How Can You Survive the End of This World?

THE Bible describes the end of this present system of things as “a day of fury, a day of distress and of anguish, a day of storm and of desolation, a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick gloom.” (Zephaniah 1:15) Surely this is not the kind of day you would normally look forward to! Yet, the apostle Peter admonished his fellow Christians to be “awaiting and keeping close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah, through which the heavens being on fire will be dissolved and the elements being intensely hot will melt! But there are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.”—2 Peter 3:12, 13.

Peter was not here speaking of a destruction of the literal heavens and earth. The “heavens” and “earth” to which Peter referred in this context are symbolic of present corrupt human governments and of ungodly human society. “The day of Jehovah” will not destroy earth itself but will “annihilate the land’s sinners out of it.” (Isaiah 13:9) For those who are “sighing and groaning over all the detestable things” that are being done in today’s wicked human society, the day of Jehovah will therefore be a day of salvation.—Ezekiel 9:4.

How, then, can anyone be saved in “the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah”? “The word of Jehovah” revealed to one of his prophets provides the answer to that question: “It must occur that everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will get away safe.” (Joel 1:1; 2:31, 32) Jehovah’s Witnesses will be happy to help you learn what it means to call on the name of Jehovah.