2 Timothy 3:16 says that all scripture is breathed out from God for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. So how does climate change figure in the scheme of things in the context of the Scriptures?
The Scriptures are two-fold on this. On the one hand, it can be inferred that God is punishing man for failing to abide by His Law, but on the other hand, Jesus tells us not to worry, since our time on earth is temporary compared to the eternity we can spend in Heaven if God has judged us to be righteous. So, after the earth can no longer sustain life, those that have been earmarked to be punished would be punished further by going to Hell instead of Heaven, and the rest will go to Heaven.
Here are the passages which may lead one to accept the above summary:
Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” So, He did not put Adam into the Garden of Eden to destroy it. Things like carbon emissions which further promote the greenhouse effect work to destroy life through temperature changes. So how do you think God would react if the paradise He created was destroyed because of certain of man’s pursuits?
Leviticus 26:19-20, in the context of what God would do if we don’t abide by His Law, says “And I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.” So in a sense, it can be inferred that climate change is God’s doing in response to man’s not fearing Him. Taking into account Genesis 2:15, it would seem that God would change the earth further than man had gone, if man were to disregard His Law, including maintaining the earth as God gave it to us to sustain life.
Isaiah 24:5-6 says, “The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.”
Jesus comes along, simplifying God’s Law and the Prophets saying they are summed up in two commandments: that we love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and we love eachother as we love ourselves. Conceivably, if we abide by these two commandments we can avoid the fate presented to us in Isaiah 24:5-6, at least for the time being.
Jesus foretells the destruction of the earth, implying that even if we abide by the commandments, things like climate change will still be a matter of due course which leads to things to come. He says in Luke 21:25-28, “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity BECAUSE OF THE ROARING OF THE SEA AND THE WAVES, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” This is partially derived from Isaiah 34:4 which says, “All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll.
All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree,” implying that the change in the earth will be the result of a cleansing, leaving those that are left.
And what do those that are left, that have seeked righteousness, look forward to? Jesus says they will be taken up into Heaven.
In the meantime, Jesus says in Matthew 6:25-34 25, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly FATHER KNOWS THAT YOU NEED THEM ALL. BUT SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED TO YOU.”
SO, WHAT TO CONCLUDE REGARDING CLIMATE CHANGE? Those who are responsible for contributing to climate change will be punished for doing so, and God will go further in destroying the earth. Those who are not responsible for contributing to climate change, and have seeked God’s Righteousness need not worry, for God had intended to destroy the earth anyway to punish those that are evil not only in terms of climate change but other things too, leaving the righteous to remain, and those who are righteous will enter Heaven and be there forever.
The Scriptures are two-fold on this. On the one hand, it can be inferred that God is punishing man for failing to abide by His Law, but on the other hand, Jesus tells us not to worry, since our time on earth is temporary compared to the eternity we can spend in Heaven if God has judged us to be righteous. So, after the earth can no longer sustain life, those that have been earmarked to be punished would be punished further by going to Hell instead of Heaven, and the rest will go to Heaven.
Here are the passages which may lead one to accept the above summary:
Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” So, He did not put Adam into the Garden of Eden to destroy it. Things like carbon emissions which further promote the greenhouse effect work to destroy life through temperature changes. So how do you think God would react if the paradise He created was destroyed because of certain of man’s pursuits?
Leviticus 26:19-20, in the context of what God would do if we don’t abide by His Law, says “And I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.” So in a sense, it can be inferred that climate change is God’s doing in response to man’s not fearing Him. Taking into account Genesis 2:15, it would seem that God would change the earth further than man had gone, if man were to disregard His Law, including maintaining the earth as God gave it to us to sustain life.
Isaiah 24:5-6 says, “The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.”
Jesus comes along, simplifying God’s Law and the Prophets saying they are summed up in two commandments: that we love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and we love eachother as we love ourselves. Conceivably, if we abide by these two commandments we can avoid the fate presented to us in Isaiah 24:5-6, at least for the time being.
Jesus foretells the destruction of the earth, implying that even if we abide by the commandments, things like climate change will still be a matter of due course which leads to things to come. He says in Luke 21:25-28, “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity BECAUSE OF THE ROARING OF THE SEA AND THE WAVES, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” This is partially derived from Isaiah 34:4 which says, “All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll.
All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree,” implying that the change in the earth will be the result of a cleansing, leaving those that are left.
And what do those that are left, that have seeked righteousness, look forward to? Jesus says they will be taken up into Heaven.
In the meantime, Jesus says in Matthew 6:25-34 25, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly FATHER KNOWS THAT YOU NEED THEM ALL. BUT SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED TO YOU.”
SO, WHAT TO CONCLUDE REGARDING CLIMATE CHANGE? Those who are responsible for contributing to climate change will be punished for doing so, and God will go further in destroying the earth. Those who are not responsible for contributing to climate change, and have seeked God’s Righteousness need not worry, for God had intended to destroy the earth anyway to punish those that are evil not only in terms of climate change but other things too, leaving the righteous to remain, and those who are righteous will enter Heaven and be there forever.
