The Constant Church of God presents clear answers to your questions, directly from the Bible!

Will the earth be totally destroyed?

What does the Bible say? Let’s turn to 2nd Peter chapter 3 and verse 10, and see what it actually says.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up.

Is Peter talking about the total destruction of the earth?

Notice what Peter wrote in verse 7.

7 But by the same word the heavens and the earth that now exist have been stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. This fire is the judgment of ungodly men. This is the Lake of Gehenna Fire which is the second death...

This is the unquenchable fire mentioned in Revelation chapter 20, verse 14.

14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

An unquenchable fire is one that cannot be put out. It merely burns until it has consumed all combustible material.

Then it dies out for lack of anything else to consume. This is what Peter said. EVERYTHING will be burned up.

This fire of judgment is explained by the prophet Malachi in Malachi chapter 4, verse 1.

1 For behold, the day comes, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.

Let’s continue and read verse 3.

3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.

Malachi says ALL the arrogant and ALL evildoers SHALL BE ASHES UNDER the soles of YOUR FEET.

Notice that there will be ashes left when this unquenchable fire dies out.

This planet we call EARTH WILL still EXIST! The righteous will still be on this earth.

This is exactly what Peter meant in 2nd Peter chapter 3 and verse 6.

6 …the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.

He used the example of Noah’s Flood as a type of the FUTURE cleansing of the earth by fire.

Just as the earth continued to exist after the Flood, so the earth will continue to exist after the coming worldwide Gehenna Fire.

Continuing with what Peter said in verse 13.

13 …we wait for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

In Revelation, the last book of the Bible, we read about a new heaven and a new earth in chapter 21, verse 1.

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more.

2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…

And then John heard, verse 3, “a loud voice” from the throne saying “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them.”

Picture this incredible event!

God the Father Himself, coming down from heaven, will dwell with men RIGHT HERE ON THIS EARTH in the new Jerusalem.

So they shall be His people, and He will be their God.

Clearly we see that the NEW EARTH WILL NOT PASS AWAY.

The simple explanation of Peter’s statement is:

The surface of the earth and everything on it, including the wicked, will be destroyed by fire.

God will then remake the surface of the earth.

The Earth will Become the Headquarters of the Universe, Because God Himself will live here together with those who have chosen to obey Him.

These words reveal an incredible future for ALL mankind!

How wonderful beyond words is the glory of God, His plan and His purpose.

Don’t believe me, check and verify these verses in your own Bible.

Yes, God inspired His chief apostle Peter to write and clearly explain that the earth will not be destroyed.

It will abide FOREVER.

This is Garry Schaeffer with the Constant Church of God.

Join us again next time to hear more about what the Bible actually says!