WILL THE EARTH REMAIN FOREVER?
By David J. Riggs
I. Teaching that the literal earth is to remain eternally cannot be
supported by Scripture.
A. Notice the following:
1. Mark 13:31 - "shall pass away"
a. The "heaven" here and in other like passages is the one
God created in the beginning. Gen. 1:1; Psalm 19:1
2. Matt. 5:18 - "till" in the passage means, "before a specific
time or occurrence" (Webster).
a. Jesus was saying that before heaven and earth should
pass away, everything in the law would be fulfilled. His
statement was built on the fact that heaven and earth
would pass away and everything in the law would be
fulfilled before it happened.
3. Heb. 1:10-11 - "they will perish"
4. 2 Pet. 3:10
a. The word "elements" means "the substance of the
material world." (Vine's Expository Dictionary of
Biblical Words, p. 196)
b. Some try to evade the teaching of 2 Pet. 3:10 by saying
that the word "earth" in the verse is simply talking
about ungodly men as in verse 6. However, please notice
that verses 6 and 10 do not even use the same words, i.e.
"world" and "earth."
c. Also, some try to evade the force of 2 Pet. 3:10 by
translating the last word of the verse as, "discovered."
(See the New World Translation).
(1) Remember, that Peter had already said that the
elements would melt with fervent heat. This
includes the earth.
(2) Furthermore, the original Greek word found in a
few manuscripts and translated "discovered" means
"discovered for destruction." "...Shall be found for
destruction." (Thayer's Greek English Lexicon, p.
261)
5. 2 Cor. 4:18 - "the things which are seen are temporary." The
earth is something which can be seen.
6. Gen. 8:22; Rev. 21:23-25 - Those things will be taken away
in the new city of God ("there will be no night there");
thus, the earth could no longer remain.
II. Some of the arguments used in trying to sustain the claim that
the literal earth will remain eternally are as follows:
A. Some teach that it was God's original purpose to have a
paradise on earth and though lost in Adam and Eve, God will yet
accomplish His plans which he had for the earth.
1. The Bible nowhere teaches their idea.
2. The eternal purpose of God was to save men through Christ,
not to make the earth a paradise for man. See Eph. 1:3-4;
3:10-11; 1 Cor. 2:7-8; 2 Tim. 1:9-10.
B. Some try to teach from Isa. 45:18 that if the earth is to be
destroyed, God created it for nothing.
1. No, the earth will have served God's purpose and will no
longer be needed.
2. Old houses are often destroyed after serving several
generations. Just because they were destroyed does not mean
they were made for nothing.
C. Psalm 37:9-11 - Some say that this passage refers to a time in
the future when the meek will inherit the earth and, thus,
according to them, proves that the earth will remain eternally.
1. This passage says nothing about the earth remaining
eternally.
2. Instead of referring to a time in the future, the passage
applies to the Old Testament age.
3. Psalm 37, as well as many others, have poetical and
proverbial statements showing that the meek would inherit
the land.
a. Any lexicon or concordance will show that the Hebrew
word for "earth" can also be translated "land."
4. The Jews used the expressions, "inheritance" and "inherit
the land" to denote having the favors and blessings of God.
a. They were given those blessings when they first went
into the land of Canaan. Psalm 105:44-45
b. They would continue to have their inheritance as long as
they remained faithful to God. Deut. 16:20; 28:58-64;
30:1-5
5. There are many passages which show that the wicked
Israelites were often cut off and destroyed out of the land.
They often lost their inheritance and at times were under
captivity. Judges 20:48; 21:6; 2 Kings 21:13-15; Lam. 5:1-2
6. It was those who were pleasing in God's sight--the meek and
righteous--who were able to inherit the land. Jer. 12:13-15;
Ezek. 47:13-14, 21-22
D. Matt. 5:5 - Some say that this beatitude teaches that the earth
will remain eternally.
1. The Lord's expression is simply a proverbial statement which
means that the meek would receive the blessings of God.
a. God has always showed special favors to the meek.
Psalm 147:6
b. The phrase "inherit the earth" should not be used to
teach that the earth will abide eternally; this must be
understood in the light of those passages which plainly
teach that the earth will pass away.
2. The beatitudes of the Lord (Matt. 5:1-12) are beautiful
expressions showing that the meek and righteous have the
better life here and in the end eternal life; they say
nothing about the earth remaining eternally.
E. Eccl. 1:4; Psalm 104:5 - Some teach that the word "for ever"
teaches that the earth is eternal.
1. The word "for ever" in the above passages means "age
lasting" or "until an indefinite period of time." It does
not mean "eternal" or "everlasting."
2. Notice how the word "for ever" is used in the following:
a. Ex. 12:14 - "Keep it (Passover) a feast by an ordinance
for ever"
b. Ex. 12:17 - "Ye observe...by an ordinance for ever"
c. Num. 18:19 - "It is a covenant of salt for ever"
d. 2 Kings 21:7 - "In this house...will put my name for
ever"
e. 2 Chron. 2:4 - "This is an ordinance for ever to Israel"
f. 2 Chron. 33:4 - "He hath commanded his covenant for
ever"
g. Jonah 2:6 "Earth with her bars was about me for ever"
3. Seventh-Day-Adventists make the same argument on the
word "for ever" for the Sabbath.
a. Ex. 29:9 - "Priest's office shall be theirs for a
perpetual statute"
b. Ex. 31:16 - "Shall keep the Sabbath...for a perpetual
covenant"
c. Lev. 24:9 - "Offerings...made by fire by a perpetual
statute"
The words "perpetual" and "for ever" are from the same
word in the original.
F. Some use a large number of passages to try to show how
conditions will be in the paradise earth.
1. The passages they use do not refer to a paradise earth at
all; but, either to various conditions under the Old
Testament, or the New Testament age.
a. Isa. 11:1-10 - Paul quoted from this and applied it to
the New Testament age--Rom. 15:12.
b. Isa. 9:6-7 - This is quoted in Luke 1:32-33 and applied
to Jesus. Jesus is now on David's throne reigning--Acts
2:30; 1 Pet. 3:22.
c. Isa. 24:1,3,6; 25:8 - There are many passages in the Old
Testament which show that the wicked would be cut off
or destroyed out of the land. This often happened in that
age. Furthermore, through the blessings of God and as a
result of the faithfulness of the meek and righteous, the
reproach of His people was taken away.
d. None of the above passages say anything about the earth
remaining eternally.