Predictions abound about massive worldwide upheaval and the end of the world. They are found in popular sci-fi movies and books, religious figures proclaim it and Internet sites are filled with theories about the complete annihilation of the human race in the near future.

In this fall issue of Compass Check magazine, which is our pre-Feast issue, let’s address this vital question for all of us: Will the world end, or is there a better one coming?

First, some bad news

Jesus’ disciples asked Him the question we are addressing in this article. Specifically, they asked Jesus in Matthew 24:3: “ . . . And what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the age?” This was in the context of events just prior to His return to the earth. But note that they referred to this as “the end of the age” and not “the end of the world,” as some have incorrectly translated this.

This is key to our understanding. The disciples were asking about the end of “this present evil age” (see Galatians 1:4). So Jesus told them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7-8).

Elsewhere the Bible details those other “sorrows.” The book of Revelation describes many worldwide events that are coming, including cosmic disturbances such as the darkening of the sun and moon and the plummeting of meteors from the sky (Revelation 6:12-13); colossal environmental disasters impacting vegetation (Revelation 8:7), sea life (verse 8) and the atmosphere (verse 12); and the most powerful, destructive earthquake in the history of mankind (Revelation 16:18). We’re talking about a pretty big deal here!

But why do these end-time events have to take place? Mankind is stubborn and generally does not want Almighty God to rule their lives. This stubbornness started about 6,000 years ago in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were told by God to not eat of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Instead of obeying God and trusting in Him, they chose to follow Satan and their human nature. Simply put, they rebelled against God and thought they knew better than God! (You can review the beginning of the “bad news” in Genesis 2:16-17, Genesis 3:1-19.)

God cannot bless rebellion and sin. Sin is the breaking of His holy laws as we find in 1 John 3:4: “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”

Take war, for example, and the sixth commandment in Exodus 20:13: “You shall not murder.” In the following quote we read about the devastating loss of human life to war. It is tragic!

“At least 108 million people were killed in wars in the twentieth century. Estimates for the total number killed in wars throughout all of human history range from 150 million to 1 billion. Of the past 3,400 years, humans have been entirely at peace for 268 of them, or 8 percent of recorded history” (The New York Times, July 6, 2003).

The Bible shows that in the end-time, war will once again be on the rise. When will mankind learn that war does not bring peace?

So far, it looks like the end-of-the-world folks are pretty close to the mark. Will mankind survive all this upheaval? Humanly, we can’t.

Now, the good news

The Bible reveals that mankind would be entirely wiped off the face of the earth except for the sudden and universe-changing rescue by Jesus Christ! Jesus gave the disciples (and us too) hope and assurance: “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved [alive]; but for the elect’s sake [the sake of those God is working with today] those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:22).

Tragically, even when God the Father sends Jesus Christ to this earth to rescue us from total destruction, mankind will fight the Son of God. Notice in Revelation 19:19: “And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.” This shows how totally deceived our world will become during the dark close of this age.

The return of Jesus Christ to rescue planet earth is pictured in the meaning of the first fall Festival, the Feast of Trumpets. Jesus’ return initiates the resurrection of the saints of God who have died in the faith or who are alive when He returns. You can read this in Matthew 24:30-31: “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Satan bound

Satan’s influence over humanity will then be ended for an entire 1,000 years, which is the meaning of the Day of Atonement. Satan will be bound and thrust into the bottomless pit, which pictures a place of restraint, where he and the demons cannot influence humanity.

This is found in Revelation 20:1-3: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.”

A better world coming

God gives us confidence to know that the world won’t end in the way that many predict. With the upheaval surrounding Christ’s return and the changes He will then bring, the world as we know it will come to an end at that future time—though the earth itself and humankind will survive. This is wonderful news!

So what happens after Jesus intervenes to set things straight and prevent life on earth from being destroyed? Our planet will be in rough shape. But God has a plan for everything, and His plan for what follows after Christ’s return is amazing and beautiful. The meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles pictures this time.

Jesus Christ will rule the world from Jerusalem and be our loving King (Isaiah 2:2, 9:7, Isaiah 11:1-5). War will be a relic of the past (Isaiah 2:4, Isaiah 11:9). God will miraculously transform major portions of the world so mankind can inhabit these areas (Isaiah 35:1). The law of God will be taught to all people around the world (Isaiah 2:3), and God’s Holy Spirit will be available to everyone so repentance can take place (Isaiah 25:7-9; Ezekiel 36:26-27, 31). Even the wild nature of animals will be removed (Isaiah 11:6-8). God will remove the veil of spiritual blindness so all people can learn about Him (2 Corinthians 3:13-18; Isaiah 2:2-3).

Those individuals whom God the Father has drawn during this physical life to have a relationship with Him and His Son, and who have been faithful in this calling, will be blessed with eternal spirit life in the Kingdom of God. “ . . . And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).

The Bible shows that there are some very difficult and dangerous times ahead—“some bad news.” Thankfully, we also know that in His goodness and mercy God won’t allow mankind to be destroyed, but will send Jesus Christ back to earth to intervene—“the good news.” God tells us in Revelation 20 that those in the “first resurrection” will be “blessed and holy” (Revelation 20:6).

So now that we know what to expect from the future, what should we do about it? We need to put this knowledge into action. When you and I personally come to the point in our lives that we don’t want to live any longer by our own rules or the ways of this world, and instead submit to God, accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Master and repent of our sins, then we may be baptized and, with the laying on of hands, receive God’s Holy Spirit. (Search “The Holy Spirit: God’s Power at Work” at ucg.org .) This, too, is really good news.

God is our place of refuge

The ultimate “place of refuge” is in your personal relationship with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. We read this in Psalm 9:9-10: “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”

God gives us understanding of what’s coming to give us peace and to prepare us for things to come. God gives us peace, a calmness and hope in our lives. We don’t need to worry about the future of the world. God is in charge of all things and His love for humanity will not be thwarted by Satan or mankind. God reigns supreme.

Prophecy gives us knowledge of future events so we can draw closer to God. So don’t worry about the end of the world. Instead, look forward to the far better world to come!