. That tree gave life, but they lost access to its power when they sinned. They were …

There are quite a few who regard the Bible as an important book but not the end-all that it truly is. Islam acknowledges the importance of much of the Bible, but Islamists falsely claim that the Bible has been corrupted and the Koran is the superior. Mormons have the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrines and Covenants in their lineup. Catholicism as well as Protestant denominations believe the church’s interpretation of the Bible is more important than the actual Bible text. Other groups have priests or prophets who claim to receive direct revelation from God, while still others claim to receive the revelation themselves. So, what do we do? Who is correct? With all of these ideas circulating, how can we know what the truth really is? This is why we must continually emphasize that the Bible is not just “an” important book, but it is the book; it, and it alone is the standard. This is the only book that will teach us who God is and what His plan is; it is the only road map to heaven. [Editor’s Note: It is eternally dangerous to either ignore the Bible or to alter it in any way. “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his …

The Word of God is powerful to change a sinner into a saint. These are ten characteristics of the Word of God. The Word of the Lord is… Do you read and study God’s Word? Never fail to read the inerrant Word of God daily (1 Timothy 4:13). “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Heaven is the ultimate goal of Christians. Paul stated, “So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). He understood all of our actions would be judged and some would keep many out of God’s eternal home (Galatians 6:7-8). The apostle gave a short list of such sins in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. A fornicator is one involved in intimate relationships outside of marriage. Jesus listed this as the one reason a God-fearing individual could divorce his or her mate and be remarried without sinning (Matthew 19:9). Adultery involves a married person having intimate relations with someone not his or her spouse. It may be specified because it breaks up families and hurts a third party. The word translated “homosexuals” literally means “soft to touch.” Vine says, “metaphorically, in a bad sense… persons in general, who are guilty of addiction to sins of the flesh.” The sin of sodomy is described in Romans 1:26-27. A thief takes what belongs to someone else, while those who are covetous desire “to have more… i.e., to have what belongs to others; hence, greedy of gain,” according to Vine. Those who become intoxicated are drunkards. Revilers are abusive and profane. Those who are excessively grasping or covetous could be described as extortioners. …

Have you ever heard someone describe something they have done or would like to do by saying, “Oh, that would be Heaven on Earth!”? The phrase refers to the joy or delight a person receives from anything that offers them pleasure and happiness. This is consistent with the idea many have of Heaven in the afterlife, which is filled with joy and with no sorrow or regret. For them, the statement, “That would be Heaven on Earth,” is apropos of the feelings they have. Of course, Heaven is a spiritual place rather than a physical location. Therefore, to speak of Heaven on Earth is really an oxymoron. Also, many of the things people describe as being “Heaven” in this life are not those matters that will either commend us to live there in eternity or be found there. However, if one were to look for the closest entity on earth that could be associated with Heaven, what would it be? Perhaps to answer that question we should seek to understand what Scripture says about Heaven itself. It is a place where the saved of all ages will be gathered for eternity (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 3:5; 21:7). It is a place where God is worshipped (Revelation 5:11-14). It is a place where God will be served (Revelation 7:15). It is a place where the God Who is love will fully express that love, without the consequences of sin besetting us (1 John 4:16; Revelation 21:4). So, considering all of this, …