LET GOD BE TRUE

CHAPTER XX

THE "NEW EARTH"

A NEW earth! What can it mean? The burning up of our planet, and its replacement by a new globe? No, not that; for the sure Word of God declares, "The earth abideth for ever." (Ecclesiastes 1:4; Psalms 78: 69; 119: 90) But that there will be a "new earth" is made certain by the Creator's own statement: "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." (Isaiah 65:17) But if not a new earthly sphere, then what is the "new earth"? What conditions will prevail in it, and how and when will it come into existence? Doubtless many such questions fill your mind, as you consider the prospect of a "new earth".

² The term earth, as used in the Bible, does not always apply to this inanimate globe. In Psalm 96:1, for example, the command is issued, "Sing unto Jehovah, all the earth." (A.S.V.) Not to the literal planet is this exhortation given, but to intelligent human servants of the Most High, who dwell in the earth. (See Psalm 66:4; Habakkuk 2:20.) In like

manner, the expression "new earth" is used to identify, not the planet itself, but a particular class of earth's inhabitants, acting as the human representatives of the heavenly Creator. Rightly it can be said that God's perfect human son Adam served in Eden as the animate "earth" or visible part of the Creator's first world. "The first man is of the earth, earthy." (1 Corinthians 15:47) Had Adam remained obedient to his Maker, he undoubtedly would have occupied a prophetic position, handing down to his offspring God's perfect law, by virtue of which the paradise of Eden would be spread to the ends of the earth. Disobedience, however, lost for Adam forever the blessed privilege of serving as God's earthly representative.

³ Nevertheless, the Almighty will have on earth righteous, faithful representatives, men of perfect hearts through whom His just decrees and endless blessings shall be dispensed to the human family. Not from among sin-laden rulers alive today shall these be selected, but from among men long dead! Incredible, you say? Yes, to those not familiar with God's purposes. But let us note what the Bible reveals. In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews are enumerated the names of some of a great "cloud of witnesses" who lived before the coming of Jesus. (Hebrews 12:1) The preserved record of their lives stamps them as being trustworthy

men, of faith and devotion, centering their hopes solely in the yet future "city [Kingdom] which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God". (Hebrews 11:10) Faithfulness unto death earned for them the promise of a "better resurrection", a restanding to life, not in heaven, but as perfect-hearted men, commissioned to serve in a special capacity. — Hebrews 11: 35; Acts 2: 34; Matthew 11:11.

⁴ Many of the faithful men of old had the privilege of actually being the forefathers of the man Jesus, and are spoken of as "fathers". (Romans 9:5; 15:8; Acts 3:13) Today, however, these "fathers" of Jesus are dead, and also the other faithful men of old like them, while Christ is fully alive. (Hebrews 11:13; Acts 2:29; Revelation 1:18) Can they return to life? Yes, but only through the life-restoring power of Jesus, who said, "I am the resurrection and the life." Thus, those called "fathers" and their fellow faithful ones must become the children of the "everlasting Father" (Life-giver) Christ Jesus, through the resurrection. (Isaiah 9:6) Hence God's Word prophetically says to Christ Jesus the King: "Instead of thy fathers [they] shall be thy children." (Psalm 45:16) And what is the special position to which these obedient servants are appointed? Answers the latter part of the text, "whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth."

⁵ Here, then, is a "new earth"! A new, visible governing organization created at the hand of God. (Isaiah 66: 22) What a contrast with the wicked, Devilish "earth" that rules today, shall the "new earth" be! (2 Peter 3:10,13) Justice, goodness and uprightness will mark every move of the "princes", as they work in perfect accord with their King-Father, Christ Jesus. As Isaiah 32:1 (A.S.V.) forecasts: "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice." (Psalm 85:11) And when may we expect the setting up of the "new earth"? Every shred of evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy points to the return of the prophets as earth's rightful rulers in the immediate future, in this very generation. — Luke 21: 25-32; 13: 28; Revelation 18: 20.

"OTHER SHEEP"

⁶ Hailing the "new earth" and its King will be a "great multitude" of persons, "of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues." (Revelation 7:9) These are persons now living who diligently study God's Word, in their desire to acquire right knowledge. (2 Timothy 2:15; Proverbs 2:1-6) They are lovers of righteousness who come out of the great tribulation inflicted upon this world, and consecrate their lives wholly to the continual service of 'their God, and the Lamb'. (Revelation 7:10,14,15)

By Christ Jesus these meek persons of goodwill have been named the "other sheep", for they are not of the "little [heavenly] flock"; their hope for future life lies in a paradise earth. (John 10:16; Matthew 6:10) In this day they delight to share in the responsibility resting upon every Christian, that of 'preaching this gospel of the Kingdom'. (Matthew 24:14) Gladly they go, from house to house, on the streets, and in public-meeting places, making known to righteously disposed Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and those professing no religious belief, God's way to life. — Revelation 22:17.

⁷ Unbelievable as it may sound, many of these "other sheep" may never die. They were foreshadowed by the family of Noah, who, because of their faith and righteous works in the midst of a corrupt world, passed alive, with Noah, through the flood. (Genesis 6:18,22; 7:1) As in Noah's day, so today, wickedness overruns the earth. (Genesis 6:5,11; Matthew 24:37) Millions forget God, and seek to perpetuate this old world. The "other sheep", however, remember their Creator, hold fast their faith, and break clean away from the Satanic elements that now reign. Zealously they preach of Armageddon's approach, and the Kingdom blessings to follow. Continuing faithful till Armageddon, the "other sheep" who seek meekness and righteousness, like the flood survivors of Noah's day, shall be hid in the antitypical ark, God's organization, and come through into an earth

cleansed of evil. (Zephaniah 2:1-3; Isaiah 26: 20; Matthew 25: 31-40) Those of the "other sheep" who die now rest assured of a "resurrection of life", with full enjoyment of the many earthly blessings promised. Cast now your eye to the future, and glimpse some of the New World blessings in store.

NEW WORLD CONDITIONS

⁸ The clearing out of wicked rule paves the way for rule by the "new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness". Then, from the east and west and all directions shall come the worshipful survivors of Armageddon, to enjoy delightful companionship with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the other prince-children. (Matthew 8:11; Luke 13: 29) "What shall we now do?" the "other sheep" may ask, as they then seek divine guidance from the "new earth". "Beat the old-world tanks, cannons, and bombers into plowshares," will be the answer; for all weapons of destruction must be turned into implements of construction. (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3) In the New World this planet will never again be subjected to the ravages of war, with its wanton flow of blood, its heartless brutality, and its tragic aftermath, for "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more".

⁹ And why should there ever be another war? These inhabitants of the earth are not divided

into opposing factions by reason of bitter racial or national or religious differences. All of such barriers to lasting peace and unity have been stamped out. One worship remains: the pure, and clean, and right worship of the true God of the universe, Jehovah. And it is this united worship of their Creator that binds together unbreakably the post-Armageddon occupants of the earth. — Isaiah 66: 23; Zechariah 14:16.

¹⁰ Then, with the end of war, FREEDOM, in the full sense of the word, sets in. Freedom from fear will be there, for no more will the atomic bomb or the devilish, demonic heavens hang like a threatening cloud over the people. Gone will be the need for an army to 'preserve international peace', or even a local police force, to subdue crime, and maintain order; for lawlessness and vice, together with casualty-producing accidents, fires and floods, will be things of the old-world past. (Isaiah 11: 9) Neither will there then be millions of unemployed 'displaced persons' wandering aimlessly from one city to another, for the promise of Jehovah is, "They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid."  — Micah 4:4; Ezekiel 34:25.

¹¹ Famine and drought, together with rationing and black marketing, shall cease for all time, as freedom from want makes itself felt. The assurance of Jehovah is that "then shall the earth yield her increase". (Psalm 67:6;

Ezekiel 34: 27, 29) The inanimate globe, free of the curse pronounced against it, takes on a "new" appearance, developing into a place of Edenic grandeur and beauty such as the human mind cannot now visualize. (Psalm 96:11, 12; Genesis 3:17,18; 2:8,9) Righteous man will again be authorized to 'subdue the earth' and 'have dominion' over the lower animal creation, for then even the beasts of the field will be at peace with one another and their guardian, man. — Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:25; Genesis 1:28.

¹² The New World, moreover, will be a disease-less world; for the curative power of the Divine Physician will be turned toward this earth. (Matthew 4:23; Psalm 103:2,3) Aches and pains will die out, as radiant health, unmarred by cancer, or influenza, or even a toothache, implants itself in every soul. (Revelation 21:4) This means the dissolution of old age, with its wrinkled skin, its gray hair, and feebleness. It means that vigorous, energetic youth, so fleeting today, shall be the eternal lot of every human. To enjoy these blessings perpetually necessitates the removal of man's greatest enemy, death. And this Jehovah, the Fountain of life, has promised to bring about. (Psalm 36:9; 1 Corinthians 15:26) Describing this sublime New World state, the Lord's recorded Word foretells: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth . . . and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither

shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelation 21:1-5) No dream is this, nor propaganda scheme to solicit support for a man-made "better world", but it is the truth. Such conditions are certain to come, for the Lord further said to John, "Write: for these words are true and faithful."

¹³ But that is not all, for the "other sheep" shall enjoy also the grand privilege of fulfilling the divine mandate. This earth was created, not to be destroyed, but to be inhabited forever by righteous, perfect men and women. (Isaiah 45:12,18; Proverbs 10:30; Isaiah 60:21) To this end, God commanded the perfect pair in Eden, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth." (Genesis 1:28, Roth.; Douay) Through sin, Adam and Eve became unrighteous, and forfeited the privilege of bringing forth a righteous race. But God's purpose never fails; his divine mandate to have righteous creatures bring forth offspring of their kind shall be carried out. (Isaiah 14:24,27; 55:11) But when, and how?

¹⁴ Following the deluge of Noah's day, Jehovah repeated to the flood-survivors his divine mandate, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." (Genesis 9:1, Roth.; Douay) But, though counted righteous by reason of their faith, the family of Noah could not, in reality, fulfill this mandate. (Hebrews 11: 7) Why? Be-

cause Jesus had not yet come, to relieve them of inherent sin and condemnation. (Romans 5:12; 1 John 1:7) The re-issuance of the divine mandate following the flood was, therefore, but a small-scale pattern of the real fulfillment by those whom the sons and daughters-in-law of Noah pictured, namely, the "great multitude" of Armageddon survivors. (1 Corinthians 10:11) In the purified earth, free from evil Satanic influence, and with the sin-canceling merit of Christ's sacrifice operating toward them, the survivors of Armageddon, under the direction of the King and his princes, will marry and bring forth children in righteousness, to the glory of God. (Proverbs 28:28) Their offspring at birth will be born in the way of life; hence infant-death, with its overwhelming grief, shall be unknown. (Isaiah 65:20) Every child, reared in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord", will have full opportunity for life through Christ the King; any not desiring to serve Jehovah shall perish, rightly.  — Isaiah 38:19; Ephesians 6:4; Psalm 145: 20.

RETURN OF THE DEAD

¹⁵ The carrying out of the divine mandate to fill the earth will not proceed to the extent of making it inconvenient and impossible to accommodate the resurrection of those dead in their graves. Filling the earth will include transforming it into a paradise like Eden; and

will not require the full thousand years of Christ's reign. During that time the Devil is cast unconscious into the "bottomless pit", and his death-dealing organization will be out of existence. (Revelation 20:1-4) An extensive educational work will be necessary, therefore, in the course of the thousand-year reign when billions of "unjust" dead, needing instruction in God's law, are scheduled to arise from their tombs. (Revelation 20:5) At the very end of this period, the imprisoned Satan will be released. (Revelation 20:7) His mental attitude unchanged, the Devil will again seek to usurp Jehovah's position of universal sovereignty, and endeavor to turn all humankind against God. (Revelation 20: 8) Some will be deceived, while those who keep integrity in this concluding faith-test will share in the final vindication of Jehovah's name. Those supporting Satan shall, with the Devil himself, be cast into the "lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death". (Revelation 21:8; 20:10,14,15) For them there is no resurrection.

¹⁶ Then, in that wicked-less world, the Almighty, through His Kingdom and "new earth" arrangement, will shower down upon earth's billions of perfect inhabitants an overflow of divine blessings that shall fill their hearts with unquenchable gladness. Here will be a world without death, illness, sorrow, or tears, or religious confusion. (Revelation 21:4) A secure,

God-worshiping world it will be, filled with love and joy and all things desirable, that shall remain, not for a thousand, or million, or even a billion years, but forever. — Psalm 72: 7.

¹⁷ This is the WORLD WITHOUT END. (Isaiah 45:17; Ephesians 3: 21) Would you enjoy living in it? If yes, then become one of the "other sheep" now, share in the heart-cheering proclamation of the Kingdom, and be assured of God's blessing, guidance and protection, as your steps lead you into full realization of the glorious life-prospect ahead. — Psalms 148:12,13; 145:10-13,21.