You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end. (Hebrews 1:10-12)
One of the most constant truths found throughout the Bible is that the physical world is corrupted and in the process of decay. This truth is in direct opposition to the belief in evolution which believes that the world is evolving and becoming better.
This statement in the book of Hebrews, which is actually quoted from the Old Testament book of Psalms where it says the same thing, makes it clear that the created earth is wearing out. It is compared to how old clothes wear out with usage and time, and eventually have to be replaced. The old clothes are disposed of and changed. That is exactly what is going to happen to this earth where we currently live.
The earth was not always in this process of decay. The book of Genesis portrays a beautiful, perfect earth with a perfect environment. It was the sin of Adam that changed all that:
And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:17-19)
This event of rebelling against God upset the entire physical creation, and started the process of decay and death. That process is still in force today. As has been written previously, our only hope is to be recreated spiritually. Those who are born again into the spiritual Kingdom of Jesus as God’s children will get to have new physical bodies which cannot be corrupted in the future, and will be able to live in the new heavens and earth that will replace the current ones. In the meantime, we all suffer from having to live in a corrupted, decaying world:
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:19-23)
Unfortunately, those who refuse to accept this truth, and who continue to walk in the kingdom of darkness believing in things that are not true, such as the belief in evolution, will be destroyed along with the current physical world:
They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the Word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same Word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. (2 Peter 3:4-14)
So make no mistake about this: the world IS coming to an end. No specific day and time is given in the Bible. It just warns us to be ready for it to occur at any time. Many of the writers of the New Testament seemed to think it might happen within their life time, and that was over 2000 years ago. So how much closer and imminent are we today?
But there is one person who knows. As the verses from Hebrews above state, Jesus is always the same, and his years of life will not come to an end. He has already died the physical death and has taken his position in the new kingdom, which exists in the spiritual realm. At the proper time, he will destroy the current physical realm and put into place the new one. Will you be part of it?
…the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power… (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)
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