Life In The New Jerusalem
Q. In the Tribulation, God will destroy the nations. What does “destroy” mean? Does it mean to destroy them politically, economically, or physically as with nuclear and natural events? Are all of those things meant — will the gentile world be reduced to rubble with only a few wandering, starving, sick individuals left?
During the Millennium, it sounds as if the “world” begins in an Edenic condition, so what will happen to restore it to that condition? That is, will there be miraculous acts by God to restore it physically and socially, or will society be reorganized in such a was as to rebuild what sounds like an, essentially, an agrarian society?
I’m excited by the whole scene because I’ve never been able to envision the Church sitting around in the New Jerusalem twiddling our thumbs. I see us as actively participating in meaningful work to rebuild the world and to help Jesus establish a society of justice, peace and plenty for all.
A. The Hebrew word translated destroy in Jeremiah 30:11 literally means complete destruction or annihilation. While the Bible doesn’t say this clearly, I believe the judgments of the Great Tribulation are partly for the purpose of re-forming the Earth and preparing it for the restoration that will take place with the Lord’s coming. In various places you can read of all the mountains falling and every building toppling. About half the world’s population will apparently survive all this, but those who haven’t become believers will be escorted off the planet, leaving only believers to re-inhabit the nations.
I believe it was always the Lord’s intention that we remain an agrarian society. Building cities, inventing labor saving devices, and pursuing activities associated with leisure and self fulfillment all came through the rebellious line of Cain.
Our role in the Earth’s restoration is not defined anywhere that I can find, so we’ll have to wait and see about that. But my understanding of the first 1000 years of our eternity with the Lord certainly does not include sitting around twiddling our thumbs. No matter what the Lord has us doing, it won’t be boring.
