“Heaven and Earth Will Disappear…”
“Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”
Mark 13:31 NLT
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
Matthew 24:29 ESV
Jesus said that heaven and earth will disappear, but His words will never disappear (Mark 13:31). This verse will be the focus of our discussion this week and next, starting with the bad news first: heaven and earth will disappear. I don’t want to focus on the end times, but rather on the temporary nature of our earthly existence. Then next week we’ll focus on the good news: Christ’s words will never disappear!
Before we get started, I want to let you know about a couple of changes to Wondertakings. First, I have added Quick Links to the menu at the top of the page. It lists post titles by year and allows you to jump quickly to any post. Second, I have decided to streamline my weekly posts a little. I know I can be rather long-winded sometimes (sorry!), so I plan to make them a little shorter from now on. I am also reducing the weekly Scripture passages from two per day to one per day. I am excited about these changes and hope they will improve our experience as we learn together!
“As he walked away from the Temple, one of his disciples said, ‘Teacher, look at that stonework! Those buildings!’ Jesus said, ‘You’re impressed by this grandiose architecture? There’s not a stone in the whole works that is not going to end up in a heap of rubble.'”
Mark 13:1-2 MSG
Walking with Jesus near the Temple, the disciples commented on the awe-inspiring nature of the construction. It took years to build and was a remarkable example of human excellence and craftsmanship. But Jesus reminded them not to be too impressed because it would soon be nothing but a pile of rubble. And His words proved true:
“Gazing at this glorious and massive structure, the disciples found Jesus’ words about its destruction difficult to believe. But the Temple was indeed destroyed only 40 years later . . . . Jesus’ prophecy that not one stone would be left on another was fulfilled in A.D. 70, when the Romans completely destroyed the Temple and the entire city of Jerusalem.”
Chronological Life Application Study Bible
“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”
1 John 2:17 NIV
Jesus’ words to the disciples were a reminder to them, and to us, that this world will soon pass away, so we shouldn’t get too attached to it. And we shouldn’t long too much for worldly things because they don’t last. Only our God-given desires lead to blessings that will remain. Everything else will disappear.
“Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes. . . . Resist the temptation to go after the desire of your heart in your own strength and by your own means, remembering that God will provide the absolute best for you if you will trust and obey Him. Those blessings will endure, and they will be to God’s glory in eternity.”
Charles F. Stanley, 30 Life Principles
It’s easy to get caught up in the things of this world. After all, this is where we live! There are things we need to survive and things we want to make life better. But what we have to remember is that this home is only temporary. We are residents of earth, but we are citizens of heaven. I think we tend to forget that sometimes, at least I do. Some days I get so worried about the details of daily life on earth that I don’t take time to think about my eternal home. This is why it’s important to spend time in God’s Word every day, to be reminded of where we truly belong.
Whatever we seek outside of God’s will, we will lose. I have seen this happen in my own life. Maybe you have experienced this reality as well. God made us to be uniquely suited to the things He wants to give us, and He will keep refining us until we are ready to accept them. This includes taking away what He knows will not benefit us. So we’ve got to stay connected to Him, through prayer and through His Word, in order to understand His will for our lives. When we do, we will discover the eternal blessings He has planned for us are far beyond anything we could have imagined for ourselves!
“Jesus tells us that even though the earth will pass away, the truth of his words will never be changed or abolished. God and his Word provide the only stability in our unstable world. How shortsighted people are who spend all their time and energy learning about this temporary world and accumulating its possessions, while neglecting the Bible and its eternal truths!”
Chronological Life Application Study Bible
This week’s Scripture passages remind us that God’s words are true and eternal. When we chase after things that won’t last, we are left feeling empty and hopeless. But when we seek God’s Truth and live by His Words, we are building on a foundation that will last forever!
“My child, pay attention to what I say.
Proverbs 4:20-21 NLT
Listen carefully to my words.
Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart”
References:
- Chronological Life Application Study Bible, New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 2012.
- Stanley, Charles F. 30 Life Principles Study Guide: A Study for Growing in Knowledge and Understanding of God. Thomas Nelson, 2008.
Images:
- Space featured image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay (edited)
- Earth image by Tumisu, please consider ☕ Thank you! 🤗 from Pixabay
- Temple image by Reijo Telaranta from Pixabay
- Volcanic Eruption image by Pexels from Pixabay
- Bible image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay
About The Author
Christa
My vision for Wondertakings was to create a devotional blog for "nerdy" Christians like me. I do believe, as Socrates said, that wisdom begins in wonder. So I love to read or watch anything that inspires wonder and figure out what I can learn from it. I view it all through a Christian lens. I believe that God can and does speak through many sources in many ways, even if those speaking are not aware of it. I am not an expert in theology or religious studies. My goal with this blog is simply to share what I've learned as a fellow student and sinner in the Christian walk. My hope and my prayer is that by doing so I may be able to help someone else. In Deuteronomy 5:33 (NLT), we are told: "Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives. . . ." So in the words of Moses (and Spock), live long and prosper, my friends!