The “preservation of creation” is now the focus of ecumenism. A philosophy that has officially been declared a matter of faith is to be expanded into a communal fight against the decay of nature. What does the Bible say about this, can it even work?
Inhalt / Content
Facing the common threat
The ecumenism being promoted at the level of the major religions is carried out within the framework of the “preservation of creation”. The tenor is that the climate, earth and nature must be saved. All people, regardless of religion, are equally affected by the “imminent climate apocalypse”. The poorer people are all the more violent, according to the “Second Commandment” of Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical “Laudato Si'”. (Info). This letter can – if you like – also be described as the catechism of ecumenism from the Vatican.
New universal faith must be established
For the purpose of “environmental awareness” and to establish the now defined universal faith (Info), the Vatican conducts numerous interreligious dialogues. For example, in the capital of Thailand, Bangkok, a meeting took place between Catholic clergy and numerous representatives of Buddhism.
In addition to the Thai Bishops’ Conference and representatives of the Vatican, Christians from other countries also took part. These meetings regularly focus on topics such as “Healing a wounded humanity and earth” (Source).
What does the Bible actually say about this?
Since all Christian churches, be it the Roman Catholic Church or the institutions that still call themselves Protestant despite the lack of protest, claim to be based on the foundation of the Gospel, it is very interesting to know what the Bible says about the situation of creation and its impending future. And to find out whether the statements of the Gospel could possibly contradict the “catechism” of the “nature conservation faith”..
God’s act of creation
God created heaven and earth and everything in them. This is the first statement that an interested reader of the Bible encounters. After each day of creation, God described what He had created as “good” and after the sixth day even as “very good”. Genesis 1:31:
“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.“
The creation, i.e. the earth, nature, the animals and also the first two humans, were all in a “very good” condition. It was perfect. What other than perfection could one expect from God?
The Fall changed everything
With the fall of Eve and Adam, the state of creation changed completely. Sin has entered this once perfectly created world. This was not without consequences. Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, even though God expressly forbade this. However, both perfectly created people listened to the voice of the seducer who first spoke to Eve through the serpent.
With the violation of God’s commandment, evil also entered this world with sin. From this moment on, the distinction between good and evil was possible for the first time, since previously no comparison was possible. There was only the good. Adam and Eve, created in the image of God, had no evil intentions. Only when the commandment was violated was space created for evil and the distinction between good and evil was not only possible, but also necessary from this point on.
Man has carried away creation
Adam and Eve lost their perfect state. Both and all of their descendants have since become fallen beings. Inclined to sin and therefore also to evil. A fallen nature. With them, the created environment also lost its once perfect condition. God cursed creation. The serpent more than all other animals,Genesis 3:14:
“And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:“
God’s curse on His creation also fell on the plant world, for He explained to Adam that in the future it would be difficult to continue to feed on nature,Genesis 3:17-18:
“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;“
With this, something came into this world that was not originally intended, even though God saw it coming. The death. Genesis 3,19:
“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.“
In summary, it can be said here that God’s once perfect creation had completely lost this state with sin. People, animals and plants have fallen in their respective states, become greatly reduced and, above all, transitory.
With the flood comes the next degeneration
The next event that massively influenced creation was the Flood. With the flooding of the entire earth, almost everything else in creation outside the ark was destroyed except for Noah, his family and the saved species of land animals. Only some of the aquatic animals survived the catastrophe, as did the resilient plant species. Plant seeds are capable of remaining viable over a long period of time, even in adverse circumstances. This possible survival also exists in the offspring of insects.
Creation undoubtedly experienced another massive reduction with the Flood. The living conditions were more difficult and with it the possibility of a life-sustaining diet. After the Flood, people’s life expectancy dropped rapidly. The average age fell from a good 900 years to just 180, 120 and finally 80 years within just a few generations.
The climate was not spared
The climate also experienced a massive change, because after the flood God decreed that Genesis 8:22:
“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.“
On the one hand, this statement explains a previously unknown state of nature and also a change in the climate, including the beginning of the seasons. On the other hand, as always, you can take God at his word and therefore deduce that seeds and harvest, as well as heat and especially frost, will last until the end of the earth despite all prophecies of doom.
Transience is inherent in nature
The fall of man and the global flood have thus placed nature in a completely different state than the state immediately after creation. However, humans were not relieved of their responsibility to ensure preservation. But certainly not outside the scope of his possibilities.
But this responsibility does not change the fact that nature has fallen just as much as man has fallen in his essence. What is essential about the current situation is the constant transience of nature. This means people, animals, plants and also the earth.
The Bible describes the development
Since it is clear that the transience of creation is not primarily subject to external influences, but rather to the inherent quality given by God due to sin, the Bible should actually also provide an outlook on the “final” state of the earth and the living creatures on it give. In fact, some references to this can be found in the Old and New Testaments. In connection with the actually foreseen end of this creation.
The prophet Isaiah
In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah was given a glimpse of the final state of the earth when the wrath of God will befall humanity. Isaiah 51:6:
“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.”
The earth will crumble like “a garment” and so will the inhabitants on it. That doesn’t sound like an “ideal world” in the time of a 1000-year earthly empire in peace. (Info).
The prophet Zephaniah
The prophet Zephaniah was given a similar outlook on the final state of the earth,Zephaniah 1:3:
“I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.“
The prophet Jeremiah
God provided the same outlook to the prophet Jeremiah inJeremiah 4:23-26:
“I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.“
The following verse makes it clear that, as with His original creation, God does not “do things by halves”, but rather goes for the whole. And this with certainty. Who should be able to change that? Jeremiah 4:28:
“For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.“
Paul also knew about it
In the New Testament there were also no visions of a flourishing nature and an ideal world. Paul made it clear that God’s creation is condemned to perishability, as are the people in it. Romans 8:20-21:
“For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.“
Peter also saw the end
Peter has the same “foresight” of the final state of the earth, including the living creatures that live on it, as the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Zephaniah. Peter believed the predictions. 2 Peter 3:12-14:
“Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.“
The Restoration – Only “Afterwards”
There are certainly descriptions of a restored creation in the Bible. A new earth, a new sky and also a newly created nature (Revelation 21). But this point in time will only come after the thousand years of “rest” have actually passed. From Earth’s perspective, this calm describes a devastated, lifeless wasteland. There is nowhere to be found in the Bible about a kingdom of peace on earth.
Evolutionary hypothesis should hold against this
The biblical account of creation speaks of an originally perfect world, manufactured by God. The ongoing degeneration began with sin and progresses to the described finale of total destruction.
This is completely contrary to the hypothesis of evolution, which is still treated as a theory. An idea that was only developed in the middle of the 19th century and has been cultivated ever since. It describes a primitive primordial soup at the beginning on this earth and the ongoing development for around 4.5 billion years to ever higher levels through a chain of pure coincidences and selection. However, evidence to the contrary has long since been provided (Info).
Motives for the new religion
This nature has a God-given inherent impermanence and is therefore doomed to perpetual degeneration. Humans, animals and plants too. Now the question arose to what extent is it possible for humans to override the will and plan of God? The question also arose as to what the motive for the global call for the “preservation of creation,” which has now been defined as a religion, is. Is this still ignorance or unbelief towards the gospel, or is this already a global call for a tangible rebellion against God?
The Roman Catholic Church, the leader of the new religious philosophy of “preservation of creation” (pure pantheism), can be accused of all sorts of characteristics, but certainly not of ignorance of the Gospel.
It is obvious. Ecumenism, now officially associated with the “idea of creation,” is nothing other than the final mass movement for common rebellion against God and His statutes. An undertaking that is doomed to failure and with it also for those who reject the truth of the Gospel and believe this lie.
The great deception will not lie in the fact that there will be continued decay and thus actual catastrophes, but in the countermeasures that are being propagated. The worship of a divine pseudo-authority in connection with a creation day to be observed for devotion and preservation on every Sunday. The mark of the beast (Info).
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2 Thessalonians 2:10
Bible verses from King James Version
