Earth--Will God Destroy It?

Genesis 8:21, 22: And Jehovah began to smell a pleasing aroma. So Jehovah said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground on man’s account, for the inclination of the heart of man is bad from his youth up; and never again will I strike down every living thing as I have done. 22 From now on, the earth will never cease to have seed-sowing and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night.”

Some of Christendom's religions are at odds with what is written in Genesis 8:21,22. Namely that the earth will never cease. Why? Because they misinterpret Peter's words in his second letter about earth and heaven passing away (2 Peter 3:8-13). But some may argue that its only one scripture against another. One person prefers what God promised in Genesis and the other person feels the severe message in Peter’s letter takes precedence. After all, what Peter wrote is about 2,000 years more recent than Genesis.

However, the supporting scriptural proof for the promise in Genesis is repeated in various other scriptures whereas the idea of this planet being destroyed is not. For example, read these selected verses from Psalms and Ecclesiastes. Adding to that is the reasoning God used through his prophet Isaiah in chapter 45--essentially that God didn't create earth merely for nothing. What is the “something,” then that God wants for earth and loyal inhabitants? Revelation (the last book of the Bible) covers that in these words. Yes, going back to God’s original purpose for the earth when he placed Adam and Eve on it, it is to have loyal mankind living peacefully, eternally on it. His intent for earth has never changed nor can it be thwarted.

But this begs the question: What IS the intent of Peter’s words? If we focus first on verse nine, we notice that God does NOT desire to destroy. He wants to preserve. What good would that do if he plans on just turning around and destroying the earth? Some might answer that the resolution lies in the hope of going to heaven. Yet if we want to understand that passage literally, then “the heavens” are also being destroyed. Which heavens? Just our atmosphere? Such reasoning leaves much to conjecture. But then some will say, “Well, verse 13 does in fact say that God will create and new heavens and new earth.”

This is where reasonableness comes in. Stop for a moment and think: “What sin did our planet, the earth commit? What disobedience is the heavens guilty of?” It is not the physical earth, nor our atmosphere and definitely not the universe that is guilty of any wrongdoing. It is incorrigible mankind ruled over by Satan and demons that have flagrantly disobeyed God. Speaking of those authorities both in spirit realm and in the world’s government as “heavens” and the tumultuous elements of mankind as the earth, that is what Peter was referring to. This is confirmed in the scriptures I’ve already cited above. Likewise, the new earth and heavens are obedient mankind under God’s Kingdom rule, which would be specific fulfillment of Matthew 6:10.

See also: Armageddon—Act of Love or Hate?