Do you ever find yourself wondering where our world is headed? These days, just a simple check of the news can be enough to spark deep concerns about the condition our world is in today. Despite all our modern technology and scientific advancements, things just seem to be going downhill faster than ever before. There’s a global increase in crime, widespread governmental corruption, and diseases ravaging entire continents. In the natural world, too, we see a sharp increase in natural disasters, a concerningly large number of endangered species, and growing concern about global climate change. It doesn’t take much to be worried about the long-term future of our world.
These problems should be no surprise to students of the Bible, though. Thousands of years ago, the Bible not only accurately described the condition of our world today, but also made it clear that its problems are going to get much worse before they get better. In Matthew 24, Christ foretells wars and rumours of wars, increases in destructive diseases and famines, and an explosion of natural disasters. (Matt. 24:6-8) Jesus identifies all these things as being signs of the end of time, describing how these catastrophic events won’t slowly even out, but instead will steadily increase in both frequency and intensity as time progresses-similar to how labor pains progress during childbirth. (1 Thess. 5:2-3) Paul, describing the chaotic world of the last days, says that people will be “lovers of themselves… without self-control… [and] lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” (see 2 Tim. 3:1-5) Sadly, these signs of global collapse aren’t anything new. Even back in Biblical times, these signs of impending judgement were all too evident.
Jeremiah was a prophet that God spoke to during some of the darkest days in Israel’s history. Known as “the weeping prophet,” it was his job to warn the nation of Israel of the coming judgement of God. Israel had been worshipping idols and breaking God’s law for years, and God was doing His best to get them to repent before punishment was required to bring them to their senses. For 40 years, Jeremiah preached to the apostate nation, urging them to repent and be saved from the coming judgement, reminding them that unless they repented, their temple and capital city would be destroyed and the entire nation would be taken captive by Babylon for 70 years.
Ignoring God’s repeated warnings, however, Israel continued to rebel against God’s law and true to His word, God sent Babylon to fight against Israel and conquer the nation. Just like Jeremiah had predicted, the Israelite capital of Jerusalem was destroyed along with Solomon’s temple. The nation was taken captive, and the world of the Israelites crumbled around them.
Right in the middle of those catastrophic events, though, the Lord told Jeremiah to write His people a letter of hope. Recorded for us in Jeremiah 29, God makes His wayward people a promise: a promise to inspire hope in everyone who chose to trust His love no matter what.
This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
Jeremiah 29:10-14
God fulfilled that promise, too. Right when the 70 years was up, God freed Israel from captivity and poured out His rich blessings on them once again. He moved upon the heart of King Cyrus to not just release them from their captivity, but to pay for all the materials they needed to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.
You see, no matter how dark things got for the exiled nation of Israel, all those that came to God and repented of their sins could take courage from the Divine promise to take them home and bless their nation. God desired to give His children hope to help them see beyond the judgment to their glorious return to the promised land.
And if anything, God’s promise to Israel is more relevant now than ever. In the crazy times we live in today, God has not forgotten His people today left them without hope. Just like He did with Israel, He’s left us a promise of hope. In John 14:1-3. Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
You see, even though everything around us might make it seem like this world is going down the tubes, we don’t have to be worried or scared for the future if we give our lives to God. That’s because God has given His children the hope of a better life in His perfect, heavenly kingdom. Even in this world’s darkest hour and even though the world as we know it is falling apart around us, you and I can excitedly look forward to the beautiful future that God has planned for us in heaven. In the midst of the great end-time judgement of this world, God’s promise to take His children to heaven will give us the encouragement to persevere and stay faithful.
What is it that we can look forward to? Well, God promises that in His kingdom there will be no more pain, crying, tears, death, or anything else that is less than the best for his children. He promises to re-create the Earth and to come live forever among His people (Rev. 21:4-5). No one will get old any more, but will instead “mount up with wings like eagles… run and not grow weary… walk and not faint.” (Is. 40:31) There will be nothing but pure joy in His presence (Ps. 16:11). In heaven, there will be no more night—no darkness or sleep for all eternity—because God will dwell with us, and in the light of His presence imperfection, pain and fatigue have no place (Rev. 22:5).
In fact, the future that God has planned for us is so good that we can’t fully comprehend what it will be like, which is why 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” Even if we can’t understand everything about heaven, though, we can have the assurance of salvation today through the mercy of Jesus, who promises to not just make a new heavens and a new earth, but to also give you a new heart (Eze. 36:26).
Friend, do you choose to trust in God’s promise to save you from the coming destruction? In the final time of trouble, will you be able to rest in His peace and look forward to His heavenly kingdom? Look to Jesus today, and let Him save you, because one day very soon earth and heaven will pass away and Christ will set up his glorious kingdom—a kingdom with no more night, darkness, or sin. He wants you to be there.