Our earth is God’s possession, and He has promised to return this planet to its pristine perfection as it was created. There was no ice cap on the North Pole. It was a place of garden beauty and a living paradise. Oceans, as they now exist, were absent and this entire earth was filled with God’s beautiful creation. The dinosaurs and other large creatures roamed in playful plenty and lived on the exotic plants and fruit that were abundant. All of this returning to perfection is very near and the earth will continue to show the coming changes. As it all approaches, the weather patterns will appear wild and unpredictable. The earth’s crust must continue to explode in change; and we will see it in earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and other violent patterns.

Old Testament prophets spoke of the end times and the return of a peaceful world, where all the violent changes were complete and joy returned to God’s earth. Isaiah prophesied of this great day before us. “But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:4-9) The prophet Habakkuk spoke of the very same perfection in all the earth.

Another great prophet of God said, “Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.” (Ezekiel 36:33-36) These are not idle promises; they are literal promises. John the Revelator in the last book of Scripture said it best of all.

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Revelation 21:1,4) We know so little of our world before sin invaded the garden that we cannot imagine a perfect world where every expression of nature is complete and pure. It cannot fail to be fulfilled just exactly as the promises we have read.

The coming Lake of Fire also demands a process of global warming. This lake does not exist presently because the wicked dead are now in hellfire, enclosed in the bowels of the earth. That fire cannot escape except in violent acts of a volcanic explosion or an earthquake. These kinds of events are due to increase as the end nears. The wicked dead will be judged as they appear out of hell before the White Throne Judgment. When the earth is new in God’s created perfection, the Lake of Fire will be the eternal abode of the wicked. The Bible does not address where this Lake of Fire will exist, but it will be visible to the righteous as a reminder of the saving blood of Jesus Christ.

The Word of God gives a breathtaking picture of this eternal abode of godless souls. It is clear that it will be visible forever. “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” (Isaiah 66:22-24) Connecting the New Heaven and New Earth to the existence of the eternal abode of the Lake of Fire leaves no doubt of God’s meaning. The righteous will go forth and look at the carcasses of the wicked and return to worship the great God that has prepared such a glorious eternity for His saints. No wonder the Bible said, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God...” (Psalm 53:1)

Eternal springtime is God’s order for the future. The entire earth will be a paradise with the city of earthly Jerusalem being the eternal capital of the same. Jerusalem will spread from the Sea of Galilee to the revised and living original Dead Sea. The earth’s geographical landscape will be perfectly renewed with mountains descending and valleys rising. The oceans will disappear with the ocean’s bottom rising to reveal their wealth and become gardens of glory and beauty. The Word of God says, “...and there was no more sea.” (Revelation 21:1) The beauty of this earth will be God’s eternal city blended together with New Jerusalem descending out of the north to fix itself over the earth.

John said, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” (Revelation 21:2-5) Yes, global warming is the order of the future and probably has already reversed itself from the past to fit God’s glorious plans. This earth’s clock is running down and our God is not going to rewind it with all its filth and sin. He is going to judge it, cleanse it, and remove the godless crowd of defiling multitudes and the righteous will take dominion. It’s all in God’s book.

Joseph R. Chambers