The End of Suffering Is at Hand!

Imagine living in a world free of suffering—a world without crime, warfare, sickness, and natural disasters. Imagine waking up every morning without having to worry about discrimination, oppression, or economic uncertainty. Does all of this sound too good to be true? Granted, no human or man-made organization can bring about such conditions. But God has promised to do away with all causes of human suffering, including those discussed in the preceding article. Note the following promises from God’s Word, the Bible:

THE RULE OF GOOD GOVERNMENT

“The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite.”—Daniel 2:44.

The Kingdom of God is a heavenly government. Its chosen Ruler, Jesus Christ, will take the place of all human rulership and will ensure that God’s will is done not only in heaven but also here on earth. (Matthew 6:9, 10) This government will not be replaced by any human government because it is “the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Lasting peace will be assured.—2 Peter 1:11.

NO MORE FALSE RELIGION

“Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light. It is therefore nothing great if his ministers also keep transforming themselves into ministers of righteousness. But their end shall be according to their works.”—2 Corinthians 11:14, 15.

False religion will be exposed as the work of the Devil and will be eliminated from the earth. Gone will be all religious bigotry and bloodshed. This will allow all lovers of the “living and true God” to worship him in “one faith” and “with spirit and truth.” What peace and unity!—1 Thessalonians 1:9; Ephesians 4:5;
 John 4:23.

HUMAN IMPERFECTION WILL BE NO MORE

“God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:3, 4.

Jehovah God makes this possible by means of his Son, Jesus, who gave his life for the world of mankind. (John 3:16) Under Jesus’ direction, humankind will be brought to perfection. There will  no longer be any suffering because “God himself will be with them” and will erase “every tear from their eyes.” Human imperfection and suffering will soon be a thing of the past; “the righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—Psalm 37:29.

WICKED SPIRITS WILL BE GONE

“He [Jesus Christ] seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he hurled him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, that he might not mislead the nations anymore.”—Revelation 20:2, 3.

All satanic influence will be gone when Satan and the demons are bound and hurled into “the abyss,” a state of total inactivity. They will no longer exercise their evil control over human affairs. What a relief it will be to live in a world free from the influence of Satan and the wicked spirits!

“THE LAST DAYS” WILL BE OVER

“The last days” will end with what Jesus called the “great tribulation.” He said: “Then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.”—Matthew 24:21.

The tribulation will be great in the sense that unprecedented calamities will occur. These will climax at “the war of the great day of God the Almighty,” better known as “Armageddon.”—Revelation 16:14, 16, footnote.

People everywhere who love what is right look forward to the end of this wicked system of things. Consider just a few of the blessings that await them under God’s Kingdom.

GOD WILL DO EVEN MORE!

“A great crowd” will be preserved into a peaceful new world: God’s Word says that an unnumbered “great crowd” of people will “come out of the great tribulation” and be preserved alive into a righteous new world. (Revelation 7:9, 10, 14; 2 Peter 3:13) They will attribute their salvation to Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”—John 1:29.

Great benefits will come from divine education: In the new world, “the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah.” (Isaiah 11:9) This divine education will include instruction on how to live in peace with all people and in harmony with the environment. God promises: “I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk.”—Isaiah 48:17.

Dead loved ones will be raised from the grave: While on earth, Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. (John 11:1, 5, 38-44) Thus he demonstrated what he will do on a much larger scale under God’s Kingdom arrangement.—John 5:28, 29.

Peace and righteousness will prevail forever: Under Christ’s rulership, lawlessness will be a thing of the past. How do we know that? Because Jesus is able to read hearts, and he will use that ability to judge between the righteous and the wicked. Those who refuse to change their wicked ways will not be allowed to live in God’s new world.—Psalm 37:9, 10; Isaiah 11:3, 4; 65:20; Matthew 9:4.

We have considered just a few of the many Bible prophecies that point to the wonderful time to come. When God’s Kingdom exercises rulership over the earth, an “abundance of peace” will prevail forever. (Psalm 37:11, 29) All the causes of pain and suffering that have plagued mankind will be undone. We have God’s own word on it: “Look! I am making all things new. . . . These words are faithful and true.”—Revelation 21:5