“Heaven and earth will pass
away, but My words will by no means pass away.” Matthew 24:35 NKJV
In this
chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is speaking of things to come. He speaks of the destruction of the Temple,
the End of the Age, the Great Tribulation and His 2nd Coming. Is it true that heaven and especially earth,
as we know it, will be no more? The Apostle John, who was banished to the isle
of Patmos*, tells us prophetically “Then
I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth
had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.” This verse does not prove that God’s word will some
day pass away. Reverend Albert Barnes** says Matthew is simply using an example to show
that “You may sooner expect to see the
heaven and earth pass away and return to nothing, than God’s words to fail.” The prophet Isaiah, inspired by the Lord,
is quoted as saying, "See, I
will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be
remembered, nor will they come to mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)
What does all this mean to today’s
believer? It means that God’s words are
not temporal, but rather infinite in nature.
Just as God was and is and always will be, so His words shall be also.
This is wonderful news for the ardent believer.
Whatever scripture says the Lord has said, He most assuredly has said
and these commands, principles, truths and promises have and shall continue to
stand the test of time. What was true in
the Old Testament is true today. Nothing
needs to be altered or removed for everything has been laid out just as the
Holy Spirit designed it.
Isaiah also reveals to us that though
temporal things shall fail, God’s word shall not. Listen: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God
endures forever." (Isaiah 40:8)
When in doubt about the faithfulness of God, the flawlessness of His
word or life in general, read the Bible and know that all you are reading is
true and will never change. Until Christ
returns, walk with the King and be a blessing!
Translations
used: New King James Version & New
International Version.
* The small island of Patmos is about 7.5 miles
long from north to south and at its widest is 6 miles from east to west. With
an area of 13 square miles and a circumference of 25 miles, the volcanic island
presents a largely rocky and treeless landscape.
** Bible
scholar and author of Barnes Notes on the Bible, Reverend Barnes was an
ordained Presbyterian minister who was born in 1798 and was promoted to glory
in 1870.
