Earth—An Everlasting Inheritance for the Meek
“THE heavens are my throne,” says Jehovah, “and the earth is my footstool.” Concerning his footstool, Jehovah promises: “The place of my feet will I make glorious.” (Isaiah 66:1; 60:13, Rotherham) This he will do for the meek who are to inherit it. Under their appreciative care, the earth will become a place of paradisaic beauty and a glory to Jehovah its Creator.
But some will argue: ‘It’s the meek that inherit the earth? Meek people are weak people! How can they be strong enough to exercise dominion over the earth?’ The word “meek” in the Scriptures refers to those who are gentle, kind, mild-tempered but with strength of steel. It was a word used of a wild beast that was tamed but still powerful.
Vine’s dictionary of Greek words defines meek: “It is an inwrought grace of the soul; and the exercises of it are first and chiefly towards God. It is that temper of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting.” The meek do not add to, subtract from, water down, or twist God’s Word—as some do today to accommodate their immoralities.—Deuteronomy 4:2; 2 Peter 3:16; Revelation 22:18, 19.
“Moses was by far the meekest of all the men who were upon the surface of the ground.” (Numbers 12:3) But was he weak? He appeared before mighty Pharaoh of Egypt and demanded that he let the enslaved Hebrews go. Pharaoh was adamant, his answer no! But Moses, unintimidated, kept returning, announcing the plagues to come upon the Egyptians. (Exodus, chapters 7–11) Meek, yes; but weak? Hardly!
Christ Jesus was meek, but he stood up to the religious bigots of his day, even knowing that they would torture and kill him. “Here we are,” Jesus said to his disciples, “advancing up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and will deliver him to men of the nations, and they will make fun of him and will spit upon him and scourge him and kill him.” (Mark 10:33, 34) All of this they did to him, but he never wavered in his integrity to God. Meek, yes; but weak? Hardly!
So it is to the Scripturally meek that Jehovah God will give the earth. And contrary to the theorizings of scientists and the teachings of false religion, the earth will remain “to time indefinite, or forever.” (Psalm 104:5) Jehovah “did not create it simply for nothing.” He “formed it even to be inhabited.” (Isaiah 45:18) And how sublime life will then be! God “will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:4.
Gone then all the polluters that made the earth sick! Then, “the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.” (Proverbs 2:21, 22; Psalm 37:11) You too may enjoy everlasting life in that Paradise earth if you are strong enough to qualify as one of those who are Scripturally meek.