Section 8
Live Forever on a Paradise Earth
1, 2. What will life be like under the rule of God’s Kingdom?
1 What will life be like when God removes wickedness and suffering from the earth and ushers in his new world under the loving control of his heavenly Kingdom? God promises to ‘open his hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.’—Psalm 145:16.
2 What are your legitimate desires? Are they not for a happy life, worthwhile work, material abundance, beautiful surroundings, peace among all peoples, and freedom from injustice, sickness, suffering, and death? And what about a joyful spiritual outlook? All those things will be realized soon under the rulership of God’s Kingdom. Note what Bible prophecies say of the wonderful blessings to come in that new world.
Mankind at Perfect Peace
3-6. What assurance do we have that humans will have peace in the new world?
3 “[God] is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth. The bow he breaks apart and does cut the spear in pieces; the [war] wagons he burns in the fire.”—Psalm 46:9.
4 “They will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.”—Isaiah 2:4.
5 “The meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”—Psalm 37:11.
6 “The whole earth has come to rest, has become free of disturbance. People have become cheerful with joyful cries.”—Isaiah 14:7.
Man and Animals at Peace
7, 8. What peace will there be between people and animals?
7 “The wolf will actually reside for a while with the male lamb, and with the kid the leopard itself will lie down, and the calf and the maned young lion and the well-fed animal all together; and a mere little boy will be leader over them. And the cow and the bear themselves will feed; together their young ones will lie down. And even the lion will eat straw just like the bull. And the sucking child will certainly play upon the hole of the cobra; and upon the light aperture of a poisonous snake will a weaned child actually put his own hand. They will not do any harm or cause any ruin.”—Isaiah 11:6-9.
8 “For them I shall certainly conclude a covenant in that day in connection with the wild beast of the field and with the flying creature of the heavens and the creeping thing of the ground . . . I will make them lie down in security.”—Hosea 2:18.
Perfect Health, Everlasting Life
9-14. Describe health conditions in the new world.
9 “At that time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness.”—Isaiah 35:5, 6.
10 “[God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”—Revelation 21:4.
11 “No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’”—Isaiah 33:24.
12 “Let his flesh become fresher than in youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor.”—Job 33:25.
13 “The gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.”—Romans 6:23.
14 “Everyone exercising faith in him [will] . . . have everlasting life.”—John 3:16.
The Dead Restored to Life
15-17. What hope is there for those who have already died?
15 “There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”—Acts 24:15.
16 “The hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs [God’s memory] will hear his voice and come out.”—John 5:28, 29.
17 “The sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Hades [the grave] gave up those dead in them.”—Revelation 20:13.
Earth, a Paradise of Plenty
18-22. Into what will the entire earth be transformed?
18 “Pouring rains of blessing there will prove to be. And the tree of the field must give its fruitage, and the land itself will give its yield, and they will actually prove to be on their soil in security.”—Ezekiel 34:26, 27.
19 “The earth itself will certainly give its produce; God, our God, will bless us.”—Psalm 67:6.
20 “The wilderness and the waterless region will exult, and the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as the saffron.”—Isaiah 35:1.
21 “The mountains and the hills themselves will become cheerful before you with a joyful outcry, and the very trees of the field will all clap their hands. Instead of the thicket of thorns the juniper tree will come up. Instead of the stinging nettle the myrtle tree will come up.”—Isaiah 55:12, 13.
22 “You will be with me in Paradise.”—Luke 23:43.
Good Housing for All
23, 24. What assurance do we have that there will be enough good housing for all?
23 “They will certainly build houses and have occupancy . . . They will not build and someone else have occupancy; they will not plant and someone else do the eating. . . . The work of their own hands my chosen ones will use to the full. They will not toil for nothing, nor will they bring to birth for disturbance.”—Isaiah 65:21-23.
24 “They will actually sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble.”—Micah 4:4.
You Can Live Forever in Paradise
25. What marvelous outlook do we have for the future?
25 What a marvelous outlook for the future! What real purpose lives can now have when anchored to the solid hope that in God’s new world all of today’s problems will forever be things of the past! “The former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart.” (Isaiah 65:17) And how comforting to know that life then will be eternal: “[God] will actually swallow up death forever.”—Isaiah 25:8.
26. What is the key to living forever in God’s new world?
26 Do you want to live forever in that Paradise new world now so near? ‘What would I need to do to get God’s favor at this world’s end and live on into his new world?’ you may ask. You need to do what Jesus indicated in a prayer to God: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”—John 17:3.
27. What must you do to take part in God’s purpose?
27 Therefore, obtain a Bible, and confirm what you have read in this brochure. Search out others who study and teach these Bible truths. Break free from hypocritical religions that teach and do things contrary to the Bible. Learn how you, along with millions of others who are already doing God’s will, can share in God’s purpose that humans live forever on a paradise earth. And take to heart what God’s inspired Word declares about the near future: “The world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.”—1 John 2:17.
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God’s purpose to restore an earthly paradise will soon be realized