Episode 2407 - Lesson 9 - Monday May 26 - Hope Amid Turmoil

Much of the language in the book of Psalms is symbolic, but when it comes to the language that points forward to the ultimate resetting of our planet, we have little reason to believe that it is merely symbolic. Psalm 46 reminds us that the physical earth will be deeply affected by Christ’s return. But it is not merely the rocks and ocean that will be affected; the grand climax of earth’s history will mean the breakdown of worldly kingdoms—the miserable systems of human government that have caused so much suffering over the millennia.In the end, all these powers, and all the evil and suffering that they have brought upon humanity, will come to a complete end.Read Jeremiah 4:23–26. What is this telling us about the fate of this world, at least until there’s a “new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1)?Bible prophecy shows us what will happen to this world. The vision of Daniel 7, for instance, shows us a stormy sea from which the nations of the world arise. The winds of strife and warfare blow across the Gentile sea (the earth), producing one worldly kingdom after another, and not one of them can solve the very real problems that beset the human race. The worldly leaders we dare to trust almost always prove to be as sinful and selfish as the rest of us.None of the kingdoms shown to Daniel proved to be a secure home for God’s people (though some were better than others). But we know that we have citizenship in the kingdom of God (Phil. 3:20), and, high above the chaos of this planet, there is a throne that cannot be moved (see Ezek. 1:26). Jesus taught that the world will move into deeper disorder as we approach the moment of Christ’s return (Matthew 24), but we can hold out in faith, regardless of the condition of our planet, because we know that God has not lost control, and that He will fulfill His promises: “The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (Ps. 46:6, 7, NKJV). Short term, things are not going greatly nor will they. Long term? That—thanks to Jesus—is a whole other matter.No question, our world seems chaotic and out of control. How should the prophecy of Daniel 7, for instance, help us see that ultimately things will work out well for us if we remain faithful?