Lesson 5
What Is God’s Purpose for the Earth?
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Why did Jehovah create the earth? (1, 2) |
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Why is the earth not a paradise now? (3) |
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What will happen to wicked people? (4) |
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In the future, what will Jesus do for the sick? the elderly? the dead? (5, 6) |
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To share in the future blessings, what do you need to do? (7) |
1. Jehovah created this earth so that humans could enjoy living on it forever. He wanted the earth always to be inhabited by righteous, happy people. (Psalm 115:16; Isaiah 45:18) The earth will never be destroyed; it will last forever.—Psalm 104:5; Ecclesiastes 1:4.
Paradise Lost |
2. Before God made man, He chose one small part of the earth and made it into a beautiful paradise. He called it the garden of Eden. It was here that he put the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. God purposed for them to have children and fill the whole earth. Gradually they would have made the entire earth into a paradise.—Genesis 1:28; 2:8, 15.
3. Adam and Eve sinned by deliberately breaking God’s law. So Jehovah put them out of the garden of Eden. Paradise was lost. (Genesis 3:1-6, 23) But Jehovah has not forgotten his purpose for this earth. He promises to make it into a paradise, where humans will live forever. How will he do this?—Psalm 37:29.
4. Before this earth can become a paradise, wicked people must be removed. (Psalm 37:38) This will happen at Armageddon, which is God’s war to end wickedness. Next, Satan will be imprisoned for 1,000 years. This means that no wicked ones will be left to spoil the earth. Only God’s people will survive.—Revelation 16:14, 16; 20:1-3.
5. Then Jesus Christ will rule as King over this earth for 1,000 years. (Revelation 20:6) He will gradually take sin away from our minds and bodies. We will become perfect humans just as Adam and Eve were before they sinned. Then there will be no more sickness, old age, and death. Sick people will be cured, and old persons will become young again.—Job 33:25; Isaiah 33:24; Revelation 21:3, 4.
6. During Jesus’ Thousand Year Reign, faithful humans will work to turn the whole earth into a paradise. (Luke 23:43) Also, millions of dead ones will be resurrected to human life on the earth. (Acts 24:15) If they do what God requires of them, they will continue to live on earth forever. If not, they will be destroyed forever.—John 5:28, 29; Revelation 20:11-15.
7. God’s original purpose for the earth will thus succeed. Would you like to share in these future blessings? If so, you need to keep learning about Jehovah and obeying his requirements. Attending meetings at the local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses will help you to do so.—Isaiah 11:9; Hebrews 10:24, 25. |
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