Section 5

Life Has a Grand Purpose

 1, 2. How can we tell that God cares about us, and where should we turn for answers to life’s questions?

¹ The way the earth and its living things were made shows that their Creator is a God of love who really cares. And his Word, the Bible, shows that he cares; it gives us the ultimate answers regarding the questions: Why are we here on earth? and, Where are we going?

² We need to search the Bible for those answers. God’s Word says: “If you search for him, he will let himself be found by you, but if you leave him he will leave you.” (2 Chronicles 15:2) So then, what does a search of God’s Word reveal about his purpose for us?

Why God Created Humans

 3. Why did God create the earth?

³ The Bible shows that God prepared the earth especially with humans in mind. Isaiah 45:18 says regarding the earth that God “did not create it simply for nothing [but] formed it even to be inhabited.” And he provided the earth with everything that people would need, not just to exist, but to enjoy life to the full.—Genesis, chapters 1 and 2.

 4. Why did God create the first humans?

⁴ In his Word, God tells of creating the first humans, Adam and Eve, and reveals what he had in mind for the human family. He said: “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and the domestic animals and all the earth and every moving animal that is moving upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) Humans were to have oversight of “all the earth” and its animal creation.

 5. Where were the first humans placed?

⁵ God made a large, parklike garden in an area called Eden, located in the Middle East. Then he “proceeded to take the man and settle him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and to take care of it.” It was a paradise that contained all that the first humans would need to eat. And it included “every tree desirable to one’s sight and good for food,” as well as other vegetation and the many interesting kinds of animal life.—Genesis 2:7-9, 15.

 6. With what mental and physical qualities were humans created?

⁶ The bodies of the first humans were created perfect, so they would not get sick, grow old, or die. They were also endowed with other qualities, such as that of free choice. The way they were made is explained at Genesis 1:27: “God proceeded to create the man in his image, in God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.” Since we are created in God’s image, we were given not only physical and mental attributes but also moral and spiritual aspects, and these must be satisfied if we are to be truly happy. God would provide the means for filling those needs as well as the need for food, water, and air. As Jesus Christ said, “man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.”—Matthew 4:4.

 7. What mandate was the first pair given?

⁷ Moreover, God gave a wonderful mandate to the first pair while they were in Eden: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) So they would be able to reproduce and bring forth perfect children. And as the human population increased, they would have the delightful work of expanding the boundaries of the original parklike, paradise area of Eden. Ultimately, the entire earth would be developed into a paradise, inhabited by perfect, happy people who could live forever. The Bible informs us that after setting all of this in motion, “God saw everything he had made and, look! it was very good.”—Genesis 1:31; see also Psalm 118:17.

 8. How were humans to care for the earth?

⁸ It is evident that humans were to use the subdued earth for their benefit. But this was to be done in a responsible way. Humans were to be respectful stewards of the earth, not the despoilers of it. The destruction of the earth that we witness today is against God’s will, and those who share in it are going contrary to the purpose of life on earth. They will have to pay the penalty for that, for the Bible says that God will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth.”—Revelation 11:18.

Still God’s Purpose

 9. Why are we confident that God’s purpose will be fulfilled?

⁹ Thus, from the beginning it was God’s purpose for a perfect human family to dwell on earth forever in a paradise. And it is still his purpose! Without fail, that purpose will be fulfilled. The Bible states: “Jehovah of armies has sworn, saying: ‘Surely just as I have figured, so it must occur; and just as I have counseled, that is what will come true.’” “I have even spoken it; I shall also bring it in. I have formed it, I shall also do it.”—Isaiah 14:24; 46:11.

10, 11. How did Jesus, Peter, and the psalmist David speak of Paradise?

¹⁰ Jesus Christ spoke about God’s purpose to restore a paradise on earth when he told a certain man who wanted hope for the future: “You will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) The apostle Peter too spoke of the coming new world when he foretold: “There are new heavens [a new governmental arrangement ruling from heaven] and a new earth [a new earthly society] that we are awaiting according to [God’s] promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.”—2 Peter 3:13.

¹¹ The psalmist David also wrote about the incoming new world and how long it would endure. He foretold: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.” (Psalm 37:29) That is why Jesus promised: “Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the earth.”—Matthew 5:5.

12, 13. Summarize God’s grand purpose for mankind.

¹² What a grand prospect that is, living forever on a paradise earth free from all wickedness, crime, sickness, sorrow, and pain! In the final book of the Bible, God’s prophetic Word summarizes this grand purpose by declaring: “[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.” It adds: “And the One seated on the throne said: ‘Look! I am making all things new.’ Also, he says: ‘Write, because these words are faithful and true.’”—Revelation 21:4, 5.

¹³ Yes, God has a grand purpose in mind. It will be a new world of righteousness, an eternal paradise, foretold by the One who can and will do what he promises, for his “words are faithful and true.”

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God purposed that humans live forever on a paradise earth. That is still his purpose

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The owner can call to account tenants who ruin his house

Section 6

Why So Much Suffering and Injustice?

 1, 2. In view of human experience, what questions may be asked?

¹ However, if the Supreme Being purposed that perfect people live on earth forever amid paradise conditions and if that is still his purpose, why is there no paradise now? Why, instead, has mankind experienced so many centuries of suffering and injustice?

² Without question, human history is filled with misery caused by war, imperialistic conquest, exploitation, injustice, poverty, disaster, sickness, and death. Why have so many bad things happened to so many innocent victims? If God is all-powerful, why has he allowed this enormous amount of suffering for thousands of years? Since God designed and ordered the universe so well, why would he allow disorder and destruction on earth?

An Example

 3-5. (a) What illustration could help us to understand why a God of order would allow disorder on earth? (b) Which of several alternatives fits the situation regarding earth?

³ Let us use an example to illustrate why a God of order would allow disorder on earth. Imagine, if you will, walking into a forest and coming upon a house. As you inspect the house, you see that it is in disorder. The windows are broken, the roof has serious damage, the wooden porch is full of holes, the door is hanging on one hinge, and the plumbing does not work.

⁴ In the face of all these defects, would you conclude that no intelligent designer could possibly have designed that house? Would the disorder convince you that only chance could have produced the house? Or if you concluded that someone did design and construct it, would you feel that this person was not skilled and not thoughtful?

⁵ When you more thoroughly examine the structure, you see that it was originally put together well and gives evidence of much thoughtful care. But it was now simply run down and on the way to ruin. What could the defects and problems indicate? They could suggest that (1) the owner died; (2) he is a capable builder but is no longer interested in the house; or (3) he temporarily leased his property to unappreciative tenants. The latter is similar to the situation regarding this earth.

What Went Wrong

 6, 7. What happened to Adam and Eve when they broke God’s law?

⁶ From the early Bible record, we learn that it was not God’s purpose for people to suffer or to die. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, died only because they disobeyed God. (Genesis, chapters 2 and 3) When they disobeyed, they were no longer doing God’s will. They pulled out from under God’s care. In effect, they disconnected themselves from God, “the source of life.”—Psalm 36:9.

⁷ Like a machine that slows down and stops when disconnected from its power source, their bodies and minds degenerated. As a result, Adam and Eve deteriorated, grew old, and eventually died. What happened then? They went back to where they came from: “Dust you are and to dust you will return.” God had warned them that death would be the consequence for disobedience to his laws: “You will positively die.”—Genesis 2:17; 3:19.

 8. How did the sin of our first parents affect the human family?

⁸ Not only did our first parents die but all their descendants, the entire human race, have also been subjected to death. Why? Because according to the laws of genetics, children inherit the characteristics of their parents. And what all the children of our first parents inherited was imperfection and death. Romans 5:12 tells us: “Through one man [Adam, mankind’s forefather] sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned [by inheriting imperfection, that is, sinful tendencies].” And since sin, imperfection, and death are the only things people know, some view them as natural and inevitable. Yet, the original humans were created with the capacity and desire to live forever. That is why most people find the prospect that their life will be cut short by death so frustrating.

Why So Long?

 9. Why has God allowed suffering to go on for so long?

⁹ Why has God allowed humans to have their own way for so long? Why has he allowed suffering to exist all these many centuries? One vital reason is that a very important issue was raised: Who has the right to rule? Should God be the Ruler of humans, or can they rule themselves successfully apart from him?

10. What ability was given to humans, with what responsibility?

¹⁰ Humans were created with free will, that is, with the ability to choose. They were not made like robots or like animals, who are guided mainly by instinct. So humans can choose whom they will serve. (Deuteronomy 30:19; 2 Corinthians 3:17) Thus, God’s Word counsels: “Be as free people, and yet holding your freedom, not as a blind for badness, but as slaves of God.” (1 Peter 2:16) However, while humans have the wonderful gift of free choice, they must accept the consequences of their choice of action.

11. What would be the only way to find out if a course independent of God could be successful?

¹¹ Our first parents made the wrong choice. They chose the course of independence from God. True, God could have put the first rebellious pair to death immediately after they misused their free will. But that would not have settled the question regarding God’s right to rule over humans. Since the first pair wanted independence from God, the question must be answered: Could that course result in a happy, successful life? The only way to find out was to let our first parents and their offspring go their own way, since that was their choice. Time would demonstrate whether humans were created to be successful in ruling themselves independent of their Creator.

12. How did Jeremiah assess human rule, and why is this so?

¹² The Bible writer Jeremiah knew what the result would be. Directed by God’s powerful holy spirit, or active force, he truthfully wrote: “I well know, O Jehovah, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step. Correct me, O Jehovah.” (Jeremiah 10:23, 24) He knew that humans must have the guidance of God’s heavenly wisdom. Why? Simply because God did not create humans to be successful apart from his guidance.

13. What have the results of thousands of years of human rule shown beyond a doubt?

¹³ The results of thousands of years of human rule show beyond any doubt that it is not in humans to direct their own affairs apart from their Creator. Having tried it, they have only themselves to blame for the catastrophic results. The Bible makes this clear: “The Rock [God], perfect is his activity, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness, with whom there is no injustice; righteous and upright is he. They have acted ruinously on their own part; they are not his children, the defect is their own.”—Deuteronomy 32:4, 5.

God Soon to Intervene

14. Why will God no longer delay his intervention in human affairs?

¹⁴ Having allowed an ample demonstration of the failure of human rule during centuries of time, God can now proceed to intervene in human affairs and bring a halt to suffering, sorrow, sickness, and death. Having allowed humans to come to the peak of their achievements in science, industry, medicine, and other fields, there is no longer any need for God to allow more centuries of time for humans independent of their Creator to demonstrate whether they can bring about a peaceful, paradisaic world. They have not and cannot. Independence from God has resulted in a very ugly, hateful, death-dealing world.

15. What Bible counsel would we do well to heed?

¹⁵ While there have been sincere rulers who have desired to help mankind, their efforts have not succeeded. Everywhere today there is evidence of a breakdown in human rulership. That is why the Bible counsels: “Do not put your trust in nobles, nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs.”—Psalm 146:3.

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Even sincere world rulers have not been able to bring about a peaceful, paradisaic world

Section 7

God’s Purpose Soon to Be Realized

 1, 2. Why can we be sure that God will take action to end wickedness and suffering?

¹ Although God has permitted imperfection and suffering for a long time from the human viewpoint, he will not allow bad conditions to go on indefinitely. The Bible tells us that God has a specific time period for allowing these things to happen.

² “For everything there is an appointed time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) When God’s allotted time for permitting wickedness and suffering comes to its conclusion, then he will intervene in human affairs. He will bring an end to wickedness and suffering and will fulfill his original purpose to have the earth filled with a perfect, happy human family enjoying total peace and economic security amid Paradise conditions.

God’s Judgments

 3, 4. How does the book of Proverbs describe the results of God’s intervention?

³ Note a few of the many Bible prophecies that state what God’s intervention, that is, the results of his judgments, will soon mean for the human family:

⁴ “The upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. As regards the wicked, they will be cut off from the very earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it.”—Proverbs 2:21, 22.

 5, 6. How does Psalm 37 show what will happen when God intervenes?

⁵ “Evildoers themselves will be cut off, but those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth. And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more . . . But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”—Psalm 37:9-11.

⁶ “Hope in Jehovah and keep his way, and he will exalt you to take possession of the earth. When the wicked ones are cut off, you will see it. Watch the blameless one and keep the upright one in sight, for the future of that man will be peaceful. But the transgressors themselves will certainly be annihilated together; the future of wicked people will indeed be cut off.”—Psalm 37:34, 37, 38.

 7. What sound counsel does God’s Word give us?

⁷ Therefore, in view of the marvelous future that will come to those who recognize the almighty Creator’s right to rule us, we are urged: “My commandments may your heart observe, because length of days and years of life and peace will be added to you.” In fact, eternal life will be added to those who choose to do God’s will! Thus, God’s Word counsels us: “Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him, and he himself will make your paths straight.”—Proverbs 3:1, 2, 5, 6.

God’s Rule From Heaven

 8, 9. By what means will God cleanse this earth?

⁸ God will accomplish this cleansing of the earth by means of the best government that mankind could ever have. It is a government that reflects heavenly wisdom because it rules from heaven under God’s direction. And that heavenly Kingdom will remove all forms of human rule from earth. Humans will never again have the option of trying to rule independent of God.

⁹ In this regard the prophecy at Daniel 2:44 states: “In the days of those kings [present-day governments] the God of heaven will set up a kingdom [in heaven] that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people [humans will never again be permitted to rule independent of God]. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms [now existing], and it itself will stand to times indefinite.”—See also Revelation 19:11-21; 20:4-6.

10. Why can we be certain that under God’s heavenly Kingdom, there will never again be corruption in rulership?

¹⁰ Thus, mankind will never again have corrupt forms of rule, for after God brings this system to its end, human rule independent of him will never exist again. And the Kingdom ruling from heaven will not be corrupted, since God is its Originator and Preserver. Instead, it will operate in the best interests of its human subjects. God’s will is then going to be done throughout the earth as it is in heaven. That is why Jesus could teach his disciples to pray to God: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.”—Matthew 6:10.

How Close Are We?

11. Where in the Bible do we find prophecies that will help us determine how close we are to this system’s end?

¹¹ How close are we to the end of this unsatisfactory system of things and the beginning of God’s new world? Bible prophecy clearly gives us the answer. For instance, Jesus himself foretold what to look for so that we could determine our position in relation to, as the Bible puts it, “the conclusion of the system of things.” This is recorded in Matthew chapters 24 and 25, Mark 13, and Luke 21. Also, as recorded in 2 Timothy chapter 3, the apostle Paul foretold that there would be a period of time called “the last days” when various events would further verify where we are in the stream of time.

12, 13. What did Jesus and Paul say about the time of the end?

¹² Jesus said that this period of time would begin with these events: “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another.” (Matthew 24:7) Luke 21:11 shows that he also mentioned “in one place after another pestilences.” And he warned, too, of “the increasing of lawlessness.”—Matthew 24:12.

¹³ The apostle Paul foretold: “But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, 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 . . . Wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled.”—2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13.

14, 15. How do the events of this 20th century verify that we have indeed been in the last days?

¹⁴ Have those things that Jesus and Paul foretold taken place in our time? Yes, they certainly have. World War I was by far the worst war up to that time. It was the first world war and was the turning point in modern history. Along with that war went food shortages, disease epidemics, and other calamities. Those events from 1914 onward were, as Jesus put it, “a beginning of pangs of distress.” (Matthew 24:8) They began the foretold period of time called “the last days,” the beginning of the last generation when God would permit wickedness and suffering.

¹⁵ Likely you are familiar with the events of the 20th century. You know the chaos that has arisen. Some 100 million people have been killed in wars. Hundreds of millions of others have died from hunger and from sickness. Earthquakes have taken countless lives. Disregard for life and property grows. Fear of crime has become part of everyday life. Moral standards have been shoved aside. The population explosion poses problems that are not being solved. Pollution is spoiling the quality of life and is even endangering it. Truly, we have been in the last days since 1914 and are nearing the culmination of Bible prophecies involving our time.

16. How long a time period do the last days encompass?

¹⁶ How long a time period would these last days prove to be? Jesus said regarding the era that would experience the “beginning of pangs of distress” from 1914 onward: “This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.” (Matthew 24:8, 34-36) Thus, all the features of the last days must take place within the lifetime of one generation, the generation of 1914. So some people who were alive in 1914 will still be alive when this system comes to its end. That generation of people is now very advanced in years, indicating that there is not much time left before God brings this present system of things to an end.

17, 18. What prophecy shows we are very near this world’s end?

¹⁷ Another prophecy showing that the end of this system is very near was given by the apostle Paul, who foretold: “Jehovah’s day is coming exactly as a thief in the night. Whenever it is that they are saying: ‘Peace and security!’ then sudden destruction is to be instantly upon them . . . , and they will by no means escape.”—1 Thessalonians 5:2, 3; see also Luke 21:34, 35.

¹⁸ Today the Cold War is over, and international war may no longer be a major threat. So the nations may feel that they are well on the way toward a new world order. But when they feel that their efforts are succeeding, it will mean the opposite of what they think, for that will be the final signal that this system’s destruction by God is imminent. Remember, political negotiations and treaties are not making any real changes in people. They are not making people love one another. And world leaders are not putting a stop to crime, nor are they eliminating disease and death. So do not put your trust in any development of human peace and security and think that this world is on its way to solving its problems. (Psalm 146:3) What such a cry will really mean is that this world is very near to being on its way out.

Preaching Good News

19, 20. What prophecy involving preaching in the last days do we see undergoing fulfillment?

¹⁹ Another prophecy that shows we have been in the last days since 1914 is one that Jesus gave: “In all the nations the good news has to be preached first.” (Mark 13:10) Or as Matthew 24:14 renders it: “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.”

²⁰ Today as never before in history, the good news of this world’s end and of the incoming Paradise new world under God’s Kingdom is being preached all over the earth. By whom? By millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They are preaching in every country on earth.

21, 22. What, especially, identifies Jehovah’s Witnesses as true Christians?

²¹ In addition to their preaching about God’s Kingdom, Jehovah’s Witnesses are behaving in the manner that identifies them as Christ’s true followers, for he declared: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” Thus, Jehovah’s Witnesses are united in a global brotherhood by an unbreakable bond of love.—John 13:35; see also Isaiah 2:2-4; Colossians 3:14; John 15:12-14; 1 John 3:10-12; 4:20, 21; Revelation 7:9, 10.

²² Jehovah’s Witnesses believe what the Bible says: “God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34, 35) They view their fellow Witnesses in all countries as spiritual brothers and sisters, regardless of race or color. (Matthew 23:8) And the fact that such a global brotherhood does exist in the world today adds to the evidence that God’s purpose will soon be realized.

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God’s perfect heavenly Kingdom will be mankind’s only rulership in the new world

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