There are at least two reasons why Christians should believe that the very earth on which we walk will be filled with the glory of God.
First, because the plan of our heavenly Father cannot fail (Genesis 1:26–28). The Father's plan for humanity—all human beings, created in His image and likeness—to subdue the whole earth will surely succeed. Adam's fall was part of the Father's plan to process humanity so that human beings might become conformed to His image and likeness (Romans 8:19–21).
Second, the victory of Christ's cross is universal in scope. The following Scriptures show that all the old things came to an end at the cross: the old life of angels and humanity (Colossians 1:20), Satan (Hebrews 2:14; John 12:31), Satan's kingdom (Colossians 2:15; John 12:31), sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:3), sins (1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:6), the world (Galatians 6:14; John 12:31), death (Hebrews 2:14), the flesh (Galatians 5:24), the self-life (Galatians 2:20), and the old creation (Colossians 1:20).
When the old creation, which had fallen into sin, was brought to an end at the cross through the death of Jesus Christ, His resurrection initiated the new creation. And everyone who is in Christ Jesus is a new creation. Christians are part of this new creation and share in the promise made to Abraham that ‘in you and your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed’.
The coming of Jesus Christ (commonly called His Second Coming) will not bring our ministry to an end. Indeed, we who believe will be raised from the dead and receive glorified bodies. With these glorified bodies, we will continue to serve on this earth throughout the ages (Revelation 5:10; 20:4), until the very earth on which we walk also moves toward the New Heaven and the New Earth.
That is why we believe that the earth will be filled with the glory of God. Amen.
