The Confessing Seventh-day Adventist

I have talked with many Jehovah Witnesses, and they say this world will not be destroyed.

Can somebody help in this matter to prove this world will be destroyed, and that Jesus will make a new glorified world for us Christians??

God bless

Hi c.moore,

Thanks for posting your question here.

It seems to me that the Scriptures teach explicitly that this world will be destroyed by fire.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 2 Peter 3:10-13.

This verse says, “the elements will be destroyed by fire,” “the elements will melt in the heat” and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” Those words must mean something. If the JWs say that these words are just symbols, try asking them what they are symbols of.

From reading the Bible I can’t imagine that God would set up His kingdom here without first purifying the earth by fire. Consider all the pollution and garbage dumps everywhere now. What about when the seven last judgments fall and all the oceans are turned to blood and all the cities are turned into heaps of rubble? Consider also all the dead bodies that will litter the surface of the earth in the great day of God. Who is going to clean up that mess? We better hope that the earth will be purified by fire!

The book of Revelation paints a picture of everlasting smoke and a lake of fire so great that it will put an end to all the wicked who have ever lived, including Satan and his angels. Malachi says that the righteous will be walking on the ashes of the wicked (Mal 4:1,3).

In conclusion, it is true that the meek shall inherit the earth. This planet to its very core “will be laid bare,” the surface and the atmosphere will be destroyed by fire and then this whole world will be remade into a paradise (cf. Rev 21). As Peter said, “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). You can’t have something new unless the old passes away.

Two of the scripture verses that the Jehovah witness uses to defend their belief that this world will not be destroy is :
Ec:1:4: One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

And

Psalms:104:5: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

maybe somebody can help me to understand what these scripture is saying, and maybe I need some Hebrew interpretation about these verses.


God Bless you

c.moore,

This is easy. We only need to go to http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible and examine how the Bible uses the word destroy and note the various shades of meaning.

So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.” Genesis 6:13.

“I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” Genesis 9:11.

Here, the word destroy applies to what God did to the earth at the time of Noah’s flood. This is a perfect illustration. Noah’s flood destroyed the whole world to a depth of no more than 7 miles down. (I recall reading that sedimentary rock produced by Noah’s flood exists worldwide and is known to have a depth of up to 7 miles in some places). Compare that destruction with my interpretation of 2 Peter 3:10-13. I said “the surface [of the earth] and the atmosphere will be destroyed by fire.” I believe that means that the atmosphere will burn and the surface of the earth will melt. The surface of the earth melting wouldn’t affect the foundation of the earth, which I interpret as the core. God created the earth to abide forever but that doesn’t contradict Bible history when the surface of the earth turned to mud. Similarly, it doesn’t contradict Bible prophecy proclaiming that the surface of the earth will melt. Peter said that “the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” “The elements will melt in the heat.” There’s nothing unusual about the Bible using the word destroy to describe this upcoming change to the earth.

Yep, I agree with Bro Eugene's post. Reads right to me.

Ron

1st Rev. States "New" Heaven , "New" Earth & "New Jerusalem".
NOTICE : That this is in "3" . As with Father,Son & Holy Spririt !

2nd This Current Heaven,Earth & Holy City (Jerusalem) will be consumed and melted away by fire. (2 Peter 3)

3rd Rev. and other scriptures speek of "The Rapture" or "Come up Hither" (Here).
Notice : There is no "Go Back Down" or any mention of our Return !!

4th WE Christians will have a "New Heavenly Body" that will not burn or
die. (2 Corinthians 5)

5th Jesus went to Hades (Hell) to get the Key of Death. (Rev 1:18)


My Conclusion : WE Christians will be called up to our Lord and will be Renewed in a Pure and Heavenly body. We will be Raptured before Babylon's destruction. We will be with God & Jesus Christ in "New" Jerusalem on the "New" Earth. Satan and all the damned will be left her on this current earth. The worms will eat their flesh and thier bodies will never stop burning (Isaiah 66:24 ).

It seems "to me" that this Current Earth will be "God's Footstool". Since that is true. HOW do we then abide here at his feet if we are with him in "NEW Jerusalem"?? So, i believe that this Current earth will be in fact "HELL". Yes, a Physical BURNING Hell.

WE will be walking and talking with our GOD and His son JESUS our Savior in New Jeruslem.


IF YOU see otherwise. PLEASE prove it with BIBLE Facts.

May God Bless You & His Grace be Upon You,
AMEN

Even if the earth and the elements are burned, can't it be used for the new earth?

The understanding of the world by the Jehovah's Witnesses is different than ours. When we speak of the world we mean the fisical orb that we live upon, the one that was spoken into existance in the beginning. When they speak of "the world" they interpet it to mean the political system, or the system of things of mankind. So when we speak of the distruction of the world they believe the governments and the way mankind live their lives.
One of my brothers is a member of that organization and we have had many a long discussion. In fact he prays that I will come into the correct understanding of scripture so I won't be lost,

Can't you show them from the bible what it really means?

As an old SDA the world will not be destroyed but CLEANSED>
The word WORLD is to do away with every trace of WORLDLY things before it is reinhabited as the new heaven & the new earth.
Take care in defining HEAVEN & EARTH as at times they only apply to what we have here on earth. The birds fly in the heavens = atmosphere.