Interesting Questions-130

Destruction of the world by fire

Letter to the Editor:
PASUGO, Date 2000, p.2

I NOTICE THAT our religions agree on many points like not eating blood and not believing in the Trinity. We also believe that all other religions and even so-called Christian churches are of Satan. But why do you believe that Jehovah will destroy the world by fire? Isn't that just a figure of speech and shouldn't be taken literally?

Name withheld

Editor's reply:

We believe that God will destroy the world by means of fire on Judgment Day as the Bible teaches. Apostle Peter explained this by comparing what would happen on Judgment Day   with what happened during the time of Noah:

“For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which now exist are kept on store by the same word, reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men… But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” (II Pt. 3:5-7, 10, New King James Version)

As the ancient civilization was destroyed literally through a great flood, the present world will also be literally destroyed by fire on Christ’s Second Advent. Apostle Paul wrote:

“And to give who you are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” (II Thess. 1:7-9, NKJV)

Even before the Christian era, God forewarned through His prophets that He would destroy the world by fire:

“Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land.” (Zeph. 1:18, NKJV)

Hence, just as God’s wrath is real, no one should conclude that the fire He will use in destroying the world is unreal or only a figure of speech.

We would also understand that Christ does not by Himself know when the day of Judgment will come, but only the Father in heaven does (Mt. 24:36).

³⁶ “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. (Mt. 24:36, NKJV)

In spite of this fact, Jehovah’s Witnesses has repeatedly tried to predict the Second Advent of Christ and failed consistently. These failures were published in its magazines, proving that it is not the true religion.

The true religion teaches that only the Heavenly Father knows the exact time of the day of Judgment and that He will destroy the earth by means of real fire as written in the Bible.

 

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