When the New World Will Come

GOD’S new world will come when this present one passes away. But you may ask, ‘Can we really believe that this world will end?’ Well, consider, has one ever ended before?

Yes, according to conclusive evidence, a world once ended. “The world of that time [Noah’s day] suffered destruction when it was deluged with water,” the Bible says. God “did not hold back from punishing an ancient world, but kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness, safe with seven others when he brought a deluge upon a world of ungodly people.”​—2 Peter 2:5; 3:6.

Notice that it was “a world of ungodly people,” or a wicked system of things, that perished. It was not the planet Earth, the starry heavens, or the human family that ended. As the Flood survivors increased in number, another world (our present one) came into existence. What will happen to it?

After saying that the world of Noah’s day suffered destruction, the Bible continues: “By the same word the heavens and the earth that are now are stored up for fire.” (2 Peter 3:7) Fire signifies destruction for the world. Indeed, “the world [the one existing today] is passing away.” (1 John 2:17) But when?

Jesus’ apostles wanted to know, so they asked: “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3, King James Version) In answer Jesus gave a sign that would enable people living at the time of its fulfillment to know that one world was soon going to end; a new world would take its place. What was that sign?

The Sign

The sign included many parts, yes, many events were foretold. For the sign to be fulfilled, all of these would have to occur in a notable way at essentially the same time, during one generation. (Matthew 24:34) What are these events?

Some named by Jesus were: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be great earthquakes, and in one place after another pestilences and food shortages.” “Then people will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name. . . . Because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater number will cool off.”​—Luke 21:10, 11; Matthew 24:7-9, 12.

The apostle Paul gave other conditions that would mark “the last days” of this world. He wrote: “In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, . . . disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, . . . headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power.”​—2 Timothy 3:1-5.

Surely, you have seen or heard about all of these things​—international conflicts eclipsing former wars, great earthquakes, widespread pestilences and food shortages, hatred and persecution of Christ’s followers, an increase of lawlessness, and critical times of unsurpassed magnitude. Besides these things, the Bible foretells that God will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth.” (Revelation 11:18) And humans are ruining the earth right now!

Last November, newspapers carried headlines like this: “Top Scientists Warn of Earth’s Destruction.” Dr. Henry Kendall, a Nobel laureate and chairman of the Union of Concerned Scientists, said: “This warning is no exaggeration, and it is not alarmist.” One newspaper article reported: “The list of 1,575 scientists who drafted the warning reads like a who’s who in the international scientific community.” Their warning of complete ruination for our earth is not to be ignored!

There can be no question about it. The sign in all its parts is being fulfilled, including Jesus’ key prediction: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come,” yes, the end of this world. (Matthew 24:14) It will come, Jesus said, when the good news of God’s Kingdom has been preached worldwide. And that preaching is now being done on the foretold scale by Jehovah’s Witnesses!

What You Need to Do

All evidence, therefore, points to the fact that God’s new world is very near. Yet, if you are to survive the end of this world and are to enjoy life in the new world, you need to do something. After saying that “the world is passing away,” the Bible shows what is required of you, explaining: “He that does the will of God remains forever.”​—1 John 2:17.

So you need to learn God’s will and do it. Jehovah’s Witnesses will be delighted to help you do this. Then you can survive this world’s end to enjoy eternally the blessings of God’s new world.

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NASA photo

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A time of great trouble immediately precedes the new world