Our home was built in 1900. And like any home that old, it’s in constant need of repair. This week we should be getting all new insulation work in our house’s ducts. There’s furniture, wood, tools and other construction equipment all around the house. To say that it’s a major disruption for our family is an understatement. But, we’re all okay with it, because we know that the end result will be amazing.
There’s a lot of chaos happening in the world right now and, to tell you the truth, it’s going to get a whole lot worse before it gets any better. Check out what the apostle Peter has to say about it: “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 done in it will be laid bare. . . . But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:10–13).
A new earth. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah, gives us further insight into what the “remodelled” earth will look like: “‘See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create. . . . the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. . . . The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 65:17–25. See also chapter 35).
It’s a beautiful picture, isn’t it?
So, who’s to blame?
God created the universe, including a glorious angel named Lucifer. He was perfect in all his ways and worshipped God for eons (Ezekiel 28:12–14). But Lucifer, of his own free will, stopped worshipping God and chose instead to seek worship for himself (Ezekiel 28:15). Lucifer spread lies about God’s loving character and His perfect law of love across all of heaven and was able to ultimately get a third of heaven’s angels to follow his rebellion against God. Because of that, God banished both Lucifer and his angels, now called Satan and his demons, to earth (Isaiah 14:12–14, Revelation 12:7–9).
Satan, because of his anger and hatred towards God, decided to take revenge on humanity. Satan shared with Adam and Eve, the first humans, the same lies he used to manipulate his demons, and this caused Adam and Eve to sin (Genesis 3). But, even before God created the first human, He, His Holy Spirit and Jesus devised a plan—the plan of salvation—in order to bring restoration and redemption to the sinful, fallen and lost human race (Ephesians 1:3–5, Romans 5:12–21).
They’re all watching!
God could have immediately destroyed Satan and his demons the moment they began spreading lies about Him, but God knew that His angels—and all the universe—was watching (1 Corinthians 4:9) to see if Satan’s allegations were true. If God had immediately destroyed Satan, the entire universe would have had questions about God’s love, justice and, ultimately, His character.
The Bible tells us that the entire universe is watching to see how humanity’s rejection of God will ultimately end. All throughout history Satan and God have battled for the souls of humanity. Satan has used peoples, religions and other forces in order to stamp out God’s people, but in the end, God has always won—and will ultimately win!
The cosmic conflict
God wants to prove that humans will follow and obey Him out of a sense of love and gratitude for the salvation and redemption that Jesus, through His death, has offered them. But Satan wants to kill as many people as possible, because he hates God and all humanity.
The great controversy theme—the topic of spiritual warfare and its influence on history—is written all throughout the Bible. In fact, the entire Bible is a record documenting the story of rebellious humanity running from God, and God doing what it takes to redeem us all back! In the midst of this, Satan and his demons are working hard to make humanity believe his lies about God’s character and His perfect law of love. But in the end Satan will fail and God will prevail!
Earth 2.0
The Bible predicts more than once that, in the end, God will cleanse the earth with fire and will recreate the entire earth. Sin will never rise up a second time (Nahum 1:9). The apostle John (one of Jesus’ 12 disciples) saw this incredible scene in vision: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
“I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’
“And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new!’ And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’ And he also said, ‘It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children’ ” (Revelation 21:1–7, NLT*).
When this happens, all those who have accepted God’s loving offer of eternal salvation from sin and death will live in the earth made new, with God. Take a look at these verses:
- “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth” (Matthew 5:5, NLT).
- “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15, NLT).
- “No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:3–5, NLT).
Paid in full
My home is 100-plus years old and, admittedly, its restoration is costing me a lot of money, but the best part about God’s restoration of the earth is that’s it’s absolutely free! Well, Someone did have to pay for it—Jesus paid it all for you and me when He died on the cross: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16,17, NLT).
All you have to do is accept what He’s already paid for. I hope you do because, in the end, all the dust, destruction and chaos will be worth it. I can’t wait until the ultimate “remodel” is complete.
Omar Miranda lives with his family in Georgia, USA.
* Bible verses marked NLT are taken from the New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used with permission.
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