End of the World
"The Earth is degenerating today. Bribery and corruption abound. Children no longer obey their parents, every man wants to write a book, and it is evident that the end of the world is fast approaching." This warning came from an Assyrian tablet, written in 2800 BC.
People love to talk about the end of the world, but hardly anyone has any solid evidence that life on Planet Earth is
about to come to an end. What makes talk about the end of the world so popular is the understanding that nothing in this
world lasts forever. Every living thing in this world has a natural tendency to grow old and die. Even mountains have a shelf
life. If given enough time, the erosion process will wear the tallest mountains on earth down to nothing.
Some distant events would spell the end of life as we know it. A huge meteor could slam into the earth and destroy all life. A super volcanoes could explode and rain devastation over a vast area. Someday, as our sun runs out of fuel, it will expand to a red giant, engulfing the earth and the other inner planets. Of course, all these events are distant possibilities. It could be millions of years before earth is struck by a large meteor. Some supervolcanoes are overdue, but they could keep quiet for another 10,000 years. The sun is projected to shine for at least 5 billion more years.
There is a common assumption that the Bible contains an end-of-the-world forecast. The fear of this false belief is why some
people shy away from Bible prophecy. Many dire events are predicted in God's Word, but there is no indication that
all things will come to an end. The Bible actually says that mankind has the hope of going on forever.
All who place their trust in Jesus Christ will escape eternal death and destruction. Through the shedding of His blood, He has gained victory over sin - the ultimate cause of decay.
"So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be
brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where
[is] thy victory?" (1 Cor. 15:54-55).
There is no immediate end for Planet Earth, but there is a type of end that threatens most of mankind. Anyone who dies in sin will
face an outcome far worse than the world coming to an end. In hell, there is no conclusive escape from suffering. The punishment for sin goes on night and day forever and forever.
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isa. 1:18).
