Gerald E. Weston

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

A Call to Arms

It is never good to bet against God. If He says it is going to happen, it will, even if it looks impossible at the moment.

When skeptics doubted that Germany would rearm, we here at Tomorrow’s World never shied away from saying, without reservations, that Germany would experience a turning point from pacifism to militarism. Why? Because of Bible prophecy.

Following WWII, Germany had no appetite to return to its military past. It appeared to all—and still does for most people—that the nation had learned its lesson and would never again wage offensive war against its neighbors. The United States nuclear umbrella would keep its neighbors to the east at bay, and with the fall of the Soviet Union, the threat of war appeared to come to a close. The Cold War was over.

Military preparedness declined, but the United States still carried the load to protect the continent.

While American presidents failed in pressuring NATO nations to pay their agreed upon 2% of GDP on military spending, Russian President Vladimir Putin, by invading Ukraine, managed to accomplish that goal overnight. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gave his famous Zeitenwende speech, meaning a turning point, on February 27, 2022—a mere three days after the invasion. Germany was not alone among NATO nations announcing increases in military spending. And this is not the whole story, as we see a massive arms buildup around the world.

Who would have thought even a year ago that European nations would boost defense spending to a whapping 5% of GDP? Yet today that is the trajectory on which most are committed.

And the speed in which European countries are ramping up military spending and preparing for war is astounding.

Joel 3 End-Time Prophecy Is Happening Now

I said in the introduction to today’s program that the future is found in the pages of the Bible, and indeed it is. What we see happening before our eyes is the fulfillment of a very specific biblical prophecy for our time. The world is currently arming for war. And this is true for Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North America and elsewhere. Do you realize this was foretold long ago? Notice this prophecy in Joel 3:

Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, ‘I am strong’” (Joel 3:9–10).

There have been other times of military buildups. The second World War was certainly such a time. Never before in history had there been a truly worldwide conflict that ended taking the lives of an estimated 70 to 85 million people.

The Day of the Lord Prophecy and Timeframe

So what makes Joel’s prophecy so significant? The answer has to do with the timeframe. The focus of Joel’s visions is the Day of the LORD. Notice it in chapter 2, beginning in verse 1.

Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the Day of the Lord is coming, for it is at hand: A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness…. A people come, great and strong, the like of whom has never been; nor will there ever be any such after them, even for many successive generations (Joel 2:1–2).

The Day of the Lord is found in both testaments of the Bible and is directly mentioned 32 times in an end-time setting when Jesus Christ returns.

Feast of Trumpets’ Prophetic Meaning: The Day of the Lord

It’s the fulfillment of the biblical Feast of Trumpets, called Rosh Hashanah by the Jews. Specific plagues make up that day and are laid out with the sounding of seven trumpets in the book of Revelation.

It’s at the last trumpet that Christ returns, and the prophet Isaiah reveals that the Day of the Lord—the time of these seven trumpet blasts—takes place during a one-year period of time. Here it is in Isaiah 34:8.

For it is the Day of the Lord’s vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion.

Everything about the Day of the Lord shows that it is a time of war and destruction when God’s wrath will be poured out on unrepentant, rebellious mankind. Here’s what we read from the prophet Zephaniah in chapter 1 and verses 14–16:

The great day of the Lord is near; it is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; there the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers (Zephaniah 1:14–16).

Joel’s Prophecy: A Global Arms Race

The massive worldwide military buildup that we see is a direct fulfillment of a prophecy found in the biblical book of Joel. But as I pointed out earlier, there have been other times in history when nations geared up for war. However, God’s prophecy as recorded by Joel is specific to a unique time in human history. He’s not speaking about the 1500s, the 1700s, or even last century. He speaks under inspiration from God of a one-year period of time referred to in 30 scriptures as the Day of the Lord—a series of events that culminates in the return of Jesus Christ.

Joel 3:10 Precedes the Day of the Lord

Notice that this call to arms is in the context of the final battle when the nations of this world—as difficult as it is to believe—square off against their Creator (Joel 3 beginning in verse 9).

Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord. Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat [that’s just outside of Jerusalem]; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow—for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:9–14).

We’ve not yet come to the time known as the Day of the Lord, but it takes time to manufacture weapons of war. When Joel says, “Prepare for war,” this obviously must precede the final battle spoken of a few verses later.

More Bible Verses About the Day of the Lord

Let’s explore further what the Bible describes as this Day of the Lord. Do you realize that this is the theme of the Book of Revelation? Note it in chapter 1 and verse 10. Here we find the aged John, the last living of the original 12 apostles, being given visions from God about events to come while being a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos in the Aegean Sea (Revelation 1:10):

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet.

3 Reasons the Day of the Lord Is Not Sunday

Now some preachers tell us that “the Lord’s Day” means Sunday. As Kenneth Taylor’s Living Letters Bible scandalously paraphrases:

It was Sunday and I was worshiping (The New Testament from 26 translations).

There are three reasons why the idea that Revelation 1:10 is not referring to a day of the week.

1. The Bible never refers to the first day of the week (that is Sunday) as the Lord’s Day.

That is a narrative invented long after the crucifixion and is never found in the Scriptures. In fact, quite the opposite is true. And that brings me to:

2. If it were talking about a day of the week, it would be the seventh-day Sabbath.

There are only three scriptures that tell us what day of the week Jesus is Lord of, and it’s not Sunday.

When the Jews of His day condemned Jesus for breaking their humanly imposed ideas about how to keep the Sabbath, He turned to an Old Testament example before stating emphatically what day He is the Lord of (Mark 2:27–28).

And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Now if the Sabbath were done away, as many proclaim, He could not be Lord of it. Consider carefully. He is not Lord of something that does not exist. Note also from this passage that Jesus said that the Sabbath was made, not for the Jews only, but for man. And when was it made? At the very beginning (Genesis 2:2–3).

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [in other words, set it apart as holy], because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Theme of Revelation Is the Day of the Lord

However, Revelation 1:10 is not referring to a day of the week. And that brings me to:

3. The theme of the book is the Lord’s Day, or to say the same thing differently—the Day of the Lord.

The message is contained on a scroll that is sealed by seven seals. Only the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, can open these seals. The first four are what are popularly known as the Four Horseman of Revelation (or of the Apocalypse). The fifth seal represents a martyrdom of some of the servants of God. Terrifying heavenly signs are seen when the sixth seal is opened, and what follows is something many cannot imagine (Revelation 6:15).

And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:15–17).

Yes, the Day of the Lord is nothing other than the wrath of the Lamb of God.

Few think of Jesus in terms that go beyond sentimental love. They fail to understand His love coming in the form of a terrific spanking—one that is necessary to bring us to our senses.

Mankind is arming even as I speak for a future that they do not foresee. When Joel spoke of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, he was referring to what many call Armageddon, but that term is badly misunderstood.
What is Armageddon? What does it mean for the world? What does it mean for you and your loved ones? And will anyone survive it?

Prepare for War in the Last Days

We are living in the last days when nations around the world are arming for war, and according to Bible prophecy, wars of unimaginable proportions are coming. However, there is good news and I’ll explain that a little later, but with all that is to happen, it’s difficult to understand how this terrible time ahead can catch people by surprise. Yet, that is exactly what the Apostle Paul says will happen. How can this be?

Revelation 18 speaks of commerce and wealth in the midst of all the troubles. Life carries on and it appears that it will carry on very well for many. That will no doubt be part of the reason, but here is the warning I spoke of before the break. There is also a moment when the world will think the long hoped-for time of peace has finally arrived. When that happens, when people think that peace has at last come, don’t allow yourself to get caught up in the euphoria of the moment. It will not last.

Like a Thief in the Night | 1 Thessalonians 5:2

Here’s what it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:2–4:

For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.

No matter the good intentions of men and women who seek peace, mankind simply does not know the way to peace. So says the word of God in Isaiah 59 and elsewhere. And so says 6,000 years of history.

Visitors to the United Nations in New York may notice a statue of a muscular man beating a sword into a plowshare for agricultural use. It was sculpted by a Russian artist and gifted to the United Nations by the former Soviet Union. Do you know where the inspiration for this impressive statue come from?

The message comes from the book of Isaiah and is Messianic in nature. In other words, it depicts the rule of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, following his return to rule on earth and bring an end to war. Notice it in Isaiah 2:4.

They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

This is also repeated by the prophet Micah in Micah 4:3.

Does this sound too good to be true? More importantly, do you believe it?

Don’t think this won’t happen. If God could foretell a massive worldwide military buildup to occur just prior to the return of His Son, can He not bring about peace when He says He will?

Great Tribulation Coming Soon | Matthew 24

Again, it never pays to bet against God. Peace will come, but only after humanity has come to the brink of global suicide. That message is found in the Bible. That is what Jesus said in Matthew 24:21–22.

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”

Is World War 3 Coming? Yes

We see two contrasting biblical prophecies for the time we are in and just ahead of us. The prophet Joel describes a massive worldwide military buildup, leading to a titanic battle near Jerusalem between the nations of the world and the returned Jesus Christ. Notice it again in Joel 3:9–10.

Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’”

Any informed person realizes that these words are being fulfilled even as you view this program. Not since World War II has there been a time when nations were more intent on preparing for a war that they truly believe is coming. Yes, there was the Cold War when the Soviet Union and the West built massive stockpiles of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them that they might guarantee “mutually assured destruction”—the idea that if each side possessed enough destructive power, neither would dare to use it. It was a dangerous game of blind man’s bluff, with each side desperately hoping no mistake would start an unthinkable chain of events that would destroy civilization as we know it. Thankfully, though there were some close calls—much closer than most people realize—that did not happen.

For insight into just how close we came to nuclear war, go to our YouTube channel and check out our 2021 award-winning program Cold War Secrets Revealed.

During the Cold War, East and West prepared for war, but hoped it would not come.

Europe Rearming in Response to Russian Threat

However, European nations today are preparing and expecting that war will come—and in the very near future.
They are seriously preparing to square off against a nuclear-powered Russia. Deputy Director General Ragnar Vaiknemets of the Estonian Health Board, which oversees war preparedness, stated emphatically:

“It’s not a question of if [Russia] will attack. It’s a question about when” (“Europe’s frontier countries ready their hospitals for war,” POLITICO).

And the BBC reported German General Carsten Breuer as saying:

“We are threatened by Russia. We are threatened by Putin. We have to do whatever is needed to deter that”…. He warns that NATO should be braced for a possible attack in as little as four years…. “And the sooner we are prepared the better” ( “Germany decides to leave history in the past and prepare for war,” BBC.com, March 31, 2025).

Now that was in March 2025. By the time you view this program, “as little as four years” is now “as little as three years.” Whether that happens exactly as feared remains to be seen. But the point is that whatever the cause, God through His prophet Joel describes a massive military buildup for the end-time and that is happening just as He said. Ultimately, those war preparations will be turned against the King of kings.

How Close Is the World to World Peace?

But on the positive side of things, Isaiah prophesies exactly the opposite of Joel. Instead of turning instruments of agriculture into weapons of war, mankind will turn his weapons of war into instruments for agriculture. Let’s notice a more complete section of this beautiful passage in Isaiah 2:2–4.

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

Yes, it is a beautiful passage, but it’s more. It’s for real.

Jesus Christ’s Return Will Bring World Peace

Just as God’s prophecy through Joel is coming to pass before our eyes, so God’s prophecy through Isaiah will come to pass.

Jesus Christ will return to save us from our insanity and set up His Kingdom of peace and prosperity. That’s when the servants of God will be resurrected to rule with Him. That’s the message Jesus proclaimed for three-and-a-half years prior to His crucifixion. That is the message of the Kingdom of God—the message we proclaim here at Tomorrow’s World.

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And if you want the free study guide related to this topic, Armageddon and Beyond, just click the link. See you in the next video.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen?

The fourth of July is a much-loved American holiday, celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but in the year 2025, it marked one of the greatest disasters in Texas history, as highlighted in this CBS News headline.

Texas flash floods hit residents and campers in a deluge “nobody saw” coming (CBS News, July 12, 2025).

The article went on to describe the disaster.

The massive rain flowing down hills sent rushing water into the Guadalupe River, causing it to rise 26 feet in just 45 minutes (“Texas flash floods hit residents and campers in a deluge “nobody saw” coming. Here’s what to know”).

Texas Public Radio reported three weeks later.

At least 135 people have died following catastrophic July 4 floods in the Hill Country and Central Texas – including at least 71 adults and 37 children from the Guadalupe River floods. The number of people still missing in Kerr County has remained at two (“Live Updates: Number of missing in Kerr County drops to 2, at least 135 died in Texas floods,” August 4, 2025).

The July 4, 2025 flash flood along the Guadalupe River in Texas shocked the nation, but less than a year earlier Hurricane Helene hit the Southeastern United States in an even greater disaster. According to the National Hurricane Center’s final report:

Up to 30 inches of rain fell in the Southern Appalachians. That was both from Helene and a band of heavy rain well ahead of the storm as moist air was lifted over an old stationary front and by the mountains and foothills, themselves.… At least 63 stream and river gauges set all time record crests… [and] both the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers in Asheville, North Carolina, shattered their previous record crests from 1916. The U.S. Geological Survey mapped 2,015 landslides … primarily in western North Carolina. Half of those slides affected buildings, roads or rivers (“Most Shocking Things From Hurricane Helene’s Final Report,” July 8, 2025).

But the toll from Helene went far beyond record setting, streams and rivers flooding, financial losses, and landslides.

Citing reports from both government and media sources, the NHC [National Hurricane Center] found at least 176 people were killed in the U.S. during Helene’s flooding rain, high winds, storm surge or tornadoes. Another 71 people died after the storm was over due to such things as vehicle wrecks, medical emergencies and accidents during cleanup. Three other deaths associated with Helene were from unknown causes (ibid.).

The total loss of life was at least 250. In light of the Hurricane Helene and Guadalupe River tragedies, and so many more all around the world, it’s reasonable to ask if God is loving and all-powerful, why can’t He—or why doesn’t He—prevent natural disasters that take the lives of innocent people, especially children?

We Have Freedom of Choice—for Good and Evil

For the answer, we must go back to the beginning. The Bible tells us that our first parents were made in the image and likeness of God. God has a great purpose in mind for mankind, a purpose that few church-goers understand, even though the Bible is explicit about that purpose.

We read that man was placed in a beautiful garden filled with wonderful foods of all sorts. He was given a mind to think, to reason, to invent and innovate, to make decisions far above what any animal kind can do. But these decisions go beyond how to plan and construct. Mankind must make decisions on how to relate to others—in other words, moral decisions.

Adam and Eve were thus tested to see whether they would trust God’s judgment as to what is good and what is evil, or whether to strike out on their own and determine good and evil for themselves. They chose the latter and mankind has been doing the same ever since. Remember Frank Sinatra singing: “I Did it My Way”? How many relate to that! As a result, God said, in effect, if you want to “do it your way,” have at it. You have 6,000 years, but you’re on your own. Don’t expect Me to bail you out of every problem that comes along.

The Rain Falls on the Just and the Unjust | Matthew 5:45

However, despite our rebellion, God does care for all of His potential children as Jesus explained in Matthew 5:44–45.

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He [that is God] makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:44–45).

Yes, God gives life-sustaining rain even to the unjust. He has not left our environment totally to chance. But God does manipulate our weather from time to time. For example, God promised this to Israel in Deuteronomy 28, and I’ll begin in verse 1.

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today… all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl (Deuteronomy 28:1–5).

In other words, weather conditions would be favorable to produce good crops. Can we not see that the God who created the entire universe can manipulate weather patterns for the good, that is, if we obey Him?

We All Suffer the Consequences of Sin

But He can also withhold the good if we despise Him and reject His rule over us, as seen later in this chapter.

But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you (Deuteronomy 28:15).

Now notice some of these consequences of our disobedience in verses 23 and 24.

And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. The LORD will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed (Deuteronomy 28:23–24).

We see that God makes it possible for the righteous and the unrighteous to survive on earth—giving sun and rain to produce food for man and beast. Yet, as we also see, He occasionally manipulates weather for His purposes. Why?

We know too well that every year there are many “so-called” natural disasters that strike randomly on Earth. These come in the form of hurricanes or cyclones, tornados, droughts and floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Terrible fires have struck southern Europe in recent years—from Spain to Greece. And wildfires are yearly events in Canada, California, and Australia.

One recent extreme heat and fire disaster occurred in Western Canada.

The 2021 BC heat wave suddenly pushed temperatures well past the previous record [set 84 years earlier] and into the upper 40s Celsius. Several weather stations across the southern BC interior repeatedly topped the long-standing national high. Kelowna, Kamloops, Ashcroft, Lytton and Lillooet all saw their temperature climb above 45 °C on one or more days from June 27 to 30, 2021. A new highest temperature for Canada was set at 49.6 °C (121.4 °F) recorded on June 29, 2021 at Lytton, BC. The next day a wildfire raged through Lytton, destroying most of the town (“Hottest Place in Canada”, CurrentResults.com, 2025).

The Canadian Broadcasting Company explained from coroner reports regarding the extreme 2021 British Columbia heatwave:

New figures released Monday said the deaths of 595 people between June 18 and Aug. 12 were related to the heat. The majority of those deaths—526—happened during the “heat dome” that created temperatures above 40 C from late June to early July. The service said 231 people died in a single day on June 29—nearly 10 people every hour (“595 people were killed by heat in B.C. this summer, new figures from coroner show,” CBC News, November 1, 2021).

No place on earth is totally safe and when natural disasters strike, property is damaged and lives are lost. Why?

God’s Plan: He’s Creating His Family

Why if God is love does He allow such tragedies? Is He not powerful enough to prevent them?

The answer is found in God’s great plan for man. Sadly, almost no one takes God at His word. Few believe the words of Scripture which tell us what He has in mind for us—what His grand purpose is. Yet it is stated plainly in His word.

Created in the Image of God | Genesis 1:27

Notice what He tells us at the very beginning—Genesis 1:26.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:26–27).

How many read over these words and never ask what it means when it says that man is made in the image and likeness of God? There’s something remarkable about that statement. Of all the creatures God made, only man is made in His image and likeness. Why?

The same expression is found in Genesis 5:3.

And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth (Genesis 5:3).

If Adam’s offspring is made in his likeness and image, what does it mean when it says that man is made in God’s image and likeness? The answer is profound, and it is found in the word of God. When King David looked into the night sky, he marveled that the great God who created all things should be mindful of puny man (Psalm 8:3–6).

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet (Psalm 8:3–6).

Dear friends, does that thought—what is man?— ever cross your mind? What is God’s purpose for creating us? Why do we have such an exalted position on earth? The author of Hebrews quotes this passage from Psalm 8 and answers the question (Hebrews 2, beginning in verse 8).

For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him…. For it was fitting for Him [that is: Christ], for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying…. Here am I and the children whom God has given Me (Hebrews 2:8, 10–13).

Do you understand the clear implication of this? Can we begin to understand what God meant when He said:

Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness (Genesis 1:26).

There’s another passage of scripture that I want to give you that confirms God’s purpose for us,

But I first want to give you a short reminder regarding today’s free offer. Yes, God has called us to a grand purpose far above what we can imagine. But mankind as a whole has rejected our Creator. And as with a spoiled child, God loves us enough to get our attention for our good. And nothing grabs our attention more than a natural disaster. Arrogance dissipates when the earth moves violently beneath our feet and the walls begin to crumble, or when the wind takes the roof off and our survival is questionable.

Romans 8:14–17:

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (Romans 8:14–17).

Sons of God. Heirs of God. Joint heirs with Christ. Yes, there’s more to creating man in God’s likeness and image than you may have realized. Clearly, when we die God has something greater in mind than sending us off to eternal retirement in heaven or to a place of eternal punishment and suffering.

Suffering Teaches Why to Choose God’s Way | Romans 8:18

But let’s continue in verse 18.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself [note this] also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now (Romans 8:18–22).

God is calling human beings to be made in His image and likeness—not to be angels, but children of God. He’s given us every blessing that a loving Father can give, but we’ve rejected His rule over us. We’ve been ungrateful and disobedient children.

We go through life as though we don’t need His counsel and help—that is, until something goes wrong. When the wind blows, the earth quakes, the floods rise, and everything around us is taken away, we expect Him to come to our rescue. And then in the aftermath of the disaster, we don’t take responsibility for having built on a flood plain or on a sandy beach. No, we blame Him and call it an act of God.

But, as I ask in Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters:

Could God stop natural disasters? Could He give adequate warnings so people could get out of the way while He builds a new island or mountain? Could He direct the wind to take a course away from His children?… Cannot the God who created the universe and life on this planet protect us (p. 22)?

The answer should be obvious. So why doesn’t He do so now? Continuing in our resource:

We are so arrogant we conclude that it [Creation] all happened by [evolutionary] chance—so God is allowing us to live in a world of chance. The disasters that “time and chance” throw at us should get our attention (p. 22).

But do they?

While there are natural disasters of unbelievable magnitude on the horizon—explained in our free resource—there is also good news.

God Will Heal the Earth When Jesus Returns

One of the most beautiful passages of scripture is found in Isaiah 35, where God inspired the prophet to record in advance the time after the return of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Notice it in verse 1.

The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose (Isaiah 35:1).

Now, some have tried to apply this passage of the desert blossoming to the current state of Israel. Yes, the Jews have turned wasteland into productive farmland, but when we read the verses that follow, it’s evident that this is speaking of something far greater, when God will heal people who are afflicted by blindness and other disabilities. He will even change the nature of animals.

It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water; in the habitation of jackals, where each lay, there shall be grass with reeds and rushes. A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; it shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away (Isaiah 35:2–10).

This is clearly not what we see today in the tiny, besieged state known as Israel.

No, there is coming a time of prosperity and peace on earth that goes far beyond what most people imagine. And it’s not for the Jews alone.

But this will not happen instantly. Mankind will actually fight against the returning Christ. When He defeats His enemies, He will command all nations to send representatives to Jerusalem to keep the biblically mandated Feast of Tabernacles. And when some nations first refuse, He will use the force of nature to get their attention, as explained in Zechariah 14:16–19.

And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16–19).

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