OUR EARTH IN THE ETERNAL STATE.
By William Covert
THE earth is a basis for the manifestation of life. It is endowed with potency to receive and bring forth any form that Infinite Wisdom desires to give to life upon it. The original design was that this ball might be a place of habitation. "Thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited." Isa. 45:18. Man was to be earth's chief occupant, but associated with him were all forms of life designed for his good. David says, "The heavens are the Lord's; but the earth hath He given to the children of men." Ps. 115:16. It is also intended that "the whole earth be filled with His glory," and declared that the earth is filled with His riches. The whole plan is to reveal the Lord's righteousness. "Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase." Ps. 85:11, 12. The Lord's blessing upon the earth causes it to send forth bountiful crops for man to reap. The plants that come forth from the life-deposit in earth and air, are manifestations of truth; and showers from heaven that water it, are expressions of righteousness. In these things God is letting His goodness be seen upon every hill-top and mountain height, valley reach, and plain expanse; and this boundless love is shared by all His creatures. Of God's direct providence the Psalmist says, "Thou visitest the earth and waterest it; Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water; Thou preparest them corn, when Thou hast so provided for it." Ps. 65:9. In suggesting the proper conduct of man, the advice is, "Let the people praise Thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us." Ps. 67:5, 6. Thus it is plain that continued righteousness on the part of all the people would have been rewarded with unbroken manifestations of righteousness on the part of the earth. Before sin was conceived and brought forth to poison the ground, the fulness of life was everywhere visible. Perfect beauty was an eloquent witness for righteousness. Everything in the earth testified for God. The glory of all nature, and the sweet innocence of Eden united in singing His praises. But when man departed from the way of holiness, the earth itself was so affected by his sin, that it testified against him through sterility, weakness, decay, and death. The Effect of Sin on the Land.
When man sinned in Eden, he was immediately cast out of the place; and the earth where he was compelled to abide fell under the curse of sin. When Cain killed his brother Abel, the Lord said to the guilty man, "When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength." Gen. 4:12. As sin increased, its poisonous influences became more deadly, marring life, and curtailing its joys at every step. In Palestine, where sin was uncurbed for a few generations, the land became defiled, and its inhabitants were cast out. Lev. 18:25. When Israel became very sinful, the Lord said, "I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled My land." Jer. 16:18. Since men have spread all over the world, and carried sin everywhere, the prophet calls attention to the situation by saying, "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with the master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for the Lord hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant." Isa. 24:1-5.3 To Abraham the Lord said, "All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever." Gen. 13:15. Again He spoke to him of "all the land of Canaan," promising it to him and his seed for an everlasting possession. Gen. 17:7, 8. Later the Lord confirmed these promises to Abraham by an oath, pledging His own existence as security for their fulfilment. Gen. 22:16-18. These pledges and covenants were repeated to Isaac and Jacob, assuring them of their future and endless intent. Gen. 26:3-5; 28:13-15. Paul, commenting of the significance of these promises, taught that in them Abraham was promised the heirship of the world. Rom. 4:13. The martyr Stephen, in his deductions before the Jewish court, proved that Abraham had not received, as an inheritance, enough land "to set his foot on." However, he showed from the Scriptures that the promise was yet to be fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Of Abraham's sojourn in the land of promise, he said, the Lord "gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on; yet He promised that He would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him." Acts 7:5. The promises to Abraham were made jointly to him and his seed forever. In commenting upon the promises which underlie the Christian faith and inheritance, the apostle said, "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. . . . And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:26-29. The Spirit, through David, spoke of the future state of our world, saying, "Evildoers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Ps. 37:9-11. Jesus quoted from these writings of David, and applied the promise to a future inheritance when He said, "Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth." Matt. 5:5. From the time Paradise was lost until now, this earth has been, to a great extent, in the possession of wicked men. Thus far in earth's history the meek have been burdened with many a care, and often driven by want and oppression. The majority of them have been found among the poor of this world. Yet they have been rich in joy and faith, and heirs of a world-wide kingdom. James 2:5; Dan. 7:27. On the other side of death and sin, come to view upon our earth scenes of matchless splendor. No world can then show forth greater manifestations of glory than will be seen in our restored earth. Even to a murmuring people the Lord made a happy promise saying, "As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord." Num. 14:21. Israel had become skeptical, and darkness was upon them; so, to revive their faith, the Lord stated anew the promise made to their fathers. The expression, "as truly as I live," signified that the Father's existence is pledged to the accomplishment of the promise. This pledge was not intended for the wandering Jews alone, but was given to encourage all people to press toward the promised land. It will require a complete harmony in righteousness between the earth and the people upon it, to bring about the condition of glory promised. The people must all be righteous, that they may inherit the land forever. The land must be relieved from the curse that the people may enjoy its righteous manifestations. Then will be fulfilled the Scripture which says, "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase." Ps. 85:10-12. These essential conditions will sometime prevail, for the prophet says, "Thy people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the works of My hands, that I may be glorified." Isa. 60:21. The blessed condition will then be such that in writing of it John said, "There shall be no curse any more." Rev. 22:3, R. V. The curse being removed from the land, and the people all made righteous, there can be nothing to hinder the manifestation of glory. "Violence shall no more be heard in thy land," says the prophet. Evidently it can not be, for righteous people do no violence. Neither "wasting nor destruction" will be seen "within thy borders." Under such influences nothing amiss can take place. Not only is there to be an absence of all things evil, but all good things shall abound. "The ransomed of the Lord"—those who will be called to the court in heaven during the millennial judgment—"shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isa. 35:10. When the curse, with its sorrow and sighing, has fled away, and righteousness, with its joy and gladness, is left in full possession of the earth, nothing will stand in the way of God's purpose. Then shall be manifested that state of glory foretold by all the prophets. When the ransomed return at the close of the millennium, they will behold the Lord "make all things new." Rev. 21:5. Then the riches of God's grace within the earth will be manifest in beauty and fragrance. The adaptability and co-operation of all things will be perfect. It is then that the ideal condition described by the prophet shall be fully realized. Then "the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose."