The Pathway Machine

A response to The Skeptic's Annotated Bible - Will The Earth Last Forever? This response demonstrates that there isn't a contradiction because the SAB fails to appreciate that the Bible uses the word "earth" in application of land or its people and the use of "heaven" as government. The Bible says the planet Earth will last forever.

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In support of the earth lasting forever the SAB give the following scripture.

Deuteronomy 4:40 - That thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for ever.

Response: The word Erets is similar to our word Earth. It can mean, among other things, "soil," "land," or planet Earth. Other translations use the word "soil" where the KJV uses earth. But the important point for consideration in Deuteronomy 4:40 is that there was the stipulation to the people that they keep the commandments and regulations. This was mentioned in the early part of the verse. So this verse is actually saying that if they keep the commandments and regulations they could have the land forever. Of course, they didn't do that.

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Psalm 37:29 - The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

Response: It is interesting here that the KJV uses the term land where other translations use the term earth. In Deuteronomy 4:40 mentioned above the KJV used "earth" where "land" would have been more appropriate and here in Psalm 37:29 they use the term "land" where "earth" would have been more appropriate. When Psalm 37:29 was translated into the Greek for the Septuagint, the Hebrew Erets was translated into the Greek Ge, which is what Jesus used at Matthew 5:5 and the KJV translates as "earth."

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Psalm 78:69; 104:5 and Ecclesiastes 1:4 all properly convey the correct notion that the planet Earth will remain inhabited by man forever.

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In support of a contradiction to the above, namely; that the earth will be destroyed rather than last forever, the SAB give the following scripture.

Psalm 102:25-26 - The earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish.

Response: This is a good choice of scripture for the SAB. It actually does seem to be saying that the earth is going to suffer destruction. The skeptics aren't going to like my explanation. The psalmist isn't saying that the earth will perish, he is saying that it would perish without Jehovah God. It was probably written during the Babylonian exile, when Jerusalem had been destroyed, but with a promise that it would be rebuilt. (Isaiah 66:8) The latter part of verse 26 says that after the Earth parishes it would be replaced, just as with Jerusalem.

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Isaiah 65:17 - For, behold, I create a new heavens and a new earth.

Response: At Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22 Jehovah told Isaiah that he was forming a "new heavens" and "new earth." This was fulfilled when the Israelites returned to Jerusalem in 537 B.C.E with a "new earth" (country) having been cleansed and a "new heavens" (government) having been replaced. M'Clintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia (1891, Vol. IV, p. 122): "In Isa. lxv, 17, a new heaven and a new earth signify a new government, new kingdom, new people."

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Matthew 5:18 - For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Response: This verse should have been used for support that the earth will not be destroyed because it is saying that the heavens and earth would more likely pass away before the law, which is a statement of exaggeration stressing the certainty of the fulfillment of the law.

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Matthew 24:35 / Mark 13:31 / Luke 21:33 - Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away.

Response: There are several things to consider here. First of all, Jesus was speaking to the Jews who God was judging. Those who repented, accepted the messiah, and listened to Jesus knew, from scripture, that the earth was going to last forever. (Psalm 104:5 / Ecclesiastes 1:4 / Isaiah 45:18) So they would have known that Jesus was stressing the permanence of his words. They would also recognize the similarity with Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22 mentioned above as a destruction of the Jewish system. The government, land and people, as being "destroyed" by the Babylonians just as Jesus would prophecy the Romans would destroy Jerusalem in 70 C.E. None of this points to a literal destruction of the heavens and earth.

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Hebrews 1:10-11 - Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands. They shall perish.

Response: The most interesting thing about this verse, to me, is that where it says "perish" literally means "will destroy themselves."

Hebrews 1:10-12 is quoting Psalm 102:25-27 which was addressed above.

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2 Peter 3:10 - The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Response: 2 Peter 3:7, 10 says that the ungodly men will be destroyed. Heaven and earth are to be "burned up," (RS, JB) "will be made manifest," (NAB) "will vanish," (TEV) "will be laid bare," (NE) "will be discovered." (NW) The Codex Sinaiticus and Vatican MS 1209 from the fourth century C.E. read "be discovered." Later manuscripts like the Codex Alexandrinus (15th Century) and Clementine recension for the Vulgate (16th century) read "be burned up."

Peter compares this to the flood of Noah's day. Then god foretold the destruction of the earth by a flood. (2 Peter 3:6) The earth was not destroyed, but the ungodly people were. At Genesis 11:1 it says that the earth had only one language. Did that mean that the planet spoke the language? No, but rather the people. Erets and Ge (Hebrew and Greek words translated as earth) were used in application of the people of earth.

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2 Peter 3:13 - Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth.

Revelation 21:1 - And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.

Response: Again, these verses are talking about the earth as being the people of earth, and heaven as being the government of the people. Heaven will have been cleansed, as of the end of the war between Michael and Satan and his demons, and earth will be rid of Satan, sin, death and ungodly people. Jehovah God's Kingdom will rule. (1 John 2:17)