But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:7)

Reserved For Fire

In 1908, a massive explosion occurred in Siberia when a meteor entered the Earth’s atmosphere, flattening over 800 square miles of Siberian forest near the Tunguska River. The explosion is attributed to a meteor air burst, the atmospheric explosion of a stony asteroid about 160–200 feet wide. It is thought that three people were killed in the blast. In 2015, June 30 was designated “International Asteroid Day” to commemorate the 1908 event, considered the largest impact event on Earth in recorded history. Scientists have studied meteors, asteroids, and comets, with a particular concern for the consequences of one or more of these objects hitting the Earth in modern times. Bill Nye said, “If the Earth gets hit by an asteroid, it’s game over. It’s control-alt-delete for civilization.” The good news is that Bill Nye is wrong. An asteroid will never hit the Earth and “delete” civilization.

Scientists postulate numerous theories about what would happen if certain events were to unfold. Is it possible there is an asteroid in space large enough to hit the Earth and kill everyone on the planet? Yes. There is no doubt the universe is filled with rocks so large that a strike on Earth would decimate every living thing on it. The possibility of such a thing happening is the real question, with a very real answer. Nothing is going to destroy the planet, including global warming. Humanity fears the power of the nuclear bomb and a nuclear winter, where everyone dies after a large-scale nuclear war. Twenty-five million people died from the Bubonic Plague, also known as the Black Plague, between 1347 and 1352, with its effects lasting another four hundred years. There are conditions where millions of people could die, but nothing is going to destroy the earth because God has reserved the fate of the world to His will.

God created the world by His word. The world is held together by the word of God. When the time comes for the earth to be destroyed, God has reserved that right to His will and His word. The sun rises and sets every day because God created the sun, moon, and stars. All of the oceans that cover the earth remain in place as He ordained. The human body functions in a remarkable manner, created by the hand of God. These are matters that remain unchangeable apart from the word of God. In the days of Noah, a global flood destroyed all life except the eight souls inside the ark. How could such a flood happen? God willed it. During the days of Joshua, the sun stood still, and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. How could the sun stay in the middle of the sky, and not set as on a normal day? God was in control.

The Earth will be struck by asteroids and meteors until the coming of the Lord, as that is part of nature. It would have been a greater travesty if the 1908 asteroid had impacted the Earth at a populated place. The death toll could be very high. There are more than eight billion people on Earth, and there is nothing that is going to destroy those eight billion souls except the will of the Lord who made the heavens and the earth. The heavens and the earth are preserved by the word of God that created them. That same word holds the heavens and earth together, reserved for fire until the day of judgment. No one knows when that day will be (not even Jesus Christ), but it is coming. The most important question to answer is whether you are ready to meet the Lord. Answer that question and you will find peace. The Lord is coming. What a day that will be. Prepare to meet your God.