Does the Bible Tell Us How the World Will End?

Talking about the end of the world is scary. The amazing thing is that predicting it has been going on for thousands of years. Quoting a few lines from a 2009 Smithsonian Magazine article: “An Assyrian clay tablet dating to around 2800 B.C. bears the inscription: Our Earth is degenerate in these later days; there are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end; bribery and corruption are common; children no longer obey their parents; every man wants to write a book and the end of the world is evidently approaching." So, does the Bible actually tell us how the world will end? It doesn't, but the more appropriate question is, does it give us prophecies that describe how the world will dramatically change? Absolutely! We are not piling on to the mountain of end-of-the-world predictions here; instead, we are seeking to interpret world-changing events as prophesied in Scripture. Dramatic Bible prophecies Sometimes Bible prophecies can be really cryptic and mystifying, especially when they speak of the things like the earth collapsing or melting. We can look at what is being described and easily draw the wrong conclusions. The 46th chapter of Psalms is such a prophecy. It tells us of raging ocean waters, mountains shaking and falling into the sea and the earth melting. People seem to gravitate to the drama of these kinds of descriptions. They are the types of things you see in those end times, apocalyptic movies. As Bible-believing Christians, we have to ask ourselves if such statements in Scripture should be taken literally or figuratively. So, does Psalm 46 tell us how the world will end? According to this prophecy, will the physical earth be turned into a molten mass of liquified elements? Will all life cease to exist? If we say yes, then we have to answer the question of why. Why would God create this world, inhabit it with humanity, allow sin, and then bring a Savior only to utterly destroy it? Would this reveal a God of love, wisdom, justice and power, or a God of chaos, reactions and rage? Fortunately, God reveals Himself to be the God of love, wisdom, justice and power. His stated intention regarding the earth is that it will remain forever (Ecclesiastes 1:4). That being said, what does having the mountains fall into the raging sea mean? It means trouble - world-changing, chaos-causing trouble. Check out our April 4, 2022 podcast, “Does the Bible Tell Us How the World Will End?” for more. We examine the language Psalm 46 and define what these scriptural symbols mean. We then follow how these symbols apply in our present day. The conclusion is startling! We are here and now living in the time of this prophecy’s dramatic fulfillment. While this can be scary, it can also be comforting. Join us as we put the pieces together and watch God’s masterful plan unfold!