Life in a Peaceful New World

When you look at the scene on this tract, what feelings do you have? Does not your heart yearn for the peace, happiness, and prosperity seen there? Surely it does. But is it just a dream, or fantasy, to believe these conditions will ever exist on earth?

Most people probably think so. Today’s realities are war, crime, hunger, sickness, aging—to mention just a few. Yet there is reason for hope. Looking to the future, the Bible tells of a “new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to [God’s] promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.”—2 Peter 3:13; Isaiah 65:17.

These “new heavens” and “new earth,” according to the Bible, are not a new material heavens or new literal earth. The physical earth and heavens were made perfect, and the Bible shows they will remain forever. (Psalm 89:36, 37; 104:5) The “new earth” will be a righteous society of people living on earth, and the “new heavens” will be a perfect heavenly kingdom, or government, that will rule over this earthly society of people. But is it realistic to believe that “a new earth,” or glorious new world, is possible?

Well, consider the fact that such ideal conditions were part of God’s original purpose for this earth. He placed the first human couple in the earthly Paradise of Eden and gave them a marvelous assignment: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28) Yes, God’s purpose was for them to have children and eventually to spread their Paradise over all the earth. Although they later chose to disobey  God, thus proving to be unfit to live forever, God’s original purpose did not change. And it must be fulfilled in a new world!—Isaiah 55:11.

In fact, when you pray the Lord’s Prayer, or the Our Father, asking for God’s Kingdom to come, you are praying for his heavenly government to rid the earth of wickedness and to rule over this new world. (Matthew 6:9, 10) And we can be confident that God will answer that prayer, since his Word promises: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—Psalm 37:29.

Life in God’s New World

God’s Kingdom will bring earthly benefits beyond compare, accomplishing everything good that God originally purposed for his people to enjoy on earth. Hatreds and prejudices will cease to exist, and eventually everyone on earth will be a true friend of everyone else. In the Bible, God promises that he will ‘make wars to cease to the extremity of the earth.’ “Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.”—Psalm 46:9; Isaiah 2:4.

The whole earth will eventually be brought to a gardenlike paradise state. 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. And the heat-parched ground will have become as a reedy pool, and the thirsty ground as springs of water.”—Isaiah 35:1, 6, 7.

There will be every reason to be happy in the Paradise earth. Never again will people hunger for lack of food. “The earth itself will certainly give its produce,” the Bible says. (Psalm 67:6; 72:16) All will enjoy the  fruits of their own labor, as our Creator promises: “They will certainly plant vineyards and eat their fruitage. . . . they will not plant and someone else do the eating.”—Isaiah 65:21, 22.

In God’s new world, no longer will people be crammed into huge apartment buildings or run-down slums, for God has purposed: “They will certainly build houses and have occupancy . . . They will not build and someone else have occupancy.” The Bible also promises: “They will not toil for nothing.” (Isaiah 65:21-23) Thus people will have productive, satisfying work. Life will not be boring.

In time, God’s Kingdom will even restore the peaceful relations that existed in the garden of Eden between animals, and between animals and humans. The Bible says: “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.”—Isaiah 11:6-9; Hosea 2:18.

Just imagine, in the Paradise earth all sicknesses and physical infirmities will also be healed! God’s Word assures us: “No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’” (Isaiah 33:24) “[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 21:4.

 How It Is Possible for You

Surely your heart must be moved by the promises of God regarding life in his new world of righteousness. And while some may consider the realizing of such blessings too good to be true, they are not too good to come from the hand of our loving Creator.—Psalm 145:16; Micah 4:4.

Of course, there are requirements to be met if we are to live forever in the coming Paradise on earth. Jesus showed a principal one, saying in 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.

So if we truly want to live in God’s new world, we must first learn God’s will and then do it. For it is a fact: This “world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever,” to enjoy eternally the blessings to be showered down by our loving Creator.—1 John 2:17.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible quotations are from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.