“And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18).

In the coming day of God’s wrath, one group singled out for destruction is “them which destroy the earth.” When God finished creating, Adam and his descendants were told to “replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over . . . every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28). But “dominion” did not mean “destruction,” and “subduing the earth” did not mean spoiling it.

In these days, however, men are indeed in the process of destroying the earth and its inhabitants. Note the following partial list of global problems, all of which have resulted from human rebellion against the will of God: (1) global water pollution; (2) global air pollution; (3) global spread of AIDS and other deadly pestilences; (4) global spread of nuclear and other sophisticated weapons of mass slaughter; (5) global erosion of essential layers of topsoil; (6) destruction of vital rain forests and other important ecological communities; (7) global spread of addictive drugs; (8) legalization of abortion and homosexuality; (9) chemical pollution of lands and food chains with toxic wastes, nuclear wastes, insecticides, and other noxious substances; and, (10) animal and plant extinctions, averaging over one per day throughout recorded history.

Any one of these, left unrestrained, could eventually destroy all life on Earth, and God has warned of coming judgment. At the same time, however, the promise is that “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). HMM