God Kills and Makes Alive

The Bible predicts that this universe and earth will someday pass away.  It is not even bold to say it will not be man's doing.  Man has corrupted the earth with sin and violence, but man does not have the power to vaporise the earth.  Even if the nuclear arsenals of the world were detonated, the world would remain.  How can I be so sure?  Because the Word of God makes it clear that it will be God's doing.  The God who spoke the world into existence from nothing also has the power to make it into nothing with His Word alone.  Jesus says in Luke 21:33, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  No power devised by man, no scheme of Satan, and not even the violence of Armageddon will fully destroy this earth created by God.  God created it, and God will someday destroy it.  The good thing is God will create a new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells.  All who repent and are born again through faith in Christ will have a place in His heavenly kingdom.

When I was growing up, I remember many people being frightened during the "Cold War" about the threat of nuclear warfare.  It is doubtless a devastating and scary spectre.  But I believe our fear of God must far outweigh any fear of man, making the threat of nuclear disaster of no consequence compared to our reverence and fear of the One True God, Creator of Heaven and Earth.  Revelation 20:11 puts this in clear perspective:  "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them."  The earth which currently stands solid under our feet will dissolve in the presence of God.  The universe with all its stars, planets, and galaxies, an ever-expanding area of practically infinite dimensions, will flee from His face like a frightened rabbit from a pack of baying hounds in the end.  God is awesome, and that really is an understatement.

The certain demise of the world is laid out in 2 Peter 3:3-14:  "...knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, ⁴ and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." ⁵ For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, ⁶ by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. ⁷ But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. ⁸ But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. ¹¹ Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, ¹² looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? ¹³ Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. ¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless..."  God has reserved fire for the judgment of the world and all who refuse to repent and trust in Him.  Ultimate destruction is not in the hands of man.  He can kill the body but cannot touch the soul.  God is the One we must fear, the One who can kill the body and after He has killed can throw the soul into hell.  It is not His will any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

The potential of nuclear warfare pales in comparison to the power and glory found in God.  It is fear of God which dissolves fear of man.  As it is written in 1 Samuel 2:6, "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up."  God will one day dissolve the earth in fervent heat, so let us be those who, "according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."