Earth

Watching the World

A Unique Planet
Scientists have long speculated about the possibility that life exists on other planets. It was
assumed that the conditions that make life possible on earth must likewise exist somewhere
among the hundreds of billions of galaxies of the cosmos. The French magazine Le Nouvel
Observateur, however, says that it is now more and more apparent that “too many miraculous
coincidences preceded the appearance of man on earth” and that the latest discoveries regarding
the universe and the earth itself “have enormously reduced the probability, already minute, that
the same process could have taken place elsewhere.” Commenting on the near mathematical
impossibility of identical conditions existing on another planet, the magazine notes that scientists
are sure that life exists on at least one planet—ours.
Television or Newspapers for Accurate News?
In Australia, television news is slipping in credibility while newspapers are gaining. According
to a media study published in The Australian, “television [has] largely sacrificed accuracy,
reliability and fairness to its subject in pursuit of a ‘good story.’” For example, some TV news is
enhanced by old file tapes to make a more sensational story. Of the 500 news stories analyzed,
260 used file footage, the study found. If a TV news report includes file tapes, people normally
expect this to be acknowledged, but this is not always done. The report states: “Research by the
Ray Morgan Research Centre . . . shows the number of people who believed television was the
best medium for ‘accurate and reliable news’ fell by more than 12 percentage points, from a peak
of 53.7 per cent in 1986 to 41.5 per cent” in 1993.
Parent/Child Relationship?
Should parents treat their children as peers? Educator Lisandre Maria Castello Branco of São
Paulo University says in the Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo: “Parents are never equal
to their children, and this has to be made clear. . . . When the place of authority is vacant, the
youth becomes abandoned, an orphan. A child always expects of his parents the responsibility of
an adult who chooses to educate a person.”
Cesarean Sections Increasing
“Ten thousand gynecologists point the finger at Italy: too many cesareans,” reports Rome’s
newspaper Il Messaggero. For the number of births by cesarean section, Italy places first in
Europe and third in the world, behind the United States and Brazil. Since 1980, cesarean
operations have doubled in Italy; now almost 1 child in 4 is delivered by cesarean section. Why
the increase? According to Il Messaggero, there are two reasons besides medical ones: Women
want to avoid painful deliveries, and doctors, fearing court action, prefer a less-risky procedure.
However, although cesarean sections have long been viewed as safe, many doctors believe that
they are used too often and not always for good reasons. Carlo Signorelli, of La Sapienza
University, Rome, said: “There would not appear to be any correlation between cesareans and
perinatal mortality.” And Luciano Movicelli, of the S. Orsola Hospital, Bologna, noted: “The
conviction that a cesarean equals more safety ought to be thrown out because it is absolutely
false.”
Keeping Up Appearances
What is a Japanese man to do when he does not have enough relatives or friends to keep up
proper appearances at weddings and funerals? The answer: Rent them. A bride and a groom
each usually try to invite the same number of guests. However, if the two groups are unequal or
either is too small to make a suitable impression, the bride or groom may secretly call on the
services of the benriya, literally “useful persons.” Benriya do almost any odd job, including
substituting for relatives and friends. In the case of funerals, they are hired not as professional
mourners but as substitutes so that neighbors will not discover, for example, that the deceased’s

1
work associates would not come. The owner of a benriya company was reported in Mainichi Daily
News as saying that at one company executive’s funeral he attended, about 60 of the 100 people
present were benriya. “The family must have called up 3 or 4 benriya companies,” he said.
What Makes Teachers Popular?
“Even though many children moan about school more and more often, most of them still have
a favorite teacher,” reports the German newspaper Nassauische Neue Presse. Indeed,
91 percent of girls and 83 percent of boys have a favorite teacher. A survey of 2,080 students
between 7 and 16 years of age tried to discover what qualities make teachers popular with their
students. It may be surprising to many that “a teacher who gives little homework is not
necessarily the favorite.” Much more important is that the teacher be fair, have a sense of humor,
and make lessons interesting. Furthermore, students appreciate teachers who are able to explain
things well, keep calm, and show understanding.
Untended Children
More and more Australian parents leave small children alone at home to fend for themselves
while the parents are off at work or engaged in other activities. This worrisome trend has
particularly come to light since the establishment of a national telephone hotline for children. It is
now receiving about 35,000 calls a week from distressed youngsters. According to The Sunday
Telegraph of Sydney, the help line’s director says: “We have a steady procession of kids who are
at the extreme end of the problem—kids left alone without food or any sort of parental care.” The
paper commented: “[This] is an indictment on modern family life as we know it.” In fact, some of
these children are little more than tots; one caller to an emergency number was a scared four-
year-old girl.
Our Garbage Talks
What is our garbage saying? It is telling us what patterns of human behavior we follow.
Garbage reveals what we consume and what we waste. “People who live routine, predictable
lives waste less, because they tend to buy only what they need and consume what they buy,”
said The Toronto Star. Surprisingly, when there is a shortage of something, “people,
paradoxically, waste a lot more of it than when it’s abundantly available,” added the Star. Why is
this so? People hoard. They buy more than they need and then dispose of what they do not use.
Hot dogs—lots of hot dogs—are the most common food found in wet garbage. Paper, an
abundance of paper, particularly newsprint, finds its way into landfills. The computer age has
added more, not less, paper to our dry garbage. The overall message of our garbage is that we
are living in a wasteful society.
AIDS Vaccine “Unprofitable”
The World Health Organization’s director of research and development, Dr. Piot, has
announced that economic considerations have caused some pharmaceutical laboratories to
abandon their search for an AIDS vaccine in favor of drugs for treating AIDS patients. It
is reported that the laboratories fear that if an effective AIDS vaccine were developed,
government pressure would force them to surrender the product to the public, leaving little room
for profit.
Parental Guidance Needed
Conversing by means of computers, children often get messages full of sexual innuendo or
outright proposition. They can communicate with transvestites and homosexuals. They can learn
how to make bombs, how to steal credit-card numbers, and how to break into other computer
systems and to commit criminal acts. Certain computer games allure children into unlimited
withdrawal from reality, and a number get addicted to them. Some say “the solution lies in that
most daunting task: teaching values,” notes The Washington Post National Weekly Edition.
Mother at 62
At the age of 62, an Italian woman gave birth to a child. Mother and child, a boy weighing 7
pounds 3 ounces [3 kg 270 g], are doing fine. Along with the congratulations for the happy event,

2
the case also raised an uproar in the field of ethics. Why? The mother became pregnant by
means of artificial insemination. “I know this case will cause a storm,” commented Professor
Severino Antinori, the gynecologist who assisted the birth, “but it should be considered an
extreme measure.”

The Earth—God’s Gift to Us

“IN THE beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” He also pronounced the earth to
be “very good.” (Genesis 1:1, 31) No piles of trash disfigured it; no garbage dumps polluted it. A
beautiful gift was bequeathed to mankind: “As regards the heavens, to Jehovah the heavens
belong, but the earth he has given to the sons of men.”—Psalm 115:16.
At Isaiah 45:18, he tells what his purpose is for the earth: “This is what Jehovah has said, the
Creator of the heavens, He the true God, the Former of the earth and the Maker of it, He the One
who firmly established it, who did not create it simply for nothing, who formed it even to be
inhabited: ‘I am Jehovah, and there is no one else.’”
He shows specifically what man’s responsibility toward the earth is—“to cultivate it and to take
care of it.”—Genesis 2:15.
Jehovah sets the example. He takes care of the earth. One way is by recycling the important
provisions of earth, the things on which all life on earth are dependent. A special issue of
Scientific American had articles on several of these cycles, which included the energy cycle of the
earth, the energy cycle of the biosphere, the water cycle, the oxygen cycle, the carbon cycle, the
nitrogen cycle, and the mineral cycles.
The Earth—Both Amazing and Beautiful
The widely published biologist Lewis Thomas, in the science magazine Discover, wrote this
unqualified praise of the earth:
“The overwhelming astonishment, the queerest structure we know about so far in the whole
universe, the greatest of all cosmological scientific puzzles, confounding all our efforts to
comprehend it, is the earth. We are only now beginning to appreciate how strange and splendid it
is, how it catches the breath, the loveliest object afloat around the sun, enclosed in its own blue
bubble of atmosphere, manufacturing and breathing its own oxygen, fixing its own nitrogen from
the air into its own soil, generating its own weather at the surface of its rain forests, constructing
its own carapace from living parts: chalk cliffs, coral reefs, fossils from earlier forms of life now
covered by layers of new life meshed together around the globe.”
These are just a few of the provisions that Jehovah has put in place to keep the earth
functioning as a beautiful gift for mankind, a home created to endure forever for people and
untold millions of other living creatures. Psalm 104:5 says: “He has founded the earth upon its
established places; it will not be made to totter to time indefinite, or forever.” Another inspired
witness testified to this same permanence of the earth: “A generation is going, and a generation
is coming; but the earth is standing even to time indefinite.”—Ecclesiastes 1:4.
Astronauts circling the earth have waxed eloquent over this beautiful, fragile sphere sailing
along in its orbit around the sun and have expressed the need for humankind to appreciate its
beauty and to care for it. Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, when he first glimpsed earth from space,
radioed Houston: “It looks like a sparkling blue and white jewel . . . laced with slowly swirling veils
of white . . . , like a small pearl in a thick black sea of mystery.” Astronaut Frank Borman’s
comment was: “We share such a beautiful planet. . . . The overwhelming wonderment is why in
the world we can’t appreciate what we have.” One of the astronauts of the Apollo 8 moon flight
commented: “In the whole universe, wherever we looked, the only bit of color was back on the
earth. There we could see the royal blue of the seas, the tans and browns of the land, and the

3
whites of the clouds. . . . It was the most beautiful thing to see, in all the heavens. People down
here don’t realize what they have.”
The facts show that statement to be true—people don’t realize the treasure they have. Instead
of taking care of this gift from God, humankind is polluting it and destroying it. Astronauts have
seen this also. Paul Weitz, commander of the first flight of the space shuttle Challenger, said that
the damage man has done to the earth’s atmosphere is “appalling” when seen from space.
“Unfortunately, this world is rapidly becoming a gray planet.” He further added: “What’s the
message? We are fouling our own nest.” And especially has this destructiveness escalated
perilously in these “last days.” Jehovah has pronounced his judgment against those who spoil the
earth, namely, that he will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth.”—Revelation 11:18.
An Ungrateful Society Unworthy of God’s Gift
A materialistic society has trampled underfoot spiritual values to give free rein to the flesh. The
practical guidelines Jehovah gave mankind for happy and contented living have been pushed
aside by the ascendancy of the selfish me-ism that characterizes our times.
Second Timothy 3:1-5 describes perfectly the perilous times in which we are living: “Know this,
that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without
self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers
of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its
power; and from these turn away.”
Commercialism fosters consumerism, and advertising is its handmaiden. Much advertising is
appropriate; much is inappropriate. The latter fits Eric Clark’s observation in The Want Makers:
“Not only does advertising help sell the wrong things to people who can’t afford them, it often
does so at prices that are inappropriately high.” Says Alan Durning of World Watch: “Advertisers
sell not artifacts but lifestyles, attitudes, and fantasies, hitching their wares to the infinite
yearnings of the soul.” Advertising aims to make us discontented with what we have and desirous
of what we don’t need. It creates an insatiable hunger; it leads to debilitating overconsumption; it
spawns the proliferating waste dumps that pollute the earth. Its insidious persuasion worms its
way even into the weary hearts of those living in hopeless poverty. Many advertisers aggressively
market goods that are known to kill or sicken people.
What matters is our standing with God, as Ecclesiastes 12:13 says: “The conclusion of the
matter, everything having been heard, is: Fear the true God and keep his commandments. For
this is the whole obligation of man.” Those who do so will qualify for life in Jehovah’s clean
Paradise! Jesus promised: “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those
in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a
resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.”—John 5:28, 29.
When God’s Gift Will Be Appreciated
And what an unbelievably wonderful earth that will be! Jehovah has given us this breathtaking
description of it: “I [John] saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the
former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. [God] will wipe out every tear from their
eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The
former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:1, 4.
Gone too will be such former things as garbage dumps, toxic wastes, and those who push
their trash off on others. Then the only people alive on the earth will be those who love their
neighbors as themselves, who praise Jehovah for his gift of the earth, and who delight to take
care of it and keep it in paradisaic condition.—Matthew 22:37, 38; 2 Peter 3:13.
[Box on page 11]
The Vanity of Materialism
Jesus spoke an incisive truth when he warned: “Keep your eyes open and guard against every
sort of covetousness, because even when a person has an abundance his life does not result

4
from the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15) It is not what we have that counts; it is what we are
that matters. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life—the making of money,
the accumulating of things, the frantic rush to grab all the pleasures the flesh craves—and to think
we’re living life to the full, missing nothing, when we may be missing the best life has to offer.
It is only as life is slipping away that we realize what we have lost. We realize the truth of what
the Bible says: Life is very short—a mist that vanishes, a puff of smoke, an exhalation, a shadow
that passes, green grass that withers, a flower that fades. Where has it gone? What have we
done? Why were we here? Is this all there is? Just vanity of vanities, a striving after wind?—Job
14:2; Psalm 102:3, 11; 103:15, 16; 144:4; Isaiah 40:7; James 4:14.
A man in a hospital, dying, looking out a window, seeing a hillside washed in warm sunshine, a
mixture of grass and weeds, a few little struggling flowers, a sparrow scratching in the dirt for a
few seeds—not much of a scene to emote over. But to the dying man, it is beautiful. A sad
yearning touches him, to think what simple joys he has missed, the little things that mean so
much. All so soon gone!
The Greek Scriptures of the Bible put it plainly: “We have brought nothing into the world, and
neither can we carry anything out. So, having sustenance and covering, we shall be content with
these things.” (1 Timothy 6:7, 8) The Hebrew Scriptures put it more bluntly: “Just as one has
come forth from his mother’s belly, naked will one go away again, just as one came; and nothing
at all can one carry away for his hard work, which he can take along with his hand.”—
Ecclesiastes 5:15.
[Picture Credit Line on page 8]
NASA photo

Chapter 10
Evidence From a Unique Planet

OUR planet Earth is truly a wonder—a rare, beautiful jewel in space. Astronauts have reported
that, viewed from space, the earth’s blue skies and white clouds “made it by far the most inviting
object they could see.”1
2
However, it is much more than just beautiful. “The greatest of all cosmological scientific
puzzles, confounding all our efforts to comprehend it, is the earth,” wrote Lewis Thomas in
Discover. He added: “We are only now beginning to appreciate how strange and splendid it is,
how it catches the breath, the loveliest object afloat around the sun, enclosed in its own blue
bubble of atmosphere, manufacturing and breathing its own oxygen, fixing its own nitrogen from
the air into its own soil, generating its own weather.”2
3
Also of interest is this fact: Of all the planets in our solar system, only on Earth have
scientists found life. And what marvelous, abundant varieties of living things there are—
microscopic organisms, insects, plants, fish, birds, animals and humans. In addition, the earth is a
vast storehouse of wealth that contains everything needed to sustain all that life. Truly, as the
book The Earth expressed it, “The earth is the wonder of the universe, a unique sphere.”3
4
To illustrate how unique the earth is, imagine that you are in a barren desert, devoid of all
life. Suddenly you come upon a beautiful house. The house has air conditioning, heating,
plumbing and electricity. Its refrigerator and cupboards are filled with food. Its basement contains
fuel and other supplies. Now, suppose you asked someone where all of this came from, in such a
barren desert. What would you think if that person answered, “It just happened to appear there by

5
chance”? Would you believe that? Or would you take for granted that it had a designer and
builder?
5
All the other planets that scientists have probed are devoid of life. But Earth teems with life,
sustained by very complex systems that provide light, air, heat, water and food, all in exquisite
balance. It shows evidence of having been specially built to accommodate living things
comfortably—like a magnificent house. And logically, as one of the Bible’s penmen argues:
“Every house is constructed by someone, but he that constructed all things is God.” Yes, the
infinitely greater and more amazing “house”—our planet Earth—requires the existence of a
remarkably intelligent designer and builder, God.—Hebrews 3:4.
6
The more that scientists examine the planet Earth and its life, the more they realize that it is
indeed superbly designed. Scientific American marvels: “As we look out into the universe and
identify the many accidents of physics and astronomy that have worked together to our benefit, it
almost seems as if the universe must in some sense have known that we were coming.”4 And
Science News admitted: “It seems as if such particular and precise conditions could hardly have
arisen at random.”5
Right Distance From the Sun
7
Among the many precise conditions vital to life on the earth is the amount of light and heat
received from the sun. The earth gets only a small fraction of the sun’s energy. Yet, it is just the
right amount required to sustain life. This is because the earth is just the right distance from the
sun—an average 93,000,000 miles. If the earth were much closer to the sun or farther away from
it, temperatures would be too hot or too cold for life.
8
As it orbits the sun once a year the earth travels at a speed of about 66,600 miles an hour.
That speed is just right to offset the gravitational pull of the sun and keep the earth at the proper
distance. If that speed were decreased, the earth would be pulled toward the sun. In time, Earth
could become a scorched wasteland like Mercury, the planet closest to the sun. Mercury’s
daytime temperature is over 600 degrees Fahrenheit. However, if Earth’s orbital speed were
increased, it would move farther away from the sun and could become an icy waste like Pluto, the
planet whose orbit reaches farthest from the sun. Pluto’s temperature is about 300 degrees below
zero Fahrenheit.
9
In addition, the earth consistently makes a complete rotation on its axis every 24 hours. This
provides regular periods of light and darkness. But what if the earth rotated on its axis, say, only
once a year? It would mean that the same side of the earth would be facing the sun all year long.
That side would likely become a furnacelike desert, while the side away from the sun would likely
become a sub-zero wasteland. Few, if any, living things could exist in those extreme
circumstances.
10
As Earth rotates on its axis, it is tilted 23.5 degrees in relation to the sun. If the earth were
not tilted, there would be no change of seasons. Climate would be the same all the time. While
this would not make life impossible, it would make it less interesting and would drastically change
the present crop cycles in many places. If the earth were tilted much more, there would be
extremely hot summers and extremely cold winters. But the tilt of 23.5 degrees allows for the
delightful changing of seasons with their interesting variety. In many parts of the earth there are
refreshing springtimes with plants and trees awakening and beautiful flowers coming into bloom,
warm summers that allow for all kinds of outdoor activity, crisp autumn weather with gorgeous
displays of leaves changing colors, and winters with beautiful scenes of snow-draped mountains,
forests and fields.
Our Amazing Atmosphere
11
Also unique—indeed, amazing—is the atmosphere that surrounds our earth. No other
planet in our solar system has it. Nor does our moon. That is why astronauts needed space suits
to survive there. But no space suits are needed on the earth, because our atmosphere contains
the right proportions of gases that are absolutely essential for life. Some of those gases, by

6
themselves, are deadly. But because air contains safe proportions of these gases, we can
breathe them without harm.
12
One of those gases is oxygen, making up 21 percent of the air we breathe. Without it,
humans and animals would die within minutes. But too much oxygen would endanger our
existence. Why? Pure oxygen becomes toxic if breathed too long. In addition, the more oxygen
there is, the more easily things burn. If there were too much oxygen in the atmosphere,
combustible materials would become highly flammable. Fires would easily burst forth and would
be difficult to control. Wisely, oxygen is diluted with other gases, especially nitrogen, which makes
up 78 percent of the atmosphere. But nitrogen is much more than just a dilutant. During
thunderstorms, millions of lightning bolts occur earth wide every day. This lightning causes some
nitrogen to combine with oxygen. The compounds produced are carried to the earth by rain, and
plants make use of them as fertilizer.
13
Carbon dioxide makes up less than one percent of the atmosphere. What good is such a
small amount? Without it, plant life would die. That small amount is what plants need to take in,
giving off oxygen in return. Humans and animals breathe in the oxygen and exhale carbon
dioxide. An increasing percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would tend to be harmful
to humans and animals. A decreasing percentage could not support plant life. What a marvelous,
precise, self-sustaining cycle has been arranged for plant, animal and human life!
14
The atmosphere does more than sustain life. It serves as a protective shell too. About 15
miles above the ground, a thin layer of ozone gas filters out harmful radiation from the sun.
Without this ozone layer, such radiation could destroy life on earth. Also, the atmosphere shields
the earth from bombardment by meteors. Most meteors never reach the ground because they
burn up in their descent through the atmosphere, appearing to us as falling stars. Otherwise,
millions of meteors would strike all parts of the earth, resulting in extensive damage to life and
property.
15
In addition to being a protective shell, the atmosphere keeps the warmth of the earth from
being lost to the coldness of space. And the atmosphere is itself kept from escaping by the
earth’s gravitational pull. That gravity is just strong enough to accomplish this, but not so strong
that our freedom of movement is hampered.
16
Not only is the atmosphere vital for life, but one of the more beautiful sights is the changing
sky. Its scope and grandeur simply stagger the imagination. The earth is enveloped with the sky’s
endlessly majestic and colorful panoramas. In the east a golden glow announces the dawn, while
the western sky bids the day farewell in glorious displays of pink, orange, red and purple. White
billowy, cottonlike clouds proclaim a fine spring or summer day; an autumn mantle of clouds like
lamb’s wool says that winter is approaching. At night the sky is magnificent in its starry splendor,
and a moonlit night has a beauty all its own.
17
What an amazing provision our earth’s atmosphere is, in every way! As a writer in The New
England Journal of Medicine commented: “Taken all in all, the sky is a miraculous achievement. It
works, and for what it is designed to accomplish it is as infallible as anything in nature. I doubt
whether any of us could think of a way to improve on it, beyond maybe shifting a local cloud from
here to there on occasion.”6 This comment calls to mind what a man millenniums ago recognized
when confronted with such remarkable things—that they are “the wonderful works of the One
perfect in knowledge.” He meant, of course, “the Creator of the heavens and the Grand One
stretching them out.”—Job 37:16; Isaiah 42:5.
Water—An Extraordinary Substance
18
The earth contains vast supplies of water with properties essential for life. It is more
abundant than any other substance. Among its many advantageous qualities is that it occurs as a
gas (water vapor), a liquid (water), and a solid (ice)—all within earth’s temperature range. Too,
the thousands of raw materials that humans, animals and plants need must be transported in a
fluid, such as blood or sap. Water is most ideal for this because it will dissolve more substances
than any other liquid. Without water, nutrition could not continue, since living organisms depend
on water to dissolve the substances on which they feed.

7
 19
Water is also extraordinary in the way it freezes. As water in lakes and seas cools, it
becomes heavier and sinks. This forces the lighter, warmer water to rise to the top. Yet, as water
approaches the freezing point, the process reverses! The colder water now becomes lighter and
rises. When it freezes into ice, it floats. The ice acts as an insulator and keeps the deeper waters
underneath from freezing, thus protecting marine life. Without this unique quality, every winter
more and more ice would sink to the bottom where the sun’s rays could not melt it the following
summer. Soon, much of the water in rivers, lakes and even the oceans would become solid ice.
The earth would turn into an icy planet that would be inhospitable to life.
20
Extraordinary, too, is the way that regions far from rivers, lakes and seas get life-sustaining
water. Every second, the sun’s heat changes thousands of millions of gallons of water into vapor.
This vapor, lighter than air, floats upward and forms clouds in the sky. Wind and air currents
move these clouds, and, under the right conditions, the moisture drops as rain. But raindrops tend
to grow only to a certain size. What if this were not so, and raindrops became gigantic in size?
That would be disastrous! Instead, rain usually comes down in the right size, and gently, seldom
hurting even a blade of grass or the most delicate flower. What masterful, considerate design is
evident in water!—Psalm 104:1, 10-14; Ecclesiastes 1:7.
“The Productive Land”
21
One of the Biblical penmen describes God as “the One firmly establishing the productive
land by his wisdom.” (Jeremiah 10:12) And this “productive land”—the soil of planet Earth—is
impressive. Wisdom is evident in its makeup. Soil has qualities essential for plant growth. Plants
combine the nutrients and water in the soil with carbon dioxide from the air, in the presence of
light, to produce food.—Compare Ezekiel 34:26, 27.
22
The soil contains chemical elements that are needed to sustain human and animal life. But
vegetation must first convert those elements into forms that can be assimilated by the body.
Cooperating in this are tiny living organisms. And many millions of them can be found in just a
spoonful of soil! They are of countless different designs, each working to convert dead leaves,
grass and other waste matter back to usable form, or to loosen up the soil so that air and water
can get in. Certain bacteria convert nitrogen into compounds that plants need for growth. Topsoil
is improved as burrowing worms and insects continually bring up particles of subsoil to the
surface.
23
True, because of misuse and other factors some soil is damaged. But this damage need not
be permanent. The earth has amazing built-in powers of restoration. This can be noted in places
where fires or volcanic eruptions have devastated the land. In time, these areas once again
flourish with vegetation. And when pollution is controlled, land is restored, even land that was
turned into a barren waste. Most important of all, to deal with the basic problem behind misuse of
the soil, earth’s Creator has purposed to “bring to ruin those ruining the earth” and to preserve it
as the eternal home he originally prepared for mankind.—Revelation 11:18; Isaiah 45:18.
Not Just Chance
24
In thinking over the foregoing, here are some things to consider: Was it undirected chance
that placed the earth at just the right distance from the sun, its source of energy in the form of
light and heat? Was it mere chance that caused the earth to move around the sun at just the right
speed, to rotate on its axis every 24 hours, and to have just the correct angle of tilt? Was it
chance that provided the earth with a protective, life-sustaining atmosphere having just the right
mixture of gases? Was it chance that gave the earth the water and soil needed to grow food?
Was it chance that provided so many delicious and colorful fruits, vegetables and other foods?
Was it chance that caused so much beauty to exist in the sky, the mountains, the streams and
lakes, the flowers, plants and trees, and in so many other delightful living things?
25
Many have concluded that all of this could hardly be due to undirected chance. Instead, they
see the unmistakable stamp of thoughtful, intelligent, deliberate design everywhere. Recognizing
that, they feel it is only right that the beneficiaries “fear God and give him glory” because he is
“the One who made the heaven and the earth and sea and fountains of waters.”—Revelation
14:7.

8
[Study Questions]
1, 2. What do observers say about our planet Earth?
3. What does the book The Earth say about our planet, and why?
4. What illustration can be used to show how unique the earth is, and what conclusion must we
draw?
5. What Biblical illustration is appropriate to our planet Earth?
6. How have some acknowledged that the planet Earth does give evidence of intelligent design?
7. How does the earth receive just the right amount of energy in the form of light and heat from
the sun?
8. Why is the earth’s orbital speed around the sun so vital?
9. Why is it important that the earth rotate on its axis with a certain frequency?
10. How does the earth’s tilt affect climate and crops?
11. What makes the earth’s atmosphere so unique?
12. (a) How is it evident that we have just the right amount of oxygen? (b) What vital function
does nitrogen have?
13. What part does the right amount of carbon dioxide play in the life cycle?
14, 15. How does the atmosphere serve as a protective shell?
16. What can be said about the beauty of the sky?
17. How did a writer comment on the sky, and to whom does the credit belong?
18. What are some qualities of water that make it extraordinary?
19. What unusual quality does freezing water have, and why is that so important?
20. How is rain formed, and why does the size of raindrops show thoughtful design?
21, 22. What wisdom is shown in the makeup of “the productive land”?
23. What powers of restoration does the soil have?
24. What questions can we ask about undirected chance?
25. What conclusion about our unique planet have many people drawn?
[Blurb on page 129]
“The earth is the wonder of the universe, a unique sphere”
[Blurb on page 135]
Without oxygen, humans and animals would die within minutes
[Blurb on page 137]
“The sky is a miraculous achievement”
[Blurb on page 137]
Without water, animals and plants could not get the nutrients they need
[Blurb on page 141]
The earth bears the unmistakable stamp of deliberate design
[Full-page picture on page 128]
[Picture on page 131]
The earth’s orbital speed keeps it at just the right distance from the sun
[Picture on page 136]

9
A night sky can have a beauty all its own
[Picture on page 138]
Water sinks as it cools, but rises just before freezing. This prevents the earth from becoming a
frozen planet
[Picture on page 139]
Light from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and water and chemicals from the soil combine
miraculously to produce food
[Pictures on page 140]
The earth has amazing powers of recovery. In a short time new growth emerges
[Picture on page 141]
Was it undirected chance that provided so many delightful things for our enjoyment?
[Diagram/Picture on page 130]
Since every house must have a designer and builder, what of our far more intricate and better-
equipped earth?
[Diagram]
(For fully formatted text, see publication)
Brick
Skylight
Wood Shingles
Gutter
Downspout
Exterior Plaster
Batten
Wood Siding
A, A-10
13, 1
12, 12
E, E, E, E
[Diagram/Pictures on page 132, 133]
The earth’s tilt allows for delightful seasonal changes
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Spring
[Diagram]
(For fully formatted text, see publication)
23.5° tilt
[Diagram/Picture on page 134]
Some gases would be deadly by themselves, but mixed together in the atmosphere they sustain
life
Makeup of earth’s atmosphere
78% Nitrogen
21% Oxygen
1% All other gases
[Diagram]
(For fully formatted text, see publication)
The atmosphere shields the earth from harmful radiation and from meteors

10
Has God’s original purpose for the earth changed?
Gen. 1:27, 28: “God proceeded to create the man in his image, in God’s image he created
him; male and female he created them. Further, God blessed them and God said to them: ‘Be
fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection the fish of the
sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving upon the
earth.’” (Thus God indicated his purpose to have the earth filled with the offspring of Adam and
Eve as caretakers of a global paradise. After God had magnificently designed this earth for
human habitation, making it unique among all the planets that man has examined with his
telescopes and spaceships, did the Creator simply abandon his purpose, leaving it forever
unfulfilled because of Adam’s sin?)
Isa. 45:18: “This is what Jehovah has said, the Creator of the heavens, He the true God, the
Former of the earth and the Maker of it, He the One who firmly established it, who did not create it
simply for nothing, who formed it even to be inhabited: ‘I am Jehovah, and there is no one else.’”
(See also Isaiah 55:10, 11.)
If no one is ever going to die in God’s New Order, how will all the people fit on earth?
Keep in mind that when God expressed his purpose for the earth he said: “Be fruitful and
become many and fill the earth.” (Gen. 1:28) God gave man the ability to procreate, and when His
purpose in that regard is fulfilled He can cause procreation to cease on earth.
What kind of people will God favor with endless life on earth?
Zeph. 2:3: “Seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial
decision. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. Probably you may be concealed in the day of
Jehovah’s anger.”
Ps. 37:9, 11: “Those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth. . . . The meek
ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the
abundance of peace.”

Multiple Articles
Contents
► it-2 p. 667 Praise
► it-2 pp. 667-671 Prayer
► it-2 p. 671 Preacher, Preaching

*** it-2 p. 667 Praise ***

by praise, the Almighty is referred to as “inhabiting the praises of Israel.” (Ps 22:3) It was King
David who organized the priests and Levites for praising Jehovah with song and instrumental
music. The organized arrangement begun by David continued in effect at the temple built by
Solomon, and for years thereafter priests and Levites led the rendering of praise, using inspired
compositions that have been preserved to this day in the book of Psalms.—1Ch 16:4-6; 23:2-5;
2Ch 8:14; see MUSIC.
Jehovah’s faithful servants permitted nothing to interfere with their rendering the praise to
which he has the exclusive claim. The prophet Daniel did not stop praising Jehovah when it was
decreed unlawful and the one doing it could be punished by being thrown into a lions’ pit. (Da 6:7-
10) Jesus Christ, by doing nothing of his own originality, set the superlative example in praising
his Father. The whole life and ministry of God’s Son, including the miracles he performed,
brought praise to his Father.—Lu 18:43; Joh 7:17, 18.
Among first-century Christians, the inspired psalms continued to be used in praising Jehovah.
Additionally, there appear to have been Christian compositions—“praises to God,” or hymns, and

11
“spiritual songs,” or songs dealing with spiritual matters. (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16) Christian praise,
however, is not limited to song. It finds expression in one’s life and in one’s active concern for the
spiritual and material welfare of others.—Heb 13:15, 16.
Praise Directed to Humans. Self-praise is an evidence of pride and is not upbuilding to the
hearers. It is unloving, because it is an exalting of oneself above others. (1Co 13:4) If there is to
be praise, it should come spontaneously from impartial observers who have nothing to gain by
their commendation.—Pr 27:2.
Though coming from others, praise can still be a test to its recipient. It may foster feelings of
superiority or pride and thus lead to a person’s downfall. But when accepted in the right spirit,
praise may affect an individual in a positive way. He may humbly acknowledge his indebtedness
to Jehovah God and be encouraged to conduct himself so as not to fall short of his praiseworthy
moral standing. The inspired proverb points to the effect that praise can have in revealing what a
person actually is: “The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace is for gold; and an individual is
according to his praise.”—Pr 27:21; compare NE.
No greater praise or commendation can any human receive than to be acknowledged as
approved by God. Such praise will be given at the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory.
(1Co 4:5; 1Pe 1:7) This praise is dependent, not on fleshly distinctions, but on whether a person
has lived in a way befitting a servant of Jehovah. (Ro 2:28, 29; see JEW[ESS].) Meanwhile, men
in high governmental station and others may praise true Christians for being law abiding and
upright. (Ro 13:3) When it is clear to observers that the reason for the fine conduct of Christians
is that they are devoted servants of Jehovah, praise goes to Jehovah and to his Son, whose loyal
disciples they are.

*** it-2 pp. 667-671 Prayer ***

PRAYER

Worshipful address to the true God, or to false gods. Mere speech to God is not necessarily
prayer, as is seen in the judgment in Eden and in the case of Cain. (Ge 3:8-13; 4:9-14) Prayer
involves devotion, trust, respect, and a sense of dependence on the one to whom the prayer is
directed. The various Hebrew and Greek words relating to prayer convey such ideas as to ask,
make request, petition, entreat, supplicate, plead, beseech, beg, implore favor, seek, inquire of,
as well as to praise, thank, and bless.
Petitions and supplications, of course, can be made to men, and the original-language words
are sometimes so used (Ge 44:18; 50:17; Ac 25:11), but “prayer,” used in a religious sense, does
not apply to such cases. One might “beseech” or “implore” another person to do something, but in
so doing he would not view this individual as his God. He would not, for example, silently petition
such one, nor do so when the individual was not visibly present, as one does in prayer to God.
The “Hearer of Prayer.” The entire Scriptural record testifies that Jehovah is the One to
whom prayer should be directed (Ps 5:1, 2; Mt 6:9), that he is the “Hearer of prayer” (Ps 65:2;
66:19) and has power to act in behalf of the petitioners. (Mr 11:24; Eph 3:20) To pray to false
gods and their idol images is exposed as stupidity, for the idols do not have the ability either to
hear or to act, and the gods they represent are unworthy of comparison with the true God. (Jg
10:11-16; Ps 115:4, 6; Isa 45:20; 46:1, 2, 6, 7) The contest concerning godship between Baal and
Jehovah, held on Mount Carmel, demonstrated the foolishness of prayer to false deities.—1Ki
18:21-39; compare Jg 6:28-32.
Though some claim that prayer may properly be addressed to others, such as to God’s Son,
the evidence is emphatically to the contrary. True, there are rare instances in which words are
addressed to Jesus Christ in heaven. Stephen, when about to die, appealed to Jesus, saying,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (Ac 7:59) However, the context reveals a circumstance giving
basis for this exceptional expression. Stephen at that very time had a vision of “Jesus standing at
God’s right hand,” and evidently reacting as if he were in Jesus’ personal presence, he felt free to

12
speak this plea to the one whom he recognized as the head of the Christian congregation. (Ac
7:55, 56; Col 1:18) Similarly, the apostle John, at the conclusion of the Revelation, says, “Amen!
Come, Lord Jesus.” (Re 22:20) But again the context shows that, in a vision (Re 1:10; 4:1, 2),
John had been hearing Jesus speak of his future coming and thus John responded with the
above expression of his desire for that coming. (Re 22:16, 20) In both cases, that of Stephen and
that of John, the situation differs little from that of the conversation John had with a heavenly
person in this Revelation vision. (Re 7:13, 14; compare Ac 22:6-22.) There is nothing to indicate
that Christian disciples so expressed themselves under other circumstances to Jesus after his
ascension to heaven. Thus, the apostle Paul writes: “In everything by prayer and supplication
along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God.”—Php 4:6.
The article APPROACH TO GOD considers the position of Christ Jesus as the one through
whom prayer is directed. Through Jesus’ blood, offered to God in sacrifice, “we have boldness for
the way of entry into the holy place,” that is, boldness to approach God’s presence in prayer,
approaching “with true hearts in the full assurance of faith.” (Heb 10:19-22) Jesus Christ is
therefore the one and only “way” of reconciliation with God and approach to God in prayer.—Joh
14:6; 15:16; 16:23, 24; 1Co 1:2; Eph 2:18; see JESUS CHRIST (His Vital Place in God’s
Purpose).
Those Whom God Hears. People “of all flesh” may come to the “Hearer of prayer,” Jehovah
God. (Ps 65:2; Ac 15:17) Even during the period that Israel was God’s “private property,” his
covenant people, foreigners could approach Jehovah in prayer by recognizing Israel as God’s
appointed instrument and the temple at Jerusalem as his chosen place for sacrifice. (De 9:29;
2Ch 6:32, 33; compare Isa 19:22.) Later, by Christ’s death, the distinction between Jew and
Gentile was forever removed. (Eph 2:11-16) At the home of the Italian Cornelius, Peter
recognized that “God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works
righteousness is acceptable to him.” (Ac 10:34, 35) The determining factor, then, is the heart of
the individual and what his heart is moving him to do. (Ps 119:145; La 3:41) Those who observe
God’s commandments and do “the things that are pleasing in his eyes” have the assurance that
his “ears” are also open to them.—1Jo 3:22; Ps 10:17; Pr 15:8; 1Pe 3:12.
Conversely, those who disregard God’s Word and law, shedding blood and practicing other
wickedness, do not receive a favorable hearing from God; their prayers are “detestable” to him.
(Pr 15:29; 28:9; Isa 1:15; Mic 3:4) The very prayer of such ones can “become a sin.” (Ps 109:3-7)
King Saul, by his presumptuous, rebellious course, lost God’s favor, and “although Saul would
inquire of Jehovah, Jehovah never answered him, either by dreams or by the Urim or by the
prophets.” (1Sa 28:6) Jesus said that hypocritical persons who sought to draw attention to their
piety by praying received their “reward in full”—from men, but not from God. (Mt 6:5) The pious-
appearing Pharisees made long prayers, boasted of their superior morality, yet were condemned
by God for their hypocritical course. (Mr 12:40; Lu 18:10-14) Though they drew near with their
mouths, their hearts were far from God and his Word of truth.—Mt 15:3-9; compare Isa 58:1-9.
The individual must have faith in God and in his being “the rewarder of those earnestly
seeking him” (Heb 11:6), approaching in “the full assurance of faith.” (Heb 10:22, 38, 39)
Recognition of one’s own sinful state is essential, and when serious sins have been committed,
the individual must ‘soften the face of Jehovah’ (1Sa 13:12; Da 9:13) by first softening his own
heart in sincere repentance, humility, and contrition. (2Ch 34:26-28; Ps 51:16, 17; 119:58) Then
God may let himself be entreated and may grant forgiveness and a favorable hearing (2Ki 13:4;
2Ch 7:13, 14; 33:10-13; Jas 4:8-10); no longer will one feel that God has ‘blocked approach to
himself with a cloud mass, that prayer may not pass through.’ (La 3:40-44) Though a person may
not be cut off completely from receiving audience with God, his prayers can be “hindered” if he
fails to follow God’s counsel. (1Pe 3:7) Those seeking forgiveness must be forgiving toward
others.—Mt 6:14, 15; Mr 11:25; Lu 11:4.
What are proper matters about which to pray?
Basically prayers involve confession (2Ch 30:22), petitions or requests (Heb 5:7), expressions
of praise and thanksgiving (Ps 34:1; 92:1), and vows (1Sa 1:11; Ec 5:2-6). The prayer given by
Jesus to his disciples was evidently a model, or a basic pattern, because later prayers by Jesus

13
himself, as well as by his disciples, did not rigidly adhere to the specific words of his model
prayer. (Mt 6:9-13) In its initial words, this prayer concentrates on the prime issue, calling for the
sanctification of God’s name, which began to be reproached by the rebellion in Eden, as well as
for the realization of the divine will by means of the promised Kingdom, which government is
headed by the prophesied Seed, the Messiah. (Ge 3:15; see JEHOVAH [Name to Be Sanctified
and Vindicated].) Such prayer requires that the one praying be definitely on God’s side in the
issue.
Jesus’ parable at Luke 19:11-27 shows what the ‘coming of the Kingdom’ means—its coming
to execute judgment, to destroy all opposers, and to bring relief and reward to those hoping in it.
(Compare Re 16:14-16; 19:11-21.) The following expression, “let your will take place, as in
heaven, also upon earth,” thus refers primarily, not to the doing of God’s will by humans, but,
rather, to God’s own acting in fulfillment of his will toward the earth and its inhabitants,
manifesting his power to realize his declared purpose. The person praying, of course, also
expresses thereby his own preference for, and submission to, that will. (Mt 6:10; compare Mt
26:39.) The request for daily bread, forgiveness, protection against temptation, and deliverance
from the wicked one all relate to the petitioner’s desire to continue living in God’s favor. He
expresses this desire for all others of like faith, not for himself alone.—Compare Col 4:12.
These matters in this model prayer are of fundamental importance to all men of faith and
express needs they all have in common. The Scriptural account shows that there are, on the
other hand, many other matters that may affect individuals to a greater or lesser degree or that
result from particular circumstances or occasions and that are also proper subjects for prayer.
Though not specifically mentioned in Jesus’ model prayer, they are, nevertheless, related to the
matters there presented. Personal prayers, then, may embrace virtually every facet of life.—Joh
16:23, 24; Php 4:6; 1Pe 5:7.
Thus, all rightly seek increased knowledge, understanding, and wisdom (Ps 119:33, 34; Jas
1:5); yet some may need such in special ways. They may call on God for guidance in matters of
judicial decisions, as did Moses (Ex 18:19, 26; compare Nu 9:6-9; 27:1-11; De 17:8-13), or in the
appointment of persons to special responsibility among God’s people. (Nu 27:15-18; Lu 6:12, 13;
Ac 1:24, 25; 6:5, 6) They may seek strength and wisdom to carry out certain assignments or to
face up to particular trials or dangers. (Ge 32:9-12; Lu 3:21; Mt 26:36-44) Their reasons for
blessing God and thanking him may vary according to their own personal experiences.—1Co 7:7;
12:6, 7; 1Th 5:18.
At 1 Timothy 2:1, 2, the apostle speaks of prayers being made “concerning all sorts of men,
concerning kings and all those who are in high station.” On his final night with his disciples,
Jesus, in prayer, said that he did not make request concerning the world, but concerning those
whom God had given him, and that these were not of the world but were hated by the world. (Joh
17:9, 14) It therefore appears that Christian prayers regarding officials of the world are not without
limitation. The apostle’s further words indicate that such prayers are ultimately in favor of God’s
people, “in order that we may go on leading a calm and quiet life with full godly devotion and
seriousness.” (1Ti 2:2) Earlier examples illustrate this: Nehemiah prayed that God would ‘give him
pity’ before King Artaxerxes (Ne 1:11; compare Ge 43:14), and Jehovah instructed the Israelites
to “seek the peace of the city [Babylon]” in which they would be exiled, praying on its behalf, since
“in its peace there will prove to be peace for you yourselves.” (Jer 29:7) Similarly, Christians
prayed concerning the threats of the rulers in their day (Ac 4:23-30), and undoubtedly their
prayers in behalf of imprisoned Peter also involved the officials with authority to release him. (Ac
12:5) In harmony with Christ’s counsel, they prayed for those persecuting them.—Mt 5:44;
compare Ac 26:28, 29; Ro 10:1-3.
Giving thanks for God’s provisions, such as food, was done from early times. (De 8:10-18;
note also Mt 14:19; Ac 27:35; 1Co 10:30, 31.) Appreciation for God’s goodness, however, is to be
shown in “everything,” not only for material blessings.—1Th 5:17, 18; Eph 5:19, 20.
In the final analysis, it is knowledge of God’s will that governs the contents of a person’s
prayers, for the supplicant must realize that, if his request is to be granted, it must please God.
Knowing that the wicked and those disregarding God’s Word have no favor with Him, the

14
supplicant obviously cannot request that which runs counter to righteousness and to God’s
revealed will, including the teachings of God’s Son and his inspired disciples. (Joh 15:7, 16) Thus,
statements regarding the asking of “anything” (Joh 16:23) are not to be taken out of context.
“Anything” clearly does not embrace things the individual knows, or has reason to believe, are not
pleasing to God. John states: “This is the confidence that we have toward him, that, no matter
what it is that we ask according to his will, he hears us.” (1Jo 5:14; compare Jas 4:15.) Jesus told
his disciples: “If two of you on earth agree concerning anything of importance that they should
request, it will take place for them due to my Father in heaven.” (Mt 18:19) While material things,
such as food, are proper subjects of prayer, materialistic desires and ambitions are not, as such
texts as Matthew 6:19-34 and 1 John 2:15-17 show. Nor can one rightly pray for those whom God
condemns.—Jer 7:16; 11:14.
Romans 8:26, 27 shows that the Christian, under certain circumstances, will not know just
what to pray for; but his unuttered ‘groanings’ are nonetheless understood by God. The apostle
shows that this is by means of God’s spirit, or active force. It should be remembered that it was
by his spirit that God inspired the Scriptures. (2Ti 3:16, 17; 2Pe 1:21) These contained
prophecies and included events that prefigured the circumstances that would come upon his
servants in later times and showed the way in which God would guide his servants and bring
them the help they needed. (Ro 15:4; 1Pe 1:6-12) It may not be until after the needed help has
been received that the Christian realizes that what he might have prayed for (but did not know
how to) was already set forth in God’s spirit-inspired Word.—Compare 1Co 2:9, 10.
The Answering of Prayers. Although God anciently carried on a measure of two-way
communication with certain individuals, this was not common, for the most part being restricted to
special representatives, such as Abraham and Moses. (Ge 15:1-5; Ex 3:11-15; compare Ex
20:19.) Even then, with the exception of when he spoke to or about his Son while on earth, God’s
words were evidently transmitted through angels. (Compare Ex 3:2, 4; Ga 3:19.) Messages
delivered personally by materialized angels were likewise uncommon, as is evidenced by the
disturbed effect they generally produced on the receivers. (Jg 6:22; Lu 1:11, 12, 26-30) The
answering of prayers in the majority of cases, therefore, was through prophets or by the granting
of, or the refusal to grant, the request. Jehovah’s answers to prayers often had a clearly
recognizable effect, as when he delivered his servants from their enemies (2Ch 20:1-12, 21-24)
or when he provided for their physical needs in times of dire scarcity. (Ex 15:22-25) But
undoubtedly the most frequent answer was not so easily discernible, since it related to giving
moral strength and enlightenment, enabling the person to hold to a righteous course and carry
out divinely assigned work. (2Ti 4:17) Particularly for the Christian the answer to prayers involved
matters mainly spiritual, not as spectacular as some powerful acts of God in earlier times, but
equally vital.—Mt 9:36-38; Col 1:9; Heb 13:18; Jas 5:13.
Acceptable prayer must be made to the right person, Jehovah God; on right matters, those in
harmony with God’s declared purposes; in the right manner, through God’s appointed way, Christ
Jesus; and with a right motive and a clean heart. (Compare Jas 4:3-6.) Along with all of this, there
is need for persistence. Jesus said to ‘keep on asking, seeking, and knocking,’ not giving up. (Lu
11:5-10; 18:1-7) He raised the question as to whether, at his future ‘arrival,’ he would find faith in
the power of prayer on earth. (Lu 18:8) The seeming delay on God’s part in answering some
prayers is not due to any inability nor to a lack of willingness, as the Scriptures make clear. (Mt
7:9-11; Jas 1:5, 17) In some cases the answer must await God’s ‘timetable.’ (Lu 18:7; 1Pe 5:6;
2Pe 3:9; Re 6:9-11) Primarily, however, it is evident that God allows his petitioners to
demonstrate the depth of their concern, the intensity of their desire, the genuineness of their
motive. (Ps 55:17; 88:1, 13; Ro 1:9-11) At times they must be like Jacob in his wrestling a long
time in order to obtain a blessing.—Ge 32:24-26.
Similarly, while Jehovah God cannot be pressured by numbers into acting, he evidently takes
note of the extent of concern shown among his servants as a body, taking action when they
collectively show deep concern and united interest. (Compare Ex 2:23-25.) Where apathy or a
measure of it exists, God may withhold action. In the reconstruction of Jerusalem’s temple, a
project for some time not well supported (Ezr 4:4-7, 23, 24; Hag 1:2-12), there were interruptions
and delay, whereas later, in Nehemiah’s reconstruction of the city walls, accomplished with

15
prayer and good support, the work was done in just 52 days. (Ne 2:17-20; 4:4-23; 6:15) Writing
the Corinthian congregation, Paul speaks of God’s deliverance of him from danger of death, and
he states: “You also can help along by your supplication for us, in order that thanks may be given
by many in our behalf for what is kindly given to us due to many prayerful faces.” (2Co 1:8-11;
compare Php 1:12-20.) The power of intercessory prayer is regularly stressed, whether by an
individual or a collective group. It was in regard to ‘praying for one another’ that James said: “A
righteous man’s supplication, when it is at work, has much force.”—Jas 5:14-20; compare Ge
20:7, 17; 2Th 3:1, 2; Heb 13:18, 19.
Also notable is the frequent ‘pleading’ of one’s case before Jehovah, the Sovereign Ruler. The
petitioner presents reasons why he believes the request to be right, evidence of his having a right
and unselfish motive, and reasoning to show that there are other factors outweighing his own
interests or considerations. These might be that the honor of God’s own name or the good of his
people is involved, or they may include the effect on others as a result of God’s action or refusal
to act. Appeals may be made to God’s justice, his loving-kindness, his being a God of mercy.
(Compare Ge 18:22-33; 19:18-20; Ex 32:11-14; 2Ki 20:1-5; Ezr 8:21-23.) Christ Jesus also
‘pleads’ for his faithful followers.—Ro 8:33, 34.
The entire book of Psalms consists of prayers and songs of praise to God, its contents
illustrating what prayer should be. Among many notable prayers are those by Jacob (Ge 32:9-12),
Moses (De 9:25-29), Job (Job 1:21), Hannah (1Sa 2:1-10), David (2Sa 7:18-29; 1Ch 29:10-19),
Solomon (1Ki 3:6-9; 8:22-61), Asa (2Ch 14:11), Jehoshaphat (2Ch 20:5-12), Elijah (1Ki
18:36, 37), Jonah (Jon 2:1-9), Hezekiah (2Ki 19:15-19), Jeremiah (Jer 20:7-12; the book of
Lamentations), Daniel (Da 9:3-21), Ezra (Ezr 9:6-15), Nehemiah (Ne 1:4-11), certain Levites (Ne
9:5-38), Habakkuk (Hab 3:1-19), Jesus (Joh 17:1-26; Mr 14:36), and Jesus’ disciples (Ac 4:24-
30).—See ATTITUDES AND GESTURES; INCENSE (Significance).

*** it-2 p. 671 Preacher, Preaching ***

PREACHER, PREACHING

The Biblical concept of “preaching” is best ascertained from an examination of the sense of
the original Hebrew and Greek terms. The Greek ke·rys´so, which is commonly rendered
“preach,” means, basically, ‘make proclamation as a herald, to be a herald, officiate as herald,
proclaim (as conqueror).’ The related noun is ke´ryx and means ‘herald, public messenger,
envoy, crier (who made proclamation and kept order in assemblies, etc.).’ Another related noun is
ke´ryg·ma, which means ‘that which is cried by a herald, proclamation, announcement (of victory
in games), mandate, summons.’ (A Greek-English Lexicon, by H. Liddell and R. Scott, revised by
H. Jones, Oxford, 1968, p. 949) Ke·rys´so thus does not convey the thought of the delivery of a
sermon to a closed group of disciples but, rather, of an open, public proclamation. This is
illustrated by its use to describe the “strong angel proclaiming [ke·rys´son·ta] with a loud voice:
‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and loose its seals?’”—Re 5:2; compare also Mt 10:27.
The word eu·ag·ge·li´zo·mai means “declare good news.” (Mt 11:5) Related words are
di·ag·gel´lo, “declare abroad; give notice” (Lu 9:60; Ac 21:26; Ro 9:17) and ka·tag·gel´lo, “publish;
talk about; proclaim; publicize.” (Ac 13:5; Ro 1:8; 1Co 11:26; Col 1:28) The principal difference
between ke·rys´so and eu·ag·ge·li´zo·mai is that the former stresses the manner of the
proclamation, that it is a public, authorized pronouncement, and the latter stresses the content
thereof, the declaring or bringing of the eu·ag·ge´li·on, the good news or gospel.
Ke·rys´so corresponds in some measure to the Hebrew ba·sar´, meaning “bear news;
announce; act as a news bearer.” (1Sa 4:17; 2Sa 1:20; 1Ch 16:23) Ba·sar´, however, does not
imply official capacity to the same extent.
Preaching in the Hebrew Scriptures. Noah is the first person designated as “a preacher”
(2Pe 2:5), although Enoch’s earlier prophesying may have been made known by preaching.
(Jude 14, 15) Noah’s preaching righteousness prior to the Flood evidently included a call for

16
repentance and a warning of coming destruction, as is evidenced by Jesus’ reference to the
people’s ‘failing to take note.’ (Mt 24:38, 39) Noah’s divinely authorized public proclamation,
therefore, was not primarily a bringing of good news.
Following the Flood, many men, such as Abraham, served as prophets, speaking forth divine
revelations. (Ps 105:9, 13-15) However, prior to the establishing of Israel in the Promised Land,
regular or vocational preaching does not seem to have been done in a public way. The early
patriarchs were under no instructions to act as heralds. During the period of the kingdom rule in
Israel, prophets did act as public spokesmen proclaiming God’s decrees, judgments, and
summonses in public places. (Isa 58:1; Jer 26:2) Jonah’s proclamation to Nineveh fits well the
thought conveyed by ke´ryg·ma, and it is so described. (Compare Jon 3:1-4; Mt 12:41.) The
prophets’ ministry, however, generally was much broader than that of a herald or preacher, and in
some cases they employed others to act as their spokesmen. (2Ki 5:10; 9:1-3; Jer 36:4-6) Some
of their messages and visions were written rather than orally proclaimed (Jer 29:1, 30, 31;
30:1, 2; Da chaps 7-12); many were given in private audience, and the prophets also used
symbolic acts to convey ideas.—See PROPHECY; PROPHET.
Admonition, warnings, and judgments were proclaimed, and so was good news—of victories,
deliverance, and blessings—as well as praises to Jehovah God. (1Ch 16:23; Isa 41:27; 52:7; the
Hebrew ba·sar´ is used in these texts.) At times women cried out or sang the news of battles won
or of coming relief.—Ps 68:11; Isa 40:9; compare 1Sa 18:6, 7.
The Hebrew Scriptures also pointed forward to the preaching work that would be done by
Christ Jesus and the Christian congregation. Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1, 2 as foretelling his divine
commission and his authorization to preach. (Lu 4:16-21) In fulfillment of Psalm 40:9 (the
preceding verses being applied to Jesus by the apostle Paul at Heb 10:5-10), Jesus “told the
good news [form of

“The Slaughter of Nature”

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN IRELAND

GREED is threatening your home. It is undermining the earth’s potential to provide the food
and shelter all of us need to survive. No doubt you are already aware of how greed is damaging
the earth, but here are a few reminders.
Poisoning the Planet
Back in 1962, Rachel Carson, in her book Silent Spring, warned about the poisoning of the
planet by pesticides and toxic waste. Says The Naked Savage: “Mankind was contaminating its
own environment and fouling its own nest, the signal for the extinction of the species.” Men are
still greedily poisoning the planet. “Seeking the greatest profits in the shortest time,” says World
Hunger: Twelve Myths, “big growers are willing to overuse the soil, water, and chemical inputs
without thought to eroding the soil, depleting the groundwater, and poisoning the environment.”
Instead of protecting the world’s invaluable rain forests—which are crucial to earth’s survival—
men are destroying them faster than ever. “Living tropical forests,” say the writers of Far From
Paradise—The Story of Man’s Impact on the Environment (1986), “will have all but disappeared
in fifty years if the present rate of exploitation continues unchanged.”
Unscrupulous fishermen use dynamite and chemical poisons to catch fish around coral reefs
—which have been described as “the marine equivalents of tropical rain forests” because of the

17
abundance of life forms they shelter. These brutal fishing methods along with thoughtless
chemical pollution have “gravely damaged” much living coral.—The Toronto Star.
“We Are Our Own Scourge”
Sir Shridath Ramphal, who was president of the IUCN-World Conservation Union from 1991 to
1993, describes this kind of mismanagement of earth’s resources as “the slaughter of nature.”
Just how bad is it? Citing an example, Ramphal writes: “Most of India’s rivers are little more than
open sewers carrying untreated waste from urban and rural areas to the sea.” What is his
conclusion? “We are our own scourge.”
Greed has dominated man’s history for centuries, but the threat to the survival of the planet
today has increased. Why? Because man’s ability to destroy is now so much greater. “Only in the
last fifty years,” says Far From Paradise, “have we had the chemical and mechanical means to
destroy effectively other forms of life on our planet. . . . Homo sapiens [Latin, wise man], as man
so immodestly calls himself, has almost absolute power and has ceased to exercise any
restraint.” Recently, the Greenpeace environmental organization made a strong indictment,
saying: “Modern Man has made a rubbish tip of Paradise [earth] . . . and now stands like a brutish
infant . . . on the brink . . . of effectively destroying this oasis of life.”
But greed does more than threaten the long-term prospects of the planet. It threatens the
immediate happiness and security of you and your family. How is this? Consider the next article.

All Things Continuing “as From Creation’s Beginning”?

The apostle Peter foretold another feature of the last days: “In the last days there will come
ridiculers with their ridicule, proceeding according to their own desires and saying: ‘Where is this
promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep in death, all things are
continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning.’”—2 Peter 3:3, 4.
Today, when the subject of the last days comes up, many people fulfill Peter’s prophetic words
by scoffing and saying: ‘Oh, all those things have happened before. It’s just history repeating
itself.’ So they dismiss the warnings and continue “proceeding according to their own desires.” It
is “according to their wish” that they brush aside the fulfillment of prophecies that so clearly
identify the last days.—2 Peter 3:5.
Nevertheless, the different features of the composite sign foretold by Jesus have never before
been fulfilled all together in such a short period of time with such intensity and with such far-
reaching consequences. (Review, for example, Matthew 24:3-12; Mark 13:3-8; Luke 21:10, 11,
25, 26.) And we would like to draw your attention especially to still another foretold feature of the
last days, described in Revelation.
Let us turn to Revelation 11:18. It says that when Christ’s Kingdom begins to reign and the
nations are angry and the time for judgment arrives, then Jehovah will “bring to ruin those ruining
the earth.” Is not pollution ruining the environment today? True, men have always exploited the
resources of the earth to enrich themselves. But in doing so, they have never been in a position
to destroy it as a habitable planet. Now, because of the scientific technology developed since
1914, men do have that power, and by grabbing greedily for wealth, they are indeed ruining the
earth, polluting the environment and endangering the earth’s ability to sustain life.
An avaricious, materialistic society is now doing this at an alarming rate. Here are some of the
atrocities resulting: acid rain, global warming, holes in the ozone layer, garbage glut, toxic dumps,
dangerous herbicides and pesticides, nuclear waste, oil spills, raw-sewage dumping, species

18
endangerment, dead lakes, polluted groundwater, destroyed forests, polluted soil, lost topsoil,
and smog causing damage to trees and crops as well as to human health.
Professor Barry Commoner says: “I believe that continued pollution of the earth, if unchecked,
will eventually destroy the fitness of this planet as a place for human life. . . . The difficulty lay not
in scientific ignorance, but in willful greed.” The book State of the World 1987 says on page 5:
“The scale of human activities has begun to threaten the habitability of the earth itself.” A major
series for public television aired in the United States in 1990 was entitled “Race to Save the
Planet.”
Man will never stop the polluting; God will when he destroys those who are destroying the
earth. God and his heavenly Field Marshal, Christ Jesus, will do this by executing judgment on
the materialistic nations at the final war of Armageddon.—Revelation 16:14, 16; 19:11-21.
Finally, note the following outstanding feature of Jesus’ prophecy about the last days: “This
good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth.” (Matthew 24:14) This good
news tells that God’s Kingdom is now reigning in the heavens and will soon act to destroy this
wicked system and restore Paradise to earth. The gospel has been preached before but never
covering the entire inhabited earth. Since 1914, however, Jehovah’s Witnesses have done that, in
spite of the persecution Jesus foretold—government bans, mob violence, imprisonments, torture,
and many deaths.
In 1919 there were 4,000 of Jehovah’s Witnesses preaching this good news. Their numbers
have kept increasing, so that last year over 4,000,000 were preaching in 212 lands, in some 200
languages, distributing hundreds of millions of Bibles, books, and magazines, conducting millions
of Bible studies in people’s homes, and holding conventions in large stadiums in all parts of the
world. Never could this tremendous volume of gospel-preaching have been done prior to 1914. Its
accomplishment on the scale that has been achieved required the modern high-speed printing
presses, the travel facilities, the computers, the fax machines, and also the shipping and
communications facilities that are uniquely available in our time.
The Jerusalem of Jeremiah’s day was warned of its coming destruction; its inhabitants only
scoffed, but it was later than they thought. Today, a much greater warning of Armageddon’s
destruction is being sounded, with overwhelming supporting evidence. (Revelation 14:6, 7, 17-20)
Millions turn a deaf ear. But time is running out; it is later than they think. Is it later than you think?
[Picture on page 7]
In Jeremiah’s day it was later than they thought

Scientists Issue Warning

“HUMAN beings and the natural world are on a collision course. . . . No more than a few
decades remain before the chance to avert the threats [to the environment] will be lost.”
This warning, issued by the UCS (Union of Concerned Scientists), was published in Annals, a
Canadian medical journal. If man’s life-threatening practices continue, the report adds, these
“may so alter the world that it will be unable to sustain life in the manner that we know.”
Cited among urgent problems that must be addressed are ozone depletion; water pollution;
deforestation; loss of soil productivity; and the extinction of species, which by the year 2100 may
include a third of all species now living. “Our tampering with the interdependent web of life,” says
the UCS, “could trigger widespread effects, including collapses of biological systems whose
dynamics we imperfectly understand.”
The concerns of the UCS were endorsed by more than 1,600 scientists worldwide, including
104 Nobel laureates. According to the UCS, “these senior members of the world’s scientific
community warn all humanity that a change in our stewardship of the earth is needed if vast
human misery is to be avoided.”
The Bible agrees that man is truly “ruining the earth.” (Revelation 11:18) It even acknowledges
that a change in world stewardship is needed. (Jeremiah 10:23; Daniel 2:44) In fact, the Bible

19
promises that such a change will occur, not through man’s efforts, but by God’s Kingdom, the
heavenly government for which Jesus taught his followers to pray.—Psalm 145:16; Isaiah 11:1-9;
Matthew 6:9, 10.

Jesus’ apostles wanted to know, so they asked: “Tell us, when shall these things be? and
what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3, King James
Version) In answer Jesus gave a sign that would enable people living at the time of its fulfillment
to know that one world was soon going to end; a new world would take its place. What was that
sign?
The Sign
The sign included many parts, yes, many events were foretold. For the sign to be fulfilled, all
of these would have to occur in a notable way at essentially the same time, during one
generation. (Matthew 24:34) What are these events?
Some named by Jesus were: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;
and there will be great earthquakes, and in one place after another pestilences and food
shortages.” “Then people will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be objects
of hatred by all the nations on account of my name. . . . Because of the increasing of lawlessness
the love of the greater number will cool off.”—Luke 21:10, 11; Matthew 24:7-9, 12.
The apostle Paul gave other conditions that would mark “the last days” of this world. He wrote:
“In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves,
lovers of money, . . . disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, . . .
headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of
godly devotion but proving false to its power.”—2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Surely, you have seen or heard about all of these things—international conflicts eclipsing
former wars, great earthquakes, widespread pestilences and food shortages, hatred and
persecution of Christ’s followers, an increase of lawlessness, and critical times of unsurpassed
magnitude. Besides these things, the Bible foretells that God will “bring to ruin those ruining the
earth.” (Revelation 11:18) And humans are ruining the earth right now!
Last November, newspapers carried headlines like this: “Top Scientists Warn of Earth’s
Destruction.” Dr. Henry Kendall, a Nobel laureate and chairman of the Union of Concerned
Scientists, said: “This warning is no exaggeration, and it is not alarmist.” One newspaper article
reported: “The list of 1,575 scientists who drafted the warning reads like a who’s who in the
international scientific community.” Their warning of complete ruination for our earth is not to be
ignored!
There can be no question about it. The sign in all its parts is being fulfilled, including Jesus’
key prediction: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a
witness to all the nations; and then the end will come,” yes, the end of this world. (Matthew 24:14)
It will come, Jesus said, when the good news of God’s Kingdom has been preached worldwide.
And that preaching is now being done on the foretold scale by Jehovah’s Witnesses!
What You Need to Do
All evidence, therefore, points to the fact that God’s new world is very near. Yet, if you are to
survive the end of this world and are to enjoy life in the new world, you need to do something.
After saying that “the world is passing away,” the Bible shows what is required of you, explaining:
“He that does the will of God remains forever.”—1 John 2:17.
So you need to learn God’s will and do it. Jehovah’s Witnesses will be delighted to help you do
this. Then you can survive this world’s end to enjoy eternally the blessings of God’s new world.

Watching the World

Child Killers

20
 Three diseases cause nearly two thirds of the 13 million deaths among children in the
developing world each year, noted the African newspaper Lesotho Today. These diseases are
pneumonia, diarrhea, and measles. The report adds that such diseases could be treated or
prevented by means that are available and affordable. For example, pneumonia, the biggest child
killer, is responsible for 3.5 million child deaths a year. In most cases the problem is bacterial and
can be controlled by a course of antibiotics that lasts for five days and costs 25 cents. Diarrhea
claims three million young lives a year. About half of those deaths could be prevented if parents
used an inexpensive oral rehydration therapy. Measles cause 800,000 child deaths each year.
The report indicates that this could be prevented through vaccination. The measles vaccine costs
less than 50 cents per child.
Death by the Gun
Out of every 4 deaths among young Americans, 1 involves a gun. According to the National
Center for Health Statistics, as reported in the International Herald Tribune, guns kill more young
people that are from 15 to 24 years of age than do all natural causes combined. Only motor
vehicle accidents kill more people in that age group. During 1990, the most recent year for which
statistics are complete, the number of teenagers shot to death in homicides, suicides, or
accidents was almost 4,200. In 1985 the figure was about 2,500.
Can the Earth Be Rescued?
Nothing less than drastic changes in government policies and in people’s attitudes will rescue
the earth’s ecosystems from destruction, according to a report from Worldwatch Institute. The
report warns that if such problems as population growth, increasing carbon emissions, depletion
of the ozone layer, vanishing forests, and erosion of topsoil persist, there will be too many people
on this planet and not enough resources to sustain them. It also states that recycling and
conservation programs alleviate the problem but that such measures are insufficient. For a
significant solution, sweeping changes by government, industry, and the public are needed.
Fighting Cholera
Red wine vinegar can prevent the spread of cholera, according to the Brazilian magazine
Manchete. A test performed by the Food Institute of the Secretary of Agriculture and Supplies of
São Paulo revealed that red wine vinegar is a hundred times more efficient than bleach in
disinfecting contaminated vegetables. The magazine reports that vinegar reduced cholera
bacteria on lettuce by 10,000 times while chlorinated water did so only by 100 times. The
recommended solution is a mix of five tablespoons [70 cc] of vinegar for every quart [liter] of
water.
Stressed-Out Mothers
Which sector of the population in Germany suffers most from stress? According to a study by
the Medical Sociological Department of the University of Medicine at Hanover, “mothers as a
whole are subjected to greater mental and physical strain and distress than any other sector of
the population.” The Nassauische Neue Presse, which reported on the study, commented that
“more than twice as many mothers visit the doctor plagued with feelings of tension, stomachache,
anxiety, and disturbed sleep than members of other groups of the population.” Upon seeking
medical advice, many mothers receive painkillers, tranquilizers, and other drugs. In some cases
this leads to addiction.
Youth Violence—Why?
“Charges laid by Canadian police against youths (ages 12-17) for violent offences have more
than doubled in the last five years,” claims The Toronto Star. The violent acts are committed for
no apparent reason. Simply making eye contact can initiate a violent act against an innocent
bystander. It seems to be a matter of “violence for the sake of violence,” adds the Star. What is
the cause? Some believe that there is a link between the incidence of youth violence and the
violent scenes portrayed in movies and on television. “TV’s role is in desensitizing and
conditioning our young, and in glamorizing violence as the preferred method of solving problems,”

21
said the Star. Perhaps now more parents will want to control what their children view on
television.
“Murder Capital of the World”
“Johannesburg has indeed achieved the dubious status of being the murder capital of the
world,” states The Star, a South African newspaper. “According to police statistics, Johannesburg
and Soweto combined had 3 402 murders in 1992—9,3 murders a day, or one every 2 1/2 hours.”
This pushed Rio de Janeiro, the previous “murder capital” into second place. Rio averaged 8,722
murders each year for the past decade. However, Rio’s population is over 10 million, while the
combined population of Johannesburg and Soweto is said to be 2.2 million. Paris, about equal in
population to Johannesburg, had an average of 153 murders a year. The chances of being
murdered were given as: 1 in 647 in Johannesburg; 1 in 1,158 in Rio de Janeiro; 1 in 3,196 in Los
Angeles; 1 in 4,303 in New York; 1 in 6,272 in Miami; 1 in 10,120 in Moscow; and 1 in 14,065 in
Paris.
Trouble in the Churches
“The problem of sexual abuse in the church is not going to go away,” reports The Toronto
Star. Sexual scandals among church leaders are widespread. They are not limited to television
evangelists and the Catholic Church. Abuse also “happens in the Salvation Army, in the United
Church, in the Presbyterian Church,” noted a Salvation Army officer. Anglican Primate
Archbishop Michael Peers said that such abuse is a “deep-rooted and dark” problem in the
church. According to the Star, Archbishop Peers admitted that in the past this church’s response
to charges of sexual abuse “has been denial and control.” Timothy Bently from the Toronto
Centre for the Family reportedly stated that if “the churches do not face up to what is essentially a
spiritual crisis openly and honestly their authority to preach on sexual ethics will crumble.”
Rat Worship?
Every day about 1,000 worshipers and some 70 tourists visit the Karni Mata temple in
Deshnoke, India. Why? In that temple about 300 rats roam freely as devotees make their
offerings to idols. The rats “are revered and their every need is tended to by doting worshippers,”
says New Zealand’s Evening Post. The temple priests and the rats eat from the same bowls and
drink the same water. One of the priests claims that “these are not rats, these are messengers of
the God, a gift of the goddess to us.” According to the Post, the priest stated that when the temple
priests die, they obtain salvation by being reborn as rats. When the rats die, he added, they are
reborn as priests.
Discomfort in the Air
Travel by air has “become an increasing source of pain, discomfort and even illness among
passengers and crew members in recent years,” claims The New York Times. After several hours
of travel in cramped seats, travelers have reported blood clots in the lungs, backaches, colds,
headaches, nausea, and pneumonia. Dehydration is another problem. “With the humidity level
typically about 10 percent, the atmosphere on planes is drier than the Sahara,” says the Times.
Symptoms of dehydration include thickening of the blood, undue fatigue, and soreness of the
eyes. Also, dryness of the upper respiratory passages makes them more susceptible to infection.
The newspaper recommends drinking a half pint [250 cc] of water for each hour of air travel to
prevent dehydration.
Furor Over Incest in Ireland
The Dublin Rape Crisis Center says that the number of reported cases of sexual child abuse
in Ireland has risen from 408 in 1984 to 2,000 in 1992. A brutal case of incest there has sparked a
national furor. A father, addicted to a hard liquor called poteen, raped and assaulted his daughter
repeatedly over a 16-year period and fathered a child by her. He blinded her in one eye by
beating her with a stick. As is not uncommon in such cases, the victim’s mother knew of the
incest but lied to the police to protect her husband; neighbors likewise knew of the girl’s plight but
did nothing. Although the man pleaded guilty to charges of rape, incest, and assault, the judge
considered the matter to be incest. The father was sentenced to seven years in prison, the

22
maximum for incest, and he could be released after four. Outraged over the case, many Irish
Catholics are calling on their church to make a specific pronouncement against incest.

Tracking Down the Causes of Pollution

OH, YES, some of us have our television sets, microwave ovens, and personal computers.
But where are our fresh air, clean food, and pure water? Why does a technology capable of
sending a man to the moon seem incapable of providing us with these, our most basic needs?
Why, in fact, are the deadly tracks of pollution becoming more pronounced?
“Everything Is Growing”
Professor Kurt Hamerak, writing in a German scientific journal, claims that “all environmental
problems are essentially caused by growth, above all by the unexpectedly rapid growth in
population.” World population has more than doubled just since 1950. In addition, we are living in
what a United Nations’ study calls a “world of exploding cities.” By the year 2000, an estimated
three fourths of the people living in developed regions will be located in urban areas. When
population density increases, so also do the possibilities of pollution.
As there is a growth in the number of people who are demanding goods that increasing
knowledge and technology make possible, industrial production and trade also grow. This means
new factories and chemical plants—new sources of pollution. And these in turn need energy, so
new power plants must be built. Worldwide, almost 400 of them are nuclear reactors.
Also growing is the amount of leisure time that people have. This gives them more time and
opportunity to encroach upon the countryside, oftentimes polluting land, air, and water, as well as
jeopardizing plant and animal life, in the process.
Instead of preventing pollution, modern civilization has actually helped create it by fostering a
materialistic view that at best is a mixed blessing. Many responsible people are now warning that
uncurbed growth is leading to ruin. G. R. Taylor in The Doomsday Book concludes: “Up to now it
has seemed that the materialist view . . . must triumph. Suddenly it begins to appear that it cannot
triumph.”
Yes, “everything is growing,” says Professor Hamerak, “including the problems.” But there are
other more pivotal reasons why the fight against pollution is not going well.
Insufficient Knowledge
For example, “practically nothing” is known, says The Doomsday Book, “about the interactions
taking place between several pollutants present at the same time.” Also uncertain is the amount
of poisonous substances or of radioactivity a person can be subjected to before suffering adverse
effects. Toxicologist L. Horst Grimme of the University of Bremen claims that “it is not possible to
quantify the risk that arises from the production, usage, and distribution of pollutants.” He feels
there is no way to determine definitely at what level a pollutant crosses the threshold between
harmless and harmful. “In many instances,” he says, “experts are simply insufficiently
knowledgeable to be able to determine acceptable limits.” Additionally, research is so recent that
no one really knows what the long-term effects of even “acceptable limits” might be.
Also posing a question is how to dispose of toxic wastes. This is no small problem because the
amount of hazardous waste generated in Western Europe alone runs into millions of tons a year.

23
(See chart.) Six main disposal methods are used: (1) disposal at sea; (2) landfills; (3) long-term
storage; (4) physical, chemical, or biological treatment; (5) incineration on land or at sea, and
(6) reclamation and recycling. None of these methods is completely satisfactory or foolproof.

It Can Be Done
An outstanding example of this in recent years is the gradual cleanup of London’s famed river
Thames. The book The Thames Transformed, by Jeffery Harrison and Peter Grant, documents
this remarkable achievement that demonstrates what can be done when men work together for
the common good. Britain’s Duke of Edinburgh wrote in his foreword to the book: “Here at last is
a success story on such a major scale that it is worth publishing even at the risk that it may
encourage some people to assume that the problems of conservation are not really as bad as
they were led to believe. . . . They can all take heart from what has been achieved in the Thames.
The good news is that it can be done and their schemes too can succeed.”
In the chapter “The Great Clean-Up,” Harrison and Grant write enthusiastically about what has
been achieved over the last 50 years: “For the first time in the world, a heavily polluted and
industrialised river has been restored to such a degree that waterfowl and fish have returned in
abundance. That such a transformation has taken place so rapidly, in a situation which at first
seemed quite hopeless, gives encouragement to even the most pessimistic wildlife
conservationist.”
They then describe the transformation: “The state of the river deteriorated steadily over the
years with what was, perhaps, the final blow coming during the Second World War when major
sewage works and sewers were damaged or destroyed. During the 1940’s and 1950’s the health
of the Thames was at its lowest ebb. The river was little better than an open sewer; the water was
black in colour, contained no oxygen, and during the summer months the foul smell from the
Thames was detectable over a wide area. . . . The once teeming fish had finally been driven out,
apart from a few eels which were able to survive because of their ability to breathe air direct from
the surface. The birdlife of the inner, built-up reaches between London and Woolwich was
reduced to a handful of mallard and mute swans, and they owed their existence to spillages from
the grain wharves rather than a natural food supply. . . . Who would have believed then the
dramatic reversal which was about to take place? Within ten years those same reaches of the
river were to be transformed from a virtual avian void to a refuge for many species of water birds,
including a wintering population of up to 10,000 wildfowl and 12,000 waders.”
Of course, that describes but one transformation in one small corner of the globe.
Nonetheless, we can draw lessons from this example. It shows that planet Earth need not be
considered doomed because of the mismanagement, greed, and thoughtlessness of man. Proper
education and united effort for the common good of mankind can help the earth reverse even
extensive damage to its ecology, environment, and land surface. But what about possible doom
from outside forces, such as a wandering comet or asteroid?
The following article contains the key to a satisfying answer to such a perplexing question.

The End of Pollution in Sight?

THE prospect of a clean earth is truly delightful. But is it realistic? Well, some countries are
trying hard to improve the situation with regard to pollution. A decrease in air pollution is now
reported due to stringent measures to control the lead content of automobile exhausts. In some
areas, industrial pollution appears to have decreased also. This, however, is not always due to

24
strict controls. Rather, it is at times the result of the restructuring of industry brought about by the
world’s economic plight.
Earth—Designed to Clean Itself?
In addition, there are natural cleaning mechanisms at work. For example, phytoplankton is one
of the sea’s main antipollution agents, according to Dr. Aubert of the Medical Oceanography
Center in Nice, France. These tiny organisms secrete natural antibiotics that destroy infection.
Unfortunately, they are being overwhelmed. In Italy, Venice and the nearby Adriatic Sea are
being swamped by algae. In the Adriatic the pollution produces “algae, a stinking and slimy jelly,
yellow, brown and grey, that spread southward for hundreds of kilometres” in the summer. (The
Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada) One contributing factor is the drainage from the river Po, “with
raw sewage from more than 15 million people, waste from many of Italy’s major industries . . .
and the manure of more than five million pigs.”
What of soil pollution? Research by a large chemical company in conjunction with the U.S.
Department of Energy revealed the presence of many types of bacteria, fungi, and amoebas in
the earth, some as far as 850 feet [260 m] below the surface. Dr. David Balkwell of Florida State
University remarked: “These deep organisms may well be purifying the aquifer [natural
groundwater].” Alternatively, Dr. Balkwell hopes that genetic engineers will be able to induce
these subterranean organisms to “digest specific pollutants.”
Realistically, though, we must conclude that the present situation does not bode well for a speedy
end to the earth’s physical contamination. Yet, we can be sure that the end of pollution is in sight.
Why?

More Serious Deficiencies

People often lack honesty and objectivity in appraising the facts about pollution. While
environmental protectionists may exaggerate negative aspects in support of their argument, their
opponents may play up the positive side. For example, one authority says about polluted rivers:
“A goodly part of the Elbe, rated high at the turn of the century among European waterways in its
profusion of fish, has long been dead biologically.” The same claim has been made about the
Rhine, especially after the Sandoz tragedy. A spokesman for the chemical industry, on the other
hand, claims that “even after the fire in Sandoz, the Rhine is still in better shape than it was ten
years ago.”
Strictly speaking, this may be true because indications in 1983 were that governmental
antipollution legislation was proving effective and that the Rhine was making a remarkable
recovery. And of the Thames River in Britain, the magazine National Geographic reports: “In the
past 30 years pollution has been reduced 90 percent.” This success has only been possible
because of concerted effort. But according to journalist Thomas Netter, this is lacking in many
countries because “ecological disaster is still seen widely as someone else’s problem.”
No doubt this is one reason why governments are having so much difficulty adopting
international pollution controls. For years Canada and the United States failed to reach any
agreement on fighting acid rain. Finally, modest progress was made in 1986. Until then, as a
Canadian official said, “Acid rain was dead in the water, just like the fish.” And although 31
nations agreed in 1987 to halve the production of the aerosol sprays that appear to be destroying
the earth’s ozone layer, this goal will not be reached until the turn of the century. To promote
more international cooperation, the European Community designated 1987 as the “Year of the
Environment.”
Little progress will be made, however, as long as greedy people deliberately pollute for the
purpose of monetary gain, or selfish people for the sake of convenience. Success depends upon
concern for the welfare of one another and a willingness to accept personal responsibility.
“Pollution control starts at home—of this I am convinced,” says Germany’s environmental minister
Klaus Töpfer. So every citizen must do his part. The little man may self-righteously point a finger
at the big man—chemical plants and factories—but is the little man any better if his own fingers
are busy littering?

25
 The Bible foretold that in “the last days” people would be “lovers of themselves, lovers of
money, . . . not open to any agreement, . . . without love of goodness.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5) Since
these are the very qualities that promote pollution, the situation may look bleak. Still, we have
reason to believe that the hurdles standing in the way of a pollution-free world will be cleared—
and soon!
[Box on page 6]
Hurdles in Man’s Fight Against Pollution
▪ Uncontrolled growth
▪ Insufficient knowledge
▪ Human frailties
▪ Lack of control over the elements
▪ Selfish disregard for the welfare of others
[Chart/Map on page 7]
(For fully formatted text, see publication)
Estimated Tons of Toxic Wastes Produced in One Recent Year
Finland 87,000
Norway 120,000
Sweden 550,000
Netherlands 280,000
Britain 1,500,000
F. R. of Germany 4,892,000
Switzerland 100,000
France 2,000,000
Jehovah’s Concern for the Earth
When Jehovah completed his creation of the earth, he “saw everything he had made and,
look! it was very good.” He wanted it to stay that way. He had planted a beautiful garden in Eden
and had put the man Adam there to care for it. The plants that grew there were not for man’s use
alone. God said: “To every wild beast of the earth and to every flying creature of the heavens and
to everything moving upon the earth in which there is life as a soul I have given all green
vegetation for food.”—Genesis 1:30, 31.
When the Mosaic Law was later given to Israel, it made provision for the care of the land.
Every seventh year was to be “a sabbath of complete rest for the land.” What grew of itself during
that time was to be unharvested but made available to poor people as well as for their domestic
animal and for the wild beast that was in their land.—Leviticus 25:4-7.
Jehovah’s concern for the preservation of species was shown by his having pairs of living
animals taken into the ark at the time of the Flood of Noah’s day. That concern was also
evidenced in the Law covenant. For example, the bull that trod out the grain was not to be
muzzled. It had the right to eat some of the grain. A bull and an ass were not to be yoked together
to plow. That would be unfair to the smaller, weaker animal. A neighbor’s beast of burden was to
be helped if it was in distress, even if its owner was one’s enemy and even if it meant doing some
work on the Sabbath. (Exodus 23:4, 5; Deuteronomy 22:1, 2, 10; 25:4; Luke 14:5) The eggs or
the young could be taken from a bird’s nest, but not the mother bird. It had to be left to continue
the species. And Jesus said that even though the sparrow was of little value, ‘not one of them
falls to the ground without God knowing it.’—Matthew 10:29; Deuteronomy 22:6, 7.
The inspired psalmist said: “To Jehovah the heavens belong, but the earth he has given to the
sons of men.” (Psalm 115:16) Jesus said at Matthew 5:5: “Happy are the mild-tempered ones,
since they will inherit the earth.” Do you think that this inheritance from Jehovah will be a polluted
earth? If you had a beautiful home that you were going to leave to your children, would you allow
tenants to remain in it who were damaging the house and grounds? Rather, would you not evict
them and make repairs before leaving it to your children?
That is what Jehovah did before he ushered the Israelites into the land that he had promised
to them. The Canaanites had by their gross immorality polluted the land, and for that reason

26
Jehovah evicted them. At the same time, he warned the Israelites that if they polluted the land as
the Canaanites had done, they also would be evicted. The account is recorded at Leviticus 18:24-
28:
“Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things [incest, sodomy, bestiality,
bloodguilt], because by all these things the nations whom I am sending out from before you have
made themselves unclean. Consequently the land is unclean, and I shall bring punishment for its
error upon it, and the land will vomit its inhabitants out. And you yourselves must keep my
statutes and my judicial decisions, and you must not do any of all these detestable things,
whether a native or an alien resident who is residing as an alien in your midst. For all these
detestable things the men of the land who were before you have done, so that the land is
unclean. Then the land will not vomit you out for your defiling it the same way as it will certainly
vomit the nations out who were before you.”
Israel did, however, pollute the land by committing the same gross immoralities that the
Canaanites had committed. True to his word, Jehovah evicted Israel by sending the Babylonians
to carry them captive to Babylon. Long before this happened, the warning was given to the
Israelites by Jehovah’s prophet Isaiah: “Look! Jehovah is emptying the land and laying it waste,
and he has twisted the face of it and scattered its inhabitants. And the very land has been
polluted under its inhabitants, for they have bypassed the laws, changed the regulation, broken
the indefinitely lasting covenant. That is why the curse itself has eaten up the land, and those
inhabiting it are held guilty. That is why the inhabitants of the land have decreased in number,
and very few mortal men have remained over.”—Isaiah 24:1, 5, 6.
Ruin for Those Ruining the Earth
Today we are in a similar position. Books, magazines, newspapers, television, videos, and the
media generally reflect a society that is sexually depraved, violently brutal, and politically corrupt.
Greedy commercial corporations immorally pollute the environment, even sending products
banned as hazardous to health in their own affluent nations to the developing countries where no
such safeguards are in effect. Christians are warned to avoid such a course:
“This, therefore, I say and bear witness to in the Lord, that you no longer go on walking just as
the nations also walk in the unprofitableness of their minds, while they are in darkness mentally,
and alienated from the life that belongs to God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because
of the insensibility of their hearts. Having come to be past all moral sense, they gave themselves
over to loose conduct to work uncleanness of every sort with greediness.”—Ephesians 4:17-19;
2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Both the human spirit and the environment are polluted. The earth has its built-in checks and
balances for everything. Because of man’s fall into sin, the human conscience, his own built-in
check, has become corrupted, leading on to earth’s pollution. Now, only God can check man.
Only God can rescue the earth. We have the assurance that he will do so at Revelation 11:18,
where Jehovah God promises “to bring to ruin those ruining the earth.”

“The Former Earth”

So how do we reconcile Bible texts that seem to conflict? One such is 2 Peter 3:7, which,
according to the King James Version, says: “The heavens and the earth, which are now, by the
same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of
ungodly men.” Another is Revelation 21:1, which states: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth;
for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away.”
If Peter’s words are to be taken literally and the planet Earth is to be consumed by real fire,
then the literal heavens—the stars and the other heavenly bodies—are also to be destroyed by
fire. This view, however, conflicts with the assurance found at such scriptures as Matthew 6:10:
“Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth,” and Psalm 37:29: “The righteous
themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.” Furthermore, what effect

27
would fire have on the already intensely hot sun and stars, which produce nuclear explosions
continuously?
On the other hand, the Bible often uses the term “earth” in a figurative sense. For example,
Genesis 11:1 says: “Now all the earth continued to be of one language.” Here, the word “earth”
refers to mankind in general, or human society. (See also 1 Kings 2:1, 2; 1 Chronicles 16:31.)
The context of 2 Peter 3:5, 6 implies the same figurative use of “earth.” It refers to Noah’s day
when a wicked human society was destroyed in the Flood but Noah and his household as well as
the globe itself were preserved. (Genesis 9:11) Likewise, at 2 Peter 3:7, it says that the ones to
be destroyed are “ungodly men.” This view agrees with the rest of the Bible. The wicked society
earmarked for desolation is also “the former earth” referred to at Revelation 21:1, quoted earlier.
Indeed, just as a caring earthly father will take every measure possible to ensure the
inviolability of his home, Jehovah God is keenly concerned about his creation. He once evicted an
immoral and wicked people from the fertile Jordan Valley and assured the new caretakers of the
land, who were in a covenant with him, that if they kept his statutes, ‘the land would not vomit
them out for their defiling it the same way as it would certainly vomit the nations out who were
before them.’—Leviticus 18:24-28.
“A New Earth”
Today, a society that is sexually depraved, violently brutal, and politically corrupt has polluted
the earth. Only God can rescue it. He will do just that. At Revelation 11:18, he promises “to bring
to ruin those ruining the earth.” The restored and renewed earth will be populated by people who
fear God and sincerely love their fellowmen. (Hebrews 2:5; compare Luke 10:25-28.) The
changes that take place under God’s heavenly Kingdom will be so profound that the Bible speaks
of “a new earth”—a new human society.
When we read scriptures like Psalm 37:29 and we comprehend the statement by Christ at
Matthew 6:10, we are convinced that neither blind natural forces nor man with all his destructive
power will bring an end to our planet. They will not thwart God’s purpose. (Psalm 119:90; Isaiah
40:15, 26) Faithful mankind will live on earth amid conditions of boundless beauty and endless
joy. That is the truth about earth’s destiny, for this is and always has been the purpose of
mankind’s loving Creator.—Genesis 2:7-9, 15; Revelation 21:1-5.

Is there a possibility that, since the nations show little regard for God’s
purpose, they might completely ruin the earth for habitation anyway?
Isa. 55:8-11: “[The utterance of Jehovah is:] As the heavens are higher than the
earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts. . . . My word . . . will not return to me without results, but it will certainly do
that in which I have delighted, and it will have certain success in that for which I
have sent it.”
Isa. 40:15, 26: “Look! [From the standpoint of Jehovah God] The nations are as a
drop from a bucket; and as the film of dust on the scales they have been
accounted. . . . ‘Raise your eyes high up and see [the sun, the moon, and the billions
of stars]. Who has created these things? It is the One who is bringing forth the army
of them even by number, all of whom he calls even by name. Due to the abundance
of dynamic energy, he also being vigorous in power, not one of them is missing.’”
(The nuclear power developed by the nations is fear inspiring to men. But billions of
stars employ nuclear power on a scale that is beyond our ability to comprehend.
Who created and controls all these heavenly bodies? Can He not prevent the
nations from using their nuclear weapons in a way that would hinder his purpose?
That God would do this is illustrated by his destroying the military power of Egypt
when Pharaoh sought to stop the deliverance of Israel.—Ex. 14:5-31.)
Rev. 11:17, 18: “We thank you, Jehovah God, the Almighty, the One who is and who
was, because you have taken your great power and begun ruling as king. But the

28
 nations became wrathful, and your own wrath came, and the appointed time . . . to
bring to ruin those ruining the earth.”
Will God himself destroy the earth by fire?
Does 2 Peter 3:7, 10 (KJ) support that view? “The heavens and the earth, which are now, by
the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition
[“destruction,” RS] of ungodly men. . . . The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the
which 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 [“burned (burnt) up,” RS,
JB; “will vanish,” TEV; “will be made manifest,” NAB; “will be laid bare,” NE; “will be discovered,”
NW].” (Note: The Codex Sinaiticus and Vatican MS 1209, both of the 4th century C.E., read “be
discovered.” Later manuscripts, the 5th-century Codex Alexandrinus and the 16th-century
Clementine recension of the Vulgate, read “be burned up.”)
Does Revelation 21:1 (KJ) indicate that our planet will be destroyed? “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.”
To be correct, the explanation of these verses must agree with the context
and with the rest of the Bible
If these texts (2 Peter 3:7, 10 and Revelation 21:1) mean that the literal planet Earth
is to be consumed by fire, then the literal heavens (the stars and other heavenly
bodies) are also to be destroyed by fire. Such a literal view, however, conflicts with
the assurance contained in such texts as Matthew 6:10, Psalm 37:29 and 104:5,
also Proverbs 2:21, 22. Furthermore, what effect would fire have on the already
intensely hot sun and stars? So the term “earth” in the above-quoted texts must be
understood in a different sense.
At Genesis 11:1, First Kings 2:1, 2, First Chronicles 16:31, Psalm 96:1, etc., the term
“earth” is used in a figurative sense, referring to mankind, to human society. Might
that be the case at 2 Peter 3:7, 10 and Revelation 21:1?
Note that, in the context, at 2 Peter 3:5, 6 (also 2:5, 9), a parallel is drawn with the
Flood of Noah’s day, in which wicked human society was destroyed, but Noah and
his household, as well as the globe itself, were preserved. Likewise, at 2 Peter 3:7 it
says that the ones to be destroyed are “ungodly men.” The view that “the earth” here
refers to wicked human society fully agrees with the rest of the Bible, as is illustrated
by the texts cited above. It is that symbolic “earth,” or wicked human society, that is
“discovered”; that is, Jehovah will sear away as by fire all disguise, exposing the
wickedness of ungodly human society and showing it to be worthy of complete
destruction. That wicked society of humans is also “the first earth,” referred to at
Revelation 21:1 (KJ).
Consistently, Jesus’ expression at Luke 21:33 (“heaven and earth will pass away,
but . . . ”) must be understood in the light of the parallel statement at Luke 16:17 (“it
is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than . . . ”), both of which simply
emphasize the impossibility of the situations presented.—See also Matthew 5:18.
Will the righteous be taken to heaven and then returned to earth after the wicked are
destroyed?
Does Revelation 21:2, 3 support that view? It says: “I saw also the holy city, New Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. With
that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: ‘Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will
reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them.’” (Does the fact
that God will “reside” with mankind and “be with them” mean that he will become a fleshly Being?
That cannot be, because Jehovah told Moses: “No man may see me and yet live.” [Ex. 33:20]
Consistently, then, the members of the New Jerusalem will not return to earth as physical beings.
In what sense, then, could God “be with” mankind and how would the New Jerusalem ‘come

29
down out of heaven’? No doubt an indication is found in Genesis 21:1, which says that God
“visited” Sarah, blessing her with a son in her old age. Exodus 4:31 tells us that God “visited”
Israel by sending Moses as a deliverer. Luke 7:16 says that by means of Jesus’ ministry God
“visited” his people. [All from KJ and RS] Other translations use the expression God “turned his
attention” to his people [NW] or ‘showed concern’ for them [NE]. So Revelation 21:2, 3 must
mean that God will ‘visit,’ or be with, mankind by means of the heavenly New Jerusalem, through
which blessings will come to obedient humans.)
Prov. 2:21, 22, KJ: “The upright shall dwell in the land [“on earth,” NE], and the perfect
[“blameless men,” NE] shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the
transgressors shall be rooted out of it.” (Notice that it does not say the blameless will return to the
earth but that they “shall remain in it.”)
Has God’s original purpose for the earth changed?
Gen. 1:27, 28: “God proceeded to create the man in his image, in God’s image he created
him; male and female he created them. Further, God blessed them and God said to them: ‘Be
fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection the fish of the
sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving upon the
earth.’” (Thus God indicated his purpose to have the earth filled with the offspring of Adam and
Eve as caretakers of a global paradise. After God had magnificently designed this earth for
human habitation, making it unique among all the planets that man has examined with his
telescopes and spaceships, did the Creator simply abandon his purpose, leaving it forever
unfulfilled because of Adam’s sin?)
Isa. 45:18: “This is what Jehovah has said, the Creator of the heavens, He the true God, the
Former of the earth and the Maker of it, He the One who firmly established it, who did not create it
simply for nothing, who formed it even to be inhabited: ‘I am Jehovah, and there is no one else.’”
(See also Isaiah 55:10, 11.)
If no one is ever going to die in God’s New Order, how will all the people fit on earth?
Keep in mind that when God expressed his purpose for the earth he said: “Be fruitful and
become many and fill the earth.” (Gen. 1:28) God gave man the ability to procreate, and when His
purpose in that regard is fulfilled He can cause procreation to cease on earth.
What kind of people will God favor with endless life on earth?
Zeph. 2:3: “Seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial
decision. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. Probably you may be concealed in the day of
Jehovah’s anger.”
Ps. 37:9, 11: “Those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth. . . . The meek
ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the
abundance of peace.”

Rev. 13:2: “The dragon [Satan the Devil] gave to the beast its power and its throne and great
authority.” (Comparison of the description of this “beast” with Daniel 7 indicates that it represents
human government, not just one such but the global system of political rulership. That Satan is its
ruler agrees with Luke 4:5-7, also with Revelation 16:14, 16, which depicts demonic utterances as
leading the rulers of all the earth to war against God at Armageddon. Satan’s rulership of the
world is one that is merely tolerated by God until His appointed time arrives for settling the issue
of universal sovereignty.)

30
 Rev. 11:15: “Loud voices occurred in heaven, saying: ‘The kingdom of the world did become
the kingdom of our Lord [Jehovah] and of his Christ.’” (When this occurred in 1914, “the last days”
for the present wicked system began. A new manifestation of Jehovah’s sovereignty appeared,
this time through his own Son as Messianic Ruler. Soon the wicked world will be destroyed, and
Satan, its wicked spirit ruler, will be abyssed, unable to influence mankind.)
What is the attitude of true Christians toward the world and toward people who are part of
the world?
John 15:19: “You [Jesus’ followers] are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the
world.” (Thus true Christians are no part of the mass of human society that is alienated from God.
They care for normal human activities, but they shun attitudes, speech, and conduct that are
characteristic of the world and that conflict with Jehovah’s righteous ways.) (See pages 269-276,
also 389-393.)

Looking Up, Not Down, for Answers

EVOLUTION teaches that a series of changes gradually fashioned us into a higher form of
animal. On the other hand, the Bible says that we started off perfect, in God’s image, but that
shortly thereafter, imperfection was introduced and mankind began a long downhill ride.
Our original parents, Adam and Eve, began this descent when they sought moral
independence and wounded their consciences through willful disobedience to God. They
deliberately drove, as though in a vehicle, through the protective guardrail of God’s law and
plunged down to where we are now, suffering sickness, old age, and death, not to mention racial
prejudices, religious hatreds, and horrible wars.—Genesis 2:17; 3:6, 7.
Animal Genes or Flawed Genes?
Of course, the Bible does not explain in scientific language what happened to Adam and Eve’s
perfect bodies when they sinned. The Bible is not a science book, just as a car owner’s manual is
not a textbook on automotive engineering. But like the owner’s manual, the Bible is accurate; it is
not myth.
When Adam and Eve crashed through the protective barrier of God’s law, their organisms
were damaged. Thereafter, they began a slow descent toward death. Through the laws of
heredity, their children, the human family, inherited imperfection. Thus, they die too.—Job 14:4;
Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12.
Sadly, our inheritance includes a tendency toward sin, which surfaces as selfishness and
immorality. Sex, of course, is proper in its place. God commanded the first human pair: “Be fruitful
and become many and fill the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) And as a loving Creator, he made fulfilling
that command a pleasure for husband and wife. (Proverbs 5:18) But human imperfection has led
to the abuse of sex. In fact, imperfection touches every facet of our lives, including the function of
our mind and body, as all of us are aware.
But imperfection has not stamped out our moral sense. If we really want to, we can grip the
“steering wheel” and avoid life’s pitfalls by fighting the tendency to veer off into sin. Of course, no
imperfect human can fight sin with complete success, and God mercifully takes this into account.
—Psalm 103:14; Romans 7:21-23.

Suggesting how this will be accomplished, Isaiah 11:9 says: “They will not do any harm or
cause any ruin in all my holy mountain; because the earth will certainly be filled with the
knowledge of Jehovah.” No doubt the Creator will teach humans everything about the earth and

31
its environment that they need to know in order to act as its loving caretakers who will avoid doing
it any harm or causing any ruin.
God will restore humans to perfection, the state in which he created the first humans. Perfect
minds, filled with accurate knowledge and controlled by perfect judgment, will not be prone to
human error. Negligence and other frailties of the flesh as we now know them will be removed.
Divine protection will rule out freak accidents. Even the elements will be kept in perfect control.—
Compare Mark 4:39.
“The knowledge of Jehovah” will also instill in humans a loving concern for others and a
respect and appreciation for God’s creations that will restrain individuals from wanting to pollute.
In fact, it is already producing this kind of people, people who have stripped off “the old
personality with its practices” and who are striving to live by Christian principles. “You must love
your neighbor as yourself,” for example. Or, “Let your manner of life be free of the love of money.”
Another: “Let each one keep seeking, not his own advantage, but that of the other person.”—
Colossians 3:9, 10; Mark 12:31; Hebrews 13:5; 1 Corinthians 10:24.
The Relentless Killer Stopped at Last!
Till now no mention has been made of pollution’s chief promoter. He is an invisible killer,
God’s great Adversary, the Devil. (John 8:44; Hebrews 2:14) Satan’s perverted mind is ingenious
at thinking up ways to discredit God and to ruin God’s creation. A polluted and filthy earth brings
no honor to the Creator, who designed it to be radiantly clean and beautiful; nor do humans
created in God’s image who allow the Devil to mislead them into doing his bidding. (Ephesians
2:2) As long as Satan exists, the fight against pollution will continue to lose ground. But wait!
God’s promise is: “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven . . . And he seized the dragon,
the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years . . . that he
might not mislead the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended.” (Revelation 20:1-3)
That angel is the Lord Jesus Christ, who will bind Satan and thereby rid the universe of his
influence for a thousand years, thus removing the chief barrier to a pollution-free world.

*** dg part 9 p. 22 pars. 17-20 How We Know We Are in “the Last Days” ***
17
Proverbs 2:21, 22 says: “The upright [those who submit to God’s rule] are the ones that will
reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. As regards the
wicked [those who do not submit to God’s rule], they will be cut off from the very earth; and as for
the treacherous, they will be torn away from it.”
18
Psalm 37:10, 11 also says: “Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more . . .
But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite
delight in the abundance of peace.” Verse 29 adds: “The righteous themselves will possess the
earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”
19
We should take to heart the counsel of Psalm 37:34, which states: “Hope in Jehovah and
keep his way, and he will exalt you to take possession of the earth. When the wicked ones are cut
off, you will see it.” Verses 37 and 38 say: “Watch the blameless one and keep the upright one in
sight, for the future of that man will be peaceful. But the transgressors themselves will certainly be
annihilated together; the future of wicked people will indeed be cut off.”
20
How comforting, yes, how inspiring it is to know that God really does care and that soon he
will put an end to all wickedness and suffering! How thrilling it is to realize that the fulfillment of
those glorious prophecies is but a short time off!

Part 10
The Marvelous New World of God’s Making

32
 AFTER God’s cleansing war of Armageddon, what then? Then a glorious new era will begin.
The Armageddon survivors, having already proved their loyalty to God’s rule, will be ushered into
the new world. What a thrilling new period of history that will be as marvelous benefits flow from
God to the human family!
2
Under the direction of God’s Kingdom, the survivors will begin to develop a paradise. Their
energies will be devoted to unselfish pursuits that will benefit all then living. The earth will begin to
be transformed into a beautiful, peaceful, satisfying home for mankind.
Righteousness Replaces Wickedness
3
All of this will be made possible by the destruction of Satan’s world. No more will there be
divisive false religions, social systems, or governments. No more will there be satanic
propaganda to deceive people; all the agencies producing it will go down with Satan’s system.
Just think: the entire poisonous atmosphere of Satan’s world cleared away! What a relief that
will be!
4
Then the destructive ideas of human rule will be replaced by the upbuilding teaching that
comes from God. “All your sons will be persons taught by Jehovah.” (Isaiah 54:13) With this
wholesome instruction year after year, “the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of
Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.” (Isaiah 11:9) People will no more learn what is
bad, but “righteousness is what the inhabitants of the productive land will certainly learn.” (Isaiah
26:9) Upbuilding thoughts and actions will be the order of the day.—Acts 17:31; Philippians 4:8.
5
Thus, there will be no more murder, violence, rape, robbery, or any other crime. No one will
have to suffer because of the wicked deeds of others. Proverbs 10:30 says: “As for the righteous
one, to time indefinite he will not be caused to stagger; but as for the wicked ones, they will not
keep residing on the earth.”
Perfect Health Restored
6
In the new world, there will be a rolling back of all the evil effects of the original rebellion. For
example, Kingdom rule will eliminate sickness and old age. Today, even if you enjoy a measure
of good health, the hard reality is that as you grow old, your eyes dim, your teeth decay, your
hearing dulls, your skin wrinkles, your internal organs break down, until finally you die.
7
However, those distressing effects that we inherited from our first parents will soon be a thing
of the past. Do you remember what Jesus demonstrated regarding health while he was on earth?
The Bible relates: “Great crowds approached him, having along with them people that were lame,
maimed, blind, dumb, and many otherwise, and they fairly threw them at his feet, and he cured
them; so that the crowd felt amazement as they saw the dumb speaking and the lame walking
and the blind seeing.”—Matthew 15:30, 31.
8
What great happiness will come in the new world as all our ills are eliminated! The suffering
that results from poor health will never again torment us. “No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’” “At that
time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be
unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the
speechless one will cry out in gladness.”—Isaiah 33:24; 35:5, 6.
9
Will it not be thrilling to wake up each morning and realize that you now enjoy vibrant health?
Will it not be gratifying for elderly persons to know that they have been restored to the full vigor of
youth and will achieve the perfection that Adam and Eve originally enjoyed? The Bible’s promise
is: “Let his flesh become fresher than in youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor.”
(Job 33:25) What a delight it will be to throw away those eyeglasses, hearing aids, crutches,
wheelchairs, and medicines! Hospitals, doctors, and dentists will never again be needed.
10
Persons who enjoy such vibrant health will not want to die. And they will not have to, for
mankind will no longer be in the grip of inherited imperfection and death. Christ “must rule as king
until God has put all enemies under his feet. As the last enemy, death is to be brought to
nothing.” “The gift God gives is everlasting life.”—1 Corinthians 15:25, 26; Romans 6:23; see also
Isaiah 25:8.

33
 11
Summing up the benefits that will flow from the caring God to the human family in Paradise,
the last book of the Bible says: “And [God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will
be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have
passed away.”—Revelation 21:3, 4.
The Dead Return
12
Jesus did more than cure the sick and heal the lame. He also brought back persons from
the grave. He thus demonstrated the wonderful power of resurrection that God had given to him.
Do you recall the occasion when Jesus came to the house of a man whose daughter had died?
Jesus said to the dead girl: “Maiden, I say to you, Get up!” With what result? “Immediately the
maiden rose and began walking.” On seeing that, the people there “were beside themselves with
great ecstasy.” They could hardly contain their happiness!—Mark 5:41, 42; see also Luke 7:11-
16; John 11:1-45.
13
In the new world, “there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the
unrighteous.” (Acts 24:15) At that time Jesus will use his God-given power to raise the dead
because, as he said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He that exercises faith in me, even
though he dies, will come to life.” (John 11:25) He also said: “All those in the memorial tombs [in
God’s memory] will hear his [Jesus’] voice and come out.”—John 5:28, 29.
14
Great will be the joy earth wide when group after group of dead persons come back to life to
join their loved ones! No longer will there be obituary columns to bring sadness to the survivors.
Instead, there may well be just the opposite: announcements of newly resurrected ones to bring
joy to those who loved them. So no more funerals, funeral pyres, crematoriums, or cemeteries!
A Truly Peaceful World
15
True peace in all areas of life will be realized. Wars, promoters of wars, and the
manufacturing of weapons will be things of the past. Why? Because divisive national, tribal, and
racial interests will disappear. Then, in the fullest sense, “they will not lift up sword, nation against
nation, neither will they learn war anymore.”—Micah 4:3.
16
This may seem astonishing in view of man’s bloodthirsty history of constant war. But that
has come about because mankind has been under human and demon rule. In the new world,
under Kingdom rule, this is what will happen: “Come, you people, behold the activities of Jehovah
. . . He is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth. The bow he breaks apart and does
cut the spear in pieces; the [war] wagons he burns in the fire.”—Psalm 46:8, 9.
17
Man and beast will also be at peace, as they were in Eden. (Genesis 1:28; 2:19) God says:
“For them I shall certainly conclude a covenant in that day in connection with the wild beast of the
field and with the flying creature of the heavens and the creeping thing of the ground, and . . . I
will make them lie down in security.”—Hosea 2:18.
18
How extensive will that peace be? “The wolf will actually reside for a while with the male
lamb, and with the kid the leopard itself will lie down, and the calf and the maned young lion and
the well-fed animal all together; and a mere little boy will be leader over them.” Never again will
the animals be a threat to man or to themselves. Even “the lion will eat straw just like the bull”!—
Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:25.
Earth Transformed Into a Paradise
19
The entire earth will be transformed into a paradise home for mankind. That is why Jesus
could promise a man who believed in him: “You will be with me in Paradise.” The Bible says: “The
wilderness and the waterless region will exult, and the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as
the saffron. . . . For in the wilderness waters will have burst out, and torrents in the desert
plain.”—Luke 23:43; Isaiah 35:1, 6.
20
Under God’s Kingdom, hunger will never again afflict millions. “There will come to be plenty
of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.” “The tree of the field
must give its fruitage, and the land itself will give its yield, and they will actually prove to be on
their soil in security.”—Psalm 72:16; Ezekiel 34:27.

34
 21
No more will there be poverty, homeless people, slums, or neighborhoods overrun with
crime. “They will certainly build houses and have occupancy; and they will certainly plant
vineyards and eat their fruitage. They will not build and someone else have occupancy; they will
not plant and someone else do the eating.” “They will actually sit, each one under his vine and
under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble.”—Isaiah 65:21, 22; Micah 4:4.
22
Humans will be blessed with all these things, and more, in Paradise. Psalm 145:16 says:
“You [God] are opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing.” No wonder
Bible prophecy declares: “The meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed
find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. . . . The righteous themselves will possess
the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—Psalm 37:11, 29.
Undoing the Past
23
God’s Kingdom rule will undo all the damage done to the human family for the past six
thousand years. The joys at that time will far outweigh any suffering that people have
experienced. Life will not be disturbed by any bad memories of previous suffering. The upbuilding
thoughts and activities that will be the everyday life of people will gradually erase the painful
memories.
24
The caring God declares: “I am creating new heavens [a new heavenly government over
mankind] and a new earth [a righteous human society]; and the former things will not be called to
mind, neither will they come up into the heart. But exult, you people, and be joyful forever in what
I am creating.” “The whole earth has come to rest, has become free of disturbance. People have
become cheerful with joyful cries.”—Isaiah 14:7; 65:17, 18.
25
So by means of his Kingdom, God will completely reverse the bad situation that has lasted
so long. Throughout eternity he will show his great care for us by showering down blessings that
will far more than make up for any hurt that we received in our past. The previous troubles we
have experienced will fade to a dim memory then, if we care to remember them at all.
26
That is how God will compensate us for the suffering we may have endured in this world. He
knows that it was not our fault that we were born imperfect, for we inherited imperfection from our
first parents. It was not our fault that we were born into a satanic world, for if Adam and Eve had
been faithful, we would have been born into a paradise instead. So with great compassion God
will more than make up for the bad past that was inflicted upon us.
27
In the new world, mankind will experience the freedom foretold at Romans 8:21, 22: “The
creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom
of the children of God. For we know that all creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain
together until now.” People then will see the complete fulfillment of the prayer: “Let your kingdom
come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” (Matthew 6:10) The marvelous
conditions on the Paradise earth will reflect the conditions in heaven.

Chapter 1
You Can Have a Happy Future!

A WARM embrace from someone you love. Hearty laughter during a good meal with dear
friends. The pleasure of watching your children cheerfully at play. Moments like these are bright
spots in life. For many, however, life seems to present one serious problem after another. If that
has been your experience, take heart.
2
It is God’s will that you enjoy lasting happiness under the best conditions in wonderful
surroundings. This is no mere dream, for God actually offers you the key to such a happy future.
That key is knowledge.
3
We are talking about a special kind of knowledge that is far greater than human wisdom. It is
“the very knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:5) Nearly 2,000 years ago, a Bible writer said: “Every
house is constructed by someone, but he that constructed all things is God.” (Hebrews 3:4) Think
of the knowledge that the Maker of all things must possess! The Bible says that God counts and
names all the stars. What a staggering thought, since there are hundreds of billions of stars in our

35
own galaxy, and astronomers say that there are about a hundred billion other galaxies! (Psalm
147:4) God also knows all about us, so who else could provide better answers to life’s important
questions?—Matthew 10:30.
4
Picture two men trying to repair their cars. Frustrated, one man throws down his tools. The
other calmly corrects the problem, turns the ignition key, and smiles as the engine starts up and
runs smoothly. You would not have a hard time guessing which of the two men had an instruction
manual from the manufacturer. Does it not make sense that God would provide instructions to
guide us in life? As you may know, the Bible claims to be just that—a book of instruction and
guidance from our Creator, designed to impart the knowledge of God.—2 Timothy 3:16.
5
If the Bible’s claim is true, think of what treasures of knowledge that book must contain! At
Proverbs 2:1-5, it urges us to seek wisdom, to dig for it as we would for a hidden treasure—not in
the soil of human thinking, but in God’s own Word. If we search there, we will “find the very
knowledge of God.” Since God understands our limitations and needs, he gives us instruction that
will help us to lead peaceful, happy lives. (Psalm 103:14; Isaiah 48:17) Furthermore, the
knowledge of God offers us exciting good news.
EVERLASTING LIFE!
6
The well-known historical figure Jesus Christ described this feature of the knowledge of God
in clear terms. He said: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only
true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) Imagine—knowledge
that leads to everlasting life!
7
Do not quickly dismiss everlasting life as a mere dream. Instead, look at the way the human
body is made. It is splendidly designed to taste, hear, smell, see, and feel. There is so much on
the earth that delights our senses—delicious food, pleasant birdsong, fragrant flowers, beautiful
scenery, delightful companionship! And our amazing brain is far more than a supercomputer, for it
enables us to appreciate and enjoy all such things. Do you think that our Creator wants us to die
and lose all of this? Would it not be more reasonable to conclude that he wants us to live happily
and to enjoy life forever? Well, that is what the knowledge of God can mean for you.
LIFE IN PARADISE
8
What the Bible says about the future of the earth and mankind might be summed up in one
word—Paradise! Jesus Christ spoke of it when he told a dying man: “You will be with me in
Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) The mention of Paradise no doubt brought to that man’s mind the happy
state of our first parents, Adam and Eve. When God created them, they were perfect and lived in
a gardenlike park that the Creator had designed and planted. It was fittingly called the garden of
Eden, which name denotes pleasure.
9
How delightful that garden was! It was a real paradise. Among its beautiful trees were those
bearing delicious fruit. As Adam and Eve explored their domain, drank from its sweet waters, and
gathered fruit from its trees, they had no reason to be anxious or fearful. Even animals posed no
threat, for God had placed the man and his wife in loving dominion over all of them. In addition,
the first human pair had vibrant health. As long as they remained obedient to God, an eternal,
happy future lay before them. They were given the satisfying work of caring for their wonderful
Paradise home. Further, God gave Adam and Eve the mandate to “fill the earth and subdue it.”
They and their offspring were to extend the borders of Paradise until our entire planet became a
place of beauty and delight.—Genesis 1:28.
10
When Jesus mentioned Paradise, however, he was not asking a dying man to think about
the distant past. No, Jesus was speaking about the future! He knew that our entire earthly home
would become a paradise. God would thus fulfill his original purpose for mankind and our earth.
(Isaiah 55:10, 11) Yes, Paradise will be restored! And what will it be like? Let God’s Word, the
Holy Bible, answer.
LIFE IN THE RESTORED PARADISE

36
 11
Sickness, old age, and death will no longer exist. “At that time the eyes of the blind ones will
be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will
climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness.”
(Isaiah 35:5, 6) “God himself will be with [mankind]. And he will wipe out every tear from their
eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The
former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:3, 4.
12
Crime, violence, and wickedness will be gone forever. “Evildoers themselves will be cut
off . . . Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more . . . He will not be. But the
meek ones themselves will possess the earth.” (Psalm 37:9-11) “As regards the wicked, they will
be cut off from the very earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it.” —
Proverbs 2:22.
13
Peace will prevail earth wide. “He [God] is making wars to cease to the extremity of the
earth. The bow he breaks apart and does cut the spear in pieces.” (Psalm 46:9) “The righteous
one will sprout, and the abundance of peace until the moon is no more.”—Psalm 72:7.
14
Housing will be secure and work satisfying. “They will certainly build houses and have
occupancy . . . They will not build and someone else have occupancy; they will not plant and
someone else do the eating. For like the days of a tree will the days of my people be; and the
work of their own hands my chosen ones will use to the full. They will not toil for nothing, nor will
they bring to birth for disturbance.”—Isaiah 65:21-23.
15
Healthful food will be available in abundance. “There will come to be plenty of grain on the
earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.” (Psalm 72:16) “The earth itself will
certainly give its produce; God, our God, will bless us.”—Psalm 67:6.
16
Everlasting life on a paradise earth will be delightful. “The righteous themselves will possess
the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.” (Psalm 37:29) “The wilderness and the waterless
region will exult, and the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as the saffron.”—Isaiah 35:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND YOUR FUTURE
17
If life in Paradise appeals to you, let nothing hold you back from gaining the knowledge of
God. He loves mankind and will bring about the changes needed to make the earth a paradise.
After all, if you had the power to end the misery and injustice so prevalent in the world, would you
not do so? Would we expect God to do less? Actually, the Bible speaks in vivid terms of a time
when God will remove this strife-ridden system and replace it with a perfect, righteous rule.
(Daniel 2:44) But the Bible does much more than tell us about all of this. It shows us how we can
survive into God’s promised new world.—2 Peter 3:13; 1 John 2:17.
18
The knowledge of God can also do much for you right now. Life’s deepest and most
disturbing questions are answered in the Bible. Accepting its guidance will help you to develop a
friendship with God. What a grand privilege! And this will enable you to enjoy the peace that God
alone can give. (Romans 15:13, 33) As you begin to take in this vital knowledge, you are
embarking on the most important and rewarding endeavor of your life. You will never regret
acquiring the knowledge of God that leads to everlasting life.
19
We have referred to the Bible as the book containing the knowledge of God. Yet, how do we
know that it is, not a book of human wisdom, but something far greater? We will consider this
question in the next chapter.

What Future for Us and Our Children?

A FAMILY cannot spend more than it makes and remain solvent. A nation cannot pay out
more than it takes in and still prosper; nor can we continue our deficit spending of the
environment. We cannot squander more soil than is formed, create more carbon dioxide than
plants can use, cut down more trees than we replace, pollute more air and water than earth can
recycle. Environmental deficits, like national deficits, will demand an accounting. They will be
paid, either in money and international cooperation or in lives—ours and our children’s.

37
 Modern technology has made the ruining of the earth possible. It could be used to prevent it.
Why isn’t it? Love of money. It would cost billions. This world cannot see—or in its selfishness will
not see—beyond its own shortsighted materialistic desires. Since it refuses to pay in money, it will
pay in loss of topsoil, loss of forests, loss of aquifers, hothouse atmosphere, poisoned water,
mounting sickness, human lives. And to hold onto its money, this world is selling off its children’s
future.
Will it wake up in time? History’s answer is not reassuring, but God’s answer is. Jehovah God
himself says that he will step in and “bring to ruin those ruining the earth.” (Revelation 11:18) He
will remove from earth those ruining its environment and destroying its beauty, for he created it to
be life-sustaining and beautiful. “The heavens are my throne, and the earth is my footstool,” he
says, and: “I shall glorify the very place of my feet.”—Isaiah 66:1; 60:13.
He created it to be inhabited by people who love righteousness—and it will be, by millions who
once lived in the past, by millions who are living now, and by millions of children yet to be born.
This he has recorded in his Word, the Bible, and you can read it for yourself at Isaiah 45:18 and
John 5:28, 29.
Then, cared for by those who love it, the earth will regenerate itself into the beauty with which
our Creator originally endowed it. Then righteously disposed persons and their children will have
a future, a glorious one: “Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; and you
will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. But the meek ones themselves will
possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. The
righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—Psalm
37:10, 11, 29.
And never die? And never die! “God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear
from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.
The former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3, 4) Too good to be true? No, this present
wicked world is too bad to remain.—Daniel 2:44.
But you and your children can remain. Jehovah God makes it possible through the sacrifice of
his Son. To learn of Jehovah and of his Son will mean everlasting life for you and your children—
life in a new world wherein righteousness is to dwell. (John 3:16; 17:3; 2 Peter 3:13) This can be
the happy future for you and your children. Whether it is or not is up to you.

CHRIST’S RANSOM AND YOU

17
Consider three ways in which Christ’s ransom sacrifice benefits you even now. First, it
brings forgiveness of sins. Through faith in the shed blood of Jesus, we have “the release by
ransom,” yes, “the forgiveness of our trespasses.” (Ephesians 1:7) So even if we have committed
a serious sin, we can ask God for forgiveness in Jesus’ name. If we are truly repentant, Jehovah
applies to us the value of his Son’s ransom sacrifice. God forgives us, granting us the blessing of
a good conscience, instead of exacting the penalty of death that we incur by sinning.—Acts 3:19;
1 Peter 3:21.
18
Second, Christ’s ransom sacrifice provides the basis of our hope for the future. In vision, the
apostle John saw that “a great crowd, which no man was able to number” would survive the
coming cataclysmic end of this system of things. Why will they survive when God destroys so
many others? An angel told John that the great crowd had “washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb,” Jesus Christ. (Revelation 7:9, 14) As long as we exercise faith in
the shed blood of Jesus Christ and live in harmony with divine requirements, we will be clean in
God’s sight and will have the hope of everlasting life.
19
Third, the ransom sacrifice is the ultimate proof of Jehovah’s love. Christ’s death embodied
the two greatest acts of love in the history of the universe: (1) God’s love in sending his Son to die
in our behalf; (2) Jesus’ love in willingly offering himself as a ransom. (John 15:13; Romans 5:8) If
we truly exercise faith, this love applies to each and every one of us. The apostle Paul said: “The

38
Son of God . . . loved me and handed himself over for me.”—Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 2:9; 1 John
4:9, 10.
20
Therefore, let us show our gratitude for the love displayed by God and Christ by exercising faith
in Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. Doing so leads to everlasting life. (John 3:36) Yet, our salvation is not
the most important reason for Jesus’ life and death on earth. No, his primary concern was an
even greater issue, a universal one. As we shall see in the next chapter, that issue touches all of
us because it shows why God has allowed wickedness and suffering to persist so long in this
world.

Testament, sums up the general belief of Christendom as to earth’s future. With reference to
2 Peter 3:10, this commentator wrote:
“The earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up. That is, whether
they are the works of God or man—the whole vegetable and animal creation, and all
the towers, the towns, the palaces, the productions of genius, the paintings, the
statuary, the books, which man has made.”
As here stated, the consensus in Christendom has long been that the time will come when the
earth will no longer be the habitation of man or of any living thing. Our planet, in the view of many
churchgoers, will have served its purpose, for to them the earth is just a proving ground leading
either to heaven or to hell.
However, at this point you would do well to consider, Did God’s purpose for the earth and man
change when Adam and Eve sinned? You will find that no one can point to a single Bible passage
that says so. To the contrary, many years after the first human pair sinned, Isaiah the prophet
was inspired to write:
“This is what Jehovah has said, the Creator of the heavens, He the true God, the Former of
the earth and the Maker of it, He the One who firmly established it, who did not create it simply for
nothing, who formed it even to be inhabited.” Isaiah quoted Jehovah as saying: “My own counsel
will stand, and everything that is my delight I shall do.” (Isaiah 45:18; 46:10) The psalmist also
wrote about Him: “Your faithfulness is for generation after generation. You have solidly fixed the
earth, that it may keep standing.”—Psalm 119:90.
You can see that the Bible thus clearly states that God, in creating the earth, made it a
permanent fixture in the universe and that his definite purpose in creating it was that it be
inhabited by humans. That purpose has not changed. God will see to it that his purpose will be
completely fulfilled.
But does not the Bible show that some people will go to heaven? Yes, the Bible does teach
that a limited number go to heaven for a special reason. God does not need humans in heaven;
nor does he have to take them to heaven in order to give them eternal happiness. Otherwise, why
did he not create them in heaven to begin with, dispensing with all the suffering and turmoil they
have gone through while on earth?
Nevertheless, when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, by exercising their own free will that
he had given to them as intelligent creatures, God acted immediately to ensure that his purpose
for the earth and man upon it would be carried out. All the details were not revealed to humans
until centuries later. Yet it is evident from the disclosing of what the Bible calls a “sacred secret”
that God right then conceived his grand purpose for the redemption of man. This was “before the
founding of the world,” that is, before Adam and Eve could produce children that might be
redeemed, such as their faithful son Abel.—Romans 16:25; Ephesians 1:4.

10
To all eternity our earth will bear a distinction that no other planet throughout endless space will
enjoy, though the earth may not be the only planet that will ever be inhabited. Uniquely, it will be
where Jehovah has indisputably vindicated his universal sovereignty, establishing an eternal and
universal legal precedent. It will be the only planet on which Jehovah of armies will have fought

39
“the war of the great day of God the Almighty.” It will be the only planet to which God sent his
dearest Son to become a man and die in order to recover the planet’s inhabitants from sin and
death. It will be the only planet from which Jehovah will have taken 144,000 of its inhabitants to
be “heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ.”—Romans 8:17.

18
You also marvel at the vigorous energy everyone has. This is because they now have
perfect bodies and minds. There is no more sickness, pain, or death. No one is in a wheelchair or
a hospital bed. All of that is gone forever. (Isaiah 33:24; 35:5, 6) Why, none of the animals are a
threat either, for they have been made peaceful by God’s power!—Isaiah 11:6-8; 65:25; Ezekiel
34:25.
19
What a wonderful civilization is formed by the faithful inhabitants of this new world! Their
energies and skills and the wealth of the earth are devoted to positive pursuits, not to hurtful
ones; to cooperating with others, not to competing with them. And everybody you meet is
someone you can trust because, as God promised, all are “persons taught by Jehovah.” (Isaiah
54:13) Since everyone is governed by God’s laws, the earth is “filled with the knowledge of
Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.” (Isaiah 11:9) Truly, every day in this new world
is what Psalm 37:11 said it would be, one of “exquisite delight.”
A Happy Future Guaranteed
20
What must we do to be part of that happy future? Isaiah 55:6 tells us: “Search for Jehovah,
you people, while he may be found. Call to him while he proves to be near.” And as we search,
our attitude should be as described at Psalm 143:10: “Teach me to do your will, for you are my
God.” Those who do this can walk blamelessly before Jehovah through these last days and can
look forward to a fine future. “Watch the blameless one and keep the upright one in sight, for the
future of that man will be peaceful. But the transgressors themselves will certainly be annihilated
together; the future of wicked people will indeed be cut off.”—Psalm 37:37, 38.
21
Right now Jehovah is calling out from every nation those who want to do his will. He is
forming them into the foundation of his new earthly society, as Bible prophecy foretold: “In the
final part of the days [the time in which we now live] . . . many peoples will certainly go and say:
‘Come, you people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah [his elevated true worship] . . .
He will instruct us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’”—Isaiah 2:2, 3.
22
Revelation 7:9 describes these as “a great crowd . . . out of all nations and tribes and peoples
and tongues.” Verse 14 states: “These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation,”
surviving the present system’s end. This foundation for the new world is now nearly six million
strong, with many new ones becoming part of it each year. All of these faithful servants of
Jehovah are being trained for life in his new world. They are learning the spiritual and other skills
needed to transform this earth into a paradise. And they fully trust that Paradise will become a
reality because “he is faithful that promised.”—Hebrews 10:23.

Part 11
The New World’s Foundation Now Being Formed

WHAT is also marvelous is the fact that the foundation of God’s new world is being formed
right now, even as Satan’s old world degenerates. Before our very eyes, God is collecting people
from all nations and forming them into the foundation of a new earthly society that will soon
replace today’s disunited world. In the Bible, at 2 Peter 3:13, this new society is called “a new
earth.”
2
Bible prophecy also says: “In the final part of the days [the time in which we now live] . . . ,
many peoples will certainly go and say: ‘Come, you people, and let us go up to the mountain of
Jehovah [his true worship], . . . and he will instruct us about his ways, and we will walk in his
paths.’”—Isaiah 2:2-3.

40
 3
That prophecy is now being fulfilled among those who submit to ‘God’s ways and walk in his
paths.’ The last book of the Bible speaks of this peace-loving international society of people as “a
great crowd . . . out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues,” a true global brotherhood
serving God unitedly. And the Bible also says: “These are the ones that come out of the great
tribulation.” That is, they will survive the end of this evil system of things.—Revelation 7:9, 14;
Matthew 24:3.
A True International Brotherhood
4
Millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses sincerely try to live in harmony with God’s instructions and
ways. Their hope of eternal life is anchored in God’s new world. By conducting their daily lives in
obedience to God’s laws, they show him their willingness to submit to his way of ruling both now
and in the new world. Everywhere, regardless of their nationality or race, they obey the same
standards—those set out by God in his Word. That is why they are a true international
brotherhood, a new world society of God’s making.—Isaiah 54:13; Matthew 22:37, 38; John
15:9, 14.
5
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not take the credit for their being a unique global brotherhood. They
know that this is the result of God’s powerful spirit working on people who submit to his laws.
(Acts 5:29, 32; Galatians 5:22, 23) It is God’s doing. As Jesus said, “the things impossible with
men are possible with God.” (Luke 18:27) So the God who made possible the enduring universe
is the one who also makes possible the enduring new world society.
6
Thus, Jehovah’s way of ruling in the new world can already be seen in what he is producing
in the foundation for the new world that is now being formed. And what he has done with his
Witnesses is, in a sense, a modern miracle. Why? Because he has built Jehovah’s Witnesses
into a true worldwide brotherhood, one that can never be broken by divisive national, racial, or
religious interests. While the Witnesses number into the millions and live in over 200 lands, they
are bound together as one in an unbreakable bond. This worldwide brotherhood, unique in all
history, is indeed a modern miracle—God’s doing.—Isaiah 43:10, 11, 21; Acts 10:34, 35;
Galatians 3:28.
Identifying God’s People
7
How can it be further determined who the people are that God is using as the foundation for
his new world? Well, who fulfill Jesus’ words at John 13:34, 35? He stated: “I am giving you a
new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one
another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus’ words and act on them. As God’s Word instructs, they “have
intense love for one another.” (1 Peter 4:8) In addition, they “clothe [themselves] with love, for it is
a perfect bond of union.” (Colossians 3:14) So brotherly love is the “glue” that holds them
together worldwide.
8
Also, 1 John 3:10-12 says: “The children of God and the children of the Devil are evident by
this fact: Everyone who does not carry on righteousness does not originate with God, neither
does he who does not love his brother. For this is the message which you have heard from the
beginning, that we should have love for one another; not like Cain, who originated with the wicked
one and slaughtered his brother.” Thus, God’s people are a nonviolent, global brotherhood.
Another Identifying Feature
9
There is another way to identify God’s servants. In his prophecy about the world’s end, Jesus
told of many things that would mark this period of time as the last days. (See Part 9.) A basic
feature of this prophecy is mentioned in his words at Matthew 24:14: “This good news of the
kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the
end will come.”
10
Have we seen that prophecy being fulfilled? Yes. Since the last days began in 1914,
Jehovah’s Witnesses have preached the good news of God’s Kingdom throughout the world in
the manner ordered by Jesus, namely, at the homes of the people. (Matthew 10:7, 12; Acts
20:20) Millions of Witnesses call on people in every nation to talk to them about the new world.

41
This has led to your receiving this brochure, as the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses includes printing
and distributing billions of pieces of literature about God’s Kingdom. Do you know of anyone else
who preaches about God’s Kingdom from house to house throughout the world? And Mark 13:10
shows that this preaching and teaching work must be done “first,” before the end comes.
Answering the Second Great Issue
11
By submitting to God’s laws and principles, Jehovah’s Witnesses accomplish something
else. They show that Satan was a liar when he claimed that humans could not be faithful to God
under test, thus answering the second great issue, which involves human integrity. (Job 2:1-5)
Being a society of millions of people from all nations, the Witnesses demonstrate, as one body,
loyalty to God’s rule. Although they are imperfect humans, they uphold God’s side of the issue of
universal sovereignty, despite satanic pressure.
12
Today, these millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses add their testimony to that of a long line of
other witnesses in times past who demonstrated loyalty to God. Some of those were Abel, Noah,
Job, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Deborah, Ruth, David, and Daniel, to mention just a few.
(Hebrews, chapter 11) They are, as the Bible says, a ‘great cloud of faithful witnesses.’ (Hebrews
12:1) These and others including Jesus and his disciples maintained integrity to God. And Jesus
himself provided the greatest example by maintaining perfect integrity.
13
This proves that what Jesus said about Satan to the religious leaders is true: “But now you
are seeking to kill me, a man that has told you the truth that I heard from God. . . . You are from
your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a manslayer
when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he
speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of
the lie.”—John 8:40, 44.
What Is Your Choice?
14
The foundation of the new world now being formed by God in the international society of
Jehovah’s Witnesses is getting stronger and stronger. Each year hundreds of thousands of
people are using their free will, based on accurate knowledge, to accept God’s rule. They become
part of the new world society, uphold God’s side of the issue of universal sovereignty, and prove
Satan a liar.
15
By choosing God’s rule, they qualify to be put on the “right hand” of Christ as he separates
“the sheep” from “the goats.” In his prophecy about the last days, Jesus foretold: “All the nations
will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats. And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on
his left.” The sheep are humble people who associate with and support Christ’s brothers,
submitting to God’s rule. The goats are stubborn people who reject Christ’s brothers and do
nothing to support God’s rule. With what result? Jesus said: “These [the goats] will depart into
everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones [the sheep] into everlasting life.”—Matthew 25:31-
46.
16
Truly, God cares for us! Very soon he will provide a delightful earthly paradise. Do you want
to live in that Paradise? If so, show your appreciation for Jehovah’s provisions by learning about
him and acting upon what you learn. “Search for Jehovah, you people, while he may be found.
Call to him while he proves to be near. Let the wicked man leave his way, and the harmful man
his thoughts; and let him return to Jehovah, who will have mercy upon him.”—Isaiah 55:6, 7.
17
There is no time to waste. The end of this old system is very near. God’s Word counsels:
“Do not be loving either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of
the Father is not in him . . . Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but he
that does the will of God remains forever.”—1 John 2:15-17.
18
God’s people are now being trained for everlasting life in the new world. They are learning the
spiritual and other skills needed to develop a paradise. We urge you to choose God as Ruler and
support the lifesaving work he is having done throughout the earth today. Study the Bible with
Jehovah’s Witnesses, and come to know the God who really cares about you and who will bring

42
an end to suffering. In this way you too can become part of the foundation of the new world. Then
you can confidently look forward to gaining God’s favor and living forever in that marvelous new
world.

CHRIST’S RANSOM AND YOU

17
Consider three ways in which Christ’s ransom sacrifice benefits you even now. First, it
brings forgiveness of sins. Through faith in the shed blood of Jesus, we have “the release by
ransom,” yes, “the forgiveness of our trespasses.” (Ephesians 1:7) So even if we have committed
a serious sin, we can ask God for forgiveness in Jesus’ name. If we are truly repentant, Jehovah
applies to us the value of his Son’s ransom sacrifice. God forgives us, granting us the blessing of
a good conscience, instead of exacting the penalty of death that we incur by sinning.—Acts 3:19;
1 Peter 3:21.
18
Second, Christ’s ransom sacrifice provides the basis of our hope for the future. In vision, the
apostle John saw that “a great crowd, which no man was able to number” would survive the
coming cataclysmic end of this system of things. Why will they survive when God destroys so
many others? An angel told John that the great crowd had “washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb,” Jesus Christ. (Revelation 7:9, 14) As long as we exercise faith in
the shed blood of Jesus Christ and live in harmony with divine requirements, we will be clean in
God’s sight and will have the hope of everlasting life.
19
Third, the ransom sacrifice is the ultimate proof of Jehovah’s love. Christ’s death embodied
the two greatest acts of love in the history of the universe: (1) God’s love in sending his Son to die
in our behalf; (2) Jesus’ love in willingly offering himself as a ransom. (John 15:13; Romans 5:8) If
we truly exercise faith, this love applies to each and every one of us. The apostle Paul said: “The
Son of God . . . loved me and handed himself over for me.”—Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 2:9; 1 John
4:9, 10.
20
Therefore, let us show our gratitude for the love displayed by God and Christ by exercising faith
in Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. Doing so leads to everlasting life. (John 3:36) Yet, our salvation is not
the most important reason for Jesus’ life and death on earth. No, his primary concern was an
even greater issue, a universal one. As we shall see in the next chapter, that issue touches all of
us because it shows why God has allowed wickedness and suffering to persist so long in this
world.

Have a Happy Future!

A WARM embrace from someone you love. Hearty laughter during a good meal with dear
friends. The pleasure of watching your children cheerfully at play. Moments like these are bright
spots in life. For many, however, life seems to present one serious problem after another. If that
has been your experience, take heart.
2
It is God’s will that you enjoy lasting happiness under the best conditions in wonderful
surroundings. This is no mere dream, for God actually offers you the key to such a happy future.
That key is knowledge.
3
We are talking about a special kind of knowledge that is far greater than human wisdom. It is
“the very knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:5) Nearly 2,000 years ago, a Bible writer said: “Every
house is constructed by someone, but he that constructed all things is God.” (Hebrews 3:4) Think
of the knowledge that the Maker of all things must possess! The Bible says that God counts and
names all the stars. What a staggering thought, since there are hundreds of billions of stars in our
own galaxy, and astronomers say that there are about a hundred billion other galaxies! (Psalm
147:4) God also knows all about us, so who else could provide better answers to life’s important
questions?—Matthew 10:30.
4
Picture two men trying to repair their cars. Frustrated, one man throws down his tools. The
other calmly corrects the problem, turns the ignition key, and smiles as the engine starts up and
runs smoothly. You would not have a hard time guessing which of the two men had an instruction

43
manual from the manufacturer. Does it not make sense that God would provide instructions to
guide us in life? As you may know, the Bible claims to be just that—a book of instruction and
guidance from our Creator, designed to impart the knowledge of God.—2 Timothy 3:16.
5
If the Bible’s claim is true, think of what treasures of knowledge that book must contain! At
Proverbs 2:1-5, it urges us to seek wisdom, to dig for it as we would for a hidden treasure—not in
the soil of human thinking, but in God’s own Word. If we search there, we will “find the very
knowledge of God.” Since God understands our limitations and needs, he gives us instruction that
will help us to lead peaceful, happy lives. (Psalm 103:14; Isaiah 48:17) Furthermore, the
knowledge of God offers us exciting good news.
EVERLASTING LIFE!
6
The well-known historical figure Jesus Christ described this feature of the knowledge of God
in clear terms. He said: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only
true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) Imagine—knowledge
that leads to everlasting life!
7
Do not quickly dismiss everlasting life as a mere dream. Instead, look at the way the human
body is made. It is splendidly designed to taste, hear, smell, see, and feel. There is so much on
the earth that delights our senses—delicious food, pleasant birdsong, fragrant flowers, beautiful
scenery, delightful companionship! And our amazing brain is far more than a supercomputer, for it
enables us to appreciate and enjoy all such things. Do you think that our Creator wants us to die
and lose all of this? Would it not be more reasonable to conclude that he wants us to live happily
and to enjoy life forever? Well, that is what the knowledge of God can mean for you.
LIFE IN PARADISE
8
What the Bible says about the future of the earth and mankind might be summed up in one
word—Paradise! Jesus Christ spoke of it when he told a dying man: “You will be with me in
Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) The mention of Paradise no doubt brought to that man’s mind the happy
state of our first parents, Adam and Eve. When God created them, they were perfect and lived in
a gardenlike park that the Creator had designed and planted. It was fittingly called the garden of
Eden, which name denotes pleasure.
9
How delightful that garden was! It was a real paradise. Among its beautiful trees were those
bearing delicious fruit. As Adam and Eve explored their domain, drank from its sweet waters, and
gathered fruit from its trees, they had no reason to be anxious or fearful. Even animals posed no
threat, for God had placed the man and his wife in loving dominion over all of them. In addition,
the first human pair had vibrant health. As long as they remained obedient to God, an eternal,
happy future lay before them. They were given the satisfying work of caring for their wonderful
Paradise home. Further, God gave Adam and Eve the mandate to “fill the earth and subdue it.”
They and their offspring were to extend the borders of Paradise until our entire planet became a
place of beauty and delight.—Genesis 1:28.
10
When Jesus mentioned Paradise, however, he was not asking a dying man to think about
the distant past. No, Jesus was speaking about the future! He knew that our entire earthly home
would become a paradise. God would thus fulfill his original purpose for mankind and our earth.
(Isaiah 55:10, 11) Yes, Paradise will be restored! And what will it be like? Let God’s Word, the
Holy Bible, answer.
LIFE IN THE RESTORED PARADISE
11
Sickness, old age, and death will no longer exist. “At that time the eyes of the blind ones will
be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will
climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness.”
(Isaiah 35:5, 6) “God himself will be with [mankind]. And he will wipe out every tear from their
eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The
former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:3, 4.

44
 12
Crime, violence, and wickedness will be gone forever. “Evildoers themselves will be cut
off . . . Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more . . . He will not be. But the
meek ones themselves will possess the earth.” (Psalm 37:9-11) “As regards the wicked, they will
be cut off from the very earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it.” —
Proverbs 2:22.
13
Peace will prevail earth wide. “He [God] is making wars to cease to the extremity of the
earth. The bow he breaks apart and does cut the spear in pieces.” (Psalm 46:9) “The righteous
one will sprout, and the abundance of peace until the moon is no more.”—Psalm 72:7.
14
Housing will be secure and work satisfying. “They will certainly build houses and have
occupancy . . . They will not build and someone else have occupancy; they will not plant and
someone else do the eating. For like the days of a tree will the days of my people be; and the
work of their own hands my chosen ones will use to the full. They will not toil for nothing, nor will
they bring to birth for disturbance.”—Isaiah 65:21-23.
15
Healthful food will be available in abundance. “There will come to be plenty of grain on the
earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.” (Psalm 72:16) “The earth itself will
certainly give its produce; God, our God, will bless us.”—Psalm 67:6.
16
Everlasting life on a paradise earth will be delightful. “The righteous themselves will possess
the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.” (Psalm 37:29) “The wilderness and the waterless
region will exult, and the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as the saffron.”—Isaiah 35:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND YOUR FUTURE
17
If life in Paradise appeals to you, let nothing hold you back from gaining the knowledge of
God. He loves mankind and will bring about the changes needed to make the earth a paradise.
After all, if you had the power to end the misery and injustice so prevalent in the world, would you
not do so? Would we expect God to do less? Actually, the Bible speaks in vivid terms of a time
when God will remove this strife-ridden system and replace it with a perfect, righteous rule.
(Daniel 2:44) But the Bible does much more than tell us about all of this. It shows us how we can
survive into God’s promised new world.—2 Peter 3:13; 1 John 2:17.
18
The knowledge of God can also do much for you right now. Life’s deepest and most
disturbing questions are answered in the Bible. Accepting its guidance will help you to develop a
friendship with God. What a grand privilege! And this will enable you to enjoy the peace that God
alone can give. (Romans 15:13, 33) As you begin to take in this vital knowledge, you are
embarking on the most important and rewarding endeavor of your life. You will never regret
acquiring the knowledge of God that leads to everlasting life.
19
We have referred to the Bible as the book containing the knowledge of God. Yet, how do we
know that it is, not a book of human wisdom, but something far greater? We will consider this
question in the next chapter.

Section 8
Live Forever on a Paradise Earth
1
What will life be like when God removes wickedness and suffering from the earth and ushers
in his new world under the loving control of his heavenly Kingdom? God promises to ‘open his
hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.’—Psalm 145:16.
2
What are your legitimate desires? Are they not for a happy life, worthwhile work, material
abundance, beautiful surroundings, peace among all peoples, and freedom from injustice,
sickness, suffering, and death? And what about a joyful spiritual outlook? All those things will be
realized soon under the rulership of God’s Kingdom. Note what Bible prophecies say of the
wonderful blessings to come in that new world.
Mankind at Perfect Peace

45
 3
“[God] is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth. The bow he breaks apart and
does cut the spear in pieces; the [war] wagons he burns in the fire.”—Psalm 46:9.
4
“They will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears.
Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.”—Isaiah 2:4.
5
“The meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite
delight in the abundance of peace.”—Psalm 37:11.
6
“The whole earth has come to rest, has become free of disturbance. People have become
cheerful with joyful cries.”—Isaiah 14:7.
Man and Animals at Peace
7
“The wolf will actually reside for a while with the male lamb, and with the kid the leopard itself
will lie down, and the calf and the maned young lion and the well-fed animal all together; and a
mere little boy will be leader over them. And the cow and the bear themselves will feed; together
their young ones will lie down. And even the lion will eat straw just like the bull. And the sucking
child will certainly play upon the hole of the cobra; and upon the light aperture of a poisonous
snake will a weaned child actually put his own hand. They will not do any harm or cause any
ruin.”—Isaiah 11:6-9.
8
“For them I shall certainly conclude a covenant in that day in connection with the wild beast
of the field and with the flying creature of the heavens and the creeping thing of the ground . . . I
will make them lie down in security.”—Hosea 2:18.
Perfect Health, Everlasting Life
9
“At that time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will
be unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the
speechless one will cry out in gladness.”—Isaiah 35:5, 6.
10
“[God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will
mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”—Revelation 21:4.
11
“No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’”—Isaiah 33:24.
12
“Let his flesh become fresher than in youth; let him return to the days of his youthful
vigor.”—Job 33:25.
13
“The gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.”—Romans 6:23.
14
“Everyone exercising faith in him [will] . . . have everlasting life.”—John 3:16.
The Dead Restored to Life
15
“There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”—Acts 24:15.
16
“The hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs [God’s memory] will hear his
voice and come out.”—John 5:28, 29.
17
“The sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Hades [the grave] gave up those dead in
them.”—Revelation 20:13.
Earth, a Paradise of Plenty
18
“Pouring rains of blessing there will prove to be. And the tree of the field must give its
fruitage, and the land itself will give its yield, and they will actually prove to be on their soil in
security.”—Ezekiel 34:26, 27.
19
“The earth itself will certainly give its produce; God, our God, will bless us.”—Psalm 67:6.
20
“The wilderness and the waterless region will exult, and the desert plain will be joyful and
blossom as the saffron.”—Isaiah 35:1.

46
 21
“The mountains and the hills themselves will become cheerful before you with a joyful
outcry, and the very trees of the field will all clap their hands. Instead of the thicket of thorns the
juniper tree will come up. Instead of the stinging nettle the myrtle tree will come up.”—Isaiah
55:12, 13.
22
“You will be with me in Paradise.”—Luke 23:43.
Good Housing for All
23
“They will certainly build houses and have occupancy . . . They will not build and someone
else have occupancy; they will not plant and someone else do the eating. . . . The work of their
own hands my chosen ones will use to the full. They will not toil for nothing, nor will they bring to
birth for disturbance.”—Isaiah 65:21-23.
24
“They will actually sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no
one making them tremble.”—Micah 4:4.
You Can Live Forever in Paradise
25
What a marvelous outlook for the future! What real purpose lives can now have when
anchored to the solid hope that in God’s new world all of today’s problems will forever be things of
the past! “The former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart.”
(Isaiah 65:17) And how comforting to know that life then will be eternal: “[God] will actually
swallow up death forever.”—Isaiah 25:8.
26
Do you want to live forever in that Paradise new world now so near? ‘What would I need to
do to get God’s favor at this world’s end and live on into his new world?’ you may ask. You need
to do what Jesus indicated in a prayer to God: “This means everlasting life, their taking in
knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”—John
17:3.
27
Therefore, obtain a Bible, and confirm what you have read in this brochure. Search out others
who study and teach these Bible truths. Break free from hypocritical religions that teach and do
things contrary to the Bible. Learn how you, along with millions of others who are already doing
God’s will, can share in God’s purpose that humans live forever on a paradise earth. And take to
heart what God’s inspired Word declares about the near future: “The world is passing away and
so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.”—1 John 2:17.

4
To illustrate how unique the earth is, imagine that you are in a barren desert, devoid of all
life. Suddenly you come upon a beautiful house. The house has air conditioning, heating,
plumbing and electricity. Its refrigerator and cupboards are filled with food. Its basement contains
fuel and other supplies. Now, suppose you asked someone where all of this came from, in such a
barren desert. What would you think if that person answered, “It just happened to appear there by
chance”? Would you believe that? Or would you take for granted that it had a designer and
builder?
5
All the other planets that scientists have probed are devoid of life. But Earth teems with life,
sustained by very complex systems that provide light, air, heat, water and food, all in exquisite
balance. It shows evidence of having been specially built to accommodate living things
comfortably—like a magnificent house. And logically, as one of the Bible’s penmen argues:
“Every house is constructed by someone, but he that constructed all things is God.” Yes, the
infinitely greater and more amazing “house”—our planet Earth—requires the existence of a
remarkably intelligent designer and builder, God.—Hebrews 3:4.
6
The more that scientists examine the planet Earth and its life, the more they realize that it is
indeed superbly designed. Scientific American marvels: “As we look out into the universe and
identify the many accidents of physics and astronomy that have worked together to our benefit, it
almost seems as if the universe must in some sense have known that we were coming.”4 And

47
Science News admitted: “It seems as if such particular and precise conditions could hardly have
arisen at random.”5
Right Distance From the Sun
7
Among the many precise conditions vital to life on the earth is the amount of light and heat
received from the sun. The earth gets only a small fraction of the sun’s energy. Yet, it is just the
right amount required to sustain life. This is because the earth is just the right distance from the
sun—an average 93,000,000 miles. If the earth were much closer to the sun or farther away from
it, temperatures would be too hot or too cold for life.

48