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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